Ladies who do Brunch!

When the women of Harvest Chapel meet for extra activities, I really need to take my camera so I can get pictures to show you.

We are learning about a family culture (not that most of us do not now what this family life is, but what we do not necessarily know is, what a truly good and Godly family life is)....now let me ask you this, when you have family gatherings...if your gatherings are anything like ours, there are cameras and pictures are being taken. These are then shared with the others in the family.  Right now it seems that our Jen is the one taking the pictures..but I will have to get mine out when we have our Easter gathering so that we can have some nice pictures of our Jen.

On this past Saturday the "Women of the Word" and some of the other ladies from the church all got together and had a very good brunch.  We had an amazing and Godly women speak to us about her testimony....oh my goodness...this women is amazing!  About nine months ago, she lost one of her sons in, I think, Afghanistan.
Now if this was a women with no faith I doubt that she would be able to so eloquently speak of her sons demise, but because this women has an amazing relationship with our Savior, she is able to speak of this occurrence with joy, and not always without tears.  Her name is Mrs. Pamela Smith...and my goal is to have a mature Christian faith like hers when I am a grown-up Christian.  If you ever have an opportunity to hear this women speak... your faith will grow with her input.  She is a truly amazing women.  God has been kind to her in ways, I can only imagine, if there is an opportunity for her to speak for Christ, Pam will use it to convict someone for Christ. And she can sing like an angel...if there were lady angels that is...but there aren't, but let us just say that Pam can sing beautifully.

Well, all of us, had a wonderful and blessed time together, I made some new acquaintance's, who I am hoping will become friends.  Let's open up Ladies and find the value in each other.  If you haven't realized it yet we women, need each other.  If I am speaking to any women out there who do not have a Christian female friend, I would really suggest that you get one.  And you Christian women out there find an un-churched women to befriend...it may be a struggle for a bit....but it will be worth it in the long run.

Well it is time to get ready for work and to have my breakfast and to find someone to bless...hmm...I wonder who that will be today.  Also I have some prayer request for you all to pray about...there is Marky with a probable case of childhood onset leukemia...pray, pray pray...and there is Grace, a less than a month old baby who caught a cold and is in the hospital with many complications....pray, pray, pray....and there is Ron a young man who had the flu and his body now has a very low white blood cell count to fight off infections...he also needs prayer...as well as the family's of these people.  So let's pray.....God is good.

The Begining of a New Week.

How was your Sunday?  And yes since I can't hear your answer I will use this question to tell you about mine...it was wonderful. 

Church without a doubt was aweome.  We just love our church, right now we are learning more and more about living in a family culture.  And I thought I knew about living in a family, but what we are learning is taking it to a whole new level, a level that I had no realization was even there.  Infact for Tim and I a possible level that I will only be able to tell you about in the weeks to come.  I will tell you this, we think it is awesome! 

When you go to church the next time I want you to look around at the rest of the congregation and just imagine them all as brothers and sisters, because that is what they are.  Just imagine how different the world would be if we treated each other as brothers and sisters, or as daughters and sons or extra mothers and fathers?  Would it be better?  I think so!

Well when Tim and I got home frome church I looked out the kitchen window and I saw that the goats were out. So they looked like they might be wondering a bit so I let Louis, the dog out to entertain them.  They seem to like to play together.  So they were happier to stay a little closer to home....

So after Tim and I got the boys back into there pen and we had come back into the house we recieved a phone call from our covenent daughter and she asked if they could come for a visit.  Well of course. I have told them so many times they don't have to ask...you can just show up...we are fine with that!  Apparently they had had a very busy morning with two church services and when they were close to their house Mary said to Samuel, don't you think we could just drive for a bit so Levi (the baby) can take a good nap...and Samuel said, Do you want to go to Mom's, so Mary called and of course I said yes!  so we then had a wonderful visit from a well rested little Levi and his mommy and daddy.  what a wonderful end to an awesome weekend. 

Pappy sure loves his grand-sons and grand-daughters!

Look at me Mam-maw!

See what I can do?

Daddy caught my reflection in the woodstove! Cool!

Levi and Mommy!

