Self-Discipline 101

I was thinking about discipline and recalling what I wrote for my book report for a book for my minister credentials and realized that my biggest motivation seems to be punishment. I had written about the cat litter and how I am getting more and more in the habit of checking on it and doing it more regularly because I don’t want to have my husband telling me the cat litter needs to be done. That just grates on my controlling side and makes me feel like a failure.  I started thinking about disciplining being a choice and realized another example of when I chose to start flossing my teeth. I did not want to hear any more from the dentist on you need to floss your teeth. Yeah, I know,  I know!  I challenged myself to floss every day and it became a habit that I cannot live without now. In the end, I no longer have the negative side of the dentist telling me I need to floss but him praising me for having my teeth look so good. The “punishment” got me motivated but the rewards made it worthwhile to keep it up and keeping it up instilled it into my life so much so that I cannot go without it. So, I am going to choose to start my blogging every day again and it will be about disciplining yourself, especially for the inner self, the garden of our soul. My goal is to work on the spiritual disciplines of prayer, study, meditation, memorization and fasting. The inner garden of our soul needs to be worked on like any garden if you want it to be beautiful and productive. In working my real garden this summer, I realized how much you have to look after it. It needs to be watered every day whether it is from the hose or from the rain, YOU have to make sure it gets the water it needs. So, ask yourself every day have I watered the garden of my soul? Have I spent time in God's Word getting fed from it? It isn't about how much time you spend, it is about doing a little bit every day to the point where you cannot live without it.

The Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to work it and take care of it. Genesis 2: 15

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits-Day ??? Maybe 340?

Definition of Patience: the capacity to accept or tolerate delay, trouble, or suffering without getting angry or upset; the quality of being patient, as the bearing of provocation, annoyance, misfortune or pain, without complaint, loss of temper or irritation or the like.

As I sat praying this morning in the quiet of my basement, I gave thanks and praise to God, prayed for specific things for my husband and children and ended by praying for myself and being patient, kind, gentle and loving within the circumstances I find myself today. I small light bulb lite up in my head and I thought I can’t be these things without the Lord so I adjusted my prayer to ask for help to put on the filter of Jesus that would guide my responses to any challenging situations. I have always had a reactionary response especially to things that frustrate or make me angry but with the Lord’s help I can choose to take the filter of Jesus and use Him and his perfection to guide my responses. Stop, pray and breathe before responding. Stop, pray and breathe. Stop, pray and breathe. Stop, pray and breathe.

Romans 12:21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 338

I wrote the prayer below on Day 8 last year. I said this was something we needed to pray for every day. So, I prayed it once the day I wrote it and proceeded to forget about it. I know there are other prayers I wrote that have been saved on my computer but left to collect cyber dust. I decided to make a prayer wall down in my basement where I can sit on the floor and pray and have some visuals to use to spur my prayer on. It is a creative venture so it won’t happen overnight but I am looking forward to adding to this wall as often as I get a chance. Like a song says, “whatever your will, Lord,  whatever your will, help me find it”.

 

 Father God, you are the ultimate authority figure for us.  Forgive me for not listening to your command, for not discerning what you want for me to do, for not loving you and others as I should. I do not have it within me to do it so I ask the Holy Spirit to open my heart today to see you and hear you, to know what your will for me is and to love you and others like there’s no tomorrow. With you all things are possible. Amen.  

 

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 332

I always consider “ceasing” mean not stopping but always doing. But the language the bible was actually written in and the translation can be not always what you think. Stretching ourselves beyond our selves is the key. It is about releasing the emotions and words in your heart to God in such a way that there is no matter to who hears or sees, only what is between you and God. I can’t tell you how bad I have been about the distraction of what others think when I pray or the hurriedness I often feel from my family as we do our bedtime praying. Lord, help me to let those distractions and things that are holding me back from fully expressing my heart to you go. My heart is yours and let that show in my prayers. Amen.

We are told that that “prayer was made without ceasing...” The word “ceasing” means “to stretch forth”. It is a medical term that refers to a stretched ligament or a pulled muscle. It has the idea of “going beyond the boundaries”. When applied to prayer, it is a picture of fervency. It is the picture of people pouring out their hearts in prayer before the Lord as they seek His face for their needs.

That’s the kind of praying we need to undertake. The promise of God is that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous men availeth much,” James 5:16. The words “effectual fervent” refer to “energetic passionate” prayer. It is not prayer that is sluggish, lifeless, unconcerned, casual, halfhearted, blasé and apathetic; it is prayer that pours forth from a burdened heart. That kind of prayer reaches heaven and moves the hand of God.

http://www.sermonnotebook.org/new%20testament/Acts%2012_1-24.htm

James 5:16 The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 331

I have started some study on prayer and found a website with sermons by Charles Sturgeon. I love the idea of prayer being two-sided just as is any conversation. We often pray and may find ourselves wondering if God has heard us. The truth is He is always responding but are we truly open, ready and listening.

