Attention
17 Pay attention and turn your ear to the sayings of the wise;
apply your heart to what I teach,
18 for it is pleasing when you keep them in your heart
and have all of them ready on your lips.
19 So that your trust may be in the Lord,
I teach you today, even you.
20 Have I not written thirty sayings for you,
sayings of counsel and knowledge,
21 teaching you to be honest and to speak the truth,
so that you bring back truthful reports
to those you serve? Proverbs 22:17-21
Do you really pay attention to people around you or pay
attention to your kids or spouse when they are speaking to you? I heard
about someone that was told this week that they do not listen to
people. It was kind of a shock to hear that about this person, and I
think to myself, do I listen to people, or is it just idle chatter that I
allow to go in one ear and out the other. Listening to people is a
special gift at times, because people don't always say what they mean to
say or they speak in some kind of hidden code. There are also those
people who have been around for a while who speak in proverbs or other
stories to get a message across, but I know that I can zone out after a
couple of minutes with those stories. So what do we do? We take time
to listen, especially to those who are wise with age and wisdom. We
shut down everything else around us and focus on that person and no one
else. The same thing applies with children or spouses. Stop what you
are doing and give your full attention to them. Put down that laptop,
iPad, iPhone, Galaxy tablet or other electronic device and give them
what they deserve and that is your full and undivided attention. Oh, and
what about God, are we truly paying attention to Him, or are we
allowing the little things to distract us from His message. I tried
something different this week, when I was performing a task at home for
about 45 minutes, I shut off every electronic device and only focused on
that task while talking to God. While it was a monotonous task, I felt
I could focus more on God, however the only way to truly focus on God
and pay attention is to spend quality time with Him. Pay attention to
those around you and God this week, you might be amazed at what you are
shown.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Friday, May 10, 2013
Fantastic Friday #366 - Freedom
Freedom
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. 1 Peter 2:13-17
I have seen a lot of things this week about freedom and being free. Granted, in this nation we are very free to do as we please, within the laws of the land of course. We are free to worship which many people around the world cannot do and the laws of the nation give us certain rights. If you look closely, people are free to do horrible things as well, but it is not without consequence. You can see daily in the news where someone's freedom to choose has resulted negatively. What about someone's freedom to choose resulting positively in their life. The world doesn't spend a lot of time reporting on the positives of these efforts but instead focus on the result of people's negative actions. Maybe if more people used their freedom to impact our world positively, the influence of Christ on those people could change them and change the ones they have impacted. I hope that you utilize your freedom to love on others and show them Christ's love. For if you submit to the Lord, the love for others will flow out of you and you won't be trying to cover up evil with your freedom.
Have a great weekend.
13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor. 1 Peter 2:13-17
I have seen a lot of things this week about freedom and being free. Granted, in this nation we are very free to do as we please, within the laws of the land of course. We are free to worship which many people around the world cannot do and the laws of the nation give us certain rights. If you look closely, people are free to do horrible things as well, but it is not without consequence. You can see daily in the news where someone's freedom to choose has resulted negatively. What about someone's freedom to choose resulting positively in their life. The world doesn't spend a lot of time reporting on the positives of these efforts but instead focus on the result of people's negative actions. Maybe if more people used their freedom to impact our world positively, the influence of Christ on those people could change them and change the ones they have impacted. I hope that you utilize your freedom to love on others and show them Christ's love. For if you submit to the Lord, the love for others will flow out of you and you won't be trying to cover up evil with your freedom.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, May 3, 2013
Fantastic Friday #365- Conclusions
Conclusions
As for other matters, brothers and sisters, pray for us that the message of the Lord may spread rapidly and be honored, just as it was with you. 2 And pray that we may be delivered from wicked and evil people, for not everyone has faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and he will strengthen you and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord that you are doing and will continue to do the things we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into God’s love and Christ’s perseverance. 2 Thessalonians 3:1-5
I don't know about you, but I sometimes jump to the worst case scenario. These conclusions I come to are not a good thing, and I wonder why I sometimes do this. You would think that I could look at my past and see how God has been faithful over and over again, and I wouldn't jump to the worst possible conclusion. The problem is, there is evil in this world roaming around and trying to get into our thoughts. Just like the people in the early church who were discouraged by the evil pulling them from sharing God's message, we are pulled away by evil to make us forget God's faithfulness. If you look back at your past, look at the faithfulness of God and His provision for your life. I guarantee it will help you through whatever issue you are dealing with and it will help you not jump to the worst case scenario. I learned something about God's provision just this week. Praise Him for good news.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, April 26, 2013
Fantastic Friday #364 - Changes
Changes
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him. Daniel 2:20-22
Seven years can be a long time or a very short time depending on how you look at it. Seven is a very important number in the Bible and it appears over 338 times in God's Word. You might think that seven is just another number, but if you look closely at the scriptures that seven appears in, you might think differently. For those of you who have a math sense, you can divide 364 by 52 and figure out the significance of seven in my life this week. Throughout these seven years, a lot of changes have taken place. Changes in my family, changes in my beliefs, changes in my knowledge, changes in my wisdom, and overall changes in me. These changes have been reflected in my writing over these past seven years and God has allowed me to share my life with you and what God wants us to know. Some weeks my words have been short and sometimes they have been long, but they have always had one thing in common and that is God's Word. God's Word has the ability to change us if we take time to sit down and read and understand what God is trying to tell us. I hope that God has affected some change in you as He has and will continue in me. Enjoy the change, it is rewarding.
