WHAT MAKES US HAPPY??

Welcome to Spiritiual Sunday hosted by Charolette and Ginger. If you would like to visit them and other inspirational blog posts, please click here

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,
And in His law he meditates day and night.

As I was dwelling on these verses this morning, I began to think to myself, what is it that makes me happy? What is it that makes most people happy? And is it different from that which I truly delight in?

I think in the world we live in today happiness is something most people assume they were born to experience, and something they feel they deserve to have. So as a result, many spend their lives in the pursuit of this happiness, and do whatever they feel is necessary to gain this sought after emotion. Relationship after relationship sometimes can be the result, as they strive to find the "perfect" mate who will bring them the happiness in life they deserve. Maybe it is their career that they feel is the key, and educate themselves and work diligently to achieve the goals they set forth to bring about the results that will surely lead to a nicer home, a better car, or whatever it is that they are sure will bring them the most pleasure. However the problem is really very obvious it would seem. Nothing is ever really enough, and the pursuit is always allusive.

I think that sometimes even for us Christians as we look for happiness in life, we make the mistake sometimes of thinking that our happiness will come as we read through the scriptures looking for peace of mind and security. But I think as we really read the Bible, and meditate on what it says, we find that God is alot more concerned about holiness than happiness. He is alot more concerned about our hearts, than the state of our feelings. Undoubtedly, the will of God will bring happiness to those who obey, but the most important thing is not how HAPPY we are, but how holy. I think sometimes it might be easy to cultivate a religious joy, without ever cultivating a righteous life.

If a person delights in something, you don’t have to beg them to do it or to like it. They will do it all by themselves. We can measure our delight for the Word of God by how much we hunger for it.

What makes us happy? What gets us excited? This is a good way to see what is important to us. If personal pleasure is the only thing that makes us happy, then we are a selfish, self-centered person. If being with our family or friends delights us, that can be better, but it still falls short. The righteous man finds his delight . . . in the law of the Lord.

The righteous man only has God’s word on his mind two times a day: day and night. That about covers it all!

THE ALPHA AND THE OMEGA

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REVELATION 1:8

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last...so we "could" say Jesus is the A to Z...He is the Beginning and the End....If Jesus is both the first and the last and the beginning and the end, then it would have to mean He also has authority over everything in-between...This would mean that Jesus does have a plan for all of history, and He directs the path of human events toward His designed fulfillment. Our lives are not given over to blind fate, to random meaninglessness, or to endless cycles with no resolution..Jesus Christ directs all of human history, and so therefore even our individual lives...

Who is, Who was, and who is to come.... Hebrews 13:8 expresses it this way: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The word Almighty translated from the original Greek literally means, "the one who has His hand on everything." It means that Jesus has complete sovereign control over everything, past, present, and future....

I don't know about any of you, but I find GREAT comfort in all of this...that Jesus Christ truly controls all of history, long before I could have even been a thought, to my present life and circumstances right now, to everything that will EVER come...that EVERYTHING lies in His very capable hands and He directs the course of all things....And since we know how everything comes out in the end, we never have anything to fear....I LOVE this verse!!

LOVING OTHERS

We know what real love is because Jesus gave up His life for us. So we ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters... 1 John 3:16

God's love CANNOT be contained. It fills the willing heart to overflowing and the result is we love others as He loves us. Every kindness, every tenderness, every word of encouragement, every smile, every loving act springs from that divine fountain that gushes forth from our souls.

So many people in the this world look for love in all the wrong places. They are sure it is found in the right job, the perfect home, or even in a relationship with someone who is sure to make all their dreams come true. Or at least some of them. But the truth of the matter is real love comes from God, and what He did for us. It comes from accepting what He did for us, and inviting Him to live within us. It comes from Him filling our hearts and souls and minds with His presence in a way that cannot be confined.

I heard an illustration the other day that told about this in a way that explained it well. If you are a man drowning in a lake and another man dives in and says to you, "Boy, it looks like you are having some trouble over there. I feel for you." But he does nothing to actually save you from drowning, how much good did it do you? But if that person dove in the water and sacrificed his own life in order to save yours, we'd feel he'd given everything he had for us. Well, that is just what Jesus did of course. Sacrificed His own life in order to give us eternal life.

After we have accepted God's love and free gift of salvation, we need to give love away freely to others that they might see Him in us. Loving others and giving to them should come naturally if we have filled our hearts with Him. That we should love one another, this basic Christian message has not changed. Perhaps some have thought that because Christians talk about a “personal relationship with Jesus Christ” that it is only us and Jesus who matter. But how we treat others - how we love one another - is what really matters before God.

GOD'S WORD STANDS FOREVER..

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The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever...

If there is one thing we can be certain of in this life here on earth, it is that EVERYTHING eventually grows old, fades away, changes, or dies. Nothing ever really remains the same. We can try every method known to man and still the inevitable happens. I love watching each season of the weather as it comes and goes. The bright, hot summer sun and the colorful splashes of blooming flowers give way to the warm golden days of fall, with chilly evenings and promises of the coming holidays. The cold days of winter bring the pleasures of Christmas, and watching snow fall as your snug inside your home in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot coco and a favorite book. But eventually the warm days of spring blow in with rain showers and tiny buds making their way onto all the tress and plants. The seasons come and go and the same is true for all of us. I can't believe how quickly my two new grand babies have gone from slumbering new born's not capable of much more than eating and sleeping, to the active, happy, MOBILE babies they are just 6 months later. The others will head back off to school soon on their journey to adulthood that will be here in nothing more than a blink of an eye. My kids are all grown adults now, and I will celebrate my 55th birthday in September. My mom will be 77 in two days and on and on it goes. But of one other thing we can also be very sure of, God's Word ALWAYS remains the same...It NEVER changes, NEVER comes back to us empty....We can count on it to be true for now and forever more. The word of our God certainly has endured. It has survived centuries of manual transcription, of persecution, of ever changing philosophies, of all kinds of critics, of neglect both in the pulpit and in the pew, of doubt and disbelief - and still, the word of our God stands forever!

“Written on material that perishes, having to be copied and recopied for hundreds of years before the invention of the printing press, did not diminish its style, correctness, nor existence. The Bible, compared with other ancient writings, has more manuscript evidence than any ten pieces of classical literature combined.” (Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict)

Yes, the Word of God will endure unto all generations, and I am filled with a happiness and peace on that knowledge...

OBEDIENT CHILDREN

 Ephesians 6 1 - 3  Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Honor your father and mother, which is a first commandment with a promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth.  

I have been going through the book of Ephesians recently in my personal devotional time.  It has always been one of my favorite books, and though I have of course read and heard this verse many, many times, I found myself really dwelling on it and wondering why the Lord felt that this particular commandment was SO important that He included with it a promise such as this.  Children, OBEY your parents...sounds simple enough right? Children are to obey their parents.  Pretty basic.  But as I was really thinking about this I began to see that IF a child is to obey, he must first be taught obedience.   Anyone who has ever had a child does not need to be told that you do NOT have to tell that child how to be willful, naughty, or unkind. That all comes built into our sin nature through Adam, and therefore comes very naturally to us all.

Teaching our children obedience is perhaps one of the most important jobs any parent ever faces. From the time our children are old enough to understand a simple command or the word NO, the process begins. We all know of course the purpose behind telling our small children not to run into the street for example. We understand the dangers and possible disasters that lurk there and so we are quite firm in our commands that teach them the necessity of obeying that particular order. I remember very clearly it was THE ONLY TIME I ever had to swat Melody's little bottom when she was growing up. She was definitely old enough to understand what NO meant, stay by me, etc. But she willfully ran away from me and directly into the street. Now there was no car coming and no immediate danger, but that of course was not the point. She chose to disobey me and run into the street and received the immediate consequence of a couple of swats on her little bottom. She did not do that ever again. Now, she learned the consequences of disobedience quickly, unlike her older brothers, haha, but that is not the point I am trying to make. She may not have fully understood all of the horrible things that could have happened to her as a result of her disobedience, but she was able to quickly understand the immediate consequences of not obeying her mother. 

