May 5, 2026

Glorious Living w/ Coach Megan: Changing Your Heart from Critical to Caring

October 11, 2013 by

GL header

Dear Coach Megan,

God has really been working in my heart lately and, whether I like it or not, He has shown me that I have a really critical spirit with the people closest to me. I don’t like it and I want to do my part to change, but I’m not sure where to begin. Can you help?

~ DJ

Dearest DJ…

In my experience, anyone with a critical spirit is an expert at finding fault and focusing on it! Bless you for not only admitting this, but being willing to let God in and work on your precious heart to make an impact {in a good way} on all the lives you touch!  I pray that this blog post will be a blessing to you and your family, and I would love to hear how God fills your heart with His supernatural caring!

A critical spirit does not reflect the heart of the wise, nor does it reflect the heart of God.  Jesus said, “For out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks. The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and the evil man  brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him”  {Matthew 12:34-35}.

A critical spirit is an excessively negative attitude with harshness in judging.  A person with a critical spirit gives unfair criticism by fault-finding, nit-picking, carping, quibbling, and complaining.  The Bible is clear about those who are judgmental:

Romans 14:10

You, then, why do you judge your brother or sister?  Or why do you treat them with contempt?
For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat.

On the flip side… a caring spirit is a thoughtful, attentive attitude with a heart to help.  One of the most important needs we all have is for someone to care about us; someone to be attentive to our dreams and disappointments, our joys and sorrows, our successes and failures, our strengths and weaknesses, our vices and virtues.  How blessed we are when we have caring people in our lives!  Those who have a caring spirit reflect the heart of our caring Savior.

Nahum 1:7

 The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him

How to change your heart from critical to caring:

Identify your shortcomings {Psalms 139:23-24}

  • Humble your heart to see your own sin, your imperfections, and your immense need for God’s mercy.
  • Help others see their significance in God’s eyes.
  • Pray: “Lord, may I see my sin as You see it…may I hate my sin as You hate it.”

Practice compassion for others {Colossians 3:12}

  • Look closely at the life of Christ to learn His compassionate way of confronting the truth.
  • Pray that you will not be a critical stone thrower, but a compassionate need-meeter.

Draw out the heartfelt needs of others {Proverbs 20:5}

  • Don’t listen to only what people say on the surface. Listen for the needs and feelings beneath the surface… feelings of being unloved or feeling insignificant or insecure.
  • Pray that God will give you a discerning spirit as you seek to draw others out.

Offer acceptance to others {Romans 15:7}

  • Realize that everyone has an innate fear of rejection and a deep yearning for acceptance.
  • Choose to be a channel through which God extends His acceptance to others.

See the God-given worth in others {Luke 12:6-7}

  • Treat every person, especially the one most problematic to you, as someone with God-given worth.  The truth judges our hearts, attitudes, and actions towards others.
  • Pray that the Lord will not allow you to despise anyone whom He created and loves.

Praise the positives in others {Philippians 4:8}

  • Avoid the temptation to try to catch people doing something wrong.  Instead, comment on what they are doing right.
  • Pray that you will see something positive in every person, then faithfully make that your focus.
  • Pray that you would see others as God sees them and value them as He values them.

Refuse to wound others with words {Colossians 3:16}

  • Consider the fallacy of the saying “talk is cheap.” Talk is costly when it tears others down. Prayerfully consider the possibility that what you are criticizing in someone may be something God wants to deal with directly, and that God may want you to pray and remain silent.
  • Before speaking words of criticism, ask a wise friend to evaluate the content and tone of your words.  Realize that after critical words are spoken, you can never take them back.
  • Inspire those who need to change by sharing with them your belief that they can change. Encourage them by saying “Don’t give up. Trust God to guide you in the way you should go. I know you can make the right decisions. I believe you can experience God’s best!”
  • Present your words to God as His instrument for good, and pray that He will put His words into your mouth.

See the unmet needs of others {Philippians 4:19}

  • Instead of judging the inappropriate actions of others, seek to understand the need behind each action.
  • Realize that people who speak forth cutting words reveal that they have unmet inner needs {for love, significance, or security.}
  • Realize that people don’t always mean what they say nor understand their own deepest needs.
  • Pray that your critics will allow the Lord to meet their deepest inner needs.