Prayer is a telephone by which God speaks in man. His Heaven is far away but His voice sounds in our soul! Prayer is a phonograph—God speaks into our soul and then our soul speaks out, again, what the Lord has spoken! Conversation must always be two-sided. God speaks to us in this Book—we must reply to Him in prayer and praise.   http://www.spurgeongems.org/vols22-24/chs1412.pdf

John 15:7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.

365 Days of Sprit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 314

If you were asked what kind of plant are you and where are you growing? How would you respond? Each of us is a unique plant based on the seed that God created within our mother’s womb, probably even before that. Are you a rosebush, a pine tree, a grapevine, you name it? Will a rosebush thrive and produce beautiful roses if it is planted out in the desert? Will a pine tree survive a forest fire? Will a grapevine produce juicy grapes if it is planted where the sun doesn’t shine enough? Because each of us is unique based on who God created us to be, we need to transplant ourselves from wherever we may have ended up being planted to somewhere that will give us the nourishment we need to survive and thrive. That somewhere needs to be rooted in the Lord. A rosebush near a lake will get the water it needs. A pine tree beside a river will be protected by the river when a forest fire strikes. A grapevine near a stream with the sun shining down on it all day will produce those juicy grapes. Like a plant, we have to be transplanted in the Lord. The nourishment we receive is through His Word, worship, prayer and communion with other believers. Just as a plant needs good soil, sunshine and water, we need to live our life connecting to our nourishment through the good soil of His Word, the sunshine of worship, the water of prayer and the fertilizer that is our communion with other believers.  If we tap into all of these nourishing sources, we will thrive like never before. If you have not yet transplanted yourself into the Lord’s care, seek him in a simple prayer asking for forgiveness of your sins and let him take and plant you where you will thrive. If you are transplanted but are in need of some nourishment, you must make it a priority to nourish your soul every day in some way through His Word, prayer, worship or communion with other believers. No matter what kind of plant you are, you can survive and thrive when you are rooted in the Lord and seeking His nourishment daily.  

Jeremiah 17:5-8 Cursed is the one who trusts in man, who depends on flesh for his strength and whose heart turns away from the Lord. He will be like a bush in the wastelands; he will not see prosperity when it comes. He will dwell in the parched places of the desert, in a salt land where no one lives. But blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 280

As my family and I were driving to Chipolte for lunch the other day,  we ended up on the topic of dad’s pager and how it has improved in that it doesn’t just go off once but three times so in case you miss the first alarm you catch the next one. Then me, in my non-filtered talk with my family said “What if you were going to the bathroom and taking the biggest dump of your life.” I got immediate laughs from our kids in the backseat and my husband’s exclamation of “we are going to lunch”. It became a few more laughs as we discussed my non-filtered approach with potty humor.

“Taking the biggest dump of your life.” Our bodies were designed to naturally purge what we don’t need but how about our souls. There is a void in us before we accept Christ that will draw us to find a way to fill it. Some will fill it with ungodly things like alcohol, porn and the like and some will find there way to Jesus and fill the void with the puzzle piece that fits named God. But even though our void is filled, the dirt of our sinful nature will get on us each day. We have to learn that we must daily go to God with confession, prayer and worship. In this way, we are daily getting rid of the stuff we don’t need and focusing on the One who fulfills all our needs. If you haven’t taken the biggest dump in your life and accepted Jesus, perhaps it is time to at least get to the bathroom and sit on the pot.

Acts 2:38 And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 256

In my bible reading the word “alert” caught my attention. Alert means being aware, being prepared and being ready with all the tools we will need to fight the devil and his temptations. I have had a problem with eating as you know so after a conversation with my brother and sister-in-law yesterday about eating based on the Paleo diet I was intrigued and wanting to do something about my eating. The Whole30 challenge is a 30-day challenge that gets rid of foods that are hurting our bodies. I went to bed with all this on my mind and had one of those light bulb moments that makes you think well “duh”. The devil is using all the processed foods and all the convenience foods against us. He us laughing at us as we devour our too-large a bowl of pasta or our nightly bowl of ice cream. He loves it when we are in the grocery store and we end up tossing in an apple pie and a candy bar just in case we are in need of chocolate. Pleeeeeeease! I am so aware now of what the devil is doing so now it is time to get prepared and be ready with my arsenal of tools. What are these tools? Three things come to mind: community, prayer and commitment. The Whole30 challenge has an on-line community for support and I have my brother and sister-in-law I can call up when the temptation to make an unwise choice creeps up but I am also thinking about starting a bible study support group who would like to do the challenge with me and we can also read and study the book Spiritual Secrets to Weight Loss by Kara David, MD that explores the fruits of the spirit and how the Holy Spirit can help us in our fight against the temptation of food. I will let you know the plans for starting this group as soon as I have time to contemplate it all. If you are interested in being in the group, let me know. Have a wise-choice making Sunday.

