BAD COMPANY

Today's tidbit is from 1 Corinthians and it reminds us about the company we keep. This verse was one of Dave's nuggets of wisdom directed to our kids while they were growing up. We realized early on with our four children, which ones were leaders and which ones were followers. This verse applied the most directly with our daughter Jessica. Sadly at 31, she is still a follower and will adapt herself, transform herself to fit the situation that she is in. It's sad because she has a vibrant personality and a giving heart but because of her adaptation, she doesn't have a real opportunity to shine in her own right. She is currently dating a man from South Africa of a Muslim background and slowly she is transforming into a female version of this guy. Ah but that is a post for a different day....

"Do not be deceived: Bad company corrupts good morals.” 1 Corinthians 15:33

We are called to be salt and light but I think for some of us, we have to realize our limitations. If we are a leader, the balance of being an influence or being influenced is not the same struggle as it might be for a follower. I've heard some people say that they can witness to people about Jesus in a bar. Needless to say, that wouldn't be an ideal setting for someone whom the Lord has convicted and delivered from an alcohol "issue". I think this just shows another example of how we need to be constantly plugged into the Holy Spirit for wisdom and guidance as we navigate our way through this life.

When I was thirteen and attending Catholic grade school, I got suspended from school for my smart-alec mouth and attitude. My Mom was furious with me and had to meet with the Principal to talk about my behavior. The conclusion was that I was being influenced by some of my friends and felt the need to be entertaining in order to remain in this clique. I had just taken an aptitude test to get into an all girls Catholic High School and I still remember my Mom explaining that I was jeopardizing my future with my bad behavior. To this day I remember her saying,

"You are known by the company you keep and by the company you DON'T keep!"

I wasn't too thrilled about having to pull back from these friends who would "egg me on" but being obedient, I did. At first it was difficult but eventually, we came full circle and one of them remains a friend to this day.

(My Freshman year of High School at Rosati-Kain Catholic High School)

So if this verse reminds us how influencing bad company can be, it's unwritten message is that good company influences us as well. As sisters in Christ, we are stronger when we surround ourselves with like-minded women, those who encourage us and support us as we strive to become more like the image of Christ. Gals like all of you!!

God created us for fellowship and for community.

JOB WELL DONE

The Tidbit box arrived safe and sound although, we are in the grips of some of the coldest weather that the south has seen in a long time! Any possible tears from Sister Pat have not had the chance to melt yet! Denton, Texas is at 12 degrees this morning but not to worry we're supposed to be in the 70's by Saturday.

First off let me say how much I have been blessed by you ladies! I am so glad I came across all of you and that you are such an encouragement to me, for that I am thankful!

My little tidbit is titled, "JOB WELL DONE" and it comes from Colossians 3:23-24: "Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving."

My paternal grandmother was a huge influence in my life. My parents divorced when I was six, I was raised by my Mom and we lived a block away from my Grandma. Grandma would watch me before and after school and during summer vacation. Grandma was no stranger to hard work. She raised my father and his brother as a single mom working long and hard, picking and chopping cotton and taking them with her wherever she found work as a migrant worker. Many times she went hungry just so she could make sure her boys were fed. Grandma was fearless in my eyes...

Spending so much time with my Grandma I learned many things; things like cooking good Southern comfort food and how to be handy around the house. Right now, I am tackling a painting job while Dave is out of town and my thoughts have been filled with my Grandma. Not having a clue that the "Tidbit" was coming my way, it seems the Holy Spirit was laying the groundwork for the verse I wanted to share. I learned to paint, hang drywall, hammer a nail, fix things, clean stuff and so forth from Grandma. I can take apart and put back together a garbage disposal in under ten minutes too! Does Dave realize how good he has it?

Fast forward to today and I am fifty-three years old with my own house cleaning business. In the seventeen years I have been doing this I have see it all: the good, the bad AND the ugly! This verse is my mantra even as I am cleaning bathrooms...Grandma taught me that ANY job worth doing was worth doing well! She was one wise woman and I miss her deeply. She went home to be with the Lord in 2000 and on April 13th of this year she would have been 100 years old. This wonderful woman will be one of those who will greet me when my time comes and the Lord says, "Enter in..."

