365 Days of Spririt-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 234

Have you ever gone along with the crowd or agreed to something because you thought it would please the group, crowd, family, etc? I think we have all been swayed by peer pressure and driven by our own fears of rejection or our needs to belong and done things that we should not have done. King Herod does this in Acts 12. He sees how the Jews are pleased with how he has had James, the brother of John killed and so he decides to seize Peter because he wants to do what is pleasing the crowd. In this case, Peter is put in prison in chains and heavily guarded but God uses this opportunity to show the believers who are earnestly praying for Peter that God is listening by sending an angel to help get Peter out of prison. This is not anything like a jail break in a modern movie with tunnels being dug or schemes being played out that help the prisoner to get out of prison. Peter is literally visited by an angel who instantly releases him from his chains, tells him to put on some clothes, shoes and a cloak and to follow him. The angel leads him out and the iron gate leading to the city opens all by itself. God has taken the unwise decision of King Herod and turned it into an event that brings Him glory. Our own unwise decisions will be used by God for his greater plan as well but how about working on not making those unwise decisions in the first place. We shouldn’t be swayed or manipulated by anyone to do or say anything. Only God is our Guidance Counselor. It is Him we should go to when choices need to be made. This is a tough challenge in our busy world to do. How to stop and consider what Jesus would have us do. Pause and pray for wisdom to make the wise choices. It is something that needs to be cultivated in us. A habit needs to be formed and only a committed heart and some preparation will lead you to successfully becoming prayerful in all your choices. I am going to make it a family challenge and get my family to start working on praying before making our choices. We can celebrate with each other our successes and share our thoughts on how we might do better in the next days. A community effort is always helpful and I am sure pleasing to God.

Acts 12:11 Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were anticipating.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 233

I know I am not the only one that has read something somewhere and read it again sometime and it was like reading it for the first time. I read about that it was in Antioch that the disciples were first called Christians. Interesting? I want to know more… so I read the sidebar section in my bible and found that Christian means those that belong to Christ. I felt all at once a sense of comfort, joy and peace. Belonging is something that many of us need. I know it is within my temperament needs to feel accepted and that I belong. We belong to Jesus. He is the shepherd and we are His sheep. I saw a tree and thought it is like we are the leaves. Leaves don’t belong on a fence or a stop sign or in drain pipe. They belong on a tree. Can you come up with your own simile? Belonging to Jesus is like…?

Acts 11:26 The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 156

It's been on my mind since our mother, daughter, sister counseling session in San Antonio about friendship. My sister feels like she has no friends. Hmmmmmm. How many times have I felt that way? Too many to number. My mom said she has often felt alienated or like she doesn't belong when going into group situations. Hmmmmm. How many times have I felt that way? Too many to number. I was talking with my sister-in-law about this yesterday and yes Hmmmmmmmm... she feels like she doesn't have friends and feelings like she doesn't belong often too. My first thought was, "it's not just me". This seems to be a pretty common thing. Do you feel like you have no friends or at least no close friends? Have you felt alienated and felt like you don't belong when joining in with a group? In thinking about friends I felt the closest to a best friend in the flesh is my hubbie but by far my bestest friend is the Lord Almighty. He's the only one that knows me inside and out, front and back, through and through. He knows me like no one else. He knows my fears, what makes me cry, what brings me the greatest joy, my favorite "everything", my every feeling and thought from the moment I was conceived until forever thanks to Jesus. Without a doubt, when I am starting to feel like I have no friends or don't belong I look to the one who is my closest confidant, go-to person and bestest friend. When it seems like no one loves me, understands me, gets me. He does and always will. Remember God is your best friend too! Psalm 139:1 O Lord, you have searched me and know me.