Love Check-Up

How are you doing in the love category? Let's take an inventory from I Corinthians 13. Let God give you a check-up:

*Love is patient (vs.4): Love never gets impatient and does not have a quick temper. It accepts others and does not work to change them.

*Love is kind (vs.4): Love is always considerate, recognizes the needs of others, and seeks to meet them. Love is actively creative in contributing to the lives of others.

*Love does not envy (vs.4): Love is never jealous or possessive. Love allows others to be free to be themselves, and to make their own choices. Love encourages others to reach their full potential.

*Love does not boast (vs.4): Love is never conceited or anxious to impress. Love does not seek to create an image. Love seeks to glorify God over self; love doesn't care if it does not get credit or reward.

*Love is not proud (vs4): Love is never arrogant. Loves does not make sarcastic remarks that put others down.

*Love is not rude (vs.5): Love always has good manners. Love respects others. Love does the right thing.

*Love is not self-seeking (vs.5): Love does not desire to control. Love does not gratify self nor act selfishly. Love never insists on its own way. Love never pouts. Love does not use others to promote themselves. Love does not expect life to revolve around oneself. Love allows others to be exalted over self and is content to be hidden.

*Love is not easily angered (vs.5): Love is never touchy, angry, irritated or resentful. Love is not easily hurt. Love does not get upset on its own behalf. Love does not take things personally.

*Love keeps no record of wrongs (vs.5): Love overlooks the faults of others and does not bring up the past nor keep a score card of suffering.

*Love does not delight in evil (vs.6): Love does not dwell on the failures of others. Love is never happy with sin or injustice. Love does not gossip.

*Love rejoices with the Truth (vs.6): Love is always happy with the success of others. Love actively seeks fellowship with others.

*Love always protects (vs.7): Love never comes to the end of its endurance. Love always supports and understands. Love covers the weaknesses of others.

*Love always trusts (vs.7): Love is ready to believe the best. Love does not stumble over the inconsistencies of others.

*Love always hopes (vs.7): Love believes in the worth of others as persons. Love does not easily give up when relationships are hard. Love has perfect peace in God who is in control. Love never feels hopeless.

*Love always perseveres (vs.7): Love never runs out. Love loves the unlovable. Love can survive anything and endures even when it is not returned.

*Love never fails (vs.8): Love never quits nor comes to an end even when times are hard. Love is committed to obedience to God. Love conquers all.

Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another (Romans 13:8).

Where There is Smoke There is Fire

"Now Mount Sinai was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The smoke of it went up like the smoke from a furnace, and the whole mountain trembled greatly. And as the sound of the trumpet grew louder and louder, Moses spoke, and God answered him in thunder. The Lord came down on Mount Sinai, to the top of the mountain. And the Lord called Moses to the top of the mountain," Exodus 19:18-20

Moses met God in a bush of fire {his first encounter with God's fiery presence} and here, 3 months later, the whole nation of Israel has gathered at the foot of the same mountain to hear the Words of the Lord. What is the scene? Smoke, darkness, fire, smoke ascending, a trumpet sounding, a quaking mountain, God's voice thundering..... all of heaven's attention is on this scene. This is the beginning of a chosen people, a nation separated unto God. They will be called God's treasured possessions; His chosen ones....and it all begins with an experience in fire.

The fiery encounters with God are life-changing; transforming. The first encounter Moses had with God Almighty was when God spoke to him in fire releasing destiny and purpose into Moses' life. Moses was never the same after that experience. He left the shepherding occupation to become God's Deliverer of the Israelite nation; to release them from the oppression of the Egyptians.

Have you ever been to a bonfire? The eye-catching fire, heat that radiates from the fire, smoke that ascends....what happens to your clothing when you are near a bonfire? The smell of fire (smoke) seeps into the clothes and your hair. After a bonfire, I strip off my clothes in the laundry room and head for the shower~ the smell is everywhere....and others can smell it! When my son comes home from a bonfire, I know it the moment he walks in the door. The smell of the fire permeates the atmosphere! That is similar to the fiery encounters we have with God. We leave His presence with the smell of fire on us and others notice....it permeates the atmosphere! Have you experienced that kind of fire? Have you had an encounter with the God of consuming fire? God desires that everyone would come close to the fire, but not everyone chooses to draw near to His fire.

The Israelites had seen God move in mighty miraculous power: the 10 plagues, the Red Sea parted, God's leading by a pillar of fire by night and a cloud by day; God's provision of water and manna. The Israelites knew God's ways {the things He did}, but they did not know God intimately. At this mountain, the Israelites had an opportunity for their own "fiery encounter" with God, but they refused. "When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leading men of your tribes and your elders came to me. And you said, 'This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer...Go near and listen to all that the Lord our God says..." (Deut. 5:23-25)

Are you willing to draw near to the fire? Ask the Lord to encounter you? Moses spoke first in this encounter with God....He longs to hear your voice; He longs that you would know Him face-t0-face as a friend; He longs for you to move closer so He can impart destiny, truth, love, peace, joy, purpose...that you would be covered in the smell of God's fire.

10 Commandments of Fatherhood

Happy Father's Day!!!!!

10 Commandments of Fatherhood:

1) Character Counts~ "The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity," Proverbs 11:13

2) Love God~ "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength," Mark 12:30

3) Love Your Children

4) Love Your Wife

5) Love Others

"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, does not boast; it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. Love never fails..." I Corinthians 13:4-8a

6) Discipline Your Kids~ "For what son is not disciplined by his father? If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons...no discipline seems pleasant at teh time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it," Hebrews 12:7-8,11.

7) Pray for Your Family~ Pray these scriptures back to the Lord concerning your family (Ephesians 3:14-19, Ephesians 1:15-23 and Colossians 1:9-12)

8) Heart of Purity ~ "He who loves purity of heart and has grace on his lips, the king will be his friend," Proverbs 22:11

9) Play with your Family~ Vacations, weekend-get aways, investing time in the relationships is a key to a lifetime of memories

10) Courage to Lead ~"Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds," Proverbs 27:23

Faith Affirmations for Husbands and Wives

Affirm your love and commitment to one another this wedding season with these faith affirmations. All marriages go through seasons (summer, fall, winter and spring)....be faithful in all seasons. Boldly declare to one another your covenant:

Faith Affirmations for a Wife:

I will stand beside my husband.

I will be trustworthy.

I will enrich his life.

I will appreciate him and all he does.

I will take care of his needs.

I will yearn deeply for him.

I will share my body with him.

I will cooperate and work with him.

I will love and respect him.

I will hate divorce.

Faith Affirmations for a Husband:

I will hold my wife close to my heart.

I will protect her.

I will praise her publicly.

I will compliment her.

I will trust her and treasure her.

I will listen to her.

I will always be faithful.

I will never abuse or abandon her.

I will love her day and night.

I will grow old with her.

I will hate divorce.

Summer Reading List

Summer is the perfect time for catching up on reading....of course, I believe that summer is the perfect time for anything! This is my favorite season. I want to share with you some great reading picks for these wonderful sunny days. Most of these selections I have referenced in our study time together throughout the year:

1) Crazy Love by Francis Chan

2) The Hole in Our Gospel by Richard Sterns

3) The Renegade to God by David Foster

4) The Nazirite DNA by Lou Engle

5) In His Face by Bob Sorge

6) Radical by David Platt

7) The Christian Atheist by Craig Groeschel

8) 7 Commitments of a Forerunner by Mike Bickle

9) Heaven is For Real by Todd Burpo (This is the true account of Todd's 4 year old experiencing heaven FOR REAL! A great book for the entire family)

10) The Chronicles of Brothers (part 1): The Fall of Lucifer
by Wendy Alec (part 2): The First Judgment
(part 3): Son of Perdition
This trilogy takes you behind the scenes into the heavenlies and the depths of hell (perdition) itself; using a supernatural imagination, Wendy Alec shares glimpses into the way it might be in the invisible world. For more info on this series: www.chroniclesofbrothers.com

These are some great resources to challenge you in your walk with the Lord. Happy Reading!

Summer is coming and the kids will be out of school. This is my favorite season of all! Having my kids home was a highlight for me...no schedules...no homework...lazy days of summer. But it can be a difficult time adjusting from early mornings and much activity to quiet, long days. I want to share a few tips for making summer the most enjoyable time with your children, instead of counting down the days when school starts again!

1) Plan several field trips throughout the summer. What "hot spots" could you visit this summer in your area? Any places that you've wanted to go to, but during the school year there isn't the time? What's within an hour radius of your home~a capital city, zoo, museum, camp, historical site, waterpark, lake, etc. Plan 3 or 4 throughout the summer with a couple friends, because friends make everything more fun!

2) Movie days. Many theaters have inexpensive kids movie specials during the week. The movie times are in the morning, so little ones won't miss nap schedules. Marcus Theaters has a movie weekly & popcorn comes with the price of admission. Meet a couple families at the theater for a cheap movie date. And since the movies are geared to children, noise in the theater is expected! :)

3) Crafts. I know that word ieea is not for everyone! I am not a fan of crafts...but I will say that my kids loved to make things with me. We would gather all sorts of odds & ends, place them in a tub (kept in the basement) and on rainy days or days when friends couldn't play, we'd get out the craft tub and make something. Store everything that you would need in the tub, so it's an easy activity to plan. Here are some items to get you started: glue, cotton balls, paper, tape, craft paint, straws, paper plates, paintbrushes, stickers, rubberbands, scrapbook paper, scissors, clay, etc).

4) Reading time. Be wise about the time you have them home. Get a book (age-appropriate) and read through it together or read to them. My 13 year old still likes to listen to me read to him. It creates a shared experience. We have conversations about what we are reading throughtout the day. This could be a devotional book too, so "Jesus" time can be built into the day.

5) Bored box. Unbelievably to us adults, our kids will have days when they use the words, "I'm bored." I had a box ready for my kids when I heard those words....and amazingly, I didn't hear the words too often. I had practice worksheets to review reading, english, math concepts in the bored box. I also had index cards with "chores" written on them, so they could pick out a card to do when they were bored. Extra books were kept in the bored box too. There is always something to do!

6) Conversation time. Use these summer months to converse with your children. These days of parenting are precious. Spend time getting to know your kids. What do they dream about? Who are their friends? What do they want to be when they grow up? What's their favorite hobby? Favorite subject? Favorite sport? Favorite book? Who is their hero? Be intentional about this time you have them home.

7) Travel journal. Every place you travel....even if it's going to grandma's house is an experience. Purchase a journal or notebook and have your child design the cover of the journal with stickers, drawing, writing. Take it with you when you are overnight: camping, vacation, grandma's, cousin's, wherever you go this summer. Each night you are away, have your child write something about the day so he/she will remember the vacation. Paste a postcard or a picture or brochure of your trip in the journal too for memories. Your child may use this journal for years. It is fun to look back & revisit the places you have traveled and all the memories attached to it~ and all in his/her own handwriting.

8) Make a chain. For all the days of summer or for the last 30 days of summer, make a paper chain. On each link, write something to do. As a countdown,have your child(ren) tear off a link per day and then the family or individual does that activity. Ideas: ride bike around neighborhood together as a family, read a Psalm together and have each person in the family share what it means to him/her, rent a movie & watch it tonight, play a boardgame, go for ice-cream cones today, invite a friend over, etc. The activities can be family oriented, friend oriented, individually oriented. Be creative. Mix it up!

9) Pool party. If you have a pool invite friends over for a pool party. Otherwise, you can have a water balloon party or a slip & slide party or a sprinkler party. Have snacks and drinks all with summer or water names. Have fun with it!

These are just some ideas of how to make summer the best time EVER with your kids.

Being Movie-Wise

With the summer season upon us, there are movie opportunities galore. I am an avid movie theater participant....enjoying all the theater has to offer...which includes popcorn, large diet coke & sometimes candy. I pay a high price for my movie experience! I want to share with you some "movie-wise" tips before heading into the theater this summer.

1. Pray~ I have a prayer from Windows of the Soul (written by Ken Gire) that I pray before I go to the theater. "Help me, O God. Whenever I go to a movie, not to go just for entertainment but also for enlightenment. Meet me there, I pray, and speak to me. Tell me something I need to know so I may live my life more graciously, more compassionately. Give me moments of transcendence so I can leave the theater in some way changed, even if it is a very small way. Speak to me through a character, a scene, a line of dialogue, a musical score. Thank you for those moments at the movies that have touched my heart. And for the fact that there is no place on earth that some echo of Your voice cannot be heard for the one who is listening..."


2. Main Character(s)~ What is he/she like? What are the qualities of the main character? Does he/she change throughout the movie? What helps to make the changes happen through the movie (a circumstance, another character, etc.)? Can you relate to any of the characters? Who would you say you are like? Have you struggled with any of the same issues that the main character struggled with in the movie?


3. Theme~ Is there a theme to the movie? Courage, honesty, boldness, love, growth, perseverance, integrity, friendship, gentleness~ anything you can relate to your relationship with the Lord (fruit of the Spirit, spiritual battle, God's redeeming love, etc) or with others (faithfulness & loyalty to another, commitment)?


4. Signs~ Are there repeating signs throughout the movie that give you clues to the theme? Ex. In "Prince Caspian" there are lions everywhere! Can you see a recurring object or line spoken?


5. Quotes~ Do any of the characters say something that jumps out at you? Does the Lord use any of the dialogue to speak to your heart?

These are 5 keys that unlock the doors of understanding when I attend a movie. God knows the language of your heart and He is always speaking. Let the imagination of the big screen, with all the images and storylines connect you to God the Father, the Son Jesus or the Holy Spirit. I always carry index cards with me, so if a theme or a quote or character really tugs at my heart, I can write it down quickly (with the light of my cell phone).

