There is only one Fire Chief!

“The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words.” Psalm 39:3

I took the kids to the church playground to play, stopped and got them a drink from Sonic, then drove them over to the football field to play on the track and run around. We then stopped over by the field house so they could see their daddy. He walks over and we all begin to talk. Up to this point it has been a great day.

We all get our daddy lovin’ and then I proceed to tell him all we have to do when he gets home. It is at this point I become “crazy woman” who is all of the sudden overwhelmed and frustrated. And I am sure if he was telling his side of the story he would say I was EXTREMELY frustrated and beyond “crazy”. We will discuss that later.

When “crazy woman” finishes speaking my calm and patient husband says, “Ok, I know, we will get it all done. I should be home around 3:00, love you got to go.”

The “Crazy woman” roles up her window gives him a look and drives off. As I drive off I begin to convert back to Kristi. We get home I throw the kids in the tub, get them dressed and laid down for a short nap. If you know my babies or have heard me talk about nap or bed time, you would know this is a chore, which brings “crazy woman” back out.  Anyway we all get calmed down Kristi comes back out gets a few minutes of peace and quiet and even gets in some studying.

I begin to finish up when you would think after basking in the presence of the Son “Joyful Kristi” would stay out right? Well “Joyful Kristi” left quick and in a hurry when she looked at the time and realized it was almost four and her husband was not home.

“Crazy woman” come’s flying out and begins thinking about how all she ever does is wait on her husband. The more she thought it about the hotter she got and the more she began thinking about all the negative. She got so hot she not only ignited a fire of words, she blew those words all over her poor husband through text and directly in his face the minute he put his self in that car. “Crazy Woman” burned him right up. She blew so much fire at him; he then became filled with fire.

So the whole way to Longview, the whole time we were in Longview, and the whole way home from Longview fire was being thrown.

(Sigh) Here is the greatest lesson “Crazy Woman” and Kristi have been taught. The more I focus on the negative, the more thoughts in the flesh I have the less I allow Christ’s light to shine. The less my boys (all three) see a woman who reflects, loves, and lives and breathes Jesus Christ. Instead they see a fickle woman.

That is not what I desire, that is not the example I want to set for my boys. That is not the wife I want to be. There is a reason God has kept me on the importance of thoughts and for this very reason, if my thoughts don’t change my actions won’t change and the ones who know me best won’t receive God’s best.

As I searched God’s word yesterday and came upon our passage, God stopped me dead in my tracks and humbled me. This friend is where I struggle; fixating on a thought until it makes me so hot that I ignite a fire of words onto my own family. 

In order to ignite words of love, I need to think more about God’slove. In order to ignite peace, I need to think more about God’s gift of peace. This is where I have failed in my thought life. I am not fighting the fire with the word of God as I should. I am not going directly to the fire house for help; I am trying to fight the fire myself. And all this does is cause third degree burns that hurt and leave lasting scars.

G, I love you more than life itself! Thank you for being so patient and for loving me and "Crazy Woman" unconditionally. You show me daily what true genuine love looks like, and for that I am ever so grateful.

Prayer: Lord You are the fire Chief and Your word is the water that puts out all fires. Help me Lord to call upon You at the spark and not when it is lit. Amen

The same patch of grass

“The more I thought about it, the hotter I got, igniting a fire of words.” Psalm 39:3

It was Saturday afternoon and all three of my boys were taking a nap. I couldn’t sleep so I spent part of the afternoon studying and hanging out with the Lord. I began to finish up and decided I would go mow the yard for G because I knew he was tired from the week and the football game Friday night.

I had just finished the big part of the yard and was headed over to mow the little part, when I got this great idea to try and mow it in a circle, you know one of those spiral circles? So there I am mowing, going around and around when I began to realize I had been mowing the same patch of grass for the last ten minutes and was not getting any closer to being done. I thought to myself how in the world have I not made any progress? So the next go around I tried to pay more attention to what I was doing when I realized, I couldn’t see the lines from what was mowed and what was not.

At that moment a million thoughts went through my head. I bet the neighbors think I am crazy and are probably wondering why I have mowed the same patch of grass all while going in a circle.

 Man I hope G does not come out here!

Wow, this is what Satan does to us when he fills us with his lies. He gets us going in circles, makes us believe we are making progress when in reality we are doing the same thing over and over.

