Single! Young Christian Woman Mar/Apr 2014

single!

A P U B L I C AT I O N O F O N M Y O W N N O W M I N I S T R I E S

mar/apr 2014

Young Christian Woman

5 Tasty Tater Toppings Your Tax return Spend, Save or Splurge?

3 Ways to Discern God’s Will

Is it Your Plan or God's?

w w w. o n m y o w n n o w. c o m

Single!

Young Christian Woman MAR/APR 2014, Vol. 6

in this

issue...

On My Own Now Ministries, Inc., Publisher

Moving Out...Settling In

Donna Lee Schillinger, Editor

by Will Dole

Katelyn Larson Editorial Support Chandler Hunter, Layout Contributors Will Dole, Katelyn Larson, Reba Ray, Donna Lee Schillinger, Shellie Warren Except where noted, content is copyright 2014 On My Own Now Ministries. Articles may be reprinted with credit to author, Single! and www.

OnMyOwnNow.com.

On My Own Now Ministries, Inc. is a nonprofit organization with a 501 (c) (3) determination. Your donations aid in our mission to encourage faith, wise life choices and Christ-likeness in young adults during their transition to living on their own.

We welcome submissions of original or repurposed articles that are contributed without expectation of compensation. May God repay you.

Visit us at www.OnMyOwnNow.com.

Regaining Childlike Wonder

Straight Talk from the Proverbs Is That Your Final Answer?

by Donna Lee Schillinger Center Ring

What Kind of Planner Are You?

by Shellie Warren Spare Change

Your Tax Return: Spend, Save, or Splurge?

by Kateyln Larson

Down-home Healthy Cookin' for One 5 Toothy Tater-Toppers

by Reba Ray

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Advanced Training in Self-Denial Matthew 4:1-11 (how I would say it)

ollowing his debut, Jesus went into seclusion as per instructions from God’s Spirit. The purpose: advanced training in self-denial. He spent 40 days and nights there without eating, after which he was quite hungry. Then the torture. The tempter approached him and said, “So you think you’re the Son of God, eh? Why don’t you make bread out of these rocks then?”

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Jesus’ reply: “The textbook says that it takes more than bread to sustain life. Man’s true need is to consume God’s word.”

Then the tempter took him to the holy city and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “Well, if you were really the Son of God you could throw yourself off of this building, because the textbook also says, ‘He will command his angels to take care of you wherever you go—even to the extent of giving you a little boost to keep you from stubbing your toe on a rock.’”

Jesus answered him, “Yep, and the textbook also says, ‘God doesn’t do tricks on command.’”

Next up, the tempter took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the nations of the world and flashed their opulence in front of him. “See all of this?” he said. “It can all be yours if you’ll just acknowledge that I’m number one.”

Jesus dispatched him by saying, “The textbook says, ‘There’s only one boss, and that would be God. Work only for him.’ So get lost, Satan!”

So he did. The tempter left—for the time being. Then some beings from outside of this earth appeared to take care of Jesus [and give him a high five].

Read More Scripture (how I would say it)

moving out

Regaining

Childlike Wonder by

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hen people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, ‘Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.’”

(Matthew 19:13-14) Most of us have heard sermons, read blogs or been encouraged by someone to be more childlike in our faith. That’s a good thing. Jesus does tell us that the kingdom of heaven belongs to “such as these.” But what does that mean? Again, we are familiar with exhortations to seek such things as humility and a simple faith. Both concepts are taught many other places in Scripture; however, I believe we

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Will Dole

miss something deeper if we byequate Jason Moore being childlike only with humility and faith.

I am far from being an expert on children, but I have been around a few during the course of my life. Being the oldest of 11 siblings and having a one year old daughter, one thing has always struck me as a distinctive childlike trait: wonder.

You may have heard someone say that there is no need to purchase presents for their small children, because they seem to be more fascinated with the wrapping paper and cardboard boxes than the gifts.

While this is usually said in jest, it’s pretty accurate. Children can take what we see simply as garbage and entertain

settling In themselves for hours on end. They are happy with simple toys like plastic utensils and stuffed polar bears. And don’t forget the toys that make noise.

My little girl will push the buttons on her singing dog incessantly.

