Give Me Your Eyes So I Can See

Song for today:
"Give Me Your Eyes"
By Brandon Heath

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OihvG607W-c

Today's song has been on the radio quite a bit lately. It may be popular christian music right now, but that doesn't mean it is lacking of a message. It talks about seeing people like God sees them. About having compassion for others and actually seeing other peoples needs.

This song makes me stop and think. I hope today as you listen to this song you will truly contemplate the message behind it and ask yourself the following question:

Do I really see others the way God sees them?

Verses for today:

Deuteronomy 4:29But even there, if you seek God, your God, you'll be able to find him if you're serious, looking for him with your whole heart and soul. When troubles come and all these awful things happen to you, in future days you will come back to God, your God, and listen obediently to what he says. God, your God, is above all a compassionate God. In the end he will not abandon you, he won't bring you to ruin, he won't forget the covenant with your ancestors which he swore to them.

Galatians 5:22-24But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Thought for today:

Sometimes it takes a tragedy to see the truth of what is going on. Wouldn't it be better to start seeing the truth of what is going on BEFORE tragedy strikes. Then, we may even be able to avoid the tragedy altogether!

His Eye Is On The Sparrow & I Know He Watches Me!

"If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all!"

Have you ever heard this saying before? Maybe your mother said it to you when you were younger or maybe you have said it yourself to your own children.

Well, have you ever considered the same for your thoughts?

Have you ever had thoughts that were degrating and mean about yourself? Have you ever found yourself with no hope because you thought no one cared?

Well, take heart! Someone does care - it is Christ!

Let's focus on a song a day this week. Today's song is "His Eye Is On The Sparrow."

What a promise of hope that Christ cares about the sparrow and watches over the sparrow. However, Christ cares about you even more. Sure, this doesn't mean we won't have difficult times in life, but, we still have hope. Hope that Christ is still in control and He is still there for us, all we have to do is put our faith in Him and live by that faith.

Song for today:

"His Eye Is On The Sparrow"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eAboY5zfYE&feature=related

Verses for today:
Luke 12:5-6 "But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God."

Thought for today:

If we are valued by God. Why do we have thoughts that are contrary to God's value of us?

Honor the Lord through our relationships: Part Five - Ourselves

As we go through each day we have conversations with ourselves, as well as, thoughts about what we should or should not do. Sometimes we contemplate different things in our lives and how to handle those things.

What I want to focus on today is whether or not we have the mindset of Christ in our lives.

Today I want to touch on the most important decision a person can make in their entire lives. That is the decision to follow Christ.

How can we strive for the mindset of Christ if we don't know him?

Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

We have all sinned and we all fall short of the glory of God. However, there is hope!

John 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,

that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

There is hope because Christ died on the cross for our sins. He took our place on the cross. He paid our price for us! If we believe that Christ died for us we won't perish but we will have eternal life with Him in heaven!

Romans 10:9 "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

If you confess that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised him from the dead - you will be saved. What an amazing promise that gives hope.

Romans 13:14 "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

Commit your life to Christ and seek to honor the Lord first and do not seek to indulge in the pleasures of human nature. Christ is the only true source of happiness and once we commit our lives to Christ and His purpose for our lives and for ourselves, we can have a healthy relationship with ourselves because of Christ.

Verses for today:

Romans 3:23 "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God"

John 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

Romans 10:9 "That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."

Romans 13:14 "Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature."

Thought for today:

Have you confessed with your mouth Jesus is Lord and trusted Him as your Lord and Savior?

Song for today:

"Jesus, My Lord, My Savior"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5i4_q0IqR8Q

Honor the Lord through our relationships: Part Four - Family

Today I want to touch on the previous three days topics and combine them as a whole into how we can honor the Lord through our relationship as a family unit. To explain further, the element of family I am referring to is: You, your husband and your children. As a family unit, how do we honor the Lord?

Do you have family night in your home? Do you have a night set aside for time together with just your family members? You may call it family game night or family movie night. Whatever you call it, it is a special time that needs to be protected and utilized as quality time spent together as a family.

I opened my email recently to find an acronym of the word "HOME." The lady who wrote the email gave her own version of what she felt the following meant. However, I want to use this acronym with today's topic to help us see a way of honoring the Lord with our relationship as a family. Here is the acronym:

Honor the Lord

Obey His Word

Minister to one another

Establish walls of truth

Honor the Lord. This is what this five-part series on relationships is all about. We, as parents, need to be seeking the Lord for what He has for our lives. As we seek the Lord, we will know how to honor the Lord with our families. We need to be passing that same desire on to our children.

Obey His Word. Well, obviously to obey His Word, you need to be IN His Word to know what it says! This isn't just a part-time request from the Lord, this is a specific instruction to spend time with the Lord daily.

Minister to One Another. This touches on some of our topic from the past few days. In order to minister to one another, we need to be compassionate, loving, kind and supportive. Of course, we also need to be active in one another's lives in order to know how to minister to one another.

Establish Walls of Truth. Now I am convinced this is not referring to putting up walls where we can not relate to each other. I believe this is talking about a bond of truth, meaning God's Word. If we establish a bond of truth between us as a family, we can stand together and walk together in God's will.

If you do not currently have a night set-aside for family time. I would highly encourage you to establish a night for this and keep it protected as a special quality time for you and your family to minister to each other and grow closer together as a family unit.

Verses for today:

Proverbs 15:27
A greedy man brings trouble to his family, but he who hates bribes will live.
Mark 5:19
Jesus did not let him, but said, "Go home to your family and tell them how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you."
Acts 10:2
He and all his family were devout and God-fearing; he gave generously to those in need and prayed to God regularly.
Psalm 22:9
Yet you brought me out of the womb; you made me trust in you even at my mother's breast.
Proverbs 1:8
Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching.
Matthew 19:19
Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, honor your father and mother,' and 'love your neighbor as yourself.' "

Thought for today:

How can I minister to my family today?

Song for today:

"The Family Song"
From 'Elmo's World'
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tXsqprkgyG8

Honor the Lord through our relationships: Part Three - Mothers

"Because I said so!" "I'm going to count to three and if you don't...." "Who are you and what have you done with my son?" These are all things I'm sure each of us as mothers have said at one time or another. OR if your children aren't to that stage yet, you will say them one day!

But, have you ever said to yourself and to God, 'I want to be a godly mother'? Have you then walked away and not truly pondered God's Word and what HE has to say about being a godly mother? Today I want to give us, as mothers, a foundation of scripture to stand upon as we strive to become the godly mothers God would have us to be.

I am going to start with Verses for today:

Proverbs 29:15
The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother.
Isaiah 49:15
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!
Isaiah 66:13
As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you
Proverbs 10:1
A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother.
Proverbs 28:24
He who robs his father or mother and says, "It's not wrong"— he is partner to him who destroys.
Matthew 10:37
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.

By no means do I feel these verses begin to touch the tip of the iceberg where this particular topic is concerned. I know there is a massive amount of knowledge, wisdom and spiritual maturity that needs to happen as we mother our children and seek to be godly mothers. Today's topic is meant to be a starting place for each of us to evaluate what we are doing currently and if we have anything we need to change or 'tweak' in our mothering.

I also know that everyone has their own style of mothering and I think it is awesome that God gave each of us different personalities and different techniques to get His ultimate purpose done through us. If we were all the same, how boring life would be!!

Now that we have that out of the way, let's begin with the verses above. These verses are all ways we can know if our children are becoming or have become children of God. However, I see these verses as lessons we need to teach our children.

