Psalms 55:22-- Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall
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Have you ever wanted someone to take care of you?
I do... and I have.
Sometimes if I feel really bad-- don't really want to face the day-- feeling a bit down-- or sick (face it, Mama's don't get sick days)-- I want someone to take care of me. My husband and I have had many conversations about it.
It's easy, sometimes, to forget that the Lord is always there--- taking care of us-- even if we don't realize it. He never leaves us... no matter what. In Joshua ch. 7, the Lord was very angry at the Israelites. He wasn't going to go with them in battle any more... BUT he was still with them. He talked to them. He was THERE. He NEVER LEFT them. He NEVER LEAVES us.
You can sometimes be seen as a 'silent partner' in life. Always involved-- always around--but not always noticed... most of the time easy to miss and/or forget about completely.
That is.... as long as the business is going well...
When things are going bad, people tend to blame the 'silent partner'. Diane Sawyer never comes on ABC News every night saying, "God blessed us with the sun rising again today. Praise his name." No. But if there is a tornado, flood, natural disaster... THEN it's an "Act of God" and the News will report the heck out of it.
Most people don't praise or even think of God in good times. When their lives are great... things are hunky dorry... life is awesome... they never give God a second thought.
BUT, when something bad happens, when someone dies, when a disaster hits THEN people think about God. Some pray to him to heal. Some curse him for 'making it happen'. Some say, "How could God do this?", but they don't question, "How could God give us such a pretty sunrise?"
If nothing bad ever happened, would we forget God completely?
A Christian's life is not perfect. We have our highs and lows, our sorrows and our joys, our hapiness and our disappointments, our slips and our falls. But through it all, God is with us. Remember in Joshua 7, He was angry at Israel and not going to battle with them... but he was there. He will take care of your burdens, and he will take care of us.
I remember when my Daddy died 8 years ago, it was hard. One of the things I remember thinking was, "Now who is going to take care of me?" I had my Mama, but I always thought of Daddy as the 'protector'. When he was gone, I just wanted someone to take care of me... Little did I know that I already did.
God Bless You
Kelly
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Day 21: Finding Time For God
Romans 11-12-- Don't burn out; Keep yourselves fueled and aflame. Be alert servants of the Master, cheerfully expectant. Don't quit in hard times; pray all the harder.
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How do we keep ourselves, our body, 'fueled and aflame'? Well..
*We eat food.
*We drink water.
*We sleep.
Those are all things we must do to fuel our physical body. If we don't do them, our physical body slowly gets weaker and weaker.
For our spiritual body we..
*Read the Bible
*Fellowship
*Pray
If we don't do them, our spiritual body slowly gets weaker and weaker.
So how do we balance 'It all'?
Life can get hectic at times..... Ok, lets face it.. Life is hectic MOST of the time.
Between kids, work, home, chores, responsibilities--it gets overwhelming at times (and I'm including Stay at Home Moms there... don't think that I don't think you work. You totally do!)
So, where does God fit in with diaper changes, carpools, and cleaning lists?
The truth is that sometimes we are so busy that we forget to spend time with Him. We are so tired, stressed, running on all cylinders, etc... that God gets put on the back burner.
I don't think we mean to do it. It just happens. Our schedule is full of softball practices, dance classes, regular cleaning, etc that we just don't think about penciling God in.
Softball, dance, whatever we HAVE To do are tangible things. We know we have to do them so they are probably written down somewhere on a list--- or if you are like me they are written down on 3 lists because it takes that many for me to remember it. But most people don't pencil God into their day.
Our spiritual body needs just as much nurishment as our physical one does. You wouldn't not eat, sleep, or drink water for one day (hopefully... and if you did, you'd feel pretty drained). In the same vein, don't deprive your spirit of things IT needs every day. Reading the Bible, Fellowship, and Prayer. It does the same thing to your spirit as depriving your physicial body does. It makes you weaker.
I've started writing Read Bible and Pray on my daily chore charts in my Homemaking journal. Not that's its exactly a 'chore', but just so I won't forget to spend time with God that day.
