it's worth repeating that "sometimes I'm the only person who knows whether I'm being honest or not."
I once heard the word "character" defined as "who you are when no one's looking." And then there is your reputation, or what others believe to be true about you based on your actions and reactions in given circumstances.
The truth is some people have a certain reputation of being honest, godly, compassionate...but when their character is evaluated, a very different person is discovered.
We have gotten so used to "playing the game" of looking like a Christian that we forget that really being a Christian is really not about the outer life at all, but about the inner life--our minds, spirits, and hearts, which would encompass our thoughts, attitudes, and motives.
If we find ourselves on a Sunday morning dressed in our Sunday best, giving our tithes, singing spiritual songs, bringing praise and worship to God....but then Monday morning, have no problem telling a lie to our boss about why our project wasn't completed on time, then something is wrong!!
We may think we have everyone fooled, but the truth of the matter is that God calls us to honesty, even when it means we have to incriminate ourselves....
Besides, there is peace when we are in right standing with God, and when we don't have to pretend to be something that we really aren't... honestly!
Blessings!
5.29.2009
5.20.2009
may 20
it's worth repeating that, "When you commit your life to Christ He will change you."
I know this seems like a simple, no-brainer statement. But I want to show you what many Christians believe to be true: When you commit your life to Christ, you will have to change yourself. Hello?
The truth is that many Christians believe they are saved by grace, not works...but then they believe they must work really hard after that to remain in Christ.
I am so thankful that God still gives grace each and every day to cover each and every sin.
In all honesty, we could never have enough willpower to change ourselves. Our hearts are too deceitful. Our minds too stubborn. But when Christ gets a hold of us...He begins to change us through the "washing of His Word", and He puts a new heart and spirit within us.
As you read God's Word, you will see things in your life that you know need to be changed. All you really have to do is open the door by confessing and be willing to change as you receive God's Word to be true and apply it your life.
I know it sounds simple... that's the best part!
Blessings!
I know this seems like a simple, no-brainer statement. But I want to show you what many Christians believe to be true: When you commit your life to Christ, you will have to change yourself. Hello?
The truth is that many Christians believe they are saved by grace, not works...but then they believe they must work really hard after that to remain in Christ.
I am so thankful that God still gives grace each and every day to cover each and every sin.
In all honesty, we could never have enough willpower to change ourselves. Our hearts are too deceitful. Our minds too stubborn. But when Christ gets a hold of us...He begins to change us through the "washing of His Word", and He puts a new heart and spirit within us.
As you read God's Word, you will see things in your life that you know need to be changed. All you really have to do is open the door by confessing and be willing to change as you receive God's Word to be true and apply it your life.
I know it sounds simple... that's the best part!
Blessings!
5.19.2009
may 19
it's worth repeating that "one of the biggest mistakes parents make is overreacting."
Parenting is one of the HARDEST, if not THE hardest, jobs in the world. Don't get me wrong...it is not a job that I want to quit, or one that I never applied for. I wanted to be a mom very early in life. I always loved babies...however, those babies were either baby DOLLS or little tiny newborns that weren't able to test my patience to the nth degree.
These days, I still love being a mommy. There are days that challenge the very core of my patience, but I still would not trade one moment (or one of my kids) for a "better" life.
With the first baby, Annie, I was so careful with all the sanitizing, cleaning, special laundry detergent, special baby soap, etc... I worried if she wasn't sleeping enough and if she was sleeping too much. I wondered if I was a good mommy almost every day.
With the other two, I learned that children have a great resilience to just about everything...germs, boo-boos, and their siblings..ha!
One of my prayers with all my children is that I can raise them in a way that would please the Lord. And one of the ways I know I can do that is to know what God's Word says about raising children. Seriously. IT sounds simple, but check it out sometime. How does God say we should parent our children?
Ephesians 6:4 is a great place to start: "Provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." I see three things here: First, don't purposely make your kids despise you or despise discipline and authority by not being self-controlled. Second, nurture your children with love and encouragement. Third, help your children develop a godly character through intentional, consistent discipline.
