Don't be Tripped by Troubles!

"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Many of us are very familiar with this verse found in the book of Romans. We may even quote it several times a day, especially when trouble occurs. Trouble may come in many different forms. It's the pain and sorrow, distresses, worry and difficulties that occur in our everyday lives. We may worry about meeting our financial obligations, or perhaps we have a wayward child that causes us distress and anxiety. It may be stress over the possibility of an unexpected move (or a flood diversion plan running right through your farm), or a husband's change of job. Instead of allowing trouble to turn us inside out, let's allow God to use it in our lives for good. Trouble really can build our faith. We will never know what God can do for us until we are totally dependent on him. We must truly rely upon Him. We must trust Him that He knows what is best for us. I Corinthians 10:13 tells us "There hath no temptation (or adversity) taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer (or allow) you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it." Trouble and adversity come our way to help us to get our eyes on the Lord and depend on Him, thus building our faith.

There are many happenings in any given day that may cause us to lose a correct Christian response to trouble: children fighting (Oh, no - never happens in my home or yours, I'm sure), phone ringing relentlessly, boiling over a pot on the stove, a leaking washing machine. Have you noticed that much of the trouble we see in our day really causes us nothing more than inconvenience? Yet, how many times have we come 'unglued' over these bothers? Trouble can develop patience (if we let it). James tells us to "Count it all joy...knowing this that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting (lacking) nothing."

Often times going through trials gives us first hand experience, which can give us compassion for others who may be enduring the same thing. God may want to make you the shoulder for someone else to cry on. The Bible tells us to "bear ye one another's burdens" and that we are to "be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another."

Trouble creates humility in us, too. It lowers our pride and our confidence in ourselves. Just when we think we've gotten to where we ought to be, some good 'ol adversity comes knocking at our door. "Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he shall build you up" and "be clothed with humility" are a couple of admonitions to keep in mind.

Many of the trials and troubles we see are a result of our own inconsistencies in the Christian life. The biggest instigator of our anguish just may be us! God in His great mercy still forgives us for these self-inflicted troubles. One other thing we can be sure to learn through our own mistakes is to forgive others for their errors and lapses in judgment. "And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you."

The lessons we can learn from troubles are many, but perhaps one of the greatest is this: troubles draw us closer to our Lord and His word. The Bible's very words will have much greater meaning and comfort when we've allowed them to be a blessing to us in our time of need. Then we may be able to say as the Psalmist in Psalm 119, "How sweet are thy words unto my taste! Yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"

While none of us enjoy going through troubles, they enter our lives for a purpose. God has reasons for allowing them our way. Don't let troubles trip you. Just remember Romans 8:28 is still in the Book! "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are called according to His purpose."

Help with your Baggage?

Watching my daughter pack for a missions trip this past week to Thailand brought back a few memories....

One summer, during my college years, I took a job in the Catskill Mountains of New York as an art teacher and camp counselor. Packing for such a trip became quite a concern since I was to be there the entire summer. Since getting there from a small town in North Dakota also meant a plane flight that ended up in busy LaGuardia airport and a taxi cab drive from there to even busier Port Authority, which led to a bus ride to my final destination, I also needed to pack light - light enough for me to handle. Well, try telling that to a 20 year old female who thinks three months is like three years! So there I was, saying my goodbyes with two suitcases in hand (two very large, bulging suitcases that is), a back pack and an over-stuffed purse. Not too bad - well, okay, I had a lot of baggage. When I got to New York, everyone imaginable began to ask me if they could help me with my baggage. I had been warned to not let just anyone take my baggage or I might not see it again. So, I rejected everyone's offer. I went upstairs, and downstairs, down long hallways, in and out of doors trying to find where I was to go. My arms ached as my baggage got heavier. I began to struggle under my heavy load. Yet, I wasn't about to let anyone help me. That was my baggage and I intended on keeping it. At my final bus stop, I recognized the camp coordinator from a picture I had been sent and when he said, "Here, let me help you with your baggage", this time I did - whew! What a relief!!

Jesus Christ said in Matthew 11:28, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." And in I Peter 5:7, it says, "Casting all your care upon him for he careth for you." What welcome verses to those of us who are weary and heavy laden; for those of us who are carrying around excess baggage - emotional baggage. Perhaps today, you are bending under a heavy load, maybe bad news has distressed you, or there are crippling issues from your past that cause you a lot of pain. Some of us may be trying to carry the weight of a bad relationship, a serious health condition, financial pressures or a family crisis.

Carrying around our own emotional baggage can wear us down, tire us out and cause us all sorts of spiritual problems. We were never meant to handle the pain, the burden, and the stress all on our own. Jesus himself said, "Come unto me". He wants to carry it for us. He knows our pain, our anguish, our hurts - He understands. Why? Because He's been there. He's felt the pain of loneliness, the pain of betrayal. He's suffered through the agony of a torturous death. All to relieve us of our heaviest baggage - the weight of sin in order to give us a home in heaven. But, instead we earnestly try to hang on to our own baggage - our sin, our emotional hurts and pains, our loneliness, our fears. We turn every corner of life, walk down every hallway and in and out of doors lugging our carefully packed, bulging bags, refusing to let the Saviour help us with them, when He is beside us on every turn saying, "Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden." Are you like me - afraid of letting go? Are you afraid of losing something if you let the Lord handle it? Are you getting tired? Jesus says, "I will give you rest." Will you finally let Him carry your baggage - your burden? His arms are able to handle the heaviest weight, the most hurtful pain - the greatest sin.

Besides being cumbersome, hard to manage, and burdensome like my overstuffed bulging suitcases, trying to carry the wight of our own sin will keep us out of heaven. The Bible says Jesus Christ carried our sins in His own body on the tree and the day we tell Him we are trusting Him to be our Lord and Saviour from that sin is the last day we will ever carry our burden alone! Won't you let His strong arms carry your baggage, your burden - today? He stands there with his strong arms reaching out to you and saying "Come unto me. Let me carry your baggage for you. I can handle it." Jesus Christ can handle it - He already bore the weight of our sins upon the cross. The rest is easy and it comes with this promise - "I will give you rest." Is your soul tired today? Are you weary from lugging around excess baggage? Let Jesus give you what only He can - peace and rest at last.

Check out Faith for Life page 6 for the article Knowing for Sure You're Going to Heaven. It will tell you how you can find that peace and rest in the Lord (www.fargobaptist.org/PDFs/08-10_Faith_for_Life.pdf).

Have a blessed day.

Lori

Putting on the Brakes! (part 2 of Too much is too much!)

Are you like me? Did you get yourself into high gear with no brakes? You'll run out of gas and come to a screeching halt! Did God ever intend for us to get this busy? I don't think so. Perhaps a good acrostic for busy is B-eing U-nder S-atan's Y-oke ; that spells busy all right! it is a yoke - and a heavy one at that! Jesus Christ told us to put His yoke on (Matthew 11) "Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." Isn't that what we are looking for - rest? Yet, we look at Christ's yoke as being burdensome, heavy; but, it is just the opposite. Satan's yoke is the heavy one. Jesus' burden is light. How? and Why? Because He is with us through every trial every frustration, every care. We don't go through trials alone. Under Satan's yoke- you're on your own. And believe me, that's one heavy burden!

Here's how Satan works:

