June 13, 2008

This "Charlyne Cares for Kids" is in honor of Angela Maureen's 15th birthday by her Dad.

Changes For The Buggy Family

In the Master's garden, there are many beautiful things. All of which He created and tends with love.

In the Master's garden, live many bugs and all manner of creatures and the Buggy Family are one of these. There is Daddy Buggy, Mommy Buggy and the baby buggy's, Bethani, Brittani, Bryon and Bryce. The Buggy family are caterpillars. They spend their days searching for food and following Daddy Buggy as he tells them where to go for the best, juiciest leaves. Daddy Buggy is always very, very busy working hard to help his family. The Buggy kids love their Daddy and Mommy very much. But for all the Buggy's, life seems rather pointless. They spend every day trying to find food, but with no purpose, no joy and no hope in a better future.

Always in the background, somewhere near by, stands the Master Gardener. He speaks to the Buggy family, but they are just too busy hurrying about trying to find food to listen. Especially Daddy Buggy, after all he is the one responsible for keeping his family fed. Or so Daddy Buggy thinks. The Gardner looks down at the Buggy family with great sadness, He thinks that He must get their attention some how, so that He can help them and show them a better way.

Mommy Buggy often crawls to the top of the leaves and looks up as far as she can. There it is beautiful; she sees white fluffy clouds and blue sky, in between the green of the leaves. She often wishes she could go up there, it seems so peaceful. One day as she is looking up, suddenly she sees for the first time the Master's face. Oh how beautiful it is, more beautiful than anything she has ever seen! She starts to listen to the Master and to ask Him questions. Then she tells her Buggy family about this wonderful Master Gardener who wants to take care of them all. Daddy Buggy isn't so sure about this, after all Daddy Buggy is the one to take care of his family.

One day as the leaves are starting to fall from the trees and all the plants in the Master's garden are turning brown, Daddy Buggy comes to his family with sad news. Daddy Buggy says that he can not find food for them anymore. He is very upset and he believes he has hurt his family so badly that they can not possibly forgive them. Near by sits a nasty little worm named Bitter, just waiting for such an opportunity as this.

Bitter sneaks up to Daddy Buggy when Mommy Buggy and the Buggy kids aren't looking and says to Daddy Buggy, "You will never be able to find food for your family again, you might as well leave them alone and try to find food for just yourself." Daddy Buggy starts to believe the lies Bitter is telling him. Bitter follows Daddy Buggy around and tells him more and more lies, like "You'll be happier if you don't have to take care of all those Buggy Kids. Your family is better off without a bad Daddy like you anyway."

Even though the Buggy family doesn't always hear the voice of the Master trying to get their attention, they still feel the urges that He has built into their hearts. They all know that it is time to build a cocoon and rest for the cold time to come. As Mommy Buggy and the Buggy kids build their cocoons, they work quickly, feeling a little worried and starting to learn to call on the Master for comfort. Daddy Buggy works on his own, without even talking to his family. After their cocoons are built they all rest for a very long time, waiting on something they do not even understand. While they are resting in their cocoons, the Master is working on them. He quietly, and with the touch of the Creator that only He has, changes their appearance so that they are no longer what they were before. They are now beautiful too, like the Master had planned all along.

Soon, spring comes, and with it warm weather. Mommy Buggy and the Buggy kids start to wake up and stretch. They feel different but aren't sure what has changed. As they stretch, slowly they tear through the cocoons protective covering and push out into the new air. Here they meet each other again with joy and amazement as they see what the Master has done while they waited quietly on Him. Each Buggy family member is now a beautiful butterfly, with the most gorgeous wings of many colors. As they frolic and try their new wings, slowly the family realizes that Daddy Buggy is not among them. The children and Mommy look frantically and then discover that Daddy Buggy is still in his cocoon.

Mommy Buggy and the kids fly near the cocoon and see sitting there near by, Bitter the worm. Bitter smiles a very wicked smile and says, "I have taught Daddy Buggy that he is better off to stay where it is warm, then to come out here and risk facing this harsh world."

