Category: Character

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Moving Forward

Yesterday afternoon I checked in with a friend to find out how their travels had been. You see, they came by yesterday morning before they left on their trip and we asked how far they had planned to go on the first day, they said “we’ll stop in Albuquerque”.

Well, they made it. She said that there destination is still 650 miles away and they would be breaking that portion into two days. Sounded like a wise decision, no point in wearing yourself out the first few days.

Move forward, step by step or mile by mile.

Why do we get discouraged, frustrated or exhausted as we make forward progress in life? Often times, we set unreasonable goals and burn out before we reach them.

Dave and I used to travel a lot. We would drive from Montana to Arizona, it was an 1100 mile trip and we’d drive it in two days. Almost 700 miles the first and a little over 400 the second. Why not? Afterall, if we didn’t push that hard we were “burning daylight”.

Now that we are older and wiser, we take our time and we arrive in a better frame of mind, having rested along the way.

“Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything we need to live a life devoted to God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus chose us by his glory and goodness, 4 through which he also gave us the very great and rich gifts that he promised us. With these gifts you can share in being like God. And so you will escape the ruin that comes to people in the world because of the evil things they want.

5 Because you have these blessings, do all you can to add to your life these things: to your faith add goodness; to your goodness add knowledge; 6 to your knowledge add self-control; to your self-control add patience; to your patience add devotion to God; 7 to your devotion add kindness toward your brothers and sisters in Christ, and to this kindness add love. 8 If all these things are in you and growing, you will never fail to be useful to God. You will produce the kind of fruit that should come from your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” II Peter 1:3-8 ERV

We have been given a spiritual road map which leads to our victory in Christ. Our first stop is where we come to understand that God has given us everything we need, great and precious gifts, for living successfully in this world.

Because these blessings put us on the right path, our next stop lands us in a place where our faith grows. As we travel a little farther, we increase in goodness and then knowledge. We now have knowledge that God has given us all we need, we stop to gain self-control and patience. We head out from patience, knowing we can trust God with our circumstances, arriving at a place of deep devotion to God.

Our devotion to the Father takes us to a place of kindness towards those around us and that kindness brings us to our destination of love.

As we move forward on the road map that God has designed for us, we will arrive successfully at our destination of being Christ-like in our words and actions.

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Legacy

Last night before I fell asleep I was thinking of my Dad and Mom and the legacy they left me. Tomorrow is the date of their marriage, they were married just short of sixty years when my Dad died in 2005.

They were both first generation Americans, born to Norwegian immigrants. They grew up on farms in Iowa and Minnesota. Dad was a husband, father, heavy equipment operator and mechanic. He built roads, dams, bridges and pipelines. Fishing was his passion, he enjoyed hunting, tinkering in his workshop and playing cards and dominoes with his friends. Mom was a wife, homemaker, school teacher, clerical worker and bank teller. She loved to bake, sew, knit, and read. She always enjoyed having the house full of family and friends.

My parents loved each other dearly and they practiced the art of forgiveness. They modeled, not a perfect life, but certainly a loving one. They were strict, we had rules. We learned to work hard, respect our elders, and obedience. They loved the Lord and honored His word. My brother, sister and I grew up in Sunday School and church. We learned to trust the Lord at an early age.

We weren’t perfect, each of us had times when we followed our own path without consideration for the Lord but we returned to serve Him.

Why am I taking this trip down memory lane this morning?

I want it to be an encouragement to young parents, to parents of teenagers, to parents of adult children, and to grandparents. My Mom and Dad prayed for us every day and they prayed for our grandchildren. Mom prayed over my oldest two children on their last visit with her before she died. She trusted the Lord to provide them with strength, courage and a lasting relationship with Him.

“Bring up a child by teaching him the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn away from it.” Proverbs 22:6 NLV

“I will make My agreement between Me and you and your children after you through their whole lives for all time. I will be God to you and to your children’s children after you.” Genesis 17:7 NLV

My parents molded my character with love and discipline. Dave and I followed that example and raised our children the same way and I am pleased to say that our children are raising and have raised their children the same way.

“And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 Keep these words in your heart that I am telling you today. 7 Do your best to teach them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk on the road and when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:5-7 NLV

As parents the Lord has entrusted us with a responsibility to teach our children to love and honor Him and His word. There is no greater legacy!

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Not Hearers – Doers

The other day I was watching a show on television. The mother had given her son a chore that needed to be done. Quite a while later the mother noticed it still wasn’t done so she repeated the instruction.

The son answered, “I heard you the first time, I’ll get around to it”.

Oh my!

That attitude is so pervasive in our society, infecting adults as well as teens. “I’ll get around to it”. It’s not a new issue, the apostle James dealt with it in the first century with the Christians of his day.

“17 Everything good comes from God. Every perfect gift is from him. These good gifts come down from the Father who made all the lights in the sky. But God never changes like the shadows from those lights. He is always the same. 18 God decided to give us life through the true message he sent to us. He wanted us to be the most important of all that he created.

19 My dear brothers and sisters, always be more willing to listen than to speak. Keep control of your anger. 20 Anger does not help you live the way God wants. 21 So get rid of everything evil in your lives—every kind of wrong you do. Be humble and accept God’s teaching that is planted in your hearts. This teaching can save you.

22 Do what God’s teaching says; don’t just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves. 23 Hearing God’s teaching and doing nothing is like looking at your face in the mirror 24 and doing nothing about what you saw. You go away and immediately forget how bad you looked. 25 But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it. If you do what it says, you will have God’s blessing. Never just listen to his teaching and forget what you heard.

26 You might think you are a very religious person. But if your tongue is out of control, you are fooling yourself. Your careless talk makes your offerings to God worthless. 27 The worship that God wants is this: caring for orphans or widows who need help and keeping yourself free from the world’s evil influence. This is the kind of worship that God accepts as pure and good.” James 1:17-27 ERV

This morning blog isn’t meant to be a thought that will inspire or encourage; it’s about DOING what we have already been taught. We should never stop learning, never stop receiving good teaching but it’s imperative that we LIVE what we hear.

What is one thing that you know the Lord wants you to do and you’ve been putting it off? For me it’s the instruction in verse 19 above. Be a better listener and slower to speak.

That’s part of the Heart to Heart Connection I was talking about yesterday. Listening to others, listening to the Lord.

Be a ready listener and then follow through and be a doer!

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All About God

Dave and I have been watching a YouTube channel called “I.A.G. Farms” for the last month. It’s about the homesteading adventures of a young family of 5 in Mississippi.

They have cleared the land, put in structures, and begun to raise their farm animals. There are hogs, sheep, chickens, and cows. The three small boys help out, right along side Mom and Dad. They are so industrious and committed to being good stewards of the land they have purchased.

It’s heartwarming to see.

I.A.G. Farms has a purpose and a calling. The abbreviation stands for “It’s All About God”. They are committed to living their lives to honor God and they want their farm to show His goodness and provision. They have quite the testimony.

Watching them the other day as they worked their land and express their gratitude of what God had given them, I was impressed by the example they are setting for their boys and for their viewers.

“ In all the work you are given, do the best you can. Work as though you are working for the Lord, not any earthly master. 24 Remember that you will receive your reward from the Lord, who will give you what he promised his people. Yes, you are serving Christ. He is your real Master” Colossians 3:23-24 ERV

Whatever we do – make it all about God.

Each one of us who follow Christ have been called to a 24/7 relationship. We are fulltime Christians. It’s not just a Sunday experience. We are to take what we learn in our personal time of reading God’s word and our prayer time and bring it into the real world. We are here to make a difference in our homes, our schools, our workplace and our communities.

John, who baptized so many people, told his disciples that his purpose was to lead others to Christ.

“ He must become more and more important, and I must become less important.” John 3:31 ERV

Our goal should be the same.

“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children.” Ephesians 5:1 ERV

Short and to the point. In the same way that our children imitated us as they were growing up, we are to be imitators of our heavenly Father.

As the Apostle Paul was coming to the end of his life he summed it up this way.

“To me, the only important thing about living is Christ. And even death would be for my benefit. 22 If I continue living here on earth, I will be able to work for the Lord. But what would I choose—to live or to die? I don’t know.” Philippians 1:21-22 ERV

Each day is a day to live with purpose, after all, it’s all about God!

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Be Filled

Yesterday I prepared a coleslaw for a bbq dinner we will share with friends tonight. This particular coleslaw has a marinated dressing, unlike most that have a mayonnaise or creamy dressing.

After it had been in the refrigerator for a while I decided to sample it and make sure it had the flavor I intended. When I put it back in the fridge I noticed there was a sugar ring on the countertop, I wiped it up thinking I had been sloppy.

At noon, Dave had a small amount of coleslaw as part of his lunch. Once again, there was the syrupy ring on the countertop. Upon further investigation, I also found it on the refrigerator shelf. Unbeknownst to me, the bowl had a small crack in the bottom and the marinade was slowly seeping out.

