Fruit of The Spirit Friday 9*5*08

Over the last week, there has been one piece of scripture that has been popping up at me. Yesterday, there were times I either read the scripture on someone's blog for Thankful Thursday, or I heard it on K-Love, Touched By An Angel or some other form of media.

The scripture: Ecclesiastes 3:1-2
'There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
a time to be born and a time to die..'

Three months ago, my husband received a job offer/promotion from the company he's been working for, for 4 years now. The offer/promotion? Become District Manager out of North Dakota....instead the Assistant Manager here in Utah. The offer came out of nowhere, and it was something that we talked about, prayed about, asked questions, asked opinions and waited patiently for God to be before us instead of rushing into something that seemed great at the time. That saying, 'There will always be greener pastures'.....no matter which side of the fence you're on, came to mind.

After we discussed and prayed about it, we prayed that if this was something the Lord wanted us to do that the company would offer to pay for us to go up and see what ND was all about. Now, myself being originally from SD made this move all the more of a blessing, as I would now be about 8 hours from my parents, sister, brother, and extended relatives. But this was something I did NOT want to think about, nor give me an excuse to want to take this offer when it could possibly be a 'bribe' from the devil.

The company did offer to pay for us to go up about 3 weeks later, and we left, just hubby and myself to have a business meeting with one of the head honchos before arriving in ND. We were suppose to be there about a week and a half, although it proved difficult to be content seeing the city day after day for 5 days without the children. So we decided to leave early.

We did VERY much enjoy the city we were visiting, the same city where the new shop would be, and also the very same city we would be living in. So came the decision to move. We said 'yes', we will take the job promotion.

Fastforward 3 months later.....our house has been packed for the last 2 months except for the necessary living materials, and we've got our house on the market waiting to sell, also fixing up things here and there that need to be done. The Lord has been faithful and before us every step of the way, but He has been teaching my husband two things: Patience and having Faith.

Which leads me to today's Fruit of the Spirit.

I said for years that 'Patience' was not a virtue I possessed. But I can honestly say that I am learning it. We knew that we would have some difficulty in finding financing for buying a new house in ND, which has proven true. We had fallen on some hard times 2 years ago, and it took me that long to get things paid off so they were not hindering us. However, because there were those problems, we now are waiting on the Lord to move that mountain for us so we can buy a new house. However, we are also waiting on the Lord to bring the people who are meant to buy the house as well. Which is having 'Faith' in Him. But more importantly, having the 'Patience' and the 'Faith' in His timing. His timing is NEVER too soon, nor is it EVER too late.

So I sit here, day after day, waiting on Him. Waiting for Him to speak to me about what needs to be done, Praising Him for every single blessing that He has given us, and every single blessing that we are about to receive from Him.

And boy does the devil like to give things to think about! It feels like we are in spiritual warfare right now, and the thing about it, it's not just my hubby, myself and my kids; but it's also my mom, grandmother (maternal), and my brother that are going through it. But day after day, the Lord shows me to be thankful for what we have. To wait on Him patiently, and to know that only He knows the plan for our life, and where our journey is taking us. Only He knows what awaits us through this new door, and having faith like that of a child is the only way to survive those 'flying by the seat of your pants' feeling. But knowing that the Lord is ever faithful, never changing, and loves us that much, allows me to humble myself and listen to His word. Patience is a virtue I'm learning to possess, and when the devil gives me those stumbling blocks along the way to hinder me, I know the Lord uses those stumbling blocks to 'strengthen' me!

Praise God, Thank you Jesus for ALWAYS teaching, pruning and leading Lord!

I hope you ALL have a VERY blessed day in Him!

May you all learn the joys of being patient, and the blessings that come from waiting on, and having faith as small as a mustard seed, in our Lord Jesus Christ!

In Christ' Love,
Audie

Fruit of the Spirit Friday

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ---Galations 22 & 23



The Fruit of the Spirit that I have been working on this week is Love.

