Don't Forget!

Today is Memorial Day - the day we remember and honor the sacrifices of the men and women who have fought and died for our country. When I think of this I get all choked up, as a mom with a son in the military, I do not take this for granted.

There is another man that gave His all for all mankind ... Jesus Christ! We tend to forget what our freedoms cost. We forget the sacrifice of many on a boot hill. We forget the sacrifice of one man at the hill of Calvary. Jesus asks us in 1 Corinthians to "do this in remembrance of Me." Even though this passage is speaking about taking communion, I wonder how many times we have to have a special occasion such as communion Sunday to "remember" the sacrifice?

Do we need a special day to remember our fallen soldiers or the blood of Jesus? May we never forget the sacrifice and love that was given so freely so we can live free. Take time today to reflect on what was lost so we can live! Don't forget!

Happy Memorial Day!

Our Father is the Pilot!

The following story served as a reminder to me that no matter what turbulence rocks my world, I have a daddy (my Heavenly Father) who sits in the pilot seat and makes sure my trip going home is a safe one!

*******************

A pastor had been on a long flight between church conferences. The first warning of the approaching problems came when the sign on the airplane flashed on: Fasten Your Seat Belts.

Then, after a while, a calm voice said, "We shall not be serving the beverages at this time as we are expecting a little turbulence. Please be sure your seat belt is fastened."

As the pastor looked around the aircraft, it became obvious that many of the passengers were becoming apprehensive.

Later, the voice on the intercom said, "We are so sorry that we are unable to serve the meal at this time. The turbulence is still ahead of us." And then the storm broke . . .cracks of thunder could be heard even above the roar of the engines. Lightning! lit up the darkening skies, and within moments that great plane was like a cork tossed around on a celestial ocean. One moment the airplane was lifted on terrific currents of air; the next, it dropped as if it were about to crash.

The pastor confessed that he shared the discomfort and fear of those around him. He said, "As I looked around the plane, I could see that nearly all the passengers were upset and alarmed. Some were praying. The future seemed ominous and many were wondering if they would make it through the storm."

"Then, I suddenly saw a little girl. Apparently the storm meant nothing to her. She had tucked her feet beneath her as she sat on her seat; she was reading a book and everything within her small world was calm and orderly."

"Sometimes she closed her eyes, then she would read again; then she would straighten her legs, but worry and fear were not in her world. When the plane was being buffeted by the terrible storm when it lurched this way and that, as it rose and fell with frightening severity, when all the adults were scared half to death, that marvelous child was completely composed and unafraid." The minister could hardly believe his eyes.

It was not surprising therefore, that when the plane finally reached its destination and all the passengers were hurrying to disembark, our pastor lingered to speak to the girl whom he had watched for such a long time.

Having commented about the storm and the behavior of the plane, he asked why she had not been afraid.

The child replied, "Cause my Daddy's the pilot, and he's taking me home."

There are many kinds of storms that buffet us. Physical, mental, financial, domestic, and many other storms can easily and quickly darken our skies and throw our plane into apparently uncontrollable movement. We have all known such times, and let us be honest and confess, it is much easier to be at rest when our feet are on the ground than when we are being tossed about a darkened sky.

Let us remember: Our Father is the Pilot. Don't be anxious - don't worry! He is in control and He's taking us home!  -Author Unknown

THANKFUL THURSDAY...do you remember?

MEMORIAL DAY USA. Hamburgers, hot dogs, parades, homemade ice cream, a long weekend. We can do it up right when it comes to a 3 day weekend. We open up our pools, we get the boat out, we go camping, we enjoy some rest and relaxation. But do we actually take time to remember?

Do we remember what we are celebrating and honoring on this weekend?

An Army helicopter lost. Two Marines go into their foxhole but don't make it out. An Air Force fighter plane shot down. A Coast Guard ship sunken. Lives lost. Not just anybodies life..but someones husband, someones wife, a son, a daughter, a brother  - maybe a sister. A child's mother or father taken.

Lives given sacrificially so you and I can live in freedom. Free to enjoy a 3-day weekend. But with all of the hustle and bustle of the holiday weekend, so many of us forget and we don't take time to recognize the lives given. We forget the spouses, the parents and the children that have been left behind.

