100%

I’ve been busy helping out with the school Christmas concert on the 20th and we are making progress. The children are improving and fairly well behaved. I totally lost my cool on Friday; I guess my stress tolerance level is quite low. I don’t know how our teachers, James and Stanley can do it; I definitely appreciate them more today.

I’ve always loved drama and I enjoy lending a hand. I’ve had to learn how to make a person look old with makeup, and the experience has been great. My house has been in ‘just keep it looking nice’ mode for a week, and I know that I have to be where there is a need, use the talents that I have, and give it my all, even if the next person doesn’t.

I do wonder why I should though.

…Is it because I want to be a good example?

…want to impress a person or group of people?

…be thought well of?

…show off?

…want praise?

…want the good feeling I get from it?

…imitate someone?

...or just because I enjoy it?

...All the wrong reasons.

Ananias and Sephira gave a lot, but then tried to deceive God and the disciples into thinking it was their all. Their punishment is what I want to avoid. So why should I do good deeds? Why should I give whatever I choose to give? I did promise at my baptism to give 100%...and I must have done that out of love and gratefulness for what I have been given on the cross. Is this still my main motivation for what I do? Is it love that pushes me on to give more?

Nobody can ask for more than what I give, if I want to give 20% it will be accepted, if I want to give 50% so be it. If I want to give 150% and bleed out my last drop, that is between me and God.

Can I give more? I know that some things, like cooking, (don’t get me started on that) demand my all and it may not be my cup of tea, special gift, or something that I can accomplish. Do I still have to give my all? What if my all is just shorter than the next person’s? Can I just say that I’m doing my personal best? What is my personal best? Whatever God lies on my heart?

He is the one who made us all with our unique qualities, talents, gifts. He will know what to ask for. He did ask that we do all we do out of love, and went so far as to say that if there is no love, we shouldn't bother.

Well, no wonder my soul searching always brings me back to this one theme: Love your neighbor as yourself. If I’m going to be understanding and even a bit lenient with myself I should be cutting my brother some slack to.

In other news: I’ve almost finished my second cassette; it’s got only bible stories on it. I just didn’t get inspired to do any others. I’m planning to have it ready to be sold after Christmas.

Judas has been bringing home some words from school to learn and knows them so well that we can’t even trick him anymore. He needs to be read to 5 min. a day and that is a pleasure. He has already got one pizza ticket.

No can do!! Maybe a post can only handle one clip at a time. I'll try adding it to this one....
What is going on??? Can't do it!!!

P.S.

Hello, can anyone tell me why my pictures are being replaced with a box with a red x in it?
And you may want to have a look at my Born Again blog one more time because I finally found the clip of a worm turning into a cocoon.

Moments

This is also for my Uncle Mike who just went to be with the Lord last week. He sure was somebodies angel and I'm glad I was on earth with him, I look forwards to seeing him glorified.
In honor of women's history month and in memory of Erma Bombeck who lost her fight with cancer.
IF I HAD MY LIFE TO LIVE OVER - by Erma Bombeck
(Written after she found out she was dying from cancer).

I would have gone to bed when I was sick instead of pretending the earth would go into a holding pattern if I weren't there for the day.

I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage.

I would have talked less and listened more.

I would have invited friends over to dinner even if the carpet was stained, or the sofa faded.

I would have eaten the popcorn in the 'good' living room and worried much less about the dirt when someone wanted to light a fire in the fireplace.

I would have taken the time to listen to my grandfather ramble about his youth.

I would have shared more of the responsibility carried by my husband.

I would never have insisted the car windows be rolled up on a summer day because my hair had just been teased and sprayed.

I would have sat on the lawn! With my grass stains.

I would have cried and laughed less while watching television and more while watching life.

I would never have bought anything just because it was practical, wouldn't show soil, or was guaranteed to last a lifetime.

Instead of wishing away nine months of pregnancy, I'd have cherished every moment and realized that the wonderment growing inside me was the only chance in life to assist God in a miracle.

When my kids kissed me impetuously, I would never have said, 'Later. Now go get washed up for dinner.' There would have been more 'I love you's'; more 'I'm sorry's.' But mostly, given another shot at life, I would seize every minute...look at it and really see it.. live it and never give it back.

