Waiting

I hate waiting. I'm so impatient and this morning I'm waiting to hear news that could change the next few months or even years of our family's lives. I've stressed about it, obsessed about it, prayed about it and finally given it to God so now it's in His capable hands.

Please pray with me that no matter the outcome, we would be obedient to His will and not try to go our own way. He knows what's best for us and loves us more than we can imagine. Thanks!

Here's the verse I'm focusing on today:

Source

Friday Gratitude

Ok, I know it's only the first week of the year but so far my new way of doing things is going great! Seriously, it is so easy just to pull out my home management binder (sorry should have mentioned that yesterday) and look at the planner to cross off the last task and see what's next. I even scheduled moving the laundry since I usually get busy and forget.

I thought I'd post a bit from my Gratitude Journal today so here goes...

January 1, 2013

I am so grateful for another year! I am grateful that I can stay home with my girls and don’t have to miss a thing in their lives. I can’t wait to see what You have in store for our family in 2013.

Psalm 86:11 - Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name.

Psalm 119:35 - Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.

Psalm 143:10 - Teach me to do your will, for you are my God; may your good Spirit lead me on level ground.

 

January 2, 2013

I am grateful for kids that make me laugh and love to read and write.

Psalm 127:3-5 - Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate.

January 3, 2013

I am grateful that You love us even when we least deserve it.

Romans 5:8 - But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. 

January 4, 2013

I am grateful that you heal the brokenhearted. 

Psalm 147:3 - He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

Have a great weekend!

Reclaiming Halloween

About a week or so ago I posted about how we've been rethinking Halloween and what that means for our family this year so I thought I'd come back and share what we plan to do.

Fortunately, this year Halloween falls on a Wednesday so our church has decided as a missions opportunity to hold a trunk-or-treat and invite the neighborhood to come. Oh, I can hear it now:
Come on, so you change the name a little and do it in the church parking lot instead of your block, how's that really different?

Well, truthfully it doesn't have to be. We could dress up, throw candy at some kids and go home no different than if we'd done nothing at all. The actions by themselves are worthless, empty filthy rags without God.

Or we could plan a bunch of stuff and invite God to come and hope He blesses it. "Hey, God look at all we're doing here for You! What would You do without us?" type of thing. That would be worthless too and maybe worse because we're deceiving ourselves as well as others.

But here's where it's at for me and why it makes sense for our family:

Recently our pastor said something that really stuck with me - God can take something meant for evil and reclaim it for His glory. He can. And does. The story of Joseph is a good example of God doing this, Moses is another. As Christians, we don't have to hide inside while darkness gathers around us, we can allow God to use us to fulfill His mission!

Here's another thing, God gives certain commands in the Bible and those commands are not contingent on the calendar. There's no out just because it's October 31 any more than thinking we only need to tell others about God on Christmas and Easter. 1 John 5:3 says, "This is love for God: to obey His commands." and in John 15:14 "You are my friends if you do what I command.".

• We are commanded to put Him first.

• We are commanded to love our neighbor.

• We are commanded to serve. The first time I typed sever...yikes!

• We are commanded to spread the gospel.

I'm sure some will disagree but for us these commands apply here. This is something that we are to do every day, and I think that this is an opportunity to do it on a larger scale than we could otherwise.

God is the focus, we are the followers.

We can't do the work, only God can, but we can be obedient to His commands and I don't think that we would accomplish that effectively by either boycotting Halloween by hiding in our houses or embracing Halloween as willing participants. This is the way that we feel God is leading our family to spend this time, it may look different for yours. I'd love to hear your thoughts and plans in the comments!

Linking to:

What I Know Now

One of the blogs I've started following recently is having a blog link-up to share stories of life lessons to share with others so I thought I'd share mine:

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

 

I became a christian at a young age but for years no one would have known that, or maybe even believed it if I had told them. See, I felt like once I had accepted Christ I was done and could do whatever I wanted after that safe in the knowledge that I was saved. What I know now is that I wasted years of my life pursuing things that brought me little joy when I could have had the peace and joy that comes from having a relationship with God. I had traded the truth of God for a lie and eventually my lukewarm lifestyle caught up with me. I was burned out from trying to do it all on my own and not sure where to turn.

 

I remember being so overwhelmed with everything that I wished I had my own sensory deprivation chamber that I could hide in to escape the world! Unfortunately, I didn't have one at my disposal so one night when I just couldn't take any more I did the next best thing, I shut off all the lights, the TV and everything else and just lay on my couch in the dark wondering if I was going crazy. At first it was weird just laying there, then kind of relaxing, and all of a sudden the most amazing thing happened. A commercial for a church in my area popped in my head and in an instant I knew what was missing. A relationship with my Savior! It was time for this prodigal daughter to come home.

