Cloak and Dagger: Time Is Ticking Away

Time. What a precious thing we have that if we do not take care, we can squander it very easily. Time is not forever. One day we will run out of it. Time is not something we can afford to waste. If we are not careful, and take mind of our time and what we are doing with it, it will be gone like water through a sieve.

Lately it seems when I get up in the morning to start a new day that in a very short period of time I am laying back down because the day is over. I guess when you get older time goes faster. Girls, it is true! Going into my 19th year, it has been brought home to me that time goes faster than it ever seemed possible!

Since our time is so valuable and so fleeting, we must come up with ways to manage it better. I have come to realize that the Holy Spirit is a master of managing time. If the Holy Spirit is in control of our days and we are in the will of God, then it seems that we have longer, more productive, peaceful, days that are full of a loving attitude to everyone around us. If we are not in the will of God and don't let the Holy Spirit lead us, then our days seem short, unproductive, disruptive days with mean and hateful attitudes towards others.
Don't you just HATE those days? I do! When we have those days it seems as though we are lazy and all our good intentions and priorities have gone through the window and into the wind. Making sure you have a good, useful days depends upon your relationship with the Lord and also your strength through Him.

Philippians 4:13
I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

Psalm 18:2
The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower.

Not only can we do everything through Christ, but He strengths us to do it! We need to use that strength to accomplish the priorities and responsibilities that God has placed in our lives and get them done. If we remember that God gives us our priorities and our responsibilities, then we can and must accomplish them. We can only accomplish them in His will and His time. There is a very good chapter about that:

Ecclesiastes 3
To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end.
I know that there is no good in them, but for a man to rejoice, and to do good in his life.
And also that every man should eat and drink, and enjoy the good of all his labour, it is the gift of God.
I know that, whatsoever God doeth, it shall be for ever: nothing can be put to it, nor any thing taken from it: and God doeth it, that men should fear before him.
That which hath been is now; and that which is to be hath already been; and God requireth that which is past.
And moreover I saw under the sun the place of judgment, that wickedness was there; and the place of righteousness, that iniquity was there.
I said in mine heart, God shall judge the righteous and the wicked: for there is a time there for every purpose and for every work.

When we pull ourselves out of the will of God and go after our own things, we always end up going back to God's will and by then we have already made more work for ourselves, because we have to reorganize our lives according to His plan.

It is not for us to know what God's timing or plan is for our lives. He wants us to trust Him to know what is best for us.

Acts 1:7
And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.

You and I both know that the days on earth are short and evil. We are living in a very sinful world and it gets worse everyday. However, we must take the time that has been given to us and we must use it to the fullest we can!

Ephesians 5:16
Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

One of the ways we can redeem the time we have is to:

Colossians 4:5
Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.

We are warned over and over that our time is short. We must realize that.

Job 7:1
Is there not an appointed time to man upon earth? are not his days also like the days of an hireling?

Psalm 89:47
Remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men in vain?

Having that knowledge of knowing how short our time is and that we need to be reminded, also shows us

Romans 13:11
That, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

How do we know if we will live to see another day? We don't. That is why we are told,

James 4:14
Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.

It is folly to worry about what tomorrow holds. Who knows if you will even be there to know. Worrying is fear and we are told not to fear, therefore it becomes sin.
We were all placed on earth in our times for a specific reason: To be a light for all the world to see! Let us use that time wisely. It is a gift and gifts are not to squander. Water may be free, but time isn't. Don't let your time fly away, like water flows through a sieve.

Cloak and Dagger: Kids Are Like Sponges!

If you are around little kids a lot then you HAVE to be extra careful. As a very wise and dear Auntie once said,"Kids are like sponges. They pick up EVERYTHING!"

Everything you do will be picked up by a Little. One of my favorite sayings is "What should not be heard by Little ears, should not be said by Big mouths." It is so true. Not that I am the best at following it, but its great nonetheless. Everything you say will be heard by Littles. They will pick it up like a magnet. It will stick with them too.

I have heard that sponges are so good at soaking things up that it is best not to keep reusing the same sponge. The reason is because even if you wash it, it will still have part of the stuff it soaked up the very first time you used it in it. Children are EXACTLY the same way.
Everything you say and do will be seen by the Littles and they will remember it and soak it up. You may say or do it only once, but whoever the Little is that picks it up will do it over and over. We have to make sure what we say is the right thing. The nice thing. The Godly thing. If you don't, then the things you are saying will be repeated by the Littles.

