Category: the peace that passes all understanding

My Attitude Has Stunk Lately!!!!

~ Shelia's Notes ~ 4 Comments
I have to remind my self of Philippians 4:7 often.
My attitude has really stunk lately.  I cannot feel the peace that passes all understanding when my attitude stinks . All I feel is a lot of unrest.
 Some words really spoke to my heart as I was reading scriptures today.
Matthew 22:37
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your mind.
Colossians 3:1-3,5 
(Speaking to those who have been baptized into Christ)
Therefore if you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.
Set you mind on the things above, not on things that are on earth.
For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God.
v 5 So put to death whatever in your nature belongs to the earth…
Romans 12:2-3
Do not be conformed to this present world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.
For by the grace given to me I say to every one of you not to think more highly of yourself that you ought to think; but to think with sober discernment as God has given to each a measure of faith.
Why has my attitude stunk lately?
Selfishness
Self-centered ambition
Thinking more highly of my self than I ought.
Not loving God more than myself.
Not loving God with all my heart, soul and mind.
Not seeking the things above where Christ is seated with God.
Not setting my mind above but setting it on the things of this earth.
Being conformed to this world. 
Not renewing my mind with the Word of God.
What do I need to do about this stinking attitude?
Love the Lord God with all my heart, mind and soul.
Seek thing above.
Stop being selfish.
Stop being self centered.
Think more highly of others.
Love God more than myself.
Do not be conformed to this world.
Set my mind on things above and stay in the Word and Prayer.
If you need a change in attitude get into the Word and listen to God speak to you just click on the link below.
www.bigcountry.worldbibleschool.org

What I Have Been Up To!!!!!

~ Shelia's Notes ~ 4 Comments

WOW!!!! is all I can say. I have been so busy. How about you? 
Washing clothes is NOT just for Monday but whenever 
I have a spare moment to put  them in the washing machine.
I do not iron unless it is something I am sewing.

I have been sewing Monday through Sunday, Oh, that is all week!!

I did visit a dear friend in the hospital.
  I made the bed, cooked, cleaned, have taken several baths, 
brushed my teeth, combed my hair, got some sleep.                                                                                                                                                
   
There is no time to bake today as 
I had a special wedding to attend.
Blessed to worship and study God’s word.
…….Oh yes, I taught a Ladies Bible Study Class on Tuesday, 
I went to a ladies class Wednesday night, 
I cleaned at the church building on Thursday……..
So it is Not just on Sunday.
I know everyone is busy, 
especially at this time of the year. 
Let us not forget the Peace that Passes All Understanding.

Philippians 4:6-8

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things.
For a Free Bible study click below:
www.bigcountry.worldbibleschool.org

My Heart is so Full of Africa I can Hardly See Home!!!

~ Shelia's Notes ~ 7 Comments
This reminds me of Act 8:36-38 As they went along the road they came to some water; and the eunuch said, “Look! Water! What prevents me from being baptized?” 37 And Philip said, “If you believe with all your heart, you may.” And he answered and said, “I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”] 38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him. 

We just returned from Zambia after three weeks.
Before we go people say, “What are you going to do when you go to Zambia?”
I just say, “Whatever God wants me to do.”
When I return home, people say, “What did you do while you were in Zambia?”
How is it possible to answer that so they can truly understand?
How can I tell them how happy it makes my soul when I first see the Zambian people I have known for seven years? 
They always have a huge smile on their face, a hardy hand shake and a tight hug that is fit only for family.
They say, “THANK YOU FOR COMING, I JUST THANK YOU FOR COMING.”
How can they understand how my heart feels when I first hear the Zambian accents, when they sing praises to God in Chichewa, and when they call my name?
There is never enough time to spend with them. There are always so many people to see, so many villages to visit and so much teaching to be done.
I took over 2000 pictures and I wish I could post everyone of them so you could see what I see, feel what I feel, smell what I smell, hear what I hear, touch what I touch and taste what I taste. I wish you could feel what my heart feels, what my soul feels.
I think I take so many pictures because I do not want to forget one minute of my time in Zambia.
I do not want to forget one face, one baby, one child, one woman, one man, one soul.
The souls are why I go. 
The souls are why I return.
The souls are why my heart is so full of Zambia I can hardly see home, even though home is where I am now.
When people ask me what I am going to do when I go to Zambia I will always say, “Whatever God wants me to do.”
When people ask me what I did when I went to Zambia I will always say, “Whatever God wanted me to do.”
There are some things that are hard to explain.
When I go to Zambia, I go to do what Matthew 28:18-20 says.

