Patient verses warrior?

Proverbs 16:32 "Better a patient man than a warrior, a man who controls his temper than one who takes the city."     This is the Bible verse our track team picked for their T-Shits this season.   There are many other verses that promote being strong in the Lord, relying on His strength not our own.  They picked this one which focuses on being patient and self controlled verses pushing for the victory.    Only one person gets first place in a race.   During our Junior High track meet, there are over 100 kids running the 100 meter dash.   Does that mean only one is worthy of praise?   Of course not!!  I tell my team.  Practice the four F's; Faith, Fitness, Fellowship and Fun.    Christ centered patients, self control is more important than winning the race.  In fact, if you have  these qualities you are the true victor ribbon or not.     Today,  evaluate whether you are trying to "win the race" or be the best you can be during your competition.     What good is it if a man gains the whole world but looses his soul?( Luke 9:25) It’s the way you live not what you achieve that matters.  Let your confidence come from the Lord!!

Godliness with contentment is great gain!

1 Timothy 6:6 "But, Godliness with contentment is great gain."   ......18 " Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share."    Doing good with a pure, sincere heart is a great place to be.   Doing good with contempt in our hearts is not doing good at all.    Today let’s ask God to help us have sincere desire to do good, then; Just DO IT!!!

Sing like the birds!!

Hard to tell from this picture, there are lots of birds in this crab apple tree this morning.    They are not worried about tomorrow they are simply enjoying its fruit and the morning sun.   Today, let's take a lesson from these birds.   Let’s enjoy the fruit of His Spirit and the warmth of His Son!!!  Let’s let His strength and Song fill us from within, so His joy may abound greatly!!!😇🙏♥️

Exodus 15:2 " The Lord is my strength and my song; He has become my salvation.  He is my God, and I will Praise Him, my fathers God and I will exalt Him. ".  He is our strength and our song!!!!   Don’t worry.  Sing like a bird!!

Don’t worry be happy….,Joy is where it’s at, happinesses is conditional

 Matthew 6:33 But seek ye first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.  34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble if it's own."    Don't worry be happy!!  Is a fun song.   It's tempting to see our glass half empty, instead of seeing God is with us, constantly supplying His living water, we will never run dry.   Happiness is a temporary emotion it literally flees in a moment.   Joy is constant.   When we first seek God, trusting Him all the way, we can have joy even when it seems we have legitimate cause to worry.    In Christ, we have no cause to worry!! We have every cause to walk in complete joy, knowing full well He is the God and He's got this!!!!

Chasing the wind?

Ecclesiastes 5:7 "Much dreaming and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God."    I am guilty of being a day dreamer.   I dream of many things that are not.  When I go down this path I'm setting myself up, for not enjoying what is.   Last night the moon was magnificent in the Western sky.  This morning the sunrise is spectacular.   All my day dreaming seems so foolish when I stand in awe of God.   Paul said, " I have learned to be content".  (Philippians 4:11-12). Ecclesiastes is a great book!!  It helps me evaluate when I am chasing the wind.   It's hard to be content when you are chasing the wind😇🙏♥️

Cherish and Respect simple ia not so simple

Ephesians 5:31 "For this reasons man will leave his father and mother and be United to his wife and the two will become one flesh. 32 This is a profound mystery--but I am talking about Christ and the Church.   33 However each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself and the wife must respect her husband."    True health and wellness starts in our homes.   Broken homes are far more devastating than our culture portrays them.   Ephesians teaches a simple truth "Husbands Cherish your wives.  Wives respect your husbands."   I was teaching this at our monthly women's seminars and a lady said, "My husband doesn't deserve respect... "she went on to list all his struggles.  I said, “The Bible doesn't say to respect him if he deserves respect.  It says to respect him.    She went home and started treating her husband with respect.   The next month she came back and said, “You saved my marriage! I started treating my husband with respect and he started cherishing me!"    I said, "I didn't save your marriage Jesus saved your marriage! You applied His word to your life and you received healing in your family.”  Today there is much false teaching, people encourage the break up of the family for many reasons.  It's hard to be healthy and well when our families are broken.   Be encouraged to apply Gods WORD to yours. 😇🙏♥️

Wisdom vs. Insanity

Matthew 11:18 "For John came neither eating nor drinking and they say, "He has a demon." 39 The Son of Man came eating and drinking, and they say, "Here is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners." But wisdom is proved  right by her actions."     These are the word of Jesus.   WISDOM IS PROVED RIGHT BY HER ACTIONS!!! This really caught my attention today.    In recovery we have a saying, “insanity is doing the same thing expecting a different result.”  This would be the opposite of wisdom.    I easily fall into well worn, destructive patterns of thinking hoping for a different result.  I don’t do the work to change my thought processes and my actions.   Instead I take comfort in my discomfort.  We can all get really used to our ruts.   Today, let our actions show we have gained wisdom!!!😇🙏♥️