Inconsistent Posting

       Not that these are excuses, but I thought I’d give you my reasons for not posting the past two days.  Thursday my plans were to drop Nate off at the bus stop, go to the church to work in the library, then go home, post, then work on income tax.  After the library, I got home at 12:15 pm, looked in my agenda to find a phone number and noticed I had an important doctor appointment at 11:00 am.   

                                                    Oops!

       I quickly called and found out they’d still accept me so I raced out of the house with only a drink of water before I went.  By the time I got home it was suppertime and I had to eat cuz I was hungry, and then I fell asleep while spending time with my son.

       Yesterday, my plans were to jog after I dropped of Nate, work on our taxes, send them and then get to a friend’s house by 11:00 am for a visit.  When I got back from the bus stop I talked to hubby too long so I couldn’t run, taxes took way longer than expected as it was my first time net-filing*.

       But the new method of filing was difficult for me to figure out how to input certain numbers as I do not work so my husband can claim me, and one of my kid’s deductions failed to show up.  After getting done at around 1:30 pm, I still wanted to go relax at my friends so it was a later visit, an even later supper, and I was too tired again.

       My friends were kind of perplexed by my frustration at doing taxes when I could pay someone to do them.  The truth is I am an extremely frugal person.  I do not spend money on things I do not need to (unless it’s gifts or occasional treats) and I am able to do our taxes so TO ME it is wasteful to spend the money.

       Long ago I decided to accept myself for who I am, and so I am okay with me being this frugal and anti-waste.  I try not to interfere or show disapproval when others (imo) ‘waste’ their money in my presence because only our money is my concern.  Besides, during hubby’s 3 ½ year layoff, my frugality came in handy as we survived with minimal debt incurred.

       The way I see it, the Lord put me in the family and environment in order to help form my personality into who I am today.  And He wanted me to have particular skills, temperament and desires for His kingdom’s purpose, so why should I not like myself?  I am who I am today because of the grace and mercy of our Lord, and I am very grateful for His working in my life.

For it is God who works in you both to will and to do of His good pleasure.  Php. 2:13

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.  Rom. 11:29 (these all ESV)

Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from what is dishonorable, he will be a vessel for honorable use, set apart as holy, useful to the master of the house, ready for every good work.  2Tm. 2:21

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever…  Ps. 138:8 

       I guess my point in this post is that if we are not harming anyone, and are not sinning (we should work on those facets), we need to be okay with our own personality.  We also should not expect others to be like us, because God made us all different. 

          (Thank You Lord!)

 

       Be happy that the Lord made us all different because otherwise life would be boring or far more frustrating.  And God loves each of us for who we are, and so we should love others for who they are- God’s wonderful creation.

And God created man in His image; in the image of God He created him. He created them male and female.  Gen. 1:27

And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good…  Gen. 1:31

 

*yes, there really are free income tax programs for Canadians-

           I found one for every income level free

Government link showing software offers here

A Thought for Today

...Even so, Lord God Almighty, true and righteous are Your judgments.

Rev. 16:7

...power belongs to God.

Ps. 62:11

Be strong and courageous. Do not fear or be in dread of them, for it is the LORD your God who goes with you. He will not leave you or forsake you.

Dt. 31:6 ESV

Still Procrastinating...

       It just seems like everything is taking so much longer to do today than normal.  It could be because I foresee much work ahead of me and so I am procrastinating every step- even though I know it can’t last past today L.  Tax returns, vehicle maintenance, parent-teacher interviews (3 schools same night), find and buy new used vehicle, entering data in financial books, March break- kids off and wanting to go here and there, library work, blogging, cleaning and all the other regular duties, and on and on.  Gee, I’m boring myself already!

       Actually, not all that long from when I’m typing this I have to go pick up my daughter to run a couple errands.  (I wonder if I can schedule one full day next week to do absolutely nothing?)  Back on topic.  Procrastination just makes all the work we’re putting off look so much larger and scarier.  Yes, dread and anxiety can increase causing bondage that God never wanted us to live with.

       Keep procrastinating and peace and joy flee replaced by anxiety and depression- and a feeling of incompetence.  While it may seem like a temporary relief, it actually increases our stress levels overall and the fruit of it turns out rotten.  So here is a bunch of scriptures that I’ll be able to refer to any time I have this particular procrastinational issue.  (Yep, I know that’s not a legitimate word!)

About Work:

Whoever is slack in his work is a brother to him who destroys.  Pr. 18:9  (ouch!)

Six days you shall labor, and do all your work,  Ex. 20:9

The soul of the sluggard desires and has nothing; but the soul of the hard worker shall be made fat.  Pr. 13:4

The lazy one will not plow; after the autumn he shall beg in harvest and have nothing. Pr. 20:4

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is. Eph. 5:15-17

He who observes the wind will not sow, and he who regards the clouds will not reap. Eph. 11:4 ESV (In other words, if you wait to work until conditions are perfect you will not achieve anything)

How to Work:

And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men;  Col. 3:23

Therefore whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.  1Cor. 10:31

Whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might;  Ec. 9:10

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.  Php. 4:13

Things to Remember:

A little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to lie down; so shall your poverty come…  Pr. 6:10,11

and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.  1Th. 4:11,12 ESV

For even when we were with you, we commanded you this, that if anyone would not work, neither should he eat. For we hear that there are some who walk disorderly among you, not working at all…  Now we command and exhort those who are such, by our Lord Jesus Christ, that they work with quietness and eat their own bread.  2Th. 3:10-12

And Finally, we don’t have to fear what lies ahead:

For God has not given us the spirit of fear,

but of power and of love and of a sound mind*

 2Tm. 1:7

(*G4995- discipline/ self control- a fruit of the Spirit Gal. 5:23)

Be Ye Circumcised!

       Be circumcised?  But I’m a girl!  I’m not Jewish!  Why?  I don’t understand.

        Often, in the Bible, God uses natural things to teach spiritual matters.  Circumcision was one of these.  It started with God making a covenant with Abraham and his descendents (Gen. 17:7) and the sign of the people’s side of the covenant would be the circumcision of the males (v.10-12) at 8 days old.  (Obviously, this was the adults making the commitment to covenant.)  This was supposed to mean they were agreeing to keep the covenant with God, but as history proves, it became more of a prideful ritual than a sign of actual following.

And the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.  Dt. 30:6 ESV

For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God.  Rom. 2:28,29  ESV

       It was always God’s intention for us to be circumcised in the heart by His Spirit and not by the hand of man; not to pleased man, but God.  We are circumcised when we truly repent and become born again, and daily turn to God to renew that covenant.  If it didn’t work for the Jewish people to make the covenant once and never renew it but live life as they pleased (Jud. 17:6), then why do we expect God will be okay with us making the commitment and then living as we please?

       It is much the same with the sacrifices: the Jews were more faithful in than their reliance and trust in God, yet God said, “For I desired mercy and not sacrifice, and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.” (Hos. 6:6)  So their actions had become ritualistic rather than from the heart, and God was not pleased.  We do the same things today.  We perform all kinds of ‘spiritual’ acts because we think it will please God, but what He really wants is our hearts, totally and completely His.  Then our acts will be pleasing.

       That is why we need the Lord to circumcise us, because He always does things the right way (not man’s way) and He knows best how it needs to be done.  We do not need to be Christians in appearance only, but followers of Christ on the inside- in our spirit and our heart.  God knows the true state of our hearts, “And Jehovah saw … every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” (Gen. 6:5)  God does not look at the spiritual appearance of man, but at the heart (1Sm. 16:7).  We need to know Him- intimately, and then perhaps we would stop thinking it’s our outward works that make us His.

       Let us all decide to have our hearts circumcised by the Lord in rededication daily so that we are not just drawing near with what we say, only honouring Him with our lips, but our hearts are far from Him (Is. 29:13), but loving Him with all our heart, soul, strength and mind (Lk 10:27) because He first loved us (1Jh. 4:19).

Lord, circumcise my heart, that it might be pure and true before You…