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July 30th, 2010
My husband and I were working outside this morning on a ‘project’. Over the years we have had lots of ‘projects’-indoors and out. Each one gives me the opportunity to see how good and effective a team we are. I could say that one of us is the brawn and the other the brains, but actually, we are both-BOTH! Brawn and brains. (Although he has WAY more brawn than I; but I do a pretty good job hefting and hauling!) No matter how challenging or surprising any of these projects becomes, Mike never loses patience, smiles and jokes through it all, and definitely sees the positive perspective. His actions encourage me to do the same; and so, we really do keep each other going. This morning as he was working in one area and I in another, I began thinking about our journey together. I was struck with the thought that we really have grown toward each other. I chuckled out loud at the thought. It was a very pleasant thought-considering our history.
Mike and I had a, hmmm-how should I say it?-TUMULTUOUS dating relationship and engagement. You know-on again, off again-should have remained OFF! At one point during our pre-marital counseling, our pastor asked to meet with me alone. At this meeting he advised me to postpone the wedding. He saw what I already knew, but was fighting against. I DID NOT WANT TO BE GETTING MARRIED! And most definitely not to this man at this point in time. I wanted to WANT to get married to him, but it just wasn’t happening for me! But, my pride won out. I knew the invitations had been sent, RSVP’s were coming in, and I had always outwardly come across as a confident and successful person (regardless of what was really happening on the inside). No, I was going to go through with it. So, on my wedding day, standing at the back of the church, waiting for my ‘grand’ entrance, the thought going through my head was something like, “I don’t want to be here; I don’t want to be doing this, etc.” I thought all of this through a clenched-teeth smile as I walked down that aisle with my dad (who, by the way, was smiling quite genuinely, because he and my mom AND my whole family absolutely adored Mike. I’m fairly sure they would have kicked me out of the family and kept him if it came down to that!).
Mike and I got married, but oh wow-we did not live happily ever after. Pretty much from the very beginning we were on a downward spiral. We just didn’t know how low we could go. Our first two children came quite quickly. Katrina was born just days before our first anniversary, and Jessica was born 21 months later. Mike poured himself into work, and I poured myself into our girls. Truly, Mike and I just didn’t know how to work together. We didn’t know how to view conflict as a ‘gift’-like iron sharpening iron-in order to make both of us better people. We certainly didn’t know how to work through conflict. The natural consequences were for us to simply drift apart from each other. We were at the doors of divorce more than once. I won’t go into the nasty details; but they truly are worth telling sometime because of the incredible pit in which Mike and I found ourselves. Really, our entire marriage looked absolutely hopeless and unredeemable! Let’s just say that after many bad choices with dire consequences, we were both done.
God was not.
Through several occurrences that happened to both of us at separate times, we began to see that God was orchestrating something much different than divorce. Eventually both of us knew that we knew that we needed to follow God’s desires above our own. This meant that we needed to make difficult choices based on faith and truth rather than what we were feeling and ‘emoting’ at the time. And these difficult choices needed to be consistent and intentional. Personally, I knew I needed to draw near to God because I desperately needed Him to draw near to me (James 4:8). I also began to see that I needed to draw near to my husband, regardless of how I felt at any particular time. Now, please know that I am not saying that we drew near to each other blindly. We needed to learn how to work together through the conflicts-past, present, and knowing they would come in the future as well. (I also know that there are definitely times when the healthy thing for a person to do is to walk away from a relationship.) I am simply talking about what Mike and I chose to do with each other. What I found is that when two people choose to do the right thing with each other, it also becomes the right thing for each other.
Although all of this happened many years ago, the process of learning how to work together as a team is ongoing. Just as Mike and I have those daily choices to make, so also does everyone else. We can either choose to grow away from one another, or we can choose to grow toward one another. “Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8) I love what The Message has to say in James 4:7-10. “So let God work His will in you. Yell a loud ‘no’ to the devil and watch him scamper. Say a quiet ‘yes’ to God, and He’ll be there in no time. Quit dabbling in sin. Purify your inner life. Quit playing the field. Hit bottom, and cry your eyes out. The fun and games are over. Get serious, really serious. Get down on your knees before the Master; it’s the only way you’ll get on your feet.” Don’t I know it! This is so what I need to remember and do!
Thanks for reading,
Libby
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July 29th, 2010
It seems as though lately as I’ve been introducing myself and people figure out whose daughter I am they have just one thing to say, “You look just like your Mom!” And who wouldn’t want to hear that they look just like the most beautiful woman in the world? Actually, I wish I looked more like her – I’ve always wanted her legs!
It’s not surprising to hear that I resemble her. There’s a picture of us at the same age, both sitting on a tree stump, and you could swear it was the same girl.
And the little girl who always loved the fact that she looked like her mom is now the woman wishing she really looked like her mom.
Let me tell you exactly what my mom looks like.
She is beautiful. She has a gentle wisdom – she is so wise and it never ceases to amaze me. She is full of knowledge about the Lord and about His Word and uses that to encourage and inspire and guide those around her towards Him. She is not proud or arrogant in that wisdom but offers it with such grace. And it never fails that when I’m in a situation or struggling she has just the right words, she knows God’s truth, and she shows me how to deal with whatever I’m going through by relying on Him, never making me feel like a failure for messing up or discouraged for not getting it right, but feeling empowered knowing that God is bigger than anything I might be facing.
She is beautiful. She has this quiet strength that has given me hope that no matter what I go through I am not going through it alone, and that God will take me through whatever has been placed in front of me. She has experienced such pain and hardship throughout her life and yet shines with the joy of the Lord. Never blaming Him for difficulties but yet embracing them in order that she might grow and use whatever has happened in her life to bring Him glory. She has shown me what it is to truly count it all joy when we face trials of many kinds, and she has shown me what it is to develop perseverance through those trials.
She is beautiful. She has such humility. She gives and gives of herself and doesn’t want acknowledgment. She is so gifted in her words, in speaking and in writing, and yet gives all honor to God. She has done so many things, touched so many lives, spent her life serving God in every way He has called her, and she would never take credit for it.
She is beautiful. And I want to look just like her.
Emily
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July 28th, 2010
Expectations vs Surrender
It is so amazing to learn how little control I really have.
God has been teaching me so much about reliance. I have never been here before; I am vulnerable, open. My only certainty is found in prayer.
But newsflash- to pray is to surrender, not to demand. It does not give us grounds to expect anything from Him.
“But I prayed for this…with hope and pure intentions!”
How dare I hold God accountable. Step down, self.
“no” is still an answer. He does not have to say “yes” to prove Himself faithful.
I cannot deserve an answered prayer. If He gives me the desire of my heart, it is because He is merciful and gracious. Not because I prayed for it, and CERTAINLY not because I earned it.
Hello, reliance. We meet again.
Control= 0%.
100% room for faith.
God- It is not about what you are going to do, but what you are doing now. Thank you for being with me. Thank you for showing me how little I am. Please keep doing it. (Please show me mercy. My heart is on a platter.)
Em
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July 27th, 2010
There are things I love to be a part of, opportunities I enjoy so much: time spent with my family, vacations at the beach, chatting with friends (coffee cup in hand of course), reading, worship in its truest “God is HERE” form. These are a few of my favorite things!