Tomorrow I will tell you about my Saturday...wonderful breakfast with the ladies!

Circumstances

What are your circumstances in life?   And how do you react to your circumstances?

This word circumstance, is a very interesting word.  I did look it up in our dear friend Merriam Webster, and although I read thru the definitions, and I do understand what I read, this is a somewhat difficult word to understand.  Think about this word and think about how you would define this word to someone.....

My circumstances are guided by the Lord.  But....only when I am alone.  And this may also be your circumstance.  Now once you set your foot outside your door....you walk out to your car...you get into your car....do you ask God for His protection each time you go out into the world, you should, we should, I should.  Alright you are driving down the road,  now perhaps you have never been involved in an accident.  Oh that is wonderful.  I was 16, and it was minor (but reportable accident)and I thank God for that.  Other than that the Lord has always been right there along side of me.  And he was there with me when I was 16 as well, even though I didn't know it.  Now that I am older and a believer in Christ, for a good many years, my circumstances are such that I always have God with me.

HOWEVER this doesn't mean that I am perfect...far from it....there are times in my life on a regular basis that my circumstances are such that I struggle...just ask my husband...I come home and poor out my heart,  and I just wonder....this is because I react to my circumstances, I need to not do this...And God is helping me, but if you are also reacting...take a moment, and look at the circumstances surrounding your particular issue.  Now I know this may seem trite,  (but oh well, this is the way I think about things) how do you think that Jesus would respond to your particular situation?   Just try very hard to look at your various situations thru Gods eyes.  And to take it a step further.  Find a word that may describe your situation.  Just as an example it might be jealousy, or it might be trust, or blasphemy.  Okay now take that word and go to your Bible's cyclopedic index and look up that word.  Now you can look at the various scriptures where those words are used and in what form they are used.  This will help you to understand a particular emotion and perhaps it well give you a hand on how to deal with this in a Godly fashion.

When you are in a particular circumstance, try not to react, especially if it is not a good circumstance, until you have had an opportunity to sort of stand back, and re-look at the situation, and just try to have a Godly response.  Remember, we as Christians, may be the only Bible, some people ever read.  Yes, I know, but it is true?  And I am not just talking to you I am speaking to my self.

God help me to have a better understanding of the circumstances that I find myself in each and every day...and Lord I ask you to be within me and help me in my body language, and with the looks on my face, and the pitch of my voice and the words that I speak, let me show whoever is with me that I have the love of you in me for them.  And nothing they can say or do well make me respond in an un-Godly way.  Just be with me constantly Daddy. I love you Lord.

And now go and bless someone!

Anointed

What does it mean to be anointed?   We'll first of all let's look at what our friends Merriam Webster has to say:

anoint

 transitive verb \ə-ˈnȯint\

Definition of ANOINT

1

: to smear or rub with oil or an oily substance

2

a : to apply oil to as a sacred rite especially for consecration

b : to choose by or as if by divine election; also : to designate as if by a ritual anointment <critics anointed the author as the bright new talent>

— anoint·er noun

— anoint·ment  noun

Well the first thing you will probably notice is that even though I put in the word anointed I was given the definition for anoint. We'll that is okay as well, and I checked a couple of sources and the same thing happened, but I still ended up with the same definitions so all is good...

Did you know there are 104 places in the bible where the word anointed appears in the Bible, and that we are God's anointed.  Just like David was God's anointed.

The direction that I want to go with this is, oh dang that devil, he just got me side-tracked for just a second and I lost my train of thought.  But I got it back!

Where ever it says in the Bible that God is pouring out His spirit, He is anointing us who are His children.

