Here at BrokenHallelujahsBlog, we’ve decided to start something new. We are going to give you more regular updates and reasons to praise. The first one will be super short, but continue with us.
“I will praise You in this storm. And I will lift my hands. Because you are who You are no matter who I am.” These are the lyrics in my heart this week. I am turning up praises for the struggle and I know I need Him. Broken hallelujahs are being sent up. If you need someone to talk to, I’m always here.
I’m fat.
I’m ugly.
I have low self -esteem.
I’m not as educated as I’d like to be.
My teeth aren’t perfect.
I have bad habits.
Sometimes, I don’t honor God like I should.
“I started smoking cigarettes. There’s nothing else to do, I guess.” –Miranda Lambert.
I’m stupid.
The list could go on and on, but it won’t. I’m sure these are things we may have told ourselves from time to time. As humans, we suffer from not loving ourselves the way God loves us… and we probably never will to the fullest extent. We can’t, but we can learn to love ourselves more and more each day. Before you discount this post, I encourage you to read it fully and understand that I am human just like you.
Not everyone is given the same chance at life. Some are born into bad situations, and some choose bad situations for themselves. Others are born with it all, and sometimes they are the loneliest people around. I wasn’t given the best childhood in the world, but I was given a parent who always tried no matter what. Things weren’t always done the right way, but parenting doesn’t come with a manual, right?
At 15, I became a Christian. I was baptized for the remission of my sins and I haven’t regretted a single day… and I also haven’t succeeded every day. I fall down and I sin. Over and over and over again. It pains me to know that I hurt my Savior, but there was only one perfect Man, and I am not Him. Very quickly, I learned that life after baptism is much the same as life before… except I knew another man this time. Satan. He has tried with all his might to get me to come back to him and I have resisted. My allegiance is with someone much more powerful than he. I am not a citizen of this world. I am merely a body with a soul that has to live here. I pray that when my name is called, I’ll go up.
Now, let’s get into the title of the post. I am in fact fearfully and wonderfully made. “I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.” (Psalm 139:14) God respected His creation enough to make us wonderfully. How amazing is that? “For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2 Tim. 1:7) This means that we are to love each other, but most of all, we are to love ourselves. It’s imperative that we love ourselves. If we don’t, how can we fully love and respect others? “Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” (Ephesians 4:29) As Christians, but most of all as humans, let’s follow this verse undeniably. Let us constantly give edification from our mouths so that those who hear it are given peace and grace. God’s grace surpasses all understanding, so lean on that when things get rough.
To my beloved reader I say to you:
You are not fat. –You’re perfectly made.
You are not ugly. –You’re made in the image of God.
You are not stupid. –You can’t know what you don’t know. Keep learning.
You are not less than. –The Creator loves you and so do I.
Your life is worth the living. –Because HE lives.
I could go on and on, but you get the picture. If you ever need someone to talk to, I am here. Always. Today, I am sending up my own broken hallelujahs as I try to get my life back on track. I know Jesus loves me and He always will, but it’s my turn to try to love myself. I have many bad habits, but I am on the healing road. I am trying vehemently to let them go… and I will succeed because “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. “ (Phil. 4:13)
I am sure that if you’ve ever been around kids you’ve heard the old tease “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” Maybe you’ve heard “I’m rubber and you’re glue; whatever you say bounces off of me and sticks to you.” When we’re kids, those seem like good coping mechanisms, but as we venture into adulthood we realize that words actually hurt. Deeply. As I get older, I realize that people are mean and will let you down over and over again. This shouldn’t really come as a surprise to me because the Bible says that we can’t put our trust in people, but we should put our trust in God.
We have so much to be thankful to God for even when “bitterly she weeps at night, tears are on her cheeks. Among all her lovers there is no one to comfort her. All her friends have betrayed her; they have become her enemies” (Lam. 1:2). We are told “do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matt. 6:19-20). Don’t settle on worldly hurt and pain, Focus on Heavenly comfort. God loves you even when it feels like no one else does. You are never alone. “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you” (John 14:18).
