The Howell Blessings

Five Minute  Friday . One word. Five Minutes.  Today’s Word, “VIEW”... Go! Once it was large, now it has narrowed down to a small endless tunnel. Once it was funded, now it must increase it's faith to be fulfilled. Once it was dictated to, now the possibilities are endless. Once it was sure, now, not so sure. Once it was supported, now no one knows what to support. This view, once so certain in it's picture now teeters between "what ifs" and "only ifs". Funny how just when we think we have things figured out, God changes our view. But my view is His face. When I look into it, the views of this world grow strangely dim. I'll trust Him with my future views and enjoy where I have to go to see them. Stop.

What EVER!  How many of us have said or even thought this modern phrase?  This  passive-aggressive  phrase is used so often these days and is used in place of "I really don't care" to "I'm not going to admit I'm wrong, so stop talking now." and worse still, an expletive I won't even try to explain. I know I've been guilty of it more times than I care to admit.  It is at best, disrespectful and at worst, vulgar. When we are in Christ, we should strive to constantly renew our minds to line up with the will of God.   A couple of weeks ago on our online bible study (OBS) our reflection verse was Romans 12:2. It says " Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect." When we live in this world, it is so hard to separate ourselves from the daily barrage of vulga...

Week 6 of the OBS Stressed-Less Living by Tracie Miles  gets us into the chapter "I Can Do It Myself....Or Can I?". Tracie describes her young son trying to tie his own shoes when he was at a stage where he was not yet able to. Then when he was offered help he would get frustrated and proclaim "I can do it myself!" Not that long ago I found myself frustrated with just about everything that was happening around me. I thought after quitting working for someone else since I was 14 would be liberating, so why was I so irritated all the time? I was irritated so frequently that I was becoming frustrated with myself for being so irritated! I felt like I was in a downward spiral and wasn't sure how to climb back up.   Frustration is defined as: The feeling of being upset or annoyed, especially because of inability to change or achieve something. Well that fit me to a "T". It's been a little over a year since I quit my corporate job and I am just begin...

Week five of the online bible study with Melissa Taylor  brought us to Chapter 5 in the book Stressed-Less Living, Finding God’s Peace in Your Chaotic World by Tracie Miles  This chapter titled “Take Back Your Life” was filled with so much insight it’s hard to unwrap it all.  One of the sentences in this chapter that really hit me was: ·       “True faith is not passive, but active…” The Dictionary defines faith as “ complete trust or confidence in someone or something” and “ belief that is not based on proof”. The biblical definition of faith can be found In Hebrews chapter 11 verse 1. Here the Greek translation is telling us that faith is both the substance of things hoped for and the evidence that things exist that are not yet perceived with the senses. We all have faith in something. We can’t see love, but we have faith that our parents and/or spouses hold it for us.  We can’t see air, but we have faith that whe...

Romans 12:2 was one  (of many) of my momma's favorite scriptures. Mom would spend hours in the word, verse mapping, praying scripture, and journaling what she received from God.  She always tried to encourage me to start my day out with God, spending time in His word, renewing my mind.  She always said, “You can’t know God’s will if you don’t know God’s heart”.  Mom often likened knowing someone had spent time with God by having God’s fragrance on them. Have you ever hugged someone and his or her cologne or perfume rubbed off on you? A sure sign that you were close to that person. When we spend time with God getting close to Him through His word, His fragrance rubs off on us too. By spending time with God, in His word, listening for His word to us, we are renewing (starting over, refurbishing) our minds.  When we do this, it is then that we get to know God’s character. And by knowing His character we can then test (take measures to check the ...