It is not until the Lord gets our attention and shows us we have been “mowing” the same area. And just as I finally began to see my lines and make progress, the Lord also shows us our “lines” (sins) so we can make progress of confession and repentance. Thank You Lord for giving me this revelation.

The power of thinking, my brethren! My point to all of this is when the Lord has a point to be made; He is going to make it, no matter how long it takes us to get it, and no matter how many times we “mow” the same patch of grass, or in Jesus speaking terms, no matter how many times we keep committing the same sin. He will get our attention.

I have noticed that a lot with the Lord and myself lately. He will reveal to me certain things, I will listen and then move on only to find myself hearing Him say the same thing again, (mowing the same patch of grass) only in a different way (direction). For example in Aug one of our S.S.A.L.S (study, store, apply, learn and share) was over our enemies and one of the devotionals I did was, “Your step by step guide to a new…thought life.”

As I went back and read that last night I told Garrett, “wow the Lord must really be trying to get my attention in this area.”

I know today is the beginning of a new week for us, and we are going to begin it, but we are going to sit right here in the area of our thoughts for one more week.  Just to make sure we get what God wants us to. Same patch of grass just mowing with a new blade (the new blade would be our new verse for the week)

Do you have a patch of grass you have been mowing over and over? Maybe God is trying to get your attention.

Prayer: Lord as students of Your word we come hungry to learn. Put within our hearts the lesson You want us to learn. Amen  

Thought makeover

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

 Our thoughts have been separated and taken captive; our sources have been identified, and now we need to make them obedient.

How do we make our thoughts become obedient to Christ, by receiving a thought makeover.

1. Transformation
2. Giving control to the Spirit
   
3. Renewal

How do we transform our thoughts? We don’t God does. “But let God change you into a new person by changing the way you think.” Romans 12:2- We cannot do it on our own, although we try.

How does God change the way we think? He fills us with the Holy Spirit who takes over control.

“Those who are dominated by the sinful nature think about sinful things (thoughts in the flesh), but those who are controlled by the Holy Spirit think about things that please the Spirit. (Thoughts in and from the Spirit) So letting your sinful nature control your mind leads to death. But letting the Spirit control your mind leads to life and peace.” Romans 8:5

It is then through the Holy Spirit’s control that we are able to renew our thoughts by placing them under the authority and compliance of Christ’s laws and commands, or in other words obedience.

“Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.” Ephesians 4:23

Without transformation, the Spirit’s control, and renewal our thoughts will stay in the flesh and eventually will lead us into death. 

Prayer: Lord transform, control and renew our thoughts. We want our thoughts to please You. Amen

The Source

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Where does the source of our thoughts come?

TV, Movies

Magazines, News, Books, Internet

Friends, Family

Church, The word of God, Prayer

-What are some results that come from each source?

TV/Movies-unrealistic expectations, impure thoughts, fear. On the flip side they can bring God’s word to people around the world.

Friends-this one takes evaluation; if a “true” Christian-they will be encouraging, keep you accountable, honest, forgiving, and genuine, encourage you spiritually, and will help you to have pure thoughts. They will give godly counsel, and always point you to Christ.

                -Those who are lukewarm friends will be there for you when it is convenient to them, will be easily angered when held accountable, will encourage you to partake in worldly pleasures, will talk about others to better themselves. And will very rarely carry on a conversation that is God centered.

Magazines/Books-Insecurity, gossip, lust, and impure thoughts, or if chosen properly can share God’s word, encouragement, help, and hope, but of course the greatest book to be used and read is the word of God.

Internet-let’s see; insecurity, lust, temptation, gossip, fraud, etc. However it can also bring God’s word to people around the world, Church resources, communication with friends and family.

Family-our families can either be a godly source or a worldly source. If it is a family who is absent from Christ-our thoughts will be full of flesh. If they are a lukewarm family-they will fill our thoughts with confusion, they will be one way at home and one way at church. If a “true” family of God-they will fill our thoughts with the word of God.

Church-should be the source that brings unity in thoughts with other brothers and sisters. It should point our thoughts to Christ through…

The word of God/Prayer-these two are the main sources from which our thoughts should be on continually! They are what will lead us in the direction of thinking in the Spirit.

What sources are controlling your thoughts? Do you have some sources that need to be removed?

