Is It Possible To Have Feelings/Passion/Emotion Apart from Thinking?

A person who leads a feeling-driven life: Driving along one day and sees a puppy on the side of the road. The first thing that happens to the person will be an acute sense of sympathy and pity. They will feel sorry for this miserable puppy that was left alone. They pull over and get out, mindless of the freezing rain and the busy freeway. They hurry over and pick it up and hold it close under their coat to warm it as they hurry back to their car. They take it home.

Now, this may not all happen to a person leading a thought-driven life: They are driving alone one day when they see the puppy by the side of the road. The person will think about whether they should pull over and if it's safe and will throw back the reasons why or why not they should pull over. Let's say they decide it's safe and has good reason to. They then zip up their coat, thinking of how bitterly cold it will be once they open the door. They pull on gloves even. They hurry out and find the puppy...they check it over, looking for injuries and making sure that if they pick it up that the puppy will be in the least amount of pain. At this point the person would think about whether taking it home would be the best option. They know that if they take it home they are bound to get attached to it. After that, they need to be thoughtful of the fact that there will be vet's bills, shots, loads of food, toys to buy, maybe a fence or a kennel, and muliple other costly thins. Can they afford it? Or should they drop it off at the local pound? Should they leave it for another person? These are all valid thoughts that should be considered. Let's say they decide that yes, they can afford it and company would be nice...they've wanted a pet for some time but never got around to it. They pick it up, keeping it's muddy, wet paws off of the coat since they just had it dry-cleaned and they don't want to have that process repeated so soon. They take it to the truck and grab a towel out of the back to lay over the seat so that the puppy may be warmer and the seat wouldn't get muddy, wet, and dirty as well. They take it home.

This short scenario is one that displays the difference between the feeler and the thinker. One thinks ahead...one feels and goes with gut instinct, no rationality behind the actions. It is the difference of living a life of the mind or the heart. Which leads your life? Which displays itself in your actions? We are told that the heart is wicked above all things...who can understand it? A life lead by this will be one of fickleness...one moment loving the weather and the next moment complaining of everything weather-related. The person will be filled to the brim with contradictions and irrational choices. They let their heart do the thinking, but no heart can truly think...all it does is feel. It feels sad so it makes you cry. It makes you feel happy so you smile. It makes you mad so you yell. But the thinker stops to process...is it truly sad, should I truly be happy, is that a good reason to be angry? Maybe if he stopped to think about it, the thing that angered him makes complete sense if you think through it all.

When a parent takes a child's candy away from him, the first thing he feels will probably be either anger or sadness. Sadness at the loss of his treasure and anger at the parent for depriving him of it. However, if the child was to think through it (what child does?) he would understand that no matter how badly his body craves the sugar it's almost dinner time and it would spoil his appetite for his meat and vegetables. The parent is merely doing his job by caring for his child. So a large deal of thinking or feeling comes with maturity.
I say a large deal because some children can be more mature then some adults. It comes with a Biblically-led life. The more you seek God, the more wisdom stored, the more you learn about God and His character and law, the more you will be able to mature and think through the things of the world. Why this person says that, why that person did that, what the agenda pushed in that was. From that thought process we can get emotion. Emotion, feeling, passion...it's not bad, but put in the context apart of reason and thought it is harmful to anyone. The life of the Christian should be the life of the mind, not the life of the heart.

Our culture is one of immaturity. The general person you bump into on the street will not base his actions on anything solid or built on reason...for the reason that the heart is not built naturally with reason or meaning or purpose. The heart cannot think, that is not its purpose. When a person leads a life of emotion they are like grass in the wind...blown whatever way their emotions are driven. And the people in charge of the sheeple of today know this; they are manipulating and calculating with how to drive the sheeple a certain way.

Media is a large part of driving a people a certain direction. How you portray fathers, parents, children, family life, church life, daily life etc comes across in our media...our movies, our tv, our magazines, our books, our newspapers...and your typical sheeple will never even notice how brain-dead and heart-alive they are.

