Facing the tests of life

“Unemployment. Divorce. Infertility. An unknown future. The death of a dear one. The illness of a child… The cruelty of an acquaintance… (You name it…)

There comes a time when our faith is tested deliberately by God, not so we will be overcome, but that we might grasp the validity of our faith and know it to be real. From God’s hand comes the cumulative exam designed to reinforce our learning about him and his work in our lives.

Someone likened this process to the kite flyer who takes the string of a kite and runs until the kite ascends into the sky. The kite will not rise without the wind. Wind is necessary to flying a kite, and kites rise not with wind, but against it! So it is with us. We will not rise to patience and maturity unless we ascend against trials.

We must meet our test not with the bleary eyes of a worried novice but with the confidence of a student who is well-acquainted with the words of the professor.

Layer upon layer, God is educating us about how he has worked in our lives and in the lives of those we love!”

Mom’s Devotional Bible

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Resolution V/S Inventory

This year, I decided not to make new year resolutions. The reason, I have noticed that most of my resolutions are not realistic, either some come back every year or I always feel guilty about those I cannot fulfill … So, I chose to do an inventory!

An inventory takes stock of what we have and what we don’t have. Grocery stores, factories, all kind of businesses take inventories. They can even be taken of human spirit, right? How about taking a spiritual inventory?

Let’s begin by looking at what we have. Friends? Responsibilities? Deep feelings? Hobbies? Intelligence? Children? The list can go on! Taking inventory of our possessions, talents and relationships seldom turns up anything unexpected. But, let’s pause here and beware of a danger: sometimes taking inventory of what we do have can actually lead to pride; we begin to think: “hey I’m doing all right!”

The surprise comes when we tally up what we’re missing. Security? Happiness? contentment? Patience? Trust? Peace? Now, what do I do when I discover that my “don’t have’s” outweigh my “have’s” without feeling guilty or stress?

Well, as for me, I can finally recognize my true state before God. How can I move forward if I don’t see and admit what hinders me! While we might imagine ourselves to be spiritually “wealthy,” we are, in fact, bankrupt before God. When we pretend otherwise, we are being deluded by pride. Does this make you uncomfortable? If you’re a Christian like me, talk to God about it (He’ll never judge your feelings) and put Him in control of all that you lack, that you need to improve or change.

For my non-Christian friends, talk to someone you trust, someone who will be honest with you on your “don’t have’s” and help you in the process. Sometimes, we are surprised to discover that when we share with God or ask someone else, our resolutions list is way far from what we really need to improve or change right now or in this year 2016.

I hope you’ll choose God to reveal to you what you lack. Have a great week!

 

 

 

Label Your Light!

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas!

We can feel Christmas everywhere. Beside the commercial excitement, you can also see how people decorate inside and outside their house. The big give away is lights covering most of our neighborhood homes and yards, so beautiful, so colorful, shining and bright, eye blinding ones, and even some crazy decorations. Why so much work?

Honestly, we felt left out and were thinking to do the same with our house. Then I began to think: why would we want to spend that much money on decorations and then risk my boys’ life climbing on a ladder just for what: Christmas feeling? Showing off our decoration skills and how beautiful our home is? I’m not saying it’s necessary a bad thing. But, by asking myself those questions, I evaluated my motives and started thinking about focusing on the kind of light I’d rather be shining during Christmas time. So, what kind of light am I?

Am I a CANDLE? Do I light up the room with myself, but am I vulnerable to other influences that might snuff out my flame?

Am I a FLOODLIGHT? Do I shine so strongly in people’s eyes that they are blinded rather than enabled to see?

Am I a FLASHLIGHT? Do I click on only in emergencies?

Am I a CHANDELIER? Do I shine with beauty and make those around me look better?

Now, my friend, what is your reasons to decorate your home and how can you reflect that on yourself? What kind of LIGHT are you? How can you shine during this Christmas time, more effectively in your neighborhood, in your world?

Label your Light!

Luke 8:16-18

 

“I’m SORRY”

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The words escape from our lips and slice, like a sword, at your spouse and your kids heart or a friend… Our temper flares and now our dear one is hunkered down hurt or/and in tears. Someone acts irresponsibly, (who doesn’t…), and we berate rather than carefully correct. Love requires apologies.

Apologies tie up the loose ends left by misunderstandings. They finish unfinished business. And they offer an opportunity for healing. Three words reach out across an abyss and build a bridge: “I am sorry.”

Love means taking the responsibility for our errors and admitting them, first to ourselves, then to God, and then to the one we’ve wronged. No, an apology may not magically make it all better. But it is a beginning.

And all who are committed to loving relationships take the step that begins healing. And then they take the next, and the next, and the next…

 

 

How’s Your Heart?

I love to carefully take care of the condition of my home in order to keep it off the “disaster area” list. But, how much attention do I give to my heart?

When the Bible says that the heart is to be guarded because it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23), it means that it is from our hearts that the rest of our attitudes get their cue. Depressed? Check the contentment quotient of your heart. Feel like griping? Once again, review you heart and then you’ll know why.

Rather than cleaning up the outer edges of our lives, we’re wiser to pay attention to the deeper parts of ourselves. Running the vacuum cleaner through a few ventricles, we may discover a layer of dissatisfaction, of envy, or even of anger that we’ve stuffed out of sight.

There’s no use trying to paste on a happy face or a good attitude to show in public if our hearts are cluttered with hidden issues. What’s stuffed down in our hearts will sooner or later spill over into our days with our spouse and children, our neighbors, our co-workers, and God.

Hey, you look great and your house looks great. But How is Your Heart?

Mom’s Devotional Bible