James 3:17,18

"But the wisdom that is from above above is
first pure,
then peaceable,
gentle,
easy to be intreated,
full of mercy and good fruits,
without partiality,
and without hypocrisy.

And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace."

Mortifying the Flesh

When someone else hurts my feelings, that's my fault.  To our carnal human mind this makes no sense.  The other person did the wrong thing.  They sinned.  They are not behaving in a biblical manner.  God showed me that I am the one who is wrong when my feelings are hurt.  The Bible says that we are to mortify the flesh.  Can something that is mortified (dead) have feelings?  Simple answer--no!  So, if I mortify my flesh my feelings cannot be hurt.  This is plain and simple. . .and very difficult.  How carnal I am to allow someone's actions hurt me and begin to defeat me.  This is something the Lord has been working in my heart in the last few days.  I realised today that this even applies to the area of our lives that many people like to do too much of--eating!!  I have struggled my entire life with being over-weight.  The last few pounds I have put on were because of emotional eating due to the struggles I faced because someone hurt and frustrated me.  Last week I started Weight Watchers and lost 5 pounds.  Talk about a battle with the flesh!  I was hungry!  I wanted food!  I needed God's help.  We seem to think the only time we need to pray is when we are making big decisions, but God cares about the little choices we make in life because they are the result of a spirit-controlled or flesh-controlled life.  Sometimes I literally prayed, "Lord, I need your help not to eat that!"  I'm ashamed of the truth, but I think that if I can allow the Lord to help me to have the victory over my flesh, I will not struggle with a "weight problem".  I know that if I let the spirit control me no one can hurt my feelings.  I need God's help, the Holy Spirit's filling, so I can live a more fruitful life for my Saviour.

A Face Lift

I'm far from being a design saavy person when it comes to the computer, but it was not hard to see that this blog needed a face lift.  When my husband commented that our family blog needs a facelift I told him he can do it since he is so much better at those kinds of things than I am.  (This means that our family blog will not get a facelift since he is in the process of designing our prayer card!)  So, here it is!  One of the pre-made templates with a few of my own "personal" changes and "viola"!  It's not very original, but I don't have time for originality.  I am a creative person trapped in a world where time matters. . .and I don't have very much of it for extras!  Hope it's more pleasant to your eyes!

The Book of James

As I sat in church holding my sleeping six month old I was able to hear a sermon for the first time in quite a long time. . .probably about six months! I found it truly refreshing to be able to sit and listen to a sermon (well most of it). We have a good preacher. He studies God's Word and is honest when God speaks to him through what he is delivering to us. Last night there was one thing he said that didn't necessarily have a huge part to do with the main context of the sermon, but it was something I needed. Basically he said that if you have your (spiritual) nose out of joint the book of James will put it back in to place by showing you the places in your life where you need to confess sin. Shortly after he said this the baby woke up, and I had to leave the service--but I got what God intended for me to have from last night's sermon, and I'm thankful I was able to be in the service. Today I took up the challenge. For my devotional time I will now begin to read a chapter of James each day along with reading through the Bible. I know how easily I forget and become carnal. It's a daily battle. Today when I started in chapter 1 I had an immediate challenge. Lately I've been particularly overwhelmed by certain trials in my life and have been looking for a way out. God used James 1:2-4 to help me to refocus on the fact that He is working in my life to teach me patience. "My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." The Lord has helped me to see that I need to allow him to do a "perfect" or "complete" work of patience in my life. Instead of looking for a way out I need to be asking the Lord to help me trust Him and learn what He has me to learn from this particular situation. When I think of trials, a vivid example comes to my mind. When we were in the Philippines last May, the country was having the hottest weather they have had in 70 years. We were blessed to have air-conditioning most every night we were there. When we were in the mountain province the weather was bearable and we did not need air-conditioning, but when we were in San Manuel the heat was simply unbearable. Without air-con, as the Filipinos call it, sleeping was an impossibility. One night I woke up to what felt like a wall sitting on me. The heat was so intense I felt like I couldn't breathe. In a few seconds I gained my senses and realised that we were experiencing a "brown out" which meant there was no power. My husband's uncle was sleeping by the front door of the house so that only the screen door had to be closed. All the windows were open in the house, but there really was no difference; there was no breeze. Two of our children woke up and were crying because they were so hot. (I felt like crying! I was due with a baby in less than 2 months!) As my husband and I sat there, each fanning one of the crying children I kept praying in my head, "Please Lord, help the A/C to come back on! Please, help the A/C to come back on." After a while of fanning and trying to console the children, I realised I was praying the wrong way. My new prayer was, "Lord, please help us to endure this heat. Please help the children to be able to fall asleep in spite of this heat." Soon the children were able to fall asleep. We all fell asleep again and in a while we were awakened by the pleasant noise of the A/C coming back on. The next day my husband told me that the same thing had happened in his mind that night. This reminded us both of when we face trials in our lives. So often we beg God to take the trials away. Today, I needed to give the trial to God and ask Him to help me through, to learn patience. . .and whatever else He has for me to learn! Thank you God for your patience with me!

A New Start

Since we have a new computer I will be able to update this blog much more easily. I will be making a new start to this blog, and, Lord willing, share the things God has showed to me. I have a dear friend, Susan Baduria, who has challenged me, simply through her life, to take a step forward in godliness. This blog will, again Lord willing, simply be an outpouring of what God is doing in my life through His Word.

We're Home. . .but. . .

I just wanted to let everyone know that I haven't forgotten about updating our blog with the details of our trip to the Philippines. Since we returned, our heads have been swimming with jet lag, finishing school, and home renovations! I can't wait until Friday. "The boys" are putting our new (free!)floor in on Wednesday (Ugh! I cannot believe how disgusting it was under our living room carpet!). Our homeschool assessment is on Thursday and on Friday, I'm going to put my house in some sort of order! Baby coming in less than 5 weeks! I think I must be insane! Lord willing on Friday I will start telling you all about our trip. So until then. . .pray for me!!

"I did it, Mom!"

This is what Micah said when he called me from the hospital last Thursday. When he went for his MRI, the technician was concerned whether he would be able to be still enough to get good images. As I waited at home I just kept praying. If he couldn't be still, the test would have to be rescheduled; and he would have to be put under anesthetics. About 50 minutes after the test was scheduled to start the phone rang, and it was Micah. He said, "I did it, Mom!" He was so excited that he had done such a good job. Jun said the technician was very impressed with how well he did. Thank you to those of you who prayed for him. This Friday is his EEG. Pray that he will do just as well, and please pray that I will not feel sick on that day. It's already been a long week and it's only Tuesday. Thank you again for all of your prayers!