Teach Us To Number Our Days!

My husband, Brian, our four sons, and I are looking forward to going to Sandpoint, Idaho for the Christmas holidays. I have even started to pack.

We will be staying at Western Pleasure Guest Ranch in one of their log cabins. Western Pleasure Guest Ranch is a cattle ranch of 960 acres that have been in the Wood's family for many generations.

We are planning this Christmas to go hiking, cross-country skiing, and of course, my favorite winter activity, snowmobiling. I also hope to take some great pictures with my new camera.

I certainly agree with what the Psalmist wrote in the Bible that we need to regularly ask the Holy Spirit to teach us to number our days to gain a heart of wisdom.

"Teach us to number our days,

that we may gain 

a heart of wisdom."

Psalm 90:12 (NIV)

Enjoy this Christmas, spending precious time with your family and loved ones, and most importantly, with Jesus Christ your Lord and Saviour! God wants to bless you daily with the wonderful joys of life! Those blessings of life are always there, but sometimes we need to ask God to teach us to seen and enjoy them.

We Know This

The man who hit Matthew's car illegally used the bus lane to bypass two cars in front of him turning left at an intersection, so he could continue to go straight. He was obviously in a hurry on the way to work. Matthew was also turning left in the opposite direction of the other two cars turning left. When Matthew saw the speeding car in the bus lane, he stopped. The other man did not and almost ripped the front end of the vehicle Matthew was driving.

When this man got out of his car, he told Matthew he was uninsured, driving a car which belonged to his brother's girlfriend, and had a long history of traffic accidents. And if things couldn't get worse, he refuses to report the accident. The police report therefore cannot be completed. Now Matthew has to wait until the police can locate the other driver, which could take a long time. (In Edmonton, there is currently a major shortage of police officers.) In the mean time, Matthew has to drive around a car with the front bumper tied on with zip ties, working at a prestigious country club. Ouch! I guess God is teaching him humility. Either that or maybe a very wealthy person at the club will feel sorry for him and buy him a new vehicle. ( I will let you know if that happens!)

All I do know for certain is that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.

"And we know that in all things

God works for the good of those

who love Him,

who have been called 

according to His purpose."

Romans 8:28 (NIV)

Matthew loves God, so good will come out of all this!

God Sees Everything

Today my second oldest son Tim bought a dash cam for his car. This was the car my youngest son Matthew was driving when he got into an accident two days ago. Tim wants to make sure if the car was to get into another accident, it would be recorded, making it less stressful for the person driving to file an accident report.

Praise God, He doesn't need dash cams. He views the ends of the earth and see everything under the heavens. We don't have to explain or prove anything to God. He already knows the truth.

"For He views the ends of the earth

and sees everything under the heavens."

Job 28:24 (NIV)

To Ease Stress, Tell And Thank God

How do we experience God's peace in times of trouble? We pray to Him instead of worrying. And when we pray, we not only tell God what we need, we also thank Him for all He has done for us. Peace won't come by just telling. We must thank Him too.

"Don't worry about anything;

instead, pray about everything.

Tell God what you need,

and thank Him for all He has done.

Then you will experience God's peace,

which exceeds anything we can understand.

His peace will guard your hearts and minds

as you live in Christ Jesus."

Phillippians 4:6-7 (NLT)

God's peace is a peace that will exceed anything we can understand. His peace guards our hearts and minds. Living in Christ Jesus results in His peace in all circumstances.

The Lord Watches Over Us

This morning on the way to work, my youngest son Matthew was in a car accident. Nobody was hurt, but it shook him up pretty bad.

There are so many people on the road today who drive carelessly that it can be frightening to get into a vehicle. I thank God He was watching over my son and kept him from harm.

"The Lord will keep you from all harm---

He will watch over your life."

Psalm 121:7 (NIV)

A Tree Of Life

The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, which brings beauty and goodness to the earth, winning souls for Jesus Christ.

"The fruit of the righteous 

is a tree of life,

and he who is wise wins souls."

Proverbs 11:30  (NASB)

Indescribable Gift

My cat Osha is enjoying the Christmas season.

"Thanks be to God

for His indescribable gift!"

2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)

Return To Your Rest

A few days ago, my son Tim bought a Fatboy bean bag. We all loved sitting on it so much, we got rid of our couch and bought four Fatboy bean bags yesterday to replace it. I never was so glad to get rid of something in all my life. My back would always ache after sitting on that couch for an hour. I would think of any excuse just to get up several times from watching a movie with my family to give my back a break. However, with the Fatboys, once you sit in one, you don't ever want to get out of it. You are far too comfortable to move. They are heavenly! It feels so good now just to be able to rest with the goodness the Lord has given to me---my family!

"Return to your rest,

my soul,

for the Lord has been good to you."

Psalm 116:7 (NLT)

Tell Everyone

God calls us to boast about Him whether in songs or speeches, so that others will know just how wonderful His deeds are and come to Him.

"Sing to Him;

yes sing His praises.

