Do you ... ?????

      Questions, questions, questions.  There are always questions, especially when grandchildren are with you. I remember when my girls were small the most important question of all - WHY?  Back then, a famous phrase came about - "Because I'm the mom, that's why?"
     Many questions can start with the words "do you."  When it comes to children, here are some of the questions we ask them: "Do you have to be told 10 times?"  "Do you think that was the kind thing to do?"  "Do you want me to spank you?  Well, do you?"  (Seriously, why do we ask that ??)
    As for adults, we might be asked questions such as - "Do you like to read?" "Do you have any hobbies?"  "Do you eat right and exercise?" - My answer  to the last one - yes to the first; no to the second but I have good intentions :-)
 
     As I was praying this morning, these questions came to mind - Do you cover those you love in daily prayer?  Do you pray for God's will to be done in their lives & your life?  Do you pray consistently for this Nation to return to God along with His standards of virtue & morality that we were founded on?"
    In the area of prayer, I struggle with consistency. I do my "best", but as I've mentioned before I get distracted.  The Boston bombing became a big distraction for me last week & I'm not sure why.  I believe it's because I have a deep desire to see what's going on around me from a Biblical worldview, which can be very unnerving and often depressing.
      I confess that the devil (the Bible tells us he is the "author of confusion & the father of lies) is very good at distractions, whether in our personal lives or in the events of our nation.  I often feel over-whelmed by it all.   Yet as a Follower of Christ, I (and I pray you) am determined to persevere, keeping the things of God our first priority.  In times such as these, the eternal is all that matters.

Matthew 6:33 -  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 

I Thessalonians 5:16-18    Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus... hold on to what is good, reject every kind of evil. 

Here is my Prayer Notebook which I created from a photo album (holds 100 4x6 pics) purchased at Walmart.  I added tabs: Praise, Children (Grandchildren), Marriage, Nation, Other.  There are some prayers included that I like to do in the mornings.  I have kept many of the prayers on my computer, if you would like a copy of them let me know.

image from breakthroughadventures.com  

It's April Fools' Day & I'm guessing that no one wants to be considered a fool.  At least not in the terms we normally use it.  The following quote, in different forms , has been attributed to Mark Twain, Abraham Lincoln, Groucho Marx & others - "It is better to keep silent & be thought a fool than to speak & remove all doubt.  Proverbs 17:28 puts it this way - Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent. (NLT)  

     The Bible uses the word fool & foolish 124 times with 64 of them being in Psalms & Proverbs. Thursday my Bible was open to Psalm 53:1 - The fool says in his heart, "There is no God."  I can't disagree with that. God more often than not looks at things differently than the we do.

      The lost world admires birth, social status, financial success, power, & recognition. But none of these things can guarantee eternal life. The message & miracle of God’s grace in Jesus Christ utterly confounds (“puts to shame”) the high & mighty people of this world. 

     The wise of this world cannot understand how God changes sinners into saints, & the mighty of this world are helpless to duplicate the miracle. God’s “foolishness” confounds the wise; God’s “weakness” confounds the mighty!  God turns the world’s standards upside down& usually chooses the ordinary rather than the outstanding.    (from Logos Bible Study references.)   

I Corinthians 1:27 puts it plainly - God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.

     He chose a simple wooden cross & it's shame to bring hope & salvation to the lost.   As Easter approaches I need to ask: Am I willing to be a Fool for Christ? To be scorned here on earth in exchange for an eternal reward? Lord, only in Your strength, I can answer YES !!!!!

(This was first posted in April 2011.  Some thoughts just don't change.)  Be BLESSED.  

The Fence

   

     Fences usually serve one of two purposes; they can be ornamental, pleasing to the eye or they are used to keep something/someone in or out, depending on which side you are.  We had the first type when we raised cattle.  And to our dismay, the fence did not always keep the cattle IN. 
     I recall days of trying to get 1,000 pound steers back into a pen as they stared at me intently.  This was before cell phones were commonplace. If Don was not around, the girls & I run to the house to call their Uncles and neighbors to get help.  We had some friends who also had the same problem.  They had a steer make it from Middle Point almost to Linconlview High School - about 5 miles.  They ended up having to put it down.
     Our cattle fence is gone but I have an ornamental fence near the house that separates the back yard from the driveway and the same fence around our front door patio.  It's simply there for looks and that's okay.
     One Sunday a dear friend of mine read this during our church service:
Straddling the Fence shared by Randal Matheny

Our good brother and friend Alexandre Magalhaes preached here in São José dos Campos. He told the story of the man straddling the fence.

On one side of the fence, stood an angel; on the other, the devil. The angel did not stop encouraging the man to jump off the fence on his side, the good side. The devil said nothing.

The angel kept up his appeals for the man to come down from the fence on the good side. The devil said nothing.  The angel never let up as he pleaded with the man to decide for God and get off the fence. The devil said nothing.

The man was intrigued that the angel spoke fervently and insistently, while the devil said nothing.

“Why,” he asked the devil, “have you said nothing so far?”

“Because,” replied the devil, “the fence is mine.”

Straddling the fence is not a neutral position. It is sitting on the devil’s property.

Jesus said, "Whoever is not with Me is against Me...."     Luke 11:23   

There is no neutrality when it comes to Jesus Christ.  This is one fence that we cannot sit on.

It's Official.....

     It's official..... I'm OLD !!!!  The confirmation came twice in one day.  I was conversing with one of my daughters as we headed to Ft. Wayne.  She suddenly reached over to the glove box and grabbed a napkin, didn't think much of it.  Then I looked at her - she was wiping tears away.
     When I first asked her what's wrong, she shrugged her shoulders then replied in a very gentle voice, "You guys are getting old."  I said, "I know" and started listing some of the unwanted physical signs that have appeared in the last year.
     The next day I shared this story with my other daughter who started to giggle a bit.  It seems that the night before one of her children had prayed, "Dear God, please help Grama & Grampa Dude because they are getting old."  If that's not a major confirmation, I don't know what is !!!!
    The photo above is of my grandmothers - Amanda Redman on the left, Bessie Marrs on the right.  They are standing in front of my cousins' house on Market Street MANY, MANY years ago.  I don't have any idea what year this was, Grandma Redman died when I was a Senior in High School (1970).
     As I've been bemoaning I mean whining/complaining about this aging process - the wrinkles, brown spots, gray in the eyebrows to name a few - this photo came to mind.  These women were not considered fat, they wore no make-up or hair color and I doubt that they ever had their nails done.  I'm making no judgments here, as I do wear make-up & color my hair. I've thought about doing some facials to get rid of the wrinkles, I've asked my daughters if I wear too much make-up for my age.
     What am I getting at?  Where is my heart in all this? I know with out a doubt that ONE DAY, this body with all it's aging imperfections will be LEFT BEHIND.  It's all right to want to look nice, but often the money I spend on it could be used for something of eternal value.  I want the things I do to make an eternal difference.  Who knows - I may still get that facial but it will not compare to the one I get when I meet Jesus Face to face !!!!
Oh ladies, I pray this will be said of us one day whether we have wrinkles, colored hair or not.


Proverbs 31:25 - 31  She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. 
She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:  "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.  Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. 

GRACE

    I've said it before, but I LOVE searching for pics to capture the essence of my post.  How appropriate when I found this one which I would title - A Handful of Grace.  Here is the definition of grace as a verb - to favor or honor as to grace an occasion with one's presence.  Synonyms: glorify, elevate, exalt
   To grace an occasion with one's presence - I LOVE that because true grace comes from  "One's presence."  When He gives us His Grace we have been brought into His presence.  That is a whole new concept for me.  
    I have a sweet young friend whose middle name is Grace.  She would tell you that God has showered her with his Grace over & over.  We have a grand-daughter who's middle name is Grace - given before we knew of her "spunky" personality.  There are days I think, "Oh Lord, is she gonna need Your Grace !"   But often we ALL need much more than a handful of His Grace.
     One of my favorite authors, Lysa TerKeurst shared this quote the other day - ...we sing about “amazing grace” and speak of “amazing grace,” but far too often it has ceased to amaze us. —Sinclair Ferguson   That thought should grieve our hearts.  I challenge you to put a 3x5 card up where you will see it through out the day that says AMAZING GRACE on it (and if you dare write these words under it - that saved a wretch like me !)
  Do you remember seeing this video of a 7 year old girl singing Amazing Grace? Rhema Marvanne
In the New Testament there are 113 verses containing the word grace. Here are 3 of my favorite.

Acts 20:24 - However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the 

race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—

the task of

testifying to 

the good news of God’s grace.  

Ephesians 2:8 - For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—NOT by works, so that no one can boast.

2 Corinthians 12:9 - But He (the Lord)  said to me (Paul), "My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about 

my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.

     For those of you who have joined me recently, please know that when I share, it is not out of condemnation.  Most often I have been convicted by the Lord in these areas of my life and though I may be "the only one" who He is speaking to, I share hoping to encourage others who may need to seek His Wisdom & Grace.  In anything & everything I speak to in my posts, there is above all His GRACE for every situation.  When we are headed in the wrong direction according to His Word, He shows us our sin and offers Grace to cover it, if we will turn from it and toward Him.  Condemnation is not for a sinner SAVED by GRACE of which I am one.

image: surrendermarriage.org