I Timothy 4:8

Okay, I'm back now. Let's see if we can make some sense of this.

 

After I finished my initial workout, Ash had to do her paperwork. While reviewing and such, I realized that this "offer" was for 30 days, not 30 days. Confused? Me too! I thought one had the opportunity to try 30 days of strength-training, like the ad said. But no no no: it's all to be done in a 30 day period. Hmn. They aren't open on weekends so do those days count? They do! At Curves, you are encouraged to work out 3 times a week. So, let's do the math here. I signed up on a Tuesday; went to my first session this morning. If I go 3 times a week for the next 3 weeks that's 9, plus the 1 I had today. By their calculations, 30 days will be up on August 8, so that allows me 2 additional visits. 9+1+2=12. Subtract the 2 days that will not work since I will be out of town for vacation. That's a total of 10 days, 20 less than the promised offer. Ahh, I see now why bodily exercise profiteth little: gyms, weigh-loss clinics, and such don't really want you to attend. They want your money, your commitment, and stretch it out as long as they can—all the while promising you great results if you will just stick to it.

 

Christ, on the other hand, has promises that I can take daily, hourly, minutely advantage of—even when I go on vacation! The verse reads: …godliness is profitable to all things, having promise of the life that now is…

 

Now. Not in 6 weeks or 3 months. The promise is available to me now, this very moment. I can be trained to be like Jesus and show His attributes no matter where I am. I am not defeated before I begin because I have all of my life to learn of Him. And my profit margin is tremendous! Hmn hmn hmn. Now that is food for thought.

 

So what exactly is godliness? Per Webster, it is: Careful
observance
of, or
conformity
to, the
laws
of
God; the
state
or
quality
of
being
godly; piety. Being godly is to be like Christ. Being like Christ makes me more aware of the way I treat others, the attitudes I share about situations, and doing things the way they should be done in His eyes, not the world's.

 

"The life that now is" is the one I am a part of right now. I don't have to work out 3 times a week to see results, although I should put at least that amount of time into studying the Word and hearing what Jesus has to say to me. When I put the time into becoming godly, it is much more effective than the time spent in the gym where results can take years to show. Plus, they want you to buy all this food, the cute t-shirts, water bottles, et cetera. All the things to make you part of the crowd can be yours for the monthly payment of blah blah blah.

 

On the other hand, the only equipment I need to buy to be more like Christ is already beside me, already on my computer, already in my heart and mind. Jesus puts it like this in Matthew 6:25-34: …Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?
²⁶
Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?
²⁷
Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?
²⁸
And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:
²⁹
And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.³⁰
Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?³¹
Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?³²
(For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.³³
But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.
³⁴
Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.

 

To sum it all up, yeah, I will stick with the Curves for the rest of my trial offer. Hopefully there will be more than a little profit from it. But Jesus? I think—I know!—I will stick with Him all the way, daily putting on His righteousness, claiming His promises for much quicker results, and wearing His seal of approval on my self. Hopefully you too will see those results in me and encourage me with being more like Him.

 

Dear God:

Thank You for places like Curves that try to assist women into being in better shape physically. So many of us have needs in this area and for our health need to take better care of ourselves than we have.

 

Mostly though God, I want to thank You for investing other work out buildings that are open 24/7/365. My Bible is almost always available to me. Churches are nearly always accessible in today's time. Radio broadcasts are always on. There's no reason, no excuse for me to not take the time that I would spend physically working out and not give You the same if not more. Please help me to remember this, to apply it. I want to be with You more than 3 times a week during certain hours. I don't want to be a couch-potato Christian. Shape me up, Lord. This I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Proverbs 27:17

As iron sharpens iron, so a friend sharpens a friend.

This verse was brought into much practice in 2012 when a friend and I went to The Cove in Asheville and learned a new and exciting way to study our Bibles. Kendra Graham was the teacher and she quoted this verse almost nightly. Since then, I have taught this method of studying to some gals and I feel we each benefited from it.

Studying the Bible is individual. You have to find your own method and let the Lord lead you into which areas you delve more intently on. For me, I enjoy doing studies with friends. I enjoy the feedback, the affirmation as well as the conversation when our viewpoints aren't the same. For instance, Proverbs 17:17 speaks of "a brother is born for adversity." I always thought of this as it being a brother or sister in Christ being put into my life for hard times. However, a friend of mine's interpretation was that a brother was born to her to cause her pain/trials/etc. Hmn. Think on that and tell me what you think!

