tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8352703984442364662024-02-06T21:07:42.371-08:00Salt + VinegarGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-78166325996976254122018-10-30T22:43:00.000-07:002018-10-30T22:43:15.066-07:00Home AgainI am back after over a year of not writing.<br />
<br />
Many months ago I paused to consider the place I had come to and the way I had gotten there.<br />
First off, all but one manager at my place of work quit. I was a key-holder then suddenly and out of necessity I was a manager of sorts. There were two of us and for two weeks at least I was over full time working when I had been part time before. Then there were three of us and eventually four, and finally five but I never stopped working full time.<br />
At the same time as there were only two of us managing, my husband, son and I had to move. It was our second move in 5 months and it was hard.<br />
In the midst of all that, I was finding it hard to write. There were a few reasons for this: I was having trouble gathering my thoughts into a coherent statement which made me frustrated, then lazy, then disinterested. Someone made a few passive aggressive and very negative remarks about blogging which strongly discouraged me. Finally, something horrible happened. And I had to put writing away and focus on life.<br />
<br />
This was always meant to be a spiritual blog. It was meant for me to share the things God has shown me through everyday life. Maybe I got away from that. I won't go back to see (forgetting the things which are behind after all (<a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/philippians/3/13">Philippians 3:13</a>)) but I'll go forward striving for that and see where it takes me.<br />
<br />
So here I am, home again, after over a year of full time work. I am working two, occasionally three days a week, and I am homeschooling my now five-year-old. My home is one big project. After moving in a pinch, working full time, and taking care of my child, our home is one big tangled mess of organizational/ purging needs. I spend my days homeschooling, organizing, cleaning.<br />
I am back to the drawing board of life. My son is at that stage where shaping his character and habits are the foremost part of my parenting, whereas before it was just keeping him entertained and away from danger. I like my days to flow smoothly but they rarely do and I chastise myself for not being more disciplined or for not realizing that one thing will lead to another. I tell myself, I know now, tomorrow will be better, or next week I'll apply what I've learned.<br />
No matter what my follies, my boys are always fed, our home is always relatively tidy, and my son is learning to read.<br />
Though writing has been calling to me for weeks now, tonight is the first night I knew I had the mental energy to actually sit down and do it.<br />
<br />
So lets see where this takes us!<br />
Until next time~Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-81233643064222998172017-06-25T23:37:00.001-07:002017-06-25T23:37:47.497-07:00StrongholdsWow so the last time I posted was March... which is almost four months ago.<br />
Sheesh.<br />
Lots of things have happened since that last post and I don't think I'll go into any of it now.<br />
One day there will be a post about everything but today is not that day.<br />
<br />
About a month ago now I was tuned into Bible Believer's Baptist's Wednesday night sermon. Pastor Peacock has a question and answer time before the service and I guess one of the questions was about whether or not a saved person can be devil possessed.<br />
<br />
No, we can't be devil possessed, but we can let the devil have strongholds in our lives.<br />
I never thought about it but the things we allow ourselves give the devil a home in us.<br />
<br />
Our speaker at a ladies retreat once said, referring to husbands, 'ranting in your mind gives place to the devil'.<br />
Then pastor Peacock said this 'when you're mad at someone, the devil has built a home in you and Jesus will not share His home with the devil'.<br />
<br />
You know, when you're reading your bible, praying, and 'drawing nigh' to God but you don't feel nigh?<br />
Maybe it's a stronghold.<br />
Maybe there is a devil's stronghold in your life.<br />
<br />
One of the things Pastor Peacock said was, 'when you tell a lie you are telling the devil you are more comfortable with him living in you then Jesus'. He went on to include white lies.<br />
<br />
He also said 'if you still so much as a paperclip you'd still $25000 given the right opportunity'.<br />
<br />
I'm not going to rehash his whole sermon. I took notes. I was writing furiously the whole time.<br />
<br />
God is good.<br />
He wants us to be close to Him. He shows us how.<br />
<br />
Sorry for the short post. I'll be back soon!<br />
Give this sermon a listen- it will help you<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="150" scrolling="no" src="https://embed.sermonaudio.com/player/a/52117822148/" style="min-width: 150px;" width="100%"></iframe>Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-25360746826665613252017-03-11T12:12:00.000-08:002017-03-11T12:12:19.204-08:00What You WantThe last few weeks the Lord has reminded me of some lessons He taught me a few years back.<br />
Before I had met the man who would become my husband, I was talking to a friend about my ideal man. I told her that I had realized that what I think I want in a man is not what I want in a man. In other words, what I think I want is not what I need because what I need is what I really want.<br />
<div>
Or rather, I don't know what I want. I told her that God knows what I really want in a man because He knows what I need in a man. What God wants for me is better than what I want for me so I just need to leave it up to Him.</div>
<div>
I took my hands and mind off my 'love life' and gave up looking for anything, trusting that God would bring the right person along when it was time.</div>
<div>
He did.</div>
<div>
Years after we were married and because of social media I started wondering things like 'why doesn't my husband do that?' or 'why isn't he like this?' and so on. There was a particular person who would really flaunt stuff like that and it would <i>realllllly</i> bug me. I started feeling dissatisfied with my husband because he wasn't doing things those other husbands were doing.</div>
<div>
One day the Holy Spirit pointed out that if my husband was like those 'other husbands' he wouldn't be my husband. Other then those gestures and things those other husbands did, none of those men were appealing to me in anyway shape or form. When I really thought about it, all of those men are sentimental and rather soft. I'm not interested in men like that. That realization killed all those thoughts of dissatisfaction in me though it would be a few years yet until I got off social media.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Recently we've been asking ourselves 'what if this happens?' or 'what if that happens?' Then the Lord points out- the things He wants for us, aren't they better than things we want for ourselves? The things He knows are best, aren't they better than the things we would give to ourselves?</div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Shall not the judge of all the earth do right?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Genesis 18:25c</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Even if the path to those things is hard, shouldn't we let go and let God bring us along through it if that is what He really wants for us?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For I know the thoughts that I think</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
peace, and not of evil, to give you an</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
expected end.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jeremiah 29:11</div>
</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-83698458606894099412017-02-20T22:01:00.000-08:002017-02-20T22:01:14.935-08:00Good Preaching: Wive's SubmissionOn this blog I talk a lot about Dr. David Peacock because I listen to his sermons all the time.<br />
He's in Florida so I listen to his morning service when I'm getting ready for church in the morning. I listen to his evening service when I get home from our church in the afternoon and I try to listen to his Wednesday service before our church's Wednesday service. He also has a question and answer time before preaching on Wednesday nights and those are always interesting to listen to too. Any sermons I miss are uploaded on Sermon Audio and I am always sure to listen to those.<br />
<br />
David Peacock has been going through a series- since November if I recall correctly- on Christian character. It is GOOD.<br />
At the moment he is on submission. It's not a fun topic at all but I am learning a lot from it.<br />
<br />
Not last Sunday night but the previous one he spoke about wifely submission. It wasn't particularly groundbreaking, at least to me, but of course there were things that convicted, encouraged, and comforted me.<br />
<br />
I thought I'd share it on here in hopes you will listen and be equally blessed by it as I was.<br />
<br />
<iframe frameborder="0" height="150" src="https://www.sermonaudio.com/saplayer/player_embed.asp?SID=21917945560&theme=light" style="min-width: 225px;" width="100%"></iframe>
<br />
Here is a link to the sermon on Sermon Audio: <a href="http://tinysa.com/sermon/21917945560">Wive's Submission</a><br />
(I highly recommend listening to the entire series on Christian Character. There are a few miniseries within it- <a href="http://www.sermonaudio.com/search.asp?sourceonly=true&currSection=sermonssource&keyword=bbbcjax&subsetcat=series&subsetitem=The+Judgment+Seat+of+Christ">The Judgement Seat of Christ</a> miniseries is a must listen to.)<br />
<br />
I hope you give that sermon a bit of your time! It's occurring to me right now that wifely submission is a topic I should tackle on this blog given that this blog is about encouraging young women like myself.<br />
<br />Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-1923063924454453722017-02-19T17:32:00.000-08:002017-02-19T17:32:35.482-08:00NachosThere was a joke I heard in highschool:<br />
What kind of cheese is not yours?<br />
Nacho cheese!<br />
Get it? Na-cho cheese?<br />
<br />
So I've sat down at this computer to write posts over the last few weeks- I have the drafts to prove it- but I've been unable to publish anything and unable to really write freely as I have in the past.<br />
Part of it is what I mentioned last time- the person I can't help but want to attack every time I write- which is a good indication I'm more in the flesh than in the spirit. The other part of it is wondering about what I am writing about on this blog. In other words- WHO am I writing about?<br />
<br />
The obvious and immediate answer is that I write about myself- because I do. I started this blog and built it on the idea that I'd write about how God was working in my life- the things He teaches me and the way He brings me along and helps me grow. This purpose of this blog is to give God the glory in my life. Lately I've been wondering whether or not this blog is too much about me or rather, what is my motivation behind each post.<br />
<br />
I started thinking about this months ago when I happened to come across a spat on Youtube between two bible teachers. One of them, I guess, has made hundreds of videos debunking the other. In the short clip I watched the one who has the videos made against him stand up in his church, behind the pulpit and say that the guy making the videos against him 'deserves a pulpit mention'- something about having 'worked' for it with all the videos he's made.<br />
I was immediately struck by the fact that that pulpit that man is standing behind is not his pulpit.<br />
It's God's.<br />
Did God call this man to preach the Word or talk about Youtubers?<br />
<br />
A month ago I was finishing up my son's bath after a long day and I just wanted him to go to bed. I thought maybe I'd skip brushing his teeth for that night. What difference would it make? Then it occurred to me that I am not brushing his teeth for me, I'm brushing them for him. They're <i>his</i> teeth! How terrible would it be for him to have bad teeth when he grows up all because his mom 'was too tired'. It's not up to me to choose not to brush his teeth- they're not my teeth, I'm taking care of them for him, and don't I want him to have good, healthy teeth?<br />
<br />
Then I started thinking about the way I look at things in general. I usually look at things with the perspective of 'how can I learn from that?' or 'what can I learn from that person?' I don't think that's a bad thing but it may bring the focus on me a little too much.<br />
<br />
These things- and others- has made me really realize that the voice the Lord gives you- whether you are a preacher, a teacher, blogger, someone who posts stuff on Facebook, or just a solid christian who witnesses everyday- is not yours. We are not given these things for ourselves even though they teach us, edify us, and bring us closer to God. We are given these things for others- for the things we can't see and can't know, for the unseen and unknown people brought along by God.<br />
Recently I've been thinking about the ways God takes care of us and the impossible situations He brings us through by means we can't even comprehend. I realized that God doesn't just take care of you for that time, for that problem, for that situation, He takes care of you for the future. How many times have you wondered why something turned out this way or why that happened and you go anywhere from a day to a year down the road to see how God used that to protect and provide for you when the situation was more dire and you were more needful?<br />
Think about all the people in the bible that Jesus healed- the woman with the issue of blood, the blind man at the pool, the lame man let down through the house, the devil possessed of the Gadarenes. I would bet you anything that those problems they dealt with- the issue of blood, blindness, lameness, etc- were not the only things Jesus healed. I bet any little problem, any little thing that bothered them besides those big things were taken away. I think that's what John meant at the end of his gospel:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
And there are also many other things</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
which Jesus did, the which, if they should be</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
written every one, I suppose that even the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
world itself could not contain the books that</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
should be written. Amen.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
John 21:25</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Can you imagine just being around Jesus and feeling better? All those little aches and things we deal with just gone from being a little closer to him? Not only that, the mind change, the heart change from hearing God's Words from God Himself. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This isn't doctrine or anything and I can't prove this from the bible. Just my relationship with Jesus and my relationship with the bible leads me to believe these things.</div>
<br />
I say all that to say that there are things we can't see and we can't know. My Sunday school teachers growing up still have an effect on me today, my preachers growing up still have an effect on me today, there are many small things done and said I can still remember and shape who I am and how I think.<br />
So when we speak in a place God is using us- we can't use our own words. We can't take what is rightly His and use it for our own agenda. That's the quickest way to stunt someone's spiritual growth, harm someone's faith, or prevent someone from coming to know the Lord as Saviour.<br />
The more we insert ourselves, our agendas, our motives, our message, the less room God has to work- even if we are using His words. God doesn't share His throne with anyone.<br />
<br />Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-13212089941447633612017-01-26T22:34:00.000-08:002017-01-26T22:34:28.036-08:00Going Goings OnHallooo!<br />
<br />
I've really really tried to write a few times but it's really no use.<br />
I'm very very annoyed at someone.<br />
I've seriously had it with them.<br />
They've completely lost me.<br />
I used to think they were wise.<br />
But now I think they're calculating, vindictive, and insufferable.<br />
<br />
This really shouldn't effect my writing but the topic I have it in my heart to write about is too hard to write about without slipping in shots at this person.<br />
So I guess it's just best not to write about it at all at the moment.<br />
<br />
Yes, I should just shake it off and forget about this person but this person has a constant presence in my life and almost every time I see them my opinion of them just gets lower and lower.<br />
<br />
Someone recently asked me what my favourite verse was and the first verse that came to my head was 'with good advice, make war' (<a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/Proverbs/20/18">Proverbs 18:20</a>). It's one of my favourite verses because just flies in the face of everything you hear nowadays but it's not a favourite to the point I'll go around sharing it as my favourite verse.<br />
Anyways, when I tried to think of another favourite verse to share all I could come up with was this one:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
And I saw heaven opened, and behold</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
a white horse: and he that sat upon him</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
was called Faithful and True, and in</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
righteousness he doth judge and make</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
war.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Revelation 19:11</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I really love this verse and I can't wait to see Jesus coming down to earth, trampling the grapes of wrath and reclaiming His kingdom- it's going to be great. But apparently I'm really into war verses right now and that tells me I'm in attack mode so I need to take my annoyance out on something.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Until then, I won't write about anything substantial- everything I try to write about turns into an attack on this person.</div>
<br />
Anyway, we're moving.<br />
Yet again and just over a year since we last moved. I'm really not interested in moving but whatever it has to get done.<br />
We're moving from a big, spacious house with a big, spacious yard to a little cabin next door to the good old USA.<br />
The new place is literally a cabin- all wood with delightful skylights scattered throughout the various rooms. It's very close to my work- which is great- and the beach. We were exploring a bit yesterday and came across a giant park just off the beach and maybe a ten minute walk from our new place.<br />
I'm hoping to be able to run again since the dyke will be easier on my knees than cemement- I told my husband I want runners for my birthday (which is next week).<br />
Even though it's an inconvenience to have to move (and with short notice) it seems to be perfect timing. All the privacy we once enjoyed at our current place was cut down last week and condos will be under construction going forward. We could hear the digger this morning when we were in bed.<br />
<br />
So we're looking forward to the new place. It will be a big change since we're moving to a new municipality and we'll be further from family and church. We put a lot of prayer into whether or not we should take this place and we know it is the right choice.<br />
<br />
At the moment that's all. Maybe I'll get my act together and be able to write a good post about something substantial.<br />
<br />
Please pray for my friend Aikiki who lost her son in a very tragic and heart breaking way.<br />
<br />Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-33697424099710820082017-01-01T22:18:00.002-08:002017-01-01T22:18:39.994-08:00A Spoonful of SugarA belated merry Christmas and a very happy New Year!<br />
I've been trying to write this post for a week and I think my problem is that I'm trying to explain something that's hard to explain.<br />
I didn't get to write as much this year. There seemed to be lots of things in the way. Still I'm grateful for this blog- I love to write and I learn a lot from it.<br />
<br />
I remember at the end of last year my heart was very full and happy. I was excited about the coming year. I described 2015 as difficult because my son cried the entire year and my husband spent most of the year working. That sounds like a cake walk now but I wouldn't go back to that for a second.<br />
2016 was hard but hard like giving birth is hard.<br />
After you have a child people ask what labour pain is like. I always say that it hurts but it's pain with a purpose. I cut my finger today and it's just a nagging pain I hope will heal soon. Labour pain brought my son into the world. 2016 was that kind of pain. Pain with a purpose. The kind that mercilessly and continuously attacks to the point you don't know if you can go on but you find it in you to keep going and as you do you start seeing things come out of you you never though possible.<br />
My heart goes from full to empty almost daily but while that is the case there is peace that covers it all. Whatever is going on, whatever needs to get done, it's just stuff. I realized that life isn't hard- it's just life and the things you went through will carry you through the things you're going through. It's not one and done, it all goes together.<br />
