A BALANCED LIFE GOD'S WAY

This has been a year for the books in our whole family. Actually it's been a few years since things seemed "normal" in our family.  It began with the diagnosis of Parkinson's for my father.  Dad had Leukemia for over 12 years.  He and mom had fallen into a routine of care; using Doug Kauffman and other doctors who had moved through main stream medicine to a more healthy way of life through diet and other types of healhy alternatives to main stream things like chemo and the like.  It had helped dad for many years...He worked as an attorney; assistant Attorney General until a mere couple of months before he died from Lymphoma.  He and mom fought a great fight; together they made the best of what was not the best situation.  It was them and God, a great example!

Until dad was diagnosed with Parkinson's it never really dawned on me that a person could have more than one horrible disease.  I know, but that is the way my brain works in these matters.  And, after the Parkinson's on top of the Leukemia there was the Lymphoma. I don't hold much stock in time frames; mainly because my brain works on events in life rather than WHEN it occurred.  I don't know how long dad lived with the last two horrible things. A year? sigh...The point is he and mom handled it together beautifully, considering what they had to walk through. They got to stay together for nearly 50 years, and home together all the way til dad went home to heaven.  I am glad they got such a long time together; which really is so short in the grand scheme of things.  Still, longer than so many have together. Much longer than I will get with my husband as we married later in life.  Such is the way things go. This bothers me though, that my time with my husband is way shorter than I wish. This is my brain.  It has been a good thing, however, because I see so clearly and live now so clearly what God expects of me; that my husband be first only after God. 

These events began a different life for all of us.  Each person in the family has had a change in some way.  A change of routine, a change in the way we think or feel about things, a change in our interactions with each other, and the world at large really.  These changes are harder on some of us than others.  Such is life and the differences in each one of us. 

("Family Dynamics" Elizabeth Seaver; a blogger friend)



It is in this change that I began to be truly introduced to the concept of BALANCE.  It's always been there; this balance thing.  It's always been a part of life...but, it wasn't until my father died that I began to be intimately acquainted with it; and understand life doesn't work well without it.  It's been chasing me around for many months now, and has, I believe, finally caught up with me.  This BALANCE thing demands of me, and if I don't give it what it wants, I will loose my effectiviness in many areas of life.  I found these two photos demonstrating balance...one seems calmer and more in line with what we would want; see if you can choose the one that I'm talking about. One side works...it fills the space with serenity, where the other looks as if it is about to topple over.  Both are balanced, but one looks as if one more thing were to be added the whole world would topple.  I've been living the one on the right...SCARY!

Ephesians 3:1-8 is a passage that is familiar, but about setting up a balanced life.  "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under the heavens:

a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,
³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,
⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,
⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,
⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,
⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,
⁸ a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace."  AND so, if there is a time for everything, then there must be a way to balance it all.  It only makes sense!

How do we find this Godly balance?  Well, Matthew 6:33-34 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." Sounds like a good place to start every day!  And, that is what I began to do in earnest.  I woke up everyday praying that I have wisdom for the day, praying for everyone in my family that was hurting from this loss, praying, praying, praying...and thanking God that I KNEW He was there...and IS there. 

So, FINDING balance can be hard; we can be blown about by every wind at first if we aren't

prepared with our Godly armor.  There are many comforting scriptures I found that deal with this idea of balance.  I hope you can take the time to read them and find what God is trying to give you in each one.  II Peter 3:17 tells us not to be carried away with the error of lawless people; Phil. 4:8 tells us what to think on; Hebrews 13:5 and Phil. 4:11 tells us to be content with what we have; I Peter 5:7 tells us to cast our anxieties on God (helps when we are overwhelmed with life); Ephesians 5:15 tells us to walk as wise, and we know we can have Godly wisdom if we only ask - James 1:5; I Peter 5:8 tells us to be sober minded in order to watch out for the devil.  All these things will help us in our search for the balance in our lives that will make our lives the best they could be!   Study and prayer...our way to be close to God.  And, God is our only way to have the best kind of BALANCE.

My dad has been gone for nearly a year, and I miss him still, SO MUCH.  I still feel a stab in my heart when I think of him, I still cry at the most unexpected of times, I've NEVER noticed just how many holidays we really have until I began to count the "first holidays" since he died.  It sometimes feels like it will never end, and then, on the other hand, it feels like time is moving too quickly...there is MUCH I want to do and be before it is my turn to go to heaven...See how my life began to be out of balance?  See how I came to this post about how to find balance?  

I haven't totally gotten there yet; I am still struggling, but I'm on the right path, I'm going to get there if I keep my eyes on heaven and what my God has asked of me...That's the only way...I hope you can begin to find that Godly balance that will make your life here AWESOME!

GOD BLESS!!

