"There never was one who came to him with a broken heart, but he healed him. He never said to one, "You are too bad for me to heal;" but he did say, "Him that cometh to me, I will in no wise cast out." My dear hearer, he will not cast you out. You say, "You do not know me, Mr. Spurgeon." No, I do not; and you have come here to-night, and you hardly know why you are here; only you are very low and very sad.

The Lord Jesus Christ loves such as you are, you poor, desponding, doubting, desolate, disconsolate one. Daughters of sorrow, sons of grief, look ye here! Jesus Christ has gone on healing broken hearts for thousands of years, and he is well up in the business. He understands it by experience, as well as by education. He is "mighty to save." Consider him; consider him; and the Lord grant you grace to come and trust him even now!"

- Charles Spurgeon, Christ's Hospital

Psalm 34:14, "Depart from evil, and do good; seek peace, and pursue it." (1 Peter 3:11)

 

Nothing in this life happens by chance. What we sow we reap. It is an eternal principle. I love what Henry Drummond says, "The Christian life is not casual but causal."  To live in peace, we must sow seeds of peace. Jesus said,"Blessed are the peace-makers..." Peace doesn't just happen; we have to make it happen.

 

Let's look at a few more today.

 

Love Righteousness

 

Psalm 85:10 says, "Righteousness and peace have kissed each other." You can't have peace without righteousness. They are inseparable. But righteousness is more than turning away from evil. It is doing righteous deeds. Righteousness is not stagnant. It is alive. It is revealed in your facial features as you smile at your family and speak positive things; it comes out your fingertips as you work and toil for the blessing of your family or hug and embrace your children; it shows itself as you walk to do good deeds for your family and others.

 

We see this in Isaiah 32:17, "The work of righteousness shall be peace; and the effect of righteousness quietness and assurance forever." Do you notice that righteousness is a work? And do you notice the cause and effect? The effect is peace!

 

This following verse says, "And my people shall dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in sure dwellings, and in quiet resting places." If we want peace in our home we must sow seeds of righteousness. That will mean saying No to certain TV programs, DVDs and websites. It will mean taking a stand against the spirit of the world entering your home. Peace does not come by compromise or even by feeling good. Sometimes people equate peace with calm. Anyone can have peace when everything is going perfect. True peace rests on a foundation of righteousness. (Hosea 10:12)

 

Seek Reconciliation

 

You cannot have peace if you have estranged relationships. To enjoy peace you must seek healing and restoration. Sow seeds of reconciliation. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry. You won't have peace unto you do. (Ephesians 4:26-27)

 

Forget your Worries

 

Ephesians 4:6-7 says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." In other words, don't worry about anything! Easier said than done! But if we want peace in our hearts and homes it is habit we must practice.

 

Each time you face another problem, instead of worrying, choose to turn it over to  the Lord. Look to the Lord rather than your circumstances. It takes a while to get into this habit, but it will change your life. You can then walk in peace even in the midst of the storm.

 

My favorite Scripture, a special one for mothers, is found in Isaiah 26:3-4, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusts in thee. Trust ye in the Lord forever: for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength." When we sow the habit of bringing our thought life to the Lord, we will have peace. Not only peace, but perfect peace. It is actually a double word in the Hebrew meaning, peace, peace!

 

 

Husband/Wife Unity

 

Sow unity in your marriage relationship. If you don't have unity together, you won't have peace in your heart or home. And nor will your children know peace. When there is estrangement between you and your husband, the children will feel the brunt of it. Once again, you have to sow the seeds. It won't just happen. Realize the truth that God has made you one--not two, but one! Sow seeds to make this oneness a reality. Say Sorry. Forgive. Swallow your pride. Humble yourself. Shut your mouth. Speak soft words. Submit for your own blessing. As you sown these seeds, you'll reap peace.

 

Order your home

 

It is difficult to have peace when you live in a mess. 1 Timothy 5:14 tells us that the young women are to "guide the house." This phrase is translated from the Greek word, oikodespoteo, coming from two words: oikos - home, and despotace - master. God has given you the responsibility to manage your home--to keep it in order and running smoothly.  Don't forget the principle of cause and effect. If you want peace, do things that will bring order and peace.

 

Declutter your home

 

If you have clutter everywhere, if your dishes and laundry are piling up, you will not be able to think straight.  Order brings serenity. Sow seeds for a harvest of peace by de-cluttering your home. If you have loads of junk it can be daunting to start on this venture. Take one room at a time. Be ruthless. Get rid of everything you don't need. Purge. The more you eradicate, the more serenity will come to your soul.

