Krispy Kreme. The words alone can cause you to drool.
Hot Donuts Now! The sign alone is reason to consume a dozen .... at least.
My favorite is the chocolate-iced cream-filled. As the saying goes, how sweet it is!
For the sake of absolute honesty, I must confess here that I am a stress eater. Comfort food is called comfort food for a reason! For some, it's chips and dip. Sometimes chicken and dumplings. Sometimes French fries. Ice cream. Coke. A thick, juicy burger...what's your weakness?
Anyway, my husband and I lead a very hectic, very busy life. We have some heavy responsibilities and obligations. There are days the load gets heavy. On those days, comfort food calls my name.
Recently, after a particularly stressful day, I just wanted a donut. I was close to home and considered driving all the way back to town to get a fresh one. Instead, I decided to stop in the grocery store and get one from the display there. Since we're being honest, I got two. (I said is was a particularly stressful day.) I was tempted to eat them both on the one mile drive from the store to my house....but I restrained myself.
Coffee. These donuts and a cup of coffee were going to relieve all my stress and solve all my problems!
I got home, made the coffee, grabbed the bag of TWO donuts and headed to the couch. I pulled the first donut out and bit into it. Anticipation of the sweetness... the chocolate... the cream... was SO close to becoming my blissful reality.
Until I bit into custard filling. Custard! I didn't want custard. I don't like custard. I wanted the white, fluffy cream filling. Oh what a disappointment. Not to be outdone, I put that donut back into the bag and pulled out the second.
One more bite and my disappointment ballooned by immeasurable proportions! Ugh! Now what!?! Here I am in my pajamas now, my coffee is getting cold, and my stress is increased because I have custard filled donuts.
That's when I started giggling. I've been trying to eliminate sugar and junk from my diet. Not quite successfully, but trying. Then I started laughing. Because I realized that I had prayed and asked God to help me with this problem I have of not eating so healthy and loving the donuts.
Friend, I ended up laughing and laughing and praising and praising my God! I KNOW I got those donuts off the right tray. You see, I KNOW that because I KNOW there are two - cream and custard, and I DO NOT LIKE the custard. So I am careful to look at what I am getting.
But God. I don't think he reached down and changed the donuts in my bag. I do think he allowed someone to make a mistake and put the donuts in the wrong place, knowing I would be there later and that I really didn't want to fail at that point in what had been a successful day so far.
We serve an amazingly loving heavenly father. My God IS an awesome God. He heard my prayer. He answered my prayer. And he gave me a better way to release the stress. Laughter is the best medicine, they say. God agrees - Proverbs 17:22 says, "A cheerful heart is good medicine." Laughter has been proven to boost immunity, give relief from pain, and improve your mood.
Don't limit God, my friend. Watch to see how he is working in your life. Find the humor when he answers your prayers - instead of getting angry because you got the wrong donut.
Friday, March 9, 2018
Tuesday, February 6, 2018
Cobwebs in My Email
Oh my goodness! I have over 999+ emails to delete! Truth be told, it's about 1500+. I know most of them are sales ads, coupons I won't use, and pleas from companies to visit their websites again....so I let them pile up. When I worked as a secretary, I was emailing all day long. Receiving and sending. Replying, forwarding, and deleting. Email consumed my day. Perhaps that is why I tend to avoid it now.
I logged into my email the other day for the sole purpose of deleting unwanted garbage. I checked the boxes in bulk and hit the delete button. Over and over I repeated the process. Ten to twenty at a time. It seemed the more I deleted the more there was to delete. Junk was clogging up my inbox. It took a couple of hours...and I didn't finish.
As I sat doing this monotonous task, I began to think about how life can become like my email. Cobwebs building from inattention. Junk piling up and clogging the path, blocking the view. Friends, we must be so careful not to allow junk to pile up in our lives. Sin creeps in like that. We might ignore it. It's so easy to do. Like I ignore my inbox.
At home, I have to walk through each room with a long-handled brush to knock down the cobwebs that form in the corners. But I also have to pay attention to the blinds. Those crazy spiders like to hide behind them and build fortresses! (I saw one this morning!) Why do I do it? Well, I am not a huge fan of spiders, but mostly I don't want my guests to think I am a poor housekeeper. You see, people can see those cobwebs and the lack of attention I give to the corners of my home if I don't clean them up.
