New Years Resolutions....To the little ones, it's the little things that count

I haven't posted any New Year's Resolutions...but will.
My first Resolution is to write some Resolutions.
I would laugh if that was funny.

I can be such a procrastinator.

I do well to switch the calendar in my kitchen to January.
(I won't admit that beautiful the whiteboard calendar /organizer from Pottery Barn that I desperately wanted and promised my husband I would "SO TOTALLY USE ALL THE TIME" still reads "September")

I do have goals for this coming year; I'm still processing them.
That could be code for I really am thinking seriously about them - or I've just procrastinated again.

Usually, in place of typical "New Year's Resolutions" I spend some time in November taking stock of where I'm at in life (sort of like life-spring-cleaning-in-the-fall) and try to get my act together.

Perhaps that's my way of giving myself a head start and not 'officially' feeling like a failure when I don't stick to my New Year List.

November has come and gone and I just didn't get around to it this year.
I did think about it a lot. (enter that procrastination thing again)

Anyhow, I'll share one of my goals I have processed....
I want to be more pro-active about making sure the things that are important to our kids happen.
That is, not just the things I think should be important to my kids.

I've noticed that it truly is the small things that make a difference and form an imprint in their memories.

I don't know why if it takes such little effort to please them, I don't spend more time doing those little things I know make them happy.

Like letting them stir the ingredients in when I'm making macaroni & cheese,

taking just one of them walk with me to the mailbox,

choosing one of them to stay up late and help me fold the laundry (that's one I should be jumping on!)

And the list goes on.

It's amazing how they are able to keep track of who did what last, and whose turn it is to do those little things.
They can tell you who went to 7-eleven with Daddy last,
whose turn it is to go scrapbooking with me,
who got to take a shower/bath in our bathroom last weekend....

I often see the record-keeping as annoying (it really is)
But I want to see it as a reminder that the little things really do count in their eyes.

My husband's time with the girls is more limited (with work and all)
But, because of that he tends to be more proactive with those little things that make a big difference, where I get into a daily rut.

So, this morning, as my husband takes our seven-year old to work with him (He's off today but had to go in for a few hours), I will try to find a couple of things that will be a big deal to our other two.
It may be painting nails or coloring in a coloring book. But it will be 30 minutes that will be worth hours to them.

And as part of my New Year's Resolutions that I hope to have on paper by February, I will make a note to put some thought each week into what I can do with each child to create some personalized memories for them.

At least I can count on them to keep track of whose turn it is!

Samantha and Daddy off to deliver pies to Daddy's employees on Thanksgiving Day 2008

Savannah and Daddy golfing on Thanksgiving Day this year

The Inescapable Truth

We have dear family friends that because they live in Texas, we only see them once or twice a year. In spite of the distance, they have always been an important part of our lives, especially during the landmarks: babies born, family losses and UNLV football games! Diane is spending her first Christmas without her husband as he went home to be with the Lord this past year. She, their four children and grandchildren are missing him tremendously. I wanted to share something Diane included in her Christmas letter - a message that has brought her comfort and really spoke to me as well:

The Inescapable Truth

At one particular point in my life, I felt totally alone. The heaviness of this thought gripped my heart, and I ended up telling the Lord that I was overcome with loneliness. As I spent time with Him that day, I sensed Him saying to my heart, “I am with you. I have not left. I’m here and I’m not going anywhere.” These words conveyed the reality of Christmas—God with me—and filled my heart to overflowing with a fresh sense of hope.
One of the most wonderful aspects of God is the way He loves us. He listens to the cries of our hearts—the ones we don’t even know how to express—and hears them perfectly. When we are hurting, we need to know someone cares, and that Someone is Jesus Christ.
So as you read these words, know that God is with you. He is walking right in step with you. Christmas is a reminder that God was not satisfied to remain solely in heaven. He wanted to come to earth. He wants to have a personal relationship with you. He is holy, but He desires your fellowship. God has shown His immeasurable, undeniable, and unfailing love to us through the birth of His Son. And today, through the presence of His Holy Spirit, we have living within us the true sense of Christmas. The awareness of His presence is all the comfort we need to face every problem with hope and unwavering certainty. Because He is with us.

