What is success?

 Last week I told one of our grandchildren that I wanted him to be successful in life. Later when I was praying I saw in my prayer book that I had written that as a prayer request for this grandchild. So I got to thinking what does that mean? What does it mean to be a successful person?

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I looked for a definition of success. This is what I found on the internet.

Success is the ability to reach your goals in life, whatever those goals may be. Other words used for success may be attainment, accomplishment, or progress. It is not necessarily a destination but a journey that helps develop the skills and resources you need to thrive.

There were five keys to success listed: Confidence, Perseverance, Organization, Getting Along, and Resilience.

There were four factors listed that contribute to or determine success: intelligence, social skills, work ethic, and luck.

Qualities of successful people were passion, optimism, persistence, creativity, self-discipline, a desire to improve, and a commitment to learning.

There were seven steps to happiness and success.
    Believe in yourself, and identify your natural talents and abilities…
    Develop a Vision. First, define your path and start working on your plan…
    Develop good habits. Happy and successful people choose good habits…
    Show gratitude…
    Take a chance…
    Give to others…
    Take responsibility…

These are all good points and thoughts and ideas for the world we live in but.......what about success in spiritual terms?

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I turned to Got Questions.org to see what this site said about spiritual success. This is what it said:

Riches? Pv. 22:2 says God makes both the rich and the poor. He is the giver of all things to all people.

Skills and abilities? I Cor. 4:7 “For who makes you to differ from anyone else? What do you have that you have not received?” Our abilities and skills come from God.

Influence and power? John 3:37 “A man can receive only what is given to him from heaven.’ If a man is successful it is only because God has given him or her that ability.

Things of the world? I Jn. 2:15-17 “Do not love the world or anything in the world.” If we love the world and what it provides more than we love God we will find our lives to be empty.

True success is to have salvation and to know God. Lk. 10:20 ‘…rejoice that your names are written in the book of life.’ When you have salvation you will have the promise of eternal life which is stated as not a length of time but a quality of life where you are known by God and are in His presence. We are not to rejoice because of our abilities, victories, and possessions in this world. True success in which we rejoice is: being saved, overcoming this world by His grace, and communion with Jesus.

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So as I recap about encouraging our grandson to be successful:
    I am thankful for his commitment to our Lord and his profession of faith…
    Now may he overcome the world by using what God has given him and keep his focus on Christ! May he and you and I be successful in God's eyes! May we truly follow and obey Him!

The 'Times' are unsettling...worrying won't help....

There is much to worry about here on the earth. I think I mostly worry about our family. Will this generation and the generations that follow know Christ as their personal Savior? But I also worry about this world….. it is a disaster! I like to know what is happening in the world but lately, it has about gotten me down.

I was talking with Gail and telling him that hearing of the world events, particularly the events in the USA, was making me anxious and nervous and stealing my joy and peace. He said he was just reading a book by Dr. David Jeremiah about the end times. Dr. Jeremiah said we know what is going on around us and it is bad. Evil is very prevalent. God’s ways are not heeded. So we especially now need to keep our eyes on God and know He is in charge. Be calm, have peace, and be confident. There are many verses in the Bible to remind us that God is with us. Deut 20:3,4 …”hear, O Israel, today you are drawing near for battle against your enemies; let not your heart faint. Do not fear or panic or be in dread of them, for the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory.” We need to remember God is in charge and is with us fighting for us. Harm may physically come to us but spiritually nothing can snatch us from His hand.

I also read recently in a book by Dr. Robert Jeffress called Walking by Faith that ‘worry is assuming responsibility that God never intended us to have. It’s assuming responsibility that belongs to God. Whenever we start worrying about the things God is responsible for, we will get burdened with anxiety.’

I also heard a daily devotional from Charles Stanley that talked about the need for us to have joy.  The scripture used was from Zephaniah.  God told the Israelites that they needed to have joy, God was in charge, but difficult days would come.  

The devotion also used Hebrews 12:2 Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

It really impressed on me the hard time Jesus was facing.  It was much worse than anything we could face today!  God was with Him.  He is with us.  Have joy and trust our awesome God!

