No, this is not about eating or dieting!
Have you ever tried to find a Bible verse to show someone else how wrong they are? And instead have God point out how wrong you are? Well it sure happened to me the other day when I read James 1:26-27.
If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.
See, I'm working on the second part. But I fail miserably on the first part. No matter how many Meals on Wheels I deliver, or how many bad TV shows I don't watch, it's worthless when I can't keep my tongue under control! I am ashamed at some of the things that come out of my mouth sometimes. God, please help me to say only things that honor You and those around me! More in James 3:2-10.
A few more verses:
Reckless words pierce like a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue lasts only a moment. (Proverbs 12:18,19)
Whoever of you loves life and desires to see many good days,
keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies. (Psalm 34:12,13)
The mouth of the righteous man utters wisdom, and his tongue speaks what is just. The law of his God is in his heart; his feet do not slip. (Psalm 37:30,31)
He who guards his lips guards his life, but he who speaks rashly will come to ruin. (Proverbs 13:3)
But He was pierced for our transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5
This morning in church we sang 'Breathe' by Michael W. Smith. Here are some of the lyrics:
This is the air I breathe this is the air I breathe Your holy presence living in me
this is my daily bread this is my daily bread Your very word spoken to me
And I, I'm desperate for you And I, I'm I'm lost without you
It's one of my favorite songs and I love singing it. But...it made me wonder, do I really mean the words I'm singing? Is God's holy presence like the air I breathe? Is his word my daily bread? Would I not be able to live without Him, or would I just go on with my daily life if He suddenly disappeared? Would I not really miss Him?
What about you? Would you really not be able to live without Him, would you be lost? Or would you not really miss Him and go on with life as usual? Would it make a difference? Or would you be so busy with your daily schedule of (house)work, school, family and running errands that you would not have much time to realize God wasn't there?
If you had to go a day without bread, or a day without God, which would you choose? If you answered a day without bread, I want to challenge you to join me in a 'Hungry for God' day on April 1st. One day where we all fast together from morning until evening*. And every time we feel hungry, we will think about God and how lucky we are that we don't have to live a day without Him!
Will you join me? If so, then please leave a comment or send me an e-mail to let me know you are joining me on this day. Tell your family and friends about it. Share it on your blog. Show the world and God that you are hungry for Him!
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. (John 6:35)
*This will be a liquids-only fast for me, since I still nurse a little one, I have to have my fluids!
Have you ever felt worthless? There have been times when I did. For example, for years I was bullied in school and felt worthless or inferior most of the time. It took me years to built up some confidence. I wish now that I had been stronger in my faith. Maybe I wouldn't have measured my self-worth by what other people thought of me, or how they treated me. Instead, I should have focused on what God thought of me, and what He did for me. I wanted to share a few Bible verses to hopefully make those of you who are feeling worthless, a little better about yourself.
So we say with confidence, "The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?" (Hebrews 13:6)
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. (Matthew 5: 11-12)
For the LORD will be your confidence and will keep your foot from being snared. (Proverbs 3:26)
Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from the will of your Father. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. (Matthew 10:29-31)
For you have been my hope, O Sovereign LORD, my confidence since my youth. (Psalm 71:5)
Your beauty should not come from outward adornment, such as braided hair and the wearing of gold jewelry and fine clothes. Instead, it should be that of your inner self, the unfading beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of great worth in God's sight. (1 Peter 3:3-4)
I can do everything through Him who gives me strength. (Philippians 4:13)
And now, dear children, continue in him, so that when he appears we may be confident and unashamed before him at his coming. (1 John 2:28)
If the LORD delights in a man's way, he makes his steps firm;though he stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand. (Psalm 37:23-24)
To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood, and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. (Revelation 1:5b-6)
And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. (Colossians 1:10-14)
I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. (Psalm 139:14)
Think about that last verse. God made you, and His works are wonderful. YOU are wonderful! Don't ever forget that!
I'm sure most of you know John 3:16: 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.