On It's Way

This is me, from my head to my toes.  It was 1 degree below zero with a wind chill of 20 below when I got up this morning.  I had to put on my warm boots, which I believe are designed for dog sledding in the Yukon, they are so warm!  Not a fashion statement, but when you look at the rest of me, fashion is no where to be found!
I had to go to the post office today to mail off the Tidbit adventure box, but first I had to go to the dollar store to buy an envelope.

 Here's my Tidbit for today:  Your standard 8 1/2" X 12" envelope is not big enough!

I've got lots of the standard size envelopes, but not a single big one.  Who knew I'd ever be mailing a Tim Horton Tidbit box?
So, on went the fleece shirt, the heavy duty jacket, the knitted head warmer, the hood, the scarf - after all, I am a Scarf Sister - the gloves, the heavy socks, the dog sledding boots, cleaned the snow off the car.....and now I'm exhausted and I haven't even left the drive way yet!
The next recipient should get the package early next week, it may have my frozen tears on it when you receive it....but it was sent with a warm heart and lots of love!

Philippians 4:13

¹³ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Mom Said

Many of us have verses from the Bible or sayings that have stayed in our memory.  I have several from my Mom, but there is one in particular that I would like to share on this post.   

When I was a child, and would try to bargain my way out of doing something, Mom would say to me,
"Obedience is better then sacrifice".  What on earth did that mean?  She never explained it to me and for the longest time I didn't get it. She knew I wasn't ready to receive it fully, but she also knew it would stay in my heart until that time came.   I understood the obedience part, but the sacrifice....that didn't sound good.  I couldn't recall any thing I had sacrificed!  Later she tried to explain it to me, but as usual I wasn't accepting it.  In my time, and when my heart was ready to accept it, it was one of those light bulb moments that happened in my spirit!  I got it!  She didn't want me to clean my room if she asked me to do dishes.  She wanted the obedience of my doing what I asked.  I wasn't to trade one thing in barter for another.  The "sacrifice" of the clean room seemed to me a good way of getting out of the dishes, however she knew I wasn't being obedient, no matter what my choice of sacrifice. She never punished me, she just reminded me of that verse.   It was a Biblical lesson I never forgot.  God doesn't want us to sacrifice an animal or any thing else, His son has already paid the highest sacrifice.....he wants our obedience!

1 Samuel 15:22
 But Samuel replied: "Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.

This is an old Keith Green song, but it has not lost it's relevance....God's word never does.
I hope you take just a moment to listen.
Love you to all!

My Tidbit of Fear

Isaiah 41:13
"For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand, and says to you; Do not fear, I will help you".

I have a few fears in my life.  They don't hinder living my life, but they don't help it either.  Here are my fears.
1. Bridges.  Big, long, high bridges.  Unless I'm the driver.  Then I'm not happy, but I'm OK.

2 Confined spaces, as in claustrophobia.  This is probably my worst fear.  I once had a turtleneck
    sweater on that wouldn't easily pull over my head.  I panicked.  I was going to cut it off. I finally
   got it off, almost ripping my head off with it, but it was worth it. 

3.Creepy crawlies of any size.  Snakes, mice, rats, you get the picture.  If it's a bug and I can step on it
    and smash it, I'm OK, but it has to be smashable size.

My big, strong ex-firefighter husband fears almost nothing.  However, while night fishing in Florida with his uncle one year, he fell out of the boat.  He said he almost walked on water to get  back in because he was afraid of the alligators, which he could see all around.

Some fears are in us for a reason, self preservation for one thing.  Some are not, and cannot even be explained. When they are lies from the devil, we need to counter those fears with the truth of God's word.  It may be in baby steps, as I am doing with my fears, but they are steps forward.   I  used to fear a whole lot more.  I'd  needlessly worry about the welfare and safety of my children. Not normal worry, but ridiculous worry.   When they became adults, I worried about my grandchildren.  Now, every one is an adult!  Deliverance, LOL!

I do know this, fear drives out faith.  They cannot co-exist.  When I've had surgeries, I am rolled into the operating room singing (often out loud!) songs about the Lord that bring comfort, and my fear vanishes. 

