and sometimes that is all I can do. What is it this time? You, too, will shake your head. My little sister once again cancelled her sofa/loveseat order. I think this is the third time, from the third place. Why did she cancel it THIS time? Although she had told me they said they would deliver in 3-5 days..... she said she went back and they won't deliver for 5-7 WEEKS. And they will be in Florida for the winter season - again. AND, another reason she cancelled, is that her husband told her it was too formal for their house. She asked me again, 'does it look like me?' and again I told her, "It doesn't matter what I think.... if you like it, and you want it, you will make it work for you. " New furniture doesn't do much for me. Yes, it is nice to get new things, but I don't HAVE to have them just because they are so many years old. In fact, I could say I need a new couch because the end where I sit has dipped from my always sitting in that spot. But I don't plan to get a new sofa; one of these days I will remember to pick up a foam cushion, will cut a side and slide the foam in to lift up that area. I can make it last a few more years - or I can move my butt down to the other end. I'm not begrudging my sister in getting new furniture - but don't keep ordering and cancelling! LOL I even tell her that Amazon is going to 'black-list' her - she returned 12 items the other day. Now I did return 5 items, but this happens all the time with her... and I'll leave it there. She says she is going to send me the refund when she gets it to save for her until she gets back from Florida. Will see how long that lasts. She is about out of money.... she won't know what to do when there is none again. Seriously.
Yes, I have spent much more on Christmas than I had planned to. And the sad part is, it isn't for a lot of things for each one.... things are just costing more this year and even though it is only a couple things, I have probably spent twice as much. I have a large Amazon order coming in today and it will finish up about 4-5 people, I think. I'm stepping back for awhile and seeing if I have other things ordered that I have forgotten about. I know I do have another order I should have in about a week. I try to find useful things... or at least something that will entertain some... and those I can't come up with anything may just get a gift card for a craft store... because I can't think of anything else.
I want to get gifts shipped out this next week. Don't like the 'Christmas rush' to get packages out and then wonder when they will get them. I ship early, and that means I'm truly done with that person, and they get it early. If they want to wait, that's fine, and if not, then they don't have to.
Job 2: 1-10 (NKJV): "Again there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan came also among them to present himself before the Lord. And the Lord said to Satan, "From where do you come?" Satan answered the Lord and said, "From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking back and forth on it."
Then the Lord said to Satan, "Have you considered My servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, one who fears God and shuns evil? And still he holds fast to his integrity, although you incited Me against him,, to destroy him without cause."
So Satan answered the Lord and said, "Skin for skin! Yes, all that a man has he will give for his life. But stretch out Your hand now, and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will surely curse You to Your face!" And the Lord said to Satan, "Behold, he is in your hand, but spare his life."
So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord, and struck Job with painful boils from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head. And he took for himself a potsherd with which to scrape himself wile he sat in the midst of the ashes.
Then his wife said to him, "Do you still hold fast to your integrity? Curse God and die!" But he said to her, "You speak as one of the foolish women speaks. Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?" In all this Job did not sin with his lips."
There is a lot to be said about this scripture. Sometimes we bring things on ourselves by our words and actions. And sometimes God allows Satan to cause us problems. He allows Satan to 'test' us... will we keep our integrity and praise God, or will we turn against God because of the adversary the devil? Satan wants nothing more than to turn our hearts away from God and he will do any thing and every thing he can to do that. Yes, we may fall at times, but when we turn back to God, He will forgive us and help us get back into a right relationship with Him.
But can you imagine for a moment just what Job had gone through? He lost all 7 of his sons and all 3 of his daughters. He lost all his cattle. He lost all his sheep. He lost a lot of servants - all within a matter of hours. Still, in his grief, he did not lose sight of God. Then Satan wanted to destroy his body and caused painful boils to pop out on it... and yet, Job would not sin against God and speak against Him. And even with his wife tempting him to just let his integrity go and curse God and die, Job refused. He feared God and he knew that although the reasons were not made known to him, God was still in control of every situation.
And God is in control of every situation we face today. No matter what drama is going on in our lives, Satan is there to instigate problems... but when we turn to God instead, and declare God's faithfulness to us, Satan has to flee! At the name of Jesus, Satan has to leave; he can't stand against Jesus. Jesus defeated Satan on the cross. Yet, Satan still tries to take each one of us down.
We need to stand firm, and when standing, keep standing. My faith in God never wavers, no matter what I go through. I say that with confidence, for I know what I would be, where I would be, had I not turned to God in my darkest hours. I know what I could have been had God not intervened in my life. I had let Satan tempt me, control me.
But Jesus rescued me from Satan's tight grip; and He has never let go of me since. I can depend on Jesus for anything and everything. He is my Lord, my God, my Savior. In Him alone I stand; in Him alone I trust. Not in man, not in my abilities. I trust in Jesus alone.
Who do you trust in? I encourage you to give that some thought. Don't take your answer lightly.
Joshua 24:15 (NKJV): "And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
We could actually rephrase that somewhat -
"And if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods that have tempted you to sin, or the gods which have taken control of your mind and body, in which you choose to dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord."
Whom will you serve this day? The Lord who made you, or the gods who control you?
Choose rightly.
Blessings!
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