SAME

The Quote:

"Be of the same mind toward one another." ~Romans 12:16a

Well, Paul just keeps repeating himself over and over I think, so these things have to be important. Basically, he is saying to treat each other the way we want to be treated. Treat each other with the same respect, not favoring one person over another.

We are all the same, yet sometimes we can let our minds wonder off in our thoughts of how different we are than someone else. How much better or worse off we are, how we have to work harder or not as hard, how life is not fair. I know my mind wonders off in those directions all the time, I find myself comparing my life to someone else. This is not what I am supposed to do, it only helps me to continue to be either proud in a way that is not right or it helps me to be so negative about myself that I get depressed. Paul is saying not to think about anyone that way, especially someone who is a brother or sister in Christ. We are all the same, we are all children of God and we have everything that God wants us to have to live for him in harmony.  We need to be uplifting to one another and show the world how to care for others.

Lord, help me to control my thoughts so I can honor you and live in harmony with my brothers and sisters in Christ, not think myself to be better or worse than anyone. Help me know we are all the same and we should treat each other with love and encouragement.

The Drawing:

REJOICE & WEEP

When the people around us tend to be joyful and happy then we can be. It is the same with sadness and weeping. You might not actually have tears streaming down your face but you feel the pain and sadness. Ecclesiastes 3:4 says "A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;" In the portion of scripture from Romans 12, Paul is making a point about how Christians should live in the world. 

In I Corinthians 9:22b, Paul talks about becoming all things to all men, that he might win a few for Christ. It is important as Christians that we do this in our world. It does not mean we can go out and party hardy to win those that party hardy, it means we can have an attitude that is like theirs yet living a life that is pleasing to God. Setting an example that you can have fun and party without doing things that are contrary to God's word. 

Paul knew that in order to win some for Christ you had to "change" who you were in a way. I am about to go to a country that has a different culture than I am used too. Yes, in Croatia they want to learn English, they want to be like the Americans they see on TV and they want to emulate our life styles; that does not mean that all of their customs are the same as ours. I can not go there expecting them to change for me, I have to change for them. I am the foreigner, I am the one that is the visitor. If I want to build relationships and trust with the people I meet in order to share the gospel, I can not find fault with their ways of doing things and I have to conform to the way of life they have there. 

Lord help me to rejoice with those who are rejoicing and weep with those that weep, help me to be all things to all people in a way that is pleasing to you. 

The Quote: 

"Rejoice with those that rejoice, and weep with those that weep." ~Romans 12:15 

The Drawing:

BLESS

Have you ever noticed how the important things in the bible get stated more than once? Paul believed that blessing people was so important he said it twice in one sentence. And he doesn't want us to bless just any people, he wants us to bless those that persecute us.

He says to Bless and not Curse, which of course would be our natural reaction to being treated badly. So how can we bless someone. Remember yesterday I said that Paul quotes a Proverb later in this same chapter -- If your enemy needs a drink or is hungry, give it to them. That is one way to bless them. We should also pray for them.

When I was in high school, many years ago, I was having issues with a girl who rode my bus, she was also in my class. I asked my youth director what I could do to get her to leave me alone. First, he said pray for her. Then he said to go to her and tell her that I was sorry for whatever it was that I had done to her to make her want to treat me they way she did, to ask for forgiveness. Of course I told him I had not done anything, why did I need to ask for forgiveness. He said that didn't matter she obviously thought that I had or she would not be bothering me. He said that after I asked not to wait for a reply but to go on about my business. I trusted him and did as he told me to. I went to her one morning and told her I was sorry for whatever I had done to upset her and asked if she would forgive me. She looked at me "dumbfounded". Then I turned and walked away. Later that afternoon on the bus she asked why I had done that, that I did not need to apologize for anything. She asked me to forgive her for treating me so badly. I did and things were better. We were not best friends or anything but the "torture" stopped.

This idea does not always work. The trick is trusting God will take care of the situation and that person, you just need to bless them. It is hard to confront issues with people, prayer helps. God wants us to try to live in harmony together.

Lord help me to give blessing to all those around me whether my flesh thinks I should or not.

The Quote:

"Bless and not curse." ~Romans 12:14b

 The Drawing:

PERSECUTE

We all feel persecution from time to time. Jesus said that as followers of Him we should expect it. That life was not going to be easy as a Christian. Really if it is easy then you probably aren't doing something right.

