Brand Names

When I was growing up, my mother, a widow and living on my father's social security and Veteran's pension, always bought groceries at the first of the month. I remember that is the one time of the month we ate fresh fruit. Toward the end of the month, our meals would consist of a lot of beans and rice. We never bought anything that was brand named.  Whether it was mayonaise or meat, everything was bought according to the lowest price.  I don't think we ever bought Blue Bell ice cream until the older kids got jobs and it was a big deal to have it. 

After I got married one of our first arguments was over toilet paper.  I would buy the cheapest on the shelf instead of the
top dollar four-ply, hand-stitched name brand product. But after that argument I started buying Charmin. There are still times that I find myself having to comparison shop when I buy groceries (except for toilet paper). But on those occasions when I reach for a container of rocky road Blue Bell ice cream and put it in my buggy, I never do it without feeling very blessed.

Actually, there is a reason people are willing to pay more for brand names: brand names usually offer a better product, and therefore give savings in the long run. Every brand claims to offer the best value for your money. Usually only experience will teach you what brands you can trust.

There is a name that has been tested and proven that you can trust....the name of Jesus, it means Savior.

Phillipians 2:9-11 says Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Steps of Faith

I am learning how to trust.  I took a huge step of faith this year when I quit my secure job as a paralegal and started my own business as a mediator.  Even though I felt I was in the will of God, it has not been as successful as I had hoped and prayed. Because of this, I must depend solely on my husband's income as a logger. 

John 5:5-6 tells us about a man who had suffered deep-seated and lingering disorder for thirty-eight years.  When Jesus noticed him lying there (helpless), knowing that he had already been a long time in that condition, He said to them, Do you want to become well? 

I am learning that if I want change in my life, I am going to have to do things differently than I have done in the past (thirty-eight years plus).  I am going to have to trust without fear, believe without complaining, and hope without doubt.

I am learning there are some things beyond my control.  I have learned I have to trust God for all my needs according to His riches in glory.  That is a pretty good place to start.

Lord, show me the steps of faith I must take to break any strongholds of fear in my life.  Let me hold steady to your promises with boldness and confidence.  Amen.

A Place Called There

There are times in our life when we just need to be alone and draw away from people. People can discourage you, confuse you, talk about others and drag your faith down. Sometimes you just have to get alone with God in a place called "there".

First Kings 17:2-4 says,“And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Get thee hence, and turn thee eastward, and hide thyself by the brook Cherith, that is before Jordan. And it shall be, that thou shalt drink of the brook; and I have commanded the ravens to feed thee there.”

The Lord didn’t send Elijah’s provision to where he was. Just as a quarterback doesn’t throw the football to where the receiver is, but where the receiver is going. Elijah’s miracle wasn’t where he was but where the Lord was sending him.

This place called “THERE” changes.  God changed the place and method of Elijah’s provision.“And the word of the LORD came unto him, saying, Arise, get thee to Zarephath, which belongeth to Zidon, and dwell there: behold, I have commanded a widow woman there to sustain thee” (1 Kin. 17:8-9).

One of the great lessons we can learn is that God reveals His will to us one step at a time. You can’t just seek the Lord once, hear His voice, step out in faith, and then stop listening. The Lord brings us into His perfect will step by step.

Prayer:

Thank you Jesus for all of your provisions, for supplying all of my needs.  Thank you for teaching me daily to trust you and to lean not to my own understanding.  I acknowledge you in all my ways and know that you are directing my path. I rest in your perfect Love. Amen.

Double Yoke Blessings

I cracked open an egg this morning and to my surprise, it was a double yoked egg.  I love to find double yoked eggs.  You get double of what you were expecting. 

I thought of the double blessings Job received.  What happened to Job?  The Lord blessed the latter days of Job more than his beginning. (Job 42:12) 

I have not endured trials and testing as well as Job.  But James 5:11 (NIV) says, "As you know, we count as blessed those who have persevered.  You have heard of Job's perserverance and have seen what the Lord finally brought about.  The Lord is full of compassion and mercy.

The Lord is full of compassion and mercy....

As I continue on my course, because of God's compassion and mercy, I am expecting double yoke blessings in my life. 

I pray that you find a double yoked blessing today.

This Is Only A Test

"This is a test. This station is conducting a test of the Emergency Broadcast System.  This is only a test."

Have you ever heard this announcement coming across your radio, followed by a loud high pitch tone?  Don’t you wish life would play an announcement right before you were going to go through a trial or a test? If we knew it was a test, we may not be so fearful, question why this is happening and we would make better choices and our attitude would be better. 

So, the next time you feel like things are not going well, you are lured into a situation that does not feel quite right, or you are tempted to say something that is not appropriate, let the warning signal go off in your brain until you can get past the temptation.

There is nothing worse than finding out you did not do well after a test and you realize, I should have known better.  I should have been more prepared.

The next time you face a situation that makes you question what is happening, or why, just remember two things. 

1.  I don't want to go back to the way I used to be. 

2.  God is using this to lead me to something greater than He has planned.

Then afterwards you will hear...."If this had been an actual emergency, you would have been instructed to tune to one of the broadcast stations in your area."

Or perhaps "Well done thy good and faithful servant. "

I don’t want to go back. God has a great plan for my life.

Forgive yourself

The Master was always teaching that guilt is an evil emotion to be avoided like the very devil -- all guilt.
"But are we not to hate our sins?" a disciple said one day.
"When you are guilty, it is not your sins you hate but yourself." - Anthony De Mello

When a trust has been broken, people on both sides have decisions to make about how to respond to the hurt they have suffered—or the pain they themselves have inflicted upon others.

What if there is no way to right the wrong? How do we fill the need to feel forgiven of our past sins or our most evil failures? Every time we look back and still feel guilty or wonder if it's been forgiven due to how great we feel you failed, we are saying that our failure is greater than what Jesus did for us.

What Satan tries to get us to do is to see our sin and failures as greater than the Blood of Jesus and consider it powerless against our sin.  It becomes a stronghold against us.


Accept forgiveness for youself. 

Learn from your mistakes.

The more you learn about yourself, the less likely you are to make the same mistake again.

Leaving the City of Regret

LEAVING THE CITY OF REGRET
by Larry Harp

I had not really planned on taking a trip this time of year, and yet I found myself packing rather hurriedly. This trip was going to be unpleasant and I knew in advance that no real good would come of it. I'm talking about my annual "Guilt Trip."

I got tickets to fly there on Wish I Had airlines. It was an extremely short flight. I got my baggage, which I could not check. I chose to carry it myself all the way. It was weighted down with a thousand memories of what might have been. No one greeted me as I entered the terminal to the Regret City International Airport. I say international because people from all over the world come to this dismal town.

As I checked into the Last Resort Hotel, I noticed that they would be hosting the year's most important event, the Annual Pity Party. I wasn't going to miss that great social occasion. Many of the towns leading citizens would be there.
First, there would be the Done family, you know, Should Have, Would Have and Could Have. Then came the I Had family. You probably know ol' Wish and his clan. Of course, the Opportunities would be present, Missed and Lost. The biggest family would be the Yesterday's. There are far too many of them to count, but each one would have a very sad story to share.

Then Shattered Dreams would surely make and appearance. And It's Their Fault would regale us with stories (excuses) about how things had failed in his life, and each story would be loudly applauded by Don't Blame Me and I Couldn't Help It.

Well, to make a long story short, I went to this depressing party knowing that there would be no real benefit in doing so. And, as usual, I became very depressed. But as I thought about all of the stories of failures brought back from the past, it occurred to me that all of this trip and subsequent "pity party" could be cancelled by ME!

I started to truly realize that I did not have to be there. I didn't have to be depressed. One thing kept going through my mind, I CAN'T CHANGE YESTERDAY, BUT I DO HAVE THE POWER TO MAKE TODAY A WONDERFUL DAY. I can be happy, joyous, fulfilled, encouraged, as well as encouraging. Knowing this, I left the City of Regret immediately and left no forwarding address. Am I sorry for mistakes I've made in the past? YES! But there is no physical way to undo them.

So, if you're planning a trip back to the City of Regret, please cancel all your reservations now. Instead, take a trip to a place called, Starting Again. I liked it so much that I have now taken up permanent residence there. My neighbors, the I Forgive Myselfs and the New Starts are so very helpful. By the way, you don't have to carry around heavy baggage, because the load is lifted from your shoulders upon arrival. God bless you in finding this great town. If you can find it -- it's in your own heart -- please look me up. I live on I Can Do It street.