Today was a financially ‘challenging’ day! I found my thoughts wandering to all the ‘what ifs’ of our financial future. I had to reign them in more than once and remind myself NOT to worry about tomorrow.I’m not even promised tomorrow. Today is all I have been given … really only this moment because I’m not even promised my next breath.  I laid down after lunch to rest my feet and pulled out John Piper’s book called, What Jesus Demands from the World. The chapter I chose to read was called “Do not be anxious about the necessities of daily life”. What a blessing!

“The second reason Jesus gives for not being anxious is in Matthew 6:26: “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” What we see when we look at the birds is not a lesson in laziness. They dig their worms and snatch their bugs and pad their nests with strings and leaves. But Jesus says it is God who feds them. Birds don’t anxiously hoard things as though God will not do the same tomorrow. They go about their work – and we should go about our work – as though, when the sun comes up tomorrow, God will still be God.” 

I was very blessed by this exhortation! It reminded me to keep focused on what God has called me to do today and not to worry about tomorrow. I have a loving heavenly Father who knows what I need. I  need only to trust and obey!

I looked out the kitchen windows  and watched a covering of dark clouds fill the sky. It seemed so gloomy and dark!  But, suddenly, my eyes noticed an opening in the distance. Through the opening there peered glorious prisms of bright rainbow colors! It reminded me of heaven. Oh, yes, Lord! I remember! This is not my home!These small trials will not last forever. The trials of this life will soon be over and I will be HOME! My real home! Praise His glorious Name!

 Scripture says we should be adorned  (1 Tim. 2:10) and known (1 Timothy 5:10) for good works (along with many, many other commands).   I have to ask myself regularly if this describes my life? And if not, then what is stealing the time needed to obey these scriptures?   Is there something I can give up in order to obey God’s word to do good works?  

I’m thinking that since godly women are to be KNOWN and ADORNED with GOOD WORKS then it would benefit us to know what those good works are.  So, I have a kind of unusual TAG for ’ya all.

Can you name TWO GOOD WORKS that God commands you to do in Scripture?

I’ll start:

1. Bringing up children (1 Tim 5:10)

2. Helping those in trouble (1 Tim 5:10)

It’s okay if you don’t remember the verse where it’s found. It’s okay if you only can remember one. Please post anyway. I’ll look up the scripture for you.

I think this is a very worthwhile practice! Don’t you?

I’m sorry that I haven’t been posting much lately. I’ve been doing a lot of reevaluating… especially of duties outside my home (or inside my home via computer). This is a regular occurrence for me… this evaluating thingie! I like to compare the work I do each day to what scripture says a woman should be doing and see if I’m on target. Of course, that means I need to KNOW what Scripture says, which means study time needs to be a high priority. Time is running out for me on this earth… I’ll be 50 this year. Most likely, there are less days ahead of me than behind!  I feel such an urgency to focus on what God says is important and not waste my days left in pursuits that have no eternal value. Just because I am working in my home doesn’t mean that I am spending my time in the best possible way for the kingdom. I hope to bring Him glory as I make Him more accurately known by obeying His Word! 1 Cor. 10:31

 So, here is a list of what I did today. I want to look at how I spent my time to see if it lines up with what Scripture says I should be doing. Do you see anyway that I could have made better use of my time in obeying Scripture? Um…er…. maybe deleting Paula’s Home Cooking show would have been a good start?

* 7:30-9:00 am  Bible Study (hubbins didn’t work today so we slept in)    (SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM, MT. 6:33)

* 9:00-9:30am   Dressed, hair, make bed, straighten bedroom

* 9:30-12:00pm    2 phone calls, washed and hung one load of whites, vacuum house, shampoo hall and throw rugs, deep cleaned living room by moving furniture and vacuuming and cleaning windows, cleaned my bathroom toilet. (SHE LOOKS WELL TO THE WAYS OF HER HOUSEHOLD, PROVERBS 31:27)

*12:00-12:30pm     Lunch

* 12:30-1:00pm  Cleaned up lunch and worked on putting things away from cleaning.

* 1:00-1:30pm  Rested my feet and watched Paula’s Home Cooking. (I’M DEBATING ON STOPPING THIS PRACTICE SINCE PAULA’S RECIPES ARE NOT LOW CARB AND IT SEEMS TO STIR UP A DESIRE TO EAT HIGH CARB FOODS.)

* 1:30- 3:00pm  Painted windowsill, finished putting things away from cleaning, finished vacuuming my bedroom   and retreat room (PROVERBS 31:27)

* 3:00- 4:30pm   Balanced my mother’s checkbook… had problems … lots of calls to Mom (WE’RE TO VISIT WIDOWS IN THEIR TROUBLE, JAMES 1:27)

* 4:30-6:00pm    Worked in my office on personal/business paperwork (My husband has asked that I handle the paperwork for our personal finances and I still do some of the business paperwork. (CREATED TO BE HIS HELPMATE, GEN 2:18. I’m to submit to my husband 1 Peter 3:5-6 )

* 6:00-7:00pm    Hubbins was working in the shop so dinner was later than usual. Cleaned out fridge while I made dinner, open up house to cool it down

* 7:00-7:40pm   Hubbins and I used this time for bible study (SEEKING FIRST THAT KINGDOM AGAIN!*S*), worked on flyer for church bridal shower

* 7:40-8:00pm  Shower, pull down quilt for bedtime, turn on night lights, close up windows

*8:00-10:00pm   Relaxing, searching internet for encouraging, godly sites. I use a laptop while dh is watching tv.  (Hmm… would this qualify as some sort of fellowship?) 

There are so many more commands directed towards the godly woman plus a myriad of general commands that would apply, too.  I’m sure there is no way that we can fulfill each of them in a day but as the Lord directs and leads people into our lives and as we use our gifts in the local church body and work in our homes we can hopefully put a small dent in them.   

It would be fun to see a schedule from you gals and then have you try to line up what you did with scripture.  What do you say? Be sure to post here if you decide to take my challenge. *Smile*

We have a lot of homeless people in California. Rarely do I leave my home to go shopping that I don’t see a quite a few begging for food.

What do you do when you see a homeless person with a sign on a street corner asking for food?

Do you stop and give them money?

Do you drive by not knowing WHAT to do?

Do you give them food?

Do you hand them a gospel tract?

Do you feel guilty if you don’t stop?

Do you have scriptures that you base your actions on?

The other day I was in a parking lot and there was a man sitting on the curb hunched over.. possibly sleeping as he was holding a sign.  As I glanced over at this man I immediately thought to myself… if he were a hungry, lost animal I would find food for him … yet I’m not always sure what to do when I passby a living soul created in God’s image. I’m wondering why he is not working? Is he on drugs and will he use the money for something other than food? I have a lot of questions that run through my mind and a myriad of scriptures. As I’m thinking through these thoughts and going through scriptures in my mind I’ve already passed him by him and feel guilty.  

Here are just a few of the scriptures  I’m looking at to form a conclusion on this:

Matt 19:21 – Jesus answered, “If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”

Matt 25:35-36 - For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’

Luke 3:11 -John answered, “The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same.”

There are many, many others. Some are directed specifically towards our brothers and sisters in the Lord. Then there are direct commands concerning who NOT to feed (those who wont’ work 2 Thess. 3:10).

So, I’m wondering what are your convictions concerning those who are homeless on the streets? Do you stop and give them money or food? Do you give them ‘gift certificates’ for food? And if so… by what Scriptures are you being motivated? I’d love to hear from you.