I am dull. Dense. A little too soft around the edges at times. I need the fellowship and feedback from people who, like me, are just trying to make it a day at a time. Like the old theme song from the tv show "Cheers" I too want to go where everybody knows my name. I need to be fed from others. I need to be encouraged, enlightened, and hear the perspectives of my peers.

So now it's your turn. Tell me what methods work for you. What do you do to stay sharp in the Word? Are you involved in a daily/weekly/monthly meeting? Do you enjoy writing about your lessons? This blog was created for sharing and lifting up Jesus through our study of Him. We may not see each other physically but let's do pull together and see what honing we can do for each other.

A Daughter of the King

At the tender age of 48, I became an orphan. My mother died last September and in the process of the probation of her will, it turned out that she disowned me. It came as a hurtful surprise because I somehow foolishly believed that in death perhaps she could once again love me, like she did when I was a baby, her baby, her little girl.

I'm not quite sure when she stopped. Not quite sure why she stopped. I only know that as she lay suffering with lung cancer and her days were close to their end, that she called out for me. She called my sister who was taking care of her by my name. I learned of this after the fact, of course, for you see, I wasn't allowed to be a part of my mother's death. I had been shut out of her life for the previous four years or so after my dad died. He left no will so everything went to her. His death was the start of my demise as a family member. No, that's not quite right. I was told that I didn't belong even then. At a time when I thought that perhaps my family and I could reconcile, I was blindsighted and shut out in a way that still rocks my soul to this day. My mother made her will soon after and I guess I was the last to know that I had been alienated. This was done two years or so before she passed last year.

Without going into more details, suffice it to say that being parentless is nothing new to me. Even when I was their "child" I wasn't one of them. I didn't act the way they wanted me to. I didn't smoke cigarettes and my desire for fresh air was considered to them to be a harsh demand that made me critical and judgmental. I didn't gossip like they did, didn't watch every possible Major League Baseball Game, didn't pretend that my dad's abusive nature didn't exist. I didn't look the other way when the scandal broke out and the skeletons were allowed out of the closet. Instead, I fought for my freedom, made the choice to not be a part of such dysfunction, and yet somehow still deep inside prayed and hoped my family would be restored.

It wasn't.

There are two times I remember my dad hugging me. Those thoughts still make me cringe as I can still feel his vile hands and arms around me. The first was when I was a teen and had some weird allergy that caused me to break out in hives and have chills and itch all over my body. My mother made me sit with him to try to "calm me." Ha! I had to will myself to get better because, as I just wrote, the feeling of his nasty limbs touching mine was enough to make me scream, an action that would have caused me to be slapped. So I endured his "comfort" and pretended to be all right, vowing that the next time this sickness came over me to keep it to myself.

The second time we hugged was initiated by me. I was a freshman in college and my grandmother, his mother, was killed in a car accident. I had grown some and the grace of God led me to offer him the comfort of a hug when I went home and saw him. I loathed his touch, his body touching mine, and the fear that was inside of me as I tried to "do the right thing" and what most people consider the normal thing to do when someone hurts.

Aargh. This is dredging up memories that I don't want to think about ever again. It's making me feel hate when I have already forgiven. It's not the area I wanted to go into when asked to guest-blog for this page. I wanted to write about how, even though I had a horrible childhood and parents that left much to be desired, I have a heavenly Father and am indeed a princess to the King of Kings. I wanted to write something to encourage and uplift and lead your thoughts to how you could create a wonderful page for this first assignment that Cathy has for us. I wanted to make Jesus proud of me.

Maybe that's why I tend to blog in the mornings. Things look different in the light. It's a dark and stormy night tonight here in North Carolina. The thunder, the lightning, the fact that this area is being flooded again are not conducive to me writing a sweet and loving tribute. Perhaps I should let this one stay in the recesses of my files and not see the light of day. And yet…

God came to be my Father. He came to be what my parents never were. I didn't even know how much I had missed until I myself became a parent. And the man I married? Oh, what a wonderful daddy he was, is, to our little girl who is not so little anymore. He still listens to all of her stories, all of her dreams. He still wants to buy her tires and make sure her yard is mown. He wants her to grow in Christ, especially since she now too is a parent. He wants her to be happy above all else. He has no qualms about giving her a hug each time he sees her. He has no problem with claiming her as his child. He doesn't feel shame nor show favoritism to her siblings (yeah, this is easy since she's our only kid!). He's always proud of her, always happy to see her, always willing to listen and to offer assistance when needed. That's what real dads do, you know. They let their kids grow but are always within reach to make sure they have what they need.

