Drop and Give Me Ten, No Stop and Give Hundred

As my granddaughter and I sat chatting one evening she mentioned to me "those darn cats."  Suddenly after saying that she bolted off the couch and said she needed to do ten pushups for swearing. Evidently it was an agreement between her and someone in her local church. Every time they swore they were to drop and do ten pushups. 

As I sat and watched her I felt a huge sense of grandma pride. She was recognizing swearing in her life was wrong and her discipline was to drop and give God ten pushups in a type of "sorry" to the Lord. 

The next day as I struggled to deal with life, I might not have swore but my frustration was evident. Looking back to what my eleven year old granddaughter had done I felt I too needed to drop and give God ten in order to say I was sorry. 

Unlike my granddaughter who was able to get on the floor to do ten pushups I knew if I tried my bone cancer would object. I was certain the 911 operators would not appreciate my distress call for help off the floor after attempting pushups so I didn't even try. The wall would have done just as well to serve as my pushing off board. 

As I got ready, to maybe not drop to do my ten, I thought of my dad. After his pacemaker surgery he was using the wall to do his push-ups to try and quickly recover. Unfortunately for him doing so put him back in the hospital for irritating his surgery site. I wondered if I was willing to be that diligent to obtain my own spiritual healing, from allowing the world to get to me, by doing my own push-ups no matter what or how. 

Suddenly my plans changed again as I thought of something else. No, I didn't need to drop and give God ten, what was better was stopping long enough in life to give Him 100 praises and thanks to focus my attention to where it needed to be. The stress of the world had blocked my view of God.  My discipline was to move out of its range and do what needed to be done, focusing on the things I have been blessed with. 

So here we go. "God I am here to stop and give You 100 praises and thanks ." What a blessing it is to my heart to have such a thing to set before You today and every day. Love You Lord."

Karen

Praise and Thanks

1. Praise God for being all knowing

2. Thank you Lord for my friend Chrissy and the friendship we share

3. Praise God for being someone we can trust

4. Thank you Lord for the roof over my head

5. Praise God for lifting my head when it tends to hang low

6. Thank you Lord for my grand kids and the joy they give me

5. Praise God for being my shield of protection

6. Thank you Lord for Nycol and the gift she's been to me

7. Praise God for being the one who sustains me

8. Thank you Lord for Don and the potential he has for you God

9. Praise God for His salvation

10. Thank you Lord for my Coffee

11. Praise God His blessing is upon His people

12. Thank you Lord for my wonderful parents

13.  Praise God for relieving me in my distress

14. Thank you Lord life has its good moments we can use to strengthen us on our journey to stair step our way to heaven 

15. Praise God for Your mercy and grace

16. Thank you Lord I don't have to qualify to receive your mercy. It's free. 

17. Praise God for setting Yourself aside for the godly

18. Thank you Lord for the beauty of fresh fallen snow

19.  Praise God for hearing me when I call

20. Thank you Lord for keeping me safe when Jayleena and I did a 180 degree circle in the snow

21.  Praise God the light of Your favor falls on Your children

22. Thank you Lord for the four year extension on my life

23. Praise God for putting gladness in my life

24. Thank you Lord for my sisters

25. Praise God for being my king of kings

26. Thank you Lord I don't have to operate the throne in my life. I've tried and it never worked. 

27. Praise God who leads me

28. Thank you Lord that I am not alone. I have You always at my side 

29. Praise God for defending me

30. Thank you Lord for my church family

31. Praise God You test me to better me not to put me down

32. Thank you Lord I am allowed to fail as you pick me up to try again

33. Praise God who saves the upright in heart

34. Thank you Lord for modern medicine and indoor plumbing ;)

35. Praise God for being a just judge

36. Thank you Lord for raindrops on my eyelashes instead of tears

37. Praise God for the excellence of his name in the whole earth

38. Thank you Lord for your creations, including me

39. Praise God who ordains strength 

40. Thank you Lord I can use your strength instead of trying to find my own and fail

41. Praise God for all Your marvelous works

42. Thank you Lord I get to enjoy those works

43. Praise God you are someone I can be glad and rejoice in

44. Thank you Lord for sunny days even cloudy ones when I have you to go thru them with

45. Praise God that You will endure forever

46. Thank you Lord I can endure life because of You

47. Praise God for being a refuge for the oppressed

48. Thank you Lord for giving me a place of safety

49. Praise God you put a song in my heart

50. Thank you Lord although I can't sing well its the praises to You that counts

51. Praise God you don't forget the cry of the humble, You hear their desires

52. Thank you Lord for the memories of growing up on this ranch

53. Praise God You will not forsake those who seek You

54. Thank you Lord that when I seek you, You don't hide yourself from me. You can be found

55. Praise God the needy will not always be forgotten

56. Thank you Lord for cuddly furry friends

57. Praise God You are the helper of the fatherless 

58. Thank you Lord for being such a wonderful Father figure for us to look up to

59. Praise God You prepare our hearts

60. Thank you Lord for the quietness of the country side I am surrounded by

61. Praise God You are righteous and will always be unchanging

62. Thank you Lord with Your help I can change into the person You want me to be

63. Praise God Your words are pure and helpful to guide and teach me, You preserved them from generation to my generation

