Blog

Tuesday, 30 June 2009

  • To My Darling MnM

    How To Catch A Monkey

    monkeyIn the South of India, people used to catch monkeys in a very special way. Actually they let the monkeys catch themselves. What they did is cut a small hole in a coconut, just large enough for a monkey to put its hand in. Next, they would fix the coconut to a tree, and fill it with a sweet treat, such as a fresh-cut orange or banana. The monkey would smell the treat, squeeze its hand into the coconut, grab the treat in its little monkey-paw and ..find that its fist would not fit through the hole. Now the trick is, that the last thing the monkey will think of is to let go of the treat; and it holds itself prisoner. Yes, the silly little monkey just sits there desperately grasping its treat while the human being comes and catches it... and later has him for dinner with fava beans and a nice chianti.

    I believe we all can fall for the ol’ treat in the coconut trick.  We become that little monkey, hanging on to “things” that become our own trap. Attachment (our intense or obsessive desire for something or someone) is a delusion that can lead to suffering.  It is a delusion because change is the constant nature of things - so that which we are attached to is not even real-- the thing is not what it was yesterday or will be tomorrow, yet we treat it as if it is permanent.  And we tend to idealize the object of attachment or desire.  We dream about it, fantasize about it, building grand plans and designs in our minds, only to find that there were never 'ours' to begin with. 

    Especially as we seek to find God's will and purpose in and for our lives.  We think we've 'got it', only to find it doesn't happen as quickly or smoothly as we had first thought.  "Surely if this were His plan, all would go without a hitch".  Surely?  First of all, is it His plan or ours?  Are we willing to admit that sometimes we run a little ahead of His schedule?  "Sure, got it Lord - I'm on it."  And off we go, implementing and improving, when more prayer and planning may have needed to go into the Master's plan?  What happens when the "plan" gets off track, or develops into something other than we thought at the beginning.  Are we willing to let go - and let God develop the plan after His desires?  Or do we have a 'death grip' on the plan as we conceived it in our own mind's eye?

    May I suggest a devotional passage from Jesus Calling, dated March 24:

    This is a time in your life when you must learn to let go: of loved ones, of possessions, of control.  In order to let go of something that is precious to you, you need to rest in My Presence, where you are complete.  Take time to bask in the Light of my Love.  As you relax more and more, your grasping hand gradually opens up, releasing your prized possession into My care.

    You can feel secure, even in the midst of cataclysmic changes, through awareness of My continual Presence.  The One who never leaves you is the same One who never changes.  I am the same yesterday, today and forever.  As you release more and more things into My care, remember that I have never let go of your hand.  Herein lies your security, which no one and no circumstance can take from you.

    Psalm 89:15           Hebrews 13:8            Isaiah 41:13

    As special note of thanks to Felicia for giving me this book.  It has been a source of blessing to me... and to pass on to others.  You are a very special sister to me!

    And finally - Just remember... what goes around... comes around!

    Monkey gets revenge on owner who forced him to climb trees for coconuts...
    By Andrew Drummond

    A monkey who tired of being forced to climb trees to pick coconuts killed his owner with a well-aimed coconut.

    The owner died immediately from the monkey's  throw from the top of a tree in the Thai Province of Nakorn Sri Thammarat, according to the Samui Express newspaper.

    The newspaper said  that Leilit Janchoom, 48, had beaten the monkey whenever he showed any hesitance to climb a tree.  The owner was insistent because he got the equivalent of 4p (7¢) for every coconut picked.

    But the monkey - it is claimed - apparently found the work boring, strenuous and unrewarding.  The monkey had to climb palms as high as 50 metres, said the report.  The victim's wife Uthai said they had bought the monkey for about £130 ($218).  'It seemed lovable. We called him Brother Kwan,' she said.

    Currently
    Jesus Calling: Enjoying Peace in His Presence [JESUS CALLING SPECIAL AND REVI]
    By Sarah(Author) Young
    see related

Thursday, 25 June 2009

Wednesday, 17 June 2009

  • Serenity NOW!

