DID YOU HEAR?

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: PROVERBS 16:29

A perverse man stirs up dissension, and a gossip separates close friends.

DID YOU HEAR?

I rarely pass on the latest news (aka gossip). I would like to say it is because I am trying to take the high road. That I am above gossip. Really, it is a self-defense strategy (aka keep foot out of mouth).

Although we have lived in this community for 30 years, I do not know everyone's relatives all the way back to the Mayflower. You can be sure if I begin a sentence, "Let me tell you what I heard about Sadie," the person I am talking to will eventually inform me that Sadie is their second cousin. If Sadie only had one cousin in the whole country, the one person I would pick to pass on a tidbit of news to would be her cousin. (Take foot out of mouth time.)

There is also a slight problem I have remembering names. I may know something really, really juicy and just as I start to tell, my lack of retention kicks in and I cannot remember if it was Kelly or Katherine that ......... Not wanting to get the wrong person in trouble, I just do not tell.

Did you ever play the game telephone? Where one person whispers in the ear of the next in line. The idea is to see how close the last person comes to repeating the starting sentence. The first person said, "The bed is red." The last person said, "Fred is dead." Not wanting to be responsible for Fred's family being upset, I try not to repeat what I hear.

Do I talk about people? Yes, but remember, there is a difference between conversation and gossip. How can you tell the difference? Simple. If Sadie walked into the room, would you keep talking or change the subject?

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

What have you said lately that you wish you had kept to yourself? Have you ever been hurt by gossip?

LET US PRAY

Dear Sweet Jesus, So many words. So many ways to express what I feel and what I think. Let me always use my words wisely. Let me use my words to build a friend up, not tear them down. Let me respect others and their privacy. Let me use my words to praise you and to tell your story. Let me ………………………………… Amen

VACATION PLANS

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: ROMANS 12:2

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is -- his good, pleasing and perfect will.

VACATION PLANS

Our son, Bill, always teases us about our vacations. You see, we plan. We send off for information. We mark our route. We make some reservations so we know that, at the end of the day, we will have a place to stay. We know where we want to go and we know what we want to do when we get there. We print off our route and our itinerary for the kids. That is where the teasing comes in. Bill will look at it and say, "Just how far do you think you will get before you change your plans?"

He is right. We will be going down the road and I will look at the map and say, "Now what we could do…." That usually means we will take a side road or even make a major change in our plans. The route and the reservations -- each carefully chosen -- are thrown away. A new adventure begins.

Usually we are at least going down the road when the changes start. This year the itinerary was hardly out of the printer when my husband said, "Now what we could to…" That comment resulted in a major change.

Wow, this is a lot like life. We prepare. We plot. We have our day planned. Our week. Our year. Our life. Then WHAM. God says, "Now what you could do…" Oh, I hate it when that happens. It means I have to throw out my schedule. Throw out my plans.

Then I think about it and turn to the new adventure God has prepared for me. After all, His road leads me where I really want to go.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Do all of your plans work out? Do you get frustrated when plans fall through? Can you be excited when change comes into your life? Do you listen for God's directions?

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

Dear God, You formed this world and you formed me. You have a plan for this world and you have a plan for me. I spend so much of my life deciding what I want to do. Give me ears to hear when you say, "Now what you could do ." Give me courage to change. Courage to follow your good, pleasing and perfect will. Give me courage to follow your plan. ………………………………… Amen

WHERE DO YOU SIT?

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE: LUKE 10:39

She (Martha) had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.

WHERE DO YOU SIT?

Have you ever heard this? "That is my pew! How dare those people sit there? Don't they know that I ALWAYS sit in that spot? I just would not feel comfortable sitting in another pew. I will just ask them to move."

Laugh, but I have heard of this happening. The question is where do you sit? Do you have a favorite pew? Is it in the back? Halfway back? On the left of the aisle? On the right? In the middle of the pew? At the end of the pew?

I spoke at a small church a few weeks back and told them I felt right at home. They were like the Methodist, all sitting in the back of the church.

Now I am going to ask you to get out of your comfort zone. Move around. You would meet new people. Move around. Surprise your minister and sit up front. (Believe me, all speakers would be thrilled if they looked down and the front row was filled.) Move around. Sit in the back row one Sunday and in the middle the next. Move around. Sit on the left of the aisle one Sunday and on the right the next. Do not be glued to a particular seat!

New question: If you heard that Jesus was going to speak this Sunday, where would you sit? Would you get there early so you could get the front pew? Would you grab an aisle seat so you could see better? Would you sit on the floor, at his feet?

