Wednesday, May 27, 2009

Top 10....Don't Give Up!



Are you having a tough day homeschooling??? Before you throw in the towel read this great list from Camille Kendall at TOS.

Top 10 Reasons Not to Give Up!
  1. If you stop homeschooling and enroll your children at the school down the road, you will have to have them all up, dressed, fed, and outside waiting for the bus by 6:45 every weekday morning with their books and school supplies in tow. Personally, with seven school-age children living under one roof, I don't think that is humanly possible.
  2. If you stop homeschooling, you will have to graciously endure comments such as, "I knew that homeschooling thing was a totally hare-brained idea. It's good to see you finally came to your senses and decided to do the rational thing." Of course, such comments will come repeatedly and enthusiastically from those unsympathetic relatives who have offered so little help and encouragement all along.
  3. Those same dear relatives will also offer the following words of comfort: "Now your kids can finally be normal." Gack! Now there's one compelling reason to NOT give up! Visit your local shopping mall on a Saturday night, take a long look around, and ask yourself if you really want your kids to become "normal."
  4. At our house, homeschooling means our children have a diverse people group influencing and shaping their lives--70-year-old grandparents, 90-year-old WWII veterans, middle-aged farmers, college professors, trapping buddies, young cousins, and children of family friends. Giving up and going the more "normal" route would mean limiting their peer group primarily to a knot of same-aged friends with little life experience, diversity, or wisdom.
  5. If you give up and send the kids away to school, who will feed and take care of the chickens? And the horses? And the cow? And the family dogs and cats? Who will check the boys' trap line every day, and who will tend the bees and cultivate the orchard? Who will help with the 4-5 loads of daily laundry, and who will cut and split firewood for the fireplace? Do you really want to take ALL THAT RESPONSIBILITY on yourself?
  6. If you give up, just think of the educational opportunities you will miss. Already in my homeschool "career," I've mastered advanced algebra, discovered the difference between world history and the history of Western Civilization, contemplated Plato, recited Samuel Taylor Coleridge, conjugated a verb in a foreign language, learned a few basic principles of economics . . . oooooooh, this is just way too much fun to give it up!
  7. Babies are beautiful; toddlers are terrific; pre-schoolers are precious; elementaries are exciting; pre-teens are precocious; high schoolers are absolutely fantastically amazing. Do you really want to miss even one single stage of this incredible journey?
  8. I can't think of anything more intensely sanctifying than living together in the crucible of shared family experiences. In this context, none of us can escape the reality of our own sinfulness, and none of us has the opportunity to go too long without the correction, compassion, and/or encouragement of a brother or sister or parent or child. Each of us is challenged by those around us--those who observe us constantly and who see us without a facade--to align our practice with our faith, to love our Lord and our neighbor "not in word or in tongue, but in deed and truth." Call it Extreme Sanctification: Homeschool Edition. Where else will you find so many daily opportunities to run to the cross, to repent and to rest in the sufficiency of the work of Christ, if you give up homeschooling?
  9. Homeschooling is an investment not only in your children, but in their children, and in their grandchildren after them. It is an investment in your church and your community, and in the churches and communities and countries where your descendants will live and have influence as adults. Imagine the long-term "returns" of continued investment over a lifetime--and don't give up!
  10. What would you give this homeschool labor up for--what would you have instead? A clean, quiet, orderly house? A career and a sense of relevance in the broader culture? Another income for your financially-strapped family? Time to develop underused talents and pursue suppressed dreams? I would have given up homeschooling for all of these and more at different points in the journey, but God in His good providence thwarted me. Now, with two adult children and more on the very brink of manhood and womanhood, what encouragement can I offer to NOT give up? Persevere, for the rewards truly will far, far outweigh the costs. Words cannot express the joy and the humble amazement that is mine when I look at the children God has given me and consider the men and women they are becoming--nor can words convey the depth of gratitude I feel for God's allowing me--even constraining me--to participate in His purposes for them.
Thanks for stopping by!