Prayer: Lord examine our deepest thoughts, reveal to us the sources that have begun to control our thoughts. Give us a distaste for all those that are displeasing to You. May the thoughts of our hearts be pleasing to You in all ways. Amen

Two types of thoughts.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

How does one go about taking their thoughts captive and making them obedient to Christ, by the word of God and the power of the Holy Spirit.

Being a woman of specifics and detail, I am always asking the Lord to bring everything to a level of understanding for me, and He has always done just that.  Over these next several days I want to share it with you, having complete trust in the Lord that He will do the same thing for you.

Step 1: We need to become familiar with two types of thoughts; thoughts in the Spirit and thoughts in the flesh.

Thoughts in the Spirit Philippians 4:8	Thoughts in the Flesh These were a compilation from 200 people who were so gracious enough to share thoughts they have in the flesh.
Truth	Worry	Anger	Condemnation of ourselves
Honorable	Doubt	Anxiety	Lack of compassion
Right	Fear	Frustration	Impatience
Pure	Lust	Greed	Our own holiness
Lovely	Jealousy	Selfishness	Procrastination
Admirable	Timid	Hypocrisy	Insecurity
Excellent	Temper	Idolatry	Inferiority
Worthy of Praise	Pride	Loneliness	Addiction
Kind	Revenge	Am I measuring up	Bitterness

Separating our thoughts is the beginning of their captivity.

Understanding the source from where our thoughts come is the key to their demise when in the flesh and the key to their obedience when in the Spirit.

Begin separating your thoughts today, do it by asking the Lord to bring all your thoughts into the light of His Holiness.

Prayer: Lord place each thought under Your microscope, examine it and bring it out into the light. Help me to be able to discern those that are from You and the lies from Satan. Amen

My thoughts unedited.

"We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5

Our thoughts represent our hearts. As I have said many times. What is in our hearts stir our thoughts, which then reflect our attitude which then expresses itself through our actions.

Lord I study Your word, I meditate on Your word. But am I listening to Your word. Am I storing your word?

What is in my heart? Evaluate your thoughts and you will find out very quickly what is in your heart.

I think about what I am doing A LOT! So there must be lots of self in there.

I think and worry about things all the time,I even question if they will really happen. So there must be doubt in there

I think about how I am always messing up. So there must be condemnation in there

I think about the lifestyle of others and wonder how in the world they could call themselves a Christian. So there must be judgment in there.

Self, doubt, condemnation, and judgment…those four things pretty much consume my thoughts, therefore they must take up lots of space in my heart.

Lord I desperately need You to come in and be the new commander and operator of my heart. I have allowed these four things to each have an active part in the control center of my life and as a result they have produced wrongful thinking, a poor attitude and actions that have displayed more of a Pharisee lifestyle than a covered in the blood of Jesus lifestyle. Father I openly and honestly admit to these areas of sin today and ask in Your name to forgive me. Thank You for impressing upon my heart to step back and take a look at my thoughts. Produce in me a heart that is full of Your word and love, thoughts that are pure, right, and pleasing. An attitude that is lovely, and positive, and actions that are excellent, peace loving, gentle, and a reflection of You. Amen

This is everything that went through my thoughts within this last hour. So this is un-edited, I sat down and just typed all that I was thinking. I guess you could say this would be a page in my book of thoughts.

Understanding each thought.

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

“Even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no wonder that his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. In the end they will get the punishment their wicked deeds deserve.” 2 Corinthians 11:14-15

He spoke of this passage with authority, persistence, and warning and as I sat and absorbed all He was saying the Lord began to speak through Him straight to the thoughts of my heart.

Satan hates you, he hates God, and he hates all who belong to God. Satan wants there to be destruction, dissension, doubt, misery, pain, suffering, lies, hate, jealousy, bitterness, self-centered thoughts, greed. He wants there to be deception, negativity, condemnation, denial, and pride. He sets out to find your weakness and then like bacteria that has found a sore, he buries himself inside until he grows and infects the area. He wants you to feel hopeless and lonely. He wants you to feel betrayed mistreated, and angry at the Lord when things don’t go how you think they should. He is filling your thoughts with lies and not truth.

He has trickery, confusion, and deceit down pat. He can make things seem so enticing. He can sugar-coat and manipulate the word of God so much it sounds believable. Him and his servants disguise themselves as light and servants of righteousness!

