Earn Money From Home with Swagbucks

If you’ve read my blog for any length of time, you’ve likely heard me talk about this thing called Swagbucks. And some of you are probably scratching your head wondering what it’s all about. So I thought it was high time I did an in-depth tutorial complete with 14 simple ways to earn more Swagbucks.

What Is Swagbucks?

Swagbucks is a search engine which rewards you with Swagbucks for searching. You can use it just like Google (though I still like Google better) for searching and you will be randomly awarded Swagbucks for searching, usually around five to 10 Swagbucks once or twice each day.

These Swagbucks can then be redeemed for a variety of different free items, such as Amazon gift cards, Starbucks gift cards and much more.

While Swagbucks started out as solely a search engine, over the past few years, they’ve morphed into much more. In fact, they now offer many different ways to earn more Swagbucks making it much easier to earn enough Swagbucks to cash in on their prizes.

How Do I Sign Up For Swagbucks?

It’s very simple. Just fill out the form here and you’re all set.

Does It Really Work?

Resoundingly yes! I’ve earned many gift cards plus some electronics from them since I’ve been using them for the last few years. In fact, we were able to lavishly bless our families with Christmas gifts this year thanks, in large part, to the gift cards I’d accumulated through Swagbucks.

And I’m not alone. I know dozens of friends who’ve also had great success with Swagbucks — earning at least a gift card or two every month and sometimes much more than that.

I average about $25 a month in Amazon.com gift cards. That really adds up fast and is helpful for birthday and Christmas presents. :) 

1. Install the Swagbucks Toolbar

You can conduct internet searches directly on the Swagbucks homepage. Or, you can make it much easier on yourself and just install the Swagbucks toolbar. Then, when you want to search for something, you can just go to the Swagbucks toolbar and search without having to open up the Swagbucks homepage.

In addition, you’ll sometimes receive notifications of free Swagbucks codes in the toolbar which you can enter on the homepage of your Swagbucks account in order to add free bonus points to your account.

2. Follow the Swagbucks Blog

If you’re not following the Swagbucks blog, you’re missing out on many opportunities to snag free Swagbucks codes. They have been releasing at least one free code almost every day. Plus, you’ll be in the know about giveaways they are running and everything that’s new at Swagbucks.

3. Print Coupons

Did you know that you can now earn 10 Swagbucks for every coupon you printand use from Swagbucks? Just click on the “Earn” tab at the top of theSwagbucks homepage and then click on “Coupons”. You’ll earn 10 Swagbucks for every coupon you print and redeem at your local store.

Please note that you’ll only receive Swagbucks for coupons you actually use. Just printing them won’t earn you anything, so make sure to only print those you know you’ll use.

In addition, it takes up to 12 weeks for the points to post to your account. However, I’ve received reports from many different people that this has worked without a hitch. You just have to have a bit of patience!

4. Watch Swagbucks TV

Click on the “Swagbucks TV” on the dropdown menu under the “Earn” tab to pull up the Swagbucks TV page. You have to watch 10 different videos (they range in length from one minute to five minutes) and then you’ll earn three Swagbucks.

I usually turn these on while I’m working on the computer and it’s a simple way to slowly rack up some points. You can earn up to 25 three-point rewards in a 24-hour period (a total of 75 points), so it’s definitely a great way to multi-task while on the computer. I also sometimes just leave the videos running while I’m working on a task nearby (laundry, cleaning, etc.).

5. Take the Daily Poll

Every day, Swagbucks offers one simple poll. Just click on the “Poll” on the dropdown menu under the “Earn” tab to pull up the page. Choose your answer and you’ll earn one Swagbuck. It’s simple and takes all of about 15 seconds to do.

6. Perform Tasks

Swagbucks has a list of different tasks you can complete online and earn anywhere from 16 to 40 Swagbucks. Just click on the “Tasks” on the dropdown menu under the “Earn” tab to pull up the page.

Each tasks is different. They will tell you at the beginning how many minutes the task will typically take.

I will say, that I wouldn’t recommend this way of earning Swagbucks unless you have a lot of time on your hands and love doing online research. For the time involved in doing these tasks, you’re only earning the equivalent of pennies.

