Verses to live by....

These are a few of my favorite verses. I love them because they are simple, clear, easy to follow, and have far reaching ramifications.

1.

“Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”

Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” -Matthew 22:36-40

2.

Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. -Deuteronomy 6:5

3.

Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against anyone among your people, but love your neighbor as yourself. I am the LORD. - Leviticus 19:18

4.

He has shown you, O man, what is good. And what does the LORD require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. -Micah 6:8

5.

And now, O Israel, what does the LORD your God ask of you but to fear the LORD your God, to walk in all his ways, to love him, to serve the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul. And to keep the Lord's commandments and His statutes which I am commanding you today for your good. -Deut. 10:12-13

6.

The LORD abhors dishonest scales (a false balance), but accurate weights are his delight. When pride comes, then comes disgrace, but with humility comes wisdom. -Proverbs 11:1-2

7.

Since ancient times no one has heard, no ear has perceived, no eye has seen any God besides you, who acts on behalf of those who wait for him. -Is. 64:4

8.

I lift up my eyes to the hills— where does my help come from? My help comes from the LORD, the Maker of heaven and earth. He will not let your foot slip—he who watches over you will not slumber; indeed, he who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD watches over you— the LORD is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD will keep you from all harm—he will watch over your life; the LORD will watch over your coming and going; both now and forevermore. -Ps. 121;1-8

9.

14For this reason I kneel before the Father, 15from whom his whole family^a in heaven and on earth derives its name. 16I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, 18may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, 19and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.20Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, 21to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen. Eph. 3:14-21

10.

¹³ You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. ¹⁴ For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other.

¹⁶ So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.¹⁷ For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you are not to do whatever you want. ¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.

¹⁹ The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity and debauchery; ²⁰ idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions ²¹ and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God.

²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ²⁴ Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. ²⁵ Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other. -Galations 5:13-26

11.

¹ If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. ² If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. ³ If I give all I possess to the poor and give over my body to hardship that I may boast, but do not have love, I gain nothing.

⁴ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. ⁵ It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. ⁶ Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. ⁷ It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

⁸ Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. ⁹ For we know in part and we prophesy in part, ¹⁰ but when completeness comes, what is in part disappears. ¹¹When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put the ways of childhood behind me. ¹² For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

¹³ And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love. -1 Cor. 13:1-13

12.

⁶ Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷ And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

⁸ Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. -Phil. 4:6-8

13.

³³ But seek 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 of its own. -Matthew 6:33-34

14.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and he will make your paths straight."

-Prov. 3:5-6

15.

Let my teaching fall like rain and my words descend like dew, like showers on new grass, like abundant rain on tender plants. -Deuteronomy 32:2

16.

The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped. My heart leaps for joy and I will give thanks to him in song. -Ps. 28:7

17.

Do everything without complaining or arguing, 15so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe. -Phil. 2:14-15

18.

I love you, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn^a of my salvation, my stronghold.

3I call to the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and I am saved from my enemies......You save the humble but bring low those whose eyes are haughty. You, O LORD, keep my lamp burning; my God turns my darkness into light. With your help I can advance against a troop^d; with my God I can scale a wall. As for God, his way is perfect; the word of the LORD is flawless. He is a shield for all who take refuge in him. For who is God besides the LORD? And who is the Rock except our God? It is God who arms me with strength and makes my way perfect. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to stand on the heights.

-Ps. 18:1-3; 27-33

19.

"Come away to a quiet place all by yourselves and rest for a while." -Mark 6:31

20.

"Consider it a gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not lacking anything. If you don't know what you're doing, pray to the Father. He LOVES to help. You'll get His help...Ask boldly, believing, without a second thought....every desirable and beneficial gift comes out of heaven...plus, real religion is this, reach out to the homeless and loveless in their plight." -James 1

I have on going questions.....

These are my on going questions, ponderings, dilemnas, or dichotemies. I think if the deeper questions in life are answered, then all the little ones will naturally follow. I hold fast to the truth that I do know! By writing these out, hopefully, I will be motivated to delve deeper into each question/dilemna as I have the time. Please, if anyone finds themselves reading this, feel free to share your thoughts, comments, opinions, research, verses, experiences, or further questions on these matters. My thoughts are written here very randomly. Some are questions, some just areas of interest that I want to think about further.

