Teachable Tuesday- What I Want My Kids To Learn in 2019

Savannah is 16, a junior. She's a college shopping, self-employed entrepreneur, piano playing, teenager...and if I had half the gumption she has when I was her age, I'd be famous...but that's not really what's important in life, is it?

Tucker is 13, a seventh grader. He's a fortnight playing, drum beating, basketballer. He is hilariously funny and mostly kind and doesn't mind being in the spotlight...his confidence whether warranted or not is strong.

As I sit here at the dawn of a new year, knowing that time is ticking away with Savannah and before you know it Tucker will be outta here, I'm so thankful that God has allowed me to be a mom. It is not wasted on me, that some women do not have this opportunity. I'm also keenly aware that I can't jump in during their teen years and decide I want to teach them how to be "good people". And so, years ago, I asked God for wisdom...and have been doing so ever since.

So last year I worked hard on integrity issues...things like honesty and truth. These were things that were heavy on my own heart and so since I was working on them, I tried to teach my children. There was talk about things that were hurtful and dishonest and there was talk about how we should handle them. There was talk about making God's Word the ultimate, supreme truth in all things and how that would be more and more and more important as they grow up because our world is so full of lies and twisted truths (lies) and mistruths (lies). Have we mastered these things??? Absolutely not...and we won't ever have them perfected. But we made progress and I worked hard to take everyday moments that could have been passed off and instead made them into teachable moments God could use to grow them and mature them in their own walk with Him.

So this year.... Biblical Kindness. That word...KIND....it gets a bad wrap sometimes. Sometimes it looks like helping someone across the road and sometimes it looks like sharing truth in love from God's Word...even when it doesn't feel good. So, how do we teach our kids to be kind without being walked all over or without them being taken advantage or....or even look gullible or stupid? We teach them Biblical Kindness. We teach them to walk like Jesus did. We teach them that Jesus was just as kind when he tipped the tables in the temple as when we met the unfaithful woman at the well. We teach them that true kindness will never contradict God's Word. We teach them when it's worth reaching out and when it's casting your pearls before swine.  We teach them that silence, a hug, a cup of water or a moment of your time is sometimes the kindest thing you can offer. And we teach them that bullying and hate are never acceptable.

So that's what I am aiming to teach this year. How about you? What are the things that you are hoping to instill in your kids this year?

Days of Thanks #7

Day 7- Thankful for the reality check that God's Word brings. Comforting, convicting and conforming me to the image of Christ. No other "book" does what His Word does for my soul.

Day #21 Beautiful Comfort Food

The beauty of food...











I'm not a terribly good cook...I mean...I enjoy it, I'm adventurous...but let's just say, I'm pretty sure I've never made anything that looked as good as these pictures. Still, I love to see food displays that are creative and pleasing to the eye and taste...and maybe if I learned to be a little more creative with my display...my kids might eat more veggies!

We all find comfort in food. If nothing else it helps our belly quit growling like a band of wolves, but for most it's even more than that. A certain food might remind us of someone or a certain time in our lives. I can hardly eat a donut without thinking about all the Saturday morning's my dad would buy a dozen of Winn Dixie's hot and fresh bakery donuts. It's a sweet childhood memory that I have.

Then there's the smell of stinky cabbage and collard greens that reminds me of my Mimi. My grandmother passed on her love of all things southern to the rest of the family...I unfortunately don't like things that don't smell good while they're cooking. And by admitting that, I've lost some street cred in Georgia!

Those memories bring me some comfort. I think of the times shared with loved ones and the memories I have of the people I shared a meal with. But, real comfort food, only comes from God's Word...the Bread of Life. Real comfort doesn't know a perfect temperature, a pinch of this and that or more or less of anything. It's whole. Nothing lacking. Good for you. Everything you need to stay properly nourished in this life. It's the balanced meal your soul longs for...full of the nutrients that will help you grow into maturity.

So while my tummy might be rumbling for some apple cobbler and a scoop of homemade vanilla, my soul longs for the words found in the Bible. It's always fresh and ready.

