Tip for Those with Sensitive Skin

I'm sure there are people out there besides me who get hives pretty easily. I get them most often in the summertime when it's hot and humid and I get sweaty. My body reacts to its own sweat so I get hives pretty often. Over time I've tried many things to try to help this and I've come to this conclusion: I just have to live with it. BUT, some clothes do seem to help me not get them as often or badly, and in the summer heat it can be hard to find modest "cool" clothes to wear. With that being said, I've found Comfort Colors' ring-spun cotton t-shirts to be the very best! I wondered why and I Googled it. Here's what I found.

Difference between Regular Cotton & Ring-spun Cotton

Regular cotton is more common and less expensive to make.

The cotton fibers are spun into yarn and then woven into t-shirts.

Ring-spun, however, is spun into yarn and thinned and twisted until it gets to be tough, long strands of fiber. It's tougher and more breathable than regular cotton and is softer too. I have fallen in love with ring-spun. Hope this was helpful.

What About Your Heart?

With all the science fiction films being made, could you imagine if people got their hands on a device that could instantly read your mind? Or more importantly, your heart? That'd be scary to say the least. But did you know that there is a "device" that can penetrate into our inmost being and see the motives behind our actions? It's the most powerful weapon on earth; the Word of God! "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." But so often you and I set this immense tool aside on a bookshelf or coffee table, and as the Bible sits there and gathers dust, so do the dark corners of our hearts. Have you ever noticed how dark corners quickly gather dust and cobwebs? Our heart is the same way! Without daily Light exposing the dirt and cobwebs, how can we expect to recognize them and get rid of them? "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?" Jeremiah 17:9 Every time I read this verse it always strikes me that it's talking about the heart of mankind in general-not just the heart of the wicked, because all of us possess a heart bent on evil. When verse 9 asks a question, "who can know it?" verse 10 supplies the answer. God says, "I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings." 

When Samuel was seeking the Lord's anointed to replace Saul on the throne, the Lord sent him to Jesse. When Samuel saw Eliab he thought he was the one, "But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart."

This is a great comfort to me, but it also is a caution. God doesn't see like a man sees. He looks past outward actions and appearances into the source of it all.  A perfect example of human judgment based on sight is the scribes and pharisees in Matthew 15, when they asked why Jesus' disciples ate with unwashed hands. They were upset because the disciples didn't observe the tradition of the elders. But Jesus answers their question with one of His own, "But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying, This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."Then in verses 10-11,  "And He called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man."


And in Luke 18,  "And He spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted."

Outward righteousness isn't going to work with God. Matthew 23:27-28  "Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness.  Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but within ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity."
I've wondered about myself, questioning my motives for things I do. Do I go to church or memorize Scripture to look good to men? Or do I do it out of a pure heart because I want to please God? James 4:8  "Draw nigh to God, and He will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.'
Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God."
"Follow your heart" is the worst thing you could possibly do! Rather, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life." Proverbs 4:23.

After his confession to God, David makes this plea, "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me." Psalm 51:10.  And here is a promise from our Father. - "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh." Ezekiel 36:26.

Remember, "Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life."

He Maketh No Mistake

One of our brothers has written music and a chorus to go with this poem and I may be partial, but I think the lyrics and music go together very well! But for now, here is just the poem.

 

He Maketh No Mistake

My Father’s way may twist and turn,

My heart may throb and ache,

But in my soul I’m glad to know,

He makes no mistakes,

My cherished plans may go astray,
My hopes may fade away,
But still I’ll trust my Lord to lead,
For He doth know the way,

Though the night be dark and it may seem,
That day will never break,
I’ll pin my faith, my all in Him,
He makes no mistake,

There’s so much now I cannot see,
My eyesight’s far too dim,
But come what may, I’ll simply trust,
And leave it all to Him,

For by and by the mist will lift,
And plain it all He’ll make,
Through all the way, though dark to me,
He made not one mistake.

– A.M. Overton, 1932

 

Psalm 18:30
As for God, His way is perfect: the word of the Lord is tried: He is a buckler to all those that trust in Him.

A Few Thoughts on Patience

Patience. It's a virtue, one of the fruits of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23), and a commendable character quality.

The Cambridge English Dictionary describes patience as, "The ability to accept delay, suffering, or annoyance without complaining or becoming angry." But, like so many good things, because of our human [sinful] nature it is often far easier to choose impatience. It seems we often try to help God out when He doesn't do things in our time frame instead of remembering that our all-knowing God's timing is always best.

Abram and Sarai are examples of the consequences of impatience: God promised them a son, Isaac. In their impatience they sought to help the Lord when, in their minds, He was taking too long; the strife from their decision lasts to this day in Middle East.

In Joseph, however, we have an example of the blessings of waiting patiently for God's perfect timing: Joseph was put into prison for something he didn't even do and forgotten by the chief butler for "two full years," but he didn't come out of prison an angry and bitter man. Yes, in a way he had to be patient since he could not free himself from prison, but you don't read accounts of him trying to get out, and according to what we read in the Bible he embraced the opportunities that were given him while he was in prison. And when the Lord did bring Joseph out of prison he was promoted to second in the entire kingdom.

"Restlessness and impatience change nothing except our peace and joy. Peace does not dwell in outward things, but in the heart prepared to wait trustfully and quietly on Him who has all things safely in His hands." ~Elisabeth Elliot

Lamentations 3:25-26
The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

A friend once said something to the effect of, "I asked God for patience.....don't do that." I don't know if was she was being entirely serious or not, but I have to disagree with her. While learning patience may not always be enjoyable, it is necessary. Psalm 37:7 says, "Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of him who bringeth wicked devices to pass." And Psalm 27:14 "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."

We are commanded to love God and one another and part of love is patience: 1 Corinthians 13:4 "Charity suffereth long, and is kind..."

"Humility and patience are the surest proofs of the increase of love." ~John Wesley

A few additional references for verses having to do with patience: Ephesians 4:2; Proverbs 15:18; James 1:2-4, 1:19, 5:7-8; Colossians 1:11; Psalm 103:8; Psalm 145:8, Hebrews 10:36; Hebrews 12:1-3; Isaiah 40:31; Luke 21:19; 2 Peter 3:9; and 1 Timothy 6:11.