Category: Whispers (Page 40 of 164)

Hope you had a wonderful weekend! Today has finally come when we can go out with good friends for a very belated birthday. We tried numerous times but had to postpone because of sickness or our friend’s doctor appointments. So today is extra special after the long wait!  

“Madeline Manning-Jackson Mims’ 16-year international track and field career included being a member of four U.S. Olympic Teams as well as several National Teams. Diagnosed with spinal meningitis at age three, she wasn’t expected to survive; but her illness helped to shape her life. She pushed beyond it to become a sports champion. Mims attributes her strength to a praying mother who — in the face of doctors’ dire predictions — gave Mims to the Lord, vowing to raise her in His ways.

At the 1968 Games in Mexico, Mims became the first American woman to win a gold medal in the 800 meters, setting an Olympic and world record that she held for fifteen years. In the 1972 Games in Germany, she won a silver medal as a member of the 4×400 meter relay team.

She won a gold medal at the 1967 Pan American Games in Canada — the first American woman to break two minutes in the 800 meters. She also made the U.S. Olympics team in 1976 in Montreal and in 1980 in Moscow, but did not participate because of boycotts. At the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Mims was honored as an Olympic Legend.

Mims has never put her faith on the back shelf. She is the founder and president of the U.S. Council for Sports Chaplaincy, serving as chaplain at five Olympic Games. She is one of three chaplains for the Tulsa Shock professional women’s basketball team. She and her family minister through Sports and the Arts ministry. She’s also an author, international speaker, and contemporary Gospel recording artist.

But if we happen to be wealthy in the eyes of the world, we are not to be prideful and look down on others or put our hope in riches. We are also to be dependent on the Lord and thankful for his provision, which He gave us the power to make in the first place. We are to use our wealth to do good works and honor God by being a faithful steward. We can lose our riches quickly and our security is not in riches but to be in the Lord. Some people who have very little to just get by month by month, have peace as they trust God for everything. Others who have so much may lose sleep as they are afraid of losing their wealth.

Sharing with others brings great joy, whether we have little to share or much we could share. It is the attitude of our heart and if we feel rich in the Lord, we will always have something to share, even if it is simply a word of encouragement.

 When you think of our culture today, many who others admire are not people who line up with the Lord but are focused on self and violate God’s commands. Yet we may follow them online or buy things with their logo and sing their songs that oppose God’s Word. That should not be. Just think recently of the Olympics and the depiction that was made of the Lord’s supper that makes a mockery of Jesus’ last night with His disciples. We are to hate such actions that are evil and stand for what is good.

It takes courage today to stand up for what is right, even when those around us are applauding those who do evil and get ahead by unrighteous means. In the Message translation verse 10 says, “God loves all who hate evil. And those who love Him He keeps safe, snatches them from the grip of the wicked.” When we go along with the culture in supporting evil things, our first desire is not to please God. But when we choose to love what God loves it says in verse 11, “Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people, Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.”  If we stand for what is right, and don’t bow down to evil, our souls will feel light and full of joy for we please the Lord. Let us not compromise but hate evil and love good.

Sadly, there are delinquent parents who are shirking their responsibilities and giving their children up to our culture that does not want their best but is boldly leading them astray. Right after reading scripture, I read an article by Alicia Searl on Crosswalk.com who writes about how Satan is after our kids and confusing them about love, sex, their identities etc. and we need to fight back. In our Bible study group, many are grandparents and see the confusion in their grandkids hearts and praying much for them to see the truth. We need to fight back in prayer and use every opportunity to speak into their lives.

Alicia shared areas the enemy uses to bring confusion to the young people. First of all, he tries to confuse them in their identity and uses social medial, books, movies to deceive them. But Psalm 13:13-14 speaks about how wondrously we are made from our mother’s womb and God doesn’t make mistakes. The enemy also attacks our children’s innocence and rather than honoring their bodies, he raises up questions about their gender, sex outside of God’s plan of marriage etc. It seems like much of society pays no attention to God’s rules and children see these examples. Satan also attacks God’s purpose for them, and they become complacent and passive. Their faith is attacked, and their minds and hearts get swayed toward selfish wants instead of going God’s way. Their friends can either lead them away from the Lord or encourage them in the Lord’s ways, so it is important who they have for friends. With one of our kids was a teenager, we had to limit activity with a friend as they came home like a different person, and not in a good way.

Whether we have young children or older grandkids, we need to fight for them by praying daily and diligently for them. They are accosted with so much evil every day that is far from what the Lord wants for them, and they need grace to stand against what the enemy is sending. Let us not be negligent but diligent in prayer.

How different it is when we have an unoffended heart, and it seems like we can skip along with joy and a lightness.  I recently saw some footage of deer in the mountains and watched as they jumped straight up to the next height without any problem. It was so cool and so effortless, and they frolicked with one another. All the while they were climbing higher and higher on the rocks but with strength and agility and joy.

All of us have some tough mountains to climb but we can choose to have the right attitude and outlook. Our part is to ask the Lord to show us what needs to change in us to become more Christlike. We have to give up our offensive attitudes with the desire to retaliate and let the Lord give us a heart like His. As the Lord says in Ezekiel 37:26-27, “I will give you a new heart and a new spirit within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.” Let us die to the pride of our stoney heart and let Him give us a new heart of flesh. Then let us leap to the higher ground with joy and never stop and quit