"FAITH DOES NOT DOUBT - PART 2

Go in peace, thy faith has made you whole!

None the less, the woman who is not named, enters the room. She has been listening to Jesus teaching and has seen His miracles performed and has come to the realization that this must be who they say He is; the Messiah, sent by God to save His people from their sin.

She stands behind Him now, maybe trying to control herself, but it is impossible! The tears are flowing uncontrollably as she stands at His feet! She wipes her eyes and sees that she has soaked His feet with her tears and kneels to wipe the wet dust from His feet with her most adorned apparel, her hair. She continues to cry as she thinks about her past and how many times she has felt the guilt of her sins; avoiding conversation with those who would dare to mention God or anything related to worship. This would normally have only made her feel worse about herself and the life she had chosen to live long ago. Now though, she was sitting at the feet of this One they called the Messiah, the Savior of His people! At His feet, where typically the servants would stay, she began to clean His feet with her hair and her tears. As she washed them she also began to kiss His feet, which was an act of adoration and respect for Jesus. But she didn't just kiss them once, but over and over again in love for her new found Lord! She felt so blessed to be able to show Him her love and belief in Him in such a way as this.
Then she took out the alabaster container of ointment, a bottle of perfume; a perfume that some theologians believe she had used to attract the attention of others and most likely her most treasured possession. Ointment was a very expensive product in this day and was used much like our cologne and deodorant today. You see, the Greek translation for the word that describes her as a sinner means one living in sin or a whore. Now how do we feel about this whole picture? What would we have been thinking if we had been sitting in that room, knowing that she had this reputation?

Wait! Let's bring it up to our day and time! Ok? What if she was a woman who was known as a Playboy centerfold and stripper who had been on public TV and the latest Yahoo News sites all over the world? Now, how does that make us feel? Maybe we can understand a little better about what happens next!
The Pharisee, whose name was Simon, was thinking within himself,"If this man was a prophet, he would have know what kind of woman was touching Him and that she was a sinner (whore)". That's when Jesus shared something with Simon. Jesus asked him,"If one man owed $50 and another man owed $500 and they didn't have anything to pay and the creditor told them that he wasn't going to make them pay. Which one of the men would love him more?". Simon answered and said that he supposed that the one that owed the creditor more money. Then Jesus said that he judged right!

Jesus told Simon to look at the woman, but Jesus also looked at her, according to this passage. Jesus had no problem giving her His attention because he saw her through different eyes; His eyes didn't judge her. Jesus told Simon, "See thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gave me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head. Thou gave me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet. My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment. Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loves little."

In Simon's eyes, he had few sins, so he had little love for the Lord. Do you think that if we feel this way about ourselves, it will also have an impact on how much we love our Savior. If Jesus walked into the room right now, how would you honestly react? Would you drop to your knees? Would you just stare at Him in amazement and wait forHim to recognize YOU? Do we think that we are going to be His focus when we get to heaven? Are we really that great in our own eyes? I hear this dangerous doctrine taught all across America today and it is teaching people to love God less, just as we see in the attitude of the Pharisee with Jesus!"How are we to feel the love that this woman had for Jesus?", you may ask, just as I did when I first read this passage.

We must look long and hard at what we believe! This passage has brought me to realize two very important things. I took the time to search my heart and see how I saw myself and what I felt about my past and what God had truly done for me. This brought me to a deeper appreciation of what Jesus meant to me. He was the one who forgave us all as He hung on the cross. He forgave us even before this, just as He had forgiven the woman that day so long ago. He forgave her for all of her past sins and her choice of lifestyles that had given her such a bad reputation. Let's look at what Jesus says to her next,

And he said unto her, "Thy sins are forgiven." ~ Luke 7:48

But why do you think Jesus make mention of this that day? I believe that He was making a point to each of those sitting at the table that day; also to each of us reading this passage today. Jesus knew that the question would come up in their hearts, "Who is this that forgives sins also?". This has become the question of the century by many a Muslim and other religions across the world and many of them deny it! They can't believe that a man named Jesus can pardon the sins of wicked men!

