Ok, so I go for days/weeks without blogging, and then every once and awhile I do several - they've been in my mind for days/weeks but I just haven't had time to put my thoughts down until now.
This one is actually new today.
I get my jump start in the mornings from Days of Praise. Sometimes I learn something new, sometimes I'm reminded of something I knew somewhere along the way.
Today it reminded me that The word "amen" is transliterated directly from the Hebrew into Greek in the New Testament, then Latin adn English, etc. so is pretty much a universal word.
It is almost identical, to the Hebrew word "believe" (aman) or "faithful". Unsurprisingly it has come to mean "sure" or "truly", and is even often translated into those words in the New Testament. It is also an expression of absolute trust and confidence as when we say "Amen", or "so be it" to God's promises, or end our prayers with "Amen".
It is even a title of Christ Himself. Revelation 3:14 says, "These things saith the Amen..."
Then, Revelation 22:21 ends in "Amen", assuring everyone who reads the Word that the whole Book is absolutely true and trustworthy.
I like the sign language for Amen...a right hand fist pounds a flat left hand emphatically!
Our Family
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Living Beyond Myself
I really enjoyed and learned alot from our recent ladies Bible study on the fruit of the spirit.
Things got busy and I missed the last class becasue of being on vacation, and I've been a long time since writing in my blog, but have been excited to finish these thoughts up.
I realize how much of the time I'm stuck in my box, and how much I need to live outside the boy, beyond mself, to enjoy the richness of all God wants to bless me with.
Love keeps us afloat. Self-control keeps us anchored.
Love gives us liberty. Self-control gives boundaries where love can abound.
The quality of self-control secures our freedom to love, experience joy, know peace, respond with patience, have a kind disposition, act out of goodness, step out in faith, and agree with gentleness.
Lack of self-control is an open invitation to the enemy.
Victorious living is living in Him, outside of ourselves.
When we find it difficult to accept our lot we need to remember only God can give us a heart of acceptance. Only God can make us happy. But only we can allow God to work contentment in us.
He knows our needs, our vulnerabilities, what we can endure.
Matthew 6:32-34
"...your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself..."
I often have found myself making up things in my mind by not focusing on God, causing myself all sorts of grief.
II Corinthians 10:5 has been a verse I have often turned to to remind me what's what. It's what I need to remember every day.
"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of God."
I Peter 1:3-8
"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue;
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye mght be parakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you hat ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Sounds like good companion verses to Galatians 5:22 & 23!
Things got busy and I missed the last class becasue of being on vacation, and I've been a long time since writing in my blog, but have been excited to finish these thoughts up.
I realize how much of the time I'm stuck in my box, and how much I need to live outside the boy, beyond mself, to enjoy the richness of all God wants to bless me with.
Love keeps us afloat. Self-control keeps us anchored.
Love gives us liberty. Self-control gives boundaries where love can abound.
The quality of self-control secures our freedom to love, experience joy, know peace, respond with patience, have a kind disposition, act out of goodness, step out in faith, and agree with gentleness.
Lack of self-control is an open invitation to the enemy.
Victorious living is living in Him, outside of ourselves.
When we find it difficult to accept our lot we need to remember only God can give us a heart of acceptance. Only God can make us happy. But only we can allow God to work contentment in us.
He knows our needs, our vulnerabilities, what we can endure.
Matthew 6:32-34
"...your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you. Take no thought for the morrow; for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself..."
I often have found myself making up things in my mind by not focusing on God, causing myself all sorts of grief.
II Corinthians 10:5 has been a verse I have often turned to to remind me what's what. It's what I need to remember every day.
"Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of God."
I Peter 1:3-8
"According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue;
Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises; that by these ye mght be parakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.
And besides this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge;
And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness;
And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity.
For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you hat ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."
Sounds like good companion verses to Galatians 5:22 & 23!
Random Thoughts on The Fruit of the Spirit Gentleness
Gentleness = submission = life surrendered to Real Power = calmness in the storms.
Inward grace of the soul = acceptance of God's dealing in our life / surrender to God's will and way in our life = power and strength created from submitting to God's will.
Also humility - a correct estimation of ourselves, born on bent knee - supernatural result of being rightly related to God.
