"Speak not in the ears of a fool for he will despise the wisdom of thy words." Prov 23:9

A fool is incapable of understanding the 'pearls' of Gods wisdom.

Well, I know there are many questions to ask but my first one is, "What are considered pearls?"

Pearls are hidden in something ordinary but are of great value. They are formed from irritations; the longer the irritation, the more the pearl is perfected and treasured when discovered. They are very rare, fine, admirable, and valuable objects. Pearls are formed two different ways- in the wild or man made. You are able to tell the difference between a fake pearl and a real pearl just by the unique luster of a real pearl. Each pearls luster varies due to the reflection, refraction, and diffraction of LIGHT. Are we not to do the same for Jesus? We are do reflect His LIGHT into the world through our lives. (just thought was something extra cool there :) How a pearl is formed is a lot like how we are perfected through trials. The mollusks defense mechanism to a potentially threatening irritant, such as a parasite inside its shell is the process of secreting calcium carbonate and conchiol. It seals off the irritant and the process is repeated-producing a pearl. It must give of its self in order to produce the secretion, I found that interesting. Pearls can be found in many shells, but not all of them are of value. In fact, some pearls are considered to have little to no value at all. Why? Because of the way they are found at the end of the process of making them. Just like those pearls, we can be that way too. Each person is going to be different in the way they respond to a trial. Some will come out shining and their testimony will be of great value. Others will not see why they had to go through the hard times and when the trial is completed they will not be able to be seen as someone that has been reviled and has come through for the better.

I don't know if you know how much God has done in my life. It really doesn't matter-me and God know and that is all that really matters. These are words not written by me, but they are right along the lines of what I would say. Read them and be encouraged by the depth and height of His infinite and ever lasting mercy.

I drug his name through godless places

And I've known shame that no child of his should know

I've seen pain on broken faces

Beyond all thought of hope

I was just too far from home

Still I always wondered when I closed my eyes

After all I've done

Could he run to me?

Would he kiss my face?

Could he even look at me?

After where I've beenshould he take me back?

I would understand I've disgraced him

But it would be amazing

If he still calls me son

With nothing left for me to bring him I left my pride and turned my heart toward home

I saw my home on the horizon

And from a distance I saw my Father

Watching for his own with forgiving eyes

After all I'd done

He just ran to me

Then he kissed my face

He would not let go of me

After where I'd been

He just welcomed me I didn't understand

But he put his robe on me

It was so amazing

That he still called me son

One day as I breathe my last

And I know my days on earth have ended

When every hour is spent

I will close my eyes in amazement

And I'll hear angels

They'll be singing Amazing Grace

Cause he will run to me

And he will kiss my face He will not let go of me

After where I've been He will welcome me I won't understand How he'll put his robe on me

It will be amazing

That he'll still call me son

Amazing grace how sweet the sound

When he calls me son I once was lost but now I'm found

Cause he calls me Son

- John Waller

Well, a moment (but only a moment) of rest. It has been very busy here over the past couple of days. The single staff put on a Valentine banquet for the married staff on Valentines Day. It was tons of fun and it turned out to be a wonderful time. In order to have a wonderful time you must put work into it.
God never gives us more than we can handle. In talking with people it seems like we have been pushed way past a point that we ever thought we could. Maybe once we get pushed past this limit it will be easy to go on. It doesn't get easier. Why should it? Shouldn't we always be striving for a bigger goal? Something much bigger than our own strength? Personally speaking, I am a wimp. I don't think that I can be pushed any farther than I already am. However, GOD is the one who knows our true limitations. We just have to stop complaining so we can hear His voice telling us to stop and let Him take over. I don't know if this is making sense. I remember reading a verse telling us to go from strength to strength. I see that verse two ways. One way is that we go from our strength to His strength. We let go and let God take all our frustrations and cares because He truly cares for us. Another way I see it is this, we go in His strength to another level of His strength. Just when you think that there is no more, He gives an extra boost. Now, how to apply this to actual life instead of just reading this? I guess you have to be willing to let down all your expectations in other people and yourself. Also, the expectations that people have in you should not be a burdening thing because you should be just handing it over to God. If you can't do it just know that He can. We are hit from all sides at once it seems, but when we are hid in His strong tower nothing can harm us. Run to His arms, be embraced, let go. Finally, there has to be an eternal view. How is this going to effect me tomorrow, a year from now, or even ten years? Ride it out and just let Him have control. You will look back and see that he is the one who got you through it all.

Psalm 84
1 How lovely is your dwelling place, O LORD Almighty!
2 My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the LORD;my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
3 Even the sparrow has found a home,and the swallow a nest for herself, where she may have her young—a place near your altar, O LORD Almighty, my King and my God.
4 Blessed are those who dwell in your house;they are ever praising you. Selah
5 Blessed are those whose strength is in you, who have set their hearts on pilgrimage.
6 As they pass through the Valley of Baca, they make it a place of springs; the autumn rains also cover it with pools.

7 They go from strength to strength, till each appears before God in Zion.
8 Hear my prayer, O LORD God Almighty; listen to me, O God of Jacob. Selah
9 Look upon our shield, O God; look with favor on your anointed one.
10 Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.
11 For the LORD God is a sun and shield; the LORD bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless.
12 O LORD Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you

Proverbs 3:21-24

My son, do not let wisdom and understanding out of your sight. Preserve sound judgement and discretion, they will be life for you; an ornament to grace your neck. Then you will go on your way to safety and your foot will not stumble. When you lie down you will not be afraid; when you lie down your sleep will be sweet.

The above verse has nothing to do with what I am going to be writing....today's sermon was on surrender. Well, there was a lot of other things that were talked about but that was the main thing that stood out to me. In order to walk in the Spirit, which means to be completely controlled by the Holy Spirit, you must be completely surrendered. Why are we not jumping at the chance to let Him have our life? It is because of our pride and selfishness. We are too independent for our own good. We must let God work and take our hands off !! Surrender is not only half way-it must be ALL the way. Complete surrender. By the way-it is difficult. But, just as a righteous man falls seven times and still gets up again- so must we. It is a battle of fighting for surrender and striving to be obedient. A white flag comes to mind when I think of surrender. In a battle the white flag is raised, and if you think about it surrender also involves trust. The person raising their white flag has to have some trust that the other side will not take them out when they face them. They must trust their lives to that other person. It is also a humbling thing. Just think about it- you have been fighting this battle that you thought you could win. When you are faced with reality that you are not going to win and you must surrender, that is where the humbling part comes in.

So, this is what it boils down to. In order to walk in the Spirit you must surrender. In order to surrender you must have trust and be humble.

I found some notes I had taken at church way back in July...I just thought they were good :)

Where is God in the midst of this?

Think of Josephs story...he must have thought that a lot.

Jesus is right there behind you-beside you-around you...He is just waiting for you to take notice.

God wants to raise up a testimony right in the midst of the worst Satan can dish out, and He wants to use you.

Eph 1:1

Rom 8

God is sovereign

Do you have confidence? Step up and be bold.

More recent things that are really good -

Discretion

Prov 3:21-24

James 1:19

Prov 13:3 / 10:11-12

Psalm 37:1, 7-8

Sometimes our best statements are made by saying nothing at all.

We need to be wise as serpents - sheep among wolves.

Why would God send us out among the packs of wolves?

That question depends on the Shepherd. We need to keep ourselves from the voice of the world or else we will be called away and will be devoured by the wolves. A wise person stays close to the Shepherd.

We need to discern truth with our spirit-not with our mind.

Serpents do not have very good eyesight-they have to depend on other senses.

You need to listen and ask questions.

Examples-

Serpent in the garden

Jesus in the temple

They both listened intently.

Take it all in and think it through.

I know that the thoughts are not flowing as well as I would like them to, but it is good stuff :)

The Power of Silence
It is so powerful, so unknowingly magnificent. Even a fool is counted wise when he says nothing. When words are spoken with much thought and care it is so much more meaningful. Which would you rather- many words spoken in haste and carelessness or one word spoken with passion and care. Mr. Gothard is writing a new book…I have the manuscript right in front of me. It is going to be called 49 Secrets of Power for Living. Basically it takes the Commands of Christ and connects them to sources of power. For instance, the command of ‘rejoice’ goes along with the power of praise.
One of the commands that I was looking at was “Do Not Caste Pearls”. It is being connected to the power of silence and asking questions. There are lots of good insights and views of how this can be powerful. With a lot of Mr. Gothards writings he takes a word and breaks it down to its original meaning. The word ‘understand’ is taken back to the Hebrew word shama-which means ‘hearing’. I just like being able to pick things apart like that and grasp the full meaning of it. God works in such awesome ways. I really didn’t know where I was going to go to church today. I had a couple of choices, either Mr. Gothards or the church in Mt. Prospect. I really wanted to go to the latter, but God told me not to. I came over to the staff center and we had a morning meeting and it was so good. The van ride to the church was amazing, just what God wanted for me today. Always be willing to listen to His voice. His words may come in abundance or they may consist of just one. Whatever the case is, listen and obey.