I get encouraging words from K-Love and I love the one I got today in my email. I had to chuckle a bit on it. This is the verse;

TODAY’S ENCOURAGING WORD – 8/13/2014

Don’t befriend angry people or associate with hot-tempered people, Proverbs 22:24, NLT

If I read this verse for what it is I would have no friends because I have a temper and I get angry. Just watch me when I get cut off in traffic or someone says something stupid. I would think most if not all of the world would be alone and friendless because we sure have a ton of angry people in the world. So I have to study more on this verse since it is one of those verses you have to really understand what it is saying and in what context.

I couldn’t understand why the Bible would tell us to stay away from these types of people until I read more on it and a few things stood out to me. I would think we should befriend them so we can be a good example and show love and kindness.

In proverbs “Good Friendships” are characterized by qualities, blessings that produce a positive result in our lives.

When we make friends with other people, we have tendency to become more like them. We let our guard down and see no harm in certain behaviors. I have seen this in my own life when it comes to friends and family. When we moved to St. George, I made a conscious decision to only have friends that are positive.

The reason I say this is that before we moved here and I worked at a truck stop, over time I didn’t see the harm in certain things. We would go out after work and usually it was a bar. Even though I wasn’t drinking a lot or doing cat calls to the guys, others were. Eventually it just became normal and I didn’t think nothing of it. I still didn’t do it, but I was finding it funny and would laugh right along with the others. I knew I needed to change this.

When the friendships are new, it’s easier to restrain ourselves, but over time it becomes an acceptable standard of behavior. For some reason we have it in our minds that we can change them, but that is far from the truth. We eventually become more like them.

We are known by the company we keep…

• 1 Corinthians 15.33 “Do not be so deceived and misled! Evil companionship’s (communion, associations) corrupt and deprave good manners and morals and character.”

For example- I notice this with my niece. I love her in every sense and would give my life for her. She is like a daughter to me. When she is around certain people, she takes on their mannerisms. She talks like them, swears like them and even walks the same way. It’s as if she wants to be like them and accepted by them.

She is doing much better now and many of those friends that used her in the past are no longer in her life. Which I am incredibly happy about. They knew what to say and do to get her to do what they wanted her to do. They would break her spirit and didn’t care about her as a person.  She is no different than anyone else. We all want to be loved and accepted. But and this is a big but. We need to keep ourselves in check. And we only need to allow those who have our best interest into our lives.

I know many people that are of all walks of life. I try not to judge them because of the choices they make or because they don’t believe in the same God I believe in. When I read this passage it spoke of truth.

• Psalms 106.35-36 – “Instead, they mingled among the pagans and adopted their evil customs. They worshiped their idols, which led to their downfall.”

When we become friends with someone who is toxic to us. These types of friendships can be deadly for us. Not just in the way we live but also spiritually. These types of friends don’t really care or love us. They are out for themselves and when the chips are down, they will book on ya.

Here are some verses that describe a true friend.

• (Paul) 1 Corinthians 4:14-6:20 – ‘a great man who helps friends grow in their faith, by encouraging them and being bold enough to correct them.’
• (Jesus) Colossians 3:12-17… ‘Compassionate, encouraging, patient, loyal, understanding, loving’. To be a good friend, let us “clothe” ourselves with the things of God.
• (Jonathan) 1 Samuel 20:1-42 – who risks his life for a friend. He helped save his friend, David’s life when he heard that his father King Saul wanted to kill him. He told David, “Whatever you want me to do, I’ll do it for you.”‘
• (Ruth) Ruth 1:1-22 – ‘who is loyal even when in times of difficulty. When Naomi told Ruth to stay behind, Ruth said these words, “Where you go, I will go, and where you stay I will stay”.’

Ecclesiastes 4:9–12

Two people are better off than one, for they can help each other succeed. If one person falls, the other can reach out and help. But someone who falls alone is in real trouble. Likewise, two people lying close together can keep each other warm. But how can one be warm alone? A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken.

Here are some verses that describe a toxic friend…

• (Judas)
  Matthew 26:15-17, 25
  Luke 22:47-48 who acts like a friend but puts his own self-interests above everything else.
• 2 Samuel 15:12-17:23
  (Ahithopel) King David’s betrayer, he befriends an enemy who wanted to overthrow the kingdom. He was also ‘David’s trusted counselor, but he gives lousy advice and spread rumors about the king’.

In closing, I just want to say that we should be careful who we associate with, even if they are family. I have had a hard time with this most of my life. When I keep focused on God I do much better when weeding out those who cause havoc and chaos in my life. If I notice that I have become more bitter or on edge, I ask myself why I am that way and what has changed. And usually it is because I let my guard down and allowed the wrong people in my life. I allow them to influence me instead of God influencing me. I am a work in progress.

When we think about real friendships Proverbs 18:24 sums it up pretty good. There are “friends” who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. Real friends bring a consistency into our lives that we come to know and depend upon.

We all should be wanting to build better friendships, providing the kind of positive influence that will help people learn more about Christ.

With the passing of Robin Williams, suicide has been on the minds of many people. They can’t seem to grasp how a seemingly happy guy on the outside can have the kind of depression that he suffered with.

Robin Williams was one of those actors who touched lives all over the world. He brought joy and laughter into the homes via movies like Mrs. Doubtfire, RV, Jack, Toys and so many other movies and the list goes on and on. He left behind a legacy that many will find irreplaceable.

There is one of Robin Williams movies that is almost surreal when it comes to depression and suicide. And I wonder if this movie in some ways really are a parallel of his own life and darkest moments. It has been some time since I seen it and I don’t necessarily believe in the afterlife like this movie portrays. The movie is called “What Dreams May Come”.

What I have been thinking about is how difficult it must have been for him due to being bi-polar, major depression and addiction. We all see the happy guy that is full of life and smiling. But he is also the face that shows that anyone can suffer from mental illness. It doesn’t how much money you have or what you do for a living. People don’t choose to have mental illness, it is a disease and a difficult one to treat.

I have known a few people that have committed suicide. I can’t begin to understand how dark they may have seen the world. I also have friends that have bi-polar and other mental illnesses. It is sad at how different they are treated from medical patients when they have to go in for treatment.

My friend Jeri is a rapid cycler. That is one of the harder to treat forms of bi-polar. She also has borderline personality disorder and other things I can’t spell. One night I had to take her to the ER. They way they treated her you would have thought she was a leaper or had the bubonic plague. They treated her like she didn’t matter and some of the nurses mocked her behavior. Her behavior wasn’t because she wanted to act out. It was just what happens. It was at the point that I felt blessed that I have a physical illness instead of a mental illness.

Another friend of mine has a husband that has anxiety and depression. It isn’t just the person who has the disease that has to live with it, it is also the family. My heart goes out to them as they live each day with mental illness. It isn’t like they wake up one day and decide it is cool to have mental illness. It’s a chemical imbalance in the brain and they should be treated the same as anyone else. The stigmas need to stop if there is any hope for those who suffer that doesn’t need to. 

Mental illness shouldn’t define a person though. It is a disease that can be treated. But I think there is a huge amount of fear when it comes to mental illness in regular people and the medical profession.

Recently a young man that was like a nephew to me committed suicide. Some will say that he was selfish and knew what he was doing. And others understand that mental illness can ruin lives. Frankie was a kid that had a lot of dark patches in his life. He had a beautiful daughter that he loved more than life. I can’t say why he chose to do what he did. Maybe he didn’t feel he had a choice. I know I miss his quirky smile and his off the wall sense of humor. Suicide not only takes the life of the person who does it, but it also takes a part of the lives of those around and those who loves the person. I choose to remember Frankie for smile and off the wall humor.

I do hope that people will remember Robin Williams for all the wonderful things he has done. He should be remembered for bringing joy and happiness to a world who could use it. He was loved by millions and by his family and friends. I will choose not to remember him for how he died, but for what he brought to the world. I loved his movies and he will be missed.

Click here for more information about depression and bi-polar

Have you ever heard the saying or cliche”life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself?”

Every now and then I will see someone post a picture on Facebook that says this and it is very true. We gripe and complain about our lives, but how many are willing to really do anything about it? I know this one all to well in my own life. There are things that I could change or want to and I keep procrastinating or I don’t want to put in the effort to do it. It may be out of my comfort zone. We humans have a way of staying in our own sink holes and are happy to stay there. Eventually those sink holes are going to swallow us alive and there is no making it out of it in one piece.

When we lived in Phoenix, AZ I hate it there. We were so stuck in the here and now that we couldn’t figure out how to go forward. We knew we wanted and needed to move in order to actually have a decent life that wasn’t all about work, commutes and living paycheck to paycheck. Chuck and I would have an ongoing discussion about how much we hated it in Phoenix. Change is what needed to happen, but it was a lot easier to say than to do. Years went by.

Chuck wanted to be an over the road truck driver. For years he would go on about this. I hate the heat and I would go on and on about that. Really, I still do. Eventually things fell into place when we actively began to search for a way to get out of the hell hole we call Phoenix.

I worked at a truck stop in Phoenix and began asking drivers about companies. I applied for a few of the jobs for Chuck and he was called back by a few of them. Which is good since a few is all I filled out applications for. The company he is working for now was one of them. Obviously he got the job. And in no way no how was I going to move to Utah where they are based. OK! I guess I shouldn’t have said that since we live here now. We love it here and have never regretted moving here.

The change was hard. Hard isn’t even a good way to put it. In order to make a new life and a more fulfilled one, we have to make choices and take chances. We had to get off our lazy butts and do something about it. I made a conscious decision that if we are going to be moving to a place where we don’t know anyone, then we might as well change everything. My daughters were less than enthusiastic about these changes.

Jessica just graduated from 8th grade and Beckiah was going into 8th. They had all their friends and routines memorized. They even had classes chosen out for high school and the last year in junior high. My daughters were the typical girls that wore normal clothes. Well for them and for Phoenix. When we moved to St. George life changed big time for them. There was a whole other set of standards for dress and behaviors.

