HOW TO FACE DISAPOINTMENTS

Have you ever looked at a situation only to see the cold grim face of relentless disappointments, one right after another? The odd thing about disappointments is that, they are only disappointments… if we meet them as just that, disappointments and not let them control or destroy us. We can learn to change those points of discouragements by seeing them as God sees them, not how they may appear to you, to be.

As we think of Christmas time, many thoughts will pass through our minds, and as we relate this wonderful Holiday to the birth of our Savior, as well as spending time and enjoying the festivities throughout the month of December even into the New Year with joy and fun, let’s also take a moment and consider how each event that led up to Christ birth brought with it not only joy and hope, but trust and obedience to what God was to ask of one very important person!

While we often times will give much attention to some of the characters that were involved in making the nativity scene complete, like remembering Mary, the mother of baby Jesus, the shepherds and sheep, the star and the manger; let’s take a moment and think about the prelude to that delightful event.

At the beginning of this great story, there were some sad moments, short felt disappointments and possibly even discouragements along the way. This of course was before they all saw the baby and realized that God had worked His perfect plan and it all turned out to be good, even though they faced very difficult times and situations before they got to that place in the stable.

There was to be some testing’s that led up to the obedience that we now know and appreciate so much in the life of many of the characters that were involved. I would like to bring one of them to the for-front of this devotion today and that character was Joseph, the foster parent of Jesus. God chose and knew that He had placed that special call on the shoulders of the right one, and while Joseph was somewhat puzzled and left wondering for a short time, his call to obedience was never an issue. For while he might have been stunned upon first hearing that May was to be a mother before she was even a wife; it all soon gave way to Joseph seeking God’s will and plan for his and Mary’s grave situation.

Joseph, God’s pick as His Son’s earthly foster parent. He was a decedent of David, betrothed to Mary, the future mother of God’s only Son. This man Joseph can easily be identified with, in how he must have felt on several occasions of his life, as he was given some very shocking at first and somewhat disturbing news concerning his future and the plans that he was making . At one point he was looking forward to a life married to Mary, a bright and promising future, and the next was the shock that rocked his world. He found out that his betrothed and beloved Mary was with child and the child was not his own. That disappointment must have been overwhelming to him and from a human standpoint, anyone could understand the shock that he must have felt upon hearing the dreaded news as he realized or thought that he had been deceived by the one that he loved. The scripture speaks of Joseph as being a good and compassionate man. Matthew 1:19 says that “Joseph, her fiancé, being a just man, decided to break the engagement quietly, so as not to disgrace her publicly.”

For any plans that he had had for his life, was interrupted drastically, as God began to direct him with His own plans for Joseph and Mary upon the message from the angel and Joseph’s dreams. Joseph proved to be a man who would obey God without question. But at first he struggled with the news that Mary brought him.

We too are like Joseph, we make our plans and when things don’t go the way that fit into them, we become disappointed and discouraged. The scripture says in Proverbs 16:9 that "A man's heart devises his way: but the Lord directs his steps." This emphasizes the inability of man to do anything unless it is God's will. Man makes plans and devises what he wants to do or thinks he will do, but ultimately, it is only what God wills that happens.

We do need to make plans, and be diligent and organized. The apostle Paul made plans and was diligent and organized in seeking to carry them out, even if things did not turn out the way he had planned Rom 15:22-32. We also need to pray for God to bless our plans and works, to make sure that we involve Him. Isaiah 30:1-2 warns us about making plans without inquiring or consulting God first, before we carry them out. Christ has all authority in heaven and in earth Matthew 28:18, and He is working all things after the counsel of his own will Rom 8:28; Eph 1:11. God tells us to make request of Him in everything Phil. 4:6.

In Matthew chapter 1 upon hearing the news of Mary’s condition and even though Joseph was a good man, he doubted Mary and was confused about the situation because the scripture says that upon hearing the news he reasoned to go ahead and marry her so that she would not be disgraced, but then his plan was to divorce her quietly at a later date. You see he came up with his own plan. Then the scripture tells us that after he considered the situation in verse 20 an angel of the Lord appeared to Him.
The angel reminded him using God’s Word about what the prophet had said of the virgin birth. After that, Joseph understood and opted to obey. So many times we like Joseph, doubt because we don’t understand the plan. His plans for us are always found in His word. Just because we do not see them clearly at first, maybe we are not looking deeply enough for them. For the most part, we do like Isaiah 30 talks about…we can be obstinate children and make plans without considering God. Moreover, we make them and think because they are good plans, that God should bless them only to find out that God is trying to direct us in another way.

Oh sweet friend, even today I found myself in the same place as Joseph….and I knew because of my past walk in Christ and the promises that He gives me in His Word that following Him and doing it His way is and will be the best way for me to take.

For Joseph, he made the right decision for himself and everyone else. Let us learn from him, that God may instantly change the planned direction of our life; And to readily obey the Lord is to be included, for eternity, in God’s Kingdom for all who do it His way! And as we take those steps of obedience in faith, God will honor them and will continue to guide us, no matter what His plan may ask of us. He is faithful and can be trusted no matter how bad the situation may look at first glance!

Loving you today…..
Bren

TAKE THE HIGHER ROAD

When dealing with conflict, taking the higher road is always the best way to handle and maintain your own moral high ground. To take the higher road means to learn to respond in a manner that will not escalate a bad situation but disarm the situation by cooling it down. As children of God we must learn to make great effort in finding God’s perspective in every situation that disagreements place us in, no matter how hard it may seem.

When we have been wronged by someone that does not see the situation as clearly as we may feel like we do, and have wronged us, then the only thing that can be done is to take the high road and agree to disagree with them and move on. After you have reminded yourself that whatever the situation was… will more than likely not even possibly matter to you in five years from now…. then move on! Don’t let someone or something rob you of your joy or ruin your day over something that might just be pretty trivial to them. Never let someone get the best of you in a situation. Learn to squeeze out every ounce of compassion towards them and move on.

Always be sure to take the time and not miss anything that may be your responsibility. Admit what you should and then move on. Try to remember that other people are looking at the situation from their own perspective whether you feel like they have a foot to stand on or not. The reason that there is a disagreement to begin with, is because two people are viewing a situation from their own perspectives.

What is your perspective by the way? Are they based on codes and ethics, maybe scriptures? In conflict maybe the other person has no code of ethics nor do they believe in scripture. They reason and think the way they do because of the condition of their hearts., and only God knows the hearts of man.

Shake it off and apply the Golden Rule (found in Matthew 7:12 “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”) of kindness in every situation you find yourself in; and you'll be surprised to find the peace that you will get from any random act of kindness that you may show someone who may not be deserving of your kindness; and you'll find yourself back on the high road once again.
Mark Twain once remarked that to act morally is noble, but to talk about acting morally is also noble and a lot less trouble. While he may have meant to be funny his words are very misleading.

Being noble is a lot of trouble to those who have no desire to seek or apply it. The scripture says that where a man’s heart is there is his treasure. So anytime we can act in a godly manner is much better than just talking about it. We are to be doers of the Word and not hearers only the Scriptures teach.

There have been saints and scoundrels all through history. The saints have understood some important things about what God’s Word teaches us and how we are to live if we are children of God. Scoundrels never seem to grasp those truths and laugh and mock at them, as though they were silly fables. If we know what to do in certain situations; then those truths can motivate us to resist the temptations that threaten to lure us off the high road and succumb to the low one.

I work in the Transportation Industry. Within our Industry we share a type of ethics that govern us with codes, regulations and law as well as conduct. If you believe in these ethics and allow them to guide how you do your job then they can keep you out of trouble in a number of ways. If you however can be tempted to accept other alternative ways of avoiding those codes and regulations as a substitute for real ethics, then you may find yourself in a bad situation. But, if you allow those codes and regulations to govern how you work within the industry, then you are following that code of ethics and your actions or deeds reflect that ethic or standard that you live by and they can provide you with protection.

