God's Been Good...

I just love this song, and in the last couple days, I have been going over in my mind all the ways that the Lord has been so good to me. Do you know that there are so many things? Even the little details that we seem to over look, He orchestrates every one to work out our lives for good to His glory and honor! I was reviewing over all the blessings the Lord has given me...oh...and I can never begin to deserve the kindness and love that I have received from my Lord!

Being raised in a Christian home, saved at an early age, I will have to admit that I had begun to become ungrateful, spoiled child with a very loving heavenly Father, but you know what? In the last even week or so, my Father has shown me all the things He has given that I never will get over being thankful for...He is so very good! I know He didn't have to do those things but He did...He did those things to prove His love to us...I am reminded of a song that a pastor, his daughter, and another lady sing in their church, "He Loves Me Like I Was His Only Child." Isn't that amazing?!? My heavenly Father, so loving and kind, I am definitely least, but He seems to favor me above the rest! ;) But if you examined your life, you would say the same! For if we are saved, you have the same Father who is loving and kind.

I know that life is not all easy, and I have definitely had my times of hardness, not in the way that some have, I know. We all have our bad times and our good times, but through it all, we can honestly say that God has been good because the joys outweigh the trials, the wellness outweighs the sickness, the laughter outweighs the tears...the positive must always outweigh the negative, but even during those times when all seems foggy, dark, and dreary, we have a Saviour, a Rock, a Refuge, our Good Heavenly Father who will surely help, guide, give grace and assurance in those times! Praise the Lord! It is through those times that we truly realize the blessings that we have been given! We truly realize how good our God really is! So, whatever you are going through...maybe your heart is overflowing with love and happiness, you are about to enter one of the most joyful times of your life, like marriage...(yes, it is a good thing!! WOOHOO!!!! I'm so excited about the Lord's gift to me and blessing, my Jonathan!!!!) or motherhood, rejoice, praise the Lord for He is good!

Or maybe, you are at a point in your life, and you look around and you see nothing good. You may feel like you are forsaken by friends, family, and even the Lord. You may feel jealousy rising up in you because you feel like you don't have what someone else may have...as ladies we need to be very careful about being content in whatsoever state we are in, a very easy thing to say, I know, but hard to do!...maybe you have dealt with sickness, loss of a loved one, anything that may be in your pathway, and you may think I have nothing to be thankful about...because it is during those times, when you can't see in front of you, everything looks dark and bleak, but remember, trust me, look above! Start praising Him for Who He is! Then, as you thank Him for Who He is those things that seemed hard, yes, they will still be there, but you know what? They will seem smaller and smaller because we will begin to make Him bigger and greater as He should be...I was thinking of a verse to go with this part, one that says that our Saviour inhabits the praises of His people, but I can't seem to find it (do you ever do that? :D)  But I did find this to close with:

 ¹I will bless the LORD at all times: his praise shall continually be in my mouth.
 ²My soul shall make her boast in the LORD: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.
 ³O magnify the LORD with me, and let us exalt his name together. (Psalm 34:1-3, King James Version)

Let us go forward, exalting our Lord, our Heavenly Father who has been so kind and good to us. God has been so good, and He will continue to be good! Bless His Holy Name!

Great Is THY Faithfulness!

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my father!

There is no shadow of turning with Thee;

Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not:

As thou hast been Thou forever wilt be.

Chorus

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Morning by morning new mercies I see:

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Summer and winter, and springtime and harvest,

Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,

Join with all nature in manifold witness

To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Chorus

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Morning by morning new mercies I see:

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth.

Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide,

Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow

Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Chorus

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Great is Thy faithfulness,

Morning by morning new mercies I see:

All I have needed Thy hand hath provided

Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord unto me!

By Thomas O. Chisholm

Don't Worry...Be Happy...

A lot of times as Christians, at least I know for myself, that I struggle with letting things go that are completely out of my hands. I tend to worry about them, but you know what happens, when I do worry? I'm not happy! I guess the Lord has been dealing with my heart about this lately, and it seems that even in the last week, He has been even more so. I am not perfect...I'm just a sinner, and I think sometimes as a Christian we forget that...that we can't do everything, that we don't have the answer to every problem or question that arises in our lives or our loved ones lives, and that we are still sinners saved by HIS grace and mercy without our hands being involved, and then what we don't even realize is that we are giving into the devil's temptation to think on ourselves instead of keeping our eyes on the One Who is the Author and Finisher of our faith, our blessed Saviour...the One Who we should look to in every situation, the good and the bad...He is the bearer of our burdens, even the ones that seem light...It is hard to admit that we can't carry them...we are kind of like a child who is helping their parent take in the groceries...instead of carrying the light load, they opt for the 10 pound sack of potatoes...a load that they didn't have to and even couldn't carry...we are like that...we try to carry around our heavy heavy load, when our heavenly Father is right there waiting to carry it! 1 Peter 5:7 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

So next time, you have a burden, try leaving it with the Lord, and not worrying...yes, it is harder than you think...trust me, I know! BUT, what a wonderful Saviour we have that is waiting time and time again to help us...before I close...hoping this makes sense... :) ...I'd like to share the lyrics to this song! It is such an encouragement...if you want to hear it...just turn your volume up and listen to the first song on the playlist, it is two songs in one (He's all I need, first). Have a great weekend serving the Lord!

I Will Talk to My Father for You...


If you’ve got a problem, I’d sure like to share
There’s one special way I can show you I care
I could offer opinions that might prove untrue
For the only sure answer, here’s what I’ll do.

