Wait in the Battles.

In the past few days I have been shown that there are MANY spiritual battles being raged around me. I have talked to many that said they have spent time on their knees and in tears for loved ones who are turning from God and giving in during these trying times. God has promised to fight these battles with/for us. We know He gets the victory in the end. But I want to see victory in EVERY battle I face. I don't want to see my friends turn from God. I don't want to see anyone hurt by the actions of others or by following false teaching. So, how do I keep from being discouraged when I am hurting and I see many others hurting.

The clear answer is get in God's Word. Ask the Holy Spirit for reveal His truth (from the Bible, not man's writings). God's promises in His Word are real. Trust in them.

Isaiah 40: 28-31

v. 28   "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding."

I am so thankful for the words "fainteth not, neither is weary". He never gets tired! He continues on in the spiritual battles of life with out feeling faint or weary. I will be honest- I have had moments in the past week that I feel faint and weary. The constant attacks of the enemy are hard to continue against. I am not the only one to get weary. David talks about being weary Psalm 69:3  "I am weary of my crying: my throat is dried: mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. "  Have you cried so much your eyes ache? This weekend I did. The pain of the battle is real. 

v. 29   "He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength."

Our power cometh from Him and Him alone! He promises that he will give power and increase strength. I think of Gideon when I think of impossible battles. Gideon/' army was nothing compared to the enemy BUT with God on his side he was able to defeat the enemy. That is us! I am nothing alone. But Luke 1:37 "For with God, nothing shall be impossible"

v. 30  "Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:" 

This verse also tells us that many will fall. I have been heartbroken at the ones I have seen recently fall. People that I have admired and learned from. People I have seen drawing others to Christ and growing spiritually. I can not explain it! I am supposing they got weary. They stopping seeking God first? They sought after people rather than God? They sought for personal gratification? They got fooled by wrong doctrine? They let their guard down? They got tired of waiting for God to work fast enough? They stopped reading their Bible? All these things are possible. I don't have the answer. I know there are times I get weary of waiting for God to win the war. We seem to be losing the little battles. Families torn apart. Ministries destroyed. Hearts pulled away from God. People turning their backs on friends because they want what they want or to believe what they want. Whether it be selfishness or pride. It is like the verse said they "utterly fall".  

So what do we do. We see the destruction. We feel the pain. We try to guide and counsel. Share scripture of truth to guide them back to God. We pray and pray and pray some more. And then pray some more. But they still walk away. And the enemy attacks because we are weary. Yet, God instructs what we should do when we are weary.

Galatians 6:9 " And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." 

2Thessalonians 3:13  "But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing." 

The end of the verse in Psalm from David says "while I wait for my God". God asks us to pray. God tells us to wait.

v. 31     "But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." 

When we wait, we receive strength. When we continue to seek Him He rewards. Yes, the answers may not come as we want or when we want. But his way is perfect. Another verse that comes to my mind is a verse God gave Doug and I when we were waiting for God to give us children.

Isaiah 30:18  And therefore will the LORD wait, that he may be gracious unto you, and therefore will he be exalted, that he may have mercy upon you: for the LORD is a God of judgment: blessed are all they that wait FOR him. 

Many know the verse Isaiah 40:31. Wait upon. But this last verse says "wait for"  He has a reason that he waits to answer and waits to reveal the win. Even when I don't understand. Which right now I do NOT get it!!!! He has a reason. I found this poem several years ago and I have shared it before and shared it will many friends. It helps me to get a perspective of possibly why he waits.

W  A  I  T

By Russell Kelfer

Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried:

Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.

I pled and wept for a clue to my fate . . .

And the Master so gently said, “Wait,”

“Wait? You say wait?” my indignant reply.

“Lord, I need answers.  I need to know why!

Is your hand shortened?  Or have you not heard?

By faith I have asked, and I’m claiming your Word.

My future and all to which I relate hangs in the balance,

And you tell me to Wait?

I’m needing a ‘yes,’ a go-ahead sign.

Or even a ‘no,’ to which I’ll resign.

You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,

We need but to ask, and we shall receive.

Lord, I’ve been asking, and this is my cry:

I’m weary of asking!  I need a reply.”

Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,

As my Master replied again, “Wait.”

So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,

And grumbled to God, “So, I’m waiting . . . for what?”

He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .

And He tenderly said, “I could give you a sign. 

I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.

I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.

I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.

You’d have what you want, but you wouldn’t know Me.

You’d not know the depth of My love for each saint.

You’d not know the power that I give to the faint.

You’d not learn to see through clouds of despair;

You’d not learn to trust just by knowing I’m there.

