How does playing with my grandson all day and marital issues have anything in common? Nothing really, but I learned something very valuable today when I was getting my grandson dressed. As I put his jumper over his head, then his right arm, then I sat him up to pull it down over his body, it didn't take long and I realized that I had forgotten the other arm. Then, it occurred to me from the last time we were together, that as one should never go into a burning building without your partner, not to mention making sure you both get out safely, so a shirt or a jumper is made with two arm holes and two leg holes for a reason.
I must admit, in the last year and half our marriage has been less then pleasant, for either of us. And, if God had given us a ticket out, one or the other probably would have taken it. Not that we didn't love each other, because we did, and still do, but we had 'gone our separate ways' for some time and it was becoming increasingly painful with the same problems that we went to bed with.
But, God saw fit, because of His grace and mercy to keep us together in spite of ourselves.
Though we are far from out of the woods, we're no where we once were.
Do I want to knock his block off? Yes most definitely, because he's a man. Does he still need to flee from this harsh tongue? That too is a resounding, yes.
Sadly, I have a hard time keeping track of it! It seems to have a mind of it's own. Mr. Tongue likes to wander all over my face and down my leg and up my husbands with lightning speed. Before I know it this small 'harmless' creature has left big red welts on my husbands handsome face, as so many of do if we were honest with ourselves.
But as our lashing tongues go wild and our husbands shrink, we find ourselves with a false sense of superiority, which causes men to run.
These are but some lessons I'm learning during this time of strife and friction. Though this is only a part of what I've seen, in our own person lives and in the lives of many others, we must not forget there are some who are going through far worse trials then these.
"Lord, I pray according to Your Word in Romans 15, that, "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, 6 so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." in Jesus' Name I pray. amen
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
I wonder,
why so many marriages are in trouble today. I wonder why so many men mistreat their wives. I wonder why so many wives feel so insecure in their marriages. I wonder what's not being taught in our churches and why there is so much dysfunction on our families. Or, is it all the churches fault, or is there some personal responsibility involved here?
During my quiet time this morning, I got to thinking how often mom and I talked about the Book of Titus, chapter 2 to be exact. Where it says, "But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. 6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,[
But, what so often happens in today's world of utter selfishness, is that men are often NOT sober, and women are NOT obedient. Both are spinning out of control listening to their flesh and not the Spirit of the Living God.
But, what Titus falls short of in it's literal teaching of God's Word is Peter's admonition to husband's, 7 "Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered."
Somewhere along the way, there is something broken. Men feel abandoned in the relationship, feeling small. Feeling it's their right to use the 'submit' word out of the Bible to bring their wives to their way of thinking instead of submitting out of love, giving them the power to be tyrants. And wives, do what they want with little regard on how it effects their covering, (their own husbands).
I have to admit, I have been guilty of that very same thing. Not intentionally 'doing my own thing' but somewhere I have lost my way on how to interact with my own husband. And, quite frankly it happens more and more, and will so as the days grow darker.
I challenge everyone who reads this blog, especially those who are going through marriage problems to get a hold of Fireproof, the movie. For we live in dark days, and we cannot leave the burning building without our partners!
a]b]" 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.[
During my quiet time this morning, I got to thinking how often mom and I talked about the Book of Titus, chapter 2 to be exact. Where it says, "But as for you, speak the things which are proper for sound doctrine: 2 that the older men be sober, reverent, temperate, sound in faith, in love, in patience; 3 the older women likewise, that they be reverent in behavior, not slanderers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things— 4 that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, 5 to be discreet, chaste, homemakers, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God may not be blasphemed. 6 Likewise, exhort the young men to be sober-minded, 7 in all things showing yourself to be a pattern of good works; in doctrine showing integrity, reverence, incorruptibility,[
But, what so often happens in today's world of utter selfishness, is that men are often NOT sober, and women are NOT obedient. Both are spinning out of control listening to their flesh and not the Spirit of the Living God.
But, what Titus falls short of in it's literal teaching of God's Word is Peter's admonition to husband's, 7 "Husbands, likewise, dwell with them with understanding, giving honor to the wife, as to the weaker vessel, and as being heirs together of the grace of life, that your prayers may not be hindered."
Somewhere along the way, there is something broken. Men feel abandoned in the relationship, feeling small. Feeling it's their right to use the 'submit' word out of the Bible to bring their wives to their way of thinking instead of submitting out of love, giving them the power to be tyrants. And wives, do what they want with little regard on how it effects their covering, (their own husbands).
I have to admit, I have been guilty of that very same thing. Not intentionally 'doing my own thing' but somewhere I have lost my way on how to interact with my own husband. And, quite frankly it happens more and more, and will so as the days grow darker.
