The next fruit of the Spirit found in Galatians 5 is Patience. The lucky random winner of this fruit is...me. Believe me...if I could've chosen any other fruit, I would've. But God must have wanted me to be the one to be stuck with this one...I mean "blessed to be one that writes about patience". That sounds better, doesn't it? So just in case some of you reading today don't know much about me, I thought I should include a little somethin'. So here you go...
Name: Jennifer Bycroft
Hometown: Brazil, IN
Married to: Matt Bycroft...God's BEST for me!
Family: Married in December 1997 (almost 13 years now)! Blessed with 2 daughters...Macayla, age 10...and Rachel, age 8...AND another blessing on the way, due this summer. :)
Current living: Iola, KS
Hobbies: love the outdoors, tennis, photography, ministry, watching college basketball (specifically March Madness), and last but not least...being with my family. Is that a hobby? Even if it's not, I do love being with Matt and our girls.
I have been blessed that the 4 of us have healthy close relationships with each other.
And now, some thoughts...
"By nature, I am not a very patient person. I said "by nature". Anyone with me? I am so thankful that we don't have to stay in that category of "by nature" when we describe who we are. I'm not saying that I have it all figured out yet, but I have changed the "by nature" to "by the help of God"...in other words, learning to take on HIS nature. I am learning how to be more patient like He calls us to be. So those of you out there that continue to say "well, by nature, I am not..." (you fill in the blank), if you are in Christ, there are no more excuses. Because With God's help and grace, you can get where He needs you to be.
In thinking about this word "patience", I'm not just talking about:
--waiting patiently on your child to hurry up and get ready for school;
--waiting patiently in line at walmart when someone goes through the "10 items or less" lane with 100 items;
--waiting patiently in a long line of a traffic jam (it must be farmin' season around here!);
--or telling your child to "be patient" while you're on the phone.
No, I'm talking about something much harder, much more difficult to do. We call this "long-suffering", or patiently enduring wrongs or difficulties, enduring without quitting. When talking about this, I have to throw in there doing it with some sort of calmness while you try with everything that's in you to persevere. If you are one that finds this an easy task, then feel free to stop reading. But because I don't find this to be easy, I must keep typing.
Have you been there? Have you been in a place where you have had to learn how to patiently endure a wrong, trial, or difficulty in your life? I have. And let me tell you...it wasn't that much fun. God knew I needed to go through this...actually GROW through this. I, however, didn't agree with Him on this one bit, and it took me a while to finally surrender to this idea.
Every so often, my husband sends me devotionals he receives via email. A little over a month ago, he sent me the following that I held on to because it talks about the way I have felt concerning some of these difficulties I have had recently. The devotional was taken from the book of Joel. Let me refresh your memory: There was a massive locust plague and severe drought in the land of Judah. Joel calls on everyone to repent. You can read about it on your own. But I do want to highlight Joel 2:25 which says, "I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten-the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm-my great army that I sent among you."
We all have probably been in a time of drought in our lives. There are seasons in our lives that involve times of famine and times of restoration. It is during those times of famine that we must patiently trust God, and patiently endure and persevere...as hard as it is sometimes.
Recently, my husband and I went through "one of those times". It involved our church, and our family...two things that mean so much to us. To say it was difficult to just sit back and "patiently endure" is an understatement! My "nature" is to want to take care of it myself. Because after all, we think we can do a pretty good job with that, right? Wrong. My husband, who is the preaching minister at our church, began to be undermined by others in leadership. They turned against him, if you will. False accusations, slander, lies, gossip, mistreatment...you name it, it was done. Because of this, my husband's job was threatened. This just didn't affect the health of our church, but also our family. We just wanted to throw in the towel and quit! The hurt was too much to bear. People we thought were our friends turned into enemies. People we thought we could count on to help us through a difficult time turned out to be people that wanted to see us gone. Thank God for the Christian friends and family that prayed for us and stood by us! We appreciate those that kept reminding us to "be patient , let God work it out, and continue to do what is right no matter what".
Fast forwarding through all of the details, we continued to stand firm, fighting for the truth to be told, and "patiently endured" while not knowing what the outcome would be. This was not an easy task! But we had to trust that God knew best, and He would bring restoration. Total restoration has not come yet in some of those areas, but we have been able to sit back and witness how God has done the impossible (to us anyway) and bring us on the other side of that difficulty in our lives. God gave wisdom and truth to those that needed it at just the right time, and Matt's job was secured. After over a year now, our church family has grown...not just in numbers, but more importantly, spiritually as well. We have seen restoration happen. And Matt and I have learned all over again that we are serving Jesus, and living for Him...no matter what others might say. I was just thinking the other day how comforting it is to know that we have grown in this area. To please God must be our goal in this life. I would've never volunteered to go through something like this, but can understand a little why now. This "patient endurance" may have been just as much for me, as it has been for others to go through. I now know how to handle things God's way in times like these. My reactions and responses to the things that happened, and at times still continue to happen, are not the same as it once was. I've learned how to better turn those over to God. Not perfect by any means, but changed with His help. He is constantly teaching me to rely on Him, letting Him have His way in His own time. He doesn't need me trying to speed up His plan! Had we just left and quit because the times were tough, we would have never seen how God repayed those couple of years that the locusts had eaten.
Galatians 5:25-26 says, "Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other." Paul warns us that there must be a right atmosphere before the fruit will grow. We can't get ahead of God, impatiently doing our own thing because we "think" we know best, but to wait and endure, trusting God with all of it.
I like the reminder that Warren Wiersbe gives to us. He says, "The Christian who is long-suffering will not avenge himself or wish difficulties on those who oppose him. He will be kind and gentle..." I must admit this is not easy for me to do either. But possible, only with the "help of God". He will take care of it.
We've seen restoration in the church, now just "patiently waiting" on restoration in the family. God can do it. We can't do it alone, that's for sure. I don't have any idea when this will happen. But if you are in a similar situation, or ever have been, God wants you to know that there is a time when He will restore in order to demonstrate His gracious hand in our lives. He loves us and guides us through the most difficult places. Remember that He is the restorer of that which the locusts have eaten. Wait patiently for Him to bring this about in your life. After all, does He not constantly wait patiently for us?
"But for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and have eternal life." (I Tim. 1:16)
"The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)
And here's a couple more reminders that we are to demonstrate patience...