The same applies to Godly ethics and regulations, if we practice and live by the Golden Rule for instance then we dare not worry about God’s dealing with us as disobedient, but obedient children.

My brother has built his business through the years on his personal code of ethics and the Golden Rule. He went out of his way in his dealings with people through the years as he has built up his business to be helpful, honest and trustworthy with his customers. As a result, his reputation for integrity spread though those years and his business has flourished; because his success was rooted in his character as well as his code of ethics. He has strived with great effort to apply the Golden Rule, “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and it has paid off in more ways than one for him.

That Golden Rule should be the principal or code of ethics by which all Christians live by. Knowing and practicing that principal will always help to refocus our minds, reminding us of our consequences if we do not follow it, and nudge us in the right direction. By following it, we are living the life that Christ died for us to have…the life more abundantly.

Decide today what choices are best for you and worth living for and yes, even dying to self for….to do what is right and not what you feel like doing in the flesh; and let no other code or action undermine it. Choose you this day whom you will serve…and get to doing it!

“As a prisoner of the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; with patience, bearing with one another in love.Diligently keeping the unity of the Spirit with the peace that binds us.” Ephesians 4:1-3
The Higher Road is by no means easy….but it is, the right way!
Let’s love each other, no matter the cost!

Bren

THE CHRISTMAS BLUES

Trying to keep up with everything that will be taking place during the holiday season rush of shopping, cooking, plans and parties can often times, lead to much stress and even Christmas depression. The gift buying alone can cause the greater amount of stress than any other factor. One of the primary reasons for holiday stress, depression and blues is because of our unrealistic expectations of what we believe, moreover of what we want our holiday to be.

From the time we are children, we start building up our expectations of what we believe or perceive Christmas to be. Often times when we do not meet those expectations, we are left with the feeling of failure and disappointment. These feelings can be brought on by ourselves or even by family and friends. You may not be able to change your family’s dynamics, but you can at least be more aware of how they affect you. For example, are you particularly sad after shopping with a particular person? Do you dread the family Christmas dinners? To survive Christmas depression, find ways to shorten or eliminate the experiences that make you feel bad and fight to stay focused on what’s important.

Often times this wonderful and spiritual Holiday is a period of frenetic activity, a time when people are trying to juggle their work schedules, stay committed to social and church obligations, get their shopping done, do all the decorating, wrap all the gifts, and still find the time to enjoy all the fellow shipping with friends and family while staying on that dreaded budget. All this can lead to a rise in both physical and emotional stress for the entire family.

For many of us, the festive season around Christmas brings out our worst over-indulgent habits that we may normally have. We will eat more, spend more, go more than we would normally do, and regret it; come the first of the New Year as when we step on those scales, and the credit card bill comes in the mail. Trying to avoid some of the excesses that we desire and feel we must have can perhaps help us to have a more peaceful and Merry Christmas. This year, make a real effort to keep it simple. One way in keeping things simple is by giving only what you can afford, and doing what only needs to be done, not what you feel others expect from you. If you can no afford to buy that extra gift, then don’t buy it! If you are expected to show up at a party but need the rest from having been attending so many others, then don’t go. Stay in and rest. That way, you can really enjoy the holidays without feeling the rush and stress of it. They truly will be “what you allow or make of your holidays”!

Also, try to keep in mind that things will occasionally go wrong. The kids may spill things, break new toys, get dirty and make noise and at times even embarrass you. Your husband will forget to buy batteries, even though you reminded him several times. You will most likely forget to do something important, like thaw or cook the turkey on time, invite a particular person or forget to buy that someone a gift, or simply forget to take the cookies out of the oven before they have burnt to a crisp. You may possibly have plans that will get delayed, from someone being to slow, or a relative will get tied up with other responsibilities and will not be able to make your function and cancel or not even show up at the last minute. Some dog will undoubtedly jump on your new clothes and their un-clipped toenails will rip up your stuff or scratch your skin, or get under your feet and hang around you begging for a morsel during your entire visit at someone’s home. Things do happen! But, if you can learn to face these little setbacks with yes, a forced smile and some Christmas grace, then I promise you that you'll find yourself having a better holiday, because now you're more relaxed and are accepting the setbacks that want to steal your Christmas joy.

While the holiday season brings sentiments of joy and celebration for some, for others it is a time of isolation and an increase in feelings of depression and negative thoughts. Those feelings of negative thoughts and depression can become so extreme for some that they can even lead to thoughts of suicide. Especially at risk are people who are socially isolated and have no friends or family. If you are feeling depressed, please make all the effort that you can to surround yourself with positive people who make you feel hopeful and give you encouragement. If people do not know that you are down and blue, then you must make them aware of it. If not you may well miss an opportunity for an invite for some holiday cheer. So, be sure… if you are alone or far away from family and friends this holiday season, to join a local volunteer group that brings holiday cheers to others or join in with a group of folks at church and strike up new relationships. This way, you will help yourself and others.

For those who enjoy the excitement and energy of the holidays, be aware of those around you at work or in your church or family who may be alone and in the true spirit of the season, invite them to celebrate with you, reminding them that there is hope. That way you truly are spreading the joy of Christmas and sharing the true spirit of God’s love for each other as we celebrate His Son’s birthday together, so remember; Christmas should not be about our unrealistic expectations of what we wish it would be but about what it really is…and that is…Jesus, He is the reason for the season!

Happiness is a choice....loving you always,

Bren

WHEN CHRISTMAS CAME IN THE SUMMER

I love to tell stories of my childhood experiences and one of my favorite stories to tell, is of the time that my Daddy got the Christmas Spirit, in the summertime.


It was a very hot and dry summer afternoon one Friday when Daddy got home from work. Often times on Fridays after he got paid and cashed his check, he would give us kids a nickel or dime and we would walk barefoot down the gravel road that we lived on to the old country store that our family patronized. I can recall many a time where I would struggle, trying to make up my mind as to what I wanted to buy with my nickel or dime. Sometimes it would be a pack of three white snowball gumballs, or an RC or double cola sometimes it was a moon pie or some gingersnaps, but more often than not, it ended up being one of those huge lemon cookie from the old glass cookie jar that sat by the cash register. Whatever I did end up with, I am sure that it had taken a lot of thinking over before the decision was made because it was not that often that my parents had the money to spare, during those days; so the times we did get some change, believe me, we all put much thought into how we would spend it.


However, on this particular Friday afternoon, it was different. I remember on this day as Daddy got home, he was in somewhat of a hurry to leave and go somewhere else. He did not have the time to hand out our weekly allotted spending money, but was in a hurry to leave again to go some other place. How some of us kids ended up going with him, I can not recall. But I do remember going down that old gravel road with sacks of groceries in the back of our Station Wagon. For that was something that I can assure you seldom ever happened; our car having sacks of groceries in the back of it. I especially remember a ham the size of a tire sticking out of one of the sacks. I can still hear the gravel as the rocks went through the tread on the tires throwing them to the side of the road as they fell to the ground; as my Dad hurried down that old gravel road. If you grew up in the country on gravel roads you know exactly what that sound was like.


There was some discussion going on in the car, but I don’t remember it involving me. I was so intrigued with the groceries in the back, that I couldn't’t recall at the time how my Daddy came to the decision, to give someone else groceries better than what we usually got ourselves. Even though we were poor and did not have much at all, it all seemed very much, as we topped that hill and Daddy pointed to the house in which we would be stopping at.


