Galatians 4:6 And because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba!" "Father!"
Yesterday was Father's Day and like everyone else we honored our fathers, husbands, brothers, and sons. They were catered to from breakfast in bed, dinner at his favorite restaurant, to big bar-b-ques in the back yard.
Dad sat in his recliner with his ever present remote control and flipped through the channels all day long. Of course that was between his cat naps and short trips of grandchildren running through the house with their gifts, kisses and hugs before bounding back out the door to celebrate with their daddys.
Some people went to the lake, to their cabin in the hills, and some honored their dads at their church services.
But how many people stopped to honor Our Heavenly Father who has provided us our very life? He knew us before we were born, watched us as we grew, graduated from school and college. He was there when we married and when our children were born. He held us in His hands when our parents passed away, sickness, and maybe even saw us through a messy divorce.
I for one thank my Heavenly Father every day for each breath I take and ask His guidance in all I do. Without Him I am and can do nothing.
Dear Heavenly Father continue to hold everyone of us in Your hands every day and guide us in all we do. Amen.
Monday, June 21, 2010
Friday, June 18, 2010
Arrogant and Boastful
Rom: 1:28-30 NAS
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil: full fo envey, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogrant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents
My husband and I were watching the sports channel last night and he made the comment about one of the players. "He's really good player but he's so arrogant."
I thought about what he said and had to agree. This man, like so many other players, was good at what he did but he was arrogant. Then I thought about quite a few more of our sports players, either in baseball, basketball, golf, and even football. They were good players but our society has put them on a pedestal because they are good at what they do. They've become boastful.
We've let them get away with things they shouldn't have with a slap on the wrist, a fine, or community time. They've become arrogrant.
They've trusted in their wealth and boast of their riches thinking this is their entitlement. There is only one entitlement that is due me and that is my faith in the Lord and I know that by grace I am saved. I will live by His commandments and know that I will spend eternity in Heaven prasing my Savior forever.
Gracious Lord I pray for the boastful and arrogant persons that do not know Your love and grace. Lord I pray someone touches their lives and shares Your love with them. Amen.
And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil: full fo envey, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogrant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents
My husband and I were watching the sports channel last night and he made the comment about one of the players. "He's really good player but he's so arrogant."
I thought about what he said and had to agree. This man, like so many other players, was good at what he did but he was arrogant. Then I thought about quite a few more of our sports players, either in baseball, basketball, golf, and even football. They were good players but our society has put them on a pedestal because they are good at what they do. They've become boastful.
We've let them get away with things they shouldn't have with a slap on the wrist, a fine, or community time. They've become arrogrant.
They've trusted in their wealth and boast of their riches thinking this is their entitlement. There is only one entitlement that is due me and that is my faith in the Lord and I know that by grace I am saved. I will live by His commandments and know that I will spend eternity in Heaven prasing my Savior forever.
Gracious Lord I pray for the boastful and arrogant persons that do not know Your love and grace. Lord I pray someone touches their lives and shares Your love with them. Amen.
Wednesday, June 16, 2010
Beauty Around Us
Ps 27:4 NAS
One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to meditate in His temple.
I was thrilled to have a covered patio with our new house. Immediately I hung plants from the overhang. One morning I saw a bird fly away from the hanging fern. I got a stool and peered down inside and saw a birds nest with one small egg. After that I was careful how I watered it. The next time I checked it the egg was gone and so was the bird.
This morning I saw a bird fly to the same plant and sit there. I watched as she made her way to the side of the planter and poked her head into the fern. As I watched I could see two little heads being feed by their mother. The mother flew off shortly after filling their little mouths. One of God's many wonders and beauty.
Growing up I was blessed to be able to travel from coast to coast. From the magnificiant Grand Tetons to the clear sparkling beaches of the Gulf Coast. From Bar Harbor to the cliffs along the great Pacific Northwest. God's beauty is everwhere.
