apologies|| the real deal

I've been thinking a lot about something lately. This is another one of those things that I struggle with in other people, and then when I sit down to think about it, I realize its one of my big{er} problems too. = So, because of a rather painful situation, I started out pondering this: How do we know if someone really truly means it when they say "Im sorry"? But then I quickly came to the realization that I should instead be pondering this> How do people know that I really mean "I'm sorry"? In many situations I've been in {especially recently}, I've come to the conclusion that many people think its simply okay to just say I'm sorry, and to make no other change whatsoever.  Too often I'm caught up in that same trap. I say I'm sorry just because its whats acceptable, but sadly, I don't always mean it.

For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death. 2 Corinthians 7:10

If someone really truly means that they are sorry, then something will change, FOR THE BETTER.

So obviously this verse is talking about salvation, but the same mindset can be used for an apology. 

You cannot just throw around I'm sorry. You really need to mean it when you say it. And you need to realize that once you say it, something needs to change.

Lately we've been working on teaching Sam {a 2 year old!!!} to not just say "I'm sorry.", but to go one step farther and say "Will you please forgive me."

We haven't been working on it for long, but already as soon as you start to correct him, or he realizes {many times on his own} he has done something wrong he will run back to you, climb up on your lap, look into your eyes with tears in his, and say "Sissy, I'm sorry! Will you please forgive me for ______?"

Sam is 2, and he already many times realizes when he does wrong. How this has convicted me. Many times I do realize that I have done wrong, but how often do I go back and ask for forgiveness? And worse yet, how many times do I mean my apology and make a change?

And so to conclude: we can tell if someone really does or doesn't mean it when they say "I'm sorry." by simply noting whether they make a change or not. And the same goes for them being able to tell if we really mean it

Here are a couple links I'd like to share. Hope you'll check them out, and please keep in mind that I don't necessarily agree with everything in these posts or on the sites!

 4 Steps to a Genuine Apology
Although written for children I found this post very helpful personally!!! It explains how to give an apology that makes you <the giver) think too!!!

A Better Way to Say Sorry
This was a really cool story, and the inspiration for the ^above^ post.

Peace: in, out, or wait
I came across this really really good post today, and I can't help but share it, because lets face it> people don't always apologize like they should. I'm still kind of stunned at all the truth here as I keep reading back through. I desperately needed this one! Forgiveness is something that in a lot of situations, especially those where the other person absolutely DOES NOT care, is something we must work on daily. We must daily die to self, to the anger, the bitterness and the hurt. And when we want to make it okay, and they don't we just have to LET GO.

I'm going to include a little bit:

If you’re in and the other person is out, or waiting for something from you, you might have to forgive them for yourself and move on. Forgiveness isn’t really about the other person. I’ve been blessed with the unfortunate luck of getting to forgive a few people things for which they’ve never apologized. I remember initially thinking it was impossible to forgive someone without them realizing their fault and asking for forgiveness. But after years of waiting I realized I was only punishing myself as I waited for something they were literally incapable of doing. The waiting kept me stuck in the victim role and allowed the anger and hurt to smolder. The longer I held it the more bitter I became. It infected my spirit. And I realized forgiveness doesn’t excuse the offense. It doesn’t mean you relinquish the pain or say it was okay or doesn’t matter. Quite the contrary. It merely takes the heavy burden of waiting, convincing, and punishing off your back. It sets the other person free to come to you on their own but, more importantly, it sets you free to move forward. Not excusing the offense, but letting it go nonetheless."

- See more at: http://www.graceuncommon.com/peace/#sthash.cFHNcL2Q.dpuf

B U I L D

|| Right now I am working through the book of Nehemiah. I knew the basic story- how Nehemiah was burdened to build up the walls of Jerusalem, and how the kind agreed that it was a good idea, so sent him there to head it up. But since I never really focused on the little details, I was so encouraged by all the little treasures I found in this book!

"let us build up the wall..." Nehemiah 2:17b

"And they said, Let us rise up and build. So they strengthened their hands for this good work." Nehemiah 2:18b

The people here didn't just talk about doing something, they actually got up and prepared to do something. They got themselves ready to work hard and get something accomplished. They strengthened  themselves.

How often do we conscientiously prepare ourselves to do a task? Or more often do we just come to a task and do it? How much better could be do a task if we have been preparing for it? 

Nehemiah 3:20 says that this man earnestly repaired his portion of the wall.

How often do we just do something because we "have to"? This man certainly wasn't thinking about just trying to get the job done. He did his work earnestly! He probably tried to produce his best at the fastest pace he could. 

"For the builders, every one had his sword girded by his side, and so builded." Nehemiah 4:18

This verse probably stuck out to me the most. These men were building. They were going about their daily business, yet they were prepared for whatever could possibly come. 

Are you going about your daily business prepared to face whatever temptations may end up coming your way?

Hello Again!

Hi Girls! I'm sorry; I know it's been a while since our last post. My life has been crazy with school recently; we are almost out for the summer. Hooray!!!

Anyways, I'm going to be doing a study this month on being Spirit-controlled instead of soul-controlled. This comes from a class I took the past two semesters that has really spoken to my heart and, if you let it, will help you as well.

Today, though, I'm giving a thought I got from this morning's chapel in Luke 5:12-13.

"And it came to pass, when he was in a certain city, behold a man full of leprosy: who seeing Jesus fell on his face, and besought him, saying, Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean. And he put forth his hand, and touched him, saying, I will: be thou clean. And immediately the leprosy departed from him."

The leper did not beg Jesus to heal him; he did not ask for mercy; he placed himself completely and totally in God's hands.

WHAT IF JESUS HAD SAID "NO"?

The leper gave Jesus full control. How often do we do so? When we pray, we ask God for things such as health, help, and other things. This is not wrong; on the contrary, we are commanded to cast all of our cares upon Him (1 Peter 5:7).

But we are not completely dependent upon Him. We do not trust Him to take care of us no matter what He does. Personally, I believe the leper still would have believed on Jesus had Jesus not healed him. Last year I did a post on Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego and their determination to praise God no matter what. "But if not" is the key phrase in their story (Daniel 3:18). Just as they were determined to trust God whether or not He delivered them, so was the leper.

Are you willing to trust God no matter what? Do you pray, "Lord, if thou wilt?" or do you pray, "Lord, this is my will," ? God is merciful and compassionate, but how much more so when we do not demand it? He died for us before we had even thought to ask Him to. This is the greatest gift He ever gave. We need to allow Him to work completely in us; we need to be completely dependent upon Him.

- Brianna Davis

1:2-3 joy//tribulations, trials, temptations

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How often do we grumble and complain when we face trials + tribulations + temptations?

How often do we push through them with a discontented heart?

How often do we miss what we are supposed to be learning because we don’t want to be where we are?

Trying  times grow us! temptations are tests, and though hard at first, resistance becomes easier with God’s help as time goes by!

I challenge you to look at your trials and troubles joyfully. Look for whatever God wants you to learn, and try hard to learn it well and right!

Count the joys in your trials!

It’s very likely that something will happen to try you as soon as you get up from reading this little devotion… You’ll get out the door late- your hair or make up won’t cooperate- a baby will scream incessantly- you’ll hit every single red light.

count the joys- maybe you avoided an accident- the real raw you is every bit as beautiful, probably even more so, because God made you that way- the baby is actually alive- you have a few extra minutes to take a deep breath, relax and pray!

stop. take a deep breath. start counting.

*If you are counting your joys today, share with us by using #countingmyjoys!

1:1 greeting

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James starts his letter to the very scattered twelve tribes of Israel with a humble introduction. He brings himself low by claiming to be a servant.

The scattered people of Israel now have very different lifestyles and are being influenced by many people with lots of different backgrounds.

Yet, despite the great variety of people receiving it, James writes a book full of wisdom and encouragement that is relevant to anyone and everyone!

Morning Muse /

1 Corinthians 1:9

"God is faithful,"

I read this verse in my devotions yesterday morning, and today I heard a message in chapel about faithfulness. God is always faithful, even when we are not. God will never let us down; His way is always the best way.

Facing Your Giants

Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. This day will the Lord deliver thee into mine hand and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

I won’t spend a lot time examining this passage. We all know this story, we’ve all heard it since we were children. Even children that don’t grow up in church know this story. I just want to focus on one verse.

And David put his hand in his bag, and took thence a stone, and slang it, and smote the Philistine in his forehead, that the stone sunk into his forehead; and he fell upon his face to the earth.

Ladies, can I point out one thing?  Goliath fell on his face.  His face.  To the earth.  He fell on his face.  Now I know that you might be thinking that this is pointless, but it’s really not.  He fell on his face… David hit him in the forehead.  This is where we have to apply a little math and physics to the situation.  The stone in the forehead would have caused Goliath to fall on his back.  David didn’t kill the giant.  He was just used of God.  Often, we face situations that are very much the same.  We each have our “giants” in our life that we struggle with.  We are encouraged in that David could defeat his giant with the help of God, and so can we.  That is indeed very encouraging, but I want to encourage you even more.  You aren’t meant to defeat the giants in your life.  God wants to defeat the giants.  He just wants to do it through you.  God wants to use you to bring glory to Him through your giants. But what if David had used the sword and shields that Saul had tried giving him?  It wouldn’t have given all the glory to God.  God used a boy with a rock to kill a giant.  All glory belonged to God.  The same thing applies to our life.  We can try to defeat our giants on our own, and it’s very likely that we might succeed.  But that’s not the point of the giant.  The point of the giant is to 1) strengthen your trust in God, 2) to bring glory to God. 

Are you giving God the full glory with your giants?                                                                                     

My name is Sarah Covey, I grew up in a christian home, and made a profession of faith when I was a little girl. When I was 13 years old, I went to Northwoods Baptist Camp with a group from our church. The guest preacher was Bro. Josh Jones from West Virginia. On Wednesday night Bro. Jones preached a powerful message on Hell. The Holy Spirit was convicting me during the invitation, but I put it off. Thursday night, during the invitation, Bro. Jones touched on the topic of Hell again, and the conviction came back. God was giving me another opportunity. That night I accepted Jesus as my Saviour. Currently, I am tutoring and teaching piano lessons. God has really shown Himself true in my life, especially this past year, and I can't wait to see what He has in store for me in the future. You can keep up with current "happenings" at my blog: A Daughter of the King.