27 December 2015

Today is a shaky day.  I believe I'm tired, but only the Lord really knows.  I seriously do not like the shaky days, and I'm pretty sure my family doesn't care for them too much.  The trouble is that I can not put into words exactly what I'm experiencing.  I'm very grateful for all the compassion and help God has continued to provide through His own Self and through other people.  I hate heart attacks. What I really don't like is the weakness emotionally that has happen to me.  Or is it all that bad?  I have been a follower of Jesus Christ since July 10th of 1988.  Before that, as a child, I'm pretty sure that I gave my heart to Jesus numerous times.  It was that July day, however, that I asked the Lord Jesus to be my Lord.  I'm so not where I thought I would be with my walk with Christ.  However, by God's grace, I'm walking with Christ!  Not perfectly, but continually.  This event in my life has shown me how extremely not in control I'm not, and how perfectly in control the Lord God is.  Also, what I do doesn't seem to affect God's love for me.  I really don't get that, to be honest.  But, it is truth.  Weakness draws me to my Father in heaven.  Where else can I get any strength at all?  A few people have mentioned that 2015 was tough.  I was so scared and weak in my pain, I had not really noticed.  I don't know what 2016 has in store.  I do know one thing... it has the promise of God, His love, and His strength.  2016 is bringing more of God's goodness to my life, on His terms, which are perfect and involve my trust and faith.  I pray that is what you also get in 2016- God's goodness on His terms.  Have a great week.

Proverbs 18:10

"The Name of the Lord is a strong Tower.  The righteous run to it and are safe."   Do you know the name of the Lord?  His name is Jesus.  There isn't any name higher than Jesus' name.  The Bible says this in Philippians 2:10, "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth."  That, my friend, is a mighty name.  Jesus is also a believer's righteousness as it says in 2 Corinthians 5:20-21, "Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.  For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."  We come into complete safety by running to Jesus.  We are saved and safe in the name of Jesus.  Romans 10:9 says this, "that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."   Our Savior, Jesus, is our strong Tower.  Run to Him and be safe.  Have a great week.

Struggles

We all have struggles.  They can be hurtful, confusing, scary, and maddening.  There are struggles that make us feel like failures.  Some of the struggles try to convince us that we let others sown, especially the Lord God.  There ore physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual struggles.  There are struggles with relationships, finances, and, well, struggles span a wide area.  We are all touched by them, or lamblasted, more like it.  We are going to have struggles in this world.  Jesus frankly promises this in John 16:33.  Here, read this:

 "I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

Yes, the Son of God has promised us that while we are on earth, we are going to have trials and sorrows.  Sigh!  But, let's read the rest of the verse.  It says that we may have Peace in Jesus.  It also says that Jesus has overcome the world.  He is sinless, He defeated the enemy of our souls and death, and He rose from the dead.  He is the Lord God!!!  

Okay, now there are those who say that God causes our struggles.  I'm not sure that can be true.  One reason is that on earth, we have them.  The trials and sorrows happen because we are in a fallen world.  Our God doesn't fail, and He doesn't tempt us with evil.  Here, read this in James 1:13- And remember, when you are being tempted, do not say, "God is tempting me." God is never tempted to do wrong, and He never tempts anyone else.

Our family is going through the Book of Job.  We know that God allowed satan to attack Job and all he loved and owned.  God had faith in Job.  We can agree that the trials were many, but they weren't from God, and they were not caused because of Job's sins, even though his friends believed that God was punishing him.  Nope, God allowed the trial to happen because God knew something about Job that Job didn't know.  During Job's struggle, he didn't turn from the Lord.  He asked questions, lots of them.  But he kept believing in the Lord.  God rewarded Job a great deal in the end.

Job 42:12- So the LORD blessed Job in the second half of his life even more than in the beginning. For now he had 14,000 sheep, 6,000 camels, 1,000 teams of oxen, and 1,000 female donkeys.

Doesn't that sound familiar to a Christian's life?  Yes, our struggles can hit an unbearable level.  However, in the second half of our life, when we are home in heaven, our reward will be definitely more than in the beginning.  Heaven in God's presence can't be topped.  The point is while we are going through the struggles, our hope is in Christ alone, the One Who overcome the world.  I pray that all of us may find the promised peace as we live in this world.  Our peace is in Christ Jesus, the Author of our faith.  





