Church is Full of Hypocrites

 The church is full of hypocrites. 

There, I said it, or rather, my Dad said it. It was one of his "Dadisms" whenever I asked him to attend church with our family. Exasperated one day, I asked him what he meant. Dad was a kind man. To many, who liked to judge, he hadn't lived a "Christian" life.

All of his missteps had been on the outside. You see, Dad was an alcoholic. Having alcoholism makes you act out in a certain way at times. For some people, if you are normally hard-working, can make your work history sporadic. It can make you do things out of character to get money for alcohol because that is all-consuming, your guiding star. Unless Jesus is put in that driver's seat, Alcohol sits there and commands your mind. That isn't what this article is about though. Not really. 

It is about judgment. The judgment Dad made about Church folks. I've got a whole different lecture about the judgment church folk made on my father, believe me!

Anyway, Once I understood that Dad thought everyone going to church thought themselves blameless and without sin. I understood some things. He thought that also. He thought SOME of the people sitting in those pews were sinless. Any student of the word, KNOWS  that to be false. I told him, we sit in those pews because we all sin. 

 I KING 8:46 "WHEN THEY SIN AGAINST YOU -FOR THERE IS NO ONE WHO DOES NOT SIN..."

The other enlightenment I had was that because he believed that you had to be pure before you entered a church, he didn't feel he was worthy to do so. Even though, he knew from personal experience there were people sitting in those pews not living the life Christ prescribed because they were persecuting him and making him not feel worthy.

Let me caution you that some of us wear our sins on the outside and some on the inside. If you are living your life for Christ, the gift he gives you is for discernment, not for judgment. There is a difference that I caution you about, dear brothers and sisters.

If you are sitting there today at home not feeling worthy of joining in worship because someone has shamed you for your lifestyle or for a disease, or for any other sin against man or God, I say come. Shame on that Christian. It is not your cross to bear. We all stand before God only to answer for our own individual sins. You should be welcome in the house of God.

Creative Corner

Congratulations to OMAR ABED

upon publication of his book, You, Me, and a Tree.

Two people care for a seed as it grows into a tree. In return, the tree nurtures their relationship!

www.kaileipewbooks.com

#PB23BUNCH

Do You LOOK Like a Christian?

 

“My Neighbors Bible”

I am my neighbor’s Bible
He reads me when we meet;
Today he reads me in my home
Tomorrow, in the street.
He may be a relative or a friend,
Or slight acquaintance be;
He may not even know my name,
Yet he is reading me,
And pray, who is this neighbor,
Who reads me day by day,
To learn if I am living right,
And walking as I pray?
Oh, he is with me always,
To criticize or blame;
So worldly-wise in his own eyes,
And “Sinner” is his name.
Dear Christian friends and brothers,
If we could only know
How faithful the world records
Just what we say and do;
Oh, we would write our record plain,
And come in time to see
Our worldly neighbor won to Christ
While reading you and me.

Author Unknown

I have always loved this poem. I read it first in a church cookbook, of all places. It carries a heavy message though, do your neighbor, your co-workers, and your fellow shoppers at Walmart and Target, know you to be a person of faith by your actions? Does the person in the car you just cut off, know you to be the person of compassion, kindness, and humility you profess to be on Sunday mornings?

Do the children you are raising, or the other children you go to school with, know you are a person of faith? You need not speak of Jesus. You only need to act like Jesus and let His love shine to spread your faith. YOU are your neighbor's Bible.

Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

Colossians 3:12

Speak Lord, for Your servant, is listening.

 Speak Lord, for Your servant, is listening. I Samuel 3:9

Speak, Lord

Since I've read this passage in my daily devotions, it has resonated within my heart. How often do we speak without listening during the day?

How often do we pray without pausing to listen for God's answer?

So very often, I have heard people tell me how ineffective prayer is; that they have prayed to no avail. I disagree. More often, we have not gotten the answer we want, so we assume God wasn't listening. 

When a loved one passes after we have prayed so fervently for a miracle, didn't God fail you then? I say no. I was in such a position at 19. I lost my Mother. I must admit to some anger at the time. My entire family came together to pray at the time of her diagnosis. We are a family of prayer warriors.

I was encouraged. Nothing would happen. She would be ill for a while, but through all of the anguish and hard work of caretaking for her, I never lost hope. We were all good people, pulling together in one direction. She was the glue that bound us together. The eldest in her family, a loving Christian family that adored her. Nine short months after her diagnosis, she passed, leaving a 19 and a 17-year-old stunned and grief-stricken. 

Why had God forsaken me? In my narcissistic teenage thoughts, I forgot Mom had a husband, another daughter, mother, father, sisters, brothers, nieces, and nephews, all grieving. Because I lost my way, I had no support. I couldn't see that what God had done was release Mom from all her pain. Could she have been praying for the release?

In the years since, I have come to realize, my mother, pulled off somewhat of a miracle herself. I raised six children. I am now in my sixties and I worry about the qualityof my work. However, my mom managed to give me enough information that I was able to keep house and raise my children with more than enough confidence for most of my adult life!

I could have saved myself so much pain early in my adult life if only I were still and listened to God. To HIS will.

There are smaller examples.

One year, my husband and I had added to our family and desperately needed a new car. We found a Ford Taurus that had just rolled off the assembly line and it is no exaggeration to say we were coveting that car. We visited the dealership several times while the salesman tried everything to make our small check cover the cost. We prayed. The deal fell through. We were devastated.

What we couldn't see in our future: We were military and were handed unexpected orders a short time later to a much more expensive area. Our budget never would have let us keep a new car. At our new duty station, the new church welcomed us with open arms. When I was due to deliver our sixth son, a friend took me aside and said they had a second car they had no use for and wanted to give it to us for a low cost, knowing another child would not fit into our car! What a God send!

God saw our needs. He answered. Not in the way we wanted, but in His time. In His way. Several years later, when my husband made more rank, we were able to buy another car so that we could go places together in one car, and it was delightful! However, we will always be thankful that He was watching over us when we needed it the most and sent earth angels to assist us.

Speak Lord, for your servant, is listening.

 Luna's Green Pet

Congratulations to Kristen Pendriegh and her Illustrator Carmen Mok on the publican of their book, LUNA'S GREEN PET!

Thank you to Vivian Kirkfield for bringing this fabulous book to my attention and to Kristen and Carmen to bringing this book to life for our children!

Published by Sleeping Bear Press

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Pets, STEM, Environment

Synopsis: From Amazon:
Luna longs for a pet but the apartment building where she and her family life has a very strict NO PETS! policy. Not even goldfish are allowed. While her friends try to help with alternate pet suggestions, none interest Luna. Almost ready to give up, Luna spies in the trash something small, something green, something someone has discarded–a wilted plant. Perfect! Luna names her new pet Stephanie, confident she can nurse the plant back to health. When others question Stephanie’s suitability as a pet, Luna’s devotion is unwavering. She knows Stephanie is perfect just as she is. But will Luna’s love and care be enough to bring Stephanie to full health? And what are those strange bumps growing on her? Brought to life with warm, expressive artwork, this charming story of one young girl’s belief, determination, and out-of-the-box thinking is perfect for anyone who has ever wished for a how-to grow your own “Stephanie.”

WHY I LOVE THIS BOOK:
1. I love stories that young children can relate to! Many children grow up in apartments where pets are not allowed. And even kids who lives in houses may be told ‘no’ when they ask if they can have a pet.
2. I love the STEM element of Luna taking care of a plant – and there is a back matter activity that encourages the child reader to grow their own ‘pet’.
3. The illustrations are full of heart and humor – and the color palette is very nature-friendly!

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Photo courtesy: https://handsonaswegrow.com/50-plant-and-seed-activities-crafts-science/

Here’s a link to a fabulous website with loads of plant-based activities; https://handsonaswegrow.com/50-plant-and-seed-activities-crafts-science/pet, only to be told no. Back matter includes tips on how to grow your own “Stephanie.”

HELP!

Help! My Child Is Out of Control!

Let me guess at the current scene in your home:

Every morning starts the same -you dread getting out of bed.  Discord, and fighting start the day as your stomach grinds. The constant verbal exchanges and bitterness from this child or teen are taking over the family. Perhaps the situation from unruliness and sassiness as a young child turned to drugs and breaking curfew as a teen. My advice? Forget About It.

Okay, that is an oversimplification. I know you've cried. I know you've done everything you can think of doing. You might have even visited rehab units, and therapists, or had your child on medications. Some of this may be necessary. I am not a medical professional, but there is one thing that I know is vitally important, especially for the parent and grandparent in these situations for their mental health and for the recovery of the child, yet is usually overlooked.

God gave you the ultimate "set-it-and-forget it" answer. You need to pray and let go. Praying is easy. Letting go is the hard part.

I have taught a class with a very powerful way to pray: Put your child's name in scripture. What is their offense? Are they sassy? You could use Ephesians 4:29 Do not let (insert name utter) any unwholesome talk out of their mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.(NIV)

Let me assure you, Dear Parent, for every problem in your household there is an answer in the Bible. If you are unable to find it on your own, your minister can guide you. If you do not have a minister of your own, contact one at your local church. They will be more than willing to help. If you wish, drop a line with your email address alone and I will contact you privately. Prayer works miracles. I have seen it in my own life.

Second, I heard a life-changing bit of advice while raising my six children. I had noticed in the hustle and bustle of our days, getting them out the door for school and then homework, dinner, baths, stories, and bedtime, that there were days I did not have a conversation with a child or two. I was stunned! 

Then I read how vitally important it was to spend a minimum of 10 minutes each day with each child in eye-to-eye contact, having a conversation with them. It makes sense, right? It makes everyone feel valued and seen. Sometimes at the dinner table, our quieter children never got a word in edge-wise!

Put down your phone tonight. Have a conversation with each of your children away from the television and electronics. An unrushed conversation. You will both be better for it! Then pray. The changes will happen. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but I promise, they will happen!

CREATIVE CORNER

Jacqueline Fieck

 I am so excited today! Have you ever had a passion that has led you down a path in life? Our passions can be used to bring beauty and joy to those who occupy this world with us. Our gifts and passions can be bodywork on a car, playing a musical instrument, singing, writing, painting, calligraphy, plumbing, horse-whispering, you name it! I’m going to be looking for some of those creatives. Searching for them and introducing them to you! I’m very lucky that I meet so many talented people in the circles I travel in. Many of them are writers, but not all. You’ll just have to stay tuned to see who I find!

 Today, we are going to meet Jacqueline Fieck. She is an author and an artist. Through her business, Uplifting Depictions, she teaches art classes and provides students an outlet for creativity and stress relief. Jacqueline’s goal in life is to not only serve God but also provide the people of this world with the healing and peace found only in Jesus! She strives to show kindness to others and help them out of the darkness of this world. She believes in the power of prayer and that the World of God is the standard for living life to the fullest. She encourages everyone to stay positive and stay focused on Jesus even through tough times filled with heartache.

Her latest book is a twisty – turny suspense-filled crime drama called Cat Got Your Tongue. The story begins after a young woman finds a stray cat roaming an alley near work. Locating the owner after some time, she finds he is a bitter billionaire with a broken heart. He treats her poorly, so she tells him off and leaves, hoping to never see him again. As fate would have it, the next day the rude man saves her life! When it seems he finally has a chance with her, his past rises from the once burnt ashes to burn him worse than ever.

It is available for purchase here: https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0B3YFPPX9/

For: ebook/$5.99. Paperback/ $19.99