64. Thank you Lord I may be stubborn at times but I am not hopeless as long as I allow myself to be teachable

65. Praise God You deal with us bountifully 

66. Thank you Lord that all I have You have given me and blessed me

67. Praise God You take the time to look down upon us from heaven checking on us

68. Thank You Lord I am not invisible to You

69. Praise God my goodness is nothing apart from You

70. Thank you Lord for loving laughter and warm smiles

71. Praise God for being my inheritance and portion. All I need and want

72. Thank you Lord for my friends I have picked up along life's paths 

73. Praise God You maintain my lot

74. Thank you Lord for lessons learned and maturity grown

75. Praise God You instruct me in the night seasons

76. Thank you Lord I don't have to be afraid of the dark

77. Praise God You show me the path of life

78. Thank you Lord for hugs that help comfort me

79. Praise God for Your presence in my life

80. Thank you Lord for traveling thru life with me

81. Praise God for visiting me in the night and placing Your arms around me to tell me "be still Karen. I am with you"

82. Thank you Lord your light pierces the night

83. Praise God for upholding my footsteps

84. Thank you Lord that I may slip a time or two but I won't completely fall because You uphold me

85. Praise God You  show us your marvelous kindness thru Your son Jesus Christ

86. Thank you Lord for new beginnings and second chances

87. Praise God for keeping me as the apple of Your eye

88. Thank you Lord for the ability to see, hear, touch, smell and so much more

89. Praise God for the place You hide me in the shadow of Your wing

90. Thank you Lord I am able to function even in the pain of my bone cancer

91. Praise God for being my strength, refuge, fortress, deliverer and so much more I love you

92. Thank you Lord for Your companionship

93. Praise God You reward me according to my righteousness 

94. Thank you Lord for helping me obtain my righteousness thru Christ

95. Praise God You make it possible for me to leap over the walls the world puts up to try and stop me

96. Thank you Lord nothing is impossible to You

97. Praise God You light my lamp and keep it lit

98. Thank you Lord I can shine for you. That You can use a sinner such as I to help further Your kingdom

99. Praise God You make my way perfect enlarging my path so I won't slip

100. Thank you Lord for being the rock I need to stand upon to withstand life's storms. 

Oh, the list isn't complete. There is always more with God we can praise and thank Him for. 

Sent from my iPhone

So long, Farewell

Farewell, vain world; my soul bids you adieu. My Savior taught me to abandon you. Your charms may gratify a sensual mind, but cannot please a soul for God designed. David Brainerd



Reading today’s quote brings to mind the movie “Sound of Music” and the song the kids sang at the party right before they were marched off to bed by their nanny. One by one the kids had their own little part in the song. As they sang they did a little dance that wound up kicking in the bottom the one who just sang off the stage. One of the kids bid the crowd adieu but said she would love to stay and taste her first champagne. Her dad looked at her in a disgusting manner as he shook his head “No” and off she went.

The song they sang should be a tune in our own hearts about, “So long, farewell I bid you world adieu. My Savior taught me how to discard you.” End of song. But no! We don’t stop there we go on like the teenage daughter in the movie. “I bid you adieu BUT I’d like to stay and taste my first sin, my first chance at “living up” life before it’s totally gone, my chance to say what I want and do what I want because I am who I am.


Although we may not want to admit it we get the same look from our Heavenly Father as the girl in the movie got from hers. The answer is “No.” God doesn’t teach us how to adhere to the world but how to abandon the world of sin, self gratification, disobedience, and bad choices. God knows that the charms of the world, the things it makes look good by gratifying a sensual mind are things that are not going to please a soul designed by God for God.


If you think about it one of the things that is hard to stand up to and recognize it as good or bad is someone’s charm. Charm is a tool often used to flatter people into doing something they shouldn’t. There is good charm and there is bad charm. Charm that gets you to do something you shouldn’t is bad and that is the charisma Satan uses on us trying to get the sensual side of us caught into something it shouldn’t.


It’s important we recognize Satan’s allure for what it is and instantly tell him, “Get ye behind me Satan, I bid you adieu. Get lost, you’re a jerk.” Who ever started the rumor that we get to appeal to Satan’s charm first? Then after we have had our fun then we can save a little bit of time at the end of our lives to dedicate to pleasing God. HOGWASH!


