Sowing and Reaping

I hope you all had a great and productive week on purpose.  Remember it’s not about the challenges you faced, but how you reacted to those challenges.  Some of you may have a whole bucket of lemonade from all the lemons you had to squeeze, but think about how refreshing that can be when days ahead you get thirsty and have no time to make lemonade .
I would like to share with you a quick principle that we sometimes overlook and that is the principle of “sowing and reaping” Most times we look at sowing and reaping in terms of planting/farming, but it also applies to our relationship with others.  Did you realize that what we have been doing over these many months is sowing into the lives of our children and grandchildren?  As we practice to consistently go before God for our children, we will find ourselves going before Him for other things as well.  This helps us to develop a closer relationship with Him and the closer we get to God, the more our perspective about things will change.  We start to slowly but surely get a clearer picture of who God is and who we are and his incredible Love and concern for our welfare. Eventually our Faith gets strengthened; we reap the benefits of Galatian 5: 22-23 (fruit of the spirit).

On the other hand we can sow and reap negative attitudes and words.  Here is something I came across from Joyce Meyer.  Joyce mentioned the fact that the devil delights in keeping us busy thinking selfishly, sowing words of strife in our families and thinking negative thoughts about bosses, pastors etc.  The devil wants us to sow bad seed in every single relationship.  Joyce continued to say that so many people behave this way and then wonder why people treat them the same way- the answer is simple, they are reaping what they have sown.  (Thank God sometimes we are spared the full effect of the crop we deserve to reap).

My question is what else are you sowing today in the life of your children, grandchildren and other people’s children?  Let us purpose to sow love, forgiveness, kindness, patience- (fruit of the Spirit) in our relationship with our children and others.

In His Service,

Vilma

A Watchman

As I encourage us as mothers to be always in prayer, the image of a watchman comes to mind. Like a watchman, you stand at your post scanning the horizon for the enemy so that you are able to sound the alarm at the first glimpse of him. 

Luke 21: 36: Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man.

If being a watchman was your secular job and the boss came and found you sleeping, more than likely you would be fired. You would be seen as compromising the safety of those who you are supposed to be guarding. So it is in your spiritual watch- we cannot allow ourselves even to close our eyes for a second, doze off or to fall asleep, because the enemy is sitting waiting for the opportune time to pounce.In addition to praying for your children, I would like you to also pray for their friends, companions and associates.  Sooner or later we start to look, sound and behave like the people we hang out with.  As you pray for them this week, please include the words found in Phil. 4: 8.  Please insert their name (s) where appropriate in the verse.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things.

Upcoming:

1      Mothers take a State for Prayer: For the month of November I will ask that    you choose a state and pray for the children in that State.  We will culminate this at our December meeting.

 

2.    Mothers take a Nation for Prayer: We will each choose a nation or country and pray for the children in the country for the month of December and we will culminate this at our January Meeting. 

In His Service,

      Vilma

Giving Thanks For Our Children

For this week I would like us to spend some time just to thank God for our children, young and old.  As I often say children are gifts from God and from my experience God only gives the best, remember He gave His only son to die for us.  Sometimes it may not seem that way, but trust me God does not give mediocre things.  If at the moment you are not able to see the greatness and beauty in your gift, perhaps you need to just dust it off a bit, to bring back the shine. II Cor. 4:7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.

 I want you to imagine that you were given a plant as a gift.  At the time you got the plant it was green and beautiful and with it came instructions on its care.  In order to do justice to the plant as well as to the person who gave you the plant, you will need to follow the directions carefully.  You will need to water it as instructed, keep it in appropriate lighting, give plant food as needed, change the pot as warranted, and trim any dead leaves that you see.  Suppose you decided to do your own thing with this plant, water it too much or not enough, put it anywhere inside our outside the house that you felt like, too much or not enough sunlight, do not fertilize, when needed, keep it in the pot that it has outgrown and when the leaves are dead or dying you just left them there.  I believe you will end up with an ugly looking plant.  Can you imagine how the person who gave the plant to you feels when they see how badly the plant looks? 

However at other times you follow the instructions as closely as possible but still the plant seems to have a mind of its own.  This is the time when you perhaps consult other books, or other florists or gardeners for suggestions on what to do.

If you cannot see the beauty of your children or child at the moment here are a few things to do.  Go back to the manual- the word of God and make sure you are following the directions carefully.  Make sure that you consulted the giver of the gift, that’s by praying to God about what may be wrong and after you have done that, then just turn them completely over to Him and just praise Him and give Him thanks.

In His service,

Vilma

 

Having a Great Day on Purpose

October 5, 2012                           

I trust you are having a great day on purpose.  Regardless of what may be happening in your life, make the decision that it will not determine your demeanor. As mentioned in my last “in touch” it is simply a matter of choice.  I am choosing to be a thermostat and control the temperature rather than a thermometer to just check the temperature.  I am sure Joyce Meyer put a lot of thought when she named her ministry “Enjoying everyday life”.  This does not seem like a very impressive name for this great ministry, but it is really making a statement.  Everyday life can be seen as ordinary, dull and tedious, but we can still purpose in our minds to enjoy it.  I looked at some synonyms for enjoyment and found these words pleasure, delight, satisfaction, amusement and gratification.  I must say that at times my everyday life does not reflect these descriptions, and it does become challenging to enjoy.  How about yours?  

Having a great day on purpose or “enjoying everyday life” has to do with our mind set and our attitude.  We must renew/or train our minds to look at our situation  or circumstance and tell it how big and able our God is rather than telling God how big and frightening our problems are.  We need to replace the old way of thinking and doing things with new way -the word of God.  Here are two verses of scriptures that speaks to the renewing of our minds Rom. 12:1-2 and Phil. 4:8-9.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Romans+12%3A1-2&version=ESV
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Philippians+4%3A8&version=ESV

As we read these verses please understand that it is possible to achieve, it may be a long journey but if you start you will eventually get there.  I guess this is why Paul was able to say in II Cor. 4:8-9 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

As our children see us exhibit these attitudes they themselves will start to do the same when faced with certain situations.

In His Service,

Vilma