 

That was years ago and I can't say that since then everything's been easy or that I don't sometimes need a reminder of who is in charge but what I know now is that if you're feeling overwhelmed & weary, it's time to stop trying to do it on your own. Lay your burden down & turn to your Heavenly Father for rest.

Linking to:

 



I am full!

Remember the old coffee commercial slogan, "Fill it to the rim...with Brim."?

I have no idea if Brim is still around (I'm a Folger's girl myself, and I'll keep the caffene thankyouverymuch) but the catch phrase was clever enough to stick in my then too young for coffee brain and came to mind as I read the scripture passage this morning.

 

For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority.

Colossians 2:9-10

 

Fullness seems to be a theme in Colossians. Paul mentions it more than once in chapter 1 and includes it in both verses here. Fullness means 'filled to capacity' so the thankfulness he speaks of in verse 7, as well as love and other fruits might be considered an outpouring or overflow because we are filled completely with Him. If I am filled with Christ, the things of Him will be an outpouring of that fullness.

 

Here's another thought, usually when I've finished a big meal I stop eating. Why? I'm full so I don't want any more. If I try to keep eating after I'm full what will happen? I may make myself sick, I'll probably gain more weight than necessary and can become unhealthy. In the same way when I have Christ I am full and complete and have everything I need in Him. However, if I start to doubt that and feel like I need something more to fulfill me I can become spiritually unhealthy. Just like my body shows to the world when I've taken in too much, my life will reflect if I'm trying to take on too much. If that happens I may need to stop what I'm doing and go back to verse 8.

 

What about you? Are you full?





Rethinking Halloween

 

 

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

Colossians 2:8

 

Oh boy. This might be a controversial post if anyone actually read my blog but me...ha ha. 

 

I'm sure that we all know something that fits the description, maybe a certain movie or book that you could tell in an instant wasn't Godly but others around you were deceived. For me that would be something like horoscopes, which seems obvious but yet several of my christian friends get them daily on Facebook so maybe it's more deceptive for others. I think the real deception is that it becomes so commonplace that it's the norm. You don't question it because it doesn't occur to you do do so.

 

Several times we have rented movies and to me the messages are so blatantly ungodly that I can't watch it but when I say something it's met with eye rolls and "it's just a movie". I want to say, "No, that's what the devil wants you to think, guard your heart!". Other times I realized something that I'd never questioned before went against the Word of God when I watched it again at a later time.

 

This is why it is so important to know scripture by heart and to be in the Word daily. As I get deeper into God's word I see so much more clearly the things that aren't from Him. Things that not long ago were acceptable to me are now seen in a whole new "light", if you know what I mean.

 

Here's a recent example from an unlikely source: Pinterest. I've really enjoyed Pinterest and I've found some great ideas on there. In fact, most of the dinners I've made lately I found on Pinterest! Anyway, I follow a lot of craft, home decor and educational bloggers on Pinterest and about a month ago I joined a christian pinners group as well. As it turned to fall, I noticed something shocking that I'm not sure if I would have recognized if I hadn't seen it in this manner. Suddenly, next to all the pictures of Christ, scriptures and uplifting posts were witches, skeletons, and ghosts. Mind you that these weren't hard-core horror images, just cutesy craft projects for Halloween but even so the difference between the two was shocking and made an impact on me in a way that I'm not sure even words would have done. It really brought home the verses that question what darkness has in common with light and made me question some of the things that I accept just because they are tradition.

"See to it" implies action. We must actively examine what philosophies or world views that we listen to, read, see, etc and make sure that they line up with what is in the Bible, like the Bereans in Acts 17:11.

 

So here's my challenge:  This week I'm rethinking Halloween and what it means for our family. My GMG friends already know but I'll share later what we plan to do instead.

 

Think about the things that you've read and watched in the last few days. What philosophies are you being exposed to? Are there any traditions you go along with just because it's what you've always done?  For the next few days be intentional about questioning what you read, watch and hear. See if anything surprises you that you might not have noticed otherwise.  Most importantly - spend time reading the Bible & pray! Ask God for wisdom and to show you the things that don't line up with His word and trust that He will do it.

