A thought for your day...

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Testimony Time :: Bonnie

Good morning, friends!

I have had the wonderful privilege of growing up in a Christian family. For as long as I can remember, we've read the Bible together each day (usually multiple times - once in the morning, and once in the evening) and prayed together. My parents have always instilled in my siblings and I the wonderful benefits and blessings of having a relationship with the Lord Jesus.

I don't remember this, but I'm told the time I accepted Jesus into my heart was on the 24th of January 2001, when I was almost 3 years old (I know, young, right??).

I am a sinner, and I know that the wrong things I have done make it impossible for me to attain Heaven's perfection under my own merits. I am a sinner, a fallen human being, and cannot live for eternity with the Lord because of my wrongdoing.

But God, in His everlasting love, faithfulness, justice and mercy, provided a way for me to be saved - His son, Jesus, who He sent down to earth. Jesus lived a perfect life, then was cruelly killed on a cross, a punishment he did not deserve. If I put my faith and hope in Jesus, then his righteousness is transferred to me and I am pure, spotless and clean, making me able to enter Heaven when my walk on this earth is done.

I was baptized in December 2010. That was a wonderful experience, being able to publicly declare who I trusted in and that I was following Jesus.

I think the one word that best sums up God during my walk with Him is "faithful".

Throughout all the hills and the valleys and the ups and downs of life, God is always faithful. And he always will be.

I have found, in my life, that God is always able to be fully trusted. He is in control, no matter what happens. I am most definitely not perfect. I make mistakes, all the time, and botch it up. But God is merciful, gracious, forgiving and loving.... He is my best friend and I absolutely cannot imagine life without Him.

I'd like to close here with a couple of my very favourite scripture references.


Psalm 16:11
You will show me the path that leads to life, in Your presence is fullness of joy.

Isaiah 43:1-3

Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.
When you pass through the waters,I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior

Many blessings to you all! :)

~*~*~*~

The Servant Attitude

It's so easy to be resentful when we are asked to serve others. It's so easy to complain and whinge and moan when we find it is necessary to be a servant. 

Yet shouldn't we be following in the footsteps of our Lord who himself washed the feet of his disciples as an example that we should serve each other? 

John 13:12-14

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another's feet.

Matthew 23:11-12

The greatest among you will be your servant.  For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

I think the following song just sums it all up beautifully.

The 'Servant Song'

Brother, let me be your servant.

Let me be as Christ to you.

Pray that I might have the grace

To let you be my servant, too.

We are pilgrims on a journey.

We are brothers on the road.

We are here to help each other

Walk the mile and bear the load.

I will hold the Christ-light for you

In the night time of your fear.

I will hold my hand out to you;

Speak the peace you long to hear.

I will weep when you are weeping.

When you laugh, I'll laugh with you.

I will share your joy and sorrow

Till we've seen this journey through.

When we sing to God in heaven,

We shall find such harmony

Born of all we've known together

Of Christ's love and agony.

Brother, let me be your servant.

Let me be as Christ to you.

Pray that I might have the grace

To let you be my servant, too.

Some other pertinent Bible verses are as follows:

Matthew 20:26-27

Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be your slave— just as the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

1 Peter 4:10

As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace (emphasis added)

Acts 20:35

In all things I have shown you that by working hard in this way we must help the weak and remember the words of the Lord Jesus, how he himself said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’

Proverbs 11:25
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched, and one who waters will himself be watered.

Luke 6:38

Give, and it will be given to you. Good measure, pressed down, shaken together, running over, will be put into your lap. For with the measure you use it will be measured back to you. (emphasis added)

Many blessings to you all!
Bonnie xx

Dreams…and Today

“Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself.”
—Matthew 6:34

When I was around seven years old, I made a mental list of some things I wanted to do some day when I was older. Three things I badly wanted to do someday was ride on a boat, fly in an airplane, and ride a train. Since then, I’ve been able to do all three, and each was exciting (although I think flying is the best of the three!).

