MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL / Mrs Sylvia Wells

Mrs Sylvia Wells

Pastor's Wife

Parkside Baptist Church

Mesquite, TX

 

 

MIRROR, MIRROR ON THE WALL

 

Ps 139:14
“I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvelous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.”

Looking in the Mirror?  What do you do? 

1. For the Face:  Cleanser to Clean 
 We want our face to be clean before we put our make-up on.
 What about our spiritual being?
Salvation
Ps 51:10, “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
 We need to be saved to be clean!
2 Cor 6:2, “(For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)”
 The Bible tells us that NOW is the day of salvation.
 Before we can even begin to clean up our life spiritually we must be saved.
 We should ask Christ to come into our heart and save us.

2. Foundation - To Begin
 Usually we don’t just jump right into putting our make-up on without putting on the foundation.  Some ladies will wear the foundation even without the rest, but they do put on the foundation.
 What kind of foundation should a Christian have?
 Okay, we are all grown up.  Can we change the way we were reared?  No, of course not.  This is not necessarily the foundation I am speaking of.  What kind of foundation do we have every day. We can change our foundation for each day that we live.
If we get up in a grumpy mood…yes, we do that sometimes…we should get a good foundation by our...
 BIBLE READING 
Josh 1:8, “This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.”
 We should read the Bible daily.  Get up when that alarm clock goes off.  Don’t hit the snooze 5 times.  Get up in time to start your day off right.
 I have to get up before my family or I am in trouble.  I need to read my Bible before they get up or I will get involved with them and not take the time to do it.  Then the day has gone by without me taking the time to read my Bible.

 PRAYER
Ps 5:2-3, “Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray. My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.”
 We need to pray to God.  Yes, Bible reading is important, but many times we leave out the prayer time.  I don’t mean we don’t pray.  I mean we don’t take the time that we should in prayer.  If we were to be honest with ourselves and God we would all have to say that we don’t spend enough time in prayer.
 LEARN THE BIBLE
Ps 25:4-5, “Shew me thy ways, O LORD; teach me thy paths.  Lead me in thy truth, and teach me: for thou art the God of my salvation; on thee do I wait all the day.
God has it in His Word the way we should live.  We need to get in it and find out what He wants us to do.

3. Blush - To set a glow (our next step looking in the mirror)
Our countenance should show the joy we have.
Neh 8:10, “...for the joy of the LORD is your strength.”
Ps 43:5, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”
“To the Oriental the countenance mirrors, even more than to us the character and feelings of the heart.” 
 Our countenance can do many things.  I think more than we realize.  
  You can complain with your countenance. 
  You can be excited by your countenance.
  You can be pleased with your countenance.
  You can be displeased with your countenance.
  You can correct with your countenance.
 You know, with having four children to grow up in the house they can read my face.  They know if I am displeased with something they have done without me saying a word.  
 Have you ever had someone come up to you and ask what was wrong? Yet you did not say anything.
 Our countenance should reveal to others WHOSE side we are on.

4. Lip Gloss or Lip Stick - 
 We don’t want to over do it.
 Use our mouths to tell others.
Matt 28:19, “Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost:”
 We have a mouth and we should use it for the right thing.  We are to be “prudent” -  Definition - To be practically wise; cautious; careful of the consequences of measures or actions.  Proverbs 31:26, "She openeth her mouth with wisdom; and in her tongue is the law of kindness."
 Gives good godly advice.  Not personal opinions but Bible answers.
 We should never gossip.  Boy, is this ever hard for the female.  We always want to tell, did you hear about so and so?  We try to put a spiritual twist on it.  We
will say you need to pray for so and so.  Her and her husband are not getting along.  They may even get a divorce.  Maybe all you heard was that they had had a disagreement about something.  
James 3:6, "And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell."
 We all possess the ability to hurt someone or to destroy someone by this object.  Our tongue.  
 The language that we allow to come out of our mouth should be guarded.  I don’t want my children calling each other names.  It may not be curse words they are calling their brother or sister, but it is wrong.  
 We as adults use words that children should not be allowed to use, so why should we use them?
 My children have caught me calling a name to someone. You know when you are driving down the road and someone cuts you off or does something crazy like that.  What do we do?  We say stupid idiot.  Right?  But if one of my kids were to call someone that, they would have to pay the consequences.
 We need to bridle our tongue.
Ps 39:1, “I said, I will take heed to my ways, that I sin not with my tongue: I will keep my mouth with a bridle, while the wicked is before me.”

