10.22.13

1 Timothy 6:6-8 Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth.  After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the word, and we can't take anything with us when we leave it.  So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content.

My Thoughts

I remember one of my most favorite times in life was when my kids were little, when they had not started school yet.  We were just content.  We didn't need much, we had unhooked the TV so that they would learn to love books, and so we would not get so caught up in TV we missed out on them.  We spent time with family and friends and went to church.   There were no strangers telling us what we needed and what we had was enough.  The kids had "enough" clothes, they didn't need many. After all we were not comparing them to the kids around them, we were just making sure they were warm and clean and well fed.  We were content. They were content.  We felt rich in all things that mattered, we were rich in love.  I never think of those days without smiling.

Then they started school, and we started thinking they needed what the other kids had.  We thought we needed a bigger house, I thought I needed to go back to work. Then after several years in school we got busy, busy, busy... keeping up...with the world. We even turned the TV back on ... and on it there were commercials telling us that we needed even more.   Life got way to busy, and at times we felt like we didn't have enough.  That we couldn't do enough for our kids.  We lost our way.  We lost our way by trying to fit into the world.  We wanted the best for our children.... and by trying to give them "the best" we ran out of enough time to show love the best way you can show love, with your time.  We got to busy trying to show love with what we were able to do.  All along we loved our kids and each other...but we get busy trying to meet the needs of our kids through what the world said they needed instead of meeting the needs of our kids through what God teaches us we need.  Love and just enough food, just enough clothes, learning to be content with what we have...and the time to share the love that we feel for each other. 

We are fast approaching the Holiday season... and I say Holiday season because we treat it like the world would have us treat it.  We change our lives for a year so we can give people things, things that we will still be put in their closets, things that won't change the lives of the recipient but change our budgets for a whole year. Things that often we don't even remember next year.  We get so super busy during the Holidays buying "love" for that special moment of gift opening,  that we spend 2 months without any time to show love.  And often we spend months before or months after in worry about how we will pay for that moment of "love."  We spend so much time and money on that "magic moment" that we lose out on may magic moments.  Why? Because we have lost sight on how to be content with what we have, we are consumed with what others around us have and we want the same.  We have gotten so caught up in the world that when others don't have what we have we judge them instead of making sure that they have enough to be content too.  We spend so much time keeping up, that we stress ourselves for a year over a day that should be a celebration of LOVE not things. 

In America we have so much that we have lost sight of what enough really is.  And this verse tells us that enough to eat and "enough" clothes (probably to keep clean) is enough.  It also tells us to learn to be contentment with what we have is great wealth. 

When I was a little girl, a happy little girl, my mom and dad and I lived in a 4 room house.  It had two bedrooms, a living room and a kitchen and one bathroom...oh, and a small sun porch, I forgot about that room.  Nothing about it was big or fancy...the closets were tiny...and when I started school we filled my closet with 5 new outfits for school... one for each day of the week.  When I look back on perfect I see that little house with my mom and dad and me.  I believe that when my kids look back on "perfect" they see us in our double-wide mobel home, with me at home and no TV and just enough clothes. The days of contentment and time to show the love we so deeply felt...the love we so deeply feel.

God knows what makes us truly happy!  Loving and depending on Him, loving each other and being content with what we have.  God knows what makes us feel truly wealthy, love for Him and each other and contentment with what we have. We just need to listen. 

10.21.13

1 Timothy 5:13 And if they (younger widows) are on the list (to be taken care of by the church) they will learn to be lazy and will spend their time gossiping from house to house, meddling in other people's business and talking about things they shouldn't.

My Thoughts

I found this verse interesting.  I was applying it in my mind to those times when I have tried to decided when or if I should help somebody.  There are those times we should help people for sure!  It is obvious, it would be wrong not to do so.  Then there are those times when people ask for help and you know that if you help them they will go and buy something that is not good for them, like a drug addict. But there are also those times when you start to help somebody and you get that nudge not to do it.  It can be confusing, very confusing at times.  When this has happened to me I have wondered if my confusion was selfish or was is based on something that I needed to think about.

