Recipe For Friendship

Friendships are wonderful gifts to our lives straight from God. There are several references to friendship in the Bible. I think of the relationship of David and Jonathan (1 Samuel 18-20, 2 Samuel 1). Those chapters in Samuel are great reading. Jonathan and David had a great love and respect for each other.

I think of how God called Abraham, "friend" (James 2:23). Moses also comes to mind. Remember how God spoke to him, "face to face, as a man speaketh to his friend" (Exodus 33:11)?

When it comes to our sisters in Christ, friendship takes on a special quality. Friendship between Christians is especially sweet because of the bond of Christ. We are enhanced by those special friendships. Building those friendships is a wonderful way to encourage and lift up others in the Lord.

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be
likeminded one toward another according to Christ Jesus:
That ye may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the
father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 15:5,6

Bear ye one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. Galatians 6:2

Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of
a man's friend by hearty counsel. Proverbs 27:9

Friends are one of the ways God takes care of us. We need all the things friendship entails from other human contact such as encouragement, companionship, love, honesty, loyalty, understanding, and so many more things friendship offers.

Our friendships with our sisters in Christ are like recipes of goodness for us. They bake up something special. You may have heard that saying, "In the cookies of life, friends are the chocolate chips". Friends are that sweet extra in life and even sweeter is friendship among believers in Christ.

Sisters In Christ Friendship Recipe

• Shortening - Provides texture. Our fellowships can add much depth and texture to our lives. We blend together in unity as part of the body of Christ.
• Sugar - Adds sweetness. Our fellowships add such a sweet taste in our lives. If we didn't have sugar in our cookies, we'd sure miss it. The same is with our fellowship with our sisters. We can't leave it out of our lives.
• Eggs - Holds ingredients together. Our friends are people we can lean on. We are held together by fellowship with them. We are stronger because of them, their prayers, and their love in the Lord. We have a special bond with our Christian friends.
• Vanilla - Adds flavor. Christian friends add that flavor we need. Without friends and fellowship we become kind of bland.
• Flour - Adds substance. We need the substance a sister in the Lord can add. They give us many things by way of mentoring us when we don't even know it. Their shared testimonies and way they live their lives has an impact on us.
• Baking Soda - Leavens. When you’re baking leavening agents helps make the dough lighter. Friendship with our sisters in Christ lightens our burdens through their prayer and encouragement.
• Salt - Enhances flavor. We know that friendships add flavor and just when we need it, they help improve the tastefulness and quality of our lives. Friends are the type of people that know just what we are going through and are there when we need them.
• Semi Sweet Chocolate Chips - - The kind of chocolate chips we normally add to our cookies is semi sweet. Our sister friends tell us what they feel and think and that's okay. They can be honest and truthful to us. "Iron sharpeneth iron" (Proverbs 27:17).
• Nuts...Optional - Just a little craziness in a friend is great! Sometimes a little zaniness can be just the ingredient we need.

Conclusion:
Friendships take a lot of time and effort to bake up but they are worth it when we sense that sweet aroma and special bond that they bring. Friends that have Jesus in common will have lasting relationships, not just here on earth, but will dwell with Christ together throughout eternity.

"A man that hath friends must show himself friendly: and there
is a friend that sticks closer than a brother." Proverbs 18:24.

I wonder if I'm the type of friend that I should be to others, especially to my sisters in Christ. Am I doing all those things that I should be doing, like lifting burdens, adding flavor, helping hold things together with my prayers, and all those other things? I hope I can improve in this area.

So, is your life a good recipe for friendship?

What Not To Wear

What Not To Wear
Julia Bettencourt
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"That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness." Ephesians 4:22-24

When we become Christians, we are told to "put off" the old man and his actions because we should reflect Christ. There are some things that are just fashion "no no's" when it comes to walking and living like a Christian woman. Sometimes we have to check our closets and make sure we don't have any of those last season or "old man" fashions in our wardrobes.

1. Pride.
None of us like to look overweight but pride sure can bloat us up! It's something that's not very flattering to a Christian woman. In Proverbs 6 pride is listed among the things that God hates.

These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an
abomination unto him: A proud look… Proverbs 6:16,17

An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing
of the wicked, is sin. Proverbs 21:4

2. Anger.
We all like our faces to look nice without any noticeable blemishes but anger has a way of affecting our faces. Anger can make our eyes and faces glow red. It is something that is not kept inside of us very well. Anger has a way of showing on the outside and ruining our appearance.

