Clipped Wings

Have you seen the Athenos Greek Yogurt commercial with Yiayia? (Greek, for grandmother)  http://youtu.be/JmD-wDEeOds   It opens with a charming young couple, all a flutter with love, sharing breakfast. The off camera announcer asks what their plans are for the day.  The young man eagerly replies while his lady love hangs on every word with coquettish adoration. The announcer breaks in, "That's wonderful" he says, "let's see what Yiayia thinks". Yiayia cuts to the chase.... with this sweet expression upon her face and a suspiciously syrupy voice to match Yiayia asks, "are you two married"? her voice rising at the end of her question.  Young woman looks at her man with flirtatious eyes, a little giggle and gives Yiayia a sheepish reply, "well no"!  Still maintaining that sweet expression Yiayia does the shame, shame, shame thing with her fingers and says: "but you are living together? ..........."    OK I'll cut in here: You go Yiayia... she tells those kids where they are headed and the expression on the young couples face fades rapidly to shock & bewilderment. Of course the announcer breaks in here and explains Yiayia approves of  the Athenos Greek Yogurt. Scene fades out with Yiayia helping a motorcyclist slow down.

Even our commercials present sin against God with such worldly beauty that what use to be wrong is now appearing right. What a cover up the deceiver has accomplished.  It seems to be perfectly acceptable for skimpily clad young women to parade about.  Young men wear ill fitting clothing and look permanently disheveled. The language and self serving actions follow any old whim that appears on the horizon.  Of course there are exceptions, like your kids, grandkids and mine but don't you just get irritated with what you see around you?  Each generation suffers the indignity and rejection of their standard operating procedure. I think I must be feeling the sting. Sometimes I just want to scream! Then suddenly a previously unknown section of my mind takes control of my mouth and immediately produces: "put some clothes on", "pull your pants up", "get a hair cut" and "use some words with more than four letters". "Try some good manners", "be kind", and  "be considerate of those around you". IT'S NOT ALL ABOUT YOU!  But of course just like my generation, each upcoming generation knows best.  Where is all this headed Yiayia?

A pearl to string: Artificial intelligence is no match for natural stupidity. It doesn't give you wings - it clips them. If God lives in us, then there's no way of keeping Him from "showing through". That's the essence of Christian living - living in such a way that people around will see God in our lives. Not shouting it or getting bonged on the head with a placard of love. Ok - I'll put my soap-box away!

"Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven."  Matthew 5:16

Staying with a truth I can count on His truth never changes.

You are loved,

                 Lyndi

The Bride

I came across a question a few weeks ago that set my mind on fire. It burned for days and days getting my heart caught up in the tortuous pondering until my soul joined the mêlée of sorrowful conjecture. My goodness you say, what on earth would disturb you so? Here’s the question I’ll let you ponder it’s depth for awhile. Did you ever stop to think about what a bad deal Jesus got when He chose us to be His bride?

Ugg! I can’t bear the pain of that question. I’ve grown into the belief over the last 49 years with Coach Wonderful that marriage is the one relationship on earth that prepares a person for the intimate relationship with Christ Jesus. Why you ask? It’s the one relationship that teaches you to die to yourself on a daily basis or the marriage relationship dies. There seems to be a cultural impression that a good marital relationship is an inalienable right. Folks appear to be escaping marriage commitments by the droves with the thought there is someone else out there with whom a good relationship will be easier. Good grief, didn’t anyone read the fine print? Relationships are going to have their challenges and even the best of them will be severely tried. Dan Haseltine wrote in Relevant magazine a few years back, “Look at the marriage of Jesus… the one with the bride who sleeps around, never listens, disowns, scorns, dishonors, runs away, intentionally proves to be more interested in anything but her husband, is selfish and bears the children of every affair and the scent of every escapade. It was a marriage that killed Jesus. And it was the Gospel that brought Him back to life to love once more”.

Our groom Jesus doesn’t look for a way out. "I will never leave thee." -- Hebrews 13:5 He waits expectantly and with great love for his bride while she clothes herself in wedding attire. He isn’t thinking about Himself or His own rights. He is thinking about us. He sees us as holy, blameless and beautiful. He sees the completed bride that He paid for and washed clean through the healing blood of His forgiveness on the cross. With that kind of love shinning on us we should be able to see each other that way, die to ourselves and live offering one another to Jesus in love.

A pearl to string: Mark Steel said, “Jesus can turn water into wine, but He can't turn your whining into anything”.   None of us will find peace within ourselves until we find peace in God’s gift of eternal life. 

Humbled by His continuous grace,
                                       Lyndi

Resurrection Mural by Ron DiCianni

A friend sent me a copy of this wonderful artwork by Ron DiCianni that is now on display in the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas, Texas.

Pictured from left to right: Abraham, Isaiah, David, Moses, (an angel on either side of Jesus), Elijah, Noah, Queen Ester, John the Baptist, Daniel.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us"

Hebrews 12:1 verse used for artist's inspiration

Watch Video!

