BEWARE THE ANGER

Make no friendship with an angry

man, and with a furious man do

not go lest you learn his ways and set

a snare for your soul.

Proverbs 22: 24,25

Not sure if anyone is paying attention, but we are living in the midst of a culture made up of alot of very angry people.  We see them in politics, varied demonstrations, but see them even in our own lives.  It could be that others might be seeing this issue in us as well.

We are given a real caution in the above verses.  First we are given a NO when it comes to a friendship with someone who seems to be angry alot of the time.  The why follows the what and who...anger is catching, contageous even though we might not think so.

Anger can  the produce most unfortunate of consequences.  I'm thinking of some friends who taught at a Christian college.  A student approached the couple with the grand announcement that she and another student from the college were engaged.  She was hoping for their congratulations.  However, the couple knew the young man very well and wasn't too terribly exited for the girl.  He was known for his hot temper and tendency to having an overall spirit of anger.  I asked this friend of mine what they said to her.  One of them simply took out a slip of paper and with pen wrote on that paper "Proverbs 22:24,25" and handed it to her.  Unfortunately in a few years, the young lady paid dearly for deciding to go ahead with the relationship.

There may be times to feel a certain anger but it can be done without sinning.  Scripture tells us that it is possible.  The above anger is one of temper, sometimes loss of emotional control and at times loss of physical control.  Jesus cleaned up the temple on occasion with a righteous anger while the rest of His life we see a Man, always in control of Himself in every situation, especially with all the confrontations with political and spiritual big-wigs.

May we, with Holy Spirit power, learn to keep in control of our thoughts and actions that will glorify our Father.  Second hand anger is always a threat, that is being angry because someone else is.  May our temperament reveal Jesus in our lives as much as possible.

Father, forgive me for the times I've been angry when it wasn't necessary.  There have been times I've been boiling inside but You know that as well as I do.  May I keep my focus on you with help from Your Holy Spirit to maintain a spiritual calm in my life that will honor You and serve others.  In Jesus' precious name...Amen

 

THE GRAND PLAN

For I know the thoughts that I

think toward you, says the LORD,

thoughts of peace and not of evil,

to give you a future and a hope.

Isaiah 29:11

Ladies must become very bored with me when I suggest to them that when God works in our lives, He always knows what He is doing.  In our individual lives, God has  a  grand plan.  He's so smart and knows every detail of our lives.  He knows what is best in our every situation.  

God's plans are perfect, down to the smallest detail.  There are times when things come into our lives that we can't imagine what is going on.  However, if we are in tune with our Father, we've got to know that He is in charge of our lives.  At times, we don't get choices, much as human parents would deal with their own children. 

When God has a particular plan for us, it will always be a custom fit.  His plan for us will be personalized and precise.  Some plans may seem the same for several believers all at the same time, but God's planning for you and me is a custom fit...designed for we individuals.  You see, God sees each of us in a very personal light.  What works for one person, would never apply to another.  What I love about this thought is how God views each of us in a very personal way, away from the crowd...one on one with Him.  This way, there can be no confusion as to God's plan designed just for me.  Some plans can be tough, but we realize how personalized His plans are. 

God's plans are very timely and  He is very prompt in His timing of events.  So many times, I have wished God would move a little faster in solving a concern of mine.  Sometimes, I am waiting for an answer regarding a particular situation but God's answer is rarely in sync with my expetations.  He sees so much further down the road than we can see.

What God's plan has in store for us is nothing but perfection.  Going through some difficulties may not ring with perfection but God does everything pure of motive and with our best interest at heart.  He makes no mistakes, especially in His relationship with each of us.  He can be trusted with our very lives, even when we don't understand what is going on.

Father, I often don't understand some things happening in my life but know you are at the wheel of my circumstances.  I know Your plans for me in this life will always be for my good and Your glory.  In Jesus' name...Amen 

THE RIGHTEOUS MAN

The righteous man walks in

his integrity; his children

are blessed after him.

Proverbs 20:7

Father's Day is a bit touchy for me.  The children and I used to make a big deal of it with Brian even though he didn't much want any fuss.  He didn't like the pastor asking the dad's to stand up in church on this holiday although he did it.  It might have lookied a  little odd if he hadn't done it.

Brian was a husband any woman would  have loved to have.  He was loving, thoughtgful and one of the dearest Christians I had ever known.  When I saw the above verse, I thought about him because of that word INTEGRTY.  He was a man of integrity from the top of his head to the soul of his feet.  The only lie (I put that lightly) he was known to tell was to our children when they would ask his age.  His answer was always the same....23.  When the children got old enough to do some addition noting that I would have been many years older than him, he would explain by telling them that I had adopted him.

Church attendance was never a question.  If we had company on a Sunday, they either went with us or stayed home while we went.  One time, I was ill over a weekend and we had two little girls, hardly kindergarten age and a younger baby boy.  I remember him preparing the diaper bags and took off with all three to church even though they would have been separated in the nursery facilities somewhere.  How he  got in three lines at the end of the service I'll ever know.

I must say from my standpoint that I grew spiritually under his leadership.  He practiced his faith and service.  He was a student of the Word and was my extra commentary source when preparing Bible studies of any sort.  

Someone asked me one day what I missed about Brian having gone to Heaven.  I told her that it was everything, but miss his influence in my life in so many ways.

I guess this is too personal for a blog but many others I know could write some of the same things on this day.  I'm a blessed wife that God would bring such a person into my life.  All dad's aren't alike and can't be compared.  Dad's become much of who they are because of their family of wife and children.  God knew Adam would need an Eve but also knew ahead of time that we Eve's would need our Adams.

Thank You Father for the privilege we have of the loving and godly influence of our men on Father's Day.  Perhaps even just as blessed are our children who have benefited in so many ways through strong dads.  In Jesus' name...Amen

DON'T QUIT!

 And let us not grow weary
  in well doing  
for in due season we shall
reap if we do not lose
heart.
Galatians 6:9

We are right here at the onset of the summer months.  Folks are making all sorts of plans for coming days.  Many will travel to places of interest, get together with family members who may live at a distance or just plan events closer to home.  Perhaps it's the hot weather and general climate of things but somehow, these three months seem so much different from the other nine.  Yes, climates, holidays and so many things make our seasons different, but the summer months are just something else.

Spiritually these months can pose some risks.  They aren't different in physical ways but spiritually, we can experience a slow down in feelings we either don't notice or don't understand.  It's during these months we can quit doing some things that are normal for us the rest of the year.  We can lose faithfulness in our church attendance, in our Bible reading, in times of prayer and in being of service to others.  It's like for some that many things are put on hold until September.  We can't quit those things that are an in-depth part of us.  We should plow on without quitting.

There may be some things, however, that might merit our quitting-ness. 

Hot weather often brings on anger and negative attitudes.  Be it anger, complaining, selfishness, there are those things we should in God's power quit.

Just as children go to chuch camp in the summer, perhaps we can plan our own spiritual times for these months...a new book to read, a different Bible to study and mark up, getting out into nature frequently even if it's sitting in the car by a mountain stream, putting a jig saw puzzle together or doing a craft project that isn't too complicated.  The key is to keep God a part of all we plan.  I've done this before and found it refreshing.  I didn't do all those things at once but made some changes for the sake of variety.

Above all, we just can't quit on Jesus.  For sure, He didn't quit on us when circumstances were worse than a hot, steamy day.  He didn't quit on us and we mustn't quit on Him no matter the season we face.

Father, we love you even though a times we may not show it as much as we should.  You are so faithful and loving to us and that hasn't stopped.  You never quit on us and may we be consistent in our love for you.  In Jesus name...Amen

 

     REMEMBER WHEN    

I will remember the works of

the LORD; surely I will remember

Your wonders of old.

Psalm 77:11

The other day, I saw an item on my computer where someone had duplicated the inside of the average home back in the 60's.  As I looked at the tour, it looked very much like my house in the 50's even with the clotheslines in the backyard with laundry hanging on them.  I felt such a sentimental warmth because it all looked so familiar.  The kitchen, with appliances is always a feature.  I don't recall a TV anyplace but there were some radios here and there.  From drapes to pictures on the wall, that of course included a yearly calendar with all of the hangings, would be so very dull in our day of fancy furnishings, no matter a person's income.

It's interesting at certain ages the things we remember from time past including both positive and negative memories.  Hopefully we have dealt with the unfortunate times but the sweetness of life's memories should be keepers.  It's interesting how we remember events, people, special relationships, places lived and jobs held.

What concerns me about me is that I have a life full of great memories of family, friends and life in general.  What I fail to remember are so many of the things that come under the category of GOD'S BLESSINGS.  I realize the it might seem a little odd having a time of thanksgiving in June when we usually reserve such for the month of November, but God often gets slighted in this area.

I don't look back often enough to that sunny day in our church when I went forward to accept Jesus as my Savior.  With some chagrin, I remember baptism the next Sunday evening when six of us were to be baptized.  The water heater had broken, it was very cold weather, but we went on with the baptism anyway.  Don't think I've been that cold since.  There were church camps I loved and learned.  God led me and sustained me in a four year Christian college.  Through the years, He gave me so many opportunities to serve Him and still does.  He has held me in the palm of His great hand through the thick and thins of life.  He's taught me to love His Word, to study it and teach it to dear ladies I love.  

There are more and more sweet memories of God's working in my life.  I never want Him to think I don't remember His love and goodness.  No matter our age, what a blessing remembering the former years of regular life but even moreso, remembering how God has worked His marvelous wonders to the present .  

Father, Thank You  so much for the memories.  There have been smiles but tears as well.  Through Your loving care, I can remember where You have brought me from up to and include this very moment. I never want to forget your goodness.      In Jesus precious name...Amen