Worrying is carrying tomorrow's load with today's strength- carrying two days at once.  It is moving into tomorrow ahead of time.  Worrying does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow; it empties today of its strength.  - Corrie ten Boom.

Patience...waiting on God

 Yesterday our lesson in Sunday school was about David and the amount of time he had to wait before he became king of Isreal.  Davie was anointed by Samuel when he was about fifteen.  Then he was at odds with King Saul for about fifteen years before he was made king of the tribe of Judah.  It was another seven years before he became king of Israel.  We were impressed that during this time he waited on God to make him king rather than taking things into his own hands.  

My devotion this morning talked about Abraham.  He knew his descendents were to become a great nation but he didn't have any children. So instead of waiting on God's timing, he and Sarah took things into their own hands to bring about the promise.  This produced trouble for their family then and for generations to come. 

An example of this came to my mind.  When we moved to our current location almost twenty years ago there was an area on the road that leads to our ranch that was a mess.  The fences were bad, there was an old trash pile, and 'stuff' left from the days of old.  Gail and I wanted to get this cleaned up.  We were able to buy the property a few years back.  Then Missy and Austin built a house and pens there.  They recently refenced this property and it all looks terrific!  This took about twenty years but the wait was worth it.  Kids living close and a beautiful property.  

So.... all this to say don't get in a hurry.  Wait upon the Lord.  Stay faithful.  Don't take things into your own hands.  God is great and His timing is perfect! 

Some thoughts about work....

Wow! I am excited to write this blog today because of what I heard on the radio recently.

I was listening to Family Life and they were talking about our ‘work’. The hosts were using verses from Genesis where God gave directions to Adam and Eve when they were in the garden.

Genesis 1:28 - 28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth.

The broadcast said that God made us so that we could work. It is a blessing from Him. Could you imagine not needing to work? Just lounging around and everything is brought to us? Goodness, yesterday I had things caught up and had free time and didn’t know what to do with myself!!!!

Then the broadcast said that we seem to have this division between ‘work and living our everyday lives’ and then our ‘spiritual lives’. It said there should not be any division. We seem to think that if the ‘work’ is not spiritual then it is of no significance. But, according to the speakers, all work is spiritual because of God’s direction from Genesis. In ‘working’ we are subduing the world around us and thus fulfilling God’s directions.

Over the years as I have worked, I have always tried to do the work I was doing well. This is because of Col. 3:23 “Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,” So in terms of working with efficiency and quickness and in terms of doing a good job, I try to do both as if I was working for our Lord, myself. I also try to do a good job so that Christ is glorified!

Another thought the speaker had on the radio dealt with the Great Commission. This is Matthew 28:19 “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,” The speaker said the ‘go’ should really say ‘as you are going’. So in essence, as we are going about each day doing our work, the will of our heavenly Father, we will be making disciples for Him.  Disciples will be made in the workplace, in our homes with our children and grandchildren, in our community organizations, and in every aspect of our lives.

Another thought of mine about work is that we should not be afraid to try something new in terms of work. You may not have the skills required for the job but you can learn. Then you can practice and get more proficient so that you can do the job well. There is an old saying that says ‘The only person who doesn’t make a mistake is the one that doesn’t do anything.’ I think there is a lot of truth in this. You may make mistakes as you try to do something new but you will learn and do better with time. It is better to try and make a mistake than to not try at all.

A miracle this morning...God IS with us!

 

This is our busy time of year.  We have Rodeo Bible Camp that starts on Wednesday.  It takes a lot of preparation to get ready for it.  We are also moving cattle around and shipping some of them out to pasture away from the ranch. We have had rain and things are muddy.  I was a little nervous this morning as I prayed for all that is going on. I was asking the Lord for His help and His peace.

I looked out my living room window and saw that the cacti were blooming.  I thought I'd better go take a picture now in case they were done blooming when we returned from camp.  

There were many plants to choose from.  The miracle is that the first cactus plant I walked over to was the one in the picture at the top.  When I walked to it, the momma bird jumped off of her nest and there to my surprise were these tiny eggs!  