This Friday, Pirates of the Caribbean 4 opens and I will be at the first showing in the afternoon, armed with index cards and a heart open to receive all that God wants to show me. The next time you head out to the theater, be "movie-wise".

Happy Mother's Day

Momisms

My mom taught me to APPRECIATE A JOB WELL DONE.

"If you're going to kill each other, do it outside. I just finished cleaning."

My mom taught me FAITH.

"You better pray that will come out of the carpet."

My mom taught me about TIME TRAVEL.

"If you don't straighten up, I'm going to knock you into the middle of next week."

My mom taught me LOGIC.

"Because I said so, that's why."

My mom taught me MORE LOGIC.

"If you fall out of the swing and break your neck, you're not going with me to the store."

My mom taught me FORESIGHT.

"Make sure you wear clean underwear in case your in an accident."

My mom taught me IRONY.

"Keep crying and Ill give you something to cry about."

My mom taught me about OSMOSIS.

"Shut your mouth and eat your supper."

My mom taught me about STAMINA.

"You sit there until all that spinach is gone."

My mom taught me about the WEATHER.

"This room of yours looks like a tornado went through it."

My mom taught me about the CIRCLE OF LIFE.

"I brought you into this world, and I can take you out!"

My mom taught me about ANTICIPATION.

"Just want until we get home."

My mom taught me about MEDICAL SCIENCE.

"If you don't stop crossing your eyes, they are going to freeze like that."

My mom taught me about GENETICS.

"You're just like your father."

My mom taught me about my HERITAGE.

"Shut that door behind you. Do you think you were born in a barn?"

But most of all, my mom taught me LOVE.

"You know whatever you do or whatever happens, I'll stand behind you because I love you!"

~Unknown Author

Happy Mother's Day! The best job and the hardest job in all the world!!!!!!!

He is not here; for He is risen, as He said!

"He is not here; for He is risen, as He said." Those are the most beautiful words for us to hear. What was it like that first Easter Sunday for the women who went to the tomb with spices in their hands, to anoint the lifeless body of Jesus? They had witnessed the grotesque way of torture & death that Jesus had experienced...and had the disappointment of hoping He was the One who was prophesied...what a sad day for these women. A hopeless day. All that was promised, all the miracles, all the beauty of that man~ gone. Dead. In the tomb; sealed with a large rock. Who would be able to roll the stone away so they could annoint His body? Would the Romans allow such a thing?

Upon coming to the tomb, "there was a great earthquake; for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door and sat on it. His countenance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. And the guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men. BUT the angel answered and said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here; for He is risen, as He said. Come see the place where the Lord was lay. And go quickly and tell His disciples that He is risen from the dead, and indeed He is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him. Behold, I have told you." (Matthew 28:2-7)

The angel from heaven rolled the stone away and the response of the guards? They are still as though dead. How did the angel deliver the message? Sitting on the ROCK! It is finished. Now I have told you. Go. Deliver the message of the good news! ..."Just as He said..." What good news it was & still is. This is the defining moment in history. There is no body. Jesus has risen from the dead. He defeated death and the power of the grave. This day was transformed from sadness to joy; from death to life; from hopelessness to hopefulness. He is faithful to all His promises. He has overcome. What great life-changing news for us too!

The response of the women? "So they went out quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to bring His disciples word." (vs.8) These women left afraid and filled with joy. Have you walked in that reality? I have. The reality of the resurrection; the hope Jesus gives; the life change He brings; the desire to please Him and give Him glory. I will run quickly to bring word that Jesus is ALIVE! With fear (reverance for the One I serve) and great joy I will deliver the message of Salvation to others. The grave is empty. He is faithful. He will do all that He says He will do. "He is not here; for He is risen, just as He said." Hallelujah! He is ALIVE!!!!!!

The Secret Place

Galations 6 speaks of the sowing & reaping principle: You will reap what you sow.
When you sow in the Spirit by giving dedicated time to the secret place, you will eventually reap a life in the Spirit. EVENTUALLY.

Our culture wants everything NOW. But, our devotional life with God is more like planting a garden than driving through a fast-food joint. We need to know that what we sow today will require an entire season of growth before the results are manifested in our lives.

SOWING: means time given to the Secret Place; establishing patterns and habits that will enable you to spend time with God daily; Proverbs 12:11 "He who tills his land will be satisfied with bread." To have a harvest, you must till the soil of your heart & then plant God's Word into your heart.
REAPING: this time will change you! this time will affect everything around you!!!

Sowing will indeed produce results:
the seed will.......
germinate,
sprout,
send roots downward,
branches upward,
produce fruit!!!