Today, on this THANKFUL THURSDAY, the eve before the start of another Memorial Weekend, I give thanks and praise to all the men and women who have served our country! On a personal note: I am so proud of my own son, who has served the past 4 years in the Air Force, spending a year apart from his bride ...thank you son for your sacrifice! I will always remember your bravery and sacrifice!

PSALM 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom He has chosen for His own inheritance."

This weekend, take a moment of silence, in honor of those fallen brave men and women. What a great way to remember such a sacrifice!

Dear Lord: May we never forget the great sacrifice of the men and women of our great country who have given their lives so we can be free. Most importantly God, we thank YOU for the greatest sacrifice given ...Your Son, Jesus Christ ... so we can be forgiven! - AMEN

Next week, find us over at Iris's place as she will be our TT hostess for the month of June! Today, you can join your grateful heart with ours below, link up your TT post in Mr. Linky. HAPPY TT!

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD...mission impossible

Have you ever looked at a dog and because of its size or how it looked, said, "I could never love that!" I have not only thought it but I have said it out loud.

Many times we look at people the same way. Just because others are different from us or rub us the wrong way, we decide it is impossible to love them. But is it really an impossible task to love everyone?

True love comes in the form of unconditional love (or Agape love) - this is the kind of love that comes straight from your heart. But this kind of love is really impossible to come straight from our heart because we tend to look at people like we look at unlovable pets - we don't look thru the eyes of Jesus.

I'm not talking about being kind to others or being considerate or thoughtful. I am talking about loving someone totally unconditional and unselfish. How can we love people with this agape love?

We can't! Not in ourselves that is...agape love is not something that we can do, it is only something that God can do! We can love others because He loves us so much that He chooses to express His love through us. This is how we love and accept others like He does. Without His love, we cannot love others in such an unconditional manner.

1 JOHN 4:7 "Love is from God."

It is nearly impossible to give something that you do not have. If you are looking for a kind of love that is able to withstand every pressure and you look within yourselves, you will not find it. Only those who have allowed God into their heart are able to tap into love's real power source. ("Apart from me," Jesus said, "you can do nothing." -John 15:5)

In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question: "What seems impossible for you today?" The top 3 answers were...

1. 25% of those voting said that getting out of debt seemed impossible.
2. 20% voted and said that nothing really seems impossible to them.
3. 12% responded and said that saving their marriage seemed impossible today.

What seems impossible with man is possible with God. Getting out of debt, saving marriages. It is possible! The truth of the matter is, we cannot live without God and we most certainly cannot love without Him either. Put your trust in Him today and see if your mission impossible doesn't turn around into something incredible!

A PIECE OF MY HEART...talking animals

DO YOU EVER TALK TO YOUR PETS? Often times I talk to my 3 dogs. I like to imagine what my dogs are thinking as they look up at me with their ears perked and their cute faces cocked. How shocked I would be if one day one of them just blurted out, "Yo - lady! How about getting us something to eat!" How crazy would that be?

Disney can make animals come alive and talk so why do we question that God could actually make an animal speak to us? I would definitely listen up if animals spoke to me verbally because the Lord instructed them to. Look at how God used a plain donkey to talk:

"The Lord gave the donkey the ability to speak. It asked Balaam, 'What have I done that deserves you beating me 3 times.' " (Numbers 22:28)

Sometimes we just don't listen to God and He has to use extreme measures to get our attention. If you seek Him, you will find Him - but don't be surprised at the extreme measure He might use to get your attention. He may not use a talking donkey - but you never know!

And this has been a piece of my heart today;

Kindness matters!

KINDNESS. When is the last time you had someone act kind to you? More importantly, when is the last time you did something kind for someone else?

Kindness is a choice. When we feel happy or generous, it is easy to be kind but what about those days when we feel discouraged and tired? Sometimes it is difficult to even find the energy to muster up a "good morning" or "have a nice day"! God's commandment is clear to us on this subject of kindness...

MATTHEW 25:40 "Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me."

The least? Does this even mean those I dont' know? or those I don't like? Kindness with a godly twist is making a conscious choice to treat others with kindness and respect - no matter what our circumstances are, no matter how we feel and no matter who comes across our path.

In the busyness and confusion of life, it is so easy to lose focus and become frustrated. When we become distracted and disappointed, we tend to neglect others and neglect this charge to us from God  - to be kind to others. This oversight not only hurts others, but it hurts us as well.

A smile. A hello. A kind word. A helping hand. A compliment. Today, slow down alittle bit and share some kindness in your world - you may not realize it but kindness really does matter!

Finding TRUST in the midst of tragedy

Tragedy hit our small community yesterday. Today, on the morning after, people are still in shock of the events that unfolded in our city, just 2 blocks from my home.

A routine traffic stop (a possible drug related stop) turns bloody and deadly as two men in the vehicle armed with high power firearms shoot and kill 2 police officers. The suspects venture to our local Wal-Mart Super Center where they engage in another shootout with officers, wounding 2 more officers. The 2 suspects were shot and killed.

Almost sounds like a "shoot em up" show on television, but for our town and community, this was reality. We have some facts, but mostly we are all asking the same question, "WHY?"

WHY? did the suspects shoot up our town?
WHY? did the officers have to die?
WHY? WHY? WHY?

PROVERBS 3:5 "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend upon your own understanding."

The WHY questions may never be answered or even understood. It is in times like this that we must trust God. Even when we don't understand why bad things happen to good people, there is one thing I am sure of ... God is in control even in the midst of tragedy.

Please remember the friends and families of the 2 fallen officers in your prayers. All of the officers involved were our heroes but the ultimate heroes were BILL EVANS and BRANDON PAUDERT who sacrificed their lives to protect us.

THANKFUL THURSDAY... what time is it?

As another school year comes to a close, I am reminded just how precious time is. It just seems like yesterday that my boys were going into high school and now they are grown and living on their own. Oh how time has slipped on by quickly and now our daughter, the youngest, will be in high school next year. Just 3 short years left with her. Now is a time that I wish "time" would just slow down a bit. But time has a way of passing by quickly.

Time is a "nonrenewable" gift from God. But sometimes, we treat our time here on earth as if it weren't a gift at all. We invest our time in trivial pursuits and we tend to waste time by putting things off until the last minute. It may seem like it doesn't really matter what we do with our time, because we have all day, all year or all of our life to accomplish things. Truth be told, just like the time is short before my daughter is grown, our time here on earth is short as well.

If my time here on earth is limited, not only do I want to be doing the things that God is asking me to do but I want to be found busy spending my time with Him! Talking with Him. Trusting Him. Worshipping Him. I am so thankful today that He has given me time to spend with my family and time with Him.

Isn't it time to get busy worshipping Him?

Our time on earth is limited ... so if we don't use it, we will lose it!

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY, what are you thankful for? Please share your grateful heart with us and link up your post below. HAPPY TT!

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD...do you understand?

We enjoy discovering as much as we can about the things that we truly care about. If we have a favorite football team, we keep up with every stat, the wins, the losses, who got traded and who didn't by reading every article that we can pick up about them. If it is cooking that we love, we will watch all of the cooking shows on TV to see how the "pro's" do it or search thru recipe book after recipe book to find that unique, interesting recipe to try.

If something appeals to us, we go out of our way to become knowledgeable about it. This is an awesome way to understand this "thing" that has attracted our attention, whether it is football, cooking or something else. Why is it so easy to understand these kind of things, but when it comes to relationships, we really don't take the time to understand people?

When a man is trying to win the heart of a woman, he studies her. He learns all about her, what she likes, what she dislikes. He learns her habits and her hobbies. The more he learns about her, the more he understands her. The problem with some marriages that are falling apart today is that couples cease to keep learning about each other.

People are always changing. When my husband and I got married 29 years ago, my husband could not stand seafood. He could never understand how I could eat shrimp, which is my favorite! After several years, I'm not sure how or when the change took place, but all of a sudden my husband took a liking to shrimp. And now he eats it and enjoys it. I don't understand how this change took place, but I am glad that it did!

In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question: "Who do you have the hardest time understanding?" The top 2 answers were...

1. 31% voted and said who really understands anyone!
2. 26% of those polled said they have a hard time understanding politicians!

I chuckled at the #1 poll answer, sometimes it is very difficult to understand people. But in our relationships, some of the problems that we have is simply because we do not take the time to understand those closest to us. Most often disagreements pop up when someone reacts differently than us to a situation and we simply cannot figure out why.

Some of the problems that we have with people is simply the fact that we do not understand them. Some differences that we have with each other are relatively insignificant but yet it is the cause of many fights and conflicts. The Bible says that we tend to "revile" the things that we do not understand. (Jude 10)

Consider for a moment, the reasons for the things that you like or prefer. There is also a reason for those you come in contact with as to why they like the things that they like, or a reason they act the way that they act. Every nuisance behaviour in the character of others has a back story. Every element of who that person is, how they think, how they act and how they react has a story that has formed that person to be who they are, how they are.

PROVERBS 2:6 "The Lord gives wisdom; from His mouth come knowledge and understanding."

Understanding people may not be easy to do, but with God's discernment, it is possible!

A PIECE OF MY HEART... Measuring up!

A measuring cup, a tape measure, a ruler, a speedometer, a pressure gauge and God ... what do these things have in common?

These are all standards of measurement!

Even God? Yes, just like a measuring cup or a ruler, God is also a standard of measurement. Depending upon what you want to measure will depend upon what you use to calculate the measurement. If you want to measure distance ~ you would use a ruler. If you want to measure the speed your car is going ~ a speedometer would be best. And if you want to measure if a action or thought is right or wrong - you should measure it against God's values.

Deuteronomy 30:20 "Choose to love God and obey Him and commit yourself to Him, for He is your life."

Whenever you are in doubt if something is right or wrong ... compare it to God. He should be your spiritual measuring stick!

A HEN AND A GEM

A hen was scratching around in the barnyard, looking for food. She spied a lump in the ground and pecked and pecked at it until she finally overturned a bright, shiny diamond! She cocked her head, like only hens can do, and looked and looked at that sparkling gem. Realizing it was NOT a kernel of corn, she kicked the gem away. The hen thought to herself how her master would love to of had found such a thing as that diamond, but she would rather have a single kernel of corn.

The diamond was worth far more than any single kernel of corn, but the hen did not care. The farmer may have jumped for joy to have found a diamond, but it just meant nothing to the hen.

It's not just hens that kick away the diamonds, we often do the same thing. We value things that our Master cares nothing about and we ignore the things that He thinks are of great value.

1 PETER 2:17 "Show respect to everyone."

God thinks that respecting others is valuable, so shouldn't we also? How often do we look at others and just toss them aside or kick them away like the hen did to the diamond, just because they are not what we think they should be. Each and every person has value and God sees us all as precious gems ... diamonds in the rough.

Are you a hen-pecking Christian or do you see the diamond in others?

WHINE, WHINE, WHINE

Today I shared the following devo over at LACED WITH GRACE:

Some kids are just whiners. They whine about everything. I’m cold. I’m hot. I’m hungry. I’m not hungry. I’m tired. I’m not tired yet! When our kids were young, we had a whiner! He whined about everything. In fact, it got so bad that I finally made him a “whiny” towel and whenever he whined, he would have to wear the“whiny” towel wherever we went.

God has some whiny children too. We often lose sight of our blessings. Ironically, most of us have more blessings than we can count, but yet we find reasons to complain about the minor frustrations of everyday life. It’s too hot out. I have nothing to wear. My hair looks awful. I’m fat. My boss is unfair. There’s nothing to eat in this house!

PHILIPPIANS 2:14 -15 (MSG) “Do everything readily and cheerfully – no bickering, no second-guessing allowed! Go out into the world uncorrupted, a breath of fresh air in this squalid and polluted society. Provide people with a glimpse of good living and of the living God. Carry the light-giving Message into the night.”

Are you tempted to complain about the inevitable minor frustrations of everyday living? Don’t be a whiny Christian … practice today and every day to count your blessings and not your hardships, unless you want to wear a “whiny” towel.

“I may not be able to change the world I see around me, but I can change the way I see the world within me.” -JOHN MAXWELL

THANKFUL THURSDAY...delighting in the Lord

There are a few things that totally delight me. Eating ice cream is one. Going to the beach is another. But the one thing that totally delights me is spending time with my family. I love going on walks with them, listening to their day activities, sitting around the table playing a board game or just simply sitting around a crackling fire and not saying one word, just being together.

As much as my heart delights in these cherished moments, what good is the time we spend with each other if it is done with no emotion or no love.

We learn to love God by obeying Him and serving Him, but like spending time with our loved ones ... is that enough? What about the emotional aspect of loving God?

PSALM 37:4 "Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart."

When it comes to delighting in the Lord, it is my prayer that it will come from the depth of my heart and that I am not just going thru the motions. He is longing for us to be near Him, I am so thankful that He delights in communing with me.

What are you thankful for today on this THANKFUL THURSDAY? Please join your grateful hearts with ours and link up below with Mr. Linky. HAPPY TT!

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD...how does your garden grow?

We cannot change people. As much as we might want to, none of us can play God and reach into hearts and mold people into what we think they should be. Yet, that is exactly what we often try to do in our relationships, especially those closest to us.

Trying to change people just brings frustration to the relationship, at some point we have to just accept the fact that there really isn't anything we can do to change someone. Even though we cannot change people, what we can change is our "perspective". We can become like wise farmers.

A farmer does not have the ability to MAKE a seed grow into fruitful crop. He cannot argue with the seed, manipulate the seed or stand over the seed and demand it to grow and bear fruit. BUT, he can do things such as plant the seed in fertile soil, he can water it and protect it from weeds growing and then when he has done all that he can do ... he steps back and gives the rest to God.

Millions of farmers have reaped a bountiful crop from this process for centuries now. They know that not every seed will sprout into something, but when they have done all that they can - the rest is up to God.

Growing our relationships is much like the perspective of the farmer. It takes watering, tending to and pulling some weeds out, and when we have done all that we can do to impact others, we step aside and allow God to take over and intercede on our behalf.

In last week's YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question, "What would you be willing to intercede for on behalf of someone else?" The top 3 answers were:

1. 83% of those voting said that they would intercede for someone by praying.
2. 72% of those polled said that they would intercede for someone by buying a homeless person a meal.
3. 66% voted and said that they would intercede by jumping in front of a car to save a child.

I am so glad to see that interceding by praying for others came in first in this poll. But there is still 17% that did not choose prayer as a way to intercede for others. Prayer really does work!

Are you in a relationship where the seed of love and hope just doesn't seem to be sprouting into anything fruitful? Are you at the point of giving up? Jesus said to pray instead of quitting. (Luke 18:1) Is someone stressing you out and are you worried about what tomorrow may bring? Prayer can bring peace in the midst of our storms. (Philippians 4:6-7)

If your relationship with others was like a garden ... how does your garden grow? Prayer makes a difference. Plant a seed of faithfulness and see how God can change your situation and your relationships and then just step back and watch the seed of prayer bloom into something beautiful!

JAMES 5:16 "The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much."

A PIECE OF MY HEART...most influential

I was reading the latest edition of TIME magazine, mainly because the cover caught my attention:

"The 100 MOST Influential People in the World"

LEADER

Some of the most influential leaders, according to TIME, Barack Obama (#4 in the top), Nancy Pelosi (#8 in the top), Sarah Palin (#9 in the top) and Glen Beck (#14 in the top).

ARTIST

The top Artist in the world? LADY GAGA with Conan O'Brien following as #2 in the top. Also making the TIME top list were Oprah Winfrey (#4 in the top) and Taylor Swift (#9 in the top).

HERO
TIME listed Bill Clinton as the #1 hero. Also making the list for heroes were Ben Stiller (#4 in the top) and Serena Williams (#14 in the top).

As I read over these lists (and chuckled at a few of the names that made the top list), it took me only a moment to realize where our society is putting our trust, our admiration and our focus. It is not on Jesus Christ.

I noticed that Jesus did not make the list for any of these, and in my eyes He should be the #1 influential person that ever walked this earth. Was Jesus not the greatest LEADER you will ever know? Did He not influence not only His disciples greatly, but everyone that He came in contact with?

ARTIST? How can anyone not recognize God as being the ultimate artist of the world? All you have to do is open your eyes and look around. Gaze upon the mountains and the sunset, look at the animals and see how each one was created uniquely. The stars, the moon, the trees, the flowers, the oceans, the birds, the change of seasons. Such artistic beauty all around us, none can compare to the artistic hand of God, our Creator.

I cannot even imagine how Jesus Christ was overlooked on the top HERO list. Last I checked, I don't believe that Bill Clinton gave his life for anybody! Jesus Christ is my ultimate hero! He loved, He gave, He sacrificed, and He gave me life!

JOHN 14:6 Jesus said, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me."

If you could come up with a list of most influential people in your life ... who would make the list? Would Jesus Christ be #1?

and that's a piece of my heart today!

ALSO...You can check out my devo that I have written for the AT THE WELL site today. It is entitled, " Leave the light on."

                          CLICK HERE!

I am UNIQUE

Yesterday, from state to state, from living room to living room, we celebrated our Mom's! It was a day of universal celebration, celebrating a common bond that we each have.

As I sat with my family in the packed out restaurant yesterday, I was thinking about how everyone in the restaurant had something in common. We were all there honoring the same thing ... our mother. As a mother, I realized that I was the same as many of the women in the restaurant. We all had the same name ... "MOM"!

Even though we were all the same, we were all different. We looked different, we acted different, we have different habits, different goals, different ideals. Different is good though, nobody would want to be exactly like me! The only person in the entire world that is exactly like you is ....YOU!

This makes us special - special to God, special to our family and special to our friends. The Bible says that we are made in "an amazing and wonderful way". So the next time you think you just might just be an average mom or woman of God, remember that God made ALL of the people in this world but He made only one YOU!

PSALM 139:14 "I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made, wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well."

Your family may wish the BEST for you, but your Heavenly Father not only wants the BEST for you but He thinks you deserve the BEST! You are worth it because you are unique!

"Today you are you! That is truer than true!" - DR SEUSS

LACED WITH GRACE...mother knows best

Today you can find my thoughts over at the LACED WITH GRACE site. I have shared a devo over there entitled "Mother knows best". Please stop by over there ... if you are a mother or ever had a mother, it is sure to make you smile!

Click HERE!

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

THANKFUL THURSDAY...wearing true colors

It is baseball season again. Whether it is little league games or major league...it is fun to root for your team!Have you noticed how some sports teams emblems or logos make total sense? For example, the New York Yankees is Uncle Sam's top hat on the end of a baseball bat. The Dallas Cowboys have a lone star (which Texas is the Lone Star state) on their helmets.

But yet, other team traditions seem very strange to me. Like the Ohio State Buckeyes ... what is a buckeye anyway? And what about Penn State, their school colors are blue and white but their team, the Nitanny Lions colors are not even blue nor white.

And what about strange mascots that these teams have? Utah has a gorilla for a mascot? and Florida has a fish? Seems strange to me, but the strangest thing to me about these teams isn't even their colors or mascots ... what about some of the fans?

The fans go all out for their favorite teams. They wear hats, wigs and jerseys. They carry towels and Styrofoam hands with upraised index fingers indicating "We are #1!" Fans will paint their faces and their bodies the team colors, they wave pennants, they wear team pins, they chant team songs and they are clearly identified with the team that they are rooting loudly for.

You can go to any sports event and find all of the above and know exactly WHO is rooting for WHO. A sports fan can be clearly identified with their team!

I wonder how closely we are identified with God? How exactly do people know which team we are on? After all, God doesn't have "team colors" or a "team mascot". We might wear a christian t-shirt, or listen to christian music. We might even go so far as to carry around the team program (a Bible)...but none of this shows our true "team" colors.

Identifying yourself with God's team comes from the way we worship Him! We can wave pennants and even paint our faces with John 3:16, but the way we live is the true color of being a #1 fan of Christ!

EPHESIANS 5:15 "Live life, then with a due sense of responsibility, not as men who do not know the meaning of life but as those who do."

Today is THANKFUL THURSDAY and I am so glad that GOD'S TEAM is the WINNING TEAM and I can proudly wear the true colors of Christianity. May those around me identify me as a dedicated, true, and responsible follower of Christ!

What are you grateful for today? Share your thankful heart with us today as we celebrate being on His team!!

WEDNESDAY WEEKLY WORD...are you willing?

If I were to ask you the top 3 things that you disagree with your closest friend about, I am sure that it would not take long to probably come up with a top ten list.

In fact, if some of the things on your list continue, it will only be a matter of time before it begins to affect your relationship. Sadly, unless someone doesn't start giving in, some of the issues on your list will probably just keep popping up between you and a loved one.

Disagreements are most evident and most talked about in marriage relationships. In last weeks YOUR OPINION MATTERS POLL, I polled the readers the following question: "What do you think is the #1 thing that couples disagree about?" The top 3 answers were...

1. 62% of those voting said that they think FINANCES is what couples disagree about.

2. 18% polled said that KIDS is what they disagree about.

3. 12% voted that INTIMATE ISSUES causes disagreements with couples.

Defending our rights and our opinions is a foundational part of our make-up, but within the walls of a marriage - stubbornness will steal time and productivity from your relationship.

No matter what kind of relationship you have disagreements in, there is one way to get beyond the "stalemate" of your relationship and save what may be headed down a disastrous road.

WILLINGNESS...

To be "willing" is an attitude and spirit of cooperation in all that we do and all that we say to one another. It's like a palm tree by the ocean that endures the greatest winds because it knows how to gracefully bend. Do you know how to bend in your relationships?

PHILIPPIANS 2:4 Do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others."

Look at the willingness of Jesus:

• He had the right to refuse becoming a man but was willing!
• He had the right to be served by all mankind but was willing to come to serve instead!
• He had the right to live in peace and safety but willingly laid down His life for our sins!
• He was willing to suffer and endure the grueling torture of the cross!
• He loved and cooperated and was willing to do His Father's will instead of His own!

Jesus exemplifies the attitude of willingness. Willingness is the attitude of laying down for the good of others what you have the right to claim for yourself. (Philippians 2:5) "Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus."

ARE YOU WILLING to lay down something for someone today?

A PIECE OF MY HEART...Invisible fence

We have 3 dogs and when they are outside, they know what their boundaries are. Basically, they know their boundaries because of the wood fence that surrounds them. They can't go outside of it and nothing can come inside. I have always wondered how pet owners could get their dogs to stay in their yard with no barrier. Then I learned what that "thing" on their pet's collar was ... a shocking device!

An invisible fence. What a great invention. If the dog crosses the line, the invisible fence, it will receive a shock. I always found it fascinating that after just one shock, that the dog seemed to learn its lesson to not cross the line. But in reality, what the dog learned is that crossing the line would cause something bad to happen to them.

In life, we should have an invisible fence. Every time we cross a line by acting or talking the way we know we shouldn't or worse yet, committing a sin...we would be shocked! In reality we know that we cannot walk around with a shocking device tied around our necks and be jolted each time we mess up. But for every Christian there is an invisible fence already in place, you might recognize it as a fruit of the Spirit ... SELF CONTROL.

The Holy Spirit already lives in us if we have accepted Christ, but we still need to submit to His control each and every day. The Spiritual Invisible Fence will warn us and keep us from doing things that we ought not to do. But we have to submit to His Spirit.

GALATIANS 5:25 "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit."

The Raging Storm

Well, you have either SURVIVED the raging storm that swept thru our area or you have HEARD about it in the news. A fierce and mighty storm ravaged our city and surrounding towns in the last two days. Killing some, destroying property and leaving streets and homes flooded.

Luckily for me and my family, we had gone out of town for the weekend. We were in another state, picking our college son up and bringing him back home for the summer. We were safe and sound on dry land in Texas while our friends back home were holding onto mattresses, cowering in bathrooms and praying very hard that the tornadoes and storms would pass by.

Fear. It is a force to be reckoned with. And fear certainly gripped many this past weekend as the storms brewed overhead. I am reminded of another storm that kicked up some fear. A frightening storm rose quickly on the Sea of Galilee, and the Disciples were afraid. Yes! Even the Disciples struggled with fear!

MATTHEW 8:26 "He replied, 'You of little faith, why are you so afraid?' The He got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm."

When the Disciples turned to Jesus, He calmed the waters of the storm but then He turned and rebuked the Disciples for their lack of faith in Him. Sometimes, I think that I am like the Disciples on that day, frightened by the waves and winds of the storms that brew up in my life.

When we accept God's promises as absolute truth, we will find we have little to fear! Faith in God is the foundation of courage and the source of power. One thing I know, storms will brew all around us, not only in threatening thunderstorms and tornadoes but also storms that take us by surprise in life. When your storm rages, remember that God is the One who calms the raging winds.

"Only believe, don't fear. Our Master, Jesus, always watches over us, and no matter what the persecution, Jesus will surely overcome it." - LOTTIE MOON