So I got this here plan
To make you all a treat
So I got out my lil cookin’ pan
And turned up the heat!
A dash of this, a dip or two
A load or so of other stuff
A little drop of my mysterious brew
OH yes, it is no bluff!
Then in they go to be tried
On the hot flaming fire
Then out they come not to hide
They’re smell cannot retire!
And now they fly unto you
To be eaten and enjoyed
And ingredients you have no clue
For them what I did employ!
Mwhahahahahaha!!!
But I hope that enjoy
And eat you’ll do
For I made them for girl and boy
I made them just for you!
To share, or not to share
That is the question though
To share your treat with another pair
Or to SCARF THEM DOWN like so!
Either way I am sure
That you will do what’s right
And enjoy the tasty, tasty lure
Morning, noon, or night!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Saturday, July 3, 2010
Rejoice
‘Jesus said that if we love him, we will keep His commandments. (see John 14:15) The Greek word tereo, translated Keep, means to guard, protect, watch over, observe closely, and to hold fast.
‘During the days of celestial navigation, mariners would use the expression ‘keeping the stars’. To ensure that they were keeping their course in the vast waters, navigators would keep the stars at a certain position, using them to guide the ship toward its destination.
‘Jesus used this same concept when He told His disciples to keep His commands. The commands are fixed “lights” that can be trusted to guide us through the storms of life. If we follow them, we will arrive at our destination safely, bearing much fruit.
‘As we keep Christ’s commands before us, we will be more ready to live them out. “But thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein” (Joshua 1:8; see also Leviticus 20:8)’
Commands of Christ pocket guide
Rejoice
Joyfulness vs. Self-pity
Joyfulness is the bright spirit and radiant countenance that come by being in full fellowship with the Lord.
Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
We should rejoice when we are being persecuted for doing His will, cause that means that our reward becomes greater in Heaven.
1 Peter 4:12-14
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
We not supposed to be surprised by a trial that comes along and think it unusual and horrible and unfair. We are supposed to rejoice because we know that we are taking part in Christ’s sufferings, which draws us closer to Him and makes us a stronger Christian. When we are being persecuted, God is being glorified, and we should be rejoicing because that is what we live for: to glorify God. (1Chron 16:29, Ps 22:23, 50:15, 1Cor 6:20)
Psalms 70:4
Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.
*1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit.
We are to rejoice ALWAYS. We are to pray ALWAYS. We are to give thanks to God in EVERYTHING (Psalms 118:29). This is what HE wants us to do. If we don’t, we quench the Holy Spirit from working in us.
*2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Psalms 22:19
But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
When our strength gives out, His strength is made perfect in us. His grace is what will keep us going. We are to rejoice in our troubles, whatever they may be, because then the power of Christ will rest on us and glorify Him.
*Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice…Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Psalms 88:13
But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
Psalms 143:8
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Let God know about our troubles by pray. Lean on Him when in trouble. Plead with Him. Thank Him. No matter what the circumstances are, we are supposed to do this. If your being treated wrong, pray, lean, plead, and thank, while you are rejoicing. If your being faulsly accused, pray, lean, plead, and thank, while rejoicing. If you are in the most horrible circumstances possible, pray, lean, plead, and thank. But most of all, REJOICE!
Why should we rejoice?
Because we have much to rejoice over!
Psalms 5:11
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
If our trust is in Him we should rejoice because He will defend us!
Psalms 33:1
Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
Psalms 68:3
But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
Psalms 40:16
Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
His followers are supposed to rejoice, because that is His command. We are supposed to want the Lord to be magnified and we are supposed to always rejoice and be glad in Him.
Luke 10:20
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
We are to rejoice because our names are in His book of Life. WE ARE GOING TO HEAVEN!
Revelation 19:7
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
We are to rejoice because Jesus is coming back to get us and build us a new Heaven and a new Earth! How great is that?!
Examining my Heart
Do I see trials as God’s means of bringing me to spiritual maturity?
Have I found scriptures to strengthen me in trials?
How have I overcome reviling with good works?
Have I thanked God for trials and persecution?
Do I keep my eyes on eternity when trials come into my life?
Am I willing to join in the sufferings of Christ?
Have I identified benefits in the trials I am facing?
What qualities are my trials building in me?
‘During the days of celestial navigation, mariners would use the expression ‘keeping the stars’. To ensure that they were keeping their course in the vast waters, navigators would keep the stars at a certain position, using them to guide the ship toward its destination.
‘Jesus used this same concept when He told His disciples to keep His commands. The commands are fixed “lights” that can be trusted to guide us through the storms of life. If we follow them, we will arrive at our destination safely, bearing much fruit.
‘As we keep Christ’s commands before us, we will be more ready to live them out. “But thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein” (Joshua 1:8; see also Leviticus 20:8)’
Commands of Christ pocket guide
Rejoice
Joyfulness vs. Self-pity
Joyfulness is the bright spirit and radiant countenance that come by being in full fellowship with the Lord.
Matthew 5:11-12
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.
We should rejoice when we are being persecuted for doing His will, cause that means that our reward becomes greater in Heaven.
1 Peter 4:12-14
Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
But rejoice, inasmuch as ye are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, ye may be glad also with exceeding joy.
If ye be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are ye; for the spirit of glory and of God resteth upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified.
We not supposed to be surprised by a trial that comes along and think it unusual and horrible and unfair. We are supposed to rejoice because we know that we are taking part in Christ’s sufferings, which draws us closer to Him and makes us a stronger Christian. When we are being persecuted, God is being glorified, and we should be rejoicing because that is what we live for: to glorify God. (1Chron 16:29, Ps 22:23, 50:15, 1Cor 6:20)
Psalms 70:4
Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified.
*1 Thessalonians 5:16-19
Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. Quench not the Spirit.
We are to rejoice ALWAYS. We are to pray ALWAYS. We are to give thanks to God in EVERYTHING (Psalms 118:29). This is what HE wants us to do. If we don’t, we quench the Holy Spirit from working in us.
*2 Corinthians 12:9
And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.
Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
Psalms 22:19
But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.
When our strength gives out, His strength is made perfect in us. His grace is what will keep us going. We are to rejoice in our troubles, whatever they may be, because then the power of Christ will rest on us and glorify Him.
*Philippians 4:4
Rejoice in the Lord alway: and again I say, Rejoice…Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
Psalms 88:13
But unto thee have I cried, O LORD; and in the morning shall my prayer prevent thee.
Psalms 143:8
Cause me to hear thy lovingkindness in the morning; for in thee do I trust: cause me to know the way wherein I should walk; for I lift up my soul unto thee.
Let God know about our troubles by pray. Lean on Him when in trouble. Plead with Him. Thank Him. No matter what the circumstances are, we are supposed to do this. If your being treated wrong, pray, lean, plead, and thank, while you are rejoicing. If your being faulsly accused, pray, lean, plead, and thank, while rejoicing. If you are in the most horrible circumstances possible, pray, lean, plead, and thank. But most of all, REJOICE!
Why should we rejoice?
Because we have much to rejoice over!