This may seem trivial but it spoke volumes to me that God is with us!  He hears our prayers! He is listening!  And He does care! He showed me a miracle this morning!

Philippians 4:6,7 Have no anxieties about anything, but through prayer and thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace that passes all understanding will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. 

This will last just for a season....

 I am writing this today to hope to encourage you. Are you going through a time right now that is difficult and that you think you'll never get through?  Pregnant with nine more months to go.....caring for a toddler who is running you ragged....taking teenagers to event after event with no time for laundry....caring for a parent or grandparent listening to their stories for the umteenth time or going to yet another doctor appointment...

I just want you to know this situation that you are in will pass.  It won't last forever.  It is a season you are going through.  You will come out of it on the other side and life will be different then for another season. Don't despair, get depressed, or be overwhelmed.  God is with you.  He will lead and direct you.  Look up to Him for help.  Stay in His Word.  

I remember when I was helping to care for my mom in her later years when she wasn't well.  Missy was a teenager and had lots of things going on.  I was a little anxious thinking I was going to miss out on what Missy was doing for the rest of her life!  But I didn't.  I may have missed a few rodeos. I was able to see God use this to help Missy have quality time with her dad and for me to have a special time with my mom. This season of caregiving didn't last that long and then she was gone and there was a new season with new challenges and needs. 

I was thinking of the yucca plant this morning.  When it blooms it is so fun and beautiful but it does not last long in its blooming state. Its season is short. You will see your season too will be short when it has gone and you look back at it after a period of time.  You will see that God was with you and used you and it was His purpose that you walked through the season you did.  

A tip of the hat.....

 I learned something new today about what tipping a hat means.  You know you often see men tip their hats to women when they pass by them or meet them on the street or in a conversation.  I thought the man was just showing good manners but I didn't know there was a meaning behind it. The devotion I was reading said, "The tip of the hat is a sign of acknowledgment.  It is a gesture of respect and value.  It communicates, 'I see you.  You matter.  You are valuable.' Or it can also be an expression of thanks."

Today we also show acknowledgment of others with a hug, handshake, or a high-five.  Any of these ways of acknowledgment show that the other person has value. The author of the devotion then tied in Proverbs 3:5,6 so that I saw this verse in a 'new light'.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your paths.

Many of us have this verse memorized. The first part is great!  Yes, trust God and don't trust our own ways or thoughts.  But then this second part to acknowledge Him really jumped out at me.  It is not enough to not trust our ways we need to acknowledge His ways.  

More on what acknowledge means: "to recognize the rights, authority, or status of someone."  So to acknowledge God we are recognizing that He has all authority.  It means to give Him all honor and to realize He has the most status of anyone or anything in our lives.  

In essence, we must acknowledge God and surrender to Him......then our paths will be made straight.  Then we will go and do as He wants and asks us to.  It is more than just a tip of the hat.  It is total surrender, with our lives humbly bowed low, acknowledging the supremacy and sovereignty of God.

So realize your ways are futile...Acknowledge God... and then you will have direction and a straight path to follow.  

Thoughts for this blog were taken from More Grandmother's Prayers by Kay Swatkowski

Serving our elderly is good for us....

 Not long ago I read an article about the elderly and their purpose in society.  I am not even sure where I read it but it had some good thoughts that I'd like to share with you.

The article was looking at our elderly population.  It addressed one idea of why God has left the elderly here on the earth to get old and have some long hard days before they get to go be with our Redeemer.  The author said that he thought the older people were here so that the younger generations could learn how to serve.  Those who are older have lots of needs - things that they once could but now can't do themselves. Those needs cover a wide gamut: for someone to take the garbage container to the curb on trash day, to be taken to a medical appointment, to shop for groceries, to fix the broken rain gutter, to mow the lawn, or rake the leaves.  There are definitely needs but there are also kindnesses that need to be shown.  That may be reading to them, fixing a meal, going to get coffee or a coke, and most importantly taking time to visit. 