As parents we have the responsibility of teaching our children obedience. They can never understand how to obey God as they grow and mature, if they are not taught this at a very young age. There is always consequences (sooner or later) for sin.

I recently spent some time volunteering in the Kindergarten classroom of my young grandson. Truthfully, I was somewhat horrified at the blatant disobedience of some of the children. Obviously, no one expects a 5 year old to act any older than a 5 year old, but it was very clear to me, that a few of these children were not being taught much of anything at all. The confusion and occasional downright wildness in the classroom made it very apparent that these children were not being taught by their parents (or whoever it is fulfilling that role in their little lives) the importance of obedience. That teacher truly had her hands full as she tried to keep the class in order. How many parents too I wonder would blame this poor woman, or the other children, for the lack of obedience and respect that their own children have failed to learn? I fear for these children and for their parents expectations of their futures. Almost everything that child might ever hope to be or accomplish hinges on their ability to learn to obey.

As we grow into adulthood obviously we no longer owe our parents direct obedience. But we do owe them honor and respect. I know as I got deeper and deeper into my role as a mother, I learned to understand my own mother better, and my respect for all she went through and endured grew into a healthy appreciation for her. Yes, children must obey their parents, and parents must teach their children to obey.  And this all comes with a promise...it will be well for all of us and we will live long here on earth.

As we grow closer to the birth of our Lord, I hope we all our keeping our focus on Him.  I know for me I have found myself caught up a time or two with just the busyness of the season, and have lost my focus and therefore my peace.  How easy it is for me to get off track.  Thank God He understands me, and loves me even when I am busy being a Martha instead of a Mary.  Hope you all have a wonderful week.  To read the other inspirational posts that are being shared this week click HERE...Many thanks to Charlotte and Ginger for hosting this event.

LUKE 11:33

"No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lamp stand, that those who come in may see the light.

I am not sure where I heard this story before, but I remember it very well and thought it would be a good one to share.

Several centuries ago in a certain mountain village in Europe (so the story goes) a nobleman wondered what legacy to leave his townspeople. At last, he decided to build them a church. Nobody saw the complete plans until the church was finished. When the church gathered, they marveled at its beauty. But one noticed an incompleteness. "Where are the lamps?" he asked. "How will the church be lighted?" The nobleman smiled and then gave each family a lamp. "Each time you are here the area in which you sit will be lighted. But when you are not here, some part of God's house will be dark."

Today, we live in a world of darkness, dim paths on which even the best secular problem-solvers are beginning to stumble. In spite of our social conscience, all around us is evidence of ignorance, illiteracy, and wicked imaginings. The world is so big, and our lamps are so small. Yes, maybe so, but we CAN light some small part of each day. Look at all the millions of stars in the heavens. How small each star looks in the distance. Yet, put together those tiny jewels can light the darkest night. Each of us is a star (or a lamp if you will). We CAN make this world a brighter place. It is well expressed in this prayer attributed to Michelangelo: "God grant me the desire always to desire to be more than I can accomplish"...

No one, when he has lit a lamp, puts it in a secret place or under a basket, but on a lamp stand: Just as a lamp should be displayed out in the open, so all can benefit from its light, so the word and work of God should be displayed.

JAMES 4:7 - 8

Therefore, submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you. Draw near to God and He will draw near to you...


The subject of the devil, is one I don't really like to dwell on much...But I do think it is important for us all to know the truth about this mysterious creature sometimes known as Satan or Lucifer. I think sometimes we all may give him far more power than he really has. That is a mistake. On the other hand, I know there are some who discount him altogether, even laughing at the idea of a real devil. They imagine some character with horns that runs around in a red suit with a pitchfork in hand. That of course is not what the Bible teaches. The devil is a magnificently beautiful fallen spirit being, with a well-organized network of demon forces. When we become Christians, we recognize that there is right and wrong, good and evil. There are standards to live by. So the devil begins to tempt us and tries to bring us down. There is a VERY real spiritual battle going on every day rather we are aware of it or not. However, our focus should NEVER be on Satan. We should always be looking to God instead. If we are in a state of humble obedience to God, submitted to Him, we CAN resist the devils temptations. God has put a protective hedge around every Christian and He will not let us be tempted beyond our ability to resist...1 Corinthians 10:13. We should never underestimate our adversary. He is real, and he is dangerous. We would all be wise to flee temptation, and not leave a forwarding address...I personally love the part of the verse where it says, when we draw near to Him, He draws near to us. Can't get much easier or better than this.

PHILIPPIANS 4:13

I CAN do all things through CHRIST who strengthens me.

I think this single verse, though small, says an incredible amount. There is no circumstance that we might ever find ourselves in, no problem that is so overwhelming or large that can't be faced, or anything we might be handed in this life that is too much for us to handle as long as we look to Christ for our strength. John 15:5 tells us that apart from Him, we can do NOTHING at all.

In this particular passage Paul is talking about how he has learned to be content in whatever state he may find himself. In great want or need, or in comfort and abundance. He was able to do be content in whatever state he was in through Christ who gave him the strength to do so. I think sometimes there is a tendency to take this particular verse and take it to mean that we are capable of doing anything at all as some kind of a Christian super star or something. I personally don't think that is really what it is saying. I take it to mean that in this life we are going to be placed in many different circumstances and situations. Some of them may be wonderful and make us happy and full of joy. Others will be hard, painful and overwhelming, and make us sad and uncomfortable. Jesus gives us the strength to face and do WHATEVER it is we are challenged with and to be content and joyful while we are. Does this make sense?? I may not be explaining it very well.

For the last several months I have been dealing with a GREAT deal of pain in my knees. I am not sure rather it is being caused by the huge amount of weight I am forcing them to carry, or by arthritis that has maybe set in. Maybe it is both of these things. I have finally had some x-rays done and some blood work and I may know something this week. Or I may not find out anything conclusively at all. I have begun a diet and lost 25 pounds (which unfortunately is just a small start) and have recently begun a program that is suppose to really help this problem using a drug free "natural" health method. It is very hard for me to get around let alone be as active as I would really like to be. I have found myself at times begging God to cure me of this and let me just move on with life not dealing with it at all anymore. And yet, I don't know just exactly what it is that is in His will for me. It might be to cure me of this, and maybe not. But I DO know that "whatever" state I will find myself in, He WILL give me the strength to trust Him, and to be content. He WILL give me the strength to endure and live with this if He wants me to do. And He WILL give me the strength to do ALL things. So I take this to mean my job is to press on doing everything that it is that I am capable of doing, with a happy and contented spirit, looking only to Him for my strength...

JOHN 8:7

So, when they continued asking Him, He raised Himself up and said to them, "He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.

In this particular passage, Jesus has been brought a woman who has been caught in the very act of adultery by the scribes and Pharisees who were the religious leaders at that time, who were both legalistic and self righteous. In those days this was a crime punishable by being stoned to death. They wanted to test Jesus and see how he would handle this. They were trying to find something He could be accused of doing wrong. Jesus answered them with this verse. They all ended up just walking away.