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Where do you sit? Would you feel comfortable in another pew? The purpose of church is to join with others to worship and hear the word of God. If you would sit up close to hear Jesus, shouldn't you be just as willing to sit up front to hear His Word?

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

Dear Jesus, I have become a creature of habit. I am glued to my pew. I want to sit there because I feel comfortable. I know the people who sit next to me. Help me get out of my comfort zone because I come to church to worship You. I come to learn Your word. Give me the courage to sit at Your feet. To sit close so I will not miss one syllable. ………………………………… Amen

A JOYOUS TIME

TODAY’S SCRIPTURE:

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit. 2 Corinthians 5:16-18

A JOYOUS TIME

(To the males reading this blog: Today this is mainly for the women, but please read it. Hopefully, after reading this, you will encourage your mother, wife, daughter or female friends to attend a Women of Faith Conference.)

What a joyous time I had last Saturday! A group of women went to the Women of Faith Conference - Amazing Freedom 2007. 11,000 women joined in song. Joined in laughter. Joined in praise. Joined in celebrating being Women of Faith.

We heard how to go on with life when you have been molested as a child and when you have faced serious, life threatening illness. We heard Sandy Patty sing and heard a drama on the sisters, Martha and Mary. As the praise singers led us in song, hands were raised toward our Amazing God. We heard about God telling Luci Swindoll to "show up, shut up and let go." And we heard Marilyn Mcberg tell about putting an Ajax sticker in her husband's pants.

We laughed as Anita Renfroe talked and sang about things only women would understand -- under-wire bras, childbirth and those "press those girls flat" mammograms. Yes, we laughed until we cried.

The amazing thing is the timing of each speaker. You see, they would have us laughing. They would have us listening to every word they said. Then they would give us a zinger. They would quote a scripture and we understood that every word, every laugh was designed to make that scripture come alive.

What a joyous time I had celebrating the freedom of being a believer.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

When was the last time you went out with a group of women? When was the last time you laughed until the tears ran? When was the last time you just plain celebrated the freedom you receive from being a Woman of Faith?

The website for Women of Faith is www.womenoffaith.com. Look it up. They have many books and videos that will help you celebrate your life.

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

Dear loving God that created me to be a Women of Faith. Thank you for the support I receive from other women as I live my life as the Daughter of a King. Thank you that I am free to laugh and free to sing. That I am free to pray and free to worship you. ………………………………… Amen

I DIDN'T DO IT

TODAY’S SCRIPTURES:

Then the Lord God said to the woman, "What is this you have done?" The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." Genesis 3:13

(Moses upon coming down from the mountain and seeing the golden calf) He said to Aaron, "What did these people do to you, that you led them into such great sin?" "Do not be angry, my lord," Aaron answered. "You know how prone these people are to evil. They said to me, 'Make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don't know what has happened to him.' Exodus 32:21-23

I DIDN'T DO IT

As long as I have grandchildren, I will have stories. Our daughter has four boys -- 10, 7, 5 and 3. They are good boys, but they are boys. Noah, age 5, seems to have the ability to make rather big messes when he plays. The trouble comes in when it is time to pick up all those toys.

One day, mommy said, "Noah, it is time to pick up your toys."

Noah replied, "I didn't get them out."

Mother came back with, "Yes, you did. You had fun, but it is time to pick them up."

Noah replied, "I did not get them out! Matthew did it!"

There was one major flaw with Noah's defense and logic. What flaw you wonder.

Noah's older brother Joshua quickly informed Noah, "Matthew is in China."

The moral of the story -- Be sure the person you blame is not on the other side of the world.

The blame game goes back to the beginning of time. Eve didn't step up to the plate and admit she did a very big no-no. She blamed the serpent. Aaron couldn't look Moses in the eye and tell him that he went along with the plan. He blamed the people. O o o oh, it is so hard to take responsibility for our mistakes. O o o oh, it is so much easier to blame someone else.

QUESTIONS OF THE DAY

Do you have trouble taking responsibility for your mistakes? Have you ever blamed someone else for your error? Have you ever had someone blame you for something they did?

Please use this as a beginning of your prayer. Finish in your own words, words from your heart.

LET US PRAY

Dear Jesus, It seems there are so many temptations in life and failing to be honest and admit our mistakes is one of them. Forgive me for the times, in my past, when I have not been honest with others and with you. Today I ask you to guide me in the right direction. When I am tempted to blame another for my mistakes, either directly or by being silent, gently remind me that this is not Your way. ………………………………… Amen