By Ron DiCianni
March 28, 2010

Every artist longs for the definitive subject to paint, the one that captures a moment in time, hoping that viewers will put themselves there. Mine is the Resurrection. The one act in history that separates Christianity from every philosophy, every religion, and stops the mouths of every critic of Christ. Some may choose to ignore it, but none can deny it.

Two years ago, the Museum of Biblical Art in Dallas, Texas, asked me if I would consider painting a mural on the theme of Jesus’ resurrection. After praying and summoning up the courage to face such a task, I agreed. My only solace was in knowing that God had promised me many years ago that He would hold my hand whenever I painted. Knowing that the God of the universe is with you is what caused David to confront Goliath, Elijah to stand alone against 400 crazy prophets, and is what sustained Jesus when faced with the cross.

Taking my cue from Hebrews 12:1, I envisioned Christ emerging from the tomb with many heroes of the faith waiting for Him. These Old Testament faithful were able to see the One who fulfilled what they could only have dreamed of!

On a more practical note, I have to laugh when I think of how God loves to go against the grain of our comfort zone. I paint on a mechanical lift that raises a small, unsteady platform quite high off the floor. For as long as I can remember, I have been terrified of heights! Isn’t that just like God to make us face the very thing that proves He’s bigger and stronger than our fears? No question who is going to get the glory from such an assignment!

The mural required extensive preparation. Every costume for each model was hand-made. Every prop for the photography (for reference to paint from) was professionally made. The tomb was custom sculpted for me by the same people who had worked on such films as Indiana Jones. I even solicited the help of four prominent Christian painters. Thomas Blackshear posed as Abraham, Michael Dudash as Isaiah, Morgan Weistling as David, and Chris Hopkins as John the Baptist. The reason for all the effort? Whatever we, as artists, put our hand to, ought to be the best for our King! To Him belong the best efforts, time and talent we possess. No one else should get better treatment for the greatest message of all!

When I look at the finished mural today, I see in the details reminders of God’s guidance.

You might miss some of these messages at first glance. Notice the rock beginning to crack under Christ’s feet due to the earthquake. Look up to the top right of Noah and see the dove flying across the rock. On Moses’ belt in Hebrew are the words “I AM.” (Jesus used those words to describe himself in John 8:58.) On the angel’s swords are the letters for Alpha and Omega. On the top of the swords is the Star of David. Notice the “keys of death and hell” tied on Christ’s belt. The three kneeling figures are David, Esther and Daniel … royalty bowing to the greatest of all kings! In the right top background is Mount Calvary, also known as “the place of the skull.” You can see the hint of a rainbow above reminding us of the promises of God.

With any of my paintings, my prayer is that viewers will have a personal encounter with Jesus Christ as their Savior. Friend, have you met Him? Has the Resurrection brought you new life? You can discover that life today.
________________________________________
RON DiCIANNI is an internationally recognized artist. His paintings depicting the four cardinal doctrines of the Assemblies of God are on permanent display at the Fellowship’s headquarters in Springfield, Mo. Prints of this mural are available at TapestryProductions.com. A portion of the proceeds from Pentecostal Evangel readers will provide Bibles for African AG pastors.

Jeruselem.... OBITUARIES..... 33AD

I Am The Door

There is a story told of George Adam Smith, the 19th century biblical scholar traveling in the holy land and coming across a shepherd and his sheep. Not exactly an unusual experience but it was in the course of conversation with that shepherd  the man showed him the sheepfold into which the sheep were led at night. It consisted of four walls, with a way in. 

Smith asked him, "This is where they go at night?" 

"Yes," said the shepherd, "and when they are in there, they are perfectly safe."

"But there is no door," said Smith. 

"I am the door," said the shepherd.

He was not a Christian man and wasn't speaking in the language of the New Testament. He was speaking from an Arab shepherd's viewpoint. 

Smith looked and him and asked, "What do you mean you are the door?"

"When the light has gone," said the shepherd, "and all the sheep are inside, I lie in that open space, and no sheep ever goes out but across my body, and no wolf comes in unless he crosses my body; I am the door."

God's Word tells us in John chapter 10: " Therefore Jesus said again, “Very truly I tell you, I am the gate for the sheep. All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them.  I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep".  (John 10:7-11).

A pearl to string: Only Jesus can save us from sin. Muhammad cannot save us. Buddha cannot save us. Krishna cannot save us, nor can Joseph Smith, Mary Baker Eddy, or even the law of Moses.  Nothing opens heaven's door except the One who is the door, and that is Jesus Christ. Just makes me want to break out in song:

Oh, how He loves you and me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.
He gave His life, what more could He give;
Oh, how He loves you, Oh, how He loves me,
Oh, how He loves you and me.

He does you know...

God loves you and me.

