The Encouragement of Faith

Good Evening to All!

First, let me say thank you to all my Blog Frog friends who attended my "virtual birthday party" live chat. It was a blast! Also, Thank you to all those who sent me birthday wishes on Facebook!

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FAITH

Definition of Faith
(1) Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen. (3) Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear. Hebrews 11:1, 3 (Italics and boldness is mine).

An Indispensable Element in Religion
But without faith it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh to God must believe that His is and that He is a rewarder of them who diligently seek Him. Hebrews 11:6

Essential in Prayer
If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. (5) But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. James 1:5-6

Justification by "faith"
Therefore, being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 5:1

Faith is like a muscle. The more we exercise and use it, the stronger it gets.

We All were given the same measure of faith. It is How We Exercise it that determines the outcomes of our situations in life.

"A little faith will bring your soul to heaven, but great faith will bring heaven to your soul".

I believe it was Charles Spurgeon who said I have been through enough to know that He'll be enough for me. As Believers, WE HAVE POWER.

Last night, in the absence of our Precious Pastor, another young man officiated our Wednesday night service. He quoted this poem. I don't know if he wrote it, or where he got it from, but he gave me permission to share it with y'all.

Doubt sees obstacles, Faith see the way.
Doubt sees the darkest night, Faith sees the day
Doubt dreads to take a step, Faith soars on high,
Doubt questions "who believes?" Faith answers "I".

God's Word says that Jesus is the author and finisher of our faith. ( If we let Him be.)

The reason I said that statement in parentheses is because God gave us free will. If we let our situations and problems become stronger than our faith in God who if we will allow Him can get us through these obstacles, then we are not allowing God to be the Finisher of our Faith. We are saying in a sense that He is not powerful enough to take care of these temporary situations and problems, thus they end up overpowering us.

We must remember to not let doubt become the "finisher of our faith". That could put us in a very dark place. If we let doubt take over, then we would eventually lose hope, which is directly connected to faith.

Good Night to all And May God Bless!

You've Got Mail!

Good Evening Folks!

I had to laugh a little to myself, as they've been showing the movie "You've Got Mail" on satellite. It was a "cute" movie in it's time, but I saw it once and that was enough for me as I am not a romantic comedy type of person. Anyway I had been looking through my Inspirational book, and nothing seem to catch my eye, so I changed to my Devotional, just opened it in the midst and this title popped out at me, so we're going with it.


Today's Seed: "Dear friends, this is now my second letter to you. I have written both of them as reminders to stimulate you to wholesome thinking." 2 Peter 3:1

Everyone loves to get mail. Letters from friends. Postcards from faraway places, saying, "Wish you were here." Invitations to weddings and parties. Announcements of engagements and graduations. Thank-you notes. Birthday cards. We love to get correspondence that says someone is thinking about us.

These days, handwritten correspondence is a lost art. While a dedicated few still take pen in hand and put their thoughts on paper, many of us rely on e-mail to get the message out. In an instant we can tell friends and family whats happening in our lives

The apostle Peter wrote his letters to inform his recipients on a variety of doctrines and to remind them about christian life and duties. In this second letter Peter warned about false teachers and encouraged watchfulness for the Lord's return. Peter emphasized that he felt the need to remind them to think good thoughts.

This was near the end of Peter's life, and he was compelled to write about the dangers he saw. False teachers, he said, worked from the inside to corrupt Christ's church. He encouraged Christians to remain committed to Christ and to live a holy life. Because Peter took time to write, we benefit from his letters.

Dig Deeper: The Greek word for "reminder" is hupomnesis, which means a remembrance. Sending a letter or e-mail to a friend reminds them that we remember them and think of them.

Weed & Water: Whether we take paper and pen in hand or use e-mail, it the message not the method that counts. Share your thoughts, feelings, and compliments with friends, and family; don't just pass along nonsense. When you know someone is hurting--either physically or emotionally--write a few kind words. Let them know they are in your thoughts and prayers. Tell them how much you appreciate them and how they have blessed you. Don't forget to write to your immediate family too.

Sprout & Scatter: Purchase or make attractive note cards--ones that say something about you and your likes and dislikes. Add a favorite, meaningful verse. Then address the envelope by hand, using a calligraphy pen. Put a pretty stamp on it, place a special sticker (flowers, animals, ladybugs, cats, dogs, or whatever appeals to you or the recipient) on the back envelope flap after it's sealed, and mail it. You'll make someone's day extra special. Write a letter to your child, telling them about the day they were born. Doing this blesses both the writer and the recipient.

Think about it: Name some reasons Peter wrote his letters.

How can you make your e-mails, letters, and cards more meaningful?

