Announcing Your Presence

What kills a skunk is the publicity it gives itself.  Abraham Lincoln

I believe Satan to exist for two reasons: first, the Bible says so; and second, I've done business with him.  D.L. Moody

I believe hundreds of Christian people are being deceived by Satan now on this point, that they have not got the assurance of salvation just because they are not willing to take God at His word.  D.L. Moody

The chief weapon we ought to use in resisting Satan is the Bible. Three times the great enemy offered temptations to our Lord. Three times his offer was refused, with a text of Scripture as the reason, "it is written" (Mt. 3:4, 7, 10).  J.C. Ryle

There are some animals that I am not so partial to.  This weekend I was setting up at a farmer’s market and I heard the person next to me say “There is a skunk.”  I am thinking “We are in the middle of town, how could there be a skunk in downtown Rockwall?”  He comes waddling down the sidewalk, crosses the street and goes under the farmer’s trailer.  You want to get a bunch of farmer’s excited, just throw a skunk into the mix. 

I thought of the cartoon about the French Pepe Le Pew where the skunk Pepe chases after his true love Penelope (a black cat) who can’t stand the odiferous smell he exudes.  The problem with Pepe was he announced his presence before he could get close to his true love. 

When we were kids we lived out in the country so there were always plenty of snakes. One of the more common one’s in Louisiana is the water moccasin also known as a pit viper.  I don’t like snakes.  I admit I am in more danger of injuring myself trying to get away from them than they are of biting me.  I can run really fast with the right incentive. 

We had an open garage attached to our house and during construction we had a stack of paneling on the floor of the garage.  A water moccasin had gotten in between the sheets of paneling.  How did we know that?  A water moccasin gives off a distinct bad odor when they are threatened. It is likened to the smell of a billy goat, but take my word for it they just smell bad.   My dad was used to snakes being around the yard or in the barn so he started taking the paneling off one piece at a time until he found the snake and killed it. 

Wouldn’t it be great if Satan did the same thing?  If he gave off some offensive odor so that you could tell he was getting ready to attack or was in the vicinity.  The problem is he doesn’t warn us ahead of time of his presence.  He sneaks in when we least expect it.  He uses stealth as his weapon of choice and before we know it he has taken over our life and actions.  We have a weak moment and he takes advantage.

Unfortunately, we must always be on guard for Satan to strike because he isn’t going to boldly announce his presence and he isn’t going to warn us ahead of time of the danger.  He wants us to be sucked in so that he can bring us down with him.  God has given us the Survival Guide to denying Satan.  If we don’t use it we are in danger of becoming his victims.  Reading the Bible will give us all the instruction we will ever need to avoid sin and ultimately Satan.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, thank you for giving me the Bible so that I can avoid being caught in Satan’s web of deceit.  Help me to strengthen my armor and uphold Your sword of righteousness so that I won’t fall into Satan’s trap. Satan doesn’t announce his presence so I need every weapon in Your Holy arsenal to protect me from him.      

Scripture: Satan Tempts Jesus

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.  Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’”

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone.’”

 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him. Matthew 4:1-11

Childlike

It seems to me, as time goes on, that the only thing that is worth seeking for is to know and to be known by Christ -- a privilege open alone to the childlike, who, with receptivity, guilelessness, and humility, move Godward.  Charles H. Brent

I love to watch children.  They have an innocence about them that is irresistible and their hearts are open.  They haven’t yet experienced the disappointment, tragedy and reality of an adult.  They haven’t been colored by cynicism, hurt or anger. When children dream of what they will be it is normally not something small.  They have the imagination to dream big so their expectations of what they can be are not hindered by the reality of a fallen world.

When I look back on the happiest times of my life the majority of the time my thoughts are centered on childhood memories.  Camping trips, summers with nothing to do but play, riding horses in the evening with my family and floating on inner tubes on the creek with my cousins.  These are the carefree thoughts of childhood. 

Unfortunately, some of our best childhood memories become overshadowed by the hurts of the world.  This becomes our new reality and we grow up.  So we gradually forget or set aside the happiest times and replace them with sorrowful and burdensome events of life.

In Mark 10:14-15 Jesus said, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God.  Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 

It is difficult to survive the hurts of the world and become like little children again.  Through the hurts of the world we bury our ability to become childlike.  We literally become old before our time.  We should pursue Heaven with childlike fervor because God has created a place where our dreams will be realized. 

