I see the sunrise way too little. Whenever I do though I feel refreshed. It’s a new day! The smell of the dew on the grass. The early morning sounds of the world waking up. The birds singing. The wind rushing through the trees. The cold slowly leaving the face of the earth. It’s a new beginning. And we can experience it every day. Just another little blessing God has given us.
Picture of the day #81: (here’s a plethora of pictures. Seeing my post is short)
Asking forgiveness is hard enough. But to ask forgiveness with a proud heart is not asking forgiveness. True repentance takes ripping our proud hearts to pieces.
James 4:6b Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.
Apologies for this being so short, I should go to bed.
Picture of the day #80:
Everything takes work and especially relationships. To expect a relationship to be able to handle huge strains and tough situations it’s going to have to become a strong relationship over time.
Most people want things like this now. It’s a microwave culture. Our attention spans are about 15 seconds (or whatever it is) and we want it now or we don’t want it all.
But relationships just won’t happen this way. If you’re demanding much depth from a relationship you’re going to have to work your way there. If things happen too fast, things fall apart, people will leave angry and wounds will not heal very quickly. I sometimes wonder why this is. You’d think that if you went deep it would be good for a relationship. And it is.
All I’m saying is that we need to go through those times that just aren’t quite so deep. That doesn’t mean it can’t be edifying. Edification is wonderful. But too much of someone too quickly and too often will wear you down. It’s like exercising. I know many people who want to start out running a ton of miles, exercising 2-3 hours a day immediately after sitting on the couch for the last 20 years. If you do too much too soon, you’re going to get hurt and you’re going to quit. But if you slowly train, starting with half a mile 3 days a week eventually you may be at that point where you can run over 50-60 miles per week. And this is how a relationship grows. As the muscles of your relationship grow you’re less likely to quit. Getting through the little challenges become a piece of cake (like running that half a mile, no big deal) and the bigger ones you can face and make it through even though it may hurt for several days afterward, like running a marathon.
Remember everyone has sins. And eventually you’re going to find out your friend is a sinner. Bummer. But then again you are to. (This is no excuse for your sin though. 😉 )
Picture of the day #79:
My sisters are back from almost a month long trip to England. And I must say that the saying “Absence makes the heart grow fonder” definitely applies in this situation. It’s easy not to appreciate someone when they’re with you all day every day. You tend to stare at their faults. You don’t appreciate who they are or what they do. It’s just the way our evil little hearts tend to be. Looking at all the negative things instead of dwelling on the good.
But when they leave, you recognize all they do. You feel their loss. You want to talk to them. You want to wake up and be able to say hello. And then say good night at the end of the day. You appreciate those little quirks that tend to annoy you, but now that they aren’t there you miss it.
Yet, today divorce and families who never speak to each other are all too common. Is the saying false? Is it not true? Well, without Christ it isn’t true. If it’s all about you, why would you want others in your life? That absence will just make you fall more in love with yourself. The only reason you’ll miss that person is because they are no longer washing your socks, or cooking you food, or bringing you money..
If we start with the heart that loves others, loves God, and serves, I think this saying is true. We will miss others for good reasons. We’ll appreciate their little quirks and personality. And when they leave, our hearts have a little hole punched in them. But when they return, that hole is mended and we feel oh so much better.
Love God and Love Others.
Thank you Father for loving us, oh so much more than we deserve.
Picture of the Day #78:
There are several major events in the history of our lives. We’re born, we get married, we die, etc. Many major events there, I don’t want to go through the whole list. Okay, one example… The first day we’re tall enough to ride the big roller coasters, I must say that is quite the exciting day!!!
Each day is built up of many small things. Major things don’t happen that often. It’s very much like bitterness, it tends to creep up and grow on us over time. It’s those moments where the milk has been left on the counter for 2 hours to spoil. Or when the sibling just has to ask you the same question 4 times or was it 400 million?! Or when you get awoken too early. Or when the baby cries 14.2 hours per day.
We really need to be careful about these little things. They creep in and begin to affect us. And then as one piles upon the other, eventually we fall into a bad mood.
Instead, let’s look to Christ as we feel our bodies and minds tense up. Our burdens are not meant to be carried by us. And we aren’t able to carry these burdens. REMEMBER THIS! We cannot bear our own burdens. Christ died for us to carry our burdens. Cast them upon Christ. Otherwise you will become that stressed, overworked, crazy haired person. (Nothing against crazy hair. I’m just making a POINT.) 😉
Picture of the day #77:
We will never get more time on this earth. As each second ticks by, that’s another second that’s never going to come back to you.
Seize the day. Seize the opportunity. And strive to serve God with every fiber of your being.
(Many of these posts are exhortations to myself, it doesn’t mean that I have everything figured out. 😉 )
Picture of the day #76:
“Most of you live your life on flimsy little songs, not upon the word of God.” – Paul Washer
Picture of the day #75: (I know, I know don’t say one word..)
