I’ll be glad when this Halloween time is over.  I deal with “attitudes” that I don’t normally deal with during this season.  I got to the point on Saturday that I didn’t even want to be around my children.  What helped me was exposing my weakness.  As I was conducting Children’s Church I gave the kid’s the real me.  My son Austin was sitting on the front row and I told the kids that Austin sees the real me. I then shared with the kids the real me in all my faults.  I don’t want my son to see a difference between Pastor Randy and Dad.  I have to wonder if the reason “church kids” leave the church after they grow up is because of the hypocrisy they see at home.  That is not going to be an excuse my children will be able to use. 

Meeting your child’s emotional needs requires a lot of prayer. I rely on a “troubled spirit” when it comes to my children. Many a time I’ve waken in the middle of the night in order to pray for my children. I usually don’t get it or see it in the physical. My children don’t usually tell me, especially the older they get. If I do see it in the physical I go to pray to get the right take on the problem. It’s never what I think it is.

I love reading Genesis.  I long for the purity before the fall.  One doesn’t have to read Genesis too long to see the results of sin.  A troubling result is being “driven out”.  I’m so grateful that I serve a Heavenly Father that has his arms wide open for me because of Jesus.   

I’ve often heard people pray: “God give me the strength so I can make it.”  Is that biblical?  I personnally don’t think so.  Why would God want to give you strength when he is our strength?  It would be like giving our young children their own home and allowing them to move it their new home away from the rest of the family.  I find people praying that prayer when they’re under stress.  What did Jesus do?  He got alone with his Heavenly Father and looked through his eyes.  When the stress got so bad for Jesus, he prayed it would be taken away – but not his will but the Father’s will.  The situation was not taken away but the inner turmoil was.  Why?  Because he pressed through the stress to the other side and then he was able to stand up from his kneeling postion. 

When my family is ready to eat the supper meal, we’ll say, “get in your place.”  It’s expected that everyone goes to their own chair, we pray and then eat.  It would be a huge disruption if someone didn’t respond.  I sense God speaking that to us, to me.  “Get in your place!”  What is ”my place”?  Those that are in Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the evil desires.  My place is in Christ Jesus.  Is that place comfortable?  A big NOOOOOO.  It’s a diffult place to be until I die to myself.  A thought came to me this morning.  What is evil? Is it murdur, rape and the bad crimes?  Yes, but it’s also the small things too, like a bad attitude.  I feel the heat of the fire but for the life of me I’m going to stay in Christ Jesus today, even when it kills me.    (Oh, by the way that is not our supper table but doesn’t it look good?)

I woke up this morning with a strong desire for Proverbs.  I put the proverbs tape in and began to listen.  I heard Wisdom calling out to me.  “I have a path for you to walk on”.  “I want to put a necklace around you neck, proclaiming you’re mine.”  “Stay away from the evils of this world.”   I will listen because of the One who calls and my love for him – my Heavenly Father.  I don’t want to hurt his heart today.

I just found out one of my articles was published and I’ll get paid for it.  I’m excited.  I’ll put it on this sight one day. 

Moses went out unto his brethren, and looked on their
     burdens.     Exodus 2:11

I can’t count the times I’ve done this and then acted on my own.  Moses looked at their burden and with righteous indignation moved and was driven into blank discouragement. He was certain he was their deliverer.  In the early 90′s I went into decade old wilderness because I saw the burden and acted upon that burden.  I didn’t see it through God’s eyes and move with God’s actions. I remember the moment God showed me in Jeremiah how he was going to cut me off but that a shoot would grow at a later date.  That shoot did take and I’m no longer in that particular wilderness.  I had to be reminded yesterday of the righteous indignation.  We’re collecting money for a Pastor that was victimized by Katrina. We’re selling HyVee Food Cards.  I took the deposit down to the bank and they told me a $50 bill was counterfeit.  It wasn’t hard to investigate because only one person pays with $50 bills.  I contacted him and he told me where he got it from – the same bank.  I contacted the bank and they refused to honor the bill.  I told them I was going to go to the paper.  Well long story short – I was reprimanded.  God spoke to me through the above verse.  I was doing it on my own without God.  I repent.  
    

Psalm 119:105  Your word is like a lamp for my feet and a light for my path.

I’ve been looking at the science of light.  There are three rules to light:  (a)

1. light travels in a straight line; 

2. the farther you are from a light source, the dimmer the light;

3. and the angle that a light beam makes when it hits a mirror (the angle of incidence) is the same size as the angle the beam makes when it bounces off the mirror (the angle of refraction).
If God make light and gives it rules to follow, how much more his word.  His light does point us to the straight path.  Will we live within the rules set for us?

I read this on Spiritual Butterfly‘s site:  The orginator was:  iamsaved24

If you want beautiful lips you must speak words of encouragement. If you want beautiful eyes you must look for the best in others. If you want beautiful hands you must reach out to others in need. If you want beautiful legs you must take a walk down the right road. If you want a beautiful wardrobe you must dress the best. Such as modest clothing and not makin the clothes of others your highest priority.  

My thoughts this morning were along the same line.  My filtering system (the way I look at things) has been negative.  I don’t know what the root is but I’m determinded it will die for lake of nourishment.  Paul said, “I die daily”.  When I look at others I want to see Jesus.