It took a long time for them to make friends and somewhat fit into our area. It wasn’t just the girls that had to adapt to a new area and way of living, i had to also. I never thought twice about what I said. I had no problem dropping the F bomb or whatever else. I convinced myself that it didn’t mean anything and it is just the way people talk. I did work in a truck stop, so why would there be a problem?

One day when I was out somewhere in our new home, what I have been saying came back to me like a ton of brinks. It was at that point that I stopped swearing. It has now been almost 20 yrs since I have sworn. I also decided that I needed to take a more involved role in church and in my daughters lives. They weren’t pleased at first. They got by with a lot in Phoenix and those days were gone. I was now a stay at home mom who refused to work Sundays and became active in their lives.

It was a struggle at first when we moved to Utah because we weren’t familiar with what happens here. We have heard stories of polygamists and all the other things that are Mormon related. It took time to learn more about their beliefs and how life was in Utah. And I have to say that when I prayed to God to send us to a place where life is more about family and being happy then scrapping by, He listened. We love it here. Our life took a 380 degree turn when we moved here. We finally found a place where we can call home. We aren’t Mormon and that is OK.

Change can be very hard when you don’t know what you need to do to change. God had a way of helping me with my change, but I had to want it too and be willing. Nobody else could do it for me.

I try not to go into too much of my families business. My parents for most of their lives have fought and bickered. And that is putting it mildly. Lately there has been so much that they are thinking of leaving each other. My parents are in their 70’s. My mom says that she has a great deal of medical issues. My dad has his problems too. My brother lives with them. It’s a mess to say the very least. My dad wants my brother to live on his own and be responsible for himself. He is tired of supporting my brother who is almost 50 now. My mom has insurance and she knows that if she doesn’t do something, it could kill her. But she is so worried about material things that she isn’t seeing there is a great need. When I get to thinking about my parents and brother, it gives me a headache because they can’t seem to get powered up to change. They are on self destruction mode.

I hear a lot of complaints and how things need to change, but they aren’t willing to make those changes. At this point, I wonder if they actually want to change because this is their normal. Nobody can make things better for them unless they are willing to change. Yes, I feel bad for them, but there is nothing I can do. I don’t have the remote control for their lives. I just have mine and God is the main power source.

Then I think of my sister and her husband. They have been talking about the need to stop smoking. And for the most part I hear him complain about it more. But then when he has no cigarettes he gets loud and grumbles and I can tell ya that I have issues with someone yelling at my sister when she is doing all she can do to make a better life for themselves.

My sister is no where near being lazy and shouldn’t have to be doing everything. Out of respect for my sister I won’t go into how aggravated it makes me that she is doing it all. There isn’t much I can do about that though because it isn’t my business to change them. I think the desire is there, but the getting up and picking up the remote is hard to grasp.

My sisters remote to her life has been getting a work out and she is going great. I pray that all they desire comes true. They do have the motivation and for the first time they are allowing God to be the remote control power source too.

This is one of those cliche’s or quotes that aggravate me: It is said that the most dangerous phrase in the language is ‘we’ve always done it this way.’

Matthew 15:6 – “…So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.”

Jesus spoke these words to the religious leaders of His day. Earlier they had confronted Him and asked why His disciples doesn’t follow some of the cleansing ritual ceremonies of the elders. Jesus went on to point out that these rituals are a man made tradition. It was not prescribed by God’s law (the Bible). We hold to our traditions so closely that we treat them as if they came down from the mountain as God’s holy commands.

Someone asked me why we do certain things at our church. And all I can say is that is the way they have always done it, and I don’t think it will change. This was asked some time ago. I do wonder how many churches do things out of tradition, but they don’t really know why. I have also asked this question when I visit other churches and for the most part the answer isn’t know. They don’t know why they are doing what they are doing, they just say, “it has always been done this way.”

This is one of those cliche’s that drives me crazy. When I get into conversations about this cliche it brings up various emotions in people. Mainly the tradition I bring up that while it is a good one but also is something that many don’t like is meeting and greeting during the Sunday service. I have discussed this tradition a number of times. Continuing to do things you’ve “always done” is appropriate in some cases, but not just because it has always been done. I can understand why people enjoy this, but there comes a time when things need to change because change is good. It’s a dangerous myth to think that we can stand still, or do what we’ve always done.

The Ham Story- Why do we do that?

By now you may have heard the story about the Christmas ham. (Preachers love it.) It goes like this: One year, as Mama prepared to put the Christmas ham in the pan, she cut a piece off one end. Her daughter was watching, and she asked, “Mama, why do you do that?” Mama thought a moment and replied: “You know, I’m not sure. All I know is that my mama always did it that way.”

So the daughter went to Grandma. She asked Grandma if it was true that she always cut a piece off the Christmas ham, and if so, why. “I don’t know, child,” said Grandma. “I guess it was because my mama always did it that way.”