I don’t know why I was so surprised to see this family, for neither of my parents were ever prejudice towards anyone, especially the poor. For how could anyone be prejudice against their own kind. Growing up poor gave me a great appreciation for having plenty and taught me many things that have added to who I am today. When I was very small I use to think; that people who had lots of material stuff, must be good people. But that day, I came to understand what made people great. I had so much pride in my heart for my Daddy as I saw him reaching out in a tender way, to someone who needed a helping hand. By his goodness, he not only made me feel great, but he made those that we were to visit, feel his love, worth and value as well. He gave to them what I thought we did not have to give; yet, it was not that we had it in excess ourselves, but, it was in the spirit of “forfeiture of self” to meet the needs of someone else that my Daddy gave.


As we pulled up closer to the house, there sat a big black man on the porch, in an old cane chair that once had a back. The man did not have his shirt on and across his chest was a big white bandage. I remember being a little scared at that point. But my Daddy’s reassuring voice soon gave explanation to the man’s dreaded condition. He told us that the man had a hole in his heart. One can only image how that engraved a vivid picture in my mind, as a child. I can not describe the pity in my heart upon finding out that terrible news. For I had never heard of anything like that. I could not imagine what a hole in his heart looked like except to picture a big hole in his chest behind that big white bandage that covered it. I remember praying and hoping that he would not remove the bandage while we were there and expose that huge hole in his heart.


Daddy had told us while turning in their driveway that he was a co-worker and had to have surgery and was unable to work and because he could not work, he was unable to feed his family that week; and that was why we were taking our groceries to them, so that they would have plenty to eat. For they like us, had a large family with many mouths to feed.


The only joy in my lifetime that I can compare to what I experienced and felt that day as I saw the faces of that family, was the joy that I felt when the church brought us food boxes at Thanksgiving and Christmas. I can not tell you in full everything that I learned from the benevolence of my Daddy that day, but I can say this: I know for sure that Christmas does not only come in December!


Happy Holidays!
Brenda L. Parsons

THANKSGIVING

As an American, my first thoughts always turn to the Pilgrims during the Thanksgiving Holidays. Those people who came to America and through trial and error and with the help of God in using the native American Indians, learned to fend for themselves in a new land that was unfamiliar, difficult to adjust to and unyielding most of the time. For the most part those hard times became easier to bear because of their vision and commitment for a better way of living; a better life for their families, away from the spiritual oppression that they had suffered in their homeland. They were breaking away from bondage that they felt that they could no longer bear in exchange for a land that promised hope and a sure future for themselves and their children. As Americans, we continue to celebrate that first Thanksgiving for our continued freedoms and the bounty that we continue to strive for and enjoy.

But long before the Pilgrims came to the Americas, there had been another Thanksgiving celebrated on another shore and country. That Thanksgiving holiday was celebrated by the Israelites as they moved into their promised land. A land that promised freedom from bondage and a land that would provide for them a refuge and safe haven to worship their God in the way that He was requiring them to. A land that was abundant in it’s rich resources. Unlike the manna that they had been eating for forty years as they wondered in a complete circle waiting for what God was promising them.

Manna was a substance that God gave them miraculously to keep them alive and while it was abundant, God restricted their use of it by not allowing them to store it. They were only allowed to eat what they needed to survive. At first they did not even know what it was! The very word manna means “What is it?” the Manna sustained them and they received nourishment from it, but it was not a permanent substance.

God’s manna was never intended to satisfy the Children of Israel, but was intended to keep them alive until they reached the place where the good stuff was! While the manna was sweet and wonderful at first…they eventually murmured and complained about it, saying, “our soul loathes this light bread”. You see while it kept them alive, it never satisfied them. They found no lasting joy in it. God used the Land of Canaan or the Promise Land as a place where His promises of spiritual blessings and joy could be experienced and enjoyed, when the time was right.

God had told them as they stepped over into the promised land that it would flow with milk and honey, and to show their gratitude, they were to take the first fruits of the ground, place them in a basket and take it to the priest to give honor to God as a thanksgiving offering for their bounty and blessings.

Deuteronomy 26:1-11 talks about those “First Fruits" The Lord God said, " When you come into the land which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance, and have taken possession of it, and live in it, you shall take some of the first of all the fruit of the ground, which you harvest from your land that the Lord your God gives you, and you shall put it in a basket, and you shall go to the place which the Lord your God will choose, to make his name dwell there."

You see while God longs for the praise and worship of His people, He also wants them to be grateful…and as you know, we must teach our children to be grateful for what they have. For if we fail to do that, they may take it for granted and be ungrateful.

Like the Israelites before them, the Pilgrims also wanted to show their gratitude for the bounty that they had received and from their deliverance from hunger that they would have continued to experience had God not intervened on their behalf and taught them how to survive in the new land. For the Israelites, their thanksgiving was understood and seen as an act of God as He delivered them from their bondage in Egypt as He brought them into their new land that flowed with milk and honey symbolizing the good things that God was offering His people if they would follow Him (for many died in the dessert and were not allowed to enter the promise land because of their complaining).

The Pilgrims gave thanks for a similar deliverance which came to them during those first years on the North American shore. They too were delivered from religious bondage that kept them from worshipping in the way that they felt God was leading them to and from hunger by a good summer’s crop, from war through peacefully living with the Indians, and protection from the cold by building strong sturdy homes. Those deliverance's brought thanksgiving into all their hearts.

I am reminded today that whenever God delivers me from my land of bondage, He delivers me into another land that always flows with milk and honey. A land of deliverance and promise if I will dare to be set apart and be His people. “But I have said unto you, Ye shall inherit their land, and I will give it unto you to possess it, a land that flows with milk and honey: I am the LORD your God, which has separated you from other people.” Leviticus 20:24

Earlier this past week, I had made a list of the things that I am most grateful for. But today my thoughts are pondering on being thankful for those things I have been delivered from and even those things that I will not have to experience; because He has or will spare me from them. I too am a blessed Pilgrim, as I think about the land that I myself have traveled from and the new land that I have entered!

Praise Him for it all!
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving Everyone!
Love you so much,
Bren

MY THANKSGIVING LIST

This is my Thanksgiving list of things that I am most grateful for. There are so many others that would take days to list them all. But I wanted to start the Thanksgiving Holidays out right by first being thankful myself! While these are mine, you too may find yourself grateful for some of the same things….if not make your own list and count them dear to your heart as well!

• I am so very grateful for the love of my life, Prince Charles. I love and cherish him, for his never ending tolerance and optimism that keeps me encouraged on a daily basis more than any other person in my life. I am so thankful that he has supported me in my quest, my journey and my desires as I have served the first love of my life Jesus Christ. I am also very thankful and grateful for his enduring love for me and his quite witness for His Savior that is known by all who truly know him. For his ever constant awareness of our daughters, their families and my own needs; and has always been the first one to the front lines to defend, honor and meet our every need. For the many, many times that he put our needs before his own. What greater love than this….that he would lay down his life for us! I am also so very grateful for my two precious daugheters, their husbands, their families and my grandchildren.
• I am grateful and thankful for all my family. The two parents that were given to me though they no longer are living, my brothers and sister and their families.
• I am thankful and grateful for my health, the health of my children, grandchildren and my siblings as well as their families and other relatives.
• My friends, each one special and dear to my heart, some live close and some far away.
• I am thankful for my Church family past and present who has and always will hold special places within my heart.
• I am thankful for the dear brothers and sisters in Christ that have been such godly examples to me teaching me by their own spiritual walk to press on and dare to be sold out for Christ.
• I am thankful for my home and all that is in it for it belongs to the Lord and I am grateful to be a caretaker of it for the time that I am allowed.
• I am thankful for my neighbors, both old and new.
• I am thankful for the hard places and the difficult times in my life and the relationships that have crossed my path. They have taught me valued lessons in humility and love for which I am more grateful than anyone will ever know.
• I am thankful and grateful for health issues that God has allowed in my life to remind me of His great love for me and the gentle reminder that somtimes they were to confirm that He was serious about my relationship with Him and would go to no extent to prove Himself real and present in my life!
• I am thankful for all the spiritual gifts, talents and abilities that God has given me to use for His glory. For proving Himself… time after time as He equipped me in ways and abilities that I could have never achieved apart from His assistance and generous help.
• I am so very thankful for God’s faithfulness to me by honoring my life’s verse Ps 37:4 and giving me the desires of my heart in those times that I chose to delight in Him.
• I am thankful that I have had the great privilege of being an American Citizen and have experienced the freedoms that I have in my life. I am also thankful for the precious lives given for me to have those freedoms. I have never taken that litely.
• I am thankful and grateful to all my precious friends throughout the years that have supported and encouraged me in my personal ministry in serving God no matter where He may have led me or what He may have ask me to do. I have such wonderful memories of them all.
• I am grateful for the vivid imagination, inquisitive nature and the spiritual drive that God gave me; they have served me well in my life as I learned to yield them to the Lord; And I pray that God would honor my life by passing them on to my daughters and grandsons.
• I am thankful that I have had enough food to eat, clean air to breathe and clean water to drink; that I have never had to beg for bread.
• I am grateful for the sunny days as well as the stormy ones.
• I am thankful for my eyes, my ears, my nose, and the very breath that I have to enjoy the life that God has given me.
• I am grateful for the opportunity to contribute to society and feel empathy for others who are hurting.
• I am most grateful for my Savior Jesus, that came and redeemed me. I am glad that He did not leave me alone but left a comforter that relates to me and leads me in all truth, His Holy Spirit….
• I am grateful for the few times that I have been in and experienced Revival fall on God’s people.
• I am thankful for the peace that I have and am assured that this life will pass, but another awaits for me. One more glorious than I can imagine. Eye has not seen nor ear has heard of the things that await for me when I stand before the Father that I love and have longed to see.

