JUDGMENTAL OR NO?

Have you ever had anyone to cast judgment upon you?  I know you have!  Have you ever judged anyone on what you thought you knew?  I'm not an authority on this subject  but common sense tells us some things.   
When we are judged ~our first impulse is to judge or criticize the one that is judging us.  Don't do it! Don't even go there!  It may take a lot of prayer, but pray if you must.

Matthew 7:1-5  "Judge not, that ye be not judged, for with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete it, it shall be measured to you again.

And why beholdest thou the mote that is in thy brother's eye, but considerest not the beam that is in thine own eye?

Or how will thou say to thy brother, Let me pull out the mote out of thine eye; and, behold,a beam is in thine own eye?

Thou hypocrite, first cast out the beam out of thine own eye; and then shalt thou see clearly to cast out the mote out of thy brother's 

eye."

So many  times we cast judgment because someone doesn't measure up to our standards in one way or the other.  How would you like to be judged  that way? Frankly, I don't like it. 

This scripture plainly tells us that we need to focus on our own faults. Why is it so easy to see the faults of others and we have a fault that is far worse?    We have always heard 'when we point a finger at someone, we have three fingers pointing back to us.'

I John 8, we read of the woman that was taken in adultery.  The scribes and pharisees brought this woman to Jesus.

Seems they had their case made!  "We caught her, Lord!  In the very act!  Didn't Moses Law tell us that she should be stoned?   What  do you have to say about it?"   (paraphrased by me)

Here these self righteous  Pharisees thought they would tempt Jesus 

to see what He would say or do!  They wanted to accuse Jesus of not abiding by the law.  

Jesus wasn't one little bit perturbed.  He simply stooped down and with His finger wrote in the dust.  He acted like He had not heard them!

This really got to them ~ so they kept on pressing Him for an answer.  

Finally He stood up and said "He that is without sin among you, let him cast a stone at her."

He stooped down and starting writing again.  I would love to know what He wrote, but I just imagine He was listing their sins.  

What could they say?  Nothing!  They just left, one by one.  No stones were cast because they knew they were probably guilty of far worst sins.  (Could our sin of judging be written in the sand?)

I don't know what the woman was thinking during this time but finally she was left alone with Jesus.  He ask her where her accusers and had they condemned her.  She said " I have no accusers."  Jesus told her "Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more." 

Seems to me judging is pride. A "holier than thou" attitude!  
We probably all have at least one person in our life that think they know what we ought to do.  The only problem is ~ this particular person doesn't know that people are saying how  she comes across to them as "holier than thou." She is too busy telling others what the Bible says.  The devil would like us to think we are superior to others.  That is self-righteousness!


Proverbs 21:23 "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth
his soul from trouble."

1Peter 5:5  "Be clothed with humility; for God resiseth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

I have enough faults of my own without trying to show you what you need to do. I don't want to be judged in the way that someone may judge me.
That's why it is better to keep our mouth shut. We are responsible for our actions!  Don't re-act !
Let's leave the judging to God! 
 

 
 
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AONE BUT NOT LONELY

I can't believe I actually have some time by myself.  The boys have all gone to window  shop at their favorite shopping place.   

 I thought I would get something done.  I would really like to get my plants re-potted and back outside.  I did a couple cactus and have several more to do.  I'm not quite sure what to do.
I think we are through with the freezing weather for the year.  It has actually been up to 80 degrees  in the day. Some of my outside bulbs are coming up.  


I want to get to some spring cleaning,  huh, maybe not today.
Guess I need to stop and think if I want to do something or just sit and think about it!  It's more fun thinking, don't you think?


I'll let you know what I did later.  Just have a good day and drop
a hello in my comments. 

CHRISLAM

Do any of you know anything about Chrislam ~ a fairly new religion here in U.S?  It mixes Christianity and Islams together stating that the 
God of Christianity and the god of Islam is the same!  

My friend has several post and videos abut it.  You really need to go by her blog and read this.  Leave your comment.  It's time for Christians to wake up and realize that Satan is making his last stand.

They called me Deb @ truthsvessel.blogspot.com

If you can't get it from here, go to my list of friends and you will see  Truths Vessels.     Go to it from there.
If you read it ~ let me know.  It would be interesting to see who is interested.

