I had some outpatient surgery the other day to remove a mole from my right shoulder. The doctor made sure the area around the mole was properly anesthetized by giving me multiple injections. Then he used his scalpel to make precision cuts to remove the problem spot.
The doctor had noticed the blemish during my physical some months before. I was actually concerned about another mark, but he declared that one fine and then expressed an interest about this one. He watched it for a few months and determined it was growing just a bit, so surgery was called for.
Besides physically, there are times when we need to remove something questionable within us that will ultimately affect us spiritually. Perhaps we are struggling with a bad habit or are flirting with a temptation. Whatever it is, God knows it is detrimental to our spiritual health, so he gives us warnings. We can either ignore these signs of danger, or we can allow Him to root out and cut away that which can cause us harm.
It will take about two weeks before my stitches can be removed. It will also take awhile for spiritual healing when God has performed His procedures on us. But we must remember that just like the removal of my growth was necessary, so is the removal of those personality flaws that prevents us from becoming the person God wants us to be.
Do you need surgery in your life? Let the Great Physician work on you!
Thursday, September 4, 2008
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Smears & Jeers
I do not like the mud slinging and name calling the elections bring. It seems like people try to dig up the most dirt just to appall and shock and discourage voters. What happened to looking at what the candidates can do for this country? What happened to decency and fair play?
Yes, we should be aware of shady politics and see how the candidates stand on issues, but that shouldn't be cause to badger family members. It's the candidate we need to hear about, not their children.
Too bad more people don't practice what David wrote in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer." If they did we'd have more civil behavior in our elections because we would be held to God's standards, not our own.
But then again, if this were a perfect world, Jesus would be the King of all and we wouldn't need to hold elections.
Yes, we should be aware of shady politics and see how the candidates stand on issues, but that shouldn't be cause to badger family members. It's the candidate we need to hear about, not their children.
Too bad more people don't practice what David wrote in Psalm 19:14, "Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer." If they did we'd have more civil behavior in our elections because we would be held to God's standards, not our own.
But then again, if this were a perfect world, Jesus would be the King of all and we wouldn't need to hold elections.
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Do They Know?
Who knows you are a Christian? Is it just the people you sit next to each Sunday at church, or your family members? Do the neighbors or fellow workers know?
Growing up we learned the song, “They’ll Know We are Christians By Our Love.” People should know we are believers even if we never say a word to them about Jesus. Our actions should speak for us. We’re not supposed to be hanging around the office cooler or the lunch room waiting to hear the next crude or off-color joke. We shouldn’t laugh at the misfortunes of others or mock those in authority behind their backs.
We are to be loving, even to those who irritate us. We’re supposed to reach out and be compassionate, even if we feel shy to do so. We’re not to hide our faith under the cover of false pretenses. If God is truly our God and our LORD, then we need to walk in His power and in His might and in His spirit. We need to be a reflection of Him because we don’t know if we will be the only Christian a person will ever meet.
Don’t be afraid to show you are a believer, even if it’s only by your deeds. Jesus said in Luke 8:16, “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under the bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.”
Let the world see your light!
Growing up we learned the song, “They’ll Know We are Christians By Our Love.” People should know we are believers even if we never say a word to them about Jesus. Our actions should speak for us. We’re not supposed to be hanging around the office cooler or the lunch room waiting to hear the next crude or off-color joke. We shouldn’t laugh at the misfortunes of others or mock those in authority behind their backs.
We are to be loving, even to those who irritate us. We’re supposed to reach out and be compassionate, even if we feel shy to do so. We’re not to hide our faith under the cover of false pretenses. If God is truly our God and our LORD, then we need to walk in His power and in His might and in His spirit. We need to be a reflection of Him because we don’t know if we will be the only Christian a person will ever meet.
Don’t be afraid to show you are a believer, even if it’s only by your deeds. Jesus said in Luke 8:16, “No one, when he has lit a lamp, covers it with a vessel or puts it under the bed, but sets it on a lampstand, that those who enter may see the light.”