Let us learn to take whatever comes into our life, no matter what it may be, and be thankful for the experience and the lessons that it was meant to teach us. Life is so very short…Let us not waste any of it! Seek Him while He may be found!

Thanking God for you today….and loving you dearly,
Happy Thanksgiving!
Bren

ENCOURGING YOU IN THE PRESCHOOL YEARS

Life is such a journey, and looking back, I would not have wanted to go through it without the precious children that God gave Prince Charles and me. Yet, there were many, moments during those years of raising them, that I would often succumb to the daily stresses and the weariness of being consistent in my dealings with unaccepted behavior or attitudes in the process of training them. Also through the years, I have had many encounters with other mothers who would come to me for encouragement and advice who felt that they too were stressed and feeling like they were failing at being a parent. In seeking the Lord as I raised my children, I made many mistakes! Yet, through each mistake I learned to be a little bit better at it and found out some ways to have peace in the midst of those troublesome years.

Today I would like to share some important things that God has taught me in raising children. I do not claim to be an expert but I can tell you that my experience with seeking God during all those years lead to a vast amount of knowledge and information that helped me. For the times that I applied what the Lord showed me brought much gratification as well as satisfaction in seeing the difference that truth or advice made in their lives as well as mine and how it paid off as they got older. That does not mean that they always made perfect choices because of their upbringing, because they did not; but they did learn where to run to and things to avoid the next time.

As parents that is what we really should be training them to do. To teach them how to avoid making mistakes and when they do, where to go and how to make it right. In training them we teach them that life can hit very hard at times, especially when they make wrong choices. But if they learn how to deal with their mistakes and wrong choices when they are small, then they can be spared even more heart ache when they become adults and make fewer mistakes along the way.

Being a parent of a toddler, preschooler, adolescent or youth can have many rewards, but there can be many tough times in between. Striving to be the successful parent that you want to be will come through your willingness to learn, empowerment of discipline when needed and an appreciation for new advice. The early years truly are the years where teaching your children how to deal with and manage their wrong choices, bad attitudes and difficult situations will pay off. What you must keep telling yourself over and over again throughout those years is that their training now is for their warfare later. Just like a boot camp for a solider. There is a time for everything, even formal training from Dad and Mom.

Remember back and see if you can relate with me when your baby was born. It was a huge change in your life and even stressful during those days. You didn't always know why your child was crying at first, because you were inexperienced and you did not yet know the personality of that new child. But you quickly discovered that their temperature, hunger, gas, a soiled diaper, tiredness and fatigue could set off flashing yellow lights of distress. Those were rather easy problems to solve, and you didn't need any special skills, but at the time you were going through them,they were as stressful as dealing with an adolescence or a rebellious youth. You didn't have to ask your baby what was wrong. You just learned to figure it out based on reading their behavior.

Then sometime between 12-24 months your baby became a toddler. Their crawling turned into walking, and gaga googoo turned into real words. They began to point at things, ask for things, and would even start to throw a fit if they did not get what they wanted.

As your child became a preschooler they had to learn to sit with the others, play with the other children and interact with adult authorities as well as get along with other children and share. Again, there was stress. Each stage that they would go through you would say to yourself, “I will be so glad when they get out of this stage!” only to find out that they were entering a new one with new problems. Are you relating yet?

Each new stage brought a whole new set of problems. For me, I began to see that God was teaching me to accept my child in the age range that they were in, not expecting them to behave or reason like an older sibling or older child at church that I had wanted them to emulate. I learned early on that between the ages of two to four years of age, children have little to no reasoning skills. Trying to use logic was many times a bad way to approach a problem during those first few years. If more mothers were able to get a hold of this and understand how that child may be feeling or comprehending things and think at their age level, they would increase their ability to prevent many a tantrum.

Many people give advice about what not to do, but they neglect many times to give us useful suggestions on how to replace the old habit or attitude. By this I mean, let’s pretend that your toddler or preschooler is playing in the kitchen, dragging pots and pans out of the cabinet, and your thinking that you'll be the one to have to clean up the mess they leave, so you want the behavior to stop. You might normally just tell your child to stop doing that and send them to watch TV. If so, then you just tried to solve the problem by using the wrong logic, or by assuming your child will understand that this behavior is not allowed. Guess what, sometimes your child is going to need a better answer than just “do it because I said to do it”, otherwise it will more than likely result in a tantrum because you are taking something from them they are enjoying doing and they can no understand why it's happening. Logic does not always work in every situation and when it does not, move on to something else. Don’t try and cram your logic into them at that point creating an atmosphere of stress and tears. Life will provide that child with many opportunities to learn to obey simply because they should, but to avoid the stress of a child that is just not ready to accept a black or white answer like yes, no, do it, don’t do it….learn to manage the situation, by changing the way your handling it to work for you both.







If telling them to stop and go watch the TV does not work….You might try saying something like Wow, that is making lots of noise…leaving the impression that the game they are playing is making unwanted noise….. And then start to distract your child with something simple such as a tickle and some laughing. This places you in positive manner, not as the mother who is about to take away their fun but shifting them over to other fun. (Remember there are other times to teach them to obey simply because you say to do it, this is a suggestion for times when your saying no becomes conflict because they do not understand the logic in what you say and don’t forget to tell them as you’re changing the situation as to why you are changing it).

Finally, change the scenery by carrying your child over to the window and pointing out something interesting. Maybe it's the squirrel climbing in the tree. The wind blowing the leaves, or an airplane flying overhead. Young children have short attention spans and you will find that you can move away from those stressful moments with a simple choice to take the time and make the change. All you need to do is be a bit sneaky and creative in changing your child's focus while maintaining a positive state of mind. Then, following the distraction, give them something new to do.

Learn to manage the toddler's state of mind. Change the focus of their attention. Use distraction techniques to create an opportunity to shift the child to a new activity. There are plenty of ways to deal with toddlers that don't involve rational explanations or logic. You must be willing to find the one that works best for that child. Keeping in mind that the way the way you train children is different, because children themselves are different, They are created uniquely different with a certain purpose and plan in mind. God’s plan for their lives! Many times parents give in and give up in their discipline because they feel like it’s not working for them. But they should not give up or in, but try something different until they find something that will work for them…if not, in the long run the child is the one who suffers, because they are not being taught to manage their problems or conflicts as young children. Your love and patience will go a long, long way in your training them. Never give up! Never give up!

