Category: marriage

Posted on

Confusing Times During the Holidays Needs Prayer

* I want to thank those who have been signing up for the RSS feed. It helps this site move up the Google Search Rankings. If you haven’t already signed up please do so today.

_________________________________________________________

My book, “Sings of Hope: Ways to survive in an Unfriendly World,” is an ideal Christmas present for those on your list who may be battling anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects.

There is a special Christmas sale going on right now. In the stores the book is $19.99, but is you order from this site, it is only $15.99. The shipping is cut in half as well. You will need to order by December 17th to make sure you get the book in time.

__________________________________________________________

Today’s excerpt is chapter 16. It talks about our need to ask God for advice before we charge into making new decisions.

__________________________________________________________________

Chapter 16

 

Don’t Cross Your Fingers; Fold Your Hands

 

This is the confidence we have in approaching God:

that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

1 John 5:14

 

Do you often have trouble deciding what to do on an important matter? Do you sometimes charge ahead, and hope for the best? There are better ways to approach these situations.

We do things we haven’t spent any time thinking about, and then have to scramble to figure a way out of the problem after we do it. We think that whatever we do, everything will work out. And how often does that strategy (or non-strategy) work? Not very often, if you’re like most of us.

This approach can not only be harmful to yourself, it can also cause pain to those around you. Wouldn’t it be better if we considered each situation with deep thought and prayer about how it might affect ourselves and those around us? Decisions we make can—and often do—alter our own lives and the lives of others forever.

Now the other hat is on. There may be times when you need to trust your instincts and go for it. You may need to act quickly on some of your decisions, and this is when you pray on the spot, asking the Lord to direct you through the process. It could be a situation where if you waited, the opportunity God is presenting to you would be gone. Oftentimes the opportunity is there for only moments, and we pass it up out of fear. Or we let others talk us out of our dreams. Can you imagine what the world would be like if everyone went after their dreams, and didn’t let someone discourage them?

God did let me know what He wanted me to do—write a book—and I went ahead and did it. I prayed for a long time, and knew this was what He wanted me to do. Knowing His approval was my gift from Him. He helped me through each page of this book.

Ray Bradbury said, “Living at risk is jumping off a cliff, and building your wings on the way down.”

There are many Thomas Edison’s out there who never got past their fears. This could be a time when the Lord is saying, “Trust me, I am close at hand, and I will lead you through this.”

He may choose to build your wings after you jump off the cliff. Don’t let others stop you from trying to reach a dream you have kept inside yourself for years. Step the step of faith and break through the fear barrier.

Do you notice a similarity between deliberating for awhile about a decision and making one on the spot? Both scenarios should involve prayer! With prayer, both situations can come out the way God wants them to. Prayer is a critical step in everything we do in our daily lives. Without it, we are truly jumping off a cliff without any chance of getting wings on the way down. We will have to face what ever happens if we wing it (sorry about the pun) ourselves.

As we seek the purpose God has for us in life, we need to take that first step—sometimes the hardest step—He wants us to take. He will never give us any tasks that He feels we can’t handle.

He is there for you, so take that step of faith and He will walk you through the mire to your dream.

The saying, “I made it on a wing and a prayer,” says it all. You have to have the prayer before you acquire wings.

 

Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.

Hebrews 11:1

 

Further Adventures

Some people go through life flying by the seat of their pants. They go through the desert like the Tasmanian devil you see in cartoons. They are whirling around and around but not going anywhere. The only way they can move ahead is by prayer. Stop spinning around, and head down a straight path with God leading you.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny that whenever a man wants to do something wrong, it is not God who is tempting him?

 

Posted on

Satan is a Methodical Schemer

* I want to thank those who have been signing up for the RSS feed. It helps this site move up the Google Search Rankings. If you haven’t already signed up please do so today.

_________________________________________________________ My book, “Sings of Hope: Ways to survive in an Unfriendly World,” is an ideal Christmas present for those on your list who may be battling anxiety,fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, hopelessness, and the many other usual suspects. There is a special Christmas sale going on right now. In the stores the book is $19.99, but is you order from this site, it is only $15.99. The shipping is cut in half as well. You will need to order by December 17th to make sure you get the book in time.

