Saturday, December 26, 2009
Monday, December 21, 2009
Monday, December 14, 2009
Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace
From Christian Surfer's Devotional:It would seem that second only to the pleasure of riding waves is the pleasure surfers receive from naming things. We do this with our breaks: indicators, boneyard, bombora, inlet, bay, insides, outsides, leftovers, right-overs, and more. We do this with ourselves: Flea, Buffalo, Rabbit, Midget, Gidget, Simpo, Kong, Twiggy, Dingo, Kanga, Sea Bass, and the list goes on and on.
As we celebrate advent, as we wait for our King and Hero who is coming, who is approaching, at the top of our list of questions is ‘What is his name?” “What do we call him?” The prophet Isaiah informs…
“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end.” --Isaiah 9:6-7
For all who have suffered from bad advice. For all who feel exhausted by the constant demands of life. For all who feel abandoned and unloved, even orphaned. For all who face frustration and turmoil for the better part of their days. For all of us…Christmas is coming! It has come. It is coming. And it is coming again.
Thursday, December 10, 2009
Tuesday, December 8, 2009
Monday, December 7, 2009
he who began a good work
Philippians 1
I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Amen!
I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.
Amen!
Monday, November 30, 2009
Giving thanks
I am thankful for Thansgiving weekend and the time I had with my family. Topped it off on Sunday with an afternoon adventure with Jamie on the boat (sunshiny and a fun-chilly temp) and making dinner at his home. He pulled out his Christmas gear while I made chicken (tacos.) Mmm.
I also praise the Lord. Am thankful for all He does. He is good. His mercies endure forever.
Blessings to all.
I also praise the Lord. Am thankful for all He does. He is good. His mercies endure forever.
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Amen
For I am convinced that neither death nor life neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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.
- Romans 8:38-39
- Romans 8:38-39
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
From my devotions today...goodness
2 Peter 1:5 “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge.”
"The very reason that Peter referred to was the fact that Jesus’ divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. And he has given us great and precious promises so that we can participate in the divine nature. Because of this, Peter writes, add goodness to your faith.
We may need to dig deep into our hearts to root out those things that are not good. We are to add to our faith goodness; that takes effort and focus. It might mean we have to change our television viewing habits, throw away some magazines or novels, stop our bad habits of gossiping or complaining, make sure we’re always telling the truth. It means we don’t exaggerate to make ourselves look better, we don’t cheat our company out of one penny." - M.W.
A royal priesthood...
1 Peter 2
9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
"The very reason that Peter referred to was the fact that Jesus’ divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. And he has given us great and precious promises so that we can participate in the divine nature. Because of this, Peter writes, add goodness to your faith.
We may need to dig deep into our hearts to root out those things that are not good. We are to add to our faith goodness; that takes effort and focus. It might mean we have to change our television viewing habits, throw away some magazines or novels, stop our bad habits of gossiping or complaining, make sure we’re always telling the truth. It means we don’t exaggerate to make ourselves look better, we don’t cheat our company out of one penny." - M.W.
A royal priesthood...
1 Peter 2
9But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. 10Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.
11Dear friends, I urge you, as aliens and strangers in the world, to abstain from sinful desires, which war against your soul. 12Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.
13Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, 14or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. 16Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God. 17Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
:o) Prince of Peace, please come, I long to be with you - please help me, be my Peace
Peace in a chaotic world. How do we do it? Remember that pressure and peace are not exclusives. We don't have to give up peace just because there's some pressure on us. And peace doesn't mean the absence of telephones or meals to cook or reports to finish. Peace is a state of mind; it begins with our thoughts. We can be peaceful in the midst of a very busy schedule.
Peter tells us that we must pursue peace—work at being peaceful, remember to refocus your mind. Get your mind refocused on the person who is our peace, Jesus Christ. You can do that while you're talking to people, busily working on something, darting somewhere in your car—whatever. Right in the midst of all that pressure, you can still know God's incredible peace.
Remember this: Your day is won or lost in the morning hours. Your lack of peace may be because you've sacrificed time with the Prince of Peace. ... Give God the time you need to be with him, and see how he stretches the rest of your time for you.
- Mary Whelchel
Amen...
Peter tells us that we must pursue peace—work at being peaceful, remember to refocus your mind. Get your mind refocused on the person who is our peace, Jesus Christ. You can do that while you're talking to people, busily working on something, darting somewhere in your car—whatever. Right in the midst of all that pressure, you can still know God's incredible peace.
Remember this: Your day is won or lost in the morning hours. Your lack of peace may be because you've sacrificed time with the Prince of Peace. ... Give God the time you need to be with him, and see how he stretches the rest of your time for you.
- Mary Whelchel
Amen...
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Beautiful fall weekend
It was a beautiful weekend on Hilton Head...sunny blue skies after a dense fog on Saturday. I hear the waves were good. And Sunday was very pretty too...the car show was fun, church was fun, evening was peaceful and relaxing.
Hopefully we wil continue to have nice fall weather this week. Hope to have some great runs on the beach. Also I hope to SUP soon. Its been awhile and I am ready for some fun!
Praise our Lord Jesus for his life for us.
Amen.
:o)
Hopefully we wil continue to have nice fall weather this week. Hope to have some great runs on the beach. Also I hope to SUP soon. Its been awhile and I am ready for some fun!
Praise our Lord Jesus for his life for us.
Amen.
:o)
Thursday, October 29, 2009
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Lord, I pray that you would watch over me and my loved ones today. That you would would be exalted through the people and things you give us to see and to do. That you would work in us as we interact with family and friends for the benefit of your Kingdom. Lord Jesus, Holy Spirit, please help us to overcome any struggles we may face with the enemy, and be victorious.
Jesus, I love you and am thankful for your love for me and my loved ones. Please keep us safe. In Your Precious Name, Amen...
Jesus, I love you and am thankful for your love for me and my loved ones. Please keep us safe. In Your Precious Name, Amen...
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
I want to be a peacemaker
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
James 3
Monday, October 12, 2009
Had a wonderful weekend...20th high school reunion...I had wonderful times spent catching up with old friends ...and with my very best friends, Stacey, Adam and Melinda. What a great group we have. And too, despite some of my own insecurities that God was working 'in me' on (Jamie knows), I was praying that God would shine through me to those around me there. Also, that he would let me love those around me well.
Thank you Jamie for accompanying me to the Saturday party - you were a great date :o)
Also had a chance to surf yesterday (Sunday) ...and I really enjoyed myself, even though it was difficult. I feel "clean" today from the ocean's pounding.
This morning David Jeremiah had a wonderful message...and here this morning the Chirstian Surfer's devo was also a good remindeer about how God pursues us...and we can pursue others.
"As a surfer, you know the experience of that unplanned, unexpected surf mission. The swell came out of nowhere, you got off work expectedly early and the wind is laying down. As you load the car to blast down to your favorite surf spot you go through your mental checklist. Board? Check! Wetsuit? Check! Towel (to dry off-- but more important, to change modestly)? Check! Leash? Whoa, wait...where did it go? It's not on your board, is it? Some wise-guy surfer told you a while back that wrapping your leash around the board's tail creates undue wear and tear, so you keep it detached and it's...somewhere. And that "somewhere" is lost.
The clock is now ticking, the sun is setting, and you are sweating because the garage is getting turned upside down...in your desperate search. And it reminds you of something Jesus said, or rather a story Jesus told. You can find it in Luke 15. When some disgruntled religionists needed to know what God is really REALLY like, Jesus tells a story (three stories in one actually) about who He is.A God who is on a search. He does outrageous things, like leaving ninety nine sheep for a stray. Or ripping a house apart to find a single coin. Or patiently waiting as a Dad who would long for a wayward child to finally come home. The search is desperate and all encompassing but there's a celebration in the end, for sure! And He's asking you to join Him in the search for those he loves. On the sand, in the lineup and anywhere a surfer like you might tend to go....
