I was created for Him.

"...Everything was created through Him and for Him."  Colossians 1:16

Let's look at that again... EVERYTHING (everyone) was created through Him (He wanted ME, He planned ME, He designed ME, He created ME) FOR Him (with a plan, for a purpose).  

Let's look at that one more time...on a more personal level... TERESA BREEDING was created THROUGH HIM and FOR HIM.  Now put your name in there- __________ was created THROUGH HIM and FOR HIM.  Powerful isn't it?

So the question becomes: What are we doing to live out the purpose He created us for?  Are we just surviving?  Are we just getting up, going to work, running the kids here and there, cleaning house, and fixing dinner....  Are we just getting through each day?  Or are we living our lives on PURPOSE?  Not that we shouldn't do these things, but are we doing them FOR Him?  

Are we seeking real life opportunities to teach our children about the Lord?  Are we striving to be godly examples to our husbands and our children?  

Are we looking for ways to serve Him at work?  Maybe by reaching out to a co-worker....or by being mindful of working in such a way that honors Him as Paul advises in Colossians 3:23: "Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as working for the Lord, not for men." 

My Prayer Today:
Lord, help me to be more mindful of You today, that I may bring glory and honor to You through my words and actions.  That I will find ways to honor and serve You even in the seemingly mundane tasks of my day.

The Source of All Wisdom

So here's the story-  King Saul is the King of Israel.  He wants to kill David because the Lord has declared that David will become the King of Israel although David is not a member of Saul's family.  So, instead of following God and leading his people, Saul's life goal is to kill David.  


Well, that never happens and Saul ends up killing himself.  His grandson, Ishbosheth is declared King of Israel. But, David knew that God had promised the kingdom to him (David), and he knew that God would fulfill His promise in His own time.  


One day, two of David's men, Recab and Baanah, took it upon themselves to sneak into Ishbosheth's home and kill him during his afternoon nap.  They cut off his head and took it to David.  They told David, "Look!  Here is the head of Ishbosheth, the son of your enemy Saul who tried to kill you.  Today the Lord has given my lord the king revenge on Saul and his entire family!" (2 Samuel 4:8)


These men were on David's side.  They did this for him.  They told David that GOD had given them this  opportunity for revenge....that this was God's plan.  But it WASN'T.  And David was so connected with God that he knew it wasn't.  And so instead of going along with them and accepting this as God's will, he had them killed for murdering an innocent man.


This is a rather extreme story.  But, the point is, how often do we listen to what others tell us is God's will instead of trusting what God tells us Himself?  Many times we look to others for answers when we should be looking to God.  We often accept the advice and OPINIONS of Christian people as God's will.   


Yes, God can guide us through Christian friends but they are human and should never be relied on more than God.  If we are looking to God for guidance and direction we will find it through connecting with HIM through prayer and reading His Word.  Don't skip this essential connection to the Source of all wisdom.  

The Lord Looks at the Heart

The beginning of the book of 1 Samuel follows the reign of King Saul.  Geez, does this guy have his ups and downs with the Lord!  He continually tends to....shall we say..."modify" the Lord's instructions  to suit his desires and the desires of his people.  God is continually sending Samuel to get Saul back on track.  


Finally, enough was enough and Samuel told Saul "Since you have rejected the Lord's command, He has rejected you as king of Israel."   (1 Samuel 15:26)  He then informed Saul that God had chosen someone else to be king and that He would not change His mind.


And do you know what Saul's response was? It was this:
"Then Saul pleaded again, 'I know I have sinned.  But please, at least HONOR ME before the elders of my people and before Israel by coming back with me so that I may worship the Lord your God.'"             (1 Samuel 15:30)


WHAT???  Saul was more concerned about public opinion of him than he was about his personal relationship with God.  He wanted to make sure that the people still thought highly of HIM and that they still thought Samuel supported HIM and that they saw HIM publicly worship God. 


Terrible huh?  But....do I do that?  Do you?


I'd like to think not.  But, I do find this passage as a good reminder to evaluate my heart and my actions.  I don't just want to APPEAR close to God, I want to BE close to God.  Yeah, admittedly, everyone has a "behind the scenes" where we definitely aren't perfect.  But, in reality, if our actions and behaviors "behind the scenes" are oftentimes different from our actions and behaviors in public.... then we need to examine our hearts and our motives.  We need to be less concerned with who people THINK we are and more concerned with who we actually ARE.  Remember- "People judge by the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."  (1 Samuel 16:7)


My prayer today:  "Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.  Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life."  (Psalm 139:23)

Tomorrow....tomorrow....

James 4:13-15 " Now listen, you who say, 'Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.' Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, 'If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.'"


It's true.  We don't know the Lord's will.  We don't know what tomorrow brings or even if tomorrow will come for us or for our loved ones. 


When I was 22 years old, I married my best friend.  We both worked more than full time Monday through Friday.  He got up at 4 am every morning and was in bed by 9. He did odd jobs for people several nights a week for extra income- mowing...painting...even scrubbing bricks one time.  I had a full time job from 8:30 to 5 and a part time job typing deeds in a law office from 5:15 to 8 or 9 most nights.  But we were both off on the weekends.  Saturdays were spent doing chores.  I worked inside.  He worked outside.  Sundays we went to church, spent the afternoon with family and got to bed early because Monday was coming.  


We spent the next 4 years of our lives working and dreaming about what we were gonna do when we had enough money to do something.  But that day never came.  His life ended abruptly in the wee hours of a Sunday morning in May of 2001 and I found myself widowed at the age of 26 wishing we had done a little less work and a lot more play. 


I am reminded of the story of Mary and Martha.  While Mary sat at the feet of Jesus, Martha busied herself with preparing the meal.  She likely spent the day cleaning and cooking and trying to make everything perfect.  She was so tired and busy that she couldn't even enjoy her guests.  But, JESUS reminded Martha that RELATIONSHIP is more important.  Relationship with Him but also, I believe, relationship with His people.  


There was a time in my life that if my house wasn't perfect, I wouldn't have guests over.  I'm still self conscious about that, but I am working on it because I learned the hard way that relationships...time....memories.... are what matter.  A little dirt never hurt nobody.  lol  


There was also a time in my life when I felt like it was wrong to leave a messy house and go do something fun.  That I was shirking responsibility and being irresponsible.  Not anymore.  Life is short.  Enjoy it.  Enjoy the PEOPLE in it.


Just so ya know, the Lord has blessed me with TWO GREAT MEN in my life.   I married again- to a man who doesn't care if the floor is mopped and the dishes are done.  He just wants to BE WITH ME.  I kinda like that.     

Inner vs. Outer Beauty

"Before he had finished praying, Rebekah came out with her jar on her shoulder. She was the daughter of Bethuel son of Milkah, who was the wife of Abraham’s brother Nahor. The woman was very beautiful, a virgin; no man had ever slept with her. She went down to the spring, filled her jar and came up again. 

The servant hurried to meet her and said, “Please give me a little water from your jar.”

“Drink, my lord,” she said, and quickly lowered the jar to her hands and gave him a drink.

After she had given him a drink, she said, “I’ll draw water for your camels too, until they have had enough to drink.” So she quickly emptied her jar into the trough, ran back to the well to draw more water, and drew enough for all his camels."                                       Genesis 24:15-20 
  

Good looks AND a servant's heart?  Wow!

Have you ever met someone who was beautiful on the outside but not so pretty on the inside?  I have.  And usually, I end up looking at their outward appearance and thinking-  "Ya know, they really don't even look all that great!"

But, I've also met people who were mediocre on the outside and after getting to know them and seeing how wonderful they were on the inside, I would begin to find them more attractive on the outside....

Rebekah apparently had it all, but it is clear in this scripture that outer beauty was not enough.  More importanly, Abraham's servant was looking for a woman who had a servant's heart....an inner beauty.  He found that in Rebekah as well.

I know we all have those moments when we compare ourselves to others and feel like we don't measure up.  It's a shame that we don't live in a "Shallow Hal" kind of world.  But, the truth is, inner beauty can do more for your appearance than makeup or hair spray could ever do.

What traits do you think add to a person's inner beauty?

I have Super Powers!!!

