From His glorious, unlimited resources He will give you mighty inner strength through His Holy Spirit.~Ephesians 3:16
It is for us to pray not for tasks equal to our powers, but for powers equal to our tasks, to go forward with a great desire forever beating at the door of our hearts as we travel toward our distant goal.~Helen Keller
Life's challenges. We meet them every day. They challenge our inner strength. If anyone on this earth had inner strength, I would say that it was Helen Keller. And the fact that she recognized prayer as part of her arsenal speaks loudly to us. She overcame unbelievably difficult adversities in her life. If you are unfamiliar with Helen Keller, I would recommend you do a simple search for her name and you can get that quick blurb of information that our lives focus on now.
Meanwhile, what about our reactions to life's challenges? In comparison to what the Apostle Paul and Helen Keller went through, my present challenge seems so petty. Because I have my eyesight, speech, hearing and a sound mind, I struggle with what might be considered mundane endeavors during my day. I have the excuse that I was laid off my job and continue a job search until my fingers fall off every day. I try each day to work harder at that despite the rejection letters that mess with your head and make you doubt yourself if not careful.
When the inevitable challenge hits us, will we fight or fold? We often hear fight or flight as options to situations. Pick your battles. When challenges come, will we continue to fight or fall apart? Paul, the author of this scripture, fought many inward battles and faced extremely difficult situations. So he had reason to pray for believers asking God's Spirit to provide that inner strength for them; that believers would be strong in the challenges facing them.
What clouds this picture further is that some of us have this cocky attitude of “bring it on” and “give it your best shot” believing we can handle anything the day brings our way. But if we honestly assess our previous battles, most of us would have to admit we have lost more than we have won. Without that inner strength, we will eventually give up. And if we as Christ's followers give up, we have been robbed of our Christian living and service.
Furthermore, we are not going to delight God by choosing to fight battles on our own even if we have fought well. Paul reminds us we are not on our own. I remind myself often that my life is not my own. We can ask God to supply the inner strength we need to do His will; the inner strength to live and serve Him. When we do this, that inner strength will come from His riches and bring Him glory.
Often I start my day feeling confident and ready to go out and do battle with whatever comes my way. I have learned the hard way that if I choose to go it alone, I am going to get kicked in the stomach. All the self-help books in the world cannot provide the inner strength that God offers. You can convince yourself through various behavioral techniques that you can meet life's challenges by yourself. But nothing you can do by yourself can give you that inner strength from God.
Unfortunately, many have no one they can turn to for help. And oft times we do not want people to know about our personal struggles so we listen to advice coming from various directions, pick an answer we can put our faith in, and go out to wage war on the challenge du jour. And if you make it through that challenge, you know that there will be more waiting for you. Or maybe you are facing one big struggle that permeates your entire day as does business startup. It just keeps coming at you and coming at you whenever you feel you are strong enough to get back into the fray.
Even though we might see ourselves as mighty warriors taking on whatever life throws at us, at the end of the day where do you stand? Did you conquer those demons by yourself or did you have the courage to ask for help? And it does take courage to break down and let someone else know that you cannot go it alone. We do not want people to see our weaknesses because all too often they will turn around and use them against us. I do not want to tell anybody that my business is not producing as I expected it to by this time. Failure is not an option so I will persist until it does.
In contrast to what the world might offer in the way of giving you inner strength, God is the only true recourse. He is our refuge. If we choose to go it alone and possibly win that battle by ourselves, tomorrow will just send us something more challenging. What will you do then? Do you tell yourself that this is just life's way of making you a stronger person? Or do you admit that going it alone won't work in today's battle. We all want to be seen as viral, successful and able to conquer all comers but for a lot of us that is just a facade. The sooner we learn to ask Him for His help, the sooner we will have that true inner strength.
Sunday, February 21, 2010
Monday, February 15, 2010
It's Time We Became New Lumps
Remove this old leaven (yeast) from among us so that you will be a new lump (of dough). Christ, our Passover Lamb, has been sacrificed for us.~1st Corinthians 5:7
Definition of leaven: to mingle or permeate with some modifying, alleviating, or vivifying element
“One bad apple spoils the barrel.” These days produce is too expensive to purchase a bag of luscious looking apples only to get home and find one rotting and causing those around it to rot. It's the same with people. A person with a bad attitude likes to spread it to everyone around them.
The Passover practiced removing malice and wickedness in order to form a new lump of sincerity and truth. Is there someone around us with blatant sins that need confronting? Making ourselves into a new lump by taking a closer look at our own lives is really the objective. Ask yourself: Am I setting a negative example by being impatient? And do I want to have things my way all the time? Or do I have unrealistic expectations which cause me to have a judgmental attitude? These are just a few questions we might put to ourselves before judging others.
Therefore, I become a “new lump” if I will purge any attitudes or negative actions within myself before I go around criticizing others. I can always find something in me that needs adjusting but it is much easier to look outward at what others might be doing wrongly. We can always find someone doing something we perceive as wrong and spend our time being critical of them.
Instead of cleaning up our own messes, we prefer to focus on someone else's dirty little secret. There is always something in us that can be improved upon. Looking outward at other's faults is just such an example. Going around with a critical attitude tends to ruin all those around us and really needs to be taken care of within us first.
We have been given in scripture, in more than one location, the types of spirit and spiritual gifts that God would have us tend towards as we look at ourselves and the attitude we might have. And, you say, but this person really is doing something very wrong, very sinful in their life. Remember Christ refused to throw the first stone at the woman caught in adultery. I have always wondered where the man was that was caught with her. My view of a double standard but maybe he was judged differently by the elders of the church. See what I mean about being judgmental. It took very little for me to come up with that question and judge that man when it is not my place to know how God dealt with him and we know God did because adultery is one of those sins high on the list of sins that God hates.
Definition of leaven: to mingle or permeate with some modifying, alleviating, or vivifying element
“One bad apple spoils the barrel.” These days produce is too expensive to purchase a bag of luscious looking apples only to get home and find one rotting and causing those around it to rot. It's the same with people. A person with a bad attitude likes to spread it to everyone around them.
The Passover practiced removing malice and wickedness in order to form a new lump of sincerity and truth. Is there someone around us with blatant sins that need confronting? Making ourselves into a new lump by taking a closer look at our own lives is really the objective. Ask yourself: Am I setting a negative example by being impatient? And do I want to have things my way all the time? Or do I have unrealistic expectations which cause me to have a judgmental attitude? These are just a few questions we might put to ourselves before judging others.
Therefore, I become a “new lump” if I will purge any attitudes or negative actions within myself before I go around criticizing others. I can always find something in me that needs adjusting but it is much easier to look outward at what others might be doing wrongly. We can always find someone doing something we perceive as wrong and spend our time being critical of them.
Instead of cleaning up our own messes, we prefer to focus on someone else's dirty little secret. There is always something in us that can be improved upon. Looking outward at other's faults is just such an example. Going around with a critical attitude tends to ruin all those around us and really needs to be taken care of within us first.
We have been given in scripture, in more than one location, the types of spirit and spiritual gifts that God would have us tend towards as we look at ourselves and the attitude we might have. And, you say, but this person really is doing something very wrong, very sinful in their life. Remember Christ refused to throw the first stone at the woman caught in adultery. I have always wondered where the man was that was caught with her. My view of a double standard but maybe he was judged differently by the elders of the church. See what I mean about being judgmental. It took very little for me to come up with that question and judge that man when it is not my place to know how God dealt with him and we know God did because adultery is one of those sins high on the list of sins that God hates.
Sunday, February 14, 2010
A Good Night's Sleep
Psalm 4:8 I will lie down in peace and sleep, for you alone, O Lord, will keep me safe.
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.~Irish Proverb
I used to have so much trouble sleeping. I was in an abusive marriage in which we also had money problems. If I asked doctors why I could not sleep and why I hurt all over every minute of the day, they would just look at my circumstances, write out prescriptions that were highly addictive, and refer me to a psychiatrist to prescribe anti-depressants. End of matter. Maybe for them but not for me. In 2008, when the economy starting going bad, it caused a lot of people to have sleepless nights. Businesses were failing, incomes were falling, jobs were vanishing and the threat of foreclosure deprived many of a good night's rest.
All across the country, people who had been doing everything right: avoiding debt and living frugally, saving regularly and investing awoke one morning to find almost everything gone. There was a loud cry from sea to sea of unfairness. It is just not fair that this is happening to me when I tried so hard to do what I should. Some who know about this psalm of David still sleep soundly even while facing difficulties.
This psalm may have been written by King David as he experienced unfairness. His son was trying to take the king's throne for himself. This psalm is a prayer, a rebuke to enemies and of his testimony. David declared that he trusted in the Lord and could sleep in peace. End of matter.
At times, if you are normal, you have walked through some dreadfully dark valleys. Our soldiers, for example. Do you think they sleep very soundly when on or near the battlefield? We should pray each and everyday for them. For their constant protection and that despite the horrors around them, they might still be at peace. Regardless of the circumstances, we are promised that Christ is walking right there in our midst so that we never walk alone.