Are you busy? Suppose Satan called a worldwide convention. In his opening address to his evil angels, he said, "We can't keep the Christians from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate, abiding relationship experience in Christ. If they gain that connection with Jesus, our power over them is broken. So let them go to church, let them have their conservative lifestyles, but steal their time, so they can't gain that experience in Jesus Christ. This is what I want you to do, angels. Distract them from gaining hold of their Saviour and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day!" "How shall we do this?" shouted Satan's angels. "Keep them busy in the non essentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their mind", he answered. "Tempt them to spend, spend, spend, and borrow, borrow, borrow. Persuade the wives to go to work for long hours and husbands to work 6-7 days a week, 10-12 hours a day, so they can afford their lifestyles. Keep them from spending time with their children. As their family fragments, soon their home will offer no escape from the pressures of work". "Over stimulate their minds so that they cannot hear God's still small voice. Entice them to play the radio or CD player whenever they drive, to keep the TV, VCR, CD's and their PC's going constantly in their homes. And see to it that every store and restaurant in the world plays non-biblical music constantly. This will jam their minds and break that union with Christ." "Fill the coffee table with magazines and newspapers. Pound their minds with the news 24 hours a day. Invade their driving moments with billboards. Flood their mailboxes with junk mail, sweepstakes, mail order catalogues, and every kind of newsletter and promotional offering free products, services, and false hopes." "Even in their recreation, let them be excessive. have them return from their recreation exhausted, disquieted, and unprepared for the coming week. Don't let them go out in nature to reflect on God's wonders. Send them to amusement parks, sporting events, concerts and movies instead." "And when they meet for spiritual fellowship, involve them in gossip and emotion." "Let them be involved in soul winning. But crowd their lives with so many good causes they have no time to seek power from Christ. Soon they will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for the good of the cause."

It was quite a convention in the end. And the evil angels went eagerly to their assignments causing Christians everywhere to get busy, busy, busy and rush here and there.

Has the devil been successful at his scheme? You be the judge.

Will that stop us? It's good for me to think about this every once in awhile - we can get so caught up in 'good causes' that we really forget what is important. Mary sat at Jesus' feet. Sometimes having a Mary heart in a Martha world is not easy. But, oh how refreshing it is. Lord help us to hear the still small voice. Better yet, help us to be quiet and still long enough to listen.

Have a blessed day,

Lori

Greener Grass?

This past summer I took the kids to the zoo for an afternoon. We enjoyed seeing all the different animals; the bears, tigers, otters, emus, camels, and different birds. The monkeys entertained us for quite awhile and then off to the petting zoo we went. It was full of cute little baby animals. There were two small calves, a few goats, some miniature horses and a couple of lambs. The boys ran off to see the huge colorful fish and deer, while the girls and I stayed and watched the lambs. There was one particular little lamb that had its heart set on eating the grass on the wrong side of the fence. He struggled to get his head through and finally succeeded. After munching his new found delicacy, he decided he’d had enough and went to pull his head back inside the fence. He turned it this way and that way, he pulled up and tried pulling down. He was stuck! I stood there and shook my head and sighed, ‘the grass is always greener on the other side of the fence!’ Now, this little guy wasn’t starved for food, he had plenty on his own side of the fence. He wasn’t lacking any water, either. What made the grass on the other side so appealing? Good question!!

Is this like us or what? Under difficult circumstances, or when under certain pressures or even when we just plain don’t feel like anything is getting accomplished, we get to looking around to see if there is a better situation elsewhere. The grass begins to look greener on the other side of the fence. But is it really greener? Watch out! If we’re not careful, we will let these circumstances push us out of God’s will for our life right into the railings of the fence seeking for greener pastures.Before making some life altering decisions, lets consider a few things:

1. When a trial or difficult situation pops into our lives, do we run to the Lord in prayer? Are we willing to yield to His will in that particular circumstance, acknowledging we are His to be used for His glory and honor? Or do we run around like a chicken with our head cut off in full panic mode? (Too many times, I’ve been found scrambling - looking for my head!)

2. Often when faced with temptation, we can be guilty of ‘grasping at straws’. This is a good thing, because.... We will try every opportunity that comes along, without seeking God’s guidance. Here's a tip, determine now, in your heart, that you will stay steady and not make a move until you have complete assurance of His will in the situation. How many times have I thought something was God’s will and jumped right in without consulting Him. How many times have I put words into His mouth?!! Too many times to count I’m afraid.

3. Sometimes we will use our own lack of comfort and happiness as a barometer for change, thinking we must not be in the Lord’s will if we aren’t happy. What about Job? Was he comfortable and happy in his situation? I’m sure not. Was he in the Lord’s will? He most definitely was. I think he must have made up his mind before the situation arose to do the will of God no matter what the cost. Something for us to consider, that way our emotions won’t even be an issue.

