When Gift Giving Generates Sadness In the Giver

Ever try giving a GIFT to someone, yet they refuse to believe you CAN give them a gift?

It makes me sad when people cannot accept that I want to give them something. 
When I give a gift to someone as an offering to my God, and yet the recipient insists on paying me, I am hurt and saddened that I am not considered capable of serving my God through serving them.
Am I so poor to actually not afford to buy something to give them? If they insist on paying me for the gift, they have not accepted my gift at all.
That hurts.

David said he would not offer anything to God if it costs him nothing.

To graciously accept a gift is as much a thank you as the words spoken.

For the recipient to graciously accept a gift can bring so much joy to the giver.

"And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him" Colossians 3: 17.

Not only is this good advice for the giver but also for the receiver.

Oxymoron

Oxymoron: Origin: Greek: "Pointedly foolish', oxus: sharp; moros: foolish
Rhetorical figure, epigrammatic in form, in which what appear to be incongruous, contradictory, contrasted, ideas are associated.

No: Negative particle: Refusal, denial in word

Lord: Master, Lord, Superior, Ruler

Saying "No, Lord, is an oxymoron.

Definitions from "The Little & Ives Webster Dictionary and Home Reference Library International Edition"

Poofy Angels

Several places in the Bible angels popped into the lives of people.  These angels also popped out of sight as quickly as they appeared. In many cases, when appearing, the angel had to say "Don't be afraid."

That's an interesting statement. Most people I know who think they see angels always speak of how wonderful and beautiful the experience is. I think if I saw an angel, I would most likely need him to say, "Don't be afraid."

An angel is in the presence of God most of the time. This being, if one were to come to me on some errand from God, would be so much more holier than I. My sinful self would be exposed standing beside this being, even though it is only a created being, as I am.

God says He makes His messengers a flame of fire. (Hebrews 1:7) In other places they are told to kill people. Lots of people! (1 Chronicles 21: 14-15, 2 Kings 21:35) But as in meeting Mary, they can be so kind and assuring.

If an angel physically poofed in and out of my life, I'd be astonished, and amazed, and probably fall down in a faint like Daniel (Dan 8: 18).

I think I have only encountered an angel once and then I didn't see the creature itself, only something occurred where I can't explain what happened....except to say God sent an angel.

One day, during a blizzard, a friend and I were on the highway in whiteout conditions. Traveling from Bangor to home is usually about a 45 minute drive. We hadn't intended to be out in such conditions, but the storm came on us as we were in Bangor and worsened as we headed home.

In a particularly dense gust of snow, where everything disappeared, we both saw a bright yellow car right ahead of us. Then we lost sight of it. Not knowing where the car was, or even being able to see the road, my friend pulled over to what she thought was the side of the highway. In the blowing snow,  we found ourselves stopped next to a milepost. Just as she put the car in park, a Semi-truck went by us driving way too fast for the conditions.

If we hadn't been frightened by the yellow car's sudden appearance and disappearance, we most certainly would have been overrun by the truck.

I believe God sent an angel in a yellow car to save us from a very deadly accident.

We both prayed our Thank You and asked God to get us home safely. We had no more problems, even if the going was extremely slow in the storm.

We never saw the yellow car again.

Poof!

EBook Squished! Why God Seemingly Destroys Our Fruit

 EBook Squished! Why God Seemingly Destroys Our Fruit

Click link here to go to Amazon to read portion of the book
http://www.amazon.com/Squished-Seemingly-Destroys-Fruit-ebook



Here's an excerpt from the Kirkus-Indie Book Review of my EBook available on Amazon Kindle, Westbow Press Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook devices.

BOOK REVIEW
Kirkus-Indie

Estes chronicles, in broad strokes, what her church went through after its pastor abruptly left before a Sunday service.
 The book does use cutting language at times...
(the book...) focus on ways that readers can be good Christians; and urges readers to follow in his footsteps (and later, to avoid what he avoids). The author writes lucidly and candidly about faith,...

##

 Squished! is a short devotional/study guide with provocative questions for a believer to answer about their faith. I wrote it during a time I needed answers to difficult questions. I discovered the Bible is a great help when read with faith in God speaking to me and guiding me through my trials.

Maybe you can find your answers through this book also. or it may motivate you to ask some deep questions you personally need answered.

Restoring John-Mark

"Now when Paul and his party set sail from Paphos, they came to Perga in Pamphylia; and John, departing from them, returned to Jerusalem" Acts 13:13

Did John-Mark leave because he didn't know how to take the miracles that happened around Paul? (Acts 13:1-12) We really don't know. But, maybe John-Mark did leave the early ministry for a more familiar station. For safer ground. It has been known of others to do this also. We may get overwhelmed and back-off from a certain group or 'calling' in the church.

(I didn't feel comfortable teaching the tweens in our church and left that age group to other teachers. I am more comfortable teaching the ladies and young women.)

John-Mark later recorded the Gospel of Mark, a great description of Jesus as the servant to man. Many Bible scholars believe this may have been Peter's account of Jesus' life on earth, as dictated to Mark. However it was written, John-Mark was used by God, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to write one of the great books in our Bible.

God knew for what He would use Mark. Whatever failings John-Mark may have had, God forgave him, placing him in a wonderful ministry.

Paul restored John-Mark himself later in his second letter, instructing Timothy. "...Get Mark and bring him with you, for he is useful to me for ministry" 2 Timothy 4:11.

If we know a brother or sister that leaves a ministry we thought they should have kept, we can and should restore them. We can watch and help them find where God uses them and then build them up in that ministry. Never should we set them aside or give up on them because they left the ministry we thought they should participate in. God knows all about them, their strengths and weaknesses.

"But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased" 1 Corinthians 12:18.

God restored John-Mark and used him for His glorious purpose. Praise God.