Kindles, 1 Samuel, Fruit, and Back packing...Yep, I have a case of the rambles!!!!

I LOVE my Kindle! My good friend told me that she listens to the text to voice option while she does dishes. I am working on a gift for a friend so I decided to try it out the voice option. Now, I can't say that I love the way it sounds, but this morning I was able to listen to the first 6 books in I Samuel while I was working my craft! I have a terrible time just sitting. I need to multi task every waking minute of my day. To be able to work on a gift for a friend and listen to the word of God was the perfect; I am so happy that I tried it out.

The thing that really stuck in my head after 'listening' to I Samuel was Samuel saying, "I'm here...you called?" Sometimes I think that instead of saying I'm here, I put my fingers in my ears and pretend like I didn't hear a thing!  Hmmm, something else that I need to give to God. So often I let my fears guide my response to His calling.

Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
I think it is odd that self control is at the very end of the list. If I were to use self control in all the areas of my life that I should then most of the others on list wouldn't be so difficult!

 I have a very vivid picture in my head of my quest to know God and to be the Christian woman that I should be. Above is a pic of my kids and me while on a backpacking trip with the WBC youth group. This trip is so similar to my life. I carried a heavy pack (I carry my worries, my sin, my lack of faith), I should have trained harder before going so that my muscles would have been ready (Need to be doing daily devos and listening to the word of God under good leadership whenever possible), I sprained my ankle and chipped a bone in my foot within the first few hours of the trip and continued to walk on it for two more days.( I fall into sin and doubt and instead of admitting I need help and turning to God I try to handle it on my own and just like my foot end up making things much worse!)
by the end of the trip I was bruised and battered, but I had seen some of the most beautiful views I could ever have imagined AND I was able to say I finished, I did it. Someday when I stand at the end of my life I hope that I will be able to look back and be able to proudly say that I trusted in God and I was a light that shined in the darkness. To know that all of the bumps and bruises were for God's glory would be the best thing ever!

Flowers and Fruit

A friend was coming to my home. As she drove down my street looking for the correct house number she noticed a yard with tons of flowers; although it did not match the house number that she had written down she knew it must be my home. She told me this when she came in, and it made me happy to know that my love of flowers is so evident in my yard.

Later I started to wonder if my love of Jesus is as evident in my life as my love of flowers is in my yard. If a stranger walks down my street they know that someone who lives here loves flowers. No signs are needed, no one needs to tell them it is just obvious. Do I have fruit in my life that makes my love obvious, do I need to tell people, and wear clothing that states, "I am a Christian"? I think it is time to take a very close look at my life. I need to watch very closely to make sure that the love of Christ shines through my every word and action!

Be Sober, Be vigilant

Several years ago I read a book featuring a group of woman who prayed together. Since then it has been my hearts desire to be part of a prayer group. The Lord laid the opportunity at my feet and I grabbed on with both hands.
We met in my home this morning at 9AM and plan to continue meeting here every Friday. We started this morning with introductions because several of the women had never met. It was such a blessing to have 4 churches represented. Although the structure of our Sunday services may differ, we are women who love the Lord and have a desire for Him to take our children into His hands and make them His own. The best way to describe the way I still feel almost seven hours later.....WOW! To hear other moms, some with little ones and some with adult children, cry out to the Lord for their children with the same passion that I feel was just amazing.
God has made so many wonderful promises in his word about prayer In Matthew 21: 22 Jesus said to his disciples, "Assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith and do not doubt, you will not only do what was done to the fig tree, but also if you say to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ it will be done. ²² And whatever things you ask in prayer, believing, you will receive.”
Our God is so good.
In I Peter 5: 6- 8 We Read  Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, ⁷ casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.
⁸ Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.
I grew up hearing this verse and I understood it without too much difficulty, but it wasn't until I had school aged children that I really got it. It seems like kids are attacked from every side. Looking back I know I was and sadly I fell right into a sinful life because I wanted so badly to be accepted. Part of me would like to keep my kids in a little Christian bubble with the shades drawn. That would please me, but how would that bring glory to God?  Remember what Jesus said about putting a light under a bushel? Wanting a good life for our kids is great, but wanting them to serve the Lord, be a light in the darkness, and bring glory to His name should be our hearts desire.
My husband and I have made sure that our kids know about God and the plan of salvation. We have taken them to church regularly, read the Bible with them, prayed with and for them. Both of my kids spent time in Christian schools. We have instilled the knowledge into their minds; what they do with that knowledge is up to them. I pray that they will go out into the world and when our adversary raises his ugly head and roars at them they will be steadfast and be a light to the world.

I praise God that as I Peter 5: 6 - 8 states , "He cares for you" GOD CARES FOR MY KIDS
OK, I know this and you probably know this, but sometimes I just can;t wrap my brain around the fact that the creator, the One who made the entire universe cares for me and my family. What a wonderful promise!

So until the times come for me to meet my blessed Redeemer I will try to be sober and vigilant; because my  adversary the devil is walking about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.

Sherri

But Lord, I don't want to want that!

A window into  my sinful heart.
Lord, I prayed I like that sin. I'm not going to ask you to help me avoid that sin yet, because it would just be words and I wont mean it. Like I said I really enjoy that sin; it makes me happy. Lord, I will pray instead that you will make my desire to please you greater than my liking of that sin. After that we can deal with the actual sin.
Have you ever been in a place where you enjoy whatever sin it is that you constantly find yourself?  I have always been a people pleaser, so through the years I have done pretty well at keeping the outward sins at bay, but oh boy the sins of my heart and mind are doozies. I have been ashamed to find as I Quest to know my Savior better that I like taking part in many of my sinful thoughts. My pride loves to look at others and make mental lists of how they are sinning. Boy do I feel good about myself when I put myself on an outward sin scale and find that they are way heavier.
I want so badly to know my savior better. For the first time in my life I think that I want this for the right reason. In the past I think I always wanted a great relationship with God so that I could reap the benefits. The miracles are great, but now just to know Him is fabulous! As I get to know Him better areas of sin in my heart and mind seem to blink like a neon sign. As I said above I like too much many of the things that I do so that sometimes I find I can't pray for help in those areas. I need to take it back a step and ask the Lord to make my desire to please and love Him greater than my liking of that sin. After that we can deal with the actual sin.