This is a picture of the Mackinaw bridge which connects Michigan's upper and lower peninsula.   I borrowed it today off of my cousin Kelly Turpin's Face Book page.  This is one of the bridges I'm not fond of  driving on - and if it looked like this, I'd for sure stay off of it!

I'm also going to close with what I believe to be one of Kelly's favorite verses.....and mine.

2 Timothy 1:7
For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a strong mind.

Praise God for his love and His spirit which dwells within us!

What a Lovely Name is Jesus!

The Name

The Tidbit envelope has arrive at my snowy and cold door step in Michigan from warmer Atlanta!  Thank you Cheryl for sending it my way!
I'm going to start my first post on something very personal to me.  My name.
My maiden name is Patricia Carol Gerhardstein. That's 25 letters in case you were wondering.  It was and is a very long name, especially when you are a child trying to fit it on a little line when filling out information for school! I never minded my first or middle names, but that last name....that was a doozy, and 100% German.  No one could ever pronounce it or spell it, and to add a little aggravation to the situation, my family dropped the middle syllable and pronounced it "Gerstein".  Not Gerstein, like grrrrstein, but Gearstein, like a gear.  Is this clear, LOL?!  When telling my name to strangers, I always included all three syllables!

Later in life as a young married, I commented to my Mom how glad I was to shed that name and take on the simpler name of Trent.  I thought she would be in agreement with me, especially since most of the time, she wasn't that fond of my Dad!  NOPE.....she told me in no uncertain terms how much she loved that name. She went on to say it was a strong name, one that represented generations of hardworking people and that she was very proud of it.  Wow, I had been an immature example of seeing through a glass darkly!  I no longer looked on the superficial concerning my name, and to this day, I see clearly about its impact on who I am.

There is great importance in a name.  Ask any one who doesn't like theirs.   In the Bible it says in 1Samuel 25:25 "May the lord pay no attention to that wicked man Nabal.  He is just like his name - his name is Fool, and folly goes with him:"  I wouldn't suggest Nabal for a name.  It also says in Ecclesiastes 7:1 " A good name is better then fine perfume.

What is the name above all names?  The precious name of Jesus!  At the very name of Jesus every knee shall bow (Philippians 2:10).  There is power in the name of Jesus, even the demons submit in His name. (Luke 10:17).   He has been given power over everything!
I close this post with a scripture written on our hearts, the scripture that assures us of the importance of His holy name.
Acts 4:12 (NIV)
"Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men which we must be saved". 

Don't be offended, please...

Today is my last Tidbit post and then I will be sending the package on its way to the next sister.  I wanted to share one last tidbit/s that I have found to be helpful in my journey and I hope that in a small way it helps someone else.  As some of you know and others may have guessed...I am not the most tactful of persons...ahem...I am quick to say what comes to mind and that not always with a lot of thought beforehand.  I have even been accused of, God forbid...insensitivity...and alas, I fear it is true....
I am basically straightforward and not very easily offended and find it very curious when others are not like me...needless to say...there have been plenty of opportunities for me to offend... almost everyone I have ever known. 
Besides being pretty hard to offend....I am smart.....and I get things right...a lot....so putting that combination together you have an insensitive and arrogant person who often finds herself in the position of getting into discussions, arguments and even basic conversations that don't end well.   Sigh....I know its true..and so do some of you... ;)   Thank God I have the Lord to speak to my heart and temper me somewhat.....otherwise by this point in my life no one would be speaking to me!

Anyway.... here is what I have learned from years of dealing with the fallout of having these characteristics....First and foremost...there is no need disclaiming what I said or why I said it...someone has been offended or hurt...and amends must be made...it is unacceptable (in my world anyways) to continue on with problems or pain between myself and another ...be it co worker, family member, brother or sister in the Lord...no matter.  
Here is how I have learned to handle these situations.....Even if I am right...even if they have completely misunderstood me....even if it is not my fault at all......I admit to being wrong and apologize....for something...for anything...it doesn't really matter what as long as it is truthful.....i.e. there was something I could have done differently or said differently....there is some acceptance of their position I can acknowledge...there always is ....and there is always some area I can admit to being wrong in because there is some area I am wrong in....In so doing, some respect can be shown and I am often able to open a door to reconciliation.
Secondly...I soften my tone....scripture says "a soft answer turns away wrath" and this is so true.  I tend to get overly passionate and excited about a subject and get louder and louder to make a point...this is not very conducive to reconciling with someone who is feeling overwhelmed or put upon.... :)
So when in pursuit of your point or your own right-ness....or even a very good idea...if you offend someone along the way remember these tidbits.....
Accept responsibility for something and apologize...
and soften your tone....
Peace is so much easier to come by when you do.

