November 05, 2009 at 03:11
Practice Smiling
This year is quickly passing by. I wonder sometimes...how did we get here. It was just summer time and now we are swiftly moving into winter and the Cristmas season, which I love. It is probably the best time and the worst time for many people. I love it because people are generally nicer to each other (this is not to say that people are not nice at other times). It feel like some people go out of their way..maybe it is because they think of giving. What does it really cost to give somthing of yourself? I read last week that there is a church in New York city that actually have their greeters to practice smiling. What do you think of that. This was good for me to hear. There are days when my brain is smiling, but the look on my face could indicate otherwise. At this point, I am going to take what I thought was a ridiculous idea and practice it myself. Do you need to practice smiling? It is a way that we can show people what we have to give. It is not always about the money or a give...though it is the season of giving, but how about just being nice to others, including the ones that you don't know...and give them a smile. It is a nice think to do.
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October 23, 2009 at 04:32
Praise Week
Has anyone ever done anything really good for you. My husband is a very good cook and we often tell him how good his food is and he loves it. It is now to the point that if I cook and get more compliments than he does…he often will keep referring back to the meals that he received
praise for. Praise is when we admire someone for something that they have done and have done quite well. It is good when we praise our families, and it is good when we praise our employees, and it is also good when we praise God.
Sometimes, I can just look at the creation and find myself in awe at how excellent God has created the heavens and the earth. It is especially beautiful this time of year in New England when the leaves are turning red, orange, yellow, and shades of green. People are going apple picking and just enjoying the splendor of what God has made. Psalms 19:1-2 tells us that the heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the
work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display
knowledge. If the heavens can give God praise for all that He has done, I certainly can see on a daily basis why God deserves and is worthy of my praise.
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October 19, 2009 at 09:49
Love In Action Week
Years ago, Tina Turner made a hit called "What's Love got To Do With It." For many people, love is a feeling and when we don't feel affection or strong emotions toward someone else, then we think that we have fallen out of love with them. There is another way, however to look at love. It is described in 1st Corinthians chapter 13. It describes what love in action looks like. This past week I read that scripture in church and my daugher was so moved that she put it on her facebook wall. You many be equally moved at these words. Love is kind, it is not rude, it does not seek it's own way, it does not think evil of others, and it is not easily angered. Love has everything to do with the way we think and act. This is a good reminder and checklist to see how our love is on a daily basis. Wonder what would happen to us and those around us if we lived our lives this way.
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October 07, 2009 at 04:18
Praying for others week
I have not been as diligent as I should in updating my blog. After holy week, I was so excited that I wanted to make sure that I named the weeks that I am calling unholy weeks. For a time, I kept up with it and then I let it go. Well, I am going to do better. I am starting out again with Praying for Others week. I am on a mission to make sure that my prayers include other people...and when I say that I mean other people than my own family. I am reminded of the scripture that teaches us that we should pray with all kinds of prayers and intercessions for everyone, including those who are in a authority over us. The reason to pray for those in authority over us is so that we can live quite and peaceful lives. Even if you don't like those who are in authority over you, that my friend is more reason to pray for them. They in a sense hold your future in their hands, and they need prayer for wisdom and guidance to lead in the place that God is directing them. Your prayer can help them to see areas that they may not otherwise see to be able to make the best decisions. Make this week your "Praying for others week." We can be assured that God wants what is best for us.
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July 17, 2009 at 09:48
Time flys
I can't believe that we are already in the month of July. I know that I am not the only one feeling that this year 2009 is flying by. I can remember that people used to say (when we are experiencing time going by so fast) that it was a sign that we are getting old. I have to tell you that one of my daughters who is 14 is experiencing the same kind of feeling. Just the other day we were talking about what she wants for Christmas...and it didn't seem all that far away We will go on our family vacation in August and then back to school, and before you know it...we are celebrating Christmas. Oh well, my point is that while time is flying by...we should not forget that God's word is timeless and can keep us with a steady heart while we are busy doing His will. Each day is new and along with that is the Lord's Compassion. "Because of the Lord's great love, we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness".