All three of these guidelines will take great patience, self-control, and LOTS of prayer...
And I will pray for you...will you pray for me, too??
Blessings!!
Parenting is one of the HARDEST, if not THE hardest, jobs in the world. Don't get me wrong...it is not a job that I want to quit, or one that I never applied for. I wanted to be a mom very early in life. I always loved babies...however, those babies were either baby DOLLS or little tiny newborns that weren't able to test my patience to the nth degree.
These days, I still love being a mommy. There are days that challenge the very core of my patience, but I still would not trade one moment (or one of my kids) for a "better" life.
With the first baby, Annie, I was so careful with all the sanitizing, cleaning, special laundry detergent, special baby soap, etc... I worried if she wasn't sleeping enough and if she was sleeping too much. I wondered if I was a good mommy almost every day.
With the other two, I learned that children have a great resilience to just about everything...germs, boo-boos, and their siblings..ha!
One of my prayers with all my children is that I can raise them in a way that would please the Lord. And one of the ways I know I can do that is to know what God's Word says about raising children. Seriously. IT sounds simple, but check it out sometime. How does God say we should parent our children?
Ephesians 6:4 is a great place to start: "Provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord." I see three things here: First, don't purposely make your kids despise you or despise discipline and authority by not being self-controlled. Second, nurture your children with love and encouragement. Third, help your children develop a godly character through intentional, consistent discipline.
All three of these guidelines will take great patience, self-control, and LOTS of prayer...
And I will pray for you...will you pray for me, too??
Blessings!!
5.08.2009
May 8
It's worth repeating that we should never "settle for less than a living, breathing, walking, talking relationship with the King of Kings Himself, when it's part of our inheritance"
There have been times in my journey with Christ that I have read John 10:10 about how CHrist came to give us abundant life--life to the fullest, and I have thought to myself..."My life doesn't seem so abundant...so why is God not making my life abundant?"
After questioning God about why He has caused my life to be a struggle instead of a success, a headache instead of a happy adventure...I realized my life was not so abundant because of me...not God.
I had settled for serving God...doing the ministry...working for Jesus...and not having a vibrant relationship with Him! It became a job to serve the Lord, instead of a joy that flowed out of my relationship with Him...
Have you settled on just being a churchgoer? Just working for the Lord, but not walking in a close relationship with Him? Then life may feel like a drudgery to you as well...
Breathe a breath of fresh air today...and start to pursue a "living, breathing, walking, talking relationship with the King of Kings"...after all, that is what Christ died for...so you could have an abundant life!
Blessings!
5.05.2009
may 5
it's worth repeating that "I must pray what is in me, not what I wish was in me."
Have you ever taken a good look at your prayer life and wished it was so much better? have you seen other Christ-followers who just seem to have a connection to the Father through prayer, and wonder how they go there. Maybe you are discouraged about your prayer time with God.
When I was growing up, our Pastor would invite one of the board members to come to th pulpit and pray every week for the offering and other needs of the church body. Most of these men had an extensive "spiritual" vocabulary, and the thought would go through my head that they were the most Christian people I knew. They really knew how to pray.
But then I would hear someone pray a simple prayer...a child praying for the salvation of a family member, a newer believer just spilling out their feelings, a teenager just saying it like it is to God....and I knew their prayers were sincere too.
There have been many times I have felt that if I could just pray better, maybe God would pay more attention. Or if I woldn't getg so dstiracted while I'm praying, maybe I could get the point across to God. Or if I could just make sure to have a set time to pray everyday, I could establish shuch an intimate connection with the Father.
But the greatest lesson I ever learned came from God's Word..."In everything, by prayer...make your requests to God." I can about at any time, in any place, about anything. I can pray when my kids aren't getting along, and when there's not enough in the bank account to cover the bill that just arrived. I can pray when I'm in a bad mood, or when I am even disappointed or disillusioned with God's plan for my life. And....I can be honest with God...completely real. I don't have to be anything I'm not...