Paul says to bless those that persecute you. Later in Chapter 12 of Romans he quotes from Proverbs 25:21-22 "If your enemy is hungry feed him, if he is thirsty give him a drink, for in doing so you heap coals of fire on his head." (Romans 12:20) Do you think maybe Paul had experienced some of these coals on his head? He did persecute Christian before Christ got hold of him on the road to Damascus. I think when Stephen was being stoned, he was praying for God to bless those who were stoning him. Paul was right there holding the coats of the men who were throwing the rocks. He was an accomplice. Then after Jesus appeared to him and he became a Christian himself, his life was turned upside down. Now, he knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of persecution.

It is hard to turn the other cheek or to go the extra mile. We so often want to seek vengence. God says getting vengence is His job, not ours. Leave that to Him. Pray for the people who persecute you.

Lord, help me to be kind to everyone even when they are not kind to me.

The Quote:

"Bless those who persecute you" ~Romans 12:14a

The Drawing:

HOSPITALITY

Hospitality means "given to generous and cordial treatment, reception, or disposition, offering a pleasant or sustaining environment.

The are a couple of ways that hospitality is used in the Bible. The first is as a spiritual gift. These are gifts given to people by God to help further the work of the body of Christ. Everyone does not have this gift. This gift is very important when it comes to welcoming new people into services, planning events, opening your home to others, and taking care of other people. People who have this gift are probably outgoing and entertain at their homes often. There are many ways a person who has this gift can serve in the church. If you think you have this gift ask God and your church leaders where you can be used to further the work of your church.

In this section of scripture this word is referring to the hospitality we should all show to one another. We should always try to be pleasant and hospitable to everyone. Even is there is a task we have to do that may upset someone we can do it in a pleasant and hospitable way. God wants us to show hospitality to others.

Lord, I know I do not have the gift of hospitality, that doesn't mean I shouldn't try to try other hospitably. Please help me to be more hospitable and pleasant to others.

The Quote:

"given to hospitality" ~Romans 12:13b

The Drawing:

DISTRIBUTE

The Quote:

"Distributing to the needs of the Saints" ~Romans 12:13a (New King James)

Some other translations of the bible render this verse as:

The Message: "Help needy Christians"

Common English Bible:  "Contribute to the needs of God's people

Contemporary English Version: "Take care of God's needy people"

New International Version: "Share with the Lord's people who are needy"

There are many needy people all over the world. In this verse Paul seems to be focusing on those who are part of the body of Christ. He is saying take care of your own first.

In Acts Luke describes the way the church fulfilled this verse. They had everything in common. They shared common goals and lived in harmony. (Acts 1:14) They sold their possessions and divided the wealth among all as they had need. (Acts 2:44-46) There was no one who lacked or was needy because everyone shared with each other. (Acts 4: 34-35) Then as humans will do things started to go a little wrong. People became greedy and decided to hold back a portion of what they had promised to give. It would have been ok to keep a portion if they had not promised to give it all. Ananias and Sapphira both lied about what they had received for the land and possessions they sold and as a result both of them lost their lives. (Acts 5:1-10) Then people started to have opinions about who should be favored more in church, and James told the people that they were wrong for have more respect for one person over another because as far as God was concerned no one was better than anyone else. (James 2:1-4) He also said that pure and undefiled religion was the kind that helped the fatherless and widows and remain unchanged by the world. (James 1:27)

Jesus, wants us to take care of the needy and put them before ourselves. (Luke 14:12-14)  We are supposed to start with those closest to us, and work our way out to the rest of the world. If we help those closest to us first then they can help us reach others.

Lord, help me to be mindful of those around me who are needy and help me to help them when I can.

The Drawing:

STEADFASTLY

Steadfastly: 1. Firmly fixed in place. 2. Not subject to change, 3. Firm in belief, determination, or adherence.

I Thessalonians 5:17 "Pray without ceasing"

Many times through the bible we are told to pray, and to do so in an unrelenting way. To pray believing that we will recieve what we as for. Remembering that we should always ask for God's will to be done. The bible tells us the kinds of things to pray for and He is willing to supply all our needs.

God really just wants to have a conversation with us. He will speak to us through various means, His word is only one way. Through His spirit is another, that small voice inside us. Through other people. He might even speak to us in our dreams.

So pray steadfastly in a continuous manner. Carry on a conversation with Gid as if He was your friend. Ask Him for the things you need and he will supply them.