In our spiritual life, there are certain things that we have expectations and hopes for. Things we want to accomplish one day, but maybe our hopes aren’t realized yet. We can envision ourselves doing things for the Lord, in the future, when we’re “older”—older in faith, or older in years, or maybe both. Sometimes I wonder, though, if I don’t over-plan my future—thinking of all the things I hope I can be and do later when now is the time that I have been given to live and work.

I’m not saying that it’s wrong to plan to do things in the future—no, I believe dreams and plans have a very real and correct place in our lives. What I am saying is that sometimes we tend to plan to do things in the future too much, and are neglecting those things that we have been given to do here in the present. If that’s the case, then you and I have a problem!

Let me give you a little example. I hope to one day (if the Lord wills) to become a nurse, and possibly a midwife. After the training I’ll receive that way, I hope to go into active service as a missionary somewhere. One of the gifts that the Lord has blessed me with is a love of taking care of other people.

The problem comes in when I spend too much time dreaming about all I’ll be able to do to help others later on. And that means I miss at least some of the chances I have now to bless others. In being caught up in the “tomorrows”, I miss the “todays”. And while that isn’t exactly sin, it is wrong to be believing that I have to wait for a certain time (when I’m more able, more educated, etc.) before I can do a certain thing.

Take advantage of the moments now—this may be the only time you will be able to help that person the way you can now. Dream big—riding airplanes, taking care of old people, or whatever you want to do one day—but don’t let your dreams get in the way of your example and walk with the Lord here and now.

“Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.” —Proverbs 27:1

Keep your eyes on Jesus!

Into the Desert

“But I certify you, brethren, that the gospel which was preached of me is not after man. For I neither received it of man, neither was I taught it, but by the revelation of Jesus Christ.…Neither went I up to Jerusalem to them which were apostles before me; but I went into Arabia, and returned again unto Damascus. Then after three years I went up to Jerusalem to see Peter….”
—Galatians 1:11-12, 17-18a

Paul received the gospel straight from Jesus—not from the disciple’s witness, as we do today. This was the basis for why we call him “Paul the Apostle”—because he learned his doctrine straight from the Lord.

After his dramatic conversion on the road to Damascus, he went into Arabia—a desert. There, he spent quite a while—possibly up to three years—before returning to Jerusalem. A desert is a sign of self-denial. And there was the place he went to learn.

Where is your desert, friend? Where do you go to get away from the world, a place shut away from everyone else? Maybe even, perhaps, like Paul, a place where others fear to go and mostly leave to it self? Where is the place you can go alone, where only Jesus can reach you? Even if it is one short hour, or maybe just a couple snatched minutes, make use of that time. Draw nigh to Him—and He will draw nigh to you (James 4:8a).

Guest Post–Hebrews 13:15

“Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of our lips, giving thanks to His name.” Hebrews 13:15

This verse has been powerful in my life.  God calls us to continually offer Him the sacrifice of the praise of our lips. So let’s break down this verse, looking at each word individually in order to gain a deeper understanding of what it says.

    Therefore: Because God is so good, and because we await His return, and because He is coming back to rule over all the earth, we must offer the praise of our lips to Him.
    By: It is not on our own power that this is possible, but only by Him.
    Him: He has done it all. We are weak, He is strong. We are sinful, He is perfect. By His blood, His name, His grace, and His strength, we can move mountains for His glory. It’s all about Him.  He will give us the power to give praise to Him continually.
    Let: This is defined as to cause, to assign, to permit to enter, to make an adjustment, to allow.
    Us: This is an action that we, by His grace, must do.  We can’t just sit back and expect it to happen, but we must get up from the chair and do something.
    Continually: This is something we are to do all the time—no exceptions.
    Offer: Defined as an expression of readiness to do or give something if desired. We must be ready to willingly, of our own will, give what is ours to Him who bought it with His blood.
    The: Pretty self-explanatory.
    Sacrifice: This is the act of forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim.  Forfeiture of something highly valued for the sake of one considered to have a greater value or claim. We are giving up something, much as our flesh wants to keep it, in exchange for something so much better, Christ’s name being glorified.
    Of: Nothing needed here.
    Praise: We are to express our appreciation of God and the mighty things He has done. Declaring Christ’s works to all who we see. Expressing our admiration of God and His greatness.
    To: We do all the above to one Person, with the goal of bringing Him glory.
    God: All of our praise is to be offered to God. He is worthy of all of our praise, and because of His holiness, we offer the fruit of our lips.
    That is: Defining what the sacrifice of praise is.
    The: I think you have the general idea.
    Fruit: Basically the outcome of our lips; our words.
    Of: Nothing needed here.
    Our: Not God’s, not the preacher’s, not our peer’s, but ours. Even if no one else around us is praising Him, it is our job to be offering the fruit of our lips to Him.
    Lips: The things God has given us to talk with.
    Giving: Synonymous with offering. It must be done willingly and with sincerity.
    Thanks: Expressing our appreciation and gratitude for all He has done. Notice, it does not say complaining or grumbling.
    To: Who our thanks is directed at.
    His: Not ours.
    Name: What identifies Him as the King. His name has exceedingly great power. We must give glory and thanks to His name.

It is my prayer that you too may by Him continually offer the sacrifice of praise to God,  giving thanks to His name.

About the author:
Allison is a 15-year-old daughter of the King.  Her aim in life is to be pleasing and honoring to Him.  She has a passion for encouraging other young ladies in the Lord.

Here Am I, Send Me

In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts. Then flew one of the seraphims unto me, having a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with

the tongs from off the altar:  And he laid it upon my mouth, and said, Lo, this hath touched thy lips; and thine iniquity is taken away, and thy sin purged. Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying, Whom shall I send, and who will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”

Isa 6:1-8 KJV

            On April 30, 2009, the above verse became alive in my life and forever changed me. That day started as any other normal day. I went to work at my secretarial job from 7:00am to 5:00pm. Little did I know the change that would take place before the sun set that day. After supper that night, I was just doing things around the house when my mother called me and announced a phone call for me. She announced the name of the caller and I knew immediately why he was calling. Answering the phone, the caller introduced himself and the mission he represented, asking me if I might know why he is calling. To which I answered the affirmative. The caller was contacting me on behalf of the Olive Branch Mennonite Mission. One of the single girls serving in Nicaragua was scheduled to leave the mission field in August and they contacted me to see if I was open to serving for two years. We closed the conversation with the caller asking me to pray about it and contact him as soon as I had an answer. I hung up the phone, relayed the message to my parents, before grabbing my cell phone and leaving on my bike.

Biking down the road, I first called my pastor’s wife to let them know of the call and to ask for prayers. Hanging up with her, I headed to the local park. I needed to sit down. At this point, many questions were running through my head. Why me? Is my dream coming true? Can I really do this? Will I be able to be separated from my family for so long? I want to go but… I called my best friend, telling her all that had happened, asking her for advice. After I hung up, I still felt overwhelmed, but I knew the God who called me on this journey, was also the God who was faithful and would be by my side, if I would only lay aside my humanness and trust on Him.

As I searched God’s Word and His will for me, I was guided to Isaiah 6. Yes, I had heard this passage many, many times; but on this particular night, the passage took on a new meaning. I felt as Moses did. Inadequate for the task that was before, but I was called. I felt the call of God on my heart. Would I shrink back from the task? As much as it was tempting, I wanted to be where God wanted me and He was calling me to serve in Nicaragua. He was asking the question: who will go for us?

As I near the 5-year anniversary of receiving that life-changing call, I look back in awe of what God has done in my life, not only as I served in Nicaragua but also as I continue to serve Him in my hometown. The call of “whom shall I send, and who will go for us” is not only  a call to the foreign field, but it is a daily call. As believers and followers of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are daily called to serve Him and “stand in the gap” for those who are seeking. Let it not be said as was in Ezekiel’s day:

“And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” Ezekiel 22:30 KJV

Daily accept the call that is placed upon your life. Seeing the Hand of God in my life when I am truly committed to “standing in the gap” and being willing “to be sent” has humbled me. The blessing that comes from being “available” to be used of God cannot be explained. Being used in my hometown has brought just as many blessings as serving  in foreign lands. You may or may not be called to another land. Be ready and willing to go where He wants you to go and fill in the gap where He has called you.

I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go by The Kauffman Family

Being a Candle

I know this might be slightly out of place since spring is coming upon the world in the Northern Hemisphere…but here in the Southern half the daylight is swiftly getting shorter. I was blessed again to read this post that I wrote on my blog back in February 2012, and I hope you’ll be blessed, too!

I love candles. It’s not just because of the waxy smell they put in the air, or the sweet smoky smell…I just love them! The other night I was walking down the hall, and saw this out of the corner of my eye; isn’t it beautiful? Candle light is such a beautiful thing. It reminds me of how we need to be as Christians: a shining light to everyone around us. No matter who we are, we can all be a shining candle burning brightly for Jesus.

“That ye may be blameless and harmless,” says Apostle Paul, “he sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the [dark] world.” (Philippians 2:15)

We shine as lights in this dark world of ours. Just like the candle burns brightly on its wick, so we must burn brightly with the Word of God as our fuel source. Just as the candle is shrouded in darkness, so are we covered in the darkness of the sin of this world. Candles have a lot to teach us!

God’s love—that He would send Jesus, His only beloved Son, into the dark, sinful world to be a light and to teach us how to be more like Him. Praise the LORD!

Keep burning!
~Esther

We All Have a Purpose

Tears streamed down the little girl's face. She just didn't understand why mommy and daddy weren't coming home. And why was her little brother laying in that bed, surrounded by so many wires and people. What was wrong? Why was mommy crying?

Everything seemed so strange as she stood there, waiting for someone to console her, but nobody realized the little girl's tears right away. They were all listening to the doctor as he explained his latest discovery about her brother. But what she didn't understand was that her little brother was very, very sick.

Her little brother had been born with a rare disease, one known as Maple Syrup Urine Disease or MSUD. Having MSUD meant that her little brother couldn't eat the same food she did and he got sick so quick, often going to the hospital as was the situation this time.

As you fast forward a few years, questions still plagued my little mind. I asked my mother why Jordan couldn't eat or do the same things I did. Taking me aside, my mother began to explain that God did not make a mistake when Jordan was born. He was born for a reason and God had a plan for him.

"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the Lord, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end." Jeremiah 29:11 (KJV).

As I got older, I began to understand that although there may not always be a visual reason for why things happen, God always has a plan for each circumstance. We may not see it right away, but many times looking at circumstances several weeks, months or years after it occurred, we can plainly see what God’s plan was.

Maybe learning comes slowly for you. You wonder what tomorrow may bring. Why can my friends do this, but I can't? God has a plan for you and is working through your life at this moment.

Asking the (very) tough questions

I admire the work that Eric and Leslie Ludy have done over the years. Although I don’t believe eye-to-eye on everything with them, I believe they are doing a wonderful work there. And I praise God for the influence they are having on people around the world.

In this short (7 1/2 minute) video, Eric asks some very tough questions. I hope you’ll be able to watch it. This is not the soft, easy-to-hear message many of us have sat under. No, it is very hard. It is something I struggle with on a day-to-day basis. I hope, though, that you’ll be encouraged in the fact that it is possible to ‘take up the cross’ and go ahead following Jesus’ leading.

May you be blessed as you prepare for this new month! It’s amazing how fast time flies—and makes this message even greater in the fact that time is quickly running out.