I realized that there are things that God just wants done. There is a place God wants you, there are things He expects of you, there are things He wants to bring out of you. Many times this year with different people in different places and different situations I saw myself as there for a purpose though often I had no idea what that purpose was. Somehow there were times I knew exactly what to do and more often then not it was at great personal sacrifice. It amazes me that God gives us the guidance we need and the strength to endure.<br />
There were many times this year where I'd be doing something for my son- making him dinner or getting him ready to go to the park or going to get this so we can do that- and he would be fussing and complaining the entire time. Sometimes I would say, 'look! I'm doing this for you! I know its hard to wait but it will be fine, I promise! Just wait a few minutes!' It occurs to me that maybe I'm like that with God. I don't think I'm a complainy person- it's passive aggressive and I hate that- but I will cry and I will fuss and I will straight up ask God to change things. And I think about it now and I wonder if in my prayers and supplications I'm doing what my son does to me and God is thinking 'I'm doing this for you, your discomfort is temporary but it will end soon, we just need to go through this to get to something better'. This is all temporary and it will all burn. The only things that matter are the things we can take to heaven and only God can give what can go from this life into eternity.<br />
The things He puts you through are for you. He wants us to bear eternal fruit and lay up treasure in heaven, He wants to give us the opportunity to get blessed by serving Him. This kind of thing doesn't happen when we live comfortably.<br />
I used to think there were happy times and sad times. Now I know that if you are right with God and in His will, there are hard things and easy things, but you're never 'unhappy'. I realized that you take the good things when you can and deal with the bad things the best you can. Situations will make you happy and sad but applying those to any situation really doesn't help. The only thing that does help is knowing that you're in God's will, that He's taking care of you, and that He has you in His hand.<br />
I suppose that sort of sums up part of my thoughts from 2016. There are a lot of things I've learned that I am not posting about today but maybe one day I will have the words to share them.<br />
It's just amazing how God works. It's never big, grand gestures. It's always little subtle things that make the biggest difference when it counts.<br />
<br />
I didn't do a thanksgiving post but I did think about what I am most grateful for this past year. This past year I am most grateful for my parents.<br />
I know people who are caring and try to help as much as they can. It is rare though for anyone to really go out of their way to take care of you. My parents- and my whole family, really- have really taken good care of us. The problems we have, they treat them like their own problems. They've taken so much on themselves for us and I really can't describe my gratitude to them for that.<br />
<br />
My favourite thing this year has been starting work. It was really hard and depressing at first but inevitably, I've seen that it's allowed me to put into practice things I didn't realize I had learned. I know it's a necessary thing that I go back to work and that in itself would give me peace about it but God has given it to me with a spoonful of sugar. There are many things I'm blessed by at work- the job itself, the clothes, and most of all the people I work with.<br />
<br />
Well, that's all for now, if it made any sense. I finally had to give up trying to structure a post and just write my thoughts as they came.<br />
It's been very busy for us but I hope I can write more. I have a lot to write but there is so much to be done. Thank you for bearing with me and for coming back and reading my posts. I hope they are a blessing and a help.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Thou therefore endure hardness, as a</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
good soldier of Jesus Christ.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 Timothy 2:3</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-36533575115033273092016-12-05T21:20:00.002-08:002016-12-05T21:20:54.157-08:00Reason vs FeelingsOne of the things I quickly learned in high school was that people don't think like me. I know- duh!- but it really had not occurred to me that people would have different values and those values shaped their priorities, expectations, desires, and outlook. In elementary school there isn't really much exchanging of ideas or values but in high school there is more emphasis on individuality. You quickly learn your place and if you are not humbled there is something wrong with you.<br />
After being home for several years and being able to choose who I am surrounded by I've almost forgotten this but I was recently reminded of it.<br />
<br />
You see, I expect one thing from the people around me: that they are reasonable.<br />
More often then not, however reasonable a person is in their actions and interactions, they are very unreasonable in their thoughts.<br />
<br />
The biggest detriments to being reasonable are emotions and feelings. The things we feel and the emotions that take over us inhibit growth and that's why we have this identity politics taking over. Political correctness was borne out of people's feelings.<br />
<br />
Recently a person described Prime Minister Trudeau's '2015' comment as 'brilliant'. It's not logically brilliant to say that an equally male to female ratio of cabinet ministers is necessary because 'it's 2015'. It's stupid. The only reason someone can describe that as brilliant is for it to appeal to their feelings.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
At the moment I am faced with a problem that cannot be addressed because it would hurt this person's feelings. Believe me when I say I would gladly hurt their feelings to tell them the truth. However, this person has proved that their feelings are more important than reason, growth, and learning. Telling them the truth will serve no other purpose than to hurt their feelings and make them mad at me. So the problem goes on because it cannot be addressed because feelings.<br />
<br />
The only way you learn is by hard things. The only way you grow as a person is by seeing or hearing the truth about yourself.<br />
It is not an easy thing but if you want to grow and get better you will put yourself under God's knife and let Him cut away those pieces of you that need to go.<br />
<br />
I hope I can always see the truth about myself- it keeps me humble. I hope I can always take the truth about my child and my husband and my family.<br />
Emotions and feelings prevent the truth because the truth hurts. If you can take it, however, that is a great thing because you will learn and grow and God will use you.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The wise in heart will receive</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
commandments: but a prating fool shall fall.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Proverbs 10:8</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-16280368904427277082016-11-15T23:22:00.000-08:002016-11-16T17:06:48.270-08:00Puerto Vallarta<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Hola!<br />
<br />
We're back! Got back Saturday night around midnight. I actually wrote the majority of this post on Sunday but I was waiting for my sister-in-law to send me pictures. She hasn't so I'll just post anyway.<br />
Instead of jumbling together random highlights from our trip I thought I'd share a bit from each day.<br />
We stayed at the <a href="https://www.hotelsunsetplaza.com/en">Sunset Plaza Beach Resort and Spa</a> in Puerto Vallarta and it was all inclusive. The food was really good and the people were very kind. My husband and I were saying that we would certainly visit there again and stay at the same place. The resort is about five years old so it's very new and they are planning an expansion- or so I've heard. We went at the tail end of 'low season' so we had a lot of freedom and had many things to ourselves. All the rooms come with an ocean view and we got to see beautiful sunsets, sunrises, and a fantastic lightning storm.<br />
People kept thinking I was Mexican or at least that I spoke Spanish- neither of which is true- and they were always surprised when I couldn't understand. While I don't speak fluent french my vocabulary is still really good so I picked up on a lot of the similar words in Spanish.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkMSOHJTbWGr8KuN0DRsH_GgKXiaQkgwkGOmlzMI89dACthAkZWvJp8QKCe3CoV_aLn-L1-knUAlCfHlQXvFhG0ZO-9quMlwkhlh1u5w3Ri0Z2qrE64n-A-9r5ck7zANRlaIecUepbU4/s1600/IMG_8525.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigkMSOHJTbWGr8KuN0DRsH_GgKXiaQkgwkGOmlzMI89dACthAkZWvJp8QKCe3CoV_aLn-L1-knUAlCfHlQXvFhG0ZO-9quMlwkhlh1u5w3Ri0Z2qrE64n-A-9r5ck7zANRlaIecUepbU4/s400/IMG_8525.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My Thursday morning at 6:30</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF54Y4utPzjh6Gh-R_i9Z3GGuSLzLXWCKYPy3GSLFDe3IYf1GaWNY5yl6mPHWZVS64_NOsiq9LPv0i9moYIMYNL-1prKtIrAbvtDvU_kBW2a_m7oq4I-ZTDOV8H16ezTIpGjKywNbWNDg/s1600/IMG_8553.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF54Y4utPzjh6Gh-R_i9Z3GGuSLzLXWCKYPy3GSLFDe3IYf1GaWNY5yl6mPHWZVS64_NOsiq9LPv0i9moYIMYNL-1prKtIrAbvtDvU_kBW2a_m7oq4I-ZTDOV8H16ezTIpGjKywNbWNDg/s400/IMG_8553.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Friday morning around 6:50</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Day 1- (Friday, November 4) Travel day. Flew out of Seattle around 6:50 am, had a layover in Orange County for about an hour then continued to Puerto Vallarta. We arrived around 4pm local time and got to the hotel around 5. My husband, son, and I had been up since 6:30am the day before (Thursday), and hadn't slept properly in over 24 hours. We were duly exhausted so we ate, let our son play in the pool for a bit, went up to the room, ordered room service, fell asleep waiting for it, ate, then we all slept for 12 hours.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99cV2Nqu6kkJRaTaFDhsrG4vNwWwScMuCMy1HMfkaWHoWlKKblfxj4Uywj9MB8Up1J0wmhM70OFmj3YmBlZewhS2E9oJzw4faobcxBB9A-xzZ2k-stLwK9llFRCq5c3eC1_XSuGRekSU/s1600/IMG_8841.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99cV2Nqu6kkJRaTaFDhsrG4vNwWwScMuCMy1HMfkaWHoWlKKblfxj4Uywj9MB8Up1J0wmhM70OFmj3YmBlZewhS2E9oJzw4faobcxBB9A-xzZ2k-stLwK9llFRCq5c3eC1_XSuGRekSU/s400/IMG_8841.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The top one</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDgJj0Sk7vo83cAiNDWCZ5uI1TFUfW-Q-UVuIt8sAkrUcQ5UZqgptUe1DQswOy-e8cHObgRqKdq752V85sE5e0Xbu-U9eAOYGz08IYRV1grP83LrYWyx2nJdMlvMZeT1dZRpm7eP46DU/s1600/IMG_8573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEDgJj0Sk7vo83cAiNDWCZ5uI1TFUfW-Q-UVuIt8sAkrUcQ5UZqgptUe1DQswOy-e8cHObgRqKdq752V85sE5e0Xbu-U9eAOYGz08IYRV1grP83LrYWyx2nJdMlvMZeT1dZRpm7eP46DU/s400/IMG_8573.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Arriving in Puerto Vallarta</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBaqaJapYv6WIisR9HEa1nlB7g5nS0YrYYJbE93YDykEc8zK9B9VDsraOXHEZuH_1OhalNH1lzqJpeg2lx0BcVnOW4g-zIMho2uupY3dZWAotzCtmG1vGH4uRUcXoSm6nB6IUjBtX4ec/s1600/IMG_8733.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrBaqaJapYv6WIisR9HEa1nlB7g5nS0YrYYJbE93YDykEc8zK9B9VDsraOXHEZuH_1OhalNH1lzqJpeg2lx0BcVnOW4g-zIMho2uupY3dZWAotzCtmG1vGH4uRUcXoSm6nB6IUjBtX4ec/s400/IMG_8733.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ocean view from our room</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhw2qJ05I0gn6uklceYHy855NeyV3zZvfPQ0wMtK5Pp3kXDxYiv2U2GLo0pkxeAgVtGTWTq9NJMsXZj-GJaiuZHUMsIkohmHAUd-Z3wPUM66q2ThhglcDTkSjI6JvZlA3nEWlRA1IeUw/s1600/IMG_8727.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJhw2qJ05I0gn6uklceYHy855NeyV3zZvfPQ0wMtK5Pp3kXDxYiv2U2GLo0pkxeAgVtGTWTq9NJMsXZj-GJaiuZHUMsIkohmHAUd-Z3wPUM66q2ThhglcDTkSjI6JvZlA3nEWlRA1IeUw/s400/IMG_8727.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">City view from outside our door</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyo4ED53cPBMJ-UeZwuHWBO2Crzj8dRjQnjw1nRpEsaaS1EGuE2-6sRdGZLOsxKfSTftXJnSbJeur5p3CC6f6A6UQbeg7OGraAfDSLIH0_mVS4cDF852_s3wbjWLI0h12ykDGeeOThmU/s1600/IMG_8639.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPyo4ED53cPBMJ-UeZwuHWBO2Crzj8dRjQnjw1nRpEsaaS1EGuE2-6sRdGZLOsxKfSTftXJnSbJeur5p3CC6f6A6UQbeg7OGraAfDSLIH0_mVS4cDF852_s3wbjWLI0h12ykDGeeOThmU/s400/IMG_8639.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sunset by the pools</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
Day 2- (Saturday November 5) woke up refreshed and happy. We had breakfast then my husband and I hit up the local Walmart because neither of us had bathing suits or flipflops and we wanted to get our son a floaty device.<br />
It was a Walmart like all Walmarts we've been to. We found what we were looking for then went to pay. There was a woman bagging our purchases and I noticed money on the counter under her. I wondered if we were supposed to tip her but we didn't and I had to go to the washroom. When I came out my husband said 'I think we're supposed to tip the baggers'. There was a line of them sitting on benches wearing blue vests. I promptly went back and gave the lady all our change. We felt terrible that we hadn't tipped her right away so I ran back to her. She looked rather sad but she cheered right up when I gave her the money. My husband and I figured they make all their money from tips.<br />
We took the taxi there and walked back- it was about ten blocks from our hotel and it was nice to leisurely walk (holding hands!) without having to wrangle our son. We sat at Starbucks (obviously) to cool down for a bit-<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQBHnjL1CdCWsUqcNJz3s9t5nGuah4Ss5ITBCtcb823o3F7dmQC7FmtKj6Xuyoo3Ayr-fSRpxWvQ1Gx0teOvJS-gA7ExH4l8wEoSUltCQFOnQ2g3p5xTYkOagzayFpLsnIUW9WU1aAl4/s1600/IMG_8610.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWQBHnjL1CdCWsUqcNJz3s9t5nGuah4Ss5ITBCtcb823o3F7dmQC7FmtKj6Xuyoo3Ayr-fSRpxWvQ1Gx0teOvJS-gA7ExH4l8wEoSUltCQFOnQ2g3p5xTYkOagzayFpLsnIUW9WU1aAl4/s400/IMG_8610.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">my 'I found the starbucks!' photo I sent to my dad</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Once we got back we ate lunch and hung out in the pool.<br />
There are five pools there. One little one in the children's area, one separate adult's only pool, and three of them interconnected- a children's pool, a giant pool with underwater seats and a bar, and a lower pool for lounging. The children's pool is the perfect height for our son, small enough to play in, and deep enough for any adult to sit comfortably.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9Anfsn0BxVTLPpYLqbMrpmDJfi2lV2XYbtVUMP3NGpebf8kqGMryWHuFKJmLYrz-92McGoraPgAo04jhPDIjkdvnRVVUdORwhU6UGibi4uq5SlvOZf6WvgzWy5RAtj5F9odu4zdbaC4/s1600/IMG_8648.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_9Anfsn0BxVTLPpYLqbMrpmDJfi2lV2XYbtVUMP3NGpebf8kqGMryWHuFKJmLYrz-92McGoraPgAo04jhPDIjkdvnRVVUdORwhU6UGibi4uq5SlvOZf6WvgzWy5RAtj5F9odu4zdbaC4/s400/IMG_8648.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">We got our son a little jetski- he LOVES it<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We spent the rest of the day relaxing and after dinner we hung out with my sister's-in-law and nephew playing dutch blitz.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Day 3- (Sunday November 6) I woke up early and tuned in live to Bible Baptist Church's morning service. I was right in time to hear the preaching. They were having their annual 'King James Jubilee' (their revival meeting) so I got to hear a different preacher preach. He preached on this passage:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
It is better to go to the house of mourning,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
than to go to the house of feasting: for that</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
is the end of all men; and the living will lay it</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to his heart.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Sorrow is better than laughter: for by the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sadness of the countenance the heart is</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
made better.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The heart of the wise is in the house of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
mourning: but the heart of fools is in the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
house of mirth.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ecclesiastes 7:2-4</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
He spoke on verse three about how sorrow is good for your heart and the things it does to your heart. It was a good message with good food for me. </div>
After breakfast we all got into the pool and stayed there until mid afternoon. My sister-in-law and I went to get our nails done in the Neptune Plaza. We were going to do them at the hotel spa but a lady told my sister-in-law about a great place that costs less than $10 for either a manicure or a pedicure. I ALWAYS get pedicures on vacation- or whenever I can. I just love them. The last time I had a pedicure was in Lincoln City, Oregon last year for my mother-in-law's 70th birthday. So we went and with tip and everything I spent around $10. Since we were walk-ins and it was a Sunday we had to go one after the other. I went first so while my sister-in-law was getting her nails done I explored the plaza a bit-<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPds0KooXniJl5WSBJi35fGDAnEcG3bj6GXKLOHfdEjh9a64lGgrWIkqT4TPwOpmgZCMOrhFvwOGqP8S2tLh1wYbcIgnyUEADiLZL0O86WkNVXhx4AY3Vp51cgwviGPvx3qajomObeXc/s1600/IMG_8630.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRPds0KooXniJl5WSBJi35fGDAnEcG3bj6GXKLOHfdEjh9a64lGgrWIkqT4TPwOpmgZCMOrhFvwOGqP8S2tLh1wYbcIgnyUEADiLZL0O86WkNVXhx4AY3Vp51cgwviGPvx3qajomObeXc/s400/IMG_8630.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Frappucino in hand, turquoise toes</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2kAVvXUnUDKUcKRho1pt3gCgrLCLGACSAXxUvLXtcoS27no65z4Ri-8F5SKvTyCdc2q0GJmBcPFbIfYKC0yBiJa6wXK0RYEHg7xwDN5TSk_otfCUksKRy1IVkbZddjI73hbhkTiOWzQ/s1600/IMG_8633.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS2kAVvXUnUDKUcKRho1pt3gCgrLCLGACSAXxUvLXtcoS27no65z4Ri-8F5SKvTyCdc2q0GJmBcPFbIfYKC0yBiJa6wXK0RYEHg7xwDN5TSk_otfCUksKRy1IVkbZddjI73hbhkTiOWzQ/s400/IMG_8633.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The marina, just behind the plaza- really beautiful place</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br /></div>
<div>
After dinner we played in the pool until it was time for bed.<br />
<br />
Day 4- (Monday November 7) After breakfast and the pool my sisters-in-law, nephew and I took a cab to 'Centro' or downtown. We walked along the pier, in and out of shops.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPnXobWwNjmXC5k5-B46dSGQ3t6FtFwCSODKQlaoLLoPaY1IUSOFA3khhxk0uP50sRvshLGGq8dt3hZZHOVh3OCVAdYA0Oyh9KgcJrK35SbaSk66AmZLJffy0VvowXWusAcS5_Wr1aBE/s1600/IMG_8657+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXPnXobWwNjmXC5k5-B46dSGQ3t6FtFwCSODKQlaoLLoPaY1IUSOFA3khhxk0uP50sRvshLGGq8dt3hZZHOVh3OCVAdYA0Oyh9KgcJrK35SbaSk66AmZLJffy0VvowXWusAcS5_Wr1aBE/s400/IMG_8657+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pretty walk on the pier</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOzhjK6UrgLzRPS5FlhCSd_-R2vQ8Fhmv0055jWzK5O4noObWBLuXCZ6dYUCLFddM_2NrVxf60c1550R3RO9FM0yvzJb-2GtgPVWIprQiDH13RqxtqN5o6z-6YmhTKOAeKy7QNL3kR1E/s1600/IMG_8660.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiaOzhjK6UrgLzRPS5FlhCSd_-R2vQ8Fhmv0055jWzK5O4noObWBLuXCZ6dYUCLFddM_2NrVxf60c1550R3RO9FM0yvzJb-2GtgPVWIprQiDH13RqxtqN5o6z-6YmhTKOAeKy7QNL3kR1E/s400/IMG_8660.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved how it looked up the alley. I love the architecture<br />
and how many people have <br />
plants spilling from their windows and balcony's.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<br />
I bought a few t-shirts and an adorable Mexican outfit for my son-<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFMHhA-O3JuTR8RxWZOdG5J9-2-_To8kidRdst4y_LjBeOg9TNmWOe57aXPx34u31qmgoJLOz2JM2QVoMPXTdW6fClQOpX96JYBMrVs0kTN1lh_H90RmRflZWy7bu56SuXV7wRssvULo/s1600/IMG_8826.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbFMHhA-O3JuTR8RxWZOdG5J9-2-_To8kidRdst4y_LjBeOg9TNmWOe57aXPx34u31qmgoJLOz2JM2QVoMPXTdW6fClQOpX96JYBMrVs0kTN1lh_H90RmRflZWy7bu56SuXV7wRssvULo/s400/IMG_8826.JPG" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This picture was taken our last day there.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We had lunch at a beautiful sea side restaurant then took a taxi back to the hotel. I walked into our hotel room to find my son sitting on the bed eating chocolate cake and watching a movie.</div>
<div>
It was late afternoon so I brought him down to the pool to swim and promptly dropped my phone in the water. Up until this point I had mostly left my phone in the room so the one time I actually brought it out I drop it -.-</div>
<div>
My phone didn't suffer the effects of being dropped in water until the day after. My home button doesn't work, and my lock button is kind of shoddy but everything else seems fine. The home button makes a big difference so I'm going to have to fix it somehow and at some point.<br />
We played in the pool then took a walk down the beach where my sister-in-law was playing beach volleyball. The waves were huge so my son and I stood in the water and let the waves splash us. I had to hold him with both hands to keep him from getting pulled in.<br />
After we got back to our room we got a call saying they were releasing turtles on the beach.<br />
These sea turtles are extinct so scientists keep track of them and watch the mothers lay their eggs. Once shes done and leaves the nest the scientists take the eggs from their nests to a nursery to protect them. Once the turtles hatch they release them into the sea. The hotel we stayed at has their own nursery and there were more than 100 baby turtles so everyone on the beach who wanted to got to place a turtle on the beach and watch them crawl toward the water.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dxARlSgeAyJEKsxc2CpOko2mVNluDjpueNh7VxvVZ3ixjMzR66fzyzhwXlOdgV2TWv4tdKxA0XwT2aebQb1uw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
My phone died just as I was taking this video.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
After this we ate dinner and spent the rest of the evening in the pool.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Day 5- (Monday November 7) I woke up really bummed about my phone so my husband took my son down to breakfast and I was able to get a few minutes to myself. I finally felt better and went down for breakfast and some pool time.</div>
<div>
It was this day they told me that they ran out of strawberry syrup for my virgin daiquiris so I tried the tamarind and got hooked. This was mostly a pool day. My husband got a bad headache near the end of the day so I kept my son occupied out of our hotel room for the most of the day.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Day 6- (Tuesday November 8) Election day was bright and beautiful in Puerto Vallarta. Everyone was a little on edge. </div>
<div>
We spent the morning in the pool and went up to our room after lunch. We wound up falling asleep waking just in time for dinner.<br />
After dinner I was anxious to watch my favorite political commentators live stream election coverage. I'm not that into politics but this election cycle was a good distraction for me and I learned a lot from the people I listen to. As a Canadian I can look at the US election with amused indifference. That's all I'll say.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Day 7- (Wednesday November 9) We got up late, picked up pastries at the hotel deli and took the bus to Sayulita, Nayriat. It was about an hours bus ride up through the city then into the jungle. I'm not that fond of the city but I loved how a short bus ride took us into a jungle.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwuFD9JtX10wttYw9FIRN1-_kzBMq8N8_TZ_WRfCScAf4AwUXPf7Q4VZjM-xhGX5krVURkn45vnHiaJY8D74Q' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
That video is a little bit of the drive- when it started getting really scenic. Outside our hotel room I could see lots of green mountains and I wondered what they were like up close. I got to see what they are like on the road to Sayulita. I didn't get any pictures of it but there was lush green foliage all along the road and branches reaching over the road creating a beautiful green drive along a dusty road.<br />
We finally got to Sayulita- a beautiful little sea side surf town. The bus dropped us off by this random fork in the road so we walked two or so blocks along a dirt road into Sayulita. In the town itself are small rocky streets with close shops. I could see houses along the slopes from the beach- big beautiful sanctuaries overlook the hippy beach town that is Sayulita.<br />
I feel like there were more tourists there than were staying at the resort I was staying at. I could see many tanned locals who looked like they came from another part of the world to settle there. The tourists were one thing and the locals were quite another. There was a distinct style among them- a kind of yogi, beach, hippy, artist style that was being promoted and sold at almost every shop.<br />
The artistry there is beautiful. We went into many shops where the owners made everything themselves from clothes to jewellery to tiles to dishes to accessories and more. There was lots of embroidery, pompoms, beads, and so many clothes- all of which I love. The exorbitant prices (in my opinion) told me that these people weren't just selling their art, they are selling a life style and a culture. There were bits and pieces I would have loved to purchase but they were all things that would be odd one ofs. I left Sayulita to Sayulita. Maybe one day I'll go back and create something in my own life from there.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3ueODvCVwurk50pnNmGBiW1m-my0ZGYonvRYyCPdGRwIzhg8fJrcUA48HUVnMN5lUJDqQ_eVQUIeSS8sbjrbvq_ktzF1h0ZBLZt5UKzT8PhrKSrjhc_PQDRRKUPycJ9pdgucvRaFv8s/s1600/IMG_8706.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin3ueODvCVwurk50pnNmGBiW1m-my0ZGYonvRYyCPdGRwIzhg8fJrcUA48HUVnMN5lUJDqQ_eVQUIeSS8sbjrbvq_ktzF1h0ZBLZt5UKzT8PhrKSrjhc_PQDRRKUPycJ9pdgucvRaFv8s/s400/IMG_8706.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I loved these colourful banners but they were mostly decorated<br />
with skeletons</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
We explored a lot, didn't buy anything except lunch- we sat at tables on the beach while our son dug in the sand with the silverware (so classy) and had the most delicious margarita pizza. We left Sayulita in the mid afternoon. Our bus going back was a rickity old thing that bounced a lot. My husband, son and I sat in the back and boy was it bumpy. Our son slept the whole time so my husband and I relaxed and enjoyed the ride together. It was really, really hot and in most circumstances I would be uncomfortable and grumpy. In this case, however, my husband and I had so much fun sitting there and laughing together- we loved the experience. I think our Mexico trip would have been incomplete without that bus trip. We got in the shower right when we got back then went into the pool.</div>
<div>
<br />
Day 8- (Thursday November 10) After breakfast my sisters-in-law kindly watched our son while my husband and I went to shop for things. I wanted to get a Mexican dress but I couldn't find any that I loved. I got two dresses- one an off white linen dress with crocheted details, the other a yellow maxi. My husband got a Mexican shirt that matches my son's and I got some little souvenirs for some people back home. We were able to shop within four blocks of the hotel so even though it was hot and sunny, we were very relaxed. I did sort of wind up with a Mexican dress but it was bought by my father-in-law for his wife and it's too big for her so she gave it to me. I would only change the embroidery on the front and it would be absolutely perfect but I'm grateful for it anyways.<br />
We got back and I went to play beach volleyball with my sister-in-law while my husband took our son out of the sun for a while. Beach is my favorite form of volleyball and I can't remember the last time I played it. It was fun and I wish I could've gotten out for it a few more times.<br />
<br />
<br />
Day 9- (Friday November 11) At 7:30am we were in a taxi and on our way to the marina to take a boat to a beautiful private island called Las Caletas. The boat ride was about an hour and the day was cloudy so we got a nice breeze as we travelled.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2WtNBxCtsvugImRQGMTWW8X_jefXTgXXCvlC9S1cDNuIPXpSNQ9PBL0OFasaDH4EyJ802eUIi5oZMTsbaXVWvdNONSfmmj_wMz_he4ynqsfuY9Cao3U5p6o5xLPEh6pRtycGBHGuD94/s1600/IMG_8755.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="145" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2WtNBxCtsvugImRQGMTWW8X_jefXTgXXCvlC9S1cDNuIPXpSNQ9PBL0OFasaDH4EyJ802eUIi5oZMTsbaXVWvdNONSfmmj_wMz_he4ynqsfuY9Cao3U5p6o5xLPEh6pRtycGBHGuD94/s400/IMG_8755.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">There were caves in these islands and blue footed boobies flying over top</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
We went with a tour group so they provided us with breakfast and lunch. We were able to explore a bit of the island and we had activities like snorkeling, paddle boarding, zip lining, kayaking, and many more available to us. There were lots of hammocks swinging over the water which we promptly took advantage of.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Mjy7nXtkPxCu8hs90w_ei2be7nQQHryV7qL-NjDGfr9W9cVEU-z9j2c5mMr14zQpePybKMQRUtpeYqzftS9BAqc0brahnKpqHHeejGTK2gljFghnuq1_dbPUE4Uf7JWBq5eonkVtb1E/s1600/scsh-me+in+a+hammock.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7Mjy7nXtkPxCu8hs90w_ei2be7nQQHryV7qL-NjDGfr9W9cVEU-z9j2c5mMr14zQpePybKMQRUtpeYqzftS9BAqc0brahnKpqHHeejGTK2gljFghnuq1_dbPUE4Uf7JWBq5eonkVtb1E/s400/scsh-me+in+a+hammock.png" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Screen shot of a pic my sis-in-law took</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
For the first little bit I collected lots and lots of shells.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ThTV5w392nq9gkge2svpQPNh8sLqEdnz3_M3YOuqaO04gg3XAq7dVSgmjzAjjSyo-h-rplF9HOEAkq2UdBKyQ3ujnJf1f_JrumK54iUrBorsgu1jIPOxrlUmNCpBSKRtSSLC9oziJdA/s1600/shells.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7ThTV5w392nq9gkge2svpQPNh8sLqEdnz3_M3YOuqaO04gg3XAq7dVSgmjzAjjSyo-h-rplF9HOEAkq2UdBKyQ3ujnJf1f_JrumK54iUrBorsgu1jIPOxrlUmNCpBSKRtSSLC9oziJdA/s400/shells.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some of the shells I brought home</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
I decided to go paddle boarding- I've always wanted to try it. I loved it and its one of those things I think I'll always do whenever I get the chance. My husband, son and I went in a kayak after that and saw beautiful little fish in the water.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRs57tidIRWa1vXrg4ea_dtzpe89q6yQ7VBbwE6fr7_vy279FJFBmC3njLfyMwwX4KpX4HJoSY6NCrA9utbLJ3S07nzVX2-wNW0M__1aP_KYyAIwbN1jiC_5j3_SA6Yrr6p7l7qHEZA8/s1600/FELIX+MONTES+%2528275%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRRs57tidIRWa1vXrg4ea_dtzpe89q6yQ7VBbwE6fr7_vy279FJFBmC3njLfyMwwX4KpX4HJoSY6NCrA9utbLJ3S07nzVX2-wNW0M__1aP_KYyAIwbN1jiC_5j3_SA6Yrr6p7l7qHEZA8/s400/FELIX+MONTES+%2528275%2529.JPG" width="266" /></a></div>
<br />
While all this was going on the tour group has photographers taking pictures of you. By the end of our day there they had taken 131 pictures of us- they loved our son- and we all chipped in to purchase a USB of all of them ($80).<br />
After kayaking my son and I played in the water for a while<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjeeb9wTap0uRPIh90VaM57Uj5iOeIUwrMWNZ6TJLsOV7kGg_lHNObq6ZeboP3KbeIaF1-IrC46h_B5hvZEunP2cKKs1mUAdEdBJdWnwiBG1ghOP3Qr71eFNGn1HXKTho5Rtm4o4OOeo/s1600/FELIX+M+%252847%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSjeeb9wTap0uRPIh90VaM57Uj5iOeIUwrMWNZ6TJLsOV7kGg_lHNObq6ZeboP3KbeIaF1-IrC46h_B5hvZEunP2cKKs1mUAdEdBJdWnwiBG1ghOP3Qr71eFNGn1HXKTho5Rtm4o4OOeo/s400/FELIX+M+%252847%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
Then it was lunch time and we were served a buffet of authentic Mexican food. The spicy salsa was actually spicy, and we got to see our tortillas hand pressed. They were probably the best tortillas I've ever had.<br />
Once lunch was over we walked around and got to see some of the animals that live there- monkeys, macaws, hawks, flamingos, parakeets, and snakes. I got to hold a monkey and a parakeet. My husband got to hold and kiss a macaw.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
Before we left I managed to get this family picture-<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYcB9YrWilHQ0Rt80l0ZiJjl_hMl47rBfoUdEF7Qpsf-o4ZFVzpXqcHJh42bratEVTNHuc_exgpqdGtRZ5C1UVldjqkuDhlFfTAqNoCYRH6WUTuc3qPUd4-gkS_BO8kVeBl7xIh_TQaU/s1600/IMG_8794.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgYcB9YrWilHQ0Rt80l0ZiJjl_hMl47rBfoUdEF7Qpsf-o4ZFVzpXqcHJh42bratEVTNHuc_exgpqdGtRZ5C1UVldjqkuDhlFfTAqNoCYRH6WUTuc3qPUd4-gkS_BO8kVeBl7xIh_TQaU/s400/IMG_8794.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
It was a great tour and I highly recommend it. I beleive the company is called 'Vallarta Adventures'. They take great care of you- you always feel safe.<br />
My son and I went straight into the pool when we got back then we had a leisurley dinner for our final night.<br />
<br />
Day 10- (Saturday November 12) Woke up bright and early, finished packing, had breakfast then spent an hour and a half in the pool with my son. We checked out around noon and flew out of Puerto Vallarta around 2pm local time. It was a smooth trip and we got home around midnight.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHu5mK-xyAO2nb-y2F1_wdFV3YXDQpIRaZ2voRCTFrB_XRcDgF7vTqh0LD2cpLuaw6XWmCB0QO5nsFE7f2JM6yokIWrXVXGhFpyp2EQwLetQ8hympcOdLF7NDtnilwVIo7jvG19hD7wto/s1600/IMG_8845.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHu5mK-xyAO2nb-y2F1_wdFV3YXDQpIRaZ2voRCTFrB_XRcDgF7vTqh0LD2cpLuaw6XWmCB0QO5nsFE7f2JM6yokIWrXVXGhFpyp2EQwLetQ8hympcOdLF7NDtnilwVIo7jvG19hD7wto/s400/IMG_8845.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">From Puerto Vallarta to LAX</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
It was a good vacation and I am very thankful for it.<br />
Neither my husband nor myself had ever had a vacation like that before- to a tropical place, staying in a hotel with everything provided. We agreed we'd definitely go there again and stay at the same place. Almost every night we went for family swims in the pool. All the things I wanted to do I didn't do because I was mostly playing with my son. I didn't take many pictures because I didn't want to feel obligated to. We took a break from pretty much everything.<br />
I think we probably had the best time of everyone who went with us and I think it's because we went just to be happy and free and enjoy the blessing of being able to go. We had no burdens on us- we left those at home. The lust of the flesh and the pride of life that enslaved others and made them miserable did not have power over us. Even though going away meant we were away from our troubles and free from our usual restraint we did not have the means to let our flesh run rampant and control us. We did not have the flesh to take over and ruin the things God has done. This trip showed me how God has worked on us and the things that we unknowingly have become under the pressure we have faced.<br />
Everything God does is for our good and His glory. I don't think I could have had the time I had and the satisfaction I continue to enjoy from it if it wasn't for the past few months we've had.<br />
People at work today kept saying, 'I'm so jealous you got to go away'. I doubt they're serious but it made me think about something I always think about when it comes to jealousy and envy: you don't know the cost.<br />
Sure I got to go away on an all inclusive vacation to a tropical place but would you be willing to go through the last six months of my life to be able to do that? If I described those six months to you, I bet you wouldn't.<br />
During this time of pressure and change I've often looked at others- like in Costco sometimes when people's carts are bursting with food, books, and toys- and envied them for a moment. Then I remember that I don't know what they are going home to, what they will face tomorrow, what they have faced, and whether or not they will go to heaven. Even though our cart has just the basic necessities in it, I wouldn't trade places with them for the world because I am right where God wants me and I am going to heaven for sure.</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-48927245777800079752016-11-03T22:58:00.002-07:002016-11-03T22:58:27.010-07:00MexicoIt's been a very hectic week for me- I worked full time hours because we had to receive a lot of new merchandise and flip the whole store. The last two mornings I started at 6:30 and last night I couldn't settle down enough to sleep until past midnight so I'm running on very few hours sleep.<br />
We had lots to do today after I got off at 3- my husband, son, and I are headed off to Mexico for eight days. I am hoping with all my heart I will have time to finish my Halloween post that I was supposed to finish for Halloween but couldn't.<br />
We're known about our trip to Mexico since last Christmas so it's been something to look forward to but also something so distant it didn't seem real. Even now with my bags packed and house tidy, I don't feel the excitement and anticipation that normally accompanies vacations.<br />
It will be a proper vacation for us though because it's all inclusive- we don't have to cook or anything. We get to explore and swim and relax and I'm hoping to get a pedicure at some point at the spa.<br />
Other things I'd like to do are buy lots of beads (because I'm back into beading apparently), buy a Mexican dress, and buy a big floppy hat. Yep. I dream of spending money...<br />
More non material things I'd like to do is spend lots of time with my son who I don't get to see as often as I used to and I miss him, give the gospel out, and spend at least one evening alone with my husband.<br />
I'll post pictures and tell of my adventures (if any) while I'm there hopefully!<br />
<br />Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-86610368093110883412016-10-22T10:58:00.000-07:002016-11-20T23:26:45.376-08:00Suck It UpSo in case you haven't noticed, things have changed a lot for my family and I since the beginning of September.<br />
We're adapting the best we can and it helps that our son is very flexible. All the changes mean he's been going to bed between nine and eleven o'clock most nights then getting up early. He's been a trooper about it. We've also been unable to attend the things we would normally attend which is kind of a bummer but it's just the reality of our situation right now.<br />
<br />
People keep asking me how I feel about going back to work and I've been telling them that I'm still figuring out my feelings on the matter.<br />
When it finally sunk in that I was going back to work I was absolutely wretched about it. It meant I had to leave my son and not be at home to take care of everything. As the time approached I began to be excited about the change- curious about what it would do to our family and interested to see what it would reveal about me. When work finally started, I found it very restful to be away. We were opening a brand new store which is very busy and exciting. Now that excitement of opening has died down, I find work a lot less restful and a lot more to worry about. We're having staffing issues so I'm unable to spend as much time in the backroom as I need to. There's also Christmas coming up and I hate Christmas in retail.<br />
Part of me is pretty whiny about having to go back to work. Frankly it depresses me that I'm working again. When I left my job in January 2013, a month before I gave birth to my son, I intended never again to go to work. My 'job' would be taking care of my husband, baby, and home.<br />
Now I'm back in a retail store, having to smile at customers, NOT looking forward to the craze of Christmas, and trying to do everything to the best I can do while many of my coworkers don't.<br />
The fact is I don't want to work at all.<br />
The other part of me, whenever I get complain-y in my mind, is ever there to chime in 'suck it up'. Working outside my home is not what I want but it is what is necessary right now. There are two women in my life right now that work out of necessity for their families. Every time I look at my schedule and heart drops at the hours I have to put in, I think of those two women- they do so much more than I do. We do what we have to do for our families and it does take self sacrifice. I'm very fortunate that my husband can watch my son most times and my sister is there to watch him when neither of us can (thanks so much, Aber).<br />
I'm incredibly grateful for the women in my life and the way God points things out about them to me to give me perspective on things going on in my life. It's not a physical struggle I am going through with this. This is a mental struggle wherein I need to control my thoughts and keep my mind. The most helpful people when it comes to things going on in your mind are the people who don't really say or do anything to help you. I was down a little while ago and I was with a woman from church and she just told me about her experiences. She didn't advise me and tell me what to do. She just told me what had happened to her. It was all the strength I needed. When it comes to the ladies that are most helpful in getting my mind in the right place- they have never said anything, they just go quietly about their business serving God. They may never know what a blessing it is to me, how their sacrifices helped more than just their family. The biggest blessing about it, is that they're doing it when no one is watching, for no other reason than that its the right thing.<br />
It is seriously the worst when people come up and give you all kinds of advice and all their 'knowledge' on things they really don't know about- because no one ever knows anything about what's going on with you. Inevitably when things are going wrong, people question whether you're in God's will or not or think you sinned so you're being punished. It makes it harder when you yourself keep asking those questions and God gives you an answer and you're sure of it. The woman who helped me on my down day told me one thing and it had nothing to do with me- 'we were right in the middle of God's will but we were struggling'. No one knows the recesses of someone else's mind. No one can know the deep dark thoughts, the questions, the tears, the struggles you go through just to get through a bad day. Yet they see small part of it at some point or another, put on the 'Holy Spirit' suit, and try to tell you what they think God wants you to hear. You. Don't. Know. You don't know the passages of scripture we read, what we pray for, the way God answers, the way God leads.<br />
Unsolicited advice is never heeded- as I like to say and as many like to say. Just shut up and do right and you will encourage and influence the people who need it most.<br />
<br />
And so, I am working because God put me there. The way the job came up, the way it was offered, the position I have, the experience that I have, have all clearly been designed by God.<br />
There are three things lately that have put me in rough spots, spots I do not like, would never approve of, but God has given me the wisdom to see the good those things have done and the benefit to our family.<br />
He always gives you the grace to do His will, and if you look at it His way instead of your own way, He'll teach you things and show you why you're there.<br />
Over the last few weeks I've been able to spend lots of time in my backroom talking to my stock people and I've been able to share the gospel with three of them.<br />
Going in, I knew my focus had to be winning souls and I forget where I was when this verse was read to me- either in church or a ladies bible study I've been going to:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
For even the Son of man <b>came not to be</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>ministered unto, but to minister</b>, and to give</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
his life a ransom for many.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mark 10:45</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm not comparing myself to Christ and I'm not saying I'm giving my life for the people I'm working with.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
When this was read to me I heard 'came not to be ministered unto, but to minister' and it occurred to me that that's why I'm working, I'm working where I'm working, and I'm working with the people I'm working with. I'm there to minister to others. </div>
<br />
I hope this helps you in some small way.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-65629364906690342282016-10-10T23:01:00.003-07:002016-10-10T23:01:52.924-07:00WorkOnce again it has been a long time since I have written.<br />
Once again it's not for the lack of interest but for the lack of time.<br />
<br />
Things have been going on in my house that have in many ways paralyzed us and only the necessary things have been done.<br />
Another thing is I unexpectedly came across a job and I'm now working part time. Initially I was only supposed to help open the store (it's a clothing store) but I was offered a job as their stock/ops manager.<br />
It was all very sudden and we prayed lots about it and we are confident that taking it and pursuing it is the Lord's will.<br />
I was offered another job but chose not to take it- after praying very hard about it- and it turned out to be the absolute right decision. Had I not made that decision myself, it would have been made for me.<br />
<br />
Being back at work is not so bad. It gives me time away from home where I don't have to worry about my son or making sure I'm being productive. I find myself a lot more peaceful now because I get more quiet time than I had been throughout the summer.<br />
I've noticed the bond between my son and husband is stronger because they're spending more time together and my son is more independent now.<br />
It will be interesting balancing work and home but I am looking forward to that challenge.<br />
I am most pleased that I will mostly NOT be working on the floor dealing with customers. The back room is my domain and I am in charge of it. We are an outlet store so we will have lots of stock coming in every week. I also get a discount on clothes which makes me happy.<br />
<br />
There's lots to write about but my mind is not so clear as to allow me to write it for others to read.<br />
Thank you for your thoughts and prayers, if you are indeed praying for us.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-11900073004831171292016-09-20T18:01:00.002-07:002016-09-20T18:01:35.829-07:00Prayer RequestHi,<br />
<br />
I don't often, or ever on this blog, ask for prayer but my husband and I need particular prayer. If you could spare a few moments and intercede for us, we would be very thankful.<br />
<br />
-GraceGracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-77437309823423347512016-09-17T02:50:00.000-07:002016-09-17T02:53:36.606-07:00OpinionsOne of the things I try my hardest to avoid when teaching and writing is my opinion. I know that sounds funny but remember that I teach and write about scripture and spiritual matters.<br />
<div>
I know from experience that if you harp on your opinions too much people get hurt. They will either begin to take it personally even if you don't mean it that way or you can wind up leading them astray or skewing their motives because they begin to see your opinion as biblical truth.</div>
<div>
My opinion is that it is best to spend quiet time with God in the morning before anything else happens. However, on nights I can't sleep I get up and do my devotions then and sleep in the next morning. Am I far away from God because I did my devotions a lot earlier in the morning? Nope.</div>
<div>
If in class I tell my girls all the time that they better start the day with devotions or they won't be well equipped to handle their days and walk close to God, I'll make them think that not getting up early and doing their devotions is a sin. Worse still I'll make them stressed out and worried because they can't get up early enough to spend enough time in the bible. Worse still is I have five girls going out and judging others for not doing their devotions in the morning.</div>
<div>
Am I making sense?</div>
<div>
We're not all the same person so God requires different things from each of us. Maybe nightly, afternoonly devotions is better and more edifying for others. All I know is that christians should spend time with God. WHEN and HOW they do it is between them and God.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I write this blog as a testament to what God is teaching me. Incidentally my favourite teaching on the bible comes from people who clearly have an ongoing, close, and growing relationship with God. Their wisdom is completely biblical and at the same time steeped in experience and organic learning. God is always teaching them something in their life and so they always have new examples of what God did for them, what He is teaching them, and the things they have recently discovered about Him.</div>
<div>
Their wisdom comes from the Word going in and processed through their lives, experiences, and thoughts and it becomes this tangible thing that passes faith and becomes knowledge.</div>
<div>
Knowledge that God is real and that He is guiding and teaching.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
One of the thing that brings this to a halt is trying to control what you are learning.</div>
<div>
I'm learning a particularly hard lesson right now and I feel like I'm going to burst into tears every minute. There are times when I just don't want to go on but a choice is set before me and I can either prove God by making the right choice according to the things He's brought me through thus far or I can sit down and not move because I'm tired and I can't do this.</div>
<div>
The right choice is obviously to go on and prove God and learn and grow.</div>
<div>
I was feeling particularly sad last week and there were things that were being said that were making me feel even worse. I was very cast down and I felt ashamed that I was sad and confused and had no where to turn. </div>
<div>
On Sunday mornings while we get ready for church I tune in to Bible Believers Baptist Church's (of Jacksonville, Florida) live stream- they're three hours ahead of us- and that Sunday pastor Peacock was preaching about God's love and</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
book?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Psalm 56:8</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It was a great comfort to me to hear that my tears are in a bottle up in heaven for a memorial because God loves us and Jesus understands. Pastor Peacock was talking about how God sees how hard things are and He knows how we worry and can be afraid despite the scripture that tells us we don't need to be. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm actually feeling even worse now than I did last week but I can give you many examples of the tender mercies God has showered on me this week. Just little kindnesses here and there, He made big decisions transparent, He lead me to the right places at the right time, He's given me little comforts that give me temporary relief. He is good.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
He lifted me up and helped me go on. I think I was sad and heard that message to prepare me for greater sadness this week. Had I tried to control what God was teaching me, had I hardened myself against God because of the trouble, I would be sinking.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Another thing that stops biblical learning is our opinions.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There are things I've been noticing in my bible class that I do not like. It's nothing terrible, it's things I experienced when I was that age, and as an adult I don't like it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I was preparing my lesson for this week and I was pulling something out of scripture to teach the girls I noticed it was very similar to most of the other lessons I had taught. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
There's two ways to look at it-</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
1) This is by God's design and He wants it repeated through different passages and different people in the bible</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
2) My opinion of the things I see and don't like is colouring what I intend to teach them no matter what the passage is about</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In this case, option two is what is happening. I know it because God brought it up.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It is possible to have a biblical message that has to do with the passage you're teaching from that has nothing to do with what God wants you to teach.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I'm just realizing that not only is teaching my opinions harmful but allowing them to rule what I teach is equally if not more harmful.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I was going to start with this but I may as well end with it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I have great respect for Peter Ruckman for a variety of reasons. I don't worship him or anything, nor do I run to Him to find out what a passage of scripture means.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I heard him tell this story once and it is something I always remember:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
He became the pastor of a church where some of the women were wearing really short skirts and some men had long hair. He said he just preached the Word every Sunday. Some people came up to him and asked why he didn't address the skimpy clothes and all that. I'm not sure what he answered, if at all, but he said he just kept preaching the Word every Sunday without fail, never addressing the 'problems' the legalistic brethren were bringing up.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Slowly but surely the skirts got longer and the hair got shorter.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That's not to say that short skirts and long hair on men means they're not spiritual but the change is a testament to what God was doing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Whatever I think is going on, whatever my opinion of it, I just need to teach the Word because </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So shall my word be that goeth forth out</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of my mouth:<b> it shall not return unto me</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>void</b>, but it shall accomplish that which I</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
please, and it shall prosper in the thing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
whereto I sent it.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Isaiah 55:11</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My teaching is not going to change anyone.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Is not my word like as a fire? saith the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
LORD; and like a hammer that breaketh the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
rock in pieces?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jeremiah 23:29</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The Word will do His job. My interfering with it by inserting my opinions and letting myself be guided by what I see will only harm those I am trying to help. God knows what they need. I'll just be His instrument to teach what He wants, free from my interference. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-10030512617196713322016-09-13T23:22:00.001-07:002016-09-13T23:22:47.273-07:00God Leads Us AlongOne of the things I am most grateful for is the Lord's leadership.<br />
As easily as I can say that all those that have led me have failed me in some way or another, I can say that I have failed those I have led countless times. The Lord's leadership has never failed me, His influence has never failed me, His guidance has never failed me.<br />
Sometimes it's really simple, as in, 'eat something and you're mind will be clearer' or 'sleep on it'. And those things do make a difference- it's not always run to the Bible because often our motive for running to the bible is to prove ourselves right.<br />
Sometimes it's more complicated and I find myself in an uncomfortable situation for the sole purpose of revealing something in me that has to go. Whether it's my fault or someone else's, my behaviour- all our behaviours- is dictated by what is inside, what our true desires are, and what we hide in our hearts.<br />
A little while ago my husband made a mistake and it made things very uncomfortable for us. I asked him a bit about it and his answer was 'I made a mistake'. I could risk an argument or content myself with that answer so I contented myself with that answer, wondering at how such a mistake could be made. Maybe a week later I had an opportunity to do something and- wouldn't you know- I made a mistake. It cost me a whole nights sleep (not kidding) and some other things I won't mention. When I finally got some sleep and had some time to ponder the Lord gently said, 'how could you make such a mistake?' and with my own words He condemned me. My only answer could be 'I made a mistake'; there's nothing more to it than that I could not be better informed than I was but I had still judged poorly and made a mistake.<br />
I had to smile that the INCREDIBLY merciful way God taught me that but also I had to marvel at His way of giving me my desire.<br />
One of my desires when it comes to my husband is that I reverence him the way the Lord wants me to. It ties into these verses:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The heart of her husband doth safely</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
trust in her, so that he shall have no need of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
spoil.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>She will do him good and not evil all the</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>days of her life.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Proverbs 31:11-12</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Nevertheless let everyone of you in</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
particular so love his wife even as himself;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>and the wife see that she reverence her</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>husband.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ephesians 5:33</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So while my husband may not know the things that go on in my head, God does and He knows what I really truly desire and He is bringing me about to accomplish that desire even though it puts me in uncomfortable situations. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
God can and will use our mistakes for our own benefit- if we let Him.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
These are those little things that show us God is real and that He cares.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I made a mistake in my own leadership recently and so my mind has been turned on to leadership. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Though I've been hurt by leaders before, I feel more keenly now more than ever the pain a leader can bring to those that are following them.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I was recently told by someone that something had happened in their life partially because 'those who should have been there weren't'. That phrase still strikes me a month later because I am looking at someone who, though their leaders were not the culprits, was harmed by their leadership.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I've thought on my own actions along side those of certain leaders in my life and realized how sometimes my actions were dictated and taken in despair because of what that leader was (or was not) doing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Inevitably I've really truly begun to see the gravity of leadership- especially in Spiritual matters.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The most challenging part is that the small things matter the most and make the biggest difference.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As one who is under authority I will say that the most painful thing for me is when I am trying my best, working hard, my heart is right with what I know but I happen to be erring and the leader does not say anything or treats my mistakes with contempt and ridicule. I will say that most of the time my feelings get hurt by someone else (leader or not) is when they don't deal with me directly and tell me something that I am missing. It makes me feel like they don't like me enough to tell me, they think my heart is in the wrong place, or they don't care about what I'm doing.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As one who is in authority I will say that the hardest thing for me (and probably the majority of leaders) is to see those under me doing things that hurt others and themselves and though I warn and warn and warn against it, they make no changes and have to deal with the repercussions. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
Even though our leaders hurt us and aren't always right, we are responsible for our actions.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Recently someone keeps shooting (figuratively) at me. I'm not going to lie, it <i>really </i>hurts. As I've pondered it, God has brought me to my own actions and my own thoughts. He's reminded me of the things I know through experience. He's shown me what those shots reveal about me.<br />
<i>As a man thinketh in his heart so is he </i>and I've seen, in my criticisms of this person that I am guilty of the same things but in a different way. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
While these things are particularly painful, I see God's hand in them, strengthening me and molding me. I'm not sure this person is right in what they are doing but it's not up to me to justify or condemn them. I can only look at my reaction to it. I am trying to humble myself through it, learn from it, and maybe God will have mercy and turn it from me.<br />
<br />
While we must be discreet in our thoughts and actions toward our leaders, the leaders must be aware that their actions and words will have an effect no matter what their motives are for the way they act.<br />
It's obvious that mistakes happen but what will heal and build trust is the reaction toward those mistakes. Leaders with the best motives will make mistakes and I believe God is merciful and will give those leaders the chance to prove that their heart was right despite their actions.<br />
That's not to say that the damage will not be great and take a long time to heal.<br />
I do believe, from my experience, that if your heart is right that God will teach you in a smaller lesson than a bigger one. I think sometimes big lessons come in when you need a heart change and a behavioural change.<br />
<br />
And back to where I began- I'm grateful for God's leadership. I'm grateful I can rely on Him to lead me exactly where I need to go and point my thoughts in the right direction. It's hard to be heavenly minded when you live in this world and are constantly bombarded by the world, the flesh, and the devil. Still, God is faithful and He will lead you to what's right.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-48529922592621225032016-09-05T23:47:00.000-07:002016-09-05T23:47:28.648-07:00SecheltI feel like I say this all the time when absent from writing but it's always true- I did not intend to be away for so long. If I was not writing today it would be three weeks since my last post.<br />
Those weeks have been very busy- our church put on a community carnival and it took a lot of work.<br />
My brother-in-law made this promo video for it- <a href="https://www.facebook.com/672526909452445/videos/vb.672526909452445/1137506432954488/?type=2&theater">PCBC Community Carnival</a>- which I intended to share before the carnival but better late than never I suppose.<br />
After the carnival I had lots of little projects to work on and then my sister and I took our boys away.<br />
<br />
My aunt lives in a tiny town called Sechelt<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="250" src="https://www.google.com/maps/embed?pb=!1m18!1m12!1m3!1d165863.3413599386!2d-123.90161645261611!3d49.491784627140184!2m3!1f0!2f0!3f0!3m2!1i1024!2i768!4f13.1!3m3!1m2!1s0x54863a0d4e9e3177%3A0x2edf31e746a72d2d!2sSechelt%2C+BC!5e0!3m2!1sen!2sca!4v1473140444915" style="border: 0;" width="400"></iframe>
</div>
She's lived there as long as I can remember- I think she moved there just after her marriage more than 25 years ago- and some of my best memories from childhood are summers spent there going to the beach every day, going on walks and hikes, and playing dress up with my cousins.<br />
It's one of those things I am particularly thankful for knowing that not many people have a place like that to go to.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWfpTjYOA2WoU9LsS-dA8mvoxIutwpxrg3oJ0ApswY4fJzlrHUGHHcEUU5EplQI2pGrmGFQ56iGPKXByVoH-rP5YHa7csKzuszI1XkQtZDIfjZNcPSNPet1G7vxrS-Cx9RvVM4IclGNY/s1600/IMG_7500+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpWfpTjYOA2WoU9LsS-dA8mvoxIutwpxrg3oJ0ApswY4fJzlrHUGHHcEUU5EplQI2pGrmGFQ56iGPKXByVoH-rP5YHa7csKzuszI1XkQtZDIfjZNcPSNPet1G7vxrS-Cx9RvVM4IclGNY/s400/IMG_7500+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Here is my son on a very familiar beach</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
So my sister and I finally brought our sons up to Sechelt. Our aunt has been on us almost all year to bring them up and we finally got around to going. At least, I finally summoned up the strength to attempt the drive.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
One of the things I annoy my son with is gushing over places and things I remember as a child. I wasn't so gushy on this trip since I've taken him up there a few times before but I love bringing him to places I loved as a child. It is a great blessing to me to have places and things so familiar from years gone by to bring him to and let him enjoy. I guess that's why I'm not much of a traveller and why I've never had any desire to go too far from where I was raised.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
There's a section on that beach in the picture above called 'The Big Rocks'- just a bunch of big rocks together that are fun to climb and there are pools of sea creatures and barncles. I haven't been able to bring Bo to that yet. We didn't get a chance this trip and he was too little to stand the walk on previous trips. It's something I can look forward to showing him- he will love it.</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflIfznHI2jU2cnwbeQv3EaWlzEI8BjA59rKzKsbik2gbeKGwN8qVnZwIhQpHIA6KoT2GuUGshMy2jrV9OK7oXrP6OtkqmdHXCEzU8oHzLR9LtAFXc5PCDKmX2d5qj-4VHiubKMZ2mrCo/s1600/IMG_7623.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="167" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjflIfznHI2jU2cnwbeQv3EaWlzEI8BjA59rKzKsbik2gbeKGwN8qVnZwIhQpHIA6KoT2GuUGshMy2jrV9OK7oXrP6OtkqmdHXCEzU8oHzLR9LtAFXc5PCDKmX2d5qj-4VHiubKMZ2mrCo/s400/IMG_7623.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Besides the beach, there is the duck pond. I tried to take a panorama of it but it turned out as you see above. The local pet store sells duck food for you to bring to the pond and throw to the ducks. There weren't as many ducks as I've seen there in the past but my son was able to feed quite a few of them. On a previous visit they were coming right up to him and eating out of his hand.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFe3MNWQdPOzWZxP9AFe-77OeW5o7NCejg-62ev8CqgusjFgTZMKf6Sln4AIee1w8Jv9JnFUuLr-XjdztDxMybJlFyREcdH5sIa8nB_D5JqNAt6cm7R-DouS9v40XcSXz_rUZntnlHCo/s1600/IMG_7527+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHFe3MNWQdPOzWZxP9AFe-77OeW5o7NCejg-62ev8CqgusjFgTZMKf6Sln4AIee1w8Jv9JnFUuLr-XjdztDxMybJlFyREcdH5sIa8nB_D5JqNAt6cm7R-DouS9v40XcSXz_rUZntnlHCo/s400/IMG_7527+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
Here is a picture of a picture of little me at the duck pond long ago. My aunt had a bunch of photos she was organizing and had them all out to show us.<br />
Yet another thing I am grateful for- that my aunts took lots of photos of us while we grew. Many things I saw in those pictures I had completely forgotten and some of them reminded us of things we used to be.<br />
More than a year ago, a few months after I had quit Facebook, my sister-in-law requested I create an Instagram account for my son so that she could see pictures of him every day. I did create it and I post on it mostly every day. Sometimes I miss a day when nothing is happening or I don't have time to post. I get pointed comments from people about how I always seem to be taking pictures of my son. Yes I do and it's not for me. I've lived long enough to understand it doesn't matter what people think you're doing and what they think about why you're doing it. In the end, God knows the truth and it only matters what he thinks.<br />
Looking at my aunt's old pictures made me grateful to look back and remember what was. It also renewed my gratefulness that our relatives that live far away can keep up with my son's growth and know what is going on with him.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnyijvDYi_vPSFbKjiN0qGfxLWl263FKdAB-5BicgmuCSw8I4S6mmqWSMlLzeCLz8kGWLjDreN2qrBWXjlH4AooXdXvuFonrqhIik9alSaJgB9PKv-dTKolHeZ4_KuRuZlgMAGc-WNfQ/s1600/IMG_7579+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiXnyijvDYi_vPSFbKjiN0qGfxLWl263FKdAB-5BicgmuCSw8I4S6mmqWSMlLzeCLz8kGWLjDreN2qrBWXjlH4AooXdXvuFonrqhIik9alSaJgB9PKv-dTKolHeZ4_KuRuZlgMAGc-WNfQ/s400/IMG_7579+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
We also went to a provincial park called Porpoise Bay. We hunted for crabs and Bo named one 'Ouchy' and another one 'Big' who became 'Big Rocky'. My nephew loves 'wa-wa' as he calls it and my sister has a time keeping her grip on him when it comes to big bodies of water.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5ws04AwziZClQrE8ZuSdGs8Nl-2nJqBmNGE4BnsG6XJMBvVNZB-NFVN70w33LAcNbPA1pttZRfQ6-4xo5ulnyAA54vMHzPzITfyKeq-mNHLe-sOy_Q2vkjHz17LeVWIRQq5rPgPDDzc/s1600/IMG_7611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH5ws04AwziZClQrE8ZuSdGs8Nl-2nJqBmNGE4BnsG6XJMBvVNZB-NFVN70w33LAcNbPA1pttZRfQ6-4xo5ulnyAA54vMHzPzITfyKeq-mNHLe-sOy_Q2vkjHz17LeVWIRQq5rPgPDDzc/s400/IMG_7611.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Other than places around Sechelt there's my aunt's house where we were staying. Her homes always have lots of character and I love them. She always has a garden going and just loves flowers.<div>
Her pathway is made up of little rocks and the boys played in it like it was a sand box.<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOnYiYpfx8CwQ4WBloEhtzr8LtbnqsC5rX4SlZDlOSzouRXQikTvrPd6yMbnXFiE3B3_BLl75sojGryKzPlXBnAolSIRACN2_FTa9vbrybpqIbG4hXjEWC1-Yyb5YRhw0oMdNkCk4xhQ/s1600/IMG_7537+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhOnYiYpfx8CwQ4WBloEhtzr8LtbnqsC5rX4SlZDlOSzouRXQikTvrPd6yMbnXFiE3B3_BLl75sojGryKzPlXBnAolSIRACN2_FTa9vbrybpqIbG4hXjEWC1-Yyb5YRhw0oMdNkCk4xhQ/s400/IMG_7537+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
We had lots of raspberries and tomatoes to eat but my aunt also has arugula growing everywhere. It was so potent and spicy I found myself plucking the leaves and eating them constantly. I wish I had grown arugula in my garden.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWVglyPKMZ1k-g-PaeuauIbyoqUdhvf79BGYYC4zlvfWkGjYDoOqeupX3ag5qJdfHsUd0epwlnBwjZCqsAck8ZIzbm6Ex3QA0ak2svBmTgxVAHZYCb-QkXkbD9rC-LkjpOPrFaNA8Hek/s1600/IMG_7574+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKWVglyPKMZ1k-g-PaeuauIbyoqUdhvf79BGYYC4zlvfWkGjYDoOqeupX3ag5qJdfHsUd0epwlnBwjZCqsAck8ZIzbm6Ex3QA0ak2svBmTgxVAHZYCb-QkXkbD9rC-LkjpOPrFaNA8Hek/s400/IMG_7574+%25281%2529.JPG" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">excuse my heel</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
The day we left was dumping rain but it was a good, safe trip home. The boys were exhausted but it was a good exhaustion.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSK4Bwt6JE3E9jWhUZzAgpAb0HroCyY5OMDu75J7stx9Vw-C_-A_XGjJqZb8LwE8Ai8KXxRzOedGPk9zzTBIa1-K_wr8NGLa6UF36Asz0c5q7asFbSZFURKmFoCU9dfDpOOYSvoKSrbU/s1600/IMG_7663+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcSK4Bwt6JE3E9jWhUZzAgpAb0HroCyY5OMDu75J7stx9Vw-C_-A_XGjJqZb8LwE8Ai8KXxRzOedGPk9zzTBIa1-K_wr8NGLa6UF36Asz0c5q7asFbSZFURKmFoCU9dfDpOOYSvoKSrbU/s400/IMG_7663+%25281%2529.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stormy seas</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
So that was why I wasn't writing.<br />
I had a lot on my mind these few weeks and I will hopefully be able to sit down to write about it.</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-50907838377418461392016-08-16T00:29:00.000-07:002016-08-16T00:32:07.321-07:00Six Years<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Yesterday (August 15) was my husband and my sixth anniversary.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
You can read about my fifth anniversary <a href="http://gracesaltandvinegar.blogspot.ca/2015/08/five-years.html">here</a>.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" /></div>
My husband had a few errands to run and he took our son with him so I had more than five hours to myself. I didn't expect to be left alone morning but my plans didn't change in the slightest- I cleaned the whole house.<br />
Yep, that's my gift to my husband- a thoroughly clean house.<br />
It may not seem like much, but he likes his space to be clean. Something we've learned this past year is to appreciate the small things- the small kindnesses, the small acts of sweetness, the small gestures, the small considerations. Big gestures are nice but we're not always capable of those.<br />
For example, I know my husband loves my son and I because he works hard every day. My husband knows I love him because I know it's important to him to have a clean kitchen so I take care to thoroughly clean it everyday. They're not glamorous things but they're tokens of our commitment to each other. Overlooking the small, everyday things will cause you to be ungrateful and unsatisfied.<br />
<br />
When we first started hanging out in January 2010 we would walk around downtown and in and out of shops. I had to get used to walking around with him- his height kept throwing me off. On one occasion we ended up in Sears and found our way to the furniture floor- specifically the couch section. We sat talking for a long time.<br />
Last night we dropped our son off at my sister's, ate dinner, then strolled around the mall. We wound up in a department store and on a couch.<br />
It was a selfie moment:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4z_Gqf4fwE-wP91xbbNiWCUhOnBq2sKHw1RIh14PiGtNBsnOkal7R-gEWsZlUXB7E-xXSgXifbUfew_dlNEYKYoEcgTgtZpV5EtiwBuldHfa288l_PtTMQbYnqqfG8Ki6i9X9zuGNwg/s1600/IMG_7015.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP4z_Gqf4fwE-wP91xbbNiWCUhOnBq2sKHw1RIh14PiGtNBsnOkal7R-gEWsZlUXB7E-xXSgXifbUfew_dlNEYKYoEcgTgtZpV5EtiwBuldHfa288l_PtTMQbYnqqfG8Ki6i9X9zuGNwg/s320/IMG_7015.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
I remember sitting on those Sears couches and loving how witty and funny he was, enjoying the things he noticed and he way he put things.</div>
<div>
As we continued to hang out there were things I liked about him- his love for God and his knowledge of the bible, this aloof quality he has that I find very attractive, his firm sense of logic, his equanimity, his gentleness- when we became a couple I began to love these things and they are the same things I love about him to this day. In all my time with him, from when we first started hanging out until now, I've just loved being around him. As the years roll on those first things get enforced and enforced again. We don't change like the world changes, we change the way God changes us- and He never changes us away from each other. We will never outgrow each other, we will never 'have different goals' or 'different paths' or whatever nonsense capricious people make up to justify breaking their commitment. </div>
<div>
Still and more so, we just love being together, we just love the simple things, we just take pleasure in being at home. While circumstances change and we are led through peaks and valleys, the first things remain unchanged: we love God and we love each other. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In this sixth year of marriage I am grateful that God has taught us everything we need to know to get us to this point, He has led us here, He is holding us up, He has made it so that we are what we need to be for each other.<br />
It has been said that a happy home is the closest thing to heaven on earth and I have to agree. Even though the circumstances of the home may not always be happy, we can still have the peace and pleasure we find in each other. </div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
God is so good!</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-82111495051175539162016-08-09T23:39:00.000-07:002016-08-09T23:40:50.298-07:00Close to GodOne of the traps we fall into as more mature Christians is thinking that we're close to God because we read our bible, pray every day, fast occasionally, go to church for every service, and generally avoid all appearance of evil.<br />
Those are all good things, no question about it, but I'm realizing more and more that those things don't necessarily bring you close to God.<br />
Have you ever been at some sort of a function and eaten whatever you wanted to to your hearts content? Burger, fries, pizza, baked potatoes, fried chicken, mashed potatoes, lasagna, washing it down with punch, and pop before downing ice cream cake, chocolate cake, cupcakes, cookies, donuts, and a sundae.<br />
On the occasions I have allowed myself to eat whatever I wanted to I've felt incredibly fat and gross after. While all those things sound delicious and are delicious, you can generally only really enjoy them one at a time and in a moderate dose. You have to enjoy them properly.<br />
I am relating eating all that 'good' stuff to doing all that 'good' (reading, praying, church going etc...) stuff in my life because I feel spiritually 'fat' afterwards but I am not nourished or any closer to God for them.<br />
<br />
You wake up early on a Sunday, do your devotions, pray for the upcoming service, you put your best clothes on to go to the house of the Lord, you teach, you help out, you sing, you listen and learn, you stay late and fellowship and you feel all good about yourself but when you go home and really think about it, you're not much better off than you were while you were sleeping on Saturday night.<br />
What did you really do by doing all that, who were you serving, who was it for? Did God really get the glory in it?<br />
For me, and I'm willing to bet most christian's I know and fellowship with, I do those things because I like to, I enjoy it, it's part of my being.<br />
I grew up going to church because my parents went to church and I had no choice. Now that I am an adult, I have my own relationship with Jesus and I go to church because its part of a healthy relationship with God, I love church, and I need church. Between growing up in church and choosing to continue to go now, I can say that going to church is who I am- it is apart of me and not being able to go would leave a very big hole in my life.<br />
It's the same as reading my bible and studying it- it's part of who I am.<br />
So if it's part of who I am, what I enjoy doing, is it really glorifying God? Is it really bringing me closer to Him?<br />
<br />
What I have come to realize is that maintaining real and deep closeness to the Lord empties you- it requires sacrifice. It's like being lean but fit.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
And Ornan said unto David, Take it to</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
thee, and let my lord the king do that which</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
is good in his eyes: lo, I give thee the oxen</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
also for burnt offerings, and the threshing</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
instruments for wood, and the wheat for the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
meat offering; I give it all.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And king David said to Ornan, nay; but I </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
will verily buy it for the full price: for I will not</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
take that which is thine for the LORD, nor</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
offer burnt offerings without cost.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So David gave to Ornan for the place six</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
hundred shekels of gold by weight.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 Chronicles 21:23-35</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
David wants to buy a threshing floor from Ornan to sacrifice to the Lord and Ornan tells him he will give him the threshing floor and the oxen for the sacrifice. David declines because it's not a true sacrifice to the Lord if it does not cost the one who is sacrificing anything.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And Elijah took twelve stones, according</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to the number of the tribes of the sons of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And with the stones he built an altar in</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the name of the LORD: and he made a</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
trench about the altar, as great as would</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
contain two measures of see.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And he put the wood in order, and cut the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and said, fill four barrels with water, and</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
wood.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And he said, Do it the second time. And</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
they did it the second time. And he said, Do</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
it the third time. And they did it the third time.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And the water ran round the altar;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and he filled the trench also with water.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 Kings 18:31-35</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This takes place during a grievous drought; in a test to see which god is the true God, Elijah pours over the sacrifice the most precious commodity in the land- water. If you don't know the end of the account-<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Then the fire of the LORD fell, and</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and the stones, and the dust, and licked up</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the water that was in the trench.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And when all the people saw it, they fell</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the God; the LORD, he is the God.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 Kings 18:38&39</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Almost immediately after, there fell a 'great rain'. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In both the accounts above it is evident that the Lord responds to real sacrifice and real sacrifice means that there is a cost involved- in David's case, money, in Elijah's case, water. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I can say really easily that going to church, getting involved, reading my bible, praying, sometimes even fasting are easy for me to do. I have done all those things for years and they have become part of who I am- I am God's child, these are the things His children do if they want to be in fellowship with Him. However, being close to God requires sacrifice and while those things listed are good and edifying, oftentimes they do not require sacrifice.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My pastor spoke about rest in his Sunday morning sermon and he mentioned that that night (we don't have evening service one Sunday a month) he didn't intend to pick up his bible and read it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I began to think about that and wonder if maybe I feel like I need to read the bible a lot because I'm trying to feel close to God. While he preached I found myself shamefully wondering if my constant need to read another chapter or get off alone to pray was a way for me to compensate for not being close to God.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
God teaches me a lot, He's teaching me a lot right now, He's answering a lot of questions I have- which I will share eventually. But knowledge isn't evidence of closeness. Fellowship is not evidence of closeness. There are people in my church who I fellowship with, I love, I help but I am not close to them. That's fine, you can't be close to everybody but you should fellowship and be close to God.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I've been a Christian for years and I know what to do to be a 'good' christian. What I realized is that I want to be close to God but retain all my creature comforts. In other words, I don't want to sacrifice the things that make my flesh happy to be close to God. In other other words, I'm happy to do the easy things to be in fellowship with God but I am unwilling to make the little everyday sacrifices to walk closely with him.<br />
I am unwilling to sacrifice my will for God's will.<br />
<br />
On Youtube, for example, I was watching a Pokemon Go vlog because I'm not going to play the game but I was very curious about it. Of course I got hooked on the vlog and I had to watch the newest one every day. The videos averaged 15 minutes or so, there's no cussing in them, no graphic images, there is some blasphemy but not a lot, I really enjoyed them but I was under constant conviction that I should not watch them. Every time I would watch one I would think to myself that it's okay, I'm just taking a little break, this is harmless- except, God didn't want me to watch them.<br />
At the end of the day it doesn't really matter why I shouldn't watch them and frankly I don't care why. It might seem like a trifle to others but it was preventing me from being close to God. It's not like I can apologize for watching it one day and then watch it the next day. It's either the vlog or my relationship with God. So I stopped watching it. It's not a big sacrifice or anything but it's me, sacrificing my will to God. I still want to watch them but I don't, that vlog is not worth my relationship with God.<br />
Don't shake your head like these little things don't matter. If you obey in the small things, God will trust you with bigger things. If you're stuck in a rut in your Christian life, if you don't seem to be moving forward or being taught anything it's because you haven't done anything with what God has already put in front of you. As soon as I made up my mind just to stop watching, God taught me all this.<br />
I know that is a silly, small example but it's the very thing that I am talking about in this post. The little everyday choices we make that either bring us close to God or take us away from Him.<br />
Driving is another example- the speed limit is the law. Is your relationship with God really worth speeding? I like driving fast but my willingness to obey the speed limit is another small, everyday thing that will really show God whether you are serving yourself or serving Him.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The last time I fasted I tried to go for longer than I've ever fasted before (which is not that long by the way) and it was not easy at all. In those extra hours I fasted and it became a real sacrifice to refrain from eating, I finally learned that it's real sacrifice that draws you close to God.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
trumpet, and shew my people their </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my ways, as a nation that did righteousness,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and forsook not the ordinance of their God:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
they ask of me the ordinances of justice;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
they take delight in approaching to God.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Wherefore have we fasted, say they, and</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>thou seest not? wherefore have we afflicted</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>our soul, and thou takest no knowledge?</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Behold, in the day of your fast ye find</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>pleasure</b>, and exact all your labours.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Behold, ye fast for strife and debate, and</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to smite with the fist of wickedness: ye shall</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
not fast as ye do this day, to make your voice </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
to be heard on high.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Is it such a fast that I have chosen? a day</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>for a man to afflict his soul? </b>is it to bow</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
down his head as a bulrush, and to spread</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sackcloth and ashes under him? wilt thou</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
call this a fast, and an acceptable day unto the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
LORD?</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Isaiah 58:1-5</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The purpose of fasting is to starve your flesh and feed your spirit. Eating is a primal need, it's what keeps our physical bodies going and abstaining from that shows our flesh that it is inherently wicked, it needs to stave, it needs to die but we are stuck in it until our souls are called Home (<a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/romans/8/">Romans 8</a>).</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In the above passage, the people are fasting but to their own ends. They are not fasting to afflict their souls, bow down their heads, and mourn therefore God does not hear them, He does not regard their fasting, it's as if they're not fasting.<br />
I am not saying God does not regard my going to church, reading, praying, fasting, etc. The fact is, that those things serve me as much as they are evidence of my serving God. It is no thing to me to go to church three times a week. I love the fellowship, singing hymns, I really love preaching, I love praying, I just love church. My going to church is not evidence that I am close to God- it may be to the world but I know it is not for me. My going to church is not a sacrifice for me. It is good, well pleasing to the Lord, but choosing to put on the breaks to go from 61 to 60 when the speed limit is 60 is a far greater token of my desire to be close to God. What's the point of going to church if I'm going to break the law all the way there?<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
If thou turn away thy foot from the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of the LORD, and honourable; <b>and shalt honour</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>him, not doing thine own way, nor finding</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>words:</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Then shalt thou delight thyself in the</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>LORD;</b> and I will cause thee to ride upon the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
high places of the earth, and feed thee with</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Isaiah 58:13&14<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
(side note, <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/Isaiah/58">Isaiah 58</a> is a great chapter to read before or during a fast)</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So though I do get up early and study, I take time to go to church and take steps to be involved in it, those things, while good, edifying, and fruitful do not necessarily bring me closer to God. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The things that bring me closer to God are doing His way, finding His pleasure, and speaking His words <i>in the little things </i>that no one notices. God knows and He'll reward you for it up in Heaven.<br />
<br />
It has only been a few days since I've really learned this but I've already noticed a greater peace and more security in knowing that I'm doing right.<br />
I used to go through my whole day almost worrying that I wasn't in God's will and walking close to Him because I hadn't read my bible in the last two hours. Now, I know that if I just make the right decisions every minute and let God really and truly control my day, I will be close to Him even if I go 10 hours without reading.<br />
This will go for everything except praying (we are instructed to <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/1-thessalonians/5/17">pray without ceasing</a>). If we just make His decisions instead of our own, we will read when we need to (extra reading beside set devotions), fast when we need to and as long as we need to, witness the right way, and be a bigger blessing and more fruitful at church.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
He must increase, but I must decrease.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
John 3:30</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I hope I explained this right, and that it's a blessing to you!</div>
</div>
</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-50361777833042720042016-07-31T16:25:00.002-07:002016-07-31T16:25:55.737-07:00Row Your Own Boat"A legalist is someone who has one more conviction than you do."<br />
"A conviction is something you will die for, everything else is a preference."<br />
"You put your convictions on other people so they act like you and make you more comfortable."<br />
<br />
Recently we had a missionary family come through our church and I noticed a little Star Wars Lego key chain on their daughter's purse.<br />
I saw it and said (kindly), "Oh you like Star Wars?"<br />
She said yes as she quickly grabbed it and explained her discomfort, "we don't talk about it in churches because some people are very against it."<br />
I tried to restore her comfort as best I could by telling her I had just seen the new movie and telling her a joke- why did Kylo Ren cross the street? To get to the dark side (LOL!).<br />
I can just imagine the reaction her family receives sometimes when people, who don't allow Star Wars, find out. Christians get those reactions all the time from other Christians who have different convictions- or rather, preferences.<br />
This kind of thing used to make me angry- how dare they?- but now it just makes me sad. Why would you put up a wall between yourself and another christian just because they can watch Star Wars and you can't?<br />
It's divisive.<br />
This small interaction reminded me of a post that I wanted to write but had not get gotten the chance to. Sometimes the Lord gives me an idea for a post and then feeds me with food for it over the course of a few weeks or months to get me ready to write it.<br />
<br />
I am writing today about how God deals with us all <i>individually</i>.<br />
I've written before about how we can not put our convictions on others but this is a more in depth look, past convictions and into the things God has for each of us.<br />
<br />
Last Sunday night my pastor said that he can only read small portions of scripture daily (I'm assuming this is his personal devotions and not his study for preaching) to get anything out of it. It's different for me- I have to read a lot of it of scripture daily to get anything out of it.<br />
Does that make me more spiritual than my pastor?<br />
No.<br />
He's most definitely a lot more spiritual than I am, most likely pays better attention to it, and retains it better than I do.<br />
From the way my pastor spoke of the amount of scripture he reads, I am convinced that he is satisfied that he's in the Lord's will concerning it.<br />
I know for myself that I am in the Lord's will concerning how much scripture I read.<br />
Which brings me to my point: God does not require the same thing from all of us.<br />
<br />
That small example is what this post is about. I hope it is a help to you, especially if you're burdened by what other people do.<br />
<br />
First thing first, you are accountable to God for what YOU do.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Wherefore we labour, that, whether</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
present or absent, we may be accepted of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
him.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For we must all appear before the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
judgment seat of Christ; that every one may</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
receive the things done in his body,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
according to that he hath done, whether it</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
be good or bad.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 Corinthians 5:9&10</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You are judged for the things you do. You will not stand for someone else, you will stand for you.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We won't be able to say 'my husband made me' or 'my pastor told me to'. If we did it, we are responsible for it. That's not to say the people who misled us are excused but God will handle them at their own judgment. We are entirely responsible for our own relationship with God and the things done in our bodies.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
So then every one of us shall give account</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of himself to God.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Romans 14:12</div>
<br />
Next, we all have our own course to run:<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have fought a good fight, I have finished</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my course, I have kept the faith:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 Timothy 4:7</div>
Paul had his own course, given to him by God, perfectly fitted for Paul's strengths and weaknesses to bring out the best that Paul could glorify God with. That means the course <b>he </b>was on was for <b>him</b> to run and no one else.<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
Let me give you an example:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
A relative of mine (by marriage) was staying with us for a few days. He went on my husband's computer and changed everything around. He explained that the way my husband had it set up was inconvenient and wrong so he 'fixed' it for him.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Nope, not good. I don't think I've ever seen my husband that irritated.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What this relative didn't seem to understand was that my husband had his computer a certain way for his own reasons and that it worked for him and his needs.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I know this relative did not mean harm- he wanted to be helpful- but he messed things up and caused my husband a lot of frustration and inconvenience.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This relative did what I think many of us Christians do to each other when it comes to our choices and preferences- he equated his own needs with the needs of my husband, he was his experience ahead of my husband's experience, and he was working on something that wasn't his to work on because it had absolutely nothing to do with him.<br />
He did not save the computer from dying because it wasn't dying. The purpose of that computer was to serve my husband, not that relative. How could that relative know how that computer could best serve my husband?<br />
We can't save saved people from going to Hell- they're already going to heaven. Their purpose is to serve God by running the course He set them on. We don't know how best they can serve God, that is between them and God.<br />
<br />
That is not to say that a christian who avoids going to church, reading their bible, and praying is in the Lord's will. Many preachers have said this- if you want to know the Lord's will for your life, start by doing the things you know for sure are His will. In other words, read your bible and pray every day.<br />
My pastor spoke of this today- we can dress 'right', serve in the church, avoid the appearance of evil but if our hearts are not right with God, it doesn't make any eternal difference. You'll just burn out and give up.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
This people draweth nigh unto me with their</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
mouth, and honoureth me with their lips;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
but their heart is far from me.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But in vain they do worship me, teaching</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
for doctrines the commandments of men.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Matthew 15:8&9</div>
I point this out because we cannot make anyone serve God. We can get them to look like they're serving the Lord but it won't make a spec of difference in their lives. It's different for children, by the way, I'm talking about grown christians.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Look to yourselves</b>, that we lose not those</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
things which we have wrought, but that we</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
receive a full reward.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 John 8</div>
<a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/romans/12">Romans 12</a> and <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/1-corinthians/12">1 Corinthians 12</a> talk about spiritual gifts and- big surprise- they're all different.<br />
This is why the bible says <b>look to yourselves</b>. We're all different- different strengths, different weaknesses, different experiences, different personalities, different gifts. All these differences mean we have different functions in the body of Christ. This has been said so many times but it bears repeating: the arm cannot accuse the nose of being unhelpful. If the arm is judging the nose by how useful the arm is at what it's doing, the nose will never even come close to being useful. They're different so they are treated, judged, and rewarded differently.<br />
Rewards are personal to you. You get a reward for doing what God has told you to do.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
She hath done what she could:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/mark/14/8">Mark 14:8</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
That is Jesus on Mary anointing His feet before the crucifixion. It's very simple- she did what she could. She could not have done more than she did, she did not do less than what she could, she did it exactly right.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Her reward-</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
gospel shall be preached throughout the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
whole world, this also that she hath done</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
shall be spoken of for a memorial of her.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mark 14:9</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I have to mention that Mary broke the box and poured it all out on Jesus. A preacher said this- we Christians open the box and just pour a little bit out. The best, most pricy thing Mary had, she poured out completely to the Lord. She gets named in the Bible for all eternity and people in heaven, a hundred million billion years (I know that technically it's eternity and there are no years but I'm just trying to make a point) from now will know what she did and will be reminded of it when they see the scars in Jesus' hands. There aren't many people who can boast of that.<br />
Had Mary been fearful of those disciples surrounding Jesus, she would not have gotten the reward that was readily available for her. We all have our own rewards; it has nothing to do with other people.<br />
Back to Paul writing to Timothy:<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
I have fought a good fight, I have finished</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
my course, I have kept the faith:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of righteousness, which the Lord, the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
righteous judge, shall give me at that day:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and not to me only, but unto all them also</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that love his appearing.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 Timothy 4:7&8</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
The crown of righteousness is something more than one person will get and Paul is getting his because he fought the good fight, finished his course, and kept the faith.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This shows us that if we fight the good fight, finish our courses, and keep the faith, we will receive a crown of righteousness.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Life is hard and it's partially hard because God wants us to lay up crowns. My pastor's dad preached this on Wednesday- the <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/Hebrews/11">Hall of Faith</a> is filled with accounts of people who had their security and stability taken from them but it increased their faith and they obtained a <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/hebrews/11/35">better resurrection</a> because of it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
God leads us to these things like He led the children of Israel to the Red Sea and He led David through the valley of the shadow of death. He leads us to it and through it and when we get to Glory, we will receive a crown for it.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We don't get a crown for 'fixing' everyone else's problems for them and shoving our preferences down their throats. Our battles are all different, our trials all vary, some of us have more faith than others- it's a learning process for all of us.</div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
To sum up the things written above:<br />
1) We are accountable to God for the things we do<br />
2) We all have our own course to run, fitted for each of us personally by God<br />
3) We have our own rewards to obtain by doing those things God has given for us to do<br />
<br />
Now to this passage which I think has some of the greatest verses on how christians should interact with each other-<br />
Galatians 6<br />
1 Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault,<br />
ye which are spiritual, restore such an one in<br />
the spirit of meekness; considering thyself,<br />
lest thou also be tempted.<br />
<span style="color: red;">Here is one verse detailing how to handle open sin. Notice you have to be spiritual and meek to do this.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. (1 Corinthians 10:12)</span><br />
2 Bear ye one another's burdens, and so<br />
fulfil the law of Christ.<br />
<span style="color: red;">Christ bore our burden's to Calvary- He bore our sin. If someone else is headed down a bad path, bear that burden, sorrow for them, pray for them, intercede for them. </span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Another way to apply this verse it taking someone else's burdens on you. My sister's one year old son has been very clingy recently and my pastor's wife often tries to give my sister a break by taking him so my sister can just sit and listen to preaching. (Obviously my nephew is not a burden but babies are tiring when you have them 24/7.) Thats a small but good example of bearing someone else's burden- lift their load a bit and help them rest.</span><br />
3 For if a man think himself to be something,<br />
when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself.<br />
<span style="color: red;">As soon as you think you've got a doctorate in Pride, you're back to the drawing board. Don't think you're better than others for making wiser decisions. If you know better to make better decisions and you think that makes you better than others, you are deceived. The grace of God gave you that wisdom. Be thankful and humble.</span><br />
<b>4 But let every man prove his own work, and</b><br />
<b>then shall he have rejoicing in himself alone,</b><br />
<b>and not in another.</b><br />
<span style="color: red;">One of my favourite verses because it gives me such great peace. Let me prove my own work. I don't have to look at what my husband is doing for the Lord, or my son, or anyone else.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">I know I am where God wants me and He has given me specific things to do while I'm here. I'm too busy focusing on the things He's given me to be worried about anyone else. </span><br />
<span style="color: red;">If thou be wise, thou shalt be wise for thyself: but if thou scornest, thou alone shalt bear it. (Proverbs 9:12)</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Give her of the fruit of her hands; and let her own works praise her in the gates. (Proverbs 31:31)</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">We have our own work to prove.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">One of the works God has given me is my bible class- I invest in those students. As I've gotten to know them I love them more and more because I see their personalities and I enjoy them. Investing in those students, means I do my best to teach them what God will have me to teach, I pray over them like they're my own, and I take active interest in them. If one of them (God forbid!) departs from God when they are older, my prayer is that I've proved my work and even though they left, I can rejoice that I did what I could for that child.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">Departing from God is wrong- there's no question- but it's not for me to force them to do what's right. If the Holy Spirit can't convince them, I will not be able to.</span><br />
5 For every man shall bear his own burden.<br />
<span style="color: red;">Verse two is a command- he tells us to bear each other's burdens- we can (unwisely) ignore it if we want to. This one is a statement. </span><br />
<span style="color: red;">A young pastor who's wife was murdered was asked if he had forgiven the murderers. He said that he's chosen the path of forgiveness because unforgiveness and bitterness only effects you. Choosing not to forgive them would be a burden only he would bear, they would not bear it at all.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">That's what this is.</span><br />
<span style="color: red;">If you choose to let the fact that a missionary allows his daughter to watch Star Wars, that will be your burden to bear, your relationship with God is effected, and you will bear the division in the body of Christ. She'll go on her merry way because it doesn't matter what YOU think she can or cannot watch. You are not the Holy Spirit.</span><br />
<br />
So what do we actually do about all this? It's hard not to put our preferences on others, even if we don't say any of it out loud.<br />
This is mostly a battle in your mind. It won't come out unless you let it out. This is a battle that is won or lost in your heart and mind.<br />
Let me be clear on a few things, this post is about behavioural things only that are not open, flagrant, dangerous sins like preaching heresy, drug/ alcohol addiction, fornication, or adultery. This is about things like reading a different bible version, or what you watch on TV, or what you wear, and so on.<br />
There are several things that have helped me in this that will hopefully help you.<br />
The first is esteeming others better than myself.<br />
The bible says<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Let nothing be done through strife or</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
esteem other better than themselves.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>Look not every man on his own things, but</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>every man also on the things of others.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Philippians 2:3&4</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Please look up the context of <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/philippians/2/4">this passage</a> in Philippians and you'll see that the Holy Spirit is referring to Jesus taking on 'the form of a servant'. Note also that 'esteem' in verse three means you actually think others are better than you. It's not the pretence of acting outwardly like they are better than you all the while in your mind knowing you are way better then they are. You actually THINK they are better than you and you act accordingly.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
All that into consideration: our main verse, verse four, is saying we need to look on the things of others <i>as a servant.</i> That means <i>looking out for their needs before ours, helping them, serving them, protecting their interests, </i><b style="font-style: italic;">putting them first.</b> This is what Jesus did to the point He conquered sin and death and is salvation to everyone who believes.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This verse is not telling us to be up in each other's business, telling them what their convictions should be, how they should serve the Lord, how many people they should win to Christ, and how they should run their lives in order to be as spiritual as you. (Maybe we don't tell them the things we think they should do to their face but we think about it constantly.) If we esteem others better than ourselves, we will be a much better blessing and testimony to them.<br />
For example:<br />
There is a TV show my husband and I used to watch but we got heavily convicted that we should not watch it.<br />
We stopped watching it.<br />
Then someone we know from church told us that they watch it and find it really funny.<br />
Now, before I learned the things I'm writing about in this post, my reaction would have been very judgmental, condemning, and I'd look at them differently- I may even look down on them a bit.<br />
Now I just see that and say 'okay'. If I esteem them better then they are better than I am- that show doesn't generate evil thoughts in them and it doesn't make them fleshly. If they can watch that show without conviction, they're obviously better than my husband and I are!<br />
However, if they shouldn't be watching it, God will deal with them the <i>right way </i>and my husband and I won't have to have anything to do with it. There is no division in the body of Christ and everyone's testimony with each other is intact.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This is not to say that people don't make mistakes. Sometimes we see them walking straight into a giant mess. Unfortunately, unsolicited advice is never heeded. Even if it's the best advice ever, if they don't want it, they won't hear it, they won't heed it. Bear their burdens by praying for them and offering up supplications on their behalf. Also, they have to learn their own lessons and most of us learn the hard way.<br />
<br />
Next, comparisons are a no-no:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For we dare not make ourselves of the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
number, or compare ourselves with some </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
that commend themselves: but they</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>measuring themselves by themselves, and</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>comparing themselves among themselves, </b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>are not wise.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
2 Corinthians 10:12</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I can't say it better than that.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Using yourself as a measuring stick and comparing yourself with those around you is not wise.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So don't. Whatever it is, be it spiritual matters, personal tastes, parenting, just don't make yourself the standard and don't compare others to your standard.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
It's like buying an outfit because it looks good on someone else. It won't look exactly the same on you- you might hate it.<br />
<br />
Lastly, look at people the way Jesus looks at them.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
But go ye and learn what that meaneth, I</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
will have mercy, and not sacrifice: for I am</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
not come to call the righteous, but sinners to</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
repentance.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Matthew 9:13</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But when he saw the multitudes, he was</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
moved with compassion on them, because</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
they fainted, and were scattered abroad, as</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sheep having no shepherd.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Matthew 9:36</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
Jesus knows everything about us and He still died for us. He knew we'd still live for ourselves after we were saved but He still died for us. He knew we'd mess up and hurt our testimony in the world but He still died for us.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>hath forgiven you.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Ephesians 4:32</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We forgive each other, because God has forgiven us.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
For if ye love them which love you, what thank have</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ye? for sinners also love those that love them.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And if ye do good to them which do good to you,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
what thank have ye? for sinners also do even the same.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And if ye lend to them of whom ye hope to receive,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
what thank have y? for sinners also lend to sinners, to</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
receive as much again.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
But love ye your enemies, and do good, and lend,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
hoping for nothing again; and your reward shall be</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
great, and ye shall be the children of the Highest: for</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
he is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
merciful.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Luke 6:32-36</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
We love others, do good, lend, be merciful to those who would not do those things to us because that's what glorifies God.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I've made many embarrassing mistakes. Some of those mistakes I can look back and say, 'I wish someone had warned me, I wish someone had told me'. Now, some things I know I would not have listened, but other mistakes I made because I didn't know. Because of this, whenever someone is doing something similar, I have more pity, I pray harder for them, and I remember, 'they just don't know better'.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
One of the things that frustrates me is when people treat others meanly because of a mistake made by someone who didn't know better. I want God to have mercy on me, to be lenient on those mistakes I made in ignorance. We need to extend that mercy we want from God to others. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
Jesus is our standard- we will all be conformed to His image- <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/Ephesians/4/13">Ephesians 4:13</a>, <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/romans/8/29">Romans 8:29</a><br />
If we keep our eyes on Him, if we measure ourselves by Him, we will be well aware of who we are, what we are, and what we deserve. We will serve others better if we have the right view of ourselves, and Christ's view of them.<br />
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I hope this was a blessing and a help to you!</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-53970053535146509212016-07-18T22:16:00.000-07:002016-07-18T22:16:24.562-07:00FleshI've been kept from writing for a few reasons and it's a short post I have today but the principle is one I'm sure will help everybody.<br />
<br />
I try to be asleep between 11 and 11:30. It doesn't always work out but I'm getting to the point where going to sleep at the right time is more important than everything I can accomplish while my son is asleep.<br />
The reason I *try* to go to sleep at 11 is that I want to get up at 7 so that I can spend a few quiet hours to myself before chasing around my three year old. I need eight hours of sleep. I will not get up at 7 if I go to bed at 1. It just won't happen. My son used to nap for 3-4 hours a day so my bedtime wasn't important. He doesn't nap at all now so I have to be more rigid in my schedule.<br />
<br />
Going to bed at 11 and waking up at 7 is the right thing to do for me. It's not just physically good for me but spiritually. If I don't get up early and spend time with God, I won't do it the rest of the day. There's no time to. The other thing is that I am more likely to get things done, pay good attention to my son, and have the energy I need to make the right choices when I have my alone time.<br />
I get very VERY grumpy, impatient, and volatile when I don't have my quiet time. I know that sounds spoiled and selfish.<br />
As I've taken the time to discipline myself and manage my time wisely, I've learned that the time I spend with God in the morning is always affected by the choices I make the night before.<br />
So first there's the discipline of going to sleep at the right time. It's not easy but I've learned the value of it.<br />
Then there's the discipline of what I do before going to sleep.<br />
<br />
The more fleshly I am at night, the less likely I am to get up in the morning.<br />
The whole 'one more' thing is really detrimental to my relationship with God.<br />
While I may be in bed by 11, I find myself getting sucked into my phone watching debates on Youtube, scrolling through Pinterest, Twitter, or just blogs and news sites I like to read. I tell myself 'one more video, one more minute, one more article' and it's never just one more and I wind up sleeping between 11:30 and 12 or later because I can't shut my mind off.<br />
I always, without fail, end up sleeping later and it's harder for me to get up in the morning. What's more, my attitude toward getting up isn't right because I filled up on flesh the night before and it didn't go away with sleep.<br />
I didn't fight my flesh when I was in the right position to so I pay for it dearly the next day and have to fight it off twice as hard.<br />
I hope this is making sense.<br />
<br />
In all this experience and learning of a very simple principle, I was reminded of a sermon I first listened to almost five years ago called <a href="http://lookandlive.org/images/06-13-10_pm_Royal_Blunders__Pastor_Dilbert_Terry.mp3">Royal Blunders</a>.<br />
First off, it takes place in one of the most interesting passages of scripture- 1 Kings.<br />
Second, it involves one of my favourite biblical events: reading about God surrounded by the host of heaven and deciding how to deal with wicked Ahab.<br />
Third, and most importantly, the preacher, Dilbert Terry, talks about the snares of the flesh.<br />
<br />
Our flesh traps us in so many ways- whether it be fatigue, laziness, deception or anything else. This sermon really taught me the value of cutting my flesh off at the pass. He talks about simple mistakes two kings- Ahab and Jehoshaphat make that we can learn from, as Christians.<br />
It's practical knowledge and you'll definitely benefit if you listen to it.<br />
I learned a lot from it the first time I heard it. They're principles that have shaped my thoughts and magnified my understanding of the flesh.<br />
One of the best things he says is that whenever we give in to our flesh it fights back twice as hard the next time.<br />
It's true. I've seen it in my own life with big things and small things.<br />
If I give in to my flesh to stay up later than I should, it fights me twice as hard to stay in bed in the morning.<br />
<br />
A few other things he says in it are: 'because he's a liar he listens to liars' referring to Ahab.<br />
'Men like Joel Osteen are God's judgment on people who want the goodness of God without God.'<br />
Tough.<br />
'What God has separated let no man put together'.<br />
You can't truly love God without hating what He hates.<br />
<br />
I listened to the sermon again today to refresh my memories of it. It's interesting how I was once eating it up because I needed the food it provided so badly and now I've eaten it, digested it, and it's part of who I am.<br />
<br />
You see, the more you work on your relationship with God, the more you say 'yes' to Him and 'no' to your flesh, the less leeway you have to sin.<br />
It's no longer worth it to me to watch a questionable TV show because it puts bad things in my mind and separates me from God. I feel that separation too keenly and I don't like it. My husband and I are clearing out all our questionable movies and we'll likely go through our books again. We just want to be close to God.<br />
<br />
So if you're having trouble making time for God, I suggest you look at the things you are surrounding yourself by. What sins, no matter how small, do you allow yourself?<br />
<br />
Sin never leave you better than it finds you (Gary Boyatt).<br />
Remember that.<br />
<br />Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-47413665189784373452016-07-09T09:52:00.001-07:002016-07-09T09:52:37.682-07:00Hello!<div>
hello!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I know it's been a while since I've written and posted a substantial post- both on this blog and Keeper at Home.</div>
<div>
I haven't gone anywhere and I certainly haven't lost intrest in writing- I think about it almost all the time.</div>
<div>
Over the last few weeks- almost a month now- my husband and I have been learning things. I can say we're being tested and tried. It's not easy- it's a dark valley some days and other days, though still in the valley, we can see glimpses of the sun. We're walking through, though, hand in hand with the Lord and we're okay- even peaceful.</div>
<div>
It has not been the time for writing. It's been the time for learning- hard learning.</div>
<div>
I will write about it some day but for now suffice it to say that I haven't gone anywhere, I will continue to write, by God's grace.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
If you want something edifying, challenging, and powerful I hope you will listen to this sermon:<br />
<a href="http://tinysa.com/sermon/626161442107">Dr. David Peacock- Stick With The Book</a></div>
<div>
</div>
<div>
DO NOT be fooled by the title of the sermon. We've all heard sermons about reading our bible and praying everyday, sticking with the King James and so on. This sermon is NOT like that AT ALL.</div>
<div>
I hope you will listen to it. It will help you, I promise.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-78240822521507187392016-07-02T00:02:00.001-07:002016-07-07T17:46:46.124-07:00HBD<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJjS32av2-KSNV-NLgSnfBJIXsruj8wwPwcA0mUgkPQjwKc8CxzJ67yz7cLNt6S2KxycVX50YncqeHp7zhflPbe0esjSOc3Yja6epEh8Kw2WkemGhG5YVp7s9BLCe3YR8IvST83duBIY/s640/blogger-image--2025708572.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTJjS32av2-KSNV-NLgSnfBJIXsruj8wwPwcA0mUgkPQjwKc8CxzJ67yz7cLNt6S2KxycVX50YncqeHp7zhflPbe0esjSOc3Yja6epEh8Kw2WkemGhG5YVp7s9BLCe3YR8IvST83duBIY/s400/blogger-image--2025708572.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
So very grateful for my country!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
Happy Canada day! </div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-16117722052878810982016-06-23T00:47:00.000-07:002016-06-23T00:47:55.667-07:00Mary MagdaleneLast week in my bible class I started a short series on Mary Magdalene.<br />
When I first started studying her she was just someone I had read about and learned about in church. Sure she was there at the crucifixion, tomb, saw Jesus alive after His death, but I never really thought there was anything special about her (other than the fact that she interacted with the Son of God).<br />
To prepare my lessons I ran all the references in the bible to her and in one fell swoop she's become one of my favourite women in the bible.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
And it came to pass afterward, that he went throughout</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
every city and village, preaching and shewing the glad</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
tidings of the kingdom of God: and the twelve were with</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
him,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And certain women, which had been healed of evil</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