"Let your faith be like a shield, and you will be able to stop all the flaming arrows of the evil one."

Ephesians 6:16

I'm smiling as I read this verse because I am actually picturing myself as a superhero. I'm wearing a cute little leotard and a headband.... a brown eyed Wonder Woman if you will.... lol And I have this big shield attached to my arm and I swing around effortlessly deflecting flaming arrows coming at me from all directions.

It's a funny visual but it's so much better than the other visual....me.... haggard and worn.... barely even raising the shield at my side as I'm being plastered with arrow after arrow.....after arrow.....

....arrows of temptation.....arrows of heartache and loss..... arrows of busyness.... arrows of irritations....

.... arrows that say "Just do it".... "See you FAILED AGAIN!".... "You're not good enough"..... "God can't love you"..... " "If He loved you, you wouldn't be going through this"....."Just give up"....

The really sad thing is that a lot of the time, I am that 2nd person. Exhausted and beat down. But WHY???? When I can be a SUPERHERO! I can raise up my shield and boldly declare

"I CAN DO ALL THINGS THROUGH CHRIST WHO STRENGTHENS ME"!!!!!! (Phil. 4:13)

and

"IF GOD IS FOR [ME] WHO CAN BE AGAINST [ME]"???? (Romans 8:31)

because

"GREATER IS HE THAT IS IN [ME] THAN HE THAT IS IN THE WORLD"!!! (1 John 4:4)

I'm tired of feeling tired and defeated. I have a SUPERHERO living inside of me and through His POWER I can have VICTORY in my life!

You can too!

My kids love this song:

Jesus You're My Superhero (click to watch it on youtube)

Wives submit to your husbands...

"And further, submit to one another out of reverence for Christ. For wives, this means to submit to your husbands as to the Lord. For a husband is the head of his wife as Christ is the head of the church. He is the Savior of his body, the church. As the church submits to Christ, so you wives should submit to your husbands in everything." Ephesians 5:21-24

Definition:

SUBMIT- verb "To defer to another's judgment, opinion, decision, etc."

I don't know about you, but the word "submit" tends to make me...uh....uncomfortable. I tend to translate it as "hand over control". Which is not an easy thing for me to do. And I think about my friends with unbelieving husbands and I think- YIKES! Does this scripture apply to them? So, in reading this, this morning my mind was screaming....BUT....BUT....WHAT IF?

WHAT IF the husband is not a Christian?

"Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives." 1 Peter 3:1

Ok....BUT.... BUT....

WHAT IF the husband is making a decision that the wife knows is against God?

"We must obey God rather than any human authority." Acts 5:29

Ok so, we must submit to the authority of our husbands, BUT NOT if it leads us into sin.

So, being submissive to our husbands does NOT mean that we are to blindly obey his every whim without ever offering an opinion ourselves. But, it DOES mean that we must be respectful of our husbands REGARDLESS of their Christian walk (or lack thereof). We should allow our husbands to be the heads of our households.

John MacArthur sums it up well:

"You have a husband who is a trial to you, either because he's unsaved or he's a disobedient believer, he fails to fulfill all of your hopes and expectations for what you would want as a husband. He comes short for what you hope for and maybe what you thought he was. And you are gravely disappointed. You chafe under his authoritarianism. He cares little for how you feel, it seems. All the more reason to be submissive, all the more reason to demonstrate to him a meekness, a purity, a respectful kind of behavior, all the more reason not only to adorn the outside and please do that, we all appreciate it, but do more than that, more than putting on a pretty dress or wearing gold jewelry or doing your hair, adorn your heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit which is precious in the sight of God. And I might say every man's dream.

It doesn't mean you have to kill your personality. It doesn't mean you have to become a robot. It doesn't mean you have to become boring. It doesn't mean you never give your opinion. But there needs to be deep down in your heart gentleness, quietness, that hidden part is precious in the sight of God."

"Lord, help me to be more submissive to my husband. May I walk in your light in every instance so that I may influence and encourage his walk with You as well. Amen.