Many blessings,
Esther

All in a Day's Work

Once upon a time, in a land south of United States lived 2 beautiful, single women, who were just settling into life living together: one spoke fluent Spanish - the other was just learning! It so happened on this certain day, these young women needed to travel to a little town 15 minutes away (driving distance that is). However in this certain day, one woman would need to use a bike and the other woman would need to ride a horse; because the other bike had been stolen.

Such was the situation one Tuesday as Virginia and I prepared to head out for a day of visiting and Bible studies in a little town called La Palmerita (little palm) Nicaragua.

However before leaving, I attempted to mount the horse. But Perezoso, the horse had an attitude, thus living up to his name of lazy. Finally, I mounted and attempted to try to test ride him in the yard before attempting to take him on the road. However he had a mind of his own, refusing to cooperate and I didn't know what to do. Randy, our pastor, decided to mount the horse to see what would happen. He took the horse to the water tank and left him drink before trying to re-mount him, but to no avail. We decided to finish getting ready before attempting it again. Once we were ready, Virginia attempted to mount him, but he kept backing around. She whacked Perezoso on his rump and mounted him. However when she attempted to go on the road, he refused to go through the gate. Randy led him to the middle of the road and off we went - one on a horse and the other on a bike. However Perezoso simply had a mind of his own and would not listen.

Finally, Virginia was at the end of her tether and she went to visit the neighbors to ask to borrow one of their horses. The neighbor lady lent us Chiquito, one of her horses, and took Perezoso and made him lug water out of the well. Once again we attempted to make our way to La Palmerita. Everything went along rather smoothly, except that Chiquito trotted horribly.

We arrived in the town and began to visit different people. When Virginia went to mount Chiquito, the homemade bridle came apart. I led him to Johana’s (a native lady) house while Virginia, who had been riding, visited with a young lady. I spent time at Johana’s house attempting to use my limited Spanish-speaking ability. After spending time with her, her sons fixed the bridle and we rode to the church to unload our heavily-loaded backpacks.

While at the church, we decided to partake of the wonderful morsels of food before going to visit some other women in this little town. I, who had biked in the morning, now took to riding the horse, with a switch in hand. We rode down Center Street. However we didn’t find the girl we were looking for, so we headed over to 1st Street to see if she was there, but she was not. But since we were there, we saw month-old twins, who had been born a month premature. They were so small! Upon preparing to leave that house, one man re-did Chiquito’s bridle, as he did not like the way the young boys had done it. When I went to mount, the stirrup broke apart. Virginia mounted and off we went again - this time up Center Street to visit another little baby.

This was when catastrophe struck to a certain young lady on a bike - namely me.

I had been riding through water puddles all morning and had not encountered any problems. However this next puddle wasn’t so kind. This puddle spanned the whole road and into the field. There was a small dry strip through the center, so I started to bike through, but what I had not realized was the small section that was under water. BUT it was too late now. SPLASH!!! into the water I fell. I called out to Virginia. She looked back but looked away as she knew all too well the feeling of despair!

Embarrassed, I drug myself out of the water and to the side of the road while Virginia went in to see the baby. Maria, the lady of the house told Virginia to go bring me in.  All mud-bogged and wet, I went in and Maria offered me a chair. When we went to leave, Virginia offered the horse to me and off we went, but not home yet, as we had one more class for the day. Returning to the church, we found young girls were waiting for their class. Of course they all asked me what happen and I explained the story.

 We had just started the class when Virginia heard a familiar sound - the sound of the mission truck. But we poor women had been in the sun too long and it had affected our brains, so we didn’t think fast enough to stop the truck. Bone-weary and exhausted, I led Chiquito to the well and mounted him - or rather plopped on his back. Off I went on the horse, trying to go fast enough to catch the truck, but not so fast that I would fall off the saddle. Seeing the truck up ahead and coming up from the bottom of Center Street, I saw Randy and Jason from the mission. After asking them to stop at the church on their way home, back to the church I went.

After class, we cleaned up and soon heard the familiar sound of the truck. Virginia told me go in the truck and she will ride Chiquito home. I got home soon but wouldn’t know till later the issues that Virginia encountered. She apparently was having quite a time.