I believe what Jesus says next will help us to realize the awesome power of Jesus as the Messiah when we believe! And he said to the woman, "Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace." ~ Luke 7:50
It was the sincere belief in God and the message of the Messiah Jesus that caused this woman to change. Her faith was made alive and that seed of faith which had been dead began to grow in her heart, her mind and then became evident in her body. She changed the way she felt; she changed the way she thought and she changed the way she loved! She went from doubting, bondage and oppression to having faith, pardoned and peace.
Finally, let's take a look at the word "peace" in the Greek translation and what it means to those who have faith!

In the Greek the word "peace" is eirēnē
It is pronounced i-rah'-nay (go ahead, try to pronounce it one time)
Peace (used literally or figuratively); by implication prosperity: - one, peace, quietness, rest, + set at one again.

Let's take a few minutes to kneel at Jesus feet and adore Him as we grasp the fact that He has forgiven ALL of our sins! Let's love Him more and more each day and remember the words of Jesus, "Thy faith has saved you; go in peace."

"FAITH DOES NOT DOUBT" - PART 1

Your faith will change your life!

Have you ever had someone warn you of something and you thought to yourself, "I'm not so sure about that", only to find out later that they were right?

It is at the moment that we realize that something is for real and we know without a doubt that what we have heard is true, that faith takes seed in our hearts, our minds and our body! It's at that moment that we also find ourselves moving into action, as the situation becomes more clear.

Jesus gives us an example about the man that digs deep and lays his foundation on the rock so that his house will stand when the water beats against the house. Jesus was referring to the man that will listen to what He tells him and then "do" what he has heard. It is through the believing of something that we experience faith and this faith will cause us to act accordingly. Right now, what I want you to concentrate on is what you believe! Take all other thoughts and interruptions and leave them in the next room. I want you to focus your full attention for the next ten minutes on what you believe and look at how it has changed your life. Ready?

It is simple to say we believe in something, but it is different to believe in it so much that we have faith in something or someone. We use the words faith, believe, commit and dedication so casual in our day, that we often miss what it really means, but I find that the parables and experiences of Jesus actually take us to a level of understanding where we receive wisdom and knowledge that we are able to apply to each of our lives. "Faith Doesn't Doubt!" There seems to be allot of confusion about this simple, yet profound statement today.

I hear people say so casually, "I believe in God,but...this or that" and people say, "I have faith, but I think there's a limit to how far you should take it!". Another one I have heard is, "I asked God to save me, but I never did anything that bad anyways".

It is good for us to take time to study the parables and teachings of Jesus, as this will show us what we need to build a solid foundation for our lives. Jesus teaches all of us that the first thing we need to do in laying our firm foundation is to believe without a doubt, have faith. Let's all take a few minutes to look at a place in time when Jesus had been performing miracles. He was invited to the home of a Pharisee to dine and Jesus had accepted the invitation. He had been teaching and performing miracles, so I'm sure that there was quite a crowd gathered around the man's house, just waiting for Jesus to reappear and continue demonstrating His miraculous power and the pouring out of His compassion on them. Somehow though, a woman had slipped into the room where Jesus had taken His seat on the couch. The Jews would eat while laying on their side and their knees bent with their feet behind them.

I can imagine this woman showing herself at the doorway and Jesus motioning for her to come in and join them. Perhaps the Pharisee had gone to check on the food or may have been inviting some of the others that were his friends, as we see later that there were others at this meal.
None the less, the woman who is not ever named, enters the room. She has been listening to Jesus teaching and has seen His miracles performed...TO BE CONTINUED

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"HALF OF US"

A ministry helping students and adults to deal with life's stressful situations. This is an awesome ministry that extends a hand to those who are struggling with emotional and physical challenges, teaching them to deal with pain and life crisis in a healthier way. The members of this group truly have the Good Samaritan's Heart. Click on the title "HALF OF US" above to go and find help for you or a friend today!

"MY HEART'S SONG"

God has truly given me a New Life! By the renewing of His power He has transformed me that I might, as a common man, be able to do the good and perfect will of God along my journey in this world! Join in "My Heart's Song" of Praise to Him.

On 2/16/11 (God gave me these words whereby I was able to praise my LORD for a New Life that's available to All )
We're still working on the music, but use your imagination for now and praise our Lord God Almighty with me today!

God saved my Soul & Life from sin,
Transformed my heart, renewed within.
Leaving behind the things of past;
Living my Life for Christ.... at last!

Oh Praise the Lord! New Life He gives..;
Gives Life abun..dant..ly......;
no not I, But Christ in me....be glorified E..ter...nal...ly..!"

So now I live this life for Him;
His balm so faithful heals and mends.
And when He took His final breath,
His grace He gave instead of death.

Oh Praise the Lord! New Life He gives..;
Gives Life abun..dant..ly......;
no not I, But Christ in me....be glorified Eter...nal...ly..!

LETTING GO

Posted on Feb. 11,2011 @ focusontheheart.org
(hope for the heart page)

And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. ~ Romans 12:2

It is when we realize that our behavior comes from only two intentions that we understand why we ourselves, as well as others, do what we do each moment of the day. To leave behind our past programing to protect and move ahead with the intent to learn can be quite a challenge, even though we know it is for the better. If you read the verse posted at the beginning of this page, we realize that we have been conformed to the ways of this world and that means to defend ourselves at all costs, but the teachings of our LORD didn't teach us this was the way to live, did they? The words of Paul in this verse echos the teaching of Jesus when he says to "be ye transformed" and how does he tell us this is done? Well, we all know that Paul's being well taught in the temple is often emphasized, but it is the teaching of God following his conversion that convinces me of his wisdom when he says, "be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God".
Paul knew, just as we do today that until we change the way we think about others and ourselves, our actions will not change and we will most likely continue to act based on our self pride and preservation. What is so impressive to me is that he is teaching us that we can become transformed as a matter of fact! I saw no doubt in the way that Paul worded this passage, did you? So we have to ask ourselves,"Am I ready to be transformed by the renewing of my mind or is my intent to remain conformed to this world and it's influence?".
My friend, if you haven't noticed a change in your decisions, the way that you treat others, the things that you think about, your anger management or your conscience sensitivity; according to the Word of God your mind has not been transformed. You are still living a life conformed to the world, but the next passage gives us all hope as Paul explains how he was transformed. Remember as we read this that our goal is "to learn" from every moment of our lives, rather than protect, so keep your mind open! You may get upset at this message and begin to defend yourself, but that is really just between you and God today. No one else will know, except you! There's no reason to defend yourself! Be true to you. Be honest with yourself! Paul has given us the way that he found a transforming by the renewing of his mind.

"For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith." ~Romans 12:3

How do we stop protecting ourselves and begin learning from our life experiences? Well, first of all, Paul had to have the grace that was given by God and is also available to every single one of us today! Secondly, Paul began to think with less pride and more understanding. Thirdly, Paul said he thought soberly; as in not under the influence. That can be the influence of drugs, alcohol, prescriptions, anger, lust, revenge, temptations, commercialism or even peer pressure! We can apply this to anything that will affect the way we think and causes us to compromise our core values. That's the way we live before we become a child of God and are transformed by the renewing of our minds. Let's take time to recognize the pride that we had when we are conformed by the world view, so that we can become in tune with what God has planned for us by the renewing of our minds, that we may prove what is good and acceptable. Yes, we will prove the will of God in our lives as we LET GO OF THE PAST and receive the grace of God that transforms!

TRUE TO YOURSELF

Posted on Feb.8,2011 @ focusontheheart.org
"hope for the heart" page

What do you think about yourself and what makes you think it's true?

But Jesus said, "Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven." ~Matthew 19:14

I'd like for you to open your minds up to a thought process that has been studied for many years. Growing up we may have been told that children are to be seen and not heard or to sit down and be quiet. Then when we brought our report cards home that reflected that we had a real problem with public speaking, our parents told us to be courageous; stand up and speak out! It is these mixed messages that have caused many children to grow up with the mixed messages about themselves that have virtually held them back in every area of their life.
We find ourselves in the trap of thinking,"I believe I must be this way in order to survive." This is basically the results of past programming. Moreover, "I hate myself for feeling the way I do." Even as an adult, we create our own report cards as we compare the things we own, who we think we are and our successes to everyone else. This actually becomes a factual reality in our minds to determine our belief in ourselves; good and bad! The problem is that this isn't anywhere close to being true to reality or yourself, especially when we consider the great truths concerning what Jesus said to His disciples about the children and people.
We'll grade ourselves on what we've accomplished compared to our neighbor.....C+; what we own compared to our coworkers.....A-; who we've become compared to others with the same education....D. That is when we begin to hear the whispers of those voices that remind us, "Won't I ever learn? Why do I feel this way? You should have known better? Why do I always mess up?". That's our very own self-judgment accounting system. It keeps us thinking about what should have been or how I should have known better. Living in the past causes us to develope beliefs about ourselves and has a huge impact on our future decisions.
With the very high divorce rate in our society today, some children say that they will never get married because their parents divorced. It is the experience of the pain and feeling of guilt that has cause these children to believe that it is a mistake to get married. They don't believe that they will be able to have a lasting relationship based on this feeling. As soon as we hold some false idea about ourselves rather relying on a direct perception of what's really happening, we inevitably give rise to anxiety and fear. We create suffering of our own through the repetition of our confusion. It's like pushing a wheelbarrow with a flat tire. It rolls, but a little rough and slow. We keep thinking that something is wrong, but not sure what's causing the bump.
That explains why the disciples were so sure that Jesus had not wanted the children in the way that day when they began to tell the parents who had brought their children to take them back. See, we often even think we are doing right when we act based on our beliefs that were developed according to our experiences and traditions growing up. The fact is that Jesus had the divine ability to understand the needs of every child that day! Don't you think that the disciples learned something new that day as well? We all need to be willing to learn; to keep our minds open to the reality of the truth rather than living our life based on the things that we have been told about ourselves. Jesus wants us to put aside the past experiences and come to Him as a child again. By the way, this was so important for us to remember that Mark and Luke also give an account of this day in history so that we could be enlightened thousands of years later. (Mark 10:14, Luke 18:16) Doesn't it only make sense that Jesus addressed His followers as children as He was ascending into Heaven? I believe it is a fact that we are to be known as His children and Jesus gave us a commandment that we can trust will never leave us feeling like a failure or comparing ourselves to others. Be His child, open your mind to the truth about yourself and your children starting today! Learn to be really TRUE to yourself!

"Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. 34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. 35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. " ~ John 13:33

FRUITFUL PARENTS

Posted on February 6, 2011 @ focusontheheart.org

("heart for the home" page)

How in the world can we be fruitful in a barren world?

Fruitful parenting comes with consistently loving, teaching and living according to the core values that we know in our heart to be true and right before God. As we find in the first few verses written by David in the book of Psalms, where he describes a tree that is planted by the rivers of water; he begins to tell us all about the man or woman that is blessed. Then David tells us in the second verse about the thing that makes this person happy and how he never ceases to meditate on this all through the day. He even says that it's on their minds all night! Let's look at David's message to us all in the first chapter of Psalms;

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth(abiding) in the way(course of life) of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat(spend time abiding with) of the scornful(one who mocks or scoffs). 2 But his delight(valuable thing) is in the law(precepts) of the LORD; and in his law(in His precepts) doth he meditate(they ponder) day and night." ~ Psalms 1:1-2