Rely on God’s Word and God’s Spirit for wisdom

  • Seek God’s wisdom by reading a chapter a day from the Book of Proverbs.
  • Write down every verse from Proverbs that pertains to the tongue.  Check your words against this list and see if you are being wise with what you say.
  • See God at work in every circumstance and trust Him for wisdom to know how to respond {wisdom is the ability to look at life from God’s point of view.}
  • Pray that God’s Spirit will teach you spiritual truths and lead you to speak these truths in love.

1 Corinthians 2:13

This is what we speak, not in words taught us by human wisdom 
but in words taught by the Spirit, explaining spiritual realities with Spirit-taught words.

Blessings,

Coach Megan 🙂 

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Creamed Kale

October 11, 2013 by

 

Creamed Kale

My favorite side dish in restaurants is creamed spinach.  There’s just something about it that I crave.  And lucky for me, it’s not hard to make at home.  But spinach is a little fussy – it goes mushy in the fridge really quickly, so I don’t have it on hand unless I’m cooking it that day.  But kale on the other hand … that hearty veggie will hang out in your fridge for a few days without appreciable loss of texture or taste.  So I had 2 bunches of curly kale hogging space in my fridge and decided to see if I could cream it.  In short, yes I did!  Creamed Kale for dinner!

Use whatever hearty green you have – kale, chard, or spinach.  If you are using spinach, just wash and blanch it quickly.  Kale and chard need more time in the pot to soften up, so plan accordingly.  I made this with one part whole milk and one part half-and-half, but I think next time I can just use whole milk.  If you like a richer flavor, use all half-and-half.  As for the onion, I used just a regular brown onion.  I think a sweet variety would be even better, so if you see Vidalias or Walla Wallas, pick one up!  Also, I left it out, but you can certainly add a little (or a lot, your choice) grated parmesan cheese to garnish.  Ready to check it out?  Let’s go!

Creamed Kale

(serves 2 as a side dish)

Ingredients:

  • 2 bunches kale, any kind, or chard, or spinach (see note above if using spinach)
  • 1 onion
  • 3 tablespoons butter, divided
  • 1/2 cup whole milk
  • 1/2 cup half-and-half
  • 1 teaspoon corn starch
  • salt and pepper
  • 1/8 teaspoon grated nutmeg

Directions:

  1. Set a large pot of water to boil.  Prepare the kale:  tear out the tough center stem, and tear the leaves into bite-sized pieces.  Wash well.
  2. Slice the onion as fine as possible – you want thin strings.  In a large pan, cook the onions in 2 tablespoons of butter, stirring to make sure they don’t burn.
  3. Boil the kale for about 3 or 4 minutes.  You don’t want it too soft – a little chew is nice.  Remove to an ice bath.  When cool enough to handle, squeeze out as much water as possible from the kale.
  4. When the onions are soft and browning, add the kale to the pan.  In a bowl, whisk together the milk, half-and-half, and cornstarch.  Pour over kale and onions and stir to incorporate.  Turn the heat down to medium low and simmer for 3 minutes until thick and creamy.  Season with salt, pepper, and nutmeg.  Stir in last tablespoon of butter, then serve hot.

Explore, experiment, enjoy! — Dana

To view even more of Dana’s unique recipe, you can visit her at Frugal Girlmet!

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Esther – Chapter 6: Recap

October 11, 2013 by

Hos149

I think this story should be titled, “The Sleepless King and The Providence of God.”  We saw in the last part of this study that Haman strongly dislikes Mordecai and Mordecai despises Haman.  Mordecai wants Haman removed from the king’s advisory counsel and Haman wants Mordecai removed from life.  As I have mentioned before, Esther is one of the only books of the Bible that does not mention God…yet He’s not far from each scene, is He?

