Come Thirsty....

The Big Pink Eraser

2011-01-24T19:54:00.003-05:00

The big pink eraser -

When I was in first grade, the school supply list asked for one big eraser. I always got the pink one. You know the one I am talking about. It was huge and could take away any mess regardless of how big. And, that eraser NEVER ran out. Regardless of how much I scrubbed, rubbed and erased, the thing never grew smaller. It was never ending... and unlike those silly pencil erasers, it never let me down.

Unfortunately, the pink eraser often did not get an opportunity to do its job. I let it get lost in my bag... I forgot it was there... I simply didn't use it. Instead, I relied on those silly small pencil erasers that left smudges and partially erased film. I forgot about the one thing that could eliminate all mistakes in one simple swoop - the big pink eraser.

How often do we forget about our one mistake eraser? How often do we choose to live with partially smudged paper and silly black film? How often do we allow the reminants of sin to remain in our lives? Instead, why don't we turn to God - the big eraser. In Isaiah 44:22, we read "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” God can erase all our sins... so why don't we let Him?

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Somewhat untraditional

2011-01-23T19:21:00.002-05:00

A somewhat untraditional post to remind us all of the power of prayer. I Thessalonians commands us to "pray without ceasing" and I ask you to do so. A friend of mine sent me this link asking for prayers for her friends and their baby. Please join me in praying for Jimmy, Jennifer and their precious little one.

Her blog post, With Heavy, Heavy Hearts explains it all. Click on the link to read their story.

Their faith and the faith of those who are praying with us as well as the outpouring of strangers seeking God on their behalf is enough to simply bring you to your knees and thank God. May God keep this precious family in the palm of His hand.

Join me in prayer...

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Best Friends

2011-01-13T09:10:00.002-05:00

I pick up the phone to call my friend Jenn... its been a few weeks, but nothings changed. We still laugh, giggle, chat, and carry on like no time has passed. We have the "never goes away, pick up where you left off" kind of friendship. The one in which I know she is ALWAYS there for me, but I don't need to hear her voice everyday.

Unfortunately, I often treat my relationship with God like my relationship with Jenn. Of course in Jeremiah 33:3, He tells me, "Call to me..." so I know I can always call on Him. I can call on him in distress - In 2 Samuel 22:7, we learn “In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears." And, I can call on Him in the good times - (Galatians 4:6) - "Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

But, will I call on God at all times? (Job 27:10) Its not that I want to discount this immediate calling, the ability to rely on God regardless of how my devotional life the past few weeks was going. Don't get me wrong - I am thankful for an ever faithful, ever forgiving God... who loves me and provides me with aide even when I don't deserve it. But, doesn't God deserve so much more? Doesn't He deserve for me to call on him frequently and often? And, quite honestly, how will I know if God is calling me unless I am familiar with His voice?

Its not that He needs to hear my voice daily... let's be honest - He knows whats going on. Its that I need Him daily. I need to establish that eternal connection - often and frequently. I need to know His way of thinking and emulate His every move. I need to be like Jesus - seeking God daily. Don't you think that if Jesus (who is God) needed a daily dose of God conversation that I am in desperate need of one as well? In Mark 1:35, we find "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." He didn't wait until times were difficult or until He had great news to share - He called upon God daily.

And, Jesus KNEW God's voice. His daily conversations with God created a unique familiarity. Just as my daily conversations with the Lord will lead me to know when God calls me (Phil. 3:14, Romans 11:29, Acts 2:39)

Now, I'm not saying that my relationship with Jenn is unhealthy and wrong because I don't call upon her daily - I shouldn't need her daily. See, Jenn and I are friends... I do not worship her. I do not model my life after her. We are companions - we don't need a daily contact... I don't need to know the ins and outs of her life.

But, God - He is a different story. I don't want God to be a mere companion... I want Him to be my everything. And, quite frankly, if He is to be my everything - I need to know EVERYTHING He is about. And, the only way to do that is to worship Him completely... and to spend DAILY time with Him. The weekly phone call is not enough. I need a daily dose of God and sometimes, I need more than one! And, through this daily dose - that is the only way I will know His voice and His desires for me.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Homework.... what's the point?

2011-01-12T09:24:00.002-05:00

I believe in preparation. In fact, I am a firm believer that everything you need to know cannot be learned in one setting. You need to stew, to think through things... you need to develop an idea. Sometimes that stewing, that development... it takes a little time and quite often it takes a slight bit of effort. And, particularly, in the mathematics classroom, you need to study.

Today marks the first day of midterms for my 9th grade mathematics students - most of which believe education comes in the form of simple osmosis. They carry around a book and wa-la they automatically know everything in the book. Forget taking notes, forget practicing problems... just holding the book is enough. It never ceases to amaze me when students assume that just attending class makes them a mathematical genius. Forget bringing a pencil even... attendance is key. Forget using the material in real life... and honestly, who even knows how to count to ten. If my teacher can talk about mathematics for an hour while I try to pay attention (or well, why I am at least physically present) - well, that makes me fluent in the subject and quite frankly... that makes me deserve an A. Attending makes me a master... and bringing my text should give me bonus points.

You may laugh... perhaps you experience this struggle as well. You and I know that learning is a choice. And, a little effort must be placed into the learning idea. In fact, just a mere second of preparation... grabbing a pencil, completing a homework problem... can be the difference in mastery and failure.

Funny how we see the silliness of my students' logic when it comes to school, yet fail to see the obviousness of its relationship to our lives. Think about our Christian walk. So many of us attend church... don't pay attention really... just attend. We carry our Bible. Forget opening the word... carrying it is enough. We leave church and think - well I should be master Christian by now. God should be really proud. I came and I brought my book! Don't I get bonus points for that?

Did we bother to read the book? No. Did we bother to delve deep for understanding? No. Did we bother to look for applications of the book in our real lives? No. We simply showed up, brought a text and assume we are masters - we deserve an A. We deserve the best. And, quite honestly, we deserve bonus points - after all, we did bring the text.

I read in 1 John 2:4, "He that saith, I know him and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." If we claim we are masters. If we claim to know Jesus... and fail to take it from the service to our lives - we are lying! It is not enough to merely attend church or carry the Bible... we must implement it!

I cannot help but think of the miracle in John 5:1-18 - Jesus heals the lame man. (Click on the verse to view the entire story). In verse 8, Jesus told the man to "pick up his mat and walk." So, the man did! He didn't say - well, I always have that option later. He didn't say... well, I came here to the pool and got some assistance... that's almost as good as walking. He paid attention! He focused and he did his homework! And, as a result - the man walked!

So, my question is - why don't we just walk? Why don't we keep the commands? Why don't we take our knowledge outside the church doors and look for ways to apply it? When will we realize osmosis is not enough - Christianity is a lifestyle... something we live not something we watch.

When are we going to start acting? And, when, are we going to start completing our homework?

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Snow vs. Ice -

2011-01-11T13:16:00.002-05:00

Well, the past two days have been interesting. Our great state, Georgia, was plagued with ice and snow storms. As a result, black ice covered the roads and school was cancelled (insert cheer for fun, non-planned day off here... times two).

Black ice sounds gross and after further investigation is quite terrifying. From first glance, it appears normal, okay even... safe. But, that's just how it gets you. You venture out... you seek something different, the thrill away from the norm... something to eliminate cabin fever. You are traveling along, moving, speeding up... and then, you slide off course. What appears to be a nice, safe road turns out to be a treacherous impassible area from which an accident stems.

Black ice... almost sounds like sin. We've discussed this before. We are traveling along safely following God's commands... and we get cabin fever. The road next door seems safe, despite the warning we recieved to stay inside for now. So, we venture out. Things are going great. And, then we slide. We find ourselves sliding uncontrollably into a pit before we can even blink.

Psalm 69:2 states, "I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me." Do you think the author new he would fall - no! The water seemed safe, just like the ice... but that was the ploy. Sin seems so enticing. When, in actuality, it is harmful and can lead us into more trouble than we realize.

So, instead of venturing out when warned not to... listen to the words of Ephesians 6 verses 10 and 14 - "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power".... "Stand firm." Do not let the black ice entice you... instead, listen to the warnings of the Lord.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

The Belly

2011-01-07T13:15:00.002-05:00

So, several months ago, we were excited and surprised to discover a little Albertson blessing was coming our way! Yes, I am expecting a precious little boy on May 3.

Much to the surprise of my students, there was little outward indication of my pregnancy up until about a month ago. Sure, I was pregnant. Sure, the baby was there and growing... but my abdomen was not (well, not enough to really see). Then, once I officially starting showing, I could hear the chatter in my classroom - "wow... she really is pregnant. I can see it now."

This little conversation sparked an interesting thought in my mind. How often do we label ourselves as Christians yet provide little or no outward indication of our growing faith? Sure, we know we are saved and Jesus is alive and thriving on the inside, but can the outward world view our Christianity just by glimpsing in our direction? Or, do they really have to know us to know something is different? Or, worse - does the outward world need a verbal confirmation to know we are Christians... and yet, they continue to doubt because of the lacking physical signs.

In 1 Samuel 16:7, we learn that "People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Thankfully - God looks at our insides.... but that doesn't provide us with an excuse to not start showing our Christianity. In Matthew 7:17-20, we learn that we should be able to determine a Christian by his or her fruit. A person who is continually seeking God's will for his or her life cannot help but let His will affect every aspect of both the inside and the outside! Is the inward transformation showing on the outside? Is it possible to know who you worship and who you love just by looking at you? Or, do you, need a little verbal confirmation?

I don't know about you, but I don't want there to be any question - just like my belly says 'I'm pregnant;' I want my life to say "I'm His!"

(Matthew 7:17-20) Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

I resolve....

2011-01-04T20:18:00.002-05:00

In honor of all the New Year's Resolutions floating around out there, I resolved to start blogging again. Hopefully, you can keep me in check. Let me explain...

As I reflect upon the whole idea of resolutions, I wonder - what exactly are they? Is there a point? Does anyone actually keep them? Or, do they, in fact, make us feel better... I resolve... whats so great about that?

In fact, as I think about resolutions, I cannot help but laugh. I was watching TV this morning and heard that the beginning of January marks a rise in work-out profits, while by January 14, there is a dip in happiness and working-out. Realistically, most of us will forfeit our resolutions and go back to normal in less than two weeks - pretty humbling, huh? Which ones of us will re-buy the junk food, start shoveling in the pizza, and quit gnawing on those carrots and celery sticks we so desperately wanted on January 1? Which ones of us will slowly sneak back into sleeping in on Sunday mornings? Which ones of us will, quite frankly, just stop caring... and just give up?!?!

Then, I think about the Christian life. Isn't New Year's just like our experiences as a Christian? We go to a camp or attend a radical service... maybe we have an epiphany... we need more Jesus. We need to resolve. We need to radically change for Christ. And, slowly, we go back to our more comfortable lives.... slowly we loose our resolutions... slowly, well, in about 2 weeks, we become ourselves again and forget to allow the Spirit to move.

Sadly, we think of these resolutions as burdens... something else on our checklist. And, often, with heavy hearts, we begin a routine... not a relationship... a routine, we didn't really buy into to begin with. Or, sometimes, we start with good intentions and add more and more onto our plates until we are so busy and so burdened we simply cannot fulfill God's call for us.

I once read a story... forgive me for not citing the story for I simply cannot remember from where it came...

There was a man who talked to God. During one conversation, God asked him to carry a small pebble up a large mountain. The man began his journey with great joy, singing to God as he went. How awesome God chose Him for this job. How wonderful he could contribute to God's great plan... and wow... this burden was light.