Mommy Buggy gasps, "That is a lie, Bitter! Daddy Buggy will never know how beautiful he is now, how the Master has changed him, if he doesn't come out of his cocoon." Bitter just laughs and slinks away. Quickly Mommy Buggy flies up, up high, to the highest flower she can find, and lands there. She calls desperately for the Master, and before the words are even out of her mouth, there He stands. He smiles a warm, knowing smile.

"Master, please, tell Daddy Buggy that he must come out of his cocoon and come back to his family!" The Master reaches out and gentle places a finger forward for Mommy Buggy to crawl on to. Quietly the Master explains how Mommy must trust the Master for all things, and let the Master work on His perfect plan in His time. Mommy understands and is filled with peace as the Master promises to restore Daddy Buggy to his family one day.

Mommy flies back to the Buggy Kids and shares with them this new peace and wisdom that comes from the Master alone. Each day she teaches them more about the Master as she learns from Him. Soon after, the Buggy family watches as the Master comes and cuts the branch that Daddy Buggy's cocoon is attached to and carries the branch away. They follow for a short distance and see that the Master places Daddy Buggy's cocoon in a cold part of the garden where there is very little light. The Buggy family knows that they can not go there. They must return to the place the Master has put them and wait on Him.

So each day the Buggy family goes about the things that the Master asks them to do. Spending time with Him, learning from Him and listening to His commands. Each Buggy family member misses Daddy Buggy so very much and they wish with all their hearts that Daddy could be with them now. Each day they talk to the Master about Daddy, never forgetting that Daddy needs to know the Master too, if he is ever going to choose to come out of his cocoon. Many days pass for the Buggy Family. Many days seem hard as their hearts long for their Daddy, but even more of those days are filled with joy and love.

One day as Mommy Buggy and the Buggy kids are up on a pink sweet petunia flower sipping nectar for their lunch, they suddenly see a shadow cross over above. Looking up they see a huge butterfly with deep, rich colors, swooping down to land next to them. At first they don't even recognize their Daddy Buggy, he is so changed! But then they see who it is and they all cry and flutter close to each other laughing. They welcome Daddy Buggy back to their family with love. Daddy Buggy explains how sorry he is, to have listened to Bitter the worm and to have left his family. He tells them of how the Master never stopped speaking to him inside his cocoon and how finally he listened and came out of that cocoon. They are so glad that he did.

The Buggy Family now live in the Master's Garden with joy each day. They speak with their Master and learn from Him and Daddy Buggy is not sad any more. How grateful they are, for the changes the Master has made in them!

Waiting for Daddy Buggy,
Tawnia in Missouri

Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org  

May 13, 2008

Run To Win!

"You know that in a race all the runners run. But only one gets the prize. So run like that. Run to win!" 1 Corinthians 9:24 (ICB)

Have you ever raced your friends? Someone says "On your mark, get set" and before they say "Go," someone runs out. They get back in line and you start again. They may have several false starts before they get it right.

You may see a false start where a parent comes home and leaves again. It happened to us. Don't be afraid or discouraged. You may never have a false start. Run the race. Pray for God's super glue. With God's super glue it won't be a false start, but a long distance race that keeps going like the pink Energizer bunny.

"So let us run the race that is before us and never give up." Hebrews 12:1 (ICB)

My old pair of sneakers fell apart. The small piece of the rubber sole that overlaps the front of the shoe began to peal away, but the rest of the shoe was in great shape. I super glued it. The next morning, my shoe was perfect. It lasted a very long time. Had I used regular glue or rubber cement, it may've held it together, but it would've fallen apart again.

With God's super glue, our family will never fall apart. A family that prays together stays together. God must be in the middle. When a family prays and reads the Bible together, talks about lessons learned in church, blesses others together, praise and worships God together, God's super glue binds their family incredibly tight.