Sometimes when I watch her, I wonder, why can’t I be more like that?

Not about toys and boxes, but what about all the marvelous things we walk past every day?

Why don’t such things as trees blowing in the wind, squirrels running through the leaves, flowers in a garden or snowflakes falling gently on my nose cause me to stand in awe? Are these not miracles in a sense? We can even take our salvation for granted, when it is no less a miracle.

Jesus, the Creator of all—whom we have rebelled against, rejected and scorned—entered human history by being born in a stable to a poor, unwed teenage mother. He lived in a no-name town in the Middle East for 30 plus years and then, after roughly three years of ministry, was brutally murdered. He submitted himself to this in order to bear, not only the human punishment for crimes committed, but also the wrath of the Almighty God for all the sins of men.

He then rose again, conquering death, and became the first fruit of eternal

life, offering the same to all who place their hope in His sacrifice. He told His rag tag group of followers that they would be His witnesses to the world, and, in fact, the entire world has been changed. Not only that, but He has promised to return again in power and glory, righting every wrong, restoring creation, punishing the unrepentant sinner, rewarding His faithful, wiping every tear from their eyes and dwelling eternally with them as their God and King.

Can we read this and not be consumed with awe? Can we not be amazed, as the hymnist says, that “thou my King shouldst die for me”?

Sometimes, it is easy to be bored with the Christian life.

There are days we approach our Bibles like we do our toothbrushes. There are Sundays when we seem to approach church like it was a business a meeting or a school assembly. Why does it seem we are never jazzed about our spiritual life?

Perhaps it’s because, at least in part, we’ve forgotten how simply marvelous and amazing our God is.

We desperately need a shot of childlike wonder in our lives. Maybe that’s why Jesus said, “The kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”

Why don't such things as trees blowing in the wind, squirrels running through the leaves, flowers in a garden or snowflakes falling gently on my nose create more of an awe in me? Are these not miracles in a sense?

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N The lot is cast into the lap, but its every decision is from the Lord.

Proverbs 16:33

Is That Your Final Answer?

Discerning God’s Will When All the Answers Look Right

by Donna Lee Schillinger

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am an idea person, and as such, I have a lot of experience sorting out good ideas from godly ideas. I get neat ideas every day, most of which I know I don’t have time or resources to follow up on. Since most are easily discerned to be diversions from my calling, it’s pretty easy to discard them as being not from God. Other times, like just now, I have a choice between two prime ideas. I have a decision to make right now about which path to take in ministry. I have a passion for both ideas, neither is easier than the other, and since it’s ministry – neither one pays diddly in dollars, so there is not even a practical advantage of one over the other!

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from the proverbs World literacy advocate Frank C. Laubach was once asked how to distinguish between what is of God and what is only wishful thinking or auto-suggestion. He responded that “scripture, observation, and experimentation are all means of validating the human experience of God. But the primary validation is that the experience will always be accompanied by a burning desire to serve others.” In other words, if it doesn’t in some way represent God to the world, don’t waste your time.

But when both paths pass the validation test? A decision between seemingly great options can be one of the hardest in which to discern God’s will. Maybe you have searched the Scriptures and prayed and still nothing is emerging as the clear, best option. Try making a pros and cons column for each idea and over the course of a couple of days, filling in each column.

Once complete, you can assess which of the pros are the most powerful motivators for you and which of the cons are the strongest deterrents. Often our emotions are involved in this process, which is good for getting to the bottom of how you really feel about an option, but risky in that we don’t want to make decisions simply based on how we feel about them. Nonetheless, I find this method can often bring me clarity about whether one idea has some clear advantages or disadvantages over the other. If not?

If I could tell you succinctly how to solve this conundrum, I’d be solving the conflict in the Middle East instead of writing this article. But I can, however, offer you three possible courses of action, each of which has a biblical basis, to help you make a decision.

1. Remember Gideon in the Old Testament? God told Gideon to go after the Midianite army. But Gideon wanted to

make sure he was hearing God correctly.

Maybe he wondered if it was actually God’s voice prompting him. Maybe Gideon was an idea person too, and that’s why he was so cautious. Maybe he was scared silly and wanted a way out of what he actually knew he was clearly hearing God say.