So when we go on the search, we reflect His heart."
The clock is now ticking, the sun is setting, and you are sweating because the garage is getting turned upside down...in your desperate search. And it reminds you of something Jesus said, or rather a story Jesus told. You can find it in Luke 15. When some disgruntled religionists needed to know what God is really REALLY like, Jesus tells a story (three stories in one actually) about who He is.A God who is on a search. He does outrageous things, like leaving ninety nine sheep for a stray. Or ripping a house apart to find a single coin. Or patiently waiting as a Dad who would long for a wayward child to finally come home. The search is desperate and all encompassing but there's a celebration in the end, for sure! And He's asking you to join Him in the search for those he loves. On the sand, in the lineup and anywhere a surfer like you might tend to go....
So when we go on the search, we reflect His heart."
Thursday, October 8, 2009
My daily mission...
"Do all the good you can by all the means you can in all the places you can at all the times you can to all the people you can as long as ever you can"-John Wesley
Thank you Jesus for the will to do so. Amen.
Thank you Jesus for the will to do so. Amen.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Wisdom that is peace loving
Am off today...enjoying relaxing at home this morning...
Thinking about peace...
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
James 3:17-18
Thinking about peace...
17But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere. 18Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness.
James 3:17-18
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Monday, September 28, 2009
Do Not Forget the LORD
Deuteronomy 8
1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.
6 Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. 7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
19 If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20 Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.
1 Be careful to follow every command I am giving you today, so that you may live and increase and may enter and possess the land that the LORD promised on oath to your forefathers. 2 Remember how the LORD your God led you all the way in the desert these forty years, to humble you and to test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands. 3 He humbled you, causing you to hunger and then feeding you with manna, which neither you nor your fathers had known, to teach you that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD. 4 Your clothes did not wear out and your feet did not swell during these forty years. 5 Know then in your heart that as a man disciplines his son, so the LORD your God disciplines you.
6 Observe the commands of the LORD your God, walking in his ways and revering him. 7 For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; 8 a land with wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; 9 a land where bread will not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can dig copper out of the hills.
10 When you have eaten and are satisfied, praise the LORD your God for the good land he has given you. 11 Be careful that you do not forget the LORD your God, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. 12 Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, 13 and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, 14 then your heart will become proud and you will forget the LORD your God, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. 15 He led you through the vast and dreadful desert, that thirsty and waterless land, with its venomous snakes and scorpions. He brought you water out of hard rock. 16 He gave you manna to eat in the desert, something your fathers had never known, to humble and to test you so that in the end it might go well with you. 17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today.
19 If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed. 20 Like the nations the LORD destroyed before you, so you will be destroyed for not obeying the LORD your God.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Psalm 51 excerpts
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You...
15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You...
15 O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.
Tuesday, September 15, 2009
Monday, September 14, 2009
I am blessed kind of weekend!
I had a WONDERFUL weekend...I am so blessed... Jamie provided for me to have a great time with my best friend Melinda, and then he turned around on Sunday and graced me again with another fun-filled romantic day. I am SO humbled and blessed. Here are the highlights!
Friday, September 11, 2009
Dressed for battle!
In God’s name we must fight them!--Joan of Arc
Women are often portrayed in stories and tales as the “Damsel in Distress.” We are the ones for whom men rise up and slay dragons. We are the “weaker sex”; said to faint at the sight of blood, needing to be spared the gory details of battle whether on the field or in the market place. We are the ones waiting in our flowing gowns for the knight to come and carry us away on the back of his white horse. And yes. There are days when a knight in shining armor would be most welcome. We do long to be fought for; loved enough to be courageously protected.
But, there is a mighty fierceness set in the heart of women by God. It is true to who we are and what we are created to do.
Women are warriors too.
Redeemed women of God have tender, merciful hearts, backbones of steel and hands that have been trained for battle. There is something incredibly fierce in the heart of a woman that is to be contended with, not dismissed, not disdained, but recognized, honored, welcomed and trained.
Captivating , 186-188
Women are often portrayed in stories and tales as the “Damsel in Distress.” We are the ones for whom men rise up and slay dragons. We are the “weaker sex”; said to faint at the sight of blood, needing to be spared the gory details of battle whether on the field or in the market place. We are the ones waiting in our flowing gowns for the knight to come and carry us away on the back of his white horse. And yes. There are days when a knight in shining armor would be most welcome. We do long to be fought for; loved enough to be courageously protected.
But, there is a mighty fierceness set in the heart of women by God. It is true to who we are and what we are created to do.
Women are warriors too.
Redeemed women of God have tender, merciful hearts, backbones of steel and hands that have been trained for battle. There is something incredibly fierce in the heart of a woman that is to be contended with, not dismissed, not disdained, but recognized, honored, welcomed and trained.
Captivating , 186-188
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Fabulous wing cook-off
Jamie & Jessica
Cocoa & Rebah Wings
Tres Chiles de la casa Wings
Sunday, September 7, 2009
Rob & Dyane Lee's House
May River, Bluffton SC
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
1 Corinthians 13
Always good to review...do I have love? Am I being loving to those around me? Here is the thermometer for love...Love
1If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
Friday, September 4, 2009
God pursues us!
An amazing story ... Jesus saves!
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/popups/media_player.aspx?LatestDaily=1
http://www.focusonthefamily.com/popups/media_player.aspx?LatestDaily=1
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Love and Fear
I was listening to David Jeremiah this morning teaching about driving out fear in our lives. He said the opposite of fear is love. Interesting because last night in my bible study, we were talking about the book Hinds Feet on High Places, and the characters Much Afraid and Craven Fear. Actually the whole family of Fearings. How they stalk us. But what did the Chief Shepherd plant in Much Afraid's heart? The seed of Love. And I think the Shepherd went on to say that when the seed of Love is in full bloom in Much Afraid's heart, she would know the High Places.
Wow, God is good. He's a great teacher, affirmer ...Captain of our hearts.
David Jeremiah referenced 1 John 4:18, about perfect love driving out fear. I went and read the whole chapter this morning and it all speaks to my heart. Here it is:
1 John 4
Test the Spirits
1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
God's Love and Ours
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Amen.
Wow, God is good. He's a great teacher, affirmer ...Captain of our hearts.
David Jeremiah referenced 1 John 4:18, about perfect love driving out fear. I went and read the whole chapter this morning and it all speaks to my heart. Here it is:
1 John 4
Test the Spirits
1Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world.
4You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
God's Love and Ours
7Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. 8Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him. 10This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. 11Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 12No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us.
13We know that we live in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God. 16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 17In this way, love is made complete among us so that we will have confidence on the day of judgment, because in this world we are like him. 18There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
19We love because he first loved us. 20If anyone says, "I love God," yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen. 21And he has given us this command: Whoever loves God must also love his brother.
Amen.
Monday, August 31, 2009
One year anniversary...
One year later...I am so happy ... and so blessed. Thanks be to the Lord.ILUB.
Amen.
Monday, August 24, 2009
Fight the good fight of the faith
Excerpts from 1 Timothy 6
3 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing...
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ...10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
3 If anyone teaches false doctrines and does not agree to the sound instruction of our Lord Jesus Christ and to godly teaching, 4 he is conceited and understands nothing...
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. ...10 For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
11 But you, man of God, flee from all this, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance and gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses.
17 Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant nor to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for our enjoyment.
