Oh Those Children

by Lillian Humphries

Have you ever been somewhere with your toddler or teenager and they have misbehaved? Of course you have, if you have children, then it has happened to you or it will. Those precious little people that you have birthed from your loins can turn into possessed demons in a blink of an eye. It always seems to happen at the most inopportune time, in church, in the grocery store or any public place. They seem to have a 6th sense of when the most embarrassing moments in life will take place.

My girls used to do that to me. I remember one time really well. We were in a line to check
out of a store, I can’t remember what store but none the less, that is where we were. Evidently I wouldn’t buy something for one of them that they wanted so she was really unhappy. Out of that little sweet daughter of mine (can’t remember which one) came the words “you love her more than you love me”. Well what do you say to that? I fixed her tail; I told her she was right, I did love her sister more than her. It stopped her in her tracks. Of course I think the cashier almost picked up the phone and called 911 for child abuse. Later I had a talk with her and explained that was not true. Now it has become a joke with the three of us and we do it for fun.

Whether it is acting up, not using good manners or giving out the family secrets in Bible class, children act up.

I’m sure you know where I am going with this, you are God’s child. Do you think you ever
embarrass God? Ouch. Yup, think about it.

Titus 2:5 tells women that they are to act “so that the word of God will not be dishonored.”

1Corinthians 10:31, “Whether, then, you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God.”

Our actions should always be glorifying God. Does that me we go around singing and dancing to God 24/7? Of course not. But our lives should be to the glory of God. As you go through your daily routine of diapers, dishes, laundry, car pools and work your actions should show that you are one of God’s children.

What your child does is a reflection on you as a parent. What you do is a reflection upon God.

Joy Spirit Check Up

by Lillian Humphries

How is your joy spirit holding up lately? Are we joyous in everything we do? Moms with small children, are you joyous with your babies? Middle aged women; are you joyous with your teenagers? Working outside of home women, are you joyous with your co-workers? Older women are you joyous for those around you? Here is a good one – married women, are you joyous with your husbands?

Webster’s gives the definition of joy as:
A - The emotion evoked by well-being, success, or good fortune or by the prospect of possessing what one desires.
B - The expression or exhibition of such emotion.

The Bible (ASV) has joy listed 195 times. So this is definite a topic that needs to be addressed.

What does joyous look like to us? It means a little different to each person, I am sure. But overall I like to think of it as our temperature. As woman in the home, our temperature (attitude) makes or breaks our home. The old "saying if Momma ain’t happy, nobody’s happy" really is the truth.

How do we obtain this happiness in the midst of our crazy world and every day business? Our children can’t give it to us; our husband can’t give it to us; our co-workers can’t give it to us, only we can make ourselves feel joy. Unless we are happy within ourselves we can’t find happiness outside ourselves. I’m not saying we are happy with our hair, our eye color, our height, or the big one, our weight those are all things on the outside. We all have good hair days and bad hair days. J

So how do we find the happiness inside ourselves? Of course God has the answer.

Galatians 5:22-25
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, 23 faithfulness, meekness, self-control; against such there is no law. 24 And they that are of Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with the passions and the lusts thereof.25 If we live by the Spirit, by the Spirit let us also walk.

If we walk in the Spirit of the Lord we will have that inner joy that will keep us going all day and night.

Try and sing this little song that we teach the children and see if you don’t feel joy inside when we sing. It works, it really does.

          I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy
          Down in my heart
          Down in my heart - Where
          Down in my heart
          I've got the joy, joy, joy, joy
          Down in my heart
          Down in my heart to stay
          And I'm so happy
          So very happy
          I've got the love of Jesus in my heart
          And I'm so happy
          So very happy
          I've got the love of Jesus in my heart

Lean on God’s words and experience the joy that can fill our life.