This verse helps me.  When those times of questioning come up in those moments of decision I will know to ask, "Will this help, help or will it enable this person to sin?"  This verse lets me know that it is important not to "enable" a person that is able, that is not good for them.  Sometimes the best help is not to help. 

I never, ever want to miss use this verse...but sometimes I do need help in knowing.  We, Robby and I, have at times when we didn't know "if" to help could have benefited from this verse.  God has all the answers, we just have to know where to look. 

10.20.13

1 Timothy 4:8 "Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.

My Thoughts

I read this and couldn't help but think of that 9 or 10 months I spent exercising almost every day.  It made me feel good.  It made me look good.  It got me up and got me going.  It gave me more energy to last the day.  It was good for my heart and lungs, my whole body.  Feeling good can even change your attitude.  It changed how the people around me viewed me.  It changed how I viewed myself.  

As wonderful as that was for me... it did not have the benefits that reading my Bible has had, it did not have the benefits that Bible Study has had.  It did not have the benefits that making godly friends has had.  It did not have the benefits that going to chruch in a godly church has had. 

Each day as I pick up my Bible to read I am amazed at the new things that I learn.  Each day it grows me into a better person. Each day it renews my spirit, my joy, my strength, my peace.  Each time I meet with people at my church my knowledge is expanded beyond what I understand in my reading... and my understanding expands the people around me.  Each day that I pick up my Bible I love God more, I love people more.  The peace that I receive can not be bought in pill bottles or at doctor's offices, it can't be found in any other book on earth.  My walk with God, my daily Bible reading grows me in amazing ways.. it has helped me overcome fear and anxiety, panic and depression.  It has taught me how to use the power of words to call down healing on my body from Heaven. It has healed relationships in my life and taught me how to love more completely than I was ever able to love before.  And as much as I loved and respected Robby all of our marriage, it has taught me how love, honor and respect Robby and our marriage even more.  The words that drop into my heart each day as I grow in God are life changing and I cherish each one of them. 

If you do not read your Bible daily I so encourage you to do so, I beg you to do so!  I so wish that I could put it into words how amazingly different my life is.  I just don't want a person missing out on the amazing things God can do in us when we pick up our Bibles and start to read. God's word never, ever returns void.  There is nothing that makes me happier than to hear that somebody has started reading their Bible each day... I feel so excited for their future. God has always, always returned to me the time that I use to read my Bible.  And in the process grew me by leaps and bounds. 

10.19.12

1 Timothy 4:13 Until I get there, focus on reading the Scriptures to the church, encouraging the believers and teaching them.

My Thoughts

This is in a letter from Paul to Timothy.  From what I understand in these times so many people didn't read and the Bible had not been put together.  People had access to copied scrolls of God word.  The scrolls were read allowed to the people. It is the only way they had access to God's word.

Here Timothy was suppose to focus on reading God's word to the people... the people were suppose to focus on hearing it.  They were to encourage each other, teach each other and learn from each other.   

 

Today we have God word available in so many ways.. in so many easy to understand translations.  We have God's word at our fingertips online.  Most homes have more than one Bible sitting somewhere on a shelf or tucked away in a drawer.  We can put God's word on our Notebooks and our Smart Phones. 

 

There has always, always been a Bible in my home...yet I went for years without picking it up and truly reading it.  A wealth of knowledge and answers to all my problems were here in my house and I didn't take the time to pick up the handbook and read.  But when finally did wonderful things began to happen.  Wonderful things.

 

Here we are commanded to focus on reading the Scriptures and today we don't have to wait on anybody to read it to us!!  We are so blessed that we live in a country where we have the freedom to read God's word.  God's word has the wonderful, amazing power to protect us, but only if we know what it says!!  It is beyond important that we know God's word enough for it to drop down into our hearts.  The only way to know God's word that good is to read and read and read!  We have so much to learn and learning take our determination, our time and an effort on our part.  But once we pick up that Bible with a sincere heart to know what God wants us to know, God does the rest. God makes us able to understand and with  understanding of all that wonderful knowledge comes amazing change.