"You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord's coming is near." (James 5:8)
"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer." (Rom. 12:12)"
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Wednesday, April 7, 2010
"But the fruit of the Spirit is..."PEACE"
The third fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians is...Peace. And I have to say the writer of today's fruit was the 1st person that came to my mind when I was dreaming up this idea of including others to write for my blog. I am privileged, blessed, and so thankful to call her my friend. Curious yet??? It is with much excitement to introduce to you Pat Merold.
I really have my husband to thank for ever meeting Pat. Years ago, my husband Matt, was an intern under Ben Merold (Pat's husband) at Harvester Christian Church in St. Charles, Missouri. Matt and I were just dating at the time. Since my hometown wasn't too far from there, I would frequently visit Matt during the summer. Matt stayed with a family from that church, but I was lucky enough to stay at the Merolds when I came into town. It was so neat for me to watch how Ben and Pat interacted with each other...always showing love, always showing respect, and always always laughing together. When it was time for me to head to bed myself, I could hear the two of them just giggling in the next room. It made me smile seeing that kind of love in the two of them. If you know Ben, you will quite often see him "patting" his bride on the backside...yes, even at church in front of lots of people. This must be where my husband learned it from, because Matt does the same thing to me. :)
I was also a student at Ozark Christian College at the time, so ministry was a huge passion for me. I LOVED asking questions and picking Pat's brain over the many aspects of ministry. We talked a lot about expectations from others...from the church, from our husband (remember I was just dating at the time), and expectations we place on ourselves as well. We talked about different Bible studies (Pat has written much of her own and challenged me that the best Bible study we could ever do is...from the Bible itself). We talked about service...finding the area or areas of service and passion that God wants us to take part in and do it. We talked about being ok with the many hours it takes a minister away from family, and how to maturely deal with that. We talked a lot about always showing respect towards whoever God chooses for us to marry. One thing that has stuck with me to this day is when Pat told me that when I marry, that I am a wife first, then a preacher's wife. I think at the time, I had that backwards in my head. So in the almost 13 years of full time ministry that Matt and I have been involved in now, I have gone back to that comment again and again. I think I've truly gotten a hold of it now...and this has happened only within the past year to two. I am a Christ follower, I am a wife to Matt, I am a mom to my girls, and I am the wife of a preacher.
There have been some hardships along the way in ministry in which I have called Pat up to just seek her advice and Godly wisdom. It's nice to have someone to talk to that "has been there" before that doesn't live here. I really do feel like she knows my heart well enough that if I'm going to ask her a question, she's going to give it to me straight. And let me add, that Pat has also prayed with me on the phone many times before. A woman of the Word, and a woman of prayer. She doesn't mess around with having to hear all the details...she just takes it to God. A lesson I need to learn better. And I have to also mention her sense of humor. Pat Merold is one of the funniest people that I know! I have called her up just to hear her laugh before. She is so full of joy. She is one funny lady!
Matt and I consider Ben and Pat very good friends of ours. We both have enjoyed getting to know them, and are also extremely thankful to have wiser mentors in the ministry that we can turn to. I have asked Pat many times before when she is going to write a book to all wives in the ministry...I would LOVE it if she did!
Thanks, Pat, for being my Titus 2:4-5 woman. From the 1st day I met you, you had no problem taking me under your wing and teaching me...and on some days, helping me get back up and fly again. Every young woman either considering ministry, or that are in ministry now serving and supporting their husbands, need a Pat Merold in their life. I know I've got mine...
Name: Pat Merold
Hometown: (Pat didn't mention this in her bio, but I'm gonna take a stab at it and say Pennsylvania. Am I right Pat???)
Married to: Ben Merold. Married at age 18 and will celebrate 61 years in August.
Family: 3 sons. 2 are deceased...our youngest was murdered at age 30, and our oldest, Mike, died 2 years ago this month from a heart attack.
We have partially raised several foster children along with our own. I feel there is no greater ministry than investing your life in the lives of young people. We have 4 natural grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren, but many from our foster kids. They are all the very best and the little ones are darling. Not that I would want to boast. :)
Current Living: St. Charles, MO
Hobbies: teaching is one. Taught High School, college, young marrieds and adults. "Of course those classes and my Bible studies which I taught for 40 years, were my 1st love when it came to ministry opportunities."
More about Pat that you may not know: Pat founded and administrated the Step-Up ministry which ministered to victims of domestic violence from 1992 until Ben retired in 2008. Pat has held dozens of retreats, spoken for numerous conferences, the North American Christian Convention (she even asked me to be a part of one of her classes one year for the NACC, which I really enjoyed doing with her), and many special occasions and state conventions. She has served on the Continuation Committee for the NACC as well. She has also organized the childrens word twice and served for the National Missionary Convention's pre-school department. Pat also wrote questions for the very first Bible Bowl competition. Their years of service/ministry include:
Illinois-7 years
Indiana-over 13 years
California-nearly 23 years
Missouri (Harvester Christian Church)-18 years
And now, words from Pat...
"Hi. Jennifer invited me to share my thoughts on PEACE in her blog. So here I am, writing for her blog and I have never had one of my own or read anyone else's. That tells you something about me that I wish you didn't know. I'm behind the times. I tell myself I'm too busy.
PEACE - one of the grapes on the cluster we know of as the "fruit of the Spirit".
Every time I have a period of introspection and self-examination, I evaluate myself by looking inward to see whether or not I demonstrate and/or experience being "possessed of His Spirit" I look at this list in Gal. 5:22&23 and ask myself the hard questions.
Most often I have to pause when I come to "Peace". I am by nature a tense, hurried person. I find it difficult to relax and be what most would see being at "peace". Yet, in my heart, I do feel at peace which I define as being in right relationship and harmony with God, facing life with the confidence that I can handle it because He
has given me countless promises which give me assurance, and living well with my fellow-man because he has
poured His love (agape) into me.
Let me take these one at a time. I am at peace with God because I have fully accepted that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, that Jesus died to atone for my sins, was resurrected to sit at the right hand of God, and is now my advocate before Him. I don't have to fret over my eternal destiny. I can confess my daily sins and
know that if I truly repent, He forgives. How freeing these truths are! Life is so much simpler when you are fully persuaded that all His promises are going to be fulfilled.
However, when it comes to being at peace in all of life's difficult circumstances, I must confess, I have had to pray my way to "peace" many times. At these times peace comes as I ask God to:
1. help me actually give my problem to Him. I most often try solving it myself, become impatient while
waiting for his help in a way I recognize, or, keep snatching them back and having to give them to
him all over again.
