CareNotesDevotions

Vol. 2 No. 2
 

CareNotes  March 2007
”…Think about such things.” Philippians 4:8

       There are good thoughts and there are bad thoughts. Our minds are in constant turmoil spending time with them both. Just as we try our best to remain positive, to feel worthy and encourage others, to share our blessings and be joyful, to thank God for all His glorious and abundant ways, the negatives in life make their grande appearances. The heater breaks down or a bill collector calls and tries to instill impending doom or the news reminds us that the case of chicken we bought is now no longer safe to eat or our place of employment is closing down. Good and bad go hand in hand and if all was good, the good would soon be sorely appreciated. But God offers His perfect instructions to weather the storms in our lives. He tells us – “…whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent or praiseworthy-think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me-put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8). When we think these things, we think beyond ourselves. When we think these things, we can live in the Spirit. Even the Spirit doesn’t reference Himself, He directs all to the power and glory of the Lord. To dwell on the negatives, to dwell on the worries of the day is a waste of the precious time God has blessed us with. Jesus reminds us in Matthew 6:25-34 not to worry about our lives. He says- “Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?” Worry is time wasted. Worry is futility in action. Instead of worry, Jesus tells us to “Seek first His kingdom and His righteousness”, because God already knows what we need.
       Noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, praise-worthy. "Think about such  things", says the Word of God. For how precious is time cherished for the Lord-another gift given for His glory.

                                                                             -C.Campfield

(from CareNotes Devotions, ©2007 CampfieldsLearning.com)

**Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rghts reserved.

   The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.

Vol. 2 No. 1
 

CareNotes   January 2007
Every day can be the start of a New Year in the Lord !

 I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you.    Ezekiel 36:25-26.

 The New Year brings many opportunities- A fresh start, New resolutions to follow through. Save money. Give more to charity. Spend more time with family. Volunteer. Be a mentor. Spruce up the house. Organize. Get rid of the junk. Get to work on time. Pay bills before the due date. Plan a vacation. Read one book every month. Learn something new every day. Read through the Bible this year. Eat more nutritious foods. Drink eight glasses of water every day. Exercise at least three times a week. Memorize and meditate on a new scripture passage each week. Study the Bible every morning before the day begins. Be happy and spread joy. Use the gifts that God has blessed us with for the encouragement of others. Thank God for all His constant and omniscient care.  Spend more time in fellowship with God. Pray always.

Pray always. The Lord our God is near us whenever we pray to Him. Deuteronomy 4:7

Pray always. Be sure to fear the Lord and serve Him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things He has done for you.  I Samuel 12:24.

Pray always. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you that you may be sons of your Father in heaven.  Matthew 5:44.

Pray always. And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men....But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father.... And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words.  Matthew 6:5-7.

Pray always. The Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26.

Pray always. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. I Thessalonians 5:16-18.

Pray always. Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5: 13-16.

Pray always.

Every day can be the start of a New Year in the Lord.
                                                                                                    -C.Campfield

(from CareNotes Devotions, ©2007 CampfieldsLearning.com)

