They are without excuse

I had a conversation with someone the other day about unbelievers. The other persons opinion was that unbelievers truly don't know or believe in God or a Higher Being. I totally disagree. I totally disagreed long before I found scripture to back it and long before I even knew how to read and understand scripture. Long before I could read and comprehend the Bible, before I understood the sacrifice of the Cross or the significance of being Baptized, I knew that something much grander than myself or someone like me made a mountain, and the ocean, and a butterfly and a fuzzy pup. I knew that something much grander than a human engineered the peace of a forest floor layered in pine needles on cool fall morning, and the majesty of rushing water over small waterfall into the deep pool below, and orchestrated the dance of stars and moons and planets across the sky, each moving to their mark, just when they are supposed to! Even as a an ignorant child, I knew these things didn't just 'happen' by accident or some bizarre coincidence. The next verse tells you how I knew, and how you knew it also, and how EVERYONE knew it then and knows it now, whether they admit it or not. 

Romans 1:19-21

New King James Version (NKJV)

19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened.

Turns out, I was right! God is REAL!! And as is also turns out, we are each ingrained with this knowledge without anyone having to tell us. "Unbelievers" and "atheists" know it too... they just choose to deny it, refuse to acknowledge it the truth of it. That does not make it less true. They say they want 'PROOF'. I wonder how much proof it takes to convince someone who has become 'futile' in his thinking? Can they not see the green in the grass, hear the song birds? See the mountains rise? Can they not see the adaptability of Gods Creatures to their environments? I have to wonder about someone who cannot see the wonder of God in the face of a newborn baby. I think maybe they have to have an epiphany of their own to show them God is real, rather than have someone try to teach them.

Romans 1:21-25

New King James Version (NKJV)

21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.  (underlining and emphasis is mine)

There are many times when we don't want to believe that something is true: when its bad news about a relative, a job situation or something big we were trying for and it fell through. But, we know that we have to face facts. People who are 'unbelievers', 'agnostics', or 'atheist' have the truth embedded in them, but they may have buried it pretty deep for whatever reason. Perhaps they didn't have any religious teaching in the home growing up, or they were brought up strictly under religious law, and want no more of it. But scripture says the knowledge is there, and they have no excuse. (Romans 1:20).

You know, humans are difficult creatures to understand. We take the simplest of situations and make them as difficult as Chinese arithmetic! It's like we just refuse to understand things out of pure stubbornness sometimes. I am not eliminating myself here. I know of several situations where I had to learn the same lesson about 5 times before I caught on!! And there are many verses in the Bible that are written out plain as day, but most people will not take them at face value. Maybe they just aren't ready to receive it yet. 

I hope you will take this opportunity to open your Bible and read the scriptures I listed here, and more! I find it hard to stop once I start reading. Its very interesting reading. Read it, pray for understanding, but read. Learn what the scriptures say, for your own sake. You need to know, so that you'll know that  you're pastor is on the right path, and so you'll know that you are too!

My next blog is going to be about how pastors lead us astray. Stay tuned!


Love yall. 
Susan





b

LIFE IS A BEAUTIFUL BALANCING ACT

2. 
   
   

   Life is a balancing act... there are just so many things to keep up with: money, schooling, relationships, weight, fertility, health problems, parents, fashion, addiction, family problems.... and a good array of other things. I want to address the family problem/relationship bit if I may.....

   
   

   As teenagers, our lives are generally built around angst! Do we have the right clothes, the right friends, does the person we like like us?  We have no concept at all that our parents were ever teenagers and therefore we are sure they have no clue what its like to be young!! We have to keep up our appearances in our peer group and keep up our grades in order to earn our weekend out time...it's a lot of pressure, and that pressure can double if, like a lot of kids these days, a teen has two homes to worry with due to divorced and remarried parents. 

   
   
   

   Families get into many struggles as the children become grown and start living their own lives, and not necessarily doing it the way the parents would have them do it. Usually this will past and things will settle down. Parents and adult children will find some stable ground on which to communicate and live in harmony.

   
   
   

   But within families and other relationships, there are often numerous problems. In relationships that are a struggle to maintain, there are breaks in trust, misconceptions, lies, lack of dependability, and tons of disrespect. And often times these things will go on for years, in unforgiveness, as bitterness and anger just keeps building up.

   
   
   

   So how do you bring all this into balance? It's really simple. 