DOES GOD HEAR SINNERS?...A STUDY ON STUDYING THE TRUTH

Recently in a bible class I attended, the question arose that has bounced around forever; does God hear the prayers of a sinner?  At first the answer seemed to be yes, and then it seemed no.  We talked about it for awhile and finally came to the conclusion that more study on the subject was needed.

As I said, this topic has been discussed and RE discussed over the years with no solid clarity for so many people. I LOVE to study the bible, but yet I couldn't bring to mind readily the middle part of my previous studies on the matter. My immediate recollection was NO, but...wait there SEEMS to be some contradictory points, thus necessitating more study. By the way...STUDY as defined in the on-line dictionary (remember when we said the Websters Dictionary? oops I digress) - 1. The pursuit of knowledge, as by reading, observation, or research. 2. Attentive scrutiny. II Timothy 2:15 says  "Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman who needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Yep, it says rightly dividing. It is SO important that we are constantly in the word to RIGHTLY come to the answer.

John 9:31 - "We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does His will."  This was the first scripture brought up in our bible class.  At first glance it would seem that our answer is clear, but upon further study and, yes, a trip to the church to talk to our preacher; I was reminded that one important part of studying the bible is not only to make sure of the proper context, but to find out WHO said what we read.  The Pharisees were questioning the blind man that Jesus healed in the passage...trying to find out if Jesus had done some work on the Sabbath (REALLY trying to discredit Him...as always!); which would have "proven" to everyone that He couldn't be from God if he broke one of the laws of the Sabbath....sigh. It was the Pharisees that said the statement in John 9:31.  This does not make the verse untrue, it makes it a statement the Pharisees said to try to bring doubt to the people around...again...to discredit Jesus... (Remember, what makes a good deception is that it has roots in truth) To find the complete answer it is important to study further than one verse, that could easily have been pulled out of context.

The RIGHT question to ask in light of all of this is does God ANSWER the prayers of sinners? Why this? Well, it would be a contradictory thing if we just went with John 9:31.  The natural question to arise is what about Cornelius? Cornelius was a Gentile who was devout in his pursuit of God as a Gentile, Acts 10:2, but he was not a baptized Christian.  Read the account of Cornelius conversion in Acts 10.  It is clear that Cornelius's prayer was heard because vs. 4 says of an angel in a vision he had "And when he observed him, he was afraid and said. "What is it lord? So he (the angel) said to him, "Your prayers and your alms have come up for a memorial before God" We know that God heard Cornelius who was searching after Him. We know that God watches over us all; Psalm 33:13 - "When the LORD looks down from heaven, he observes every human being." and we know that God wants everyone to come to Him and be saved. I Timothy 2:3-4 - "This is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, ⁴ who desires all men to be saved and to come to the ^[a]knowledge of the truth." (the good and acceptable in this verse refers to Paul's exhortation to Timothy that prayers and such be made for all men, including kings and those in authority).
II Peter 3:9 - " The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. Instead He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." So, the short of this story is God; who knows all things and sees all things, sent Peter to baptize Cornelius and his household.

These two seemingly conflicting parts of the bible caused the deeper study on whether God hears or answers sinners.  In I John 3:22 - "And receive from Him anything we ask, because we keep His commands and do what pleases Him" we learn that to have our answered prayers from God we need to keep His commandments...we do what He says...and one of those things is to become a Christian, and we do that at the point of baptism. (Acts 2:38). I John 5: 14-15 - "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: 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 what we asked of Him." And, so, the key to the answer of our question at hand is that God hears all, He wishes that no man should perish, and He answers those who do His will, those who ASK according to His will.

It is often brought up "What about the thief on the cross"...my preacher was kind enough to bring even more clarity on this matter that helped tremendously! Thanks Rick!... People have said..."The thief on the cross got to go to heaven and he wasn't baptized, he had his entreaty answered without doing what God asked of him"...WELL...let's look at

1. Matthew 3:5-6 - "People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. ⁶ Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River." The question to ask ourselves here is "How do we know he wasn't baptized?" and then in

2. Mark 2:4-12 is a story about Jesus healing the paralytic man and the Pharisees are once again trying to discredit Him by asking "Who can forgive sins (back then they thought that people with afflictions had to be sinners and this was their punnishment) but God alone?" vs 7.  In verse 10a we have further help in our question about the thief on the cross..."But that ye may know that the Son of man hath power on earth to forgive sins,".  Sinner or not, baptized or not, Jesus had all authority to bring the thief to heaven with Him! and third...

3. Romans 6:3-4 " Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? ⁴ We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life." Jesus hadn't died yet, so the baptism that we know as is our path to salvation today hadn't happened yet.

This only touches the tip of what we need to learn of God on matters like these.  We know we need to study; to get in the Word diligently, and through that we will understand what we need to know to have our place in heaven with Him and to bring as many with us as we can!  Here is more food for thought as we all study more on this subject!

Proverbs 15:29; Proverbs 28:9; Isaiah 1:15; Psalm 145:19; Zechariah 7:13; Proverbs 1:28-29; John 15:16.

GOD BLESS!

PORTRAIT OF A BULLY

Bullying is intentional aggressive behavior. It can be physical or verbal ie. psychological . It can include teasing, harassing, insulting, excluding, gossiping about, hitting, and/or even grabbing someone...IT IS SOMETHING THAT TYPICALLY CONTINUES UNLESS THERE IS INTERVENTION!

We hear a lot about bullies these days...kids that have been mercilessly picked on and abused by other kids to the point sometimes where they are so devastated that they kill themselves. HORRIBLE...it makes me absolutely sick to think of it! When I taught in public school bullying was the number one thing that I just wouldn't tolerate...AT ALL! To see kids picking on someone who they have deemed as less than just really got to me and I put a stop to it IMMEDIATELY! Did you know there is biblical principle for this? Psalm 82:4 " Rescue the weak and the needy; deliver them from the hand of the wicked.” THAT is what we are supposed to do...not sit quietly, idly by so as not to "cause trouble".

We are all smart enough to know that bullying doesn't stop with kids...it exists in the "adult" world as well.  I feel JUST nearly as strongly about adult bullies as I do kids behaving in such a horrible way with each other. I say nearly because children have NO RECOURSE if they are bullied but to depend on an adult or a brave other young person who might come to their aide...they cannot escape it as easily...BUT bullying is horrible and wrong no matter what the age!

What does God say about such things? Actually a lot, but to avoid an entire book in this post let's just look at a bit of His word and wisdom about people who bully.  Leviticus 19:18: "You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord." OK you haters, you bullies out there...! I John 3:15 - "Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life abiding in him." and don't get comfortable with yourselves if you think you are safe because you don't HATE the person who has been the object of your bullying...If you are not TRULY loving you are hating...COME ON! and in I John 2:9 - "Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness."  and finally for this moment in time...
Proverbs 6:16-19 - "There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers." I cannot improve on that, but I want to get in the reality of it!

PEOPLE HAVE HEARTS UNDER THE SHELL OF PROTECTION THEY BUILD FOR THEMSELVES!! DO NOT BE GUILTY OF DESTROYING THE GOOD IN ANOTHER PERSON!

 

Have you ever spent time with someone who has been the victim of bullies? Kids or adults; it doesn't matter...there is a common thread in all of them...Eventually you will see in one form or another, ANGER, a REBELLIOUS ATTITUDE, BRAVADO or DEFEATED to the point of GIVING UP, an air of HELPLESSNESS, or AGRESSION. This is the danger. OFTEN the one bullied may become a bully. This happens when the bullied person has had enough. Any animal or creature in God's world that is poked at with a stick long enough will eventually strike back in some way if it doesn't stop. That is why bullying has to be stopped IMMEDIATELY! It can save a person's heart!

 

If you use your voice, your haughty eyes (YES, even a look), your ugly attitude, your disguised jealousy, your false attitude of righteousness to pick at or demean another person you are a BULLY! If this is you then you need to STOP immediately. You need to correct your behavior and in a very transparent way. GO to that person and make it right, use the steps of a good apology discussed in the previous post and make it right! Read Matt. 18, I Cor. 8...it's all in there...and there is MORE if you want to study...there is always more to help us know what is right and good to do!

 

 

 

Did you know that a group of bullies is called a mob? That is bullying that has just gone wild; when that happens INTERVENTION is a most definite course of action...very plain, very clear, very direct INTERVENTION by those who see it, is required! Once the ball of bully is rolling down that hill it is so much harder to stop! Anything BIGGER is more dangerous in this situation! STOP IT! We can't be passive, we have to be proactive!

 

God doesn't approve of this behavior, He HATES it as we read above. He expects us, as His children to be unified (Psalm 133:1, I Cor. 1:10), to love one another, to get along, to not regard any to be lower than us (Phil. 2:3)...we have to stop this mob mentality, this bullying so we can accomplish what He has asked us to do! We know this...it is the practicing of it that gets lost in the translation because we decide for ourselves what WE want, and we do that...Read Psalms 1 and following...here's a bit..."Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers; but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers. The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; ...

 

Be that person that resolves to stop this kind of behavior in your world, in your church, in your circle of friends, in your family. If we all do our part MUCH can be accomplished!  Work together for good instead of wrong...be a mob of blessing for someone who has been bullied!

 

GOD BLESS!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



FOR THE LOVE OF THE BRETHREN

Romans 5:8

our perfect example

 

Have you ever wondered why there are SO many scriptures on loving the brethren? (that's our fellow Christian brother's and sisters) I John 3:11 "For this is the message you heard from the beginning: We should love one another."The answer is simple...because there was and still is such a problem with it in our church today! God knew what was coming, He knew we would have problems with things like selfishness and jealousy
I John 3:12 - "Do not be like Cain who belonged to the evil one and murdered his brother. And why did he murder him? Because his own actions were evil and his brother's were righteous."  and greed and the like; things that cause us to treat our fellow family members in Christ so badly sometimes; OFTEN in some cases! Take the time to read the whole passage in I John 3:11-24. It paints a picture of what it is SUPPOSED to be as we love our brothers and sisters in Christ.

There was a man in my grandfather's congregation that stole his car one day and disappeared. This was a man that my grandfather was helping by letting him borrow his car. The other man took it and just left. It was a tough time financially in my family; as was all around in those days (sound familiar to our current days...but I digress). That was horrible. A Christian brother steals from you? Well, time passed, and believe it or not, one day the man returned to my grandfather and gave him a very "sincere" apology for stealing his car. This man described that his family was in trouble and he said he was so very sorry...he asked for forgiveness...and then...turned around and got BACK in my grandparents car and drove away! WOW...We are commanded, in I Peter 1:22  "Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart." I can't say I KNOW what was in this man's heart...I can only make an application that from what we know of sincerity it didn't seem a sincere apology as the offense was NOT rectified. THE CAR WASN'T RETURNED as part of the act of being sorry. My grandfather?...he forgave...that was for him (I believe from what I've learned)...holding anger and resentment isn't good for us, and God knows it...the man?...that is up to God...he disappeared, so that was all that could be done in that situation!

How many of us are guilty of making what would be construed as an INSINCERE apology? (that's called a lie my friends) Is it even an apology? Or is it just mere words that sound good for the moment? The whole thing about loving each other sincerely is to BE SINCERE. IF we offend our brother, in order to keep what God asked us to do, MAKE IT RIGHT...MAKE IT REALLY RIGHT. sigh...we know this! Saying you are sorry is only PART ONE of making things right. The anatomy of a good apology is to 1. go to the person and admit what you did and say you are sorry (that's called accountability), 2.  say WHY it was wrong (acknowledging that you understand WHAT you did to the person you wronged, and then say 3. WHAT you are going to do to make it right...and then 4. DO THAT. This is how we love each other sincerely! The man who stole from his brother was not sincere, he was not in the right in that he didn't follow through.

We have ALL been guilty at one time or another of not loving our brothers and sisters in Christ. Our selfish, jealous, greedy, self important selves get in the way, but it is not an excuse...we are not free to continue. Romans 6:1 - "What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" NO, we know that...we are to MAKE IT RIGHT! We should all be embarrassed when we hear the excuse so many offer for those who are not loving the way they should "That's just the way they are". What is that? There are no excuses for bad behavior, there is only the obligation we have to each other. I'm lead back to Matthew 18:15...read it folks...it is OUR responsibility to our brother. Yes, we have commandments too. Are we servants to each other? Do we encourage each other? Do we live in unity? Each person is responsible for his or her own behavior, are we listening to what God asked of us, or are we taking care of US at the expense of another person in our church family? You do not know how far and long damage goes in a person who needs love when you do NOT correct your sin! Do not be the one who God will call you to account for sin against your brother you did not correct when we are all called to our judgement! We have consequences for our behavior my brothers and sisters. Read Matthew 7:2 - "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you." Scary!!

The church is at war with sin. There are horrible, hurtful, dangerous things out there that we are supposed to have EACH other to help us navigate this life...WHAT ARE WE DOING TO EACH OTHER? WHY are we making it harder to go out and fight the evil in this world? We have a job here in this world to find and help as many as we possibly can come to God so they can have an eternal salvation. How much harder to we make it for each other when so much backbiting and gossip and hating and ugliness exist within our own family of God? Galatians 5:17 - "The sinful nature wants to do evil, which is just the opposite of what the Spirit wants. And the Spirit gives us desires that are the opposite of what the sinful nature desires. These two forces are constantly fighting each other, so you are not free to carry out your good intentions."

Take some time to read a bit about what God expects us in our love of the brethren. BE HONEST with yourself, let yourself hop in the fire and be made stronger, more like Christ. We ALL need to reflect on our own sins and mistakes and CORRECT them for the good of unity. STOP making excuses for yourselves and others who are at fault...STAND UP and be courageous...STOP and learn...this is for us ALL....for no one is free of guilt...we are ALL in this together...wouldn't it be better if we were unified in LOVE instead of these character traits that are from satan?

