Just Enough Religion

In class Wednesday night, someone made the comment that "some people have just enough religion to make them miserable when they decide to play in darkness". That got me thinking ... and thinking often gets me writing ... so here is what I wrote last night =)

             Just EnoughReligion 

I had just enough religion not to mind

Sitting through church each Sunday morn and eve

Through the innocence of a child's eyes

Knowing God was effortless for me.

I had just enough religion that I knew

The things my friends did were not always right

Amidst the conflict of a young teens trying heart

Praying of then helped me get through the night.

I had just enough religion to feel bad

When I got sidetracked and caught up in the world

And as time and trials wore against my soul

More wickedness Satan at me hurled.

I had just enough religion to recall

That through His son God had laid out a plan

So that people such as I could find a way

This world and it's temptations to withstand.

I'll have more than enough religion to help keep

Heaven as the focus of my heart

Enough love for God to keep me serving Him

Til' time ends and we're never more apart.

...do you have only enough religion to make you miserable when you chose to do things you know you shouldn't? Or do you have enough religion to keep you focused? Enough dedication to keep your life centered on God? All things are a choice. Our choice. My choice. your choice. Make the right one.

Warrior Wives

This is a blog I recently started following - and I am soon enjoying reading her thoughts! I thought this was a great post. I think that in most aspects of bout lives, neglect is the most dangerous thing. Generally speaking we don't actively try to sabotage ourselves ... But often we set ourselves up for failure by neglecting the things that are most important.

Read it. Think about it. :)

http://www.thewarriorwives.com/2013/06/creeping-separateness-in-marriage.html?m=1

Not a popular blog post...

***Please remember, all of the thoughts expressed come from my personal study of the Bible. If you have questions, concerns, or disagreements, please feel free to contact me! =)

Somewhere during the middle of the end of school craziness I overheard a few discussing some various, um, "extra curricular activities". During the point of the conversation, one person said something along the lines of "I mean, this is 2013! Who even cares, anyway?!!"

*Insert sad, shocked face here*

Who cares? Because its the year 2013? Oh, just someone kind of major ... You know, like GOD.

GOD CARES.

I think sometimes we LOVE the fact that God cares when we are sad, upset, alone (you know, 1Peter 5:7 - "Cast all your cares upon Him, for He cares for you") ... And we forget that God cares about other things, too ... Like when we sin. 

Like it or not there are things (things that are very prevalent in our world) that are sin. Big, ugly, unflattering sin. And God cares when we sin. In fact, He cares a whole lot! 

God cares when fornication is committed - 1 Corinthians 6:18-20 "Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committees fornicaton sinners against his own body" (also look at 1Corinthians 7:2, Hebrews 13:4, Galations 5:19-21). Do you realize what fornication is? It is "voluntary sexual intercourse between two unmarrried persons". Do you know how prevalent that is in our world? Do you realize how accepted and even EXPECTED it is? Do you realize how SINFUL it is?! Do you realize it could be the difference between heaven and hell for many, many people?! 

God. Cares.

God cares when drunkedness occurs - Ephesians 5:18  very clearly says "do not be drunk with wine..." (also look at Galations 5:21, 1Peter 5:8, Titus 2:3, 1Corinthians 6:10). Do you know how prevalent drunkedness is In our culture - and I don't think this is referring solely to alcoholism, but rather to getting drunk in general. Do you realize how accepted and even expected drinking is In our couture? Do you realize how SINFUL it is? Do you realize it could be the difference between heaven and hell for many, many people?

God. Cares.

And of course, there are things like lying (Colossions 3:9), stealing (Ephesians 4:28), and hating (1John 2:9). A lot of these things we consider "little" ... You know, a little white lie? A person that hates you right back? But the Bible teaches us that there are no "degrees" of sin - each sin could cost us the same thing: Heaven. 

If there is sin in our lives, it is actively keeping us out of Heaven. THAT'S how much a God cares. Galations 5:19 reads "Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, unclean ness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in times past, that those who practice such things will NOT inherit the kingdom of God."

