Make Sure It Serves You

eden08122015

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that a life with God is one of continuous service. We are to serve God, are to serve others as if serving Him, and we are to strive to serve the cause of Christ Jesus in everything we do.

What we don’t often think about is whether or not certain things serve us. We often get ourselves into situations that end up having us serving them. When I speak of this, I’m talking about bad situations, things that aren’t really good for us, people who really don’t have our best interests at heart. These situations serve to enslave us; distract us from our life with God. Those things that aren’t good for us serve to put us into bondage to them if we’re not careful. Those people are usually using us for their own interests and ends. Paul said, “all things are lawful, but not all are helpful.” (1 Cor. 10:23) We are to be mastered by none but The Master, Himself.

That scripture goes on to say that not all things edify, or build up. We are to build one another up, and we are to build ourselves up, as well. “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” That’s in the 10 Commandments. Therefore, I need to survey the situations, the things presented and offered to me, and the people I involve myself with. Then, I can best measure the distance I want to keep between myself and them. When we do this, we’re also serving God by setting an example and bringing encouragement to others who see us. We are building up the weak, the fearful, the shy, etc., and shining a light for the lost to see. “Let your light so shine before men that they see your good works and glorify your Father in Heaven.” (Matt. 5:16)

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Suffering That Saves

eden08122015

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that sorrow and suffering don’t have to dictate who we are.

We’re bid to offer up our suffering and/or sorrow to the Lord. Use that suffering to help another, and it becomes a pleasing sacrifice unto the LORD. Help another, bless another, love another, in spite of your sorrow and/or suffering, and it becomes a gleam of joy and pride in His eyes. It becomes a seed sown into eternity; a treasure laid up in Heaven. “Behold, my son/daughter, in whom I am well pleased,” He says.

That’s the suffering that saves, not only others, but our own soul; our own spirit. Jesus never stopped blessing, never stopped praying, never stopped teaching, never stopped being Jesus…no matter the rejection, the doubt, the scorn, the sorrow. He prayed, even on the cross, “Father, forgive them.” The whole world, every human being ever born, was, is, and will be saved from eternal damnation-if they choose to be.

What that does for our own soul or spirit, is immeasurable. It brings peace, strength, joy, love, freedom, and life. That’s just part of the list. We don’t really think about those little things we do for others, even when we’re hurting ourselves, in terms of the ways in which they might come back to us. As Jesus said, some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred fold. Now He said this about grasping and living out God’s Word. But it is that very Word, that very love, that empowers us to give in such ways, and at such times. “He sent His Word and healed them,” applies to every sinner that gets saved. Finally, there are the words of our Lord, Jesus. “Give, and it will be given unto you; pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will men give into your bosom.

This is an oldie, but goodie! Steven Curtis Chapman, thank you for this old favorite of mine.

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Saturday Silly – August 3, 2019

eden08122015

A friend and I were discussing the technology boom recently. The speed at which everything changes is just mind boggling. I mean, you have to upgrade almost everything you own, every other month, it seems. Am I the only one who feels this way? Yeah, and everything you own, now comes with a remote control.

I’m getting to that time in my life where I really should be looking into one of those life alert or medical alert devices. It’s just good judgment, I think. Better safe than sorry. I was checking into some recently and pricing them. Do you know, they have some that look just like those little garage door opener remotes. Seriously; you almost cannot tell the difference. I thought, “boy that’d be me…fall on my butt somewhere in the house, push the help button, and the garage door would be going up and down all day long…or at least until I could get up and figure out why nobody came to help me.”

Ooh, that could be really bad too. Can you imagine visiting the neighbor’s across the street? You take the medical alert thingy off for just a minute…and accidentally pick up their garage door opener remote? He’s out there on a ladder the next morning, trying to fix the sensor, right about the time you trip over the dog’s toy at home…and push the help button…OMG! What if I accidentally picked up the remote to his RV awning? And it’s parked in the garage…Hmmm, maybe I’ll just move in with the kids…LOL…watch ’em all move overseas!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Neither Do I Condemn Myself

eden08122015

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that there is now no condemnation in Christ Jesus. We are bid to remember that faith, hope, and charity, or love, are what remain…”but the greatest of these is love.”

“Remember now abideth these three, Faith, Hope, and Charity. Faith is your attitude towards Me. Charity your attitude towards your fellow man, but as necessary, is Hope, which is confidence in yourself to succeed.” -from the message in God Calling.

The really powerful revelation in this is that it’s not over when we falter, fall, or even fail. There really is no such thing as failure in Christ Jesus. It stops being falter, fail, and failure, the instant you get back up. The very instant you begin to get up, or turn around, or cry out to Jesus to take it off of you, it’s gone…as far as the East is from the West…it’s in the past…and you’re still in the race. Isn’t that awesome?!

I can’t tell you how many times I tried to quit cigarettes, because I lost count sometime after about 20-30…maybe even more than that. But I can tell you that I never heard Jesus say, “well, you wouldn’t be hooked on ’em if you’d never started smoking them.” He never said, “It’s about time you got smart.” He never even said, “Finally! I wondered how long it would take you to realize you can’t do this without me.” You know what I did hear? I heard, “I love you, Marina.” I heard, “I am the truth, the life, and the way.” -yes, the way. I heard, “Daughter, your faith has saved you; go and sin no more.”

Sometimes, I think I’ll probably get to Heaven, and Jesus will ask me if I want a cigarette just to see the look on my face. I’m kidding-Jesus wouldn’t ever do that. Oh, my God! -That last cigarette…I can just imagine what my face looked like. I lit up a cigarette right after walking out of church where I’d prayed, not a half hour earlier, and asked the Lord to help me. It tasted so nasty…but I smoked it to the filter. My very last cigarette, I lit later that day. I couldn’t get past the second puff because it tasted so bad. You see, I’d told the Lord, “You know me, Jesus. You’re going to have to make them taste and smell so nasty that I can’t smoke them.” Do you all know that God answers prayer? I’m sure Jesus and I will have a great laugh when we talk about my eyes being big as saucers -and that “deer in the headlight look,” when I realized Jesus really did it. But there was no condemnation when I lit up the second to the last cigarette, or the very last one. That’s what we need to realize, and put into practice whenever we’re struggling, faltering, falling, or failing!

Don’t beat yourself up; pick yourself up by lifting yourself up. Lift yourself up to the feet of Jesus. It’s there you’ll find the mercy and grace, and the fierce, fierce love of the One who’ll get you across the finish line – Victoriously! -No matter how long it takes!

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu

Yes, it is Jesus!

eden08122015

Today’s message from God Calling – A.J. Russell, reminds us that there is no other Name by which one can be saved. Only Jesus can save us. At the Name of Jesus every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord. He is the King of kings, the Lord of glory, and the Lord of my heart!

I’ll be having my angiogram done today, and hope to be back with a praise report for you all tomorrow, June 18th. Thanks to everyone who’s praying. Thanks to all who have encouraged me, and thanks for all your help too. Bunches and tons of love to my kids and grandkids! I love you all so much! Thanks for being my babies, Babies! Hugs and kisses to you! Same goes to my family and friends-I love you all to the moon and back!

As I said, if and when I do go through those gates of Heaven, I will enter them with praise in my mouth and thanksgiving in my heart. So, this is the song I’ve chosen for this day…

Love you from Cafe du Mondieu