Vol. 1 No. 3

"The sheep follow Him because they recognize His voice."   John 10:4  

When I was just 6 years old, I would get violently ill everyday in school. I would be nauseous, dizzy and have painful stomach cramps. My mother would have to come and pick me up in the principal’s office and take me home. Once I was home, I was generally fine- the nausea, the stomach upset, would be over. My mom thought it was something I was eating and in all her goodness, changed my diet searching for a food allergy. She ruled out that I was homesick, as I had adjusted well to being away at kindergarten the previous year. (Isn’t it sad that this world is so intimidated by a family-oriented word such as home that it refers to homesickness as “separation-anxiety. ”). But getting back to the story. It also wasn’t that I didn’t like school. I had long waited to spend my days where my brother was in eighth grade, where I could learn to read and write just as I had pretended to do at my brother’s side, at my little desk next to his, every evening as he studied. But this problem went on for weeks. So after careful thought, my parents came to the conclusion that it must be emotional and my mother asked me what was bothering me, perhaps there was something I was afraid of. I told her that my teacher was always yelling in class, at the children, about everything. My mother asked if the teacher was yelling at me and I told her no, but everyone was afraid and didn’t know why she hated us all. So my mom took me to school the next day and confronted my teacher concerning the matter. My teacher explained that she never yelled at me, that I was polite and well-behaved, but the other children weren’t quite as quiet. My mother explained that there are ways to talk to children in a loving manner and yelling loudly was traumatizing not only her child but many of the other children as well. The school subsequently fired my teacher (to this day I can’t remember her name), and they brought in Mrs. McBride, a compassionate-speaking, loving, first-grade educator who cared about the little lives she was molding. My daily stomach problems were no more. Now, those were simpler times, more respectful times. But compassionate communication should never falter. It’s a great blessing to be brought up to understand a loving voice. God’s voice is full of love. His voice sings of mercy, compassion, patience, understanding, faithfulness, and long-suffering. God’s voice is heard in the calm of the early morning hours and in the innocence of a child’s eyes asking for some time in your arms. God’s voice is heard when activities are put aside to sit down as a family for an evening meal together. God’s voice is heard when you gather up some groceries from your cupboard and deliver them to your elderly neighbors. God’s voice is loud in the study of His Word, in Biblical lives as well as our own. His omnipotent voice of love was heard when He sent His Son to be our great blessing of eternal life. How many of His wonders can we reflect on in a day’s time. They are innumerable. How blessed we are to recognize His voice.                                                                                                          -C.Campfield

(from CareNotes Devotions, ©2006 CampfieldsLearning.com)

Vol. 1, No. 1

   “Be Still and know that I Am God.”  Psalm 46:10

Our lives are full. Family, Work, Church, School, Friends…..We wake early in the morning to get our families ready for their long day ahead. We stay up late at night preparing to do much the same the next day. The cooking, the cleaning, the laundry, home repairs, auto inspections, office meetings, choir rehearsals, band practice, doctor visits and dental appointments, overdue library books and stacks of bills to pay-they’ll all keep you running in circles. Holidays are exhausting and demanding. Vacation days are spent painting the house. Our days are so full, we fit in personal Bible study on our commute via audio tapes and MP3’s. We carry inch thick planners just to keep our lives in order. Did God really intend for us to be this busy? When will we have the time to enjoy our blessings? Sometimes God gets our attention when we’re sick or afraid and we’re “forced” to slow down and spend some quiet moments in fellowship. God, our Father, loves us. We’re His children and He wants to communicate with us. He wants to work out our problems and speak to us through His Word. He wants to assure us that He’s always watching over us, caring for us, asking us not to worry, because as Children of God, He is in charge of our lives, we’re not. But in all the busyness, in the chaos of our days, we sometimes confuse our roles and our purpose-to obey Him and to give God the glory. And so, He tells us very simply in Psalm 46:10- “Be still and know that I Am God.”        -C.Campfield

(from CareNotes Devotions, ©2006 CampfieldsLearning.com)

Vol. 1 No. 2

 Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, Before you were born I set you apart.                       Jeremiah 1:5 NIV

How magnificent our Father in Heaven is. Before we were formed in the womb, we were given a purpose to fulfill in our lives. Some of us take half our lives to understand what that purpose in God's Master Plan is. Others are blessed to know as children. Still others never believe their lives are worthy to become anything. Suppose John the Baptist lost sight of his purpose. He would never have proclaimed the coming of our Lord and Savior. Suppose Moses found his life to be worthless, who would have led His people to the promised land. And what about Abe Lincoln or Martin Luther King Jr.? and their great strides in freedom.

We all have a very important reason to exist and our time on this earth is finite.                                                                -C.Campfield 

     (From CareNotes devotions, Copyright © 2002 CampfieldsLearning.com )

**Scripture taken from the HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®

Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rghts reserved.

   The "NIV" and "New International Version" trademarks are registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by International Bible Society. Use of either trademark requires the permission of International Bible Society.