Fruit of the Spirit Brag Tags

FREE Printable Fruit of the Spirit Brag Tags

Fruit of the Spirit Brag Tags

Fun collectible rewards for students!!

Give brags tags as rewards for great behavior, good work, and when you catch students displaying the fruit of the Spirit in action.

Print brag tags on card stock and laminate or print on regular paper.

Give each student a metal ring to keep their cards on or a booklet to glue them into. 

Enjoy! ♥ Dina

Choose Joy, putting the fruit of the Spirit into action!

Here's a link to my Choose Joy poster, my encouragement to myself to put the fruit of the Spirit into action in my life, family, and homeschool!

If you would like to use this as a reminder, feel free to use it! :)
♥ Dina

Choose Joy Printable

Works of the Flesh v. Fruit of the Spirit

 

I have been studying lately about walking in the flesh v. walking in the spirit. I personally have read the both of these lists minus the definitions and didn’t think much of them. But, sad to say, with definitions I can find lots of areas in my heart and life that need surrender and cleansing!! Lord, work these things out of me and fill me fresh with Your Spirit!!! :)

Immorality – wickedness, immoral behavior, vileness, corruption, dishonesty, unethical, bad, wrongful, foul
Impurity – morally wrong, especially in sexual matters, lustful, lewd, crude, improper
Indecent – dirty, filthy, rude, coarse, naughty, vulgar, gross, off-color
Sorcery – use of magic, witchcraft, enchantment, spells, incantations
Idolatry – immoderate attachment or devotion to something, worship or a physical object as god. Enmity – opposition, hostility, hate
Strife – anger, bitter disagreement, conflict
Jealousy – feeling or showing envy of someone’s achievements or advantages
Anger (ill temper) – strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, rage, hostility
Selfishness – inconsiderate of others
Envy – discontent, resentful of someone else’s possessions, qualities or luck
Divisions – discord, disunity, disagreement
Drunkeness – affected by alcohol, losing control of one’s faculties or behavior
Carousing – Drinking + partying

Love – deep affection, warmth, tenderness
Joy – pleasure, happiness, delight
Peace – quiet, calm, tranquility, order
Patience – accepting or tolerating delay, trouble, suffering without anger or upset, even temper Kindness – friendly, generous, considerate, caring, helpful
Goodness – integrity, doing what is right, being thoughtful, gracious, well behaved
Gentleness – kind, tender, sympathetic, understanding, merciful, considerate
Faithfulness – showing true support and loyalty, trustworthy
Self-control – control over your feelings and actions, restraint over your impulses, emotions, or desires

Psalm 37:3-8

😊Trust
😌delight
🤗commit
🙂be still
😃wait
😩don't fret
😡don't be angry

Psalm 37:3-8

Self-Control: Night Owl Problems

Galatians 5:22,23 - The fruit of the Spirit is...self-control (self-restraint, continence).

Confession: I have major night owl problems! It affects my whole life. Night owling has benefits, like enjoying peace and quiet while the rest of my household is getting z's! I LOVE THIS TIME! I LOVE TO BE BY MYSELF after a long, busy day. But oh wow, how I dislike mornings after I was up too late the night before. I dislike them as much as I like staying up late, LOL!

It boils down to self-control if I'm totally honest, and in this area I don't have enough. The results can have a huge impact on me and my family. :( (Examples: temptation to just skip my quiet time with the Lord, starting the day behind, starting school late, being a cranky pants all day, feeling tired, etc). There's a balance to be had here.

So, this thought process led me to look at self-control this morning, and I'm really glad I did! I love to look at the meanings of words. The Amplified Bible does a good job of giving deeper meanings, but I like to also look at the dictionary definitions too.

This morning I studied what restraint means. Here's what I found:

Restrain -
1. prevent from doing something, keep under control or within limits. (good idea to limit how long I stay up!!)
2. prevent oneself from displaying or giving way to (a strong urge or emotion) - keeping in check. (Hulk-like Momtastic ranks, anyone??)
3. deprive of freedom of movement or personal liberty (Yes, I'm free to stay up all night long if I want to, but giving into that personal liberty isn't wise for me!!)

