Good morning, girlfriends! Grab your coffee and a comfy chair and lets chat for a few.
Today, I’m inspired to share some thoughts about that little member of our body right behind our teeth…you know, the one that tends to get us in so much trouble! I’m certain this is a topic we can ALL relate to and, as usual, one that I need to be reminded of, myself! Let’s begin with a few verses. Apparently, this is an important point, as there are many to choose from!
Let every man be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to get angry, for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. James 1:19-20
Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise; when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent. Proverbs 17:28
Don't use foul or abusive language. Let everything you say be good and helpful, so that your words will be an encouragement to those who hear them. Ephesians 4:29
But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another. Galatians 5:15
For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body. If we put bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. So, also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God. From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water. Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. James 3:2-13
We have been given this unique gift, among the creation, to be able to communicate with a wide variety of words to one another. While the animals also have the ability to communicate with one another in specific ways from one species to the next, it is limited and simplified compared to our vast array of arsenal…oh, I mean words, tone, inflection and body language with which we convey our intentions. Some of us who are “talkers” have more trouble with this than others. “Too much talk leads to sin. Be sensible and keep your mouth shut.” Anyone need interpretation here? :-D Proverbs 10:19 (NLT)
As a side bar, Proverbs is a great book to read, and gives us the opportunity to tap into godly and practical advice with regard to many and various things in life that we encounter on a regular basis and how to handle them wisely. You might like to make it a daily part of your practice to read one or two chapters as an addition to your devotional time.
As we think about how we use our tongues in speaking to each other and to ourselves (self-talk) and as we look to God’s word for help in this matter, we realize that just deciding to tame our tongues isn’t going to work. James tells us that no man can tame the tongue! That creates a dilemma. Let’s look at Jesus’ words for further insight.
The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. Luke 6:45
So then….it’s a heart matter. That is so Jesus. If we want to see progress in the things that are coming out of our mouths, we must go straight for our hearts and let God shine his spotlight on the areas that are in need of his cleansing. We all have them! There is none righteous, no not one! Romans 3:1 Let’s make a visit to our knowing place, today, and it would be a great exercise if we would open our Bibles to Galations 5 when we do. As we look at verses 16-25, we can see the contrast between the fruit of the Spirit that we want to be evident in our lives and the works of the flesh. As we walk through those things with a prayerful heart, our Father is faithful to show us where he wants to do a clean-up on the inside and that is what will produce a more loving and cleaner presentation coming from our lips. Of course, this requires maintenance! God wants us to come to him, daily, and walk in relationship with him. No doubt we will always struggle with our tongues as long as we are in these mortal bodies but there can be a definite change as we open our hearts and look together with our loving Father on the inside to see our need.
Let’s remember that the words we speak have the power of death and life, especially in our homes. We can tear down and destroy or we can build up and encourage. Ask God for wisdom in how to communicate in a loving and productive way, especially when having to confront difficult issues. We also need to communicate with ourselves in that same way. We can't love our neighbors or others very well if we don't have a proper love for ourselves. As an example, if we condemn ourselves when we fail, rather than accepting God's grace and moving forward, we will likely do the same with others. He will help as we lean in for understanding.
Girls, have a great day and I can’t wait to share together, again, soon! I’m praying for you. Please remember me in yours, as well!
Still Climbing
Cher
Tuesday
“Looking to Jesus…who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame.”
There is a real pearl of great price in this verse of Scripture, even beyond the fact that it was in this completely selfless act of love and sacrifice that Jesus brought to us the opportunity to have eternal salvation, if we put our faith in him and what he accomplished for us by enduring the cross!
For the purpose of today’s thought, I want to focus in on this part of the verse…”For the joy set before him…..he endured.”
