Women Lovin’ Jesus

Prodigal: The Lord’s pointing at you!

Me: Maybe so.

This is a short video devotion on Proverbs

click here to watch the video

Proverbs 14:17 A man of quick temper acts foolishly, and a man of evil devices is hated. (ESV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Family Garden

Prodigal: What should we plant?

Me: I have a suggestion.

This is an anonymous piece

A family is like many things, perhaps most like a garden. It needs time, attention, and cultivation. The sunshine of laughter and affirmation. It also needs the rains of difficulties, tense moments, serious discussions about issues that matter. And there must be spade work, where hardness is broken loose and planting of fresh seeds is accomplished with lots of TLC. Here are some suggestions for fifteen rows worth planting:

Four rows of peas: Preparedness

Perseverance

Promptness

Politeness

Then three rows of squash: Squash gossip

Squash criticism

Squash indifference

Along with five rows of lettuce: Let us be faithful

Let us be unselfish

Let us be loyal

Let us love one another

Let us be truthful

And three rows of turnips: Turn up with a smile

Turn up with a new idea

Turn up with determination

The hill of God is as the hill of Bashan; an high hill as the hill of Bashan. Psalm 68:15 (KJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Family

Prodigal: What a good lookin crowd.

Me: They have to be, there family.

This is from A Spiritual Clinic by J. Oswald Sanders

Two families from the state of New York were studied very carefully, One was the Max Jukes family and the other was the Jonathan Edwards family. The thing that they discovered in this study is remarkable: like begets like.

Max Jukes was an unbelieving man and he married a woman of like character who lacked principle. And among the known descendants, over 1,200 were studied. Three hundred and ten became professional vagrants; 440 physically wrecked their lives by a debauched lifestyle; 130 were sent to the pen for an average of thirteen years each, 7 of them for murder. There were over 100 who became alcoholics; 60 became habitual thieves; 190 public prostitutes. Of the 20 who learned a trade, 10 of them learned the trade in a state prison. It cost the state about $1,5000,000 and they made no contribution whatever to society.

In about the same era the family of Jonathan Edwards came on the scene. And Jonathan Edwards, a man of God, married a woman of like-character. And their family began and they became a part of this study that was made. Three hundred became clergyman, missionaries, and theological professors; over 100 became college professors; over 100 became attorneys, 30 of them judges; 60 of them became physicians; over 60 became authors of good classics, good books; 14 became presidents of universities. There were numerous giants in American industry that emerged from this family. Three became United States congressmen and one became the vice president of the United States.

And the sons of Elioenai were, Hodaiah, and Eliashib, and Pelaiah, and Akkub, and Johanan, and Dalaiah, and Anani, seven. 1 Chronicles 3:24 (KJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Women Lovin’ Jesus

Prodigal: Your having fun!

Me: Yes, just enjoying the day.

This is a short video devotion on Proverbs.

click here to watch the video

Proverbs 14:16 A wise man fears and departs from evil, But a fool rages and is self-confident. (NKJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Cosmic Welcome Mat

Me: That sky is not as pretty as the real night sky.

Prodigal: I agree.

When you look from the perspective of a scientist at the universe, it looks as if it knew we were coming. There are 15 constants–the gravitational constant, various constants about the strong and weak nuclear force, etc.–that have precise values. If any one of these constants was off by even one part in a million, or in some cases, by one part in a million, million, the universe could not have come to the point where we see it. Matter would not have been able to coalesce, there would have been no galaxy, stars, planets or people.

by Francis Collins.

To continue to believe there is no God is a bigger step of faith then if you would just believe.

Isaiah 41:10

fear no, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

A Man Long Ago

Prodigal: Refreshing water, I need some of that.

Me: Let me help you with that.

This is from Living Above the Level of Mediocrity by Charles Swindoll

Legend has it that a man was lost in the desert, just dying for a drink of water. He stumbled upon an old shack—a ramshackled, windowless, roofless, weatherbeaten old shack. He looked about this place and found a little shade from the heat of the desert sun. As he glanced around he saw a pump about fifteen feet away-an old, rusty water pump. He stumbled over to it, grabbed the handle, and began to pump up and down, up and down. Nothing came out.

Disappointed he staggered back. He noticed off to the side and old jug. He looked at it, wiped away the dirt and dust, and read a message that said, “You have to prime the pump with all the water in this jug, my friend. P.S.: Be sure you fill the jug again before you leave.”

He popped the cork out of the jug and sure enough, it was almost full of water! Suddenly he was faced with a decision. If he drank the water, he could live. Ah, but if he poured all the water in the old rusty pump, maybe it would yield fresh, cool water from down deep in the well, all the water he wanted.

He studied the possibility of both options. What should he do, pour it into the old pump and take a chance on fresh, cool water or drink what was in the old jug and ignore its message? Should he waste all the water on the hopes of those flimsy instructions written, no telling how long ago?

Reluctantly he poured all the water into the pump. Then he grabbed the handle and began to pump, squeak, squeak, squeak. Still nothing came out! Squeak, squeak, squeak. A little bit began to dribble out, then a small stream, and finally it gushed! To his relief fresh, cool water poured out of the rusty pump. Eagerly, he filled the jug and drank from it. He filled it another time and once again drank its refreshing contents.

Then he filled the jug for the next traveler. He filled it to the top, popped the cork back on, and added this little note: “Believe me, it really works. You have to give it all away before you can get anything back.”

And the pots, and the shovels, and the basins: and all these vessels, which Hiram made to king Solomon for the house of the LORD, were of bright brass. 1 Kings 7:45 (KJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Women Lovin’ Jesus

Prodigal: There is a breeze, but the sun is out today.

Me: Yes, sometimes a little sun helps the day seems brighter.

This is a short video devotion on Proverbs.

click here to watch the video

Proverbs 14:15

The simple believes every word, But the prudent considers well his steps. (NKJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

If I Had Only Known You

Me: Sometimes we don’t know and have to be told.

Prodigal: Yes, because we don’t understand how good the Lord can be.

This is from Nancy Spiegelberg and Dorothy Purdy, Fanfare: A Celebration of Belief

If I Had Only Known You

Lord, I crawled across the barrenness

to You

with my empty cup

uncertain

in asking

any small drop

of refreshment.

If only

I had known You

better

I’d have come

Running

With a bucket.

Let the stars of the twilight thereof be dark; let it look for light, but have none; neither let it see the dawning of the day: Job 3:9 (KJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

O Thou

Prodigal: So small.

Me: Yes, but happy for it.

This is from George Herbert

O Thou who has given us so much, mercifully grant us one thing more—a grateful heart.

And he said unto them, That the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath. Luke 6:5 (KJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org

Women Lovin’ Jesus

Prodigal: Oops..made a mistake.

Me: That is ok.

This is a short video devotion on Proverbs.

click here to watch the video

Proverbs 14:14 The backslider in heart shall be filled with is own ways: and a good man shall be satisfied from himself. (NKJV)

Jennifer Van Allen

www.theprodigalpig.com

www.faithincounseling.org