I always found that in most every instance, that a tantrum or bad behavior was present, that it was almost often the result of a certain negative emotional state that they were in. If you want to change the behavior, you need to change the emotional state first. Language in many forms is a powerful tool that we can use to steer our children into manageable and happier states of mind. After all, kids don't tend to misbehave or throw tantrums when they are laughing and smiling. Always keep that in mind!

In hind site we all can look back on the experience that we gained and say a thing or two about raising children…yet, loving that child never changes, nor does the amount of children you have or the personality of that child matter to the degree of our love for them. But, it is our job as a parent to find out what their personality and logic levels are at each level or stage in their life and meet them where they are. As they grow, then more should be expected from them. But be sure not to ask more of them than they are able to give, for if you do, you will find your self with a very emotional and frustrated child. Seek the Lord in every area of their raising and be sure to do it the way He leads you to, not how the world tells you….and trust God for the outcome!

So please don’t be discourged ….and know that you are not alone….and when you meet a mother that says she can’t relate to your stress and troubled days … then move on sista friend, because that is not the real world we live and love in….this too will pass, so make the very best of it and strive….strive to raise that child exactly the way Lord leads you to….

Understanding where you are and loving you in the middle of it!
Proverbs 22:6 Train a child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not turn from it.
Bren

THE PAIN OF HELPLESSNESS OVER A CHILD

I had a precious friend today email me expressing her sorrow and her helplessness over having a son who is squandering his life. Her question to me was, “What can I do?”. She wants to help him but feels that she is losing him in spite of her efforts and with emotions at a high feels like she’s loosing herself in the midst of this turmoil as well. The truth is that as parents, we often times can loose ourselves in the grief of a child that is addicted or gone astray and if we are not careful, in turn, become addicts ourselves, to the grief that we can not let go of.

Parents become brokenhearted and completely baffled when their child becomes rebellious and turns to a lifestyle that leads them down a road of destruction. They struggle because they have no clue as to why “the child they raised” is now making such awful, destructive decisions when they should know better.

Often times that rebellious child’s real problem is not the drugs, sex, cigarettes, cussing, pornography, laziness, crime or a wrong destructive relationship. The real problem is that they don’t see Jesus clearly. As a matter of fact that is the problem for many a folk, not just the wayward child. If we would seek to see Jesus in the light that He is in, we would all be better for it. Our roads would not be so dark nor our choices be so costly.

As a parent, we must be very careful and realize how truly powerless we are over others; and no matter how hard we try, even to the point of deceiving ourselves into thinking that we are helping them, in the end, we find out that instead of helping them, we have become their enablers. At that point we are helping them to stay in their current condition by blanketing their wrong with our wrong in hopes that it will cover or shelter them somehow from the pain and embarrassment from it all. However, the only people that are being deceived by this are the ones doing the covering. Sadly, the very people that we are trying to hide from see the sad despair that is really taking place. And that losing ourselves in order to try to save someone else who is lost means that two people are then lost.

The best thing that anyone can do for their child is to show them Christ; and that the life that He offers can and will surpass anything that they are searching for in that wrong lifestyle. It is not a simple or immediate process, but the sins in their life that distress you and destroy them will only begin to fade away when they see Jesus and realize their real purpose in life and how they are wasting that precious time by sewing to the wind in their wrong decisions and unhealthy life choices. Only God can change them, and sweet friend He can really change them, but you can help them find God, if you go about it in the right way.

The deepest concern that you should have for your child is not over their actions, but their heart! What really should concern you is that your child is destroying themselves, not because they are breaking rules but because they are wasting time wanting the wrong things. You need to treat them in a way that makes this clear to them. Oh they probably know, especially if they was raised in a Christian home that what they are doing is wrong and I bet that they definitely know how you feel about it! But they will always challenge you, because they have an inerrant need to see how you are going to react to their evil. Your gentle forbearance with them and sorrowful hope over their situation will show them that you are going to trust Jesus to help them; and that you are going to trust them to get to that place where they will change.

Sometimes, the more you beg, the more they rebel. You must learn to step away and even out of their space for a time if needed. Giving them space does not mean that you are withdrawing out of their life. What it means is that you are stepping back and allowing them go in the direction that they are choosing to take; and allowing God the opportunity to do whatever He must do to get their attention. Detach yourself in love!

This is where so many parents struggle. They refuse to get out of God’s way. They think that if they love enough, give enough, befriend enough, then their child will turn around and see all of that and surrender to what’s right. But what they don’t realize is that the abuser will take advantage of that help and kindness and continue to run to them for support because they know that they will get it.

The only way for you to cope with your child’s drug problem or rebellion is for you to put the problem where it belongs, with them; the addict, with the lost son that appears not to want to change, not you. I have seen parents actually become part of the problem with the child because they refuse to step back and allow God to break that child in order to bring change.

Perhaps all that we can do for them at a certain point is to love them and want them to get help. To tell them that when they are ready to make those changes and get help, we are there for them with support, love and an entire cheering section to cheer them on during their recovery. We then take care of ourselves so that we don’t lose our health, our spirituality and our minds. If that child is an adult, there isn’t much else that can be done. But be willing to step away and give God the time He needs to work in and through the situations that He will bring into their lives to get their attention, and be very still and wise not to step in when we see them hurting. Let them know that you love them but will no longer be a part of their self destruction and refuse any longer to accept the emotional grief from being so attached to their sins and rebellion.

1Corinthians 10: 21 talks about the fact that you cannot drink the chalice of the Lord, and the chalice of devils: you cannot be partakers of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons….and sweet friend, the devil is lying to folks and telling them that they can….and many are believing that lie. They are living for the moment and their moment has turned into a lifetime and they don't even see that there is a problem any longer. But there is hope!

I had this verse III John 1:4 in my house all the years that my children were growing up. It was placed on the wall in our bathroom directly in front of them when they sat on the toilet for them to see. It says, I have no greater joy than this, to hear that my children walk in the truth. I did this to remind them that their Mom knew what the answer to all their needs, desires and wants in life was and that they would all be found in truth; and that truth would set them free from all the stronghold that life wanted to place on them. But they would have to seek for it as a precious treasure and in their journey of seeking for it, they would find it... every time (God is faithful but are we) and it would be marow to their bones and health to their bodies.

Dear friend…pray for and encourage godly people to encounter your sons and your daughters. Pray that every where they turn they will be encountered with Truth…because that is the only thing that will set them free and bring change to their world….love them and pray for them yes….but, be a godly example to them by your own lifestyle….

Never give up! Never give up!
Love you so much,
Bren

WHEN GOD SAYS NO

“No”, the mother said to her child as he repeatedly asks for another toy at the local Target. She knew full well that little Bobby did not need two new toys that day, because he already had a toy box full of toys back in his room at home. Besides, he needed to learn that he could not always have everything he wanted.

You see, little Bobby was not struggling with the fact that he needed more than one toy that day, he was struggling with the fact that he wanted what he wanted when he wanted it. He was experiencing the “GOT TO HAVE IT NOW” syndrome. He wanted that extra toy so bad that he was overheard telling his mother upon her saying, “Bobby why do you need that other toy when you already have more at home?” and he replied, “I want it, just because… and if I don’t get it, I’m going to die!”.

Have you ever experienced that feeling on the level that poor little Bobby was experiencing? Yep, me too! I believe if we were all honest, we would have to say that we have all wanted something so bad that we might not want to die….but we could taste it!

King David in the Scriptures asks God to allow him to build Him a temple to dwell in. The apostle Paul wanted God to remove a thorn that he had in the flesh. Yet they were both told no! Everybody experiences no’s in their lives by someone or some circumstance that prevents their receiving something that they may have wanted.

