May Challenge

May Challenge:

Oh be careful little eyes what you see,

Oh be careful little eyes what see,

There's a Father up above,

And He's looking down in love,

So be careful little eyes what you see.

Oh be careful little ears what you hear,

Oh be careful little ears what you hear,

There's a Father up above,

And He's looking down in love,

So be careful little ears what you hear.

This was probably one of the first songs I learned when I was a little girl. It goes on to say for the feet to be careful where they walk, and the hands what they do, etc. but this month I'm going to focus on the eyes and ears. Its called using your head!! :D

Satan has so much ways to tempt us, and he always has and always will use whatever tool he can to get us to falter. The last while Media has been a HUGE tool in his hand I think. I'm not saying media is wrong, but as a tool in the wrong hand it can do major damage.

I have decided to follow Christ, and as part of that decision I have decided to OBEY Christ. When He said not to take the name of the Lord our God in vain He meant it! I think the Jews had a good idea when they decided not to use His name at all, rather than the chance that it be taken in vain. His name is so Holy-so majestic- how DARE we even listen to others take it with such little regard?!?!

I'm not just talking about swearing here either. There are many things that God has given us, that the world has turned around and desecrated. Or that Satan has given us, for reasons you very well know why.

As Christians we should NOT put up with this! Imagine the huge difference we could make to Hollywood if everybody who CLAIMED to love God put their action into words and threw a huge fit anytime a movie came out that did not honor Him. A large percent of population claims to be Christians, but the name Christian should only belong to those who follow Christ, in word, in spirit, truth, and charity. Are there some good movies? Yes, but the majority is not. So, how do you tell the difference? There are times when I've turned on a movie that was supposedly a good christian movie and I've had to turn it off during the middle. DON'T BE DECEIVED INTO ALLOWING YOURSELF TO 'JUST FINISH THIS ONE, ITS NOT TO BAD' If we aren't willing to turn it off, what will keep us from 'trying the next one to see if its good' and then, of course, not turning it off because you started the story and want to finish it.

This months challenge is just focusing on DVDs, but I would highly recommend that you keep track of every DVD, every music CD, every book, and any other thing that uses language or scenes not pleasing to God. He created us for HIS glory, not to be entertained by life and our own imaginations. :-)

This months Challenge:

Go through all your DVDs (even your books and Cd's if you can) and get rid of anything and everything that isn't 100% free of any swearing, cussing, or sexual scenes. In some cases you might want to check out violence as well. I'm not quite as picky about violence myself, but pray about it, and get rid of ANYTHING that isn't pleasing to the Lord.

Keeping our minds clean as possible of this will help us as we journey on through life, believe me, it will!

Aprils Challenge

Wow! Here it is the 10th of April and I haven't gotten around to posting my April Challenge! :'(

One of the things I noticed in the Bible is the call to be caring, and support those in need. The reasons the followers of Jesus appointed deacons was for that very reason. However, we people as the church NEED to be careful that we don't always push it off on others, or assume that others are doing it. With food stamps and SS the poverty need may not be quite so important as it was back then, but what about encouragement? Or love? To me that is just as important as physical food.

Working in the home care business I can see a HUGE difference in the lives of the people who have others caring about them. Even if they never see their children, just the knowledge that their kids call, or care gives them a reason to live compared to those who never had children, or feel like they are loved by anybody.

Even if they're not related, can't we as the children of God love the things that God loves, including lonely people, no matter the age? He cares SO MUCH about people...more than we as humans can EVER comprehend!

This months challenge:

 At least once a week find somebody that may be lonely, or busy, but starved for a word of encouragement, or needy, and encourage them! Send them flowers or food. Visit them. Write a card. Talk to the fast food worker on break. ANYTHING, just go give a piece of the sweet pie of Gods love to a starving person!

March Challenge

March Meditation

This year at my ladies Bible study we've been studying how is Israel in Isaiah's time professed faith, but they did not possess faith. I think in this day and age its so easy to say we are going to obey/trust in the the Lord, but then we tend to do our own thing.

So, a great way to posses more faith, is to realize that we have to trust in Him. In Israels day many of them were turning to false gods/idols. Many of them believing that there were more than just the one and only God, the alpha and omega.

We as Christians tend to do the same thing. We might not worship some handmade idol made of gold, but we put other things in place above God. For example, trusting in the fact that if we make enough money for the future that maybe we can have ourselves a nice house, maybe debt-free, so we never have to worry about the bank taking over. And guess what...before we know it we have put our trust in MONEY, thinking that our future will then be 'safe'. Spending more time at work trying to get money than time with God, trying to get to know Him better. OK I know, when you have to work you have to work, and there is nothing wrong with it...as long as you don't place it above God!

It is easy though, to let things or thoughts get their little foot in the door, which is why I'm going to post this challenge for this month. Any meditation on scripture is good, but for this month I'm going to specifically try to remind myself to stay away from and 'idols' that may be trying to wiggle their way into my life.

This Months Challenge

Find out what your potential 'idol' might me. Remember, and idol is ANYTHING that is put higher than God, it may be something good--like family--but if its put higher than God its an idol. Find at least two verses to back you up on why, how, or what you might do to place God first in your life, or how this might be an idol in your life. Basically on how you can be reminded to place God first in your life.

Write these verses down on post-it notes and place them in different places that you would be able to see through-out the day (Sock drawer, fridge, steering wheel of your car, etc.) As you read them this month memorize them, and determine in your heart you are going to put God first in your life <3