Thursday, February 14, 2013
Friday, February 1, 2013
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Dousing The Flame Of Anger
God loves all his children. He doesn't disparage one in favor of another. It grieves Him when we believe He does.
He favored Abel's offering, but did not favor Abel over Cain. Cain misunderstood the difference and allowed his anger to blind him.
God caution's all of His children to be slow to anger in our relationships, marriages, and lives because of the devastation that anger can unleash. He did not want Cain to go down that path of destruction. Instead of giving in to his emotions, God wanted Him to examine why he was angry. Envy was the match that ignited his fury. He chose to hang on to anger instead of God.
When we are upset, we need not focus on it to the exclusion of all else. Bring it to God. Explore with Him why we are angry and then we can douse the flame together with HIM.
Read Genesis 4:1-16
Shahlohm...
He favored Abel's offering, but did not favor Abel over Cain. Cain misunderstood the difference and allowed his anger to blind him.
God caution's all of His children to be slow to anger in our relationships, marriages, and lives because of the devastation that anger can unleash. He did not want Cain to go down that path of destruction. Instead of giving in to his emotions, God wanted Him to examine why he was angry. Envy was the match that ignited his fury. He chose to hang on to anger instead of God.
When we are upset, we need not focus on it to the exclusion of all else. Bring it to God. Explore with Him why we are angry and then we can douse the flame together with HIM.
Read Genesis 4:1-16
Shahlohm...
Monday, January 28, 2013
Not A Fairy Tale
Some people have almost a fairy tale relationship with the LORD. They are so in love with the LORD and they trust Him in amazing ways.. They can hear Him so clearly. They never seem to worry but always trust the LORD.
My relationship with the LORD to be honest is not always a fairy tale. Many times I don't trust Him as much as I should. I don't always find it easy to hear His voice. Sometimes I scream and yell at Him, “Why are You letting this happen??”
I doubt His goodness and ask Him if He even cares..
But you know what? The LORD wants me to talk to Him about everything the good and the bad. He wants me to go to Him with my pain, shame, fears, failures. He cares about me so deeply, He wants to listen to me. My relationship with the LORD doesn't always have to be beautiful and happy, He understands and loves me. And I will never trade that for anything in this crazy world.
1 Peter 5:7: Give all your worries and cares to the LORD, for He cares about you.
Shahlohm!
My relationship with the LORD to be honest is not always a fairy tale. Many times I don't trust Him as much as I should. I don't always find it easy to hear His voice. Sometimes I scream and yell at Him, “Why are You letting this happen??”
I doubt His goodness and ask Him if He even cares..
But you know what? The LORD wants me to talk to Him about everything the good and the bad. He wants me to go to Him with my pain, shame, fears, failures. He cares about me so deeply, He wants to listen to me. My relationship with the LORD doesn't always have to be beautiful and happy, He understands and loves me. And I will never trade that for anything in this crazy world.
1 Peter 5:7: Give all your worries and cares to the LORD, for He cares about you.
Shahlohm!
Sunday, January 27, 2013
Friday, January 25, 2013
Something To Learn About Love
I once had a friend who grew to be very close to me. Once when we were sitting at the edge of a swimming pool, she filled the palm of her hand with some water and held it before me, and said this: "You see this water carefully contained on my hand? It symbolizes Love."
This was how I saw it: As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there, it will always be there. However, if you attempt to close your fingers round it and try to posses it, it will spill through the first cracks it finds.
This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love...they try to posses it, they demand, they expect... and just like the water spilling out of your hand, love will retrieve from you.
For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature. If there are people you love, allow them to be free beings. Give and don't expect. Advise, but don't order. Ask, but never demand.
It might sound simple, but it is a lesson that may take a lifetime to truly practice. Well, it is a lesson for me.. :) It is the secret to true love. To truly practice it, you must sincerely feel no expectations from those who you love, and yet an unconditional caring.
Life is beautiful!!! Live it !!!
Shahlohm..
This was how I saw it: As long as you keep your hand caringly open and allow it to remain there, it will always be there. However, if you attempt to close your fingers round it and try to posses it, it will spill through the first cracks it finds.
This is the greatest mistake that people do when they meet love...they try to posses it, they demand, they expect... and just like the water spilling out of your hand, love will retrieve from you.
For love is meant to be free, you cannot change its nature. If there are people you love, allow them to be free beings. Give and don't expect. Advise, but don't order. Ask, but never demand.
It might sound simple, but it is a lesson that may take a lifetime to truly practice. Well, it is a lesson for me.. :) It is the secret to true love. To truly practice it, you must sincerely feel no expectations from those who you love, and yet an unconditional caring.
Life is beautiful!!! Live it !!!
Shahlohm..
