Well, our girls have done it again! They won their last conference game last night which meant that they were undefeated in conference games. The Prairie Central Jr. High girls basketball team won the conference title. Yea!! We're so excited and proud of them!!

OK, enough excitement - we've got some SERIOUS business to take care of - our tongues. OUCH! This next section in James is about controlling our tongues. Here we go, are you ready?

Gossiping, putting others down, bragging, manipulating, false teaching, exaggerating, complaining, flattering, lying, cursing, angry words, etc. - anything sound familiar to you??!!

The Bible heeds many warnings about what comes out of our mouths. In James 3:1-12, he devotes almost a whole chapter on it.

It talks of how just like a bit in a horses mouth, it controls it's entire body; like a ship's rudder, it controls the entire ship; like a fire, that destroys much; the tongue defiles our entire self.

We cannot control our tongue on our own. We must allow the Holy Spirit to aid us in overcoming this great temptation. I cannot tell you how many times, I have been in the middle of a conversation and felt the strong pang of the Holy Spirit telling me to close my mouth or change the subject. There have been times that I've so desperately wanted to share some juicy information that would fuel a disagreement but again feel that pang of the Holy Spirit to keep it to myself.

Now, I say that I've felt it, I didn't say that I always obey the notion. Many times, I have continue to run my mouth like nothing ever happened. Most times after the situation is over or things have gotten worse because of what I've said, I find myself wishing I had done otherwise.

God has our and others best interest in mind. Even though it would immediately feel so good to say those words that are on the tip of your tongue - it will not later as the Holy Spirit brings conviction to your heart.

Before opening your mouth, ask yourself; "Is what I want to say true? Is it necessary? Is it kind?"

If the answer is no or I don't know to any of these - keep your mouth shut. You'll thank God for it later.

Have a great day

Living fearlessly

Christie

Good morning and happy Monday! Just wanted to share a little from my weekend before we get started on our study. When my grandpa died this summer, I took a plant home from his funeral. It was one that will not come back next year, but I planted it in my flower garden anyway. I noticed last week, the beautiful yellow blooms it was producing in November. I can't really explain why, but these blooms were a sign to me of God's faithfulness and that my grandpa was waiting for me in heaven. Even when skies are gray and temperatures are cold, God is blooming all around us. He is faithful and never forsakes us.

On Friday, my daughter decided that it would be great fun to "do" my hair. Here's what she came up with. She dared me to wear this beautiful style more often and in front of people so I'm thinking that it would be most appropriate when her friends are around. She always is telling me how embarrassing I am, so I figure I might as well make her statements true. Do you think it would be too much for one of her basketball games??? :) :)

James 2:14-26 is where we're headed today. Again, because of the length, I will not write it all out for you, but you still need to read it. If we're going to do this study together, you need to read what we are discussing so that you can understand it completely. So, get your Bible out and bring it on over to your computer. I'll wait...........

O.K. now that you have read the Scripture, let's get started. This section is speaking of faith and works. If someone has no clothing and food and you tell them "be full and warmed", it is no good to them. It takes action by providing for them to satisfy their needs. Faith without works is dead.

Now, is it the works that gives us salvation? Absolutely not. The works come as a desire to obey God because of our faith in Him. As a Christ Follower, we want to obey and please God as the Holy Spirit prompts us. We do not work to receive faith but working, as we rely on God, will increase our faith.

Vs. 26 For just as the body without the spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.

Ask yourself if there is fruit coming from your faith. Are you growing closer to God? Is your faith increasing? Has your attitude, reactions, thought process, or actions changed since you accepted Christ?

These are all good ways to see if your works match up with your faith? What are others seeing in you? I hope faith and works because one without the other leaves you dead.

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ

Christie

O.K., I think I may change the name of my blog to "Dog Rescuer". Once again, yesterday, I retrieved my dog from a hog pit. Not Cooper this time, but his sister, Grace. When I saw Cooper in the backyard by himself, I knew I was in trouble. I went out and called for Grace but she didn't come. I needed to go out and look for her but couldn't leave my daycare kids, so I loaded them up in the car and drove our yard, the abandoned pig farm, and the roads around our house looking for her, calling her name, and praying like crazy. With no avail, I called my husband and told him the situation. He was going to finish up a few things at work and then come home to look. I decided to drive around the pig farm one more time and as I drove by the first pit, I saw a little white head bobbing in the middle. I ran over and saw my girl swimming for all she had. I carefully walked across the grates and in order to try and reach her, I laid down on about 3 inches of pig poop and reached down as far as I could. Now, this was not dry pig poop, but wet since I had been raining all morning. How lovely it was!! I was not long enough to reach her so I ran back to the garage and got a ladder. I set the ladder into the 3-4 feet of water and went in and saved my puppy. This was only the beginning as the kids and I spent the next couple hours washing, warming, and petting her dirty, stinky, shaking, afraid and cold body. She is now just as crazy as ever! Oh the joys of being a pet owner in the country!! :) :)

Our study of James today covers 13 verses so I will not write them out for you but I do want you to read James 2:1-13. This is a requirement, so don't try to get out of it!! :) I'll be watching you! It is so good!