You’d not know the joy of resting in Me

When darkness and silence are all you can see.

You’d never experience the fullness of love

When the peace of My Spirit descends like a dove. 

You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,

But you’d not know the depth of the beat of My heart.

The glow of My comfort late into the night,

The faith that I give when you walk without sight.

The depth that’s beyond getting just what you ask

From an infinite God who makes what you have last.

You’d never know should your pain quickly flee,

What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.

Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,

But oh, the loss, if you missed what I’m doing in you.

So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see

That the greatest of gifts is to truly know Me.

And though oft My answers seem terribly late,

My most precious answer all is still . . . Wait.”

The end of the Galatians verse says "for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not." The key is not fainting, not falling. I don't know the pain of the battle you feel today. Battle wounds are real yet each is different and personal. I do know that I MUST keep on keeping on.

A friend going through some of the same battles I am, shared these verses with me yesterday. 

I Peter 1:3-9

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, 

To an inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for you, 

 Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. 

Wherein ye greatly rejoice, though now for a season, if need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations: 

That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ: 

Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory: 

Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls. 

And yes, I know right now it seems impossible. There is no good or even end in sight. Yet, I know that I am trusting and believing in a God of miracles.

I almost didn't post this but I pray that it will be a help and blessing to someone as these thoughts were to me. 

Psalm 31:24  Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart, all ye that hope in the LORD. 

Seek Him

The passage I want to talk about today is one from a few days ago. I just didn't get time to blog.

The first verse in this passage is common. I have seen this verse used in Christian fiction books. Sadly, many people make the common mistake of reading one verse and stopping. They don't read the surrounding verses. This can often lead us to taking verses out of context or miss out on the blessings from other surrounding verses. We can sometimes fall into the trap of using verses to try to prove our personal belief rather than reading the Scripture as God intended. God's Word is so rich with promises that we should daily get in His word to be blessed.

Jeremiah 29:11-14  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
     Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
     And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
     And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive.

Verse 11 is often used to comfort when we go through struggles and trials. What often happens is we stop after the first verse.  God has a purpose in all that happens in our lives. He brings struggles and trials because he does knows the future.
The next verses to me mean even more than verse 11.
Then shall ye call upon me - our trials and struggles should draw us to God we should want to cling to him even more. Call on Him for help.  The book of Psalms is full of verses written by David during his struggles. He is calling on God for help. That should be our response.
Ps. 4:1 Hear me when I call, O God of my righteousness: thou hast enlarged me when I was in distress; have mercy upon me, and hear my prayer.
Ps. 86:7In the day of my trouble I will call upon thee: for thou wilt answer me.

the end of vs 12 he promises to hearken unto us. Webster 1828's definition for hearken - to attend to what is uttered, with eagerness or curiosity. Have you ever seen a child eager for something? They get so excited and are very attentive. That is how our Lord is to us. When we feel far from Him it is us not Him.

Vs 13 ye shall seek me, and find me when ye shall search for me with all your heart.

He longs for a relationship with us. He wants us to seek him. He promises we will find him.

When is the last time you went seeking him with all your heart? We don't have to wait for the time of trouble and struggle to seek him.

The Lord tells us who won't seek Him.

Psalm 10:4    The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts. 

We all have the tendency to pride. Pride pulls us from God. We may start searching out other books written by man rather than getting back in the Bible and seeking God. 

Psalm  22:26 The meek shall eat and be satisfied: they shall praise the LORD that seek him: your heart shall live for ever.

Psalm 27:4  One thing have I desired of the LORD, that will I seek after; that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to behold the beauty of the LORD, and to enquire in his temple. 

We should desire to follow God with our whole heart.

Psalm 119:2 & 10   Blessed are they that keep his testimonies, and that seek him with the whole heart. 

With my whole heart have I sought thee: O let me not wander from thy commandments. 

Our desire as a Christian should be to follow after God. Sadly, when sin finds its way in our lives we wander from that desire. 

We must be in His Word to know how to follow him.

Once again, these are just my ramblings. I stray from the right path way more than I want to admit. I am really liking the Daily Scripture writing because it is causing me to slow down and meditate on His word not just skim through.

May God bless you today.

Praising the Lord!!

I didn't post yesterday. I will be honest it was because I was having a pity party. I did my reading and writing of the passage but didn't do anything more. I have Myasthenia Gravis that, after 13 years of remission, has become very active again in a fierce way. I allowed it to get me down yesterday.
Today, before I started reading/writing. I prayed for the passage to be encouraging and uplifting and make me smile. Then, I started reading and it was encouraging but also convicting.