Love you girls...and I surely do pray none of you are offended.  ;)

Its in your hands

I have had several single women of varying ages live in my home over the years...
One day I clearly heard a word from the Lord regarding one of my single housemates who was acting strangely distant....The Lord said to me...."she needs human touch" ... that seemed weird....but it was clear...so that evening I took the opportunity when we were cleaning the kitchen to take a moment, give her a quick a hug and tell her how much I appreciated her help....

I once had a little girl who was growing distant from me....she was non responsive to bedtime kisses and rarely needed a hug.....she was growing farther and farther from me and she was still very young....
So every night at bedtime I began a campaign of human contact...snuggling her, kissing and hugging her and such......she became a warm cuddly sweet little girl who loved her mommy's attention...as it should be....

My husband and I don't always see eye to eye....;)  and its sometimes difficult for us to come to a compromise or even an understanding between us...but I have found that laying a hand on his arm especially during and argument can be a powerful message...it conveys, warmth...it says we may not be in agreement but I love you...it says so much...

over the years I have felt this time and again....that a particular person needed human contact, a kiss on the cheek, a squeeze of the hand....an understanding hug,
In all these instances the common denominator is touch...and the tidbit is this...

....never underestimate the power of touch....

We have the power to be Jesus with skin on...right in our own hands.

My momma's wisdom...

Happy New Year, sisters!  How exciting to be the first tidbit poster of 2014!  I have thought long and hard about this adventure and was just a little confused by the instructions, scriptures etc... however here is what I have arrived at...I will post a thing or two I have learned from those who have traveled before me and I will post a thing or two that I have learned myself along the way that have greatly impacted my life.  How's that?  :) 
Today I want to share something my momma has taught me and my sisters...words she has always shared and words she has lived by...they have stood me in good stead on my journey and even when I have, at times, forgotten them...they have proven to be true over and over again. 

the words are these ...."the arm of flesh will fail you"

Such truth...such everlasting truth....and I, like most of you have learned them well from a young age....there is no man, no woman, no child, no pastor, no friend you can fully rely on...ever....they will disappoint...they will say the wrong thing, they will do the wrong thing ...they will make different choices from yours...they will hurt you...again and again.....such is the human condition...it is eternally broken and cannot hope to yield full loyalty, love, or support...it is impossible.....so why do we repeatedly hope and trust ..that this time will be different......we go along for extended periods of time and all seems well...it seems we are on a proper path with a person, a group, a church.....we find common ground...we find joy together...we pray for the spiritual among the temporal...and we forget...we forget that we are all human and that eventually...eventually...there will be failure....failure to communicate...failure to agree, failure to support....failure to love....Flesh/humans...will always fail.  It is, unfortunately part of the effect of sin in this world.

I once had a minister who said..."look around this room....eventually, everyone of these people will leave you"  He was right...

I know.... all this sounds fatalistic....and I suppose that in this world that is true.....But God......

Thank God for Jesus Christ!  

My mother's great lesson to us as her children was not limited to reminding us over and over that man would always ultimately let us down and disappoint us....
No, her greater lesson to us was this....God, our Lord, our Father, our Savior....would NEVER let us down...He alone is faithful, He alone is true...He alone is a constant friend and companion...He always understands...He always provides...He Never leaves us or forsakes us....He Never Fails.   

Consequently...when ever man has hurt me, let me down, forsaken or failed me...I have been reminded that He alone is Always there....the one who sticks closer than a brother...and He will never let me down.  

So be encouraged, my sisters....even if you find yourselves lonely in this walk....or at odds with those you have in the past walked in agreement with...even distanced from long time family or friends....Remember in this new year, that He is in us and near us.  Put your hope and trust in Him alone and He who is Perfect Love...can never Fail!

2 Tim. 2:13 ... "yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself."