"Obey them not only to win their favor when their eye is on you, but like slaves of Christ, doing the will of God from your heart." Ephesians 6:6 NIV

It can be the simple things of life, that speak to us of another world, unlike ours. A simple picture of roses on the windowsill, speak of life, here and beyond. Why do I see this you might say?

These flowers will wither and die, but in eternity, nothing will die. Life in God has no end, and no decay.The beauty all around us tells of a time to come but also of a time once before.

In the first garden in Genesis, the Garden of Eden, nothing wilted or gave way to dryness and death. How my soul longs for a place like this! I guess you might long for it too.

All of us do at some point in our lives. We see the devastation of sin, lies and pain and want to be where life never ends, and restoration of our hearts, bodies, and minds will be forever.

Jesus also longs for us to be with him where it is never night, and freedom for our souls abounds. He would have returned to earth long ago to set up His millennial reign but for this:the saving of many who are far from Him.

We are here with orders from the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Be my disciples, but be with me first.  Mark 3:13-14"Jesus went up on a mountainside and called to him those he wanted, and they came to him. In verse 14 he said: that they might be with him.

You and I need to be with Jesus. This has to be our first encounter of our day, because we don't hold the glory of God in us for very long. We are leaky vessels but His presence covers and guides us into all truth.

With all of our hearts we serve and it is evident that we have been with Jesus. " You have made known to me the path of life, you will fill me with joy in your presence at your right hand." Psalm16:11 NIV Splash some of God's love on someone today. Surprise those who need to be cheered with a kind word.You are doing the will of your Father in heaven!

"Slaves, obey your earthly masters with respect and fear, and with sincerity of heart, just as you would obey Christ." Ephesians 6:5 NIV

You may recognize this picture. I have used it before, and it captures my feelings today. The wonder and excitement on this precious child's face reminds me of the joy I feel right now.

Yesterday I arrived home after a Writer's Conference in Charlotte North Carolina. My traveling companion Barbara, and I were renewed and restored by the sessions we attended as all was done in Jesus' Name. 

Obeying the Lord in whatever He has called you has rich rewards. Hard work is honored by Jesus, but maybe not by anyone else. This is fine. We are called to obey Him first.

 I met with lovely ladies at the conference who work for Christian Publishing Houses. I knew ahead of time, my book wasn't unique or captivating. 

My book, Unshakeable- Becoming What You Were Created For, isn't going to cause publishers to fall off their chairs and exclaim, " Oh this is just what I was looking for". The bookshelves in stores are covered with testimonies of God grace and mercy on lives.

For me it is about the journey not necessarily the destination. I was obedience to what I needed to do, and I am glad I followed through.My book will be published after all editing is complete. 

I probably won't be on the New York Times Best Seller's list but
 I'm not ruling it out completely! Who knows what God will do. What I do know is I have been listening to God, and doing what I believe He has said.

Meanwhile, I will hone my craft, listen to good advice and give my all to learning so I can be a better communicator. What has God called you to? Can you find others with a similar calling to guide each other? Bouncing off someone else, in a safe environment, knocks off our rough edges.

" Fathers, do not exasperate your children, instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." Ephesians 6:4 NIV

Exasperate means provoke, annoy, or antagonize. If we do this to anyone it isn't right but children are impressionable and easily led astray. If we want our children to follow after God we need to set the example.

I'm sure this isn't the first time you're heard this. Setting the right example means first we have to die to self. OK, now I'll do it! Easy to say impossible to do, in our own strength. As a teacher I thought being a parent would be easy!

Parenting is not only the hardest thing I have ever done, it's frustrating! Ask five people how to handle a certain situation and you can get five different answers.

I was wrong, and to add to this I thought everything I said would be obeyed and not questioned. Why was I gullible? I didn't know what to do if my child didn't listen.

My thought processes didn't take me to the next level, so I was unprepared.  I knew what the textbooks said, but applying it to everyday life evaded me. I don't know if any parent would be prepared for my son Rudy. He tested every limit, brought me to my last nerve, got his way too many times.

I felt I was a failure at parenting. I never got him to be pliable. To this day he can question everything I do, and give a comment about it too. At age 28 he uses these skills in the courtroom to question defendants.  He can cross examine well. He spent years working on this skill with his mother! He's good at what he does.

I no longer feel a failure. Does he try me and others? Yes he does. I can handle it now and show him why he's wrong. He understands, I think. Maybe age has brought a pliable spirit? I suppose time will tell!

Don't give up in your parenting. Some of you are Grandparents. What a crazy world we live in but your love and faith can establish a child's heart and cause it to grow in love every step of their lives. It's hard but it's worth it. Anything worth doing is hard at first. Love will make a way!

"Honor your father and mother, which is the first commandment with promise: that it may be well with you and you may live long on the earth."  Ephesians 6:2-3 NKJV

Do you wish you could be held like this baby and be swung back and forth? I thought about this and decided I might be nauseated by the motion. The things we have to think about as we age! 