This morning in my short trip to the market I couldn't help but to notice crepe myrtles everywhere. Splended,crisp,white, passionate pink, radiant lilac, and earthy deep red blooms dotted the yards. Gods handprint in our daily lives.
We get up in the morning and rush to leave the house to get to work on time. We are behind closed doors for at least eight hours every day then we rush home after work. By then it's time to get the children feed, off to baseball, dancing, etc., and then home again to get ready for bed. Did we stop long enough to drink in the beauty God has set before us each day?
Dear Lord guide me to stop each day long enough to take in the beauty You've given me to enjoy. Amen.
One thing I have asked from the Lord, that I shall seek: That I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, To behold the beauty of the Lord, And to meditate in His temple.
I was thrilled to have a covered patio with our new house. Immediately I hung plants from the overhang. One morning I saw a bird fly away from the hanging fern. I got a stool and peered down inside and saw a birds nest with one small egg. After that I was careful how I watered it. The next time I checked it the egg was gone and so was the bird.
This morning I saw a bird fly to the same plant and sit there. I watched as she made her way to the side of the planter and poked her head into the fern. As I watched I could see two little heads being feed by their mother. The mother flew off shortly after filling their little mouths. One of God's many wonders and beauty.
Growing up I was blessed to be able to travel from coast to coast. From the magnificiant Grand Tetons to the clear sparkling beaches of the Gulf Coast. From Bar Harbor to the cliffs along the great Pacific Northwest. God's beauty is everwhere.
This morning in my short trip to the market I couldn't help but to notice crepe myrtles everywhere. Splended,crisp,white, passionate pink, radiant lilac, and earthy deep red blooms dotted the yards. Gods handprint in our daily lives.
We get up in the morning and rush to leave the house to get to work on time. We are behind closed doors for at least eight hours every day then we rush home after work. By then it's time to get the children feed, off to baseball, dancing, etc., and then home again to get ready for bed. Did we stop long enough to drink in the beauty God has set before us each day?
Dear Lord guide me to stop each day long enough to take in the beauty You've given me to enjoy. Amen.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Time For Others
Proverbs 27:1
Do not boast about tomorrow. For you do not know what a day may bring.
Today started pretty early, or maybe I wanted it to start early and I over slept a wee bit. It put me behind a little. I showered and ran out of the house to keep my schedule on time. Stop by the church, go pick up the new arm rests for my car, and that's where I got bogged down.
What should have been maybe a twenty minute appointment turned out to be over an hour. Several times I thought about leaving but I really wanted to keep the conversation going. I was on a mission to find out interesting facts about a small town so I kept asking questions.
I finally left and went on to my next stop and then the next. It was looking good, I was on the downward side. I will be able to get home and get some of my writing done. Then when I pulled up to the window to place my order I thought I'd better call my daughter and tell her I was dropping the brownies off for my grandson. She asked where I was and then asked me to get her some tea too.
It was looking good, I only had to drop off the tea and brownies, and I was homeward bound. I ran into the house with the goodies and the kids tackled me. Hugs and kisses all around. With my keys in hand I said, "I really have to get home. I have lots to get done."
"Just one more thing Mom. I want to show you something."
What was going to be maybe a ten minutes stop turned out to be a half hour. I bid my goodbyes and hopped in the car breathing a sigh. I have frozen things in the back I do hope they're not thawed out.
As I drove home it hit me. I shouldn't have taken so long each place I stopped to chat, then again, I would never get that time back. I gave and received hugs and kisses from my grandchildren. Will I have tomorrow to do it again? If I don't have tomorrow will my grandchildren think of today as a special day with Mema?
Did I make a difference today with everyone I met and talked to?
Dear Lord I pray I made a difference in someone's life today. I pray that I took the time to say good morning to someone that was feeling lonely or blue, that I put a smile on their face. I pray these things in Your Name. Amen.
Do not boast about tomorrow. For you do not know what a day may bring.