You can read the entire article titled, The Promise of God’s Presence: Our Savior is With Us During Even the Coldest Winters, by Charles Stanley here.

Merry Christmas!

What's Really Important?

Each year I get overwhelmed with gift-giving at Christmas - we never go all out, but I always seem to feel the stress of what to get people, how they will like what I bought, if someone will be offended by the size or quality of their gift (or lack thereof) and doing it all within a budget. I thought that this year would be different; with the state of the economy (and our own economic state) we decided that the only Christmas gifts we would buy would be our children's. I envisioned a Christmas of simplicity, centered on the true meaning of Christmas, stress-free and fun....
Well....then I got to thinking (big mistake). I decided it would be best if I bought the young family members gifts, but then how do you buy gifts for some siblings and not others and risk offending them (or their parents) and then what if someone gets you a gift and you don't get them one and what about the people whose birthdays are on Christmas, and ........ well, you get the picture.
So, yesterday, as I was out shopping (not a great idea on the Saturday before Christmas when my husband had already asked me to stay home and rest since I was fighting getting sick) and I was stressing over yet another gift. I thought about the nativity we had visited the night before. I thought about Mary and Joseph traveling to Bethlehem and how hard the journey had to be both physically and emotionally. Having had three children in the comfort of a hospital with the best medical care, I thought about the God of the universe being born as a baby in a stable for animals. I thought about the sacrifice God made on our behalf because He loves us so much. And as I stood in the middle of JC Penney, with my head throbbing, upset at my children because they were misbehaving, frustrated over gift choices...I felt ridiculous. I decided right then and there that I was done. I had already purchased gifts from the goodness of my heart (what little there is :) ) and anything more would be for the wrong reasons. I apologized to the Lord for once again getting wrapped up in the craziness of the season and losing sight of the true meaning of Christmas. Yes, we will have a Christmas with all the trappings, a decorated home, food, family and gifts as that is how we celebrate this special day. But with little reminders (like I got yesterday) I will daily realign my focus, taking it off myself which is exactly where it is when I am worrying about what others think, and focus on God's blessings in my life and His most important gift to us..Jesus.

Something to Think About

I don't have a lot of time to be on my computer tonight, but I did want to share something that really spoke to me at our ladies' study this evening. I am very aware of the sovereignty of God and intellectually know that nothing that happens in our lives is a surprise to God, nothing catches Him off guard, and even if we don't "feel" it, He is intimately involved and in control of all of our circumstances. I "know" all that - but sometimes my emotions don't follow my knowledge. At times I struggle with God's will, His sovereignty, and what part I play in the process....why some things happen the way they do......why some people act the way they do....and why I am forced into directions at times when I quite frankly would prefer to go another way. In our study tonight, the speaker mentioned a quote regarding God's will that got me thinking and will give me much to ponder as I continue to mull it over in the coming week.

"God's will is what I would choose for myself if I knew what God knows."

Something to think about. Until next time!

I Need A Break!

For me personally, I know that the time I spend alone and time I devote to the Lord, prepares me for the time I spend with others. In the past, I would put off spending time alone and felt if I stole a few minutes away from responsibilities, it was a ‘guilty pleasure’ or something I could afford to do once ‘everything was done’ or I was ‘caught up’ (which is never!)

I have come to a realization this past year, one I desperately wish hadn’t taken me so long to get. I have realized that I can’t afford not to take time for myself. I am a better person and am better equipped to deal with what life sends my way if I take some time out. I need time to spend in prayer, reading God’s Word so that He can speak to me, self-reflection and just relaxing if only for a minute so that I can “recharge” and “refuel”. If I make these things a priority, I am not taking away from my family and my responsibilities – I am investing in them because I consequently have more to offer.

At times it is easy to put so much focus on the many things we need to “do” for our family, friends, and other commitments and justifiably so. Yet, even those things we do in service to the Lord can be less effective if we are not making our relationship to the Lord the first priority and allowing our service to Him to be an outpouring of that relationship.

A while back I wrote about weeds and the spiritual application I saw in my own life. Part of the problem with weeds is how deep and strong their roots are. On the flip side, it is very important that the good plants in our life DO have deep and strong roots. A plant is only as healthy as the root system beneath the surface. I love how this topic is addressed in the book, A Woman After God’s Own Heart. It talks about how a plant can enjoy all the right conditions above the ground, but if there is something missing in the root system, the plant will suffer because it cannot get the proper nourishment.