Esther 6:1-3

As we know, all is set to come to a head tomorrow so it’s no wonder that the king had a hard time sleeping. He had his servants read to him the story of how Mordecai saved the king from two assailants who had wanted to kill him (Esther 2:21-23).  It was also said that Mordecai had not been rewarded yet for his courage in this situation.  Can you see the fingerprints of God all over this?  He is the One that has the king awake!  He is the One that has him read the book of records and He is the One who directed the king’s eunuchs to choose the story about Mordecai’s saving the king’s life. Have you seen the invisible hand of God working in your life?

 Esther 6:4-9

The self-consumed one enters the picture.  Haman has this plan to hang Mordecai.  He wakes early and rushes to the king to tell him his plan before anyone else and,because he actually thought the king loved him, he had no doubt he would honor his request.  What he didn’t take into account was that God never sleeps and He had been working on Mordecai’s behalf throughout the night and speaking to the king’s heart (praise the Lord!).  So Haman comes in and the king wants to know what Haman thinks should be done to the man that the king himself wants to honor. He’s thinking the king MUST want to honor him, so he says this: the one you honor should be displayed wearing a royal kingly robe and crown, and paraded on a horse and should be admired by all the people.

Esther 6:10-14

What does pride come before? In Proverbs 18:2, it says, “Before his downfall a mans heart is proud, but humility comes before honor.”  Proverbs 25:27 says, “It is not good to eat too much honey, nor is it honorable to seek one’s own honor.”  Can you imagine what Haman was feeling when the king told him to do for Mordecai what he expected to be done for himself?  I feel sure his heart dropped and after the words sank in, he probably becomes extremely angry.  His worst fears have come true as he has to robe Mordecai and crown him and parade him through the streets in which Haman himself hoped to be paraded.  So what does he do?  He seeks counsel from his wife who confirms his own thinking, he is ruined.

 _______________

Let me just say to each of you who follow our Lord faithfully with your whole life, the day will come when you are publicly praised and honored and displayed by our great God Himself.  But do not set your heart on it in this life!  As I have said before in previous blogs, there is a little Haman in all of us, right?  We don’t want our good deeds to go unnoticed.  We may want a little recognition from others for the sacrifices we make on others behalf.  But now is not the time, unless God chooses to.  Otherwise, honor is reserved for Jesus Himself!  Jesus says if we love Him then we must love each other and we must put others before ourselves.  And we should seek only those things that hold eternal value.  All things will pass away, except Jesus Himself.

“He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”~ Jim Elliot

Who is wise? Let them realize these things. Who is discerning? Let them understand. The ways of the LORD are right; the righteous walk in them, but the rebellious stumble in them.

Hosea 14:9

—————-

Riches I heed not, nor man’s empty praise,
Thou my inheritance, now and always Thou and Thou only, the first in my heart,
Sovereign of Heaven, my treasure Thou art.
High King of Heaven, Thou Heaven’s bright sun
Grant be its joy after victory is won
Great Heart of my own heart, whatever befall,
Be Thou my vision, O Ruler of all.”
(from Be Thou My Vision)

Let’s Pray:

Dear Daddy, we thank You for the clear, bright glow of the light of Your truth that shines in the darkness of our own hearts so that we can see ourselves exactly as we are.  Frightening as it is, we thank You that we don’t need to continue to look at that but to look to the One who has come into this world for this very purpose, that’s Jesus.  He alone destroys the work of the enemy in our lives.  Forgive us when pride gets in the way and we seek glory that belongs to You, oh Lord. Gently put us in our place.  For all we do on this earth, all words that come out of our mouths, may they only point to You and give You the honor and glory You so deserve.  Help us to love each other the way You have commanded and rid us of any anger or bitterness.  We love You and we praise You and we can’t wait to meet You face to face one day but until then may we continue to walk in Your path and light.  For it’s in Jesus’ name we pray.

Amen.

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

A Shield

October 10, 2013 by

SeekingHimLogo

Ye that fear the Lord, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield.
Psalm 115:11

Watching a group of 5 to 7 year old boys at football practice can be an eye-opening experience. It is an experience when hindsight is 20/20.  Our vision at any time is never perfect unless you’re just blessed with almost 20/20 vision.  No human could be blessed to be that perfect.