I challenge everyone who reads this blog, especially those who are going through marriage problems to get a hold of Fireproof, the movie. For we live in dark days, and we cannot leave the burning building without our partners!
a]b]" 8 sound speech that cannot be condemned, that one who is an opponent may be ashamed, having nothing evil to say of you.[
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Faint of Heart,
"Matthew 8:23-27"
"Cowards!" Have you ever been called either of these? Well, the disciples sure did after waking up the Master.
And I can't say I blame them either, for I realized this morning, I too failed the test. That I fell victim, like so many, to becoming faint hearted when trails come my way.
As a woman of prayer, I have been known to be a successful instrument in the Lord's hands, but lately I have failed at the most important of tasks, ministering to my own husband. I have fasted for him, and have prayed for him, have exhorted him and even invested in website building to sell his extraodinary paintings, but, nothing has worked.
Maybe, the Lord is trying to tell me that I have going about everything all wrong, maybe I've been doing it all in my own flesh, maybe He just wants me to trust Him.
Even when times are really tough, God, wants me to step back and get on my face before Him and surrender to His plan and not my own.
"Lord, I admit I've been a coward, please rebuke the wind and the rain once again, and restore us back to that peaceful place in You. A sanctuary built not by human hands, but by the Living God."
"Cowards!" Have you ever been called either of these? Well, the disciples sure did after waking up the Master.
And I can't say I blame them either, for I realized this morning, I too failed the test. That I fell victim, like so many, to becoming faint hearted when trails come my way.
As a woman of prayer, I have been known to be a successful instrument in the Lord's hands, but lately I have failed at the most important of tasks, ministering to my own husband. I have fasted for him, and have prayed for him, have exhorted him and even invested in website building to sell his extraodinary paintings, but, nothing has worked.
Maybe, the Lord is trying to tell me that I have going about everything all wrong, maybe I've been doing it all in my own flesh, maybe He just wants me to trust Him.
Even when times are really tough, God, wants me to step back and get on my face before Him and surrender to His plan and not my own.
"Lord, I admit I've been a coward, please rebuke the wind and the rain once again, and restore us back to that peaceful place in You. A sanctuary built not by human hands, but by the Living God."
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
A.W. Tozer
What is it about A.W. Tozer that intrigues both young and old alike? Seasoned Christians and new in the faith? Who was called, 'one of the greatest saints of the past century.' Wow, what a badge of honor in a sea of great men and women of faith.
But, what is it about Pastor Tozer that draws people to his writings and prayers?
I'd say, his wisdom and his prayer life.
I'll leave you with one of his prayers:
"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune god, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus’ name, Amen…………"
But, what is it about Pastor Tozer that draws people to his writings and prayers?
I'd say, his wisdom and his prayer life.
I'll leave you with one of his prayers:
"O God, I have tasted Thy goodness and it has both satisfied me and made me thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need of further grace. I am ashamed of my lack of desire. O God, the Triune god, I want to want Thee; I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made more thirsty still. Show me Thy glory, I pray Thee, so that I may know Thee indeed. Begin in mercy a new work of love within me. Say to my soul, “Rise up, my love, my fair one, and come away.” Then give me grace to rise and follow Thee up from this misty lowland where I have wandered so long.
In Jesus’ name, Amen…………"
Prayer Vigil
What I learned during these seventeen days of prayer on Intercessor's Heart is that you cannot please everybody. That in prayer, it is our goal to please God and not man. For that's a hard lesson for me to learn for I'm a real people-pleas er. The gift of mercy I've been blessed with sometimes overrides my judgment and I find myself trying to please man, not God, or trying too hard to do for others what they can do for themselves which often cripples them which gets me into hot water with God.
But, I have found a ray of sunshine half way through our vigil, and that is, to depend on God and not on man which hasn't been so easy for me. You see, I'm a deeply flawed individual that often stumbles through life, (at times finds herself even crawling), towards a Promised Land.
But I cannot ignore certain things God has put in my spirit to do, such as reaching out to intercessors all over the world that need a sanctuary during a time of weakness. For we all become weak, we all are imperfect, we all are flawed. For the Bible says, " As it is written: "There is no one righteous, not even one."
There are many times, I see Christians who seem to have it all together, but we don't realize is that those in authority are hurting too, they just can't show it like we can, so they come off rough or insensitive or uncaring, and without knowing it they wound, and the cycle continues.
But the Bible says, we are all one under Christ, some are mouths, and some are hands, others are the feet, but we all need each other.
How do we fix the problem? We all recognize that we all need each other, that there is no one more important than another, that no matter what function we are given we cannot walk the Christian life without each other, whether you are in the 'ministry' or a worker in the nursery, a janitor or an elder, we are all one under Christ, because He is in all and works through all.
Let's pray that we, the body of Christ will begin to function well, and function in love.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
A.W. Tozer
First, a heartfelt apology,
It's been some time since my last entry, for I've been working night and day on a prayer vigil on the facebook ministry; where we are seeking God's face for the direction of our ministry, which this is an extension of. When I started, this event, I had a simple plan in mind, but when it was complete, it became far more extensive then I could have imagined. Today, the 1st was the beginning of this event, and it will last through throughout this month. Those who follow this blog are more than welcome to join us. Let me know you are interested, and I will see to it that you become a part of what God is doing through Intercessor's Heart/Facebook.