As he climbed the mountain, the man came upon a small village where his friend asked what he was doing. Upon finding out his destination, the friend asked, "could you please help me, I have this plank I need to get to the top of the mountain. Could you take it with you when you go?" Of course, the man consented. After all, he was going that way. The burden, a little heavier, was not too bad. So, he continued up the mountain, whistling and praising God.

Then, the man passed another friend who asked him to carry a small rock; then he passed yet another friend with a basket of small pebbles, then another friend, and another... and before he knew it - the man's burden was heavy and far too difficult to carry up the mountain. His praising turned to cursing... and he was no longer happy with God.

So, God came to visit... meeting him halfway up the mountain. And, God asked, "why are you so downcast? What's all this racket for?" The man started in, "You asked me to make this impossible trip... its too heavy... too far..."

And, God interrupted, pulling out each piece the man added to his burden... "What is this? And, this? And this? You see... these are not your burdens to carry. You were asked to carry this one pebble. Why are you carrying the weight of so many when you were given the assignment of One?"

To me, I cannot help but think - we oftentimes treat our resolutions as this man did his burden. We begin with a small task that God asks of us. He does not ask us to change the world. He asks us to change one small thing at a time. He does not give us beyond what we can bear. But, we, being the silly people we are... we add to our plates, we pile on the rocks, and then, we sit back and wonder why God made things so difficult. When, in fact, God did not make things difficult at all - He kept His promise - "his yoke is easy and his burden is light" (Matthew 11:30).

So, this year, consider what God desires of you. Do not add someone else's burden to your already important pile. Let God work. After all, God commands, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) And, if you do - your burden will be light and your journey will be pleasurable - you will have deep rest in God. Its when we get in the way of God's work that we fail. And, boy can we make a mess of things.

So, I don't know about you. But, for me... I resolve... I resolve to let God have control. I resolve to allow Him to dictate my path. I resolve to carry the burden God gives me and not to pile on the burdens that God gives to someone else. I resolve to be the woman of God He intended and not the woman I think He intended. Yes, I resolve... I resolve to let go and let God. Sounds like a good resolution to me.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Too busy... not to.

2010-11-04T13:25:00.003-04:00

I must say, I am a slacker. I do not put as much time and effort into this blog now that time is hectic and days are busier. In fact, I haven't given the blog a second thought... until today.

Bill Hybels once said, "I am too busy not to pray." Or, in the words of Martin Luther, "tomorrow I plan to work, work, from early until late. In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer."

How often do we miss this? How often do we skew our words and our priorities to say, "I am too busy to pray. I am too busy to have Bible study. Or, in my case, I am too busy to share my convictions on a blog." Too busy... what does that mean? Yes, we know the feeling. Life is hectic. Things are planned. And, well, I am tired... I don't really want to get up thirty minutes early and God wants me to sleep - right? Or, I had a rough day - I need some me time - God wants me to have me time - does that count as a devotional?

During times like these... when we are too busy to eat, much less think - I cannot help but ponder the following verses.

Romans 12:2 - Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect. Do not be conformed - do not let the earthly stress, the earthly events, the daily grind keep you from God. Do not let earthly things provide you an excuse. Do not conform. Do not give in. Stand strong. But be transformed - allow God the time to take over. Allow God the opportunity to share with you and... by the renewal of your mind - God reveals to us. That by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect - Without spending time with God - we have no idea what he wants. But, in spending time with God - He reveals His plan to us.
When we finally take the time to spend with God - our day is smoother. Our life has purpose. We need to give God control - not the world.

Then, there is the story of Mary and Martha. Martha spent all her time doing and no time with Jesus. She was so busy - she almost missed the important part of life -
In Luke 10:38-42 we read, "Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
To me, this verse says - "Dana, really? Why are you so stressed. Its okay if the house is a little messy or the food takes a little longer. What matters is how you spend your time with me. Its okay if things don't go according to plan. You need some God time. When you don't have God time - you are anxious and troubled. But, when you allow me the time to renew your spirit, everything else goes so much smoother."

So, tomorrow - when I feel like sleeping in - I hope the Mary in me wakes up longing for time with Jesus. Its time for me to say no to the world and yes to Jesus - after all, I am too busy not to spend time with Him.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Mice

2010-10-12T17:36:00.002-04:00

Along with the many joys of country living comes our pesky little rodent friends - yes, I am talking about mice. So, as you can imagine, Andrew and I were simply overjoyed to find our home was once again invaded (thank you incoming cold weather). And, as disgusting as this sounds, there are mice remnants in our office, in our basement, and, if you come downstairs quietly - the pesky little friends will run across the floor and flaunt their excitement for their new home. (Can you sense the sarcasm here? If not, note - we do NOT like Mice... at all.)

Now, don't get me wrong - mice are quite cute. They are tiny, squeaky and almost adorable... if they are caged and not running rampant in your home. If you aren't careful, you can be consumed by their cute faces and forget they forage and spread nasty diseases in your home while eating your electrical cords and damaging your walls. And, then, when you least expect it - the mice multiply! And, then, there are more deceptively cute pests roaming your home looking to destroy your limited edition chocolate chips or your freshly baked bread.

So, I did what any normal, sane person would do - I called the exterminator... and equipped with poison, glue traps, and other rodent-eliminating necessities - he came to save the day.

Now, you are probably wondering - what do mice, exterminators and nasty diseases have to do with God? Its quite simple really - in James 1:13-15, we read that sin entices. Its starts off cute and boy are you deceived! Then, once you are dragged away and enticed (into believing the mouse or sin is harmless), the disease begins to spread and the sin becomes out of control. The once cute looking, manageable sin multiplies into colonies of mice and sin - unable to be controlled.

The good news is - there is a way to eliminate the sin from the start - Call the exterminator - God. Call upon Him and He will answer. For, "No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it." (1 Corinthians 10:13). Only God can fully exterminate the sin. And, only He can make sure it doesn't multiply.

James 1:13-15 "When tempted, no one should say, "God is tempting me." For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Comments are Critical!

2010-10-11T09:39:00.003-04:00

I've never been one to enjoy correction. I don't know many people who do. In fact, I thrive on doing things right the first time. In school, I wanted my paper returned with an A, not just any A, but a 100 - anything short was simply lacking.

In life, I want my ducks in a row - I want supper to be perfect, my house to be clean, my life to be in order - I don't want correction... it means something is not up to par. I strive on perfectionism... in some aspects, and well, in others - I really don't care. I guess you could say certain things matter to me and I want those things to be perfect.

Unfortunately, perfection is rarely achieved and I find myself needing and in fact getting corrected. Sometimes, I take correction personally. Instead of listening and acting, I get my feelings hurt or I assume the person is wrong and strive to prove them so. Other times, I see their point of view and fail to acknowledge it. But, would you believe the best things happen when I meet correction head-on?!?!

You see, at school, we are constantly observed. There are state people, principals, other teachers, and even my graduate school professors that pop in and see how things are going. And, yes, they ALWAYS offer correction. And, thankfully, over the past few years, I've learned correction is not bad, its good. Correction is God's way of making us more like Jesus. But, if we don't take correction and use it - we aren't getting any closer to the One we want to be like.

After reading Proverbs 1, I decided most of us are not even looking at correction in the correct light. Instead of seeing it as an opportunity, we see it as a hurdle. Instead of using correction to make our lives better, we dwell on it and make our lives worse.

God says, "for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young - let the wise listen and add to their learning, and let the discerning get guidance - for understanding...." (Proverbs 1:2-6a)

In other words, correction is important and those who don't listen, those who don't value, and those who don't adjust are foolish. Without correction - we will never become more like Jesus. But, with guidance, correction, and application - We can be closer to the One we love.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

TEST - Are you Ready?

2010-09-22T09:15:00.002-04:00

In my math class today, we have a test. I would venture to say there are four types of students -

the students who know the material without a need to study
the students who studied - they accepted the material, they understand the material and they put it into practice.
the students who wait until the last minute (aka when the test starts) to start telling me what they don't understand
and the students who simply don't care or just don't know.

So, of course, I got to thinking. Aren't there four types of people in this world as well?

There are the folks who accept Jesus and live a so-so life neither striving to please Him nor striving to make Him mad.... they are just going with the flow,
There are the extreme Christians - those who love Jesus, accepted Jesus and strive to serve Him everyday, the Christians we should all strive to be. Those who are prepared for anything and are ready to serve the Lord.
There are the people who, at the end of there life, begin to make excuses... when its too late - what? I didn't know it was the end. What? I thought I had more time? What? You told me this already? Those with an opportunity to ask, to serve, to accept - an opportunity they wasted.
And, there are those who don't know or just don't care.

The question is - if there was a test - if Jesus came back - what category would you fall in?
In Matthew 22:44, we learn, to be ready. "So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him." Don't wait to the last minute! Don't be someone who just doesn't care! Accept, study and prepare... for the end is near.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Tic, Tac, Toe....

2010-09-20T13:55:00.003-04:00

Three in a row.

Order is important. In childhood games, order matters - who goes first creates inevitable conflict. Or, tic, tac, toe cannot be won without a specific order - 3 in a row. The order of your meals must matter, as we refer to the first as breakfast, the second as lunch and the third as supper. And, even the order you get ready in the morning counts - you can't put on your underwear after your pants - can you?!?! Yes, order matters. It permeates our being. It helps us keep the peace and remain somewhat sane throughout the day.

I cannot help but think some of us are overly involved in order and others of us need a little more order in our lives. I am a firm believer that order helps establish patterns, ground rules, and helps one accomplish more faster.

Upon examining our Savior's life, I am even more convinced that order is important. When feeding the 5000, Jesus illustrated his orderliness - his ability to plan, and his overall idea of the bigger picture.

You see, before food even became an issue, Jesus wanted to know, "where shall we buy bread for all these people to eat?" (John 6:5). He anticipated the needs around him and planned accordingly. Then, once food was found, Jesus demanded, "have the people sit down." He had a plan, an orderly plan, one that allowed him to see all and to manage the crowd around him. And, finally, when everyone was done eating, he gathered the leftovers in an orderly manner - he commanded the disciples to "gather the pieces that are leftover. Let nothing be wasted." Jesus even had a clean up plan!

He didn't wait, haphazardly to meet the needs of those around Him - He knew the needs, He created a plan and He implemented it. Don't you think we are to do the same?

Without order, our good intentions remain just that - good intentions. But, order helps us to establish and carry out those intentions. Rather than run around like crazy headless chickens, we need to stop, take a few minutes, and establish a plan. Of course, like Jesus, we need to save some room for orderly flexibility. After all, sometimes a noon day message develops into a meal for 5000!

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Guns, Noise, and Jesus.

2010-09-19T00:22:00.005-04:00

So, its been awhile since I blogged. I think I took a hiatus, unintentionally, of course, but a hiatus none the less. I needed some time to think... I guess. Either that or I forgot to blog, most likely the later.

I don't know if you've ever shot a gun, but its loud. There is absolutely no way to completely stiffle the noise. Of course, you can wear ear muffs - those crazy looking things that make you look like Mikey or Minny Mouse. Or, you can wear the ear plugs - the ones you must stuff into your ear hole and hope they don't fall out at an in-opertune time. There is still the sound, of course... its just a little quieter. And, yes, with those really loud guns, you still have the jump or flinch that occurs. Or, you could silence the weapon with a supressor. Of course, even then, you hear the gun breaking the sound barrier - a slight noise, but a noise non the less. Either way, there is still a noise. There is no way to have a completely silence a gun. Its inevidable - pull the trigger and noise will come.

So, my question is - why can't our faith be more like a gun? Let me explain. You can't silence a gun. No silence - always noise. So, why can't we as Christians boast an inability to silence. Why can't we boldly proclaim the faith, whether through words, our lives, our actions, or ourselves... to the point where no attempt to stiffle our sound can tun us out?!?!