First, I want to start out with my Bible's commentary on vs. 1-7 cause it just takes the words out of my mouth. "James condemns acts of favoritism. Often we treat a well-dressed, impressive-looking person better than someone who looks shabby. We do this because we would rather identify with successful people than with apparent failures. The irony, as James reminds us, is that the supposed winners may have gained their impressive life-style at our expense. In addition, the rich find it difficult to identify with the Lord Jesus, who came as a humble servant. Are you easily impressed by status, wealth or fame? Are you partial to the "haves" while ignoring the "have nots"? This attitude is sinful. God views all people as equals, and if He favors anyone, it is the poor and the powerless. We should follow this example."

Reading this makes me want to confess - I like to hang out with people who are like me. I usually do not make an effort to hang out with people who are very different than me.

This is wrong and does not please God. This is something that I will attempt to apply in my life and keep my eyes open to all.

When you think about Jesus when He lived on this earth - He was homeless after He left His boyhood home, He didn't have money, He didn't have prestige, He had power but didn't use it in worldly ways. He would have been one that many looked down upon in today's society.

Vs. 8-10 If, however, you are fulfilling the royal law according to the Scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself, " you are doing well. But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all.

You are no better than anyone else. I am no better than anyone else. We are all sinners. We are all the same. Your sin is not worse than mine and mine is not worse than yours. It's all sin. Don't compare, but love.

Vs. 13 For judgment will be merciless to one who has shown mercy; mercy triumphs over judgment.

AMEN

Have a great day and a great weekend
Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Good morning my bloggy friends!! Yesterday, out of the corner of my eye, I saw our dog Cooper jumping up and down in the backyard. Wondering what he was doing, I looked out the window to see that he was utterly terrified by a large tumbleweed blowing through the yard. His sister, Grace, was sleeping and right in its path. He immediately started barking at her until she woke and saw this strange thing that neither had ever encountered. He stood guard and watched it until it blew through the yard and out into the field.

I thought about how this is probably how God views us at times. He can see the big picture - He knows that the things in front of us are going to work out and that we have no reason to be afraid. Just like I laughed at our puppies for being so afraid over a tumbleweed - I'm sure God shakes His head over our fears. God is in control - we have no reason to fear!!

James 1:21-27
Therefore, putting aside all filthiness and all that remains of wickedness, in humility receive the word implanted, which is able to save your souls. But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in the mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was. But one who looks intently at the perfect law, the law of liberty, and abides by it, not having become a forgetfuul hearer but an effectual doer, this man will be blessed in what he does. If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless. Pure and undefiled religion in the sight of our God and Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.

These 6 verses are more than we have been studying, but they all go together and have an abundant amount of meat to them. Here's my thoughts:
The Word of God is able to save our souls - when we realize that Jesus died for us, that His pain and suffering was caused by me, in thankfulness and devotion to Him - we must hear and do His will. So many times, we pick and choose what portions of the Bible we follow and obey by what we think we can and can't do. When we obey - we are blessed. Blessed by a strong spiritual connection with our Lord and Savior. It doesn't get any better than connection with the Creator and Sustainer of the universe. I am so unworthy - but so thankful.

In the last verse, James gives us more direction: religion = loving on others and being unstained by the world. Amen and Amen. Like I said the other day - why do we make it so difficult when God makes it so simple??!!

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Today I am posting for the 300th time! Wow, time sure flies - it seems just like yesterday that I was asking my pastor about blogging because I knew nothing about it. I remember my first post - it said something like: I am blogging for the first time and I don't know what to say. Well, I've come a long way because now, I usually have to cut myself off because I have so much more to say but figure that people dont't want to read my ramblings for more than a minute or two.

Now, on to another very important lesson from James. 1:19-20 "This you know, my beloved brethren. But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of a man does not achieve the righteousness of God."

For myself, I struggle with the quick to hear and slow to speak. It sometimes depends on who I'm conversing with. It is especially difficult with my children and husband but I have been working on listening without interrupting with whomever I'm talking with. I am naturally a talker and always want to help, so I have the inclination to speak but I have found that not everyone needs an answer but sometimes just someone to listen.