7. Complete Special Offers

Right now, you can earn nine Swagbucks when you sign up to get Dilbert comics or the Free Sites email newsletter. You can earn 61 Swagbucks when you sign up for Mint.com and add one financial institution to your profile. You can get 21 Swagbucks when you sign up for the Sweet Daily Deals email newsletter.

There are many, many more such offers which require no credit card or payment to earn Swagbucks. Click on the “Special Offers” on the dropdown menu under the “Earn” tab to pull up the page which lists the various offers you can complete to earn Swagbucks. Unless you were already planning to sign up for one of the free trials which require a credit card, I would not suggest signing up for them as it’s possible you could forget to cancel and get billed.

8. Take Trusted Surveys

Swagbucks offers similar survey opportunities to paid survey opportunities, only you earn Swagbucks instead of cash.

There are mixed reviews on the survey opportunities, similar to what the paid survey opportunities usually are like. Some people do really well with them, some people spend a lot of time filling out pre-survey questionnaires only to find out they don’t qualify.

If you enjoy filling out surveys, I’d say it’s worth a shot to try doing some of the Trusted Surveys through Swagbucks. However, if you find you’re rarely qualifying for surveys, I’d skip the surveys and focus on some of the other more reliable earning opportunities.

9. Play Swagbucks Games

I tried my hand at the Swagbucks games and was less than enthused. However, I’m one of those people who basically finds computer games incredibly boring. If you’re unlike me and you enjoy computer games, this might be a great way to earn Swagbucks.

10. Go Through the No Obligation Special Offers

Every day, you can go to the No Obligation Special Offers section and skip through all the offers (sign up if something interests you, but skip those which don’t interest you). At the end, you just have to type in a simple phrase and you’ll earn two Swagbucks. From start to finish, this will take you no more than 20 seconds and you can do it every single day!

11. Purchase Groupons Through Swagbucks

If you’re going to purchase a Groupon deal, always head to the Daily Deals page on Swagbucks and click through there to purchase it. In many cases, you’ll earn 150 to 300 Swagbucks for your purchase — which can make the Groupon deal even sweeter!

12. Trade-In

If you have old cell phones, MP3 players, games, consoles or books you want to get rid of, check out how many Swagbucks you can earn by trading them in. After looking up your item, you can print out a pre-paid shipping label and receipt, stick it in the mail and you’ll be awarded your Swagbucks after your trade-in is processed.

13. Follow Swagbucks on Twitter

If you follow Swagbucks on Twitter, you’ll be the first to know about Twitter-only codes available. Plus, multiple times per week, they randomly award Twitter followers with 100 free Swagbucks for tweeting using the hastag #Swagbucks.

14. Follow Swagbucks on Facebook

The Swagbucks Facebook Page is the place to find out about the latest Swagcodes and discuss all things related to Swagbucks. Since there are so many members and everyone is allowed to post on the wall, sometimes the discussions or comments get a little out of hand.

Also, I’ve found that the Swagbucks Facebook Page is a goldmine for finding the best phrases to search. I never seem to have great success when searching on my own, but when I search the phrases people suggest on there, I almost always win double digit Swagbucks. I have no idea what’s up with that, but you should try it, too!

Another Shoe Box Update

Well, I finally got an e-mail saying where my boxes went. They went to Ghana, the Dominican Republic and to Colombia. Oh how I wish I could be there to see the kids open their boxes!  I have been asked many times if I am going to do that many boxes again next year. I don't know how many boxes I will do. But I will tell you that next year I want to get the whole church involved with packing boxes. It's amazing how a simple gift can have such an imapct on someone's life.  There is nothing better than knowing that you helped share God's love with a child that you will probably never meet.

Shoe Box Update

At the begining of the year I told you that I was going to do some shoe boxes for Samaritains Purse Operation Christmas Child. And by some, I meant 50. Now I know some of you thought I was crazy.  I could see it in your eyes when I told you why I was doing 50. But that didn't stop me.  And this is what my nursery looks like today.