Curriculum Review

I can't say enough about this Bible Study for Kids. If you have an 8-12 year old and are serious about teaching them the Word of God, this is a great great great Bible study series. I have purchased 4 of them to do this year in school and we are LOVING them. We eased into school this year and the one thing the kids wanted to do everyday was their Bible lesson. This first book that we are doing is focused on teaching children how the Bible matches up ---Old and New Testament ---when it comes to creation and the validity of scriptures. It's inductive Bible study, where kids highlight different words that go together in context so that they can see how God's Word all fits together. The kids are in the Word digging out treasures for themselves. I'm just crazy about it! Kay Arthur also explains where certain words come from. Today in Bible Savannah learned the Pentateuch is the correct word for the first 5 books of the Bible and then in math learned about Pentagons (shapes with 5 sides) ....she knew exactly what pentagon meant because of what she had learned from dissecting the words during Bible class. I kinda like that ...a lot. Tucker enjoys the puzzles and word games that accompany each lesson. He also gets to draw and title a pictures that goes with each part of the Genesis story.

If you're looking for something a little more than storytime Bible time with your kids, then this might be just the thing. I sit with them and talk with them about the lessons, but for older kids they could certainly do these lessons independently. You don't have to be a homeschooler to want your kids to learn to study the Bible....so check this out...it might be just what you're looking for!

Here's the order information....should you decide to take a closer look.





Discover 4 Yourself, Children's Bible Study Series: God's Amazing    Creation (Genesis Chapters 1 and 2)

By Kay Arthur & Janna Arndt / Harvest House Publishers

This book takes kids through the first part of Genesis, focusing on the theme of creation in chapters one and two.  Young scholars will put on their archaeologist hats to help the book's main characters--inductive detectives Max and Molly--dig up the truth about how the world began.  Kids will discover who the world's creator is, how the heavens and earth were formed, what exactly happened in the beginning, and how the earth, the sea, people, and animals came into existence.  Great fun and wonderful Bible truths for kids with an insatiable appetite for the "whys" of life!

Gideon's PAB

"The international ministry of The Gideons has handed out 1.7 billion Bibles since December of 2012." These were the words that opened the 2013 Hopkins County Gideon Pastor Appreciation Banquet last Tuesday night.

I tried to picture what 1.7 billion Bibles would look like all piled up in stacks and stacks on the floor and my mind was unable to even fathom what that looks like. But thankfully the Gideons know exactly what that looks like. As I sat listening to the testimonies of men and one very vivacious Auxiliary lady, tears filled my eyes to hear how hungry the rest of the world is for the Word of God... Men and Women in Costa Rica with hands cupped around their small New Testament and placed at their hearts, thankful for the opportunity to have a personal copy of HIS Word. Stories of crowded closets in China with people nearly sitting on each other to be able to hear God's Word preached by telecast to their hungry souls....these were the stories I heard. These were the stories that gripped my heart. These were the stories that convicted me.

How careless we are in America, where a Bible sits in a car between Sundays, where the dust can be blown off the front cover or where 3-4 Bibles can be found in a home. The Gideon businessmen have made it their passion to get God's word into the hands of men, women and children so that it can change them, save them, free them, heal them. The same thing God's Word has done and is doing for me....

And...shouldn't everyone have that opportunity to hear, to know, to be changed, freed, saved, healed?

I think so.

You can learn more about how you can personally be involved in the Gideons by clicking HERE .

Shedding a Bitter Spirit

Lately I've been learning a few things about myself. That verse: Search me oh God and know my heart....yep, that one...has been on my mind for days..weeks really. I've tried to shove it to the back of my mind sort of, but really, in all honesty, I'm ready to deal with it. I'm tired of feeling trapped by hurts, insecurities, bitterness and overall unforgiveness. In reality it has been taking its toll. I feel it in my heart an soul and it unsettles me and makes me feel every feeling, every hurt, every gut wrenching moment again and again. Have you ever been there?

