Ready Answers

But sanctify the Lord God in your hearts:  and be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you with meekness and fear:

1 Peter 3:15

Yesterday I made a trip into town to specifically purchase more needles for my sewing machine.  In my attempt at sewing some crafts this past week , I managed to break a couple of needles on my sewing machine, so, not only was I eager to restock my needle supply, I wanted to be able to ask the employees in this store why they thought my needles kept breaking?  Am I doing something wrong?  Using the wrong size needle?   Imagine my surprise when I asked the question to whom I assumed was a 'Seasoned Sewer' and received this reply:  "I don't know, I would Google it."

I left the store baffled!  After all, I went directly to the Source of my dilemma!  Shouldn't they have known the answer to my questions?

Christian, has someone asked you a question about your Lord and you struggled for an answer?  

Do you know why you believe the way you believe?

If someone is going through a hard time, can you encourage them through Scripture?

I will be the first one to admit that I do not know all of the answers....but I do know where to go for all the answers, and I can use the tool God gave me to find the answers.  

It's not Google!

It's The Bible, His Word.

Can you?

I want to be ready.....but that's just me!

"Help me, Lord, to be a student of your word, that I might be a better servant in your word."

-Jim Gallery

Side Effects

We are literally bombarded with commercials about pharmaceuticals.  From the most common to the uncommon ailment, we are told we need a drug to fix or manage whatever the problem.  But have you ever noticed that the side effects are usually worse than the actual illness?  Truth be told, I'd rather suffer in my sickness than to suffer from the side effect!

Then there are vaccinations.  Last week, my husband and I drove to our local pharmacy for our Shingle Vaccination.  We have put this off for years because of all of the horror stories we have heard about it, but we finally had to weigh this in the balances to see what would be worse:  getting Shingles, or suffering from the side effects from the vaccine.  The shot won out, and the side effects minimal.

But let's take this one step further;  Do you realize that there is a side effect for everything we do, and for everything we say?  And on the flip side, there are side effects for the things we do not do, and for the things we do not say.

Choices equal consequences.

Is the pleasure for a season worth the cost?  Do you stop and contemplate the results of your actions, or your non-actions? 

Galatians 6:7 says, "Be not deceived;  God is not mocked:  for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap."

I want to reap blessings....but that's just me!

    

Idiosyncrasies

My husband is tele-working again at home due to the high Covid numbers in our State.  We've gone through this before, when Covid first began to spread.  At first it was fun having him home all day, but then something subtle began to happen...little things he did began to bother me.

Webster defines Idiosyncrasies as "a peculiarity of constitution or temperament, and individualizing characteristic or quality."  

I could see the peculiar characteristic all right!

And as the days turned into weeks, I became so focused on his idiosyncrasies, little things became big things.  I began to wonder, Is this what retirement is going to feel like?  Are we going to drive each other crazy?!

1 Peter 4:8 says, "And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves:  for charity shall cover the multitude of sins."

Now I just smile at my Dear Husband when I see his peculiar characteristic rise to the surface, because I see the twinkle in his eye and I know what that means.....he's thinking the same thing about me!

But that's just me!

The key to a happy marriage is falling in love over and over.....

    with the same person.  Unknown

Praise

I want you to picture two types of people:  The first person is the one that regardless of what their circumstances may be, seem to be happy.  They are joyful, bubbly, and a blessing to be around.

The second person is the one who regardless of what their circumstances may be, seem to be sad, and despondent.

They both are Christians, so, what seems to be the secret behind the joy of the first person I mentioned?

PRAISE.

Praise is mentioned at least 1,211 times in the Bible.  The word praise is mentioned thirteen times in Psalm 150 alone!

Webster defines praise as:  To express a favorable judgment of, to glorify God especially by the attribution of perfections, worship.

So let me ask you, can you praise God regardless of what you may be going through right now?  Can you still say, 'God is Good,' and keep on keeping on for His honor and glory?  And if not, why not?

"Let the saints be joyful in glory: let them sing aloud upon their beds.  Let the high praises of God be in their mouth....."  Psalm 149:5,6a

There are so many reasons to praise the Lord.  If we concentrate on that, we will never have anything to complain about....

But that's just me!