I was inspired this morning to look up some other 3:16s in my Bible. Here are some of my favorites from the New Testament.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. (Matthew 3:16)
John answered them all, "I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. (Luke 3:16)
Don't you know that you yourselves are God's temple and that God's Spirit lives in you? (1 Corinthians 3:16)
I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being. (Ephesians 3:16)
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)
Now may the Lord of peace himself give you peace at all times and in every way. The Lord be with all of you. (2 Thessalonians 3:16)
Beyond all question, the mystery of godliness is great: He appeared in a body, was vindicated by the Spirit, was seen by angels, was preached among the nations, was believed on in the world, was taken up in glory. (1 Timothy 3:16)
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)
This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers. (1 John 3:16)
Today I have been brainstorming for a name for our homeschool. Okay, I know it's a little early, Gabriel is only 2, but it never hurts to be prepared! Here are some of the ideas I came up with:
Green Pastures Christian Academy (Psalm 23: "He makes me lie down in green pastures...", plus we live out in the country and have green pastures most of the year!)
Light of the World Academy
Morning Star Christian Academy
New Creation Home School
Eagles' Wings Christian Academy
Rising Son Christian Academy
Tree of Life Christian Academy
Heart and Mind Home School
Heart of Wisdom Home School
And for preschool (before we officially start Kindergarten):
Hidden Treasures Preschool
Faith & Fun Preschool
Which ones do you like best? Are there any names you think won't work for some reason? I would really appreciate your opinion!
I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. (Revelation 3:15-16)
I've been thinking about this Bible verse all morning. Most of us have probably been there, or are still there. Lukewarm for God. You go to church, read your Bible and pray, but do not find real joy in it. Hearing the name of Jesus doesn't make you feel hot or cold. Being a Christian has become a routine instead of a relationship.
Here are some questions to ask yourself. Do you find the following things a JOY or an INCONVENIENCE? Do you enjoy doing it because you're doing it for God? Or would you rather do something else with your time or money or feelings? Write down the numbers 1 - 10 and behind that write a J for Joy or an I for Inconvenience.
1. Going to church. 2. Sitting down to study your Bible. 3. Praying to God - and I don't mean a 30-second prayer before your meal. 4. Helping someone out. 5. Tithing, whether you give to the church, a Christian charity or people in need. 6. Forgiving someone who has hurt you. 7. Telling someone who is not a Christian about Jesus. 8. Changing the channel because the TV-show you're watching is going against what God wants. 9. Trusting that God will take care of you instead of worrying about the future. 10. Serving God by doing something out of your comfort zone, knowing He will give you strength and courage.
Now add up all your J-s and I-s. Did you answer the majority with a J - for Jesus? Then you must be on the right track! Isn't is such a joy to serve the Lord wherever you can? Did you answer the majority with an I - for yourself? Then maybe you should look for ways to light up that fire in your heart for the Lord. The best way to start is to spend more time with Him. Try to set a few minutes aside in the morning and evening so you can start and end your day by praying to Him. Ask God to ignite that fire in your heart. Start a daily Bible study that will teach you more about Who He is. Sing a few worship songs every day. I promise you, the more time you spend with God, the bigger that fire in your heart will become. And after a while, these things will not be inconveniences anymore, and won't require so much effort. They will become the highlight of your day.
You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (Jeremiah 29:13)
Bring joy to your servant, for to you, O Lord, I lift up my soul. (Psalm 86:4)
Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. (Psalm 51:12)
My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you— I, whom you have redeemed. (Psalm 71:23)
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength. (Mark 12:30)
Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. (Romans 12:11-12)
Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.Do not put out the Spirit's fire. (1 Thessalonians 5:16-19)
Here's a Casting Crowns song that I thought was very fitting.
Until Jesus returns, we will never be perfect Christians. We'll never be as hot as we need to be. We'll always be somewhere in the middle. But we need to try our very best for Him!
I also like this article by Edwin Crozier who has an interesting way of looking at this Bible verse. A quote: "Do you see now what Jesus was telling Laodicea. His point was not that He would rather they be His clear enemies than just so-so. He was saying He wanted them to stand out and be different from their environment. He wanted them to impact those that surrounded them. Sadly, the reverse had been true and so they were to Jesus like the tepid cup of coffee–disgusting and useless." Jesus wants us to be different from the rest of the world. We often try to blend in and are just as up-to-date on the latest fashion, technology and tv-shows as everyone else. So how do they know we're different? We have to show them by our actions! Let them see the fire of God in you!
