24 July 2014 “I Don’t Want Any Part of That”
Matthew 16:23
“Get away from me, Satan! You are a dangerous trap for me. You are seeing things merely from a human point of view, not from God’s.”

Jesus is speaking to Peter when he said this. It sounds harsh, but he’s simply pointing out to Peter that God’s will is the most important thing, and anyone who doesn’t pursue that is no different than the Enemy.

When I use my human perspective, that is contrary to Scripture, I become an ambassador of Satan too.

“You are seeing things merely from a human point of view...” Ideas and thoughts that do not compare correctly to God’s Word is what the Enemy uses. And this kind of thinking is harmful to myself and to others.

For example, parents who use the world’s view to advise their children about their future are setting a trap for their kids and being a tool for the Enemy whether they intend to or not. It’s important to remember that the American Dream is based on human understanding of what people should aspire to be. Having the most and making the most are guidelines man has set up. In God’s economy, we live contently with what we have, and we share what we have. God doesn’t require that we indebted ourselves in order to have what the modern world says we should have. There’s nothing wrong with wealth, but there’s also nothing wrong with contentment. Some people really have it backwards when they think they’ll be content after they attain a certain amount. But how ‘bout be content first and then see what God blesses you with instead?

1 Timothy 6:6-10
Yet true godliness with contentment is itself great wealth. After all, we brought nothing with us when we came into the world, and we can’t take anything with us when we leave it. So if we have enough food and clothing, let us be content. But people who long to be rich fall into temptation and are trapped by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. And some people, craving money, have wandered from the true faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.




“...Not from God’s...” There is a clear distinction in this verse that God’s view is different from people’s. And God’s view doesn’t lead to “traps.”




In no way do I want to get trapped by the Enemy or be a tool he can use to trap someone else. Living a life, saying words, and thinking thoughts that disregard God’s expressed will found in His Word is what Satan does. And I don’t want any part of that.




Dear God,

Thank you for giving us your Word so we don’t have to set traps and be trapped into our human understanding. Thank you for free will so that I can choose to live how you prescribe. Help us to teach our kids diligently what Scripture says instead of going on with the crowd in mindless succession. You are great and greatly to be praised. And I want to me and instrument you can use, not a tool of the Enemy! I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

18 July 2014 How Can I Say Thanks?
Psalm 119:7
As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should.

I love verses that answer modern questions!

Here is an answer for a FAQ from Believers and non-believers alike... If we are saved by God’s grace through what Jesus did for us as a result of us being unable to be perfect and obey all of God’s laws, why do we bother with obedience to God’s Law still once we’re saved?

Paul answers it like this: Well then, since God’s grace has set us free from the law, does that mean we can go on sinning? Of course not! Don’t you realize that you become the slave of whatever you choose to obey? You can be a slave to sin, which leads to death, or you can choose to obey God, which leads to righteous living. Thank God! Once you were slaves of sin, but now you wholeheartedly obey this teaching we have given you. Now you are free from your slavery to sin, and you have become slaves to righteous living. (Romans 6:15-18)

Perfect and true answer. And Psalm 119:7 is a perfect and true answer for me too because I am so thankful that Jesus’ sacrifice saved me from having to being obedient to all God’s requirements as the only mode for a relationship with God, forgiveness, restoration, and eternal life. I am so thankful I am not saved by what I do because I do dumb stuff. I may repent and not do the dumb stuff I repented from doing, but I’m a resourceful person and can come up with new dumb stuff.

How can I show how thankful I am for God’s grace in my life? Simple. Obey.

Do not lie, don’t steal or cheat, honor your parents, wash your hands after you touch a dead thing, share what you have, think of others, the Year of Jubilee... These are all things that can be found in the OT that God wants his people to do.  All of God’s requirements are expressions of how to honor God and coexist with other humans in a positive way.

In fact, all of God’s ideas show me how perfect HE is and that I would need a Savior because as hard as I could try, I couldn’t equal God’s perfection in order to have a relationship with him.