Psalm 98:1-9
     O sing unto the LORD a new song; for he hath done marvellous things: his right hand, and his holy arm, hath gotten him the victory.
    The LORD hath made known his salvation: his righteousness hath he openly shewed in the sight of the heathen.
    He hath remembered his mercy and his truth toward the house of Israel: all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
    Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
    Sing unto the LORD with the harp; with the harp, and the voice of a psalm.
    With trumpets and sound of cornet make a joyful noise before the LORD, the King.
    Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein.
    Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together
    Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity.

Any time I think of this passage the first verse I think of is verse 4  Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all the earth: make a loud noise, and rejoice, and sing praise.
I love to sing but sadly I often allow my "mood" to dictate if I sing or not. As I thought about this familiar passage before I started reading. I started more of a pity party.
When I think of singing to the Lord, I think of praising him. Today the first thought that came to my mind was "Praise Him for what? I am struggling physically. What do I have to be happy about or praise him for." Yes, I was really feeling sorry for myself. When I do that I make the mistake of thinking my circumstances = happiness.
Then I started reading. This passage declares why we should sing to Him. "he hath done marvellous things:" "made known his salvation" "all the ends of the earth have seen the salvation".
I have reason to sing if for no other reason than just my salvation that IS reason to sing.
After I took a minute to truly thank God for who he is and what he has done for me. I read the passage again.
I homeschool our 3 boys. One area all 3 have worked on this year in Language Arts is sentences. We have working on kinds of sentences. Imperative is a command and many times has an understood you. I noticed these phrases.
     O sing unto the Lord
     Make a joyful noise
     Sing unto the Lord
All commands. We are supposed to sing unto the Lord.
I have to choose to be joyful. I will be open. I am struggling right now. There are days that physically I can not do the basic things I usually do around the house. My husband and boys are having to do a lot of the cleaning and cooking. I am frustrated by this after being symptom free so long. I don't like that I am so tired at times I can't hold my head up. BUT I do have MUCH to be thankful for.
I was symptom free 13 years. I am only having symptoms in the high mild to low moderate range. I know many people with worse symptoms. My husband is willing to help without complaining. I was able to get meds.

God is good all the time, all the time God is.
I needed to be reminded today that God is good and I should sing and make a joyful noise.

Again thanks for listening to the rambling.

Seeking daily

As a Christian our heart should yearn for the things of the Lord. Sadly, we often allow our lives and minds to be so filled with other things that our hearts are enticed away from God.
My true prayer this year is to ask God for a renewed yearning for Him. I have failed him in so many ways this past year. We all sin but to dwell on it and keep our focus on them is wrong. Often we allow ourselves to be pulled down by that. Satan loves to dwell on our faults. That is not what God wants. He wants us to confess them and then move on from them.
Proverbs 28:13  He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

The Lord wants us to forsake the sins. When I look up a word I go to the Webster's 1828. 

Forsake -  1. To quit or leave entirely; to desert; to abandon; to depart from. 

2. To abandon; to renounce; to reject.

A friend asked me to do a Scripture Writing plan with her this year. I am excited by how perfect the passages have been already.

Yesterday's verses 

Isaiah 43:15-19
Thus saith the LORD, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters; 
Which bringeth forth the chariot and horse, the army and the power; they shall lie down together, they shall not rise: they are extinct, they are quenched as tow. 
Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. 
Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.

vs 18 addresses that perfectly. Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. We need to confess and MOVE ON! vs 19 says Behold, I will do a new thing; - make a choice to make a change. That was the challenge from yesterday. 

Today's continues on that line. 

Lamentations 3:22 -26

   It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 

  They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. 

  The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 

  The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. 

  It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 

vs. 22 Our sins deserve punishment - daily, immediate, harsh YET God in his mercy does not give us what we deserve. His compassion is there for us!! 

vs 23 "new every morning" Wow! We have a fresh start each day. God does want repentance as we need. My husband has a saying "keep a short account of your sins". When we sin and know it confess it immediately don't wait. When we sin and "let it slide" it is easier to keep on that downward slide. That is what I have allowed over and over this past year until I felt so burdened and heavy by the weight of sin. We find an answer for this in Hebrews 12:1b "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,"

lay it aside and run FORWARD continue on the race that God has given us.

vs 24 "the Lord is my portion" The amount he sees that I need. He promises to supply my needs. Often we see our wants as needs. He truly knows our needs. Sometimes those needs are trials to make us stronger. The end of the verse "I hope in him". I pray that the Lord will keep my eyes this year focused solely on Him and not hope in my self, finances, friends, or even my husband. 

vs 25 reminds us that we are best when we wait for Him. In that waiting time we should seek. James 4:8  Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you.  He promises when we seek and draw to Him he draws to us. There are times in life that I have felt God is far away. When I truly examine my life in an honest light I see that it is not Him that is far away but rather me. I have left Him not the other way around. 

vs 26 This is sometimes hard for us to accept. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait.

quietly wait

first off anyone who knows me knows that I am not often quiet. I love to talk! 😊 

I decided to go the Esword (online concordance) and look up "be quiet". A few verses stood out to me.