18 Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share. 19 In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take hold of the life that is truly life.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The 2nd can be a true weakness for me
From BGEA:
“The disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.” -Acts 13:52
The Bible speaks of three kinds of pleasure. There is lustful pleasure, the lust of the flesh, and Scripture says it is sinful and wrong. There is legitimate pleasure, which is not wrong, but we are not to become so preoccupied with its activities that it takes the place of God. Then there is a third kind of pleasure, lasting pleasure. Do you have that kind? It does not depend on circumstances or feelings. It is the pleasure that runs deep and comes from the Spirit of God.
Prayer for the day:
Almighty God, may my pleasure always come from being filled with the joy of Your Holy Spirit.
“The disciples were filled with joy, and with the Holy Ghost.” -Acts 13:52
The Bible speaks of three kinds of pleasure. There is lustful pleasure, the lust of the flesh, and Scripture says it is sinful and wrong. There is legitimate pleasure, which is not wrong, but we are not to become so preoccupied with its activities that it takes the place of God. Then there is a third kind of pleasure, lasting pleasure. Do you have that kind? It does not depend on circumstances or feelings. It is the pleasure that runs deep and comes from the Spirit of God.
Prayer for the day:
Almighty God, may my pleasure always come from being filled with the joy of Your Holy Spirit.
Monday, August 17, 2009
had a great weekend
fished, played on the beach, walked, ate great meals, spent time with those I love...what could be better...praise the Lord
Monday, August 10, 2009
My baby had fun
My baby had a fun weekend surfing with the boys. Glad he got to go. It sounded fun and he said he got "Surfed out." Which is a good sign.
It was beautiful here. I enjoyed some sunshine and spent some time with Jamie's sisters. Also, biked, swam and got to lay out a little. Hung out with Reebs and Cocoa (sort of Elsie.) Healthy BBQ chicken for dinner (a la Jamie's fridge.)
So happy when Jamie came home though! Up the Creek Pub - great spot for din-din. The views are great! Loved being there with him.
Only missed out on time with Melinda. Will catch up tonight.
It was beautiful here. I enjoyed some sunshine and spent some time with Jamie's sisters. Also, biked, swam and got to lay out a little. Hung out with Reebs and Cocoa (sort of Elsie.) Healthy BBQ chicken for dinner (a la Jamie's fridge.)
So happy when Jamie came home though! Up the Creek Pub - great spot for din-din. The views are great! Loved being there with him.
Only missed out on time with Melinda. Will catch up tonight.
Friday, August 7, 2009
Wednesday, August 5, 2009
Getting needed rest
I frequently listen to Nancy Leigh DeMoss on the radio when I am driving to or from lunch. She's on 88.7 at 12:30 M-F and I really enjoy catching her program. Today was a particularly good one. I like Nancy because she is extremly thorough and an excellent Bible teacher. Here is the link to today's program...you can download the podcast if interested.
http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php
http://www.reviveourhearts.com/radio/roh/today.php
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
He is My All in All
"You are my strength when I am weak, you are the treasure that I seek, You are my All in All. Jesus, Lamb of God, worthy is your name."
Monday, August 3, 2009
Lilly of the Valley
Psalm 45
1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
2 You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds.
5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.
8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
10 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house.
11 The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.
12 The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift, men of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold.
14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you.
15 They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land.
17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
1 My heart is stirred by a noble theme as I recite my verses for the king; my tongue is the pen of a skillful writer.
2 You are the most excellent of men and your lips have been anointed with grace, since God has blessed you forever.
3 Gird your sword upon your side, O mighty one; clothe yourself with splendor and majesty.
4 In your majesty ride forth victoriously in behalf of truth, humility and righteousness; let your right hand display awesome deeds.
5 Let your sharp arrows pierce the hearts of the king's enemies; let the nations fall beneath your feet.
6 Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter of your kingdom.
7 You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.
8 All your robes are fragrant with myrrh and aloes and cassia; from palaces adorned with ivory the music of the strings makes you glad.
9 Daughters of kings are among your honored women; at your right hand is the royal bride in gold of Ophir.
10 Listen, O daughter, consider and give ear: Forget your people and your father's house.
11 The king is enthralled by your beauty; honor him, for he is your lord.
12 The Daughter of Tyre will come with a gift, men of wealth will seek your favor.
13 All glorious is the princess within her chamber; her gown is interwoven with gold.
14 In embroidered garments she is led to the king; her virgin companions follow her and are brought to you.
15 They are led in with joy and gladness; they enter the palace of the king.
16 Your sons will take the place of your fathers; you will make them princes throughout the land.
17 I will perpetuate your memory through all generations; therefore the nations will praise you for ever and ever.
Friday, July 31, 2009
Monday, July 27, 2009
clothed with compassion (and peace)
Colossians 3
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
12Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.
15Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. 17And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Friday, July 24, 2009
Beauty
God has a beauty to unveil. There’s a reason that a man is captivated by a woman. Eve is the crown of creation. If you follow the Genesis narrative carefully, you’ll see that each new stage of creation is better than the one before. First, all is formless, empty and dark. God begins to fashion the raw materials, like an artist working with a rough sketch or a lump of clay. Light and dark, land and sea, earth and sky—it’s beginning to take shape. With a word, the whole floral kingdom adorns the earth. Sun, moon, and stars fill the sky. Surely and certainly, his work expresses greater detail and definition. Next come fish and fowl, porpoises and red-tailed hawks. The wild animals are next, all those amazing creatures. A trout is a wonderful creature, but a horse is truly magnificent. Can you hear the crescendo starting to swell, like a great symphony building and surging higher and higher?
Then comes Adam, the triumph of God’s handiwork. It is not to any member of the animal kingdom that God says, “You are my very image, the icon of my likeness.” Adam bears the likeness of God in his fierce, wild, and passionate heart. And yet, there is one more finishing touch. There is Eve. Creation comes to its high point, its climax with her. She is God’s finishing touch. And all Adam can say is, “Wow.” Eve embodies the beauty and the mystery and the tender vulnerability of God. As the poet William Blake said, “The naked woman’s body is a portion of eternity too great for the eye of man.”
(Wild at Heart , 36–37) John Eldredge
Then comes Adam, the triumph of God’s handiwork. It is not to any member of the animal kingdom that God says, “You are my very image, the icon of my likeness.” Adam bears the likeness of God in his fierce, wild, and passionate heart. And yet, there is one more finishing touch. There is Eve. Creation comes to its high point, its climax with her. She is God’s finishing touch. And all Adam can say is, “Wow.” Eve embodies the beauty and the mystery and the tender vulnerability of God. As the poet William Blake said, “The naked woman’s body is a portion of eternity too great for the eye of man.”
(Wild at Heart , 36–37) John Eldredge
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Lion of Judah
Fierce, Wild, and Passionate
God is a romantic at heart, and his jealousy is for the hearts of his people and for their freedom. As Francis Frangipane so truly states, “Rescue is the constant pattern of God’s activity.”
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch . . . As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. (Isa. 62:1, 5)
And though she has committed adultery against him, though she has fallen captive to his enemy, God is willing to move heaven and earth to win her back. He will stop at nothing to set her free:
Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come. (Isa. 63:1–4)
Whoa. Talk about a Braveheart. This is one fierce, wild, and passionate guy. I have never heard anyone in church talk like that. But this is the God of heaven and earth. The Lion of Judah. - From Wild at Heart, John Eldredge
God is a romantic at heart, and his jealousy is for the hearts of his people and for their freedom. As Francis Frangipane so truly states, “Rescue is the constant pattern of God’s activity.”