I Wanna Be In The Light

"You used to be like people living in the dark, but now you are people of the light because you belong to the Lord. So act like people of the light and make your light shine. Be good and honest and truthful, as you try to please the Lord. Don't take part in doing those worthless things that are done in the dark. Instead, show how wrong they are. It is disgusting even to talk about what is done in the dark. But the light will show what these things are really like. Light shows up everything, just as the Scriptures say, 'Wake up from your sleep and rise from death. Then Christ will shine on you.'" Ephesians 5:8-14

When I was a little girl, I was afraid of the dark. My Momma always had to leave the light on in the hallway outside my room so that I wouldn't be scared. I found safety in that light.

Isn't it odd that as we get older, we find "safety" in the darkness? We think we can hide our sins even though the Bible tells us, "You may be sure that your sin will find you out." Numbers 32:23

If you've ever been inside a bar or nightclub, you may have noticed...it's dark in there. I wonder if people would act differently if the lights were really bright....like spotlight bright.... I think they would.

You see, God is our spotlight. In fact, the Bible tells us in 1 John 1:5, that "God is light." We can't hide our sins from Him.

Living "in the light" means living for Him. It means living our lives in such a way that we don't feel the need to hide anything. An authentic life. A life of integrity. That's what I want.

One of my favorite D.C. Talk songs, "In the Light", says it so well. These lyrics have become my prayer today:

I wanna be in the light
As You are in the light
I wanna shine like the stars in the heavens
Oh, Lord be my light and be my salvation
Cause all I want is to be in the light
All I want is to be in the light

Shut the Door!

"And don't sin by letting anger control you. Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil." Ephesians 4:26-27

When we get mad about things and we dwell on them, we are opening the door for the devil to come in and cause trouble. We are allowing those negative feelings and emotions to take root and affect us on many different levels.

First, anger and pent up feelings tend to flow over into the rest of our day. We may be frustrated and short with other people. Behavior like this hurts our witness and the devil likes that.

Secondly, unresolved hurt causes stress and tension. This could result in health problems such as high-blood pressure, weight loss, weight gain (emotional eating), headaches, body aches, fatigue etc. These health problems could result in decreased energy and ability to serve God. And the devil likes that.

Thirdly, when we let anger build up and take root inside of us instead of openly and honestly dealing with it, relationships can be destroyed. For example, if you are angry with your husband- don't avoid it, and don't avoid him. Talk it out. If you don't, it will fester and grow and your marriage will become vulnerable. And the devil likes this.

Finally, as a grief counselor, I can not tell you how many people I have counseled who have lost someone suddenly and regretted their last conversations. They "let the sun go down on [their] anger" and a car accident....heart attack....or suicide resulted in unresolved conflict that they have to live with every day. And guess what? The devil likes that too.

I don't know about you, but I don't want the devil to like ANYTHING that I do! So it's important that we deal with our anger constructively. Get things out in the open, talk, take responsibility for our part in whatever the problem is, try to explain our side and work through it. In doing so, we are SHUTTING THAT DOOR and keeping the devil from getting that foothold.

Don't Catch Their Drift!

"In the Lord's name, I tell you this. Do not continue living like those who do not believe. Their thoughts are worth nothing. They do not understand and they know nothing, because they refuse to listen. So they cannot have the life that God gives. They have lost all feeling of shame, and they use their lives for doing evil. They continually want to do all kinds of evil." Ephesians 4:17-19 (NCV)

We probably all have friends who are either non-believers or non-followers of Christ. (Remember there is a BIG difference in simply believing in Christ and actually FOLLOWING Him.) Jesus was a friend to sinners as well. He influenced many of them to follow Him.

The question we need to ask ourselves in our relationships is who is influencing whom? Are YOU leading them TO Christ? Or are THEY leading you AWAY from Christ? They don't have the convictions that you have. They live for themselves and don't feel guilty about it. "They have lost all feeling of shame." (v.19)

It's easy to become blind to this. It's easy to drift. It's like when you go to the ocean and you run out onto the beach, pick out a spot, put your blanket and your flip flops down and run out into the water. You're jumping waves, soaking up the sun, having a good ol' time when you look up and discover your blanket and flip flops aren't there. Or are they? Oh, there they are- back down the beach about 50 yards! How did that happen? While you were caught up having fun, you didn't realize you were drifting away. But, your stuff didn't move.....YOU did.