Happy Resurrection Sunday,

                                     Lyndi

SIMON

A pearl to string: Sometimes things are so good you just have to share them. Max Lucado's devotional, "Simon from Cyrene Carries Jesus' Cross" is just one of those good things I just have to share with you.

“A man named Simon from Cyrene, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was coming from the fields to the city. The soldiers forced Simon to carry the cross for Jesus” (Mark 15:21)

Simon grumbles beneath his breath. His patience is as scarce as space on the Jerusalem streets. He’d hoped for a peaceful Passover. The city is anything but quiet. Simon prefers his open fields. And now, to top it off, the Roman guards are clearing the path for some who-knows-which-dignitary who’ll march his soldiers and strut his stallion past the people. “There he is!” Simon’s head and dozens of others turn. In an instant they know. This is no dignitary.  “It’s a crucifixion,” he hears someone whisper. Four soldiers. One criminal. Four spears. One cross. The inside corner of the cross saddles the convict’s shoulders. Its base drags in the dirt. Its top teeters in the air. The condemned man steadies the cross the best he can, but stumbles beneath its weight. He pushes himself to his feet and lurches forward before falling again. Simon can’t see the man’s face, only a head wreathed with thorny branches. The sour-faced centurion grows more agitated with each diminishing step. He curses the criminal and the crowd. “Hurry up!” “Little hope of that,” Simon says to himself.  The cross-bearer stops in front of Simon and heaves for air. Simon winces at what he sees. The beam rubbing against an already raw back. Rivulets of crimson streaking the man’s face. His mouth hangs open, both out of pain and out of breath.  “His name is Jesus,” someone speaks softly.  “Move on!” commands the executioner. But Jesus can’t. His body leans and feet try, but he can’t move. The beam begins to sway. Jesus tries to steady it, but can’t. Like a just-cut tree, the cross begins to topple toward the crowd. Everyone steps back, except the farmer. Simon instinctively extends his strong hands and catches the cross.  Jesus falls face-first in the dirt and stays there. Simon pushes the cross back on its side. The centurion looks at the exhausted Christ and the bulky bystander and needs only an instant to make the decision. He presses the flat of his spear on Simon’s shoulders.  “You! Take the cross!”   Simon dares to object, “Sir, I don’t even know the man!” “I don’t care. Take up the cross.” Simon growls, balances the timber against his shoulder, and steps out of the crowd onto the street, out of anonymity into history, and becomes the first in a line of millions who will take up the cross and follow Christ.

He did literally what God calls us to do figuratively: take up the cross and follow Jesus. “If any of you want to be my followers, you must forget about yourself. You must take up your cross each day and follow me” (Luke. 9:23 CEV).

Happy Resurrection Sunday

You are dearly loved,

                            Lyndi

Jesus Rose

A carpenter by trade, Earl was involved with the demolition of an old dilapidated apartment building in town  While tearing out the walls he discovered an antiquated note.  He opened it carefully.  It had been protecting a dried up red rose.  He read the signed note with great interest, because he recognized the names. "This little rose was given to me on our first-month anniversary. I hung it inside this wall with the hope that all who live in this apartment will be as happy as we have been."

    

The two people mentioned still lived in the community and were still married. Hugs and tears of joy followed when Earl hand-delivered the single dried rose and vintage note!

    

Another person might have ignored the rose, or called it junk and tossed it. However, Earl recognized it for what it was: love.

Ah love... the Beatles sing: All You Need is Love. Mary J Blige sings Love Is All We Need. Céline Dion sings about the Power of Love. In the love chapter of God's Word 1 Corinthians 13 Paul calls love the greatest of all.  Love is not a noun to be defined but a verb to be acted upon.

   

A pearl to string:  What makes love so amazing? For starters, it is what inspired the Father to send His only Son to die for us. Without love, there would have been no redemption for mankind. Not only would we be without love, but without the redemption that was activated by love, there would also be no faith, and no hope. You see, nothing else matters, without love. It is foundational for every other good thing in our lives.

Jesus rose from the dead. Some deny it. Some refute it. Others leave the resurrection hanging where they found it -- no decision for them. But others see that Jesus Rose and understand the message. And they want to pass it on. Have you seen the Jesus Rose for yourself?

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life".

The Jesus Rose, the emblem of God's love

In His fragrance

                      Lyndi

"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (1 John 2:17)

ROSE

Recently I went sideways with an atheist on face book.  This particular atheist happens to be a relative and for the sake of family cohesiveness I didn't choose to do battle but a friend of mine stepped up to the plate with my blessings.  Oh my goodness she was amazing.  Tough in battle, brilliant with her well chosen words. Scripture was her battle sword.  Cool was her spirit.  My agnostic relative was puffed-up with anger and wound up declaring he was God but quickly recanted and put a less offensive moniker to his final punch.  It was interesting to witness.  I realized that I am not wired for that kind of a battle. Yikes, I nearly drowned in my own tears I was so upset.  I love this relative and I have deep concern for his soul. It was easy to see that there are no winners.  One can't hit another with a Bible.... no one benefits - no one grows.  God's Word is love and for me arguing can never produce love.   Jesus died for us but didn't stop there.  Jesus rose from death so we might live.  How can there be a greater love than that?