My usual time when I'm working is in the morning before I roll out of bed (hopefully before the baby wakes up). I have my Bible next to the bed, and I'll either go chapter to chapter or just open and read. You can do it either way... you get something out of either.
I have index cards next to the bed as well where I write down a verse I want to remember. It may only take 15 minutes, but you will see a big difference in how your day goes when you start off with Him.
It is a hectic world. Finding time to breathe sometimes seems nearly impossible. However, it is important that we find something that we can do to spend time with God. Maybe play Gospel music in the car on the way to work instead of whatever you usually listen to. Maybe reading the Bible to your kids at night before bed. Maybe writing a daily verse down on some paper and putting it in your pocket. That way, everytime you put your hand in, you are reminded of God's word. Maybe even take it out throughout the day and read it.
Lets be creative and find ways to spend more time with God. We wouldn't deprive our physical body... lets not neglect our spiritual one.
God Bless You!
Kelly
**************
How do we keep ourselves, our body, 'fueled and aflame'? Well..
*We eat food.
*We drink water.
*We sleep.
Those are all things we must do to fuel our physical body. If we don't do them, our physical body slowly gets weaker and weaker.
For our spiritual body we..
*Read the Bible
*Fellowship
*Pray
If we don't do them, our spiritual body slowly gets weaker and weaker.
So how do we balance 'It all'?
Life can get hectic at times..... Ok, lets face it.. Life is hectic MOST of the time.
Between kids, work, home, chores, responsibilities--it gets overwhelming at times (and I'm including Stay at Home Moms there... don't think that I don't think you work. You totally do!)
So, where does God fit in with diaper changes, carpools, and cleaning lists?
The truth is that sometimes we are so busy that we forget to spend time with Him. We are so tired, stressed, running on all cylinders, etc... that God gets put on the back burner.
I don't think we mean to do it. It just happens. Our schedule is full of softball practices, dance classes, regular cleaning, etc that we just don't think about penciling God in.
Softball, dance, whatever we HAVE To do are tangible things. We know we have to do them so they are probably written down somewhere on a list--- or if you are like me they are written down on 3 lists because it takes that many for me to remember it. But most people don't pencil God into their day.
Our spiritual body needs just as much nurishment as our physical one does. You wouldn't not eat, sleep, or drink water for one day (hopefully... and if you did, you'd feel pretty drained). In the same vein, don't deprive your spirit of things IT needs every day. Reading the Bible, Fellowship, and Prayer. It does the same thing to your spirit as depriving your physicial body does. It makes you weaker.
I've started writing Read Bible and Pray on my daily chore charts in my Homemaking journal. Not that's its exactly a 'chore', but just so I won't forget to spend time with God that day.
My usual time when I'm working is in the morning before I roll out of bed (hopefully before the baby wakes up). I have my Bible next to the bed, and I'll either go chapter to chapter or just open and read. You can do it either way... you get something out of either.
I have index cards next to the bed as well where I write down a verse I want to remember. It may only take 15 minutes, but you will see a big difference in how your day goes when you start off with Him.
It is a hectic world. Finding time to breathe sometimes seems nearly impossible. However, it is important that we find something that we can do to spend time with God. Maybe play Gospel music in the car on the way to work instead of whatever you usually listen to. Maybe reading the Bible to your kids at night before bed. Maybe writing a daily verse down on some paper and putting it in your pocket. That way, everytime you put your hand in, you are reminded of God's word. Maybe even take it out throughout the day and read it.
Lets be creative and find ways to spend more time with God. We wouldn't deprive our physical body... lets not neglect our spiritual one.
God Bless You!
Kelly
Friday, July 8, 2011
Day 20: Think Before You Speak
Proverbs 29:30-- There is no more hope for a fool than for someone who speaks without thinking.
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Ye Ole Think Before You Speak.....