 

 

Romans 12:10 - love each other with GENUINE affection. Galatians 5:13 - serve one another humbly in love.  Romans 14:15 - act out of love for your brother if they are distressed about a freedom you have.  and the same principle in I Corinthians 8:13.  Romans 13:7 - give everyone what you owe them. Phil 2:3 - do nothing from selfishness...value others above yourself.  I Thes. 4:9 - you are taught by God to love each other.  Hebrews 13:1 - keep on loving each other as brothers and sisters.  I Peter 1:22 - Obey the truth so you have sincere love of the brethren.  I Peter 2:17 - show proper respect.  II Peter 1:7 - and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love.  I John 2:10 - if you love your brother you live in the light.   And on, and on, and on. There is much more...study, learn, correct YOURSELF, love each other...without it we are not OK with each other or God.

 

We are in this world together...If you see your brother or sister struggling and they ask for prayer, DO IT and then TELL THEM you've done it...otherwise they are left feeling alone!!... Let's love each other my brothers and sisters; show it, DO IT...we all need it!!

 

GOD BLESS!



THE NASTY SIDE OF JEALOUSY (is there another side?)

James 3:16 - " For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and EVERY VILE PRACTICE."

Have you ever been the unwilling target of a jealous person or persons? Have you ever felt like you were so attacked or damaged by another person or persons that you just wanted to disappear or just die? Has it damaged you, made you ineffective in your daily life. Has someone elses BAD and SINFUL behavior towards you made you, even for a minute, feel like there is something wrong with YOU? Well, you are not alone! PLEASE don't feel like you are alone! God has plenty to say about jealousy, envy, strife, and other such things...read Galatians 5:19 - "Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.

James 3:14-5 - "But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic."

I Corinthians 13: 1-8 "If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; ... "

Oh my, I could go on...there is SO much in there that teaches us that jealousies, ugliness towards others, ganging up on someone (creates a mob mentality) with a superior attitude is WRONG! Think for a minute if you've ever been THAT person...what is it about you that you hate so much that you would feel a need to downgrade another to rise yourself up? Because that is what happens when jealousy and envy raises up it's ugly head...people go and find others who they can gossip with...come on...you KNOW that is what happens!! and, in case you hadn't figured it out, you were not raised up, but lowered down into a dark place that will be harder and harder to climb out of if you stay there trying to elevate yourself on the broken and soar backs of those you have demoralized. The ONLY way out of the pit you've made for yourself is to let the light shine in...and that is GOD and His commandments and guidance.
II Corinthians 4:6

Can you imagine if YOU were the target for whatever you feel is lacking in YOU? Can you imagine for a minute if people were talking behind your back or being ugly to you about YOUR issue? HOW WOULD YOU FEEL? Be careful, because life has a way of coming full circle sometimes and you might just be on the end of someones fiery, evil stick...being poked at and made fun of...and if it doesn't happen on this earth, what has God said will happen to you? In case you didn't know please PLEASE read Psalms 101:5 - "Whoever slanders his neighbor secretly I will destroy. Whoever has a haughty look and an arrogant heart I will not endure."

So, to the soar at heart I say, GOD LOVES YOU...Romans 5:8 - "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." He is there in YOUR CORNER, shouting in your ear not to believe what these ugly people are saying and doing out of their own petty jealous hearts...He is giving you gifts and blessings to help you...be still and see if you can find them...it might be a new friend who sees the beauty in you, it might be a talent you have that can give you joy, it could be ANYTHING...be still (Psalm 46:10) and watch and see the blessings God has for those who have been hurt and left and persecuted!
Exodus 14:14 - "The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (this does NOT mean we can never speak up...see the verse later, these were words spoken when Moses was freaking out when Pharaoh was coming after them near the Red Sea, it has comfort doesn't it?)  God is there in YOUR corner...don't lower yourself to the level of those ugly people...remember God loves them too...Ephesians 4:32 - "Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you." aarrgghh...that's a toughie sometimes...but, it's for OUR good too (forgiviness releases US from being caught in it's ugly cycle)...God is there...HE sees what is happening...let Him be the one who deals with their sinful behavior...Romans 12:19 - "Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.”

HOWEVER...we are NOT called to continue to let people wipe their feet on us so to speak, Remember, we have a voice with our brothers and sisters...Matthew 18:15 - ""If your brother sins against you, go and show him his fault, just between the two of you. If he listens to you, you have won your brother over." We are not guaranteed that this person will see the "error of their ways" and be sorry, but at least we know that God gives us a voice!

So, FIND that blessing God is offering you, has already given you, is wanting you to find...HE will never leave you nor forsake you...Deuteronomy 31:6.  Find a sense of humor if you can...laughter does soothe the savage beast of sorrow and depression and fear...it's a gift from God...and remember, if you've been the target...this is for YOU! tee hee...

 

 

GOD BLESS!! 