The Bible has so much to say about the tongue. People we need to realize that our tongues can either be a weapon or a blessing. How do you use yours? “A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger (Pro. 15:1) “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless” (James 1:26). ” “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned” (Matt. 12:33-37).
Think about this one: “Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water?” (James 3:11). We know it can’t. Obviously, only one can come out at a time. So then why do we pour our malice and love from the same mouth? A Swedish proverb says; “Love me when I least deserve it because that’s when I really need it.” That may be true, but does that give us the right to hurt others? I don’t think so. What happened to the days of the Golden Rule? Why have we stopped treating others the way we want to be treated? Would you want your family to cuss and hurt you? No? Then do NOT do it to them. When did we get so far away from “if you don’t have anything nice to say then don’t say anything at all?” The amount of hurt and pain that I hear of people going through on a daily basis due to the tongue is ridiculous. We need to have some RESPECT for people. That’s what is wrong with today’s generations,, there’s not enough respect. Don’t get me twisted either, older generations have lost it too. We let our mouths fly open whenever we feel like it. We are called upon to LOVE people just as JESUS LOVED US. Can you imagine a love so great that you’d be willing to die for it? You can say “yes” all you want, but when it really comes down to it, I doubt that many would be willing to go through for it.
Today, I am making a stand to love more than I have been loved. I will love those who have hurt me and teach them the ways of the Lord. Vengeance is not mine, but it is the Lord’s. I will seek comfort in the Lord while I heal the broken heart that words have left, and I vow to be a friend to those in need. As always, if you need a friend, you’ve got me. I am sending up a broken hallelujah of my own tonight. My heart aches because of some malicious words, but I am making every effort to dwell on the words of the Lord. He is the ONLY one who will NEVER let me down, and that will be sufficient.
Women.
You have heard the saying applied to both men and women, but it’s true. “You can’t live with ‘em and you cannot live without ‘em.” Literally. Without a woman none of us could be here. (I know where babies come from, but for this blog, we are talking about women 😉 So, what makes women so special? They are the life givers, the nurturers, the one who kisses booboos, and the person who stands by a husband when needed. Let’s get scriptural. The Bible says “…and the rib, which the Lord God had taken from man, made woman, and brought her unto the man. And Adam said, this is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; she shall be called woman because she was taken out of man.” How cool is that!? God saw the need for a companion so he made a woman for the man.
What makes a woman a woman? Some may argue that it has to do purely with anatomical reasons, but I believe it goes further than that. Women are mentioned all throughout the Scriptures. Let’s explore what Proverbs has to say about it. “Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies. (Proverbs 31:10)” Let’s stop there! The question posed is profound. Who can find a virtuous woman? Well, do you know some virtuous women? How did they get to be where they are? Did they get that way by being scandalous and flaunting everything they have? I doubt it. The rest of the passage shows what makes a righteous woman. “The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life. She looks for wool and flax and works with her hands in delight. She is like merchant ships; she brings her food from afar. She rises also while it is still night and gives food to her household and portions to her maidens. She considers a field and buys it; from her earnings she plants a vineyard. She girds herself with strength and makes her arms strong. She senses that her gain is good; her lamp does not go at night. She stretches out her hands to the distaff, and her hands grasp the spindle. She extends her hand to the poor, and she stretches out her hand to the needy. She is not afraid of the snow for her household, for all her household are clothed with scarlet. She makes coverings for herself; her clothing is fine linen and purple. Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies belts to the tradesmen. Strength and dignity are her clothing, and she smiles at the future. She opens her mouth in wisdom, and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household, and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and bless her; her husband also, and he praises her, saying: ‘many daughters have done nobly, but you exceed them all.’ Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised. Give her the product of her hands, and let her works praise her in the gates.”
I adore this whole passage, but let’s keep the theme of the blog and talk about my favorite verse. “Charm is deceitful and beauty is vain, but a woman who fear the Lord, she shall be praised.” Another translation says “…beauty is passing…” How true that is! I’m sure you hear it all the time. “You’d better enjoy your looks while you’re young.” “That skin of yours won’t look like that for long.” “That cute little tattoo won’t be as cute when you’re older.” I know I hear these at least once a week. Beauty isn’t everything. Beauty is passing and doesn’t last. So, what’s left after your looks are gone? Your character. It depends what is in your heart and what you do with your time. Be a woman who loves the Lord and is able to provide for her family.
