The other day I was riding home from picking up my grandsons. They were spending the night with me. A conversation with my youngest grandson went like this:

Bryce: You're weaving.
Me: Does your dad say that to your mommy? (I assumed he had heard that somewhere)
Bryce: No, my papa does.
Me: Oh, that figures.
Bryce: You're weaving again.

A funny little conversation, but as I thought about it I was reminded of something very important. Bryce thought I was weaving because of a slight curve in the road. And he was quick to tell me so. But how many times have we watched as friends began to weave? Slight changes in their behavior that strike us as odd should be warning signals that perhaps they are veering off course. Whether a person is a believer or not, this could be a significant moment where we may look back and think, "I knew they were headed in that direction." Maybe it's drugs or alcohol abuse. Whatever the problem, addressing it early on is best.

For the believer, when we see someone caught in a sin, Galatians 6:1 instructs us to gently restore them. We're also told to be careful when doing so. It's so easy to get caught up in something, even if we think we're immune to it. Maybe I should say, "especially if we think we're immune to it." Perhaps you may think that, because you have some issue in your own life that you shouldn't say anything. I mean, wouldn't that be like the "pot calling the kettle black?" Matthew does tell us to remove the speck in our own eye first, doesn't it? And we all know that the minute we attempt to point out something in another person's life, we are setting ourselves up for that "judge not lest ye be judged" speech. So what do we do? Well, first deal with anything you need to deal with. But don't let some little thing in your life put the brakes on helping another person steer clear of trouble. Depending on what it is we're talking about, you may need to say something early on because it's dangerous to the person's well being. And out of a genuine concern for their welfare it should be our aim to attempt to keep our friends and family from harm. Don't allow a fear of how they will respond prevent you from trying to help your friend. A real friend speaks the truth in love. And that is the key....love. We aren't seeking to come across as holier than thou. We aren't trying to make judgments. And that has to come across loud and clear.

Today I was thinking about what it means to be happy. To my grandsons happiness might mean getting some new game or some Legos. Already my youngest grandson is waiting for Christmas so he can get "just one more set" of Legos. He's crazy about them. But once the new wears off he's ready for something else. When we base our happiness on some "new" thing in our lives, we can rest assured that once the newness wears off, we will need another fix to take its place. This would imply that happiness is fleeting. But is it? Can we have happiness regardless of what's going on in our lives? Does happiness require some new thing, some new stimulation?

Happiness is defined as a mental or emotional state of well being characterized by positive or pleasant emotions ranging from contentment or pure joy. It can also be a sense of satisfaction or fulfillment.

Over the years I have discovered that the times when I was the most happy were the times when I was least focused on me and my circumstances. That's not to say that I didn't still have to handle situations that arose, but I didn't fall prey to that negative force that tries to pull me down when bad things happen. I maintained a state of hope. When trials come (and they will come) I have to have previously determined in my heart that no matter what happens, all things work together for my good. I may not see it in the here and now, but I can believe it. My cousin, Marie went through a long ordeal with lupus, and then cancer. Throughout her battle she always reminded herself that something good would come from it. She would tell me, "if even one person's life is touched by what I am going through, it will all be worth it." I was amazed by her positive attitude. Even if the worst thing happened (her death....which did happen in January 2010), she knew that she had a hope for the future. In all my life I don't think I've ever seen a happier person. She didn't let the stresses of life steal her joy. And that was key.

Worry can steal your peace and ultimately, your joy. This can have us thinking that if the thing that we're worrying about was taken care of, we'd be happy. But chances are, even if we get that one thing handled, it may not make us happy. Something else will always come along to take its place. And there we go, falling right back into a depression, and a state of unhappiness. So the question is, how can we maintain happiness no matter the circumstances? First and foremost, spending time with God is essential. When we draw close to Him, when we study and meditate the word, when we pray, and when we live out his word, our faith and trust in him will grow. We will know what he has to say about our trials and it will help to alleviate any fears we may have about what we are going through. Philippians 4:6-8 says this:

6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding,will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

Let's examine that for a minute. This is telling us not to be anxious about anything. When we have needs, we can present them to God with thanksgiving, knowing that he will take care of it. Oh, it may not be exactly how we plan, but we can place our trust in him to see us through whatever comes our way. It also says that by presenting our prayers and requests with thanksgiving we will have a peace that surpasses all understanding. People won't know how we can be at peace when our circumstances are so chaotic. Sure, the enemy will try to come in and fill your mind with all kinds of junk to make you go back to worrying. But substitute those thoughts with the kind of thoughts this verse tells you: things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy. When you're thinking like that it will be much easier to maintain happiness. 