If we aren't careful, our tongues can run away from us. The old Two Edged Sword. We can say things we never meant to say. Tell secrets we never meant to tell. Say harsh words that we never meant to say. We have to be very careful of what we say because once it's out there, we can't take it back.
We can ask for forgiveness, and the person may/may not grant it. We can ask God to forgive us, and if we are saved, he will... never to think on it again.
But we are humans, we aren't God. We can forgive... and we can try to forget, but really, sometimes when we aren't thinking about it, it pops right in there. And sometimes the hate, the pain, the anger, the sadness comes back along with it.
I don't really believe the old saying, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me." because words can hurt worse than sticks and stones ever thought of. Physcical bruises fade. Emotional/mental ones can endure years... maybe as long as we are on this earth.
If someone has said something against you and has said they are sorry (and mean it), forgive them. Try to forget it. Don't bring it up again even if you can't forget the exact words. We know how much we wish we could take words back... imagine if someone threw it in our face every bad thing we said (some of you might know how that feels).
We have to watch our tongue. Watch what we say. I think I read somewhere that you need to wait 3-5 seconds to carefully consider what you are going to say... which is hard and might confuse people, but you know what? A confused person is much better than someone who is mad at you for not thinking before you speak.
Lets all (myself included) try to work on this more today :)
God Bless you!
Kelly
(linked to Brag on God Friday )
**************
Ye Ole Think Before You Speak.....
If we aren't careful, our tongues can run away from us. The old Two Edged Sword. We can say things we never meant to say. Tell secrets we never meant to tell. Say harsh words that we never meant to say. We have to be very careful of what we say because once it's out there, we can't take it back.
We can ask for forgiveness, and the person may/may not grant it. We can ask God to forgive us, and if we are saved, he will... never to think on it again.
But we are humans, we aren't God. We can forgive... and we can try to forget, but really, sometimes when we aren't thinking about it, it pops right in there. And sometimes the hate, the pain, the anger, the sadness comes back along with it.
I don't really believe the old saying, "Sticks and stones can break my bones, but words can never hurt me." because words can hurt worse than sticks and stones ever thought of. Physcical bruises fade. Emotional/mental ones can endure years... maybe as long as we are on this earth.
If someone has said something against you and has said they are sorry (and mean it), forgive them. Try to forget it. Don't bring it up again even if you can't forget the exact words. We know how much we wish we could take words back... imagine if someone threw it in our face every bad thing we said (some of you might know how that feels).
We have to watch our tongue. Watch what we say. I think I read somewhere that you need to wait 3-5 seconds to carefully consider what you are going to say... which is hard and might confuse people, but you know what? A confused person is much better than someone who is mad at you for not thinking before you speak.
Lets all (myself included) try to work on this more today :)
God Bless you!
Kelly
(linked to Brag on God Friday )
Thursday, July 7, 2011
Day 19: Helpful Critcism
Proverbs 28:23-- In the end, people appreciate honest criticism far more than flattery.
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Ok, I LOVE that part "IN THE END" lol Meaning you probably won't like it going through it... but IN THE END, you will find it helpful.
Criticism should be given in a loving manner. It should be given using nice words, with the best of intentions, and with the tools for improvement. It should be used as a tool to grow and not used to destroy (as so many reality TV shows seem to think)
If someone criticizes you harshly, take a step back. Think about their words (not their tone). Think about if their words have truth in them. And then, as always, PRAY about it. A negative criticism will damper any spirit. We need to focus on getting ourselves up and making changes for the better.
Also if you are the one giving the critique, make sure you give an honest and loving one with good things they did (if possible... Hey maybe they wore a nice shirt???). But in the end, nicely tell them what they need to work on and THEN give them ways to work on it.
Make sure to encourage-- not discourage.
No one likes thinking they did something wrong (Ring Leader here!), but "IN THE END" an honest friend- an honest answer- is worth much more than someone who is just a "Yes, Man."
God Bless You!
Kelly
*************************
Ok, I LOVE that part "IN THE END" lol Meaning you probably won't like it going through it... but IN THE END, you will find it helpful.