Please check out my other blogs while you're here:
Proverbs31 Wisdom
Proverbs31 Cooking





Friday, May 22, 2009

The Journey continues...



I am still taking those deep breaths but today Focus on the Family sent me a wonderful message about praying together. They included a whole series on couples who pray together. Here is this week's site. If you scroll down to the bottom you will see a link to Print the whole series.


These articles are written by Stormie Ormartian Writer of 'The Power of the Praying....'Series

Her books have been a huge encouragement to so many. If you haven't read any of her books get a feel for her style through these articles and if you like what you read you can order one of her books. If you do it through my link I can better afford to keep blogging - Thanks!

This February we were blessed to attend the simulcast of FOF's Marriage Conference. What a great day that was!!
Let's all include FOF in our prayers. Dr. Dobson meets much opposition and he faces it all with such grace. Thanks FOF!

Stop by the Coffee House for some great Christian videos!
and
Friday Fun Night for a super Pizza Recipe that can be started in your bread machine!



Finally, don't forget to pick up your Free Stuff at:

Free Homeschool Resources Every Friday from The Old Schoolhouse Store

Only on Fridays - only at TOS!

Thursday, May 21, 2009

The journey begins...

Our Lord works in mysterious ways. As I was writing Take a Breath yesterday I was challenged and needed to take a breath myself. My hope was to encourage others but apparently I am to encourage you through my own trial.



My husband called while I was writing to tell me that all the teacher's in his district were receiving 'pink slips' at school year end. His good reviews and rehire recommemdation were of no concern; all were getting laid off the last day of school with the 'intent' of rehiring most by mid to late July.
Deep breath.....

This latest ploy in education is in response to cities who are not receiving the money they were promised and are following with cuts to education. Another one of those 'things' they were going to fix which they will further ruin. Ours was the second school in our state to do it and I am sure not the last and certainly not the only state.

I guess what makes it hard for us to believe is that my husband changed careers in 2001. God has blessed us with the time, money, and patience to switch careers. He has always provided for our needs and given him a teaching position, sometimes in the last hours. Patience is a virtue. But my husband says this is between me and God, it will work.
Deeper breath......

Anyway, I am a woman of my word. I hung up the phone and immediately prayed for my husband and our family. And I prayed for the strength to hold it all together in the midst of crisis once again. Some would say we are plagued by trials. I say we are blessed to show others how we rise above them.
Breath, prayer....


Our families are not believers and while appears to them to be 'bad luck' we are constantly challenged to show grace and confidence in the storms...With 4 of 6 siblings divorced and the other 2 visibly miserable, we are the only beacon of light for marriage in our 2 families. By God's grace this has not been a challenge to us but a privilege. My husband is my best friend and my other half. I cannot even imagine what it would be like without him. I am thankful every day that my marriage is full of prayers of thanksgiving and not petitions.
Happy sigh....


As my husband left this morning, I gave my usual "He's got a plan, He'll work it out." To which he retorted "He always does..."
Big sign, prayer, deep breath...


He always does. I write not because it is so unusual to overcome lose of a job, but because there will be so much of it in the months to come.
History is being made, you're not reading it - you're writing it.
I hope we can work this through together. I walk through doors that He opens.
Here's the door.

If you are having trials in any part of your life, take a minute and give it all to the Father. Accept Jesus as your Savior and you are one huge step closer to solving the trial.
Are you -



Waiting for you at the door,


Elizabeth


We'll continue this as time goes on. Join me on my Proverbs31 Wisdom Blog too!

You can also visit my Cooking Blog for some yummy recipes and practical gardening ideas.

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Daddy's Empty Chair?

I just thought this was adorable and wanted to share it with my dear readers...




Daddy's Empty Chair

A man's daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed. The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. 'I guess you were expecting me, he said. 'No, who are you?' said the father. The minister told him his name and then remarked, 'I saw the empty chair and I figured you knew I was going to show up.' 'Oh yeah, the chair,' said the bedridden man. 'Would you mind closing the door?'
Puzzled, the minister shut the door..

'I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter,' said the man. 'But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, but it went right over my head.' I abandoned any attempt at prayer,'the old man continued, 'until one day four years ago, my best friend said to me, 'Johnny, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with Jesus...Here is what I suggest. '


'Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, 'I will be with you always'.

'Then just speak to him in the same way you're doing with me right now.'

'So, I tried it and I've liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I'm careful though . If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm.'

The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon. Did he die in peace?' he asked. Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock , he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him. But there was something strange about his death.
Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed. What do you make of that?'

The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, 'I wish we could all go like that.'



Please visit my other blogs while you're here:

Proverbs31 Wisdom Blog and Proverbs31 Cooking Blog

Thanks for stopping by!

Friday, May 15, 2009

Break it up- Plant it- Watch it grow!

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Break it up - Plant it - Watch it Grow!

This passage from Colossians gives us so much information on how a family should interact.

Each member has their own specific job to do.

You are responsible for yours, and as I've learned in the past: if you do your job, and let God do His, things work out quite well! When you try to make things happen - all you really make is a mess!

So, let's take a look and see what we can learn today:


Colossians 3:18-21:


18 Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as is fitting in the Lord.
19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.
20 Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. 21Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.


Verse 18 today:

Wives, this is a direct command to wives - and wives only. Commands are not optional or they would be called suggestions. They're not so let's not treat them that way...
be subject - when you are a subject you are to obey the one who has authority over you. Such as a king has subjects, the same here...Your husband is king and you are not.
You are to be obedient to him. No questions asked. Do not be mistaken my dear reader, this does not mean you have to be submissive in a cowardly, fearful way.
It means you obey reverently. God speaks to the family through the husband and because of this we need to listen to what our husbands say and act upon it. Of coarse, you need your own discernment and would not do anything that defies God but

disagreement with your husband is not a cause for disobedience.



I have found in the past that when I disagree with my husband on things, I really regret it. It's OK to state your opinions, but they are just that - your opinions, you are to obey the king.


to your husbands, I think a lot of Christian women are confused on this, or have been wrongly advised. Ephesians 5:22 further explains it accurately for us:
Wives, be subject to your own husbands, as to the Lord.


This means only your own husband. Women are not to be bullied and bossed around by men in general. And they are not to allow it themselves. I have seen some men act very inappropriately to women and I find this is usually because they are not treated as king in their own homes. Wives are to be submissive and obedient to their own husband only. That is why women can use their gifts and can hold positions over men in this world.

But in the home there is only one king.



as is fitting in the Lord. - this means putting God in Christ before you in your marriage. You are to treat your husband, like you would Christ, if you were married to Him! I assume that would be some pretty good treatment!!



But, you say, my husband is NO Christ. Yes, that is true but God expects (and commands) you to treat him as if he were worthy of being treated this way. Even when you don't "feel" like it. You see,
Marriage is not based on a "Feeling,"



Marriage is based on commitment to God.



Do you love God enough to be committed to your marriage the way He commands?



Remember: The higher the expectations the bigger the disappointment. Unrealistic expectations lead to bigger disappointments.



You see you're putting your expectations on the wrong thing.

Love people more than things (this includes feelings).

But, most of all love GOD more than all people!




When you set high expectations on GOD, you are NEVER disappointed!






When you are married to your "Christ-Man," God is your Father-in-law. Treat your husband as God's child. Would you whine and grumble at God? Then don't do it to his son. Would you cheat or back-talk God? Then don't do that to his son.




Follow God's plan for family and marriage and you can't help but please Him.




Learn to be a winner not a whiner.

Please your husband and you will please GOD.



Verse 19 today:




19 Husbands, love your wives and do not be embittered against them.


Husbands - this is a command to the husband in a Christian Home


love your wives - this is love in it's highest form. Though the husband's authority has been established, the emphasis moves to the supreme responsibility of husbands to regard their wives, which is to love them with the same unreserved selfless and sacrificial love that Christ has for His church.


do not be embittered against them - The form of this Greek verb is better translated "stop being bitter," or "do not have the habit of being bitter." Husbands must not be harsh or angrily resentful toward their wives. 1Peter 3:7 tells us that husbands should be sensitive to the needs, fears, and feelings of his wife. This should be done through his consideration, chivalry, and companionship not by conforming to the ultra-feminization of the secular world.
It's not unmanly to be sensitive (in-tune with the needs of others), just like you don't have to be weak to be meek (managed anger) .
Sensitivity to others and meekness are two wonderful, and very manly, qualities that were shown daily by our Savior as He walked the earth. They are qualities we should be praying for in our husbands (and sons).

Why write about the husband's role in a Christian Home? It's not for you to nag, whine, or gossip with other wives. It's not for you to worry that your marriage is below average.



It is for you dear Christian wife to understand the role of your husband so you can pray continually for your him.





Pray continually and specifically for these areas FOR your husband.




I hope this information has encouraged you today. As we define our roles in the Christian Home as God intended them to be, we will be happier and more purposeful. In the meantime, pray for one another as James instructed us in 5:16 of his book:



Therefore, confess your sins to one another,
and pray for one another so that you may be healed.
The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.



Verse 20 today:





Children, be obedient to your parents in all things, for this is well-pleasing to the Lord.





Children, - a direct command to children

be obedient to your parents - the child in the Christian Home is to be willingly under the authority of their parents. They are to be in obedient submission to them because of the authority given to parents by God. They are to obey their parents as if they were obeying the LORD Himself.
Ephesians 6:2 further explains this by restating the 5th commandment:


HONOR YOUR FATHER AND MOTHER (which is the first commandment with a promise)


Honor is a term which refers to one's attitude and throughout this passage, Paul is dealing with the motive behind the action of obedience.


In order to properly place into action the act of obedience
our children must first have the right attitude.


This is the first commandment to deal with (human) relationships and the only one to address the family. When it is obeyed, this principle alone secures the family's fulfillment.


in all things, - the only limit on a child's obedience is when parents demand something contrary to God's Word. For example, for some children this includes coming to Christ.


for this is well-pleasing to the Lord. - This is the way God designed it and that makes it the only RIGHT way. The only way to please Him is through obedience.





And, of coarse, it is always obedient to teach our children to repent their sins. We must teach them the forgiveness of our grace-filled God by showing grace and forgiveness toward them ourselves.







Know your child well enough to know their heart. Train when appropriate, Forgive as necessary, Pray for them continuously, but most of all show Grace as often as you can!
Emulate the Savior and they will respect Him as well as you. That is the goal!




Verse 21 today:

Fathers, do not exasperate your children, so that they will not lose heart.



Let's break it up and plant it------



Fathers, - Though this term usually means a male parent, it is also used for parents in general - much like the pronoun 'he' is used in the formal form. It is believed that since Paul is talking to both parents previously in this passage, he is addressing both in this verse as well.




do not exasperate your children, - some translations use 'provoke.'





During the pagan times that Paul was writing this, many Jewish families were ruled by rigid and domineering authority.

The desires and welfare of the children were rarely a consideration. Paul, a product of one of these households before his conversion, wanted it made perfectly clear that a Christian Home does not place unreasonable demands and strictures on the children that would drive them to anger, despair, and resentment of the family and of the faith.