 

21 June 2015

It struck me today that there are many things that keep my heart and thoughts distracted and lead astray from the Lord.  Of course, there is the enemy and his cohorts.  There is temptation and sin.  There is the physical things like hunger, being tired, being worried and concerned.  But my personal biggest problem is looking at the Lord God behind myself.  I just seriously get in the way, like Peter Pan's shadow.  It darkens my view to God and His Truth.  I worry that I'm not doing enough, being enough, saying enough... I'm not enough!!!  That concerns me.  It concerns me because it is true.  I'm not enough.  Hence, the extremely great need for a Savior.  I just can't get it all together no matter how hard I try.  I can't impress the Creator of the universe no matter what I do.  I just can't, and that really bugs me.  Oh my, what is the solution???  Lift my head up and around the me idol in the way and follow the directions provided in Hebrews 12:2.  Do you know what the Scripture says there?  This:

 Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

My faith started with Jesus Christ.  I believed that He is the Son of God, He died to take away my sins, and He is the Only Way to heaven.  Jesus gave me a brand new life, period.  It all started there, and, by God's grace, it all ends there.  I can't walk this life of faith looking at myself for the answer any more than I could save myself in the first place.  I have to, for my own sanity and peace, walk this life of faith constantly looking to Jesus Who created  this faith and finishes it too.  Okay, before I sound like it is a breeze to do this, it isn't.  However, like all things worthwhile, it is worthwhile!!!  So, before discouragement touches you again, please remember:

 Looking unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Have a great week.

Mother's Day, 2015

I really pray that all the moms out there in blog land had a wonderful Mother's Day.  I had a restful one with both of my children.  My son is home from college for the summer.  Yesterday, my husband graduated college earning his Master's Degree.  His mother and her husband could come so that made it even more special.  We are all very proud of my husband's accomplishment because he did an excellent job, earning A's and B's.  My daughter and I are going out for frozen yogurt tomorrow.  My son bought me the movie, Brave.
My husband is going to buy me some of my prints for our walls.  We will be enjoying two family days from now on.  God is extremely wonderful and good to this family.  Have a great week.

15 March 2015

It was a nice week.  We were able to spend time with friends, spend time with people from our Church, and get a lot of things done schoolwise.  My family works very hard, and I'm proud of them.  Have a great week.

11 March 2015

Hi Moms of Daughters,
     Could I ask you a favor, not only for me, for my daughter, for other people's daughters but also for your own daughter?  Could you please teach her to care about other people's feelings?  Could you tell her that it is wrong and hateful to brag about what two friends are going to do together when there is another friend sitting there?  Could you show them how to be secure in themselves and in the Lord so that they don't have to play girl games and feel threatened that their best friend has other friends?  Could you show your daughter how to be brave enough to destroy the ugly cycle of cliques that girls and women get into?  Could you remind her that she will one day answer to her Maker for the way she treated others?  Could you do that for me, Moms of daughters?  Could you do that for other daughters?  Could you do that for your daughter?  Could you do that for Jesus?  Remember, charm is deceitful, beauty is vain.  But a women who fears the Lord will be praised.  Could you tell your daughter that?  Thank you.  You will really appreciate it.  Have a great week.
A Mom of a Daughter

1 March 2015

I was just wondering something.  Every time I hear or read the Genesis 3 account of the fall of mankind, I feel so disappointed.  I mean, I have read it many times, and it stills is so disappointing.  We are stuck in the chaos of a fallen and hurting world because of the choice of two people.  We are born sinners, we sin, and no matter how hard we try, we sin.  Reading Genesis 3 is like watching a movie where you know what is going to happen, and you are inwardly begging the characters to do the right thing or avoid the wrong thing because you know what will happen because of their choice.  So here is what I was wondering.  Do atheists do the same thing with Genesis 3?  Oh, I know that they say that they don't believe in the God of the Bible.  However, they may be curious, or they may use It to "prove" their argument.  Maybe in their younger years, they heard the Genesis 3 account.  Aren't they disappointed also in what happens in the Story?  If they are, do they, like me, look up from Genesis 3, and think, "This explains everything."  It feels weird after this somber blog to tell you to have a great week.  Still, have a great week.  Oh, Genesis 3 isn't even close to the end of the Story.  Read it all, even my atheists friends.  You just may find what you are looking for.  Have a great week.