If I look forward to heaven with the unlimited ability of God to create such an amazing place for me to live through eternity, then this world I live in now will be but a blip on my journey to heaven.   

I think it is best said by Randy Alcorn in his book Heaven.  “God is big enough not only to fulfill your dreams but also to expand them as you anticipate Heaven.  When you experience disappointment and loss as you faithfully serve God here, remember: the loss is temporary.  The gains will be eternal.  Every day on the New Earth will be a new opportunity to live out the dreams that matter most.”

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I pray for my vision of heaven to be one of amazed wonder at the unlimited possibilities of the home you have created for us.  I want to be childlike in my imagination of what heaven will be like because You promise me wonders beyond my comprehension.     

Scripture:  Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them, and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.  Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.  Matthew 18:2-4

The Wedding Feast

I'm against sin. I'll kick it as long as I've got a foot, and I'll fight it as long as I've got a fist. I'll butt it as long as I've got a head. I'll bite it as long as I've got a tooth. And when I'm old and fistless and footless and toothless, I'll gum it till I go home to Glory and it goes home to perdition!  Billy Sunday

I read a story once about a woman who was asked to sing at a wedding.  This was not your typical wedding.  It was an elaborate affair with a reception to be held in a great hall.  There was a great staircase in the hall and a butler standing at the top of the staircase with a book in hand.  As each person reached the top of the staircase the butler would look at the names in the book and call out the person’s name once it was found in the book. 

The singer reached the top of the staircase and the butler looked through the list but could not find her name.  She protested that her name must be in the book because she was the singer for the wedding.  The butler said no her name was not listed so she was escorted out of the great hall.  When she thought back she remembered she had received an invitation to RSVP for the wedding but had not responded so there was not a place for her at the wedding feast. 

When I reflected on this story I started thinking about how this applies to our life on earth and what our destination will be when our life on earth is over.  Will our name be listed in the Lamb’s Book of Life? If we have all sinned and fall short then that sin separates us from relationship with the Father.  We won’t get into heaven by default and no one gets to the Father except through Christ.  (John 14:6)   

We would not be able to enter the gates of Heaven if Christ had not paid for our sin on the cross.  God loves us so much that he offered us a way back to him through His Son dying on the cross.  We are offered the gift of forgiveness and eternal life but we must choose to accept it.  When Christ rose from the grave he defeated sin on our behalf. 

We also need to remember that forgiveness is not automatic.  We must first recognize that we are sinners and then repent of those sins.  “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  (John 1:9)

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, when I read the verse that talks about how wide the gate is to destruction is scares me and makes me cling to You more than ever before.  The path to life is narrow and few will find it.  I praise You for providing a way back to You through your Son’s death on the cross.  When my name is called I want to be on the list.

Scripture:  “Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. ¹⁴ Because  narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it.  Matthew 7:13-14

Animals

God will prepare everything for our perfect happiness in heaven, and if it takes my dog being there, I believe he'll be there.  Billy Graham

I was driving to work this morning and I could see several police SUV’s up ahead with their lights on at the intersection where I turn.  As I drove up closer I saw something black in the road.  It looked like a piece of rubber off of a tire.  As I pulled up to the intersection the object in the road moved.  It was a dog.  There were two policemen standing on the side of the road near the dog.  The dog was lying down but didn’t appear to be injured.  Both of the policemen had pulled their cars into the intersection to protect the dog from getting hit.  The dog appeared to be older and was panting so I am guessing it had collapsed and couldn’t go any further. Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched the two men protect the animal.

I am a sap when it comes to animals.  When it comes to dogs I just can’t help myself, I just want to love them all.  Have you ever noticed how much you can tell about a person by the way they treat animals?  It kind of gives others a character reference of who the person really is inside.  I watched the news this morning where two people were arrested for burning three puppies.  I’ve seen stories of kids throwing acid on dogs and recently young adults taped a dogs mouth closed with duct tape and left him to starve.    

If we look in the Bible, God talks a lot about animals.  He even allows some to talk.  God entrusted animals to us, and our relationships with animals are a significant part of our lives.  Isaiah 11:6-9 talks about the wolf dwelling with the lamb and the leopard will lie down with the young goat.  The cow and bear will graze and the lion will eat straw like the ox.  It says that they shall not hurt or destroy in God’s holy mountain because the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord. Can you imagine a place where we all worship God even the animals because even they know God and understand his Greatness?  I look forward to that day.   