TO THE HEART OF THE MATTER

WHAT DO OUR HEARTS NEED AND WHAT DO THEY WANT? Is there a difference? WOW, it's just after 5:30 a.m. and I've posed a HUGE question...why on earth did I do that? AARRGGHH!  Well, I wanna know...and I hope I can help someone else as I figure it out...ok, at least I can answer myself a little...let's take a look at the heart...our hearts...I can say for myself that I want to be loved, I want to love, I want to be gentle in my attitude and actions towards myself and others, I want to serve God, I want to be healthy (the physical heart), I want to be kind, I want to be treated kindly, I want to be able to express myself honestly and not be afraid of being hurt...OK, there's a list...NOW, is there anything wrong with NEEDING those things as well? WHAT ON EARTH SAUNDRA??...what's with all the theology so early in the morning? I don't know...it's SO early...but, here's what I wanna say...I don't see that it's bad to want OR need those things. I think we DO need them to be able to function properly in this world and to BE as healthy in mind and body as we can be. I can't find any scripture that says otherwise...ok...yay! I think I'm safe in saying that all of you want and need the same things! So, we are in the same boat, k...:) and I think there are lots of us, so it has to be a BIG boat!

SO, the teacher in me always looks for examples in everything I'm studying so I can best understand what it looks like, sounds like, tastes like...well, you get the picture. I did this for EVERY lesson in art I ever taught...well, in EVERY lesson in life I ever want to learn as well...MY example has always been the David in the bible because he messed up so bad but God loved him!...that's what I want, cuz I DO mess up as a human being...yep I do! And, we have consequences for everything we do..some good, and some bad...sigh...they are lessons...if we learn the lesson soon enough our consequences may turn around, if we don't the lessons will keep coming...so, I want to learn my lessons as quickly as I can..Hebrews 12:6 - "because the Lord disciplines those He loves, and He punishes everyone He accepts as a son"

Now wait...before we get too hairy in this one think of your own children...do you not give consequences to them when they do something that is dangerous or wrong? God loves us, and that is the guideline from HIM! and, one final note at this moment before we look at David...REMEMBER to love someone who is suffering a consequence in life...they do NOT need your judgement, they need your love...be gentle, be kind, be loving...they need you most when they are suffering...don't you know that God may not take away a consequence, but He will certainally love you through it...and He will NOT leave you! Deuteronomy 31:6 - "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; He will never leaave you nor forsake you." 

And, NOW we can get back to David!


Oh, wait, that's my BROTHER David...
not the guy I meant...however he IS a very
Godly man!

did you know that this is a symbol
of perfection? tee hee

The David of the bible was called a man after God's own heart. Acts 13:22 - "After removing Saul (as king), He made David their king. God testified concerning him: 'I have found David son of Jesse, a man after My own heart; he will do everything I want Him to do.'"This tells me a few things. 1.  God has a heart (which is AWESOME), and 2.  that David; the big ole sinner that he was; was a man after God's own heart...This verse gives me great comfort. David killed a husband so he could have his wife...he committed adultery...but still he was given such a great honor as being in God's heart! WHY? Well, it's BECAUSE of David's heart! He had faith (read about his actions in I Sam. 17), he loved God's law (Psalm 119: 47-48: - “For I delight in your commands because I love them. I lift up my hands to your commands, which I love, and I meditate on your decrees.”, he was thankful (Psalm 26: 6-7), and he was repentant as is described in Psalm 51: 1-2 where he asks God for forgiviness after what he had done; read II Samuel 11-12 for the story of David and Bathsheba. and 3. A good heart is important for us in life and with God. and, part of the requirement of having a heart after God is that we DO everything He wants us to...(yep, had to slip that one in)...:)

Why am I REALLY writing this? Well, heart stuff is important, and it's nearly Valentines Day which is a good time to remember we need to care for our hearts and the hearts of those we love. I've had my heart broken into pieces on a good number of occasions in my life. I know we ALL HAVE! When it happens it is scary, and it physically hurts as well as emotionally, and it makes us feel alone...and those are horrible things to feel! One of my biggest scary things is to be alone and afraid...and also to know that someone I love is alone and afraid. I HATE THAT! I want to fix it immediately...and sometimes I can't. Life often takes time to work things out...sigh...yep, patience is also required when we are alone and afraid and our hearts are broken. AND, the best thing I can think of to do is to find comfort in a God that LOVES ME and imagine that He is right there holding me! I pray for the peace that passes understanding (a present He gives His children)...it REALLY WORKS if you allow Him to give it to you...Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in EVERY situation, by PRAYER and PETITION, with thanksgiving present your requrests to God. And the PEACE of God, which TRANSCENDS all understanding, will guard your HEARTS and your MINDS in Christ Jesus"

 

 