 

Keep sowing your seeds of peace daily and your harvest time will come.

 

Love from NANCY CAMPBELL

 

PRAYER:

 

"Lord, thank you for reminding me that you want me to make peace. Help to be a peace-maker! As I sow seeds of peace, you will bring the wonderful harvest. Amen."

 

AFFIRMATION:

 

Peace-making is my job today!

THANKS TAMMY........LOL

“Our thinking about who we are as Christians
should not begin with what we can discover about ourselves by
self-analysis. Rather, it begins with what God says about those who
trust in Christ.”

- Sinclair B. Ferguson, Children of the Living God (Carlisle, Pa.: The Banner of Truth Trust, 1989), 3.

Homeschooling is going great.  Amy has already finished reading the biography for her literature class.  So now we can concentrate on the report.  It is not due until the end of the second session.

I am so proud of her.  She is in class today...all day.  Today is my day for "outings".  I get to go to the dentist for a cleaning, go shopping for a new crockpot.  When Paul was washing it, it slipped out of his hands and hit the sink hard.  So now I can shop around, maybe get a bigger one. 

You all have a blessed day....

"Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta.

The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and

welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. Paul gathered a pile

of brushwood and, as he put it on the fire, a viper, driven out by

the heat, fastened itself on his hand. When the islanders saw the

snake hanging from his hand, they said to each other, "This man must

be a murderer; for though he escaped from the sea, Justice has not

allowed him to live." But Paul shook the snake off into the fire and

suffered no ill effects. The people expected him to swell up or

suddenly fall dead, but after waiting a long time and seeing nothing

unusual happen to him, they changed their minds and said he was a

god. (Acts 28:1-6 NIV)


There is more to the story than Paul's miraculous immunity to a

venomous snakebite. This great apostle to the Gentiles, preacher to

thousands, worker of miracles, and writer of much of the New

Testament, was stuck on an island as a prisoner. Did he lie back and

bemoan his condition? Did he think he should be treated better than

others because he was an apostle? No! The Scriptures tell us that he

chose to contribute to the work and needs of his fellowmen. It was

cold and rainy, so Paul gathered a bundle of sticks for a much-

needed, warming fire (v.3).


It's so natural as we deal with pain and illness and all the related

stresses to begin to feel that we have nothing to offer. We often

bemoan our condition and this can lead to depression and a sense of

hopelessness. Perhaps if we can find some small way to contribute to

the welfare of others, even as we deal with pain, we will know a joy

that can only come from serving God and reaching out to His children.

It's amazing how a few words of appreciation, a note of thanks or a

simple honest compliment can brighten the lives of others.


Many of us have reached a time in our lives when vigorous activity is

no longer possible. We must not despair but rather remember Paul's

example, and do what we can do—even if it is simply "gathering

sticks." We must start where we are in life and as we serve Him, we

can claim His sure promise and trust in His Word. All God asks of

us is to do what we can do and then He will use our efforts to

further His plan. It is so true that God never puts us in the wrong

place to serve Him.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- -


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Patricia Armstrong lives in Virginia Beach, Virginia, with her

husband, Richard. She is a retired elementary school. Patricia

enjoys finding ways to serve God and help His children and gives

thanks and praise to the Lord for His many blessings. Patricia deals

with chronic pain due to a nerve disorder but trusts that God can use

all things for good for those who love him and are called according

to His plan.

Funny Corgi And Rabbit

I
wish I didn't relate so much to Eve. You know, the one who messed it up
for the rest of us? I wish I could say I was different from her.

Genesis
3. Eve is hanging out in the garden one day. She's alone. Maybe she was
okay with solitude for a little while, but, she's a female. And we
females like to talk.

She's looking at that tree, the one God said not to eat. You know she wanted to discuss that.
Adam is nowhere around, and the serpent seizes his moment. He slithers
up, and makes some conversation. The bible doesn't say so, but I
wouldn't be surprised if her complimented her hair first. (If she
hadn't been naked, he might have told her her shoes were cute.)

Eve
is probably happy to have someone to chat to about this very
interesting and forbidden tree. She's a woman, and women are by nature,
relational. Some of us seek out friendships with many, some with a few,
but I have never met a woman who didn't long for a best friend. Eve is
an easy target.

The serpent didn't try this trick with Adam -
because if Adam was like my husband, he was not on this constant quest
to connect to others that I am (hello, I blog.)
No, Satan went for the woman. And they connected. Genesis 3:6 says that
Eve was seeking wisdom, a noble pursuit. She was just looking for it in
all the wrong places.