The Quote:

"continuing steadfastly in prayer," ~Romans 12:12c

The Drawing:

PATIENT

I learned a long time ago never to pray for patience. James 1:2-3 says "My Brethren, count it all joy when you fall  into various trials, knowing that testing of your faith produces patience." So if we pray for patience we get trials. I am sure I have enough problems without compounding them by asking for patience.

The bible says through out it that when we have trials and tribulation we a supposed to be joyful. That is a hard task. We are told to be patient in tribulation. Joy and tribulation are two things that do not fit together in my mind, they do in God's. I think that joyful is more like peaceful and Patience has a since of peace to it also. We have everything we need to be joyful and patient in tribulation. Jesus suffered pain and tribulation while he was on the earth. He endured the death of His friend Lazarus, He was angry at the people defiling the temple, He was often tired and felt the weight of the physical, emotional, and spiritual demand of His followers. Think about Jesus and the torture He received as he endured the hours leading up to the crucifixion and those while He was on the cross. He never cried out in pain or anger to the people who were beating Him or calling Him names. They accused Him of things He never did and still He did not lash out when He had every right too. All the while He had peace, and was even joyful and patient, He knew that His Father had everything in control. Jesus should always be our example of joyfulness and patience in tribulation.

So, how can we have this patience and joyfulness? Where should we go to get it? First, we need to have Jesus in our lives. There is no way to have the patience, joyfulness, or peace spoken of  here without having Jesus in our life. (2 Peter 1:3) Next, we can pray and ask others to pray for us. James says that God will give us wisdom to face the things of this life if we ask Him, He will give it liberally. (James 1:5) Hiding God's Word in our hearts and mind helps also. Find the verses that have to do with the things you are facing and meditate on what God says about them. (Psalms 119:11) Finding friends to support you during times of trials is also a way to get through those times with patience and peace. (Ecclesiastes 4:11-12)

Lord, I want to be able to handle trials and tribulations correctly. Help me to endure them they way Jesus endured.

The Quote:

"patient in tribulation" ~Romans 12:12b

The Drawing: Lex Wilson for a little inspiration for this one:

HOPE

Hebrews  11:1 "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."

Hope are the things we long for. As a christian we a told to be joyful in hope. To believe that those things have substance. To expect to receive them. What are some things we should hope for?

We should hope for our Father in heaven to supply our ever need because He said He would. He didn't say our wants, He said needs, there is a difference. God will supply all our needs according to His riches in glory.

We should hope that our friends and loved ones see the changes that have been made in our lives and long for the same hope we have of eternal security. 

We should hope for a crown of glory in the time to come. When we do as the Lord has asked us to do, then our rewards will be great in heaven.

We should hope for God's will to be done in the lives of all people, especially our own lives. And in that hope we put our faith that God will carry out his plans.

The Quote:
"Joyful in hope," ~Romans 12:12a

The Drawing:

SERVING

I know I used this word before, I may use it again. It is an important word and it is in this passage. The last time I wrote about it was in the context of serving others. This is serving the Lord. I know there is really know difference because if you are serving the Lord you are probably serving others and vise-versa.

So how do we serve the Lord. One way is to love the Lord with all our hearts, our souls, our minds and our strength (Mark 12:30). He deserves the best worship we can give Him from our whole being in spirit and truth (John 4:24). We can serve the Lord by telling people about all that He has done for us. Being a testimony. (Acts 1:8)  Letting our light shine in the darkness. We serve the Lord by loving others (John 13:34-35). We are actually to love others better than we love ourselves (Philippians 2:3).

There are so many things we can do to serve the Lord and they don't have to be out in the open for everyone to see. If God see how you love and serve him that is all that matters. He is the one we should be trying to impress, not men. (Matthew 6:2) God desires our whole being to be in tune with His will and serving Him. It is not easy to do, and I am sure only one person on earth did it completely, Jesus. I want to strive to be Christ like and serving my Lord in the ways that He wills and deserves.

The Quote:
"serving the Lord." ~Romans 12:11c

The Drawing:

FERVENT

Fervent means very hot, glowing, exhibiting or marked by great intensity or feeling, zealous.

Matthew 5:16 says, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your father in heaven."

Our spirit is supposed to shine and give testimony to the work God has done in our lives. We are supposed to tell others with enthusiasm what God has done for us. Our spirit should not be able to be hid under a bushel for fear that it will catch it on fire. Even in times of distress and pain our spirit can and should still shine.