Not in any type of order of importance or priority;

1. Alcohol consumption (moderation, balance, exposure/attitude around children, consumption at parties/gatherings, inappropriateness, etc)

2. Balancing moderation/grace/tolerance/Love with being "set apart", abstinence, a false balance.

3. Our own worldly, cultural, societal, environmental, ideals vs. God's priorities and will for us.

4. Importance of observing Holy Days.

5. Significance of Sabbath, importance of the actual day (Sat. vs. Sun.) How extreme to take it....rest/no work, etc or just reverence/remembrance/worship.....

6. Practice of observing the Sabbath...formal vs. informal joint worship. Separate occasion from remembering the Sabbath???? Looseness or strictness of not forsaking the gathering of believers, etc....

7. Being Set apart vs. being a light IN the darkness. We have to go where there is darkness to BE a light, right???

8. Providence. God's perfect will vs. permissive will? Is this a coined phrase or is there Biblical Truth in it???

9. God's guidance in decisions. Hearing His voice....Our plans vs. God's plans....desires and plans of a man's heart vs. those of God? Knowing the difference.

10. Sacrifice, self-denial, abstaining from worldly pleasures (nothing profane here...celebrations, alcohol, sweets, money, anything that isn't beneficial????) vs. prosperity doctrine. Even joy vs. suffering. People say way of the cross is suffering.....but I feel Jesus paid that price, and wants us to have a certain amount of freedom, joy in Him (fruit of Spirit)....in good & bad times.

11. Prayer. As a spiritual gift, commandment, etc. How is God swayed by our prayers??? What about those who have no one praying for them? Importance, practice of, etc....

12. Discipline for our children.

13. Permissiveness with our children.

14. jobs vs. ministry....life as ministry...forsaking all....or being a light where you are....

15. Backsliding, lukewarmness or phases, vs. once saved always saved mindset....

Just random ponderings for me to work through to be more single minded, focused, articulate on where I stand (to ultimately be where God desires). I know God is more concerned with the state of my heart than anything, but I want my actions to be in line with His will and desire for me.

Zoe = Life

I think we are defined, and remembered by the choices that we make. Intentions are good, ideas are wonderful, but the every day, ho hum, not so exciting choices we make are what is left behind. Sometimes I make big waves, and splashes in the water...I jump around from one idea to another filled with noble intentions. After the waves subside, though, the water is just the same...and if you are a boat trying to ride the wave, you won't get very far. Just try to hang in there, I THINK it will make sense in a moment. My six year old daughter, Zoe, is different from me in many ways. She likes to think about things for a long time, then act cautiously, and very determined.

On Halloween, Zoe (my 6 year old) inspired me. *disclaimer: This is NOT a forum for me to shout my opinions from a soap box about life, religion, or the pursuit (or shunning) of "Holy Days". It is just a place to write my memories & musings. Anyhow.....On Halloween, we went to a friend's house for a dress up, bonfire, "harvest" party. ;) Zoe had asked me, a couple of weeks prior to Halloween, what the significance of the holiday was. She said, "Mama, I know the Christian meaning of Christmas (Jesus' birth), & Easter (His resurrection); but I don't know the Christian meaning of Halloween. What does it celebrate about Jesus?!" me-panic....think....dilemna.....how deep should I go? Don't want to make a huge deal about it, but need to honor her desire to know.....ah! I HAVE to make a decision about how I view this day, and convey to her, with sensitivity, the Truth, so that she can make decisions for herself about areas that are "grey" (for me, at least). It's funny how having children forces you to reflect on and re-evaluate every decision and choice. Things that seemed to me to have no bearing or significance one way or the other before....now suddenly carry great weight. For now, my every word, deed, and choice affects two little people forever, and shapes their thoughts on life. 80

I didn't want to answer hastily, so I said, "I will check on that, and let you know." I figured the "Church" had probably hijacked this holiday, as well as many others, and attached some sort of religious significance to it also. So I googled Halloween, and read several articles about the origin, etc. And, just as I suspected, hoorah! The following day is All Saints Day to remember the dearly departed faithful in Christ. :oP So I read more, but still had not made a decision how I felt about it all. To the pure, all things are pure, right??? ;) (perhaps, the true meaning of that verse is to the "ignorant") hmmmm.....more to research. Our family LOVES to dress up! We all have multiple costumes that can be thrown together for a festive occasion. Sadly, most of mine & my husband's costumes double as our every day clothes. snicker. So, we just viewed the day as another day to don our disguises.

