Life's LIttle Instructions

These are excerpts from Life's Little Instruction book by H. Jackson Brown

Believe in Love

Never laugh at anyone's dreams

Overpay good babysitters

Never refuse jury duty. It is your civic responsibility, and you'll learn a lot

Accept a breath mint if someone offers you one.

Love deeply and passionately. You might get hurt, but it's the only way to live life completely

Open the car door for your wife and alwayus help her with her coat.

Discipline with a gentle hand.

When reconvening after a conference break, choose a chair in a different part of the room.

Read the ten books nominated each year for the ABBY award

Rake a big pile of leaves every fall and jump in it with someone you love.

Never drive while holding a hot cup of coffee between your legs

Carry Handi-Wipes in your glove comparment.

Have a professional photo of yourself made. Update it every three years.

Never miss an opportunity to ride a roller coaster

Never miss an opportunity to have someone rub your back

Never miss an opportunity to sleep on a screened-in porch.

Mary

"Unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6

Elizabeth Elliot -"I am thanking God that unto us a Child was born. I am thanking Him that there was a pure-hearted woman prepared to receive that Child with all that motherhood would mean of daily trust, daily dependence, daily obedience."

The Hallmark of a Mother's Life

The Hallmark of Mother's Life by Anne Graham Lotz from the book My Heart's Cry

As a teenager growing up, my room in our house was directly over Mother's. At night I could see the light from her room reflected on the trees outside my window. When I slipped downstairs hoping to talk to her a few minutes, I would find her shapely form bent beside her bed in prayer. It was useless to wait for her to rise because she would be there for hours on end, so I would trudge back up to my room. And no matter how early I awoke in the morning, I would see those lights from her window once again reflected on the trees outside. When I tumbled down the stairs, I would find her seated at her big, flat-top desk, earnestly studying one of the fourteen different translations of the Bible spread out around her. My mother chose to make abiding in Christ one of the priorities of her life.

Mother's abiding is rooted in a love realtionship with Jesus that is the secret of her life. As a result of her abiding, and the obedience that is integrated into it, the hallmark of Mother's life is joy. Her face radiates it! Her eyes sparkle with it!

How Great is Our God?

How Great is Our God?
Very great indeed!!!
God is so magnificent we cannot even comprehend it! He pursues us, woos us, loves us. He loves us enough to send His Son to die for us-hanging 6 hours on a cross. If you get tired of hearing these words and need some reality, buy or rent The Passion of the Christ. It is very graphic and will bring you the much needed reality of the suffering and humiliation Christ endured for us.

The miraculous part is that after lying in the tomb dead, on the third day He rose again which fulfilled the foretelling of this event in the Scriptures. He rose from death, visited his friends, imparted His Holy Spirit and went up into Heaven.

The really great part. He is coming back. Look in the Eastern skies. It may be in our lifetime. No one knows the hour or the minute but I am getting excited.

I have been delving into my relationship with God even more lately and have been under some wonderful teaching. A life changing sermon was preached by our Pastor Zac Nazarian a few weeks ago. It is available as a free download on www.hopechapel.org. Click on Enter Here, then click on sermons, then choose To Know Him and Obey Him Part 1 and 2. Each sermon is a bit over 1 hour and so worth the time.

Do you know Christ? When He returns will He know you and embrace you or will He say "I never knew you."? This can be remedied this very moment. He is always just a prayer away. Lord God I believe in You. I want to know You more. Reveal Yourself to me.

Sometimes I don't know what to do in prayer time. I get distracted. I keep a notebook and when I get a thought like, don't forget to call your mother, pay the electric bill, cancel a lesson, etc. I write that down and get right back to my prayer. This really helps me not get distracted.

Yesterday I attended a Women's conference called BELIEVE. It was astounding. There was praise by Crimson Bridge, teaching by Becky Tirabassi, music by Massive star Crystal Lewis, teaching by legendary Florence Littauer and then I had to leave to go to work.

One tool I learned to help with prayer time was with Becky Tirabassi. She committed to praying 1 hour per day about 30 years ago. This includes her Bible reading time. Now, she did not suggest we make that committment but did ask us to commit to 10 minutes of prayer and 10 minutes of Bible reading per day- forever. I thought this was a great minimum and committed. She gave a wonderful tool for the prayer time to keep you focused. This is material found in her books and lectures. Relationship and conversation is two way. You talk and God talks. She uses a pneumonic to help you remember all the facets of prayer.
PART is your part. Praise- Admit (confess your sins) - Requests - Thanks
God's part is LMNOP Listen - Message (I don't understand this part) New Testament and Old Testament - Proverbs.

So last night I tried out the PART and the LMNOP and I realized I praise alot, confess almost never, Request very little and thank alot. This really helped me to list my sins, thereby confronting them, shining light on them and avoiding denial. I also listed out prayers for my family, friends and ongoing requests that I don't pray about regularly. I know understand when they talk about the discipline of prayer.

I then did the God part. Listened. Read the New and Old Testament and then read Proverbs 1. I read a Proverb here and there but did not understand the value of reading a Proverb daily. Proverb 1 says "The proverbs of Solomon (the wisest man who ever lived), son of David, king of Israel: for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young" Parenthesis mine. My goodness! I want that!! I want that for my children. I want that for you. Jesus wants that for you. He wants you to know Him, to have a relationship with you, to grow you.

Happy Easter!!