The Real Recipe for Happiness

August 12, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

So many times I have heard or read about people who say,” I just want to be happy.” Then it is proceeded by some life changing event like divorce. There are books written on how to be happy. There are people who give seminars or talks on how to be happy.

What makes you happy? Is it your favorite breakfast from your favorite resturant?

Best omelet ever from Hazel’s- this makes me happy!

Is it being close to the ocean?

The beach makes me happy!

Is it family?

These faces make me happy.

However, I want to take just a minute to look at what Jesus says what it means to be truly happy.

In Matthew 5:2-12 (the Beatitudes) Jesus gives us the total instructions on how to be truly happy. So, while you read over these ask yourself, are you truly happy?

Are you poor in spirit? v. 3 We should seek to be enriched by God, who is a spirit.
Do you mourn? v. 4 Can you mourn your sins & short comings with Godly sorrow?
Are you meek? v. 5 We should allow God to rule our thoughts & actions instead. We should be more concerned with God’s way than what we think is best.
Do you hunger & thirst for righteousness? v.6 Is the Bible a regular book on your reading list? We don’t go one day without eating food for our physical bodies. We should not go without feeding on God’s word for our spiritual bodies.
Are you merciful? v.7 We should show appreciation for what God has done for us. Have you ever heard someone say they just won’t forgive someone for being wronged? A refusal to forgive will make you one of the most unhappy people on Earth.
Are you pure in heart? v.8 If our hearts are full of Godliness, wholesomeness, & righteousness, then we won’t have time to let bad things in.
Are you a peacemaker? v. 9 Do you stir up strife or drama in your home, church, work, or wherever you go? Are you always miserable & just can’t help but spread it around? That’s where the the term misery loves company comes from.
Have you been persecuted for righteousness? v. 10 Are you the one who is not going to be swayed by wrongdoing, no matter what? No matter if someone gives you a hard time about it? Or do you give in?

If you will remember the Hebrew writer speaking of Moses in Hebrews 11: 23-25 stated that Moses chose rather to suffer affliction with the people of God, than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. It’s all a discipline thing. We have to bring ourselves into subjection to Christ. We live in the world, with sin. So, we are not immune to trials, problems, or bad things happening to us. But we do have an awesome God that we can turn to. We must be patient & know that no matter what the Lord will take care of us & our situations.

In v. 12, of the Beatitudes, it tells the ending of the story on how to be happy.

Matthew 5:12 Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Abraham Lincoln once said, “ Most folks are about as happy as they make their minds up to be.”

We should make an effort to be happy, God’s way. That’s true happiness.

*** I must make mention the biggest part of this blog was from a sermon from church. I asked our minister could I use it to share with my friends on my blog. He happily agreed. Thank you Bro. Brad for such a great message from God’s word!

Thank you so much for stopping by today. I have enjoyed you visiting. I must be going now, because I should be washing clothes…….

God’s not everywhere

July 12, 2012July 12, 2012 / kstrick7 / 1 Comment

I Kings 19:11-12

11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice.

I was in total disbelief, as I stood & looked before me at the massive amount of nothingness that stood between 2 sets of tree lines. On April 27, 2011, a category F5 tornado hit the small rural town of Smithville, Mississippi. A couple of weeks later, I stood, with a group of church friends, viewing the devastation that was left behind. From where we were at, we could see across the highway at an area that was hard hit. Right there, in front of us, it was as if a huge lawn mower had plowed right through a wooded area., leaving an empty spread about ½ a mile wide. I looked at the places where houses were no longer at. But most importantly, I got to look into the faces of many of those who were victims of the tornado. We were set up at a church building, cooking, handing out meals, giving away necessities to those who were left without. It was amazing the outpouring of love people from all over the country were sending in way of food, clothing, money, home furnishings, anything you can think of. Folks were helping in the time of need.

You may ask, but what about the tornado? What about those who lost their lives? What about those who lost their loved ones & everything they owned? Why does God let these things happen? I have an opinion about all of this. Stay with me, because sometimes, I know what I am trying to say, however, might take a minute to get there. I am not entirely convinced that God has His hand in everything that happens. There is another entity that is present on this earth besides God. That would be the devil. Does the devil have influence over anything? I would say so. Look at all the sin in the world. The killings, hunger, theft, drugs, alcohol, and just pure down right meanness. That’s not from God. The devil was there when God told him he could have his way with his servant Job. Actually, Satan declared, that he had been going to and fro on the earth walking back and forth on it (Job 1:7) He caused a load of trouble for Job, including his family being killed, v. 13, his livestock being attacked & killed v. 15, his servants being burned up, v. 16, he himself was struck with painful boils from the top of his head to the bottom of his feet 2:7. Where was God? Did He not love Job? Yes, but at the time Satan had his way with him. Job endured to the end, with the devil & he was blessed more than tin the beginning.42:12 God was not in all that happened to Job. Satan was in a lot of it. Could God have intervened? Yes, if He had of wanted to. However, He can’t be in cahoots with Satan. So, when Satan is having his way, God’s not there. But ladies & gentlemen, be aware, because Satan is among us daily.

So, what happened with these folks in Smithville after the tornado? I don’t know about all of them, but I do personally know about one family. This family lost all their material belongings, in that tornado. Their mobile home, cars, clothes, anything you can think of. They dug their way out of a church basement once the storm passed thorough. All they had were the clothes on their backs & each other. But God had a plan for them. After it was all said & done, they had a better house than they had ever had. Since the storm, more people had helped them & got them back on their feet in a way they could not have done for themselves. They came out of this life changing incident much better than they were in the beginning. The tornado, that was the devil. The love & compassion, that was God. God will always triumph over evil.

Thank you for coming by to visit. Right now I have to go, because I should be washing clothes!

When God says apologies are not enough

June 28, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Sometimes being sorry, for faulting someone, is just not enough. Let me explain myself. When you are hurt by angry words or when someone treats you unfairly, an apology can do wonders. However, forgiveness does not always put everything back together like it was before. Many people may feel that they can treat others with hatred & discontent-but should be put right back in good graces once they breath an apology. While apologies & seeking forgiveness for wronging someone is essential to mending relationships, sin in any form is at a cost. And yes anger & lashing out at others is a sin.

Let’s consider what the Bible teaches-

Ephesians 4:26 says this:

“Be angry and do not sin. Do not let the sun go down on your wrath.”

On in verse 27 it says “ nor give place to the devil.”

Then on down in verse 31 the apostle Paul writes to the Ephesians,

“Let all bitterness, wrath, anger, clamor and evil speaking be put away from you with all malice.”

What’s the cure for anger? Verse 32 says,

“And be kind to one another , tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.”

There is a price for sin & not listening to God’s teachings. Take for instance, one of the most remarkable men of the Bible- Moses. In Numbers 12:3, it states “Now the man Moses was very humble, more than all men who were on the face of the earth. Verse 7 of the same chapter indicates God saying Moses was faithful in all his house. Verse 8 says that God spoke to him face to face. God must have had a really high opinion of Moses. In Deuteronomy 34:10 it says But since then there was not arisen in Israel a prophet like Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face.” Now, with all the wonderful things the Bible says about Moses, there was an incident that happened in Numbers 20 starting in verse 7, which God did not approve of.

Numbers 20:7 Then the Lord spoke to Moses saying v. 8 Take the rod; you and your brother Aaron gather the congregation together. Speak to the rock before their eyes, and it will yield its water; thus you shall bring water for them out of the rock, and give drink to the congregation and their animals.

Moses took the rod, as He had commanded. Moses & Aaron gathered the assembly together before the rock. Then for whatever reason instead of speaking to the rock, he struck the rock twice with the rod. And you know what happened after that? The water came out in abundance. Enough to give water to the congregation and their animals. It looked like everything went well, until the Lord had His say. If Moses did not think God would notice he disobeyed him, he found out pretty quickly, He was not amused. The Lord said in verse 12 to Moses & Aaron, “Because you did not believe Me to hallow Me in the eyes of the children of Israel, therefore, you shall not bring this assembly into the land which I have promised.”

Moses picked right back up & kept on following God. In Deuteronomy 3:23-25 he pleaded with the Lord to see the promised land. Even with the faithfulness & forgiveness He bestowed upon Moses, because of his sin, He would not go back on His word. Finally, the Lord got tired of his apologizing, & angrily responded in verse 26 to Moses“Enough of that! Speak no more to Me of this matter.”

Moses was a great leader of the Bible. He wrote five books of the Bible. He was the deliverer of the Lord’s commandments which is thus referred to as the Law of Moses. This Law was what Christ lived under. However, because of his sin, he was not granted the gift of entering the promised land. Sin can be forgiven, however there is responsibility for those sin. Take for example someone who is a prisoner in jail. They may truly be sorry for the things they have done. God can forgive them. However, they still have time to serve. Somethings can just not be regained after sin. Many times things cannot ever be as they were before. God will forgive. However, people need to consider the damage, that can be done to others, before letting the devil have his way with their actions & words.

I believe we should all make efforts to right our wrongs. Especially in relationships. However, we should not be surprised when saying you are sorry does not put everything back together again. This is why we should consider the long lasting detriment sin can have. Perhaps this will be enough help us to bridle our tongues & be watchful of what we do. As a southern girl we are groomed to be mindful of someone else’s feelings. I can remember my mama teaching me to not say this or that or do this or that. Why? Because it might hurt a person’s feelings. Let’s do our best to be kind & tenderhearted to one another. That way, we don’t have to worry about making apologies.

I appreciate so much you stopping by to visit with me. I have to be going for now, because I should be washing clothes……….

When nothing seems right

May 31, 2012May 31, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

There are times that it doesn’t take much to get us down, does it? Maybe some unkind words from a friend, bad news from the auto mechanic, a financial set back, or a misbehaving child can put a cloud of gloom over everything (even on the sunniest of days!). You know you should be joyful, but everything just seems to be against you, making the simplest task a struggle.

The psalmist David must have been feeling a lot like that when he wrote Psalm 6. He felt weak & sickly (v. 2), troubled (v.3), forsaken (v.4), weary (v.6), and grief-stricken (v.7). But he knew what to do when nothing seemed right. He looked up & trusted God to take care of him & see him through.

When we look up & focus on God, something wonderful happens! We get our eyes off of ourselves & gain a new appreciation of Him.

Next time you think nothing is right, consider looking up to God for guidance. He is sovereign (Psalm 47:8). He loves you (I John 4: 9-10), He considers you special (Matthew 6:26), He has purpose for your trials (James 1:2-4).

Keeping our eyes on God will make us happy!

Jesus said in Matthew 11:28 “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden & I will give you rest.”

He didn’t say go out & buy something to make yourself feel better. He didn’t say turn to eating, drinking, or drugs to help you cope with your problems. He said come to Him.

Yes, life can seem unbearable at times. But don’t let it keep you down. Meditate on God’s goodness, talk to Him, and know that He hears you (Psalm 6:9). That will give you the strength & courage to get up when nothing is right.

When life knocks you down, you are in a good position to pray!

Parts of this was taken from an article in Our Daily Bread, written by Dave Branon. It was such a great read, I had to share it with you all. Life is hard sometimes, isn’t it? But if it were easy all the time, what lessons does that teach us? How would you know how others felt, in their times of pain & sorrow, if you had not been through things similar. In that case, you can help another person who doesn’t think anything is right! That’s how Jesus wants us to be. Caring for each other. Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love to stay & visit but I have to be going, because I should be washing clothes!

Mother’s Day

May 11, 2012May 12, 2012 / kstrick7 / 4 Comments

Sunday is Mother’s Day. A time to honor our mothers. For those of us, who’s mothers are passed away, it sometimes can be a difficult time. I have so many fond memories of my mother. I don’t want to make you cry, like Bubba Watson did, when he won the Masters. But if you saw it, who was the 1^st one out to him once he made that last putt? His mama. He hugged her & bawled like a baby. I can appreciate that. I loved my Mama like that. That’s why I suppose Mother’s Day can be so hard. Because I do miss her just as much now, as when she passed away.

I have been fortunate to have been loved by many mothers. My own, of course, but my Mamaw, my Mama B., special aunts, & my mother in law. All these wonderful ladies were & are strong women. They taught me how to love my kids & other kids, too. They gave me values, & taught me how to act. They made sure I did not shame my family by leaving home, without knowing how to cook. They went to church, they loved their neighbors, they took meals to the sick, shut in & those that lost family members. They gave spankings & hugs. They feared God. They have all been fine examples of what a wonderful Southern mother should be.

In Proverbs it tells of a virtuous woman. It says:

Proverbs 31:10 Who can find a virtuous woman? For her worth is far above rubies.

In the following verses it tells what she does:

She is good to her husband.
She works.

She provides food for whoever is in her house.

She strengthens herself.

She helps the poor.

She speaks words with wisdom.
She watches over her household & is not idle.
She has her children & husband’s respect.

v.30 She fears God.

This is a terrific description that we should try to live by. The ladies that I have spoken of above have conquered this list. My prayer is that every lady strives to be as the virtuous woman. It makes our houses much better to live in. It brings happiness to our lives & the lives of others. We should respect others & respect ourselves. We should practice peace & love toward others. The attitudes we cultivate can have a powerful effect on others. Ask God to help you find reasons to rejoice instead of complain. Respond to difficult situations with calm faith & trust God’s will.

May 24^th, 2012 will mark 10 years since my Mama has passed away. She was a remarkable woman. I only pray that I can carry on the way she & my other female influences have taught me. The author Rick Bragg said in a Southern Living article, “You never outgrow the need for your mother’s love.” Whether you are a mother, grandmother, aunt, or friend, make a way to show that special mother like love to others. If your mother is still living, please make an effort to see or talk to her this Mother’s Day. I know she will be glad you did. Happy Mother’s Day to all!

I hope you have enjoyed this post . Maybe it has inspired you in some way. I would love to write more, but right now I have to go, because I should be washing clothes……

Me & Mama when I was about 6 years old

Stumbling block inventory

May 9, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

Finding faults in others is a popular pastime. Unfortunately, a lot of us find it’s easy to join the fun. Concentrating on the flaws of others can be a great way to feel better about ourselves. That’s typically, the problem! Avoiding the faults that need to be fixed in our own lives, not only dampers our spiritual growth, it too gets in the way of God’s work through us. God’s effectiveness through our lives is made better or is hindered by the way we live.

In Romans 14:13 the apostle Paul tells of the character we should have.

Therefore, let us not judge one another, anymore, but rather resolve this, not to put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother’s way.

Back up in verse 10 he states:

But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.

We are all in this together. Why be so petty about things?

If we want to be authentic & useful for the Lord, we must continually take a stumbling block inventory. At times stumbling blocks are things that in and of themselves may be real. Yet in certain contexts, may be inappropriate. But sin is clearly a stumbling block to others. Gossip, slander, boasting, bitterness, greed, abuse, anger, selfishness, and revenge all close the hearts of those around us to the message God sends through us. Just to think, our lives, may be the only Bible some people ever see. Now, that’s a big responsibility that we have. To keep ourselves clean & unspotted from the world. (James 1: 27) You may say, “but you just don’t know how mean this person is or how hurtful they have been to me.” I do know this, there is no problem too big that you & God can’t work out. Let God have His way with people. In life people will be mean, rude, unfair, gossipy, hurtful, and greedy. Pray for those people. Don’t let their hatred consume your heart & make you the same things they are. We must be the bigger person.

In Matthew 5:43-44, Jesus preaching his sermon from the mountain said this:

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy. v.44 But I say to you, love our enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you.”

Now, that’s a tough pill to swallow! Pray for someone who has said bad things about me? Pray for someone who has embarrassed me? Pray for someone whose selfishness has caused me to hurt? You may ask,”Why does that person deserve my prayers?” If you look at it from God’s perspective- these prayers are for your benefit. For you to keep a heart that’s willing to mention a person who does not deserve God’s graciousness. Those people are the ones who need it the most. And it’s hard to keep bitterness locked up in a heart full of prayer. God does not want us to be angry. He wants us to love. And what better way to keep that love in your heart, than to lift up someone in prayer? It’s hard to be selfish or mad when you are asking a blessing over someone who’s wronged you. Get the picture? God loves us & does not want us to be someone who lets a situation eat at them. He wants us praying for each other & not being someone with so much emotional baggage that His work can’t be seen in us.

I Cor 13: 4-5 says thatprov love is kind, does not envy, does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil.

We should strive to condition ourselves to be kind, no matter what. God says in order to love, we must be kind. In the end, our kindness is what matters the most. We have to be responsible for what we have done in our lives, how we have acted & treated people, not how they have treated us. God will have His day with those folks! He even says so –

Romans 12:19…”Vengence is Mine, I will repay,” says the Lord.

Now, don’t you think God can handle these hard to deal with people better than you? Of course He can. A dear friend of mine has said her mother used to say, “Kill them with kindness.” I think that is a very good lesson. When someone hurts your feelings, just be kind. When someone says mean things about you, be kind. When someone is rude to you, be kind. That way, they can see God living in you. That will either turn them toward God, or just make them mad. Either way, you have done your part by being what God wants you to be- kind.

So, let’s replace our faults with the wonderful ways of Jesus. This will help others to see our Savior more clearly.

Some of this message was taken from an Our Daily Bread article written by Joe Stowell. I have so many thoughts about this subject. Maybe I will write more about it later. But for now, I have to go because I should be washing clothes………..

Understanding baptism

March 17, 2012March 17, 2012 / kstrick7 / Leave a comment

When my rockstar son was about 5 years old, he always loved going to Sunday School. It did not hurt that his Sunday School teacher was young & beautiful. She was so sweet & had a great way of teaching the younger kids. All the kids loved her. One Sunday after church she pulled me to the side.

She said,”You know you have a very bright little boy.”

“Thank you,” I say.

She went on, “I think he has a good way of looking at things. Today, I was talking to them about baptism. I told them it was when you go down into the water & all your sins are washed away. Once I said that, your little boy’s hand went up. I asked him did he have a question? He said ‘I sure do.’ So, I told him to go ahead. He said,’If when you go down in the water & all your sins are washed away, won’t they get on the next one that gets in the water?’

“I tried to keep my composure,” she laughed, “But, I guess I had never thought of it that way!”

It’s always so funny, how kids see things. If you have any funny things your kids have said or any youngster has said- send me a comment. I would love to hear about them! And just so ya’ll will know, I have been washing clothes all afternoon & I am tired!