Joy: It's in the vault too!

     I hope December finds you in great spirits. I know that I am filled with joy this time of year. I know four lines that pretty much sum up this time of year for me:

Joy to the world, the Lord has come.
Let earth receive her King.
Let every heart prepare Him room,
And Heaven and Nature sing.

     Is your heart preparing Him room right now? Or are you busy preparing for everyone else? Take time out first to remember why we celebrate Christmas and the joy and hope it brings to our very existence. I know this time of year may be difficult for some of you, maybe your struggling financially, in your marriage, or maybe you have a sick loved one. Don't let the physical problems that you may have right now overshadow the joy of the season. This is my prayer for you all. Romans 15:13 says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." May God bless you and yours this holiday season!

Keep your Sanity this Holiday Season

The Holidays are drawing near,
Your family’s coming, but have no fear
Just remember what happened to King Nebuchadnezzar,
And your Holidays will be better than ever!!

     As the holidays are getting closer we start thinking about all the things we want and need to do.  First you may be decorating for Halloween and trying to pick out costumes for your children (who are most likely going to change their mind right before the big night and of course you won’t be able to find your receipt).  Then, you take down the Halloween decorations and start the Thanksgiving preparations.  Many of you will be doing this on your own because your spouses will be sitting out in the woods doing there best to fill the freezer for winter.  Your family is going to be coming to stay for a few days so that means you have to find places for them to sleep and change the bedding and of course if your family comes to your house every year for both Thanksgiving and Christmas you may already be starting the hair pulling process.  Ahhhhhhhhhh!!!
     Well, have no fear, as the poem says.  There is only one thing you need to remember this holiday season in order to keep your sanity.  Remember to thank God for everything you have and are able to give.  Daniel 4:34 says, “At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven and my sanity was restored….”.  King Nebuchadnezzar got caught up in himself and forgot that God was the one who provides for us.  Don’t get caught up in what’s not important this holiday season.  Ask yourself if what your stressing about is really important and if its not, let it go.  Now, odds are God is not going to cause you to be driven away from your family to live like an animal and eat grass for the holidays, but it is a sobering thought isn’t it?  Just remember if you are starting to feel overwhelmed this holiday season, you might just be having a bit of King Nebuchadnezzar syndrome.  Just raise your eyes to heaven and your sanity will be restored (plus you’ll get to start the New Year with all your hair!). 

In the Vault: Self Control

     Do you struggle with self control? Do you wish that you had unlimited access to all the self control you need? As Christians, we have that access through our trust in Christ Jesus. God has promised that if we seek Him first, we will be given all we need (Matthew 6:33). This doesn't mean just the physical necessities. It also includes things like self control. We all struggle with self control. I know I have trouble with this sometimes (okay, okay, a lot!). As always though, God is with us, and gives us instructions on how to be self controlled.   
     How do we exercise self control everyday? 1 Thessalonians 5:8 tells us, "But since we belong to the day, let us be self-controlled, putting on faith and love as a breast plate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet." When you get dressed every morning, I challenge you to think of this verse. Maybe even write it down where you will see it each morning. Dress your selves with the word of God each day, and you will find strength to be that self-controlled, loving, faithful servant to the Lord.

Four Lines of Inspiration

I'll be by your side, where ever you fall
In the dead of night, whenever you call
Please don't fight these hands that are holding you,
My hands are holding you.

From the song "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North

     God wants to help us with our self control. He knows we are going to fall short. Call on Him whenever you need Him. He will be there to help you, just as the song says. Please don't try to do it by yourself. Accept the gift that God sent in Christ Jesus, and let Him hold you and give you the self control you need for today and every day.

The Vault

     Lets say the owner of the largest bank in your town came up to you one day and said, "Here is a key to my vault. Whenever you need money, just go on in and take what you need. There is plenty there, just don't lose that key, it's the only way to get in." I know I would keep that key with me night and day so that I didn't lose it! Now imagine that this vault contains more that just financial security. Were talking patience, love, peace, endless self control, joy, freedom from worry and frustration. Boy, how much more important is that key now? 
     Did you know that God is just like this vault? He has everything we need to make our lives here on earth secure. All we need is the key. Jesus Christ is the key to God's vault. If you want what the Father has to offer you, all those things I mentioned earlier plus many more, all you need is to come to the Father with the Key and ask for help. He won't turn you away and His vault is always open for you.

     Join me over the next few months as we take an in depth look at what God has in His vault for us. I promise, it will change your life! God Bless!

Forgetting the Past and Living for Today

“But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13

     These are the words of the apostle Paul. Forget what is behind and strain toward what is ahead, for God. Easier said than done, right? Moving forward, especially if there is something you’ve done in the past, or had done to you, is difficult. But believe me, if Paul can do it, so can we!

     In case you are not familiar with the apostle Paul, he was a very acknowledged leader in Judaism and was very opposed to Christianity. He thought that all Christians were heretics and that they should be destroyed. In this time, Paul was more widely known by the name Saul, which was his Hebrew name. In Acts 9:3-9, Luke gives an account of how Saul met Christ on the road to Damascus and was immediately changed.

     Here is a man who spent most of his young adult life persecuting Christians and after one encounter with the Lord, was changed forever. He then became more widely known as Paul and spent the rest of his life sharing the gospel. Wow! Talk about someone who had a past! In the verse above, Paul says that he forgets what is behind and strains toward the goal for Christ. Now, Paul does not literally forget his past. There are times in the New Testament (see Galatians 1:13) where Paul refers to his past in his letters.

     Clearly, Paul has not forgotten his past, but he does not dwell there. Isaiah 43:18 states “Forget the former things, do not dwell on the past.” This is what we need to do. We are not likely going to forget all the things in our past. There will be times when something that happened in the past will replay itself in our minds. Don’t dwell there, though. Learn from it, but don’t live in it. Live for today. Today is where God can make the most use of us if we are willing. Are you willing to make the most of today for the Lord?

Lord,

Thank you for sending your son Jesus Christ so that I might be forgiven. Thank you for giving me the gift of the Holy Spirit to live in me so that I might have the strength to overcome the past. I know I can’t do it on my own. Please give me the courage to live for you, today, and not dwell in the past, Amen.