   
   

   1.Treat everyone with LOVE.

   
   
   

   Romans 13:9 says "Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself!"  

   
   
   

   So we are to show a kind heart and love to everyone. That would include being respectful and honest. That means keeping a promise, honoring your word. It means NOT gossiping about your friend, relative or loved one behind their back. Don't speak ill of anyone at all. 

   
   
   

   Speak well of them whenever you can, try to help them like you would like them to help you. Have good manners. 

   
   

   In this way, you will have peace with your friends and relatives. If they do not act the same towards you in time, you will know what to do next.

   
   
   

    2. FORGIVENESS! 

   
   

   Ephesians 4:32  Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you.

   
   

   Mark 11:25 And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.”

   
   

    1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

   
   

   Matthew 18:21-22 Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.

   
   

   Matthew 6:15 But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. 

   
   
   

   Forgiveness frees you of having to carry the burden of this poor relationship on your soul. It removes that burden so you are forgiven by God, and free to love that person again! It lifts you above the need to bicker and fuss and gossip. It renews you and gives you clean energy to renew the relationship, if the other person is willing to submit themselves to forgiveness as well. BUT you should not revive that relationship if the other person hasn't experienced a God-change as well. If you do, you are asking for more trouble. 

   
   
   

   3.RELEASE!

   
   

   If not, you may have to let that person out of your life. Consider that it may not be God's will for you to hang on to an unforgiving person or a person who will constantly be causing turmoil in your life. God's wish is for us to live to his example, in peace and love, and not to have constant negativity and sin pushed upon us.

   
   

   1 Corinthians 5:11 But now I am writing to you not to associate with anyone who bears the name of brother if he is guilty of sexual immorality or greed, or is an idolater, reviler, drunkard, or swindler—not even to eat with such a one.

   
   

   Ephesians 6:13 Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. “Honor your father and mother” (this is the first commandment with a promise), “that it may go well with you and that you may live long in the land.”

   
   
   

   2 Thessalonians 3:6 Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.

   
   

   The truth is plain. You should have NO STRUGGLE with a TRUE friend, or a relationship thats meant to be, whether they are family by blood or association. If there is a problem there, and that person is not trustworthy, then for the sake of peace among you and peace in your soul, that person is not someone you should be around on a regular basis. Perhaps later in life, one or both of you will mature enough to see that your differences were petty, or that you will be able to put them behind you later on. But until that time of reasoning, it may be best to give it a rest. 

   
   

   That is in fact, the best part, you get to decide who you keep in your life. But make the decisions based on Biblical principals, not financial gain or idolatry. It is your life and your choice how you're going to mess it up. ... don't waste your time surrounding yourself with people who don't value you and respect you in their life... Sometimes, you have to let them go; not because you suddenly stopped loving them, but because it's whats best for everyone concerned. 

   
   

Our Bitterness Takes Root

OUR BITTERNESS TAKES ROOT IN OUR SOUL AND BEARS FRUIT

Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to because trouble and defile many.”

God’s grace and our bitterness cannot coexist in the same heart. Either God’s grace will push out your bitterness, or your bitterness will push out God’s grace.

If the truth be told, we don’t hold a grudge – a grudge holds us. The poison in our soul doesn’t hurt the person we are holding resentment against but it kills us. It’s a huge, heavy burden we carry with us everywhere we go.

And hard or bitter feelings toward others ends up “causing trouble” and “defiling many, and it spreads out to other people; people who don’t deserve it. It will poison your relationships, friendships, marriages, children, and associates.

There is an answer in God’s Word. There is a way to rescue your heart and emotions. It is called forgiveness.

Ephesians tells us to “get rid of all bitterness…be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you”.

We have been forgiven, now we become the forgiver. We can store resentment and bitterness and let it become poison in our soul; a poison that will cripple or destroy us. Jesus Christ’s love and the power of forgiveness, is our antidote. Do yourself a favor, and SET YOURSELF FREE, so you can be happy. Have the peace and joy of the Lord Jesus in your life. Forgive. FORGIVE!!

BORROWED FROM FACEBOOK PASTOR: (some editing on my part)

Protecting Your Children, even when its inconvenient....

This is kinda of an addendum to the previous blog... but its weighing on my mind so here we go...

People, protect your children. I know this isn't always convenient for you, but PLEASE keep in mind that children are impressionable, tender little hearts and minds, dependent on YOU to set an example and teach them about life, and yes, to protect them from the bad stuff. Sometimes protecting them means putting off what you want to do til later, but its so worth it. You should always put the welfare of your children before anything or anyone.