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am always amazed at Your creation.  When I see animals I always think of You because it gives me a glimpse of the amazing things You created.  I look forward to heaven where all of us including the animals will co-exist together in peace praising and worshiping You.

Scripture: “The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them.  The cow and the bear shall graze; their young ones shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox.  The nursing child shall play by the cobra’s hole, and the weaned child shall put his hand in the viper’s den.  They shall not hurt nor destroy in all My holy mountain, for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea.  Isaiah 11:6-9

Strength In Weakness

The flesh must be broken. The Lord can use us then, not while it is unbroken. While Paul was writhing under Satan's thorn, he could get some estimate, though not a full one, of what the flesh is as God sees it. When it was broken, and Paul did not know what to do, the Lord came to pour sympathy into the writhing heart of Paul.  G.V. Wigram

My Mom and Dad and I were sitting at their kitchen table talking this weekend and we started talking about the apostle Paul.  Have you ever noticed when you least expect it wisdom will show up.  We were talking about how Paul had an affliction that God would not remove even though Paul prayed over and over again for God to remove it. 

My Dad said something that I had never really thought about before related to this verse.  The Bible doesn’t go into specifics about what Paul’s affliction was but Dad mentioned that his affliction might not have been an injury or disease but could possibly have been a stutter.  What better way to show others who God is than by giving Paul this great ability to write but taking away his ability to speak well in public. 

Too many times we humans want to take all the credit for the things that happen in our lives.  We want to glorify ourselves instead of the One who created us.  Sometimes the very thing we pray for may not be what God knows is best for us.  The blessing may be God’s withholding the very thing we want most in our life. 

If we understand the prayer in Matthew 6:8-10, “For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. Our Father in Heaven Hallowed be Your name.  Your kingdom come, Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.”  If we understand the wisdom behind these verses, Our Heavenly Father knows our needs before we ever ask so don’t be surprised if what you need versus what you want is the answer you get.

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am often guilty of asking for things out of a want versus a true need.  Help me to understand that you already know what my needs are and that Your grace is sufficient. Also remind me that it is not all about me.  I am not the one who needs to be exalted above all others, You are. Remind me that it is Your will that needs to be done, not mine. 

Scripture:  And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure. Concerning this thing I pleaded with the Lord three times that it might depart from me.  And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ’s sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7-10

Without God

When life has been well spent; when there is a conscience without reproach; when there is faith in the Saviour; when there is a well-founded hope of heaven, there can be nothing that should disquiet us.  Albert Barnes

Without Christ there is no hope.  Charles Spurgeon

Several years ago I participated in writing a book about my cancer journey.  The hospital where I was treated had an ovarian cancer support group and they asked each woman to write about her cancer journey and then the hospital helped to get the book published.  In many ways it was a catharsis because it allowed each of us to see how far we had come, or if we were in the midst of treatment it allowed us to see other’s journey and know that there was hope. 

After the book was published it was kind of amazing to go out on Amazon and see it in print.  My oncologist’s wife is an artist and she painted the picture of the woman on the front of the book.  She used an actual model for the painting and then donated the painting to the support group.  One of the things that I found extremely sad was one of the reviews that was written about the book.  The following is that review:

Hoping For More

I had heard really good things about this book, but was somewhat disappointed. It focuses a lot on God and faith, and I am not a religious person. I was hoping for more insight on how to cope with a cancer diagnosis, in a more realistic way. Reader’s Review of the book TORCH Tales of Remarkable Courage and Hope   

I felt extremely sorry for this woman who wrote the review.  When you are diagnosed with cancer there is this fear that is beyond anything I could ever describe for you in words.  The only thing that I can say about it is it gave me a tiny glimpse of what Jesus must have felt to be born on this earth and to know at the end of His short life he would die a horrible death beyond anything I could ever comprehend.  Can you imagine knowing you would be nailed to a cross to die?  In my horrible sinful state I probably would have lied and cheated or done anything to escape that kind of death.  Sometimes God allows horrible trials in our lives to teach us what redemption really is.  Undeserving grace. 