5. Eyes - Don’t take anything IN your eyes that would be harmful.
Ps 101:3, “I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes: I hate the work of them that turn aside; it shall not cleave to me.”
Ps 121:1-2, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.”
 What do we allow to go in our eye sockets?
 You know when checking out, the covers of these magazines that are out on the shelf at Wal-Mart and grocery stores, are not the things we should be allowing to go in our eyes.  I am surprised at the amount of flesh that they allow to be shown.  As my kids were growing up they would even make comment.  I remember one time my daughter was at the check out counter with me.  She reached up and was turning the magazines around, only to find out that the back cover was just as bad as the front.
 There are times that we don’t plan to see things but the world puts it out there for us to see.  We need to guard our eyes.
 Then there are times when we are alone and we want to watch that movie.  No one is looking.  No one will know.  
 GOD IS LOOKING!!!
 What kind of books do we read?  Yes, we can read books other than the Bible, but we don’t need to read these fantasy romance novels.   Your marriage is not going to be like that.  Remember these are just books.

6. Ears
Ps 5:1-2, “Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.  Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.”
Matt 11:15, “He that hath ears to hear, let him hear.”
 What are we listening to?
 Earlier we mentioned about not speaking gossip.  I believe it is just as wrong to listen to it.  You say, “But I don’t repeat anything I hear.”    I say, what do you think about every time you see that person that was talked about?
 Don’t listen to negativity or criticism.  If others are coming to you with negative talk, you may want to reevaluate yourself.  Ask yourself, “Why are they coming to me?”  Don’t become a listening ear to the critic.
 What kind of music do you listen to?
Col 3:16, “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”
 We need to listen to the right kind of talk and the right kind of music.  Just because something says Christian does not mean it is Christian.

 I could continue with the rest of us, by looking into a full-length mirror, our hair, our body, our hands, our feet, etc.   
 We need to be sure that we are looking at the mirror of the Word of God for our spiritual mirror to reveal the imperfections that we need to work on daily.  We cannot change them over night, but we should work on correcting them. 

Remember to Keep Christ in Christmas / Geri Jean Sanderson

 

Geri Jean Sanderson

Pastor's Wife

First Baptist Church

Troy, Illinois

 

 

Remember to Keep Christ in Christmas

 

How is your Countenance through the month of December?  Do you get stressed and forget to have fun, laugh, and smile?  I know my human heart gets stressed.  I need to Merrily Ask the Saviour to help me have a hopeful, praising, healthy countenance.  In Psalms 42:5, 11, and 43:5 three times God has to remind me....  "Why art thou cast down, O my soul?  and why art thou disquieted within me?  HOPE in God:  for I shall yet PRAISE him, who is the HEALTH of my COUNTENANCE, and my God."  ....  To be hopeful is to desire something.  To praise is to edify someone.  To have health is a  condition of well being in body and mind.  To have a good countenance you must smile.  This is something I am striving to do this Christmas.  Christmas begins with Christ!  and ends with Mas!  Where is the MAS in your Christmas?  Merrily Ask the Saviour!!!  1 John 3:22 "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight."

Psalm 66:18 "If I regard (hold) iniquity (sin) in my heart, the Lord will not hear me."  John 16:24 "Hitherto have ye asked nothing in my name:  ask, and ye shall receive, that your joy may be full."

Things to help me:

1.  Have my time with God daily (coffee too)

2.  Listen to Godly Christmas Music

3.  Make a list of most important people to share presents with (make a budget and don't over spend)

4.  Make cookies and give them away

5.  Think about favorite things:  family, traditions, making memories, friends, church services, church activities, passing out tracts, fun food (coconut pie, pecan pie, ginger snaps, sugar cookies decorated with almond icing, all homemade of course) I'm a good Baptist!!!  Love my Christmas Sugar!!!  Mangers, decorated trees, lights, wreaths, snowmen, cards, programs, caroling, good Christmas movies, seeing who can have the best point on a candy cane, a lit fire place, hot cocoa with marshmallows....

This year Merrily Ask the Saviour to help you not be stressed with money, shopping, and all the busy activities.  Hope and Praise with a healthy Countenance.  Laugh, Smile, Have fun, and Make Joyful Christmas Memories with the Saviour's help.

 

 

"Merrily, Merrily, I say unto you Merrily, Merrily, message ever new;  He that believeth on the Son 'tis true, Hath everlasting life."  The song writer used Verily which means truly, but for Christmas you could have fun and sing "Merrily"

The Balancing Act / Mrs Kelly Gray

 

Mrs Kelly Gray

Pastor's Wife

Longview Baptist Temple

Longview, TX

 

The Balancing Act

By Kelly Gray 

Life in general is a balancing act.  When  you  throw in a husband, who is a pastoring, children, married kids, a special needs son,  grandkids,  a job,  elderly parents, and then the ministry it is definitely a daily challenge.  

I could describe it as a roller coaster.  You get on anticipating the worst and you have your ups and downs and then you finally get to the end and begin to breathe again.  Then it starts over again and over again and away you go! Wheeeeeeee!!!!!

I’ve been married 28 years and we enter the ministry 3 months after we married.  I wasn’t ready for that yet , but we knew that is what God wanted for us. We were in the youth ministry for 22 years and now  pastoring  for the past 6 years. We have learned pastoring is  definitely a balancing act.  It’s fresh and new everyday!   No day is the same.  New people, new problems, babies, graduations, birthday parties, hospital visits, hospice care, weddings, and funerals encompass our days.   

