Anger

How many times in the course of a day do you lose your temper? Or say something hurtful to the ones you love? They are an easy target, because you know them well enough that they will probably forgive you. But harsh words still hurt and even though you may have received forgiveness for your loss of temper or angry words, they still leave a mark. Once uttered they cannot be taken back. Let's remember to think before we speak. Here is a story about a bad tempered boy and the wise advice of his father.

NAIL IN THE FENCE

There once was a little boy who had a bad temper. His Father gave him a bag of nails and told him that every time he lost his temper, he must hammer a nail into the back of the fence. The first day the boy had driven 37 nails into the fence. Over the next
few weeks, as he learned to control his anger, and the number of nails hammered daily gradually dwindled down. He discovered it was easier to hold his temper than to drive those nails into the fence. Finally the day came when he did not lose his temper at all. He told his father about it and the father suggested that the boy
now pull out one nail for each day that he was able to hold his temper. The days passed and the young boy was finally able to tell his father that all the nails
were gone. The father took his son by the hand and led him to the fence He said, 'You have done well, my son, but look at the holes in the fence. The fence
will never be the same. When you say things in anger, they leave a scar just like this one. You can put a knife in a man and draw it out. It won't matter how many times you say I'm sorry, the wound is still there. A verbal wound is as bad as a physical one.

Proverbs 29:11 (New International Version)
11 A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control.

Proverbs 12:18 (New International Version)
18 Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.

So Deceived

Matthew 24:4-14

4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,'and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.

9"Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. 14And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come.

Matthew 24:23-24

23At that time if anyone says to you, 'Look, here is the Christ!' or, 'There he is!' do not believe it. 24For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect—if that were possible.



God is NOT jealous OF us, He is jealous when we worship false gods, and not HIM. For HE is the ONE TRUE GOD. There is NO other god. So yes, God is jealous when we worship THINGS instead of worshipping the only one worthy of worship, which is GOD our Heavenly FATHER.

Exodus 20:4-6

4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, 6 but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.


Exodus 34:10-17

10 And He said: “Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nation; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you. 11 Observe what I command you this day. Behold, I am driving out from before you the Amorite and the Canaanite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Hivite and the Jebusite. 12 Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst. 13 But you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and cut down their wooden images 14 (for you shall worship no other god, for the LORD, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God), 15 lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice, 16 and you take of his daughters for your sons, and his daughters play the harlot with their gods and make your sons play the harlot with their gods.
17 “You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.

Plain as day -- there is ONLY ONE WAY to heaven and that is through the sacrificial blood of JESUS CHRIST.
John 3:16-20

16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."

John 10:9-11 (New American Standard Bible)

9"I am the door; if anyone enters through Me, he will be saved, and will go in and out and find pasture. 10"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. 11"I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down His life for the sheep.

John 14:6

6Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

Retreat

I just spent a relaxing, but emotional weekend at our churches ladies retreat. Our topic for the weekend was "Freedom in Christ". It was amazingly simple as one speaker put it. The church (in general) has added to it, but Christ said "Follow Me". So, first we follow...second, after we've seen His work, we Believe, then last, we obey. That's it! Simple. But for some reason, we get stuck on the "obey" part. That's where things get messed up. We heard about some getting "freedom" from their addictions, once they let God have them. We heard about "financial freedom" by "giving" in the right order. God first, savings for you future is second, bills third, and then you get the balance. We get that part messed up by trying to move ourselves up to the #1 slot. Our last speaker spoke on "letting go, and letting God". No matter your problem, if you don't let it go for God to handle, then it'll won't get better. We can't fix it, not without God's help. We talked about anger and forgivness. And how forgivness is freedom. If you can't forgive, then you are the one being hurt. It turns you into a bitter, angry, sad, or lonely person. The unforgiveness usually only hurts you, in most cases the one you aren't forgiving, doesn't even know they need or want your forgivness.
So, all that to say, live a life of true "Freedom", unshackle yourself from the bonds that hold you. Whether it be addiction, money, unforgivness, or something else. You can find your Freedom in Christ.

Jeremiah 29:11-14 (New International Version)

11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity.