In Romans 1:16, Paul boldly proclaims he is "not ashamed of the Gospel." He is not ashamed to shout God's glory from the rooftops - so, why are we? In Philiipians 1: 26-27a, we learn that, even when we don't share God's word audibly, we need to share God's word with those around us through our lives. Our "joy in Christ Jesus will overflow" into our lives so that "whatever happens, [we] conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ." We need to be like the gun - in which we are constantly proclaiming God's word... to the point where we cannot be tuned out.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

To Have and to Hold

2010-09-08T13:22:00.001-04:00

Approximately 2.3 million Americans wed each year. This is roughly 6200 weddings a day!
The top wedding ceremony spot in the world is Istanbul Turkey reigning in about 166,000 weddings a year!
Las Vegas is the next best wedding spot - hosting 114,00 weddings each year.
$72 billion each year is spent on U.S. weddings - an average of more than $20,000 per wedding!

And, the funny thing is - we, as Americans, often focus so greatly upon the wedding - we forget to focus upon the actual marriage. There are magazines dedicated to the dress, the reception, the destination, even the honeymoon... but where are the magazines dedicated to the life that comes next?

If you think about it - salvation with Christ is like a wedding. In fact, we, the church, are often referred to as the Bride of Christ. In Revelation 19:7, we read "Let us rejoice and be glad and give him glory! For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready."

Think about it - salvation is like saying your wedding vows. It takes mere minutes, words with feeling behind them. And, wa-la - a marriage takes place. Then, the relationship begins. Just as a couple moves from one stage to another, so does your relationship with God. You go from casual acquaintance to Jesus as your Lord, King and Savior. Just as your marriage relationship will likely fail to thrive if you fail to listen, enlist reasonable demands, and constantly bark orders and demands at your spouse - the same is true for your relationship with God. Once saved, you cannot simply bark orders at God, supply Him a list of prayer demands and expect Him to succumb to your every whim. Your relationship will not thrive. Instead, your relationship with God needs to be a two way street. One in which you listen, adapt, and spend time with God. One in which you put His needs above your own. Allow His thoughts to become your thoughts and His dreams to become your dreams. Yes, anyone can get married, but not everyone can have the best relationship. And, yes, anyone can be saved... but the relationship following salvation makes all the difference in the world.

Redneck Style - NASCAR... Enough Said.

2010-09-07T20:59:00.003-04:00

As you may notice, the blog has been lacking on the weekends lately. This is due to eventful weekends, limited computer access, and lack of sleep. You see, this past weekend, we celebrated Labor Day Redneck Style - At the NASCAR race at Atlanta Motor Speedway. No, I am not a fan. We had a chance to go and figured - why not see what the fuss is about? So, we piled into our friend Alan's diesel truck and headed to the race to experience the chaos. I must admit, I've never experienced anything quite like NASCAR... nor have I ever seen as many half naked people wearing jean shorts... but that discussion is for another day.

Believe it or not, NASCAR taught me several things about God.

First and foremost, A NASCAR race is kinda like a personal relationship with God. It is difficult to fully explain and is best understood first hand. Similarly, there is no way to explain the tar smell, the loud noise, the interesting folks, and the unique energy that creates a NASCAR race - even TV doesn't do it justice - you simply have to experience the event on your own. Just like, it doesn't matter how hard I try to relay my personal relationship with Jesus, I can never quite explain it - you will never fully comprehend it... unless you have your own. In the words of Paul, "Whoever believes in Him will not be disappointed....Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved" (Romans 10:11,13). All I can tell you is - a relationship with God is awesome - you won't be disappointed if you have one! Or, to use the words of Joel Goddard, a singer and songwriter, "you tell me what strawberries taste like and I'll tell you what my Jesus is like; all you can say is - 'take a bite!'." Its hard to explain God, but man is the experience worthwhile.

Secondly, NASCAR illustrates sin quite well. As I was watching the race, I found myself zeroing in on one car and watching it go round and round. I couldn't tear my eyes off that one car... it made me dizzy, sick even... and, although I knew it wasn't good for me - I kept watching as the car went round and round, but yet, went nowhere. You see, the car was like sin - easily entangling me, catching my fancy. Just like that car captured my attention, so does sin. We zero in on one sin in particular and find ourselves continuing in its path, getting nowhere. We get sick, dizzy, and ruin our relationship with God. Although the sin isn't good for us, we keep at it thinking eventually it will take us somewhere that matters - yet, we continue going round and round... getting no closer to God. As you know, it is very easy to get caught up in sin. In Psalm 78:32 we learn, "In spite of all this, they kept on sinning; in spite of his wonders, they did not believe." The people in this verse continued to travel around the sin racetrack instead of breaking free to the finish line. Hebrews 12:1 warns us of this entangling sin when it states, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us." Its easy to get trapped - we need to be alert. Don't get stuck riding in circles. Be aware and cut off the sin so you can move forward. And, be alert, even Christians get caught up in the endless cycle of sin. 2 Peter 2:20 tells us, "If they have escaped the corruption of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are again entangled in it and overcome, they are worse off at the end than they were at the beginning." You see, the open road is quite different from the race track - an unencumbered relationship with God is a wonderful experience. And, once you know what a true relationship with God is, the dizzier and more disappointed you will become while chasing sin round and round while getting nowhere.

So, what do you think - do you want to experience Christ first hand or live through the stories of others? Do you want to travel hundreds of miles to get nowhere or do you want to travel hundreds of miles closer to the Lord? You pick - NASCAR - a powerful illustration of a wonderful God.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Pay Attention This is Important

2010-09-02T20:28:00.003-04:00

I teach math. And, seeing as how I keep detention every week, I have an extra hour of "free" school time each Wednesday afternoon - during which, I accidentally stumbled upon the coolest calculator feature EVER! Not only is the feature cool, but it directly relates to our project (which is due next Friday).

So, of course, class today began with the cool calculator feature. And, as you can guess - there is always one student - one student who doesn't listen. One student who simply wastes his or her time... and as a result wastes your time. Instead of following along, he or she daydreams or talks... so, when everyone is done, he or she, of course, has questions. (I will admit - I've been that student... but regardless, that student's blatant disregard for instruction drives me crazy!)

Well, I am up at the board, showing off the calculator feature while everyone is emulating my every move. We are calculating it up. We are asking questions. And, we are done. Five minutes later, I hear a small voice in the back - "what did we just do? I wasn't paying attention - how do I do that?" And, here was my thought - you didn't listen to me so I don't want to listen to you. You didn't heed my instruction, so why do I want to help you in your time of need?!?? (Of course, I did help, but the thought was still there).

And, immediately, I remembered my devotional this morning - in Zechariah 7:11-13, we read, "But they refused to pay attention; stubbornly they turned their backs and stopped up their ears. They made their hearts as hard as flint and would not listen to the law or to the words that the Lord Almighty had sent by his Spirit through the earlier prophets. So, the Lord Almighty was very angry. 'When I called, they did not listen; so when they called, I would not listen.' says the Lord Almighty."

WOW! Talk about learning a lesson the hard way. God speaks to me often. And, sometimes, I simply act like that one student - I ignore Him - I'm too busy talking to my neighbor or completing some other task, or maybe I'm just dazed out... whatever the reason - I refuse to listen to the one who KNOWS. Instead, I choose to be uninformed. Then, later on, I realize - I need God's help. I cannot do this on my own! So, what do I do, I raise my hand and ask, "can you help me God?" And, he says, "nope... you should pay attention."

I don't know about you - but, I think I'll start paying attention from now on. I desire to hear from God and, quite honestly, I desire for Him to hear me. Why risk it? I do not want to miss anything. And, I'd hate to live life thinking, "If I'd only paid attention..."

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Asleep -

2010-09-01T08:13:00.003-04:00

Have you ever done something you did not want to do? Or, maybe not done something you wanted to do? Like fall asleep during your devotional time or during church... or even during prayer time. You did not plan to fall asleep. Its not that you don't love God. Its not that God is not important or that you don't enjoy your devotional time. Its not that at all... for some, unexplainable reason - you drifted off only to find yourself awake moments later wondering if you offended God or if God really knows how important He is to you. You wonder why you cannot be there, truly be there, for the things you love. Why is it that we always let ourselves down, or let others down? Or, worse - why do we let God down?

You know, none of us are perfect. You may have been at the football game, paying close attention, but missed your son's play of the night because you went to the concession stand. Or, you may be deep in devotional thought when you begin thinking of your work schedule... leaving you to feel guilty for not focusing all your attention on God. Or, you may plan to call your best friend on his or her birthday... only to have the day slip by before you realize its gone. Does this make us bad people? No, I think it merely makes us human. Thankfully, God tells us in 2 Corinthians 12:9 that although we are weak - He is strong. Although we can never do everything perfectly, He will help us in our times of need. In fact, the verse reads, "But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me." I don't think that this verse means we should proudly proclaim our weaknesses to the world. I think rather it means our weakness, whatever it may be, can help us grow stronger with the Lord. And, we need to boldly enter the throne room of God by proclaiming our weakness, our imperfections, and ask that HE help us to conquer these issues.

Unfortunately, I constantly find myself doing things I do not want to do. My intentions are good. But, according to the old adage, "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." I need to realize, however, this life is not about me. Its not about what I thought, what I intended, or what I perceived. Its about others and mainly about God. And, if my good intentions and poor results have a chance to bring me closer to my Savior - I need to be on my knees begging for that chance. And, if I continually mess up - I can only do three things - say I'm sorry, beg for a fresh start, and pray God uses that instance to make me stronger in Him. After all, in the word, God promises He will.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

The Lost Earring

2010-08-31T06:29:00.002-04:00

First, before I begin, I would like to apologize for the few days of missing blogs. You see, I went out of town this weekend and FORGOT my computer. But, never fear... we are up and running now. So, please continue to come and drink!

Yesterday a great tragedy occurred in the life of me - I lost one of my favorite earrings. They are silver hoops about the size of a half dollar. My husband gave them to me for Christmas and I love the fact that they go with anything. And, sometime between 5:45 AM when they went in my ears and 7:00 PM, one escaped my ear. Somewhere between my house, school, the gas station, my dad's office, graduate school and between two cars, some lucky person will find my left earring - and they too will experience the same problem I am - what do you do with just one hoop earring?

Losing my earring made me think - God desires to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10), just as I desire to seek and save my lost earring. Its a stretch, I know, but really think about it. When we lose something, we are often determined to find it. We look everywhere, retrace our steps, ask around. And, well, do we act like that when we are seeking lost people? No, probably not. Most of us don't go out of our way to seek and save the lost - we just go on with our lives thinking the lost might fall in our lap or we'll witness to them... if we must.

So, I began to think about it - I never noticed my missing earring and the ironic thing about my earring is - no one even noticed or mentioned it was missing. I discovered the missing earring all on my own and by then, it was too late - it was long gone. Many lost people don't know what they are missing. No one tells them about Jesus; they don't now Jesus - so, how do they know Jesus is missing in their lives? And, unfortunately, the lost don't know what they are missing until its too late and the chance of salvation is long gone.

Think about it -in Romans 10:14, we learn of the desperation of the lost - "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?" How can we expect the lost people to come to know Jesus unless we tell them? How will we know if someone is lost unless we ask them? And, sometimes, sadly, the question is - how will someone know they are lost unless they are told?

It is our job to seek the lost. To deliberately go through every step of our lives searching for someone, for something, for a way we can make an impact in God's kingdom. It is our job to seek and to find. To follow God's commands and to not stop until we locate and tell every lost person about Him. Jesus didn't stop - we shouldn't either.