My flesh tells me to soak in all the peace and quiet I can, do what I want to do, or do what needs to be done until it's done. But I can't let my flesh rule my life. I have to be full of the Spirit and live to please the Lord. It's hard to do that when you're totally tired, cranky, and fussy!!! (Hello, not a coffee drinker!!)

I'm sharing this to encourage others out there who may be struggling with finding balance and using self-control. There's a reason it's a fruit of the Spirit, we must depend on the Lord for help with this! Apart from Him we can do nothing!

I hope you're having a great week!
Dina

Teaching Gentleness, Being Gentle

This week in our homeschool, we will be learning about gentleness. It's one of the fruit of the Spirit...one I struggle with, if I'm perfectly honest!! For all of the tender feelings I have toward my kiddos, I find that it is easy to use a harsh tone with them.

Growing up I thought my mother was a total nag. Oh, it drove me CRAZY!! And of course, I said, "when I'm a parent, I will NEVER nag my kids, NEVER". Well, as a parent, I have concluded that I was a totally disobedient child, and my mother's response to my disobedience was nagging (I love my mom dearly, and for the record, I regret being so disrespectful, inconsiderate, lazy, hard-headed, and disobedient.)

So, I will start off our morning character talk about gentleness with a confession that mommy struggles to do what I'm telling them to do. I will remind them as I do every week, no matter which character trait we talk about, we can't do these things on our own. We all need to ask God to help us, develop us, and grow these fruit of the Spirit in our hearts!

Our scripture of the week is Proverbs 15:1 - A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.

As I was getting ready for bed last night, I was thinking the coming week and about my quiet time this morning and what I would look at. The Holy Spirit heavily reminded me of Ephesians 6:4 and Colossians 3:21. Basically, no matter if my kids obey or honor me, I am still told to do what these verses say. Here they are:

Ephesians 6:4 (AMP) - Fathers, do not irritate and provoke your children to anger (do not exasperate them to resentment), but rear them (tenderly) in the training and discipline and the counsel and admonition of the Lord.

Colossians 3:21 (AMP) - Fathers do not provoke and irritate, or fret your children (do not be hard on them or harass them), lest they become discouraged and sullen and morose and feel inferior and frustrated. (Do not break their spirit).

YIKES folks, I don't know about the other parents out there, but for me, these verses sting. They are basically telling me to get out of my flesh and not to parent out of my own irritation/frustration, but gently and tenderly training my kiddos.  

This week, it is my goal to do just that! I hope you have a terrific week!!

Dina

Encouraging Verses I've Been Studying

Hi All!

Long time, no post. Life has been so busy these past several years! As we start our second year of homeschooling though, I wanted to share some of the verses I've been studying lately. I've been so encouraged and challenged in my own spirit by them and thought I'd pass them along!

I encourage you also, to go for a treasure hunt in God's word! Start a quiet time with Him to thank Him for giving you life, to tell Him what is going on in your mind and heart. He is such a faithful friend! :) I'm sharing from the Amplified Bible.

Philippians 4:13 - I have strength for all things in Christ Who empowers me [I am ready for anything and equal to anything through Him Who ^[a]infuses inner strength into me; I am ^[b]self-sufficient in Christ’s sufficiency].

John 15:5 - I am the Vine; you are the branches. Whoever lives in Me and I in him bears much (abundant) fruit. However, apart from Me [cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing.

Proverbs 3:3 - Let not mercy and kindness [shutting out all hatred and selfishness] and truth [shutting out all deliberate hypocrisy or falsehood] forsake you; bind them about your neck, write them upon the tablet of your heart.

Proverbs 3:7 - Be not wise in your own eyes; reverently fear and worship the Lord and turn [entirely] away from evil.

Galatians 5:16 - But I say, walk and live [habitually] in the [Holy] Spirit [responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit]; then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God).

Ephesians 4:32 - And become useful and helpful and kind to one another, tenderhearted (compassionate, understanding, loving-hearted), forgiving one another [readily and freely], as God in Christ forgave you

Ephesians 5: 2 - And walk in love, [esteeming and delighting in one another] as Christ loved us and gave Himself up for us...