I have 60 boxes packed and labeled ready to be dropped off next week.  I can't believe I did it. And to be honest with you, I have no idea how I did it.  How did I get enough stuff to fill 60 boxes?!?!?!?! And you know the truely amazing part? I had stuff left over!!!! I went through all the boxes a second time stuffing in as much as I could.  How did I end up with extra things?!?!?!?!?!  Everytime I look at all those boxes, I wonder how it all came together.  I have been so blessed by doing this. I have learned a very valuable lesson.  If God tells you to do something, He will not let you fail. I wish I could be sitting across from you right now because I don't want you to miss the point I am trying to make.  I love my job but I will never be rich doing it.  And considering everything else that is going on in my life, I have no extra money.  I barely have the money I need to pay my bills.  So how did I pay for all the stuff that is in the shoe boxes?!?!?!?! God took care on me.  He told me to do something and I obeyed.  He took care of the rest. I pray that you are getting this.  God will take care of everything if you just trust Him and follow Him.  Looking at those shoe boxes is a daily reminder that miracles can happen because to me the fact that I did so many shoe boxes is a miracle.  There is no way that I can explain how it all came together.

(Mat 19:26 RSV) But Jesus looked at them and said to them, "With men this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

(James 2:18 ) But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.

It will be a little sad to see the boxes go.  It's a daily reminder that God is with me and that through Him I can do anything.  Plus it turned my sad empty nursery into my work space. By not having a child in the nursery I was able to impact the lives of 60 children!  God's perfect plan! 

And there is another amazing thing that has come out of this.( I know, there's more!) By asking for shoe boxes, I was able to share what the shoe boxes were for and many people decided to do there own shoe boxes as well! So who knows just how many shoe boxes were packed because of all this!  It is just so awesome how everything fell into place. I am blown away by how this has all turned out and I pray that you understand what I am saying and that you get it.

I have a big "THANK YOU" to all who helped me. This couldn't have been done without your help.  Some gave me shoe boxes, while others gave me some things to put in them or donated money towards the shipping cost. Thank you so much.  You didn't just help me fill a shoe box with things, you helped me fill the shoe boxes with love and hope. Thank you!

Ever hear that song "Trust and Obey"?  I think it goes well with this post so here it is.

When we walk with the Lord in the light of His Word,
What a glory He sheds on our way!
While we do His good will, He abides with us still,
And with all who will trust and obey.

Trust and obey, for there’s no other way
To be happy in Jesus, but to trust and obey.

Not a shadow can rise, not a cloud in the skies,
But His smile quickly drives it away;
Not a doubt or a fear, not a sigh or a tear,
Can abide while we trust and obey.

Not a burden we bear, not a sorrow we share,
But our toil He doth richly repay;
Not a grief or a loss, not a frown or a cross,
But is blessed if we trust and obey.

But we never can prove the delights of His love
Until all on the altar we lay;
For the favor He shows, for the joy He bestows,
Are for them who will trust and obey.

Then in fellowship sweet we will sit at His feet.
Or we’ll walk by His side in the way.
What He says we will do, where He sends we will go;
Never fear, only trust and obey.

Here we go again

So I have been trying to write this since Sat but with the storm that came through it has been hard.  The power keeps going off and on and I lose our Internet connection constantly. So hopefully I can get it done today.  Saturday I had my initial ultrasound and I am currently on my oral medications and my injectable medication.  I conveniently forgot how much the injections burned!  So here we go again!  This will be our third and last chance at IVF.  The first time we only had one egg to put back in and it didn't take hold.  The second time we ended up with 3 eggs going in, one taking hold but then it miscarried. Hopefully third time's a charm!

When we first started this journey, I had no idea what a roller coaster ride it would be. I knew it would be hard mentally and physically but I had no idea just how hard it would be. Plus I really thought that we would be successful on our first try.  I mean I have no trouble getting pregnant, it's just the eggs pick a very bad location to set up their home.  I can't believe that I thought it would be easy.  And now here we are on our last try.  I have mixed emotions knowing that this is it.  I won't have to take dozens of pills every day or give myself painful injections. But if this doesn't work, we don't have another try. That's it. No more.  That is not the end of the story if that is what happens.  We will go towards adoption. We already have an agency picked out and have started the paper work.  We just aren't allowed to hand it in until all fertillity treatments are done.

