Sex....Now that I have your attention...read on!

Reading the Proverbs recently in the older version of The Living Bible has been such a blessing to me. I know that it has probably been 30 years since I have read the Bible in this particular version. I have given the Student Application Living Bible to high school and college graduates for many years, but decided I probably needed to read it for myself............to see if I really like what I had been giving away.

What a blessing it has been!! The notes added alongside on almost every page have been great and are still applicable to young people today. You know, the Truth never changes.

Well, back to the Proverbs. I am sure I have a heightened awareness to the verses that warn about sexual immorality so much because of the blatant lies of the enemy to young people today. We had worked with young people in our local church for 35 years. And much to our disappointment we were finding in the most recent years of ministry the onslaught of porn, sexual promiscuity and the like had increased exponentially as compared with the previous 25 years.

So, when I have come upon verses like Pr 22:14 "A prostitute is a dangerous trap; those cursed of God are caught in it"...........I stop and ponder a little longer than I would have 10-15 years ago. I scanned over many other Proverbs with similar warnings: "For a prostitute will bring a man to poverty, and an adulteress may cost him his very life. Can a man hold fire against his chest and not be burned? Can he walk on hot coals and not blister his feet? So it is with the man who commits adultery with another's wife. He shall not go unpunished for this sin. ....But the man who commits adultery is an utter fool for he destroys his own soul. Wound and constant disgrace are his lot."

I want to put in here one of the Life Application points about all of this. "Sexual sin is a temptation we cannot escape. In movies and on television, sex outside of marriage is treated as a normal--even desirable--part of life, while marriage is often shown as confining and joyless. We can even be looked down upon by others if suspected of being pure. But God does not forbid sexual sin just to be difficult. He knows its power to destroy us physically and spiritually. No one shoud underestimate the power of sexual sin. It has devastated coutless lives and destroyed families, communities, and even nations. God wants to protect us from damaging ourselves and others, so he offers to fill us--our loneliness, our desires--with Himself."

I had lunch today with my daughter who was telling me about Nightline last night, which she happened to see for the first time ever. They are doing a special on the 10 Commandments in the OT (which everybody in this country has heard of in one way or another!!). Anyway, she was telling about the panel who were expressing their "open" marriage that allowed them to have affairs, which is okay since they are open about it. The man even has a business of setting people up for "safe" affairs and he profits from it..........earns a living doing so. However, they also had Ed Young, Jr, a pastor in Tx and his congregation to give the truth about how devestating affairs are to families. Men told how they lost their families and are continuing to pay the price............children told how horrible it was for them, etc.

So, I guess I just had to get this down in written form because I, too, have seen the destruction that comes to people when they choose to allow their sexual lust dictate "the rest of the story"......rather than using self-control and following purity for peace, joy and lasting relationships. Dear friends reading this.............please heed the warnings Scripture clearly gives. God is not kidding!!!

P.S. One final thought: I know the idea sexual immorality conveyed often is about "adultery" which technically means sex with another man's wife or another woman's husband. Just think about this, young man....if you are not married and think it is okay to have sex now and it is not adultery......well, whose wife will she someday be??? Probably not yours!! So she is another man's wife. OR, young lady, whose husband will he someday be? Probably not yours!! So he is another woman's husband. So it is adultery, even if you aren't married yet!!! And, if you are going to marry that person someday and you think it is okay............ what makes you so sure one of you won't think it's okay later to have sex with someone else "because you 'can't wait'"?

Be Happy!

For the many years Monty and I spent training our four children to become respectable citizens of our home, the community, our country, the world...........I often wished that my words had more power than they actually did. Over and over I longed for the words "Be Happy!" to be magical in that they produced the product I desired...........happiness for my children.

Well, as you know so well, happiness is a choice and cannot be imposed upon another human being, but can only be brought about by the decision of each person. You probably have often heard, as have I, that happiness is happenstance, and depends upon the circumstance that is most agreeable to the individual. Unhappy circumstance, unhappy person!! Right??

Well, watch this for a little challenge to your thinking. I have seen this video several times and am always touched by his always-timely message.

God will deal with the wicked!!!

Loved reading this, this morning, after all the "news" and emails I read last night....."LORD, when doubts fill my mind, when my heart is in turmoil, quiet me and give me renewed hope and cheer. Will You permit a corrupt government to rule under your protection--agovernment permitting wrong to defeat right? Do you approve of those who condemn the innocent to death? No! The LORD my God is my fortress--the mighty Rock where I can hide. God has made the sins of evil ment to boomerang upon them!! He will destroy them by their own plans. Jehovah our God will cut them off." Psa 94:19-23

Conflict

Is it possible to go through a day without some sort of conflict? I have been wondering about this ever since we spent a week last month at a family camp in one 12x15' room with 2 adults and four children, with wall to wall "beds" and suitcases!!

All things considered, the week went really well...........almost!! Except for one exceptional night of conflict. One of the grandchildren was way out of sorts and just had to let it all out. It happens, you know!! And that is what precipitated my thoughts down this runway!! I call it a runway, because my tendency is to want to just "take off" and leave it all behind, hoping (I guess) it will resolve itself. But, at my "mature" age, I know better!!