Let the world see your light!
Saturday, August 30, 2008
Weekend Reflection
"Come to Me, all you who labor
and are heavy laden,
and I will give you rest."
Matthew 11:28 NKJV
Friday, August 29, 2008
An Interruption
Hissssss! The sound jumped out at me as I got out of my car yesterday afternoon. I had just returned from picking up my son from school, and I was dropping him off before I had to turn around and pick up my other three from their school.
But the persistent noise caused me to glance at my front tire and notice a huge bolt sticking out of the treads. Great! I knew if I didn’t act soon, I’d have a flat tire on my hands and three kids stranded at school.
I called my husband and we decided I would first try to replace the escaping air by using the compressor in the garage; then I would drive to Costco to plug the hole. Noticing that my time was short, I hurriedly filled the tire (although more seemed to be coming out than going in). Then, grabbing my son, we headed to Costco.
Thankfully, the tire center wasn’t very busy, but I would still have to wait beyond the dismal time of the elementary school. I decided to walk to the school (about a mile away), pick up the kids, and head back to retrieve the car.
Attitudes are funny. Some people grumble and moan; others take things in stride; and still others relish the challenge a situation brings. I had every conceivable emotion before me when I picked up the kids. One moaned and complained. Another thought it was fun. Another thought she needed to use the bathroom. And finally, one said, “I have an extra water bottle and some food if we need it!”
Life will always throw curve balls. Something will eventually come along at some time or another that will interrupt our routine. I’m trying to show my children that it’s better to deal with the situation the best way we can. Complaining will only make us feel worse and keep us from thinking of positive ways to deal with the problem. I really enjoyed the attitude of my one son who said he had plenty of supplies to help us along the way.
We can’t prevent certain circumstances from happening, but we can take charge of how we deal with them. Try to be hopeful and helpful instead of hopeless and harried.
But the persistent noise caused me to glance at my front tire and notice a huge bolt sticking out of the treads. Great! I knew if I didn’t act soon, I’d have a flat tire on my hands and three kids stranded at school.
I called my husband and we decided I would first try to replace the escaping air by using the compressor in the garage; then I would drive to Costco to plug the hole. Noticing that my time was short, I hurriedly filled the tire (although more seemed to be coming out than going in). Then, grabbing my son, we headed to Costco.
Thankfully, the tire center wasn’t very busy, but I would still have to wait beyond the dismal time of the elementary school. I decided to walk to the school (about a mile away), pick up the kids, and head back to retrieve the car.
Attitudes are funny. Some people grumble and moan; others take things in stride; and still others relish the challenge a situation brings. I had every conceivable emotion before me when I picked up the kids. One moaned and complained. Another thought it was fun. Another thought she needed to use the bathroom. And finally, one said, “I have an extra water bottle and some food if we need it!”
Life will always throw curve balls. Something will eventually come along at some time or another that will interrupt our routine. I’m trying to show my children that it’s better to deal with the situation the best way we can. Complaining will only make us feel worse and keep us from thinking of positive ways to deal with the problem. I really enjoyed the attitude of my one son who said he had plenty of supplies to help us along the way.
We can’t prevent certain circumstances from happening, but we can take charge of how we deal with them. Try to be hopeful and helpful instead of hopeless and harried.
Thursday, August 28, 2008
A Scripture for the School Year
God’s Word is amazing. It contains instruction, direction, hope, encouragement, admonitions, and reflections that are meant to influence our lives for God’s glory.
As I was reading my One Year Bible the other day, a Scripture seemed to jump out at me that essentially encapsulated my thoughts for my children for this school year. I was so excited by its message, that I called the kids together and read the following from 1 Corinthians 16:13-14:
“Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done with love.”
How applicable! In school they will not have the protection of their family around them. They will have to stand on the principles we have instilled into their lives since they were born. They should not be afraid since God is always with them and they can draw strength from Him. There will be times when they won’t be able to speak about Christ as openly as at home and at church, but they can show others about Christ through their love of others.