The hardest part for me is the guilt.  What's the point of being a woman if I can't have kids? Now I am not saying every woman needs to have kids to be fulfilled. This is just how I feel.  But what's the point of having the equipment if I can't use it???????  Sometimes I feel as if I have failed as a woman . But not only that, I have failed as a wife and a mother.  I want my daughter to know the joys of having a sibling(oh I know it would be all rainbows and sunshine!).  I want my husband to have a son to teach how to be a man. I want all these things for them but I cannot give them.  I have these thoughts on my low days.  I quickly tell myself to be quiet and think about all the things I DO have.  I have so much!  I think about all the other people in my life and their hardships.  I can't imagine what it's like to have a child with cancer.  My family has their health.  I can't imagine what it's like to be a single mom. My family is united.  I can't imagine what it's like to have the whole house unemployed.  My husband and I both have jobs.

We all have hardships.  They are just all different.  I often get told how surprised people are by how open I am about everything.  This is my life. This is my story.  If by sharing my story one person get encouraged, then it's all worth it. I know that no matter what, I will get through this.  If this doesn't work, will I fall to my knees and cry? Oh yes that will be me. But I as soon as I can see past my tears, I will get up and keep moving forward.  Nothing in life is easy and some things are worth fighting for.  Now, if these cycle works will I be singing and dancing? YES!

This is not the path that I wanted to take.  This is the path that God has put me on.  I know that where I am today is exactly where I am supossed to be.  And that is all that matters.  Saturday I go for my next ultrasound and that should tell us when they are going to harvest my eggs.  I don't know what the future holds but no matter what I will trust the only one who does know.

Breakfast

This is my breakfast. The breakfast of champions! Well, not really. It's the breakfast of a person on fertility meds. ( I also eat some food with this too! )

I'm not sure when our next and final cycle will be.  I stopped taking my pills after the miscarriage so I could give my body a break from everything.  So now it will take a little while to get my levels back up.

We have also started the process of finding an adoption agency.  There are so many out there!  It makes it hard to chose one but one agency has been recommended by almost everyone I have talked to.  And I'm amazed to find out how many people in my circle know someone who was adopted or was adopted.

I have to admit, I'm very excited. I have no idea how this is all gonna turn out or when or where. Ok, I know nothing. But I have learned to enjoy this journey even though at times it is extremely painful.  You can have joy and pain at the same time.  I take one day at a time and remind myself daily of all the things that I DO have instead of focusing on what I don't have.  A friend of mine recently completed a list of 1,000 things to be thankful for. I thought that was awesome but also thought that it would be hard. She said it wasn't and her list continues to grow.  So I'm gonna start my own list and I urge you to do the same.  We have so much to be thankful for and I think it is time for all us to say "Thank You" to the One who deserves it.

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever

believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." (Jn.3:16)

Infertility and the Bible

Sarah, Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, Elizabeth
Just to name a few...

There are many stories of women in the Bible who struggle with infertility and the pain of not having children.

The Bible not only shares the stories of these "barren women" but also offers hope and comfort during these times.

God indeed is the creator of life and the God of comfort and peace!

Here are some of their stories from the Bible and some verses that offer hope to those who may also consider themselves "barren" today.

But more important than finding out about the stories of these women is the possibility of finding our own hope in this journey; to be encouraged in whatever stage of our journey we are at.

Sarah's Story   - The Wife of Abraham

Sarah was married to Abraham. She was unable to conceive,even though she was  married for many years. Eventually she was beyond childbearing years.

Ironically she is married to Abraham who has been promised descendants that will number like the stars in the sky and the sand on a beach. A great promise and yet for Abraham and Sarah, the fulfilment seems beyond all reach.

It is at this point that The Lord comes to Abraham.

"Then the LORD said, I will surely return to you about this time next year, and Sarah your wife will have a son. Now Sarah was listening at the entrance to the tent, which was behind him.

