HAVE YOU EVER...had road rage?

What is it about cars?  These 2 ton transportation vehicles are a necessity.  I use to find driving therapeutic.  Then we moved to the city.  Do you think they had road rage when people were driving horse drawn wagons?

My husband becomes a totally different person when he gets behind the wheel of a car.  He is usually one of the most patient people I know.  Now, 95% of the time that we argue, is in the car.  It just makes both of us so impatient.  You always want to be going faster.  The other car is always the irresponsible and reckless driver.  And why do I have to stop at every light?  One of my husband’s famous sayings is, “We can put a man on the moon, but they can’t get traffic lights to change when they need to!”

Please don’t think that I am putting my husband down here.  He is a wonderful, godly man who loves me.  He loves me in spite of my anger issues.  I have the self control of a bull in a china closet.  Believe me!  I have my own patience issues.  I often tell my own children, “Patience is a virtue!”; with a high pitched happy voice.  Hypocrite!

But now you must rid yourselves of all such things as these:  anger, rage, malice, slander and filthy language from your lips.  Colossians 3:8

In my Bible, Colossians 3 is titled “Rules for Holy Living.”  Paul is speaking to God’s chosen people.  As followers of Christ, sometimes we forget all of the “rules” we need to be following because we are to prideful to admit that God calls us to “Holy Living.”  We are “good” people.  We don’t break any of the “major” 10 commandments.  God doesn’t expect us to be perfect! Blah!  Blah!  Blah!  More lies we tell ourselves.

The biggest lie I tell myself when I am confronted with my husband in the car is that I am allowed to have my own feelings and spew them out all over the car as well.  Yes, we are human.  God wants us to have feelings, but God also delights in our self control.  Especially, when the kids are always in the back seat listening.  I am also really good at, “Honey, you need to relax and have more patience.”  This in my holier than thou voice.

I encourage you to read all of Colossians 3.  Remember that we are imperfect in an imperfect world, but that is no excuse.  We are still God’s chosen people.

Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace.  Colossians 3:15

HAVE YOU EVER…shown real patience?

Isaiah 29:13, Philippians 2:3

HAVE YOU EVER...asked for trouble?

I say it all of the time.  "I was just asking for trouble!"  This phrase seems to occur mostly when my parenting skills backfire.  I did not think through something with my boys and everything falls apart; too quickly to recover.

Travis Cottrell wrote this song called, "Refine Me".  One of the phrases in the song always gets stuck in my throat..."Do what you need to.  Help me to trust you.  Even if your love brings me suffering."  Now, that is just asking for trouble.  Who says stuff like that to God?

In Psalm 26:2, David said, "Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind."  Testing.  Purifying.  Refining.  Coming before the Lord and asking him to examine you heart and mind.  This should not be taken lightly.  When you go before the Lord this way, I believe God will answer you prayer.  He will move in your life.  It won't be easy, but God also rewards.

If what he has built, survives, he will receive his reward.  1 Corinthians 3:14

HAVE YOU EVER...asked to be refined?


Isaiah 48:10, 2 Corinthians 13:5

HAVE YOU EVER...experienced a miracle?

I easily believe that good things happen to bad people and bad things happen to good people.  The hard thing for me to believe is miracles.  I see them happen in other people's lives and I definitely believe all of the miracles of the Bible.  I guess I am a pessimist.  My husband calls it being realistic.

I see my two healthy children as miracles.  I guess being married for 15 years is a miracle.  I just don't feel like my life has called for any amazing miracles.  Other than my salvation, I don't believe miracles really happen in my life.  Writing this down now, kind of sounds absurd.

A miracle is a miracle - big or small.  I don't believe in coincidences.  I believe that God is always at work.  Maybe I do believe in miracles in my life.

The New Testament is full of Jesus' miracles.  God also allowed many of the disciple to do miracles.  Isaiah even prophesied that Jesus would do miracles.  Matthew 13:58 says, "And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith."  This was Jesus' hometown.  Sad stuff!  They missed it!

Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.
1 Chronicles 16:12

Am I walking around experiencing God intervening continuously in my life and I'm missing it?  In the Old Testament God's chosen people kept forgetting all of his work in their lives.  I don't plan on trying to create any of my own miracles, but Jesus told his disciples that they could do certain miracles when they had faith filled prayers.  I guess I lack faith sometimes.  I'll keep praying about it.

He replied, "Because you have so little faith I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move.  Nothing will be impossible for you."  Matthew 17:20

HAVE YOU EVER...lacked faith?


Isaiah 35:5-6, John 20:30-31

HAVE YOU EVER…been sick?

I have a weird immune disorder.  My major issue is chronic sinusitis.  I do not have allergies or asthma.  I am constantly dealing with coughing and snot.  I am always on guard against germs and I have many preventative steps I am always taking.  Even so, 50% of my year is spent sick with some type of sinus or bacterial infection.  I really get tired of being sick.

I am also a musician.  I am a music teacher.  I enjoy singing and playing instruments.  Mainly, I play the clarinet and piano.  It is very difficult to sing or play my clarinet when I am sick.  Frustrating.

We have very little control over illness.  You can exercise and eat right, but still end up with a disease that kills you.  I do believe in miracles and divine healing.  I also believe Genesis 1 and 2 that says that God created man and woman.  We belong to him. 

Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body.  1 Corinthians 6:19-20

I may be physically sick a good amount of the time, but I pray that I am not spiritually sick.  I want my body that Christ paid for in full with his blood to be flowing continuously with his grace and bursting forth for others as well.  When Jesus was in the garden with his disciples he said, “…The spirit is willing, but the body is weak.” (Matt.26:41)  When we know the Lord, we have the Holy Spirit to guide us.  He is willing to lead us, but our human body and mind are weak. 

HAVE YOU EVER…been spiritually sick?

Psalm 51:10-12, Mark 14:38