Paul again: Before the way of faith in Christ was available to us, we were placed under guard by the law. We were kept in protective custody, so to speak, until the way of faith was revealed
Let me put it another way. The law was our guardian until Christ came; it protected us until we could be made right with God through faith. And now that the way of faith has come, we no longer need the law as our guardian. (Galatians 3:23-25) In fact, God’s law shows me how much I need a Savior!




And my Savior made it so that I can have a relationship with God NOT based on what I do or how good I could be (Ephesians 2:8). The Law no longer shows me my shortcomings, it shows me that God doesn’t have any!




So, I choose to obey God’s Law - not to save myself but as an expression of THANKS to HIM for saving me from it.




Dear God,

As I delve into Scripture and see all your amazing regulations, I do appreciate you more and more. You haven’t left out a single thing! If everyone lived according to your Will, in even just a fraction of their lives, this world would be a different place! Please give me the ability and desire to do what pleases you today because I want to thank YOU by living as YOU prescribe. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

17 July 2014 “What He Says Goes”
Romans 1:16
For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes.

The Good News is that Jesus has taken the punishment for my sins that I deserve (John 3:16-18). And it doesn’t stop there! He justifies those who believe (Romans 5:1). That means that God accepts me as if I never did any wrong in the first place. The Spotless Lamb (1 Peter 1:19) gives me a spotless record! That is news that is GOOD!

The Good News is the power of God at work...  That means God displays his power (What I say goes!) through the Good News. God’s power is displayed through making sinners clean as if they were always clean simply by believing in his Son, Jesus (Romans 3:22). What God decides is what is = power.

Al Gore believes wholeheartedly in Global Warming (or at least he believes in the hysteria of it lining his wallet). But that doesn’t make Global Warming true. He has no power to make what he believes a real reality. He just doesn’t. He can say whatever he wants, but it doesn’t make it true. He has no power; he’s just a dude. And anyone else toting a theory is also just a dude.

But God DOES have the power to make what he decides is real to actually be real. And his power is displayed in the Good News. I am forgiven for my sins because of Jesus (1 John 1:9). I am positively going to heaven when I die because that’s what God says will happen to those who believe in his Son (John 3:16). I have all the good things available to me in the Kingdom of God right now because of God’s Holy Spirit personally with me (John 14:26). God made all this true because what HE says goes!

Dear God,
Thank you for this day that you have made. Please give us lots of wisdom and joy for it. Thank you for your Son who did the impossible and the unimaginable for my benefit.  Thank you for all the benefits that come with believing in HIM! And thank you for using your power to make the complicated simple, the impossible real, and the relief absolutely true. I love you so much and I thank you and praise you and pray in your Son’s name. Amen

14 July 2014 “One in the Same”
John 15:10 Jesus said,
“When you obey my commandments, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father’s commandments and remain in his love.”

Jesus also said, “The Father and I are one.” (John 10:30) They are one in agreement and one in the same. So, living like Jesus is a life that pleases God.

Is remaining in his love and obeying his commandments one in the same too? When I realize that living like Jesus isn’t a life of checklist keeping but a real relationship, I think the answer is YES!

If I reflect continually and constantly how much Jesus loves me, I also realize how much I love him. I am so thankful for his sacrifice. When I read the accounts written about him in the Gospel books, I can’t help but love him so much. (See prayer below.) I constantly think of these things, and I constantly love him. I am choosing to constantly remain in his love. Wouldn’t I, therefore, be living a life of obedience naturally without feeling like I have the burden of ticking off checks on some kind of list of obedient behaviors?

I think loving Jesus is the key. Love, love, loving him lets him seep out of me, and it looks exactly like an obedient life that pleases God!




Dear Lord Jesus,

Please seep out of me today. I love you SO much! I love everything about you. I love how you surprised Mary at the garden by the empty tomb. I love your interaction with Peter on the beach after your resurrection. I love how you told a little girl to wake up. I love how you touch sick people with your own bare hands changing their lives forever. I love you so much! I love remaining, staying, and persisting in love in my relationship with you. And I thank you and praise you and pray in your name. Amen.

11 July 2014 “My Sweaty Hands”
Jeremiah 32:17
O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you!


When God created the heavens and the earth, he spoke everything into existence. By faith we understand that the entire universe was formed at God’s command, that what we now see did not come from anything that can be seen. (Hebrews 11:3.) Colossians 1:17 expands on this truth by adding that creation is constantly being sustained by Jesus. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.

This Jeremiah 32:17 passage makes it clear that God not only miraculously speaks creation into existence, and that Jesus sustains all things with his thoughts, but also that there is the aspect of mighty strength and supernatural power involved here. By your strong hand and powerful arm...

I know I can’t create anything from unseen materials or have the capacity to concentrate on something for any length of time as I can’t even follow a recipe card. And I am also fully aware that I don’t have the strength required for those things either. If anyone has ever seen me throw a ball, they know that I do not have a powerful arm. When I watch the movie Cliffhanger, my hands sweat like crazy because I know they are not strong enough to hold on to a steel cable long enough for someone to save me from a ridiculously long and fatal fall! But the ingredients that make up what God can do are so out of the realm of human capacity to replicate or understand. 

That’s why I’m ok with not knowing everything. I don’t mind being in the dark about why this or that happens, because the ONE who created everything and continues to sustain everything can do what I can’t and knows what I don’t. And his hand is strong and his arm is so powerful there is nothing that will release his grip on mine!

Dear God,
I know that you are all-powerful, but I just love reflecting this morning on how STRONG you are! I love superhero movies because I love to see those in distress get rescued by someone with the capacity to do what they can’t. I love knowing you do this for me all the time. I love knowing how strong you are like a small child wrapped in his daddy’s arms literally has NO fears. YOU are my Daddy and I put myself in your arms today. I love you and thank you and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

10 July 2014
"My Timidity"
2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

I was noticing that our youngest child, who is now 8 years old, still has the tantrum qualities and anger issues of a toddler sometimes. It’s that fine line of not expecting him to be as mature as the 3 teenagers in the house, but I’m looking at pictures and home movies and not seeing any of the previous 8 year olds still struggling with fits like poor Ben does from time to time. I understand he is constantly under mass frustration as he is so much younger than the others. But at the same time there comes a point where the baby of the family needs to stop acting like the baby of the family.

I realized his problem lies within in me, the mom. It isn’t that I put up with his garbage, I don’t. In fact, this kid probably receives more discipline and correction than the other 3 kids combined. The problem has been in my delivery. I realized that my parenting was consisting of mostly 2 extremes. Timidity (Break it to him gently that it’s time to brush his teeth or he’s gonna have a fit...) or Anger (I told you to get in there and brush your teeth!) And God has not intended either of these 2 extremes for my parenting or for my life for that matter. 

I also realized that my son is going to be mad when I tell him what to do not matter how I tell him. So, I might as well tell him with all the authority God has given me as his mother. And authority and power doesn’t come off as anger in God’s economy; it comes off as just being firm and securely convicted. “There is a time for everything and now is time to brush your teeth, my love.” I wish there as a font that conveys conviction and firmness. It isn’t yelling and it isn’t with barred teeth. I’m just stating the truth with conviction.

I believe the reason the tantrum years have gotten drawn out for this kid was due to my timidity by me trying to prepare him or explain to him when the fact is it’s time to do what mommy says to do.

So last night, I experimented on my son. He was looking on the LEGO website telling me he needed this certain toy. I simply said “No. You don’t need that. You have lots of LEGOS, and you can probably make something just like it with what you have.” None of this, “Oh, we’ll see...Maybe your birthday...save your money...” No. I mean no, so I just said, “No.” I didn’t say it in an angry way either. I just stated it like a fact. He ran to his room crying. (He would have done that anyway.)