 Isn't the resurrection of Jesus Christ a verifiable fact from history?  And doesn't Christ's resurrection answer the question of Christianity's validity from being merely a philosophical issue to being a historical one?  It seems only those who never study the evidence -- or who refuse to listen to its testimony -- could deny the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Josh McDowell (The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict) comes to mind as one person in recent history that set out to disprove Christ's resurrection -- only to become a believer instead!  What an incredible ministry arose from his quest more than 40 years ago.

A pearl to string: It remains a fact: Confucius' tomb, Buddha's tomb, Mohammed's
tomb, and Lenin's tomb are all occupied. But Jesus Christ's tomb is EMPTY!

"I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death." REVELATION 1:18 NKJ

I am preparing my heart and mind to remember and celebrate Resurrection Sunday the Easter I always knew.....

May love always lead the way

                                          Lyndi

FUNdamental

There was a Scottish tradesman, a painter called Jack, who was very interested in making a pound where he could. So he often would thin down his paint to make it go a wee bit further. As it happened, he got away with this for some time.

Eventually the Presbyterian Church decided to do a big restoration job on one of their biggest churches. Jack put in a painting bid and because his price was so competitive, he got the job. And so he set to, with a right good will, erecting the trestles and putting up the planks, and buying the paint and...yes, I am sorry to say, thinning it down with the turpentine.

Well, Jack was up on the scaffolding, painting away, the job nearly done, when suddenly there was a horrendous clap of thunder. The sky opened and the rain poured down, washing the thin paint from all over the church and knocking Jack far off the scaffold to land on the lawn.

Now, Jack was no fool. He knew this was a judgment from the Almighty, so he fell on his knees and cried, "Oh, God! Forgive me! What should I do?"

And from the thunder, a mighty Voice spoke, "Repaint! Repaint! And thin no more!"

Ok, groan.... it's an old story but if  you are continually tripping over the same problem you might consider a different approach.  The tribal wisdom of the Dakota Indians, passed on from generation to generation, says that, "When you discover that you are riding a dead horse, the best strategy is to dismount."  However, in government, education, and in corporate America, as with some Christians more advanced strategies are often employed, such as:

1. Buying a stronger whip.

2. Changing riders.

3. Appointing a committee to study the horse.

4. Arranging to visit other countries to see how other cultures ride dead horses.

5. Lowering the standards so that dead horses can be included.

6. Reclassifying the dead horse as living-impaired.

7. Hiring outside contractors to ride the dead horse.

8. Harnessing several dead horses together to increase speed.

9. Providing additional funding and/or training to increase dead horse's performance.

10. Doing a productivity study to see if lighter riders would improve the dead horse's performance.

11. Declaring that as the dead horse does not have to be fed, it is less costly, carries lower overhead and therefore contributes substantially more to the bottom line of the economy than do some other horses

12. Rewriting the expected performance requirements for all horses.

A pearl to string:  Seems like God's Word gave us answers to problems before we ever  encountered them.  Why do you suppose that His wisdom is last on many lists? “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God” (1 Corinthians 3:19). but “The fear of God is the beginning of wisdom” (Proverbs 1:7).

Got problems?

Seek His wisdom,

                            Lyndi

A VIEW FROM THE ZOO

Which just happens to be the title of book by Gary Richmond. Illustrations from the animal world fill the pages with spiritual truths. The birth of a giraffe gives insight to life's trials and hardships.

When a calf is born, he falls ten feet and lands on his back. The mother then momentarily hovers over the newborn before kicking the baby head over heels, if the calf doesn't get up, he gets another good kick.

This process is repeated to stimulate his efforts. Finally, when the little giraffe gets up on his wobbly legs, the mother kicks him off his feet again. To an outsider such behavior seems cruel and unnecessary. (Ya think? Wow, I wouldn't make a very good giraffe) To the mother it is an expression of love. This first lesson in life helps the newborn to quickly develop the skills needed to move rapidly with the herd when predators are near.

Sometimes we feel as though God has no sooner gotten us on our feet when He turns around and knocks us down. The next time that happens, think about the newborn giraffe. God may simply be strengthening you for your own protection in the future.

"And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope.  Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us." (Romans 5:3-4)

A pearl to string: Perseverance and patience are two essential qualities for the followers of Jesus.  They were demonstrated by Christ and they help believers deal with adverse circumstances.  When I was a little girl my Grandmother taught me not to ask God for patience because the trials would increase but rather ask God for wisdom.  Patience is a gift of wisdom and perseverance is the joy of patience. I do not find those words specifically in God's Word but 2 Thessalonians 3:5  sure looks like the essence of wisdom "Now may the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the patience of Christ."

