365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 295

On Survivor last night, one of the women made a comment about another returning player who was very scheming and lots of other not so good things. On the first day, he told everyone he had changed but by day 4 all of them were well aware that he really hadn’t changed at all. This women made the comment about can a zebra change it’s stripes. Our temperaments are something we cannot change. We are who God made us to be but with the Holy Spirit we can be God-honoring, God-glorifying people. The “weaknesses” within our temperament can be changed to all God wants them to be by his spirit. Can this man change? He will always be what God made him to be but God can make more out of him if he lets Him in.  

Romans 8:26 Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 203

Some very good friends of ours who had moved to Washington State a couple of years ago were out this weekend for a visit. They invited us to a bbq at another of their friend’s homes so we could visit and my daughter and their daughter could have fun playing together. They were the best of friends so this was special to be able to see each other again after so long. But kids grow and change and things don’t always remain the same. In fact, they very likely do change. My daughter has always been tall for her age. It has been a pattern in our family as our son was the same way; always thought of as being older than he was. It was obvious by her comments that my daughter’s friend was thinking negatively about how short she was. Comparisons are never a good thing as they inevitably bring out the negative rather than the positive. Love who you are because God certainly does.

James 1:17 Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge

In looking up the next two words in the 1 Corintians 13:4-13 scripture, I had an assumption that they both go hand-n-hand. The words are boast and pride. “It (love) does not boast, it is not proud.”  Boasting is really pride being verbalized. It is tooting our own horn, bragging about ourselves, our achievements or our possessions, and it self-satisfaction. Once again, we are back to the core of our sins being selfishness. How do we change what is basic nature for us? Only the Holy Spirit can help us change from self-centered to other-centered. Our prayers need to focus on others.

Dear Daddy,

You created each of to be a unique part of your plan. It was never meant to be a one-person show. Help us to take ourseleves out of the equation and see that it is a combination of all of us working together to build up your kingdom. Today I pray for (insert name).Guide, protect and let him/her feel your presence. I am praying you will help them with whatever is weighing on their hearts.

With You All Things Are Possible. Amen.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 98

Change has been happening a lot lately especially at my work. I have never been afraid of change but rather embrace it but too much change at once can create a feeling of being out-of-control and wreak so much havoc and cause a lot of stress. That's how I was feeling last week, I let the changes at work overwhelm me instead of taking it to God which I finally did. I have been much more at peace and less stressed about getting the amount of work I have done. But again as I said early this week after my friend died unexpectedly things can change on a dime. Yesterday, I along with a few others from my department were called into the break room for an unexpected meeting. Unexpected meetings are almost always not good. I big red flag went up when I walked in and saw a lady I didn't recognize and noticed that my team lead looked like she had been crying. Something Not good was up and I was starting to feel a bit sick at heart. Half of my department was laid off yesterday. Thankfully, I wasn't in that half but here come more changes. So, I will be asking God continually throughout my work days for peace and comfort to help me and the rest of what's left in my department to get through these changes with grace and a sense of calm in our hearts. Things can change in a heart beat, death of a friend, getting laid off from work, slipping on ice and hurting yourself, and the list could go on and on. How do you handle change? As with EVERYTHING it is best placed in the hands of God who never changes.
James 1:17 Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 83

At my bible study last evening, we got off on a 'bunny trail' and ended up talking about negativity and how it can affect us. My first inclination was to pray about it everyday. If anything is bothering you or making your life not all it can be, pray about it. My second thought was keeping the focus on Jesus. It seems to be the major theme throughout the bible study Fearless by Max Lucado. How do we keep our focus on Jesus? Prayer, being in the Word as much as possible, being around other believers and more prayer. This morning I read from my email called Words of Wisdom from Crossing Your Bridge about change and peace and found this so 'right on' with the negativity discussion I had just had the night before. God provided a scripture that can be the focus of our prayers. Here's that little snippet I read:
2 Thessalonians 3:16

May the Master of Peace himself give you the gift of getting along with each other at all times, in all ways. May the Master be truly among you!

INSIGHT:

People who irritate, that happen to be in our lives, are there so we can activate God's peace. God's peace can help us see them as He sees them and allows us to not have them bother us. We can't control them but we can control how we react to them and how we allow them to bother us. People can't bother us unless we let them.


ACTION:
Activate God's peace in our lives when we are faced with someone who is irritating us.

Thank you Lord for bringing your Word to me that can help us change our outlook on the negative people that are around us.
Jeremiah 33:3 Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 64

'Rick' and 'Change' are two words that a lot of people would like to avoid. Why do it? Why change? Why get out of our comfort zone? Why not just keep our mouths shut? Why not just sit in our homes and do nothing? Because...
Because as a child of God, we are called to be fishers of men. My husband and I and hundreds of others sat and watched a sermon from a pastor at a church out in California. This sermon wasn't to his congregation. It was to a group of other pastors who have been gathering together for some time now trying to discern what God wants the church to do. Our church is breaking away as are lots and lots of others from the Presbyterian USA. It's a long process but the church has been forthcoming in honesty and communication about all that is taking place and what will be happening in the future. We got our first glimpse from this pastor's sermon on what this new, not sure what you call it, 'entity' for lack of the correct term. It is called ECO for short, Evangelical Covenant Order and it's main purpose is the growth of the body of Christ. The pastor was very inspiring and asked over and over again are we going to just sit and do nothing or are we going to make the change, take the risk and become a body of believers that will fight for the souls of everyone else before they go to hell. This sermon just gave me a great boost that my ministry will mean something and hopefully can help believers in their growth so we can all be bearing an abundance of fruit. 'Risk' and 'Change' are tough but nobody every said life was easy. That will come in heaven but you have to have the ticket to get through that door. Are there things in your life that you have not had the courage or inspiration to change? Are you avoiding taking that risk or making the change for whatever reason? Pray, pray and pray more to the God of the Universe and ask him to give you the courage, inspiration and desire to do anything He is calling you to do.
Matthew 7:17-20 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.