I am a creature of habit just as much as anyone else. I like things a certain way. I have found that I am guilt on using the cliche ‘I have always done it that way” way to many times. As time goes by, I realize that doing things the same way over the years and through generations doesn’t always work for everyone. My traditions or habits don’t work for others too. And I can’t always explain why I do something, I just do. As humans we don’t like to put ourselves into situations that are outside our comfort zone and rituals. And when it comes to this, I am no different than anyone else.

Times do change and how we communicate and reach out to others needs to change as well. We should be going to church to worship God, not worry over music, traditions and all the other distractions.

The stereotype or those who use this cliche are usually the die-hard, traditional, older member who can’t see past the decisions and patterns of behavior in the past. We have gone to our church since we moved to St. George over 19 yrs ago. I have heard this cliche so many times and with each pastoral change. I feel bad many times for the new pastor or new leaders because it is as if they must stick to the things of the past because people have always done things a certain way. I do believe that by not changing some members may be saying, “Pastor, this has meant a lot to me in the past. I just want you to know this will be a difficult change for me.” Change can be difficult to say the least. But there does come a time when change needs to happen.

So when newcomers express interest and want to become fully involved, they begin to look at the church or organization with new eyes. Suddenly, the questions start to arise: “How come we do this?” “Why do we do it this way?” “Has anyone ever tried this this way?”

I’m pretty sure pastors cringed when they come to a new church and the members and leaders wants to have them preach or do the same thing. Thankfully our church isn’t as bad as some. Every time I hear “We’ve always done it that way,” my mind was goes ballistic to the stereotype.

When I think of this phrase or cliche when it comes to church leaders and pastors, I think back to my days working in sales. When I have heard this cliche at places I have worked or churches I have gone to, it stops me in my tracks because it is as if they are saying that they don’t value my opinion or ideas I can bring to the table. This is the way it is and if you don’t like it, move on.

My church is considered a traditional church. We have our own set traditions that at times bug me to no end. But there isn’t much I can do about it. I can complain, which you all get a chance to hear me vent on things like this. It’s as if some long time members consider these traditions a must have and they can’t see it being done in any other way. It’s the my way or the highway mentality.

Traditions aren’t necessarily a bad thing. But when I read Matthew 15:6 – “…So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God.” this verse reminds me that I need to guard how and why we do certain things. Are we doing them simply because “We’ve always done it that way!”?

People have a way of obsessing over change and at times chaos is created. Some churches have coasted for so long on autopilot that they truly cannot tell you why they do the things they do. I often wonder if people are too afraid to challenge a tradition. They don’t want to offend anyone. When we first started going to our church. There was this couple that was there. They donated a piano and some other things to the church. Eventually they moved away and went on to be with the Lord. Someone asked the choir director why we were doing something the way we were. And they told them that we done it this way because of who donated the items. So until the person is no longer with us, we will continue to do this. I was confused by this. They were doing this activity because someone that no longer goes there liked to do it, so they continue for no other reason. Hmmmm…

I have worked in sales most of my life and from the prospective of a salesperson I think about how we are representing Christ and the image we are putting out there. If the traditions and habits we are doing are ineffective and aren’t advancing the growth God’s Kingdom, then it’s time to stop, evaluate, and possibly move in another direction.

I must be on a roll when it comes to cliche’s lol. Here is my third installment of cliche’s. This is one that I have been guilty of too and it actually drives me crazy. It is the cliche or phrase “everything will be OK!” What if it won’t be OK? And according to who is it going to be OK with? This is one of those phrases I have a difficult time with because of my own situation.

First, I want to start with a positive message on this saying. Everything’s Gonna Be All Right! It may look bad at this very moment or at the end of the day, but in the end, things are going to work out just like God has planned! And, you may ask, what has God planned?

He has planned nothing but the best for His children, Rom. 8:28; 2 Cor,4:17; Jer. 29:11, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”

I’m guessing that almost everyone has heard or have said this phrase at some point in their life. I had to look up this cliche to understand it more and found it interesting when it says that it is what is called a reassuring cliche. They are often given out automatically and a sort of a pattern response. A couple of other cliches that are similar to this one is “keep your head up” and “chin up.”

Now I know that everything will be OK for the most part. I do trust that God will take care of me and that things work out in the end. But, I have to say that I’m not always OK with the way things work out. It may be for the greater good, but good for who? I would say that there are times when it is OK, to not be OK.

I can get to be a bit sarcastic on this topic because I have no patience for waiting for things to work out and to be OK. And there are days that I have no intention of “keeping my head up.” That just aggravates me to no end when that isn’t something I am prepared to do.

My parents and siblings have had a very difficult time. Over the past year or so things with my parents have gotten really rough. They don’t have a personal relationship with God and as far as I know, they have never accepted Christ. My parents are in their 70’s and they have my brother who is almost 50 that is living with them (that’s a whole other topic or book) . As a Christian I know without any reservations that unless they know Christ, it will not work out. Growing up there has always been anger, fighting and wondering if we would be hurt or killed during some of these battles. It is like living at the OK Corral and having nightly shoot outs.  After I get off the phone with them I can’t help but wonder if it will be OK for them. So I pray and pray some more. That is all that I know that I can do.