 The side effect of having broken hearts and living through it is we get a little stronger each time. I think it is because we have gained that bit of wisdom to know that "this too shall pass"...aarrgghh...not happy with it at the time, but I am old enough to see in resrospect that the sun does come up and we do get another chance at another day to learn and grow from our pain. The worst thing you can do is to give in to it and give up...this only leads to more of the same down the road...pain, fear, feelings of despair...the ONLY way out is UP! Get UP, look UP and pray, find ways to stay UP as much as possible...and that means looking for blessings where you can (we ALWAYS have them...just sometimes we have to look harder when we are in pain)...and a big ole cure for what ails you is to be kind to someone else...get out of yourself and do some good for someone else...there is ALWAYS someone out there who has it worse than you...sigh...:)

 

So, let's take this time of year...this ole reminder about love and such...and find a way to be gentle and kind to our own hearts so we can in turn be gentle and kind to someone else...and folks, that ain't just a boyfriend, girlfriend, husband or wife...there are many loves in our lives...friends, brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, children...there is SOMEONE that loves you...someone that cares...and YOU love someone and care for someone...FIND a way to let our HEARTS shine inside and out!  Sorry for the silly platitude, but it really works if you give it a try!! We are all in this together...you are NOT alone!

GOD BLESS!

DAUGHTER, WIFE, MOTHER...WOMAN

The roles of a woman have been on my mind a LOT of late...Sorry you gentlemen out there...I can speak about the roles of a woman with authority cuz I AM one...I try not to speak for men as they are a totally different beast, so to speak...So, here goes! I am a daughter to Wayne and Joy Johnson, and I am a child of God. Two huge honors right off the bat!

I came into this world a daughter first...I am here because my parents wanted me to be here, and God made me a girl...so, daughter FIRST (in this context; yes, I was a girl first...duh...lol).  What does God say about daughters...well...about children...me being one at one time...

Ephesians 6:1-3- "Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right. 'Honor your father and mother' is the first commandment that has a promise attached to it, namely, 'so you will live well and have a long life'"

Colossians 3:20-"Children, obey your parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord"

Proverbs 1: 8-9 - "Hear, my son, your father's instruction, and do not forsake your mother's teaching; indeed they are a graceful wreath to your head and ornaments about your neck"

Proverbs 23:22 - "Pay attention to your father, and don't neglect your mother when she grows old"

Proverbs 20:11 - "Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right"

Proverbs 8:32-33 - "Now therefore, listen to Me, My children, for blessed are those who keep My ways.  Hear instruction and be wise, and do not disdain it"

It's pretty clear that even as we begin on this earth we have a job if you will...a purpose, to learn and grow and listen and eventually DO what we learned from our parents and God's Word.

I didn't and don't always DO what my parents and God want/ed me to...that's normal...and, even as a little one, and later an older, rebellious daughter there were consequences when I went against my parents and my God.  We all have those too!  Those consequences...whew...

Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden His face from you so that He does not hear"  OUCH!

SO FAR this is pretty straight forward...do what those who are over you, and wiser than you say and it will be better for you...and everyone around you...OK...yep, easier said than done.

Then, MUCH LATER, I became a wife...and, yes, there are scriptures on wives and our responsibilities as well...Read Ephesians5...and Colossians 3.  It talks about our responsibilities as wives in the Lord...Godly wives that is. The message is similar...we have someone that is our head, NOT our BOSS...but the hierarchy that God intended...we have a role to preform...to be a help meet: Genesis 2:18.  We are given guidelines on what kind of person to be as a wife...I Timothy 3:11 "In the same way, their wives are to be women worthy of respect, not malicious talkers but temperate and trustworthy in everything" (these are guidelines given for wives of deacons I believe)...but...come on girls...who among us would say "Whew, I'm glad those guidelines don't apply to me cuz my hubby isn't a deacon"...we may want to say it sometimes, but get real...yep, that is something good to aspire to as any wife! We are to dress modestly...I Peter 3:3...and there is more...but this is getting LONG!

 we are NOT slaves!!!

Did you ever notice that being a wife isn't an easy job? Being a kid isn't always an easy job? For me, it has always been hard to relinquish my OWN self to what I was asked to do. I didn't and still DON'T like to be told what to do. It is HARD for me to let ANYONE have any control over me. Perceived or real...I hate it! I feel like something isn't right.  Some of you may not struggle with this, but I had some bad experiences in my life and my first marriage that totally devastated my natural ability to trust another human with ME. It is hard for me, sometimes, to be in the role of a Christian wife.  DON'T GET ME WRONG...I can not find any scripture ANYWHERE that says I have to "do what I'm told" by my husband...there is nothing there that says I am LESS THAN my husband. He is NOT my keeper...he is my PARTNER; meaning side by side in the Lord partner...we owe each other subjection in respect to our places with God. Ephesians 5:21 - "Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ".  I am a DAUGHTER OF THE KING...just as he is also a CHILD OF THE KING...in that we are equal...it's just that someone has to be the king of the castle, and God made it man.  Have you ever seen the end result when two cooks insist on their way in a kitchen, or two managers in one office making decisions the way THEY want? Yep, it can get messy...So, someone

