Put Up Your Dukes

 

My brother was a quiet child and kept to himself most of the time. 

The boys at school would bully him regularly so one day my dad decided to take action.

“We are going to teach Allen how to fight,” said my dad.

“Come here, Hazel and put up your dukes.” 

I always obeyed my dad, so I did as I was told. 

“Okay, Allen get over here and let’s practice boxing.”

I wasn’t about to suffer getting hit by my brother, so I hauled off and smacked him a hard one, right on his nose, which began to profusely bleed.

The fight was over for that day, and I was never called back into fight duty after that. 

I think my mother must have had a talk with Dad because a stop was put on the fight lessons.

~ ~ ~

 

In life there are times when you must “Put up your dukes.”  Yes, even times when to protect yourself and your family you must fight.  Usually it is a fight of words, or a letter, or a legal battle in court.

 

In our Spiritual walk, we must also learn to fight our spiritual enemy old Satan, for he comes to lie, steal, destroy and even kill if he can.

 

Put on your spiritual armor, and especially the head gear, because the toughest battles are in your mind. 

Cover those negative thoughts with the blood of Jesus and replace them with praise that God is already at work on your behalf.

Watch yourself that you do not try to fight fire with fire, because pay back will only make things worse. 

Let God come along side of you and bring Wisdom with Him for you.

God will avenge you in ways that you have not thought of, so expect to be surprised when He steps up to fight for you. 

 

2 Chronicles  20:17 You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you, Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out to face them tomorrow, and the LORD will be with you.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c7uRX4srnsM&list=RDc7uRX4srnsM#t=32

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qp_PolBwjEw&list=RDc7uRX4srnsM&index=3

 

 

What Do We Fear?

Fear Has Torment

 

I was taking notes on the Sunday sermon as Pastor Jerry was reading from the 25^th Chapter of Matthew about the parable of the Talents; Three slaves given, Five, Two and One talent apiece.

Matthew 25:24 “Then he who had received the one talent came and said, ‘Lord I was afraid, and went and hid your talent in the ground. Look, there you have what is yours.’ 30And he commanded to cast the unprofitable servant into the outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

The perplexing thing with the third slave was his fear and the terror of outer darkness.

Jesus gave this story as a metaphor about the Kingdom of God and spiritual gifts.

Each of the Master’s talent was valued at about two year’s wages, and the responsibility placed upon the servants was great.  The Master trusted his slaves to invest his money wisely.  Two servants doubled the Master’s money, but the third to be save, hid his because he was afraid.

In today’s economy we place our trust in our bank, pension systems, Social Security and our Government.  Yet the stock markets plummet, and banks fail leaving us with fear.

The disciples of Jesus had fears just to survive with no thought of pension plans.

Pastor told a story about a little girl asking her grandmother, “When bad people die do they go to the place where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth? GM said, “Yes.”  The girl said, “What if they don’t have any teeth?  GM said, “God will give them new teeth to gnash.

The Jewish people had many fears and Jesus often commanded them to fear not and do not be afraid.

The Spiritual leaders were afraid of Jesus and his large following.

This Gospel text is about fears and using your talents.

The generous master entrusted his wealth to his slaves.  God is our Master and he has given us talents or gifts, to some one or two and to others a larger amount.  He trusts us to use our talents to serve His kingdom.

Jesus talks a lot about money, and we have strong fears about money especially when we are asked to part with some of our hard earned cash.

In 1999 there was great fear about the year turning over to 2000 and what would happen to the computers, but we heaved a sigh when nothing occurred. 

Two years after there was a huge financial spin in Asia and the biggest bank in the world closed.

The word ability and gift is the same word as talent.  Why do we fear? 

God entrusts each of us with precious gifts.  Sometimes throughout life there is a change and we have different gifts.  There are many Spiritual gifts and some take more “RISK” than others.

Our hope is in Jesus and he expects us to use what He has given us.  We never know when we will be called to accountancy.

We are often worry and are afraid. We’re afraid that we will offend. We’re afraid that we may be laughed at; yet we have the promise that Jesus is there with us as we use our gifts.

So worry warts, do not be afraid – let us go forth and use our talents for God.  Be willing to take a risk for God is over all.

 

The Barren Woman

 

Why or Why?