Today started pretty early, or maybe I wanted it to start early and I over slept a wee bit. It put me behind a little. I showered and ran out of the house to keep my schedule on time. Stop by the church, go pick up the new arm rests for my car, and that's where I got bogged down.
What should have been maybe a twenty minute appointment turned out to be over an hour. Several times I thought about leaving but I really wanted to keep the conversation going. I was on a mission to find out interesting facts about a small town so I kept asking questions.
I finally left and went on to my next stop and then the next. It was looking good, I was on the downward side. I will be able to get home and get some of my writing done. Then when I pulled up to the window to place my order I thought I'd better call my daughter and tell her I was dropping the brownies off for my grandson. She asked where I was and then asked me to get her some tea too.
It was looking good, I only had to drop off the tea and brownies, and I was homeward bound. I ran into the house with the goodies and the kids tackled me. Hugs and kisses all around. With my keys in hand I said, "I really have to get home. I have lots to get done."
"Just one more thing Mom. I want to show you something."
What was going to be maybe a ten minutes stop turned out to be a half hour. I bid my goodbyes and hopped in the car breathing a sigh. I have frozen things in the back I do hope they're not thawed out.
As I drove home it hit me. I shouldn't have taken so long each place I stopped to chat, then again, I would never get that time back. I gave and received hugs and kisses from my grandchildren. Will I have tomorrow to do it again? If I don't have tomorrow will my grandchildren think of today as a special day with Mema?
Did I make a difference today with everyone I met and talked to?
Dear Lord I pray I made a difference in someone's life today. I pray that I took the time to say good morning to someone that was feeling lonely or blue, that I put a smile on their face. I pray these things in Your Name. Amen.
Monday, June 14, 2010
Proverbs 3:3 NAS
Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
As a writer I have the ability to write what I think, feel, and what I want you to hear. As the saying goes, "The pen is mighter than the sword."
Words said in haste can harm, tear down a person's self esteem, separate good friends, and sometimes ruin marriages. Words written on paper, facebook, the internet, or in newspapers are there forever. They can be retracted but the harm has already been done. What has been set in the mind is hard to dislodge.
As a Christian writer I have the responsibility to write the truth as God would want me to write it. The truth that comes from the heart, not to hurt, but to show God's love. As in 2 Timothy 2:15 to avoid worldy and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness.
Gracious Heavenly Father lead and guide me when I sit down to write. May my words be pleasing to you. Amen.
Do not let kindness and truth leave you; Bind them around your neck. Write them on the tablet of your heart.
As a writer I have the ability to write what I think, feel, and what I want you to hear. As the saying goes, "The pen is mighter than the sword."
Words said in haste can harm, tear down a person's self esteem, separate good friends, and sometimes ruin marriages. Words written on paper, facebook, the internet, or in newspapers are there forever. They can be retracted but the harm has already been done. What has been set in the mind is hard to dislodge.
As a Christian writer I have the responsibility to write the truth as God would want me to write it. The truth that comes from the heart, not to hurt, but to show God's love. As in 2 Timothy 2:15 to avoid worldy and empty chatter, for it will lead to further ungodliness.
Gracious Heavenly Father lead and guide me when I sit down to write. May my words be pleasing to you. Amen.
Friday, June 11, 2010
Mirror Image
Eph 5:1 NAS
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
This morning as I was brushing my hair my mind wandered, as it usually does, to what I needed to get done today. Top of the list was to look for dead ancestors, one of my passions. I guess you could say that is my passion. Wanting to know more about who they were, what they did, where did they come from, and how much or how many of their traits did I get from them.
I can be dusting or vacuuming the house and stop short. I realize my mother used to do this the same way. When I look in the mirror I see her reflection looking back at me. But where did I get the wanderlust, if you will, feeling where I want to see what's over the next hill? How did my ancestors treat other people? Were they a mirror image of Christ?
