Living Above Reproach

I've really done some personal soul-searching in the light of the supreme court hearings of the last few weeks. I’ve thanked God, innocent or not, that no one has ever pulled something from my past and accused me of something I did. If anything good can come out of all this, perhaps it’s to awaken us to be certain we are living a “clean” life because simply being at the wrong place at the wrong time can have serious consequences. As the saga continues on with the hearings, I've reflected on the questionable “act” and the importance of living our lives above reproach.

I was reminded of the “tawdry” story of Joseph in Genesis 37:1-36 and Genesis 39 to 41:57. You must read it for yourself. It’s a story of false accusations that turned into redemption. Here is a quick overview: Joseph’s brothers sold him to a caravan of traders who in turn sold Joseph to Potiphar, an officer of Pharaoh in Egypt. Potiphar saw the Lord was with Joseph, and “that the Lord caused all that he did to prosper in his hands. So Joseph found favor in his sight and Potiphar left all that he had in Joseph’s charge." Wow! That is favor!

But, that’s when the plot thickens. Joseph was “handsome” and after a time, Potiphar’s wife began to "sexually harass" him as she asked him “to lie with her.” Joseph’s refusal of her advances was honorable. He reminded her of the trust that Potiphar had placed in him and described her intentions as “wickedness” and "sin". Joseph continued to resist her, but eventually, after being physically assaulted by her and his cloak stripped from him, he made the choice to flee. After his escape and arrest on false charges, Joseph seemed to have had no legal recourse.

Unfortunately, Joseph’s godliness didn’t rescue him from false accusation and imprisonment. Our godliness and good character is no guarantee that we will escape unscathed. But if we read on to the end of Joseph’s story, we see the favor of God on his life and how his redemption unfolded when he was promoted to Governor of Egypt and became the “savior” to his family and nation.

The story of Joseph is a story of hope that by God’s grace, good may eventually prevail in the situation. Joseph also provides a model for us, that even when we are falsely accused and wrongly treated, we carry on, living above approach, allowing God to make it right in the end.

I remarked to my daughter how important it is that we instruct our children and young people (and even the rest of us) to be careful who we hang out with and where we hang out; to be wise in our activities; to be above reproach in our decision making and being sure that we are in the right places at the right times. Only God and the individuals know the total truth in the Kavanaugh hearings. And, only God and you and I know about the mistakes we have made in our lives. Living our lives with the WWJD perspective: “What would Jesus do?” would most certainly help steer us in the right direction of living above reproach.

I heard this question asked: “If you were accused of being a Christian, would there be enough evidence to convict you?" Never has it been clearer, that character should be the highest priority for being trustworthy and credible to our children, our peers, our neighbors, our constituents, but most of all….to God. He has a front row seat in our lives. Our actions DO speak louder than words. It makes Dad so proud of His kids when He sees them “doing the right thing when no one is looking."

Psalm 119:9 "How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your Word."

Good or Bad Name?

When we hear someone's name, quite often their character and integrity accompanies our thoughts about them. "Phil is such a kind man." "Kim is so generous." "I wouldn't trust Sam for that position."

King Solomon said, "A good name is more desirable than great riches....." Proverbs 22:1, and he also said, "A good name is better than fine perfume.” Ecclesiastes 7:1.

In the ancient world, they would often use very rare oils and sweet-smelling perfumes for special occasions. King Solomon wanted us to understand that even as expensive as those precious ointments were, their value and all the riches in the world, didn't compare to a good name.

Our good name stays with us wherever we go and in every setting of life. It will last past our lifetime. What do people think when they hear your name? Do they think about your integrity, your honesty, your heart of giving and serving?

I'm certain that the more we live in the mindset of WWJD "What Would Jesus Do?", the more His character will be seen in us....and our GOOD NAME will go before us, opening doors of blessings and friendships beyond what we can imagine!

We can't take the riches with us when we leave this world......but we sure can take our good name! I'm counting on that!

Everybody Deserves Somebody

Day 261 of Photo Inspirations -- Everybody Deserves Somebody
I have the solution for relationships that last, whether it be a marriage, partnership, or friendship.  It's also the solution for raising kids, caring for elderly parents, maintaining healthy appreciation and cooperation in dealing with extended family.

There are so many opportunities for conflict and disputes in whatever relationship we may have. But....if this one criteria is met, I can guarantee success.  It is being CENTER-FOCUSED on the PEACEMAKER.  He who speaks "PEACE BE STILL" and He who is the epitome of unconditional love --- is the ONE who, if placed at the core of every relationship we are in, we will be operating in HIS LOVE and will have appreciation for each one in our lives -- regardless how sweet OR not so sweet they may be.  How can that be?  God IS LOVE and when He is invited into the equation of our friendships and relationships, then His love will be in us and going through us to others.  

This kind of love is only possible, when we fix our eyes and hearts on the ONE who loves us unconditionally even though we fail Him and disappoint Him. He gives us forgiveness over and over. He overlooks our faults and He lavishes His grace upon us when we sure don't deserve it.  If we follow His lead and always consider WWJD "What Would Jesus Do?", then we'll become more and more like Him.  

This first photo inspiration came from the Amish Restaurant that we went to yesterday.  It absolutely described me. "Everybody deserves somebody who makes them LOOK forward to tomorrow."  I had been looking forward to this day for days.  So, of course our day, yesterday, prompted this post.

My two walking buddies, and I, took a road trip to celebrate Nancy Crow​'s birthday.  We planned this day for weeks.  There's nothing like "girl time" when we can be silly (especially with a selfie stick), talk about lots of things, go shopping, and eat lots of yummy food.  But, here's the glue that has bonded us together.  We each love God with all our hearts.  Most of our conversations are about the goodness of God, and if one of us veers off into any worry or concern, we tenderly rein each other back in with encouraging each other from promises in God's Word.  We love to celebrate, appreciate and inspire each other.  For a fact, I know that girl friends make us healthier, happier, less stressed, and I know we'll live longer because of each other.  Seriously, we ALL need friends.

