Mary Cantell

Jun

18

What is a father?

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Tomorrow we honor our fathers—men both young and old who have earned this distinguished title. Being a father is more than just being a Daddy or passing down DNA. The task of fatherhood is a great sacrifice, as all true fathers can attest.

Fathers have a huge responsibility in rearing the children God has granted them. Loving, nurturing, teaching and disciplining are some of the ways of a being a good father. Sometimes the role is easy and sometimes the job gets tough.

There is much instruction and wisdom to be found in God’s word on how to parent. Some verses stand out: “Train up a child in the way he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it” – Proverbs 22:6 and “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord” – Ephesians 6:4. Just as the Lord has compassion on his children, fathers are instructed to have the same.

Being a father brings great reward and often heartache as well. Just imagine the pain of our Lord when His children go astray. Though the beauty to be found in all of it is to remember that children are a gift from God and truly belong to Him first. Earthly fathers are merely stewards.

In the role of fatherhood, Christ needs to be the model with the Bible as our instruction manual. The work is taxing yet it should be done as with all things for the glory of God.

Happy Father’s Day to all of our wonderful fathers!

 

 

Jun

10

Pledges, oaths and flip flopping

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Has someone ever disappointed you or others for not honoring a pledge? Even so much as swearing an oath and then not following through on it? God’s word in Matthew speaks to this:

 

Matthew 5:33-37 “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform your oaths to the Lord.’ But I say to you, do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black. But let your ‘Yes’ be ‘Yes,’ and your ‘No,’ ‘No.’ For whatever is more than these is from the evil one.”

While we have witnessed some not adhering to their oaths or pledges, as children of God, we need to set the bar higher. As Christians, our lives (and words) reflect the nature of God and we are viewed by the world through them. Basically, our lives are a reflection of Jesus and his instructions say to commit to a “yes” or a “no” in your dealings.

To be a flip-flopper can be misconstrued as being dishonest and undependable. Isn’t a Christian supposed to be true to his word, the world asks?  If not, the impression of dishonesty arises and can taint our Christian witness. Why should anyone believe our word about God’s truths, if we ourselves are not true to our own word? When others observe us following through on our word, it speaks to the Christ in us. May the Holy Spirit guide your words today…

 

Jun

01

Got love?

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In speaking with a brother in Christ recently after reading his monthly newsletter where the topic was LOVE, he mentioned how he can best love others and it was by first loving himself. His words got me to thinking.

The world speaks about love. It’s all we seem to talk about as it’s all about love, right? How we feel… about love, loving ourselves, loving others, and how much we love to love.

While reading the newsletter, it seemed he got swayed into the world’s view of love, which is:  I cannot love others until I love myself first.

What?

My take: If we accept ourselves as God sees us once we are saved (when God only sees the righteousness of Christ in us from that point on), then we are on the right track to loving others and that is what we are commanded to do.

So what if we don’t like/love ourselves on any particular day due to a bad mood, sickness, reminders of the past that haunt and taunt us, or any other variable, etc. Do these things preclude us from loving others? If we are relying on ourselves, yes. But we have the loving Holy Spirit inside of us. Otherwise, wouldn’t our flesh hold us back during those trying times? Is that what God means to love… just love when you feel like it?

Only what’s done in the Lord’s strength is valuable. It’s not about you and I loving ourselves. The love comes from the Jesus in us. The outward show of his spirit inside. Galations 2:20 – “I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live but Christ lives in me…”

Striving to like or love ourselves after we’re saved is a vain and futile waste. Just what would it take to love yourself… and for how long, if you found it?

Frankly, if God sacrificed his life for us, it should be enough. It’s not our place to put God’s love and acceptance for us  below our own love and acceptance of ourselves. It begs the question:  Is God’s account of us not enough? Are we the ones loving or is it God’s love we’re sharing with others through his Holy Spirit?  Is it about us or is it about God?

May

24

On building bridges… and walls

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It seems the Pope–all comfy in the fortress of the Vatican–has a few words for America–specifically, our President upon his first visit.

“We should build bridges… not walls” is the message Pope Francis is giving.

I would dare to contradict the man with all due respect and venture to say he’s a Communist and a short-sighted one as well.

Mr. Pope, America has built bridges. We are the country that has helped, supported, undergirded, and basically opened our doors for the world to enter. We are the role model for the globe and an example of what true freedom and liberty are all about, but for us not to have any borders, boundaries or legality in our immigration process, it is akin to indulgence which leads to a wanton disregard for the exact freedoms we wish to uphold.

 

May

17

Something to Cherish

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America, the land of the free and home of the brave, is a concept our founding fathers brought forth on this continent that all men should be free. Their acknowledgement of our Creator as being the one who bestowed our lives to us all equally has paved the way for America to be a free nation.

