I love watching the Dugger Family on TLC.  They are such a wonderful family.  A lot of children, but they seem to have it all together.  I found their family rules which I thought their rules we not threatening like most house rules.  They have such a wonderful life in Jesus, such an inspiration.  I thought that I would implement these rules in my family!

1. Always use soft words, even when you don’t feel well.
2. Always display kind actions and joyful attitudes, even if you have been mistreated. Have the right response by quickly forgiving others in your heart even before they ask.
3. Always be enthusiastic and look for opportunities to praise others' character.
4. Always deflect praise and be grateful to God and others for the ways they have benefited your life.
5. Always use manners and be respectful of others and their belongings.
6. Always do what is right, even when others may not, or when no one is looking.
7. Thank God for how He made you, for what He has given you and everything He allows you to go through. (Romans 8:28)
8. Don’t mock or put others down. Develop compassion and pray for others.
9. Never argue, complain, or blame. Quickly admit when you have done wrong and ask for forgiveness (even if you were only 10% at fault). Don't wait till you’re caught. Be sure your sins will find you out. He who covers his sin will not prosper, but he that confesses and forsakes it shall find mercy.
10. Have a tough accountability/prayer partner to daily share your heart with and to keep you in line (your parents, spouse). The power of sin is in secrecy.
11. Be attentive and look for ways to serve others with sincere motives and no thought of self-gain.
12. Think pure thoughts (Philippians 4:8, Romans 13:14).
13. Always give a good report of others. Don't gossip! Never tale-bear unless physical harm will come to someone. (Use Matthew 18.)
14. Never raise a hand to hit.
15. Never raise a foot to kick.
16. Never raise an object to throw.
17. Never raise a voice to yell.
18. Never raise an eye to scowl.
19. Use one toy/activity at a time. Share!
20. Do your best to keep your surroundings neat, clean and organized.
21. Never let the sun go down on your wrath. (Don’t go to bed angry or guilty)
22. Amendment J.O.Y. -
           Put Jesus first, Others second, Yourself last.

For who is God, but the LORD? And who is a rock, except our God? - the God who equipped me with strength and made my way blameless. He made my feet like the feet of a deer and set me secure on the heights. He trains my hands for war, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze. You have given me the shield of your salvation, and your right hand supported me, and your gentleness made me great. You gave a wide place for my steps under me, and my feet did not slip. - Psalm 18:31-36

The goodness of God is stamped all over Scripture. Psalm 27:13 says, "I would have despaired unless I had believed that I would see the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living" (NASB). I love David's honesty. Here was the only man called "a man after [God's] own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14), anointed by Samuel to be king of Israel, a giant-slayer, but no stranger to suffering, saying, "I would have lost it; I would have melted down if I had not believed..."

Despair is a place that you don't want anyone to go. People who go there often don't come back. Despair is an utterly dark place. You're deep down, down, down, in a damp, dark cave. No light. No air. No hope. Nobody wants to go to despair.

The dictionary defines despair as "destitute of positive expectations." If you're in despair, you can't see anything good in your future.

You have no idea how life could improve.

You have no words to pray.

You can't return to a better time because there isn't one. The place is gone.

You can't remove the circumstances because the opportunity is gone.

You can't retrieve any level of relationship because the person is gone.

You can't do it over because the time has passed.

If you focus on the dark and the deep and the damp, you're going into despair.

Warning!

Picture a blinking, neon warning light here. If you find yourself dwelling on some painful or difficult thing that happened to you in the past to the point that it's the only thing you can think about—please, stop! You're headed straight for despair. Second Corinthians 10:5 says that we are to "take every thought captive to obey Christ." You can choose where you allow your thoughts to go. David did.

David knew the damp, dark desperation of the land of despair. The enemy called out to him, Come over here, David. Go to the bottom. Give it up. David said, "I heard a voice tempting me to go to despair." He felt its breath hot on his neck, chasing his hope away. The enemy wants nothing more than to destroy the faithful follower of Christ. You'll hear that voice too. Learn to recognize it and turn around.

Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us . . . Hebrews 12:1

My son Luke and I were on the computer a while back when I asked for his password. He answered, "It's 'Keep on.'" I told him that was a great password and he said, "Oh Dad, that's my password for everything."

Keep on. Keep on. Keep on.

For sure he'll change his password now, but I hope he'll never change his perspective. These two words are critical to success in life and in the Christian life. The biblical word is endurance or perseverance--the ability to keep on doing the things you have committed yourself to doing when you feel like it and when you don't. Nothing is more essential to success in the Christian life than perseverance. Faith gets you started; perseverance keeps you going.

This matter of perseverance is so critical to the Christian life that James 1 tells us that above all other human traits, perseverance is the characteristic that God is trying to build into your life and mine. The ability to keep on going. Keep making and keeping the commitments of life.

It's easy to start the race. All kinds of people get up in the morning and put their jogging suit on and begin to run. But when the miles click past and the muscles start to fatigue and life isn't easy anymore, what do they do? What do you do?

It's easy to put on a white dress or a tuxedo and get to the front of the church; everybody knows that. But to have a happening marriage--not for five--but for 15 or 40 years, that takes perseverance!

It's easy to conceive a child and, by comparison, it's easy to birth a child, but to keep on training and raising those kids day in and day out, following through on what you have said and taught--that takes commitment!