For our good health, we all need a certain amount of deep sleep every night to revive our bodies and minds. If you go long periods without good sleep, it can seriously negatively affect your health.
Whether you prefer the psalmist advice or the Irish Proverb is up to you.
I too suffered the loss of my job in 2009. Besides being humiliating, my severance package only went so far and soon the insurance benefits were gone. I kept one eye on the calendar and one on the computer as I watched time creep up on that last severance check. But for a long time—much before this layoff, I had been searching for work at home. Talk about crazy. Just look into one business “solution” on the Internet and you will wake up the next morning with your in box full, your scam protector full and overwhelmed by every kind of questionable opportunity.
Since I had been playing around with this for a while, I could quickly discern what were definite scams, might be scams and those that looked promising enough to risk opening the flood gates. I was literally signing up with a pills and potions selling type business when I received a tremendous invitation and explanation of an Internet marketing business that indeed had those 50-60 K income stories, but it got past those “eye-catchers” and explained their business.
I literally ran from the pills and potions sellers and jumped on board what appeared to be an amazing business that actually lived up to its claims. BUT this so called successful business also involved intensive ongoing Internet marketing training. You needed input, determination, willingness to work hard and finally, you had to follow directions or I should say follow the leader because that was at the heart of this system. If you could follow the leader like we did when we were kids and put some concerted effort into your business, you were told you would succeed and be able to sell anything to anybody. You could stay with the business and build, or use this system to bolster a faltering business all the while getting an education in the Internet marketing arena.
As for those with few computer skills: Remember, I said follow the leader? In no time at all, you would be involved in all the social media, doing email campaigns, writing articles and if you are overwhelmed by those few items, then that is good because the program can be overwhelming. You are told that upfront.
All the while you were to have a mentor to help you, a forum you could also seek help from, and contact with live persons for immediate help you might need. Unlike so many of the scam businesses out there, you are never abandoned, you have choices as to how much money you want to involve in your business which is what this will become—your business, not a hobby. It is possible to find an Internet marketing business to help pick up the pieces of your failing brick and mortar business but it takes time and a lot research to find what will help you and most people do not have that much time which is why so many people get ripped off by internet marketing business promises.
You know that we have all heard the saying: 'If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.' It takes a great deal of effort and time that most people do not have in order to find an online business that works. I wish I could tell you this one was it for me but it was not and I lost a lot of money to them which I truly wish I could regain and in which I had never heard of this so called carbon copy business that virtually promises you success that will help you sleep better or your tired mind and body could be refreshed.
No happy ending to this blog. Live and learn is a hard pill to swallow when you have put a lot of money into something you truly believed would improve your life and finances but ends up being no different from the fly by night companies. They just use better internet capabilities to make themselves look like a classy system that could help you have more to put into your pocket than into their pockets lined with the efforts of many people like me that gave it my all--literally--and did not get out until it was too late and vast sums of money could just be sitting in a savings account earning little interest instead of going to a company that claimed to be the answer to all my financial problems.
A good laugh and a long sleep are the best cures in the doctor's book.~Irish Proverb
I used to have so much trouble sleeping. I was in an abusive marriage in which we also had money problems. If I asked doctors why I could not sleep and why I hurt all over every minute of the day, they would just look at my circumstances, write out prescriptions that were highly addictive, and refer me to a psychiatrist to prescribe anti-depressants. End of matter. Maybe for them but not for me. In 2008, when the economy starting going bad, it caused a lot of people to have sleepless nights. Businesses were failing, incomes were falling, jobs were vanishing and the threat of foreclosure deprived many of a good night's rest.
All across the country, people who had been doing everything right: avoiding debt and living frugally, saving regularly and investing awoke one morning to find almost everything gone. There was a loud cry from sea to sea of unfairness. It is just not fair that this is happening to me when I tried so hard to do what I should. Some who know about this psalm of David still sleep soundly even while facing difficulties.
This psalm may have been written by King David as he experienced unfairness. His son was trying to take the king's throne for himself. This psalm is a prayer, a rebuke to enemies and of his testimony. David declared that he trusted in the Lord and could sleep in peace. End of matter.
At times, if you are normal, you have walked through some dreadfully dark valleys. Our soldiers, for example. Do you think they sleep very soundly when on or near the battlefield? We should pray each and everyday for them. For their constant protection and that despite the horrors around them, they might still be at peace. Regardless of the circumstances, we are promised that Christ is walking right there in our midst so that we never walk alone.
For our good health, we all need a certain amount of deep sleep every night to revive our bodies and minds. If you go long periods without good sleep, it can seriously negatively affect your health.
Whether you prefer the psalmist advice or the Irish Proverb is up to you.
I too suffered the loss of my job in 2009. Besides being humiliating, my severance package only went so far and soon the insurance benefits were gone. I kept one eye on the calendar and one on the computer as I watched time creep up on that last severance check. But for a long time—much before this layoff, I had been searching for work at home. Talk about crazy. Just look into one business “solution” on the Internet and you will wake up the next morning with your in box full, your scam protector full and overwhelmed by every kind of questionable opportunity.
Since I had been playing around with this for a while, I could quickly discern what were definite scams, might be scams and those that looked promising enough to risk opening the flood gates. I was literally signing up with a pills and potions selling type business when I received a tremendous invitation and explanation of an Internet marketing business that indeed had those 50-60 K income stories, but it got past those “eye-catchers” and explained their business.
I literally ran from the pills and potions sellers and jumped on board what appeared to be an amazing business that actually lived up to its claims. BUT this so called successful business also involved intensive ongoing Internet marketing training. You needed input, determination, willingness to work hard and finally, you had to follow directions or I should say follow the leader because that was at the heart of this system. If you could follow the leader like we did when we were kids and put some concerted effort into your business, you were told you would succeed and be able to sell anything to anybody. You could stay with the business and build, or use this system to bolster a faltering business all the while getting an education in the Internet marketing arena.
As for those with few computer skills: Remember, I said follow the leader? In no time at all, you would be involved in all the social media, doing email campaigns, writing articles and if you are overwhelmed by those few items, then that is good because the program can be overwhelming. You are told that upfront.
All the while you were to have a mentor to help you, a forum you could also seek help from, and contact with live persons for immediate help you might need. Unlike so many of the scam businesses out there, you are never abandoned, you have choices as to how much money you want to involve in your business which is what this will become—your business, not a hobby. It is possible to find an Internet marketing business to help pick up the pieces of your failing brick and mortar business but it takes time and a lot research to find what will help you and most people do not have that much time which is why so many people get ripped off by internet marketing business promises.
You know that we have all heard the saying: 'If it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is.' It takes a great deal of effort and time that most people do not have in order to find an online business that works. I wish I could tell you this one was it for me but it was not and I lost a lot of money to them which I truly wish I could regain and in which I had never heard of this so called carbon copy business that virtually promises you success that will help you sleep better or your tired mind and body could be refreshed.
No happy ending to this blog. Live and learn is a hard pill to swallow when you have put a lot of money into something you truly believed would improve your life and finances but ends up being no different from the fly by night companies. They just use better internet capabilities to make themselves look like a classy system that could help you have more to put into your pocket than into their pockets lined with the efforts of many people like me that gave it my all--literally--and did not get out until it was too late and vast sums of money could just be sitting in a savings account earning little interest instead of going to a company that claimed to be the answer to all my financial problems.
Friday, February 12, 2010
Waiting for Godot, Greatest Play of the 20th century. Not!
Psalm 38:22 Come quickly to help me, O Lord my Savior
Is there anyone who likes to wait? We live in a society that wants products and services now. We want our answers now. We want everything right NOW! I have started an internet marketing business from home. I signed up with a terrific company. But there is so much to learn and as I learn, I keep glancing over to see if any leads are coming in because I want them now even though I still have so much to learn about getting those leads.
Meanwhile, God gives no timetable for when He will fulfill promises or when prayers will be answered. He does not promise us that answers come the minute we ask for them. God does not say responses come that day, week, month, or even that year. Timing is not the issue; the issue is faith.
It is easier to ask for something and believe we'll receive it when we think we know the exact minute it will arrive. Praying then waiting for an answer from God is the hard part.
Do not assume God's silence as His denial. He is in no rush and you should not be either because His timing is perfect. What we need to do is ask Him to help us wait on and understand His perfect timing.
I awoke this morning to the luscious smell of coffee. Turned the computer on and reached for my devotional book. I read the devotional above and then out of curiosity, went to a keyword search engine and entered waiting for God. I am an Internet Marketing Strategist and have been looking for keywords to tie my business to my faith, my belief in God.
To my surprise, I got a pretty good response. But the keywords that stood out in my curious mind were “Waiting for Godot,” a play by Samuel Beckett and now I am trying to decide if I regret looking further into this keyword and how it might play out in my home based business as well as relate to my devotional.
His stuff is SO depressing and so far away from what I believe that all I can do is shake my head. Its plot, the characters, everything is supposedly meaningless. But then he confuses me because he says the characters represent all of humanity. They do not like to be around each other but do not want to be apart either. Beckett believes there is no logic or reason for anything they do.
In contrast to what he believes is my definition of faith. Faith is belief and trust in and loyalty to God. Faith is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. His characters await the coming of Godot. Godot is their God. They believe Godot has cast humanity aside yet each day he promises to come back. When he does not return, the characters take that to mean he fails in his promises which they took to mean this very day.
What is the theme of Godot? The attempt to convince humanity to stop waiting for God to present himself and stop wasting time trying to discover the meaning of life. The author believes that no matter how long we wait, Godot will not come. God, if he exists, contributes to the chaos by his silence. Beckett died in 1989 probably before seeing his Godot. He proposed that life is essentially meaningless but people cannot bare that, so we create our own Godot to save us from earthly hell. Nobody knows the day that my God is returning. It declares that in the Bible. The return date is only known by God.
Although Beckett asks what we are doing here, his answer is that: In this immense confusion, we are waiting for Godot to come. The illusion of salvation is needed to cope with a meaningless life and to Beckett, Godot is that illusion. He wants us to believe that life is based on chance, time is meaningless, human life is meaningless so humans must invent or rely on such Godots, or they would die. What about you? I do not find my life meaningless. If I did, I would not bother to continue to work on my internet marketing business or do anything else for that matter. I find his writing to be offensive.
Beckett questions why we continue to even live but answers with a conflicted: because we make life meaningful. (I thought he said we are meaningless.) He wants us to stop waiting for some manifestation and live out our lives because according to Beckett, that is when the meaning of life will become apparent to us. According to the Bible says we are to persistently watch for His return because no one knows when that will be. I will repeat the definition of faith: Faith is belief in God. Faith is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. And as I stated earlier, God is not on our timetable but His own.
Waiting for Godot has been called the greatest play of the 20th century but I do not know how that is possible. I am sure literary critics will consider me stupid and backward but I don't care! I did find it humorous that when Beckett won the Nobel Prize in 1969, his wife, Suzanne, commented: "This is a catastrophe." I happen to agree with her. Beckett refused to attend the Nobel ceremony.
My life is meaningful because of the time I have to read stuff like this and time spent with my dog, Mo, my son and family and this: http://cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VSophiaR I know Sophia finds her life meaningful and I hope you will listen as she shares how she made such a successful leap in this business of ours. No cattle or land for sale but a fantastic opportunity that will assuredly add meaning to your life.
cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VJeffL
Is there anyone who likes to wait? We live in a society that wants products and services now. We want our answers now. We want everything right NOW! I have started an internet marketing business from home. I signed up with a terrific company. But there is so much to learn and as I learn, I keep glancing over to see if any leads are coming in because I want them now even though I still have so much to learn about getting those leads.
Meanwhile, God gives no timetable for when He will fulfill promises or when prayers will be answered. He does not promise us that answers come the minute we ask for them. God does not say responses come that day, week, month, or even that year. Timing is not the issue; the issue is faith.
It is easier to ask for something and believe we'll receive it when we think we know the exact minute it will arrive. Praying then waiting for an answer from God is the hard part.
Do not assume God's silence as His denial. He is in no rush and you should not be either because His timing is perfect. What we need to do is ask Him to help us wait on and understand His perfect timing.
I awoke this morning to the luscious smell of coffee. Turned the computer on and reached for my devotional book. I read the devotional above and then out of curiosity, went to a keyword search engine and entered waiting for God. I am an Internet Marketing Strategist and have been looking for keywords to tie my business to my faith, my belief in God.
To my surprise, I got a pretty good response. But the keywords that stood out in my curious mind were “Waiting for Godot,” a play by Samuel Beckett and now I am trying to decide if I regret looking further into this keyword and how it might play out in my home based business as well as relate to my devotional.
His stuff is SO depressing and so far away from what I believe that all I can do is shake my head. Its plot, the characters, everything is supposedly meaningless. But then he confuses me because he says the characters represent all of humanity. They do not like to be around each other but do not want to be apart either. Beckett believes there is no logic or reason for anything they do.
In contrast to what he believes is my definition of faith. Faith is belief and trust in and loyalty to God. Faith is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. His characters await the coming of Godot. Godot is their God. They believe Godot has cast humanity aside yet each day he promises to come back. When he does not return, the characters take that to mean he fails in his promises which they took to mean this very day.
What is the theme of Godot? The attempt to convince humanity to stop waiting for God to present himself and stop wasting time trying to discover the meaning of life. The author believes that no matter how long we wait, Godot will not come. God, if he exists, contributes to the chaos by his silence. Beckett died in 1989 probably before seeing his Godot. He proposed that life is essentially meaningless but people cannot bare that, so we create our own Godot to save us from earthly hell. Nobody knows the day that my God is returning. It declares that in the Bible. The return date is only known by God.
Although Beckett asks what we are doing here, his answer is that: In this immense confusion, we are waiting for Godot to come. The illusion of salvation is needed to cope with a meaningless life and to Beckett, Godot is that illusion. He wants us to believe that life is based on chance, time is meaningless, human life is meaningless so humans must invent or rely on such Godots, or they would die. What about you? I do not find my life meaningless. If I did, I would not bother to continue to work on my internet marketing business or do anything else for that matter. I find his writing to be offensive.
Beckett questions why we continue to even live but answers with a conflicted: because we make life meaningful. (I thought he said we are meaningless.) He wants us to stop waiting for some manifestation and live out our lives because according to Beckett, that is when the meaning of life will become apparent to us. According to the Bible says we are to persistently watch for His return because no one knows when that will be. I will repeat the definition of faith: Faith is belief in God. Faith is a firm belief in something for which there is no proof. And as I stated earlier, God is not on our timetable but His own.
Waiting for Godot has been called the greatest play of the 20th century but I do not know how that is possible. I am sure literary critics will consider me stupid and backward but I don't care! I did find it humorous that when Beckett won the Nobel Prize in 1969, his wife, Suzanne, commented: "This is a catastrophe." I happen to agree with her. Beckett refused to attend the Nobel ceremony.
My life is meaningful because of the time I have to read stuff like this and time spent with my dog, Mo, my son and family and this: http://cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VSophiaR I know Sophia finds her life meaningful and I hope you will listen as she shares how she made such a successful leap in this business of ours. No cattle or land for sale but a fantastic opportunity that will assuredly add meaning to your life.
cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VJeffL
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
The Art of Listening
Hebrews 2:1 We must listen very carefully to the truth we have heard, or we may drift away from it.
How carefully do we listen to what God reveals? And note I said we, not you, because this applies to everyone. How intent are we on earnestly keeping things private that we should not let sip? God gives all the wisdom, insight, and counsel we need for living. But in the hectic activities, stress and pressures of life, it is easy to totally miss His message or at the least misunderstand what He was trying to show us.
This principle of listening closely applies to other relationships as well as to the people we meet during the day. How many of us have been sharing something we deem really important to us only to get that blank stare or the repeated uh, huhs that tell us this person does not care what I am sharing from my heart? Even worse is telling someone something in private, requesting that it be kept between you only to hear it somewhere in the office later. A good listener can be hard to find. It is an art to be developed over time that shows respect for that person.
We should ask for His help to listen with sensitivity, faithfulness, and remembrance as He speaks. We also need help to listen carefully so that the things He says will not be distorted or discarded.
How carefully do we listen to what God reveals? And note I said we, not you, because this applies to everyone. How intent are we on earnestly keeping things private that we should not let sip? God gives all the wisdom, insight, and counsel we need for living. But in the hectic activities, stress and pressures of life, it is easy to totally miss His message or at the least misunderstand what He was trying to show us.
This principle of listening closely applies to other relationships as well as to the people we meet during the day. How many of us have been sharing something we deem really important to us only to get that blank stare or the repeated uh, huhs that tell us this person does not care what I am sharing from my heart? Even worse is telling someone something in private, requesting that it be kept between you only to hear it somewhere in the office later. A good listener can be hard to find. It is an art to be developed over time that shows respect for that person.
We should ask for His help to listen with sensitivity, faithfulness, and remembrance as He speaks. We also need help to listen carefully so that the things He says will not be distorted or discarded.
Monday, February 8, 2010
How do You Acquire Judgment with Wisdom?
1 Kings 3:28b And the people were awed as they realized the great wisdom God had given Solomon to render decisions with justice.
When a father caught his teenage son smoking, he took off his belt. The young man assumed his father was about to give him a whipping but instead his father handed his son the belt. As he handed the belt to him, he told his son that he should go ahead and beat him now because he could not possibly hurt him more than he had just done by smoking.
Many years later, in his fifties, the son said he would never forget the look in his father's eyes and the disappointment he saw in them. The father's actions were effective. The son never smoked again.
While most people have heard of King Solomon, what usually comes to mind is that he was the richest person on the face of the earth. But before God gave him all that wealth, He gave Solomon something else; something Solomon specifically asked for. King Solomon asked God for wisdom to rule his people wisely.
In contrast to the father catching his son smoking, Solomon was presented with a different test. Two mothers came to the King to determine the maternity of a baby. One mother's baby had died during the night and she switched her dead baby with another mother's live baby. They wanted the King's official answer as to the maternity of the child. I feel sure that Solomon prayed to God for wisdom as both mothers were devastated.
Instead of giving the child to one mother, Solomon decreed that the baby be cut in half and each mother was to be given an equal portion. Drastic decision but it provided the answer Solomon needed. The real mother begged Solomon not to kill the baby while the other mother agreed with the King's decision to divide the baby in half. Of course, Solomon awarded the baby to the mother who wanted life for the child. Evidence of the King's great wisdom spread and was awe-inspiring throughout his kingdom.
Doubtfully anyone reading this will be ruling a kingdom but each of us faces challenging judgments like the father who caught his son smoking. We meet with challenges at home, when we are at work and even in church.
It could be that you have a difficult decision that you are faced with today. The same God that made King Solomon the wisest king in history and that showed the father how to deal with his young son smoking, will help you with your decision if you just ask Him. He is already aware of what you are struggling with, so why not ask Him to show you how you need to handle it. It will take a load off your shoulders.
When a father caught his teenage son smoking, he took off his belt. The young man assumed his father was about to give him a whipping but instead his father handed his son the belt. As he handed the belt to him, he told his son that he should go ahead and beat him now because he could not possibly hurt him more than he had just done by smoking.
Many years later, in his fifties, the son said he would never forget the look in his father's eyes and the disappointment he saw in them. The father's actions were effective. The son never smoked again.
While most people have heard of King Solomon, what usually comes to mind is that he was the richest person on the face of the earth. But before God gave him all that wealth, He gave Solomon something else; something Solomon specifically asked for. King Solomon asked God for wisdom to rule his people wisely.
In contrast to the father catching his son smoking, Solomon was presented with a different test. Two mothers came to the King to determine the maternity of a baby. One mother's baby had died during the night and she switched her dead baby with another mother's live baby. They wanted the King's official answer as to the maternity of the child. I feel sure that Solomon prayed to God for wisdom as both mothers were devastated.
Instead of giving the child to one mother, Solomon decreed that the baby be cut in half and each mother was to be given an equal portion. Drastic decision but it provided the answer Solomon needed. The real mother begged Solomon not to kill the baby while the other mother agreed with the King's decision to divide the baby in half. Of course, Solomon awarded the baby to the mother who wanted life for the child. Evidence of the King's great wisdom spread and was awe-inspiring throughout his kingdom.
Doubtfully anyone reading this will be ruling a kingdom but each of us faces challenging judgments like the father who caught his son smoking. We meet with challenges at home, when we are at work and even in church.
It could be that you have a difficult decision that you are faced with today. The same God that made King Solomon the wisest king in history and that showed the father how to deal with his young son smoking, will help you with your decision if you just ask Him. He is already aware of what you are struggling with, so why not ask Him to show you how you need to handle it. It will take a load off your shoulders.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
How Do You Determine Your True Friends?
Philemon 4 I thank my God, making mention of you always in my prayers.
Paul was thinking of Philemon when he expressed genuine gratitude to God for such a true friend. Do you have such a person in your life?
Truthful, trustworthy and in it for the long haul—not just when things are going good, are attributes to look for in a true friend. Plus, it has been said that to have a friend, you have to be a friend.
Do you have someone in your life that you can safely confide in? A man once said that he performed this experiment: He shared a secret with someone to see if the secret got out. If it did, he knew he could not trust this person; that he could not safely confide in this person.
Meanwhile, a real friend tells you the truth even when it hurts. Do you have someone in your life that holds you accountable? That will confront you if necessary? Is there someone in your life that is not afraid to tell you that you need an attitude adjustment? Do you have someone who would speak in your defense, if necessary? If you needed a new kidney, can you think of anyone you could go to and ask for one of theirs or that would volunteer a kidney before you even asked?
Finally, an old adage states that: If you can count the number of true friends on one hand at the end of your life, consider yourself richly blessed! Why not take a moment and assess your friendships? Who do you thank God for bringing into your life? But even more importantly: Who is thanking God for you right now?
My mother used to rise early every morning. It was in her blood. She could not sleep late and was too active to want to. The first thing she did after grabbing her coffee was to grab her Bible. After she had finished her devotional, she would pray for me and my siblings. I rested assured even when I did not deserve it that, if nobody else, my mother would be praying for me. I was using her. I was using her prayerlife because I was lazy in my own.
My mother passed away in 2000. I continue to flounder around in my prayerlife. The only person that I know of that prays for me often is an associate pastor at my church. He responds every week to anything I have requested prayer for. Every Wednesday in the mail will be a postcard from him with reassuring words that he is praying for me. I am so grateful for him and his prayers but do I reciprocate? He has needs just like I do but do I pray for him?
Paul was thinking of Philemon when he expressed genuine gratitude to God for such a true friend. Do you have such a person in your life?
Truthful, trustworthy and in it for the long haul—not just when things are going good, are attributes to look for in a true friend. Plus, it has been said that to have a friend, you have to be a friend.
Do you have someone in your life that you can safely confide in? A man once said that he performed this experiment: He shared a secret with someone to see if the secret got out. If it did, he knew he could not trust this person; that he could not safely confide in this person.
Meanwhile, a real friend tells you the truth even when it hurts. Do you have someone in your life that holds you accountable? That will confront you if necessary? Is there someone in your life that is not afraid to tell you that you need an attitude adjustment? Do you have someone who would speak in your defense, if necessary? If you needed a new kidney, can you think of anyone you could go to and ask for one of theirs or that would volunteer a kidney before you even asked?
Finally, an old adage states that: If you can count the number of true friends on one hand at the end of your life, consider yourself richly blessed! Why not take a moment and assess your friendships? Who do you thank God for bringing into your life? But even more importantly: Who is thanking God for you right now?
My mother used to rise early every morning. It was in her blood. She could not sleep late and was too active to want to. The first thing she did after grabbing her coffee was to grab her Bible. After she had finished her devotional, she would pray for me and my siblings. I rested assured even when I did not deserve it that, if nobody else, my mother would be praying for me. I was using her. I was using her prayerlife because I was lazy in my own.
My mother passed away in 2000. I continue to flounder around in my prayerlife. The only person that I know of that prays for me often is an associate pastor at my church. He responds every week to anything I have requested prayer for. Every Wednesday in the mail will be a postcard from him with reassuring words that he is praying for me. I am so grateful for him and his prayers but do I reciprocate? He has needs just like I do but do I pray for him?
Saturday, February 6, 2010
Is there a Way to Find Rest?
Matthew 11: 28-29 Come to me all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle, and you will find rest for your souls.
Our world is so fast paced. Every hi-tech advance promises a more efficient use of our time. Yet it seems more like with each convenience we go out and buy, it makes us even more harassed and even more rushed instead of having more time.
Cell phones, BlackBerries, GPS navigation, computers and the internet all say that if we learn how to use them, our lives will be easier. Instead we have given ourselves an excuse for squeezing more time into the same twenty four hour period that each of us has in a day. It is like we have more and more weight around our necks at the end of the day and deep down rest eludes us.
Jim Rohn said: Time is more value than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.
Jesus made us a promise almost 2000 years ago for how we can get genuine rest. It does not involve taking a cruise or some other type of vacation. It does not include another modern advancement squeezed into our lives draining us of even more strength. The offer Jesus makes restores our strength. He just asks that we listen to His teaching and learn from His ways and then we will find that genuine rest each of us so badly needs. As we learn from this gentle and humble teacher, we will experience the deep down revitalizing soul rest that is so badly needed in our lives today.
We can ask Him right now to help us learn from Him to be gentle and humble in our dealings with others and to have that true renewing needed for our weary souls. After doing so, see if you rest easier tonight and awaken renewed and refreshed.
Our world is so fast paced. Every hi-tech advance promises a more efficient use of our time. Yet it seems more like with each convenience we go out and buy, it makes us even more harassed and even more rushed instead of having more time.
Cell phones, BlackBerries, GPS navigation, computers and the internet all say that if we learn how to use them, our lives will be easier. Instead we have given ourselves an excuse for squeezing more time into the same twenty four hour period that each of us has in a day. It is like we have more and more weight around our necks at the end of the day and deep down rest eludes us.
Jim Rohn said: Time is more value than money. You can get more money, but you cannot get more time.
Jesus made us a promise almost 2000 years ago for how we can get genuine rest. It does not involve taking a cruise or some other type of vacation. It does not include another modern advancement squeezed into our lives draining us of even more strength. The offer Jesus makes restores our strength. He just asks that we listen to His teaching and learn from His ways and then we will find that genuine rest each of us so badly needs. As we learn from this gentle and humble teacher, we will experience the deep down revitalizing soul rest that is so badly needed in our lives today.
We can ask Him right now to help us learn from Him to be gentle and humble in our dealings with others and to have that true renewing needed for our weary souls. After doing so, see if you rest easier tonight and awaken renewed and refreshed.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Your Reputation Precedes You
Romans 16:19 But everyone knows that you are obedient to the Lord. This makes me very happy. I want you to see clearly what is right and to stay innocent of any wrong.
Finlay Graham had a reputation as a preacher, a teacher and “race car driver” through the dangerous streets of Beirut. In Beirut traffic, he could get get through tight places while driving on the sidewalk, which was the practice of other Beirutis, to get around a tangled up mess of cars. His driver's reputation did not outweigh his abilities to teach at the Baptist Seminary in Beirut. He was also a church planter.
His reputation preceded him. Although he is no longer with us, he and all of us came to appreciate the God-given talents and abilities he had.
Do you ever wonder about your reputation? What kind of reputation do you have? What about some of these characteristics: integrity, honesty, trustworthy, goodness, kindness and Christlikeness? Are others glad on your behalf? My earthly father always told us not to do anything we would not be willing to put our name on. That has helped me all throughout my life.
Are we in any way bringing shame to the name of Jesus? If so we need to ask God to forgive us, cleanse us and make us more like Him? God, we ask that you would grant that our reputations would be pure like Jesus.
Finlay Graham had a reputation as a preacher, a teacher and “race car driver” through the dangerous streets of Beirut. In Beirut traffic, he could get get through tight places while driving on the sidewalk, which was the practice of other Beirutis, to get around a tangled up mess of cars. His driver's reputation did not outweigh his abilities to teach at the Baptist Seminary in Beirut. He was also a church planter.
His reputation preceded him. Although he is no longer with us, he and all of us came to appreciate the God-given talents and abilities he had.
Do you ever wonder about your reputation? What kind of reputation do you have? What about some of these characteristics: integrity, honesty, trustworthy, goodness, kindness and Christlikeness? Are others glad on your behalf? My earthly father always told us not to do anything we would not be willing to put our name on. That has helped me all throughout my life.
Are we in any way bringing shame to the name of Jesus? If so we need to ask God to forgive us, cleanse us and make us more like Him? God, we ask that you would grant that our reputations would be pure like Jesus.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
How do We Convey Generosity and Diligence?
Ecclesiastes 11:1 Give generously, for your gifts will return to you later.
Give something away, and it will come back to you. Sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? This is one of the principles that God designed for His children: the principle of generosity. The resources that God has provided for us are to be handled wisely, responsibly and diligently. We should always follow His wisdom in the use of our personal good fortune.
I believe God led me to a community of entrepreneurs which believes in giving back not just to our community alone but there came a call to action for members to help in the Haiti relief situation and in raising funds so a young woman could complete her education. I am so glad to have found a business that is not just concerned with how much money you can make. We are deeply concerned with how much we can help others achieve their goals, lift them up and get them to a point where they can be responsible citizens of this world and provide help when needed at such a time as this.
When you have a fully blessed child of God, liken them to a filled cloud ready to drop rain. That child will naturally be generous to others. We may be called upon to share of our material possessions or be asked to give of our spirituality, both because of His presence within us. He provided all we have and there will be times when He gives a call to action in which He will be right there with us as we obey and give of ourselves through the benefits He has provided.
Just as we cannot see the wind or understand the growth of an unborn child, we can in no way understand all the ways in which God is working. He will multiply your generosity if you will keep giving. Your generosity will continue to receive benefits. Like in the movie “Pay It Forward”, you help someone, they will in turn help someone and on it goes. Your generosity will come back to you.
Thankfully I own my own business so I can participate in both ways. I can contribute financially which is the easy way to help. Write a check and forget about it. Or, I can volunteer my time. Because I own a home based business, I get to set my own hours and even take off a day or two without damage to that business. It will continue working without me.
This community I am in starts every day with a “Wake Up Call” in which our host ends each morning by saying this: Do something today, something good and positive in the knowing, for someone you know cannot possibly repay you and the world will be better for it. I have paraphrased this but I think you can pick up on what is most important and that we are urged to do every day, not just when we feel like it but every day.
So I ask today that God would help me joyfully share the many blessings He has given me. And I am so thankful for what allows all this to take place: http://cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VSophiaR .My good friend Sophia is going to share some about our business and also about having the freedom to go and do when there is a need or desire. No cattle or land for sale. This business was named after God's generous ways in which He owns it all and can at any time “sell one of those cows” to help someone in need.
Give something away, and it will come back to you. Sounds like a contradiction, doesn't it? This is one of the principles that God designed for His children: the principle of generosity. The resources that God has provided for us are to be handled wisely, responsibly and diligently. We should always follow His wisdom in the use of our personal good fortune.
I believe God led me to a community of entrepreneurs which believes in giving back not just to our community alone but there came a call to action for members to help in the Haiti relief situation and in raising funds so a young woman could complete her education. I am so glad to have found a business that is not just concerned with how much money you can make. We are deeply concerned with how much we can help others achieve their goals, lift them up and get them to a point where they can be responsible citizens of this world and provide help when needed at such a time as this.
When you have a fully blessed child of God, liken them to a filled cloud ready to drop rain. That child will naturally be generous to others. We may be called upon to share of our material possessions or be asked to give of our spirituality, both because of His presence within us. He provided all we have and there will be times when He gives a call to action in which He will be right there with us as we obey and give of ourselves through the benefits He has provided.
Just as we cannot see the wind or understand the growth of an unborn child, we can in no way understand all the ways in which God is working. He will multiply your generosity if you will keep giving. Your generosity will continue to receive benefits. Like in the movie “Pay It Forward”, you help someone, they will in turn help someone and on it goes. Your generosity will come back to you.
Thankfully I own my own business so I can participate in both ways. I can contribute financially which is the easy way to help. Write a check and forget about it. Or, I can volunteer my time. Because I own a home based business, I get to set my own hours and even take off a day or two without damage to that business. It will continue working without me.
This community I am in starts every day with a “Wake Up Call” in which our host ends each morning by saying this: Do something today, something good and positive in the knowing, for someone you know cannot possibly repay you and the world will be better for it. I have paraphrased this but I think you can pick up on what is most important and that we are urged to do every day, not just when we feel like it but every day.
So I ask today that God would help me joyfully share the many blessings He has given me. And I am so thankful for what allows all this to take place: http://cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VSophiaR .My good friend Sophia is going to share some about our business and also about having the freedom to go and do when there is a need or desire. No cattle or land for sale. This business was named after God's generous ways in which He owns it all and can at any time “sell one of those cows” to help someone in need.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
Will you Delight or Disappoint the Lord?
Numbers 14:8 If the Lord delights in us, then He will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which flows with milk and honey.
The Israelites had the privilege of witnessing first hand God's power and grace more than any other nation on earth during their time and since then. His power was evident through the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea and their freedom from Egyptian slavery. They witnessed His grace as He provided their water, food, and protection as they traveled throughout the wilderness. Without Him, they would have had none of this.
Finally once they stood on the brink of the land God had promised them, they chose not to go in. They thought the giant-like inhabitants would surely kill them all. All that God wanted from them was their obedience to cross over into this land of milk and honey. He had delivered them time and again from ferocious nations as they traveled in the wilderness. Despite His great love for them, they rebelled bringing sadness instead of joy to God's heart.
Essentially we all have that same opportunity to delight the Lord and bring joy to His heart. What it boils down to is the choice between obeying the path He has prepared for us to travel on or rebelling in order to go our own way. We can be strong-willed and opinionated in thinking we know what is best for us like a disobedient child.
What stands between you and your “promised land” today? If the choice you have to make is whether or not to obey Him, choose to delight Him with your obedience. Let the desire of your heart be to delight Him. Ask Him for the help to obey Him and follow His plans for your life. Those plans are always so much better than what we can devise on our own. The sooner we realize this and let it sink into our hearts, the easier life will be for us.
The Israelites had the privilege of witnessing first hand God's power and grace more than any other nation on earth during their time and since then. His power was evident through the ten plagues, the parting of the Red Sea and their freedom from Egyptian slavery. They witnessed His grace as He provided their water, food, and protection as they traveled throughout the wilderness. Without Him, they would have had none of this.
Finally once they stood on the brink of the land God had promised them, they chose not to go in. They thought the giant-like inhabitants would surely kill them all. All that God wanted from them was their obedience to cross over into this land of milk and honey. He had delivered them time and again from ferocious nations as they traveled in the wilderness. Despite His great love for them, they rebelled bringing sadness instead of joy to God's heart.
Essentially we all have that same opportunity to delight the Lord and bring joy to His heart. What it boils down to is the choice between obeying the path He has prepared for us to travel on or rebelling in order to go our own way. We can be strong-willed and opinionated in thinking we know what is best for us like a disobedient child.
What stands between you and your “promised land” today? If the choice you have to make is whether or not to obey Him, choose to delight Him with your obedience. Let the desire of your heart be to delight Him. Ask Him for the help to obey Him and follow His plans for your life. Those plans are always so much better than what we can devise on our own. The sooner we realize this and let it sink into our hearts, the easier life will be for us.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Why Shouldn't I Go It Alone?
Ecclesiastes 4:9-10 Two are better than one; because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, the one will lift up his friend. But if alone, who will help you get back up when you fall.
Even though we might put on the spiritual armor of God (found in Ephesians 6:11-18) every morning, we still have one weakness: we can be attacked from behind. Satan does not mind how he gets to you. If it is from behind and you do not have anyone watching your back, then he will try to overwhelm you with temptation.