Forgiving in an Unforgiving World

“Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” Colossians 3:13

     As Christians, we are called by God to forgive as He forgave us. What a difficult, but important task this is! We know it feels good when someone forgives us for something we have said or done. I know it makes me feel wonderful when someone that I have hurt by my words or actions forgives me and in turn I try to forgive, from the bottom of my heart, when someone has hurt me.
     But it’s hard to forgive sometimes isn’t it? Sometimes it is easier, and actually feels good, to hold a grudge. Why is that? Why is it hard for us to forgive? I believe that part of the problem is our society. We don’t live in a world that stresses a love your neighbor and treat others the way you want to be treated attitude. We live in a world that stresses a sue your neighbor for whatever you can get and treat your neighbor the way they treat you attitude.
     Another reason I believe it is hard to forgive and sometimes feels good not to is because the Devil wants us to fail. I know that may sound juvenile, but we have to realize that Satan is at work in our society. He wants you to be unforgiving and unloving so he makes it feel good to do the wrong thing. As women, we need to overcome this attitude for our children and ourselves. They need to see a spirit of forgiveness in us so strong that it counteracts our society’s attitudes and that pesky Devil’s plan (see 2 Corinthians 2:5-11).

     The bible is very clear that we are called to be forgiving in our nature. In the book of Mark, chapter eleven, verse twenty-five, Jesus says “And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” This verse makes it clear that we are to be forgiving of each other so that God will forgive us. In the book of Matthew, chapter eighteen, verse twenty-two, Jesus tells Peter that he should forgive his brother seventy-seven times (NIV). This was Jesus’ way of saying there should be no limit on our forgiveness.
     Jesus continues in Matthew chapter eighteen with a story about an unmerciful servant. This servant went to his master with a debt that was so great he could never pay it off. He begged his master to be patient and the master forgave the entire debt. This servant then went out and found a fellow servant who owed him money and demanded payment. When the fellow servant begged for patience, the first servant refused to be merciful and had his fellow servant thrown in prison until he could pay the debt. When the master heard what had happened he called in the servant whom he had forgiven and had him turned over to the jailers to be tortured until he paid back his debt. Jesus then says in verse thirty-five, “This is how my heavenly Father will treat each of you unless you forgive your brother from you heart.” If we expect our heavenly Father to forgive us, then we must forgive others. This very simple story tells us what will happen if we don’t.

     While it is hard sometimes to forgive others, I believe it can be even harder to forgive ourselves. You may have done something in the past that keeps dragging you down and making you think that you will never get over it. We have to let those things go and God will help. Psalm eighteen verses fifteen says, “He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.” When you find yourself in the deep waters of unforgiveness, call out to the Lord. He will pull you out and give you the strength you need to overcome. He will rescue you because He delights in you (Psalm 18:19).

Lord,

Please help me to have a spirit of forgiveness. Help me to lovingly forgive others from the bottom of my heart. I want to be the best that I can be and I know that You will help me to achieve that. Help me to be aware of Satan’s schemes and keep me from falling victim to this world’s ways. You know the depths of my heart so please give me the strength I need to get rid of the past and carry on for you. Thank you for sending your son Jesus to die for me on the cross so that I may be forgiven and can one day fully enter into your presence. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

Noodles are Noodles and God has Forgiven Us

     If you walk down the pasta aisle in your local supermarket, you are faced with many choices. There’s rigatoni, linguine, lasagna, penne, fettuccine, spaghetti, angel hair, pasta fusilli, thin spaghetti, and the list goes on and on. You can choose what your pasta is made from such as rice, whole grains, or even vegetables. The options are endless but when you boil it down (pun intended!), they are all still noodles.

     Sin is the same way. There are many different types of sin. They look different on the outside, but when all the labels are taken away, they are still just sins. God doesn’t differentiate between sins. In His eyes, a sin is a sin. He doesn’t look at sin the way we do. We sometimes think that one sin, such as murder, is worse than another sin, such as lying. We believe ourselves to be better than someone who has committed a sin that we think is worse.

     I would like to share a story from the Old Testament with you. It is found in the book of second Chronicles in Chapter thirty-three. It is the story of Manasseh. Manasseh became the king of Judah at the age of twelve and was a very evil man. He worshiped idols, and built altars to them in the Lord’s temple (verse four). He sacrificed his sons in a fire, practiced sorcery and witchcraft and consulted mediums and spirits (verse six). It is also believed that Manasseh had the prophet Isaiah sawed in half.

     In verse eleven it says, “the Lord brought against them the army commanders of the king of Assyria, who took Manasseh prisoner, put a hook in his nose, bound him in bronze shackles and took him to Babylon.”  Ouch!  Can you imagine being marched cross-country with a hook in you nose?  I have to be honest when I say I think Manasseh deserved every bit of suffering the Lord put him through.

     Verses twelve and thirteen are where you will find my whole point in sharing this story. In verse twelve it says that Manasseh sought “the favor of the Lord his God and humbled himself greatly”. Verse thirteen tells us that God was moved so much by Manasseh’s prayer that he returned him to Jerusalem and to his kingdom. Can you imagine God being humbled by this mans prayer?  After everything he had done as a king, he sought God so humbly that his prayer moved the Lord!

     For many Christians, the concept of being completely forgiven for all of our sins is hard to grasp. We sometimes think there is no way God can forgive us for what we have done. We harbor this fear in us that we have done something that is just too horrible for God to forgive us. I hope you realize that there is nothing God can’t or won’t forgive you for. He loves us so much!  Even before He sent His son to die on the cross for us, He loved mankind so much that a man like Manasseh was completely forgiven!  Colossians chapter two, verse thirteen tells us that God forgives us all our sins. Not just the small, seemingly un-harmful ones. He forgives all of them. 

Heavenly Father,

Thank you so much for forgiving us. Thank you for loving us so much that you sent your son to die on the cross so that we could one day live in your presence. Please help us to remember that sins are sins no matter what label we put on them and all we have to do is sincerely humble ourselves before You and You will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

Amen

The first Spiritual Woman e-newsletter is coming July 1st!

My first e-newsletter will be coming out on July 1st, 2010.  I am very excited about this.  I have decided to do a quarterly focus. For July, August and September the focus will be Forgiveness.  We could all use a little of that couldn't we?  I haven't decided what the quarterly give-away will be but as soon as I find something cool, I will let you know.  Don't forget, you have to be signed up to receive the newsletter to be eligible for the give-away. If you want to sign up for the newsletter just let me know by leaving me a comment with your email or sending me an email directly.  The email address is tsote@ymail.com.  Have a blessed day!

Searching for Treasures?

