Jonah's brother and sister sneaking a kiss....
The Lord has been so faithful in displaying His glory in our midst. I can honestly be confident of this, that he who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. It has been amazing to witness the love and mercy of Jesus Christ in the relationships He's placed in our lives. The possibilities are without bounds within a willing and humble heart. I look forward to seeing where God will take us in this next season.
It's so easy to love someone who does not upset your comfort! True love is displayed for those who hurt us, those who offend and dissapoint. We can fool ourselves into thinking we're mature when we don't allow anyone to upset our prefrences or challenge us. But it's in the relationships that bring out our true colors that will grow us the most, if we choose humility and forgiveness.
I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him.
There is so much more to this life than being angry and bitter! There is a sun so much brighter, there is grass much greener, there is air so much sweeter...
I choose life.
Nin,
ReplyDeleteThanks for this post. I just came off of a very frustrated and angry weekend. I can blame hormones...but really PMS just Pushes eMotions to the Surface. Anger and frustration and irritability and all that is all there all the time, PMS just helps to get them in my face in a way that doesn't happen much the other 20-some-odd days of each calendar month. My sweet neices and nephews bore the brunt of that this weekend, which grieves me so much today, but the Lord sees it every day...even when others don't. As you said, He has set LIFE before us and far too often we choose the death of sin, instead. I pray the Lord will help me choose life more and more. Thanks for putting it in that context.
--tina
La Vita e Bella!!!
ReplyDeleteThe road ahead is not easy, but being faithful to Him this far has brought more fruit than you could have never never even DREAMED of 4 years ago! think of how far this could really go! our little minds and us of little faith can't comprehend!
ReplyDeletei'm still so proud of you! the big sis in me still brags on you tons...and of course the God in you!
hugs:)
I love your posts. You have such a pure heart towards God and it's encouraging.
ReplyDeleteThanks for challenging me through what you are learning.
What an amazingly beautiful enriched picture of these two special children. I get chills Nin over such an amazing walk. Its been a very long time sice I have talked to you. And in that time God has and is working strong miracles!
ReplyDeleteQuote from "created to be his helpmeet"
ReplyDeleteBy the time many women are entering their 40th year, they are teetering on the edge of mental instablity. They have spent several years of their life irritated at their husbands, daily feeling hurt and responding with coldness and bitterness. Instead of practising being thankful and merry, they are practicing bitterness. As practice enables the pianist to find the right keys without effort or thought, so a woman who practices discontentment will, without thought, hit the notes of bitterness when her chain is pulled. Practicing, always practicing, perfecting her bitterness and discontentment.
She has practiced her bitterness until it comes naturally, and she does not even recongnize it. She will usually define herself as one who stands against pride and evil. She will "do what is right, even if no one else will."
In the course of time, as her edginess and moodiness grow, she realizes that she can no longer control her nervousness. One day her "nerves" snap and she loses control, screaming like a crazy woman, and calling loved ones terrible names. She will say it was "just a bad hormone day"
The disturbed woman expects her family to appease her and is offended when they act like life is just fine. God is visiting her soul with a terrible rot called madness. First, she is only mad at her husband. Years pass and she is mad at the family. As time goes on she is mad at the church. Then she is mad at the mailman and mad at the waitress. Practicing, always practicing, perecting her madness. MAD ALL THE TIME MAD.....MADNESS!!!
"The beginning of the words of his mouth is foolishness and the end of his talk is mischievous madness" Ecc 10:13
So thankful that God made a way out of bitterness.