Let's take it verse by verse:
Proverbs 29:15, "The rod of correction imparts wisdom, but a child left to himself disgraces his mother."
From this verse we learn that we need to correct our children. How can we correct our children unless we are active in their lives? So, be active in your childrens lives and correct them when they need correcting. A child left to himself will learn how to act and behave from the people and things around him. In today's society that is tv, video games, friends, etc. Do we really want our kids learning how to act from these types of things? Well, I hope the answer you gave is, no!
Isaiah 49:15
"Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!"
Compassion. What is it? Compassion is defined as "sympathetic consciousness of others' distress together with a desire to alleviate it" by Merriam Webster's Dictionary. Let's consider what that means for a moment. Are we truly compassionate? If so, we have a desire to alleviate our children's distress. This also involves being active in our children's lives. How else will we know what is going on in their lives that would cause them distress?
Isaiah 66:13
"As a mother comforts her child, so will I comfort you"
How can we give our children comfort? Well, again, we need to be active in their lives in order to know what areas they need a comforting word. This isn't just comfort over sorrow, but, comfort and reassurance that they are okay and that anything bothering isn't the end of the world. Children today get overwhelmed easily because they don't see hope in their world. Life has such hope though and we need to be sure and show our children comfort by showing them Christ is their hope!
Proverbs 10:1
"A wise son brings joy to his father, but a foolish son grief to his mother."
How do we keep our children from becoming foolish? Well, this is a part of teaching them to be wise. Who is the source of wisdom? Well, some will say the source is actually a what, by saying that wisdom is knowledge. However, I tend to agree with Christ and say that wisdom comes from Christ and knowledge of HIM! We need to be the teachers of our children by teaching them Christ.
Proverbs 28:24
"He who robs his father or mother and says, "It's not wrong"— he is partner to him who destroys."
Okay, this one will seem obvious but, surprisingly we still suffer from the crime of stealing! Yes, we are teach our children not to steal. This reminds me of a story my sister-in-law told me. She was in a bookstore with her children and one of them grabbed a candy on the way out of the store. Well, when they got to the car she realized what her son had done. She immediately told him what he had done wrong and took him directly back inside the store. She had him explain to the store clerk what he had done and told the clerk he was sorry and to return the item. Wow! What a great lesson and definitely the right thing to do. Do you have a similar thing that happened? How did you teach your child what they had done was wrong?
Matthew 10:37
"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me."
Lastly, but, most importantly, we need to teach our children to love the Lord more than anyone and more than themselves. Once our children learn this, everything else falls into place!

Thought for today:
How can I be more active in my children's lives?
How can I better show them Christ's love?

Song for today:
You need a laugh?
This is absolutely hilarious!!

"Mom Song"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o6P2w5GkXmU

Honor the Lord through our relationships: Part Two - Husbands (Again)

Today is Part Two of a Five-part series on relationships. You may be somewhat surprised to find that today's relationship of focus is husbands, again! I hope you will read it as a continuation from yesterday's topic.

Our husbands, no matter the circumstance, are the men we stood next to and took a vow to honor, love and respect. We also took a vow to love them and stand beside them through the good and the bad, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health. Do we really know what that means? Did we really mean it when we said the parts about; bad, poorer and sickness? Did we really think that love alone would sustain us for the rough times too?

How daunting it is when reality hits that unsuspecting bride with love-glazed eyes who has made up her mind that she can overcome any problem just because she found a man to love. God never promised a life of no problems and never promised happiness. If you find that in the Bible, please let me know because my Bible doesn't have any reference to that kind of promise. Christ actually promises that we, as christians, will be persecuted and that it won't be easy to follow Him. And for those of you who have been christians for some time, you know how true that promise is. We have all had times where standing up for what Christ would have us stand up for was definitely NOT easy. Just the mention of this may have brought past and, maybe even, current circumstances to your mind.

Today I want to talk about those circumstances in our marriages that are also a tough time for us to stand up for what Christ would have us stand up for. Now, I want to be very clear about something, I am in no way wanting to bash husbands. That is not biblical and in no way helps any marriage. We are to respect our husbands and part of respecting our husbands is by NOT speaking negative of them. This includes to other people.

I am not immune to this in my own life, I admit that I am a guilty party to this at times. I love my husband dearly, but, find myself saying horrible things to him. As soon as I say them I know I am in the wrong and must be forgiven. This is where I am sure many of us can relate. However, the response to this wrong-doing and the conduct we have after this type of circumstance needs to be one that honors the Lord.

Let's ask ourselves, what would honor the Lord after something like this? Well, first and foremost, we need to hit our knees and humble our hearts before the Lord. Going back to our question from yesterday, "what would honor the Lord?" We then need to ask the Lord for His forgiveness and then ask our husbands for their forgiveness. If your relationship with your husband is a hostile type of relationship, you may be thinking something like, "yeah right, I'm not going to give him the satisfaction of telling him I was wrong!" Well, no matter what he might or might not think or say, it is our first responsibility to honor the Lord. Does it honor the Lord to hold unforgiveness? Well, the obvious answer is, no!