Psalms 5:11
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
If our trust is in Him we should rejoice because He will defend us!
Psalms 33:1
Rejoice in the LORD, O ye righteous: for praise is comely for the upright.
Psalms 68:3
But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them exceedingly rejoice.
Psalms 40:16
Let all those that seek thee rejoice and be glad in thee: let such as love thy salvation say continually, The LORD be magnified.
His followers are supposed to rejoice, because that is His command. We are supposed to want the Lord to be magnified and we are supposed to always rejoice and be glad in Him.
Luke 10:20
Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
We are to rejoice because our names are in His book of Life. WE ARE GOING TO HEAVEN!
Revelation 19:7
Let us be glad and rejoice, and give honour to him: for the marriage of the Lamb is come, and his wife hath made herself ready.
We are to rejoice because Jesus is coming back to get us and build us a new Heaven and a new Earth! How great is that?!
Examining my Heart
Do I see trials as God’s means of bringing me to spiritual maturity?
Have I found scriptures to strengthen me in trials?
How have I overcome reviling with good works?
Have I thanked God for trials and persecution?
Do I keep my eyes on eternity when trials come into my life?
Am I willing to join in the sufferings of Christ?
Have I identified benefits in the trials I am facing?
What qualities are my trials building in me?
Saturday, June 5, 2010
Sisterly conversations:
Concerning yelling…
“No, wait…that is not the way it goes. You need to do it this way.”
“Well, you don’t have to yell at me about it.”
“????I’m not yelling at you…”
“Stop yelling at me”
“I am not yelling at you.”
“Yes you are!”
“I am not. How can I be yelling at you when I am not even raising my voice?”
“You’re yelling at me again…”
“I am not. Look I am whispering.”
“You are still yelling at me. I am not going to listen till you stop yelling at me.”
“THIS IS YELLING AT YOU!!!!”
“Ow! That was my ear!”
“That was me yelling. Now I am speaking softly. Am I yelling now?”
Long pause….
“Yes…you are.”
Concerning music
“That song is SO weird.”
“No it’s not.”
“Yes it is. The lady singing clearly had a plot for world domination.”
“No she didn’t. The writer would have had the plot.”
“You know what I am talking about! Anyway, its unnatural to tell your love to ‘go across the sea’ and ‘don’t look back’…I’m telling you, she had another dude she was in love with.”
“No…the song is about the country…IRELAND….”
Slight pause
“Okay…that is even more weird…”
“No its not.”
“You tell me of a time when a country told one of her men to ‘go across the sea’ and ‘don’t look back’…down right unnatural I tell you! The country was gonna be leaning on the should of some other good looking fella…”
“Baloney. How can a country do that?”
“Well, you tell me why a country would tell a guy to go away and smile about it.”
“A Country wouldn’t. Country’s can’t talk! Its just the writer that wrote the song.”
“Therefore the reason why the song is so down right unnatural. See, I knew we would come to agreement at some point.”
Pat on shoulder
“Baloney. It’s still a good song.”
“No its not!!”
And the cycle goes again…
Concerning rules
“Hey, there is some old paint in that shed over there. Lets go get it out and have some fun!”
“NO, mommy said that we can’t go over there to that shed.”
“She didn’t say that we couldn’t go over there to the shed. She just said not to go past the shed.”
“Point being: she didn’t want us to go by the shed.”
“Well, actually, she said not to go into the shed. I won’t go into it. I will just reach in and get the paint. No harm done.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think that’s right.”
“She’ll never know! Come on lets go!”
walking toward shed
“I don’t think that this is a good idea. If you get the paint out I’ll go tell mommy.”
“Go ahead.”
Pause
“I don’t want to! I still don’t think that this is a good idea. Lets go do something else.”
“This will only be for a minute.”
“I don’t know…”
“I got the paint…let me see your knife and I’ll open the can.”
Hands knife over
“I don’t think this is a good idea. You really shouldn’t be doing this.”
“There, got it open. EW! Its like all gooey and nasty!”
*GASP* “YOU PUT YOUR HAND IN IT?!?!?!?!?”
“Yeah, sure. You try.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea. What if it doesn’t come off?”
“That’s silly! Of course it will come off! We can wipe it on this tree here then go wash our hands at the water faucet.”
“EW! That is so gross feeling!”
“Here! Lets do hand prints on the shed! Look! See how awesome that looks?”
“That is cool, but Kathryn, I don’t know if we should be doing this. What if we get caught?”
“We won’t get caught. But if we do, we’ll say Cloy did it.”
“I still don’t know about this…hey look…I made a smiley face.”
“There’s another can of paint in there still. Lets get it out too!”
Later in the day both persons in question are crying after punishment
“And you said we wouldn’t get caught. That’s the last time I’ll believe that!”
“I didn’t know that she would connect the hand prints to us!”
Concerning horses
“I get to ride first.”
“No, I want to ride first!”
“You always fall off. You can ride with me.”
“I wish we had two ponies! Then we wouldn’t have to share! I could have a halapino and you could have Lacey”
“No, I could have a black pony and you could have Lacey. Lacey is almost palamino. And by the way, its PALAMINO not HALAPINO.”
“That’s what I said: halapino. And Lacey is NOT almost halapino. She is red and does not have a white mane and tail. She does NOT look like Trigger.”
“Its not HALAPINO. Its palamino…say it: palamino.”
“Halapino”
"No, its PALamino.”
“But daddy said that its HALAPINO.”
“And mommy says that daddy is silly.”
“Well I will just say it the way I want to say it.”
“Psh! Fine.”
“And you can have Lacey, I’ll take the halapino.”
“I don’t want Lacey! All she thinks about in her brain is the stupid feed can.”
“Well, I don’t want her either.”
“Well, FINE! I will just tell daddy to get rid of her.”
“NOOOOO! I don’t want to sell her! I’ll be really mad at you if you go do that.”
“Then you take Lacey.”
Pause
“We’ll both have Lacey.”
Pause
“Okay…fine. Now that we have come to that agreement, since I am the oldest I get to ride FIRST…”
“No, wait…that is not the way it goes. You need to do it this way.”
“Well, you don’t have to yell at me about it.”
“????I’m not yelling at you…”
“Stop yelling at me”
“I am not yelling at you.”
“Yes you are!”
“I am not. How can I be yelling at you when I am not even raising my voice?”
“You’re yelling at me again…”
“I am not. Look I am whispering.”
“You are still yelling at me. I am not going to listen till you stop yelling at me.”
“THIS IS YELLING AT YOU!!!!”
“Ow! That was my ear!”
“That was me yelling. Now I am speaking softly. Am I yelling now?”
Long pause….
“Yes…you are.”
Concerning music
“That song is SO weird.”
“No it’s not.”
“Yes it is. The lady singing clearly had a plot for world domination.”
“No she didn’t. The writer would have had the plot.”
“You know what I am talking about! Anyway, its unnatural to tell your love to ‘go across the sea’ and ‘don’t look back’…I’m telling you, she had another dude she was in love with.”
“No…the song is about the country…IRELAND….”