Ephesians 4:29
"Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace unto the hearers."(KJV)

Bad habits get picked up A LOT easier than good ones. We need to make sure we have the good ones down pat. We have to rid ourselves of the bad habits we have. If we don't, then the Littles will pick them up, and they will have to learn to break them. It makes more sense to only have one child have to break a bad habit than 5 or 6 other children.

Being the oldest child is a hard job. Yeah, it has its perks, but I think that we have one of the hardest jobs in a family. We pretty much set the tones of all the younger children. If we don't set the right tone, then there will be chaos in our families, because everyone will have bad attitudes and habits.

Ecclesiastes 5:6
"Suffer not thy mouth to cause thy flesh to sin; neither say thou before the angel, that it was an error: wherefore should God be angry at thy voice, and destroy the work of thine hands?" (KJV)

When we say things, we need to make sure they won't make us to sin or anyone around us. That includes the Littles. If what we do or say is wrong, then it could very likely take a turn to make us or the Littles sin.

It is horrible to have to see or hear something you did or say that wasn't right, said or acted by a younger sibling. It is scary because the sin that we committed is being committed by someone you are suppose to be helping learn to be a Godly person. It is also sad because it is wrong and the Bible says it is wrong.

Colossians 3:8
"But now ye also put off all these; anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your mouth." (KJV)

I absolutely *hate* it when I say something or do something that was wrong(yes, I do and say things that are wrong), and one of our Littles picks it up and keeps repeating it over and over. My sin has caused them to sin and therefore creates havoc in our lives.

We need to watch what we say and check our thoughts before we speak. It is wrong to just blurt out things without taking a thought to them.

Ecclesiastes 5:2
"Be not rash with thy mouth, and let not thine heart be hasty to utter any thing before God: for God is in heaven, and thou upon earth: therefore let thy words be few."(KJV)

It is better to listen first and then speak. It is better to think about what we are saying, so we can make sure what we are saying is righteous.

James 1:19
"Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:" (KJV)

In order to counteract our bad habits, we need to set an example of the good ones and help the Littles with things that they struggle with.

1 Corinthians 10:11
"Now all these things happened unto them for examples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come." (KJV)

Some things that I have found in my life that I can help the Littles are:

Not talking back to our parents.
Not shaking our head.
Not rolling our eyes.
Talking nice to our siblings.
Doing things when we are told... the first time.
Not arguing with you parents.

I am sure there are many more, but that is a good list to start with. These are things I need to work on. If I try to change these things, then things will be better for me and the Littles.
Being an older sister is a HUGE challenge. We should meet that challenge head on and strive to lead the Littles to be what they are supposed to be! We have to be *VERY* careful to make sure we set a great example for the Littles.

As I have said, "Children are like sponges and we are like water. Make sure you are clean water for them to soak up, because they will retain everything!"

Cloak and Dagger: As Polished Cornerstones

I am working through Polished Cornerstones by Pam Forster as part of my studies. This book's purpose is to lead girls toward maturity, prepare girls to be Godly YOUNG Ladies, to grow together as you work with your daughter/s, and to encourage single parents.
The reason behind this book can be found in:

Psalm 144:12b
"That our daughters may be as corner stones, polished after the similitude of a palace:"

Polished Cornerstones is a study that will really help you not only get into the Word on a daily basis, but also allow you to be able to apply the Word and what you have learned through the assignments to use what you have learned.

The first chapter was about becoming "A Godly Woman". Through Polished Cornerstones, I have gone over so much scripture on this topic. One of the verses I have been reading is one we all know and love:

Titus 2:3-5
"The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things;
That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed."

As I read it over, I started to get angry. It wasn't at the verse itself, but because that is not how the "aged women" today are. Most aged women today do not teach the younger women in the Word. And the younger women do not want to be taught.

The "aged women" nowadays seemed to be too worried about belonging to clubs, going shopping, making sure they look young by their clothes, their hair, makeup and tans, nails, etc. They seem to care more about if they have a more expensive car than the neighbor and what people think of them. A lot of times, it seems they care more about their social status.

If only they would forgo those things, we would have young women who know how to love and train their children, to love and submit to their own husbands, to be keepers at home, to be chaste, obedient, etc.
We would probably have more married couples who would stay together, if they, the "aged women", taught the young wife that she is supposed to submit and love her own husband in all things. Most couples now get divorced in the first 5 years of marriage. Is that sad or what?