I have been using the color chart from Women Living Well. Here's the link: http://womenlivingwell.org/2014/12/studying-the-bible-using-the-soak-method-coloring-chart-and-meditation/

I hope you will be encouraged by this post!
Have a great week!
Dina

I'm the teacher, but God is teaching me

 

This is a youtube video I made about what God is teaching me and how I'm encouraging myself to put it into practice. (Wow, that's a scary thumbnail! Sorry! LOL!)

Christianity for the visual learners out there!! :)

But I say, walk and live (habitually) in the Holy Spirit (responsive to and controlled and guided by the Spirit,); then you will certainly not gratify the cravings and desires of the flesh (of human nature without God). Galatians 5:16

Put away, take off	Put on, clothe yourself with
Anger	Patience
Ill temper	Even temper
Rage	Conduct controlled by the Spirit
Bad feelings toward others	Kind feelings
Selfishness	Tenderhearted pity
Vainglorious	A lowly opinion of yourself
Foulmouthed abuse	Encouragement
Bitterness	Readily pardoning each other
Impurity	Purity
Lies	Truth
Deceit, deception	Honesty
Hate	Love
Cold-hearted	Mercy
Immorality	Moral
Yoke of slavery	Freedom
Slander	Gentle ways
Curses	Blessings
Shameful utterances from your lips	Let the word dwell in you richly
Indecency	Decency
Provoking and irritating one another	Be gentle and forbearing
Divisions, party spirit (factions)	Unity
Competitive and challenging	Agreeable
Adultery	Faithfulness
Enmity, strife	Let peace rule in your heart and mind
Do not get drunk with wine	Be ever filled and stimulated by the Holy Spirit
Idolatry	Worship God only
Sorcery	The Source
Wrong motives	Goodness, benevolence
Passions, appetites, desires	Self-control
Jealousy	Thankfulness
Envy	Gladness
Haughtiness	Meekness
Pride	Humility
Sadness	Joy
Darkness	Light
Death	Life

What God offers us in life is 100% better than any counterfeit the world can give us! :) Have a blessed week!

♥ Dina

Download this free printable from my TpT site: Put On, Take Off Printable

Confessions of a Distracted Christian

Wow, it seems like every time I write I'm writing about what I struggle with as a person/Christian, whether it be thought life, forgiveness, etc. I guess I figure if I'm struggling, others probably are too. As I write I pray, it's me, me, ME oh Lord, standing in the need of prayer! If it encourages you, convicts you, or draws you to the Lord in any way, TERRIFIC! That is the only reason I share these posts with the world at large! ...

Ok, confessions...I am a distracted person, ALWAYS have been as long as I can remember! Yes, I CAN pay attention, but sometimes it takes great effort. Anyone who has ever sat with me at an inservice can testify to this! (I apologize! :)) Well, add motherhood and loads of laundry, housework, 3 meals to prepare daily, etc, ministry involvement, home business, yada yada, and you compound this problem greatly!

Lately, I struggle with finding balance. As a mom, I have very little private time AT ALL! Honestly, I struggle with finding time for God. It's sad, but true. Sometimes it's easier to pick a distraction than to sit still for the time it takes to read His word and talk to Him. It is so much easier to entertain the flesh. There are things that my flesh enjoys that don't require that level of heart and effort (i.e. facebook, netflix), and if I'm not careful I realize I have not been nurturing the relationship that is of the most importance in my life. Not only is it important to me personally, but when I don't take that time, it shows in my level of patience with my children, with my attitude toward the hubs, and in my compassion toward others. This struggle for balance also involves FOOD! I have never been a snacker... not until I was pregnant with my first child. Yes, I enjoyed junk food and have a wretched sweet tooth, but I think I had it under control...to an extent. These days, I honestly think of the saying "You are not a dog, don't reward yourself with food"...A LOT! LOL!!! When there is a lull around here my brain says... "Oh...a moment of quiet...time for a snack". But it's not only snacking, but choosing things that are so not good for me.

In the midst of this I hear the Lord saying "BE STILL and know that I am God"...Be still Lord? Do you know how much willpower and effort it takes to NOT DO ANYTHING? To just be quiet and still before you...without fixing a bowl of ice cream? These days it is tough! My brain is so tired, there's a mountain of chores waiting every time I'm not changing a diaper or fixing a meal. How can I be still?

