Day 16 - Be Encouraged: God Will Forgive

 
Have you ever felt like you have just messed up too many times?

1 John 1:9 (NKJV)

If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 He is faithful to forgive. 

mms.nps.gov

There is a cone geyser in Yellowstone National Park called Old Faithful.  "It is ... called the most predictable geographical feature on Earth erupting (on the average) almost every 91 minutes."  (Wikipedia)

God, who created Old Faithful, is more faithful than that!

And if you think that what you have done is too great a sin for Him to forgive; why then, you are making that sin bigger than God!

If you sincerely repent, He will sincerely forgive.  It's as simple as that.


 If you'd like to read all the 31 Days of Encouragement posts that have been published to date, click here.



I'm also linking this post to On Your Heart Tuesday at Shanda's A Pause On The Path.

  

Seasoned With Love

The other day, we decided to tryout this little mom and pop restaurant down the road from our house.  The food was really great:  chicken and dumplings, green beans, seven layer salad, deviled eggs.  Jim splurged and got some "Peach Crunch Cake,"  which was really like a peach crisp.  

Yum. Yum.

In fact, this new establishment is our kind of place.  The menu showed a lot of choices that made me think of the good food that we are served so often at church dinners.  I call it "church lady food,"  because church ladies make the best meals ever.

It doesn't matter what denomination or what location.  If you want some good eating, just go visit a church who is having some kind of dinner.

Why does "church lady food" always taste good?

I think it is because it is served with love and eaten in fellowship.  Eating with people you love just seasons everything perfectly.

A wise man named Solomon knew this, also.
 

Better a small serving of vegetables with love
    than a fattened calf with hatred.
Proverbs 15:17 

When I was a kid, people always loved to come over to my Granny Violet's and eat.  Granny was a church lady who was always having company.  She loved to serve two different main dishes whenever having guests to ensure there would be something that everyone liked. As she grew older, she would wear herself out cooking. I'd say, "Granny, why do you cook so much food and wear yourself out?"  She'd say that she like to make plenty so that she would have "leave-overs" for the next few days.  

More often than not, she'd have people over to help her eat the leave-overs, too.

Truth was, she just loved having people over.  Everyone felt the love and kept coming back.  It didn't matter if she was down to just beans, greens and cornbread, she could always find willing dinner companions.

Granny's dinners are now over.  She has served her last meal on earth, but I'm thankful for the example she set.  Yes, do your best when cooking for others, but more importantly, show how much you love all those who sit down to eat at your table.  Your love will make everyone think the food is seasoned just right.

This was written in community with Shanda's "On Your Heart Tuesday."  You can link up at her blog, A Pause on the Path

Use Your Sword

Last Sunday, Pastor told us of Shamgar.  Now, I've read the bible from cover to cover more than once, but somehow Shamgar didn't stick in my consciousness.

Judges 3:31 (NKJV)

After him was Shamgar the son of Anath, who killed six hundred men of the Philistines with an ox goad; and he also delivered Israel.

He killed 600 men.  With. An. Oxgoad.  In other words, with a pointy stick.

Image:  bibledude.net

Now Pastor's point was that Shamgar was ready.  He was a farmer, probably in the field, with an oxgoad in his hand when he was attacked by 600 of the enemy.  Did he turn tail and run?  No, he relied upon God and stayed and fought using what was available.  His pointy stick. 

Too bad there is no video of the conflict.  Shamgar had to be better than any kung fu fighter I've ever seen in movies. 600 warriors coming at him, and he. Killed. Them. All.

Of course, God had to enable him. Mulling this over, I realized that we, too, can be like Shamgar.

We can be working in our field (whatever our calling happens to be), ready at a moment's notice to protect and deliver God's people. Instead of an oxgoad; however, our weapon will be the Sword.  The sword of the spirit.

God has provided spiritual armor for His people.

Ephesians 6:14-18 (NKJV)

¹⁴ Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, ¹⁵ and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; ¹⁶ above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. ¹⁷ And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; ¹⁸ praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints— 

Notice all the armor is defensive weapons - except one - the Sword.  How can the Word be like a Sword?

Hebrews 4:12 (KJV)

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

The Word can pierce sharper than an oxgoad!