Criticism should be given in a loving manner. It should be given using nice words, with the best of intentions, and with the tools for improvement. It should be used as a tool to grow and not used to destroy (as so many reality TV shows seem to think)
If someone criticizes you harshly, take a step back. Think about their words (not their tone). Think about if their words have truth in them. And then, as always, PRAY about it. A negative criticism will damper any spirit. We need to focus on getting ourselves up and making changes for the better.
Also if you are the one giving the critique, make sure you give an honest and loving one with good things they did (if possible... Hey maybe they wore a nice shirt???). But in the end, nicely tell them what they need to work on and THEN give them ways to work on it.
Make sure to encourage-- not discourage.
No one likes thinking they did something wrong (Ring Leader here!), but "IN THE END" an honest friend- an honest answer- is worth much more than someone who is just a "Yes, Man."
God Bless You!
Kelly
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Day 18: The Golden Rule
Matthew 7:12-- Do unto others whatever you would like them to do unto you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets.
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The Golden Rule
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Treat others how you want to be treated.
Reap what you sow.
However you want to state it: It means the same thing. If you want people to be nice to you, be nice to them.
Now--- we all know that not EVERYONE treats us well even if we are kind to them. That's life. So does that mean we can replay them in kind? After all, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If someone treats you badly, shouldn't you be able to treat THEM badly???
Um----no.
Sometimes it would be nice to treat them unkindly if they have been that way to us. But we know that it's the right thing to do. A sinner could see how we are acting (not knowing our story/our WHY) and it would destroy our testimony. ("You're a Christian??? Foot, I act better than that? Why would *I* want to be one of those if you are acting worse than I do?")
Oh, as much as we don't like to admit it, people notice how we act... especially if we claim to be a Christian. A Christian posting dirty jokes/videos on facebook is probably hurting his/her testimony. People watch..... People are human... and people talk. We definitely need to check ourselves. We won't be perfect... not by a LONG shot! But we do need to be careful what we watch, do, and say.
Kinda got off subject there a bit, but it was for an important reason that I believe God wanted us to think about.
No matter what-- we need to treat others kindly, gently, lovingly, respectfully, and calmly. Even if they don't repay us in kind. In the end, it's OUR soul we have to focus on. We can't control others, but we can control our own actions.
Today, think about how you'd like to be treated-- and how you treat others (even those who aren't the best to you). Are they the same? Are there things you'd like to change? Are you following the Golden Rule?
God Bless You!
Kelly
*******************
The Golden Rule
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Treat others how you want to be treated.
Reap what you sow.
However you want to state it: It means the same thing. If you want people to be nice to you, be nice to them.
Now--- we all know that not EVERYONE treats us well even if we are kind to them. That's life. So does that mean we can replay them in kind? After all, Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. If someone treats you badly, shouldn't you be able to treat THEM badly???
Um----no.
Sometimes it would be nice to treat them unkindly if they have been that way to us. But we know that it's the right thing to do. A sinner could see how we are acting (not knowing our story/our WHY) and it would destroy our testimony. ("You're a Christian??? Foot, I act better than that? Why would *I* want to be one of those if you are acting worse than I do?")
Oh, as much as we don't like to admit it, people notice how we act... especially if we claim to be a Christian. A Christian posting dirty jokes/videos on facebook is probably hurting his/her testimony. People watch..... People are human... and people talk. We definitely need to check ourselves. We won't be perfect... not by a LONG shot! But we do need to be careful what we watch, do, and say.
Kinda got off subject there a bit, but it was for an important reason that I believe God wanted us to think about.
No matter what-- we need to treat others kindly, gently, lovingly, respectfully, and calmly. Even if they don't repay us in kind. In the end, it's OUR soul we have to focus on. We can't control others, but we can control our own actions.
Today, think about how you'd like to be treated-- and how you treat others (even those who aren't the best to you). Are they the same? Are there things you'd like to change? Are you following the Golden Rule?
God Bless You!
Kelly
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