Therefore, spiritually speaking, we all need someone in our lives to whom we have given permission to diligently watch our backs. I am sure most everyone has seen the new ad campaign with Shaquille O'Neal in response to a certain company's very slow response to downloading movies from the Internet. Shaq explains what the other guy offers misleads the client compared with what his company offers. The ad ends with “Shaq Has Your Back” and shows the happy group with Shaq standing behind the person(s) involved. Shaq is so big compared to those he is standing with that I always think of the story of David and Goliath and maybe that is what the company wants us to think subliminally. Who can or would dare to go up against Shaq?
In his time, King Solomon wrote to us about this very point. Solomon studied the failures in others and within himself. He recognized, in all his wisdom, that we should not go it alone. His wisdom showed him that everyone needs someone to keep them on the best path. Then we can reciprocate in the other's life if deemed necessary. Like holding each other accountable for their actions.
Just as important today, do you have someone who holds you spiritually accountable? If you do not, you can ask God to open your eyes to see that very special person He has sent into your life. Not someone to beat you over the head when you slip and make mistakes but one to encourage you to always pursue God's best. In Hebrews 3:13, it states: Encourage one another daily. And which of us does not want/need daily encouragement? Go to a friend or family member that you have good relations with already and ask if they will be your accountability partner. If not, God will bring that special encourager into your life if you ask Him to.
God, we ask that you help us to always remember that we need the help of others in order to succeed in the spiritual battles we face every day.
Personally, in the Internet marketing business I have created, I need an accountability partner on days when I consider just giving up and going elsewhere despite all the time and effort I have put into this business, Cattle on 1000 Hills. If God has brought me here to be an encourager and not to share in profits, then I will do the very best job at it that I can. But it sure would be good to see leads coming in and sales being made. I know He is in charge of all that, too, so I will not grumble and complain.
cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VJeffL
Even though we might put on the spiritual armor of God (found in Ephesians 6:11-18) every morning, we still have one weakness: we can be attacked from behind. Satan does not mind how he gets to you. If it is from behind and you do not have anyone watching your back, then he will try to overwhelm you with temptation.
Therefore, spiritually speaking, we all need someone in our lives to whom we have given permission to diligently watch our backs. I am sure most everyone has seen the new ad campaign with Shaquille O'Neal in response to a certain company's very slow response to downloading movies from the Internet. Shaq explains what the other guy offers misleads the client compared with what his company offers. The ad ends with “Shaq Has Your Back” and shows the happy group with Shaq standing behind the person(s) involved. Shaq is so big compared to those he is standing with that I always think of the story of David and Goliath and maybe that is what the company wants us to think subliminally. Who can or would dare to go up against Shaq?
In his time, King Solomon wrote to us about this very point. Solomon studied the failures in others and within himself. He recognized, in all his wisdom, that we should not go it alone. His wisdom showed him that everyone needs someone to keep them on the best path. Then we can reciprocate in the other's life if deemed necessary. Like holding each other accountable for their actions.
Just as important today, do you have someone who holds you spiritually accountable? If you do not, you can ask God to open your eyes to see that very special person He has sent into your life. Not someone to beat you over the head when you slip and make mistakes but one to encourage you to always pursue God's best. In Hebrews 3:13, it states: Encourage one another daily. And which of us does not want/need daily encouragement? Go to a friend or family member that you have good relations with already and ask if they will be your accountability partner. If not, God will bring that special encourager into your life if you ask Him to.
God, we ask that you help us to always remember that we need the help of others in order to succeed in the spiritual battles we face every day.
Personally, in the Internet marketing business I have created, I need an accountability partner on days when I consider just giving up and going elsewhere despite all the time and effort I have put into this business, Cattle on 1000 Hills. If God has brought me here to be an encourager and not to share in profits, then I will do the very best job at it that I can. But it sure would be good to see leads coming in and sales being made. I know He is in charge of all that, too, so I will not grumble and complain.
cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VJeffL
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Are You Tired of Being Tired?
And He that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new. And He said to me, Write: for these words are true and faithful. Revelation 21:5
Lately I have been taking afternoon naps. A sure sign that my age is catching up with me because in the past, if I slept during the day, I would feel awful when I woke up. But as the scripture above promises, one day our bodies will be new and revived. No afternoon naps will be needed in Heaven.
We live in a very old house built very well in the 1930’s by my grandfather. Despite the fact that he built this house so strongly, there are still things that come up that need to be fixed: light fixtures, painting, unclogging pipes and so forth. My husband taught himself to do just about any kind of repair work necessary. Plus he has this wonderful creative side to him. He also likes to make new things.
However God is our Master Creator. Despite what some evolutionists believe, not only did He create the earth and all that is in it, but He is not finished with it yet. In fact, eternity holds new things He has planned for us.
When we arrive in Heaven, God has many new plans for us. For example: a new eternal home, new jobs in His kingdom, completely new bodies (not refurbished ones), and He will allow us to have a new understanding of Him and everything that has happened before.
Now we can experience wonderful thoughts and hope for our future. He makes everything new. If we have sick, diseased or painful bodies, they will be made brand new. And He paid for all this on the cross at Calvary. He brings us mercies every day while we are still here on earth.
Is there something broken, tired or worn out in your life? We cannot fix ourselves no matter how many self-improvement books we read, no matter how many pills the doctor gives us to make us feel better. But God can make things new for you today. All you have to do is ask. He has been waiting just like a life guard has to wait for the drowning person to quit thrashing before he can save him, God is waiting for you to realize only He can make things new today.
I want to admit today that You are the Creator and acknowledge that You are able to make everything new. You deserve all praise and honor and glory!
Lately I have been taking afternoon naps. A sure sign that my age is catching up with me because in the past, if I slept during the day, I would feel awful when I woke up. But as the scripture above promises, one day our bodies will be new and revived. No afternoon naps will be needed in Heaven.
We live in a very old house built very well in the 1930’s by my grandfather. Despite the fact that he built this house so strongly, there are still things that come up that need to be fixed: light fixtures, painting, unclogging pipes and so forth. My husband taught himself to do just about any kind of repair work necessary. Plus he has this wonderful creative side to him. He also likes to make new things.
However God is our Master Creator. Despite what some evolutionists believe, not only did He create the earth and all that is in it, but He is not finished with it yet. In fact, eternity holds new things He has planned for us.
When we arrive in Heaven, God has many new plans for us. For example: a new eternal home, new jobs in His kingdom, completely new bodies (not refurbished ones), and He will allow us to have a new understanding of Him and everything that has happened before.
Now we can experience wonderful thoughts and hope for our future. He makes everything new. If we have sick, diseased or painful bodies, they will be made brand new. And He paid for all this on the cross at Calvary. He brings us mercies every day while we are still here on earth.
Is there something broken, tired or worn out in your life? We cannot fix ourselves no matter how many self-improvement books we read, no matter how many pills the doctor gives us to make us feel better. But God can make things new for you today. All you have to do is ask. He has been waiting just like a life guard has to wait for the drowning person to quit thrashing before he can save him, God is waiting for you to realize only He can make things new today.
I want to admit today that You are the Creator and acknowledge that You are able to make everything new. You deserve all praise and honor and glory!
Saturday, January 30, 2010
Family Traits
Mark 3:35 Whoever does the will of God is my brother, and my sister, and my mother.
The special church event had ended, and the men were helping to move tables in the fellowship hall. “Matt should be here any minute,” his mom said to me.
Soon she said, “There he comes now.” She pointed to a man crossing the parking lot in the semi-darkness. “How can you tell?” I asked, perplexed. “By the way he walks. He walks just like his Uncle Ed walked.” It was then I noticed the family trait.
Jesus said that those who do the will of God are His family and doing the will of God simply means living the way He instructs us to live. It requires time spent alone with God. We need to spend time seeking His will, just as Jesus did during His time here on earth.
Jesus walked in total communion with God. He also walked in total submission to God, living out God's Word. If we do the same, we share a family trait with Christ, which lets us act as His brothers and sisters.
Do I share the family trait of seeking God's will? If so, I will walk like my “brother, Jesus”. So I ask Father that you would show me today how to walk in Your ways. Please guide me to do Your will which will show Christ to others.
This author lives deep in the Bible Belt so much of her blogging will head in the direction of her religious convictions. But she is also a savvy internet marketing strategist and social media enthusiast. She can be found at her website: http://cattleon1000hills.com and she is on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace under her name. Thanks for reading this post.
The special church event had ended, and the men were helping to move tables in the fellowship hall. “Matt should be here any minute,” his mom said to me.
Soon she said, “There he comes now.” She pointed to a man crossing the parking lot in the semi-darkness. “How can you tell?” I asked, perplexed. “By the way he walks. He walks just like his Uncle Ed walked.” It was then I noticed the family trait.
Jesus said that those who do the will of God are His family and doing the will of God simply means living the way He instructs us to live. It requires time spent alone with God. We need to spend time seeking His will, just as Jesus did during His time here on earth.
Jesus walked in total communion with God. He also walked in total submission to God, living out God's Word. If we do the same, we share a family trait with Christ, which lets us act as His brothers and sisters.