We had three children in that busy life and they all are in their 20’s now.  Our daughter DeAnna , 27 is married  to Josh Doyle our church Bus Director.  They also have two boys and a little girl Natalie , due to come before Christmas. Our youngest son  Jordan 21. stays busy with work,  Bible College and a long distance relationship.   Our Special Gift from God -R.G. is 24.  He  has had 24 surgeries as of  today.  He will always live with us and will need our caretaking.     So our lives are definitely a Balancing Act.   

I could give with 10 steps to a Balanced Life but anyone who knows me would know that is not even in my vocabulary and would probably be laughing through the whole article.     

The verse that has helped me to stay focus would have to be I Corinthians 15:58.   I have claimed it as my life verse for years.  The longer I serve the Lord the more I am reminded why I chose this verse, it says,  “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast,  unmoveable, , always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

1-Be Stedfast –dutifully firm and unwavering.  Be consist with your Christian life not wavering with every wind of doctrine, lifestyle even your dress standard.  I know I am an  example to  my husband, kids, grandkids and my siblings and even those in the church who may just see me on Sundays.  

2-Strive to be Unmoveable. Don't be affected by emotion or excitement with everything that is going on around you.  

3-Always Abound.  Be thankful for where God has brought you & keep serving the Lord.   

4-Remember your labor is not in Vain.  God is our ultimate reward.  Remember it is all for him. He should get the honor and glory for all we do for him.   

We lost a dear lady in our church this week to cancer just a couple years older than I. Hers sons went to school with our daughter and we share  many memories together.   We visited her often and just saw her in a hospice care center a couple days before she went to heaven.  We definitely have to balance our life in the ministry. I just got off the phone with a sweet wife who is sitting by her husband side the past couple months watching him have stroke after stroke and there is nothing else doctors can do for him.  She is waiting for him to go to heaven with no more suffering.  It would be easy to get so discourage with those losing loved ones,  but I know there is a better place and we have hope.  We also just had a wedding in our church last night for sweet young lady raised in our church with  a new home to start a family in.  We have to be able to balance those different stages of life and try and be there for those in need.   

We have a special needs sons who’s health is not good at this time.  Through the years we never know when we may end up in the hospital with him so I have had to balance things in my life. Realizing even when I needed to give up a Sunday school class because they need more than a teacher, they need someone who is faithful each and every week. There have been times through the years that I knew I couldn’t be there for them because of R.G.’s health so I would have to step aside. I wish I could say I have always done a good job but I have failed .  Still I have learned through the years.  We have had Family and great friends who will pick up where I can’t do what I need to do at times.   Being a wife is my #1 responsiblility I must make sure my husband is cared  for even though I have a full plate . He needs be feel that I am taking care of him and all he needs.   Also a pastors wife, a daughter, a mom and even anticipating the birth of our granddaughter this month, is all we have on our  plate right now.  Christmas parties and activity at the church also, our school, college is all a Balancing Act.  You have to realize what is the most important in your life and that you can try to be “Super Woman” but you can’t always do that.  Take care of yourself for those who need you most and realize the Lord is where you get your daily strengthen to make it through all he has for you. 

Psalms 138:7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shall stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.   

There is this story I use when I speak about our son R.G. it’s called “My trip to Holland”.  It just came to my mind and I guess you could this story for the ministryalso and how you may balance your life with a family and being in the ministry.  It’s a different place and you just make the best of it. 

~My Trip to Holland~

I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a disability — to try to help people who have not shared that unique experience to understand

it, to imagine how it would feel. It’s like this…

When you’re going to have a baby, it’s like planning a fabulous vacation trip to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make your wonderful plans… the Coliseum, the Sistine Chapel, Gondolas. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It’s all very exciting. After several months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives.

You pack your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The stewardess comes in and says, “Welcome to Holland!” “Holland?” you say. “What do you mean, Holland? I signed up for Italy. I’m supposed to be in Italy. All my life I’ve dreamed of going to Italy.” But there’s been a change in the flight plan. They’ve landed in Holland and there you must stay. The important thing is that they haven’t taken you to a horrible, disgusting, filthy place full of pestilence, famine, and disease. It’s just a different place.

So, you must go out and buy new guidebooks. And you must learn a whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you would never have met. It’s just a different place. It’s slower paced than Italy, less flashy than Italy. But after you’ve been there for a while and you catch your breath, you look around. You begin to notice that Holland has windmills. Holland has tulips. And Holland even has Rembrandts. But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy, and they’re all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And for the rest of your life you will say, ” Yes, that’s where I was supposed to go. That’s what I had planned.”

And the pain of that experience will never, ever, ever, go away. The loss of that dream is a very significant loss. But if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn’t get to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very lovely things about Holland.

Take everyday and give it to the Lord ask him to use you to make others lives better and remember every opportunity God has allowed into your life just Balance it do the best you can to serve Him!