Sometimes God says yes, sometimes He says wait, but there are other times that He simply tells us no. Upon Paul receiving his no from God in his request found in II Cor. 12:7-9, Paul says, “And to keep me from being puffed up and too much elated by the exceedingly greatness of these revelations, there was given me a thorn in the flesh, a messenger of Satan, to rack and buffet and harass me, to keep me from being excessively exalted. Three times I called upon the Lord and besought Him about this and begged that it might depart from me; But He said to me… My grace is enough for you, for My strength and power are made perfect and show themselves most effective in your weakness.”

Paul, had a hard time accepting God’s no….I mean he kept going back three different times, yet God simply told Him, …no Paul, I will give you the strength to bear my no….because, my strength and power is made known in your weakness….God was saying, Paul you can do this thing….you can make it….you must give over what you want and know that what I want for you is going to be better…and so you must bear it and trust me on this thing! I don’t think for a moment that God could not have removed Paul’s anguish….but I believe that God was teaching Paul on a higher level to trust Him….so that through Paul’s witness to others, that they too could make it when God said no to them as well!

Upon the end of King David’s life, he chose to focus on what God had allowed him to do instead of what God would not allow him to do. He chose to focus on how God allowed him to reign as king over Israel, and the fact that God was going to establish his son Solomon over that kingdom, passing David’s dream to build God a temple to Solomon. Through David’s prayer in I Chronicles 28 we find that David chose to bless and worship God even though God had said no to him in his most heart felt desire that he had ever had….to build a temple for God to reside in.

Even Jesus in the garden, pleaded with His Father to take the bitter cup that He was about to bear….yet, being God’s Son, He knew that request was one of a …..”if it were only possible” request. In the end, Jesus bared it and accepted God’s no, because Jesus knew that God’s no’s are His way of pointing us in the direction that our life’s ministry is taking us…. and we will be the victors because of it.
 Oh, teach us to rejoice in Your no’s Lord God, because those no’s are just your way of clarifying to us and pointing us in a new direction. We simply need to walk forward in faith… listening to You and doing what You think is best. Help us Lord, when we come face to face with Your no’s….to simply accept it and find the direction that You are leading us in and moreover, to be thankful….thankful for everything that we have already received a yes in!
 Rom. 8:28 says… “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose.” Sweet Friend, God’s no’s are His way of showing us favor and kindness….we just need to believe it!
Loving you today!
Bren

WALKING ON DRY WATER

I use to find it hard to believe that after the Israelites walked on dry land between two walls made of water to safe passage from Pharaohs’ evil and heavy hand, and ate sweet manna that was brought to them by birds from God, to keep them from starving in the wilderness that in the end, they grumbled and complained about it and doubted what God would do for them and with their future. Yet, I must tell you that I have done the very same thing. I have seen God lead me through waves of despair, protection from the long hand of my enemy the devil, and provide me the spiritual nourishment to sustain me in moments of despair…. only to succumb in other times, to doubt, grumbling and weak faith myself.

I know what it is like to walk on dry land that only moments before were wet with water... if I would keep my eyes on Jesus. But for some days, I must tell you that, why I feel like saying “depart from me Lord, for I am a sinner and don’t deserve your constant pardon”, I continue to be shocked at my attitude and reaction in those times and circumstances where I doubt and grumble and I sink when I see the waves coming at me and feel my sandals getting wet from the water at my feet. I know of someone else that struggled like that, his name was Peter; and through his own life’s testimony I can see how and why I sink in my walk with trusting Christ sometimes.

One night, in Matthew 14:27-31 the disciples were out in a boat after Jesus sent them ahead while He went to pray by Himself. Later that night, the disciples saw Jesus walking on the lake. They thought He was a ghost and became terrified. Jesus said to them, “Take courage! It is I, don’t be afraid.”. Peter replied to the Lord, “If it’s You, tell me to come to You on the water.” Jesus told him to come. Peter got out of the boat and walked on the water towards Jesus. Then Peter saw the wind and the waves and became afraid. Starting to sink, Peter cried out, Lord! Save me!” Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. “You of little faith,” he said, “why did you doubt me?”.

That is a verse that has repeated itself many times in my mind over the years when I doubt God and He still comes through for me….”O Bren why did you doubt Me?”, I hear Him say. If I had a penny for every time that the Lord proved Himself real to me, I would be a wealthy woman. Yet, even though I know what I know, I still doubt at times. Paul himself said in Romans 7:22-25 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; but I see another law at work in me, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within me. What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord! Paul struggled too….as did every person in the scriptures. Yet, Paul ended up saying what we all must say as believers…. Thanks be to God, who delivers us through Jesus Christ our Lord!

You see as Jesus reached out His hand to Peter to pull him back up to where he had been (already walking on the water), so He reaches out to us as our faith folds under our storms. What matters the most is that we grow our faith. Jesus Himself said to Peter….”you of little faith, why do you doubt me?”. Peter began to sink because he doubted Jesus by taking his eyes off Jesus and looking at the waves.

Peter was a fisherman, he was experienced in storms and he knew that those waves given the right one, could take him out and that was what broke his concentration. But, the best part about this story is that Peter did a most significant thing that saved him, or brought him back up as soon as he realized he was sinking and that was, he cried out to Jesus… And that showed that little bit of faith that Jesus was talking about. Remember, he was walking on the water at first….he only began to sink when he took his eyes off His destination at that point. Jesus had said, o ye of little faith not "no" faith.

Remember the scripture that talks about …if you have the faith, the size of a mustard seed, you could say to the mountain be removed and it would be removed….that is so reflected here….Peter had faith, that is how he began the walk on water, he just succumbed to his circumstances and took his eyes off his help. That is why Jesus said…ye of little faith. But I can assure you that every time (and it happened many times where Peter had weak or little faith) that Jesus rebuked Peter, he became a little stronger…. for the next time.

Don’t beat yourself up when your faith is weak at some points…because there are more than likely going to be times when your faith is tempted as you step out and walk on water towards Jesus….and if you begin to sink….just realize that you need to refocus on your destination…and take His hand, because He is reaching out to you, to lift you back up to where He is. The water is dry there, and the waves can not touch you!

Walk to finish....love you so much!
Bren

I'M SO THIRSTY

I was thinking about worship this morning and how spiritualy thirsty I am today... and one verse that although it does not reference worhip it always comes to my mind when I think about thirsting for God...it is found in Psalm 42:1-2…it say’s, “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When can I go and meet with God? The two things that I most relate to in these verses are, “As the deer pants…and …when can I go and meet with God?”

Have you ever craved a certain food? Maybe… some chocolate? I have craved chocolate so bad that I would cut into a chocolate cake before I even got it iced, with only one thought as I was cutting into the warm chocolate sweetness of that cake, and that was simply to devour it as soon as possible! I’ve seen people and animals alike crave after food or drink.

I’ve seen deer as they craved water so bad that they would look at my barking dog as though she was an idiot dog and pass her by just to get a drink from our pond because they were so thirsty for water. Those same deer come to our pond daily to quench that thirst. No one has to lead them there, because they have drank from its water before, and their thirst is what always leads them back. Like my craving for chocolate, they crave the cool refreshing water that the pond provides them. They know that my barking dog is no match for their thirst and nothing will keep them from returning time after time to be refreshed.

Some days my craving for the Lord is equally as great as that craving for chocolate. As I see the deer return to the pond to quench their thirst, I am reminded of Psalm 42:1-2 and that the meer fact that I thirst or crave for the Lord is a sign that I belong to Him and that no other person, nor other thing on earth can quench the thirst that I have. I know that because He has quenched my thirst in past times. As a matter of fact, I have never left His presence thirsty. I have tasted and I know it is good…and so I shall always return to His well… that never runs dry, to quench me when I am spiritually dry and weary for a fresh drink.