4. Perhaps we want a change because we want an excuse to get out of a problem. We really want to quit! That most likely won’t solve the problem. Often we leave behind even more problems and difficulties for others to deal with and we bring our problem with us (it really is our reaction to the problem that is the issue). Shirking our responsibilities creates more hardships for others.

Let's consider this: Are we fully using the opportunities available to us right now to do the Lord’s work, or do we really think the grass is greener on the other side of the fence? Our imaginations can often paint a more vivid picture of exciting service elsewhere. Visions of better jobs, more pay, more recognition, more appreciation, more friends, and better opportunities for our children and on and on the list goes can often get the best of us. Could we just be looking for an easier way of life? Is that a reason to move on?

Before making a change or looking for greener pastures, maybe we ought to ask ourselves, “Is my spiritual condition such that my decision can be relied on?” If we are not committed to the Lord’s will, we will not have the discernment we need to make a spiritual decision. We just may get our heads caught in the fence!

Although it may look greener, it’s still only grass!!

Have a blessed day,

Lori

My Golden Spiritual Birthday

I don't normally try to toot my own horn, especially for a birthday. But today is special, not because I have done anything special, but because the Lord has. It has been 25 years ago today that the Lord saved me. A whole quarter of a century!

It was a stormy, Thursday night on August 25, 1983 and I had brought my dad to see my Pastor, Clayton Doss. I knew some of what the Bible said about being born again, enough to explain to my dad it was what he needed. But, it was me the Lord was working on that night. The more I sat and waited for my dad to finish talking with Pastor, the more despair I felt for my own soul. How could I know for sure? How could anyone know for certain they were going to heaven? Wasn't that presumptuous?

Ah...but the story goes back further than that, back to college days when a friend of mine asked me a very abrupt question, "Where would you go if you were to die tonight?" "Errr....heaven," I said, but my heart had no peace about that answer. In fact, that answer haunted me as I tried to justify my reasons for it. Well, that was the beginning of my journey to Bible salvation.

The next several months were a time of rededicating my life to religion. I faithfully went to church every morning, joined a Bible study and faith enrichment class and tried to read my Bible. Frustration soon set in as my religious busyness still did not alleviate my fear concerning my eternal destiny. Questions were not being answered satisfactorily even though I was seeking desperately for them.

An old friend invited me to attend church - a Bible believing Baptist church in Crookston, MN. Much to my shame now, I stared out the window for most of the service and tried hard not to listen. The preacher preached on sin - my sin and how if you weren't right with God, you were condemned to eternity in hell. Not something I wanted to hear! I even made a vow not to come back!

Several more months passed, the things I had heard at that church began to sink in, especially as I attended my own church and saw contradictions to the Bible. I began searching for answers again, this time from the Bible. Soon I found myself back at that Bible church again...somewhat enjoying it - my questions were being answered. Months passed, I quit college, met new friends, and even mustered up a viable salvation testimony and was baptized. I was soon discovering, though, just because you believe in Bible things, go to church, get baptized and join the church doesn't mean you are a Christian. It's not something you 'grow into'. I still had no peace and the fear of not making it to heaven was something that consumed my thoughts. On the outside I was a Christian, I conformed to what I thought Christians should be like and I did a good job at it. No one suspected I wasn't a true Christian. On the inside, I was miserable. No peace, lots of fear, and still chained to sin, I would sit through sermon after sermon, under a load of guilt that only pride could dismiss.

Finally, that stormy Thursday night in August, I admitted to God I was lost and needed Him. I couldn't wish myself into heaven, I couldn't work myself into heaven...there was nothing I could do. It was time to leave self and put Christ on the throne of my life. That night in tears and shame, I humbly turned from my sin, my self, my ways and my effort to the Saviour and He gloriously saved me!

Yes, this is a wonderful day to me, not because of my doing, but because He did it all! Those last words Jesus spoke when He died for my sins, "It is finished", say done! No more working, wishing, trying...to get to heaven. He has furnished the way. Simple faith and repentance (turning from sin to the Saviour) does what none of us can. It gives us a home in heaven. Thank you Lord!

