Response to controlled chaos

This blog is in response to controlled chaos' blog about a story in woman's world (I think it was) by a freshman girl, about a mom who felt unappreciated and left for two weeks. I have not read it and don't doubt it's a good story, and seemingly has a good ending from what the blog said. Here is my thought on would it work in real life, a mom just up and leaving because she felt unappreciated at home.

So often we are left feeling unappreciated, in our jobs, in our friendships, and even as in this case in our homes by those closest to us, our family members. You asked if that scenario would work in real life, the mom just up and leaving. I would think no but really I guess it depends on the age of kids, the fathers job and so many other situations. Personally i think (whether it be a father or a mother) just leaving for feeling unappreciated in the home is extremely selfish and immature. What ever happened to talking things out, especially with your spouse. I know there are many parents out there that are unappreciated and treated like dirt, and I sympathize with them deeply, however to up and leave without communication and merely on the basis of "feeling unappreciated" is absurd in my eyes. Whatever happened to doing things out of love for the person of which your doing them? I know it sounds corny, but really. I think if you go the extra mile out of love for your spouse and kids, the appreciation will be there even without words. Maybe the lack of appreciation is in part a by product of the intentions put forth by the person feeling unappreciated. In essence the person who feels unappreciated does in cause they "have to" rather then they "want to". The attitude is one of what will I get rather then self sacrifice for those they love. I have found the same attitude goes in serving God.

My wife (God bless that woman I love her so much) has gotten down so to speak because the laundry piles never seem to get smaller, there are always dishes it seems, dust seems there even after she dusts. Now she could sit around and complain how we need to help more and she cant take it she feels so unappreciated. However she does none of this, instead she told me she does it for us (me and our girls) and God. She goes at it with the attitude that she is grateful her kids are clothed and therefore she has there dirty clothes to clean, that though the dishes are piling up, her family is fed, that though there is dust in the house, she has a house to clean. Have I mentioned how grateful I am to have such a beautiful blessing of a wife as this? I hope all who read this are inspired to remember how God wants us to look at things, not taking them for granted or complaining about things that are actually by products of the blessings he has given us. Ephesians 2:14-15 says :"Do all things without complaining or disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights of the world" Let us do all things out of love for those of we care for, not out of the need for "praise from men" or with intentions of something in return. If we do this I guarantee you will not feel unappreciated, rather quite the opposite.

My prayer for all of us is that we open our hearts to Gods will and attitude, that we may shine as lights to the world, bright with the Spirit to draw all to the love and power of God and His awesome kingdom. With love and good tidings always.

C.

" Amazing love how can it be, that you my King would die for me Amazing love I know its true, that its my joy to honor you, in all I do I honor you"

These are some lyrics from Chris Tomlins song amazing love. I had this song in my head all day at work, which isn't a bad thing for it is a great song. So it was in my head, which got me to really thinking about the lyrics. I starting thinking of fellow Christians at work and really looking inside myself. Am I doing all things to honor Christ? To honor his sacrifice? To honor his name? We all know that his sacrifice was truly amazing love as the song says, but are we as individuals and as the church body joyed to honor him and in all we do honoring him. He honored his word to all the prophets of long ago by coming and bringing with him the love of God and salvation to all who believe. "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8)

I ask all who read this to really do some self searching. When people see you out and about or in the privacy of your home are you shining that light of Christ which resides in you as a believer? Do they see a life that is lived like that as the Word instructs? "He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as he walked"( 1 John 2:6) I know that we all fall short of that perfection, however let that never to be an excuse, but a reminder of the sinners that we all are and a motivator to repentance. I see today and have seen so many times people that confess Christ and claim that they are Christians, yet they are the ones who at work tell the most vile of jokes, or are the ones bar hopping all weekend in a drunken state that they forget most of what they did or where they had been. Is this glorifying to God? Does it honor him? Now I know many are thinking that I am just being another judgmental Christian jerk. Ok then, fine, I'm guilty. I am not condemning these people, just praying for there repentance, for are they not mocking Christ by claiming him but living a completely different lifestyle than that of which he calls us. Scripture tells us not to be Christian drunkard (1 Corinthians 5:11-12) Scripture also tells us as Christians not to use filthy language (Collossians 3:8) and to abstain from foolish talk and coarse joking(called jesting in NKJV).

I know that no one except Christ is or was perfect, however if we are going to live a life that honors Him we need to have constant exposure to His Word to know the ways that are pleasing to Him. When people see you and your actions as a child of God, they should see Jesus in you. You may be the Jesus they need to see to come to God! That's really something to ponder. Amazing love was the song that got me on this amazing rambling. Wow! In short, If you are a Christian, live the Word. The church in the past and now has gotten a bad rap because so many have claimed Him but have not lived Him. I read the other day that Gandhi had once said that This Jesus I like its the Christians that scare me(that's not exact quote but gives the jist of it) Let us come together in love for one another and love for our Savior and put an end to it now.

May the love of god dwell deep, taking root within the inner most part of your souls. Live for Him, Love for Him, Honor Him, and always do all things for Him. May He protect you all today and forevermore.
C.

Good friends and good intentions

Today my wife received a call from our church with a request to make an elderly couple dinner and take to them tomorrow. The lady just had a surgery and our church loves doing things like this in circumstances as such. We were brought a meal every evening for an entire week when we had our recent child Emma, and I must say It was great. We didn't know who was bringing what, but at five o'clock each evening something hot and delicious arrived from one of the members. It was exciting and inspiring which is why at our last church fair we volunteered to do this when beckoned. Well, this is our first time "we got the call" and I must say me and my wife are rather excited!

I love to cook and asked if she wanted me to cook something but considering it falls on a day I have to go to my second job in the evening she said she was on it. Honestly I think she would want to do it either way, I am not a bad cook but compared next to my wife there is no contest, she wins hands down every time! My six pack abs that turned into a keg attest to this fact.

Now me and Maya my daughter have to embark on our grocery store adventure to pick up a few things we need for this meal. I had told my wife to go ahead and do it, "get out of the house for a little while" I said to her for she had taken care of our oldest who had the stomach flu today. I ended up going since it started getting late, my wife figured Maya could go to get out of the house a little while which was fine with me. So we go to the downtown store that my father in law had gotten us a gift certificate for at Christmas time.

We got in the store and were wondering around when we ran into a friend of mine whom I havent seen for awhile. It was (as I will call him) my "floor guy" and his wife. I haven't seen him since he installed my kitchen floor in August of last year and it was a pleasant surprise. Well we talked about church and God as we usually end up doing ,which is great, I love such conversations with fellow members of the Brethren. I haven't been to that store literally for years and so I asked them where to find some things and they responded that they also hardly ever frequent this store and were in the same boat as far as knowing where items could be found. They asked if I would ever care to come out and speak at there bible study on Wednesday nights, which happens to also be our church supper and study nights. I may take a Wednesday though to do that, for I adore the time, even brief encounters with this kind Spirit-filled couple.

It really got me thinking as I reflected back on the day at how Awesome God is in all His ways. I can say I would not have been at that store had it not been for the gift certificate we got at Christmas. My wife was gonna go but time got away that had me take over the task. Had it not been for this meal that we were to prepare I would not have been there at that store for that is the only reason I was going. Yet all these things fell into place that caused me to run into my "floor guy" and have a remarkable "small talk" with him and his wife. It was great to see that they are doing good and growing in the Lord every day, what joy and inspiration that brings to my heart! It brings to mind a verse that I love and turn to alot Romans 8:28 "And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called to His purpose"

I hope and pray that all who read this will always see Gods hand in there lives. Even when things are going bad, be glad and rejoice in this day the Lord has made (Psalm 118:24) How hard it is to do, yet if Christ is truly in your life, you are walking in the path of repentance and obedience, there is no other thing to do but rejoice! We may not be able to rejoice in our circumstances but we , as children of the Most High, can and will always rejoice in our Redeemer whom brought forth salvation to all who believe in His Son! May God bless you all with much love and happiness always!
C.