The truth: my heart has been bitter. I've managed to juggle it, but in the daily effort to walk with the Lord, He reveals by the light of His Words and the Spirit of His holiness just how far I am from really walking with Him....really knowing Him....really abiding in Him. It's an ugly but beautiful picture I see in my head. The one of me with my ugly burden of bitterness...my back crouched low under the weight of this besetting sin....the look of weariness and lost hope and pain...the muddied streak of tears staining my face...and there...right there...is this Savior...ready to save me from myself...from my sin...from the very weight that brings me to my knees. His hand reaches....not for just me...but for my burden...He removes it with ease....wipes my tears....helps me to my feet....And with great hope I take hold of His promise to bury my sin....to bear my burden....to let me lean into Him and learn of Him...His ways...His character...His Word.

And for the first time in a long time....I have peace. Real peace. The kind that Satan wants to fight...but I'm holding tight to the Peace Giver. That burden I carried wasn't mind to bear. It was sin. And in these days of such sweeter communion I am convinced that living with my embittered heart was as bad a living with a physical heart condition. Life threatening to my spiritual health.

Matthew 11:30 - My yoke is easy and my burden is light.

“There is only one way of victory over the bitterness and rage that comes naturally to us--To will what God wills brings peace.” 

― Amy Wilson-Carmichael


Whatever God wills....sometimes that's a tough pill to swallow...but when I grasp a small idea of His deep love for me, I better understand that His will is all I want....forever and ever. I'm thankful He has made a way for me.

That's What I Like About Sundays....

The body of Christ meeting together...

The Spirit of God present amongst us...

The atmosphere full of anticipation...

The music gathering us in...

The Word of God broken before us....

The Man of God under the control of God....

The power of God filling the space....

The fellowship of family.....

The worship of a Savior....

The blessing of moments shared together.


That's what happened in our presence this Sunday. I don't know if I've ever sensed the presence of God so thick in any one place before. This afternoon I was still talking about it...and now...because it's still fresh on my heart...I'm writing it out. I don't want to forget it.

Ironically, just because I sensed it today doesn't mean it hasn't been there before....like, every single time we meet. But today I paid attention. I tuned in. God had my attention and I am changed because of it.

Thank you Lord for a little glimpse of what heaven will be like. It's going to be beautiful!

What I Know About Love

1 Corinthians 13 (Message)

The Way of Love

 ¹ If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. ²If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. ^3-7If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love.    Love never gives up.    Love cares more for others than for self.    Love doesn't want what it doesn't have.    Love doesn't strut,    Doesn't have a swelled head,    Doesn't force itself on others,    Isn't always "me first,"    Doesn't fly off the handle,    Doesn't keep score of the sins of others,    Doesn't revel when others grovel,    Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,    Puts up with anything,    Trusts God always,    Always looks for the best,    Never looks back,    But keeps going to the end.

 ^8-10Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.

 ¹¹When I was an infant at my mother's breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.

 ¹²We don't yet see things clearly. We're squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won't be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We'll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!

 ¹³But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love.

Uncomfortable

Yesterday at church I was uncomfortable. The message was on God's holiness and the explanation of Isaiah 6 was almost more than I could handle. God's holiness, something I will never ever begin to understand...by definition...I can't. But to hear how Isaiah saw the angels and to here about just the tiniest piece of God's garment filling the temple. Can you try to even visualize the vastness? And what about the pillars shaking with the fullness of His glory. It was just too much. As I sat there I was once again reminded how small I am in the scheme of His holiness...and reminded that in spite of that...His love for me is BIG...His desire for me is LARGE and His grace is ENOUGH to bridge the gap between my utter unworthiness, to this holiness that He wants me to get a glimpse of.

Then Sunday Night I was even more uncomfortable as we studied the rich man and Lazarus found in Luke. The question was posed "Do people in hell have more concern for the lost than Christians here on earth. The rich man was begging for an opportunity to share Jesus with his friends and family because he was experiencing hell. There was no question...he didn't want them ending up with him. Then the illustration of Paul...being willing to give up (if He could....but he can't) his salvation so that Israel will come to know Christ. What kind of love would be willing to do that?

I don't know...but I left church feeling like I was missing the mark and in desperate need of this zeal that both these messages contained. Sometimes these messages hit me but by Sunday evening I've brushed those feelings aside and moved on to thinking about the upcoming week and all the to-do's it holds. This week I think I'm going to sit on this uncomfortable feeling and allow this conviction to expose all these horrible inadequacies so that forgiveness and grace can do it's perfect work. I don't want to gloss over or shove to the side the uncomfortableness that I feel right now. I want to soak in it. Deal with the thoughts that are flooding my mind and then marinade in the promise of new mercy every morning, sufficient and amazing grace and beauty for ashes.

God's still working on me. Thankfully.

Shipping and Handling

I've shipped my fair share of packages over the years. Having lived over 800 miles away from Georgia and all my family for over 20 years now has taught me a lot about how to prepare something for shipping. You can't take it for granted that our wonderful postal service will handle your precious box carefully. You also can never be quite certain that it will arrive in quite the same way you shipped it. You must carefully and purposefully wrap things in bubble wrap, tissue paper or those Styrofoam packing peanuts. You also have to be sure your packaged is address properly, has the right amount of postage paid and is taped in all the right places. Once you say goodbye to your package, well, you just have to have faith that the UPS will do their best to get your package from point A to point B. You have to trust a government agency with something important to you.

The Christian life is a lot like the shipping and handling process. Once we begin a relationship with Christ, we begin this incredibly unpredictable journey with the Savior. He gives us the tools...the packing peanuts, the bubble wrap, the tissue paper...the Bible, the Holy Spirit....to guide us and teach us how to arrive at the end of life .... but if we don't wrap ourselves in the cushion of His protection, we end up with unnecessary bruising, scarring and even broken pieces. His guidelines are there for a reason. It's not just a suggestion when He says "don't" or "a wise man/or woman will..." He wants to guide us....each step of the way.

Does this mean we won't get knocked around or beat up a little in the process? Certainly not...His Word also guarantees us that we live in a troubled-filled world that will impact us...but the comfort and security of knowing He has us wrapped in His love and grace is a beautiful privilege of knowing the Savior. And sometimes...all that knocking around during the shipping and handling process changes you....your life might not turn out exactly how you had things planned...but one thing is for sure...God doesn't make mistakes. No matter what you're feeling....KNOW that when you trust Him with your destiny, with your hopes, dreams and plans, He has a way of making something beautiful happen. Maybe not today...or tomorrow...but in His perfect time.

Revelation 21:5 - Behold, I am making all things new.


Ecclesiastes 3:11- He has made everything beautiful in His time.


So don't get discouraged if you don't feel like you've arrived yet....or if you feel a little worse for the ware on this journey. He's not done...He has something beautiful planned. Relax. Wait. Study His Word and find out how precious you are to Him. Perhaps...in the process...that's what will make you truly beautiful. 

Static Cling to the Promises

This time of year it's not unusual to struggle with static cling. Most recently I introduce Savannah to a can of aerosol hairspray that I used solely for the purpose of getting rid of static electricity. She was a little weirded out when I told her to spray it on her pants and they would quit clinging to her skin....but it worked!

As I was thinking about the many spiritual lessons that God taught me over the last year they all seemed to center around one thing....clinging to the promises of God. I'm just like the next woman...I struggle with real-to-me issues....health, family, friends, money, home, schedules, busyness, reading God's Word, sorrow, pain...but of all the issues I've struggled with over the last 12 months, the greatest amount of peace and comfort I've found is when I've clung to the promises of God. His Word is full of nuggets of encouragement and understanding. Sure, my friends are great, my mom is great, my husband is the best....but when it comes to bearing my soul...there is no one I trust like Jesus. There are no one's words that comfort quite like the Father's. There's no one who can empathize with me, quite like the Father. He is who I want to cling to in the good and the bad. His promises are the advice I want to seek in the good and the bad. I want to be clinging...always....like static cling on a winter's day...to the promises of our all knowing, loving God.

Thank you God for proving yourself to me .... for proving your promises true every day. 

If you're struggling to trust the promises of God, here are some verses to get you started:

Source: tumblr.com via Megan on Pinterest

Do you have a favorite promise of God?

Dumb...and Dumber

Sheep are the dumbest animals alive. I'm not 100% sure this has been proven scientifically but all you have to do is watch HERE HERE HERE to be persuaded.

