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Remember the glow of pregnancy, especially as you awaited your firstborn? Thoughts of that dear little life you would soon hold, fragranced each day. Our firstborn was a son, the first boy in my mother’s family. To say he was cherished and doted upon was putting it mildly. However, Jonathon was not a child to be cuddled. As he grew, he was into everything. If the air quieted, I knew to run quick. One day, as I ran around the corner to check on him, I discovered him putting daddy’s black shoe polish on the parquet floor of the living room. Although quite a challenge, I wouldn’t have traded a minute of it. Childless Hannah asked the Lord for a son (First Samuel 1:11). With her request she vowed to raise him as a Nazirite (no haircut). God answered her prayer. Hannah named him Samuel which meant ‘heard of God.’ Upon weaning him, she returned with her family to Shiloh where she brought him before the priest Eli. “For this child I prayed, and the Lord has granted my petition made to Him. Therefore I have given him to the Lord; as long as he lives he is given to the Lord. And they worshiped the Lord there.” (First Samuel 1:27, 28). Samuel would have been two or three years old. Hannah kept her vow even at great cost. She dedicated Samuel, or literally ‘made him over’, to the Lord. Hannah left her young firstborn son with Eli, and returned to her home. To have earnestly desired a child and then to leave him behind, what must she have felt? The Lord not only gave her peace but He blessed her with three more sons and two daughters. Samuel grew up to be the last judge, the first prophet, and a kingmaker of Saul and David. What a wonderful example of a mother’s relationship to the Lord. She was earnest in prayer (First Samuel 1:10-11, 15), faithful to God (1:28), pure in worship (2:1 – 10), and devoted herself to her family (1:24; 2:18 – 19), which resulted in God’s blessing. May we like Hannah pray, “My heart exults and triumphs in the Lord; my horn (my strength) is lifted up in the Lord,” First Samuel 2:1 AMP. As I contemplated what to write for this post, I was reminded of a Sunday morning when our granddaughter was with us. With her eyes noticing every change in the sanctuary from the flowers to the worship banners, she remarked, “Grandma, look!”, pointing to the banner at the rear of the choir section up front. ‘All For His Glory.’” Her eyes danced with the excitement of those words. Do you ever need reminded of what is right in front of you? I do. Whether we are parents, running to and fro with activities and obligations; grandparents, helping to fill in when needed or having the complete care of a grandchild; or just individuals with a full plate of work, relationships and responsibilities, life has a tendency to run away with us. What were we created for? First Peter 4:11 (AMPV) reads, “… Whoever renders service, [let him do it] as with the strength which God furnishes abundantly, so that in all things God may be glorified through Jesus Christ (the Messiah). To Him be the glory and dominion forever and ever (through endless ages). Amen (so be it).” Whether we speak, eat, or serve, all that we do should be to His glory. Glory defined by Webster reads, “1) praise, honor, or distinction extended by common consent; 2) worshipful praise, honor, and thanksgiving; 3) something that secures praise or renown.” Giving God glory does not just happen in the worship service. It can be caring for a loved one, showing kindness, teaching a class, serving on a committee, or making treats for Vacation Bible School. Or, it can be as simple as giving someone a hug. A Few Faith Quotes:“That is what gives Him the greatest glory – the achieving of great things through the weakest and most improbable means.” – Thomas Merton, The Sign of Jonas “What is the freedom of the godly man? Being absolutely nothing to and wanting absolutely nothing for himself but only the glory of God in all his works.” – Meister Eckhart, in Franz Pfeiffer, Meister Eckhart, translated by C. de B. Evans “To live and work for the glory of God cannot remain an idea about which we think once in a while. It must become an interior, unceasing doxology.” – Henri J.M. Nouwen, The Way of the Heart “All for His glory” is a choice that can become a mindset. May we bring Him more glory every day until He comes to call us Home.
