This past summer, while on a cruise ship, I had the opportunity to smell Chanel's Coco perfume. I had only smelled it on my niece and have never purchased it before. When I saw the price, I knew why. I recall saying to my husband "I'M not paying 125.00 for a small bottle of perfume!" So I left without it.
February was my birthday and I received several gift cards to Macy's. As we strolled through the store, I hit the perfume counter. My husband commented on the perfume and I again stated that it cost too much. This time however, I had all my gift cards. We examined the bottles and the sizes, which was a better deal and whether or not I really wanted the perfume. Of course I did...I just didn't want to pay that much for it.
After we made all the calculations, we decided that if I did purchase it, the larger bottle would be the better deal. I reached into my purse and counted my gift cards and handed them to her. In the end, my total payment was 25.00. What a deal. All my family had purchased this perfume for me and it smelled "delicious." My husband loved the smell, I loved it and we were set.
It had such a unique smell that I can't even describe. It was sweet yet gentle, it was strong yet not overbearing. I loved it and felt like everyone I passed knew exactly what I was wearing. That reminded me of one of my favorite verses. It made me question "In my Christian walk, what do I smell like?" Do I exude a fragrance of Christ or a stench of the world? My prayer is that as I walk past other, the smell lingers like the sweet fragrance of Jesus Christ.
When we walk with God, we leave behind a sweet fragrance that can inspire others to follow (Our Daily Bread 2016).
But thanks be to God, who always leads us as captives in Christ's triumphal procession and uses us to spread the aroma of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are to God the pleasing aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 2 Corinthians 2:14-15
Saturday, March 19, 2016
Monday, March 14, 2016
I have hidden your word in my heart
Years ago, during Vacation Bible School, I memorized Psalm 119:11 I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you. I probably learned as I read the pledge allegiance to the Bible. I have always believed in this verse. It is the ammunition to our armor mentioned in Ephesians 6. this morning as I opened my bible to my devotion I realized that this was part of the readings. What I didn't realize is the impact of the verses preceding it.
I have often been asked about purity. When I read these scriptures, they really spoke to my own life.
(V9) How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. (V10) I seek you with all my heart do not let me stray from your commands.
I have to admit I don't recall reading that before but it is a great introduction to verse 11. How do we remain on the path of purity? This does not end with a young person. It carries over to our entire lives for the rest of our life.
We don't need reminders when we get off track. I don't know about you but as hard as the enemy works to side track me, the Holy Spirit works to keep me grounded. It is a no brainer. If you love Jesus, if you are committed to Jesus, if you are loyal to Jesus, this prompting will speak to you. When I was younger, I recall making some decisions that only took one question to determine whether or not I had crossed the line. The question was "What would dad think if he knew I was doing this?" The same rings true for our heavenly Father.
How do we fight the urge, the temptation, the taunting? By hiding His Word in our heart that we may tap into that when we become the enemy's target. We have to first seek Him with all our heart and combine that with living according to His word so that we do not stray from His commands.
It was refreshing to read that this morning. I am content. I am full. I pray that I will live according to His Word but in order to do that, I must first read His Word them commit to hiding His Word in my heart.
I have often been asked about purity. When I read these scriptures, they really spoke to my own life.
(V9) How can a young person stay on the path of purity? By living according to your word. (V10) I seek you with all my heart do not let me stray from your commands.
I have to admit I don't recall reading that before but it is a great introduction to verse 11. How do we remain on the path of purity? This does not end with a young person. It carries over to our entire lives for the rest of our life.
We don't need reminders when we get off track. I don't know about you but as hard as the enemy works to side track me, the Holy Spirit works to keep me grounded. It is a no brainer. If you love Jesus, if you are committed to Jesus, if you are loyal to Jesus, this prompting will speak to you. When I was younger, I recall making some decisions that only took one question to determine whether or not I had crossed the line. The question was "What would dad think if he knew I was doing this?" The same rings true for our heavenly Father.
How do we fight the urge, the temptation, the taunting? By hiding His Word in our heart that we may tap into that when we become the enemy's target. We have to first seek Him with all our heart and combine that with living according to His word so that we do not stray from His commands.
It was refreshing to read that this morning. I am content. I am full. I pray that I will live according to His Word but in order to do that, I must first read His Word them commit to hiding His Word in my heart.
Thursday, March 3, 2016
Run the race
Good morning. It has been a long while, I know. Being a doctoral candidate, supporting my brother's election, keeping up with kids and a husband, and tending to a new puppy has kept me pretty busy. I have now relaxed from one of those things but must speak about it.
My brother was a candidate for Harris County Constable Precinct 3. He ran an impeccable race. My father and I, being the two retired, witnessed much of the process. We were at polls for all of early voting. We, as a family, were at my brother's side when he made this decision a year ago. We made the decision to run a clean, fair race with character as the foundation.
There were nine candidates in the race and this was my brother's first go at it. Many of the others had run before. Each time I saw my brother I saw a qualified, loyal, ardent individual. He didn't need a job, he is an investigator for Harris County District Attorney's Office. He wanted to make a difference. While other candidates had the time to be at the polls, my brother did not. He continued to serve the citizens.