    If you're a Seinfeld fan (who isn't?, besides Kristin & Kristina who are forced to sit through episode after episode by my boys) you are probably familiar with Mr. Costanza's frustrated plea: "Serenity NOW!".

    Well, I think I've found the cure. Try this prayer on for size next time you're freaking out:

    Father, I thank you for the people in my life who seem to bring more pain than joy, for I believe You have let our paths cross for important reasons. Thank You for the good things you want to do in my life through the things that bother me (their irritating habits? their moodiness? their unloving ways? their demands? their insensitivity? their unrealistic expectations?).

    I am grateful that You are with me, to meet my needs when others- even those close to me- fail to do so. I'm so glad that You are also within me, working to make me more like Jesus- more patient, more gentle, more loving- through the very things I dislike.

    You love these people and Your love is adequate to meet their deep needs and to transform their lives, however willful or unwise they may sometimes be. Thank You for caring deeply for them- and for the fact that each one has the potential of being a vast resevoir from which You could receive eternal pleasure. And so though I may not FEEL grateful, I give thanks for them by faith, trusting Your goodness, Your wisdom, Your power, and Your love for them as well as for me.

    And I praise You that I needn't fret or be envious, or mull over angry thoughts to prove I'm right. By Your power I can receive them as You receive me: just as I am, warts & wrinkles, hangups & all. Thank you that I have freedom of choice; I can choose not to judge them, but to forgive them... To cancel any debts I feel they owe me- any apologies, any obligations...through Your grace, I can choose to wipe clean any slate of grievences I have within me and to view these people with a heart that says, "you no longer owe me a thing."

    Thank you for Your Spirit that empowers me, so that I can do them good, delight in You, and commit my way to You, resting in You as You unfold Your good purposes in these relationships- in Your time.


Wednesday, 10 June 2009

  • Always do right.

    Always do right. This will gratify some people and astonish the rest.

    Mark Twain      

    dudley doright saves the day


    I would guess that it comes as no surprise if I tell you that my favorite cartoon character growing up was Dudley DoRight.  That courageous Canadian Mountie who always showed up just in time to save the woman tied up on the railroad tracks.  Maybe that's where I get my strong sense of right and wrong... of justice prevailing... of doing the right thing, because it's the right thing to do.  I always felt that way as a kid, taking up for the underdog... another of my favorite cartoon characters - hmm, a pattern, perhaps?  One of my managers in business used to call me Deby DoRight (Deby-Do) for short.  Now I see that even Mark Twain was on the "DoRight" band wagon.  Any one else feel this way?

    How about God Almighty - where does he weigh in on the subject?  How about this:

    Micah 6:8 

     No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good,
          and this is what he requires of you:
       to do what is right, to love mercy,
          and to walk humbly with your God. (NIV)
    ______________________________________

    But he's already made it plain how to live, what to do,
       what God is looking for in men and women.
    It's quite simple: Do what is fair and just to your neighbor,
       be compassionate and loyal in your love,
    And don't take yourself too seriously—
       take God seriously. (MSG)

    How often do we look to the heavens and ask God: "What do you want from me.... what do you expect of me?"  The answer is written plainly for us to see by the prophet Micah who wrote to an affluent society in hot pursuit of all the wrong things.  What does the Lord expect of us?  He's uncompromising, but He isn't demanding.  In fact, the answer is so simple, it's almost too easy. Or is it?

    Doing 'what is right' in today's society requires thought and clarification.  The lines have become so blurred in some cases that we can have trouble discerning one from the other.   How to act, how to dress, how to conduct oneself in mixed company - are all determined by what we consider to be true.  Right conduct can't be determined by polling the opinion of others, yet that's often what we do.  Just because our 'culture' says go for it - doesn't mean we should, nor can we believe that just because something is legal, that it's right.  And we can't trust our heart because: The heart is deceitful. (Jeremiah 17:9-10)

    If we believe God's Word is absolute truth, we have a basis for determining what is right and what is wrong.  Only then can we 'do what is right'.  And the only way to do that is to know the Word; and THAT doesn't happen by osmosis.  We need to:

    Read it - Deut 17:19-20
    Meditate on it - Josh 1:8, Psalm 1:2, Psalm 119:97
    Memorize it - Psalm 119:11
    Talk about it - Deut 6:7 & 11:19
    Let it wash over us - Eph 5:26, Rom 12:2

    It's one thing to KNOW God's Word.  It's another to apply it in every day life.  Have you ever heard the phrase:  Missing Heaven by 18 Inches?