Have a blessed day,

Lori

My Favorite Salvation Verse: Ephesians 2:8-9 "For by grace are ye saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works lest any man should boast."

Home-ly Attitudes

As a young girl, I perched over Mom's shoulders as she carefully transformed an old outfit of hers into a fresh new skating outfit for me. Her sewing machine hummed along with ease and her careful cutting and pinning paid off as I quickly modeled it as a "perfect fit". As a young girl, I enjoyed listening to the drone of the vacuum cleaner as I drifted off to sleep at night and arose the next morning to a spotless house. As a young girl, I eagerly waited to scrape the bowls for that last bit of chocolate chip cookie dough or a chance to lick the frosting from the beaters. The mechanics of such homemaking skills never entered my mind. I never thought to take notes - homemaking was something moms did! Cleaning house? - moms did that, too. Too bad I didn't follow Mom around with a notebook and pen in hand. I wasn't exactly ready when I began my "Mothering Career". School hadn't prepared me for diaper bags, grocery lists and mop buckets! Over the last 23 plus years I've had to deal with some attitudes about housework and home management. These attitudes have not been pretty to say the least. In fact, let's just call them "Home-ly Attitudes" - bad attitudes about running a home! These attitudes can defeat our walk as Christian women and unfortunately affect our children's attitudes about work as well. Well, here goes (this is one of those 'closet' moments I mentioned in my welcome page):
"Okay, I'll clean the house, but I'm not going to enjoy it!!" And you're going to know it! Wham, goes the cabinet door (clean cabinet door that is!) Where's the vacuum cleaner?! Ooooh, this thing is soooo heavy. Can't anybody pick anything up around here? Wait a minute! Whoa! I've seen this attitude before -a few good verses just popped into my mind! Colossians 3:23, "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men." Hmmmmmmm....I guess it doesn't say whatsoever I do that I like to do. Next, "God loveth a cheerful giver" are we not as moms givers? Giving our time, our energy, our love, our talents for the good of our families? "Do all things without murmurings and disputings", OUCH!! Why do we try so hard to teach our young ones to do unpleasant tasks cheerfully when we are often the ones who teach them to gripe?

While 'mothering' is a noble calling and carries wonderful merits on its own, housework doesn't seem to glow quite so brightly! There are days I'd like to sweep scrubbing shower stalls, cleaning toilets, washing endless loads of laundry and ironing right out of my job description. Okay, time for another attitude check. Am I exhibiting a servant's heart or just my own selfish human nature? Am I imitating Christ who said, "I am among you as he that serveth." I guess an attitude adjustment ought to be on my agenda today!

At one point early on in my endeavors as a homemaker, I had the attitude, "If I can't do it right, I won't do it at all!" Well, the Bible does say, 'Let all things be done decently and in order", but it doesn't say, "Let all things be done spotlessly and meticulously." We are to simply do what it takes to make our households run smoothly. To do this we should have a system of keeping up with our daily responsibilities. Now, individual housekeeping standards and styles will vary. The idea is to develop a set of realistic goals that makes me and my family comfortable. These goals may need an occasional adjustment based on present activities and circumstances. Things like homeschooling, illnesses, church events or even a recent move may cause us to reevaluate our existing goals. Check back this week as we look at a few ways to get organized and keep our house clean...even with kids!!

Lori

Knitting

My daughter Annie excitedly showed me her latest knitting project last night; a cable-stitched square with an intricate cross over pattern on it. She is a literal knitting machine. My living room is overrun with brightly colored yarn balls and needles!

Some of my most treasured items are lovingly handcrafted heirlooms. I have great Grandma's crochet samples and patterns, her pioneer apron, and a few other very difficult to crochet doilies. I have some items that my Grandma lovingly made as well. I can still remember her sitting in her chair with the click-click- clicking of her knitting needles as she diligently made each of us warm mittens, scarves and slippers. They weren't all her nimble fingers at that time crafted. There were countless afghans as well. Each one was specifically made for someone in the family, a daughter or son, or one of her ten grandchildren. Colors were carefully chosen and put together with much thought. Many were the times as children that we went to the store with Grandma to pick out skeins of yarn for just such a project. Back at home the work began. We were given the job of taking each skein of yarn and unwinding it to remake into a tightly wound ball of yarn. Not always an easy job for small hands, but Grandma didn't seem to mind that they weren't perfectly wound.

We were always interested in how fast she could knit one, purl one, knit one, purl one. Before we knew it she would have one strip made and then another. We never did actually see her put the whole thing together. She did that at night when we were all asleep. Sometimes we only got in on the selection of colors for one of her creations and then we would have to go back home, our little vacation was over. The next time we would see Grandma would be Christmastime. And she almost always brought a new finished product with her.

Knitting is an age-old craft. Items that are knitted are warm and durable. They are not easily pulled apart. It's amazing that a piece of yarn and two needles mastered by nimble fingers can create such a unique woven material. To knit something means to join closely and firmly together. It comes from an Old-English word meaning knot. When we tie something in a knot, it does not easily come apart does it? It holds fast.

Did you know God has some knitting projects of his own? He's got some things He wants joined together. Those projects involve His children. That's us if we have been born into His family (John 3:3). He, too, does some 'knitting' for our comfort, for our well-being. Colossians 2:2 tells us His desire is "that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ". God wants us to be knit together in love with each other. We are to be knotted so we don't come apart. We are to be so close you can't tell we're not one unit. Where can we get that kind of unity? Only in a local New Testament Church! We are to be so close as believers serving Christ together with one purpose that we can't hardly function without each other. Colossians 2:19 illustrates it this way, "holding the Head (Jesus Christ), from which all the body (that's the local church) by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God." I still remember some of my Grandma's knitting instructions that said increase one. That meant you were to create an extra stitch on the needle to make your item larger. Well, God increases His projects too! Psalm 115:14 gives us a prayer, "The Lord shall increase you more and more, you and your children." I want to grow, don't you? We should never be satisfied with our current state. I don't recall my Grandma's yarn yelling back at her when she worked on her project. Neither do I remember it complaining the whole time as she pulled out more yarn and increased the stitches on her needle. The yarn would just gently roll off the wound ball and compliantly allow itself to be stretched and pulled to whatever specifications my dear Grandmother desired. Let's allow the Lord to work on His projects and make us into whatever He desires for His honour and glory, without complaining and murmuring, submitting to His will - yielding to His wishes that we may be made into a desirable, useful, artful creation of His choice!

Dream Home

Our homes - our families are constantly under construction - spiritual construction. The Lord is continually building each member, putting us together as a tight family unit. Each building block is carefully chosen and placed with much thought. Each new addition is deliberately planned. Love is the mortar that holds it all in place. Proverbs 14:1 says, "Every wise woman buildeth her house: but the foolish plucketh it down with her hands." With God's help as the masterbuilder, we can construct a magnificent home - a dream home.

Perhaps, you've been guilty like me, though, of taking the tools out of the Lord's hands and building your own way. We may even tear down what he has constructed, leaving a pile of rubble instead. Often times, we'll start with our own marriages, forgetting the Lord Himself told us "what God hath joined together let no man put asunder." We are told not to tear it apart, not to leave it in a pile of pieces, yet, divorces occur in well over half of all marriages today. It is far easier to tear something down and no real complicated tools are necessary, only a wrecking ball and a good swing!

Though many of us would never dream of divorce, we are guilty of weakening the home we are building to the point of crumbling. We get out our own tool belt and toolbox and begin dismantling our very own homes - turning them into run-down shacks. Often times, we can be guilty of getting out our hammers during every conversation with our husbands, hoping to hammer home some point we've been trying to prove. We'll get out the saw with its sharp teeth and start sawing away with our words. Discouraging and hurtful remarks are often exchanged. Biting and devouring one another as stated in Galations 5:15. We'll react with predictable comments, such as, "I knew you'd say that!" or "That's what I expected you to do". "Sorry", is not in our vocabulary. We'll use our screwdriver to put the screws to our hubby by constantly questioning his every move and motive. We will gripe and complain about his schedule or lack of one. We may get out the clamps and start tightening by buying things on credit and spending freely our husband's hard earned money. Financial decisions may be made without consulting our husband and his plans, while all the time we are building tension for the number one cause of disagreement between spouses- finances!