Gideon asked God for a sign – he laid out a sheepskin and said, “OK, God, if you really want me to do this, when I come out tomorrow morning make the sheepskin wet and the ground all around it dry.” Next morning he came out and there they were, just as he had indicated: wet sheepskin, dry ground. That really should have been enough, but Gideon tried it once more just to be absolutely sure that he was on the right track. “OK, God, now make the ground all around wet and the sheepskin dry.”

And the next morning it was just as he had indicated.

I can’t fault Gideon for asking for a sign; it was a huge thing he was instructed to do – take on the Midianite army. And it was a good thing he was as certain as he was when he headed off to battle – with double confirmation from the signs – because just shy of the Midianite camp, God told Gideon to dismiss all but 300 of his troops.

It seemed like suicide. The remaining 300 positioned themselves around the enemy camp and blew trumpets loudly, causing confusion in the enemy camp. The Midianite soldiers began fighting each other and eventually fled. Gideon and his small group defeated an entire army without even drawing their swords.

When you’re faced with uncertainty, try setting out a fleece. Don’t make it something ridiculous, but rather something you know God would have to be controlling. For instance, I recently thought about forming a mission trip to Peru. So I have asked God

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to give me a sign of five people who would commit to go by a certain date. If God mobilizes five of His children to act, that will be a good enough indication for me that He wants me to form this mission trip.

Careful though – God does not wet fleeces at our whim. If He is going to agree to our terms to reveal His will, we can be sure He has good reason. Perhaps as in the case of Gideon, something in the road ahead will challenge our faith and cause us to doubt our course. In those moments, we can hold to the surety of the sign God gave us.

2. So you set out a fleece and nada! God didn’t bite. OK, now what? Ecclesiastes 11:6 says, “Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well.” In other words – go for all of it. In the case of the impending youth pastor, based on this scripture, I advised my co-teacher to apply for jobs and for college and to look into certificate programs too! Begin to act on all your options to the extent that you can and then, perhaps, a clear best option will emerge.

3. Finally, in several places throughout the Bible, we see instances where lots were cast for important decisions – the last one being in the book of Acts when the disciples were choosing who would replace Judas as the 12th disciple. They had two good candidates, Matthias and Joseph, both of whom had been followers of Jesus since early on in His ministry. It was a tough choice. So they prayed, “Lord, you know everyone’s heart. Show us which of these two you have chosen to take over this apostolic ministry…Then they cast lots, and

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the lot fell to Matthias; so he was added to the eleven apostles” (Acts 1:24-26).

Two thousand years later, you don’t hear much about Christians using the flip of a coin to make decisions. It seems that somewhere along the way, people starting attributing the result of the flip, the draw of the straws, rock/scissors/paper and other “decision-making tools” to forces of evil.

They’ve been all lumped in there together with things like fortune telling and tarot cards.

Our opening proverb reminds us however, that God is in control of the coin flip – every time. Note that the proverb says, “…every decision is from the Lord.” I say let’s bring back lot-casting as a decision-making tool!

We should not be hasty to grab a coin to solve our problems. To reiterate, our first course of action should be to seek God’s will in prayer and reading the Scriptures – and that is not a process that can be rushed.

Each situation has a prudent window of time for waiting on God to answer our prayers and speak through His word. In some cases, that time is less than an hour before action is needed; in other cases, we could wait for years. When that prudent time has passed, we need to act. Don’t let a multitude of options paralyze you. Don’t let the length of the journey scare you away from the first step. Act. If you’re desperate for answer, do as the apostles did: call on God, who knows the hearts of people and all of our futures, to lead us in the right direction. In our prayer, acknowledge His control over the seemingly random act of flipping a coin, promise to accept the outcome, then do it: flip the coin or draw the straw or pick from the hat, etc., and settle the matter once and for all.

from the proverbs

I have learned that flipping a coin can often give me clarity about what I truly want. When the coin lands on heads, I may then feel certain I would have rather it landed on tails. However, I did not ask God to give me His decision in the coin toss so that I could reject it and do what I now know I want to do. I acknowledged God’s control and told Him in advance that I would abide by His decision. I think God would not be pleased if even I asked for best two out of three. This is a hard thing: know before you flip that it will be at your peril to reject God’s outcome.