     I love to go to garage sales.  I never know what kind of things I might find.  My kids always ask me, "Mom, did you find any good treasures?"  Sometimes I do find good treasures, and other times I waste my time.  But there is one treasure that I don't have to go searching for, and that is Jesus Christ.  I can find him right at home, in my heart.  He is always there. 
     Do you spend a lot of time searching for treasures in this world?  A line from one of my favorite songs right now says, "Come to the treasure you who search, and you'll search no more."  Jesus is the treasure.  He is the only one you need to find, and you don't even have to make sure your gas tank is full!  Come to the treasure as the song says, and search no more.  The song by the way is 'Love is Here', by Tenth Avenue North.  Have a treasured day!

Proverb for the Week of May 30th

Memorial weekend is the official kick-off to summer.  What are your plans?

There is no wisdom, no insight, no plan that can succeed against the Lord.  Proverbs 21:30

Keep God in your heart.  Seek Him when you make your plans, and have a blessed and safe Memorial weekend!

Proverb for the Week of May 23

Many of us are in a position where we are instructing others on a regular basis. If you are a mom, then you instruct your children every day. If you are a teacher, you instruct many children every day! No matter what you do, you will find yourself teaching others at some point in time. But when is the last time you listened to instruction? We need to listen to God's instructions every day if we are going to effectively instruct others. Where are God's instructions? In the Bible!

Proverbs 16:20 says, "Whoever gives heed to instruction prospers, and blessed is he who trusts in the Lord."

May you have a blessed and prosperous week!

Proverb for the Week of May 16th

The Hebrew word translated as fool in Proverbs, and often elsewhere in the Old Testament, means one who is morally deficient.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." Proverbs 1:7

How are your morals? Live your life with wisdom and discipline and fear in the Lord, and you too will have knowledge.

Have a blessed week!

Proper Nourishment is required for Good Health

     I just spent the last two weeks recovering from a tonsillectomy.  I was miserable!  I am glad that it is over and I am almost back to normal.  One of the most important things my doctor told me was that I needed to drink lots of fluids and get as much nourishment as I could.  Since I could not eat solid food, I had to stick with soups, pudding, and Popsicles.  This was great for a few days, but eventually I needed some real food.  You could live on pudding and Popsicles, but you wouldn’t be very healthy!  Once I was back to eating a healthier diet, I quickly started feeling much better. 

     Have you ever felt like you were trying to nourish yourself with something that is just not very healthy?  I don’t just mean the physical nourishment either.  We need nourishment for our mind and soul as well as our body.  God provides us with every kind of nourishment we need to keep every part of our body healthy.  From the physical food we need, to the encouragement and strength our minds and souls need, He gives it all to us.  In the book of Deuteronomy, chapter thirty-two, verses thirteen and fourteen, Moses is reminding the Israelites of how God provided for their ancestors as well as providing for them.  In verse thirteen Moses says, “He made him ride on the heights of the land and fed him with the fruit of the fields.  He nourished him with honey from the rock and with oil from the flinty crag.”  Verse fourteen goes on to say that God provided choice meats, milk and cheese and juice from grapes for Israel.  The Israelites were God’s chosen people, but they forgot who provided for them.  In those two verses, Moses is reminding them who their provider is.  It is important that we do not forget that God provides for our physical nourishment.  That is why we thank Him before our meals!
 

     God also provides the nourishment that our minds and souls need to be healthy.  This nourishment can be found in every book of the Bible.  That’s right, every book.  I love that God’s nourishment for our souls can be found no matter what book of the Bible we are reading.  I personally love the book of Proverbs.  In chapter three, verses seven and eight it says, “Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and shun evil.  This will bring health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”  In Proverbs chapter fifteen, verse thirty it says, “A cheerful look brings joy to the heart, and good news gives health to the bones.”  This is nourishment for both the physical and mental health of our bodies.  God says that if we live a life that honors Him we will have good health. 

     So how do you live a life that honors God?  We are so busy with kids, chores, and jobs outside the home that sometimes we feel as if there are not enough hours in the day to get it all done.  How do we fit in time for God?  God needs to be the most important part of our day.  If you have to get up early to spend time with God, then do it.  Even just ten minutes in the morning with God can change your whole day.  We know that how we start our day sets the tone for how the rest of the day is going to go, so choose to start it with God.  If you’re in Michigan, we have Family Life Radio and Smile FM.  This is a great way to receive God’s nourishment through music all day long.  Even if you’re not in Michigan, you can listen to Smile Fm online at www.smile.fm.  Seeking God through out your day will improve your attitude and give you peace.  One of my favorite bible verses is found in the book of Matthew, chapter six, in verse thirty-three.  It says, “Seek first God’s kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”  If we seek God first in everything, he will provide us with all that we need.  Whether it is nourishment for our physical bodies or nourishment for our minds and souls God will give it to us if we look to Him first.  Have a blessed day!     

    

Help Me Win the Kroger Bag Contest

Hi everyone.  I wanted to ask for a huge favor.  I submitted a bag design for Kroger's Design a Reusable Bag Contest.  My bag number is 6919.  I am asking for your support.  If I win, I will be donating $500 to my local food bank and the other $500 to a mom I know that has a great need right now.  You can vote every day so please help me out!  Thanks and God Bless!

Out with the Old You, In with the New Creation

     The stores are starting to get rid of the old winter stock and bringing in the new spring lines.  I love this time of year.  I get rid of socks and dig out my sandals.  I put the sweatshirts away and get the tank tops out.  I hate the cold weather and I am happy that spring has arrived.  It doesn’t make sense for stores to keep those cold weather clothes in stock when the weather is getting warmer, does it?

     In the same way, as Christians, we need to clothe our selves with the qualities of Christians.  In Colossians 3:12-14, Paul tells us, “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.”

     Isn’t it great to be considered holy and dearly loved?  To be God’s chosen people?  Forgiven by the One who created the whole universe?  In 2 Corinthians 5:17, Paul also says, “Therefore if anyone is in Christ he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come.”  The first day of spring was officially March 20^th.  Winter is gone.  The animals will be giving birth to new babies, the flowers will start their blooming.  All around us the shedding of the old is occurring.

     As your putting away those old winter clothes and getting out your spring wardrobes, think about your life as a Christian.  Are you clothed as a new creation or are you still clothed as you were in your “old” life?  Will you choose to live in the new, or suffer in the old?  Spring is a beautiful time of year with the ground clothed in newly greened grass and colorful flowers.  Being a Christian, one of God’s chosen people, is the most beautiful way for you to clothe yourself.