This week, my Pastor, Dr. Ed Young, gave an amazing sermon with an introduction of integrity, service and character to those we choose as leaders. It left an abiding impact in my heart as I knew my brothers election race was Tuesday.
On several days at early voting, my father and I witnessed actions contrary to the laws of integrity but aligned with the laws of human nature. We heard name calling, accusations, challenges, showboating, allegations of wrong doing, shouting, cursing and so much more. We witnessed printed derogatory material, a particular candidate yelling at an employee of the library where they were graciously allowing them to vote, pushing the envelope just a little until it became an all out war, and so much more.
We were so confident in our candidate. What else could the community want? A dedicated servant who served in law enforcement over 26 years and now serves the community in the DA's office. A beaming record with numerous awards for service. I was often asked "Do you really think your brother will win?" My response was often "We serve a God that parted the red sea, that opened the heavens with rain, that rescued Daniel from the Lion's den-is anything impossible for him?"
My daily devotions were aligned with endless possibilities of Gideon, Joshua, Caleb and giants. Nothing is impossible for our God but I must say that our prayer was "but if not" [Daniel 3:19], let us still continue to glorify our God. And so we have. He did not win the race but he kept his character and integrity. There is a second part to this election story. Throughout the race, I was met by individuals that thought "being good" would get them to heaven. I was put in a position to tell them that only believing in the Lord Jesus Christ would get them eternal life. Many of these workers from other teams were individuals that were paid and had never met the candidate, we knew ours and we knew his heart. We knew the God we believe in and he put us there to impact lives not to win a race.
My father, our patriarch, led the way. His love for his son led him to stand countless hours [as did I] holding signs that said vote for our candidate. My father was up early and stayed late. The reward in that was the endless people that complimented us on our brothers character and our example. Oh don't get me wrong, we were not faultless. The poor show of respect prompted us to want to cross that line and we had a heart to heart that ended something like this...."Are we going to trust God like we have been saying or will we let them win out?" The defeat was difficult only because we saw the ill actions of others, but we are content in God's final say. We lost the race but one lost soul won over is a greater victory!
I will give thanks to you O my God with all my heart, I will glorify your name forever. Psalms 86:12
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you have given me to do. John 17:4
I have run the race, I have fought the fight, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
My brother was a candidate for Harris County Constable Precinct 3. He ran an impeccable race. My father and I, being the two retired, witnessed much of the process. We were at polls for all of early voting. We, as a family, were at my brother's side when he made this decision a year ago. We made the decision to run a clean, fair race with character as the foundation.
There were nine candidates in the race and this was my brother's first go at it. Many of the others had run before. Each time I saw my brother I saw a qualified, loyal, ardent individual. He didn't need a job, he is an investigator for Harris County District Attorney's Office. He wanted to make a difference. While other candidates had the time to be at the polls, my brother did not. He continued to serve the citizens.
This week, my Pastor, Dr. Ed Young, gave an amazing sermon with an introduction of integrity, service and character to those we choose as leaders. It left an abiding impact in my heart as I knew my brothers election race was Tuesday.
On several days at early voting, my father and I witnessed actions contrary to the laws of integrity but aligned with the laws of human nature. We heard name calling, accusations, challenges, showboating, allegations of wrong doing, shouting, cursing and so much more. We witnessed printed derogatory material, a particular candidate yelling at an employee of the library where they were graciously allowing them to vote, pushing the envelope just a little until it became an all out war, and so much more.
We were so confident in our candidate. What else could the community want? A dedicated servant who served in law enforcement over 26 years and now serves the community in the DA's office. A beaming record with numerous awards for service. I was often asked "Do you really think your brother will win?" My response was often "We serve a God that parted the red sea, that opened the heavens with rain, that rescued Daniel from the Lion's den-is anything impossible for him?"
My daily devotions were aligned with endless possibilities of Gideon, Joshua, Caleb and giants. Nothing is impossible for our God but I must say that our prayer was "but if not" [Daniel 3:19], let us still continue to glorify our God. And so we have. He did not win the race but he kept his character and integrity. There is a second part to this election story. Throughout the race, I was met by individuals that thought "being good" would get them to heaven. I was put in a position to tell them that only believing in the Lord Jesus Christ would get them eternal life. Many of these workers from other teams were individuals that were paid and had never met the candidate, we knew ours and we knew his heart. We knew the God we believe in and he put us there to impact lives not to win a race.
My father, our patriarch, led the way. His love for his son led him to stand countless hours [as did I] holding signs that said vote for our candidate. My father was up early and stayed late. The reward in that was the endless people that complimented us on our brothers character and our example. Oh don't get me wrong, we were not faultless. The poor show of respect prompted us to want to cross that line and we had a heart to heart that ended something like this...."Are we going to trust God like we have been saying or will we let them win out?" The defeat was difficult only because we saw the ill actions of others, but we are content in God's final say. We lost the race but one lost soul won over is a greater victory!
I will give thanks to you O my God with all my heart, I will glorify your name forever. Psalms 86:12
I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work which you have given me to do. John 17:4
I have run the race, I have fought the fight, I have kept the faith. 2 Timothy 4:7
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)