Chorus:
I will talk to my Father for you
And if I know my Father here’s what He’ll do
He will lay at your feet, all the things you pursue
It’s no bother, for my Father will do it for you.


I have never prayed fire down from the sky
But God saw each tear that ever fell from these eyes
So if you’ve got a mountain, alone you can’t climb
Then I’ll take your burden, and I’ll make them mine..Cause...

Chorus

Chorus 2
Let me talk to my Father for you
And if I know my Father, here’s what He’ll do
He will lay at your feet, all the things you pursue
It’s no bother for my Father will do it for you

Tag:

Oh, it’s no bother for my Father will do it for you

Facing the Giants...a quick thought

No, I'm not talking about the movie...though I do love "Facing the Giants"! I was thinking about some different posts to post on, and it seems these days my mind is on the future, our coming wedding, trying to make decisions, find deals (still keep us in your prayers as we try to find a good photographer at a good price), but anyway, yesterday, I had little children's church, and I taught on David and Goliath. I love the story of David, how God used and protected him as he faced the giant in his life.

I began to think in church on Sunday night about my own giant(s). We all have them, whether they be plural or singular, they are going to always rise up because the Devil is alive and real, but just like David, we serve a God that is greater than any old ugly giant. If you remember the story in the Bible, Goliath not only made fun of the children of Israel but he also cursed their God by cursing the them, the children of Israel, God's chosen people. The same is true in our own lives, every time we give place to the giants in our lives, we are allowing that giant to belittle our God and our Saviour. I didn't even realize what I was doing until last night, and then I realized! Every time, my giant comes on the scene taunting me, I am allowing him to curse my God!

We need to be like David, take up our stones (the Word of God), asking the Lord for strength and victory, and start swinging our slingshot. It wasn't David that had the victory that day. It was the Lord's victory...the Lord guided that stone right where it needed to hit, and gave the children of Israel their needed victory over the giant and the Philistines! The same is true in our lives. The Lord has given us a weapon to use, and just like David, we need to use it, given strength by the Lord and victory by the Lord!

I was also thinking about how many stones David picked up...do you remember? It was 5 smooth stones. I heard a preacher say one time that Goliath had 4 brothers, and David was preparing for them, too. We need to be the same in our Christian lives. Just because we kill "our Goliath," we don't need to let our guard down. We need to stand firm in the Lord, having our "stone" God's Word ready for battle!

Well, I hope all my ramblings made sense! Have a great evening, everyone!

Starving Your Doubts to Death by Mrs. Julie Fink

Today, I was taking some time to catch up on people in blog world, and this post caught my eye! I know that this has been a downfall to me spiritually, and I thought that I would share what I found on Mrs. Fink's blog. You can click here to visit her! I'm sure she would be glad to hear from you!

Yesterday Sabrina called to tell me that everything has been approved for the house that they have been waiting to purchase. She was so excited and I am excited for her! Sabrina and Jeremy will celebrate their fifth wedding anniversary on July 2nd and now that there are four in their family now, they are ready to live in a little bigger place ~ one with a small yard and a washer and dryer that doesn't demand quarters :).

There is only one small problem. The condo that they live in right now needs to sell. They have had many lookers, but no buyer yet.

"I'm so excited about our new house!" Sabrina said as we talked on Sunday, "We took Kina and Jonathan over to see it and I got excited about it all over again after seeing it. If we could just sell our place, then everything would be perfect."

"It'll sell," I told her, "As soon as you move out, God will bring a buyer to move in. Empty places are the easiest ones to sell, because the buyer is able to see themselves moving right in."

"I know, but it just doesn't seem like so many people are buying around here."

"Then you know what?" I told her, "Let's put it on the Wednesday night prayer list and get everybody at church praying for it as well. God has answered so many prayers off of that list. God loves to answer the prayers of His people, and it doesn't really matter if anything else is selling around you or not, all it takes is God to send a buyer and it's sold. God loves His people Sabrina, and He especially loves those that have given their lives to serve Him."

"Your right Mom, I know that's true. And I believe it too."

If you want to starve your doubts to death, you must get busy feeding your faith.

Do you know what Sabrina went and did last night? She went to Home Depot and bought a bunch of stuff to help her house to get ready to "move in ready" when that buyer comes along in the next few weeks. She is spending her day proving her faith in God as she paints and grouts and caulks and cleans. She is preparing for the blessing. And that is what feeding your faith is all about.

So many women spend so much time sitting around feeding their doubts and wonder why their faith is so famished. They spend their days making a guest room for discouragement and defeat and then they wonder why they feel so depressed all of the time.

One of my very favorite passages in the Bible is found in I John 5:4-5, "For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith. Who is he that overcometh the world, but he that believeth that Jesus is the Son of God?" Why do I love these verses so much? Because they remind me that Faith is the Victory!

I remember many, many years ago when I was a young Christian woman facing some mighty giant marriage problems. So many so-called believers counseled me to quit because of the greatness of my problems. So many of them had never seen anybody recover from some of the things that I was going through at the time.

And you know what? As I would sit there and listen to them, I would feel so discouraged. I loved my husband. I loved my children. I didn't want us to split up as a family. I wanted to forgive, forget and move on. But so many around me would remind me of the defeats that they knew of.

You know what I did? I found better friends!

The first friend I found was the Word of God, and as I would spend time reading God's Word, I was reminded, again and again that Faith is the Victory and that there is Nothing Impossible With God!