GOOD REPORT

We have a lot to praise the Lord for!  In particular, we both had our routine check ups yesterday.  The doctor was well pleased with both of our reports.  For the first time in three years my A1c for my blood sugar is below point 7.  I was taking 7 shots a day trying to get it under control.  It was always 7.3- 7.6.  As hard as I tried I could not get it down.  Finally I took my diabetes into my hands and decided to try alternative medicine..  I have been on natural supplements for six months, with the permission of my primary care physician.  My blood sugar is down to 6.8, although I need for it to be below 6. I am completely off  Symlin and Humlog..  The Lantus, which is the long term, I have cut in half. I cut these very slowly. I am now on one shot a day and the dosage is only half of what I was taking.  I thank the Lord for this!


This is also true of my thyroid.  The synthetic (Synthroid) was not working at all.  I got on a natural about six months ago and my thyroid is as normal as normal can be.  I would not advise this without first talking to your primary care physician.  I did not think she would approve but about 4 months ago I brought it all with me and spread it out and told her that I had been to a chiropractor that deals in all natural.  She told me to stay on it.  It is working!  I think a lot of doctors are taking a different view on alternative, now.


Silas had his check up on his hospital stay.  His lung is still a little cloudy, but as far as we understand ~ that is normal for pneumonia like he had.  He has to go for another x-ray in a week to check on it.  We are confident that all will be okay.


Everything is going fine with my homeschooling my grandson.  I am getting a few lessons that I had forgotten.
He is a good student or I would not be under taking this job at my age.


Need to get supper finished.  I know Silas is getting hungry.  I'll get back later.  Hope all of you have a good week.

GOOD WEEK END

It is the week-end already.  We were just saying that we were glad it wasn't like last week end ~ spent in the hospital.  Silas is much improved.  He has been getting out a little every day to get his strength back.  We are planning on getting back to church tomorrow.  Thank all of you who prayed for him.  He would read my blog everyday to see if there was a new comment.  It means a lot to know that prayers are going up from those that we have never met.  God bless you!

We have one of our young couples at church, Joshua and Amber Adams, that are leaving for the Philippines the first of March.  They have two children and expecting another one.  Would you pray for this couple as they leave and go to the field of service the Lord has called them?  
Pray for their families that will have to tell them good bye.  Both families are in our church.  (Amber's Dad is our Pastor.)  It is going to be hard for the parents and rest of the family ~ plus their church family.  We will miss them a lot but rather them go and follow the Lord's leadings. 

God has blessed our church with  several missionary couples preparing for the field.  Some are out raising their support.  I don't know how many  preachers we have coming on.  Our prayer is that these that are called may go forth from Livingston, Louisiana and find their place of service.  They are being well trained.

It is time to get breakfast ready.  Get your cup empty and bring it with you to church tomorrow and get it re-filled.  We need fuel to keep us going next week.  We are expecting the Lord to bless in both services!  Are you?

THE DOCTOR

Seem to have a little more time this evening.  Last night Silas had a low grade fever. Hopefully, he won't tonight.  If so, I will have to get him back to the doctor.  He seems to have more strength today. 

The hospitals here have doctors just for the hospital.  Your primary care physician does not come to the hospital.  

So that is how we met Dr Mark who is 40 years old.  (That's what we will call him.)  He was a very pleasant doctor down in emergency.  So many doctors just come in and out and you know absolutely nothing about your illness when they leave.  Dr.Mark explained to us how Silas' white blood count was up to 25,000 plus. 
Also that  pneumonia was in his right lung and it sounded pretty bad.  He felt Silas needed to stay at least overnight and take anti-biotics over night.  Also he needed fluids to hydrate him.  The next morning when he came in to see Silas ~ he wanted to keep him another night because he was still running a low grade fever. Felt Silas needed more IV anti biotics.   We  did not want to have to come back to the hospital.   He and Silas struck up a conversation. 

After telling you how excited we were ~ I got to thinking that it may not mean a thing to you.  But I will write it anyway.

Dr. Mark was from Alabama and had come to Baton Rouge to specialize in cardiology.  I think he finished that but for now is a hospital doctor.  We got to talking about how many years the Lord had given us together and how He had blessed us.  He said he was Baptist, too.  But the main thing, he was a Christian.