Now back to that football practice…. Imagine that the boys are lined up in two lines facing each other…one behind the other…for a simple football drill—we’ll say tackling.  Two boys, who happen to be brothers, are facing off.  The bigger one has the football.  He runs over little brother and pushes him to the ground, and little brother starts crying.  The next player in line behind the big brother sees what happens, and he just shuts down.  He won’t do a thing.  He refuses to even try because he is scared that he will get hurt.  What is a mother to do when this happens at every practice?

Like I said, hindsight is 20/20. Mom has to remember that the boy is a young, young five.  He has never done this before.  He is a scared little five year old who has no idea what he is doing, AND he wants his daddy because daddy knows what is going on.  Mommy doesn’t know because mommy grew up a girl with Barbie dolls, books, and everything sugar and spice.  Equate this to being scared, alone, and confused.  You have no protection.  You have no one to lean on.

O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord: He is their help and their shield.
Psalm 115:10

We have the protection of the shield of God to protect us.  God protected the Israelites as they escaped Egypt.  He separated a sea for them so that they could escape.  He put up a fire barrier to buy them time to flee to the other shore.  God provided the Israelites everything they needed as they wandered in the wilderness.  God protected David during his reign as king.  As long as we trust, fear, and love the Lord, we have His protection.  When we accept Jesus as our Savior, we are given the Lord as a shield from the evil in this world.

Just as those little football players have helmets and pads for protection, we have the Lord as our shield for our protection.  We don’t have to be like scared children who are doing something new because we have God as our shield.  God is our Protector. God is our Savior.  God is our Help and our Shield.

Hindsight 20/20:  Mommy should have made son wait an extra year before letting him play football.  Lesson learned.

* * * * *

Dear heavenly Father, thank You for being our Shield, our Protector, our Savior.  Without You, we would fall with the rest of the world.  May Your shield bring strength as we live day to day. In Jesus name.

Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Fall Crafts, Printables, Art, and Writing Projects for the Homeschool Family

October 10, 2013 by

AHWGCH_Woerner

Last week we featured several delicious fall recipes for you to try in your homeschool. I hope you all had fun with that.  I know our family did!  Pumpkin is one of our favorite fall flavors, so we really had fun in the kitchen over the last week.

We are planning to get into some crafts soon.  I’d love to make a thankful turkey like those I’ve seen on Pinterest, or create some special kind of wreath or other decoration for our home.  I need to do a bit of research to find out just exactly what I want for that.

A good start will be found in the links I’ve posted for you below! I have collected ideas from some of my blogging friends for crafts, printables, writing ideas, and art projects.  Have fun with them as you plan your homeschool days this fall!

Fall Crafts

Pumpkin Turkeys and Easy Fall Crafts from The Chaos and the Clutter.

Candy Corn Jar Candle Holder found at Our Little Corner of the World.

The Thankful Tree from Paradise Praises.

Apple Stamping: A Fun Kid Craft found at A Moment With Mom.

 

Fall Writing Ideas

Fall picture writing prompts from In Our Write Minds.

 

Fall Printables

The November Planning Pack for Children found at The Multi Taskin Mom.

My Book of Thanks: a 25 Day Gratitude Journal for Kids from Upside Down Homeschooling.

Unit Lesson Plan|Fall Apples and Unit Lesson Plan|Fall Leaves found at Tutus & Tea Parties.

Free Fall Printable from Happy and Blessed Home.

 

Fall Art Projects

Autumn Tree Art from Campfires and Cleats.

Easy Apple Tree Painting from the Chaos and the Clutter.

 

I don’t know about you, but I am very excited about trying some of these projects!

Do you have any fun art projects, crafts, printables, or writing ideas?  Please share them in the comments below!

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Esther – Chapter 6:12-14

October 10, 2013 by

Wk6_Fox_Esther

_______________________________________________

Afterward Mordecai returned to the king’s gate.

Esther 6:12

How interesting that all that honor and fanfare didn’t seem to give Mordecai a big head.  He went back to his daily position and duties.  I believe he knew his true value came from his God, and not from men, and that’s all he needed.  What a difference humility and faith makes in a person’s life!