I love this part of the verse: "obedient to their own husbands". Did you catch that word, "own"? They are not supposed to be obedient to any man, just their own. Which, if she is working, she can't do that.
I guess that means that you can't have it all. Well, at least the all that the world tells you. As a wife, it is our place to stay home and minister to our family by being what the Bible wants you to be.

My Mom and I have talked about how I won't have the excuse, "I didn't know any better. No one taught me." She was in tears as she told me how, when she got saved, neither her pastor, nor his wife, nor anyone else taught her what the Bible says. They didn't teach her that she should not play softball when she has 2 little children to care for. She paid dearly for that. She broke her leg very badly. God always shows us what we need to change and, though it may be painful, we must do it.

They didn't teach her that she should love and submit to her husband completely. So now after having many hardships and troubles, she is just learning this. Although it is sad that she wasn't taught and helped when she should have been, I can rejoice in the fact that she now knows all this and can teach it to me, so I can do what I am supposed to and not have the same troubles and hardships she has had.

I am praying for all the "aged women" to come to realize the meaning of Titus 2. I pray that they will see what they should be filling and that they fill it. We need the "aged women" to teach us younger women. How will we learn unless someone teaches us?? How can we teach unless we are taught to??
To all of the older women I know, I pray for you daily. That you may have the opportunities to teach the younger women and that you will do it.
To all the younger woman I know, I pray for you daily. That you may have a teachable spirit and learn something from the "aged women".

I am thankful that I have a Mom, who will take the time to teach me, not only academics, but character training and much more. I am thankful to all the Mom blogs I read because I always glean something from your experiences. I am thankful for all of the "aged women” I know and have come to love who are setting a good example for me.
Whether your experiences are good or bad, just know that there are young women who will learn from them. We need to get back to doing what we are supposed to do. The things that God has created us for.

Cloak and Dagger-There's More To Life

In my short life I have witnessed many breakings of the Body of Christ, and it is a sad thing. I know that it is not what Christ wants for his people. There was a time that our family had to make a choice to follow God's plan and His word or stay at our church, and we were one of the families who left. It was very painful. The people at our church were our family and very central to our lives. It still pains us even now, six years later, but God has brought us through it, and we learned so much from that time in our lives.

I think a lot of churches are not what Christ intended, and that is a huge part of it. I believe that divisions in the church are the cause of the church not focusing on its real mission, to glorify God, spread the Gospel to the lost and encourage and edify the Believers.

It is sad that this is the way Christians are behaving in this day and age. I think that part of the reason it has become this way is we are way too concerned about unnecessary things that we forget about the really important things in life.

I really do wish that as Believers we would stop wasting our time on petty things, and take a look at the big picture. We worry too much about our everyday lives, friendships, problems we are having and so forth. They consume us sometimes, and take our focus off the reason for which we are alive.

Our everyday lives are nothing in the eternal scheme of things. Jesus told us about this in

Matthew 6:25
Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

Why do we worry about every little thing that happens to us? My family has been going through so much this year. Much loss, sickness, and problems. Through it all I have come to see that if we keep our eyes on Jesus, and don't look away, then we will be able to walk across the sea and not sink. We won't see the waves coming up beside us, and we won't be scared. AS LONG AS WE KEEP OUR EYES ON JESUS!
We don't want to end up like Peter, do we?

Matthew 14:28
And Peter answered him and said, Lord, if it be thou, bid me come unto thee on the water. And he said, Come. And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus. But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me. And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?

I sure don't want to be called "O Thou of Little Faith"! I want to have faith that will move mountains!

Another thing that is important to remember is that no matter what is going on, none of it really matters, because God is in control, and everything will work out for His glory and in His time.
Paul reminds of this in

Romans 8:28
And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.

Though we may not always like the outcome of the situation or the time it takes to get it over with, we can also remember that God said that He would answer us. It may not be in our time, but He will answer. He may not answer what we want, but He will answer, and it will be to His glory!
As long as we love God and follow His Word, then everything is going to be alright, because He is in control of everything and holds the whole world in His hands. I know our world is wacky and unsaved, and not really a safe place all the time, but knowing that God is in control and has everything in His hands, gives a sense of peace to me.