Yes, the preferrable action would be that a moment of weakness and speaking negative and harsh words to our husbands does not occur. That would be the Lord's desire for us. Not only would this eliminate the need for thoughts like mentioned above, but it would eliminate the hurt it causes our husbands when they hear these types of things.

Does it honor the Lord to hurt our husbands with our words? Did our husbands marry us to hear harsh and negative words come from us? No! If we were harsh and unkind before marriage, they would most likely never have married us. Why be harsh and unkind now? It isn't flattering to us and definitely doesn't make for a positive atmosphere for ourselves or our husbands.

Verses for today:

Matthew 6:15
But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.
2 Corinthians 2:7
Now instead, you ought to forgive and comfort him, so that he will not be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow.

2 Samuel 19:6
You love those who hate you and hate those who love you.
Psalm 36:5
Your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies.
Psalm 52:4
You love every harmful word, O you deceitful tongue!
John 13:34
"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.
John 13:35
By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."
Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honor one another above yourselves.
Ephesians 4:2
Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.
Ephesians 4:26-27
In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Galatians 5:22-24 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.

Thought for today:

Did our husbands marry us to hear harsh and negative words come from us?

Application for today:(New)
Is there something you need to ask your husband to forgive? If so, don't waste any time and do it as quickly as you can!

Song for today:

This is a song my husband chose as one of the songs that was sung at our wedding.
My brother and his wife did an absolutely amazing job of singing this song and made me realize how beautiful this song really is.
"Your Love Is Extravagant"
By Casting Crowns
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoaH0I9UwLI&eurl=http://video.google.com/videosearch?hl=en&q=your+love+is+extravagant&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=X&oi=video

Honor the Lord through our relationships: Part One - Husbands

This week the Lord has inspired me to write a 5-part series on

Honoring the Lord with our relationships.

Today is Part One: Husbands

Verses for today:

Jeremiah 17:9-10, “The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? ‘I the LORD search the heart and examine the mind, to reward a man according to his conduct, according to what his deeds deserve.’" (NIV)

Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding"

Colossians 3:18 "Wives, submit to your husbands, as is fitting in the Lord."

Have you ever found yourself getting upset over simple things your husband has done that aren't quite what you wanted him to do? Have you ever voiced those things to your husband and maybe even yelled? Have you ever been negative with your husband to the point you saw him become negative as well? Have you ever had a circumstance where you said something to your husband in the wrong attitude and regretted it later?

Has your attitude towards your relationship with your husband become stagnant and you need a renewal of your mind in this area? When our attitudes become such that we don't feel inspired by God in a certain area of our lives, it is time to search our hearts and minds.

In today's verse from Jeremiah chapter 17 we see that the heart is deceitful and not just deceitful but above all things and beyond cure. However, as we continue to read, we are given hope in the Lord. Hope because we find that the Lord searches our hearts and examines our minds. He then rewards us according to our conduct and what our deeds deserve.

Now, if your approach to your relationship with your husband has become stagnant, your conduct will naturally become stagnant. Therefore, as soon as you realize this about yourself you know you have to seek the Lord for what He finds in your heart and your mind in this area.

I truly believe that if you desire Christ to show you where you am not receiving a reward due to misconduct or lack of conduct, then your deeds and conduct in that area need to change. Not to get a reward, but, out of obedience to the Lord.

As each of us is full aware, no one is perfect. This includes myself. I have never claimed to be perfect. Even in my relationship with my husband, I find myself wondering why I am the only one who seems to do certian things or care about certain things. Now, this is just a perception of mine that I know stems from my human nature and in no way honors God. Therefore, this is one of the areas I know the Lord is showing me needs to be adjusted with the Lord's help.

Today I am starting a new journey in my conduct and deeds towards my husband. In order to accomplish this I now know that I need to lean on the Lord for His understanding and not lean on my own understanding. No matter how I may perceive my husband or myself, my first thought, and yours, should be, "how can I honor the Lord?"