So, for me - that means to stop dwelling on a lost earring and to start dwelling on the lost people... find them first. After all, their salvation depends upon it.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Your Breath Stinks Like Your Feet

2010-08-26T06:28:00.002-04:00

Everybody gets morning breath - at least I hope they do. Otherwise, I have a serious problem. Morning breath is not delightful to say the least. Its unappealing, turns others away, and simply tastes disgusting. There is nothing like brushing your teeth in the morning - everything goes from stinky to fresh in a mere instance!

And, feet - don't get me started on feet. Some people have cute feet, others have weird feet. But regardless the kind, a sweaty foot in a tennis shoe without socks allows for a delightful, stinky mess. You know the smell. We've all smelled it - the locker room after a big game... stinky feet.

And, in all this stinky turmoil, did it ever occur to you that we are the equivalent of morning breath and stinky feet? We speak harsh, ugly things sometimes and delightful sweet things in a mere matter of seconds. We travel to church and we travel to places we shouldn't go. We carry the gospel and we carry the gossip. We are a living contradiction. A living representation of stinky feet and morning breath - a mere forgiveness and God's word away from experiencing yet another aroma disaster everyday.

In Isaiah 52:7, we read, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" You see, our feet don't have to be stinky - they can be used to promote and proclaim God! We need to watch our words and watch our deeds so that we too can hear that our words and deeds are "a fragrant offering, an acceptable sacrifice, pleasing to God" (Phil. 4:13b).

So, next time you get up - use that morning breath as motivation. Get up and get in the word. Ask God to forgive you and to guard your speech - after all, our speech makes a lasting impact for or against Christ to those we daily encounter. And, after that big run... or simply after that stint in your leather sock-less shoes, remember the importance of your actions. Ask God to place you in situations where His word and His name will be glorified. After all, our purpose isn't to display the stench, but to provide a fragrant offering to Him.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

TIRED

2010-08-24T18:40:00.003-04:00

Do you ever have those days where you just want to rest?

You are tired... you don't really want to start anything new. The laundry can wait... dinner can wait... you are even too tired to turn on the TV because the remote is just out of reach... maybe someone will turn it on for you... if you look pathetic enough, OR maybe you'll just sit in the silence, after all - it takes less energy. You are tired... in fact, you are so tired you simply cannot sleep... TIRED.

I think everyone has these days -whether we are tired of work, tired of the routine, or just tired... we all get TIRED every now and then.

For those of you who are tired - these words are for you:

Isaiah 30:15 - This is what the Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says: "In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength...

Jeremiah 6:16- This is what the LORD says: "Stand at the crossroads and look; ask for the ancient paths, ask where the good way is, and walk in it, and you will find rest for your souls....

Psalm 37:7 - Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him...

Matthew 11:28-30 - Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

Why spend time and energy that you simply do not have worrying about what's to come, thinking about tomorrow... God has a plan and He will provide it for you. Take a second and REST. You are tired... and you need to REST in the LORD!

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Mrs. A - Are you Married?

2010-08-23T22:05:00.002-04:00

Conversation of the day -

G: Mrs. A - you married?
Me: Yes, why?
G: Well, you don't act like no married lady.
Me: (hesitantly) I don't... why is that?
G: Well, you happy - always happy... and married people - they ain't happy.

Don't you just love ninth graders?

This conversation from my classroom earlier today got me thinking - we often skew our thoughts on a subject due to one example. Let me explain - poor G believes all married people are unhappy, probably because the examples he sees on a daily basis are actually unhappy. He simply cannot understand how anyone could be different from his already formed perception.

Now, let's apply this to the Christian life. What if people make judgments about Christians based on a few bad apples? What if people fail to see Christianity as a relationship and simply catch a glimpse at someone who fails to walk the walk, who fails to talk the talk, or who fails to illustrate that Christlike joy we find only in Him?! What if our message is crowded by the message of others? Or, worse - what if we are hindering the message of others? What if the message of Christianity isn't one of a fulfilling relationship with Jesus, but one of a hindering religion... one with rules, regulations and heartache?! What if we aren't sending the right message?

In Ephesians 4, Paul urges us to live a life worthy of the calling we received.... to disregard the old way of life... and to put on a new self, one created to be like God. Once we receive Christ, we are supposed to allow Him to shine through us. Against all odds, stereotypes and preconceived notions, people should be able to look at us, to talk to us, and to be with us and know we are Christians.

In fact, our conversations should go something like this -

G: Mrs. A - you a Christian?
Me: Yes, how did you know
G: Well, I could tell - you act like a Christian - Christians show Jesus.

No one should have to question our loyalty. Everyone should see Christ in us. And, we should help form the norm - let's live up the reputation Christ set forth for us many years ago. Let's show Jesus to everyone... and, if we do it right - they won't even have to ask - they will just know.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Have it Your Way...

2010-08-21T21:50:00.002-04:00

Do you recall the Burger King commercial that stated, "Have it Your Way." You could, after all, create any burger combination you wanted and your burger would be as unique to you as your sense of style, your name, and your tastebuds. You had to consult with noone regarding this fantastic feast - it was all about you!

Well, here's some tough news - its never really all about you. And, its never all about me. The world tries to convince us otherwise, but we know better. Even the personalized Burger had its limitations - after all, Burger King didn't carry everything. Our personalized pizza is limited on toppings, our special Ipod playlist is limited by the tunes we purchase, and our favorite Saturday afternoon activity is limited by time, money, and availability.

We can trick ourselves all we want, but our way is really dependent upon everyone else's way. And, those all about me moments are really not all about us at all. Try as we might, its never about us.... at least life isn't designed to be about us.

In Matthew 5, Jesus tells us to Seek first the Kingdom of God. Not, to think about our schedule, our hopes, our desires, and then, perhaps, add God last. Jesus says God is first and all others are second. Its not about what we want. Its about what God wants. Its not about me - its about Him. He has the unlimited menu; He has the unlimited playlist; and He has the unlimited resources. I need to look to Him, not others and certainly not myself. And, once I make it all about Jesus - miraculously, I don't have to worry about me anymore.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

WHATEVER!

2010-08-19T19:12:00.002-04:00

I never understood why some people don't give life their all. Why is it that people give only 45% or 90% when they can certainly afford more? Why not put forth 100% effort and leave your job, your family, your evening, knowing that you simply could not do anymore.

My parents always told me to do my best. I remember as a child, my brother Joseph was not always the scholarly one. He came home one day with a failing grade. Instead of the anticipated reaction, my daddy sat Joseph down and simply asked, "did you do your best?" To which my brother boldly answered, "nope." You see it wasn't the grade that mattered to my folks - it was the effort behind it. It wasn't the A they desired, it was the motivation, the determination, and the drive to succeed that they hoped to instill in their children. For that, I am thankful.

If you know me (and my husband), you know we are go-getters. We strive to do the best we can whenever we can. And, if we commit to something, we are in it 450%, if that's possible. For us, it isn't about the A, its about the effort - and the effort better be the best!

In Colossians 3:17, it states, "whatever you do, whether in word or in deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." Then again, in Colossians 3:23 we learn, "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men." God commands our best. He asks us to do few things, but to do them well. Everywhere we go we are ambassadors for God. And, everything we do is a reflection of Him. So, if we half do our job, or act mediocre to our friends, we aren't presenting the best picture of our Lord. You've heard it before - CARPE DIEM - seize the day - seize the opportunity to show God your best. He doesn't require you to be the best, to win the gold, to maintain employee of the month status or win a best parent or best spouse award, He simply requires YOUR best. He wants all your motivation, all your dedication, all your dependability and all your work to be dedicated to Him. If for no other reason - do the best you can for God. After all, its reason enough.

And, if by chance you don't choose to do your best, be prepared to answer "nope" when Jesus asks you, "Did you, my dear child, do your best for me?"

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Speak Now... Or Forever Hold Your Peace

2010-08-18T20:18:00.003-04:00

For those of you who know me, you know I love to talk. According to my husband, I could talk to a brick wall. I will talk to anyone, anytime, anywhere about anything. And, to my detriment, I often do not know when to shut up. Talky, talky, talky... yes, I know, I need to learn to quiet, quiet, quiet - but its not always that easy. Unfortunately for me (and for those listening) I often don't discuss things that matter - I will talk about anything from paint colors to TV shows to happenings at school or crazy jokes I've heard. And, despite the annoyance I cause with my constant talking, I think God could use it for the good, if I just let go and let Him.

You see, in Acts 4, we learn about Peter and John. Modern day apostles, they were convinced of God's great gift. And, so, they talked - even proclaimed their inability to shut-up. In Acts 4:20, we hear them say, "we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard." They were talkers and proud of it. For them, they used the gift of talking for God's glory and not for their own. Yes, they talky, talky, talkied..... ALL ABOUT GOD! Neither jail nor discomfort, neither peer pressure nor exhaustion could keep these men from sharing God's word.

Wouldn't it be great if we, both talkers and non-talkers alike, learned to communicate God's word effectively and passionately without holding back? Wouldn't it be great if we boldly proclaimed God's word from the roof-tops, from the front seat of our car, at our jobs and in line at the grocery store?!? Wouldn't it be great if we stopped talking about things of this world and started talking about the one thing that matters? And, wouldn't it be great if we let neither jail nor discomfort, neither peer pressure nor exhaustion keep us from sharing God's word?!?! I hope and I pray that I cannot stop speaking... about God and all He's done for me. And, I can, if I just shut up long enough for God to take control of my tongue.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

My pocket book

2010-08-17T22:00:00.006-04:00

My pocket book weighs about 7 pounds, literally. If you picked it up, you would understand. After carrying it for about 2-3 hours, your shoulder may start to hurt, your back may ache, and you would begin to ask things like, "what's in this thing?" "Is all this stuff really necessary?" And, of course, I would say, "Well, yes - everything is important. From the littlest band aid to the receipts from last week. From the bottle of water to the snack for later. Should we ever be held up, detained or stuck in an elevator, my pocket book would help us escape."

We all carry around burdens. Yes my physical burden is green, Bohemian, large and a gift from my husband, but there is another burden we need to discuss. Although my purse is heavy, my soul carries something much heavier. You may carry a variety of things - Sunday school director, mother, father, teacher, Deacon, associate, lawn maintenance man, and so on. Our lives are busy, our plates are full. And, we add thing after thing into our pocketbooks of life until we simply cannot lift them anymore. We burden ourselves with so much to do, we simply cannot do any more. And, then, we ask God - why? Why do I have so much to do? Why am I so tired? Why? Why? Why?

Guess what - God doesn't call us to fill our bags to the brim and add on extra luggage. God calls us to specific purposes. We are the ones that add on the extras and then complain about the fullness of our lives. Matthew 11:30 tells us, "My yoke is easy and my burden is light." Outright, from the get-go, we know that Jesus provides for us all the help we need. I love the NET version of this verse - for my yoke fits perfectly and the burden I give you is light. Jesus doesn't expect us to work ourselves into the ground. Instead, He asks us to give our heart and soul to Him, to dedicate our lives to whatever He calls us to and quite frankly to cut out the stuff we just want to do or we think we should do. After all, shouldn't we just be doing what God calls us to do? He will not steer us wrong.

Think about it this way - when we do something we are not called to do, we are stealing someone else's burden from God. We are taking their burden and piling it upon ours... causing us pain and them to miss out on an opportunity from the Savior. Carry what Jesus calls you to carry - it is light. Don't pile unnecessary baggage into your already full purse. Listen to Jesus. Do what He wants. And, then, your burden will be light. Perhaps you'll even move from a large Bohemian pocket book to an evening clutch.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Names -

2010-08-16T21:17:00.003-04:00

So, as a teacher, I get the privilege and opportunity to learn around 150 new names each year - well, 138 to be exact. So, it is imperative for me to put the students in assigned seats, use their names continually, and require all names go on every paper. Sometimes, I even think of silly name games or mnemonic devices to help me remember the names. And, name plates are a must - so, if I walk past their desk and forget their name, there is a happy reminder on each desk. It takes me about 2-3 weeks to conquer every last name and first name. And, after much practice, I recognize every student in and outside of my classroom.

John 10:3 says, "He calls his own... by name..." Lucky for us, Jesus doesn't have to learn our names. He doesn't need alphabetical order, name plates, or tricky name games. He doesn't have to learn our first name, then our last name and pray he remembers both out in public - Jesus just knows us. In fact, Jesus not only knows our names, he knows everything about us. In fact, Luke 12:7 assures us God knows our names AND even the number of hairs on our head. Think about it - He knows our lives inside out. And, for a person who finds it difficult to even remember 5 names, I am thoroughly impressed.

I don't know about you, but I am thankful that God knows me. I don't have to go through the awkward introduction times, the worrying about whether he knows who is calling (or praying)... I know right off that God knows me. And, for that - I am thankful!

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Grades for Christianity

2010-08-15T20:11:00.004-04:00

As a teacher, I grade papers. Students are graded on effort, on completion, on knowledge, on neatness, and on participation. Some students master material quite easily; others need weeks, days, even years to begin to understand the smallest portion of mathematical material. And, some miss the boat completely. But, I grade, hoping to assess learning, hoping to motivate, hoping to grasp their complete knowledge of the material.

Similarly, I think we, as Christians, often try to grade one another. Is she trying hard enough? Did she complete that devotional book? Does he know where Ephesians is? Better yet, can she recite John 3:16 by heart? Did he come to church dressed well? Are they participating? Are they AWANA volunteers? helpers at the church picnic? greeters on Sunday morning? We grade people based upon their appearance - do they appear to be the Christian we think they should be? Are they presenting Christ in the appropriate manner? Are they baptized? Attending church every Sunday? Are they representing our Sunday school class well? Did they sign up for that Retreat next week? Yes, No, Yes, No - 5 points here, 10 points there... minus 30 for skipping church on vacation, another negative 5 for wearing jeans to church... before we know it - we've graded our fellow Christ followers off the chart and into the "heathen" zone.

And, what for? 1 Samuel 16:7 states, "But the Lord said to Samuel, 'Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.'" Thankfully, God doesn't sit up there on his throne with a checklist marking off how many times we attend church, how many times we choose to teach AWANA, memorize verses, play the piano, give a special offering, provide meals to the sick, etc. God doesn't take off points when we fail to perform correctly, forget to tithe on the first of the month, or skip church while on vacation. God doesn't want us to simply go through the motions of Christianity - God wants us to love Him, to want Him, to follow Him, and to seek Him. God looks at our heart... and if our heart is right, oddly enough, our actions will follow.

No, we don't have to be the super Christian according to the world's standards. We just need to be God's child according to the Lord's standards. We simply need to follow OUR convictions, attend to OUR personal relationship with Christ and pray He develops a change in US. Once we stop worrying about the grade, and seek the Savior, everything will fall into place.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Its Not What I Thought...

2010-08-13T06:22:00.002-04:00

The hardest problem I have to handle as a Christian is what to do when God does not do what I have been taught to expect Him to do; when God gets out of line and does not act the way I think He ought. What do I do about that? - Pastor and Author Ray C. Stedman

God is unpredictable - when we think he should heal someone, he calls them home to glory. When we think he should provide us a job, he sends not a career, but helps to stretch our savings. When we think God should deliver us, he allows us to sit and remain - to learn. When we think he should go left, sometimes God goes straight or even side to side. But, whatever we think, whatever we predict, we can rest assured, God's ways are not always expected. God's ways are not always what we want at the time. God's ways are God's ways and not our ways. And, thank goodness!

We have an us sized picture of life - we are limited by our space, our time, our emotions, our dreams... But God has a God sized picture of life - He is limitless, dreams the impossible and makes the impossible come to light.

In Isaiah 55:8, we read a declaration from the Lord, "for your ways are not my ways and your thoughts are not my thoughts." God's ways are far from ordinary - they are extraordinary! His ways can calm a sea, resurrect a man, heal the blind, and die on a cross for our sins.

So, why is it that we often put God in a box, an us shaped box, and hope He sticks to our plans? We need to realize that God is God. We are not. God reigns - He knows. And, we don't. We need to expect God to intervene, but leave the interventions up to Him. After all, God has a view of whats to come and we can only see in the right now.

So next time God allows the unexplainable, the unpredictable, the unimaginable, just think - its not what I thought would happen - Thank goodness - its God!

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Do you Smell That?

2010-08-12T06:21:00.002-04:00

Outside has a unique smell. I remember as a child, my brother and I would come in from playing outside and my mom would always exclaim, "Ugh - you smell like outside." I never truly knew what she meant until a few years ago. My husband, an avid outdoors-man, is permanently ingrained with this unique smell. I always know where he's been - he just simply smells like the outdoors.

If you think about it, a lot of things leave a lingering odor. If you work in a restaurant, you often leave smelling like food. There is no debating where you've been - your smell says it all. And, one hopes a trip to the shower leaves you smelling of soap - a clean smell which announces a bath.

Yes, your smell can indicate a lot about you - where you were, what you ate, even if you've bathed recently. We all exhibit various smells from time to time - from the pleasant ones to the stinky ones.

But, as a Christian, we are constantly called to have one smell above all smells. In 2 Corinthians 2:15, Paul writes, "for we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing." Our job is simply to smell like Christ. People should know that we "have been with Jesus" (Referenced from Acts 4:13). Our quiet time should permeate our life. Our prayers should offer a sweet odor to those around us. And, people should simply know Jesus in our life, just by the smell.

Just like my mom could always tell when I'd been outside, our friends, family and even strangers should be able to tell when we've been with Jesus. So, do you smell that? How's your odor today?

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Practice Makes Perfect...

2010-08-11T06:20:00.002-04:00

When you are learning piano - practice makes perfect. Usually, you cannot sit down and pound out the correct notes right away. You need time with the piano to learn its rhythms, to learn its sounds and feel. Or, when you join the football team, together, you must practice. If you don't, your communication will fail in times of need. You need time to learn one another's methods, to hear your coaches voice and to recognize the sound of the quarterback. And, a band must practice to insure harmony exists between its members. The band needs time to hear the correct music, understand what the scores are saying, to work together for the greater good. For without practice, we are often off-key, off-beat, playing the wrong notes, or simply missing our part. Without practice, we do not know what the correct sound or correct voice sounds like... we are unprepared for the real test - the game, the concert, etc.

In Psalm 5:2, David writes, "in the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice, in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." And, in Mark 1:35, we discover, "very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left his house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." Every morning, David... requested from God, conversed with God, spent time with God. He had hours of meaningful practice, if you will, so that His relationship with God could grow. Jesus, the King of the universe, also spent meaningful mornings with His Father in prayer. He to put into place the practice of worshiping His Father.

The scripture specifically mentions how these two men arose in the morning to hear God's voice, to converse with him... to wait in expectation. Because Jesus and David were in a continual practice of hearing from God, they were able to recognize His tone and understand His commands when they were given both during the allotted time and throughout the day. If we fail to practice a daily quiet time, how can we discern Christ's voice from all the day-to-day noise? If we fail to practice a daily quiet time, how will we understand the Word when its read? If we fail to practice a daily quiet time our lives will be off-key, off-beat, playing the wrong notes, or simply playing the wrong part. A quiet time is key to a successful relationship with God and a successful life.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Do you Love Me More?

2010-08-09T20:51:00.002-04:00

Today was my first day back at school with students. We did the usual - go over the rules, hand out books, etc. And, to my surprise, at the end of the day, when everyone else was headed home, one precious little boy came by my room to ask what we were studying first. He wanted to study ahead and be prepared for class! He hoped to become my favorite student by performing well. He even said, "I think I'll be your favorite student because I care about my work." And, of course, I assured him that I try not to show favoritism - everyone has something special to offer.

How often do we think the same thing about God? How often do we try to be His top student, His favorite Christian by doing good deeds? How often do we strive to make the top of Jesus' list by doing spiritual things? God - I think you'll love me more if... if I share with one person. God, I think you'll love me more if... I attend Sunday school every Sunday. God, I think you'll love me more if... I learn 25 Bible verses. God, I think you'll love me more if... I help out at the church picnic. God will love me more if... I am the star student, the one that cares... the one that works... the one who follows all the rules. I am going to become your favorite, God, because I care about my work.

In reality, that's not how things work with God. Although God asks us to do "whatever we do, whether in word or in deed, [to] do it all to the glory of God" (Colossians 3:17), he does not ask us to do things to win His favor. God loves us regardless. In fact, "while we were still sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans 5:8). Christ died for us and would do so again... even if we didn't attend church on Sunday... even if we gossip... even if we know no Bible verses.

The Lord doesn't ask us to continually check things off a list so we can rise to the top of His. No, the Lord desires we come to know Him intimately. He asks us to do two things - in Matthew 22:37-39, Jesus asks us to "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And, the second is like it: love your neighbor as yourself." God wants us simply to Love Him and Love Them. He loves us regardless, even when we don't reciprocate. We are His favorites, even when we don't do the right thing. And, its His desire we pick Him as our favorite. Does Jesus love me more? Yes, He loves me more than I could ever love Him. Does He love me more when I accomplish more? No - He loves me unconditionally. And, I should serve Him out of love, not out of obligation or a desire to reach the top of his favorites list. The good news is - God plays a different game of favorites and we are all at the top of His list already.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Side Effects - Are they Worth it?

2010-08-08T15:59:00.002-04:00

All prescriptions come with side effects. With some, you experience drowsiness, constipation or dry mouth. Others, allow for extreme tiredness or awake, weight gain or weight loss. Whatever the effect, you must decide - is it worth it? Is it worth the side effects to save myself from this disease or ailment? Is it worth the risk? Usually, the side effects are small in comparison to the rewards. Usually, we sacrifice the little things (dry mouth, drowsiness) for the greater good (cure of a disease).

Side effects aren't solely limited to prescription drugs. No, side effects follow us in daily life. To me, side effects are simply the "what ifs" the side possibilities that stem from a greater choice.

In the Christian life, we are often faced with choices; and unfortunately, given the side effects we choose not to obey. Let me explain. In Matthew 19:19-20, Jesus commands us to Go. He boldly proclaims, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And, surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Jesus doesn't say, GO, if you want. Go, if you are comfortable. Teach if you know the right things to say. Jesus just says, GO, BAPTIZE, TEACH!

Yet, we, as Christians often fail to heed His call - the call to witness. We are too busy, too scared, too confused, too new at Christianity. We don't know the right things to say, we are afraid of being made fun of.... To us, the side effects seem great and the reward seems slim. The what ifs begin to overtake our brain - What if he makes fun of me? What if others hear about this? What if they say no? What if she thinks differently of me? What if this takes too long? This is definitely going to turn out to embarrass me? Our side effects are - embarrassment, time wasted, someone saying no... the list continues. The side effects to witnessing are great, but are they worth the reward?

But, if you think about it - why do we let the side effects take control? The side effects aren't so bad. And, whatever the effect - whatever we can think of - we must ask ourselves - is it worth it? Does the reward outweigh the risk?

And, upon close examination, we can honestly say - no risk outweighs the reward of Christ. Is it worth it? Yes, our witness can save someone. A simple what if should not stop us from sharing.

