Love on Assignment

Do you have a person in your life who just always seems to yank your chain? You know, that person you try to be nice to, but they are so difficult to be around.

Mean people and easily offended people are hard to be around. No matter what you say they never seem to like you. Some of the ones I know would probably find something wrong with Jesus himself. If you attempt to be happy or pleasant, they seem to have a need to put you down. If you are having a sad day, they accuse you of feeling sorry for yourself. If you ask them questions, they are overly suspicious. If you give them an honest compliment, they think you want something. If you speak of something good in your life, they think you are bragging. There is no end to the contrary responses they will give you for trying to be a kind, caring and well, just a friend.

In John 13:34, NLT,  it states, "So now I am giving you a new commandment. Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other. As Christians, we should take this very seriously.

The saying that hurt people, hurt people, is true. Many responses from others come from a place of pain. Instead of letting these people infect our hearts I believe Jesus would want us to pray for them. We could ask God to wrap his loving arms around them, fill them with his love, and give them peace. It's a much better way to handle difficult people than what our natural instincts would have us do.

Love is an assignment God has given to all his people. He never said it would be easy, but as we all know, it's always worth it. 

Passive- Aggressive

If they often lie to you, they may be a Passive- Aggressive.

If they don't keep their promises, they may be a Passive- Aggressive.

If you say you want it, and they make sure you don't get it, they may be a Passive-Aggressive.

If you say you don't like it, and they do it more often, they may be a Passive Aggressive.

If they don't tell you what they are mad at, but punish you, they may be a Passive -Aggressive.

If everything is always your fault, they may be a Passive- Aggressive.

If they give you the silent treatment, they may be a Passive -Aggressive.

If they look at you with haughty eyes, they may be a Passive -Aggressive.

If they often speak to you in a mean tone, they may be a Passive-Aggressive.

If they don't mean what they say or say what they mean, they may be a Passive-Aggressive.

If they are often late or, "forgetful," they may be a Passive -Aggressive.

If they are blaming, and won't take responsibility for their actions, they may be a Passive-Aggressive.

If they make you out to be the evil person to their family and friends, while portraying themselves as the sweet one or victim, they may be a Passive-Aggressive.

If the majority of the time they are only nice to you when they want something, they may be a Passive -Aggressive.

If they are making you out to be the crazy one, they may be a Passive-Aggressive.

If they are easily offended by the trivial, they may be a Passive-Aggressive.

If they accuse you of being demanding, controlling, always putting them down, they may be a Passive -Aggressive.

If you aren't married to your Passive Aggressive, I suggest you run! If you have however taken the marriage vows then, you should realize there is probably nothing you can do to change them. They will never admit they are wrong. They will find ways to blame everything on you and nothing, and I mean nothing, is ever their fault. They will not take any responsibility for the relationship. They do whatever they want to do.

Over the years, you may have found that you can communicate with everyone in your life except the PA.  You may suspect your PA punishes you, but you don't ever have an understanding as to why. That's because they never tell you. They don't have the courage to speak what they want or mean. Instead, they make you suffer when you disappoint them.  Most likely by now you feel exhausted, confused, and broken-hearted.  The PA may have become your obsession. Before you give up or just leave, I have a few suggestions for you to try. I hope you will find these things helpful.

First, you need to refocus. You need to stop obsessing about them. Start thinking about yourself, and what it is you can do for you. You may already get accused by your PA of being self-centered because this is one of the many tactics they use to get at you, so this will be nothing new. Begin to focus on your needs and quit thinking so much about them.

Pray and ask God what it is you can do to move on with your life, to show you what you are good at, and how to restore your confidence. You could even ask Him how you could serve His kingdom.  God wants to be with you and to help you.

Another thing you need to stop doing is trying to fix your relationship with the PA. Yes, you heard me right, give up.  Give up and give it to God. Surrender. He knows what to work on first. Let Him do it.

If your PA gives you the silent treatment, go on with your life, and enjoy it. Don't waste time feeling sorry for yourself because they won't talk to you. Plenty of people out there will. If you don't have anyone else to talk to, then find someone.

I would suggest you keep your conversations to the necessary. Do not let them know anything you want, or don't want, because they will use that against you. If you find you are being punished, trust God to handle them. It was never their right to punish you in the first place. God commands that we love one another. Nowhere in the Bible does it say we are to punish.

Finally, Speak God's word often. His words are living and powerful. Find his promises in the Bible and say them out loud.  Pray for your PA too, and watch what God will do. He doesn't want either of you living pitifully. Our Lord didn't send his only son, Jesus, to die for you, so that you could live pathetic lives. He desires for you to live great lives, having big impacts on other people while filled with the Holy Spirit. And don't forget the most important thing of all, God loves you so! He will never leave or forsake you.

In the End

It's my hope and prayer that we all come back to the place where we put God first in our lives. I pray that His voice will be heard over all others. Our nation is a mess. The world is a mess. So much of that is our own fault. We have tried to please others before pleasing God. We have made man more important than our Lord.