Be In His Love,

                    Lyndi

Me, Me, Me

I read in a Nancy DeMoss devotional that our lives are made up of endless variations on the word me. Our instinctive reaction to life is self-centered: How does this affect me? Will this make me happy? Why did this happen to me?  Good grief it's not enough that we each want to be the center of our own universe but we also want to be the center of everyone else's universe ---including God's. I don't think that's going to work very well. If everyone just watches out for themselves then who will serve those who can't help themselves?  Who will love the hurting peoples? Who will come alongside the oppressed and give hope?

Me-centeredness is so powerful and deeply rooted in our society that if we don't deliberately fight it we will undoubtedly live it and become veiled in false humility. I have to ask myself am I only enthusiastic and giving to efforts that involve me? Deliver me Lord! The more self focused we are the more unhappy we become.  It's true  - we were created to give outward - away from the center of self.

Tony Berti, an offensive tackle for Coach Wonderful's CU Buffs back in the early 90's said on face book recently: "Sometimes people's perception of us is not really based on us, but on their own issues and insecurities. The Lesson is that we have to be confident in who we are and know what we are about and know to try not to judge others based on our own issues and insecurities".

The years have taught me a most wonderful beauty secret with more visible results than any man made solution.... it's the study of God's Word.  "His Words evoke her beauty" (Ephesians 5:26-27^MSG)

A pearl to string: Joy is my balance marker.  If I'm out of joy I am out of balance. Joy is where I don't give myself room for an opinion.... I believe God and trust the outcome to Him.  He is the God of Hope: hope always points to the future. In God our future can always be dramatically different from our past.

"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit". (Romans 15:13)

Love you, you, you,

                          Lyndi

Trickle Down Parenting, by Joe Beam

Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ (Ephesians 5:21 NIV).

Did you know that according to marriage experts the first major crisis in many marriage relationships is after the birth of their first child?

With all the stresses of caring for a toddler, it's easy to see why trouble could erupt. To keep your marriage out of crisis, several things need to be considered.

Who's Your Baby?

One of the things I often say in my marriage seminars is that the reason the birth of the first child is often the first crisis in a marriage is because "mama has a new baby."

Before her child's birth, her husband was her baby. Maybe she woke up early to cook breakfast for him before he left for work, she paid close attention to him to ensure he was happy and comfortable and she planned her schedule around him. But when Heather's new baby, Tanner, was born, she altered her focus almost entirely.

When Jason got home from work, Heather hardly noticed. After a hard day of changing diapers, cleaning spilled milk off the carpet and listening to Tanner cry, her nerves were shot. Her exhaustion carried over to the bedroom, where the two hardly made love anymore.

Though Jason loved his son, he occasionally had feelings of resentment toward him.

What could this couple possibly do? They certainly would not ignore their child. But they would decide to ensure that they remembered their vows to each other.

Jason and Heather recommitted to making sure the other felt fulfilled and happy. They decided to reserve one night for the two of them to relax at home or go out for dinner. That night, a baby sitter whom they trusted would keep Tanner. Also, during Tanner's daily naps, Heather would nap. This way she could catch up on some of the sleep she lost from nursing Tanner during the night. After work, Jason prepared supper for Tanner and fed him while Heather cooked their supper. The two noticed a drop in stress simply because they refocused on each other.

Unity

After some time passed, Jason and Heather had raising a baby down to an art form. Though it was very hard work, they both felt a sense of pride in being parents and had renewed feelings of closeness and warmth for each other. However, the eye of the storm gave way to disaster when Tanner became a toddler.

Tanner learned that occasionally Jason gave in more than Heather. When Heather would put Tanner in bed for the night, Jason would often allow him to get in their bed. Heather did not like the loss of intimacy that resulted in Tanner sleeping in their bed and didn't appreciate Jason ignoring the rules she made for Tanner.

As Tanner began to learn he could go to "daddy" for a "second opinion,"

he would cry to Jason after Heather had said, "no." One day, when Heather went shopping, Jason kept Tanner. Tanner began asking Jason for a marker so he could draw. Both Tanner and Jason knew that Heather did not allow Tanner to play with markers. But Jason didn't think it would hurt anything.

When Heather came home to find the walls covered with scribbles, she was very upset. Jason hadn't noticed when Tanner snuck away from him.

I can't stress enough the importance of focusing on your marriage relationship!

The little guy had learned to manipulate Jason and Heather in order to get what he wanted. It wasn't because he was a bad little boy. It was simply because two-year olds live life only to please themselves. He would grow out of it in time, but until he did, Jason and Heather would have to set some more guidelines in order to protect their marriage.

They decided that they would determine rules together. And if one of them set a rule for Tanner to follow, that rule would stand simply because of the loyalty that existed between Jason and Heather.

It took a while, but Tanner learned that "mommy and daddy" were united in parenting. If one said no, the other did as well. This was difficult but Jason and Heather were determined to be just as focused on each other as they were on being parents.