2. fully trust that He will handle my problem in a way that is most valuable for my spiritual well-being. No
matter how impatient or confused I may be.
I know the value of having studied the Scripture over the years so that I am very familiar with all His promises. I see that storing God's Word in your heart prepares you for real life. I believe all these promises and know that He always keeps His word. It isn't all bad, this getting old (I'm 79). As we age we have a whole life-time over which to reflect and see that His grace really is sufficient for all our needs. We can see what the trials, tests, and experiences have accomplished much. He truly has been at work in me to will and to do His good pleasure. He gives the "peace that passes all understanding".
The third idea in my definition has to do with living well with other people. We all have some folks in our circle of friends and acquaintances who require our being careful in that relationship. These relationships are not as easy and as free as we would like. But Paul says that God has poured His love (the kind of love He has) into us. Therefore, I have concluded that if God loves them, so can I. The love I have from His Spirit enables me to express agape love toward all. I tell myself that God loves them enough that He died for them, so then, I can
learn to love them too. I believe if I truly desire and pray for that kind of love He will grant that request.
May God help us all to live in His spirit."
I really have my husband to thank for ever meeting Pat. Years ago, my husband Matt, was an intern under Ben Merold (Pat's husband) at Harvester Christian Church in St. Charles, Missouri. Matt and I were just dating at the time. Since my hometown wasn't too far from there, I would frequently visit Matt during the summer. Matt stayed with a family from that church, but I was lucky enough to stay at the Merolds when I came into town. It was so neat for me to watch how Ben and Pat interacted with each other...always showing love, always showing respect, and always always laughing together. When it was time for me to head to bed myself, I could hear the two of them just giggling in the next room. It made me smile seeing that kind of love in the two of them. If you know Ben, you will quite often see him "patting" his bride on the backside...yes, even at church in front of lots of people. This must be where my husband learned it from, because Matt does the same thing to me. :)
I was also a student at Ozark Christian College at the time, so ministry was a huge passion for me. I LOVED asking questions and picking Pat's brain over the many aspects of ministry. We talked a lot about expectations from others...from the church, from our husband (remember I was just dating at the time), and expectations we place on ourselves as well. We talked about different Bible studies (Pat has written much of her own and challenged me that the best Bible study we could ever do is...from the Bible itself). We talked about service...finding the area or areas of service and passion that God wants us to take part in and do it. We talked about being ok with the many hours it takes a minister away from family, and how to maturely deal with that. We talked a lot about always showing respect towards whoever God chooses for us to marry. One thing that has stuck with me to this day is when Pat told me that when I marry, that I am a wife first, then a preacher's wife. I think at the time, I had that backwards in my head. So in the almost 13 years of full time ministry that Matt and I have been involved in now, I have gone back to that comment again and again. I think I've truly gotten a hold of it now...and this has happened only within the past year to two. I am a Christ follower, I am a wife to Matt, I am a mom to my girls, and I am the wife of a preacher.
There have been some hardships along the way in ministry in which I have called Pat up to just seek her advice and Godly wisdom. It's nice to have someone to talk to that "has been there" before that doesn't live here. I really do feel like she knows my heart well enough that if I'm going to ask her a question, she's going to give it to me straight. And let me add, that Pat has also prayed with me on the phone many times before. A woman of the Word, and a woman of prayer. She doesn't mess around with having to hear all the details...she just takes it to God. A lesson I need to learn better. And I have to also mention her sense of humor. Pat Merold is one of the funniest people that I know! I have called her up just to hear her laugh before. She is so full of joy. She is one funny lady!
Matt and I consider Ben and Pat very good friends of ours. We both have enjoyed getting to know them, and are also extremely thankful to have wiser mentors in the ministry that we can turn to. I have asked Pat many times before when she is going to write a book to all wives in the ministry...I would LOVE it if she did!
Thanks, Pat, for being my Titus 2:4-5 woman. From the 1st day I met you, you had no problem taking me under your wing and teaching me...and on some days, helping me get back up and fly again. Every young woman either considering ministry, or that are in ministry now serving and supporting their husbands, need a Pat Merold in their life. I know I've got mine...
Name: Pat Merold
Hometown: (Pat didn't mention this in her bio, but I'm gonna take a stab at it and say Pennsylvania. Am I right Pat???)
Married to: Ben Merold. Married at age 18 and will celebrate 61 years in August.
Family: 3 sons. 2 are deceased...our youngest was murdered at age 30, and our oldest, Mike, died 2 years ago this month from a heart attack.
We have partially raised several foster children along with our own. I feel there is no greater ministry than investing your life in the lives of young people. We have 4 natural grandchildren and 5 great-grandchildren, but many from our foster kids. They are all the very best and the little ones are darling. Not that I would want to boast. :)
Current Living: St. Charles, MO
Hobbies: teaching is one. Taught High School, college, young marrieds and adults. "Of course those classes and my Bible studies which I taught for 40 years, were my 1st love when it came to ministry opportunities."
More about Pat that you may not know: Pat founded and administrated the Step-Up ministry which ministered to victims of domestic violence from 1992 until Ben retired in 2008. Pat has held dozens of retreats, spoken for numerous conferences, the North American Christian Convention (she even asked me to be a part of one of her classes one year for the NACC, which I really enjoyed doing with her), and many special occasions and state conventions. She has served on the Continuation Committee for the NACC as well. She has also organized the childrens word twice and served for the National Missionary Convention's pre-school department. Pat also wrote questions for the very first Bible Bowl competition. Their years of service/ministry include:
Illinois-7 years
Indiana-over 13 years
California-nearly 23 years
Missouri (Harvester Christian Church)-18 years
And now, words from Pat...
"Hi. Jennifer invited me to share my thoughts on PEACE in her blog. So here I am, writing for her blog and I have never had one of my own or read anyone else's. That tells you something about me that I wish you didn't know. I'm behind the times. I tell myself I'm too busy.
PEACE - one of the grapes on the cluster we know of as the "fruit of the Spirit".
Every time I have a period of introspection and self-examination, I evaluate myself by looking inward to see whether or not I demonstrate and/or experience being "possessed of His Spirit" I look at this list in Gal. 5:22&23 and ask myself the hard questions.
Most often I have to pause when I come to "Peace". I am by nature a tense, hurried person. I find it difficult to relax and be what most would see being at "peace". Yet, in my heart, I do feel at peace which I define as being in right relationship and harmony with God, facing life with the confidence that I can handle it because He
has given me countless promises which give me assurance, and living well with my fellow-man because he has
poured His love (agape) into me.