A.W. Tozer? Some would ask, 'why anybody would put Kathryn Kuhlman and A.W. Tozer in the same series?' And my answer to that is, because, both of them are extraordinary people of prayer, and have contributed much to the Body of Christ as a whole. You may or may not agree with Pastor Tozer, but one thing is for sure, he started a movement that should be explored. For the discerning, we are fully capable of separating truth from error, but, if read through each contribution, you will see that I tried to limit the errors the best I could.
A Closed Mouth and Silent Heart
My heart was hot within me; while I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue.— Psalm 39:3
'Prayer among evangelical Christians is always in danger of degenerating into a glorified gold rush. Almost every book on prayer deals with the “get” element mainly. How to get things we want from God occupies most of the space. Now, we gladly admit that we may ask for and receive specific gifts and benefits in answer to prayer, but we must never forget that the highest kind of prayer is never the making of requests. Prayer at its holiest moment is the entering into God to a place of such blessed union as makes miracles seem tame and remarkable answers to prayer appear something very far short of wonderful by comparison.' A.W. Tozer
http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Apr/20/w-tozer-prayer/
It's been some time since my last entry, for I've been working night and day on a prayer vigil on the facebook ministry; where we are seeking God's face for the direction of our ministry, which this is an extension of. When I started, this event, I had a simple plan in mind, but when it was complete, it became far more extensive then I could have imagined. Today, the 1st was the beginning of this event, and it will last through throughout this month. Those who follow this blog are more than welcome to join us. Let me know you are interested, and I will see to it that you become a part of what God is doing through Intercessor's Heart/Facebook.
A.W. Tozer? Some would ask, 'why anybody would put Kathryn Kuhlman and A.W. Tozer in the same series?' And my answer to that is, because, both of them are extraordinary people of prayer, and have contributed much to the Body of Christ as a whole. You may or may not agree with Pastor Tozer, but one thing is for sure, he started a movement that should be explored. For the discerning, we are fully capable of separating truth from error, but, if read through each contribution, you will see that I tried to limit the errors the best I could.
A Closed Mouth and Silent Heart
My heart was hot within me; while I was musing, the fire burned. Then I spoke with my tongue.— Psalm 39:3
'Prayer among evangelical Christians is always in danger of degenerating into a glorified gold rush. Almost every book on prayer deals with the “get” element mainly. How to get things we want from God occupies most of the space. Now, we gladly admit that we may ask for and receive specific gifts and benefits in answer to prayer, but we must never forget that the highest kind of prayer is never the making of requests. Prayer at its holiest moment is the entering into God to a place of such blessed union as makes miracles seem tame and remarkable answers to prayer appear something very far short of wonderful by comparison.' A.W. Tozer
http://www.epm.org/resources/2010/Apr/20/w-tozer-prayer/
Sunday, April 24, 2011
He is risen, He is risen INDEED!!!
Though we've been walking down memory lane, I felt it was important to take a few minutes to acknowledge what the Lord did for us over 2000 years ago.
What the prophets were unable to do, Jesus, the Son fulfilled as God and fully man.
1 Peter 1: 10Concerning this salvation,(A) the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11inquiring(B) what person or time(C) the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating(D) when he predicted(E) the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12(F) It was revealed to them that(G) they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you(H) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,(I) things into which angels long to look.
Because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, we can live free from the tyranny of sin! Halleluiah!
What the prophets were unable to do, Jesus, the Son fulfilled as God and fully man.
1 Peter 1: 10Concerning this salvation,(A) the prophets who prophesied about the grace that was to be yours searched and inquired carefully, 11inquiring(B) what person or time(C) the Spirit of Christ in them was indicating(D) when he predicted(E) the sufferings of Christ and the subsequent glories. 12(F) It was revealed to them that(G) they were serving not themselves but you, in the things that have now been announced to you through those who preached the good news to you(H) by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven,(I) things into which angels long to look.
Called to Be Holy
13Therefore,(J) preparing your minds for action,[a] and(K) being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. 14As obedient children,(L) do not be conformed to the passions(M) of your former ignorance, 15but(N) as he who called you is holy, you also be holy(O) in all your conduct, 16since it is written,(P) "You shall be holy, for I am holy." 17And if you(Q) call on him as Father who(R) judges(S) impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves(T) with fear throughout the time of your exile, 18knowing that you(U) were ransomed from(V) the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, 19but(W) with the precious blood of Christ, like that of(X) a lamb(Y) without blemish or spot."Because of what Jesus Christ did on the cross, we can live free from the tyranny of sin! Halleluiah!
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