Seem too flippant? Then just pick one.

Stop the vacillating and just pick an idea and throw yourself into it. Isaiah 30:21 says, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’” Which comes first in this verse: The turn or the voice? Yes, sometimes you have to act and then God will chime in “Now, this way.”

Often the greater danger is not that we will pick the wrong path, but that we will wallow in indecision until the doors of opportunity close and, in the end, we will miss an opportunity to serve our God through serving others. Indecision is a passive decision.

Romans 12:2 says, “Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.

Then you will able to test and approve what God’s will is – His good, pleasing and perfect will.” Reading backwards (and paraphrasing), this scripture assures us that there is one perfect divine will for our lives, but we’re going to have to do some probing and testing to figure it out. And foundational to coming up with the right answer is a mind centered on Christ.

All that we need in this great venture is courage and faith; courage in our own natural powers of inquiry, and faith that every question has its own appropriate answer.

- Frank C. Laubach

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What Kind of Planner Are You?

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feature article "There are many plans in a woman's heart;

nevertheless it is the Lord's counsel that will stand."

Proverbs 19:21

By Shellie Warren

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n a bit, we’ll get into how we tend to plan; but let’s first look at how God plans for us.

Indeed, He did say to Jeremiah, “’I say this because I know what I am planning for you,’ says the Lord. ‘I have good plans for you, not plans to hurt you. I will give you hope and a good future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). Now, it is important to note that the New King James Version translates the verse this way: “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” That said, most of us are aware that the Most High (Genesis 14:19) makes it abundantly clear that “’My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ says the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts’” (Isaiah 55:8-9). And do you know how I discern that to translate?

Don’t assume that just because you have a plan in mind for your life that God has that same plan on His agenda. He doesn’t think or operate in the way that we oftentimes do. We tend to make plans based on what we see. He tends to make plans based on what our spirit needs.

We are both flesh and spirit (Matthew 26:41), and so our plans are usually made with both in mind. God is all spirit. Therefore, His plans never make the flesh a top priority.

As I was doing a bit of research (2 Timothy 2:15) on plans as it relates to Jeremiah 29:11, I really liked what this particular author said: “Hebrew word for plans in the above verse is ‘machshavah’ and is defined as ‘a thought, plan, purpose, or intention’ according to Gesenius’ Hebrew Lexicon. The root of this word is ‘chashav’ meaning ‘to compute, to compose, to meditate and reason’. If we read again in light of these definitions, Jeremiah 29:11 reads like this: ‘For I know the purposes and intentions (machshavah) I have composed and reasoned (choshev - root) for you. Intentions and purposes (machshavah) of (shalom - bonus word) satisfaction and fulfillment, wholeness and well-being, to give you a future and a hope.’”

Can we see in this definition that God isn’t glibly just trying to find something for you to do, surprised that you are here, wondering to Himself, “What shall I do with this one?” Nor was He thoughtless in what He planned. The definitions above indicate that He meditated thoughtfully and reasoned this out. He composed your purpose in the grand scheme of things more eloquently than a musician creating masterpiece compositions. Your life and purpose are highly intentional from His perspective and most highly unique.

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center ring What is even more stunning to me is that He planned this in Christ before time began. You were not an afterthought. He knew you would be here, and He planned on it. You are here for a purpose!

2 Timothy 1:9: “...who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was given to us in Christ Jesus before time began.”

God’s plans for you will always be connected to your purpose. To get back to our original purpose on this earth, we must first go back to the Garden of Eden: “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, according to our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. Then God blessed them, and God said to them, ‘Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.’”

If your plans are keeping you from reflecting the image of Elohim, from having dominion over the earth, from honoring the covenant (Malachi 2:14) of male and female unions in order to create more people in the image of Elohim, based on the formula that He put into place (which was to create even more godly offspring (Malachi 2:15), then you are not “planning,” you are scheming.

And yes, it can be really challenging, at times, to understand the difference between the two (hence, another need for wise counsel). I mean, just look at the definitions of “plan”: a scheme or method of acting, doing, proceeding, making, etc., developed in advance; a design or scheme of arrangement; a specific project or definite purpose.

