Have you ever typed your name into a search engine to see what was "out there" about you? I do this periodically just for the fun of it. I did it just a minute ago and found an old post that I ended up re-reading and enjoying. I hope you get out of it what God intends to share with you through it. Here is the link....
http://sunshine-church.blogspot.com/2006/05/some-of-my-insights.html
I just sent this to a friend because I felt a spiritual nudge to do so. I thought I'd share it here with you all as well.
“For it is God's will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish men. Live as free men, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as servants of God.”
(1 Peter 2:15-16)
For the past couple of days, I've been listening to my dad talk about being a Marine and being in the war in Vietnam. My dad is very descriptive when he's telling a story and he and I share a good imagination.
Daddy was telling Tim and I about one particular situation where he (as squadron leader) was trying to get his men to take cover because the explosions were getting too close to them. He said they all just stood there with their mouths open when he yelled for them to do this. He then had to pick something up and act like he was going to hit them in order to get them to move to safety. Daddy said before long, everyone was hiding somewhere and then he realized he needed to find someplace for himself to go. In a panic, he began to look around for anywhere he could fit. He said one guy hollered "Hey, Taylor! There's room in here!". Daddy said there were 3 men in that fox hole and he had to get down in there the best he could on top of the men. He said he was still sticking out some but it was better than nothing. Things were exploding all around them and every one of them missed him. He said that was just one of the many, many times that he survived. He has said many times that the only reason he is still alive is because "I had a praying mommy back home". Daddy said that the whole time he was in Vietnam, he felt like he was in a big protective bubble. He says he remembers running through this area where things were being blown up all around him and people where being shot next to him and he wondered why he was being spared.
When dad was talking about trying to get into that fox hole and there being barely enough room for him, my imagination got the best of me. I was transported to that day and time and there I was in a tearful panic trying to shove my daddy into that hole so he wouldn't be blown up.
It angers me to hear stories of what happened when these guys came home from the war. There was no thanks or respect given to them. This happened before I was born, but I'm alive and well now and I want to say THANK YOU TO YOU ALL! YOU MATTER TO ME!
My dad risked his own life because your life mattered to him! If you're not thankful for that, then maybe you should spend some time out in the trenches trying to stay alive.
My dad is a brave man and I love and respect him for what he stands for and what he fought for. God spared my dad in the war because He has great plans for him and the people's lives he would touch later in life. God knew my dad would come to Him in the future and so God waited. He waited until the time was right to call my dad to Him. Now, my dad fights in a different kind of war. This is a war on his soul. My dad is a fighter and my dad knows how to win.
See you in heaven, daddy!
Thursday, I saw something that always brought loads of excitement to me as a child. I saw the JCPenney Wish Book! Each year I see it either at the store or lying around in someone's house. Everytime I see this book, I forget for a split second that I'm an adult and I get so excited.
I remember when mom would bring the Wish Book home when we were little. My two sisters and I would look at every single toy in the book on every single page (except for the "boy stuff" because it was "boy stuff").
Mom told us to go through the book and circle the things we wanted and mark the circle with the first letter of our name so she would know who wanted what toy. Some of the things had all 3 letters (J.R.B.) because we all wanted the same thing. This, for the most part was a good way to guarrantee we would get it. If it was cheap enough, mom would buy 3 of them because she knew we would fight over only one. As it was, we were already fighting over who got to look at the Wish Book first and the fact that so and so already saw the book and it was our turn and so and so was taking too long, etc.
There is still a book out there that holds everything I dream of having. There are still people fighting over it, too. I like to underline my favorite things in it and go back and look at those same things again and again.
It's the bible. Let's share it!
Recently, our church congregation spent time putting together shoe boxes full of clothing, toys, books, toothpaste, tooth brushes, etc. for children all over the world. This is done through an organization called "Samaritan's Purse" and is referred to as "Operation Christmas Child".
The reason I'm writing about this, is not to draw attention to something good and honorable that Christians are doing in our community, but to draw attention to the heart of a child. The heart that God wants us to have in order to enter Heaven.
My neice is going to be 7 years old next month and has always had the softest heart when it came to caring for others. I took a little time to teach my neice and nephew about what all these boxes are for and how we are trying to put together wonderful presents for kids all over the world who otherwise won't have any Christmas presents. This touched both of them very much and it was quite easy to get them to want to fill up some shoe boxes with all sorts of things. They had a blast looking for just the right things with just the right colors (as you know, color is important to kids).
