Bible Passage for the Week

I Corinthians 2:9 - "No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love Him."

I remember talking in my sixth grade class what we thought heaven was going to be like.  My teacher noted in his mind it was going to be like the chocolate river flowing in the Dairy Queen commercial.  He was going to float on down the river, have his ice-cream covered in chocolate, and be in heaven!  This verse notes it is going to be even better than we can imagine!  God has prepared a place for us!

Remember to thank a veteran today for the sacrifices they and their family make so we can have the freedom to share God's word!

Cheryl

A Weed is Beautiful?

 

A stress reliever for me is getting out my camera and taking pictures of whatever I come across.  A while back I had my camera out and was playing with my macro lens; a lens that allows me to see intricate details in things that I cannot see with the naked eye.  On this particular day I focused in on dandelions.  I found dandelions that were at different stages of its growth cycle.  I was stunned at the beauty within a weed as it was blooming as well as when it was going to seed.  I am sure my husband would not say dandelions are beautiful as he tries to rid them from his lawn; but they are truly beautiful. 

God says in Ecclesiastes 3:11, "He has made everything beautiful in its time."  Now, from a teacher perspective you alert students to words such as always, everything, never, etc. because not too many things fit in such categories.  However, God stated everything is beautiful within its time.  Do we see the beauty in things as we look at them or do we just see ordinary every day things?  Do we notice that everything has a beautiful attribute?  One aspect I truly appreciate about taking photos is I see God's beauty through a camera lens.  I see things that seem ordinary but really are extraordinary. 

You may not be a photographer but you can see God's beauty with your own eyes.  Take a moment to see just how beautiful things are!  Notice the little things, or the simple things, that God has given us that truly make this world stunning!  The Awesomeness of our Lord is even present in the little things; things such as dandelions!   

Cheryl

    

Bible Passage for the Week

Micah 4:2 notes, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob, that He may teach us His ways and that we may walk in His paths."

Do you take time out of your day to spend it with the Lord so He can teach you?  This is an excellent bible passage to have noted around your house, office, car, etc. to remind you that you need to take time out so God can teach you.  God has so much to offer but often times we think we don't have enough time to dig into His word; to let Him teach us.  We have things that "have" to be done.  What we really need...Christ!  Find that time and see what God has in store for you!

Cheryl    

Tough Life?

Have you ever taken a moment and thought about what occurred during biblical times and what God’s chosen leaders went through.  They had a tough life!  For instance, Psalm 3 is a Psalm that David wrote when he was fleeing from his son Absalom.  David is crying out to the Lord and asking how many are against me?  Yet, in that David didn’t forget that his salvation rests in God.  Psalm 3:8 states, “Salvation belongs to the Lord; your blessing be on your people!”

Psalm 3:8 is the end of  Psalm 3 and it is perfect!  Salvation belongs to the Lord!  If you take a quick look at Psalm 3 David talks of how God is a shield about him; he can rest because the Lord sustains him; he doesn’t have to be afraid because the Lord is on his side despite being pursued by his enemies.  We, too, can cry out to the Lord and ask to be held in His comfort; to rest because we are sustained; to know we have the Lord on our side.  AND…It all comes down to His salvation!  The rest of the “stuff” we deal with in everyday life does not matter.  We have His blessings upon us and we will someday bask in the Glory of the King!

Take a moment to consider what His salvation means and why all that other “stuff” does not matter.  Each of us was born into a sinful world.  We all started off with a common denominator – we are sinners.  The “stuff” in our lives look different for each of us, but can all be brought back to the fact we live in a sinful world.  We are not capable of doing anything to dig ourselves out of the hole we are in.  We cannot even come close to trying to live the perfect life needed to obtain salvation!  That’s were His salvation comes into the mix.  Psalm 37:39 states, “The salvation of the righteous is from the Lord; He is their stronghold in the time of trouble!”  Then Psalm 62:7 says, “On God rests my salvation and my glory; my mighty rock, my refuge is God!”

Salvation is having a stronghold when times are tough.  Salvation is having the mighty rock and refuge we need.  Salvation is also having a Savior that is truly the King of Kings.  There is no other god besides the one True God!  Isaiah 43:11 – “I am the Lord, and besides me there is no savior.”  Isaiah 45:21b” – And there is no other god besides me, a righteous God and a Savior; there is none besides me.”  Hosea 13:4b – “You know no God but me, and besides me there is no Savior.”  Salvation is having a Heavenly Father that sent us a Savior, His only Son, to pay the price of our sins; to bear the pain for us. 

Life is not easy!  In fact, it can be quite tough!  The “stuff” will try and overtake life.  However in Galatians 6:9 it says, “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up!”  We have Salvation!  We have Christ!  Don’t give up!

Cheryl

           

Bible Passage for the Week

Proverbs 22:6 notes, "Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it."

This bible passage is a great reminder of why it is so important to instill God's word in our children from a very young age.  As you go about your week, note how you are instilling God's word within your children as well as how you, yourself, are staying in God's word.

Cheryl

Exalting Your Spouse

Exalting Your Spouse

“Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

1 Thessalonians 5:11

Have you heard the phrase it takes 10 positive comments to counteract one negative comment?  It is a statement that many times is told to kids as they are being taught how to positively treat others.  It is also a statement that applies to marriage.  To build each other up is by using words that are exalting of one another. 

Exalting, according to Dictionary.com, means; “to raise in rank, honor, power, character, quality, to elevate, to praise”.  As you think about conversations you have about your spouse with other people, do you exalt them?  Do you speak in such a manner that the other person knows exactly how amazing your spouse is? 

Our spouse is the person that is the closest one to us and therefore is the easiest person to hurt.  When we choose to speak poorly, or not exalt our spouse, a couple of things happen.  First it hurts our spouse.  It leaves a “wound” that is going to require attention.  It is going to take 10 plus positive comments to undo the one statement.  The second thing it does is it leaves a bad impression of our spouse to whomever we are talking with.  It brings a “third party” in on the issues that are occurring between each other.  The problem in bringing in the “third party” is two-fold.  First, only one side of the story is being presented.  Second, when you and your spouse make-up the “third party” is not present.  Therefore, they are still left with the negative impression given in the previous conversation.  They have not moved on from the issue as the two of you have.  They are still holding the hurt that you shared with them. 

1 Thessalonians 5:11 states we are to encourage one another and build one another up.  There is no better place to apply this message than our marriages.  As previously noted, our spouse is the easiest person to hurt.  Because of that, if we do not consciously exalt our spouse we run the risk of tearing each other down instead of building each other up.  Marriage is not an easy road!  It requires work and the ability to find the good in one another constantly.  The more you speak of your spouse in an exalting manner the more you will see them as an amazing person.

Marriage may be a tough road to walk down; however, it is a road that is filled with so many blessings.  Exalt your spouse to others as well as to each other.  Remember you married an amazing person!  Find the good in each other and share that with your spouse and the world!

Cheryl

           

Bible Passage for the Week

Philemon 1:4 - "I thank my God always when I remember you in my prayers."

This is not the only place in the bible that Paul states his thankfulness for others.  So many times we forget to thank God for all the special people He puts in our lives.  Take time to pray for those people this week.  Make a list of all the people you can pray for and put the list somewhere visible so you don't forget to pray for them.  Also, take a moment to let them know they are a blessing to you!

Cheryl 

Entitled?

I am not sure why but the need to write is very prominent when I am flying.  The need is not present when traveling to somewhere but when returning home.  This last week I traveled to Nebraska and while boarding the plane to return home I had the opportunity to observe the boarding process.  During this particular flight the need to board in a timely manner was stated due to a weather system coming in.  The timeliness of the boarding process meant we were either leaving on time or going to be delayed till the storm passed.

Most people were conscientious of placing things where they were needed and finding their seat quickly.  However, there were those who felt no need to hurry the process up.  They are entitled to their time and space despite the desire to take off on time.  There was one lady’s actions that particularly stuck out.  All people were seated, all overhead bins closed and flight attendants were closing the doors to the aircraft.  This lady decided that she should put something up in the overhead compartment and sit down without closing it.  Due to her “need” and what appeared to be a lack of a helping attitude, the flight attendant then had to make her way back down the aisle to close the overhead compartment. 

Where, as a society, have we gone wrong?  Why is it “not my job” to do something so I am not going to do it or someone else will take care of it?  Why are we entitled to behave in such a manner?  We are all guilty, at times, of being entitled; or deciding we don’t have to do something because someone else will do it.  However, this philosophy does not match the philosophy Christ has or had while He was on earth.  Christ, our Savior – the King, served so many people and didn’t say it wasn’t His job because He was the King.  He didn’t have to calm the storm, or heal so many people, or feed people.  He was the King! 

If you look through scripture, an entitled King, is not the kind of King we have.  That is not the example He left for us.  Romans 15:2-3 notes, “Let each of us please his neighbor for his good, to build him up.  For Christ did not please Himself.”  Christ did not do things to please Himself, but took care of others.  1 Corinthians 10:24 states “Let no one seek his own good, but the good of His neighbor”.  And multiple places in the bible it talks about loving your neighbor as yourself.

Christ did not live an entitled life.  He lived a life of service.  He gave up His life so we could have life.  1 Corinthians 6:19b-20 notes, “You are not your own, for you were bought with a price.  So glorify God in your body.”  Do your actions glorify God?  Do your actions leave a message with others that you are living a life of service as Christ did or do your actions say it is all about me?

As you go about your daily life, take time to think about what your actions “say” to other people.  Let your actions “speak” and share the magnificent love we have from Christ.

Cheryl