Thought for today:

Is there anything in my relationship with my husband that doesn't honor the Lord? Is there an attitude that needs to be adjusted? Is the Lord showing me an area I need forgiveness or an area I need to forgive my husband?

Song for today:

"Honor the Lord"

By Steve Green

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pc8l02fUct4

Treasures In Heaven

Luke 12:15, Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions." (NIV)

I find myself, in my human nature, storing up treasures on earth. Don't we all? Just looking around our home I find several things that I would have difficulty parting with, if I had to sell them. However, these verses listed above are not just referring to things.

I want to dig further and get to the core of these verses. God in His commandments to the Israelites, His chosen people, said we are to have no other gods before Him. When we put things and even people before God, we are putting them as our gods. I touched on this a little bit in a prior blog when I talked about depending upon my husband sometimes, instead of God.

No matter if it is things, people, money, church activities or whatever it is, if we treasure something more than we do God and our relationship with God, then that is where our heart is. If our heart isn't with God first, then we begin to put God aside. The more we put God aside, the more our priorities become askew.

In Philippians chapter 1: 3-6, it says: "3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. "

The way I relate to these verses is by remembering that true JOY comes from my priorities being in the order that is pleasing to God. This is easy to remember if I use JOY as an acronym.

J being for Jesus first,

O being for Others next and

Y being for You last.

If I remember to put God first, others second and myself last, it becomes apparent that true joy in the Lord can be obtained.

Verses for today:

Matthew 6:19 "Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal.
Matthew 6:20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
Matthew 6:21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Thought for today:

What is it that I treasure most?

Song for today:

"Where My Treasure Is"

Author
Charles F. Brown
Copyright
1977 Word Music, LLC (a div. of Word Music Group, Inc.)
Catalog
Word Music, LLC

God's Forgiveness

Heavenly Father, as I write this blog today may You please pour Your heart through me and onto the page. Please forgive me for my anger and my disappointment. Please help me to understand that even though I may not know why the trials and tribulations are in my life at a particular time and season, thank you that they are only there for me to ultimately grow closer to You. Thank you for my husband and his wisdom and knowledge of You and of his unique way of getting me to understand my own need for forgiveness at a time I don't see it myself. Thank You for being the Almighty God who puts Your arms around me when I need a hug. I love You Lord. ~Amen!

Today has been quite a struggle for me. I know the Lord has asked me to write a daily blog and to share it with anyone who would read it and may be able to be uplifted and encouraged by it. Today is one of those days that no matter how many topics roll through my mind, I am having a tough time deciding on one to share with you.