Do I share the family trait of seeking God's will? If so, I will walk like my “brother, Jesus”. So I ask Father that you would show me today how to walk in Your ways. Please guide me to do Your will which will show Christ to others.
This author lives deep in the Bible Belt so much of her blogging will head in the direction of her religious convictions. But she is also a savvy internet marketing strategist and social media enthusiast. She can be found at her website: http://cattleon1000hills.com and she is on Facebook, Twitter and MySpace under her name. Thanks for reading this post.
Thursday, January 28, 2010
Wednesday, January 27, 2010
Beware Southern Drivers During Snowstorms
First of all, there are no snowstorms as far south as I live even though the slightest flurry causes everyone to rush to the store and clean the shelves of bread, milk and batteries. It is not safe to be on the road with these fanatics or in the stores, where you may get trampled by the hoards running to stock up on food stuffs they will not be able to cook or keep cold. Never ceases to amaze me that the scenario is always the same. Mr./Mrs. Weatherman swears up and down that snow is coming so children are sent home from school and classes are canceled for the next day only to find the sun shining and kids disappointed there is no snow. These 'snow days' are allowed by the school board which decides if they have to be made up or not.
Then there is the problem of moms and dads in the work force that may get sent home, also. Some are not salaried so they lose pay. And there is the over night wait and see for the next day if work will continue as scheduled, be canceled for part of the day or the entire day. If schools are dismissed but moms and dads are not, then who takes care of the kids. If you do not have paid time off, you have to find someone to tend to kids if the workplace did not cancel. So everyone sits in front of the TV not watching their favorite program but the ticker tape running at the bottom of the screen announcing school closings.
At least 5 or 6 times during the 'winter' they make these snow-is-coming announcements. Someone should hold them responsible for the chaos that ensues with these afterwards. We are now the brunt of jokes by those living in parts of the country that really do have snowstorms to deal with.
Something even more strange about Southern drivers (and I do not remember seeing this in any of the many cities I have lived in) is the reckless driving when it rains. We see rain quite often here so why should that cause drivers to become even more dangerous to be around? You have to guard your rear by keeping one eye on your rear view mirror at all times because the driver behind you has not allowed enough time to stop on the wet street.
At this point, you close your eyes and cringe begging God to stop their car in time. It also means when the crazy driver in front of you slams on their brakes for some unknown reason, you chance rear ending them and causing a 14 car pileup because all the drivers behind you are either doing the same or may be on their cell phone instead of watching what is going on around them.
To lighten up for a minute, let me mention the use or misuse of blinkers which were intended to let other drivers know when you were going to make a turn which may or may not be a legal turn. No true Southerner uses their blinkers. If you get behind someone sporting a license plate from a Southern state with their blinker on, the blinker was on when they bought the car.
Here we have Drivers Ed 101: Skipping Red Lights. Everywhere else in the country, green is for go, yellow is caution to prepare to stop and red means you STOP—period. If your light turns green and you have not looked both ways more than once before you proceed, you may be slammed into by a driver running their red light at a very high rate of speed.
The rest of the country thinks we are kind of slow talking, slow walking, easy going and soft spoken. Visitors are in for a rude awakening if they intend to venture South of the Mason-Dixon Line in a motor vehicle. If you are going to attempt such a thing, make sure your emergency kits are up to date—flares, those orange reflectors you put on the road hoping drivers go around you while rubber necking whatever reason you are stopped. Have your id ready along with your insurance card.
Also God forbid you are in an accident, use that cell phone you are not supposed to be talking on while driving to take pictures of the damage to your car, the street locations, the other driver's car (especially the license plate) and the other driver, if possible. If the other driver produces any kind of id or insurance card, take pictures of those, also. More than likely the other driver is one of those you see on True TV that disappears before or when the police arrive because there are warrants out for them or at the least, they are illegally driving with a suspended license and no insurance even though they showed you both. Are you beginning to see a trend here? When you take the picture of the driver's license and insurance card, check the expiration dates on both.
Other than that “Y'all come back now!”
The author was born and raised in the South so she is an expert on Southern drivers. She is a social media enthusiast with blogs and on Facebook. She has a business entitled Cattle on 1000 Hills but she does not sell cattle or land. She would love to talk with you more about her internet marketing business at http://cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VSophiaR You will not see the author at this site as she has enlisted the help of a friend to tell you her amazing story which is not unique to this business.
cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VJeffL
Then there is the problem of moms and dads in the work force that may get sent home, also. Some are not salaried so they lose pay. And there is the over night wait and see for the next day if work will continue as scheduled, be canceled for part of the day or the entire day. If schools are dismissed but moms and dads are not, then who takes care of the kids. If you do not have paid time off, you have to find someone to tend to kids if the workplace did not cancel. So everyone sits in front of the TV not watching their favorite program but the ticker tape running at the bottom of the screen announcing school closings.
At least 5 or 6 times during the 'winter' they make these snow-is-coming announcements. Someone should hold them responsible for the chaos that ensues with these afterwards. We are now the brunt of jokes by those living in parts of the country that really do have snowstorms to deal with.
Something even more strange about Southern drivers (and I do not remember seeing this in any of the many cities I have lived in) is the reckless driving when it rains. We see rain quite often here so why should that cause drivers to become even more dangerous to be around? You have to guard your rear by keeping one eye on your rear view mirror at all times because the driver behind you has not allowed enough time to stop on the wet street.
At this point, you close your eyes and cringe begging God to stop their car in time. It also means when the crazy driver in front of you slams on their brakes for some unknown reason, you chance rear ending them and causing a 14 car pileup because all the drivers behind you are either doing the same or may be on their cell phone instead of watching what is going on around them.
To lighten up for a minute, let me mention the use or misuse of blinkers which were intended to let other drivers know when you were going to make a turn which may or may not be a legal turn. No true Southerner uses their blinkers. If you get behind someone sporting a license plate from a Southern state with their blinker on, the blinker was on when they bought the car.
Here we have Drivers Ed 101: Skipping Red Lights. Everywhere else in the country, green is for go, yellow is caution to prepare to stop and red means you STOP—period. If your light turns green and you have not looked both ways more than once before you proceed, you may be slammed into by a driver running their red light at a very high rate of speed.
The rest of the country thinks we are kind of slow talking, slow walking, easy going and soft spoken. Visitors are in for a rude awakening if they intend to venture South of the Mason-Dixon Line in a motor vehicle. If you are going to attempt such a thing, make sure your emergency kits are up to date—flares, those orange reflectors you put on the road hoping drivers go around you while rubber necking whatever reason you are stopped. Have your id ready along with your insurance card.
Also God forbid you are in an accident, use that cell phone you are not supposed to be talking on while driving to take pictures of the damage to your car, the street locations, the other driver's car (especially the license plate) and the other driver, if possible. If the other driver produces any kind of id or insurance card, take pictures of those, also. More than likely the other driver is one of those you see on True TV that disappears before or when the police arrive because there are warrants out for them or at the least, they are illegally driving with a suspended license and no insurance even though they showed you both. Are you beginning to see a trend here? When you take the picture of the driver's license and insurance card, check the expiration dates on both.
Other than that “Y'all come back now!”
The author was born and raised in the South so she is an expert on Southern drivers. She is a social media enthusiast with blogs and on Facebook. She has a business entitled Cattle on 1000 Hills but she does not sell cattle or land. She would love to talk with you more about her internet marketing business at http://cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VSophiaR You will not see the author at this site as she has enlisted the help of a friend to tell you her amazing story which is not unique to this business.
cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VJeffL
The Best Investment You Can Make
Honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part of everything your land produces. Proverbs 3:9
This mighty nation is going through some very difficult times. Oil, food, and almost everything else has seen its price increased. It is rare if a family has not been touched by unemployment or has not been faced with taking measures to avoid foreclosure.
In the meantime, our personal incomes have been affected by layoffs, downsizing, pay cuts, closing lifetime family businesses with most, in despair, not knowing where to turn for help. Banks have suffered losses as well and either cannot lend anymore or refuse to take chances because the market gains and then suffers losses causing investments and retirements to grow smaller. King Solomon, who had more treasure than anyone else ever imagined during his time and now, knew that the best investment you can make is in God's kingdom. Those investments will always grow and will never be in jeopardy.
Furthermore, King Solomon recognized that the Lord deserves our honor and respect. The commands God gave Moses were just as relevant to him (and to us). So Solomon encouraged his people to show respect to God with the first fruits (income) of their labors.
Yet why would God ask to be honored by receiving a portion of our income? He does not need our money. What He wants is our obedience. Because when we obey God, we are promised help, according to His will, through the hard times we may be having (like our nation is experiencing right now). Therefore, if things do not work out like we want, we can rest assured that He has something even better in store for us than we can imagine. And we should not second guess Him or put limitations on Him. We must trust God and His greater plan for us which can be hard to do.
So I ask now God, that even though I am going through very difficult financial times, help me to honor you with a portion of Your blessings which only you have provided, not me. I may think I have worked hard and built my business on my own, but you were there every step of the way. I am grateful that you are the best investment I can ever make and that if I invest in You, I will never suffer loss. Show me how to trust You by giving to you even when I am struggling to pay my bills.