Then I found some friends that believed God and obeyed Him no matter how tough things got. I found them through the pages of missionary biographies, listening to testimonies of great saints on the radio, and in the pews and offices of my local church. Many of these friends joined with me in prayer and were used to mightily to remind me that God is able to do exceeding above anything that we could ever imagine (Ephesians 3:20).

And you know what? Miracles did happen! Healing did occur! Rebuilding began and it continued until all the ashes were turned into beauty and the oil of mourning was replaced by a fountain of joy.

Isaiah 61:1-3 tells us, "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound; To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn; To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified."

God sent Jesus to earth to pay the penalty for our sins and bring us faith. My faith in Jesus Christ has not only been given to save me, but to sustain me as well!

Do yourself a favor today and stop feeding your doubts. Decide right now that you are going to do all you can to starve those things to death!

How are you going to do it? By committing yourself to doing all you can to feed your faith. Stuff it with everything you can find. Grow it so large that there would not even be room enough for doubt to be squeezed in.

And you know what? After a while, when doubt realizes that there is no room for it to feel comfortable in your life, it will just give up hope and eventually quit coming around altogether :).

Roots...of bitterness

Hebrews 12:12-15
Wherefore lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees;


And make straight paths for your feet, lest that which is lame be turned out of the way; but let it rather be healed.


Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without which no man shall see the Lord:


Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled;


Being a Christian, a saved person, is not an easy life...Mama was saying the other day that she heard Elizabeth Eliot say that her husband that the Christian life is not getting sweeter and sweeter, but harder and harder, tougher and tougher. Yes, our walk with Christ should get sweeter and sweeter, but it is true! Have you noticed that every time you seem to get a head start or maybe gain a few steps in the Christian walk that there is always something or someone maybe that causes you to take a step back?


Our Christian life is kind of like a garden. We have an area up front in our house that has beautiful perennials, but we also have these weeds! Oh, how I hate these specific weeds! They have these long roots...no they are not deep roots, but they run long connecting more and more weeds together. It's kind of like that in our Christian life. We can have one little root of bitterness creep up...oh, it may not be deep, or even come up as a big weed, but before you know it, there are several "little" weeds popping up in our spiritual life! Maybe someone has hurt you or someone you love, just by a word, but before long, you may not even realize it, you will be harboring bitterness...that little root of hurt feelings has spread to lack of prayer, Bible reading, compassion for others, distrust, etc. Trust me, the list could go on and on. We as ladies have to be very careful about this! I was reading a book that I need to do a book review on here about, but the lady was writing about our number one sin as ladies...our attitude...our tongue...our thoughts...basically our heart!


We as ladies have to be careful because sometimes we are more sensitive to the things people say and do than men are. (And I know this from experience!) Sometimes, it may not be even us that it was about, but someone we love! But we still have a way of harboring that root of bitterness...until it starts to taste bitter, and eventually come out of our mouth through our words!


So, my charge to you, Ladies, and myself today, as I John 1:9, says, let's confess our sins of bitterness, do some weeding in our lives, and ask the Lord to show us what we need to get rid of because sometimes a weed can look like any other plant until the Lord shows us that it is a weed! Once you get rid of it, then ask the Lord to also help you keep the weeds out of you life as you desire to please Him in this! Have a great week!

He Hideth My Soul

Exodus 33:22 So it shall be, while My glory passes by, that I will put you in the cleft of the rock, and will cover you with My hand while I pass by.

Words: Fanny Crosby, in The Finest of Wheat, No. 1 (Chicago, Illinois: R. R. McCabe, 1890).

Music: William J. Kirkpatrick.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

A wonderful Savior to me;

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock,

Where rivers of pleasure I see.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

That shadows a dry, thirsty land;

He hideth my life with the depths of His love,

And covers me there with His hand,

And covers me there with His hand.

A wonderful Savior is Jesus my Lord,

He taketh my burden away;

He holdeth me up, and I shall not be moved,

He giveth me strength as my day.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

That shadows a dry, thirsty land;

He hideth my life with the depths of His love,

And covers me there with His hand,

And covers me there with His hand.

With numberless blessings each moment He crowns,

And filled with His fullness divine,

I sing in my rapture, oh, glory to God

For such a Redeemer as mine!

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

That shadows a dry, thirsty land;

He hideth my life with the depths of His love,

And covers me there with His hand,

And covers me there with His hand.

When clothed in His brightness, transported I rise

To meet Him in clouds of the sky,

His perfect salvation, His wonderful love

I'll shout with the millions on high.

He hideth my soul in the cleft of the rock

That shadows a dry, thirsty land;

He hideth my life with the depths of His love,

And covers me there with His hand,

And covers me there with His hand.

An Encouraging Post...

Hey, everyone, I just thought that I would share an encouranging post that I read tonight. One that my sister Rebekah just did a few moments, "He's Already In Your Tomorrow." Isn't it a wonderful thought that He is already in your tomorrow and in my tomorrow. She talked about people discouraging you from the dreams that you have, and sometimes, it seems when you have a desire to do something for the Lord that the devil will send discouragement your way to dishearten you from stepping out with faith. Anyway, what I'm trying to say, that even though we may have fear of what may happen tomorrow, or can't see too far ahead, we know Who is in our tomorrow. Jonathan reminded me of a song recently, "I Know Who Holds Tomorrow."

I don't know about tomorrow,
I just live from day to day.
I don't borrow from it's sunshine,
For it's skies may turn to gray.
I don't worry o'er the future,
For I know what Jesus said,
And today I'll walk beside Him,
For He knows what is ahead.