A woman of the Lord knows what she is worth. She doesn’t go flaunting what she has and she does not blaspheme with her looks. She does not blaspheme by having premarital sex. The Bible teaches against both, so don’t ignore it. 1 Timothy 2:9, 10, 15 says: ‘in like manner also the women adorn themselves in modest apparel with propriety and moderation, not with braided hair, or gold, or costly clothing, but which is proper for women professing godliness with good works… nevertheless she will be saved in childbearing if they continue in faith, love, and holiness, with self-control.” 1 Corinthians reads: “and those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it…” I want to let the Word speak for itself, but I love this. We are to give more decency to our unpresentable parts than those that are presentable. They are called private parts for a reason! Keep them that way.
I have been told that being modest allows for your figure to be shown without revealing the goods. I have also been told that it means covering from the shoulders to the knees. It is really up to the woman. If you have doubts about it or you feel sexually tempting, don’t wear it. Do not be the person who causes another Christian to stumble. That is a big weight on your shoulders that I am sure you do not want.
I feel so badly for the women who think they must show themselves off in order to be worth something. It is so unfair because every human is beautiful and worth so much more! We are made from God. We are to be covered, so why is it so hard to stay that way? I am sending up a broken hallelujah for those who do not know how to love themselves. It is okay to fall sometimes as long as you pick yourself back up. Keep trying and love God.
As always at Broken Hallelujahs Blog, if you need someone to talk to, I am here. I will listen and help in any way that I can. Keep your head up pretty girl; your time will come to be sexy. (When you’re married, of course)
We’ve heard it said that appearance isn’t everything… but what if it really is? Whether we like it or not, many things ride on the way we choose to present ourselves. The Bible says: “in like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array, but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works. 1 Timothy 2:9, 10 .So, what does that mean? It means that women are to cover themselves and be humble in their looks. This doesn’t say “if you’ve got it, flaunt it.”
Life is affected in numerous ways by our presence. Things like school, interviews, employability, friendships, etc. are influenced by our countenance. You may be saying “well, my friends don’t care how I look…” or “if he/she was really a friend, my looks wouldn’t be a problem/” This is not true. Immodest dress can cause us to become a downfall to our peers. In 1 John, we read “He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth this brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness, and knoweth not whither he goeth because that darkness hath blinded his eyes.” (10, 11/ KJV.) Translation: if we love our brother (or sister) we won’t do anything to cause this to stumble. This could be anything from our speech, our character, or the way we dress.
I often preach the quote “dress the way you would want other women to dress around your man.” If you don’t want women to be disrespectful in their dress, be an example and do not allow the door to be opened for such dress to be acceptable. After all “…the Son of Man will send forth His angels, and they will gather out of His kingdomall stumbling blocks, and those who commit lawlessness, and will throw them into the furnace of fire; in that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” (Matthew13:40-42.)
This brings me to another point; this says that He will gather ALL stumbling blocks… men and women alike. We often don’t think about it, but men need to practice modesty for the Lord’s sake as well. “…do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Cor. 6:19-20) Cover yourselves! We are not our own and we need to glorify God by our appearance and show the world Who we belong to. We should have a “no shirt no service policy.” The Bible also says: “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:28) Why as Christian would you want to cause your fellow man to commit adultery in his heart? Let’s explore what is written about adultery
“Let marriage be held in honor among all, and let the marriage bed be undefiled, for God will judge the sexually immoral and adulterous.” Amazing. We think that we don’t influence people by the way we look, but we can destroy a marriage by being immodest. Causing adultery in a heart can extinguish a beautifully perfect thing that God gave us. Do you want to be the one to break up a marriage? What about the one who condemns someone to Hell? Think about it as we explore some more. “For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God.” This verse in particular brings out a cold and broken hallelujah tonight. Simply being impure will cause you to lose your inheritance… if you’re not a Christian and you don’t understand my pain, what if you said something that caused you to be taken out of your RICH father’s will? You’d feel pain. Christians have the richest Father in the universe and are subject to an inheritance greater than the words that our vocabularies have… and using the wrong words, blaspheming, not worshiping, and something as simple as wearing revealing clothing could make us lose such a beautiful reward. “For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God.” You are human and you can control your body… so do it!
I was talking to a few friends of mine and I happened to ask them what they thought about the issue and here’s what they said:
“It does not get enough thought today… it is something that needs to be done, but too many people try to apply more than what is needed.” (JR)
“Well modesty shows a level of self-respect and consideration for others. It shows that you care about if you might possibly be a stumbling block and take a step to make it easier on others. What I think is modest is having loose enough clothing that is tight enough to show your figure, but loose enough to not show every single detail about your body. I mean, you can be clothed shoulder to ankle and be considered immodest. I also think that as far as skirts and stuff go[es], as long as when you sit down and it well covers your knee and while you’re standing it covers your knees, it’s fine.” (HF)
It may be hard to completely abstain from seeing immodesty, but there are things we can do in order to try to stay holy. We can avert our eyes, pray, or we can channel our inner Joseph and RUN! I know it seems silly, but it’s hard to be tempted when you’re thinking about running and leaving.
Tonight I am sending up a cold and broken hallelujah for those who are practicing immodesty. I pray for my fellow Christians that they are able to abstain from those things that separate us from God. Like always, if you’re reading and you ever want to talk or discuss, feel free to comment and I’ll get back with you.
Special thanks to Justin Reed and Hannah Friel for being my sounding board tonight.
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In case you don’t know, there are a few things in life that are extremely important to me. God is my editor in chief. He is the reason that I am here, and the reason I tick. Then family and friends are tied for a close second. Without them, I would be most lonely and lost…but what do you do when you’ve scorned a friend? I know that I have the best friends and that they would forgive anything I’ve done to them, but that is not to excuse the fact that I’ve hurt them.
If you don’t know, in order to write a blog, I have to listen to its namesake “Hallelujah.” I prefer Kate Voegele’s version. Tonight in particular one of the lines brought me to tears and it made my breathing shallow. “But all I’ve ever learned from love was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you. It’s not a cry you can hear at night. It’s not somebody who has seen the light. It’s a cold and it’s a broken Hallelujah.”
Why?
I’ve transgressed against my sister in Christ and a friend. I blame Satan, and my temper. In the words of Josh Turner “There’s an engineer on that long black train, makin’ you wonder if the ride is worth the pain. He’s just a-waitin’ on your heart to say: “Let me ride on that long black train.” He makes everything look so grand and I find myself falling for it in spite of myself. Even though I know there will be heartache. I let my tongue get the best of me. Guess I haven’t completely learned how to train my dragon –yet. I am working on it. I don’t like knowing that I have hurt those who I love. I guess I let my personal pain get the best of me…
It’s very easy for us to get so wrapped up in our own pain that we forget other’s pain, and that is what I did. I know that I am not the only one who is dealing with stuff, and if you are reading this and you have stuff that you can’t cope with… turn to a friend and talk about it. Don’t let yourself burn a bridge. If you don’t have friends who you can turn to, I am willing to help if I can or point you to someone who can. Be kind to people because you never know what God has asked them to walk through. Don’t judge someone because they sin differently than you do, and don’t ever forget to “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I don’t care if you are not Christian, but that is the law of the universe and if every human would abide by it then the world would be a much safer place.
I am sending up my own cold and broken hallelujahs tonight, y’all. I know that I need to lean on God for solace and comfort, but for now, I will weep. Crying cleanses the soul like the way rain brings new flowers. I pray that my temper never burns the bridges that mean the most to me. I pray that I never get too far from God’s light. I know that if I work on it and lean on those who mean the most to me that I will be okay –eventually. I am not looking for an easy fix, but rather a holy heart. We are all works in progress and just because things you want don’t come ASAP does not mean they won’t. I need to learn to be content in God’s timing.
