HAVE YOU EVER…made a New Year’s resolution?

I have discussed how I am not big on resolutions, but my entire family has been working on some changes around our house.  We have made a few resolutions that are going to take team work and encouragement from each other.  We want to be better people MORE dedicated to God.

The main one that I am going to share with you is embarrassing.  I grew up in a family where I did not get an allowance, but yet did not want for much.  I have been working at least a part time job since I was in the 7^th grade.  I was taught the value of money.  My parents were honest with us about how they spent and saved their money.  They taught us about tithing.  We gave an offering every Sunday.  We also gave our Birthday offerings, Lottie Moon Christmas offerings, and Annie Armstrong offerings every year.  My husband and I began tithing as soon as we got married as well. 

My kids have not learned about tithing though.  We tried a dime jar, marble jar reverted to money, chore charts turned into money.  All were incentives just to give them money and get a few things done around the house.  We have been teaching them how to be responsible for themselves, but we have been lacking on the tithing part. 

We bought each child a cheap plastic container that I have labeled tithe, save, and spend.  We are going to be putting 10% in the tithing and 10% in the savings jars, every time they earn or are given money as a present.  The other 80% is theirs to do with as they please.  The savings jar will also be there’s to do with as they please, but they have to get permission from mom and dad before they spend it.  It cannot be spent on frivolous things. 

I know we still have our work cut out for us.  There is more for the entire family to learn.  We will no longer be keeping our first fruits for ourselves.  We will be obediently giving MORE to God this year.   I pray this is a lesson they learn and remember the rest of their lives.
 

Each man should give what he has decided in his heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.  2 Corinthians 9:7

HAVE YOU EVER…given MORE?

Proverbs 3:9;  Luke 21:3-4

HAVE YOU EVER...been meek?

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.   Galatians 5:22-23KJV

I teach the fruit of the Spirit every day at school.  I am always looking for fruit of the Spirit curriculum, games, and especially songs.  I have even contacted publishing companies and composers.  This summer, I came across a great new song that used the word meekness as one of the fruits.  This is not a common word today.  I had trouble understanding it.  I began searching every translation.  The King James Version of the Bible uses meek more often than others. 

I could never explain the Hebrew or Greek definitions of words.  Even though, I love that stuff; vocabulary is not my strong suite.  I keep telling my family we need to get “word of the day toilet paper”. 

Back to meekness – I looked it up online. 

Google defined MEEKNESS as

noun  The fact or condition of being meek; submissiveness

“all his best friends make fun of him for his meekness”

I went to the base word.

MEEK

adjective  Quiet, gentle, and easily imposed on; submissive

“I used to call her Miss Mouse because she was so meek and mild”

I wouldn’t want any of these friends in these illustrations.  I liked Wikipedia better.  I believe it is more Biblical than worldly.  “Meekness is a possible attribute of human nature and behavior.  It has been defined several ways: Godfearing, righteous, humble, teachable, and patient under suffering; willing to follow gospel teachings; an attribute of a true disciple.”

My Bible commentary says, “Those who humbly acknowledge their dependence on the goodness and grace of God and betray no arrogance toward their fellowman.”  Paul said in 

2 Corinthians 10:1 that Christ was meek.  In no way do I believe that this is a sad trait to inherit.  That is why there is no law against these traits.  The Spirit wants us to exude these characteristics no matter what the world says. 

Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  Matthew 5:5 NIV

HAVE YOU EVER wanted to be meek?

Psalm 37:11, Matthew 11:29

HAVE YOU EVER...seen Joseph?

Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else.  1 Thessalonians 5:15

This summer my family was blessed to see Joseph at the Sight and Sound Theatre in Branson, Missouri.  It amazingly depicted the story from Genesis.  My family was in awe.  We can’t wait to go back and see another picture of God’s word.

We have told many other people about the performance.  We discovered that all of the people who have seen the production have inevitably said something like this, “I loved the way the story portrayed forgiveness!”

The book of Genesis is one of my favorite books.  I have always been in love with the Old Testament.  The book of Genesis is the beginning of our story.  True history.  Joseph’s story started with his great grandfather, Abraham in Genesis 11 and goes all of the way to the end of Genesis 50.  Detail by detail of a growing family.  Many wrongs and rights, but there is always true family love and forgiveness; all of the way until Joseph’s death.  Joseph forgave his brothers.  He believed in God’s plans and blessings for his life. 

I believe that the Old Testament can be relevant to our relationships today.  I am more thankful for the forgiveness that God gives me every day as I read these stories and think about wrong and right.   God doesn’t keep count.  Our friends and family may find it difficult to forgive us.  God’s gift of forgiveness is free. 

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus Lord.  Romans 6:23

HAVE YOU EVER been forgiven?

Genesis 45:5, Matthew 1:21

HAVE YOU EVER...been downsized?

Today is my birthday!  I love birthdays and the 3 people that live in my house know it.  We celebrate birthdays for the whole month.  Luckily, none of us have to share a month.  I use our birthdays constantly as an excuse to have more fun!

Birthdays have been downsized!  Everything always has to be fair for everyone or PC.  I am sure that your work place has a policy about celebrating or not celebrating birthdays.  Schools sure have changed.  It went from each child practically having a party to prepackaged snacks to no snacks at all.  (I am not griping about kids with allergies.  My son use to have a food allergy in which he grew out.  I understand that concern.)  It is just a little sad for kids in school now.

I went to the Bible to see what it said about birthdays.  There were three Bible stories I found.  On Pharaoh’s birthday in Genesis 40, Joseph had foretold of Pharaoh killing his head baker.  Then it happened.  In Job, his children are all killed during a birthday party when the house falls on them.  Matthew 14 is when Herod had John the Baptist beheaded on his birthday.  That’s sad too!

I know that we live in an entitled world.  I also know that the McDonald’s Super Size has sorely affected our country.  Let’s think about Super Size in a different way.  Have you shown someone love today for no reason?  Have you helped someone you don’t even know?  I heard on the radio this week that people who volunteer are happier people.  Think about how you like to be treated on your birthday.  Think about Super Sizing someone today!

Do to others as you would have them do to you.  Luke 6:31

HAVE YOU EVER been Super Sized?

Psalm 138:14, James 1:18

HAVE YOU EVER...known the rest of the story?

In his heart a man plans his course, but the LORD determines his steps.  Proverbs 16:9

The other day I was driving in inner city, Kansas City.  I love living near the city, but there is just something about Kansas City's essence.  You can be driving for blocks of old historic houses and all of a sudden be in the “ghetto”.  I am probably being paranoid because I grew up a country girl, but some may agree.

I was driving along and had to stop at a stop sign for an uncomfortable amount of time.  I say this because next to me on the side walk was a woman in a wheel chair talking very closely to a man on a bench.  They looked homeless.  I know I was probably being quick to judge, but what I really noticed was their connection.  They were SO into each other.  The way they looked at each other and were speaking to each other, spoke a million words even though I could not hear them.  As I was pulling away (finally), they kissed.  I’m sure I let out a happy sigh. 

It immediately made me think about how I had listened to Paul Harvey’s radio show as a kid.  His radio show would tell stories about regular people and how they made something of themselves.  Did you know that Paul Harvey was his own Rest of the Story segment?  His dad was a cop that died when he was a toddler and later a teacher found something in him.  She pushed him to be on the radio.  He went from cleaning a radio studio as a young teen to shortly later having his voice on the radio.  Someone believed in him “and that’s the rest of the story”.

As I was driving away, I was thinking how happy this couple was no matter what state their life might have been.   I don’t know the rest of their story.  God does. 

It is kind of like our kids.  We don’t know what is the rest of the story?  We want to plan their story for them.   Only God can do that.  He has given them to us on loan to care for and prepare for Him.   We have to trust Him the way He trusts us to rear them IN HIM. 

HAVE YOU EVER given God the rest of the story?

Psalm 127:3; 1 Corinthians 2:9