freedom

The 5 People (possibly?) Fallacy

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

A Closer Look at the “5 People You Hang With” Thing

The saying is that you’re the average of the five people you spend the most time with, and I’m hearing it often.  But I’m not quite comfortable with it—I get a little squirm of doubt and unease every time it’s repeated. While I see the validity of the statement—bad company does indeed corrupt, and good company certainly is a welcome and a needed influence (eating out with people who order steak and salad instead of burgers and fries, and who always look on the bright side, like my sister-in-law Liz) there is still a little squirm of unease and discomfort with the “5 people” mantra, and here are my thoughts and questions about it:

  1.  I’m not a statistic.
  2. I’m not an average.
  3. I am meant to overcome evil (or whatever undesirable influence) with good, not the opposite.
  4. I am not seeing anything in Scripture that says I’m to ditch my family and friends when they aren’t of use/benefit to me.
  5. This sounds like bravery, but is it?  Wouldn’t real bravery speak up when needed, or do the opposite of the crowd when wisdom so dictates?
  6. If I can see the problem, aren’t I called to be a good example by not joining in?
  7. Wouldn’t praying in love and faith be simpler and more beneficial for all parties than simply seeking a new circle?
  8. Can’t God be trusted to bring those new relationships into my life, even as He can be trusted to lead me with the current ones?
  9. Am I trying to escape something/someone I need to face, and thereby grow in freedom and grace?
  10. Could it be that I’m not the marvel my imagined new circle will welcome with open arms?

This statement, I believe, has value when you’re trying to get free from parasites/addicts—when your life actually depends on leaving a circle of death.  But for your family and friends, maybe you’re just meant to be the voice of reason, the doer of the beautiful, the example, the prayer warrior.  Or maybe you’re in a situation like mine has been lately—I am meant to allow the relationship to be so covered with grace, that my flesh has to shut up, that I have no alternative to doing the only thing that ever really changes things:  Trust God.

And here’s another maybe:  maybe you’re meant to be like Pastor Mark Hankins’ mama, who when the talk got negative said, “Let’s talk about Jesus.”  If that didn’t do the trick, she began singing the song, “Let’s talk about Jesus.”  Eventually people get the message—even the one in the mirror.

July 4 (or 6!) Cooking for Liberty, Freedom and Independence from Yucky, Expensive, Unhealthy, and again, EXPENSIVE Food.

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

Another of several videos showing you how to get really good in the kitchen, at making better food even as you spend less on groceries.

If you agree this is worth sharing, please do so, and please like and subscribe!

We are blessed!

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

I read the following from Jerry Savelle this morning, this after waking up with the thought: We are not a product of our president, of our “leaders”– if and when our leader is Jesus.

We are children of the Most High, and when we walk with Him we are blessed coming in and going out, the head and not the tail, above and not beneath (Deuteronomy 28:13 and 28:6).

Here’s Jerry:

I truly believe there is nothing more enjoyable to God than blessing His people! That is true with every good father. If you ask my children (even though they’re grown with their own families now), they will tell you, “Our daddy loves us!” I love blessing my children and grandchildren…and now my great-grandchild. I want them to enjoy the best life that they could ever imagine. We can see God’s heart in Genesis 12:2 where He declares, “I will bless you…” to Abraham. But His blessing didn’t stop with Abraham, God also promised to bless Abraham’s seed. The apostle Paul explained that “in Christ” you are Abraham’s seed saying, “If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise” (Galatians 3:29 NIV). God always loves blessing you. He is not the one who is withholding good things from you. Don’t ever forget that God enjoys blessing His people.

This 4th of July, let us remember who and Whose we are.

Choose Love’s Freedom and Victory, Not Jealousy’s Torment and Guaranteed Defeat

~ Bev Parker ~ Leave a comment

The Bible talks of a “spirit of jealousy” and if you’ve ever been on the receiving end of it, you won’t hesitate to believe.  This is a spirit that divides those who are meant to be the best of friends, the closest, dearest and most faithful of companions.  It’s wily, pervasive, and deadly to all concerned.

If, like myself, you’ve been a victim of this spirit from childhood, but by some miracle were never prone to jealousy yourself, you are jealousy’s lesser victim.  The real victims of the spirit of jealousy are those under its power.  Not only can they never have a true and unblemished friendship, but perhaps even more tragically, they can never attain that thing about which they’re jealous.

If you’re filled with a furious disdain for the lovely blonde with the darling tribe of little blonde children, obviously cared for by a doting daddy somewhere (or not, you don’t know), let that fury be your signal, your clanging bell with flashing red lights on the arm over the railroad crossing.  There’s a freight train of destruction headed your way, and you’d better stop right now.  This train means to make absolutely certain you never have that family of your own, or whatever it is you fear to even hope for.

Don’t just say “no” say, “ABSOLUTELY NOT, YOU FOUL, LYING, PUTRID DEMON SPIRIT.  I love, admire, respect, pray for, and enjoy the sight of that beautiful little family.  And I know that they have their trials and troubles, and again, I pray for them.  And I dare to believe that You, Lord God Almighty, have the very deepest desires of my heart, for me as well.  I can choose jealousy and defeat, or I can choose faith working through love.  I not only choose faith working through love, I embrace it and hold fast to it, and declare I will never again be under the sway of jealousy.”

Jealousy runs rampant in our society, also known as “class envy” and fostering a festering and demonic hatred in those who want what others have.  Again, until they, jealousy’s primary victims, are free of this spirit, they will never have what they desire.  When we submit to Satan we guarantee our own blindness and defeat. 

The key is to choose to admire people for those relationships, talents, attributes, gifts, accomplishments and possessions you currently lack, and to kick jealousy in the teeth by loving those people in thought and deed.  Then your mind will be cleared of the filth produced by jealousy, and you will see your way clear to praying and believing what the Word of God Himself says about being “no respecter of persons” and giving you “the desires of your heart.”  Then your mind will see yourself as “complete and lacking nothing” and you will laugh at the very idea that you are somehow less than anyone else.

Choose Jesus’ Love, not Jealousy’s Torment.  Those people you think you hate are the very ones God wants you to bless, and vice versa.  Amen!