“See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know Him.
Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when He appears we shall be like Him, because we shall see Him as He is.
And everyone who thus hopes in Him purifies himself as He is pure.”
~1 John 3:1-3~
{ESV}
“Hast thou given the horse strength? Hast thou clothed his neck with thunder?”
~ Job 39:19 ~
“That little bird has chosen his shelter. Above it are the stars and the deep heaven of worlds. Yet he is rocking himself to sleep without caring for tomorrow’s lodging, calmly clinging to his little twig, and leaving God to think for him.”
~ Martin Luther ~
As I captured the photo above, I first thought of how brilliant our Creator is, but then my mind traveled to a different subject ~ The tongue.
“And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity…” -James 3:9
Controlling our tongue is something very difficult, and unfortunately after the words come out, we are unable to press the rewind button. I have found myself in many situations where I wish I had not said what came out. It happens to all of us, and because of the Lord’s love, we can be forgiven of it! Though this is true, there is a way that we can prevent from speaking wrongly as often. The directions to do so come from the Lord’s Holy Word.
“Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers.” -Ephesians 4:29
I have pondered this verse many times, and am so thankful for it. Paul speaks to us in this verse, telling us to flee from speaking corrupt communication, and only allow communication which ministers grace unto the hearers to be spoken. As for myself, I have been guilty of doing just the opposite… Sometimes I struggle to minister grace through my words, and later on I feel dismayed because of my wrong doing. Thankfully, the Lord is full of love and forgiveness.
Using only words that minister grace is difficult at times, is it not? We, as believers in Christ, need to set an example to those who have not come to know the Lord yet. If we speak kindly to them, I am sure that they will be able to see our passionate love for God.
“Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity.” -1 Timothy 4:12
May we strive to set a Christian example to others, and allow only good communication to come from our tongues.
Recently, I have had the privilege of reading “Before You Meet Prince Charming” by Miss Sarah Mally with a dear friend of mine. Though we have not quite finished yet(with only a few chapters left), I have thoroughly enjoyed the book thus far. I have gained much knowledge and understanding on purity, and would highly recommend reading this book, if you have not done so.
Through reading “Before You Meet Prince Charming”, I have been encouraged and uplifted, as well as challenged. The topic of purity is one that is very seldom discussed in our day. This book has made me realize how important it truly is for us, as young maidens in Christ, to use our time wisely and devote our lives to God as we wait on the Lord for the things in our future. He has ordained a plan for each of us, and promises to give us an expected end.
"For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.”
~Jeremiah 29:11~
I know for certain (and you should as well) that the Lord is planning something marvelous for each of us, whether the outcome turns out as we planned or not. Are you trusting in HIS plan?
“He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?”
~Romans 8:32~
What a comforting promise He gives us in Romans 8:32! He has provided us with all the armor to live our lives diligently for Him. We are His children, and we have been given a responsibility to shine our lights for Jesus Christ! In these eminent years (no matter what age you are), we have to seek God and serve Him with our whole hearts, rather than thinking upon things that are frivolous and unimportant, or trying to change God’s plans.
We all (I included) struggle sometimes with persistently serving the Lord. Although this is true, we need to strive to give our best to God, and to use our time wisely for His glory!
Be sure to take some time and view my newly added page entitled, Wonderful Websites!
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm 46:10
Through each trial and tribulation in our lives, remember to be still… And know that HE is God.
I am sure that many of you have been anticipating this moment… The post where I announce the blessed winner who receives three Marie Madeline Studio sewing patterns! Before I do so, I would like to thank you all for entering my giveaway. I reached a total of 273 entries! And if you are curious, yes, I wrote every single one down on a slip of paper! :)
I would also like to thank the sweet Long ladies from Marie Madeline Studio, for sponsoring this special giveaway! They have been so kind and generous.
I suppose I will not keep you in suspense any longer!
The winner of my {sew sweet} giveaway…
Who will receive these three beautiful patterns…
is……….
Jaime
at
Congratulations, Miss Jaime! I have already contacted you, and look forward to hearing from you soon! I pray that these three patterns will bless you greatly!
Ladies, I encourage you to visit Miss Jaime’s blog. It is very sweet! Head on over, and congratulate her!
Thank you all for entering my giveaway! Receiving so many entries truly blessed my heart! I hope to do more giveaways in the near future, so be sure to visit often!
May the Lord bless you, dear readers!
Hello Dear Friends!
I wanted to remind you that my {sew sweet} giveaway will be ending this evening at midnight EST. If you have not yet entered, you may do so by clicking HERE or by clicking the giveaway button on my sidebar!
I look forward to announcing the blessed winner of the three patterns tomorrow morning!
Many blessings to you and your family!
{Can you believe that we have 231 entries thus far? Thank you, everyone… Keep them coming!}