Revolution Vs. Reformation

Revolution Vs Reformation:
Quick, Hasty Results vs. Long Obedience in the Same Direction
Loud Publicity vs. Quiet Reputation
Unrelenting Science  vs. Gentle Persuasions
Programs and Policies vs. Covenant and Callings
Charts, Graphs, Stats vs. Faith, Hope, Love
Gargantuan Purposes vs. Small Beginnings
Undeterred by Facts vs. Undeterred by Obstacles
Never Fails to Disappoint vs. Never Fails

Reformation moves slowly as is slower to change. It is not bothered by incremented results. Revolution wants BAM! Results. Revolution will fit reality to form new reality while Reformation will take time to form man to fit God’s reality.

Peas's Crazy Quotes - Part 5

"What color are my eyes?" Me

"I think they are blue." Peas

"Are you sure?" Me

"Oh yes." Peas

(My eyes are very much black)

"You make a good baby, Ally" Me

"Yes, and so do I." Peas

"I thought you were the mama?" Me

"Yes, but I have a good baby voice too." Peas

"Are you a baby mama?" Me

"Yes." Peas

"Talk like a baby!" Peas

"You gotta get out, baby. Stand up like this, baby. You got to put your feet up like this. And then you can take a ride with me, baby." Peas

"Get out! You want to take a ride!" Peas

"Does she want out?" Me

"Yes!" Peas

"Ally, do you want out?" Me

*Ally shakes her head*

"See?" Me

*Peas grunts*

"Well, that's not..." Peas

"That's not funny?" Me

"Yeah...it's...no." Peas

"At this time I'm going to play with the car." Peas

"You're still the baby! Babies don't drive!" Peas

"You guys look kind of squished." Me

"Yeah, we are squishy." Peas

"Okay, now let's pretend I'm a big bad wolf and you build a house of bricks so I can't blow it down." Peas

"You wanna walk back forwards?" Peas

"What's wrong, baby Allison?" Peas

"Hey! Get own! You're not a baby! You're just a baby boy." Peas

"Ah, poop nuts." Peas

"Um, where did you get that from??" Me

"Duh...the toilet." Peas

"Oh coconuts." Peas

"If you want more crackers you let me know. Did you hear me, Ally?" Me

"I heared you!" Peas

"Do you want which one for a cup?" Peas

"Red or green?" Me

"Yes." Peas

"Hmm..the green one." Me

"No, you pick the red." Peas

Four Letter "L" Word

It's that time of year again, folks! The season of walking into your local grocery store and have a seizure from all the bright red and pinks. The chocolates and the teddy bears. The lacy hearts plastered everywhere. The outrageous-ness of it all is what truly bugs me. How we've blown it up to mean hearts and confetti and mush...instead of true heartfelt love. Yup, I just said it...the million dollar word that gets thrown around now like it's free. It's not! I found this article and I really enjoyed reading it, so I'm incorporating it into my Valentines Day post! 

A very good read.

AM I WITH THE RIGHT PARTNER?

During a seminar, a woman asked," How do I know if I am with the right person?"

The author then noticed that there was a large man sitting next to her so he said, "It depends. Is that your partner?" In all seriousness, she answered "How do you know?" Let me answer this question because the chances are good that it's weighing on your mind replied the author.

Here's the answer.

Every relationship has a cycle… In the beginning; you fall in love with your partner. You anticipate their calls, want their touch, and like their idiosyncrasies. Falling in love wasn't hard. In fact, it was a completely natural and spontaneous experience. You didn't have to DO anything. That's why it's called "falling" in love.

People in love sometimes say, "I was swept of my feet."Picture the expression. It implies that you were just standing there; doing nothing, and then something happened TO YOU.

Falling in love is a passive and spontaneous experience. But after a few months or years of being together, the euphoria of love fades. It's a natural cycle of EVERY relationship.

Slowly but surely, phone calls become a bother (if they come at all), touch is not always welcome (when it happens), and your spouse's idiosyncrasies, instead of being cute, drive you nuts. The symptoms of this stage vary with every relationship; you will notice a dramatic difference between the initial stage when you were in love and a much duller or even angry subsequent stage.

At this point, you and/or your partner might start asking, "Am I with the right person?" And as you reflect on the euphoria of the love you once had, you may begin to desire that experience with someone else. This is when relationships breakdown.

The key to succeeding in a relationship is not finding the right person; it's learning to love the person you found.

People blame their partners for their unhappiness and look outside for fulfillment. Extramarital fulfillment comes in all shapes and sizes.