This can happen in your spiritual walk too. When you begin to hang out with people who don't have the same values as you do, you can begin to drift. Slowly at first, without even noticing until suddenly you realize, you are far away from God. But HE didn't move. YOU did.

In this passage we are warned, "Do not continue living like those who do not believe." (v. 14)

John McArthur said it well- "Sin is something you can't blame on anybody but yourself. You make repeated wrong choices, a choice makes a habit and a habit makes a personality and a personality makes a character and a character determines a destiny."

In other words- drifting is extremely DANGEROUS.

Lord help me to make good choices in friends and relationships. Help me to surround myself with people who encourage my Christian walk so that I may be a woman of good character.

The Storms are Coming

Ephesians 4:14 "We must stop acting like children. We must not let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings, which are like the winds that toss us around from place to place."

Stop acting like children.....

What do children act like? Well... in observing my own children, I have found that they live for the moment. They do what feels good without thinking about the consequences.

Children are not knowledgeable. They are young, they have to learn that fire is hot and playing in traffic is a bad idea.

My children will generally do what I tell them to do ....or their teachers tell them to do ..... or YOU tell them to do ....or BOB tells them to do...or....oh dear.... children are very influential.

Paul warns us in this verse not to "act like children"....not to be naive, not to act like we don't know right from wrong....not to "let deceitful people trick us by their false teachings". In other words....GROW UP! Read the Bible for yourself. Know what it says. Don't let someone else mislead you because you are not knowledgeable.

He says these false teachings are "like the winds that toss us around from place to place". Coincidentally, I am typing this as our county is under a tornado watch. This has brought more meaning to this verse for me. Strong winds are unpredictable. Strong winds destroy good buildings. Strong winds cause chaos, confusion, and sometimes death.

I am terrified of tornadoes. So I take precautions when they come. I grab my kids and get in our storm closet with our pillows, blankets, and flashlights and pray for safety. I listen to the radio for guidance and direction.

But are we taking precautions in our spiritual lives as well? Are we prepared for the strong winds that come our way and try to blow us off our paths? Those deceitful voices that try to confuse us and make us think that our lukewarm Christianity is good enough? Are we teaching our children where to go for safety (God)? Are we keeping our flashlights and radios nearby (God's Word)?

I hope so. Because the storms are coming.

Once upon a time.... I had a bad day.

"As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace."

Ephesians 4:1-3 (CEV)

Sometimes I get in a bad mood. It happens. I remember one day in particular when I was in a bad mood. It was a few years ago (not that I couldn't think of a more recent one but this one sticks out in my mind). I was an exhausted new mom. Brianna had cried practically all night (so did I) and she only slept in 20 minute increments. I got a phone call that my stepdaughter, Rio, needed a change of clothes at school and they couldn't get a hold of her mom. So I loaded up Brianna and headed to the school to take Rio some clean clothes. On the way, Brianna threw up EVERYWHERE.

I knew there was no way I could get her out of the car to go into the school and of course, I couldn't leave her in the car. So, I called the school office and asked if they could send someone out to the car to get the clothes. They didn't want to do that....maybe they were very busy.... maybe it was against the rules... I don't know...I didn't CARE! After transferring me to 3 different people (I was quite rude I might add- so of course they didn't want to be very helpful) finally someone came out to get the clothes. And then the already exhausted me, went back home to give Brianna a bath and scrub the car and the car seat. I'm sure people referred to me after that as the rude, crazy woman in the parking lot. Haha! The truth is- I was just having a really bad day.

The thing is that when WE are having a bad day, we expect everyone to understand and make allowances for us. But, when SOMEONE ELSE is rude, or short tempered, or impatient with us do we look past it and understand that it may just be a result of their circumstances? Or do we just judge them for their current actions?

Now don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that it's ok to be rude or impatient. But, I am saying that as Christians, it is our responsibility to look deeper.

After all, if you knew that the person who cut you off in traffic was rushing to the bedside of a dying loved one- would you be so quick to anger?

If you knew that the rude clerk at the store had been up all night with a sick baby, would you be a little more tolerable?

