I'm Not Settling

We have a cat. He's not really OUR cat but belongs to my daughter and he temporarily shares
our house. Because my daughter is at work all day and I am home, he has decided I am his new
best friend. Every time I sit down he hops on my lap. If I'm not available he sits on my husband.
He does adapt. This morning I couldn't accommodate him so he settled for sleeping on  my
sweatshirt on the couch. Guess that was the closest he could get to the real me. He settled. What do we settle for in our lives? Do we always strive for the best? Do we always have to have the best?
I can settle for an off brand of soup or a cheaper grade of gasoline but some things I just will not
compromise. Like Jesus. He wants all of me and I want all of Him. Everything I do all day should
be dedicated to Him. He should be first in my thoughts and foremost in all my actions. I shouldn't
compromise my decisions, my attitude, or my heart. He is the one place I cannot afford to settle. I
pray you have the strength to settle for nothing less than Jesus today. Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.

Can You Change Your Own Heart?

Is there something about you that you would like to change? We all have characteristics
that others would probably admire but we are all human as well and exhibit characteristics
we probably aren't proud of. C.S. Lewis once wrote, "The best way to acquire a virtue, is to
act like you already have it. It will change your heart." Think about it. If you need to adjust
your acceptance or even love for a certain student, what if you acted like you already DID love
him? The same could be said about a colleague, or a principal, or a parent. Acting like we
want to be, or feel, will change us until we really DO feel like our heart has been changed.
Jesus was able to love the sinners no matter who they were or what they had done. So we can
practice what He did the first time around and sooner or later, His love will fill our hearts so
we can love like He did. Let's try to act on C.S. Lewis' words this week as we model our
behavior after Jesus. I think both Lewis and Jesus got it right. Be blessed by the Lord and
highly favored.

Am I Being Fed?

I was not very attentive to filling the bird feeder last summer. I figured the birds would survive and in good weather they would find other food sources. But one day recently after I decided to fill the feeder, I sat back on the porch and watched and waited for them to return. They had stopped looking a long time ago and I began to wonder...Where are they? Will they come back to check my feeder?
It's free food. What are they waiting for? Don't they remember where I am? I really do love watching them and want to help care for them but I've been a bit lazy. Do you suppose the Lord ever feels like that? He sends His food to us daily in many different ways; Scripture, other believers, music, worship services, to say nothing of the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. Could He ask the same questions? Where are they? Free food. Free salvation. Nourishment. Don't they remember where I am? What are they waiting for? The one thing He will never say is, "I want to care for them but I've been a bit lazy." God is not lazy nor does He ever take a season off. Lamentations 3:22 says, "Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.

We're All Called

There's a song by Hillsong called, "Oceans." You probably know it and maybe you are as moved as I am by its lyrics. Let me share some of the words to remind you or just to gift you with these ideas. "You call me out upon the waters, the great unknown, where feet may fail, and there I find You in the mystery, in oceans deep my faith will stand." Isn't that just what God does? He calls us. He calls us to the unknown. But it's not unknown to Him. So if He is the hand you are  holding, if He is your anchor, if He is your pilot, then you don't have to be afraid of the unknown. One of you knows where you're going! Yes, we will sometimes feel like we are in an ocean and it's all we can do to keep our "eyes above the waves" but as the song says, "Your grace abounds in deepest waters, your sovereign hand will be my guide...You've never failed and You won't start now." I pray your week gives you the faith to trust the One Who Holds You and you feel His presence every day. Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.

Does It Really Matter What You Wear?

Usually I would answer, No. But in light of my thoughts today, my answer is, Yes.
In my classroom my kids would notice if I repeated an outfit during a week, new jewelry,
 or crazy socks I'd wear, just to entertain them! But I'm talking about what we can wear
for protection; things we should not leave home without. Last weekend we visited my
brother in law's church and he inspired me to give more thought to the Armor of God.
Ephesians 6:10-20 may not be new to you but as you read or reread it, you will see that
what we really need to be concerned about wearing is the "Belt of Truth, the Breastplate
of Righteousness, the Sandals of Readiness to Share the Gospel, the Shield of Faith, the
Helmet of Salvation, and the Sword of the Spirit." Wear all these and cover them with
prayer. Give thought as to how to make this armor evident each day to all those around
you.These are way better than crazy socks! Be blessed by the Lord and highly favored.