Recently we did a study at church called "He speaks to Me". One thing the speaker said just really pinpointed this struggle. She said something like "God will not speak over your noise, but He waits for you to be still". WOW! She might as well have put my name in front of that statement because I really needed to hear that. The bottom line is, He doesn't need me, but I desperately need Him. He will not beg for my time and attention. He waits for me to come to Him. He is so patient! But at the same time, I hear Him calling me. To pray when it's not out of desperation, but just to talk to Him. It is ultimately my choice.

and it's ultimately your choice too.

...just some food for thought! Have a great week! :)
♥ Dina

God won't chase you, but He will call you...

God won't chase you, but He will call you.

Heard that yesterday and it's so true. It's easier to turn from God than you might think. There are subtle choices, attitudes of the mind and heart that can be slippery slopes. If God feels far away, He's never the one who has moved. He calls us to return to Him and welcomes us with open arms!

 

The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands.  And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else.  From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands.  God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’ As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.'

Romans 17:24-28

No time for regrets

I woke up with a heart and mind full this morning. There were a ton of things to do to get ready for a MOPS meeting I had to lead. Usually my heart and mind are full of good things and happy thoughts, but a sly trick of the devil is to bring to my mind past regrets, failures, low points, hurts, mistakes, etc. In a flash I saw people's faces the moment after I said something thoughtless or hurtful, opinions I shared that would have been better left unspoken, judgments I had made about others, things I had done that brought guilt and shame, things done to me that make me sad.

And then the line of a song sprang into my heart, "I have no time to maintain these regrets when I think about the way He loves us...". Thank you Holy Spirit! And after that I remembered friends, family, mentors, counselors who have helped me get past these times in my life that I'm not proud of. God is sooooo good! In a moment my heart went from full of shame and sorrow to full of the mercy, grace, and love of God offered new everyday and the knowledge that He doesn't see me broken or stained. He doesn't hold my words and actions against me. I don't have to drag these regrets through my day or through the rest of my life. But, I can use them as stepping stones. When they come to mind I will let them remind me of what not to do, what not to say, and that I'm not the person that I once was.

Everyday in my walk with the Lord He is changing me. Little by little, day by day. I don't want to be the same. I still have PLENTY of quirks, rough edges, imperfections, uglies...but He's not done with me yet! How grateful and blessed I am to have such a loving and caring Father!

As a parent I try to make everyday a new day. I don't want my kids to carry their mistakes of yesterday into today. Today is a clean slate. I want them to learn from yesterday's spankings and time outs, but I do not want to hold over them or against them. What a wonderful example God is to me in this.

So today, if you are remembering past mistakes, failures, regrets...know that God is willing, able, and faithful to forgive us, if we are willing to ask Him. He loves us just as we are, but doesn't leave us that way.

If we [freely] admit that we have sinned and confess our sins, He is faithful and just (true to His own nature and promises) and will forgive our sins [dismiss our lawlessness] and [continuously] cleanse us from all unrighteousness [everything not in conformity to His will in purpose, thought, and action]. 1 John 1:9 (AMP)

One more thought, I can't help thinking of the people who may read this and think back to a time that they were on the receiving end of something hurtful that I did or said. I may remember or I may not even know I hurt you. Just like I know there are others who have hurt me and didn't even realize it (and still others who could care less). I just want to say I do care, and I'm very sorry. I hope you will forgive me as I too strive to choose forgive others. Know that I don't want to be that hurtful person! I hope you can see me for who God is molding me to be and not for who I have been! :) 

Wishing you peace and joy today!

Dina

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:12-14 (NIV)

Walking with Jesus

Walking along with Jesus
But He is quiet on the way
"Jesus, have you left me?"
"No child, I'm with you always"

"Up ahead the path grows darker,
Cliffs and valleys, dark as night
But I'll hold you, lead and guide you,
Hold my hand, you'll be alright!"

My bestie once told me God is like a navigator, he doesn't always speak until it is time to change directions. He is such a faithful friend and guide! When no one else is trustworthy, tried, and true, HE IS! :)

Have a great day!

