Rumilate?

"What does rumilate mean?" my daughter asked.
"You made it up. Didn't you?" I replied.
"yeah...," she admitted. "It means turn your brain into a chicken."
It made me think of the shows where there is some sort of mystical brain or personality transfer. I remember watching Looney Toons, and Fog Horn Leghorn and the hound dog had their personalities swapped. It was pretty funny stuff watching the dog talk like Fog Horn. He was talking non-stop and scared of the big chicken that he used to chase.

This morning I was reminded of two things: one was the power of Jesus to save us from our insanities, and the second was a reminder that we battle not against flesh and blood. I was saved from a lifestyle that was becoming more and more insane. Funny thing is that it was a set up or conspiracy from way back. From the time I was about 5 or 6 years old, I already had tendencies toward sin. I was conceived in iniquity. I only admit that fact to say that Satan will and tries to destroy us before we have a fighting chance. Think of Baby Moses or Baby Jesus and how they were supposed to be killed as infants. nevertheless, I grew worse until I had a real problem. Wow, think of the responsibility from a parent's perspective. It gives us guard your mind and your children's. We used to sing a song in sabbath school as children that went "watch your eyes what they hear, watch your ears what they hear." My bible study this morning reminded me of the demoniacs who were restored to their right mind by the Savior. I don't know if they made a conscious decision to be ruled by evil spirits, but I do know that sometimes we make decisions that cause us to forfeit our control an inch at a time until we no longer have any at all. Mind altering substances and subliminal messages are everywhere. A sip of this and a smoke of that aren't the only avenues to the soul. It seems that my mind had been "rumilated," and I forgot who I was. My brain was turned into a chicken. When I was fighting to change my life style that had been a priority in my life it seemed forever, I had to change what I listened to on the radio and watched on t.v.

Well, before you all start clucking, " Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 4:23)

Who's Your Daddy?

A friend of mine and I made up this inside joke where we would say, "Who's your daddy?" when we thought someone said something unbelievable or just outright untrue. Our little joke was based on the scripture " You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father's desire. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies." (John 8:44 NKJV emphasis added) Often part of the pain that we feel when our feelings are hurt is because we believe the lies.

For example, when we are rejected by a love interest, when we don't get the job, or when we don't make the grade, we analyze what we could have done differently. And rightfully so to a certain extent. Situations that possess more seriousness like when spouses or children are abused, children are victims of divorce, or a child is bullied or picked on, they also analyze and speculate what they think they did wrong. This is where the lies come in. I don't know if society secretly whispers subtle lies in cases where a father believes he's a failure because he doesn't make enough money, or when a woman blames herself for being assaulted because of something she wore, but they are still lies. These are difficult to disbelieve because there are so many others we encounter that perpetuate this short-sided nonsense. How can a person heal if the lies continually poison and kill their will to live?

Not too long ago, I visited www.emale.org. This is a men's ministry website that has a page- "Men's Toolbox" with a link titled "Nine Steps to Dealing With Pain." Here are the steps that relate to this topic: 1. Allow ourselves to feel full weight of pain. (For a man I find this especially difficult) 7. Reject the lies that I believed that came out of the pain. 8. Replace the lies with specific truth. Steps seven and eight are inseparable. If you recognize the lie, you have to replace it with the truth. If you don't, well, have you ever met someone who's rejected everything? They are on a road with even more pain. They don't believe in an absolute truth. Have you ever heard the sentiment if it's true for you, then it's true. There has got to be some laws and absolutes or things get chaotic. John 17:17 says that, "...Your [God's] word is truth." So if we recognize (the lie is usually the one of the sources of the pain) and throw out the lies that we aren't good enough, that we caused our own pain, or that we deserved the abuse, then what truths can we replace those lies with?

You can think of this step as finding your daddy. Let go of the lies, because that devil isn't your daddy. The truth is that we have value. For God so loved us, that He gave His only Son. (John 3:16) In Romans 5:5, TLB it says, "Then, when that happens, we are able to hold our heads high no matter what happens and know that all is well, for we know how dearly God loves us, and we feel this warm love everywhere within us because God has given us the Holy Spirit to fill our hearts with His love." Recently, I watched the movie "Daddy's Little Girls." When all seems lost, the protagonist fights, legally and physically, for his daughters. The plot is fairly simple and predictable, but I still found myself routing for the daddy. Fists clenched, feigning punches at the screen, and routing for all those in pain, I'm hoping the hurting find the truth, and break free from the lies. Who's your daddy?

Spanking in the Sanctuary

This weekend, I reluctantly went to church. I figured it would be good for the kids. After the kids go to sabbath school, I'm out;however, I left the house to late to make it. Then I thought it's too much work trying to pacify 4 small children through a long church service, but I had to take my tithe. I don't like to play with God like that. The whole cursed with a curse thing isn't something I want to deal with. So I went to church, but I was so angry, I was thinking I should have just stayed home. Arriving at church, I noticed my sister's van in the parking lot. Just my luck she visits from time to time, so I'd have help with the kids bathroom breaks and restlessness. Still thinking I could drop off my tithe and get out, but once I got in, my helpful niece took one of my daughters across the sanctuary. Seeing that I'm in for the duration of service, I decide to zone out. I've been perfecting the zone out since I was a child at church, but the Holy Spirit wouldn't let me space off. God was speaking directly to me in the sermon, and maybe He had a message for everyone else, too. But "For God so loved Me that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Anyway I got the message, I didn't like it, but I got it. And well, I needed it. Hebrews 12:5,6 "And you have forgotten the exhortation which speaks to you as to sons: ' My son, do not despise the chastening of the LORD, Nor be discouraged when you are rebuked by Him; 6 For whom the LORD loves He chastens, And scourges every son whom He receives.

What do you think of this?

I don't know the readership of this blog, but if you are getting some inspiration or blessing from this blog and you would like to contribute to this blog. I'm interested in taking this blog in a new direction. Right now, it's just me, me , me , me. I wouldn't want you to think I'm narcisistic. So I'm looking for feedback. Do you subscribe to this blog? Do you like this blog? Why or why not? Is there any thing you'd like to see added or taken away? Would you like to be a guest writer? Anyway, let me know what you think.

space cadet

I was picking up my children from daycare/school. I know it's sounds strange to me too. My children are all preschool age. One of them isn't even two years old, and he needs school supplies. However, I digress. I picked up the little one first, because he's at a different preschool. Then as I was driving to the other preschool, I was at a stop light thinking about... I don't know what I was thinking. I'm in the turning lane on a familiar street at a familiar intersection. The arrow turns green. I begin to make a left. I realize that I'm turning into another left turn lane on the crossing street. If you aren't getting a mental picture, this would be oncoming traffic, if it were moving or a car would have been in that lane. No panic, and I quickly turn into a gas station to get my mind right. I thank God for preventing what could have happened. Psalms 91:10-11, NIV. "For He will command His angels concerning you to guard you in all your ways; they will lift you up in their hands, so that you will not strike your foot against a stone." Thank you, Jesus.