Simple Joy

Today I am going to write about something that we don't write about near enough, and that is joy.
School has started back up for me and I am attending Washington State University. I am learning so much but I feel that my most important lesson so far came today, from my philosophy teacher.
We were asked 3 questions. To dig really, really, deep and really self reflect and think about the questions and your answers.
The first question was "what is the most important thing to you?" I instantly thought of my kids, as any parent should. But, I realized something more than that. Joy is the most important thing to me, simply being happy. For me my children provide me with the most joy I could ever ask for. But I also receive joy from music and our savior.
Today was a bad day for me, as I let a lot of days be, but I got really bad news today but after my philosophy lesson I plugged in my headphones to spiritual music, went and picked up the kids, and put a big smile on my face.
Sometimes we have to smile even though times are tough, we have to keep on going even though things seem maneuverable.
Life gets tough and it's the bumpy things that make you who are.
People are like stones rolling down a rocky hill. With each bump we hit and each toss we get thrown a little chip is knocked off, sometimes we become scratched up in the process, but by the end we will always be smoothed & polished if you just keep on rollin'.
While this wasn't exactly a spiritual post why don't we all just take the time to think deep inside ourselves at the three questions I was asked, and see how you feel afterwards.
1) what is the most important thing to you?
2) Why?
3) What if you lost this "thing"?
Best of luck to you all with your self reflections and remember, keep on rollin'.

When Duty Calls

Each and every one of us have responsibilities. Some of us have duties to raise children, or to keep a steady job, or to keep the house clean, or feed a dog. No matter what our duties are and how long our to-do lists may get we have one sole responsibility and that is to love God. Micah 6:8 says "..what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with God."
I am such a busy person I always feel the need to accomplish 500 things at once and forget about this one simple reminder that all I need to do is to do the right things and love God. If I can do these simple things everything else will fall into place as it should.
But, in these simple commandments is a duty in itself. We are responsible to spread the word. I love to feel that going to church each week, reading the scriptures, raising my kids in a christian household, and attending many church activities is enough, but that's just barely scraping the surface of what we should really be doing.
Our Savior lived and died for us. He listens to us contradict ourselves. He watches us go against him time and time again. We have such an amazing Lord and we continue to let Him down, but even more so we continue to not spread His word. We can allow ourselves to look like the holiest people ever, but without spreading the light we remain in darkness ourselves.
Many people think this isn't necessary or doesn't apply to them because when they picture spreading the word of God as full on missionary work when this doesn't have to be the case. It could be as simple as mentioning God when someone is confused or playing a church hymn in the car with someone or praying before you leave. Little things like this can make a big difference in someones life and everyone deserves to know the truth!
Reading:
1 Corinthians 9:16
Reflect:
How can you better yourself by helping someone else find God?
Make it a mission this week to show someone God, even just in a small way! 

Your time on Earth.

Death. Heaven. For some people, those words are so comoforting. Knowing that they will be saved and live with Jesus for eternity. For others, they're scary words. Fear of the unknown. Truth is, everyone will die sometime. Our days are numbered & we need to be living them for HIM. Not for ourselves, friends, anybody except Him.  

How are you spending your time here on Earth? Are you wasting the days away living in fear, sadness, anger? Or are you going out everyday, thanking & rejoicing God for everything he is doing for you. We need to start living our life to glorify HIM and Him alone. Psalm 90:12 states, "Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom." We don't know how long we have on Earth so we need to live every day like its our last, by rejoicing & thanking God. 

Reading: Psalm 39:4, Psalm 90:12, Ephesians 4:1, and Ephesians 4:15

Reflecting: 

Are you living your life how God would want you too? 

How can you change and start living a life for Him? 

In Times of Adversity

Every single one of us has been through something tough. Because of these hardships every single one of us has questioned Gods love and power. Through my times of trial I have realized we must understand why we must suffer these times in order to be able to overcome them.
Sin has been on earth as long as the first people have been. As soon as sin started so did suffering. God was ultimately in control of Adam & eves fall but he allowed them to sin. Why? So we would be capable of loving Him. If we were created to be Gods puppets, unable to choose sin, our love for him wouldn't be voluntary. And if love is involuntary its not love at all.
I don't know if any of you are parents but sometimes we allow our kids to make mistakes. As hard as it is, we watch it happen. I allow my kids to do this because I know that if I rescue them from everything they wont be very successful when they're older. Similarly a lot of times we create our own suffering because of our own sinful choices. If the lord tried to rescue us from these actions in order to prevent our suffering we never would develop into mature believers.
As believers in Christ we will always have an enemy. Unfortunately our enemy is very strong, sometimes stronger than us, and we will always be under attack by him. Satan is out to destroy our lives and our testimonys, making us weak and useless for God.
Ultimately God is in charge of all adversity that comes our way. To deny His involvement contradicts His Power and sovereignty over creation.
For us to accept that God allows, and even sends afflictions we must see adversity His way. As believers were assured that no adversity comes our way unless He can use it to achieve His good purposes.
Reading:
Isaiah 45:5-10
Reflect:
Is your focus on the pain of the experience or the Lord and His faithfulness?
Next time you feel Gods not there do you feel these points may help you?

loneliness.

Lately, I've been feeling lonely all the time. Even when there's lots of people "around" me. I don't really have lots of friends. Most of my time is spent alone, looking through my Facebook feed at my "friends" pictures, just wishing that I could take part in the activities and hang out with them, if only I had one friend. But really, I do. 

Jesus is always there for me. He is my friend when no one else is. Matthew 28:20 says, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." When you think you're alone and you have nobody, think about Jesus. Think about how alone He felt when he was being put on the cross to die for us. God is always there for us, he will never leave us. He will always be our friend, no matter what.

Reading: Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20; and Psalm 68:6

Reflecting:

-What do you do when you are feeling lonely?

-How does it make you feel knowing that you're never truly alone with God? 

Struggling with Looks

Today I am here to talk about looks. Appearance is a funny thing, today esoecially. I know I personally have had a continual battle feeling "sexy." I am against showing skin. I am against showing off your body and I do believe modest is hottest, but sometimes I feel that I am the only one who feels this way and that I am looked over except on the rare occasion that I do show some skin in public.
A friend from out of town stayed the night with us last night and came to church with our family today. She packed one dress and it was so..immodest. I couldn't help but think "she can't wear that into church.." but she did. I think the reason I felt so almost embarrased was because I knew she was going into a house of God. I know that each Sunday I feel our Heavenly Fathers presence in our congregation and its disrespectful to be dressed that way in a house of the Lord.
For me, coming to this realiziation has made such an impact on me today because I want every where I go to be a house of God. My body is a temple and I want the spirit of the Lord to reside in me. By dishonoring myself I am also dishonoring the spirit living within me, and probably not allowing it to be there.
Also, today I read a perfect scripture for what I was feeling. I have never really thought about the fact that we look like God. Yes, we are His children but I never realized I look like Him and so do each and every one of you. Our appearances should be honored every day in every thing we do because we were made to look like Him.
Reading
-Genesis 1:26
Reflect
-Are you dressing in a way that will allow the spirit to WANT to reside in you?
-Are you honoring God's looks by respecting your own?

Willpower

So, as I'm sure you've noticed Clare and I have been slacking on blogging. Summer has come and Clare started summer classes, I am finally getting a quick breather before school starts up again in August, and filling in my "breather" with work and my little family. Because of our "priorities" our blog has taken seat on the back burner. But, we are both determined to get back into the swing of things.
Even though our purpose for this blog was to spread the word of God (hence "His hand extended") this has been the least of our priorities, which honestly, a) don't take up all of our time, and b) aren't really all that important. Which brings me to today's topic, willpower.
There are many times, most days actually, where I think "oh its okay, I've done so much, ill just take a quick nap." and neglect my scriptures which are now beginning to collect dust.  Or, "the kids are crabby, we can skip Bible time tonight." Simply because I don't want to deal with it and in the end I am robbing them of very important things. I think I can rely on my willpower and that alone and i am starting to see that that is not the case. Our bodies (mind, will, emotions) would love to run our lives, and these things are vital to a successful life and they can get you far, but they are never enough to let you cross the finish line.
what if, instead of relying on willpower we relied on God. He can instill HIS power, which is so much greater than our own, into us, and we will be able to run laps around everyone relying on their own willpower. Also, God will be getting the credit for all the wonderful things we wold be able to do, rather than ourselves.
John 15:5 says "Apart from me, you can do nothing." this is such an important verse to keep in mind during todays study.
Reading:
Galatians 5:16
Reflect:
-When looking at the things you get done and the things you don't, are you using your own willpower or are you using God?
-In what ways can you change your ways to stay motivated and glorify God?