Tag Archives: God

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Unwanted-ness

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Our guest today from YOU VERSION opines the state of feeling one is unwanted is the worst disease of humankind. I hope you will read and ponder. Particularly in this Season, what can you and I do to help someone who may be struggling with ‘unwanted-ness’? (Please share, if you will, some of your Christmas plans this year to exalt the LORD JESUS by loving others.)

PARTNER POWER

God formed families to give people closeness. The deepest hurt man can know is to have no one to love and no one who cares. An experienced social worker says, “I have come to realize that it is being unwanted that is the worst disease that any human being can ever experience. For all kinds of diseases there are medicines and cures, but for being unwanted. . . I don’t think this terrible disease can ever be cured.” We who know Christ realize that He can provide warmth and friendship. Still, we need human companionship. Thus, an important purpose of the family is to provide human warmth, touch, and friendship. In that closeness, we develop strength.

There is great power in partnership. God gave us each other to strengthen one another. Husbands look at life with a different perspective than do wives. Wives see things that husbands overlook. The way Abigail was able to cool David’s anger is an excellent illustration of the way men and women complement each other (1 Samuel 25). The wise husband listens to his wife, and the wise wife hears her husband.

Even the cynical writer of Ecclesiastes recognizes the power of partnership. He says: There is one alone, without companion: He has neither son nor brother. Yet there is no end to all his labors, Nor is his eye satisfied with riches (Ecclesiastes 4:8).

via Draw Near – 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with God | YouVersion.com.

And before I close for today. Something that made my eyes happy in Tennessee.

My Brother’s Horses

My Sister’s (in-law) November Rose

A Joy-full day to you, dear Friends,

Blessings of Joy and Peace,

Giving Thanks, Guests

Onward

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Our official celebration of Thanksgiving is behind us; now it is onward to Christmas. Our visit with my brothers and family was relaxing and fun. Just what I needed. Two years without seeing my siblings had been too long!

This morning I am bringing a guest to you. My You Version devotional reading this morning is right on the money. :)

A HEALTHY CLIMATE

The home must provide a climate in which love, trust, honesty, and security can flourish. If it does not, then all the material things parents provide have no meaning and actually make children frustrated and angry.

Trust and tenderness are fragile things. They cannot survive battering and bruising. For a person to love, he must give himself to another; if he is betrayed or taken advantage of, he will withdraw in pain and anger. God has structured the home so that all family members may learn to give their love without being hurt or taken advantage of. The home helps us develop those Christ-like characteristics God wants us to have. It is most significant that when God sent His only begotten Son into the world, He was careful to place Him in a healthy and godly home. If we want our children to fully realize their potential, we must provide the emotional climate to help them do so.

Of all God’s creatures, the human needs the longest time to grow up. A cat is a kitten for a relatively short time. Likewise dogs, birds, and other animals need only a short time to mature. Yet, God in His wisdom has ordained–not months–but many years of growing and learning before the human being can be put in full control of himself. And that’s what family life is all about: helping our little ones learn to control themselves.

Well, my friends, laundry, the grocery store, and more awaits me! Blessings of joy and peace to you today.

ABBA, thank You for a just what we needed celebration with family and friends. And now that we are back to life routines, I pray we will do them with a greater eagerness so that we will exalt JESUS. I pray our Christmas preparations will be holy and prepared with joy. We are remembering the grieving; this season often brings bittersweet memories; You know that well and You are able to empower and bring peace in the midst of them all. Thank You, ABBA. I pray we will lean on You. So for every Reader and Pray-er who comes to visit today, I pray for peace and growth of love and devotion for You and others in JESUS name.

18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, 19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe.   . . .

via Ephesians 1 NASB – The Blessings of Redemption – Paul, an – Bible Gateway.

Blessings of Joy and Peace,

 

Guests

Did Me Good

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This from the Fly Lady did me good this morning. Perhaps it will you as well.

Finding Peace in my Home and Heart
flylady, 11/16/2012 3:18 am

Dear Dear FlyLady,

I live in the part of the world characterized right now by violent conflict, armed struggle and terror. Lots of terror. So what a gift to have found you and to have found you now. You have helped my to create a haven on the inside to where everyone can enjoy a welcoming and loving place to come home to.

