Training'N'Righteousness

As I read 2 Samuel 14 , I can relate to the story of people who are trying to reconcile a family torn apart by sin.  The Sin The man after God's own heart, David, sinned when he had sex with Bathsheba, schemed to cover it up, and then had Uriah murdered.  There is a consequence to our sin, but it doesn't just affect the person who sinned. The sin that is not repented impacts the family as well . David's children, wives, and close leaders suffered the consequences too. His infant son died, which I'm sure was devastating to Bethsheba. Poor lady! Her husband dies, then her son. David did not bring blessing on this poor lady.  David didn't just have the sin of adultery and murder, but he had many wives. In Deuteronomy 17:17, the bible says " The king is not to have many wives because this would make him turn away from the  Lord, and  he is not to make himself rich with silver and gold. "  Having many wives was not God's plan for David.  He had 7 wives, and...

This is the Novel Coronavirus (Covid-19) Pandemic, declared March 11th, 2020. https://www.coronavirus.gov/ Gas price a mile from home was $1.39 Schools closed.  At first, we would not come back until April 13. Now it is May 4th, but I'm betting the entire school year will be cancelled. Online school started on March 23.   As a teacher the first week, we didn't have to collect grades. It was for participation and learning how to adjust to online learning. I'm expected to have 30 minutes of activities for the students per day, and that could be reading, assignments, or quizzes.   Grades for secondary were due April 6. Most of my students participated, but I had 4 students that I had to give an "Incomplete". I've adjusted well to online teaching because I've been using Canvas all year.  However, my colleagues are pretty lost.  I've been helping them by creating tutorial videos and sending them links to online job aids. We have met using zoom ...

Ecclesiastes 3 Verse 11-13 11 He has set the right time for everything. He has given us a desire to know the future, but never gives us the satisfaction of fully understanding what he does.  12 So I realized that all we can do is be happy and do the best we can while we are still alive.  13 All of us should eat and drink and enjoy what we have worked for. It is God's gift. I have learn to be content with what I have and what God has planned for me. It is very hard to be patient when you know what you want, when you know the desires of your heart, when you know your purpose.  It's hard to be wait for God's timing when you are meant to do greater things.   For instance, I am 38 years old.  I've had a career for 15 years now.  I've changed jobs 4 times, and I'm still not satisfied with my function in life.  God has put desires in my heart.  Desires only he can fill.  I've been trying to find my purpose in my job as a te...

Psalms 79:8-9  Don't make us pay for the sins of our ancestors. Have pity and come quickly! We are completely helpless. Did you know that we could be paying for the sins our parents and grandparents committed?   There is all types of beliefs concerning generational sin.  1) Generational sin is something that is in the Old Testament, and we are freed by Jesus when we confess him as our Lord and Savior.  2) Generational sin is a learned behavioral patterns and ways of thinking such as racism, addiction, adultery, revenge, and many more.  So which is it? Well, both are true.  If you are walking with the Lord, loving him, and learning about him, generational sin does not have a hold on you.  When we change our way of thinking and pursue Jesus (pray, read the bible, worship him), we will not pay for the sins of our ancestors.   Breaking out of the the jail of generational sin Picure URL:https://www.google.com/...

Psalms 78: 32 But the rest kept sinning and would not trust God's miracles. How often do we make request to God and he gives us a miracle? How often do we we turn our back on God and sin the very next day? It happens too often, and it breaks God's heart.  He is a giving father and wants the best for us. But, he won't let us keep turning away from him.  He will do whatever is necessary to win our whole heart. He may put someone in your path or allow a tragedy to happen. He may take a loved one "too soon".  He could allow you to walk the journey of addiction.  He could let you make all the wrong choices.  He will let you experience suffering and not have peace, but this is not what he wants for us. Don't wait for God to allow something to turn your heart to him.  Give him your whole heart and feel peace in your life.  This doesn't mean you will be free of trials. Jesus guarantees that we will have trials, but you can have peace during the tria...