Inward grace of the soul = acceptance of God's dealing in our life / surrender to God's will and way in our life = power and strength created from submitting to God's will.
Also humility - a correct estimation of ourselves, born on bent knee - supernatural result of being rightly related to God.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Watering and Weeds
I stepped out my front door this morning and looked at my hopefully butterfly/hummingbird garden and smiled as I noticed that God had watered it for me over night.
The next thought that went through my head was, "Could you pull the weeds too?"
Actually, that would have been a great time to pull weeds with the ground wet, but alas, I was on my way to work.
Just think, once upon a time the garden grew without any weeding or worry about watering, and it was beautiful without any work.
So why, father Adam and mother Eve did you have to sin to make our gardens so much work?!
Well, I'm thankful their sin and impending separation and death had a cure, and I guess I can put up with the weeding and hoping to see a beautiful garden knowing that because of what Jesus did for me on the cross I will someday be able to enjoy all of God's beauty and blessings without any concerns.
The next thought that went through my head was, "Could you pull the weeds too?"
Actually, that would have been a great time to pull weeds with the ground wet, but alas, I was on my way to work.
Just think, once upon a time the garden grew without any weeding or worry about watering, and it was beautiful without any work.
So why, father Adam and mother Eve did you have to sin to make our gardens so much work?!
Well, I'm thankful their sin and impending separation and death had a cure, and I guess I can put up with the weeding and hoping to see a beautiful garden knowing that because of what Jesus did for me on the cross I will someday be able to enjoy all of God's beauty and blessings without any concerns.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
God's 26 Soldiers
Ok, this is not original with me, but when I heard it I knew I had to share it.
Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put it on a list and said, 'I'll pray for them later'? Or has anyone ever called you and said, 'I need you to pray for me, I have this need?' Read the following story it may it change the way that you think about prayer, and also the way you pray.
A missionary on furlough told this story while visiting his home church in Michigan. 'While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine and supplies, and then begin my two day journey back to the field hospital. Upon arrival in the city I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord. I then traveled the two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident. Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed you in to the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards. At this, I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No, sir, I was not the only person to see the guards, my friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.'
At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story: 'On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?'
The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with whom they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26.
This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in behalf of those who love Him. If you ever feel such prodding to pray, go along with it, you don't know what it can mean to that person.
I believe there are God's (guardian) angels all around us. (Ok, now this is me speaking.) Not the kind of angels t.v. tries to get us to believe, but true ministering spirits of the Lord. I believe prayer puts them at our disposal. Sometimes in difficult times I believe I have felt their protection.
II Kings 6:15-17, "And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us aremore than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the moutain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."
Have you ever felt the urge to pray for someone and then just put it on a list and said, 'I'll pray for them later'? Or has anyone ever called you and said, 'I need you to pray for me, I have this need?' Read the following story it may it change the way that you think about prayer, and also the way you pray.
A missionary on furlough told this story while visiting his home church in Michigan. 'While serving at a small field hospital in Africa, every two weeks I traveled by bicycle through the jungle to a nearby city for supplies. This was a journey of two days and required camping overnight at the halfway point. On one of these journeys I arrived in the city where I planned to collect money from a bank, purchase medicine and supplies, and then begin my two day journey back to the field hospital. Upon arrival in the city I observed two men fighting, one of whom had been seriously injured. I treated him for his injuries and at the same time talked to him about the Lord. I then traveled the two days, camping overnight, and arrived home without incident. Two weeks later I repeated my journey. Upon arriving in the city I was approached by the young man I had treated. He told me that he had known I carried money and medicines. He said, 'Some friends and I followed you in to the jungle, knowing you would camp overnight. We planned to kill you and take your money and drugs. But just as we were about to move into your camp we saw that you were surrounded by 26 armed guards. At this, I laughed and said that I was certainly all alone in that jungle campsite. The young man pressed the point, however, and said, 'No, sir, I was not the only person to see the guards, my friends also saw them, and we all counted them. It was because of those guards that we were afraid and left you alone.'