If I hadn’t caught it in time all the good stuff would have leaked out and I would have been left with dry cabbage, bell pepper and onion.

The good stuff – how often do we unknowingly let the good stuff leak out of our lives.

“I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;  I will tell of all the marvelous things you have done.
2 I will be filled with joy because of you. I will sing praises to your name, O Most High.” Psalm 9:1-2 NLT

The busy-ness of the week, the general responsibilities of life, can leave us feeling dry.

“ If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight were filling you with light.” Luke 11:36 NLT

“ I want you to know all about Christ’s love, although it is too wonderful to be measured. Then your lives will be filled with all that God is.” Ephesians 3:19 CEV

“ Don’t act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. 18 Don’t be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit,” Ephesians 5:17-18 NLT

It is incumbent upon us to check our lives for leaks; leaks of anger, selfishness, pride, self-righteousness, bitterness. When we find that our level of light, joy, the Holy Spirit and all that God is has begun to drain out we need to come to Him for a resupply.

Today I will be making a second batch of marinade for the coleslaw but I will also be examining my heart to make sure I’m not allowing the goodness of God to drain slowly from my character.

May we always be filled with the goodness of God!

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Things Seem Backwards

I got to thinking about my childhood. The things we did, the fun we had. Things kids don’t get to do today.

We played hide-n-seek in the street after dark. Dad didn’t call my cell, he just whistled and I knew to check-in. I played outside with friends, not online. If I didn’t eat what mom made, I didn’t eat. Hand sanitizer didn’t exist, but I got my mouth washed out with soap a few times for lying. Mom had a paddle and knew how to use it. It was ok for the other neighborhood mothers to scold me if you did something wrong.

I drank water out of a hose, rode in the back seat without a car seat or seat belt. Went hunting when I was 10, walked two miles from my house to the swimming pool with my sister in the summer time.

I lived by the rules of our home, had chores that needed to be done, learned to be honest and most of all, I was taught to respect adults – those in authority.

Why this walk down memory lane this morning?

It came from reading in the book of Proverbs.

“My son, do not forget my teaching. Let your heart keep my words. 2 For they will add to you many days and years of life and peace. 3 Do not let kindness and truth leave you. Tie them around your neck. Write them upon your heart. 4 So you will find favor and good understanding in the eyes of God and man. 5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not trust in your own understanding. 6 Agree with Him in all your ways, and He will make your paths straight. 7 Do not be wise in your own eyes. Fear the Lord and turn away from what is sinful. 8 It will be healing to your body and medicine to your bones. 9 Honor the Lord with your riches, and with the first of all you grow. 10 Then your store-houses will be filled with many good things and your barrels will flow over with new wine.” Proverbs 3:1-10 NLV

“O sons, hear the teaching of a father. Listen so you may get understanding. 2 For I give you good teaching. Do not turn away from it. 3 When I was a much loved and only son of my mother and father, 4 he taught me, saying, “Hold my words close to your heart. Keep my teachings and live. 5 Get wisdom and understanding. Do not forget or turn away from the words of my mouth.” Proverbs 4:1-5 NLV

We owe it to our children and grandchildren to teach them respect. Part of their learning will come from our words and part of it will come from the way we live our lives.

We have a commission from the Lord to speak to their hearts, giving them instruction in wisdom and teaching them God’s word. More important that the exterior precautions we take for their safety is the way we teach them to guard their hearts.

“ Keep your heart pure for out of it are the important things of life.” Proverbs 4:23 NLV

Drink from the hose, it’s fun. But also take time to drink from the living water of God’s word!

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Watch How You Jump

Jumping to conclusions, making snap judgements and circumstantial evidence have destroyed so many relationships.

Years ago, I worked in the Dean of Students office at a local community college. I was hired to help with the new student handbook and to serve as Admin Assist. to the Dean of Students.

Our office was responsible for student ID’s, vehicle usage for the sports teams and even the campus security. We had lots of students coming and going through our office who worked on campus. But one young man in particular stood out.

I was a mature married woman of 32. I had 3 children, a husband and was a “good christian woman”. He was in his early 20’s, tattooed and pierced, looking like a character from Pirates of the Caribbean. He could have been a stand in for Johnny Depp. I judged him based on his appearance and nothing more.

After working with him for several weeks, he came in one morning, late again. When I asked why, he told me that the devil had really been working against him that morning – car wouldn’t start, flat tire, wife was sick and it had really stolen his joy. He asked me if I would pray for him throughout the day so that he could keep a good attitude and do his job well!