I have poured my heart out to God on several occasions already today and have been in His Word on an almost constant basis since I awoke this morning. However, God's peace and comfort has not come until just recently when I spoke with my husband and explained the trial of today and things that happened in the car on the way to the school this morning to drop off my son. See, I lost my mind for a few moments and yelled "God, I need heat!!" Ok, a little more clarification is in order.
This morning the frost was heavy on the car and in my desire to see the road before me, I scraped the frost as best I could. All the while, letting the car run and warm up while my precious children sat in the car waiting for their mommy to get in and go. Well, as I scraped the windows, I realized that my progress was not exactly progress due to the fact nothing was coming off of the windows. My ice scraper was not being cooperative with my moving it across the windows back and forth, back and forth. So, I proceed to move it back and forth while applying all the strength I could muster and made some progress towards clearing an area to view the road through. Well, I then get into the car all ready to go to the school when it becomes brutally apparent that the heater is not working! Therefore, the warming up of the car I thought I was doing while scrapping the windows, is not making progress either! ARRGGHH!
Well, I do see two spots about the size of two quarters clearing at the bottom of the windshield. Mind you, this is not a safe way to pull out onto the road and is highly NOT recommended...
I proceed out of the driveway onto the street. Ok - so far so good and then the sun decides to hit the windshield! OOOPS - can't see anything but I know for a fact there is a stop sign there, so, I stop. Ok, now the thought occurs to me to roll down the front windows so I can see clearly! Great thought, ingenius I thought at the moment - right? So, now do I not only have no heat, I have 23 degree weather and the wind rolling into the car through both front windows. Yep, I'm a genius! Well, I could see now - ok, if you are laughing - I forgive you, I expect a shared story in return for my own laughter though! Oh, excuse me, back to the story...
At this point I have made my way onto the main street and am headed away from the sun so, I can see beautifully through my little circles at the bottom of the windshield. I proceed to the school and yes, I roll those windows back up! I get to the street for the school and I have to turn, well as I am sure you can guess, yep, there is the sun again. Ok, so, now I have no heat, no way to see and yes, I am proceeding forward. Now is when I panic. I can not see children, I can not see vehicles. Well, Praise the Lord he provided a building at that precise moment to block the sun and yes, I could see again through the little circles at the bottom of the windshield. One thing I left out is that I have started yelling "God I need heat" and then as I proceed forward I am yelling louder (like God is deaf) "God I need heat NOW!!"
Well, needless to say, I made it to the school safely and my son made it in to the school safely and my daughter and I made it home safely. Now, I will never leave my driveway in that car again as long as their is frost. At least not until my husband fixes it that is!
Yes, I realize the dangers involved. If I hadn't I wouldn't have been yelling at God. Well, afterwards I am trying to go through my devotions and my quiet time with the Lord and I can not seem to find peace or comfort in the Word. It wasn't until I spoke with my husband and told him the story that he pointed out the obvious, I needed forgiveness for yelling at God. Who am I to yell at God? Whoa!! Thank you my love!
My husband is so humble and modest. He will email me as soon as he reads this and remind me that he is just a sinful mortal man and not the man I write about. However, he definitely is the man I write about, he's just too humble and modest to see it. And ya know what? I love him for that. If he was all pious and prideful, it would not be the same, now would it?

I have no deep insight to give today, just a story about my human nature and how it got the best of me this morning. And the story doesn't end there, it ends with a lesson that we can all take with us, that even in our human nature, God loves us and He still bestows His grace and mercy on us when we ask Him to forgive us for stumbling and falling short of His glory.

Verses for today:

2 Chronicles 7:14
if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.
2 Chronicles 12:7
When the LORD saw that they humbled themselves, this word of the LORD came to Shemaiah: "Since they have humbled themselves, I will not destroy them but will soon give them deliverance.
James 4:10
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.
1 Peter 5:5
Young men, in the same way be submissive to those who are older. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, "God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble."
Psalm 130:4
But with you there is forgiveness; therefore you are feared
Ephesians 1:7
In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace
Hebrews 9:22
In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.

Thought for today:

Let God's Word explore your inmost being.

Song for today:

"You are My Hope"
By Skillet
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3sYaLsRdkE

Don't be intimidated by the group, they have amazing message in this song. It is a beautiful and very relevant song for today.

Canada, Anyone?

Verses for today:

Titus 2:1, “But as for you, promote the kind of living that reflects right teaching.” (NLT)

1 Peter 1:22b, “Love one another deeply, from the heart.” (NIV)

John 15:12, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (NIV)


Today I wanted to share some of the verses from my morning devotion. These verses could not be more timely for my personal attitude towards the results of our nation's presidential election is absolutely nauseating! My heart has been so heavy for our nation and for all that our nation has said is good and in fact is evil.

Christ tells us in John chapter 15 to love each other as He has loved us. Wow! This is quite the challenge at this particular moment in time for me. Although I am to love our new president-elect as Christ has loved me, it is definitely not a small task for me to accomplish. This will definitely take some time for my own heart to comprehend and to obey.

I received an email with Billy Graham's Prayer For Our Nation attached. It reads as follows:
"Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance. We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done. We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values. We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery. We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare. We have killed our unborn and called it choice. We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable. We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem. We have abused power and called it politics. We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition. We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression. We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.
Search us, Oh God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free. Amen!"
Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,' and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.. With the Lord's help, may this prayer sweep over our nation and wholeheartedly become our desire so that we again can be called 'One nation under God.'