So, ask yourself - Side effects - Are they worth it? When faced with a witnessing situation, does the risk outweigh the reward? Or, does the reward outweigh the risk? Should I share or should I hold it in? Should I take a chance on the side effects? Its up to you... what is more important - salvation or the side effects? You choose.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

What is on top of your list?

2010-08-06T11:30:00.003-04:00

Haggai 1:5 - Now this is what the LORD ALMIGHTY says, "Give careful thought to your ways."

We are planners. There is a calendar in our kitchen which tells you everything that is occurring in the Albertson household during the upcoming month. During long car rides (and even short ones), we make lists - things to accomplish, things to buy, things to be done, people to call, etc. We plan ahead, plan beside, plan before, and plan behind... if that is even possible. And, of course, sometimes we plan to plan again... in other words, we plan flexibility.

Despite the event or reason, we are careful with our time, careful to plan our ways as God instructs in Haggai 1:5. You see, in the game of life, there is always something headed your way - whether it be work, friends, family, or simply something that makes your "to do" list. Some things make the list on purpose, others by chance. But, the list is always growing, never ending... so it seems. We must plan, otherwise, our careful time becomes haphazard and our ways become disheveled.

Then, of course, there is over-planning. There are people who pack their schedule too full, fill their plate too much, and wind up giving everything 30% because that's all that is left. These people are like Martha when Jesus came to visit - "worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed" (Luke 10:41-42). People, like Martha, focus on the plans so intently, they forget the main event, the main purpose of life. They are so busy planning, they have yet to learn the key - P.R.I.O.R.I.T.I.E.S!!!!! To effectively plan, you must accomplish the important things first and sometimes, yes, you do have to eliminate the unnecessary. By ridding yourself of unimportant things, you can focus upon God-centered things - you can follow Ecclesiastes 9:10 - whatever your hand finds to do, do it with all your might.

You see, although planning does make life easier, one cannot forget to prioritize. And, God has clear instructions about what should be first. In Matthew 6:33, we learn to "seek first the kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you." The first priority is Jesus. No if, ands, buts about it - Jesus comes first. Period.

So, what is on top of your list? If its not Jesus, you'd better plan again.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Friends...

2010-08-05T21:49:00.002-04:00

How do you choose your friends?

Sometimes, you are forced into friendship - like when you were little and forced to play with the annoying little girl down the street. Your mom was friends with her mom, so you constantly found yourself on play dates. Of course, the lack of friend potential led you to spend more time staring at one another and less time playing nice.

Other times, you fall into friendship. You meet someone and everything just clicks - before you know it y'all shared your life story. This is the kind of friend you can ignore for years, but upon reuniting its like time had never passed at all.

Then, there are those friends that you choose. You know someone from afar and upon your choice, you develop an acquaintance into a friendship and a friendship into a close relationship.

Of course, there are also those friends that you must work to establish. Maybe there isn't an immediate click, but upon continual dinner dates, several phone calls, and a few awkward conversations, you develop a nice relationship. So, maybe you aren't soul mates, but dinner companions...

There are those friends you do not befriend. There is that girl that could be your friend except [insert annoying habit here]. Or, that guy whose[insert annoying vice here] you just can't overcome. Those friends are more like frenemies... there, but not because you really want them to be.

And, lastly, there is friendship; true friendship - no strings attached, no requirements - the friend that is there for you regardless - even if you mess up constantly, ignore him and run the other way - the friend that comforts you when you are sad and rejoices with you (without jealousy) when you are happy. This friend is Jesus. Everyday God chooses people to follow him, just as he CHOSE the disciples. WOW! Jesus chooses us to be his friend. And, friendship with God is no normal friendship -

In Colossians 3:12, we learn, a friend of Christ is a chosen person.
Job 29:4 tells us friendship with God is intimate - just between you and him. Job had this friendship, an intimate friendship with God.
James 2:23 lets us know that friendship with God develops from belief in Him and from that belief, we develop righteousness. Abraham too experienced this friendship - "and the scripture was fulfilled that says, 'Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness, and he was called God's friend."
And, lastly Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us friendship with God is eternal. He doesn't ditch you because someone better comes along or because you are no longer fun to be around. Friendship with God is everlasting. God promises to never leave you or forsake you.

Yes, there are many types of friendships - some easy, some hard, and some you just want to get rid of. But of all the friendships, a friendship with Jesus is by far the most important. As a friend of Jesus, you are chosen to experience an intimate relationship from which you develop a stronger belief, a righteousness of life, and an eternal love. So, what do you think - do you have a true friendship with Jesus? Can He call you His friend?

A few verses mentioned:
Colossians 3:12 - Therefore as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, holiness, gentleness and patience.
Job 29:4 - Oh for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house.
Deuteronomy 31:6 - Be strong and courageous - do not be terrified because of them for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Don't Yell!

2010-08-04T16:35:00.002-04:00

Every year, before school starts, we, the faculty, attend a meeting. We go over the normal - school calendar, schedules, the duty list, etc. And, then, we are reminded to treat our students well. In the words of our principal, "don't yell! Be positive - be consistent." As teachers, we are reminded to be fair and positive influences to our students. As children, we were reminded "if you can't say anything nice; don't say anything at all." And, as parents, we strive to model positive speech for our children. But, its not always that easy - is it? Oftentimes, we get caught up in the moment, get aggravated, or flat out don't care... and we blurt out things we don't mean.

Back in 7th grade, I learned Ephesians 4:29 (Thanks Coach Turner!) We recited it everyday before class, during class, and sometimes after class. Coach T even created some strange dance and chant to correlate with the verse. Apparently, it worked, I have yet to forget what is says. Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouth, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen (Eph. 4:29). Wow! Don't yell (or say terrible things without thinking ahead... (guilty!)). Be positive (encouragement is the key) and be consistent (benefit those around you by constantly presenting God's word).

As people, we are quick to judge, quick to speak, and slow to change our ways. The Bible requires just the opposite. Jesus asks us to be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry (James 1:19). We are to think through our words, deciding whether or not they are beneficial to ALL who hear (not just those they are intended for), and then, present our words to one another. If what we are going to say is negative, why say it? If what we are going to say harms someone else, its not beneficial. If what we plan to say is unwholesome (as in, you wouldn't want your grandmother to hear it) - filter! If what we plan to say is unnecessary, make it relevant or don't say it.

God requires we watch our words. We aren't just to speak for speaking's sake, we are speak with a purpose. The purpose - the build up others. And, if our words don't have a purpose - we don't need to say them. Enough said.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Got Plans?

2010-08-03T17:51:00.002-04:00

As a teacher it is imperative to plan - plan your lesson, plan your timing, plan your behavior management strategy, plan your grading system - everything revolves around planning. And, regardless of how great a planner you are, everything comes to fruition the moment you are faced with students. And, the key to success is acting upon your plans. You see, classroom procedures are set in place to eliminate wasted time and undesirable behavior. You can plan procedures all day long, but unless they are implemented, they are no good. You may sound like you know all the answers - but one glimpse into your chaotic classroom and anyone would your words and actions do not match.

The same goes for God's word - you can read it all day long, but unless you implement its teachings - its doing you no good. Sure, knowing verses may make you sound cool. Knowing all the answers may make you popular in Sunday School. But, one glimpse into your chaotic lifestyle, and anyone would know your life does not align with God's standards. Your life fails to implement God's word. Your words speak God's language, but your lifestyle speaks another. You are like the people of Jerusalem; the people Ezekiel describes when he says, "my people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to listen to your words, but they do not put them into practice. With their mouths they express devotion, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain.... for they hear your words but do not put them into practice." (Ezekiel 33:31, 32b). These people, like us, are greedy - they want to sound the part but they don't want to act it. These people talk God's talk, but walk the world's walk.

As exciting as the world's view sounds, it simply clashes with God's view. In John 15, we learn that Christians are separate from the world, hated by the world. And, if it is any other way - there is something awry. In life we must make decisions; we must plan to speak AND to live God's word. Because one simply cannot be without the other. In Philippians 4:9, Paul urges us to take, "whatever you've learned or received or heard from [him], or seen in [him] - [to] put it into practice." If we choose to speak and live and live God's language, "the God of peace will be with [us]." Following God's plans = peace. What more could we want?

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

What Am I Doing?

2010-08-02T09:40:00.003-04:00

I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good.... For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep on doing. Romans 7:15, 18b-19

Paul struggled. Paul wanted so badly to follow Jesus, yet he simply could not quit sinning. Paul, of all people, struggled with sin. I look at Paul's life; I see his dramatic transformation. I mean, for Pete's sake, he SAW Jesus, literally. And, Jesus spoke to him loud and clear - "I am Jesus!" I mean, it just can't get any better than that. Jesus called Paul his "chosen instrument to carry [his] name." Paul was chosen! (Acts 9). Paul had a dramatic transformation, left a life of sin, and personally was dubbed a chosen missionary by God. And, yet, he struggled with sin. Paul knew what was right. Paul understood the words and commands of God; yet, he continued to sin and could not stop. I love the verse, "I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out." For some reason, Paul just kept doing what was wrong, even though he wanted to stop. Sound familiar?

Look at your life. Maybe it doesn't seem as glamorous as Paul's. Maybe you haven't written numerous books read by millions of Christ followers everywhere. Maybe you didn't literally see Jesus and audibly hear His voice. Maybe you aren't a missionary. Maybe you don't feel chosen by God. But, you are God's child. And, you also struggle - you attempt to do God's will, yet fall flat on your face every time.

Romans 7 provides encouragement. Even those who daily seek God's will struggle. We are constantly battling our sin nature. And, although it often feels like we never win, the Bible tells us otherwise. We are not alone. We struggle; Paul struggled. But, we need to remember You, however, are controlled not by the sin nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you... But, if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your Spirit is alive because of righteousness. (Romans 8:9, 11). We have an opportunity to serve God. And, if we fail, the Spirit is there and the Spirit helps us in our weakness (Romans 8:26b).

Think about it. If we and Paul were able to simply do good, to do God's will and no struggle was involved. We might just get a little boastful, forget about God and start believing in ourselves. But, the constant battle with sin sends me back on my knees time and time again. The constant battle between right and wrong sent Paul back on his knees again and again. Although we struggle, the battle is won when we continually seek God. In a way, we could say our sin nature pushes us to seek God. We may do what we do not want to do - but at least it sends us to our knees.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

1 Negative + 1 Positive Does Not Equal 1 Neutral

2010-08-01T18:09:00.004-04:00

Negativity is a cancer. One negative person can bring down an entire room. One negative comment can ruin an entire meal. One negative word can make a big difference. One negative comment can ruin an entire day. Negativity - what a lonely, sad, word. No body wants to be around it, but everybody carries it with them.

I once read it takes ten positive comments to cancel one negative word. Ten to one! That means our quick judgments, our nonchalantly spoken negative words all affect someone far greater than we realize. That means our one compliment means nothing in comparison to the four hateful words we shared. You see, words are powerful. And, negative words hurt far more than we realize. In James 3, the tongue is compared to a spark, quickly setting fire to those around it - damaging, hurting, tearing apart... all with one quickly spoken negative word (James 3:5-6)

On the flip side, although it may take longer, positive words also make an impact. One positive person can directly affect the happiness of 25% of her friends, 12% of her friends' friends, and 5% of her friends of friends' friends. One positive person can make a big difference. One positive person can change a bad day from a good one. You see just one positive person can make a difference- everybody wants to be around them, but not everybody knows how to be them. (But, we know the key - the key to positivity is Jesus!)

In Ecclesiastes 3:12 it states, "I know that there is nothing better than for men to be happy and do good while they live." Notice - being happy and doing good coincide. For as a positive person, one can do great good!