 He stayed for awhile and just talked.  He said he wanted a little practice out in a smaller town to get away from city living. 
He wanted to buy a home out of the city into the country to live.  They talked awhile and he had to go.  


The next day he came in and told Silas he wanted him to be fever free for twenty four hours before he let him come home.  So he need to stay another night.  

He ask us what the difference was between Southern Baptist and Independent Baptist.  We explained it all to him.  He seem so interested.  Said that he and his wife had gone to several churches to find a home church.  They go to church but he said people just are not friendly and it's like you are just another number or something.
I can't remember how he put it but he was definitely not happy with it.  
It really is a shame, but a lot of churches are like that. Just a form and not interested in making people welcome.  Silas told him people would be friendly and welcome him if he visited our church. 

Our camp meeting is starting Father's day. Silas had mentioned it but did not go into detail.
That night we had a little happy face track that we pass out.  Silas wrote the church name and the date on it.  He wanted to give it to Dr. Mark the next morning.  Well, he did!  Dr Mark seem excited and looked at his calendar to see what Sunday he had off.  He said he wanted to come before camp.  We told him it would be about a 35 or 40 minute drive.  He said that was not bad.  
He wrote His personal phone number down and told Silas to call him.  How many doctors would do that?  Especially to someone you just met?  We told him we had a doctor in our church that he would have something in common with.  


We just feel like the Lord let our paths cross for a purpose.  Silas will call him at home just to talk to him when he gets to feeling better.  


I thought of the lonely Christians out there that would love a friend or a good church that was friendly.  So many churches just have a morning service and that's it until the next Sunday.  We feel so blessed that the Lord comes and meets with us at church and at home.  He has been helping us both spiritually. I'm so thankful!


Just want to add a note about Denise.  She was a black nurse and real sweet.  When she came in the last morning  I ask her if she had ever experience the goodness of God.  "Oh, yes mam!  I love the Lord."
She told us about a patient she had that was dying with cancer. The patient ask her if God loved her.  Denise said, "Yes, but do you love  Him?"  The patients response was, "Yes, but are you sure He loves me?"  Denise assured her that the Lord died for her and love her as His own.  The next morning when Denise came in her patient had gone on to meet the Lord.  She was glad she had the talk with that patient.


There are so many out there dying without the Lord.  Who will go and tell them that Jesus died for them and loves them?  Who will help bring them to Jesus? I want to be counted in the group that goes and tells.  What about you?

Post Drop #3

I finally have time to write more.  I think I left off at the conversation we had with the doctor. 

First let me tell you about the Chaplin.  She came into the room and introduced herself and ask how Silas was feeling.  Then she ask us what church we went to.  She said she was Baptist, also. Why she ask that question I have no idea!  (Well, in retrospect I guess I know!)   I was sitting on the sofa and told her how God had been blessing our church and our people.  (I  guess I was filled up and tears started trickling.)  I told her God was so good to us, but we are so unworthy and don't deserve His blessings.  I could see then that she started getting uncomfortable.   She prayed and left.  I am not her judge, but  somehow the Lord just put her on my heart to pray for her.  So many people have a head knowledge  and think works will get them in.  Maybe she has never  been around where God pours out His blessings on a service.  Maybe she doesn't hear many express the goodness of God.  I don't know the situation ~ but I am glad the Lord gave me a few words.  Normally  I would sit back and let my husband do all the talking.


That is another thing that  the Lord spoke to me about.  Hiding behind my husband because he is so bubbly and never meets a stranger!  That may be a small thing to you, but for my personality ~  guess I will stop right here and say God can help us change things  that make us want to let the other person do it because  (You know, I'm just the kind that would rather stay in the background and pray and not be in the fore front.)  I think God kind of gets sick of  excuses.  With His help I will try to break out of that bondage.  You may not think it is bondage but  the devil would have us to stay in that little circle and never do anything.  I think when we put forth an effort the Lord will be right there to help me.  I am depending on Him!