An angry man stirreth up strife, and a furious
man aboundeth in transgression. Proverbs 29:22

Cease from anger, and forsake wrath: fret not
thyself in any wise to do evil. Psalm 37:8

3. Selfishness.
Selfishness is one of those fashions we wear that makes us look so skinny that our bones show. When we wear selfishness, people can truly see what is inside of us.

He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that
hideth his eyes shall have many a curse. Proverbs 28:27

We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities
of the weak, and not to please ourselves. Romans 15:1

4. Whining.
When we are whiners and complainers it makes us have a drippy appearance and a long face. It's not something we want to wear and portray as Christians. Remember how the Israelites complained to Moses?

And the people murmured against Moses, saying,
What shall we drink? Exodus 15:24

Do all things without murmurings and disputings: Philippians 2:14

5. Bad Attitude.
Wearing a bad attitude is like wearing an unpleasant smelling perfume. It makes the air reek around us and we leave a trail everywhere we go because our bad attitude can rub off onto other people. Bad attitudes are heart issues. The source usually goes back to our hearts and what we are focusing on. We have to get our hearts right in order to set our attitude right.

Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is
stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Isaiah 26:3

Conclusion:
I hope I can keep these fashion "no no's" out of my wardrobe. I know they are all so easy to slip on and wear but Christ did so much for us that we should want to wear and display the right things in our lives as Christians. Look at what He wore for us.

Then came Jesus forth, wearing the crown of thorns, and the
purple robe. And Pilate saith unto them, Behold the man! John 19:5

So, what are you wearing?

Heart Smart

Heart Smart
Julia Bettencourt
________________________________________
"Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men
that work iniquity: and let me not eat of their dainties." Psalm 141:4


With such a health conscious craze going on, we hear all the talk of being Heart Smart. Our heart is a valuable organ and we have to take care of it. There are so many things that affect whether our heart will function properly. The way we eat factors in, our exercise, and how we live our lives in general.

I wonder how smart we are with our hearts where our Christian living is concerned. We know we should take care of our hearts but do we consciously do it? The Bible gives us some things that we can do to improve the functioning of our heart.

Tips To Be Heart Smart.

1. Believe With Your Heart.
To begin with we need to have a personal relationship with Christ in order to have our heart pumping correctly. We have to see our need of salvation.

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. " Romans 10:9

2. Purpose With Your Heart.
I love the story of Daniel. He was someone who took care of his heart. He decided he wasn't going to intake the harmful things of the world and he chose to keep his heart pure and working properly.

"But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the king's meat, nor with the wine which he drank: therefore he requested of the prince of the eunuchs that he might not defile himself. " Daniel 1:8

3. Serve With Your Heart.
Serving Christ is one of the best exercises for our heart. It's like doing a cardiovascular workout! Even Joshua was still doing this exercise when he was well up into years. It says in Joshua 23:2, that he told the people, "...I am old and stricken in age" and yet later in the passage he makes a commitment before the people of Israel that he was going to serve God. Even at his age he was exercising by serving God.

"And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. " Joshua 24:15

4. Sing With Your Heart.
What a lift to our heart singing can be. When we are joyful and rejoicing in the Lord in our hearts, it's like giving our hearts a healthy dose of whole grain.

"Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and
spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your
heart to the Lord." Ephesians 5:19

5. Trust With Your Heart.
Nothing can help us breath easier than trusting the Lord. It can make our heart beat in the proper way.

"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

6. Love With Your Heart.
There's something about having love in our hearts that makes that blood pump through our veins a little better. God not only wants us to love Him but love others too.

"And he answering said, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. " Luke 10:27
Conclusion:
If we don't take care of our heart, it can lead to all kinds of health problems such as heart disease and congestive heart failure. There are certain things we need to do in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle in order to take care of our heart. The same is true in the Christian life. Maybe we should make a commitment to do a few things to be Heart Smart.

How about living a pure life and keeping out the impurities of the world? How about decreasing your stress by relying on God more? What about increasing your physical activity by serving the Lord more and being active for Him? How about more intake of that heart healthy Word of God? Christ wants us to have strong and vital lives and we cannot have the lives He intended if we don't take care of our hearts.