So today is my first blog I'm using this as my journal. I got the idea after attending a Sunday service at Lakewood and hearing Joyce Meyers. Honestly I don't even know where to start. I think a journal is time to reflect on my day. Right now, I have been thinking about my job. I'm having trouble deciding what I want to do next year as a teacher. There are times when I want to work with a general ed teachers and students, and there are times when I just want to work with special education. I just know that I can do more with the skills that God has given me.

John 1-8 Jesus defends someone who has shown him love, sacrfice & respect. Mary honored Jesus & he stuck up for her when she was attacked by those who were suppose to love her. There are times when we want to honor Jesus. It may be by sacrificing our time, desires, money & possession.  When we honor him & do something extraordinary for him others around us are quick to critize. But Jesus is quick to defend us when we honor him, love him & sacrifice for him.

Do you ever feel like you should be doing something else or more?  There are times when I have that tug on my heart to be doing something else.  Now don't get me wrong, I love what I do.  I like where I work, but there is still something missing.  I invest so much into my work including my time, my talents, my energy and sacrifice.  My work almost becomes my identity.  And reality is that I put more into my work than I do for God.  Wow, did you hear that?   Americans spend most of our time either working or sleeping.  I think I'm starting to understand why I'm so restless.  Maybe it's because I'm not doing what Jesus said to do in Luke 10:27 "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind '; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself."   The key is to love him with ALL my strength and mind.  I can't give him whatever I left over after I worked 8 hours a...

James 3:8-10 Its amazing how our words can have such an impact on ourselves & others. James said it right that small things can make a big difference. I recently read that even verbal abuse during childhood can physically change a child's brain structure & predispose them to mental disorders. Knowing how harmful our words can be, I need to speak positive. That old saying of dont say anything if you dont have anything good to say is something to live by. I can see good things happen when I speak positive.  I am happier & the positive energy is contagious.

This is interesting. Im saved by Gods mercy & not by my good deeds. That doesnt mean I should stop doing good. It says earlier in the chapter that "we were" foolish & sinful. Now that we know of his grace & mercy its time to stop those things. I do good because that please god. Its not to earn my salvation or entrance into heaven. I do it because he's my dad & I want him to be proud of me.

What do you do when you get angry?  If you got cut off in traffic, can you wave to them and smile?  If someone breaks a promise, can you keep from yelling at them?  Everybody gets angry, but we have a choice of what to do with that anger.  Don't let it control you.  Anger can lead to sin and actions that are not pleasing to God and those you care about.  Channel that energy from anger into something good.  Go work out, get some work done around the house, or help somebody with their groceries.  Take that negative and turn it into a positive. Romans 12:21 ESV           Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. Ephesians 4:26-27 ESV          Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.

God has done something amazing.  He has forgiven us for not doing what is pleasing to him.  Not only has he forgiven us, but he has given us the ability to forgive each other.  Nobody is perfect and people make mistakes.  Mark 11:25 (NIV) And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins.” Sometimes people will continuely make mistakes, but God still calls us to forgive them if they say they are sorry.  Matthew 18:21-22 (NIV) 21  Then Peter came to Jesus and asked, “Lord, how many times shall I forgive my brother or sister who sins against me? Up to seven times?”  Jesus answered, “I tell you, not seven times, but seventy-seven times. Even if they are not sorry we still need to forgive them.  Forgiveness is not just for the other person, but it is for ourselves as well.  When you don't forgive someone and hold on to their mistakes and wrong...

Philippians 3:12-14 ESV Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 ESV Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. It is amazing what happens when we surrender our life to Christ.  Those things that use to hold us back have no more power over us.  We get a second chance to do what is right and move forward.  Our sins are washed by the blood and are forgotten.  We actually become a new person.  People will see a difference in your attitude and even the way you present yourself.   

