Author: Theresa

Matthew 6:32-33 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things. But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

“When Elianna was two years old, we wrote this devotional fifteen years ago that I believe is relevant especially as we celebrated Father’s day around the world.

We have a cord-free, battery-free alarm clock — we call her Elianna. Like clockwork, at 6:45 each morning our 2-year old daughter, Elianna wakes up and begins calling for us to come and greet her good morning. At this point, my wife and I have come to the conclusion that those 8-hour sleep nights we used to enjoy just aren’t going to happen again –at least for a long, long time.

What’s interesting to me though, is that when Elianna wakes up, she doesn’t wonder if we’ll come to her. She waits eagerly and expectantly to see us walk in, sleepy-eyed and morning-haired as we may be. Elianna doesn’t wake up worrying about what she’ll wear today and if she’ll be warm enough. She expects that she’ll be changed and dressed up nice and warm when it’s cold. She doesn’t worry about if or what she’s going to eat. She expects that we’ll know she’s hungry and will serve her a yummy nutritious breakfast. When Elianna falls down, she immediately looks toward us, holding out her hands to receive our hugs and kisses so it will be “all better”. She doesn’t question whether or not we love her. She’s sure of it! Elianna has no worries. She expects that we will take care of her every need.

Don’t you wish you were a baby sometimes? No worries — getting pampered and hugged and kissed. Well, I have good news for you — you are a baby! You are the Lord’s baby! We are His children and He loves us with an everlasting and perfect love. He cares for us just like we care for our little Elianna — in fact, much, much more than that!

My Friends, from this morning on, let’s start coming to the Lord as we are — His children! We needn’t worry about anything. Our Father awaits the time when we will totally put our trust in Him. He loves us and He knows every one of our needs before even a word is on our lips! Let’s practice putting our worries aside and determine to expect our Heavenly father to meet our every need. And don’t forget to take some time out today and say — Abba, thank you for loving me!”

This devotional came this morning from Worthy Devotionals. I’ve been starting my day with them for over 15 years! They are wonderful, you can sign up here: Worthy Briefs

Bible Believing Parents Need To Pull Their Children Out Of Public Schools

Today, some girls are forced into showers with boys who say they “feel” like girls.  Feelings can lie.  If God made them a boy; they are a boy.  And we, as parents, are allowing this! That this world is a fallen world is true.  That the public schools who are doing this are as evil as they come is also true.  But that we, as Christian parents, are allowing them to do so – makes us even worse than they are! Because we, who are filled with the Holy Spirit know better! 

And we do have other choices.  Private schools are one.  Homeschooling is another.  We don’t need to allow our children to be exposed to such evil at such a young age, before they have even had a chance to build a strong faith!

“It would be better for them to be thrown into the sea with a millstone tied around their neck than to cause one of these little ones to stumble”-Luke 17:2

This verse includes us too!

As Bible-Believing, Christian Moms, we KNOW that it is wrong to allow our girls to be forced into a shower or bathrooms with boys, and our boys to be forced into showers or bathrooms with girls!  We need to stand up and protect our children!

If we allow the “state” to force our children into showers with the opposite sex, if we allow the “state” to indoctrinate our children against the faith and values we are working so hard to teach them at home, how long before our children become wards of the “state”.  And how long till the “state” starts claiming them at an even younger age?

If we don’t want that to happen, then we need to stand up now!  We as Christians need to find an alternative to public schools and pull our children out while we can.

And Christian schools need to find a way to make themselves more affordable or the next generation won’t be attending church.  The very best way that Christian Churches can invest in their future, is to invest in the lives of our children now!  While they still can.

God did not give us a “Spirit of Fear”. We need to find our courage now, while protecting our children is still possible!

Sometimes I think that those who live a harder life or live a poverty-stricken life are in some ways more fortunate than many people in America.

They know they need a Savior!  Their life is hard and they look forward to the day they get to Heaven!  They love Jesus so, in part, because they know Jesus loves them!  And that love is a shining light in what can be a very dark place.

In America, we really have it quite easy (at least comparatively so), but we often forget that this life on earth is quite short compared to our life in eternity.  We put so much into making our earthly life great, but not nearly enough into ensuring our Heavenly life. In most cases, the only thing we must do in order to follow God’s Word is stand up to “peer pressure”. And so often, we don’t.

Others have to risk their lives and their family’s life. Many risk their jobs and their homes. But for the most part, the only thing we risk, is someone may not like us.

And yet we often fail to take a stand!  As Christians, we need to think about why that is and pray for the love and strength to do better.

Christ died for us; it seems the least we can do is stand for Him!

Ever go to church and talk with someone who seemed so nice, so filled with faith and then when you were driving out of the parking lot, that same person honked their horn and cut you off? Or how about going to the grocery after church and seeing the same Mom you saw praying so devoutly just a few minutes ago screaming at her child?

We’ve all seen it and we’ve all probably all done something similar. We are human and we just mess up sometimes.