It’s time we start taking a stand against our greatest enemy. It is time we see him for who he really is. It’s time we take serious his plots and plans. Satan is on the prowl today just as he was in Jesus’ time. He is already devouring people, homes, marriages, friendships, and churches. If we can begin to take our thoughts captive, evaluate them in the light of the Lord, we will begin to defeat Satan.

Let that consume your thoughts today.

When will take a stand? When will we open our eyes? When will we cast down any and every thought that Satan puts in our heads? When will we lock arms and march straight towards him with the unity and power of God and His word?

I will be darned if I am going to let Satan devour me, my thoughts, my friends, family, brothers and sisters, and any other person created in the image of God.  How about you?

Prayer: Lord we are here for battle, clothe us in the armor of Your word, go before us preparing the way. Consume our thoughts with Your promises and may we remember that we can do all things through You that strengthens us. Amen

Thoughts of love

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Jesus loves me

Jesus loves me.

He really, really loves me

It is his love that sustains me

His friendship that inspires me

His beauty that amazes me,

His loyalty that reassures me, 

His sacrifice that humbles me, and

His death that saves me

Let that be your thoughts today.

Prayer: May the words of my mouth and thoughts of my heart be pleasing to You, O Lord my rock and my redeemer. Amen

A book of thoughts

“We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” 2 Corinthians 10:5

Have you ever read a book complied of people’s thoughts? And I am not talking about people’s opinions I am talking about thoughts that are never said.

I don’t know if such a thing even exists, but if it did I would read it. Not because I want to know what people are thinking, well maybe a little, but because I might actually find some relieve knowing others have the same kind of thoughts that I do. And even though my husband says no one thinks like I do, I beg to differ.

If I were to write down every thought that passed through my mind and put out for the public eye to read, it would be scary, embarrassing, funny, shameful, and sad.

And though no one knows what the other is thinking there is one who does. He knows my every thought from far away. He knows all the scary, embarrassing, funny, shameful and sad thoughts that run through my mind. And yet He still loves me and accepts me.

But He will not tolerate any thoughts that take away from Him, are unloving, or sinful. That is why I must take captive EVERY thought and make it obedient to Christ. So for the next week I am going to write down every passing thought (not to share, maybe a few) but to take hold of, bring before the Lord and confess.

Anyone struggle with their thoughts? If so, I hope you will join me in taking our thoughts captive.

Prayer: Lord make me aware of every thought that is displeasing to You. Help me to take these thoughts captive and make them obedient to You. Amen

This I have known but today I have done!

“Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts.” Joel 2:12

Just today the Lord opened my heart to an area of sin that I have been holding on to, nurturing, feeding, and focusing on for some time now. It is an area that has caused a lot of pain, sadness, anger, frustration and bitterness in my life.  This area has consumed my thoughts, actions, speech, and behavior. Satan has taken full advantage of this sin and has caused lots of dissension to arise.

For the longest time I have believed that I was doing what I was supposed to do, but I wasn’t. I was putting blame on others for my own poor actions. I was the one at fault. I took things into my own hands instead of turning to God and letting Him tend to my heart.  

But today my friends, the Lord removed the veil from my eyes, grabbed my hand and led me to the deepest part of my heart where the sin began. From there He showed me that the driving force behind my actions and behavior was because of a thing called jealousy. This moment for me was so devastating, embarrassing, and shameful. But from this bad has now come good!

As I walked in the darkness of this area I began to confess and admit my sins before Him. And some amazing things happened. I began to experience God’s grace, His mercy, and His forgiveness and I mean for the first time I have felt His grace, mercy, and forgiveness go from my mind straight to the place they belong, my heart. They have finally moved the 6 inches!

The good keeps going; His light than began to penetrate through the darkness bringing a peace that is still surpassing my understanding and Satan has finally been put in his place.

God has been telling me now for a solid week; turn to me now, while there is time, give me your heart. And it has taken up to today for me to finally let my guard down, swallow my pride, remove the stubbornness and see that I was the one needing to turn to Him and give Him my heart so He could bring healing and freedom.

I now know more than ever that for healing to begin I must allow God to take me to the darkest places within me. The places where I close Him off, the places in my heart where I have shoved hurt, shame, pride, and sin and closed the door. I must give Him ALL areas of my heart and ALL the control. This I have known but today I have done!