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May 22, 2009 at 02:42
Bible Study Week
This week is named Bible Study Week because I am discovering more and more how uplifitng and strengthening it is to have regular times of studying God's Word. Just this morning I was feeling a little drained. I first thought to myself that I was just a little tired, but then I found myself getting on my knees with the intention of reading some Bible passages. As I begin to read, I found that it turned into a study for understanding of what God was saying to me. I was amazed at how re-juvenated I began to feel. I was reminded of how faithful God is to us and from Isaiah 55 that His word will accomplish everything that He desires it to accomplish. I was invited by God to come to Him whenever I am dry and thirsty so that He can speak to my heart and fill me with His abundant supply. Thank God that we listen to our spiritual appetites with the same intensity as we do our physical bodies so that we can get the sustenance that we need on a daily basis from our heavenly Father.
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May 14, 2009 at 12:07
Love your neighbor as yourself
I am naming this week…love your neighbor as yourself week. This is one of the great commandments that Jesus gave second to loving God, and is equally challenging. It sounds almost like forgiveness that I talked about several weeks ago. To love others suggest that we must also love ourselves. For some people that is hard to do, because they don’t see themselves as God does. Let me assure you that you are loveable, and certainly God loves you. You were created by God as a unique individual. There is no one else on earth like you. I think that is quite special. Secondly, if you could see the God image in you then you can begin to also see it in others. We are fearfully and wonderfully made. I encourage you to begin this journey starting with “you,” and ask God to help you see His image in you. God Bless you and have a great week.
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April 28, 2009 at 10:11
Forgiveness
I have to apologize for not beginning to name my weeks last week..but better late than never. To begin this week, I will name it forgiveness. I heard Jody Osteen (the mother of Joel Osteen) talk about how the Lord healed her body from cancer. One of the factors that contributed to her healing was forgivness. She wrote letters to all of her children and her husband asking them to forgive her because she had been quite irritable and possibly offensive during some of her illness. Sometimes unforgiveness can cause a bitter root to fester in the heart and can hinder the healing process. This week (whether sick or not) let's think of anyone that we need to forgive and forgive them (release them) ask anyone that we have offended to forgive us. Jesus said that our forgiveness is based upon how we forgive others. What a concept.
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April 14, 2009 at 02:00
Name your Weeks
We have just finished the week known as ‘holy week” on the Christian calendar that led us up to Easter or Resurrection Sunday. What I find interesting about this is what made it a holy week vs. the other 51 weeks of the year? Are we now in the phase of “unholy weeks, where we forget about the sacrifice that was made by our Lord on our behalf?”
As I think about this, I am also wondering if I should start to give my weeks a name that reflects the character that I want to exemplify on a weekly basis. Most people observe “holy week” with a focus on the character of the Lord Jesus Christ, and how we want our lives to be more in line with His will for us. We want to be better at forgiveness, we want to be better in our relationships, we want to be better money managers, we want to be better employers, and employees, we want to be better at loving people, and we want a deeper sense of God’s presence in our lives…for are these not many of the things that we sought after during the Lenten Season and more diligently during “holy week.”
I don’t want to diminish the season that we have just experienced, but I want it to last longer, because it surely kept me focused. I had regular days of fasting, and I felt that my prayers were more intense, and sensing God’s awesome presence was refreshing. While I cannot speak for anyone else, I know that I don’t want to go back to business as usual, so I have decided to name my weeks for the rest of the year, with all of them leading me to have a “holy week.” Check back next week and I will begin "naming my weeks."
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March 26, 2009 at 01:22
How is your fasting going?
I am teaching a class on the "Life of Prayer" and last night I introduced the idea of fasting. I don't know about you, but I started fasting for Lent and I thought it was going to be hard, but I am finding that the one day a week that I have committed to the Lord is not as hard as I thought it would be. I remember reading a conversation that Jesus had with his disciples when they could not cast a demon out of a young boy and they were perplexed as to why they couldn;'t do it. Jesus told them that this kind would only come through fasting and praying. I wondered about this statement as I began my fast...what did he mean by "this kind.," and if you have to have a demon to fast. What I have discovered is that fasting must be purposeful and more than not eating. There are also certain situations in our lives that keep us in a vicious cycle ,like I would imagine was happening to this young boy. Until we have deliberatly spent time seeking God as to how to handle a situation, we may also find ourselves going around in circles, as well. No, you don't have to have a demon to fast is the point that I would make, but fasting can provide us with the time that we spend not eating to spend in prayer, study and meditation with God. This can help prevent us from spinning our wheels and getting on the right track again. I really needed the concentrated time that I have devoted to the Lord. It has helped to sharpen me. Bless you.
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