After a three hour drive, we arrived at the diner where a surprise birthday party was being held for my father. All of his family had arrived earlier. Dad struggled to walk up the ramp with his elbow crutch, a necessity following his stroke years before. As he entered the special room, tears of joy coursed down his cheeks. Family was always important to Dad. As my mother, sister and I followed in behind Dad, we were greeted by aunts, uncles, and cousins. Care had been taken with makeup, shoes, and dress. The reunion was delightful. One of my uncles came walking over and gave me a hug. “You really turned out okay. You were always the ugly duckling and look at you now.” A complement, yes. However, it confirmed my impression of growing up. Always thankful for the hand-me-downs until my classmate made mention that I was wearing her old coat, or the niece that had to remark how her dress looked on me. James Dobson in Hide or Seek says, “We are not what we are. We are not even what others think we are. We are what we think others think we are.” Close contacts color self-perception regardless of upbringing. I recently read about self-esteem on My Quotes of Encouragement which brought to mind the previous story. Brenda’s bottom line revealed seeing ourselves from God’s point of view. He loves us and gave His life that we might not only have eternal life with Him, but to live abundantly now. Positive Faith QuotesFinding the positive things about that heavenly relationship strengthens each one of us. We are loved and totally accepted by God. We are a new creation through Jesus Christ, with intelligence, talent, and gifted by God (Ephesians 4:11). Our hope, our faith is in God. When feelings of not measuring up surround us, think of this verse from Isaiah 49:16. “Behold, I have indelibly imprinted (tattooed a picture of) you on the palm of each of My hands;” AMPV. God holds us close to His heart. Feeling valueless today? Ask God for a hug and expect a blessing. There’s an old chorus that goes, “I keep falling in love with Him, over and over, and over and over again.” That may be a lot of ‘over’s but the point remains that loving God is not a one- time action. Remember how it felt when Jesus came into our heart and life? Excitement, joy, and peace flowed within. It is the same as when we seek our life mate. We express our love by spending time with that person, watching our behavior, buying gifts, and looking our best. Our focus is on the one we love. Deuteronomy 6:6 reads, “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your [mind and] heart and with your entire being and with all your might” (AMP). It repeats in Mark 12:30 as the first of the greatest commandments. Our Lord loves us with an everlasting love. Can we do less? A favorite hymn reads, “I come to the garden alone… and the voice I hear falling on my ear, the Son of God discloses.” He awaits our fellowship. “And the joy we share, as we tarry there, none other has ever known.” The joy of fellowship has no comparison. Time spent in prayer with the Savior is priceless. It can happen at any time, any place. Reading His word helps us to conduct ourselves with family, friends, and neighbors. We are His servant and His ambassador. The second greatest commandment from Mark 12:30 tells us to love your neighbor as yourself. Are we living and loving accordingly? Our conduct gives glory to the Father and exemplifies His love and mercy to those we come in contact with. Loving Him gives us love for others – local and foreign missions, or the homeless. In this economy, missions are appreciative of offertory gifts. Tithes should support our home church. Some church groups support missions by work days at a local mission site. How we appear to God is seen through the blood of His son shed on Calvary. Cleaning takes just moments. Are we washed in the blood of the Lamb, or do we still have sin smudges showing? Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart.” Have you fallen in love with Him lately? With the year having ended and looking toward April 15th, a few good faith quotes will come in handy. ~ It doesn’t matter how great the pressure is. What really matters is where the pressure lies. Whether it comes between me and God or whether it presses me nearer His heart. – Howard Taylor, Hudson Taylor’s Spiritual Secret ~ Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully. – First Peter 5:7, AMP God cares about our stress makers. For many, number one on the list is filing income taxes. For some no stress exists. Fill in a few lines, sign and date, and out the door it goes. Others need to itemize whether for their medical or home owner advantage, or because of owning a business. Here are a few suggestions to make tax time a bit easier. Label some file folders or large envelopes to hold deductible expense receipts. For example: medical (prescriptions, eye care, doctors, etc.), contributions (charity, donations, church tithes and offerings), home owner expenses (mortgage interest), paid taxes (property, etc.), miscellaneous (moving expenses), and work (union dues, work clothes, safety equipment). Check with your local, state, and federal guidelines to see which expenses are acceptable. Make another file for income (interest from savings, certificates of deposit) or any other income receipts which may be taxable. The final wage stub of last year would be good to compare with the W-2. Save wage stubs from multiple jobs. Use the same idea for business. Expenses go in one folder, income in another. Breakdown depends on the size of the business. It’s good to check with an accountant if you are not sure about an item. If an accountant does your taxes, he/she would appreciate the organization. By having places to put these items, it reduces stress. Prayer is a good stress buster as we give these concerns to the Lord. Trusting God grows our faith and honors Him. ~ The recurrent needs of every day are all known to God. A full reliance can be put upon all His promises. – W.E. Sangster, He Is Able The cold January evening started out with a church fellowship. Discussion was interrupted by the ringing of the telephone. It was our oldest daughter calling. Our two youngest grandchildren had been involved in a traffic accident and were being life-flighted to the hospital. It would take two hours for us to reach them. Their mother, our youngest, was living in another state nine hours away and already en route. Immediately the pastor gathered all around for prayer. He and his wife decided to drive us down and lend support. Our thoughts were on the three year old granddaughter and her eighteen month old brother. How frightening to experience the accident and then to be taken by strangers. I prayed for my ‘babies’, for wisdom for the medical staff treating them, and for journey mercies