What super glues us? I eat faster than my girls. When I'm done, I read the Bible. Now, they tell me to hurry up and eat so I can read to them. We'll play our favorite worship music and dance around the house praising God. At meal time, everyone prays. At bedtime, we take prayer requests and pray for each other.

These things super glue your family together. They also fill your heart with the truth, God's truth. When we are filled with God's truth, Satan can't trick us because we see through God's eyes. He has perfect vision. Saul hated Christians and was mean to them. On his way to Damascus, the Lord asked Saul why he did mean things and then put scales on his eyes so Saul couldn't see. In Damascus, Saul met Ananias who prayed and talked with Saul. The scales fell off his eyes. He saw clearly and became a Christian. His new name was Paul, who wrote many books in the New Testament. If God can take away scales from Saul's eyes and make him a new man, then He can certainly take the scales off your parent's eyes so they can see the truth and make them a new person.

"Immediately, something like fish scales fell from Saul's eyes. He was able to see again!" Acts 9:18 (ICB)

I'm going to challenge you to fast, which means to sacrifice or give something up for a time. God always answers prayers. Sometimes the disciples had to take it a step further. They had to sacrifice and pray to see God's hand move. God wants to see how serious and dedicated we are to see Him answer our prayers. He sacrificed his Son for us. What are we willing to give up for Him? Talk to your Mom or Dad about what you would like to fast.

Things you can sacrifice include T.V., junk food like candy, soda and ice cream, Game Boys or talking on the phone. Anything that grabs your attention and doesn't draw you closer to God is something you could give up to show God how dedicated you are to run this race. You can give it up for a day, week, months or until your parent comes home. At first, it may be tough, but as time goes on, you'll see how easy it is and how much you really didn't need it.

Next, pray a prayer like below. All you have to do is add names:

"Dear Father, help ___ to know You. Remove the scales from ___ eyes so they can see clearly. I pray that ___ will confess with their mouth that You are their Lord and believe in their heart that You were raised from the dead so ____ will be saved. Bless ___ with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. Father, You brought my parents together. Let nothing separate them, but bring them back together. In Jesus' name. Amen."

"I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. Now, a crown is waiting for me. I will get the crown for being right with God." 2 Timothy 4:7 (ICB)

Scriptures for prayer are from: Acts 9:18, Romans 10:9, Galatians 6:22-23, Matthew 19:6 (in my own words).

Running the race,
Colleen in Virginia
Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org

April 14, 2008

Cha Ching!

"And when you have finished the whole fight, you will still be standing. So stand strong, with the belt of truth tied around your waist." Ephesians 6:13-14 (ICB)

"The ref took injury and left the game. It's up to the teams to play fairly. Team Dragon is pulling out cheap shots stealing the ball, running without dribbling, fouling the other team, grabbing arms, blocking faces and tripping. The Knights stayed focused. A time out is called. The coach reads from a book. They jump back in the game with more energy and excitement. Team Dragon sends three players to rush the Knight player with the ball. With grace, the Knight dodges his attackers, shoots and scores sending the Dragons tumbling to the ground. Clumsily the Dragons rise to their feet angered and determined to win. The Knights stumble and lose the ball. A time out is called and they regain their focus and determination to take the victory. Three seconds left in the game. The Knights dribble, dodging the Dragons and their tricks. They shoot. Score! The Knights take victory! The crowd goes wild! Trophies are presented to the Knights while the Dragons cower away in defeat. I've never seen such a fierce battle, such deception and trickery ultimately defeated."

We're the Knights and the Dragons is Satan. He wants the victory. One way he does this by pulling a family apart, which gives him the potential of discouraging 100's of people including entire families, friends, even churches.

The Dragons cheated, tripped and blocked every Knight. When the Knights were focused, they dodged the enemy's tricks. When they were tired, they stumbled. A time out would be called and their coach would read from a book, the Bible. The Knights would be refreshed, refocused and reenergized.

