I had been praying for quite a while for relief for my husband with regard to his work and our finances. I was also asking God to bless AC in all he did. Right before Christmas, we were presented with an opportunity that seemed too good to be true - a job for AC with my brother-in-law's company, the chance to learn a new trade, and a place to stay during the transition.
The hard part in all this is that taking this job meant leaving the only place he'd ever called home. AC's family has lived for generations in Cleveland, TN, and they're all pretty much still there. We prayed, and God opened every door that needed to be opened to enable us to make this change. The one part that was hardest was figuring out how to do this with Megan, my 16 year old step-daughter, who lives with us. We ran through several scenarios, and while each one seemed feasible at the time, one by one they all fell through.
Still praying, and enlisting the prayers of even more believers, Megan has finally decided to move to Loganville to be with us on a permanent basis. She believes this is where God wants her to be, and I feel the same way. (Although I must admit that the selfish flesh part of me wants her here regardless.) There are so many opportunities for her to grow in her faith, through church, her music, and the new friendships that are developing with girls her own age who share her beliefs.
I know God's hand is in this. Too many good things have already happened for it NOT to be His work. Oh, Satan is hard at work, too, trying to steal our joy by manipulating circumstances, but we're not letting him get in our way. We're going to continue to praise God for the good he's doing in our lives, and for the lessons learned through the hardships, too. We'll keep praying for the chance to give God the glory & honor He so richly deserves.
Today I spoke w/Meg, & she's wanting to stay in TN & get a job at Target. I don't feel like it's the right thing for her to do, but I'm going to PRAY & let her father handle this. I understand her wanting to stay near her family, but I feel she's not giving God a chance to work the way He wants to in her life.
Megan is now in GA with us. I'm hoping that the reasons she gave for making this decision are not impulsive. There is so much for her to experience, so much possibility for growth as a Christian as well as a person in general. The exposure to people & experiences she would never have in Cleveland are such that many would gladly trade places with her. There is a tremendous positive influence available that I hope she will welcome.
My God is so good! I cannot begin to say how much I love Him! I know that he is working in our lives in a powerful way. I only hope that I can bring him honor & glory, that he so richly deserves! My heart is full to overflowing with thanksgiving and love for him.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
Monday, February 18, 2008
Selfishness
This devotional was in my inbox last week. The colors on the words are my addition to Dr. Dollar's exposition. The comments at the end are mine.
(1) This line hit me pretty hard. Selfishness is something I've been fighting with my entire life. As the eldest of 5 children, I had nothing of my own,a nd was always made to share. As a parent, you naturally give/share everything you have. I like to share, but it's kinda nice if folks share back (not that I "do" in order to receive - it's just the flesh nature to say, "What about me?") and I seem to know a lot of people who are takers, not givers. I realize that my selfishness comes from fear - fear of having nothing, fear of being alone, fear of not being accepted. Therefore, I pray daily for God to help me in this area; I have to yield my self over to Him so He can love others through me.
(2) So true! I've said many times throughout my life, even before I was saved, that the things I went through shaped the person I became. There are SO many decisions I wish I could have a "do-over" on. The fact is, however, that those decisions eventually led me to accept Christ, for which I am eternally grateful! I am able to identify with others - both lost & saved - and because of my life experience I am able to minister to them with compassion instead of judgment.
(3) Without love for others, everything we do is in vain. The world will still turn, the sun will still set, people will still do what they do & be who they are, even if we do not love them. But how many lives could possibly be changed if each of us took just one day to be kind to EVERYONE, even those whom we usually avoid or casually dismiss simply because it's easier to do so than to try to love them as Jesus would?
I want to learn to love others well, following in the footsteps of my Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ!
| Wednesday, February 13, 2008 | ||||
| Yield To Love Dr. Creflo A. Dollar Love and selfishness are the two greatest forces in life. A person chooses to walk in one or the other every day. What many people call love really isn't love at all. Real love-which is agape love or the God kind of love-is unconditional, limitless, selfless and is not based on emotions. It is extremely tolerant. Unfortunately, most people operate in selfishness. They live in human, emotional love, which has limits, is conditional, requires pre-qualification and has to be loved before it can love. Selfishness is the root of all sin, which is based in fear. As a result, our society is experiencing a tremendous amount of lawlessness, perversion and sin. Families are being destroyed because people are engaging in human, emotional love rather than taking the time to learn about and develop in agape love. Selfishness in the home can creep up in so many subtle ways, particularly between a husband and wife. If you are married, here's a newsflash-it's not all about you! Everything in life should not focus around you and your needs, but rather the needs of your spouse. It is important to find balance and compromise within relationships in order to maintain peace in the home. You can kick selfishness out of your home. How? Yield to love. Jesus gave two commandments that are the foundational principles for every commandment in the Bible: "...love the Lord thy God with all of thy heart, and with all thy soul and with all thy mind... love thy neighbor as thyself" (Matthew 22:7,39). When you keep the law of love, you fulfill all of the laws written in the Bible. Have you made the decision to walk in love so that you will fulfill Jesus' commandment and allow God's spiritual principles to work in your life? Or have you chosen to operate in your own way of doing things? Things don't just happen. Life is a series of decisions that ultimately determine your future. One very important decision every person should make is to be an expression of God's love on the earth. There are two laws that govern life: the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus, which is love; and the law of sin and death, which is selfishness (Romans 8:2). Like curtains on a curtain rod, your deliverance, answered prayers, healing and faith all hang on the rod of love. If you are not walking in God's agape love, then you are limiting what God can do in your life. I encourage you to take the love test by reading 1 Corinthians 13:4-7. After reading this portion of Scripture, you will know to what extent you have-or have not-yielded your life to love. .. BEGIN MP3 FOOTER - Creflo Dollar --> ..> ..>
| ||||
(1) This line hit me pretty hard. Selfishness is something I've been fighting with my entire life. As the eldest of 5 children, I had nothing of my own,a nd was always made to share. As a parent, you naturally give/share everything you have. I like to share, but it's kinda nice if folks share back (not that I "do" in order to receive - it's just the flesh nature to say, "What about me?") and I seem to know a lot of people who are takers, not givers. I realize that my selfishness comes from fear - fear of having nothing, fear of being alone, fear of not being accepted. Therefore, I pray daily for God to help me in this area; I have to yield my self over to Him so He can love others through me.
(2) So true! I've said many times throughout my life, even before I was saved, that the things I went through shaped the person I became. There are SO many decisions I wish I could have a "do-over" on. The fact is, however, that those decisions eventually led me to accept Christ, for which I am eternally grateful! I am able to identify with others - both lost & saved - and because of my life experience I am able to minister to them with compassion instead of judgment.
(3) Without love for others, everything we do is in vain. The world will still turn, the sun will still set, people will still do what they do & be who they are, even if we do not love them. But how many lives could possibly be changed if each of us took just one day to be kind to EVERYONE, even those whom we usually avoid or casually dismiss simply because it's easier to do so than to try to love them as Jesus would?
I want to learn to love others well, following in the footsteps of my Lord & Savior, Jesus Christ!
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