Do I always accomplish this? No, my spirit rarely shines as bright as it should. I want to shine bright enough that the people around me see my Lord and Savior. I want tp tell others fervently what God has and is doing for me.

Lord, help me to share your love with the world through a fervent spirit.

The Quote:

"fervent in spirit," Romans 12:11b

The Drawing:

DILIGENCE

There are many different ways these verse has been interpreted across Bible translations. The King James Version says "not slothful in business" the New International Version says, "never be lacking zeal". The Common English Version says, "never be lazy". And the Good News Translation says, "work hard and never be lazy.

Christians are not supposed to be lazy, we are supposed to be diligent in all things. We should work hard for the glory of God. Being diligent in all we do will not only get things done, it will also help us be a good witness. The world needs a good example of how things are supposed to work. Just think if everyone pulled their own weight and did all their work to the best of their ability, how much better the world would be today.

Lord help me to be a diligent worker in all I do. Help my life be an example to others.

The Quote:
"Not lagging in diligence," ~Romans 12:11a

The Drawing:

PREFERENCE

Preference is the act of preferring or choosing. It is also means to give advantages to some over others. Romans 12:10b says "in honor giving preference to one another;" 

As Christians, we should put others before ourselves. When we get to a door before someone else we should open it for them instead of going through first. If someone is in a hurry or has fewer groceries we should allow them to go before us in the check-out line. If there is only one piece of pizza or cake left and there is someone besides yourself who wants it give it to the other person. Maybe they will follow the same principle and give you half. This is basically treating people the way you would want to be treated or the golden rule. Honor and respect other people and in turn (maybe not right away) you will receive the same.

This portion of scripture also speaks to the idea that we should prefer to be around people who are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Those who are like-minded who we can encourage and honor and who in turn should do the same for us. We should want to hang out with them so we can grow in faith and live a life that is pleasing to God together. Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 says "Two are better than one, Because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, For he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; But how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken." Having Christian friends makes life easier . 

Lord help me to give preference to others around me. Treating people with the respect that I would want and preferring to be with people who will honor and glorify you in what they do. 

The Quote: 

"in honor giving preference to one another;" ~ Romans 12:10b 

The Drawing:

AFFECTIONATE

Affection is a moderate feeling, tender attachment, or fondness. This portion of Romans 12 says, to "be kindly affectionate in brotherly love." There are 3 types of love mentioned in the bible, agape, phileo, and storge.

Agape love is unconditional love, the kind of love God showed when He sent His Son to die on the cross, "For God so loved the world..."John 3:16. Phileo is brotherly love, it is where we get the word Philadelphia -- The City of Brotherly Love. Storge is the love of parents to their children or the love of siblings.

The words "kindly affectionate" in the verse is a compound word "philostorgos", which most likely means a deep family like friendship. Since as Christians we are part of the family of God that would definitely make since. We are all brothers and sisters in Christ loving each other as a family is important. It was so important that God had it said twice in the same phrase. God wants us to live in harmony with each other, does that mean we will always treat each other this way? No, we are human our pride and selfishness get in the way. Beside who has ever seen siblings who live in complete harmony all the time.

When we do let pride and selfishness get in the way, we are supposed to see it and repent from it. We are then suppose to ask our "siblings" for forgiveness. As Christians we are always supposed to try and live in harmony, being kindly affectionate and loving each other.

Lord, help me to love others the way you want me too with kindly affection and brotherly love. And when I fail to do so please help me to ask for forgiveness from the person and from you.

The Quote:
"Be kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love," ~Romans 12:10a

The Drawing:

 

CLING

Cling: to adhere as if glued firmly. I like that definition, especially in regard to this topic. The next part of the verses I am "taking apart" states, "Cling to what is good." So glue firmly what is good. Where do we glue it? How do we cling to it? What is good? May be some questions we could and should ask. 

I think the Bible is full of advise about good and how to attach it to our lives. Proverbs is full of practical ideas to guide a believer through life, and there is exactly 31 chapters, just enough to read one a day in a month, over and over. Proverbs 3:5-6 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and he shall direct your paths." Do you think that might be a way to cling to that which is good? James 4:7 says, "Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." I think Jesus was a perfect example of how to resist the devil when He was tempted in the wilderness, He used the Bible against him and finally he (the devil) left Him (Jesus) alone, for a season. So hiding the word of God in our hearts is clinging to what is good. 