While writing this article, I remembered a song I used to like because the words were just so true. One of the lines was:"There's got to be more to life than chasing down every temporary high just to satisfy me."
That is just so profound. If we just realize that what we want is just something that won't last long, and its not really important, then we can realize the important things that are going on.
We are always searching for something to satisfy ourselves. Things we search for, though, are just temporary highs that don't last long, yet we are left craving more. Therefore we take our eyes off the important things, and worry, and think about things that are not important.

One of the important things is that unsaved people are dying and going to hell. It is so very important to God that He sent His only Son to come and make a way so that didn't have to happen.

Matthew 5:11
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

It is important to get along with other Believers and NOT persecute them because of their beliefs. That is supposed to come from the unbelievers, not the body. Yet, as sad and unfortunately as it is, it is more of a common occurrence than not. We are not a united body of Christ. We are dysfunctional. The arm is pointing in one way, the brain is pointing another, the eyes are looking a different one, and the legs are going where they want. That is not going to work. Ever tried to walk one way, look another, point in a different direction and have your brain tell you something else? IT DOES NOT WORK! You end up with a broken toe, nose and a very sore body.
Yet, we are like that as the body of Christ... think Jesus is feeling too good right now? I don't either.

We need to stop this selfishness of only thinking about our lives, and things that pertain to us, and start looking at everything that is going on. Just like it says in

Philippians 3:14
I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

We must realize that our focus should not be on "the way" to the mark, but we should look "at" the mark. Time and time again, we Believers live our daily lives, and only think about the petty things that are happening in our own lives. If we will be able to pay the bills, if we will have a friend tomorrow because you had a disagreement today, etc... it doesn't matter because it is in God's control anyway. There must be a balance. These are important things, but should not supersede keeping our eye on the high calling.

We need to quit worrying about whether we have friends or not, whether we are more popular or not, and all the other insignificant things that we worry about.

Isaiah 43:7
Even every one that is called by my name: for I have created him for my glory, I have formed him; yea, I have made him.

I pray that each and everyone of us will be able to glorify God, witness to the unsaved, encourage the Believer and keep our eyes on Jesus as we walk across the sea of life!

"Kiss Smoking Goodbye!"

Take a look at this conversation that 2 friends had.

Chloe: "What are you reading?"
Lois: "I am reading a book called, "Kiss smoking goodbye"."
Chloe: "Do you smoke?"
Lois: "No"
Chloe: "Then why are you reading it?"
Lois: "Well I thought it would be good to know how to quit smoking."
Chloe: "Are you planning to start smoking?"
Lois: "No."
Chloe: "Then why do you need to know how to stop smoking, if you aren't planning on smoking?"
Lois: "Well I just thought it would be good to know how to quit smoking."
Chloe: "But why? You don't ever plan to start smoking. Why would you want to know how to stop if you aren't going to start it?"

Do you see Chloe's dilemma? Do you understand why Lois is reading this book? It just doesn't make sense to you or me why Lois would be reading a book about quitting smoking when she isn't and doesn't plan on smoking. It is not logical.

I have found if you read something, no matter what it is, you will some how be influenced by it. You can be influenced for good or bad by it! Now, how do you think that Lois reading this book will influence her? She has already exposed herself to smoking without physically doing it. She has already smoked mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. This book may actually give her the wanting to know what it is like to smoke.
This analogy applies to not just smoking, but also drinking, drugs, dating, the internet, relationships and many other things.

When we read things, it is sometimes a lot worse than actually seeing them. When you read things you have to picture what you are reading in your mind. Its like dressing immodestly. When a guy sees a girl who is very immodest, and he sees her back or her front or her arms, he will think beyond that and imagine what is below what he can see.

I remember when I was about 13 or 14, I read a Christian Romance novel. That book was graphic enough to start my imagination on what it was talking about, but it did not go into detail. It just gave me enough to think on and make up my own idea of what would happen or was happening.
About that time, I was not walking in the Lord. I was in the world and into some really bad spiritual things. Reading that book did not help me at all. It actually did the opposite. It helped me dive more into my rebellion. In essences, it had a really bad affect on me.

Philippians 4:8 says "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

We are only supposed to think, read, talk, and do things that are honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report. Not things that are just nothing. Not things that are meaningless. If you are never going to smoke, then reading a book on how to quit smoking is meaningless.

