Chores

Monday – Wash Day: Lord, help me to wash away all my selfishness and vanity, so I may serve you with perfect humility through the week ahead.

Tuesday – Ironing Day: Dear Lord, help me to iron out all the wrinkles of prejudice I have collected through the years so that I may see the beauty in others.

Wednesday – Mending Day: O God, help me to mend my ways so I will not set bad example for others.

Thursday – Cleaning Day: Lord Jesus, help me to dust out all the many faults I have been hiding in the secret corners of my heart.

Friday – Shopping Day: O God, give me the grace to shop wisely so I may purchase eternal happiness for myself and all others in need of love.

Overcoming Lust – Part Two

“How can a young person stay pure? By obeying your word, O LORD, and following its rules.” – [esvignore]Psalm 119:9[/esvignore]

It’s not easy for children and young people to stay sexually pure in our society today. We live in a society saturated with sex and violence. No wonder the number of children accused of sex crimes has grown by 40 per cent in the past twenty years. Many of the accused were themselves victims of adult sexual predators.

Dr. Sharon Araji, an Alaska psychologist who took one of the first broad looks at the problem in her book “Sexually Aggressive Children,” thinks the number of child-on-child sex crimes is actually even higher than the statistics indicate. Only 28 per cent of all violent sexual assaults are reported to police, according to a 1999 National Crime Victimization Survey. And cases of incest between siblings are widely thought to be underreported and may drive the number even higher, Dr. Araji believes. “The whole society is not yet up on this problem,” she says. “These kids, on the extreme end, if nothing is done to catch them, they’re going to become our adult offender of tomorrow.”

Overcoming Lust – Part One

Jesus taught the people: “You have heard that it was said, `Do not commit adultery,’ but I say to you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” – Matthew 5:27-28

One of the things I just love about Jesus is that he was fearless when it came to tackling tough issues. Jesus never dodged the bullet or softened the truth. He just said it straight. And that’s exactly what he does in his Sermon on the Mount as he tackles issues of sexuality and fidelity. These are hard words, but words we need to hear in a sexually charged culture bent on doing what feels good and what is convenient, neither of which is a good measure of God’s best for us.

God’s Good Gift of Sex

“Each of you should learn to control his own body in a way that is holy and honorable…” [esvignore]1 Thessalonians 4:4[/esvignore]

When our middle son was about four years old, he intentionally climbed on top of the stove to reach a high cupboard where we kept the Flintstone vitamins. Our son liked those Flintstone vitamins. And while he knew he wasn’t supposed to be in that cabinet, those little vitamins were loaded with sugar and they tasted mighty good.

So he ate about 20 of them. They were sure good going down. And they were sure colorful, but not so good coming back up. He was one sick little boy.

The Faith of a Child

The father, a well digger,
Strong was he,
And as loving and kind
As a father could be.

And Mary his daughter,
Just five years old,
Was very much dearer
Than millions in gold.

To Mary her father
Was big, grand and nice,
So each had a treasure,
Beyond any price.

One day to the well,
Little Mary was sent
To take daddy’s lunch,
How gladly she went.

But when she looked down,
Not a thing could be seen.
The well, like a pocket,
Was dark as could be.

The father saw Mary
And heard her voice, too,
But made not a sound,
Just to see what she’d do.

She dropped to her knees,
The dear little soul,
And called down, “Oh, Daddy,
Are you down this hole?”

“Why, yes Mary darling,
I’m here at your feet,
Just drop my lunch
For I’m ready to eat.

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