Well, we know what happened next. The
serpent was not a good friend. He was giving her some advice, but not
the kind she needed to hear. His counsel led her straight to
destruction, and we are all still suffering because of her lack of
discernment.

How often do we have an Eve moment?

When I
am having an "issue", especially an issue with another female in my
life, my initial response is to turn to my girlfriends for guidance and
support.

The danger is that whenever we women get together to
discuss a conflict, no matter what our levels of spiritual maturity,
the conversation is very, very prone to go south. It is our sin nature
to be vindictive. Throw some emotion into it, some past baggage on
either side, and a dash of PMS, and the conversation can go from
spiritual to worldly in no time flat.

This isn't to say that we
should not seek the advice of godly women. I believe that good
girlfriends and mentors are a gift from the Lord, and I have been
blessed many times by their counsel. Often they will tell me wonderful,
wise advice. But - not always. They are sinners just like me, after all.

How can I discern if their advice is godly, as opposed to worldly?

Scripture, scripture, scripture.
Any advice we receive must be in line with God's word. And, fortunately for us, God dispenses plenty of advice regarding conflict resolution.

Here
is a scenario. You believe you have been wronged by a friend, or a
family member. Feelings are hurt, egos are bruised. What to do?

The world says:

• Vent. Let it all out. Tell your friends exactly how you have been wronged. Give a play by play of what she did.

Scripture says:

• I
  cry aloud to the LORD; I lift up my voice to the LORD for mercy. I pour
  my complaint before him; before him I tell my trouble. Psalm 142:1-2
• If
  anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein
  on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. James
  1:26
  

The line between venting and gossiping is as thin as
a hair, and crossing that line happens without even realizing it. It
feels good to vent. It feels better to pray. I am learning to vent to God, instead of to my husband, my friends or my mother. And you know what I'm learning? God is an awesome listener.

The world says:

• You don't deserve to be treated this way. You need to stand up for your rights. Confront her and tell her off.

Scripture says:

• "Why
  do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no
  attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your
  brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' when all the time
  there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank
  out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck
  from your brother's eye. Matthew 7:3-5
• It is to a man's honor to avoid strife, but every fool is quick to quarrel. Proverbs 3:20

There are very specific rules for confronting another with their sin in Matthew 18.
It must be done from a standpoint of love and humility from remembering
our sins for which Christ died; with the goal of reconciliation, not
with the intent to "stand up for your rights" and certainly not to tell
them off.

The world says:

• Be passive aggressive.
  Don't confront her outright, just "forget" to call her back or keep her
  informed. Make subtle little tacky comments, to her and about her.
  Harbor resentment.

Scripture says:

• So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you. Matthew 7:12
• Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. Romans 12:10

The world says:

• Ignore her. Give her the silent treatment.

Scripture says:

• Repay
  no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the
  sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably
  with all. Romans 12:17-18

The world says:

• Get her back. Make her sorry she messed with you.

Scripture says:

• Do
  not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God's wrath, for it is
  written: "It is mine to avenge; I will repay," says the Lord. On the
  contrary: "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give
  him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on
  his head." Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
  Romans 12:19-21
• Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Philippians 3:2

The world says:

• You are such a victim. Poor you. It's awful how you are being treated when you did nothing wrong.
  

Scripture says:

• Here
  is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus
  came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. But
  for that very reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of
  sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an
  example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life. I
  Timothy 1:15-16
• Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Psalm 139:23-24
  

The world says:

• What was done to you is just unforgivable.
  

Scripture says:

• Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you. Ephesians 4:32
• "If
  your brother sins, rebuke him, and if he repents, forgive him. If he
  sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times comes back to
  you and says, 'I repent,' forgive him." Luke 17:3-4
• Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers over a multitude of sins. I Peter 4:8
  

I'm not saying the godly way is easier.

The
Eve in us wants to get down on our bellies and slither around the feet
of the one who has hurt us, whispering insults and sinking our fangs
into her ankles.

Trust me, I know.


But we are more than Eve. For we have the spirit of Christ in us, and Christ has overcome the world and all its so-called wisdom. And we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us.

"Because of the self-sacrificial, self-donating work of God's Son at the cross, God has given us none other than the Spirit of His Son, our Elder Brother, to place 'Abba! Father!' in our hearts and on our lips. According to the Gospel of Mark, our Elder Brother cried out 'Abba! Father!' on the eve of his accomplishment of redemption (Mark 14:36).  So when we are told that God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts to cry 'Abba! Father!', we are meant to understand this gift as experiential evidence that Jesus' work of reconciliating redemption was fully accomplished."

- Dan Cruver, "Adoption's Assurance"