Refrain
Many things about tomorrow,
I don't seem to understand;
But I know Who holds tomorrow,
And I know Who holds my hand.

Ev'ry step is getting brighter,
As the golden stairs I climb;
Ev'ry burden's getting lighter;
Ev'ry cloud is silver lined.
There the sun is always shining,
There no tear will dim the eyes,
At the ending of the rainbow,
Where the mountains touch the sky.

I don't know about tomorrow,
It may bring me poverty;
But the One Who feeds the sparrow,
Is the One Who stands by me.
And the path that be my portion,
May be through the flame or flood,
But His presence goes before me,
And I'm covered with His blood.

By Ira Stanphill

Sometimes We Wait...

This used to be one of my favorite songs that West Coast did. It is so true...so sit back...turn the music off at the bottom of the page...and just listen. The message speaks for itself. There are times that we have to wait, but the wait it always worth it...getting God's best, God's answer...letting Him lead and guide in our lives. Yes, sometimes we wait...on the Lord!

Asking and Receiving...a little bit of our story...

I have been thinking about posting about this subject for a while, but just haven't really sat down and taken the time to post about it. We have been busy for about the last couple weeks, and if you have been reading my blog, you know why, and part of that why (Jonathan) is the reason that I am posting about this.
Now, we can get down to business:

I have been reading through my Bible this year, and yes, I have gotten behind (I ended up in Proverbs for about a month). I have been catching up in Genesis, and first of all, the story of how Abraham and Sarah wanted a child really stood out to me, but that is not the main story that I want to pull out. Let's look over in Geneses 24, I am not going to post all the verses on this post, but here we are at the time in Isaac's life, when he needed a wife. Abraham did not want Isaac marrying just anyone, but he wanted someone of their own country (let me put a little side note in here...we as Christians need to have this mentality...that we should want someone from our "country" Heaven, meaning a saved person, someone with the same beliefs, etc.). So, he called his most trusted servant, and made him promise to go into the land of his people and bring Isaac his chosen bride. What a huge responsibility this servant had! Can you imagine? Being given such a heavy load to carry?

Well, as we read on, we see that the servant was worried that this lady would not follow him, an unknown man, a servant no less, into a strange country. (verse 5)

Anyway, to make a long story short, the servant heads off into the land, and this is the best part! He is riding his camel into the town at the evening time, just the right moment, just the time the Lord wanted him there. He headed straight to the well. Can you feel the anticipation? I'm sure he was a tad bit worried or concerned, but I can imagine him remembering the prayers that his master's God answered in the past, so he decided to ask the Lord for direction:

Genesis 24:12-14 "And he said, O LORD God of my master Abraham, I pray thee, send me good speed this day, and shew kindness unto my master Abraham.
Behold, I stand here by the well of water; and the daughters of the men of the city come out to draw water:

And let it come to pass, that the damsel to whom I shall say, Let down thy pitcher, I pray thee, that I may drink; and she shall say, Drink, and I will give thy camels drink also: let the same be she that thou hast appointed for thy servant Isaac; and thereby shall I know that thou hast shewed kindness unto my master."

What a specific prayer! Do you know what happened? The prayer was answered in every detail!

"And it came to pass, before he was done speaking, that, behold, Rebekah came out, who was born of Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abraham's brother, with her pitcher upon her shoulder."

I just love how the Bible gives us every detail. It goes on in the next verse about how beautiful she was not only on the outside, but on the inside, for she was pure. Of course, most everyone knows how the story ends. The servant asks for a drink of water. She not only gives him a drink, but waters his camels also without being asked of him (that shows her willingness to serve!). In verse 21, which I didn't really notice this as I was reading, but it just stood out to me, he kind of stood back a minute...it sounds like to me that he was in awe of the fact of what the Lord had done, and was the Lord really doing this for him. This is my main point...which I know that some of you were probably wondering when I was going to get to it, right?

We all know how the story ends, but I want to talk about prayer for a minute.

The Bible says a lot about prayer:

"And all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." Matt. 21:22

"Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and suplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know unto God." Phil. 4:6

"...the effectual fervant prayer of a righteous man availeth much." James 5:15

"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and His ears are open unto their prayers..." I Pet. 3:12

"Again I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." Matt. 18:19

I could go on and on...Why are we so afraid to ask our heavenly Father for things? For our needs? For our desires? For our simple wants? I think sometimes that we are more likely to pray about an urgent situation than to pray about little things that we think don't mean anything to God. Have you ever thought about how silly that really is? Luke 11 talks about that, how that here we are, earthly people, we know how to give things to our children, but why do we question our heavenly Father? Will He not give us the same and even better? Will He not provide for not only our needs but our wants and desires? (Psalms 37:4)

Before I close, I'll give a little testimony of how I know that the Lord will indeed answer!

Most everyone of you have seen the pictures of Jonathan and I, and have read the announcement of our courtship and everything. I don't believe that I have gone into great detail about how the Lord brought it about.

A few years ago, I met Courtney (from Courtney's Contemplations) at a Sword Conference. To be honest, I don't remember the year, but that is how I came to know blogging was through her! I think we went to Wendy's or something like that for some fellowship, and I happened to notice Jonathan (he is Courtney's cousin, yes I thought he was handsome..haha...), but I didn't really think about him after that. I just went about my own life, and our families would meet at the Sword for a couple years. We never talked or anything. While I was at West Coast, my family attended Courtney's wedding, and my sister, Rebekah happened to mention Jonathan's family sitting near them. The thought passed through my mind then about Jonathan, but I just kind of passed it off and didn't think about it again. I again just went about my normal life.

