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matthew 25

parable about the talents, or gifts with one of my favorite scripture-"well done, my good and faithful servant"...i don't know why i love this so much, but i think it is because as we strive to be the best whatever we do, whatever it is we stay up late for, or get up at dawn for, or discipline ourselves for, if doing it for man, then do we ever feel that we achieved? just throwing this out to the world...

but when i do it for HIM, when that becomes my motivation, when he says "well done, my good and faithful servant", why am i filled up? someone that is like the wind, noticing that you did some small thing. is it because we were designed with talents and gifts that he lovingly gave us as individuals, gifts that enhance our lives as well as the lives of others around us. on that note, do we, will we ever know the talents that we left "on the table"? the ones that we became too distracted or busy to use?

all of this comes from a bible study i do on tuesdays, but has me really thinking about the things i give my time too. and my talents, i always think, i can throw one more thing in there, but what DID it take away from?

matthew 25 goes on to say that in the end, well the end of our earthly life, we will be asked to hand back over the Christ what we did, how we used our time and talents. this in turn will have a direct affect and connect on our eternal life. hum, interesting. so, every time that i wanted my way, and said no to God and he had to find someone else, i must answer to that? when i wanted to go where i wanted to go and not help someone, i have to answer for that? i might need a large notebook! are we to take this life literal or kind of wing it? i always thing of myself as the son/daughter in the parable who stayed home and helped, who worked hard, but maybe in fact, i am also the prodigal, who has scattered my inheritance and misused it. in chronicles, it talks about how God, the father, never is without reaction to the misuse of his property.

well, i am late to a baseball game, this will have to go out wherever unanswered questions go...

but, i have friends finding out results from tests tomorrow, my prayers for them. there are those far away from me tonight, prayers for them. there are storm clouds in my life that i need peace for, prayers offered as well. until another day. blessings.

cindy

opportunity

reading from my bible this morning, i opened up to Isaiah 38: 1-5.

i read it, wondered what it meant and went back over it...i have a study bible, so kind of a cheater, but until we have read the bible and "grab" onto the way HE is speaking to us, it sometimes is hard to understand, but i am in fact working on it.

Hezahiah became ill and Isaiah went to him and said "put your house in order, for you will die". Hezakiah immediately turned to God. God responded to him by changing the course of his life. This reminds us that we should never hesitate to ask God for radical changes, if you are willing to honor him with those changes. Hezekiah had been healed and had miracles on his life, but had become full of pride. By praying to God and humbling himself, he allowed more of his generations to be blessed. Hezekiah spoke of the importance of passing the joy of the Lord from father to child. From generation to generation, the heritage of our faith has come to us from faithful men and women who have carried their faith across the centuries.

to me, this also reminds me to "get my house in order", am i sharing God' s love completely with my children? Am i tithing with what is expected from me? are we putting God's principles and commandments to our everyday lives? in other words, are we putting our house in order? i will work harder to get these things in my life in order. i have gifts that i sometimes think i misuse. they become "my" gifts. but in fact, were a gift from him to serve him better. we all need a wake up call to put us back on the path to which we are walking. you walk over to pick up a flower and get off the path, maybe lost, maybe still wandering or just cant find the way back, but back is the only path that works.

Lord, thank you for the ways you use to bring us back to the path. it is our hope that we honor you and keep your word in this crazy world.

blessings to all who walk this way...ha, or read this.

cindy

connected

philipians 2:4 let each of us look not to his own interests, but also to the interests of others.

today, i connected with a lady who lived here, lives in tennessee now, but in houston for cancer treatment. she has an adorable blog, with adorable children. it is a rainy day here, has been for a week. think i should start building my ark and quickly! but when i read her blog, and felt the determination and strength and hope that is in her voice, it made my day sunny. i find it amazing that someone i don't know, someone that lives far away, can connect and influence me. being connected allows so many to pray for a need, to be there for someone else. the bible tells us and shows us the fruit of serving and uplifting others, basically service Jesus.

on another subject, my first born turned 23 last week...

my second born is finishing up his first year at college, university of iowa. going to be a soph.

my third child will be a junior in high school.

baby is going to be a 7th grader.

i used to be bummed at them getting older, the little boy days are the BEST! but as we talk about options in life, see them excel and discipline their lives, i am given a new, different kind of joy. they are embarking on their own lives and dreams. i am just putting it out there that God has blessed my children so completely. i pray that they always hold onto their faith and that it is the guiding force in their lives...

busy weekend, graduation parties, ballgames, one coming home from college, i am driving another one right back up to that college for basketball tryouts, church and baseball games.

unless i need to start building an ark. it has rained for a week. we have water everywhere.

i will finish here and start sunday school lesson. outreach. we had a friend of mine come talk to the middle and high schoolers last sunday at my home. she went to africa, mamalido, and she was a missionary. it was so amazing and so interesting and fit right into our class, reaching out in HIS name, to our neighbors, and that includes those in town and those across the oceans. we are collecting toothbrushes for another friend of mine in monchu pinchu, peru. (love that name-so fun to say) to families that don't own a toothbrush. you can check out that info on cammeos blog, that i have attached to mine. photos are amazing!

blessings to all.

mercy

2 Timothy 1:5-7 (New International Version)

⁵I have been reminded of your sincere faith, which first lived in your grandmother Lois and in your mother Eunice and, I am persuaded, now lives in you also. ⁶For this reason I remind you to fan into flame the gift of God, which is in you through the laying on of my hands. ⁷For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.

I heard this the other day and i cannot quit thinking about it. we believe that we are in charge of our children, and in some way our grandchildren. but beyond that, we have very little influence. what if, that were not the case, what if, for every aunt, or grandfather that was a godly person, that prayed for their descendants, that taught sunday school, that was a deacon, that cooked meals...you get the idea. what if because of their devotion, i, you have been spared things that might have happened to us? what if God's mercy has rained on my sisters and family because of my mothers parents, my grandparents parents? what if their courage under fire, has allowed my children to be blessed in ways that i cannot even see? what if, i, you could serve God, and rather than the obvious blessings that happen when you are serving, but what if my children, and my grandchildren were receiving mercy and blessings and some are not even born yet, but God has those stored up for them. like in Hebrews, levi was granted tithes and offerings before he was born, because of his relatives. his relatives who lived obedient lives and served God. if, serving God and the blessings it heaps on your own life were not enough, this revelation that by going to church, mentoring the youth, loving the elderly is actually propelling my children and my amazing grandchildren, (i know that they will be), to a place where God will open hearts and doors for them. i will forever look at my prayer life and service different because of this. this is not only true for my immediate family, but for my nieces and nephews, and their children. what would you NOT do to ensure a life that is one of peace and happiness? short of nothing. i heard it put like this, and thought it was again, amazing-you are basically ruined for doing wrong, when you have been prayed over and have had a Godly legacy, then it is uncomfortable and you will feel unrest if you are not being faithful. that is what our ancestors has done for us, i call it done for us, some may not, but from this point on, when i am spared something, or a problem solved, i will think to a great uncle that resisted temptation or a grandmother who suffered much, perhaps unknown to anyone, offered it up for her grandchildren, ME. this goes into the great computer void anyhow, but for all the relatives who have gone before me and still with me, thank you for serving and living your life, that i might have blessings that just fall like snowflakes around me, i think i know now...