“We must be devoted to nurturing a root system! Roots make all the difference in the health of a plant, and their presence or absence ultimately becomes known to all. The plant either flourishes or fails, thrives or dies, blossoms or withers. The health of anything-whether a garden plant or a heart devoted to God reflects what is going on (or not going on!) underground.”

The book also discusses icebergs and how the portion that is visible above the water is a very small fraction of the whole. Typically, only 10 percent of the icy mass is above water with 90 percent of it lying beneath the surface. The major strength of an iceberg – which sailors revere and are in awe of - is not even visible above the water. Likewise, “we want our strength in public to be explained by what goes on in private between us and God. If we faithfully nurture what is beneath the surface of our life, people will marvel at what they see of God in us!”

I love this quote by Ray and Anne Ortlund in their book, The Best Half of Life:
“the greater the proportion of your day - of your life – spent hidden in quiet, in reflection, in prayer, [in study,] in scheduling, in preparation, the greater will be the effectiveness, the impact, the power, of the part of your life that shows.” “The impact of your ministry to people will be in direct proportion to the time you spend away from people and with God. “ I believe this applies to family also. I am more loving toward my family when I have taken time to allow God to fill me with His love.

I have to schedule time to relax – sounds ridiculous, but if wait for 'spontaneous relaxation' it will not happen! I have to purpose to read my Bible and pray. I have to plan to do something I enjoy like reading or scrapbooking (or sitting and writing this!). I don’t do these things at the expense of my responsibilities – but so that I have more to put into my responsibilities! If I make it a point to do the things I feel make me more complete as a person (the person that God made me), I have more to offer those around me. I have more love – and energy - for my husband. I am more patient with and kind to my children. I have more discernment when it comes to things I can or cannot do for others outside the home. It is a win-win situation.

In the New Testament, we see that Jesus often drew away from others to spend time alone, to spend time in prayer, etc. He did not shirk his responsibilities, he did not lack compassion for others, He did not shy away from serving. I believe that in everything Jesus did, He was modeling life for us. I believe his actions showed the importance of quiet time set aside from the busyness of life and that we would do well to follow His example.

More Thoughts on Forgiveness

If you are not interested in this subject, please bear with me - or feel free to ignore me :)

I see forgiveness as an act of obedience rather than something we obtain - where once we “get it” (the ability to forgive a person) in a certain situation, we are done with it. Forgiveness is a choice (sometimes a daily one!) Obviously, we do not forget the wrong done– (which is many times a good thing because the knowledge offers us assistance in making future decisions.) On the other hand, when we are hurt deeply, and at times we don't forgive, it can be a constant thorn in our side – with recurring thoughts leading to anxiety, sleepless nights, headaches, depression, drinking/drugs, worry, and the list goes on because if there is a situation to forgive, odds are there are a lot of ramifications attached to the wrongs done and they affect other areas of our lives.

In my own personal life, even once I have forgiven a person or people, I can easily let the situation creep back into my thoughts and if I run with those thoughts I can find myself fuming (or crying) once again. I would hesitate to say that I did not really forgive the person, but that the wound is still open, or has been re-opened and it hurts. What I am responsible for is how I deal with the situation when it comes to mind again. For my own good and because it is the right thing to do, I need to be aware of where I am headed mentally and take action. SO easier said than done. I can choose to think about something else (which is hard for me because I am a thinker and I can pick a topic and think it to death!) or choose an activity I know will occupy my thoughts. For me, some situations are so raw at different times, that the only way I can keep my thoughts, emotions (and connected physical state) under control is by praying and telling God I need help getting my thoughts under control (fact is, I always need help, but sometimes the need is so obvious I actually admit it!), or I grab my Bible and read some of God’s promises so that they can fill my mind rather than my continuing in the direction I am headed. I would like to say that I am more successful at this than not, but that has not been the case. What I find SO wonderful about God is that He asks us to give things over to Him and not fret – but He knows we are incapable of letting go – so He offers to do it for us, we just have to be willing! And then we reap the rewards of work He did in us! How great is that.

