Renew, Reuse, Recycle

Three things I am doing as this year comes to a close and 2012 is upon us.

RENEW -
Taking time out to spend with my family, recharging and relaxing, and most of all renewing my mind with God's word.

REUSE -
Finding ways to repurpose some of my time - and belongings - purging the old and planting the new -could I be doing two things at once?  Sure I can =)

RECYCLE -
All of Life is a Cycle - do not grow weary of doing good =)  2012 is going to be a banner year =)

Amanda

The Season of Giving

During the rest of the year we give to those around us - we give our time, our talents, our energy, our money, everything we have.  We give abundantly without complaint and without expecting payment.  We have taught our children this same attitude -you give.  Christ gave us so much - how can I not also give to others.  This isn't an attitude reserved for one month of the year - it is an attitude of daily living, daily practice - until it becomes habit - until it becomes so ingrained that you don't know how else to be. 

And it occured to me that as a mom and wife I have been seriously neglecting giving much at all to 3 or 4 people in my life.  So as this season comes to a close I will be focusing more on giving to those who have supported me the most, everyday, all year long  Those 4 guys who have sacrificed long hours of caring for others, lugging stuff to co-op, caring for other's children, caring for the needs of all those around us.  They are my blessing and my crown, and I adore them =)

Blessings,
Amanda

Amazing Missionaries

Being a missionary in Africa always seemed exotic and exciting to me - oh yeah, and you would be telling others about God too - so it would be all around GREAT.  I have a cousin who is a missionary in Africa - and her stories sound sooo interesting and exotic and wonderful (except when she got malaria).  I was able to go and BE a missionary a few years ago and it was very exotic and exciting and also kind of eye opening, perspective changing, revealing. 

While I was in Africa we were able to go door to door a little bit and share the gospel, but for the most part we ministered to people who were already in the church - already connected with or seeking the Lord.  We ran a VBS, we talked to a women's Bible study group, we went to baby dedications.  We did normal stuff.  And my cousin the missionary - the one with the exotic and exciting life - she homeschools 3 kids for a mission family - hmm - sounds sort of familiar - only she fights off large insects and butchers chickens while doing so.  And the family there?  They have jobs - they work in offices - they shuffle papers - they run administrative things. 

More and more I realize that there isn't an exotic and exciting mission field that God has called me to - he has called me to THIS mission field - and it is just as good as any other!  The problem is perspective. 

Let's see if I can put this another way.  When I was preparing to go to Kenya I wrote letters to my friends asking them to pray for me, asking them to pray God's protection over my life, asking them to pray that God would open doors for me to be able to share the Gospel, prayers all the time - that God would ordain the chance encounter, bless the ordinary, and reach the lost.  I need those prayers as much today as I ever did in Kenya!!  I need God to turn the odd circumstance into a blessing, I need God to bless the mundane in my life, to guide and affect the chance encounter. 

I also put back a ton of money - I mean a TON!  I wanted to make sure that if an emergency came up I would have everything I needed to handle it.  It did not phase me in the least to pay dearly for a plane ticket, for shots, housing and food while I was there - heck I spent more on that trip than Drason earns in a month, and it didn't bother us at all - in fact we were HAPPY to spend it - because we knew it would be helping the kingdom.  How is what I do today any different than what I did there?  Shouldn't I be just as open to spending money now as I was then?  If 50 bucks helps a support group operate more smoothly - should I cringe? 

This is something that God has been saying to me a lot - this is my mission field.  Do not disdain the ordinary or dread the everyday - your life is as exciting and exotic as you want it to be - you just need to see the fields that are before you rather than the ones half way around the world.

Goodnight,
Amanda

Our God is a devouring fire

I was really bummed.  I hate being sick!  I hate having troubles - they wear me out!  Then this is what God had to say to me today =) I had never read this in quite the same way before.

Hebrews 12: 18-29 
¹⁸ You have not come to a physical mountain,^[h] to a place of flaming fire, darkness, gloom, and whirlwind, as the Israelites did at Mount Sinai. ¹⁹ For they heard an awesome trumpet blast and a voice so terrible that they begged God to stop speaking. ²⁰ They staggered back under God’s command: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned to death.”^{[i] 21} Moses himself was so frightened at the sight that he said, “I am terrified and trembling.”^[j]
22 No, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to countless thousands of angels in a joyful gathering. ²³ You have come to the assembly of God’s firstborn children, whose names are written in heaven. You have come to God himself, who is the judge over all things. You have come to the spirits of the righteous ones in heaven who have now been made perfect. ²⁴ You have come to Jesus, the one who mediates the new covenant between God and people, and to the sprinkled blood, which speaks of forgiveness instead of crying out for vengeance like the blood of Abel.
²⁵ Be careful that you do not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking. For if the people of Israel did not escape when they refused to listen to Moses, the earthly messenger, we will certainly not escape if we reject the One who speaks to us from heaven! ²⁶ When God spoke from Mount Sinai his voice shook the earth, but now he makes another promise: “Once again I will shake not only the earth but the heavens also.”^{[k] 27} This means that all of creation will be shaken and removed, so that only unshakable things will remain.
²⁸ Since we are receiving a Kingdom that is unshakable, let us be thankful and please God by worshiping him with holy fear and awe. ²⁹ For our God is a devouring fire.

When I have fear instead of faith and doubt instead of hope, I need to remember this.  I serve the risen Savior!  He is all powerful, there is nothing too big for Him.  God speaks and the earth crumbles - this is what I have heard from the heavenly messenger (the Holy Spirit) and from God's word.  Let me not refuse to listen to the One who is speaking.
Goodnight,
Amanda

To understand Grace....

Several years ago I wrote a letter to a friend of mine as she was going on a retreat - I just happened to find it again when my computer data was transferred.  It is amazing sometimes the things you find!  I have edited it at the beginning, but I thought it was a very timely reminder in my own life =)

I am writing this letter to you as part of your walk.  I hope that you are enjoying yourself and growing closer to the Lord during this time of respite.  Sometimes a time away is exactly what we need.

=========================================================================

Several months ago I wrote something from a Max Lucado book on a small piece of paper and taped it to the mirror in my bathroom this is what it says:

God’s love never ceases, Never!  Though we spurn him, ignore him, reject him, despise him, disobey him, He will not change!

Our evil can not diminish his love.  Our goodness can not increase it.

Our faith does not earn it any more than our stupidity can jeopardize it.

God doesn’t love us less if we fail or more if we succeed.

God’s love never ceases!

