St. Francis of Assisi

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible; and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

~St. Francis of Assisi

Judging Others

There are many things that have been bothering me of late, and one of them is how we all walk in sin, yet we have the nerve to point the finger at others, judging their walk. The spirit of self-righteousness is alive and well in many of our brothers and sisters...sadly...

I am not immune to it either (don't get me wrong), but I have realized how very rampant this sin is and how very subtly it can infiltrate the hearts and minds of Christians. I am convinced that many of these "finger-pointers" are convinced themselves that they are doing a good thing by passing judgement, though, most of them are just control freaks that have issues...oh wait...am I passing judgement? Hmmm...How subtle it is...or not.

The Bible talks about judging quite often for example:

1 Corinthians 4:5
Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God.
 
May the LORD judge between you and me. And may the LORD avenge the wrongs you have done to me, but my hand will not touch you.~1 Samuel 24:12
 
James 4:10-12
Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up. Brothers, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbour?

And there is one reminder that we really need to absorb: it is that our walk with Jesus is with Jesus. Like it has been mentioned, He is the One that will/and does assess our heart intentions, and it is He that will judge. We do not know the truth in our own hearts, let alone the hearts of others, and we cannot see the bigger picture - the complete picture, how the decisions each person makes affects another. It is frustrating, confusing, and quite plainly, oftentimes, a mystery. But we trust God to work all things together for good...for His purpose and ultimately our benefit.

So, next time you are frowning on the inside about what you see and/or hear, take it to God in prayer before you start pointing the finger. It could be that your prayer, between you and God, is exactly what is most needed and most beneficial for all involved.

Corrie Ten Boom





Worry does not empty tomorrow of its sorrow. It empties today of its strength.

~ Corrie Ten Boom

Be Inspired

What is inspiration but one encouraging another.

A simple act for the encourager, an act of courage for the inspired.

Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.

~1 Thessalonians 5:11

My Struggle today...

allowed anymore apathy apparently astray bitterness break circles conforms control decide decisive depends dream encroaching fighter free freedom give god going hope jesus law led live mind oh perspective resentment root spirit taking thought tired towards unless wait wanted wrong

created at TagCrowd.com

Desires of Our Heart - A Repost Reminder

I have been trying to get to Texas for the past 6 or so years. I am not entirely sure why. I have just been drawn to that area. I have had several opportunities to go over these years, but each opportunity was lost because of various "more pressing" circumstances. (Most of which now, I cannot recall.) That being said, I finally made it to Texas earlier this month and I fell in love. I fell in love with Texas Hill Country. I did not want to leave, yet I had to return to Canada. I hope to return to Texas in the near future and continue exploring where I left off; however, I must leave that desire in the hand of God.

Why do I mention this trip? Well, it has to do with the desires of our heart. I, for so long, wanted something...drawn to it...some days doubting that it would ever occur. I put it on the back burner of my mind always ready to embrace should I have the opportunity. The opportunity was presented - God did not forget me - and I went for it. The interesting thing is that I had an opportunity to go elsewhere at this time, a trip that would have been considered more admirable than my trip to Texas; however, my heart cried out loudly and I prayerfully chose to answer the cry.

The distractions that interfere with our heart's desire can be so obnoxiously pressing, and yet so charming at the same time, that the spirit of confusion can waltz right in and sway our thinking causing us to lose our focus. This time I denied the distraction.

Our hearts thirst for the Water of Life. Driven by desires that mysteriously form deep within our being, crafted by our life experience and overseen by our Creator. The desire of our heart ultimately draws us closer to God; however, we can and do get distracted and try to satisfy these desires with less-than-satiable replicas of want.

Be careful of distractions. Listen to your heart. Commune with God. Trust.

I can look back on my choice to go south and know that it was the right decision for the time. It is all about God's timing for our lives. I guess those other opportunities in the past would not have spoken to my heart the way the timing of this trip did. I will not explore the "why now and not a previous time?", I am content to know that God did not forget me, that the temptation of distraction did not cheat me, and my heart's desires can and will be answered because my God cares about me - He cares about what is best for me each season of my life.

He cares about you and the desires of your heart also, trust Him. 

Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart.

~Psalm 37:4 Psalm 37:3-5 (in Context) Psalm 37 (Whole Chapter)