I am suddenly reminded of Revelation 18:2-4 "2With a mighty voice he shouted: "Fallen! Fallen is Babylon the Great! She has become a home for demons and a haunt for every evil spirit, a haunt for every unclean and detestable bird. 3For all the nations have drunk the maddening wine of her adulteries. The kings of the earth committed adultery with her, and the merchants of the earth grew rich from her excessive luxuries."
4Then I heard another voice from heaven say: "Come out of her, my people, so that you will not share in her sins, so that you will not receive any of her plagues..."

I am going to leave this scripture to speak for itself. My heart is heavy for our nation and for our children. However, my comfort comes from God's Word and knowing that God is still on His throne and is still in control.

Thought for today:

How long would it take to pack the children and the house and move to Canada?

Song for today:

"God Bless the USA"

By Lee Greenwood

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RssIN3ustUw

May it still ring true even with all the changes that may very well strip us of some of the freedom's we have come to enjoy.

Depend on God

Today I saw one of those bumper stickers that says "Dog is my co-pilot." This is obviously one of those liberals that is voting for ...! Oh, excuse me Lord, I forgot to pause a moment and remember that You love them regardless of their actions, because you love the person. Once again I find myself asking the Lord to forgive me for my thoughts that do not honor Him. I am reminded today that in everything, even my thoughts about a bumper sticker, I must depend on God.

I have many times I find myself with the wrong attitude about different things in life. I wonder if I am alone in this area? Am I the only christian woman who truly strives to honor God, yet, finds myself with a wrong attitude about a bumper sticker? My thoughts should first of all turn to the Lord and my heart should fall before the Lord in prayer and ask the Lord to save the person who ridicules the christian people who have a bumper sticker that say "God is my co-pilot." My prayer should be that of salvation for the person who drives that car, not having negative thoughts about who they will vote for today! Besides, how do I know who they will vote for. Right?

My heart is pleading with the Lord today. Not only for forgiveness for this wrong attitude but for our nation and for my children's futures. Most importantly my heart is pleading with the Lord today to change my attitude about depending on God in everything.

I am often depending upon my husband for things only God can provide. This is an area where I find myself being humbled over and over again as my precious husband continues to show me God's unconditional love. See, my husband was a bachelor for 44 years before we married. He patiently waited on the Lord to bring him the woman he felt the Lord wanted for him.

My husband is the most patient person I know, male or female. He has a tolerance level beyond imagination and he depends upon the Lord in everything he does and says. He is quick to listen and slow to anger. He is forgiving, loving and kind. Unfortunately, I depend upon my husband at times for things that only the Lord can provide and therefore my precious husband suffers for my lack of priority in this area.

Now don't get me wrong, I don't depend on my husband for salvation. I am not going to that extreme. I am referring to every day things such as my happiness, my need to feel fulfilled and those types of emotions that only the Lord can genuinely provide.

My husband and I went to see the movie "Fireproof" this past Saturday night in the movie theater. I was so touched by the way the husband did things for his wife regardless of how he felt at the time. The movie does a phenomenal job of reminding us that Jesus Christ loves us regardless of how many times we reject him and that is the ultimate unconditional love. Once we understand that kind of love, it becomes apparent how we are to love our spouses unconditionally.

I have to admit that for years I did not understand that kind of unconditional love even though I was already a christian. I had years of not being able to grasp the concept of who was suppose to be the person to provide me with happiness. Although I am still finding myself depending on my husband at times for things that only God can provide, I have come a long way from the days of depending on my husband for every aspect of happiness. Only God can provide true happiness and once that happens, everything else is just icing on the cake!

Lord, forgive me for not depending on You for ALL areas of my life that I need You to be my provider and my comfort and support. Help me Lord to show my husband the same unconditional love that You show to me everyday. Help me to be the godly wife and mother You have put me here on earth to be. Thank You Father for such an amazing husband and smart, adorable children. Help me to nurture them as a mother should, but, more importantly to show them Your love, mercy and grace.

Verses for today:
Romans 13:7
Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor.
Ephesians 5:33
However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.
1 Timothy 3:4
He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him with proper respect.
Hebrews 12:9
Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
1 Peter 2:17
Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honor the king.
Romans 9:16
It does not, therefore, depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy.

Thought for today:
Could we take the bumper sticker "Dog is my co-pilot" and change it to "Depending On God is my co-pilot"?