Slight pause
“Okay…that is even more weird…”
“No its not.”
“You tell me of a time when a country told one of her men to ‘go across the sea’ and ‘don’t look back’…down right unnatural I tell you! The country was gonna be leaning on the should of some other good looking fella…”
“Baloney. How can a country do that?”
“Well, you tell me why a country would tell a guy to go away and smile about it.”
“A Country wouldn’t. Country’s can’t talk! Its just the writer that wrote the song.”
“Therefore the reason why the song is so down right unnatural. See, I knew we would come to agreement at some point.”
Pat on shoulder
“Baloney. It’s still a good song.”
“No its not!!”
And the cycle goes again…
Concerning rules
“Hey, there is some old paint in that shed over there. Lets go get it out and have some fun!”
“NO, mommy said that we can’t go over there to that shed.”
“She didn’t say that we couldn’t go over there to the shed. She just said not to go past the shed.”
“Point being: she didn’t want us to go by the shed.”
“Well, actually, she said not to go into the shed. I won’t go into it. I will just reach in and get the paint. No harm done.”
“I don’t know. I don’t think that’s right.”
“She’ll never know! Come on lets go!”
walking toward shed
“I don’t think that this is a good idea. If you get the paint out I’ll go tell mommy.”
“Go ahead.”
Pause
“I don’t want to! I still don’t think that this is a good idea. Lets go do something else.”
“This will only be for a minute.”
“I don’t know…”
“I got the paint…let me see your knife and I’ll open the can.”
Hands knife over
“I don’t think this is a good idea. You really shouldn’t be doing this.”
“There, got it open. EW! Its like all gooey and nasty!”
*GASP* “YOU PUT YOUR HAND IN IT?!?!?!?!?”
“Yeah, sure. You try.”
“I don’t think this is a good idea. What if it doesn’t come off?”
“That’s silly! Of course it will come off! We can wipe it on this tree here then go wash our hands at the water faucet.”
“EW! That is so gross feeling!”
“Here! Lets do hand prints on the shed! Look! See how awesome that looks?”
“That is cool, but Kathryn, I don’t know if we should be doing this. What if we get caught?”
“We won’t get caught. But if we do, we’ll say Cloy did it.”
“I still don’t know about this…hey look…I made a smiley face.”
“There’s another can of paint in there still. Lets get it out too!”
Later in the day both persons in question are crying after punishment
“And you said we wouldn’t get caught. That’s the last time I’ll believe that!”
“I didn’t know that she would connect the hand prints to us!”
Concerning horses
“I get to ride first.”
“No, I want to ride first!”
“You always fall off. You can ride with me.”
“I wish we had two ponies! Then we wouldn’t have to share! I could have a halapino and you could have Lacey”
“No, I could have a black pony and you could have Lacey. Lacey is almost palamino. And by the way, its PALAMINO not HALAPINO.”
“That’s what I said: halapino. And Lacey is NOT almost halapino. She is red and does not have a white mane and tail. She does NOT look like Trigger.”
“Its not HALAPINO. Its palamino…say it: palamino.”
“Halapino”
"No, its PALamino.”
“But daddy said that its HALAPINO.”
“And mommy says that daddy is silly.”
“Well I will just say it the way I want to say it.”
“Psh! Fine.”
“And you can have Lacey, I’ll take the halapino.”
“I don’t want Lacey! All she thinks about in her brain is the stupid feed can.”
“Well, I don’t want her either.”
“Well, FINE! I will just tell daddy to get rid of her.”
“NOOOOO! I don’t want to sell her! I’ll be really mad at you if you go do that.”
“Then you take Lacey.”
Pause
“We’ll both have Lacey.”
Pause
“Okay…fine. Now that we have come to that agreement, since I am the oldest I get to ride FIRST…”
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
‘WALKING WITH THE LORD’---Commands of Christ pocket guide
“When Jesus said “follow me,” He was expressing the goal of God in all creation- God walking with man in perfect fellowship.
The purpose of all Christ’s teaching is to instruct us in how to achieve this marvelous privilege. We must delight in His Word and understand His way of thinking. We must learn His ways and do His work in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Each of the forty-nine commands of Christ expresses an important aspect of our walk with the Lord and our love for others.
Loving God and loving others must be the central focus of this study, because that is the sum total of all Christ’s teaching and of all the rest of the Scriptures.”
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
GENTLENESS VS. HARSHNESS
Gentleness is supporting others during their times of weakness, so that they can achieve their full potential in the Lord.
Gentleness is showing consideration and personal concern for others.
Matthew 22:39-40 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
*Loving our neighbor is one of Christ’s greatest commands
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
*Jesus fulfilled the law by showing God’s love for mankind. We also can fulfill God’s law by reflecting His love to others.
Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
*We are to be humble to one another. All arguments, strivings, and misunderstandings are a result of pride, and pride is when we know we are better than the other person or we are right and they are wrong. We must be humble and patient with one another.
James 2:8-9 If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
*Respect of persons is valuing one person above another, seeing one person better than the other, valuing the word of one person more than others, showing more favor for one person than another, or saying that one person is better than another. That is sin. We are to show God’s love to all.
1 John 3:17-19 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
*We are supposed to show compassion to those around us, because that is how we show the love of God: by our deeds. Our deeds show how sincere we truly are.
1 John 4:20-21 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
*It is God’s command to love our family. Not just brothers, not just neighbors, but all. If we are to show ‘brotherly love’ to others, then what are we to show to our real siblings and parents? How do we show our family that we love them?
And if we do not love our family (brother, sister, mom, dad) then we do not love God. We cannot just love them in word and tongue, but in deed. We are to reflect God’s light to them. Matthew 5:14-16, Ephesians 5:8, John 12:36
Galatians 5:13-14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
*We cannot just focus on ourselves. We are commanded to serve others around us in love. By doing that we fulfill the law: we reflect God’s light.
OBJECTIONS:
JESUS SAID TO HATE OUR FATHER AND MOTHER
Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate(1) not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.’
*The word ‘hate’ here in the Greek, simply means to ‘love less’
Matthew 10:37 He that loveth(1) father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.’
*Jesus clearly has said that we are not to love family more than Him. However, we are still to show God’s love to them.
*Jesus also said ‘honour father and mother’ 5 times and he said ‘hate father and mother’ 1 time. The Old Testament never says to hate our father and mother or brother and sister (in fact it condemns such actions) and we know that Jesus did not come to override the OT, but to fulfill it by His words, actions, and deeds.
THE BIBLE SAYS ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR’ NOT ‘LOVE YOUR FAMILY’
Luke 8:21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
*All of God’s children are part of your family, and Jesus said that if we hate our brother, but say that we love God, then we are liars. 1 John 4:20, Lev. 9:17
HOW CAN WE SHOW LOVE TO OUR NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY?
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
*How has Christ shown His love for us? How can we show his love to those around us?
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
*We are supposed to gather together to encourage others to love one another and do good works as we also are doing.
Matthew 5:24 …first be reconciled to thy brother…
*We need to fix our relationship status with our brothers and sisters so we can love them more fully.