I  know this mostly seems about me, but really, it is about Him.  Because I would be nothing  without  Him.
I remember about 15yrs. or so ago, I was talking to my son.  I said,  (And here's that dumb excuse again that must have disappointed  the Lord.)   I was saying to him how more dangerous it was to go knocking on doors and inviting people to church than when he was young.   His reply, "Mama,  I don't buy  that!  Aren't you serving the same God that you served back then?"  Oops!  He really touch a nerve.   Here my son, that I had raised in church, telling me that God can keep me safe. He wasn't being disrespectful,  just telling me what I had taught him.  He has the same personality that I have but somehow men have a way of overcoming easier.  He is a deep thinker but when he starts talking, he can talk.

Have you ever enter into a conversation and when you get home the devil makes you think that what you said was stupid?  He has done that to me so many times.   But I am sick and tired of him doing that to me.  If I make a fool of myself  talking then I will be a fool for Christ.  Pray for me alone this line.  I will have to write more tomorrow.
Guess I won't get to the doctor today.  But he is a Christian and the story is good~ ~

Another Mail Drop

Just to let you know that I have had to drop several things in God's mailbox since the last post.
Last Thursday Silas started having fever and our grandsons took him to the local doctor here in town.
He looked at Silas and said, "I know what's wrong with you.  You have the flu and you are contagious!"
Gave him Tamiflu and Duroflu which was close to $80.00.  Our insurance did  not cover either.  But that's not what I am writing about!  The cost did not matter if it helped.  


Friday around 2am his  fever starting up.  It went to 104.  We got it down with tylenol but it would go right back up. At 10am it went up to 104.3.  I was getting alarmed.  It was going higher.  I gave him more tylenol and we headed to the E.R. in Baton Rouge.  They took him right in and started taking test and  ~ you know all the things they do at hospitals!  In about 30 minutes they found out he had pneumonia.  Naturally they admitted him.  He was on two different antibiotics IV.  He was really sick.  But got to come home this afternoon with a strong antibiotic for another week.  We praise the Lord that he is so much better. 


We don't always understand how the Lord works.  I had to come home after he got better and get a little rest and bath. I had not slept in 3 nights and I  just crawled in the bed. I thought I would go right to sleep.  I felt such a warmth around me and I just starting talking to the Lord and thanking Him for His goodness.  (God is good even in the bad times.)

Then I just listened!  If we take time to listen the Lord will talk to us.  Not audibly, of course, but in our spirit.
He spoke to me about quite a few things in my life. 

It reminded me so much of when my Dad would talk to me as a child.  ( You know I love you with all my heart.  But listen, young lady, you had better stop and listen.)  I knew what would come if I didn't listen.  Correction that I would have not like.!


I feel like the Lord was telling me the same thing the other night.  (Child of mine, I love you with all my heart, but I just want you to listen for awhile.)  As I lay there He began to show me things in my life that I needed to change.  One in particular was ~ what am I doing with my time!  Time!  We only have so much time on this earth and we can't go back and re-capture wasted time.  What we do now is important.  I will be working on that with the Lord's help.


I listened and heard other thing I won't go into tonight.  I just know He has given me more courage to be able to witness for Him.  I went back to the hospital and the Lord had been speaking to Silas, also.
We had a good time of reading the Word and praying and I felt like I wanted to share the Lord with everyone.  If you know anything about me, you know  I am a backward person.  Just talking to strangers does not come easy with me.  It was not because I was ashamed of the Lord ~ I just honestly would rather be behind the scene, so to speak. 


I have more to tell later about how we got to talk to the doctor and we had good fellowship there with him.
"All things work together for the good  to them that love the Lord."


We both feel this hospital trip happened for a purpose.  I will tell you more later.  We are excited.

COMMIT THY WAY

"Commit thy way unto he Lord; trust also in  him; and he shall  bring it to pass." Psalm 37:5

The thing that I see here is the word "commit".  To me, that means to completely let go of.  I put cards in the mailbox for my great grand children.  If I went to the box and kept holding on to the valentine cards, what would happen?  Nothing!  I would still be holding onto them and the children would never get them.  But I had to be willing to let go of them for the postmaster to work.  The cards are out of my hands and on their way to their destination.  