Captivating

Instead of making the trek into Houston on Tuesdays to listen to Beth Moore, I've been attending an at home Bible study. The title of the book is Captivating by John and Stasi Eldredge. It has been wonderful, informative, eye opening and heart wrenching every week. I have learned that every little girl and boy comes into this world with a question on their hearts. A girls question is this...Am I captivating, do you notice me, do you see me? How many little girls play "dress up" and want to know if they are pretty? Or "look at me dancing". A boys question is more like this....Am I enough, am I a hero, am I the real deal, a man? How many little boys want to be "superman" or the star athlete...the hero, the one who saves the day. These questions are answered early in our childhood, even when the question hasn't been verbally asked. It is generally not answered in a positive way. Little girls can be physically abused and the answer to their question is ugliness. Or by a parent saying they weren't wanted, so they are always looking for someone to want or notice them. Then we have major hurdles to overcome. We (men and women) take our questions to the opposite sex to have them answer, and the truth of it is...they can't do it. The question can only be answered completely by God. What we can do for our partner (my husband) is to allow him to be the "hero". Even if it is something as simple as allowing him to help me with something, even when I can do it myself. Allow your husband to BE a man, play to his strength, bring it out in him by being a woman. Not pretending to be weak, don't insult him, but let him know he's needed and wanted. To be honest, I like when my man is the hero for me. A year ago I got a flat tire on the highway. Thank God for cell phones! I called my husband and I felt relieved when I saw him driving up to "rescue" me. I was the princess in the tower and he was the prince riding up on the white horse. It was actually a white work truck, but you get the point. That was a good day for us both. I would recommend reading the book captivating. There is a study to go along with it, but if you can't do the study the book is enough. For your man (if he'll read a book) get him Wild At Heart by John Eldredge. It's the guys version. It could save marriages which are at an all time high for divorce. God bless you and your marriage or if you're single your relationships.

Be Warned...Matthew 24

I received this email and felt it needed to be shared by more than just a forward. I have copied the content of the email here. Please be warned by what you read. It's a sign of our times and what Jesus warned us about in Matthew about false teachers. I know this is a fairly long read, but informative on this matter. Start here with scripture, the truth, and then read on...
Matthew 24:4-8
4Jesus answered: "Watch out that no one deceives you. 5For many will come in my name, claiming, 'I am the Christ,[a]' and will deceive many. 6You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 7Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. 8All these are the beginning of birth pains.

"Oprah and Friends" to teach course on New Age Christ

By Warren Smith

November 2007

See also Reinventing Jesus Christ: The New Gospel

Oprah Winfrey will be letting out all the stops on her XM Satellite Radio program this coming year. Beginning January 1, 2008, "Oprah & Friends" will offer a year-long course on the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles.

1 A lesson a day throughout the year will completely cover the 365 lessons from the Course in Miracles "Workbook." For example, Lesson #29 asks you to go through your day affirming that "God is in everything I see."2 Lesson #61 tells each person to repeat the affirmation "I am the light of the world."3 Lesson #70 teaches the student to say and believe "My salvation comes from me."4

By the end of the year, "Oprah & Friends" listeners will have completed all of the lessons laid out in the Course in Miracles Workbook. Those who finish the Course will have a wholly redefined spiritual mindset a New Age worldview that includes the belief that there is no sin, no evil, no devil, and that God is "in" everyone and everything. A Course in Miracles teaches its students to rethink everything they believe about God and life. The Course Workbook bluntly states: "This is a course in mind training"5 and is dedicated to "thought reversal."6

Teaching A Course in Miracles will be Oprah's longtime friend and special XM Satellite Radio reporter Marianne Williamson who also happens to be one of today's premier New Age leaders. She and Conversations with God author Neale Donald Walsch co-founded the American Renaissance Alliance in 1997, that later became the Global Renaissance Alliance of New Age leaders, that changed its name again in 2005 to the Peace Alliance. This Peace Alliance seeks to usher in an era of global peace founded on the principles of a New Age/New Spirituality that they are now referring to as a "civil rights movement for the soul."7 They all agree that the principles of this New Age/New Spirituality are clearly articulated in A Course in Miracles which is fast becoming the New Age Bible. So what is A Course in Miracles and what does it teach?

A Course in Miracles is allegedly "new revelation" from "Jesus" to help humanity work through these troubled times. This "Jesus" who bears no doctrinal resemblance to the Bible's Jesus Christ began delivering his channeled teachings in 1965 to a Columbia University Professor of Medical Psychology by the name of Helen Schucman.

One day Schucman heard an "inner voice" stating, "This is a course in miracles. Please take notes."8 For seven years she diligently took spiritual dictation from this inner voice that described himself as "Jesus." A Course in Miracles was quietly published in 1975 by the Foundation for Inner Peace. For many years "the Course" was an underground cult classic for New Age seekers who studied "the Course" individually, with friends, or in small study groups.