Let me take these one at a time. I am at peace with God because I have fully accepted that Jesus Christ is God's only begotten Son, that Jesus died to atone for my sins, was resurrected to sit at the right hand of God, and is now my advocate before Him. I don't have to fret over my eternal destiny. I can confess my daily sins and
know that if I truly repent, He forgives. How freeing these truths are! Life is so much simpler when you are fully persuaded that all His promises are going to be fulfilled.
However, when it comes to being at peace in all of life's difficult circumstances, I must confess, I have had to pray my way to "peace" many times. At these times peace comes as I ask God to:
1. help me actually give my problem to Him. I most often try solving it myself, become impatient while
waiting for his help in a way I recognize, or, keep snatching them back and having to give them to
him all over again.
2. fully trust that He will handle my problem in a way that is most valuable for my spiritual well-being. No
matter how impatient or confused I may be.
I know the value of having studied the Scripture over the years so that I am very familiar with all His promises. I see that storing God's Word in your heart prepares you for real life. I believe all these promises and know that He always keeps His word. It isn't all bad, this getting old (I'm 79). As we age we have a whole life-time over which to reflect and see that His grace really is sufficient for all our needs. We can see what the trials, tests, and experiences have accomplished much. He truly has been at work in me to will and to do His good pleasure. He gives the "peace that passes all understanding".
The third idea in my definition has to do with living well with other people. We all have some folks in our circle of friends and acquaintances who require our being careful in that relationship. These relationships are not as easy and as free as we would like. But Paul says that God has poured His love (the kind of love He has) into us. Therefore, I have concluded that if God loves them, so can I. The love I have from His Spirit enables me to express agape love toward all. I tell myself that God loves them enough that He died for them, so then, I can
learn to love them too. I believe if I truly desire and pray for that kind of love He will grant that request.
May God help us all to live in His spirit."
Tuesday, March 30, 2010
"But the fruit of the Spirit is...JOY"
The second fruit of the Spirit talked about in Galatians is...JOY. I am excited to introduce to you the writer of this week's fruit...Cindy Moyers. She is not only the wife of a preacher, she also just happens to be my aunt. You can call her Cindy, but I refer to her as "Aunt Slenders". She has become very fond of that name!
I really can't say enough about Aunt Cindy. She has become one of my favorite people. I have obviously known her for as long as my husband Matt and I have been together. It seems she's always been one that I can talk to very easily. Even though Aunt Cindy is Matt's aunt, she and I are a lot alike. She is outgoing, cares deeply about people, loves to laugh, loves her family, and loves being a part of the ministry God has called her to. Oh, and she kinda likes to talk too...like me. :) I can relate to her.
Over the past few years, Matt and I have grown a lot closer to Aunt Cindy and her family. They have truly been a God-send and a blessing to our family! More specifically, Aunt Cindy has really been there for me. There have been some things over the past couple of years, that I have turned to Aunt Cindy for encouragement, support, advice, or even just a listening ear. The admirable thing about Aunt Cindy is that she gives biblical advice...not just words based on feeling, and not just words that she thinks I'd like to hear to make me feel better. Nope, it's all based on what the Bible says. We've laughed together, and we've cried together. If there was a fruit of prayer, she would definitely be the one that could write about that too. She truly is a woman of prayer. It's easy to say to someone, "prayin' for ya". It's another to pray WITH someone. She has prayed with me in person, on the phone, and through writing out prayers via email. This has brought me more encouragement than she probably realizes. More importantly though, she has challenged me to be a better Christian in many ways. I have found strength in my own life simply knowing the different things she has had to go through. She's not only my aunt, but she's become my friend and one of my mentors as well. I just really love her!
Name: Cindy Moyers
Hometown: Coffeyville, KS
Married to: Kevin Moyers
Family: 3 children. Jonathan, 23, will be marrying Shauncey on June 5th. Abbie, 21, will be marrying Logan on June 19th. Rebekah, 18, graduates from high school on May 15th, and will be attending Ozark Christian College in the fall.
Current living: Ft. Scott, KS. Kevin is the senior minister and we have been serving with Community Christian Church for 22 1/2 years now. Overall, we have been in ministry and married for 27 years. We love being in the ministry and believe this is where God wants us.
Hobbies: I love doing things with my family, reading, and flowers. With the two weddings coming up, I have been scrapbooking and being creative for the weddings.
Cindy adds, "I am very thankful for the legacy of Christianity that is in my family. My parents, Melvin and Irene Betts, raised me in a Christian home in the Tyro, Kansas area. I have three siblings who are Kathy, Karen, and Lon. All three are very involved in the church there at Tyro, as well as my parents, with Kathy being married to the Senior Minister there, David Bycroft."
And now, words from my "Aunt Slenders"...
"Joy. When I think of joy, the first verse that comes to my mind is, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” God is my strength and I find joy in knowing He is in control and not me.
I grew up enjoying life and finding joy in people and the things around me. I believe this joy is from the Lord. I find joy in the ministry. I love to serve and help others. This brings joy to my heart. I enjoy bringing a smile to someone’s face by little gifts of service: opening the door for someone, carrying a bag of groceries for an elderly person, picking up something that has dropped to the floor for someone…really seemingly small things, but things that can make a person feel like you care about them.
Joy. God can give us joy in all things. I find joy in my family. It doesn’t mean that everything that happens in my family is always how I would picture it, but God has been there to strengthen me in the sad times and heart breaking times. When I couldn’t get pregnant, I continued to find strength and joy in the Lord through the song and scripture, “You are my hiding place, You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You”; when Jonathan was diagnosed with heart problems at 4 ½ months old and we didn’t know if he would live, God brought me strength through the Psalms and I could rejoice that God had brought Jonathan into our lives and that God was in control; and when I was arrested three years ago (yes, you heard that right. That is a long story in and of itself so I will need to share that later), the stress and worry of the future was overtaken with God and I was able to allow Him to give me joy in knowing He was in control AGAIN!
As I have just shared these thoughts, I am reminded of the verses in James 1 that says, 2“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
I am thankful for the joy that the Lord gives me in my church family. They have stood by me in thick and thin; they have believed in me and held my arms up when I couldn’t. That brings much joy to my heart! I am leading a women’s Bible study on Wednesday nights and we have had such a blessed time together. I find joy in these ladies. We are growing in our individual relationship with God and also growing in our relationship together as sisters in the Lord. Some verses we studied earlier in our group were from Habakkuk 3 which says, 17 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” I love those verses. We are learning in our Bible study to be intentional about our relationship with God. I truly believe that by purposely thinking about Him and dwelling in His presence every day brings much joy to my life. That doesn’t mean I have it all together, but I am working on my relationship with God every day.