Psalm 107:30  Then are they glad because they be quiet; so he bringeth them unto their desired haven. 

We will be glad when we are quiet. Being quiet in the Lord is SO important yet so hard. We want to tell him our thoughts and wants. The next verse I found goes with that thought.

Proverbs 1:33  But whoso hearkeneth unto me shall dwell safely, and shall be quiet from fear of evil. 

we dwell safely when we let him lead and do the work. Often we think we some how need to help God accomplish things for us. God is quite capable and we need to let him.

I Thessalonians 4:11 And that ye study to be quiet, and to do your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we commanded you;

We are to be quiet and do our business. Let God do His. 

the word in verse 26 is wait - nobody really likes to wait

I love the verse Psalm 130:5  I wait for the LORD, my soul doth wait, and in his word do I hope. 

This verse talks about waiting but it also shows us how. "in his word". When we are abiding in Christ by drawing close to Him then we find hope in the wait.

I so often forget this. I wait and WORRY, fret, or try to work it out myself.

My prayer for today.

Lord, please help me to see you mercies each day. Help me to rest and wait on you. You see the whole picture of my day, month, year. I need to allow you to guide me in each step. Give me strength to abide in you and not try to run ahead. I long to have a close dependent relationship with you. Keep my eyes on you! Thank you for your compassion on me. Help me to show that same compassion and mercy to those around me. Let me guide my children by example of your love. May my day be pleasing to you.

I hope my ramblings make sense. I am basically just writing (typing) as the thoughts come to me. I am sharing here for myself but also in hopes to maybe help someone else a little.

Feel free comment and share your own thoughts. I enjoy feedback!

Happy January 2nd!! Have a good day in the Lord!

New Year 2017

I have often heard people say that what you do on New Years Day will be something you do all year and it will be important to you.  I sure hope this to be true!! I really like it when New Years falls on Sunday that means I start my year with my church family and focused on what God has in store for my year. My hearts true desire to have joy in the Lord. Isaiah 29:19  The meek also shall increase their joy in the LORD, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

I want my focus this year to be Christ.

These thoughts have been on my mind this past week. I love how God works in our lives and often brings messages at church to continue the work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts. That is what happened today.

I get the wonderful privilege of having my husband as my SS teacher. He does a wonderful job covering the material each week. We are going through a book written by Paul Chappell "a Season to Celebrate" Today's lesson we started a Season to Worship. A few thoughts that stood out to me.

1. God sent a message of peace to a humble place.
   He was/is not looking for personal accomplishment. He is not concerned with what I have personally done. He wants us to simply be fully yielded to Him. That is much easier said than done. To be yielded to Him I must move myself out of the equation. WOW!! Is that ever hard! I want what I want! I can be a pretty selfish person. I want to be noticed. I want to be the center of attention at times. I would rather do what pleases me with no thought of others. Yet to truly be yielded to God I have to put self on the shelf. Something I constantly have to work on.

2. God sent a message of peace to a holy woman.
     Mary is not to be worshiped only Jesus is to be worshiped. Yet she was specifically chosen by God. She was favored because of her faithfulness to God. She proved herself faithful. This got me thinking. Am I being faithful to God? Can he chose me to do tasks for Him? Am I limiting my usefulness because I am centered on self? This makes me think of one of my favorite verses
I Corinthians 4:2 Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful.
     Mary had plans- she was betrothed to Joseph- she had dreams. When the angel revealed that she would conceive, her plans where put on hold. She had to put her full trust in God's plans. We all make plans for the year and dream/think of things we want to do. Then as the year goes by these plans come to pass or sometimes they are changed by unforeseen circumstances. That happened to us in the past year. We never imagined what 2016 would bring. We never expected that Doug's brother a lively 42 year old man would be tragically killed in an accident. Yet, God knew. We continue to watch God work through this change in our plans. He has a purpose in all he allows in our lives. Jeremiah 29:11  For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.

Am I willing to trust His plan for my year? Will I yield to His leading? Yes, some things that happen may hurt, but I have to trust his will for me. 

How I respond is my choice.

I have to chose to follow God and submit my will and desires to Him. I have to put "self on a shelf". 