God, I need You right now. I need a Daddy I can lean on, a Father to hold me in this darkness of night when my soul is vulnerable and hurting. I need to know, to feel Your arms of love, have Your hands gently wipe away my tears and let me know everything is going to be okay. I need to lean on You and stop trying to do this thing called life in my own strength. God, I am tired. I want to be pampered and to feel like the princess that I am when You see me. I am Your child and You will not disown me, won't cut me off, won't discard me. You won't do things to hurt me and those I care about. Father God, please hold me tonight. I need You. May I rest in You tonight, please dear God?

Proverbs 19:12

A king's wrath is like the growling of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.

Wrath:

1: strong vengeful anger or indignation

2: retributory punishment for an offense or a crime : divine chastisement

 

Related Words

aggravation, annoyance, exasperation, irritation, vexation; acrimoniousness, acrimony, animosity, antagonism, antipathy, bile, biliousness, bitterness, contempt, embitterment, empoisonment, enmity, grudge, hostility, rancor; envy, jaundice, jealousy, pique, resentment; malevolence, malice, spite, vengefulness, venom, vindictiveness, virulence, vitriol; belligerence, contentiousness, contrariness, crankiness, disputatiousness, hot-headedness, irascibility, irascibleness, irritability, orneriness, pugnaciousness, pugnacity, quarrelsomeness, querulousness; blowup, flare, flare-up, outburst; chafe, dander, dudgeon, huff, pet, rise, ruffle, temper; air rage, road rage; delirium, heat, passion, warmth

 

Favor is defined as:

1 a (1)
: friendly regard shown toward another especially by a superior (2)
: approving consideration or attention :
approbation

b
:
partiality

c
archaic
:
leniency

d
archaic
:
permission

e
:
popularity

2archaic

a
:
appearance

b (1)
:
face
(2)
: a facial feature

3a
: gracious kindness; also
: an act of such kindness <did you a favor>

b
archaic
:
aid, assistance

c
plural
: effort in one's behalf or interest :
attention

 

Given the choice, I prefer to be favored rather than to have wrath shown to me!

As an American, I revel in the privileges I have. Not to a king do I answer, but to other governed officials who, for the most part, leave me alone. I am not constantly watched (except perhaps by Google!). My actions do not put me in peril each day of wondering if my head will be chopped off, if I will be imprisoned for some crazy law that was just ordained, or many other things that folks who live under the dominion of a king.

"We've had vicious kings, and we've had idiot kings...but I don't know if we've ever been cursed with a vicious idiot for a king!"

―Tyrion Lannister, summarizing King Joffrey

 

Lately we have watched a lot of television that deals with kingdoms. The power definitely went to those in official positions heads! Many "crimes" were punished in extreme ways. The fear of the people was palpable. On the other hand, those whom the king favored had it made. They could live a life of peace, of pleasure, of normalcy.

My King Jesus is on His throne, watching me, favoring me, and leading me the way a real king should. He shows me benevolence when I fall, mercy when I stray, and so much kindness in just the day to day silly little mistakes I make. He is Whom I serve and I do so without fear of retribution for my human frailties. I serve Him with love and with obedience because I want to, not because I have to. His "strong vengeful anger" is not going to be directed at me. Thank You, God, that You are a kind King and a loving One.

 

 

 

Proverbs 12:25

Worry weighs a person down; an encouraging word cheers a person.

How true is this scripture for today! When my eyes are on my problems rather than on my blessings, I tend to forget all of the good things in my life. I often need someone to remind me of the things perhaps I have been taking for granted. Are my cares of the world really so bad that I cannot (will not) realize how truly taken care of by God I am?

 

I once attended a series of classes in Sunday School dealing with our spiritual gifts. Mine turned out to be encourager. I wasn't surprised, seeing as how for most of my life I was the one who tried to be the peacemaker, the conflict resolver, the cheerleader. I used to take my mission in life more seriously, by taking one day each week to send out cards and notes to folks to let them know I was thinking of them, praying for them, or just to say hi. The response I sometimes got back was so sweet. Often I heard that that person was just having an awful day and my card came in the mail at just the right time. I was told I was a blessing and it humbled me to think that such a small act of kindness could have such an effect as to make a person feel so much better. Some even said they kept the card on the refrigerator or nearby to look at throughout the day, the week.

