Funny Friday: The other day
Can anyone else relate to this?
“The woman hurried to tell her husband, “He’s here! The man who appeared to me the other day!” Judges 13:10 (NIV)
Funny Friday: The other day
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Pray for Your Enemies
Pray for Your Enemies
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48 (NLT)
Who do you automatically think of when the words “enemy” or “enemies” are used? Do you have a particular person come to mind? Does a certain situation play out in your mind? Is it personal for you or do you think about that word more generally (as in ISIS or terrorists, etc.)?
I think sometimes there are seasons of life. Sometimes we have personal enemies. Sometimes we don’t. Other times “enemy” might seem like too strong of a word, but we still harbor feelings of hurt or abuse caused by someone else. It can be difficult to think of these people who cause us pain in a positive light, much less think of having to forgive, love, and pray for them. However, scripture is very clear what our response to our enemies should be. It is also quite clear in directing us to love and pray for our enemies.
Our response to our enemies should be…
To love and to pray:
“You have heard the law that says, ‘Love your neighbor’ and hate your enemy. But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you! In that way, you will be acting as true children of your Father in heaven. For he gives his sunlight to both the evil and the good, and he sends rain on the just and the unjust alike. If you love only those who love you, what reward is there for that? Even corrupt tax collectors do that much. If you are kind only to your friends, how are you different from anyone else? Even pagans do that. But you are to be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” Matthew 5:43-48 (NLT)
“Bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you.” Luke 6:28 (NIV)
To control our own temper and overlook an offense or a wrong:
“If you are sensible, you will control your temper. When someone wrongs you, it is a great virtue to ignore it.” Proverbs 19:11 (GNT)
“Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger, and it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment].” Proverbs 19:11 (AMP)
To respond with kindness and not retaliate:
Funny Friday: Floating husky
Funny Friday: Floating husky
My mom showed this clip to me the other day. Too cute! The caption she showed me said that the floating husky was SUPPOSED to be swimming, NOT floating! Can you blame him though? He looks so relaxed!
“…they will float away like driftwood on an ocean wave.” Hosea 10:7 (NLT)
Make a Habit of Taking Notes During Your Quiet Time
Make a Habit of Taking Notes During Your Quiet Time
Recently in my college classes we talked about reading strategies. One of the things that we discuss is a strategy to be a critical thinker and reader. In turn this practice enables us to be a better learner and understand and retain information better. The strategy we learn is taking notes (or annotating) while reading. We tell our students that simply holding a pen or pencil in your hand creates an active reader of you. This is a great approach to use during bible reading and quiet times too.
Unfortunately, this is a strategy that has fallen a bit by the wayside for me during my own bible reading times. It’s something that I’ve always been so good about in the past. Lately though, I’ve grown a bit lax and more intermittent in taking notes or journaling during my quiet times. I guess I had gotten out of the habit.
I’ve noticed a pattern when I write notes less. I tend to remember less, and I notice a little deceleration in my spiritual growth. Sometimes I have even tangibly “felt” further from God. It’s been a noticeable difference for me in hindsight.
Lately, I have sensed the Holy Spirit telling me to go back to what I did before. I remembered that before I was more consistent in journaling and in taking notes during my quiet times. During those times of my life when I took more notes and journaled, I grew more spiritually.
“Consider how far you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.” Revelation 2:5 (NIV)
Benefits of taking notes and journaling
I know firsthand of the benefits of taking notes. You’d think I’d be better about practicing what I preach! I guess sometimes even I need reminders. I’ve written before about why it’s important to write things down and take handwritten notes. Some of the advantages to taking notes and journaling I discussed in previous posts were…
- Scientific research shows it’s proven to help with remembering the information better—we remember more of what we write down.
- This article discusses how our brains are engaged more and we learn more when taking notes.
- It helps the information to take root into our minds and spirit.
- Writing things down gives us something to go back and reference later during a time of need or just as a timely reminder.
- Writing things down can be a record and evidence of our growth and progress as we look back on our notes.
- Our written notes can be a resource to share with others or from which others can learn.
Maybe my notes and journals aren’t just for me
Funny Friday: No No! Put away the maracas
Funny Friday: No No! Put away the maracas
One of our youth pastors recently shared this cute video clip from America’s Funniest Home Videos. I think the longer version/original clip called her “Miss No, No”! 🙂
“”No!” she said to him…” 2 Samuel 13:16 (NIV)
Healing from Sickness: Some of my rituals and routines to avoid sickness and heal quickly
Healing from Sickness: Some of my rituals and routines to avoid sickness and heal quickly
Has your community been inundated with sickness lately? Ours sure has! Flu…Pneumonia…Strep Throat…Common Cold…Seasonal Allergies…You name it. In some areas it’s been so bad that they have closed some schools down. Typically my family NEVER gets sick. Truly. I can count on one hand how many times that I’ve had to take either of my children to the doctor for an illness-related visit. We are just a healthy family. Unfortunately though, we’ve been fighting off some sickness in my family recently.
The good news is that our cases haven’t been severe and have been very short-lived. I’ve had several people ask me what we do to avoid sickness and to get over it so quickly when it does strike. This week I thought I’d hit on the “Healthy” part of “Happy, Healthy & Prosperous”. I’ll share some of our rituals and routines that keep us healthy and help us to get over sickness quickly with less severity in the rare case that we do get sick. Feel free to try out some of my tried and true practical steps for sickness prevention and healing!
My Practical Steps for Prevention
Positive confessions
I’m a firm believer in positive confessions and speaking things into existence.
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” Proverbs 18:21 (ESV)
“(As it is written, I have made thee a father of many nations,) before him whom he believed, even God, who quickeneth the dead, and calleth those things which be not as though they were.” Romans 4:17 (KJV)
When I was little I always used to say, “I never get sick,” and I never did. I looked forward to getting the perfect attendance award at school every year. I asked my mom one time, “Hey mom, why do you think I never get sick.” Her answer was simple, “Because you say ‘I never get sick’!” Now, a frequent saying in our house is, “We never get sick” or “We are happy, healthy, and prosperous”. We have positive confessions of health and/or healing.
Healthy eating
Funny Friday: Super Bowel
Funny Friday: Super Bowel
My mom sent me this pic this past Sunday for Super Bowl. I just hope that nobody truly did have a super bowel Sunday. That’s just gross.
“My bowels, my bowels! I am pained at my very heart; my heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war.” Jeremiah 4:19 (AKJV)
Funny Friday: Bologna
Funny Friday: Bologna
This Funny Friday is courtesy of my cousin’s Instagram post. 🙂
“You are from below; I am from above…” John 8:23 (NIV)