Are you angry, bitter, unforgiving, ready to take revenge? You may be deceived. Is it normal to have those feelings? Yes. Is it okay to act out those feelings treating people badly or saying mean things? No. We have to be careful not to be deceived thinking we have a right to take revenge or remain bitter.

When we say "I hate..." or do something mean, we stumble and allow the Dragons to score. Cha ching. Point for the Dragons. When we dodge those tricks, we score a point for the Knights, God's team. Cha ching. Point for God.

The best way to get our head in the game is study God's Word. Read whole passages, do daily devotionals, go to church and pray. The more truth from God's Word that's in our hearts, the harder it is for Satan to deceive us.

"Grace and truth came through Jesus Christ." John 1:17 (ICB)

Take a negative thought like "I hate…" or "I want to hurt…" and say "I love..." or do something kind. Is it hard? Sure, our feelings are very real. Like anything else, the more you do it, the easier it gets. The more love and kindness you show, the more points you score for God. Cha ching.

I get rid of negative thoughts by putting myself in a scripture verse.

"We capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ." 2 Corinthians 10:5 (ICB)

I pray, "please take my thoughts and make them obedient to Christ." I want Jesus to change my thoughts to things that are pleasing to Him. Sometimes I have to repeat it a lot before my thoughts change.

Sing praises to Him. That'll immediately change your focus from the situation back to Him.

Pray for the person who hurt you. Hard? Yes. Worth it? You bet. It's okay to be honest with God. He knows your thoughts. He knows the number of hairs on your head. He considers you to be very important.

"God even knows how many hairs are on your head." Matthew 10:30 (ICB)

"Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest. They don't save food in houses or barns. But God takes care of them. And you are worth much more than birds." Luke 12:24 (ICB)

A friend hurt me. I wanted nothing to do with her. I gave it to God. He knew my thoughts. I might as well say them. "God, I don't like her. She hurt me. I don't want to pray for her, but I will because it's the right thing to do." When I humbled myself and was honest with God, He changed my heart. I was able to pray for her, forgive and love her.

I've read the end of the book. God wins. Stay focused, stay in the Word, dodge the enemy's tricks. You'll receive your trophy.

"So stand strong." Galatians 5:1 (ICB)

Waiting for our trophy,
Colleen in Virginia

Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org  

March 21, 2008

Jesus is Alive!

"I know that you are looking for Jesus, the one who was killed on the cross. But he is not here. He has risen from the dead as he said he would." Matthew 28:5-6 (ICB)

Jesus is alive! Easter means resurrection. The American Heritage Dictionary says resurrection means: "The act of rising from the dead or returning to life."

Back in the Old Testament, if people wanted to seek God or ask for forgiveness, they had to sacrifice or give something up as an offering to God. Messages from God were shared through prophets and priests.

God the Father wanted to change that. He wanted to give every person an opportunity to know and talk to Him rather than depending on a prophet or priest.

So He sent His Son Jesus to earth. The Son of God, left Heaven, the most perfect place where there is no sin, pain, sadness or tears. Jesus would come to earth to show God's people how much He loved them. The amazing thing is that Jesus did it willingly. He knew what He was leaving and where He was going, but He still came. Some people hated Him and some adored Him. He loved God’s people, spending time and blessing them, and giving them hope.

Jesus lived for 33 years on earth, before He became the "Ultimate sacrifice." As the Son of God, He knew what God’s plans were. He knew what being the "Ultimate sacrifice" meant for Him and for us.

One night, Jesus went to a place called Gethsemane to pray.

"He prayed, 'My Father, if it is not possible for this painful thing to be taken from Me, and if I must do it, then I pray that what you want will be done." Matthew 26:42 (ICB)

Jesus knew the suffering that He was going to face and He was probably scared, but He did it anyway. He knew that He would be mocked, spit on and beaten, but He did it anyway. He knew that dying on the cross would hurt, but He did it anyway. Why? Because He knew God’s plan. In three days, He would be resurrected. He would be alive again! He knew that no one would ever have to sacrifice another offering to seek God or depend on a prophet or priest to hear from God. He knew that because of Him, the "Ultimate sacrifice," anyone that wanted to talk to God would be able to.

"If you use your mouth to say, 'Jesus is Lord,' and if you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, then you will be saved." Romans 10:9 (ICB)

It's that simple. Say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. Believe in your heart that He is alive again. Once you've done that, you’ll have a personal relationship with God. You can call on Jesus any time any day.

There's more. There was absolutely no life left in Him when he was in that tomb. He was dead for three whole days lying in a tomb with a heavy rock blocking the doorway. No one on earth could do a thing to help Him. People thought He was dead and there was "no" hope.

On Easter morning, God brought Jesus back to life. God put breath back into his lungs. He was walking and talking just as He had done before. Now, if God can resurrect or bring back to  life a completely dead person, then I know for sure that He can give life back to my "dead marriage" when there is still life in it even as small as a mustard seed.

"The mustard seed is the smallest seed you plant in the ground. But when you plant this seed, it grows and becomes the largest of all the garden plants." Mark 4:31-32(ICB)

Your parent’s marriage may be considered "dead" by some people. People do not always have the same thoughts and ways of the Lord.

"The Lord says, "your thoughts are not like my thoughts. Your ways are not like my ways." Isaiah 55:8(ICB)

God is in the resurrecting and hope business. Where there is hope, there is still life.

"He is our great hope." Titus 2:13(ICB)

When God is our great hope then we know for sure that "all" things are possible.

"This is something that men cannot do. But God can do it. God can do all things." Mark 10:27(ICB)

Pay attention to the three letter word before "things." God can do "all" things, not some or most things, but "all" things. If He can do "all" things and give His dead Son life, then He "can" raise your parent's marriage from the dead and give it life.

"The Lord is not slow in doing what he promised – the way some people understand slowness. But God is being patient with you. He does not want anyone to be lost. He wants everyone to change his heart and life." 2 Peter 3:9(ICB)

Waiting for our resurrection,
Colleen in Virginia

Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org  

February 29, 2008

How Are You Feeling?

Hey Kids! How are you feeling today?

"Give all your worries to him, because he cares for you." 1 Peter 5:7 (International Children’s Bible)

What kind of day are you having today? We all have good days and bad days. Some days we may feel sad, angry, mad, hurt, lonely, or disappointed. Other days we will feel happy, have joy, peace, comfort, love, and have fun. I am sure that we all would rather have the good days. I would. Some of you may even feel guilty having good days when you know that people are hurting in your family. Let me tell you that you should "never" feel guilty about having good days that are filled with joy and happiness. God does not want you to be depressed, but be filled with His joy all the time even during the hard times.

"My brothers, you will have many kinds of troubles. But when these things happen, you should be very happy. You know that these things are testing your faith. And this will give you patience. Let your patience show itself perfectly in what you do. Then you will be perfect and complete. You will have everything you need." James 1:2-4 (ICB)

Our joy can be used to bless others and help them feel better, even lead them to Jesus. Just like bad moods or attitudes can be contagious, so can good attitudes. The way we act to our situation can encourage others. People will watch how we deal with hurt, anger, bitterness, and all those bad feelings. If they see us walking through that hard time and still have joy and enjoy life, they are going to say "How do they stay happy even when their family is not together? I want what they have." You can be used by God in a mega big way.

At the same time, every now and again, we will have a bad day or group of bad days. During those times, what do you do with your feelings? Do you hold them all in? Do you talk to your Mom or Dad? Do you talk to a friend, teacher, brother, or sister? Do you talk to God?

Have you ever blown up balloon too much and it popped. Or maybe you were filling up a balloon with water and it popped spraying water everywhere making a huge mess. We are like balloons. When we keep our feelings inside, our balloon gets bigger and bigger and bigger. Eventually it will pop, maybe even explode. Usually when it does explode it hurts other people because we yell at them or say things that we don’t mean whether to our Mom or Dad, brother or sister, or even a friend.

Have you ever blown up a balloon, not tied a knot and let it go? It blows around the room making funny noises and never pops or explodes. Just like when we let the air out of the balloon it is very important to talk to someone and get our feelings out so our balloon never has a chance to get bigger and explode.

So who can you talk to? I know that you hurt. I know that sometimes it is hard to trust people too. Your Mom or Dad hurts just like you and they want to help you. How about talking to them, a teacher, or a pastor? There is someone else that I recommend very much. He is the best one to talk to. I have talked to Him many times and have never been let down. He is super easy to call and it does not cost a thing. I can call Him at any time, night or day and He is always there and always ready to listen. He is never too busy for me. I never get a busy signal. Sometimes on T.V. they say that if a child calls they need their parent’s permission first. I am pretty positive that your parents will give you permission to talk to Him. His name is Jesus. His number is 1-800-I-am-here.

"And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 (NIV)

Yes, Jesus it the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Savior, Messiah and all those fancy words, but He also calls us friend.

"The greatest love a person can show is to die for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you." John 14:13-14 (ICB)

You can know that Jesus calls you friend because He died on the cross for you and your family so we could accept His invitation to join Him in Heaven some day.

He knows exactly what you are going through. Jesus was born just like you and me. He had a Mom and Dad just like you and me. So He had to follow rules just like we did. He grew up with siblings and friends just like we did. He was even tempted to sin just like we are.

"Then the Spirit led Jesus into the desert to be tempted by the devil. Jesus ate nothing for 40 days and nights. After this, he was very hungry. The devil came to Jesus to tempt him." Matthew 4:1-3 (ICB)

He has even cried. The Bible says "Jesus wept" John 11:35 (NIV) which is a serious cry like bawling your eyes out. Because Jesus was the Son of God, He knew that He was going to have to die and He was scared.

"He fell to the ground and prayed, 'My Father, if it is possible, do not give me this cup of suffering. But do what you want, not what I want'...'My Father, if it is not possible for this painful thing to be taken from me, and if I must do it, then I pray that what you want will be done.'" Matthew 26:39,42 (ICB)

Even though Jesus was scared He knew that God sees what is going to happen next and knows best. He knew that even though it may be a little painful for a while, God has bigger and better plans.

"We know that in everything God works for the good of those who love him. They are the people God called, because that was his plan." Romans 8:28 (ICB)

There was a time when I was afraid to talk to God and tell Him how I really felt. Then I realized that He already knows how I feel and what my feelings are. He knows everything about me even the number of hairs on my head.

"God even knows how many hairs are on your head." Matthew 10:30 (ICB)

So if He already knows everything that I am feeling and thinking, I might as well just tell Him through my mouth and release those bad feelings.

How do you talk to God? Is there a special place or way to talk to God? Nope. You can talk to Him silently. You can kneel by your bed and talk to Him. You can lie on the sofa and talk to Him. You can take a walk and talk to Him. The way you tell your Mom or Dad about your day at school or church or play is the same way God wants us to talk to Him. It does not have to be this big prayer with fancy words. I used to think that, but then I got to thinking, that is not the way I talk so it was not real. You talk to God just like the way you talk to your parents or friends. "Hey God! I had a great day today. Thanks. Did you see the 'A' I got on my math test?" or "God, I am really angry right now, I am so mad I want to punch a wall." Either way, He is there listening to your every word. Not only is He listening, He is cherishing every moment.

When we talk to Him and share the good and bad, He promises to bless us. He will take those bad feelings away and fill you with His love, joy, peace, and comfort.

"Continue to ask, and God will give to you. Continue to search, and you will find. Continue to knock, and the door will open for you. Yes, everyone who continues asking will receive. He who continues searching will find. And he who continues knocking will have the door opened for him." Matthew 7:7-8 (ICB)

Talking to Him,
Colleen in Virginia

Rejoice Marriage Ministries, Inc.
Post Office Box 10548
Pompano Beach, FL 33061
http://rejoiceministries.org