Sunflower Faith

It was actually funny that Laurie of “Magnolia Heartbeat” mention the chocolate cake because I was fixing to post about that.

See.

Uhm.

Uh.

I broke the oven last night while making cookies.

Yes, I know, how did I do that?

Even my FIL is stumped and was stumped when I called him; There’s suggestion that I may have to be either start using a grill for everything (well then there is concern about needing the fire department) or I’m supervised while using the oven.

No clue what happen.

Everything was fine.

They were just chocolate chip and macedemia cookies.

I went to check on them and saw this yellow and orange spark going down the coil.

First thought, TURN OFF THE OVEN.

As I did, the spark faded out and the coil it traveled half collapsed.

So there’s half a coil now.

Nice.

Money is tight as is and this happens.

Praise God that the stove is still working (Hubby kidded over the phone that everytime he leaves time, I break something), but there went my hopes for the chocolate cake.

Hmmm…guess don’t have to worry about the sharing part.

However, cooking will be creative till we can get the part that we need.

Ever feel like that in your everyday life?

Swimming enough to keep your head out of the water, or you think, disaster averted and you can skirt by enough till you can get things together, then something like a burnt coil gets thrown in your life.

Luke 6:46

“But why do you call Me `Master, Master,’ and do not do the things which I say? “Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like:  “He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock.  “But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great.”

It’s easy to just throw your hands up in the air, or accept the defeat and say, “I can’t do this”,”Why am I doing this” and just walk away, but our Heavenly Father loves us so much that He could have given up on us but didn’t.

He doesn’t want us to do the same and think it’s over; It’s never.

We have to learn to not think one way and one way only or we are destined to fail before we even trying.

We can’t hold our bibles and say we believe, but never open it up and when trials and tribulations come our way, like the man who heard and did nothing, we would be swept away easily, but when we listen to God’s word an apply it like the man who, though it took work and no doubt, time and sweat and tears, his faith was set so deep in the foundation, it could not be swept away and he was prepared.

There is little doubt that yes, he was on a temporary island, but because he KNEW what God wanted, he was ready for anything.

So what does this have to do with a broke oven?

Improvise.

There’s a lot of meals that will be cooked on the stove top till next paycheck, but no sweat.

Like I take the time to really read God’s word and apply it and not just say it, I know in advance that there are still good and healthy meals that can be made without the oven.

(1 Timothy 4:15-16 NIV) Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. [16] Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.

(2 Timothy 4:3-4 NIV) For the time will come when men will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.

Hey, at one time, we didn’t even have electric or gas ovens and the women before us had to cook over a fire.

So no matter what we are still blessed and yes, I’m not getting my chocolate cake as I had hoped for, but from whatever it was that I did…I did learn a valuable lesson.

There may come a day my faith will be tested and the word of God will not be available at my hand and then won’t be the time to start reading up on God’s word to know what His word has to say or to “work on my Christian life”.

Hosea 4:6a (NIV) my people are destroyed from lack of knowledge.

Now is the time.

There is no excuse to not only read God’s word but to apply it, honestly and actively in my life and not just sit by the sidelines thinking, not today or what will other people think.

Colossians 3:23-24 (NLT)

Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people.  Remember that the Lord will give you an inheritance as your reward, and that the Master you are serving is Christ.

1 Thessalonians 2:3-5 (NIV)

For the appeal we make does not spring from error or impure motives, nor are we trying to trick you. On the contrary, we speak as men approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel. We are not trying to please men but God, who tests our hearts.You know we never used flattery, nor did we put on a mask to cover up greed—God is our witness.

What will our Heavenly Father think if we are caught unaware and the wall of water comes our way. Will we be prepared?

1 Timothy 4:15-16( NIV)

Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers.