Bible app

Today, after I dropped Miss Neenee off at school, per my usual, I turned on my Bible app. When I turned it on, it was on John 2. WHAT?? I’m supposed to be somewhere in Isaiah. Sometimes I just think these dadgum technological devices have a mind of their own. So, there I was listening to John while I was on track to hear Isaiah. AND y’all, it was King James Version & I listen to the New King James Version. To add to my confusion, it was a different man reading. He had some sort of thick foreign accent & I thought for a minute I didn’t know if I could tolerate the sound of his voice that early in the morning. Now go ahead & tell me how many foreign talking people I just offended there. But y’all, just to balance things out, I myself have a pretty thick southern accent, that some people might not like. So, I suppose it all works out. ANYWHOO, I figured I might as well not fuss with it. I love the book of John. So, I decided not to fight the Bible app & go ahead & listen. You can imagine my delight, when I got to chapter 3 & heard this verse-

John 3:30

He must increase, but I must decrease.

This verse is such a wonderful example of humility. John the Baptist was saying this about Christ. John was sent to be the forerunner for Jesus. An introduction before the big show, if you might. However, once Jesus’s ministry started, John stepped back, to let his cousin take center stage. How many times in life do we find ourselves in situations to be humble? It’s hard. Being humble means you have to forget about yourself. Being humble means putting the wants & wishes of others before your own.

Webster’s dictionary gives the meaning of humble-

as not proud : not thinking of yourself as better than other peopleJesus recognized the importance of being humble and kind. He showed His love & humility toward a Samaritan woman at a well. He could have turned His nose up when He saw her. But my Lord is not like that. He knew who she was & what kind of woman she was. He told her that. Not in a sense of condemnation, but in love, humility, & kindness. Because of that, the woman & lots of people in Samaria came to believe that Jesus was the Savior of the world (John 4:5-42). Jesus changed those people’s lives that day. And thousands of years later, He’s still doing the same thing. Not with an attitude of hate & anger, but of love, humility, & kindness.

Matthew 5:5

Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth. (NKJV)

Philippians 2:5-8

Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, ⁶who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, ⁷but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. ⁸And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross.

I have so enjoyed visiting with you today. I love it when you stop by. Sorry for all the new testament drama. Because when it was all over, it was just what I needed to hear. Enjoy the pictures below. These are some clouds I came across on my way from work, the other day. Pretty big fan of the One that put them up there. And some GRAND kids. (Did you see what I did there?) Until next time, I should be washing clothes.

Newlywedded bliss

Some sweet boys by the water.

There was a bird making an awful commotion. My son in law went over to check on it. Mr. Sweetie Pants, or should I say the fearless one, was right on his heels.

photo credits: http://www.thegirlcreative.com & http://www.lovethispic.com

Today’s post is just as much for me as it is anybody. With it being such a hectic time of year, sometimes our time gets away with us. Things need to be done, trees are being trimmed, Christmas cookies & candies made, present bought, elves on the shelf are back with a vengeance, Christmas parties to attend, parades to watch, this list of things going on will run rampant if you let it. Then, along with the excitement of the season comes the daily things. You know the things that need doing no matter what. The dishes need washing, the clothes laundered, the floor swept, bathrooms cleaned, beds made, kids taken care of & with all the other Hoorah, sometimes, just sometimes our time with God slips by us. With all the stuff we have to do, there are times I fall into bed at night & barely get my prayers said before I am fast asleep. The next morning I think, I didn’t study my Bible yesterday. That’s not a good thing. So that brings me to this question, “What really is necessary?”

There was a lady in the Bible that got a wonderful lesson about what is necessary. There was a time Jesus went to visit with His sweet friends Mary & Martha. Now, I can imagine what a serious tiz I would be in if Jesus was coming to my house. I would be just like Martha. I would be running around trying to make sure everything was just right. Martha got caught up, just like I would, with things not really necessary.

Luke 10: 40

But Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Therefore tell her to help me.”(NKJV)

Jesus did not tell Mary to get up & help her sister fix dinner or clear off the table, so they could eat. He was there to teach & fellowship with them. Not be concerned with things like is the floor vacuumed, dishes washed, and the throw pillows aligned properly on the couch.

Luke 10:41-42

And Jesus^[l] answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. ⁴²But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.”(NKJV)

Jesus was trying to tell Martha what was necessary. Serving him in a physical, earthly way was not that important to Him right then. He wanted her to sit with Him & her sister & listen to what He had to say. That is what was necessary. When my Daddy drops by my house unannounced, there are times it may appear there has been cyclonic activity happening inside my home. I always start out apologizing for things being in a mess. His response is always the same, “I came to see you, not your house.” I think this is what message Jesus was trying to drive home to Mary & Martha. When you get so busy doing stuff, that you don’t have time for God, you have to be reminded. Is this “stuff” really necessary?

While it’s Christmas time or anytime let’s make sure we don’t overdo ourselves on the unnecessary, that we neglect the necessary. At the end of our time, will it matter that no dirty dishes were left in the sink or that we took that time to sit down & study God’s words & spend time with the Lord? I’m not saying don’t clean your house. I’m saying make your time with God a priority. I do want to share with you one thing I try to do. I have a Bible app on my phone. When I am in my car, I turn that thing on. If I don’t have anything specific I want to listen to, I will put it on Matthew 5. This starts the sermon on the mount. I love hearing the words of Jesus. Something in that sermon seems to always be what I need to hear. It just makes my day go better. It helps me to remember what is really necessary.

I am so glad you came by to visit with me today. There are a lot of things we have going on for the holidays. Parties, get togethers, cooking, baking & Christmas shopping. Gracia, our elf on the shelf, is just everywhere this year. She’s a busy little elf for Santa, that’s for sure. I hope you have a plan for your holiday. Me, not so much. Thus, the falling out of my hair. Which I hardly notice for my queasy stomach & frequent heartburn. You see, I’m an off the cuff type of gal. Let me tell you, Christmas at my house is not an off the cuff kind of holiday. There’s lots of preparation. And I have a big family. No pressure. Anyway, I hope all of you are having a blessed week. I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes.

photo credits: honeynfizz.blogspot, newyorksightseeingtours.wordpress.com, shereadstruth.bigcartel.com