If you knew that the person impatiently waiting in line behind you works 65 hours a week just to keep food on the table and they are pushed for time to get to their 2nd job- would you let them go in front of you?

BUT do we really NEED to know all the details to treat people with grace?

"Always be humble and gentle. Be patient with each other, making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." Making allowances for each other's faults.... Are we?

Heavenly Father, help me to see others through Your eyes. Help me to love them with Your love.

Roots

"Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your roots will grow down into God's love and keep you strong." Ephesians 3:17 (NIV)

The dictionary defines roots as:

"Noun: a part of the body of a plant that develops, typically, from the radicle and grows downward into the soil, anchoring the plant and absorbing nutrients and moisture.

Verb: to become fixed or established"

Have you ever tried to pull up a plant or a weed and you just couldn't do it? Its roots were so deep that you just couldn't uproot it? I have. One time I tried to pull up a tiny little plant. I wrapped my hand around the whole thing and pulled with all my might and it didn't even budge. Other times, I've pulled up plants almost on accident with very little effort. The difference? Roots.

Plants or trees with DEEP, STRONG roots can not be uprooted as easily as ones with weak, shallow roots.

The mighty oak tree has some of the longest, strongest roots of all trees. If you've ever tried to uproot an oak you know, it's not so easy. Its roots obtain water, oxygen and minerals from the soil. In other words... the roots absorb the LIFE SOURCE.

The thing is we can "root" ourselves in a variety of things- good or bad.

So the question becomes- What are you rooted in? What is your life source?

In this passage, Paul is praying for the Ephesian people that their "roots will grow down into God's love". What does that mean? He wants them to KNOW God..... to seek God as their SOURCE of LIFE.... to NOURISH themselves with the everlasting LIVING WATER. He wants them to CONNECT themselves to God's Word, to God's Spirit. He wants them to DIG DEEP into their understanding of Him and His love.

We too, will GROW in our relationship with Him if we DIG DEEP into His Word, by reading and studying our Bibles. We too, will find spiritual NOURISHMENT through communicating with Him in prayer. As we pursue Him, our roots will grow deeper and stronger. Our faith will become unshakeable. No matter what storms our lives may bring we will not be uprooted. I want that. Don't you?

Lord, help me today to become a Mighty Oak of Faith.

Do you kneel when you pray?

"I kneel in prayer to the Father." Ephesians 3:14

Paul tells us in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 to "pray without ceasing". I can't imagine that Paul crawled around on his knees praying all day. No.... I imagine that he, as I do, prayed in many different positions- standing, sitting, walking, running, driving (ok maybe I've got one up on Paul there lol).

But, the point is, he prayed continually throughout the day in different situations. His eyes weren't always closed, his head wasn't always bowed, the candle wasn't always lit, and the environment wasn't always peaceful. I'm sure there were times when he prayed out loud and times when he prayed silently in his heart. He was in constant communication with God.

BUT, there were times when Paul kneeled in prayer. In this verse in Ephesians 3:14, for instance, he kneeled in prayer. He prayed an earnest prayer for the believers in Ephesus that they may have strength in their relationship with God. He desperately wanted them to truly KNOW the Lord. It was of the utmost IMPORTANCE to Paul.

Are you praying for something really, REALLY IMPORTANT to you? Get on your knees. KNEEL before the King. BOW DOWN in His presence. After all, if your request is that important, it deserves more than just a passing mention, a half-asleep muttering....

Try it tonight. FEEL the difference. FEEL the connection. FEEL the POWER of your ALMIGHTY GOD as you humble yourself before Him.

Responding to Circumstances

"In Christ we can come before God with freedom and without fear. We can do this through faith in Christ. So I ask you not to become discouraged because of the sufferings I am having for you. My sufferings are for your glory." Ephesians 3:12-13 (NCV)

Paul had a much different outlook on suffering than most of us do. He looked at suffering as an opportunity to be a good example... an opportunity to glorify God. And he was GLAD to have these opportunities! Paul was not a "victim" of his circumstances.