For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her righteousness shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch . . . As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you. (Isa. 62:1, 5)
And though she has committed adultery against him, though she has fallen captive to his enemy, God is willing to move heaven and earth to win her back. He will stop at nothing to set her free:
Who is this coming from Edom, from Bozrah, with his garments stained crimson? Who is this, robed in splendor, striding forward in the greatness of his strength? “It is I, speaking in righteousness, mighty to save.” Why are your garments red, like those of one treading the winepress? “I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments, and I stained all my clothing. For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come. (Isa. 63:1–4)
Whoa. Talk about a Braveheart. This is one fierce, wild, and passionate guy. I have never heard anyone in church talk like that. But this is the God of heaven and earth. The Lion of Judah. - From Wild at Heart, John Eldredge
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Monday, July 20, 2009
Truly living for God
Been thinking about passion for Jesus. Sharing the faith. Why we are Christians anyways.
Friday, July 17, 2009
life everlasting
Eternal life—we tend to think of it in terms of existence that never comes to an end. And the existence it seems to imply—a sort of religious experience in the sky—leaves us wondering if we would want it to go on forever. But Jesus is quite clear that when he speaks of eternal life, what he means is life that is absolutely wonderful and can never be diminished or stolen from you. He says, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full” (John 10:10). Not, “I have come to threaten you into line,” or “I have come to exhaust you with a long list of demands.” Not even, “I have come primarily to forgive you.” But simply, My purpose is to bring you life in all its fullness. Dallas Willard writes in The Divine Conspiracy,
Jesus offers himself as God’s doorway into the life that is truly life. Confidence in him leads us today, as in other times, to become his apprentices in eternal living. “Those who come through me will be safe,” he said. “They will go in and out and find all they need. I have come into their world that they may have life, and life to the limit.”
In other words, eternal life is not primarily duration but quality of life, “life to the limit.” It cannot be stolen from us, and so it does go on. But the focus is on the life itself. “In him was life,” the apostle John said of Jesus, “and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4).
(Desire , 38–39, John Eldredge)
Jesus offers himself as God’s doorway into the life that is truly life. Confidence in him leads us today, as in other times, to become his apprentices in eternal living. “Those who come through me will be safe,” he said. “They will go in and out and find all they need. I have come into their world that they may have life, and life to the limit.”
In other words, eternal life is not primarily duration but quality of life, “life to the limit.” It cannot be stolen from us, and so it does go on. But the focus is on the life itself. “In him was life,” the apostle John said of Jesus, “and that life was the light of men” (John 1:4).
(Desire , 38–39, John Eldredge)
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Praise the LORD O my soul
The Lord brought this for me this morning...
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-
18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the LORD, O my soul; all my inmost being, praise his holy name.
2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-
3 who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion,
5 who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all the oppressed.
7 He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel:
8 The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever;
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him;
12 as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.
13 As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field;
16 the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting the LORD's love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children's children-
18 with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.
19 The LORD has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom rules over all.
20 Praise the LORD, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his bidding, who obey his word.
21 Praise the LORD, all his heavenly hosts, you his servants who do his will.
22 Praise the LORD, all his works everywhere in his dominion. Praise the LORD, O my soul.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Friday, July 10, 2009
joy and peace
Isaiah 26:33 You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.
John 14:27
27 Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
Philippians 4:6-9
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; 7 and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.
Isaiah 55:12
12 “ For you shall go out with joy, And be led out with peace; The mountains and the hills shall break forth into singing before you, And all the trees of the field shall clap their hands.
Romans 14:17-19
17 for the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. 18 For he who serves Christ in these things is acceptable to God and approved by men. 19 Therefore let us pursue the things which make for peace and the things by which one may edify another.
Romans 15:13
13 Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
PS - We pray for our dear sweet friend Corrie today...He says by His stripes we are healed... Proverbs 4:20-22 20 My son, give attention to my words; Incline your ear to my sayings. 21 Do not let them depart from your eyes; Keep them in the midst of your heart; 22 For they are life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh. ... Amen.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Lost are Found
Praise Him for souls that are now His!
Luke 15
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
The Parable of the Lost Son
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son'
22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Luke 15
The Parable of the Lost Sheep
1Now the tax collectors and "sinners" were all gathering around to hear him. 2But the Pharisees and the teachers of the law muttered, "This man welcomes sinners and eats with them."
3Then Jesus told them this parable: 4"Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep and loses one of them. Does he not leave the ninety-nine in the open country and go after the lost sheep until he finds it? 5And when he finds it, he joyfully puts it on his shoulders 6and goes home. Then he calls his friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost sheep.' 7I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent.
The Parable of the Lost Coin
8"Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it? 9And when she finds it, she calls her friends and neighbors together and says, 'Rejoice with me; I have found my lost coin.' 10In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."
The Parable of the Lost Son
11Jesus continued: "There was a man who had two sons. 12The younger one said to his father, 'Father, give me my share of the estate.' So he divided his property between them.
13"Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living. 14After he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and he began to be in need. 15So he went and hired himself out to a citizen of that country, who sent him to his fields to feed pigs. 16He longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one gave him anything.
17"When he came to his senses, he said, 'How many of my father's hired men have food to spare, and here I am starving to death! 18I will set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. 19I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.' 20So he got up and went to his father. "But while he was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.
21"The son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son'
22"But the father said to his servants, 'Quick! Bring the best robe and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. 23Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let's have a feast and celebrate. 24For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' So they began to celebrate.
25"Meanwhile, the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. 26So he called one of the servants and asked him what was going on. 27'Your brother has come,' he replied, 'and your father has killed the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.'
28"The older brother became angry and refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him. 29But he answered his father, 'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends. 30But when this son of yours who has squandered your property with prostitutes comes home, you kill the fattened calf for him!'
31" 'My son,' the father said, 'you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. 32But we had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' "
Monday, July 6, 2009
Psalm 40
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll.
8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.
11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.
12 For troubles without number surround me;my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.
13 Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me.
14 May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!"
17 Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
2 He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.
3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.
4 Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, who does not look to the proud, to those who turn aside to false gods.
5 Many, O LORD my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.
6 Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but my ears you have pierced; burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not require.
7 Then I said, "Here I am, I have come— it is written about me in the scroll.
8 I desire to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart."
9 I proclaim righteousness in the great assembly; I do not seal my lips, as you know, O LORD.
10 I do not hide your righteousness in my heart; I speak of your faithfulness and salvation. I do not conceal your love and your truth from the great assembly.
11 Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.
12 For troubles without number surround me;my sins have overtaken me, and I cannot see. They are more than the hairs of my head, and my heart fails within me.
13 Be pleased, O LORD, to save me; O LORD, come quickly to help me.
14 May all who seek to take my life be put to shame and confusion; may all who desire my ruin be turned back in disgrace.
15 May those who say to me, "Aha! Aha!" be appalled at their own shame.
16 But may all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you; may those who love your salvation always say, "The LORD be exalted!"
17 Yet I am poor and needy; may the Lord think of me. You are my help and my deliverer; O my God, do not delay.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Christian music - JC!
I am so blessed to be able to listen to awesome Christian artists such as David Crowder Band, Jeremy Camp, Third Day, Mercy Me and others. Their songs uplift my spirits. Thank you Lord!
and...
Jeremy Camp is coming to North Charleston on September 12th!
http://www.jeremycamp.com/touring.php
and...
Jeremy Camp is coming to North Charleston on September 12th!
http://www.jeremycamp.com/touring.php
The Larger Story
Is life with Christ just about a list of rules? Or is there a Larger Story? John Eldredge addressed this in his book, A Sacred Romance, which is a wonderful book that I read with a group of women in a small group in Colorado. So many times I think we get trapped in our own "smaller stories" that we forget that there is a grand story going on.
