Hacked But Happy?!!!

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benefits, Facebook, guidance, hack attack, hacked, patience, self-control, social media, strength, technologically challenged, wisdom

Hacker!

Last week, I was hacked for the first time. It really rattled me because I try to be so careful in my use of Facebook. My first reaction was to quit my email account as well as all social media. That would have included this blogging site.  BUT, then I prayed for God’s guidance to get me through this inconvenience. I also prayed for wisdom, patience, self-control and strength. When faced with problems, I am usually weak and apt to fold. Oh, how I needed the Lord to save me from myself!

My prayers were answered! I felt led to take up the challenge with the Lord as my guide. I’m the first to admit that I’m technologically challenged so this was not as easy as it might appear to others. Romans 8:28 bolstered me. “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose.” Yes, God would enable me to see benefits come from this disruption if I kept my focus on Him and followed the Holy Spirit through the maze of social media and Internet concerns.

Having  already experienced suspicious email activity in June, I felt led to discontinue my longstanding email account. Changing my password hadn’t helped then so I terminated service completely, saved almost $40.00 a month, and promoted my secondary email address to be primary. Slowly I transferred my connections over to the new data. It was tedious but God led me through it. I felt encouraged!

Hacking also showed me that friends do care, some more than others. Having received bogus emails, loyal friends called to check on my well being as well as to offer advice regarding improving my security. Again, I felt encouraged!

Finally, I decided that I needed to keep my blog and continue to share the way God has worked in my life. Two days later, I was chosen as one of five Christian bloggers mentioned on the website of Courageous Christian Father –  5 Christian Bloggers to Follow! If I had quit, I would have missed this blessing!

I thank the dear Lord for turning this situation around. Satan tried to derail me, but I maintained my focus on God and He brought so many blessings to me. Without His presence in my life, I would never have been able to succeed. A hack attack brought me benefits!

BLESSED!!!

 

 

Pleasing the World or Pleasing God?

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blessings, body of Christ, brotherly love, Christ's death on the cross, Christian bloggers, curse, defile, evil, excuses, Facebook, Internet, long suffering, mouth, patience, self-control, tongue, worldly ways, worldwide web

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Matthew 15:11 (Jesus speaking) “What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

We live more and more in a world where anything goes. There are two sides to every coin or to every situation. I can remember meeting a friend of my husband’s for the first time. She was outspoken against the internet because of the evil she believed it propagated. This was over over fifteen years ago! I mention it because I see so much good in what can be found on the worldwide web if we use it conscientiously. We can travel all around the world in seconds and share in different cultures. Our imagination is not limited by stale photos of other lands captured for posterity in the encyclopedias of old. We see history and life as it happens, but do we view it with the eyes of the world or the eyes of Christ?

Facebook has been both a blessing and a curse to me as I am sure it has been to others. We are able to contact distant relatives, former friends and acquaintances, business colleagues, etc. A special joy for me has been the introduction into the world of Christian bloggers. I have been thrilled to see the number of people who love Christ and want to share that love with others, believers as well as non-believers. BUT I have been equally disappointed by the comments made so thoughtlessly by people I know as well as people I don’t.

As my faith has grown, I try more and more to “clean up my act.” How can I speak of my love for Christ Jesus and for Our Father God Almighty while I allow hateful, hurtful words to pour from my mouth. Oh, there’s always a handy excuse like I’m angry or tired or upset. Really? Think back to Christ dying on the cross for our sins. His pain, for me, is unimaginable. What did he let fly at that time? Pure love! “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.” (Luke 23:34)

As my husband and I have struggled through the inconvenience of leaving our home for what is now over one month and watched strangers packing our possessions for storage, I/we have prayed for the Lord to keep us mindful of our mouths, our tongues, and strengthen us to think before we speak to one another as well as to others. We want to be viewed as Christians, shining our light in this world for others to see. How can we be ambassadors of Christ if we stoop to the base language we see, hear and read all around us? I’ve gotten really upset twice during this past month, but I’ve prayed for the Lord to give me the right words to say as I communicate with those who have infringed on my well being. It’s not over yet, and we have a difficult week beginning today. May the Lord continue to guide me and may the fruit of self-control, patience, long suffering prevail as I deal with others. May I focus on Christ on the cross and what He endured for my sins, remembering that I want to treat others as I wish to be treated. Thank You, dear God, for Your patience with me. May I reflect that patience and especially that love in my dealings in this world. To God be the glory!