To Be Good Parents, It Takes A Good Marriage

Though it's tempting to nurture our children above our marriage, statistics tell us that children in homes with parents in strong marriages are more successful, mentally stable and have more self-esteem on average than children in homes with parents in weak relationships.

In our make-believe scenario, everything worked out nicely for Jason and Heather. That isn't always the case. Therefore, I can't stress enough the importance of focusing on your marriage relationship just as much as you focus on being a good parent. By working to improve your marriage, not only are you helping yourself, you are helping your children.

If you have a son, he needs to see his father treat his mother with compassion, respect and love. If you have a daughter, she needs to see her mother treat her father with the same compassion, respect and love.

Not only will it help them in the future, but it provides them a pleasant home and a healthy attitude toward God's institution of marriage.

So practice the "trickle-down effect" with your family. The good things in your marriage will usually trickle down to your children and, hopefully, to their children and generations to come.

---------

  (c) 2011 Joe Beam <joe@joebeam.com>.

RELATED LINKS:

* Ahead of My Time

  http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200409/20040922_aheadoftime.html

* The Power of Influence

  http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200305/20030503_influence.html

* Stressed Out!

  http://www.heartlight.org/articles/200809/20080927_stressedout.html

* Marriage Helper

  http://www.marriagehelper.com/

Quiet me Lord

Ah, you are probably thinking she is going to pontificate on that wicked little tongue of ours.  With all the stress in the world around us the tongue can get pretty active for sure. However the scripture verse below set my mind to thinking how grateful I am that the Lord loves me so much and delights in me so much that he would quiet me with his love.

The LORD your God is with you, he is mighty to save. He will take great delight in you, he will quiet you with his love, he will rejoice over you with singing. (Zephaniah 3:17) 

Isn't that the sweetness and tenderness of the Lord that we all need?  To slow down, be calm, rest in the peace of his presence and be flooded with healing for our spirit. Breathe deeply and sigh out a wide range of emotional baggage.  Take you troubles to the feet of Jesus.  Don't explain them - he already knows - just set them there.

String a pearl: A prayer by Tom Norvell:  "Lord, I get loud sometimes. Not so much verbally loud, but my spirit gets loud. My heart gets loud. My mind gets loud. The world around me gets loud and the loudness overwhelms me to the point that everything within me and around me seems to be loud. So, Lord, please quiet me with Your love.
"In these times of unrest and confusion in our nation and world, I need to be quieted by your love, dear Lord. Decisions are being made that may well change the way we live and function as a people. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.
"As the years pass more rapidly than my mind can comprehend, I need to be quieted with Your love. I cannot keep up. I try, but I seem to fall farther and farther behind. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"In times of discouragement when I have failed to live like You have asked me to live, I need to be quieted by Your love.  In times of disappointment over dreams that have faded and when other people have failed to live up to my expectations, I need to be quieted by Your love.  Lord, please quiet me with Your love.  "In times of loss and my heart has been broken, I need to be quieted by your love. In times of sadness when a joyful spirit seems too much to consider, I need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.
"In times of suffering and pain as the result of another's actions or my own, I need to be quieted by Your love. In times when others are suffering because of my actions and I am helpless to undo what I have done, I need to be quieted by Your love. And they need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"In times of distress and anxiety over all that I must do, or feel that I must do, I need to be quieted by Your love. In times when life is so loud that I cannot hear my own thoughts, I need to be quieted by Your love. Lord, please quiet me with Your love.

"Unless You quiet me with Your love, dear Lord, my life will surely be filled with noises that may drown Your voice from my ears. Lord, I need to be quieted by Your love.
"When I remind myself that You are with me, when I contemplate Your power, when I consider that You take great delight in me and when I think of You rejoicing over me with singing because of Your love for me, I am quieted. My heart is quieted. My spirit rests.
"Lord, You have quieted me with Your love."

With His song I rest in His Quiet Love,

                                                 Lyndi

        

A Smile from Heaven by Susan Johnson

What Kind of Book Are You Writing?

by Mary Southerland

"I will be careful how I act and will not sin by what I say. I will be careful what I say around wicked people. I became very angry inside, and as I thought about it, my anger burned. So, I spoke" (Psalm 39:1, 3 NCV).

A young lady named Sally relates an experience she had in a Seminary class taught by Dr. Smith, a teacher who was well known for his elaborate object lessons. One particular day, Sally walked into the classroom and instantly knew they were going to have a lot of fun. On the wall was a big target and on a nearby table was a large stack of darts. Dr. Smith told the students to draw a picture of a person they disliked or someone who had made them angry and he would allow them to throw darts at the person's picture.

Sally's girlfriend drew a picture of a girl who had stolen her boyfriend. Another friend drew a picture of his little brother who was a constant irritation. Sally drew a picture of a former friend who had betrayed her. As Sally remembered the pain and hurt of that broken friendship, she put a great deal of detail into her drawing, even drawing pimples on the face. When her picture was completed, Sally sat back and gazed at her work, pleased with the overall effect she had achieved.