Friday, January 11, 2013
Marriage Tips
1. Be nice. This is very simple, but it works. Even when you feel bad, or have a beef with each other, or are tense or tired, make the effort to be kind and gentle with each other. Make the marriage a safe harbor where the other person wants to be. This means taking a breath, biting your tongue and going easy even when that's not exactly how you feel.
2. Before you get married, find common ground on your most important issues -- where you want to live, the role work plays in your family balance, how you will handle your finances, whether or not you want children (and if you are older, what lengths you will go to to have biological ones), the degree to which your extended family are involved in your lives, and what role religion will play in your lives and the lives of your children.
3. Stay flexible, in every sense of the word. That means finding a compromise between his need to watch the game and your need get the house clean. It means finding ways to discipline the kids that both of you can live with. It means communicating, it means nothing is set in stone, other than your core values, which you should discuss and share before you ever get married.
MORE TO COME....
2. Before you get married, find common ground on your most important issues -- where you want to live, the role work plays in your family balance, how you will handle your finances, whether or not you want children (and if you are older, what lengths you will go to to have biological ones), the degree to which your extended family are involved in your lives, and what role religion will play in your lives and the lives of your children.
3. Stay flexible, in every sense of the word. That means finding a compromise between his need to watch the game and your need get the house clean. It means finding ways to discipline the kids that both of you can live with. It means communicating, it means nothing is set in stone, other than your core values, which you should discuss and share before you ever get married.
MORE TO COME....
Friday, December 28, 2012
Success In GOD's Eyes
The world is obsessed with success! We are obsessed not only with our own personal success but we may be even more obsessed with our children's. How is success measured? Does success mean that our child will one day get a good education, have a good job, a good family and be a good citizen. That is a very short-sighted view!
All these are necessary and God wants us to be successful in those areas as well. But that's not everything.
What if our children grow up to have worldly success for fifty years and then spend eternity in hell? That's a temporary success but an eternal failure!
In God's eyes success means:
- Discovering His will and purpose for your life,
- Fulfilling that purpose not for the glory of self but the glory of God.
Know the bigger picture, understand that the true meaning of success is to be successful in God's eyes!
What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits his own soul? (Luke 9:25)
Shahlohm!
All these are necessary and God wants us to be successful in those areas as well. But that's not everything.
What if our children grow up to have worldly success for fifty years and then spend eternity in hell? That's a temporary success but an eternal failure!
In God's eyes success means:
- Discovering His will and purpose for your life,
- Fulfilling that purpose not for the glory of self but the glory of God.
Know the bigger picture, understand that the true meaning of success is to be successful in God's eyes!
What does it profit a man if he gains the whole world and loses or forfeits his own soul? (Luke 9:25)
Shahlohm!
Wednesday, November 28, 2012
Forgiven
When God speaks to us about our sin it is to convict us, when the devil speaks about our sin it is to condemn us. The word sin means to ‘miss the mark.’ Its origin lies in archery. If you shot an arrow and missed the target, it was called ‘sin!’ By how far you missed was not the issue. An inch or a mile, it’s still sin.
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Romans 3:23
We are by nature sinners; we are not what we were created to be. Both God and the devil speak to us about sin – but they speak very differently. God convicts us of sin, whereas Satan condemns us. The devil is called, ‘the accuser of our brothers and sisters’ (Revelation 12:10). Condemnation sits on us like a wet blanket, with no way out. When God speaks to us about our sin, He convicts. Conviction not only makes us aware of our sin, but also points to a way out – through the cross of Christ. He convicts us not to humiliate us, embarrass us or condemn us, but to liberate us and set us free.
Paul is able to confidently write, ‘There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ (Romans 8:1). To know that is true is wonderfully liberating.
Has a past sin left you feeling paralyzed? See where that condemnation is coming from, because that voice is not God’s. Thank Him for the forgiveness available in Christ and move forward in peace.
Shahlohm..
"All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Romans 3:23
We are by nature sinners; we are not what we were created to be. Both God and the devil speak to us about sin – but they speak very differently. God convicts us of sin, whereas Satan condemns us. The devil is called, ‘the accuser of our brothers and sisters’ (Revelation 12:10). Condemnation sits on us like a wet blanket, with no way out. When God speaks to us about our sin, He convicts. Conviction not only makes us aware of our sin, but also points to a way out – through the cross of Christ. He convicts us not to humiliate us, embarrass us or condemn us, but to liberate us and set us free.
Paul is able to confidently write, ‘There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.’ (Romans 8:1). To know that is true is wonderfully liberating.
Has a past sin left you feeling paralyzed? See where that condemnation is coming from, because that voice is not God’s. Thank Him for the forgiveness available in Christ and move forward in peace.
Shahlohm..
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