Most of us who are still active and able to do things on our own still have many obligations and requirements of us.  When you notice those who are older who need help look at your schedule and find a way to help them. Then recruit some grandchildren to go with you.  This teaches them to serve others and I bet they'll learn a thing or two from the older person while they are there. 

All this to say we need to be serving our older generation.  It is good for them AND it is good for us.  

Keeping safe when out and about....

 Last fall I was out and about shopping with one of my daughters.  We were having a great time until ....

her purse was stolen out of her vehicle right in front of her!!  The thief saw my daughter open her pickup door.  He pulled up right in front of her vehicle and opened the passenger front door and reached across and took her purse! What a terrible thing to happen! It was a lot of work to replace everything! In the long run, we were very grateful she was safe and her vehicle was not stolen.

Since this happened I have been more careful when out and about.  I have a few suggestions for you all to try to keep you safe.

1.  Use your keyfob wisely.  My last vehicle didn't have one.  I am grateful our new car does.  If you unlock all the doors to put packages in, relock them with the fob as soon as you are done loading things up. Then use the fob to just unlock just your driver's door. If you are alone keeping the other doors locked as you get in is much safer.

2.  Keep your keys in your pocket rather than your purse.  This way you will still have them to drive if your purse is stolen.

3.  If possible keep your cell phone also in your pocket rather than your purse.

4.  If possible carry your purse as a cross bag so it can't be taken easily. 

5.  If you leave items in your vehicle try to conceal them if possible so that they can't be seen through the window of the vehicle. Better yet put them in your console or in your trunk.  

6.  Always be looking around as you come out of the store and go to your vehicle. Watch to see who or what is parked next to your vehicle. If there is a vehicle running next to yours be extremely careful.  Or if a van is parked next to your vehicle be extremely cautious. Don't come out of a shopping area or office talking on your phone or texting.  Wait until you are safely locked in your car to do that.  If it does not look like it is safe to get into your vehicle, go back into the store and get a security person or another shopper to walk with you as you get into your vehicle.  

7.  If possible go with someone when you are out and about.  I was still purchasing my items when the thief took the purse.  Maybe if I too was out at the pickup this might not have happened.  So try to stay together.  Numbers are safer.

Things just aren't the same in Mayberry these days!!

"Not my Grandmother's church" or 'Which road are you going down?"

Sharing with you a few thoughts about some things I have been reading lately.  Seems the Lord has brought to me several thoughts with the same theme. 

I have been reading a book about 'the Church' and what we need to do to make it relevant to those who attend today.  The author stated that today we want to say 'Come to our church.  It is new and different.  It is unlike your Grandmother's old dead and dying church.'  Is this right or wrong? 

Gail was reading Jeremiah 6:16 this morning and brought to my attention this verse.  He didn't know what I had just read about the church in my book.  

Thus says the Lord; "Stand by the roads, and look, and ask for the ancient paths, where the good way is; and walk in it, and find rest for your souls." 

I think this verse is saying to pay attention to what you have been taught.  Your ancestors, if listening to the Lord, will know the way.   We should look to our Godly ancestors and learn from them.  

The problem is that some of our Grandmother's churches have been off-track.  We left a denomination that was once strong and healthy and God-honoring but now is not teaching the truth. So thankful that there are some churches that still teach the True Word. We must be wise in this area. We must see if 'the church'- our church is preaching what the Bible says.  Is it living in obedience to the written Word? 

My book said that young people today want to hear the Truth.  They are a generation that wants what it wants almost instantly and without hype or nonsense. It wants to know what is true and real and what is from God.  

So in giving them this we need to go to the Word.  We need to learn what the Word says from Godly teachers and churches.  We can and should use what the old Godly preachers taught us from their sermons and their commentaries.  Their words have stood the test of time to still be true. 

So: let us preach Truth....seek Truth...but let us also be sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit to guide us.

Have you seen the 'Jesus Revolution' movie? It is a good one.  I particularly like that the pastor, Chuck Smith, was preaching the Word and he was open to the Holy Spirit.  But he did not let the church get off track when the opportunity presented itself.  We need to have sound Godly doctrine but be led by the Holy Spirit.  

