Watch out!!... Your beliefs are showing!!!

In these last days, and I do believe we are in the last days, But I have heard that most of my life. Being a parent I am more aware of evil than I was a kid or teenager or even young adult.
I have a wonderful and awesome family, but my sister and I joke about how we put the "FUN " in dysfunctional for our family. As I grow older, I realize we all are dysfunctional. It is a wonder we can even do anything with all the baggage some of us have... That is where God comes in and begins a work on our hearts and minds... leaving nothing unturned..
I have really desired to raised my kids to love God with all their heart , mind ,soul and body and love others!!! but I wonder about what they really heard me teach.
You know people can hear ya but they learn from what you really believe.. example... We believe everyone is valuable but who gets our attention the beautiful ones, the ones who are high achievers.. We say no abortion yet, we do not support crisis centers or adoption..We want to reach the un-churched , saying God hangs out with everybody but don't expect to get close to me. We say we are not a racist, but my kid is not hanging out or marrying them!
That's where our hidden beliefs speak louder than our words. We can say we believe it but when the rubber meets the road, our beliefs come out!!!
I would like to believe, it's the world way of doing it and if that were true, we could explain it away cause look who the world's father is!! But it is in the CHURCH.. The body of Christ.. We say God forgives, yet, we don't! We say Jesus came to serve but we won't, We say the church is for the broken, yet let one of the leaders be broken and we all forsake them like the plague. We say God is in control, then we worry.....
No wonder people are confused about Christ.. They always believe the hidden belief rather than the words we say....
As a wife, mother, sister, friend and leader, I wonder what am I really Teaching????

It is scary to sit and ask God to search your heart and reveal to you , what you truly believe, I have even fooled myself in a lot of areas of my life. Facing what's hidden is not easy. It is like on that show "What not to Wear" they have a mirror that the women step in front of to see the whole picture.( glad I don't own one of those). While they can see a lot, they can not see themselves as a whole, directly... We have a mirror..." God's word" to show us truth and the Holy Spirit to reveal the whole Picture, inside and out!!
In every life their is a hidden and spoken belief. The spoken belief does matter and worth getting right. But, The spoken belief can not overcome a Hidden Belief, that is wrong and based on a lie.
Hidden Beliefs shape our souls and changes lives....mine and all who I come in contact with...
Listen to the voice of Truth!!!
Watch out!! Your beliefs are showing!!!!

Wrestling

When I was growing up , I wrestled with my brother and daddy all the time. I loved it. I was not much of a sissy girl. We would wrestle until either I had to go to the bathroom or could not get up and we had to claim a winner. Well.. God blessed me....I had two boys... my oldest son loved to wrestle w/ me and he would fight with all his might. We would wrestle until whoever pinned each other down had to say.. whatever the winner wanted them too. Like... if I was the winner I would make him say " Mom, you are the BEST mom in the world and YOU ARE the WINNER!!!!"
Both of my boys would laugh and try not to say it but I loved to hear it.I know most mothers hear it a different way but however I can...... Now that I am older and can't get off the floor,and they are a lot stronger than me, we play "King of the rug," .. it is standing and pushing each other off the rug... lots easier on the joints.
I was reading in Genesis 32:24-26 , Here Jacob heard that his brother was coming to see him....(remember what he did to Esau, stole His birthright and His blessing,I'd be scared too!) so Jacob divided His men and sent them ahead- Brave man he was! I can relate to Him.
Now he was left alone...he wrestled with a "man" Jacob later name that place"I have seen the face of God" Jacob wrestle w/ Him even to the point of dislocating his thigh with just a touch. Yet, Jacob, did not give up!!! He told Him.. "I will not give up unless you bless me" ...
Then God said"you will be known as Israel " For you have striven with God and with men and have prevailed"
You know, when I am alone, I can wrestle.. thoughts, doubts, fear, shame...... But reading this. Reminds me not to give up! but hold on to God, hold on to my time alone with Him. When I am alone with Him, He can speak to me without distractions, any influences of this world. When I am alone with Him I can pour out all my stuff! I can wrestle with Him and He teaches me (by pinning me down, I say, You are the winner and the best God in the world!!! )I have more of an intimate relationship with Him and My life is changed!
So in this busy life we all lead.. take time to be alone.....Spend time with Him...All wrestling is not bad!

Thank you President Bush and Welcome President Obama

I read this prayer from Max Lucado and wanted to share it with you. but before I did I wanted to say Thank you to President Bush for serving this country. ( I know he won't read my blog) but I wanted to say it out loud . I also wanted to welcome President Obama and to say I will be praying for you and your family.......

A Letter from Max Lucado
Dear Friends, I am a pastor, not a politician, so I can only speculate as to what awaits President-elect Barack Obama. The long-lasting benefits of good choices…the fearful consequences of poor ones…complicated social issues and relentless international problems.He needs our prayers. And it’s our privilege to pray for him. The Bible says: Pray for rulers and for all who have authority so that we can have quiet and peaceful lives full of worship and respect for God. (1 Timothy 2:2)For that reason, I invite you to set aside a few minutes on Inauguration Day, Tuesday, January 20, and ask God to bless Barack Obama and his family. Join me and urge as many people as possible to speak to God on behalf on our incoming president.Good things happen when people pray.A few years ago I attended a meeting in the White House. While standing in the State Dining Room, I noticed some words engraved on the fireplace: a message from John Adams to his wife Abigail. “I pray heaven to bestow the best of blessings on this house and all that shall hereafter inhabit it. May none but honest and wise men ever rule under this roof.” Here’s hoping that same prayer is offered and answered again.
Max Lucado