Endurance or, in using the verb tense, endure, is an act of the will. It entails perservering, withstanding or continuing on in the face of great difficulty to see a situation through, to the end. In order to willingly, even purposefully, endure something painful or extremely difficult, there must be a hope or a “joy set before….” the one enduring. We’ve all heard of people enduring terrible pain from injuries and weeks with little food or water while waiting to be rescued from a plane crash or after getting lost in a snow storm…some have even had to endure the unfathomable pain of severing one of their own limbs to free themselves from being pinned so they could have a chance of being rescued! These brave souls found the power to endure as they thought of the lives they wanted to continue back home, loved ones...and having those joys set before them, they endured! How about those we have known who, while steadily moving toward a sure and painful death, due to a cruel and unrelenting, terminal illness, maintained a peace and courage as they looked toward the hope of a pain-free and beautiful heaven awaiting them? It’s that joy set before them! Are you with me, now? :-D
Now, let me switch gears a little bit and bring a far less worthy example than the cross Jesus carried for your sins and mine so that he could experience the joy of offering salvation to a lost and broken world, or the admirable examples of the suffering of human kind as discussed above, and bring it down to a simple analogy that I experience in my daily life.
The aspect I want to address here is one of endurance, as a noun or character trait. As a person who makes fitness a daily part of my life, I can relate to developing this trait of endurance and it doesn't just happen!
Friends, you can be sure the winner of any long distance race has established a well worn path down the trail of endurance and it has included a heaping dose of self-denial and and an iron will of determination. She has experienced plenty of aching joints and muscles, along the way, during many long runs, come sunshine or rain. She’s eaten the right foods to fuel her body, like a fine tuned engine, and mentally prepared for the long race, ahead, with one thought in mind…to win the prize. It took time to cultivate this package of preparation and build the level of endurance that wins a race. She didn’t just show up the day of the marathon and decide to run 26 miles! I know - ridiculous, right? But we try it in so many ways! We ask God to give us “spirituality,” microwave style, we want our thought life to just be “fixed” and our emotions to be “healed” without a lot of effort and we are forgetting our example, the Lord Jesus Christ, “….Who for the joy set before him, endured…” Do you think he experienced less of the pain of the cross than the full measure our sin demanded? Do you think he was immune to the feeling of being spat upon and mocked? The passage says he despised the shame. When that verse tells us he endured, my sisters, he ENDURED the cross, FULLY. He paid the penalty, pain and shame of carrying your cross and mine.
When we want to experience the joy set before us, whatever that joy is, be it spiritual growth, financial freedom from debt, a godly marriage, the comfort of knowing our children are well equipped to make their own choices to endure and walk in what they know is right, (they do have a will and a choice to make, remember) ….in any of these and more scenarios, endurance is right there, front and center! Spiritual maturity doesn’t happen without the discipline of time and the response of obedience, financial freedom from debt takes self discipline in making purchases, a concentrated focus and a healthy dose of self-denial to reach that joy set before us - the day when we are debt free. Alright – all the single ladies :-D, I dare to speak on this matter as it has been a hard learned lesson for me in my 8 years since my divorce but, if we want a godly marriage, it begins when we are single! If we can commit to sexual purity in our dating relationships, one of the hardest won battles for singles, he will bless us when the time is right! Trying to raise our children to do what is right means, at times, we must endure their displeasure with us when we say no or refuse to compromise what we know is right for them. We endure their anger or misunderstanding for the joy set before us that, later, there will be fruit and reward in their lives and ours. When Jesus went to the cross, he had to look ahead to the joy. His knowing what joy was to come sustained him as he endured that most horrible cross. The joy of the resurrection and the salvation brought to so many, by his willingness to endure, was worth it all!
Have you determined what the joys are that you have set before you or do you need to set some joys before you? You know I will refer back to the 4 areas of growth (new readers see archived blogs to the left) by now. :-D Endurance will be a part of those joys becoming a reality.
We are human and we will weaken, at times. That is why we need each other. When Jesus prayed in the garden, before going to the cross, he was upset that his disciples kept falling asleep. He, choosing to clothe himself in human flesh, for our sakes, needed their comfort and care during his most trying hour. As he prayed, knowing what was to come, he asked the Father, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me….nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” He did not WANT to go to the cross. He knew how painful and shameful it would be. But he was willing to endure it for the great joy that was to come. We don't want to endure hardship but, if we can set the joys to come before our spiritual eyes, we can endure!
Can we pray for endurance? God will bless our lives as we give ourselves to him and he sets before us joys untold! Believe it!
Come back, soon! I'm praying for you.
Still Climbing,
Cher
For the purpose of today’s thought, I want to focus in on this part of the verse…”For the joy set before him…..he endured.”