There are also some things I don’t enjoy so much: cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, exercise, eating right consistently, budgeting. Each one of those items is on my “endure” list.
Now please, can someone tell me why it is that I like the RESULT of the things that I don’t like to do? I love a clean house, clean clothes, stocked cupboards, feeling healthy and strong, I really like having my bills paid and a little money left over to put in the bank. Having all those things happen make the items on the first list even sweeter!
The first list is like dessert – mmmmm, yummy! The second list, well, definitely vegetables – with the result tasting a little more like fruit, healthy, tasty, good for me. But please bring on the dessert! I LOVE those desserts!
If you find an answer to my quandary, please let me know.
In the mean time, I am eating my vegetables, and enjoying my fruit. And looking forward to my favorite sweets each and every time I can get them!
Daughter Krista brings all three to my life. She is on the dessert list with her siblings – I love our times together. She is also on the veggie list – personal trainer living right here with me, encouraging me as well as expecting me to eat right and exercise – ugh. And the result of her encouragement and expectations of me are bringing fruit to my life. I am feeling healthier, stronger, than I have felt in years, and I like that feeling very much!
I am looking forward to the day I enjoy eating my vegetables every bit as much as I enjoy the fruit and dessert.
But for now, I am enduring. Attending Krista’s Holmes County Boot Camp faithfully. Doing all that I can, and laughing thru the parts that I can’t. Thanking God that He created people like Krista to encourage people like me to choose well, even if it’s not their favorite things to do.
How about you? Got a “dessert” list? A “veggie” list? A “fruit I really do enjoy” list?
Are you stuck on any one of those lists? Only doing the things you like, so enjoying the sweet taste that you can’t move on to the other items on your plate? Or lamenting over the things you don’t like and not knowing where to begin to get the results you know you’d enjoy? Is there a lack of healthy fruit on your plate?
Have you asked anyone for help?
We are not created to do life alone. God is all about fellowship and community. He is the God of yummy desserts – Psalm 34:8 “Oh taste and see that the Lord is good” always reminds me of dessert when I read it! He wants us to enjoy life, completely, in all of its goodness.
But He also desires us to be healthy, strong, filled with fruit!
And He created vegetables for our good.
So name your vegetable! And then ASK God for help in eating it – the rest of Psalm 34:8 says “blessed is the one who takes refuge in Him.” He is your safe place, your go-to for anything you are struggling with! He will help you – but you need to ask – and again, you don’t have to do this alone! Ask a friend to hold you accountable, to encourage you in the process.
That word “ask” is where many of us get stuck, and yet God’s word tells us “You do not have because you do not ask. Or you do ask and yet fail to receive, because you ask with wrong motives.” (James 4:2-3) If our hearts are truly set on being healthy God will honor our asking for help in ways we never imagined.
Your vegetable may be like mine – cleaning, laundry, exercise and eating right, budgeting, organization/discipline in getting the tasks done. Or you might be saying “lady you don’t have a clue, my ‘vegetable’ is rotten” – it stinks – it smells of sexual abuse, anger, pornography, addiction, shame, insecurity (I battle that rotten veggie too!).
I don’t know what it is that you have on your plate that you’d like to avoid but I do know this – unless you deal with it, unless you learn to eat it, so that it is off your plate and doing what God intends for it to do – you will miss out on some amazing fruit!
Choose today to ask God to help you deal with the vegetables on your plate – that’s your first bite!
Second bite – tell a friend what you’re doing and ask them to check in on your progress – weekly, daily, or hourly if necessary!
Third bite – perhaps you need to make a phone call to get help or guidance in whatever it is that is holding you back. If it’s organization check out www.flylady.com, if it’s finances www.crown.org or www.daveramsey.com are great places to start!
If it’s anger, abuse, addiction, depression or another issue that impacts your emotional health please call a Christian counseling agency such as the one we share our office with at Circle of Friends, New Beginning Counseling, 330-852-0000 will put you on a path to emotional freedom!
If your vegetable is one of physical health today is a great day to take a bite out of that problem! Call your doctor and make that appointment you’ve been putting off; take a walk; if you know fitness and/or nutrition is what you’re avoiding – and if you live in the Holmes County area – e-mail my daughter at Krista@impulsetraining.com or do a web search to find someone or someplace in your area that will help you devour that big old vegetable so you can taste some sweet fruit!
Keep taking those little bites! Don’t give up! Remember Hebrews 12:11 “No discipline (one bite at a time is a discipline!) seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Oh wow, that sounds like a perfect food – a fruit-filled dessert!
It’s an ongoing process. Each day we need to eat our vegetables. Each day we will have a little more fruit to enjoy!
And while yummy desserts aren’t always available every day, take some time to list your favorites – what is it that you love to do, look forward to enjoying, savor every bite of?
Thank God for those sweet reminders of how good He is and how very much He loves you.
Until next time.
Beth
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July 26th, 2010
A few days after a small dinner party at our house I was putting my china back into the china cupboard when one of my salt and pepper shakers fell to the lowest shelf and broke. I hung my head in disappointment, my heart sank to my stomach and for a moment I remained down on my knees feeling something I haven’t felt in a long time. The first thoughts I had were that when my children divide up my things after I’ve passed on they will wonder what happened to the salt and pepper shaker set. I had one of those 10 second moments of regret for not having had been more careful while placing my dishes in the cupboard.
The reality is that this set of dishes is neither rare nor valuable; it is just a plain, cheap set of china which my mom gave to me before I was married. If I’m sentimental, which I think we have determined I probably am a little bit, this broken shaker will bother me and cause me certain heartache for not having my complete set anymore. As I thought things through, though, I figured it was just an item which will burn one day anyway. It’s not like I can take a whole set of china with me when I enter the gates of glory.
This whole episode had me making a choice of not living in regret for the broken piece of glass in my cupboard. I determined it wouldn’t make me stumble or become an idol in my life. So, as quickly as it happened and as quickly as I felt the sting of regret I felt free from it. However, it was one of those “lessons learned” moments and since then I’ve really thought about idols and what else could be an idol in my life. I know it is anything that keeps me from having a right relationship with Him. Some of us struggle with reading our Bibles daily, others struggle with prayer, each of us know what the issues are that take place of Him and why they are an issue in our lives. It is a daily battle and a war that isn’t easily won. It takes resolve and determination to not let “things” take the place of Christ in our lives.
A few weeks ago the worship leader of the church we attended spoke of this very subject. How he has been studying on worship and how he has come to understand how we place idols in our lives and we give God our second best. He painted a picture by asking us if we were okay to allow our spouses to give their affections to another once a month or once a week. What a picture that painted as I thought about this subject more thoroughly.
Do certain TV shows, books, sports, possession or myriads of other things take our affections away from Christ? Can I truly say that He gets all my affection and adoration? I would never want a broken salt shaker to take place of my affections for my King. I just don’t want to care that much about something that doesn’t live and breathe, and especially has nothing to do with the God I serve.
Anything that takes our time, energy and emotions away from God can be a treasure. In Luke 12:34 Jesus warns us:”For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” I certainly don’t want my heart to be hunkered down on some bottom shelf in my china closet.
Because of Him,
Lue
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July 23rd, 2010
Recently my two year old granddaughter came to visit and her mom took her to a local petting zoo. As I looked at these pictures I was reminded of the scripture in Matthew 18:2-4:
Jesus called a little child to him and stood the child before his followers. Then he said, “I tell you the truth, you must change and become like little children. Otherwise, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. The greatest person in the kingdom of heaven is the one who makes himself humble like this child.”