Chip Brogden said it well- "It is not a question of God allowing or not allowing things to happen. It is part of living. Some things we do to ourselves, other things we do to each other. Our Father knows about every bird which falls to the ground, but He does not always prevent it from falling. What are we to learn from this? That our response to what happens is more important than what happens. Here is a mystery: one man’s experience drives him to curse God, while another man’s identical experience drives him to bless God. Your response to what happens is more important than what happens."

As I look back on some of the biggest trials in my life, I see many missed opportunities to exemplify my trust in God. But even WORSE, I look at some of the smaller, daily irritations in my life and see mounds of missed opportunities.

Today I want to focus on the positive. When the irritations come, (and they WILL- especially since I'm writing this haha!) I want to look at the situation from His perspective and respond in a way that would bring glory and honor to Him- rather than my usual way of responding with emotion, frustration and defeat.

We can have victory over EVERY situation, EVERY circumstance, EVERY emotion in Christ Jesus!

"In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!" John 16:33

God Treated Me With Kindness

"God treated me with kindness. His power worked in me, and it became my job to spread the Good News. I am the least important of all God's people. But God was kind and chose me to tell the Gentiles that because of Christ there are blessings that can not be measured. God who created everything, wanted me to help everyone understand the mysterious plan that had always been hidden in His mind." Ephesians 3:7-9 (CEV)

Let's back up a little bit here and remember that Paul (previously known as Saul) used to be a "bad guy". He persecuted people who followed Jesus Christ. He hated Christians. His goal in life was to find them, capture them and publicly punish them.

This guy was BAD! Just look at Acts 7:57- 8:3

...At once they all attacked Stephen and dragged him out of the city. Then they started throwing stones at him. The men who had brought charges against him put their coats at the feet of a young man named SAUL..... (Acts 7: 57-58)

"SAUL approved the stoning of Stephen." (Acts 8:1)

"SAUL started making a lot of trouble for the church. He went from house to house, arresting men and women and putting them in jail." (Acts 8:3)

But, when he had his own personal experience with Christ on the road to Damascus, (Acts 9) everything changed. He believed and began adamantly and passionately teaching that Christ was the Son of God. He went on to become what is known as one of the most influential Christian missionaries in history and wrote much of the New Testament (including Ephesians).

In our eyes, Saul (Paul) would be a really BAD choice for someone to spread the gospel. But, to God, he was the PERFECT choice. A bad guy turned good? That's eye opening... head turning... news worthy.... attention grabbing.... good stuff.

What does this mean to ME? Everything!!!! I was a "bad teenager". I'm sure that people who knew me in High School and a few years after that are thinking... Teresa? A Youth Leader? WHAT??? lol But, God said, she's been bad... I can use that. "God treated me with kindness. His power worked in me, and it became my job to spread the Good News."

Thank you Lord, for MY conversion! May I live the rest of my life for Your glory.

Ephesians 3:1-3

"Christ Jesus made me a prisoner, so that I could help you Gentiles. You have surely heard about God's kindness in choosing me to help you. In fact, this letter tells you a little about how God has shown me His mysterious ways." Ephesians 3:1-3 (CEV)

Paul is writing this from prison in Rome (a result of his arrest in Caesara in Acts 21:27-) While in prison he witnessed to everyone he came in contact with- guards, visitors, Jewish leaders.... Because of this, the gospel spread into Rome. While in prison, Paul also wrote letters explaining his faith and encouraging other believers. These letters include Colossians, Philemon, Ephesians and Philippians.

Paul did all of this while in PRISON! He understood that God had an ultimate purpose in his suffering and circumstances. No matter where he was at, Paul focused on his ultimate purpose of being a witness for Jesus Christ. We need to get this. So many of us aren't where we want to be right now. But, we may be EXACTLY where God wants us to be.

You may feel like you are in a dead end job but God may have placed you there to witness to a co-worker. You may feel irritated by the long line at Wal Mart but God may have placed you there to show kindness to the clerk or to the person behind you. You may be a part of that club or group because you enjoy it but God has an even GREATER reason for you to be there.

Paul took many missionary journeys but Paul also realized something that you and I need to get as well- you don't have to GO on a mission trip you ARE on a mission trip.

Lord help me to focus on your mission in every situation and circumstance of my day.