Oh Lord, I apologize! I judged wrongly, I wasn’t looking for the good in this man, I was looking at him through my own prejudice and I was wrong!

Why am I telling you this? Well, this morning I was continuing my read through I Samuel and Samuel made the same judgement. The Lord had rejected Saul as king because of his disobedience and Samuel was sent to find and anoint a new king for Israel. He found a man, based on outward appearance, that he thought was God’s man of power for the hour.

“When Jesse and his sons arrived, Samuel saw Eliab and thought, ‘Surely this is the man who the Lord has chosen.’ 7 But the Lord said to Samuel, ‘Eliab is tall and handsome, but don’t judge by things like that. God doesn’t look at what people see. People judge by what is on the outside, but the Lord looks at the heart. Eliab is not the right man.’” I Samuel 16:6-7 ERV

And then came this young man, the youngest of Jesse’s sons, a shepherd. David hadn’t even been invited to the dinner because his father had misjudged him as well.

“Jesse sent someone to get his youngest son. This son was a good-looking, healthy young man. He was very handsome. The Lord said to Samuel, ‘Get up and anoint him. He is the one.’…The Spirit of the Lord came on David with great power from that day on. Then Samuel went back home to Ramah.” I Samuel 16:12-13 ERV

Are you like me and misjudging someone based on appearance or education or some other external character? Perhaps you are the one that is the recipient of snap judgement.

Let me encourage you to ask the Lord to show you the heart of people; let the Holy Spirit love through you and see those around you as God does.

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Go To Church Anyway

Years ago, Dave and I helped found a ministry called Christians Cowboys Association. It was an outreach to the farming and ranching communities, mostly in Arizona. We shared Jesus on local ranches, in home Bible studies, at Youth, High School and College Rodeos and at Friday night gatherings we called Cowboy Cathedral.

The ministry was unconventional in the places we went and the folks we ministered to. Many times, we sat on hay bales or metal bleachers beside a rodeo arena. The music was country gospel and the message was the uncompromised Word of God.

Last night I read a post written by a man who had preached some of those rodeo services and it touched my heart. His name is Clay McGuire, and he pastors a church in Buckeye, Arizona called Lighthouse Fellowship. I messaged and asked if I could share this with you. He told me, sure. This writing reminded me of those Christian Cowboy days, these are the kind of people we ministered too, these were the ones who were always welcome.

“GO TO CHURCH ANYWAYS

If you’re having sex before marriage, go to church anyway.

If you are a drug addict trying to beat addiction, go to church anyway.

If you were out drunk all night the night before, go to church anyway.

If you aren’t sure what gender you prefer, go to church anyway.

If you can’t quit that disgusting habit, go to church anyway.

CHURCH is a HOSPITAL for the BROKEN, LOST, EMPTY, CONFUSED, DESPERATE, and REJECTED.

Every sinner has a future, and every saint has a past.

How do we break the chains of addiction and bondage?

By prayer…

Prayer for you.

Prayer with you!

There isn’t a single person in the 4 walls of the church that doesn’t have something they hate or regret about their past.

We’ve all made mistakes and will continue to,

BUT His Grace is enough.

There are things that I’d never want to admit out loud about myself, but God knows.

And He loves me nonetheless.

So whatever you’ve done, whatever you’re doing,

whatever you will do…

it might just change your life if…

YOU GO TO CHURCH ANYWAYS

It certainly did mine.”

There is something strengthening to be found in gathering with other Christians. The Bible tells us that we are all part of one body and each one of us has a part to play in keeping the “body” whole.

“Our bodies are made up of many parts. None of these parts have the same use. 5 There are many people who belong to Christ. And yet, we are one body which is Christ’s. We are all different but we depend on each other.” Romans 12:4-5 NLV

Go to church away?

When Jesus was teaching all were welcome, no one was excluded, and His final earthly message to us was to go to all the world and preach the good news. As Clay said, the church is a hospital for hurting people.

Let’s be the church that Jesus wants us to be – and if you are ever in Buckeye, AZ and need a good place to gather Lighthouse Fellowship is my recommendation.

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Stinkin’ Thinkin’

In my Bible reading yesterday morning I was reminded of a message I heard a cowboy preacher give years ago.

No More Stickin’ Thinkin’

“Look at those people! They say good is bad and bad is good. They think light is dark and dark is light. They think sour is sweet and sweet is sour. 21 They think they are so smart. They think they are very intelligent.” Isaiah 5:20-21 ERV

So many conflicts could be resolved if we took the time to consider what God considers right and wrong. His standard has never changed. All-to-often we become convinced that we are right and others are wrong putting them on the defensive and us on the attack.

It’s important to realize when we have made a mistake and apologize. First, repent to the Lord for not seeking His advice and/or not listening to the leading of the Holy Spirit. Then just as important it’s necessary to apologize to those around us, admitting fault and not offering excuses.

Then trust the Lord to heal and repair the situation.

I am so glad that the Lord doesn’t abandon me to my ignorance or disassociate with me because of my mistakes.

The world, our world, tries on a daily basis to skew our thoughts to a natural way of thinking. It tries to persuade us that right is wrong and wrong is right; that good is evil and evil is good. We are bombarded to “think for ourselves, don’t be brainwashed or old fashioned, the world is changing and we must be progressive”.

However, God’s word tells us that heaven and earth will pass away but God’s word will never pass away. We are told not to change God’s word and that when push comes to shove we “let God be true and every man a liar”.

Trusting God’s word is invaluable! Don’t be swayed to adopt other thinking.

“Don’t ever let love and loyalty leave you. Tie them around your neck, and write them on your heart. 4 Then God will be pleased and think well of you and so will everyone else.

5 Trust the Lord completely, and don’t depend on your own knowledge. 6 With every step you take, think about what he wants, and he will help you go the right way. 7 Don’t trust in your own wisdom, but fear and respect the Lord and stay away from evil. ” Proverbs 3:3-7 ERV

When I think of “stinkin thinkin” I think of the thief on the cross. Three men were crucified the day Jesus was. One of them tried to cast dispersions on Jesus – “what kind of Savior are you? You can’t even save yourself”. There was a jeering in his voice; he was defensive and condemning, his thinking was all wrong.

The second thief rebuked him for his words. He pointed out that they were guilty of their crimes but Jesus was guiltless. In all humility, he recognized his sin and failings and he repented. To that man Jesus granted forgiveness and compassion. “Today you will be with me in paradise”.

Each decision we make should be guided by love. When we hear that little inner voice saying “you really shouldn’t be doing that or saying that” we need to listen. Replace stinkin thinkin with compassionate contemplation.

What decisions do you need to make today? Trust the Lord not yourself; if you’re uncertain as what to do or say, seek the answer in God’s word. It will never steer you wrong.

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Sweet Smell

Have you ever walked through a rose garden when it’s in bloom or sat on a bench surrounded by gardenias? Here in Arizona our senses are being aroused by citrus blossoms and wildflowers.

In the early 2000’s my mom moved to Montana where Dave and I lived. Right outside the back door of her duplex was a tall lilac bush. Each time she opened the door she would be greeted with the aroma of lilac. She told me she remembered being a small girl and smelling lilacs at her home.

That smell, that sweet fragrance, reminded her of home!

The Bible tells us that our lives have a sweet fragrance to offer to the world.

“ We thank God for the power Christ has given us. He leads us and makes us win in everything. He speaks through us wherever we go. The Good News is like a sweet smell to those who hear it. 15 We are a sweet smell of Christ that reaches up to God. It reaches out to those who are being saved from the punishment of sin and to those who are still lost in sin. ” II Corinthians 2:14-15 NLV

Old Testament sacrifices were to have a sweet odor. The sense of smell played a role in their offerings.

“You may prepare sacrifices to give thanks in any of these three ways. Bring your sacrifice to a priest, and he will take it to the bronze altar. 9 Then, to show that the whole offering belongs to me, the priest will lay part of it on the altar and send it up in smoke with a smell that pleases me.” Leviticus 2:8-9 CEV

Offerings of thanksgiving to God were to be a mixture of fine flour, olive oil and incense. When they were burned by the priest, the offering had a sweet smell that was pleasing to the Lord.

Just as the priests presented the sacrifices to the Lord and it pleased Him, we should offer our lives as a pleasing sacrifice. We are to be like Christ and our lives should be like His, a sacrifice that pleases God. Paul tells us in Romans 12:1-2 that we are to present our bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God.

So, the question comes, is my life one with a sweet fragrance? Do I spend more time thanking God for His goodness and His love than I do complaining about how things could/should/would be better “if only”? As a Christian – a Christ like one – my life should be an offering that pleases the Father.

“Do as God does. After all, you are his dear children. 2 Let love be your guide. Christ loved us and offered his life for us as a sacrifice that pleases God.” Ephesians 5:1-2 CEV

It’s not only the Father who notices that our lives are a sacrifice, but those around us will also notice.

As we enter this week before Easter, I desire for my life to “smell sweet” with praise and thanksgiving to the Father and also with forgiveness and love to those I meet.

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