It is not easy to put God first. Yet, it is SO rewarding. It is more self pleasing if I just do what I want. But when I do that there are consequences to my choices. When I make choices to please myself it is often out of selfishness which is sin, and leads me away from a close relationship with my Saviour Jesus Christ. We all fall into this lie of Satan at one time or another. 

So the choice is up to me daily and sometimes even minute by minute. Will I put God first or me first? Will I let the Holy Spirit guide me? Will I be willing to listen when he speaks? I have to be in God's Word daily in order for Him to speak to me. Am I willing to put the time in? Again, setting aside my (desires) time to seek Him. Keeping my focus on the Bible not just books written by man. Some can be a help, but our main reading should be from the Bible. We must be very careful that any book we read NOT contradict God's Word. 

During our am service our Pastor's wife sang a song I have never heard before. The words are amazing and went right along with my thoughts from SS.

Only You, Lord written by Mac Lynch

vs. 1 What am I committed to? A man or worthy cause? A godly institution, Lord, or brotherly applause? I lay aside what might seem good for something that is best. Commitment to the Savior true- when I pass the test.

vs. 2  Truth within the inward parts, Lord, honesty must reign. I find myself attached to things that hint of my own gain. This one thing I search and seek and that I will pursue: to love my God and God alone, to give Him what is due. 

Chorus:  Only You, Lord, only You, No one else but only You. Woo and win my selfish heart; may Your Spirit draw each part. Only You, Lord, only You.

May this be my prayer this year. Put Christ first. Am I willing to really live like this? ONLY You, Lord!!!  Are you? Are there areas of selfishness that we can set aside and let God take control? Real control? 

Happy New Year!! May it be a year of spiritual growth and awakening!!

Would I linger?

     I was reading in Genesis 19 today for my Bible reading. Often times when I come to a "common" story I tend to skim.  This is something I am working on.  I want to dig deeper in my Bible study and grow closer to the Lord. 

I love when the Lord opens my eyes to new thoughts and I see a passage or phrase differently than before.  That happened this morning with the story of Lot.  A phrase jumped out at me and made me start thinking. 

     Genesis 19:16 "And while he lingered, the men laid hold upon his hand,"  
What made Lot linger? What was he thinking about? Did he linger because of the things in his home or the friends he was leaving? What ever it was he lingered.  In the Strong's Concordance is says "to question or hesitate, that is, (by implication) to be reluctant:",  If an angel appeared to me and told me to leave because the Lord was going to destroy my city, how would I react?  Am I so close to this world that I would linger?   Matthew 6:21  For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.  Are my treasures in this world? What treasures have I laid up in Heaven? 
                             - Children
                             - Family
                             - Neighbors
                             - Friends
                             - Co-workers
Or are "things" more important?  We know from Scriptures that Lot was immersed in the ways of Sodom. 
     
     We need to safeguard ourselves from this. God put us in this world so what do we do?  How do we safeguard ourselves but being like Lot and being so involved with the world that we would hesitate to leave?  The answer for this as in all questions can be found in the Bible.  (Here are a couple thoughts I came up with.  There are many more but just 2 that hit me today.)

1.     Be like minded with Christ.  Philippians 2 is a great passage about having the mind of Christ.  It is a guide of how to live as Christ wants us to live by thinking as he does.  Verse 15 "That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;"  We are here to shine as lights.  We are in the midst of this world, but we do not have to be part of it.  When we wonder if we should do something, we need to compare it to the teaching of Scriptures. My mom had a saying growing up "If in doubt, DON'T".  There will be no doubt if we ask God to keep us like minded.

2.     Abide in Christ.  This goes with being like minded. If we abide in Christ, then our mind will be like His.   One of my favorite verses is Psalm 91:1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. "  When we are dwelling in God's Word we will be abiding under Him.  We need to meditate on what we read.  I fall into a trap often of just reading and not thinking about it.  I try to read through the Bible each year. Sadly, I am not always consistent, but I still press for the goal.  I have to remember to think as I read not just read to "fulfill" a set goal. 
I John 2:14-17 talks about abiding in the Word and being part of the world.
14   I have written unto you, fathers, because ye have known him that is from the beginning. I have written unto you, young men, because ye are strong, and the word of God abideth in you, and ye have overcome the wicked one.  (We overcome when we abide)
15  Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 
16  For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.  (Do the things I love fall under these categories?)
17  And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever. 
This goes back to being like  minded.  When we ask God to reveal Himself to us, he will.  We will not love the world if we are truly in love with God.

