Is Asking Enough?

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. Matthew 7:7-8

For me when I first began trusting God completely, this verse held a lot of meaning to me. At the time I had really screwed things up, at any moment our home could have been taken from us. I clung to the promises in this verse, if I asked it would be given. So I asked and asked and asked.

God indeed saved our home, but not without me learning things along the way. At times I would fall back into the same foolish spending habits. Then a wake up call would happen; we'd fall behind and could face losing our house once again. Each of those times we'd fall to our knees asking and believing somehow God's glory would come through again. Each time He did.

During this journey I've come to learn that God isn't a genie. Sure it says here to ask and you will receive, but as we read and study further in this section it says God will give good gifts to those who ask him. What God gives is a gift, a blessing. Since we are given a gift, we need to be thankful for it. Not use it the day we receive, only to forget about it the next day.

There have been times when I've asked God, expecting to receive the gift and He said "No" or "Wait, it'll come." Last year, there was an opportunity to go on this wonderful expedition. There was one little problem or 10,000 little problems. For my husband and I to go we would need $10,000 by a certain date. I prayed, "Lord, this would be exciting and something we'd like to do, so the only way we could do this is to receive $10,000. Thanks." 

The due date came and went and as you've might have guessed, $10,000 never showed up. I guess this wouldn't have been a good gift for us.

Now on our fridge hangs a list of things we need to do or would like to have. I placed it there a few years ago not knowing when any of the things on this list would be filled. In fact, the list has hung there so long I forget it's even there. Recently, it caught my eye and I realized that all but three things have been accomplished.

These things I may have prayed for at one time or another, maybe I said "Lord, when you can." But like the list hanging there I'd forgotten I'd asked. Somehow through His great gifts He has allowed us to accomplish some of things on our list and not end up scrapping bottom to do it. I really don't know how, except God gives good gifts to his children.

As I look back, I realize all the mistakes I made. The great thing is though, through these mistakes I have learn that God will supply all our needs and even some of our wants. We just need to ask and then trust He has great plans for us.

Overcoming the Flesh

Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then I myself in my mind am a slave to God's law, but in the sinful nature a slave to the law of sin. Romans 7:25 NIV

Have you ever had a thought pop in your head that didn't come from you? There a have been a few times this has happened to me. Most of the times the thoughts are great ideas. There have been a few times though a thought crosses my mind and I know in an instant this is not my thought or God's. This thought has come from Satan himself.

Immediately, I ask God to remove this from my head because I know clearly this is not something I would do. I ask him to remove it from my brain and throw it as far as the east is from the west. He does, so it is very surprising when several months have passed and this same sinful thought comes into my head again.

Concern fills me. Why can't this temptation just go away forever? I don't plan on acting on it, it's not in my nature. I ask God to remove it again, but the fear is there that it will return.

"Why does it?" I wonder. Could it be that God is about to move in a big way if I allow Him? Is that why Satan is trying to stop me?

Am I becoming a slave to my thoughts? Worried that it'll happen again?

Temptation is all around us, always lurking to suck us in. What better way is there for Satan to gain some points than for a person who claims to be a Christian to fall into sin? The media is always on the look out for a good person to fall into temptation.

The thing is we are all sinful, if we say we aren't we are only deceiving ourselves. "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." 1 John 1:8-9

I don't know about you much I'd much rather admit what I've done or not done and be purified. So God purify me and help me to be a light for you.

Admission For Church

Worship the Lord with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Psalm 100:2 NIV

The other day a strange thought crossed by mind. Maybe it's because we have been trying to figure out why church attendance keeps dropping. It seems that meeting at church to worship with other believers is just not high on every one's priority list. Anyway a thought occurred to me, "maybe we should charge for worship."

It seems we are willing to pay for things that are important to us. We pay for our kids activities, our activities, professional sporting games, movies, amusement parks, so hey why not start paying to come and worship the Lord.

I believe attendance would certainly be better. Once you've paid for the something you're going to go because it's not like you're going to lose money by not attending.

The thing is though would you come to church worshiping the Lord with gladness or would you come demanding things be a certain way, after all you paid for it. Once the money's been spent you hope to get your money's worth.

Truth is the price has already been paid.

Once upon a time there was a child born of a virgin. He grew up and taught, healed, and prayed. He knew what his mission was, He really didn't want to go through with it, after all the cost would be high. Still He faced what he must do.

He was beaten, blood poured from his body for us. He was nailed to a cross and died there in excruciating pain. His last breath was with thoughts of us, "Father forgive them they know not what they do."

But this was not the end. On the third day He rose from death. He conquered eternal death so we could have eternal rest.

Isn't that price worth it? Isn't spending one hour out of one hundred sixty-eight out of a week worth the sacrifice? Don't let the what He did be wasted.

Spend sometime this week worshiping the Lord, all those other things don't mean much when it comes to eternal peace.

A Mother's Teaching

Listen my son to your father's instruction and do not forsake you mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. Proverbs 1:8-9 NIV

"Don't touch that, it's hot."

"Stop screaming!"

"No running in the house."

"Don't hit, no name calling, and no pushing!"

Words most of us mother's speak at one time or another. Some of our children pushed the banner anyway by touching the hot burner, falling in the house, or ending up in a big fight because they didn't listen to us mothers.

For me these phrases haven't stopped for several years. I even spoke them before I had children. When your work with children these phrases are part the norm usually with the same results, the kids pushing their limits.

These phrases though are not my most important teachings. For each child that has come through my home I hoped I taught them that God loves them. I try to let them know that everyday. One of the phrases we used to say a lot was, "that's OK God loves me anyway."  A spill would happen and I'd say it encouraging him/her that it was alright. The best time though was when I would spill something and I hear the young voices saying, "That's OK Ms. Diana, God loves you anyway."

Mothers are to nurture and guide their young children to walk with the Lord. Mothers are there when we fall down, when life is amiss, and as an encourager.

We grieve when we lose our mothers or as mothers we grieve when one of our children has lost his/her way. Some of us grieve because we haven't had the chance yet to be mothers.

This Sunday as we honor our Mothers look back upon all that your mother taught you and walk in the ways she taught.