That is the way it is in our Christian life.  We so often come and  try to commit our burdens and problems to the Lord.  But we want to hold onto them at the same time.  We think that somehow we can work them out.
We are not willing to drop them into the Father's Hands for Him to work.  

As our pastor was preaching a certain sermon, he said that he sometimes has to ask the Lord to make him
"willing to be willing! It is one thing to try but not trust the Lord.   We get no help in just trying.  We need to trust.  Ask the Lord to make" you willing to be willing" to trust Him to work all things out. 
I have had to pray that prayer quite a bit in my life.  Finally, after struggling  in my own strength, I just "let go and let God work."  That is commitment!  I have had this saying written in my Bible for years. (We wear ourselves out trying to do for ourselves what the Holy Spirit  wants to do for us, if we just let Him.)  When we drop our bundle into God's mailbox,  the answer will be on it's way.   

We will fail miserably and be miserable as long as we try to work in our own power.  I have no strength of my own to fight spiritual battles.  But, oh ~ the relief just to know that God is in control and knows exactly what He is doing.    Do you have some mail you need to drop in God's mailbox?  If so, let it go and let have His wonderful way.

Psalm 28

As I am sitting by the fireplace and listening to the crackling of the logs, I picked up my Bible and read Psalm 28.  

Verse 1

 "Unto  thee will I cry, O Lord my rock:

Be not silent to me;

If Thou be silent to me,

 I will become like them that go down 

into the pit." 

 David's thoughts were that he did not want  be like those that have not forsaken their sin, those who are unsaved.  Those that will go to hell.

David did not want to reject God.  He knew that but for the mercy of God, he would be one of those.  Have you ever seem someone in the gutter of sin and think "but for the mercy of God, there go I?"   But God had mercy and forgave your sin and started you in another direction toward heaven. 

Verse 3.

"Draw me not away with the wicked' and with the workers of inequity."

Think about those who have rejected God.  They were drawn away from the love of God  and died in their iniquity.  We read examples of those in the Bible.  Examples  we see where people have tried to work their way into heaven.  But Salvation is not by works.  Works alone will not get us to heaven.  It takes faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, Who died that we might live.   

Salvation is not a license  to sin, but a liberty to serve.  We serve because we are saved.  We need to stay as far away from sin as we can.  I know we are all human and none of us are perfect, but thank God, for a Savior who is willing to forgive.  

Verse 7-8

"The Lord is my strength and my shield;

My heart trusted in him, and I am helped;

Therefore my heart greatly rejoiceth; 

And with my song will I praise him. 

The Lord is their strength, 

And he is the saving strength of his anointed."

Anointed means to be set apart.   Like David, we are set apart to do God's bidding.  We are set apart to have a servant's heart.  David was a man after God's own heart.  I think the reason is, although he sinned, yet he knew God was a forgiving God.  So he just rejoices in God's love and he sings praises to God for who He is and what He has done!    Has He done anything for you?   Rejoice and sing praises to Him.  He is our Strength and our Shield.  That is something to praise the Lord about, don't you think?  David thought so.

 

 

  

Homechooling Week 4

Did I say I was going to Home school my grandson who is a 9th grader?  You didn't hear me say that, did you?
I mean ~ what great grandmother would say such a thing?   I'm bum-fuzzled here!   Can I claim in a "Senior Moment"  when I said such a thing?  Usually a  "Senior Moment" is a time when you are talking and your mind goes blank.   Something must have happened  because  my mind went  ~ well, I have no idea, but I am homeschooling a 9th grader. 

It has not been too bad.  The first few weeks getting into all the books that  were sent to the teacher (who is not the teacher) was
a little time consuming.  I'm still not sure of the progress reports but 
I am figuring it out.  All of the lessons are on DVDs  with a teacher and a class room.  That is why I said I am not the teacher.  I wonder  how much work a real teacher has to do!  Has to be a bunch. 

If working your brain helps with the memory then I am getting a good work out.  (Who said that, anyway?) 


If you are homeschooling a 9th grader I might have to call on your help.  Anyone want to volunteer?   Just kidding!  We will make  it fine.  It is a new experience for me.  I know some of you are old pro's on homeschooling.  If you think I am "nuts" don't bother to tell me, please.  I'd just rather think I am exercising my brain.