David was talking about the core values of a man or woman who was blessed by God. This blessed man or woman that he spoke of here wouldn't entertain the idea of receiving counsel from an ungodly person about anything that had to do with his heart, mind or soul. Neither would they find themselves following after or abiding in the sinful course of life. This describes the people we meet or maybe even some of our friends who would tempt us to join with them in fulfilling the desires of the flesh for a short season. Beware my brothers and sisters where you find yourself abiding, not only in the day, but in the nighttime too! This is exactly why it's so important; as the great Psalmist begins this awesome book of songs with divine guidance from his God Almighty to meditate day and night on the Word of God. Then David tells us that this blessed man or woman doesn't spend their time abiding with those assemblies, populations or in the dwellings of those who have become scorners or mockers of who? Mockers of the man who's core values are found in the LORD.
Oh no, the blessed man or woman will not find themselves in any of those places, but rather in the precepts of the LORD! I don't know for sure about you, but I have felt that some of the laws that we have been forced to live by in the U.S. have been unacceptable. Yet we are made to follow them, even though they may violate our core values as holy children of Christ. For example, the liquor laws, the abortion laws, the laws about open pornography and nudity on TV as well as the internet. What about the laws protecting the rights of the criminal who repeatedly chooses to abuse the minds of other adults and helpless children? Then there's the laws that affect what can and cannot be mentioned in the schools, government facilities and clinics of OUR LAND! All of these are precepts made by and for our country to follow and if you don't respect and abide by them, you'll be punished under the law. Are these laws productive or are they destructive? Does the LORD GOD Almighty look upon our land with joy or are His eyes filled with tears today?

THANK GOD that His precepts will never bring a parent or child harm. God's laws will never bring shame and reproach to the population of the blessed! I have a leader and LORD who gives me laws(precepts) that bring value to my home, my life and the lives of my children!

Now that we have taken time to ponder this vital introduction to the book of Psalms; we see David's inspiration to write concerning the importance of where we place our core values and learn how to welcome God's blessings into our dwellings as parents. Couples, single moms and dads, separated parents and widows, we can all learn from David's message today; pondering the precepts of God; receiving the blessed life and every parent has the equal opportunity to pass this lesson and blessing on to our children too! Our fruitfulness as a mom or dad must begin in our hearts and in our home as we hold to our core values and see our children doing the same!

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it (His desires) to pass." ~Psalms 37:4-5

*Literal translations from Strong's Hebrew & Greek Dictionary in parenthesis (*)

INTENT TO LEARN

Posted on Jan. 31,2011 @ focusontheheart.org

When we decide to stop fearing, we can begin to learn.

"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." ~ Matthew 11:29

Yes, with the intent to learn we become the peacemakers that we ought to be as the children of God. There's only one response in a conflict that breaks the barrier and opens the door to intimacy; an intent to learn. When I say this, what do I mean by an intent to learn? It's a willingness to be open and vulnerable; to feel our feelings directly rather than through a filter of our protections and then we will discover why each of us is feeling and behaving as we do. We begin an exploration into the discovery of finding the answers to such questions as:

* What important reasons does my spouse have for behaving that way.
* What part do I play in this problem?
* How's is my spouse's behavior affecting me?
* Why does it affect me that way? What personal issues does it stir up?
* Why is it so important to get my way , or to be right?
* What fears, values, expectations and beliefs lie behind my feeling threatened or irritated?
* How does my anger, irritation or indifference affect my spouse?
* How does my spouse respond?
* What are the consequences?

Searching questions such as these may succeed in breaking through deeply entrenched battle lines. Seeing conflict as an opportunity rather than as a calamity puts it in a new light. You may think it sounds ridiculous (maybe impossible) to face emotional pain willingly. But it does make sense. Our protection against physical pain is a physiological response (fight or flight syndrome), but protecting against emotional pain is a pattern learned in childhood, once necessary for a child's survival, but no longer productive for adults. Most of us still react to conflict in our childhood patterns. Being open in a conflict is the only way we can learn what the conflict has to teach us and unlearn out self-limiting protections.
When we stop blaming our spouse, we assume responsibility for our own lives. We are willing to be vulnerable and to risk feeling and expressing pain. When our spouse joins us in the task of learning, we begin to understand ourselves and our spouse more deeply. Understanding each other naturally gives us deeper feelings for each other.

Together we will create Intimate Love and an Evolving Relationship.

FOCUS ON FORGIVING

Posted on January 24, 2011 @ focusontheheart.org

You may be asking yourself, "How can I forgive?"