So, let me challenge you today. As I continue to build on the word I used last year to live my life - deliberate - and add more to it by being consistent this year, I am convicted of the daily need to knock down the cobwebs. If I don't log into my email daily, by the end of the week there are once again hundreds of emails I don't even care about. I must always be deliberate and consistent.
What do you care about? Are you missing treasures because of the junk piling up and blocking the view? God has so much for us! I don't know about you, but I miss a lot of it for the cobwebs.
If I am going to live deliberately consistent, I am going to have to be active daily making sure I am keeping the corners of my heart clean. I can't let any little sin hide out there. I must let God shine his light into the recesses I ignore and help me clean up. Because the real truth is, people can see when we let the cobwebs pile up in the corners of our hearts too.
It's easy to let the cobwebs pile up. I'm going to spend some time tonight cleaning up my email. More importantly, I am going to sit with the Lord and let him delete some junk I've allowed to pile up in my heart and mind. How about you?
I logged into my email the other day for the sole purpose of deleting unwanted garbage. I checked the boxes in bulk and hit the delete button. Over and over I repeated the process. Ten to twenty at a time. It seemed the more I deleted the more there was to delete. Junk was clogging up my inbox. It took a couple of hours...and I didn't finish.
As I sat doing this monotonous task, I began to think about how life can become like my email. Cobwebs building from inattention. Junk piling up and clogging the path, blocking the view. Friends, we must be so careful not to allow junk to pile up in our lives. Sin creeps in like that. We might ignore it. It's so easy to do. Like I ignore my inbox.
At home, I have to walk through each room with a long-handled brush to knock down the cobwebs that form in the corners. But I also have to pay attention to the blinds. Those crazy spiders like to hide behind them and build fortresses! (I saw one this morning!) Why do I do it? Well, I am not a huge fan of spiders, but mostly I don't want my guests to think I am a poor housekeeper. You see, people can see those cobwebs and the lack of attention I give to the corners of my home if I don't clean them up.
So, let me challenge you today. As I continue to build on the word I used last year to live my life - deliberate - and add more to it by being consistent this year, I am convicted of the daily need to knock down the cobwebs. If I don't log into my email daily, by the end of the week there are once again hundreds of emails I don't even care about. I must always be deliberate and consistent.
What do you care about? Are you missing treasures because of the junk piling up and blocking the view? God has so much for us! I don't know about you, but I miss a lot of it for the cobwebs.
If I am going to live deliberately consistent, I am going to have to be active daily making sure I am keeping the corners of my heart clean. I can't let any little sin hide out there. I must let God shine his light into the recesses I ignore and help me clean up. Because the real truth is, people can see when we let the cobwebs pile up in the corners of our hearts too.
It's easy to let the cobwebs pile up. I'm going to spend some time tonight cleaning up my email. More importantly, I am going to sit with the Lord and let him delete some junk I've allowed to pile up in my heart and mind. How about you?
Monday, January 8, 2018
What Will the New Year Bring?
I meant to write something days ago, but 2018 has started out with a bang. Like, the kind of bang we need one of those air-purification bomb things in our house for. We didn't have the flu at our house, but we had some sort of bug that didn't want to leave. Then other things happened and demanded time. So, on this freezing-rain, no-school, it's-best-to-stay-home morning, I am going to write! Happy New Year, everyone!
Last year I jumped onto the Word of the Year Train. My word was deliberate. I tried to be deliberate with every decision and plan I made. I didn't always succeed, but I tried. We had some major life events that took over and became so consuming that all I could do for a while was deliberately survive. Still, the idea was there, and I tried.
As 2018 began to dawn, I did what we all do - look back and evaluate. Did I deliberately plan? Did I deliberately succeed? Looking at all the things I failed at... remembering all the times I failed...because I never even tried... thinking about all the days that swept past as I could only tread water and try to stay afloat...I could have easily come to the conclusion that I was anything BUT deliberate last year. Again, I succeeded because I tried. I may have not had as much control as I would have liked, but I didn't give up. I never threw in the towel.
The question became, am I going to have a WORD for 2018. And the answer became, yes. I sat and thought about it. What would the word be? After all, there are how many to choose from?? Soon it came to me and it felt so right I knew this was my word.
