BUT THEN….

It was Wednesday evening when I received the news of my young nieces’ unexpected passing.  Suddenly, my world turned upside down and went spinning out of control.  My thoughts went like this:

I can’t believe it – I just can’t understand how this can be real!

I can’t imagine! I feel so many emotions – I feel so is much sadness, pain and hurt and even numbness!

I have questions and more questions…they just keep coming!

So hard to deal with this all at once.

I have so much to do…packing, notifying, travel arrangements, being there for others while trying to work my own way through this – I am overwhelmed!

I have no control over the tears… I…I…I…

BUT THEN

God calls me to Him and says, “Come to Me and I will give you peace and rest.  I will give you strength and I will give you wisdom.  I am your Rock and your Hiding Place. I am your Anchor in this storm.  Be still and listen.  We will get through this together.  Trust Me. Keep your eyes on Me! I am with you and I will never leave you!”

It is the Lord who is my hope and my strength.  He is my firm foundation in this storm.  Thank You Lord!

Psalm 23 from Psalms/Now   Words by Leslie Brandt

The Lord is my constant companion.

There is no need that He cannot fulfill.

Whether His course for me points

to the mountaintops of glorious ecstasy or the valleys of human suffering,

He is by my side,

He is ever present with me.

He is close beside me

when I tread the dark streets of danger, and even when I flirt with death itself,

He will not leave me.

When the pain is severe,

He is near to comfort.

When the burden is heavy,

He is there to lean upon,

When depression darkens my soul,

He touches me with eternal joy.

When I feel empty and alone,

He fills the aching vacuum with His power.

My security is in His promise

To be near to me always,

and in the knowledge

that He will never let me go.

WHICH ONE BEST DESCRIBES YOU?

Today I am going to describe two different “Christians”.

The first Christian:

They have prayed a prayer to accept Jesus as Savior.

They have been baptized.

They continue a lifestyle with cursing, course joking, drinking and other worldly habits.

They seem happy and excited to share these behaviors and habits with the world through social media and encourage others to join in.

There are few changes in their lives since saying that prayer and being baptized.

They may or may not quickly read through a devotional on a regular basis.

They pray or talk to God frequently when they are hurting or have a need or a problem.

They do attend church most Sunday mornings and man their station whether it is being a greeter, nursery worker, singing in the choir or band, or whatever it is they have been asked to do.

The second Christian:

They have prayed a prayer to accept Jesus as Savior and LORD.

They have been baptized.

They have a lifestyle that continually changes in character as they grow spiritually and become more Christlike.

They are full of joy and excited to share new beliefs and habits with others through social media or one on one and encourage others to come to know their new Friend Jesus.

Their focus in life has changed sin saying that prayer and being baptized. It is more about God and His power and less on themselves and their circumstances

They are learning that reading the Bible daily gives them strength for the tough times and the wisdom to know right from wrong.

They talk to God on a regular basis, spending time praising and thanking God for who He is and what He has done.  They know God is their Provider and Protector.

They attend church on a regular basis when services are offered and are eager to learn more about God and His love for them and to spend time in fellowship with other Christians.

They are also learning that God has a plan for their lives and equips them for what He calls them to do.

They are not perfect but willing to confess when they fall and are thankful that God is the God of forgiveness, unconditional love and new beginnings.

Which description of “Christian” best describes you?

Which one would God say best describes you?

Psalm 139 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹ O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
² You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.
³ You see me when I travel
and when I rest at home.
You know everything I do.
⁴ You know what I am going to say
even before I say it, Lord.
⁵ You go before me and follow me.
You place your hand of blessing on my head.
⁶ Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
too great for me to understand!

⁷ I can never escape from your Spirit!
I can never get away from your presence!
²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

NO MORE THUMPS!

When I first started this blog it was mainly to help reach out to my children in different areas of all our lives.  So today’s blog is especially for all my children.

Just so everyone else will understand, I will explain what thumps are in our family.  My children are usually very careful not to curse or use the Lord’s name in vain when we are around.  For this act of respect on their part I am very thankful. But at times….

One particular thump stands out in my mind.  One afternoon when I was at my daughter’s work, she happened to be talking to her sister in a different state.  Not knowing I was standing near, her sister said a thump word which I heard.  By then it was just habit to thump one on the head, gently of course, more to call their attention to their action than anything else. However, I am told my thumps are not always gentle.  Anyway, I automatically thumped the daughter I was standing by.  She promptly told her sister, “don’t say that again, I just got thumped.”

Another time when I was about to thump my son-in-law, I went forward and he did too and that was quite an unplanned much harder thump than any other to date.  He did survive and I don’t believe he has ever been thumped again!