We must have wisdom, balance, and obedience!

Be strong and courageous...

 Be strong and courageous.....words I have often heard from the Bible.  Upon looking I see where they are repeated eleven times in the Old Testament as God spoke to His people.

Two of our grandsons competed in wrestling at the high school level this winter.  After watching their matches I realized that they had to be very strong and courageous.  As they wrestle they couldn't stall or just hold their own but they had to go forward and try to get new holds on their opponents so they could obtain points or get a pin for themselves.  To do this they had to risk losing points or possibly getting pinned themselves.  

Recently I was with Gail at a roping competition.  When the ropers (a header and a heeler) catch their steers quickly enough they get to come back to a final round, called the short go. Gail had been roping well and was in the short go.  I was so nervous!  Almost as nervous as when I watch an action-packed movie!!  I thought to myself that I needed to be strong and courageous to watch! (Sorry what a silly thing to be nervous about but I was! Gail works so hard at his roping sport and I so want/wanted him to get a sweet win for his hard work.)  Any, I was nervous!

I mentioned this to our daughter, Lindy.  She said, "Yes, we all have to be strong and courageous in our lives."  Lindy is a nurse in the ICU at our local hospital.  She had to draw upon her courage to give someone a difficult IV that day. Gail had been strong and courageous to enter the roping competition.  Other family members or friends were strong and courageous at their jobs.  Do you have something staring you in the face that is causing you to need to be strong and courageous? Is there someone or something at work causing you to fear?  Is it a decision you need to make about yourself or your spouse's future?  Is it a business decision? 

We all have times and things we face that require courage.  We CAN have the courage if we know the Lord.  He is with us and will give us all the power we need to face the situation or task. He also is sovereign and in control. 

I have been recently reading about faith, more specifically the faith of Abraham.  He had faith in God and because of his faith, he was able to trust God and live in obedience to Him.  Because of his faith, he was able to do good works.  James 2: 22 You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works.  

Thinking through all of this I am reminded that I do have faith in God, that I can trust Him to be with me, that he will never leave me, and that I can be strong and courageous in whatever He calls me to do.  You can do this too!! If we have faith in God, we can trust Him to take care of us. Our works can show our faith is on solid ground and we can be strong and courageous. 

Friends? Yes! Are you a Friend of God?

I have recently been reading about Abraham.  God asked Abraham to do some hard things.  First, he and his family were to move - to leave all they knew and go to an unknown land.  Then God said that Abraham and Sarah would have a baby in their old age!  And, yes, the miracle happened and Isaac was born.  Then God asked Abraham to sacrifice Isaac on the altar.  And, yes, Abraham was obeying God's request when miraculously God provided a ram for the sacrifice.'

The devotional I was reading said Abraham was the only person in the Bible called "a friend of God". This is taken from Isaiah 41:8c the offspring of Abraham, my friend;

Why? Why was Abraham called a friend of God?  My devotional said it was because Abraham had the right relationship with God because of his faith.  Then his faith was shown through his works. 

So what is faith?  How do we show that we have faith? Faith is belief in the one true God without actually seeing Him.  (Heb. 11:1 - faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.) We show that we have faith in God that we have not seen by our obedience to His Word.  Thus, Abraham hadn't seen God but he did have faith and showed it by his obedience AND he was called a friend of God.

How about you? or me?  Do I have faith?  Am I obedient to God and what he asks of me when I can't see where I'm going? Prov. 17:7 says "a friend loves at all times."  Do I always show God I love Him?  Do I treat Him like a friend?  Do I want to be with God? Would I be called a friend of God?

A Friend of God.......could that be said of us??

Prayer...most important 'thing' we can do!

 Prayer.....something we are going to get around to...when we have time.....

I was thinking about what I would do today and it came to me that maybe the most important thing I could and should do was to pray.  Years from now no one will remember me or what I wrote.  Years from now we will have grandchildren, great-grandchildren, and great-great-grandchildren.  NOW we can pray for them.  We can pray that they will know our God, that He will be real in their lives, that they will have the salvation that comes from accepting Jesus, that they will have strong Christian families, and that they will be strong leaders and examples for those around them.  

