A little background before I get into my internal struggle that I most recently encountered.  1) Every night I ask God for forgiveness for the things I did or didn’t do that caused Him pain, same for my words and thoughts.  Next, I ask Him to search my heart, mind and soul and ask if there’s anything there that is not  of Him to please remove it and replace it with the fruits of the Spirit.  2) I am in most part a happily married person.  My marriage isn’t perfect, but I can’t imagine my life without him.

So what transpired happened pretty innocently.  Whenever I get groceries I always ask my hubby if there’s anything he would like.  One day he started requesting some microwavable meals so he could just pop them in when he took his lunch.  I was so excited! Most of the kids are gone and our son was doing his own meal plan and cooking for himself.. I wouldn’t have to think of what to make, did a customer come when the food was ready, was he too busy to come in at that time…none of that!  Just make my own meal and make dinner one day a week when all the kids come over for the day.

Well, as time went on there would be some days that I wasn’t home to make supper.  All was good – he did have his own food to make, but suddenly when I was thinking of what to make one afternoon I started getting these thoughts in my head such as: don’t worry about it – he’s got his meals, remember that time you spent all that time cooking and when he came in and said he wasn’t hungry, or that time when you tried a new recipe and he refused to eat it?  Remember how that made you feel?  I knew right away those thoughts weren’t right and wondered where were they coming from.  When I would cook something, I started feeling bitter and started giving in to those thoughts and I would cook less and less.  I knew something was going on inside, but why were things and feelings from the past coming up?  We weren’t fighting, everything was fine…except not cooking.

I asked God how and why was I feeling this bitterness.  These things happened in the past and I thought I had forgiven him long ago.  The words that came to mind, were: get rid of bitterness and malice; the heart is deceitful.  Of course I don’t know where these are located, so I googled the words and got the following verses:

Ephesians 4:31-32

Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and railing, be put away from you with all malice; and be tenderhearted, forgiving each other, even as God also in Christ forgave you.

Jeremiah 17:9

The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick: who can understand it?’’ Like I said before, I thought I had forgiven him.  Was it possible that I was still holding a grudge?  I know the enemy likes to use our emotions and the past against us.  Was this the enemy?  I then started asking God to Help me get rid of those thoughts and feelings, and if I truly didn’t forgive him before, to help me do it now.

Todd gave me a lot of grace until he finally ran out and confronted me about it.  I didn’t argue with him.  Instead I agreed and said I knew it was a problem.  I told him of everything I said here and would really try to do much better.  Since that time, I’m back to making meals about 90% of the time.  I can see he does appreciate the meals and is going out of his way to compliment and thank me.  I am thankful that it finally came to ahead and I was able to express my feelings and he was understanding.  Thank You, God, for another prayer answered.

If this was the enemy, he no longer has the power of those feelings.  If this was God making me deal with a grudge I was holding, He made a way to deal with it and is making my life better and my marriage stronger.  To that, I say Amen!

My advise: No matter how small and petty something is bothering you; ask God for help.

By Spiritual Ministry Team Member

Jeanette Cory

IT is summer time and so I thought I would share one of my favorite summer devotions from “Rylisms”….

“Who’s Your Caddy?”

“Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ — whether to the right or to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21, New Living Translation).

Tommy Bolt, winner of the 1958 US Open, tells the story of an incident he had with a caddy during one of his tournaments. This was before professional golfers had their own caddies as they do today. Bolt arrived at the venue for the tournament and was approached by a youngster, “Mr. Bolt, you need a caddy, sir?”

The lad seemed unseasoned, so Bolt replied, “I’ll let you know, kid.” He then went to the caddy master and asked about the youngster. “He’s a real good caddy,” the man said, “knows the course, the greens, and the rules of the game. But he talks a lot.”

So Bolt went back to the youngster and said, “You can caddy for me on one condition: Don’t say a word.”

The kid accepted and carried the bag for the Open champion. The first round went well, as did the second, and third. Bolt was in contention in the fourth round, when an errant tee shot landed in the woods. The ball was sitting down in the rough, with a risky shot to the green, which was guarded by water on the right.

Bolt asked the kid, “You think a five iron will do the trick?” The kid shook his head no, but never said a word. “What, you want me to hit a six iron?” Again, the kid shook his head no, but did not speak. Bolt grabbed a six iron a lashed the ball out of the rough and landed on the green, rolling to about three feet for a birdie. As they walked to the green, Bolt said, “Aren’t you going to say something now, after seeing a shot like that?”

The kid then replied, “Mr. Bolt, that wasn’t your ball.”

Many of us go through life with a Caddy we never let speak. He is the Holy Spirit, and we would listen to Him, engaged in an ongoing conversation, He would save us many penalty strokes on the Links of Life.

Is that a five iron in your hand?