If you are reading this and you’re the one I’ve hurt… (you know how you are)…I want you to know that I love you and that I am truly sorry. We’ve been through too much to let this go, and I am working harder at being a better friend. Now can we please move on? ((:
If you need to, send up a broken hallelujah and resume your life. Fall down and pray if you must. Cry if it helps, but remember that the world keeps turning, and another day that you’re alive is another second chance.
Peace and Love.
How to Train Your Dragon-
Inspired by a Ladies’ Day held at East Main c.o.C in Murfreesboro, TN. (09/29/12)
As many of us know, our tongue is our greatest weapon. We can edify and love with it, and with the next breath, we can hurt and curse those that are nearest to us. James even devoted an entire chapter to it! Now, we know that all Word is true and inspired of God, so nothing in there is irrelevant. How crazy is it to think that history really hasn’t changed that much? The things James was dealing with then are the same things we’re dealing with now. Let’s read James 3 together:
“My brethren, let not many of you become teachers, knowing that we shall receive a stricter judgment. 2 For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body. 3 Indeed, [a] we put bits in horses’ mouths that they may obey us, and we turn their whole body. 4 Look also at ships: although they are so large and are driven by fierce winds, they are turned by a very small rudder wherever the pilot desires. 5 Even so the tongue is a little member and boasts great things.
See how great a forest a little fire kindles! 6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity. The tongue is so set among our members that it defiles the whole body, and sets on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by mankind. 8 But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 With it we bless our God and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceed blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring send forth fresh water and bitter from the same opening? 12 Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Thus no spring yields both salt water and fresh. [b]
Heavenly Versus Demonic Wisdom
13 Who is wise and understanding among you? Let him show by good conduct that his works are done in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. 15 This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic.16 For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy.18 Now the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.” (NKJV. BibleGateway.)
I especially love verses seven and eight. “…every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and creature of the sea, is tamed and has been tamed by man-kind. But no man can tame the tongue. It is an unruly evil, Full of deadly poison.”
We as humans can tame animals, but we cannot get our tongues under control? Something that WE have complete control under… strange isn’t it?
The good news is that there’s hope. With God, there’s always hope.
We need to train our dragons to:
Sit.
Let’s think of Job. He was “blameless and upright, and one who feared God and shunned evil…this man was the greatest of all of the people of the East…” He was a pretty cool dude, and God knew that and so did Satan. Unbeknownst to Job, God and Satan had a conversation about him, and Satan tempted Job. If you’ve read the story, you know that Job never faltered. However, did anyone consider Mrs. Job in this? Here she was with the greatest man, the good life, material wealth, and ten children. She had it all… until it was taken away from her. One day, Job came home and he’d lost his property, and on top of it, he had to tell his wife that all then of his children were dead. You can imagine the devastation that they experienced. Maybe you’re a parent… maybe she paced the halls, called their names, wailed, cried, whispered, longed for her life to be taken instead… then to top it all off, Job suffered from great boils and sores. His health was gone, he was no longer prominent, and he was distraught.
Then Mrs. Job said the unthinkable. “Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!”
Mrs. Job should have made her tongue sit.
Roll over. 1 John 1:6-10 says:
If we say that we have fellowship with Him, and walk in darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth. 7 But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Our tongues need to go completely the opposite direction when they are being cursed, and we need to be Christ like. Romans 3:23 says “…all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God…” Jesus knows we’re going to sin, but we can try to lessen our sins. Think of the prodigal son… the father was so willing to welcome his son back after he had apologized for his sin, and our Father is like that too.
Fetch.
Now, let’s turn to Acts 8. In verse 9, we learn of a man called Simon the Sorcerer who professed his faith in Jesus and was baptized along with others. Verse 11 says: “and they heeded him [Simon] because he had astonished them with his sorceries for a long time.” The wonderful part here is that Phillip fetched people for Jesus. He went out and sought souls for the Lord and brought them back. How cool?
The Fetching Plan:
-Go! Teach people what you know to others.
-Teach! Daily. “Don’t let evangelism be something that you used to do.” –Celine Sparks. Be comforted in the fact that He’ll be with you… until the end of the world.
-Pray! So often we forget the power of prayer. Whether we’re praying alone, with others, or leading, don’t forget that God answers and hears ALL the prayers of His children.
-Care! You need to know when the door is open for you to walk in and show Jesus, and you need to care enough to do so.
-Dare! Yourself to go beyond what you think you can do.
-Power! Remember that you have the power that you never knew you had… you have God on your side.
-Love! Bringing someone to Jesus is better than finding a cure for cancer, especially because of the love you two will share for the Lord and for each other.
-Sound mind! You need to make sure you have your stuff together. If not, get a brother or a sister to help you then go teach!
You need to train your dragon to beg:
The Nobleman begged Jesus to heal his son in John 4.
The man in Mark 9:24 begged Jesus to heal his unbelief.
Jarius fell and His feet and begged that his daughter be healed.
“Fervent prayer avails much…” Beg! James 5:16
Here’s some more for you to look up:
o 2 Kings 19:15-19
o Genesis 19:19-20
o Psalms 27:1-3
o Daniel 3:16-18
Train your dragon to balance.
There was a study done by a man who’s name escapes me, and it said that for one negative thing a couple says five more positives need to follow in order for the relationship to be successful.
We need to balance rebuke. Before you rebuke someone, make sure it’s important enough and make sure your approach is tender.
• Train your dragon to laugh:
Nehemiah 8:10 says: “…Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
• Train it to count: “…count it all joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience…” (Jas. 1:2-3)
Martha couldn’t always count…and in some ways, we’re all like Martha. She would get worked up by the small things instead of looking at the big picture.
• Stand.
Psalm 27:3. Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In this I will be confident.
When talking about standing, the hymn “Stand Up for Jesus” comes to mind.
Here it is:
“Stand up, stand up for Jesus, ye soldiers of the cross;
Lift high His royal banner, it must not suffer loss.
From victory unto victory His army shall He lead,
Till every foe is vanquished, and Christ is Lord indeed.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the solemn watchword hear;
If while ye sleep He suffers, away with shame and fear;
Where’er ye meet with evil, within you or without,
Charge for the God of battles, and put the foe to rout.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the trumpet call obey;
Forth to the mighty conflict, in this His glorious day.
Ye that are brave now serve Him against unnumbered foes;
Let courage rise with danger, and strength to strength oppose.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, stand in His strength alone;
The arm of flesh will fail you, ye dare not trust your own.
Put on the Gospel armor, each piece put on with prayer;
Where duty calls or danger, be never wanting there.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, each soldier to his post,
Close up the broken column, and shout through all the host:
Make good the loss so heavy, in those that still remain,
And prove to all around you that death itself is gain.
Stand up, stand up for Jesus, the strife will not be long;
This day the noise of battle, the next the victor’s song.
To those who vanquish evil a crown of life shall be;
They with the King of Glory shall reign eternally.”
How great is that? Remember that as you go throughout your days.
• You need to train your dragon to lead. You need to lead the little ones to Jesus. Seriously, if you train them up while they’re young, you won’t have to spend time undoing mistakes. (Prov. 22:6) Turn over to Mark 10:13-16 with me. “13 Then they brought little children to Him, that He might touch them; but the disciples rebuked those who brought them. 14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, “Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it.” 16 And He took them up in His arms, laid His hands on them, and blessed them.”
Jesus was greatly displeased. This wasn’t a small offense that the disciples had committed. He says “But whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were thrown into the sea.” Whoa, Jesus, don’t mince any words there…
that’s a millstone. It weighs anywhere from 5000-11000 pounds… how about we not mess with the children!
Think about that… it’d be better for you to die than to deny a child knowledge of Christ. Powerful.
Even if you’re having trouble with your tongue (I know I do!), you can overcome it. There is a light at the end of your tunnel, and all you have to do is lean on Christ to help you. How marvelous is that? Keep trying, and when you fail, send up a broken hallelujah and try again. You will become a diamond one day.