Here is an excerpt:
"The Religious Man or Woman is a popular story option in which we try to reduce the wildness of life by constructing a system of promises and rewards, a contract that will obligate God to grant us exemption from the Arrows. It really doesn’t matter what the particular group bargain is—doctrinal adherence, moral living, or some sort of spiritual experience—the desire is the same: taming God in order to tame life. Never mind those deep yearnings of the soul; never mind the nagging awareness that God is not cooperating. If the system isn’t working, it’s because we’re not doing it right. There’s always something to work on, with the promise of abundant life just around the corner. Plenty of churches and leaders are ready to show you how to cut a deal.
These stories comprise what James McClendon calls the “tournament of narratives” in our culture, a clash of many small dramas competing for our heart. Through baseball and politics and music and sex and even church, we are searching desperately for a Larger Story in which to live and find our role. All of these smaller stories offer a taste of meaning, adventure, or connectedness. But none of them offer the real thing; they aren’t large enough. Our loss of confidence in a Larger Story is the reason we demand immediate gratification. We need a sense of being alive now, for now is all we have. Without a past that was planned for us and a future that waits for us, we are trapped in the present. There’s not enough room for our souls in the present."
(The Sacred Romance , 42–43)
Here is an excerpt:
"The Religious Man or Woman is a popular story option in which we try to reduce the wildness of life by constructing a system of promises and rewards, a contract that will obligate God to grant us exemption from the Arrows. It really doesn’t matter what the particular group bargain is—doctrinal adherence, moral living, or some sort of spiritual experience—the desire is the same: taming God in order to tame life. Never mind those deep yearnings of the soul; never mind the nagging awareness that God is not cooperating. If the system isn’t working, it’s because we’re not doing it right. There’s always something to work on, with the promise of abundant life just around the corner. Plenty of churches and leaders are ready to show you how to cut a deal.
These stories comprise what James McClendon calls the “tournament of narratives” in our culture, a clash of many small dramas competing for our heart. Through baseball and politics and music and sex and even church, we are searching desperately for a Larger Story in which to live and find our role. All of these smaller stories offer a taste of meaning, adventure, or connectedness. But none of them offer the real thing; they aren’t large enough. Our loss of confidence in a Larger Story is the reason we demand immediate gratification. We need a sense of being alive now, for now is all we have. Without a past that was planned for us and a future that waits for us, we are trapped in the present. There’s not enough room for our souls in the present."
(The Sacred Romance , 42–43)
Monday, June 29, 2009
our hands
From Billy Graham's devotional this morning:
June 29, 2009
“ . . . I was hungry, [and] you gave me food . . . ” -Matthew 25:35 (NEB)
During the war a church in Strasburg, Germany, was totally destroyed; but a statue of Christ which stood by the altar was almost unharmed. Only the hands of the statue were missing. When the church was rebuilt, a famous sculptor offered to make new hands; but, after considering the matter, the members decided to let it stand as it was—without hands. “For,” they said, “Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work on earth. If we don’t feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, entertain the stranger, visit the imprisoned, and clothe the naked, who will?” Christ is depending on us to do the very things which He did while upon earth. My friend, if the gospel we preach does not have a social application, if it will not work effectively in the work-a-day world, then it is not the Gospel of Christ.
Prayer for the day
I look at my hands, Lord Jesus, and ask You to use them this day. Make me conscious of the needs of those who hurt.
June 29, 2009
“ . . . I was hungry, [and] you gave me food . . . ” -Matthew 25:35 (NEB)
During the war a church in Strasburg, Germany, was totally destroyed; but a statue of Christ which stood by the altar was almost unharmed. Only the hands of the statue were missing. When the church was rebuilt, a famous sculptor offered to make new hands; but, after considering the matter, the members decided to let it stand as it was—without hands. “For,” they said, “Christ has no hands but our hands to do His work on earth. If we don’t feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, entertain the stranger, visit the imprisoned, and clothe the naked, who will?” Christ is depending on us to do the very things which He did while upon earth. My friend, if the gospel we preach does not have a social application, if it will not work effectively in the work-a-day world, then it is not the Gospel of Christ.
Prayer for the day
I look at my hands, Lord Jesus, and ask You to use them this day. Make me conscious of the needs of those who hurt.
Tender Mercies
I had a very blessed Sunday. Although clouds almost formed, I praise the Lord for His sunshine and His radiance...for His tender mercies, which are new every morning, for his answers to prayer, and his ministers (Melinda) ...because the day was glorious. I skipped church, but I think our Lord is ok with that sometimes. He knows that He has made a beautiful creation out there for us to enjoy and that it is hard for us to resist.
At 9:00am, I headed out of the house after situating the cats, dressed in my best outdoor attire, and headed for the beach. There, Jamie, Rex and Jamie's dad, Bob, had already arrived and were waiting on me to join them fishing. We waded out in the Port Royal Sound next to the old rocky groins and there is the spot where flounder fishing can be great. I tried my own hand with the rod and reel, and although I didn't catch anything, it was awesome being there in the water, with the sun rising across the ocean, sparkling , and watching the men really catch their fish. Jamie caught a big flounder and so did Rex. Bob caught a ginormous trout...he was very happy.
...and then the day progressed greatly from there.... (to be continued)
At 9:00am, I headed out of the house after situating the cats, dressed in my best outdoor attire, and headed for the beach. There, Jamie, Rex and Jamie's dad, Bob, had already arrived and were waiting on me to join them fishing. We waded out in the Port Royal Sound next to the old rocky groins and there is the spot where flounder fishing can be great. I tried my own hand with the rod and reel, and although I didn't catch anything, it was awesome being there in the water, with the sun rising across the ocean, sparkling , and watching the men really catch their fish. Jamie caught a big flounder and so did Rex. Bob caught a ginormous trout...he was very happy.
...and then the day progressed greatly from there.... (to be continued)
Monday, June 22, 2009
Secure
Yesterday Tom our associate minister preached on how Jesus "slept, " in the boat during a storm when his disciples were fearful and scared. It was a good sermon reminding us of Jesus' humanity, sleeping, and that because of his humanity it was the only way that he could pay the sin price in full for us.. He had to become completely "us" so that he could forever cancel the law of sin and death and save us...he was the perfect sacrifice that no other sacrifice could atone for.
Well, in addition to this truth being very relevant, I also got from Tom's sermon that Jesus just "rested"...meaning he was relaxed. He had no worries and fears. He was always in tune with the Father and as such, he was free from fear. He knew God was in control. He also knew his Father because he knew scripture inside and out, and as David Jeremiah talked about this morning, this "sword of the spirit" - the Word, was his powerful weapon, especially against the devil who would try even to deceive Jesus - in his humanity, as a person who could have fallen (but didn't.)
For me, knowing that Jesus 'slept,' is like a warm blanket. As Jean at our church once said, a warm blanket of the Holy Spirit. It calms me and relaxes me. It helps me realize that ALL the details in my life are in His full control and I need not fear the "wind and waves ' that toss around my life boat. For example, I had a rough work week last week, but I can confidently rest in Him, knowing that ultimately he has full control.
Also, Jamie said last night that sleeping in a boat is very peaceful. This was a wonderful reminder. Some of the best sleep he has ever had is in a boat. For me, this is a comfort, because Jesus must have also felt this peace, physically, in addition to spiritually. He was peaceful, amidst the tempest...calm amidst the storm.
It was also interesting that Tom's sermon yesterday had scriptural stories of boats and waves and water because I was thinking about Jamie the whole time. Jamie was out fishing and he as I found out later had a glorious day. I am so happy for him and I admire him for catching "epic" fish. He caught grouper, which I am told is a great prize. But Jamie also told me how the seas were rolling--even though it was a beautiful day - about 5 feet up and down. He had gone offshore and an inexperienced person might have feared this motion of the waves. But he did not. He was peaceful amidst the waves...and he had a wonderful day with our Lord & Father.