It’s easy in church to be devout and loving; it’s harder to do so out in the “real” world, but that is the goal. To bring Christ to the “real” world. To live as Christ in the “real” world 🙂

Loving God and loving others was Jesus’ Greatest Commandment; it’s that simple and that hard. But Jesus promises us that He will help us do both 🙂

” Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: ² “The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. ³ So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach.”-Matthew 23: 1-2

When we go to church, whichever Christian church we go to, the minister/priest shares with us their interpretation of the Bible. And, in a way, that is what Jesus is referring to above. We need to follow God’s Word in our lives-even if the person sharing it does not.

We will always meet those who “do not practice what they preach”. But we do not have to live that way! We have a choice.

To live and love like Christ, to follow the Roadmap God has given us in the Holy Bible-or not.

It’s our choice, given to us by God Himself. We need to choose wisely.

Recently, there has been much written about the divisions in our country.  Many blame the divisions on political beliefs, personal economic well-being,  or political party membership.

But personally, I believe that this country’s divisions are due to the fact that millions want America to be Filled by God and millions want America to be godless.

Putting God first requires us to be unselfish. It requires us to love God and love one another, more than ourselves. To put the welfare of others first, before our own.  Being godless is for those who are self-centered, who do whatever they want – when they want, regardless as to the suffering that results for others as a result of their behavior choices.

The first leads to a clear and light- filled heart and the second to heavy, guilt ridden heart.

It’s up to each one of us to choose which path we wish to follow. God gave us that choice and we need to choose wisely.

And if we find that we unwisely chose the “Godless” path and wish to Follow Christ instead, know this-Jesus loves us and will forgive us.  And God will remove all of our guilt and set us free.

For what God has forgiven, no man (or woman lol) has the right to condemn.

“A generation ago evangelicals agreed on “the simple gospel”: (1) God made you and wants to have a relationship with you, (2) but your sin separates you from God. (3) Jesus took the punishment your sins deserved, (4) so if you repent from sins and trust in him for your salvation, you will be forgiven, justified, and accepted freely by grace, and indwelt with his Spirit until you die and go to heaven.”-Tim Keller

Sometimes simpler is better. There is so much to learn and so much written in the Bible. And it is all good! But you don’t need to worry about it all on your first day!

Reading the Bible, changing your lifestyle, avoiding sin, loving everyone…It’s a lot and it can be kind of intimidating…But it’s not necessary on your first day 🙂 Like life, it’s a process…

And we don’t need all of that to begin.

Because God is Just and Merciful-there had to be a bridge for us, and because He loved us so – Jesus volunteered. Jesus loves us. He came to save us and will bring us to Heaven-if we let Him.

The “simple” Gospel above is enough to begin. Don’t wait 🙂. Call on Jesus today 🙂

The new buzz word.  In politics, in the media and in many churches.  Let’s face it; we hear it everywhere!

Charles Spurgeon once said, “Believe what you do believe or else you will never persuade anyone else to believe it.”  And that is so True!

Unity means nothing unless it is based on God’s Word, our Holy Bible.

Real Unity, True Unity, must be centered on God’s Word ?

Like many, when I had children, I bought life insurance. I wanted to ensure that our home would be paid for so that they would all have it-always and forever ?

But the truth is, my purchasing life insurance only ensured they would have a home on earth.  It did nothing to ensure their home in Heaven.  And that is their real home. And it’s their forever home 🙂

As a wise friend reminded me, we are “in this world”, but “not of it”.  So what are we to do, we who love our children so much, more than we ever thought possible?

We can pray for our children – every day!  And we need to teach our children to accept and follow Jesus to Heaven.  Especially in the world in which we currently live.

We’ve all heard teenagers cry, “aw mom, you already told me that”.  Tell them again. And then, tell them again…

The love a Mother has for her child is all consuming.  It reaches to our very core.  And if you need someone who truly understands what that is like- Mary does ? If they hurt, we hurt.  If they are sick, we suffer for them.  If they cry, we cry for them.  It’s hard to imagine how anyone could love them more, but God does.  And as a Mom, I take great comfort in that ?

If we are willing to invest in insurance to help them here on earth, then how much more should we invest in “insurance” to help them with their faith?

And the best insurance we can give them, in addition to teaching them about Jesus and the Bible, is Prayer. We can Pray for them every single day.

“Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it.”-Proverbs 22:6

It’s hard to be honest with those we love, especially when it comes to the issue of sexuality. But if we are not, who will be?

Recently, Wilmington chose to “support” transgenderism in it’s schools for children as young as 11 and 12 (sixth grade). The “hidden message” that our children will be given-“Transgenderism is an acceptable choice”. What happened to allowing kids to be kids for a while? But even worse, some of our public schools are taking steps to not only indoctrinate our children, but to turn them away from the faith we are teaching them at home!

Luke 17:1-2, Jesus said to His disciples, “It is inevitable that stumbling blocks will come, but woe to the one through whom they come! It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck”

Clearly it is not just those who sin who will have a problem, but those who encourage sin. And especially those who encourage children to sin.

If we love God and love others, we need to be honest with them. Sin may seem an old-fashioned word. To some, the Bible itself may seem old-fashioned. But the Bible is still True! It always has been and it always will be.