This is not to be confused with lack of proper discipline. Ephesians 6: 4b continues this thought: "but, bring them up in the training and admonition of the Lord." This calls for systematic discipline and instruction, which brings children to respect the commands of the Lord as the foundation of all life, godliness, and blessings.


so that they will not lose heart.- The result of being an unreasonable parent is that you exhibit the complete opposite of the image we are to show our children of the Father. Parents are to exhibit authority in a way that leads to respect, not fear or resentment. Train them properly and they will honor the mother and father and the Father will be honored as a result.



We can learn a lot about parenting from these two....

but that's another day!




Thank for joining me today.

Remember it only grows when it's planted!


Please pray for our country :

"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” II Chronicles 7:14



Stop by my Cooking blog while you're here!
Return to Proverbs31 Wisdom

Friday, May 8, 2009

What is FFN?

What is Friday Fun Night?
An excellent wife, who can find?
For her worth is far above jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
And he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life...Her husband also,
and he praises her, saying:
“Many daughters have done nobly,
But you excel them all.”
-- Prov 31:10-12, 29

Many years ago I started "Friday Fun Nights" (FFN) in our house. These were basically "date nights" for my husband and I - but we stayed home.
We did not have babysitters or the money to go out so we would sit together and talk about everything and anything. I would make up some munchie-snacks, turn on some music and the evening would go by so quickly. No worry about getting home for babysitters, no bill, no drunk drivers on the roads, no indigestion.
This is quite unconventional in today's world but we love them and I really want to share them with you.
Don't fall into the self-entitlement "I work hard all week, he should take me out!" trap. That is worldly and the Proverbs 31 woman has no right to any of it. It's time to take a stand for our men. They are not equipped with estrogen and do not understand us anymore than the Father allows them (each is different).
There is waaaaaaay too much divorce within our faith and the time is now to
claim your man!
Give him a reason to come home on Friday nights.
Look good, smell good, and make him feel good.
Doesn't that sound a lot better than dwelling on your rights and needs. All you need the Father has already given to you anyway, you just need to see it. You may be working hard all day at home but at least you're home. He's out there trying to fend off the devil at every turn, every cute little Jezebel that flirts with him, and every co-worker that nags him for being a non-conformist. Give the guy a break!
You are made to complete him, not compete with him.
Anyways, I knew I could make a good time and I could do it better and cheaper.
I have read that men don't want a 50s-style women anymore. I'm pretty sure these articles are written by feminist, superMoms who want to glorify the fact that they work and still have time to attend their child's soccer game. I have met no husbands in our circle of friends who do not like dinner on the table when they get home and appreciate the sacrifices their wives make by putting the home and children ahead of their own selfish desires for recognition.
FFN can be as simple or as complicated as you want. It will take a little planning so that you have items on-hand and prepped so all you have to do is set them out on the table. If you are not the world's greatest cook (keep coming to my Cooking Blog and we'll work on that), then take it easy and use more ready made food. Just try to remember this is a date not a Sushi Bar.
You are to spend time gazing at your husband, giving him your FULL attention.
This may take a few weeks to work because at the same time you need to train your children that this is Mommy and Daddy's time. Feed your children at 4 and let them watch a movie or make it their special time of play together. Give them the option of getting along or going to bed, there are no alternatives. What kids need most are strong marriages and this will definitely work toward that. In warm weather we sit on the deck and watch the children play in the yard. There is no reason to seclude them unless they demand your attention away from your husband. Actually the kids grow to appreciate FFN as much as we do. They usually have frozen pizza and get to stay up late as long as they're behaving. It really is all GOOD once you get the hang of it.
The Bible gives us clear priorities in our relationships:
1. God
2. Spouse
3. Children
You cannot raise children well if your marriage is falling apart, and you cannot have a strong marriage if your relationship with God is falling apart.
It's all about priorities.
I can't stress enough how easy and worthwhile this is and I hope you will give it a try.
Thanks for stopping by! Here are the links back to my other blogs:

Thursday, May 7, 2009

Ready to Pray?