Ok well after the sermon about how Jesus "slept" yesterday, I heard from Mary Whelchel this morning about how I am "kept". I also needed to hear this because being "kept" means I am secure in Christ no matter what. Even when I fail and am not the Christian woman I want to be, he "keeps me." (Praise the Lord.)
From Mary Whlechel this morning:
"Since I’ve become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, my future is in God’s hands. I am kept secure as a child of God because Jesus is keeping me secure. Thankfully, my security doesn’t depend on my performance, because my performance can be pretty shaky! Even though I’m born from above and have been made a new creation in Christ, there are times when I don’t live up to my name. Do you know what I mean?
But the incredible good news is that I am kept secure in my relationship to God because it doesn’t depend on me, it depends on what Jesus has done for me and what he has promised.
For example, in Romans 8:38-39 we read:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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. "
Thank you Jesus for teaching me to "sleep" and for "keeping" me secure. Amen.
Well, in addition to this truth being very relevant, I also got from Tom's sermon that Jesus just "rested"...meaning he was relaxed. He had no worries and fears. He was always in tune with the Father and as such, he was free from fear. He knew God was in control. He also knew his Father because he knew scripture inside and out, and as David Jeremiah talked about this morning, this "sword of the spirit" - the Word, was his powerful weapon, especially against the devil who would try even to deceive Jesus - in his humanity, as a person who could have fallen (but didn't.)
For me, knowing that Jesus 'slept,' is like a warm blanket. As Jean at our church once said, a warm blanket of the Holy Spirit. It calms me and relaxes me. It helps me realize that ALL the details in my life are in His full control and I need not fear the "wind and waves ' that toss around my life boat. For example, I had a rough work week last week, but I can confidently rest in Him, knowing that ultimately he has full control.
Also, Jamie said last night that sleeping in a boat is very peaceful. This was a wonderful reminder. Some of the best sleep he has ever had is in a boat. For me, this is a comfort, because Jesus must have also felt this peace, physically, in addition to spiritually. He was peaceful, amidst the tempest...calm amidst the storm.
It was also interesting that Tom's sermon yesterday had scriptural stories of boats and waves and water because I was thinking about Jamie the whole time. Jamie was out fishing and he as I found out later had a glorious day. I am so happy for him and I admire him for catching "epic" fish. He caught grouper, which I am told is a great prize. But Jamie also told me how the seas were rolling--even though it was a beautiful day - about 5 feet up and down. He had gone offshore and an inexperienced person might have feared this motion of the waves. But he did not. He was peaceful amidst the waves...and he had a wonderful day with our Lord & Father.
Ok well after the sermon about how Jesus "slept" yesterday, I heard from Mary Whelchel this morning about how I am "kept". I also needed to hear this because being "kept" means I am secure in Christ no matter what. Even when I fail and am not the Christian woman I want to be, he "keeps me." (Praise the Lord.)
From Mary Whlechel this morning:
"Since I’ve become a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, my future is in God’s hands. I am kept secure as a child of God because Jesus is keeping me secure. Thankfully, my security doesn’t depend on my performance, because my performance can be pretty shaky! Even though I’m born from above and have been made a new creation in Christ, there are times when I don’t live up to my name. Do you know what I mean?
But the incredible good news is that I am kept secure in my relationship to God because it doesn’t depend on me, it depends on what Jesus has done for me and what he has promised.
For example, in Romans 8:38-39 we read:
For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 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. "
Thank you Jesus for teaching me to "sleep" and for "keeping" me secure. Amen.
Friday, June 19, 2009
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Seek first & fix
Matthew 6
Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Hebrews 12
Fix our eyes on Jesus
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Do Not Worry
25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?
28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Hebrews 12
Fix our eyes on Jesus
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Monday, June 15, 2009
Spanish smiles
I had an absolutely beautiful day with Jamie yesterday. For starters, Jamie came to my house in the morning and picked me up for church. We joined several other friends and a small congregation for a Holy Spirit inspired message from Tom. We are so grateful for our ministers at St. Luke's and for their commitment to the work of the Holy Spirit and the person of Jesus Christ and the headship of our God and Father. It was a blessing to be there and also to see some friends who we have been praying for.
Then, we had no particular plans for the afternoon, but led by the Lord Jamie asked if I'd like to go out on the boat. Of course I was completely excited and my heart leaped for joy. We went back home to both our houses, got ready, Jamie bought provisions and we headed over to the Boathouse. The boat was already in the water, perfect, and it took us just a brief time to get ourselves launched. The adventure began.
It was completely sunny and gorgeous out all day. The wind and a few clouds only picked up a little in the afternoon. Jamie suggested a ride around the whole island and I was thrilled. We headed out Skull Creek, no pressure to do anything but to have fun, and we were both smiling. We turned the corner at Port Royal Sound and headed for the Atlantic and the front of the island. From there, it was a series of quick rides and slow motors, observing the island, watching the small waves and the calm ocean, jumping out of the boat and swimming! and more.
We saw Shay at Juniper Street...Jamie pulled the boat in and we swam ashore and said hello as he launched his Hobie Cat, circa 1982. He is such a waterman, just like Jamie. We talked about sailing in the future, and I would simply love to learn. After visiting for a short while and basking in the surf, we hopped aboard Jamie's boat again, akaTIDEjr, and headed south to Tower Beach.
When we arrived, the wind had picked up a little but it was no bother. Jamie immediately asked if we could try and catch a fish and I was happy, "Of course!" I said. Jamie rigged up two rods he had brought along and we trawled (??) for Spanish Mackerel. There were a few other boats there at South Beach doing the same, in the flushing currents where the Calibogue Sound dumps out into the Atlantic Ocean. It is a haven for fish. Trawl, trawl ,trawl, then zzzzzzzz! The line started spinning and we had a fish on the line! Jamie offered for me to reel it in, which I did. I caught a fish!! Jamie let me catch a fish! The silence was broken! We pulled in a small Spanish Mackerel, so pretty with its yellow spots. About 3lbs. But, we threw it back in because we already had fish in the fridge for dinner at home, from the gigantic Flounder Jamie had caught the day before.
Then we headed our way back to Skull Creek, through Calibogue Sound . Near at the end of our ride, Jamie asked if I wanted to swim again. It was as if he was reading my mind because I was thinking the exact same thing. I wasn't quite ready to call it a day, and neither was he. So, he took us over to Dolphin Head and we pulled up the boat close in to shore. Other boats had done the same and we jumped in again. What fun!
Back at the ranch, after riding in, cleaning the boat (Jamie did) showering up at home, and getting Cocoa, Jamie prepared a delicious dinner and bought Slumdog Millionaire for us to watch. I thought it was a good movie and we both enjoyed it. We played with Cocoa too. I was was happy.
Jamie then said that the only way the day could have been any better was if we would have served someone else. I agree wholeheartedly.
Otherwise, I count my blessings for the day and for the Lord giving me such a man as Jamie to be with. I am honored, thankful and blessed and only wish we had been together for so many years more. It was another amazing day with him that I will never forget. One that he provided. We have had so many.
Thank you Lord for such a man as he; praise the Lord that we share such a God as You.
Amen.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
I want to be a Titus...and am thankful for my own Tituses
I love this article by Mary Whelchel...
Everybody Needs a Titus
You know, everybody needs encouragement and help at times, don't they? As I read 2 Corinthians 7, I realized that even the great Apostle Paul had his times when he needed other people. He said in verse 5: For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within.
Doesn't that describe the way you feel at times? Conflicts without, fears within? But this is the spiritual giant, Paul, and it surprises us to realize that he would have these same feelings. Well, we really need to remember that positions of prominence do not isolate anyone from being human. Paul was tired and fearful. He needed help.