Seek God first, even in Politics

     I felt compelled to write this post this morning after reading an article about Glenn Beck and how people are focusing on his comments instead of what is important.  After reading the article, I was slightly frustrated.  Okay, really frustrated.  In Matthew 6:33, Jesus says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."  Then in Matthew 7:7-8, Jesus says,  "Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened."  These three verses make it very clear to me, and hopefully to you too, that everyone who seeks God first will be given everything they could possibly ever need.
     Why are we looking for our government (which is made up of men and women) to give us the things we need?  Why aren't we seeking God first?  I had someone tell me recently that God can't have a part in politics.  WHAT??  God must, I repeat, MUST have a part in everything we do. 
     We can't remove God from our political beliefs.  If you are going to do that, then you might as well remove him from the rest of your life as well.  Seeking God first means seeking him first, always, in everything.  Not just when it fits what we want to say or do.   Whether its politics, parenting and everything in between, seek God first.  Isaiah Chapter 31 gives an example of what will happen if men rely on other men instead of God.  It says that if we rely on men and help people who are wicked then God will reach out with his hand and those who help the wicked and those who were helped will fall and both "will perish together" (Isaiah 31:3).  Okay, that should be a clear enough example of what happens if we rely on men to help us.  Did you know that the saying, "God helps those who help themselves" is not a biblical saying?  This chapter of Isaiah shows what happens to men who "help themselves."  They die.  End of discussion. 

    I am tired of hearing people complain about all the problems they have and why can't the government do something to help them?  After all they are Americans and deserve everything handed to them, right?  No, you don't.  Not if you have the ability and the opportunity, just like the rest of us, and choose not to act on those abilities and opportunities.  Bill Gates and Warren Buffet are very successful business men.  They didn't become successful by sitting on their behinds and complaining that everyone else has things they don't.  They chose to act.  They used their gifts and talents and put them to use and now they reap the rewards.  We all have this option.  We all have gifts that God has given us and we can choose to use them.  All we have to do is seek God first.
     I have mentioned the parable of the talents before in my posts, but I want to look at it in a different light today.  The parable tells of three servants who were all given talents (money) by their master, according to their abilities.  The first two servants invested their talents and doubled what the master had given them and so to them, the master gave more.  The last servant went and hid his talent in the ground because he was afraid.  The master took his talent away and gave it to one of the other servants.  The master did not take the talents away from the faithful servants and give it to the one who was afraid to act.  It was just the opposite.  Why does our country think the right thing to do is take away from people who have used their talents wisely and give to the people who are afraid and lazy and want everything handed to them instead of having to work for it?  Seek God first, use your talents wisely, and don't wait for a handout.

Even when you don't know, God does

     On Palm Sunday, the church my husband and I attended talked about a recent mission trip they were going to be taking.  The were going to Rancho Sordo Mudo, which is a Christian school for deaf children in Baja California, Mexico.  The were leaving on Easter Sunday morning and flying out there for two weeks.  During the Palm Sunday service, the pastor talked about how they didn't have any idea what they were going to be doing for the school, just that they God called them to go and assist in any way that they could.  We prayed for the group of 25 that was heading out and that God would keep them safe and show them what they could do for the school.
     Have you seen the news?  When I saw that an earthquake had hit the very area that this group was going into I smiled.  Not because they were hit with an earthquake, but because God knew what was going to happen and sent this willing group of servants there at the precise moment that they were needed.  God knows, even when we don't know.  If you place your life in God's hands, it's gonna be a great ride.  You are not always going to know what is ahead of you on the road, but if you trust in Him, he will lead you where you are needed and get you there when you are needed most.

Dear Lord,

Thank you for this group of willing servants.  They didn't know what they were heading into, but You did.  Thank you for sending them where they were needed and when they were needed, even when they had no idea what they were going to be facing.  Please be with them and the residents of the school and help them all to see that you have a plan for them and for all of us.  All we have to do is accept and follow.  In Jesus' name, Amen.

The Most Important Holiday

      I watched an amazing, short video at church on Sunday.  Actually, it was more of a slide show to music than a video.  It almost brought me to tears.  It was about Easter and why we celebrate it.  The emphasis in the video is why Easter is so much more important than any other holiday.  I had never thought of Easter as the most important holiday until this past Palm Sunday.  I had always celebrated Easter as a Christian, but I never thought of how truly important it is.  Christmas was always my favorite holiday.  I love the feeling of joy that surrounds it, but I always wondered why people were so joyful around Christmas, but they forgot those feelings of peace and giving the rest of the year.  Jesus didn't come to earth so that we would focus on his birth.  Jesus birth was a great miracle, but his purpose for becoming God as man was not fulfilled by his birth.  His life is a perfect testament to how we should live.  He was the only person who could live a perfect life and show us how we should live.  Jesus was not just joyful and giving around the time of his birth.  He was that way always, just as we should be.
     His purpose for becoming God as man was not fulfilled until he died.  This is why Easter is the most important holiday.  Jesus' purpose for coming to earth was to die.  He came here to die for us.  Think about that sentence for a minute.  It bears repeating.  He came here to die for us.  Not just those of us who believe in him.  He came here to die for everyone, even his enemies.  The pastor at church this past Palm Sunday stressed this point.  What kind of love does it take to die for your enemies?  It is an amazing, unfathomable love.  No one else could do it.  Jesus' last words on this earth are found in Gospel of John 19:30.  It says, "...Jesus said, "It is finished."  With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit."  His purpose for becoming God as man was finished by his death.  Not his birth or life.  His death.  This Easter, focus on what is truly the most important thing that ever happened in our history.  On Friday afternoon, take a moment to stop and thank God for sending us Jesus to die for us.  There is no greater love or sacrifice than that.

Being a Good Christian is a lot like Being a Good Gardener

     One of my favorite times of year is spring.  I love getting outside after the long winter and cleaning up my flowerbeds.  Seeing the tulips, lilies, and crocuses coming up really makes my day!  As any gardener knows, flowerbeds are a lot of work.  If you don’t spend time in them every day, the weeds will take over and choke out all of your flowers.  I think pulling weeds is actually very therapeutic.  It makes me feel great to be out in the sunshine and keeping the weeds out of my flowerbeds gives the flowers roots more room to grow.  My flowers get bigger and more beautiful every year.

     Being a good Christian is much the same.  A new Christian is as beautiful as the new spring flowers.  But if they don’t spend time with God every day, praying and reading his word, the weeds of the world will get in the way and choke out the joy of the Lord.  Spending time talking to God and reading the bible can help keep the weeds out of your life and keep the grace of God in.

     In the book of Matthew, chapter 13, Jesus tells the parable of the sower.  He tells of a farmer scattering his seeds on the land.  Some of it falls on the path and the birds eat it.  Other seeds fall on rocky places where there is not a lot of dirt and so they don’t have good roots and the die.  More seeds fall among thorns, which grew and choked them out.  The last of the seeds fall on good soil and produce many times what was sown (vs. 1-9).

     Jesus then explains the parable to the disciples.  He says that when anyone hears the message about God and the kingdom of heaven, and does not understand it, the devil comes and takes it away from his heart.  He is like the seed on the path.  The one who is like the seed in the rocky place is the one who hears the word and receives it right away, but since he does not have good roots, when trouble or persecution comes, he falls away.  The one who is like the seed in the thorns is the one who hears the word, but the worries of the world and the love of money chokes it out.  The last is the one who receives the word and understands it.  He is the one who prospers (vs. 18-23).

     Every gardener knows that if you want your flowers to grow and be beautiful year after year, they have to be planted in the right soil and tended daily.  Great care will result in a beautiful flowerbed.  In the same way, spending time with God every day will make you a beautiful, healthy Christian with good roots that can last forever. 

Benny and The Miraculous Bible

     I have been working on an idea for a series of children's books and I finally got beyond being scared to put something in writing!  Benny and The Miraculous Bible will be a series of books about a little boy that finds a mysterious blank bible in the attic of his new house.  The stories will teach biblical virtues to children in a fun, adventurous way!  Check out www.themiraculousbible.blogspot.com for updates on Benny and his friends, and be praying that I can find a publisher soon!!

Relationships Are Not Like Shower Tile!

     I spent the whole afternoon the other day on my hands and knees scrubbing my shower tile.  It was covered in hard water and rust stains.  So I got out the stiffest scrubbing pad I could find and started in.  Now if any of you are familiar with cleaning tile, you might be cringing right now.  I felt really good about my progress because the tile was bright, white and clean!  Yeah!!  Until my husband walked in and said, “That’s not an abrasive scrubbing pad is it?”  I remained silent and held the pad up to him.  Yep, it was.  “You know why the tile is so clean right?” he said.  I was still silent.  He told me the tile was so clean and white because I had scrubbed the glaze right off the tile.  I got below the surface of the tile with my scrubbing and took the protective glaze right off and instead of the off white, bone color that the tile was supposed to be, I had white tile with no protective coating.  Oops.

     It’s a good thing that relationships are not like shower tile!  If we never got below the surface in our relationships, we would never have a truly fulfilling relationship with anyone.  In Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, in Chapter 10, he is trying to get the Corinthians to see look below the surface of things (v. 7) and see why he is so forceful in his letters.  He has to be boasting and forceful in his letters because he is not physically there with the Corinthians to encourage them in person.  He addresses this is verses 10 and 11 that say, “For some say, “His letters are weighty and forceful, but in person he is unimpressive and his speaking amounts to nothing.”  Such people should realize that what we are in our letters when we are absent, we will be in our actions when we are present.”  Paul is basically saying to look below the surface of his actions while he is there and see the Godly man underneath all the boasting and forcefulness of his letters.

     There are probably a lot of people that read my posts and think that I am forceful in my opinions of how we should be as women.  But I am only trying to encourage others in the way that God has called me to do.  2 Corinthians 10:13 says, “We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you.”  My field includes all the women that I can possibly reach to try to encourage and inspire them as God has called me to do.  I will not step outside of my limits, as Paul didn’t, and I pray that you will look below the surface of my writing and feel inspired and encouraged.  I would love to hear from you!  If I have encouraged you in anyway please let me know.  You can send me an email to tsote@ymail.com anytime! 

The Ten Commandments for an Unhappy Life

The Ten Commandments for an Unhappy Life

1. Thou shalt hold onto bitterness and anger.


2. Thou shalt never get too close to anybody.  Keepeth all of thy relationships at surface level.


3. Thou shalt wear a glum expression on they face at all times.


4. Thou shalt put aside play and shalt inflict upon others that which was once inflicted upon thyself.


5. Thou shalt grumble about the small stuff, forgetting the bigger picture.


6. Thou shalt forget about others’ needs, thinking only of your own.


7. Thou shalt hold regular pity parties, inviting others to joinest thou.


8. Thou shalt not take a vacation.


9. Thou shalt expect the worst in all situations, blame and shame everyone around thyself for everything, and dwell on the feebleness, faults, and fears of others.


10. Thou shalt be in control at all times, no matter what.

These were taken from Karol Ladd’s, The Power of a Positive Woman.  When I read this I couldn’t help but laugh and that is exactly why I put it here.  It is to make you laugh and hopefully help you to see how silly we act at times.

Calling All Moms!

Mom, do you know how valuable you are?

Do you want to be inspired and encouraged?

Are you in need of refreshment or rejuvenation?

Do you want to laugh?


A Hearts at Home conference gives moms the unique opportunity to pause along their mothering journey to refresh, refocus, and renew themselves. The 2010 National Conference, Mom’s the Word, is being held at the Bone Student Center of Illinois State University in Normal, Illinois on March 12-13.


See what others are saying about a Hearts at Home conference:


“I attended the conference this year for the first time. I enjoyed it immensely. I was lifted up, instructed, convicted, encouraged, and brought to tears, sometimes all at the same time.”

“I loved it. I feel so full of information. I need to sit and read my notes and just process it. It was really encouraging to hear all the speakers and be with all of those moms. Thanks so much! “

“This past weekend was awesome and life changing. This was my first Hearts at Home Conference and I am telling everyone about it. “

“I want to thank you all for keeping these conferences going each year and for making them so refreshing for women at various stages in their parenting.”


Hearts at Home wants all mothers to know how valuable they are! Check out this video for a small dose of encouragement from Nicole Johnson and be sure to join us March 12th-13th for more!

Featured guests include Nicole Johnson, author & motivational speaker, a favorite at Women of Faith, Jill Savage, author, international speaker, CEO & founder of Hearts at Home, and Christy Nockles, Dove Award nominee & formerly of Watermark.

Visit www.hearts-at-home.org for more information.

