God's Favor?

Job was my daily Bible reading today and I am almost sure that part of God's favor is hardship. God was so proud of Job when He showed him to Satan. It is easy for us to boast in the Lord when things are going just the way we want but what happens when aren't? It means so much when we praise Him out of our difficulty. 

Romans 8:17-18 "Now if we are children, then we are heirs - heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." 

Jesus came to Earth for one reason, to give his life as a ransom for many. What makes us think we are to do any less? 

P.S. Please pray for me, I have been asked to write some devotionals for pastors wives and I am scared and just don't where to start or how to start or what to even say. Who am I to write a devotional for anyone, I can't really even spell??

Blessings Equal Favor?

I have been rolling this question around in my head for months. I have often heard people say, "We have been praying about something and then God answered with _______." You fill in the blank. For example, as a stay at home mom, let's just pretend that I was praying about going to work and a job opportunity just opened up. Does that mean that that is God's answer? Well, yes or no. It could be either. But it is not an automatic yes. First, God never contradicts His Word. So, if my taking that job contradicts something else He says. It would be a no. Or, what if that is a temptation for me to forsake other responsibilities for a pay check. I am not saying that it would be, just giving some examples. 

I think so many times we are so quick to see a opportunity and jump on it as God's will for us because it seems "good" or "profitable." We think any good thing is from God. Yes, All good things come from above, but what is your definition of good? Romans 8:28 says, "And we know that in all things God works for the GOOD of those who love him, who have been called according to His purpose." The greek word for good here means "good, in respect to operation or influence on others i.e. useful, beneficial, profitable" In my greek dictionary, good specifically refers to good in the realm of abstract things. It is the same word used in Galatians 6:10 "Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do GOOD to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers." And in Philemon 1:6 "I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every GOOD thing we have in Christ."

We must change our definition of good to match God's definition. His good is to be more like Him, to posses what He posses, to think the way He thinks. We must be careful that we don't make decisions based on our definition of good but His. 

It is hard to make those decisions when others are prospering making the wrong ones. It feels unjust sometimes, it is ok to say it. Read Psalm 73 about the same struggle. We must remembers that ours is often a delayed gratification. One day, those who prosper now will perish and He will destroy the unfaithful. But as Psalm 73: 28 says, "But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds." 

I leave you with this scripture, Matthew 7:13-14 "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it." 

Bite Back

This Friday, April 25, is World Malaria Day. And through the Bite Back campaign, people can give a one-time donation of $10 and provide a mosquito net for a child - or a family, if they’re all sleeping in the same place - who otherwise would have no protection from this completely preventable disease. That $10 will also provide education and treatment for people who are already sick with malaria.

So here’s how you can help.

Click https://www.compassion.com/contribution/giving/bite-back.htm to donate $10 that will provide a mosquito net for a child (you can donate more than that if you feel led). Each net lasts three years, so for $3.33 a year - less than a penny a day - you can save a child’s life.

Y'all are so great!

Brag on Brad a Bit

Here is where Brad is taking me June 26th - July 3rd. I can't wait! We will be married 11 years this summer and other than our honeymoon, have only been on a vacation once. We are so excited to go here www.occidentalhotels.com/grand/cozumel this summer. 

Criticism, What To Do With It

I read this the other day and thought is was good. 

Don't Take Criticism Too Lightly - you will fail to learn, you won't mature as quickly. 

Don't Take Criticism Too Seriously - you will lose heart, you will become depressed.

Now, what do you do if it comes from your oldest son who thinks he is a bit bigger than he really is. You listen and you don't take it too lightly and you take most of it seriously. After all, they are 11 and try to manipulate you to get out of trouble but that is beside the point. We are having an obedience problem in our house. Not just theirs either, mostly theirs but I have realized that I have contributed to the problem. Let me start at the beginning. 

Have you ever been in the grocery store, mall, etc. and heard a mom just letting her kid "have it" and you say to yourself that you never want to be THAT mom, but we all know that we are. We all get frustrated and let our kids "have it" on occasion. Well, yesterday was that day. After countless times of me telling the kids thing over and over, there was no reaction. You know when you say, let's go and no one even moves. It is like you know that you are speaking but no one seems to hear you. Or after church when I told Drew it was time to go and he just looked at me, 10 minutes later he showed up at that car. Yes, it was that kind of day. 

When we got home, I asked the boys to help pick up a bit. I asked Drew to get some chairs by the front door and move it to the garage. They were still there from our football game the day before. About 5 minutes later, he still hadn't done it so I asked him about it and he said that he didn't know what chairs I was talking about. He was confused as to what I really wanted put in the garage. Now, for your information, there was only one thing by the front door (the bright red chairs that we sit on at football games) that needed or belonged in the garage. I don't really think he thought I was asking him to move the couch into that garage but I am parenting a future lawyer and he was trying out his super skills of pleading a case and I just got frustrated. I told him enough, go get the chairs. You see, I am the original lawyer and I can argue with the best of them. 

Then the poor kids eyes fill up with tears and he tells me that, "EVERY TIME he makes a mistake, I ALWAYS get mad a him. I have no grace and mercy." I just about fell over, if he only knew how much grace and mercy I have given that child but that was beside the point. If only he knew how much grace he was receiving for me to listen to him. But, thankfully, about this point, I was silently praying, "Oh Lord, how do I handle this?" He kept saying you apologize for what you did do. Now, here is where I start by arguing with the Lord, "But he is trying to manipulate me, trying to get out of trouble for his earlier disobedience by blaming it all on me,but . . . but . . . but . . . " you know how the argument goes. Not me Lord, but them. You deal with them and not with me. We all do it. 

I finally listened and stopped the whole thing - very hard for me. I pulled both kids into the living room, we all got on our knees and I read James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." We all held hands, and confessed our attitudes, anger, and disobedience. Then we hugged and all was well in the Ewing household again.  

I must tell you the best part, a few minutes later the boys asked me to come upstairs. SCARY. But when I got to the top of the stairs, they had unloaded all the clean laundry and put it up in the right place, even dad's was put up right. Drew said, "I'll make a deal with you, you wash the clothes and we will put them up." WAHOO! Matthew 23:12 "For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted." I choose to humble myself and admit my part and where I was wrong and then I was exalted and by exalted I mean, I had two boys who put up two baskets of laundry without even having to be asked. Oh yes, God is so good.