In today's world, our enemy may not be Philistines, but spiritual enemies.  Those that hate God's people and what they stand for. Spiritual forces that are seeking who they may devour.

By using God's Word, we can prick our enemy just as Shamgar did with an oxgoad.


Man up and put on your armor.  Be ready and willing to use your Sword.

This post was written in community for On Your Heart Tuesdays.  Visit Shanda at A Pause On The Path to see what is on other hearts today.

Finding Everyday Beauty

In my calling as a church secretary, I often perform mundane tasks. It’s what I do.  My gift, I feel, falls under the category of “helps.”

“And God has appointed these in the church: … gifts of healings, helps, administrations ….” 1 Corinthians 12:28

As I see it, I help by making the church run smoothly.Some tasks are not fun.  In fact, many of them are boring.  Today, I was struck by the fact that I can see the beauty of God even in the mundane.

I’m folding inserts for the bulletin.  They are on lavender paper.  I think, “I’m glad God made lavender.  I’m thankful for color.  How boring it would be if everything were just white.”

The paper feels good in my hands as I fold –it’s a good weight and folds easily.  Cheap paper doesn’t fold well.  How wonderful that God gave us the raw materials and the wisdom to create a quality paper!

On the inserts are graphics and print, communicating to the people.  I think how communication is so important, and a gift to the recipient when done well.

I fold at a desk that has a couple small lamps casting pools of light on the desktop.  I love light!  I love how light enhances the beauty of the colors all around us.  It illumines and brings out the best of an object.

I think of God being light and how He illuminates the gifts He puts in each one of us.

I am listening to piano music playing in the background (in between phone calls) and I love how just the way the artist touches the keys can evoke word pictures.  I have heard rain falling gently, wind sweeping through trees, thought of a place I visited as a child and worshiped the King all through hearing keystrokes of song.

I look down and see my hands folding, folding one insert after another.  I marvel at the dexterity that God gives me!  I’m thankful I can do this – some can’t.  I see my wedding rings on my hands as I fold and I thank God for the gift of my husband and family.  These hands are not alone!

My task is now done and I can go on to the next thing, all the while practicing the presence of God.

“Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good; Blessed is the man who trusts in Him!” Psalm 34:8

 I'm sharing at Shanda's blog, A Pause on the Path.

Ladies of Amelia

As Mother's Day approaches, I have been thinking about the women who most influenced my life.  I have been blessed with godly women in my family who have been a great inspiration to me, but today, I want to focus on a group of women who helped make me what I am.

thescoopnewspaper.com

In this era of mega churches, it seems that small little churches feel they have no impact.  I don't believe that's true.  I think a small caring group can pour into the lives of others in a way no one else can.  When you are small, every person counts.  You're a lot less likely to slip through the cracks in a small church.

I grew up in  a small church in the South.  I really don't remember the numbers, but we probably averaged 60-75 people on Sundays.  I just remember that the atmosphere of the church was very homey and friendly.  Walking in the church doors always felt like coming home.

Let me share with you some outstanding ladies that I remember with fondness all these years later.