I believe that God allows the situations to reappear in our thoughts not merely to ‘test’ us, but give us an opportunity for growth and to see what progress we have made (or not)…for our own benefit. It could be to teach us things about ourselves, about others, teach us lessons in dealing with difficult people and situations. Personal growth is often best accomplished hands-on (unfortunately ☺).

It’s funny (well, not lol funny), but just now, while writing this I received a phone call and got some information that really…well, made me mad and hurt and stirred up old frustrations, disappointments, irritations, etc. So, my issues came back to me and I was given the opportunity to practice what I am now talking about! This time, I did stop and pray and tell God I know my negative thoughts will not change the situation, so help me to hand it over to Him. Help me to spend my energy on the things in my life that are positive and can benefit from my time (my family, friends, etc.) I want to be open to what I can learn in these 're-opened wound' times – but I don’t want them to consume me or make me ineffective. I want to know how to take what I have learned and truly move on. I don’t want the things I have gone through and worked on in the past 12 months to have been in vain.

I don’t believe anything happens by accident. For me, this week, I believe God knew what information would be placed in my lap today. Given my past history in dealing with this particular issue, God prepared me in a number of ways: 1)the message at church on Sunday, 2)the email waiting for me on Monday morning, 3)the reading I did on Monday night, and now my wanting to re-address this topic on the blog today! I guess He figured I needed a heads up and a lot of help! Well, it worked. This time (finally) rather than going into a downward spiral, playing out a hundred misdeeds of others in my mind and getting all worked up – I was reminded of what this was. An opportunity to practice and realize (flesh out) some of the growth I have made over the past year in dealing with these circumstances.

The past year has shown me how completely inept I am at forgiveness, conflict resolution (even conflicts in my own mind!), communication, and the list goes on. Yet, I can experience peace in the midst of the turmoil life hands me by calling on the Lord who is strong enough to accomplish those things for me and through me. When I accepted Jesus into my heart, I was given access to so much peace and joy (unexplainable peace and joy). That does not mean I don’t struggle and I don’t fail - but I don’t walk the road alone. Also, God doesn’t always miraculously smooth a situation over in my life or mind. I am not happy about wrongs that affect myself and others; but I am now choosing to not let them overwhelm me. This is not something that is easy for me or comes naturally; it is a process of healing and growth. God can also use talking things through with others and friends and counselors (when I am seeking health, not a time for wallowing as I have been know to do ☺ ) I'm fortunate that my husband is a great listener-but God has shown me also, that for some things it is best that I let God work it out in my life before involving others; other times He wants to use my husband to help me work through them and other times He has a completely different plan. Sometimes the simplest things can assist in working through some of the stress and strife-and I believe God offers guidance through many avenues. I am learning to stop trying to do it alone and ask for help-first from the Lord because He is best at sending appropriate help my way. I know that I will get opportunities to see my growth in action when the issues arise again. With practice, I am becoming a little more successful each time it is handed back to me.

GOD WANTS ME TO FORGIVE THEM?!?