for all of us traveling. Even though it would take time to arrive, God was already there. When we arrived at the hospital, we were able to talk with one of the ER doctors. He told us that two vehicles behind our grandchildren were two EMTs going off duty. They saw the accident and were able to assist immediately. Both of our grandchildren had gone through the windshield. The youngest was treated in his car seat. At the ER, three doctors worked feverishly to put his tongue back together. Our granddaughter had a cut on her chin and a broken jaw. Their mother arrived in the wee hours of the morning to find her son in the PICU heavily sedated. Her daughter was released the next day. God had provided emergency staff before we even knew about the accident. He provided the right doctors needed to stitch the wounds. Only a hint of a scar remains on our granddaughter’s chin and our grandson has no after effects of almost having cut his tongue off. Our trust, God’s provision. ~ And it shall be that before they call I will answer; and while they are yet speaking I will hear. — Isaiah 65:24
Wayne Martindale in The Quotable Lewis remarks, “Put first things first and we get second things thrown in: Put second things first and we lose both first and second things.” Thoughts of the New Year generate new ideas or beginnings. There is the New Year’s Resolution: weight loss, healthier eating, exercise, more meaningful family time, financial savings, or a new project. Hebrews 12:1 reminds us to “lay aside every encumbrance (unnecessary weight)” so that we may run the race (life) that is before us. Rather than the concept of new ideas is the preference to dump the trash or anything else that holds us back. Distractions that keep us from our goals, holding on to resentment, bitterness, unhealthy relationships, are but a few entanglements. Pain, grief, and sorrow require the element of time and faith to heal. An old adage says, Let go and let God. A Faith Quotes ResolveHalfway through the twelfth chapter of Hebrews we read, “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet,” (verses twelve and thirteen, NASB). In other words, strengthen the weak areas in life and think through your goals and plans. When spring brings warmer temperatures I head to my flower garden with rake and gloves. All the debris of winter is removed to the trash can. Dead limbs are pruned and the rose bush cut back. Surveying the empty landscape, I envision what plants and other work will be needed to create the summer flower garden. The trash and the treasure. Verse 14 says to live in peace with everyone and pursue that set apart and holy relationship with the King of Kings. What a great plan for the New Year! Are your gloves on? Tis the season for harried shoppers, frazzled mothers, weary store clerks, and exhausted do-gooders. Are you experiencing too many jobs to be done in too few hours, or maybe too much month at the end of the Christmas cash? Take heart. Here are some faith quotes to get you through.  Serenity Faith Quotes for Contentment:~ My crown is in my heart not on my head; …my crown call’d content; a crown it is that seldom kings enjoy. – William Shakespeare, King Henry VI Faith Quotes for Quietness:~ Christ’s existence was ruled by a great silence. His soul was ‘listening’. It was given over to the needs of others. In his innermost being he was silent, not asserting himself, detached. He did not grasp at anything in the world. Thus he overcame in his life the power of habit and daily routine, of dullness and fatigue, and created within himself a carefree tranquility, a place for every encounter. – Ladislaus Boros, In Time of Temptation Faith Quotes for Serenity:~ I am serene because I know thou lovest me. Because thou lovest me, naught can move me from my peace. Because thou lovest me, I am as one to whom all good has come. – Alistair Maclean, in God in Our Midst The best help for these busy days is found in Psalm 46:10, NKJV, Be still and know that I am God. He is the author of contentment, quietness, and serenity. Why not take a few minutes now with the King of Kings? With the holidays fast approaching, hope is in the air. One of my favorite faith quotes is found in Hebrews 11:1, Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. Ask a child, he is hoping for gifts. Teens hope for romance. Adults hope for acceptance, acknowledgment, or friendship. Faith trusts that we will like our gifts when we have yet to know what they are. Love can’t be seen but we believe it exists. The entire eleventh chapter of Hebrews is about faith; men believing God’s promises. In our youth, we believed just about anything our parents told us. Today’s youth aren’t as trusting. Looking back to days of old, we believe that God’s son was born. We did not see it, yet we have faith it happened. We did not see His death, burial, and resurrection, but by faith, we believe it for forgiveness and salvation, hope of heaven, and hope of eternal fellowship. ~ Faith leads us beyond ourselves. It leads us directly to God – Pope John Paul II. ~ Faith is to believe what you do not yet see; the reward for this faith is to see what you believe – Saint Augustine I’m looking toward the nativity of Jesus Christ, and believing the blessings it brings: peace, love, joy, and most of all hope for all mankind. Are you hoping? Fear comes in many shapes and forms. For an infant, a sudden noise produces a fearful wail. Shadows and dark areas cause havoc in young children and adults alike. Students fear retribution of exam grades. Becoming an adult does not bring an end to fear. Fear of making wrong decisions, fear of the unknown, fear of the economy, politics, and the world at large. Anxiety can control, demean, and ruin our daily lives. The opposite of fear is confidence. But where does it come from? A Faith Quotes SolutionAnxiety is the rust of life, destroying its brightness and weakening its powers. A childlike and abiding trust in Providence is its best preventive and remedy. – Author unknown. Confidence comes from God. …if God has you, then He has your yesterdays and your tomorrows. He has your yesterdays and forgives all that has been amiss in them; He has your tomorrows and will provide grace and power to meet them. – E. Stanley Jones, Growing Spiritually. There is no fear in love [dread does not exist], but full-grown (complete, perfect) love turns fear out of doors and expels every trace of terror! – First John 4:18, AMPV. When someone loves you, as God does, you have confidence to conquer fear, confidence to love others. A mother’s love conquers fear’s first steps and the child goes forward. The confidence of love gives a young man courage to seek his mate. From Isaiah 26:3, NKJV, You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You. No God, no peace. Know God, know peace. |