Praying For You to have Your Game On,

Pastor Daren

Three like seven represents completeness.  The number 3 in the Bible generally conveys themes of divine perfection, completeness and God’s profound involvement in the world.  Three, The Holy Trinity: Father, Son and the Holy Spirit.  There is one God who eternally exists as three distinct persons.  Three crosses on the hill, Jesus rose on the third day, three gifts to Jesus: gold, frankincense, and myrrh, God’s promises to Abraham, Jacob and Isaac for the chosen people of Israel, three days Jonah spent in the great fish, three weeks of mourning by Daniel, Jesus was tempted by Satan three times in the wilderness and the list goes on.

At the Last Supper, Jesus said the two people would betray him.  As the scripture plays out we know, one was Judas (for “30” pieces of silver) and the other was Peter (denied Jesus “3” times before the rooster crowed.  Both betrayed Jesus, but it is how they handled the ABC’s that made the difference.

Here is the parable or prophecy Jesus was teaching: Judas took the greed of this world (monetary value) and he eventually felt remorse.

Matthew 27:3-5 ³ When Judas, who had betrayed him, saw that Jesus was condemned, he was seized with remorse and returned the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and the elders. ⁴ “I have sinned,” he said, “for I have betrayed innocent blood.” “What is that to us?” they replied. “That’s your responsibility.”⁵ So Judas threw the money into the temple and left. Then he went away and hanged himself.

You see, Judas thought he could do it all himself, as he did the “A” and admitted he was a sinner and repented by returning the money and saying he done wrong, BUT  he turned to man and himself for repentance. (When he returned the money to the chief priest and the elders and stated, “I have sinned and betrayed innocent blood.” Their reply was “What is that to us?  That is your responsibility.”  You see, they didn’t forgive or console him and he couldn’t forgive himself so he hanged himself.  Judas never Came Back to Jesus, the “C” of the ABC’s-CALL UPON HIS NAME FOR SALVATION.

Matthew 26:24 ²⁴ The Son of Man will go just as it is written about him. But woe to that man who betrays the Son of Man! It would be better for him if he had not been born.”

Peter and the ABC’s.

Peter wept bitterly, showing remorse and repentance the “A” of the ABC’s, admitting he is a sinner. He also came back to Jesus, admitting that he needed a savior.

John 21:14-17 ¹⁴ This was now the third time Jesus appeared to his disciples after he was raised from the dead. ¹⁵ When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, “Simon son of John, do you love me more than these?” “Yes, Lord,” he said, “you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my lambs.”¹⁶ Again Jesus said, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” He answered, “Yes, Lord, you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Take care of my sheep.”¹⁷ The third time he said to him, “Simon son of John, do you love me?” Peter was hurt because Jesus asked him the third time, “Do you love me?” He said, “Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you.” Jesus said, “Feed my sheep.

Jesus asked three times, “Do you love me?”  One for every time Per denied him “3”, Peter affirmed, recognizing He is the Lord, Completing the “C” of the ABC’s.  That he can not do it all himself. He needs the Lord.  Being obedient (worship) now we can understand why the 3 times…the res of the story.

Matthew 16:18 ¹⁸ And I tell you that you are Peter,^[a] and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades^[b] will not overcome it.

What category do you fall under?  Worldly pride? Or Humble salvation?

IT is summer time and so I thought I would share one of my favorite summer devotions from “Rylisms”….

“Who’s Your Caddy?”

“Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, ‘This is the way you should go,’ — whether to the right or to the left.” (Isaiah 30:21, New Living Translation).

Tommy Bolt, winner of the 1958 US Open, tells the story of an incident he had with a caddy during one of his tournaments. This was before professional golfers had their own caddies as they do today. Bolt arrived at the venue for the tournament and was approached by a youngster, “Mr. Bolt, you need a caddy, sir?”

The lad seemed unseasoned, so Bolt replied, “I’ll let you know, kid.” He then went to the caddy master and asked about the youngster. “He’s a real good caddy,” the man said, “knows the course, the greens, and the rules of the game. But he talks a lot.”

So Bolt went back to the youngster and said, “You can caddy for me on one condition: Don’t say a word.”

The kid accepted and carried the bag for the Open champion. The first round went well, as did the second, and third. Bolt was in contention in the fourth round, when an errant tee shot landed in the woods. The ball was sitting down in the rough, with a risky shot to the green, which was guarded by water on the right.

Bolt asked the kid, “You think a five iron will do the trick?” The kid shook his head no, but never said a word. “What, you want me to hit a six iron?” Again, the kid shook his head no, but did not speak. Bolt grabbed a six iron a lashed the ball out of the rough and landed on the green, rolling to about three feet for a birdie. As they walked to the green, Bolt said, “Aren’t you going to say something now, after seeing a shot like that?”

The kid then replied, “Mr. Bolt, that wasn’t your ball.”

Many of us go through life with a Caddy we never let speak. He is the Holy Spirit, and we would listen to Him, engaged in an ongoing conversation, He would save us many penalty strokes on the Links of Life.

Is that a five iron in your hand?

Praying For You to have Your Game On,

Pastor D.L. Barnett