I think probably at one time or another we have all been guilty of judging the sin in someone else's life, forgetting all that we have done ourselves. I know I have for sure. It's easy to think...well, yes I may be guilty of telling a white lie or two, or losing my temper when provoked, or even of spreading a little gossip or having an unkind thought. But at least I am not guilty of the BIG THINGS....like, murder, or adultery, or stealing. But does that mean that I am then "without sin" and therefore in the position of judging another? I am very sure I am not. There have been many BIG things in my past that Jesus has forgiven me for, and I am very grateful. It has been made very clear to us in scripture I think that we are NOT to judge our brothers. We need to concern ourselves with the sin in our own lives and let the Holy Spirit convict and deal with everyone else. It is very definitely His job. But that is not to say of course that we are not to speak out against what we KNOW to be sin, such as abortion for example. Or that we aren't to call a spade a spade so to speak. But we are to judge "the sin", not the "the sinner"....

Jesus came into this world to forgive us of our sins and provide us a way to live for all eternity with Him. We are all guilty. There is not one who is not. He loves all of us unconditionally and without reservation and we are to do the same. How grateful I am....Does anyone reading this have another thought on this subject? Does anyone besides me find it difficult not to judge say for instance the drunk driver who killed someone? Again, this is not to say we don't judge his sin, or that it should go unpunished...but that we are not to judge him?? It is entirely possible that maybe I am not thinking of this in the right way....after all this particular passage is dealing with the Pharisees who were hyprocites by thinking of themselves more highly than they should have, and their hearts were hard and lacking love for others. Or maybe that was exactly the point Jesus was trying to make. Just so that we make sure our hearts are soft and full of love and compassion for others as His is. I really would love to hear another thought or two on this...

2 CORINTHIANS 5:8

We are confident, yes well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Paul tells us here quite plainly that to be absent from our earthly bodies means to be PRESENT with the Lord. This tells me that when I die, I will immediately be in the presence of my Lord. There is no "soul sleep" awaiting the final resurrection, or a "waiting place" such as purgatory where I will go to await the day when I will forever be with Him. We can rejoice in the fact that there is no time in our lives as a believer when we will ever be out of the conscious presence of Jesus Christ.

I have given quite a bit of thought recently to this biblical fact as a young woman who went to school with my daughter was killed in a car accident a couple of weeks ago. She was only 22 years old. Just graduated from college and would have celebrated her first wedding anniversary in Oct. Her whole life laid before her with so many possibilites and hopes and dreams yet lived. And this morning, in skanning the head lines of the internet, I read of a young man, just 17 years old, a high school senior, who was playing football in the season's opening game, when he died quite suddenly of a heart attack. He was well respected and loved and a leader in his community. Where are these young people now?? If they knew the Lord as their personal Savior we KNOW they are in His presence, walking the streets of heaven, free of the troubles and perplexities of this world as we all know it. Our lives here are nothing more than a vapor, here today, gone tomorrow. Rather we are taken as young as they two were or live to be a 103 like a woman I read of just recently, it really doesn't matter. We will all eventually pass from this life to the next. And I don't know about the rest of you, but I for one take great comfort and joy in knowing that as I close my eyes to my life here on this earth, I will open them in the presence of my Lord and Savior.

PSALM 37:5

Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.

For the last several months now I have been examining my life and wondering if I could have or should have done more with it. I raised four children and was blessed to be able to be a stay-at-home mom. It was an all consuming, frequently over-whelming, and yet fulfilling and joy riddled job. My last child, and only daughter married a year ago and moved over a thousand miles away, leaving me not only finally with an empty nest, but plenty of time to ponder what the Lord might have for me now. Now don't get me wrong, I can fill my days with ease, and I can say quite truthfully that boredom is not the issue. I have considered many possibilities. Should I finally seek out employment somewhere, therefore not only helping out with our financial burden that has been firmly on my husbands shoulders all these years, but also fill my days with a busyness that will not only leave me tired at the end of the day, but no doubt broaden my world and introduce me to people who might become my friends? Or should I fill my day with the very familiar world of caring for my Grand kids while my son and his wife work to put food on their table? Goodness knows it is a much needed endeavor and one that I have always enjoyed and found fulfilling. Or maybe I could do something entirely different like write a scripture blog and share my life's experiences with other women, and somehow maybe help or bless someone with what the Lord has shown me as I traveled down the path of growing to this season in my life? All very real and yet very different options. I have prayed about this for a while now, and one thing is VERY clear to me right now. Whatever it is that I end up doing, I want the Lord to be at the very center of it. I want what I do with the rest of my life to count for Him. And that is not to say that my life up to this point has not, just that it was always filled with so many responsibilities and daily day to day necessities, that it seemed as though I had time for little else. Should I do what is seemingly needed most, or what my heart desires and seems to be telling me to do right now? Is it irresponsible to spend my time writing something that most likely is not being read by anyone at all? I guess I am still not sure of all the answers to this dilemma. But today's verse tells me very plainly what to do in the meantime. Everyday I will pray and commit my day to Him. I will be open to what and where He might lead me to, in order that I might best serve Him. If my day is commited to Him, and my trust is in Him, then I can know that He will bring to pass whatever it is He would have be do with my day.

JAMES 3:13-17

Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. But if you have bitter envy and self seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruit, without partiality and without hypocrisy...

I believe the Lord lead me to this passage today as I was looking for my post as it seems to be talking directly to me and what I have been going through recently. I believe that every woman if she is being honest has been directly influenced by those around her. Depending upon your age and what season of your life you are in, is the only real difference I can think of. When I was a very young girl I wanted to be just like the most popular girl in my class with her long swinging pony tail and her big bows. All the boys loved her, and she batted her LONG DARK CURLY lashes over her pretty blue eyes in a very becoming way. Try as I did, I never did manage to get my hair that long or for a single boy to notice my existence, much less get my eyelashes to be anything other than what they were which was short and light. When I was older and in high school it was the perky song/cheer leaders that caught my eye and convinced me that the key to happiness would lie in being able to maneuver around the way they did, and bring huge crowds of people to a cheering frenzy in their enthusiasm. But being somewhat un-coordinated kept this dream from happening either. After I married and began my family there seemed to be a long line of women who somehow managed to make their kids more obedient, were WONDERFUL cooks and housekeepers AND even managed to balance a career as well. And goodness knows over the years there had been many a woman with fantastic figures, beautiful wardrobes and homes that could be photographed and looked at in magazines. I envied so many different women their looks, talents and possessions over the years and tried to pattern myself to be like whoever it was that I admired. I think I had convinced myself that I was beyond that anymore and had settled into an acceptance YEARS ago to be the woman that God made me to be, and to pattern myself after Him....But just in the last few days I realized I haven't quite got that beaten the way I thought I did. In getting into the blogging world, I have come across some of the most talented, accomplished, giving beautiful women I think I might have ever (kind of) known. Soo many interesting, worthwhile and entertaining blogs. AGAIN, I have found myself feeling like I don't measure up very well, and what have I really done with my life anyway? These women have DONE something with their lives and have accomplished so much. Many have such wonderful and fulfilling ministries going and I began to think of ways I might somehow morph into someone I have never really been, but have ALWAYS wanted to be. I fiddled with my blogs at times spending hours TRYING to figure out how to do things, and wrote and re-wrote things trying to have something worthwhile to say. Frustrated because no matter what I "tried" to do I can't seem to scare up any readers. Defeated at times and thinking I should just throw in the towel and go back to my non-blogging days. I have been down on myself and feeling like somewhat of a failure not only in my blogging abilities, but as a person in general. I prayed last night and asked that God might give me His wisdom on rather or not I should continue with this scripture blog and rather or not I have anything worth saying let alone worth hearing. He lead me to this verse today (and spoke to me both through my son Jimmy and my daughter Melody) and it has become clear to me that while MOST of my motives for wanting to do this blog are good, there has been some definite envy of what others have done and accomplished going on as well and as desire to do something worthwhile for myself. And what better than a Scripture blog?? Verse 16 says it all quite plainly, "For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there." So, from this point forward I will no longer worry about rather or not anyone is reading this blog, or feel bad about what I have or haven't accomplished with my life. I will serve Him in any way He chooses to use me, and continue to seek His wisdom and truth for my life. For HIS wisdom is full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.