The delight and wonder of a child
enthralled by the Creator and His creations
Discovering life
With all of its challenges
and knowing where to look for answers.
All for Him,
Missy
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July 22nd, 2010
I am so indecisive.
I mean, the littlest of decisions rock my world. I can’t handle it. Take the conversation I had this morning with my husband.
Eric: Hey, I’m making eggs, you want any?
Me: Hmm. I don’t know. I think I’ll just have a bagel or something.
Eric: Are you sure, honey? It’s not a problem, I’ll make you some.
Me: Okay, yeah, eggs sound good.
Eric: How do you want them?
Me: Oh. I don’t know. You know what? Just forget it.
Eric: Alright. Can I toast you a bagel or an English muffin?
Me: Yeah, bagel. No, English muffin. No, wait..no, yeah, I want an English muffin.
So in goes the English muffin and a few minutes later…
Me: Now I’m thinking scrambled eggs sound really good. Yep, that’s what I want. I think I’ll make some.
And after eating my eggs and English muffin for breakfast? Yeah, I decided that it really wasn’t what I wanted after all.
So what in the world does a woman do when she can’t even figure out what it is she wants to eat? What about the big decisions? The ones that really matter?
I mean, if I don’t even know what I want, how can I possibly know what God wants?
Often in my life that has been something I have agonized over. Knowing the will of God. Knowing what He wants me to do iwith my life. And the not knowing is probably one of the things that has caused me the most frustration. I don’t know about you, but so far, God hasn’t given me a vision, spoke through a burning bush, or sent me an angel. I’d settle for a billboard, or one of those airplanes you see at the beach with a sign floating in the air behind. If He’d designate someone in my life to be my official decision-maker, that would be awesome.
And I don’t think I’ll ever have it completely figured out, but I am learning. For one thing, I’m learning that it’s not something God would have me worry about, after all, Jesus told us not to worry about anything. It doesn’t do us any good. Should I try to make decisions that honor and please Him? Without a doubt. But should I be anxious about it? That’s not the way He would have me live my life!
I’m also learning that it comes back to the basics. I get so caught up knowing His will that I forget to stop and take time to evaluate how well I know Him. Because if I spend my time getting to know Him, learning more about Him, I can’t help but think that knowing what He wants me to do in my life would be so much easier. And isn’t that what He really wants for me? A relationship with Him? Focusing on reading His Word and time in prayer instead of focusing on all the what ifs and questions I’ll probably never have answers to. Knowing Him, knowing His heart, can only show me His will.
Then maybe I can just worry about what’s for breakfast.
Emily
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July 21st, 2010
He Says:
I will push you with terrible and glorious power. I will pull you with the look of irresistible grace. I will remind you of the Promise to which you run with tender feet. With wild passion and wrath I will guard you. With unbearable light I will conquer your enemies. Persistent hope will firmly grip your heart. Sweet affection will fill it. Listen- all my words carry the fierce and heavy power of solid promise. I will breathe ferocity and strength into your will. I will set fire in your eyes- the fire of battle, of love, of invincible life- and even Death will fear you. For I have already endured the pain that you earned me, and now it is time to begin running, running Home.
Em
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July 20th, 2010
Ready for another confession? I have lost all control of my household. Yes, there I’ve said it, and it’s true. For twenty-plus years of parenting I have been able to say “No” (and mean it!) to my families requests for a dog or a cat. “No – you may have one when you have your own home, but not in this house!”
We have tried to fill that desire with other pets – bunnies, birds, fish, turtles, toads – but if you ask the kids none of these compare with the longing they have for a “real” pet.
Somehow last summer I found myself softening.and when my boss asked the question “would your children like a kitten?” I couldn’t tell a lie. The answer was yes, my children would like – actually LOVE – a kitten. I would not, but my children would. Ten minutes later he had a kitten ready for me to take home.
The kids fell in love with a little ball of fluff they named Luka and anything that grabs their hearts has a way of working itself into mine. (Even if I never touch it!) Such was the case with Luka. I didn’t “love” her, but I love my kids, and I loved seeing the joy that she brought to them. Her climbing escapades resulted in an injury to her head and our children did a great job of nursing her back to health. We started thinking about what to do when winter came, how would we go about turning this outdoor front-porch kitty into an indoor/outdoor cat?
And then, after two short months of being a “real” pet owner, tragedy struck. One of the reasons that I never wanted a pet in the first place became reality. Luka – who loved to follow the kids everywhere – followed them as they got into a friends car…our friend was as devastated as our kids.
Megan grieved the hardest. Months later I would still find her in tears over the loss of her kitty. She never wanted another kitty – ever.
Until her friend adopted a stray kitten, and Megan remembered how much she enjoyed that little ball of fluff. Suddenly I heard the words “can we please get another kitty” – added to the on-going lament for a dog.
Thanks to my sister’s encouragement and connections we are once again a house with a kitty – ummm, make that two kitties. Hello – have I lost my mind?
And my husband has a lead on a dog.
Yes, I have lost my mind. As well as any control I thought I had of my household.
And my kids are delighted.
Until next time.
Beth
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July 19th, 2010
I had another one of THOSE moments-when I prayed for something, saw the opportunity for that prayer to be answered, and then DIDN’T follow through properly. Why do I do that?! Recently I was getting ready to go to a party, and I really wanted to be a good and effective follower of Jesus while I was there. I knew that I would only know a handful of people among the throng of diversity. As I thought about how to ‘act’ among all those people, I found myself thinking of and singing words to the song “Shine”. This is based on Philippians 2:14-16 which says to us, “Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life (Jesus Christ).” This is what I wanted to do at the party.
As the evening progressed, I was able to have many ‘nice’ conversations with many people-either getting to know them a bit, or getting caught up with some current events in their lives. When I was heading toward home, I struck up a conversation with a man whom I had met a few times before; but feel as if I do need to re-introduce myself each time. (We just don’t have occasion to see each other that often.) As I asked him some questions about what was happening in his life, he began to share about some really difficult struggles in which he is involved. I listened well (I think) and shared about the need for him to have a good support system as well as sharing some other ‘stuff’. I believe he heard my ‘compassion’, but I don’t think he actually saw it. After a while, I said ‘good-bye’ and walked away. Even as I was walking home, I got a little weepy just thinking about all that this gentleman was experiencing and enduring. I began to pray for him and others involved. And then I was struck-really hard-with the reality that while, yes, I listened well, I DIDN’T REALLY DO ANYTHING ELSE OF ANY ETERNAL SIGNIFICANCE! My mind filled with my earlier prayer about wanting to shine like the stars and share the truth of Jesus Christ. I had the perfect God-given opportunity, and I chose to share stuff that was more like superficial ‘pop’ psychology I am sure. I can’t tell you how heavy I felt. So-I talked with God again; asked for forgiveness, and began praying for help to be able to show compassion and Christ to that man-if there was still the opportunity to do so.