One of the things that is awesome though about this cliche or phrase is that it is true. Since I have an abundant amount of faith in God, I know that everything will be fine and that things work out. When I am going through something or watch others struggle, I have to remind myself and open myself up to prayer and Gods Word. Because I can guarantee ya that if I was left to my own accord, things would NOT be

OK! They would be a disaster in the making. When I look around at the vast amount of troubles and worries that people go through I can’t help but wonder why. This is one of those cliches/phrases that kinda pushes me to to the point of wondering why and when did I become like Job. In my logical part of my brain and heart I realize that there is going to be times when our troubles hit us like a ton of bricks, knocking us down and causing us injury. But God can bring us to a place where we are stronger in our lives through these burdens and trials. As I said, this is my logical way of thinking. Depending on my day is how I see things. My human thoughts and emotions can easily get clouded if I don’t stay grounded in the Word of God.

One of many things I struggle with is knowing what to say when a parent looses a child or they lost everything they have. I know for myself if someone told me that “everything will be OK” I would go ballistic. My next blog cliche post is on how “time heals all things”. I don’t know about that. One of my dear friends lost their lovely daughter on her 30th birthday. Clair Rose was murdered by a hit and run driver. She still struggles and is trying to ease that pain. How do you tell a grieving parent or someone who doesn’t know God that “everything will be OK?” How do you tell a family that their 3 yr old child is going to be dying of cancer and to make the most of the little time they have?  For them, everything isn’t OK. Yes! Life does go on, but depending on where a persons faith is, is dependent on how you can console them. Everything may not be OK for them.

One of the biggest worries that fills our minds is about the future. We spend much of our time worrying about the here and now and forget about trusting in God’s promises. I have been guilty of this on more than one occasion. I do find it interesting on the things I worry about. I don’t worry about my health because I have no fear of death. But I do worry about those who don’t know God. I worry about the things that I can’t control, but I try to. Believe me, it doesn’t work and it doesn’t change anything. When someone tells me that “everything is going to be OK, I want to dummy slap them. Of course I wouldn’t literally, but I have that desire.  This is something I have to work on and pray about constantly. Only because of God will things work out for the future!

“There will be good times and there will be bad times in the future, but through them all, remember that we serve a God Who is already in the future and He has promised to go with us there to lead us safely through those highs and lows. This is one of those promises that I hold near and dear to me. In my own life I have witnessed this over and over again. Maybe this is why I have a love/hate relationship with the book of Job.

Job was a man after God’s own heart and he was allowed to tested by Satan. God allowed Satan to destroy Job’s life. Job teaches us that there is a great deal more going on than just what we can see in our lives, and that God does oversee it all for His own glory. During his trials Job was feeling weak. Both his body and his spirit were weak.

Job felt as if he could not even control his own words. After all the testing was done and he remained faithful to God. Things worked out and he was blessed even more than he was before he was allowed to be tested. Everything was going to be more than OK for Job as it will be for us if we trust in Christ alone.

As I close this topic, I just want to say that no matter what the future holds, God has promised us that He will go with us and will lead us safely through it.

Hebrews 13:5 – Keep your lives free from the love of money and be content with what you have, because God has said, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”

 

 

Yesterday I did my blog on “you’re in my thoughts and prayers” cliché. Today I am going to write on how the term ‘I love You” has become a cliché.

The word “Love” is used in many different ways. The word is defined as an extreme affection towards someone or something; however this is not the case in which it is used by most. The phrase “I love you” doesn’t seem to have any special meaning anymore. Seems like everyone loves songs, food, trees, yellow roses, Facebook and just about anything else under the sun.

I am guilty of this myself. I use the word love randomly without a lot of emotion connected to it. I started noticing this when I am on the phone with someone. As I get ready to hang up, I will say, “talk to you later, love ya.” I have even used the term “I love the Phoenix Suns”. Now in actuality it isn’t that I love them, but I enjoy watching them and they are my favorite basketball team.

Love isn’t an overnight thing. Love is developed over a period of time. I guess for me, when I think of the worldly view of love it means that I would do anything for that person. If a train was coming at them, I would throw them out of the way and be smooshed like a bug.
Thankfully we have no train tracks here in St. George. I would give my life for those I love without hesitation. Love is also where you think about the other person and can’t possibly see them not being in your life. Love can never be duplicated and love above all things is the greatest of all.

Now, I want to cover Agape Love. This is the most important kind of love. This is the kind of love we only can get from God.

John 14:21 – Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.

Definition: Agape is selfless, sacrificial, unconditional love, the highest of the four types of love in the Bible.

This Greek word and variations of it are found throughout the New Testament. Agape perfectly describes the kind of love Jesus Christ has for his Father and for his followers:

As a Christian, Agape means the unearned love God had for people – a love so great that God was willing to send his only begotten son to suffer and die on our behalf.

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.

Many people can quote 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. It is the most used Bible Verse when it comes to marriages. I just want to close this post with this verse.

