Wednesday Writing..."Little"...5?3?18

Good morning, 

The writing today is a lovely memory shared of Collette's early walk in with her Lord and Savior. She talks about the innocence that resulted in her LONG prayer for salvation. Collette wrote, "Children do not typically have a tendency to worry about things. Small children are trusting, humble, and take things at face value. They believe what their parents tell them." 

In the end, it is all about maintaining virtuousness in a challenging and flawed world...and to avoid becoming jaded.

Love, Peace, & Joy, 

Collette & Corinne
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Today's Devotional

"Little" 

by 

Collette Phillips

These pictures are of the church where I grew up, primarily. It was my grandparents’ friends’ church. We went there when my granddaddy (Dad) didn’t have his own church. 

It was in Taft, Texas. It is an Assembly of God Church. (Dad was ordained in the Church of God.) 

I have fond memories of that tiny church, and the Parries. Bro. Parrie pastored that congregation for almost 50 years until his passing a few months ago. Bro. Parrie was my first pastor. His wife was the first Sunday school teacher and first piano player I ever remember, until she gave her daughter Rebecca, (my first best friend) piano lessons. Rebecca was a virtuoso. We would spend all day Sunday, between services, practicing our next special. My love of music, and singing sprung up from this root. We worked hard to perfect our melodies.

My family moved around a lot, but when we would be transferred back into the area this is most often where we would attend church, on into my preteen years. 

I remember the night I got saved at that tiny church. I don’t remember the exact date, no, but I do remember kneeling at the left altar to pray, over on the end near the pulpit. I was there for a very long time. I was either 6 or 7. (How much sin did I have to confess? Haha!)

Seriously, I remember wanting to keep praying until I knew that I’d “prayed through.” I stayed so long that I eventually fell asleep with my head resting in the crook of my arm, placed on the altar. Finally, Sister Parrie came, and lovingly placed her arms on my shoulders to get me to stir from my slumber. Maybe I would have been more embarrassed if I had understood then what I know now. Somehow, not having the knowledge of good or bad; that was perfect.

We are to be at rest in Christ...so at peace, that we can close our eyes and rest in Him.

This is part of the reason Jesus said,

“Verily I say unto you, 

Except ye turn and become as little children, 

ye shall in no wise enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Matthew 18:3

Children do not typically have a tendency to worry about things. Small children are trusting, humble, and take things at face value. They believe what their parents tell them. As we get older we have more of a tendency to succumb to the temptation to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We become filled with shame for the bad we do, and we become puffed up with pride for all of the good we do. 

The Heavenly Father told Cain that sin was crouching at his door. 

"If you do well, 

will not your countenance be lifted up? 

And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; 

and its desire is for you, but you must master it." 

Genesis 4:7

How could Cain have done well? He could have heeded the true order of worship, by doing what was acceptable to The Lord. Instead, he became filled with jealousy toward Able and slew him. Cain was eaten up with envy, strife, shame, guilt, ... and pride. Instead of humbling himself he sought to exalt himself over his brother Able.  

 Prayer: 

 Father, help us to remain humble, in order to avoid being humbled.  

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"The Little Things"

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Jesus,
we ask You to help us maintain our childlike innocence 
no matter how old we are or what happens to us in our daily walk. a
Let us be such that no matter the reality of their challenges
they handle them with goodness and purity so that You will 
be able to say of us...
 "Let these "little children" come to me!"

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Prayers are lifted up daily for 

you by the Devotional Writers 

and the Monthly Writing Staff

of Women's Focus Ministries.

Blog Writers

Jan Andersen, Sandy Billingham, Carol Steficek,   

 Brother Thomas Ukwute, Jody Ward,  Karen Bennett, 

Collette Phillips, Cathy Friberg, and  Corinne Mustafa

Occasional Contributors
Kathy Bireley,  Lynda Kinnard, Mary M. Wilkins,

Terri Baker, Beverley Napier, Kelly Dobyns

Glenna Williamson,  Shelly Keith, Amie Spruiell,

Lisabeth Lipp,  and Nandita Bhatnagar