If we continue on in this manner, our carpentry will not hold up. In fact, we will be guilty of plucking down our home with our own hands. We'll tear it down with a pull here, a tug there. We'll destroy it a little bit at a time by nit-picking and foolishly jerking things out of their God-given place, forgetting His plan and order for our homes as found in Ephesians chapter 5. "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord. For the husband is the head of the wife." This is the first building block upon our foundation - the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we will build our homes in the proper order doing first things first, following every detail of the blueprint, the Bible says we will be wise women indeed! Following a master plan that is already tried and true will guarantee us of success. The Bible has the answer to every question, the antidote to every problem that can and will arise. No electricity? Perhaps bitterness and anger have tripped the breakers. No problem, fix it with Ephesians 4:31 and 32, "Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." Is it a little cold? or too hot? Perhaps the heating and cooling system isn't installed. Put it in by turning to I Corinthians 13:4-8, "Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up, doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil; rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth; beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. Charity never faileth."

The Lord always has the proper tools ready for our use, all charged and ready to go. We don't need to panic - the materials to build our homes are always available, there is never a shortage or out of stock item. With tried and true home building plans and lasting building materials found in the Bible, we'll have no problem building the home of our dreams.

Home Improvements!

Oooh! This leaky faucet! Will it ever stop dripping? Drip! Drip! Drip,drop! A leaky faucet is an annoying thing, to say the least! We have an old faucet, circa 1913, in our small bathroom downstairs. This old faucet keeps dripping and dripping and dripping! I've also noticed the constant dripping has left an orange rust stain at the bottom of the sink. Now, if I scrub hard and long enough and use the right cleaner, I can get most of it out. But, unless the dripping stops, that stain begins all over again, getting bigger as each drop falls. This dripping is definitely annoying, irrtating, and troublesome!

That reminds me of a couple of verses in Proverbs about some dripping and dropping. Proverbs 19:13 says, "the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping" and Proverbs 27:15 chimes in with "A continual dropping in a very rainy day and a contentious woman are alike." Just what is Solomon trying to say here? Is it true that the contentions of a wife are annoying like that continual dripping of my faucet? Well, let's first take a look at what contentions are. The dictionary tells us contentions are an arguing, disputing, or quarreling over having one's own way. To be contentious is to be fond or arguing, disputing, or quarreling. When we are fond of something that means we like it a lot, in fact, we love it! So what do we have here? The constant dripping of water and a wife who loves to argue her point. These two things are likened to each other - they are similar: annoying,irritating, and troublesome!

Are we guilty of springing a leak? of dripping? If we allow this leak to go on without fixing it, we'll begin leaving some hard to scrub out stains. Bad habits are hard to eradicate. Arguing and disputing our own ways and ideas against our husband's ideas, feelings and God-given authority is not how the Bible says we, as wives, are to behave. Ephesians 5:22 tells us, "Wives, submit yourselves unto your own husbands, as unto the Lord." We are to be submissive, yielding and even surrender our 'right' to be right! Sometimes, we may feel submission is stifling, constraining or even squeezing us out of our freedom. But let's think this through. What do we long for in our lives? What do we really want? To be happy!! Are we really happy when we are contentious and angry? Are we joyful after a good falling out with our spouse? Do we feel satisfied when we've argued our way into getting our way? The answer would have to be a big, resounding N-O!

God's rules and laws have always been in our best interest as Christians. His plan is always right to follow. Let's pursue His guidelines and instructions for us as wives, trusting Him for the outcome. The Bible has many warnings about striving, arguing, and dissension in the home. Proverbs 17:14 warns us, "The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with." Perhaps, we need to put a spiritual wrench to our leaky faucet and tighten it. Then, we ought to apply a little cleanser and get the stain out - the sin stain. I John 1:9 ought to work just fine, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Home improvements such as these will add value to your home and give you the satisfaction of a job well done!

Lori