STOP SWEATING THE SMALL STUFF!!!

Don't worry about who doesn't like you, who has more, or who's doing what, instead; let's cherish the relationships we have with those who do love us. Let's think about what God HAS blessed us with, and what we are doing each day to promote ourselves mentally, physically, and emotionally. I hope you have a blessed day .

The Upside Down Kingdom

This was fun to write, it seems that if man places great value on things, God does not. They are kind of ironic, or the opposite of what you would expect, and I’m sure there are many more, so if you have any to add, please feel free to comment.

The weaker we are the stronger the Lord is in us.

We lose our life to gain it.

The poor become rich in Christ.

There is no resolving to do as we will but the giving in to do His will.

The servant is the greatest.

The scares bring healing.

Getting on our knees accomplishes much more than standing proud.

The simple are made wise.

What we do for others matters more than what we do for ourselves.

His burden is light and His yolk is easy.

He came to bring the sinner to repentance, not the righteous.

The first shall be last and the last first.

The humble shall be exulted.

A child leads the way to the King.

A Warrior

I will learn to fight!!

I will use the shield and sword!!

I will knock, and it shall be opened to me!

I will ask, and it shall be given me!

I will seek, and I will find!

I will seek first the kingdom, and all these things shall be given unto me!!

I will not give up just because I don’t always live up to my own standards!!


After much prayer and pain, once I became silent and really listened, the Spirit convinces and convicts me.
He was sharpening His ax ready to chop off the large unsightly weed that I have allowed to grow in my heart.

“No” I begged, “There is a root under there; if you just cut off the weed, as soon as there is a new season it will spring up again and grow stronger yet. Bring shovels, uproot the whole blasted thing. I need a makeover, transform the whole landscape.”

So we go back and dig, what is under there? Back to Crystal Springs, back to Airport, back to my childhood. What made this weed grow and take root so deeply? What is feeding it?

It has found much nourishment from the past; the water of life has given it drink. Life has not been perfect from the time Adam and Eve disobeyed God. They were, in fact, the very first dysfunctional family; remember Cain and Able?

I cannot change the way things happened in the past, but I can change my reaction to them. So out comes the root.

“Wait, are you sure I won’t need this for something? Not even to keep me humble? Things are going to look a little different around here.”

It’s about time to get rid of it, there is plenty more work we must do. Leave the past and forget the things that are behind and reach forward for the things that are ahead.

So we covered up the gaping hole; spread the soil evenly over it, and planted some flowers. Today’s flowers and buried the past.

Now watch, Satan has many seeds lying in the ground just waiting for food. If one happens to spring up, tare it out while it is yet small lest I come again and find your garden in ruins. “For though we live in the world, we do not do battle as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish arguments and every pretention that sets itself up against the knowledge of God and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

Maybe now that I have considered the beam in my own eye, I will see more clearly to help my brother with his tiny little speck. Hypocrite is a very humbling word.

The Sword

I am just learning to use the sword of the spirit, the word of God so that I can deal with the lies the devil is constantly pounding into my head.

I have long been wearing the helmet of salvation and the breastplate of righteousness given me at my spiritual birth. I have even been walking in the sandals of the gospel of peace and have accepted the girdle of truth. Maybe not perfectly, and I know I need to learn to use this armor to fight, but I have found another weapon...

...the sword...

When the devil reminds me of my past sin and wants to make me doubt that I have been forgiven, I can tell him what God said “Though your sins are as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.”

When he tells me I’m worthless, I remember that “I am crucified with Christ, therefore I no longer live, but Jesus Christ now lives in me.”

When I am tempted to go after the things of this world, I hear the Lord say, “The world is passing away and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever” 1 John 2: 16-18

When I want justice done and am not treated fairly, I hear: “He shall lead His flock like a shepherd; he shall gather the lambs in His arms and carry them in His bosom and shall gently lead those that are with young.

When I want revenge… "Vengeance is mine says the Lord, I will repay.”

I have a big problem with worry: it is a sin like all the rest: “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will have its own worries, sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.”

This without doubting is my most powerful instrument for the battle. Could I give my head for it as our for-fathers have? I would love to have their faith, or that of Moses or Joseph and David.

Yet again He calls my name, “Nelda, you need only the faith of a child.”