Another thing that I have found that makes me happy is when I am doing something for someone else. There are so many people in this world who have needs and hurts far greater than my own. When I take my eyes off of what I'm going through, and what I'm feeling, and focus on someone else's need, it lets me see things in a different light. Perspective is a very powerful thing. If we think we have a horrible life, then that is what we will have. It is essential for us to recognize that our thinking is pivotal in the determination of our happiness. Have you ever experienced something with another person and had different ways of remembering it? I have. And because we thought differently about it, we responded differently. The mind truly is a battlefield. We have to arm ourselves with the word of God to fight against things that aren't lining up with God's perspective. Wrong perspectives can steal our joy.

All that being said, we can say that spending time with God, not worrying about our circumstances or what may or may not happen in the future, and changing how we view things are ways we can live happier lives. 

There's a lot more to be said on this subject and I would love to touch on this again at some point. But for now, I will close....

~jan~

Thought for the Day-Integrity

Proverbs 2:6-8 
For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding; he stores up sound wisdom for the upright; he is a shield to those who walk in integrity, guarding the paths of justice and watching over the way of his saints.

Psalm 26:1-3 
Vindicate me, O Lord, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Prove me, O Lord, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in your faithfulness.


Proverbs 10:9 
Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out.


Psalm 101:2
I will be careful to live a blameless life— when will you come to help me? 
I will lead a life of integrity in my own home. (NLT)

Proverbs 2:6-8
For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding. He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity. He guards the paths of the just 
and protects those who are faithful to him. (NLT)

Proverbs 20:7
The godly walk with integrity; blessed are their children who follow them. (NLT)

Titus 2:7-8 
Similarly, encourage the young men to be self-controlled. In everything set them an example by doing what is good. In your teaching show integrity, seriousness and soundness of speech that cannot be condemned, so that those who oppose you may be ashamed because they have nothing bad to say about us. (NIV)

Proverbs 19:1 
Better is the poor who walks in integrity than one who is perverse in his lips, and is a fool. 

Okay, second post for today. I was looking at the name of my blog and got to thinking that I probably should include some day to day routine life things, not just stuff about God and the Bible (though that is a big part of my life). Anyway, as I was reading a comment on one of my posts yesterday I got to laughing so hard (and I was out in public when I read it). Now, there's nothing wrong with laughing. I love to laugh. But when I get to laughing too hard I have been known to have my knees buckle. And yesterday, I was seriously hoping I didn't fall out in the floor laughing. It was to the point of being uncontrollable. And what made it even funnier was the fact that my daughter in law, Jennifer had read the comment at about the same time I did and she was laughing about it too. I found that hilarious. My eyes were watering, my knees were shaky, and I just had to go sit down. And then when I commented back it made me laugh even more. Have you ever thought your own comment was funny? The thing is, it probably wasn't that humorous to other people. But, as I've said in the past, I have a weird sense of humor. My son has it too. So for those who don't know me well...I laugh at odd things. Doesn't have to be funny to anyone else. It's just who I am. But maybe, just maybe, I'm not the only oddball out there who finds humor in the most unlikely places.

If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14


While I realize that this verse wasn't specifically written for all that is going on in this day and age, I think that the same principle applies for the here and now as it did back when this was written. And today, of all days (9-11) is a day when this sentiment is expressed even more than usual.

Often times, Christians are so eager to point out all the sinners in the world who need to repent. We rant and rave about what is going on in this world as a result of their sin, their wickedness. But think about this verse for a moment and we might have a clue as to how we should be viewing things. First, this verse is referring to God's people, not unbelievers. And what is it telling us to do? 