It's no joke that God, in His Word, likens us to sheep. We aren't always the smartest when it comes to life, love and logic.  In fact...if I was completely honest there are times that I am just flat out dumb. In my Sunday School class Sunday we were talking about the importance of God's Word being our #1 source for EVERYTHING...emphasis on EVERY. In my own life I've watched myself put confidence in others and have been so sadly disappointed when they failed me. I've also watched people put their trust in me...and well, I am a sad example of perfection, so of course, they were disappointed. God's Word will never fail me or anyone else....after all it is GOD's WORDs given to us....it is HIM. He is the Word...John 1 tells us. So why in the world would I go to some dumb sheep before I go to HIM about anything.

In fact, I think there are MANY times when I wouldn't need to talk to another human being about a matter if I would just get in the WORD and find what I need there. We depend a lot on friends....especially as women, and well, just bluntly put....we're emotional, we're opinionated...sometimes we're wrong...and well....we're sheep. The Bible talks about burdening a weaker brother or sister in Christ with your own baggage may in fact cause that person to stumble. WOW....am I completely guilty there. Suffice it to say...my heart, my feelings, my opinions are better off in the hands of the Lord than anywhere else. These are lessons I pray this sheep can grow to master. His Word is the only best place for my soul to find what it needs. Get smart...and get in it.

The Word

I'm sitting here late on Saturday night just reviewing the notes for my ladies class tomorrow at church. The lesson was written on Monday and I've been chewing on it all week long. It's all about the Bible. I know...crazy, right? But how many times in one day do I basically just do my own thing without regard to what God has to say about it? Do I even know what His word says about the struggles I face, the decisions I need to make, the issues I deal with on a daily basis. 

What I've been reminded of this week is how stable, unchanging and completely reliable my God is. We can count on Him. The same words that were written thousands of years ago are still relevant and applicable to our lives now. The hard part is that I've got to be disciplined enough to get in the book and find out what it says about life, love and everything in between. It's not enough to own a Bible. You've got to open it up and read it!

So whether I'm struggling with parenting issues, friend issues, spousal issues, diet issues, health issues, money issues or anything else big or little or in between, God's got it covered. The principles found in His Word have 2011 written all over them. I just need to do my part and open the pages.

I'm tremendously grateful that we have a God who doesn't try to hide or tease us with His promises. They're all written down for us all to see....or at least those of us blessed enough with a copy of His Word....And might I add that there are many who don't have one...let alone one in their own language. Read about that situation HERE

So if you have a copy of the Bible, read it. Believe it. Test everything you say and hear against the standard of God's Word, trust it, live it, dive into it, memorize it and above all love it...for it is Jesus. He is the Word.

Thankful Thursday

This week I am thankful for:

1. A God who sees everything and knows exactly how it will all work out...and in the midst of that teaches me great and valuable lessons that I need in order to honor Him more.

2. I got to visit with my friend Mel and her girls and see her baby Grayson the other night. What a blessing to see God working things out for their good..slowly but surely. You can read a little of her story here.

3. The opportunity to speak at a women's event in Gilmer, Texas this weekend. Humbled by the opportunity...thankful for the enlarged territory.

4. Friends who talk about what God is doing in their lives. It's motivational, inspiring, exciting and uplifting.

5. Some quiet time alone with the Lord last weekend....you know...that kind you don't get everyday...several uninterrupted hours of communing with Him. I needed it.

So....what are you thankful for this week?

Sacrifice

Getting to know missionaries is a great way to get to know about sacrifice. These beautiful people may get spoiled for a week at our church, but when they get to or return to their various fields the real sacrifice begins....and even though it's honorable and right for us to take good care of them while they are with us in our conference this week, somehow, I wonder if it is even more important for us to be in continual remembrance and prayer and support of them when they are actually in the thick of the sacrifice.

I was talking with one of our missions moms and tears filled her eyes as she talked of her children growing up so far from family. The joys of that close grandparent relationship that most families enjoy won't come easy for them. That's a sacrifice. Another friend of mine who is a missionary rejoices every time she can find a jar of peanut butter at her local grocers. Even though that seems almost comical, how many of us would be willing to forgo the little conveniences and favorite things that make life enjoyable? It's a sacrifice. Another missionary told me that they were completely rejected by their families when they surrendered to the mission field, but couldn't ignore the pull on their hearts to share the gospel in a third would country. That's sacrifice.

I was reminded recently of the small sacrifices I could make to help fulfill the camp needs of young people in Peru. For less than $20 a child could experience a week of fun filled camp and be exposed to the gospel numerous times. $20 hardly seems like a sacrifice for me. And yet...the eternal difference that could make in the life of a child because of the ultimate sacrifice....priceless. But....what if God asked for something more from me?

What about on a daily basis? Do I mock God when He requires or desires a sacrifice. I'm probably most protective of my time. But what if God interrupts my day and asks me to vary MY schedule so that it accommodates HIS? What do I do? What if God pricks my heart to let go of some afternoon quiet time to do something for someone else? What do I do? I wonder, what if God asked me to be willing to sacrifice some of my vacation money or tax refund to further HIS kingdom....what do I do?

See, just because I'm not a foreign missionary doesn't mean that God won't ask or require a sacrifice from me. For some reason this sacrifice issue seems so uncomfortable....yet, experience has taught me that there really is no better position to be in than at a place of emptiness. Who knew sacrifice could be the thing that fills you up with such joy.

He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose."
           - Jim Elliot

The Love of God...

Our church theme for this year is "Love Will Find a Way", based on 2 Cor. 5:14 - The love of Christ constraineth (motivates) us. I am falling in love with this verse.

I find it applicable in every area of life....from dealing with my attitudes (good or bad), to dealing with difficult people, to sharing the gospel, to doing ministry....this verse covers it all. If the love of God motivates my every single movement, then Christ will be reflected in my life. Some of the simplest areas of my life are great starting points for practicing this verse. My home, my preschool class, my relationships with others...not to mention my marriage, my finances, my spare time...and the list goes on and on and on.

I want His love to be the motivation for every single thing I do. In the end....it's all that really matters....others seeing and experiencing Jesus.

Makeover

On the way to school and church we travel a street where old, beautiful houses stand shoulder to shoulder. Sidewalks line the front yards and pretty, yet simple landscapes decorate each yard with shades of green and pinks and yellows. The turn of the century homes (1900's) are delightful, a real gem against the more modern homes this century boasts.

Yet, somewhere in the beauty I missed this one particularly gorgeous home....until recently. The reason I missed it? It was overgrown with unkept shrubs, trees that needed trimming and weeds. I don't know if it had been abandoned and recently reclaimed or if the warmer weather just happened to motivate the owners to spruce up the place, but regardless, the recent cleaning up, tree trimming, weed pulling is appreciated by house stalkers like myself!

It's unbelievable the difference the yard care is making on this property. The other day when I was on my way to school I saw a professional tree trimming service cutting off dead limbs, trimming away debris and shaping up some of the older more prestigious trees. I have no idea what a job like that would cost...but I am sure it cost something. As I went home from school that day and saw the progress being made, I was stunned. The front door could be seen from the road. The deep, rich, dark brick of the two story home was stately. I was soon coveting  wishing I lived there!

This home stumbled into my thoughts again this week as I was reading Psalm 51:10:

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a right spirit within me.

On a daily basis I need a heart makeover. I need a professional trimming service to come in a clean up all the debris, dead stuff and maybe underneath all that there will be a slight glimmer of growth that can be nurtured and shaped up. Lately I've been more aware of what this sprucing up costs. The cost that was paid on a cross for all of this...the life that was given in place of my own, the grace that I walk in daily, the extreme love that is making over my life....leaves me breathless and choked up as I write this. Oh What a Savior!!! Thank you for saving this dilapidated soul from ruin.

Proverbs 9 -Correction

Proverbs 9: ⁷ Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults; 
   whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse. ⁸ Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;
   rebuke the wise and they will love you. ⁹ Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;
   teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.

Have you ever been corrected by someone? Depending on what kind of mood I am in can really influence how I take the correction. According to Proverbs 9:7-9, a wise person takes correction and grows from it. It really doesn't matter what kind of mood I am in, or even who is doing the correction, I can learn something. 

