How to Grow Your Nose by Controlling Your Anger - Martin Wiles

He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty. Proverbs 16:32 NKJV

Had I created mine, I would have made it shorter and narrower.

The nose is an interesting part of the body’s anatomy. It continues to grow as a person ages. And I have seen many senior adults with noses that have apparently followed the norm.

As a child, I smelled everything before I ate it. I suppose I thought if it smelled bad, it would taste the same way. Not always true. Since smell is one of the most powerful memory tools, I’m glad—although sometimes sad—that I have a sense of smell. Certain aromas can resurrect things I’ve not thought about in years—or even remembered that I remember.

But growing my nose longer has never entered my mind—but perhaps it should. The Hebrew word for “anger” in the Old Testament means “nostril” or “nose.” According to Hebrew psychology, the nose was the beginning point of anger. One who was slow to anger was long of nose.

An interesting twist on this piece of our anatomy. So interesting that we might indeed wish our noses would keep growing. Anger is one of those God-created emotions that almost everyone struggles with. The emotion itself is neutral, but it is rarely expressed in the same way. Hurt, fear, and frustration resurrect it, and the temptation is to manifest it in ways that will hurt others.

Being slow to anger is an art only God can help us with. We may have genetic propensities or have lived through environmental situations that make it easier for us to express our anger in unhealthy ways, but neither excuses the responsibility for our actions. “I can’t help it” won’t cut the mustard with God. Strength comes from learning to control the emotion.

We can grow our noses by temporarily or permanently stepping away from an explosive situation, by being prayed up ahead of time, by being familiar with what the Bible says about anger, by learning to think before we act, by depending on God’s Spirit to help us do what we might not ordinarily do, and by looking for beneficial ways to express our anger.

Don’t be ashamed of a long nose. It means you’re mastering the anger button.

Father, help me to express my anger in ways that please you and benefit others. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Choosing a Trustworthy Guide - Martin Wiles

The Lord says, “I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. Psalm 32:8 NLT

Although I had never seen this person before, I chose him as a trustworthy guide—at least for the next hour.

My wife and I were on vacation in the mountains of Tennessee and wanted to visit somewhere we hadn’t been before. Forbidden Caverns popped up in our search as near our location and on the way home. I visited caverns as a child, but many years had passed since I had walked beneath the earth’s surface.

We anxiously waited in the lobby for our guide to appear. After he did, he led us down a hallway and stopped us at the end of the ramp. He introduced himself and explained what we would do.

As we toured our designated pathways, I noticed many more walkways spinning off in various directions. Knowing how dark it would be if the electricity failed, I was glad we had a guide who knew the layout, had the means to contact help, and could provide accurate information about the cave’s history and the present forms of life that lived there.

God told David he would guide him along life’s pathway—advising him along the way—and David trusted him to do so. After all, he had guided him while he was a shepherd boy and did the same when he became king of Israel.

God Is Competent

God is a trustworthy guide because he’s competent. Our cave guide didn’t make the cave, but he knew it intimately. He had been trained and could now lead others.

God Is Sovereign

God is sovereign. He made the earth, currently guides all the affairs on earth, and will culminate the end by making a new heaven and a new earth. He is all-wise and all-powerful. He dwells in the future we’ve not experienced. He knows our future, has good plans for our future, and will guide us into it if we let him.

God Is a Helper

God can also provide the help we need along life’s journey. When trials, tribulations, and confusing times affront us, he can give us the power to overcome and the wisdom to make the right decisions.

All the above make God a trustworthy guide. I’ve used maps, people, GPSs, and phone apps to guide me, but they all failed at some point. God never will.

God Is a Guide

Choose God as your trustworthy guide to maneuver you through the often-confusing thing called life.

Father, I trust you to guide me through the dangerous and confusing obstacles along life’s journey. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Banana Nut Bread

 

 

Ingredients

2 1/3 CUP BISQUICK MIX

1/3 CUP VEGETABLE OIL

1 TEASPOON VANILLA

1 ½ CUP MASHED BANANAS

½ CUP PECANS (CHOPPED)

1 CUP SUGAR

3 EGGS

Directions

STIR ALL INGREDIENTS TOGETHER AND BLEND WELL.

BAKE IN A GREASED 9 X 13 PAN OR A LOAF PAN.

BAKE AT 350 FOR 40-45 MINUTES.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Purpose Driven - Martin Wiles

For it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose. Philippians 2:13 NIV

“I’m in the middle of the road with a flat tire. Can you tell Dad to come and help me?”

My daughter was under the gun. She had given her landlord notice that she was moving out by the end of the month. Although she took a few days off from work, she hadn’t finished as much as she anticipated. On her last day off, as she rushed back and forth to the storage shed, a previously patched tire decided to leave her stranded in the middle of the highway—with three children in tow.

My wife and I hurried to her aid—not knowing whether we could help. We both suffer from back injuries, and changing a tire isn’t as easy as it once was—or even possible. I managed to loosen the lug nuts but couldn’t figure out how to remove the jack (what happened to the good old days when everything was simple).

Frustrated, my daughter called a cousin who is a mechanic. Without effort, he removed the jack and changed the tire. When I commented on how easy he made the job look, he said, “Everyone has a purpose.” His was to help people with mechanical issues in their vehicles.

Paul reminds us that God has a purpose for us and works to fulfill it.

Discovering God’s purpose is essential for living the abundant life Jesus promises. God’s ultimate purpose is for everyone to know his Son as their Savior. He works to fulfill that purpose by sending his Spirit to convict people of their sins. He calls some into full-time mission work to take his message of love to those who haven’t heard. He calls others into full-time work to equip believers to do the same in their everyday worlds.

God wants us to know and experience his love, draw closer to him, and then make his love known to the world. We were created to have a relationship with our Creator.

We don’t have to be a career preacher or missionary to share God’s plan with others. Living out God’s love in our actions, attitudes, and words accomplishes his purpose. My cousin can do it as a mechanic. So can the attendant at the office store, the teller at the bank, and the CEO of a major organization. And so can you—wherever God places you.

Don’t wander through life wondering what your purpose is. Live a purpose-driven life now.

Father, help me to live with purpose by making your love known through my daily experiences. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

The Misjudgment - Lynne Phipps

You, then, why do you judge your brother? Or why do you look down on your brother? For we will all stand before God’s judgment seat. Romans 14:10 NIV

As I filled my gas tank at the service station, a lady driving a pickup and pulling a long boat trailer pulled into the pumps closest to the convenience store door. Unfortunately, she misjudged the length of her vehicle and the angle she needed to pull alongside the pumps. The misjudgment caused her to end up with the front passenger side of her truck up on the walkway leading into the store, while the boat trailer on the driver’s side was wedged solidly against the side of the gas pump.  

I wondered how she would get out of this mess. Several men had already gathered around and were assessing the situation, trying to decide the best way to rectify the problem. The poor driver stood to the side, obviously embarrassed by the predicament she had created. My heart went out to her.

Misjudging situations and ascertaining the correct angle for tackling problems can be difficult. It can also be embarrassing, especially when others judge us harshly or unfairly. Something I admit I have been guilty of from time to time. 

As God’s children, however, judging others is not our job. Only God knows the heart, and it is up to him to make judgments. Through our prayers, the Holy Spirit can guide us daily, helping us discern the right angle for tackling any and all problems. He can also remind and nudge us when we are tempted to judge others’ misjudgments.  

The great preacher, John Wesley, wrote, “Do all the good we can, by all the means we can, in all the ways we can, in all the places we can, at all the times we can, to all the people we can, as long as ever we can.” 

Think of ways you can do good rather than judge. 

Father God, thank you for the grace, love, kindness, and mercy you always show when judging me. Please remind me that judging others is never my job. Instead, I am to express the love and goodness of Christ in all I do at all times and in all places. Empower me to do so, as I rely upon the power of your Holy Spirit within me. In Christ’s name, amen.

Lynne Phipps and her family live on a small hobby farm in the heart of Alberta, Canada’s farming country. She has been writing devotions for forty years and never tires of the spiritual correlation the Holy Spirit blesses her with. He uses normal everyday events and the behaviors of the multitude of glorious creatures He has brought across her path to point her to the truths of God. Lynne is a devotion writer for VineWords: Devotions and More, Christian Devotions, and Love Lines from God. 

If you seek hope and healing because of hurts you have faced, then Hurt, Hope, and Healing is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Hearing Voices - Martin Wiles

The Jebusites taunted David, saying, “You’ll never get in here! Even the blind and lame could keep you out!” 2 Samuel 5:6 NLT

When I was a teenager, I found myself hearing voices.

“Let’s get drunk,” said the first voice. The 1970s were in full force. Drinking seemed to be a way of life, so I agreed. And since this voice represented acceptance by my peers, I justified my listening.

Then the voice said, “Let’s do some dope.” I listened again—although I was a little frightened this time. I agreed to the Mary Jane, but nothing more.

“Do you want a smoke?” the voice continued. I did, and for the next decade I kept listening to that voice.

Listening to the wrong voices hindered my walk with the Lord and kept me in chains when I could have been free. David was anointed king and needed a central location for his capital. His sights were on Jerusalem. Trouble was, the Jebusites weren’t interested in giving it up. When he approached the walled city, they told him he’d never get in. But he did because he listened to a more powerful voice.

Training our ears to listen to the right voices is essential for good spiritual health. Many voices vie for our attention—most of them attempting to lead us down paths taking us farther from God.

God’s voice comes through the inner presence of his Spirit and will always agree with what is taught in the Bible. Being familiar with the teachings therein is vital if we’re to hear the right voice. Listening takes a power we don’t have. God, however, can provide the power so we don’t succumb to the wrong voice as Eve did when Satan tempted her, causing her to question God’s directive.

Voices of discouragement are rife—as they were in David’s day. Finding friends and acquaintances who encourage us is important if we’re to make respectable spiritual decisions. We can find them through social media outlets, at churches, in small groups, and through good authors. Voices reminding us about who we are in Christ: a new creation, a masterpiece in the making, a child of God who has worth and has been accepted into his family, and an overcomer of unhealthy habits, addictions, and social mores. Voices that will encourage us to seek God’s guidance in every decision we make.

Hearing voices is acceptable; just make sure you listen to the appropriate ones.

Father, give me wisdom and understanding so that I might hear and listen to the right voices. 

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.

Banana Nut Muffins

 

 

Ingredients

1 BOX SPICE CAKE MIX

2 EGGS

1 CUP MILK

1/3 CUP CHOPPED PECANS

1/3 CUP OIL

1 BANANA (MASHED)

Directions

MIX ALL INGREDIENTS TOGETHER.

POUR INTO GREASED MUFFIN PANS.

BAKE AT 350 DEGREES FOR 15-20 MINUTES.

I invite you to try my book Hurt, Hope, and Healing in eBook or paperback. If you seek hope and healing because of the hurts you have faced, this book is for you. Click on the title above to order your copy. And thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts on Facebook, Twitter, and Linkedin.