How bout you? Do you thirst or hunger after God in this way? Is the thirst or hunger there because you’ve tasted and seen that the Lord is good and know that He alone can satisfy it?

A. W. Tozer describes that panting, taste or craving, as a "piercing sweetness"... he said that he had tasted God’s goodness, and it both satisfied him and caused him to be thirsty for more. I am painfully conscious of my need, he said… I long to be filled with longing; I thirst to be made thirsty still." Now friend...that thar is some good stuff!

Jonathan Edwards described panting as… a longing to be satisfied, while Charles Spurgeon saw this craving as a sign of growth… saying, that the un-renewed man pants after anything other than God: . . . It proves a renewed nature when you long after God; it is a work of grace in your soul, and you may be thankful for it." I love that last part….”…and you may be thankful for it!

Paul craved after the Lord as well. You can tell in statements that he makes in the scriptures like the one in Philippians 3:8, where he says…What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord…think about that, he considered everything a loss compared to his knowing the Lord….yeah, he knew about panting for the Lord, that you can be assured!

Hebrews tells us that God is a rewarder of those that diligently seek Him….so He will not fail you if you pursue Him or go to meet with Him like that latter part of Psalm 42:2 says. He will rush to meet you and to satisfy your desire. Which brings me to my point of worshiping... If you are like me, there are times that you so long for the Lord….to be in His presence face to face fellow shipping with Him and only worship takes us there (God inhabits the prasie of His people). There is a song that I love that actually talks about that verse in Psalm 42 concerning the deer panting after the water….it goes something like this…

As the deer pants for the water
So my soul longs after You.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You.

You alone are my strength, my shield,
To You alone may my spirit yield.
You alone are my heart's desire
And I long to worship You.

I want You more than gold or silver,
Only You can satisfy.
You alone are the real joy-giver
And the apple of my eye.

You're my Friend...,
Even though You are a King.
I love You more than any other,
So much more than anything.

While Jesus does fill me every time I go….I know that the thirst is allowed to keep me coming back, just like the deer…we both know where to go when we are craving a drink, because our thirst always leads us there! Jesus said that His Sheep hear His voice and know Him…. if you are thirsting...let it draw you to Him!

Oh sweet friend, run to Water of life….He is there waiting….even now!
Loving on you today,
Bren

WHAT FRUIT ARE YOU BEARING?

Jesus has told us that He is the tree and we are the branches....He also told us that He will prune the branches (us) so we will bear more fruit. Fruit that reflects His Charater. To be a branch is a real good thing. Because the branch is where the fruit grows. Not the trunk or the roots....but on the branches. However, while the fruit comes out of the branches, the roots and nourishment determines the fruit. So if we are not rooted in Christ we will not bear His fruit. Some may bear a counterfiet fruit, fruit that resembles His, but I assure you if you could cut into it and put it under the microscope of the scriptures it would not be His fruit; unless it comes from Him.

Galatians 5:22-23 tells us what the fruit of the Spirit are....check them out and see what you are bearing!

•Love will enable us to appreciate our brothers and sisters in the Lord, and, of course, our family, and others around us. Love is taking the initiative to build up and meet the needs of others without expecting anything in return. John 13:1; 15:13; 1 Corinthians 13:3

• Joy will allow us to enjoy His creation, others, and our circumstances with an expression of delight and real, authentic happiness and harmony with God and others. Proverbs 15:13; John 15:11; 17:13

• Peace is surrendering and yielding to the Lord’s control, regarding to our circumstances... for He is our ultimate peace! It is allowing tranquility to set our tone. Once we make real peace with God, we will be able to make and maintain peace with others. Matthew 5:9; Colossians 3:15; Philippians 4:7

• Patience is showing tolerance and fortitude to others, and even accepting difficult situations from God knowing that He is in control. Matthew 27:14; Romans 12:12; James 1:3,12

• Kindness is practicing benevolence and a loving attitude towards others, even when others mistreat us. Ephesians 4:32

• Goodness displays integrity, honesty, and compassion to others, and allows us to do the right thing. Matthew 19:16

• Faithfulness is the fruit that will preserve our faith and the other characters of the Spirit as well as identify God's Will so we can be dependable and trusting to God and others. Matthew 17:19; 25:21; 1 Cor. 12:9; Hebrews 11:1; 1 Thess. 5:24

• Gentleness is the character that will show calmness, personal care, and tenderness in meeting the needs of others not judging their motives or situation. Isa. 40:11; Phil. 4: 5; 2 Timothy 2:24; 1 Thess. 2:7

• Self-Control will allow us to have discipline, and restraint with obedience to God and others. 1 Thess. 5: 22

May the Lord show us all the true fruit in our lives and then prune off the bad, so that we can be better servants and wittness'es for His sake....

Loving you today,
Bren

A LITTLE HUMOR

The shopkeeper was dismayed when a brand new business much like his own opened up next door and put up a huge sign which read BEST DEALS. He was horrified when another competitor opened up on his right, and announced its arrival with an even larger sign, reading LOWEST PRICES. Though troubled, the shopkeeper did not panic, he simply used his disadvantaged to his advantage….he put a sign bigger than the other two over his own shop that read... MAIN ENTRANCE


In the supermarket was a man pushing a cart which contained a screaming, bellowing baby. The gentleman kept repeating softly, "Don't get excited, Albert; don't scream, Albert; don't yell, Albert; keep calm, Albert." A woman standing next to him said, "You certainly are to be commended for trying to soothe your son, Albert." The man looked at her and said, "Lady, I'm Albert."


A lady was walking down the street to work and she saw a parrot on a perch in front of a pet store. The parrot said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly." Well, the lady is furious! She stormed past the store to her work. On the way home she saw the same parrot and it said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly." She was incredibly angry now. The next day the same parrot again said to her, "Hey lady, you are really ugly."
The lady was so angry that she went into the store and said that she would sue the store and kill the bird. The store manager replied, "That's not good," and promised the parrot wouldn't say that again. When the lady walked past the store that day after work the parrot called to her, "Hey lady." She paused and said, "Yes?"…The bird said, "You know..."

I love you and hope that you have a wonderful week....
Bren

CHANGING YOUR PERSPECTIVE

Do you ever question God? How about questioning the motives of others….ever done that? For the most part I think that we all do at times on both. Often times, changing our perspectives about something or someone can steer us away from the grief and burden that those questions can bring. While going in the opposite direction of what we may want is never easy, sometimes, it is a must!

Chances are you have done this before without being aware of its benefits. Think about something in your past that you were particularly embarrassed about; and when you look back months later you can laugh about it. The facts and the events have not changed but your point of view of it did. Having that different point of view can then create a different understanding; and it results in a different experience or feeling about it. If we consciously applied this concept every day in every challenge that it brings, we then could be much better judges of ourselves and others. We would also have more peace with God and less struggling over why things happen the way that they do!

Change will happen as we begin to practice doing it; changing our perspectives that is! You see basically all of us compare our own perspective to what we can see, what we can observe. If we are in a valley our sight is limited to the things that are happening on the ground. But someone who is high on top of a mountain may observe something quite different; for they have a different perspective, because their view is different than ours. If we will only take the effort to look further, to put ourselves in someone else’s position, we may see something quite different than our own experience. If we climb the mountain where they are, or they come down to the valley where we are, we both are able to understand each others point of reference or point of view…..I use that big word because I learned it in college….

I am for the most part, a person that sees things as black or white. So, the Lord has had to teach me and “still is”, I might add; to see things in color. That means that things are never black or white unless it is some great Truth from the mouth of God. No matter how terrible a situation may look from our perspective; that same situation may be the source of joy and happiness if we only knew the full picture and only knew the end result that may come from it, like the Lord does.

