God’s Calling

Have you ever felt God called you to do something – yet no one else supported or understood that calling? Have you ever been told by someone close to you that they felt God was calling them to do something… and you had a hard time with the direction they were being led in?

God doesn’t always work in neatly tied-up packages. Other people are often affected by the choices and decisions that His people feel He is telling them to take and make on His behalf. It can be stretching and it can emotionally be frustrating and painful at times.
– I know that when God is calling someone to be used by Him in ministry – that there will always be growth involved. It’s not always by the person being used, but sometimes by the people around that person. The people who love and care for them and who are being pulled outside of their comfort zones whether they asked for it or not… simply because of their close relationship with God’s chosen person at that point in time.

If we are put in that situation, we need to ask Him for the strength and the insight to be able to learn and grow. We need to be open to what it is that God intends on teaching us. We need to be steadfast in our love for the person He is using – and we need to be moldeable. We need to be ready to sacrifice our desires and our plans if God asks us to. Yes, it may hurt. Yes, it may be uncomfortable. It may REALLY be hard for us.
But it will be worth it.

 

~ Dionna Sanchez (Editor – EmphasisOnMoms.com)

“Facing Your Giants”

From Max Lucado:

Shared by: Kristine,  professional mom, blogger, author, homeschooler, humorist, and chief wrangler at the ‘ole “testosterone farm.”

http://www.HEvencense.wordpress.com

All about books… and other stuff.: http://www.thegr8tlion.blogspot.com

God Owes Me Nothing

and I owe God everything.

Powerful statement.

Our Pastor made us write this down at a church service recently.

Have you ever considered this thought?  We were asked to carry out an exercise in our own time, away from church, to consider all the attributes of God – He is merciful, loving, good, gracious, kind, forgiving and the list goes on.  We were told there are over 50 attributes alone which can be sourced from Nehemiah 9.

And then we were told to consider His actions – saving, healing, setting us free, provision, blessing.  His promises include answering our prayers and needs.   And the gifts He has given us – life, salvation, health, strength, talents, food, family, friends, etc.

Now, considering all these things can you see that He owes you nothing? In fact, if the only thing He gave was salvation through offering His Son in your place, there is nothing else He need have done.  And yet He keeps giving to you and me on a daily basis.  Why do you suppose that is? Because He is a loving God and He wants to give us all every opportunity to receive what He has to offer us. Don’t you think it’s time to accept His gifts?

Kathie M. Thomas is an Author, Blogger, Speaker and Virtual Assistant Coach & Trainer. Her passion is about helping women return home to work, using skills they developed in the workforce, so they can be home fulltime for their families.

“Walking With God”

Of the nearly 100 books I’ve read thus far this year, John Eldredge’s new release, Walking With God, [Thomas Nelson, 2008] is one of two extraordinary stand-outs.  Here’s a taste:

For more, visit: www.walkingwithgod.net

Shared by:

Kristine K. Lowder, professional mom, blogger, author, homeschooler, humorist, and chief wrangler at the ‘ole “testosterone farm.”

http://www.HEvencense.wordpress.com

Communication Breakdown in Marriage

We Have The Power

But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit come on you and you will be my witnesses in Jerualem, and in all Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.

Acts 1:8

 

We had Vacation Bible School at our church last week.  I was dreading it … a bit.  Hey, I’m being honest here; the thought of spending five evenings with 50 or 60 rambunctions kids after working all day just wasn’t exciting me.  It’s been a long hot summer and I was just feeling worn out.  But I had such a good time at VBS last year, and I had made a commitment a couple months back to do this, so off to church I went.

 

The theme this year was Power Lab, we learned how Jesus gives us the power …

    1.  To Be Thankful

    2.  To Help Others

    3.  To Be Brave

    4.  To Live Forever With Him

    5.  To Share God With Others

 

As I stood and prayed that night, before we started, I actually felt God’s power fill me up with excitement for the evening, and we all had a great time.  And I wasn’t so tired the next day.  It seemed like each day, I got more and more energized, as I spent the evening teaching the kids about the power that Jesus gave them.

 

He was giving it to me as well.

 

On Thursday, when we shared the message of the gospel, how Jesus died for our sins and rose again on the third day, just about every little kid in the place prayed and asked Jesus to come into their hearts.  It was the sweetest thing.

