Anyone who has lived in an old house knows what that means…..No closets unless they have been added later. Old houses did not have closets. We live in an old farm house. I know another woman who lives in an old house too and we were talking about what we do with our things. She asked me what I do with my towels. She had no idea what to do with hers and actually just had them on a pile in the corner of the bathroom.

I thought I would share with you all what we have come up with to store ours. (maybe it can give an idea to any of the rest of you in an old house) This is an old metal filing cabinet. It has the tray still on the bottom but the front is removed. It is sitting in the corner of the bathroom in front of the attic door. It does need to be moved forward whenever we need to go to the attic. But it works well there. Our bathroom (like in many old houses) is not that big. When the house was first built there was no bathroom. You had to go out to the outhouse

Some people have said that I look like Kate Winslet. Please forgive me but I had to look her up.(Sorry to all her fans) Here are first a few pictures of her. Then ones of me. Tell me what you think lol.
(I dont see it but was interested if others do as more then one person has said it lol)

Now me

Here are my notes and thoughts from the Sunday Morning sermon.

Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called,
Eph 4:2  with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;
Eph 4:3  giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.
Eph 4:4  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6  one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.
Eph 4:7  But unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, And gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9  (Now this, He ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Eph 4:11  And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12  for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13  till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ:

6 truths

#1 The Practice of Unity
Eph 4:1  I therefore, the prisoner in the Lord, beseech you to walk worthily of the calling wherewith ye were called,
Eph 4:2  with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

We willing prisoners of the Lord walk worthy in the calling. Practice of sanctification. Called to salvation and the practice of sanctification. Walk worthy. Some talk the walk, others walk the talk. Our Christian character should keep with our calling.

Eph 1:3  Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ:

One with Christ. Share in His victory. Live differently.

How do we practice unity?

By Demonstrating Christ’s Humility

Eph 4:2  with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Putting Christ first. Others Second. Self Last. Opposite of conceit and arrogance. There is no place for pride in God’s ministry.

By Demonstrating Christ’s Gentleness and Meekness

Eph 4:2  with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Meekness doesn’t mean weakness in convictions or doctrinal standards. Meek is not demanding or rude.

By Demonstrating Christ’s Patience and Longsuffering

Eph 4:2  with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Opposite of being short tempered. There is a need for patience among the brethren.

Jam 1:4  And let patience have its perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, lacking in nothing.

By Demonstrating Christ’s Love

Eph 4:2  with all lowliness and meekness, with longsuffering, forbearing one another in love;

Make allowance for failures and faults

Col 3:12  Put on therefore, as God’s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering;
Col 3:13  forbearing one another, and forgiving each other, if any man have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also do ye:

Want unity? There it is. Positive love to those who may irritate us.

Rom 13:14  But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof.

#2 Persistence of Unity

Eph 4:3  giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

Endeavoring to keep the unity of the spirit. Motive to promote unity and not to disrupt it. Satan will try to wreck it. Keep right attitude.

#3 Promoter of Unity

Eph 4:3  giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

1Co 12:13  For in one Spirit were we all baptized into one body, whether Jews or Greeks, whether bond or free; and were all made to drink of one Spirit.

We can’t make the unity. We just promote it. God makes the unity. Baptized into one body. Christ is the head. We are the body. Baptism means immersion. We have been immersed into the body of Christ. Joined to Christ. His life becomes ours. His power becomes ours. His victory becomes ours. The water baptism is a picture of our spiritual immersion.

1Co 12:14  For the body is not one member, but many.
1Co 12:15  If the foot shall say, Because I am not the hand, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
1Co 12:16  And if the ear shall say, Because I am not the eye, I am not of the body; it is not therefore not of the body.
1Co 12:17  If the whole body were an eye, where were the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where were the smelling?
1Co 12:18  But now hath God set the members each one of them in the body, even as it pleased him.
1Co 12:19  And if they were all one member, where were the body?
1Co 12:20  But now they are many members, but one body.
1Co 12:21  And the eye cannot say to the hand, I have no need of thee: or again the head to the feet, I have no need of you.
1Co 12:22  Nay, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be more feeble are necessary:

We are all important in the church. Use our gifts together. Work together as a team. We are to be one team. Stand behind the pastor.

1Pe 4:10  according as each hath received a gift, ministering it among yourselves, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God;

We all have something we can do in our church.