Prayer: There is victory in You, Jesus my Savior forever. You have lead me to a place I have longed for healing and freedom. I turned to You and gave You my heart and in return You healed it, clothed it, and filled it with Your love, mercy, and grace. Thank You Jesus! Amen

Used

“Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts.” Joel 2:12

Do you have or know people in your life that only come to you when it benefits them? How does it make you feel? It makes me feel used!

How do you think it makes God feel when you only come to Him when it benefits you?

God said turn to me now, while there is time and give me your hearts. Give me all of you, come to me all the time whether it benefits you or not. For I am the Creator of ALL things and I want to be worshiped and honored with ALL of you.

“You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.” Matthew 22:37

Prayer: Lord I never want to use You for my own benefit. I never want to come to You only when I need something. I want to give You all of me, I want to be in constant communication and fellowship with You always. Amen

U-Turn

“Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts.” Joel 2:12

A car can only go forward or backwards, but never at the same time. A car can never go in two different directions at the same time either. In order for a car to begin traveling in a different direction it must be turned and made to go that way.

Our Spiritual lives are very similar to the ability of a car. We can either go forward or backward but never at the same time. We also cannot go in two different directions at the same time.  In order for us to begin traveling in a new direction we too must be turned and made to go that way.

There are only two directions we can travel, the direction of heaven or the direction of hell. Though we all begin traveling in the direction of hell we have also been given the opportunity to make a U-Turn and travel in the direction of heaven.

This was made possible by the Creator Himself when He sent His Son to die on the cross for each of us. It is that very cross that allows us to turn our Spiritual cars (hearts) around.

We each have a choice, when we come to the “light” we can either keep traveling in the direction of hell, or we can make a U-turn, by confessing with our mouths that Jesus is Lord, and begin traveling in the direction of heaven.

Which direction are you going?

Prayer: Lord take control of our Spiritual cars and drive us in the direction that leads to You. Amen

Have you realized it?

“Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts.” Joel 2:12

Here is a question for you to ponder for a while, and because the Lord has placed it so heavily on my heart I will ask it three times, in three different ways, hoping that by the third time it will begin to take root within you. And I pray that you will allow the Holy Spirit to begin a work within you.

• “Don’t you realize how kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Or don’t you care? Can’t you see how kind he has been in giving you time to turn from your sin? Romans 2:4 NLT

• “Or did you think that because he’s such a nice God, he’d let you off the hook? Better think this on through from the beginning. God is kind, but he’s not soft. In kindness he takes us firmly by the hand and leads us into a radical life-change.” Romans 2:4 MSG

• “Or is it nothing to you that God had pity on you, wanting and putting up with you for so long, not seeing that in his pity God’s desire is to give you a change of heart?” BBE

Prayer: Thank You Father for Your kindness towards us sinners, thank You for being patient with such stubborn, selfish people such as me. Thank You Lord for being so tolerant of me and allowing me to turn from my sinful ways and turn to You. Help me to take advantage of this time You are giving me, may I never take it for granted. Amen

Our daily reminder

“Turn to me now, while there is time. Give me your hearts.” Joel 2:12

Lord I could express my opinion over and over about the importance of turning to You before it is too late, but I know there is no better way to express the importance of turning to You than by using Your word.

Prayer:

So today Lord I pray the same prayer David prayed for all my brothers and sisters and for all those who are lost and confused.

Lord remind us how brief our time on earth will be. Remind us that our days are numbered-how fleeting our life is. You have made our lives no longer than the width of our hands. Our entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best each of us is but a breath. We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. (Psalm 39:4-6)

Lord teach us to realize the brevity of life, so that we may grow in wisdom. (Psalm 90:12) Remind us daily that our days on earth are like grass; like wildflowers, we bloom and die. The wind blows, and we are gone as though we had never been here. But Your love O’ Lord remains forever with those who fear You. (Psalm 103:15-17)

Lord capture the hearts of the lost, open their eyes to see Your love and mercy. Place within all of us the urgency to share the Good the News and the urgency to tell everyone that You are coming soon.

Hasten the day Lord Jesus!

What are you waiting on?

"Turn to me now while there is time! Give me your hearts." Joel 2:12

The Lord gives us many opportunities to turn to Him. He does not force it upon us, instead He lays it out before us in His word and then gives us the choice. We can wait until we hit rock bottom, which unfortunately is the place a lot of us have to come in order for our stubborn hearts to become softened and for our eyes to be opened. For some, it is to late. For many it will be to late.