Infidelity is the most common. But sometimes people turn to work, a hobby, friendship, excessive TV, or abusive substances. But the answer to this dilemma does NOT lie outside your relationship. It lies within it.

I'm not saying that you couldn't fall in love with someone else. You could. And TEMPORARILY you'd feel better. But you'd be in the same situation a few years later.

Because (listen carefully to this):

The key to succeeding in a Relationship is not finding the right person; it's learning to love the Person you found.

SUSTAINING love is not a passive or spontaneous experience. You have to work on it day in and day out. It takes time, effort, and energy. And most importantly, it demands WISDOM. You have to know WHAT TO DO to make it work. Make no mistake about it.

Love is NOT a mystery. There are specific things you can do (with or without your partner), Just as there are physical laws Of the universe (such as gravity), there are also laws for relationships. If you know how to apply these laws, the results are predictable.

Love is therefore a "decision". Not just a feeling.

Remember this always: God determines who walks into your life. It is up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let GO..

"If you want to get more inspiring quotes to be your guide in everyday life, Join this page." - Beautiful [Me]

♥ 


It takes WORK! It takes DEVOTION! It takes DEDICATION! It's not just something that falls into a perfect fairy tale. It takes a lot of work...every day. There cannot be a day that comes by where we say "Oh, my marriage is all set...no more work needs to be added!". It is like the Christian life...something that needs to be added and worked on every day in order to become what it should be in the first place. 

“To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything and your heart will be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact you must give it to no one, not even an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements. Lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket, safe, dark, motionless, airless, it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable. To love is to be vulnerable.”
― C.S. Lewis, The Four Loves

And lastly...here is something from a church's bulletin this past week. Not my church, but one that I visited that I found this. My comments will be in the parentheses afterwards. 

"True Love"

Luke 16:1-15 (Okay, I can *kinda* see maybe how this might relate? But...not really)

Love is the most important thing in this life (whoa, WHUT? I thought God was? What about glorifying God?), even though so much else tries to take away our attention (world items, I can see that, yes). How can we always choose love? (What is with the big push to love love love...nothing else...just love?)

Never let money or possessions take love's place

1) Lessons from a difficult parable 

2) Money is used to be used for people, no using people for money (okay, I think I agree?)

3) Money will come to an end, true love will not (Define true love...is it a love based on God's love?)

Do the little things to show love (but don't forget some big things too)

1) Be faithful to continue to do the daily, little things of love and more love will come (Again, too big of an emphasis on always love love love..nothing but love matters: false)

2) Be faithful with the relationships you have and more relationships will come (Um...so the point is to always get more in this life? How about GIVE more?)

3) Handle worldly wealth well so that it can serve love (Serve love? How about charitable giving? Which...I suppose can be love...but it's more of a serving of our God and Father who commands it)

4) True riches = true love (I'm assuming they are not referring to money here. But really, it's not even true. God's love is the true love...not true riches. We can only achieve and obtain and give true love when we look to Him as our guideline.)

Give priority to love (Not priority to God and giving Him glory? Seems a bit selfish)

1) We have to choose love or money (I'm assuming they are referring to masters because you can actually live a life with money and love)

2) We will serve the one that we have chosen (Then let's choose God because I'd rather serve God than love, js)

3) We will put a lower priority on the other (Not truly...even if we pick money it is a love of money...so there is still love involved)

It is not about impressing others, but loving others from the heart (Jeremiah 17:9a says, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure.")

1) So much of what we do is to impress others rather than love others (Where do we learn to love?)

2) Our heart is known to God and others (Jeremiah 17:9b, "Who can understand it?")

3) Give our hearts to love (I'd actually prefer to give my heart to God, thanks)

Okay, I apologize. Maybe that wasn't too "loving" of me. Maybe I took a lot of that wrongly since it was just notes on the sermon as a whole...but what I'm seeing as I look at it is the emphasis on love...love...always love. Nothing about where we learn to Love...or from whom we learn *TRUE* love. This is all a self-focused idea of love. Down the road this will lead to all sorts of mistakes...bad short-term relationships that were never serious, bad marriages, divorce, torn friendships...you name it. But..that is a story for another time! I hope you enjoy your February the 14th focused on...well...don't even make it love. Make it God's love...and if you really want to make it a little more earthly...then God's love and how you can display that to others. The real truest love was shown to us many years ago and continues to be shown to us daily through the forgiveness of our sins. 