The class lined up and began throwing darts. Laughter and shouts of success rang out as each dart found its target. Some of the students threw the darts with such force that their targets were ripping apart. Sally was looking forward to her turn but was disappointed when Dr. Smith called time and asked the students to return to their seats.

As Sally sat thinking about how angry she was because she didn't have a chance to throw any darts at her target, Dr. Smith began removing the target from the wall. Underneath the target was a picture of Jesus. A complete hush fell over the room as each student viewed the mangled picture of Jesus; holes and jagged marks covering His face.

Dr. Smith quietly said, "Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me" (Matthew 25:40, KJV). No other words were necessary. The tear-filled eyes of each student focused only on the picture of Christ. 

Words are like seeds. What we plant will grow. The words we speak are powerful and will either build up or destroy. Words can diffuse anger and turn tragedy into triumph. The right word, spoken at the right time and in the right way can bring peace in the midst of confusion. God gives us "spiritual radar" so we can assess a situation and speak the right word for that circumstance, but how often do we speak before we check the radar?

·         A judge utters a few words and a guilty man is taken to death row.

·         A friend speaks a word of encouragement and a desperate heart finds hope.

·         A mother lashes out with angry words and the light in her child's eyes is gone.

·         A wife offers a word of forgiveness and a marriage is saved.

·         A gossip makes a phone call and a reputation is destroyed.

·         A teenager says "no" and changes the course of her life.

Father, I need Your help. I want the words I speak to encourage and build up the people in my life. Forgive me for the hurtful words I have spoken. Teach me how to speak the right words in each situation and how to think before I speak. And Lord, help me keep my mouth shut when I need to! In Jesus' name, Amen.

12 Reasons I Stopped Attending Sports Events

Thought it might be interesting to take some of the most common excuses for not going to church and use them to stop attending sporting events and here’s what you get:

1. Every time I went, they asked me for money.

2. The people I had to sit by didn't seem very friendly.

3. The seats were too hard and not comfortable at all.

4. The coach never came to call on me.

5. The referee made a decision with which I could not agree.

6. I was sitting with some hypocrites -- they came only to see what others were wearing.

7. Some games went into overtime, and I was late getting home.

8. The band played some numbers that I had never heard before.

9. The games are scheduled when I want to do other things.

10. My parents took me to too many games when I was growing up.

11. Since I read a book on sports, I feel that I know more than the coaches anyhow.

12. I don't want to take my children, because I want them to choose for themselves what sport they like best.

Hmmmm....Are our expectations a bit whacky? PEOPLE get a grip! If you are going to church to get something you will NEVER be satisfied. If you attend church to give something to your community you will be blessed beyond measure. The world loves, measures and rewards by performance according to their individual truth. God rewards for transitive giving.  He gave you a gift and when you use it to bless His people God responds with His loving abundance.

I love singing the words to the Prayer of St. Francis: "For it is in giving that we receive, It is in pardoning that we are pardoned, And it is in dying that we are born to eternal life".

Oh this beautiful paradoxical Christian life.

A pearl to string: St. Francis echoes the words of Jesus, "Freely you have received, freely give" (Matthew 10:8).  We only get what we give. Whether it's money, love, friendship, kindness, or even anger - it's in giving that we receive. What we give to this world we live in is important. If we give love, we get love. If we give hate, we get hate. It's a law, like gravity, that we can resist, but we cannot break.

R. G. LeTourneau, a Christian businessman, once said, "I shovel out and God shovels in - but God's shovel is always bigger."  It's true... God's got a bigger everything.  As my Coach Wonderful always says: "you can't out give God".

Love out my friends

                         Lyndi

Yellow Zebra

It use to be you were a daring sort if you colored outside the lines in life. I don't see so many daring types out in worldville anymore. I run into the sort that change content to serve their needs.  People seem to be making up religion as they go along. That is so strange to me. It sure makes  Proverbs 19 verse 3 jump off the page of my Bible: "People ruin their lives by their own foolishness  and then are angry at the Lord". What's up with that? Hey we all sin, we all fall short of the glory of God. We also equally have the choice to stay there and wallow or turn towards our Lord and away from our sin.

If we dwell on the lie that says,

“God doesn’t love me,”  it’ll lead us into bondage.

Satan watches for those vessels that sail without convoy. 

