365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 87

I love this idea of putting on fruits of the spirit like clothes. It really is a reminder that these fruits are not something we just have within. We aren’t born with patience. Think of how a baby cries when it is hungry. The baby wants that milk NOW! We don’t  have kindness naturally. Think of the kids in the school yard calling each other names. We are just lumps of clay when we are born. God takes that lump of clay and molds it into a bowl and we ask the Holy Spirit to fill that bowl with fruit or to go with the clothes analogy, we put on our shirt of kindness, our pants of patience, our sweater of humility and so on; dressing in spiritual layers everyday no matter what the weather calls for. I am often hot at work as you know because the thermostat is up so high for the others near the windows who are cold but I have been putting on my spiritual layers of clothes and have been patient and kind regardless of my over-heated body. I am going to give names of the fruits to my clothes as I started above and think of those as I dress each morning.

Colossians 3:12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 264

Heading home yesterday from work, I headed over to Little Ceasar's for a pizza but found the traffic going in this direction to be horrible. You know it's bad when it takes you 10 minutes just to get through one major intersection. To make matters worse, after picking up the pizza I seemed to have hit every red light possible. My bladder was full and my stomach was hungry. It was all adding up to becoming very impatient and I was sorely tempted to eat a crazy bread and totally cheat on my eating program. But a song caught my attention about focusing on Jesus and pointed me in that direction. I am so thankful for music and all the musicians who use their gifts to bring us messages that can help us in our everyday lives, that can put our focus back to Jesus. I made it home without peeing my pants, eating a crazy bread or going crazy with verbal assaults at every light and slow car. Thank you Lord for giving us something we can grab onto that can bring our focus back to you. Thank you for giving the gift of music and lyrics that speak to our hearts and for the artists who bring them to us.

Colossians 1:11-12  May you be strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy, giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in light.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 188

I had some photos already printed from our Memorial Day in 2011. We went to Territory Days which is a street fair that happens every year over Memorial Day weekend. Last year they had a petting zoo. So, with my animal loving daughter, we went in to feed the animals. There was one little goat that was being a little shy which is unusual for goats. Faith took a real liking to this little one. These photos got me thinking about the concept in the bible of feeding the hungry. So, I searched and found a verse about Jesus telling us to feed his lambs. Hungry is not just in the physical sense, is it? I think since the day we are born we are hungry for knowing if there is a higher power who created us and all of it. I found it interesting that Jesus says to feed the "lambs" and take care of my "sheep".  Lambs, as we all know, are baby sheep. Jesus was telling us to feed the children.  Children are like sponges and will soak up whatever you expose them to. We should be in the word everyday with them, feeding them from the Word of God. Are the children in your life being fed?
John 21: 15 Jesus said, "Feed my lambs." "Take care of my sheep."