We all have a soul in us that is designed by God for God, a soul that is meant to please the Lord not ourselves. God knew from the beginning if we weren’t designed that way we would have self-destructed a long time ago trying to please ourselves. As “charming” as doing our own thing sounds in the long run it just doesn’t work. Therefore, we need to bid Satan and his entire ways adieu before that self-destruction sets in.


What we need to practice in our lives is self-discipline instead of self-destruction. One path leads us to God, the other leads to a dead end road of pain and suffering for all eternity. There are two choices yet only one to choose from really. Now not later is the time to bid Satan adieu forever and ever. To abandon him and adopt God as God has adopted us.


Once again, second verse, same as the first “So long, farewell I bid you world adieu. My Savior taught me how to discard you.” End of song, the beginning of a precious life with God. AMEN!


Our host today is Urailak at her blog, LivingforGod. So long, farewell and see you next Tuesday.

Now not Later

I want people to fill their minds with passages of Scripture while they are well and strong, that they may have sure help in the day of need. I want them to be diligent in studying their Bibles, and becoming familiar with their contents, in order that the grand old Book may stand by them and talk with them when all earthly friends fail. From the bottom of my heart, I pity that person who never reads their Bible. I wonder how they expect to draw their consolation in their time of need. ~ J.C. Ryle





Just the other day at work the subject in the break room went from puppies to people. Judging from how the conversation went from there we should have stayed on the subject of puppies. We got to talking about how strange, stubborn, and stupid people can be. We talked about how people wait till they have lung cancer before they quit smoking, or have a heart attack before they decide to lose weight, or wait till the divorce papers are filed before they decide they needed to do something about their marriage.


We treat the scriptures the same way. We wait for some tragedy to come along in our lives before we dust off our Bible and dig into it for the strength, comfort, and the guidance we are seeking. We like to put things off till “later” instead of dealing with it “now.”


Just recently I told my granddaughter the whole idea of growing up is to learn self-discipline so when you are on your own you can take over where your mom left off. If she can get that concept in her head she’ll be way ahead of a lot of adults. We need to learn the art of self-disciplining ourselves to read our Bible more frequently than we do. To treat it more as an owner’s manual, guide book, daily companion, or a love letter from someone we hold dear to us. Instead of a history book we look at only when we are trying to pass a test.


It would do us all well to learn how to force feed ourselves the spiritual nutrition we get from reading and studying our Bibles. We have no problem most of the time feeding ourselves physically. Boy when we are hungry nothing stands in the way of our desire to find something to eat. Trust me, go to a donut stand and see how well you survive people cutting in line to make sure someone else doesn’t get that one donut they have their eye on up on the shelf third row to the right! That’s where I taught all my grandkids the art of self-defense; just teasing, sort of. It was more the lesson on good manners.


We need that kind of hunger or enthusiasm when it comes to God’s word. Daily we should crave it. Frequently we should feed upon it. Indefinitely we should store it in our hearts. The Bible is our armory full of swords to win the spiritual war everyone on earth faces. It’s the place where we go to get dressed for Heaven.


Instead of burying our Bibles on the bookshelf to the point we can’t find it, let us bury it in our hearts where it was meant to be stored. We should never wait for the next tragedy or big event to come along before we decide to do something about it spiritually and frantically scramble through God’s word.

What good is a bullet proof vest for a police officer who decides to put it on after he goes in on his big drug bust? Now not later is the time to dive into God’s word and prepare ourselves for the next moment in our life. This, in all honesty, by now is already here as our future is just one second away so get into God’s word and get dressed and ready for it.

I said, “now” not “later!” Hum……I sound like my mom. God bless you mom! I love Jesus!

© 2012 Karen Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes

Job Description

“We are women, and my plea is Let me be a woman, holy through and through, asking for nothing but what God wants to give me, receiving with both hands and with all my heart whatever that is.” ~~ Elisabeth Elliot

Sometimes at work when things get hectic I feel like hanging a sign on my back that says, “Leave me alone and let me code.” My plea to people is that they would just leave me out of the day’s politics and let me do my job.

That is the cry of Elisabeth in this quote when she said, “We are women, and her plea is for people to let her be a woman.” End of story. No, it’s just the beginning of the story. The story of figuring out what it means to be a woman. There are so many different definitions and visions that the picture often gets blurred.

At work we have what we call a “job description.” Well, we are supposed to have one. They have been written and re-written, forgotten and remembered time and time again. When properly done they describe what my job is. In the Bible there are two prominent areas where job descriptions for women are posted, one in Proverbs 31 and the other in Titus 2.

You can read them, re-write them, forget about them, remember them over and over again but they remain the same as the day they were written. They don’t need to be updated every century or 10 years to go along with an ever changing culture.

Indeed when you go to read those scriptures you often feel overwhelmed and this sign flashes before you in your mind that says, “Need not apply.” You think, “Wow I could never fill that position. Especially the part in Proverbs 31 that says ‘she opens her mouth with wisdom’ ” For someone who has never had any coding experience they need not apply for a coding job but we don’t need “experience” to apply for the godly woman position. What is required is the willingness to strive for the goals the Lord has mapped out for us.