When I got home, I continued to pray and eventually sat down to write a note inside the front cover of a book. This is what I wrote:
Dear (my greeting was to both him and his girlfriend who was not with him at the party),
As I walked home, I prayed for you, I asked God to direct me to something that would be good for you. I truly want to be a good help to you, but any ‘help’ I offer that is not connected to Jesus Christ is not a lasting help. As I continued to pray, my eyes settled on this book. I invite you both to read about this God-Man, Jesus. I encourage you to tell Him anything and everything, and then get ready to experience Him and His everlasting love for you. I want you to know that I am praying for you and will continue to do so.
And then I signed my name. I picked up the book in which I had written (“Next Door Savior” by Max Lucado), and headed back over to the party. I had another opportunity to deliver words of hope-LASTING words of hope that are found only in the Triune God-the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I am so thankful that God was AND IS willing to forgive and to help us to do the right thing. Doing the right thing is truly for OUR best as we are stretched and grown into more of His likeness, and it is also for the sake of others as they are brought into His Kingdom. Ultimately, doing the right thing is for the purpose of proclaiming GOD to ALL the world, because God loves the world!
Thanks for reading,
Libby
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July 16th, 2010
Have you ever felt like your life was in a bit of a mess and you wondered how it got there? You know, complicated relationships, less than brilliant financial decisions, life ending up in a place you never expected?
I was having a conversation with a friend recently and it got me to thinking of all the tangled wires of our lives. It can look a bit like this:
Sometimes the disorder of our lives seems too hard to straighten out. The process of sorting out the chaos and disarray can seem too big a task – that maybe ignoring it or trying to live with the snarl of complications is easier than the pain of dis-entangling it. The thing we don’t realize is that taking the time and effort to sort out the muddle will, in the long run, be less painful than living with the turmoil on a long term basis.
For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love.
For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.
Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. 1Peter 1:5-11
Taking the time to restore order to our lives now will give us freedom from finding ourselves in a fix in the future. Hard work now – calm and serenity later, easy way out – a lifetime of being encumbered with regrets and disappointments. It’s our choice.
All for Him,
Missy
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July 15th, 2010
Nothing too spiritual or profound today. Just some random thoughts for your amusement.
Someone gave me one of those Dove candies, you know, with the message on the foil? I opened mine up and read, “Soil yourself.” Taking a closer look I realized that I hadn’t opened it up all the way. When I did I saw clearly that it was “Spoil yourself.” Kind of ironic that the missing letter was “p”, don’t you think?
I got up for work the other morning. Did my normal routine, took a shower, brushed my teeth, put on my makeup and dried my hair. While getting dressed I realized I was putting my pajamas back on. I think I’m overdue for a vacation.
The other night seven lightning bugs lost their lives to my windshield. Normally, knowing there are fewer bugs in the world is something that brings me a lot of joy. But no one wants to see lightning bugs die. Especially on your windshield, watching that little glow fade and fade ’til it’s nothing but goo on the glass. That’s kind of depressing, especially watching the rest of their friends continue to flicker on.
A couple nights ago we went out to dinner. The restaurant itself is fine, atmosphere is good, food is acceptable. But the main reason to go to this place is their cookie. They bring out this under-baked but yet baked enough cookie in what appears to be a small pie pan. Gooey, warm, deliciousness topped with ice cream. We ordered it for dessert, waiting anxiously, when our waitress came back and told us that someone had gotten the last one. How is it possible to run out of cookies? Make some more!!! And to make matters worse, we saw another server take the last one to her table as she walked right past us, the smell and sight making our mouths water even more. A few minutes later she came to our table and told us that the other people who had gotten the last one offered to split it with us. Isn’t that the sweetest thing? Complete strangers offering up half of their dessert! I want to be the kind of people that would sacrifice something so amazing to people I don’t know out of the goodness of my heart. I also want to be the kind of people who accept that offer instead of politely declining.
My brother and sister-in-law took their four-month old boating for the first time. She did great (her daddy is convinced she’s hooked already to one of his favorite pastimes), but having a four-month old on a boat went exactly how you’d expect it would go having a four month old on a boat. Not exactly the easiest thing to do. But seriously, isn’t this the most adorable boatin’ baby you’ve ever seen?
Emily
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July 14th, 2010
It’s Time I Prayed…
Every time I sit down to pray or write I get so overwhelmed with all the things there are to say that I end up not saying anything at all. But I do not want to allow that to hinder me anymore…So this post will be a prayer post.
Lord, I miss you. Every time this happens, I know it is my fault. You certainly were not the one who changed. Hebrews 13:8
Sin is so frustrating. Every time I let it go, it takes me far away from you. I have sinned so much in my heart lately by having such a fixation on the things of this world- namely, my pain. I have been so self-centered. If I had my heart set on eternity, there would not be any room to feel insecure or lonely or depressed. I would know that whatever I have to be insecure about is meaningless. I would remember that I am insufficient and I would rejoice in Your sufficiency, Your willingness to use me and LOVE ME regardless. I would remember that this world is not my home, and I would take comfort in the fact that I do not belong here, that I belong somewhere greater by far.
Today I remembered Lamentations 3:23 as I was driving to meet dad for lunch. And I saw the sunshine and remembered that this is a new day, and if I want, I can be a new person. If I want to, I can put yesterday behind me and pursue You. I can forgive my recent attitude and inherit a new one. I can seize Your forgiveness and have a heart of praise! Sometimes I forget You are absolutely merciful and forgiving, and I don’t let myself pray because I feel unworthy of Your ear because of all my sins. I flat out yelled at You Saturday night, to the merciful Father who sent His Son to hang on the cross for me. In my pride I accused Him of abandoning me. How disgusting! My sin is so frustrating, and I find it hard to forgive. It literally nauseates me. But Your forgiveness is quicker than instant. Before I was born you knew I would accept You as my savior and You forgave me for every sin. I am Your foolish child. The one You love, the one who slows herself down by not forgiving herself even when the Lord of the universe already has.
Thank you, God! It is a blessing to remember what I deserve. Humbling. I want to pursue You. I just want all of You and none of me. Not more of You and less of me….All and none. I am quite tired of me, and entirely thirsty for You.
My heart still feels somewhat numb and desensitized. Lord, please forgive me for letting the world shake me? You will get me out of here someday. I pray that You would soften my heart and make it raw to the Gospel. Remind me why I am alive- in my HEART.
God I pray that You would bless me with Your patience and love and kindness for others! I want to serve people until it exhausts me. I surrender my mind to You so that you may guide it and control it. Please obsess me with your Son. Please let grace be my first heart-response. Please bless me with creativity that I may put to use in my serving of others? Please use me? Lord I pray that You would help to mature and bless me with wisdom and kindness. I want to regard everyone as higher than myself, and I want it to be genuine. Lord I want humility and submission and reverence!! I want to honor and glorify Jesus with my heart and my mind and my words and my actions. I want to bring Him to Earth and thrust Him into the lives of all those around me. No wonder life has seemed so dull lately- I have forgotten to live for Something greater! The greatest…
Thank You so much for answering all of my prayers, for being my Father and protecting my heart and rebuking me and raising me up to be who you want me to be. Thank you for everything!
Em
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July 13th, 2010
Of basketball and babies – I’ve had the best of both this past week! As our 16 year old, Emily, traveled with her high school basketball team we got to enjoy watching their team effort, as well as delight in the sweet three week old daughter of one of the assistant coaches! This wee one reminded me so much of Emily at that age, a head full of black hair and a teeny tiny cry. Sweet bows in her hair and a soft pink blankie make the Emily look-a-like complete!