One thing I think every Christian woman needs to understand right down to her core is how much God really loves us!  As His creation we rejected him, abused him and ignored him – you did all of these things.  If you think back over your life before you were a Christian you can recall times when god called out to you and you ignored His voice, times when you mocked Him, times when you rejected Him and anything He had to offer.  He still loved you – despite all that – in spite of everything you have ever done – He loved you!

Not only did He love you, but when the time came for you to give your life to Him it was Him who chose you.

One of my very favorite verses in the Bible is this John 15:16

“¹⁶ You didn’t choose me. I chose you….”

I would like to say that I understood that verse since the day I became a Christian, but I did not.  I wasn’t until I had to forgive someone, who did not chose me, that I understood that verse.  I can not tell you how hard and how painful that was – but I can tell you that it made me understand just how much Christ loves me – and how deeply I had hurt him with my sin.  In fact Ezekiel describes our sin in just these terms

Ezekiel 16:4-34

⁴ On the day you were born, no one cared about you. Your umbilical cord was not cut, and you were never washed, rubbed with salt, and wrapped in cloth. ⁵ No one had the slightest interest in you; no one pitied you or cared for you. On the day you were born, you were unwanted, dumped in a field and left to die.

   ⁶ “But I came by and saw you there, helplessly kicking about in your own blood. As you lay there, I said, ‘Live!’ ⁷ And I helped you to thrive like a plant in the field. You grew up and became a beautiful jewel. Your breasts became full, and your body hair grew, but you were still naked. ⁸ And when I passed by again, I saw that you were old enough for love. So I wrapped my cloak around you to cover your nakedness and declared my marriage vows. I made a covenant with you, says the Sovereign Lord, and you became mine.

   ⁹ “Then I bathed you and washed off your blood, and I rubbed fragrant oils into your skin. ¹⁰ I gave you expensive clothing of fine linen and silk, beautifully embroidered, and sandals made of fine goatskin leather. ¹¹ I gave you lovely jewelry, bracelets, beautiful necklaces, ¹² a ring for your nose, earrings for your ears, and a lovely crown for your head. ¹³ And so you were adorned with gold and silver. Your clothes were made of fine linen and were beautifully embroidered. You ate the finest foods—choice flour, honey, and olive oil—and became more beautiful than ever. You looked like a queen, and so you were! ¹⁴ Your fame soon spread throughout the world because of your beauty. I dressed you in my splendor and perfected your beauty, says the Sovereign Lord.

   ¹⁵ “But you thought your fame and beauty were your own. So you gave yourself as a prostitute to every man who came along. Your beauty was theirs for the asking. ¹⁶ You used the lovely things I gave you to make shrines for idols, where you played the prostitute. Unbelievable! How could such a thing ever happen? ¹⁷ You took the very jewels and gold and silver ornaments I had given you and made statues of men and worshiped them. This is adultery against me! ¹⁸ You used the beautifully embroidered clothes I gave you to dress your idols. Then you used my special oil and my incense to worship them. ¹⁹ Imagine it! You set before them as a sacrifice the choice flour, olive oil, and honey I had given you, says the Sovereign Lord.

   ²⁰ “Then you took your sons and daughters—the children you had borne to me—and sacrificed them to your gods. Was your prostitution not enough? ²¹ Must you also slaughter my children by sacrificing them to idols? ²²

   ²³ “What sorrow awaits you, says the Sovereign Lord. In addition to all your other wickedness, ²⁴ you built a pagan shrine and put altars to idols in every town square. ²⁵ On every street corner you defiled your beauty, offering your body to every passerby in an endless stream of prostitution. ²⁶ Then you added lustful Egypt to your lovers, provoking my anger with your increasing promiscuity. ²⁷ That is why I struck you with my fist and reduced your boundaries. I handed you over to your enemies, the Philistines, and even they were shocked by your lewd conduct. ²⁸ You have prostituted yourself with the Assyrians, too. It seems you can never find enough new lovers! And after your prostitution there, you still were not satisfied. ²⁹ You added to your lovers by embracing Babylonia,^[a] the land of merchants, but you still weren’t satisfied.

   ³⁰ “What a sick heart you have, says the Sovereign Lord, to do such things as these, acting like a shameless prostitute. ³¹ You build your pagan shrines on every street corner and your altars to idols in every square. In fact, you have been worse than a prostitute, so eager for sin that you have not even demanded payment. ³² Yes, you are an adulterous wife who takes in strangers instead of her own husband. ³³ Prostitutes charge for their services—but not you! You give gifts to your lovers, bribing them to come and have sex with you. ³⁴ So you are the opposite of other prostitutes. You pay your lovers instead of their paying you!

I want you to know God’s grace.  Not just salvation – if you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart you are saved – but many many many Christians struggle to understand grace.  God loves you!  Out of His great love for you He gave His son to die – even after you had been unfaithful, even after every sin, every short coming, every flaw – Jesus chose you.  

Ephesians 2:1-10

¹ Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins. ² You used to live in sin, just like the rest of the world, obeying the devil—the commander of the powers in the unseen world.^[a] He is the spirit at work in the hearts of those who refuse to obey God. ³ All of us used to live that way, following the passionate desires and inclinations of our sinful nature. By our very nature we were subject to God’s anger, just like everyone else.

   ⁴ But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, ⁵ that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) ⁶ For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus. ⁷ So God can point to us in all future ages as examples of the incredible wealth of his grace and kindness toward us, as shown in all he has done for us who are united with Christ Jesus.

   ⁸ God saved you by his grace when you believed. And you can’t take credit for this; it is a gift from God. ⁹ Salvation is not a reward for the good things we have done, so none of us can boast about it. ¹⁰ For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.

Grace, He keeps no record of wrongs, He treats you as if you had never sinned, He gives you the same standing as He gives His Son.  Grace recreates so that we can accomplish the good things God planned for us long ago – knowing we would sin, knowing we would fall – God planned only good things and has only goodness towards us – that is true Grace.