Meet Sruthy, a 9-year old girl from India. As of today, we are sponsoring her with our Sunday school group. After getting the green light from the rest of our group, I browsed through the hundreds of profiles on Compassion.com and this little girl caught my eye. I just fell in love with her, she looks so sweet! Please click on the picture if you want to read more about her.
If you have a Sunday school group, or Bible study group, or any other group that you belong to, why don't you ask them if they would be willing to sponsor a child? It's only $32 a month, so if your group has 10 members, that's only about $3 a month! With very little we can give a child so much!
Last weekend we had one of the scariest nights of our lives. Saturday night after going to bed, Gabriel developed a fever. We had not noticed anything wrong with him all day, and I didn't think it was anything serious, he's had fevers before. Well this time it was different. After a couple of hours, it must have been close to 1pm, Gabriel had a seizure. Apparently it is pretty common for young children to have fever-related seizures, but when it happens to your own child, it is the scariest thing ever! The seizure lasted only a few minutes, but afterwards he was limp and did not respond to us. So we raced him to the hospital, the whole time thinking he might die or something! It was so awful! All I could do was pray over and over again, "God, please let him be alright!"
After we got to the hospital, he slowly started to come back and became more and more responsive. Of course he cried as he was poked with needles etc. As it turned out, he has an ear infection, which is what caused the sudden high fever. He has never had an ear infection before that I know of, and had shown no signs of having one. So they prescribed antibiotics and Tylenol. By the time we went back home (around 3am), Gabriel was counting the stars in the sky, almost back to his old self. We are so thankful that he is okay! He brings so much joy to our life and we love him so much!
Of course it made me think about what God must have felt like when His only Son was dying on the cross. Knowing He could have stopped it, but He chose to sacrifice His precious son Jesus so that we could live!
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. (John 3:16)
I have to say that the whole thing really shocked me, and makes me cherish every moment with Gabriel even more than usual. But it also made me worry more than usual. But then last night during our Esther Bible study, Beth Moore's message was about fear. And it made me realize that with any fear, I need to keep asking myself, if this happens, then what? And eventually the answer is always God. No matter what happens, God will always take care of us!
Here is a video of Gabriel dancing to Hee Haw on Sunday evening. As you can see, he's back to his old self!
Watch this video from Compassion International about 'The Lie of Poverty"
I was thinking about this and it suddenly occurred to me that there is also 'The Lie of Wealth'. Most of us who read this are very wealthy compared to the children sponsored through Compassion. Yet we tell ourselves that we're not. We look at the things we don't have, the things we would like to have, the things we think we need. But it's all a lie! We don't really need new clothes every season. We don't really need to go out to eat every week. We don't really need that new TV or car. Yet we tell ourselves that we do, and we tell ourselves that we can barely pay our bills. Surely you don't expect me to sponsor a child when I'm not sure if I'll be able to pay my bills this month?
But instead of looking for reasons why you can't sponsor a child, try to look for ways you can save money so you can! Maybe instead of going out to eat twice a week, you can go once a week? Maybe instead of buying new clothes this Spring, you can buy used clothes, or check again if last year's clothes are really that bad? Or try this: have a special piggy bank or box and every day for 1 month put 1 dollar in that box. At the end of the month, see if you really missed that money. I bet you won't! And then think about what that dollar a day could do for a child whose family's total income is only a dollar a day!
Did you know that 12 children die from hunger every minute? I came across this video yesterday and could barely stand to watch it. Tears were streaming down my face. It is shocking to think that things like this happen in our world every day.
Shocking, isn't it? It made me feel so guilty sitting here in my nice home, with nice clothes and too much food. It made me want to do something to help those poor children. We will be sponsoring a second child soon, but it still feels like so little. I wonder in what shape Compassion's sponsor children were before they started receiving help. Most of the children look nice now in their profile pictures, but don't forget that they were not always like that, and that they often dress up in their nicest clothes for those pictures. They are poorer than we could ever imagine and they need our help, your help! So won't you help to give a child a hope and a future?