When a retail store goes bankrupt another one will seize the opportunity. When someone looses a friend, someone else will gain one. That co-worker may be difficult to get along with on your job but may be a terrific mother to her children. She may even be, giving you pats on the back to others behind the scene… that you are unaware of, and that is the point. It is what you are not aware of that can draw your attention or affections away and cast doubt and fear on your situations.

Because things are not always what they seem; remember that what may seem unpleasant at first may be a blessing in the long run. Unless we have the full perspective, it is always difficult to judge any situation. That’s why it is so important to pass judgment with curiosity and compassion. Once we realize the limitations of our own perspective, we can start changing it; and everyone will benefit from our change!

Even this very week the Lord showed me something that I had been struggling with as to why He allowed my work situation to change a month ago from where I was to where I now am at. In His great wisdom and kindness He had known about some news that I was going to be receiving at a later time which was also this past week….and He was behind the scenes making preparation for that change in my life. A change that I might add was a very serious one.

You see He had my best interest in mind. He knew the whole picture, what was ahead of me. All I had to do was to put my trust in a loving Father that I knew… that I could trust….and simply wait it out, until the answer that I was looking for came to pass. While I was trusting in Him, knowing that He would work it out… I had become disappointed in the fact that my situation had changed and I was unhappy with the change.

Sadly, my disappointment in the change was overshadowing my faith to trust Him. While I was saying on one hand, “I thank you Father for making another way” for me to be able to continue to work period…..I was also saying, “But I really want to be back where I was”. You see you can never go ahead with God until you let go of the past…in anything!

As I was whining (and that is exactly how God sees it) about my situation…God was working on another situation that was far worst than my current one. He was getting ready to make a way for me to change my other situation that had come up… that was more serious, by first allowing my original problem. When I realized all of that, I just wanted to shout! I wanted to beg God to forgive me for once again, not trusting His long arm to reach down and through all my situations to work them out for my best interest in and through it all. WOW….what an awesome God I live for and serve! Yep….He did it again! He made a way when there was no other way for me!

Sweet friend, you and I can change our perspective on things, we go the other direction….dare I say, that we must change on some things. Who knows, God may be trying to do something great in your current situation….but because like I had been, you are struggling with Him about it. Please be willing to let it go, and see things from His perspective….for He is trying to work things out for your good! Don’t be discouraged….know there is a bigger plan, and trust that plan no matter what!

Ti's so sweet to trust in Jesus, just to take Him at His Word!
Loving you today,
Bren

CAN YOU SLEEP WHEN THE WIND BLOWS?

I read a story once about a farmer who owned some land along the Atlantic seacoast. He was constantly advertising for hired help. Many people were reluctant to work on farms around and along the Atlantic coastline because they dreaded the awful storms that came across wreaking havoc on the homes, barns and crops.

As the farmer interviewed applicants for the job, he received a steady stream of refusals once they found out where the job would be located. Finally, a short, thin middle aged man, approached the farmer. "Are you a good farm hand?" the farmer asked him. "Well, I can sleep when the wind blows," answered the little man. Although puzzled by his answer, the farmer desperate for help hired him.

The little man did a fine job working around the farm. He was always busy from dawn to dusk and the farmer was very satisfied with his work. One night the wind picked up and howled loudly as it passed over the farmer’s home and land. Jumping out of bed, the farmer grabbed a lantern and ran to the hired man’s room where he was sleeping.

He shook the little man and yelled, "Get up! A storm is coming! Tie things down before they blow away!" The little man rolled over in bed and said firmly to the farmer, "No sir. It’s like I told you, I can sleep when the wind blows."

Enraged by the response, the farmer was tempted to fire him on the spot. Instead, he hurried outside to prepare for the storm and to his amazement, he discovered that all of the haystacks had been covered with tarpaulins.

The cows were in the barn, the chickens were in the coops, and the doors were barred. The shutters were tightly secured. Everything was tied down. Nothing could blow away. The farmer then understood what his hired hand meant when he said that he could sleep when the winds blow.

Oh sweet friend, let us too learn how to sleep when the wind is blowing around us because we know that we have done what needs to be done….we are prepared for whatever may come our way. …

“We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair…”
2 Corinthians 4:8

Praying peace in the midst of your storm today….and loving you right where you are!
Bren

EMBRACE FORGIVENESS - FLEE GRUDGES

Have you ever heard these statements, "I feel so miserable without you, it's almost like having you here.” or "Some cause happiness wherever they go; others whenever they go". These are humorous statements that many of us can laugh at because if we are honest about it... we often relate to them from time to time. Life provides us many encounters with people of different backgrounds, personalities and philosophies. Some folks we just connect with, while others seem to cause traffic jams in our lives.

The scripture tells us in Romans 12:18 “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.” The most important point in this devotion today, is that there are times that having peace with everyone is not always going to be possible. Sometimes no matter how we try and make things right by reaching out to others, there will be someone that is unwilling to cut the string of indifference and agree to disagree with each other in love.

We all fall short of being perfect and are all very capable of having hurts and holding grudges against others: and furthermore, there are times when others have hurts and hold grudges against us. Yet, God’s Word tells us to make every effort on our parts to be at peace with them.

If we have done everything we know to be at peace with someone then we have done our parts. But being at peace sometimes may mean, to simply love them from afar. God knows our hearts and He knows if we harbor ill will towards someone and He will hold us accountable for it. Yet He also understands that for peace sakes, we may need to avoid possible circumstances that could develop if we put ourselves in a situation with someone that we have had conflict with in past times. You have heard the statement “Stay the course”, well, in some case’s we may need to “stay the distances” meaning “keeping some distance between you and another possible bad situation”. But in staying the distance, we need to be sure that we bare no grudge or ill will with anyone.

Some people find it very hard to surrender their grudges and simply choose to hang on to them. They will actually pamper it and find comfort in fueling it. Grudges are long-standing resentments that carry with them deep-seated feelings of spite, jealousy, bitterness and hostility. They have a way of oozing ill will, infecting relationships, and can cause guilt, anger and even pain.

Allowing grudges to fester in us destroys our peace of mind and leads to misery and suffering, both physically and spiritually for ourselves as well as our family and friends. The more grudges we carry, the more cranky and unloving we become and don’t think for a moment that other people do not see in us the sin that it really is! We can commit to letting go of our grudges by first admitting that we have them and that can be very hard for some to do. If we can only see the fault in others and not ourselves, then someone may need to lend us a mirror so that we can take a closer look.

The source of our grudges does not matter as much as what we do about them. We can build case’s against anyone if we are building them from our own perspectives, and yet, that only adds more pain and confusion. We can alleviate a grudge by deciding to focus on the future of that relationship and not the past. Most of the grudges we hold on to are too old any ways.

The act that hurt or offended us may always remain a part of our life, but forgiveness can lessen its grip on us and help us focus on other, more positive parts of those relationships. Forgiveness can even lead to feelings of compassion, understanding, and even empathy for the one who hurt us. Walking in someone else’s shoes can change our perspective about things and give us a much better understanding as to why others act and think the way they do.

Forgiveness doesn't mean that we deny the other person's responsibility for their actions, and it doesn't minimize or justify the wrong that we feel they may have done. But never the less, we can forgive them. And, if we don't practice forgiveness, we will be the one who pays most dearly. By embracing forgiveness, we embrace peace, once again have hope, feel gratitude and have our joy restored.

If we dwell on hurtful events or situations, grudges filled with resentment, vengeance and hostility will take root. Let’s move away from our role as victim and release the control and power that the offending person and situation have had in our life, and as we let go, our lives will no longer be defined by how we've been hurt, and in this way we will find as well as show others that we truly can love and live the life that Jesus died for us to have, if only we will embrace forgiveness and flee our grudges.

…as far as it depends on us….let us make every effort to live at peace with everyone! Life is short and the world will know that we belong to God by our love for each other…

Loving you today!
Bren