Where did his help come from? He goes on to say, "But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus." He needed a friend at his side to comfort him, and so Titus came along. We could say to Paul, "But wasn't it enough to have the Lord there?" And Paul would respond, "The Lord was there in the person of Titus. He comforted me by sending Titus."
Yes indeed, that's how the Body of Christ should function. God wants to use us in each other's lives as messengers of comfort and encouragement, to pick each other up at those weary and frightened moments of our lives. God has given us each other for that purpose.
Paul goes on to say that he was comforted by the good report Titus brought to him of the concern for his welfare by his friends in Corinth. Paul needed to know that they cared, that they hadn't forgotten him, that they still loved him.
How often do we miss these opportunities to be God's comfort in the lives of others? How often do we need to be by a friend's side when they're experiencing dark days? Or send a message to them—by email or snail mail or on the phone—just to say, I care.
Hallmark Cards has coined the phrase, "When you care enough to send the very best." When we as Christians care enough about each other, we can send our very best, which is the comfort of God pouring through us to those who need it.
Is there someone in your life today that needs a Titus? Ask God to show you, and allow him to use you as his agent of comfort and encouragement.
Everybody Needs a Titus
You know, everybody needs encouragement and help at times, don't they? As I read 2 Corinthians 7, I realized that even the great Apostle Paul had his times when he needed other people. He said in verse 5: For when we came into Macedonia, this body of ours had no rest, but we were harassed at every turn—conflicts on the outside, fears within.
Doesn't that describe the way you feel at times? Conflicts without, fears within? But this is the spiritual giant, Paul, and it surprises us to realize that he would have these same feelings. Well, we really need to remember that positions of prominence do not isolate anyone from being human. Paul was tired and fearful. He needed help.
Where did his help come from? He goes on to say, "But God, who comforts the downcast, comforted us by the coming of Titus." He needed a friend at his side to comfort him, and so Titus came along. We could say to Paul, "But wasn't it enough to have the Lord there?" And Paul would respond, "The Lord was there in the person of Titus. He comforted me by sending Titus."
Yes indeed, that's how the Body of Christ should function. God wants to use us in each other's lives as messengers of comfort and encouragement, to pick each other up at those weary and frightened moments of our lives. God has given us each other for that purpose.
Paul goes on to say that he was comforted by the good report Titus brought to him of the concern for his welfare by his friends in Corinth. Paul needed to know that they cared, that they hadn't forgotten him, that they still loved him.
How often do we miss these opportunities to be God's comfort in the lives of others? How often do we need to be by a friend's side when they're experiencing dark days? Or send a message to them—by email or snail mail or on the phone—just to say, I care.
Hallmark Cards has coined the phrase, "When you care enough to send the very best." When we as Christians care enough about each other, we can send our very best, which is the comfort of God pouring through us to those who need it.
Is there someone in your life today that needs a Titus? Ask God to show you, and allow him to use you as his agent of comfort and encouragement.
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
The Constitution of the United States
IN CONGRESS, July 4, 1776.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
The unanimous Declaration of the thirteen united States of America,
When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.--Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
Monday, June 8, 2009
india
I took a quick glance again at my friend Tierney's blog of her time in India. She has been working for the International Justice Mission in southeast India for the past 6 months where she is part of the communication team. This organization is a Christian organization that is essentially rescuing women and men out of slavery and sex-slavery in that country, and also dealing with other human rights issues.
I love looking at the photos on her blog because I have wanted to travel to India for so long and it is really neat to see how colorful a place it is and to see all the wonderful experiences she is having while there.
Way to go Tierney!
Praying for victims
Lord I pray for the victims of the airliner crash off the coast of Brazil. Father please seek and save the lost....please bring hope and healing to the families involved. Please turn those that need you to you. Please comfort those who are your own.
Amen.
Amen.
Friday, June 5, 2009
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
Encouragement
From my new bible study this morning:
9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. - Colossians 1
9For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 10And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, 11being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully 12giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 13For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. - Colossians 1
Monday, June 1, 2009
Empty me...
Lord empty me of selfish ambition and the point of my pride...Lord empty me of me, so I can be filled with you.
My love...
Patience, Passion, Power
Sometimes our love is tested and we are called upon by the Lord to be self-sacrificial and patient. As Greg reminded us on Sunday, patience is a gift from the Lord; a fruit of the Holy Spirit.
Lord, please help me to allow the Holy Spirit to work fully in my life. Please help me to love those around me better. Please help me to see through their eyes...to put myself in their shoes.
Father, thank you for a beautiful weekend. Thank you for lots of sunshine, for being on the boat with Jamie, whom I love... and doing what we love together. Thank you also for Sunday at church and Sunday projects...walking on the beach, planting flowers, cleaning up, making dinner at home.
Lord, please ignite your passion within me again to love and serve you more. Please bring the power of your resurrection, the Cross, to help me overcome the battles that rage against my life and against my soul. Please give me the strength to be obedient. I can't do it on my own, I need a Saviour. Lord Jesus, please come.
Galatians 5
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Father, thank you for a beautiful weekend. Thank you for lots of sunshine, for being on the boat with Jamie, whom I love... and doing what we love together. Thank you also for Sunday at church and Sunday projects...walking on the beach, planting flowers, cleaning up, making dinner at home.
Lord, please ignite your passion within me again to love and serve you more. Please bring the power of your resurrection, the Cross, to help me overcome the battles that rage against my life and against my soul. Please give me the strength to be obedient. I can't do it on my own, I need a Saviour. Lord Jesus, please come.
Galatians 5
22But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Confirmation, reaffirmation and a big fish!
On Sunday, Jamie and I had an amazing experience together being confirmed and reaffirmed at our church, St. Luke's. It was a truly Holy Spirit filled experience. Here are our 'after photos' when we returned home to Jamie's house and were reminiscing on the experience. Then, by the Grace of God, yesterday, Wednesday, Jamie and Rex went out and caught several big fish...four cobia, "Brownies," of which two they brought home (they won the battle) and two went free (the fish won and got to go reproduce more fish.)...Praise the Lord for His BIG blessings! Amen.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Just have to say how much I LOVE Jeremy Camp's music...I feel like so many of his songs and lyrics move my heart and spirit. Here's his website...http://www.jeremycamp.com/
I pray that he will continue faithfully in the Lord's service, creating great music for the Lord.
I pray that he will continue faithfully in the Lord's service, creating great music for the Lord.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Read Colossians
I might be starting a new study with some girlfriends on the book of Colossians. I just re-read it this morning and what great treasure it is for understanding truth. Paul, who wrote Colossians as a letter to the new church east of Ephesus, refutes many heresies that were building in the early church at the time (i.e., denouncing the deity of Christ) and he pronounces the fundamental supremacy of Christ in all things. The whole book is excellent and foundational and uplifting. It is also good for spiritual warfare---to know the Truth!
Colossians 2
1I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
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.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature,not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Colossians 2
1I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how orderly you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
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.
8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.
9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature,not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Monday, May 18, 2009
Fishing in the rain...
Yesterday Jamie and I headed out at about noon to go for an afternoon of "easy" fishing. "Easy" because we didn't get up at the crack of dawn to get out on the water. We didn't have any bait and were praying that the Lord would provide, literally. (At least I was praying that it was His will that we find bait.) Anyhoo...we searched and searched for the "poagies" but to no avail. We took the boat east and west in the Port Royal sound along Dolphin Head but didn't see any signs of bait (little fish heads flickering on the water's surface or Pelicans diving for a gulp.) So, we gave up and decided to head to Christmas Tree and fish for "greenies." Well, on the way, and as the clouds began to really build in the sky, we spotted another fisherman pulling in his nets along a "rip" and in Jamie's words, "Glad he showed us that." Meaning, there was bait there and God had provided.
