Money Isn't Everything

Last night, I had a conversation with my dad.  He informed me that he lost a contract with a large company he and my mom do business with.  This was a MAJOR contract, their largest yet.  The company did a rebid, and they lost out.


With a happy tone in voice, he told me that it was okay.  He prayed about the situation and he knows that God had their best interest in mind.  He reminded me that money isn't everything, but family is more important.   I have a niece who is depending a lot on them right now, and they see this as an opportunity to really focus on her.

In the world we live in today, to have parents that tell us that money isn't everything....that's a good thing.  If they are practicing what they preach...well, that's even better.

Lights Out!

This evening our electricity was out for five hours. It's not the first time our power has been out since we've been married....maybe the fourth or fifth time. This time was definitely the longest. Tonight we decided eating out would be the best thing, so we drove over to Huddle House :D

It seems like every time our power goes out we realize all of the things we take for granted. We spend that time talking by candlelight and just enjoying being together. Now that the electricity is back on, I'm on the computer and he is playing video games. That's how we relax. Would we have survived in the days before electricity? Of course we would have. Things are just different now.

Other than everyday convenience, what would you miss most if you didn't have electricity?

Pharaoh: Why God hardened his heart

If you have read in Exodus of the many plagues the Lord placed over the Egyptians, you have to wonder why it took so many plagues for Pharaoh to let the children of Israel go out of Egypt. Plague after plague, Pharaoh's heart continued to be hardened and he wouldn't let the children of Israel go to worship God . If you are like me, if you were Pharaoh, you would have let the people go as soon as the waters turned to blood!

My husband and I had been reading this part of Exodus when coincidentally, my co-worker mentioned Pharaoh. She asked us why we thought Pharaoh's heart was being hardened over and over, she then told me what her pastor suspected. I really wasn't sure why God allowed Pharaoh's heart to be hardened, so I didn't answer, until I read Chapter 10 that same night.

"Now the LORD said to Moses, “Go in to Pharaoh; for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his servants, that I may show these signs of Mine before him, and that you may tell in the hearing of your son and your son’s son the mighty things I have done in Egypt, and My signs which I have done among them, that you may know that I am the LORD.” Verses 1&2 (also, 7:3)

"AH HA!" I said out loud! "That's why!" After I explained my outburst to Jonathan, he agreed, there was our answer.

God hardened Pharaoh's heart over and over because He wanted to finish out the plagues He was bringing before Egypt. He did not want anyone to forget those signs which He had brought to free the Israelites. He didn't want the Egyptians to forget, nor the children of Israel. He wanted it so that generation after generation, after generation would remember.

Do you think the Egyptians would have forgotten the first plague of water turned to blood? Or what about the second plague where frogs were everywhere, even on people's beds? Maybe they wouldn't have forgotten, but in Exodus 1:8, there came a day when the new king didn't remember Joseph, or how he had gotten Egypt through seven years of famine! God knew that just has Joseph (Israel) was forgotten, so would the plagues if they were not carried out.

We must remember that God is in control, and is full of power. We need to love Him with much fear and reverence for He is a powerful, holy God.

Spiritual Discernment

Over the past several years, the Lord has shown me spiritual discernment in many areas. Some of these are about modesty, false doctrine, my actions.

What are some things God has given you spiritual discernment about, recently or in the past? It may even be something you are still working out...

Like a Mutt....

Across from my office lives a dog. I don't know the dog's name, I just know he's a Mutt dog. You know, the kind of dog that has funny looking fur (the kind of dog that reminds you that brown and black STILL don't go good together)...and black all the way up his nose?

The dog lives at the feed and seed store across the street. I often wonder if he was dropped off and the store owners took him in, or if he belonged to them from the start.

I like to think that he "found" them, and they saw he could benefit them as a security dog. So, he wears a collar and runs up to greet customers. He stops sometimes and sniffs the chickens, and often makes sure the ponies are where they are suppose to be.

Often, VERY often, I look out my office window across the street to find Mutt dog, and see what he's into. This morning he did something that really made me think.

This morning, Mutt dog took off running towards the nearby gas station's garbage dumpster. He sniffed around the dumpster very happily, stuck his nose in some boxes.

It made me think, that dog probably lives a very happy life. He is good with people. He probably gets food when he wants it, and he gets a place to live at night. Why would he return to the garbage...maybe where he once got his meals.

But we are like Mutt dog. Mutt dog was saved from starvation and possibly death. So were we, as Christians.

Just like Mutt dog, we sometimes return to our past. If we are not careful, we find ourselves wanting, desiring, our past.

We are like the dog, we have security now....hope....food (God's word)...yet, we go back to that old sin....that garbage........

Why?

"As a dog returns to his vomit, so a fool returns to his folly" Proverbs 26:11

Femininity

Tonight I watched "Sense and Sensibility" on PBS. I love movies based in the 1800's, particularly based on Jane Austen novels. What I love about these movies are the way the ladies are, gentle and feminine, yet strong. There's always something so beautiful about the characters even though they do not "fit" what modern day society says is beautiful.

I find myself wishing things were as they were back in those days. I wish it were not uncommon to dress in a long flowing dress and that sort. I wish that affections were kind and considerate. I wish that manners were top notch and thoughtful.

Can one ever return to those days? Even growing up in the South, where saying "yes, Ma'am" is still valuable (although I am terrible at it), standing when guests enter a room, or curtsying to show reverence to another is almost unheard of. What would happen if you and I suddenly began doing those things again. I'm sure it would seem funny and unusual.

To think.......

One thing about me.....

This was a question that I faced on my first day of Wellness class. Our instructor wanted us to introduce ourself to our neighbor, and our neighbor introduce themselves to us. We then had to introduce each other to the class and tell one thing about the person we were introducing. As the class began to fill with chatter to meet one anothers neighbor, the girl next to me and I just looked at one another.
"Okay...something about me..." I said to her. "Well, I really don't know what to say about me".

Meanwhile, in my head was swirling, I'm a Christian. Tell her that. No....I don't want to. Why not? Well, if I tell her then that's what she'll tell the whole class. I'd rather people notice that there is something different about me without being told that I'm a Christian.

So, I told her that I have a big family. (sigh) Have you ever been in this situation? What would you have done if asked for one thing to tell about yourself? Would it be that you are married? Have children? Or that you are a Christian?

Be honest.