1Peter 5:8 Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.  

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 190

Yesterday I found myself stressing and later thought about why I was stressing. Indeed, why? The Lord has my back. He’s got it covered. But the control part of my temperament has a need to control everything so when things are not in the control I like, I get stressed. The busyness of life has taken over and my prayer life has been little bits here and there but I need to take those moments much more frequently and reverently; not like I am in a hurry. Peace comes when we are one on one with the spirit of God inside of us. So, I may get caught today with my head bowed in prayer looking like I am doing nothing but it really is everything.

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.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 187 & 188

My Saturday turned into a nursing day as my daughter came down with some stomach bug. Thankfully, she seems to be better this morning so we will prepare for her going off to camp later this afternoon and hope that this feeling better stuff sticks around. There is something about my kids being sick that spurs my compassion and my fears. I will do whatever they need to feel better and I will sleep fitfully because of fear of how they are doing in the middle of the night. I am sure I am not alone in this. Most mothers out there are nodding there heads with a been there-done that kind of attitude. I got up once at 4am and went to check on her. Something about seeing how they are takes the fears away. As all this was going on, I was concerned about some spots that appeared on my lower legs and my arm. The Shingles sign at the pharmacy has been on my mind and so my imagination worked with my fear but I stopped myself from continuing this line of thought and prayed for God to take away this fear. Having more knowledge about shingles has helped. They recommend getting the very safe vaccine for ages 50 and up so I have a couple years. I just don’t do well with pain and from what I have heard and seen about shingles it is not something I want to get. Prayer and thanksgiving are the best antidotes to these kinds of “what if” fears. So, I am thankful these spots I have are probably a bug that bite me a few times to many and I am thankful my daughter has a strong immune system and that I know the Lord is watching out for her. Peace has taken over the spots of fear in my heart.

Philippians 4:6-7 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 184

I have been reading about a boy named Alex Malarkey who was in a car accident and went to Heaven. This boy has had angels visit him and heal parts of his body and he has been attacked by the devil. My daughter asked me what I was thinking about last night as we relaxed in the spa. So, I told her about the boy and how the devil was attacking him. The boy couldn’t say the name of Jesus and was terrified. But with lots of prayer coming from prayer warriors and his family he was able to fight off the devil and say “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus”. Of course, my daughter asked how the devil was attacking him. So, we talked about how the devil is the liar of all liars and will say anything to us that might change our focus from Jesus to him. We talked about how even though the perceptions of this boy were acute and he literally saw angels and the devil that the more we open our hearts to the Lord the more we will be able to discern when the devil is attacking us. We talked about the armor of God and specifically about the sword of the spirit which is the Word of God. I told her that we will be attacked by the devil throughout our lives especially in those circumstances when we find ourselves weaker but if we are in the Word of God everyday and his truth is sinking into our hearts, we will be able to fight off the devil and his attacks. This part of our faith is tough for people. It is hard to imagine a war is being fought all around us everyday. It goes against what we see but things are never as they seem. We, as Christians, are soldiers of Christ so like any soldier we must prepare for battle. Put on your armor and fight the good fight.

Here is a good article on the armor of God:

http://www.battlefocused.org/articles/armor-of-god/

Ephesians 6:11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 147

I am so proud of my husband. He took action and drove up to Sterling to talk with his brother and mother. Someone needed to see first-hand how things were going in that house. He came home early the next morning because he couldn’t sleep there. The smoke and televisions on all night long were just too much. He was so thankful to be home and for the blessings of his family. It was tough to go into a hard place but it needed to be done. He was encouraged about his brother but did not anticipate how bad off his mother has gotten. She is an alcoholic and is spiraling into a very dark place. We need prayers for her that the Lord will lead her out of this darkness.  Sometimes the only action we can take is prayer. That is the place I am in with this situation so I ask everyone of you who read this to pray for Susan that God will bring her out of the pit she has made for herself. Our kindness for others can be in the form of prayer for someone we don’t even know. It doesn’t matter that we don’t know them. Every human being is loved and valued by God. We have to have that attitude of love in our hearts as well. Take a moment and pray for a human being whom God loves who is hurting and needs help. http://www.christianprayercenter.com/

Hebrews 13:1 Keep on loving each other as brothers.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 144

Forgive me for I have gone into the hormonal funk. My mind doesn’t want to even put two thoughts together. This scripture is my prayer for today and all days. Let it be yours too.