spirits and infirmities, <b>Mary called Magdalene, out of</b></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b>whom went seven devils</b>,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And Joanna the wife of Chuza Herod's steward, and</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Susanna, and many others, which ministered unto him of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
their substance.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Luke 8:1-3</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
This passage and <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/Mark/16/9">Mark 16:9</a> mentions how Mary came in contact with Christ. It's not unique in that He healed many of devil possession but what makes it special is what it did to Mary.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In verse three above it says that she, among others, were with Christ as he went throughout every city and village, and that she ministered to Him out of her substance.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Not only did she literally follow Christ around after her healing but what she had she gave to Christ.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
There were also women looking on afar off: among</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
whom was Mary Magdalene, and Mary the mother of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
James the less and of Joses, and Salome;</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(who also, when he was in Galilee, followed him, and</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
ministered unto him;) and many other women which </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
came up with him unto Jerusalem.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mark 15:40&41</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I haven't been able to figure it out but possibly it was both the Mary's who followed Jesus from Galilee. Either way, she clearly followed Jesus to Jerusalem from somewhere else.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
So we know that once Jesus entered her life she followed Him. Then we know:</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
She stood near the cross:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Now there stood by the cross of Jesus his mother, and</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
his mother's sister, Mary the wife of Cleophas, and Mary</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Magdalene.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
John 19:25</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
She sat near His grave:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
in a clean linen cloth,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
out in the rock: and he rolled a great stone to the door</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
of the sepulchre, and departed.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And there was Mary Magdalene, and the other</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mary, sitting over against the sepulchre.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Matthew 27:59-61</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(also see <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/mark/15/47">Mark 15:47</a>)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
She continued to minister to Him even when (she thought) He was in the grave:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And when the sabbath was past, Mary Magdalene,</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
and Mary the mother of James, and Salome, had</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
bought sweet spices, that they might come and anoint</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
him.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
And very early in the morning the first day of the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
sun. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mark 16:1&2</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(also see <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/matthew/28/1">Matthew 28:1</a>, <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/luke/24/1">Luke 24:1</a>, <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/John/20/1">John 20:1</a>)</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
whom he had cast seven devils.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Mark 16:9</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
She was so close to Him, He appeared to her first. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
You can read the full account of how Christ appeared to her in <a href="http://www.thywordistrue.com/bible/john/20/">John 20</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
What I love about her story is that she stayed close to Christ in everything.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
She followed him from place to place, stood by Him in death, followed Him to where they laid Him, and got up early to tend His body.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
As I studied all the references to Mary it struck me how much she wanted to be close to Christ. It wasn't simply being near Him but ministering to Him the way He had ministered to her.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Our testimony as Christians should be what hers is: follow Christ in every situation and minister to Him.</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-66156057590204296632016-06-19T01:24:00.000-07:002016-06-19T01:24:01.600-07:00To My Son About His FatherI haven't been feeling well today- I went for a drive while hungry which makes me nauseated. I then got a headache at home and now my throat is hurting along with the back of my head.<br />
I've been wanting to write, about Father's Day in particular, but I didn't know what to write about.<br />
A few minutes ago I was reading my son some bedtime stories and as I put him to bed it occurred to me that I should write about his father.<br />
This post is inspired by a woman who wrote a letter like this to her son.<br />
<br />
Boaz, Let Me Tell You About Your Dad,<br />
<br />
I remember the night we picked out your name. We were lying in bed and joking around about names like Jehoshaphat, Nebuchadnezzar and things like that. In the spirit of the moment I laughingly suggested Boaz and we both paused. In my mind it sounded funny but out loud it sounded... dope.<br />
Your dad said, 'I kind of like that,'<br />
I said, 'me too,'<br />
and he said, 'what about a middle name?'<br />
We picked a middle name out and your whole name was perfect. That was it.<br />
You didn't even exist yet. I wouldn't be pregnant with you for at least another year.<br />
When I finally was pregnant, we knew we wouldn't find out the gender, but we called you 'little Boaz' anyway.<br />
When you were finally born and we got a good look at you there was no question that you have your father's face and that perfect middle name changed to your father's first name, Michael.<br />
I love your name, not just because it sounds cool but because of what it means: By strength, and then Michael: who is like God?<br />
<br />
The first thing you should know is that your father prays. He prays all the time. Prayer is a very personal thing to him. He never prayed out loud until he and I got married. My prayer life changed when I met him. He was the one who taught me to pray way down to the nitty gritty. In every situation we've been in, his reaction has always been to pray first. Mine is usually to freak out then read a Psalm to calm down. Your father always prays. It's not something you see, but it's there.<br />
<br />
One of the things I love about your father is he is grounded. He knows who he is and what he believes.<br />
He cannot be manipulated but he is readily able to learn from his mistakes and grow into the man he needs to be for you. His mind is strong in what's right and that's what dictates the choices he makes.<br />
He is not fooled by false doctrine and he is not fooled by false teachers. He stands steadily on what the bible says.<br />
He is not swayed by peer pressure. He knows what he likes, what he wants, and how he wants it.<br />
<br />
He likes the simple things. Right now he is playing a video game while I sit here typing. The TV he is playing on was a birthday gift to me from some family members. He always says it's, 'the greatest TV ever'. It makes me laugh because it's not the biggest TV, it's not super technical HD or anything, but it's the nicest TV we'll probably ever have and your father is grateful for it.<br />
He never needs a lot- he likes his steak with just salt and pepper on it. He likes his burger meat with just salt and pepper in it. He never has to have brand name things because he just doesn't care. The only time he ever talks about new clothes is when his current ones are worn down. Nothing needs to be fancy as long as it works right. That goes for everything. Recently someone was talking to him about aspiring to be rich, he responded that he doesn't want to be rich, he just wants to be able to provide for his family.<br />
<br />
For as long as I've known him he's always just been thankful- thankful for whatever he's had in whatever situation. He always appreciates things and he always expresses it. I know I am blessed here because I'm sure there are women out there who's husbands don't tell them they love them throughout the day or compliment them on things or even notice how hard they work.<br />
You won't know this until you're older but he is always telling you the things he loves about you, 'you're a cute little boy, Bo' he says. You bring a lot of delight to him and he likes to bring delight to you.<br />
<br />
He is self sacrificing. He does what it takes to get the job done. He works hard. Not many people realize the pain he is in sometimes. His job now- and the one before- have taken their toll on him. Still, he works hard, he does things right, he is diligent.<br />
<br />
Your father is logical to a fault. While most of us look at things from a mixture of logic and emotion, he looks at everything with plain logic. He takes everything said to their logical conclusion and throws it out if its unreasonable. It can be frustrating sometimes but then you finally realize that this way of handling things takes you right to the heart of every matter. You are able to weigh your thoughts and actions objectively. You're able to see through yourself right to your motivation. This kills %99 of the 'fluff' that's in you. This is likely why your father is so grounded: he doesn't mess with things that aren't logical or biblically founded.<br />
<br />
All that being said, don't get into an argument with him. Just don't. Don't even think about it. You'll lose and lose miserably.<br />
<br />
He is a gentle giant. One thing he does not know is how intimidating he is. He is very tall and has serious eyes but he does not realize how this comes across to those of us who are shorter.<br />
He has never used his size aggressively. He is gentle. Very gentle. More gentle than I am.<br />
He doesn't hurt people. At least not on purpose. His honestly and straightforwardness can sting sometimes but it does not come from maliciousness. When he is straightforward with you, it means he trusts that you will take it right. He doesn't take the sword out on just anyone. He does not talk about something with someone if he can't be transparent with them about it.<br />
<br />
He is forgiving. I don't think he's capable of holding a grudge. Someone said something downright rude to him not long ago. He told me about it and it made me angry. Your father simply said, 'I'm dropping it' and that was all. It took me longer to let it go and I wasn't even there to witness it.<br />
He doesn't bring up the past. He doesn't say 'you always...' unless it's a serious problem. He lets things go and moves forward.<br />
<br />
He loves to drive. I think all men do and your father is no exception. He likes going on little road trips and often takes the 'scenic route'. He likes the word 'bucolic' and I think he sets out to find bucolic drives. We have an epic family road trip planned, Lord willing, for when you get older.<br />
<br />
He loves juice, cereal, sourdough, coffee, barbecuing, pizza, nectarines, blueberries, spartan and macintosh apples (but he's picky about them, mind you), and ice cream. He loves reading and will read all day if you let him. He is very silly. He is a good writer- something not many people know about him. He wants to keep bees. He love love loves golfing. He's peaceful, he doesn't like things disrupting the peace of our home.<br />
<br />
He often talks about things that will make him a good father. He wants to instruct you in the ways that are right. He wants you to be saved and in the will of God. It means the most to him to encourage you in your relationship with God; he doesn't want to hinder it by hypocrisy.<br />
<br />
There you are, Bo, just some things about your dad. There is a lot more to him then this but these are the things that stick out to me after close to six years of marriage.<br />
God blessed you with a good daddy, Bo.Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-835270398444236466.post-17329909490334216112016-06-14T13:40:00.001-07:002016-06-14T13:40:20.638-07:00Never Say NeverI've taught the young ones in my Bible Class for probably eight months now and we've gotten to know each other. During our first few months of lessons I would ask if they had questions or comments and I'd get silly comments and insincere questions.<br />
Lately, though, the kids have been on a roll giving me perfect examples of the lessons from their own lives. I'm not sure what it is but it gives me joy.<br />
Two Sundays ago I was teaching on Mary who poured spikenard on Jesus' head. I noted the disciples' indignation at her and told the children that other people will try to tell you what to do with what God has given you. I told them that we all have different convictions and that we can't judge other people for their convictions because God deals with us all differently.<br />
I tried to use one example about clothes that didn't work so then I moved to a more obvious example: alcohol.<br />
They all understood this right away and one said, "I will never drink alcohol!"<br />
I smiled at her while all my years ran through my head and I said, "never say never," and moved on with my example.<br />
<br />
Later on as I thought about it, God told me that my response was not edifying.<br />
"Never say never," is a pessimistic way of looking at the matter.<br />
I know why I said that. I said that because I know that we get put into situations we never dreamed of being in, our emotions and feelings get the better of us and suddenly we're doing something we never thought we'd do.<br />
I missed a good time for good instruction.<br />
Fortunately, this past Sunday we had a few things to do and I couldn't start our new character study- Mary Magdalene. As I prayed about what to teach about God pointed out my 'never say never' comment and told me to fix it.<br />
This is one of those things that are a good reminder for all of us. I wrote this post on Saturday night but I left off publishing it to today. Thinking about it all last week has reminded me of things God has dealt with me on in the past and things I must continually remember. I hope it helps.<br />
<br />
Proverbs 27:1- Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth.<br />
James 4:13-17- Go to now, ye that say, To day or tomorrow we will go into such a city, and continue there a year, and buy and sell, and get gain:<br />
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? it is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.<br />
For that ye ought to say, if the Lord will, we shall live, and do this, or that.<br />
But now ye rejoice in your boastings: all such rejoicing is evil.<br />
Therefore to him that knoweth to do good, and doeth it not, to him it is sin.<br />
<br />
We don't know where we will wind up, what we will do, and what we will be. Nothing is for certain in this life except the Bible. The bible is full of examples of people who thought their lives were going one way only to be in a completely different situation from one day to the next. We can't say we'll never do something because we really do not know.<br />
The only thing we can do, is guard against sin that may tempt us.<br />
<br />
Luke 22:40- And when he was at the place, he said unto them, <b>Pray that ye enter not into temptation</b>.<br />
This is in the garden of Gethsemane and Jesus knows what is about to happen. He is about to be taken by force, his disciples would be scattered from Him, and Peter would betray Him. He tells them to pray so they would not enter into temptation. Instead they go to sleep. I wonder if Peter would have betrayed Christ three times had he been praying there instead of sleeping.<br />
That verse is there for us too: pray that ye enter not into temptation.<br />
There is so much to pray about in those words since there are so many things that can lead the children, and us, into temptation.<br />
Some things to pray about:<br />
-staying away from ungodly influences<br />
-staying away from ungodly people<br />
-keeping out of situations that can lead to temptation<br />
-staying in the Word and praying<br />
-staying in church<br />
-obeying their parents<br />
-getting good counsel from godly elders<br />
-protection from wolves in sheep's clothing<br />
-protection in general<br />
There are so many things that can happen to us at any given moment. It is only by God's grace that we are protected, whole, and unblemished by the world.<br />
My mother-in-law works with young women who have been trafficked and the girls in the horrifying stories she tells (only when I ask, she doesn't volunteer them) were once just like some of the girls I teach now.<br />
It's God's grace that protects them, that has protected me, that has protected their parents.<br />
They need to be prayed up and ready for whatever comes their way.<br />
<br />
After praying, they need to make the decision now. It was a good thing she said, that she will never drink alcohol, it is good that she has made up her mind in that.<br />
One of the best things I've ever heard a preacher say is that we are to live by principle and not by feeling. Our feelings change from one day to another- sometimes from one minute to the next- we can't rely on them especially since they often go against God.<br />
I am run a lot on emotion- this 'I don't feel like it' nonsense that gets me no where. That kind of things coddles your flesh and you wind up away from God because you'll always choose your flesh rather than what's right. In every choice it can't be whether I feel like it or not but what is right or wrong or what is good or greater.<br />
During the lesson one child gave an example where some of her friends were talking about a show she had never seen before and her friends were commenting that the bad. She never watched it and didn't know what it was about but she agreed with them. Then they started talking about a show she really liked and they said it was dumb. Well, she agreed with them there too even though it was her favourite show. (It really encouraged me that she could look at her actions and judge them the way she did) This is just a great example of making choices by feeling rather than principle. These small things come up everyday and test our character. Will we choose to be honest because God commands it or will we justify a lie by how we feel?<br />
<br />
When we are right with God, when we are unemotionally attached, we need to purpose in our hearts to do right.<br />
For the children a big one will be keeping themselves pure until marriage. Other ones include keeping away from bad company, watching their language, subjecting themselves to authority, and living what they are at church at home.<br />
They need to decide to do it now so that when the time comes, they've already made the choice and it's the right one.<br />
I saw this once and it rang true for me:<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0-CZ5q5dFWh5qfUJd6bs5P9zwTepJWpmPDhugE5mpX_WkzjZw-VpGoRP_2rbOAdo_JsjMZ8pR7i_SgYFVNmEeRzaMoA_bWZSwQ_VR09UqY5LVwrIA1cXjseSBFG82ZZLqDFBC032dPo/s1600/Never-reply-when-you-are-angry-Never-make-a-promis.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjE0-CZ5q5dFWh5qfUJd6bs5P9zwTepJWpmPDhugE5mpX_WkzjZw-VpGoRP_2rbOAdo_JsjMZ8pR7i_SgYFVNmEeRzaMoA_bWZSwQ_VR09UqY5LVwrIA1cXjseSBFG82ZZLqDFBC032dPo/s320/Never-reply-when-you-are-angry-Never-make-a-promis.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
I remember seeing this and being struck by what great advice it is. All those things- replies, promises, decisions- need reason, logic, and an even mind. Our emotions destroy all reason.<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Be sober, be vigilant; because our adversary the</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
he may devour:</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
1 Peter 5:8<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
There are those big things- like addiction to drugs and alcohol- then the seemingly little things- like cussing when your parents aren't around. Either way, they, and we need to guard ourselves against it before we're even faced with the temptation to do it. Satan will use both small and big things to devour us is we're not careful.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
My prayer for each of the children I teach is that they stay faithful to God. This won't happen, or at least I won't help it happen, if I'm not using what they give me to teach them. In other words, I need to use every opportunity to turn their minds to Christ. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
I love the way the children challenge me. They teach me so much and I don't think they'll ever know it. I can only hope and pray that God uses me, even a little bit, to encourage them spiritually.</div>
Gracehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16237516971339108058noreply@blogger.com0