I know I’ve made a post similar to this a couple months ago, but I’ve been reading several articles and some news clippings.. And this is something everyone seems to go through.. You can take a look at it here.
Today I read a study in USA Today about how the top 15% of “good looking” people are 10% happier than the bottom 10% of “ugly” people.
People today put much emphasis on good looks. Buy this shampoo and conditioner to make your hair more beautiful; buy this type of foundation, this type of lipstick; grow your eyelashes longer; and the list takes up hundreds of pages..
Our culture encourages us to see women or men by their physical looks. The character of hundreds of young women you may see every month is judged by their looks and the amount of skin they show. A nice insecurity for young women has been created – they’re too fat; they’re too skinny; their lips aren’t big enough; their hair isn’t the right color, etc, etc, etc..
But do they want discretion or modesty? No. They admire a woman who acts like a Proverbs 7 woman. They like to admire the reality stars of today and the women who like to show off their bodies on television and magazines.
Proverbs 11:22 – “Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman without discretion.”
Proverbs 31:30 – “Favour is deceitful, and beauty is vain: but a woman that feareth the LORD, she shall be praised.”
We have to understand that our mission in life is to serve God. God calls us to glorify Him.
1 Corinthian 6:19-20 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.”
1 Peter 3:3-5 “Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price. For after this manner in the old time the holy women also, who trusted in God, adorned themselves, being in subjection unto their own husbands:”
But, it’s not all about inward beauty alone. In Ezekiel God took Israel as His bride and adorned her with beautiful raiment and jewelry.
Ezekiel 16:10-14 – I clothed you also with embroidered cloth and shod you with fine leather. I wrapped you in fine linen and covered you with silk. And I adorned you with ornaments and put bracelets on your wrists and a chain on your neck. And I put a ring on your nose and earrings in your ears and a beautiful crown on your head. Thus you were adorned with gold and silver, and your clothing was of fine linen and silk and embroidered cloth. You ate fine flour and honey and oil. You grew exceedingly beautiful and advanced to royalty. And your renown went forth among the nations because of your beauty, for it was perfect through the splendor that I had bestowed on you, declares the Lord God.”
God doesn’t wish us to look ugly and unkempt as we look at this passage, but most verses in the Bible spend much more time talking about the spiritual gifts rather than physical appearance.
I have 4 sisters. Each is different, and they all have their different personalities, different faces, and are at different places in their spiritual journey. They’re all beautiful. God has created each one of them in His image. I, as their brother, need to tell them that they are beautiful and not let the world be the one to define this beauty. If they aren’t loved and cherished in their own homes, they will want to be loved by the world. So brothers, God has called us to love and protect our sisters. It’ll be different for each one in different contexts, but don’t be the young child who rags on and makes fun of your sisters. Sure, fun is good, but it should be done in love for them.
Finally, as we look at these women who are beautiful today in the world’s eyes, we will watch their bodies shrivel up and become ugly. On the other hand, the godly woman will become more beautiful as the holiness of Christ shines through her. And that is the woman that I want to marry someday.
Picture of the day #74: (old picture, but I think it’s appropriate)
Your close confidant. The one who you sit down with every week and talk about your lives. The one who you hang out with when the times are good. And then you cry with them when times are rough. They’re the people who you can trust to not stab you in the back. The ones who will be there when your first child is born and there at the graveside of your father’s passing.
In America, the number of true friendships people have has dropped significantly. For many people they have no close confidants. Now Facebook has replaced this need. Why do you need real friends when you have a bunch of fake ones on social networking sites?
For one thing, good friends are hard to find.
Proverbs 20:6 Many a man proclaims his own steadfast love, but a faithful man who can find?
They’re a treasure you must cherish. To have friends, you must show yourself friendly.
Proverbs 18:24 A man who has friends must himself be friendly, But there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.
You can’t expect people to be friends with you if you are continually pushing them away. But, you have to remember that when others push you away, it may be because they’re having a bad day or they want friendship and they act like they don’t.. Fight for the friendship. If you want good friends you have to enjoy the good days and fight your way through the bad ones.
John 15:13-15 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.
Christ is our ultimate example of what a true friend is. And friends sacrifice. If you want to be known as a true friend, you have to be willing to lay down your life. This could involve finances, this could involve relationships, many aspects of life, and maybe even dying.
Look at those who you call friends and ask yourself, can I lay down my life for these people.
Picture of the day #73:
There are many reasons that people compromise their beliefs in Christianity. They do it so many people like them. They want fame. They don’t want to stand out in the crowd. They want their flesh to feel good. They don’t want to be inconvenienced. Etc.
Revelation 3:16 – So then because thou art lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue thee out of my mouth.
As we synthesize with the world we will become lukewarm. Trying to be neither hot nor cold is very unwise.. God will spew you out of his mouth.
That doesn’t call for us to be unwise and foolish with the words that we say. We are still supposed to deal wisely. But synthesizing isn’t an option.
Picture of the day #72: (old, but I deleted all the picture off my camera before I could save one. They were all bad anyways… Slick)
