I cried at the last “Deployment Send-Off Ceremony.” I didn’t cry last night. Why? I was with family – hundreds of them.

In front of us sat a man who looked like “Kyle” from the TV show, “Last Man Standing.” He noticed we were trying to save seats on three rows of bleachers. He assured us his family had already arrived. (We had 25 in our group.)

Then he explained he retired from the National Guard but his brother was a commander of the unit. He pointed out his 5 siblings and their spouses. We were all “family” there.

A man sang, “Keep the Home Fires Burning.” I softly sang the chorus with him. (It’s a song from World War II, decades before I was born, but I watch black and white movies and knew the chorus.)

He sang the National Anthem. (I never know whether to listen or sing along.) I sang along softly. After the high note, everyone seemed to quietly join in.

I did tear up as I passed a soldier holding his 4-month-old baby. He will miss that first birthday. But I didn’t cry. He didn’t look sad. That baby was the reason he was going. He didn’t want his baby growing up in a war zone.

1 Chronicles 7:4, “With them, by their genealogies, after the house of their fathers, were thirty-six thousand troops of war, battle-ready, for they had many wives and sons.” Modern English Version

©2009-2017 frugalfish.org. All rights reserved.

pamela.frugalfish@gmail.com

 Twitter – @frugalfishorg

Facebook – Frugal Fish

Pinterest.com/frugalfish/

We have a new guitar player in our worship band named Ethan. He has a great sense of humor. He was out-of-town for the last two Sundays. When he arrived at practice, the worship leader jokingly said, “Ethan, you missed two weeks. You’re on time out.”

“Great!” he replied and took his guitar to sit on a stool facing the wall. Then he grinned, and said, “Derek, push my guitar pedal up as loud as it will go!”

* * * * * * *

I was reading the genealogies today and ran across Ethan’s name. I can’t wait to share it with him. He is obviously standing on the wrong side of the platform!

1 Chronicles 6:44, “…standing on the left was Ethan…” Modern English Version

* * * * * * *

On a more sobering note, I will leave in an hour for my nephew’s deployment send-off ceremony. My heart is hurting for my niece, their daughter, and his mother. The hardest part is the time apart. I’m grateful there are young men trained in warfare and willing to go to war. I live in peace and there is no war on American soil because of them.

1 Chronicles 5:18, “…valiant men, men able to bear shield and sword, to shoot with a bow, and who were skillful in battle, who went to war.” Modern English Version

I am confident he will return. I will pray for him daily. I have 30 soldiers on my prayer list who deployed and returned safely. The three soldiers who died were on American soil when they lost their lives.

1 Chronicles 5:20, “They were helped against them, and the Hagrites and all who were with them were delivered into their hand, for they cried to God in the battle, and He heard their prayer because they trusted in Him.” Modern English Version

©2009-2017 frugalfish.org. All rights reserved.

pamela.frugalfish@gmail.com

 Twitter – @frugalfishorg

Facebook – Frugal Fish

Pinterest.com/frugalfish/

When I read today’s verse, I thought of our responsibility to our children. I know we were very busy, especially during their teen years. But this verse is talking about more than our children. It is also talking about turning our hearts to our parents, grandchildren, and someday, great-grandchildren. Our families are a life-long priority.

Malachi 4:6, “He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the earth with a curse.” Modern English Version

* * * * * * *

Malachi gives us practical guidelines about commitment to God.

• God deserves the best we have to offer (1:7-10).
• We must be willing to change our wrong ways of living (2:1, 2).
• We should make our family a lifelong priority (2:13-16).
• We should be sensitive to God’s refining process in our life (3:3).
• There is no room for pride (3:13-15).

Life Application Study Bible Notes

©2009-2017 frugalfish.org. All rights reserved.

pamela.frugalfish@gmail.com

 Twitter – @frugalfishorg

Facebook – Frugal Fish

Pinterest.com/frugalfish/

The conductor Leonard Bernstein was once asked, “What is the most difficult instrument to play?”

“Second violin,” he replied, “Because everyone wants to be first violinist….It’s hard to find someone who wants to play second violin and to do so with the same enthusiasm. But without the second violin, there is no harmony.”

“The Unquenchable Worshipper” by Matt Redman

It’s amazing how God will speak to you through the books you are reading. Then He reiterated His point when I read a cross-reference to Psalms 141:3.

James 1:26, “Those who consider themselves religious and yet do not keep a tight rein on their tongues deceive themselves, and their religion is worthless.” New International Version 

* * * * * * *

“Religious. Refers to the outward acts of religion: e.g., giving to the needy, fasting and public acts of praying and worshiping.” New International Version Study Bible Notes

Some days, I wake up and say to myself, “I am not going to talk at all!” But that is not the way to handle the tongue either. There is a time to speak. It is probably not as often as I think it is. Do I negate my offering of worship with a loose tongue?

• “God…has a very different way of looking at things….He’s concerned with what’s going on backstage….God goes straight to the heart….is interested in the hidden and the private.
• God first seeks devotion to Him in the hidden place – worship when no one is watching.
• How much do we throw ourselves into worship at church when we’re not leading, or…when someone else is leading worship in a style not quite to our taste?
• And what’s going on in our minds?”

“The Unquenchable Worshipper” by Matt Redman

Playing in the worship band is an offering I give to the Lord. Does He receive my offering?

Malachi 2:13, “This is the second thing you do: You cover the altar of the Lord with tears, with weeping and crying out, because He no longer regards the offering, nor receives it with good will from your hand.” Modern English Version

©2009-2017 frugalfish.org. All rights reserved.

pamela.frugalfish@gmail.com

 Twitter – @frugalfishorg

Facebook – Frugal Fish

Pinterest.com/frugalfish/

 

 

 

 

One of my earliest memories is of “Camp Meeting” at Elim Bible Institute. There was a playground at one end of a football field. During Camp Meeting, they packed the football field with tents as alumni, missionaries, teachers, and evangelists returned to Elim. It was a week of seeing old friends and special services.

I remember we had to walk around the tents to get to the playground. It was full of kids. Those were the days where you swung as high as you could, daring each other to swing over the top. (I don’t think anyone ever did.) It was fun swinging up until it felt like you were flying over a sea of tents.

There’s a special bond between those who camp regularly. I don’t know if it is from the fresh air or food cooked outside.

* * * * * * *

When the children of Israel traveled from Egypt to Canaan, they slept in tents. They had 40 years of camping! When they reached the promised land, God ordered them to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. The Tabernacle was a large tent.

Instead of setting up tents, God commanded them to sleep in booths they built out of branches. They would get a good dose of fresh air and rekindle the camaraderie they had when camping together in tents.

Nehemiah 8:16, “So the people went out and brought back branches and made themselves booths. Each household did so on its roof, in their yard, on the grounds of the house of God, in the area in front of the Water Gate, or in the area at the Gate of Ephraim.” Modern English Version

Yes, God invented camping! He did not want the assembly at the Temple, which replaced the Tabernacle, overlooked while camping. The Israelites promised they would not.

Nehemiah 10:39, “…We resolve not to forsake the house of our God.” Modern English Version

©2009-2017 frugalfish.org. All rights reserved.

pamela.frugalfish@gmail.com

 Twitter – @frugalfishorg

Facebook – Frugal Fish

Pinterest.com/frugalfish/

The human worship leader then becomes more of a lead worshipper who tries to follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and throw himself or herself wholeheartedly into worship as an example for others to follow.”

“The Unquenchable Worshipper” by Matt Redman

The people on the platform are not the only worship leaders. There are strong singers in the congregation who also lead. Their voices lend courage to those around them. They are not concerned about others hearing them. They sing with all their hearts.

Nehemiah 12:42, “…The singers sang loudly….” Modern English Version

©2009-2017 frugalfish.org. All rights reserved.

pamela.frugalfish@gmail.com

 Twitter – @frugalfishorg

Facebook – Frugal Fish

Pinterest.com/frugalfish/

 

God does fight for us! But, not when we are sitting in our recliners watching TV all day. Nehemiah chapter 4 shows us what we should do.

The People:

1. Rebuilt the wall, v. 6.
2. Worked with passion, v. 6.
3. Prayed to God, v. 9.
4. Set a watch day and night, v. 9.
5. Set guards at the weakest places, v. 13.
6. Stationed people by families, v. 13.
7. Provided weapons for all, v. 13.
8. Stopped being terrified, v. 14.
9. Remembered the Lord is great and awesome, v. 14.
10. Fought for their families, v. 14.
11. Fought for their property, v. 14.
12. Everyone worked, v. 15.
13. Prepared everyone to fight, v. 16.
14. Appointed commanders over every house, v. 16.
15. Ran to help others being attacked, v. 20.
16. Labored from sunrise to sunset, v. 21.
17. Worked during the day, v. 22.
18. Guarded at night, v. 22.
19. Slept in their clothes for when they had to fight, v. 23.
20. Never let their guard down, even when washing, v. 23.

Nehemiah 4:20, “…Our God shall fight for us.” Modern English Version

©2009-2017 frugalfish.org. All rights reserved.

pamela.frugalfish@gmail.com

 Twitter – @frugalfishorg

Facebook – Frugal Fish

Pinterest.com/frugalfish/

The hardest thing to do is to keep quiet about something God is doing in your life. There is a lot of planning and preparation in the background. It takes longer to accomplish than you think it will.

Nehemiah 2:12, “Then I arose in the night, I and a few men who were with me; I told no one what my God had put in my heart to do for Jerusalem. There was no animal with me, except the one on which I rode.” Modern English Version

* * * * * * *

“The key to success lies in doing the right thing at the right time.” facebook.com/thewordforyourtodayusa

©2009-2017 frugalfish.org. All rights reserved.

pamela.frugalfish@gmail.com

 Twitter – @frugalfishorg

Facebook – Frugal Fish

Pinterest.com/frugalfish/