So, next time you go speak negatively - think about it. That one negative comment is difficult to erase. But, that positive comment is reversing someone's negativity, slowly eliminating those degrading comments he or she heard. Your positive comment is showing someone happiness and allowing you a change to do good as God commands.

So, whats it gonna be - the cancer of negativity or the life of positivity - the choice is yours. Just realize, your choice affects those around you.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Take it Slow... Be STILL

2010-07-31T22:06:00.002-04:00

There is a sign in my half bath that reads, "Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10). I guess the bathroom is an appropriate place for it to hang. I mean, not much is going on when someone is resting in there. But, aside from the rest one receives while reading our sign, I cannot help but wonder - how often are we truly still?

You see, yesterday, my husband and I vowed to spend our Saturday doing nothing work related. He and I both planned to spend the day on hobbies - no yard-work, no cleaning, no laundry, no grocery shopping, no school work, no farm work, no bush-hogging... nothing but pure enjoyment. We actually had to plan to relax. And, trust me, at our house, planning to relax is a big deal. For once, we were still.

I don't know about you, but my life is busy. Between laundry, dinner, errands, graduate school, the yard, a job, and family - there is hardly enough time to relax. Sometimes, I am so tired that I barely make it to sleep; but then, of course, I lie awake thinking of all that needs to be accomplished the next day. I am lucky to have a few minutes of quiet reflection before the chaos begins again. Sometimes, I find myself thinking - I'm too busy to spend time with God. But, honestly, shouldn't it be the opposite - I am too busy NOT to spend time with God.

Amidst the chaos, amidst the noise, in between the errands, the questions, the yard-work, and the laundry - I must make time for God. And, to be honest, I actually must plan to spend time with God! I must plan to be still and know that God is God. Without the stillness, the chaos will overtake my life. Without the quiet, I will not hear God's voice through the noise.

There is nothing wrong with planning time for God. But, there is everything wrong when we only plan time without Him. So, take out your calendar and mark it down - Time to take it slow - its time to BE STILL. Its time to know that God is God.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

2010-07-30T09:46:00.003-04:00

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 2:14 - Do everything without arguing or complaining.

Instead of complaining about the weather... be thankful that its raining.
Instead of complaining about a headache... be thankful for tylenol.
Instead of complaining about the heat... be thankful for the sun.
Instead of compaining about sickness... be thankful for doctors.
Instead of complaining your clothes don't fit... be thankful you are clothed.
Instead of complaining about your gray hair... be thankful you have hair at all.
Instead of complaining about a sunburn... be thankful for aloe.
Instead of complaining about the weeds... be thankful you have a yard for weeds to live in.
Instead of complaining about lack of money... be thankful that you have money to begin with.
Instead of complaining about your family... be thankful that your family is there for you.
Instead of complaining about eating too much... be thankful you didn't go hungry.
Instead of complaining about that bad smell... be thankful that your sniffer works.
Instead of complaining about the loud music your neighbor has... be thankful you have ears to hear.

We have so much to be thankful for... yet, we constantly dwell on the negative. Instead of complaining... be thankful. And, if you can't think of a reason to be thankful... think again. Be thankful you can think at all.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Weeds

2010-07-28T20:38:00.008-04:00

Weeds stink. A little over a year ago, we decided to build a house. So, naturally, we pick a quaint, quiet spot amongst lots of woods... cut some trees and build. Then, we lay sod. Then, the weeds. And, more weeds... and more weeds. There are even weeds I've never seen before encroaching upon my lawn. There are weeds in our woods, weeds in my flower bed, even an occasional weed in the door of my car.

Earlier this summer, I had a fantastic idea. I, being of vacationing, crazy mind, decided to pull every weed in my front yard. Well, 5 gallon buckets later, I quit and allowed weeds to overtake my lawn. Its exhausting. If you have a yard, you know. Weeds are everywhere. You can weed and feed; you can use preemergence stuff, you can even pull weeds and they just come back somewhere else. But, as sure as you quit working, they overtake your lawn, choke out your grass, and you go from nice lawn with few weeds to where's the lawn? Oh, was there a lawn under those weeds?

So, I bet by now, you can tell where I'm headed. Sin is a weed. It comes in various shapes, forms, fashions, and even sometimes looks pretty with flowers. You may recognize some sin and others sneak by you - is that a shrub or a weed, I can't tell? Is this sin or not.... I don't know. According to Hebrews 12:1, sin easily entangles us. Its sneaky, and we before we know it we are caught... and its overtaking our lives. And, sadly enough - we often know what is right, but choose sin. In Romans 1:21, it states, "for although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened." When does the sin become like the weed and overtake our life? Well, when we stop dwelling in, focusing on, and living out God's word. When we know God and choose to ignore Him, we "exchange the truth of God for a life, and worship and serve created things rather than the Creator - who is forever praised. Amen." (Romans 1:25).

So, what can we do? Live it out! Do what is right. Spend time in the word and nip that sin before it can grow. Weed and feed your life! (Take out the sin and replace it with God's word.) Ask God to reveal our sin and correct our lives. And, beware if we don't do what God desires, sin will master us (Gen. 4:7). And, then, people will be asking, Where's Jesus? Is there Jesus under all that sin?" Was there ever Jesus at all?

Genesis 4:7b tells us, "But if you do not do what is right, sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must master it."

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

The Biggest, Tortoise-iest Glasses Of Them All

2010-07-28T08:18:00.004-04:00

I wear glasses, well, contacts. In the fourth grade, I couldn't see the board, the street signs, the plants outside - really, I couldn't see much of anything. It was all fuzzy and unclear. So, my mama took me to the eye doctor. He dilated my eyes, put those funny looking lens things on me, made me read some chart, and shown a bright light my way - all to discover - I needed glasses! Of course, I, still to this day, remember my first moment with glasses. Back then, big, tortoise looking rims were cool, so naturally I had the biggest, tortoise-iest glasses they made. The glasses took up literally half my face - I looked a goob. But, who cares - they were amazing! I remember standing in our breakfast room, looking outside and seeing every little leaf on every tree. What used to be a large green glob had become the most beautiful, intricate, detailed tree I'd ever seen. What a difference glasses make!

I cannot help but think - we are all walking around with poor eyesight, in need of glasses. As humans, we are simply unable to see what God has in store. As 1 Corinthians 13:12 says, "now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face." Now, we are seeing things through my fourth grade eyes. We have a general picture, but can't focus on the specifics. But, soon, we will see life with God's eyes - we will be Heaven with a complete picture, a detailed picture, and amazing view. But just because our eyesight will not be perfected until Heaven does not mean that we can't have a little eye assistance. We need to pray God will provide us with the biggest, tortoise-iest glasses to aide us in seeing the world through his eyes. And, once we see the world through His eyes, our whole perspective will change.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Start Thinking Hateful Thoughts?

2010-07-27T07:51:00.005-04:00

Jesus states, "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sister - yes, even his own life - he cannot be my disciple." -Luke 14:26

WHAT? How can I hate my family? (Wait, don't answer that... ) I do love my family. You see, family is a true gift from God. For me, hating them is simply unimaginable. And, then, I read this verse. If this is a requirement for Christianity, then I blew it! Guess I'd better start thinking hateful thoughts... Or, I could just try to understand the verse.

Think of it this way -
As I've mentioned before, I am privy to raise a sweet, beautiful, chocolate lab. She was a surprise for my husband from his parents and me. We ordered her (before she was even conceived), watched her grow through pictures (knowing one day she would be ours) and, then went and called her home. My mother-in-law, Darlene, and I went to the kennel and picked her out. She was the cutest, sweetest, tiniest little girl! (She snuggled in my lap and in my hands the entire way home.) Once home, we wrapped her up (put her in the equivalent of a fancy shoebox with a lid... don't worry, she was only in there for like 1 minute) and handed her to Andrew. It was love at first sight. From the moment they met, she accepted him as her master and they have been inseparable! They work together; they play together. He sits, and she sits with him. He eats and she eats too. He wakes up and she's awake. She desires so badly to be just like her daddy! And, her only desire in life is to please him! She gave up her family for a new one - and she's never looked back!

I think our relationship with God is supposed to somewhat like Olive's relationship with Andrew. Jesus knows us before we are even thought of - Psalm 139:13-16. He watches us grow, even though we may not even realize He is there - Proverbs 15:3. And, as He watches, He knows one day we will be His - Ephesians 1:5. Then, when the time comes, He chooses us - Ephesians 1:11. He calls us to be His! - John 21:19b, 2 Thess. 2:13. And, immediately, we are His children - snuggled up in His lap, held in the palm of His hand - 1 John 3:1. For, God it is love before first sight - 1 John 3:1. And, from the first moment, we are his - He becomes our master, the one we follow - Col. 4:1b. From the moment, we accept His call, our only desire should be to serve Jesus, to please him. And, from that moment, we give up our current life, even our family, and never look back!

Once we accept Christ, we are never the same. Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (2 Cor. 5:17).

Being a Christian isn't about hating other people - being a Christian is about putting Jesus first. We need to set aside everything and everyone, including our own desires, and seek to follow Him. Our one desire should be to seek Jesus and emulate His very life. Jesus says, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." - Luke 9:23.

The question is - are you willing to give up your own selfish desires for God? Are you willing to do whatever He asks immediately? What does it mean to hate your family? How can anyone hate their family? Simple - put Jesus first, family second. It means to follow God regardless of the consequence.

Verses mentioned in today's blog -
Psalm 139:13-16 "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place. When I was woven together in the depths of the earth, your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be."
Proverbs 15:3 - The eyes of the Lord are everywhere keeping watch on the wicked and the good.
Ephesians 1:5 - he predestined us to be adopted as his sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will.
Ephesians 1:11 - In him we were also chosen having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will.
John 21:19b - Then he said to him, "Follow me!"
2 Thessalonians 2:13 - But we ought always to thank God for you, brothers loved by the Lord, because from the beginning God CHOSE you to be saved through the sanctifying work of the Spirit and through belief in the truth.
1 John 3:1 - How great is the love the Father has lavished on us,m that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!...
Colossians 4:1b - ...because you know that you also have a Master in heaven.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

100 Years from Now, All New People

2010-07-26T08:11:00.002-04:00

Philippians 4:6-7 "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

When I was young, I used to freak out... over little things... my parents called it jumping to conclusions. I would examine a situation and discover everything that might possibly go wrong and stress about the worse case scenario. For example, mind you this one is extreme, a trip fishing at the beach would lead me to think I was going to get stranded on a deserted island, bitten by a shark, lose a limb, be attacked by hermit crabs, and live forever as the armless, shark-bitten, crab ridden girl on Gilligan's Island. Extreme, I know, but you get the picture. I would then spend the next several minutes, hours, or days obsessing about what might happen, when in reality the worst case scenario was a sunburn.

As a result of my crazy conclusions, my wise dad bought me a book, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff and its All Small Stuff." He then recommended chapter 99, "100 years from now, all new people" and made me read it in front of him. (Now, here's the part where I mention my parents then proceeded to buy me the sequel books as they came out over the next few years - Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Financially, Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Teens, etc. - you can always look them up or ask to borrow them, if needed - I have the whole collection - of course, I've only read chapter 99 ;).... sorry dad!).

Needless to say, and painful to admit - chapter 99 really helped. Although I think the freaking out was just a phase, I am proud to say its not a norm in my current daily life (but, it does sneak up every now and then). Truth is - its unhealthy to freak out over the hypothetical. But, yet, we all worry about what might be. God doesn't desire for us to live a life in fear or worry. In Matthew 6:34, it states, "do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself; each day has enough trouble of its own." Then, again in John 14:1 it states, "Do not let your hearts be troubled; trust in God - trust also in me."