Last year, the Lord just began to impress on my heart to pray for him and about him. I still had not spoken to him. I knew a few things about him from Courtney's blog and seeing him at the Sword, but I didn't know why the Lord had placed him on my heart, but I still prayed. I prayed for several months, sometimes I felt like the Lord was going to answer my prayer, and other times, I just felt like giving up, but something told me to keep praying for him. On December 2, I had been praying for several months like I said, but I wanted Jonathan to be the one that I would court only if he was the Lord's will (that's what I had been praying for the whole time...that this would only come to pass if it was the Lord's will). That night, I asked the Lord to give me this as a Christmas present if this was His will. Do you know what happened?

On December 3, the very next morning, Mama and we girls were at the church decorating it for Christmas. Daddy was in his office, and around 10:22AM, Jonathan called daddy to ask permission to court me! Daddy was crying on the phone when Jonathan was talking to him...I don't think he knew that at the time...he gave his consent. Daddy called Mama into his office to speak to her about it, and then, she went into the classroom where I was working. She had this really serious look on her face and said that Daddy needed to speak to me in the office. I thought "oh no, what have I done?", but as soon as I walked in, Daddy said, "Jonathan just called." As soon as he said that, I started crying. I could hardly believe what the Lord had done! To think that the Lord had answered a specific prayer like that...I felt so unworthy! The Lord is truly good!

I can truly say that the Lord can and will answer a specific prayer if we but ask Him too...look at salvation, the Lord answers that prayer. If the Lord answers our prayer about salvation, why would He not answer our "little" prayers? Our little wants and desires if it is according to His perfect will for our life? Is anything too hard for God?

Graphic found here

Living Life in a Glass House...

This is a post for all the people who are in the ministry and those of you who attend church and have a pastor's family. So I guess that this post covers all of you!

Can you imagine living in this glass house? No privacy! Can you imagine that everybody in the neighborhood will see what goes on in your house? I think that the designer forgot something when he built this house...

Okay this part is for everybody out there...to all you saved people out there who attend a church with a pastor and family....and to those in the ministry...

The Bible says in I Samuel 16:7b, "...for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."
Today, we as Christians like to focus on the first part of the verse about what the Lord sees, but we tend to forget about what people see. Even if you are not in the ministry, you still live in a glass house so to speak. Ok, imagine those cars with the tinted windows, you can see in some, but not everything or everyone that is in the car. That's the difference between you and someone in the ministry. You are the one with the tinted windows, and we are the one without the tinted windows...but anyway, as I was saying, we forget that people see us. We need to remember that though I don't always know that someone is watching...they are. It may be through my actions and attitudes that someone may reject Christ or accept Christ. We must always remember that.
Now speaking of actions and attitudes...I know some people that are probably reading this are saying, "Wait a minute! I don't have an attitude! Especially toward other people!" This is where I am going to talk about my experience of living in a glass house of a preacher's kid...Don't stop reading church members, you need to know what its like! Don't stop reading, preacher's kids, parents, just because you know what it is like!

This part is to the members of the church:
Jude 22, "And some have compassion, making a difference."
Colossians 3:12-14, "Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering; Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. And above all these things put on charity, which is the bond of perfectness."
Philippians 2:3, "Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves."
These are just a few verses on how we are to treat others. Please church members, you need to realize that what you do affects the pastor's family either for good or bad. This has been on my heart for so long! I have seen many preacher's kids leave the ministry, get in trouble, and now will not have anything to do with church. I know some of you think that most preacher's kids turn out bad, after all they are so spoiled. haha...I have heard that! :-) But let me say, in most cases it is not that, it is a result of the actions and the attitudes of other Christians that cause the children to go astray!
I am so glad that we have a great church with great members...right now, Lord willing, we have no problems that I know of, and Christians, I want to warn you to be careful of your attitudes and actions, it will affect someone for good or bad. It may be a bus kid or a fellow member, but it will affect someone.

There is a dear lady in our church, and she is a great example of how people's attitudes and actions affected her. When she was a teenager, she attended church with her parents, but one day, she heard a member say something against her father, and she would not go back to church until a couple of years ago, she visited our church and was saved. Our actions affect someone whether we know it or not! Plus, people in the ministry are not perfect! We are all imperfect people serving a perfect God!

Now for you people in the ministry and (even members please read too):
This is a lot easier for me to talk about...for this is me! I love it! But let me say go back and read the verses above. They all apply to you and me and everyone. We can not change people and how they react to us in the ministry, but one thing my parents have always taught me is that we are doing this for the Lord (Galatians 1:10, "For do I now persuade men or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ.")
There is joy in serving the Lord. Yes, there are hard times! But it is so great to see the people in the church stand behind your family during those times. Like I said the Lord has been so good to give us good people. It is good to see how people's lives are changed by the Lord!
But we do need to remember that we do live in a glass house, I know that people watch me and my family. Some people probably don't realize that I know that they do, but I do! :-) Even People at McDonald's watch us, people at Walmart watch us! As we are in the ministry, we are a walking testimony by our looks, by our facial expressions, by our words, by our actions, we are a walking glass house! This goes for people in the ministry and outside of the ministry. But to those in the ministry, don't give up! PK's, remember I Timothy 4:12, "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity." Be an example! Church members, Be an example!

Encouraging Yourself in the Lord...