What is keeping you from turning your life over to the Lord? What is keeping you from giving Him complete control? What is it in your life that is taking precedence over the Lord?

What are you waiting for? I urge you today with the love of Christ and with a burden so great to turn to Christ now!

Heaven is forever and so is the burning fire of hell!

Prayer: Lord help us to understand the great importance of giving our lives to You now! May we wait no longer. Amen

We are all going to die one day!

"Turn to me now while there is time! Give me your hearts." Joel 2:12

Are you ready...

How would Christ find us if He came right now? Would He find us working wholeheartedly for Him?

Would he find us ready and waiting or would he find us scrambling around or maybe even missing?

Why, how have we become such people that wait until the last minute to run to God, to seek God? Why do we wait until tragedy strikes or until death is knocking on our door to turn to Him.

My dearest friends we must turn to God NOW! We must seek Him NOW. We must serve Him, obey Him, accept Him NOW!

Prayer: Lord forgive us for procrastinating! May we not wait any longer. Amen

His big gulp's and servants heart.

"When everything is ready, I will come and get you, so that you will always be with me where I am. And you know the way to where I am going."  John 13:3-4

His love for life was contagious. He could always make you smile with his funny jokes and silly quirks. But it was not those two things I loved the most. It was the love he had for a woman who stole his heart, six kids, and over a dozen grandkids and great grandkids.

It was his servant’s heart and his big gulps that captured my heart. He spent a majority of my growing up life traveling hand and hand with the love of his life to basketball games, graduations, births, birthdays, and just causes.   

He would brighten your day with the sweetness of his divinity, and put fire in your belly with his fire hot cinnamon suckers made in all kinds of shapes.

His love for people was so natural. It didn’t matter who you were, if you needed an ear…his was there. If you needed a family…he opened his. If you needed comfort…his arms could wrap twice around you. If you needed help…he always provided a hand.

His greatest joys in life came every Christmas when dozens of people would flood his home. He would do the entertaining and she would cook the best biscuits and gravy in the county. His lap was big enough to seat as many of his own kids and their kids that could squeeze up there.

He showed my mom, her brothers, and her sisters what it meant to be a family. It was to love, to be there for each other no matter what, where, when, or why. I too have been blessed to have learned that from him and am now passing that on to my own family.

This man was a walking display of gentleness, kindness, and peace loving. He fought hard for the things he believed in and he fought hard for the people he loved.

Beyond all of that, this man taught and showed me what unconditionally love looked like. And it came at a time when the Lord knew I needed to see it the most. Almost six years ago when the woman who could make him madder than mad and happier than happy became ill, he never left her side. Literally! He never showed anger, frustration, weakness, or tiredness. Only unconditional Jesus type love.

I will never forget there in the hospital, in a bed made for one was a woman short and petite cradled in the arms of a six foot 3 man.  It didn’t matter then nor did it matter ever before he was always holding her hand.

On August 21, 2010 this man known as my “Papa” has gone to the place I long to go and is standing in the presence of the one I can’t wait to meet. He is now hand in hand with Christ alone.

He is no longer tired nor weak, sick nor hungry. He now is joyful and complete, walking down the streets of gold singing and praising the one who has made him whole.               

The Mirror of Christ

“And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

If you were a mirror and on one side you were looking in and the other side was your reflection, what would people see as you walked towards them? Would they see sin and self, or would they see Christ?

It is the mirror of choice, the cream of the crop, and the best on the market. It is free and the benefits of this mirror are like no other mirror out there.

If one were to choose this mirror they would be choosing to see themselves for who they really are a sinner. They would see areas of sin that need tending to. They would be cleansed, purified, and pruned. All while seeing the love and time that was spent by the one who made them.

Some benefits of this mirror are it requires no light, the light is built in. In fact this light is so bright it can shine even in the darkest places, and the light will never burn out or lose its power. But it will be only as useful as one allows it to be.

The reflection is brighter and unlike any other reflection known to man. It displays a beauty so captivating, a love so desired, tenderness so comforting, mercy so undeserved, a type of forgiveness that is mesmerizing, and a peace that is indescribable.

This mirror will always work for you and not against you. It is the Mirror of Christ.

Those who choose this mirror are those who have received Christ, are faithful, obedient, have pure hearts, hunger for Christ, have had the veil removed, spend daily time in prayer and His word. They confess and repent of their sins daily are dedicated to serving Christ wholeheartedly and have a passion to share with others what Christ has done for them.