Then there was Haman.  Obviously, honor from the king fed his self-centered pride so it meant everything to him.  But the honor went to the “other guy!”  Esther 6:12b, “But Haman rushed home, with his head covered in grief,”  How frustrating, depressing, and embarrassing for Haman.  What could be more defeating than to have his plans for destruction completely reversed, and perhaps begin to fall on him!?

Pride ends in humiliation, while humility brings honor.

Proverbs 29:23

Esther 6:13 (NLT), “When Haman told his wife, Zeresh, and all his friends what had happened, his wise advisers and his wife said, ‘Since Mordecai–this man who has humiliated you—is of Jewish birth, you will never succeed in your plans against him. It will be fatal to continue opposing him.’”  In his arrogance, Haman expected some sympathy from his wife and his “wise” friends but instead they foretold of his demise.  They told him two things which turned out to be prophetic.

The first was based on a fact: “Mordecai is a Jew, and because of that fact your plan will fail.” They were implying that the Jews’ God was watching over them, and He was more powerful than any human plan.

I found this very intriguing.  Here was the Jewish Nation defeated in war, their cities destroyed, and the people taken captive to serve in foreign lands.  In spite of those facts, the citizens who lived around the Jews recognized that God was with them.  They saw the resilience, strength, and confidence of the Jews that could only be explained in reference to their worship of and their trust in their God.

This raised questions in my own mind: Do others see the evidence of resilience, strength, and confidence in my life that demonstrates my faith that God is taking care of me?  Do I live a life of humility so that my life points others to my God?

What “great“ friends these guys were, and they weren’t finished with Haman yet!  They barely took a breath when they hit him with the second prophetic statement: “You, personally, will be ruined!”

Without a chance to think that through, a knock came at the door and Haman was escorted, as was the custom, to the second of Queen Esther’s banquets.  I imagine in light of what his friends had just told him, he had many conflicting thoughts as he went.  Would this be his chance to make more “brownie points” with the king and queen and receive more honor, or was doom lurking in the very shadows of the queen’s banquet hall?

Our author, Darlene Schacht says, “This entire chapter has a strong focus on the dangers of pride and the blessings of humility. It is further exemplified here as Mordecai is exalted and Haman is cut down.”  We talked last week in chapter five about pride and humility, and Tonya talked about the dangers of pride on Tuesday.  Oh my, here we are again today.  Over the years I’ve heard Bible teachers say that if God’s Word repeats something more than once God must consider it important enough for us to stop and reflect on it.  (Okay, Lord, I’m listening!)

Humility:  Mordecai is our example of humility.  He was meek, having a quiet, gentle spirit. He was more concerned about others than he was for his own welfare.  True humility is more than an outward act of service.  It is also an attitude that comes from the heart. Colossians 3:12, “Since God chose you to be the holy people He loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.”

Pride: There are two kinds of pride.  We can take “pride” in a job well done; that is to be happy for the accomplishment.  We see the other kind of pride that the Bible refers to in Haman; pride in himself, giving himself all the credit.  Like humility, pride is an attitude of the heart.  We, too, can have this pride which convinces us to think more highly of ourselves than we ought to. This pride can be subtle. This pride is self-righteousness, not giving credit to God for the good in our lives and what we’ve accomplished, and that is sin.                 

I Corinthians 4:7, “For what gives you the right to make such a judgment? What do you have that God hasn’t given you? And if everything you have is from God, why boast as though it were not a gift?”

Darlene asks, “What are some of the ways you might protect your heart against pride?”  I’ll share a couple and then please add your thoughts as you share today:

  1. I remind myself regularly that any gifts and talents that I have, and the fruit of the Spirit, all come from God.
  2. I must recognize that whatever is good within me is only because of Jesus.
  3. Your turn!

I would like to use some of John Piper’s quote that Darlene shared with us as part of our prayer today.