Song for today:

"My Savior My God "

By Aaron Shust

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gt0WluTpFTg

Out of the Mouths of Babes

Proverbs 22:6 "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

There have been many times in my life as a parent I have often wondered if my son, soon to be 6, truly grasps the concept of Jesus Christ. I have always tried to teach him that Christ needs to be first in our lives and how important it is to have some time with Christ every day.

We have two particular times a day we spend with our children in prayer and learning about God and His Word on a regular daily basis. We also have numerous other occasions to show our children about the Lord and how to honor Him in our daily lives. You know these opportunities as every day consistency, however, we don't always realize that those 'normal' activities are not so normal to others in today's society. These normal activities are simple things, such as, praying before a meal, praying over your child when he/she is ill, speaking in a manner that is godly, being kind and loving to your spouse and reading God's Word. Our children see all of these things in our home, but, they never see these things with TV, video games, movies and books.

It is my sincere concern that our children see us in our normal everyday activities that honor the Lord MORE than they see what tv, video games, movies, books, school, etc. has for them. If we aren't teaching our children by example, then our own children tend to revert to what they have learned from other people and things.

In the back of my mind I have often wondered if I am doing a decent job of showing my children what is right and wrong. We have all heard the saying 'out of the mouths of babes' and I am sure we all have a story we can share that would relate to that very saying. Today, I not only heard from one of my own babes mouths, but at the same time was reminded about God's truth.

My son currently attends half days of kindergarten and comes home in time for us to eat lunch together. Today as we were eating lunch, I was deep in thought about things that were troubling me about our nations current crises and all the things I am trying to get ready at our church for Veteran's Recognition Sunday, Deacon Ordination Service, Thanksgiving Service, Christmas Programs, etc., when I let out a deep sigh. My son, who is very aware of others feelings and has a sincere concern for people, immediately asked me, "Mommy, what's wrong?" "Oh, I'm just thinking about important things that are going on right now." Out of the mouth of my precious babe, "Mommy, nothing is more important than God!"

Needless to say, tears sprung up in my eyes. Now these were not tears of disappointment or sadness, but tears of joy and of being proud of my son for remembering that even mommy's sometimes forget God is the most important thing, not our nation, not our Sunday Services, not our house cleaning, not our computers, not our jobs. Our Lord God Almighty is the most important.

Now don't misread my heart here. I understand these things are important, but, it only takes one comment from the mouth of my precious babe to remind me of the MOST important. I am immediately reminded of Matthew 11:28-30, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." These words from the book of Matthew in God's Word reminds me that once we have our concerns put into order of importance, with GOD always at the top, our burdens become light and God takes care of the rest.

With our nation and local elections being tomorrow, I honestly feel it is important for each of us to remember that God is still the most important 'thing.'

By no means does that excuse us from voting, we still have to do our part. We still need to read about each of the candidates and ask ourselves what are those candidates priorities and their morals. What are their plans for our nation and for our local government and schools. Do those plans line up with God's plan? We then need to get out their and vote our convictions. Always remembering to keep our votes aligned with God as the most important!

Verses for today:
Proverbs 22:6
"Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."
Matthew 11:28-30
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."
Numbers 25:13
He and his descendants will have a covenant of a lasting priesthood, because he was zealous for the honor of his God and made atonement for the Israelites."
Deuteronomy 26:19
He has declared that he will set you in praise, fame and honor high above all the nations he has made and that you will be a people holy to the LORD your God, as he promised.
1 Samuel 2:30
"Therefore the LORD, the God of Israel, declares: 'I promised that your house and your father's house would minister before me forever.' But now the LORD declares: 'Far be it from me! Those who honor me I will honor, but those who despise me will be disdained.

2 Chronicles 1:10-12

10 Give me wisdom and knowledge, that I may lead this people, for who is able to govern this great people of yours?" 11 God said to Solomon, "Since this is your heart's desire and you have not asked for wealth, riches or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, 12 therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you. And I will also give you wealth, riches and honor, such as no king who was before you ever had and none after you will have."

Thought for today:
Who or what is truly most important in my life?

Song for today:
"My Jesus"
Todd Agnew
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JltX8zGG0PU
Powerful song inspired by "The Passion" movie.