JOY. It is an important part of the fruit of the spirit. God wants us to have joy in Him. He wants us to show joy to others."
I really can't say enough about Aunt Cindy. She has become one of my favorite people. I have obviously known her for as long as my husband Matt and I have been together. It seems she's always been one that I can talk to very easily. Even though Aunt Cindy is Matt's aunt, she and I are a lot alike. She is outgoing, cares deeply about people, loves to laugh, loves her family, and loves being a part of the ministry God has called her to. Oh, and she kinda likes to talk too...like me. :) I can relate to her.
Over the past few years, Matt and I have grown a lot closer to Aunt Cindy and her family. They have truly been a God-send and a blessing to our family! More specifically, Aunt Cindy has really been there for me. There have been some things over the past couple of years, that I have turned to Aunt Cindy for encouragement, support, advice, or even just a listening ear. The admirable thing about Aunt Cindy is that she gives biblical advice...not just words based on feeling, and not just words that she thinks I'd like to hear to make me feel better. Nope, it's all based on what the Bible says. We've laughed together, and we've cried together. If there was a fruit of prayer, she would definitely be the one that could write about that too. She truly is a woman of prayer. It's easy to say to someone, "prayin' for ya". It's another to pray WITH someone. She has prayed with me in person, on the phone, and through writing out prayers via email. This has brought me more encouragement than she probably realizes. More importantly though, she has challenged me to be a better Christian in many ways. I have found strength in my own life simply knowing the different things she has had to go through. She's not only my aunt, but she's become my friend and one of my mentors as well. I just really love her!
Name: Cindy Moyers
Hometown: Coffeyville, KS
Married to: Kevin Moyers
Family: 3 children. Jonathan, 23, will be marrying Shauncey on June 5th. Abbie, 21, will be marrying Logan on June 19th. Rebekah, 18, graduates from high school on May 15th, and will be attending Ozark Christian College in the fall.
Current living: Ft. Scott, KS. Kevin is the senior minister and we have been serving with Community Christian Church for 22 1/2 years now. Overall, we have been in ministry and married for 27 years. We love being in the ministry and believe this is where God wants us.
Hobbies: I love doing things with my family, reading, and flowers. With the two weddings coming up, I have been scrapbooking and being creative for the weddings.
Cindy adds, "I am very thankful for the legacy of Christianity that is in my family. My parents, Melvin and Irene Betts, raised me in a Christian home in the Tyro, Kansas area. I have three siblings who are Kathy, Karen, and Lon. All three are very involved in the church there at Tyro, as well as my parents, with Kathy being married to the Senior Minister there, David Bycroft."
And now, words from my "Aunt Slenders"...
"Joy. When I think of joy, the first verse that comes to my mind is, “The joy of the Lord is my strength.” God is my strength and I find joy in knowing He is in control and not me.
I grew up enjoying life and finding joy in people and the things around me. I believe this joy is from the Lord. I find joy in the ministry. I love to serve and help others. This brings joy to my heart. I enjoy bringing a smile to someone’s face by little gifts of service: opening the door for someone, carrying a bag of groceries for an elderly person, picking up something that has dropped to the floor for someone…really seemingly small things, but things that can make a person feel like you care about them.
Joy. God can give us joy in all things. I find joy in my family. It doesn’t mean that everything that happens in my family is always how I would picture it, but God has been there to strengthen me in the sad times and heart breaking times. When I couldn’t get pregnant, I continued to find strength and joy in the Lord through the song and scripture, “You are my hiding place, You always fill my heart with songs of deliverance whenever I am afraid, I will trust in You”; when Jonathan was diagnosed with heart problems at 4 ½ months old and we didn’t know if he would live, God brought me strength through the Psalms and I could rejoice that God had brought Jonathan into our lives and that God was in control; and when I was arrested three years ago (yes, you heard that right. That is a long story in and of itself so I will need to share that later), the stress and worry of the future was overtaken with God and I was able to allow Him to give me joy in knowing He was in control AGAIN!
As I have just shared these thoughts, I am reminded of the verses in James 1 that says, 2“Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. 4Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
I am thankful for the joy that the Lord gives me in my church family. They have stood by me in thick and thin; they have believed in me and held my arms up when I couldn’t. That brings much joy to my heart! I am leading a women’s Bible study on Wednesday nights and we have had such a blessed time together. I find joy in these ladies. We are growing in our individual relationship with God and also growing in our relationship together as sisters in the Lord. Some verses we studied earlier in our group were from Habakkuk 3 which says, 17 “Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, 18 yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior.” I love those verses. We are learning in our Bible study to be intentional about our relationship with God. I truly believe that by purposely thinking about Him and dwelling in His presence every day brings much joy to my life. That doesn’t mean I have it all together, but I am working on my relationship with God every day.
JOY. It is an important part of the fruit of the spirit. God wants us to have joy in Him. He wants us to show joy to others."
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
"But the fruit of the Spirit is...LOVE"
A few weeks ago, I thought of this idea to write on the "Fruits of the Spirit". But not just write about them or casually mention them, but really dig deeper to learn from these "fruits". And instead of just hearing from me all the time, I wanted to broaden that and include other wives in the ministry. So I made a list of 8 other friends of mine that I asked to be a part of this. My plan is to post one, possibly two, per week. Everyone was randomly assigned a fruit, and I asked each one to tell how God taught them through their particular fruit, and what they have learned in all their years of ministry and service. I love learning from others that have "been there"! My hope and prayer is that you too, will learn from them, and can see the uniqueness in each of these Godly women. They are all "doing" ministry in some capacity in their lives. I tried to get a wide range of wives in ministry...youth minister's wife, college campus minister's wife, well-known Christian writer/speaker, and the others being preaching minister's wives. I really wanted to include a missionary as well, and tried to contact my Aunt Shanthi Bycroft, who serves in Sri Lanka, to be involved in this, but checking their internet is few and far between. So I will be filling one of the spots...sorry, you'll just have to hear from me too!
You all know the first fruit talked about in Galatians 5...LOVE. I am so excited to introduce to you my friend, Shirley Liston, to talk about love today. Before I share what is on her heart, I'd like for you to get to know her a little better.