Matthew 5:25 …Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him…
*Agree and come to terms with the person whom you are bickering with and settle the argument quickly so you can reflect Christ’s love to them.
Matthew 5:39-42 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
*If someone tries to provoke you, turn the other cheek. Go the extra mile with someone who is in need, and help him who asks for it. In these ways we can reflect Christ’s love to others.
Matthew 5:44-46 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
*Love, bless, pray and do good to those who use you wrongly. Then the love of God grows in you to shine out to those who use you.
EXAMINING MY HEART
Does my love for others reflect my love for God?
Who are some of those near me to whom I need to show more love?
Have I sacrificed some of my own possessions in order to give to others?
What chance meetings have I had where I could show love to a ‘neighbor’?
What areas of lack of self-acceptance have been a hindrance to loving others?
Do my actions show that I honor others above myself?
Footnotes:
(1) miseō- to love less
(2) phileō - love, kiss
All verses from KJV and Footnotes from Strong’s concordance.
“When Jesus said “follow me,” He was expressing the goal of God in all creation- God walking with man in perfect fellowship.
The purpose of all Christ’s teaching is to instruct us in how to achieve this marvelous privilege. We must delight in His Word and understand His way of thinking. We must learn His ways and do His work in the power of the Holy Spirit.
Each of the forty-nine commands of Christ expresses an important aspect of our walk with the Lord and our love for others.
Loving God and loving others must be the central focus of this study, because that is the sum total of all Christ’s teaching and of all the rest of the Scriptures.”
LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR
GENTLENESS VS. HARSHNESS
Gentleness is supporting others during their times of weakness, so that they can achieve their full potential in the Lord.
Gentleness is showing consideration and personal concern for others.
Matthew 22:39-40 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.
*Loving our neighbor is one of Christ’s greatest commands
Romans 13:8 Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.
*Jesus fulfilled the law by showing God’s love for mankind. We also can fulfill God’s law by reflecting His love to others.
Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.
Ephesians 4:2 With all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
*We are to be humble to one another. All arguments, strivings, and misunderstandings are a result of pride, and pride is when we know we are better than the other person or we are right and they are wrong. We must be humble and patient with one another.
James 2:8-9 If ye fulfill the royal law according to the scripture, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself, ye do well: But if ye have respect to persons, ye commit sin, and are convinced of the law as transgressors.
*Respect of persons is valuing one person above another, seeing one person better than the other, valuing the word of one person more than others, showing more favor for one person than another, or saying that one person is better than another. That is sin. We are to show God’s love to all.
1 John 3:17-19 But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth. And hereby we know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our hearts before him.
*We are supposed to show compassion to those around us, because that is how we show the love of God: by our deeds. Our deeds show how sincere we truly are.
1 John 4:20-21 If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also.
Romans 12:10 Be kindly affectioned one to another with brotherly love; in honour preferring one another;
*It is God’s command to love our family. Not just brothers, not just neighbors, but all. If we are to show ‘brotherly love’ to others, then what are we to show to our real siblings and parents? How do we show our family that we love them?
And if we do not love our family (brother, sister, mom, dad) then we do not love God. We cannot just love them in word and tongue, but in deed. We are to reflect God’s light to them. Matthew 5:14-16, Ephesians 5:8, John 12:36
Galatians 5:13-14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
*We cannot just focus on ourselves. We are commanded to serve others around us in love. By doing that we fulfill the law: we reflect God’s light.
OBJECTIONS:
JESUS SAID TO HATE OUR FATHER AND MOTHER
Luke 14:26 If any man come to me, and hate(1) not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.’
*The word ‘hate’ here in the Greek, simply means to ‘love less’
Matthew 10:37 He that loveth(1) father or mother more than me is not worthy of me: and he that loveth son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me.’
*Jesus clearly has said that we are not to love family more than Him. However, we are still to show God’s love to them.
*Jesus also said ‘honour father and mother’ 5 times and he said ‘hate father and mother’ 1 time. The Old Testament never says to hate our father and mother or brother and sister (in fact it condemns such actions) and we know that Jesus did not come to override the OT, but to fulfill it by His words, actions, and deeds.
THE BIBLE SAYS ‘LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR’ NOT ‘LOVE YOUR FAMILY’
Luke 8:21 And he answered and said unto them, My mother and my brethren are these which hear the word of God, and do it.
*All of God’s children are part of your family, and Jesus said that if we hate our brother, but say that we love God, then we are liars. 1 John 4:20, Lev. 9:17
HOW CAN WE SHOW LOVE TO OUR NEIGHBORS AND FAMILY?
John 13:34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
*How has Christ shown His love for us? How can we show his love to those around us?
Hebrews 10:24-25
And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.
*We are supposed to gather together to encourage others to love one another and do good works as we also are doing.
Matthew 5:24 …first be reconciled to thy brother…
*We need to fix our relationship status with our brothers and sisters so we can love them more fully.
Matthew 5:25 …Agree with thine adversary quickly, whiles thou art in the way with him…
*Agree and come to terms with the person whom you are bickering with and settle the argument quickly so you can reflect Christ’s love to them.
Matthew 5:39-42 But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.
*If someone tries to provoke you, turn the other cheek. Go the extra mile with someone who is in need, and help him who asks for it. In these ways we can reflect Christ’s love to others.
Matthew 5:44-46 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?
*Love, bless, pray and do good to those who use you wrongly. Then the love of God grows in you to shine out to those who use you.
EXAMINING MY HEART
Does my love for others reflect my love for God?
Who are some of those near me to whom I need to show more love?
Have I sacrificed some of my own possessions in order to give to others?
What chance meetings have I had where I could show love to a ‘neighbor’?
What areas of lack of self-acceptance have been a hindrance to loving others?
Do my actions show that I honor others above myself?
Footnotes:
(1) miseō- to love less
(2) phileō - love, kiss
All verses from KJV and Footnotes from Strong’s concordance.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Keep My Commandments
Keep My Commandments
Diligence vs. Slothfulness: Diligence is accepting each task as a special assignment from the Lord and using all my energies to do it quickly and skillfully.
It is clear in the Bible that God and His Son Jesus wanted us to follow His commandments.
John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And if we do so, then we truly show where our allegiance lies.
John 14:21
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
God does not want us to forget His commandments. He wants us to have them dwelling in our hearts. He wants us to build our whole life up from His commandments so that we may be blessed.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
If we keep His commandments, then He will give us full joy and we shall abide in His love.
John 15:10-11
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full.
We know that we are in the LORD when we keep His commandments and His love dwells in us and shows through us.
1 John 2:3-5
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
If we do not follow His commandments, but say we are a Christian, then we are liars. Lying is a sin and we cannot have complete fellowship and peace with God because that sin causes a breach in our relationship with Him.
1 John 1:6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
Now that we have established this, have hopefully agreed to this and have this on our mind, I will now turn to one of God’s laws.
Honor your parents
Honor vs. disrespect
Honor is humbling myself in the presence of a God-given authority and expressing my devotion with an appropriate gift.
