Ministry Is Not What I Thought

min·is·try  (mn-str)

n. pl. min·is·tries

a. The act of serving; ministration.

b. One that serves as a means; an instrumentality.

 

  When I think of Ministry I think of going to Seminary for 4 years, I think of out of my league, I think it's nice to serve on a team where someone else tells me what to do.  What I don't think is, is that I personally have my own Ministries. That God would ever use me so significantly because I would probably mess it up. After all I have no training, no formal education on how to be a Minister- Ministry leader.  So when a very kind women {Robin} told me that my two most important Ministries are my Husband #1 and my Daughter #2, you could of pushed me over with a feather. For lack of better words I was dumbfounded!  I have never heard this or even considered the fact that I minister to them.  I don't know why, I just never have.

  My husband is not saved.  Which proves very difficult when trying to raise a child with Christ-like teachings.  There is a reason the bible says "Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness?" 2 Corinthians 6:14 KJV.

                                                                                                                                                                              

Picture from/christianity201.wordpress.com/

Real quick side note, what do you think of when you hear yoked, I always thought of EGGS and I never could quite understand what an EGG had to do with Christianity.

<---- But this is a yoke                                          

Do you see how the two ox are held together, that is a yoke.

When you are "yoked together" with someone who doesn't believe as you and you are trying to go in separate directions in life, it doesn't lighten the load, it makes it load quite harder to pull. 

 

 

 

 Robin shared with me this passage of  scripture "In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior. " 1Peter 3:1-2 NASB.  And that is my deepest desire, That my husband decides to Accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! 

  So... Here's the tough part, I have to make a bunch of changes in who I am and how I behave in order to fulfill this role just in regards to my husband. But I am up for the pruning!

 

Dear God, Please take away all of the parts of me that keep me from being who you made me to be. Please God give me the Wisdom and Strength it is going to take to become the Wife Ernie Needs and DESERVES. God Please bless this Ministry you have placed in my life. I pray that I do not fail You or Ernie. Please Guide my actions and attitudes.  Thank You for the opportunity to work in your Kingdom.

In Jesus Name I Pray,

AMEN

 

 

I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.

Philippians 4:13 KJV

 

Missing Something

My Pastor has been preaching a series called Missing Something. It has been a series that really makes you reflect. I stopped today to remember who I was before I surrendered to Christ. I wasn't a good person, I lied, stole, and cheated my way though life.  I had been neglected and abused in some way my whole life.  After I learned who I was in Christ I started demanding better for myself, I prayed for God to deliver me from the hands of the people who were, at the age of 24, still abusing me. I am not the same abused and broken girl I once was then, but I still have deep wounds that only time and God can heal.
  Pastor Ralph's teachings have been about having The Joy of the Lord, Being Humble, Having Confidence, and Perseverance and Focus.
     The Joy of The Lord; When you think about JOY, you think overwhelming happiness. But the Joy that you have, learn to have, when you are a Child of God, is more of a confidence. It's KNOWING who God is and KNOWING that he uses everything in your life for GOOD.
       Being Humble; A humble person is someone who is grateful and doesn't think too highly of themselves, but for me I believe it is more than that. Being Humble is more for me about Mercy and Grace and well as Gratitude and Honor.
        Confidence isn't about a good self-esteem and who You are ALONE, but about Knowing Who God says you are and Knowing who He is and KNOWING He always does what He says.
         Perseverance and Focus; Well I think this is the simplest of concepts but the hardest in application, well at first and sometimes in the middle and at the end as well.  Keeping your Focus on God when your "world" is crumbling around you. But that's the thing, your world isn't crumbling!  The Enemy whispers those lies trying to get you to take your eyes off of Jesus, forgetting the very important fact that God works EVERYTHING in your life for GOOD. Staying to Fight each Battle to be able to WIN the WAR!!
   When the scars start to open, I need to stay focused on the One Who Saved ME!! The One who cut the chains that bound me to a life of abuse. My Daddy is God and my Big Brother is the Big Bad Jesus him self, and with them being for me, Who can successfully stand against me!