Have a blessed day, my lovelies! 

Kari Jobe - Encouraging Words

Last weekend I got a CD from the library...a brand new CD! I was the first to check it out...that always excites me. It's by Kari Jobe...I haven't actually ever heard her music before, but she's under the Christian section and I love finding new Christian artists. I still haven't listened to the music yet, but I have it on my computer! In the meantime...I read her "thank you" list. At the end, this caught my eye and lifted me up tonight.

"To you, my friends: I pray these songs would draw you closer to the Lord so that you sense His nearness and hear His heart beating for you. 

He is FOR YOU, His love is FOR YOU, His grace is FOR YOU.

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. You will find Him when you search for Him with all your heart. Nothing is too hard or difficult for the Lord. He cares for you and everything you're walking through. As you listen to this album, I encourage you to stop, be still and take time to meditate on His word. Instead of only your own thoughts, I encourage you to fill your heart, mind, and spirit with HIS word and thoughts for you! 1 Peter 5:7 says, "Cast all your cares upon HIM, for He cares for you." Lean into Him and "be strong and of good courage, do not fear or be afraid; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave or forsake you." (Deuteronomy 31:6)

Be encouraged and full of hope!"

This really uplifted me...the fact that a Christian artist really does focus on GOD! So many of them claim to be...but then their lyrics are dull and man-centered...more about how man should feel good and just so focused on us. Instead, I really feel like she centers God and places Him first. I really like how she talks about us searching for Him. I think that's really important in any Christian's life. My prayer for myself and for you, my readers, is that we would *want* to seek him...*want* to search for Him. Not just do it...but desperately and passionately WANT to. That should be part of a Christian's prayer life: Lord, give me a fire to want to know you more...a yearning to think your thoughts after you...a desire to make you known to others! That's what I'll leave you with, dear readers. May God plant that seed of want and need in your heart so that He may be glorified through it all! 

Quotes From Peas - Part 4

Peas - "So much bubbles, here we come!"

Peas - "It almost hit my butt. Haha, butt is such a funny word!"

Peas - "I just said 'poop'...oops."

Peas - "I'm going to have five candles and a caterpillar cake."

Me - "Are you going to be five?"

Peas - "No, I'm going to be four. Well, I'm going to be a hundred soon!"

Sermon On Ecclesiastes - Part 1

Ecclesiastes 1:12-18 "I the Preacher was king over Israel in Jerusalem. And I gave my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all things that are done under heaven: this sore travail hath God given to the sons of man to be exercised therewith. I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit. That which is crooked cannot be made straight: and that which is wanting cannot be numbered. I communed with mine own heart, saying, Lo, I am come to great estate, and have gotten more wisdom than all they that have been before me in Jerusalem: yea, my heart had great experience of wisdom and knowledge. And I gave my heart to know wisdom, and to know madness and folly: I perceived that this also is vexation of spirit. For in much wisdom is much grief: and he that increaseth knowledge increaseth sorrow."

Sinners cannot find meaning. Man is born seeking meaning but without it become surrounded by guilt and life becomes a mere chasing of the wind. With Christ we find meaning and through evangelism we can bring Christ's meaning to those who live meaningless lives. Apart from Christ we will always search for meaning while denying Christ. You are empty till you are filled up. The man who has his soul set free from sin...he is also set free to think, reason, and find meaning like we are made to do. 

The voice of the one writing speaks mainly as one from the outside of the covenant, but every once in a while he will speak with the voice of one in the covenant. It is never the case that we do not take dominion...only what kind of dominion. Either we take dominion or we take dominion by giving it to someone else. The field of Christianity is the world. We are not to compartmentalize...everything on earth is God's. Our task is to take over and dominate as Christ did. Our task is to seek and search out true wisdom. This comes along with education and literature. This heavy burden or task God has laid on men, it is placing God first. 

This is just to say that we acknowledge that God is the source and strength behind this task. Seeking and searching out wisdom is a huge task given and gifted to us by God. We have no traction in this task unless we think God's thoughts after Him. God is the cause and the solution of this burden of seeking wisdom.

There is no true wisdom apart from God. What is lacking cannot be counted and what is twisted cannot be straightened. God gives to the lacking and straightens the twisted. Yet, with the increase of wisdom comes great sorrow. It's a sweet melancholy. A bittersweet. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief. 

