Sick Buddies

I just have to say Jason is a very good sick buddy. We laid on the couch all day together yesterday and it was really fun, in a coughy sort of way. He is out getting more movies right now. He is feeling better today, so I will probably be on my own tomorrow, but for today, I will enjoy my sick buddy. :)

Yes, we are rash sometimes...

But isn't he cute?

Happy Veteran's Day

My sweet husband gave me a kiss this morning and thanked me for serving my country! (Trust me, I didn't do much!)

Life Stuff

I think we are mostly recovered from Poppy's death. (In case you don't know my daughter's dog got ran over on Thurs night.) Laney and all the cousins had quite the funeral at my brother's house. Now we have to figure out what to replace him with. We don't want another dog and Jason is allergic to cats. This should be interesting!!

Desperate for Humility

Ok, I am writing about this, because I don't ever want to forget it. I doubt I will because I have been slammed with it lately. But still, writing about it is another way to work it into my heart. I read Mathew 23 this morning. Jesus was ummm... ripping the Pharisee's pride to shreds. Of course, it didn't humble them, it just made them start plotting murder.

Verse 8 says, "Don't let anyone call you 'Rabbi,'for you have only one teacher, and all of you are equal as brothers and sisters... Vs 11-12 "The greatest among you must be a servant. But those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted.

I don't want to THINK I am better than anyone else. EVER, for any reason. And I don't want to ACT like I am better than anyone else, either. I wish there was a permanent way to like cut something physically off, pluck out an eye or something, so it was done once, for all time, and obvious to everyone. (And not so everyone would see, but so they would always know I am for them, not against them, and then I wouldn't have to worry about the "acting like" part.) But there isn't, so I will just have to trust God to answer my prayer, "Lord, make me humble, keep me humble. Please, please, please! I so don't want to dishonor Your name by thinking I am more than I am. Or that you don't love every one of Your little ones as much as You love me. Forbid it Lord, that I should think I am better than anyone else, EVER. Change my heart to love Your people well! I ask in Your Name!"

My Word for the Day

I keep thinking about gentleness. I thought I figured this out already, when I prayed for gentleness with my kids, but apparently I still have lots to learn. I was thinking about that verse, "Let your gentleness be evident to all..." last night when I went to bed. What is gentleness, exactly? So I looked up that verse in a bunch of different versions. There were a wide variety of words used there; graciousness, forbearance, unselfishness, reasonableness, and of course, gentleness. I looked up The Message translation and look how cool this passage is:

Philippians 4:4-6 (The Message)

Celebrate God all day, every day. I mean, revel in him! Make it as clear as you can to all you meet that you're on their side, working with them and not against them. Help them see that the Master is about to arrive. He could show up any minute!

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.

Isn't that cool?! And, if anyone would like to share with me what gentleness means to them, I would love it! :)

Already?

I can't believe it is November!

Joy in Suffering

I have a theory:

Most of us miss out on the LIFE we could have in Christ because we are afraid to obey Him. We obey him in the obvious things; don't cheat on your spouse or taxes, go to church, don't beat kids behind closed doors. But we are afraid to obey Him in the LOVE things; have that conversation, be vunerable, tell that person what you really believe, how you really feel, call that lady and tell her you care about her.

And with the people who have loved us but hurt us sometimes, we harden our hearts and let them grow cold when He wants us to keep our hearts open and soft and vunerable.

We are afraid of taking the risk of rejection. Rejection causes suffering. Is there a worse kind?

But if we are willing, God works. He changes us. He changes others through us. We get to worship Him with our lives not just our mouths.

But the sweetest part, the most beautiful part; we get to share in His suffering that way. Who can offer themselves in love more than He did? Who can be more rejected than He was? He understands our feelings and He blesses us with His pleasure when we get to share in the tiniest glimpse of that suffering. When we are willing to pour our lives out for others, even when they have no idea what we are going through for them, He blesses us with Himself. There is NOTHING I love better than hearing Him saying, "I am pleased with you, Child" in my heart. I don't want to miss one bit of His will for my life. Not one thought, not one word, not one breath. I want to live out every single bit of His plan for my life. I don't want to be afraid to suffer. He calls me to suffer. And to rejoice in that suffering!

I praise you Lord and ask that I would truly be willing to do ANYTHING you ask me to do. Make me who You want me to be, that is all I want...

Gal 5:6b The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love.

1Pet 4:12-13Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.

Question of the Day

What is gentleness?

Phil 4:4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

I picked up "The Mind of Christ" by TW Hunt. He said the oposite of gentleness is hardness and the perversion of gentleness is being too soft.

Jesus was gentle. Always. But the whips in the temple and the "Get behind me, Satan" do not seem gentle. So it must be a state of heart. I need it. I also need the peace which transcends all understanding. I am so thankful that all we need comes directly through Him. If all we have is Jesus, we can be complete.

I love His people though, I don't want to ever be without them. Thankfully, He feels the same way. :)

Devin 7th Grade