burned but not abandoned

As I was out on a morning walk, I saw this house that has obviously suffered through a harsh fire recently.  In the neighborhood with other homes well taken care of, it looked abandoned.  There was a guy doing something in the rumble of it all, and it made me think....

Have you been burned?

Has your heart, your health or your mind suffered some intense flames?  Have you been damaged? Broken? Disfigured?  Dirtied? Suffocating in the smoke of the after affects?

Burned, but not abandoned. 

Whatever happened to you – in whatever way.. you have not been left to mend the wounds all alone.  Although it might feel this way.  It might seem like no one is there.  The windows are broken and its all deserted.  But the Lord, the Author, The Designer knows.  He Knows the original intent, and He does not abandon.

He sees.

He Loves.

He Restores.
Remodels.

Mends.

Heals.

He turns Ashes into Beauty.

Always.

Sometimes it just takes a little time for reconstruction. 

But He does the work.  He can.  And He Will. 

Just let Him.

Hand over the rights. 

Hand over the ownership.

He is a rich landlord that invests without holding back.

He will do it! 

He will restore!

Redeem and make a comfortable, lovely dwelling for Himself in you once again.

He will!

Beauty from Ashes.

sex or no sex

To Husband and Wife: “Do not deprive each other.. so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self control.”  1 Corinthians 7:5

Yesterday I spoke with a friend of mine, and she shared something profound with me.  That in marriage a wife often tries to ‘punish’ her husband by withholding sex from him and THAT actually opens up the door wide open for Satans temptations. 

Interesting that before marriage Satan tempts people TO HAVE SEX. 

And after marriage the temptation is NOT TO HAVE SEX.

Both open the door for Satans influence and works against ourselves, because it is out of Gods Design.

So in marriage, a husband and wife should NOT deprive each other because it will bring division.  Yet before marriage people MUST DEPRIVE their own bodies, and each other so that it will NOT bring division later in marriage.

Bottom line:

SEX outside of marriage is destructive.

NO SEX in marriage is destructive. 

narrow path

It's been too long since I have written a blog.  Infact, the last blog I wrote from another state, and the one prior to that was from another continent.  Being back in America has had its poll.  Life is busy here.  Regardless the hecticness around me I want to Choose and remain calm.
I want to narrow my focus.  
Narrow my path.  
All I want to see before me is Jesus.  I do not want to be distracted by all the possibilities this land of opportunity brings.  Even in ministry there are tons of things to do, people to help.. I only want to do what I see my Father doing.  I do not want to be distracted by all the great things that I 'could' get involved in.  I want to be narrow in my perspective.  The road before me is wide and broad.  How do I keep my vision narrow?  When everyone wants you to be open minded, with wide perspective and vision to the horizon, how do I keep my heart single focused on Gods word alone?  o Help me Lord!