AT THE BEGINNING of a new year we find ourselves making promises that include; lose weight; watch what we eat; change our hair style; get a new look; clean drawers; clean closets; reline the cupboards with new shelf paper; rearrange the furniture; replace the bedroom carpet; clean out the garage by spring; and the new favorite is to “downsize!” Have you made your new list? Have your checked it twice? Are you dressed for the occasion of ‘starting all over again?’
WE HAVE been in the downsizing mode for several months now, so this is not a new idea for the new year. However, it is the hardest of all! Downsize means you are not rearranging, nor cleaning out. It means getting rid of things that you cherish; that has a story; that you would rather keep and let someone else get rid of it, after you are gone. Downsizing means going through stuff and deciding whether to put it in a yard sale, give it away, or call Goodwill! It has ugly connotations!
IT IS BEST to let someone else downsize for you, because if you are like me, you have to set it a side, and think about it, one more time. I have a bow foot bed frame that I bought as an antique in the 70's. Had it refinished and used it. I loved the bow foot bed! We move and the head got cracked. Had it repaired and refinished again, and we used it! It had another accident and we checked into having it repaired and Jim was given instructions on how to repair it, and meanwhile a box from the rafters fell and broke it some more. It has been in the garage for at least two years now! A decision has to be made! I wanted it repaired! Then I wanted to repair it and give it away. Now I just want to give it away and let someone else have it repaired. I suppose now it is time to just throw it away! It had history; it had style; all that memory and now; no more bow foot bed! That’s the way of stuff!
I WONDER if the beginning of every new year; God reissues His promises and waits for His people to respond again with love, joy and peace? I wonder if He makes a list and if He checks it twice? I wonder if He then sits back and waits for us to remember our history with Him; our style of clothing when we are obedient to Him, and the memory of when we first became one of his children? I wonder if He whispers in our ears every night; “my promises are true and they are for you!”
REMEMBER the Bible stories about God downsizing His armies? Gideon was 32000 strong but God said; I don’t think so! So Gideon tested them and 22000 went home leaving 10000 strong. Again God said that was far to many. So Gideon tested them again, with only 300 passing the test! God downsizes big because He wants His people to put their trust in Him. (Judges 6-8)
SAULS ARMY was also downsized when Goliath came on the scene. God brought a boy named David to fight the giant, while Saul's army and the Philistine's army took sides and watched. (1 Samuel 17) God’s promises are not only true, but they are true, because they never change! When we downsize we get rid of the things that we think are no longer useful to us. God downsizes to show that He wants us to be used by Him! We have to be willing!
WE ARE BEGINNING a through the year Bible Reading and in preparation I am gearing myself up to finish! I have read through the Bible, and I have studied God’s Word but I have yet to finish a year of reading. I’ve got time! I have several different translations! Others have done this and I know that because of God’s promises, I can do this!
LET”S LOOK as two of God’s promises. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and for ever.” Hebrews 13:8 Because Jesus is always the same, we know that His promises are true! “The grass withers, the flower fades; but the word of our God will stand for ever.” Isaiah 40:8 His word is true! It’s going to be there whenever we are ready to begin reading!
EVERYTHING we have will come to the end of it’s life, and will need to be thrown out! It may hurt to clean up our lives yet once again, but God is on our side. Take a chance and read through God’s Word in 2014 and learn to fly as a bird on a wing! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 12/28/13
Saturday, December 28, 2013
Saturday, December 21, 2013
"I BELIEVE!" 12/22/13
DID YOU KNOW that Christ came to be born and to die for everyone? No matter how bad you were or how bad you are, God sent His only Son because He decided to love the world! I believe this because He changed my life; He has changed Jim’s life and He gave our children a life with Him because they grew up from birth knowing who He is and they believe also! God’s Word is the avenue we have walked ever since and I believe His promises are true.
GOD’S WORD is so valuable to the world because it tells us how to belong to Him. Some passages say “and you shall be saved!” Not just one but many, which says to belong to Him, is a process! I believe that the steps to salvation is not just one of those verses. However, it ends with Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!” The first four that say “and you shall be saved” you always must do. The fifth, you do once!
I KNOW what I believe! God has revealed it all through His Word! I believe what God says not by feelings and by sight, but through faith! Faith gives me hope, peace and through His Love, I can love everyone! Do you know what you believe? “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13 Can you? Although none of us are perfect in our walk, God has promised us forgiveness! However, that comes with a condition and you find those in God’s Word!
TRUST gives me a sincere place of confidence in Christ. “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose!” Romans 8:28 The church has been called and when we respond to that call, we become a part of the church. This scripture is for you! Without our trust in God, we flounder and rely upon ourselves to get us through.
IT ALL COMES down to believing that when we “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you!” Matthew 6:33 God knows what we need to live and to succeed in His Kingdom. We are to just be satisfied and keep, keeping on! Easy? Our flesh is weak but God’s strength allows us to keep, keeping on!
OBEDIENCE comes from hearing and believing His Word! We waste a lot of years because we still want it our way. But seeking God’s way, makes all the difference in the world! No pun intended, but we are declared peculiar people and to the world that is indeed a problem. We can’t be a Christian and live as the world. However, we can live as a Christian in the world because God’s Word says we can!
WE MAKE mistakes but don’t let our mistakes cause us to fall. God says when we forgive others, He will forgive us! “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15
LEARN to believe what you read in God’s Word and not rely on only what you have been taught to believe. A learned man speaks and we take it to be so; but a disciple who reads the scriptures to verify what has been said, with honesty and in earnest; God reveals so much more! I learned more about prayer when I taught a series in the late 90's. However, I was asking Jim what to say and how to say it when preparing to teach. After I learned how to go in prayer with clean hands and a pure heart; obedience to His Word; and forgiving others, along with practicing the presence of God, I began to write! Now I go to Jim to proof my work before I blog, or teach a lesson so that I am on the right track. I give God the praise and the glory!
PERFECTION will not be ours until we walk into heaven; but until that day, as a Christian we must strive to become the person that God has created us to be! We strive to keep Christ in Christmas, so let us also strive to keep Christ in our name of Christian, and become more than we ever thought we could be. Merry Christmas one and all for God so loved the World! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 12/20/13
GOD’S WORD is so valuable to the world because it tells us how to belong to Him. Some passages say “and you shall be saved!” Not just one but many, which says to belong to Him, is a process! I believe that the steps to salvation is not just one of those verses. However, it ends with Acts 2:38 “Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins, and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!” The first four that say “and you shall be saved” you always must do. The fifth, you do once!
I KNOW what I believe! God has revealed it all through His Word! I believe what God says not by feelings and by sight, but through faith! Faith gives me hope, peace and through His Love, I can love everyone! Do you know what you believe? “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me!” Philippians 4:13 Can you? Although none of us are perfect in our walk, God has promised us forgiveness! However, that comes with a condition and you find those in God’s Word!
TRUST gives me a sincere place of confidence in Christ. “All things work together for good to those who love the Lord, and are called according to His purpose!” Romans 8:28 The church has been called and when we respond to that call, we become a part of the church. This scripture is for you! Without our trust in God, we flounder and rely upon ourselves to get us through.
IT ALL COMES down to believing that when we “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and all these things will be added unto you!” Matthew 6:33 God knows what we need to live and to succeed in His Kingdom. We are to just be satisfied and keep, keeping on! Easy? Our flesh is weak but God’s strength allows us to keep, keeping on!
OBEDIENCE comes from hearing and believing His Word! We waste a lot of years because we still want it our way. But seeking God’s way, makes all the difference in the world! No pun intended, but we are declared peculiar people and to the world that is indeed a problem. We can’t be a Christian and live as the world. However, we can live as a Christian in the world because God’s Word says we can!
WE MAKE mistakes but don’t let our mistakes cause us to fall. God says when we forgive others, He will forgive us! “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father also will forgive you; but if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” Matthew 6:14-15
LEARN to believe what you read in God’s Word and not rely on only what you have been taught to believe. A learned man speaks and we take it to be so; but a disciple who reads the scriptures to verify what has been said, with honesty and in earnest; God reveals so much more! I learned more about prayer when I taught a series in the late 90's. However, I was asking Jim what to say and how to say it when preparing to teach. After I learned how to go in prayer with clean hands and a pure heart; obedience to His Word; and forgiving others, along with practicing the presence of God, I began to write! Now I go to Jim to proof my work before I blog, or teach a lesson so that I am on the right track. I give God the praise and the glory!
PERFECTION will not be ours until we walk into heaven; but until that day, as a Christian we must strive to become the person that God has created us to be! We strive to keep Christ in Christmas, so let us also strive to keep Christ in our name of Christian, and become more than we ever thought we could be. Merry Christmas one and all for God so loved the World! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 12/20/13
Saturday, December 7, 2013
MORE OR LESS! 12/8/13
EVER SINCE retirement became more than an idea, I have experienced many sleepless nights. The amazing thing is that I start out tired and even prepare to settle in around 8:00 pm, but by 10:00 I am wide awake! I have tried mentally reciting all the scriptures that I can bring to mind; even go from my bed to my chair, and finally after eating a few crackers and drinking some water, I try the sleep mode again. However, I always seen to end up at the computer!
I HAVEN’T figured out why this happens but I do know that I don’t like it! I don’t like it because I have always loved sleeping! When I was a young woman, I could sleep until 10:00 am or longer and discovered when I married that Jim also like to sleep late. Children came along and that stopped, but the idea of sleeping never did.
I SOLVE problems when I am sleeping; I remember things when I am sleeping. Once, while doing some bank reconciliations for the company I had retired from, and felt like the TV mystery writer Jessica Fletcher, I was able to solved the mystery that had plagued me for weeks; while sleeping!
GOD DESIGNED our bodies for rest and because he created the 24 hour body clock, our bodies automatically go into the sleep mode with very little encouragement. As we get older the clock doesn't quite work as efficient as it did, but then many things don’t work as well as it use too! But lack of sleep is not a good thing! Some can get by with 4 to 6 hours but I want more!
WANTING MORE is a fleshly trait! Recently I used the term “less is more!” But for some reason I think more is always a good thing! I don’t want more house, or more car; I don’t even want more of what the rich and famous have. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” Matthew 6:33 God provides all our needs and He even includes more than we ever could dream of. He includes the things that I consider my favorites!
LET”S CONSIDER some favorite things! I could say ice cream, or chocolate; perhaps even more turkey and dressing; but I mean, really favorite things. One of my most favorite thing is to walk and talk with Jesus! When the weather is good, I walk around my house talking (out loud) to Jesus and am refreshed and that is whether or not I get enough sleep.
“AND LET US consider how to stir up one another to love and good works!” Hebrews 10:24 Isn’t that one of your favorites things to do? I love the church and the family that God has designed for His children. Within the Church I can love everyone and know that they love me! In the world, I can love them, but they have trouble understanding me, let alone loving me!
IN HEBREWS chapter 3, verse 1, it says to consider Jesus! Jesus is my most favorite subject! To consider Jesus would take sheets and sheets, because He is all the world to me! Jesus is my haven of rest! I may not be able to sleep well tonight, but I have a resting place that is always calling me. He is my encouragement; my comfort; my peace and joy that is constantly bubbling up in my soul! Jesus is my refuge in times of trouble and He calms my anxious heart.
JESUS came so that we may have life and have life in abundance! What more could we want after we have met Jesus! He is our all in all! He is the way, the truth and the life! No one can come to the Father except through Jesus! Why would anyone not receive Him and not want to know more and more about Him? Our old ways have nothing to offer! With Jesus it is like living in the warmth of the sun; smelling the fresh rain as it hits against the warm sidewalk; watching the snow as it glistens and melts to our touch.
“DO NOT lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also!” Matthew 6:16-18 Less may be more in some cases, but Jesus comes with a life time guarantee, which is more of His blessed assurance! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 12/3/13
I HAVEN’T figured out why this happens but I do know that I don’t like it! I don’t like it because I have always loved sleeping! When I was a young woman, I could sleep until 10:00 am or longer and discovered when I married that Jim also like to sleep late. Children came along and that stopped, but the idea of sleeping never did.
I SOLVE problems when I am sleeping; I remember things when I am sleeping. Once, while doing some bank reconciliations for the company I had retired from, and felt like the TV mystery writer Jessica Fletcher, I was able to solved the mystery that had plagued me for weeks; while sleeping!
GOD DESIGNED our bodies for rest and because he created the 24 hour body clock, our bodies automatically go into the sleep mode with very little encouragement. As we get older the clock doesn't quite work as efficient as it did, but then many things don’t work as well as it use too! But lack of sleep is not a good thing! Some can get by with 4 to 6 hours but I want more!
WANTING MORE is a fleshly trait! Recently I used the term “less is more!” But for some reason I think more is always a good thing! I don’t want more house, or more car; I don’t even want more of what the rich and famous have. “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well.” Matthew 6:33 God provides all our needs and He even includes more than we ever could dream of. He includes the things that I consider my favorites!
LET”S CONSIDER some favorite things! I could say ice cream, or chocolate; perhaps even more turkey and dressing; but I mean, really favorite things. One of my most favorite thing is to walk and talk with Jesus! When the weather is good, I walk around my house talking (out loud) to Jesus and am refreshed and that is whether or not I get enough sleep.
“AND LET US consider how to stir up one another to love and good works!” Hebrews 10:24 Isn’t that one of your favorites things to do? I love the church and the family that God has designed for His children. Within the Church I can love everyone and know that they love me! In the world, I can love them, but they have trouble understanding me, let alone loving me!
IN HEBREWS chapter 3, verse 1, it says to consider Jesus! Jesus is my most favorite subject! To consider Jesus would take sheets and sheets, because He is all the world to me! Jesus is my haven of rest! I may not be able to sleep well tonight, but I have a resting place that is always calling me. He is my encouragement; my comfort; my peace and joy that is constantly bubbling up in my soul! Jesus is my refuge in times of trouble and He calms my anxious heart.
JESUS came so that we may have life and have life in abundance! What more could we want after we have met Jesus! He is our all in all! He is the way, the truth and the life! No one can come to the Father except through Jesus! Why would anyone not receive Him and not want to know more and more about Him? Our old ways have nothing to offer! With Jesus it is like living in the warmth of the sun; smelling the fresh rain as it hits against the warm sidewalk; watching the snow as it glistens and melts to our touch.
“DO NOT lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust consume and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust consumes and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also!” Matthew 6:16-18 Less may be more in some cases, but Jesus comes with a life time guarantee, which is more of His blessed assurance! By Jane Ann Crenshaw 12/3/13
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