You Reap What You Sow

Wow, has it really been 11 days since I last posted?  It just seems that time is going faster and faster these days.  A lot of things have been going on.  My son celebrated his 22nd birthday on September 7 and on September 5, he proposed to his beautiful fiance Brittany.  I am so happy for both of them.  Just this weekend my precious little grandson spent the night with us.  Who ever would have thought that playing Peek-a-Boo at 3:00 in the morning would be so much fun?  Needless to say I was very tired the next day.  Also, my husband went to church with me for the first time on Sunday and I was so happy.  So it has been a wonderful and blessed month so far.  I can't wait to see what other wonderful things the Lord has in store for me and my family.

Which brings me to the topic of this segment of "The Pantry".  During my bible study the last couple of days, this topic has come up again and again in different contexts, but the point is still the same, You Will Reap What You Sow.  2 Corinthians 9:6 (NIV)-Remember this:  Whoever sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and whoever sows generously will also reap generously.  The following is from Joel Osteen's website:  If you believe in faith and keep speaking victory, favor, health and wholeness, you will see positive changes happen in your life.  You will reap a good harvest from the seeds you are sowing.  Wow, doesn't that make you stop and think?

I can honestly tell you that in the last few weeks, there have been times when I have not sown good seed.  There were things that happened that really brought me down and I did not treat my loved ones the way that I should have been treating them.  Why do we always try to hurt the ones we love?  They are the ones that will be by us no matter what.  Trust me, it does not feel good when you realize that the seeds you have sown are not becoming fruitful and the reason for that is because you have not been taking care of them the way that you should.

But as you can tell from the first paragraph of this post, there were some seeds that were sown well and they produced a bountiful harvest.  I never gave up praying that my husband would come to church with me and he did.  Was it when I wanted it to be?  No, it was in God's time.  I was not even expecting him to go with me this past Sunday, so it was such a blessing.  Being a Mom, I have always prayed for my son and that he would have a wonderful life and he is.  My grandson is so very precious to me and I am so grateful to have a wonderful step daughter.  I have wonderful parents and a sister and of course all of my other relatives.  I love my family and I pray daily for them.  I like to think that I am sowing a seed on their behalf no matter what they may need.  So when they are blessed, I give all of the honor and glory to my heavenly Father.

I would like to challenge you today to, think about the seed that your are sowing.  Will you reap a bountiful harvest?  Or do you need to make changes in your sowing?  May God bless you today and bring you joy and peace.

F.R.O.G.

How many of you know what F.R.O.G. stands for?  Several years ago, this was all over the place.  On bracelets, cups, jewelry, you name it and it had F.R.O.G. on it.  It stands for Fully Rely On God.  Take just a minute to reflect on that.  Do you fully rely on God?  If not, what is holding you back?

The bible studies that I have been reading lately have been fantastic.  I am so glad that I make the time to get up everyday and read my bible.  It is so awesome to start your day off on the right foot and with a positive message.  Doing this has helped me to rely on God more than I have in a really long time.  I can't even begin to tell you how much I enjoy just talking to Him while I am driving to work.  It is so freeing.

On August 28, we had one of our church members preach because our Pastor was out of town.  He did an awesome job and preached in 1 Corinthians chapter 15.  My favorite verse from that chapter is verse 58(NIV):  Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm.  Let nothing move you.  Always give yourself fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.  God will give us the strength to stand firm if we will let him.

Another reading from Joyce Meyer on the same day reads as follows:  Your weakness is God's opportunity to show His power!  He is not surprised by them and actually knew all about them before you did.  So you can relax and enjoy your daily while God continues working in you.  Even in our weakest moments, God is there to hold us up and watch over us.

I can assure you that once you choose to Rely on God, nothing in your life will be the same.  He loves you so much and wants you to trust Him with all of your problems, insecurities and weaknesses.  He wants to share in your joys, miracles and happiness.  He does not ever want any of us to go through these good or bad things alone.  He always wants us to trust and rely on Him.

Will you F.R.O.G. today?  If you do, you will be amazed at the wonderful blessings you will receive.