As the years passed after the book was published, I watched one woman after another die from this horrible disease.  God showed amazing grace to me with this disease and I am forever changed by His love for a sinner such as I.  I honestly don’t understand how anyone can have hope without God.  What do we have to look forward to if we don’t have that hope in Him? 

I think it is best said by Randy Alcorn in his book entitled “Heaven”. 

“Satan wants us to give up on God, on our purpose and calling, and on our planet.  God reminds us, “The One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world” (1 John 4:4).  Satan seeks to destroy the earth.  God seeks to restore and renew the earth, rule it, and hand it back over to his children.  God will win the battle.”

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I can’t imagine my life without You in it.  You are my redeemer and you loved me enough to send Your Son to die on the cross so that I could have eternal life.  I pray for those who do not know You.  Our time on earth is short so I pray for those who deny You exist.  Help them to come to love You as I do and to know that there is everlasting hope in You.

Scripture: Safety of Abiding in the Presence of God

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.  I will say of the Lord, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.” Psalm 91:1-2

Dogs & Relationships

What does love look like? It has the hands to help others. It has the feet to hasten to the poor and needy. It has eyes to see misery and want. It has the ears to hear the sighs and sorrows of men. That is what love looks like.  Augustine

Nature teaches us that every believer should be a soul-winner. It is an essential part of the new nature. We see it in every child who loves to tell of his happiness and to bring others to share his joys.  Andrew Murray

I love dogs.  I admit it freely that I absolutely love dogs.  When I see dogs I can’t help myself, I want to save them if they are lost, take them home if I see one on the street and basically I would be a dog hoarder but I do draw the line at bringing home every dog I see in need of rescue. 

My Mom got a new puppy recently when her dog (whom I saved in my neighborhood when he was sitting on the same street corner all day) died.  Her new puppy’s name is Blue but I call her Pistol.  Not because I like guns but because she is into everything and she has attitude.  When my Dad tells her “no” she talks back, for that matter if anyone tells her “no” she talks back.  She is growing fairly quickly but several weeks ago she was able to run under the couch when she was in trouble, but she has gotten taller so she dives under the couch and almost gets stuck.  Blue is fascinated by everything.  Her attention span is short and she is easily distracted by the things around her.      

As I was thinking about dogs I thought about how you can see human characteristics in them.  They crave attention and when they are abused you can tell by the reactions you get from them that they have been mistreated. They will bite if provoked and warn you of danger.  My dog has conversations with me and howls when my Mom comes to the house.

When I look at dogs I see things in them that are the very patterns that occur in our human lives.  If I discipline my dog you can tell he is heartbroken.  If I pet other dogs he knows immediately and gets jealous.  Sometimes you can tell them no and they will continue to pursue the very thing you don’t want them to do.  Sounds just like a child.

If I apply the way I treat my dog to the way I treat other people how would I measure up in God’s eyes?  Would God think I was doing a good job in the people saving department as I do in the dog saving department?  Sometimes we treat our dogs better than the people around us.  We don’t have to look far to find someone in need of a Saviour and we might just be the person that God needs to do the saving or at the very least point them in God’s direction.     

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I praise You for giving me examples of You in everything around me.  Help me to treat every individual as one of Your children in need of a Saviour.  Help me to be a soul winner for Your Kingdom.  

Scripture:  But the end of all things is at hand; therefore be serious and watchful in your prayers.  And above all things have fervent love for one another, for “love will cover a multitude of sins.”  Be hospitable to one another without grumbling. As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. If anyone speaks, let him speak as the oracles of God. If anyone ministers, let him do it as with the ability which God supplies, that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom belong the glory and the dominion forever and ever. Amen.  1 Peter 4:7-11



Mom's dog Blue

My dog Wylie

 

Regret & Defeat

Just because the current giant you are facing looks like one you defeated in the past, don't buy the lie that you never really won the first battle! By the strength of God's grace, you trusted the Almighty and conquered your Goliath. The first giant is dead. Satan is masquerading as your former enemy so he can slip past your faith and regain entrance into your life. Resist him.  Francis Frangipane

There is a great song by Matthew West called “Hello My Name Is”.  I was listening to it this morning and thinking about the words while also singing at the top of my lungs. I love singing in the car because there is no one to hear me but God and He doesn’t care if I sing out of tune.  The first few lines of the song are amazing. 

