Michael is so supportive of everything Hannah does. What a blessing!
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Being Thankful out Loud...
I find myself being especially thankful this morning. The sunshine this morning is a welcome sight after the storms of last night. It is bright, beautiful and its rays brings warmth to my body as I stand outside in the cool of the morning. I am thankful that when the storms of life hit my anchor holds, which is Jesus Christ and that at the end of the storm there is always a blessing like the sun, shinning bright and warming my soul.
One of my favorite verses in Timothy is chapter 2 verse 13 "If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is." I tend to be unfaithful to a lot of things, dieting is one of them. I start out strong, determined and focused until something sweet passes in front of me or my stomach starts gnawing and then I am unfaithful. I also find it hard sometimes to be faithful unless I have someone doing the activity with me. That is why I have always been such a believer in organized Bible studies because it gives me that sense of accountability to get my homework done. Once you are out of that environment, you tend to not be as disciplined or faithful to the Word. But God is not like that. He is ALWAYS faithful!!! What a comfort! I am so thankful for this truth!
My family is and always will be my focus outside of Christ. They are the most precious and rare jewel I possess on this earth. They bring me joy, laughter, comfort, support, encouragement and just a sense of why I was put on this earth. I am truly thankful for them.
I hope that I continue this attitude of thankfulness because God is truly deserving of children who are appreciative. I don't want to complain and be negative because I know that must hurt Him. I want Him to know I love Him and I am so thankful for my salvation and for His unchanging, unfailing, unfathomable love!
Be blessed everyone and have a GREAT day~!
One of my favorite verses in Timothy is chapter 2 verse 13 "If we are unfaithful, he remains faithful, for he cannot deny who he is." I tend to be unfaithful to a lot of things, dieting is one of them. I start out strong, determined and focused until something sweet passes in front of me or my stomach starts gnawing and then I am unfaithful. I also find it hard sometimes to be faithful unless I have someone doing the activity with me. That is why I have always been such a believer in organized Bible studies because it gives me that sense of accountability to get my homework done. Once you are out of that environment, you tend to not be as disciplined or faithful to the Word. But God is not like that. He is ALWAYS faithful!!! What a comfort! I am so thankful for this truth!
My family is and always will be my focus outside of Christ. They are the most precious and rare jewel I possess on this earth. They bring me joy, laughter, comfort, support, encouragement and just a sense of why I was put on this earth. I am truly thankful for them.
I hope that I continue this attitude of thankfulness because God is truly deserving of children who are appreciative. I don't want to complain and be negative because I know that must hurt Him. I want Him to know I love Him and I am so thankful for my salvation and for His unchanging, unfailing, unfathomable love!
Be blessed everyone and have a GREAT day~!
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Straight and to the point...
In Luke 6:43-45 God talks about a person and their intentions. Their works. Their heart.
v43-45 "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart."
In today's society we have lot of thornbushes trying to convince you that they offer grapes, or even more I think they are trying to convince themselves. They justify their evil by thinking that their attendance in church on Easter and Christmas, or once a month will balance it all out. I feel that a huge part of the world's thinking is because even Christians have stopped reading the Word and stopped living a life of holiness. God says we are to be a peculiar people.(Deut. 14:2, Titus 2:14, I Peter 2:9) He also says we are to be holy for He is holy.(I Peter 1:16) Here's the catch. For those people who look at Christians and compare themselves to them I agree...you may look just as good, do just as good. But that's the problem. You've made a HUGE error...it isn't other people you compare yourself to, it is God who holds the standard. God is the one who is judge. God is the one who you will have to stand in front of one day and give an account for every action you have done in this life and let me assure you that blaming someone else will not be accepted.
The part of this passage that is most sobering for me is the last part..."What you say flows from what is in your heart." If you say something...you mean it. It came from what you were feeling in your heart. That's what God's word says. If you say "I hate _____"...you mean it. Oh God, please help us keep our hearts clean before you. David had reason to pray the prayer he did in Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
Like David, I call out to the Lord to search me, point out anything that offends Him. I do not care what others think, I just want to please Him. God may we bear good fruit out of the treasury of our hearts that are pure before you...Amen.
v43-45 "A good tree can't produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can't produce good fruit. A tree is identified by its fruit. Figs are never gathered from thornbushes, and grapes are not picked from bramble bushes. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart."