Acts 17:28 For in him we live and move and have our being.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 78

My mind has been on our aunt who had a stroke this week. We went to visit her in the hospital up in Denver yesterday and I was delighted to see that she was doing much better than I had anticipated. She suffered a stroke pretty much centrally located at the base of the brain. She couldn’t move her left side but that has come back and now is just a numbness. The main issue now is her eyes are not working together and what the doctor called ‘boucing eyes’. So, I am praising God that she is in good hands and seems to be the same aunt we all know and love. We also pray that she will continue to improve especially with her eyes and that she may find the time in the hospital a time of reflection and prayer that will draw her closer to our God. Despite the stroke, God has already brought good from it by her quitting smoking. So, we are singing praises to God.

Psalm 150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challege-Day 54

As I was reviewing my email last evening down in my studio, I heard upstairs my daughter laughing. It was a rip-roaring kind of laughing, the kind where you get physical. I could imagine her up there rolling around on the floor. She was watching one of her Disney shows on TV and was laughing with such abandon. I had to pause what I was doing just to sit and listen. I think there is an old saying that laughter is contagious. I don’t know about that but it definitely spreads an effect over those within the hearing range. I think the same can be said with a smile or kind words. They can make a sad or angry person feel, at least for the moment, happier. I am sure the joy the Holy Spirit fills us with can lead to outward effects. Though laughter and happiness are not what the Word is showing us about joy, it is an example of what joy can do. True joy comes from the Holy Spirit, not by him cracking jokes or giving us every heart’s desire but just the knowing that we are His. The joy comes in the relationship we have with our Father. He wants us to ask, vent, worship, be grateful and love him in prayer. We may not get what we ask for, we may vent and be lead to solutions, we may worship and love and already we know we are loved by Him beyond measure and we may be grateful in all things which brings about an attitude of contentment but the joy from the Holy Spirit is just because we are doing those things: asking, venting, worshipping, loving, thanking and praying this all to Him. Like a parent that tells a child, I just want you to come talk to me, such is how or heavenly Father feels about us. Talk to Him in whatever way is right for you and do it often and joy will find its way into your heart.

John 16:24 Until now you have asked nothing in my name. Ask and you will receive, that your joy may be full.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 40

Unfortunately, we all have bad days. I am only human like everyone else. My mood was sour, very sour. The only time I had a smile on my face yesterday was when I read one of my prayer cards at work and the thought of God working on me like a sculpture put a smile briefly to my face but than my current circumstances took over. I think we should make it a law that when women are in the midst of PMS they should be allowed to just be at home and pray. This is by far one of the greatest struggles for all females; those days before the blood flows when your hormones take control of you. I have found the peace I needed in those kinds of days in the past in the Word but alas I cannot read the bible all day at work so I am sucked into it. You throw in the almost constant aches and pains from my shoulder and an office where a person who is cold just turns up the thermostat up towards 80 degrees without any regard for anyone else in the office. Let’s just say my mood started sour and turned hostile. I had to get up and out of my office several times just to get out of the room and into the cooler hallway. I am still feeling the anger over it. Can you tell? Today I am going to write one word “Joy” on a paper and post it right where I can see it all day long. In this I will be reminded that Jesus is my joy and strength. With Him I can conquer all things. Yes, even a hot office with PMS and shoulder pain. There is much to be thankful for and I will focus on the one who gives me such great blessings and find in Him the joy, peace and strength to endure.

Nehemiah 8:10 Then he said to them, “Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord. And do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 31

Merry Christmas! It has been a wonderfully relaxed Christmas morning. My kids are the not normal! We are up before them. They weren’t even in hurry up mode once they got up. We had our traditional special breakfast. This time my daughter helped me make a new French toast recipe using Nutella. It was delicious. My son said he loves me when I produced his own carton of egg nog which he proceeded to drink straight from the carton.