ISAIAH 40:8

The grass withers, the flower fades, But the word of our God stands forever...

If there is one thing we can be certain of in this life here on earth, it is that EVERYTHING eventually grows old, fades away, changes, or dies. Nothing ever really remains the same. We can try every method known to man and still the inevitable happens. I love watching each season of the weather as it comes and goes. The bright, hot summer sun and the colorful splashes of blooming flowers give way to the warm golden days of fall, with chilly evenings and promises of the coming holidays. The cold days of winter bring the pleasures of Christmas, and watching snow fall as your snug inside your home in front of the fireplace with a cup of hot coco and a favorite book. But eventually the warm days of spring blow in with rain showers and tiny buds making their way onto all the tress and plants. The seasons come and go and the same is true for all of us. I can't believe how quickly my two new grand babies have gone from slumbering new born's not capable of much more than eating and sleeping, to the active, happy, MOBILE babies they are just 6 months later. The others will head back off to school soon on their journey to adulthood that will be here in nothing more than a blink of an eye. My kids are all grown adults now, and I will celebrate my 55th birthday in September. My mom will be 77 in two days and on and on it goes. But of one other thing we can also be very sure of, God's Word ALWAYS remains the same...It NEVER changes, NEVER comes back to us empty....We can count on it to be true for now and forever more. The word of our God certainly has endured. It has survived centuries of manual transcription, of persecution, of ever changing philosophies, of all kinds of critics, of neglect both in the pulpit and in the pew, of doubt and disbelief - and still, the word of our God stands forever!

“Written on material that perishes, having to be copied and recopied for hundreds of years before the invention of the printing press, did not diminish its style, correctness, nor existence. The Bible, compared with other ancient writings, has more manuscript evidence than any ten pieces of classical literature combined.” (Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict)

Yes, the Word of God will endure unto all generations, and I am filled with a happiness and peace on that knowledge...

EPHESIANS 4:14-15

bWe are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming; but speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in all aspects into Him...

God does not want us to remain spiritually immature...I have met few women over the years who were not (at least at one point or another), concerned about the fact that they were growing older. I have seen some women obsess over it to ridiculous proportions. Things begin to droop and sag, and wrinkles inevitably appear and they become almost frantic as they fight the aging process, having surgery after surgery and spending whatever amount of money they think might be necessary...But each season in life has so much to offer. Life truly becomes richer the more mature we become. We need to be just as anxious in our Christian walks not to remain like babes and little children, but to wean ourselves from spiritual milk and soft food, and to grow into a mature relationship with Him. We will never grow into the mature Christians we long (or should long) to be by being "Sunday Christians".. It takes diligent study of the Scriptures to become the meat-eaters of God's Word that a mature Christian ought to be. We must also be workers. Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:15, "Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman...accurately handling the word of truth." We must roll up our sleeves and do the work ourselves instead of expecting our pastors or teachers to do it all for us. If we do not know the scriptures well for ourselves, it is easy to be lead astray by the false teachers and doctrine which abound today.

MATTHEW 17:20

If you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say this to this mountain, "Move from here to there" and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you...

There is nothing in this life too large for God...No problem so complex, no energy so strong or force so overwhelming that it can't be controlled by Almighty God. If we don't truly believe our prayers will be effectual, then they won't be...It's just that simple, and yet that profound. Webster describes the word faith as "unquestioning belief that does not require proof or evidence, unquestioning belief in God, a religion or a system of religious beliefs, anything believed, complete trust, confidence or reliance." Hebrews 11:1 tells us that "Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." A few verses later it tells us that without faith it is impossible to please God...

What does all this mean? To me it means I must live my life in complete dependence and faith in a mighty God who can do anything at all. No matter how large, or even no matter how small. I must move forward in confidence KNOWING that my very life is in His hands and He will care for me. I simply must BELIEVE, ask and then trust. The faith that we must have is a faith that has more to do with what kind of faith it is than with how much faith there is. A small amount of faith - as much as a mustard seed (a very small seed) - can accomplish great things, if that small amount of faith is placed in a great and mighty God.

Looking back over all of my yesterdays, I remember so many times how scripture has gotten me through the storms of life...Every difficult physical, mental, financial, and spiritual time I have experienced, He was always right there to see me through. Sometimes it took me longer than others to remember that fact and look for Him and ask for what I needed. But when I finally did, He was there. The enemy ALWAYS tries to blind us to God's truths. But with faith, we know we are never alone. In Christ, we have everything we need to be victorious in the battles of life....

Ask, and it shall be given to you...

SPIRIT OF LOVELINESS MARK 4:19

The worries of the world, and the deceitfulness of riches, and the desires for other things enter in and choke the word, and it becomes unfruitful...

I think unfortunately for me, this particular verse is one I have struggled with many times over the course of my life. How many times have I been discontented with for instance my living situation? Thinking to myself, we need a bigger house, better furniture, new carpet, fresh paint, or my latest "need" new dishes?? How many times have I robbed myself of joy and a closer walk with the Lord because I was focused on something I felt was so important? Or, how many times have I struggled and pressed and whined to my husband until I finally found a way to purchase what is was that was so necessary in my mind, only to get it and realize I STILL needed something else? Riches, no matter how minor, can be VERY deceitful...

I have always wanted to be a woman who welcomed people into my home with a welcoming heart where they might be able to feel that they were important and where they could relax and enjoy their time spent there. Where they could experience a spirit of loveliness and see my personality reflected in the decor and find rest for their souls...I've learned the hard way over the years that this isn't accomplished with the "perfect" home with beautiful furniture, the latest decorating trends, and everything forever in it's place, which often times left me too stressed and tired to even enjoy my company. But rather with a mind that was focused on Him, and His Word, and a heart full of love for those who enter...

Wilfred T. Grenfell said:

Real joy comes not from ease or riches
or from the praise of men, but from doing
something worthwhile...

So I will spend more time reading the Word, and relax and enjoy those around me, and reflect on the goodness of life....

1 John 4:7

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God...

I love this verse...It was one of the first all of my kids memorized, and has been put to song, so every time I read this verse, or hear it in any way, the song floats through my mind and memory and makes me smile.

The Scriptures are quite clear that God IS love, and so when we don't love we can't know God intimately. There has been many times in my life where I have known someone for just a short while and yet discovered that they were a "kindred spirit".. Why? Because this person radiates the love of God. God's light truly shines through them...How sad it seems to me that there are so many people in this world who do not know of this love from God...how many people who feel truly alone and don't have the support and love of a good spouse or family...how many people whose lives are meaningless, desperate and empty? How grateful I am for the people in my life who love me, and for a God that loves us all with an unconditional and everlasting love.

As a young girl growing up the words "I love you" were not ones I remember hearing almost ever at all. I don't think it was because I wasn't loved, just that it was never actually said. My relationship with my father was a difficult one, and I seldom "felt" much love from him either. So for me, saying those three sweet words have always been somewhat difficult. Looking back now I regret that I didn't say these words more often to all of my children, husband and loved ones over the years. It certainly wasn't because I didn't feel it for them, as my heart overflowed many times with an overwhelming abundance of love. But dwelling on it now, I feel it is important that these words are said OFTEN to all of our loved ones. People who know they are loved have a cheerier outlook on life. There is a sparkle in their eyes, and they can look you in the eye with a face that reflects confidence. This inner peace will radiate in all of their relationships. It is most difficult to not like someone who says that they love you. In fact, it is almost impossible to do so. So for all of those who know me GET READY you will be hearing these words A LOT from me....