 

The last night, I was sharing with the kids how Jesus gives us the power to share God with others.  The day before I had driven to Tampa to speak to a group of ladies, about the healing and hope that comes through a relationship with Jesus. 

I shared with them that, just a couple of years ago, I was afraid to drive on the Interstate and I’d get sick to my stomach whenever I spoke to a group.  Now, I drove all over the place, all the time; no fears.  And I’m as comfortable standing in front of 100 women as I am talking to one or two. 

 

It was so cool to give them real life examples of the exact things I’d been teaching them all week!

 

On Friday night, when those little kids marched up to get their certificates, I should and cheered each one of them on … so very blessed that I had been given the opportunity to spend time sharing Jesus with them.

 

As we drove home that night, I mentioned to Bobby that I wasn’t even tired; that week of pouring into those kids had revived my spirit and my body, I truly had received Jesus’ power through sharing him with the boys and girls.

 

Father, thank you for giving us the power to do all things through you.  Lord, I will never stop being amazed and encouraged by the way your spirit fills us up, when we reach out to help others.  And Jesus, thank you for allowing me to share you with all those great little kids at VBS.  Nurture their spirit Lord and keep their little hearts pure.

 

I Love You Jesus.
      In Your Name I Pray,
      Amen

God Bless You!

Love,
Joyce

---

My website:
http://www.alifedecision.org

“Himself Alone”

   “God often traps us between our desire and our demands in order to satisfy our deepest hungers with himself alone.  He will not lessen our hunger, nor will he feed us when his bread will be viewed as our rightful claim.  He will be no one’s butler, only our God.”

– Dan Allender, Ph.D, The Healing Path (p. 40)

Shared by Kristine K. Lowder

http://www.HEvencense.wordpress.com

http://www.thegr8tlion.blogspot.com

The Charlie Brown Tree

“Cut that thing down, p-l-e-a-s-e!” I begged. “It’s ugly. It needs to go.”

But my husband never did cut it down. And so it remained.

Out of the ground sprouted this scraggly, scrawny, little pine twig that must have dropped as a seed from its forefather. It looked just like the Christmas tree in the Charlie Brown cartoon classic and so it got its name, the Charlie Brown tree.

Instead of destroying this diminutive sapling in its infancy, we left it alone to do what it was created to do…be a testament to its Creator.

Year after year, it stood in our backyard beside its progenitor, a towering evergreen that dwarfed its Lilliputian descendant. And year after year, that puny thing struggled to grow. Standing staunch to face the sun, rain, wind, heat, snow, and storms, it faced all the elements, yet protected in the shadow of its forefather. It eventually matured into a beautiful, sprawling pine of 35 feet.

Occasionally, aren’t we this way with baby Christians? So ready to chop down God’s little seedlings of faith, so ready to give up on them as they struggle to grow, mature, and learn. Just because they don’t have all the branches of knowledge, the beautiful foliage of experience we do, or the seeds of future Christian descendants growing in their shadows, we are ready to dismiss them.

However, if we become the staunch support of strength, protecting them in our shadow and nourishing them with our love, they can grow to be a true testament to their Creator, living the life God intended for them.

Lord, may I never dismiss one of children in his or her infancy of faith. May I be a true example of Your love, care, and strength to the one who needs it. Amen!

~~Lynn Mosher~~

The Canaanite Woman

Matthew 15: 21-28 tells the story of the Canaanite woman who begged Jesus to heal her daughter. The Canaanite woman was a Gentile, a non-Jew. Jesus treats her downright coldly at first. As she pleads her case, Jesus ignores her. The disciples ask Jesus to do want she wants because she is aggravating them, following them around. He counters that he “was sent only to the lost sheep of the House of Israel” and tells the woman herself that “it is not fair to take the children’s food and throw it to little dogs.” She replies, “Yes, Lord; but even little dogs eat the scraps that fall from their masters’ table.” It is only then that Jesus responds with kindness and heals her daughter.

It is important to note that this passage comes from Matthew’s gospel, which was written for Jews. The point of the story is to show that the Gentiles were eager to accept Jesus as Lord even though the Jews were reluctant to do so. It also illustrates the importance of faith. No matter what Jesus said to her, she kept believing that he could heal her daughter.