CONSISTENT
Webster defines it this way: marked by harmony, regularity, or steady continuity : free from variation or contradiction That last part is the idea I want to carry into this year. Free from variation or contradiction. Does my life, do my actions vary and contradict themselves? Is what I say agreeable to way I spend my time? Do my thoughts and ideas bring harmony to my home and relationships? Am I steady in what I do or am I haphazard and bouncing like a loose ball down the court being chase by a very uncoordinated, clumsy lady?
My prayer is that you will see consistency in me. That you will continue to see a woman with deliberate intent to live out who she is in Christ. That when I cross your mind you will think of a woman who is steady and sure. Of my faith. Of my identity, Of my purpose.
That said, let me also say this, do NOT expect me to be perfect. You will be sorely disappointed. That is the one thing I can most certainly promise you. I am not, nor will I ever be, perfect while walking this earth. If you're looking for perfection, go somewhere else. Go to God, because He alone is perfect. When you look at me, think, she's trying. She might have failed today, but at least she is trying.
What will you try this year? Did you make a list of resolutions? Do you have a word for the year? Goals? Dreams? Life-altering decisions?
Last year I jumped onto the Word of the Year Train. My word was deliberate. I tried to be deliberate with every decision and plan I made. I didn't always succeed, but I tried. We had some major life events that took over and became so consuming that all I could do for a while was deliberately survive. Still, the idea was there, and I tried.
As 2018 began to dawn, I did what we all do - look back and evaluate. Did I deliberately plan? Did I deliberately succeed? Looking at all the things I failed at... remembering all the times I failed...because I never even tried... thinking about all the days that swept past as I could only tread water and try to stay afloat...I could have easily come to the conclusion that I was anything BUT deliberate last year. Again, I succeeded because I tried. I may have not had as much control as I would have liked, but I didn't give up. I never threw in the towel.
The question became, am I going to have a WORD for 2018. And the answer became, yes. I sat and thought about it. What would the word be? After all, there are how many to choose from?? Soon it came to me and it felt so right I knew this was my word.
CONSISTENT
Webster defines it this way: marked by harmony, regularity, or steady continuity : free from variation or contradiction That last part is the idea I want to carry into this year. Free from variation or contradiction. Does my life, do my actions vary and contradict themselves? Is what I say agreeable to way I spend my time? Do my thoughts and ideas bring harmony to my home and relationships? Am I steady in what I do or am I haphazard and bouncing like a loose ball down the court being chase by a very uncoordinated, clumsy lady?
My prayer is that you will see consistency in me. That you will continue to see a woman with deliberate intent to live out who she is in Christ. That when I cross your mind you will think of a woman who is steady and sure. Of my faith. Of my identity, Of my purpose.
That said, let me also say this, do NOT expect me to be perfect. You will be sorely disappointed. That is the one thing I can most certainly promise you. I am not, nor will I ever be, perfect while walking this earth. If you're looking for perfection, go somewhere else. Go to God, because He alone is perfect. When you look at me, think, she's trying. She might have failed today, but at least she is trying.
What will you try this year? Did you make a list of resolutions? Do you have a word for the year? Goals? Dreams? Life-altering decisions?
Wednesday, November 8, 2017
Singing Out Loud
Well, my latest adventure took me no further than my very own back porch. I was out there yesterday enjoying the beautiful colors of the mountain behind me and had a blanket wrapped around me to ward of the November chill that has finally arrived. I had my Bible and my prayer journal. The birds were flying around like a storm was coming (it was), and Jack was convinced I was going to leave him alone again, so he kept coming to make sure I was still there. God and I were communing and I was totally overtaken by the remembrances of His faithfulness to me.
I started singing some songs. Old hymns at first. Then I pulled up Damaris Carbaugh and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir's version of "He's Been Faithful." Oh, how He has been faithful to me! Even in my darkest times, those times I couldn't find my way except for Him. I could go on and on about that song, about His faithfulness, about so many things, but what I want to tell you is...
I just sat there and sang as loud as I could. It wasn't pretty. But it was heartfelt. I used to sing, loved to. Was always in a choir or group. I wasn't the best, nor was I the worst. I still sing, but it's more of a joyful noise these days. Music is such a simple way to express yourself. It conveys truth. It conveys emotion.