-- George Swinnock

The truth is that God does love you. Paul tells us how much in Romans 5:6  “At just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.... God demonstrates His own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Same Scripture verse via The Message. "Christ arrives right on time to make this happen. He didn't, and doesn't, wait for us to get ready. He presented himself for this sacrificial death when we were far too weak and rebellious to do anything to get ourselves ready. And even if we hadn't been so weak, we wouldn't have known what to do anyway. We can understand someone dying for a person worth dying for, and we can understand how someone good and noble could inspire us to selfless sacrifice. But God put his love on the line for us by offering his Son in sacrificial death while we were of no use whatever to him". Romans 5:6-8 (The Message)

A pearl to string:  You have probably discovered that you simply cannot trust your emotions because they are unreliable, misleading and will constantly betray you.  A family member can verbally blast you and rage consumes your spirit.  Your career is in decline and depression slithers into your heart.  Caught in the comparison trap, you find yourself avoiding those who have bigger, more influential jobs.  Anger is a constant companion, finances are tight and rest is a distant memory.  A sense of bone-deep weariness saturates your soul as your own heart ridicules the sincerity with which you serve.  "You might as well give up.  It's no use.  Just quit!" the enemy taunts. 

"Like a city whose walls are broken down is a man who lacks self-control." Proverbs 25:28 (NIV)

Negative emotions can take hold of and destroy a life void of emotional control.  Control puts emotions in their God-shaped place, discarding negative emotions as the spiritual leeches they are while safeguarding and reinforcing positive emotions.

Emotions are a gift from God.  While emotions themselves are not sin, the place we give them can be.  Since God created us with the capacity for strong emotions, we can rest assured that He will equip and empower His plan for managing them.

So many times we attempt to engage in a spiritual fight using natural weapons. That just won't work. Remember, God's Word is your weapon against the tactics of the enemy.

Stay in His Word and

Know you are loved,

Lyndi

SIN OUT

    

       "The chains of sin are too light to be felt until they are too heavy to be broken".  Tom Drout

      

   Do you ever think about sin?  I don't like the word sin nor do I like to sin! I do not think it's very ladylike. It's not very ladylike to sweat either so I use the term 'glow' when referring to the glisten of a workout session.  I suppose we use the word 'mistake' for the same reason. Sin just punches but mistake is a more palatable description.  What happens when we respond to sin sometimes? We decide to give into temptation, and we get a little check in our spirit. We ignore that check thinking that we will still be fine. Sooner or later though, just like the ground rising up to meet me, our sin reaches up hard with its consequences and there is no avoiding them any more. It's too late to turn back.  Sin always finds it’s root in our own selfish desires and self-gratification.

      

    We generally do not plan to go out and sin... at least not at first. We get tempted  - then we think about it a while. "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."  (James 1:13-15)

      

   Even if we manage to "get away" with sin, and believe that "no one knows", our sins will come back to bite us.  "There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs." (Matthew 10:26-27)

Sin will take you farther than you want to go,

Cost you more than you want to pay,

And keep you longer than you want to stay. ...

Not only does sin have consequences, but also each time we sin, we reinforce a pattern that becomes harder and harder to break. If we persist in sin with the thought that one day we will get right with God, we should remind ourselves that God may still be there to forgive and restore but we may not be.

A pearl to string:  Always have an emergency plan. First, run from the temptation. Second, when we fall, we need to return quickly to the grace and mercy of our loving Father, seeking His forgiveness. A fall into sin will not cause us to lose salvation, but it can damage our relationship with Father and have earthly consequences which haunt us the rest of our lives.  In other words, flee from temptation. But if you fall, rush back in the waiting arms of your Abba Father.

Stay safe in His Word,

                                Lyndi

Your Emotional Realm

Scary subject matter isn't it?  I've long  danced to the tune "why inject facts into this situation, that will just mess up a good emotional outburst".  Ever noticed how women can go from A to Z and men go from A to B.....what is up with that?  Coach Wonderful doesn't like me getting historical either. Good grief I only have two reaction it's either historical or hysterical. It is what it is or is it?

If any of us have been on planet earth more than three minutes then we have developed habit patterns in our emotional realm from the way we responded to the world around us. Some people burst into tears at any moment over anything and others almost never cry. Some are happy – happy – happy all the time and others never really “feel” happy. Some stay in an undercurrent of rage and, at the drop of a hat, can fly into anger and rage, which often seems shockingly ridiculous over something simple going wrong. In each of those cases, people have developed that habit pattern of reacting in their emotional realm to the things which have come their way in life.

One of the most powerful and sweetest gifts we have as Believers is the ability to forgive and how it affects our lives. Walking with an awareness that Jesus is living in me, empowers me to have my memories of my life up to this point, WITHOUT THE EMOTIONAL PAIN CONNECTED WITH THOSE MEMORIES. That would not be possible without forgiveness.

A pearl to string: People who live in emotional extremes have never learned how to control their emotions but instead let their emotions control them. I love how the Message states in Romans 12:15, we are to "Laugh with our friends when they're happy; share tears when they're down".  The only way I can do that is to allow myself to feel happiness and sadness with people when they are experiencing it. If I am continually all wrapped up in myself, and the way I feel, I can’t do that. Our emotions have been given to us by God because we are human beings. They are in our soul and help to make us who we are. It is good to have them. We can learn to control them instead of them controlling us.

Galatians 5:16 in the Amplified Bible says: “But I say walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).”

Leaning on Him,

                      Lyndi