Acts 2:17-21

New King James Version (NKJV)

¹⁷ ‘And it shall come to pass in the last days, says God,
That I will pour out of My Spirit on all flesh;
Your sons and your daughters shall prophesy,
Your young men shall see visions,
Your old men shall dream dreams.
¹⁸ And on My menservants and on My maidservants
I will pour out My Spirit in those days;
And they shall prophesy.
¹⁹ I will show wonders in heaven above
And signs in the earth beneath:
Blood and fire and vapor of smoke.
²⁰ The sun shall be turned into darkness,
And the moon into blood,
Before the coming of the great and awesome day of the Lord.
²¹ And it shall come to pass
That whoever calls on the name of the Lord
Shall be saved.’^[a]

Isn't God's word exciting.  I love to receive epiphany's. Last night at church, with it being Wednesday I was in my "Women of the Word class". And this is what we were looking at.  We are working our way thru the book of First Samuel.  And when you look at the lives of Saul and David being anointed is very interesting...the devil is not to touch God's anointed and Saul and David are both anointed (see 1 Samuel 9:27 and 16:1). So think about this.   

We are also anointed so since we are anointed the devil can play havoc with us by our surroundings and various issues but he can't touch us.  We are God's anointed....spend some time on this thought why don't you...and while 
 you are doing this, find someone to bless.

Honor & Honor ability

Yesterday I was in general speaking to women, but then I thought we really should be speaking to both men and women.  So welcome all.  From me and Tim.

Aren't we a cute couple...we think we are. Needless to say we both love each other very, very much!  You might say we have a mutual admiration society going on here.  Why you may ask...well that is easy...I admire Tim for his abilities in lots of different areas as does he for me.  I like to cook, he likes to eat. You know it is a lot more fun to do something for someone who appreciates what you have done for them.  It is really NOT that much fun when it isn't, appreciated.

Yesterday I finished up with the laundry and at lunch time I put a little note on top of the basket that said, "Dear Tim, please carry me back to the bathroom so that your lovely wife Kirsten can put this laundry away, Thank You, Laundry Basket." Now I know that this was just plain silly, but what is wrong with that?  I wasn't here but I knew that would make my husband smile...and he told me it did...so good I succeeded and the laundry is away.  We had a win win all the way around.  And Tim can say he helped with the laundry.
I honor my husband, partly because I want to and partly because that is what God wants me to do.  And when you truly love someone, it is not that difficult to do.

What does it mean to honor someone? Well to me it means that I really value Tim, I hold him in high esteem, I want to please him and I feel quite poorly when I displease him.  (Though this doesn't happen very often, or at least when it does, Tim doesn't let me know...and he should,  but he doesn't because he is aware of my feelings and he doesn't like to upset me.). My husband is the king of his castle.  Is yours?  Is your husband honorable.  Is your wife honorable.  We as Christians are to be honorable people.  So this all goes towards us walking the walk and not just talking the talk.

I could go on and on, on this subject, but I think you get the message.  I will pick this subject back up at a later date, but I want to speak to some younger women before I do.  I want their perspective, and when I have done this I will let you know.

So go and be a blessing and blessings to you all on this wonderful day that is a gift from God.

For the Women Only....

Honor and being Honorable Part I

Today I am writing pretty specifically to women....not that you men out their mayn't read this....actually it might be a good idea.  Because if we women are going to honor our husband's it might be a good idea if our husbands are deserving of the honor.

Before we go to far I want to go to the dictionary to see just what Merriam Webster has to say about these two words, and I want to see what the bible says about these two words.

Definition of HONOR. (Part of the list of definitions)

1

a : good name or public esteem : reputation

3

: a person of superior standing —now used especially as a title for a holder of high office <if Your Honor please>

4

: one whose worth brings respect or fame : credit <an honor to the profession

8

a : a keen sense of ethical conduct : integrity <a man of honor>

As you can see these are the attributes that I am sure we want to see in our husbands.    And sometimes these attributes are there, but they may be hiding under the surface.   

Five Ways to Honor Your Husband 
Based on Romans 12:10, which says we’re to "love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honoring each other," are you bringing honor to God in the way your treat your husband? Are you delighting in honoring your husband?
http://reviveourhearts.com/topics/downloads/index.php?id=10358

I know there are moments, only moments, that something may occur where the old carnal me will raise it's ugly little head and I might feel that I should not be honoring this little behavior in my husband.  But then I realize that it is not something that Tim is or isn't doing, it is my selfish being thinking why do I have to do this, why doesn't he come and help.  I'll tell you what, once I have chastised myself and realize what I have just allowed the devil to put into my brain and ask my Father to forgive these selfish thoughts....guess who comes to help.   It happened just last evening. I was emptying the dishwasher, and I allowed the devil into my brain, mind you it was just a split second, I realized this , and stopped the devil in his tracks, with Gods help, and Tim came out to the kitchen and helped.  It always amazes me how this happens.