 

I don't write this to pat myself on the back because it is something I used to do and only now do on occasion. Part of that is because I no longer attend that church and the one I go to now I haven't made very many contacts with. However, every once in a while I get my cards out and think, "Hmn. Who could I send a note to today?"

 

It only takes a moment to offer someone a smile, a kind word, or even give just a little pat on the shoulder to as one walks by. You know you enjoy it when it happens to you. Why not reciprocate? The other day I heard of a woman who had lost her husband early in life to cancer last year. She was using the anniversary of his death to celebrate him and had gone to some businesses for support. Long story short, she collected enough little certificates for a free meal, free parking, and other small gestures that went a huge way in brightening up someone's life. She put these randomly on their parked cars at a treatment center. Can you imagine the looks on the faces of the folks who saw that no, it wasn't a ticket but a reward from an unknown soul, just to say "Hey. I know life is tough for you right now. Maybe this small token of affection will help."

 

Let's put our faith into practice today. Smile an extra smile to someone who looks like they could use it. Give a friendly gesture to someone you barely know. And if you can afford it, but someone lunch today—or maybe a cup of coffee or a snack. Mostly though, I encourage you to write something down. That tangible piece of paper can be read and reread over and over again. It can be held. It can be comfort. It can lift that weight right off of a person's shoulders and put their perspective back on the One Who probably could use a kind word or two directed His way as well.

 

Thanks for doing such a great job, God. You made the rain and the sun. You made the heat and the comfort of air conditioning. You made me and while I don't always understand what You are doing with me, I know You have a plan for me. I put my trust in You today and look to You for my security not to myself. Keep on working on me, Lord. I appreciate You in my life!

James 1:19

Okay, fellas, this one is for you!

Let every MAN be swift to hear, slow to speak, and slow to wrath.

Now, some translations will change the word "man" into everyone but for today, let's keep it in its original text, shall we?

Men, by nature, are fixers. They want to solve the problem in as little time as possible so that they can go on to the important stuff (eating, grunting, scratching, holding that remote). I can start to talk about personal stuff and I see that glazed over look come into my husband's eyes. After nearly 30 years of marriage, I know the signs well. When I want to pour out my heart, I barely get a few words out when Mr. Fix-It starts in with his theories of how to change things. My heart just sighs.

I want him to listen to me. Listen. Not hear my words and impart his wisdom. Not butt in with the great advice on what he would do and how he would do it. Honey, I just want you to be quiet and hear me. Me. My thoughts. My worries. My speculations. My hopes and my fears. Just listen to me, man!

Slow to speak. Very slow so speak, sweetie. Again, this is my turn. It's me, talking to you, trusting you enough with my soul. Won't you please just take a few moments to really hear me?

And lastly, "slow to wrath." My husband is nearly perfect. I don't say this lightly. Ask anyone who knows him and they will tell you what a stand-up guy Steve is. With everyone else--and sometimes with me, though not as often as he used to--he has the patience of Job. He has the tenderness and compassion to make you believe he feels your pain. But, and again I attribute this to our nearly 30 years together, with me he sometimes forgets that he is not perfect and gets a little preachy. "Oh Stef! I would have never done ...blah blah blah." Or, "You did what?!" Maybe even the occasional "Well, if had been me, I would have..." Sigh.

Do you have a man that is this way too? Maybe we should write this verse out and put in his lunch box or affix to his mirror, toolbox, or remote control. Oh, I can see that last one now. Husband finds note pinned to remote and thinks to himself, "Great! I will be off the hook tonight! I'll just turn this volume up a smidge, nod every couple of moments, and maybe pat her on the head as I head to the 'fridge for another refreshment." Or, maybe we could do like I do: get him alone in the car, in the passenger seat, and take him for a little drive (or a long one if there is much on my heart). No escape for him there! Tell him, "Honey, I need you to just listen to me for a little while. Don't try to fix me. Don't tell me what to do or how to do it. Just hear me."

I've done this before and my success rate is quite good. Plus, it's hard for him to escape from a moving vehicle! It's also much easier than trying to have a conversation while I am in one room and he is in the other.

