Love In Action

Good evening to All!

I had my first (in a very long time) ESL (English as a Second Language) class today. It was very exciting and rewarding for me. It was only supposed to be with one person, but when I got there, her brother decided to join us. While I was teaching she got several phone calls and when she told them what she was doing they asked if they could join the class next week! That will make 5 students! I am , what do they call it now days, "stoked" yeah, that's it! ELATED to say the least! I will have to get my act together and plan some more lessons and get to making more copies. I'm also still typing up the Drug and Alcohol Training Manual for a lady at church, going to Curves and tomorrow have to get caught up on laundry because my hubby's going on a fishing trip for 4 days! OK, now for the SERIOUS stuff.


Today's Seed: "This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers." 1 John 3:16

A pop song from some time ago by the band Foreigner begins, "I want to know what love is." Most love songs talk about how the singer feels, with love being the ultimate emotion. In today's seed, John tells us what love is, and the picture he paints is very different from what's on TV or radio.

In today's culture, love means romance. We focus on finding that one true love, and we hope flowers, cards, and candy will be showered on us. We imagine that man will whisper "I love you" in our ear every day. We believe such love will give meaning to our lives.

Love does give meaning to our lives, but not the kind of love that is depicted in romance novels. The Bible puts little store in the words "I love you." Actions are what counts. They show our true heart. Love is not about feelings--it's about action.

Look again at the way John phrased today's seed: Jesus Laid down his life for us. In other words, Jesus life was not taken from him by others. He chose to allow himself to be crucified. On purpose. for our sake.

How do we know what love is? Jesus died for us. It's that simple--and that profound. No matter how we feel, no matter what pain we endure, one thing we know; Jesus loves us--in both word and action.

Dig Deeper: The Greek word for "love,"agape, means benevolent love that is shown not by giving what the loved one wants but by doing what is best for the one loved. Only God can truly have this type of love, and we need his strength to enable us to love agape-style.

Background Bulb: The writer of 1 John is thought to be the apostle John, who also wrote the Gospel of John and Revelation. This "disciple whom Jesus loved" was the only apostle to live to a ripe old age; the others were martyred. Throughout his life John never stopped talking about love. According to one story, John often repeated, "Little children, love one another." People got tired of it and asked him why he said those words over and over. John replied, "Because it is the Lord's commandment, and if this be done it is enough."

Sprout & Scatter:In the second part of the seed, John urges us to love others like Jesus loves us. Laying down our lives does not necessarily mean sacrificial death like it did for Jesus. We lay down our lives every time we sacrifice time, money, or our own wishes for the well-being of someone else. Today tell someone you love him or her and show your love by doing something nice for him or her.

Think about it: How does reflecting on Jesus' life and death change your concept of love?

What do your actions say about whom or what you love?

Prayer Pot: Lord, thank you for showing your love to me by....(Insert your own prayer).

Take-Away Idea: "God demonstrates his love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5

Good Night to ALL, And May God Bless!

Jesus and the Woman at the Well

Inspiration from the NIV

Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour., When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, "Will you give me a drink?" (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.)

The Samaritan woman said to him, "You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?" (for Jews do not associate with Samaritans.)

Jesus answered her, "If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water."

John 4:6-10


How many times have we missed opportunities? We hear that little voice or feel a little nudge to do something, and we dismiss it? It's gone. Never to be had again. Thank God that He gives us more than one chance. Albeit, the opportunity for that specific thing to say, or person to meet, or job to do may be gone, God gives us chance after chance to hear Him and do His bidding.


I can't count the times where I have felt the urge to go up and speak to someone, offer someone help, or a ride home, Only to talk myself out of it. "Someone else will offer, I don't have time." I really don't know this person, what if I let them in my car and they attack me? I would give this clothes to that lady since they don't fit me, but I might lose weight, so I better keep them. This picture was originally titled "Jesus is Back", but to me, he looks like he's standing there crying out to God, "I'm sorry, I want to help, please give me another chance!"