So, are you Heart Smart?

God Has Filled My Blessing Basket

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"By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually,
that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." Hebrews 13:15


Giving praise to the Lord is one of the best ways to express our thanks to God for His blessings and yet how many of us do it on a regular basis? Yes, we normally go through our routines of thanking God for our food before we eat, sometimes we even thank Him for the clothes we wear and praise Him for the sunshine. Around the Thanksgiving holiday we may even list out our blessings and reflect on what God has done, but to do we really "offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually" as our theme verse, Hebrews 13:15, states?

Continual doesn't just mean once a year or even once a day for that matter. It implies that it is repeated without interruption. David said in Psalm 34:1, "...His praise shall continually be in my mouth." He also said, "At midnight I will rise to give thanks unto thee because of thy righteous judgments." (Psalm 119:62)

When's the last time we found ourselves up at midnight thanking the Lord? Later on in that same psalm David says, "Seven times a day do I praise thee because of thy righteous judgments." Do we stop seven times a day to praise God? Do we even stop once or twice to praise Him?

Now that we know that we need to praise God continually, how do we do it? If you think that all praising God involves is sitting in a small group in a quiet place, whispering quiet praise songs--think again! Praising God is an active thing.

The Bible says the following about praise. "shout for joy" (Ps. 32:11) "O clap your hands" (Ps. 47:1) "sing" (Ps. 47:6) "make a loud noise" (Ps. 98:4) "lift up your hands" (Ps. 134:2) "with the sound of trumpet" (Ps. 150:3) "upon the loud cymbals" (150:5) "make a joyful noise" (Ps. 98:4) "rejoice" (Ps. 98:4) "with harp" (Ps. 33:2) We are not to keep praising God to ourselves. We are to "...make known his deeds among the people." (Psalm 105:1) In other words if you receive a blessing--tell someone about it.

If we are going to develop a lifestyle of praise to God continually we need to put things in perspective. Realize who God is and we who are not. "Know ye that the Lord he is God: it is he that hath made us and not we ourselves; we are his people and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100:3,4) We need to recognize that all of the things we find in our blessing basket come from above.

P Praise God because He is POWERFUL."Now these are thy servants and thy people, whom thou hast redeemed by thy great power, and by thy strong hand."Nehemiah 1:10"Touching the Almighty, we cannot find him out: he is excellent in power, and in judgment, and in plenty of justice: he will not afflict."Job 27:23

R Praise God because of His RIGHTEOUSNESS.

"Thy righteousness is like the great mountains; thy judgments are a great deep: O LORD, thou preservest man and beast." Psalm 36:6

"...for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth..." Daniel 9:14

A Praise God because he is ABLE.

"Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above
all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh
in us." Ephesians 3:20
"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you;
that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things,
may abound to every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

I Praise God because He is INFINITE.

"'O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge
of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past
finding out! For who hath known the mind of the Lord? or who hath
been his counsellor? Or who hath first given to him, and it shall
be recompensed unto him again? For of him, and through him,
and to him, are all things: to whom be glory for ever. Amen."
Romans 11:33-36

S Praise God because of His STRENGTH.

"God is my strength and power:
And he maketh my way perfect." 2 Samuel 22:33
"The LORD reigneth, he is clothed with majesty; the LORD
is clothed with strength, wherewith he hath girded himself:
the world also is stablished, that it cannot be moved." Psalm 93:1

E Praise God because He is EVERLASTING.

"Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the
everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends
of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no
searching of his understanding." Isaiah 40:28
"...and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince
of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

P-R-A-I-S-E!

So, are you praising God?

David picked up smooth stones from the brook to slay his giant. God give us our own stones for slaying the giants that we face.
Stones to have ready:

Stone of Joy:
There's nothing more fulfilling to have than the joy of the Lord when the giants come out to fight us. When those giants show up, whether they be financial, health-related, or whatever the situation, we need to just stick that stone of joy in our sling and hurl it. It can help knock those giants flat.
"...for the joy of the LORD is your strength." Nehemiah 8:10

Stone of A Good Attitude:
Ever notice how we let things bother us when we've got a bad attitude? It may be a small giant that shows up, but when we've got a bad attitude, it can look as big as Goliath. If we throw the smooth stone of a good attitude the giant's way, it becomes a much smaller giant.
"If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit." Galatians 5:25

Stone of God's Word.
This smooth stone we need to carry around with us all the time. We need to have it hidden safely away in our hearts so that we can reach in and place it in our sling any time we need it. Recalling Scriptures when faced with our giants can make a big difference in the outcome of our battles.
"For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged 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." Hebrews 4:12

Stone of Wisdom..
Wisdom is a very powerful stone to use when facing your giants. The Bible is full of the wisdom we need in any situation we face, such as raising out kids, financial matters, personal relationships and just general everyday life situations.
"For wisdom is better than rubies; and all the things that may be desired are not to be compared to it." Proverbs 8:11

Stone of Gratefulness.
When we are counting our blessings, the giants that come to call don't have such a big impact on us. Grateful hearts give us a different perspective. The giants seem smaller and more surmountable.
"And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful." Colossians 3:15

Stone of the Promises of God..
When the giants come out, call our name, and are just waiting to do battle with us, recalling the promises of God can send those giants running. So many promises are given to us to use for our strength. We are promised eternal life, sufficient grace, guidance, that God will never leave us, that He'll keep us from falling, and many others.
"Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises." 2 Peter 1:3

Stone of Prayer.
What a giant slayer prayer can be! It can bring such satisfaction when facing a trial or some type of roadblock in our lives. If we'd just get this stone out first and use it, our giants might not stick around so long.
"Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." Philippians 4:6

Stone of Hope.
We have to remember that our hope is in the Lord. He already knows the outcome of our fights with our giants. It is Christ who we rest our hope in.
"Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God:" Psalm 146:5

Stone of the Strength of the Lord.
What power we have over our giants when we rely on God to take care of them for us. David faced Goliath with the strength of the Lord and it can zing the giants of our lives right in the middle of the forehead too.
"Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give you into our hands." 1 Samuel 17:45-47

When giants come at us, we sometimes pick up those jagged rocks of anger, disappointment, worry, and frustration. We wind those things up in our sling and let them fly. We forget that God has already given us powerful weapons to destroy our giants with. Just one of these smooth stones can bring the biggest giant to his knees if we just think a little bit more before going to battle.

Do you have your stones ready to sling at your giants?

Conversation Hearts from God

I love those candy conversation hearts at Valentine's. They’re fun to eat and use to decorate cookies and cupcakes but what I like best is the little sayings. "Kiss me!" "Be Mine" "Be True".

Did you know that God sends us conversation hearts too? The things He left in His Word were left for us because He loves us. Each conversation heart from God is sweet to the taste. But sometimes we forget to read them.

Here are some of my favorites…

BE MINE - God wants us to accept His love.
For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16

TRUE LOVE - God loves us with true love as only He can.
I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. Jeremiah 31:3

LOVE ME - God wants us to love Him.
Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength, and with all thy mind; and thy neighbour as thyself. Luke 10:27

I'M SURE - God's sure of His love and wants us to know we have a future with Him.
Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. John 14:1-3

SWEET TALK - God's Word is His love letter to us.
How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth! Psalm 119:103

BE GOOD - God tells us how to love Him back.
If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15

Conclusion:
There's more conversation hearts that the Lord left for us to see His love through. We just have to dig into His Word to find them.

So, have you missed out on God's conversation hearts?

Have a Joy-Filled Day!

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness. Galatians 5:22.

Do you ever have those days when you look at your calendar and don't know how you're going to get it all done and nothing seems to go the way you want it to? Of course you do but we can rest assured that God has already put us on his calendar and is planning to spend the entire day right beside us. Just knowing that you're not going to face anything alone today should give you His joy unspeakable and full of glory. And nothing can take that joy away from you, not a grumpy boss or a disgruntled customer or co-worker. Not a fretful child or a house full of children that you just can't seem to please. No grouchy sales clerks or the customer in front of you with 50 items in the 10 items or less line at the grocery store. Nothing nothing nothing can steal our joy.

As long as we have our priorities correct:

J-Jesus

O-Others

Y-Yourself

No one or no thing can take it away from you. It's a gift from God.

Yesterday is history

Tomorrow is a mystery

Today is a gift from God

That's why it's called the present.

Have a joy-filled day.