My husband is an honorable man.  And I know that there have been times in the previous chapters of my life that I was involved with men that were not honorable.   And needless to say these were not happy or joyful chapters in my life.  It is awesome to me when we are obeying God there is joy in your life.  But beware, if you start to wonder from the Lord, your joy will falter.  The best way for me to explain the way that we treat our husband is to think of him as a king.  Is your husband the king in your household?  This may be a difficult question for some.  Especially if you want to be the queen.  Hmmm.   However if you look at your husband as if you are the queen, but he isn't the king, oh boy, there will be trouble coming your way.  This will not work.  Your husband can not treat you as a queen, if you are not treating him as the king.                                                                                   This past weekend at church Pastor Don spoke of being a son or daughter of our Lord.  We are not servants of Gods, we are children of God, and we are children of God's with a servant's heart.  Meaning that we should be serving our God as his children.  Children are to honor their mother and their father as they honor the Lord.  And we are going to take this to the next step, okay you have grown up and now you have a spouse instead of your parents being with you all the time.  This is who we are to honor.  You still honor your parents, but you are no longer around them as much.  As you are your husband.  Well I a running out of time for this morning and I need to hit the showers and get ready for work.                                       So go and find someone to bless.  Maybe it will be your husband..... 

Learning to live in a Family Culture within your Church

Harvest Chapel, currently is trying very hard to teach all that come there to learn the blessings of living within a family culture while at church and then taking this culture with you when you leave. 

If you think about it, God invented the family.  Adam and Eve were the first parents, the first mom and dad, if you would, with an amazing father of their own in God.  But something that we all need to remember is that God is, to this very day our Dad, Daddy, Father, Abba Father...there are so many different forms of this same name.  So whatever you choose to opt for, just make sure that you do call on him.  Call on Him several times a day and speak to Him often.

Since this is a gift from the Father, we really need to cherish it as a blessing.  When two people meet and court, and realize that they are meant for each other, when they keep the Lord as the central figure in their relationship they will succeed.  You cannot fail when Jesus is central.  Okay so two people meet and eventually marry, keep your marriage a trinity with the Father as the head.

Now we are going to expand on this just a little.  Pastor Don was teaching us about the cross a bit in that the upright post of the cross is our main beam to the Father and I had a thought that the cross beam could represent the husband and wife.  We must keep the Father as the center of our marriage and at the center of our individual lives.  And when we grow up and marry, if we have kept Christ at the center, He will continue as the center of the marriage and family.  And what could be better than this.  

Ephesians 5 

New King James Version (NKJV)

Walk in Love

5 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. ² And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.  When you read these verse, don't just read them, take them into yourself.  Have you ever been in a quite session with God and had an amazing aroma drift up your nostrils?  That is the aroma of God. Make sure that you walk in the love of Christ...oh our God is so good.

And 5: 8. For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light....if you say you are a Christian then behave as a Christian.  Here is an example of what I am speaking of.   I am driving down the road and I have bumper sticker or, in my case I have a decal on my rear window for Lancaster Bible College, so this kind of identifies me as a follower of Christ.  Alright now close your eyes and envision someone like this on the highway.  The speed limit is 65, and you are traveling down the road at 65 and a vehicle with a logo or Christian decal passes you at quite a good clip, well over the speed limit of 65.  Now think about this from two directions.  The first is this, we are to follow mans laws, God has told us this, what is this speeding kind of driving saying to the people that you are passing.  Hmmm...he sure isn't behaving like a Christian.  If you have an emergency that requires you to get some where quickly then put your blinkers on and drive quickly and safely.  Otherwise, maybe you should leave a little bit earlier.  Okay now from another direction, the person that you are passing is on the fence about accepting Christ as their Savior, what kind of example are you being.  If you are going to tell the world that you are a Christian, than behave like a Christian.

Well it's that time of day...go and be a blessing, God is so good!