11 Abraham and Sarah were already old and well advanced in years, and Sarah was past the age of childbearing.

12 So Sarah laughed to herself as she thought,
After I am worn out and my master is old, will I now have this pleasure?

13 Then the LORD said to Abraham, Why did Sarah laugh and say, 'Will I really have a child, now that I am old?'

14 Is anything too hard for the LORD? I will return to you at the appointed time next year and Sarah will have a son."

Not long after this Sarah and Abraham's son Isaac is born, one of the great patriarchs of the Jewish people!

Luke 1:37
"For nothing is impossible with God"

What does the story of Sarah teach us?

God is faithful to his promises. He was faithful in fulfilling his promise to Abraham and Sarah. God does not make this exact same promise to each of us but we can learn something else from Sarah's story: God is the giver of life and He can bring about miracles. We do not know what God may be doing in our lives - even when it seems like he is not doing anything at all.
God can surprise us!

Hannah's Story

Hannah is perhaps best known for her struggle with infertility.
The book of 1 Samuel begins with the verses
"1 There was a certain man from Ramathaim, a Zuphite from the hill country of Ephraim, whose name was Elkanah son of Jeroham, the son of Elihu, the son of Tohu, the son of Zuph, an Ephraimite. 2 He had two wives; one was called Hannah and the other Peninnah. Peninnah had children, but Hannah had none." (1 Samuel 1:1-2)

I always reflect on what could be worse than feeling you have disappointed your husband by not being able to get pregnant? To be one of your husbands two wives, always being compared to her and her abundance of children. Not only was her husbands other wife extremely fertile; it was not a healthy relationship...

"6 And because the LORD had closed her womb, her rival kept provoking her in order to irritate her. 7 This went on year after year. Whenever Hannah went up to the house of the LORD, her rival provoked her till she wept and would not eat. 8 Elkanah her husband would say to her, "Hannah, why are you weeping? Why don't you eat? Why are you downhearted? Don't I mean more to you than ten sons?" (1 Samuel 1:6-8)

Yet one thing I love about the image we have of Hannah in the Bible is of her honesty and of her pouring out her pain and heartbreak to God. Rather than become bitter and turn from God she reaches out to him at her time of need and calls on him to answer her prayer.

"10 In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD. 11 And she made a vow, saying, "O LORD Almighty, if you will only look upon your servant's misery and remember me, and not forget your servant but give her a son, then I will give him to the LORD for all the days of his life, and no razor will ever be used on his head."
12 As she kept on praying to the LORD, Eli observed her mouth. 13 Hannah was praying in her heart, and her lips were moving but her voice was not heard. Eli thought she was drunk 14 and said to her, "How long will you keep on getting drunk? Get rid of your wine."
15 "Not so, my lord," Hannah replied, "I am a woman who is deeply troubled. I have not been drinking wine or beer; I was pouring out my soul to the LORD. 16 Do not take your servant for a wicked woman; I have been praying here out of my great anguish and grief." (1 Samuel 1:10-16)

And God answers her prayer. And this answer is Samuel, who becomes a famous priest of God.

What does the story of Hannah teach us?     

God wants us to turn to him. We don't have to pretend that we are not in pain, but we can give this to God and know that he can answer our prayers.

"In bitterness of soul Hannah wept much and prayed to the LORD."
In Hannah's words - "I am a woman who is deeply troubled... pouring out my soul to the LORD... out of my great anguish and grief." (1 Samuel 1:10-16)

She is not pretending that she is not hurting, not blindly trusting God but really wrestling with the pain of infertility.

I know that I too can take my pain to the creator of the universe and pour out my soul to him.

Psalm 27:14

Wait for the LORD;
be strong and take heart
and wait for the LORD.

We do not walk alone...

Most importantly the Bible tells us that Jesus calls us to himself. We do not walk alone but God himself walks with us in our pain.

Jesus says:
28"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 11:28-30)

One way of doing this is by praying and sharing our pain with Jesus.

Does the Bible have any words for us today?

Often we think that the Bible has nothing to say to us regarding issues such as infertility...