I love you my sister in Christ,

Amanda

Connect the dots =)

Nehemiah Chapter 4 
^{1 [a]}When Sanballat heard that we were rebuilding the wall, he became angry and was greatly incensed. He ridiculed the Jews, ² and in the presence of his associates and the army of Samaria, he said, “What are those feeble Jews doing? Will they restore their wall? Will they offer sacrifices? Will they finish in a day? Can they bring the stones back to life from those heaps of rubble—burned as they are?”
³ Tobiah the Ammonite, who was at his side, said, “What they are building—even a fox climbing up on it would break down their wall of stones!” 
⁴ Hear us, our God, for we are despised. Turn their insults back on their own heads. Give them over as plunder in a land of captivity. ⁵ Do not cover up their guilt or blot out their sins from your sight, for they have thrown insults in the face of^[b] the builders.
⁶ So we rebuilt the wall till all of it reached half its height, for the people worked with all their heart.
⁷ But when Sanballat, Tobiah, the Arabs, the Ammonites and the people of Ashdod heard that the repairs to Jerusalem’s walls had gone ahead and that the gaps were being closed, they were very angry. ⁸ They all plotted together to come and fight against Jerusalem and stir up trouble against it.
⁹ But we prayed to our God and posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
¹⁰ Meanwhile, the people in Judah said, “The strength of the laborers is giving out, and there is so much rubble that we cannot rebuild the wall.”
¹¹ Also our enemies said, “Before they know it or see us, we will be right there among them and will kill them and put an end to the work.”
¹² Then the Jews who lived near them came and told us ten times over, “Wherever you turn, they will attack us.”
¹³ Therefore I stationed some of the people behind the lowest points of the wall at the exposed places, posting them by families, with their swords, spears and bows. ¹⁴ After I looked things over, I stood up and said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “Don’t be afraid of them. Remember the Lord, who is great and awesome, and fight for your families, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your homes.”
¹⁵ When our enemies heard that we were aware of their plot and that God had frustrated it, we all returned to the wall, each to our own work.
¹⁶ From that day on, half of my men did the work, while the other half were equipped with spears, shields, bows and armor. The officers posted themselves behind all the people of Judah ¹⁷ who were building the wall. Those who carried materials did their work with one hand and held a weapon in the other, ¹⁸ and each of the builders wore his sword at his side as he worked. But the man who sounded the trumpet stayed with me.
¹⁹ Then I said to the nobles, the officials and the rest of the people, “The work is extensive and spread out, and we are widely separated from each other along the wall. ²⁰ Wherever you hear the sound of the trumpet, join us there. Our God will fight for us!”
²¹ So we continued the work with half the men holding spears, from the first light of dawn till the stars came out. ²² At that time I also said to the people, “Have every man and his helper stay inside Jerusalem at night, so they can serve us as guards by night and as workers by day.” ²³ Neither I nor my brothers nor my men nor the guards with me took off our clothes; each had his weapon, even when he went for water.

1 Thesalonians 5
¹ Now, brothers and sisters, about times and dates we do not need to write to you, ² for you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. ³ While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
⁴ But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. ⁵ You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. ⁶ So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. ⁷ For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. ⁸ But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. ⁹ For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Ephesians 6
 ¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. ¹¹ Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. ¹³ Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, ¹⁵ and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. ¹⁶ In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. ¹⁷ Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Faith

Whatever happens, my dear brothers and sisters, rejoice in the Lord. I never get tired of telling you these things, and I do it to safeguard your faith.
Watch out for those dogs, those people who do evil, those mutilators who say you must be circumcised to be saved. For we who worship by the Spirit of God are the ones who are truly circumcised. We rely on what Christ Jesus has done for us. We put no confidence in human effort, and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. For I have told you often before, and I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. They are headed for destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and they think only about this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives. And we are eagerly waiting for him to return as our Savior. He will take our weak mortal bodies and change them into glorious bodies like his own, using the same power with which he will bring everything under his control. (Philippians 3:1-3, 9, 18-21 NLT)

God who is Holy

Like lightening streaks the sky
You flash before my eyes
tho moment I can not regain
the image in my sight remains

When the darkness is closing in
You light up the sky once again
just a moment is all I need
to keep holding to what I can't see

Wholely broken, wholey free
This is Your power in me
No longer lonesome
No longer afraid,
You brought me out of the grave

And I fall at you feet
Lift my hands, trying to reach
the one.....the only.....
God who is Holy

You speak, the gound trembles
You move, the lost are redeemed
You reach, and I am humbled
by your endless love for me

Awesome power displayed for all to see
Following in faith, I will believe

Wholely broken, wholey free
This is Your power in me
No longer lonesome
No longer afraid,
You brought me out of the grave

And I fall at you feet
Lift my hands, trying to reach
the one.....the only.....
God who is Holy

Wholely broken, wholey free
This is Your power in me
No longer lonesome
No longer afraid,
You brought me out of the grave

And I fall at you feet
Lift my hands, trying to reach
the one.....the only.....
God who is Holy

School Daze

It's almost that time again....

All of the textbooks are on the shelves, pencils are sharpened, folders are shiny and new....

It's the last hurrah of summer - Labor day weekend - a time to enjoy family and friends, and drink in the last few long hours of sun light =) 

My very favorite song comes to mind....

Did you know.......

*Have you ever been the subject of gossip? I have and I've been blown away by the scenarios that people can come up with. Wow! If it were left to gossips to write my story it would contain enough drama for a HBO series! Don't people get enough drama from TV already?

Who is a gossip? Popular definitions describe a gossip as a person that habitually shares information about others. Some definitions narrow it down to the revealing of personal information about others with malicious intent. I think we ought to regard idle words about others as gossip and subscribe to a wider definition. We do after all have to give account of our idle words (Matthew 12:36). Few would deny that unintentional harm has been caused often enough by an unguarded tongue. Gossip is just wrong whether or not malicious. Perhaps it might be wiser to simply think this - If we don't own the information, we have no business sharing it and in any case, the less we say the better. After all, the wisdom shared in Proverbs 10:19 (NASB) says:

When there are many words, transgression is unavoidable,
But he who restrains his lips is wise.

I am pretty sure everyone has experienced gossip coming back to them about themselves. When that happens, it is always tempting to correct the gossip, to identify the originator and to put them in their place. However, experience has taught me that the best course of action is more often than not to simply ignore it.

People gossip and there will always be gossip. If we try to run it down we will never find rest or peace. We can never put a stop to gossip because gossips, by their nature, just do not exercise restraint. I have grappled with this and realised that when I  accept God's estimation of me, I stop worrying about what people say about me. I can't live life being worried about what people might think or say because it is exteeming the the praise of men, over the praise of God and creates in me a bondage of fear of men. (and women)

I am certainly not saying that we should live irresponsibly or disregard instruction, wisdom or correction. We should simply live our lives the best the Bible tells us how to. To love God, love people, submit appropriately, live humbly,  and try not to cause others to stumble through our behaviour. We should just accept that people gossip and leave it to God justify us. We may have been wronged by gossip but we can trust God to defend our testimonies because He authors it. It is His good name that they slander, He will protect it! After all, God called us to be who we are. He has a destiny for us and He will guard us just as any parent guards their child against any harm, even from their siblings.

Which brings me to another disturbing observation, gossips are quite prevalent in church circles.  I've heard them called 'confidants' and prayer partners, but I think it is simply because church is a contained community and it is a misunderstood subject. Someone new almost always gets gossiped about. Someone serving in ministry receives the same treatment. The more visible someone is the more likely there will be gossip about them. Sometimes, the better looking, rich or seemingly blessed individuals get talked about simply because there is underlying envy.
Gossips have a need to find out stuff about others so that they can work out their stories - which are always a mix of half-truths and lies. They are always curious and have a ready justification about why they need to have the information. They get a kick out of knowing something about someone else and letting others know they know something others don't. Perhaps having information about someone else makes the gossip feel important.

One tell-tale sign of a gossip is a person who fishes for information. Fishing comes so naturally to a gossip that they may not even know they are doing it. One favorite tactic is to say a few things that need to be clarified or corrected - it is an attempt to bait us into revealing more. A cunningly placed lie can be effective bait for more information. Another popular gambit is to lure us into false security by telling us they already know, so we would feel comfortable to elaborate and we unwittingly feed the gossip and confirm something they are fishing for. There are also other common guises, such as caring; of wanting to pray with us; or through gifts; invitations to fellowship; or even flattery. Seasoned gossips are skilled at making an interrogation seem like a visit to the spa. It could also be a direct offer to tell us something we don't know, baiting curiosity. There is more of course to a gossip's bag of tricks. Their tactics can be very subtle but we can learn to not take their bait and sidestep their advances.

When we are confronted by a gossiper fishing for information, perhaps we should simply refrain from explaining anything. Clarifying to a gossip is simply giving the gossiper material to gossip some more. Explaining to a gossip is enabling their problem - it is like giving drugs to a drug addict. Information is the gossip's drug. We shouldn't feed the monster or add fuel to the fire. Proverbs 26:20 (NIV) shares this wisdom:

Without wood a fire goes out;
without a gossip a quarrel dies down.

Without new information, gossip eventually dissipates. Gossips may make something up or suggest something dramatic or sensational but eventually the truth surfaces and the liar is revealed.

We will invariably come across a gossip trying to share information about others to us. Perhaps they are seeking allies; perhaps they are baiting us into enlarging their story. Maybe they are simply showing off what they know. Be as it may, we need to stop them and walk away. Proverbs 18:8 (NIV) warns us:

The words of a gossip are like choice morsels;
they go down to the inmost parts.

We need to be careful about receiving these "choice morsels". They are poison that corrupts our inmost parts - our hearts and minds. What goes into our innermost parts can end up defining us, like an 'inception' (intriguing movie). What is within us is what comes out of us (Matthew 12:33-35; James 3:9-12). We need to guard what we receive into our hearts for it is our wellspring of life. Solomon shares this wisdom in Proverbs 4:23 (NASB):

Watch over your heart with all diligence,
For from it flow the springs of life.

Gossip is rot we shouldn't partake of. When confronted with gossip, we may need to assert we are not comfortable with the topic of conversation, change the subject or walk away. Perhaps we should just tell them to stop saying what they are saying immediately. We don't have to explain the truth or clarify, even if we are privy to better information. We can just tell them they are wrong, they don't know what they are saying and to stop. I know how hard this is from personal experience, not wanting to offend someone, and not wanting to be on the bad side of a gossip!

As highlighted above, it is probably not a good idea to give the gossip any new material. I have found it is better even if I just avoid a gossip altogether lest I inadvertently become an accessory after the fact by listening to gossip or unwittingly fuelling it. Proverbs 20:19 (NASB) provides clear instruction to avoid gossipers:

He who goes about as a slanderer reveals secrets,
Therefore do not associate with a gossip

We should note in this verse that no real distinction is made between the slanderer and the gossip. It is wise to avoid gossips. It safeguards our privacy because a gossiping 'friend' will invariably betray our confidence. They can't help it. Like any other stronghold or some sins, gossip is often a compulsion that may not be under the person's complete control. Gossips also tend to manipulate opinion about people around them and this is another reason why we must never subject ourselves to a gossip's agenda.

Of course, we ourselves would invariably be involved in some level of gossip at one time or other. I have. Let's turn the light upon ourselves for a moment... We may really have a problem with gossiping if we cannot wait to tell others something we have just found out about someone else. On the lesser scale perhaps, we may find ourselves inadvertently revealing information about others in the normal course of a conversation. The subject has nothing to do with us, it was not our business and yet we reveal that information. It could be about the most mundane things like who went where or did what. It could also be something someone has told us about themselves or even others. This may reveal we have an idle tongue. If we make a conscious effort to, there is a good chance we will catch ourselves involved in some level of gossiping, it may be idle words or something more chronic. We are all a work in progress after all.
Most gossips also happen to be busybodies. Interestingly, the Bible lumps busybodies together with thieves, murderers and evildoers. 1 Peter 4:15 (NKJV):

But let none of you suffer as a murderer, a thief, an evildoer, or as a busybody in other peoples matters.

It would not be a stretch to put it this way - gossip is taking and giving away information that doesnt belong to us(stealing); it can be slander that kills another's character (murder); and it is evil.

In short, we should guards our tongues from idle speech and when we come across gossips, we should RUN in the other direction. We shouldn't feed a gossiper their "drug" and we need to let God work on the gossip in His time. If we can be secure about our position and God's estimation about us, what people may think or say about us doesn't actually matter. Perhaps the only time we should correct gossip is when it hurts our ministry or hinders our life. And when we do correct a gossip we should do it properly as prescribed in the Bible about confronting a brother or a sister.  Having lived through this type of confrontation I must caution - do so only as instructed by the Holy Spirit, and not in your own desire to fix a situation.  You will quickly find yourself at the mercy of a gossip if you do!   The Bible is clear Matthew 7:6(NLT):

"Don't waste what is holy on people who are unholy. Don't throw your pearls to pigs! They will trample the pearls, then turn and attack you.

If we can discipline ourselves into not seeking, contributing to or feeding gossip we can eventually get out of its bondage - gossip won't bother us. As it is often said - we cannot control what goes on around us but we can always control how we react. Let us instead cultivate our tongue for edification and receive Pauls exhortation in Ephesians 4:29 (NKJV):

Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers.

So if we are going to say anything about others, let it be a testimony, let it be something good which edifies the hearer. Perhaps the old adage puts it most aptly - If you have nothing good to say about someone, say nothing.     

Trusting Him,
Amanda

*portions of this blog entry have been adapted from Christianblog.net

What are you reading?

Have you ever had a book litereally JUMP off the shelf at you?  Just recently I was browsing online and I saw the title of a book that litereally jumped out at me.  "When Godly people do ungodly things"  I heard the Holy Spirit say to me - 'this is about that incident last December/January,  you need to read that book'.