So, you have to ask yourself every day.. What is my behaviour teaching my child today? What do my decisions teach my child about life, about how to live life, about how to make good, solid decisions, about clean living, about how to treat others, about Godly living, safe living, good nutrition, the proper way to conduct ones self in public and in private??  Because the thing to realize is that from the moment that child was conceived, life ceased to be about YOU. You became responsible for molding the life of another human being. That is an AWESOME responsibility. So, are the things you do and the decisions you make things you want your child to do and decisions you are comfortable with your child making??

If you are partying and drinking, hanging out in bars, sleeping around with different guys or girls... being slovenly in your personal life or appearance, hanging out with rough people that you wouldn't trust to take care of your child... Are these things you would be comfortable knowing your beautiful, precious child will be doing in a few years? Because if you are doing it now, he or she will be doing it soon. They learn what you live.

You need to know this: GOD entrusted your children to you. He gave you a precious gift, loaned it to you really, to take care of on this Earth, to teach and watch over, to educate and to love. And if you are neglecting that responsibility, you are failing a responsibility that God trusted you with, and you are failing your child. You are failing to give your child the love and protection and education that they need to be able to go out into this crazy world and be successful. And, in retrospect, you are failing yourself... because I guarantee you that when you are older, and the kids are older and things are going all wrong, they will blame you... and what will your defense be? "I did the best that I could"?? A lie that will just add insult to injury. And the true sadness here is that your kids will most likely pass the same 'upbringing' on to their kids... and the cycle will continue, until somewhere down the line, some kid decides, Hey! I don't have to live this way! I have the power to change myself!

Why not let that change start with YOU? Break the mold! Live better! Raise your kids better! Love them better! They are so tender hearted, so impressionable... and they need parents who can feed their souls, protect their little hearts, protect them emotionally as well as physically, educate them in proper things. They need parents who will stand up for them, be their hero's, yet discipline them when necessary, set those boundaries for what is acceptable and not... be the parent, not the buddy....... It's a daunting challenge in todays society, more so than ever before, but if you are a parent, regardless of circumstances, it's a challenge you have already taken up. Its up to you how well you meet it.

Love y'all.

Susan

Children as Chattel / Being Nice in an Unkind World

You know, I wish there were a way to make everyone happy in every situation... I wish there were a way to keep that one bad potato from spoiling the whole bunch.. I wish there were a way to banish hatefulness and spite, or at least put a lid on it, so that people could get along... I wish there were a way to make people see the truth, the REAL TRUTH of a situation instead of what is convenient (self serving) for them to believe. I wish people weren't so prideful and didn't have such a hard time admitting when they are or were wrong, and how they contributed to a situation, how they could have helped instead of hindered.. and I wish people would especially keep this in mind when children are involved. I wish there were some sort of internal warning light that went off when people were being self-serving, instead of doing the right thing, you know, just to tip them off and give them a chance to do act right before they did damage to others.

I wish that divorcing people and people with children who are suffering through the pangs of a dying relationship wouldn't view their children as pawns and ransom and potential income.  They need to put the childs welfare ahead of their own needs and wants, ahead of their own rage and their own need to lash out and hurt the former mate... I know this feeling can be strong, real, and overwhelming.... but its not in the childrens best interest. They love and need both parents, they need to know that both parents love and need them. And they need to know that the custodial parent loves them enough to care about their needs.  AND this is ALL they need to know. They don't need to know how much disdain one parent has for the other, or the colorful names you have come up with for each other. I have some experience with this particular topic, and I can tell you that things would have gone much smoother for the adults as well as the children if ALL the adults involved could have seen beyond themselves and done what was right for the child or children, at the time.

Aside from divorce situations, I wish that people in general would just be kinder, more loving, more thoughtful of one another. It's true what they say... everyone is going through something, everyone is fighting some sort of battle... most of us try to put on a happy face, some of us don't . Some people are just grumpy and hateful. It doesn't mean they can't use a kind word and some loving behaviour shown to them. Maybe they need it more than most! It is true that some people are harder to love than others, but we should still love them, and probably need to love them double, whether they seem to appreciate it or not!

We are given that Duty by God Himself... to LOVE. Love our Brethren. Love our neighbors. Love the sinner. Love the widows. Love the old. Love the orphans. Love the little ones. Love the unlovable. Love our enemies. Love everyone. What a wonderful testament to our FAITH, and the GRACE we've been blessed with to be able to put this commandment into action. There are times when this is not so easy to do... when we are hurt, when we are angry, or outraged... or worse, when someone has hurt someone we love... It is sometimes very hard to love and be helpful to someone who seems to give you nothing but grief in return, but we are commanded to, and your LOVE for them may be the only scripture they get. YOU may be their LIVING SCRIPTURE! How awesome is that! So in spite of the difficulty of the task at hand, I implore you not to give up on the seemingly unlovable... they need it more than anyone. I would like to add as a side note, that no one expects you to put yourself in any real physical danger in order to do this, so certainly, don't risk your life or endanger anyone else in a physical way in order to prove this point.

I hope you will all forgive me for the rambling nature of this particular blog. I haven't written in while (TONS of stuff going on here on the home front), so I'll be trying to catch up in the next couple of weeks and they are apt to be a bit rambling cause I seem to have a lot to say all of a sudden!

Love to all and God Bless!

Susan

Venting Your Frustrations is all about TIming!

We all have those days... you know, when we are fed up, wrung out, at the end of our rope and had just about all we can take for one day... and then somebody, some unsuspecting person pops right up and decides that now, RIGHT NOW, is the very best time, to tell you exactly how they feel about what you did concerning blah blah blah. Really? That has to be today?  They have no idea what they are in for.

Or, in the case of my sister Ann, who has recently been diagnosed with Stage 4 Metastasized Cancer, I don't think there is a good time to VENT on her... not for a while probably, if ever. My advice is to not try it. For your own good.

Recently, Ann posted something on FaceBook about how grateful she is that when friends and family are not available to talk to, God always is. She is comforted by this knowledge, because being a Christian, and knowing that God is always there to listen, to put His arms around you, means you are never truly alone. What she wrote was touching and sweet, and true. We all loved it, except for this one woman.... I'll call her Tammy.

I didn't see her response, nor my sister's response to her response...I'll call the woman Tammy since I don't know her real name. Tammy had the good sense to remove it before I had the chance. But the gist of it was this: she thought that right then was a great opportunity to point out when my sister had NOT been there for HER... and all the things she had failed to do for her, etc etc. Which was totally selfish and UNTRUE. Ann stood by Tammy when her mother passed away. And took vacation time to go on a quite unpleasant road trip with this woman to help her clean out her deceased mothers house... for which she received nothing but criticism. Ann stood by Tammy when she herself had cancer, when Tammy's husband had cancer, when Tammy was suffering with chemo.... anyway you get my drift. Ann was a friend to this unpleasant woman, because it was the Christian thing to do, not because it was the easy thing to do. And then this woman is going to step out ON FB, and criticize her! Needless to say, my Christian attitude slipped just a tidge and my human nature took over. Which is why it was a good thing I didn't find out who the woman really was!

SO... what I said was this... IF anyone thinks it is wise and appropriate to criticize Ann for anything...it is suggested that you come to me first. Let us talk it over and then we will see if you still think it is important enough to approach her with it or if you and Jesus just need to have a little sit-down and be done with it.

In other words.... for people who are a little slow on the uptake... NOW is not a good time to be causing Ann grief. Not NOW, not EVER. She has a bit much on her plate and she doesn't need to be stressed by any petty arguments or grievances that anyone wants to share with her. Learn to let it go instead and offer her some support. To my knowledge, she never NEVER was mean or hateful to anyone, but was helpful to everyone, and if she couldn't help, she was at the very least, POLITE. I expect no less from all her friends, former co-workers, and acquaintances now. And if your urge to tell her off is so great you can't contain yourself, contact me, you can tell me off instead.

That is all.

Dropping the ball...

Dear Readers...

I know I have been slacking on my blogging the past few weeks. I do hope you will forgive me. I have been quite taken aback by some developments/news in my family and have not been functioning on a 'normal' level.

My sister called me a few weeks ago with the news that she had been diagnosed with a Stage 4 Metastasized cancer. It was sudden, shocking news. I have been crying ever since. We've  had a wonderful, love filled, laughter filled, children running wild and in abundance family reunion which was absolutely a God sent blessing and a tear soaked I-can't-breathe hug fest all rolled into one. My dear mother had 4 of her 5 daughters (unfortunately one sister and my brother were unable to attend). There were grandchildren and great grands running everywhere.. it was quite the sight!! And of course, being good Southerners, there was an embarrassing abundance of delicious Southern food, hardly any of it qualifying for 'healthy' eating, but more of the 'comfort' food variety. All of it was wonderful!!

And then, after four wonderful days of hugging, crying, laughing, and walking down memory lane.. it was time to pack up and head home... my sister and her family back to Texas. Myself and my crew back to South Alabama... More heartbreak to have to part ways.

I hope all the cousins will remember their time together. I hope they will make an effort to get together again soon. But mostly I pray that God will have His mighty hand on my sister... that His healing, His comfort, His wisdom and guidance, and His Spirit will cover her, to keep her from anxiety, to heal her if it be His will, to comfort her when she is scared or uncertain, to cradle her when she doesn't feel well, to guide her when decisions need to be made and to reassure her in times of doubt that she is LOVED, that she is HIS TREASURE as well as ours, and that when I cannot be there with her, the Spirit of the Lord will comfort her.

I would ask that all who read this lift her up in prayer, and the family as well, so that we can be strong for her. Let our faith not waiver. But let us STAND FIRM and know that GOD IS IN CONTROL and GOD IS GOOD, ALL THE TIME, even when we don't understand.

What does it mean to be SAVED? And how do you get there??

I'm glad you asked! I used to question that very thing!! Although I had always had a  spiritual belief in God, it was all very vague... and when people would ask me about my religion, I would give that all too familiar answer you've probably heard a million times, "Well, I'm not really in 'church' but I've always been very 'spiritual'." What does that even mean??!

Many of you may have been raised in church, but I wasn't. My grandmother went to  church, but I never remember going with her. I know my mother took us when I was small, but I have no memory of it. I know my older sibling was baptised when I was quite small, but I wasn't. There were a smattering of church outings throughout my childhood, but nothing consistent and yet I prayed. I knew enough to pray.

As a young adult and mother, I tried several times to get established in a church, but I failed. Seems like each one I tried was more concerned with who was attending regularly and who wore what. I was never comfortable. I didn't fit in. I didn't have the social connections, the new car, the fine house or the finances to feel accepted into "organized" religion.

It wasn't until about 12 years ago that I got serious about church and educating myself about salvation. So, getting back to our topic... what does it mean to be SAVED?

It is so simple! And yet, that first step is a doozy!!

Step one is to simply acknowledged that Christ is LORD! You have to have a full belief in God, and that Jesus is His son, and His SON, Jesus died on the Cross for YOU, for all of us, and rose again on the 3rd day. You don't have to have a complete understanding of the whys and wherefores... Wednesday night Bible Studies are designed to teach us all that! You don't have to be living a perfect life, God will correct you and clean you up AFTER you commit to HIM! You can come to Him just as you are!
You just need to BELIEVE in your heart that JESUS loves you, HE DIED FOR YOU and make the decision to REPENT your sins (ask forgiveness) and live for HIM!
And that, friends, is how you start your journey of submission to God and salvation. I promise you will never regret it. A relationship with God is the single most important decision you can ever make for yourself, for your family and for every aspect of your life... Peace is available to all of us through Christ Jesus.

Be a Bible...

Everyday, as we go about our routines, doing our jobs, taking care of our families, buying groceries, paying bills, running errands, taking the kids to ball practice or whatever it is our day holds...we are setting an example to everyone who sees us go about our day. This could be our neighbors, friends, check out clerk, a child we don't know, a child of our own, or someone behind us in the checkout line.

Question is... what kind of example are you setting? As a Christian, you should be setting a Christ like example, displaying humility and love, a willingness to help, a cheerful countenance... Just keep this in mind... For some people, YOU may be the only BIBLE THEY READ. That is an awesome responsibility and an awesome opportunity to spread the LOVE of CHRIST and HIS WORD without even opening your mouth! Make sure the pages of your life reflect the TRUTH of Gods WORD...  it's so easy to do! Be generous in your praise of others, be thankful to those who help and assist you, have joy in your heart as one of God's elect and let that joy shine for others to see, be humble, put others needs before your own, help and assist others whenever you can... and do it gladly! Show others that being a Christian is a happy, freeing, joyous place to be... and your example might win them over to the idea to!

I think its about forgiveness....