The video I'm posting was made by me. I hope that it will inspire you to make a choice for love. May your new year be full of Peace and Blessings!

Blessing or Curse?

Have you ever felt as though you were like Daniel in the lions den? That no matter how hard you try to do things right they just seem to be going wrong?

Perhaps it's during times like these that our faith is truly tested. How much are we relying on God? Have we surrendered?

Christ lived on this earth with so much faith in God He was willing to trust that God's plan was perfect. He allowed himself to be hung on a cross because he believed, he suffered and then he died. He went to the depths of Hell and told Satan that in the future. anyone who accepted his death, as a gift of forgiveness, would be with him in Heaven forever. He then rose again and now waits for us to join him.

We who have accepted Christ have our salvation and we have our faith, but wouldn't it be wonderful if we could have our faith grow? Maybe instead of seeing all that has happened to us as a curse, we could see it as a blessing, an opportunity for our faith to grow and to become closer to being as faithful as Jesus.

The Shoes

I walked through life in my own shoes and finally wore them out.
I was told that God had loaners, so I could see what He's about.
They felt comfortable and forgiving, I stepped in hope and love,
I ran with purpose and passion; then rested like a peaceful dove.

When trials began to come my way and I had to make a choice,
I chose to put on God's sandals and I swore that I heard His voice.
As the sand came trickling in, I sensed something going out,
I was walking along with confidence, unhindered by any doubt.

I soon came upon a mountain  which looked rough and hard to climb,
God knew that I wasn't young anymore, I wasn't in my prime.
I decided to let God chose for me, the shoes that I would wear.
He knew my size for comfort and I trusted that he cared.

Then a storm came rolling in and I thought that I might die,
Lightning struck both right and left and smoke filled my eyes.
With my bare feet needing some cover, all I could do was wait.
Death was coming after me, I had to rely solely on my faith.

Then came a breath of wind and the storm began moving out.
A path had been cut through the mountain, exposing my new route.
As I took my very next step I could see that I was no longer alone,
Jesus was standing on stones of gold and my shoes were safely home.

Walking in His Word

I have been engaged in many conversations regarding people's beliefs that The Bible must be untrue, is outdated, and is no longer valid.  One major reason I hear this repeated seems to stem from people who believe that God loves everyone, therefore, if he created people gay, he must love them the way they are, and what The Bible states about being gay just can't be true. Therefore if this can't be true, The Bible is not true, and has to be disqualified.

This provokes many questions for me. First, I'd like to know who the specific person is that has proven that people are born gay. What is their name and where is their proof that God created them this way? I know God. I do not know this person who has claimed that people are born gay. How am I to believe an unknown source? Does he have a special book?

Second, Do I think God loves gay people? Of course I do. I think God loves everyone but, God does have rules. He guides us with His Word, the Bible, and even though we may fail, it is in our best interest to try and obey Him. To reject God's Word and worship a god that is only pleasing to us, our desires, and our senses is in essence creating and worshiping an idol god. This shows no respect towards God, as God, but instead, places him closer to the level which we are at; as human. In Proverbs 8:17 NASB it reads; " I love those who love me, and those who diligently seek me find me." We find God in the Bible and we learn about God's character from the Bible. God's Word never changes. People's opinion of God do."This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me with their lips, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men" Matthew 15:8,9 ESV

As I walk through this life with my faith it is my hope and prayer that people will Love the Lord thy God with all their heart, soul and mind, and that we will love each other a we love ourselves; just as The Bible says. The Bible is a book of love, not hate. We should never cause harm to anyone because they are gay. We should pray for them just as we would pray for any other. Each one of us, alone, will have to answer to God one day so it's important to do the best we can to follow Him and seek forgiveness when we fall short. The Bible is and always will be the true source for finding out what God wants for us, what all He has given us and the plans He has for us. Many may say that the Bible is outdated and untrue. One day these people are going to have to stand before God and when he asks the question, "Why did you reject my Word?" I wonder what they will say.

Sexual Healing

Who is your God?

I recently came across this photo and Billy Graham quote and couldn't agree more with what it reads. People have their priorities mixed up. They are putting people before God.

Adolf Hitler said, "Make the lie big, make it simple, keep saying it, and eventually they will believe it." Unfortunately, the advice from this evil man has become used today and is true. It's very difficult for us Christians to listen to the propaganda that is brainwashing so many. Our hearts break for the lies that are being told and for the people who are being deceived. But this is all no surprise to God. He knows the tactics that Satan will use and the games that he would play. We are all living in a time of spiritual warfare but, fear not for Christ has already conquered Satan.1 John 3:8  NIV.

In the movie ,"The Great Debaters," with Denzel Washington, these words are repeated.
Who is the Judge?
The Judge is God.
Why is He God?
Because he decides who wins or loses, not my opponent.
Who is your opponent?
He does not exist.
Why doesn't he exist?
Because he is the mere dissenting voice of the truth that I speak.

I love this as a Christian. It reminds me of how unremarkable Satan is and how great our God is.

Mother Teresa once wrote the poem, "Anyway," and the last verse reads as follows. "You see, in the final analysis, it is between you and your God; It was never between you and them anyway. 

We as Christian's need to remember this.

Voices

To a great extent, living is a solitary act and our primary companion is ourselves. The voice that we listen to most is our own and our perceptions of each experience become our reality. We can also learn to discern between hearing God's voice and that of Satan's. It's important for each of us to be able to distinguish the difference.

Satan is the great deceiver who comes only to kill, steal and destroy. He doesn't wait until we are of age to attack us; he doesn't plan a party for the day we turn twenty one.  No, Satan begins early, with the children, and takes their perceptions of the world around them; fueling them with deceptions. He attacks their confidence with attempts to make them feel inferior. He shows them what insecurity means. He teases them with rejection and uses anger and lust and pride to make inroads in hopes that he can twist them.

On the other hand, God is everyone's Father and speaks out of love. He would never tell you do anything wrong or give any advice that would hurt you. He will never lie to you or deceive you and it's important for our children to get to know him. Recognize his voice. Read His word. He's available for anyone who needs Him. With God you are never alone.

Peace

      There is something about the old hippie in me that will never tire of the word, "peace." I no longer hold up my two fingers while saying this, well, maybe I do, but I really think the word is cool.

      Peace is something that we all hope for. Back in 60's and 70's we had Jesus freaks. They tried to spread peace by way of Jesus. I have to admit that I tried to avoid them, but I liked the message they were sending.

      So much of my life has evolved around this thing called peace. I use to try to find peace with my parents as a teenager, I try to maintain peace with my husband and I'm always praying for peace with my children. I find it's an important word and a valuable thing to seek. Most days I am very blessed to have peace in my heart even when things seem crazy in the world around me. But that peace isn't something I have learned how to have along the way. No, it is a blessing I've received from Jesus.

      In order to carry on with the hippie, "peace" tradition, I would like to encourage everyone to pray for peace and prosperity within their nation. In Jeremiah 29:7, NIV,  it states, "Also, seek the peace and prosperity of the city to which I have carried you into exile. Pray to the Lord for it, because as it prospers, you prosper too. 

      Our nations and governments will never be able to provide us with the peace that we are hoping to find. We need to seek out our peace in Jesus.

     

Clouds

I have become very intrigued with the sky over the last few years and amazed with all the pictures that God has provided me with. I took this photo today from Michigan. Thank you God, I heart you too!

This picture also reminds me of the bible verse, "Your unfailing love, O Lord, is as vast as the heavens;your faithfulness reaches beyond the clouds." NLB  

God, Can you hear me now?

Have you ever prayed from the deepest of desperation you have ever known only to find that God doesn't seem to be listening? Have you ever been brought to the brink of your faith, wondering why God isn't helping?

Not so long ago, I went through an excruciating time in my life.  I prayed that God would come to help me, but he was silent, and I was wondering why he seemed to be gone.  I went through many emotions during this time. I became angry with God, confused by his silence, and wondered what it was that I had done that was so wrong.

Before long, I went back to my bible and searched for God's promises to hear me. These are some of the things that I found out.

Our God is not in a hurry like we are. He already has things worked out. I began to see this as an opportunity for me, a chance to practice some patience. When the time is right we will all see what God has been doing. In Psalms 40:1 it states, "I waited patiently for God to help me;then He listened and hear my cry.TLB

We need to see that our God is bigger than our problems and not the other way around. Crying and whining about our difficulties must seem almost humorous to Him.
Be still and know that I am God.  Psalms 46;10 TLB

We need to learn that God is working on our behalf and He does hears us when we pray. Our attempts at begging and pleading over and over are unnecessary. Take for example when Moses brought the people out of Egypt and Pharaoh's army had them trapped on one side, the Red Sea had them trapped from the other. God already knew what He planned to do. He knew how He was going to save the people.That's why Exodus 14:14 makes sense,  The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still. NIV  


To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under heaven. Ecclesiastes 3:1NKJ
This verse describes why it is that God may seem silent during times of desperate prayer. He has His own timing, His own way of helping us, and His ways are absolutely perfect. The next time you pray and feel that God is not listening, just step back and know that He has already worked the problem out and while you are waiting to see your results, thank Him for the opportunity to gain some patience. Thank him for being bigger than your problem and thank Him for being your loving God. If you, like me, don't hear from Him right away, don't let yourself become fearful that God may not chose to help you or that God will be too slow and be too late. I have also held these fears and doubted, but I pushed past them to hold onto my faith and in doing so I have never once been disappointed. I have seen God work in mysterious ways, providing solutions I could have never even thought of, and he always comes though in perfect time. It's an exciting adventure to watch God's work and to see all the glorious things that He can do! Yes, I do believe that God hears me, and you need to believe that he hears you too!