Isn't it wonderful that the Lord has provided us an entire chapter in 1 Corinthians completely devoted to Love?
Through 1 Corinthians Chapter 13 we are shown that if we have SO many others things, but have not Love, we are nothing! NOTHING! Love is everything!

We are also shown in verse 13: But the greatest of these is love.

I encourage you to read 1 Corinthians Chapter 13. It is a WONDERFUL passage, whether you've read it a million times or not even once.

Have a wonderful day in the Lord!

In Christ,

Fruit of the Spirit Friday

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law. ---Galations 22 & 23

The Fruit of the Spirit that I have been working on this week, and truth be known before that as well is Self-control.
So I thought we'd dig a little deeper into Self-Control.....shall we?

In Nelson's 'Three-In-One Bible Reference' Companion we are shown that Self-Control is the restraint or discipline exercised over one's behavior. The origin of Self-control is of course by none other than our Lord and Savior, Christ Jesus. Self-control involves ruling over one's spirit, having soberness, and control of the body(hmmm....bridling the tongue?) And of course, is hindered by, fleshly lusts, tongue, drink, s*xual sins, unclean spirits, and self-expressionism.

Now, you're probably wondering why 'tongue' is bold, and I happened to mention bridling the tongue. Well, this is one part of the self-control I have a VERY hard time with. I generally end up speaking at the INappropriate time or I don't say anything at all and let it bottle up inside me until I can no longer hold it and blurt it out to the next passerby'er(kind of an exaggeration, but close to it anyways), which could also be considered gossip.

I found an article the other day on one of my favorite sites (unfortunately is no longer updated, but extremely valid) Laine's Letters, you can find the specific article I am talking about here. And I 'encourage' you to read it, as she has a beautiful talent from the Lord for encouraging each and every one of us by what she writes.

This article is entitled 'Dying to Self', which I honestly believe has a LOT to do with self-control. And may actually be one of the most difficult things I have ever faced in my life. She wrote some beautiful stuff in this letter, but one of the things I made sure to print so I could put on my fridge was a poem she included called:
'Dying to Self' Author Unknown.

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught, and you don't sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight, but your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed, your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself, but take in all in patient, loving silence.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity, any unpunctuality, or any annoyance; when you stand face-to- face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility-and endure it as Jesus endured.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you are content with any food, any offering, any climate, any society, any raiment, any interruption by the will of God.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation, or to record your
own good works, or itch after commendations, when you can truly love to be
unknown.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met and can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy, nor question God, while your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself and can humbly submit inwardly as well as outwardly, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart.

THAT IS DYING TO SELF

Are you dead yet? In these last days, the Spirit would bring us to the cross.

"That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship
of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death." Phil.3:10

A few months ago, I discovered I was pregnant. I was overjoyed, my husband not so much, but he got used to the idea. (men always thing $$$, women always think LOVE) However, things were going good, I was to see a specialist in a city about 3 hours away regarding a stitch placement. I was 11 weeks that friday afternoon as I walked with my husband and kids into the hospital. Only to discover my son had died at 8 weeks and 3 days. I was crushed. How could you not be. To know this wonderful, beautiful baby you had carried was no longer alive. His heart was no longer beating. I still have moments where I don't think my pain has eased at all, and others where I know he is truly with the BEST parent of all, my God! And isn't He an AWESOME God!!! Knowing that, does make it easier, but it's still hard. I share this story with you because there is ALWAYS a reason for everything, just as there is a season for everything. I believe my little Connor John was here for appointed time to help his Mommy die to herself. Die to MY flesh. This life that I have was NOT given to me for MY own. This life was given to me for my Father! So that He may live though ME. That I might serve HIM, in any way, shape or form that I can. And what a honor it has been! Discovering why you are truly here, is when you start dying to the flesh. And I believe when you are dead to the flesh, and we all make mistakes -- it can LIVE again, but when we are TRULY dead to the flesh is when we can stand with self-control. It definitely is NOT an easy thing, but just like anything, practice makes perfect, and try, try again!

May the Lord continue to bless you ALL!

In Christ,
Audie

'How Great Thou Art' Sung by Carrie Underwood