Trusting

Lean not on your own understanding.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart.

Proverbs 3:5b, 5a

Seeing this verse transposed helps me to live it.  Trusting is hard because our own eyes don't see how situations can work out for good.  Trusting God means that we believe that he is BIG and will work everything together for good.

The Power of Love

A friend's Christmas card included this quote by Gandalf, taken from The Hobbit movie:  

"Saruman believes it is only great power that can hold evil in check, but that is not what I have found. I found it is the small everyday deeds of ordinary folk that keep the darkness at bay. Small acts of kindness and love.”

These small deeds demonstrate the power of love within a family.  They are what make the home a safe haven from the world.   

TV~ (Today's Verse)
Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. [I Peter 4:8]

Acting Right When Your Spouse is Wrong

She was feeling overwhelmed with all she had to do - work responsibilities, family responsibilites, the constant housework.  She complained to her husband that he didn't help enough.  Instead of being defensive and angry, he said, "Okay, how can I help you?" 

She hesitated a minute and then said, "You can do the grocery shopping, cook dinner and do the dishes for the next week." 

He did it for her.  The menu was hot dogs, frozen chicken nuggets, frozen pizza (twice) and other similar entrees.  But he did it and it was a beautiful act of love.

Her book is entitled,  How to Act Right When Your Spouse Acts Wrong, by Leslie Vernick.





TV~  (Today's Verse)
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. [Romans 12:21]

Thorns

"The ministry of thorns has often been a greater ministry to man than the ministry of thrones.  -Streams in the Desert, p. 362

Adversity and persecution are effective means of turning us to God.  Prosperity, ease and approval often result in a gradual drifting away from the Lord.

Going through adversity?  Your God is BIG, cling to Him.  Enjoying prosperity?  Ask God to bind you to Him, so you will not wander.  "I bind unto myself today the power of God to hold and lead..."   (http://www.prayerfoundation.org/st_patricks_breastplate_prayer.htm)

TV~  (Today's Verse)

 I will search for the lost and bring back the strays. I will bind up the injured and strengthen the weak, but the sleek and the strong I will destroy. I will shepherd the flock with justice. 
[Ezekiel 34:16]

Confusion

Tonight, I was involved in a lengthy conversation in which confusion seemed to reign.  We were talking in circles with someone who professed to have a relationship with God, yet the conversation was not solid.  I felt that we were more on shifting sand than the rock of Christ.

The scripture that kept coming to mind was from James 3:16: For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

TV~ (Today's Verse)
Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock... [Matthew 7:24]

Leaving

There are different ways in which loved ones leave us:

In Body - Their physical presence can be gone either by moving away or ultimately, through death.  Sometimes they initiate this departure, but quite often it is determined by outside forces.

In Spirit - They can go to a far-away-land spiritually, where no longer is there a mutual love and seeking of the Lord together.  Satan is active in this process, as he tries to steal, kill and destroy anything that is beautiful in the Lord.

In Soul/Emotions - They can remove their "emotional capital" from us by disengaging in the relationship and looking elsewhere for emotional fulfillment.

For those of us left behind, let us never despair over the loss.  May we press forward in faith, love and friendship. 

TV~ (Today's Verse)
The LORD gave, and the LORD hath taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD. [Job 1:21]

Advent = Arrival

The word "advent" comes from the Latin word adventus, which means arrival.  The Advent season marks the beginning of the church calendar each year.  It is a four-week period of anticipation and preparation as we reflect upon Christ coming to earth. 

I was with a group of women this week, who were lamenting about the challenges of focusing on Christ's birth during the busy Christmas season.  They do not attend churches that recognize the Advent season.  I encouraged them to look online to get some daily readings during Advent, as it might help them in their desire to focus on the reason for the season.

We currently are in the second week of Advent.  Here is a link to daily Advent readings.  Enjoy.

http://onlineministries.creighton.edu/CollaborativeMinistry/Advent/

TV~  (Today's Verse)
The people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned. [Matthew 4:16]