Thoughts worth thinking...or not

Thoughts are such profound things in our lives, when you take a minute to think about it. I just had one of those moments. My life at this time is crazy busy. It seems like my mind is on overdrive, but I don't have time to process my thoughts much of the time. Not long ago I wrote a post called "Thought Life" because God has been working on me in this area. The funny thing is, as soon as I put into action the steps I described to combat the thoughts I was struggling with at that time (and had great success!), here came another one. This thought is really a question I've struggled with most of my life, attached to a huge ball of emotion, hurt, and blame. It's so funny that something so huge could slowly creep it's way back into my mind and start an "auto-repeat" cycle without me realizing it until literally just now.

I was praying and pouring out my heart to God to help get rid of the huge burden there. In the process, He pointed out to me that this big question has become a real problem and the enemy is using it to stir the emotional pot in my life. Um, yeah, I have enough on my plate, thanks, but NO THANKS! And so, it just occured to me, some thoughts aren't worth thinking and some questions aren't worth asking. There are some situations in life that can't be fixed even if you had all the answers.  So, this question is one I'm laying to rest tonight. I should have been casting it down for a long time now, but honestly didn't realize it before. The devil is just that sneaky. When his old tricks aren't working, he finds new ones.

God is sooooo good and faithful! I'm thankful to be able to bring my burdens to Him and have Him so sweetly point out the problem. I'm willing to cast this question out, to forgive and let go of that huge, ugly, sad ball of emotion and let God pour in His love and healing again.

I'm sending this message into cyberspace because I want to encourage you to take a minute and let God search you and know you. Your thoughts. Your emotions. Your questions. I'm sure it's possible that someone else might read this and realize they too have an annoying, legitimate question or maybe just some stinkin' thinkin' that needs to be cleaned out. I pray for the people who read this that God will touch your heart and mind in a special way and prompt you to give over any negative, dibilitating thoughts in exchange for his comfort, peace, and burden-lifting rest!

Search me, God, and know my heart;
test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting. (Psalm 139:23, 24 NIV -love this whole chapter)



Wishing you peace and joy this week!
Dina

How long must I wrestle with my thoughts
and day after day have sorrow in my heart?
How long will my enemy triumph over me? But I trust in your unfailing love;
my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing the Lord's praise,
for he has been good to me. (Psalm 13:2, 5, 6 NIV)

Make time for God today!

Make time to be with God today. Sit and be still and let him speak to your heart! :) He has wisdom, direction, peace, comfort, hope, joy...whatever you may need!

Revelation 3:19-20
Those whom I dearly and tenderly love, I tell their faults and convict and convince and reprove and chasten I discipline and instruct them. So be enthusiastic and in earnest and burning with zeal and repent changing your mind and attitude.
Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears and listens to and heeds My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will eat with him, and he will eat with Me.

Thought Life

I wanted to share something that I'm working on in my own life in hopes of encouraging you.

For the past several months I have struggled with some crazy thoughts! From depressing to just plain weird. Sometimes these thoughts affected the way I felt about myself or others, they had a way of setting the tone for my mood, and influenced my tone and topics during conversations. After being at home for months during the cold and flu season with newborn twins, I kept telling my husband I felt depressed, sad, etc. During one of my first Sundays back at church our pastor was preaching a sermon series called "Toxic" and his message was about our thought life. He reminded us not to just passively accept every thought that came through as truth. He reminded us that there is an enemy and other influences that affect our thoughts. I realized then that what I thought was depression was really me letting the enemy attack my mind and basically giving him permission to rule over my emotions because I wasn't guarding my mind. Now that I'm aware my thoughts and feelings have changed for the better.

Thoughts are powerful. As Christians the bible teaches us to be careful what we think about and to be on guard against wrong thinking in whatever form it takes (depressing, unkind, inappropriate, etc). I've been praying about this issue and felt encouraged by the Lord to start memorizing scriptures in the areas that my struggles are in. I think of this now as kind of a "duh" moment! Of course! What did Jesus use when Satan tempted him? God's word! So basically He reminded me that I need to hide his word in my heart and recall the words that are already hidden there.

Again, thoughts are powerful. Sin doesn't just happen, it starts with a thought. When we entertain wrong thoughts they can influence our words, actions, attitudes, reactions, etc.

Here are some tips to help control your thoughts:

1) Proactively guard your mind and recognize when your thoughts are negative, wrong, inappropriate, unkind... Don't just be passive when thoughts come up, if they aren't right DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT.