Wave on Wave

As I have mentioned before I am a big country music fan.  Today I heard Pat Green's song "Wave on Wave".  I have heard this song many times, but for some reason, today, as I listened, I thought of Jesus Christ.  The chorus of the song says, "It came upon me wave on wave, your the reason I'm still here.  Am I the one you were sent to save?  And it came upon me wave on wave."  Now, he is actually singing about a woman saving him, but you can see why it made me think of Jesus.  If you listen to this song, you could change just a couple of "she's" to "He's" and the song takes on a new meaning.  We are the ones He was sent to save, and sometimes, for Christians, the Holy Spirit can come upon us like a great wave and overwhelm us with his grace and mercy.  What a great feeling.  Listen to this song as I did today and think of Jesus as you are listening.  It will give new meaning to "Wave on Wave."

Wave on Wave

The Almighty Lender

     It’s tax time.  Yeah!!  No?  For some of us this means we will be getting some money back, for others, not so much.  If you are a fellow Christian, then you know God wants us to be free from the love of money and to be content with what we have, or don’t have (Hebrews 13:5 NIV).  God wants us to use the spiritual gifts as well as the monetary gifts He has given us wisely.  The Parable of the Talents in Matthew 25:14-28 describes 3 servants whose master gave them each 5, 2, and 1 talent (a talent is equal to more than a thousand dollars) respectively.  The first two servants invested their talents and doubled what the master gave them.  To these two servants the master then gave more.  The last servant was so afraid of losing the talent that was given him that he hid it in the ground.  The master was so disappointed that he took that servants talent and gave it to the first servant.  He then asked his servant why he didn't at least put the money in the bank so he could collect the interest.  In this parable, Jesus means we are the servants and God is our master and we should use what he has given us to His glory.  

     If you were given the gift of prophecy and never shared that gift, think of what a waste that would be!  We can't let money or possessions run our lives, but we can be smart with what God has given us and turn it into more.  Have you ever noticed that when you give, God finds a way to give right back to you?  I remember one year where my husband and I made some extra money and so we gave more than we normally would have that year.  At the end of the year we realized that God had creatively given almost every dime that we had given back to us.  It was so amazing!  In economic times like this, we tend to cut back on what we give because we are afraid that we won’t have enough for ourselves. 
Don’t forget that God will take care of us if we trust in Him.  He will reward us in the end and that really is what counts.     

The Night Light

     My daughter woke up crying last night from a nightmare.  I'm sure those of you that have little kids have been in my shoes.  Before my husband or I could get in her room she had gotten out of her crib and was almost in her brother's room.  She had never climbed out of her bed in the middle of the night before so we knew she was very upset.  She didn't want to go back into her bed and she just kept crying, "I wanna seep in your bed, Mommy!"  Well, as much as I felt for her, I couldn't start the habit of letting her sleep in my bed when she got scared.  I asked my daughter if she would like a night light on in her room (she had never had one before) and if that would make her be able to sleep better.  She said yes and went happily back to sleep with her new night light on.
     Sometimes, as Christians, we have terrible times and we are struck with such fear that we just want to run blindly in the dark to the closest person we can find for comfort.  But we have the greatest night lights ever in God and his son Jesus Christ.  Psalm 18:28 says, "You, O Lord, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light."  God took our fears and shined the light of the Son on them and banished them.  Psalm 27:1 says, "The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear?"  What do we have to fear?  Who do we have to fear?  Nothing and no one as long as we have the Lord as our night light.

Reverse Your Thinking

      Do you catch yourself worrying a lot?  I do.  I worry about my kids, my husband, my health, their health, my family, my friends, my money, and the list goes on and on.  Where do you stop it?  How do you stop it?  In these economic times, worry is a constant.  Many people are losing their jobs and their homes.  They don't know where to turn or what to do.  In the book of Luke, Chapter 12, starting in verse 22, Jesus tells us, "do not worry about your life, what you will eat; or about your body, what you will wear.  Life is more that food, and the body more than clothes."  Easier said than done, right?  How do you stop worrying?  How do you change your thought process from worrying to trusting God?  By prayer and practice.
     Start by thanking God first for everything you have and then asking him to help you.  Many of us start our prayers with a "Dear God please help me" attitude instead of a "Dear God thank you for all the things you have already done for me" attitude.  Luke Chapter 12, verse 31 says, "But seek his kingdom, and these things will be given to you as well"(NIV).  Seek God's kingdom first and He will provide all those things you were previously worrying about.  Reverse your thinking, seek God first, and practice trusting instead of worrying.

What's in a name?

     My husband gave me the coolest present for Valentine's Day this year.  It was a great card with a big wad of money stuck inside.  He had sold some of our old gold and gave me the money.  The card said I had to spend it all on the bracelet I have been wanting.  Is that cool or what?  I have been wanting a Pandora bracelet since before Christmas and so I was thrilled to finally be getting it.  Once I started looking for the pieces to make my bracelet I realized that if I wanted an "authentic Pandora" bracelet I was going to be spending all the money my husband gave me on just the bracelet!  But I wanted beads too, of course.  I started looking for different brands.  I was able to find a beautiful bracelet at my local Elder Beerman store and a whole bunch of beads by looking on ebay.
     So what's my point?  The point is, there is only one thing in this world that it is important to get the real deal.  That is Jesus Christ.  There is no "store brand" and no "knock-off" that will be just as good as the real thing.  There is only one God and one Jesus Christ.  In the book of Acts, Chapter 4, verse 12 it says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved."  No one else and no other name.  He is the one and only.  We have to look to Him for salvation and guidance.  He is the real deal!

Reaching Out

     When I first became a stay at home mom, I was thrilled.  I loved not getting up and going to a stressful job anymore.  I loved that my kids would be home with me and not in a daycare setting.  I quickly realized that being a stay at home mom was going to be more difficult than I thought.  I was lonely.  I was used to seeing people at work and communicating with other women.  I didn't have that anymore.  I started to get depressed and I knew I needed to find some women to talk to.  That's when I joined MOPS.  It was great, but I didn't feel like I was making any friends.  I prayed for God to help me find some friends, but it just wasn't happening.  I went through my first year of MOPS and I felt better, but I still didn't have anyone that I felt like I connected with. 
     I started my second year of MOPS this year and I was determined to make some friends.  I loved my table group and we started to get together for coffee in addition to our MOPS meetings.  This is a good start, I thought, but I still didn't feel like I was connecting.  And then it dawned on me.  I wasn't reaching out.  I was waiting for all these great relationships to fall in my lap without having to do anything.  That wasn't gonna cut it.  I had to step out of my comfort zone and reach out.  I love interacting with other people, but I don't often initiate the interaction.  I realized that if I wanted to make some great friends I was going to have to reach out more because there just might be someone out there that had a problem that I could be the answer to.  I saw a great video titled "The Confident Woman" and it really did make me feel more confident and able to step out of my comfort zone and be the answer (watch the video and you'll see what I mean by that).  I hope the video will help you to have the same "aha" moment that I had when I first saw it.