Okay, so you all are going to have to bear with me here. Since changing servers, I have been focused on getting the word out and not writing. Let’s see how this goes (:
It’s very obvious that summertime is in full swing, and for some of us, has been for about a month or more. So, what do we do with all of our “new” spare time? If you’re like me, your list goes something like this: gardening, cooking, cooking out, parties, and most of all swimming.
This blog is not going to be on how to swim safely. Bore. Yawn. This is going to be a collection of stories from swimming adventures in the past.
1) “The Pee Pee Pool.”
I was about 14 when this sad time in my life occured. I’d recently moved back from dealing with some traumatic experiences in my life and went to my cousin’s house to cope. So, in order to help, she takes us to a local park to swim and get our minds off of the world…. except the world followed us. One look in that pool, and reality was usually the better choice. There were kids everywhere…. and parents. Parents in bathing suits that belonged on cats rather than themselves… How it get it’s namesake, you ask? Well, the bathrooms were what seemed like miles and miles away. Naturally, parents decided that it was easier to plop their kids in the pool and let them do their business. Seriously, one time number two happened. Thank God for chlorine and showers. I am pretty sure I didn’t get in very much–if ever.
2) “The Algae Pool.”
Ha, last June. Hard to believe it’s been a year. I am sure Justin remembers this vividly. It was a HOT, Tennessee summer day, and in Woodbury there aren’t very many places to go for relief. He and I determined that we wanted to go swimming, so we called up the “next door” neighbor to see if the pool was available. Sadly, it was still broken. So the phone tree went to the next neighbor. Their pool was open, and all we had to do was come over. When we got there, he warned us that the pool was “a little green.” Well, with it being so hot, we could deal with “a little green.” A little my foot! We got in there and it looked like we were slowly transforming into the Hulk and various other green entities. Every time we would move we’d hear the awful sound of the algae moving with us…. I was sure we could drown in there and no one would find us. But, hey! We were offered Southern hospitality and we took. I am really glad someone invented indoor plumbing.
3) “Fire Lake”
There’s a lot to be said for lake swimming… For one, I am not too fond of it. Dark water. Random algae. Fishes. Boats. Rocks. I’d rather swim in the bathtub….where there’s the occasional cat that decides that she wants to shower too. This one particular day goes back to last year when mine and Justin’s relationship was fresh. Again, it was hot and we needed to cool off. This time we were in a more accessible neck of the woods, so we decided to go to the lake. I am sure this was my idea because of the way it ended. Picture this: The weather is perfect. Cloudless sky. Sonic stop impending. Bathing suit on. Sunblock loaded. (in an ideal setting. We didn’t bring any.) Let’s go, right? We did, and almost as soon as we got there the weather turned in to The Day After Tomorrow. Grey sky. Choppy water. Wind. Instead of turning around, we decided to get in. On the way in, we stubbed toes, almost fell in a few times, and I am pretty sure that fishes tried to eat us alive. Finally, we ended the tumultuous journey into the water to find that the water was cold. Very cold. Trying to stay in one spot, we began discussing future plans… we didn’t get very far. Our plans included promptly getting out of the water, drying off, and going for Mexican food. I don’t remember who sliced their foot open getting out… probably me. Oh well, Memories made.
4) “Water Bottle Fight.”
For those that know me, hold your ridicule. This is not the particular incident that you are imagining. All day long, a friend and I had been planning a bonfire. We had everything we needed; Food, people, and a spot. It had seemed like the perfect set up, but then things got interesting. People had things come up… well, okay. Things happen. We were gonna camp with the two of us. Then we got a call from another friend that needed help moving. So we abandoned ship and went to help. The day was long and hot and the sun was trying to set, and in a last minute effort to salvage our day, one of us grabbed a water bottle and began flinging, and a chain reaction occured. 12 or more waters later and we were sufficiently drenched.
I think that’s enough. I could go on all day long about swimming stories gone awry, but for your sake, I won’t. What are some of your favorite swimming memories? Please share and send up a hallelujah for those memories that we cannot live without.
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