So you see over the years the thumps have become more of a joke not only with the kids but some of their friends.  That being the case, I have decided they do not need me to call their attention to what they say.

My children, you are all free of thumps from this day forward.  Taking the Lord’s name in vain is not my rule but God’s so I will let Him do the convicting and enforcing of the rule. You are all of age and responsible to God, not to me when choosing your thoughts, words, actions and deeds.

Exodus 20:7 New Century Version (NCV)

⁷ “You must not use the name of the Lord your God thoughtlessly; the Lord will punish anyone who misuses his name. 

Ephesians 4:29 New Living Translation (NLT)

²⁹ Don’t use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them.

I love you all and I am always praying for each of you!  Mom

WE ARE IN CHARGE OF OUR ATTITUDE!

at·ti·tude

ˈadəˌt(y)o͞od/

noun

1. a settled way of thinking or feeling about someone or something, typically one that is reflected in a person’s behavior.

“she took a tough attitude toward other people’s indulgences”

synonyms:

view, viewpoint, outlook, perspective, stance, standpoint, position,inclination, temper, orientation, approach, reaction; More

• a position of the body proper to or implying an action or mental state.

“the boy was standing in an attitude of despair, his chin sunk on his chest”

synonyms:

position, posture, pose, stance, bearing “an attitude of prayer”

No way around it, we all have attitudes. These may be positive attitudes, negative attitudes, godly attitudes or selfish attitudes. The list could go on and on but what we think or feel about someone, something, a situation or a circumstance is an attitude. Our attitudes come out in our speech and actions even our facial expressions.

If something or someone is really on your mind and bothering you, check your attitude with God’s Word – do you have a godly attitude.  Talk to God about what you are thinking – does it line up with His will and plan for you.  Is it an attitude that is pleasing to God?  Is there hope in your attitude or despair? Is it an attitude of gratitude or grumbling and arguing.

As seen in the quote below from Charles Swindoll:  An attitude can make or break a company… a church …a home.  WE have a CHOICE everyday as to what our attitude will be.  We cannot change the past or people but we can change our attitude!

Charles R. Swindoll > Quotes > Quotable Quote

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company… a church… a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past… we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you… we are in charge of our Attitudes.”

Psalm 139 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹ O Lord, you have examined my heart
and know everything about me.
² You know when I sit down or stand up.
You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

²³ Search me, O God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
²⁴ Point out anything in me that offends you,
and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

A SHOUT OUT TO MY GRANDSONS!

I am thinking of my grandsons today! I have five grandsons and one great-grandson.  Why grandsons?  Well, they are young, vulnerable, easily influenced by their peers and early in life they set lifelong patterns for living, as we all do!

With that in mind I want to WARN my young grandsons of the dangers of pornography.

Early in your lives you will be exposed to this in one way or another, possibly as simple as something you see on a TV commercial or program you shouldn’t be watching.  It could be introduced to you by a friend who assures you there is no harm in looking.  There are numerous ways IT WILL come across your path in life.

They key to resisting is to FLEE, LOOK AWAY, and ask God to give you strength to never look again.  If it remains a temptation to you, find an adult you can trust and talk to them about it. Explain to them what you are thinking, feeling, and wanting to do. Ask them to help you to know how to handle this and be accountable to them in this area.

It is extremely important to never begin the habit of looking at porn. You will always want more and more until it consumes your mind and life.  It is a path to a very dark pit that leads to a dead end addiction and even death itself.

 James 1: 14-15 Contemporary English Version (CEV)

¹⁴ We are tempted by our own desires that drag us off and trap us. ¹⁵ Our desires make us sin, and when sin is finished with us, it leaves us dead.

This is from an earlier post:

Every thought, decision or action has a consequence.  One thing leads to another.  A thought becomes an attitude and an attitude becomes an action, an action becomes a habit and a habit becomes a stronghold! Good or bad, positive or negative, right or wrong.

Everything begins with a thought!

Proverbs 4:23  Be careful how you think; your life is shaped by your thoughts.       Good News Translation

Who is doing the doing?

Well, I have run into these verses twice already today and once yesterday so I am thinking God is trying to tell me something.  Again!

Philippians 2:13-14 New Living Translation (NLT)

¹³ For God is working in you, giving you the desire and the power to do what pleases him.

¹⁴ Do everything without complaining and arguing,

Philippians 2:13-14 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV)

¹³ Yes, it is God who is working in you. He helps you want to do what pleases him, and he gives you the power to do it.