Just talk to the Father today...in everything.
Blessings!
Have you ever taken a good look at your prayer life and wished it was so much better? have you seen other Christ-followers who just seem to have a connection to the Father through prayer, and wonder how they go there. Maybe you are discouraged about your prayer time with God.
When I was growing up, our Pastor would invite one of the board members to come to th pulpit and pray every week for the offering and other needs of the church body. Most of these men had an extensive "spiritual" vocabulary, and the thought would go through my head that they were the most Christian people I knew. They really knew how to pray.
But then I would hear someone pray a simple prayer...a child praying for the salvation of a family member, a newer believer just spilling out their feelings, a teenager just saying it like it is to God....and I knew their prayers were sincere too.
There have been many times I have felt that if I could just pray better, maybe God would pay more attention. Or if I woldn't getg so dstiracted while I'm praying, maybe I could get the point across to God. Or if I could just make sure to have a set time to pray everyday, I could establish shuch an intimate connection with the Father.
But the greatest lesson I ever learned came from God's Word..."In everything, by prayer...make your requests to God." I can about at any time, in any place, about anything. I can pray when my kids aren't getting along, and when there's not enough in the bank account to cover the bill that just arrived. I can pray when I'm in a bad mood, or when I am even disappointed or disillusioned with God's plan for my life. And....I can be honest with God...completely real. I don't have to be anything I'm not...
Just talk to the Father today...in everything.
Blessings!
5.02.2009
may 2
it's worth repeating that "others can wound you, but no one can destroy you without your permission and cooperation."
probably everyone that will read this blog has been hurt by somebody at sometime. it may have even been someone you trusted completely. i can think of a few times that i was completely blindsided by a friend and it hurt me terribly. there have also been times i just felt wronged, and it hurt me to the core.
if we're not careful, we can drown in our hurts and unforgiveness, and turn into someone we don't even recognize anymore.
when i was first starting out in ministry, i felt like i had to defend myself against every single hurtful thing people said about me. i would get depressed for days because someone didn't like me or approve of me... i haven't been completely delivered from my "approval addiction", but it is much better than it was... God is my defender... and He can do a much better job defending me than I can do myself. Often, I just dig myself in a deeper hole when I open my mouth. So, I thank God that He goes before me and behind me.
Forgetting the hurts of the past is not easy... and there are times my mind wants to go back there, but I can't even give those thoughts a foothold, or else I will get stuck there. In those moments, I ask God to wash my mind again in His Word, and help me to see His goodness with with my eyes...
Have you been hurt? It probably won't be the last time... But the next time, you don't have to let it control you. You can choose to forgive, let God be your defender, and rest in the fact that He has your best interests at heart..
Blessings!
probably everyone that will read this blog has been hurt by somebody at sometime. it may have even been someone you trusted completely. i can think of a few times that i was completely blindsided by a friend and it hurt me terribly. there have also been times i just felt wronged, and it hurt me to the core.
if we're not careful, we can drown in our hurts and unforgiveness, and turn into someone we don't even recognize anymore.
when i was first starting out in ministry, i felt like i had to defend myself against every single hurtful thing people said about me. i would get depressed for days because someone didn't like me or approve of me... i haven't been completely delivered from my "approval addiction", but it is much better than it was... God is my defender... and He can do a much better job defending me than I can do myself. Often, I just dig myself in a deeper hole when I open my mouth. So, I thank God that He goes before me and behind me.
Forgetting the hurts of the past is not easy... and there are times my mind wants to go back there, but I can't even give those thoughts a foothold, or else I will get stuck there. In those moments, I ask God to wash my mind again in His Word, and help me to see His goodness with with my eyes...
Have you been hurt? It probably won't be the last time... But the next time, you don't have to let it control you. You can choose to forgive, let God be your defender, and rest in the fact that He has your best interests at heart..
Blessings!
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