So tell me, is that drink worth not going to Heaven? Is sexual immorality worth an eternity in Hell? Is lying worth trading your soul for? Because God cares ... And that isn't changing just because the year is 2013. 

The spectacular news is God cares when we sin because He cares about our souls. And because He cares about our souls, He made a plan to help us out - He sent His son to die on the cross for our sins (John 3:16). For me. For you. So,that when we realize we are in sin we can come back to Him ... we just need to 1) hear God's word - Romans 10:17, 2) believe - Mark 16:16, 3) repent - Acts 2:38, 4) confess - Romans 10:9-10, and then 5) be baptized - Acts 22:16. 

God wants us all to make it to heaven. God cares. And because God cares, I care ... And hopefully you do, too.

Sometimes

Sometimes I am a hard worker ... Like last week when I spent every day shoveling truckloads of gravel into my flower beds to get the landscaping around our house looking beautiful. Sometimes I am lazy ... Like today, when a trip to Wal*Mart felt like a really super accomplishment ... And was the only accomplishment of the day!

Sometimes I am silly - like the other when I laughed (at myself) til I was crying. Sometimes I am too serious - take myself to seriously - and get offended or upset at little, silly things.

Sometimes I am tidy and keep my car neat and the bed made and the dishes done. Sometimes I am scattered and messy ... Like, well, don't look at my kitchen right this second. 

Sometimes I am so enthusiastic and on fire for God ... And other times the world threatens to close in and has to be fought off.

Sometimes I am consistent with this blog. Sometimes I am ... Not. Apparently. Whoops! So, here is to a summer of being consistent ... Starting ... Now! =)

Wowsers

...its been a while since my last post! But I have good reasons! Mainly ... Overwork and under-sleep.

BUT its totally okay, because my school kiddos are well worth the overwork (and we only have 1.5 days left ... Eek!). And as for "under-sleep", well, her name is Sophie, and I am soooo in love. Even when she wakes me up in the middle of the night. Seriously, how could you not love with such a sweet puppy face?

Saturday I went to a cardinals game with my favorite ladies and when we got home my sweet hubby surprised me with Sophie. Now, that's a good day!

So, the last several days have consisted of squeezing in every ounce of fun possible with my school kiddos, and then hurrying home to my new baby. :)

I can't believe how fast my first year teaching has gone ... I sure need to do a recap post! AND I'm excited to meet my next years class tomorrow. :)

BASICALLY, I owe you a great post ... Soonly. But tonight, enjoy these sweet pictures instead:

Birthday Blessings

I generally feel pretty special all the time - and I mean that in a totally not conceited way ... ha! - but seriously, there is something about birthdays that makes you feel extra, extra special. It's a good thing mine only comes around once a year, or my head might start gaining sizes fairly quickly ... ;)

But seriously, while I am blessed beyond measure every single day, on days like to today I am reminded just how especially lucky I am!

*I spent my day at my job that I honestly love, love, love. My morning started with one of my sweet kiddos bringing me some Dr. Pepper bottles and chocolate (because he, and his momma, know me so well!) seriously -- best teacher gift yet! Sooo, I opened a Dr. Pepper and it promptly spewed all over my desk, floor, and self ... which my kids got a great laugh out of. And they do have wonderful laughs.

*After finishing our testing, we walked to the park to celebrate and got to enjoy the beautiful weather ... before it turned rainy!

*My sweet kiddos serenaded me, spontaneously, at lunch with the best sounding Happy Birthday song I've heard yet ... 'cause they are awesome.

*My wonderful coworkers, and more importantly my dear friends, provided cheesecake (yum!), a gorgeous flower arrangement, good company, and even a "congrats on finishing MAP testing! gift". They are beyond fantastic.

*My hubby spoiled me with a new phone ... that I am in love with.

*I fielded like 5 billion happy birthday phone calls, texts, and facebook messages ... very humbling to see how many people thought of me for a moment!

*AND was bombarded with hugs at church - where I also got to hear a wonderful sermon and participate in some uplifting singing!

My day was awesome. I can not express how thankful and blessed I am to have such wonderful friends and family that surround me with love and encouragement each and every day, not just on my b-day. :)

One dear friend wished me (via facebook) "so many blessings you can't keep track" ... and I sure got them =)

Battling

This week there is a gospel meeting going on at the St. James Church of Christ ... and I haven't made it to a night of it. Booooooo. Thanks to the sinus? allergies? crud? that I have, I have spent my days blowing my nose and coughing up my lungs (seriously, I think I deserve some serious ab muscles with all the coughing I've been doing!). And, with the fact that we are giving the MAP test week, missing school definitely has NOT been an option. So, with lots of help from cold/sinus medicine I have pushed through the school days (and tried not to cough all over my kiddos who are working so hard on their tests! bless their hearts!) ... and then I've been rushing home and falling onto my couch and not moving. Seriously. 2 nights in a row. I slept and laid on the couch til it was time to get up and go to bed.

Pathetic. Booo.

But, what do ya do. Sometimes you have to give in to be able to keep going I guess.

BUT, feeling awful + stress at school this time of year + missing some of the gospel meeting (which I am excited to go to tonight by the way!) + the sermon Sunday morning got me thinking about this:

This is one of Satan's test. This week, when I am tired, exhausted, crabby, stressed  ....  this is a battle I have to fight with Satan. Not that it is bad for me to be sick (well, I mean, it is bad, but it isn't giving in to Satan bad...), but that when I feel this tired, exhausted, and crabby, the door is wide open for Satan to walk in. It'd be oh so easy to snap at my husband, to be grumpy with my kids, to not be a good example to those I meet each day, to justify not going to church tonight either, to, well, let Satan win. 'Cause I don't feel great.

This is a battle - part of my personal war - with Satan. And I have to come ready to fight.

An army who doesn't train for war, but just jumps into battle hoping to figure it out is doomed to lose. Common sense, right? Somehow, not as common as it should be.

If an army didn't train, but instead decided they would figure things out as they went in battle and "learn as they went", they would not stand a chance. We can all see that - that's why our army has boot camp and training and makes sure our troops are very prepared before they ever think about sending them to battle. If we can see that ... why can't we see that we need to be prepared BEFORE we go into battle with Satan?

The down times, the good times, the peaceful times -- that's when a good army is made. That's when a good army is training, learning, practicing, making sure they are ready when the next battle comes. The down times, the good times, the peaceful times -- that's when a good Christian is made. That's when a good Christian is training, learning, practicing, praying, making sure they are ready when the next battle comes.

Satan has been around a long time. A lot longer than I have. So, it's pretty safe to figure he knows some good tricks. He has been practicing a long time. And each time I defeat him, he goes back to the drawing board and picks out a new trick - one designed to stump me, personally. His efforts go stronger. And, so, the only way for me to continue defeating him is for me to keep growing stronger. Why do you think our army has to keep getting new armor? new weapons? new machinery? Because as we learn, so do our enemies. And to keep defeating our enemies, we have to keep growing stronger as they do. It's the same with Christian's and Satan. If we consider the "peaceful time" our down time and do nothing to grow stronger ... if we decide to wait to train til we are already in battle ... we are doomed. We have a powerful foe. When he shows up to battle, it is to late for us to start training. We need to already be in good shape at that point.

We DO learn from each battle with Satan. And then, we need to take what we learned and start applying it - practicing it - praying about it - so we can be even more ready for our next battle. If we wait to start drawing close to God til we are already in the heat of a battle with Satan ... well, the battle is Satan's before it has even begun. After all "on the job training" only works with some jobs ... and battling with Satan just isn't one of them. =)

Listen to the great sermons from Sunday here: http://www.oakgrovecofc.org/Recordings/