It is like in C.S. Lewis's book The Last Battle where the dwarves were given a feast, but treated it like straw and stable water...all filthy. This is the life of the one outside of Christ and the covenant. They could only see that glorious food as vanity of vanities...a chasing of the world. And when you are in the covenant and your eyes are opened, seeing them fight and trod on and waste the beautiful gifts, it is very difficult to see that and not be vexed or upset or full of grief and sorrow for God and for the blind ones. At the same time we are to count it our joy that our eyes have been opened and God has granted us both wisdom and knowledge in addition to meaning to our lives. 

As an act of response to that, we should always seek more of God, more of wisdom, more of knowledge, and seek to bring God's meaning to those who are living blind and meaningless lives in darkness and despair. That is our task and we are guided by Scripture and strengthened by Christ. 

"Man is born seeking meaning in all he goes about,

He desires to understand it all, from beginning to the end,

He labors to quench uncertainties raised by constant doubt,

But apart from God in Christ, it's just a chasing of the wind,

Meaning comes from outside of us, and is never ours to make,

Wisdom is a gift of God, given to those who seek His face,

"The Wise" are ones who handle all for their Redeemer's sake,

Who understand that creatures must keep their proper place."

"That I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind." Ecclesiastes 1:17

Peas's Quotes - Part 3

Peas - "Can we watch Dora?"

Everett - "Ooohhh Dodo!"

Peas - "I didn't hit you, you ran into my fist."

Peas - "Stop it, you dog!"

Peas - "Stop saying yes, you brother."

Peas - "I'm parking in a parking lot."

Peas - "I can say blockhead!"
Me - "No, that's rude."
Peas - "I can say, 'I'm punching you in the nose, blockhead!' See?"
Me - "That's rude though."
Peas - "Well, if they are a blockhead then they need to be punched in the nose."

Peas - "I'm no monkey, you little sweetheart. I'm punching you in the nose, you blockhead!"

Me + Lord Of The Rings =

Sisters of Shortness! 

Midgets! 

My sisters. 

I see in your eyes the same fear that would take the heart of me. 

A day may come, when the courage of step stools may fail, when we forsake our tall friends, and lose all hope of ever growing again. 

An hour of short jokes, and shopping in the kids' section, when the Age of climbing up on the counter just to get the peanut butter fails. 

But it is not this day, this day, we climb!

Thoughts In Church

Return to me.

Return to me.

Over and over without fail our Father calls to us to return to Him, even when we stray far from him. Time after time we find no matter what we do, if we repent we see God always forgiving and granting mercy to His people. Soon following that up with, "Return to me". 

He who watches over you does not slumber. Take joy and take confidence and peace in the fact that He is always watching over us and caring for us. He is there for us without fail every second of every day...every moment 24/7 and we are never a bother to Him. 

Pea's Quotes - Part 2

"Hang up your coat, please." Me

"No, you hang it up." Peas

"No, I hung up your scarf and hat and mittens." Me

"Oh, chicken poo nuts." Peas

"I was playing tricks on me." Peas

"Hey! No! Stop that! Here, have this you sleepyhead!" Peas

"I burped! Did you hear it?" Peas

"I'm making you lunch! Here...I made you elephant chicken." Peas

"Blow out your candles! It's your birthday and all your worst dreams will come true." Peas

"Let me get by butt out of here!" Me

"Ewwww" Peas

"What?" Me

"Butts are gross!" Peas

Quotes Quotes Quotes

"Unless I am convicted by the testimony of the Scriptures or by clear reason, for I do not trust either in the popes or in councils alone, since it is well known that they have often erred and contradict themselves, I am bound to the Scriptures I have quoted and my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and will not retract anything, since it is neither safe nor right to go against conscience. I cannot do otherwise, here I stand. May God help me; Amen."  --Martin Luther at the Diet of Worms; April 18, 1521

O send the day of joy and light,
For long has been our sorrow's night;
We wait until Thy help appears;
With us and with our sons abide,
In us let God be glorified,
In us let God be glorified.