Well, God had a sense of humor because after we hit the rip and Jamie threw a bunch of casts and hauled in some nice bait (Blue Fish, Whiting, Greenies, and a trout) a huge thunder clapped around our heads and I jumped up in a scream. We saw lightning flash in the distance and rain began puring all around. Well...you know the story if you were on Hilton Head yesterday...the rain didn't let up and it rained all the way until today (Monday). Suffice to say, we were reluctant to go in (except when I saw the lightning, I was pretty ready) and sadly the great bait we had just caught was going to be left for naught. With a little distress, we made our way back to the dock, sat a while to see of the storm would pass, and knowing it wouldn't, we gave in. God made us rest. Jamie tossed the bait to all the Blue Herons and White Egrets that had gathered on the dock to hang with us and we were entertained and marveled to see them fighting for the fish. Jamie cleaned the boat and our adventure was done.
A great day.....thank you Lord.
Well, God had a sense of humor because after we hit the rip and Jamie threw a bunch of casts and hauled in some nice bait (Blue Fish, Whiting, Greenies, and a trout) a huge thunder clapped around our heads and I jumped up in a scream. We saw lightning flash in the distance and rain began puring all around. Well...you know the story if you were on Hilton Head yesterday...the rain didn't let up and it rained all the way until today (Monday). Suffice to say, we were reluctant to go in (except when I saw the lightning, I was pretty ready) and sadly the great bait we had just caught was going to be left for naught. With a little distress, we made our way back to the dock, sat a while to see of the storm would pass, and knowing it wouldn't, we gave in. God made us rest. Jamie tossed the bait to all the Blue Herons and White Egrets that had gathered on the dock to hang with us and we were entertained and marveled to see them fighting for the fish. Jamie cleaned the boat and our adventure was done.
A great day.....thank you Lord.
Trust in the Lord
Proverbs 3:5
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight."
From the surfer's devotional this morning...
We spend way too much time trying to scheme and manipulate situations that God has already given us clear direction on. We often do this because we desire what is best for us and are unsure whether God is as committed to that same outcome as we are. The basic problem is that, as broken creatures, we don’t know what’s best for us. But God does and He desires what will bring Him glory and will be the best for you. History bares this out. Just look at the cross. It may not make sense to the “world” but it does make sense in God’s economy. So trust and don’t second guess Him. Just obey.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge him and he will make your path straight."
From the surfer's devotional this morning...
We spend way too much time trying to scheme and manipulate situations that God has already given us clear direction on. We often do this because we desire what is best for us and are unsure whether God is as committed to that same outcome as we are. The basic problem is that, as broken creatures, we don’t know what’s best for us. But God does and He desires what will bring Him glory and will be the best for you. History bares this out. Just look at the cross. It may not make sense to the “world” but it does make sense in God’s economy. So trust and don’t second guess Him. Just obey.
Friday, May 15, 2009
Excellent talk on prayer
On today's Moody radio broadcast, "Today in the Word," which is on at 7:30am on 88.7 here locally, there was an excellent speaker, Warren Wiersbe, talking about prayer. He's an oldie but goodie, a great expositor and teacher. Click the link below and the "Listen Now" button to hear it...it is good solid foundational teaching on prayer that everyone should know/understand.
http://www.moodyradio.org/brd_ProgramToday.aspx?id=35654
Have a great day!
http://www.moodyradio.org/brd_ProgramToday.aspx?id=35654
Have a great day!
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Happy Birthday Jamie!
Happy Birthday sweetie!
Hope you are having a wonderful day!!!
God's biggest blessings I pray for you always.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
whoa
I went paddle surfing today...it has been two weeks since the last superman dive. And, well, I am afraid I did it again! goodness I looked like a bucking bronco! Check out Glen's Atlantic Paddle Surfing blog to see the full effect. Well, I got out there and actually am looking forward to it again. One small step for mankind, one big step for Jessica. When the horse bucks you off, you have to get right back on! Happy surfing.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
vanquished
Revelation 21:1-4
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." --Amen
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." --Amen
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
James 5
13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
13Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. 16Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.
Friday, May 1, 2009
In time of need
Hebrews 4:16
16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
16Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Lots to think about
From David Jeremiah's study of James this morning:
Temptation is from the devil...Testing is from the Lord.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7
From Joyce Meyer this morning at 6:30am (it is going to be a good day!):
Make your mind up. Stop trying, and make a decision.
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. - Hebrews 12:14
From my daily transcript from Mary Whelchel this morning:
An Attitude Checkup
Don't you think Christians should have positive outlooks and attitudes? We have so much to be positive about; we have hope and a future. And yet, sadly, many of us are just as negative as those who don't know Jesus.
Chuck Swindoll writes: "The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude to life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the past, than education, than money...than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the inevitable. The one thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it."
I agree with Chuck; life is not so much what cards we've been dealt, as it is how we handle and react to the circumstances of our lives. How are you doing in the attitude department? Staying positive or falling into negative territory too often?
Positive people aren't just born that way; they work at it. If you'd like your attitude to be more positive, I have a suggestion. First, make a list of the things that happen to you which tend to destroy your positive attitude. Mentally walk through a few of your days and ask yourself what are the things that get to you.
I call them "negative pulls." You'll probably list things like a co-worker or a boss who drives you crazy; too much work to do; unrealistic expectations from other people; lack of cooperation; office politics, interruptions, etc. Putting them in writing helps you realize just what is ruining your attitude.
Now, once you've done that, the next thing is to fight back. Not with your own power, but with the power of God within you. This is where Christians have a great advantage, because we can call on God to give us the strength to fight back.
I suggest you read your list to the Lord. Say, "Lord, here are the things which happen to me that tend to ruin my attitude. I'm asking you to help me fight back. I know the fight is in my mind, and it must be done by faith. If you will empower me, by your grace, I will work at being a positive person to bring glory to you."
That is a big first step in our attitude check-up.
Temptation is from the devil...Testing is from the Lord.
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. - James 4:7
From Joyce Meyer this morning at 6:30am (it is going to be a good day!):
Make your mind up. Stop trying, and make a decision.
Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. - Hebrews 12:14
From my daily transcript from Mary Whelchel this morning:
An Attitude Checkup
Don't you think Christians should have positive outlooks and attitudes? We have so much to be positive about; we have hope and a future. And yet, sadly, many of us are just as negative as those who don't know Jesus.
Chuck Swindoll writes: "The longer I live the more I realize the impact of attitude to life. Attitude, to me, is more important than the past, than education, than money...than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for the day. We cannot change our past...we cannot change the inevitable. The one thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced life is 10% what happens to us and 90% how we react to it."
I agree with Chuck; life is not so much what cards we've been dealt, as it is how we handle and react to the circumstances of our lives. How are you doing in the attitude department? Staying positive or falling into negative territory too often?
Positive people aren't just born that way; they work at it. If you'd like your attitude to be more positive, I have a suggestion. First, make a list of the things that happen to you which tend to destroy your positive attitude. Mentally walk through a few of your days and ask yourself what are the things that get to you.
I call them "negative pulls." You'll probably list things like a co-worker or a boss who drives you crazy; too much work to do; unrealistic expectations from other people; lack of cooperation; office politics, interruptions, etc. Putting them in writing helps you realize just what is ruining your attitude.
Now, once you've done that, the next thing is to fight back. Not with your own power, but with the power of God within you. This is where Christians have a great advantage, because we can call on God to give us the strength to fight back.
I suggest you read your list to the Lord. Say, "Lord, here are the things which happen to me that tend to ruin my attitude. I'm asking you to help me fight back. I know the fight is in my mind, and it must be done by faith. If you will empower me, by your grace, I will work at being a positive person to bring glory to you."
That is a big first step in our attitude check-up.
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