• Roberta and Lois - Two sisters who willingly endured the trials and tribulations of working with Youth.  I remember their willingness to chaperone, chauffeur, teach and clean up after a bunch of teenagers.  They loved to tease and were not above pulling a practical joke.  Roberta was a cake maker and decorator, Lois was our pianist.  They fed us body and soul with their gifts.  From them I learned: you can always find humor in every situation, it doesn't matter whether your house is spic and span  - just serve dessert, be faithful to your church - be there every time the door is open, and praise the Lord with singing.
• Miss Maudie - She sat in the second row every service and beamed!  I can still see her smiling face even all these years later.  She had the gift of encouragement.  If you were in the choir, her smiles encouraged you to sing your best!  
• Miss Bea - She was also very friendly and loving.  She had a little Spanish blood in her somewhere and  her lively brown eyes seemed to snap with life.  Miss Bea was very learned in the bible and seemed to know a biblical answer for everything. From her I learned the value of personal bible study.
• Miss Daisy - an older lady, who may or may not have been slightly crotchety, but was extremely loyal.  For some reason, she really liked me and when I left home to get married entrusted to me her prize crystal relish dish.  She said she wanted me to have it because it was antique and she knew I would take care of it and use it to set a nice table. Her faith in me has made me so careful, and really inspired me in my love of dishes and tablescaping.  I still own that dish all these years later.
• MeeMaw Sessions - the mother of Lois and Roberta and the adopted grandmother of everyone in the church.  Somehow, you really felt like she was your grandmother!  I used to go to her house on Sunday afternoons with her (real) granddaughter.  We always felt so at home there.  I remember she believed in having plenty of food - her counter tops were always lined with boxes and boxes of food.  I guess her cabinets were already full ... From her, I learned the value of stocking up!
• Sister Hart- the Pastor's wife and a wonderful singer.  She looked a lot like Vestal Goodman, but sang as a high soprano. I remember her singing, "I'll Tell the World that I'm a Christian."  From her I learned that you must use the talents God gives you.  She also was a warm and caring person and always greeted me with enthusiasm.  It always felt like she was so glad to see me!
• Sister Alma - an older lady that was very observant.  I might have felt she was nosy when I was a kid, but now I see that she was a very concerned person.  She was the first to keep the prayer chain going whenever there was a need.  She was also generous and loved to share her garden produce. It's good to have people in the church who notice when something is wrong instead of people who ignore you and never ask about you!
• Miss Ginger - a simple single mom who just accepted everyone for who they were.  She was always the same and never seemed to get upset. One of my prized possessions are a set of hand-embroidered pillowcases she made me when I got married.
• Sister Bates - the driving force at the church.  She was the head deacon's wife and seemed to be responsible for everything!  I remember her as a willing worker involved in every aspect of the church, often having to do thankless tasks with little appreciation. Her special loves were being the GA girls leader and the choir director.  I admit I didn't appreciate Sister Bates then as much as I do now.  She really was a marvel - a tireless worker, creative - and while she was not a touchy-feely kind of person, she really had a heart for ministry.  She was the one who pushed me to make a public confession for Christ.  I'm forever grateful for that! Her example to me was one of always being available for anything the Lord might call you to do.  She believed that the need was the call to ministry.

I salute you, ladies of Amelia.  Most of you are already living in a wonderful home with your Savior. I'm hoping that when I get there, our homes will be in the same neighborhood.  It was an honor to do life with you.  I want to do eternity with you as well!

I'm sharing this post with the community at Shanda's A Pause on the Path.

Only One Eternity

I've heard it said,  "You've only one life, live it to the max!" But I say, "You've only one eternity, choose wisely."

I'm not saying the life we live here is not important.  It most definitely is. Life is a gift and Jesus Himself said that He came so that we could live it abundantly.

However, I think we view our life here as the be-all and end-all of our existence.  In reality, our life here is a stepping stone to eternity. In light of eternity, our 70 or so years of earthly existence are just a blip on the timeline of our life.

God says:

"What is the nature of your life? You are [really] but a wisp of vapor (a puff of smoke, a mist) that is visible for a little while and then disappears [into thin air]." James 4:14 AMP

It's a sobering thought to think that what we do in our few years of life determines how eternity goes!

Of course the biggest life-choice we make will be with whom we will spend our eternity. Will you spend it with the God who created you, and then having made you, He loved you so much He couldn't bear to see you destroyed by sin.  He gave His own life to redeem you and make you His own child so that you could inherit Heaven.

Or will you throw His gift back in His face and go your own way?

Once you've determined to "cast your lot with the Lord's people,"  (I love that phrase - I found it in a 1928 obituary.) do you realize that you can have a part in determining what your eternity looks like?

“Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal.  Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal.  Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be." Matthew 6:19-21 NLT

This whole section of the Bible talks about not being so concerned with everyday life but admonishes us to seek the kingdom of God first and He will give us everything we need.

Our focus should be on Him and the rest of our life - the life that begins the moment we step out of our body.

I love this illustration that I heard somewhere years ago.

