Family reunions, popping rocks, and the wonderful "man" God gave me in my son.

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

Tonight at Bible study we went over the Psalm of Integrity, Psalm 101. I'm telling you I really needed this lesson which was titled Steadfast Integrity. Integrity means quality or state of being complete or undivided. And steadfast means not changing. How many of you would've liked hearing a lesson about this? God has shown me so much about myself since I've been able to focus more on His will rather than "His will FOR MY LIFE". What does God's will have to do with steadfast integrity? Well in verse 3, "I will not set before my eyes anything that is worthless." And the words I will literally mean a choice, I decide. You can't make someone a person of integrity it is a choice. Doing God's will is a choice as well, God doesn't make us choose what He chooses but He rather gives us the choice.

Let's take a closer look at verse 3. First, real integrity is recognizing who we are and making a choice. A synonym for integrity is purity. Integrity and purity are personal matters. As in verse 3 you cannot relax your standards. If something worthless is set before you, you have a choice to turn away or dwell on it.

Proverbs 22:1 (on a side note is the Bible verse for the meaning of my name, Billie)"A good name is to be chosen rather than great riches, and favor is better than silver or gold." The question was asked, what do you need to do to clean up your lifestyle before Christ comes? (meaning the second coming of Christ) This question is aimed at believers not non-believers b/c as lost people you don't get "cleaned up" and then come to Christ. Come as you are and He will do the cleaning. But the question was aimed at born again Christians to get us meditating on our behavior. What do people think of when they say or think of your name? Are you a person of integrity?

My favorite Psalm is 119, from verses 33-37, "Teach me, O Lord, the way of your statutes; and I will keep it to the end. Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. Lead me in the path of your commandments, for I delight in it." Looking at these 5 verses we should pray, Dear God, merciful Lord...please look at my heart, examine it in all the dark, hidden places You know about and show me how to change what is wrong. Father God I will choose to be a person of integrity. Thank You for what You are going to do. Make these verses of Psalm 119 my mantra every day. AMEN

On a note of integrity, I was in my hometown this weekend to visit my children and go to a family reunion. We play BINGO and win prizes for fun at the reunion every year. Everyone loves it, young and old, boy and girl. Many of the kids had won popping rocks, the firecracker type pods that you throw on the ground and they explode into a faint "pop" sound. So the kids went out on my grandmother's front porch to play with their wonderfully won prizes. My 9 year old son starts to realize that the paper from these pods are making a mess. And I was so proud when he turned to me and said, "Momma, when we're finished playing with these we need to get a broom and clean our mess up." He is so thoughtful too. One time when he won BINGO, instead of getting something for himself he choose a thoughtful gift for grandmother, which is his great grandmother. I pray my absence from my children is temporary. I am so thankful that I raised them properly and God gives me little nuggets of how I did raising them up in Him is translating into my children's lives. My Bryce will grow up to be such a wonderful man and an outstanding husband. That makes a mother's heart flutter when God shows her a vision of a man in her 9 year old son. My daughters are wonderful in their unique ways as well. I just had to brag about Bryce b/c of the events of this weekend.

God is doing some amazing miracles in my life. I wake up each morning with an expectation beyond my wildest dreams. Life isn't always peaches, come on, I live with my mother and I'm 34! I just know that I'm right where I need to be, exactly where my heavenly Father wants me. I'm learning NOT to ask God to put me in His will for my life rather I ask God for His will - period.