Honoring our parents is very important to God. So important, in fact, that dishonoring them requires the punishment of death. Dishonoring in God’s eyes is sin.
Matt. 15:4
For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
Exodus 21:15, 17
And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death… And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
We are commanded to honor our parents in Old and New Testament. Note that none of the verses say ‘only if your parents are honorable’ or ‘only if your parents are following the Lord’. God means us to obey AND honor our parents no matter what.
Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Colossians 3:20
Children, obey [your] parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
(In the Greek, the word CHILDREN means ‘a youth’, not just a little child)
Not only are we to honor our parents, we are also to obey them all the time, everyday, in every way.
Proverbs 6:20-22
My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, [and] tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and [when] thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
In fact, since we are younger, we are commanded to submit to our elders. Note that this has no age limit on it. If we do not submit then we are being proud arrogant fools.
1 Peter 5:5
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
We are counted wise when we make our father glad by obedience, but foolish if we are a rebellious burden causing our mothers sadness.
Proverbs 10:1
The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son [is] the heaviness of his mother.
The only time that we are no longer subject to obey our parents is when we get married.
Mark 10:7
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
But we are still told in 1 Peter 5:5 to submit and be humble, and God never said that we could stop honoring our father and mother.
Also marriage means that you are now under each other’s authority.
WIVES
Ephesians 5:22
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Titus 2:5
[To be] discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
HUSBANDS
Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Colossians 3:19
Husbands, love [your] wives, and be not bitter against them.
1 Peter 3:7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [them] according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
If we do not honour our parents and obey them, then we are clearly disobeying and breaking God’s law. What does that make the Christian look like to the rest of the world then?
Examining my heart:
What do I most value about the role my parents have had in my life?
They have kept me safe from many outside influences that could have destroyed me and they have given me a firm Biblical foundation to grown on.
How have I shown my peers that I honor my parents?
I have followed my parents wishes in many decisions that my friends have not agreed with and I have done my best to speak well of my parents and back them up, though at times I have also done very poorly in this.
In what areas could I seek my parents counsel?
In courtship, in money, in big decisions
What gifts of appreciation have I given my parents?
Notes, hugs, kisses, doing extra jobs for them, and showing them great respect
Are my decisions in life honoring to my parents?
I believe so. If they feel that I am straying from what they feel is important to God then we have a talk and I work to correct my way. I have done a lousy job in the past, but with God’s grace, I am getting better.
What rewards have I received from honoring my parent’s counsel?
Protection, security, contentment knowing that I am in God’s will, and joy being in that will, and most of all, the joy that comes with being in such a close relationship with my parents.
Do I recognize the sovereignty of God in my relationship with my parents?
I do. It grows stronger the closer I become to my parents and the more I honor them.
I think that we would all do well to examine our hearts and make sure that we are following and obeying God’s commandments the way that He clearly says to, NOT the way we want to.
Diligence vs. Slothfulness: Diligence is accepting each task as a special assignment from the Lord and using all my energies to do it quickly and skillfully.
It is clear in the Bible that God and His Son Jesus wanted us to follow His commandments.
John 14:15
If ye love me, keep my commandments.
And if we do so, then we truly show where our allegiance lies.
John 14:21
He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.
God does not want us to forget His commandments. He wants us to have them dwelling in our hearts. He wants us to build our whole life up from His commandments so that we may be blessed.
Deuteronomy 6:6-7
And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart: And thou shalt teach them diligently unto thy children, and shalt talk of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, and when thou liest down, and when thou risest up.
Joshua 1:8
This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.
If we keep His commandments, then He will give us full joy and we shall abide in His love.
John 15:10-11
If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and [that] your joy might be full.
We know that we are in the LORD when we keep His commandments and His love dwells in us and shows through us.
1 John 2:3-5
And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. He that saith, I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth his word, in him verily is the love of God perfected: hereby know we that we are in him.
If we do not follow His commandments, but say we are a Christian, then we are liars. Lying is a sin and we cannot have complete fellowship and peace with God because that sin causes a breach in our relationship with Him.
1 John 1:6
If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth:
Now that we have established this, have hopefully agreed to this and have this on our mind, I will now turn to one of God’s laws.
Honor your parents
Honor vs. disrespect
Honor is humbling myself in the presence of a God-given authority and expressing my devotion with an appropriate gift.
Honoring our parents is very important to God. So important, in fact, that dishonoring them requires the punishment of death. Dishonoring in God’s eyes is sin.
Matt. 15:4
For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death.
Exodus 21:15, 17
And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death… And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death.
We are commanded to honor our parents in Old and New Testament. Note that none of the verses say ‘only if your parents are honorable’ or ‘only if your parents are following the Lord’. God means us to obey AND honor our parents no matter what.
Exodus 20:12
Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
Colossians 3:20
Children, obey [your] parents in all things: for this is well pleasing unto the Lord.
Ephesians 6:1-3
Children, obey your parents in the Lord: for this is right. Honour thy father and mother; (which is the first commandment with promise;) That it may be well with thee, and thou mayest live long on the earth.
(In the Greek, the word CHILDREN means ‘a youth’, not just a little child)
Not only are we to honor our parents, we are also to obey them all the time, everyday, in every way.
Proverbs 6:20-22
My son, keep thy father's commandment, and forsake not the law of thy mother: Bind them continually upon thine heart, [and] tie them about thy neck. When thou goest, it shall lead thee; when thou sleepest, it shall keep thee; and [when] thou awakest, it shall talk with thee.
In fact, since we are younger, we are commanded to submit to our elders. Note that this has no age limit on it. If we do not submit then we are being proud arrogant fools.
1 Peter 5:5
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all [of you] be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.
We are counted wise when we make our father glad by obedience, but foolish if we are a rebellious burden causing our mothers sadness.
Proverbs 10:1
The proverbs of Solomon. A wise son maketh a glad father: but a foolish son [is] the heaviness of his mother.
The only time that we are no longer subject to obey our parents is when we get married.
Mark 10:7
For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and cleave to his wife;
But we are still told in 1 Peter 5:5 to submit and be humble, and God never said that we could stop honoring our father and mother.
Also marriage means that you are now under each other’s authority.
WIVES
Ephesians 5:22
Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord.
Titus 2:5
[To be] discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.
HUSBANDS
Ephesians 5:25
Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it;
Colossians 3:19
Husbands, love [your] wives, and be not bitter against them.
1 Peter 3:7
Likewise, ye husbands, dwell with [them] according to knowledge, giving honour unto the wife, as unto the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life; that your prayers be not hindered.
If we do not honour our parents and obey them, then we are clearly disobeying and breaking God’s law. What does that make the Christian look like to the rest of the world then?
Examining my heart:
What do I most value about the role my parents have had in my life?
They have kept me safe from many outside influences that could have destroyed me and they have given me a firm Biblical foundation to grown on.
How have I shown my peers that I honor my parents?
I have followed my parents wishes in many decisions that my friends have not agreed with and I have done my best to speak well of my parents and back them up, though at times I have also done very poorly in this.
In what areas could I seek my parents counsel?