(For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal, but mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds;) Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ; (2 Corinthians 10:4, 5 KJV)

2) Give your thoughts the thought test based on Philippians 4:8- Is it true? Honest? Just? Pure? Lovely? Of good report? Does it have any virtue or any praise?

If your thoughts don't meet this standard, trade them for new, better ones!

3) Hide God's word in your heart and keep it fresh in your mind (memorize scriptures that will help you think good thoughts or ones that address areas you are struggling in)

How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word. I have tried hard to find you— don’t let me wander from your commands. I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. (Psalm 119:9-11 NLT)

4) Be careful what you put in your mind. This is huge! We are bombarded all day every day with all kinds of media and various people in our lives. BE CAREFUL!!! Garbage in, garbage out. Be careful what you watch, read, listen to and the conversations you have with others. ...yes, I just said "be careful" 3 times, it's important!

A good person brings good out of the treasure of good things in his heart; a bad person brings bad out of his treasure of bad things. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. (Luke 6:45 GNTD)

5) Renew your mind by replacing the old kinds of thoughts with better ones.

Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you]. (Romans 12:2 AMP)

6) Remember your enemy is real and he is a liar. If the devil is feeding you lies, remind him of the truth!

He was a murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a falsehood, he speaks what is natural to him, for he is a liar [himself] and the father of lies and of all that is false. John 8:44

7) Pray, pray, pray!! When you surrender to God and ask Him to handle your problems, troubles, worries, etc, he will give you peace beyond understanding to guard your mind & heart!!

Do not fret or have any anxiety about anything, but in every circumstance and in everything, by prayer and petition (definite requests), with thanksgiving, continue to make your wants known to God. And God’s peace [shall be yours, that tranquil state of a soul assured of its salvation through Christ, and so fearing nothing from God and being content with its earthly lot of whatever sort that is, that peace] which transcends all understanding shall garrison and mount guard over your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6, 7 AMP)

Have a great week!
<3 Dina

Being honest

I've been thinking this morning about how honesty and trust go hand in hand. I'm so thankful that God is not a man that He should lie. He is our example of trustworthiness and truth. When you are faced with situations and must choose to tell the truth or a falsehood, tell the truth! God will be proud of you, your conscience will be clear before him, and people will discover honesty is one of your character traits! Being truthful is a way to let your light shine for Jesus in this dark world.

Have a great week!
Dina

Behold, You desire truth in the inner being; make me therefore to know wisdom in my inmost heart. (Psalm 51:6 AMP)

But when He, the Spirit of Truth (the Truth-giving Spirit) comes, He will guide you into all the Truth (the whole, full Truth)... (John 16:13 AMP)

Let our children see...

Loved this passage of scripture, what a great prayer! I want to see God working and i want my children to see His glory!!! :)

Wishing you a great day!
Dina

Teach us to realize the brevity of life,
so that we may grow in wisdom. O LORD, come back to us!
How long will you delay?
Take pity on your servants! Satisfy us each morning with your unfailing love,
so we may sing for joy to the end of our lives. Give us gladness in proportion to our former misery!
Replace the evil years with good. Let us, your servants, see you work again;
let our children see your glory. And may the Lord our God show us his approval
and make our efforts successful.
Yes, make our efforts successful! (Psalm 90:12-17 NLT)

Unexpected Trials

I'm just sitting here thinking about how we can make it through this life when hard times come. When people die unexpectedly and sometimes "too early". Everyday you hear of abuse and wrong that has happened to others. These things are hard to understand. We want to question and ask "Why God?, Why?".

God's plan is so much bigger than we can see or understand. Sometimes it doesn't make sense at all or it seems like He made a big mistake. But His ways are higher than our ways, He sees the whole span of our lives as we remember the past and live in the present. He knows what the future holds and is there to hold us no matter what happens...if we let Him! He never promised we would not go through hard times of varies kinds, but He did promise that He will never leave us or forsake us! He is a comforter, helper, healer, deliverer. He is an anchor and a rock to cling to when the storms of this life are raging. So many are tempted to turn away from God or be angry with Him during these times. But I am determined that I will run TO HIM during any and every trial or crisis. Not only in those times, but I want to stay close to Him so that when trials come I don't feel like He is too far away to reach. It's easier to bring your burdens to a friend than to a stranger.