I also noticed in these verses that they ward against spending to much time correcting the foolish (mocker, wicked). In fact it warns that you could be insulted or abused for it. The fact is it is better to be wise and corrected, than to be foolish and abusing. Anyway you look at it, wise people know how to take correction, instructions and rebuke. They will grow, learn and apply the correction and discipline to their life. 

That's the kind of person I want to be. Yes, it hurts our pride a bit when we are corrected. Yes, it might knock us down a notch of two...but in the scheme of things I'd rather be teachable, moldable and ready to grasp hold of the things God has for me, than too proud to accept that I don't know it all. 

I wanna be wise...taking hold of the truths of God's Word.

Searching for the "Write" words

I was writing a lot for work today. Press release for a new book due out in April, emails to perspective reviewers, followup emails to media outlets, emails to clients about calendars...where I wrote what I have been doing all day, Emails to boss, blog posting on professional blog....and the list goes on. Thank God for the delete button though! So many times I begin writing, only to find myself searching for just the right word. You know- the one that will sound the best, be the most descriptive, give the best visual picture of what I am trying to say. I use the delete button when I change my mind, misspell or don't like a word I use. When I find that perfect word, it just oozes a good feeling. Complete. Enough said. Descriptive. Picturesque. I love it when it all comes together.

In a recent conversation with someone who thinks outside the box, we were talking about the accuracy of the scriptures, the inerrant of the Word of God. We both agreed that though there are many other books that are good, and many men and women who teach the word of God accurately, that the Bible we have today is inerrant, infallible and trustworthy. It's completeness, wholeness and entirety may be debated through the ages, but the most important issue at hand is that it is exactly what we need for everyday of our lives. It is the perfect, inspired word of God- written by men who I am sure never in their wildest dreams believed that they were contributing to something so big. Translated by men who solely devoted their lives to nothing less than accurately translating, copying and binding the words of God. I can imagine them searching for the best noun or adjective to describe something and the great sense of something bigger than themselves running through their veins.

Searching for those write words can be frustrating sometimes. When we finally find those words you know it. The manuscript has a flow to it, people can sense your passion and love for the book. Others catch a glimpse of what you are trying to say. May we all be in search of the "write" words as we strive to live a life full of passion, expectation and humility before the Lord. After all this isn't a draft copy we are writing on.

Safety in the Light

How many times do you get up during the middle of the night and stumble getting to the bathroom? This is a regular occurrence at my house. I stumble to the bathroom nearly every night...through the maze of dirty laundry piled on the floor, stray shoes and misplaced toys. It's probably one of the most dangerous feats of my daily life (ok...besides tasting Bruce's tuna chili or BBQ wienies.)

Wednesday (after I lost my Internet connection- which I just got back tonight- in case you've wondered where I have been) Tucker and I were playing a dangerous game of Nerf football in the house. It was terribly overcast outside, maybe even raining, and the living room was darker than usually for 5pm in the afternoon. I over-threw the ball and it bounced down the very short hallway we have. Due to the overcast skies and the solar screens on the widows, the hallway seemed way too dark to Tucker. He looked at me and with a timid look said, "You get the ball?" I said "You can turn on the light". He looked at me as if I had just given him such tremendous truth- a light bulb moment for sure! -and ran to the light switch and tip-toed to turn it on. Then he triumphantly returned the Nerf ball with an excited winner's smile.

He felt safe in the light...the same way I feel scared for my safety as I wander through my house after "lights out"- he felt scared of the darkness looming in the 6 feet of hallway space in my house. But as soon as the light was turned on....BINGO! Everything was A-OK.

I've thought about that a lot since Wednesday. The spiritual corelations are just too obvious. Isn't it true that when we are stumbling around in this world of darkness that it can be very scary. We don't want to walk around without a light, we don't know what might be looming, ready to trip us up, hurt us or cause us to stumble. Yet, as soon as we turn on the light, things appear brighter, better and more clear. The things that lay in our way are still there but we can walk around them avoid them and even clean them up when they are exposed by the light.

I'm so thankful that I have a relationship with the Light of the World- that His Word is a light to my path- He is the bright and morning star....leading the way, shining the light and exposing the darkness. With him, we are safe.