So, since that time, I have just been so much more aware of the instances of conflict in day to day life. Even in my reading in the Psalms the past couple of weeks, it has just jumped off the pages. And now I am preparing lessons to teach Ephesians in a few weeks and have been struck by the reason for Paul's writing Ephesians............to give the news that the "wall of conflict" had been torn down by the blood of the cross..........the wall that separated Jew and Gentile for millenniums.

There are the personal conflicts that are from within.........everything from what to eat, where to eat, what to buy to eat and what not to buy to eat, who will eat what and who won't, .....then let's go to clothing, or housework, or homework, or yardwork, or just "work". On and on it goes. Conflict can occur in small things and in huge issues.............like Health Care!!! Or taxes!! Or religion!!

But, when I went into my sanctuary...........my quiet place ("A glorious throne on high from the beginning Is the place of our sanctuary." Jeremiah 17:12) ........meditating on some Scripture, the LORD reminded me (from Ephesians) that HE Himself is our peace. He is the end of all conflict. Eph 2:14, 17. He preached peace to those who were far off...........Gentiles.........and to those who were near............Jews. In other words, Jesus preached Peace to everyone. Peace is the absence
of conflict.

Back to that night of conflict in our tiny room, I understand why I had this overwhelming, urgent need to pray. It was the only way Peace would be brought near!! Thank You, Jesus, my Prince of Peace!!!

"Death is not dying" by Rachel Barkey

I just listened to this wonderfully inspiring testimony of a relatively young mother, 37 years old, who was dying of cancer. Another friend has this post on her facebook, but I just want to make sure others hear the Truth about death and dying. So powerful. Enough said! Take the next and hour and listen for yourself!!

In my favorite 31 Days of Praise by Ruth Myers is this great quote to God "You are too wise to ever make a mistake, too loving to ever do anything unkind." Listen to Rachel Barkey make sense of that. http://deathisnotdying.com/

Rachel Barkey (nee Sawer) went home to her Lord on July 2, 2009 at 37 years of age. Rachel is survived by her husband Neil and her children Quinn and Kate, parents Ben and Cathy Sawer, brother David (Johanna) Sawer and sister Andrea Sawer.

Reformation Takes Time

Last week Monty and I watched "John Adams", an HBO mini-series,htthttp://www.hbo.com/films/johnadams/p:// that Ty and Kaylyn gave to us. We highly recommend it to all, as we thoroughly enjoyed the great presentation of the formulation of the United States of America.

One of the statements that John wrote to his beloved wife Abigail was: "Not having you in my life would be the ruination of me." She was such a godly wife with great wisdom and grace, well-deserving of such recognition by John. He wisely sought her counsel and listened to her insights, benefitting from her perceptions over and over.

It was a challenge to me in my relationship with Monty..........that I would be a grace-filled woman who wisely counsels him because of having Jesus in my life. I took John's statement to Abigail and thought about my relationship with the LORD and that "Not having HIM in my life would be the ruination of me!!!!" What I have to offer my husband is only as deep as my commitment to the LORD Jesus and His Word.

One other interesting thing in watching this series was the insights into the character of Thomas Jefferson and of Benjamin Franklin. I mentioned in my post the other day about reading Rosenberg's wonderful book, Inside the Revolution. Well, the correlation between the reformers in the American Revolution and the movement of the Muslim Reformers Rosenberg explains so well in his book is thought-provoking. Reform takes time. Let me whet your appetite for an interesting read with the following quote from the book (pg 217).

"What is so fascinating and compelling to me about this movement of Reformers is that while they see the world through the lens of the Qur'an--whether for religious reasons or merely cultural ones--they simultaneously agree with Thomas Jefferson, who wrote in America's Declaration of Independence that all people have been 'endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.'"

I will stop there and just encourage you to get the book and be amazed at what God is doing!!! (This is not a paid commercial!!!!!)

BOOK REVIEW:
INSIDE THE REVOLUTION Inside the Revolution takes you inside the winner-take-all battle for the hearts, minds and souls of the people of the Middle East. It includes never-before-seen profiles of the Radicals, the Reformers, and the Revivalists. It explains the implications of each movement and the importance of each leader – not only through the lenses of politics and economics but through the third lens of Scripture as well. Today, wars and revolutions define the modern Middle East, and many believe the worst is yet to come.

Sons and Daughters of the Pioneers

Living in Oklahoma brings the unique celebration of "89er's Day", which is a day commemorating the land run in 1889. It is at the end of April, and I found out a few days before that two of my grandchildren needed costumes for their school festivities. So, I whipped out a dress, bonnet and apron for the girl and some pants with fringe on the sides for the boy. Well, with 12 other grandchildren, it became "Well, I want one, too!!" So, here is the final result.....well, almost!! Now I have finished the Davy Crockett hats, but haven't had the boys here to photograph them. But this was a fun day for all 14 of them to be here together.

My prayer for each one of them is that they will be sons and daughters of King Jesus who are willing pioneers for His kingdom and territory here on earth, sharing His good news to their generation.