And it came to pass, when David and his men were come to Ziklag on the third day, that the Amalekites had invaded the south, and Ziklag, and smitten Ziklag, and burned it with fire;

And had taken the women captives, that were therein: they slew not any, either great or small, but carried them away, and went on their way.

So David and his men came to the city, and, behold, it was burned with fire; and their wives, and their sons, and their daughters, were taken captives.

Then David and the people that were with him lifted up their voice and wept, until they had no more power to weep.

And David's two wives were taken captives, Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, and Abigail the wife of Nabal the Carmelite.

And David was greatly distressed; for the people spake of stoning him, because the soul of all the people was grieved, every man for his sons and for his daughters: but David encouraged himself in the LORD his God.

I Samuel 30:1-6

Yesterday, daddy preached an excellent sermon on encouraging yourself in the Lord. Actually, we had two great services yesterday. The Lord is truly good, but anyway, getting down to business. I wanted to share a few of the thoughts that daddy shared yesterday in his message.

As the Scripture said above, the Amalekites had come in and taken the Israelites' women and children captive, and on returning from a battle of their own, they come upon this disaster. The men were totally devastated, weeping until they had no power to weep. David not only had the same distress, but his own men wanted to stone him, but David looked to the Lord for his encouragement! As Christians, when we are discouraged, this is the devil's way of getting our eyes off God and onto our selves. So here are the points that daddy shared! I hope that is as much of an encouragement to you as it was to me!

1. David went to the Lord His God. (Verses 7-8)
And David said to Abiathar the priest, Ahimelech's son, I pray thee, bring me hither the ephod. And Abiathar brought thither the ephod to David.

And David enquired at the LORD, saying, Shall I pursue after this troop? shall I overtake them? And he answered him, Pursue: for thou shalt surely overtake them, and without fail recover all.
David in his distress took his problems to his Lord. No one can carry your burden like the Saviour. 1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
Psalms 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

2. They found an Egyptian along the way. (Verses 10-15)

But David pursued, he and four hundred men: for two hundred abode behind, which were so faint that they could not go over the brook Besor.

And they found an Egyptian in the field, and brought him to David, and gave him bread, and he did eat; and they made him drink water;

And they gave him a piece of a cake of figs, and two clusters of raisins: and when he had eaten, his spirit came again to him: for he had eaten no bread, nor drunk any water, three days and three nights.

And David said unto him, To whom belongest thou? and whence art thou? And he said, I am a young man of Egypt, servant to an Amalekite; and my master left me, because three days agone I fell sick.

We made an invasion upon the south of the Cherethites, and upon the coast which belongeth to Judah, and upon the south of Caleb; and we burned Ziklag with fire.

And David said to him, Canst thou bring me down to this company? And he said, Swear unto me by God, that thou wilt neither kill me, nor deliver me into the hands of my master, and I will bring thee down to this company.

The Egyptian became a blessing to David. I can tell you many times when I have been discouraged, and the Lord has sent me little blessings along the way to show me that He was still there, that He is still in control. Whether it was an answer to prayer or someone speaking a word of encouragement. This week, someone dropped me an email of encouragement. It was such a blessing! You never know what a simple note or a simple word spoken in encouragement will help someone that you may never know that is down or discouraged. And even when we receive those blessing, let us never forget where those blessings come from! The Lord always brings everything about in His perfect timing!

3. David gave God the glory! (Verses 21-23)

And David came to the two hundred men, which were so faint that they could not follow David, whom they had made also to abide at the brook Besor: and they went forth to meet David, and to meet the people that were with him: and when David came near to the people, he saluted them.

Then answered all the wicked men and men of Belial, of those that went with David, and said, Because they went not with us, we will not give them ought of the spoil that we have recovered, save to every man his wife and his children, that they may lead them away, and depart.

Then said David, Ye shall not do so, my brethren, with that which the LORD hath given us, who hath preserved us, and delivered the company that came against us into our hand.

If you notice, David never took any credit for anything that was accomplished that day. He gave God the credit. May we never forget what the Lord has done in our life! All in all, the way to stay encouraged is to keep our focus on the Lord and what He has done and what He is doing! God has been so good!

Out of His Great Love...

Are You Serious?!?

Don't you just love this picture!?! I thought it was so cute, but anyway, I bet a lot of you are wondering what in the world is she going to post about, right? Well, let's get down to business!

We have just started our soulwinning classes back up at church, and we have been using the Soulwinner's Club put out by the Sword of the Lord. As we were watching the first video this week, Dr. Larry Staner mentioned something that stood out in my mind and has been on my mind for the last couple days.

He was reading over in Acts about the early church right after the Lord had ascended up into Heaven:

Acts 1:12-15 Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey.

And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.

And in those days Peter stood up in the midst of the disciples, and said, (the number of names together were about an hundred and twenty,)

He went on to say that at the first they started out with only 11 in the upper room, but then grew to 120, then Dr. Staner went on to read more in Acts about Pentecost:

Acts 2:41 Then they that gladly received his word were baptized: and the same day there were added unto them about three thousand souls.

And then yet again, he read:

Acts 4:2-4 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.

And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.

Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

And one more time:

Acts 4:16-21 Saying, What shall we do to these men? for that indeed a notable miracle hath been done by them is manifest to all them that dwell in Jerusalem; and we cannot deny it.

But that it spread no further among the people, let us straitly threaten them, that they speak henceforth to no man in this name.

And they called them, and commanded them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus.

But Peter and John answered and said unto them, Whether it be right in the sight of God to hearken unto you more than unto God, judge ye.

For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard.

So when they had further threatened them, they let them go, finding nothing how they might punish them, because of the people: for all men glorified God for that which was done.

After he read all these different verses, he said one thing that stood out in my mind..."Aren't you glad that these people took the things that they had believed and learned seriously? Because if they hadn't you and I would not be here today." As I sat there in the class, I wondered will I leave anyone behind that I have passed on what I have believed and learned from the Lord. Am I serious about the ministry of telling other about Christ? Am I serious about reaching my little kids in children's church? Am I serious about serving through my piano playing, allowing the Lord to use my playing to prepare the hearts of the people for the Word of God? Am I serious about telling others that I meet on a daily basis about Christ? Am I Serious? Are You Serious?

So as we approach this Lord's day, let us enter the church with maybe a new "seriousness" about the work of the Lord. Not that we can't laugh, be happy, but realize that everything we do or say will affect someone for eternity whether we know it or not. Let's allow the Lord to use us this Sunday and everyday to the week to be "serious" about Him and His Word, about telling others, about serving others, about living for Him! Have a great weekend!

For Encouragement...

For with God nothing shall be impossible.

Luke 1:37

That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.

Isaiah 41:20

*I don't really care about the music in this movie, but doesn't the movie have a great message?

God is Always Right by Brother John Bishop

Are you a fool?

I have been wanting to do a post on this subject for awhile, and I remembered seeing this quiz on the Visionary daughter website, and I just thought that I would share the questions verses with you. I want you to take a moment and just evaluate your actions to the questions and then read the Scripture. I have been reading through Proverbs this month, and sometimes, we don't realize how...maybe I should use the word "foolish"...we really are according to the Bible! I am not just talking about those around me, this post is for me just as much as it is for you! So here we go!

1. How do you respond when criticized/corrected? Wow, this is a big one...no body wants to be wrong...how do you respond when a parent corrects you, a pastor preaches on you or corrects you, a teacher instructs you, or even a fellow co-worker points out something you have done wrong? Does correction from one of these people cause you to have a bad spirit? Do you think that your parents are stupid and don't know what they are talking about?

Speak not in the ears of a fool: for he will despise the wisdom of thy words. - Pro 23:9

A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent. - Pro 15:5

The way of a fool is right in his own eyes: but he that hearkeneth unto counsel is wise. - Pro 12:15

A reproof entereth more into a wise man than an hundred stripes into a fool. - Pro 17:10

2. How much do you like to talk? I'm going to list the choices that they gave for the answer to show you why they asked this question:

...a LOT. (At least, that's what people tell me.)
...more than I like to listen.
...if there is an opportunity to show off what I know.
...discreetly; I don't need to let everyone know what I think or what I know.

A fool's voice is known by multitude of words. - Ecc 5:3b

A fool also is full of words: a man cannot tell what shall be; and what shall be after him, who can tell him? - Ecc 10:14

A fool hath no delight in understanding, but that his heart may discover itself. - Pro 18:2

A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterwards. - Pro 29:11

A prudent man concealeth knowledge: but the heart of fools proclaimeth foolishness. - Pro 12:23

Wisdom resteth in the heart of him that hath understanding: but that which is in the midst of fools is made known. - Pro 14:33

Even a fool, when he holdeth his peace, is counted wise: and he that shutteth his lips is esteemed a man of understanding. - Pro 17:28

3. When you talk, do you tend to:

...Mainly to make people laugh
...To let everyone know what I'm thinking and feeling
...To get into trouble with my big mouth
...To encourage and edify people

Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. - Eph 5:4

Every prudent man dealeth with knowledge: but a fool layeth open his folly. - Pro 13:16

The words of a wise man's mouth are gracious; but the lips of a fool will swallow up himself. - Ecc 10:12

A fool's mouth is his destruction, and his lips are the snare of his soul. - Pro 18:7

Wise men lay up knowledge: but the mouth of the foolish is near destruction. - Pro 10:14

4. What do you do in the heat of the moment? Do you lose your temper? Do you argue for the fun of it? Do you speak hastily or jump to conclusions? Or do you try to make peace or just leave the conversation?

A fool's lips enter into contention, and his mouth calleth for strokes. - Pro 18:6

If a wise man contendeth with a foolish man, whether he rage or laugh, there is no rest. - Pro 29:9

It is an honour for a man to cease from strife: but every fool will be meddling. - Pro 20:3

Seest thou a man that is hasty in his words? There is more hope of a fool than of him. - Pro 29:20

He that answereth a matter before he heareth it, it is folly and shame unto him. - Pro 18:13

A fool's wrath is presently known: but a prudent man covereth shame. - Pro 12:16

A stone is heavy, and the sand weighty; but a fool's wrath is heavier than them both. - Pro 27:3

Be not hasty in thy spirit to be angry: for anger resteth in the bosom of fools. - Ecc 7:9

A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident. - Pro 14:16

5. What kind of people do you associate with? People who are silly and goofy. People who sarcastic, make fun of others. People who are snobs, stuckup, or people who are edifying to be around.

Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly. - Pro 15:21

How long, ye simple ones, will ye love simplicity? and the scorners delight in their scorning, and fools hate knowledge? Pro 1:22

Go from the presence of a foolish man, when thou perceivest not in him the lips of knowledge. - Pro 14:7

It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools. - Ecc 7:5

Let a bear robbed of her whelps meet a man, rather than a fool in his folly. - Pro 17:12,

The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. - Pro 15:14

Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful. – Psa 1:1

Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding. – Pro 9:6

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed. – Pro 13:20

6. Why do people come to you? Do people come to you to have company in rebellion, silliness, immaturity? Do people come to me to talk bad about the pastor, friends, or family? Do they come to you for the latest gossip?

Folly is joy to him that is destitute of wisdom: but a man of understanding walketh uprightly. Pro 15:21

The heart of him that hath understanding seeketh knowledge: but the mouth of fools feedeth on foolishness. Pro 15:14

He that hideth hatred with lying lips, and he that uttereth a slander, is a fool. - Pro 10:18

He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace. A talebearer revealeth secrets: but he that is of a faithful spirit concealeth the matter. – Pro 11:12,13

7. What do people think about you? Do they think that you are unreliable? Are you faithful to your job at work, church, and home? Are you frivilous or impulsive with your money? Are you heedless and rash? Or are you prudent?

He that sendeth a message by the hand of a fool cutteth off the feet, and drinketh damage. - Pro 26:6

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: - Mat 7:26

They that were foolish took their lamps, and took no oil with them: - Mat 25:3

…he that is hasty of spirit exalteth folly. - Pro 14:29b

There is treasure to be desired and oil in the dwelling of the wise; but a foolish man spendeth it up. - Pro 21:20

The wise man's eyes are in his head; but the fool walketh in darkness: and I myself perceived also that one event happeneth to them all. - Ecc 2:14,

The simple believeth every word: but the prudent man looketh well to his going. – Pro 14:15

The wise in heart shall be called prudent: and the sweetness of the lips increaseth learning. – Pro 16:21

The wisdom of the prudent is to understand his way: but the folly of fools is deceit. – Pro 14:8

8. What do you think about your parents? Are they over-critical in your eyes? Are they too strict to you? Or are they your source of wisdom and guidance, your friend?

A fool despiseth his father's instruction: but he that regardeth reproof is prudent. - Pro 15:5

He that begetteth a fool doeth it to his sorrow: and the father of a fool hath no joy. - Pro 17:21

A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son is the heaviness of his mother. - Pro 10:1

A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish man despiseth his mother. - Pro 15:20

A foolish son is a grief to his father, and bitterness to her that bare him. - Pro 17:25

A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. - Pro 19:13

Foolishness is bound in the heart of a child; but the rod of correction shall drive it far from him. - Pro 22:15

The wise in heart will receive commandments: but a prating fool shall fall. - Pro 10:8

Since this post is getting pretty long...you can finish the quiz by clicking here!

A verse to think on...

This verse will kind of give ya'll a hint on what my next "It's a Matter of the Heart" post will be about! I love this picture!

"...and in her tongue is the law of kindness."

*Picture credit

Too Bad They Neglected Joe

I was looking for a missionary story to teach in children's church, and I just happened to come across this little story, just thought that I would share it with ya'll!

 

 

A few days back I chanced to read a statement that ought to make all of us weep. It went like this: "Drop a coin on a sidewalk and almost every eye will follow it, but drop a needy child in a community and very few will pay any attention."

Here is a story to support the above statement. The story is true, tragically true. A little guy named Joe had polio that left him crippled. No one paid any attention to him until one day someone took him to Sunday School. But his teacher neglected him, and the other children made fun of him. Some avoided him because he was crippled. Because of this, little Joe became soured on the church and later bitter. He at last came to hate the church and the Lord Jesus Christ. He hated all Christians, too. But he was determined to succeed and continued in school, finally earning his doctorate from Heidelberg University. One day a man with a Charlie Chaplin mustache and delusions of grandeur put his arm around the shoulder of little Joe and said, "Joseph, I think a lot of you. You and I could do much together." The young fellow responded warmly to this welcome attention and encouragement. In time Joseph Goebbels became the propaganda minister for Germany under Adolph Hitler!

I wonder what might have happened if that Sunday School teacher had shown love to little Joe and led him to saving faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. You know, almost any child can be won to the Lord, if we get to him in time and love him. If this had happened, Joseph Goebbels might have become a minister of the Nazarene instead of the Nazis!

What about the "Little Joes" in our community? In our city? Let's get them in our Sunday School and love them to Jesus Christ!

W. L. Castlen

 

*Found at http://www.1timothy4-13.com/files/chr_vik/toobad.html

2010...A New Year...fresh with no mistakes...

The one thing that has always stood out in my mind is the saying that Miss Stacey told Anne on Anne of Green Gables when Gilbert Blyth won the scholarship, "Anne, tomorrow is fresh with no mistakes." Looking back on this past year, I can see many things that I have failed the Lord at...in my faith, my boldness to witness for Him, in kindness, in attitude, but what a wonderful God we serve! A forgiving God, and a loving God! I am reminded of Ephesians 4:32, something that we Christians need to be reminded of so many times when dealing with people, saved or unsaved, "Be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." I remember teaching this to my little kids in Sunday school a couple years ago. Why am I bringing this up you may ask? This is one of my goals/resolutions for this year. So here's the list or at least part of the list:

• A kinder, meeker, and quieter spirit: Ephesians 4:32 and I Peter 3:3-4,

  ³Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;

  ⁴But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price.

• Read my Bible through

• A Better Prayer Life

• A Bolder Witness...I am really timid sometimes when it comes to talking to new people.

• Grow in the Lord, increase my faith, and a closer walk with the Lord

I could name many, many more, but like I said earlier, the Lord is so good to give a fresh start even every morning when you wake up, but especially as we confess our sins to Him, He is "faithful and just" to wipe the slate clean, and give a new start "fresh with no mistakes."

HAPPY NEW YEAR!