Looking for inspiration for your school year? Look into God’s Word. It is filled with nuggets of wisdom that will be a blessing to you and your children.
As I was reading my One Year Bible the other day, a Scripture seemed to jump out at me that essentially encapsulated my thoughts for my children for this school year. I was so excited by its message, that I called the kids together and read the following from 1 Corinthians 16:13-14:
“Be on guard. Stand true to what you believe. Be courageous. Be strong. And everything you do must be done with love.”
How applicable! In school they will not have the protection of their family around them. They will have to stand on the principles we have instilled into their lives since they were born. They should not be afraid since God is always with them and they can draw strength from Him. There will be times when they won’t be able to speak about Christ as openly as at home and at church, but they can show others about Christ through their love of others.
Looking for inspiration for your school year? Look into God’s Word. It is filled with nuggets of wisdom that will be a blessing to you and your children.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Warning Signs
God made our bodies with some amazing abilities, one of which is its warning system. When something is not working right, or a part of our body has been hurt, we experience pain. Teeth are a perfect example.
For over a month I had been receiving some warning signs when I would bite certain foods on the right side of my mouth. I didn’t think much about it at first, because the pain would be sporadic, but when it didn’t go away, I decided to see my dentist.
By the time my appointment came along (the dentist was on vacation), my gums were feeling sore. Upon examination, she found that I had one molar with a small fracture. Since I wasn’t having consistent pain on the tooth, she decided to have a wait and see approach. My gums needed to heal, and she wanted to rule out that my gums were initiating false pains.
Two weeks went by. The pain was now more constant, even when I drank water at room temperature. I returned to the dentist again, and now I have a temporary crown.
As I write this my mouth is extremely numb from the anesthesia, and I will probably start hurting in a few hours from the stress of the shots in my jaw and the intense drilling on my tooth. But this uncomfortable feeling far outweighs the pain I would have felt if I had ignored the warnings signs and waited for my tooth to completely crack.
God not only gives us physical warning signs, He especially warns us spiritually. If you are doing things that are against God’s Word, He will definitely send warning signs in a variety of ways: through a sermon you hear, through the comments of a family member, through someone else’s experiences, through an illness that grabs your attention, just to name a few. He warns us because of His great love for us. He knows what’s best, and He sees the path of destruction we’re heading down if we don’t turn back and follow Him.
It’s important to listen to the warning signs. Taking care of the problem could be a little painful and cause some irritations, but in the long run, you will find comfort and healing because you have placed yourself into the hands of God.
For over a month I had been receiving some warning signs when I would bite certain foods on the right side of my mouth. I didn’t think much about it at first, because the pain would be sporadic, but when it didn’t go away, I decided to see my dentist.
By the time my appointment came along (the dentist was on vacation), my gums were feeling sore. Upon examination, she found that I had one molar with a small fracture. Since I wasn’t having consistent pain on the tooth, she decided to have a wait and see approach. My gums needed to heal, and she wanted to rule out that my gums were initiating false pains.
Two weeks went by. The pain was now more constant, even when I drank water at room temperature. I returned to the dentist again, and now I have a temporary crown.
As I write this my mouth is extremely numb from the anesthesia, and I will probably start hurting in a few hours from the stress of the shots in my jaw and the intense drilling on my tooth. But this uncomfortable feeling far outweighs the pain I would have felt if I had ignored the warnings signs and waited for my tooth to completely crack.
God not only gives us physical warning signs, He especially warns us spiritually. If you are doing things that are against God’s Word, He will definitely send warning signs in a variety of ways: through a sermon you hear, through the comments of a family member, through someone else’s experiences, through an illness that grabs your attention, just to name a few. He warns us because of His great love for us. He knows what’s best, and He sees the path of destruction we’re heading down if we don’t turn back and follow Him.
It’s important to listen to the warning signs. Taking care of the problem could be a little painful and cause some irritations, but in the long run, you will find comfort and healing because you have placed yourself into the hands of God.
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