MATTHEW 11:28 - 30

Come to Me, all you who are who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy, and My burden is light....

In these verses Jesus is telling us to come to Him if we are carrying heavy loads of cares and worries of this world...and He will give us rest...I've heard it taught that in the days of Jesus when men were teaching young oxen to work, they would hook up their yokes to an older, experienced ox, and he would do most of the work and pull and lead the other ox along teaching him the ropes...I think this is the example Jesus is referring to here when He tells us to take His yoke and He will guide and teach us...we are to learn from Him...Jesus describes His nature when He tells us He is gentle and lowly of heart. It is His servants heart that He displays throughout His ministry, which qualifies Him to be the one who bears our burdens...He tells us we will find rest for our souls when we do this. And then He tell us, His yoke is easy, and His burden is light...Jesus gives rest to all who belong and submit to Him...With Him we have not only a Savior, but a burden bearer. He will never give us a load to heavy to carry, for He WILL carry it for us....

In the troubled times we live in today, with the crumbling economy, and crime rampant and world wide chaos a fact of life, many people find themselves overloaded with troubles and worries and unrest...drug abuse is out of control as desperate people search for ways to cope....Belonging to a loving Savior, and an Almighty God Who is capable and willing to carry these troubles for us, is the ONLY answer...and if all of us who belong to Him could only remember and lean on this fact, how much easier it would all be when we find ourselves in overwhelming circumstances...His yoke is easy, and His burden is light....

2 CORINTHIANS 5:9

Therefore we make it our aim, whether present or absent, to be well pleasing to Him...

There are some opportunities for pleasing God that we will only have while present in these bodies here on earth. When we get to heaven, there will no longer be the need for faith, no more need for endurance through trials, no more need for courage and boldness in telling others about Jesus. But now, while we are present in these bodies, it is our only opportunity in all eternity to please God in these areas.

I wonder sometimes if I am truly pleasing Him with my life in all I not only do, but what I think?? If Jesus is truly our Savior and our Lord, then the deepest desires of our hearts will be to serve and please Him...and that desire will be expressed in a longing for holiness and a pattern of righteous living...It won't be caught up in trying to please everyone else around me. I have certainly learned over the years that it never quite happens anyway...Pleasing God must be our goal...

My heart DOES long to please Him, and to do what is right. How often I fail is not what matters most to Him. How grateful I am for that...He alone knows my heart and my desire...

PROVERBS 3:11-12

My son, do not despise the chastening of the Lord, Nor detest His correction; For whom the Lord loves He corrects, Just as a father the son whom he delights....

These verses tell us not to be unhappy or to be upset or angry when the Lord corrects us, that it only means he loves us. Why is it that we fight this just as a child does a punishment from a parent, EVEN THOUGH we know it is for our own good??

How many times did I say to one of my kids that I "didn't want" to punish them, or that the easier thing to do was to just let them go and do whatever it is they wanted to do?? If I didn't love them as much as I did, there was MANY MANY times I would have done just that too...It took diligence and hard work to carry through and apply consequences to bad behavior, and unfortunately I wasn't always diligent. Especially when they would do something over and over again. Much easier to just throw in the towel, and let them go. How many times did I think though, "if I let them get away with this, I will do them absolutely no favors in the long run." They have to learn there is ALWAYS consequences for bad choices...How many times though did I resort to screaming and anger?? How many times did I just look the other way because it was simpler?? How many chances did I lose to teach them the things they NEEDED to know??

I am sure that the Lord has thought the very same thing about us many times. His love for us is greater than any love any parent has ever had for their own child. Over and over again He has had to remind me of the consequences of sin. How happy this really makes me when I think about it this way, that He DOESN'T give up or give in. His love is not limited to human error and frailty....He continues to chastise me because He loves me just that much, in all His perfection and thoroughness....How grateful I am....

JAMES 2:14

What does it profit my brethren, if someone says he has faith, but does not have works? Can faith save him??

Many people believe that "true" saving faith will produce good works...they just go hand in hand. If we are truly Christians, then we should be able to echo James' sentiments, "Faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead....Show me your faith without works, and I will show you my faith BY my works..(James 2:17-18)

James does not contradict Paul, who insisted that we are saved NOT of works (Ephesians 2:9). James merely clarifies for us the KIND of faith that saves. We are saved by grace through faith, not by works; but saving faith will have works that accompany it. As the saying goes: faith alone saves, but the faith that saves is not alone - it has good works with it.

Paul understood the necessity of works in proving the character of our faith. He wrote: For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them (Ephesians 2:10). He also wrote: This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. (Titus 3:8)

So, from all of this I would answer the question... Can faith save the person who does not have good works along with it to prove that it is real?? No...true faith will bring forth fruit....

EPHESIANS 5:2

And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet smelling aroma...

All through the scriptures, Jesus is our example of love, and what we are striving to do in our Christian lives..He gave Himself to us as the "perfect" sacrifice to God, and He was the sweet smelling aroma...as we give ourselves in acts of love to others, we can be that sweet aroma to God...I was thinking about this and wondering to myself, what is love really, and more importantly, how do we demonstrate it?? To be able to practice love, we need to know what it is biblically. Throughout Scripture, love is characterized as an action. First of all, love teaches the truth to others and ministers to their needs..it sets an example by serving others and stimulating them to grow. It covers other people's faults and forgives. Love also endures the problems and idiosyncrasies of others and sacrifices on their behalf. Self-sacrificial love gives spiritual truth, help, and concern to those in need...that's the heart of Christian living, it's the magnet that can attract the world..

Again, all of this is so much easier said than done. I do try and love and give of myself, but at the same time find myself falling so short of where I really feel like I should be. At least in my attitudes sometimes. I think for me I need to remember that I am doing these things for GOD, and to please Him, and that if no one ever knows or appreciates things I do, it is OK...it doesn't make it less pleasing to Him...

ROMANS 12:9-10

Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good. Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another..

If we don't love without hypocrisy we don't really love at all. True Christian or Godly love is just that. "Godly" love...to love like He does, with no reservations, no "self" involvement, nothing to personally gain. It can only really be accomplished by the Holy Spirit loving and living through us. I have seen from personal experience many, many times unfortunately just what I am capable of doing left to myself. It has to be a daily prayer for me to love others as He would. We must truly hate what is evil and love what is good. That sounds pretty simple and easy, but again, easier said than done. Our own in-born natures fight this daily...we must give God control in every area in order to accomplish this...to be kindly affectionate with each other with a brotherly love, suggests to me that we are not to be cold or stand offish or even just merely polite and accepting to each other, but caring and warm, involved, and supportive. Giving preference to one another means that we will have genuine humility and will not "think of yourselves more highly than we ought to think" (Romans 12:3). It means you will give honor to fellow Christians and take the initiative to put them first. You will not flatter another believer merely in the hope of having the compliment returned or to gain favor with them. Instead, we would express to them real appreciation, respect, and love as a fellow member of the family of God.

PSALM 119:11

Your Word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against You...

The only way to reprogram our minds with God's righteousness is to read, study, and meditate on the Word of God. "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16) So if we are Christians, and we submit to the Holy Spirit as we study Scripture, we will have a reprogrammed mind that focuses on God's righteousness and helps us live accordingly..

If we memorize scriptures, and keep them safely in our hearts, I believe when we need them most God will bring them to our minds, helping us to live our lives right and to not sin...The Lord has been impressing on my mind recently the importance (for my own benefit) of really knowing and meditating on His Word. This verse just sums that all up.

LEVITICUS 11:45

For I am the Lord who brings you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God. You shall therefore be holy, for I am holy...