Name: Shirley Liston
Hometown: Portland, IN. I attended West Walnut Church of Christ from 3rd grade up until I went to college at Cincinnati Bible Seminary.
Married to: Glen Liston
Family: 5 sons, 5 wonderful daughters-in-law, 14 grandchildren...2 of which are married now...and we recently had 2 foster grandbabies added!
Current living: Manvel, TX (south of Houston). We live across the lake from New Hope Church where son, Tim, is minister.
Years of ministry/service: After 50 years of being the senior minister's wife, retirement is great! We enjoy attending New Hope now and are involved and volunteer in various areas.
Hobbies: I enjoy planning programs, playing the piano, singing at a local nursing home, teaching children on Sundays, having a small group in our home weekly, going on mission trips, and playing golf with Glen. When I have time, I love reading Christian novels.
I would like to add that Glen and Shirley used to minister at First Christian Church in Brazil, IN...my hometown. Even though I was still pretty young when God called them to a different ministry, I have good memories of the Liston family. They love people, and were very involved in the lives of others. It was during their time of ministry in Brazil, that I came to know and understand what Jesus did for me. I made the decision to be baptized, and was blessed to have Glen (I can call him by his first name, b/c I'm an adult now! :) baptize me when I was 9 years old. Our families have been friends for years, and I know for me, and the family God has blessed my own life with now, both Glen and Shirley have been a great encouragement to us. So thank you, Glen and Shirley, for showing us what it means to LOVE. And thank you for always being faithful...it is evident that you have not stopped "ministering". Now, words from Shirley.....
"Love.....I was so excited when I learned that the Fruit of the Spirit that I would comment on would be LOVE. There are three different kinds of love used in the Bible: 1) Philos “having affection for”, 2) Eros “a sensual or sexual love, 3) Agape’ a deep and abiding affection of God.
It set me to thinking about my first memory of the word “love.” Earlier we had been in a discussion with family members about what the first or earliest memories of child hood that they have. My earliest memory of the word “love” was when I was almost four years old. We were at church one Sunday morning. A man came running into the church building shouting, “Your church building is on fire!”
Our teacher calmly told us, “Children, pick up your chair and carry it outside because fire loves red chairs!” It’s funny...I don’t remember if the building was badly burned but we kept the red chairs safe from being burned...in spite of the fire loving them and wanting to destroy them.
As I grew up, I learned of another love that was greater than what my Sunday school teacher had spoken of: The love of God that does not want us to be hurt or destroyed by anything or anyone. For me, growing up in a family that was what would be called “dysfunctional” today, the love of God was very important in my life. I felt this love of God in the church where I attended from the teachers, youth sponsors, and the minister’s family. The encouragement and love from these so called “ normal average” Christians made a huge difference in my life. Because of this, I wanted to go on to Bible College and learn more about how I could be used of God to help others.
My husband, Glen, and I met as freshmen at the Seminary. We became friends and even sang in the same Quartet together. The friendship continued and grew into a love that was something that I had never experienced in any of my family relationships...Yes! We were married at the start of our junior year in college and began our part time ministry together in a little church in Southern Indiana, going out on Saturday and Sunday.
Ahhhh...Ministry is a great time to put love into practice! Immediately as I saw the children in the church and began working with them, the love that I had experienced as a child just came flowing out. Loving them in spite of how they misbehaved or what side of the tracks they came from was kind of hard at first. The children seemed to flourish in their ability to act better with compliments and encouragement from me...Yes, I was remembering those precious teachers and youth leaders that I had growing up! Our family was poor and “mixed up” but those Christians just loved me anyway and seemed to know that I needed that “extra” love and encouragement. I was determined to do that for the children in the churches where we ministered. Throughout 50 years of local ministry, helping children to become their very best for the Lord has been one of my goals.
With our own house full of boys, reading I Corinthians 13 was almost a daily requirement for me! “Love is patient” yes, Lord, I’m trying! “Love is kind”...Yes, I’m trying to be in all circumstances...even when the mess becomes mountain high! “Love keeps no record of wrongs”...but it’s hard not to remember that he did that yesterday and the day before too! Shouldn’t he learn from experience???? “Love always protects” yes, I could be like a mother bear if anyone attacks my child or my husband unfairly! As a mother, hope was always there, and trust that God would pull us through anything that came our way. One of my verses was Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus!” I sure needed all the characteristics of Love every day!
In addition to raising boys, I loved working with women in the churches and leading a Bible study weekly. Loving these ladies and wanting them to grow as Christian women was challenging. It was so neat to see them filling out their weekly lessons, beginning to pray aloud in a group, and to see them stretching to memorize verses each week. But...true to life, not all tried their hardest. Some whom I had thought would really grow, just didn’t do it. Yes, there came “love” into action again! In John 14:34 Jesus said, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Yes, Lord. I will love each woman and encourage her. It was my plan! I learned to accept the fact that all the ladies were growing and that all could be at different levels of maturity as a Christian and that was all right!
John the apostle summed Love up in his book, 1 John 4:19 “We love because God first loved us.” And verse 21 “And He has given us this command; Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
Remember that fire that loved little red chairs and wanted to destroy them? There is someone in this world that wants to destroy everyone that he can. That is the devil and he tries to push out LOVE and then he tries to destroy Christians. We need to remember God’s love for us and how He wants us to go to heaven and also to take as many people with us as we can! Just remember: “You, dear Children, are from God and have overcome them, (evil spirits) because the one who is in you is greater than the one (satan) who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
Love will win!"
--Shirley Liston
***Thanks, Shirley! Please check back soon...JOY is next!
You all know the first fruit talked about in Galatians 5...LOVE. I am so excited to introduce to you my friend, Shirley Liston, to talk about love today. Before I share what is on her heart, I'd like for you to get to know her a little better.
Name: Shirley Liston
Hometown: Portland, IN. I attended West Walnut Church of Christ from 3rd grade up until I went to college at Cincinnati Bible Seminary.
Married to: Glen Liston
Family: 5 sons, 5 wonderful daughters-in-law, 14 grandchildren...2 of which are married now...and we recently had 2 foster grandbabies added!
Current living: Manvel, TX (south of Houston). We live across the lake from New Hope Church where son, Tim, is minister.
Years of ministry/service: After 50 years of being the senior minister's wife, retirement is great! We enjoy attending New Hope now and are involved and volunteer in various areas.
Hobbies: I enjoy planning programs, playing the piano, singing at a local nursing home, teaching children on Sundays, having a small group in our home weekly, going on mission trips, and playing golf with Glen. When I have time, I love reading Christian novels.
I would like to add that Glen and Shirley used to minister at First Christian Church in Brazil, IN...my hometown. Even though I was still pretty young when God called them to a different ministry, I have good memories of the Liston family. They love people, and were very involved in the lives of others. It was during their time of ministry in Brazil, that I came to know and understand what Jesus did for me. I made the decision to be baptized, and was blessed to have Glen (I can call him by his first name, b/c I'm an adult now! :) baptize me when I was 9 years old. Our families have been friends for years, and I know for me, and the family God has blessed my own life with now, both Glen and Shirley have been a great encouragement to us. So thank you, Glen and Shirley, for showing us what it means to LOVE. And thank you for always being faithful...it is evident that you have not stopped "ministering". Now, words from Shirley.....
"Love.....I was so excited when I learned that the Fruit of the Spirit that I would comment on would be LOVE. There are three different kinds of love used in the Bible: 1) Philos “having affection for”, 2) Eros “a sensual or sexual love, 3) Agape’ a deep and abiding affection of God.
It set me to thinking about my first memory of the word “love.” Earlier we had been in a discussion with family members about what the first or earliest memories of child hood that they have. My earliest memory of the word “love” was when I was almost four years old. We were at church one Sunday morning. A man came running into the church building shouting, “Your church building is on fire!”
Our teacher calmly told us, “Children, pick up your chair and carry it outside because fire loves red chairs!” It’s funny...I don’t remember if the building was badly burned but we kept the red chairs safe from being burned...in spite of the fire loving them and wanting to destroy them.
As I grew up, I learned of another love that was greater than what my Sunday school teacher had spoken of: The love of God that does not want us to be hurt or destroyed by anything or anyone. For me, growing up in a family that was what would be called “dysfunctional” today, the love of God was very important in my life. I felt this love of God in the church where I attended from the teachers, youth sponsors, and the minister’s family. The encouragement and love from these so called “ normal average” Christians made a huge difference in my life. Because of this, I wanted to go on to Bible College and learn more about how I could be used of God to help others.
My husband, Glen, and I met as freshmen at the Seminary. We became friends and even sang in the same Quartet together. The friendship continued and grew into a love that was something that I had never experienced in any of my family relationships...Yes! We were married at the start of our junior year in college and began our part time ministry together in a little church in Southern Indiana, going out on Saturday and Sunday.
Ahhhh...Ministry is a great time to put love into practice! Immediately as I saw the children in the church and began working with them, the love that I had experienced as a child just came flowing out. Loving them in spite of how they misbehaved or what side of the tracks they came from was kind of hard at first. The children seemed to flourish in their ability to act better with compliments and encouragement from me...Yes, I was remembering those precious teachers and youth leaders that I had growing up! Our family was poor and “mixed up” but those Christians just loved me anyway and seemed to know that I needed that “extra” love and encouragement. I was determined to do that for the children in the churches where we ministered. Throughout 50 years of local ministry, helping children to become their very best for the Lord has been one of my goals.
With our own house full of boys, reading I Corinthians 13 was almost a daily requirement for me! “Love is patient” yes, Lord, I’m trying! “Love is kind”...Yes, I’m trying to be in all circumstances...even when the mess becomes mountain high! “Love keeps no record of wrongs”...but it’s hard not to remember that he did that yesterday and the day before too! Shouldn’t he learn from experience???? “Love always protects” yes, I could be like a mother bear if anyone attacks my child or my husband unfairly! As a mother, hope was always there, and trust that God would pull us through anything that came our way. One of my verses was Philippians 4:19 “And my God will meet all your needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus!” I sure needed all the characteristics of Love every day!
In addition to raising boys, I loved working with women in the churches and leading a Bible study weekly. Loving these ladies and wanting them to grow as Christian women was challenging. It was so neat to see them filling out their weekly lessons, beginning to pray aloud in a group, and to see them stretching to memorize verses each week. But...true to life, not all tried their hardest. Some whom I had thought would really grow, just didn’t do it. Yes, there came “love” into action again! In John 14:34 Jesus said, “Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” Yes, Lord. I will love each woman and encourage her. It was my plan! I learned to accept the fact that all the ladies were growing and that all could be at different levels of maturity as a Christian and that was all right!
John the apostle summed Love up in his book, 1 John 4:19 “We love because God first loved us.” And verse 21 “And He has given us this command; Whoever loves God must also love his brother.”
Remember that fire that loved little red chairs and wanted to destroy them? There is someone in this world that wants to destroy everyone that he can. That is the devil and he tries to push out LOVE and then he tries to destroy Christians. We need to remember God’s love for us and how He wants us to go to heaven and also to take as many people with us as we can! Just remember: “You, dear Children, are from God and have overcome them, (evil spirits) because the one who is in you is greater than the one (satan) who is in the world.” 1 John 4:4
Love will win!"
--Shirley Liston
***Thanks, Shirley! Please check back soon...JOY is next!
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Real Girls
The end of this past summer, my girls and I went through a bible study called, Real Girls of the Bible. It's a devotional. In the book, you will find 16 Old Testament girls to study and learn from, and 14 New Testament girls. As I said, we started this at the end of the summer, so when school time came around, time for this particular study was limited. Plus, our family does daily devotions before school. So I definitely didn't want to "overload" them.
Last night, I wasn't feeling well so couldn't go to Bible study at church. Anytime we have to miss for sickness, I try and have some kind of lesson or devotion with the girls so we're not skipping out. So I decided to go ahead and finish out the O.T. girls...we only had 2 left to study. Our girls are 10 and 7. After I read the story, and we talk about it for a little bit, both girls are to jot down something in their notebooks that they learned from this particular girl of the Bible. Because Macayla is older, I ask for her to think of ways she can apply it to her own life, based on what the story is talking about. Some of their answers are longer, some are short, some are to the point, some tend to be on the "rambling" side...and some are confessions or ways they want to live their lives better for Jesus. That's what it's all about anyway, isn't it? Being REAL, not fake. Being open, not hiding things from others or God. Being honest, not deceitful. Being a REAL CHRISTIAN, not just saying you are but your actions show otherwise. Being a devoted follower, not just a fan of Jesus. Being REAL.
I hope and pray they have learned something from this. Pretty soon, we will start taking a look at the girls of the New Testament. One of my life goals is to raise my girls to love, to trust, to serve, to follow and obey Jesus with everything they have. After all, they are on their way to becoming a "real girl" too! I have included what they wrote in their notebooks below. Just maybe you will learn something too.
