They Deserve This!

It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.1 Corinthians 13:5

The verse given above refers to love. Many times when we are hurt we feel  like getting back at  the one who hurt us. Perhaps you refuse to truly forgive and forget, holding  grudges against a friend or family member. This type of treatment is painful and it is mean. 

It hurts when you are shunned or treated poorly by someone.  Harboring hurts and un forgiveness can build up a wall of resentment. This is exactly the kind of stuff Satan loves, discord and anger among brothers and sisters in Christ and family members. God's recipe for a successful relationship  should include the ingredients of honor, peace, forgiveness, sacrifice, and forgetting wrongs.

Try something if you will. If you can not forget something someone did to you ask God to help you. There is nothing gained by trying to throw up a wrong in someone else's face. Let the Holy Spirit convict. Your job is to pray, love, and forgive.

PRAYER: Lord I want to be a representative of your type of love. Give me your strength to resist making lists of wrongs. Help me to remember to pray for those who may have hurt me, as your word tells me to. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Celebrity News

You shall have no other god's before me. Exodus 20:3

 What is it about celebrities that fascinates us? We are all just people from different walks of like. The Hollywood actor puts his or her pants on the same way I do but they may cost more money.   As I was in the waiting room of my car dealership recently,  I observed the reaction of others in the room when the caption came on TV "Amy Poehler News".  Was I seated with anticipation of what was to come? I was not,  but it sure made lots of folks in the room look up at the screen.

Celebrity status can ruin a person if they are not careful. When sports figures fresh out of college having a signing to play professional sports at millions of dollars, this money could mark their ruin and demise if they are not careful. When a person starts thinking more highly of themselves, that is a recipe for disaster. We should treat all people the same regardless of life stature and not make someone famous our 'god'.

Lots of valuable time that could have been spent in prayer and getting to know God is wasted daily on meaningless news that does nothing for growing us to be more like Christ. If this is your weak area allow God to transform you to making Him the one true celebrity.

PRAYER:Lord I do not want any other "god" to come before you whether it is people who are famous, your alma mater, your job or any activity I regularly put before you. I want to be transformed to put you truly first. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Bounce Back

 Surely God is my help; the Lord is the One who sustains me. Psalm 54:4

How are you feeling today? Perhaps a dead end feeling where you just do not know if you can go on. Circumstances in your life may have just reached the point you do not know where to turn. This could be as a result of a loss of some sort. Maybe loss of a family member, loss of a dream, loss of good health. Whatever it is, you can make it and you can bounce back on go on! "But I feel so down and out and discouraged" you may say. God does know how you feel and He is your comfort in times of trouble. There have been  times in my life I let things overwhelm me and I just had to get away and get into the Word. Sometimes doing something for others is an excellent remedy.

When feelings overwhelm you and you just want to run away, that is not a feeling from God. That is right from the pit of hell and from Satan. He is not a comic book character with a little red pitchfork but is roaming around seeking to destroy us. The Bible tells us in James 4:7 to "resist the devil and he will flee from us".  Satan is a master of messing with our thoughts and our minds. It is necessary to stay focused on good and not evil. Get control of your mind and fill it with the Word of God.

If you need to 'bounce back' pick up your Bible and open it to the book of Psalms, John, or Proverbs. Just let God's word heal you.

PRAYER: Lord I know you love me and it is not your desire for me to go through life despairing. I trust in you Lord and know your words will guide me and strengthen me. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click link to worship God in song.

http://youtu.be/DXDGE_lRI0E

Whoa There Oh Great One

 For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. Romans 12:3

Humility is very important. Needless to say probably everyone has boasted at one time or another but I had a boss in the Army at Fort Campbell, Kentucky who would say "Let your virtues speak for themselves". Military members are awarded with all sorts of ribbons and medals for outstanding valor and service and most, if not all, would humbly say they did not deserve it. One of our very own young men whom our prayer group, Moms in Prayer, had been lifting up for several years, was severely wounded last year in Afghanistan. He was recently interviewed on CBS TV and I have a link to that at the end of my devotion. This young man endured much and received the Purple Heart and maybe other awards I am unaware of. He is a brave deserving young man who lost friends and comrades in the attack he was wounded in. 

Awards and recognition are extremely nice to receive. When you are the honoree or some special degree, award, or recognized some other way try to be humble and let God have the glory. It is God who gives me the ideas for my writing. To Him goes all the glory. 

PRAYER: I thank you Lord for awards, honors, tributes and all forms of human praise. When and if I do receive and honor help me remember to give you the praise and glory. In Jesus' name. Amen.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/injured-army-captain-determined-to-go-back-to-battle/

Click one more link for awesome song of praise:

http://youtu.be/_E4_MUUaioc

Family Is Forever

From  birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you. Psalm 71:6

Today is my older sister's birthday. Everyone thinks she looks younger but I am not mad.  I am so thankful to have her in my life and to have a good relationship. I know of a family right now here in Tennessee where two brothers have not spoken in over six years over something that could be taken care of by simply being humble and saying forgive me. Marriages could be saved if spouses would just talk and be able to forgive.

I talk about Satan lots and that is not to glorify him because he is a destroyer, but it is simply to magnify the fact to believer's that we need to defeat him at his game. He is tricky and works undercover to weave his web of destruction. He loves to destroy families. If you tear apart the family you can cripple this great nation. If you do not acknowledge he is real and out to get you then he is overjoyed. Too many churches do not mention spiritual warfare. My friend, it is real. 

So back to my wonderful sister. She is a blessing who I thank God for. I am blessed by a wonderful family. Hold on to yours tight and if you are estranged do the right thing and reconcile. You will be thankful for it. 

PRAYER: Lord you are good and your mercies endure forever. Thank you for the gift of family. Thank you for birthdays. Help me not dread getting older but be thankful for each year. In Jesus' name. Amen. 

Hurting? Move On Would You?

If an enemy were insulting me, I could endure it;if a foe were rising against me,  I could hide.But it is you, a man like myself,my companion, my close friend, with whom I once enjoyed sweet fellowship at the house of God, as we walked about among the worshipers. Psalm 55:12-14

Hurts in life occur. Rejection by a friend or loved one for unexplainable reasons is one of the hardest to endure but yet one I have had to go through more than one time. I say, "Lord what is it I am to learn from this lesson" and those who dislike me would say "take the hint girl". 

Broken relationships of any sort hurt God immensely. He would rather us dwell in unity. Since creation and the fall, people have been at odds with each other. Many verses in the Bible attest to this. I always say when bad junk happens to me I have new writing material so I guess am very thankful for being "emotionally bruised" by a few former friends. Satan is overjoyed at all kinds of relationship problems. If only true believers could not let this happen. Growth does come through problems in life though.

Do not let people have power over you and rob you of your joy. Cling to those friends who love and appreciate you, warts and all. We can not make everyone like us. Run to Jesus and pray for your enemies. That's in the Bible!

PRAYER: Lord help me to learn from problems in life and hurts in life. I love you and love the people on this Earth, even those who hate me. Help me as I seek to remain focused on you and not get down on myself. In Jesus' name. Amen

Hooray for the Red, White, and Blue!

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people who He chose for His inheritance. Psalm 33:12

From the statistics I see  on my blogger site I know I have some foreign readers, which thrills me! So to those foreign readers  please bear with me for a moment okay?  Today in America happens to be Memorial Day. This day is set aside to honor those men and women who in service to this country paid the ultimate price with the shedding of their blood. It is because of these brave men and women that we can sit in a free country today with all of its' benefits.

After the terrorists attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon on September 11, 2001 once again the flag and country became popular. If you did not already own an  American flag, there were hardly flags in stock then. In my opinion all Americans should have an American flag  and put it out on display proudly every day not just on Memorial Day or other patriotic holidays.

The flag is very  important to those who have served in our Armed  Forces especially in foreign lands and on faraway battlefields. When the tragic death of a service member occurs on active duty his or her flag draped coffin comes into Dover AFB in Delaware, where they process deceased active duty soldiers. My father served a  few years in the World War II era and thankfully got sick and was not deployed with his unit of coastal artillery most of whom  were killed. Even though never in combat I requested that when he die, there would be an American flag on his casket. I have that flag in a case now on display in my home. I would like a flag on my casket when my time on Earth is complete too. I am proud of this great nation and all it means to the many immigrants who  legally came here for freedom on the Mayflower and beyond. The Pilgrims braved harsh conditions and many did not survive. The flag is a symbol of a free nation whose people loved Jesus as well.

Take a moment today wherever you are and stop and thank God for the freedom we enjoy and ask for His protection over the Armed Forces as they serve selflessly throughout the world often with little respect by others.

PRAYER: On this day Lord I say thank you for living in America. Thank you for freedom. Thank you for those who serve to protect us. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Click link below and listen to a tribute to our fallen heroes.

http://youtu.be/3kgYepO7VdM