The Lord has brought us all out of our lives outside of Him (which is in essence "our" Egypt) in order to be our God. He has redeemed us for Himself, so we must therefore (as a result) be holy, for He is holy. The Christian life could be summed up in this one statement....to be mimics or imitators of Christ..The more we know God, the more we understand who He wants us to be...so the primary pursuit of any believer is to know Him...(Philippians 3:10) The only way we can ever hope to really achieve KNOWING God, is to study His character as it is revealed to us through the scriptures....

How wonderous is it really to think that we have God's actual words telling us straight out how we should live our lives. It isn't something we have to wonder about, it is all there for us to study and know everyday. If we WANT to know Him is really more the question. It is my prayer recently to know God more and more, and my heart is blessed knowing that He has totally revealed Himself to His through His Word..

EPHESIANS 4:32

Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you...

God is kind and tenderhearted to us, and forgave us of all our sins, even though we don't deserve to be...So we quite frankly are expected to do the same towards other people, rather they deserve it or not. If our attitudes towards other people are based on what they deserve, then we have missed the point. If we want to exemplify God's character, then we in turn have to be loving, tender and forgiving. That is no doubt the kind of attitude that God expects from those who are His "new" creations in Christ.

I believe the Lord lead me to this verse tonight because I for one struggle soo much with this, this day being no different than many. It is sooo hard for me to love people and treat them with respect and tenderheartedness when they are rude and awful to me. I OFTEN lash out in a quick and angry response when this happens because I feel it is JUSTIFIED by their behavior. But this verse CLEARLY states that it is not OK. It is not a good representation of Him, and that however much they DON'T deserve it, I must still forgive them....How grateful I really am that God forgives me of this every time, though I for one know, how much I don't deserve it. I pray that God is able to control that which I freely admit I cannot...

1 CORINTHIANS 13:13

And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love...

In the verses prior to this verse Paul is talking about spiritual gifts and the importantance of them. However he tells us, that NO spiritual gift is as important in the Christian life, and are really nothing more than a distraction, without faith, hope and love. And that love is the most important of these 3 things, and without which everything else we might do as Christians is really both empty and meaningless. God IS love....Love will continue to grow even in our eternal state...Once we are in heaven, we will no longer need faith, we will see Jesus face to face, we will no longer need hope, as Jesus will have already come for us, but we will still love the Lord, and each other, and it will grow for all eternity.

Jesus tell us that "they" (the world) will know we are Christians by our love for one another (John 13:35) Genuine love is so integral to the Christian life, that if we claim to follow Jesus, we MUST be able to demonstrate this love in order for our faith to be believable.

This verse, though simple and small, says soooo much. Love IS really what it is all about....

PHILLIPIANS 4:6-7

Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God..and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus..

As someone who has suffered from anxiety all of my life, this has always been one of my favorite verses that comes with a promise...I love the ones that come with a promise...God tells us here to "Be anxious for NOTHING"..and it means just that...not that it is OK to be anxious or worried about the big things, or some things (that anyone might be worried over right?) but quite literally NOTHING....easier said than done right?? But here is what we are told to do.....in EVERYTHING, by praying and asking God, thanking Him always for everything, WE TELL HIM WHAT WE NEED OR WANT....AND (here comes the promise!) God's peace that's is beyond anything on this earth we can imagine or understand or dream of, will stand guard (again quite literally) over our hearts and minds....How wonderous is this?? I LOVE LOVE LOVE these verses..some of my all time favorites.....I can tell you with a complete honesty that I have experienced this peace from God many times in my life. Times when I shouldn't have any peace at all it would seem. It truly is indescribable....and it isn't something I have to wonder about rather or not it is His will for me, or to somehow be good enough or worthy enough to experience, it is PROMISED to me, by Almighty God Himself...

REVELATION 1:8

"I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End," says the Lord, "who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty."

Alpha is the first letter of the Greek alphabet, and Omega is the last...so we "could" say Jesus is the A to Z...He is the Beginning and the End....If Jesus is both the first and the last and the beginning and the end, then it would have to mean He also has authority over everything in-between...This would mean that Jesus does have a plan for all of history, and He directs the path of human events toward His designed fulfillment. Our lives are not given over to blind fate, to random meaninglessness, or to endless cycles with no resolution..Jesus Christ directs all of human history, and so therefore even our individual lives...

Who is, Who was, and who is to come.... Hebrews 13:8 expresses it this way: Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

The word Almighty translated from the original Greek literally means, "the one who has His hand on everything." It means that Jesus has complete sovereign control over everything, past, present, and future....

I don't know about any of you, but I find GREAT comfort in all of this...that Jesus Christ truly controls all of history, long before I could have even been a thought, to my present life and circumstances right now, to everything that will EVER come...that EVERYTHING lies in His very capable hands and He directs the course of all things....And since we know how everything comes out in the end, we never have anything to fear....I LOVE this verse!!

1 PETER 5-7

Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders. Yes, all of you be submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility for:

God resists the proud.
But gives grace to the humble.

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you....


The Bible teaches us in many different places that God hates pride. Pride keeps us from having the relationship with God that we could, as it keeps us focused on our "own" abilities and our "own" agenda's. In order to be really close to Him and have that relationship that we desire, we must first TRULY humble ourselves and submit everything to Him....and when we really do that, we will give Him all of our worries, cares, and plans, and He is able to then TRULY care for us....It is a prideful heart that wants to solve everything on our own, and a humble heart that wants to wait on Him....I think that all of this is really hard in today's world where pride is often called something else. Like independence, or self esteem, or self reliance....we are taught to stand proud and mighty and we have taught it to our kids...and we are always told to build up a kids self esteem and make him "proud" of himself etc. etc. But I think we have not only managed to build up a world where pride is valued and praised, but now we have so many people who think they ARE truly something special and above everyone else, and that the world owes them something....I think we would all be much better off if we remember just what it is the Bible has to say about this SIN called pride..

ECCLESIATES 3:1

To everything there is a season, A time for every purpose under heaven...

I was thinking of this verse this morning when I was typing my comment and thoughts on Larissa's page. We are all in such different "seasons" of our life....Some of us, like Ant and Rob and Justin are soo young and knee deep in school and wondering what they might do with their lives, so much time stretching out in front of them. Mel and Mike, Jess, and Danny a little older, but still soo young and just starting their lives, everything still lying ahead undiscovered. Then, there are several of you, Jim & Larissa, Joe & Leah, Michelle & Scott, John, Donna & Todd and Crystal & Kyle who are consumed with their young families and careers and all of the overwhelming at times, things that go along with that stage of your life.....then there is the rest of us who are moving along with our season in life wondering how we got here so fast and trying to point out pit falls to avoid to our kids and grand kids that are behind us on the road....but this is the way the Lord planned it all out...A time for EVERYTHING and every purpose under heaven.

God moves on an eternal time table that is not always readily evident to His people. He works within seasons, and time frames for His own purposes. And yet, He is also a God of the suddenly. Don't be surprised when in a certain season, out-of-the-blue, comes one of God's suddenly~s.
When a suddenly occurs, it may be a bit of a shock but don't let it take you by surprise. Have you ever jumped into a pool on a summer's day? The cold water is shocking but you are not surprised by it.

Many are the plans in a man's heart, but it is the Lord's purpose that prevails." (Proverbs 19:21)

It is right and good to plan. It is necessary for it gives direction and allows us to set priorities. However, yield some white space on your agenda and in your heart for the purpose of God to prevail. This may mean we may have to re-adjust from time to time. But that's OK...In whatever season in life we find ourselves in, we should move forward and plan, and yet yield to the will of God and His purposes, and we will do it all in the power of the Holy Spirit...

JOHN 14:1-3

"Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many mansions, if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I'am, there you will be also.

Again, a favorite passage of mine...I love knowing that Jesus is preparing my "home" in heaven IN His Father's house...that where ever He is, I will be there too... I know my home will be perfect, won't ever need to be swept and cleaned, and best of all won't have a GIANT mortgage that's more than my home is worth..Jesus has already completely paid for it...

PSALM 34: 1-4

I will bless the Lord at all times; His praise will continually be in my mouth. My soul shall make its boast in the Lord; the humble shall hear of it and be glad. Oh magnify the Lord with me, and let us exalt His name together. I sought the Lord, and He heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

Every time I read this Psalm, I "hear" the song that we used to sing at Calvary Chapel Costa Mesa when we were first saved. I can still hear Pastor Chuck singing it...I loved it then, and I love it now...I also like this one because it tells me if I SEEK the Lord, He WILL hear me and deliver me from my fears...very comforting.

LUKE 12:22-23

Then He said to His disciples, "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

I have always loved these verses as they tell me not to worry about everyday stresses and circumstances such as will I have food, and what shall I wear. He tells me there is much more important things than these. It is soo easy I think to get caught up sometimes in our everyday physical needs, that we neglect the things that are really so much more important like "feeding" our spirits with His word and spreading His love to those around us.....just something to think about....

ROMANS 5:8-9

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were sinners, Christ died for us...Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him...


It's unblievable enough that Jesus would die for us in the first place, but to know that He did so while we were yet sinners, in other words before we even belonged to Him, is totally amazing. I have a hard time really understanding that kind of love. And the most wonderful part of all is that because of His shed blood, which makes us "justified" we are saved from the pit of hell where we truely DESERVE to be...

2 COR. 12:9-10

And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities that the power of Christ may rest upon me....Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I'am weak, then I am strong....


In order for us to really experience God's "grace" and resulting strength and peace, we must first recognize our own weaknesses and insufficiency. We truly can do nothing without Him...so when we totally admit we are weak in every area, and NEED Him and His grace, that is when we can finally be strong...so we should welcome our problems, as they drive us to Him, where we find all the strength, power, and peace that we need.....did I explain this very well??? I sometimes have a problem explaining what I am understanding in my own heart...

MARK 12:29-31

Jesus answered him, the first of all the commandments is: "Hear, Oh Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your with all your heart, with all your soul, and with your mind, and with all your strength. This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this...You shall love your neighbor as yourself..There is no greater commandment than these...

It is very easy to see from these verses that what God really wants from us is love. First for Him, and then for each other...seems pretty simple, but somehow it's not...in order to live a successful Christian life, we must be obedient at least in these two areas. If we REALLY love Him, we will be obedient in other areas as well. That's why we must FIRST love Him....

PROVERBS 3:1

My son, do not forget my law, But let your heart keep my commands; For length of days and long life and peace they will add to you....

I love to read the Proverbs...they are quick and easy and yet FULL of many Godly principles and truths that come with promises such as this one does....If we truly live by God's commands not only in what we do, but by what we harbor in our hearts, then we will lead not only long lives, but peaceful ones. I know it is easy to think that God gives us a list of commandments we must follow and they are difficult and cut into our pleasure and fun...but truthfully they really are there for our "OWN" benefit and protection...and by following them as best we can, we add only God's best to our lives..

JOHN 19: 28-30

After this, Jesus, knowing that all things were now accomplished, that the scripture might be fulfilled, said, "I thirst!" Now a vessel full of sour wine was sitting there; and they filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a hyssop, and put it to His mouth. So when Jesus had received the sour wine He said, "It is finished!" And bowing His head, He gave up His spirit...

Today being Good Friday, I decided to read over the scriptures covering the crucifixion...Jesus's death on the cross was the fulfillment of all that was necessary for our salvation. He did so willing as an ultimate act of love for us. He had accomplished what He had come here to do. I have heard it taught that Jesus took the wetting of His lips with the wine so that He could say clearly for all to hear...."It is finished." Meaning just that, EVERYTHING He needed to do for our salvation was finished. He bowed His head, which suggests He did so peacefully, and "gave up" His spirit...meaning no one took it from Him, He willing did it for us...It is hard for me sometimes to really get my head around what He really did for me personally. And that if I had been the only one who needed Him to do so, He would have done it anyway...it is just downright overwhelming...He BECAME sin itself during that period on the cross, and separated Himself from the God the Father, so that I might be saved from what I truly deserve....love just doesn't get any greater than that....

1 COR. 15:17

1Cor 15:17 "And if Christ is not risen, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins!"

Paul was willing to hang the entire Christian faith upon the resurrection, and indeed our faith does depend on it. The implications are huge. If Jesus did rise from the dead, then everything He said and believed is substantiated. If He did not rise from the dead than Christianity is nothing more than a fairytale.
Have you ever noticed how far fetched some of the theories are that try to disprove or discredit the resurrection? The swoon theory....Jesus didn't die, He swooned, passed out on the cross..He then was embalmed with 100 lbs of wrapping and ointment, placed in the tomb, and laid there for three days....Then woke up - somehow unwrapped Himself - somehow rolled the stone away - somehow got passed the guards - and somehow convinced His disciples He had risen from the dead when in reality He would have been a beaten bloody mess....ok, is anyone else having a hard time swallowing this? Or how about the stolen body theory? Jesus did die, but His disciples stole His body, unable to deal with the fact that their messiah was dead....now a strong argument could be made as to just how impractical and improbable it was that the disciples could have even pulled off such a heist, but that's not the strongest argument. The stronger argument is that the disciples were all persecuted and martyred for their faith. It was recorded that before Peter was executed by crucifiction that first he watched as his wife was crucified. And your going to tell me Peter stole the body of Jesus? Made the whole thing up? And then faced with not only his own gruesome death but that of his wife's refused to admit it was a lie? Does that make any sense? Or does it make a lot more sense to believe that Peter was convinced Jesus had risen.....he had seen him with his own eyes, walked and talked with Him after the resurrection.
Many of these theories are so ridiculous because of these historical facts. There really was a Jesus of Nazareth. His teaching is well documented and reported. His miracles are even reported of by secular historians. He really was crucified on a cross. He was placed in a guarded tomb. 3 days later His body was missing, and his disciples were claiming He had risen from the dead. And finally His disciples all went to death refusing to deny the resurrection. When you acknowledge those historical facts it makes any argument you come up with sound really stupid.
Here we are a few thousand years later and no real new arguments can be made against it. I think it was dan brown who tried profit from supposedly discovering "the lost tomb of Jesus." He "discovered" the tomb of Jesus as well as His wife and children's tombs. But he forgot to mention that gravesite was discovered 30 years ago, and at the time was ruled out (by a archeologist that was not a Christian) as being the Jesus of the Bible.
Jesus is risen, I'm betting my life on it. Now sure Constantine repackaged a Babylonian celebration and called it Easter, which of course is where we get the Easter bunny and Easter eggs. But the resurrection of Jesus Christ is worth celebrating, and it did happen 3 days after Passover.

MATTHEW 28:5-8

But the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid for I know you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for He risen, as He said. Come, see the place where He lay. And go quickly and tell the disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed is going before you into Galilee, there you will see Him. Behold I have told you. So they went out quickly with great fear and joy, and ran to bring His disciples word....

Our Christianity is based on this fact....He is risen!! Jesus's resurrection from the dead is proof that His death was an actual propitiation for sin, and that the Father accepted it as such. The cross was the payment, the resurrection was the receipt, proving that the payment was fully accepted...These women were blessed to be the very first who would bring this news to others. How exciting for them. This is the most important day in the life of a Christian to celebrate. May we all remember the price that was paid for us, and celebrate this day with joy in our hearts.....we have an AWESOME God.....HAPPY EASTER!!!!

JAMES 1:22-25

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror, for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one is blessed in what he does....

I think these verses are telling us that to just hear or read God's word, is not enough. And if we think it is, we are deceiving only ourselves. We must also LIVE His word and DO what He teaches and tells us to do...and if we do, we will be blessed in all we do....

ROMANS 8:1

There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit...


This verse talks about how we are COMPLETELY without condemnation for our sins if we truly belong to Jesus Christ. We are a PART of Him, and as a result God sees only Jesus when He looks at us. Thank God....it can't get any better than this. The scary flip side to this would be of course if we DON'T belong to Him, we are TOTALLY condemmed by our sins, and the result will be what we truly all deserve which is hell. Jesus has offered us Himself to save us from this, and I am most grateful....

Sorry I have had a busy few days and have kind of been lax on the daily scriptures. Anyone else who would like to PLEASE feel free to jump in at any time and share what the Lord has been doing with you.....

HE WILL DIRECT OUR PATHS

 Proverbs 3 5 - 6  Trust in the Lord with all your heart. And lean not on your own understanding..In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths....

Today is Spiritual Sunday and I had already decided not to participate this week as my usually quiet house is full of family, as we have gathered to celebrate Christmas.  Not much time to spend on the computer.  But as I was doing my devotional this morning, I came across this verse, and felt I just HAD to share what the Lord has shown me this morning.

 For those of you who follow my blog at all know, Melody arrived on Thursday night to spend this week-end with us, as she and her husband are unable to come for Christmas this year.  Her brothers decided that rather than celebrate without her we would just escalate things and celebrate on the 19th with our traditional Christmas Day dinner and gift exchange.  This created a problem or two with me at first, and yet it wasn't long and I was completely "on board" with this plan.  Melody and I had many things planned for Friday, to include that evening going to the Candlight Pavillion for our anual fun dinner and a Christmas play.  We have been doing this every year since she was 3 years old.  Again, if you follow my blog at all you know, I am BIG on tradition and SLOW to change.  For at least a couple of weeks now I have been looking forward to not only our gathering on Saturday with the whole family, but also to Friday and "my day" with Mel.  These kind of days have become rare now as she has moved away, and when she does visit she is torn in so many different directions trying to visit and spend time with other family members and friends, it is hard to get much alone time with her.  But this visit was to be different as she had set aside the WHOLE day to spend doing the things we love to do together.  Shopping, lunching out, some baking, and mainly of course hours of uninterrupted time in sweet conversation.  BUT!!  When I awoke at 2:00 am on Friday morning it was not in excited anticipation of my day as I had planned, but sicker than I can remember being in quite some time.  Yes, I had the stomach flu.  The one sickness I just can't seem to fake it and just "move along as best you can" as I have always told my kids.  I was barely able to make it from my bed to the bathroom ALL DAY LONG, let alone any thing else I had planned.  I couldn't believe it was happening was all I could think of when I managed to think of anything at all besides how sick I felt.  Melody was there to "play nurse" which was my first thing I managed to be thankful for, and to do all the necessary shopping I needed STILL to do, which included 2 presents that were still left to buy.  But as the day wore on and I only became sicker (if that was possible) I began to except that our anual Christmas play was not to happen as well.  The tickets are non-refundable, not that going another night was a possibility anyway.  So that night my husband and Mel headed off with my middle son who filled in my spot and I layed at home sipping water and watching the Preacher's wife.  Not exactly what I had planned.  I will be honest with you all and tell you I was not only HUGELY disappointed, I was feeling pretty sorry for myself, and wondering just what the Lord had in mind "allowing" me to get this sickness at this particular time.  Yesterday morning I woke feeling soo much better I decided I might actually be able to function through the busy day ahead.  It did turn out to be a wonderful day.  I will tell you it was mainly do the fact that I have been blessed with such a wonderful family.  My husband not only COMPLETELY did the whole dinner (with some help from Mel and my grandson JD haha) himself, and it was WONDERFUL, he also did all the little things he just knew I would want done as well.  Got all my beautiful Christmas dinner dishes out, and cleaned and spent pretty much the whole day running around taking care of the things I would have usually done.  The grand kids all were excited and we all enjoyed ourselves just being together.  Both of my daughter in laws jumped right in to help out cleaning up etc., and I just kind of sat around chatting and visiting with everyone.  Everything may not have been like I had planned out, in fact far from it, but it was wonderful just the same.  This morning I woke up early and I am feeling almost totally myself.  I began reading my Bible and praying about this day and this verse in Proverbs practically jumped off the page at me.  Trust in the Lord with all of your heart...(even when you just really don't understand) lean not on your own understanding (even when all you can say is WHY Lord) in ALL your ways acknowledge Him, and He WILL direct your paths.  I am still not totally sure why the Lord let this happen but one thing I am very sure of.  Nothing happens by chance.  Maybe it was just to show me that sometimes I can lean on the others in my family to get things done and do them well, or maybe it was just so I might see and appreciate how much I am loved and blessed.   But this truth became very clear again to me this morning.  He WILL direct my path.  The pages of my life are being written by Almighty God Himself, and I will put my trust in Him.  Today is our LARGE extended family gathering today at my sisters house.  I am looking forward to it.  I am grateful it is today and not yesterday as I don't know if I could have made the long drive yesterday.  I have NO IDEA what this day might hold.  But I have comnitted it all to Him and trust He will work out all the details.  He WILL direct my path.  Here are a few pictures of our day yesterday.  Yes, my husband and Mel took several pictures for me KNOWING I would want to share them with you.  ENJOY.... I will not get the chance to get around and visit the other blogs who participate in this as I can hear the beginnings of people stirring,  But I will be by in the next couple of days or so.  To enjoy this posts, you can click HERE.  I pray that you all have a blessed day, and that we all remember to acknowledge Him in all we do.

ALL READY

THE BEAUTIFUL TABLE

JD HELPING GRANDPA

ENJOYING A SNACK BEFORE DINNER...JOHN'S FAMOUS CHEESE DIP

THE KIDS MAKING MUSIC,HAHA

SOO EXCITED

MEL'S GIFT FROM JIM

BABIES WERE SOO TIRED FOR POSING NOW AND GRANDMA WASN'T LOOKING EITHER, HAHA

ALL THE GIRLS IN THEIR CHRISTMAS JAMMIES

HOW CUTE ARE THEY?

I did this soo fast there was no time to check for errors, haha, PLEASE excuse any if you find them...

COLOSSIANS 3:2

Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth....


This is such a short and simple verse, but there is nothing short and simple about it...In order to live a truly Christian life we must try to "set" on our minds on heaven and the Lord, and not on everything here on earth....much easier said than done especially in the world we live in today where sooo many things demand our attention and focus...However, here are a few practical things we can do to try and put our minds "IN CHRIST"....

1. Spend some time EVERYDAY in the Word....this one is listed first because I think it is the most important. If we don't fill our minds with His Word, how will we ever really know Him, or dwell on things about Him??

2. By spending time in prayer....conversations DAILY with the Lord...

3. By spending time with things that build us up in God, instead of merely entertaining ourselves....this is something we ALL do everyday at some point in the day....or "I" certainly do anyway....how much better off would I be if I gave just a small portion of that time to reading His Word, or reading other books that teach me things of God, or listening to radio messages, listening to uplifting praise and worship music and joining in etc.?? WHY do I fight this?? Any time in my life where I have gotten into this mind set, the happier I am....funny thing huh??

4. By gathering with others who love the Lord and spend time talking about what God is doing in your life etc.?? I think this is also very important...

Again, if anyone has any thoughts or ideas on this, please join in....