Thank You Pastor Ralph Morris for being obedient to God!

Only By God's Grace, Learning To Live Humble

  God has given me the gift of being able to cook well as well as the gift to enjoy it, a lot! Well today I figured I'd make up a batch of Duncan Hines brownies, Duncan Hines NEVER disappoints me! NEVER! Well I must have overcooked them, because they were the driest brownies EVER!! No wonder no one at the party ate more than one! But the good part about this is, tomorrow they will be covered in vanilla ice cream and hot fudge!! They will be yummy, even if I have to add 1000 calories to them to make them editable!! lol
  I believe that I have been too proud of my cooking. I also believe that God is humbling me in this regard.  I know that pride is the fastest way to Hell and the fastest way to lose friends.  The Bible says: The pride of man will be humbled And the loftiness of men will be abased; And the Lord alone will be exalted in that day, Isaiah 2:17 (NASB) . I know that just as easily as God  gave me this gift he can take it away in a heartbeat.  I do not want to tempt him, yet I catch my self boasting that I am a good cook or I find myself comparing my food to my friends food. How audacious of me to think that my skills or gifts are better than someone else! James says this, But as it is, you boast in your arrogance; all such boasting is evil. James 4:16 (NASB) or How about this in Jeremiah 9:23 (NASB)

Thus says the Lord, "Let not a wise man boast of his wisdom, and let not the mighty man boast of his might, let not a rich man boast of his riches; But in Romans, it shows us that boasting in the Lord is good; Romans 15:17 (NASB) Therefore in Christ Jesus I have found reason for boasting in things pertaining to God.

   I have a friend who doesn't have a Gift for cooking, she does a good job but admits to lacking in that department.  She is the most creative person, OMGoodness, she pulls ideas out of her head for craftiness that I only wished that I could do what she does. But I would NOT trade my cooking ability for her crafting ability, no way, no sir!!  Being able to put a good tasty meal on the table for my family is part of the fabric of who I am!     Here is a great thing about friendships and family, we can play off each other strengths and talents.  We can help one another, teach one another, go to one another for ideas and help. Isn't that what being a christian is all about? Helping each other strive and grow through the love of Jesus Christ. Check out what Paul says in his second letter to the church in Corinth, For the love of Christ controls us, having concluded this, that one died for all, therefore all died;  2 Corinthians 5:14 (NASB). I am so incredibly grateful that God has given us his infallible word to live by! With out it, With out Him I would be LOST!!  I love being christian!!  God is So Good, All the TIME!!

God Bless!

Lazy Train

  As I look around my small 2 bedroom mobile home trailer, I realize that I have been stuck on a Lazy Train lately.  I do not believe there is a flat surface that doesn’t have something on it. My kitchen is so incredibly cluttered! I don’t know how to fix it with no real storage space. The main culprit is my depression. I think I have been depressed since I was very little, like elementary school days. I finally started taking some meds for it the end of last year. The past 2 months though I haven’t taken them very regular at all, which is why I believe I am stuck on this “Lazy Train”.  It is so easy to get overwhelmed when you are depressed, the simplest of tasks are completely daunting.  A couple loads of dishes to wash can “look” like and seem like every dish in the house is dirty; so I put it off and by the time I finally get enough gumption to it, every dish in the house is dirty. It is so funny, I can clean someone else’s house with no problem for the most part, but to clean my own…

  We all have sin that we struggle with , and mine is Laziness.  I have struggled with laziness my whole life.  It wasn’t until recently that I realized that it was a sin.  Laziness is ruining every aspect of my life.  I know that it is laziness that is the reason my Scentsy Business hasn’t really taken off the ground yet!  Laziness is the reason my daughter has behavior issues. Laziness is the reason My Husband is unhappy in our marriage.  Laziness is the reason we don’t yet own a house.  Laziness is the reason I am over 100 lbs over weight.  Laziness is the reason my home is SOO incredibly cluttered.  Laziness is the reason!  

