On the Bike Ride of Life

consider these statements spiritually.

The Bike Ride of Life.

What will you do on it?

How fast will you "roll," or should I say, how much time will you take to gather in the beautiful sights?

Why are you riding? What is your purpose? What do you STRIVE for?

Who or what will you run over?

Who or what will you lift up?

Do you simply push the people in front of you, or do you pull the people behind you?

What path are you on?

What paths will you turn on to?

What trail will you leave?

Do you give up the up-hills?

Do you free your hair to tangle in the breeze down-hill?

Or do you hold yourself back to be sure your hair looks okay?

Do you fill those tires with air?

Do you cruise?

Do you sweat?

Are you balanced?

Do you stop at the stop sign?

Do you go at the green light?

Jacob and Esau and Me- a poem!

Esau sold something precious

To receive what he wanted then.

Jacob deceived his brother

 To manipulate God's plan.

Immediate gratification

Is what Esau sought after.

But later he would regret

The folly of his barter.

Jacob wanted pleasure

So he used his smarts.

He wanted his own way,

Instead of accepting God's path.

Who am I more like:

Esau or Jacob or both?

Do I sacrifice a precious gift

Because of my petty impatience?

Do I attempt to control

The future of my life?

Or do I combine these two follies

And reap what I have sown?

I think at times we all fall

Into one of these two traps.

For these traps are disguised as the path to success

When they are really the path to destruction.

Let us consider our actions

In light of this Biblical story.

And let's not forget that we will reap

The consequences of our folly.

ouch.

YEOWCH!

It was was 2 in the *morning.* getting ready for a wonderful conference (that was four-five hours away). It was going great. Until then. ;)

I stepped directly onto a piece of jewelry wire sticking straight up from my carpet. It hurt! my foot started bleeding (yuck) and I was very frustrated. I could barely walk.

My mom told me to clean it out. ouch. that hurts too.

Then I put a band-aid over it. That didn't hurt so much, and it was much easier for me to walk, so I went downstairs to complete my preparation for the day.

I walk into my room. What's the first thing I see? My Bible, lying on my bed.

Cosette, I let that happen on purpose. Do you get what I'm trying to teach you?

     Yeah, I've learned to work on jewelry over a table over tile floor!

That's not exactly the point.
     
      Point taken.

When I say "point taken," it was. I believe that God's purpose was to remind me of the prophecy that says that Satan will bruise the heel of the seed of Eve, but that her Seed would crush his head. I sit here writing this post while my foot is doing that weird throbbing thingy, and I am reminded of what happened leading up to that point.

The night before, a situation had come up that I blamed myself for. I was super discouraged, but it was one of those things that I entertained in my mind that wasn't true and it certainly wasn't healthy! I even came to the point of tears, believing that lie. The next morning, a little wire in my foot straightened me out. I could now look back and see that I had let Satan bruise my heel through those thoughts, but then, recognizing my failure, I turned it to Christ, who overcame the situation and crushed the head of the enemy.

I mean, it wasn't as easy as it sounds. Nothing really ever is. Those negative thoughts really hurt badly, and taking them out kinda hurt too. Then I had to clean my mind of those thoughts. Here comes the hydrogen peroxide ;) . It stung. But it had to be done, or else I would get an infection and those thoughts would keep penetrating my mind, further and further. But it didn't end there. I put a bandaid over it. You see, the only bandaid that works for sin is the blood of Christ. He covered that wound with his blood, love, and grace, and when you look at that wound, that's what you see. The bandaid. The bandaid also provides padding so that I can get up and keep moving.

via pinterest

So, take this little illustration to heart. :)

Video

This is a video that we watched today in youth group; hope it blesses you with conviction as it did me.

Keep On Keepin' On {3 easy steps}

Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

For consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds.

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THIS POST IS PART TWO OF ANOTHER POST, KEEP ON KEEPIN' ON {ONLY} PRT. 1. IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE PREVIOUS POST, PLEASE FOLLOW THE LINK TO READ IT.

Keep on keepin' on. Just keep swimming, just keep swimming, just keep swimming, swimming, swimming! what do we do? We swim! swim! Don't give up! you can do it! Run! Bear with it. Keep at it. Hang in there. Stick to it.

Keep going. Persevere. Don't stop. Persist. Continue. Carry on. Endure. Abide. Press on.

okay, okay, you know what I'm talking about now :)

So let's see how to run a successful, persevering race in 3 easy, Biblical steps. (and one pre-requisite.)