BUT he came back in less than 5 minutes with his own LEGOS and began constructing the thing he saw on the computer. Then it was time for dinner! Oh great, now he’s engaged in constructive activity that I suggested, and now he needs to set the table. I did NOT break it to him gently with my timidity. I simply said, “It’s time for dinner, you may play with that again afterwards.” And there was no conflict. I have taken back my God given parental authority that for some reason I had replaced with timidity and frustration. God can use me when I use what he gave me. Otherwise, God is just looking at me going, “I can’t help you, Janys. You’re not using the tools I gave you.”

And those tools are power (authority), love (see 1 Corinthians 13:4-7), and self-discipline (controlling my ungodly impulses).

Dear God,
Thank you for Benjamin. Thank you for all the things you’ve been able to teach ME as we raise this guy up according to your ways. Thank you for all of the energy, creativity, and intelligence you have given to him. I pray that you would continue to help us shape his character as even his stubbornness can be molded into a firm and stubborn resolve to follow you all the days of his life. Thank you for giving parents authority over their children. Even though the world tries to deny it at limit it, it has been given to me by you, and no one can take that away. Thank you that firmness works, and it works right away. Help me to use the spiritual authority you’ve given me in all areas of my life and recognize my timidity for what it is - NOT FROM YOU. I love you and praise you and pray in Jesus’ name. Amen.

9 July 2014 "Just Imagine!"
Ephesians 3:20
Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within
us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask, think, or
imagine...

 We just got home from vacation.  We rented a beautiful house up in Mt.
Shasta. Before we left, Rob said it’s the kind of house where we might see a
deer in the yard. That’s what my husband imagined. A house to retreat in, so
beautiful and surrounded by nature, so much so that animals we don’t have here
at home would be communing with us there among the mountains, creeks and lakes.
And that is exactly what God gave us on our trip; exactly what we imagined. 

It was awesome! When God gives us exactly what we’ve imagined it’s like
getting a big kiss from him right on the cheek. He listened to us! He is kind to
us. He made the neat things we thought would be neat to happen actually happen.
It was so sweet to see a deer come right up to the window of the house a few
days ago. It was God whispering in Rob’s ear: "See. I listen to everything you
say, think, and dream because I love you." Of course, we saw a deer in the yard
on our trip. It was just like Rob imagined.

 But what about what God imagines? 1 Corinthians 2:9 says that no eye has
seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those
who love him. What God has in mind is even more amazing than the most
amazing things I can, with my infinite imagination, think up!

 Our vacation was great. The drive was great. The places we saw were
breathtaking. Our health is awesome. We traveled safely and arrived back home
safe and sound. All things I can ask for and imagine to happen happened.

 But today, I sit back and reflect on the good things I never saw coming. I am
enjoying God’s imagination and thinking of things that he has given me that I
didn’t even know were possibilities of things to enjoy!

 1. Rob’s job. When we got married 23 years ago while still in college and
blessed with odd jobs, it never occurred to us that Rob would end up in his
dream job, working for his dad, and having a schedule that is incredibly family
friendly.

 2. Four awesome kids. We waited seven long years to get just one kid, and we
were so happy to meet our healthy, bright and happy baby. And then we got kid
after kid after kid. Our hearts are fuller than full. We did NOT see that
coming!

 3. Homeschooling. I had never heard of homeschool before. It wasn’t a thing
when I was growing up. But God has made a way in this wicked generation for us
to disciple our kids full time, educate them according to their own development,
and spend as much time with them as possible during our limited years with them.
Homeschooling is awesome and I never would have imagined it.

 There are truckloads more of things God has done for me that I love and never
expected. I expected to be married to Rob, but I had no idea how wonderful our
life together would be. I expected to have children, but I had no idea they
would be so awesome, healthy, and funny. I expected to educate them, but I
thought we’d have to make due and put up with our country’s broken public
education system. God has been so good to me. And every good and perfect
thing has come from HIM (James 1:17) and is a direct result of his active
and amazing imagination!

 Dear God,
Thank you for your amazing imagination that has blessed me so much. Thank you
for not laughing at what we imagine, but instead prove that you are wonderful
and good to us by making those things happen. I love you so much. And I love the
many ways you speak directly to my heart through what I ask, think, and imagine,
and then some! Amen!