I think my neighbors were outside, and I even think the people in the neighborhood south of us could hear me. But I didn't care. I was singing to the Lord!
This morning I was thinking again about music and how life is like a piece of music. God creates the orchestration and stands to conduct. I must keep my eyes on Him for cues that are subtle or obvious. I must be able to read the music so I know where to put my fingers on the keys. (I will use the piano as my instrument since I have no knowledge of how to make another work.) It takes practice. It means I have to concentrate. I have to be intentional. Deliberate.
When you look at a music score, if you don't know how to read music, it will just look like a jumble of black and white lines with little characters drawn all over. You will see some words, but you won't know what they mean until you learn the vocabulary. There will be symbols that mean nothing until you understand how they lead you to play the music.
And such is life. God has created us to live and He has given us a guide. We have to read it. We have to follow the directions therein. For example, music will get softer or louder to emphasize what the composer is wanting expressed. Sometimes life is easier and sometimes busier. Another example is the time signature. It's right there at the beginning of the piece and sets the rhythm for the composition. I have played pieces where the time signature changed in the middle of the piece. Isn't that true of life? Sometimes, for a season, we have to switch up the rhythm. Usually it's just for a few bars of the piece and then the original timing is resumed. Sometimes the composer gives us freedom to interpret. He may allow us to hold onto a note for a few extra beats. Or He may give us total ad lib rights.
God expects us to read His Word to us and follow it. He whispers sometimes. Sometimes He has to write it across the sky to get our attention. He sets the pace for us on the path He has chosen for us and walks with us the whole way. Sometimes He mixes it up a little and tosses the basket. Perhaps to make us a uncomfortable with the complacency that has overtaken us or to move us into a new season of service. He may allow things to rock along like they are for a long time. And then He fills our hearts to overflowing so all we can do is open our mouths and sing with abandon of His faithfulness and our love for Him.
I have found, friend, that when my eyes are focused fully on my conductor my life flows better. There are fewer missed notes. I stay in rhythm and what people receive is a beautiful melody declaring God's love. I strive to learn more and more. I practice by reading His Word. I practice by praying daily. And, do you know what? I get better at those things the more I do them!
If you are playing with a group, like I did in the Pianorama so many years ago, you MUST follow the conductor. If you don't you end up messing up the music for everyone. The conductor demands your attention and he leads with gentle authority. My friend Monty's dad was the conductor back then, and I remember not wanting to disappoint him. Later when he was in church where I was playing a piece he had written, my hands began to sweat and I shook all over like it was twenty below zero. I wasn't expecting him there, but I wanted him to be pleased.
We must ask ourselves a couple of questions.
1. Am I preparing by learning to read the composition placed before me? In other words, am I reading my Bible?
2. Am I in-tune with the conductor and composer? Am I praying and focusing on God?
And finally, am I willing to abandon the idea of what people think and enjoy the ad lib as I sing out loud to proclaim my thanks for His faithfulness?
Make a joyful NOISE unto the Lord...come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100:1-2
I started singing some songs. Old hymns at first. Then I pulled up Damaris Carbaugh and the Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir's version of "He's Been Faithful." Oh, how He has been faithful to me! Even in my darkest times, those times I couldn't find my way except for Him. I could go on and on about that song, about His faithfulness, about so many things, but what I want to tell you is...
I just sat there and sang as loud as I could. It wasn't pretty. But it was heartfelt. I used to sing, loved to. Was always in a choir or group. I wasn't the best, nor was I the worst. I still sing, but it's more of a joyful noise these days. Music is such a simple way to express yourself. It conveys truth. It conveys emotion.
I think my neighbors were outside, and I even think the people in the neighborhood south of us could hear me. But I didn't care. I was singing to the Lord!
This morning I was thinking again about music and how life is like a piece of music. God creates the orchestration and stands to conduct. I must keep my eyes on Him for cues that are subtle or obvious. I must be able to read the music so I know where to put my fingers on the keys. (I will use the piano as my instrument since I have no knowledge of how to make another work.) It takes practice. It means I have to concentrate. I have to be intentional. Deliberate.
When you look at a music score, if you don't know how to read music, it will just look like a jumble of black and white lines with little characters drawn all over. You will see some words, but you won't know what they mean until you learn the vocabulary. There will be symbols that mean nothing until you understand how they lead you to play the music.
And such is life. God has created us to live and He has given us a guide. We have to read it. We have to follow the directions therein. For example, music will get softer or louder to emphasize what the composer is wanting expressed. Sometimes life is easier and sometimes busier. Another example is the time signature. It's right there at the beginning of the piece and sets the rhythm for the composition. I have played pieces where the time signature changed in the middle of the piece. Isn't that true of life? Sometimes, for a season, we have to switch up the rhythm. Usually it's just for a few bars of the piece and then the original timing is resumed. Sometimes the composer gives us freedom to interpret. He may allow us to hold onto a note for a few extra beats. Or He may give us total ad lib rights.
God expects us to read His Word to us and follow it. He whispers sometimes. Sometimes He has to write it across the sky to get our attention. He sets the pace for us on the path He has chosen for us and walks with us the whole way. Sometimes He mixes it up a little and tosses the basket. Perhaps to make us a uncomfortable with the complacency that has overtaken us or to move us into a new season of service. He may allow things to rock along like they are for a long time. And then He fills our hearts to overflowing so all we can do is open our mouths and sing with abandon of His faithfulness and our love for Him.
I have found, friend, that when my eyes are focused fully on my conductor my life flows better. There are fewer missed notes. I stay in rhythm and what people receive is a beautiful melody declaring God's love. I strive to learn more and more. I practice by reading His Word. I practice by praying daily. And, do you know what? I get better at those things the more I do them!
If you are playing with a group, like I did in the Pianorama so many years ago, you MUST follow the conductor. If you don't you end up messing up the music for everyone. The conductor demands your attention and he leads with gentle authority. My friend Monty's dad was the conductor back then, and I remember not wanting to disappoint him. Later when he was in church where I was playing a piece he had written, my hands began to sweat and I shook all over like it was twenty below zero. I wasn't expecting him there, but I wanted him to be pleased.
We must ask ourselves a couple of questions.
1. Am I preparing by learning to read the composition placed before me? In other words, am I reading my Bible?
2. Am I in-tune with the conductor and composer? Am I praying and focusing on God?
And finally, am I willing to abandon the idea of what people think and enjoy the ad lib as I sing out loud to proclaim my thanks for His faithfulness?
Make a joyful NOISE unto the Lord...come before His presence with singing. Psalm 100:1-2
Tuesday, October 31, 2017
Just Blowing Smoke
Know how to get your blood pumping early in the morning???
Just turn the HVAC unit in your hotel room to heat for the first time of the season. Yeah. I did that. And a cloud of smoky dust propelled itself into the room. Which, naturally and of course, set the smoke alarm off. I think I literally jumped into the air in shock and surprise. My first thought was, "Great. I've set the hotel on fire." My second thought was more logical... Turn the machine off.
I did so, thus stopping any additional smoky dust from blowing into the room. Then I tried waving my hand at the smoke detector way above my head in a futile attempt to stop the loud blast of alarm blaring forth. I laughed at myself as I did so. But before I could get to a bath towel to help fan away the guilty dusty cloud, the alarm stopped.
So, I called the front desk. After all, I was not prepared for anyone to burst into my room to put out a fire that didn't exist. I hadn't had my shower. I hadn't had my coffee. I didn't even have my glasses on yet.
My conversation with the front desk went something like this:
Me: Hello, I'm in room 310 and I just turned my unit to heat but it blew a cloud of dust and smoke and set the smoke detector off. I figured you might be seeing an alert down there.
Lady: Well, I'm supposed to, but I'm not. It hasn't been working right lately.
Me: Ok. I just wanted to let you know.
Lady: Thank you.
Ummmmmm... Not the most comforting thought. If the hotel WERE on fire, would they know it? Anyway, that's not the point of this post. The point is, when the heat is on, when you find yourself under pressure, what comes out?
When life gets tough and it feels like you can't please anyone, when there just aren't enough hours or days, when you don't know where the money will come from, when everyone expects everything immediately, do you spew out a messy stinky mess that makes people not want to be around you? Are your words harsh? Is your attitude one of bitterness? Do you attack anyone who enters your space? Do your defenses go up causing people to have to work that much harder to offer their friendship and support?
