Teaching godly character traits # 1

TRUTHFULNESS

VS

DECEPTION

Earning future trust by accurately reporting past facts

Ephesians 4:25

Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another.

Please Pray for Bryce

Update:

Bryce is in the hospital with a fever and chills.

Do we need to understand why?

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding."

We are a people who live by sight....are we not?

Lord Help me not to go off of what I see in my vision but Lord to Walk In Faith. The way is dark but you have given us a lamp to see each step in front of us. Help me to live for today and trust that tomorrow you will guide each step as Iwalk by faith. I don't need to understand 'why' today is tough, I only need to trust you are in complete control and will guide my ways.

We will miss you Chance!!

The Way Up ....

"Wheeew, a busy day ahead again today. Our poor pup is getting old. He has not been in the greatest health but we have been cherishing each and every moment left that we have with him! Last night my husband felt more masses (tumors) on his stomach and his lymph nodes are bulging. We have to take him in. My fear is that we may have to put him down. So sad. The boys have been asking for quite some time to take him to the park and take pictures with him...It is a beautiful day, so that is what we will do before his vet appointment.

We had a great devotion this morning about how we are to deny ourselves and our desires and surrender them to God. 'The way up is down'

We read Mat 23:12, Luke 6:38, 1 Corinthians 11:1, Mat 5:44, Mat 20:27, James 4:7, 2 Corinthians 12:10, Mat 6:6, and Mark 10:31


These were great verses and so opposite of what our flesh desires. If we hold these things true on a daily basis it sure would make a huge difference in our joy!
Gods way are to bring about humility and a reliance on God rather then ourselves.

These are all great verses , and I encourage you to look each of them up but the one that really struck me was
Mat 5:44
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.

It our nature is to lash back and get angry when we do not get our way, but God tells the way to please him is to love our enemies, pray for them, bless them, and do good unto them.
Hard thing to do, but the Lord tells us to Walk in the Spirit, and we shall not reap the lust of the flesh. Lord Help Us...."

Trials in your life?

Today has been a very rough day in the 'process'! But I feel the grace of God and the prayers of many, sustain me. God is my comfort, and my shield .....I will not fear what man can do unto me.

Life's disappointments come in many forms....but having a BIBLICAL perspective on them can see us through the storm. God tells us in Colossians 3:2 to set our affection on things above, not things on the earth.

2 Corinthians 4:16-18

For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction , which is but for a moment, worketh for us far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look NOT at things which are seen, but things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.

You see my friend we can not see as God sees.....We only see as you might say...a dash board view rather then the helicopter view.. God sees what is ahead, he wants us to trust Him and remember these times are for a season, and what light are they to eternity?

"O' Soul are you weary and troubled? No light in the darkness you see? There's light for a look at the Savior and life more abundant and free! Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look full in His wonderful face, and the things of earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace"

God is still good despite of our circumstances, He is in control...His desire is for us to cling to Him. We must remember to have the right perspective, for with out it we have no hope.

Blessings,

Brandie

1 Th 5:24

Faithful is he that calleth you, who will also do it.

Heb 10:23

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering ; for he is faithful that promised;

Train Up A Child....Your Duty!

As a parent you have authority because God calls you to be an authority in your child's life. You have the authority to act on behalf of God. As a father or mother, you do not exercise rule over your jurisdiction, but over God's. You act at his command. You discharge a duty that he has given. You may not try to shape the lives of your children as pleases you, but as pleases him.

Lets read how God directed Abraham.

Gen 18:19

For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the Lord, to do justice and judgment; that the Lord may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

As you see here Abraham is on God's errand. He is performing a task on God's agenda. God has called him to these things. He is not freelancing. Abraham does not write his own job description. God defines the task and Abraham acts in God's behalf.

Many times we as parents buy into the world's philosophy of parenting. You are not to be your child's best friend. You are to be a parent in the authority of God. Your job is to train them up as God commanded us to do so.

Personally, I have had to scrap most 'parenting' advice because it was contrary to the Bible! If you were raised in a ungodly home, you must clean out the lies and replace them with the truth, and the truth is found in the Bible.

A godly marriage......How?

Loving Relationships Grow from Sacrifice

The world implies by all it teaches that happiness is in getting, not giving. The world's philosophy exhorts us to meet our marriage partners needs so they in turn will be agreeable to meeting our own. The world's way is to give in order to get. In contrast, a godly wisdom exhorts us to meet our marriage partners needs sacrificially, out of love and forget ourselves altogether.

When people give to get, they begin to believe they are entitled to a partner's attention. And when their supposed needs are not met, they become embittered and resentful and begin to assume withdrawing acts of love is a justifiable response. This only begins a snowball reactions of resentment and retaliation that drives a relationship into the icy water of alienation.

Does Jesus love us because we deserve to be loved? No...... Jesus loves us because He is loving, not because we deserve His love or merit it in any way.

* Delight to meet each others needs
* Don't let selfishness creep in.
* Self Sacrifice is the strength and foundation of true love.


~Next week....Selfless Love Cannot Be Destroyed

A Day In The Life.............

The Weather Is...........Overcast, with light rain

Feeling.............Fine ;D started back up on my Cell Food for Fibro (pain scale 3)

Kids Are......... Done with school today and getting ready to finish they're daily chores,and it is quiet time.

Daily Tasks.......... Kitchen, Clean out Blake's closet

Prayer Request.......... Waynes Grandpa Is In ICU....possible open heart surgery, My Uncle Orvie, Radiation treatment for cancer in his voice box.

Memory Verse........... Proverbs 29:25

The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso putteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe.

I am exited about..........Getting out of the house tonight (going to the YMCA with my family)

Homeschool News.......We have to crack down on lessons so we can finish our year by the beginning of June. Austen will be starting Science Unit soon.

What I learned today (or am pondering)........... life is but a vapour, where is my focus? Where should my focus be?

People and things that brighten my day........ Treatment will be in LV, Austen helping me today with the house.

Goals/Ideas for a better tomorrow...........Better attitudes!!! Get out of the house for awhile.

A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones. Prov 17:22

What I did to brighten someone else's day............plan on calling a friend today to check on her.

Heart Attitude

According to the Bible, our speech is an accurate barometer of our heart attitude!

Our speech exposes our true character as much as it does our individual personality. It reveals who we are, what we think, what we really desire, and what we believe. We are known by such things as the kind of jokes we tell, what we like to talk about, what we say when we are angry, what we complain about, or what topics inspire our most animated conversations. God warns us " By thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Mat 12:37)
What a marvel that our own words are able to conemn us as hypocrites or justify (validate) us as true followers of Christ.

Read Luke 6:45

What is your speech like?

May we take heed to the scriptures and ask the Lord to identify an area we are failing at so that we can be more effective for Christ.

Forgiving Others Brings Joy

Practicing Biblical forgiveness is foundational to a peaceful marriage, home, and church life. The act of openly asking for forgiveness and graciously forgiving has the following effect.

*Keeps us humble and unselfish

*Promotes intimacy among family members

*Provides the right atmosphere for developing tolerance and understanding between family members.

*Promotes a loving, safe haven for growth and acceptance.

*Provides divine healing which is available in no other context

Mat 6:14-15

Who is the leader in your home?

Respecting a husband's need and responsibility to lead is a way to demonstrate love and obedience to God (Eph 5:22, Colossians 3:18, 1 Peter 3:7)

A woman's refusal to submit to her husband's leadership stems from her desire to please

herself rather than to please the Lord. Only as a woman commits herself to living to please the Lord will she be able to submit to a imperfect leadership of her husband and encourage him to become all he can be in Christ. Both love and submission are based on the love of God for us. Women need to understand that God rewards a woman who honors her husband's right to lead, whether her husband deserves the honor or not.

My Thoughts

This has not been an easy area in my life, but I am learning to be as I grow in the Lord. I think the neatest thing is when we see our husbands lead. A lot of the time I know I hindered my walk with the Lord by not submitting to my husband. The truth be told.......he feared my disapproval and thus held back from leading our home. Let me ask you friend......are you critical when your husband says "No" on an issue or something you want? Do you pout or get upset because he disagrees with you? Do you ask his opinion, or do you just go ahead and do what you feel is right? The lesson I am learning is that when I go against my husbands wishes, or try to manipulate a situation....ummm I reap the consequences of doing so. However when I encourage my husband to lead by submitting to the God given authority, the blessing are endless! I have never been disappointed when I have let my husband lead.....NEVER! God is so gracious and loving. He has the perfect plan, the one that brings true happiness.....we must just believe it and OBEY it!!!

When Dreams Become Demands

Demands are anything we believe we must have in order to be happy and fulfilled. To say we prefer a good husband or wife is healthy. God prefers that too. However, we don't have to have an ideal spouse to be happy and we don't have to have an ideal spouse to enjoy a happy marriage. Couples who enjoy a lifetime marriage of joyful companionship do so in spite of
faults and failures. They are people who choose to overlook faults rather then find them.

The BIBLE tells us...........

He that covereth a transgression seeketh love (prov 17:9)

Hatred stirreth up strife; but love covereth all sins (prov 10:12)

Dear sister, may we realize how precious our marriage is and stop bickering and tearing our husbands apart. Do we realize what we have?

Today:

List 5 things you love about your husband, and then write him a note today telling him what you love about him.

Selfishness~ Marriage

Marriage

Problems arise when the eyeball does not wish to function as part of the body but wants to operate independent of the body. A married woman who is bent on pursuing her own interests and autonomy apart from her husbands either does not understand or willfully refuses to cooperate with God's design for her life.

Question

How are you specifically helping your husband achieve his goals?

Today's Challenge

List 5 ways you believe you can be a help to your husband.