Fire for HIM

In my family, most of my sisters could care less what others think about them.  For me, it has been a struggle as far back as I remember.  Really, though, why should others' opinions matter? I am not saying to be mean and cruel.  Maybe why that is why it has been so important for me to examine my actions and words.  I could not stand when others around me were hateful or insensitive. Regardless, if anything weighs so heavily in our decision making...it can consume our thinking and shade our judgement.  " ...We will no longer be immature like children. We won’t be tossed and blown about.... We will not be influenced... with lies so clever they sound like the truth. Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church." (Eph. 4:14-15 NLT) Truth: God's truth does grow us up in Him, molding us to a heart more like Christ.  It is time we speak the truth in love to ourselves about...

Due to Sandy Hill events, this post (originally planned to release 12/13/12) was delayed until today. Our prayers continue to be with all who have been touched by this horrible tragedy.  Let us not blame God, but rather pray that good overpower the evil in this world.  The first time I shot a rifle, I was probably seven.  We were not raised as hicks (not that it would matter if we were), but my father taught me about the works of art in his locked gun closet.  It was important to him that I know gun safety and how to use a gun appropriately.  While attending a girls' camp at the age of 11, I took and passed a gun safety course.  I learned so many things that week. Although I do not like the kick of a gun, it is quite a thrill to hit the target.  To attempt to hit the bull's eye, I had to practice.  It was a MUST that I looked through the sight of the gun (looking down the barrel and lining up the target with both the back and f...

Recently, an evangelist was speaking on vision and talked about the passage of Genesis 30.  It seems so many are talking and writing on vision.  What a great topic to stir us to move forward!  In Genesis 30, Laban tried to trick Jacob out of his inheritance.  Laban told Jacob he could have all the spotted or streaked animals, but then Laban hid those animals with his sons to keep them from Jacob.  In return, Jacob gave the animals left in his care an image to focus on in order to change the situation.  Then Jacob took some fresh branches from poplar, almond, and plane trees and peeled off strips of bark, making white streaks on them. Then he placed these peeled branches in the watering troughs where the flocks came to drink, for that was where they mated.   And when they mated in front of the white- streaked  branches, they gave birth to young that were streaked, speckled, and spotted.   (Gen. 30: 37-39 NLT)     ...

(Disclaimer:  Although not graphic, the following blog may be disturbing to animal lovers) A few years ago, a black and white stray cat had five kittens in our hydrangea bush.  After fostering her and the litter for Animal Rescue Foundation, we kept two of the kittens (one tabby gray, one fully black).  Both have always been very docile and loving.  They were made to live outside due to their potty habits indoors, but they were fixed and have been pampered greatly by the six of us throughout their lifetime.  The children would even make them beds next to theirs or carry them in their purses when they were kittens.  The cats became comfortable being carted around in cotton pillow cases and would relax and fall asleep on jousled walks with the kids.  I tell you all of this to let you know they were a treasured part of our family. Driving  my children to school on Friday, I saw a fully b...

Suddenly I was given a new perspective... I was reading John 8:1-12.  The climax of this section is the moment of potential stoning of the woman with accused sin.  She had been found in the very act of adultery.  Her body was to be taken in exchange for the pleasure she allowed herself.  Then Christ bends down and begins to write in the sand.  One by one her accusers walk away.  Jesus brings to her attention that all those that have sought to stone her are gone and that he does not condemn her.  " Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." (John 8:12 KJV) My eyes saw these verses in a new light.  Christ was saying in verse twelve that His truth dissolves the accusers voices, even if they speak the truth of our shortcomings.  It is time to silence the voices of accusation today.  The "light of life" is ...

" But it is good to be zealously affected always in a good thing..."  - Galatians 4:18 I was looking at my messed up back yard today.  You see, we adopted a dog that loves to dig and dig and dig.  She became violent and went back to her previous owner this week.  We have other younger dogs.  I have been thinking of what could be done to fix our yard to be less of a hazard and also deter the other two dogs from digging, too.  Suddenly, I began to think of our soul, our minds, and our lives.  How often does the enemy come at us over and over and over, making a mess of things...if we give in to his pressure and believe his lies.  What if we allowed the Lord to start things over in our thinking?  I was talking to my sister just this morning.  There is an area of my personality that sometimes irritates me because I see it as an annoyance to others.  She perceived my thoughts by a few things that I said.  Truth began to pour...

“ I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth.” (3 John 1:4) What a motivator to seek truth!   Isn’t that the heart of the Father!   Wow, the verse above is how I feel about my own children AND the ones I love dearly.   Sometimes we find ourselves…with our mind and/or heart wrapped with lies about ourselves.   It is TIME to ‘wake up’ and see the truth about ourselves.   This evening I had a picture of the Lord taking great joy in my acceptance of the above truth.   My eyes open ARE HIS JOY.   It is easy to be lazy and follow after our same old patterns.   Today I want to follow after His truth and laugh with Him in the joy of it.  I'm not looking back.