"So unspiritual are many men's minds, and so unsavory their judgements  that they reckon men's happiness by their possessions, and suppose the catalogue of their titles to be a roll of their felicities, calling the proud happy and advancing in our conceits "them that work wickedness," Mal. 3:13; but God will one day come in with another reckoning, and make them know that all things without Christ are but as ciphers without a figure...of no value." --John Owen

Moral Support

Did you know the people who are the strongest are usually the most sensitive? Did you know the people who exhibit the most kindness are usually the first to get mistreated? Did you know the one who takes care of others all the time are usually the ones who need it the most and don't get it? Did you know the three hardest things to say are "I love you", "I'm sorry", and "Help me?"? Sometimes, just because a person may look happy, you have to look past their smile and see how much pain they may be in. Every is going through some issue at any given time. We all need positive intentions right now. 

We've all been there...the "lowest point of our lives". Maybe we had someone come along side of us and help us out. Maybe we were left there by ourselves. Either way, we experienced the strength of moral support, or the lack of moral support. Having someone there to listen and pray for you...to help you through whatever you're going through...to lift you to God above with supplication and love...that can mean the world to someone. 

Over the years, I've come to see that those with the biggest hearts are the ones who ache in private. Those who have the biggest smiles are the saddest at heart. Those who laugh the loudest cry the most in private. Those who love openly are those who have been hurt and may continue to be hurt regularly. People are rarely, if ever, what they truly appear to be on the outside. Who do we let in truly? Well, that answer should be God alone. But letting in a few other people to love and pray for you is never a bad thing.

Moral support. What it means to each of us may look like something different, but at the end of the day, it just means being there for one another. Loving selflessly. With no regard to our own interest, but to the interests of others. Everyone has problems, everyone can be stressed, everyone has bad days...moral support is always a welcome thing. Lately I've come to see this with two dear friends of mine: Amanda and Savannah. They are both such lovely ladies in Christ who have become so dear to me for their amazing moral support of me. 

Throughout our lives, people come and go. Everyone makes some mark on us. Either we see a person with characteristics that we yearn for and we seek to be more like them in that way, or we see people who we desperately don't want to end up being so we try to do everything in our power to be anything but that. Either way, we learn and grow from people...and then turn to share it with the world. So share yourself with those around you, today. Be yourself, be good, be glorifying. Be a moral support. 

Humility

There is not much that can quite tick me off as people who don't believe me...going as far as going to others to check and  see if I'm right. I'm being honest, okay? It is one of the biggest things that can truly anger me or make me instantly genuinely upset. Come on, people, it's rude. How would you like it if you state true information that you know to be a fact but people (or rather, a specific person) finds the need to always question it.

And not only just questioning it, but denying you could be possibly right. "There's no way that's true!" they say. So...are you saying there's no way that I could ever speak truth or be honest? It just boils down to trust and honesty. Now...if the person originally speaking is a well known liar and shows no interest in repenting from that, okay, maybe it would be a wise idea to question whether there is much validity behind their statements.

But that gives no good cause to always assume that you are 100%...always...always right. It's prideful. It's rude. How can you presume that you are always right and *everyone* is *always* wrong. How is that even remotely possible? Now, that's an extreme case. There are probably few (if any) who truly believe that they are consistently always right with no mess-ups. But it can come in many forms and in more subtle ways than that.

But really...if you're going to have a friend and be a friend...then you need to give and receive trust. Trust - to believe and take someone seriously. To give them a side of you that those outside of friendship don't get to see. It's another side of you. If I call you friend (and even if not) then I will, without a doubt, not just tell you something to make it seem like I'm right.

If we're arguing or discussing something I'm not going to make up false facts just so I can "win". First off, that's cheating. Second of all...that's lying! It's selfish, dishonest, and essentially prideful. Which then leads us to the issue of humility and how much a grain of that can get you when it comes to life...basically anything about life!

Humility...wow, I'm sure we've all run into people with some serious LACKING in humility. Those people are so puffed up with themselves that they refuse to see anyone else's good works. They are self-righteous...always thinking well of themselves, and when they know they're in the wrong they cannot stoop to apologize or admit their faults. They praise their virtues and ignore their faults.

There is not a single living being who does not need a bit of humility. I know firsthand that I am in sever need of it. Humility does not rank high on my list of virtues...if it's even on there! Who doesn't have difficulty in admitting their flaws...their shortcomings. But it's just needed! We're all humans...we all mess up...we all make mistakes. The best people know that and can find the humility to admit it and apologize for their faults when needed.