_________________________________________________________________

Today’s excerpt is chapter 15. It talks about how Satan is a real schemer, and will do what ever he can to sways you away from God. Prayer is one way to stay strong.

_________________________________________________________________

Chapter 15

 

ASAP: Always Say a Prayer

 

Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings.

1 Peter 5:8–9

 

Satan is a very methodical schemer. He will slowly change your thinking through doubts, fear, suspicions and nagging negative thoughts.

We all face rejection. I sure did as a child when I was around 8 or 9 years old. I think the word bully was created at my grade school! I was just a kid who wanted to be accepted by other kids, and there were some times when the school bully would find me on the playground and pick on me. He was relentless. He usually tried to get me in a fight with him and I’d crawl away like a snail trying to get away from salt. This made me feel helpless. It took me several years to overcome my fear of more failure.

What I didn’t know was that this same bully was just a person like me who had the same doubts and fears and was desperately trying to cover up for it.           

The only bully I deal with now is Satan. He has challenged me to many fights, and I have taken him on, matching blow for blow. With God in my corner of the ring, I know I can battle with all the weapons I need.

First Corinthians10:13helps us by saying: “No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.”

I realize that Paul can be long-winded—like some pastors in our churches—but what he is saying in a few words is that God knows all the devious tricks that Satan can think of, and He will never let you be forced into anything you cannot handle.

I wish as a young child that I would have been told about this promise. I would not have backed down and would have taken on any consequences that may have happened, knowing that God was there for me.

Did you miss the line that says God will provide a way out—a way to escape? That is our ticket, and we never have to back down again. God is there for us. He will see us through and will not let us face more than we can endure.

The best way to fight Satan and all of his negative thoughts is through prayer—and lots of it. We need to praise God in our prayers. Nothing chases Satan away faster than praise to God. We can also seek the Holy Spirit to be there to help us and then depend on Him!

Of course, it’s much easier to quit—to give in or to give up. It takes mountains of faith and prayer to withstand the attacks of Satan. There will always be an avalanche of doubts and fears from Satan—he is a master at it.

It’s then we need to remember one extremely important thing: God is on our side.

Paul said if God is for us who can be against us (see Romans8:31). God wants to help us through the mire, because He loves us.

Another way to look at it is to think of God as a computer geek. When I first heard the word “geek,” I thought someone was calling another person something akin to a moron. But to be called a geek is a compliment in the computer world. It means that person is one smart dude!

God is an excellent computer geek. He can reprogram the computer that is your mind better than Bill Gates can reprogram a computer with his latest software. I have nothing but high praise for Bill Gates and his contributions to the computer world, but only God can reprogram minds—Bill Gates is limited to reprogramming computers.

God has the power to filter out the negative thoughts and replace them with positive spiritual thinking. As we allow God to help us separate out the garbage, we start to see how He can transform even the most depressed mind—one like mine was.

I was on the edge of the abyss. I was letting Satan control my thoughts, and when I saw the above verses, and others like them, I slowly fought back with God’s help. Now I have all the armor I need to withstand Satan’s attacks.

In with the new—out with the old. In with the cleansing fluid—out with the stench. In with the positive—out with the negative. In with God’s love—out with Satan’s hatred.

I think you get the picture. Now do something about it. Put on God’s armor and take on that bully right now. Punch him right in the nose, and send him packing.

 

Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him.

James 1:12 

Further Adventures

I realize that I was very simplistic in my approach to handling life’s troubles. It is not easy to fight off the negative, undermining and persistent attacks of Satan and his merry men. But! Do not give in. NEVER give in! You have millions of angels, along with the Father, Son and Holy Spirit to fight on your side. All you have to do is ask them to help you and they will be there. If they are all on your side, who can be against you? No one! (Read Romans 8:31.)

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny that we feel we are alone sometimes, even though God is with us all the time?