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Psalm 33:11 reads, “The counsel of the Lord stands forever, the plans of His heart to all generations.” God always planned for us to reflect the likeness of the Godhead. God always planned for us to have dominion over the earth.

God always planned for there to be male and female covenant in place, partially to reflect the power of the Godhead on the earth in human form and also to produce godly offspring (not just children, but godly offspring; Psalm 58:3).

This was a plan that is to be passed down throughout generations. That plan has not changed.

And then, because He fashions our hearts individually (Psalm 33:15), there are other specific projects that He has in mind for all of His children as well. However, one thing that you can be sure of is that our “specific projects” will never come at the expense or contradiction of God’s definite purpose for mankind.

Now, the definition of plan included the concept of a “scheme,” so let’s look at that definition as well: (n) a plan, design, or program of action to be followed; project; an underhanded plot; intrigue; a visionary or impractical project; (v) to devise as a scheme; plan; plot; contrive.

Synonyms: arrangement, blueprint, contrivance, device, game plan, layout, outline, pattern, presentation, project, proposal, purpose, schedule, strategy, suggestion, system, tactics, theory If, in your planning, you have to devise, plot and contrive, then you are in a pattern of trying to make things happen based on your own schedule by conjuring up all kinds of tactics to prove the theory that your plan is a good one... again, it’s nothing more than a scheme—an impractical project. A “course of action” that isn’t going to lead you to God’s best (James 1:17), no matter how good you might consider it to be, is not a godly one.

In the midst of all of the things that God is, we cannot afford to lose sight of the fact that He is also practical (Ecclesiastes 7:18). He is

feature article

"Advise and counsel him; if he does not listen, let adversity teach him."

- A Proverb not going to plan something for us that will prevent us from being, first and foremost, spiritually useful, especially when it comes to our ordinary affairs. This is one of the reasons why we’re given an entire biblical chapter entitled “The Value of Practical Wisdom” in Ecclesiastes 7. This is also one of the reasons why we are told the following in 2 Timothy 2:19-22: “Nevertheless the solid foundation of God stands, having this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of Christ depart from iniquity.’ But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor. Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. Flee also youthful lusts; but pursue righteousness, faith, love, peace with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart.”

If your plans are not rooted in the pursuit of righteousness, if they do not require faith in God (Mark 11:22, Hebrews 11:1, 6), if they do not grow you up into more godly love (I Corinthians 13:4-8), if they will not result in there being peacefulness (Isaiah 32:17-19), if your plans will take you deeper into a state of iniquity (sin, which is separation from progress in god), if they are going to hinder you from being useful for the master, then they are not the best plans for you. They are a form of scheming that needs more “fine tuning” (and quite possibly redirecting) with the help of godly counsel (Proverbs 3:5-8; 20:18).

Why (and How) GOD’S COUNSEL Stands In research for this message, I “happened upon” (Proverbs 16:33, Luke 12:12) a story entitled, “Jonathan Defeats the Philistines,” in which these verses subtitled “Saul’s Rash Oath” stood out to me.

“Now Saul said, ‘Let us go down after the Philistines by night, and plunder them until the morning light; and let us not leave a man of them.’

And they said, ‘Do whatever seems good to you.’

Then the priest said, ‘Let us draw near to God here.’

So Saul asked counsel of God, ‘Shall I go down after the Philistines? Will You deliver them into the hand of Israel?’ But He did not answer him that day. And Saul said, ‘Come over here, all you chiefs of the people, and know and see what this sin was today. For as the Lord lives, who saves Israel, though it be in Jonathan my son, he shall surely die.’ But not a man among all the people answered him.

Then he said to all Israel, ‘You shall be on one side, and my son Jonathan and I will be on the other side.’

And the people said to Saul, ‘Do what seems good to you’” (I Samuel 14:36-40).

Saul asked for counsel. God did not immediately answer him, and so he went with “the counsel” of man. People are still just like that. They don’t get the immediate answer that they want, so they “do what

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seems good to them” (Acts 1:7). That’s a very dangerous, arrogant (Proverbs 16:18) and counterproductive way to live.

steady, and I will show you how to endure and undergo things without being harmed or giving way to anything less than my Spirit of truth.”