There are three stages of life.  The first stage is our time in the womb.  How we love being in that warm safe cocoon with our every need supplied by our mother!  It's a wonderful place:  warm, comfortable, dark, hearing the comforting murmur of our mother, swimming in amniotic fluid that is the perfect environment for us. But then, a terrible thing happens.  The walls of our safe little abode start squeezing us out into a very tight place.  Oh, the struggle of getting out of that birth canal!  We are sure it's going to be the death of us.

Yet, when we are birthed into that second stage of life, it's even more wonderful.  Sight! Sound! Color! Taste! We can actually see and experience our mother's loving arms. As we grow and develop, life shows us so many wonderful things.  No more restrictions such as existed in that little womb where we once lived.  Now we can stretch, move, dance and sing!

Later, we think another terrible thing happens to us.  Death has come to claim us and end life as we know it. But just as life outside the womb is so much more wonderful than inside the womb, the third stage, eternal life, for the child of God is infinitely more enjoyable! It will be so great, we can't even imagine it.

“No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.” 1 Corinthians 2:9

God has prepared a wonderful life for His children - both here on earth and in eternity.  Choose now to join Him in His plans!

How ironic that Bible Gateway's verse of the day goes so well with my post:

“Your life is a journey you must travel with a deep consciousness of God. It cost God plenty to get you out of that dead-end, empty-headed life you grew up in. He paid with Christ's sacred blood, you know. He died like an unblemished, sacrificial lamb. And this was no afterthought. Even though it has only lately—at the end of the ages—become public knowledge, God always knew he was going to do this for you. It's because of this sacrificed Messiah, whom God then raised from the dead and glorified, that you trust God, that you know you have a future in God.” 1 Peter 1:18-19 MSG

Only One Eternity was written to share with community.  I'm linking up with Shanda at On Your Heart Tuesday. You can link up at A Pause on the Path.

Hosanna Days

The Easter season has already come and went.  Still, I am pondering nuggets of gold from Palm Sunday.

I love to picture the crowds when Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem that first Palm Sunday a couple thousand years ago. I feel like the excitement started as a small hum as a few people began calling out "Hosanna," and laying palm branches in the road before Jesus as He rode along on a donkey. Others picked up the refrain "Hosanna, Blessed is he that comes in the name of the Lord," until the sound swelled into a roar that the whole city heard.

The word "Hosanna" means "Oh, Save Us Now."

On that first Palm Sunday, the people were hoping for a deliverance from Roman rulers.  They didn't understand that Jesus came to bring spiritual deliverance, not a physical deliverance at that time.

Over two thousand years later, I find that I need saving. Of course, I need salvation. I cannot earn favor with God.  I cannot earn eternal life.  I am a sinner who wants to repent. I must trust in Christ, and believe on His name.

But in addition to that, I need to be saved from myself. I am my own worst enemy.

Most of the time, I know what I should do.  For example, Matthew 28:41 tells me, “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” I know I need to ever be in a vigilant state and to pray that I won't fall.  But, I'm lazy or I grow complacent and think, " I've been doing so well, I don't have to worry about falling." Beware! Thinking you won't fall is an invitation to disaster.

I know I need to keep my thoughts on good, true, lovely and pure things. [See Philippians 4:8] Yet, it is so easy to fall in the trap of watching or reading the news and start dwelling on all the things that is wrong in my world.  Pretty soon, I'm depressed!

I know I need to rest. In fact, God thinks rest is so important, He set aside a whole day for resting. Instead, I over-commit and over-book myself to where there is little time to just "be."  Sometimes, the most creative ideas come when you are doing nothing.  If your mind is jammed-full of thoughts, how can there be room for inspiration?

I think the next time I mess up, I'm just going to call "Hosanna!" Please save me now! 

In fact, I'm sure there are going to be "Hosanna Days," days where I mess up so totally, my only hope would be a Savior who will take my burdens in exchange for His.  Because His burden is light.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-31 NIV

I'm writing in community with Michelle at Graceful,

and,

Shanda at A Pause on the Path,

and

Jennifer at Getting Down With Jesus.

Declare, Describe, Depend

I am a great lover of the Psalms.  In fact, I have started a series of teaching through the Psalms at my church on Wednesday nights.  Since I only teach once a month, I have figured out that it will take me about 14 years to cover them all!  (Well, less than 14 since I have already taught 10 of them.)