It also reminded me of just how little Clay was when he first started attending basketball games. He was born in January when his oldest sister was a freshman in high school, and the next oldest was a 7th grader. Both were in the middle of their basketball seasons. Baby Clay’s first outings were to church and basketball. Both events have remained a constant in his life. With two sisters coaching and two sisters still playing basketball this winter our youngest will continue to have many opportunities to watch and learn how the game is played.
I’m not sure he sees it as an opportunity.
Which makes me wonder what kind of opportunities we have as adults that we fail to see as such? I wonder if there are situations that God has allowed into our lives that we simply endure instead of enjoy; that we tend to complain about instead of looking for the potential to grow. I wonder if we ever miss out on a blessing because we refuse to even “go there”. God has something better in mind for us, but instead of allowing Him to shape our attitude we choose to complain and become bitter.
I have told Clay that God knew what He was doing when He chose him to be the little brother of four big sisters. God doesn’t make mistakes, and He always has a plan and a purpose. If we truly believe that God is in control then we can also trust that He has a reason for allowing us to be where we are at. And to be there with whomever we are experiencing it with.
In John and Stasi Eldredge’s book “Love and War” the authors give us this thought to examine: “God lures us into marriage and then He uses it to transform us.”
As I think on that statement I have to wonder what else He has allowed into the lives of those He loves so much (that’s us!) in order to transform them into the people He has called them to be.
My guess is He doesn’t just work in and thru marriage. I’m pretty sure He is willing and able to work in us in every situation we find ourselves in. No matter if we want to be in that situation or not; no matter whether we see that situation as an opportunity or a circumstance that is out of our control.
The word “transformation” is not an easy word, Webster says it is to “change the condition, nature, or function of”; my guess is we shouldn’t be surprised when the process isn’t easy either! Change seldom is easy!
At work, at home, at church, at basketball games (and baseball games and soccer games and hockey games and volleyball games and football games) (oh yeah, and golf matches, and track meets, and water polo, and.I think you get my point!) as we are driving, shopping, waiting, thinking, at the fast-food place, in the classroom, as we surf the internet or are on vacation! Whether we are being paid for what we’re doing or volunteering our time; as we’re out and about or tucked into whatever nest we call our own. It doesn’t matter where we find ourselves, God is not surprised, and He will use whatever situation we are in as much, or perhaps as little, as we invite Him to!
Inviting God into our circumstances changes our perspective from ourselves to His plan. While it doesn’t change our immediate circumstances it does change our focus and can transform our attitude.
Our circumstances, especially when we invite God to work in and thru them, can make us better or they can make us bitter. I’ve heard it put this way: Bitter or better – the difference is “I”!
We can recognize that God is in control but if we hold onto an attitude of “this is not fair” we end up fighting against Him, and end up allowing our bitter attitude to spill over onto the people we come in contact with.
Fighting against God seems rather futile, doncha think? And pouring out our bitterness on others is not a tactic found on the list of “how to win friends and influence people”!
And yet we do it all the time. At work, at home, at church, at basketball games..I think you know where this is going right? Yup, all those same places I just listed about God being in control of are the very same places we get to choose our attitude – how we will react or respond to the situations we find ourselves in – each and every time.
I recently heard it said that our RE-actions are a greater indicator of where we are at in our relationship with Christ than our actions.
Hmmm, think about that one for a minute. For me that says that we can decide to act a certain way or have a certain attitude in the circumstances that we are about to enter (just like we choose our clothes we can choose our attitude) but our RE-actions, the things we say or do without as much thought given to them, speak from the wellspring of our attitude.
As followers of Christ our attitude is to be that of Christ. Having that attitude will cause a positive “God-perspective” reaction to circumstances. But an attitude that is steeped in “self”, hmmm, well, the reaction will still be there but it will be self-centered instead of a Christ centered attitude.
Clay is only nine. His attitude is a work in process. His reactions are a great indicator of where he is at in his maturity, with his Heavenly Dad as well as his earthly family.
I am 48 (now that’s a confession of a peace lover!), trust me I am a work in process too – and my reactions reflect my maturity, the depth of my relationship with Christ. My actions, my attitude, my reactions, need to speak of a life that is saturated by the Living Water. It all comes back to the fruit that Galatians 5 points us to: Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control – all of those fruits are better “re-actions” to life’s circumstances.
How old are you? (Are you like my sis-in-law and celebrating your birthday today? =) Wherever you are at let me assure you that you are a work in process too! When you find yourself in the midst of that “opportunity” for growth what are your reactions saying about your maturity, about your relationship with Christ? What kind of fruit do you find in your hand – or mouth – when the circumstances around you take you by surprise or seem out of your control? The bitter, rotten stuff? Or the kind that has been so saturated in the Living Water, the well-spring of life itself, that it becomes a healthy addition to any circumstance?
Bitter or Better? The difference is I – I get to choose..and so does Clay.and so do you!
Until next time.
Beth
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July 12th, 2010
The following was written by my daughter, Katrina. When she verbally shared these thoughts with me, I asked her if she would be willing to ‘write’ them out for a Circle of Friends blog. I was glad that she agreed to do so, and now I invite you to read along.
Thanks for reading,
Libby
Where’s The Beef?
“In my view, the Christian religion is the most important and one of the first things in which all children, under a free government, ought to be instructed.No truth is more evident to my mind than that the Christian religion must be the basis of any government intended to secure the rights and privileges of a free people.”-Noah Webster (Preface to the American Dictionary of the English Language-1828)
So, I have found myself becoming ever more frustrated by the state of our nation. The more I hear of court rulings, bills passed by Congress, etc., that are attempting to do away with the very principles on which this nation was founded, the more angry and heart-broken I become. I believe a big part of this is rooted in the direction that the Church in the western world has gone. It grieves me that according to research done by George Barna, the majority of those claiming to be Christians do not acknowledge Absolute Truth. But what can I do about it? Well, I will tell you!
I thought back to my experience going through Focus on the Family’s “The Truth Project”. (If you ever have the opportunity, I strongly recommend going through the class!!) To define the word ‘truth’ in this class, a definition was taken from Webster’s Dictionary; however, not a current edition, but from the year 1828. The idea behind this being that we need to know and understand the beliefs that were held by our Founding Fathers, and how much they have been rewritten over the past 200 years. Allow me to illustrate by comparing the two definitions. 1828-”Truth: Conformity to fact or reality; exact accordance with that which is, or has been, or shall be; the truth of history constitutes its whole value; we rely upon the truth of the scriptural prophecies.” Current-”Truth: The state of being the case; the body of real things, events, facts; a transcendent fundamental or spiritual reality; a judgment, proposition or idea that is true or accepted as true; the property of true statements and propositions; the property of being in accordance with fact or reality.” It’s kind of sad to think that people are rewriting our story and we do not even seem to notice. Another organization dealing with issues of truth as it relates to our history is Answers in Genesis. They use the well-known slogan “Where’s the beef?” as a way of saying, “Show me your proof or evidence.”