As I was downloading all of this information into my spiritual psyche, I thought about the lead verse and how it’s oftentimes taught (and poorly taught, at that; Galatians 6:6). You know, growing up, I was told to wait until marriage to have sex (Hebrews 13:4). Fourteen sex partners later, if you ask my mother what she believes about the marriage bed vs. single sex, her counsel from way back when will still stand. She still thinks that I should have waited.

This is why Christ could be revered as a “Wonderful Counselor” (Isaiah 9:6). It’s because His entire life model showed us how to make the right kinds of life plans—ones that consist of living upright and steady, enduring without giving way. This is also why we are given biblical counsel like the following: “weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning” (Psalm 30:5); “His work is honorable and glorious, and His righteousness endures forever” (Psalm 11:3); “[Love] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Corinthians 13:7); and finally…

Along those same lines, I discern that a lot of us think that if we make a plan and God doesn’t intervene then it means He is in agreement (or at least He’s not disgusted with it) and that, because in the midst of our plan-making His counsel stands, then there must be some kind of cosign somewhere on our idea. Yet this is what we need to always remember about God’s counsel (and godly counsel): It will always refer us back to the “deliberate purpose; plan; design” that God has for us. When the Word tells us that God’s counsel stands, it means that His deliberate purpose, plan and design for our lives will always be “upright” and “steady” and that His plan will “endure or undergo without harm or damage or without giving way.”

This is why Romans 8:28 can so confidently state, “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.” It’s like God’s way of saying, “In your scheming, that’s all you. But the moment that you decide to break free from iniquity, you decide to love me by keeping my commandments and get back to my original purpose for your life, you won’t be able to help but to receive counsel from me and the kind of counsel that I give is based on the kind of Spirit that I am. My counsel is ever upright and

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“According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, each one’s work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one’s work, of what sort it is. If anyone’s work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. If anyone’s work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:10-15).

Do you want to know if your plan is going against God’s counsel? What is your foundation? Because if it’s not Christ (and Christ said that you had to lose your life in order to find it—Matthew 10:39, 16:25), it’s a plan that is going against God’s counsel.

How are you handling the times of testing?

Because if you are not enduring the fire, there’s a huge chance that it’s a plan that is going against godly counsel.

feature article Finally, who are you looking to be rewarded by? Because if it’s anyone other than the Most High, that’s also a sign that it’s a plan that is going against godly counsel.

We know that last one to be biblically-sound because the Word clearly tells us that when we do things for an audience response, their reaction is our reward (Matthew 6:1-6). Sadly, for some people, having “fans” is the only reward that they are after. As children of the Most High (Psalm 82:6), our standards should be so much higher than that.

“For He repays man according to his work, and makes man to find a reward according to his way” (Psalm 34:11).

“But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him” (Hebrews 11:6).

A reward is “something given or received in return or recompense for service, merit, hardship, etc.” A final sign of if your plans are going against God’s counsel is this: if you are more concerned with getting accolades from man than rewards from God, if you are less committed to enduring for a purpose just so that your own schemes can come to pass, if you are not willing to serve and endure hardship so that godly purpose on this earth can be revealed, then your plans are going against godly counsel.

Godly counsel comes from the Word. Godly counsel comes from prayer (James 1:5). And godly counsel also comes from godly people.

I discern that a lot of people reading this are at a crossroads when it comes to determining if they are really following God’s plans or following through with their own schemes.

Remember that with God, purpose trumps anything that “the joker” (John 8:44) will bring to you. Without question, if you are forsaking (Genesis 1:26-28) to try and make something

happen, it is a scheme indeed; without counsel, plans, especially in the form of schemes, go wrong. That said, if it’s the counsel from (wo) man that you need a bit more clarity about, a man by the name of Francis Bacon, Sr. couldn’t have said it better: “He that gives good advice, builds with one hand; he that gives good counsel and example, builds with both; but he that gives good admonition and bad example, builds with one hand and pulls down with the other.”

Don’t just listen to counsel, watch the counselor as well.

These are some really “trigger happy planning times” that we are living in. Before you make a move, remember: Satan hates God’s original plan, and he will encourage you to come up with schemes to divert you from it.

This is why you must stick to godly counsel.

