The Courage of Integrity

Integrity:  we are committed to travel along the path of integrity without looking back, adjusting to an ever changing road while holding onto our unchanging principles.

The highest courage is to dare to be yourself in the face of adversity. Choosing right over wrong, ethics over convenience and truth over popularity...these are the choices that measure your life.  Travel the path of integrity without looking back, for there is never a wrong time to do the right thing.

(found on a poster in  a school)

Praises

 This was sent to me and was just what I needed right now, so thought I would share here.
 "For the LORD our GOD is the One who goes with us to fight against our enemies to give us victory..!" ~Deuteronomy 20:4.
We have had a ton of teaching, both verbally and the written word on prayer, but very little on praise. Yet there is much more emphasis in the Bible on praise than on prayer,.   Within the pages of the Bible, the entire universe is envisioned as one grand chorus of praise to the Creator. Notice Psalms 148 through 150, Psalm 145:10 declares "ALL Thy works shall praise Thee!" Praise is the highest occupation of angels. Heaven is one grand paean of praise. And what about the Revelation? Surely that which occupies the total time and energies of heaven must be a fitting pattern for us here on earth???   For some reason we have underestimated the importance of praise. Because if praise is the highest occupation of angels there must be a valid reason for it. If heaven considers it important to maintain a chorus of praise unceasingly day and night around the throne [Revelation 4:8], it MUST BE supremely relevant!   So, if the supreme function of angelic hosts is praise, it follows logically that the highest function of Christians must also be to praise God. We are told in Psalm 22:3 that Yahweh "inhabits the praises of His people." This is an AWESOME text. Since praise produces the atmosphere in which the Divine Presence resides, we should be constantly and continuously uplifting our voices in praise...then when we are 'resisting the devil' he and his cohorts must back off or turn and flee because God is truly within us; and if God is with us, who can be against us?   Thus praise would assure victory in prayer because it overcomes the devil and anything he throws our way. BUT praise which overcomes is not a mere sporadic kind; Psalm 34:1 says: "I will praise [bless] the Lord at all times, His praise shall continually be in my mouth."   To be most effective then, praise must become a massive, continuous, fixed habit, full-time occupation, a diligently pursued vocation, a total way of life. This principle is emphasized in Psalm 57:7 "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed; I will sing and give praise." My heart is FIXED!" We read in the Word, that at the very moment of the writing David was a fugitive from Saul. His praise was on principle, not impulse.   Praising God for everything going on in our lives or those of loved ones is NOT easy. But when we come to understand that God is developing in us the character of His Son, Jesus, then all things do work for good to those who love Him. ~Paul Billheimer. * * * The next time you are called to suffer, pay attention. It may be the closest you'll ever get to God.  ~Max Lucado.

Mulberries!

Some years ago we discovered a volunteer mulberry tree...and it was producing those sweet berries.  A few years ago, it was cut down without my knowledge or consent, and I nearly cried...thinking it was gone...until yesterday Chief and I were out picking the rest of the grapefruit hanging on the trees, and I couldn't believe what I found!

                                                                 Ready to eat!  Mmmmmm!
The tree had survived that severe trimming, and this is just the first picking.  There is more to come.

Gardening

I admit, I am not a green thumb gardener, but each year Chief gets the kids out there to plant the seeds.  He had a day off to help out yesterday, and took time to get some squash seeds in the ground, and tomato plants transplanted that I had chosen from a local garden center.. I do enjoy the harvest...and try to keep the weeds to a minimum. We don't have the best soil, and at times do not reap a bountiful harvest, but so many lessons abound in that little plot of land.

We have tried something new this year...planting purple potatoes.  We like the flavor and texture of them, and we do see something poking through the dirt...

                                                   Here's to hoping they do something!

Spring!

           I really enjoy watching the bean plants grow.  They practically change before my very eyes!

 Hopefully it won't get too hot too quickly so they can produce this year.  Stay tuned....

Teachable Moments

I awoke in the night considering some events that had taken place the previous day.  Prayer kept me going through the wee hours of the morning, and I realized that God was telling me to do an interactive worship with my family.

We looked at Bible verses...
1 Tim. 4:12...Study to show self approved unto God.
1 Thess. 4:11...Learn in quietness and meekness of Spirit
Romans 12:2...an idle mind is the devils workshop
Matt. 6:24...No one can serve two masters.

Then we went outside for 10 minutes and pulled weeds that are overtaking our yard.
When we came back inside we spoke about how our choices are like weeds..one small choice follows another until they grow so large that they are very difficult to root out...or even detect.

We then looked at a few more texts:
Matt. 6:21...Where your treasure is there your heart is!
Proverbs 29:1..If harden neck when rebuked...destruction will come.
1 Timothy 4:12..Let know one despise the  youth.

Like I tell my children, "Do what is right because it is right!"
Stand firm like Esther, Daniel, Joseph...
This lesson was for me.  Woe is me, for I am undone.  My inherited weakness is coming through to my children.
But God is good.  When He brings sin to my attention...He doesn't leave me wallowing in it! He helps me learn...and teach 

Obedience

Fear God and keep His commandments:for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good or whether it be evil."  Ecclsiastes 12:13, 14

Contemplating and reading about Solomon has brought deep conviction to my heart.  "To obey is better than sacrifice." 1 Samuel 15:22