1 John 3:6 ESV          No one who abides in him keeps on sinning; no one who keeps on sinning has either seen him or known him. Once we come to know Jesus and accept him as our savior, we also agree to stop doing the things that are not pleasing to him.  We once were sinners, but now we are saved.  To accept Jesus is to accept the path of righteousness.  I don't want to fall away from doing what is pleasing to Jesus.  I don't want to sin.  I want to grow closer to him.  When I focus on him, I am able to fulfill my purpose to bring happiness and light to those who are lost in the darkness.  

What is the "American Dream"? Is it having nice things? Big house? New car? Well paying job? Is it being married? Having kids? Traveling the world? This is not Jesus' dream for America.  When you chase after these things, you begin to think you are in charge of your life.  You start to identify yourself based on what you have accomplished.  If someone ask you who you are, what do you say?  I'm a mom, I work for XYZ.  You base who you are on what you have and what you have done, but that's not who you are.  Jesus doesn't want you to lose who you are in what you have or done. You are a child of God, and a new creation in Christ.  You are here to testify the greatness of the blood shed for all.  May your actions, words, and identity be lead be Jesus and not by what the world expects from you. Mark 8:34-37 Calling the crowd to join his disciples, he said, “Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You’re not in the driver’s...

Have you ever felt like you can't go on?  And things just don't make sense?  Why do bad things happen to good people?  You know God is always good, and not a respecters of person.  He is good to all.  He is good to the person that believes in him, and he is good to those who don't believe in him.  But there are times in life that seem too hard, and we wonder, "Where is God?"  Well, rest in this promise he made in 1 Corinthians 10:13. No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. You might be going through something, but God is with you all the way.  He will guide you and provide you with a way out.  But there is a catch.  You got to follow him to find the way out.  If you are an addict, God will provide a way for you to stop (supporti...

Ephesians 4:29 ESV           Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.   1 Thessalonians 4:18 ESV       Therefore encourage one another with these words.   Psalm 34:13 ESV           Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.   Titus 3:2 ESV   To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.   James 4:11 Living Bible (TLB) Don’t criticize and speak evil about each other, dear brothers. If you do, you will be fighting against God’s law of loving one another, declaring it is wrong. But your job is not to decide whether this law is right or wrong, but to obey it.  Our words c...

What labels do you put on yourself? These are labels the world gives you and the devil whispers in your ear.  Jesus, has a different label for you. You are valuable and worth dying for.  Do not listen to the lies.  You are a child of God, and he laid his life down for you.  He did this so you may have forgiveness, grace, mercy, love and a personal relationship.  Put this name tag on, and don't trade it for any of the others.

Do you remember John 4?  Jesus asked a Samaritan woman for a drink at the well.  She questioned him and why Jesus would even talk to her.  Jesus said " If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water" (John 4:10).  What is Jesus trying to say here? Let's look at this. If you knew the gift of God and who it is that ask you for a drink : What gifts do we receive from God?  Love, mercy, grace, all our needs met, miracles, the list goes on and on.  Jesus is also a gift from God.  We are all brothers and sisters with the same inheritance as Jesus.  Therefore, we are also gifts from God.  This signifies that Jesus is equal to this lady.  He doesn't perceive Himself better than her, which is how she perceives Him. Then the lady goes on to question Jesus again about what He has to put in the well  and tells Him the well is deep.  It h...

6  But when you ask, you must believe and not doubt, because the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea, blown and tossed by the wind. 7  That person should not expect to receive anything from the Lord. 8  Such a person is double-minded and unstable in all they do. James 1:6-7 NIV In life, there are winds that come into our life.  If we don't stand firm and expect greatness by putting our faith in Jesus, he will not deliver what we expect. What do you expect?  What are your dreams?  They are not too big for him, and they are not out of reach.  God is greater than any barriers here on Earth.  He can move them out of your way and remove them.  He can calm the storms (Matthew 3:35-41). I have a vision of peace and joy.  I expect this peace and joy daily in my life.  The storms and crashing waves are no match for my God.  Greater is he that is in me, than he that is in the earth (1 John 4:4)  I believe and stand f...