1Co 12:23  and those parts of the body, which we think to be less honorable, upon these we bestow more abundant honor; and our uncomely parts have more abundant comeliness;

You don’t see your kidney but you need them. They are as important as the arm. Heart, lungs, etc. All are important. The saints praying behind the scenes. They are important. All members in the local church are important.

1Co 12:25  that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.

Serve together. Sacrifice together. Strive together. The Holy Spirit is the promoter of unity.

Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
Gal 5:23  meekness, self-control; against such there is no law.

#4 Peace of Unity

Eph 4:3  giving diligence to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.

The devil wants to divide us. The Spirit wants to unity us. Fellowship of the saints. Not peace at any price. Not bonding with liberalism. Bonding under the same umbrella of truth and practice.

#5 The Picture of Unity

Eph 4:4  There is one body, and one Spirit, even as also ye were called in one hope of your calling;
Eph 4:5  one Lord, one faith, one baptism,
Eph 4:6  one God and Father of all, who is over all, and through all, and in all.

Body Picture
Spirit Picture
Heavenly Picture (going to Heaven)
Headship Picture (ONE LORD)
Truth Picture (One Faith) Jud 1:3  Beloved, while I was giving all diligence to write unto you of our common salvation, I was constrained to write unto you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered unto the saints.
Baptism Picture
Father Picture (One God and One Father of all Christians. God is above all.)

#6 The Path to Unity

Eph 4:7  But unto each one of us was the grace given according to the measure of the gift of Christ.
Eph 4:8  Wherefore he saith, When he ascended on high, he led captivity captive, And gave gifts unto men.
Eph 4:9  (Now this, He ascended, what is it but that he also descended into the lower parts of the earth?
Eph 4:10  He that descended is the same also that ascended far above all the heavens, that he might fill all things.)
Eph 4:11  And he gave some to be apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers;
Eph 4:12  for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of ministering, unto the building up of the body of Christ:
Eph 4:13  till we all attain unto the unity of the faith, and of the
knowledge of the Son of God, unto a fullgrown man, unto the measure of
the stature of the fulness of Christ:

Understanding the Truth. Growing process. We need to act like Christ today. Practice unity. Young Christians need to grow.Don’t bypass doctrine for unity. NO. Teach them the doctrine. Come together in truth. Surrender to scripture.

Act 2:42  And they continued stedfastly in the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, in the breaking of bread and the prayers.

Doctrine leads to unity. Grow together.Unified in doctrine.

Are you willing to be a uniter?

Featured_Grownups topic is write a letter to your 17 year old self.

I never tend to do these things, but I thought this morning…ok why not….so here it is……

Dear Seventeen year old self. I know you feel like you have a hard time fitting in and don’t know where you belong. Don’t worry about it.  Just accept yourself for who you are. Don’t worry what anyone else thinks.

I know you are in love with Barry. It turns out great. If you think he is wonderful now just wait until you have been married for over 7 years and have 3 children. He is wonderful. You will be so happy that you have stuck with him.

It doesn’t matter what other people think.

Soon you will discover the world of internet and computer. You will find out that it is a cool thing and not evil like you were taught growing up. You will make many friends online. Don’t worry about the haters.

Make sure you send plenty of time with granny these next 9 years. (you will but try to do it even more) She wont be around forever. Try to connect with your mom’s side of the family or you will look back in 9 years and still wish that you had relatives to call your own, that you could talk with and have a cool “family relationship” with like so many people seem to have. Try now or you will spend years wishing you had family relatives that you could hang out with to and will end up saying to aunts and uncles at funerals that they should keep in touch all the while knowing that they wont. And will end up only really knowing your cousins by reading their blogs. (I love you guys though. Its nothing against you if your guys are reading this.) Try now because  if you wait until granny isnt  here anymore there will be nothing holding them in contact with you.

Your mother will contact you in a few months… for the first time in years. So don’t be shocked.

Stop trying so hard to have a father daughter relationship with your father. Just let it go and move on. It will never happen no matter how hard you try and to just keep trying over and over is just setting yourself up to be hurt and disappointed time and time again. And he will only call when he wants something. Just move on.

Above all just remember that God loves you and that is the most important thing. It doesn’t matter what other people say, Just trust God and lean on Him and He will take care of you.

Remember Barry and Grandpa and Grandma Martin Love you no matter what.

Love and God bless
your 26 year old self