My thoughts keep going back to last evening and the sermon Pastor Graham Baird gave for the Christmas Eve service.  We have heard the nativity story over and over again throughout our lives but God in his infinite wisdom showed me once again that we can be shown new things from the same thing we have heard or read over and over again. Our pastor told us in his humorous way of what happened to him recently when his car broke down again. The story goes like this: Car breaks down, disheveled looking man comes by and says he can fix, starts to fix, wife of man says needs to get cough syrup, pastor walks wife to Walgreens a few blocks down and buys the cough syrup because she has no money, man drives car over to Walgreens and it is running spectacularly. Couple walks away and goes and starts to camp out under an overhead bridge. Pastor who just wanted to get home, knows God is up to something so goes over and gets couple and takes to motel. At motel he prays over them and woman ends up in tears because she said she hasn’t been prayed for like that since she was a little girl. Pastor was not in the mood for interruptions or unexpected things coming up; he just wanted to get home to his family but God led him down another route that provided the light of Jesus for this down and out couple. Pastor connects his story to the part in the nativity story when the wise men come and worship the Jesus and than because of a dream decide to take another route home. God will put things along our path that will be kind of like a detour sign. Follow the detour sign and let God do his thing! Just like the wise men, this will happen to us throughout our lives. God will put a little detour sign up and we must follow his light and the new route he is taking us on. May the love and light of Jesus guide your steps.

Matthew 2:11-12 The Wise Men went to the house. There they saw the child with his mother Mary.  They bowed down and worshipped him.  Then they opened their treasures. They gave him gold, incense and myrrh. But God warned them in a dream (detour sign) not to go back to Herod. So they returned to their county on a different road.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 30

Our sermon series at church for Advent has been on Isaiah 9:6 A child will be born to us, he will rule over us. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. Our former senior pastor John Stevens gave the sermon about the fourth name in this scripture: Prince of Peace. He made it clear that Jesus is the only way to get the peace that our hearts desire. We often will resort to our human condition and try to find peace in other ways but true peace can only be achieved with Jesus in our hearts. As I prepared to write up something this morning, I was watching Fox News channel and heard what happened to Father Jonathan Morris who is a regular on Fox News. He had gone to visit an 80 year old man who was dying just the day before. As had become a tradition for him, on the way out he asked the nurses if there was anyone who had no family or friends, nobody visiting. The nurses were hesitant but with his request they took him to see another man aged 45 dying of some horrible disease. The second he entered the room that man became very agitated. The nurses urged him to just leave but he took a step closer and the man got really angry. Instead of giving up, he took a step closer and the man got even angrier. He prayed to Jesus for help and ended up on his knees with his hands put together in prayer. Immediately, the man calmed down and repeated the words Father Morris had said, “Jesus knows me and loves me”.  The man was filled with peace and ended up praying a prayer the Father was amazed by. That is the power of the love of Jesus. When all else had failed to give comfort and peace to this dying man, the Prince of Peace showed himself in Father Morris in the simple act of being on his knees with his hands in prayer. The love of Jesus brings peace and so much more. May you find his love for you and realize that he knows you, knows what you are going through and loves you with an unfathomable love.

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

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 16

Do you know someone that you have never or very rarely seen angry? It is possible but it seems we live with anger all around us. Anger at the government for not doing their job and taking more of our hard-earned money from us. Anger at schools for not educating our children in the best way possible. Anger at our employers for wanting more from us but not giving us anything in return. Anger at America for voting off the wrong singer on The Voice. Yes, it is everywhere and for everything. So how do we overcome all the anger around us and keep us from being angry too? Only the Holy Spirit can do the job but we have to ask for help everyday to be able to live a life of joy, peace and forgiveness; a life of praise, worship and prayer. The antidote for anger is thanksgiving. I think it is said best in one of my favorite scriptures:  Phillipians 4: 4-7 Always be joyful because you belong to the Lord. I will say it again. Be joyful. Let everyone know how gentle you are. The Lord is coming soon. Don’t worry about anything. Instead, tell God about everything. Ask and pray. Give thanks to him. Then God’s peace will wash over your hearts and your minds because you belong to Christ Jesus. God’s peace can never be completely understood.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 15

Okay, so this next one in 1 Corithinians 13: 4-13, I think is driving home the main point of all of these regarding selfishness. Love is not self-seeking. Being self-seeking is taking advantage of opportunities without regard for others, pursuing only one’s own ends or interests, exhibiting concern only with promoting one’s own ends or interests. We keep coming back to this core sin of selfishness. My favorite phrase is “it’s not about me”. If our goals and our dreams are for ourselves than we are not obeying God and doing what he wants us to do. Ultimately, our goals have to have God as the main priority. Everything we do is to glorify Him, to bring those lost closer to being found and to foster our relationship with God through prayer, study and worship. We have to often ask ourselves, I am doing this for the Lord or is this for myself? It will be that time of year soon when most people will set new goals for a new year. In thinking about those goals, keep in mind that it is not about you but about God working through you. Become God-thinking and other-thinking.

Matthew 5:16 In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.