OR
Like the old adage says, do you make lemonade from your lemons? When you are squeezed do people taste the sweet nectar of trust in One greater than yourself? Do they see you yield control to the One who holds the whole world in His hands?
Friends, the entire sequence of events with that heat unit lasted less than five seconds. It was quick. The smoke and dust blew out. I turned the machine off. The alarm went off. Less than five seconds. But the smell lasted the rest of our visit. The room smelled like scorched cheese. Have you ever made a grilled cheese sandwich and had a drop of melted cheese stick to the bottom of the pan and burn? That was the smell. Nasty.
In the interest of full disclosure, I want you to know I did try to cover up the smell. We try to cover up our stinky messes too, don't we? I had some of that bathroom spray that is supposed to eliminate any hint you were there if you spritz it before you sit. I sprayed it around the room. It helped a little, but didn't clear the smell completely. And that's what happens when we try to cover up the mess we make when we get fired up from the pressure life brings us.
Can I encourage you today to expect the heat? If the hotel crew had thought ahead and realized people were going to be cold when the temperature dropped and cleaned the units in preparation for winter, this wouldn't have happened. If we stay close to our Heavenly Father, reading his Word, praying, when the pressure comes, we will be prepared and know who we can trust to walk through the fire with us. The heat will come. Life will get rough. But you can and will get through when you are prepared.
Just turn the HVAC unit in your hotel room to heat for the first time of the season. Yeah. I did that. And a cloud of smoky dust propelled itself into the room. Which, naturally and of course, set the smoke alarm off. I think I literally jumped into the air in shock and surprise. My first thought was, "Great. I've set the hotel on fire." My second thought was more logical... Turn the machine off.
I did so, thus stopping any additional smoky dust from blowing into the room. Then I tried waving my hand at the smoke detector way above my head in a futile attempt to stop the loud blast of alarm blaring forth. I laughed at myself as I did so. But before I could get to a bath towel to help fan away the guilty dusty cloud, the alarm stopped.
So, I called the front desk. After all, I was not prepared for anyone to burst into my room to put out a fire that didn't exist. I hadn't had my shower. I hadn't had my coffee. I didn't even have my glasses on yet.
My conversation with the front desk went something like this:
Me: Hello, I'm in room 310 and I just turned my unit to heat but it blew a cloud of dust and smoke and set the smoke detector off. I figured you might be seeing an alert down there.
Lady: Well, I'm supposed to, but I'm not. It hasn't been working right lately.
Me: Ok. I just wanted to let you know.
Lady: Thank you.
Ummmmmm... Not the most comforting thought. If the hotel WERE on fire, would they know it? Anyway, that's not the point of this post. The point is, when the heat is on, when you find yourself under pressure, what comes out?
When life gets tough and it feels like you can't please anyone, when there just aren't enough hours or days, when you don't know where the money will come from, when everyone expects everything immediately, do you spew out a messy stinky mess that makes people not want to be around you? Are your words harsh? Is your attitude one of bitterness? Do you attack anyone who enters your space? Do your defenses go up causing people to have to work that much harder to offer their friendship and support?
OR
Like the old adage says, do you make lemonade from your lemons? When you are squeezed do people taste the sweet nectar of trust in One greater than yourself? Do they see you yield control to the One who holds the whole world in His hands?
Friends, the entire sequence of events with that heat unit lasted less than five seconds. It was quick. The smoke and dust blew out. I turned the machine off. The alarm went off. Less than five seconds. But the smell lasted the rest of our visit. The room smelled like scorched cheese. Have you ever made a grilled cheese sandwich and had a drop of melted cheese stick to the bottom of the pan and burn? That was the smell. Nasty.
In the interest of full disclosure, I want you to know I did try to cover up the smell. We try to cover up our stinky messes too, don't we? I had some of that bathroom spray that is supposed to eliminate any hint you were there if you spritz it before you sit. I sprayed it around the room. It helped a little, but didn't clear the smell completely. And that's what happens when we try to cover up the mess we make when we get fired up from the pressure life brings us.
Can I encourage you today to expect the heat? If the hotel crew had thought ahead and realized people were going to be cold when the temperature dropped and cleaned the units in preparation for winter, this wouldn't have happened. If we stay close to our Heavenly Father, reading his Word, praying, when the pressure comes, we will be prepared and know who we can trust to walk through the fire with us. The heat will come. Life will get rough. But you can and will get through when you are prepared.
Wednesday, August 30, 2017
The Unknown
Hey, friends! I knew it had been a while since I had written, but I didn't realize half a year had passed. Well, it's been crazy busy, but life is finally settling back into its rhythm. I have made some notes of things I want to write about, and will try to be more regular about that.
Today I am, naturally, sitting on the back porch this morning listening to the bugs sing their end-of-summer songs. It's cloudy and not hot with rain expected this afternoon. We could use it! There are plenty of chores awaiting me inside and outside, but today, this is what I am doing.
I wanted to check in with you and encourage you a little bit about the unknown. I have an unknown in my life right now. I have no control of the situation. I have many questions. I have no answers. I don't know what is going to happen.
Do you ever feel that way? I know you do! We all do. And those of us who like to be in control probably have a little more trouble in these situations that you who are more que sera.sera types. I think, though, if we are totally honest, the unknown brings with it a certain amount of anxiety and distress, no matter our personality.
So. What I have chosen to do is wait on the Lord. He ultimately is in control and He has my best interests at heart. He is on my side. And if He is for me, who can be against me. Right? I'm going to ride the wave and see where it takes me. I am going to let go and let God.
Because the alternative is an ugly prospect. If I let this little unknown become a sore spot in my life, it will quickly become very aggravating to me. If I continue to pick at it, analyzing it, trying to make it happen my way, I will cause the soreness to go deeper, grow, and be visible to others. If I persist in fretting over it, I may cause an infection that spreads - not just in my own life, but in the lives of my family and friends.
As I am writing this, Proverbs 3:5-6 keeps repeating in my thoughts. I believe it's the answer to the unknown. "Trust in the Lord with all you heart, and do not rely on your own understanding: think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths."
I looked up que sera, sera in the Urban Dictionary. This is what is says: "This is something you say when you are stuck in a hopelessly unchangeable situation, but have come to accept, or even embrace the unchangability of it all. This is similar to the phrase "it is what it is." Whatever will be, will be.
Let go and let God take control of your unknown. Trusting Him is hard, but I've done it before and He brought me through. I know He won't fail me now!
(I feel I need to make a disclaimer that this has nothing to do with my health...got the all clear from my doctors again last week!)
Today I am, naturally, sitting on the back porch this morning listening to the bugs sing their end-of-summer songs. It's cloudy and not hot with rain expected this afternoon. We could use it! There are plenty of chores awaiting me inside and outside, but today, this is what I am doing.
I wanted to check in with you and encourage you a little bit about the unknown. I have an unknown in my life right now. I have no control of the situation. I have many questions. I have no answers. I don't know what is going to happen.
Do you ever feel that way? I know you do! We all do. And those of us who like to be in control probably have a little more trouble in these situations that you who are more que sera.sera types. I think, though, if we are totally honest, the unknown brings with it a certain amount of anxiety and distress, no matter our personality.
So. What I have chosen to do is wait on the Lord. He ultimately is in control and He has my best interests at heart. He is on my side. And if He is for me, who can be against me. Right? I'm going to ride the wave and see where it takes me. I am going to let go and let God.
Because the alternative is an ugly prospect. If I let this little unknown become a sore spot in my life, it will quickly become very aggravating to me. If I continue to pick at it, analyzing it, trying to make it happen my way, I will cause the soreness to go deeper, grow, and be visible to others. If I persist in fretting over it, I may cause an infection that spreads - not just in my own life, but in the lives of my family and friends.
As I am writing this, Proverbs 3:5-6 keeps repeating in my thoughts. I believe it's the answer to the unknown. "Trust in the Lord with all you heart, and do not rely on your own understanding: think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths."
I looked up que sera, sera in the Urban Dictionary. This is what is says: "This is something you say when you are stuck in a hopelessly unchangeable situation, but have come to accept, or even embrace the unchangability of it all. This is similar to the phrase "it is what it is." Whatever will be, will be.
Let go and let God take control of your unknown. Trusting Him is hard, but I've done it before and He brought me through. I know He won't fail me now!
(I feel I need to make a disclaimer that this has nothing to do with my health...got the all clear from my doctors again last week!)
Monday, February 20, 2017
Be Careful What You Pray For
We've all heard the phrase, be careful what you wish for. The implication being that you just might get what you wish for.
I'm here to warn you, be careful what you pray for. For the Lord just may use that prayer to reveal truths that you wish you hadn't asked for!
I love how the Lord sees so much more that we ever will. His view is eternal. Mine is limited to time and space. Feelings and emotions. Circumstances and surroundings. Actions and reactions. And I am beyond grateful that His view is what comes into focus when He answers my prayers.
You see, I've been praying about something. Two somethings, actually. And He answered them both at the same time in a way I wasn't really prepared for. To be completely honest, it kinda rattled my world. Well, to be completely honest, not kinda, it totally rocked my world. Earthquake style.
To say I was a little shocked would be an understatement. I immediately reacted and in the same instant took a deep breath while realizing this was an answer to two prayers. I wanted to say, "NO!" At the same time I screamed, "YES!"
It hurt a little. It hurt a lot. Yet, at the same time, it brought great healing. Romans 8:31 says, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" So even when an answered prayer seems to be against me, God is for me. And He is for you. He's in your corner. In my corner. And He answers our prayers in the way that will grow our faith and glorify Him.
For the last few days God has been constantly reminding me that He listens when I pray and is very aware of me and my concerns. Just a couple of nights ago I couldn't sleep. We had a pressing issue and it woke me up around three a.m. So I prayed. And prayed. And prayed. Fitfully. Restlessly. It felt like I was wrestling with Him until suddenly a scripture crossed my mind. Truth. A promise. You know the coolest thing? After that verse crossed my mind, I fell straight into the deepest and most restful sleep I've had in a long time.
Even more cool than that, yesterday I saw that prayer answered. Early. God is so good!
Sometimes the answers are unexpected and a little painful. Maybe a lot painful. Sometimes the answers are early, and sometimes we have to wait and wait and wait.
The most important thing we can remember is that God is on our side. He hears us when we call. And call we must. Step into your war-room, friend, and cry out to Jesus. He's waiting.
I'm here to warn you, be careful what you pray for. For the Lord just may use that prayer to reveal truths that you wish you hadn't asked for!
I love how the Lord sees so much more that we ever will. His view is eternal. Mine is limited to time and space. Feelings and emotions. Circumstances and surroundings. Actions and reactions. And I am beyond grateful that His view is what comes into focus when He answers my prayers.
You see, I've been praying about something. Two somethings, actually. And He answered them both at the same time in a way I wasn't really prepared for. To be completely honest, it kinda rattled my world. Well, to be completely honest, not kinda, it totally rocked my world. Earthquake style.
To say I was a little shocked would be an understatement. I immediately reacted and in the same instant took a deep breath while realizing this was an answer to two prayers. I wanted to say, "NO!" At the same time I screamed, "YES!"
It hurt a little. It hurt a lot. Yet, at the same time, it brought great healing. Romans 8:31 says, "What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?" So even when an answered prayer seems to be against me, God is for me. And He is for you. He's in your corner. In my corner. And He answers our prayers in the way that will grow our faith and glorify Him.
For the last few days God has been constantly reminding me that He listens when I pray and is very aware of me and my concerns. Just a couple of nights ago I couldn't sleep. We had a pressing issue and it woke me up around three a.m. So I prayed. And prayed. And prayed. Fitfully. Restlessly. It felt like I was wrestling with Him until suddenly a scripture crossed my mind. Truth. A promise. You know the coolest thing? After that verse crossed my mind, I fell straight into the deepest and most restful sleep I've had in a long time.
Even more cool than that, yesterday I saw that prayer answered. Early. God is so good!
Sometimes the answers are unexpected and a little painful. Maybe a lot painful. Sometimes the answers are early, and sometimes we have to wait and wait and wait.
The most important thing we can remember is that God is on our side. He hears us when we call. And call we must. Step into your war-room, friend, and cry out to Jesus. He's waiting.
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