1 Corinthians 13: 4-7, “Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one. Love is never boastful, nor conceited, nor rude; never selfish, not quick to take offense. Love keeps no score of wrongs; does not gloat over another’s sins, but delights in the truth. There is nothing love cannot face; there is not limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance. In a word, there are three things that last forever: faith, hope, and love; but the greatest of them all is love.”

“You are in our prayers has become a cliché, just a nice thing to say when we see someone struggling. But do we really understand the power of prayer.”~Myles Munroe.

I started to notice this on Facebook and when commenting to people that are in need of prayers. It is as if the phrase” you’re in my thoughts and prayers” have become a cliché. I’m not sure why I’m just now noticing it, but I have been over time. When we repeat the same words or phrases are repeated often enough, they begin to sound like clichés.

While reading some of the posts and comments I began to realize that the phrase “thoughts and prayers” has become such a condolence cliché that it is now just words for many. I’m guilty of this myself. When I don’t know what to say, I will use the phrase, “you’re in my thoughts and prayers”. I think I need to actually post a prayer for them whoever needs one instead of saying, “thoughts and prayers”.

Prayer is not only a vital in every believer’s life; it is also a privilege that some believers choose not to use. Believers and nonbelievers use it freely saying, “I’ll keep you in my prayers,” only to forget or never pray at all. Prayer should literally be the lifeline of the Christian.

There are many verses in the bible that talks about the importance of prayer, that is because prayer is an important part of our everyday lives. When we pray we are communicating with God.

• Thessalonians 5:16-18: Rejoice always, PRAY WITHOUT CEASING, in EVERYTHING give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
• James 5:13-18 : Pray for one another that you may be healed.

When I was working at Lins Marketplace, I had the “sappy line” as some would say. Many knew that I was a Christian and they would come through my line since they knew I would be more than happy to pray for them. As I was ringing up their groceries, people would hand me papers with their prayer requests. I couldn’t pray for them at that very moment, but as the day went on and I was walking about, I would try to make sure to pray for them.

I would come home with many little scrapes of papers with prayer requests written on them. There were many times I forgot what the prayer was for and I would pray for them and ask that God is there with them during their time of need.

On September 11 when thousands of lives were lost when the World Trade Center was destroyed because of terrorism, prayers was said around the world. I remember a week or so later when watching the funerals and those from around the world come together in unison and prayer, thinking about how long this will last. How long will it be before everyone goes on with their lives and prayers cease. Many times when people pray, it is because of a tragedy or need. Unfortunately the prayers stop and lives goes on. Which is a tragedy in itself.

Here in the United States we are pretty blessed to be able to do something that all Americans can do for the most part. And that is that we can pray any place, any time, in bad times AND good times. Not just when something horrible happens or tragedy strikes.

When someone is in need of prayers it shouldn’t just be a ‘’thoughts and prayers’’ kind of moment. We should be praying every day for the leaders of our country, persecuted Christians and anyone else. At our church we make sure to pray for our country, the persecuted Christians, missionaries and anyone else that may be in need of prayers. Tragedies remind us that we aren’t the ones in control, only God is.

Prayer connects us to heaven like a phone call home. If you disconnect your communication with God you disconnect mainly everything you have with God, this is because “everything we have is because of God”.

I have no doubt in my mind that prayer works. God always answers our prayers. He may not give us the answer we are looking for, but He does. There has been a prayer I have been praying for a long time since I have been going to my church. Not all would think my prayer is a worthy one, but God must have known it was a good one.

My husband and I moved to St. George in July of 96 I think it was. We have been going to the same church since then. In our church was this organ. I know many love the organ, but my head and ears was not seeing it the same way, lol. I wanted that organ to go out to someone else’s pasture. Every Sunday I would have to take Tylenol for a headache.

We recently got a new pastor and in a short time that organ was gone. I prayed without ceasing for a very long time and I endured to the end. When I heard the news that it was sold, you can even imagine how happy I was.  After the sale our church bought a baptismal which is much better. The pastor sold the organ to a church in Texas and they have been searching for a new one and they love that organ. And all I can say is that God answered with a one two punch. Wonderful things can happen when we pray without ceasing.

Lately the Ebola virus has been in the news a lot. They are bringing two United States patients to Emery Hospital in Atlanta GA. I’m not sure how I feel on this though. Some of the information for this blog was obtained through Samaritans Purses website and Yahoo.

The two cases underscore the seriousness of the horrific outbreak that is spreading throughout Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea and infecting hundreds of people at an unprecedented rate. The deadly disease, which causes massive internal bleeding and has a mortality rate of 60 to 90 percent in most situations, has claimed more than 725 lives.

The hospital and CDC didn’t specifically say who the patients are, but I am guessing it is Dr. Kent Brantly from Samaritans Purse and nurse Nancy Writebol. They went to Monrovia, Liberia to help treat those in need. Dr Kent Brantly is married father of two young children. Dr Kent Brantly has prepared himself to be a lifetime medical missionary.

Nancy Writebol has been a lifelong missionary from Charlotte, N.C., had been working as a hygienist who decontaminated patients entering and leaving the Ebola isolation ward of the local hospital.

