The Christian world asks people if they have been saved. Some wonder what they need to be saved from. That is when we need to turn and look at our own life. Do we need to be saved from our own self? Do you sometimes look at yourself and say “I wish I would have made a better decision here or there.” Everyone does it, it is usually just a matter of time before you look back and wonder what would have happen here or there if I had done this or that differently.
Our sins, and yes everyone has sin, will someday catch up with us in one form or another. One of mine did just the other day. I was reading in my devotions the other day, and in it they talked about the verse in Ephesians 4:29 that says that we are not to use any foul or polluting language. At the time I didn’t even think about complaining as being a foul or polluting thing, but it goes on to say that murmuring and complaining is a pollutant in our lives and probably sounds like cursing to the Lord. Wow, that really affected me because I strive in my life to not let any thing that is a curse to the Lord come out of my mouth. It was very convicting to read that devotion. I am a complainer, to my family mostly, but that doesn’t matter, the fact is I do it, and too often. To the Lord it is a verbal pollution and to pollute is to poison. Have you ever stopped to think that you and I can poison our future by complaining about what is going on right now? In the devotion it says that when we complain about our current situation, we remain in it; when we praise God in the midst of difficulty, He raises us out of it. If we don’t fill our thoughts and conversation with good things, the devil will definitely fill them with evil things. Truly thankful people do not complain and are to busy being grateful for the good things in their lives. They have no time to notice the things they could complain about. That attitude only comes when we truly let God control out lives. He is the one who will convict us of this subtle, but very real sin. He convicted me, and now I will be on the look out for this sneaky, but life changing sin.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Ben and Kari
I was reading my niece and her husband’s blog a little bit ago, and it made me so proud of them that I needed to write about it. They live in Alaska and have 2 beautiful children, Joachim and Macrina. Kari was always one her mom and I worried about as she grew up. She was somewhat of a wild little girl, never really caring about what the next activity was just as long as she could keep moving. Curly blond hair that was out of control sometimes, at least if she had her way. Her mom had other ideas and tried to put pretty things in it. Kari was not going to have any of the girlie girl stuff though. That's what made Kari special then though and even more special now. My girls always loved going to Kari's house to see what Kari was doing now.
Kari is now a wife and mommy and loving it. She has her own little girl she is chasing around and trying to keep up with. Macrina is not a blond though; she has beautiful dark hair that is just as wild as Kari's ever was. Ben and Kari are living off the land somewhat, Alaska fish and salmon, wild game killed by Ben, making her own flour with other moms near by, chickens in a coop, goats and hopefully milk from them someday (they may be milking them now)and dogs. Kari has always had a passion for dogs, sled dogs for awhile and mushing for a short time. Kari and Ben live a modest life with God as the center of their life. Who else, but our Lord would have brought Kari this far. With her Grandma Tansey's prayers, which she bestowed on all of her grandchildren from the moment they were born, to her mom's love and patience, Kari has turned into a beautiful women. God showed Chris that even though she didn't exactly get the sweet girlie girl she wanted she got something better, she got Kari. I love you Kari
Kari is now a wife and mommy and loving it. She has her own little girl she is chasing around and trying to keep up with. Macrina is not a blond though; she has beautiful dark hair that is just as wild as Kari's ever was. Ben and Kari are living off the land somewhat, Alaska fish and salmon, wild game killed by Ben, making her own flour with other moms near by, chickens in a coop, goats and hopefully milk from them someday (they may be milking them now)and dogs. Kari has always had a passion for dogs, sled dogs for awhile and mushing for a short time. Kari and Ben live a modest life with God as the center of their life. Who else, but our Lord would have brought Kari this far. With her Grandma Tansey's prayers, which she bestowed on all of her grandchildren from the moment they were born, to her mom's love and patience, Kari has turned into a beautiful women. God showed Chris that even though she didn't exactly get the sweet girlie girl she wanted she got something better, she got Kari. I love you Kari
Monday, September 21, 2009
"Way to be honest Coach"
"Way to be honest Coach"
Scott was coaching at one of his 7th grade games the other day. After a hard serve from the other team the ball was heading out of bounce, but it was tipped by one of his players. The referee did not see the tip and gave the ball to Scott’s team. Scott immediately turned to the referee and told her his player tipped the ball, and that it should be the other teams. The point was credited and the ball returned to the other team. Scott was rewarded with one of his girls telling him with a smile “way to be honest coach.”
We never know here on this earth who is watching and listening in our lives. You don’t know what kind on impact you will have on someone else's life though simple acts. God knows though, He is always watching and listening, He knows every simple act, whether it comes from a heart of integrity or a heart on selfishness. Be careful as you go through your day, there may be no human to hurt or answer to, but the one who is all knowing and all loving is always there.
Scott was coaching at one of his 7th grade games the other day. After a hard serve from the other team the ball was heading out of bounce, but it was tipped by one of his players. The referee did not see the tip and gave the ball to Scott’s team. Scott immediately turned to the referee and told her his player tipped the ball, and that it should be the other teams. The point was credited and the ball returned to the other team. Scott was rewarded with one of his girls telling him with a smile “way to be honest coach.”
We never know here on this earth who is watching and listening in our lives. You don’t know what kind on impact you will have on someone else's life though simple acts. God knows though, He is always watching and listening, He knows every simple act, whether it comes from a heart of integrity or a heart on selfishness. Be careful as you go through your day, there may be no human to hurt or answer to, but the one who is all knowing and all loving is always there.