As a mother, this story carries further meaning. The Canaanite woman is a mother who will do whatever she needs to do for her child. Her daughter is “tormented by a devil.” At that time, devils were blamed for both physical and mental illness, but with that word “tormented,” one gets the sense that this is most likely a mental affliction. Here is a daughter who is suffering, and most likely has been suffering for quite some time. There is no worse pain than watching your child suffer and not being able to do anything about it. She had heard of Jesus, perhaps even witnessed him heal someone. This is her last hope, and she is going to pursue it until she gets what she wants. She is willing to even verbally spar with Jesus. She doesn’t shrink away when Jesus questions her right to be there. She just keeps pushing.

Every mother has to advocate for her child at some point, and it is not always easy. It can be hard to stand up to teachers, or principals, or doctors in order to make sure that a child gets what he or she needs. It can be hard to speak up, but it is part of a mother’s job. I am a naturally very introverted person. I hate conflict and don’t do a very good job of sticking up for myself. After my first child was born, however, I soon learned that I had to stick up for him because no one else would. I had to speak for him because he couldn’t speak for himself. When he was diagnosed with life-threatening food allergies, I had to tell people. I had to make sure that accommodations were made for him whenever he was going to be someplace without me. When he started school, I had to make sure that he would be safe. I had to teach his teachers and the cafeteria workers how to use his epi-pen. I had to make sure that his classroom would be peanut-free. I had to do the same if he went to a friend’s house or to a party. I have had to advocate for my younger son for other reasons. It just comes with the parenting territory.

Mothers can be inspired by the Canaanite woman. I don’t think that I would have the courage to stand up to Jesus the way that she did. After he ignored me, I probably would have slunk away. The Canaanite woman reminds me, and all mothers, to stand firm, to continue to have faith and advocate for our children. Whether we are on our knees praying, or in the principal’s office discussing school policy, we are our child’s voice when they cannot speak for themselves. When we start to lose faith in our ability to be that voice, we can remember the Canaanite woman and emulate her courage and strength.

- Patrice Fagnant-MacArthur
http://spiritualwomanthoughts.blogspot.com
http://momentofbeauty.blogspot.com

The Sanctity of the Bedroom

The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife and likewise the wife to her husband. 1Cor 7:3

I hate our bedroom looking messy and it probably stems back from when I was just 16 years old.  I’d become engaged to a boy and his mother had given me a book to read about the value of marriage and the marital home.  I know we were very young back then but there had been a good reason.  He was dying of cancer and his and my parents already had a very good idea that he wouldn’t be around long enough for us to get married but as his fiance I was allowed into the hospital to visit him at any time.

I was probably too young to realise this at the time but I did read the book and took on board much of what was said and still today apply many of those things.

I love our bedroom to look inviting and not messy.  Recently my eldest daughter helped me measure and shop for new curtains and matching bedding and I couldn’t wait for Graham to get home that night to see our new look bedroom. It looked like something from a classy hotel and I was thrilled with the result.  So was he as he had no idea of the surprise I’d planned for him and he’d been thinking our room looked small and tired but hadn’t said anything.  The new colours and decor now make the room look fresh and larger somehow.  He certainly made sure I knew he appreciated how much I cared about the room that cemented our marriage.

I firmly believe it is the wife’s role to make the home a place the husband wants to come home to daily.  We hear so much of marital problems, husbands staying at work long hours or other things interfering with their marriage.  Whilst it is true that many women work away from home these days and the housework might be lacking, the bedroom should still be their private domain and one that is always inviting.  If the husband is one that is home more then perhaps this is something he could be looking at.  The bedroom of a married couple is one that should be sanctified, set apart, kept special and always inviting to the couple it was intended for.

Many years ago I remember seeing the bedroom of some friends of our’s and it was cluttered with mess – clothing, newspapers, books and all sorts of things everywhere, even on the bed.  I knew this wasn’t a once-only situation but something that was constant in their household.  I don’t believe for a moment that this was the only problem in their marriage and the cause for their breakdown but I do feel that perhaps their bedroom wasn’t valued by either of them and wouldn’t have helped their situation.   Somehow the care taken in a marital bedroom spills over to the care taken in that marriage and both husband and wife benefit from that effort.  What do you think?

Kathie M. Thomas is an Author, Blogger, Speaker and Virtual Assistant Coach & Trainer. Her passion is about helping women return home to work, using skills they developed in the workforce, so they can be home fulltime for their families.