At this point in the sermon, one of the men in the congregation jumped to his feet and interrupted the missionary and asked if he could tell him the exact day this happened. The missionary told the congregation the date, and the man who interrupted told him this story: 'On the night of your incident in Africa, it was morning here and I was preparing to go play golf. I was about to putt when I felt the urge to pray for you. In fact, the urging of the Lord was so strong I called men in this church to meet with me here in the sanctuary to pray for you. Would all of those men who met with me on that day stand up?'
The men who had met together to pray that day stood up. The missionary wasn't concerned with whom they were, he was too busy counting how many men he saw. There were 26.
This story is an incredible example of how the Spirit of the Lord moves in behalf of those who love Him. If you ever feel such prodding to pray, go along with it, you don't know what it can mean to that person.
I believe there are God's (guardian) angels all around us. (Ok, now this is me speaking.) Not the kind of angels t.v. tries to get us to believe, but true ministering spirits of the Lord. I believe prayer puts them at our disposal. Sometimes in difficult times I believe I have felt their protection.
II Kings 6:15-17, "And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do? And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us aremore than they that be with them. And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the moutain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha."
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Everybody Has One Of Those Days...
Ok, I have to admit it, I'm having one of those days...it's been several days, actually...
Just feeling down...Bunch of "little" things. But Satan, as he is wont to do, is trying to really get me down, telling me his lies, making more out of things than they are.
I just keep praying to God to help me keep my ears tuned to Him instead, keep my eyes on Him and my heart focused on Him. I know He knows everything that's going on so much better than I do, that He has a plan in it all (for His glory!), and that He just wants me to trust Him, obey Him, and let Him do His work.
Nothing is terrible, just concerns over Mike's health and well being, finances, the family...
There's been some times lately where I have felt almost overwhelmed and stretched to my limit...ah, but when I am weak, He is strong.
I am so thankful for the promises of God, enough to pull me out of the pit and keep me going.
Just feeling down...Bunch of "little" things. But Satan, as he is wont to do, is trying to really get me down, telling me his lies, making more out of things than they are.
I just keep praying to God to help me keep my ears tuned to Him instead, keep my eyes on Him and my heart focused on Him. I know He knows everything that's going on so much better than I do, that He has a plan in it all (for His glory!), and that He just wants me to trust Him, obey Him, and let Him do His work.
Nothing is terrible, just concerns over Mike's health and well being, finances, the family...
There's been some times lately where I have felt almost overwhelmed and stretched to my limit...ah, but when I am weak, He is strong.
I am so thankful for the promises of God, enough to pull me out of the pit and keep me going.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Spring Has Sprung, The Grass Has Riz...
Well, here it is May 1, and I mowed the grass for the first time this spring! Wish I could remember when I started last year. It seems later this year, which means maybe less times to mow? That would be nice.
My Hostas are just starting to sprout and unfold. Seems like they had done so earlier last year. Same with some of my other flowering friends. I have planted and replanted my butterfly/hummingbird garden the last 2 years, hoping this time everything will come up and bring the flutterbys and birdies.
Here it is May 1 and we still haven't been able to keep the heat off. I think one day we're going to wake up and have to turn it off and the air conditioning on the same day. Yuk. I want a month or so with neither!
I definitely like the different seasons...spring is nice to turn from muddy to green...summer's nice, although I prefer not-too-hot, I really like fall, and I like winter...as long as I don't have to brave icy roads and bad weather. I don't think I'd like to live somewhere where there weren't four distinct seasons. I'm sure glad God thought to make it like this. :)
My Hostas are just starting to sprout and unfold. Seems like they had done so earlier last year. Same with some of my other flowering friends. I have planted and replanted my butterfly/hummingbird garden the last 2 years, hoping this time everything will come up and bring the flutterbys and birdies.
Here it is May 1 and we still haven't been able to keep the heat off. I think one day we're going to wake up and have to turn it off and the air conditioning on the same day. Yuk. I want a month or so with neither!
I definitely like the different seasons...spring is nice to turn from muddy to green...summer's nice, although I prefer not-too-hot, I really like fall, and I like winter...as long as I don't have to brave icy roads and bad weather. I don't think I'd like to live somewhere where there weren't four distinct seasons. I'm sure glad God thought to make it like this. :)
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