April 25, 2011

It was a good day, Janet and her family left and we drove over to Cando.  Breakfast together and a good worship service.  Jack, Julie and I enjoyed our day at home.  Julie made preparation for her trip back to Bismarck.

Oleanders


"For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted
when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire
 has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth
to death."

--James 1:13-15

Often the most beautiful things are the most deadly. Take, for instance, the

oleander bush. This popular flowering bush thrives in the California climate, and
often blooms bright and colorful along the freeways.

Yes, oleanders are lovely, but they're deadly. Because the leaves and blossoms are
highly toxic, many cat and dog-lovers have uprooted oleander bushes from their backyards
to protect their pets. I once entertained the idea of picking oleander flowers to
use in a table centerpiece but, on second thought, decided that I didn't relish
the idea of placing something poisonous on the dinner table.

Like oleanders, some ideas are beautiful but, oh, so deadly. Bad thoughts never
enter your mind, telling you, "I want to ruin your peace of mind, I want to rob
you of joy." No, harmful thoughts always disguise themselves as pleasant things
to ponder. But beware. That seemingly innocent thought about a married man at church,
or a young co-worker at the office... is poisonous.

So-called beautiful thoughts are like a bouquet of oleanders on your dining room
 table. They may be attractive to look at, but that don't belong close to you.
Learn never to accept the idea of putting something poisonous in front of you.

Lord of all, I admit that often thoughts enter my head that seem acceptable, even
beautiful. But in my heart of hearts, I realize they are deadly and damaging. Give
me strength to say "no" to enticing ideas that not only harm me but dishonor You.
Help me to place the Lord Jesus in the front of my thinking today.

I feel like this is soo appropriate for us today.  I just read through the book of James, much to say to us that is worthy of our thinking about.  How easy it is to get caught into wrong thinking.....  Mom