Guard yourselves

There's alot of hype about the new movie 'Twilight - The New Moon" out there today. My 10 year old daughter is even being pressured at school to watch the movie and read the books. I decided to do some looking into the movie as I had never heard about the movie or books. I was quite appalled when I found out the content of what these 10 year old girls are reading and watching. It's awful! I have heard about many women reading these books too. For our family, we have chosen to not watch an movies that have story lines about vampires. That's what this series is about. It's a romanticized vampire story.

Not long after looking into the movie, a dear friend of mine called me up in dispair. She has become so consumed with the "Twilight" series that it is affecting her marriage. The men in the show are so goodlooking and she says that the man treats the woman so well and it's such a romantic setting and story line. It has made her look at her spouse and start to despise him for the way he looks, acts, and what he does for a living to support her family. For the first time in her life she is struggling with the desire to cheat on her husband after she sees how glamorous the sexuality in this show is. She's drawn to that and has allowed all these evil thoughts of regret to enter her mind that she married too young and that her husband isn't the right person for her and she doesn't like to be told what to do and that she wants to be wooed like the women in the movie. She eats, sleeps and breathes "Twilight." She is not a Christian and I can only pray for her and encourage her.

Movies like this can be so tempting to watch. It could be any movie we're watching that Satan can use as a stronghold and as a temptation for evil desires. I have to be careful not to read romance books also or I can get caught up easily in the romanticism. It's easy to allow our hearts to become discontent with who God has created us to be and who God has brought into our life as a marriage partner.

God has lots to say in His Word about this topic:

"Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life. Let your eyes look straight ahead; fix your gaze directly before you. Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil." - Proverbs 4:23-27

"You must not commit adultery. But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman (or man) with lust has already committed adultery with her (him) in his (her) heart. So if your eye—even your good eye—causes you to lust, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your hand—even your stronger hand—causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell." - Matt 5: 17-30

"Run from sexual sin! No other sin so clearly affects the body as this one does. For sexual immorality is a sin against your own body. Don't you realize that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in you and was given to you by God? You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price. So you must honor God with your body. " - 1 Cor 6:18-20

"All of you should honor marriage. You should keep the marriage bed pure. God will judge the person who commits adultery. He will judge everyone who commits sexual sins. - Hebrews 13:4

Acting on these desires is just as much committing adultery as thinking the thoughts (Mt 5:17). God has really laid on my heart this past week for us to guard our hearts from what is evil. Be careful of the shows we watch. Be careful of the books we read. Guard our hearts from evil and temptation. Be thankful for the man God has brought into your life and find ways to bless and encourage him today. Praise God for all the good things your marriage has to offer.

Would you invite Jesus to watch the movie with you? Would he be happy watching what you've invited him to see? Would you want to curl on the couch with Jesus and read a book together? What would he think of the book you'd be reading? Hollywood wants us to lust after the actors and actresses. Writers want you to get caught up in the romantic love stories. Adultery has become so glamorized that we've become desensitized to how evil it is. Satan can sneak into our lives in many different ways.

Guard your hearts (and marriages). That's my encouragement for you today.

Today I start a new job. Much prayer went into finding it. I talked to God a lot about this job, and for a long time. And he talked to me about it, too. Now that I have it, I am confident it is the right job for me and for his name's sake.

The thing is... I have not one iota of experience in the industry into which I am being plunged. I have to learn from scratch. Everything. This will be for me a new world. New concepts, new people, new tasks, new procedures. I even had to get new clothes.

Between the moments of excitement and hope of good things to come, there are minutes of anxiety and fear.

There has also been a recurring theme in my life for a while, and it is the concept of power. So these verses, which I have written of before, keep coming back to me. "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-10

It is my weaknesses that are causing me the anxiety and fear. But those are the things I'm supposed to boast in. So, that is what I am going to do today. I am going to do a little boasting.

Look at me everybody! My right elbow (the one that is usually my strong one) has been hurting for weeks, and sometimes, I can hardly move it! I forget things! I make really stupid mistakes! I'm getting old! And watch this! My back is not strong. I have no idea how it will hold up since I will be standing most of the day! I can't see things up close! And today, I have PMS and either am mad and pissy or holding back tears. Isn't that a great way to start a new job?! I suck at laughing at myself when I make mistakes! I have no idea how to motivate and supervise people! Fabulous!

