Friday, February 27, 2015
Mentoring Woman: "THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS"
Mentoring Woman: "THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS": Tears! Funny subject for today, huh? I have been thinking about how important our tears are to God. Psalms 56:8 in the NIV Bible says of...
"THE TRACKS OF MY TEARS"
Tears! Funny subject for today, huh? I have been thinking about how important our tears are to God.
Psalms 56:8 in the NIV Bible says of David's sorrow: "Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll--are they not in your record?" The New American Standard Bible puts it another way by saying: "You have taken account of my wandering; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?
David realized that when we have intense sorrow over our sin, God sees and cares about it.
"Back in the day" Smokey Robinson had a popular song called "The Tracks Of My Tears". It had to do with a breakup of a boy and girl, but some of the words are truly thought provoking:
"People say I'm the life of the party because I tell a joke or two.
Although I may be laughing loud and hearty, deep inside I'm blue.
So take a good look at my face, you'll see my smile looks out of place.
If you look closer, it's easy to trace the tracks of my tears!"
Sin is a great stress receiver. It can affect our health, our countenance and our attitudes. But the good news is, confession of that sin, is a great sin reliever! "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1;9, NIV)
My mentoring challenge for us is this: How many people do we know who we see on Sunday in our church, perhaps sitting in the pew right beside us, and we ask them "How are you?" 99 times out of 100 their answer is "Fine"! It is the answer we expect, so we go on our way. But I wonder, if we really took some time to listen, and were sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading, we would see otherwise. They may be laughing on the outside, but crying for help on the inside. Perhaps they are going through a trial and need a friend to listen, maybe they need someone to pray about something with them, or maybe they are dealing with a sin issue and just need to be reminded that God is faithful to forgive.
The first part of Proverbs 14:13 (NASB) says: "Even in laughter the heart may be in pain." All I am saying is take some time, slow down, and "Take a good look at their face"!
Here is a card I made for just such a person: I took a picture from a coloring book and transferred the image to paper with graphite paper and colored it with pencils. I wanted to keep it very personal and used my own handwriting for the verse. This is just a sample so you could do it as professional as you wish. The inside is very simple as well and leaves plenty of room to write your own personal message to the person receiving it.
Psalms 56:8 in the NIV Bible says of David's sorrow: "Record my lament; list my tears on your scroll--are they not in your record?" The New American Standard Bible puts it another way by saying: "You have taken account of my wandering; Put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your book?
David realized that when we have intense sorrow over our sin, God sees and cares about it.
"Back in the day" Smokey Robinson had a popular song called "The Tracks Of My Tears". It had to do with a breakup of a boy and girl, but some of the words are truly thought provoking:
"People say I'm the life of the party because I tell a joke or two.
Although I may be laughing loud and hearty, deep inside I'm blue.
So take a good look at my face, you'll see my smile looks out of place.
If you look closer, it's easy to trace the tracks of my tears!"
Sin is a great stress receiver. It can affect our health, our countenance and our attitudes. But the good news is, confession of that sin, is a great sin reliever! "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (I John 1;9, NIV)
My mentoring challenge for us is this: How many people do we know who we see on Sunday in our church, perhaps sitting in the pew right beside us, and we ask them "How are you?" 99 times out of 100 their answer is "Fine"! It is the answer we expect, so we go on our way. But I wonder, if we really took some time to listen, and were sensitive to the Holy Spirit's leading, we would see otherwise. They may be laughing on the outside, but crying for help on the inside. Perhaps they are going through a trial and need a friend to listen, maybe they need someone to pray about something with them, or maybe they are dealing with a sin issue and just need to be reminded that God is faithful to forgive.
The first part of Proverbs 14:13 (NASB) says: "Even in laughter the heart may be in pain." All I am saying is take some time, slow down, and "Take a good look at their face"!
Here is a card I made for just such a person: I took a picture from a coloring book and transferred the image to paper with graphite paper and colored it with pencils. I wanted to keep it very personal and used my own handwriting for the verse. This is just a sample so you could do it as professional as you wish. The inside is very simple as well and leaves plenty of room to write your own personal message to the person receiving it.
Friday, February 20, 2015
Mentoring Woman: SOAK IT UP!
Mentoring Woman: SOAK IT UP!: Are some of you sick of winter yet? I know that we in the Mid West are! With 8 degree weather outside, I can't help but image this summ...
SOAK IT UP!
Are some of you sick of winter yet? I know that we in the Mid West are! With 8 degree weather outside, I can't help but image this summer and what it will be like to soak up the warmth of some sun rays! BRING IT ON!
This got me to thinking about my own Christian walk and how it should reflect this need as well. I should be longing to soak up the rays of the "SON" and bask in the warmth and riches of His word. The Psalmist must have felt like this when he wrote:
"Blessed is the man (or woman) who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or
stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the
law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates (to digest, to soak it all in) day and
night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."
Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)
(My personal comments added)
Why would someone plant a tree close to the water? So that its roots could receive all the water it needs to grow! Soaking takes time...I can go outside and water my tomato plants in 10 minutes but the real growth to the plant comes from letting the water soak deep into the roots. This keeps the plant strong as the sun beats down on it, or when the winds threaten to topple it over. Did you ever buy one of those tiny sponge animals for your kids at the dollar store? After you put it in water it becomes twice it's size in no time!
My ongoing challenge to myself is to stay near to Christ. This is where I am sure to grow strong as my roots soak in each drop of nourishment available from His word. Who will join me?
Perhaps you all know this little secret but we have hard water out in the country and my bathtub sometimes gets a rust ring like this:
This got me to thinking about my own Christian walk and how it should reflect this need as well. I should be longing to soak up the rays of the "SON" and bask in the warmth and riches of His word. The Psalmist must have felt like this when he wrote:
"Blessed is the man (or woman) who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or
stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the
law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates (to digest, to soak it all in) day and
night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers."
Psalm 1:1-3 (NIV)
(My personal comments added)
Why would someone plant a tree close to the water? So that its roots could receive all the water it needs to grow! Soaking takes time...I can go outside and water my tomato plants in 10 minutes but the real growth to the plant comes from letting the water soak deep into the roots. This keeps the plant strong as the sun beats down on it, or when the winds threaten to topple it over. Did you ever buy one of those tiny sponge animals for your kids at the dollar store? After you put it in water it becomes twice it's size in no time!
My ongoing challenge to myself is to stay near to Christ. This is where I am sure to grow strong as my roots soak in each drop of nourishment available from His word. Who will join me?
Perhaps you all know this little secret but we have hard water out in the country and my bathtub sometimes gets a rust ring like this:
I have tried spray cleaners but the only thing I found that removes it without much scrubbing
"A Magic Eraser"
I am not sure what this type of sponge is made of, but it is a miracle worker!
Friday, February 6, 2015
Mentoring Woman: SOME THINGS GET REJECTED!
Mentoring Woman: SOME THINGS GET REJECTED!: My whole world of cooking has changed recently. Out of necessity, I have been experimenting with Low-Carb recipes and it has been really ch...
SOME THINGS GET REJECTED!
My whole world of cooking has changed recently. Out of necessity, I have been experimenting with Low-Carb recipes and it has been really challenging finding ones that we like. When you are used to cooking "Southern Style" frying everything, baking pies, and bread, it becomes a life changer! I have been stock piling some good recipes but also rejecting others. Some because of the taste, some because of the texture, and some because the items just don't translate well into the Low-Carb realm.
This got me to thinking about the word "rejection". Just the sound of that word can bring shivers to us! Have you ever been rejected for a job? Rejected for a part in a play? Rejected because you were not pretty enough, not skilled enough, or whatever? Yeah, I can relate! But as mom's and grandma's it can be hard when we see our children and grandchildren rejected by others because that's when our mama bear tendencies come out in us!
Christ knew all about rejection. In fact in Isaiah 53:3 it says: "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." I Peter 2:4 says that "Christ was the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--"
What are some ways that we see Christ handle rejection?