It will get you right to your just reward every time.

Just like God planned it...all along.

Ahavah Shalom.

Shellie R. Warren is author of the book Inside of Me: Lessons of Lust, Love and Redemption and the blog On Fire Fast Movement, as well as other writings related to marriage and preparing for it. Subscribe to her devotional writings: The Perez Movement.

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Spare Change

by Katelyn Larson

Your Tax Return:

Spend, Save or Splurge?

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finally sold my mini fridge. It had proven itself a faithful appliance throughout my college career, but the time had simply come to upgrade. After a few weeks on craigslist. com and several flaky emails, I finally found a buyer, an older gentleman with a baseball cap and a weak shoulder. He came to pick it up around 6pm.

By 10pm, every penny I had just made was gone.

If this story sounds at all familiar to you, I assume it’s because you have a similar problem: you are handed a wad of cash—one that is different from your typical income—and spend it quickly and often frivolously. It’s an embarrassing confession for sure, but one that must be made if it is to be fixed, especially at this time of year... tax season.

With that being said, what will you do with your income tax return this year? I’m told the average income tax return is around $3,000. Now, I had a pretty nice mini fridge. It included a separate freezer compartment, was made of stainless steel, had tons of space, etc.

But I didn’t get $3,000 for it. That’s big money, so it’s important that we spend some time considering how one should spend (or save) it. In order of priority, here are some potential uses of such a check to the following: Emergency Fund Last year I took Dave Ramsey’s “Financial Peace University.” At the beginning of the course, Ramsey encouraged all his students to start their journey towards financial peace by developing an emergency fund. If you have either recently depleted your emergency fund

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or have never developed one, perhaps this is the ideal way to use this year’s income tax return. During this last month of December, I had a friend who literally ran into a boulder while driving (it was late at night, raining, hidden around a sharp corner, etc.). Praise the Lord, she had an emergency fund saved up and was able to pay for the damages done to her car. Just like my friend, you never know what life will throw your way or plant in your tracks, so it’s important to be prepared, and an emergency fund is an excellent and wise way of doing so.

Pay off debt/bills Finally, one of the more obvious and less exciting options for your income tax return is to pay off debt or bills. I recognize that this option is not nearly as glamorous as going on a vacation or saving up for a new car, but this form of spending can often be extremely valuable for an individual’s peace of mind. If you have felt burdened by the weight of school loans, car payments, mortgage payments, or some other sort of bill, now is the time to make that load a little lighter. If you’re buried in debt, don’t wait any longer to start digging yourself out.

Charity We’re going through a series at my church called “Generous Living.” Obviously, the pastor has discussed giving financially, but the series emphasizes more than simply writing a check every once in a while to your church or a nonprofit organization. It focuses on the way we live our lives. While donating your money to charity is certainly another great

way to spend your income tax return, keep in mind that this category is far more extensive.

It could also mean spending money to make meals for a family in need, covering a bill for someone’s unexpected car accident, paying for a teenage girl or boy to go on a mission trip.

If you’re feeling led to give away your income tax return this year, spend some time in prayer and ask God specifically where He would like you to send the money. Ask Him to give you a generous heart, and know that this expense will come back to you, “shaken down, press together and running over.”

the time!

Home Improvements A professor at my alma mater has a reputation for starting home renovations but never finishing them. He gets excited about installing a deck, starts to put it in, and then shortly after realizes that his fence is falling apart.

As he begins to fix the fence, he notices paint chipping on his home. As he slaps on a coat of primer, he remembers the downstairs bathroom could use a new paint job too.

Perhaps this year’s income tax return is best suited for a complete makeover in a certain area of your home. Maybe you have wanted to decorate a bathroom, purchase a new microwave, buy your first new sofa, etc. Now is

bachelor’s in Business Management and English from Corban University. She has edited numerous devotionals for a small business in Portland, Ore., and is currently editing a book for the dean of Corban University’s business department.