Ephesians 4:23  (ESV) and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds

Like anything else, the first step to recovery, is admitting you have a problem! So, how do you know you have things you need to let go of? Some of it is easy... you know if you are angry with someone, if you hold a grudge, if you harbor hatred in your heart or even if you are just perpetually irritated by some family member. To me, the biggest problem was deep seated anger, which I guess amounted to a grudge... but for many years I felt it was justified, considering what had been done to me by that person.

As Christians, we change when we are saved and Baptised. We put on our “new man”. This means we are a NEW person in Christ. And we have to start living it. Our joy in the Lord should shine in our lives, and be evident in our every action and word!

It is so important to deal with your past issues... and lets face it, we all have past issues. Jesus died on the Cross to forgive our sins and give us new life, and a life of abundance. We cannot accept or obtain that if we are still living in or holding onto our past life, our past problems and the person we used to be before we were saved and washed clean by the blood of the lamb!! God has forgiven you! The hard part is forgiving yourself and forgiving the people in your life who have hurt you and wronged you. It is hard, but essential.

After being saved, the Lord will allow you some time to address and work through these things, to make amends and come to peace with the things that dwell in your heart. HE will guide you as you pray for guidance, and be a healing salve to the wounds of the past, BUT you have to do your part. You have to be willing to let go of the past, you have to be willing to take an honest look at why you were holding on to certain things from the past, and even certain people and you even have to be willing to examine relationships and evaluate how they are going to fit into your new life as a Christian.

If your past involved addictions, I urge you to pray hard for guidance, to reach out to people who can help you and to break ties with people who are also involved in such activities. I think it’s imperative for your well-being to be away from that influence until you a strong enough in your faith to decide if you can be around them without being tempted.

When you are ready, your testimony could lead them to Christ, but if you attempt it before you are strong enough, you could be opening yourself up to temptation you are not equipped to resist. I don’t pretend to be an expert on this kind of dependency, so please do seek out those who know more about the subject than I do.

For this first, brief installment on overcoming the past, let me leave you with this... pray and pray hard... for help in recognizing things you need to address, things you need to get rid of, things you need to forgive, and forget, and what the lessons are you need to learn from these trials. Ask the Holy Spirit to fill you and guide you on this journey.  This goes for forgive and forget scenarios as well as situations where you need to stop a bad habit... like smoking, over eating, an addiction to cookies, etc. Turn over to the Lord. If you do it with all sincerity, He will help you.

Phil 3:13-14  Forgetting those things that are behind.....

One thing that I do know about and that gives many new Christians so much trouble is the issue of forgiveness. When you’ve been hurt and damaged by friends and family members, it may seem impossible to forgive them. You can. First you have to understand what it means to forgive. Forgiveness does not mean that whatever they did to hurt you is okay, or that you are dismissing the wrong that was done. Forgiveness means that you are no longer going to harbor hatred and animosity towards that person, you are letting go of those negative feelings. You are not freeing them from their responsibility, you are freeing yourself from the negative feelings that are dragging YOU down and affecting your life, your thinking and your SPIRIT in a very negative way. The HOLY SPIRIT cannot bless you and dwell in you to the fullest when you have huge black spots of unforgiveness and bitterness on your heart. Once you let it go, you will see and feel the benefit of it, and it gets easier and easier because you don’t want that feeling in you!! You don’t want that weight on your spirit!

It is a process... sometimes forgiving someone can take some time.  Seek God’s comfort through prayer to expedite this process.  Don’t take too much time. And I caution you about over thinking it or over talking it. Repeatedly talking about a bad experience, past what it takes to work through it initially, is only the devils workshop and just keeps the experience alive, therefore keeping the bad feelings alive. This is not what you want. In order to forgive, you want to put the issue down, not repeatedly re-live it. With the Lord’s help, you can forgive those who’ve harmed and offended you.  And then you will have peace.

You might ask, “Why should I forgive them? Why should I let them off the hook? They did the wrong, not me!!” The reason is simple. The people who wronged you, the people who have you bound up and busy hating them, those people have most likely moved on. They aren’t “busy” wondering if you are hurting, or if you are mad or if they did you any damage! If they care to think on it, they know what they did. But they have moved on. It’s only YOU who are wasting your TIME, and YOUR ENERGY and YOUR EMOTIONS feeding a grief or an anger that is only eating at YOU! It doesn’t do them any harm at all. In the end, they will have to answer for their actions, and you for yours. The Bible tells us that we should forgive.