In courtship, in money, in big decisions
What gifts of appreciation have I given my parents?
Notes, hugs, kisses, doing extra jobs for them, and showing them great respect
Are my decisions in life honoring to my parents?
I believe so. If they feel that I am straying from what they feel is important to God then we have a talk and I work to correct my way. I have done a lousy job in the past, but with God’s grace, I am getting better.
What rewards have I received from honoring my parent’s counsel?
Protection, security, contentment knowing that I am in God’s will, and joy being in that will, and most of all, the joy that comes with being in such a close relationship with my parents.
Do I recognize the sovereignty of God in my relationship with my parents?
I do. It grows stronger the closer I become to my parents and the more I honor them.
I think that we would all do well to examine our hearts and make sure that we are following and obeying God’s commandments the way that He clearly says to, NOT the way we want to.
Thursday, March 25, 2010
My dear supporters,
I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to send you a personal update! Please forgive my tardiness and I will try to be more punctual from now on.
First off, I want to thank each of you who were praying for me while I was gone and I also want to thank those who supported me through finances. What a great blessing both of these things were to me! Thank you all!
Now, what I have learn…is a lot! There is so much to tell with so little time!
I will give you the basics:
I have learned how to teach a whole class of children (usually consisting of 21 children in a school room) on my own. I teach them a word, its definition; give them examples, stories, object lessons, skits, or activities to help engrain it into their head.
Each school and each class are different. Some classes like storied better, some like object lessons better, and others want personal examples from you, and basically all kids love skits and activities!
I went to a different school everyday…except on Saturdays and Sundays of course. My favorite days of school were Wednesdays and Fridays…because those were my two favorite schools, but SSSSSHHHHH! I’m not suppose to have favorites…I just can’t help it though. ;P
In Bible Club I learned how to use links and how to tie in the gospel when I tell a story. I also learned about the different visuals I can use for a story; whether it be actors, flannel graph, flash cards or puppets. I learned how to open the story in an attention grabbing way and end it with a salvation invitation.
I did get to tell a Bible story by the way! It was very exciting! I told the story of the conversion of Saul/Paul…very exciting. And it went very well. I used actors…and my attention grabber to start the story was two girls running across stage screaming like they were scared…it worked effectively.
Anyway, I also learned how to turn basically any conversation toward the gospel and get a person (child or adult) into the gospel and lead them to the Lord in an effective way.
I also know how to start my own Bible club in my own hometown now…or anywhere for that matter! I was incredibly excited! I still am!
Besides all that I also learned how to just tell any story and make it exciting and life like! I learned how to praise a child, instead of correcting them all the time, and I learned how important it is to praise a child for his character, and what a life impact that can make on him.
I also had much spiritual growth during this time. I learned about selfishness and how even just a little bit of it can impact your life and the lives of others around you in a bad way.
I also learned about joyfulness! It is not important to be happy…happiness is not what matters. It is joy that matters and can change your life and the lives of people around you in a good way.
Joy is having a good attitude and looking at things from God’s perspective, and praising Him even when things are hard and life seems miserable.
Life is only miserable when you let it be. There are going to be times when life is un-enjoyable and hard, but we are the ones that make it miserable if we have no joy.
My new quote is: “why do I need to be happy when I’ve got joy?!”
I also learned that we serve a HOLY God…we don’t serve a sissy God who tolerates what we want and what we like. NO SIR! We serve a HOLY God who makes us look like spit and who will not tolerate our selfishness.
In Isaiah when he sees the vision of God clothed in light and thunder and the seraphim and other weird angels are singing “Holy, Holy, Holy…” Isaiah puts his face flat to the ground and says “WOE IS ME!....” Isaiah saw how unholy he was, even though he was a ‘good man’.
I was challenged, in light of knowing that I serve a Holy God, to look at everything in my life through God’s eyes. Everything I want, look at it through His eyes. Everything I like, look at it through His eyes. Everything I get irritated with, look at it through HIS eyes. My music, my clothes, my attitude, my friends, the people I don’t like, my food, my eating habits, my time with Him….EVERYTHING…
That intimidates most people in case you did not know that…and then they don’t want to do it. It intimidated me, but I have been trying to do it in everything in my life. I cringe sometimes when I think of something and then my mind automatically wanders to “How does my Holy, Just, righteous, God look at this? What does he think of it?”
It is not likely that I will forget any of this. Everything I have learned is burned into my mind. Everything that I was taught, I used. There wasn’t a thing that I was taught, as far as school and Bible club, that I did not put into practice right away! That goes with most of the spiritual growth as well. I have already used much of what I have learned here at home! Talk about learning and sticking to it!
Thank you again for your prayers and support! I will be going back to Character First for more training March 26th and I will be there until May 14th. Then I will be home for the summer.
If you have any questions concerning what I learned, please feel free to ask!
God bless you all!
Shieldmaiden
First off, I want to thank each of you who were praying for me while I was gone and I also want to thank those who supported me through finances. What a great blessing both of these things were to me! Thank you all!
Now, what I have learn…is a lot! There is so much to tell with so little time!
I will give you the basics:
I have learned how to teach a whole class of children (usually consisting of 21 children in a school room) on my own. I teach them a word, its definition; give them examples, stories, object lessons, skits, or activities to help engrain it into their head.
Each school and each class are different. Some classes like storied better, some like object lessons better, and others want personal examples from you, and basically all kids love skits and activities!
I went to a different school everyday…except on Saturdays and Sundays of course. My favorite days of school were Wednesdays and Fridays…because those were my two favorite schools, but SSSSSHHHHH! I’m not suppose to have favorites…I just can’t help it though. ;P
In Bible Club I learned how to use links and how to tie in the gospel when I tell a story. I also learned about the different visuals I can use for a story; whether it be actors, flannel graph, flash cards or puppets. I learned how to open the story in an attention grabbing way and end it with a salvation invitation.
I did get to tell a Bible story by the way! It was very exciting! I told the story of the conversion of Saul/Paul…very exciting. And it went very well. I used actors…and my attention grabber to start the story was two girls running across stage screaming like they were scared…it worked effectively.
Anyway, I also learned how to turn basically any conversation toward the gospel and get a person (child or adult) into the gospel and lead them to the Lord in an effective way.
I also know how to start my own Bible club in my own hometown now…or anywhere for that matter! I was incredibly excited! I still am!
Besides all that I also learned how to just tell any story and make it exciting and life like! I learned how to praise a child, instead of correcting them all the time, and I learned how important it is to praise a child for his character, and what a life impact that can make on him.
I also had much spiritual growth during this time. I learned about selfishness and how even just a little bit of it can impact your life and the lives of others around you in a bad way.
I also learned about joyfulness! It is not important to be happy…happiness is not what matters. It is joy that matters and can change your life and the lives of people around you in a good way.
Joy is having a good attitude and looking at things from God’s perspective, and praising Him even when things are hard and life seems miserable.
Life is only miserable when you let it be. There are going to be times when life is un-enjoyable and hard, but we are the ones that make it miserable if we have no joy.
My new quote is: “why do I need to be happy when I’ve got joy?!”