 

Linking to: Women in the Word Wednesdays at www.goodmorninggirls.org

Words of Encouragement

...the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. Colossians 1:26-27
 

These two verses are so encouraging to me! How blessed we are to be on this side of the cross in history and to be able to look in God's word to see how this all plays out. How blessed we are to have the complete Word of God to read and learn from. Even in this modern age there are many who don't have that luxury still. How comforting to know that the mystery has been revealed through the gospel.

So what is the mystery that has been revealed? Ephesians 3:6 states,

This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus.

And how amazingly wonderful is it that we, as Gentiles, have been grafted into the family of God, as heirs no less, to have the hope of glory in Christ Jesus in us!

I know that we sometimes complain because the days are evil and things are not as simple as they used to be but we have been given the gift of seeing the mystery revealed and knowing the promise that it means for us. "For ages and generations" that wasn't possible to know, but we do! Something that as Gentiles is more than we could have hoped for. Not only that but we have the ability to simply open our bible and read how God wove it all together...praise God! That is an amazing treasure yet most of the time it doesn't even occur to us how fortunate we are.

Lord, Thank You so much for including us in your family. Help us to live lives worthy of the calling we have received and in appreciation for all you have done. Amen.

 

For more information about the mystery and what it means, see Ephesians Ch. 2 & 3.

Linking to:

 

Women in the Word Wednesdays

Influence

Well, it's taken longer than I expected due to a modem issue but I'm back now and ready to finally finish the other lesson I mentioned in my last post.  This time it's about influence and how it affects the people around us. If you'll remember, King Josiah came from a legacy of men that did evil in the sight of the Lord yet he chose to follow in the footsteps of David instead and follow God.

Once the Book of the Law was found King Josiah heard what it said he was convicted and tore his robes. He realized that God was angry that those before him had not respected and obeyed God's Law. However, it says:
"Because your heart was responsive and you humbled yourself before the Lord when you heard what I have spoken against this place and its people, that they would become accursed and laid waste, and because you tore your robes and wept in my presence, I have heard you, declares the Lord. Therefore I will gather you to your fathers, and you will be buried in peace. Your eyes will not see all the disaster I am going to bring on this place." 2 Kings 22:19-20

So King Josiah gathered all the people so that they could hear the Book of the Law and he publicly renewed the covenant with the Lord and the bible says, "Then all the people pledged themselves to the covenant." ALL the people...wow.

In this story one person, King Josiah, changed the course of his people by his obedience to God. There are lots of other stories in the bible of influence, both good and bad. So what's my story? How can my obedience or disobedience affect those under my influence?

Who are you influencing today?
We may not have the influence of a king but we influence those around us just the same. We influence our children, spouse, friends, social media followers, and other people we interact with from day to day even without realizing it.

What kind of influence do you want to be?

Respecting God's Word

This week I've been reading 2 Kings 22-23. It tells the story of King Josiah, who unlike his evil father and grandfather before him, followed in the footsteps of David and worshipped the Lord.

During the previous kings' reign, idol worshipping and human sacrifice had become the way of the land and God's Word was lost as it had become irrelevant to the people who turned to other things for fulfillment. When Josiah had the temple repaired they found the Book of Law and brought it to him. He heard the words of the Lord and was filled with remorse and repentance so he gathered all the people together and read to them the Book of the Law and renewed the covenant to follow God and the people did the same.

I was reading this bible passage to prepare for my Sunday school lesson on respecting God's Word but there is another important lesson that I got from it that I'll talk about tomorrow (Lord willing!). When we don't respect His Word it becomes unimportant to us and can become lost both physically and mentally when we need it most. Just like we have to move daily to protect our muscles from atrophy, we need to spend time in the bible to prevent our faith from doing the same. Spending time daily reading the bible has made such a huge difference in how I speak, act, respond and think about the things that happen in my daily life. I find myself referencing scriptures as I go about my day, when talking to friends or even while reading the paper or watching TV. It's pretty amazing how it's woven into every part of my life now and I am so grateful for it.

Another part of respecting God's Word, and sometimes the most challenging part for me, is to do what it says!  John 15:14 says, "You are my friends if you do what I command." and James 1:22 says, "Be doers of the Word and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.". I named this blog from that verse because in doing so I hope to challenge myself, my family and anyone that may read this blog to put feet to their faith and live out what we have learned from God's Word as our act of obedience. Not that we have to earn our salvation (we don't), but as an outpouring of the love we have for God and from God.

My prayer today is to respect God's Word, to read and obey what it says.

Linking to:

And So It Begins!

Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and He will establish your plans.  Proverbs 16:3, NIV