Praying is the thing that really lasts!  Several years ago my husband, Gail, was visiting with our neighbor, Lloyd Hall.  Gail had been sharing the gospel with some of the neighbors and they were open and receptive to salvation.  Lloyd told Gail that the reason they were open was that there had been an older widow lady in their area years ago who prayed that someone would bring the gospel to the cowboys where she lived.  Lloyd said that because of her prayers, people were open to Gail sharing the message of salvation.  

We may not see our prayers answered now but know that God does hear and will answer.

Let's pray more for our families who are with us now and those that will come in future generations. 

Ephesians 6: 18 ...praying at all times in the Spirit,...

Passing on our faith and the stories behind it...

 

I have been reading lately in the Bible about Abraham. Today I read a devotional about him and Isaac and the time Abraham went to offer Isaac on the altar as a sacrifice. Why did Isaac lie down and go along with the plan? The devotion said it was because Abraham had told his son about all the miracles that God had done in his life to that point in time.  Thus, Isaac knew and trusted God.

This was a reminder to me to tell our children and their children, our grandchildren,  about the miracles we have seen God do in our lives.  Think back and remember those miracles.  Tell them to your children.  Write them down so the generations that come will know your stories.  Then they can know that God is real.  Then they can remember that God can be trusted to do what He has promised to do. 

Psalm 78:4 We will...tell to the generations to come the praises of the Lord, and His strength and His wondrous works that He has done.

Ask God to bring these miracles to your mind. Then be sure to write them down on a slip of paper so you can go back to it and write from there.  I often find the Holy Spirit brings things to my mind.  If I write them down I can go back to write from my notes but if I don't write them down then I don't remember the thought anymore! 

Testing - temptation or a test? Who from?

 

I am really excited about what I learned about this topic!  When a temptation, a problem, or a difficult circumstance comes who is it from?  Is it a test or a temptation? Is it from God or from Satan? 

In a book I recently read by an author, Dr. Robert Jeffress, this subject was addressed.  The book was going through the Lord's prayer and explaining it verse by verse. I found the explanation of this next verse very interesting.   

Matthew 6:13  And do not lead us into temptation but deliver us from evil.

Dr. Jeffress went on to explain that in the English language, we have two different words. Temptation which means to entice to do evil.  He said that God never entices anyone to do evil. James 1:13,14  "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust."

Thus Satan is the one who tempts us to do evil.  

The other word is test, which means a difficult circumstance used to strengthen our faith. The Bible says God does test people. James 1:2,3 Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. 

So in English, we have two words with two meanings for the idea of test/temptation.   In the Greek language, there is only one word that has two meanings.  In Greek, the word sometimes means temptation, an enticement to do evil. The same word in Greek can mean test, a difficult situation to strengthen our faith.  

Now using what we have learned, let's look at another verse.  Genesis 22:1 says: After these things God tested Abraham...  In this chapter, God was asking Abraham to take his only son Isaac and to offer Isaac as a sacrifice.  How did Abraham respond?  Did this instance cause him to sin and disobey God....or did it cause him to obey and increase His faith and obedience?  Was it a test that led to sin or did it lead to a stronger faith for Abraham? We know Abraham passed the test!  He trusted God.  God provided the sacrifice, a ram.  God blessed Abraham for his obedience and faith. 

All this to say what really matters with the testing or temptation is how we deal with it.  If the problem entices us to do evil and destroys our faith it is a temptation. Satan has the victory.  If the problem strengthens our faith it is a test. God has won and our faith has been strengthened.

Complaining about others....

 Many years ago our family was attending a church that we were very thankful for as it was good news for our ears in that it preached the Word of God.  

I was honored to be able to teach in the children's Sunday school classes.

But I became unhappy with the worship leader.  It seemed to me that he showed up late for worship and then tried to pick a few songs to sing in worship.  It annoyed me that he wasn't prepared for leading worship.

