BFFs!!

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BFF “Best Friends Forever”

We’ve all heard that term I am sure.  I have three friends that I have had since grade school who are and will forever be my “BFFs”.  We have been through a lot together, supported each other in life, and now have to be together in case one of us forgets something…the other one fills in the blank!!

But recently I witnessed something that I had witnessed before…and cringed in the same manner I had before…a momma trying to be her teenage girl’s best friend.  Over the years I have seen this with some of my sons’ friends and ….gulp….I am sorry, that is not our job!!

We are to “parent” our children.  There will come a time when we become more of their friend, but I believe we are to always be the “parent”.  It seems like I became good friends with my own mother when I had my first son.  Our circumstances were different, I needed her advice on mothering.  We talked a lot, and now that I am older we talk a lot more.  We are almost experiencing some of the same things together! (She’s 20 years older for those wondering). But trust me, she is still my “parent” and lets me know sometimes.  Usually I needed that parenting myself to be honest!!

The King James Version Dictionary defines parent as “1.  A father or mother; he or she that produces young. The duties of parents to their children are to maintain, protect and educate them. When parents are wanting in authority, children are wanting in duty. 2. That which produces; cause; source.”

Wester’s definition- a person who is a father or mother : a person who has a child: an animal or plant that produces a young animal or plant: something out of which another thing has developed

 This may be wrong, but if my boys do something or say something “off”, I tell them.  I am not afraid they won’t like me anymore.  They don’t have to listen, they are adults…and I do it in an appropriate way and don’t nag.  At least that is what I think I do!! But we are still friends…just not best friends!!

In fact, truth be told…I “parent” a lot of people around me.  I just started a part time job and I am working with young people for the first time in years…I have already been talking like a mother.  Guess none of them will claim me as their “BFF”!

Ephesians 6:1 “Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right.

“Obey” is hupakouo which means to “listen, to harken, of one who on the knock at the door comes to listen who it is;  to harken to a command; obey, be obedient to, submit to”

I ask you, how can our children “obey” us if we are too busy being their BFFs and worried they won’t like us anymore? Trust me when I say that kids need boundaries.  AND kids want boundaries!  They don’t know how to articulate that sometimes, but they do.  I have seen it with my own children and with those I taught in the public schools for years.

We can be their friends….just don’t let being their friend overshadow being their parent!

Blessings dear ones~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

 

His Sense of Humor

Spiritual Encouragement

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Yes, I believe God has a sense of humor.

Yep, I think He chuckles.  I think God likes laughter!  Ecclesiastes 3:4  tells us that there is “a time to weep and a time to laugh.”  Just look at the Father’s creation and you must see that He indeed has one!  

I thought about an aardvark.  They are pretty funny to look at. But God designed them with that long nose and it has a purpose.  Stop, now think….there you go, you thought of something didn’t you?  

Along with His sense of humor, I have been thinking of some of His others attributes.  What will it really be like to see Him?  Can we be a part of the “Kingdom of God” right now and get a glimpse?

Most of you have heard of the song I CAN ONLY IMAGINE by MercyMe.  It was written by Bart Millard several years ago at the passing of his father.  

“I can only imagine, what it will be like, when I walk by your side.  I can only imagine what my eyes will see when you face is before me, I can only imagine.  Surrounded by your glory, what will my heart feel?  Will I dance for you Jesus or in awe of you be still?  Will I stand in your presence or to my knees will I fall?  Will I sing hallelujah or be able to speak at all?”

Oh my, this speaks to our hearts in such a truthful manner.  We know what the word says about the God, about Jesus and John even describes heaven in Revelation.  But what will it really be like?  Can we truly describe or get a taste of His glory?

God is love.  Ponder that for a minute.  What is love?  He loves us more than we can even fathom.  I imagine that He chuckles at us, smiles at our wacky behavior.  Sometimes I wonder if He shakes His head in disappointment when we miss it?  I think of a daddy letting his baby girl dance to the music. He chuckles as she sways back and forth to the beat.  Her smiles melts his heart.  She stumbles, and he is there to catch her.  She cries, he soothes her.  She heads for the stove.  He has told her “no, do not touch”, but she continues for the burner. She gets burned.  Daddy does not run from her.  He embraces her as she deals with the consequence of the behavior.

I so often see myself as that little girl.  Have you allowed Abba Father to love you?  Have you taken the time to be with Him?  

Right now at this very moment, stop.  Take a few minutes to bask in His love.  Ask Him to make His presence knowing to you at this time.  Tell Him you love Him.  He doesn’t want this to be hidden from us.  He loves us.  That is one of the biggest motivators I know…love.

And just look up a Blob Fish or an Axolotl….you may never doubt  His sense of humor!

Blessings dear ones~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*google search image, NIV Bible”

Stove Knobs-Part 2

Christ's rest, Discouraged Christian, Freedom in Christ, Grace, Hope, Jesus Christ, Spiritual Encouragement, To Rest in Christ, Trials, Troubles, Who I am in Christ, , , , , , , , , , ,

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Stove Knobs- Part 2

I know that you have been waiting with anticipation to find out the rest of the stove knob story! But I promise there is a point.

Remember the toolbox that was in my reach the whole time? Well…

Ephesians 4:11-15 “And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers,for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ

We are already “equipped” with all we need as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ!We don’t have to be a pastor, missionary or music leader! We are all equipped to build the body of Christ. To work toward unity of the faith and of the knowledge. This knowledge means “an intense knowledge because of thorough participation in the object of that knowledge” (Strongs). In other words, not just a head knowledge of who Christ is, but a Heart knowledge of who He is to you.

The verse goes on to talk about the “perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ..” Of course the perfect man is full grown as opposed to little children. Fullness in Christ means that Christ has filled us with all kinds of gifts and dwells and walks in it, the body. God was in his fullness and not simply a manifestation, Jesus was fully God and fully man. This means more than just being filled with food. You know, how you eat and eat and say that you are full and two hours later you are eating again. You weren’t really full. THIS fullness means there is no room for anything else!! God alone is enough to fill us!

We have been given a “toolbox” but sometimes don’t even know we have it..we don’t know how to access it, or we just ignore that we have everything we need! God has given us what we need to get through all that swirls around us, and to help others as well.

Of course there are times when we don’t feel “full” of Christ, or totally immersed in Him. There are times when we don’t think that we can get through the hurts we are experiencing…and then God sends someone our way to say the right thing, pray the right prayer, or give the right amount of money we need. When there are those times that nothing seems to be happening, be must believe what He taught us was true! We must retrain our brain to rest in Him.

So get out that tool box and see what kind of tools the Father has equipped you with…see what tools need to be used. Don’t let it lay on the floor! Who knows, you might have the right tools to help someone fix the knobs on someone’s stove!!

Blessings dear ones~

IN CHRIST ALONE

Isaiah 55:8-9

*google image, NIV Bible