For His Service

Matthew 25:  14-30     14 ( A ) “For ( B ) it will be like a man ( C ) going on a journey, who called his servants [ a ] and entrusted to them his property. 15  To one he gave five ( D ) talents, [ b ] to another two, to another one, ( E ) to each according to his ability. Then he ( F ) went away. 16  He who had received the five talents went at once and traded with them, and he made five talents more. 17  So also he who had the two talents made two talents more. 18  But he who had received the one talent went and ( G ) dug in the ground and hid his master's money. 19  Now ( H ) after a long time the master of those servants came and ( I ) settled accounts with them. 20  And he who had received the five talents came forward, bringing five talents more, saying, ‘Master, you delivered to me five talents; here, I have made five talents more.’ 21  His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and ( J ) faithful servant. [ c ]...

As many of you know, my 12 year old just had his 4th surgery for a tumor beside his spine.  It is entangled in three vertebrae so the surgeon can only debulk it, but couldn't remove all of it.  After removing more than his fist-full of tumor, the surgery was over...and now we wait.  Wait for the pain to subside, wait for the swelling to go down, wait to see if it comes back.  On top of this, there are other day to day struggles that can leave you wondering, "God, do you really love me?"   Thankfully, I just was given the book, 66 Ways God Loves You by Jennifer Rothschild.  Jennifer know a thing or two about struggle.  She lost her eyesight to a retinal disease when she was a teen and had to  adjust to this devastating  loss of sight while  going through the difficult teen years.  So how does Jennifer stay grounded in God's love when life is hard?  How do we stay planted in God's love when we feel He must not love us because...

 http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/two-big-reasons-evangelism-isn-t-working John Piper recently posted why evangelism isn't working: “ Preach the word; be ready in season and out of season” ( 2 Timothy 4:2 ). “Walk in wisdom toward outsiders, making the best use of the time. Let your speech always be gracious, seasoned with salt,  so that you may know how you ought to answer each person ” ( Colossians 4:5–6 ). “So faith comes from  hearing , and hearing through the word of Christ ” ( Romans 10:17 ). He goes on to say:  Paul says “know how you ought to answer each person.” This means that most of your gospel explanations will be different, not canned. It also implies a listening evangelism. How can we know how to respond to each person, if we don’t know each person? He drives his point home by saying: Love is inefficient. It slows down long enough to understand people and their objections to the gospel. Love recognizes people are complex, and meets them ...

I have been asking God to SHOW me that He loves ME.....and He will take care of ME!  I know these things intellectually, but life circumstances can keep me from feeling these truths.  So I prayed "God, show me you love me and will take care of me". I waited..... Nothing!  The next day, I prayed, "God show me that you love me and will take care of me." Again, nothing!  There were things that happened.. things that reminded me of how He loved me and cared for me.    God reminded me how He cared for me and took care of me and held my marriage together when it should have fallen apart.  He reminded me that HE has caused my husband to have a good job in a terrible economy.   But I still felt that wasn't the "showing" of the answers to my prayer.  On day 9, I had a dream.  I dreamt that I was on a roller coaster with some of my friends...traveling to see a house she was building....

Here is the link and Beth Moore's  complete entry on the loss of Rick and Way Warren's son.  I saw the words from believers and unbelievers attacking them.  I couldn't believe it.  I think her response is excellent.  Let's all do what God calls us to do.. LOVE one another!   1  John 4    God’s Love and Ours 7  Dear friends, let us love one another,  for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God  and knows God.   8  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.   9  This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son  into the world that we might live through him.   10  This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us  and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.   11  Dear friends,  since God so loved us,  we also ought to love one another.   12  No one has ever seen God;  bu...

Russell and I try to model selfless love to our kids, but , to often they still tend to do what they want to do.....without considering the other person.    And ..too often they look for ways to torment each other instead of blessing each other. (Here Noah is photo bombing as I am trying to get a photo... perfect example). One day, maybe they will "treat others as they want to be treated" and "Love others as yourself". Until then, here is a little boy that seems to get that! Enjoy!  (41 seconds you won't forget...may we strive for this as well)! John 13 :  34 “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. 35 By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” Romans 12 Love in Action 9 Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good. 10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but ...

  Look at these beauties in my yard.  Sunflowers, Texas star hibiscus, .. tomatoes, ..  The birds and I have really enjoyed them.  On the most solemn day, my joy grows when I look out the window.  I just wish I could fix everything... fix people's meanness; fix people's lack of compassion for each other and God's creatures.  Fix people's lack of empathy.  Fix broken things.     I look for practical ways that  I can do that. Whether it is helping out at the horse farm, listening to my child tell of their feelings about the same subject that is stuck on their hearts, pulling weeds in my own heart..and in my own yard, etc. ..   My husband kept leaving the cabinet doors open to the computer desks because the computers were getting too hot.  The kids would often trip on the doors.. or swing on the doors. :)    So, I went to fixing them.  I enjoyed using a hammer to create a hole in the...