Lot clearly loved the world and the things of the world.  Did Lot Learn his lesson? We hear no more about Lot which brings me to believe that he probably didn't.  What about us?  If we are confronted with our sin (whether by a friend, in a message, or by Bible study) do we pridefully deny it or do we humbly repent and strive to sin no more.  As we study God's Word he will reveal sin and our hearts need but it up to do us to listen and do something about it.

Questions I am asking myself today and pondering:

What makes me linger?

Do I linger on things of the world or things of God?

Where is my treasure?

Will I make necessary changes today?

Stay in God's Word daily and he will show you what is right.  We don't need the opinions of people but the statutes of God.

What makes you happy?

Psa 100   Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.
  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.
  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.
  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.
  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.

Pastor used this passage for his message Sunday morning. He started with a question "What makes you happy?"  The key is not happiness but JOY! I have pondered this message and gone over my notes several times this week.  What effects me each day and my happiness?  Happiness is based on your circumstances, joy is a heart attitude based on your relationship with the Lord.
I have thought of this several times as I have thought of our weather this week. negative temps and extreme negative wind chills was not something I planned or wanted this week. BUT that is what God has brought our way.  I thought of this as I have read posts of people about the weather.  I have made comments of how cold it is and that we have lots of snow.  It has been interesting to see and compare other peoples temps and conditions.  BUT it is sad to see people that seem so disturbed, angry, and all consumed by it.  Their comments of been so negative and discouraging.

I.   Is your attitude joyful?
Acts 20:35  I have shewed you all things, how that so labouring ye ought to support the weak, and to remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he said, It is more blessed to give than to receive.

Colossians 3:16 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. 

A joyful attitude helps us do what needs to be done in our daily life.  We teach our children that they are to obey with a right/joyful heart, but are we doing it.  Do we go through our day grudgingly? As a mom I do the same things over and over- laundry, dishes, cleaning, and teaching my boys.  How is my attitude? 

II.   Do I learn from God's Word joyfully?  

We know we are to daily be in God's Word, but do we do it just out of routine?  This really hit close to home!  How do I approach my Bible study?  Do I thirst for it and go into yearning to learn from the Lord? I need to remember that God's Word is ALIVE!

Pastor gave several points about learning from God's Word 1) It has unmatched strength  2)God's Word is perfect! Proverbs 30:5 Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.    3) God offers eternal salvation.  

God wants His best for us.  The circumstances that come in our life is there to grow us closer to the Lord.  The choice we have is how do we handle it?  Will I live with JOY or not? 

Some of these thoughts are my own the #) are points from Pastor's message. I summarized the Roman Numeral from Pastor's message as well. Just wanted to give right credit to Pastor.

I am not sharing this because I have it all together but the opposite. This is a real struggle for me to remain joyful, focus on the Lord and the good he gives.  I hope this was helpful to someone- it helped me typing it out.  

A new school year!

We are ready to start week 2 of our school year! I thought I would do a little blogging about our school year.

 I have had many people recently say "I don't know how you do it". I can honestly say- I don't do it!!!  The Lord is my strength!! I honestly have days that I dread the day because of the work it takes. I have had moments that I thought it would be easier to not homeschool. I could afford more if I worked and didn't school the boys.  Then I look at the alternatives. I see many children not succeeding academically because time is not taken by the parents to put their best in their child's education.  I have seen children also struggling in their walk with God because of the influences from public school.  On the other hand I am inspired and spurred on by many successful homeschoolers around me - godly families that I see their children growing academically and spiritually. Some of them have students graduated and others with a child graduating this year.

I know homeschooling is not for everyone. I am not putting down or condemning anyone who makes other choices.  It is a personal choice each family must make. I do think we can learn by watching others.  We have to make the best decision for our children.
God tells us in   James 1:5   If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.
As we make decisions for our children we need to examine and be sure our decisions are not selfishly motivated but truly what we think God wants for for us and our children.
I am by NO means perfect nor do I have it all together!
I am constantly asking God to help me and yet I find my self making selfish decisions. Only through the strength of God am I able to follow what God wants me to do.
As I prepare for week 2, I ask God to help me follow through each day with the task set before me. Only with the help of the Holy Spirit can I succeed!

Gideon- a daunting task!

Judges 6-7
This passage covers the story of Gideon.  He was given a job by God- go against the Midianites.
In Ch. 6 he asks God multiple times for signs that God really wants him to do this job. He is shown very clearly that God has indeed  given him this task.