Even worse is the impression we do get: God opens the womb of the barren woman (and our question becomes, "then why not me too!") and the focus on the family that we often receive in Christian churches.

Often infertility can make us feel we just don't fit. Everyone else has kids and as much as we want to fit with these expectations it is beyond our control.

I was reminded recently that one of the prayers we can pray at these times is to call out to God with the frustration and pain that this is not how it was meant to be. This is not how God created the world to be. This is not how parenthood was to start.

And by asking God to change this reality and to heal us, to give us children, is not a selfish request but a calling for God to restore his creation, our world, and to bring all things under Christ and to bring peace to this place, beginning in our life.

God does not offer easy solutions and instant answers to prayer. What we do find in the Bible is words of encouragement. We are reminded of who God is, what he can do, that he does care and that we matter to him.

Below are some verses that I have found comfort in. I hope they are helpful for you too.

Some verses of hope from the Bible

Isaiah 30:18
Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;
He rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice.
Blessed are all who wait for him!

Deuteronomy 31:8
The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged."

Isaiah 40:26-29,31
26 Lift your eyes and look to the heavens:
Who created all these?
He who brings out the starry host one by one,
and calls them each by name.
Because of his great power and mighty strength,
not one of them is missing.

27 Why do you say, O Jacob,
and complain, O Israel,
"My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God"?

28 Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.

29 He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.

31 but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.

These verses remind me of who God is (creator of all things ) and his character (faithful, compassionate). They remind me I may not always understand why God does or does not do things, but I can know I am not alone; that the God of the universe walks with me, he has not forgotten nor forsaken me and my hope is in him.

New Testament verses

Matthew 6:27
Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

1 John 3:1
How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God!

Romans 8:35 & 37
Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?

For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Phillipians 3:7-11
7But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ-the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, 11and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead.

What is it that is important? - Knowing Christ. It can be all too easy to get so caught up with how I am feeling that I forget the joy of knowing Christ - it is easy to lose this focus!

Phillipians 4:4-7
4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

In a situation where we may feel completely powerless, God offers us an option - we can bring this anxiety, worry and heartache to him in prayer. We are told to present our requests to him.

Colossions 2:6-7
6So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.

2 Thessalonians 2:16-17
16May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, 17encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word.

Ephesians 3:14-21
14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family[a] in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.

20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.

What does God want you to hear today?

As I reflect on God and who he is, I have been pondering what he would want to say to me as I struggle with infertility and my unanswered prayers. What might God be saying to me or to you today???

1. I love you. You are my beloved child. You are mine
2. You do not walk alone - I am with you always.
3. I hear your prayers and I cry with you.
4. Trust in me, know that I too want what is best for you.

It's checkup time!

 I hate going to the doctors.  But I am due for a check up so I broke down and made an appointment. They always check my blood pressure. The last time I went, they told me, “You know, your blood pressure is a little high.” I told them it was high because I knew they were going to take it!
So I told my doctor, “It's your fault.  You walk into the room, and my blood pressure goes up.” We kind of joke back and forth a little. But we know it is a check up. He asks a lot of questions: Are there any lumps? Are there any growths? Are there any things out of the ordinary? It is an exam to determine my physical state.


There is a spiritual exam as well. The Bible says, “Examine yourselves to see if your faith is genuine. Test yourselves. Surely you know that Jesus Christ is among you; if not, you have failed the test of genuine faith” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

 In other words, are you really a Christian? Or are you just pretending? You are really a Christian when you have put your faith in Jesus Christ and Christ alone to save you, and you are trusting in Him and walking with Him. It will show itself in the way that you live. Just like you do spring cleaning to get rid of excesses and organize yourself and your life, we are encouraged in the scriptures to frequently examine ourselves, taking inventory of the motives and desires from which we take action, so that we may find ourselves glorifying God and not anything else. 

Sometimes when people go through hardship, they say that event or tragedy has shaken their life; it has shaken their faith. In fact, they say they have lost their faith. But the faith that can’t be shaken is the faith that has been shaken. If it is genuine faith, then it will stand up to the test.