I used to swing on the swings in our backyard without a problem but lately I feel sick when I do this. I may have to give it up. I will not give up running, jogging or moving fast. It's what keeps me in shape. Even then I have gained weight when I didn’t want to.

Our bodies change and it’s a lot to keep up our usual pace. I won’t give in to slowing down. How about you? Are you caring for yourself in all the right ways? Do you go for check ups and eat as you should? It can make a huge difference down the road.

Our promise today is for those who honor their parents. Did your parents teach you to eat right, and exercise? I think somehow they probably mentioned these things a few times.

What about spiritual things? Did your parents encourage you to pray and look to God for all things? My parents didn’t know the Lord when We were younger but my Mom came to know Jesus as an older woman. She had no choice since she lived with us later in life!

Some of you may have your parents on earth still. Don’t forget to take every opportunity to let them know how much you love them. Once they're gone we don't want to be left with regret. 

Honor isn't something we hear about. Why Not? If we honored everyone there wouldn't be hatred as we have now. Can we honor someone who isn't quite like us? Can we respect another human being because this is God's command? Sure we can, if we seek God first.

“ So again I say, a man must love his wife as a part of himself; and the wife must see to it that she deeply respects her husband- obeying, praising and honoring him.”  Ephesians 5: 33 TLB

What have you planned for today? Hopefully you can enjoy the summer weather. July is half over already. If you blink summer may be over. Do you feel this way or have I been too busy? 

Respect for others has been lost in our society to some extent. Everyone is so busy chasing their own dreams. I’m not saying this is a bad thing but there has to be balance. What about strengthening someone else in their dreams? 

Marriage has this give and take about it. In the loving and giving we may have to put our own plans on the back burner. Prayer is the wisest way to bring balance to this. Being available to help our spouse is important too.

My husband has put me before himself many times. I can’t remember a time when he put his needs first. I know this is a rare attribute and not everyone can do this. Its easy to love when your husband is wonderful.

What about when life gets hard and a husband is critical, mean and demeaning? This is where leaning on God is the answer. Sometimes leaning can really mean falling on. When you can't stand the abuse and pain but you know you need to stand. 

No one should stay in the same home with a physically abusive husband. God doesn't call us to die at the hands of someone who has pledged to love us! Quite the opposite! Because of the Love God has for us He wants us to be in a safe place.

What if your man is cranky, and insulting. Love him to the love of God. If he is a christian, pray and find someone else who will pray with you about this. Don't give in to behaving badly in return. Certainly this is very hard and my heart goes out to you!

When it is hard to obey God we need the body of Christ to lift us up. Even if you have to go for prayer every Sunday after the service. Do it. Until you find someone who will agree to pray for you every day. Hold onto His hand and don't let go!

"This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church.   Ephesians 5:32 NKJV

This mystery of Christ and the church? If Paul calls it a mystery I can't imagine I could call it anything different. It is a love relationship but it's not quite like anything else.

The Bible calls the church His bride.This is who we are collectively, and the Bible speaks of us in this way. As women we can relate easily to this concept. When I was young, girls in the catholic church had their first communion in white dresses. I believe this was to signify their marriage to Christ.

 The people of God are His. He has committed Himself to us as a loving husband does to his one and only wife. God doesn't have a backup plan. He isn't a foolish husband who makes a commitment he cannot keep.

He has made covenants with His people. Abraham's justification by faith promised him God would be with him and his descendants forever. God is the God of forever. His promises never end or have an expiration date.

His faithfulness is never late according to His time clock. We get flustered and out of sync when God doesn't move the way we want Him to. We may be led to think He has forgotten His covenant but this is impossible.

God is never out of sync with His agenda. His plans rule over everything else. Those who don't surrender to this will never have peace. The ruler of the Universe has made us with free wills to choose Him or not.

A love like this has never been duplicated or copied and it never will. There is only one God who gives grace and healing. He has extended Himself to humanity from the beginning of time. This comes from His love for us.

We cannot understand a love like this. It baffles common sense. It satisfies our hearts and fills it with joy. There are no words to adequately describe its depth and perseverance. You have to grab on Him for yourself!

"For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." Ephesians 5:31 NIV

For this reason? What reason? Since Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for it. A man shall leave his parents and start his own family. He is to love his wife more than his own life.

How far we have come from this simple, loving truth. Many men don't cherish women because women don't want to be cherished. It is not in vogue. It's considered sexist. Women are strong and don't need to be cared for is the thought. 

Why is it suddenly wrong to acknowledge we need help? Women aren't as strong as men in many ways. We all have our strengths and weaknesses and we need each other.

Women want to be safe. This is especially true if you are pregnant and the nesting instinct begins. Don't mess with a Mama ready to give birth! She wants to know everything is set.

Men need the emotional support a woman gives. He needs to know his wife is with him and loves him. This stability isn't discussed too often but it is true. What is wrong with saying it like it is?

The persona of today says we are just fine without anyone else. When a society has too many loners the depression rate also goes up. If marriage is not considered permanent why make an effort to make it work?

Gloria Steinem, a leader in the Women' Movement,  got married. She had strong feelings about marriage being degrading to women. What made her change her mind?