*****

Let’s Pray:

Dear Lord, we are once again confronted with the sharp contrast between humility and pride, two very opposing forces in our own lives.  You want us to be clothed in humility, and to be alert to protect our heart against pride.  Holy Spirit, we can’t do this without You.  Please help us “to cultivate a joy in Christ, His wisdom, power, justice, and love that is more satisfying than the pleasures of human praise.  We pray that we will experience the miracle of self-forgetfulness in the admiration of Christ, and in love toward people.”  In Jesus’ name.  Amen.

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Only For You, Lord

October 9, 2013 by

Not to us, O LORD, not to us  but to your name be the glory,
because of your love and faithfulness.
Psalm 115:1

Who should receive glory?  GOD ALONE!  Glory does not go to: us, anything that looks like us, anything that comes from us, or anything that is around us.  This statement is true for the past, now, and all times.  More importantly, Psalm 115:1, God’s Word, is true for all times, and God is the supreme example of love and faithfulness as is evident throughout the pages of the Bible! (The best example is that He sent His Son, Jesus, to the world to be a sacrifice for our sins!  See John 3:16.)

In Biblical times, many worshipped man-made idols.  Are you thinking how absurd it is for people to worship things they produced with their own hands?  Yes, you’re correct.  And it’s equally absurd for people to worship anything or anyone besides God: self, people, money, fame, or position.  How can we keep this from ever happening to us?

If we all truly had the correct perspective of how great and magnificent God truly is as Lord, Savior, Creator, and King, we would be awestruck by His wonderful and powerful Presence for an eternity and give Him glory alone!  Don’t you see?  The more we know Him and draw closer to Him through His Word, in faith, and in prayer, the more that love for Him keeps intensifying and growing.  Let’s guard our hearts so that HE alone is worshipped and adored passionately!

I know of someone who had it right…who spoke passionately in the wilderness over two thousand years ago!  I really like this man, this prophet, this one who boldly spoke about Jesus and made Him the focus in his life.  John the Baptist took the opportunities he had to prepare the way for Jesus’ coming.  “The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, ‘Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world’” (John 1:29).  He was bold, but not proud. He knew who he himself was in comparison to Jesus (extremely lower than Jesus). When referring to Jesus, John the Baptist said, “He is the one who comes after me, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie” (John 1:27).  I’ll give you this – John the Baptist was very different.  But that was good, and that was God-glorifying good!  Because you see, from God’s perspective, that‘s what He wanted from John the Baptist!

John the Baptist spoke with God-glorifying purpose “…saying, ‘Repent for the kingdom of heaven is near’” (Matthew 3:2). We also want to live with God-glorifying purpose in various ways daily.

And like John the Baptist, we want to have the correct perspective of Who Jesus is so that we can worship Him and give Him glory as our one true God.  We want to have the correct perspective of ourselves (sinners who always need a Savior and who are lavished in His love). And we need a surrendered perspective to step out boldly and differently, if need be, in order to achieve His God-glorifying purposes in our lives for Him.

Like the Jews written about in Psalm 115:1 and like John the Baptist, we want to worship God alone and give glory to Him alone!

And like John the Baptist, wouldn’t we rather be

   in the light,
           walking odd for God …
                  than in the dark,
                       walking proud with the crowd?
I would.

I’d rather be different and hoping to bring Him glory than blending in with the many who don’t desire to at all.

* * * * *

Dear Lord, help us all to give You alone great glory and be grateful daily for what You have done in our lives.  We love You and praise You!  In Jesus’ precious Name.

Amen.

Filed Under: Seeking Him Daily Devotional Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,

Esther – Chapter 6:10-11

October 9, 2013 by

Be honest.   Don’t you just LOVE it when hateful people get what’s coming to them?  Of COURSE you do!  Me too.  This is the part of the Esther story that almost makes me laugh out loud.   We see in verses 10 and 11 that Haman is utterly humiliated –publicly!  Can you imagine what that must have been like for Haman to dress Mordecai in the King’s robe and crown, and then have to parade him around town proclaiming “This is what is done for the man the King delights to honor!” (verse 11).  Haman (the man who, no doubt, made sure to tell anyone who would listen how much he hated Mordecai ) not only had to do this in front of his peers and subjects, Haman obviously was not the man the King delighted to honor!   In the chapter to come we will see the full extent of his downfall.  Take that, you jerk!