Okay, this title is not original - it is from one of my kids' VeggieTales movies. But it is a predominant theme in my weekend/week so far.
At church this weekend, there was a guest speaker - turns out, it was someone who my family has known and loved for years. Having been on vacation last week, I had forgotten that he would be speaking and was pleasantly surprised when we showed up on Sunday morning and saw him sitting in the front of the church. I knew we were in for a great message ...yet, as the teaching progressed, I wasn't so sure. Oh, he was charismatic, hilarious, right on scripturally...everything you would want in a sermon and more....but as he spoke, I found I had some serious baggage that still needed tending to. You know how sometimes God chooses to remind us of things that we may not be so willing to deal with? Well, that was my Sunday.
Don't worry, I won't type out an entire sermon :) but I will say that the main gist of it was on forgiveness and if we are struggling with forgiving a person (or people), it may well be that we are not following what the Word of God says regarding forgiveness. It is so easy to say, "I have forgiven that person", all the while knowing there is a root of bitterness festering deep inside us. It is also easy to blame God that we find it impossible to forgive when we continue to focus on ourselves and how we have been wronged and we just don't understand why God won't make it easier. More often than not, we have not really surrendered to what the scriptures have to say about forgiveness. (and when we are in a state of unforgiveness it is easy to avoid those passages and just focus on those that serve our purposes!)
On Sunday, there were several passages of the Bible covered regarding forgiveness (the Lord's Prayer in Matthew, the attributes of God listed in Exodus 34:6-7, Jonah's attitude toward the Ninevites, etc. ) I would like to share a quick list of things that God asks us to do in dealing with those we feel have wronged us. We, as humans, find it easier to love our friends and hate our enemies, but God asks us to:
* Love our enemies
* Bless those who curse us
* Do good to those who hate us
* Pray for those who spitefully use us and persecute us
Ouch! I think that is enough!
None of the things listed here come naturally - yet, I have found that if we ask the Lord to instill those things in us, He will - and WE will be blessed as a result. I know for me, I often CHOOSE to hang on to my unforgiveness because if I hand it over to God, He may just reconcile a relationship I don't want reconciled (ala Jonah and the Ninevites). But, in that immaturity and selfishness, I am the one who misses out when I cling to resentment.
In the past year, God has blessed me with reconciled relationships that I handed over to Him to do as He pleases. I surrendered and I benefited. Why do I hang on to other seeds of unforgiveness in my life knowing that they only cause ME harm? My lying awake at night does not hurt my offender....it hurts me!
Looking at the list above, God did not say those things in Matthew 5:43-45 just for filler. They are the KEY to forgiveness in the heart of a believer. Surrendering fully to the admonitions in the Bible reap great benefits - they may not come easy to our human nature, but oh, they are so sweet when we think through what they are really saying to do and ask God to do them through us.
Okay, this was NOT supposed to be this long! I know God was really trying to impress this message on my heart when I heard the message on Sunday. Then, I opened my email on Monday morning to find a devotional on the same subject (btw, check out this great site with great devotionals for women: Proverbs 31) As if that was not enough, today when I logged on to our church website to read our "Thru the Word" passages which I had not done for a while, I found the SAME scripture (in Matthew 5) to read TODAY! Obviously, this is a timely message for me as I search my own heart - but I felt compelled to share it since most of us have people or situations in which we struggle with feeling wronged or hurt and don't understand why we can't get past it. I have learned 0nce again, over the past three days, that God's Word is very clear on how to resolve interpersonal relationships and it begins with us aligning our hearts with His and being willing to put others, even our "enemies" above ourselves.

Pulling Weeds

My husband and I have a fairly traditional (some would say old-fashioned) system when it comes to ‘duties’ around the house. Generally (since I quit working), I handle the cleaning, laundry, care of the children, etc. and he takes care of the home maintenance and all things outside (in addition to putting a roof over our heads and food on the table…those things alone are huge!). This is not to say we don’t share duties. Yet, when it comes to crossing over, he definitely gets the short end of the stick. My wonderful husband is often found vacuuming, doing laundry, cooking, etc. This past weekend alone, he cleaned all the floors, did the laundry, grocery shopping, yard work and everything for the kids while I was away. How blessed am I? I can count on one hand (and I don’t even need the whole hand) how many times I have jumped in and helped with ‘his’ work.

Several weeks ago I did attempt to give my husband a helping hand. While he was at work, I set out to pull some weeds. I ended up with cracked and bleeding hands and a sore and sunburned back. I got the weeds out (mostly), but I was pulling with all my might and still struggled to make progress.

The next week, I watched my husband pull weeds in another area of the yard. He turned on the hose, put it in the flower bed and let the water soak the ground before pulling the weeds out in what seemed an effortless manner. Aha! A light went off.

So, the next week, I set out to help once again. It had only been two weeks, but I had to begin where I had worked before – I left so many roots with my previous weed-pulling endeavor, they had all grown back with a vengeance! This time I was all the wiser and made sure to soften the soil with water before beginning my extractions. As I worked away I began to see the spiritual application in my life. I later found this great description of weeds:

“Because weeds are found where we don’t usually want them, controlling them is a serious matter. Many of us spend untold amounts of time and money to eradicate unwanted greenery. Weeds are invasive and, in many ways, noxious to our garden. Typically weeds destroy the habitat they dwell. They reduce the opportunities for the grass to grow and cause displacement of plants. Weeds usually reduce options and diversity in the garden by over taking the entire area with one species of plant (them). Thus, weeds can disrupt the natural flow of an area and can ultimately be costly. In essence, a weed can suck the life out of your garden if kept unchecked.
As with our garden, we have weeds in our personal lives – bad habits, inappropriate or misguided opinions of ourselves or others, procrastination, or even lack of organization. Such weeds can manifest themselves through lack of motivation or passion and can be found in our belief system in how we see ourselves. They can suck the joy out of our lives and cause us to live in an environment that is otherwise foreign and uncomfortable. Like weeds in the garden, our “life weeds” consume valuable resources, energy, and emotions that are otherwise essential to living a joyful and productive life. In order to get rid of the weeds, we must uproot them and replace them with positive thinking, accountability, resources and opportunities that will ultimately help us blossom into a productive and joyful life.” (Philip A. Foster)

In reading the Word, I see that basically, anything that does not follow the guidelines of Philippians 4:8 (which addresses thoughts, but also applies to actions and attitudes), is a weed growing in our lives.

"Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

So often it is painful (sometimes murderous!) as those weeds are removed from us. Regular watering (feeding through the Word and time with the Lord) is important not only for preparing and maintaining the ground needed to produce fruit, but also to allow for easier extraction of those things we should not be growing in our lives. How often is the soil of our lives as hard as a rock, hanging on to the weeds that are imbedded so deep? For me, more often than I care to admit.

Lord, please remind me of the importance of regular, daily time with you. Order my time, my schedule and my life so that I will make time spent with You my first priority. Keep the ground of my life pliable, soft and fertile so that that it can produce fruit and maintain an environment where you can remove that which is not healthy or pleasing to You.

To Love, Honor and Obey

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking about my marriage lately. More specifically, I have been thinking about my self-centered flesh and how that affects all areas of my life, including my marriage and the tone of our home. Did you know that the people in my house (big and small) are not responsible for my happiness? And the world does not revolve around me? Thankfully, my wonderful husband did not point these things out to me (although he would have been justified in doing so.) But, boy is it effective (and convicting) when God points it out. There are some lessons that I need to learn on a quarterly basis. It is July….I’m right on track.

Out of curiosity, I started reading “The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands” (not billed as a Christian book, but as of yet I haven’t found any admonitions to wives in it that go against scripture.) I’m only about half way through and get a little beat up each time I pick it up….in a good way. As wives (and some of us as mothers also) we have a huge responsibility and our role plays a monumental part in the lives of our families. How well are we handling it?

This can be daunting and make some of us want to crawl under the covers and never come out. (You mean I have to do all of my daily tasks and be nice too? –sin nature speaking) Let us not forget we have the God of the universe in our corner and not only does everything that we face go through Him first, He desires the best for us: abundant life. (John 10:10; Jeremiah 29:11) The crazy thing is, God does ask things of us, but will give us the ability and strength to do those things (Him doing it through us) and then blesses us on top of it! I believe this is so evident in our marriage relationships and family units. If we are willing to give up our selfish notions, concerns about “me”, and put others first, we are the ones that end up blessed. It is win-win for everyone!

I found this great article in Christianity Today about Respect (submission) and Love in Marriage and thought I’d share it. Definitely worth reading. Here’s an excerpt:

“Submission is not an event following a disagreement when my husband uses his 51% vote to break the stalemate. Submission, according to Paul, is a life-long orientation towards all people I love, my husband topping the list. It’s a command for all women and all men, a major theme of the good life in Christ threaded throughout Scripture.”

http://www.christianitytoday.com/mp/2008/002/1.23.html

Lord Save us from Your Followers (ouch!)

Today I read an article from USA Today: March 2008.
Yes, I am a little behind, but we do have three little kids.

Basically, the article discussed the film, Lord Save us from Your Followers and the student discussions held at an Oregon college following a screening. What I found interesting is that the film seemed to open many doors to discussion regarding Christianity and Jesus Christ in a "secular" setting. What I found saddening, as I viewed some of the movie trailers, was how we as Christians are often viewed by those around us.

I believe the principles in God's Word are black and white with no room for straying from the truth of His teachings. At the same time, I believe it is one of our responsibilities as Christians to share the TRUTH in LOVE - being INtolerant of the sin in our society, as we are to be set apart - yet, be loving to those around us (yes, it is possible-Jesus did it and He resides in us).

I am convicted by the thought that if I were on a mission trip to a foreign land, I would not enter that society rude, belittling or haughty to the lost there, marveling at their depravity. Why do I think that same attitude is okay here (if even in my mind)?

I have the opportunity to share the love of Jesus while in line at WalMart, at the McDonalds drive thru or when I see the neighbors across the street as I take out the trash. (can you tell what I spend my time doing?) I am not saying to chase people down with the "Four Spiritual Laws" (an invaluable resource by the way), but I can and should share Christ's love through my actions.**

If I am rude, I can almost guarantee I have blown the chance to share the Gospel (except when I have to go back and apologize) and I could possibly ruin someone's day - even if I think they ruined mine first. We do not need to get on a plane to go on a mission trip. We just need to be open and willing to be used in our own backyard.

Perhaps you will get your own lesson from the trailers here.
Don't know if I'll see this movie, but I'll be checking out the book.

You can find more info here: http://www.lordsaveusthemovie.com/

** "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus..." Colossians 3:17

Vomit and My Relationship With God: What I Learned from the Stomach Flu

Our kids have had the stomach flu. It is not pretty. What comes to mind is the adage, “Hate the sin, love the sinner.” After spending most of the night cleaning up what the kids ate earlier in the evening, all I could think was, “Hate the vomit, love the kids.” One of the only things I can think of that is worse than one’s own vomit, is someone else’s vomit. Yet, as disgusted as I was while bathing my daughter in the middle of the night, washing sheets and dragging out the Bissell…..did I love her any less? NO! In fact, my love for her was strengthened as I comforted her and took care of her needs.

This brings me to the spiritual application…..During the times when my behavior, words, thoughts, etc. are as vomit to the Lord and He is patiently cleaning up my mess – His love for me does not falter or fade. He loves me because I am His child, not because I am always sweet smelling and clean.

And so, as I sit on the couch (covered with an old sheet just in case), holding my sick three year old; I thank the Lord for his unfailing love for me and the sweet smell of my daughter fresh from the tub.

Confessions of a First Time Blogger

This is my first blog entry and I already have a confession to make. I always thought blogs were for people with too much time on their hands (my apologies to those who “blog” regularly.) On top of that, I believed that those who spent time reading others’ blogs (especially the blogs of people they don't know) must REALLY have too much time on their hands. For both of those misguided opinions, I have to say, “I’m sorry”. I have found new friends with blogs, existing friends I had no idea maintained blogs, and acquaintances whom I have been frequenting their blogs as of late. I have even been known to read blogs of people I don’t know and will never know. So, the theory that bloggers must have too much time on their hands will be filed away with my former notion: "If I was a stay-at-home mom I would have SO MUCH TIME to get things done...so much time I may even be bored!".........Ha!

Some blog as a sort of on-line diary…to connect with family and friends they may not stay in touch with regularly. Some blog as a way to promote their businesses. Some blog to share their faith with others in a non-threatening environment. Some blog as a way to share their creativity whether it be music, scrapbooking/stamping, writing or any other form of handiwork. Others blog for the sheer therapy of it.

So, why am I going to blog? I would have to say, “all of the above”. I begin this venture with trepidation. Trepidation because I don’t want to be seen as the person “with too much time on my hands”. (Anyone who has ever had a 3, 4 and 5 year old at home knows that is not the case!) There is also a part of me that thinks, “what if no one cares to see what I have to say?” To those things, I say, “it doesn’t matter”. I am sure my blogging reasons will evolve, changing over time; but for now I am choosing to blog for myself. I have learned that I need an outlet. I don’t have a business to promote, but I do have unexpected bursts of creativity to share. I am not an author, but I do have opinions and thoughts I like to write about from time to time. I have a number of family members and friends that I am HORRIBLE about keeping in touch with and I would love to give them the chance to catch up with us and us with them. And yes, I often think I need therapy.

And so, after fulfilling my need to do a word study on the word "blog", find out where such a ridiculous word came from, why, and from who.....here I go.

I have found wells of encouragement in blogs I have read over the past several months and I can only hope and pray that anyone who visits here will find some encouragement or small blessing also. Welcome to my blog!