A Kiss?

On Bended Knee

Selection!

Then someone called from the crowd, “Sir, please tell my brother to divide my father’s estate with me.” But Jesus replied, “Man who made me a judge over you to decide such things as that? Beware! Don’t always be wishing for what you don’t have. For real life and real living are not related to how rich we are.”

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Then He gave an illustration:  “A rich man had a fertile farm that produced fine crops. In fact, his barns were full to overflowing – he couldn’t get everything in. He thought about his problem, and finally exclaimed, I know – I’ll tear down my barns and build bigger ones! Then I’ll have room enough. And I’ll sit back and say to myself, “Friend, you have enough stored away for years to come. Now take it easy! Wine, women, and song for you!” But God said to him, Fool! Tonight you die. Then who will get it all?” Yes, every man is a fool who gets rich on earth but not in heaven. Luke12: 13-21 TLB

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The earth is deceived in believing that money gives them power and happiness. All of us are about as happy as we make up our mind to be. It’s a choice in I how you view life. 

Like Paul said in Philippians 4:10-14, “How grateful I am and how I praise the Lord that you are helping me again. I know you have always been anxious to send what you could, but for a while you didn’t have the chance. Not that I was ever in need, for I have learned how to get along happily whether I have much or little. I know how to live on almost nothing or with everything. I have learned the secret of contentment in every situation, whether it be a full stomach or hunger, plenty or want; for I can do everything God asks me to with the help of Christ who gives me the strength and power. But even so, you have done right in helping me in my present difficulty.”

Roosevelt used this 1686 Dutch family Bible to take the oath of office for all four of his terms as President of the United States.

I do not own the rights to this photo 

Money is necessary, but it should not be your driving force to achieve happiness and success. We are electing a new President, and there is a vast majority who are deceived by those who have money, but are poor in spirit and in truth. We need good leaders that are for all people and who seek God for their wisdom to reign. 

House Poor!

Imagine taking a house approximately 2500 square feet and downsizing it to fit into a tiny house that is 250 sq. ft. Yep! You know what I’m about to say, “The thought of getting rid of almost all of your belongings is overwhelming”! There are so many things you want to keep; but can’t!

Now what I’m about to say might not makes sense to you, but it makes perfect sense to me. I have watched married couples in general over the years and I have been encouraged by every situation in the immature couples as well as the mature!

Every action begins with a thought. The immature couples try to cram one week into one day! When your thoughts are overloaded so is your actions; and your life! It’s no fun when you are always playing catch-up! Spending weekends catching up on work that needs to be done around the house gets exhausting! You are not in the mood, nor do you really want to wash ten loads of close in a day, cut the grass, clean the house, etc. Get rid of the clutter in your thoughts and you will get rid of the clutter in your household!

The more mature couples know how to collaborate with each other. They understand the importance of communication and delegation without anyone feeling inferior towards the other. All week they share the duties of the house and the children; whereas, they nip the overload in the bud.

No marriage or relationship is perfect. Keep in mind, relationships do take commitment and work, even a relationship with God. Schedules will not always stay on track, things happen that throw them off, but it doesn’t mean you have to stay off track. You will want to be flexible and understanding with each other when they do.

Again, you are not perfect, so don’t expect your spouse to be. And if you catch yourself becoming frustrated, go some place where you can be alone and pray; God will give you an answer!

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life?  “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:25-34 NIV

Slipping Into Darkness!

In the Bible Peter writes: 

"As you come to him, the living Stone—rejected by humans but chosen by God and precious to him— you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ. For in Scripture it says:

“See, I lay a stone in Zion,
    a chosen and precious cornerstone,
and the one who trusts in him
    will never be put to shame.”

Now to you who believe, this stone is precious. But to those who do not believe,

“The stone the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone,”and,

“A stone that causes people to stumble
    and a rock that makes them fall.”

They stumble because they disobey the message—which is also what they were destined for.

But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s special possession, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy. I Peter 2:4-10

Those who rejected Jesus in biblical days are rejecting Him in today's society. Jesus came for us to have life and more abundantly, yet we still choose satan's way of life over God's. When you are constantly sad, and one little thing sets you off, or your day starts off with a mishap and you blame your mood on that and stay that way all day, then you are living in darkness. There are things in your path that make you stumble and if you are not careful, you will fall~ HARD!

Mind Over Money!

This is the scenario:

The utility bills come every month. You are able to pay your light bill and water & sewage bill on time; however, the gas bill is always late! You have done this for several years now and feel hopeless you will never get it caught up. You say, “What’s the use”! It's already late, you know you are short, and had no intentions of wanting to pay it. So you go out and treat yourself to a new pair of jeans, a nice hair cut, and some work out shoes that were more than you should have paid for them ~ but you wanted them! When you receive the disconnect notice again, panic mode settles in, then guilt, then fear. You call up the gas company in hopes that you tell them a sob story; well a made up lie, they will give you a break again! Whereas; this time, they are not going to give in. You have used up all of your nice cards and it's time for the reality of responsibility to settle in; because your actions have shown them you are not sincere (one of the appetizer words) about paying “on time”! Oh I forgot to mention; it’s 20 degrees outside. So now what?

The answer:

Keep in mind you have been doing this for years, paid the late fee for years, and were constantly in the arrears! Sit down and do some calculations and add up how much you were spending extra every month by paying the late fee. It’s not money wasted; it’s just money you could use elsewhere or even put in a savings for hard times, once you establish a method of "on time payment"! When we are constantly robbing Peter to pay Paul, then we are in a rut!

All of us have done it sometime or another with any type of payment (car, furniture, medical bills, etc.) and if you haven’t that is Fabulous! Being in debt brings so much stress, discomfort, arguments, and even divorce in families. The root of the matter truly isn’t money; it’s our attitude towards money that gets us into trouble. Money is not evil, but the love of money is!

For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with much grief. I Timothy 6:10 NIV

I know you are waiting on the answer, and here it is:

It is important to make sure you do not have more money going out than you do coming in. If you do, then you and your husband sit down and go over your spending habits. Once you see where you are spending your money, how much, and where, then make some adjustments immediately, pray for discernment as to what to let go and what to keep, and stay dedicated (another appetizer word) to your decision so your household will live in God’s peace.

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:6-7 NLT

Who do you Serve?

If we compromise our integrity and beliefs to please the world, then we are not true believers in Christ. Christian believers we cannot worry about what the world thinks when we do what's righteous in the sight of our Lord and Savior. Pray for the Kentucky Clerk who stayed true to her beliefs and refused to marry a same sex couple. In addition, pray for our society who compromise biblical values. 

If we recall, Paul and Silas (Acts 16:16-31) were jailed for casting out a demon, beat, and put in prison, but at midnight they were singing and worshiping God and suddenly an earthquake shook the prison doors and the chains of all the prisoners were loosened. He is a good God and a loving God. All power is within Him and He has the ability to change any of us, if we so desire~ as well as break the chains that are keeping us in bondage! And so it is! ~ PWW