Have a great weekend.
“Praise be to the name of God for ever and ever;
wisdom and power are his.
21 He changes times and seasons;
he deposes kings and raises up others.
He gives wisdom to the wise
and knowledge to the discerning.
22 He reveals deep and hidden things;
he knows what lies in darkness,
and light dwells with him. Daniel 2:20-22
Seven years can be a long time or a very short time depending on how you look at it. Seven is a very important number in the Bible and it appears over 338 times in God's Word. You might think that seven is just another number, but if you look closely at the scriptures that seven appears in, you might think differently. For those of you who have a math sense, you can divide 364 by 52 and figure out the significance of seven in my life this week. Throughout these seven years, a lot of changes have taken place. Changes in my family, changes in my beliefs, changes in my knowledge, changes in my wisdom, and overall changes in me. These changes have been reflected in my writing over these past seven years and God has allowed me to share my life with you and what God wants us to know. Some weeks my words have been short and sometimes they have been long, but they have always had one thing in common and that is God's Word. God's Word has the ability to change us if we take time to sit down and read and understand what God is trying to tell us. I hope that God has affected some change in you as He has and will continue in me. Enjoy the change, it is rewarding.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, April 19, 2013
Fantastic Friday #363- Eternal
Eternal
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4
Do you sometimes find yourself losing trust in God? Are you beat up so much, and have so much severe suffering that you ask why God is allowing this in your life. Trust is a reliance on someone or some thing, a confident expectation of something. The enemy can attack your trust by making you think that your reliance is fruitless and futile. The enemy can change your thoughts by pushing you to self-reliance and self-expectation where you think you control everything in your world. The problem comes when we forget that God is eternal. He is without beginning or end, immutable, and enduring. When you look at God as eternal, the things the enemy tries to make you believe are completely without merit. God wants us to rely on Him and trust in Him. God wants us to furiously pursue Him and confidently expect Him to take care of our needs. God has and will take care of us because He is eternal. He is in control and the enemy is not, we just need to remember that His eternal nature has something better for us after this temporary place. Trust in God for all your needs because He is our Rock eternal.
Have a great weekend.
4 Trust in the Lord forever,
for the Lord, the Lord himself, is the Rock eternal. Isaiah 26:4
Do you sometimes find yourself losing trust in God? Are you beat up so much, and have so much severe suffering that you ask why God is allowing this in your life. Trust is a reliance on someone or some thing, a confident expectation of something. The enemy can attack your trust by making you think that your reliance is fruitless and futile. The enemy can change your thoughts by pushing you to self-reliance and self-expectation where you think you control everything in your world. The problem comes when we forget that God is eternal. He is without beginning or end, immutable, and enduring. When you look at God as eternal, the things the enemy tries to make you believe are completely without merit. God wants us to rely on Him and trust in Him. God wants us to furiously pursue Him and confidently expect Him to take care of our needs. God has and will take care of us because He is eternal. He is in control and the enemy is not, we just need to remember that His eternal nature has something better for us after this temporary place. Trust in God for all your needs because He is our Rock eternal.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, April 12, 2013
Fantastic Friday #362 - Stuff
Stuff
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:20-22
Do you ever look around at the things you have and think, boy I have some nice stuff? Or do you think, how do I have this much stuff, and what is it good for? While a hammer is useful for building something, why do you have three hammers when two of them are just sitting there collecting dust. Your fine China is beautiful, but is it useful if you only use it once or twice a year on those special holidays? When you look at the items you possess, do you look at your internal self? There are characteristics that are inside you which makes you the type of person you are today, and it is more important than the stuff lying around withering away or collecting dust. The problem that most people have is they place their value in the wrong things. I think it is most important to look at your stuff that is internal and how it can have a significant impact on those around you. God will use your internal stuff for His purposes and His good works, but we just have to pay attention to how He wants us to use it.
