Walk Worthy

If someone followed your path would they know that you are a Christian?

In your home....
In your workplace...
In public....
In private...
In your relationships?

Do your reactions and interactions glorify the One who gave His life for you?

Would someone be drawn to Christ by your disposition?

Are your actions and characteristics those that honor the home the Lord has given you, the family He's entrusted to you, and the people in which He's placed you in contact?  Does your path take you alongside the Lord to grow in knowledge each day?

Please take no offense at any of these questions.  I asked these of myself today after reading Colossians 1:10 during my devotion time.  "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God."   

Walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing....there's that little word again....all.      If all of my walk should be worthy 'of the Lord,' then there are areas that definitely need cleaning out and improvement.  (I'm glad you haven't seen my basement lately.) And since I've mentioned it...I'm glad you can't hear every thought in my head which could use some reining in. God has promised to help with that... "and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). 

Fruitful in every good work...is there time that I fritter away (I'm not speaking of relaxation-we do need that)...For a small example...every time I spend 1/2 an hour looking for something because I know I have that thing - and end up driving to the store to buy another--it's not expensive---but now I've wasted time AND money simply because I wasn't organized.  

God cannot entrust us with much...if we don't take care of a little.  He cannot fill us with spiritual knowledge if we clutter our minds with worldly thoughts and preoccupations. I have some cleaning out to do I know - so that my walk will be more worthy of the Lord and his presence.

A final question....When I walk by do I leave behind a sweet savor of the Lord's presence?
This devotion was for me today...I have  'cleaning' to do within me.  But if you want to help me start on the basement...Friday works for me.  :)

Walk worthy of the Lord today.
Laura

Improving & Growing

Last night was our last night of VBS.   The final scripture happened to be my life verse.  So I decided I am going to get a little brave and show you a piece of art I'm not happy with. (I tried to place them side by side, but blogger won't allow me.)  The first pic is my almost finished product for a children's book--which I'm still not quite happy with.   The 2nd pic is my first rendering, done some time ago, which I don't like, although I was going to use it for the project anyway.  However, my conscience or Type A personality or Colossians 3:23 wouldn't allow it. 

I have improved some skills since first doing the squirrels and the 2nd pic does not reflect what I have learned.  So I redid the picture.  Still not happy - So should I accept sub-par?  Or should I completely re-do A-GAIN?  (The deadline is mine, so that is not an issue.)This internal debate reminded me of the scripture in 2 Peter 3:18, "Grow in Grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ..."   The Greek word for 'grace' means that which affords joy, pleasure, delight, sweetness, loveliness, and charm.  The 2nd definition is of course unmerited favor.  Having received grace from God (which I don't deserve) I feel I have grown and matured in Christ over the years.  Yet sometimes I still find myself acting like a spiritual baby (Hebrews 5:13-14).  My flesh reacts faster than my spirit and I'm either whining, grumbling, or saying things I shouldn't or at the very least still thinking them.If I have learned more and grown as a Christian, than why am I not showing that growth as often as I should?Same reason I was going to use the sub-par pictures....it's easier.  Too often do we just use our old habits and life styles out of convenience?  We've been given a counselor to help us, and an instruction book if you catch my meaning....Daily we need to pray and ask for the strength, direction and will to behave as mature Christians.  Daily.  Then we will be able to show the grace to others that we have received.   Well, I'm off to work on a certain painting....May you grow in grace today,Laura   

Thanksgiving Is Everyday!

'In everything give thanks' 
(1 Thessalonians 5:18a)

When those little girls open their eyes what will they say to the little boy?  What would you?  'That's not fair?  I'm gonna' tell!'      Children always want things to be fair and even. As adults we know that doesn't always happen.  Events and circumstances change, sometimes for the worse.

I've been rereading some of the "Little House on the Prairie" books.  Ma Ingalls would always say, 'there is nothing so bad, that some small good can't come from it.'  The Ingalls lost their cash corn crop to huge flocks of blackbirds - but they ate tasty blackbird pie.

It's been in some of my life's most difficult situations that I have grown the most.  Have I always given God thanks for the trials?  To be honest - not until someone either reminds me or when it's the only remaining thing to do. And I'll admit, my giving thanks may only be half-hearted. But amazingly, it seems when I start thanking God even for the trials, or sorrow, or humbling of my heart,that God begins to change the circumstance and even my attitude about it.

Today, I wish you a Happy Thanksgiving, and I pray that your heart will give thanks in everything, and remember that the God of all will help you through the trials.

May God Bless you,

Laura

Living with Rabbits or How to Handle Irritation

Ziggy with his favorite chew toy.

My husband confessed the other day that he secretly snickers when I walk in the den and he hears, "RRRR.......RABBIT!!"  He knows the bunny has done something....chewed through a cord, eaten an important piece of paper, nibbled an art pencil, or knocked down the jar of food...and he has the nerve to find it amusing!

We have lived with a rabbit in the house going on 13 years now.  You'd think we would have ourselves trained by now.  We've owned two bunnies, Ziggy who lived for 11 years, and Sully who is almost 2.  These bunnies have been fun, engaging, charming little balls of PURE DESTRUCTION.  Both of them have eaten through computer and electrical cords, nibbled their way through piles of books, ripped open bags of rabbit food and hay (that were in cabinets they managed to open) as well as chewing their way through bedroom slippers, shoelaces, stuffed animals, and stripping wallpaper.

The rabbit ate my homework.!

WHY DO WE KEEP THE BUNNY?  Entertainment?  Fuzz Therapy?  It's not for the calming affect they have on me that's for sure.  I had an impulsive moment yesterday and bought blue nail polish.  I painted my fingers and then....I painted my toes.  As I was getting ready to write this I was standing in my bare feet in the den and I felt a nip and a nibble on my big toe.  The bunny was trying to eat the nail polish off my toe.   RRRR.....RABBIT!   I had to get up and put on slippers....which I hope he doesn't eat.

Scolding a bunny does not work.  Their expression never changes.  We've tried to rabbit proof things.  Cord covers, locks on cabinets, keep things off the floor, but occasionally something slips by the radar.  It's as challenging as having a toddler in the house. Interestingly this whole scenario reminded me of dealing with irritating people in our lives.  The person might be immediate family (not MY husband...), a relative, co-worker, or *gasp* church member, or just someone you meet while shopping, or dining - you know who I mean.    How do we handle the irritation?

There is only once when Jesus got irritated enough to yell. (Matthew 21:12-13) This was because the temple of His Father was being profaned.  But there were many times when the Pharisees were murmuring against him or trying to trip him up with sly questions.  Jesus, however, maintained his calm, answered respectfully, and showed love, even while on the cross, "Father, forgive them..." (Luke 23:34).

How do we follow Jesus' example?   Philippians 4:5 says, "let your moderation [gentleness] be known to all men."  Again we see gentleness mentioned here, "And the servant of the Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient" (2 Timothy 2:24).    But how can I achieve this level of kindness or gentleness?  How can we bite back bitterness or anger?

Some years ago I attended a workshop on puppet ministry.  Patty was the leader's name and she made a profound impact on my spiritual life by one simple statement.  She was telling us that in starting a ministry for the Lord we needed to be prepared for conflict.  She told us that when they started their puppet ministry, Growing Vines, a man from their church came and said he thought that it was a waste of time and money for such a foolish venture and did not see how silly puppets could tell the Gospel. There were many of us in the group that gasped audibly.  Then she said to us, "I am so glad I was 'prayed up,' or I would have answered in anger."  Prayed up.  Prayed up.

  ^"And in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he [Jesus] went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed." (Mark 1:35) If Jesus, being God, still needed to take time to pray about his day, how much more do we need that solitary time to let God prepare us for our day?

The Growing Vines puppet ministry is still going strong.  And by the way, after seeing their first performance, the church member came up to Patty crying and apologized and said how wrong he was about the puppets.  

Have a blessed day - and get PRAYED UP!
Laura

P.S.  If you would like to see my favorite bunny book, Marshmallow, click here.
   And also - We keep the little irritating ball of fur because he is also one of God's creations that teaches me patience every day.  

We CAN Be Perfect-Part 1

I recently had the blessing of doing a devotion for a group of pastor's wives.  When I was first asked by phone if I would do the devotion I was tempted to pretend we had a bad  connection, but the woman asking was a friend and is very lovely, spirit-filled, and sweet.  So I tried to squash the feelings of inadequacies, inexperience and insecurities and said okay.    Then I started praying, "O, Lord, please help me make this devotion PERFECT in front of my peers."  Even I could hear God laughing at that.   I've never done anything 'perfect.' Oh, I've tried, and praise God, my family lived through my craziness and hyper-anxiety.  And they still let me live with them.    But the word PERFECT seemed to echo---we all have that desire to be perfect - yet it eludes us.  I did a scientific poll (okay-it was four or five friends), asking what is the definition of perfect?  They said, without fault, no blemishes, making no mistakes, blameless.
     Can any of us live up to that definition?  Hardly-my hand would have to be the first one in the air to admit to my own lacking.   Yet  Jesus says in Matthew 5:48, "Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect."  I never got that.  So God directed me in a biblical study of the word perfect.     In the Bible there are different definitions of 'perfect' in the Hebrew and Greek.  Let's look at some Old Testament examples.  In 2 Samuel 22:33 (refer to picture above) perfect [Hebrew: tamiyn] means complete, whole, entire and what is in accord with truth and fact.   1 Kings 8:61 says,  "Let your heart therefore be perfect [Hebrew:  shalem] with the LORD our God, to walk in his statutes, and to keep his commandments, as at this day."  Perfect here means 'safe, peaceful, whole.'   Hezekiah, in 2 Kings 20:3, prays to God and reminds him that he (Hezekiah) has walked with a 'perfect' heart.  God hears and adds 15 years to his life and performs the miracle of reversing the sun's path.  Noah, Abram, David, and Job are also described as having a 'perfect' heart. 
      So what does this mean to us?   We are lacking, yes, but when we bind our hearts to God he completes us, and fills those gaps, buffs out the imperfections, and makes us complete, safe and peaceful.   What great hope and joy that gives me!  
     So can we be perfect?  What do you think? Post a comment below.  Part 2 will talk about the definition of 'perfect' from the New Testament.
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