Meandering Monday - Meshing Personalities in Relationships - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again. 

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. Psalm 139:14 NLT

I’m an introvert. I thrive on alone time.

I can sit on a mountain peak for hours at a time and feel energized. Or on the back porch of a mountain cabin overlooking the protruding peaks and undulating valleys. No company needed. Curling up in either of these two places or in my recliner at home is perfectly satisfying. No sound required.

My wife, on the other hand, is an extrovert. She thrives on people and noise. She’s a social butterfly. Of course, we complement each other. She makes up for what I lack in social skills, but on the other hand, I remind her of the importance of downtime. We knew each other’s personalities before we married. But if we aren’t vigilant, what attracted us to each other can be a source of conflict in the present.

Meshing personalities begins with recognizing different personalities exist. God made all people wonderfully complex with different body styles and personality types. Extrovert versus introvert. Sensor versus intuitive. Thinker versus feeler. Judger versus perceiver.

Only when I understand the language and actions of a person’s personality—whether it’s my spouse, child, peer, or work partner—can I adequately communicate with them, work with them, appreciate them, and enjoy their company. Knowing the enemy—or in this case the other person’s personality characteristics—is half the battle.

Rather than personality types causing conflicts, they can add spice to relationships and life in general. Had God created us identically, life would be boring. The traits that attract me to others may be the exact things that lead to conflict later if I’m not watchful. Appreciating and complementing the personalities of others and the differences they display, however, will lead to unity and a richer life.

When others’ differences seem to get in the way, remember God made us as we are. Seek peace, not conflict.

Prayer: God of wonder and beauty, help us use our differences to make this world a better place.

Tweetable: How well do you work with different personalities? 

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7-Up Cake

 

Ingredients

1 BOX DUNCAN HINES LEMON CAKE MIX

¾ CUP OIL

1 BOX INSTANT PINEAPPLE PUDDING MIX

4 EGGS

12 OUNCES 7-UP

Directions

MIX FIRST 4 INGREDIENTS.

ADD 7-UP. MIX WELL.

BAKE IN 4 LAYERS AT 325 FOR 25-30 MINUTES.

FROSTING

Ingredients

1 LARGE CRUSHED PINEAPPLE 

2 EGGS (BEATEN)

1 SMALL CAN COCONUT

1 STICK MARGARINE

1 ½ CUP SUGAR

1 CUP CHOPPED NUTS

2 TABLESPOONS FLOUR

Directions

IN A POT, COOK PINEAPPLE, SUGAR, FLOUR, EGGS, AND MARGARINE UNTIL THICK.

ADD COCONUT AND PECANS.

SPREAD BETWEEN LAYERS AND ON TOP.

Tweetable: Why not get a 7-up and try this recipe? 

We believe good food and God's Word go well together. After you've enjoyed this dessert--or even as you enjoy it--why not hop over to our main page and enjoy one of our encouraging devotions.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Starting Over - Martin Wiles

Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! 2 Samuel 12:7 NLT

He stared at the floor, head in his hand, wondering how in the world he had done what he’d done.

Justin’s life wasn’t what he wanted—or had intended. But he didn’t know what he was capable of until he concocted a plan to change it.

A friend of Justin and his wife needed help. She faced divorce and feared she wouldn’t get custody of her child. Justin stepped in and promised her he could help—for the right price. Supposedly, he knew a “man” who, if paid, would make things go right in court.

But one payment for Justin for his help wasn’t enough. He desired more. He wanted quite a few “play toys.” So, he kept prodding his friend for more money, threatening her if she didn’t pay. Thousands of dollars racked up in his secret bank account.

Things seemed to go well until the woman he was extorting tried to take her life. That’s when the sordid story came out and authorities arrested him. The judge charged him with extortion and kidnapping and placed a heavy bail on him. He made bail, but when the sentencing came, the judge gave him as much as five years in prison and five years’ probation—plus restitution.

Justin wondered how he’d gotten where he was. Hopefully, he will realize he can start over. David did. As king, David also lusted after something that wasn’t his—another man’s wife. He tried to cover up his one-night fling that resulted in the woman becoming pregnant, but he couldn’t. Her husband had too much integrity to fall for David’s ploy. Although David had her husband murdered and then married her, God sent some hefty consequences for his sins.