One Halloween, Oliver & I drove around in our 76 VW bus, dressed as hippies (a stretch, I know), passing out candy & tracts about Jesus. The night was cut short when we drove around a college campus, and someone called the police thinking we were handing out candy of a different sort. ;) Another year, a big group of friends got together, and dressed as Bible characters, and walked around passing out tracts and candy. I was a pregnant Mary on roller skates. My sister (the teacher) reads to trick or treaters the story of the Pumpkin being gutted and remade into something full of light to shine to the world (like us when Jesus cleans out the junk to fill us with His light). They sell suckers at the CBS with the story attached to hand out too. So there are many ways to use the opportunity to share Love, and have fun at the same time. That's how we view most things around here.

So, basically, I didn't come to any conclusions about how I felt about participating, although trick or treating has never felt quite right to me. And directly correlates to appeasing the "spirits", etc. (which may seem blatantly obvious to some, and utterly ridiculous to others...again....just sharing thoughts here.) So, the day rolled around, and much to my shame, I had not yet discussed it, in depth, with Zoe. It was time for all the little fairies, butterflies, Ninjas, and Lions at the party to go (yikes) trick or treating. What is a Mama to do??? Trying to be in the world, not of it.....be balanced and moderate, not blindly, black & white......temper Love & outreach with making a stand for Christ....ugh! My heart's desire is to teach my children to think for themselves, make wise choices, Love God with all their hearts, and others as themselves. I don't want robots, I don't want to isolate them or make them feel so deprived or controlled that they one day rebel to see what freedom feels like. I want to teach them the Truth, mirror Love, give them appropriate boundaries, and increasing choices so that THEY choose what is right for themselves one day.

Sometimes I forget that they can be just as bright of a light now, they can make changes now, and they can make their own trickles that affect their future as well as others. It isn't just about their future choices, but the small, every day, ho hum choices that make the difference NOW! :) I love little people.

So, finally....after much digression, I reach my point. All the kids were gathering their vessels to fill with brightly colored tooth rotting morsels, when Zoe emerged from a room very distraught. She had been talking with a friend who was brave enough to tell her the blatant truth about Halloween. Her friend's family had already discussed the holiday, and decided they weren't going to trick or treat. Zoe was devastated to find out it really had nothing to do with God, but more to do with celebrating the dead. :I (once again....a strong case can be made for "remembrance" of the beloved deceased, as well) Anyhow....she was crying, and said, "I DON'T want to go trick or treating, and I DON'T like the Easter Bunny or Santa Clause either!!! None of them have anything to do with Jesus....and THAT is what it is all about, anyway!" sniff sniff....proud Mama moment....dilemna diverted....by her very own conviction. That's what I'm talkin' about!

I am quite sure there will be many, many more moments of shame, indecision, joy, & pride as the years go by.....but I have the assurance of knowing that I am not alone. Zoe has a relationship with her Heavenly Father that is intimate & her own. She has friends that teach her lessons as well. The trickle that her friend made when her Mama made a tough choice, affected her, my daughter's affected me. Sometimes, by the grace of God, my splashes make a difference...but most often, it is the little trickles of Love & Light that keep on going.

Musings of a Mama...

I'm not sleep deprived, I don't resent motherhood, I'm not mad at Walmart, and I don't feel guilty if we eat frozen pizza for dinner once a week. I probably won't be sharing my homeade recipe for pumpkin pie, or my latest hand made creation. I love home spun creations, healthy amazing recipes, and inspiring ideals...ur...ideas too, I just am not all that. What I feel is gratitude, immense love, faith in God, and excitement about the future. What I want to leave behind is LOVE. What I want to give my children is TIME. What I want to do is GROW spiritually. Once I get all that down pat, I'll free myself to focus more on the other. Maybe I need a lot more time than others to succeed in these areas.

I don't want to look back on my life with regrets. I like being transparent. I couldn't keep up with remembering who I was supposed to be, if I weren't being myself. Did I mention that I'm not eloquent...my musings are a little more reminiscent of Alice in Wonder Land. But if I can fumble my way to express something honest that helps someone through the day, or helps someone smile...or maybe helps someone feel better about themselves because, at least they aren't like the crazy rambling lady with a big heart....then I am happy. Not sure what would lead someone to read this, nor what would lead me to write it for that matter, but if you do, I'm glad you're here. At least I will be saving paper by not writing millions of notes to myself!!! See, now there is a very eco conscious plug. ;)

Life is like a train ride on a long journey. Sometimes it goes so fast, you can't enjoy the scenery (time to slow down). Other times it goes so slow it feels like you'll never get anywhere (time to prioritize, self-reflect, be open to new opportunities). I like not knowing what's around the next corner; I have to completely trust that God is in charge of this train, and He has good things in store, as long as I don't try and take over.