The author lives in the Bible Belt so some of her writings deal with religious matters. But she is also a savvy internet marketing strategist who manages a business with a scriptural name: Cattle on 1000 Hills. As a social media enthusiast, she can be found on Facebook, WordPress, My Space and at her website for Cattle on 1000 Hills But the author has requested that a friend tell you a success story which is not unique to this business. No cattle or land for sale. Just a fantastic opportunity.
cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VJeffL
This mighty nation is going through some very difficult times. Oil, food, and almost everything else has seen its price increased. It is rare if a family has not been touched by unemployment or has not been faced with taking measures to avoid foreclosure.
In the meantime, our personal incomes have been affected by layoffs, downsizing, pay cuts, closing lifetime family businesses with most, in despair, not knowing where to turn for help. Banks have suffered losses as well and either cannot lend anymore or refuse to take chances because the market gains and then suffers losses causing investments and retirements to grow smaller. King Solomon, who had more treasure than anyone else ever imagined during his time and now, knew that the best investment you can make is in God's kingdom. Those investments will always grow and will never be in jeopardy.
Furthermore, King Solomon recognized that the Lord deserves our honor and respect. The commands God gave Moses were just as relevant to him (and to us). So Solomon encouraged his people to show respect to God with the first fruits (income) of their labors.
Yet why would God ask to be honored by receiving a portion of our income? He does not need our money. What He wants is our obedience. Because when we obey God, we are promised help, according to His will, through the hard times we may be having (like our nation is experiencing right now). Therefore, if things do not work out like we want, we can rest assured that He has something even better in store for us than we can imagine. And we should not second guess Him or put limitations on Him. We must trust God and His greater plan for us which can be hard to do.
So I ask now God, that even though I am going through very difficult financial times, help me to honor you with a portion of Your blessings which only you have provided, not me. I may think I have worked hard and built my business on my own, but you were there every step of the way. I am grateful that you are the best investment I can ever make and that if I invest in You, I will never suffer loss. Show me how to trust You by giving to you even when I am struggling to pay my bills.
The author lives in the Bible Belt so some of her writings deal with religious matters. But she is also a savvy internet marketing strategist who manages a business with a scriptural name: Cattle on 1000 Hills. As a social media enthusiast, she can be found on Facebook, WordPress, My Space and at her website for Cattle on 1000 Hills But the author has requested that a friend tell you a success story which is not unique to this business. No cattle or land for sale. Just a fantastic opportunity.
cattleon1000hills.com/?site=VJeffL
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
God's Good Warehouse Never Closes
God said, Behold, I have given you every herb bearing seed, which is upon the face of all the earth, and every tree, in which is the fruit of a tree yielding seed: to you it shall be for meat. Genesis 1:29
A newborn baby is needy. It must be given everything it needs for survival. That baby needs the physical touch and emotional nourishment as much as it needs shelter and warmth. That babe depends on a loving provider since it is in a state of total reliance. It is no different for each of us. God created us to be totally dependent on Him for our physical and emotional well being. We need to express our gratitude to Him for the shelter and warmth He provides.
In the scripture above, the provision of God shown to Adam and Eve is being described. He provided all they needed to survive and went beyond that by giving His love, His care and His protection.
God has many names and one of my favorites and one I depend on heavily is Jehovah-Jireh, my Provider. He is a God that provides. Plus when He reaches into his warehouse on our behalf, He draws out more than we asked for and more than we expected. As we grow in our dependence on God and trust His ability to provide, the more abundantly He wants to bless us.
If you depend on your Father, the Good Provider, then thank Him today: Help me to trust Your provision for everything I need. Nothing I require is beyond Your ability to provide. Your provisions have no limitations. Thank You for Your abundant goodness to me. Remind me to be ever grateful for the way you provide for me.
If you do not know Him, if you do not know of His provision, you may still go to Him. Talk to Him just like we are talking. No fancy language is needed. No King James version of speech is necessary. Just talk to Him like He was in the chair next to you because He is and He wants to take care of you, if you will let Him.
A newborn baby is needy. It must be given everything it needs for survival. That baby needs the physical touch and emotional nourishment as much as it needs shelter and warmth. That babe depends on a loving provider since it is in a state of total reliance. It is no different for each of us. God created us to be totally dependent on Him for our physical and emotional well being. We need to express our gratitude to Him for the shelter and warmth He provides.
In the scripture above, the provision of God shown to Adam and Eve is being described. He provided all they needed to survive and went beyond that by giving His love, His care and His protection.
God has many names and one of my favorites and one I depend on heavily is Jehovah-Jireh, my Provider. He is a God that provides. Plus when He reaches into his warehouse on our behalf, He draws out more than we asked for and more than we expected. As we grow in our dependence on God and trust His ability to provide, the more abundantly He wants to bless us.
If you depend on your Father, the Good Provider, then thank Him today: Help me to trust Your provision for everything I need. Nothing I require is beyond Your ability to provide. Your provisions have no limitations. Thank You for Your abundant goodness to me. Remind me to be ever grateful for the way you provide for me.
If you do not know Him, if you do not know of His provision, you may still go to Him. Talk to Him just like we are talking. No fancy language is needed. No King James version of speech is necessary. Just talk to Him like He was in the chair next to you because He is and He wants to take care of you, if you will let Him.
Monday, January 25, 2010
His Door Is Always Open
I know your works: behold, I have set before you an open door, and no man can shut it: for you have a little strength, and have kept my word, and have not denied my name. Revelation 3:8
I frequently hear the saying (mostly when I am down and out) that when God closes one door, He opens another. A motel chain used as their advertising slogan that they would always leave the light on for you. That way you knew you would have an open door to a good night's sleep no matter the time of day or night. They used a smooth talking spokesperson in the ads which really drove the message home.
The ad campaign was a success. Those on long journeys knew it did not matter about the time of day or night it happened to be, if they could find the motel's lighted sign in that city, they would be able to take advantage of that open door message and get a good night's sleep before they continued their journey.
God always leaves the light on for His children. Just as the scripture above states, His door is always open. His strength is all sufficient if you are weak and weary. But we have to hold up our end of the bargain even though He will not demand it as payment. We must keep His Word and refuse to deny His name. That is all He asks so that no matter what time of the day or the night He is there. He invites us to come to Him if we are tired and heavy laden.
Oh God my Father, I am so happy that your door does not close. So many times when I was tired and heavy laden it was available to me. Help me not to be selfish with Your open door policy. There are so many living in darkness that don't even know it. Show me where to use the opportunity of that open door to offer Your light to someone who does not know about it.
I frequently hear the saying (mostly when I am down and out) that when God closes one door, He opens another. A motel chain used as their advertising slogan that they would always leave the light on for you. That way you knew you would have an open door to a good night's sleep no matter the time of day or night. They used a smooth talking spokesperson in the ads which really drove the message home.
The ad campaign was a success. Those on long journeys knew it did not matter about the time of day or night it happened to be, if they could find the motel's lighted sign in that city, they would be able to take advantage of that open door message and get a good night's sleep before they continued their journey.
God always leaves the light on for His children. Just as the scripture above states, His door is always open. His strength is all sufficient if you are weak and weary. But we have to hold up our end of the bargain even though He will not demand it as payment. We must keep His Word and refuse to deny His name. That is all He asks so that no matter what time of the day or the night He is there. He invites us to come to Him if we are tired and heavy laden.
Oh God my Father, I am so happy that your door does not close. So many times when I was tired and heavy laden it was available to me. Help me not to be selfish with Your open door policy. There are so many living in darkness that don't even know it. Show me where to use the opportunity of that open door to offer Your light to someone who does not know about it.
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Being Last Does Not Make You a Loser
But many that are first shall be last; and the last first. Mark 10:31
Whenever the Olympics come around, inspiring stories always surface causing us to cheer, applaud, and maybe shed a few tears. We do not soon forget the story of Derek Redmond, even though he finished dead last at the finals of the 400 meter sprint at the 1992 summer Olympics in Barcelona.
Do you remember who finished first place in that race? More people remember Derek Redmond's last place finish than the actual winner of the race who was Quincy Watts from the USA, in 43.5 seconds. I doubt you readily remember any of the other medalists from Barcelona either. We remember Derek because he did not get to the finish line by himself. He pulled a hamstring while running but he did not want to quit the race. His father jumped out of the crowd and helped his son cross the finish line even though in last place.
We are soon to experience the Olympics in Vancouver so many years away from the 1992 Barcelona Olympics. But we still applaud and cheer and cry when we think of the story of Derek and his father crossing the finish line. Derek finished in last place but we remember him first.
For Derek and all Christians, it is not a bad place to be in if you are last. Lots of followers of Jesus Christ can not get beyond last place. They always seem to be bringing up the rear while on earth. But they will be first when they reach Heaven. While in last place, we pray: Jesus, I have left all my worldly possessions to follow You; thank you for the promise that my sacrifices will result in Your blessings.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Friday, January 1, 2010
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