My prayer for today: Lord, help me to trust You and praise You in the good and in the bad. I don't want to live one day of my life estranged from You, I don't have to and I choose not to! :)


Be encouraged, God is in control and never taken by surprise! :)
Dina

Dealing with temptation

Hello! I sat down today to write in my journal and a note I had written several months ago fell out. After reading it I thought it would be good to share because we all struggle with some thing that trips us up from time to time. Even the most committed Christian has some area of weakness, even if it is something as simple as being prideful about not having an area that trips them up! :) Here goes:

How to deal with temptation.

1. Keep a fresh relationship with the Lord everyday through prayer and Bible study.

James 4:8 - Come close to God and He will come close to you. [Recognize that you are] sinners, get your soiled hands clean; [realize that you have been disloyal] wavering individuals with divided interests, and purify your hearts [of your spiritual adultery].


2. Learn to recognize impure thoughts or thoughts that could lead to sin and change your thinking. (*impure as in anything that doesn't please God, could be lust, gossip/hearsay, bitterness, anger, revenge, jealousy, spite, painting someone in a negative light, disrespect toward authority/parents)

Ephesians 4:22-24 - Strip yourselves of your former nature [put off and discard your old unrenewed self] which characterized your previous manner of life and becomes corrupt through lusts and desires that spring from delusion; And be constantly renewed in the spirit of your mind [having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude],And put on the new nature (the regenerate self) created in God's image, [Godlike] in true righteousness and holiness.


3. Learn to recognize temptations and refuse to give in.

Matthew 26:41 - All of you must keep awake (give strict attention, be cautious and active) and watch and pray, that you may not come into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.


4. Share your temptations with someone before they result in sin.

James 5:16 - Confess to one another therefore your faults (your slips, your false steps, your offenses, your sins) and pray [also] for one another, that you may be healed and restored [to a spiritual tone of mind and heart]. The earnest (heartfelt, continued) prayer of a righteous man makes tremendous power available [dynamic in its working].


5. Recognize giving in to temptation as sin. Call sin what it is, SIN. Not a "little white lie", not an "indiscretion", a "mistake", a "bad habit", "doing things my way"...if it is sin, then it is sin.

6. Think of the consequences of giving into temptation before you act. To name a few:

• sinning against God
• sinning against yourself
• sinning against your spouse
• sinning against your family
• violating trust
• opening the door to more sin
• giving the devil a foothold
• compromising your standards
• losing respect of your family
• hurting yourself
• hurting others

7. Look for a way of escape from temptation.

1 Corinthians 10:13 - For no temptation (no trial regarded as enticing to sin), [no matter how it comes or where it leads] has overtaken you and laid hold on you that is not common to man [that is, no temptation or trial has come to you that is beyond human resistance and that is not adjusted and adapted and belonging to human experience, and such as man can bear]. But God is faithful [to His Word and to His compassionate nature], and He [can be trusted] not to let you be tempted and tried and assayed beyond your ability and strength of resistance and power to endure, but with the temptation He will [always] also provide the way out (the means of escape to a landing place), that you may be capable and strong and powerful to bear up under it patiently.


8. Confess your sins quickly instead of lying, covering them up, sugar coating them, playing them down. (*being honest before God and with others helps you have a fresh relationship with God, sin just puts a wall between you and God. We can deceive others and even ourselves, but God always knows the truth)

9. Ask the Holy Spirit to convict you about what areas still need work!

So why share this? Because I'm so good and so full of good advice, NOT AT ALL! The real reason is because reading this today reminded me that I need to take my own advice. It made me look at myself and my own struggle with sin and made me realize I need to do better. Because I recognize the Holy Spirit putting His spotlight on areas in me that need to be cleaned out right now. Because I feel that icky feeling and weight of sin that so easy trips me up and because it's time for me to pray and read my bible and I realized I need to get some things off my chest before I can get anything out of either prayer or bible study anyway!! :) The other reason is I figured it might encourage someone else to be honest with himself/herself and God, it might help someone to strive against sin and result in a closer walk with God...that would be awesome! :)

Well, I hope y'all have a terrific day! :) More later!
Dina