has to have final say...and God gave that to man...BUT, BUT, HOWEVER... He also told man how he is to love his wife...SACRIFICIALLY, GIVING UP HIS LIFE for her...and folks that DON'T MEAN DYING FOR as much as LIVING for her...Ephesians 5:25 - "Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for her".  When a man loves his wife in that way, he LEARNS who she is, he STUDIES her, he UNDERSTANDS her heart, and decisions are made with that in mind...and he gives her EQUALITY...and in that what woman wouldn't fall all over herself to be a great wife as God said...that would be easy!! whew...if only it were always that way! HA...but, you get my point....I hope...It's a give and take thing...God never intended for anyone to be a slave...not man nor woman (we can ALL get it wrong folks!)...imagine the crazy cycle if we each were always looking out for number one...

Proverbs 22:6 - "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it".  So, we come to our next role in life; MOTHER.  Motherhood is THE most REWARDING and EXHAUSTING job I know of.  It starts out all happy and exciting when we learn we are to be a mother...and then it is scary when we wonder what it may mean, and then it HURTS to give birth, and then it is EXHAUSTING as we give 100% of ourselves to our new little love of our life for a VERY long time, and then it is heart wrenching as we learn to turn off the protective tiger in us to let them go a little, and then it is even HARDER to let them leave home and find a path of their own...WHEW...talk about a skitsophrenic experience...we are to love like God made us to love and then let go and NOT do everything for them at the same time...WOW, that's why we have a zillion books for parents on this very subject...it is TOUGH stuff to love hard, and then love as our hearts are ripped out of our chests when we miss them so much as they leave...

and yet, through all of these changes we are strong people...we have to be in order to have as many changes as we women have in life...My mom used to say "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger"...well, I heard it from her first...now I hear there are even songs written about it! HA!  It's true...It's all from one passage to another...forEVER if we care what kind of Godly woman we turn out to be...because NOW with all these loved ones in towe we have an obligation to be a good example...to help those who will need to learn from us STILL! Matthew 5:16 - "In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. I know it all sounds so simplistic...say some stuff and then find a scripture...and, in a way that should be a comfort...we have guidelines for life...God didn't leave us hanging out in thin air without a way to get love and instructions and some hugs along the way!  And, it isn't all as simple as I've stated, but you wouldn't stay around for a marathon post...so, I have to simplify some...but here comes the REST OF THE STORY...

yep, we can do it allright...but we also have another side!!!

We are WOMEN!! Through it all we are separate human beings that somehow have to maintain a sense of self in all our roles.  Have you ever felt swallowed up in a role? Or in all of your roles? (and we didn't even talk about the subset of roles that are cook, maintenence people, doctors, psychologists, etc, etc, etc!) It seems, from experience, that we sometimes forget about ourselves and what we are separate and apart from all the other roles; roles we may LOVE, but we forget that we are US too.  And that my friends is not what God wants! We are GIRLS, we are WOMEN, we have, believe it or not, the SAME RIGHTS as do all the others have in our lives...our husbands, our parents, our children, our everyone else's in our lives...we are soft and pretty and sweet and gentle and needy and strong and, and, and...God loves us too...He made us, also, in His image Genesis 1:27 - "So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female He created them." That is AWESOME!...And yet, we so often do not see our own value, or help those in our lives to know we have a value set apart from any role we live in...We are PEOPLE that need to be loved, and nurtured, and asked about, and treated special, and NOT DISRESPECTED (I know my english here is terrible, but I had to throw that one in)...we work HARD all our lives for others, and that is a great blessing we have...but we tend to get lost in the shuffle sometimes...we tend to be treated with disrespect sometimes, we tend to be pushed around sometimes, we tend to be devalued BECAUSE people misinterpret the bible to mean we are less than men, we tend to just lie down and take it BECAUSE we put our roles above our humanity...and I say that is NOT what God intended for us!

So, ladies, I'm not being disrespectful to God when I say...TAKE BACK YOUR ROLE AS A WOMAN!!  BE a woman...a separate individual that has many roles, true, but don't FORGET the soft, pretty, wonderful, strong, interesting human that God made in the first place!! Expect respect from those in your life...expect that your children will respect you and ask about you instead of always asking FOR something from you...and do the same with the rest of the people in your life!  If someone in your life is toxic, remove them from your life, if someone hurts you, tell them and help them see your value...do not be a rug that people wipe their feet on, instead be the stain glass window that inspires others by the beauty that is even more beautiful with the light shining in...(and this is a perfect time to make the connection with God's light) (Can't you just hear Helen Reddy singing "I am Woman" right about now?) tee hee But as silly and simplistic as this post has been, it has been in my heart for a long time to remind us all of our value! God sees it...so, to respect Him, we need to love what He created!!

GOD BLESS US EVERYONE...as Tiny Tim once said! :)