 

When we study God's word and grow in Him, He will send down blessing from heaven that we didn't even know to want!! 

10.16.12

1 Timothy 1:8-9a We know that the law is good when used correctly.  For the law was not intended for people who do what is right. It is for people who are lawless and rebellious, who are ungodly and sinful, who consider nothing sacred and defile what is holy.

 

My Thoughts

This verse got me to thinking about how as we move further from God the more policemen we need... the more laws that have to be made.  Each day a new laws go on the books in cities and towns across our nation....because we have become a people that does not love or care for his neighbor. We see it everywhere people who consider nothing sacred.  Selfishness abounds. 

 

I have been watching a lot of old television shows The Walton's, Andy Griffith... those towns had a sheriff...not a fleet of policemen.  I know, I know you can say, "That is TV."  But TV reflects how we live.  My sweet husband, Robby remembers when Southside had two policemen, his mom remembered when there was one part-time policeman. Now I am not sure how many we have...I sure don't know them all. 

 

We have more policeman because we have a need for more policeman.  It is an clear sign that we are moving away from Godly values. 

 

When my mother was a child, my grandmother thought everything was a sin (the way my mother would tell the stories). She was really strict about things like playing cards and going to the movies on Sundays. My mom would say, "What is the difference in going to the movie on Monday or Friday and going on Sunday?" I tended to agree with her. 

 

Now I think erring on the side of  being a little "out there" might be the best way to go.  My grandmother's rules were like a box inside a box.  So if you stepped out of her box... you were still safe from sin.  Today we live more like if it might be okay to do something then "why not!" So we are constantly walking in the "little sins" and when we step outside of that box we are stepping into something that could lead us down a path we might never return from. 

 

When we learn to love and trust God and all that He says... we begin to live more like my grandmother, we choose not to take a chance that something might be bad. If it is questionable we just choose not to do it. I think my grandmother had the right idea.

 

If as a nation, as individual people would choose to cry out to God, to live like He ask us to live it is possible to life in a day like Mayberry.  But it is only possible with God.  We always have a choice between blessing and curses (Deuteronomy 11:26). When we choose God we get the blessing of His protection.

1.9.12

Matthew 7:20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruits, so you can identify people by their actions.

My Thoughts

I once worked with a man that talked all the time about being a Christian. When I met him I was impressed by his talk. Then the more I was around him the more I realized that all he was was talk. He was unkind and unfair to his employees. He denied people breaks they were suppose to have, he lied.  He  jeopardized every employee by not taking care of his duties as manager. He even stole from the store. The store was in danger of closing when he got there...his actions were the final nail in the coffin of the store, the doors did shut and many, many people lost their jobs. This man not only effected the people in the store he also effected their families and his family. His mouth said that he was a Christian, his actions said that he wasn't. The fruit of his spirit was not love.

When we become Christians God puts the Holy Spirit inside us... making us able to grow the fruits of the spirit where are  fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5: 22-23). We should be able to see these fruits in our lives.

This man I knew talked about being a Christian was not producing these kinds of fruits at all.

When we find that the fruit that we are producing is not loving and caring..when we find ourselves not being kind..when our lives don't produce goodness..and we feel no joy or peace..... we need to step back and examine our actions. Ask God to show us where our actions are coming from. Sometimes God will show us that we are not walking in love ourselves...sometimes God may show us that someone else is not walking in love and it is effecting us... our answer may be to remove ourselves from a situation that is causing changes in our hearts... we may need to put ourselves back on fertile ground where love can grow where the fruits of the spirit abound....  Either way once we find ourselves not producing fruits of love something in our hearts has changed... it is a caution that we need to refocus... talk with God and get back to a place where we produce the good things that God intended for us to have. We all have out moments...where something wrong gets grafted into our trees... when that happens we need to prune our tree so we only grow in goodness.

It is our duty to take care that our tree grows the fruits of the spirit..we are to be diligent (1 Timothy 4:15) to make sure that our lives reflect our hearts...as Christians our hearts are made for love, joy, peace, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self- control and forbearance. When we go to God and say something had grafted the wrong fruit on my tree... God will gently prune our tree and make it right again. Our part is to make time to notice what is amiss and to go to God for help.



10.20.11

1 Timothy 5:25 In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

My Thoughts

2 Thessalonians 3:13 tells us "As for the rest of you, dear brothers and sisters, never get tired of doing good." We all get that point sometimes, when everybody around us seems to not be doing good and we keep trying to do what is right. We go about doing good sometimes and feel like nobody even cares or notices anyway. God always knows when we do good... when we are being good. And even if we think nobody sees what we do... somebody sees. Our reputation is being built one good deed, one good action, one good choice at a time. God always knows.  It is always worth choosing to do the right thing. Never give up!!

10.19.11

1 Timothy 4:8 Physical training is good, but training for godliness is much better, promising benefits in this life and in the life to come.

My Thoughts

I love this!!!... love it!  I am finding it to be so so true in my life.  Look at this verse it says training for godliness promises benefits in this life.  Our life here on earth will be better when we train to be godly!!  It will also bring us benefits in the life to come!!  Train is defined as : to direct the growth of (a plant) usually by bending, pruning, and tying  : to form by instruction, discipline, or drill... we have to work at being godly...we have to learn and grow... we have to use what we have learned... we have to first make an effort to use what we have learned... a very conscious effort... then use it over and over again until it becomes what we do automatically.  We have to train our bodies, our hands, our feet, our mouths, our minds to do what Jesus would do.  But first we have to learn what it is that Jesus would do. 

When a solider goes into basic training they do the drills over and over and over again.  They practice what they will do before the shot a gun... they do it so much that when they have to make the decision to do the first step...and the shot comes naturally.  They don't actually make the decision to make the shot... they make the decision to take the first step in making the shot... so they will shoot without hesitation when the times comes to save their lives or the lives of a fellow officer.  They have trained for this.. their mind, their hands, their whole bodies have been conditioned to follow through.. Once the drill is set into motion their reaction is automatic.

That is how we should be with the word of God...we should read it and learn it... make it a part of our heart.  Then we should put it into practice over and over and over again... so when the time comes that we are in a position to make a quick decision... or when the time comes when we are too exhausted to even think...  or when the time comes that we are too stressed to think our automatic response will be a godly one. Our minds, our hands our body, our mouths will do the right thing because it has been trained to do what God would want.  We should never underestimate the power of that training.  Just as the benefits of  a soldiers training can save his life... or the lives of the people around him, godly training can save our lives. Godly training can save the lives of the people around us.  Godly training promises, PROMISES to benefit our life now...and our life in heaven. 

I have often wondered if I would make a difference in the life of anybody here on earth... I think we all have.  We have so much to do just to get through a day.. to pay the bills.. to get people where they need to be.  What I am learning is that when we do what God ask of us people notice.  Being godly changes us and the people around us. There is a dear, dear lady in my church, her name is Kay.  She is one of the most godly women I have ever know.  She is always kind, always.  She is always willing to say a prayer for others. She is always encouraging. When I needed her most I called her and she got dressed and met me at the hospital the day my mom died. She did this without any hesitation. When she opens her mouth we all listen, there will for sure be a wonderful nugget of information that will change me if I follow it.  Ms Kay makes me want to be a better person.  Ms Kay makes my daughter want to be a better person.  Ms Kay makes my friends that know her want to be a better person.  Ms Kay has trained herself for godliness and it shows in all that she says and all that she does. Ms Kay is changing the lives of all the people around her... she is leaving such a beautiful footprint on our earth...and making such a wonderful home for herself in heaven.  Ms Kay is always in training.