On this coming Memorial Day—the time when we give honor to the thousands of men who sacrificed so much for our freedom–we acknowledge the sacrifice of the men who fought to maintain it.

There’s one other who made the ultimate sacrifice so we can be free. Jesus himself. The price He paid for his sacrifice was his life. Because we as a people sinned from the beginning, God provided an escape for the damnation that sin caused. Messiah Jesus “The Anointed One” came to take our place in death and to bear all of our sin so we can be free.

Consider the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus and those of our Vets this Memorial Day and pray that God will allow our nation to continue as the founding fathers designed it to be.

May God continue to bless America.

 

May

11

A Mother’s Memory

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Mother’s Day , the day we commemorate our mothers, is celebrated in May and is coming up this weekend, May 14th. The day to honor motherhood and the maternal bonds is celebrated the world over.

Proverbs 31 depicts a wise mother…“Strength and dignity are her clothing and she laughs at the time to come. She opens her mouth with wisdom and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue. She looks well to the ways of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children rise up and call her blessed…”

On this special day, we give honor to them as they’ve been the backbone of our society through their role as a homemaker, teacher, provider, protector, and sometimes, best friend.

My mother was all of the above, and I thank God for the mother I was given.

Apr

28

Speaking of Art

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The Arts are essential.

An education in the Arts is necessary to the fundamental growth of human beings and the human spirit. Encouraging children and students to participate in the Arts fosters an appreciation for humanity, our place in the world, and our culture.

It’s been documented that students who are involved in the Arts in school become more well-rounded individuals. The Arts engage and expand a child’s mind, allowing for an open and expanded outlook on life and one’s relationship to others and the world. Without the Arts, life wouldn’t be what it is today.

While the Arts are important on several levels, it’s not necessarily something in which the US government needs to have a hand. In the past, the government has funded much of the Arts; however, with our new leadership, there are programs that will need to be eliminated in an effort to reign in spending. Our federal deficit is astronomical and there’s going to be some pain involved when the coffers shrink. The Arts is one of those programs.

While no one wants to see the Arts go by the wayside in schools, it’s time to re-think how the funding is to be supplied in an effort to continue the benefits to future generations. Perhaps those who benefit the most from the Arts; i.e., Hollywood and others, could help sustain this vital discipline through their own contributions instead of having the government supply our every need.

The government has been Mommy for too long.

Image result for pictures showing the Arts

Apr

24

Gift of Light

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Gift of Light

 

     “The earth is the Lord’s

     and the fullness thereof.”

Morning opens

in glory each dawn

when ribbons of gold

untie the shadows.

Dew glistens the dales

where silver waters stream

at the foot of mountains

rising in the blush of day.

Joy lends to the offering

through the laughter of lilies…

the embrace of wisteria…

snow dressed pines frolicking on the hills.

Each season, a blessing

to the delights of His presence

born on a brilliance

forever packaged in love.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Apr

15

He is Alive!

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Today is the anniversary of a very bittersweet day. The  day our Lord and Savior was nailed to a Roman cross to bear the sins of all mankind. It was there that two other sinful men were being hung in the same manner as our Lord. That same day, one of those men defended Jesus to the other.

When Jesus finally died, He was placed in a tomb and remained there for three days. Then a miraculous thing happened. He rose!

It didn’t take long for the sacrificial lamb of God to shed the bondage of death. By so doing, he paid the price for your sins and mine to be forever pardoned. The only requirement is to accept and believe the gift that’s been offered.

One of the men who hung on a cross alongside of Jesus believed, and he is with the Lord even now. So it’s never too late to accept the gift of salvation that Jesus bore for all of us.

Remember, on Easter Sunday, we celebrate a RISEN Savior! We can rest assured that we will see Him again when He comes out of the clouds in His glory!

Do you believe?

Apr

06

Hosanna in the Highest

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 This Sunday is Palm Sunday. The day when Christ made his triumphant entry into Jerusalem on a colt where the multitudes laid palm branches and declared, “Hosanna in the Highest!” (Matthew 21:1-11) just as O.T. scripture prophesied. The people buzzed with excitement at what Jesus would do regarding Rome’s tyranny and welcomed  him taking the throne. Only that didn’t happen. Jesus did not come to lead a revolution against oppressors—at least, not yet.  While the people wanted one thing, they received something else. Jesus was about to change things but it would encompass a broader schematic than merely for the then and now. The changes He made allowed a way for everything to be made right—a redemption and liberation exceeding our expectations.

Today, we have that same mindset as those at the original Palm Sunday in that sometimes we want God to act in a way contrary to His will. It is at these times when we should move beyond the here and now and set our sights in line with His perspective and not our own. When God does act, it’s always a far greater movement than what we can expect or even imagine.