Lawful does not mean Beneficial

I hope you are all doing well and keeping warm especially over these last few very cold days. For those of you in Florida, and Jamaica, how about bottling up some of that sunshine and sending it our way? If you prefer we could make an exchange snow for some sunshine going once, twice, gone!

Let me pause here to give a very special welcome to those mothers who recently became a part of MPUSH (Mothers Praying Until Something Happens). I hope you will be blessed and empowered as you receive my weekly e-mails.

For this week I would like to share a verse from I Cor. 6:12 "Everything is permissible for me"--but not everything is beneficial. "Everything is permissible for me"--but I will not be mastered by anything.

Although Paul was speaking to the Corinthians concerning sexual immorality, I do believe that this verse can be applied in general to us today. Paul in this verse is basically saying that what is permitted is not our only guide for our behavior. In other words there are limitations to our liberty. I may not get arrested for not wearing a helmet when I ride a bike or if I do not wear my seat belt, but are these behaviors beneficial especially if I get involved in an accident. You may have the resources to buy your children everything they ask you for but is this beneficial to them?  What happens if one day somebody says no to them? We cannot allow ourselves to be overpowered by our freedom that we make unhealthy choices in life. Food is necessary for our physical growth, but it does not mean that I eat everything that I see whether it is healthy or not.  Mothers we have the ability to make choices on how we raise our children. We can choose to do what is popular or we can use restraints and raise them according to the word of God.

How do we judge what is beneficial for us or our children? As we make daily decisions in life we need to consider the impact they will have on us or on our children. How does it affect my relationship with God? How will this impede my race? If you are unable to show a positive impact, I suggest we reconsider.

Please continue to pray for our children in the various continents, tomorrow we conclude praying for children in Europe and we start on Sunday to pray for children on the continent of North America. Do not forget that our next meeting will be on Saturday February 2^nd at 4pm. We will meet at 920 Morningdale Dr. Wilmington, 19810

In His Service,

Vilma

DO You Have a Dream

I do hope you have had a good week and as usual I do look forward to sharing with you on a Friday evening. During this week we have been praying for children in the continent of Asia. I trust you were able to join in this effort. Remember that your prayers do make a difference. It is not about eloquence but rather sincerity.

On Monday we will be celebrating Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s  birthday as well as witness the inauguration of President Barak Obama for a 2^nd term.  I assume that some of you may be going down to Washington to attend the inauguration and others may be participating in one of the many events planned to celebrate Dr. King’s birthday. Some of you will be staying home to relax or catch up on some chores and others like me will be going to work.  In whichever group you find yourself take a minute to reflect on what these two men have in common with each other. 

Here is my reflection: both these men had a dream, unfortunately Dr. King was killed before his dreams became a reality and what we may take for granted today was what Dr. King longed for but never saw. President Obama also had a dream – In his book “Dreams of my Father” Obama writes an elegant and compelling biography that powerfully articulates America's racial battleground and tells of his search for his place in black America. His search ended with him becoming President of the United States.  Last week I talked about things happening at the appointed time and shared with you Habakkuk 2:3. What is your dream?

 I would encourage those of you with younger children and grandchildren to share with them the dreams of Dr. Martin Luther King and President Barack Obama. Then find out what their dreams are. Have them put it in writing, as a poem, an essay or even in a couple of sentences.  Habakkuk 2:2 tells us this: And the Lord answered me, and said write the vision, and make it plain upon tables, that he may run that readeth it. Many years from now your children and grandchildren will look back and thank you for helping to shape their future.

On tomorrow between 12n- 1pm a group of mothers will be gathered in Washington DC to pray for our nation’s children, other mothers will be gathering in various states as well to pray. You can do your part right where you are, set your alarm clock as a reminder and let us join them in prayer.

In His Service,

Vilma

 

In The Fullness of Time

I trust you all had a great week and looking forward to a well-earned restful weekend. Please do not feel guilty to sit and put your feet up for a couple hours and read a couple chapters from a book. Housework is never done, so guess what it will still be there waiting for you.

By this time you should have all received the prayer calendars and are continuing to   pray for our children. I truly believe that our prayers are making a difference and children in the Caribbean and in the continent of Africa can attest to that. These are children we may never meet, but who may be the beneficiary of our prayers.

Here is a phrase that I would like you to think on over the upcoming days “In the fullness of time” Let us remind ourselves that God will come through for us always at the right time.  Some of us have a habit of turning up late to events, whether it is church, dinner, work or a date. On the other hand a small number of us have a habit of always turning up early. As I think about this I realize That God also has a habit of how he does things. He never seems to be in a hurry to do things for us too early, and He never drags His feet and get to us late, instead He seems to just get to us right on time, His time that is. Some of us have been waiting on some “stuff” to come through for us for years and cannot see any sign of it as yet. Some of us are still waiting to see our dreams come to fruition, to see family members saved, to see our children doing the right thing, for a good job, a husband, a car, our own home but nothing seem to be moving. We look around us and it would appear that everyone else is being blessed except us and we start to get anxious or doubt God’s ability to do these things for us that we are praying about.  Well God’s timing never coincides with ours, but HOLD ON because He will not even be a minute late.  Habakkuk 2:3 tell us this For the vision [is] yet for an appointed time, but at the end it shall speak, and not lie: though it tarry, wait for it; because it will surely come, it will not tarry.

So let us pray that we exhibit the fruit of patience and keep our eyes focused on the prize.

In His Service,

Vilma

Take the Trade Off

 I trust the New Year found you in great health and with a new determination to positively impact those you will come in contact with. I hope you have being praying for our children in the Caribbean countries, if not you can start now and continue to Sunday the 6^th.  For those of you who are in or near Delaware please try to come out to our kick off meeting for the New Year. Come out and hear how you can “Reclaim your temple to claim your territory” (Spiritual, physical, psychological). This is an event you do not want to miss.

Here is what I would like to share with you this weekend.  As you continue into 2013 know that God wants to trade your cares, problems, mistakes, inadequacies and failures for His joy and peace. Most of us tend to miss or refuse this great offer and find ourselves in a constant struggle to find peace or joy in our everyday life. It is a natural tendency for us to worry and get anxious especially when things are not going the way we anticipated. We tend to believe that we are able to fix everything that is wrong in our homes, with our spouses or significant others and with our children. It is Ok to admit that we need help especially from someone who is more capable that we are.

 I Peter 5: 7 tell us this - Casting all your care upon him; for He careth for you. Psalm 55:22 Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.

God will give us Peace but we must first give Him our anxieties. When I look at the word cast, I think of just throwing something down or away, not neatly packing and putting to the side. When faced with things and situations that make us anxious do not try to put it in a neat package, instead just throw it to God, He can deal with it in the order He wants to.

 Mothers this is an excellent trade off – Peace and Joy for anxieties, cares and concerns. I would certainly choose the former, what about you?

In His Service,

Vilma,