Focusing on Jesus!

Pleasure in the small things

Funny how you can find pleasure in small things. Christmas was hard for me this year. I grew up in a very dysfunctional household. However, holidays were spent with family, grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. We would gather for an early dinner and play boardgames and cards throughout the day. Listen to holiday music and or have a holiday special on the tv playing.

Then I got married and things changed. Holidays were spent going to our parents’ houses. Splitting the time between the two families. My moms were usually early in the day, and we would play cards and laugh. Laughter was mom’s medicine for depression. When she was blue, she would pop Mary Poppins in the VHS player and we would laugh.

Repercussions of Exposing Someone’s Sin

Usually I go to Philadelphia, Pa. and spend time with my brother and his daughter but this year I could not raise the money to go. My grandson had mentioned that he wanted me here for Christmas. However, my daughter in law became angry with me when I called her out on selfishness. She decided to remove me from her Facebook and block me.

It has had a negative effect on my relationship with my son and grandchildren. I mull over whether I was right in calling her out on selfishness or not. However, I am learning God wants me to be truthful and to expose lies and deceptions, regardless of the repercussions.

Praying for removal of Suicidal Ideation

To make a long story short. By Christmas eve I was no longer going through the suicidal ideation. I had a very nice Christmas with me and Jesus after all. Learned a new game called Pegs and Jokers with some of the residents that live here. The next day a friend came to take me to do some errands because my car needs repairs and it is not safe to drive right now.

I got a mixing bowl from Goodwill which I have been looking for many times and what I went there to buy. I made people smile and laugh while at Walmart. I love it when I can bring laughter into someone’s heart. We live in perilous times.

I had to get my glasses fixed that I spent a year and half saving money to buy them. I could not afford the transitional lenses. I did get the ones that you cannot see the trifocal lines. Well, I told the customer service lady about not being able to afford the transitional lens. When we got to her car, my friend said, “Sherry, your glasses darkened, you do have transitional lens”. Somehow miraculously I got it after all and never paid for it. She said, “there is your blessing”. I had to agree with her.

Sudden Joy in the Lord!

I felt very happy all the sudden. When we were at the pharmacy picking up my prescriptions, I saw an umbrella. I started singing and dancing. I was singing the song, “Singing in the rain”. My friend joined in and then another man at the next counter started singing with us. He smiled, I smiled, my friend smiled, and the cashier was smiling.

It was an uplifting experience.

Key verses on exposing sin

Ephesians 5:11-13: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible—and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

Galatians 6:1, “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.”

James 5:16: “Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.”

Ephesians 5:11-13: “Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness but rather expose them. It is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret; but everything exposed by the light becomes visible and everything that is illuminated becomes a light.”

Galatians 6:1: “Brothers and sisters, if someone is caught in a sin, you who live by the Spirit should restore that person gently. But watch yourselves, or you also may be tempted.

Not wrong

I was not wrong in confronting the sin. However, I could have been gentler. I tried to show kindness in my approach. However, living a Christian life has repercussions. Many prophets and people who uphold the lessons in the bible are ostracized by their family and live lonely lives. Learning to draw closer to Jesus in our times of loneliness.

Today’s society is so focused on self and when a person is trained and has a degree that learns about human behavior and lives a life set by example, they can see that the evilness of selfishness has crept into most of society.

What does the scripture say about selfishness in the last days? Matthew 24:12” KJV, “And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.” This shows how prevalent this is going to be. Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves.

Philippians 2:3 Let nothing be done through strife or vainglory; but in lowliness of mind let each esteem other better than themselves. We don’t see this behavior. Why? Are churches not teaching to pick up the cross and follow Jesus, or to die to self-daily, or how to honor parents, or that Paul says, God forbid to those who say, I am saved by grace and not works, using this as an excuse to not try to live by example?

I know the church I just left does not preach that a lot, only when they come to it in the Bible which may be years apart. It is so important.

John 14:15 KJV “If ye love me, keep my commandments.

Matthew 16:24-26 KJV, “²⁴Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

²⁵For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.

²⁶For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

Golden Rule

I grew up with these verses and the Golden Rule. However, I made the mistake of letting my son choose the church we attended. He led me down a road to a church just focusing on Church servantship and denying biological family and replacing them with church family.

They also condoned the Baptist teaching because of the 5 points of Calvinism. However, I grew up in Baptist and Methodist churches and learned how to treat people and how to walk a Christian life through prayer and supplication. The Baptist are not all the same and many don’t even uphold the 5 points of Calvinism.

I feel responsible for my family’s lack of care and for not guiding them to be more Christlike. I should have recognized my son was too young to choose the church. I should have been a better parent. Now it is too late to teach them these values and morals, due to my son is grown up.

I can not change the past and moving forward I will be more God focused and not family focused. I am planning and if God is willingly will work more on my blog, trying to get 3 more books written and published, grow an audience, and focus on Jesus’ soon return.

Like my writing. I write about life experiences and connecting to God’s Word.

/My testimony and life story https://sherrystates.com/never-forsaken/

To purchase a downloaded copy

My struggles with learning to be alone and leaning on Christ. A poem book that shows God’s glory in turbulant times. https://sherrystates.com/take-everything-to-christ-in-prayer/

My first cookbook in a series. I will be working on the second series this year. https://www.amazon.com/Sherrys-Candies-Cookies-recipes-secrets/dp/1517686717 Also on Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sherrys-candies-and-cookies-sherry-l-knight/1123114951