    Can you get that close, and still miss it?  What does it mean in Matthew 7:23 when Christ says: "Depart from me, I never knew you?"  How can you go to church your whole life, study the Bible, pray, give, serve, etc. - and still risk hearing these words? 

    18 inches is the distance from your brain to your heart.  It's one thing to KNOW it, it's another to BELIEVE it.  You know the saying... practice what you preach.  You can't (or won't) do what is right and just, unless you buy into it.  You won't buy into it, if you don't believe it.  You can't believe it, if you don't know it.  You won't know it if you don't study it.

    Have you hugged your Bible today? 
    Better yet, have you opened it, read it, studied it?
    Only then will you believe it, apply it, live it, breathe it.

    DoRight
    dudley doright

     

Wednesday, 03 June 2009

Tuesday, 02 June 2009

  • WWLD?

    Okay, this is the 4th time in 14 years that we've faced being unemployed...the dreaded 'lay off'.  Granted, this is the WORST economy in 14 years, and jobs are not hanging on job trees these days.  But that doesn't make the God we serve any smaller today than He was the first time this happened...20 years ago.  A time when we didn't even know Him yet!

    One thing we've learned over the years... Don't take things too seriously.

    Husbands, how do you handle it when your wife bangs up the side of the car while backing out of the garage?  Wives, how do you react when hubby tries to fix something electrical, and you have to call in professionals after clearing out the smoke?

    The quicker we can see the humor in a stressful situation, the better off our marriage will be.  This is especially true in situations involving destruction or loss of material possessions.  We could place blame and struggle with guilt and bitterness.... OR... since nobody is physically injured and the damage is already done we can have a good laugh now and move on.  We know that we'll be telling jokes about it in the future - if history is any indication!

    I think it was Lucille Ball who said:  "Tragedy + Time = Humor - so we may as well laugh about it now."

    Laughter takes faith.  It requires us to trust in a personal God who loves us and has our best interests at heart. A God who has unlimited resources and has promised to provide for our needs.  We are excited to see how He will come through for us.  Again.  A person who trusts God's promises and believes in His power to fulfill them "laughs with no fear of the future".  Proverbs 31:25

    Studies have shown that humor and laughter promote physical healing.  So when you face trials and tribulations (oh yes, you will) just shake your head and chuckle (no, none of that hysterical laughter now), chuckle - and think of the stories you'll tell.

    A cheerful heart is good medicine.  Proverbs 17:22

    WWLD

Monday, 01 June 2009

  • Modern Day Prophets?

    He Must Increase

    Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him there.   Matthew 3:13


    One of the first things Jesus did before starting his public ministry was to be baptized by His cousin John.

    The idea of Jesus having to be baptized bothers some people.  Why should Jesus have to be baptized?  The idea certainly bothered John the Baptist.  John tried to prevent him saying "I need to be baptized by You and You are coming to me?"  Matt 3:14

    It's really not hard to understand why some people have a problem with it.  Luke tells us that John preached "a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins", Luke 3:3.  Since Jesus never committed any sin, and therefore had nothing from which to repent (2 Cor 5:21, Heb 4:15) what purpose would His baptism serve?  So why did Jesus ask John to baptize Him?

    Luke tells us that Jesus & John were cousins.  By his early thirties, John had emerged as a major national figure.  Josephus, the renowned Jewish historian, wrote more about John than Jesus.  Why?  Since the death of the prophet Malachi, some 400 years earlier, Israel had not heard from a genuine prophet of God. 