I've traced my great great grandfather and his family through the censes from to New York to Oregon. Then when I check church records, when they are available, I can't find him. Another question pops up. Did they go to church, did they visit the traveling preacher once a month, or did they even own a Bible? If they owned a Bible who read it? Were they a mirror image of Christ?
These are only a few of my questions but my biggest question is still to myself. Am I a mirror image of Christ?
Lord I pray for Your guidance each day that I may be living for You so others may see You through me. Amen.
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.
This morning as I was brushing my hair my mind wandered, as it usually does, to what I needed to get done today. Top of the list was to look for dead ancestors, one of my passions. I guess you could say that is my passion. Wanting to know more about who they were, what they did, where did they come from, and how much or how many of their traits did I get from them.
I can be dusting or vacuuming the house and stop short. I realize my mother used to do this the same way. When I look in the mirror I see her reflection looking back at me. But where did I get the wanderlust, if you will, feeling where I want to see what's over the next hill? How did my ancestors treat other people? Were they a mirror image of Christ?
I've traced my great great grandfather and his family through the censes from to New York to Oregon. Then when I check church records, when they are available, I can't find him. Another question pops up. Did they go to church, did they visit the traveling preacher once a month, or did they even own a Bible? If they owned a Bible who read it? Were they a mirror image of Christ?
These are only a few of my questions but my biggest question is still to myself. Am I a mirror image of Christ?
Lord I pray for Your guidance each day that I may be living for You so others may see You through me. Amen.
Thursday, June 10, 2010
Greed
Luke 12:15 NAS
And He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."
You've heard the old phrase "You can't take it with you when you die." How often do we see things in the store, television, or in a book and we think I've got to have that? I'm as guilty as the next person and sometimes I forget I bought it and I go buy it again. I think one or two of us can say we've done that too.
I struggle thinking I would like to have a new handbag but when I look in my closet I have probably ten or more handbags already, and I can't bear to part with any one of them. So why do I need to buy another one? Is it just to spend the money?
Greed is like lust. You can lust after money, clothing, purses, cars, and even food. You want more and more. There is never enough. But then we aren't satisfied. It's like a child playing with other children then pulling his toys all to himself and not wanting to share with anyone. Hording eveything for himself. The other children walk away from him and he is left with his toys. Nothing else. No friends. Nothing.
This is not what God intended for us. We are to treat others like we ourselves would like to be treated. If I have two I need to give to someone that does not have any. When my time comes to leave this earth I cannot take anything with me. I was born with nothing and I will leave with nothing. I will take my good name, how I treated others, and nothing else. Did others see Christ through me?
Gracious Heavenly Father I pray others will see You through how I live my life. I pray that You give me courage to ask myself if I really need that other item I think I just have to have. I give You all the praise and glory. Amen.
And He said to them, "Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions."
You've heard the old phrase "You can't take it with you when you die." How often do we see things in the store, television, or in a book and we think I've got to have that? I'm as guilty as the next person and sometimes I forget I bought it and I go buy it again. I think one or two of us can say we've done that too.
I struggle thinking I would like to have a new handbag but when I look in my closet I have probably ten or more handbags already, and I can't bear to part with any one of them. So why do I need to buy another one? Is it just to spend the money?
Greed is like lust. You can lust after money, clothing, purses, cars, and even food. You want more and more. There is never enough. But then we aren't satisfied. It's like a child playing with other children then pulling his toys all to himself and not wanting to share with anyone. Hording eveything for himself. The other children walk away from him and he is left with his toys. Nothing else. No friends. Nothing.
This is not what God intended for us. We are to treat others like we ourselves would like to be treated. If I have two I need to give to someone that does not have any. When my time comes to leave this earth I cannot take anything with me. I was born with nothing and I will leave with nothing. I will take my good name, how I treated others, and nothing else. Did others see Christ through me?
Gracious Heavenly Father I pray others will see You through how I live my life. I pray that You give me courage to ask myself if I really need that other item I think I just have to have. I give You all the praise and glory. Amen.
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