 

Sing, O barren woman, you who never bore a child; burst into song, shout for joy, you who were never in labor. —Isaiah 54:1

Isaiah could say that about one who longed for a special touch, a breakthrough, or vindication, and that's God's word for you. Do not be afraid. You will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace. You will not be humiliated.

My friend had an angry look on her face in fact she was hopping mad. 

She vented at me, “I don’t see why those girl friends of mine are having babies and I can’t seem to get pregnant for the life of me. I hate them!”

My friend had been married for several years, and desiring a child was not a secret she kept with in her breast.

As I stared blankly at her, the Lord spoke to me a simple “message” to say to her.

With trepidation I spoke up and said with a calm voice, “You are just going to have to forgive your friends.”

She grabbed her stomach as if I had given her a gut punch.  Then she relaxed. 

“You are right, but I guess I didn’t realize I was harboring such hostility toward them.”

My friend never did get pregnant, but when her marriage failed, she later married a widower who had three young girls. 

His daughters knew he was lonely and they suggested he join a dating service, which he did. 

The way they met was not the method I would suggest, but it worked out great for both of them.

Last time I heard from her, our barren women is now a grandmother.

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

In life as we look at ourselves, are we unhappy because others are thinner than me, married and I am still single, drive a nicer car, are richer than me?

If we are embracing similar unpleasant thoughts, perhaps we need to do some forgiving of others, and then give thanks for what we do have.

Philippians 4:11  Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Hebrews_13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

 

 

Baby Sleep Patterns

Nite Nite - Sleep Tight

 

Beginning at about 6 weeks, you can reinforce your child's biological rhythms by establishing a regular bedtime routine.

 

At about the same time every night, for instance, give him a warm bath, read him a book, and then feed him before putting him to bed. (For more ideas, see the article on bedtime routines.) Try to get your baby up at around the same time every morning and put him down for naps at the same point in the day.

Newborns may genuinely need a close warm loved one to help them make the transition to sleep.

But many parents neglect to allow their own habits to change as their babies develop. They continue to hold their babies as they fall asleep, never even giving them a chance to begin to learn how to sleep on their own.

If you’re holding, rocking, or feeding a baby while he falls asleep, the baby—guaranteed—will wake up again later that night after you sneak away. He will need you to come back and resume holding, rocking, or whatever to ease him back to sleep.

The concept here is “independent sleep associations,” referring to the kinds of things we’re used to having around as cues to help us fall asleep. It would be very hard for most of us to fall asleep without a pillow—because we’re used to having a pillow when we fall asleep. And if someone were to steal your pillow in the middle of the night, you can bet you’d wake up quick.

If your baby depends on you as a sleep association, she will not stay asleep if you leave the room. You’ve got to camp out all night. Maybe that’s what you want to do.

But if you’d like to have your own nighttime for yourself and your spouse, you cannot be a sleep association for your baby.

I’ll make it simple with some good rules of thumb: by two months of age, you should sometimes be putting your baby down when awake; by four months of age, you should usually be putting your baby down awake; by six months of age, always put your baby down while awake. If you never try, it will never work. It does not get easier to start working on these independent sleep associations as babies get older.

So what do you do when your baby isn’t falling asleep on her own? Follow the plan, and keep it simple. Put your baby down with confidence and no apologies. Say “Good night, honey, I will see you tomorrow.” Then leave.

Do not go and check every few minutes—that teaches your baby that hysterics will bring mommy in running. The lesson here is: it is night, you are in your bed. It is time for sleep. This is the way it is. Now, you cannot make a child sleep—but you can control your own reactions.

When Junior learns that this is the way it is, the crying stops, and the sleeping begins. Keep in mind that the older your baby is when you start this, the more stubborn she will be, and the longer she will cry.

There are genuinely times when tough love is needed.

Not of Our Mission?



Mormon Missionaries Love Jesus

Mark 9:38-41 Now John answered Him, saying, “Teacher, we saw someone who does not follow us casting out demons in Your name, and we forbade him because he does not follow us.”

But Jesus said, “Do not forbid him, for no one who works a miracle in My name can soon afterward speak evil of Me.  For he who is not against us is on our side.  

Many years ago, when our son told me he was planning to marry the girl, I said, “You know that we do not believe like they do, but I must say they are family oriented.” 

 

He replied, "yes, and the girls are chaise."

To please her parents, our son was obligated to join their LDS/Mormon church and be baptized. 

It has been 21 years since they married, and now their handsome 19 year old son has signed up for a two year “Mission.”

When our LDS grandson was 12 and preparing to be baptized in water, I asked him if he understood all that this meant.  Then I proceeded to explain to him, the spiritual application; how we are buried with Christ and are raised in newness of life to live always for Jesus. 

In his teen years our grandson began getting in with the wrong crowd, and the LDS church leaders took him aside and gave him a solemn talk.  What ever they told him, it caused an about face. 

Our young boy still in high school; found a job and began to save his money.  He changed his friends, and before long he was attending local classes to prepare for a mission.

Last Christmas he announced to our family about his plans after High school graduation; a two year mission.

As he left our home that Christmas, I told him, “I know you love your church, but always focus on Jesus and put Him first in your life.”   

Our grandson made a special trip to visit us before he left for Utah to the training center.  We asked him a lot of questions most were simple and not deep probing interrogations.

He told us that mostly they were going to find people who needed help and offer assistance and also tell them who they were.

We told him we will pray for his safety and that what ever he does that he will be acting as Jesus would have done.

Were we happy about this mission trip? 

Probably not, but as my husband so aptly put it, “Things could be a lot worse.”

 

 

JOURNEY TO A STRANGE LAND

 

 

Pastor Jerry was reading from Joshua 24:1-3, 14-25.  God had chosen Joshua to be the new leader and to take the children of Israel into the promised land.

During their long journey the people had been rebellious and at times would worship foreign gods.  Some had even brought with them idols of the Egyptian gods. 

As far as The Lord God Jehovah, their worship was merely lip service.
 

Joshua called the people together and gave them an ultimatum. 

They must make a choice because God is a jealous God and he does not want a rival.

The people needed to make a covenant to serve God only and to put away their false gods.

New ground was ahead as it is for us in our lives.  For each of us there is an uncharted future ahead.  Our journey may seem strange, and it is time to make a solid choice. 

Are we allowing tradition and religious ceremony to become our god or will we choose to have a personal relationship with the True and Living God? 

Joshua 24:14-15 “Now therefore, fear the Lord, serve Him in sincerity and in truth, and put away the gods which your fathers served on the other side of the River and in Egypt.

 

Serve the Lord!  And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.”

The choice was not to be made lightly but in all sincerity.

Joshua pointed the people in the right direction by recounting all that God had done for them;  Their escape from Egypt, and how God had fed and protected them on their long journey with the large congregation and all their livestock.

They had good reason to trust the Lord and serve Him with faithfulness. 

Pastor reminded us of Joseph and Mary who took a journey with the baby Jesus into Egypt to escape the wicked King.

The Apostle Paul, and others took long missionary journeys as they proclaimed the Gospel of Christ Jesus.

We mark time on our journey and there are always decisions.   We can say yes, or we can say no.

Pastor gave an illustration of two frogs seated at a banquet table.  One frog said to the other frog, “I truly miss eating flies.”

Are we like the frogs and sometimes want to eat flies?  But then Kings and Queens do not eat flies !!

In the old country dirt roads, there often are ruts from rain, mud and previous vehicles.  It is easier to travel if you place your tire in the rut and allow it to take you on your journey; but the truth is the rut might take you to where you don’t want to go.

Decide to serve The Lord God for serving Him helps you to choose relationships, work, career, friends and blessings along the way. Serving God makes a difference in your life.

Do we choose God’s path or demand to have our own path?

Choose to serve God and eliminate many heart aches and troubles.

God’s way is best.

 

LIEN ON ME

 

It is Good to Lean On Jesus

 

Our roofing business was being recognized by many of the general contractors who were building apartments and condominiums.  To protect ourselves we hired an attorney to help us put certain language into our contracts to indemnify us.

Our attorney also told us to be sure to place a Lien on each job that we accepted.

This became my duty to make certain a lien was prepared and applied. 

A large job came our way and the work was proceeding.  Our contract had asked for a partial payment at each stage of the job. However the payment did not arrive.  The following day, we did not show up to finish the work.  Their foreman phoned me and said they were ready for us to continue. 

I told him, we needed the partial payment before we could return.  He said, they were short of funds and I told him we also were short of funds and we could not purchase the material and pay our men unless they paid us.  He said that he would see what he could do. 

 

Later he called me back and told me I could pick up a check and I told him we will be there and we were.

The day came when we should receive our final payment for work completed.  Again there were delays and the word was out that the general contractor was asking all the subs to receive 50 cents on the dollar – take it or leave it.

Thankfully we had heeded our attorney’s advice and had placed a lien on the property.

When they offered for us to take less, we stated that we had given them a bargain price up front and we intended to be paid in full.

A year went by and the property had a buyer, but they could not complete the sale until we were paid and our lien was removed.  Eventually they paid us and we were pleased.

Fortunately, during the months of waiting, we had our day to day roofing jobs that kept us afloat and we did not suffer loss. 

In life there are times when LIFE is TOUGH, but Jesus tells us to lean on Him and rest.

Matthew 11:28 "Come to me, all of you who are weary and loaded down with burdens, and I will give you rest.

 

Lean on Jesus - by Leonie Davis 

I can lean on Jesus, when my world is falling a part,
I can lean on Jesus, He will up hold me and give
me a brand new start.
I can lean on Jesus, when all seems to fail,
I can lean on Jesus, In him I will prevail.
I lean on Jesus when everything begins to crumble and fall,
I can lean on Jesus, He is with me for the long hall.
I can lean on Jesus, when everything is going wrong,
I can lean on Jesus, because he has made me strong.
I can lean on Jesus, I won't take off and run,
He will lead and guide me until the day is done.
I can lean on Jesus, His word will I understand.
I can lean on Jesus, I will cling to his nail scarred hands.
I can lean on Jesus, the victory He has won.
I can lean on Jesus. for he is God's only Son.

 

 

Are You Identified?

Are You Identified ?

 

Customer satisfaction was important to us as we ran our roofing business in the SF Bay Area. 

 

Our blue trucks became recognized as they drove up to apply roofs in the many neighborhoods, and we became known to install a good roof for a fair price. 

Our business grew, and soon we needed more workers for the larger jobs. 

A neighborhood boy, Joey said, “I have a cousin that needs work, can you use him?”

Robert said, “Sure have him report tomorrow morning early and we will sign him up.”

The next day, we had the new lad write on a piece of paper his name, address, telephone number and of course his Social Security number. 

He worked for our company about three months, and left.  Joey said his cousin found a job somewhere else. 

It is required for a business with employees, to send to the State quarterly reports along a check for their Taxes withheld, and also reports and a check to FICA (Social Security.) 

One day we received a letter from FICA that the name of our employee and the social security number he gave us did not match.   

This was something we had not encountered before.   Apparently Joey’s cousin was an illegal and had either purchased the Social Security Number, or just made it up.

Who was this person that we assumed was an American Citizen? 

In life there are times when it is important to have a good ID, usually a driver’s license that will identify who we are. 

The Bible tells us that in order to enter heaven, we must also have a registered ID.  We must be IDENTIFIED with Christ Jesus. 

God does not give us a number, but He does know each and everyone of our names. 

His overall plan is that all mankind should be saved - - but then he gives us that terrible choice to either receive Jesus or to turn away and be counted with the lost.  God invites us to receive Jesus, but He does not force.  God's desire is that we come to Him willingly. 

Jesus said, “I am the way the truth and the Life and No one comes to the Father but by me.”  Some will try to gain heaven by other ways saying all roads lead to heaven, and many are misled by their words.  When the final report is in, those without the proper ID will not be recognized as being legal.

If you have not already done so, make sure your ID is the true and genuine, sealed with the blood of Jesus who died for you.

Romans 10:9-10, 13  "That if you shall confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved."



THE SAINTS AMONG US

 

Pastor Jerry began his message with a story, as I took notes on his sermon.

A man visited his old home church in the South, and noticed the new stain glassed windows with names of donors attached.  He didn’t know any of the names and asked the Pastor if there had been a lot of new folks recently.  He was told, “Those folks weren’t members here for we purchased at a bargain price, the windows from a church in St Louis; when their new windows did not fit.  The man asked, “Don’t you want to remove those donor names?”  The Pastor replied, “No, we are a small church, so each Sunday it is nice to be surrounded by so many other Saints.” 

Hebrews 12:1 Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith - - 

If you are from a Catholic or Episcopal or other church background, you may know that today is “All Saints Sunday.” 

We look back through the Old Testament and are reminded of the many Godly Saints; some were killed because they were faithful to proclaim what God told them to say. 

 

The New Testament reveals a score of other Saints, as does History as we think of the Christian Martyrs, Missionaries, Doctors, Nurses and helpers who went forth to bring the Gospel of Christ to others.

We are also reminded of those Saints in our church who this past year have passed on to glory ahead of us. 

In the book of Hebrews it is written, we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses.  Saints surround us and their memory encourages us not to quit.  Remembrance fills us with faith and boldness.

Each one of us is in some form of crisis or emergency.  In our town there are many in dire predicaments not of their choosing.

We can’t go alone and we need the Lord and we need each other.  God promised Joshua that he would be with him as He had been with Moses, and today we have that same promise that He will never leave or forsake us.

Traditions of the past give us options and enrich our vision, but we cannot live in the past.  We must realize we can build upon what is past, but we must look ahead and not keep looking back into our rear view mirror.

Pastor told another story: A male child, Francis was born 1811 into a prosperous and good family.  Francis lived the high-spirited life typical of a wealthy young man, even fighting as a soldier for Assisi.  While going off to war in 1204, Francis had a vision that directed him back to Assisi, where he lost his taste for his worldly life.  He began preaching on the streets and helping the poor, and soon gathered many followers.  Today we know him as Saint Francis of Assisi. 

We must love one another, help one another and always bring to others the Good News of Christ Jesus.

Yes, we are surrounded by a cloud of witnesses, and we are not alone.  The Saints of old are cheering us on toward the goal of heaven. 

1 Peter 2:9  But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;

 

You are Chosen

 

Shannan Martin believes the turns in life that look like failure are often holy gifts, a lesson she chooses to embrace after the bones of her comfy farmgirl life were shattered and rebuilt from the toes up.

 

You are Chosen – by Shannan Martin

I spent a recent evening sharing part of my story with a group of women whose hearts keep a beat similar to my own. We were at an adoption conference, so I talked about each of my four children, some of whom sailed into our family from across oceans, some who skipped across the St. Joe River like a smooth stone made just for our hands.

But of course, nothing about the blending of families and cultures and forever can be described as sailing. And fractured beginnings don’t inspire anyone to skip.

For weeks I prayed about what these women (myself included) needed to hear from the Lord. Over and over, He spoke one word to me, “Chosen.”

I began to dig around and see what the word really meant, and I walked away grinning.

 

Merriam Webster, defines it as, “One who is the object of choice or of divine favor.” (emphasis mine)

Though God’s sovereignty undoubtedly led our decision to adopt each of our children, we did choose them. The sheer amount of paperwork, meetings, and even cash required ensures no one would ever accidentally “fall into” a mini van full of kids bearing their last name and someone else’s DNA.

What else does it mean to be chosen?

I kept digging.

A thesaurus said my children are “selected”, “marked for favor”, “hand picked.” I nodded along knowing if I could comb the world, I would never choose differently. Our kids are forever, indelibly marked for our favor.

Adopted, biological, or otherwise, I’m sure you would say the same. We all choose our kids. For life.

I thought of the times ours have disappointed us, made stunningly poor choices, intentionally tried to hurt our feelings. The details always pale in the light of our limitless love for them.

I glanced back at the dark nights, those long days wearing thick scars of loss. We’ve had therapists, interventions, sticker charts out the wazoo, tear-soaked pillows (ours and theirs). Still, I’m sure none of our efforts matter as much as choosing our children over and over again; day after day.

Being chosen changes things.

What on earth might it mean if we were chosen in the very same way, flaws, wounds and all?

What would life look like if we could walk daily in our chosen-ness? Would the ground feel more steady underfoot? Our pillow fluffier at the end of the day?

Would we stop trying so fervently, failing so hard? Would we simply rest in being hand-picked?

You and I, we’re rebels in the desert, stubborn and picky and wishing for an easier route. He waits for us.

We’re frustrated, slack-jawed fishermen with empty nets. He invites us to exchange them for hope and unending promise.

You are marked for God’s holy favor. Don’t bother trying to run Him off. He’s not leaving your side. Not for a second.

He’s running hard to you when you’re alone and scared; He’s plucking you up and pulling you near when you’ve worn your heartbreak like a weapon. He’s holding your face in His hands, looking you straight in the eye, and telling you again, “I love you. I won’t ever leave you. You will always be My chosen one.”

That’s what it means to be chosen, friends. That’s why it matters.

“For you are a holy people, who belong to the Lord your God.
Of all the people on earth, the Lord your God has chosen you
to be his own special treasure.”
- Deuteronomy 7:6