But even as I read the scriptures this morning, the Holy Spirit convicted me of my attitude and asked me a couple questions.  Is this how you really are supposed to think, Robin?  Did I delight in Haman’s punishment?   

Wk6_Caddell_EstherWhoa. I just got checked by the Holy Spirit.  Time to take that thought captive and make it obedient to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5). Let’s answer the second question first…just so we’re on the same page.  The answer is NO.  Evil will be punished, because God is a just and holy God, and therefore cannot (and will not) tolerate sin.  He does not, however, delight in it.  2 Peter 3:9 says “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”  Do you see what the Scripture says –He wants EVERYONE to come to repentance. Even hateful Haman.  You know those people in your mind that are the worst scum of the Earth, ever?  He wants them, too.  Which brings me back to the first question the Holy Spirit is using to correct me (and perhaps you, too…).

Is this really how I am supposed to think?   Well, sisters, the answer is… no, not really. To know that evil will eventually be no more and that God will even out the score brings a great amount of comfort!  But let’s get back to the focus of this study, shall we?  Submission.  If I want to truly be more like Christ, if I want my will to decrease so that His will can increase in me (John 3:30), then I MUST submit my will, in all things. That includes wanting to get even or to get revenge.

Haven’t we all had a “Haman” in our lives, at some time or another?  Maybe not so drastic that they wanted us dead – but haven’t we all had someone who “got one over on us?”  Perhaps there is someone who makes your life miserable at work.  A “friend” who insists on outdoing everything you do, and rubbing your nose in it. Maybe you have a neighbor that HATES you.  Or maybe someone just cheated you out of something you worked hard for.  It could be something as simple as getting cut off in traffic!  But it could be more heinous – you or your family has been victim of harm or abuse.  The bottom line is, we all have at one time or another wanted to get revenge for an offense made against us.   We definitely haven’t prayed for God’s favor on that person!

But we should.

Romans 12:17-21 presents a challenging passage about love:

Do not repay anyone evil for evil.  Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody.  If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.  Do not take revenge, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: ‘It is mine to avenge, I will repay,” says the Lord.  On the contrary, ‘If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink.  In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.’   Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

Wow – is that some heavy lifting, or what?  Give your enemy a drink if he’s thirsty?  I know sometimes I would rather hit someone upside the head with a full bucket of water than give that person a drink out of love.  But as I am called to be more like Christ, and as God keeps trying to skim out the garbage in my life to make me more pure, then I MUST  think of any offending person as someone that God desperately wants to reach for his Kingdom.  He doesn’t want ANYONE to perish, remember?  All people are created by God – in His image – and He wants all people to come to Him.  This is not going to be an easy one to master.  But forgiving someone an offense and PRAYING for those who persecute us brings us to such an incredible place of submission and humility that God can work miracles – in our hearts AND in our enemies!

 *****

Let’s pray:

God, thank You for being a just AND loving God!  Thank You for Your forgiveness of my offenses and help me to forgive others as You have forgiven me.   Lord, help me when I want to seek revenge for wrongs done to me and when I would rather wish harm on someone than good.  Pour me out so that YOU can increase in me. Help me to rest assured that my life rests in the palm of Your hand and know that You will avenge any wrong done to me – the daughter of the King!  May my words, thoughts and actions reflect Your love in my life – help me to be more like Your beautiful Son every day.  In His name we pray.

Amen.

 

Filed Under: Women's Ministry Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Are You Taking Care of Your Spiritual Wellness and Spending Time with God?

October 9, 2013 by

Last week I shared there are three components of Wellness—social, spiritual, and physical.  This week, let’s discuss spiritual wellness.  You may be thinking, “I got this one!  I am a believer in Christ.”  But if you are honest with yourself, are you taking the time to focus on your spiritual wellness by spending time with God?

As a Fitness and Food Designer for busy women, I create fitness and nutrition plans for women.  What has always amazed me is that most women want not only to have time for exercise, but to have time with God each day; but it can be a struggle .