Proclamation 4826 - National Day of Prayer, 1981
March 19, 1981

By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
Our Nation's motto "In God We Trust"—was not chosen lightly. It reflects a basic recognition that there is a divine authority in the universe to which this Nation owes homage.
Throughout our history Americans have put their faith in God and no one can doubt that we have been blessed for it. The earliest settlers of this land came came in search of religious freedom. Landing on a desolate shoreline, they established a spiritual foundation that has served us ever since.
It was the hard work of our people, the freedom they enjoyed and their faith in God that built this country and made it the envy of the world. In all of our great cities and towns evidence of the faith of our people is found: houses of worship of every denomination are among the oldest structures.
While never willing to bow to a tyrant, our forefathers were always willing to get to their knees before God. When catastrophe threatened, they turned to God for deliverance. When the harvest was bountiful the first thought was thanksgiving to God.
Prayer is today as powerful a force in our Nation as it has ever been. We as a Nation should never forget this source of strength. And while recognizing that the freedom to choose a Godly path is the essence of liberty, as a Nation we cannot but hope that more of our citizens would, through prayer, come into a closer relationship with their Maker.
Recognizing our great heritage, the Congress, by Joint Resolution approved April 17, 1952 ( 36 U.S.C. 169h; 66 Stat. 64), has called upon the President to set aside a suitable day each year as a National Day of. Prayer.
Now, Therefore, I, Ronald Reagan, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim Thursday, May 7, 1981, National Day of Prayer. On that day I ask all who believe to join with me in giving thanks to Almighty God for the blessings He has bestowed on this land and the protection He affords us as a people. Let us as a Nation join together before God, fully aware of the trials that lie ahead and the need, yes, the necessity, for divine guidance. With unshakable faith in God and the liberty which is heritage, we as a free Nation will surely survive and prosper.
In Witness Whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this nineteenth day of March, in year of our Lord nineteen hundred and eighty-one, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and fifth.

RONALD REAGAN

[Filed with the Office of the Federal Register, 10:33 a.m., March 20, 1981]
Citation: John T. Woolley and Gerhard Peters,The American Presidency Project [online]. Santa Barbara, CA: University of California (hosted), Gerhard Peters (database). Available from World Wide Web: http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=61699.

Wednesday, May 6, 2009

Do you have Issues?

I have to admit it... I have issues....


Recently, a friend asked me how they are supposed to love people they hate. Good question. It's all well and fine to say Jesus loves us and we are commanded to love one another. But, let's be real here, some people make it really difficult to love thy neighbor.


Last night I was watching some "cable news " (against my better judgment) and a woman was on grumbling full force about Gov. Sarah Palin. She was thoroughly disgusted that this woman kills defenseless animals (aka hunting), doesn't believe in a woman's "choice"(aka doesn't support abortion), doesn't believe in global warming or Darwinism (doesn't believe in evolution) And - Gasp!! - she actually believes in Creationism!

My spirit was quite irked at this point. I could not see how a woman could be so against hunting animals and so for killing unborn children. How could a human with a God-given brain believe in global warming and that she came from a monkey, but in the next breath say there is no scientific evidence for Creation.
Deep breath, sigh!
DEEPER breath!


Good...Back to the question at hand:



How God, do you love, not just the unlovable,
but the totally, obscenely, blasphemous,
ugly-hearted, ignorant fools????


Was that too many adjectives? I didn't want to leave anyone out...LOL

I could tell you to pray for them (and we all should), and yes, Jesus died for them too, but that will only be a band-aid on a gaping wound.

I don't work that way, my spirit needs a purposeful solution. One I can really sink my teeth into. I need to heal the wound or it will never go away.

I must admit I was stumped for a minute. I'm sure it was because my spirit was so blurred by what I had witnessed. (I rarely watch this channel, but every once and awhile...You know how it is).

The answer should be easy, Jesus did it. He loved some pretty rotten people, but I am not Jesus.



I opened the book I was reading and it hit me...