Missing Carole
Missing Carole
Cherish each day, it is a gift from God
Live as if this is the last day of your life
Love your family and friends as if you will never see them again
Ask for forgiveness right away, tomorrow may be too late
Reach out to others in love
You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions
Love them like Jesus
Carry them to Him
Just stay by there side
Worship your maker today
As if you will be standing in front of Him tomorrow
Account for your sins, so that Jesus will forgive
And His grace can shine through
The Lord of all creation holds our lives in His hands
Cherish each day, it is a gift from God
Live as if this is the last day of your life
Love your family and friends as if you will never see them again
Ask for forgiveness right away, tomorrow may be too late
Reach out to others in love
You don’t need the answers to all of life’s questions
Love them like Jesus
Carry them to Him
Just stay by there side
Worship your maker today
As if you will be standing in front of Him tomorrow
Account for your sins, so that Jesus will forgive
And His grace can shine through
The Lord of all creation holds our lives in His hands
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Life goes on
My flesh and my heart fails: but God is the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever. Psalm 73:26
Some days in the stresses of life it is hard to take a step. I feel like saying just forget it I don't want to do today. My faith is far away and I have an even harder time feeling my Savior near me. My hope for things in the future has turned into hopelessness.
Thank you God that I don't have to live in my own strength. I can draw a sigh as I live life down here on earth, and you hear that sigh and place your hand on me in order to give me your energy where I have none.
Thank you also that when I am dwelling in to much of my feelings, you remind me that the sadness and hopelessness that is within me is not from you. They are from my enemy trying to defeat me, to bring me down to where I think I can't go on.
I remember then that you have already defeated him, and that my heart and soul belong to you alone, and he can't have me.
You are the author of my life, and you know every single thing I am going through, and nothing that I am feeling is surprising to you. You wait, you love, you reach for my hand, and pull me up into your loving arms and tell me to keep going.
Cynthia Mealhow
Chris Tomblin---There's a peace I've come to know though my heart and flesh may fell. There's an anchor for my soul I can say it is well....Jesus has overcome.
....I will rise when He calls my name no more sorrow no more pain...
Some days in the stresses of life it is hard to take a step. I feel like saying just forget it I don't want to do today. My faith is far away and I have an even harder time feeling my Savior near me. My hope for things in the future has turned into hopelessness.
Thank you God that I don't have to live in my own strength. I can draw a sigh as I live life down here on earth, and you hear that sigh and place your hand on me in order to give me your energy where I have none.
Thank you also that when I am dwelling in to much of my feelings, you remind me that the sadness and hopelessness that is within me is not from you. They are from my enemy trying to defeat me, to bring me down to where I think I can't go on.
I remember then that you have already defeated him, and that my heart and soul belong to you alone, and he can't have me.
You are the author of my life, and you know every single thing I am going through, and nothing that I am feeling is surprising to you. You wait, you love, you reach for my hand, and pull me up into your loving arms and tell me to keep going.
Cynthia Mealhow
Chris Tomblin---There's a peace I've come to know though my heart and flesh may fell. There's an anchor for my soul I can say it is well....Jesus has overcome.
....I will rise when He calls my name no more sorrow no more pain...
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Nothing else matters
Have you ever experienced a time when you were so hushed by something that is happening that nothing else matters around you. I can say that the moment each of my girls were born, I was feeling hushed and in awe of Gods beauty and blessings. For brief moments I unaware of anything else going on around me. Unfortunately shortly after giving birth like most people I experienced the anxious feeling of what now. A new life in this crazy world is an awesome responsibility.
Life continuing in this world makes me reflect on eternity. Eternity is something most everyone thinks about in their life. Some come to the conclusion that there is the beginning of life, and the end of life, and that is all there is. These people devote their lives to the pursuit of their own happiness and pleasures, but in the end most realize that these pleasures ultimately do not satisfy. God wants us to find satisfaction beyond earthly pleasures. He wants us to find the peace of mind that when our time hear on earth is done there is a life with Him in a home more satisfying then any here on this earth.
Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses. Man is time-bound on this earth and there is a time for everything. Read Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 and beyond. If you look it up on crosswalk.com and read it in the different versions you get the full impact of what the book is trying to tell us.
God wants us to have pleasure and joy in our life. He wants us also to think about eternity and judgment. God shall judge everyone and requires an account of what is in our past. Unless we acknowledge God the maker of heaven and earth, the maker of all things that take our breath away (including babies) and render us speechless, we will not see eternity with Him in heaven.
There is hope beyond what we can imagine, hope bigger and better then the most excellent thing we could think about happening to us in this life on this planet earth.
Life continuing in this world makes me reflect on eternity. Eternity is something most everyone thinks about in their life. Some come to the conclusion that there is the beginning of life, and the end of life, and that is all there is. These people devote their lives to the pursuit of their own happiness and pleasures, but in the end most realize that these pleasures ultimately do not satisfy. God wants us to find satisfaction beyond earthly pleasures. He wants us to find the peace of mind that when our time hear on earth is done there is a life with Him in a home more satisfying then any here on this earth.
Everything that happens in this world happens at the time God chooses. Man is time-bound on this earth and there is a time for everything. Read Ecclesiastes 3: 1-8 and beyond. If you look it up on crosswalk.com and read it in the different versions you get the full impact of what the book is trying to tell us.
God wants us to have pleasure and joy in our life. He wants us also to think about eternity and judgment. God shall judge everyone and requires an account of what is in our past. Unless we acknowledge God the maker of heaven and earth, the maker of all things that take our breath away (including babies) and render us speechless, we will not see eternity with Him in heaven.
There is hope beyond what we can imagine, hope bigger and better then the most excellent thing we could think about happening to us in this life on this planet earth.
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