Hello, my name is regret
I’m pretty sure we have met
Every single day of your life
I’m the whisper inside
That won’t let you forget
Hello, my name is defeat
I know you recognize me
Just when you think you can win
I’ll drag you right back down again
‘Til you’ve lost all belief
These are the voices, these are the lies
And I have believed them, for the very last time
Lyrics by Matthew West
I decided to read up on the songwriter.  As I was reading about some of the trials he went through including almost severing an artery in his arm which could have ended his ability to play guitar and another incident with his vocal chords and the possibility of never singing again, I started thinking about how we often become defeated by life.  Circumstances occur and we become broken don’t we.  There’s a chip here and a crack there and before we know it we have been battered by life. 
When this happens we often lose sight of the One who loves us the most.  It’s easy to do.  We start thinking that God doesn’t care and our faith slips a little, then we get hit again by life and we feel like we aren’t hearing from God so we slip a little more and before we know it we give up on God.

Every one of us has met “Defeat” and “Regret” at one time or another in our life.  How we react to these two circumstances will make the difference in a great or mediocre faith.   

I love the final verses of this song:

Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I’ve been saved, I’ve been changed, and I have been set free
“Amazing Grace” is the song I sing
Hello, my name is child of the one true King
I am no longer defined
By all the wreckage behind
The one who makes all things new
Has proven it’s true
Just take a look at my life
What love the Father has lavished upon us
That we should be called His children
I am a child of the one true King

Lyrics by Matthew West

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, thank you for the times in my life when I was defeated.  These times became a stepping stone toward a greater faith. You are the One True King in my eyes and I am forever grateful for Your love for me.   

Scripture: Christ on a White Horse
Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself.  He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God.  And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written:

KING OF KINGS AND
LORD OF LORDS.

Revelation 19:11-16

The Beast and His Armies Defeated

Then I saw an angel standing in the sun; and he cried with a loud voice, saying to all the birds that fly in the midst of heaven, “Come and gather together for the supper of the great God, that you may eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and of those who sit on them, and the flesh of all people, free and slave, both small and great.”  Revelation 19:17-18

Blessings in Everything

What we count the ills of life are often blessings in disguise, resulting in good to us in the end. Though for the present not joyous but grievous, yet, if received in a right spirit, they work out fruits of righteousness for us at last.  Matthew Henry

I had a blowout this weekend.  I’ve had flats before but never a blowout.  You want to feel out of control, a blowout will do it.  I had gone to a farmer’s market with my parents and on my way back to their house my tire blew.  The noise it makes as it happens makes you think all the wheels are falling off of your car. 

I am driving on a major freeway and the steering wheel started vibrating and then this loud noise and a piece of rubber the width of my tire and about two feet long flipped up under my wheel well and flew out the back of the car.  I am thankful it didn’t hit anyone behind me.  I swerved to the right shoulder and pulled to a stop.  I walked around to the passenger side of my car to see the damage.  The piece of rubber had flipped up into the wheel well and knocked the gasket off my windshield wiper fluid container so there is liquid all over the ground.  The rubber knocked a piece of my running board off and it was hanging off and there was a flap under the wheel well that was hanging loose. 

My Dad and Mom were several minutes behind me so when they drove by I was on the side of the road.  My Dad turned around to come back and help me change my tire.  In reality my Dad changed my tire and I was there for moral support. As we were on the side of the road I was praying that the eighteen wheelers and cars flying by wouldn’t hit us.  After my Dad changed the tire, my parents followed me to the tire store so I could get a new tire. 

What does this have to do with anything related to a blessing?  This is the way I look at things that happen in life.  The reality is we are going to have trials in life.  If I search for the blessing in this circumstance this is what it looks like.  Blessing #1.  My drive to work every day is around 30 miles.  One area of my drive is over what I call a high-rise overpass.  There is barely a shoulder on the overpass and it is about 200 feet tall.  If I had the blowout on that section of highway the chances of me getting hit and knocked off the overpass are very likely.  I call it a blessing that I had the blowout where I did.   Blessing #2.  When we got to the tire store I had called my husband to let him know where I was and what happened.  We discussed that I should probably get two tires since the other one was getting low on tread.  I drive an SUV so the tires for my car are worth more than gold.  You would think that for what they charged me for them.  So $474 later I am the proud owner of two new tires.  I call it a blessing that I had the resources to buy two tires. Blessing #3.  I had the opportunity to sit with my parents and visit while we waited for the tires to be replaced.  This blessing alone was worth the blowout. 

Trials are going to happen in our lives.  God intends the trials to bring blessings if we view them from a heavenly perspective. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, thank you for helping me to understand what James 1:2-8 means from Your perspective.  We are to count it all joy when we fall into various trials.  If I count my trials all joy, then my joy in You will be tenfold when you pour out your blessings on my life.  I praise You for showing me the blessings in the midst of my trials.

Scripture:  My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.  If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind. For let not that man suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.  James 1:2-8

Lou & the Fruit of the Spirit

Nothing in Scripture teaches that the filling of the Spirit is accompanied by ecstatic experiences or external signs. To be sure, being filled with the Spirit does bring the believer tremendous exhilaration and joy, but the New Testament epistles reveal that being filled with the Spirit brings forth the fruit of the Spirit, not the gifts of the Spirit.  John MacArthur

God develops the fruit of the Spirit in your life by allowing you to experience circumstances in which you're tempted to express the exact opposite quality. Character development always involves a choice, and temptation provides that opportunity.  Rick Warren

Lou is the lizard that lives on my patio.  I was sitting on the patio last night and I started thinking about what Lou does when I am at work all day.  It reminded me of the Geico Insurance commercials.   I pictured Lou sitting in my chair on the patio on my brand new cushions with his feet propped up on the coffee table patting his fat stomach and thinking about how great my home grown tomatoes taste.

This started me thinking about the length of time it takes for my tomato plant to produce fruit.  The plant won’t produce fruit if I don’t feed and water it.  If I give it fertilizer and plenty of water the fruit will grow and eventually ripen to later be picked and enjoyed or in my case, for Lou to enjoy. 

In our Christian life we are expected to produce fruit as well.  If I use Lou as my example, he would be like the person who wants to steal joy from my life.  How does that happen?  For Lou it means he sneaks in and steals my tomatoes or he eats the bottom out of it.  In my Christian life if I allow others around me to steal my joy, then I have lost what God gladly gives me when I am obedient to Him. 

We also push aside the fruit of the Spirit when we get in too much of a hurry.  When we decide that we want something and circumvent God’s blessing in our life by trying to take control of the situation, we lose the blessing God intended if we were to allow God the time to bless us.     

The parable of the hidden treasure comes to mind.  “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and hid; and for joy over it he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.  Matthew 13:44-45 

The fruit we bear can be the difference in ripe juicy fruit or rotten tomatoes. Pursue God with all your heart and the fruit of the Spirit will produce an abundant harvest.    

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I sometimes miss your blessing on my life because I am too busy pursuing what this life on earth has to offer instead of You. Help me to focus on You and the joy will come to me if I wait on You.

Scripture: Bring back our captivity, O Lord, as the streams in the South.  Those who sow in tears shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, bearing seed for sowing, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.  Psalm 126:4-6

Prayer & Action

Prayer is not appointed for the furnishing of God with the knowledge of what we need, but it is designed as a confession to Him of our sense of the need. In this, as in everything, God's thoughts are not as ours. God requires that His gifts should be sought for. He designs to be honored by our asking, just as He is to be thanked by us after He has bestowed His blessing.  A.W. Pink

I am guilty of superficial prayer.  When we fully understand what prayer is and is not, that is the true blessing.  Too many times I go to the Father in prayer and I lay it all at His feet, but I forget the follow-up.  What I mean is that when we approach the Father with our requests that is not the end of the story.  It is the beginning. 

Prayer is an interesting thing.  It is the one thing on earth that is available to everyone no matter what our place in life. We can go to the Father at any time and talk with Him when we are in the depths of despair or the joy of life.  The problem is we often forget the real purpose of prayer.  It is hard for me to remember at times, that God already knows my need.  If we look for the real purpose of prayer, it is a living relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

If I were to dissect my prayer it would need to have various parts.  Recognizing my need of Him would be the first piece.  The second part would be the understanding that He already knows what that need it is and it is not necessary for me to explain it to Him.  I would say my third part would be identifying what is really a need and what is just a want.  There is a fourth piece to the equation and that is following through.  This means we don’t just stop at the end of the prayer and expect God to do it all.  This is where I need to move into action.  I am not saying I take control of the outcome.  If I am praying for someone who has a need, as a follower of Christ, it is my responsibility to assist that person in whatever way I am able.  The final piece is praising and thanking God for His blessings, whatever they may be. 

Sometimes God blesses us through tragedy or trials.  This is often the most difficult thing to understand.  In our minds we think everything that is a blessing should bring us joy and happiness.  In reality, if some tragedy has to occur to get our attention and turn us back to Him, that is a blessing indeed.    

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I am guilty of coming to You through prayer but not putting a lot of thought into what I should really pray.  If I break my prayer down into small parts I believe my prayer will be more effective for others and beneficial to me.  Your ways are not ours and that means You will not always answer my prayers the way I think they should be answered.  Help me to understand You better so that my prayer life can be more effective.  I love You Father and praise You for prayer.

Scripture:   These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God. Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him.  1 John 5:13-15

A Lizard & A Tomato

God dwells in His creation and is everywhere indivisibly present in all His works. He is transcendent above all His works even while He is immanent within them.  A.W. Tozer

My husband and I were sitting on our patio last night after work enjoying the sounds of nature and catching up on each other’s day.  We have two tomato plants on our patio.  We both enjoy tomatoes so we decided to try to grow our own. 

A couple of weeks ago Jerry was watering the tomato plants and he saw small tomatoes on the plants.  The problem is the bottom of each tomato was missing.  Something was eating our tomatoes before they ripened. 

We discussed what we thought could be eating them.  You know the usual caterpillars or some other bug. Well Jerry was watering the tomato plants again and as soon as he started watering a big green lizard came running out.  You notice I say big, because he was pleasantly plump on our home grown tomatoes. 

Last night we are sitting on the patio and the lizard boldly runs in front of us across the patio to our tomato plant.  Well, he might get away with that when I am not sitting there but he wasn’t going to make off with my tomatoes without a fight.  I actually told my dog to chase the lizard away from my tomato plant.  I mean fresh tomatoes are one of my favorite things about summer.  I couldn’t let the green bandit make off with mine. 

God created some amazing creatures.  I am watching this lizard run from my dog and his front legs are shorter than his back legs but he is really fast.  My dog is fast too but not nearly as fast as Lou (that’s my name for my lizard).  Well, Lou was able to get away so my tomatoes are still in danger.  I decided in order to save my tomatoes from Lou, I would have to pick them.  I had five green tomatoes but unfortunately when I picked them Lou had already beat me to two of the larger ones.  Lou was really coming back for the second course. 

My husband and I started talking about the amazing things God created.  He created lizards that can lose their tail when in danger and grow a new one of a different color.  Many can change colors to blend in with their environment. Then I thought of the Komoto Dragon that is really a lizard.  I mean those things have been known to grow up to 10 feet long and sometimes track humans.  I am thinking Lou will never get that big but then I am feeding my tomato plants Miracle Grow so who knows, maybe I’ll leave a few tomatoes for Lou.     

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, it never ceases to amaze me about Your creation.  I watch nature and see You in everything.  When I see the animals you created, I can’t help but be in awe of You and praise You for creating me in Your likeness.   Thank you for giving us examples of your greatness. 

Scripture:  Then God said, “Let the waters abound with an abundance of living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the face of the firmament of the heavens.”  So God created great sea creatures and every living thing that moves, with which the waters abounded, according to their kind, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  And God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.”  So the evening and the morning were the fifth day. Then God said, “Let the earth bring forth the living creature according to its kind: cattle and creeping thing and beast of the earth, each according to its kind”; and it was so. And God made the beast of the earth according to its kind, cattle according to its kind, and everything that creeps on the earth according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.  Genesis 1:20-25

 

Be All You Can Be

Any time we open ourselves up to fear, we fall prey to his deceptions and intimidations. Yet, if we submit our hearts to God and stand in faith, we can resist those first fearful thoughts. As we yield to God we can master our reactions to fear and the enemy will soon flee.  Francis Frangipane

My middle sister and I went to high school together.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have the opportunity to go to school with my oldest sister as she had graduated before I started, and I graduated before my younger brother started. 