I also learned that we serve a HOLY God…we don’t serve a sissy God who tolerates what we want and what we like. NO SIR! We serve a HOLY God who makes us look like spit and who will not tolerate our selfishness.
In Isaiah when he sees the vision of God clothed in light and thunder and the seraphim and other weird angels are singing “Holy, Holy, Holy…” Isaiah puts his face flat to the ground and says “WOE IS ME!....” Isaiah saw how unholy he was, even though he was a ‘good man’.
I was challenged, in light of knowing that I serve a Holy God, to look at everything in my life through God’s eyes. Everything I want, look at it through His eyes. Everything I like, look at it through His eyes. Everything I get irritated with, look at it through HIS eyes. My music, my clothes, my attitude, my friends, the people I don’t like, my food, my eating habits, my time with Him….EVERYTHING…
That intimidates most people in case you did not know that…and then they don’t want to do it. It intimidated me, but I have been trying to do it in everything in my life. I cringe sometimes when I think of something and then my mind automatically wanders to “How does my Holy, Just, righteous, God look at this? What does he think of it?”
It is not likely that I will forget any of this. Everything I have learned is burned into my mind. Everything that I was taught, I used. There wasn’t a thing that I was taught, as far as school and Bible club, that I did not put into practice right away! That goes with most of the spiritual growth as well. I have already used much of what I have learned here at home! Talk about learning and sticking to it!
Thank you again for your prayers and support! I will be going back to Character First for more training March 26th and I will be there until May 14th. Then I will be home for the summer.
If you have any questions concerning what I learned, please feel free to ask!
God bless you all!
Shieldmaiden
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
To the people this may concern (and should and probably does concern):
Let me get some things straight here…I feel that I have been terribly misleading to several of you on matters and I am very sorry about that. I never meant to be misleading and I thought that I was clear on how I felt, but obviously not. I am so sorry for this horrible misunderstanding.
I could have stopped this all a lot sooner if I had just been more discerning and had taken initiative, but I thought (and hoped) it would all just go away. I tend to live in my own world-in an alternate reality and I try to pretend that the real world is not there for me. I try to pretend that the world does not notice me. I prefer to be in my own world where everything is simple and it never changes.
Please forgive me for getting you all hurt and mixed up in this. I never meant for this all to happen. I never wanted this to happen. I am so sorry.
FIRST OFF: I am NOT in love with anyone and I have no romantic feelings for anyone at this time. I have not met anyone that fulfills my qualifications that God has laid on my heart to look for in a man. I have not met anyone who measures up to my ‘yard stick’ and I will not even consider someone until they measure up to that. Point blank.
NEXT: God has told me to follow my parents lead not matter what. I am going to do that, even if it doesn’t make since. That is my calling. I am going to trust my parents that they know what they are doing in this matter. And above all, I am going to trust God that He has got them on the right course and that He has got this under control. I am going to trust Him to heal the hurts of others as well. Sorry if that offends you, but that is what I am doing. I cannot go any other way but God’s way. I feel that this is all people’s #1 calling from God to begin with. Not just honoring their parents, but staying under their GOD GIVEN authority and obeying their parent’s wishes, trusting God that He has it under control. If people seriously did this more often there would be a lot less pain and heartache in the world today…
FURTHERMORE: I would greatly appreciate it if people would not poke, prod, push, or ‘suggest’, (in other words) TEASE about a young man and me again. It may be fun for both parties for a while, but it is not later. If you would like to approach me about it respectfully and maturely or if I ask for a suggestion from someone, then please give me your honest opinion and some Scripture, but otherwise, please, don’t be like “Oh did you see so-and-so did this for you?” and “Oooooooh! I think so-and-so likes you!!!” and so on. I am just as guilty as anybody else for this, and I have and am beating myself up for it…I am sorry that I encouraged you in any way on any of this and I purpose to never act as such again. I myself will try to present such a matter mature like from now on.
ANOTHER THING: Life is not about making ME happy…that goes for everybody. It is not just “oh, but I feel…” “But I want…” “Oh I need…” “Well I think…” NO! That is not what we were put on earth for. I feel that all of us have been a little inconsiderate of the other people around us who are ‘not involved’ in this, because they ARE affected by it. Our siblings and our friends are important factors. They may not seem affected by what is happening in OUR lives, but they are. My sister has been very, VERY hurt by all this that is happening and has happened, and I know for a fact that there are other siblings being affected by this. We need to stop and think about someone other than ourselves and the person we ‘love’…because there are others in this life that deserves attention. Not just us and OUR ‘lovely dear one’….
FINALLY: I am going to be completely open with my parents about everything from now on. If you wish to tell me something confidential in a conversation, I can tell my parents that it is ‘classified’ and they will understand, but everything else I am going to be open about. No secrets, no ‘my conversation’, and no “don’t tell your mom about this…”. I am sorry if some of you think this is ‘sacrileges’ but I’m doing it anyway. I don’t like my parents being left in the dark on things, and they don’t like it either. They can’t fulfill their GOD GIVEN responsibility of protecting me if I leave them in the dark all the time, and God can’t work through them or through me if we have this wall between us and this darkness in our lives. This seriously should go for everybody.
I am sorry that all this mess happened and I am sorry about the hearts that were hurt in all this. I suggest that we all start focusing on what we should be focusing on: God and the family He gave us before our lover…He gave us our families for a reason…find out what that reason is! If we had all done that in the beginning, a lot of this mess wouldn’t even be!
God bless you all and may you only grow closer to Him through this.
I love each and every one of you,
Kathryn
I could have stopped this all a lot sooner if I had just been more discerning and had taken initiative, but I thought (and hoped) it would all just go away. I tend to live in my own world-in an alternate reality and I try to pretend that the real world is not there for me. I try to pretend that the world does not notice me. I prefer to be in my own world where everything is simple and it never changes.
Please forgive me for getting you all hurt and mixed up in this. I never meant for this all to happen. I never wanted this to happen. I am so sorry.
FIRST OFF: I am NOT in love with anyone and I have no romantic feelings for anyone at this time. I have not met anyone that fulfills my qualifications that God has laid on my heart to look for in a man. I have not met anyone who measures up to my ‘yard stick’ and I will not even consider someone until they measure up to that. Point blank.
NEXT: God has told me to follow my parents lead not matter what. I am going to do that, even if it doesn’t make since. That is my calling. I am going to trust my parents that they know what they are doing in this matter. And above all, I am going to trust God that He has got them on the right course and that He has got this under control. I am going to trust Him to heal the hurts of others as well. Sorry if that offends you, but that is what I am doing. I cannot go any other way but God’s way. I feel that this is all people’s #1 calling from God to begin with. Not just honoring their parents, but staying under their GOD GIVEN authority and obeying their parent’s wishes, trusting God that He has it under control. If people seriously did this more often there would be a lot less pain and heartache in the world today…
FURTHERMORE: I would greatly appreciate it if people would not poke, prod, push, or ‘suggest’, (in other words) TEASE about a young man and me again. It may be fun for both parties for a while, but it is not later. If you would like to approach me about it respectfully and maturely or if I ask for a suggestion from someone, then please give me your honest opinion and some Scripture, but otherwise, please, don’t be like “Oh did you see so-and-so did this for you?” and “Oooooooh! I think so-and-so likes you!!!” and so on. I am just as guilty as anybody else for this, and I have and am beating myself up for it…I am sorry that I encouraged you in any way on any of this and I purpose to never act as such again. I myself will try to present such a matter mature like from now on.
