A Lukewarm and Doubting Christian No More

I have struggled with doubt in my life.

As I was reading this morning's devotion by Charles Spurgeon, this sentence stood out to me:

"'Make every effort' if you would get assurance for lukewarmness and doubting very naturally go hand in hand" (Morning and Evening, Morning, July 26).

I doubt and therefore I am lukewarm. I am lukewarm and therefore I doubt. I shouldn't be lukewarm in my walk with Christ. Doubt serves as a sign for me, showing me that I am becoming lukewarm again. I don't want to be lukewarm. I don't want to doubt.

But how does one get away from being lukewarm? That is what had been running through my mind. At what point is a Christian no longer lukewarm? I think attentiveness toward God is important in overcoming lukewarmness. My attentiveness toward God should be all consuming; meaning: attentiveness not just in my quiet time, but all the time. Every second. Lukewarmness and doubt are only removed from my behavior and thinking when my eyes are fully fixed on Christ.

How is your walk with Christ? Are your eyes fixed on Him or are you a lukewarm and doubting Christian? Oh God, may I never doubt again! Help me, God, not to be a lukewarm or doubting Christian any more.

You Are Loved

8 weeks ago I started doing an online bible study which I just finished today.  A group of ladies together went through the book You Are Loved by Sally Clarkson and Angela Perritt.  This book was to show us how much God loves us and how we should love others.  This is the first time I have gone straight through a study without stopping.  Being in the Word of God every day is something I truly need.  It helps my attitude when I am doing it the first thing in the morning.

Three things through this study that God showed me were:

1.) I need to trust Him more.

2.) I need to do everything with love and in love.

3.) I pray that all I do may glorify Him!

Also God pointed out one specific person in my life that I need to be more loving to and I hope that my relationship with this person will grow deeper.  Please be praying for me as I show more love to her.  Now I have to go find a new book/study that I can do.  Any suggestions??

Excited

Excited.  Yes that's what I am feeling right at this very moment.  Last night I shared with my dad some very old stories and asked him to look at the content and tell me what his opinion was of them.  He shared with me his thoughts and said that for a person to get better at writing he or she should write every day.  He told me I should write on my blog every day.  Later that night I thought about what I would write.  That always seems to be the hardest part for me.  When I have finally found what I want to write about and it is something I truly care about I can get long winded just like my dad.  Oh well.  LOL.  Like father like daughter.  Hope you all don't mind.  I had a hard time sleeping last night because I was so excited to start writing again.  I only hope I can think of something to write about every day.  There may be days where my blog post has to do with something I've read in my Bible, in the newspaper, or maybe a song spoke to me or something stood out to me in a sermon or a movie, or maybe it might just be something that happened in my day working with children.  But whatever it is I hope I am able to "paint with words" like my dad says writers do.  I hope you enjoy reading my blog.

Content

The kids I work with I adore
Right now I could not ask for more
Their open loving hearts
Brightens my life every day
Each loving kiss and warm hug I tenderly embrace
Not a day no hour no minute goes by
That I don't thank God for putting these dear children in my life
Just shows me what I have to look forward to.
That hopefully my own child awaits one day.
If I love these children so much..
Just imagine how much more I will love one of my own.
That day cannot come soon enough.
On that day my heart will burst with everlasting happiness and abounding joy.
But for now I am content.

A Teachers Love for a Child and their Parent

My heart will not depart from loving you.

Though you are hateful and mean

And you yell and you scream

I will not leave

I will always be there to lend a helping hand to get you through

Though the days be dark and gray

Don't cry.

I'll be that ray.

That bright ray of sunlight

Of love shining through.

Holding onto the last bit of hope.

I'll never let go.

You will make it through

I promise you.

by:

Michelle Miano

The Boy and the Caterpillar- A Story on Trust

So my first story to share happened my first week at Tutor Time which was almost a month ago...

One morning my first time with 12 children all by myself I was told that my group would be going outside..  I gathered the children and took them outside..  All was fair and well when I heard a blood curdling scream.  I thought it was a girl screaming in terror when to my surprise when I turned around I found a boy running towards me.  And the screaming was coming from him.  I got down on my knees and he ran into my arms.

"What's the matter?" I asked him.

He was still crying and pointed to something on the concrete.

I looked and saw crawling on the ground a very long, fat, hairy caterpillar!!!  It's the biggest one I had ever seen.  I had to double check to make sure I saw it clearly.  It was about 5-6 inches long.

Seeing that it was only a caterpillar "I said it's okay.  You don't need to be afraid.  It's not going to hurt you  Did it startle you?"

He said "Yeah."

I asked him "Do you know what that is?"

Sobbing still he shook his head and said "No."

I said it was a caterpillar.  He gave me that inquisitive and perplexed look.  Curiosity had started to take over now and I now I had a teachable moment.

I asked him "Do you know what it will become?"

He again said "No."

"Well, one day it will become a butterfly."

"How?"

"Well one day this caterpillar will wrap himself up into a tiny cocoon which is like a shell and will go to sleep.  When it wakes up one day it will come out of there and will have wings and be a beautiful butterfly."

"Oh but why?"

In my head I want to say "that's the way God made it" but I felt I couldn't due to working at a secular school so I said "that's just the way it was made."

"Yes so there is nothing to worry about.  The caterpillar won't hurt you.  You can trust me."

He was still quite shaken so I held him and we watched the assistant scoop our caterpillar friend in a plastic cup and set him on the tree so the caterpillar could be off the concrete and not get hurt by the children riding around on the tricycles.

The other kids were now noticing what was happening and were asking more questions and the little boy was now telling them what I had told him.  The assistant also went over to the boy not knowing that I had had the discussion about what caterpillars turn into and asked him if he knew.  The boy looked at her and said "A butterfly" and then said "she told me" pointing to me.  She looked up at me and we both smiled. :)  

It was wonderful that this little boy had trusted me to get the comfort he wanted and the questions he needed answered even though I had only been there a day or so before.  Children learn to trust so easily.  It's a wonder why we don't trust God as much or as easily as a child trusts an adult.

Why is that?  Could it be that we think we know all the answers or we got it all figured out?  Could it be that we are afraid of God?  That we want to be in control?  Trusting God whom you never physically have seen takes faith.  It's one thing to believe in Him and it's another thing to trust Him as your one and only Savior- to place your faith in Him.  He is in control.  We must remember that.

I hope that when we are in the midst of the trial that we remember that we can run to Jesus and through prayer call on His name and remember He will help us through.  Oh may we all remember to trust God like a little child trusts us and trust Him with our whole heart.  Trials may come and go and life is not just a walk in the park but with Christ by our side and us trusting Christ we will be given the peace that surpasses all understanding.

And we can rest in that.  Knowing that Christ will take care of us for we are His children. :)

God has blessed me in so many ways...

I haven't posted in almost a year.  A lot has changed in my life...

God has blessed me in several ways:

1.) My job at Albertsons was great.  But now that time has ended.  After 7 years with the store I felt God calling me to move on....

2.) With a new job working in a preschool as a teacher with a group of 3 year olds.  It can be a handful working with a master teacher and 22 children in a small room when they are still learning to respect and obey me but some of the children are starting to get attached to me and me to them.  Those children know how to pull on my heart strings in just the right way. :)

3.) With a growing desire to work with orphans one day....  Just need to find a way to be able to do that here in Southern CA if I can..

4.) With a group of children (4-5 year olds) that I am able to teach Sunday School to each week and see them grow in the Lord and learn about the Bible and the people in the Bible.  That is amazing to watch. :)

As I see these little blessings every day I will try to write them down on here and share them with you.

I look forward to seeing what the Lord brings... :)