Paul said, "Ye ought rather to forgive him and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one should be swallowed up with too much sorrow. For this reason I beseech you that you would confirm your love toward him." ~2Corinthians 2:7-8

We all need mercy, because we all stumble and fall and require help getting back on track. We need to offer mercy to each other and be willing to receive it from each other. You can’t have fellowship without forgiveness because bitterness and resentment always destroy fellowship. Sometimes we hurt each other intentionally and sometimes unintentionally, but either way, it takes massive amounts of mercy and grace to create and maintain fellowship.

Again in the book of Colossians, the apostle Paul says, “Forbearing one another and forgiving one another, if any man has a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so should you do”. ~Colossians 3:13

The mercy God shows to us the motivation for us to show mercy to others. Whenever you’re hurt by someone, you have a choice to make: Will I use my energy and emotions for retaliation or for resolution? You can’t do both. Many people are reluctant to show mercy because they don’t understand the difference between trust and forgiveness. Forgiveness is letting go of the past. Trust has to do with future behavior. Forgiveness must be immediate, whether or not a person asks for it. Trust must be rebuilt over time. Trust requires a track record. If someone hurts you repeatedly, you are commanded by God to forgive them instantly, but you are not expected to trust them immediately, and you are not expected to continue allowing them to hurt you. They must prove they have changed over time.

The best place to restore trust is within the supportive context of a small group that offers both encouragement and accountability. Find a church or support group in your area and invite the person you are forgiving to go along. Selah.

"Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer every man." Colossians 4:6

TWO PATHS

Posted on Jan. 23,2011 @ focusontheheart.org

When you come to the split in the road, which way will YOU choose?

"For the word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." ~Hebrews4:12

Every interaction with people in our lives is governed by two intentions. All of our behavior and all feelings come from these two intentions. We choose our intent freely, but the choice is so often made so automatically we don't even know we've made one. We can choose protection one moment and learning the next, but the are mutually exclusive. We cannot be protected (closed,hard,defensive) and open to learning (open,soft,curious) at the same time. Whichever intent is stronger at the moment will prevail.

If you can picture a curious squirrel that wants the tempting acorn outside very much, but until he is willing to leave the protection of his hole, he will not get the acorn. When he feels safe he will venture out cautiously exploring the environment outside. The only thing is that he can't do both at the same time; being in the hole (protected) and outside exploring (learning).
The same thing is true for us all. That''s why when we make a conscious decision to change, the decision itself will not bring about the change. We can want something really bad; maybe to stop smoking,be thin;be less critical of others;express more feeling; but we will be unsuccessful when our primary intent is protective. We are also usually unaware of our true intent since it is subconscious. We probably will also be unaware of the strength of our unacknowledged intent. All we will know is that there are hidden obstacles preventing things from getting better.
It's like a shape you stumble over as you are walking through your own living room in the dark. It's your living room and you know it well. Walking through it should be easy. But when it's pitch dark all you know is that there's something hindering you and you won't find out what it is or be able to avoid it in the future until you are willing to turn on the light and look.

The first step to a meaningful change is to become aware of our intent and then to connect it to the behavior and the inescapable consequences that follow.

FRUITFUL PARENTS

What David say about about being fruitful is Valuable!

Fruitful parenting comes with consistantly loving, teaching and living according to the core values that we know in our heart to be true and right before God. As we find in the first few verses written by David in the book of Psalms, where he describes a tree that is planted by the rivers of water; he begins to tell us all about the man or woman that is blessed. Then David tells us in the second verse about the thing that makes this person happy and how he never ceases to meditate on this all through the day. He even says that it's on their minds all night! Let's look at David's message to us all in the first chapter of Psalms;

"Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor standeth(abiding) in the way(course of life) of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat(spend time abiding with) of the scornful(one who mocks or scoffs). 2 But his delight(valuable thing) is in the law(precepts) of the LORD; and in his law(in His precepts) doth he meditate(they ponder) day and night." ~ Psalms 1:1-2