We have a God who knows that we mess up...we can't even hope to hide that from Him. He knows! You can't just expect to breeze over your sins (shortcomings) and pretend to be good. That is not the true Christian. The true Christian will come to the open house of mercy on his knees...mindful of the fact that we can do no good apart from Christ. All we do is like filthy rags to Him...until we see Christ and His greatest sacrifice for us on the cross.

That action, the sacrifice on the cross, it is a picture of the washing of our filthy rags so that once God comes to judge us He sees us as blameless...pure and holy. But we cannot pretend that it was anything that we did. It was, and always will be Christ. His work to us, it's what makes us look decent in the presence of our Father. We would always come up short if we tried to do it all on our own.

The moment we try to do it all on our own without any humility is the moment that we leave Christ behind us and seek to enter that room looking holy and pure on our own. That is the moment when we fail the worst we ever have in our life. Our best is mud...it's as filthy rags. It's once we bow the knee to Christ and look to Him for salvation that we are seen as righteous before our Judge.

So to wrap all of this up...humility goes a long way. It grants us 24/7 access to the throne of God. But humility also helps out with our earthly relationships. It can give us the ability to stand down and admit that maybe, our friends could be right. It empowers us with trust. We don't have to be always right! But if you are...stick to it.

The last thing we, as Christians, need these days are "nice Christians" who are willing to compromise the gospel of Christ for the sake of getting along! If someone denies Christ...then you can deny them...first try and seek to show the truth, but if their eyes are blinded and the Holy Spirit hasn't spoken to them yet, then move on! But don't ever seek to compromise the whole truth of God!

Speak truth boldly! Walk with confidence! Cover yourself with humility as Christ did! And always, live to the glory of our Father!

Despondency

This is not actually mine! But I really enjoyed reading it so ...copy and paste!

Recipe for warding off despondency

1.) Keep returning to the word of God.

2.) Cultivate a mindset of thankfulness

3.) Be familiar with the saints of old who fought the good fight and never surrendered. Realize that one day I will be in their company and keep in mind that I don't want to be shamed when I am among them.

4.) Remember the example I must set for my family .... for God's people.

5.) Recall that I am duty bound to be confident.

6.) Exercise vigorously daily. Remember there is a mind body connection.

7.) Keep in mind that postmillennialists have no reason to be despondent.

Most importantly

Keeping my eyes on Jesus -- the Author and Finisher of the Faith.

Blessed By Life

Life has kept me very busy these last few days...jumping back into life from the holiday break was exhausting. It's been interesting...plus I've been trying to re-orient my life better. Who hasn't, right? However...I still have the very big challenge of being able to shut off my computer and actually do school. It's so easy to be like, "Well, the wifi is actually on right now! If I don't take advantage of it right now then later when I'm actually FREE then it won't be on! I can't waste good wifi time!". BAD IDEA. Worst idea ever, to be honest. Just don't...don't ever get any technology device! Hide away in your cave and do intelligent things for the rest of your life. Take my advice now................except if you're reading this then it's obviously too late.

Anyways...I'm straying...I'm without coffee and it's late. I apologize. So...I've been working to cut back on stress. I'm a person who thrives off of stress. When I am freaking out and going nuts, yet somehow in control of a lot, then I am happiest. Let me tell you...Rachel's wedding was pretty much heaven for me. That's why...if I wasn't seriously wanting to go into occupational therapy I would be a wedding coordinator. SO, I've been trying to see more good than bad...because if I focus so much on the bad then it will be a huge stress on me and my health.

The other morning was just awful for me...I *know* without a doubt I set my alarm the night before for 8:30...and I went to bed at about 11 so it's not like it was late or I was exhausted! So anyways...alarm didn't go off...my mom came down at the time we were supposed to leave and asked if I still had work that morning...I did. Well, I rolled out of bed...no makeup, no cleaning up from the night, no shower, nothing with my hair..I really just pulled on jeans and a hoodie and grumbled out to the car. But that morning I just had Peas...she was it! And while she sat and played by herself for a few minutes I sat and wrote down bad vs. good...the good things of the day/morning and the bad things too. After a while it just turned to good things...my mind was so happy to find all these little "cheeries" (as I call them) that I didn't even think about any bad thing.

