2 posts from February 2009

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.