Uninspired

Ok, I know... it's been quite a while since I have posted something new. Since summer has started, well, I guess you could say life has been challenging. There are things that always get in the way of those who are trying to serve the Lord and do good. The main ingredient is the Devil. I have to say that I have been in major war with the Devil since summer began. It would be safe to say that my summer so far, has not been what I planned, although there isn't much that is. God has a way of making things great, if I let him and with the Devil so close, it has been hard to walk down the right path. 


Things are looking up though. They always do. And when I do, I know I am staring at the face of God. If I learn to lean on him for ALL things, life will be better. So with things not going as planned, I have been quite uninspired to create a post. I created this as a means to communicate my feelings about how the Lord is good and how to spread the word about Christ. I have seen many people here lately doing things that I wish I could be doing. But, after tonight's service, I am reminded that I am doing one of the most important things I can be... a mom! 


Psalm 129 talks about the ways that we should be as parents. This is the time that I need to be spending with my boys and teaching them the ways of good and the ways of the Lord. I might not be going on a glorious vacation or going here and there, but I can be the best mom that I can be and teach my children about Christ. I see a difference when I talk to Devan about Jesus. When he is upset and throwing a fit, I talk to him about what would Jesus think about how he is reacting and he stops. Whereas when the Devil is there getting under my skin and making me frustrated at the situation, there really isn't a "winner". 


So as I titled this "uninspired" that was really how I was feeling until now. But I must look at the life that I do have and all the things that are around me and see how those things can be an inspiration to me rather than a negative. So I am going to be more inspired by my children and all that God has brought into my life. 

Gone fishin!

"Follow me and I will make you fishers of men." Matthew 4:19. I have to say that today was a great day back in Jr. Church for several reasons.
 1) God is starting to answer a prayer with Jr. Church. You see, the age group is 3-9. And if you know anything about children, that is a HUGE age range to service. So I have been praying that someone would be willing to step up and lead Jr. Jr. church. Today was a great surprise to see that another lady from church had a lesson ready to go.
2) With the smaller children in another classroom, (learning a great lesson of their own) we had a fantastic time in Jr. Church. We sang songs with gusto, the children listened well to the story, were very creative with their shiny fish craft and for the first time we had many kids recite back our memory verse!
3) Although no one was saved this morning, I feel that a couple of visiting children that we had will really want to come back.


So what does all this have to do with Matt 4:19 you ask? Well, all of these things are ways to be fishers of men, which was our lesson this morning. It is quite easy to do. So I challenge you to the same things as the children this morning.


1) Learn some scripture to share with your friends. As fishers of men, our "bait" is the Word of God. By knowing His truths we can share them with our friends and family.
2) Invite someone to church. After talking with your friend about how much fun you have at church, give them an invitation to come. They will have a great time learning more about Jesus.


So rather than going to the local lake this weekend for hours of fishing (and maybe only catching a few fish), be a fisher of men and talk to someone about my amazing Lord and Savior!


So what is it that you are fishing for?

It's easy to learn!

It's amazing to think how the mind works. As a teacher, I am constantly teaching children things they need to know. Multiplication, division, reading skills are all things that will help us to be successful in life. As we learn these basic skills, we can then build upon them to become anything we want and apply this knowledge to all aspects of our lives. However, as focused as we are on education (or lack thereof in some parts of the world), how much studying do we do in our daily lives for Christ? We study for the graduation exams, SAT's, college finals and then we even study for our jobs. DAILY! But how much time is spent in the word? It seems to me that so many people are turned off by the Bible simply because they don't understand it. If you think about how our brains work, God designed them to acquire new information. If He didn't want us learning, he would have made it so. But He didn't.


It makes me think about Devan and any child learning to read. I tell my students that they need to read at least 20 minutes per night to become a better reader. And, of course with any other new skill, it takes time and practice to get good at it. The more you read the Bible, the more the language becomes easier to understand and then it becomes like second nature to pick up the book and read. I encourage you to spend at least 20 minutes a night in the Bible. See what God shows you and where He leads you. I think you will be quite surprised by what you find.


So to help encourage you in your journey of reading, here is a clip of Devan reading "Brown Bear, Brown Bear."