An experimental serum arrived in Monrovia, Liberia, but there was only enough of this serum for one patient. Dr Brantly instructed his medical team and those treating him to give it to Nancy Writebol. From what Dr. Billy Graham said ““Their heroic and sacrificial service — along with the entire team there — is a shining example of Christ’s love in this crisis situation,” Graham said.”

On Samaritans Purses website, their stands ready to respond at a moment’s notice whenever and wherever disaster strikes. We specialize in meeting critical needs for victims of conflict, disaster, famine, and epidemics throughout the world, often working through ministry partners on the ground. We provide food, water, shelter, medicine, and other assistance in the Name of Jesus Christ. If you want to learn more about Samaritans Purse, click here.

On my heart also are some missionaries that our church has been supporting and praying for. I don’t know if Craig and Allison Fowler are directly affected by this in their area. They are missionaries in a small village outside of  Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. They have a medical clinic where they treat the Gumuz people physically and also share the Word of God with them. They have a wonderful mission field going on.

As I said at the beginning of this post I’m not sure how I feel on bringing them back to the US because they are both obviously very much infected with Ebola. The deadly disease, which causes massive internal bleeding has claimed more than 725 lives so far this year. The CDC has said that it is taking every precaution and making sure that they are quarantined and not in direct contact with anyone. I don’t doubt they are being cautious.

I also feel that God will provide the protection that is needed. These workers went out to help others in the name of Christ and now they are in need of help. Many for good reasons are worried about it coming to the United States. I would guess that if any country is able to help find a cure it would be the United States.

Besides Dr Kent Brantly and Nancy Writebol may be able to help them find a way to treat this and find a serum that can be used. With the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta directly working with the patients, they can see first hand and do testing that they couldn’t do there. God has a way of turning the horrible things into something good.

Honestly, I know and have faith that God will take care of them and heal them. Maybe not physically and here on earth, but they will be cured. Where my faith isn’t too strong when it comes to this is man. Man is very fail able. If I was living in Georgia, I would be stressed. Even though they are taking every precaution, there is always human ere.

These Dr’s and nurses that put themselves as risk to help others in need are in desperate need of prayers. I know without a doubt that miracles happen and that even when Dr’s give up and throw in the towel, You never do.

I would like to leave a short prayer for Dr. Brantly, nurse Nancy and all of the others that are trying to treat those who are battling Ebola.

Lord, our heavenly father, we humbly ask for your mercy and grace on this Dr, who served the poor and sick. Your healing Hands are mighty and gentle. These healthcare workers are willing to give their lives to help others selflessly. Please touch Dr.Brantly and give him Your complete and timely healing for Your glory, so that he can continue working for Your Kingdom. I pray that this disease will not continue to take the lives of people.  Please send a miracle, You have all Power and that You are our deliverer!! Touch and heal their bodies, and send your Holy Spirit to bring him strength, courage, and comfort. Give his family peace.

May Your Name be glorified amidst this horrible epidemic. I pray for those who are going to be treating them and the Dr’s that will be treating them in Atlanta. You are the great Physician, and nothing is impossible. Guide and direct those Dr’s and hospital staff here in the states. Only through You can they find a cure. I pray that there is no others affected by this and that there is understanding from those around Emery Hospital. I pray these things in the name of Your Son, Jesus Christ… Amen and amen

Life can change in a blink of an eye. Lately that has been on my mind and I have been having dreams of this recently.

We think we have life planned out, but plans change. And for the most part those changes our out of hands.

In the past couple of weeks there has been a number of accidents happening around here. One of the teachers from Dixie Middle School was jogging and was hit by a vehicle. In less that a few hours her life was taken and her families lives have been changed forever. The driver of the vehicle that hit her will also have a different life.

Everything we do can have a cause and effect outcome. And many times it isn’t because of what we have chosen, but the choices others make. This teacher had to have been getting ready for her new students and looking forward to plans she has made. My prayers go out to her families and all families that loose a loved one.

My daughter Jessica was heading back home from the school she will be teaching at and they passed a motorcyclist that was in an accident. The emergency crew was there and the driver died. The rider wasn’t thinking that this would be his last day on earth. But it turned out that way. There are no guarantees in life. 

It’s easy to say drivers should be more cautious. But, I am sure we all have done something stupid while driving. Unplanned changes is something that will happen to every single person.

I think about how the airplane in Florida crashed landed on the beach killing a young girl and her father. None of those involved planned to be killed and crash land. But this unfortunate event changed the lives of many people and a future of what could have been.

As I was thinking of these things and praying for these people that I only read about, I got to thinking about me and my own life. I was thinking about the lives of my families and friends. We are here today and gone tomorrow. And in some cases gone in minutes, seconds and hours.

I have been told by a number of Dr’s that I should not be here right now. My diagnosis and prognosis is grim to say the least. My cardiologist, primary and home health nurses don’t understand why I am still here considering all. For some reason God must have better plans than my Dr’s do.