There is safety in numbers also, so I imagine clinging to the appropriate friends would be good also. That doesn't mean we should rely only on them, for they are human and will make mistakes. The bible does say that where people are gathered in His name there He is in the midst of them. We are to uplift and encourage each other, to help each other grow and walk in the light. 

Prayer is good, and calling out to God in the good times and in the bad times is clinging to that which is good. God always hears us call to Him. He wants us to have a continual conversation with Him. Can you imagine how it was in the Garden before Adam took the fruit. God was there continually walking and talking with His children, His creation, His friends. It wasn't until Adam took of the fruit that was not "good" that he could not face his friend, his creator, his God. He didn't cling to the good that God had for him, and it cost him dearly. 

Lord, help me today and every day to find a way to cling to the good things and resist the others. 

The Quote:

"Cling to what is good." ~Romans 12:9c

The Drawing:

ABHOR

ABHOR: to regard with extreme repugnance : loathe

Strong word, even stronger than Hate in my eyes. Romans 12:9b says "Abhor what is evil." That leads me to wonder what is evil? Can evil be different for different people? Or is there a standard for evil? Is there a line that is crossed that marks where evil starts and good ends? 

Solomon said there is nothing new under the sun. The world was just as evil in his day as it is today. The same kinds of evil were around in his day, as are today, we just have different devices of evil.  This verse does not say hate the person though, it says to hate evil. The evil things that are done. There are many people like Saddam Hussein, Osama ben laden, Timothy McVeigh, Charles Manson and many others that have done very evil things against the human race. Many people hate those and others like them. I am sure that the people listed, could care less if anyone liked or cared for them. I hate the evil they did, they killed and sought to hurt as many people as they could. Their acts were repugnant and loathsome, I do not hate them. I can't help but wonder how their lives would have been different, if someone had prayed for them or sought to guide them down a different path. I think they deserve the punishments they received and are receiving. I still can not hate them.

I have done things that many may consider evil, and if it weren't for the grace of God I could be just like anyone of the people list above. We all have the capacity to be just like the people we consider evil, because we are human and have a sin nature. We are not supposed to abhor the person who comments the evil act, we are supposed to abhor the evil act. Lord, help me be mindful of the fact that we all have it in us to do evil, help me to hate the evil I do and to turn from it. 

The Quote:

"Abhor what is evil." ~Romans 12:9b

The Drawing:

HYPOCRISY

Hypocrisy: a feigning to be what one is not or to believe what one does not; especially : the false assumption of an appearance of virtue or religion.

This is a word I believe no one really likes. No one wants to be accused of being a hypocrite. I hate to say that at one time or another I know I was one. I try not to be false, I try to be genuine. That is not always an easy task. Being "real" is hard, especially in the face of others who expect you to be a certain way and you aren't. 

I am again going to use a passage of scripture to glean my words from for a while. In the bible I am using the Title that has been given this section of verses is "Behave Like a Christian." I was asked once to write some things down about how I should behave from these scriptures, my list has been in my face for a while now. I think I will share them.

First admonition right off the bat is "Let love be without hypocrisy." This means what it says. If you are going to show love show real love. Don't be fake. Make sure your whole countenance shows it, not just your words and actions (a hug, pat on the shoulder). I don't know about you, I can see when people are faking love most of the time. This isn't talking about the love you have for a spouse or your own child (although there are times we might fake true love then also) it is the love you show to others outside your personal circle. Those who the world has deemed unlovable, unwanted, not worthy of love. As a Christian we are supposed to love everyone. It is hard to do. It is even harder for the love to be genuine. That is the way we are to love if we are call God's child. Lord, help me to love with out hypocrisy. 

The Quote: 

"Let love be without hypocrisy." ~Romans 12:9a

The Drawing:

SORRY

I want to apologize for yesterday. It began with not finding a word to use and went on from there. When I finally did post so many things that colored my view of the day happen. I felt un- many things. So to reflect my mood and since I had not found a word yet, that was my post. After I posted that the day actually was a little better. I purchased my ticket for the trip to Croatia. I feel so much better about that trip knowing I have that out of the way.

I feel bad for not having an uplifting post yesterday. I also know that bad days happen to everyone, days when they feel unhappy, unloved, unnoticed, unfriendly, and so many others.... On days like that it is even hard to pray, I try and it feels like God is too far away to hear me. I know that is not true, even when it feels that way. It isn't God who is gone there is that wall I have put between us. God is always there, always attentive, always ready to lift me out of whatever is bothering me. I have to lower the wall and let him.