ANOTHER THING: Life is not about making ME happy…that goes for everybody. It is not just “oh, but I feel…” “But I want…” “Oh I need…” “Well I think…” NO! That is not what we were put on earth for. I feel that all of us have been a little inconsiderate of the other people around us who are ‘not involved’ in this, because they ARE affected by it. Our siblings and our friends are important factors. They may not seem affected by what is happening in OUR lives, but they are. My sister has been very, VERY hurt by all this that is happening and has happened, and I know for a fact that there are other siblings being affected by this. We need to stop and think about someone other than ourselves and the person we ‘love’…because there are others in this life that deserves attention. Not just us and OUR ‘lovely dear one’….
FINALLY: I am going to be completely open with my parents about everything from now on. If you wish to tell me something confidential in a conversation, I can tell my parents that it is ‘classified’ and they will understand, but everything else I am going to be open about. No secrets, no ‘my conversation’, and no “don’t tell your mom about this…”. I am sorry if some of you think this is ‘sacrileges’ but I’m doing it anyway. I don’t like my parents being left in the dark on things, and they don’t like it either. They can’t fulfill their GOD GIVEN responsibility of protecting me if I leave them in the dark all the time, and God can’t work through them or through me if we have this wall between us and this darkness in our lives. This seriously should go for everybody.
I am sorry that all this mess happened and I am sorry about the hearts that were hurt in all this. I suggest that we all start focusing on what we should be focusing on: God and the family He gave us before our lover…He gave us our families for a reason…find out what that reason is! If we had all done that in the beginning, a lot of this mess wouldn’t even be!
God bless you all and may you only grow closer to Him through this.
I love each and every one of you,
Kathryn
Monday, March 22, 2010
Mail order wife...
Needed:
A strong, able, good, pretty, wife for a man in need. Will take any girl who offers. Not picky.
I am a strong, courageous, good looking fella who really wants a gal...who really NEEDS a gal.
I have a big house, lots of land, plenty of food, and receive many social calls, even while living in the country. I can afford the BEST for any gal and she will have my utmost devotion...or at least my person's devotion...
Here is my picture:
And another picture:
As you can see: good muscles (I work out everyday), plenty of plumage, and just totally, irresistibly hot...
Like I said...will take any gal available...cause their ain't many to get around here!
(My person said that she would put this on the World Wide Web! *gasp* Fascinating!)
Signed,
Mr. Piper Pigeon
P.S. This offer won't last long! I'm sure gals will be swarming in by the dozens soon! Apply while you can!
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
My Sponser Letter
Dear To-Whom-This-May-Concern
God has opened for me this winter a very exciting and wonderful opportunity to minister to children in Oklahoma City. I have been accepted by Character First! Education (CF!E) to intern in their elementary school Character Coach ministry. I will be trained how to communicate the truth in public schools and also how to evangelize and disciple children in after- school Bible clubs.
I will receive six days of training starting January 8th plus on going weekly training. I will be working with other Character Coaches, teaching character to children in public elementary school and in after- school Bible clubs across Oklahoma City.
Teaching in school consists of visiting six to eight classrooms each day and doing a thirty minute character lesson for the children. There are also opportunities throughout the day to interact with the children on the playground, cafeteria, gym, and in the halls. I will be going to five schools weekly during my ten week stay in Oklahoma City. Tuesday to Thursday I will be teaching in three after school Bible clubs that are sponsored by a local Christian ministry.
I have been praying, and I am considering, upon my return from this ministry, to start a similar mission project in my hometown and other surrounding areas using what I will have learned from this great experience.
This winter, as a short term missionary, I need to raise $750 to help cover my training, materials, transportation, food, and housing while I am in Oklahoma City.
I will also be in need of your prayers. Will you be my prayer partner this winter as I minister to the children, receive training and raise funds for this ministry opportunity? Please pray that God would prepare my heart so that His love and life would flow through me abundantly, and that I would be pure salt and light and completely effective for His glory. Please also pray for the children to be receptive of the gospel and that they would come to know the Lord in a more personal way. Also pray that I will be able to use these principals to reach out to the children in my community.
If you would like to invest financially, please send your gift to:
Character First! Education 520 W. Main Street Oklahoma City, OK 73102
(A response card and envelope are provided for your convenience).
CF!E of Oklahoma City desires you to know that any extra funds left over will be used to help cover the rest of my expenses and help other short term missionaries who will be serving with me.
I am looking forward to serving the Lord this winter with this ministry! Thank you for considering being a prayer and financial partner with me as I serve with CF!E of Oklahoma City this winter!
Sincerely,
Shieldmaiden
God has opened for me this winter a very exciting and wonderful opportunity to minister to children in Oklahoma City. I have been accepted by Character First! Education (CF!E) to intern in their elementary school Character Coach ministry. I will be trained how to communicate the truth in public schools and also how to evangelize and disciple children in after- school Bible clubs.
I will receive six days of training starting January 8th plus on going weekly training. I will be working with other Character Coaches, teaching character to children in public elementary school and in after- school Bible clubs across Oklahoma City.
Teaching in school consists of visiting six to eight classrooms each day and doing a thirty minute character lesson for the children. There are also opportunities throughout the day to interact with the children on the playground, cafeteria, gym, and in the halls. I will be going to five schools weekly during my ten week stay in Oklahoma City. Tuesday to Thursday I will be teaching in three after school Bible clubs that are sponsored by a local Christian ministry.
I have been praying, and I am considering, upon my return from this ministry, to start a similar mission project in my hometown and other surrounding areas using what I will have learned from this great experience.
This winter, as a short term missionary, I need to raise $750 to help cover my training, materials, transportation, food, and housing while I am in Oklahoma City.
I will also be in need of your prayers. Will you be my prayer partner this winter as I minister to the children, receive training and raise funds for this ministry opportunity? Please pray that God would prepare my heart so that His love and life would flow through me abundantly, and that I would be pure salt and light and completely effective for His glory. Please also pray for the children to be receptive of the gospel and that they would come to know the Lord in a more personal way. Also pray that I will be able to use these principals to reach out to the children in my community.
If you would like to invest financially, please send your gift to:
Character First! Education 520 W. Main Street Oklahoma City, OK 73102
(A response card and envelope are provided for your convenience).
CF!E of Oklahoma City desires you to know that any extra funds left over will be used to help cover the rest of my expenses and help other short term missionaries who will be serving with me.
I am looking forward to serving the Lord this winter with this ministry! Thank you for considering being a prayer and financial partner with me as I serve with CF!E of Oklahoma City this winter!
Sincerely,
Shieldmaiden
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