Women of today, myself included, can get overwhelmed at times with all there is to do, even when things that are good.  It can seem impossible to balance all of our different responsibilities and daily tasks, great and small.   However, I believe and know from personal experience, that the only way to have true peace and balance is to focus on your spiritual wellness every day.

If things have gotten so busy for you, take a minute to remember why spending time with God each day is a necessity of life to be spiritually well.

1. To Honor God

What if your husband, a close friend, or your child said, “I love you,” yet they never took the time to listen or have a conversation with you?   I am guessing you would question their feelings by their lack of interest in you.  We bring honor to our Creator by just showing Him He is important.

2. To have a life of peace and balance

Having a life of peace and balance does not just happen.  We cannot wake up, rush out the door, stay busy all day, fall asleep to television each night, and then expect to find a sense of peace and contentment in our life. One of my favorite scripture verses is Psalm 34:14 which says,  “Seek peace and pursue it.”  We have to find the time to seek it out in our daily walk with God.

3. To have less stress and anxiety

Philippians 4:6 says, “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to God.”  Daily quiet time with God will reduce anxiety and stress.

4. To discover our sense of purpose

We can get so caught up doing so many “busy” things that keep us from being what God intended us to be.  A sense of purpose is found when we take the time to seek God and discover our personal gifts and talents.  It cannot be found when we busy our self trying to find it.

How do you find time to focus on your spiritual wellness?

1. Begin by realizing it is ok to start with 5-10 minutes a day.  Find a quiet place that is designated as your “quiet place.”  Have your Bible study and Bible in a basket ready to go so that you do not waste valuable time or become discouraged.

Bible basket

2. Start a daily journal.  Yes, I know it can be scary.  What if someone finds it and actually reads it?  There are many ways to journal, but I would recommend two of the following ways:

 journal

First,  journal your thoughts and feelings about the events in your day.  This can help get out all of the mental clutter that may cause stress and preoccupy you from taking time to focus on God and what He may want to tell you.

Secondly, journal your day to include all of your responsibilities and activities that can take up time in your day.  As you read it and reflect, you may find that you are spending your time on things that are not a priority.

And finally, if you are unsure how to focus on your spiritual wellness, take a moment today and read the vision you have for your life as I suggested in One Step to a Consistent Healthy Lifestyle .  When things get unbalanced for me, I know it’s time for me to revisit my vision and see how my time with God plays out in my day.

To be completely healthy and balanced, I ask you:  “Are you taking care of your spiritual wellness and spending time with God?”  If not, what is one step you can do today to make that happen?

In Good Health,

Crystal

Filed Under: Coaching w/ Crystal Tagged With: , , ,

How to Make Roasted Pumpkin Seeds

October 9, 2013 by

Almost every year, when we carve a pumpkin for Halloween, we make a tasty snack out of the seeds. My oldest son, Tristan, loves to help make these. He thinks they are delicious, too.

 roasted pumpkin seeds

Items Needed:

  • Pumpkin/Seeds
  • Carving Knife
  • 11 x 13 Baking Pan
  • ½ stick of butter
  • Salt

Directions:

  • Heat oven to 350 degrees.
  • Put the butter in the pan, place in oven and let it melt. Remove when melted.
  • Carve your pumpkin by cutting a circle around the top of the stem. Remove.
  • Pull out the insides of the pumpkin, making sure you remove all the seeds.
  • If you wish, carve out a design or face on your pumpkin and use it for an outdoor decoration. I always like to put a tealight candle in mine and set it by my front door.
  • Take the seeds and remove the excess guts, the orange slimy insides, from the seeds.
  • Put the seeds in the baking dish, making sure you coat each one with butter by stirring. Its best to just have one layer of seeds.
  • Salt the seeds.
  • Bake in the oven about 30 – 45 minutes.
  • If you like your seeds extra crispy, you can turn on the broiler, and toast the seeds for about 2 – 3 minutes.
  • Remove from oven.
  • Let cool.
  • Enjoy!

This is an easy healthy snack that you can make at home that has become one of our family traditions. I hope you give it a try.

Have Fun!

Amy

Filed Under: At Home w/ GCH Tagged With: , , , ,
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