It feels kind of strange and silly, but if boasting in my weakness will result in Christ's power resting upon me, then I will boast all the more! I want to live in the power of God, and if it means being weak, I will be content with that. And I will say with Paul, "When I am weak, then I am strong."

Kinda funny, but the moments of excitement and hope are winning over the anxiety and fear.

Reality Check

This week I had a reality check. I really don't like it when the truth hurts but this one dug deep.

It all started with a visit to the dr. For the past couple months (approx a year) I've been extremely exhausted and had no idea why. It was driving me to tears and this past month it has been catching up with me. I've never cried so much this past month as I have in all my years. The dr had done some blood works and finally determined that my iron levels were so low that I'm border-line anemic. For my age, my levels should be a 40 but they were a 7. That's a huge difference.

I was having a conversation with my friend about taking medication. I have never been good at taking medication and now need to take iron every day. These low irons levels are the source of so many of my health issues that had never been looked at before. My daily struggle with depression could be the result of such low iron levels. The need to sleep constantly is a result. Constantly being cold is another result.

My friend has had fertility issues and when she was pregnant had to take a medication or her baby would die. She was trying to encourage me and help me find something to grasp so that I would remember to take them and want to take them, no matter how awful they make me feel. She told me that I needed to take these iron pills and make it something that was a matter of my health for my family. If I don't take these every day it is something that will affect my entire family. With low iron levels I am not going to be at my best for my family and it's unhealthy to continue on the way I have been.

What struck really deep was at night when I was laying in bed thinking about this whole conversation. I realized that I need to apply my friend's advice to my daily walk with God. If my friend didn't take her medication, her baby would die in her womb. What am I doing about my relationship with Jesus and to what extent am I making him a priority.... it's a matter of life and death in eternity. To what extent will I go to fill myself with more of Him? My friend suggested that I put iron in my purse so I always have it. She suggested I put it on my bedside table so I don't forget it. She suggested all these places where I could be reminded of it's importance. What is something I can do to remind me that Jesus is my priority?

I used to write out scripture on sticky notes and put them on my mirror or cupboards. I used to carry some verse cards with me in my purse so that I could meditate on scripture anywhere. I pulled them out all the time. Because of how tired I've been I've really struggled with the strength and drive to open my Bible and read it.... much less fill my mind with His Words. My life has been so empty and dry.

Last week I used Joshua 1:8. This week God used my life issues to come alive in me and renew my committment to Him.

"Do not let this Book of the Law depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful."
~ Joshua 1:8

I want to challenge you and myself to plaster scriptures in all the places where we won't forget the reason we live and breathe each day. Write verses out and put them in places where you will be surrounded with great promises from God's Word. The fridge, the mirror, the toilet paper roll, the kitchen window, your speedometer, your wallet, etc.

Tell us how you're doing in this area. If you have suggestions for anyone else, use the comments to encourage us with what you do to fill your mind.

How do you take time for Jesus? What verse is your lifeline?

Strong in Him

Over the past few days, I have been sorting through some old boxes of books and papers.  A lot of it is a lifetime of memories... books I've read and couldn't give up; old cards and letters. There are also the boxes that are filled with my husband's  college papers and his books for more than eight years of university studies.  I also found little notebooks and papers of when my kids were in school... all so sentimental and special, I could never throw them away.  So, it is now something that I need to work through...

What I love finding when I look through these things, are bits and pieces of paper that have a history of my life on them.  I keep thinking some day I will put it all together.  As I read my journals, and little notebooks of my handwritten walk through this world... I have noticed that I still struggle with  some of the same issues that I did thirty to forty years ago and even longer... The exciting thing about all of this to me is... God has been walking me through it all.  There are some things that I have prayed for that have been  gradual changes.  They didn't happen right away.  The greatest lesson that I have learned is, God is faithful!  Not only that, He is patient with me.  And He doesn't say to me, "How many times do I have to tell you?'  He also doesn't say to me, "When are you ever going to learn?"  He knows our weaknesses.  And even though it is hard for me at times, I am so thankful for my weakness.  Without it, I would not need Him.   God also uses our weaknesses to make us strong... strong in Him.

Paul in the book of  2 Corinthians explains his struggle and weakness in life.  Though God did not remove the "thorn" or weakness... He used it to glorify Himself through Paul's life.

"To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of  Satan, to torment me.  Three times I pleaded with  the Lord to take it away from me.  But He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you,  for My power is made perfect in weakness."  Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that for Christ's sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties.  For when I am weak, then I am strong."  2 Corinthians 12:7-10