John 20:13  If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you withhold forgiveness from any, it is withheld.

John 10:10  The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.

Phil 3:13-14  Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead,

Ephesians 4:23  (ESV) and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds

1 Corinthians 15:53 (ESV) For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

Romans 8:11 (ESV)

11 If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus[a] from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.

Romans 3:24-25 (ESV)  and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, 25 whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.

If it stops you....

Names of God

FEAR NOT!

Speaking LIFE to your children....

Matthew 12:36-37 "I tell you, son the day of judgment tpeople will give account for uevery careless word they speak,for vby your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

As parents, it is so easy to get overwhelmed with all that needs to be done, and frustrated when we can't get it accomplished. It's easy to get frustrated with ourselves when we feel like we fall short and there isn't enough of us to go around. It's easy to get frustrated with our mates when so much needs to be done and our spouse comes home and goes to bed instead of helping. It's easy to get frustrated when our children aren't as cooperative as we would like, won't clean their rooms, do their homework without being forced into it, eat the dinner we present to them, help with household chores, or worse, be openly defiant and into things we know are dangerous and detrimental. 

It is okay to address all these issues with your children and with your spouse... but I caution you about the manner you go about it. I hear so many people screaming, yelling and name calling with their children and it's pathetic. There is nothing whatsoever that could merit a three year old to be screamed at or called names ( Okay, you can scream at him if he's about to fall in a hole or get hit by a falling limb or something like that!). It is equally shameful to address any child, or adult for that matter, in such a manner. But for the purpose of this discussion, I think I'll stick to the very young children, since that is what I recently witnessed. 

People lose their cool with children  for so many reasons... but mainly I think out of frustration with themselves. Yes, toddlers and young children act up. They will push you as far they can. They get tired, hungry, bored, mad because they can't have the toy/candy they want... they pitch fits, whine and otherwise engage in unruly behavior, often in public where it is embarrassing. But when you, as the parent, resort to yelling, threatening, cursing and name calling, you reduce yourself and your authority over that child to being a bully, instead of being the loving, caring, in-charge, in-control adult God meant for you to be when HE entrusted that child to your care. You let the tongue be controlled by your flesh, which is  the natural evil of the world, instead of controlling it with the loving patient spirit your are capable of through the love of Christ and the blessing of the Holy Spirit. When you are saved and Baptised, you put off that "old man" , that worldly man who acted in worldly ways and you put on your NEW MAN... your new righteousness, with the need and ability to live rightly, practicing the things we are commanded and now desire to do:

1 Corinthians 

13 If I speak in the tongues^[a] of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge,and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast,^[b] but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

The "rebirth" we experience through being saved and inviting Jesus into our lives and hearts, and by being Baptised causes a renewal of our spirit and we are no longer the same as we once were. However, that is not to say that we cannot get caught up in our frustrations or anger and let our emotions and tongue get away from us. We must 'renew' everyday, for although we are a ' peculiar people ' and not to be part of  'the world ' , we still must live in the world, and daily stresses of doing so wear on us.

James 3:8 "..but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison." 

We as mere humans, could not control our tongues without the blessing of the Holy Spirit and his continual help. And He is there to help us, always. 

1 Peter 3:10  Forb“Whoever desires to love life and see good days,  him keep his tongue from evil and his lips from speaking deceit..."

Fortunately for us, the Lord is full of forgiveness and grace! And new Christians as well as seasoned ones, may benefit from repenting of these things. Keep in mind that repenting means to "turn away from", not just that I'm sorry I did it this time, but I'm not making an effort to change my behavior, so I'll be repenting again in a few days.. You have to make an effort too. 

Proverbs 18:21 "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."

Now that we've covered the effects that not controlling your tongue has on you, lets talk a little bit on what it does to those on the receiving end of hateful words, the children. 

Our job as parents is to love our children, to teach them love. To discipline them with love, teach them about the LORD's ways, HIS love for humanity, HIS forgiveness and grace. Our job is to speak LIFE into our children. Our greatest tool for doing this is by example. At the brink of lashing out, take a breath, and imagine what you look and sound like to your child. What would Jesus counsel you to do? Screaming, threatening and name calling not only hurts their feelings, the damage can have life long implications for them. They learn to distrust the very people they should trust the most. They learn that they aren't worth respecting. If you tell them they are stupid, they will believe it. If you tell them they are fat, ugly, clumsy, incompetent, useless.... they WILL believe it.  Many times, children will become what you convince them they are.

