Never listen to your heart

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? ~Jeremiah 17:9

That's a very well known and often quoted verse by believers. I think it's a verse that all Christian women ought to remember.

Women in general, mostly young ladies, tend to often think with their heart. It also seems to be a worthy piece of advice, "do whatever you heart tells you to" or "listen to your heart". It irritates me when I hear these words!

The Bible says that the heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked.

Never listen to you heart. Always trust in the Lord your God.

Commit thy way unto the LORD; trust also in him; and he shall bring it to pass. ~Psalms 37:5

And here's what to do with you heart:

Trust in him at all times; ye people, pour out your heart before him: God is a refuge for us. Selah. ~Psalms 62:8

Now there's a worthy piece of advice from God's own Holy Word.

Love Like Flaming Steel

Love Like Flaming Steel

Condolences

My boss sent me the following, and I thought it worthwhile sharing.

Please join me in saying good-bye....

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend by the name ofCommon Sense who has been with us for many years.

No one knows for sure how old he was since his birth records were longago lost in bureaucratic red tape.

He will be remembered as having cultivated such valued lessons asknowing when to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets theworm and that life isn't always fair.

Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend morethan you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults, not kids, arein charge, and wants do not equal needs ). His health began to rapidlydeteriorate when well intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place.

The report of a six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment forkissing a classmate, a teen suspended from school for using mouthwashafter lunch, and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student,only worsened his condition. It declined even further when schools wererequired to get parental consent to administer aspirin to a student but couldnot inform the parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to havean abortion.

Finally, Common sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandmentsbecame contraband, churches became businesses and criminals receivedbetter treatment than their victims.

Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed to realizethat a steaming cup of coffee was hot, spilled it in her lap, and wasawarded a lot of money.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents, Truth and Trust; hiswife, Discretion; his daughter, Responsibility; and his son, Reason.

He is survived by two stepbrothers; My Rights and Ima Whiner.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone.

Wait For Me

Wait for me,
As I wait for you.
Faithfully, darling --
Let us be true.

Waiting... waiting...
For God to make it clear
Just exactly who you are,
And if you're far or near.

Waiting... waiting...
For months or for years?
I'll wait patiently
And bide my fears.

Are you waiting as I wait?
With pure heart and steady gait,
Will you take my hand and vows?
Are you waiting for me now?

This poem was written by yours truly at the age of fifteen. I found it last night while browsing through one of my old journals. It was very comforting to me. Why?

From a young age, I have always maintained a high standard of purity -- even to the extent of saving my first kiss. It is really hard to maintain a high standard of purity -- not the easy road to take -- but young ladies, I encourage you to take this road with me.

I'd like to be able to look my husband in the eye someday and say with a clear conscience, "I saved everything for you -- not just my virginity, but I saved everything, even my first kiss." Sounds a bit antiquated and maybe silly? A lot of people think so. And what if I never marry? Many young women use this argument: I'm attracted to this guy, so what's wrong if we kiss? I may not get married, so should I never ever kiss?? Young ladies, your first kiss, like your virginity, is a very precious gift. Once you give it, it's gone.

For those of us who won't marry, we can offer up that purity to Christ which we kept intact during our life. Your purity and innocence are so fragile and difficult to keep intact. In the end, it will be worth it, even just to hear "Well done, good and faithful servant."

So ladies, I encourage you to wait -- not for your Prince Charming -- but wait for the Lord.

"... Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her, that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish." (Ephesians 5:25b-27)

"Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart." (2 Timothy 2:22)

“'The LORD is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I hope in Him!' The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and keep silent, because God has laid it on him." (Lamentations 3:24-28)

What great Faith

Mar 5:25 And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, Mar 5:26 And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, Mar 5:27 When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. Mar 5:28 For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole.

Twelve years she lived with her sickness, but when she heard of Jesus "If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole" proves to me that even she understood the simplicity of trusting Christ. It was the Faith that she put in Jesus Christ that healed her.

Mar 5:29 And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

We do not know her name but the legacy she left behind is her great Faith in the Lord Jesus.

Mar 5:34 And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.

Foul language for women

I find it disgusting when women use foul language. I am not being a shovenist or anything but I think women who behave like men cursing and yelling out filthy words are not feminine at all.

"It's not a religion, it's a relationship."

This is what I told a girl at school a year ago. She was raised Methodist and was telling me (rather sarcastically) about the futility and traditions she was brought up in, how she thought the Bible was more like Aesop's Fables, etc. It pained my heart to hear about such a misrepresentation of my Lord.

Even as born-again believers, how often do we treat God like a religion, rather than a relationship? We go to church every Sunday, pray over our meals, occasionally read our Bibles to make our day better, maybe join a Wednesday night Bible study... we go through the motions. How often do we actually see that the Lord of heaven and earth loves us dearly and wants a very personal relationship with us? He wants to meet us at every step of our day... but do we sense Him there?

Several years ago, an older Christian friend of mine from China pointed out something that struck my heart to the core. We were discussing devotions and when we had them. She asked if I had a specific time I met the Lord each day.

"Well, no... sometimes in the morning (if I wake up early enough), or in the evening -- whenever I have the time."

"If the President of the United States asked to meet you at a specific time, would you tell him 'Whenever I have the time'?"

Ouch. Of course not. If the President wanted to meet me, of course I would set aside the time (even if I don't agree with him 100%). How much more should I honor the Creator of the universe?

So ladies... when do you meet the Lord each day?

Deep stuff or just scratching the surface

There is a general feeling that meetings for women should be set in a home-like atmosphere making it more cozy because women are more delicate or fancy. I realize it is natural for women to want to decorate their meeting rooms and bake a cake for fellowship time and I am not against being stylish. However sometimes we get carried away and the meetings end up being nothing more than just a tea party.

I personally prefer meetings that are more focused around prayer and bible study where the purpose is discussing personal issues in light of biblical standards, than just having a debate on issues that hardly scratch the surface. I believe that godly women are just as capable of handling deep stuff as godly men are.