This book is about the seductive nature of sin and how a person who is walking with the Lord can fall into sin before they even realize what is happening.  I can tell you that 6 or 8 months ago I would have laughed at that idea - I would have told you this was complete rhetoric, excusing the inexcusable and making an allowance for sin.  I want to be clear that this book does not in any way excuse sin, make light of sin, or even imply that sin isn't grevious to us and to God.  What this book is doing in my life is pointing out holes in my defenses and showing me how even someone who really desires to follow the Lord can make big mistakes and fall under attack and not realize, or recognize, their sin. 

If you haven't read the book I would encourage you to read it - and if you have read it recently please feel free to comment here.    If you know me, you know I really do not care for Beth Moore's teaching or writting style, so if I am recommending a Beth Moore book - maybe it is worth a look? 

I have not read the whole book yet - I am about 1/3 of the way through it - but again, I would highly recommend this book to every believer. 

Happy Independence Day,
Amanda

Three years ago....

Where were you three years ago today? 
I was staying at the Courtyard Marriot in Newark =) 

I thought life would never be the same.
Our lives have been completely different since that day - three years ago yesterday, and they have been different, for the better. 

So much has changed in these last three years, and it would take hours to write it all out  - but some things have stayed the same - even gotten better over this time -and I am amazed and awed by how God works everything to good for those that love Him.  Everything!

Still writing music - here is the latest

Sun was shining on your face when I saw you
and I knew that I would love you, ooohhh

Took my breath away from that first moment
and I felt it for the first time, like comin home

And it felt brand new, standin close to you

Like a flame in night
Like the sun burnin bright
just to touch you
just to find you

And I don't understand
Why you're holdin my hand
it's only, it's only faith
Can find a love like this

We were sittin there and you were cryin
and I knew that it was over

Took my breath away to hear you say it
and I felt it for the first time, like dyin slow

And you felt it too, sittin close to you

Like a flame in night
Like the sun burnin bright
just to touch you
just to see you

And I don't understand
Why you're holdin my hand
it's only faith, it's only faith
Holds onto love like this

Oh why?  Is love a just feelin that comes and goes?
Or is it the hope in life that brings us close?
Can I chose to love you, even though, you hurt me so.

Sun was shining on your face when I saw you
and I knew that I would love you, ooohhh
Took my breath away from that first moment
and It felt like first time, like comin home

And we felt brand new, with the love we choose

Like a flame in night
Like the sun burnin bright
just to touch you
just to hold you

And I don't understand
Why you're holdin my hand
it's only faith, it's only faith
it's only faith, it's only faith
it's only faith, it's only faith
Can make a love that lasts

Faithful

I had been talking to a friend of mine, we attend different churches, and the subject came up of people in church not agreeing on doctrinal things.  The thing she mentioned was eternal security.  Wow - out of no where - I know she is a believer, but I didn't know where she stood on this and I didn't want to offend her, so I said something like, ' I think all true Christians agree that our faith is about knowing and pleasing God and growing in a relationship with Him by serving Him and learning to lean on Him.'   She agreed and that was that - she never did really say what she believed about eternal security. 
A few days later I read Romans 3. I know I have read this several times, but it never quite hit me like it did a few days ago.  I have included it and highlighted some things below.

Does it really make a difference if a Christian believes in eternal security?  I think it really does.  God is loving, faithful, and accepting.  God NEVER leaves, NEVER forsakes, NEVER gives up on us.  NEVER!!!  Any other doctrine could lead to false conclusions about God.  If God would leave us - how could we be sure he would ever be faithful at all, If God would forsake us -what would it take to anger God in that way, If God would give up on us - how could we know if we were in his good graces or abandonned? 
But I think this is a bigger deal than that even.  As a Christian I should pattern my actions after Christ - I should try to live up to His standard - I don't always - but I should be trying.  If God wasn't always faithful - could I leave whenever I felt like it?  If God did forsake, or turn his back on people, would it then be ok for me to turn my back on others?  Would it be ok for me to leave if things got too hard, if someone ticked me off, if I felt that someone had hurt me and not really been repentant?  Would it be ok to give up on someone who continued to sin?  Are some sins worse than others?

Thinking this through I think it explains A LOT about why some Christians look just like the world.  They do not know God's Love in their lives.  They are living the same way the lost do.  You hurt me, I leave or I hurt you back or both - is this how they see God!?!?!
How about a God that NEVER lets go - no matter how bad you are, no matter how many times you fail!  What peace, what love, what restoration in their lives are missing because they believe that God would or could forsake them.
Drason said something in a Sunday School class a few years ago that cracked me up - but it is kind of a picture of who God really is. The ice breaker question asked "Are you a go with the flow kind of person, or are you an 'It's my way of the highway', type?" 

His answer - It's my way or my way, nobody's leaving.   =)

God never leaves, His Faithfulness is Forever,  once you are His, you are His - He's not leaving =)


Romans 3
1 Then what’s the advantage of being a Jew? Is there any value in the ceremony of circumcision? 2 Yes, there are great benefits! Firstof all, the Jews were entrusted with the whole revelation of God.^[a]3 True, some of them were unfaithful; but just because they were unfaithful, does that mean God will be unfaithful? ⁴ Of course not! Even if everyone else is a liar, God is true. As the Scriptures say about him,
“You will be proved right in what you say,
and you will win your case in court.”<sup>[b]

10</sup> As the Scriptures say,
“No one is righteous—
not even one.
¹¹ No one is truly wise;
no one is seeking God.
¹² All have turned away;
all have become useless.
No one does good,
not a single one.”^[d]
13 “Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.
Their tongues are filled with lies.”
“Snake venom drips from their lips.”^[e]
14 “Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.”^[f]
15 “They rush to commit murder.
¹⁶ Destruction and misery always follow them.
¹⁷ They don’t know where to find peace.”^[g]
18 “They have no fear of God at all.”^[h]
19 Obviously, the law applies to those to whom it was given, for its purpose is to keep people from having excuses, and to show that the entire world is guilty before God. ²⁰ For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.
²¹ But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses^[i] and the prophets long ago. ²² We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.
²³ For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. ²⁴ Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. ²⁵ For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, ²⁶ for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus.
²⁷ Can we boast, then, that we have done anything to be accepted by God? No, because our acquittal is not based on obeying the law. It is based on faith. ²⁸ So we are made right with God through faith and not by obeying the law.
²⁹ After all, is God the God of the Jews only? Isn’t he also the God of the Gentiles? Of course he is. ³⁰ There is only one God, and he makes people right with himself only by faith, whether they are Jews or Gentiles.^{[j] 31} Well then, if we emphasize faith, does this mean that we can forget about the law? Of course not! In fact, only when we have faith do we truly fulfill the law.

No more plastics

I am really busy. 

It's true - I try not to be, but sometimes (especially this time of year)  I am SUPER busy.  The last two weeks have been sort of a relief - I got to rest and recouperate and catch up on some things I had been meaning to follow up on. 

One of those things is plastics

Last fall I had to have surgery, that I now believe was caused in part by over exposure to xenoestrogens - something that occurs in our diets without us even realizing it.  The more I have studied this, the more I am convinced.

If you know me, you know I am a scientific kind of girl - show me the FACTS.  You say it is dangerous?  Fine, show me a double blind, peer reviewed study with some teeth and I will listen

Well.... here it is =(
http://lifewithoutplastic.com/en/component/content/article/1-latest-news/141-food-packaging-increases-exposure-to-bpa-and-key-phthalate-human-study.html

Here's another one - it's way worse
http://ehp03.niehs.nih.gov/article/fetchArticle.action?articleURI=info%3Adoi%2F10.1289%2Fehp.1003220

Short story - plastics touching things you ingest = BAD!

So we have spent the last week or so - de-plasticing our food.  It has been really really difficult to do!

Some things I have learned :
Target sells cereal in a cardboard tube/box w/o plastic bags (and the interior cardboard is not the plastic sprayed shiny kind)
Oats come in cardboard as well
All bread comes in plastic - and baking bread is hard, and time consuming - I am thinking of scoping out some local bakerys and seeing if they will just hand me the bread, and not put it in a plastic bag.
All meat comes in plastic and freezer paper (the only stuff I can find) is now plastic coated - HELP!
We are looking for a farmer with a cow at the right age to butcher =) and I am looking for butcher paper.
Many things still come in glass jars!!  Kroger and Giant Eagle both have great selections of this (Aldi has some good stuff too!)
You can get Milk in a glass jug at Ashery Farms =)

I promise we have not jumped off the deep end - we are trying this out for a while to see if we feel better =)  And because we aren't wanting to ingest plastic.
Amanda

Accident

So, you may have heard I was in a car accident yesterday afternoon - very scary. 

We were in town for Mason's speech therapy, I had all three boys and Makanna with me.  Since we had heard there would be storms, and Marshal needed some last minute Science Fair book, and Makanna LOVES the library, we decided to stop for a few minutes.  Well, a few minutes turned into about an hour and when we left it was pouring rain.  So I left 4 children huddled under the eaves of the Library while I ran to the car and pulled it up so that they could all get into the car without getting soaked. 
They piled in, buckled everyone up, and off we went.  We were on Brushy Fork, about 2 miles from home, and I came over a hill to see a Silver/Gray Ford F150 in our lane - and still coming!
I swerved into the grass, and thankfully they missed us, but that put us on a collision course with some phone poles, two or three veers on and off the road (thankfully no one was coming) and I could not get the car under control.  It struck one of the three poles I was trying to miss - just behind the drivers door on the B -brace, snapped the pole into 4 peices, and we slip to a stop in the ditch. 

Terrifying yes, sort of painful (for me) as I hit my head on the driver window, and my shoulder slammed into the other side of that B brace, dislocating it, but it could have been much worse. 

When I think about this I am so thankful: 
All the kids were buckled up and safe.
Because of the way they loaded in at the Library, they were all on the opposite side of the car from the impact
The Durango didn't roll or flip
We hit the only 4" wide spot on the entire side of the car that wouldn't wrap around that pole - it broke the pole instead!
No serious injuries. 

So - while it stinks to be in a car wreak - Thank you Father for taking care of all of us!
They totalled the car today  - no questions, just cut us the check on the spot.  So we are now car shopping. 
Please pray that we find something affordable and that my shoulder (and everywhere else) stop hurting =) 
Thank you for all of your prayers and concern.  We serve a MIGHTY GOD!
Amanda

Sunny Days

I have had a really rough last few days, I mean really rough!

Last December I was really hurt by some people who I trusted, the events that led to that hurt were filled with turmoil and strife.  I look at life the last week or so and I see some of the same things.  It really bothers me, that is not a lesson I want to repeat, so how do you deal with angry people?

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up strife.

Romans 12:18 says ' If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.'

We’ve heard the saying 'put your best foot forward', and yet each one of us does our best in the best way we know how, right?

But here Paul is telling us that we must go beyond our best, we must take that extra step to reach a place where we can truly say “I’ve given it my best.”

For me, it’s hard to do live at peace 'as far as it depends on' me, because depending on the severity of an issue I won’t take that extra step. I will do the norm and say okay I did my best. But Paul is saying it is not enough for to just do the norm. I must stretch myself to the limit and once I’ve done that, then I can say I’ve done my best.

Sometimes our best is when we don’t have to put much effort into a thing. Our best becomes if someone rubs us the wrong way then they can forget about us taking that extra step, because we don’t think they deserve it after the way they acted with us.

(Praise God for going the extra step for me! In His great mercy and grace he delivered me, and forgave me EVERYTHING!)

It’s hard to live at peace with people, but Jesus can help me to live at peace with all men(and women!), if I allow the Holy Spirit to change my mind, I will see that when I do try to do my best, it far exceeds what I thought I could do! And it is a blessing to me!

Jesus knows that there are some people who will not allow me to live at peace with them, but that is in His hands - I am His child, His responsibility, He can handle it!
Goodnight,
Amanda

A Life of Humility

Recently I spent the day with a good friend of mine and she told me something that shocked the socks off me. 

When we were first getting to know each other I said something that was a bit rude to her.  I didn't mean to be rude - but what I said hurt her feelings.  She said that at first she was sort of angry with me, but after a few weeks she decided that no matter what she was going to be my friend. 

That is amazing to me.  I would hope that I would have the maturity to do that, but I am not sure that I would.
That is humility - that is real love applied to another person who is undeserving!
I have an issue with justice (which is really humility),  I want to see justice win out.  I want the truth to be known and it bothers me when it is not.  In fact it bothers me greatly when I know that a liar got away with a lie, or a theif got away with stealing, a cheater cheated and didn't get caught, or a gossip was believed like they told the gospel truth.  These things really get under my skin.  Here is what my humble friend had to say to me:
John 1 says 'In the beginning was the Word and the Word was God and the Word was with God..... and the Word was made flesh.....Jesus Christ.

Jesus was there are creation.  He, as part of the Godhead, shaped the universe, created all things, and was worshipped endlessly. 

