The Rebekah Project | 3:19

.The decision making struggle began when Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden. Not all of those decisions were good ones. Think about it. In Genesis, Adam was given instructions. When Eve handed off the fruit to Adam, he had a decision to make. He could follow God’s instruction or eat of Eve’s forbidden fruit. Decisions that go against God’s warning and wisdom of the Holy Spirit can have catastrophic results. Adam and Eve’s choices were definitely the wrong ones. It determined pain and suffering for a long time. In fact, we are still suffering from their choices. Now, man must work to enjoy the fruits of his labor instead of enjoying the lush fruits of The Garden. Even with modern medicine, women bear the pain of childbirth. The decisions that you make either make you or break you. It is not only you who may suffer, but your future generations might endure hardship as well.

It’s easy to get caught up in the current: caught up in the current situation you are in, the current trouble with your kids, the current position at your job, your current relationship status. Sometimes these currents become strong and build up as the chaos in life. Don’t be so swept up in the current that you swiftly lose your view of everything else.

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“And I say unto you, ask and it shall be given you;

seek, and ye shall find;

knock and it shall be opened unto you.”

Luke 11:9 KJV

Think back to the last vacation you have taken. I’m guessing it may have been similar to mine. Oh, the relaxation, the joy, and the adventures we had while on vacation at the beach. Not exactly. The kids wanted to do different activities. I just wanted to relax in the sun and watch the waves crash upon the shore, collect sea shells, see the sunrise or sleep in, watch the sunset, and stroll slowly along the boardwalk. Wait, that was my other vacation, my spiritual journey.

Honor Your Father​

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Exodus 20:12 (NKJV)

12 “Honor your father and your mother,

that your days may be long upon the land

which the Lord your God is giving you.

Those who were full hire themselves out for food,
    but those who were hungry are hungry no more.
She who was barren has borne seven children,
    but she who has had many sons pines away.

1 Samuel 2:5

Hannah, a woman seeking God’s blessing of a son, poured out her heart in tears at the throne of grace. She was so engrossed in her prayer for the Lord to bless her barren womb with the gift of a son; the priest thought she was drunk. In actuality, she was drunk in the spirit sowing tears of anguish in her desire to bear just one son.

What Will Your Garden Grow?

Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy;
Break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord,
Till he come and rain righteousness upon you.
Hosea 10:12

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Everyone loves to bring in a big harvest.  Whether it is the harvest of earnings from your job or the harvest from your backyard garden, we want to bring in a lot. We also like to do the least work to try to gain the most. It is true; we should work smarter and not harder. Sometimes we think cutting corners to save time is smarter.  We tend to lack the effort to actually figure out what the smartest way is. Surely, cutting corners only leads to more work in the long run. The Bible tells us that “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few;” Matthew 9:37.  If we are not a part of the laborers in every area we are trying to grow, whatever we think we are planting will not produce fruit. After all, “faith without works is dead.” (James 2:26b) Let’s examine how our gardens will grow.
 

"I can do all things through 
Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13

Sometimes you wish someone could say, “This is your lucky day!” Then everything would be ok. Life isn’t like that. At one point in my life, I seemed to be getting handed lemons every day. My coworker, Shelly, could simply catch a glimpse of my face when I walked in the building and knew something was wrong. I can hear her voice now, “Oh, Rebecca, what happened now?” We would have a heart to heart. She helped me through one disaster after another. She would say, “If it wasn’t for bad luck, you wouldn’t have any luck at all.”

"Beloved,

let us love one another:

for love is of God;

and every one that loveth

is born of God,

and knoweth God"

I John 4:7

The late great Whitney Houston sang a song, The Greatest Love of All. As a teenager who was thinking about becoming a teacher, the song was very profound. It talked about teaching the children well and allowing them to lead the way because they are the future. When you’re in a lonely place, as I often was, to depend on myself. The one quote that stands out the most is, of course, “Because the greatest Love of all is happening to me, I found the greatest Love of all inside of me!”

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;

In all your ways acknowledge Him,

And He shall direct your path."

Proverbs 3:5-6

          Have you ever wanted to just hit a reset button and start life over like a video game? Do you feel as if a do over would help you get it right this time? Push a button and have a new life. Even cats have nine lives, right? Fortunately, there is no magic button that makes everything go the way you want it to go. If we seek God’s guidance and His will for our lives, it will be easier without feeling like we need to start this game called life over again.