Lois reading that book is meaningless and will not help her stay away from smoking. The only reason that Lois would need to read “Kiss Smoking Goodbye” would be if she was already smoking and needed to quit. Otherwise there is absolutely no point to her reading it. Same thing goes for every aspect of our lives. If it is a self-help book for sin in our lives, but we aren’t in that sin, then there is no reason to read it! If you read it then you are just opening yourself to that sin that was not there to begin with!

If you are struggling with any sin, seek your parents counsel.They can help you overcome the sin in your life. They are there for that reason.

Proverbs 19:20
Hear counsel, and receive instruction, that thou mayest be wise in thy latter end.

There is no sin too great that with help from your parents and God you can't overcome!

Matthew 19:26
But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.

Girls, let’s follow Philippians 4:8 and go after things that are true, pure, honest, just, pure, lovely, of good report, so that we can show virtue to others and praise to our Lord!

Cloak and Dagger - What Do You Think?

Something I have recently come to realize is that our thought life is very important. Not only is it important to take our thoughts into subjection, but it is also very important to God what we think.
What we think and say is what comes out of our hearts. Matthew 15:18 says, "But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart;" (KJV)
Proverbs 23:7 says "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he:" (KJV)

What I think and say reflects what is in my heart. Sometimes I say mean and horrible things, and that reflects the sin in my heart. Only Jesus can heal that and take it away. That is why we, as Believers, are to "Bring into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;"-2 Corinthians 10:5b. (KJV)

We are to take all our thoughts captive to Christ in obedience. If we are to take all our thoughts captive to Christ, then we must also take our hearts to Him too. If our hearts are not right, then our thoughts will not be right.
If we are thinking evil, wrong, or sinful things and think that no one knows about them and its ok, we are very wrong. Job 21:27 says, "Behold, I know your thoughts, and the devices which ye wrongfully imagine against me." (KJV)

There is more than one verse that speaks about how evil and deceitful our thoughts can be if we are not walking in the ways of the Lord. Proverbs 12:5a says, "The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit." (KJV)

God knows everything that runs through our heads. Even those thoughts that we don't want anyone to hear or see. God sees them. We should want Him to know our thoughts. Psalm 139:23 says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts:" (KJV)

It is good to have God search our mind and heart, so He knows our thoughts. He needs to be able to know them, so He can show us what is wrong in our lives.

David taught Solomon the importance of knowing and understanding that your heart is connected to your mind and thoughts: 1 Chronicles 28:9 "And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast thee off for ever." (KJV)

He also taught him what would happen if we didn't seek Him in our thoughts. God understands our thoughts and why we are having them. Psalm 94:11 "The LORD knoweth the thoughts of man, that they are vain." (KJV)

He knows that not every thought we have is good. We are human, and while that is just an excuse, we are covered by the grace of Jesus. We can overcome our thought life and take the control away from our flesh and give it to the Lord.

God knows everything about us, yes we all know that. We must, however, remember that He really does understand our thoughts even when we don't know they are thoughts. Psalm 139:2 "Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off." (KJV)

We, as Believers, should always make sure our thoughts are pure and righteous, and a lot of times that is hard. But we must not let those impure and unrighteous thoughts take over. We need to not think of idle things that will cause us or others to sin. We should love the Lord's laws and despise our idle thoughts. Psalm 119:113 "I hate vain thoughts: but thy law do I love." (KJV)

We should love God's laws and practice them daily. A love of the law will help us defeat our flesh and take back our thoughts.
God's Word, the Bible, is the best tool we can use to take our sinful thought life back into submission of our spirits. We must use it to keep our minds and hearts pure. Hebrews 4:12 has a great verse that tells us how we can do that: "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." (KJV)

The intents of our heart is what we should worry about. Our thoughts are a heart issue. If our hearts are not right, then we need to give them whole-heartedly over to the One who specializes in hearts: Jesus.

He loves us no matter what and will do what He can and what we allow Him to do in our hearts, thoughts, and lives. When we surrender everything to Him, we will not have those "idle thoughts" that plague us and turn us away from Jesus and His righteousness.

Girls, I struggle DAILY with my thought life. It is very hard to bring under submission. But with Jesus' help I am getting it to where it should be. It can be done. If we bring every thought to Jesus and let Him take every thought over, then we will keep ourselves pure and will have thoughts that are holy in His sight.

Be encouraged. Get the Word into your heart. Take every thought to Christ. Then you will have pure thoughts that you need not be ashamed of.