I would like to share what my Bible's commentary says about the last verse - it was quite convicting to me. "These verses speak of anger that erupts when our egos are bruised - "I am hurt;" My opinions are not being heard." When injustice and sin occur, we should become angry because others are being hurt. But we should not become angry when we fail to win an argument or when we feel offended or neglected. SELFISH ANGER NEVER HELPS ANYBODY."

OUCH! This really hit me between the eyes! How easily I get angry when my feelings are hurt, when I'm being ignored or words offend me. This anger is wasted - wasted time by thinking only of myself and how hurt I am. These verses tell us that we should only anger for the injustice of others.

What do you get angry about? How easily are you angered? Is it more for the "benefit" of yourself or is it for others?

Let's allow God to be our guide in everything we do, say, think or feel today.

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Happy Tuesday! After the wonderful weekend I had, life is beginning to get back to normal - kind of. I had shared with you a couple of weeks ago that I was going to register for some college classes at Moody. My brother-in-law is a professor at Lincoln Christian College and wanted me to attend the Linc-Up program there instead. The difference is that at Moody, I would take only internet classes, which is what I thought I wanted but then I found out more about the LCC classes in which I go to class one night per week and then do the homework over the next week at home. After getting all my information, I have decided to attend LCC and will begin Feb. 23, 2009. My feelings are mixed between excitement and fear. My admissions counselor told me that for people "my age", the biggest hindrances for college are fear and finances - AMEN and AMEN!

Here is the coolest part: I knew that God was prompting me to further my Bible education, but at first I wasn't sure how. Over time, He has made more clear His calling for me. Yesterday, I sat down with a notebook and began writing my questions to God about the whole situation. His answers came so clear to my heart as I wrote. I feel confident that I had made the right decision by His answers to my prayers. Now, I will rely on Him to give me exactly what I need for everything else. No more FEAR!

Please be praying for my brain to learn how to work again! :)

Now, on to our study of James. 1:16-18 "Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow. In the exercise of His will He brought us forth by the Word of Truth, so that we would be a kind of first fruits among His creatures."

Do not be deceived - there are no coincidences! Everything that is good, comes from God. I use to use the word coincidence to describe those situations where things happened in amazing ways but then figured out that I don't believe in coincidence - only in the divine power of our God. He connects people, He works amazingly in situations, He makes all good things happen.

God created us - He formed us - He imagined us - why would He not be totally capable of taking care of us?! By His will, He brought us forth by the word of truth - His actions are not coincidences but acts of love and faithfulness to His children.

See the good around you. Look for it and then give praise to God.

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ
Christie

Happy Monday all my bloggy friends! What a wonderful weekend I had! I told you on Friday that I was anticipating a date with my hubby that night but I didn't know what he had planned. To my surprise, he wisked me away to a very nice dinner and then when we got back home, I was surprised again at lit tea light candles lining the ledge of our 4-seasons room and a lit fireplace. How romantic! He's still got it after all these years!! :) :)

Then, on Sunday morning, he woke me with an idea. It had been a long time since we spent an entire day having fun with our kids so he suggested that we take them hiking which is one of their favorite things to do. We got up, had breakfast and left for hiking (yes, we skipped church - shhhhhhh, don't tell anybody :) ) Here's a couple pictures:

What a great time we had! When we returned home, we got on the 4-wheelers and continued our day together with a ride. We stopped at a few bridges in the country and went underneath to see what we could find. Our biggest discovery was some very large cow bones in the creek. It was fun just to horse around. Family is such a wonderful blessing from God and I'm so glad that we took an opportunity to soak up His goodness.

Back to our study of James. 1:12-15 "Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him. Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God'; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death."

Life is hard and consists of many many decisions that we must make. Does God tempt us to do evil? No, but He will test us in our faith. God does allow satan to tempt us. Notice that in vs. 15 it says that when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin. Just being tempted is not a sin but giving in to the temptation is sin. When we are tempted, we must act quickly to release the temptation. The longer we play with it in our minds, the closer we are to allowing it to become an action. When we consider the act for too long, we begin to justify why we can do it, why we deserve it and what excuses we can convince ourselves of so that we don't feel that nasty old guilt.

When tempted, ask God for strength to remove it from your mind and make the choice to change your thinking each time it rears its ugly head. The choice may be difficult, but the results will be well worth the effort as you grow closer and closer with our Lord.

Check out the "I'm not who I was" video on our pastor's blog http://www.pontiacbible.org/index.php?/blog/index/

Have a great day

Living fearlessly in Christ

Christie