"The Christian life that is joyless is a discredit to God and a disgrace to itself."  Maltbie D. Babcock

"Praise helps us realize that we, as Christians, can rise above our problems and lift our voices of praise in spite of any circumstances."  Kenneth W. Osbeck

Election Day

During the past few weeks, I have come into contact with many people who have been worried about the results of today's election.  Have you?  Some are worried about who will be leading our Country.  Some are worried about possible riots.  And some are just worried.

I take comfort in knowing that regardless of the outcome of today's election, God is still in control.

Proverbs 21:1 says, "The king's heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will."

As children of God, we can rest in the fact that He is in control.

Hebrews 4:9 says, "There remaineth therefore, a rest to the people of God."

And Isaiah tells us that His thoughts are not our thoughts, and His ways are not our ways.  (Isaiah 55:8,9)

We may not understand the results of today's election, but we don't have to.  All we need to remember, is that God has a plan, He is still on the Throne, and He has everything under control.

    But that's just me!

"The world hopes for the best, but the Lord offers the best hope."  John Wesley 

Imagination

When I was a teenager I looked forward to the State Fair.  I stood in line for hours to ride The Hammer, The Sky Diver and The Zipper.  The faster, the higher, and the ride that would spin the most was where I wanted to be!

Funny how that changes when you get older.  

I don't know about you, but the older I get the less hairpin corners I want to maneuver, the less Roller Coaster Rides the better.  No ups and downs for me, thank you very much!

My imagination takes me on Roller Coaster Rides at times, what about you?  God allows something in my life and it takes me by surprise, it throws me through the loop, my thoughts begin to go in a hundred different directions.  Sometimes I get so worked up I actually make myself sick!  Hard to admit, but I'm being honest here.  It's easy to 'talk the talk' when you are encouraging someone ELSE going through a difficult time, but when it's US, sometimes it's hard to pull up our boot straps and walk the walk.

We are faced with the realization that we really are not in control of things, like we sometimes like to think.  We begin to ask ourselves, "What are we going to do now" and the "What if" in this situation.

We repeat all of God's promises in our heads, but our fears still begin to creep in.

Don't beat yourself up too badly, even Elijah, when threatened by a woman fled and hid under a juniper tree and requested to just die.  He had no more strength to fight a new battle.  ( 1 Kings 19)

Yesterday I allowed my fears of the unknown to become reality.  I let my worries transform into monsters that I would not be able to slay.  I let my imagination Rule, instead of bringing every thought into captivity.

Isn't it wonderful to know that God realizes that we are but dust?  He knows our frame and He rains His mercies down upon us and helps us stand up again. 

So what did I do?  I sat down, prayed, and opened the Word of God and began to read His Words to me out loud.  An amazing thing began to happen.  

"And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."  Philippians 4:7

Surrendering to God's Will allows us to put everything back into perspective.  After all, He promises to fight my battles for me, whatever they may be, and He promises to never leave me or forsake me.

So, today, I choose reality over my imagination and I will let God handle the rest...

but that's just me!

Am I standing on the problems of life?  Or am I standing on the Promises of God?  Unknown

The Phone Call

Your phone rings and you are given the news.  It can be any news, just news that you were not expecting to hear.  "We found something in your test, the doctor wants to see you."  "I'm sorry, but you will be laid off from work until further notice."  

What is our first reaction to unexpected news?  We jump to conclusions and try to get ahead of God.  Immediately we start making plans in our heads of what to do next, maybe we sink into the pit of despair.

When we respond to life's uncertainties in that way, we are removing control from the hands of God, and placing them into our own hands.  And do you know what?  We may feel like we are in control, but we really aren't.

One of my favorite verses in the Bible is Exodus 23:20.  It says, "Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared."

To remain in the center of God's Will for my life, I must allow God to lead me into the place that He has prepared for ME.

Oswald Chambers once said, "Faith never knows where it is being led, but it loves the One Who is leading."

"I am truly grateful that faith enables me to move past the questions of 'why?'"  Zig Ziglar

And John Maxwell, "There are a lot of things in life that are difficult to understand.  Faith allows the soul to go beyond what the eyes can see."  

I received a call, and I am choosing to remain in the Shadow of my leading Angel, the Lord Jesus Christ, to lead me into the place that He has prepared for me.

But that's just me!