As a former New Age follower and devoted student of A Course in Miracles, I eventually discovered that the Course in Miracles was in reality the truth of the Bible turned upside down. Not having a true understanding of the Bible at the time of my involvement, I was led to believe that A Course in Miracles was "a gift from God" to help everyone understand the "real" meaning of the Bible and to help bring peace to the world. Little did I know that the New Age "Christ" and the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles were everything the real Jesus Christ warned us to watch out for. In Matthew 24 Jesus warned about false teachers, false teachings and the false "Christs" who would pretend to be Him.

When I left the New Age "Christ" to follow the Bible's Jesus Christ, I had come to understand that the "Jesus" of A Course in Miracles was a false "Christ," and that his Course in Miracles was dangerously deceptive. Here are some quotes from the "Jesus" of A Course in Miracles:

"There is no sin. . . " 9 [See note]
A "slain Christ has no meaning."10
"The journey to the cross should be the last 'useless journey."11
"Do not make the pathetic error of 'clinging to the old rugged cross.'"12
"The Name of Jesus Christ as such is but a symbol... It is a symbol that is safely used as a replacement for the many names of all the gods to which you pray."13
"God is in everything I see."14
"The recognition of God is the recognition of yourself."15
"The oneness of the Creator and the creation is your wholeness, your sanity and your limitless power."16
"The Atonement is the final lesson he [man] need learn, for it teaches him that, never having sinned, he has no need of salvation."17 Most Christians recognize that these teachings are the opposite of what the Bible teaches. In the Bible, Jesus Christ's atoning death on the cross of Calvary was hardly a "useless journey." His triumph on the cross provides salvation to all those who confess their sin, accept Him and follow Him as their Lord and Saviour. His victory on the cross rings throughout the New Testament. It has been gloriously sung about in beloved hymns through the ages and is at the heart of our Christian testimony.

I found the Jesus of the Bible to be wholly believable as He taught God's truth and warned about the spiritual deception that would come in His name. The "Jesus" of A Course in Miracles reveals himself to be an imposter when he blasphemes the true Jesus Christ by saying that a "slain Christ has no meaning" and that we are all "God" and that we are all "Christ." It was by reading the Bible's true teachings of Jesus Christ that I came to understand how deceived I had been by A Course in Miracles and my other New Age teachings.

I was introduced to A Course in Miracles by Dr. Gerald Jampolsky's book Love is Letting Go of Fear. Jampolsky declared in his easy-to-read book how the teachings of A Course in Miracles had changed his life. As an ambassador for A Course in Miracles over the years, Jampolsky has been featured not only in New Age circles but at least twice on Robert Schuller's Hour of Power. While Schuller introduced Jampolsky and his "fabulous"18 Course in Miracles-based books to his worldwide television audience, it was Marianne Williamson's appearance on a 1992 Oprah Winfrey Show that really shook the rafters.

On that program, Oprah enthusiastically endorsed Williamson's book, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles of A Course in Miracles. Oprah told her television audience that Williamson's book about A Course in Miracles was one of her favorite books, and that she had already bought a thousand copies and would be handing them out to everyone in her studio audience. Oprah's endorsement skyrocketed Williamson's book about A Course in Miracles to the top of the New York Times bestseller list. Ironically, all of this was happening after I had left the Course and the New Age. In fact, I was doing the final editing on my book The Light That Was Dark that warned about the dangers of the New Age and in particular A Course in Miracles.

After being introduced to the world on Oprah, Marianne Williamson has continued to grow in popularity and, as previously mentioned, has become one of today's foremost New Age leaders. Williamson credits Winfrey for bringing her book about A Course in Miracles before the world: "For that, my deepest thanks to Oprah Winfrey. Her enthusiasm and generosity have given the book, and me, an audience we would never otherwise have had."19 In her 2004 book, The Gift of Change, Williamson wrote:
"Twenty years ago, I saw the guidance of the Course as key to changing one's personal life; today, I see its guidance as key to changing the world. More than anything else, I see how deeply the two are connected."20
Thus the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles are about to be taught by Marianne Williamson to millions of listeners on Oprah's XM Satellite Radio program. Listeners are encouraged to buy A Course in Miracles for the year-long course. An audio version of A Course in Miracles recited by Richard (John Boy Walton) Thomas is also available on compact disc.
Popular author Wayne Dyer told his PBS television audience that the "brilliant writing" of A Course in Miracles would produce more peace in the world.21 Williamson's New Age colleague, Neale Donald Walsch, said his "God" stated that "the era of the Single Saviour is over"22 and that he ("God") was responsible for authoring the teachings of A Course in Miracles.23
Meanwhile, Gerald Jampolsky's Course in Miracles-based book, Forgiveness, continues to be sold in Robert Schuller's Crystal Cathedral bookstore as Schuller prepares to host a January 17-19, 2008, "Rethink Conference" at his Crystal Cathedral.24

