Raising Them for the Lord

II Peter 3:18a - "But grow in grace and in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ." How sad it is when we hear of one who has chosen to follow false doctrine to justify their own sinfulness.  II Peter warns against false teachers.  They are nothing new.  False prophets were around during Old Testament days; false teachers were in the early church; and, today, we find still false teachers and preachers in the church.  But, thankfully, God preserved his truth through the ages. Keep your eyes on Jesus.  Make it your goal to become more like him, and you will find it difficulty to accept false doctrines to cover sins.  Your spirit will refuse to accept them because they do not follow what Jesus taught while here on earth, and through his Holy Spirit as godly men wrote to the early church. What are you doing to guard yourself from false teachers and their doctrines?

I John 1:7 - "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin." This is the goal of every believer - to walk only in the Light.  When we walk in the light, guided by the Holy Spirit, we will not sin because we will be following the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The hard part comes when the flesh rises up and pushes the Spirit aside.  There the sin enters the life of the believer.  But God has given His children the power to overcome the flesh by the Spirit and have victory over the temptation that so easily besets us as humans. If you are not daily learning about the way of the Holy Spirit, you will not know how he will and does lead the believer.  How do you get to know how someone will act in a situation if you don't get to know them intimately? What did you learn about how the Holy Spirit works today?

Daily devotions with the children, I admit, have been hit and too often miss with the kids...until we found this gem when we attended a book fair at Barnes and Noble. The Children's Bible in 365 Stories by Mary Batchelor. The Bible comes to life for my children as I read them stories from the Bible in a setting they comprehend. The stories of the Bible are broken into 365 manageable readings - one for each day of the year. However, my children prefer that I read a story though completely. The breaks allow me to pause and go over any questions they already have about the story. The most exciting part for me is that later in the day they can correctly answer questions about the story! The illustrations are intriguing as well, and help keep my children engaged as I read the story. They can explore the intricate artwork, and often ask questions about the picture to help deeper understand and remember the story. I would recommend this book to any parent looking for a way to begi

The book of Revelation really is a page turner.  So many things happening, people appearing, constant praises to God, and proclamations being made.  People today pay a fortune to get a vague idea of what their future will hold.  Often the predictions are easily applicable to anyone - you will have a good day, good fortune awaits you, etc.  However, we have the true future of humanity spelled out in the book of Revelation, written in such detail that it has intrigued man to study it through the many generations since John wrote it down.  My curiosity was piqued today when I read in chapter 10 about the message of the Thunderings that John was told to seal and not to write.  What a secret to keep when there is so much awesomeness occurring around you!  But be assured, God promises to reveal it in His time. Loud praises to God who knows all things and cares for His own. What did you find in your Bible reading today that caused you to consider digging a little deeper?

My daughter has a very sensitive scalp, and even when we use conditioner on her hair she still squirms and squeals when I try to brush her hair.  So we have opted to incorporate a detangler into our hair brushing routine.  But...that can get expensive to buy the name brand detanglers.  A while ago I determined to reduce our spending and find cheaper alternative by using ingredients on hand.  After much research and a combination of ideas found across the web, I now use the following combination of ingredients and refill the very first and only detangler spray bottle we bought about three years ago. 1 part conditioner 3 parts water It is easier to fill the bottle 3/4 full with water and then add the conditioner to prevent any spill-over.  Shake to combine (which I do before each use). Using coupons and pairing them with regular deals at drug store, you can often get free conditioners for this recipe.

I've just returned from a Ladies Retreat this past weekend and was encouraged to find a name or attribute of Jesus for each of the letters of the alphabet...an ABC Journal.  Today, in reading just the last three chapters of Hebrews I was able to find several to put in my Journal.  I'm sure as I continue my search I will find other supporting verses for those I have found today, in addition to many new ones! By having something specific that I was seeking, I feel that I was more aware of all that I was reading and able to concentrate better on the Word and not allow my mind to wander - to things I need to get done today, what happened last week, etc. One of my finds today was in Hebrews 11:6 - Rewarder .  "...he is the rewarder of them that diligently seek him."  Everyone enjoys receiving a reward.  However, as with any reward you must seek it to receive it. What are you looking for today?