Then the Lord spoke to me.  Was I doing the same with my Sunday school teaching?  Was I showing up and winging it?  Was I prepared in advance? Was I giving honor to God through my responsibilities?

Since then I have tried to do things differently.  I have tried to remove the log from my eye first.  When I am blessed to be able to teach I try to spend time studying the lesson ahead of time. I try to know what the lesson is about, print out handouts, gather supplies, and be prepared.  

This was a good lesson to me not to look at what others were doing but to do what I was supposed to be doing so that my deeds honored God! Then I could gratefully, earnestly, humbly pray for others that they might be able to do the same.

Luke 6:42

How can you say to your brother, ‘Brother, let me take out the speck that is in your eye,’ when you yourself do not see the log that is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take out the speck that is in your brother's eye.

Keep on keepin' on...for today and tomorrow

 I have been discussing with myself this past week the topic of reading about God and His Word.  Sometimes I read... and then I wonder what I read.  Did I learn anything?  

I remember Gail's mom reading in her late years not long before she passed.  I knew she read the words on the page but I wasn't sure she knew what the book was saying.  

This is my conclusion.....We may not understand or retain all we read but we will learn something so KEEP IT UP!

I heard Charles Stanley say in one of his messages this week, "We don't drift towards holiness." We won't become holy without working on it.  We won't be what God wants us to be without working on it. 

As with anything we do that we want to be good at - be it your job, a sport, or parenting - we must work at it.  So it is with being a Christian - we must work at it.  

SO:  Keep reading! Write in your book!  Take notes! Make an outline!

This year I am using a journaling Bible given to me as a gift.  I love that there is room to write in it.  So as I read through my current book about the Sermon on the Mount I am writing in it and I am writing in the columns of the Bible what I've learned in the book about the sermon from Jesus.  Sometimes we will have time to do this in-depth study....other times we may just get to read a little bit in the Word or in a book that will help us in our Christian walk. 

I'm saying all this to encourage you to keep on reading and learning as you pursue your Christian lifestyle.  You won't become better at it without continuing to learn and grow.  You won't remember everything you learn but you will grow! What you learned will be a help to you for the day you read it.  Sometimes you will only have a few moments to read a little.  Other times you may be able to dig deeper into the Word.  Just do what you can when you can!

Colossians 3:23 Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not for men,

Discernment-

 Discernment - a topic I have been thinking about.  Then today I had a devotion about it. In the devotional Charles Spurgeon said this:  Discernment is not a matter of simply telling the difference between right and wrong; rather it is telling the difference between right and almost right.

This picture looks pretty right - in fact, it is almost right!

The author in this morning's devotional went on to explain that her father was an expert in the field of books and their values.  He had this capability because he had read ever so many books and had spent time looking them over and studying them.  He knew an authentic book when he found one at a yard sale or flea market.  He had discernment about what was real and true.  

Let's use this idea then and turn to spiritual matters. We hear many ideas each day as we read, talk to friends and co-workers, and listen to the media.  I think many of the ideas we hear are almost true... the ideas have some truths in them that are right and then some ideas that aren't right. As Christians, we must be very discerning as to what we let permeate our thoughts and beliefs. We must be very careful what we believe.

One of my first favorite verses I learned as a Christian was Romans 12:2.  I knew it talked about living a new life and not conforming to the world.  I didn't realize until I read this devotional that it also talks about discerning between good and evil.  

Romans 12:2  Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God what is good and acceptable and perfect.

Along with that verse let us look at 1 John 4:1  Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.

We must be very discerning in every area of our lives- finances, relationships, and parenting. But it seems to me this is especially true today in the spiritual realm.  So many things that are taught are only partially right and the other half is almost right.  But that won't do.....we cannot water down or change the word of God.  We must live by what the Word says to be true.  We must know Truth!

May we seek to be discerning Christians.  I pray we may know the difference between right and wrong/ mediocre and best/ truth from falsehood/ truth and half-truths/ right and almost right.  May we may know what is 'of God' and what is 'of man'.