Some qualities will come easy, some come with tears, some come with years and years of practice but if we continue working on it eventually we will get where we need to be. I may never speak with wisdom as other women of God do but that’s okay it’s still something to strive for. With God as our coach, our boss, our teacher, our mentor we can’t miss.

How many times have we stopped to remember our piano teacher, our football coach, our shop leader, our sewing instructor, and anyone else who worked hard at teaching us what we needed to learn? Be honest, at the time of learning you probably grumbled about having to practice, you couldn’t see the point in doing some of the things they required of you. After all who cares if the button hole didn’t line up exactly with the button we just sowed on.

Why do we treat God any different? He is there to teach us what we need to learn but we need to be willing to be a student. We have our moments of grumbling about the things He asks us to do but it doesn’t change the fact that we need to do it. Down the road we should look back with frequency at the things He taught us and the things we learned in the hands of His guidance.

Eventually when we stay with God we will reach that goal of being holy through and through asking for nothing but what God wants to give us. Truly welcoming all He has to offer with both hands and all our heart.  The world will try to stop us from receiving these blessings but we need to be willing to stop it even if it takes hanging a sign on our back saying, “Leave me alone and let me be a godly woman.” Amen? Amen!!!

Our host today is Nina at Mama’s Little Treasures, hurry on over there and join in. Share and care what God has to tell us as women of God.

Just Say "No"

“Stop fighting, stop resisting, stop complaining, and start trusting your sovereign heavenly Father; refuse to worry.” Chipingramreunion

Reading this quote today I thought of dear old mom. Oh I better not call her old she still has that spunk in her she had when she was raising the five of us. Time and time again she could be heard giving it her best shot to tell us to stop fighting and complaining and go on with life. At times her strategy seemed to work while other times I’m sure she was frustrated trying to get us to realize what we were doing was getting us no where.

What she was telling us evidently was a strong message to pass on because I found myself telling our daughter the same thing. Carrying on the family tradition or perhaps the “human” tradition my daughter faithfully passed them on to the next generation coming in. Chances are my grandchildren will use the same message on their children as well.

If we go back far enough on the family tree we probably would find that Eve and Adam used those words on their boys, Cain and Abel. One of them took the advice the other didn’t and it resulted in the first murder in history. It could have been advice Eve could have used to prevent herself from eating from the tree she was told not to. Chances are she didn’t eat from the tree because she was experiencing emotional eating due to her and Adam fighting. No, she wasn’t satisfied with what she had so basically without saying it was complaining. Instead of trusting God knew what He was talking about she mistrusted Him and took matters into her own hands. She had a whole garden to herself but she worried about the one tree she was told not to touch and resisted God’s command.

Boy, are we like momma Eve. We could say that we came by our traits honestly like a young child growing up with a parent with a bad temper. “She came by it honestly! She got it from momma Eve.” Whether we came by this behavior honestly or not we need to stop it.

“I was born that way,” is not the excuse that will get us off the hook. We are all born sinners and we have this tendency to do this sort of thing and it’s up to us to learn otherwise. It’s up to us to wake up and realize that this is getting us no where. Our human nature or flesh wants to take us one direction but we are the ones who make the choice to take it where it needs to go.

How foolish can we be thinking we can fight or resist God. No doubt it’s possible to do. We’ve done it from the beginning of time but where does it get us? No where. Duh! Then why do we? Now is the time to trust God. It’s as simple as that. Trust God. However, we run into trouble when we find out to trust Him we need to let go of a few things like fighting against His ways, resisting His will, complaining about what we don’t have, and worrying about what you might not get in the future.

Believe it or not we are in good hands. The hands of our Sovereign Lord, the Creator of the universe, the one who showed the ocean its boundaries and directed the sun where it needed to come up to take away the night darkness. The very one who numbered the stars in the sky has numbered the hairs on our heads.

We don’t need to worry, we need to trust. The responsibility is ours to inform our fleshly bodies that we decline to go where worry would take us. Refuse to go where mistrusting and doubting God would lead. Just like I had to say no to stress in order to overcome my stress seizures and the teenage is told to “just say no” to drugs, our spiritual lives is no different. We need to just say “No” to Satan and “yes” to trusting God. Reject worry. Snub the desire to give up. Trust in God, it will get you a lot further than worrying ever did by just saying “No, I’m not going there.” Why? Perhaps because of the other half of that phrase that is commonly used. The part that says, “Been there, done that and it didn’t work.” Trusting God works.


Our lovely host today is Kathryn herself at Expectant Hearts. Don’t worry about getting there just go and have fun!

© 2010 Karen J. Gillett @ Pencil Marks and Recipes Publishing