Matthew 28:18-20

New American Standard Bible (NASB)
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”
We had three baptisms while we were there. Not all because of us. Some were because of the work that had been done before we got there. However, praise God that we witnessed three souls being saved while we were there.
If you need a Bible Study you can visit this link:
http://www.worldbibleschool.org/connect


Sweet Holy Blessings

~ Shelia's Notes ~ Leave a comment

What a sweet Holy blessing to spend time with these three very special ladies in my life.
Our times together have not always been blessed. 
We have had some extremely hard times.
Times that severed the ties between us for a period of time.
Something that tore my heart out from my soul.
Something that  cut so deeply that I thought I would bleed to death at times.
Something that seemed so unreal that I could not comprehend it.
Psalm 38: 4-6
V.4 For my iniquities are gone over my head;
As a heavy burden they weigh too much for me.
V.5 My wounds grow foul and fester
Because of my folly.
V.6 I am bent over and greatly bowed down; I go mourning all day long.
V. 11 My loved ones and my friends stand aloof from my plague;
And my kinsmen stand afar off.
Matthew 6:14
“For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.
But if you do not forgive others then your Father will not forgive your transgressions.
How many Sweet Holy Blessings do we give up because of lack of forgiveness?
Thank God that we came to our senses and let Him work His will in us.
Click Here fo a Free Bible Study:
http://www.worldbibleschool.org/

Will We Know One Another in Heaven?

~ Shelia's Notes ~ Leave a comment
John 14:6
Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.

I sometimes wonder if we will know one another in heaven.
This is a very touching song by Eric Claptons Song 
Tears in Heaven
Would you know my name
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you feel the same
If I saw you in heaven?
I must be strong and carry on
‘Cause I know I don’t belong here in heaven
Would you hold my hand
If I saw you in heaven?
Would you help me stand
If I saw you in heaven?
I’ll find my way through night and day
‘Cause I know I just can’t stay here in heaven


While the Bible does not directly ask this question, the human heart does. David Padfield Adorning The Word, Volune 6
I know that I have been able to move through the grief process by believing that I will some day see my Mother in heaven. 
There are many other family members that I hope and pray I will see there too.
Recently I was with my lovely niece whom I love dearly. 
We were sitting in a Deli having a long awaited and highly blessed visit. 
I heard a soft voice say “Mrs Holmes?” With a definite question mark on the end.
I was so deep in the moment with my lovely niece that the sound of my name shocked me back to the surroundings of the Deli.
I looked in the direction of the sound, to see a young man with glasses looking at me, as if to say with his eyes are you really Mrs Holmes?
I looked at him intently and he looked at me intently. 
He said, “You are Mrs Holmes?” Again with that question mark at the end.
I said yes I am as I studied that face trying to decide how he knew my name. 
I  knew that I must know him but it was just putting all the pieces together to recall a name.
Having taught pre-school for twenty years, having 20 children each year, added up to 400 little ones that touched my life. 
When one teaches children that young they rarely remember you, even after a year.
I scanned my brain to see if I could put a name with that face. 
I did vaguely remember some of the features. 
The glasses where a huge clue.
Then the eyes beyond the glasses really stood out. 
The body was the part that did not fit the picture. 
It was like one of those computer generated pictures they do of children who have been missing a long time to show what they would look like grown.
In a matter of seconds from the time my eyes first met his, just as I was about to say his name, he said I am “****** *******”.
I said, Yes, yes,******** I remember you but you have grown up so much. 
The last time I saw  him he was 4 or 5 years old. 
I said, “What are you up to these days?” 
He said, “I just graduated for high school and I am going in to the Air Force in a couple of weeks.” 
So it has been thirteen years since I saw him.
No matter how long it has been since we saw our loved ones who have passed on, I believe that when(and if) we see them in heaven we will know them and they will know us.

However, it is not what I believe but what the scriptures say.
Matthew 25: 31 NASB
But the Son of May comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne.
V. 32
All nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separated the sheep from the goats;
and 
V.33
He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.
V. 34
Then the King will say to those on His right, Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
V. 41
Then He will also say to those on His left, Depart from Me, accursed ones, into the eternal fire which has been prepared for the devil and his angels;
For a Free Bible Study Click Here:
http://www.worldbibleschool.org/