When she left the church, she worked him into a full gallop out of the little town. When she got to the main road the broken stirrup fell completely off! She dismounted and picked it up and once again mounted the horse and continued to its owner’s place, where she returned the horse and was met by Jason, who gave her a bike to continue the rest of the way home. All in all we had a great day in the little town, but we were bone-weary and sore that night! But it was good memories and laughs for everyone near and far!

This is a true story that took place in November 2009 in Nicaragua, while I was serving as a missionary.

-Andrea

An Inheritance We Must Not Forget

How many of you are home-educated? And how many of you have parents who were also home-educated?

The modern home-education movement was pioneered in New Zealand in the 1980s by the Smith family. In the USA, Michael and Debi Pearl decided to train their children at home in the 1970's. So the movement hasn't been going for more than four decades.

homeschool table by Jimmie / CC BY 2.0

And now a new generation is rising up - men and women who are blessed in that they have never darkened the door of a public school. They have been faithfully trained by Christian parents, learning alongside each other. These families are often not just home-educators - they are Biblical Christians changing their lives in other ways, seeking to conform to the whole counsel of God.

However, as the Botkin family explain in their documentary "Homeschool Dropouts," there are some very specific sins that we, the second generation, can fall into. I won't go into much detail here: you need to purchase your own copy of the movie!

But we can be too proud of our upbringing, thinking that we now know it all; that we don't necessarily need to keep our own children home; that school might not be quite so bad as we imagined it; that it really doesn't matter what we believe.

We are ignoring our inheritance!

We're not remembering the right things! We think that our parents did what was right at the time, and were simply trying to give us the best education available. And so we run the risk of ignoring our inheritance.

Our inheritance is this: that we are serving the Lord as whole households. Not as age-segregated groups learning either what we already know or do not need to learn, but learning through living a normal family life. It is a lifestyle of change, of casting off worldly presuppositions and turning to God's will in order to seek out the truth.

We must not forget the ways of our fore-fathers. That they have sought God's will and found the truth.

What more do we need?

-Rhoda

Teach Me How to Pray

Today, I’m just popping in quick to share with you a song that has been both blessing and slightly challenging for me.

“Teach Me How to Pray”, by Jim Reeves

(Daddy, my daddy teach me how to pray.)
One night a sleepy little boy knelt beside my bed.
He smiled and looked into my eyes and this is what he said,
“Daddy, my daddy, you’ve taught me lots today.
So daddy, my daddy teach me how to pray.

“You brought me home a brand new kite, and showed me how to fly.
And there ain’t no other kid who’s dad can knock a ball so high!
I’d like to thank God for you but I don’t know what to say.
So daddy, my daddy teach me how to pray.”

I had to turn and leave his room, and he began to cry.
I didn’t want my boy to know—but so did I.
His best pal forsaken him, but what was there to say?
For daddy, his daddy had forgotten how to pray.
(Daddy, my daddy teach me how to pray.)

This song was more written for parents and especially fathers, but I think that this is the kind of song all of us can learn from. No matter what our station in life, there are things that we know that we can pass on to other people. The joy of Jesus. How being a Christian really is—happy and peaceful, not because we have no storms but because He is always with us, even in the darkest storm.

I know I haven’t pulled everything there is to learn from the song out, but I think this is a start.

May God bless you as you begin another week to glorify and praise Him!
~Esther

I Talked To Him Today

 

This is a beautiful song! I’ve heard it many times, and each time it warmed my heart. Jesus is SO good!

Keep shining for Him; you’re a precious jewel in His eyes!

Blessings,

I'm SO thankful....

I'm SO thankful...

~ I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed!
~ I have the Holy Spirit’s power in me!

~ I'm a disciple of Jesus!

~ My past is redeemed! My present makes sense! & my future is secure!

~ I now live by faith, lean on His presence, and walk by patience!

~ My goal is heaven! My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions   are few, my Guide is reliable and my mission is clear!

~ I belong to Jesus!

:: Me and my little brother, Micah - June 2012 ::

Keep pressing on the upward way!

Rachel

Be Strong :: Meditations on Monday

"Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the Lord thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee."

Deuteronomy 31:6

 "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

1 Peter 5:7

"Do not strive in your own strength; cast yourself at the feet of the Lord Jesus, and wait upon Him in the sure confidence that He is with you, and works in you. Strive in prayer; let faith fill your heart-so will you be strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might."

~Andrew Murray~

If I Had My Life To Live Over

If I Had My Life To Live Over

The following was written by the late Erma Bombeck 

sometime after she found out she had kidney disease.

If I had my life to live over, I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained and the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

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I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have sat on the lawn with my children and not worried about grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television - and more while watching life.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, "Later. Now go get washed up for dinner."

There would have been more "I love you's".. More "I'm sorrys" ...

But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute... look at it and really see it ... live it...and never give it back.

© Erma Bombeck

Who was Erma Bombeck?

Erma was born on February 21, 1927, to a working family living in Ohio. Her father died when she was nine years old, and she, along with her mother, moved to her grandmother's home. Her mother remarried two years later. 

Erma entered school when she was five years old, and quickly became an avid reader and accomplished student. She especially enjoyed reading the popular humor writers at her time. When Erma entered Emerson Junior High School in 1940, she began writing a humorous column for its newspaper, The Owl.

In 1949, she converted to Catholicism, and married Bill Bombeck, a veteran of the World War II Korean front. The Bombecks were told by doctors that having children was improbable, and they adopted a little girl named Betsy in 1953. Erma decided to become a full-time housewife, and her writing mostly went by the wayside--besides writing a series of columns in the Dayton Shopping News. They later had two sons, one born in 1955, the other in 1958.

In 1964 Erma Bombeck resumed writing weekly columns in her small bedroom for the local Kettering-Oakwood Times. Her writing career grew, and her articles were featured in 36 major U.S. newspapers. By 1978, 900 U.S. newspapers were publishing Bombeck's columns.

Erma Bombeck had been diagnosed with polycystic kidney disease (a congenital defect) when she was 20 years old, but managed to live most of her life without any problems from it. She had a mastectomy in 1992 after being diagnosed with breast cancer and in 1996, she was brought to a San Francisco hospital for a kidney transplant, which was performed on April 3, 1996. However, complications developed and she died on April 22, 1996, aged 69.

Above information found on the Wikipedia.org article.

NOTE: We do not necissarily endorse Erma's articles. The above is an exception.

A Misuse of Imagination--Wisdom Wednesday

“Worry is a misuse of imagination.” ― Dan Zadra

Matthew 6:25-27, “Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment? Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they? Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?”

Luke 12:25, “And which of you with taking thought can add to his stature one cubit?”

Psalm 55:22, “Cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.”

“We really feel happier when things look bleak.
Hope is endurance. Hope is holding on and going on
and trusting in the Lord.” ― Michael Novak
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Proverbs 12:25, “Heaviness in the heart of man maketh it stoop: but a good word maketh it glad.”

Philippians 4:6-7, “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

1 Peter 5:7, “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

Isaiah 43:1-3, “But now thus saith the Lord that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine. When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee. For I am the Lord thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee.”

“Don't worry when you are not recognized,
but strive to be worthy of recognition.” ― Abraham Lincoln
{Photo Credit}

Some quotes about worrying:

“I’ll give you some symptoms of a sign that your faith is deteriorating–whenever you face all of your problems and you trust only your plans to get you out–it is a sign that your faith is deteriorating.” ― T.D. Jakes

“No one can pray and worry at the same time.” ― Max Lucado

“Knowing that God is faithful, it really helps me to not be captivated by worry. But knowing that He will do what He has said, He will cause it to happen, whatever He has promised, and then it causes me to be less involved in worrying about a situation.” ― Josh McDowell


“Worry is the sin of distrusting the promise and providence of God, and yet it is a sin that Christians commit perhaps more frequently than any other.” ― John MacArthur

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“The more you pray, the less you’ll panic. The more you worship, the less you worry. You’ll feel more patient and less pressured.” ― Rick Warren

“If you spent your life concentrating on what everyone else thought of you, would you forget who you really were?” ― Jodi Picoult

“I am reminded of the advice of my neighbor. ‘Never worry about your heart till it stops beating.’” ― E.B. White

“Worry never robs tomorrow of its sorrow, it only saps today of its joy.” ― Leo Buscaglia

Dead Ducks Don't Flutter

Many years ago, a wealthy man went duck hunting with a hired hand named Sam. They took a horse and carriage, and along the way a rim came off one of the wheels. As Sam hammered it back on, he accidentally hit his finger. Instantly he let go with some bad words. He quickly fell to his knees, asking God’s forgiveness. “Lord, it’s difficult at times to live the Christian life”, he prayed. “Sam” said the man, “I know you’re a Christian, but tell me why you struggle so, I’m an atheist, and I don’t have problems like that.”

Sam didn’t know what to say. Just then two ducks flew overhead. The man raised his gun and two shots rang out. “Leave the dead one and go after that wounded bird!” he shouted. Sam pointed at the duck that was fluttering desperately to escape and said, “I’ve got an answer for you now, Boss. You said my Christianity isn’t any good because I have to struggle so. Well, I’m the wounded duck, and struggle to get away from the devil. But you Boss, you’re the dead duck!”

That insight fits Paul’s description of his Christian experience in Romans 7:14-25. Struggle is one evidence of God’s work in our lives Forgiveness of sin is available, so don’t despair. Remember, dead ducks don’t flutter.

–Dennis De Hann

Struggle, yes, it’s part of living

Nothing’s gained on beds of ease;

But when our heart is set on Jesus,

Struggle drives us to our knees.

–D. De Hann

If Jesus lives within us,

Sin need not overwhelm us.

From Our Daily Bread

         --

Where I found the story

A Worry Box

This post came from The Pursuit. (you can read another one from that website here) It was originally posted on August 3, 2011. Used by permission--thanks, Ariel!

Hey Girls!

Ahh...the summer is counting down! Well, hopefully you're all enjoying it.

Anyway, I was on vacation with my family at a Christian family camp in NH. It's absolutely beautiful and refreshing. They have activities for the teens, and one day they split up the guys and girls and had devotions. Most of what they talked about was the same old stuff you hear all the time. But one thing struck me: our leader was talking about anxieties and worries and how they don't honor God. She said that she has something called a Worry Box. Let me explain.

Nope! You don't have to be fancy.

She keeps a small, decorated box on her desk with a particular Scripture that comforts her written on the outside (for instance Matt. 6:25-34). She keeps a pen and paper inside it. Whenever she becomes worried, anxious or stressed out, she writes the issue down and puts it inside the box. By doing so, she gives each concern to God and trusts Him with the result. After that, she doesn't allow herself to worry about that issue. Instead, she simply reminds herself that it is already in God's hands.

I love this idea! But what if I expanded that idea to something called My Thought Box. You see, I also struggle with worrying, but my bigger problem is my thought life. I am constantly fighting a battle to think pure thoughts and not let the Devil speak lies into my mind. So, for me, writing down anything I'm struggling with in my mind and putting that in a box (i.e., visually handing it to God), would be even better!

This is by no means a magic fix. And there is certainly nothing wrong with simply praying or journaling about your concerns...I do this as well. But for those like me who are very visual, this can be a great way to hand over worries and concerns to God. I can't wait to try it!

Megan

Megan Brainerd, from New York, is a busy nursing student who loves to hang out with her friends, read, and play the piano :) Her email is piano93+@+verizon.+net. (take out the "+'s" to email her)