The Quote:

"Play fair. Don't hit people. Say you're sorry when you hurt somebody."~ Robert Fulghum 

The Drawing:

UN-

Yes, un is a prefix not a word.... it fits my day. Since it is so late this is about all I can muster up. I know you all have had days like this, uneventful. I know everyone has at some point in their lives felt just un- anything and everything. Lord, help my un-ness :)

The Quote:

"Definition --

1. : not : in-, non- —in adjectives formed from adjectives <unambitious> <unskilled> or participles <undressed>, in nouns formed from nouns <unavailability>, and rarely in verbs formed from verbs <unbe> —sometimes in words that have a meaning that merely negates that of the base word and are thereby distinguished from words that prefix in- or a variant of it (as im-) to the same base word and have a meaning positively opposite to that of the base word <unartistic> <unmoral>

2. : opposite of : contrary to —in adjectives formed from adjectives <unconstitutional> <ungraceful> <unmannered> or participles <unbelieving> and in nouns formed from nouns <unrest>"  ~Merriam- Webster

The (un) Drawing:

FICTION

I am reading "Cross Roads" by Wm. Paul Young, the author of "The Shack". If you have read either book or even tried to read them you will agree that they are something different. There are a few reasons why a person might not finish "The Shack". one is the subject matter, I would agree it is a subject that can be hard to deal with. The other is the fiction. "Cross Roads" is no different. I have had the book for 6 months and have started it at least 3 times. Until now I have stopped in the 2nd chapter because the main character was not someone I wanted to read about. This week I made myself push through that chapter and I have to say that I am thoroughly surprised with the story so far.

The problem with the fiction in these books is that many people can not picture God (the Trinity) as anything other than supernatural. I think that is the point of these novels. God can be anything He wants to be and can be anything we need Him to be to reach us. He is all powerful, He is everywhere at all times, He is all sovereign, and He is all knowing. This book is fiction, there are parts that God would not actually do. That does npot mean that the fiction does not speak of some truth. God longs to have an intimate relationship will all people. He wants to live in our hearts, in our souls, and commune with our spirit continually. He wants to be our friend, our father, our guide, our parent. The fictions have spoken to me about the character of God, I challenge you to read one or both if you have not already, remembering they are FICTION! And that in the fiction there maybe some hidden truths that you can find. Thank-you Lord for opening my eyes to the things you wanted me to see.

The Quote:

"God moves in a mysterious way, His wonders to perform. He plants his foot steps in the sea, and rides upon the storm". ~William Cowper

The Drawing:

PERFECT

No one is perfect. Except of course Jesus. We should strive for perfection. The old saying is "practice make perfect". We do the same things over and over in our lives trying to get better to get perfect. The thing is God has given us all we need to be perfect if we are children of His.

When Jesus came to this earth as a tiny baby He was all God and all man. He was sinless because He was God. I believe though that since he came as man, he had all the capacity of man so He could show us that perfection was a reachable goal. If He was fully man that means, I believe He could have sinned.  When He was in the wilderness and Satan came to tempt Him, He was able to withstand those temptation because He was perfect. He was tempted just as we are and He showed us by example that temptations can be battled and overcome. I believe that the "temptations" didn't stop there. Jesus was a man, and He was God, He met every thing put in front of Him the same way we should. Does that mean we won't sin? No, it does mean that we need to look at Jesus' life as a guide to dealing with sin. Try to mimic His life. God will not allow us to have anything in our lives that we can not overcoming. He might let us bend but He won't let us break. He has given us all we need to be perfect, to have power over sin. I pray that I can begin to overcome the sin in my life and have a life that is pleasing to God. 

The Quote:

"as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virtue," ~2 Peter 1:3

The Drawing:

TIRED

OK, I stayed up too late last night. Let me rephrase that I stayed up to early this morning. Now I am tired. I had the opportunity to do something last night that was fun and free. I did it. When I came home I was not tired, in fact I was kind of wired. So I stayed up even later than I should have. With 4 hours of sleep I am now going to have to make it through the day. I wish I had not made this wrong decision.