At this critical time in the history of the world, the New Gospel/New Spirituality is coming right at the world and the church with its New Age teachings and its New Age Peace Plan. But this New Age Peace Plan has at its deceptive core the bottom-line teaching from A Course in Miracles that "we are all one" because God is "in" everyone and everything. But the Bible is clear that we are not God (Ezekiel 28:1-2; Hosea 11:9).
Ezekiel 28
A Prophecy Against the King of Tyre
1 The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son of man, say to the ruler of Tyre, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: " 'In the pride of your heart you say, "I am a god; I sit on the throne of a god in the heart of the seas." But you are a man and not a god, though you think you are as wise as a god.

Hosea 11:9
9 I will not carry out my fierce anger,nor will I turn and devastate Ephraim. For I am God, and not man— the Holy One among you. I will not come in wrath. [c]

And per Galatians 3:26-28, our only oneness is in Jesus Christ not in ourselves as "God" and "Christ."
Galatians 3:26-28
Sons of God
26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. 28There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus.

What Oprah and Marianne Williamson and the world will learn one day is that humanity's only real and lasting peace is with the true Jesus Christ who is described and quoted in the Holy Bible (Romans 5:1).
Romans 5
Peace and Joy
1Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we[a]have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ,

Oprah Winfrey's misplaced faith in Marianne Williamson and the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles is a sure sign of the times. But an even surer sign of the times is that most Christians are not taking heed to what is happening in the world and in the church. We are not contending for the faith as the Bible admonishes us to do (Jude 1).
Jude 1:3-4
The sin and doom of Godless men
3Dear friends, although I was very eager to write to you about the salvation we share, I felt I had to write and urge you to contend for the faith that was once for all entrusted to the saints. 4For certain men whose condemnation was written about[b] long ago have secretly slipped in among you. They are godless men, who change the grace of our God into a license for immorality and deny Jesus Christ our only Sovereign and Lord.
It is time for all of our Purpose-Driven and Emerging church pastors to address the real issue of the day. Our true Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is being reinvented, redefined, and blasphemed right in front of our eyes and hardly anyone seems to notice or care. If we want the world to know who Jesus Christ is, we need to also warn them about who He is not. There is a false New Age "Christ" making huge inroads into the world and into the church. The Apostle Paul said that "it is a shame" we have to even talk about these things, but talk about them we must (Ephesians 5:11-17).
Ephesians 5:11-17
11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible, 14for it is light that makes everything visible. This is why it is said: "Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead,
and Christ will shine on you." 15Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, 16making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. 17Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is.

If people want to follow Oprah Winfrey and the New Age "Christ" of A Course in Miracles they certainly have that right. But let them be warned that the New Age "Christ" they are following is not the same Jesus Christ who is so clearly and authoritatively presented in the pages of the Bible.
Warren Smith is a former New Age follower who at one time was deeply involved in the New Age teachings of A Course in Miracles. He is the author of these insightful books:

Deceived on Purpose: http://www.bookmasters.com/marktplc/01743purpose.htm

The Light that was Dark: http://www.atlasbooks.com/marktplc/01743light.htm
Reinventing Jesus Christ (2nd edition which is posted online): http://www.reinventingjesuschrist.com