In today's society we have lot of thornbushes trying to convince you that they offer grapes, or even more I think they are trying to convince themselves. They justify their evil by thinking that their attendance in church on Easter and Christmas, or once a month will balance it all out. I feel that a huge part of the world's thinking is because even Christians have stopped reading the Word and stopped living a life of holiness. God says we are to be a peculiar people.(Deut. 14:2, Titus 2:14, I Peter 2:9) He also says we are to be holy for He is holy.(I Peter 1:16) Here's the catch. For those people who look at Christians and compare themselves to them I agree...you may look just as good, do just as good. But that's the problem. You've made a HUGE error...it isn't other people you compare yourself to, it is God who holds the standard. God is the one who is judge. God is the one who you will have to stand in front of one day and give an account for every action you have done in this life and let me assure you that blaming someone else will not be accepted.
The part of this passage that is most sobering for me is the last part..."What you say flows from what is in your heart." If you say something...you mean it. It came from what you were feeling in your heart. That's what God's word says. If you say "I hate _____"...you mean it. Oh God, please help us keep our hearts clean before you. David had reason to pray the prayer he did in Psalm 139:23-24 "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."
Like David, I call out to the Lord to search me, point out anything that offends Him. I do not care what others think, I just want to please Him. God may we bear good fruit out of the treasury of our hearts that are pure before you...Amen.
Wednesday, February 16, 2011
Are you being satan's helper?
As I was reading my devotion this morning in 2 Corinthians I came across the verses where Paul is writing to the church at Corinth and telling them to forgive the man who caused him hurt and who hurt them. He tells them to love that man so that he doesn't become discouraged. Verses 9-11 are the ones that caught my attention.
v9-11 "I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ's authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes."
As I pondered on these verses it really became clear how unforgiveness only hurts us. Forgiving someone, especially someone who has no remorse whatsoever is very, very difficult! Something that we can not do on our own. It takes the power of Christ to do so. An unforgiving spirit can often turn to hate and bitterness which eat at our souls like cancer. We become unproductive in our service for Christ and our heart springs a leak to which all our joy runs out!! Satan knows that if he can keep us bitter, and keep us thinking that we have the "right" to be mad and unforgiving, he has us in a place where no true fellowship or service with Jesus can occur. Paul knew this, and thus the warning for the church at Corinth.
I call out to anyone reading this to be aware of Satan's evil schemes!!! Do not allow unforgiveness to creep in your heart. Turn it over to Jesus. Please realize that this may not be a one time process. It may be 2 times a day you have to ask for help, 3 times, hourly or even minute by minute!! Every time you call out to the Lord to help you forgive you are denying the roots of bitterness, hate and a break in fellowship to take hold. I NEVER want to be Satan's helper....do you?
v9-11 "I wrote to you as I did to test you and see if you would fully comply with my instructions. When you forgive this man, I forgive him, too. And when I forgive whatever needs to be forgiven, I do so with Christ's authority for your benefit, so that Satan will not outsmart us. For we are familiar with his evil schemes."
As I pondered on these verses it really became clear how unforgiveness only hurts us. Forgiving someone, especially someone who has no remorse whatsoever is very, very difficult! Something that we can not do on our own. It takes the power of Christ to do so. An unforgiving spirit can often turn to hate and bitterness which eat at our souls like cancer. We become unproductive in our service for Christ and our heart springs a leak to which all our joy runs out!! Satan knows that if he can keep us bitter, and keep us thinking that we have the "right" to be mad and unforgiving, he has us in a place where no true fellowship or service with Jesus can occur. Paul knew this, and thus the warning for the church at Corinth.
I call out to anyone reading this to be aware of Satan's evil schemes!!! Do not allow unforgiveness to creep in your heart. Turn it over to Jesus. Please realize that this may not be a one time process. It may be 2 times a day you have to ask for help, 3 times, hourly or even minute by minute!! Every time you call out to the Lord to help you forgive you are denying the roots of bitterness, hate and a break in fellowship to take hold. I NEVER want to be Satan's helper....do you?
Friday, February 11, 2011
Times are a changing......
When I was a teen at home I used to stay up late on the weekends as most teens do and I remember, very vividly a commercial that would come on and say "It's 11:00pm, do you know where your children are?" I used to giggle and think, how crazy it was. Well, last night I thought of that commercial and the question it pondered, and it wasn't so funny or crazy anymore. You see, Hannah left for Liberty University's CFAW yesterday (College For A Weekend) and although I knew the place she was at, I did not "really" know where she was or who she was with. It gave me the triple "S" feeling...Sobering, Saddening, and Sickening. She is in an environment where the decisions are hers....all hers. Is she ready for that? Have I instructed enough? That was part of the sobering. She is after all my baby. Is it really possible that she is old enough to be looking for colleges?....Leaving the nest? Oh yes, that is definitely saddening. This is another one of those milestones in a parent/child relationship. More of them becoming independent and more letting go required on our part. This is another step toward....oh, I can barely say it....an .....EMPTY NEST!...Oh girlfriends, that is sickening. Well, there they are...the triple "S" feelings. Have you been through them yet? ...If so...you can relate and pray for me. If you haven't, I'll pray for you.
I am very thankful that Hannah is healthy and developing as God intended, but it is hard to think that the job I have had for over 20 years of being a mom that makes sure her two girls are fed, clothed, instructed, carried here and there, loved, nutured, nursed them to health, spent every waking minute caring for them, ...that job is about to hand me a pink slip. I don't know how to do anything else. Hope is getting married and Hannah is looking at colleges. Those are paths that I can't travel with them....they don't "want" me to travel with them. Wow...how hurtful!! (just kidding) This is definitely uncharted territory for me. Every part of my life is changing....I'll be darned if after 24 years of trying to learn how to cook well and feeling like I have it half mastered....I even have to change that! It doesn't take near as much food for 2 as it does for 6. (the girls and their guys, Doug and I) Renea has that problem figured out, she said "Cook the same amount and sell the extra plates...I'll buy one!"....lol..she's crazy!
As I sit and think about these things which lately seems to be all the time, I always end up with the same thought. Jesus will NEVER leave me. Hebrews 13:5. He has always been the one to sustain me. He is the one who gave Doug and I those girls that are so precious to me. He is the one who I went to when I didn't know what to do as a parent. He is the one that saw me through the sleepless nights when they were sick. He is the one that held my hand through every surgery they had and every broken bone, stitches and boo boo they received. He is the one that I taught them about. I told them Jesus loves them (I John 4:19), has a plan for them (Jer. 29:11), died for them (John 3:16), prepared a home for them (John 14:2), and that Jesus will never change (Hebrews 13:8). My faith in Him is stronger than ever and because of that I know I'll make it through this life change as well. And while I know there will be days my heart will ache for my girls because they aren't in our home, I have no doubt my Lord's presence will be evident and very sweet because you see, I'm His little girl and he knows what I need. Amen!
I am very thankful that Hannah is healthy and developing as God intended, but it is hard to think that the job I have had for over 20 years of being a mom that makes sure her two girls are fed, clothed, instructed, carried here and there, loved, nutured, nursed them to health, spent every waking minute caring for them, ...that job is about to hand me a pink slip. I don't know how to do anything else. Hope is getting married and Hannah is looking at colleges. Those are paths that I can't travel with them....they don't "want" me to travel with them. Wow...how hurtful!! (just kidding) This is definitely uncharted territory for me. Every part of my life is changing....I'll be darned if after 24 years of trying to learn how to cook well and feeling like I have it half mastered....I even have to change that! It doesn't take near as much food for 2 as it does for 6. (the girls and their guys, Doug and I) Renea has that problem figured out, she said "Cook the same amount and sell the extra plates...I'll buy one!"....lol..she's crazy!
As I sit and think about these things which lately seems to be all the time, I always end up with the same thought. Jesus will NEVER leave me. Hebrews 13:5. He has always been the one to sustain me. He is the one who gave Doug and I those girls that are so precious to me. He is the one who I went to when I didn't know what to do as a parent. He is the one that saw me through the sleepless nights when they were sick. He is the one that held my hand through every surgery they had and every broken bone, stitches and boo boo they received. He is the one that I taught them about. I told them Jesus loves them (I John 4:19), has a plan for them (Jer. 29:11), died for them (John 3:16), prepared a home for them (John 14:2), and that Jesus will never change (Hebrews 13:8). My faith in Him is stronger than ever and because of that I know I'll make it through this life change as well. And while I know there will be days my heart will ache for my girls because they aren't in our home, I have no doubt my Lord's presence will be evident and very sweet because you see, I'm His little girl and he knows what I need. Amen!
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