Endurance or, in using the verb tense, endure, is an act of the will. It entails perservering, withstanding or continuing on in the face of great difficulty to see a situation through, to the end. In order to willingly, even purposefully, endure something painful or extremely difficult, there must be a hope or a “joy set before….” the one enduring. We’ve all heard of people enduring terrible pain from injuries and weeks with little food or water while waiting to be rescued from a plane crash or after getting lost in a snow storm…some have even had to endure the unfathomable pain of severing one of their own limbs to free themselves from being pinned so they could have a chance of being rescued! These brave souls found the power to endure as they thought of the lives they wanted to continue back home, loved ones...and having those joys set before them, they endured! How about those we have known who, while steadily moving toward a sure and painful death, due to a cruel and unrelenting, terminal illness, maintained a peace and courage as they looked toward the hope of a pain-free and beautiful heaven awaiting them? It’s that joy set before them! Are you with me, now? :-D
Now, let me switch gears a little bit and bring a far less worthy example than the cross Jesus carried for your sins and mine so that he could experience the joy of offering salvation to a lost and broken world, or the admirable examples of the suffering of human kind as discussed above, and bring it down to a simple analogy that I experience in my daily life.
The aspect I want to address here is one of endurance, as a noun or character trait. As a person who makes fitness a daily part of my life, I can relate to developing this trait of endurance and it doesn't just happen!
Friends, you can be sure the winner of any long distance race has established a well worn path down the trail of endurance and it has included a heaping dose of self-denial and and an iron will of determination. She has experienced plenty of aching joints and muscles, along the way, during many long runs, come sunshine or rain. She’s eaten the right foods to fuel her body, like a fine tuned engine, and mentally prepared for the long race, ahead, with one thought in mind…to win the prize. It took time to cultivate this package of preparation and build the level of endurance that wins a race. She didn’t just show up the day of the marathon and decide to run 26 miles! I know - ridiculous, right? But we try it in so many ways! We ask God to give us “spirituality,” microwave style, we want our thought life to just be “fixed” and our emotions to be “healed” without a lot of effort and we are forgetting our example, the Lord Jesus Christ, “….Who for the joy set before him, endured…” Do you think he experienced less of the pain of the cross than the full measure our sin demanded? Do you think he was immune to the feeling of being spat upon and mocked? The passage says he despised the shame. When that verse tells us he endured, my sisters, he ENDURED the cross, FULLY. He paid the penalty, pain and shame of carrying your cross and mine.
When we want to experience the joy set before us, whatever that joy is, be it spiritual growth, financial freedom from debt, a godly marriage, the comfort of knowing our children are well equipped to make their own choices to endure and walk in what they know is right, (they do have a will and a choice to make, remember) ….in any of these and more scenarios, endurance is right there, front and center! Spiritual maturity doesn’t happen without the discipline of time and the response of obedience, financial freedom from debt takes self discipline in making purchases, a concentrated focus and a healthy dose of self-denial to reach that joy set before us - the day when we are debt free. Alright – all the single ladies :-D, I dare to speak on this matter as it has been a hard learned lesson for me in my 8 years since my divorce but, if we want a godly marriage, it begins when we are single! If we can commit to sexual purity in our dating relationships, one of the hardest won battles for singles, he will bless us when the time is right! Trying to raise our children to do what is right means, at times, we must endure their displeasure with us when we say no or refuse to compromise what we know is right for them. We endure their anger or misunderstanding for the joy set before us that, later, there will be fruit and reward in their lives and ours. When Jesus went to the cross, he had to look ahead to the joy. His knowing what joy was to come sustained him as he endured that most horrible cross. The joy of the resurrection and the salvation brought to so many, by his willingness to endure, was worth it all!
Have you determined what the joys are that you have set before you or do you need to set some joys before you? You know I will refer back to the 4 areas of growth (new readers see archived blogs to the left) by now. :-D Endurance will be a part of those joys becoming a reality.
We are human and we will weaken, at times. That is why we need each other. When Jesus prayed in the garden, before going to the cross, he was upset that his disciples kept falling asleep. He, choosing to clothe himself in human flesh, for our sakes, needed their comfort and care during his most trying hour. As he prayed, knowing what was to come, he asked the Father, “If it be possible, let this cup pass from me….nevertheless, not my will but thine be done.” He did not WANT to go to the cross. He knew how painful and shameful it would be. But he was willing to endure it for the great joy that was to come. We don't want to endure hardship but, if we can set the joys to come before our spiritual eyes, we can endure!
Can we pray for endurance? God will bless our lives as we give ourselves to him and he sets before us joys untold! Believe it!
Come back, soon! I'm praying for you.
Still Climbing,
Cher
Visit to Arkansas - Mennonite encounter
Greetings, girlfriends!
It's been a few days since we chatted over a cup of coffee... or, in my case, today, a cup of hot tea with honey, since I returned from my visit to Arkansas with a cold in tow! It was well worth it, however, since I went to see my new grandson and my 2 year old granddaughter, in Arkansas. How precious they are!
My oldest son is a Mennonite and is married to one of the minister's daughters in the Mennonite church. For those of you who don't know what a Mennonite is, the quickest and easiest way for me to explain, in brief, is to say that they resemble the Amish. You know, the group who live in rural communities, dress very plain (the women with head coverings, long, hand sewn dresses and the men with beards), and drive horse and buggy's? The Amish don't have electricity, T.V.'s, radios or computers in their homes. The Mennonites are very similar in these ways. Their final authority is the Bible and they believe in living by the guiding principles of modesty, simplicity and economy.
The Mennonite ladies do wear a black head covering and sew their own dresses - their dress is not as severe in that their coverings are not as large and they wear colorful dresses, rather than grey or black. The men look more "regular" in that they would wear just a button-down shirt or pull-over with jeans or slacks but are discouraged from wearing name brands or anything to draw attention to themselves. They also sport a beard, although not as long as the Amish, but more cropped and well-groomed. They drive cars (middle of the road and modest - not extravagant or flashy) and have electricity. They do not, however, have T.V.'s, computers or any type of music in their homes,other than a pitch pipe and their own voices. This is to keep immoral influences out of the home. For entertainment, they visit together in each other's homes, frequently, for meals, play games, sing as a family and in groups. They also travel, quite often, to other congregations, for weddings, and other events.
I was a Mennonite for several years. I left the church 6 years ago and, thus, I am expelled from the church. Their viewpoint is that I have left the way and they want me to come back and be restored to the faith, once again, and so, when I go, that is understood. As you can imagine, there are many details to this story, far too long for this blog! I am in the process of writing a book and sketching it out, a little at a time, on the My Story page of this blog - but for the sake of brevity here, let me just say that it is always both a difficult and good experience when I visit my son and his family in Arkansas. I love them and they love me. At the same time, there are things with which I must contend as far as seating arrangements during meal times and attending church, which I do, willingly, when I go, and upon my return, I find myself tired and saddened by that circumstance in my life.
This visit was the best I've had in the past 6 years. My son and I shared a good, heart to heart visit and I also had some one on one with my daughter in law who is a sweetheart of a girl. They had some others over for singing one evening and my 2 best girlfriends (non-Mennonites) that live there also came over and hung out. I went to church with the family Sunday morning before heading off to the airport to return home. As I looked upon the rows and rows of black draped heads on the ladies side(the church coverings are different from every day ones - more like a tie down scarf) and the rows of men on the other side of the church, I was more than aware of my own "worldly" presence in my slacks and jacket, free flowing hair and make-up. Nontheless, I've been doing this for 6 years now so I've become accustomed to it. The Sunday School lesson titled, "Shipwrecks of the faith" made for an interesting thought process on my part (no doubt theirs, too). Yes, I try and maintain my sense of humor, even with the pain of the separation that is obviously a part of such a relationship. Believe me, it helps!
With my oldest being 17 at the time of my divorce (after 18 years of marriage) and being happy and secure in the Mennonite faith, he has found his place and is a loving husband and father to my grandchildren. My two younger boys are in an entirely different place...but that is for another time.
Thanks for walking with me through just this little bit of my life, today. There is oh, so much more I have yet to share. I hope it gives you a glimpse into one part of my world and hope in yours!
What I hope you take from this as I begin to share parts of my story, is that, whatever your circumstances, there is grace. You see, as my life begins to unfold, you may say, "I could NEVER go through THAT! I couldn't handle it!" And you would be right! God only gives grace for what he allows us to pass through in our lives, not for what others are walking through. II Cor. 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient
for you for my power is made perfect in (your) weakness."