David was talking about the core values of a man or woman who was blessed by God. This blessed man or woman that he spoke of here wouldn't entertain the idea of receiving counsel from an ungodly person about anything that had to do with his heart, mind or soul. Neither would they find themselves following after or abiding in the sinful course of life. This descibes the people we meet or maybe even some of our friends who would tempt us to join with them in fulfilling the desires of the flesh for a short season. Beware my brothers and sisters where you find yourself abiding, not only in the day, but in the nighttime too! This is exactly why it's so important; as the great Psalmist begins this awesome book of songs with divine guidance from his God Almighty to meditate day and night on the Word of God. Then David tells us that this blessed man or woman doesn't spend their time abiding with those assemblies, populations or in the dwellings of those who have become scorners or mockers of who? Mockers of the man who's core values are found in the LORD.
Oh no, the blessed man or woman will not find themselves in any of those places, but rather in the precepts of the LORD! I don't know for sure about you, but I have felt that some of the laws that we have been forced to live by in the U.S. have been unacceptable. Yet we are made to follow them, even though they may violate our core values as holy children of Christ. For example, the liquor laws, the abortion laws, the laws about open pornography and nudity on TV as well as the internet. What about the laws protecting the rights of the criminal who repeatedly chooses to abuse the minds of other adults and helpless children? Then there's the laws that affect what can and cannot be mentioned in the schools, government facilities and clinics of OUR LAND! All of these are precepts made by and for our country to follow and if you don't respect and abide by them, you'll be punished under the law. Are these laws productive or are they destructive? Does the LORD GOD Almighty look upon our land with joy or are His eyes filled with tears today?

THANK GOD that His precepts will never bring a parent or child harm. God's laws will never bring shame and reproach to the population of the blessed! I have a leader and LORD who gives me laws(precepts) that bring value to my home, my life and the lives of my children!

Now that we have taken time to ponder this vital introduction to the book of Pslams; we see David's inspiration to write concerning the importance of where we place our core values and learn how to welcome God's blessings into our dwellings as parents. Couples, single moms and dads, seperated parents and widows, we can all learn from David's message today; pondering the precepts of God; receiving the blessed life and every parent has the equal opportunity to pass this leasson and blessing on to our children too! Ourfruitfulness as a mom or dad must begin in our hearts and in our home as we hold to our core values and see our children doing the same!

"Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. 5 Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it (His desires) to pass." ~Psalms 37:4-5
*Literal translations from Strong's Hebrew & Greek Dictionary in parenthesis (*)

INTENT TO PROTECT

THE INTENT TO PROTECT

"Blessed are the peacemakers: for they will be called the children of God." ~Matthew 5:9


The intent to protect is a basic motivation to defend oneself against any threats, real or imagined, of emotional pain. To do this people use a variety of means to keep themselves from feeling the real emotions generated by any particular conflict. For instance, a person may protect himself or herself from fear by feeling angry, anger being a much easier emotion to tolerate than fear.
People protecting themselves run the gamut from the most timid to the most aggresive. A man who thratens his opponent with towering rages, a woman who dissolves in self-pitying tears, or the debater who uses calm rational logic to carry a point are all being equally self-protective. None of them wants to learn. Any response to a conflict other than openess to learning is protective.
When one becomes resistant or indifferent, the other feels shut out and unimportant. On the other hand, attempts to get a companion to change are invariably met with indifference, resistance or rebellion. After all, to give in to another's control is to give up oneself.
When both companions protect, they create what we call a protective circle. When both run from conflict, there is a distant peace. Attempts to get the other to change brings on power struggles, each person bent on winning; or at least not losing. Giving oneself up may eliminate power struggles, but the submission itself becomes part of the problem. protective circles set into motion all of the difficulties in most relationships.
If your companion's behavior is upsetting you, should you give up wanting change? Definitely not! In fact we can't stop wanting our companion to change unless we stop caring, which is as destructive as trying to force change. An intent to learn, on the other hand, opens the way to significant changes.

With an intent to learn,we find ourselves one step closer to being the peacemaker that identifies the children of God.