Pre-Step:  Recognize that people are watching you. They are witnesses of your actions and attitude, and that will affect them. If you persevere, the souls of those eyes will want to persevere.

STEP 1)  Drop the baggage. No pro runner starts a pro race with a backpack full of rocks. If sin is a burden on your back, hand it over to the Lord, and He will take care of it. He is your coach. Hand the backpack of rocks to Him. Also, throw the deceptive sin away. It may seem refreshing, but it will only make you more thirsty. Always drink the Living Water.

                   "let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us..."

STEP 2)  Be patient. This race is going to seem long, but you need patience. Remember the One you are running for.

                   "... and let us run with patience the race that is set before us."

STEP 3)  Look to Christ. Keep your eyes on the One who ran the hardest race of all. He is the Author and Finisher of this race of faith. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, and He will strengthen your aching muscles.

"Looking unto Jesus the Author and Finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds."

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You are tired. You are weary.

You are surrounded by witnesses. Drop the baggage. Be patient. Look to Christ. 

And you will be refreshed!

Keep On Keepin' On {only} prt. 1

Wherefore seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. 

For consider him who endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be weary and faint in your minds.

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Lord, why do I have to go through all this?!? I'm trying to do the right thing, but noone seems to want that. They are treating me so badly; I can't seem to see what good this is doing me. Maybe I should just give up on this; I'm tired and don't want to be around these people anymore. Could I just walk away and give up now?

Maybe these are your thoughts. Maybe you are trying so hard; maybe you are doing your best. And, probably, you are tired {okay, exhausted}. You just might be ready to GIVE UP. I've got news for you:

You're trying too hard.

Guess what? YOU CAN'T DO IT. At least, you can't do it... on your own. Take a look:

"I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

Phillipians 4:13

I want to clarify this before I move on {to prt. 2} of this post: 

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Note from author: This post is part of a series; if I included everything that I wanted to say in this post then it would be loooooooooooooooooooooooooong. So I'm spreading it out; hope it's not too confusing. You can definitely look forward to part two!!!

The Storm

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The storm is raging. It literally seems like someone has thrown you into a sea of anger. The waves mount up furiously on each side of you, crackling as they crash down on your splintered raft, only large enough to sit on and clutch for your life. The sky is a cold black. Your hands are cut from the raft, your head is spinning, and your lip stings and tingles from the cruel salty water invading yet another cut. You are drenched, and can hardly squint through the pouring rain and hair on your face. You were screaming, until you lost your voice. Now you hope someone might hear your raspy whispers for help. Right before you decide to give up, you see something. Light. You see someone. He is standing on the water. Another waves crashes down. You resurface the water, breathing heavily, but He is still there, and He is dry. The area around Him is calm; the sky blue; the waves flat. He holds out His hands in a hug-like matter. You wonder what He is doing, and then you see holes in His hands, but the holes are not bleeding. It is now that you realize that He is looking you in the eyes. Although the rage around you deafens your ears, you hear Him whisper, "Come, unto me. Do not be afraid. I am here to deliver you. I gave up my life, my glory, my respect, for this moment. I love you. Trust me. Come." His face shines as a compassionate smile spreads gently across his face. You keep your eyes on his, as a tear slides down your cheek. You step onto the water. You take his hand. The storm ceases. Although he is wearing a pure white robe, he hugs you, not seeming to mind the mud. Your heart leaps for joy inside your chest. You wonder, Why did He do this? What will He want of me now? He answers, aloud, "Come, and I will show you."

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Stop and Smell the Roses

If your life has been like mine has lately, it's been busy. It's been discouraging to see time kinda slip out of my hands. While I was preparing a lesson for girls' group, I learned something about growing faith. That when you're going through something tough, sit down and read your Bible; that's the greatest thing that you can do! And, oftentimes when we read God's Word it contains stories of victories God has provided in the past.

Let me put it this way:

You may have just gone through a trial, and are coming out of one.

Stop and smell the roses.

You may be in a trial now.

Stop and smell the roses.

 Remember the time...

...when God worked that out?

         ...when God answered that prayer?

         {most of all}... when God saved your soul through His amazing grace?


Those events, those victories of God are beautiful gems, fragrant roses. But, their fragrance continues. We can still smell them, and they smell beautiful.

You may be pretty busy now, but take a moment to look back and find a specific instance where God had the victory. Have faith. Stop and smell the roses!

Busy, busy, busy! and Small Choices

You know you're week's been busy when you've substituted brushing your teeth with an Altoid and skip a shower for four days straight. Well, I guess it means you could be really tired, too. But, seriously? My room looks like a junkyard, my {many} dirty clothes smell like one, and I feel like one! My goals of having a clean room and getting my laundry done and blogging and spending free time on more meaningful things crashed. And then, yesterday I had {not had, chose to get up late} to do my eye-shadow and such and read my Bible on the car ride to church.

And then I read that verse that pierces me every single time:

Can a maid forget her ornaments, or a bride her attire? yet my people have forgotten me days without number.

yeah. ouch!

Innocently "forgetting" was no excuse to tell an omniscient God. He knew that I made the choice to get up late almost every day of the week. He knew that I made the choice to neglect putting on the armour of God. But I thought I was all set because I had read my Bible everyday. But I did it to keep my record straight, forgetting God for "days without number."

a small choice made with God's guidance is a beautiful thing.

I made the choice. That's something I've been learning: that my small choices add up to a larger result. My "small" choices of pressing snooze on the alarm clock added up to a week of sleeping in and quick Bible reading. I only got a sliver of what I could've gained from my time with God.

Please don't make the same mistake I did. It might not be pressing snooze on the alarm clock, but there's probably some small choice that adds up that you will be making this week. Make the right choice.

Rubber Bands

The other day I got a rubber band put in my mouth. It attaches my top braces to my bottom braces, in such a way that it will pull my bottom teeth to the left.

I've been thinking about it. I am actually starting to see a lot of analogies for my life from the rubber band in my mouth. :)

A rubber band is elastic-y. Even when it is stretched out, it will bounce right back to its original shape. {Too} many times I will become very angry when I am "stretched." My "stretching" can really be anything from a trial to my brother accidentally getting into my stuff to gossip that is spread about me. Too many times I react in a harsh way, such as yelling or what have you.

However, God's Word tells me to do things much differently. There is no need for my anger or harsh reaction; there is need for my forgiveness, compassion, mercy, and understanding.

Of course, I must forgive whoever has done me wrong.

Then came Peter unto him, and said, Lord, how oft shall my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? till seven times? Jesus saith unto him, Until seven times: but, Until seventy times seven.

~Matthew 18:21-22

I must show love to that person.

This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you.

~John 15:11

That's definitely a challenge. We have done so much to hurt Him, yet He shows love. Immense love. And He commands us to do the same to others, whether they hurt us or not.

I must show purity, peaceableness, gentleness, openness, mercy, and the fruits of the Spirit to that person with the right attitude.

For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. And the fruit of the righteous is sown in peace of them that make peace.

~James 3:16-18

I should try to relate to that person.

And as ye would do that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

~Luke 6:31

Well, that sums up a great challenge for my week. I personally am going to write these things down on an index card and keep it in my pocket, so that every time my tongue touches that rubber band, I will read it and remember. And ask God to fill me with His Spirit, 'cuz it's not gonna happen naturally. :)

The Ninth Day of Christmas: The Star

The star. The star that shone so brightly that wise men followed it. The star that led these wise men to Jesus and his family. The star that, well, plays a big part in the modern retelling of the Christmas story.

Does it really have to do with us? I mean, the thing did shine, like, over two thousand years ago! Can it really affect our lives two thousand years later??? These were kinda my thoughts when I felt God lay this post on my heart. I mean, what am I supposed to write about?

Well, yes, the star does apply to our lives. It applies to our attitude and actions, as a matter of fact.

The star can help us examine our attitude. While the star was not a living object, I think we can apply it. You see, if we want to shine radiantly like the star, we have to have the right attitude. We must be filled with the Spirit to shine for the Spirit. The fruits of the Spirit, which we already talked about this Christmas season, are listed in Galatians 5: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance. What we haven't talked about yet are the stuff we gotta get outta the way to shine. We must avoid the fruit of the flesh. Galatians 5:19-21 says,

"Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God."

Long list! And we can't do it on our own. We must do it through Him.

I've been focusing alot on this subject in my posts. But it's important.

The star also helps reveal what actions we must take. The star didn't just shine in a one-mile radius! No, the star had to reach pretty far. Even uncomfortably far. Even so, we must reach out, and not stay in our little bubble. Reaching out means we must act. We must act out of the Spirit, and act out of love. If we act out of strife, our actions will be pointless. Literally. When we act out of the Spirit, we share the gospel with others. God's Word is like a double-edged sword, and it will do its job! But when we act out of strife, we are basically throwing a plunger at a brick wall. Not gonna work!

The star also led people to Christ. When our attitude and actions are in line, people notice. And what's better than leading someone to Christ? That should be our goal, to glorify God by helping others who are blinded and deceived. If they choose to accept the light of the truth, then they will secure their eternal life. What a great thing to lead someone to do!

So, as we think of the star, we should remember how it relates to us, and how it relates to our relationships to others.

The Sixth Day of Christmas: The Angel

I am sure that you have been listening to the radio or reading blog posts about the Christmas angel, Gabriel. Today, I'd like to put a perspective on it. It may not be what you expect, but we'll see how it comes out :)

So, last night, my mom was really stressed out, and she exclaimed, "I need an angel!"

Well, I thought about that for a few minutes. What did angels do in the Bible? Some of them fought the spiritual battles, some of them brought good news to people, they praise God, and some set people free from prison. You know, angels interest me ALOT. I'd like to learn alot more about them; that's one of my goals for 2013. However, with my primitive knowledge of angels, something struck my heart when my mom said that she needed an angel.

I felt like maybe I could do something.

And, maybe, I can. I mean, I can't transform into an angel, but I can attain some characteristics of them. Yes, God made angels and humans for different purposes, but I think we might share some similarities.

I already listed some of what angels do, and I think that's where the similarities begin. We are told to praise God, encourage others, fight the spiritual battle, and bring good new to people! My point is,

maybe we can act like angels for those who need it.

Christmas isn't about us, it's about Christ. He calls us to love others as He loved us.

Why not spread the love of Christ this Christmas?

Even if we are not angels, I think that God wants us to do some of the same things. Here's a list of activities we can do to spread the love.

• Pass out gospel tracts.
• Go to a nursing home or care facility and spread the news.
• Read the Christmas story to someone, on a day other than your traditional day.
• Bake some cookies for someone you don't talk to or see often, and include a note or gospel tract.
• Make a card for someone you don't talk to or see often; maybe even a cashier!
• Tell your family that you love them. Then make sure to follow that up with acts of love.
• Write down your "worst enemy." Give them a homemade card and maybe some cookies, pray for them, and follow up for the rest of 2013.
• Pray with someone who is hurting.

These are just a few activities that we can complete together, and carry on through 2013. In 2013, I will posting about angels and their similarities and more activities. We will call this the "Angel Project." It is one of my resolutions for the new year, and I hope it will be one of yours, too!

The Fifth Day of Christmas: The Snowstorm (prt. 2)

So, yesterday we started on the snowstorm. We talked about God as our refuge in the storm of a trial or emotional distress. But today, I have a different application.

A snowstorm isn't new; it's happened before, right? Just like a trial or emotional tragedy! It's happened before to someone else; maybe the same person who is going through the trial has been there before.

My point is, we have a Book full of true stories of real people who have gone through the same kinda stuff we go through. Okay, so maybe the culture was different, but didn't God know that when He wrote His sufficient Word? The stories in the Bible are entirely applicable to our lives.

1 Corinthians 10:11
Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come.

1 Corinthians 10:13
There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that you are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

Another circumstance that requires action is when we have gone through the storm already. We are to recognize God's hand in the past storms, and praise Him and thank Him for it.

Psalm 105:5
Remember his marvelous works that he hath done; His wonders, and the judgments of his mouth;

*Psalms are full of passages like these. Look some up for yourself!

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Now, for another metaphor. A snowstorm is storm of snow. So you know how complex one snowflake is??? and they are all different!

Yes, we are like snowflakes. Unique and beautiful, in figure and soul, we display the Creator's handiwork.

Psalm 139:14
I will praise thee: for I am fearfully and wonderfully make: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

We are unique. God did not create us all the same; if He had, this earth would be filled will robots! No, He made us each individually. He has an individual plan for each of us. I know I need to learn this, but this is why we can't compare ourselves to others. As I write this post, I think that point is clicking in my brain.

Did you know that God's snow is so beautiful and complex, but man-made snow is just plain blob-like? Take a look!

In the same way, when we try to create the plans for our life, it won't come out pretty. But when we let God take control and do it, our lives will be beautiful.

So, remember this Christmas season, as you may be going through the storm, that we have examples of people who have gone through it. (Don't forget your parents and godly counselors!) And remember the times that God carried you through in the past. You are unique; God has a unique plan for you; don't attempt to build your life. Instead, hand it over to Him!

It's not the end; it's only the beginning of something more beautiful.

The Fourth Day of Christmas: The Snowstorm

A blizzard.... what connotations does that word have to you? Does it remind you of the bitingly crisp air or the beauty of the billions of snowflakes riding the wind like a roller coaster?

We can apply a snowstorm to different aspects of our lives. Since there is so much that can be applied, we will only cover part one of "The Snowstorm" today.

A snowstorm is like the trials we go through as Christians. From the perspective of the person lost in the blizzard, the storm is a disaster. It may even seem that all is lost, or that nothing good can come of it. But from the perspective of One Who already knows the outcome of the storm, a beautiful white blanket covering earth, the "storm" is a beauty to watch, and this One will walk through the storm with all who trust Him.

A snowstorm is an example of a trial that we may go through in life. Though we may not know the outcome, or though it may seem a loss to us, we can walk with the One Who knows that this storm will make us more beautiful. We may think that nothing good will come of it, but God knows better. A storm could also represent emotional distress. Check out these verses on God and storms.

Nahum 1:3
The Lord is slow to anger, and great in power, And will not at all acquit the wicked: The Lord hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, And the clouds are the dust of his feet.

Psalm 107:29
He maketh the storm a calm, so that the waves thereof are still.

In Mark 4, Jesus calmed a storm with His words!

Isaiah 25:4
For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

And there are so many more! We can always trust God and run to Him, even in the storm.

So next time you're going through a storm, take time to recognize that God's in it, and He will take care of you! And, hey! When the snowstorm hits, make a snowman :)

The Third Day of Christmas: The Candle

*sniff* mmmmm... smells good! Have you ever had a really great candle that just smelled lovely? Or maybe a Scentsy flavor that just, well, pleased your nose? Well, as I learned today in church, we can be a sweet-smelling savour to our Lord.

Ephesians 5:1-2 says, "Be ye therefore followers of God as dear children; And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour." So, from verse 1, we understand that we are to follow God as His dear children. And then, in verse 2, we are told to walk in love, as Christ did, and this includes offering ourselves as a sacrifice to God as Christ did. And when we do that, our sacrifice produces a sweet-smelling savour.

There are plenty of verses that speak of our sacrificing of ourselves, and also the sacrifice of praise. Romans 12:1 says, "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service." We are to present ourselves a sacrifice unto God, holy and acceptably. In the Old Testament, Israelites had to go to the temple to have the priests sacrifice for them. I don't think that God was looking for the lamb's death, although it was a symbol of Christ. I do think that God was looking for the sacrifice of obedience. But just think... God has made us priests, in that we can sacrifice our lives for our Lord!

Another sacrifice is the sacrifice of praise. Really, the sacrifice of our lives is a sacrifice of praise, and it produces that sweet-smelling savour, as a candle. Hebrews 13:15-16 says, "By whom therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." Our praise is a sweet-smelling savour to God. There is so much more in these verses, why don't you read them over again?

We should attribute to God the glory that is due to Him. A great example of this is in the Model {Lord's} Prayer. At the end of His prayer, Jesus says, "For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever." Another example of praise and giving glory to God I Psalm 29. Take the time to read it now! God is the One who lights us as candles!

A candle not only smells good, but it also produces light! Matt. 5:14-16 says, "Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid.Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works. and glorify your Father which is in heaven." Well, there's a handful {or much more!} of meaning in these verses! We are candles to the world, set on a candlestick for everyone to see. When they do see us, and our good works {the fruit that we talked about yesterday}, they will glorify God! Weren't we just talking about that?!?

Well, alot was packed into this little post! But I pray that it spoke to your heart. We are to be a living sacrifice to God, praise and glorify Him, and be radiant about it!

The Second Day of Christmas: The Christmas Tree {prt. 2}

So, yesterday I posted about how a Christmas tree represents the body of Christ, and I also mentioned the consequences of not bearing fruit, or being an empty branch. {Hosea 10:1; John 15:2} As we are branches of Christ {John 15:5}, we can represent Him by bearing fruit. But there's alot more to it than that.

Bearing fruit requires some prerequisites: we must be filled with the Holy Spirit and abide in Christ. Galatians 5:21 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit..." (we will come back to this verse) It is the Spirit that fills us that allows us to bear fruit, or else we are empty, as Israel was in Hosea 10. Also, we must abide in Christ. John 15:4 says, "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; mo more can ye, except ye abide in me." We cannot do anything without Christ, but Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ which strenghtheneth me." That includes bearing fruit!

What fruit does a branch filled with the Spirit and abiding in Christ bear? Well, Galatians 5:21-22 says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance; against such there is no law." The fruit we bear is a major part of this study, for it helps us examine ourselves to see what we really are bearing. Galatians 5:19-20 says, "Now the the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." Maybe you are not a murderer; maybe you have not committed adultery; maybe you have. But you've probably stirred up strife, or had bitterness in your heart. Things like this do not give us rewards in eternity, and they are the fruits of the flesh... rotten and slimy and definitely not beautiful! What is beautiful is the fruit of the Spirit! Let us desire to bear such fruit, and let our hearts, those ornaments on the Christmas tree, be radiant in Christ!

A branch that produces good fruit must be purged. We have talked about the Spirit and Son, but here's the part where the Father comes in. John 15:1 says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." The Father is the One who purges the fruitful branches. John 15:2-3 says, "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it , that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." We are purged through God's Word, the Bible. The Bible is like a cleanser, to get all the yucky stuff out and the good stuff in!

There is even more action to be taken! A few verses after teaching on bearing fruit, Christ discusses love. Verses 9-10 tell us to continue in Christ's love. Wow! what a challenge! He also says in verse 11, "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." Then He again commands us to love one another. He really makes His point in this chapter, and I do not have the time to discuss all of it, so please read it through, letting it sink in. :-)

So remind yourself to be radiant every time you see those beautiful ornaments hanging on your Christmas tree, and remember the little simile mentioned in prt. 1. Your heart is the ornament hanging on the branch, which represents you as a branch of Christ.

The First Day of Christmas: The Christmas Tree

Ok, so maybe when i said in the last post that prt. two was "coming soon," I was wrong. Writing about ministry is alot of, well, learning first. Today's post is actually not prt. two of ministry; today is the first day of Christmas! So here's some encouragement for you on the "first day of Christmas"....

~The Christmas Tree~

A Christmas tree..... so pretty, delicate, and beautiful, standing daintily upright in a warm family's living room. In the backround,  a small family laughs at past Christmas memories as they happily sip hot chocolate. They are all wrapped in blankets snugly, making the impression of a caterpillar in a chrysalis. They decorated the Christmas tree last night, adorning her with hand-made paper ornaments. Christmas is coming soon, and the children are excited to see the looks on their parents faces when they open the presents.

Decorating the Christmas tree is a tradition in my family, and I always enjoy it. The Christmas tree brings unity to my family and community. But the Christmas tree can also be used as a metaphor.

Yes, the Christmas tree is a symbol of unity. The unity among this wonderful family of Christ. The star at the top represents Christ, the head of all of us. The body of the tree represents the church as a whole. Then, of course, we must include the ornaments! The ornaments that dangle peacefully off the branches represents our individual, blooming hearts, as we are the branches of Christ. {John 15:5~ I am the vine, ye are the branches...} I encourage you to take the time to open your Bible and read John 15; It's a wonderful chapter, and much of the inspiration for this post. The tinsel or ribbon that we wrap around the tree represents the Word of God, which binds us all together!

Now, I have been reading alot about bearing fruit as a branch of Christ. We have a choice to be empty, as Israel was, bearing fruit to ourselves, but not profiting us at all, for we only bring on our destruction {Hosea 10:1-2~ Israel is an empty vine, he bringeth forth fruit unto himself: according to the multitude of his fruit he hath increased the altars; according to the goodness of his land the have make goodly images. Their heart is divided; now shall they be found faulty: he shall break down their altars, he shall spoil their images.} {John 15:2a}

We also have the option of bearing fruit, being radiant for Christ. I will be posting on that the second day of Christmas {tomorrow :) } In the meantime, read John 15!

A Prayer about bubblegum

Lord, thank you for giving me friends and people in my life. You know, sometimes I'm not the nicest to them; forgive me of that. Help me to think wwjd.

Sometimes I get discouraged because others don't treat me the way I'd like to be treated... I'm sure You know what that feels like! In these times, I feel as if I am a piece of bubblegum that someone is chewing up and spitting out. It seems as though they chew me all up, and stick me underneath some obscure bench, forgetting about me. And then I don't know what to do. I guess I can feed the flies.

Feeding the flies, at least I'm doing something. At least I'm serving my purpose right where I am put, huh? But, seriously, at least I'm not choking the birds like some pieces of gum.

Anyways, it's kinda hard to forgive that person that probably had good intentions, but left me under this bench to rot. Help me forgive them, even when they're not sorry. I know You know how to do this, 'cuz You did! On the cross, You forgave those people who were literally spitting on You! Ya, You know more than anybody what being hurt is. Hurt isn't even the word for what You went through!

So, Lord, help me forgive them. It's what You would do. And help me serve my purpose even when people shove me under the bench. 'Cuz even then, I can focus on the positive~ feeding the flies, not choking the birds. :)

Thanks! Thy will be done.

<3 In Jesus' precious name,
Amen!

Are you a Horse???

I've never been a big horse lover. But I do love a good comparison.

In youth group the other night, a great comparison was revealed to me. We were talking about Ephesians 4:6~

One God is and Father of all, who is above all, and through all, and in you all.

At this point in the lesson, we were discussing God's authority (the first part of this verse) . Our teacher used the illustration of a horse and its trainer. At first, a horse is naive and does not trust its trainer. If the trainer prompts the horse to trod through a puddle, the horse may act as if the puddle is a black hole; but the trainer knows that the puddle is harmless. Eventually, the horse learns that his trainer knows much, much more than he does. A fully trained horse listens to his trainer very carefully, because he trusts the trainer. All it takes is a slight tap of the trainer's heel on the side of the horse to persuade the horse to take a sharp turn; an inconspicuous tug of the ring finger on the horse's bridle will convince it to take a complete 360.

James 3:3~

Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body.

So, what does this all have to do with us and our relationship to God? Well, apply all these facts about horses and trainers to you and God. When you are first saved, yo may not trust God very much, and there still may be doubts in your mind. Maybe when God first prompted you to do something, you saw it the end of the world; but God knows that it is harmless and will probably be good for you. As you grow in your walk with God, however, you learn that God really does know what He's doing! When your relationship with God matures, it should only take a slight tap or tug at your heart to obey God.

But Eph. 4:6 doesn't just talk about God's authority; it also mentions God's work through us and in us. God does not just want us to view him as a tall judge robed in white up in the sky somewhere. He desires a personal relationship with us, and that relationship includes His working through us and His Spirit dwelling in us. God works through us in our words and actions, and when we obey and yield to His Word, magnificent events occur. His Spirit dwells in us to guide us and shine through us, as long as we surrender to Him.

For more about surrender, visit these posts:

God's will, God's way

Have Thine Own Way

Dive In

Wow Factor

You know when you walk through the dollar tree? Ever notice the neon signs they have that say "Wow Factor"? Of course, It's pretty silly, but it does attract your eye, doesn't it?

As Christian girls, we sometimes lose the "wow factor" when it comes to the things of God. We gawk in awe when we read about the Shunnamite woman in 2 Kings 4 and 8, or when we hear about a lady who was saved miraculously from her cancer, but does it seem that "awe"-some when the new girl prayed and received the blessing of a membership at the nearby "good-will"? Or is it so amazing when the preacher shares a verse that helped him in his walk with God?

Imagine with me for a moment. You are on your way to see the famous Grand Canyon of Arizona. You love taking pictures, because you love to keep the memories of the beauty of the world God has given us. As you approach, you forget about the camera. THIS is BEAUTIFUL. But as you walk further, it only gets better. Finally, your eyes reach over the edge and...

*your breath is drifts away...

This is so beautiful, so unique, so... what's the word?

Now, compare that with your daily reaction to God's love letter to you. Think about it for a second. The all-mighty, all-knowing, all-powerful Creator of the billions upon billions of stars and galaxies has reached down to YOU; He wants to YOU to have a personal relationship with HIM...

*your breath drifts away...

This is so beautiful, so unique, so... what's the word?