Month: December 2008

  • Our Savior has come! Let us rejoice!

     

    “My soul magnifies the Lord,
    and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
    for he has looked on the humble estate of his servant.
    For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed;
     for he who is mighty has done great things for me,
    and holy is his name.
     And his mercy is for those who fear him
    from generation to generation.
     He has shown strength with his arm;
    he has scattered the proud in the thoughts of their hearts;
     he has brought down the mighty from their thrones
    and exalted those of humble estate;
     he has filled the hungry with good things,
    and the rich he has sent away empty.
     He has helped his servant Israel,
    in remembrance of his mercy,
     as he spoke to our fathers,
    to Abraham and to his offspring forever.” Luke 1:46

  • One of the prayers I pray most often is, “Lord, fill me afresh this day with Your Holy Spirit. I may have done the tasks that I’m going to do this day a hundred times before. I may think I’m experienced. I may think I’m good at those things now. But I know that apart from You, nothing of eternal significance will be accomplished this day. So, Lord, I look to You to overshadow me, to fill me with Your Spirit. Then I know that the results will be truly supernatural.”

    Nancy Leigh DeMoss

  • I found this UTube on finishstrong’s blog and was so blessed by it!

     

    I love to read missionary stories. I started reading them to my children years ago when we were homeschooling. I considered it part of our history curriculum. Once my children graduated I continued reading them because I found that they helped me stay focused on what God sees as truly important in this life.

    Many times I have thought how much more I could do for God if I were a missionary in a foreign country. But, the Lord continually brings me back to this truth.. “HE” … CHOSE…. me to be born in this country… in this family… in this community for a purpose… for His glory. He may send some to foreign lands but from my limited perspective it seems that I will most likely never travel across the world to share His Word. But,that does not mean that my life should not be about my Father’s business daily.  “HE” has purposely placed my husband and I in a certain geographical place to share Him through His Word. I “AM” a missionary who is called to make disciples.

    My missionary field is first and foremost my HOME which centers around my husband during this season of my life. I must continue to ask myself if I am obeying God’s Word by submitting to him. I want to always ‘do good’ to him. I want my example and my life and my words to encourage him towards godliness.

    My grown children, their spouses and my grandchildren fall under the umbrella of priorities considered under HOME. My influence has not stopped just because they have their own homes. My role has definitely changed but my influence should still be felt. First and foremost I must never stop praying for them. As an older woman I hope that God has given me some wisdom to see things they may not be able to see in how they are living their lives or training their children. I need God’ wisdom to know when to speak and when not to speak but I should NEVER stop praying! I want ‘eternity’ to be the lens through which I always look at each of these precious souls that God has placed in my life and to be faithful to always point them towards Him.

    No matter how passionate I am for my family I must never be content to focus only on their spiritual and physical needs.  God has called me to be more than a wife, mother and grandmother.. even though these may be my primary roles.   I have also been born into a particular family where most do not know Jesus Christ or follow His teachings. May the Lord help me never forget this and to remain faithful to share His Word during those small, teachable moments that come while I am serving them.  

    Then, by His grand design, He has sovereignly placed me in a specific CHURCH, and a specific NEIGHBORHOOD and a specific COMMUNITY.  I’m called to serve, use my gifts, share the gospel and make disciples. I must ever be watching for opportunities to do so.  Am I serving and using my gifts in my local church body? Am I faithful in attendance? Do my neighbors know I serve God? Am I living in such a way that they see a difference? … “and He made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined their appointed times and the boundaries of their habitation…” Acts 17:26.

    I allow myself at times to get sidetracked from these truths and get caught up in the temporal.  This video was a good reminder that only what is done for YOU (Jesus Christ) in this life will last!

    Please, Lord, give me your wisdom to sift the temporary pleasures of this world from the eternal. I don’t want my life wasted on trivial pursuits.

    Please give me tunnel vision where I see all of life through what is important to YOU!

  • The Distracted Woman

     I appreciated this exhortation very much!

    The Distracted Woman

    Are you distracted this holiday season?

    Martha–sister of Mary, friend of Jesus–is famous for being frantic about all she had to do. It says in Luke 10:38 that “Martha was distracted with much serving” (emphasis mine).

    You remember what our Lord said to Martha, don’t you? His gentle rebuke is directed at you and me today.

    “Martha, Martha,” (Sometimes you have to say a distracted woman’s name twice to get her attention.) “You are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41-42).

    What is the “good portion” Mary chose, and that we must choose this Christmas season? She “sat at Jesus’ feet and listened to his teaching” (Luke 10:39).

    I know, I know, you have a lot to do and no one to help you. But so did Martha. You may have a crowd for Christmas, but she had the incarnate God in her home. And Jesus told her not to worry about all that. Only one thing is necessary, He said: sit and listen to me.

    This doesn’t mean we are to leave the Christmas shopping unfinished and forget about cooking the big meal. We are still called to serve. But, as Charles Spurgeon suggests, “We ought to be Martha and Mary in one: we should do much service, and have much communion at the same time. For this we need great grace. It is easier to serve than to commune.”

    Let’s ask God for great grace this holiday season. Let’s take time to sit and listen to Him.

    (Posted by Nicole at Girltalk)

  • 1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Style

    If I decorate my house perfectly with lovely plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls, but do not show love to my family – I’m just another decorator.
    If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family – I’m just another cook.
    If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family – It profits me nothing.
    If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.
    Love stops the cooking to hug the child.
    Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.
    Love is kind, though harried and tired.
    Love doesn’t envy another home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.
    Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of the way.
    Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.
    Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.
    Love never fails.  Video games will break; pearl necklaces will be lost; golf clubs will rust.  But giving the gift of love will endure.

    1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Style
    ©By Sharon Jaynes

  • Mothering our Husbands

    Good morning,

    I had a friend suggest a study about ‘mothering our husbands’. I’ve been thinking about it and thought it might be an interesting little mini-study so I’ve begun to pray about it and collect some ideas to put on paper. I think most of us have been guilty of it at one time or another? Or am I the only one?

     

    Anywhoooo… I was wondering if you ladies had any thoughts on the subject or any scriptures you’d like to share? Or maybe you’ve read a good article on it? Right now I’m collecting scriptures that specify the duties of a mother towards her children and contrasting that with a wife’s duties. I’m also looking for examples in scripture of women who may have ‘mothered’ and wives who did not.

    Since ‘mothering our husbands’ is not a biblical term I’m thinking that it probably is going to fall under the category of a woman leading the husband instead of biblically submitting and allowing them to lead our homes.

     

    So what think ye?

    Hugs,

    Georgene

  •  “I’m afraid that all the grace that I have received from my comfortable and easy times and happy hours might almost lie on a penny, but the good that I have received from my sorrows, my pains and my griefs, is altogether incalculable.”

    Charles Spurgeon

     

    I was reading about the sorrows and physical pains that Charles Spurgeon endured in his lifetime. It’s a very long list. He not only suffered from depression but serious gout problems and other physical ailments. He lived in pain for many years. His wife was bedridden for most of their married life.

    The world would look at the quote above by this man and think it insane. How could one count all that he endured as the platform to receive ‘good’ in one’s life.? But, in God’s economy, His greatest power is shown forth in our weakness as we depend on Him and that is where our need for Christ’s grace becomes our dearest blessing!

    How extremely, abundantly, over the top BLESSED we are to serve such a God who is not only acquainted with our grief and sorrows but has the power to help us through them. How truly blessed!

  • Survive and Thriving in an Economic Crisis: We have everything we need

    I’m reading Nancy Leigh DeMoss daily message this morning and was so blessed that I just had to share it with SOMEONE!

    Here is just a small portion of it. If it strikes an interest in you then you can read the rest at:

    Surviving and Thriving in an Economic Crisis: We have everything we need!

    “It’s almost hard to believe this account. If it weren’t in God’s Word, we’d say, “How could this be?” But in the opening verses of 2 Corinthians 8, Paul says to the Corinthians,

    We want you to know, brothers, about the grace of God that has been given among the churches of Macedonia, for in a severe test of affliction, [he's talking about these churches in Macedonia. They had a severe test of affliction, and in the midst of that affliction] their abundance of joy and their extreme poverty have overflowed in a wealth of generosity on their part (verses 1-2).

    Now, I’ll just tell you, accountants don’t get that equation. It doesn’t make sense. You can’t do the math and get that one. You’re scratching your head.

    You read they’ve got a severe test of affliction. They’ve got extreme poverty, and with it, they have an abundance of joy. They overflow in a wealth of generosity. How does that work? It’s the grace of God.

    He said it was the grace of God that was given to these churches, and look at verse 3, which tells how they gave. “They gave according to their means.” Paul says, “I can testify, and beyond their means, of their own accord.”

    Nobody coerced them. Nobody begged them. Nobody said, “You have to give.” They gave what they had to give, and they gave “beyond their means.”

    How do you give beyond your means? I don’t know, but I’d like to find out. I’d like to be able to have it said of me that God’s grace was so rich in my life that I was able to abound, to overflow in generosity, and to give even beyond my means.

    Verse 4 says they, “(Begged) us earnestly.” These people who were going through a severe test of affliction and extreme poverty, they begged us earnestly for the favor of taking part in the relief of the saints. They said, “Please, Paul, don’t leave us out in the offering. I know we’re poverty stricken, but we want to have a part in this offering.” What a great picture that is of God’s grace!”