¹⁴ Do everything without complaining or arguing

Philippians 2:13-14 King James Version (KJV)

¹³ For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

¹⁴ Do all things without murmurings and disputings:

Yes there it is, any way you look at it the message is the same:

1. God is working in me to want to do what He wants me to do.
2. He is even giving me the ability to do it.
3. He commands me to do everything without complaining or arguing.

Not easy to do by no means but if I look closer, I am not to be the one doing the doing.  It is God who is working in me and enabling me to be the person He wants me to be.

My responsibility is to confess, repent, and yield to the Holy Spirit that He will have control of my thoughts, attitudes and words.

I am finding that one thing that helps me in this area is going back to practicing the Presence of God.  It is much easier to have God’s perspective on things when you know:

1. He is always with you.
2. He is in control of all things.
3. He has a plan and a purpose for all things.

Romans 8:28 New Living Translation (NLT)

   ²⁸ And we know that God causes everything to work together^[a] for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

 

Choose Trust!

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

Be gentle.

James 3:17a “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure and full of quiet gentleness. It allows discussion and is willing to yield to others.”  Gentleness can always find a patch of common ground, giving people room to grow and change.

Gentleness doesn’t control but is willing to yield or submit to one another in love.

Be aware of His presence. 

Philippians 4:5 “The Lord is near.”  We often pray, asking for God’s presence when our prayer should be, “Lord, make me aware of your presence.”  He is near but many times our lives and hearts are too crowded to see or hear Him.  The more we are aware of God’s presence the less we will worry.

 Choose to trust.

“Do not be anxious about anything.”

“Anxious” literally means, “to be pulled in different directions” and is based on the old English root from which we get our word “worry” meaning “to strangle”.  Worry can strangle us but trust breaks the hold of worry in our lives!

Worry is a control issue.  Its opposite is trust.  Choose to trust and you will not worry.  Choose to worry and you will not trust.  What a great promise is found in Isaiah 26:3!  “You, LORD, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you.”  Every opportunity to worry is also an opportunity to trust God.  Choose trust!

Pray about everything.

Philippians 4:6b “But in everything, by prayer and petition…present your requests to God.”

“Prayer” is simply conversation with God.  “Petition” means to earnestly plea with or implore.  To “present your requests” is simply to “make known” or “tell” God specifically what it is that you need. Praying about everything shuts out worry because prayer invites God to be involved in every area of life, and when He is involved, we have nothing to fear!

Practice the attitude of gratitude.

Ephesians 5:20 “Always give thanks for everything to our God and Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

When our hearts and lives are filled with praise and thanksgiving, worry is a weed that will die from lack of attention.  Praise is a powerful weapon against worry and frees God to work in our lives.  Why?  Because when we praise Him, we trust Him.

Know The Peace of God.

“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  “Peace” can be defined as “a state of untroubled, undisturbed well-being”.   Peace is a supernatural gift from God, given as a hedge of protection that will “guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Choose to Trust and you will Know the Peace of God

Taken from:

December 30, 2008
Winning Over Worry, Part 2
Mary Southerland

And

December 31, 2008
Winning Over Worry, Part 3
Mary Southerland

“Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”  Philippians 4:4-7 (NIV)

Choose joy

Happiness is a cheap imitation of true joy and totally dependent on the circumstances of life.  Joy, however, is a deeply rooted confidence that God is in control no matter what the circumstances of life may be. Joy is a choice.

Our inner attitudes do not have to reflect our outward circumstances.  In other words, we cannot always find joy in our circumstances but we can always find joy in the Lord of the circumstances.

The pursuit of joy is a matter of choice.  Our first and most important choice is to come to the only source of true joy – Jesus Christ. We must also choose to rejoice in the midst of every circumstance – good or bad — and keep our focus on God, gladly accepting His plan for our lives. We must choose a joyful perspective.  A little boy asked his friend.  “Wouldn’t you hate to wear glasses all the time?”  “No-o-o,” the other boy answered slowly, “not if I had the kind grandma wears.  She sees how to fix a lot of things.  She sees lots of nice things to do on rainy days and she always sees what you meant to do even if you mess things up!  I asked her one day how she could see that way all the time and she said, ‘It is the way I choose to look at things.’  So it must be her glasses.”  When we choose joy, we are choosing against worry!

• Make a list of the five things you worry about the most.  Find a verse or passage of scripture that applies to these five areas of worry. Write the verses on a 3×5 card and place the cards in your purse so that when the worry comes, you are prepared.  
• Look back over your life.
• What role have you allowed worry to play in daily life?
• What are some of the ways you have confronted worry in the past?  Were they effective?
• What is the first step you need to take in order to win over worry?

This is taken from a devotional I read in 2008.  Check in tomorrow for Part 2.

From: December 29, 2008
Winning Over Worry, Part 1
Mary Southerland