Prayer Pot: Dear Lord, help me share my faith using the written word by ...(Insert your own idea).

Take-Away Idea: Send a letter today, sharing your faith.



Send a dose of "encouragement" tomorrow (today) Good Night to All and May God Bless!

Showing Us the Way

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

Good Evening to All!

Tonight's post is an inspirational story taken from Robert Strand's "especially for Moms" book. A story about a Basketball Star and His family.

SHOWING US THE WAY

When Atlanta Hawks center Theo Ratliff was growing up, his mother, Camillia, provided the everyday lesson on perseverance. Daily, after the hour-long commute from her factory job to home in Demopolis, a small rural town in Alabama, she took her books and studied late into the night working on a college degree.

She was an influence by showing us the way, not just telling us," says Theo who has two brothers, Thad and Tim. "Getting her degree was something she was dedicated to doing. That's the type of lesson she gave: if you want it enough, you can get it done no matter what."

Theo kept that lesson in mind as he relentlessly practiced his basketball growing up. The example of mom helped him to become an NBA ( National Basketball Association) All-Star, a good father and a responsible, generous citizen.

To raise her three sons, Camillia held down as many as four jobs at once. Obviously, the family didn't have much but their focus was never on the material things of life...rather it was centered on the wealth of a longing family. Camillia said, "We were rich. Sometimes you wish for bigger, better, more. But sometimes coming up the rough side of the mountain isn't so bad."

The boys took part in every activity they could fit into a busy growing-up life...Key Club, honor society, museum visits, plays, church functions and sports. They did it all and kept up good grades, too. "Without that type of influence from within their families, a lot of our friends went astray," Theo says.

He worked hard at his hoops...sometimes angering mother's wrath by skipping the chores posted on the refrigerator door. "She always would say, 'Whatever it is you choose to do in life, try to be the best at it, '" he says. "That's how I've approached my game and being a parent."

Because of his life principles, learned form mom, he was awarded a scholarship to Wyoming University. He almost quit basketball after his second year but Camillia told him, "Winners never quit, and quitters never win." That was the turning point...from that moment on, Theo excelled. Detroit selected him in the first round of the 1995 NBA draft/

The rest is history...Theo is an All-Star, he and his wife Kristina, have two daughters; he's involved in community events which give back; Camillia has her college degree and manages elder-car programs in ten Alabama counties@ Yes, mother Knows best!

Today's Quote: "Camillia might not have taught Theo anything about jump shots or blocked shots. But what he learned form her has as much to do with his success as anything a coach ever said." Brad Young


Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith...(Hebrews 12:1-2a)

MY TAKE ON THINGS

It never amazes me the good that positive reinforcement can do. A person can quote scriptures, or proverbs from the Bible, they can quote wise sayings that have been handed down through the years, but when it comes right down to it "Actions speak MUCH louder than words. The old cliche "do as I say, not as I do does not help much. I never have believed that statement did anything but "waste breath".

One example I have is a precious friend who babysits her "step daughter." The child is only going on 4 years old, and I think she has to be one of the most polite people I have ever met. I have never heard Lenette raise her voice to the little one, but she teaches her through example. I have heard her say "yes ma'am, or no thank you, or please ...and so forth to this small child. In turn, this child uses the same polite manner to Lynette and others who talk to her. I'm sure as she gets older the lessons which she will be taught will be valuable because they will have been taught through not only words, but actions.

In the same token, the opposite can be said for others whom I have seen My parents for one, Who were the "do as I say not as I do " type of teachers, and if I didn't abide by their rules, I got in LOADS of trouble. That did not teach me anything, except to have low self-esteem and to be a "people-pleaser at any cost" which is not a good thing. It made me lose my own identity and to cower down even when I think I'm right.

So you young parents out there, PLEASE take a page from this old girl's playbook. Teach your children life-lessons with love, understanding and by example. Not with an iron hand, and harsh words.

I am not saying children should not be spanked. It tells us in the Bible to do so, with love. Spanking and Beating are two different things. That's why God gave us padding on our rear-ends, and you don't have to leave marks to make your point. However, sometimes grounding, or taking a child's prized possessions away for an extended amount of time sometimes works better.

Anyway, to get back to life's lessons. Show your children how to get ahead by Example, with Love and Encouragement. You will gain a lot more ground of positivity by doing it that way, and the lessons will last a life time in comparison to hurtful lessons which have a negative effect, and will also last a life time and continue through generations. Unfortunately, it seems that the negative things in life tend to be handed down through generations quicker than positive ones. So we need to make it a point to hand down much more positive habits and ideas than negative ones.

Good Night to All and May God Bless!