Flowers

Yesterday, these 2 grandkids were here.  They came along with their mommy and daddy.  Their daddy was going to work on a new computer at Living Water for me.  (That took all of 15 minutes!)

When they walked in the door, they had these beautiful flowers in their hands.

When we were kissing and hugging as they were leaving, I was thanking them for coming and Ryan said, "And thank you for the flowers."  Oh yes, Ryan!  How could I forget???  

THANK YOU for the flowers!  I love them.

Pretense

 

God hates pretense.  This is evidenced in Matthew 21:19, "And as He saw one single leafy fig tree above the roadside, He went to it but He found nothing but leaves on it [seeing that in the fig tree the fruit appears at the same time as the leaves]. And He said to it, Never again shall fruit grow on you! And the fig tree withered up at once."
Because the fig tree had leaves, Jesus expected it to also have fruit.  And because it didn't, he made an example of it by cursing it. 
In Matthew 23:27, Jesus uses this example:  "Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, pretenders (hypocrites)! For you are like tombs that have been whitewashed, which look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of dead men's bones and everything impure." 
Don't you find it interesting that the Amplified Bible calls the Pharisees "pretenders?"  Jesus says that they are like whitewashed tombs.  That doesn't mean anything to us but this is what I found as I studied it.  God told Israel to stay away from dead bodies or bones.  If they buried someone or accidentally touched a dead body or bones, they were ceremonially unclean for 7 days.  They had to go through the rite of purification in order to be "clean."  As people made their way to Jerusalem for Passover, they could stumble upon a grave and not even know it.  They would be unclean and miss the whole Passover experience.  So people would whitewash the graves so they would stand out and so they could be avoided.  They were also whitewashed to beautify them----much like we put flowers on a grave.
So what was Jesus saying to the Pharisees?  He took a broad brush and whitewashed them.  They may have looked good on the outside, but they were dead bones on the inside.  And by whitewashing them, he was giving instruction that they were to be avoided.
Matthew 23 has some pretty powerful language about the Pharisees.  God is serious about pretense!

Israel

I don't know if you've heard what's going on between the U.S. and Israel, but it's significant and we should pay close attention.  You can read all about the situation here, but just let me say that a line has been drawn between us.  It's all over the issue of whether Israel has the right to build in East Jerusalem.  I know it's all very political and has to do with Palestinian/Israeli relations , but doesn't it just blow your mind that other countries can tell another country where they can build and not build in their own capital?  What do you think would happen if the roles were reversed and Israel told us we could no longer build in Washington D.C. because of political relations with a bordering country who thought our land should belong to them?
There is a war going on against Israel that is not a physical war.  Satan hates Israel because it belongs to God.  If you look at it realistically, it makes no sense why someone would want Israel (or Jerusalem).  There's no oil, no industry, the land isn't strategic....it's all a spiritual battle.
The other thing we should know is God's promise to Israel.  And it should make a difference in how we respond. 

 Genesis 12:2-3 (New International Version)

"I will make you into a great nation
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you."

Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.  And you can go here and let the White House know you support Israel.

Fixing Your Husband

I had a conversation with a friend tonight.  We talked about how easy it is as wives to walk into the trap of trying to "fix" our husbands.  Why is that?  We addressed a couple..or three..reasons in our own lives.  You may come up with a few more.
1.  We're "one" and we want him to be a good reflection of us.  (Kind of sick, all spelled out there.  The truth is we're both to be a reflection of Christ.)
2.  Control.  (This whole curse-for-control issue is addressed in the Garden of Eden.  "...and you will desire to control your husband, but he will rule over you."  Genesis 3:16 NLT  And you do realize that whole curse-thing doesn't come into effect until marriage!)
3.  Pride or flesh...plain and simple.

So my thoughts turned to Proverbs 31.

This thought came to me....how is a woman's control of her husband addressed in Prov. 31?
It's not.
How is trying to "fix" your husband addressed in Prov. 31?
It's not.
How is the woman's attention focused on her husband in Prov. 31?
It's not.   (Taking the chapter as a whole, that is.) 
And yet this chapter is written as instruction to a young man in wife-selection...and written to us, as women, for edification. 

You'll want to read the whole chapter, but here are some verses that stood out to me about our relationship with our husbands.

Proverbs 31:11: The heart of her husband trusts in her confidently and relies on and believes in her securely, so that he has no lack of [honest] gain or need of [dishonest] spoil.

Proverbs 31:12 She comforts, encourages, and does him only good as long as there is life within her.

Proverbs 31:23 Her husband is known in the [city's] gates, when he sits among the elders of the land.

Proverbs 31:28-29 Her children rise up and call her blessed (happy, fortunate, and to be envied); and her husband boasts of and praises her, [saying], Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all.

"Fixing" your husband is a trap.  I just can't think of one place in the Bible where I'm instructed to fix my husband.  In fact, it doesn't even sound like this man needs fixin'!
If I can't even fix myself, why do I think I can do any better with someone else?? But I think letting God fix me is a good place to start. 
Romans 12:1-2.

Book FOUND!

I found it!!!  Whew!  (In the back window of my car---turned on an angle)  I knew you wouldn't be able to sleep another night until you had this information.  And all this before I made that purchase.

Now for the VeggieTales DVD....

Book LOST

I've lost a book!  Not just any book---a church library book.  You don't know how upset that makes me.  Being the former church librarian, I know how much work it is to initiate a new book into the library.  I have turned my house upside down (it got a good cleaning in the process!) to look for this book.  No such luck.  Guess I'll have to go tell my friendly librarian that it's gone.  For good.  The good news is that I just found the same book on sale at CBD for $2.99.  Now that's a bargain!
...wonder what else I need??  (You know...absolutely know...that as soon as I hit "purchase," I'll find this book.)

What's in a Word by Webb Garrison

Do you have someone on your gift list that has everything? This book, What’s in a Word by Webb Garrison, will fit the bill for them! This isn’t a book that you pick up and read all the way through. It’s more of a bathroom book that will keep you well entertained. As I read it, I especially thought of the men on my list who would love this book.


Webb Garrison is an etymologist (someone who studies the history of words) who loves his craft. In this book, you will find words on different subjects such as law, sports and the recent development of words for computers. Mr. Garrison gives the background of the word—where it was first used and how it developed over time. I especially liked the explanation of the phrases such as "by the skin of your teeth."  Each explanation is only about a paragraph long which makes What’s in a Word quick reading.

All in all, I found this an engaging book. Anyone who loves to read would find this book appealing. I gave this book 4 out of 5 stars. It would have made 5 out of 5 stars if there had been more phrases instead of the short words.

This book was generously provided by Thomas Nelson for my review.