Those using this mirror must be prepared to stand out, be left out, and asked about.  

Prayer: Lord today and every day I want to pick up the Mirror of Christ. I want this mirror to be used so much that it becomes an addiction, a habit. I never want to go back to those other mirrors again. So I ask Lord that You give me the strength and discernment right away when I begin to slip. Amen 

The Cracked Mirror

“And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

If you were a walking mirror, and on one side you looked in and the other side was the reflection, what would people see as you came towards them?  Would they see the world, sin, and self, or would they see Jesus? 

They want to have the best of both worlds, so much they are able to adjust their behavior and speech according to the people they are around and the environment they are in. They want to do what is right yet they want to satisfy their flesh.

All while also trying to do what they think is right. They go to church, pray, and say all the right things.

These people carry around a mirror that is cracked right down the center.

On one side they will party with one group and talk about Jesus with another group. They will confess their love for Jesus in one breath and curse someone in the next breath. They will gamble, drink, go to places they shouldn’t and show up to teach on Sunday’s. All while justifying their actions.

Now on the other hand you might have those who do the less obvious but are still just as guilty. They might hold a grudge, cause dissension, are bitter, disrespect their spouses, easily angered, lie, cuss, judge, gossip, are unforgiving, watch inappropriate TV shows, and/or neglect spending time with Christ. They too are able to justify their actions.

We aren’t addicted, we aren’t causing others to stumble (that you know of), nowhere does God say it is wrong, it’s mentioned in the Bible so it must be okay, and Jesus did it. Not all of us have the same convictions. Well, we are not perfect, neither is anyone else. (You are right…still bad excuse), it was a white lie, well if he/she would be more loving I would show them more respect, I just don’t have enough time in my day. It’s not that bad of a word, etc.

This mirror gives off the reflection of a lukewarm Christian. It gives those who see it the impression that it is okay to straddle both God and the world.

But do you know the problem with that? It is a disgusting taste in the Father’s mouth.

“I know all the things you do, that you are neither hot nor cold.  I wish you were one or the other!  But since you are like lukewarm water, I will spit you out of my mouth!  Revelation 3:15-16

  

It’s time for us to pick whether we are going to be for Christ or for the World.

Romans 6:12-13 " Do not let sin control the way you live; do not give in to its lustful desires. Do not let any part of your body become a tool of wickedness, to be used for sinning. Instead give yourselves completely to God since you have been given new life. And use your whole body as a tool to do what is right for the glory of God."

  

Prayer: Lord forgive us for being lukewarm, may we decide today that we are for You, with You, and all about YOU! Amen

The Mirror of Doubt

“And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.”  2 Corinthians 3:18

If you were a walking mirror, and on one side you looked in and the other side was the reflection, what would people see as you came towards them?  Would they see the world, sin, and self, or would they see Jesus? 

“Lord if you can really do all you say you can, then I ask that You please heal me.”

This was a prayer prayed by a young mother who was just diagnosed with cancer. She has two healthy vibrant little kids and a hardworking, loving husband.

As her and her husband made their way home from the doctor that day she immediately began to hold the mirror of doubt. Doubt that God could and would deliver and heal her.

As for many of us we too pick up this mirror of doubt. Our situation might not be as life changing as this young woman’s, but to each of us, there are situations in our lives when we begin to question the power and faithfulness of the Lord. Maybe it is our jobs, a miscarriage, a broken marriage, an illness, a death, so on and so forth.

Whatever the reason, the reflection reveals our limited knowledge of the Almightiness of God and our lack of complete dependence on God.  

What is it that causes us to hold this mirror of doubt-Satan. Satan wants our reflection to cause others to stumble, to begin to doubt God’s power and love, and to question God.

Our God is a huge God who can do far more than we could ever begin to comprehend. He supplies our needs in ways we cannot even imagine, and in spite of our doubts He never fails to follow through and He always calms the storms and brings us safely ashore.

James compares the mirror of doubt to an unsettled wave. “But when you ask him, be sure that your faith is in God alone. Do not waver, for a person with divided loyalty is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is blown and tossed by the wind. Such people should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. Their loyalty is divided between God and the world, and they are unstable in everything they do.” James 1:6-8

Are you in the middle of a storm and all that people see reflecting from you is doubt?