The book isBeth Moore's To Live is Christ and it is about the Apostle Paul. Getting the picture yet??




You may remember Paul. He was the darling Saul born and breed to be a Pharisee. He was great at his job, so great in fact that he made Christians knees shake at the sound of his name.
He followed every rule and law of the land and made a few a long the way. He was the one they all bowed down to after Saint Stephen's stoning (Acts 7:58).
I'm sure if there was a rule about believing in global warming or abortion, Paul would have been right there to enforce it.
Paul was one tough character.
I'm pretty sure people had issues with him.
I'm pretty sure he troubled a lot of spirits.
But we all know what happened to the mighty Saul on the road to Damascus.
If not, please read Acts 9 and you will get a fairly good idea of the saving Grace of our Father.


In a nutshell, God showed us that
No job is ever too big for Him,
No heart is ever too hard, and
Nothing is without His approval.
Could these people on TV ever be as bad as Saul? Yet, if Paul was never saved maybe some of us wouldn't be either. What an example we would have lost out on if all the books written by Paul were missing...

Paul tells us himself in Galatians 1:15-16:


...But when God, who had set me apart
even from my mother’s womb
and called me through His grace,
was pleased to reveal His Son in me
so that I might preach Him among the Gentiles...

Paul knew that God had set him apart since before birth. Paul accepted His forgiveness and went on his way to do God's calling--immediately. He was well equipped against the enemy, he knew them well, he had been one. He didn't dwell on his past sins, he moved forward. I'm sure many were doubtful of his intentions at first. But he didn't care, he did his job (calling).


I guess what I'm saying is if God changed the heart of a man like Saul can't he handle a few loud-mouths in the media?


I should think He could do it in the blink of an eye should He choose to. Maybe there just aren't enough of us praying for these poor folks. It's easier to bash them, or ignore them, bury them in their ignorance - "You Fools!!" we'd shout. Plenty of people did that to Saul.
But, the battle is not ours. Sometimes we forget that.
What would please the Father more, sending all these people to hell for eternity or acting on the believers' prayers and opening the doors of heaven to them.


It's your choice,

Pray or Bash


Choose wisely.


You do your job, He'll do His.




Remember, someone prayed for you at one point,too.





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Thanks for stopping by, I hope you found this message encouraging. Also, please stop by my Cooking Blog for some great EATS!


I would like to welcome one of my new affiliates This Old Schoolhouse!






I was thrilled when they came to my site and would like to encourage all you moms out there to stop by and see what they have to offer! They are a great help with spiritual growth as well as the growth of your homeschool! They give a little sanity along the way too!











Monday, May 4, 2009

What's the greatest?

There is a lot of Christian art/collectibles out there with the "faith, hope, love" phrasing on them. But, did you ever wonder why the greatest is love?

If you say because love hides a multitude of sins, or we love because He first loved us, or love is forever, you are only half right.




...constantly bearing in mind your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ in the presence of our God and Father,--1 Thess 1:3

But now faith, hope, love, abide these three;


but the greatest of these is love. --1 Cor. 13:13



Faith is: the confident belief in the truth of or trustworthiness of a person, idea, or thing.

Hope is: a belief in a positive outcome related to events and circumstances in one's life.

Love is: any of a number of emotions and experiences related to a sense of strong affection and attachment.

Simply put while in our earthly bodies we depend and rely on faith, hope and love.

When this life is done and we receive our heavenly bodies there will be no need for faith or hope - we will see with truth for ourselves and therefore remove any need for "belief."

You do not have a "belief" in what is seen and proven. Therefore the greatest is love for it transcends earth to heaven.

Love is a gift from God that we will never fully understand until we get to heaven. That is why our faith and hope need to be so strong now.

1 John 4:16 tell us:

"We have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us.

God is love,

and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. "

Abide in love and abide in God, and He will abide in you!

Who needs more explanation than that??

Thanks for stopping by...Have a great week!

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