Like Justin, David didn’t confess immediately. God had to send Nathan the prophet to tell him a story about a rich man who took a poor man’s lamb to feed a traveler—even though the rich man had more than enough sheep to spare for the weary traveler. David saw himself in the story…and confessed.

We can label sin as something else—mistake, goof up, indiscretion—but we’re all tempted to sin in some way or the other. Our sinful nature draws us to things we shouldn’t do, say, or think.

The good news is that none of our sins are beyond God’s forgiveness, with the exception of one: unbelief. As long as we repent and confess, God forgives and gives us the chance to start over—as He did with Justin and David. He probably won’t take away the consequences of our sin, but He’ll work all things together for our good in the end.

Unlike David and Justin, we need to confess quickly when we’ve sinned. The longer we hesitate, the more trouble we’ll find ourselves in and the more likely we’ll commit another sin to cover up the sin we’ve perpetrated.

Satan will afflict us with false guilt by telling us God can’t use us anymore or that we’re not Christians after all. But we don’t have to listen to his lies. We can cry out to God, and God will prove what a liar Satan really is.

Don’t ever think you have gone too far to start over.

Prayer: Father, we thank You that Your forgiveness is always enough to cover our sins.

Tweetable: What's your first response when you've failed? 

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Meandering Monday - Where Do You Go When There’s Trouble? - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again. 

I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth. Psalm 121:1-2 KJV

The news rattled my brain and troubled my soul.

Receiving the disturbing news was only half the battle. Now I was faced with what to do. I had never dealt with a situation quite like this and needed guidance. I needed someone who was wise in age and experience.

Finally thinking of someone, I called, explained, and asked for wisdom. Yet one person didn’t seem enough. I called two more—one a close friend and the other a trusted peer. Most importantly, I prayed. While God could use others, I needed to hear him as well as them. When I eventually acted on the information I’d received, I felt confident I’d made the right decision.

When trouble strikes, I’ve discovered it’s beneficial to have a few trusted peers I can seek out for advice. Peers are often neutral to the situation and can therefore give impartial advice. If they happen to be in a similar profession, their advice becomes even more valuable. David had times in his life when he sought help from his peers.

Wise friends are comforting when trouble arrives. Having someone to share with whom I know won’t judge me but at the same time will give me honest advice is important. Good friends know me inside and out and are able to tailor their advice accordingly. David had a good friend in the king’s son, Jonathan.

Reputable authors are also a good source of advice when difficulties come. The chances are great there’s a book addressing the trouble I’m facing at any given time.

The best person to go to when dilemmas appear is God. David didn’t look to the hills but to God. Through prayer and the reading of God’s Word, I can find guidance, strength, peace, and comfort in the midst of my disconcerting situations. Through these means, I hear and feel God’s Spirit speaking to my spirit and comforting my soul.

Trouble will come, but where will you turn when it does?

Prayer: God of wisdom and grace, comfort us in our times of trouble so that we might also comfort others.

Tweetable: Where do you turn in times of trouble? 

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Ritzy Chicken Casserole

 

 Ingredients

2 SLEEVES OF RITZ CRACKERS

1 CAN CREAM OF CHICKEN

1 CAN CREAM OF MUSHROOM

1 CUP SOUR CREAM

½ CAN CHICKEN BROTH

2 TABLESPOONS BUTTER

4 to 6 CHICKEN BREASTS (COOKED)

Directions
CRUMBLE ONE SLEEVE OF CRACKERS IN THE BOTTOM OF A GREASED CASSEROLE DISH.

DRIZZLE HALF OF THE MELTED BUTTER OVER THE CRACKERS.

MIX CHICKEN WITH SOUPS, SOUR CREAM, AND BROTH.

POUR OVER CRACKERS.

CRUSH REMAINING CRACKERS OVER CHICKEN MIXTURE AND DRIZZLE REMAINING BUTTER ON TOP.

BAKE AT 350 FOR 30 to 40 MINUTES.

Tweetable: Why not try this sumptuous casserole? 

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An Undivided Heart - Martin Wiles

Teach me your way, Lord, that I may rely on your faithfulness; give me an undivided heart, that I may fear your name. Psalm 86:11 NIV

Division can be good … or bad. Helpful … or unhelpful.

Division was one of those math concepts I enjoyed, along with addition, subtraction, and multiplication. I even enjoyed pre-algebra, but after that, I lost interest. As a teacher calculating grades, I still use division. Even the school’s grading program automatically uses division. When I enter grades for a particular assignment, the system totals the grades and then divides them by the number of students to calculate the class average for the assignment.

Sometimes, I don’t enjoy division. Such as when my wife divides a pie or cake she has cooked—and I only get one of those pieces. Division helps us to know how many slices to cut, depending on the number of people who will eat it. The more people, the smaller my piece. On the other hand, the smaller my piece, the fewer calories I’ll consume. That part of division works in my favor.

Division can be helpful. My wife and I have a favorite restaurant in town that we often frequent. They serve a large hamburger which my wife and I share by dividing. This saves us money, helps us consume fewer calories, and helps us get the large burger in our mouths.

David prayed for an undivided heart so that he would fear God’s name. He wanted to reverence Him more each day. He knew this wouldn’t happen unless his heart was undivided. David desired to focus on loving and serving his God.

What David prayed for Jesus later reiterated, but in the opposite way. Jesus said people could not serve two masters. They would either hate the one and love the other or serve the one and ignore the others. David prayed for an undivided heart, and Jesus said we couldn’t have a divided heart—although we might try.

Division is bad when I try to serve God and other things or other people. The things and relationships might not be bad or even sinful, but if I put them before God—and if they interfere with my sole allegiance to Him—then I have divided my heart. 

Division is bad when I keep God’s love to myself instead of sharing it around.

Division is good when God’s people take the spiritual gifts and talents He gives and divide them among the world, so the world hears about God’s love, comes to know Him, and in turn, disseminates His love across the world.

When we pray for an undivided heart, we experience life as God intended. In the beginning, He walked daily in the garden with Adam and Eve. He wants that same type of relationship with us.

Follow David’s example. Pray for an undivided heart.

Prayer: Father, give us an undivided heart—one that moves us to love and serve You.

Tweetable: Is your heart divided? 

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Meandering Monday - Life on the Bottom - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again. 

You will be driven from human society. You will live in the fields with the wild animals, and you will eat grass like a cow. Daniel 4:32 NLT

I’ve been fortunate with on-your-back experiences.

I’ve only had one hospital stint. I’ve never broken a limb nor had a surgery that left me incapacitated or with limited movement. Hardships, trials, and emotional stressors are another story. Of these on-your-back episodes, I’ve had my fair share. These types of occurrences have put me on my back emotionally.

Nebuchadnezzar had an on-your-back, or rather an in-the-field, experience. He was king of the mighty Babylonian empire, but pride put him out to pasture—literally. As he surveyed his kingdom—imagining that its greatness was solely because of his talents and intellect—God reminded him it wasn’t. So he wouldn’t repeat the same mistake in the future, God gave him a lesson in humility.

When life places me on my back, there’s only one direction to look—up. Asking why I’m on my back is always important. If it’s because of circumstances beyond my control, then I accept it as such. But if my actions have put me where I am, then that’s a different scenario.

On-my-back episodes can teach me vital life lessons. They can show up misplaced priorities, unhealthy relationships, poor decisions, or bad company. What I can learn is the necessity of rectifying these wrong or unwise situations.

Regardless of why I’m on my back—whether it’s my fault, someone else’s, or no one else’s—I can lean on God for strength and comfort. He may choose to leave me there for a spell—especially if being there is my fault—but he’ll still encourage and strengthen me while I’m there.

My major endeavor in an on-your-back incident is determining how I’ll be different once I’m on my feet again. Will I repeat the same mistake? Will I indulge in the same lifestyle? Will I associate with the same people? Will God assume a new place in my life?

When you’re on the bottom, look up for strength, guidance, and encouragement.

Prayer: Merciful God, when we find ourselves on our backs, encourage us to look to You for strength and direction.

Tweetable: Where do you turn when life hits the bottom? 

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Honey Bun Cake

 

Ingredients

1 BOX YELLOW CAKE MIX

4 EGGS

¾ CUP COOKING OIL

8 OUNCES SOUR CREAM

1 CUP BROWN SUGAR

3 TEASPOONS CINNAMON

Directions

MIX BROWN SUGAR AND CINNAMON AND SET ASIDE.

MIX CAKE MIX, EGGS, OIL, AND SOUR CREAM.

BEAT UNTIL SMOOTH.

POUR ONE HALF OF BATTER INTO A GREASED TUBE PAN.

ADD CINNAMON AND SUGAR AND TOP WITH REMAINING BATTER.

BAKE ON 350 DEGREES FOR 30-35 MINS.

GLAZE

2 CUPS POWDERED SUGAR

4 TABLESPOONS MILK

2 TEASPOONS VANILLA

MIX TOGETHER AND POUR OVER WARM CAKE.

Tweetable: Enjoy this delicious honey bun cake recipe. 

We believe good food and God's Word go well together. After you've enjoyed this dessert--or even as you enjoy it--why not hop over to our main page and enjoy one of our encouraging devotions.

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

Killing Off God - Martin Wiles

I would not allow shame to be brought on my name among the surrounding nations who saw me reveal myself by bringing the Israelites out of Egypt. Ezekiel 20:9 NLT

I had killed off God—although not intentionally.

In one of his sermons, Frederick Buechner told of a pre-teen who, in a fit of anger, secured a gun and shot his father. Although the father didn’t die immediately, he did soon afterward. When the authorities asked the boy why he had shot his father, he told them because he could not stand his father. His father demanded too much of him, so he hated him.

Authorities placed the young boy in jail. Late one night, as the guard patrolled the corridor, he heard sounds coming from the boy’s cell. He stopped to listen and heard the boy wailing, “I want my father, I want my father.” But he couldn’t get him back. He had killed him.

I became a believer at a young age, but when I approached the teenage years, I felt the same way as the young man. I hated my father’s demands and the rules he instigated. I never wanted to kill him, but I did express my hatred for him and Mom often—although under my breath. I chose to rebel…to live like an unbeliever. And by doing so for many years, I killed off God’s witness through me.

Atheist Friedrich Nietzsche, in his work, The Gay Science, wrote, “Have you not heard of the man who lit a lamp on a bright morning and went to the marketplace crying ceaselessly, ‘I seek God. I seek God’…They laughed, and…the man sprang into their midst and looked daggers at them. ‘Where is God?’ he cried. ‘I tell you. We have killed Him, you and I.’”

Through the prophet Ezekiel, God reminds the people why He didn’t kill them during the wilderness years, even though they were killing God off. God wanted to preserve His name. Had He eliminated the Israelites because of their disobedience, the surrounding nations—who worshipped other gods—would have looked at Israel’s God as a wimp…if they looked to Him at all. A God who wasn’t able to deliver on His promise to bring His people to the Promised Land.

God is God, so, of course, we can’t kill Him off literally, but we can practically. When we live in ways that dishonor His name, we kill Him off. His witness won’t flow through us. When we don’t do the good things we should do, we kill Him off because His presence doesn’t show forth through our lives and impact others as it should.

We can easily prevent killing off God by making sure everything we do and say puts the spotlight on Him—or to use biblical language, brings glory to His name. When we’re careful of the words we speak, the attitudes we have, and the actions we take, we let God shine through us.

Asking what Jesus might do in all of our situations helps God live because Jesus always did the will of His Father. This involves listening to the still small voice of the Spirit, whom God has given us as a seal that we belong to Him. Living in a spirit of prayer also keeps God alive. In this way, we’re continually in tune with Him.

Make up your mind that you’ll live in such a way that you don’t kill off God.

Prayer: Father, may we let Your light shine brightly through us.

Tweetable: What do your actions say about God? 

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Meandering Monday - The Goodness of Grief - Martin Wiles

Welcome to Meandering Monday, where we take a trip back to an earlier post and enjoy it again. 

David and his men tore their clothes in sorrow when they heard the news. They mourned and wept and fasted all day for Saul and his son Jonathan. II Samuel 1:11-12 NLT

The news hit him like a bombshell.

Running for his life, hiding like the criminal he wasn’t, and constantly looking over his shoulder wasn’t the life David had bargained for. Caves, wildernesses, enemy camps. Not places he enjoyed laying his head down at night. He had no choice.

King Saul had placed a price on David’s head and hunted him like a dog. Even the king’s son—who was also David’s best friend—couldn’t save him. Now it was finally over. The enemy had won. Saul and Jonathan lay dead on the battlefield. Words couldn’t adequately convey David’s grief. 

David’s sorrow started long before the death of the king and David’s good friend. Because of the king’s jealousy, David had to leave his best friend and had been hiding in the wilderness for months as the maddened king sought his life.

Grieving often precedes the actual grief event itself. Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, in her book On Death and Dying, detailed the stages most people experience when receiving news of their or someone else’s impending death: denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance.

Grieving over loss or impending doom is necessary. Tears provide a healing flow. Refusing to grieve by repressing emotional turmoil only leads to further emotional issues. When my father died, I experienced emotions as I never had before. But my emotional states were necessary on my journey to acceptance.

Grieving also happens in various time frames. Some grieve and heal quickly while others remain in grief’s grip for months and possibly years. Only God can help us grieve properly and heal sufficiently.

Comfort for believers is found in what the apostle Paul wrote, “You must not carry on over them (the dead) like people who have nothing to look forward to, as if the grave were the last word” (1 Thessalonians 4:13 MSG).

Rather than reacting in unhealthy ways, let God help you grieve properly.

Prayer: Guide us, God of comfort and grace, to a healing state when circumstances cause us untold grief.

Tweetable: How are you dealing with grief? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.

CREAMY CHICKEN LASAGNA

We believe Good food and God's Word go well together. After you've enjoyed this dessert--or even as you enjoy it--why not hop over to our main page and enjoy one of our encouraging devotions.

Ingredients

½ BOX OF LASAGNA NOODLES

1 STICK OF BUTTER

1 ONION, CHOPPED

½ CUP PLAIN FLOUR

2 CUPS CHICKEN BROTH

1 ½ CANNED MILK

4 CUPS SHREDDED ITALIAN CHEESE

1 CUP RICOTTA CHEESE

1 (10 OUNCE) PACKAGE CHOPPED SPINACH, THAWED AND DRAINED

1 (10 OUNCE) PACKAGE OF FROZEN CORN

SPICE MIXTURE OF SALT, PEPPER, GARLIC POWDER, ONION POWDER, PARSLEY, AND ITALIAN SEASONING (¼ TEASPOON OF EACH)

Directions

STEP 1: PREHEAT OVEN TO 350 DEGREES. BRING A LARGE POT OF LIGHTLY SALTED WATER TO A BOIL. COOK LASAGNA NOODLES IN BOILING WATER 8-10 MINUTES. DRAIN AND RINSE WITH COLD WATER.

STEP 2: MELT BUTTER IN A LARGE SAUCEPAN OVER MEDIUM HEAT. ADD ONIONS AND SEASONINGS TO MELTED BUTTER. COOK ONIONS UNTIL TENDER. STIR IN FLOUR AND SIMMER UNTIL BUBBLY. GRADUALLY ADD BROTH AND MILK, STIRRING CONTINUALLY FOR 1 MINUTE. STIR IN 3 CUPS SHREDDED CHEESE AND RICOTTA. REMOVE FROM HEAT. ADD SPINACH, SHREDDED CHICKEN, AND CORN. STIR UNTIL CHEESE HAS MELTED.

STEP 3: LAYER LASAGNA NOODLES AND CREAMY SAUCE. START AND END WITH SAUCE, TOP WITH REST OF CHEESE. BAKE 35 TO 40 MINUTES.

Tweetable: Try this healthy full-meal dish. 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.