These two gals inspire me so much.  In fact, many of my FB posts and blogs come from something they said in a casual moment.  These women make me stronger. I see them caring for others and in spite of some "stuff" in their own lives that are not perfect, their inner strength that comes from their relationship with God, causes them to rise and shine daily.

If today, you are lonely or tired of going it alone through life, go out and BE a friend.  Show yourself friendly.  Be an encourager.  Brighten someone's life with generosity.  Pray for a friend.  Pray God gives you true friendships -- and make sure that THE FRIEND who sticks closer than any brother is RIGHT in the middle of those relationships.

Have You Made a Pledge for Purity?

Day 57 of Photo Inspirations -- Have You Made a Pledge for Purity?
Yesterday, out of the blue, I started looking at old Staci Michaels Ministries  "Above & Beyond" newsletters that we sent out monthly, 20 years ago in 1995.  I was reminded about the Pledge for Purity Program that she created and taught back then -- and led many young people to living a life of purity -- not just sexually, but in a lifestyle commitment of character, integrity, prayer life, devotion and pure relationships before God.  Recalling how passionate she was, I was reminded of how our culture has continued to lower its standards over the years, even to the point that living a life of purity "is just weird -- just not normal".  To say that "it doesn't matter", is saying "my marriage, my friendships and my relationship with God doesn't matter either".  Staci was teaching the Pledge for Purity Program before she and Larry met and they proved it was possible to live a life of purity.  In fact, they never kissed until their wedding day, and their beautiful marriage, today, continues to be a role model for others. They are leading by example.  They are STILL out their Pledge for Purity And, it really is proof of the scripture that she based the title of her newsletter from "And God will do exceeding abundantly ABOVE AND BEYOND, all you can ask or think, according to the power that works within you". Ephesians 3:20

As an absolute nudge from God to post this today, AFTER I had her newsletters laid out on my desk, a neighbor called.  She said, "I didn't realize you were Staci Michaels' Mom, until I saw your post about her being Mrs. North Carolina."  She went on to tell me about coming to Staci's Bible Study and bringing her niece with her. Her niece went through, and graduated from, the Pledge for Purity Program. And her niece kept that pledge in her heart until she later married. That conversation led me to go check out her niece's FB page.  When I did, I saw who her "besties" are, still today -- other graduates from the Pledge for Purity Program.

In a world of lowering standards to accommodate the "new way of thinking", it is such a joy to see how blessed we are when we realize how much God wants to use us and flow through us, and the most effective way to do that is to remember to strive to live a life of purity -- in every area of our lives.  "The Purer the Vessel the Greater the Flow". That's a line that Staci coined and I still pray that I am that vessel.  He wants to pour Himself through us and as we strive to live a life of purity in word, thought and deed.....the more He'll be able to do just that!  And, a final word....if your vessel is a little clogged with "stuff" -- it's okay. We can start fresh and new today.  God promises He'll make ALL THINGS NEW.  So why not YOU?  Why not TODAY?
#PledgeForPurity #AboveAndBeyond

How Salty Are You?

Today, Tuesday, our missions team will be attending schools, feeding meals, seeing precious children who once lived in a trash dump, now with hope for their future because of loving and caring people who "salted" their world.

How "salty" are you? Salt has three qualities: it creates thirst. What if we lived our lives in a way that we made people thirsty for what we have.

It adds flavor – we are not called to be boring, do-nothings. We are called to be full of life…..with faith and excitement for what each day holds for us.

And, salt works as a preservative against decay. What if our lives were so on purpose and lived by the “WWJD -- What Would Jesus Do?” philosophy, influencing others with our optimism, clean living, and great attitudes that they would choose to live like that also?

And, lastly, for salt to be accomplishing all of these things, it must come out of the shaker or box – it does nothing unless it is commingled with the dish it is to season.
Let’s get out of our shakers and quench the thirst, be flavorful and provide ourselves as a preservative in our world. "You are the salt of the earth....." Matthew 5:13

Character is Doing the Right Thing -- When No One is Looking

Character is doing the RIGHT THING – when no one is looking. You know – putting the grocery cart in the stall instead of just leaving it in a parking space, or putting the lettuce back in the produce department instead of conveniently slipping it in the laundry detergent department. Our logic says “After all, those store clerks are paid to put stuff back where it belongs”. Or, how about the extra change that we received from the cashier and telling her she overpaid you? Or, how about the items in our grocery cart that we weren’t charged for, and taking the time to go back into the store to pay for them?

What are the life rules that we play by? The ones that are just obvious because “they’re the rules”, or, though inconvenienced, the ones that are simply just the right thing to do? I think about our kids and grandkids that watch our every move and, quite frankly, they pay more attention to what we do rather than what we say. When we, on purpose, are people of honor, integrity, character, sportsmanship, appreciation, and courtesy, we are demonstrating the lessons of life, and quite frankly, rules won’t even be necessary. As I’m typing this, I’m thinking about a Sunday School song that I sang as a kid. If we lived our lives with these words, and with the "What Would Jesus Do?" (WWJD) state of mind and state of actions……we would be known by others, and God, as men and women of great character.

O be careful little eyes what you see
There's a Father up above, and He's looking down in love
So, be careful little eyes what you see

And, replace the first line above with these:

O be careful little ears what you hear.......
O be careful little hands what you do.......
O be careful little feet where you go........
O be careful little mouth what you say....