When the last few boxes were being put together, there was a box that didn't have very much at all in it because there just wasn't anything left to fill the box with. My neice, without my knowing it, decided to go through her toys (that she had just received brand knew only hours before) and put those same toys in that child's box. She then proceeded to create another shoe box, without my knowing it, by adding ALL of the toys and crayons to the box, that she had brought to that night's event for herself to play with. Everything was given and given cheerfully!
What can we as adults learn from a child like this?
Matthew 18:1-4
"At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, "Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?" He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: "I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "
I have taken care of children most of my life because they are my passion here on earth. Something that has been very hurtful to me is discovering that the young children I once took care of don't remember me now that they're grown.
They have lost touch with me over the years and have forgotten all of the things I did for them when they were small. I wiped their dirty butts several times a day. I've been puked on, drooled on, peed on, spit on, kicked, scratched, hollered at, and a load of other things. I still love them ALL a great deal. As a matter of fact, I don't think any of them could ever know just how much I love them.....then AND now.
I didn't take care of these kids just so I could have money. I took care of these kids so I could raise children and love them like they should be loved. Making money was secondary to me. Quite frankly, a person doesn't do this kind of job.....at least not for long.....unless they love the kids. You take so much from kids that you would never put up with from an adult....or for that matter, any other job.
In my opinion, the most important job in the world is the care of people. This especially applies to the raising of children. If you are looking for a babysitter, be very careful who you choose because they will be the person that raises your child while you are gone. What's important to your babysitter, will be impressed upon your child. You know as well as I do that children imitate what they see and hear. Be careful. Think about the future and what kind of adult your child is going to be by the way they behave now.
The situation with so many kids not remembering me and all I've done for them in the past, reminds me of something spiritual.
How well do we remember what God has done for us?
Aren't we quick to forget? We have no idea how much He loves us because we cannot grasp the fullness of His sacrifice to gain that which was lost.......us. We don't know what it's like to give up our only son for the wreched lost ones. We don't know what it's like to love someone so much that we give up everything we have and lay down our lives to the point of death.....all the while, being made fun of and cussed at and beaten and whipped and, and, and, etc. How could we ever relate to that?
It amazes me how easily we forget things involving our salvation. It makes me wonder if we would forget Hell if we were to get a sneak peek at what it's like. It makes me wonder if we would forget Heaven if we were to get a sneak peek at what it's like. I think the problem with us, is that we don't realize the severity of our sin and exactly what we were saved from.
If we really knew how much sin cost, I don't believe we would forget. Satan likes to keep us so preoccupied with things going on around us that we don't have time to think about what Jesus did to forgive us. If Satan can make us forget that we are forgiven and going to Heaven, he'll be able to convince us of all kinds of lies, like how hopeless we are and not worth God's love or attention, etc.
God is God and we are not. God doesn't forget anything except our sin when we are washed by the blood in baptism and become a new creation. He absolutely cannot forget you! I have never forgotten one of my kids that I took care of. So, how much more will God remember us? He is God! He doesn't have anything better to do than to take care of us. We take up all of His time and that's just the way He's always wanted it. God doesn't waste His time either. The only way anyone can waste time, is to spend time doing something that doesn't matter. Everything God does with His time matters. We are at the top of His to do list and we stay there.
Don't you see? He loves you!
One of my good friends, Chris, has a blog that I read often. He just turned 30 on Monday and decided to write about it. After I replied to his post, I thought my comment might make a good post for my own blog. So here it is....
I'm glad you don't have a problem with being thirty. When I turned thirty, I didn't have a problem with it, although I have friends who did concerning themselves getting older.
I have never really had a problem with aging. I have more important things on my mind than to worry about getting fat and wrinkled. I figure, hey, it's gonna' happen whether I worry about it or not, so why worry and ruin my happy days with it all.
Thirty three was a big year for me because I couldn't stop thinking about what age Jesus was when he was crucified and how I've been given the gift of a longer ministry than He....well, on earth in a physical way.
In a sense, it's almost like being given a second chance or something. We get to stay longer and love more and help more and serve more, etc. Jesus gets to do all this through us if we will let Him.
I know Jesus longed for home with God, but I have to wonder if He would have liked to stay just a little while longer here on earth and do some more of what He began. Only He can answer that. All in all, the greatest thing in the world happened to us at the same time the worst thing was happening to Him. He died so we could live.
Hallelujah!!
It all had to be bitter-sweet for Him because it hurt so badly to be killed by the ones He was saving. But, oh how good it must have felt after it was finished and He knew what the outcome was going to be for us.
Victory was won!
Jennifer
P.S. If you would like to visit Chris' blog, here is the link:
http://soulscapenet.blogspot.com/
