Let's remember His Benefits

Let me share with you some wonderful benefits that can be found in Psalm 103:2-5. I am encouraging you to make this your prayer focus for your children over this weekend.

Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits-- who forgive all your sins and heal all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion, who satisfies your desires with good things so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's (NIV).

So here is how we can give thanks: Lord I Thank you that my children will want to give you praise (bless) every time. I thank you that they will not forget all your many benefits (rewards, dealings of ones hands). Thank you for forgiving all their sins, and healing all their diseases. I am grateful that you purchased them from the pit and have crowned them with your Love and compassion. I thank you for satisfying their desire with good things and for renewing their youth as the Eagles.

Isn’t it amazing how much God has done for us and for our children? I don’t know about you but this gives me such confidence that everything I need or they need has been taken care of, their sins/salvation, their health, their wealth and their future.
Regardless of what things may look like just keep praying and stay focused. They WILL eventually recognize these benefits.

In His Service,

Vilma

 

Bullying in schools

How was your week? I hope it was a productive one.

Can you remember when you were in elementary and high school? Was there a big problem with bullying or being teased? This trend seem to have escalated to a new high all over the country. From time to time I have read or heard in the news where various children and adolescents have committed suicide to escape being teased or bullied in school. Some children get depressed or anxious and are unable to learn in school. On the other hand there are those children who keep it to themselves not wanting to tell their parents or teachers for fear of the bullying getting even worse. Bullying is just as common on the internet (cyber bullying) as it is in schools.

 Together we must take a stand against bullying. A good place to start is at home if you have young children or grandchildren in school. Let them know that bullying or being bullied is unacceptable. Let us teach them that we are all precious in God's sight regardless of race, or physical features. Make sure you are aware of what your children are doing on the internet (face book and twitter) and set clear expectations if rules are broken. Do not be caught saying "I wish I had"

Dr. Daniela White, a board certified Psychiatrist and founder of the Midtown Psychiatric Center in Houston Texas explains, "When it comes to a Bully, the act of victimizing someone else is seen as a way to gain power over the other person. It comes from a lack of having alternative means by which to behave appropriately. There need to be consequences for bullies, but these are also children who need help."

 Signs your child may be Bullied:

* Child appears sad, moody, angry, anxious, and these moods last with no known cause.

* Waiting to get home to use the bathroom

* Ravenous when at home (bullies often use extortion or outright steal lunch or lunch money)

* Sudden and significant drop in grades

* Blaming self for problems - 'not good enough'

* Frequent visits to the school nurse

* Child mysteriously 'losing' possessions when they are actually being taken by the bully

If you observe any of these in your child- discuss with their teacher or a school administrator.

 In His Service,

 

Vilma

A Sacrifice of Praise

Let’s give praises to God who blesses us daily with good things.  I know we may not feel blessed on days when things seem to go crazy and we feel overwhelmed.  However always know that things could always be worse. The bible tells us that God inhabits or dwells in our praises. David in Psalm 150:1 says ”Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord” If you are reading this you have breath and hence you are included in the “everything that hath breath”

For the remainder of the weekend let us practice offering up to God our praise and thanksgiving, for some it may be a “sacrifice” that is ok – Paul understands that and hence this is why he so eloquently exhorts us in Hebrews 13:10-15 to offer a “sacrifice of praise”.  Some words that are similar to the word “sacrifice” are expense, cost, loss, ransom, or victim- it shows that a sacrifice is never easy. My interpretation is that when we offer a sacrifice of praise we are able to praise God without looking at what we are going through. I can tell you for sure that this is not easy; however this offering of the fruit of our lips will bring us out of our sickness, depression, despair, mourning or our confusion.

 Praise works miracle just ask the children of Israel what happened when they marched around the walls of Jericho shouting praises to God, or Paul and Silas when they were in prison and were singing praises to God, I won’t even try to talk about David except to say I would run out of space.

Let’s just command our soul, mind, and heart to do what we were created for “TO PRAISE THE LORD”

In His Service,

Vilma

Leaving a Legacy behind

 

I trust you had a great week and I wish for you an equally great weekend.

 

Have you ever wished that you never had to work so hard? Or you had inherited some legacy from a grandparent, great aunt or uncle that would make things a bit easier for you and your children? Well do you have to be rich to leave a legacy for someone?

 

Most times when we hear about a legacy we think of material things- money, properties, jewelry etc. However there is much more to a legacy than material things. If the truth be told every person on earth will leave a legacy behind, the more important thing is what kind of legacy do we want to leave?

 

Pause for a moment and look at your life. What you are seeing now is your legacy? How does it look? Is it something that you would want from someone else? In Proverbs 13:22a- A good person leaves an inheritance for their children's children- my understanding is that whatever I leave behind will also be passed down to my grandchildren. This makes me sit up and take note and make sure that my legacy will be worthwhile for my children and grandchildren. It would appear that the decline of this great country in the future will be partly due to our failure to raise our children according to the word of God so they in turn will be able to pass those values to their own children.

 

As I have heard before there is a difference between your reputation and your legacy. Your reputation is who you are supposed to be, your legacy is who you are. You can make a reputation in a short time but it takes a lifetime to build a legacy.

 

Today I caution you to consider, every decision you make and think how it may affect your children and grandchildren before you actually make them. Your children are watching your every move even when you tell them to "do as you say not as you do". Let us try to pattern apostle Paul, (2 Tim. 4:6-7) he recounted his legacy by saying he had - 1. "fought the good fight" 2. "Finished the race"   3. "Kept the Faith".

 

What about you? How is your fight? Are you still in the race or did you quit? Is your faith still strong or are you wavering?

 

In His Service,

 

Vilma