22 February 2015

I'm about to get very lazy, but I just loved this devotional out of Our Daily Bread.  It was written by Dennis Fisher.

"August 10, 1628, was a dark day in naval history. On that day the royal warship Vasa set out on her maiden voyage. After taking 2 years to build, being lavishly decorated and holding 64 cannons, the pride of the Swedish navy sank only one mile out to sea. What went wrong? The excessive load was too heavy to make her seaworthy. Excess weight pulled the Vasa to the bottom of the ocean.The Christian life can also be weighed down by excess baggage. Encouraging us in our spiritual journey, the book of Hebrews says: “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith” (12:1-2).Like the lavishly decorated ship, we may project to others an impressive exterior. But if on the inside we are weighed down with sin, our perseverance can be impaired. There is a remedy, however. By relying on God’s guidance and the empowering of the Holy Spirit, our load can be lightened and our perseverance buoyant.Forgiveness and grace are always available to the spiritual traveler.

Father in heaven, too often I try to mask the burden
and weight of sin in my life with the outward activities
of the Christian life. Forgive me. Help me to set aside
the things that keep me from running a good race.

 

Perseverance is as much about a strong won’t as a strong will."

I really like this because it was reminder that no matter what we look like on the outside, what is going on in the inside is what keeps us going, or not.  We can't keep up a facade for long.  It will wear us out.  Let's all be real with God.  Let's dump the weight and seek forgiveness for sins.  Let's be free and able to keep sailing until the end of our journey.  Have a great week.  

3 February 2015

I went to a Ladies Bible Study today.  The actual teaching was probably pretty good.  I like the speaker.  However, I didn't get much out of it because my mind was wondering.  I was thinking of what preaching/ teaching I could share with a crowd.  One would be that when things go bad, lift your gaze up to the Lord, not straight ahead of you to those around you.  God is the Perfect Comforter, the Perfect Friend.  If others can give you any assistance in your pain, that's dessert from a God Who is giving and gracious.  Don't count on that dessert, though.  Seriously, look up to the Lord.  Keep looking up through good and bad, every time.  See what the Lord can and does do.  Have a great week.

26 January 2015

3:00 a.m.  I'm not a good sleeper.  I feel like I'm gonna miss something.  There actually isn't anything going on at 3 a.m. in my part of the world.  But you never can tell...  Have a great week.

25 January 2015

Being a role model can and is really tough.  I'm selfish and distracted.  Face it, not everything in the world is good for you or good to do.  There are attitudes to adjust, uh, big time.  Things can get down right scary.  Being a role model is an all consuming, 24/7 job, and frankly, lots of time, I just stink at it.  Period.  I want a vacation from being an example.  I want the guilt that I feel when I stink at this job to go bye bye.  Don't you?  There is a Scripture in Romans that really sums up my problem and my attitude.  It was inspired by the Holy Spirit and written by the apostle Paul.  I'm so lazy right now that I'm going over to Bible Gateway and copy/paste it.  Here goes:

Romans 7:15-25 New International Version (NIV)
¹⁵ I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. ¹⁶ And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. ¹⁷ As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. ¹⁸ For I know that good itself does not dwell in me, that is, in my sinful nature.^[a] For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. ¹⁹ For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. ²⁰ Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
²¹ So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me. ²² For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; ²³ but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. ²⁴ What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? ²⁵ Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!
So then, I myself in my mind am a slave to God’s law, but in my sinful nature^[b] a slave to the law of sin.


Isn't this right on the spot?  But did you catch it at the end of this miserable state Paul (and us) find ourselves?  The hope- Verse 24-25  "What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?  Thanks be to God, Who delivers me through Jesus Christ, our Lord!"  My Role Model is Jesus, and my Rescuer is Jesus.  My Deliverer is Jesus.  I stink as a role model.  But my Role Model, well, He has that covered too.  So, one of the best things I can role model for others is keeping my faith and eyes on the Role Model, Jesus Christ.  Have a great week.