We make the wrong decisions all of the time. For those decisions we pay the consequences. I know that if I don't get enough sleep it will negatively myself as those around me. Yet, I made the decision not to follow my own rules for my life. I pray that the decisions I made last night will not effect others today. That I will find a way to be "normal" (if I ever am) today. Lord, give me the strength to be who you want me to be today even though I did not make the right choice last night. 

The Quote:

"We can be tired, weary and emotionally distraught, but after spending time alone with God, we find that He injects into our bodies energy, power and strength." ~Charles Stanley

The Drawing:

STEP OUT

A while ago I said in this blog that there were some decisions that I needed to make about the future. At that time I was not able to be specific. I am now able to tell you about these plans.

This summer I will be going on a mission trip to Croatia for 4 weeks. Years ago, God called me to the mission field of education. This is the same thing, I will be teaching English in Croatia. God has provided for this trip in ways I could have never imagined. He has given me the faith I need to STEP OUT of my comfort zone. Will it be hard, yes probably. Is it and will it be scary, most definitely. I am willing to let go and let God do his will and whatever He wants me to do.

From what I understand I will have access to wireless at least part of the time I am there. I plan to continue this blog when I can and I will be creating a new blog specifically for the trip soon. There are many preparations that will be happening along the way and I think it will be fun to keep a blog about them.

I ask that everyone who reads this blog pray for me and the whole team that will be going on this trip. It is a big step of Faith for us all. Thanks! 

The Quote:

"Faith is taking the first step even when you don't see the whole staircase." ~Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Drawing:

HIDE

Do you wish sometimes you could just hide from the world, from life, or from yourself? I do! There is a place that I in vision sometimes when I meditate, it is beautiful. I wish the place existed in real life, and maybe it does somewhere I just haven't found it yet. That would be my hiding place. A place to get away from the hustle and bustle of life.

Unfortunately, even if I was able to find that place and go there, I could never be hidden. I can not hide from myself, my thoughts are always going to be there.  I can never hide from God, He will be in that place before I am, He will know my thoughts before I know them. So, even if I think I am hiding, I never am. God wants to be our hiding place. He wants to protect us and helps us through our troubles and pains. He wants to give us peace in the storms of our life and guide us through the world we live in. I need to learn to put my trust in Him more and let Him be my hiding place, His word my shield.

The Quote:

"You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. ~Psalms 119:114
You are my hiding place; You shall preserve me from trouble; You shall surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah ~Psalms 32:7"

The Drawing:

DREAMS

Sometimes, I wonder why people dream. I am talking about the dreams we have when we sleep. Dreams of what the future may hold or daydreams are not usually bad in my book. The dreams we have at night (or whenever we sleep) do they have a purpose? I suppose they are outlets for our sub-conscience, to help us deal with things in our lives whether good or bad.

Quite often I have dreams that are not nightmares as such, they are very discomforting. Other times I have dreams that are like normal life and are "happy". I have had a few nightmares also. I almost always remember portions of my dreams, especially the ones that aren't very good. Those memories tend to haunt me for the next day or so.

I try very hard not to let those bad dreams cloud my day and my thoughts. It is hard. I need to remember that if I hide God's Word in my heart, and meditate on that I should not be plagued with the bad thoughts as much. That is also hard to do, I am trying. This is going to be one of those days it seems. I pray that God will help me look to His Word for comfort from these memories of my dreams last night. I Praise Him because I know He will, if I let Him!

The Quote: This might be a scary thought.

"Dreams are illustrations... from the book your soul is writing about you." ~Marsha Norman

The Drawing:

PRAYER

I have been reading about prayer for the past few days. The little booklet I have been reading is discussing the "Lord's Prayer" or the Lord's Model Prayer. The writer brought out that Jesus never could have prayed that prayer himself because He was sinless and would not had to have ask for forgiveness from the Father. I had never thought of that before.

Not to long ago I taught a Children's Church lesson on prayer. The children drew their hand on a piece of paper and wrote some scriptures and what they were supposed to pray for on each of their fingers. It basically went with the model prayer Jesus taught His disciples. Sometimes I forget this as I am praying.

I know that God knows all the desires of my heart, even still He wants to have a conversation with me. He wants to hear it put in my own words. He wants to be part of my daily walk. Prayer without ceasing is what He wants. I can't be on my knees all the time, I can have an open dialog with my Father. I need to get better at doing this. I wish I could find the exact quote from the book "Same Kind of Different as Me." It was something to the effect that if you are angry at God for taking something you loved, go ahead and tell Him, because He already knows anyway. And that is so true, He wants to hear it from your heart! Then He can help you deal with the pain and hurt you feel. It doesn't have to be when you are angry either, if you are full of Joy tell Him, Praise Him.