Used to be, as soon as anyone walked in the door, they were greeted with a long list of complaints and chores to finish up, get on with and do better. Thank God you taught me that housework done imperfectly still blesses your family. I’ve learned that I can do fifteen minutes a day, and develop healthy and effective routines to lighten our load, and make the day to day life around the house less stressful, no, even nice, pleasant.

There is no need to pressure anyone else to do the chores, because most days I get them done myself. In fact they hardly feel like chores anymore. And when I get up off my franny and stop yelling at everybody else to get things done, they pitch in far more than I expect. I have six kids, aged 3 – 19, work at a demanding payrolled job with ridiculous hours. I came home the other morning after working all night and found my sinks shining??!!  

But what I really need to thank you for today goes even further than all of that. In our current situation I have grown to regard my enemy with hate. Nothing more nothing less. I saw this message, and thought how could I possibley begin to pray for my enemy. I want to hate them. They are horrible. But then I thought, if I continue to hold on to hatred, my kids will probably hold on to hatred, and their kids will, and so on, and it would never end. I figured that everything else that you say makes sense, I’ll give this a try. So I began to pray to God to soften the hearts of my enemy. To make them see my good side, to endear me to them. To let them want peace. I don’t know what its doing for them, but Suddenly I find that MY heart has been softened. My hatred is melting, I am able to see their good side.

Thank you sweet FlyLady for helping me let peace into my home and into my heart.

Starting to get off the ground in Israel.

(emphasis above is mine)

Matthew 5:43-45

New American Standard Bible (NASB)

43 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’
44 But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you,
45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

via Matthew 5:43-45 NASB – “You have heard that it was said, – Bible Gateway.

Blessings of Joy and Peace,

Guests

A Good Article

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I didn’t write it.  He has written the truth. I hope he’s right.

Joy to you,

America Made the Wrong Choice in the Election

By David Jesse, Op-Ed Contributor

November 7, 2012|1:43 pm

I know that I’m supposed to say that God is in control and that we should simply pray for our president and put our faith and trust in the sovereignty of God, but I’m not going to.

This seems like I’m backtracking on statements made in my previous column “America Needs a Different Type of Leader,” where I said that regardless of who wins this election, we must remember that Jesus is the King on His throne both in Heaven and in our hearts. I’m not backtracking. I believe that with all of my being.

But for those who seek to live according to the Word of God by the power of the Holy Spirit, these astonishing election results should cause us to fall to our knees and grieve for our nation. Colorado has legalized recreational use of marijuana, while Massachusetts, Maryland, and Oregon have approved it for medical usage. Maine, Maryland, and Washington have legalized homosexual marriage. And Massachusetts has also joined Oregon and Washington in allowing euthanasia. It has become clear that in every instance where Biblical values were up for a vote, the American people have chosen to reject them. This election goes so much deeper than just who was elected president for the next four years. This election was a barometer of the soul of America, and America is in critical condition.

Still, I will not curse the darkness. There’s no value in that. While I’m disappointed in these results, I wish I could say that I’m surprised. I’m not. I’ve believed for some time now that we will continue to see less and less of the grey area, and more of a clear distinction between black and white. Sin will become more and more acceptable and celebrated. Those vices and immoral practices that we have so long treated as taboo will no longer be seen as such. We will continue to become a nation that more closely resembles Sodom and Gomorrah, rather than the “City on a Hill” that was dreamed about by men like John Winthrop and William Bradford.

But along with greater darkness, comes the opportunity for greater light. And that light is found in the people of God, beginning to once again act like the people of God.

Throughout history, God has always chosen to work through weak, frail, inadequate human beings who are willing to give Him whatever they have, and allow Him to use that for His glory and purposes. But for too long now, the Church in America has sat back and made excuses for our laziness and apathy by saying, “God’s in control.” And while I fully believe that God  IS  in control, I realize that He has chosen to limit Himself to a great extent by what He can do through His people. We can no longer afford to bury our heads in the sand, hoping for things to get better. It’s time for God’s people to rise up.

Read more at http://www.christianpost.com/news/america-made-the-wrong-choice-in-the-election-84588/#OJuqYh0JqOjRzp70.99