1. Humble ourselves
2. Pray and seek God's face
3. Turn from our wicked ways

Okay, so let's reflect on that for a minute. Some of you may be thinking, "What do you mean we have to turn from our wicked ways? We're Christians. Jesus' blood has cleansed us from our sin." This thinking is exactly why we need to do these things. What do I mean? If for even one moment we thought that because of Jesus' blood that we had no need to repent, no need to turn from our wicked ways (and let's be honest, we still have some of that in us at times), that could certainly be an indication that we may be walking in pride( sin). And as we all know, pride will definitely create distance between us and God, as he opposes the proud. In order for us to get to a place of understanding that WE need to repent, we must humble ourselves first. We must be willing to admit that we are not perfect. Far from it, in fact. We mess up. We miss the mark. We SIN. That humility should bring us to our knees. And it is there that we seek the face of God. This is not a time for us to be petitioning God for our wants and desires. This is a time of seeking God's will, developing intimacy with God, loving on God, worshiping him, and drawing close to him, not merely because we want something from him. Have you ever heard the expression, "I'm seeking God's face, not his hand?" What does that mean? To me it means that when we seek his face we are wanting to behold his beauty. We are wanting to gaze upon him, to reflect on who he is.Once we see Him as he is, we can't help but want to do whatever he says to do. But when we seek his hand, we are wanting him to do something for us.Don't get me wrong, there are times when we will ask God to move on our behalf, but that can't be the only time we call upon God. Otherwise, we become like selfish children.

Here's a question for you: How many times have you come into some worship service and poured out all you had in song, attempting to touch the heart of God so that he would meet your need?

Now think....how many times have you come to a worship service and poured out your heart before God, expecting nothing from him, but merely wanting to express your love, your gratitude and appreciation for who he is, and for what he's done for you? Be honest with yourself.

I realize that we are under grace. And I recognize the fact that Jesus was the one time sacrifice for us. The shedding of his blood provided atonement for our sins. For the sins of the past, the sins of the present, and the sins of the future. But this doesn't mean that we shouldn't be repentant when we sin. It should break our heart. And if we continually sin without repentance, the relationship will be strained. How could it not be?

Have you ever wanted to write something, but your brain just seemed all out of whack? Maybe you call that writer's block. Whatever...all I know is I hate when I have nothing to share. If I go too many days without writing it's easy to get out of the habit. Speaking of habits, I was telling my hubby this morning that I am addicted to coke and Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Well, today I did have one coke. I've tried hard for several months to stick mainly to water as my beverage of choice. If for no other reason, to keep my sugar from shooting up. But I made a decision that I cannot buy things that will tempt me. If it's in the house, then I'm going to indulge. And sadly, I can't seem to stop at one with the Reese's. I can stop at one on cokes though. It wasn't always that way. I used to drink at least a 2 liter a day. But lately I've been trying to get in shape, trying to keep my sugar under control, and trying hard to not let anything control me. Once this last coke is gone, I'm thinking I won't buy anymore (except on special occasions when other people are over). I need to lose 35 lbs. and having coke and candy too often will deter that. Okay, I started rambling again. All this was supposed to be was a note telling you I haven't forgotten the blog. I think after I read and study more, I'll feel more inclined to share something. You know...motivation...inspiration. I need some.

Have a blessed day!

~jan~

Life is a series of twists and turns. We never know exactly where the road will lead us. Oh, after a few curves here and there we may have a vague idea of what might be next. But we can never be certain until we are living in the moment. The thing is, we need to prepare in advance for whatever life may throw at us. A person doesn't wait until they are in the middle of a hurricane to go out and buy supplies, board up windows, put away anything in the yard that might be hurled into the air, etc. They have a warning that a hurricane is on the way and that is the time to go do what needs to be done. And it's the same way with our spiritual lives. We already know that trials will come. The Bible is filled with instruction on how to fight against temptation, how to respond in the situations we might face and such. It is our job to get into the Word and study and meditate. This way, we won't have some knee jerk reaction, but we'll know what God's Word says to do. I guarantee it will make life much easier if we come to know what God thinks about things.