As I was thinking about my prognosis and how things change in a blink of an eye. My mind got to thinking about what it is that I would like others to know about me and what message I would leave for others if I wasn’t here. I have no fear of death per say. I know that there is much more in store when I am no longer on planet earth. The only thing about death that I don’t like is the unknown. Not in the way of knowing where I will be. But the process of dying and I think everyone would be thinking of that.

I would hope that whoever does the service would do more of a message about Christ and how important it is to have a personal relationship with Him. I would hope that the passage that will be used is this one. 

1 Corinthians 15:51-54 

Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written: “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

I would hope that the things that people would remember about me is;

• I am a woman of faith.
• I love my family and they are a blessing
• The only way to get to heaven is through Christ alone.
• I am a imperfect person with a temper when it comes to certain things. But God has forgiven me for my sins and He will forgive you for your sins.
• I very much believe that we should treat each other as we would want to be treated.

I have been to a lot of memorial services and I have to say that they both me in some ways. In my thinking death isn’t the end, it is the beginning of something wonderful. We should be celebrating that we can live forever because of the greatest gift ever we can be with Christ. That is something we should be elated over and celebrated.

I want to have cake and ice cream at my memorial service. Party hats and horn blowers would be awesome too…

 

James 2:14 New International Version (NIV)

¹⁴ What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save them?

Tonight at my house we were having a discussion about the different between grace and good deeds. Many have this notion that if you are good enough you will live forever in eternity because they are good. Well! That is very far from the truth. Nobody is good enough to go to heaven and there is no way we can get there on our own merit.

While I was talking to my sister, one of the things we brought up was doing Gods Will. As a Christian, my desire is to do God’s Will, but I fall short all the time. Everyday I am sure I sin somehow and I need to pray about my short comings and areas in my life where I struggle. Many times people are fast to point out the sins of others such as drinking, smoking, cussing, homosexuality or any other kind of sin instead of worrying about the sins they are committing themselves. Churches are full of sinners. Churches would be empty if sinners were sent away or excommunicated. And thankfully God loves me even when I fail. Because of God’s Grace and promises, I know where I will spend eternity.

In John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” Jesus didn’t say that being good will get you into Heaven.

I hate to be a Debbie Downer, but going to church isn’t going to get you there either. Being a member and church leader isn’t going to get you to Heaven either. There is no man made church that is going to save a person. It isn’t going to happen.

I love it when people tell me that they are going to go to Heaven because they go to the right church and is good enough for them. Actually I think we have a lot of pew sitters in our society and all churches. I can’t help but wonder how many rely on their church, or their own actions to save them. When only Christ can save.

It is good to do good things and God is pleased by things like helping others, singing with the worship team, preaching, tithing, bringing food to the homeless and all kinds of wonderful kind hearted things that we as Christians should be doing. None of these things are going to earn you brownie points when it comes to getting into Heaven.

I do want to say though that we should be doing good because as Christians we desire to be more Christlike. My desire is to allow myself to be an instrument, for Jesus’ love to shine. Christians should be willing to show their fruits that they earnestly seek to follow Christ with all our heart and strength.

Good deeds should be done in love, loving others in the same way you would want to be loved. When we do good deeds, we demonstrate what kind of fruit we are producing. Are we producing good or evil fruit?

Now you should be able to tell a Christian by their fruit i.e. works. Our works are the product of our faith. But no amount of good works is going to do anything for you since in the end you are still a wretched sinner in need of Grace. For every good work you could do a number of “bad” works. This is when Faith comes in.

• Ephesians 2:8 (NIV) 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—
•  “But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.” – Matthew 6:3-4

I started earlier talking about the misconception of church saving a person, so I will resume this thought.

I love it when people tell me that they are going to go to Heaven because they go to the right church and is good enough for them. Actually I think we have a lot of pew sitters in our society and all churches. I can’t help but wonder how many rely on their church, or their own actions to save them. When only Christ can save.

Most importantly you have to put your trust in Jesus. God sent His Son, Jesus to pay the price for our sins so that we will all can have the hope to live forever. In Romans 5:8 it says that “God demonstrated His own love for us, in that, while we were still sinners Christ died for us.” There are countless people who believe that being good alone will be good enough to get them to Heaven. And that is so far from the truth.

One of my favorite verses that talks about grace is in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

God gave us freewill, we can choose to believe in Jesus Christ and repent or we can turn away (reject) Him. It is in our ballpark and it is our choice. God doesn’t want His children to go to hell. It is your own rejection of Jesus Christ, for your sins that sends you there. Never forget that God gave us freewill, we can choose to repent and turn to Jesus or you can choose not to and spend eternity in hell. Repent simply means to turn or change.

I just want to leave you all with this one last thought. Everyone is a sinner:
“there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not” (Ecclesiastes 7:20).

With God no one sin is greater than any other. They all have the same consequence.

• Romans 6:23 (NIV) For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
• “But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness’s are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.”
  (Isaiah 64:6 KJV)

If we could “work” our way to heaven, then we wouldn’t need a Savior. Jesus would not have had to die in our place. But we do need a Savior because all our good works still fall short of the Glory of God.

We are saved by Grace. Grace is a gift that can not be earned by good deeds.