Vacation Fund While a vacation fund certainly doesn’t seem to be a “wise” way of spending your income tax return, I’m sure there are some of you out there who haven’t been on a true vacation in several years—if ever! You haven’t visited loved ones, spent time exclusively with your family, traveled to that one place you’ve been dying to visit. Some of you have a tendency to work more than is necessary, to the point where your relationships and even your health reap the consequences. Every once in a while, a Save break is needed, and my guess is that if you are If you already have an emergency fund in one of those individuals this option is a bit of a place and don’t necessarily feel compelled or wake-up call. convicted to spend your income tax return If you’re like me, many of these potential this year, perhaps the appropriate place for uses for your income tax return sound your money is simply in a savings account. appealing. I would love to donate, save, travel, This would also be an excellent place for pay bills, etc. Consequently, my final piece your income tax return if you’re saving up of advice is to peel your eyes away from this for something in particular—a new car, for remarkably impressive article and turn to the instance. I’m going to guess that if there is Lord for guidance. He already knows where something you’ve wanted to purchase for a the money’s going anyway, so His advice is long time but simply haven’t had the extra cash certainly far more valuable than any arbitrary to do so it’s probably bouncing around in your number of options I provide. mind right now, and you are already certain as Katelyn Larson is a freelance writer/editor with a to whether or not this option is right for you.

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Reba Ray’s

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by Reba Ray

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TOOtHY TAtER TOPPERS

t’s the month of the Irish, so let’s celebrate— not with green beer, but with that other thing Ireland is famous for: its taters. Taters are originally a western hemisphere plant, so how did the Irish end up with the credit? Those conquistadors took taters back to Spain, and they were first cultivated in Europe on the Basque coast.

Then Sir Walter Raleigh introduced them to Ireland, and it was from there that they caught on to the rest of Europe.

like the ones below. Smaller taters make a great between meal snack too.

Fascinatin’ history, but what about all that starch? It’s true that too many taters can have the same effect on blood sugar as too many cookies, but taters also come with a whole lot more goodness than cookies—especially if you can learn to love the skins. Taters are high in potassium, iron, vitamin C, B6 and fiber.

and healthy. Ever’ one of these concoctions goes on top of a tater you’ve washed, stuck a few times with a fork, nuked for six minutes, or until you can easily stick a fork in it. Careful, now, takin’ it out of the microwave and cutting it open length-wise. Smuxh it up a bit, add salt and pepper and maybe a little butter, then one of these five combos. A final note: taters baked in the oven are far superior, especially if you rub a little oil on the outside before you bake.

So if you have the time, it’s worth the effort.

I’m gonna assume you know yur way around taters well enough to put butter, salt and pepper on a baked potato. Other old faithful tater toppins are chives, sour cream, cheddar cheese, broccoli and bacon bits. All these are classics, and there are just dozens of other excitin’ ways to dress up a tater. BuzzFeed has 25 ideas such as the samosa-inspired recipe with peas, curMost of us have heard of the Idaho potato, and ry and mustard seed or the beef shoulder and maybe the Russet and the red, but did you have black bean chili potato. But, who’re we kiddin’? any notion that there are more than 4,000 va- Who’s got mustard seeds? Who’s gonna whip rieties of potato? We don’t grow too many here, up a batch of beef shoulder chili when what but in their native Peru, markets are full of you’re goin’ for is a quick meal? more than 100 varieties of edible taters.

My idea is to keep it quick, cheap, hassle-free

Best of all, they are a great food for a single person on a budget. You can buy five pounds of taters for just a couple of dollars, and that will last for lunch for at least a couple of weeks.

Keep it fresh with unique add-ons each time,

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down-home healthy cookin’ for one on a budget German Baked Potato (Inspired by German potato salad) Tablespoon real bacon bits; one-half teaspoon of sugar; one teaspoon of white-wine vinegar (or any vinegar in a pinch); two teaspoons chopped green onion; butter to taste Viva la Papa Half a large or a whole, small avocado, chopped or sliced; quarter cup shredded pepper jack cheese Opa! Tater Two tablespoons chopped black, kalamata or green olives; quarter cup crumbled feta; sour cream or plain yogurt to taste Casserole Spud Quarter cup of condensed mushroom soup or mushroom gravy; quarter cup of French fried onions Pesto Potato Heaping tablespoon of prepared pesto, half tablespoon toasted pine nuts (optional); two tablespoons grated romano OR premium parmesan cheese (not the powdered stuff)

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