Less than Stellar

Ever have a less than stellar parenting day?  Yep, me too.  Today, as a matter of fact.  I had a horrible case of insomnia last night and as a result, I had less than my normal amount of patience for my 3 1/2 year old son.  What worse is that my husband was more than happy to point out my flaw.  I hate it when that happens.  So I took myself off to the shower to hopefully refresh my spirit and start over.  What happened next?  My husband came in and, not thinking, shut off the light in the bathroom.  "Hello!!  Am I invisible?", I thought.  That reminded me of a video I saw at my MOPS meeting called "The Invisible Woman." 
If you have a moment please watch it.  You won't regret it.  When I remembered this video, I was immediately calmed.  I am not invisible.  God sees me and everything I do.  He knows that I am trying my best to be a good parent and that even though I stumbled today, I didn't fall.  I caught myself early and was able to recover.

Trials, Trials, and More Trials

     For the last 3 weeks my family has been put to the test.  We all got sick with some sort of cold virus that is just lingering and lingering.  We can't seem to get rid of it.  If you are a stay at home mom like me, then you very well understand how difficult it is to be stuck in your house with sick 2 and 3 year olds.  Not only did myself and my kids get sick, my husband also got sick.  Then, to top it off, my husbands grandfather passed away.  This was a huge loss for my husband and his family.  So the only time we got out of the house in those first two weeks was for a funeral.  We thought we were recovering from the virus, and then my son had a relapse.  So now we are at three weeks of not being able to interact with the rest of humanity (and to me, grocery shopping is not interacting!)  I know that God says we will go through trials in our lives, but I kind of feel like I have gotten mine all in one dose.  It's kind of hard to take and it is very depressing. 
     That's when I looked to the bible to try to get some idea of what to expect out of these trials, and I wasn't disappointed.  In the New Testament, in the book of James, I found what I was looking for.  Chapter 1, verses 2-4 say, "Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."  It is hard, right now, to see how these trials are going to make me more mature and complete.  However, when I think back to the other trials I have faced in my life, I know that down the road, be it a couple weeks, or months, or even years, the lessons I have learned in the last few weeks will make me a more mature and complete person. 

Free and Easy

I am a huge country music fan and I love Dierks Bentley.  I was listening to the song "Free and Easy" as I was working out today and when he sang the line, "I'm gonna sit back and try to enjoy the ride" it struck me that as Christians, we can't just sit back and enjoy the ride.  We need to be the drivers, not the passengers.  God wants us to go out and share the gospel with all creation (Mark 16:15), not just sit back and enjoy the ride to eternal life.  God's gift of eternal life is a free gift and it is easy to accept so grab hold, jump in the driver's seat, and have a great ride!!

The Best Vitamin for a Christian

One of my favorite things to do while riding in the car is reading church billboards.  I love seeing the inspirational things that they put on them.  One of my all time favorites was on a church board across from the Cemetary where my grandmother is buried in Alabama.  It said, "The best vitamin for a Christian is B-1."  Is that great or what?!

Healthiness is a Choice so Choose Wisely

One of my sons’ favorite movies right now is The Iron Giant.  It is about a robot that falls to earth and doesn’t remember his purpose.  He was created to be a weapon but with the help of a little boy named Hogarth, the robot learns that he can be whatever he chooses.  I think one of the best lines in the movie is, “You are who you choose to be.”  That is such a simple statement but it really sums up how we live our lives.

 Many of us make a New Year’s resolution to be healthier.  Whether its losing weight, quitting smoking, or some other variable that affects your health, we all want to make healthier choices.  So it’s February now, how is your resolution going?  Are you making the choices that will help you to have a healthier body, mind, and spirit? 

     Achieving a healthy body, mind, and spirit is difficult.  At one of my MOPS meetings we had a psychiatrist as a speaker.  One of the things he said was that Christians have the healthiest life style.  It doesn’t take much thought to figure out why.  It is because we strive to be godly people.  We try to make the right choices for our bodies, minds, and spirits in order to please God.  Now, this doesn’t mean that if you are not a Christian that you are not a healthy person.  It just means that as Christians, we make a conscious choice to live a more Christ-like life. 

     The book of the bible Proverbs was written to help us gain wisdom, discipline, and understanding and to help guide us in doing what is right and fair in our lives (summary of Proverbs 1).  Proverbs 3:8 tells us that one of the benefits of wisdom is, “health to your body and nourishment to your bones.”  By using wisdom in our choices, the bible tells us that we will be healthy people.

     Another thing that stood out to me from the psychiatrist’s speech was that we are only responsible for our selves and our children up, to a certain age.  God is not going to judge us on other peoples choices, only our own.  If the people around us are not using wisdom and making healthy choices, we can’t use that as an excuse for not making our own healthy choices.  If we want to have a healthy body, mind, and spirit our choices should be based on wisdom, understanding, and discipline.  Remember, you are who you choose to be, so choose wisely and reap the benefits that God promised.

The Fruits of the Spirit vs. the Nuts of the World: Love vs. Sex

     I was listening to a psychiatrist who came to speak at my MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) Group last month and one of the things he talked about was how we all just want to be loved.  Boy is that the truth.  When I was a young lady, everyone always told me that I acted older than my age.  I think the reason I did this is because I always knew, deep down, that I wanted to be a wife and mom more than anything else.  I didn’t want to be a teenager, I hated high school and thought that the person who said that high school was supposed to be the best years of your life must be nuts.

     I wanted to be a grown up and have a husband that I loved more than anyone else.  I wanted children of my own to love and raise and I wanted to be loved in return by my husband and my children.  I was in such a hurry to be loved, that I mistook sex for love and found myself in some meaningless relationships and then an abusive marriage.  Eventually I learned that if I wanted to truly be loved, I must have more respect for myself then what I currently had and I needed to realize that sex was not love.  In 1 Corinthians 6:18 the bible says, “Flee from sexual immorality.  All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body”(NIV).  I decided to focus on getting my life back in order and treating myself and my body with more respect.  As soon as I started making changes to my life for the better, that’s when God stepped in and introduced me to my husband.