    Until John.

    Before the time of Jesus, the only way God spoke to His people was through prophets.  Imagine not having heard from God for over 400 years, more than 10 generations!  John shook a nation with his bold words and unusual behavior, drawing huge crowds eager to hear him preach.  He was a radical, a revolutionary who proclaimed an uncompromising message of repentance and faith in the Messiah.  

    But John had no desire to toot his own horn or draw attention to himself.  He clearly knew his role. He was to pave the way and point people to Jesus.  John humbly accepted his role as the forerunner of the Messiah (John 1:27).  His motto in life was: "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).  When John clearly understood Jesus to be the Messiah, he directed even his own disciples to start following the Lord (John 1:36-37). Once he did that, he was ready to fade into obscurity.  His role was to point people to Jesus and then step aside.

    For all these reasons, Jesus declared John the greatest prophet who ever lived.  How many of us think of greatness in these terms?  Too many of us wonder how God can enrich our lives, make us feel better about ourselves, or help us achieve success in business.  We ask what God can do for us to make us, our lives, our legacies, greater and better.

    John had a very different attitude.  He constantly asked himself, "What can I do to prepare people for the coming of the Messiah?  How can I direct them to Him?  How can I decrease and He increase?"

    In this way, John found true greatness with God and with humanity.  His life stands as an example to us of what it takes to shake a nation.  He was not politically correct.  He was not culturally relevant.  But in God's eyes, he was great.

    How can we adopt John's philosophy as well?  "May Christ increase and I decrease."

    If we really lived like that, who knows how it would affect others for their good?

    Like John, we must prepare men and women to get ready for the kingdom of God. 
    We must point them toward Jesus, and then step aside.

    See Through Servant by Pearl Brick

    Excerpt from:

    Currently
    Breakfast with Jesus
    By Greg Laurie
    see related

Tuesday, 26 May 2009

  • Happily Ever-After?

    A wise woman builds her home,
    but the foolish woman tears it down with her own hands.
    Proverbs 14:1


    Over the past couple of years I've watched two wonderful women with beautiful families destroy their homes with their own hands.  Homes deserted, children abandoned, husbands devastated.  Obviously, if these women weren't professing Christ-followers, I wouldn't be so shocked and heartbroken by the ordeal(s).  After all, we live in a fallen world, and without Christ, how could we ever hope for 'happily ever after'?  But for those of us who know Him, these things ought not happen.

    Where did it all go wrong?  Will we ever really know?  How can we avoid this in our own lives and families?  How do we 'help', when we see this happening to someone we love?

    Sometimes there are more questions than answers.  But there are a couple of verses and ideas that come to mind.

    • It's a sign of the times:  Matthew 24:10-12 tells us that in the last days, we will turn on each other, our love for Christ will grow cold.

      Many will fall from the faith; they will even betray their brother.
      Instead of loving you'll find - hatred for one another.
      The false prophets will soon arise and lead many astray.  
      And due to lawlessness increased - men's love will die away.

      A false prophet doesn't have to be a pastor - it could be a 'counselor' who says something like:  It's okay, if you're not happy you should get out of that relationship.  You deserve to be happy.  And if that husband, family, home, car, job, whatever - isn't' making you happy - move on!  Or with regards to having a bad temper, they say something like:  It's okay to get upset - look what you lived through - you're a victim of your circumstances.  No one can fault you for flying off the handle now and then.  We all need to 'vent'. Or my very favorite twisted message:  "you can't love others until you learn to love yourself". Okay, I could preach a whole week on that one alone! We'll save that gem for another time.

      What that 'counselor' is doing, is giving you license to sin.  Yes, I used the "S" word!  The truth is we all deserve hell!  Because we are all sinners, and have missed the mark, we deserve to be cut off from God eternally (that is the true definition of hell).  But because God loves us more than we can ever imagine, He gave us a way out.  Through believing in His Son, we are given mercy (don't have to go to hell- don't have to live through hell on earth) and grace (we get to go to heaven - we can experience abundant life NOW!).