Might I say in addition to that, it's easy to pray a prayer and walk an aisle; it's easy to confess faith in Christ. But to keep on following Christ--even when the pressure is on--that takes staying power. "My brothers, consider it pure joy when you fall into various trials knowing that the trying of your faith produces perseverance."

Staying power! Did you know that if God could get that one thing into your life, He could give you everything else? James 1 goes on to say, "But let perseverance have its perfect work that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing" (v.4).

This week we stand on the hinge between two years--2008 and 2009. How will these two years mark your life? Look back on 2008 for a moment. If your year was like mine, you can see some pretty significant peaks and valleys. Praise God for them. Praise God that at this year's end, you can stand before Him in faith and humility and say, "No matter what is behind me, I finish this year strong in Christ." Like Paul in Philippians 3:13-14 "but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus" I press on--that's perseverance.

Now look ahead to 2009. You don't know what the year will bring, but you can be sure of this, God is faithful. His mercies will be new every morning of every day of the new year. There's power in the day when you start it with faith in God and a commitment to perseverance.

Keep on--it's a great password for 2009.

"When you lie down, you will not be afraid; yes, you will lie down and your sleep will be sweet."
Proverbs 3:24

We've all heard the phrase "crippling emotions." The truth is, emotions can shackle a person from moving forward in her life, especially fearful emotions.

How much fear have you allowed to build up in you over the yearsperhaps a fear of failure or a fear of rejection? To what degree is fear holding you back from taking the risks to learn . . . to try . . . to do . . . to speak up . . . to step out . . . to move forward?

A woman who truly walks in freedom toward the fulfillment of her dreams and goals is a woman who has discovered a way of overcoming fears with faith.

Sheila Walsh has written this about fear: "Fear is a ravenous beast that can eat away at our faith and paralyze us until we are unable to move."

How did you find yourself able to "move" again?

Faith is the true opposite of fear. The Bible states repeatedly that trusting in the Lordbelieving that the Lord will impart His presence and helpis the sure-fire way to overcome fear and experience courage.

Now take a look at each fear on your list and ask: "What would God like me to do about this fear?" Write down your response next tot the fear you have listed.

Why do you think we fear failure so much?

The Bible tells the story of a woman who decided she had had enough of her illness and went to Jesus for healing. She no doubt had fears about what she was planning to do. She had experienced "a flow of blood" for twelve years, very likely a form of endometriosis or some other disorder in her uterus that caused nonstop menstruation or hemorrhage. She was very likely physically weak. She was also desperate. She had spent all the resources she had trying to find a cure. The Bible says she had been to many physicians and had "suffered" at their hands and was not better, but rather, she grew worse. Then she heard about Jesus. Somewhere inside her a flicker of faith was fanned into flame and she said to herself, if only I may touch His clothes, I shall be made well." She boldly maneuvered her way through a crowd of people and reached out to touch the hem of Jesus' garment. The Bible says that the flow of blood "dried up" immediately (see Mark 5:25-34).

Have you ever been so desperate in your circumstances that you knew you had to take action, no matter the consequences to your reputation, your pride, or your social standing? What happened as a result of your desperation?

This woman who was hemorrhaging had more than a physical ailment. She also suffered from rejection and, very likely, loneliness. Her condition made her "unclean" in her community at that time, which meant she was required to refrain from mingling with crowds of people or participating in religious ceremonies. For twelve years, she had been isolated from many of her neighbors and friends, and she was prohibited from taking part in many family celebrations. After she touched the hem of Jesus' garment, Jesus turned and asked, "Who touched My clothes?" The woman, "fearing and trembling," fell down at Jesus' feet and told Him the whole truth. He said to her, "Daughter, your faith has made you well. Go in peace, and be healed of your affliction" (see Mark 5:30-34).

Why would a person be reluctant to admit the whole truth to anybody about her fears . . . perhaps even refusing to admit the whole truth to herself?

What freedom is gained when you confront your fears?

Digging Deeper

In what ways does the pursuit of your dreams and purpose involve overcoming fear with faith? How might you "grow in faith" and in your ability to trust God in all things and for all things?

Ponder & Pray

In what ways do you feel challenged to ask God to help you trust Him more about a specific situation you are facing today?

2008 is coming to an end in a few days!  What does 2009 hold for you, your family, and friends?  I've thought about this for a good 2 weeks now, wondering what type of goals I am going to set for this new year.

I really do want to work at my goals.  The Lord has been pressing on me to quit smoking, to read the bible, pray more, spend some quality time with my kids, be still and quiet, work out, etc. 

So I am going to work hard at these resolutions, I know I will fail at more than one, but I know God will pick me up to.

There is nothing that God can't do in my life, to improve me, to shape me.  God is good. 

40 Days Living the Jesus Creed

Scot McKnight

Our church, Orchard Hill, has decided to do a church study on the book called 40 Days Living the Jesus Creed.  I looked at it yesterday, and it is a book with 2 pages per day to read, about how to live according to the Creed Jesus said

Mark 12:29-31 (New International Version)

It's our oldest, Tristan's, Birthday!  Happy Birthday!  He is 7 years old.  I cannot believe on how fast they do grow!

2008 Clover Kids 008