Love is a Battlefield but YOU CAN WIN THE WAR

I'm sure you have had interactions with at least one person in your life that is the antithesis of who you are!  Their beliefs, motivations, style, habits, hobbies, etc. are all completely different than yours!  Sometimes this blending of personalities can be a harmonious concoction; however, at other times, it can be a dissonant disaster, to say the least.  I believe that God puts people in our lives in order to challenge us to become better people.  In Proverbs 27:17, the Bible says that, "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."  I wholeheartedly believe this to be true; however, sometimes, I don't want to be sharpened!  Sometimes I just want to tell annoying people to "bug off!"

I felt a conviction from the Holy Spirit yesterday about my funky attitude while listening to the radio in my car.  The verse of the day was John 13:35: "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another."  "Oh, jeez," I thought!  "But, sometimes I don't want to!"  Well, I hate to break it to you, but loving one another is a commandment from God, and if you are a christian, then you need to obey Him!  In 1 John 3:10, we learn that "anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother."  I know that the flesh can get us sometimes, but the condition of our hearts is what God is concerned about.  We are to guard our hearts because it is the wellspring of life (Proverbs 4:23).  Man looks at the outward appearance, but God looks at our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7).  If your heart is softened enough for the Holy Spirit to convict you, then you are on the right track!*

I'll be the first to admit that I'll be working on loving my "brothers and sisters" like Christ loves me for the rest of my life!  Loving people with a godly love is hard to do unless you are constantly reliant on the Lord.  Remember that "through Christ all things are possible" (Philippians 4:13).  In James 1:23-25, we learn that:  "Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.  But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it--he will be blessed in what he does."  Wow!  The first time I read this verse, I freaked out!  I thought, "Oh my gosh!  How scary it would be to have perpetual amnesia!"  When you read the Word but are not doers of the Word (James 1:22), you are in danger of living a life that is subpar to what God intends for you!  God allowed his only Son to die on the cross for you!  He loves us just the way we are, but He does not intend for us to stay the way we are--He intends for us to grow in Him and through Him!  "Therefore let us leave the elementary teachings about
Christ and go on to maturity..." (Hebrews 6:1).

*Conviction and condemnation are NOT the same thing.  Conviction is of the Holy Spirit and is meant to edify you in your walk with Christ.  Condemnation is of the enemy and is meant to discourage you and lead you astray.*  

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Squash Selfishness!

Squash selfishness and cultivate selflessness!

God requires us to have the heart of a servant.  In Philippians 2:5, Christians are called to have an attitude "the same as that of Christ Jesus."  In verse 7, the Bible says that Jesus took on "the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness."  Remember in John 13:3 when Mary washed Jesus' feet with an egregiously expensive perfume?  Onlookers were so concerned about the "wasted" and expensive perfume they were aghast!  Mary knew what was important.  She was literally sitting at the feet of Jesus, worshiping Him through serving.  When you serve others, you are worshiping Jesus and "storing up for yourselves treasures in heaven," (Matthew 6:20).  One way that I have found I like to serve others is by cooking for them.  There is no limit to how you can serve others!  Happy serving! 

Roasted Squash

Ingredients: 
squash-as much as you want!
olive oil-enough to coat the squash
onion powder
garlic salt

Directions:  Skin the squash and cut it into 1/4" thick pieces.  Coat pieces with olive oil, garlic salt, and onion powder.  Let soak for about 10 minutes.  Lay out on a cookie sheet covered in foil.  Bake on 350 degrees for 20 minutes.  This is a scrumptious and relatively healthy meal!!!

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Wisdom Wall

I have been trying to read the chapter of Proverbs that corresponds with the day of the month each day for a few weeks now (a tip from Elizabeth George, the christian author not the mystery writer).  I have not been as diligent as I would like to be, but I have found some amazing pearls of wisdom within the book of Proverbs, widely known as the wisdom book of the Bible.  I decided to create a "wisdom wall" so that I would be able to commit these verses to memory more easily.  It has actually worked!  I find myself meditating on these verses throughout the day, and I will be adding more soon :)

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Dog Days

I would like to begin this post by telling you a charming anecdote.  Several years ago, I would not have found this story endearing in the least; however, I have learned a lot since then, and I find that knowledge, understanding, wisdom, etc. serve to ease anxiety and worry (both usually caused by a feeling of a lack of control) exponentially.

This morning, my nephew-dog (a long-haired Dachshund named Romeo) was nowhere to be found when I got out of the shower.  I thought this was odd, but as I'm not around him too often, I am not super familiar with his personality.  I stayed at my dad's house last night and will be visiting with family today for Father's Day, so I was rushing around getting my outfit, makeup, and all my paraphernalia together, when I noticed Romeo, my sweet, darling, little nephew-dog, crouched behind the sofa and devouring a king-sized Hershey's chocolate and almond candy bar.  If you know ANYTHING about dogs, you probably know that chocolate can kill them!  My first thought:  "How did Romeo, with his T-Rex arms, reach the candy bar in the middle of the coffee table?"  My second thought:  "My sister, the loving and feisty owner of Romeo, is going to rip me a new one."  My third thought:  "Maybe I should stay home with Romeo and skip church?"  My fourth thought:  "Where is the hydrogen peroxide?"

I had a 10 second period of panic, but got it together, looked in the medicine cabinet, and lo and behold!  There was the hydrogen peroxide.  I grabbed a spoon, forced some down Romeo's throat, held his mouth closed and back so he had no choice but to swallow the substance that no doubt tasted much worse than the chocolate he had been mauling seconds earlier.  I calmly went back to applying my makeup (what did it matter now that I was skipping church?).  I was starting to feel a bit calmer, but Romeo was taking longer to vomit than my dogs did when this had happened to them in the past!  Finally, I heard loud, grotesque rumblings from the bowels of Romeo's belly, and the slimiest, thickest conglomeration of chocolate and mucous I have ever seen was spewing forth from his mouth!  Score!!!  I was a proud aunt!  I coached him like a doula does a woman in labor!

Years ago, when a similar situation happened to my male dog, Hank, I FREAKED out.  I called my aunt in hysterics, and she calmly explained to me that hydrogen peroxide would do the trick.  Having that prior knowledge helped my reaction immensely this morning!  I had a very low level of anxiety compared to the first time I encountered this situation 5 years earlier.  Now, I know that there are all sorts of situations that we encounter on a daily basis that we have not yet experienced.  I am not saying that it is always easy to stay calm.  If you know me, you know this to be true!

However, I do find that resting in the knowledge that God is omnipotent is soothing and gives me "peace that transcends all understanding," (Philippians 4:7).  God knows what is going to happen before you do!  He "knows what you need before you ask him," (Matthew 6:8).  "The very hairs of your head are all numbered," (Luke 12:7).  One of my newest favorite verses is this:  "In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps," (Proverbs 16:9).  There is nobody better equipped to trust your life with than God.  "Whoever trusts in the Lord is kept safe," (Proverbs 29:25).  I hope you have a fruitful Sabbath!

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Say "Goodbye" to Your Past!

 The following is an exchange between a Facebook friend and me:

FB friend:  "I love the Lord and I try to live a good life, but I feel I am suffering perhaps the consequences of my past.  But I don't know how to let it go.  I don't understand the people who can say, 'Ok, God, I give it to you,' and poof, their pain and suffering is gone."

Me:  "Hmm, have you accepted Jesus as your Savior, the only way to eternal life?  You can count on Him wholeheartedly to turn bad into good.  Meditate on His Word; know who you are in Christ.  You must know who you are in Christ first.  You have to trust the Bible and God's Word over your feelings.  Satan is real, and he will try to defeat God's plan for you, especially if you are a threat to Satan, which you are.  Guilt and condemnation are of the enemy; conviction and peace are of the Holy Spirit.

When you accept Jesus as your personal savior, the Bible says you become a new creation in Christ and shed the old you.  With that being said, when God looks at you, He sees the blood of Christ's sacrifice covering you and making you pure.  You have to get this idea in your heart and meditate on it until you believe it.  God's word does not return void.  He is not a liar!  Also, being consumed with your past has elements of pride attached to it...the Bible says that the Lord gives grace to the humble but opposes the proud.  Satan loves to keep people in bondage to pride.  Tell the enemy to 'GET BEHIND YOU!'"

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Why did I choose the name "Devise2bWise"?

The connotation is that you have to plan to be wise.  Wisdom is given abundantly to those who ask for it (James 1:5); we are not inherently wise, especially in a fallen world when we are meant for eternity with Christ.  God created a world that was perfect, but then that whole Adam and Eve thing happened, the world was given over to the enemy for a time, and we subsequently needed a Savior.  It's pertinent and crucial that we seek wisdom in order to live at God's potential for us as His children.

Psalm 111:10 says:  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all who follow his precepts have good understanding.  To him belongs eternal praise."  Fear of the Lord refers to reverence for what Christ has done for us.  When you accept Jesus Christ as your savior, you become a new creation with fresh, godly desires (2 Corinthians 5:17).  These desires will help to fuel your search for wisdom in Christ.

Accepting Christ as your Savior is not a cakewalk, however.  In order to pursue a righteous, Christ-centered life, you must be a force to be reckoned with!  However, remember that you do still live in a fallen world, and thus, you are susceptible to temptation.  But!  Yes, there's a but!  But, having accepted Christ, know that when "you are tempted, He will provide a way out so that you can stand up under it," (1 Corinthians 10:13).  Hebrews 4:15-16 tells us that Jesus was "tempted in every way" and is able to "sympathize with our weaknesses" and that we are to "approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need."  I know that I am referencing a lot of biblical truth, but when times are tough (whether it be emotionally, physically, mentally, etc), you MUST know the Word, the sword of the Spirit (Ephesians 6:17), in order to live a victorious life!  Choose God's word over emotions, because emotions are constantly changing whereas "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever!" (Hebrews 13:8)


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