How Do You Think?

"You and your husband are both strong willed people. Why wouldn't your children be strong willed?" my acquaintance asks.
"Well, I just wish they were strong willed in the right way," I say with a sigh.

Psalms 109:1-2 Hold not thy peace, O God of my praise; 2) For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of deceit have they opened against me: They have spoken unto me with a lying tongue.

The experts say that in this last year information has increased by 150 percent.

What is your first reaction to that statement? My first reaction was, 'Whoa! That's, a lot of information'. My second reaction was, 'What kind of information and how do you measure information, and whose information, and...'

If we see it in print do we tend to just accept it as truth? Or if we hear it often enough does it become 'truth' to us?

"All kids are going to rebel."

I've heard that often enough, but we all know it isn't true. Just because my daughter may choose to wash her bathroom floor first in her order of cleaning, and I put dishes in the washer first...that's not rebellion.

Jeremiah 35:6 But they said, We will drink no wine; for Jonadab the son of Rechab, our father, commanded us, saying, Ye shall drink no wine, neither ye, nor your sons, for ever:

It's when there is a principal involved that it becomes difficult. I assume that Jonadab the son of Rechab was not still alive, yet they kept his commandment. I would, if I were a wagering person, wager that their were no practicing alcoholics in their lot. They avoided the problem.

Psalm 106:1 Praise ye Jehovah. Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good; For his lovingkindness endureth forever.

Isaiah 13:13 Therefore I will make the heavens to tremble, and the earth shall be shaken out of its place, in the wrath of Jehovah of hosts, and in the day of his fierce anger.

"I just don't know, Mom. One person says one thing and then another person tells me something exactly opposite. I just don't know where the truth lies."

"Well, my son, the truth usually lies somewhere in between," I tell him.

There are folks that say "God is a God of love, and therefore He won't send any one to hell." Then we have folks that tell us "God is a vengeful God and we must 'toe the line'."

1John 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.

Isaiah 59:1-2 Behold, Jehovah's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear: 2) but your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, so that he will not hear.

Honest people know that they aren't perfect. They know that they do fall short. If we have fulfilled the scriptural commands and are 'walking in the light', then we are covered. 1John 1:7 but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus his Son cleanseth us from all sin.

Reality check. We need daily reality checks. When I move my page down with the cursor, I am sometimes irritated to find I reach a certain point and --boing!--the entire page zips back to the beginning...because when I was moving the page with the cursor (along the side) I wasn't paying enough attention and (with my mouse) I strayed off of the doodad button. Spang! It goes to the top--when I'm trying to get down the page.

It is annoying in the computer sense, but many of the parables tell us 'those who think they are all right...need to be humble enough to continue to check'.

The parable of the ten virgins: Matthew 25:1-2 Then shall the kingdom of heaven be likened unto ten virgins, who took their lamps, and went forth to meet the bridegroom. 2) And five of them were foolish, and five were wise.

Or the parable of the fishing net: Matthew 13:47 Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a net, that was cast into the sea, and gathered of every kind:

Exodus 15:26 and he said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his eyes, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of the diseases upon thee, which I have put upon the Egyptians: for I am Jehovah that healeth thee.

The principals of Godly living will keep us healthy in the physical as well as spiritual sense. Am I saying that a child of God will never get sick? Never? No, I am saying that you will be healthier in body and mind physically than if you were not keeping the principals. We also know that only through Jesus can we be healed spiritually.

It is interesting to note, I read of a study a few years ago, that stated when they compared the religion of ? Christian Scientist? (the people who don't use doctors--at all) to 'normal' people in society--the religious folks were actually healthier. This of course, occurred after someone of that faith had died (of appendicitis, I believe). Although, I'm not espousing their religious beliefs--maybe it's the physicians?

God doesn't 'send' any one to hell, it is a choice. If one (any one) of my sons had paid the price for the sins of the world, I think it would give me the right to set the standards. If he had paid the price would I think it was okay for that sacrifice to be treated lightly and with disdain?

Hebrews 2:1-3 Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. 2) For if the word spoken by angels was steadfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompense of reward; 3) How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him;

Hallelujah! What a savior!