    The bible is very clear on this matter  Proverbs 13:4 (AMP)  The appetite of the sluggard craves and gets nothing, but the appetite of the diligent is abundantly supplied.   And for those of us who do crave, but still can not get off the couch,  Proverbs 6:6 (AMP)  Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider her ways and be wise!--  Ants work very hard, and they work together in community! So lets imagine being an Ant, running around gathering food and making tunnels and whatever else it is that ant’s do, they are constantly working. We Do NEED to be more like the ant!

  As I am asking For God's help with this I will let you know my progress! I really want to overcome this sin and I know that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 (NKJV)  I know that I am nothing without the Lord Jesus Christ.

  Father God, Please help my friends and I overcome our sin. We do not like falling short of your glory. God please give us strength and wisdom as well as a kick in the tail when needed.  In Jesus Name, Amen

 

 

 

 

The Tongue Is The Hardest Member To Tame

Has a friend ever hurt you with their words and you were scare to say anything because you were afraid they were going to get defensive and blow up?   I know I sure have and I usually just stuff whatever it is down deep and keep a mental log of how they hurt me.  Well I am the friend who did the offending this time. I have made comments in a friendly teasing way (to me at least) and other comments that just plain out sounded like criticism or judgement.  I just found out that a very good friend of mine (I would consider Best Friend) was ready to write me off because of my tongue.  I am so very glad she came to me and told me that I was hurting her with my words.  Because hurting her is the very last thing I would ever want to do to her! I thought that I was working hard at getting her to trust that I was a safe friend and that our friendship could be amazing, but what I was doing was showing her that I was better than her and she was for lack of a better term a peon.  Man do I feel like pond scum right now!  I have always known that my mouth gets me in trouble and wow, did it ever!
    Proverbs 18:21 (AMP) Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they who indulge in it shall eat the fruit of it [for death or life].  Wow This verse really says it! I surely do not want our friendship to die! This is something that I will be praying to God for wisdom in! I want to only speak love and encouragement into the lives of my friends and family. This verse in Job will be a verse I am going to live by!  Job 16:5 (AMP) [But] I would strengthen and encourage you with [the words of] my mouth, and the consolation of my lips would soothe your suffering.  Thank you so much to my dear friend, who I hurt with my words. For allowing me to right a terrible wrong! I am so incredibly sorry for making you feel less than.
  If your friendship is worth it please speak up about your hurt.  If your friend thinks its worth it they will do anything they can to fix it.  Now all I have to do is build up her trust, man is this going to be hard! But WORTH IT!!!!
 

Dirty Feet

My husband and I love to go garage saleing. Today we went to few sales, but because if the threat of rain, we only found 3. Two of the sales were very small and not worth stopping at. But the last one was in the country down a long gravel road was big and had lots to shop, so we stopped. I quickly found a plastic kids bowling set and knew I had to have it. As I walked back to our pickup truck to grab my purse I noticed the dust in grass was pluming around my feet. I felt so embarrassed for others to see my feet so incredibly dirty, covered in a white chalky dust. I quickly paid for my purchase and got in the truck with my family. I looked down at my dirty feet and I grabbed a tissue and tried to wipe off the dust.
We stopped at a gas station to get some drinks and snacks. Jena and I went into the restroom and we washed our feet and sandals. It was at that point my mind went to the last supper where Jesus washed his disciples feet.
Could you imagine, Jesus, God in the flesh, kneeling down washing your feet.
Seeing where you have been, how you take care of your feet, or lack thereof. For me, it would be embarrassing. For one, I should be washing his feet, He is my God, my Savior. I owe him my EVERYTHING !!
Second, I should be being a good steward and taking care of my own feet. On that same page, if The Great I AM can wash my feet, why is it so hard for me to not complain about cleaning up after my family? This something I will be working on through God's grace! How amazing is our God, he uses something as simple as dirty feet to remind me to be a good steward of my home! PTL