 

Posted on

A Day Hemmed in Prayer Keeps Your Day From Coming Unraveled

I am very pleased with the amount of daily hits I have been getting here. There are now over 900 a day. Thank you for dropping by each day to read. I would also like you to sign-up for the RSS feed. It raises the ranking on the Google Search Rankings. Just click on the icon right after title and sign-up, if you haven’t already.

__________________________________________________________

Just a reminder about ordering my book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive in an Unfriendly World.” You will need to order it by December 17th to make sure it gets to you in time for Christmas. This book reaches out to those who may suffer from anxiety, fear, depression, addictions, self-doubt, or hopelessness.

There is s special sale going on for now until Christmas. Just click on the “Bookstore,” tab above to take a look at it.

_________________________________________________________

Below is anothe exceprt from the book, “Signs of Hope: Ways to Survive an an Unfriendly World.” We spend to many hours in a day fight through the muck and mire of life. We need to know we have someone to go to through prayer, who will take us by the hand and lead us out of the pits of dispair.

__________________________________________________________ 

A Day Hemmed in Prayer Keeps Your Day from Coming Unraveled

 

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.

With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

 

Ephesians 6:18

 

A survey in which 47,000 people participated on the comcast.com website revealed the following reasons for divorce:

Money 26%

Growing apart 22%

Easy way out after the “honeymoon is over” 22%

Personality conflicts 16%

Infidelity 15%

Cultural differences 1%

Religion 0%

 

These results are very interesting. The root of all evil, which some say is money, is the number one reason for divorce. This is alarming because so many people feel that money can buy happiness. If the poll is correct, then money does nothing to buy happiness. In this instance, it “buys” discontent with a marriage partner.

We look in the wrong places for happiness. Instead, all we have to do is look around us—in our own homes. Happiness comes in many forms. You see your children growing. You have a home for them to live in. You have friends to help you be happy. Why would you let money destroy everything you already have? You even have God who lives within you.

Think of the little things you have that are more important than money. Think small. It’s often the little pleasures in life—not the big things like lavish parties or cruises or exotic vacations—that bring happiness. Having all your family getting together for a holiday can be a source of happiness. Think about each member of your family and what each means to you. Money can’t buy that feeling.

If everything above makes sense to you then you shouldn’t use money as an excuse in your marriage. Time could be tough for your family because of the lack of money, but don’t make the family be torn further apart by having a fragmented home.

Study the rest of the poll to see where you may fit in as far as where you are hurting. Then concentrate on ways to erase that problem from your memory banks. Any of the excuses have a way to be turned around and made into a positive.

Living for God eliminates all of the excuses.

Each of us has to realize that we are not perfect, and that our spouses aren’t either. Don’t expect a spouse to be the dream person you pictured when you were in high school. Accept them for what they are, and realize they are not the enemy. They love you, and they want you to love them.

The word hurting describes what happens when we say awful things to our spouses. We often say things that cut deeply into their hearts. Remember to use words that heal, not hurt. I have a prayer in my daily devotions that simply says, “Help me to say nice things that do not hurt.”

Write your own hurts in the sand and your blessings in stone. (Another great bumper sticker!)You will be going in the right direction if you can do this.

To me, the most striking result of the survey is that no one out of 47,000 people listed religion as the reason for divorce. That is amazing. Perhaps it is because people who have religion/Christ in their lives seem to handle differences in people much better. I think a lot of it is how they stay close to God and turn their troubles over to Him.

As the bumper sticker says, using prayer to keep your life intact is the most important thing to do. Pray without ceasing, and God will be there for you.

 

If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all

without finding fault, and it will be given to him.

James 1:5

 

Until now you have not asked for anything in my name.

Ask and you will receive, and your joy will be complete.

John 16:24

 

Further Adventures

“Survey says …” Have you ever watched Family Feud? The family gets together and tries to come up with a good answer to the survey question. What a great idea for a marriage! Whenever you feel hurt or left out by your spouse, get together and try to come up with a good answer.

 

Something to Ponder

Isn’t it funny how we always seek perfection when we should concentrate on progress instead?