21 Jan 2015

Today was housework day.  Everyone helped out.  We got a lot done.  So, we treated ourselves to pizza, ice cream, soda, and Mom's Night Out.  I love that movie.  My husband bought it for me.  We also watch a few old Star Trek's.  Yep, we like that old show.  Anyways, it is extremely late, so I should hit the rack.  Have a great week.

18 January 2015

There is a television show that I enjoy with my daughter.  Granted, right now we are watching old reruns because, well, we don't have cable at this time.  I really enjoy watching one of the main characters.  This person was on some YouTube videos, like a game show and bloopers.  It was all pretty clean fun.  So, I thought that we could watch this performer in some interviews.  Wow, did that go south in a hurry.  The questions were so degrading and inappropriate.  But this performer never told the interviewer to stop.  Not once.  The performer just played along, even though this performer is married and has children.  It was so disappointing.  How does this performer go home and explain that to friends and family?  There were so many wonderful questions that could have been fun and interesting.  But it turned to garbage.  Just once, it would be great for some famous person to look an interviewer in the eye and say, "Really dude?  There is no way that I'm going to sink to asking that disgusting question.  I have family, friends, and fans."  Courage is hard, but it is also refreshing.  Have a great week.

17 January 2015

Hi Everyone!!! Yes, I know, I did not keep up my blog again.  I could give you some lame excuse, but that wouldn't be right.  We had a great time with my son being home for Christmas break.  We started school on Thursday.  We would have started earlier, but my husband had three days off in a row, and we took advantage of that.  Last night, my daughter and I were reading a John Ortberg book called The Life I've Always Wanted.  I really like it.  We were reading about allowing the Word of God to transform our lives.  However, It can't really do that if we just rush through It like we would a to- do list.  I'm seriously guilty of this.  It is a good thing to do a reading program or even try to read through the entire Bible.  It is a great thing to memorize Scripture.  But to be really transformed by God's Word, we need to take It in slowly, really think about It, and REALLY practice It.  My husband gets to study all these theology books.  These people are suppose to know their Bible.  But the way they talk about It, you would think they never saw a Bible.  Church- going Christians, especially me, act like they never seen the Bible also.  It could be that we are racing through this Book (or not looking at It at all) instead of letting this Book race through us to change us for God's glory.  So I have started something new today.  I want to read, during my devotional time, one chapter a day out of the New Testament.  The rest of the day, I can race through the reading program and try to read through the Bible this year.  But, that time I seriously set aside for God  one chapter a day.  Pastor Ortberg said that you should start with prayer.  Great advice I'm going to follow.  So, I began today.  First chapter of the New Testament is (drum roll please) Matthew 1.  Hmm.  The first part of Matthew 1 is the family line of Jesus Christ.  I never told you all in blog land that I write a whole lot better than I can talk.  Pastor Ortberg also suggested that the Chapter be read aloud.  Do you see where I'm going with this?  So, being me, my immediate attitude was bad, very bad.  I had to repent a couple times before I even read Matthew Chapter 1.  God is good.  I asked Him to speak to me still in spite of my crummy attitude.  By the way, the second half of Matthew Chapter 1 talks about the angel telling Mary about Jesus and Joseph to get with the plan of God.  Anyways, the Lord showed me something in Matthew Chapter 1.  It is verse 5:  "Salman begat Boaz by Rhab, Boaz begat Obed by Ruth, Obed begat Jesse."  The question I asked was is this Rahab, the Jericho prostitute that helped Israel's spies, and then her family was the only ones saved when Jericho fell?  Yep, sure enough.  Not only that, God let her be the grandmother of King David, a man after God's own heart, and a distant relative of His Only Begotten Son, Jesus, and she wasn't even Jewish.  Oh, also, she is honored in the New Testament a couple times on top of that.  Rahab, the prostitute, a sinner and an outcast, God blessed.  Here is another thing, Ruth wasn't an Israelite either.  But because of the way she treated God's people, she also is in Jesus lineage.  What a trip.  Two women did the right thing for the right reasons, and God honored them for eternity.  Their beginnings were downright horrible.  But, oh, did they end well.  The point is that it doesn't matter where you come from or what you've done.  God can and does give you a new life and a place in His family.  Have a great week.