I find myself doing this in my day to day life.  Sometimes I catch myself complaining about the dishes, laundry, floors to vacuum, and toys to pick up.  I forget that God has clearly directed each path of my life.  I prayed for 5 years for children and God has given us 3 wonderful boys.  I prayed to be a stay at home mom- God allowed that to happen.  Each of these area have been given clearly by God, He will give the strength to accomplish it.  I also think of why Gideon and the Israelites were in the situation. They had sinned against God- they worshiped the idols of the land and put other Gods before Him.  When I complain or become discontented with my life it is because I am living the flesh (sinful nature).  When I am living in the flesh, my motives are selfish and all about ME.  Therefore, the tasks I have in my day- laundry, dishes, cleaning, and boys to care for, become an insurmountable army.

Gideon was given a very small army in our eyes- 300 men against the very powerful large Midian Army.   IMPOSSIBLE!!

My work seems that way. Until I remember that I do not have to do this along. As a matter of fact, I am sinning by doing it myself. I need to walk in the Spirit allowing my thoughts to be focused on God and therefore I will have His strength and also see the tasks through His eyes.  What a change in perspective.

Gideon was encouraged when he heard the men talking about the dream. He then went back gathered his men and went into battle.  God had the victory, but without Gideon actually moving forward there would have been none.

I struggle daily/hourly who am I kidding, by the minute most days to walk in the Spirit living for God.  I can move into my day joyfully when I see the day ahead as a way to serve Him and worship Him. I am a stay at home mom- my days consist mostly of my boys.  I MUST remember that my job/joy is training them to serve God. I must be that example of joyfully serving.

I pray that my ramblings may have helped someone today. If you were helped, PRAISE THE LORD!!  Feel free to comment or send me a message especially if you have any questions.

Have a super day and center your day and thoughts on Christ!!

Welcome Back!!

The title is for myself!! I would really like to get into a much better routine of blogging.  Maybe this time it will happen.

There have been many things going on in our family. Sickness, birthdays, sickness, school, sickness, music, sickness, and did I mention sickness. It seems that since the beginning of the year we have had at least 1 person with a cold or sick.  Praying we get on top of it soon.

The Lord has truly been doing some great things for us and I would like to share some of them. SO in the next few days, as God allows, I will be adding some of those things as well as some of what I have been learning through the Holy Spirit.

DAY 29

DAY 29 (I am a day behind)
I am thankful for discovering the benefits of gluten free eating. This is often called a diet, but it a way of life not a diet. Also, for many people it is not a choice but a necessity. For me it is not life threatening nor does it make me extremely ill, but for some that is the case. I am thankful that I decided to give it a try to help my Autoimmune Disease. I feel so much better and I also know when I eat the wrong thing. Praise the Lord for the new things out there that are Gluten Free.

DAY 26, 27, 28

Playing catch up again!
DAY 26, 27, 28
I am thankful for good LONG visits. I am so glad that my parents are retired now and can come for longer visits. They were here for 2 full weeks. We had a marvelous time!! I know they were ready to go home, but I am so glad they stayed for as long as they did. Pray for them as they head back to FL today and tomorrow. I really miss them!!! Praise the Lord for Godly parents!!

DAY 25

DAY 25
     I am thankful for my Christian heritage.  My parents and grandparents went to church and that is great be able to share with my children.  My Grandma Work wanted a Christian school for her grandchildren when she died in April of 1975 a fund was started to start that school.  It opened in the Fall of that year.  The school is still in existence today. I love listening to my Mom talk about verses her  parents liked or hymns. Today my mom and I sang a duet in church "Ivory Palaces" my Grandpa Work's favorite hymn.

DAY 24

DAY 24
I am thankful for spoiling and memories! My parents are here and have been since the 14. We are loving it! You know how grandparents are, they love to spoil. My parents are not bad about it but just little things. Well, my mom has a saying "I am not spoiling I am making memories". I am thankful my parents are able to make the trip from FL to MI. We are making memories the boys will talk about for a long time to come. We are enjoying them!!!!

DAY 23

DAY 23
I am thankful for the seasons of Michigan!  We got some snow today, a little more than flurries. It is SO fun watching the excitement in my boys as they see the snow coming down!  I love seeing it through their eyes!  God has given such beauty in His creation!

DAY 22

DAY 22
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!
Today I am just THANKFUL!!!!!!!

DAY 21

DAY 21- I am thankful for my children all 4!
Many reading my think, 4?  No I am not pregnant!  Yet, 5 years ago today I started my day excited to see an ultrasound of Baby #3.  Yet, by the end of the day, I knew that our baby had gone to Heaven.  Today is full of emotion.  I know if I had not lost that baby there would be no Little T! Trenton is my precious youngest who brings such joy to our lives. So, remember my little one waiting for me in Heaven and thankful for that loss that has also helped me help others.

DAY 16 - 20

OH MY am I way behind!! My parents are here and I haven't taken much time for the computer!

DAY 16 - Our wonderful home God has provided.  Thankful for the warmth.

DAY 17 - My inlaws- many people cringe when they hear in laws are coming. I am excited to see them.  It is great having family we get along so well with.

DAY 18 - Church family- We are thankful for the church family God has given us. They are loving and care for each other in such a blessed way.

DAY 19 - Wonderful opportunities that our children have!! We praise the Lord for the conductors the boys have in HSMA.  It is a blessing to see them learn their instruments with Godly leaders.

DAY 20 - Pastor and his family.  We are so blessed to be led by God to a church led by a wonderful pastor. The Lord has blessed him with a calm spirit and a great way of teaching and preaching.  We have learned a lot from him and his family in the few months we have been in our church. Our boys truly look up to their sons and it is wonderful to have Christ honoring teens for them to admire and pattern themselves after.

DAY 14 & 15

DAY 14 and 15- I am thankful for safety of travel for my parents from FL to MI. They will be here for 2 weeks!!! Praise the Lord for being able to visit with them.

DAY 13

  I am thankful for forgiveness! I am thankful first of all that God forgave me! He also continues to forgive me when I fall. I am also thankful for His help to forgive others. It is very difficult to forgive others, yet He can help us with that too. We must chose to forgive!! Not an easy choice, but a necessary one to be able to be open to God leading in our lives.

Moving Beyond Bitterness to Forgiveness

Posted on November 13, 2012

Canadian Rockies-Photo by: Mark J Booth

“I can’t forgive them.” “What they did to me is unforgivable.” “I won’t ever speak to them again.” ” I can’t forget how much they hurt me.” What do all these statements have in common?  They show an individual who has a bitter spirit.
Bitterness has destroyed many people because it enslaves them to the object of their bitterness.  They have no freedom to enjoy their walk with God and others.  A bitter person can infect their family, their workplace or even their church with their attitude.  “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;” (Hebrews 12:15)
God has not only given us a cure for bitterness, but He has also modeled this cure.  This cure is called forgiveness.  The word forgiveness means “to send away”.  The idea is that we throw the bitter attitude out of our lives; never to retrieve it again.  “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice:” (Ephesians 4:31)
God gives us three reasons to cast out bitterness and embrace forgiveness.
1. Christ has forgiven us.  ”And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” (Ephesians 4:32)  No matter what anybody has done to us, it is nothing compared to all of our sinful offenses towards God.
The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant is a great illustration of the above truth.  The landowner forgives his servant an enormous debt; yet this forgiven debtor is unwilling to forgive his follow servant a very small debt. (Matthew 18:21-35)  How can we talk about God’s mercy and not share that mercy with others?
2. Christ commands us to forgive others. “Forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye.“(Colossians 3:13)  A bitter spirit is a disobedient spirit.  When we forgive a person in our heart, we are walking in obedience to Christ.  
3. Christ is our example of demonstrating forgiveness.  When Christ was being mocked upon the cross, He didn’t respond with anger and bitterness.  He called out to His Father: “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34) When we forgive those who have hurt us, we are acting like our Savior.  These people didn’t ask Christ to forgive them, but yet Christ poured out His forgiveness towards them.
Forgiveness is difficult for us because we think that the offended party  is “let off the hook”.  In reality, we are let off the hook.  We are now free to live our lives without being controlled by our bitterness.  God shows us the following blessings of extending forgiveness to others.

• We have a testimony before others. “The discretion of a man deferreth his anger; and it is his glory to pass over a transgression.” (Proverbs 19:11)
• We show God’s love towards others.  Charity “rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” (1 Corinthians 13:6-7)
• We will have a joyful heart. “Blessed are the merciful; for they shall obtain mercy.” (Matthew 5:7)
• We will enjoy true Christian fellowship. “To whom ye forgive any thing, I forgive also: for if I forgave any thing, to whom I forgave it, for your sakes forgave I it in the person of Christ;” (2 Corinthians 2:10)

Forgiveness is our choice.  We can continue to feel hurt and embittered, or we can choose forgiveness.  The offending party may never ask for forgiveness, but we can forgive them in our heart.  Many persons have lived a miserable life because they chose not forgiveness.  Is your bitterness worth it?
“Dear Lord, you felt the pain of rejection, hatred, misunderstanding and ridicule; yet you forgave.  Help me, to forgive those who have hurt me.  My bitter spirit has not only hurt me, but those around me.  I have lost the joy in my life.  Lord, in my heart I now forgive _____________.   Thank you for your forgiveness towards me when I don’t deserve it.  From now on, help me to exercise love towards even those who have hurt me. Amen.”