David is one of my heroes.  I love that he is a man after God's own heart, yet he is so very human, and the Word does not neglect telling us about his shortcomings.  This gives me hope, because if David can do an epic fail and still be close to God, so can I.

Something I've noticed about David and the psalms that he wrote.  He was not afraid to express his feelings!  He told God whenever he saw something that bothered him.

David's psalms pretty much follow a formula.  He first declares the problem.  Then he will go on to describe just exactly what bothers him.  He's pretty detailed about it, actually.  

What I love most, though, is that David always ends his psalms by trusting God.  He comes to depend on what he knows about God. He remembers the times before when God delivered him.  He recalls the nature and characteristics of God.  Once he has encouraged himself with these reminders, he then relies on that knowledge for the future.

Everything will end up all right.

Declare, describe, then depend on what you know about God.

May I also suggest that in order for us to depend on what we know about God, we need to be in regular fellowship with His children?  It is so easy for us to forget the nature of God!  We need each other to testify of God's goodness, to remind us of the teachings of the Word and to lift each other up. There is a reason that the Word tells us to not forsake the assembling of ourselves together.

Humans are forgetful.  It's been said that we can look in a mirror and see ourselves and then go our way and forget what we look like.  We need the preaching and the studying of the Word which cuts deep into our soul and shows us what we look like.  It also shows us what God looks like, what He will do, and how much He loves, defends and chastens His children when they need it.

So, the next time trouble comes your way, go to God and declare it.  Describe to Him just exactly how you feel about everything.  Then, wait, depending on everything you know about God.

He is trustworthy!  You can depend on Him.

I'm writing in community with Jennifer, Shanda, and Michelle.

Queen of My Domain

One day, I was sitting in my office, feeling - let's be honest - a little dissatisfied on my lot on life.  I was sitting facing my computer.  I glanced around at the way I had everything arranged at my desk. It occurred to me that this u-shaped arrangement of office equipment.made it seem like I was sitting in "command central."  Thinking along those lines, I had an epiphany.  "I am Queen of my Domain.," I thought, "I'm free to run this office in the way that I see best (of course, abiding by the policies and procedures manual!)."

In fact, since I work for two churches, I'm Queen at that Domain also.

Taking that thought further, I realized that I am Queen of my Domain at home, as well (also, abiding by the policies and procedures of the greatest of all manual, the Bible).

That's a lot of Queendom!  That's a lot of responsibility.

A Queen is not just someone who wears fancy clothes and receives a lot of accolades from her adoring public.  A Queen has a responsibility to rule her kingdom well.

Not long ago, I was studying the subject of man's dominion on the earth.  Of course, Genesis 1:28 tells us that man has dominion over every living thing. Studying further, I noted that in Genesis 9:3 man has dominion over every resource as well.  

The kicker - at least, to me - is Hebrews 2:7-8:

You have made him a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
And set him over the works of Your hands.
You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”

For in that He put all in subjection under him, He left nothing that is not put under him....

As God so often does, to emphasize His word, He put the same thought in another part of the bible:

You have made him to have dominion over the works of Your hands;

You have put all things under his feet Psalm 8:6

The sum of these thoughts is this:  God has put me here.  He has given me a work to do.  He has given me dominion in that work.

I looked up dominion in the Strong's Hebrew and Greek Dictionary.  Here are some of the meanings:  be the master of, power, reign, kingdom, empire, rule the country or realm, to be lord over, overcome.  All these are queenly (or kingly) words!

A domain is a territory over which dominion is exercised.  We all either have a job or a home, or both, that is our territory.  Let's rule it well!

To rule well, we need self discipline, organization, and knowledge.  Most of all, we need effort! We can talk all we want, but if we do nothing, we are no better than a wicked ruler who terrorizes his minions into doing all the work.

Let's be a beloved ruler by setting a good example.  Let's be a true "Queen of our Domain."


In the coming weeks, I hope to explore more of what makes a good Queen of  My Domain.  Join me, won't you?  Start by leaving a comment on what you'd like to see in a good Queen.

I'm linking up with Jennifer at Getting Down With Jesus, and

 

Michelle at Graceful,

and Shanda at A Pause on the Path