We spend our days doing so much that matters and then we spend our days doing so much that doesn't seem to matter much at all. There are opportunities everywhere to get a bit of training in. Nothing can change our lives more than to learn to live our lives in constant pursuit of godly wisdom. It is never to late to learn and grow.  We can start with just one decision to do one thing that will set us on the path of godliness.. God will honor our effort and change our world.  What do you want your footprint to say about you?

10.17.11

1 Timothy 2:1 I [Paul] urge you [Timothy], first of all, to pray for all people.  Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.

My Thoughts

We each come in contact with so many people.... when we buy groceries, when we work... driving down the road... being out and about.... we even come in contact with people sitting at home...thanks to modern technology.  We each have a thought about most the people we come in contact with.  Even if its fleeting... we use our energy to have somewhat random thoughts about people all the time.... even people we see across the room we tend to have a thought or two about them. Simple thoughts like she was nice, I like her hair.  Could he have been more rude! What pretty eyes he had. I wish they would move out of my way!!  Do you really have to take up the whole isle!!  We have thoughts that don't change a thing except  our mood. 

What if we made it our habit to fill our head with simple prayers for people instead of random thoughts. This would for sure take some effort... we would have to fix our mind on doing it.  But, one thing we know from God's word is that prayer changes things... prayer changes people.... prayer changes us!!  We need to maybe use those random thoughts to be a reminder to pray... we can pray simple prayers for people like... "Thank you God for this sweet lady that checked me out today... her smile is wonderful.   Please give her more reasons to smile."  When somebody is so intent on blocking the isle when they shop we can pray, "Dear God you know the needs in this person's life... I myself can see they are so busy they are lost in their own world... please supply their needs God, please make their life less stressful." If a car pulls out in front of us we can pray, "Please God, keep this person safe and help them get to where they need to be on time."  Our prayers can change peoples lives, our prayers open doors.  We may never see what our prayers do for somebody... but they will make a difference in the lives of others... we can go about being productive by putting our thoughts into constructive prayer.  Not only will we be doing others good...we will be doing ourselves good, by being in constant contact with God.  Imagine if we spent our time in prayer for others instead of in thoughts of how people could have been nicer to us, how our moods would changes. We all know how important a good mood is for a good day!  When we do what God ask of us... he takes care of the rest... God in return will take care of our moods if we take care to pray for others. 

I was in Wal-Mart just yesterday buying groceries.... with at least 3 chances on each isle to send a prayer up for somebody....15 isles x 3 prayers... that is a good 45 opportunities to make a difference in a one hour shopping trip.  Instead I chose to have random thoughts ... I made a choice yesterday not to be productive in my thoughts. When I think of it that way ... it makes me sad!  Our thoughts change our lives for good or for bad... our prayers change everything, our prayers make a difference! How many prayers will you say today?

10.21.10

1 Timothy 6:17-19  Teach those who are rich in this world not to be proud and not to trust in their money, which is so unreliable.  Their trust should be in God, who richly gives us all we need for our enjoyment. They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others.  By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.

My Thoughts

In the past couple of years we have learned that we can't always rely on our money... and we shouldn't... In America so many of us are "rich".... a huge percentage of us have more than what we need.... most of us in fact, in America, have more than what we need... yet we go around talking about what we don't have... what a slap in the face that is to God.... we don't just live in a house... we live in houses that are very nice... and have more rooms than we really need... with nice furniture... we have so much that storage buildings are popping up everywhere to hold our "stuff"... yet we complain... we shop for clothes as a past time in America... all these things are wonderful to have, they are gifts from God... and we need to stop and be thankful for these gifts, not complain that God has not given us more... and instead of storing up treasures in a storage building that we have to pay for we need to be aware of the people around us in need... we need to be aware of the people that don't have enough clothes... or always enough food... we need to take care of these people... and quit taking care of our excessive desires that are so unimportant to us that we end up selling them in a yard sell... God loves to shower us with gifts.. just like we love to give our own children gifts... but just like we like to see our children share, God likes to see us share.... just like it hurts us when our children act like we have not done enough for them... it hurts God when we say that we don't have enough!... I read somewhere recently that "Our faith becomes effective when we acknowledge the good." ... today as we go about our day lets remember to be thankful to God for what we have... lets not let ourselves complain once because we don't have an outfit or toy we "want"... and if we find ourselves thinking for even a second that we don't have enough...lets stop the devil in his tracks and look up to God and list ten things that he has given us that we are thankful for... lets take time to acknowledge the good that God has done for us!