Some Bible verses about helping the poor: Proverbs 11:24-25 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. A generous man will prosper; he who refreshes others will himself be refreshed.
Proverbs 28:27 He who gives to the poor will lack nothing, but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
Matthew 25:31-46 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' (vs 35-36, but I encourage you to click on the link and read the whole passage.)
1 John 3:17-18 If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.
2 Corinthians 9:7 Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.
Note the last verse. I am not trying to judge anyone or make anyone feel guilty. I don't want to force anyone into feeling like they have to sponsor a child. But I do want you to wake up, think about it and not let yourself make up excuses too easily. Don't listen to Satan's lies when he tells you that you don't have the money, when deep down in your heart you know that you do. I promise you, once you start sponsoring a child, it will make you cheerful! It is wonderful to send and receive letters and pray for that child, knowing you are making a small difference in the world, and a huge difference in that child's life!
I came across this video today and just had to share! I think Compassion does such wonderful things and it's so easy to be a part of it!
This is the Ruth Noemà from Ecuador. She is 7 years old (this picture is a couple of years old) and we have sponsored her for almost 2 years. I would love to sponsor more children!
"Compassion International exists as a Christian child advocacy ministry that releases children from spiritual, economic, social and physical poverty and enables them to become responsible, fulfilled Christian adults."
Can you think of a better way to spend 32 dollars? Won't you sponsor a child today? www.compassion.com
"He who is kind to the poor lends to the LORD, and he will reward him for what he has done" (Proverbs 19:17).
When I watched Gabriel play with this rubber band earlier today, it reminded me of something I thought about this weekend. I was thinking how our connection with God is like a rubber band. We're stuck to Him and He won't let us go. But, like a rubber band, this connection can be 'stretchy' and we're not always as close to Him as we would like. Sometimes we try to pull away from him. But the harder we pull, the further we get away from Him, the stronger we feel the pull of that connection to Him. And when we end up in a place like that, far away from Him, and don't know how to get back to Him...all we have to do is LET GO, stop resisting, and we will bounce right back to Him! If you don't know how to get closer to the Lord, just put it all in his hands. He loves you and will never let you go!
PS. I don't usually let Gabriel play with rubber bands ;) Not only are they not safe, but he'll EAT them too, he loves to eat rubber!
I am listening to this song while cooking dinner and it made me think about how being a Christian is a constant journey. I've you've ever been on a long trip, you know that it can be fun, but it can be hard as well. There are lots of beautiful sights on the way, and great experiences. But sometimes it can be very uncomfortable and no fun at all. Eventually you may get tired of traveling and start wondering "Are we ever going to get there?". But keeping the destination in mind makes it all worth it.
Life as a Christian can be just like this. There are a lot of wonderful things to see and experience. But sometimes life can be very uncomfortable or even painful. We get tired and start wondering "Are we ever going to get there?". In the end, this life is just like a trip. But it's a trip with a wonderful destination: eternal life with our wonderful Savior Jesus Christ!
So whenever we're feeling down or depressed, just keep this in mind: this life is not what it's about. This is only the trip! And God has given us the perfect map to help us reach this destination: the Bible! So if you ever feel lost, you know where to go...
I started another blog, the Toddler Bible Blog. Here I will share the daily Bible lessons I give to Gabriel. I just started doing this this week, so hopefully this blog will help me to stay motivated. I guess this is my unofficial start homeschooling Gabriel! Go here to view my new blog: Toddler Bible Blog
After reading Gina's post about friends, I was inspired to write a little something about friends.
Most of you who know me 'in real life', know that my husband Cary says he doesn't need friends. He says they always let you down in the end. And I understand where he's coming from. I too have been disappointed by friends, and I'm sure most of you have too. But I have come to realize that the problem lies not with those friends, but with me! My friends are human, like me, and not perfect. Instead of putting my hope and trust in them, first I need to put my hope and trust in the only perfect Friend anyone can ever have: Jesus! He will never let me down! Psalm 118:8 says "It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in man." It doesn't say that we shouldn't trust our friends, but it's better to trust God first. My earthly friends will never be able to meet my needs, because that's not what they are here for. But the Lord will always meet my needs.
When I first moved to Texas, almost 4 years ago, I didn't know anyone here besides my husband. I was desperate for some friends! And when I finally found some friends, I ended up losing them! I was hurt and disappointed, why would God give me friends and then take them away? But I have come to realize that if I had put my hope and trust in God above all else, I wouldn't have been hurt or disappointed. I would have understood that sometimes God puts friends in my life for a reason and a season, but he never means for them to replace Him. I believe He gives us friends so we can learn from them and help them, and most of all serve Him together! I also believe that we never really 'lose' Christian friends, because even though they may move away, not keep in touch, or something else, there's always eternity!
What a friend we have in Jesus - Alan Jackson
One last thought: "Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13). Jesus loved us so much, that He gave His life for us! Most of us will never have to die for a friend, or have a friend die for us. But I think that 'lay down your life' can also mean taking a break from your own busy life to help out a friend. It can mean sacrificing time or money and giving it to a friend who needs it. Even when it's not convenient, when you're really busy or having trouble making ends meet. If more friends would 'lay down their life" for each other in this way, the world would be a better place!
Yesterday my 2-year-old Gabriel said the words that every mother can't wait to hear: "I love you"! Okay, I admit it sounded more like "Fi fove fou", but he doesn't need to say it in a perfect way for my heart to melt! And he may not understand the full meaning of the word 'love' yet, but to hear him say it anyway makes my heart overflow!
I think God feels the same way about us. He can't wait to hear us say "I love You". We don't need to say it in a perfect way, and we don't have to understand the full meaning of 'love'. We can say it anyway, every time we think of Him. Just say - or think, or sing - "I love You" and His heart will overflow with love for us! I love You, Lord!
The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day. Proverbs 4:18
You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16
I've been thinking about these Bible verses all week, wondering and asking God how I can let my light shine before others. I don't think of myself as a 'shining light' and I doubt others see me that way. And I can't say that most Christians I have met are shining lights either, they're just ordinary people. But every once in a while I'll meet someone who seems to truly shine. Just by looking at their faces and their lives, you can see the joy they have in the Lord. I want that too! So what can we do to become like that?
Last night I was reading chapter 6 from Max Lucado's book 'Just Like Jesus' and God gave me the answer I'd been looking for. "A vibrant, shining face is the mark of one who has stood in God's presence. After speaking to God, Moses had to cover his face with a veil (Exodus 34:33-35). After seeing heaven, Stephen's face glowed like that of an angel (Acts 6:15, 7:55-56)."
We don't try to change ourselves or try to be extra nice and happy. The only way to become a shining Christian, is to spend time with God! When we come before Him and worship Him, we will be transformed. He will change our faces to reflect His glory!
And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 3:18
You see how important it is to come before God and worship Him every day? Not just in church, but all the time, whenever we can! And if we do, He will make His light shine through us. And through that light, He will bring others to Him!
I was cleaning up the yard this afternoon, picking up the mess that our puppies made. I was thinking how sad the yard looks now compared to in the Spring and Summer. The ground is covered in dead leaves and you have to search hard to find anything green or beautiful. But I know the potential that is hiding under those leaves, and I know that with a little cleaning and sunshine, someday soon our yard will look beautiful again! It makes me want to do some Spring cleaning!
It made me wonder if God ever looks at my life in that way. Does He have to search hard to find anything beautiful? Is it covered under the mess of my sins? That would be pretty depressing. But you know what? Every time I ask Him to forgive my sins, He cleans up that mess and lets His Son shine in my life! He makes us clean and beautiful. He does Spring cleaning in my life every day! Thank You, Lord!
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. (Psalm 51:10)
As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (Psalm 103: 12)
Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. (Isaiah 1:18b)
I'm 36, was born and raised in Holland, and moved to Texas when I married my cowboy Cary in 2005. Our son Gabriel is 7 years old and is in homeschool 2nd grade. Our daughter Naomi was born on January 27th, 2014. We live out in the country on a little hobby farm. I'm a Christian and try to love and serve the Lord with all my heart.
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