They will get these beliefs into their spirits and believe that they are what you say they are, and once it is ingrained in them, it is very difficult to ever change their opinion of themselves. This low self esteem that you put into your child will effect who that child is well into adulthood. It will effect who he chooses to hang out with, how well he achieves academically, activities he chooses to participate in both good and bad, if he is a bully, or if he is withdrawn.  It will affect the kind of mate he chooses and habits he falls into. 

Children who cannot get love and validation at home will seek it outside the home at the first opportunity. Children who are ignored will act out in order to get your attention. They will cry out in a number of ways, trying to let you, as the parent, know they are in distress, they are in pain. 
Our juvenile systems and prisons are not filled with people who were raised with the LOVE of the LORD and positive images of themselves. 

Discipline of course is important. I advocate methods that don't tear at a childs self esteem or make them feel belittled or question their trust in you. What have you, as an adult,  accomplished by bullying, berating or terrifying a 6 year old? If you participate in that kind of behavior, the only thing you are really doing is teaching that child how to be a bully. Instead, follow Gods word, and discipline with love. You can be firm and mean business without bullying tactics. 

I urge you to seek out the Lord, first for your salvation and then continually seek His Word for wisdom and knowledge on how to best conduct yourself, and harness the ever dangerous tongue! 

DON’T PRAY IN FAITH THEN SPEAK IN DESPAIR

How often have you prayed earnestly for something you really needed? You know the scriptures, and you appeal to God with all humbleness to supply your need. What did you ask for? Family protection, salvation for a distant sibling, a replacement car for the old clunker in the driveway? Or maybe there is sickness in the family and you or a loved one needs healing? Scripture says:  You have not because you ask not! 

2 Corinthians 4:10-11 "Always bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus (which was for our victory), that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body. For we which live are always delivered unto death for Jesus' sake, that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our mortal flesh." - Bodily Health!!!

Regardless of what it is, we all know that God is able to supply any need, to heal any wound and to guide us through any storm.

But do we really KNOW it?? Do we LIVE IT? SPEAK IT?

Countless times I have heard fellow Christians request prayer for their situation.... then hear them late exclaim gloom over that same situation! “Please pray for my Mom, she’s sick with blah blah”... then later .. “They say there is no hope for it”.  Or  “ Lord, please bless my finances so I can afford a new car.... mine is falling apart!” then complaining to friends that you’ll never be able to afford a newer car. And one I hear often... "We ask prayer for our son/daughter... that they be brought into believing and be saved." Then the next conversation you hear, " That kid will never act right, no matter what! I give up!"

Is that faith? No. Its not. That is talking yourself right out of a blessing!! And its not only telling God, who already knows your heart, but the Devil, who can't read your thoughts, that your FAITH is WEAK and that gives him a pretty good foothold in your mind to work in more doubt, more worry, more anxiety.....

SPEAK IN FAITH! When you pray for or about something, I assume you pray in faith that God hears you and that as one of His elect, He wants to heal you or your situation. You must then speak in faith, as though you have already received that blessing or at least that the resolution of it is imminent! To do otherwise is to betray our faith.

If we continually speak bad things over our lives, then that's exactly what we will have. Speak positive, Godly, faithful things, as the Bible tells us to do, and you will see a huge difference not only in your attitude and countenance, but in the bounty of your life!

^{Mark 11:22-24}

²² And Jesus answered them, “Have faith in God. ²³ Truly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain,‘Be taken up and thrown into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that what he says will come to pass, it will be done for him. ²⁴ Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask in prayer, believe that you have received^[a] it, and it will be yours.

Withstanding Hardships

"At some point in life we all face hardships. It may be something physically or emotionally challenging. Or it may be a dream or an opportunity that we missed out on. Whatever your difficulty is, don’t let it discourage you from believing in God’s best. The enemy wants to keep you focused on everything negative that’s happened, but don’t let him steal the dreams God has given you. He knows that if he can deceive you into thinking things won’t get better, you’ll lose hope and give up." KEEP THE FAITH. Stand firm. Focus on all that God has done for you and blessed you with. Be grateful under all circumstances! You will soon have a different outlook on your situation.

We are chosen to be a Peculiar People

1 Peter 2:9

But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that you should show forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into his marvelous light;