When I think about these lost opportunities, I don't like me very much. It kind of reminds me of the verse in the Bible (the location slips my mind at this moment), about entertaining angels unaware. How many angels have I missed because of my own fears, or selfishness? Too many I'm afraid.

I pray that when I get to heaven and stand in front of God on judgment day, that He will forgive all of those missed opportunities, but I personally don't think that will happen unless I repent and turn these fears and this selfishness of time and material things over to Him. Thus starting a new lease on life by giving of my time, material things, or whatever God asks me to do not the second nudging or third, but the First.

If you would look at ignoring His nudges or voices, or wishes , whatever you need to call them to get your full undivided attention, and act on it the first time. Any delay is just like disobeying. Take a child for instance. When a child is told to do something, but chooses to ignore and keep on playing, it is considered disobeying correct? The same principle applies. When God is asking us to do something and we dismiss or ignore and keep on doing what we're doing we are like a disobedient child.

************************************************************* *************************************************************

THIS AND THAT--Disappointments Happen

Remember a few posts ago, I told you that I was actually going to start teaching ESL again? I was so excited! I went out to the old tin shed or lean to ( our landlord called it a garage.) LOL. Anyway, its full of wasp nest, cob webs and dirt! Yes, it has a dirt floor and no door, so dirt is all over everything. Anyway, I fought my way all the way to the back where boxes upon boxes are stacked on top of one another and under shelves . I dug and dug through the mounds of boxes until I found my precious 2 yes, I said TWO little ESL books. I was so proud that I had found them. They are like gold to me. Not only because they cost me $60.00 6 years ago, but the knowledge is priceless. I haven't found any easier books to teach "conversational English from anywhere. Back to the reason for the search. My new (they have only been here about 3 or 4 weeks) could not speak ANY English. They were relatives of the people who own the house. The owners decided to let the wife's sister and brother-in-law from Mexico live there and them move into town. Long story short, the couple came over and with sign language wanted to pick up pecans out of our yard. We said yes, and so the "acquaintanceship" got started. The husband got a night job at a dairy. A few days later, I saw him and in broken Spanish and sign language, offered to teach him and his wife English. He seemed very happy about the idea. I told him it would have to be after the first of the year.


A few days ago, I called the "owner" of the house and ask if she had seen her sister, because I hadn't seen them out lately, or their car. She informed me that they had moved to Fort Worth to live. WHAT A LET DOWN! I think I was looking forward to teaching them more than they were to learning. Another opportunity missed. I can't help but wonder if I had started teaching them when I first brought it up if things would have turned out differently. I will never know.

Remember this little post the next time you get an urge to help a person, or say a word of encouragement to someone, you might be "entertaining angels if you carry through.

Good Night All and May God Bless!

Love and Prayers,

Inspiration, ESL and Humor

Good Evening to All!

I am so excited tonight for a couple of reasons!

First, my blog's new look! Nessa at www.texashousewife.com fixed it up for me. Please forgive me, I've been trying to set up a link for Nessa's site, but for some reason I'm unable to do so. Y'all probably know her site anyway. She is a very well established blogger and a sweetheart. Now the only thing missing is if we could figure out how to develop a nav bar or tabs. I be happy with either. I sometimes think that my posts can tend to be "too much" at one time. I do tend to be a little too "wordy". Anyway, that's my first reason for being excited. My second is that I finally, after over a month of searching found my ESL instruction books.