     Since then, I have found the true love that I always wanted.  I have a very loving husband and two wonderful children.  I have a better relationship with God then I ever had because I started looking to him for guidance instead of this world.  He helps me to truly love.  Romans 13:9-10 sums up what the bible has to say about love.  It says, “The commandments, “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and whatever other commandment there may be, are summed up in this one rule: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  “Love does no harm to its neighbor.  Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law”(NIV).  By learning what the bible says about love and sex, I was able to truly love and be loved in return. 

Heat up Your Marriage this Valentine’s Day

     “I slept, but my heart was awake.  Listen! My lover is knocking: “Open to me, my darling, my dove, my flawless one.  My head is drenched with dew, my hair with the dampness of the night.”  I have taken off my robe- must I put it on again?  I have washed my feet- must I soil them again?  My lover thrust his hand through the latch opening; my heart began to pound for him.  I arose to open for my lover, and my hands dripped with myrrh, my fingers with flowing myrrh, on the handles of the lock.

What do you think of when you read this?  I bet you may not have guessed that I got this paragraph from the bible.  This comes from the book of the bible titled Song of Songs or Song of Solomon, depending on your version.  There is a whole book of the bible that talks about our sexual relationship with our husbands!  If you haven’t read this book before, try reading this out loud to your spouse on Valentine’s Day and see where it leads!

     God wants us to have a healthy sexual relationship with our husbands.  He puts this command right at the beginning of the bible, in the first book, Genesis.  In Chapter 2 verse 24 it says, “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.”  There are many opinions out there on the book Song of Songs and mine is just another one, but I believe that since God thought the physical relationship between a man and his wife was so important, He put that book in the bible as a resource for us.  There are many other resources out there for Christians on how to spice up the sexual part of your marriage, but this one you may already have if you have a bible at home.

Happy Reading and Happy Valentine’s Day!!

Finding and Keeping your Balance

     I thought that because I was a great multi-tasker that I would be great at keeping a good balance in my life.  Boy was I wrong.  Before I became a stay at home mom, I was a 911 Emergency Service Dispatcher.  Talk about the ultimate in multi-tasking.  We had to answer all 911 calls and then dispatch according to the type of emergency, whether it was police, fire or medical.  Then, you had to talk to the officers, firemen, and paramedics while answering other calls and giving instructions in CPR, childbirth, or even just giving directions (yes, people actually call 911 for directions!).  Sometimes calls were easy to handle, like someone who hit a deer with their car and just needed to make an accident report.  Other times, they were extremely hard, like helping calm and instruct a mother who had just found her child had attempted suicide.

When my husband and I decided that I would be a permanent stay at home mom, I thought it would be easy compared to the career I just left, and in some ways it was.  I didn’t have the job stress that comes along with a career as an Emergency Dispatcher and I was blessed with babies that really liked to sleep in.  But finding balance at home was a lot more difficult than I thought it would be.  I wanted to read or just have some quiet “me time” but my kids wanted to play.  I needed to get housework done and dinner cooked, but it was beautiful outside and I wanted the kids to play in the backyard.  I really needed to find my balance, and quickly.  What I learned was that sometimes the laundry can wait.  The floors don’t have to be mopped every day and gourmet meals are not required every night.

     Once I started to put chores like this into their proper category of importance, I actually found I had more time to do the things I wanted to do as well as needed to do.  I wasn’t stressing over every little thing and I was okay with leaving a basket of laundry unfolded (check out my article on Discipline to see what happens to baskets of laundry in my house!).

     Now that my kids are getting older and do not require my constant attention, it is a little easier to keep a good balance between chores, kids and me time.  I have always enjoyed writing and have finally started to pursue that as my second career.  I don’t always get the balance right, but my God helps to keep me on track.  I spend time talking to God every day, even if it is just while I’m doing dishes.  It makes me feel closer to God and gives him the opportunity to help me keep that perfect balance.

Spring Cleaning for the Spirit

     Have you ever worked with someone who didn’t bathe on a regular basis?  It is not a very pleasant experience, and believe me, I know!  Keeping ourselves clean is important to staying healthy.  We all know this.  But it is not just the physical clean that we need to be concerned with.  Having a clean, pure spirit is more important to a longer life than having a clean exterior.  In fact, it’s the only way to live forever.

     It was a long time ago when I decided to accept that God had sent his son to earth to die for all my sins, but I still remember the prayer that my pastor asked me to repeat: “Dear God, I know I am a sinner and I cannot save myself.  I believe you sent your son to die on the cross to save me from my sins.  Please come into my life and make me clean.”  Now, I didn’t pray this so that God could make me physically clean.  I was a teenage girl, so I spent a very long time in the shower everyday, just ask my mom!  I prayed this prayer so that God could clean my spirit and make me feel good on the inside.  That’s what God does.  He makes us feel good on the inside and then we tend to take better care of the outside when the inside feels better.  There is a book in the bible called 1 John.  In chapter 1 verse 9 it says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness” (NIV).  All we have to do is ask God for forgiveness and we are cleansed.  If you feel like you need a little spring-cleaning of the soul, God can make it sparkle.  It’s kind of like cleaning all the dust off the trim around your house.  No one really notices it but you, but it feels so good to have it clean!

     If you are all ready a Christian I learned something just the other day that you might enjoy hearing.  I was listening to a psychiatrist who came to speak at my local MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group.  He said that Christians have the healthiest lifestyle.  It only took me a few minutes to figure out why.  We strive to seek God in everything we do.  In the book of the bible called Hebrews there is a verse that describes this perfectly.  It is in chapter 10 and it’s verse 22.  It says, “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience….”.  We try to get close to God as much as we can and he keeps us cleansed from all the stuff the world dumps on us.  I know it is hard to remember to let go of the worldly things and let God clean up our guilty conscience but if we want a clean spirit we have to ask him for forgiveness and get close to him on a regular basis.  When ever I have a troubled conscience or get stressed out and worried about the little things as we so often do, I think of sending all my troubles up to God in a little tube, like the ones at the bank.  This may seem silly but it works for me.  When that tube comes back it is full of nothing but Gods love and understanding (although I wouldn’t mind that occasional Dum Dum sucker!!).