Tell everyone

about His wonderful deeds."
Psalm 105:2 (NLT)

When I read this verse, I had to think for a while as to when the last time I boasted about the Lord's wonderful deeds to someone who didn't know Him? 

God's desire is for us to tell everyone, but in our North American society today, we are many times forced to keep quiet, so as not to offend others with different religious beliefs and gods. If we do speak freely about God to others, we risk the possibility of loosing our jobs, higher grades in education, career advancements, etc.  

However, those risks seem minor compared to what Christians in other countries are facing today. Just like the New Testament disciples of Jesus, many Christians today risk bodily harm, imprisonment, poverty and death for preaching God's Word, but despite the harsh persecution of their faith, these Christians remain faithful to God, refusing to be silenced in telling others about Him.

Let's do the same. Don't remain silent for fear of retribution. When the opportunity arises, tell of God's wonderful deeds.

The Cunning Ways Of The Devil

My son Chris and I went to the Christian bookstore yesterday. While we were shopping there, the song "Rudolf The Red Nose Reindeer" was being played. I was so shocked. My spirit grieved for the Lord. Christmas should be the celebration of His miraculous birth, and yet even at the Christian bookstore, Santa Claus was being glorified as some kind of mystical being with magical powers. Some Christians might think it is OK to have fun with the stories about Santa Clause, but to many young children around the world, Santa Claus is a god they believe in and a god they live for.

God is a jealous god and He states in His Word that we must not worship or glorify any other god.

"You must worship no other gods,

for the Lord,

whose very Name is Jealous,

is a God who is jealous

about His relationship with you."

Exodus 24:14 (NLT)

Many of the characteristics of Santa Claus are eerily similar to Jesus Christ. Here is a list:

Jesus Christ	Santa Claus
Has a beard that was plucked out by His adversaries before Crucifixion.	Has a beard.
Is described in Revelations as having hair "white like wool."	Has white hair.
Is described in Isaiah as wearing "garments stained crimson."	Wears bright red apparel.
Heaven is His home, where no man on earth can travel to. Is omnipotent.	Has a secret home and workshop in the North Pole. Delivers toys to every child in the world in one single night.
Is omniscient.	Knows whether each child in the world has been good or bad for the entire year.
Is omnipresent.	Sees every child, whether they are awake or asleep.
Is called the Everlasting Father.	Is known as Father Christmas.
Was a carpenter.	Is depicted as a toy carpenter.
Is ageless and eternal.	Lives forever and never changes.
Lives in the hearts of people if they believe in Him.	Lives in the hearts of children if they believe in Him.
Gives "every good and perfect gift."	Gives presents.
Performs miracles and heals the sick.	Performs Christmas miracles.
Commands children to obey their parents.	Insists that children be good.
Is the only "Lawgiver and Judge."	Determines if children are good or bad.
Sits on a heavenly throne.	Sits on a throne in a mall.
Encourages people to come to Him to ask for anything they need.	Encourages children to ask him for anything they want.
Will come again like a thief in the night.	Enters people's homes through fireplaces like a thief in the night.
Commands angels.	Has helper elves.

Satan tries very hard to corrupt our pure and undivided devotion to Jesus Christ by his cunning ways.

"But I fear that somehow 

your pure and undivided devotion to Christ

will be corrupted,

just as Eve was deceived

by the cunning ways of the serpent."

2 Corinthians 11:3 (NLT)

This Christmas, let us kept our devotion to Jesus Christ pure and undivided.

Peaceful Habitation

When my son Chris and I went shopping today, he spotted this cardboard gingerbread house for cats at Target. It was just under $10, so I bought it for my cats. Osha was the one who claimed it.

The Bible says the work of righteousness will be peace, and the service of righteousness will be quietness and confidence forever. When we walk by the Spirit and not carry our the desires of the flesh, our dwelling places on earth be filled with God's peace, security and steadfastness.

"And the work of righteousness will be peace,

and the service of righteousness, 

quietness and confidence forever.

Then my people will live in a peaceful habitation,

and in secure dwellings

and in undisturbed resting places."

Isaiah 32:17-18 (NASB)

The Hidden Person Of The Heart

Sadly, my cat Hunter is not photogenic.That is why I don't have too many pictures of her. They hardly ever turn out because of her dark coloring. However, Hunter's adorning quality is the hidden character of her heart. She is gentle, placid and sweet. 

My other cat Osha is extremely photogenic. I have lots of pictures of her on this blog, but Osha can sometimes be naughty, temperamental and senseless. 

I love them both, but the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit is better.

"But let your adorning

be the hidden person of the heart

with the imperishable beauty

 of a gentle and quiet spirit,

which in God's sight is very precious."

1 Peter 3:4 (ESB)

Your Sleep Will Be Sweet

"When you lie down,

you will not be afraid;

when you lie down,

your sleep will be sweet."

Proverbs 3:24 (NASB)

My cat Osha has made her bed underneath the Christmas tree. She thinks the tree skirt was put under the tree for her to sleep on, not for presents. I think Osha enjoys Christmas as much as the people in our family do.