But then Jesus, even though He was all powerful, mighty, magestic, clothed in glory, was born on earth.  There is nothing quite as disusting as a birth.  How humiliating it would be for Him to be born, how grevious to have someone change you, to fall and scrape your knee, to live on earth for 30 years as a man - how degrading that must have been for him.  Everything He did was to serve me, and He did not complain, He did not cry out at the injustice of His situation - but instead said 'Thy will be done." 

In the hours before Jesus' crusifiction Jesus, wearing a towel around His waist, washes the feet of the disciples - all 12 of them. 
None will stay with Him
One will deny Him
One will doubt Him
One will betray Him

Still Jesus humbles himself even further to teach them about serving one another and Love.

Later, when the guards come to arrest him in the garden Jesus says "I AM" and they stumble back before Him, his creation obeys unwillingly, unknowingly, before God - and still he allows himself to be beaten and tourtured and humiliated to the point of death.

If Christ can suffer all of that for me, what right do I have to seek justice instead of humility?

She's right - I have no right.

Then she pointed out Psalms 73

73:1 Truly God is good to Israel,
to those who are pure in heart.
2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled,
my steps had nearly slipped.
3 For I was envious of the arrogant
when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.

4 For they have no pangs until death;
their bodies are fat and sleek.
5 They are not in trouble as others are;
they are not stricken like the rest of mankind.
6 Therefore pride is their necklace;
violence covers them as a garment.
7 Their eyes swell out through fatness;
their hearts overflow with follies.
8 They scoff and speak with malice;
loftily they threaten oppression.
9 They set their mouths against the heavens,
and their tongue struts through the earth.
10 Therefore his people turn back to them,
and find no fault in them. [1]
11 And they say, “How can God know?
Is there knowledge in the Most High?”
12 Behold, these are the wicked;
always at ease, they increase in riches.
13 All in vain have I kept my heart clean
and washed my hands in innocence.
14 For all the day long I have been stricken
and rebuked every morning.
15 If I had said, “I will speak thus,”
I would have betrayed the generation of your children.

16 But when I thought how to understand this,
it seemed to me a wearisome task,
17 until I went into the sanctuary of God;
then I discerned their end.

18 Truly you set them in slippery places;
you make them fall to ruin.
19 How they are destroyed in a moment,
swept away utterly by terrors!
20 Like a dream when one awakes,
O Lord, when you rouse yourself, you despise them as phantoms.
21 When my soul was embittered,
when I was pricked in heart,
22 I was brutish and ignorant;
I was like a beast toward you.

23 Nevertheless, I am continually with you;
you hold my right hand.
24 You guide me with your counsel,
and afterward you will receive me to glory.
25 Whom have I in heaven but you?
And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you.
26 My flesh and my heart may fail,
but God is the strength [2] of my heart and my portion forever.

27 For behold, those who are far from you shall perish;
you put an end to everyone who is unfaithful to you.
28 But for me it is good to be near God;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
that I may tell of all your works.

It isn't about me and everyone else and God, it is about me and God.  I can live in love and humility with them, even when they are liars, cheaters, gossips and just plain sinners because I too have sinned and because in spite of that hurt love and humility have been applied to my life.  I do not have to be a brute before God, I can instead be his child.

Thank you friend!

Amanda

Thank You

Thank you God for a friend.  She didn't have to be my friend - she went out of her way to be a friend.

Thank you God for a loving husband.  Even after working all week, and teaching for 12 hours, and teaching another 12 tomorrow - he made time for me today.

Thank you God for your faithfulness to provide - In a time when so many are without work - You gave Drason a job in 10 weeks and filled 2 classes so that we could pay our bills

Thank you God for patient children with tender hearts - They try so hard, I am so impressed by them and amazed that you have grown them in the people they are.

Thank you God for a sister who gets me.  It is hard ot think of her as an adult, but she proves it almost everyday.

Thank you God for small acts of kindness - They touch my heart and breathe life into my spirit - that You would think of me is amazing!

Thanks you God for our family - they are such a blessing to us.

Thank you God for friends who uplift and encourage, and words that bring joy and peace.  Bless them, they chose humility to minister to me.

Father,
Thank you for all this and for everything else you are doing and have done in our lives. 
Amen.

Amanda

Choice for the Special Cases

Everyone is a special case.  Let me tell you,  I have sat across from liars who lied for a special reason, and drunks who drank for a special reason and they all said to me that they were the exception to the rule.  The abuser who abused, the cheater who cheated, the liar who lied, the thief who stole, the gossip who back stabbed - all had a special reason why the rules should not apply to them. 
NEWS FLASH - the rules still apply. 

As a counselor I had a choice, I could allow myself to be sucked into their world by either commiserating with them; agree that they indeed were the special case, or confronting the absurd belief that had left them broken, humiliated, lonely, lost and generally in a heap of trouble, OR I could chose to have mercy, provide them with the tools that they needed to succeed.  Many of my clients over the years were in severe legal trouble, many had been or were shortly headed to prison. They did not chose to seek counseling, most were one court order away from walking out the door and never looking back.  If I treated them with indifference, they would never change; confront them with the truth and help them move beyond that, and they thank me even to this day. My choice made all the difference.


There is a thin line between confrontation which seeks justice, payment, and retribution and one that confronts in the hopes of them finding reconciliation and restoration. 
  
Is it possible to desire justice and also desire reconciliation? 
 
It is when you recognize your job as a counselor.  When you read the job description for counselor you will find that no where in that description is the word punish or judge. It was the judge in their case who determined their sentence, not I.  My job was reconciliation, I had but to trust the judge and leave the punishment to the one in charge of punishment. 
 
As a counselor, I learned to trust the judge.  The judge did not call me and ask me what his discharge of the case should be.  In fact, most of the time I was not ever consulted, simply a report submitted. 
My report was spread out on a conference table somewhere next to dozens of other reports.  There was a report from the jailer, the arresting officer, the accuser; there were reports and testimonials from the friends, the families and the accused loved ones, all of these had bearing on the sentence of the convicted, and my report was there among them. 
Broken people sat in my office and begged me to write favorable reports; pretense was laid aside and hearts were poured out.  'PLEASE HAVE MERCY!' was uttered in a thousand different ways. 
Mercy is easy, judgement is hard.  I have the ability to have mercy, I do not have the ability to judge fairly, and I had to tell them, 'I am not the judge.'  Shoulders slumped, faces wilted, hearts fell, it seemed there was no hope, no mercy to be had.
 