Anyway, when I was a sophomore my sister was a junior.  We joined our marching group and at the time my sister was a Junior Co-Captain.  I decided to try to follow in her footsteps.  You had to try out for the various captain positions and to this day I don’t know how I was able to get through the try-outs.  I was extremely shy, (you can’t say that about me today), and there were several things you had to do in try-outs.  You had to make up a hand-routine, (this was kind of like a mime with gloves on), give a speech, do a marching routine and blow all the whistle commands. 

Here is this skinny, extremely shy teenager who is going to get up in front of 150 girls and sponsors and give a speech, do routines and not pass out from sheer terror.  This is the thing.  In my freshman year I tried out for Junior Co-Captain and I didn’t make it.  You would have thought I would have stopped there.  I didn’t.  The next year when my sister was a Senior Co-Captain I was determined to try out again.  I guess failure didn’t sit well with me, so that year I tried out again. 

That was the year I came out of my shell.  I was no longer this shy introverted person.  I overcame my fear of rejection.  I had already lost the previous year so what made me think I would win the next one.  I like to think that was God working in me.  The coolest thing about this whole thing was when I tried out the second time I received enough votes to become Senior Co-Captain and the even cooler thing was I took my sister’s place when she graduated.  They had a ceremony that took place when the votes were counted and my sister symbolically passed her whistle on to me.  That is one of the best memories I have of high school.  Not only had I accomplished something I never thought I could do, but I had a special memory with my sister. 

God created us to become more than we ever think is possible.  The moment of try outs for me was filled with fear.  My fear was so great that I thought when I stepped out in front of the crowd that I would freeze and not be able to say a word.  The weird thing is I don’t remember the faces of everyone looking on.  I had practiced so long and hard that it just came to me without thinking about it.  Isn’t that the very thing God wants from us.  He wants us to meditate on His word every day so that when we are called to step out in faith, we will not hesitate.  Don’t let fear interfere with God’s purpose in your life.    

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, what better way to praise You than to live my life for You.  The memories of years gone by have taught me that You created each of us with a purpose in mind.  Your purpose can only be fulfilled if we step out in faith.  This faith will only come if I am willing to set aside my fear and walk toward You.  Thank you for helping me to be all that I can be for You.

Scripture:   Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love.  We love Him because He first loved us.  1 John 4:17-19

Refrigerator Magnets

I remember the time an older man asked me when I was young, "Do you know what you are doing now?" I thought it was some kind of trick question. Tell me," I said. You are building your memories," he replied, "so make them good ones." Ravi Zacharias

I was watching Sunday Morning on, you guessed it, Sunday morning and there was a piece on refrigerator magnets.  A study shows that 87% of Americans have magnets on their refrigerators except those made of stainless steel.  They won’t hold a magnet. 

I found it interesting because they talked about how you can tell a great deal about a family just by looking at their refrigerator.  It started me thinking about the magnets I have on my refrigerator.  I have magnets shaped like pasta, magnets holding blank notepads for grocery lists, fruit and vegetable magnets, a crawfish magnet that my husband gave me many years ago.  He had written a poem telling me how much he loved me that included the word crawfish in it.  It was very romantic.   I have various magnets that include the numbers of my local pizza joint, dentist, a magnet with who to call for benefits questions and I even have a Titanic magnet.  It says the following:  “Some days I feel like all I am doing is rearranging deck chairs on the Titanic.”

Then there are all the things that are held onto the frig with the magnets.  One side of my refrigerator has pictures that my nephews and I drew when they had sleep overs at our house, there are pictures they drew for me at various times of space aliens and there is one of my favorites that simply says, “I love you Aunt Brane”.  I like to think he thought I was really smart, but I think he was just learning to spell so he didn’t know how to spell Bren. I also have graduation photos of our friend’s children, photos of various family members at different events and school pictures of kids in the family.

What does your refrigerator say about you and your family?  There is history on most refrigerators. The only thing I don’t have on my refrigerator are my favorite scriptures.   I think I might buy one of those Magnetic Poetry kits that have different words you can rearrange on your refrigerator.  That way I will always have a reminder of the God who loves me and what better way to learn the Word that God wants us to bury deep in our hearts. 

Prayer for the Day: Heavenly Father, I can picture everything on my refrigerator because I pass by it every day and many times it makes me smile because it helps to remind me of special moments in my life.  I want to include You in those special moments because they are the most important.  I think I will update my refrigerator with memories of You. 

Scripture:   “These things I have spoken to you while being present with you.  But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all things that I said to you.  Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. John 14:25-27