As I was getting ready for bed the other night, I found myself thinking about the word “tolerance.” Just what does it mean? Again, I will reference Webster’s Dictionary. 1828-”Tolerance: The power or capacity of enduring; or the act of enduring.” Current-”Capacity to endure pain or hardship; sympathy or indulgence for beliefs of practices differing from or conflicting with one’s own; the act of allowing something.” (The current edition also contained definitions relating to physical tolerance.) Based on the way the word is thrown around today, do we see this put into practice as either definition states? I am inclined to say “no” as I believe so many who push for us to be tolerant of their beliefs/opinions do not extend the same grace to differing views, thus giving the impression they will tolerate only those who agree with them.
After all of this thought process, I had an idea: Why not start sharing what I have learned with those in my sphere of influence? I have decided to start looking up words/phrases that are commonly used today, and post definitions given in previous centuries on Facebook. I am not stopping there, though. I have a copy of the New-England Primer (one of the textbooks used in schools in the days of our Founding Fathers-”the goal being to combine the study of the Bible with the alphabet, vocabulary and the reading of prose and poetry”-The Vision Forum). I plan to post a kind of “Did you know?” and “Lessons from the New-England Primer” on my page. My goal is not only to share truth; but I also hope to cause people to think more critically about our past and present, and the effect both have on our future. Instead of possibly blindly accepting current-day ‘buzz word’ definitions, maybe we all need to be more willing to ask, “Where’s the beef?”
“Dearly loved friends, I had been eagerly planning to write to you about the salvation we all share. But now I find that I must write about something else, urging you to defend the truth of the Good News. God gave this unchanging truth once for all time to his holy people.”
-The Bible, Jude 3 NLT
God Bless–Katrina
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July 9th, 2010
In the last few weeks I’ve felt God prompting me to type up some of my testimony for the COF blog. The layers of my testimony can’t be put in just one post. The layers of my testimony have afforded me with tons of “lesson’s learned” and now and then God will bring one of those “lessons learned” to my mind and so today I want to share with you about the lesson I learned of overcoming having a victim mentality.
When I was a young child I was molested by two of my family members. For those who know me, this is no secret. I was a young teen when it finally ended. It was years of abuse and secrecy and torment for my young heart and soul. The torment continued on into my adulthood and at one point I became suicidal, paranoid and anxious to an almost point of no return.
For any other person who was abused out there in blog land, you know what torment I speak of. There is no security, love isn’t comprehended in the way it is meant to be, trust is unfathomable and the list could continue for the next one hundred pages and we probably still wouldn’t have scratched the surface of how detrimental sexual abuse can be to a young child’s mind, body and spirit.
I suffered a lot. As a young adult I pushed it all aside. I wanted to be free from the torment, but the side affects followed me. It took me a long time to realize that some of the ways I related to life made me respond the way I did to certain people and situations. I built walls around my heart and became distant in most of my relationships. The negative impact of sexual abuse was so prevalent in my life that I could write pages of how I related to life then versus how I relate to life today.
As I grew older and the abuse made its way into my memory and as I started to “deal” with some of it, if I could have, I would’ve been on roof tops shouting about the victim I’d been for so long. I wanted people to know how wronged I’d been. I blamed everybody else for all my problems. If this wasn’t right in my life than this certain person or incident was the reason why. I had victim mentality. It was nonstop. When I think back and look into my past I am overwhelmed with how incredibly hurt and lost I was and how little I knew how to respond to problems or who to run to.
During some months of counseling, I became a born again Christian. My counselor didn’t lead me to Christ, but was one tool God chose to use to draw me near to Him. (Maybe I will share more of that experience later on sometime.)
My life started to change.
Slowly.
It is true; God does not use a crowbar on people.
As I read God’s word and got to know Him more intimately I came across that beloved Psalm that all Christians who’ve gone through the proverbial “hell and back” find and claim as their own, I came to understand that God was with me in it all. Psalm 40: 1-3
He heard my cry and saw my desperation.
He set my feet on solid ground.
What a kind and loving God I serve.
I began to understand that God allowed the abuse to happen to me just as He allowed Joseph to be mistreated by his brothers. Joseph understood his mistreatment was for a reason.”to save many people alive”… Genesis 50:20 (I hope Joseph is one of the first people I meet in heaven because I wish to thank him for his wonderful example and testimony.)
At this point I was still a victim. I still told my story and had a lot of heat in my tone of voice when I was speaking the “truth” about what had happened to me. But one day I thought, “I’m tired of being a victim, I want to be ok, I want to be like all the people who are not victims.”
So, I set out to forgive my transgressors. It was a journey for sure and it didn’t happen overnight. I was able to completely forgive them and talk to each of them about it. There came a time when I didn’t wake up feeling like I was a victim. I woke up not even thinking of the turmoil in my past. I began living in the present.
What freedom!
I must make this commentary that I see a lot of ladies walking around as victims and maybe that is why God prompted this article. Don’t get me wrong, I have not arrived. Satan really knows where to hit me hard and I really have to work at not building up walls. I’ve had a lot of things happen to me as I’ve walked through this life and here and there I’ve allowed anxiety to rule my life.
If someone asked me for advice on how to overcome the victim mentality I would say first of all, accept Jesus as your personal Savior and then make choices.
Choices which are hard.
1. When you are tempted to speak the truth and give your testimony, resolve to leave the heat out of the tone of your voice. Know what your goals are for telling your story. Tell your story with a purpose in mind. Like, “my goal is to be an example of forgiveness with my story.” Or, “my goal is to bring awareness to this type of situation and this is the problem and I’ve found the solution.” (Hopefully, you will have found Jesus in that solution.)
2. Choose to REALLY forgive. Seventy times seven…every day, every hour, and every minute. When the person who offended you comes to mind…the only choice is to forgive yet again. Sigh.It can become tedious and then the thoughts of, “Why must I do this, why must I be the big one in this situation?” Well, that is easy, because it is taught in the Bible. Matthew 18: 21, 22 This is probably the hardest thing to do, until you envision Christ on the cross doing the same thing, making the same choice for you and your sin. This is the picture I kept in my mind’s eye every time I got tired of forgiving yet again.
As a side note to step 2.there is no way to forget on your own. I remember being encouraged by some people to forgive and forget. “Just get over it”, they would say. I would try my hardest to forget, until one day a wise lady told me there is no forgiving and forgetting. She said, “You can choose to forgive, but you are not powerful enough to forget, only God can do that.” The interesting thing in this process is that as I’ve forgiven, the memory of my abuse has been filed away into my distant memory and isn’t always there for me to think about. The memory only arises when there is a situation in which I recall it, usually to give encouraging words to another, or to write an article such as this one. It seems God uses my memory of the abuse to His glory now. I’m completely satisfied with how things are now.
3. The third thing I recommend is to get busy. Busy with something meaningful, something you feel God’s hand in and become the best you can at it. Find purpose, don’t wallow. Personally, I went to school for a year and then started a career. That was 7 years ago. I will be 45 years old in a couple of months and I can remember thinking when I first started this new way of thinking and conducting my life that I was too old to go back to school, but I wasn’t. I proved it. : )
I’m not saying that you need to go to school and begin a career, but what I am suggesting is that maybe you can find new purpose in what you are doing already. Mediocrity, wallowing, procrastination and inertia are all tools Satan uses to keep us from being who God wants us to be. Get motivated to do one thing and then another. It works in so many ways.
God is good. I see His blessings greater in my life as my thought life becomes purer and the intents of my heart remain in His will. I see growth and renewal in my life. The old me is gone. The victim mentality is no more. It has died.
Am I still someone who has been abused? Yes. But the abuse no longer defines who I am. It is a part of me and my journey but I am no longer a victim, with a victim mentality, nor am I a lost soul trying to get her point across that she was wronged. Today I am a beloved daughter of my God. My friend is Jesus and my comfort is the Holy Spirit. This relationship is what defines me today.
Because of Him,
Lue
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July 8th, 2010
I am not a morning person.
Okay, honestly, I’m not sure I’m an any time of day person. Definitely not a night person. Maybe a mid-afternoon person?
But without a doubt, not a morning person.
I hit my snooze this morning eight times. I’m pretty sure that’s a record for me. Eight times! The sad thing is, I have gotten so bad about hitting my snooze that I do it unconsciously. Seriously. When I got up today I honestly thought it was only the second time my alarm when off. I only remembered hitting it once. But somehow I managed to do it seven more times.
I hate waking up to an alarm. I feel so much better waking up if it’s another human being doing the waking. Well, I guess that isn’t always the case. As a kid I always liked my mom waking me up as opposed to the annoying alarm clock. My husband on the other hand is sometimes the best person to wake me up and sometimes he’s the worst.
I have this habit of falling asleep at night when we’re watching a movie or a TV show. And it drives my husband nuts. He doesn’t understand why when I’m tired I don’t just go upstairs and go to bed. Of course it’s never my intention to fall asleep. I really do want to know how it ends! But it’s dark, I’m laying down, I have a blanket covering me, and it’s late. I’m gonna fall asleep. So sue me.
I’ve tried to explain to him exactly how it is that he should wake me up. Kiss me tenderly on the forehead, stroke my hair, and speak gently, which he sometimes will do. More often then not, though, he just can’t get it right. Instead of being gently lulled out of my slumber, he sort of just yells at me to startle me awake. I really don’t know why he does this. (And if you’re reading this sweetie, come on already!! Just be a good husband and wake me up nicely all the time!!) It only results in making me quite mad. No one deserves that. I’m obviously tired, which means I’ll already be grumpy. And instead of dissolving that by waking me up sweetly he opts to infer the wrath of Sleepy Emily, who will usually mutter something only slightly coherent but always mean in return to the rude awakening.
There are some people I know that I would just like to give a rude awakening to. I mean, seriously. There are just some people who need a wake up call. People that I would love to walk up to, shake them fiercely, and tell them to “Snap out of it already!” It can be so frustrating to watch those around us – especially those we love and care about – continue in actions and behaviors that we know are not God-honoring and therefore end up being self-destructive.
And we do have a responsibility in those situations. Jesus tells us in Luke 17 that if our brother sins we are to correct him. You don’t let someone continue in their sin without confrontation. But there’s more than one way to wake someone up. We are also to “speak the truth in love.” Kindly, gently, lovingly guide them in the right direction.
We can either bang on the bedroom door and yell or we can walk in and speak softly. We can be harsh, unkind, and judgmental, or we can be compassionate and caring.
And I know how I like to be woken up.
Emily
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July 7th, 2010
I’m in love with Something I can’t understand, which I am told is Love itself.
I have no desire or reason to write about myself or how I am doing, so I will post a few things He has been showing me. Some of them are new, others just feel new. 
-If you have the desire to learn how to love yourself, ignore it. Your love was not made for yourself. There is no lack or deficit or flaw or limit in the love that is already offered you. And contrary to popular belief, you CAN love others without first loving yourself! But loving others without loving God is absolutely impossible. So forget yourself- let God and His church worry about loving you, while you focus on trying to love them more. Contentment will be given to you when you obsess over Him and die to yourself. Your heart will not say “I love me,” but “I love how He loves me.”
-It is okay to be excited about your plans, as long as you have peace with the possibility that they will either be thwarted or trumped. Sometimes it’s both, never is it neither, and it is always awesome.
-Love does not have to be felt in order to be expressed. Strive to prove your love to people, even if it does not exist. It will bless everyone involved, and your Father will be pleased with you. (and most likely, He will use your perseverance to soften your heart.)
-It’s best to keep your desires few, and to keep them simple. The result is peace.
Em
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July 6th, 2010
As I read the daily portions in my One Year Bible I am reminded of where I’ve been by the scriptures that are highlighted and filled with notes.
I am nourished right where I am at. Highlighter in hand I devour those scriptures that fill me with joy, peace, and strength, as well as correction and direction.
And I am given great hope for the future as I read and remember that God’s word is alive and moving in my heart, my life and my world – even though it never, ever changes.
Recently my reading took me to Psalm 144 again. Verses 1 and 2 read “Bless the Lord, who is my rock. He gives me strength for war and skill for battle. He is my loving ally and my fortress, my tower of safety, my deliverer. He stands before me as a shield, and I take refuge in Him. He subdues the nations under me.”
I called that my “parenting psalm” a decade ago. The Beth paraphrase read like this: Bless You Lord, You are my rock, my firm foundation, my strength. Please PLEASE keep giving me the strength and wisdom for parenting. You are my loving friend, helper, supporter, and partner, in this tough time of life. You are my safe place, my shelter; I can’t do this without You! Please stand before me and guard me – guard my tongue, my mind, my heart, my marriage, my kids – you are my shelter, my sanctuary, my only place of peace. Please subdue my “nations” (my children!) under me – and please fill any ruts or crevices I make in their lives with your grace and mercy.
I still pray that prayer but – I must confess – not as desperately as I did a decade ago. Our firstborn (she has given me permission to use our story – thank you Leah!) gave us a run for our money. She was “Parenting 101″ at it’s finest! I’m not sure we passed with flying colors, but we passed – by the grace of God. Raising Leah thru the teen years was a battle at our house. We are living proof that “what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger”. And guess what, now she teaches kids in the very age group that she gave us the greatest challenge in! I love it. God’s sense of humor always makes me smile.
I often wonder where we, where she, would be today without the power of prayer and the truth of God’s word. I’m glad I don’t know!
My reading that day also brought me to Proverbs 17:27-28 “A truly wise person uses few words; a person with understanding is even-tempered. Even fools are thought to be wise when they keep silent; when they keep their mouths shut, they seem intelligent.”
Ouch. That little bite-size portion of Proverbs nails me every time I read it! I am a woman with MANY words! Sanguine in personality, (we’ve been said to enter a room “mouth first” – again, ouch) baby of the family (anybody need a laugh, I’ve got one around here somewhere..=) and a people person by nature, I have much much much to say! And a blog and radio program as a platform to say it.
Is it any wonder that my constant prayer is “God, are you sure?” More and more I think that I need to give up the public platform and stay home and clean my back basement (and garage, and closet, and drawers.) and yet God continues to give me opportunities to use the many words that He has placed in me. So my prayer from and thru that portion of scripture is “Lord, help me to be wise, to select my words carefully; give me Your wisdom and understanding as I respond to the needs and opportunities around me – and help me to remember that it is better to be silent and thought a fool, then to open my mouth and remove all doubt!”
Yes, God’s word has proven time and time again to be “strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow”. The songwriter said it so well many years ago:
Great is Thy faithfulness, oh God my Father
There is no shadow of turning with Thee
Thou changest not, Thy compassions they fail not
As Thou hast been Thou forever will be.
Summer and winter and springtime and harvest
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above,
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.
Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thy own dear presence to cheer and to guide
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!
Great is Thy faithfulness
Great is Thy faithfulness
Morning by morning new mercies I see
All I have needed Thy hand has provided
Great is Thy Faithfulness
Lord unto me!
(Thomas O. Chisholm; William M. Runyan – Copyright 1923, renewal 1951 by WMRunyan – Hope Publishing Co.)
Until next time.
Beth
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July 5th, 2010
I’ve heard it said that ‘America will continue to be the land of the free as long as it is the home of the brave’. As I ponder the 4th of July-Independence Day-I find myself thinking about the history that hatched this holiday and reasons for remembering. The American Revolution was born out of a good thing gone bad. American colonists, for the most part, had embraced the idea of ‘interdependence’ with the British Empire. These pioneering people of the colonies looked forward to developing a land built upon the Word of God and the religious freedoms found therein. To remain under the ‘protective’ hedge of the British Empire while delving into the ‘pursuit of happiness’ could prove to be a great marriage. Things went askew as Great Britain needed more money to finance its military, and as a result, came up with a variety of taxation plans. Colonists were among those who became disgruntled with this idea of ‘taxation without representation’ as well as other ideas which fostered confusion and distrust in the royal leadership. Regardless of whose side you might be on, or whether or not the actions of both sides were righteous, the end result was freedom for these United States.
I could write a ton about why or why not I agree or disagree with specific actions exercised by both sides, but no one wants to read a ton of stuff, and that is not what this blog is about! My point here is that both sides were made up of one universal element-PEOPLE; people filled with human nature and prone to making mistakes. So many of these people were also filled with the nature of God as they had put their faith and trust in Jesus Christ and were completely dependent upon Him to guide, provide, and complete their mission for America. Were they perfect? Of course not. Were they brave? I believe absolutely yes. The men and women who possessed integrity (and many did not, just like today!) and spoke up and fought for freedom were fighting on behalf of the oppressed. They recognized the need to strengthen the ‘weak link’ instead of ignoring it, or worse, obliterating it. I believe that much of the mindset among the colonists was that of ‘unity’. Many of our forefathers have used that old adage, “United we stand, divided we fall”. Many of the political leaders of that day chose to be subject to God first. That choice compelled them to rescue the perishing and to come alongside the less fortunate. (There were members of British Parliament who also chose the way of Jesus and fostered similar movements of compassion.)
So what about today? How are we doing with rescuing the perishing, coming alongside the oppressed, and pursuing freedoms for the benefit of those who cannot do so for themselves? I celebrate the 4th of July holiday for many reasons, and I definitely want one of those reasons to be because I remember how our founding fathers fought for what they believed was right and just and pure-not only for their sakes, but for the sakes of future generations as well. And how about me? Even though I may never choose to pick up a ‘physical’ weapon of warfare, am I willing to continue to pick up the ‘spiritual’ weapons of warfare-those of truth, justice, mercy, praise, prayer, the Word of God, etc.-to enable me to be brave for the sake of others? I think I like that first thought of ‘America will continue to be the land of the free as long as it is the home of the brave’.
Thanks for reading,
Libby
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July 2nd, 2010
Have you ever considered how much the Bible has to say about the tongue? Tons – More than we want to hear, probably! James tells us it’s like the rudder of a ship or a spark that starts a forest fire. He also says our tongues can not be tamed and are full of poison. Proverbs 18:21 says, “The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”
Life and death? That’s the power of the words we say – totally disproving the old adage ‘Sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me.” Words can hurt. Both those spoken to us, and the words we speak to others. Seems such a little thing – this tongue of ours – and slippery, too! Like trying to hold onto a wet, soapy baby. If we aren’t careful, things pop out of our mouth and it’s too late.
Once words are said, they can’t be taken back. Oh, we can apologize, try to make amends, recant what we’ve said and attempt to smooth things over, but have you ever noticed that words of anger or criticism or unjust remarks seem to linger in your heart and mind? Words can be destructive.
But they can also be uplifting – grace-filled, encouraging, life-giving as Proverbs tells us. The right words can be like a precious gem or jewel – invaluable to the receiver. “Words fitly spoken are like apples of gold in settings of silver.” (Proverbs 25:11)
The right words can be beautiful – the wrong words, well the Message puts it this way, “With our tongues we bless God our Father; with the same tongues we curse the very men and women he made in his image. Curses and blessings out of the same mouth! My friends, this can’t go on. A spring doesn’t gush fresh water one day and brackish the next, does it? Apple trees don’t bear strawberries, do they? Raspberry bushes don’t bear apples, do they? You’re not going to dip into a polluted mud hole and get a cup of clear, cool water, are you? ” James 3:10-12
Ah, the tongue. An ongoing life-lesson God continues to teach me.
The words of a wise man’s mouth are gracious, But the lips of a fool shall swallow him up (Eccl. 10:12)
All for Him,
Missy
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July 1st, 2010
Remember that little song – “Oh Be Careful Little Eyes”? Maybe you learned it as a child, or maybe you’ve taught it to your own children. Oh be careful little eyes what you see, oh be careful little ears what you hear, oh be careful little hands what you do, oh be careful little feet where you go, oh be careful little mouth what you say. For the Father up above is looking down in love.so be careful.
I think there should be an adult version. You know, Oh be careful grown-up eyes what you see. Too often I want to believe that message is just for kids. Because when I stop and think about the things I let my body do I realize that I am not too careful.
My eyes – how much media and other things that portray world views and not God’s views do I watch and let sink into my brain without even realizing it? Am I letting too much of that in? And am I countering it with God’s Word instead and spending more time in the Bible to point me back to His truth?
My ears – what am I listening to exactly? Or who am I listening to? Am I tuning into the gossip when the coworkers start chatting or listen to complaints that tend to sway me towards the same type of attitude? Or am I listening to encouragement from people who know and love God?
My hands – are they serving others? Or are they serving myself? Am I reaching out to others? Am I tight-fisted when it comes to giving?
My feet – where am I going? Do I seek to head in the direction God would have me go or am I sprinting so fast the opposite way there’s smoke coming off my heels?
My mouth – are the words I’m saying pointing to God? Are they kind? Are they loving? Or am I spouting off whatever comes to mind instead of being slow to speak?
1 Cor 6:20 says – You were bought at a price. Therefore, honor God with your body.
Every decision we make throughout the day involves these bodies. What we see, what we hear, how we speak, where we go, what we do. Everything we do with this body, everywhere we take it, everything we put into it, everything we expose it to should serve one purpose – to honor God. Why? Because we are not our own – we are His because of the sacrifice He made. The amplified version puts it this way – “purchased with a preciousness and paid for, made His own.”
And the price the Father paid was so great, wasn’t it? Sending His own Son for us, watching Him suffer and die and take upon all our sin. It’s incomprehensible. We can’t grasp that kind of sacrifice. We will never truly understand that price that we were bought at.
And because of that we have a responsibility. Not to live for ourselves, doing the things that please us and gratify ourselves but to do the things that please Him. As the Message translates the verse – “Don’t you see that you can’t live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.
And God can only be seen in and through are bodies if we are careful.careful with these bodies that He’s given with us – our hands, our feet, our mouths – all of it.
Emily
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