EVE
Macayla: Satan wants to attack us. Stay away from Satan.
Rachel: Don't disobey God.
SARAH
Macayla: Don't sleep with another spouse. Don't sleep with another person you're not married with. Don't start families you're not married with. Don't doubt God!
Rachel: Don't marry 2 people.
HAGAR
Macayla: Listen to God. Don't just leave your kids in the desert (I had to laugh at that one!:), pray to God instead. God's watching over us.
Rachel: Don't make fun of other kids.
LEAH (& RACHEL) (this was my Rachel's favorite one...I wonder why? ;)
Macayla: Leah wasn't pretty, but Rachel was. Don't judge a person by their outside.
Rachel: It's not good to judge other people.
JOCHEBED
Macayla: That you can always trust God. Jochebed wanted her baby to be safe. So she hid him in some weeds, and God allowed her to be with her baby even longer.
Rachel: She wanted to keep her baby safe. Ask before you ask to have her take care of the baby. :)
MIRIAM
Macayla: She trusted in the Lord. Miriam was very brave. Later she became a worship leader. She saved her little brother. She was smart.
Rachel: She helped her baby brother.
RAHAB
Macayla: She trusted God. She took a very big risk to keep those spies safe. She saw her town destroyed, but she had her heart in God still.
Rachel: She kept them safe.
DEBORAH
Macayla: Deborah was a good leader. She was an only female judge. I would love to be a great leader to my friends and lead like Jesus. I would like it if Dalton joined a church because he said they might. (Mac is a good little inviter)
Rachel: She was a leader. A good leader.
JAEL
Macayla: Jael chose to kill God's enemy, instead of keeping him safe. She chose to do something right, but I mostly do wrong because it's easier. I don't want to do wrong any more. I want to be a better Christian.
Rachel: Don't follow the crowd.
NAOMI
Macayla: Naomi had a lot of bad things happen to her in her life sort of like mine. I think I'm very mean to Rach but I don't mean to most of the time. My anger gets control over me sometimes, but I'll ALWAYS worship the one true Lord. Naomi had people die, and I've had pets die. So I can try to not be so sad that I'm bitter like her.
Rachel: She praised God. But then she was sad.
RUTH
Macayla: Ruth left her hometown. Ruth was faithful to Naomi. I want to be faithful with my family too. And also be a great friend too like the verse said.
Rachel: She went with Naomi and cared for her.
HANNAH
Macayla: Hannah had a pure heart. Peninnah made fun of Hannah for not being able to have children, but she did. Later, God blessed her with 4 boys and 2 girls. I gave my life to the Lord by getting baptized, like Hannah kind of did to her son.
Rachel: She "telled" the truth. ;)
ABIGAIL
Macayla: Abigail saved her husband from being killed by David. After she made it right, she went home and found her husband drunk. I want to be like Abigail and do the right thing. (She also wrote...I have a cousin named Abigail or Abby!) :)
Rachel: Stepped in and it's good that Abigail does the right thing.
HULDAH
Macayla: Huldah was a prophet and had courage. I could listen with my ears and heart like Huldah. Huldah means weasel which fits her very well. (An example Macayla gave in her own life is she gave back a Russell Stovers coupon b/c she already had one. Her teacher gave her one, but Macayla was honest and told her teacher she already had one, so she gave it back.)
Rachel: Huldah was a prophet that knows what God wanted to say. King Josiah was eight when he was the king.
VASHTI
Macayla: Vashti means lovely. Vashti is a Queen too. Vashti got her crown, home, and all her privileges taken away because she took a stand for what was right. Sometimes I don't do what I'm told, then I get my privileges taken away. Ex.'s: DS, Computer, T.V.
Rachel: Vashtis name meant lovely. Vashti was a Queen.
ESTHER
Macayla: Esther means star. Esther took a BIG risk of being killed when she went to talk to the King without being invited. Esther told the truth when it was the right thing to do. When I tell the truth, I won't care if it's painful to tell.
Rachel: Esther's Hebrew family had been captured and exiled to a foreign country. Esther means star.
So which "Real Girl" are you? Which of these can you learn from the most right now in your life? I would love some feedback! :)
Monday, November 9, 2009
Can they really compare?
Well, back by popular demand...blogging. I know I've left it alone for quite some time, but other things became more important. I will do my best to keep 'em coming. I couldn't let today go by tho' without sharing this video with you. Some of you may have already seen this before...and that's ok. Because it should touch you again. If it doesn't, well, that's really too bad.
We all have a lot of wounds in our lives...some of those caused by our own sin. Many other wounds come from other people. And let's be honest, some of those wounds done to us are to intentionally hurt us. They aren't for good, and are not of God. Our Heavenly Father is a good Father...not wanting to bring harm, but good. We blame Him sometimes, don't we? For the wounds and the hurts done towards us? I've been there. But I don't like that place. It only hurts me and my relationship with God. And watching this video and listening to the words of this song make me realize that my wounds, my scars that may possibly never go away in this life...well, they just really can't compare. They don't compare at all to the wounds that Jesus endured because of.....me. And you. They just really don't. In fact, they are not even on the same level.
So quit your whining, stop your complaining about your wounds, stop thinking how unfair it is (I'm preaching at myself here). As you watch this, and reflect on all that our Savior Jesus suffered through because of us, if this doesn't bring you to your knees in repentance...well then, I don't know what will.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-8QdOxzh5Y
We all have a lot of wounds in our lives...some of those caused by our own sin. Many other wounds come from other people. And let's be honest, some of those wounds done to us are to intentionally hurt us. They aren't for good, and are not of God. Our Heavenly Father is a good Father...not wanting to bring harm, but good. We blame Him sometimes, don't we? For the wounds and the hurts done towards us? I've been there. But I don't like that place. It only hurts me and my relationship with God. And watching this video and listening to the words of this song make me realize that my wounds, my scars that may possibly never go away in this life...well, they just really can't compare. They don't compare at all to the wounds that Jesus endured because of.....me. And you. They just really don't. In fact, they are not even on the same level.
So quit your whining, stop your complaining about your wounds, stop thinking how unfair it is (I'm preaching at myself here). As you watch this, and reflect on all that our Savior Jesus suffered through because of us, if this doesn't bring you to your knees in repentance...well then, I don't know what will.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-8QdOxzh5Y
Monday, June 8, 2009
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