Can you trust him, today, for what he is allowing you to experience? He knows the good he wants to bring about through your difficulties and he loves you more than you can fathom!
I'm praying for you. Please remember me.
Still Climbing,
Cher
It's been a few days since we chatted over a cup of coffee... or, in my case, today, a cup of hot tea with honey, since I returned from my visit to Arkansas with a cold in tow! It was well worth it, however, since I went to see my new grandson and my 2 year old granddaughter, in Arkansas. How precious they are!
My oldest son is a Mennonite and is married to one of the minister's daughters in the Mennonite church. For those of you who don't know what a Mennonite is, the quickest and easiest way for me to explain, in brief, is to say that they resemble the Amish. You know, the group who live in rural communities, dress very plain (the women with head coverings, long, hand sewn dresses and the men with beards), and drive horse and buggy's? The Amish don't have electricity, T.V.'s, radios or computers in their homes. The Mennonites are very similar in these ways. Their final authority is the Bible and they believe in living by the guiding principles of modesty, simplicity and economy.
The Mennonite ladies do wear a black head covering and sew their own dresses - their dress is not as severe in that their coverings are not as large and they wear colorful dresses, rather than grey or black. The men look more "regular" in that they would wear just a button-down shirt or pull-over with jeans or slacks but are discouraged from wearing name brands or anything to draw attention to themselves. They also sport a beard, although not as long as the Amish, but more cropped and well-groomed. They drive cars (middle of the road and modest - not extravagant or flashy) and have electricity. They do not, however, have T.V.'s, computers or any type of music in their homes,other than a pitch pipe and their own voices. This is to keep immoral influences out of the home. For entertainment, they visit together in each other's homes, frequently, for meals, play games, sing as a family and in groups. They also travel, quite often, to other congregations, for weddings, and other events.
I was a Mennonite for several years. I left the church 6 years ago and, thus, I am expelled from the church. Their viewpoint is that I have left the way and they want me to come back and be restored to the faith, once again, and so, when I go, that is understood. As you can imagine, there are many details to this story, far too long for this blog! I am in the process of writing a book and sketching it out, a little at a time, on the My Story page of this blog - but for the sake of brevity here, let me just say that it is always both a difficult and good experience when I visit my son and his family in Arkansas. I love them and they love me. At the same time, there are things with which I must contend as far as seating arrangements during meal times and attending church, which I do, willingly, when I go, and upon my return, I find myself tired and saddened by that circumstance in my life.
This visit was the best I've had in the past 6 years. My son and I shared a good, heart to heart visit and I also had some one on one with my daughter in law who is a sweetheart of a girl. They had some others over for singing one evening and my 2 best girlfriends (non-Mennonites) that live there also came over and hung out. I went to church with the family Sunday morning before heading off to the airport to return home. As I looked upon the rows and rows of black draped heads on the ladies side(the church coverings are different from every day ones - more like a tie down scarf) and the rows of men on the other side of the church, I was more than aware of my own "worldly" presence in my slacks and jacket, free flowing hair and make-up. Nontheless, I've been doing this for 6 years now so I've become accustomed to it. The Sunday School lesson titled, "Shipwrecks of the faith" made for an interesting thought process on my part (no doubt theirs, too). Yes, I try and maintain my sense of humor, even with the pain of the separation that is obviously a part of such a relationship. Believe me, it helps!
With my oldest being 17 at the time of my divorce (after 18 years of marriage) and being happy and secure in the Mennonite faith, he has found his place and is a loving husband and father to my grandchildren. My two younger boys are in an entirely different place...but that is for another time.
Thanks for walking with me through just this little bit of my life, today. There is oh, so much more I have yet to share. I hope it gives you a glimpse into one part of my world and hope in yours!
What I hope you take from this as I begin to share parts of my story, is that, whatever your circumstances, there is grace. You see, as my life begins to unfold, you may say, "I could NEVER go through THAT! I couldn't handle it!" And you would be right! God only gives grace for what he allows us to pass through in our lives, not for what others are walking through. II Cor. 12:9 says, "My grace is sufficient
for you for my power is made perfect in (your) weakness."
Can you trust him, today, for what he is allowing you to experience? He knows the good he wants to bring about through your difficulties and he loves you more than you can fathom!
I'm praying for you. Please remember me.
Still Climbing,
Cher
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