365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 133

My thoughts have been on control and releasing that to God so it doesn’t surprise me that I am seeing this in and around me. My daughter and I went to see Jurassic Park 3D this weekend. It has been a top ten favorite movie of mine that I have seen too many times to keep count. My daughter had seen it only once so I knew it would be scary but she could handle it. The best part of the movie was feeling her jump in her seat beside me in the abrupt frightening moments of the movie. The main theme of the movie is about control. The owner and creator of Jurassic Park was delighted by all that he had created and was admonished by the other characters for his lack of humility. Releasing control to God requires humility but humility requires understanding the scope of who God is. And though you read and understand who God is, you have to feel that in your heart for it to really take effect and give you the humility required to submit to God fully. Like all things, it is a process we must go through and a daily regiment needs to be done to continually move forward in progressing to full submission to God. Jesus was perfect in this and is our example. We won’t attain this state of perfectness in this life but it is and will be a blessing to our lives here if we keep marching toward that goal.

Romans 8:6 The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace.

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 21

The remainder of verses 8,9, 10, 11 and 12 in 1 Corinthians 13 require a lot more study than I have been able to put into it thus far. But from a commentary I found on-line at http://americanvision.org/5546/that-which-is-perfect-an-theological-glance-at-1-corinthians-139/ I have discovered that, #1, we have to take these verses within the whole context of the letter written to Corinth by Paul and, #2, the basic summary of it is this: nothing compares to love, not any possible spiritual gifts we may have, nothing. Love is the road to spiritual maturity and perfection in our relationship with God. That being said, we have to again call upon the Holy Spirit within us to help us remember that love is the primary thing that God wants us to have for Him and all other people. Without love, we have nothing and our relationship to God is not as it can be. We have to be seeking, praying about and giving love everyday. Here is my daily prayer to help me focus on my love for God and my love of others (please use and or make one in your own words):

  Heavenly Father, You are the perfection of love. Help me to cultivate a daily attitude of love for you and all peoples. Have the Holy Spirit within me, remind me that without love I have nothing and with love I will gain in my perfection and relationship with You. With the God of Love All Things Are Possible. Amen.  

In the wake of the very tragic school shooting in CT, I believe we are called to love all people, even those that would do the unimaginable and kill children. In watching some of the comments on the news from psychologists, I find they focus on the probable mental problems this young man may have had, but the simple truth is this was a very tragic call for help from someone who was probably filled with pain, hurt, anger and did not have a connection to God. In what little I have learned thus far in my goal to be a Christian counselor/life coach is that we are made up of three things: physical, emotional and spiritual. Modern day psychology will leave out the spiritual aspect that is a key part of who we are and who God created us to be. My heart aches for the loved ones that have to endure this tragic loss but my prayer is they will find forgiveness and love for the shooter and that they will be at peace knowing that God will bring good from this.

Matthew 5:43-48  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,  so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same?  You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

God loves you just the way you are, but He refuses to leave you that way. He wants you to be just like Jesus. – Max Lucado

365 Days of Spirit-Filled Fruits Challenge-Day 20

I am looking at the beginning of verse 8 in 1 Corinthians 13 today: Love never fails.

The opposite in my mind of failure is success. In looking up the definition of failure, I am particularly looking at this definition I found: The condition or fact of not achieving the desired end or ends.  When it comes to love, what is the end-result that God wants for us? Are we loving everyone with all the aspects of love we have looked at: patience, kindness, without envy, boasting or pride, without anger, or totaling up the wrongs, not delighting in evil, rejoicing in the truth, protecting, trusting, hoping and persevering? That is a very tall order but each day we can achieve more and more of these aspects in loving others and grow to love others as Jesus loves us. Will the end-result happen? Maybe on some days and maybe we can grow in our consistency? Love never failing points to perfect love which is only seen in our perfect God but though we cannot reach that point of perfection, we can continue daily to try to achieve a little bit more towards that end. Yes, we will fail but that is the most important reason why we teach our children about God’s perfect love for them and us. God’s love will never fail us and it is our hope when those people in our lives do not live up to this end-result. We have to accept this failing part of who we are and ask the Holy Spirit to give us what we need to love without failing. We have to let go of the past and focus on loving today always remembering that the Holy Spirit in us will give us what we need. Just ask.

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 Praise Challenge-Day 96

A few friends were over yesterday to make cards for my monthly Project Playground. It's always a delight to just spend time with them talking as we create our projects. As I walked out a lovely lady, she quietly said, I love coming to your house because it's nice to see that it's okay that things don't have to be perfect or something to that affect, you know my memory! It's always refreshing to hear this kind of comment about my house. I have always had the philosophy that I was not going to be a cleaning machine mom and let the time with my family slip away as I vaccumed. I want my family to feel they are the priority. So although Faith's stuffed animals, school papers and whatnot seem to be everywhere to me, it's only for a season and we are slowly but surely working on her being more responsible with her things. So, a spotlessly clean house may come in the future when the kids are moved out but for now I am happy to just keep things real. Thanks to my friend for opening her heart and sharing her feelings that in the end validated my own.
Ecclesistes 8:6 For there is a proper time and procedure for every matter.

365 Days of Praise Challenge-Day 74

As I was cuddling with my daugther in her bed last night, she commented "you're the perfect mom". When an opportunity presents itself like this to talk about Jesus, I take it. I told her nobody is perfect only Jesus is perfect and we just have to keep trying. Her response, "you're perfect to me". But than she added that we aren't perfect because we have sin. That's right our sin pulls us away from the Lord but thankfully we are forgiven. She finished it with "because Jesus died on the cross". I was immediately impressed with how much our teaching with the help of our church has sunk in. The sin that I am sure that my daughter thinks of and confessed to me last year, was that she secretly got into the Splenda packets downstairs and ate them. What pulls us into sin? For her, at this point in her life, it is her sweet tooth. There are two broad-termed ways we are pulled into sin: Temptations and Fears. Does one of these strike a cord with you? I know for me at this time in my life, it is fears, especially the fear of what others think of me or what I am doing. It is a constant battle but being in the word everyday, praising God everyday, praying everyday is helping me conquer my fear. The encouraging words that my daughter said to me last night are just another way of God telling me you are loved just as you are and you are doing what I want you to do so do not fear but strive for perfection. My prayer for you is that your heart will be open to hearing what God is speaking to you today.
Proverbs 29:25 Fear of man will prove to be a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe.