Barbara’s Blog

Good morning! Rise and shine and give God a smile!He made this day for you! Now you fill it with good things for him and give it back!

Mark 12:38-44

Do we love others just for show? Do we love to look holy? Do we talk “christian” to get attention?

Interesting to think about. We once met a new family. On the surface they seemed much like us. Had lots of kids, homeschooled, etc. We went to spend the day with them. We decided to all go to the park so the kids could play. We went to their home first, then were going to drive to the park together. We had never been to that park, so my husband said, “We will follow you”.

The husband replied, “Don’t follow me. Follow Jesus!”

Well, I am sorry, but Jesus was not driving us to the park. It was just irritating and stupid to boom that back at us.

And so it went all day. Flowery speeches pointing out how he put Jesus before every thought.

If we said the kids were sure cute playing together- we got a speech on how important it was we don’t look at their outsides-but look deep into their souls and make sure no evil was growing there.

If we said the potato chips were good- we got a speech on how we should hit our knees and thank God for providing.

It got rather boring. We were Christians and found it insulting- imagine what that does to the unsaved this man unloads all over with every breath.

Note that in these verses the woman giving her all was not giving a speech as she threw in the money! She was quietly going about her business of loving God. She wasn’t giving to get applause. She was loving God. Simply and beautifully.

May we be found doing the same, quietly and out of love. Hugs, Barbara

Good morning! I am going to share something written by a dear friend of mine this morning. We are on a group together on SparksPeople.com  This morning she wrote:

Hello and hugs to all. Have to share what God hit me with last nite at church. The pastor showed us the verse and then with one sentence changed to another verse, but God continued with me. It’s one of those verses we see all the time. In fact, one that many of us even have memorized, one you see at nearly every funeral and I guess maybe it’s that reason I’ve just left it at those funerals…not sure…just have always looked at the big group of verses and didn’t really tear it down to really look at it… Psalm 23 The Lord Is My Shepperd, now for the really hard part…I SHALL NOT WANT. Right there…replace that with another way to say the same thing….The Lord is my shepperd, I HAVE ALL THAT I NEED!! WOW!!

I have been WANTING to get my bills paid off.
I have been WANTING to go on a reunion trip.
I have been WANTING to get my basement done.
I have been WANTING a security that my dh is here to stay.

You see, I think because I’m not a, what seems to me as “worldly” wanting…I thought I was fine. I don’t want for jewelry. I hardly wear the stuff. I don’t want for new fashion clothes..so I’m great! But then that thought hit me like a lightening bolt…I’m WANTING for other things..things DONE, or feelings of security. I need to be happy and filled with JOY over everything I have…unpaid bills, unfinished basement..God is in control. He has those things covered too. Not just the worldly good wants but the wants of service, the wants of peace and security..the wants of good health…JUST STOP IT He tells me NO MORE WANTING!!! The Lord is my shepperd, I shall not WANT ….I have all that I need!!!
(I know none of you all need to hear this…It only had my name referenced out beside it in the bible…but I just wanted to share.)

Then I answered:

I almost did not do the Bible lesson this morning after reading Faylie’s lesson to us! It was just WONDERFUL! You nailed it Faylei! You can put my name out in that reference space with yours Faylei, because I do that about bills too.

But then I decided to go ahead and just read the lesson verse myself. I think it fits really well, so am going to go ahead and do it

Matthew 24:12-13

Think how that fits with what Faylei wrote! If we are constantly in a state of want, our love toward God may start to get cold. In the back of our minds we see others making money, or having relationships, or what-ever that we want. We begin to compare ourselves. Then we could begin to get mad or dis-illusioned. Our heart could get cold toward God. Bible reading stops, prayer stops…..

Look at verse 13. Why is the word endure used? Could it be that God knew times could be hard for us? Could he be telling us here that it is not going to be rare for us to see other “doing better” ? He wants us to KNOW that he is still in charge and is still caring for us. He is still our Shepperd!

Beautiful! Thank you for sharing Faylei!! Hugs, Barbara

Good morning! Ok, this is a test. Ask yourself what one word would describe you best. ( Don’t tell us LOL)

Now, let’s see what word God is looking for from us!

Matthew 22:34-40

God wants our love. He then wants us to love others. We are his loving arms, hands, feet, and words to the world.

Your life is to be a story others can read. When they read you, they should be seeing a person who loves. That will make them want what you have. Then you get to show them that WHAT you have is really WHO you have!!!Jesus!

Make your goal in life to be the most loving!! Being cute, smart, hard working, thin, etc are all great things, but they are not as good as being loving!!!

Sooooooo, love that husband today! Love those kids!! Do something special today for each person you come in comtact with. A nice smaile, a sweet word, a hug! Tell that cashier “Good morning, I hope you have a happy day!” Make a cake with I Love You written on top, or a big cookie in the shape of a heart. Write on the mirror with soap I Love You!

Hugs, Barbara

Don’t miss this mornings Bible study. This is an interesting one, and one I dis-agree with most studies of it.

Matthew 19:19

Now of course that one verse is pretty straight forward. So nothing to debate there. But go ahead and read the entire scene from verse 16-30.

I think this is one of the most twisted verses in the church today. People read it and see- oh, I need to be poor!

That is not what Jesus was teaching. If it was look at verse 29. That would mean we need to give up everything on that list too. So no houses, family of any kind- father, mother, sister, brother, wife, children, no land- right? Wrong.

Go back. Look at young man. He was obeying all the laws. He was saying he wanted to know what more he needed to do. So Jesus told the young man to sell everything and follow him.

Why? Was being rich wrong? Was staying there and not becoming a traveling preacher wrong? Do we all need to do that?

I have heard it preached we should. That not only being rich is evil, but owning anything is evil. I know people who rent- and will not buy a house because they think owning a house it taught by Jesus as being wrong. They work at jobs where they just make enough to barely live.

They missed the whole point!

Jesus was looking at THAT YOUNG MAN. He knew that TO THAT YOUNG MAN money was the most important thing. So for HIM it would block truly following Jesus. It was going to be HIS stumbling block and Jesus knew it.

That is what is meant by that list in verse 29. Some people are going to lose family if they chose to follow Jesus. If your parents are another religion, and you find Jesus- you may be shunned. Jesus is not saying EVERYONE has to give up parents.

If you are married and become a Christian- you might lose your spouse over it. He is not saying EVERYONE needs to leave their spouse!! I have also seen people say that! They divorce a non-christian spouse and marry the “christian” that understands them….and who they happened to be having an affair with….

Are we to abandon our kids? What age would you suggest??? That makes no sense at all does it??

What Jesus is showing us is that for each of us, there will be things we must change. Things that keep us from him. It will be different for each of us. Anything that keep making you stumble in your walk with him is going to have to be released.

Let’s go back to money for a moment. Look at verses 23-26. People love to grab that as proof we are to be poor. ( Despite many other verses where God blessed people with things that made them rich).

Now think of a big old camel and a needle. Can the camel EVER fit through it? No way. So is God saying he will puch that camel through. No.

This is one of those passages that knowing some history will make it make sense. In Jesus’ day all the big cities where people went to trade had big walls all around them. There was one main big gate on each end usually, that was guarded. Anyone going in or out was seen by guards. But there were also small doors around the walls ( the eye if the needle). People could go in and out of these doors during the day to work in the fields, visit people who lived outside of the walls, etc. Those door were small though.

So, if you were a merchant (rich) with a loaded down camel- you could not fit through them. If you wanted to use that door, you would have to unload the camel. Carry all your things to the other side, bring your camel through on its knees ( yea right), then reload that camel with all your goods. It would be a big, time consuming ordeal. AND YOU WOULD NEED HELP.

What Jesus is telling us is that if you are rich- you are going to have to work at staying holy- by FIGHTING YOURSELF. Money will make some things in life easy for you. It would be easy for you to forget you even need God in this life. In fact, by yourself you can’t do it- you are going to have to lean on and trust God to help you. You are going to need good friends and advisors to help you too.

Getting a loaded camel to the other side would seem impossible, Just like staying “normal” while rich might seem impossible. Look at the rich people in the news. Poor Michael Jackon is a prime example. All that money ruined his life and caused his early death. If you can PAY FOR ANYTHING you are likely to pay for things that are not good for you.

For many, money would be their downfall. But money in and of itself is not evil. If it was Abraham and Job were made evil by God blessing them! We know THAT is not true!

So as you read this passage. Look at your own life. What takes your eyes off of God? That is your area to be careful, and maybe something you have to give up. Just like an alcoholic must NEVER drink. You might drink a glass of wine with a fancy meal and it would be fine. To an alcoholic it would be their undoing.

One more thing. Our weak areas will each be different. So be careful about judging another person. Hugs, Barbara

Good morning! What a wonderful week we have ahead of us! May we each fill this week with loving memories!

Matthew 6:5

What a self-serving, self-love this is! This passage is speaking of praying, but you could insert other activities in there and it would be the same thing.

Think of the couples who are lovey dovey in public, but are rude and mean to each other at home.

Or the mom that is so sweet at all the school activites- making cupcakes and cookies…yet yelling and screaming at the kids at home as she is really doing the baking.

When we do things for “show” God is not impressed. The flattery we get from people is ALL we are going to be rewarded.

God knows when we are being fake. Our families know too…….

Make some real memories this week.
 Hugs, Barbara

Good morning! Rise and shine and give God the glory!

Matthew 5:43-48

When you are reading this think about all the times God has shown this kind of love to you. This is the kind of love we want to show a lost and hurting world. This is what they need to see in your life. This is also the kind of love our husbands and children need. If we onlt love when it is “deserved” or “earned” we are not really loving at all. This is the love that makes us known as kind people.  Hugs, Barbara

Grab your Bible!

Zechariah 8:17,19

17 is an interesting reminder about how we should view our neighbors!

19. I am often amazed at people who think celebrations are evil. God does not. He just wants us to be sure we are celebrating the right things! Things that bring joy and gladness. Things that bring truth and peace.

So a birthday party is not an evil thing. We are celebrating the lives God gives us and the joy those people bring!

A drunken bash is an evil thing. It does not bring us to joy and peace. Think of how many alcohol ridden parties end in fights and murders.

What in your life needs some celebrating? Maybe it is time for a joy party in your home! Maybe a celebration of that darling man you married??? Nice meal, pretty decorations- home-made by you??? Hugs, Barbara

Good morning! I guess I will spend the day trying to stay out of trouble! LOL! Maybe if someone bribbed me….

Grab your Bible!

Micah 6:8

I have this marked in my Bible already as one of my favorites.

I suppose that is why that whole Xbox story was so unsettling to me. I did not think it was just. I also thought the reaction to the child asking was not only unjust, but unmerciful as well. This was an 8 year old who was promised this if he fulfilled his part- which he did. To punish him for wanting the “prize” was a mean thing in my eyes. It seemed no one was remembering that he was promised this prize and did do his part. They jumped on wanting to punish his botherson asking.

I think this is a really important verse for all of us. Christians are often the first to run and point out sin in others. We see just and unjust in blaring neon colors. But we forget that God asks us to be merciful people. He wants us to have his loving heart- even when we must deal with sin. God does deal with our sins, and often it hurts. BUT, he is not smashing us out of hate. He is correcting us for our own good- out of love. He always is merciful. Let us remember that as we deal with others. And don’t forget the walk humbly part of that verse. “I told you so” is not a loving humble phrase! Hugs, Barbara

Good morning! Are you hoping for a good day? or are you MAKING it be a good day??

Micah 3:2

This is a rather disturbing passage actually. Read chapter 4 just to make you feel better once you are finished with 3!!

After reading 3 we don’t have to wonder what God thinks of evil people loving to do evil things! But chaper 4 proves that the good will win. The Lords house will be raised to the highest point! People will flow to it to learn and worship!!  Hugs, Barbara

Good morning! grab those Bibles!

Amos 5:15

This verse is telling us what direction to point ourselves. We are to hate evil and love good. What does that tell us about our friends, books, TV shows, thoughts, etc? if those things bring you down, or cause you to stumble- replace them with good things.

If the ladies group sits around saying bad things about their husbands- find a new group. One that can lift you up and get you looking at the good things about your husband! Build on the good and the evil will run!

Hugs, Barbara