10.20.10

1 Timothy 5:24-25 Remember, the sins of some people are obvious, leading them to certain judgement.  But there are others whose sins will not be revealed until later.. In the same way, the good deeds of some people are obvious. And the good deeds done in secret will someday come to light.

My Thoughts

What do you want to come to light in your future good or bad?... it is a choice.

10.19.10

1 Timothy 4:16 Keep a close watch on how you live and on your teaching. Stay true to what is right and for the sake of your own salvation and for the salvation of those who hear you.

My Thoughts

This is so important!... How we live does effect those around us and we need to be constantly aware of that fact... you may never utter a word to somebody about how important it is to follow God... but you can be a great witness by how you live... Jesus said that we should love God with all our heart and soul and mind and that we should love our neighbor as our self (Luke 10:27).  To show others that God lives within us we need to be sweet and kind and loving... and follow all that God teaches us... and God teaches that "Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful; it is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrong but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends (1 Corinthians 13:4-8). If we are hateful and demanding... if we always bring up something some body's past wrongs... even if we are not hopeful.. if we with hold our love we are not being true to what is right... we need to go about our day being what love is not only for our own salvation but for the salvation of those around us... I heard somebody say that we shouldn't just act like a Christian we should also react like a Christian... I worked this lady once that talked about being a Christian... and she could pray like nobodies business... but how she treated people when she was in a bad mood was awful!... I wasn't going to church at the time...and she made me not want to go to church ever... we need to be the kind of Christian that makes people want what we have... Not the kind of person that makes people want to run the other way... We should never have to tell somebody that we are a Christian they should see it in our actions!

10.17.10

1 Timothy 2:8 In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.

My Thoughts

I love a church like this!!... Church should be a place of worship... a place so filled with the love of God there is no anger... and no controversy... we should all conduct ourselves in a way that makes each and every person feel love when the walk through the doors of the church we attend... just think what a joyous place church could be if we all made sure we were filled with the love of God before we walked in the door to worship... we need to each take the responsibility of making people welcome in our personal place of worship... I myself plan to take that step and be one of the people with their arms stretched out.... and a face that says I am so happy you are here!!.. to regular attenders and new people to the people that don't get the opportunity to be at church much.... if we each took on the responsibility to make sure that our presence at church was our hands lifted up to God, that we were free from anger and controversy...and each try our best to spread the love of God to others churches all over the country would have to build on to their buildings!!... What an amazing movement that would be!!

10.16.10

1 Timothy 1:5 The purpose of my instructions is that all believers would be filled with love that comes form a pure heart, a clear conscience, and genuine faith.

My Thoughts

Do you ever just wake up feeling angry?… or do you ever feel like there are just people that you can’t love…. Do you ever just hate the world?… we all have those moments, because we are human…. But to get over those moments we need to search our hearts… confess of our sins and ask forgiveness, we need to forgive others…. We need to practice our faith… our faith is only genuine when we put it into practice…. If we do the things that God ask of us we can be filled with such love for everything and everybody… God made the world and all its people we need to be filled with love for his creations… loving everybody, no matter…. Loving all things is a wonderful way to worship God… hate and anger is a form of worship of the devil… so when you feel angry, or stressed… when we feel anger or stress… when we wake up and hate the world or the day or all the people around us… that is warning that we need to stop and get right with God… to forgive and to ask forgiveness for our sins… God will fill us with love… and life is so much better with love in our hearts!