      The verses in Matthew continue on to tell us that those who endure to the end will be saved.  So it's not just a one time thing.  We believed and were saved, yes.  Now we are walking out our salvation, each and every day.  As we endeavor to live a life worthy of the mercy and grace we have received, we touch other lives whether we are conscious of it or not.

    • It's a matter of priorities:  Matthew 6:25-34 tells us that that we worry WAY too much. What we need to remember is that God has it all under control, we need only look to Him for our wants, needs & desires. 

      Therefore don't be concerned about what food you have to eat,
      nor worry about what you drink or if your clothes are neat.
      For all these things the Gentiles seek, but your Heavenly Father knows
      If you seek first His Kingdom, He will provide all of those.
      Don't be anxious about tomorrow, leave it upon the shelf
      Each day has its own kind of trouble, let the future take care of itself.

      A long time ago I learned to align my priorities with God's priorities:  God, Family, Job, Ministry.  In that order; always. 

      1.  God first.  My relationship with Him is my lifeline.  I can do nothing apart from Him. (John 15:5)  I can do ALL things in Him who gives me strength. (Phil 4:13).   The very first place we get off track is when we start thinking that we know better than God.  "This can't be God's will for my life - I deserve better".  That happens as soon as we have a shift in priorities.  No longer are we asking God what He wants for us - but telling Him what we think we should have.  Rule #1 - God first!  Rule #2 - When in doubt, see Rule #1!

      2.  Family Second.  God gave me this family as a gift.  After my relationship with God, my family is my very next priority. When I am old and gray - my job, my boss, my car, my house will not be sitting by my bedside offering me words of comfort.  If I have honored my family by putting them ahead of all my 'worldly' possessions and priorities, I can trust that in the last days, they will be there for me.

      3.  Job Third.  My place of employment is a gift from God to provide for my family.  It is not who I am, is it not where I get my identity.  It is where I am able to provide for my family and give back to the causes the Lord leads me to support.  It is a place where I can shine for Him, by loving on my coworkers, whether they deserve it or not. (Hint: we've already discussed what we deserve!) 

      4.  Ministry Fourth.  Ministry takes on many forms and shapes.  It could be driving the car pool, being a soccer Mom, leading a scout troop or bible study, feeding the poor, visiting the elderly or shut-in, or letting someone who is obviously in a hurry go in front of you at the grocery store checkout lane.  All good things, but all things that come AFTER you've had quiet time with the Lord and you have cared and provided for your family.  What good is it to feed the poor, if your family has to fend for themselves for dinner?  How honorable is it to lead a bible study, if you've screamed at your spouse all day and slammed the door on the way out?  These things happen, when our priorities are out of whack.

    • It's a cry for help:  Galatians 6:1-5 tells us that that when a brother or sister is under a heavy load we are to help bear one another's burdens.  So when we see this happening, we are not to just sit on the sidelines and watch the car wreck, so to speak.  We can try to talk to our friend and offer an outstretched arm and a shoulder to cry on.  But it is also our duty to share God's perspective on the situation, or we are no better than the 'false prophet/counselor' mentioned above.  Sometimes the friend doesn't want to talk, lest we talk some sense into them.  They have either already made up their mind as to what we are going to say - or made up their mind as to what they are going to do.  This will be obvious when we get a cold shoulder or worse, a biting retort: "I really don't think this is any of your business" or the all time favorite "don't you judge me".  Ouch! Very often they get the desired result, we back off and leave them to figure it out alone.

      But there comes a time when you may have to stop talking to your friend about God, and start talking to God about your friend.  Here's a quote from Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Life, which I keep on my computer monitor so I see it daily:

      Prayer is the most important tool for your mission in the world.  People may refuse our love or reject our message, but they are defenseless against our prayers.  Like an intercontinental missile, you can aim a prayer at a person's heart whether you are 10 feet or 10,000 miles away.

    I'd like to be able to say that I don't know where these women are coming from; that I have no idea what's going through their minds.  The awful truth is that I do.  Been there.  Done that.  And by the grace of God woke up before the nightmare was over.  I know, personally, that the war being waged in households across the world is very real.  The battle is for keeps, and the enemy fights dirty.  His job is to kill, steal and destroy, creating as many casualties of war as possible.  And is some cases he is winning. 

    There is only one way to win this war.  James 4:7 says: 
    Submit yourselves to God, resist the devil and he will flee from you. 

    Submit yourself to God.  You know what is right, do it!  It doesn't matter how you feel. Feelings are emotions and they can't be trusted.  Emotions change, because they are... emotional! 

    Your feelings are not bound by whether something is real or imagined.  If you watch a sad movie you.... cry!  If you watch a funny movie you.... laugh!   If you watch a sweet, sentimental movie you... sigh!  All of which were emotions created for you in Hollywood.  If your 16 year old is a half hour late coming home with the car and not answering the cell phone, you are SURE they are in a ditch, bleeding to death.  Not TRUE - but evoking emotions none the less!  

    Your feelings are not bound by whether something is current, past or future.  If an old memory comes back, you react as if it were a fresh wound.  You might be daydreaming about your 6 year old child's future wedding and get all misty.  This is why we can not trust feelings - they can be false, they can change, they can be influenced or manufactured.  If we submit ourselves to God, we put the past, present and future in His capable hands, and we can breathe a deep sigh of relief.  If we know and trust that He has our best interests at heart.  (He does.)

    Resist the devil and he will flee from you.  Don't go there.  Know your triggers and avoid them, physically, mentally and emotionally.  If a certain place makes you feel like you deserve more - flee that place!  (The Mall, a movie or TV show, a magazine you're reading, a website, a 'friend' or coworkers comments - and don't get me started on romance novels a.k.a. soft porn!).  If certain thoughts take you down a road you don't need to be on - flee that place!  We need to learn to take every thought captive.  See earlier post on this topic - July 19, 2008  

    Bottom line: (I'm a bottom-line kinda girl) We know what is right to do.  If we don't do it - that's sin!  James 4:17

    ©2009  Deby Lantz-Sørensen

     

    Give us this day, our daily bread,
    On you we do depend.
    Deliver us from the evil one,
    Forgive our sins again.
    Incline our ears to hear Your word,
    Remind us of your ways.
    Secure in us a future bright,
    Trusting you all of our days.

    ©1997 Deby Lantz-Sorensen

     

    Currently
    Lies Women Believe: And the Truth that Sets Them Free
    By Nancy Leigh DeMoss
    see related

Monday, 11 May 2009

Friday, 20 March 2009

  • Faith-filled Fridays

    Malachi 3:6-10

    "I am God - yes, I AM.  I haven't changed.  And because I haven't changed, you, the descendants of Jacob, haven't been destroyed.  You have a long history of ignoring my commands.  You haven't done a thing I've told you.  Return to me so I can return to you", says the Lord of Hosts.

    "You ask, 'But how do we return?'  Begin by being honest.  Do honest people rob God?  But you rob me day after day.  You ask, 'How have we robbed you?'  The tithe and offering - that's how!.  And now you're under a curse - the whole lot of you - because you're robbing me.  Bring your full tithe into the storehouse so there will be ample provisions.  Test me in this and see if I don't open up heaven itself to you and pour out blesssings beyond your wildest dreams.  For my part, I will defend you against marauders, protect your wheat fields and vegetable gardens against plunderers.  You will be voted 'Happiest Nation on Earth'.  You'll experience what it's like to be a country of grace."  God of the Angles of Hosts says so. 

     

DebyS

  • Visit DebyS's Xanga Site
    • Name: Deby
    • Country: United States
    • State: Georgia
    • Gender: Female
    • Member Since: 3/2/2006
    • Premium

Weblog Archives

Don't worry - your calendar is here… to see it in action just click "Save" above and refresh the page.

Pulse

About Me

  • American Dane