Reports numbering in the millions lay spread across the conference table of Heaven.  God leaned in over them. He, knowing every word, every testimony, every crime, knew that The Law demanded justice.  The verdict was clear and it didn't look pretty.  But then God did something amazing.  He turned to Jesus, who had also seen every report, and asked him to satisfy the Law, serve the sentence, pay the price.  
Amazingly, Jesus agreed!
 
Where do the roads of justice and reconciliation meet?  At the intersection of Love, on a cross.
 
Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:2)  Amazing how in that one verse both justice and reconciliation are satisfied through Christ's love.  
 
The funny thing is - I am a special case,  the rules no longer apply.  If you know God, if you accept him as savior - YOU are a special case, too.
I don't have to judge - I can be the counselor, I can say 'Yes, Mercy is available.'  (and now,I have bearing with the Judge!) All because of Christ.  Rejoice!  Heaven's Angels sing!  There was a party in Heaven the day I accept Christ's work.  They opened up the conference room, cleared off the table, broke out the bubbly, cut the cake and threw confetti! Praise JESUS!  He did it again!
 
Now here comes the hard part, we can all appreciate mercy applies to our own lives. But can we apply mercy when it come to the lives of others? 
There is another conference room table in the halls of every heart, and it is stacked high with reports. 
'You were unfaithful', 'you cheated me', 'you stole from me', 'you lied to me', 'you stabbed me in the back'. Every reader has a choice.  Clear the table and have a party, or  re-read every word.  Pour our mercy applied or dwell on every accusation.  Chose love or allow bitterness and anger to rule the realm.
   
The Author of Mercy, is pretty clear on this one.
Romans 15:7-8 ⁷ Therefore, accept each other just as Christ has accepted you so that God will be given glory. ⁸ Remember that Christ came as a servant to the Jews to show that God is true to the promises he made to their ancestors.

Colossians 3:12-14 ¹² Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. ¹³ Make allowance for each other’s faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. ¹⁴ Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony.

Romans 12:9-18
9 Don’t just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. 10 Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy, but work hard and serve the Lord enthusiastically. 12 Rejoice in our confident hope. Be patient in trouble, and keep on praying. 13 When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality.  14 Bless those who persecute you. Don’t curse them; pray that God will bless them. 15 Be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with each other. Don’t be too proud to enjoy the company of ordinary people. And don’t think you know it all!
17 Never pay back evil with more evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honorable. 18 Do all that you can to live in peace with everyone.

Philippians 2: 1-4 1 Is there any encouragement from belonging to Christ? Any comfort from his love? Any fellowship together in the Spirit? Are your hearts tender and compassionate? 2 Then make me truly happy by agreeing wholeheartedly with each other, loving one another, and working together with one mind and purpose.  3 Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves. 4 Don’t look out only for your own interests, but take an interest in others, too.

All Sunday school children know John 3:16, maybe we would do well to make sure they also learned 1John 3:16
¹⁶ We know what real love is because Jesus gave up his life for us. So we also ought to give up our lives for our brothers and sisters.

We know this, we know we should forgive, but while most of us understand the part of me that says 'confront the absurd', we struggle with accepting whatever response is given in that confrontation.
  
'You're an abuser' met with 'she deserved it'
'You cheated' met with 'define cheat'
'You're a liar' met with 'no I'm not'
'You're a theif' met with 'I needed it'
'You're a gossip' met with 'I needed a confidant'

When this happens, as it invariably will, please take a page from the counselor book.  Do not engage.  Then take a page from the Good Book
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
4 Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud 5 or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. 6 It does not rejoice about injustice but rejoices whenever the truth wins out. 7 Love never gives up, never loses faith, is always hopeful, and endures through every circumstance.

Romans 5:8
⁸ But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.

And my all time favorite verse in the Bible John 15:16a "You didn’t choose me. I chose you"
The next time someone hurts you, offends you, or betrays you, and you find yourself at the cross roads of justice and reconciliation; hear the truth that you are dearly loved and chosen by God Himself....

.....and then remember that choice makes all the difference.

Trusting Him,
Amanda

Should I get a non-resident permit or an Ohio resident permit?

Hot topic - Should I get a non-resident permit or an Ohio resident permit?


To answer this question lets say that, for arguments sake, you want to get a Florida, non-resident permit, since this is the most common scenario.

Current states who DO NOT accept a non-resident Florida liscense, but will accept an Ohio resident liscence are: Michigan, South Carolina, Nevada, and Minnesota.

States that will accept Florida non-resident, but not an Ohio resident are - Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana.

The problem with a non-resident permit is simple - more and more states are closing the loop hole of having a non-resident permit. It could be next year, or next month - but eventually states plan to phase out these non-resident permits. Since each state words their laws a little differently you may find yourself in a very sticky situation should you get pulled over as an Ohio resident, in another state with yet another states non-resident permit. Is this beginning to make sense? Can you imagine explaining that one to the over zealous trooper who pulled you over doing 68 in a 65?

Read what the Florida Dept of Agriculture and Consumer Services - DIVISION of LISCENSING has to say about it:
http://licgweb.doacs.state.fl.us/news/concealed_carry.html


"ANSWERS TO COMMONLY ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT RECIPROCITY AND TRAVELING WITH A FIREARM
QUESTION 4. I have a Florida Concealed Weapon/Firearm License, but I am not a legal resident of Florida. Can I travel to the states that recognize Florida licenses and still carry a concealed weapon?
Most of the reciprocity states will honor Florida non-resident permits; however, authorities in a number of states have informed us that there are specific provisions in their laws that restrict the terms of their mutual recognition agreements ONLY to the LICENSED RESIDENTS of other states. Therefore, those individuals who hold Florida licenses but who are not residents of Florida cannot carry concealed weapons in these states.

BE ADVISED: Because gun laws are subject to change or different interpretation by state courts, we recommend that non-resident Florida licensees call or write licensing authorities in the states in which they will be traveling to obtain the latest information on this important topic."


I think that says it all folks. When you have a CHL or CWP or CCW from your state of residence you are protected by your states laws and reciprocity agreements, when you have a non-resident permit, you lose a measure of that protection.

A few years back they changed the renewal process in Ohio for a resident permit, it was a very small change indeed, but it was advertised in many local newspapers, on the 11 o'clock news and was widely known for months before the change took affect. Should their be a change in Florida law, will it be in the local newspaper? I don't think I want to chance that.

Finally beware of "in your home" or "3 hour course" advertisements. These are generally not a good idea for all of the reasons stated above and because they afford very little time to familiarize students with laws, firearms, and essential self protection and range time. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is! My advice is to steer clear of these kinds of courses and stick with the tried and true.

For a list of Certified Instructors in the State of Ohio check out http://www.buckeyefirearms.com/