Several years ago, I volunteered teaching ESL and Literacy classes for adults. I did this for almost three years, and dearly loved what I was doing. One day the head of the program I was volunteering for came in and said the owners were disbanding the project. I was left without a place to teach. I thought about my church and home, but both are out of the city limits and most of the people I taught had transportation problems and did a lot of walking. Anyway, I blew off the idea of teaching. We just got some new neighbors that cannot speak English hardly at all, so the idea came alive again.
Now the trick was to remember where I had put my books. I searched everywhere I could think of to no avail. Today, I looked in one of my old notebooks where I had looked SEVERAL times, and there they were! I talked to the neighbors in VERY broken Spanish and the husband sounded excited at the prospects of me teaching he and his wife English. So it looks like I will get back to doing what I enjoy second to most (I love learning about God most). The great thing about our neighbors is that they are Christians who aren't afraid to praise God for His blessings openly. I took a few Christmas presents to their 2 year old son yesterday, and the dad almost came to tears thanking me and praising God. He actually looked at me, shook my hand and said "God is So Good, Thank you. I thought that was really neat. Now days, you see so many people who are Christians, but like my husband, they say (it's private to me.) Well, that's all well and good, and I'm not trying to say to go out and run up to everyone you see and bombard them with scripture and tell everyone how good God has been to you, all I'm saying is that it was a breath of fresh air for me to hear those words. Anyway, that's my exciting news.

Christian Humor

A Young man was walking through a supermarket to pick up a few items when he noticed an old lady following him around. Thinking nothing of it, he ignored her and continued on. Finally, he was ready to check out but she pushed her cart immediately in front of him in the in the line.

"Pardon me," she said sweetly, "I'm sorry if my staring at you has made you feel a bit uncomfortable. It's just that you look like my son, who died recently."

"I'm very sorry," replied the young man. ; "Is there anything I can do for you?"

"Yes," she said. "As I'm leaving after checking out, can you say 'Goodbye, Mother!'? It would really make me feel much better and make my day." "Sure," replied the polite young man. As the old lady was leaving, with groceries in her cart, he called out, loudly, "Goodbye, Mother!"


Then , after he had unloaded his groceries and the checker was about to ring him up, he noticed that his total was already $137.47. "How can that be?" he asked, incredulous. "I only have just these few items." "Your mother said that you would pay for her groceries," answered the clerk!

Okay...
Even a bad example can be a learning experience. Humor happens when two worlds collide. Something unexpected has to happen that jolts you up and out of the normal life patterns and then you start laughing. Humor is the synapse between the ordinary and the surprising! Every time we laugh, we are making a leap between two worlds! And...in order to be the best mother possible...one ingredient is a well used sense of humor!

There are many verses in the Bible about Humor, Laughter and Joy. Joy being not only "glee", but also the inner joy or peace.

Interesting or Not Interesting, That is the Question

Hi Y'all!

I really like the Bible verse on the top of this post. It is subtally telling each one of us that we need to get in tune with God more. We cannot know or understand what God is trying to tell us in His written Word, unless we are in tune with Him, and to do that we must pray and talk to Him. I find that if I pray and ask Him to open my understanding of His Word before I read my Bible, I understand it a lot more clearly than if I don't pray. I tested that theory. I've done it both ways. I gather a deeper understanding and meaning of what I read, if I pray. Its like He's talking to me in comparison to just reading words on a page. I hope if you haven't ever thought about this, you will give it an honest try.

I'm afraid this is going to be a pretty sad post tonight. Nothing much has happened, and I didn't receive any interesting or informative e-mails today.

I spent from 9:30 am until noon at church, drove home changed clothes and headed out to the Pow-Wow. I worked there until about 4;30 and came home.

So much for my day.

Tomorrow will be more of the same excitement. Although, at least I will get some enjoyment and a good work-out at Curves, then its off to clean a house.

We will be going to Branson probably around the middle of October, so I am looking forward to having something interesting to talk about when we get home.

It really makes it hard to keep things interesting with no children or no "causes". I used to teach literacy and ESL to adults as a volunteer, but I live so far out of the city limits the people who would more than likely be interested can't come out this far. We are talking about starting something like that at our church though. That would really be great. I miss doing it.

Well, (I know my mom always told me that's a deep wet subject) I guess I'd better call it a night as nothing of interest is popping into my brain and I've got to get an early start.

Good night all, and GOD BLESS!

PJ