Have a great weekend.
20 In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for special purposes and some for common use. 21 Those who cleanse themselves from the latter will be instruments for special purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work. 22 Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart. 2 Timothy 2:20-22
Do you ever look around at the things you have and think, boy I have some nice stuff? Or do you think, how do I have this much stuff, and what is it good for? While a hammer is useful for building something, why do you have three hammers when two of them are just sitting there collecting dust. Your fine China is beautiful, but is it useful if you only use it once or twice a year on those special holidays? When you look at the items you possess, do you look at your internal self? There are characteristics that are inside you which makes you the type of person you are today, and it is more important than the stuff lying around withering away or collecting dust. The problem that most people have is they place their value in the wrong things. I think it is most important to look at your stuff that is internal and how it can have a significant impact on those around you. God will use your internal stuff for His purposes and His good works, but we just have to pay attention to how He wants us to use it.
Have a great weekend.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Fantastic Friday #361
Drag
2 Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate. Psalm 111:2-4
Did you feel that on Tuesday this week? The drag that was ever-present in your day. For most of us, this drag tends to come after every Christmas, Easter, or weekly church service that we attend. The drag comes well after we have worshiped, been lifted up, and rallied to go out into the world and make disciples of those who don't know Jesus. The problem is that these services we attend, if not treated for what they are and how they should be, give us just enough energy to feel close to God for a day or so. That is usually until the world starts beating us back and down to forget about our Lord and Savior and what He did for us. I know in order to battle this enemy, it is all in how we see our relationship with God, and not as someone we think we are going to see on Sunday for a few hours. If we see God as just someone we are visiting for a few hours, no wonder we feel the drag so quickly in the early part of the week. How do we battle the drag? Change your focus and relationship with God is a good start. Look at Him as someone bigger than you do now, and spend time with Him every day and not just for those few hours on Sunday. Hang around people that are positive and follow Christ, so that when you around those that don't follow Christ, you can have a more powerful influence on them. Remember, we all have the Holy Spirit to guide us and I know that I don't rely on the Spirit quite enough in my week. Battle the drag and breathe.
Have a great weekend.
2 Great are the works of the Lord;
they are pondered by all who delight in them.
3 Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
and his righteousness endures forever.
4 He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
the Lord is gracious and compassionate. Psalm 111:2-4
Did you feel that on Tuesday this week? The drag that was ever-present in your day. For most of us, this drag tends to come after every Christmas, Easter, or weekly church service that we attend. The drag comes well after we have worshiped, been lifted up, and rallied to go out into the world and make disciples of those who don't know Jesus. The problem is that these services we attend, if not treated for what they are and how they should be, give us just enough energy to feel close to God for a day or so. That is usually until the world starts beating us back and down to forget about our Lord and Savior and what He did for us. I know in order to battle this enemy, it is all in how we see our relationship with God, and not as someone we think we are going to see on Sunday for a few hours. If we see God as just someone we are visiting for a few hours, no wonder we feel the drag so quickly in the early part of the week. How do we battle the drag? Change your focus and relationship with God is a good start. Look at Him as someone bigger than you do now, and spend time with Him every day and not just for those few hours on Sunday. Hang around people that are positive and follow Christ, so that when you around those that don't follow Christ, you can have a more powerful influence on them. Remember, we all have the Holy Spirit to guide us and I know that I don't rely on the Spirit quite enough in my week. Battle the drag and breathe.
Have a great weekend.
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