Note: Philip Pullman's trilogy (starting with The Golden Compass) illustrates this occult context. It calls for the destruction of Biblical authority, which defines sin and thus generates guilt. To reverse the consequence of "the fall" in Genesis 3, the 12-year-old heroine Lyra must become Eve, be tempted, choose immorality, and free humanity from God's moral law and boundaries. See The upside-down world of Pullman's "Golden Compass"
Endnotes:
1. http://marianne.com/book/index/htm
2. A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume (Glen Ellen, California: Foundation for Inner Peace, 1975), (Workbook), p. 45.
3. Ibid., p. 102.
4. Ibid., p. 119.
5. Ibid., (Text), p. 16.
6. Ibid., (Preface), p. ix.
7. Neale Donald Walsch, Tomorrow's God: Our Greatest Spiritual Challenge (New York: Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, 2004), pp. 262-263.
8. Robert Skutch, Journey Without Distance: The Story behind "A Course in Miracles" (Berkeley, California: Celestial Arts, 1984), p. 54.
9. A Course in Miracles: Combined Volume, (Workbook), p. 183.
10. Ibid., (Text), p. 425.
11. Ibid., p. 52.
12. Ibid.
13. Ibid., (Teachers Manual), p. 58.
14. Ibid., (Workbook), p. 45.
15. Ibid., (Text), p. 147.
16. Ibid., p. 125.
17. Ibid., p. 237.
18. http://www.hourofpower.org/interviews/interviews_detail.cfm?ArticleID=3079
19. Marianne Williamson, A Return to Love: Reflections on the Principles A Course in Miracles (New York: Harper Perennial, 1996), p. ix.
20. Marianne Williamson, The Gift Of Change: Spiritual Guidance for a Radically New Life (San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2004), p. 5.
21. Wayne Dyer, "There's a Spiritual Solution to Every Problem," Public Broadcasting System broadcast in 2001.
22. Neale Donald Walsch, The New Revelations: A Conversation with God (New York: Atria Books, 2002), p. 157.
23. Neale Donald Walsch, Conversations with God: an uncommon dialogue, Book 1 (New York: G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1996), p. 90.
24. http://www.rethinkconference.com (See also WorldNetDaily.com 10/30/07 "What is Robert Schuller 'rethinking'?" by Joseph Farah and "Rethinking Robert Schuller" by Warren Smith. See also Herescope: "Rethinking Culture" and "Rethinking and Reinventing" (10/30/07)

Warren Smith's insightful books:
Deceived on Purpose: The New Age Implications of the Purpose-Driven Church
The Light That Was Dark: From the New Age to Amazing Grace Reinventing Jesus Christ

Set Me Free

John 8:31-36 (New King James Version)
New King James Version (NKJV)
Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc.



The Truth Shall Make You Free

31 Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, “If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. 32 And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”
33 They answered Him, “We are Abraham’s descendants, and have never been in bondage to anyone. How can You say, ‘You will be made free’?”
34 Jesus answered them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin. 35 And a slave does not abide in the house forever, but a son abides forever. 36 Therefore if the Son makes you free, you shall be free indeed.

Battles

"To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best day and night to make you like everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight and never stop fighting."-e e cummingsUS poet (1894 - 1962)


I got this quote from another blog. After recently completing the Daniel Study it seems quite accurate. Here we (christians) are living in "Babylon" and trying not to be of the world. But it's literally surrounding us and bombarding us daily with all its temptations. So what indulgences are off limits? Daniel chose not to eat at the kings banquet table. It was not only the food that was off limits to him, but the idea of eating off the kings table was to accept him and his ways. We don't have food that if off limits to us, but we can eat too much of a good thing. And often do. And it is too easy to just go get what you're wanting. And all the commercials and advertisers play to the sense that "you deserve it". And it's not just food, but stuff. You can never have enough. And if you can't afford something, then it's perfectly acceptable to charge it and pay it off later. But then you fall into debt. The more you do this, the more debt you acquire and the things don't satisfy for long. The bible says this Proverbs 22: 7b ...And the borrower is servant to the lender. As Christmas is approaching, a lot of people go into some major credit card debt to be able to "afford" Christmas. I have fallen into this pit before, but now, we have no credit cards. We set up a budget for Christmas and that's it. Banks have Christmas club accounts that you can start and be able to pay cash for your presents. Then you're not paying interest to someone else for your purchases. There are more trappings that we can fall into other than food and debt...and you know what trappings might be snaring you. I would just like you to keep this in mind...

It's a battle thats never over, a battle we will always fight, and a battle we will lose if we take our eyes off Jesus for one second.

Patience

Who here is patient? Not me... In our instant society patience is not expected. We want everything now. From instant food to instant messaging. Waiting 60 seconds on the microwave, or for our computers to boot up or switch pages, we sit there tapping, saying "you're taking forever!!!!" In our Esther series we are learning that she was patient and waited for just the right time to make her request of the king. At the end of the first banquet, she did not make her request know to the king. She invited them back again for another banquet. Tomorrow, I'll let you know my request. Now, if you had your sworn enemy sitting at your table, and the king asked you what you wanted, would you be able to wait, have patience for the right timing. God had prepared her a table in the presence of her enemy. It would have been so easy for her to ask for Haman's head on a platter. Did she wait because she was suddenly afraid to ask, or did she wait because God told her too, or did she wait because she wasn't sure of what to ask for? It doesn't say why Esther chose to wait for one more day, but she did and it proved advantageous to her. Haman's ego had not reached it's full height at this point and the King still regarded him as a trustworthy man. God tells us to wait for different reasons. Sometimes, the timing isn't right for us. Sometimes, we are ready, for something to happen, but others may not be ready. Patience isn't easily obtained, especially in a "get it now" society, but maybe that's why it is a virtue. It is something we need to seek daily. And if you're a mother of small children or even teenagers, your patience gets tested daily. Do we pass? Some days I would say yes, but most days, probably not. So what's the answer...God, of course. In Isaiah he says he will renew our strength. We lean on Him and He will give us what we need in any situation.
Lessons learned so far from Esther: Make the most of your situation-Being taken from her family to be put in a beauty pagent for the honor of Queen. Do not be afraid- "And who knows but that you have come to royal position for such a time as this?". Courage-" I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish." Patience - wait till the timing is right.

Hungry Hearts

I chose that title because I really believe we need to have a hungry heart. A heart that wants to dig deeper, learn more, love others more...really have a heart for other women and meeting their needs. I have been going to Beth Moore in Houston on tuesday nights and have invited others to go along with me. Some have and for various reasons, some have not been able to come. So, what do we do for those not able to be blessed on tuesdays. My friend and I started a thursday night study for ladies to come and dig a little deeper, to get some knowledge, to get some healing, insight, whatever it is that they are needing. We've got some hungry, hurting and interested-but-don't-know-how-to-get-started, ladies right in our own churches, friendships, workplaces...etc... All it takes is a willing heart to get things started. If you use a dvd formatted study, then the author does the teaching, you facilitate...get things started, keep them on track, and provide a safe environment for women to reach out to each other. We provide coffee, tea and maybe some chocolate and a lot of love. This time around we are using Beth Moore's "When godly people do ungodly things". In January, we plan on doing "Captivating" by John and Stasi Eldredge. Right now we have about 14 ladies participating. Next time, we may have more, may have less. The point is, we are there and will continue to be there as long as we are needed. Space can some times be an issue. Talk to your church if you get to be too big, or break off into smaller groups at homes. There is a real need for women to connect. This past summer, after Beth finished Proverbs, I was not ready to stop Bible Study for the summer. I had her Daniel study, so I invited some friends and ladies at church to join me. We had a wonderful time learning together, but more importantly, we were there for one of the ladies at possibly the worst point in her life. If we had not been meeting in my home, I don't know that she would have called on us at that time. It was summer and you just kind of live in your own moment with your family. ( And that's good, we can't neglect our families either.) But, it is very possible that we would not have known until the entire situation was over. Then we would have lost a very important opportunity to minister to her and her children. It has made us closer and stronger friends. Just wanted to share a little piece of my heart this morning. Hope you all have a God Blessed day.

Refresh

Today, as I was working on my computer, I went to hit the "refresh" button. I began to think about that word "refresh". How often do we have a rough morning, day, week and wish we could hit a button and refresh. I then went to scripture to see what God has to say about refreshing ourselves. I found many!!! Here are just a few:

Jeremiah 31:25 "I will refresh the weary and satisfy the faint."

Exodus 23:12"Six days do your work, but on the seventh day do not work, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the slave born in your household, and the alien as well, may be refreshed.

Psalm 68:9 "You gave abundant showers, O God; you refreshed your weary inheritance.

Proverbs 25:13"Like the coolness of snow at harvest time is a trustworthy messenger to those who send him; he refreshes the spirit of his masters.

My favorite place to go to "refresh" is the beach. The sound of the water, the smell of the salt water (sometimes dead fish, not as appealing)just melt away my stresses. My other favorite place, where I can go more often in my mind than in person is the mountains. This summer we went to Silverton, Colorado and spent 10 days in the mountains. It was awesome!!! God's creation!!! I can't always go to one of my favorite places to "refresh" my soul, but God is always with me and His Word is always there for the "refreshment" we need everyday! God Bless you today