The Quote:

"To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing."~Martin Luther King, Jr.

The Drawing:

FLUTTER

Strange word I know but that was what my heart was doing most of the evening yesterday. I guess that is what it is called. At times it felt like I had just ran around the block. I don't have those feels as much anymore, not like I did right after my 1st heart attack, and I tell you it is an unwelcome feeling.

I know that God has control of all things in my life, even if I don't think so. He knows what is happening and has allowed it to happen for reasons. A lot of what I was and am feeling with regard to my heart has to do with stress, anxiety, and worry. Things I know I should not do.

Yesterday, evening I did something that I needed to do, even though it was hard. I went to visit some people in the nursing home. I have not been to a nursing home since my Granny was in one, over 30 years ago. So, yesterday was hard and I think the stress of that time may have had a bit to do with the heart fluttering, skipping, or racing I was having. I had a nice time visiting with the people who I visited, the problem is I wish that no one ever had to be in a place like that. It hurts my heart to think about it. I have to remember that at least they are being "cared" for and maybe God will give me the courage to to go back and visit them again. I know that is what they would like. Lord, help me to show your mercy and love by swallowing my fear and uneasiness about visiting people who really need encouragement.

The Quote:

“We are like butterflies who flutter for a day and think its forever.” ~ Dr. Carl Sagan

The Drawing:

FORCE

May the force be with you! OK, today it is not with me. Here it is noon and I am forcing myself to come up with a word that has some meaning. Creativity and meaning can not be forced. I started this blog project and I am going to finish it, hopefully with few hiccups like this along the way.

Force is the strength, energy, power, or intensity exerted upon an object. It is also considered the physical power or strength of a living being. I would go one step further and say it is the mental and spiritual power and strength of a living being. I can do nothing without my force, GOD, and I can do all things through Him. There is nothing that I can not accomplish if I make sure to let God be the instigator of it, or the driving Force.

So, I forced myself to write this and in doing so I reminded myself that I can do anything! All I have to do is let God do it through me! Then the FORCE is with me!

The Quote:

"For my ally is the force, and a powerful ally it is. Life creates it, makes it grow. Its energy surrounds us and binds us. Luminous beings we are, not this crude matter. You must feel the force around you; here, between you, me, the tree, the rock, everywhere, yes, even between the land and the ship.~ Yoda

The Drawing:

Bonus:

CAREFUL

Careful is one of those words that can be used in good or bad ways. We can be careful when crossing a street, or chopping vegetables. When need to be careful when we are doing things that have the potential to be dangerous. Exercising care in those areas will help keep us safe.

Being full of care or careful by worrying about what might happen is not good. God wants us to put our trust in Him. To allow Him to guide our paths. We have every right to ask God for things and He will answer those requests in the way they need to be handled. We have to not worry about what will or won't happen. We need to thank Him for the answers to our prayers and desires before we know the outcome. God knows how it all will work out, He sees the BIG picture. We can only see the here and now, worrying over what the future will bring is silliness.

I have problems with this all the time, I worry what someone thinks about me, what will happen next, or about other things I really can not control. I need to put my faith and trust in God, and pray that He will let things happen the way He wants them to happen, all the while giving me the strength to handle every situation He puts before me. Lord, Help me be a person who is not Careful (a worrier).

The Quote

"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." ~Philippians 4:6

The Drawing:

LIFE

Life is not fair. It is not always what we want it to be. Life happens and as it happens we learn or choose not to learn from it. Life still continues on.

In life sometimes looking at the past events will help us in the present and future. If we dwell in the past we are missing the present, and will not have lessons or memories to look back on in the future. It is ok to dream of what Life will be like in the future, again if we dwell there in dreams we are missing all life has to offer in the here and now.

I admit I sometimes find it hard not to look at the past. I often see past failures and successes come up in my present life. I try to use those events as lessons to make my life better here and now. I dream of the future and what might be in store, I don't live in a dream world. Life will move right along, the future will be what I make of it one day at a time. I will take this present, into my future, and use it to guide my life. Life is a wonderful mystery, it will teach us as no other teacher can, if only we will listen.

The Quote:

"In three words I can sum up everything I've learned about life: it goes on." ~Robert Frost

The Drawing: