Never Give Up!

My 9 yr old daughter is starting to write short messages about things she is learning in life and how the Bible applies to her life.  I wanted to share one of them with you that will encourage you...(not sure why the white area is still in view, so please forgive the 'look')

Lots of people - I mean lots of people - give up on things like running, or playing baseball, or basketball because they think it's too hard. But with God you can do anything. Read Philippians 4:13;  it says "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me". How many things?  ALL things - not just some things, ALL things.

Do you think when you're in the middle of running a marathon and you give up you are going to come in 1st  place? No you're not - because you gave up. Do you think when your baseball team is losing a game 16 to 5 and you give up you can win? No - because you gave up.  Do you think that when you're playing a basketball game and the other team is bigger than you and you give up you can win? No - because you gave up.

Never give up! That's the last thing you want to do.

Let me tell you a story.  When I was in a baseball game, I had been in this slump where I kept striking out. Well, I was getting tired of it so I got up to bat and I said, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"... and sure enough I hit it! I was so proud but the reason I hit was because I didn't give up.

Here is another story. Our basketball team was playing a team that had won 4 years in a row and no one had scored against them; it was our day to play them so we were all running as fast as we could, trying our hardest. Almost everyone of the team gave up,  but me and another girl didn't, so I stole the ball from the other team and passed it to her;  she shot and made it.  We didn't win but we made a shot off of them - because we didn't give up!

Just remember - don't ever give up !! 

The Holy Who?? Part 1

For the next few weeks, we'll discuss the person and power of the Holy Spirit. Now I'm sure some of you are just waiting to see what will be discussed since my family attended Assembly of God churches when I was growing up and I have worked for ministries or churches know as "charismatic."   We'll not go into weirdness or stupidity, but some weird beliefs and antics of others will be discussed! 
So often, we read the Bible or attend a church service and someone will talk about "the Holy Spirit", or they might say "the Holy Ghost".  In reading the Protestant bible, we find the book of Genesis as the first of the 66 books.  Interesting that the second verse of the very first chapter mentions the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters (New KJV).  Jump over to the second chapter, verse 7, and we see where God breathed into a creature made simply of dust - breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. When we get to the book of Romans (yes, a letter written to people living in Rome), chapter 8 verse 2 refers to the law of the Spirit of life.
What do we notice about all three of these references?  First, in the beginning of time as we know it from a Jewish perspective, this "Spirit" was present with God and He gave life to a pile of dirt!  You try to go outside, put together some dirt piles and blow on them - just see if they will stand up, and become a human...bet you can't do that!
Second, there is a law - not a supposition or theory - that involves this "Spirit" and life;  we don't see death happening with this "Spirit", we see life. Anytime someone of a religion or a church says they 'have the Holy Spirit' and their attitude or lifestyle seems to be anything but life-giving,  you might ask them (or yourself) if they really "have" the Holy Spirit;  He does not bring death to a person, unless He helps them put to death their evil ways and attitudes.  Instead, He always empowers people with hope, expectancy, joy, love - attributes of  health and life.  
The term 'pneuma' has a root meaning "to breathe or blow";  this is the term translated "Spirit" or "Ghost" we read in the Bible. Interesting that the Spirit of God 'blew' breath into the first human, huh?  
If you are needing life in your 'world', why not check out more about this Spirit of God?  
Next time, we will look at some attributes of the Spirit.