Watching 13 kids tonight for a couples' Bible study gave me a really good opportunity to practice focusing on the good...keeping my patience...and managing them all at one time. I was extremely grateful when Aimee showed up a few minutes early (she was my ride home) and helped keep the olders entertained. I got out of there and we stopped by Walmart and Meijers to pick up gluten/dairy free foods and some sugar for our movie marathon on Friday. So pumped. I really am. Good food, good show, all day, awesome friends...I'm really excited to be able to get away if only for a day.

Motto of the...month? So far week: STAY POSITIVE! FOCUS ON GOOD!

Peas's Quotes - The World From The Perspective Of A Three-Year Old

On Tuesday mornings I babysit for this ladies' group...they have a Bible study from 9-11 and so I watch any of their kids. It used to be Rachel and I...and we could get upwards to 7 or 8 kids. Well...Rachel had to quit because she got married and work would have been too far for her to drive...and the number of kids had been going down for a while. Well...it's gotten so bad that now today I got to watch just Peas. Her name is really Elizabeth...but her nickname is Peas (no one can remember why). So everyone calls her Peas! She's three...but her birthday is coming up on February 10th...she is such a smart little cookie...such a sweetheart and just plain adorable. I've got plenty of pictures of her on my picture blog...and lately she's taken to grabbing the camera and snapping shots of me. But she also has the tendency to saw the darnedest things! So I've begun to write all the funny/cute things that pop out of her mouth! There are a lot more than I ever thought possible! So here are some of them!

Peas - I love food!

Me - Me too!

Peas - Me three!

Peas - I have a little cough. I'm sick because I drank too much chocolate milk.

Me - Can I have my camera back?

Peas - No! Don't you know cameras are dangerous?

Peas - Show me your dragon face!

Peas - I'm a rock star! See...I just pull my jacket like this and now I can get warm!

Peas - Where's the lid?

Me - I don't know...where is the lid?

Peas - You're supposed to look behind my back!

Peas - Come chase me!

Me - Come chase you? Are you trying to tire me out?

Peas - Yes!

Me - I wish I had my camera so I could take a picture of your pretty shirt.

Peas - And I would take a picture of you and your pretty eyes

(Kids say the darnedest things!)

Peas - That one is super yuuumyyy pootie poot!

Peas - We can build a castle with so many stuff! Like so many toys!

Peas - We have to think so put on your thinking smarts. You have to sit just like this and tap your cheek with your finger.

Me - Ohh, what did you draw me?

Peas - Macaroni and big cheese and little cheese!

Peas - It's cheese.

Me - Yeah, cuz it's orange.

Peas - Yup, I think it's a girl.

Me - A girl?

Peas - Yeah, see? A girl shark.

Beautiful Song Lyrics That Encouraged Me Tonight

I can’t say that everything’s okay
‘Cause I can see the tears you’re crying
And I can’t promise to take the pain away
But you can know I won’t stop trying

[Chorus]
I’ll be the angel by your side
I will get you through the night
I’ll be the strength you can’t provide on your own
‘Cause when you’re down and out of time
And you think you’ve lost the fight
Let me be the angel
The angel by your side

I know it feels like you’re running out of faith
‘Cause it’s so hard to keep believing
But if I can bring a smile back to your face
If for a moment, you’ll forget all about it

[Chorus]
I’ll be the angel by your side
I will get you through the night
I’ll be the strength you can’t provide on your own
‘Cause when you’re down and out of time
And you think you’ve lost the fight
Let me be the angel
The angel by your side

‘Cause this won’t be the last time
You’ll need a little hope
But I want to be the first to let you know

[Chorus]
I’ll be the angel by your side
I will get you through the night
I’ll be the strength you can’t provide on your own
‘Cause when you’re down and out of time
And you think you’ve lost the fight
Let me be the angel
The angel by your side

Prayer For The Day

Oh God of all glory and power

Blessed be Your name forever

Grant us Your knowledge and wisdom

Shine Your light of love and forgiveness upon us, we pray

Guide us in Your straight paths of righteousness

Show us Your will

Help us make the right decisions

Give us grace when I stray or fail

Remind us of Your grace and everlasting mercy

Empower us with strength to follow Your law

May we always glorify Your name

And seek to bring You more fame

In Jesus Christ we pray this,

Amen

For All You NON-Morning People (Like Me!)