In conclusion, we all should be better listeners. We all should make the effort to hear our brothers and sisters (and wives!) and to be honored that they trust us enough to share their deepest thoughts with us. Lastly, let's keep our condemnations to ourselves. Yes, we would have done things differently but what good is that to brag on? Obviously the one sharing knows his/her mistake and doesn't need kicked while down. Let's just be still and listen and offer a hand up--and maybe a drive to the country. My car is gassed up. Who needs a ride?

Dear God,
Thank You for Your Words that offer so much wisdom. Please let Your men hear them today--and us gals too. Help us to love and be tenderhearted towards one another. Help us to be encouragers and to weep with those who weep, rejoice with those who rejoice, mourn with those who mourn, and to live with those we love in ways that reflect the love You show to us. This is my humble prayer. Amen.

 

 

I Corinthians 10:12

Wandering Through the Bible

August 12

Who was it that just recently wrote about not putting on the whole armor of God so that she would be better prepared for life's little darts? Oh yeah: it was me!!

Yesterday, it happened again. Sigh. Where oh where are my spiritual vitamins, my energy shots that so fill me with the Spirit that I am able to instantaneously ward off these unexpected little nothings that when, thrown together, create such a chaos in my heart?

I guess you could attribute it to a number of items. I am still recovering from my horrid summer cold that has left my defenses--both physical and mental--in a lessened state. Combine that with not taking a nap and deciding it would be a great idea to go out to eat at a nice restaurant with the family. Add one waiter who was a bit too friendly, a bit too touchy (I just cannot stand for another man other than my husband to touch me!!). Lastly, throw in a woman who made my third year of teaching absolute hell at times and voila! There you have it. A recipe for disaster.

Well, maybe that's a bit extreme. Maybe.

Seeing this woman--again--really set me off. Funny though: for some reason, God keeps putting her in my path. Oh no, not on a regular basis. But frequently. I doubt sincerely she has any clue as to the effect seeing her smarky face does to me. Occasionally on these "meetings" our eyes would meet and I'd see a faint glimmer of "Don't I know you from...?" See, that's how it is in Satan's wars: usually the ones who harm us the most have no clue, no indication of the turmoil they have thrown us into.

Recognizing this and dealing with it are two of my peeves at this time. I have forgiven this woman for the pain she caused me. Right? Didn't I? I mean, seriously, it was ten years ago and surely during that time of angst that I went through as I mourned the loss of teaching, surely somewhere in that time I forgave her. Right?

Sigh. Guess not, Stef. Otherwise the Good Lord wouldn't keep putting her in your sights every so often. For if you had dealt with it, why the tribulation upon seeing her? Why the need to get out of the same air that she breathes? She can't hurt you anymore. Unless you let her. Unless you allow those memories of her power trip with you as her kicking stone to permeate your mind and soul. How much longer are you going to do that, Stef? The only power she has over you is the power you give to her. And, didn't we already agree that she most likely doesn't have an inkling of an idea of what she did to you?

Okay, God: let's do it again. With purpose. I'm so tired of falling lately, especially when I am just minding my own business and trying to stay out of conflict's way. My defenses were down and I again need to remind myself to put on my proper attire each day, each time I step out of my little world, each time I am faced with life. Here goes.

Dear God,
I am sorry for the poor witness I was to my family yesterday when I saw this woman and made haste to leave the restaurant before she could see me. I must remember that she professes to be Your child and regardless of the demons she created in my soul, she has her own to deal with. I don't need to be one of them. I don't need to confront her with the fact that she made my life miserable all those years ago. What good would come from that? What good would come from me finally facing her instead of running each time I see her? You and I both know how my mouth gets me into so much trouble!
Help me, God, to forgive her. You put her in my path once again last night and I do not understand why but maybe it's to remind me that I get too haughty in my belief that I am able to stand without You. I didn't realize I was in my own strength rather than relying on Yours to get me through each step of my journey.
I release my hurts she caused me into Your hands, Father. I examine myself as well to see, to think of those harms I caused to Your children unknowingly. Help me to be a peacemaker, a peace sower. Help me to rely solely on You, minute by minute, as I meander my way through each day. Thank You for Your forgiveness, Your tolerance, and Your patience with me. Remind me as often as needed, Lord, that I can't even walk without You holding my hand--and tongue!
In Jesus' Name I pray. Amen.

 

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