PRAY FOR THEM: When Christ hung on the cross after being rejected he prays: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34, NIV) What a great lesson to be teaching our kids and grandchildren to do when others reject them!
JUST MOVE ON: Christ tells his disciples when he sent them out to preach his message "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town." (Matthew 10:14, NIV) Sometimes we have to tell our kids and grandkids to seek out other friends or just shake off (dismiss) the comments that others make helping them realize that we all say things we shouldn't have.
REALIZE THAT ONE DAY GOD WILL MAKE IT RIGHT: "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets." (Luke 6:22-23, NIV) This should be our own philosophy when sharing the gospel. To realize they are not rejecting us as the "messenger" they are rejecting "the message" and God will handle that.
DO GOOD TO THEM: That flies in the face of all that is sensible doesn't it? But Christ, himself, says: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27-28, NIV) This is a very hard one for us to implement because our tendency is to want to hurt them as much as they hurt us! Only with His help can we accomplish this!
These are just some thoughts I had this week about this whole business of rejection. Hope it speaks to someone else as much as it did me.
I am including a recipe that I did not reject this week. I call it "Tropical Get-Away" and is a combination of a couple of different recipes. Anyway, it passed the husband test, so it is a keeper.
This got me to thinking about the word "rejection". Just the sound of that word can bring shivers to us! Have you ever been rejected for a job? Rejected for a part in a play? Rejected because you were not pretty enough, not skilled enough, or whatever? Yeah, I can relate! But as mom's and grandma's it can be hard when we see our children and grandchildren rejected by others because that's when our mama bear tendencies come out in us!
Christ knew all about rejection. In fact in Isaiah 53:3 it says: "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not." I Peter 2:4 says that "Christ was the living Stone--rejected by men but chosen by God and precious to him--"
What are some ways that we see Christ handle rejection?
PRAY FOR THEM: When Christ hung on the cross after being rejected he prays: "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing." (Luke 23:34, NIV) What a great lesson to be teaching our kids and grandchildren to do when others reject them!
JUST MOVE ON: Christ tells his disciples when he sent them out to preach his message "If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town." (Matthew 10:14, NIV) Sometimes we have to tell our kids and grandkids to seek out other friends or just shake off (dismiss) the comments that others make helping them realize that we all say things we shouldn't have.
REALIZE THAT ONE DAY GOD WILL MAKE IT RIGHT: "Blessed are you when men hate you, when they exclude you and insult you and reject your name as evil because of the Son of Man. Rejoice in that day and leap for joy, because great is your reward in heaven. For that is how their fathers treated the prophets." (Luke 6:22-23, NIV) This should be our own philosophy when sharing the gospel. To realize they are not rejecting us as the "messenger" they are rejecting "the message" and God will handle that.
DO GOOD TO THEM: That flies in the face of all that is sensible doesn't it? But Christ, himself, says: "But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you." (Luke 6:27-28, NIV) This is a very hard one for us to implement because our tendency is to want to hurt them as much as they hurt us! Only with His help can we accomplish this!
These are just some thoughts I had this week about this whole business of rejection. Hope it speaks to someone else as much as it did me.
I am including a recipe that I did not reject this week. I call it "Tropical Get-Away" and is a combination of a couple of different recipes. Anyway, it passed the husband test, so it is a keeper.
TROPICAL GET-AWAY DESSERT
Crust: 3/4 cup Almond Flour (I used Bob Mill's)
3 T cold butter
3 teaspoons Splenda
Cut ingredients together and pat into a 6 x 9" pan
Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes until brown
Filling:
1 pkg. cream cheese
1 cup splenda
1 cup pureed fresh pineapple
1 cup chopped pecans
1/2 tsp. vanilla
(I think a banana would also be good in this)
Mix and pour on cooled crust
Topping:
1/2 cup unsweetened pineapple
1 T. Splenda
Cover with plastic wrap and microwave 1 minute
spread on top and chill for at least 2 hours.
(When I make this again, I think I will toast the coconut in the oven first before microwaving just to make it more appealing)
Here's the finished product:
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