Sunday Feb. 24th

Well today was a great spiritual learning day for me in a sense. I woke up by eight to catch John MacArthur on channel 378(Direct TV), and his sermon was on Mark 12:44. Now I must first say that I truly love listening and learning from John MacArthur, he is a man that speaks the word of God without in any way compromising or changing it, which is, unfortunately, something hard to find these days in the big evangelistic "scene"( for lack of a better word.) I have listened to him on the radio many times and have even purchased his study bible which is an amazing learning tool for anyone interested in drawing closer to God through the learning and constant exposure to His word.

His sermon was on the poor widow who gave her last two mites (small copper coins) to the treasury of the church. Jesus tells his disciples that this widow has given more than all those who have given for they gave out of there abundance and she gave out of her poverty all that she had. Now I always took that as an example to give your all to God (and I'm not merely talking monetary giving here) and in a sense it is, but to look closer to the text we see that it was not said that this either pleased or angered Jesus. Now I know what your thinking, the thought crossed my mind to, why would this do anything other then please Jesus, right?

We know from reading the Gospels that the teachers of the law, religious leaders, Pharisees, and Sadducee's were not fans at all of Jesus and his message, for they liked the way things were and did not like the message that it(and they) were wrong. They liked the fact that they were earning, as they thought they were, salvation through works by obeying the Mosaic law and there human traditions,(which their traditions were not part of the O.T. law and which at times went against the Mosaic laws) and did not want that changed. I point all this out because it points to a flawed religious system, which is what it was then.

So we have here a poor woman who gives up all she has to live on to a corrupt religious system. Would this really make the Son of God happy? Her intentions and good heart would absolutely but the fact that she gave all that she had to live on to a "wicked order of things" would not have. What kind of a religious system would ask of such a thing or accept such a thing? I don't mean either to be hard on the woman, however would she not be in essence testing God, for even the old testament law only required a tithe (or ten percent). God provides for all our needs, should we be bad shepherds of what we are given? Jesus touched on that in the parable of the ten Mina's (Luke 19:11) when it was said to the wicked servant that should he have at least put the Mina in the bank so it would have drawn interest. It was taken away from him and given to the servant who made good with what he was given. I am not trying to point out just money here either, but all things that God gives us , talents, gifts, etc..

Wow I really rambled on about that and still keep going but i will stop it at that. I also heard a great sermon from our Pastor at church today on the Samaritan woman at the well with Jesus in John 4:10. I will not go on and on with that as i did the poor widow but I do encourage you all to read and study it. We also starting working through Chapter 11 in Revelation in our Sunday school class which discusses the two witness' and the seventh trumpet. Great stuff and again I encourage you all to read it and truly study it.

Something happened to day that made me love my wife even more, and I didn't think I could love her anymore then I already do. At church we were singing our hymns as we always do and I really kept getting the sound of my wife singing drifting over to my ears and it was one of the most beautiful things my ears have heard, alot like hearing your child say daddy or I love you for the first time. You see my wife don't walk around the house singing all the time, or ever for that matter, I like never hear her sing. Most of the time in church all I hear is the congregation and of course myself, I have been told on many occasions by many people that I am a loud person, and I will not sit here and lie by denying it. I guess its just one of my quirks. Anyway, as I said, I kept hearing her here and there and it was just so awesomely pleasant to my ears. I do fear that she will read this and I may be cursed by not hearing it again, and honey if your reading please don't do that, I just wanted to mention it because it really warmed my heart, ears, and made my day.

I could sit here and ramble on about so much more, I will not however for I hear the kids in the bath and i may mosey on down to see if my help could be used in any way. I have appreciated this time and pray that God blesses each and every one of you out there through his glorious and awesome Son Jesus Christ. Until next time peace and love be with you all.
C.