We always have to remember, Christ, through all His suffering, never doubted whether or not His Father would deliver Him. Nor should we…we will be delivered, we will be healed, maybe not in the way we expect, but in the way that is best for us and according to the will of God.

Prayer: Lord give us the type of faith that can move mountains. Lord may we live in confident dependence and trust in You no matter the storm. Amen

The Mirror of Self

“And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

If you were a walking mirror, and on one side you looked in and the other side was the reflection, what would people see as you came towards them?  Would they see the world, sin, and self, or would they see Jesus?

It is the most commonly used mirror in our world today. It is the dreadful mirror of self. This mirror does two things;

It stares back with power; it is a close-up view that reflects our pores. You know those deep disgusting pores filled with black heads (black heads- are the beginning and root of sin. When they are not treated they surface leaving a big ole’ white head (I know that is disgusting but so is untreated sin.) 

And, it is a reflection of the world, self-pleasure, pride, selfishness, jealousy, bitterness, hate, gossip, death, demanding of our own way and anything else that is all about us and not about Christ or others.

The thing I hate the most about this mirror is how often I myself pick it up. All our mirrors upset Christ but this one can cost us our eternal life.

 Luke 9:23 says, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must put aside your selfish ambition, shoulder your cross daily and follow me. If you try to keep your life for yourself, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for me, you will find true life." 

When we begin to act off of our feelings it is because we are holding the mirror of self.

When we become more worried about our appearance…mirror of self

When we become more concerned about our status with others…mirror of self

When we become money hungry…mirror of self.

When we focus on our needs before others…mirror of self.

When we do things that please our flesh…mirror of self.

When we do anything to bring attention to ourselves…mirror of self.

 Is the handle on this mirror worn? If so, then you have been using it to much.

Prayer: Jesus forgive us for using the mirror of self as much as we do. May we always see the cross and in this mirror and remember just how selfless You were. Amen

The Mirror of Anger

“And all of us have had that veil removed so that we can be mirrors that brightly reflect the glory of the Lord. And as the Spirit of the Lord works within us, we become more and more like him and reflect his glory even more.” 2 Corinthians 3:18

If you were a walking mirror, and on one side you looked in and the other side was the reflection, what would people see as you came towards them?  Would they see the world, sin, and self, or would they see Jesus?

She was the wife who had it all…until her husband left her for another woman.

His didn’t begin until his best friend got the promotion over him and started receiving all the attention.

Hers began at an early age toward her sister who was always better at everything.

Theirs began when they lost their first child to cancer.

His began when a drunk driver hit and killed his wife and daughter.

Hers took root when she felt that first punch, slap across the face.

Hers began when the sexual predator robbed her of her purity.

Theirs began when he stopped being respected and when she stopped feeling loved.

His began because of the lack of affection and attention he received from his dad growing up.

His began when he realized nothing he did was ever good enough.

Hers took root when her mom kept telling her she was to fat and asking why she wasn’t like so and so.

There are many reasons we pick up the mirror of anger and to some good reason, but to those of us who pick it up out of jealousy, envy, and self…not so good, actually not good at all.

When we look into this mirror we might have a smile on our face but the reflection shows what the inside of us looks like; bitter, annoyed, hurt, mad, jealous, and self-focused. Why, because our thoughts are consumed with the things and people that have offended us and from our thoughts come our attitude and from our attitude come’s our actions. The more we are around the people and things that anger us the longer we hold this mirror and the deeper anger takes root, thus making it even harder to put the mirror down.

The book of James sums up the mirror of anger well, “What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don’t they come from the evil desires at war within you? You want what you don’t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can’t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don’t have what you want because you don’t ask God for it. And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong-you want only what will give you pleasure.” James 4:1-2

Would that pretty much sum up why you have been carrying the mirror of anger around?

The mirror of anger reflects a person who is lacking in mercy, grace, and forgiveness, all of which is the complete opposite of Christ.

When one picks up and holds this mirror they should remind themselves of the mercy, love and forgiveness they receive daily from Christ.

Prayer: Lord forgive us for picking up this mirror so often. Remind us of the mercy and love You give us each day. Most of all Father may we be reminded that we are not a mistake and that we are never alone. May we look to You for the attention, comfort, healing, and peace we need. Lord help us to take our thoughts captive and act of Your word and not our feelings. Amen