Truth is - chapter 99 was right. One hundred years from now, there will be all new people. And, are they really going to care that my sweater didn't match one day? Or, will it matter that my floor didn't get mopped yesterday? Or, honestly, are they going to know that I spent too much money at the mall? You see, the things we worry about are often trivial in comparison to eternity. God takes of us. And, its our job to focus on eternity. One hundred years from now, I hope to be in glory - and quite honestly, who cares if my shoes don't match?

So, upon reaching a stressful situation (and trust me, I'm talking to myself), it would a good idea to step back and ask, "will this matter 100 hundred years from now?" And, maybe that will help us keep things in an eternal perspective.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2010-07-25T09:03:00.004-04:00

Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose."

Chocolate chip cookies - yum! The perfect blend of brown sugar, baking soda, white sugar, salt, vanilla, flour, eggs, and chocolate, baked at 350 degrees for 10 minutes to create a culinary masterpiece. There is absolutely nothing like eating a warm, gooey, chocolate chip cookie straight out of the oven - yum! Isn't it amazing how all those little ingredients go in together to create something fabulous? Honestly, brown sugar by itself tastes a little overwhelming... and baking soda is downright disgusting... white sugar and vanilla are okay. But, don't even get me started on the flour - eww... and raw eggs are simply unhealthy - they do cause salmonella you know. And, then the chocolate - I could definitely eat the chocolate alone!

You see, the point is - its the blend of the ingredients, the finished product, that makes the cookie spectacular. When looked upon individually, not all cookie ingredients taste great. But, the combination of ingredients works together to create something good.

Now, take a look at your life - not everything in your life is good and not everything in your life is bad - but, its the combination that makes your life unique and perfect. Sometimes we encounter trials, like the flour or the uncooked eggs; sometimes, we encounter good things, like the chocolate; and, other times, life is okay, like the sugar or vanilla. But, then, God takes the events of our life and blends them together to create something fabulous!

You see Romans promises us:

"all things work together" - no event stands alone... it is meant to be viewed in combination with other events -
"for the good" - God isn't trying to make us miserable, He has an ultimate plan for us, one that requires our whole life, all our ingredients, not just segments.
"for those who love Him" - We love God and He loves us. He desires the best for our lives, just as we desire the best for our loved ones.
"who have been called according to His purpose" - Just because our lives don't make sense to us all the time, its okay. God has a plan. And, when we remove ourselves from the here and the now and see things on a God-level, we know there is a greater purpose.

You see, God takes all our ingredients - the good, the bad, and the okay - and mixes them together, bakes them during our lifetime, and creates a fabulous treat to fulfill His purpose!

So, next time you bite into that cookie, think about what all went into making it AND how, just like life, its the combination that makes the flavor!

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Sticks and Stones...

2010-07-24T09:49:00.005-04:00

When I first met Andrew, my husband, there were alot of things that impressed me about him. (I knew right off - he was the guy for me... he, on the other hand, needed some persuading before taking on this challenge). He was cute! He was a complete gentleman, always, "yes ma'am, no ma'am, thank you sir" to everyone, including little kids. And, most importantly, he loved Jesus! (According to his parents, as a small child he dreamed of becoming a "straight patrol-man" who would carry a Bible and a gun.) Now, years later - all of these things still ring true about Andrew. He is a God-fearing man, a man I am proud to call my husband.

But, I must admit, some of my proudest wife moments come from his interaction with those around him. Every time we enter a restaurant, I cannot help but be amazed at his gentle spirit - and, I mean EVERY time. Let me explain - Andrew never sits down to eat without giving the server every ounce of his attention. He deliberately calls him or her by name. And, if, on the off chance, they fail to mention a name - he seeks it out. He looks into our server's eyes and asks, "how are you?" actually wanting to know the answer. He says thank you each time something is delivered to the table or taken away. He acknowledges, with just a few words (as he is a man of few words) that our server is an integral, important part of our lives and the meal. With his tiny gestures and pleasant words - he makes a HUGE impact! His pleasant words are well-accepted and refreshing, for me and those around us. He knows words make a huge impact. Words hurt and words help - depending upon what is said. And, through his wisdom, Andrew uses words to better those around him.

In Proverbs 16:24 it says, "Pleasant words are a honeycomb, sweet to the soul and healing to the bones." Wow! Words are powerful! James even says, "Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. The tongue also is a fire..." (James 3: 5-6a). What we say directly impacts those around us - both for the good and for the bad. The old adage, "sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me" is simply a load of hooey. Words hurt. Or, words help. And, words alone can change our mood immediately! Andrew understands this - his simple, "whats your name again" and deliberate use of someone's name makes a huge impact!

So, next time you are out and about, think of what you're saying. Consider what type of fire you are setting - are you causing a smile or a frown? Are you using words to better those around you or to cause harm? Or, is your failure to use words creating a painful, destructive fire? Use your words wisely. Desire to heal the bones with sweet, pleasant conversation. But, Regardless of what you say, know that your tiny gestures and simple words are creating a HUGE impact - just make sure its the impact that God desires.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Dog hair - will it ever end?

2010-07-23T11:00:00.003-04:00

We have a lab - a beautiful, brown lab who brings joy (mud, and hair) to our lives on a daily basis. I wouldn't trade her for anything, but I've often wondered if she would be more enjoyable as a clean, hairless puppy. (In fact, I contemplated vacuuming her one time, but I think she could read my mind... and ran to hide). Despite my rantings - I love her just as she is, and its who she is that makes her wonderful - hair, dirt, and all. I mean, I'm her parent - its my privilege and my job to look after her.

Fact is - our dog lives inside, most of the time. She spends her days at the farm with her daddy (my husband), and whenever he's inside - she's inside. And, the moment she hits that front door, my clean house goes into dog and farmer mode - not clean, but livable. So, every day I find myslef sweeping, swiffering, or mopping up hair.... (and, although I wouldn't admit it - I don't really mind). She can't clean for herself... if she could, I know she would. But, since she is weak, it is my responsibility to be strong for her.

And, I wonder - is this how God feels about me?

I mean, I know God loves me. He's forgiven me, but really - He has to forgive me time and time again. I just keep messing up. I just keep bringing home the dirt. And, as a result, I am constantly asking, "wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin" (Psalm 51:2); "create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me" (Psalm 51:10). And, time and time again, he creates that pure heart and cleans up my sin. WHAT AN AMAZING GOD!! He washes me clean, creates a pure heart and never once complains. He loves me - hair, dirt, sin and all. And, He's my daddy - when a little dirt sneaks in, He helps me clean it up - I am helpless. He is the only one that can take that dirty life and make it spotless again. Since I am weak, He is strong!

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

The Sneaky Brown Recluse

2010-07-22T09:26:00.003-04:00

Now, I don't know much about bug bites - except that they itch, they are often unsightly, and that we try to avoid them at all costs. I do know, however, that a brown recluse spider is not my friend, and if there is a bug to avoid - this is the one. Now, living in the country, you never know what will enter through your front door. We've had our share of mice, flies, unslightly little gnats, and even once, a snake (that, of course, was before we moved in). Most of the pests are removed with simple measures like keeping the door closed, calling Orkin, or even just keeping the house clean. But, you never can be too careful. Outside in our yard, there are definitely a plethora of bugs just waiting to scope out the new home. And, although not too common in our area, I have seen one brown recluse.

The brown recluse doesn't seek human contact, it just happens. And, the brown recluse bites, unseemlingly, even painlessly, leaving a small bump that doesn't seem to be a problem. Then, the bump grows, slightly at first; there is slight swelling and maybe a little red circle around the bite. Then, a blister forms. (Not too bad, huh?) Here's where it gets gross - following the blister comes tissue death - a big mess of dead tissue... and I do mean big. Oftentimes, if not treated, a brown recluse bite requires skin grafts and/or plastic surgery. We're talking - tiny little spider with a big BAD bite!

So, here's what I'm thinking - the brown recluse bite is somewhat like sin. Think about it. There is a little sin... not a big one, a little one... that we get involved in. No problem, right - no one gets hurt. Just a small bump in the road. Well, since that sin worked out, we go a little bigger next time... there's the swelling. Maybe we get a warning - like a red circle. But, we continue on. And, well, the sin festers... and our relationship with God continues to suffer - there's that tissue death. And, if untreated or unaknowledged - the tiny little sin has a big BAD bite!

You see in Hebrews 12:1, we learn that sin easily entangles us. Sin doesn't often swoop in and announce its consequences - it sneaks in, painlessly, unseemingly. James 1:15 puts it this way - "then, after desire has concieved, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full grown; gives birth to death." Just like that bite, right

Desire - the intitial painless bite
Sin - small bump, a little swelling... maybe a red circle
Full grown sin - the festering tissue
Death - tissue death.. grossness

So, what can we do? Well, in the case of the brown recluse, we go to a doctor; get an antibiotic, and carefully follow the doctor's orders. In some cases, we may need a complete overhaul of the area with skin grafts and/or surgery. In the case of sin, we go to Jesus. We are forgiven, and we seek to follow Him. And, in most cases, we need to straighten up our lives and seek God.

The good news is - there is a cure! Both for sin and for the brown recluse bite. In Romans 4:7-8 it says, "Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him." And, how does the Lord not count our sin? When its covered by the blood of Jesus.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Peace, Love and Happiness

2010-07-21T09:16:00.003-04:00

Peace - just what is it? I mean, is it a symbol? A word on a t-shirt followed by love and happiness? Or, is peace something really achievable? One things for sure - peace is not that jumpy-butterfly feeling in your stomach, that aching confusion in your soul, or even that unnecessary worrying that accompanies a weird situation.

In college, I lived in a three bedroom house with two of my favorite people - Courtney and Katie. Katie lived with me for about one year, and Courtney and I toughed it out for around four. (I say toughed it out because I don't think I'm the easiest person to live with). One of my favorite memories of Katie revolves around a non-peaceful situation. You see, the three of us went to the midnight movie - Courtney and I chose some girly flick and Katie chose a horror film. She was so nervous the next few days - correction, the next few weeks - she was unable to sleep alone. Her nightmares were vivid. We would wake up to find her on the sofa, on the floor in my room, in Courtney's room, anywhere but alone. Her soul was not at rest - she was deeply troubled. Peace was no where in sight - she was not safe.

Fast forward a year, Katie moved out and moved to Germany. Courtney and I were left alone, just us two looking for another roomie. Rumor has it there was break-in at a nearby house... or maybe it was a murderer on the loose in our neighborhood. Either way, we were not at peace. Courtney and I huddled in her room, baracaded the door, interlocked arms and waited terrified for the boogie man to come. We both realize now how absurb we were acting. But, at the time - there was no rest - we were deeply troubled! We were not safe (so we thought), and peace was no where in sight.

I am sure, if you think about it, there have been times in your life when peace was not around. Peace seems to escape us when we are unsure of our future or worried about our past. And, without peace, its difficult to sleep. We then begin looking for ways to calm our souls, and unfortunately, we often look in the wrong directions. Whether it be a baracade, a friend, alcohol, drugs, whatever - we seek peace where peace simply is not.

Well, good news - I have peace! And, I read again this morning in Psalm 4:8, "I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety." You see, God knows our future and God knows our past. He is in total control, so we don't have to worry. If we put aside those jumpy butterflies, cast off those vivid nightmares, undo the baricaded door, and just let Jesus take control, we have peace. Only when Jesus is in control is there rest - our soul is no longer troubled. And, with Jesus there is peace - we are finally safe!

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

The Envy of the Neighborhood

2010-07-20T08:04:00.005-04:00

I love HGTV; I mean - LOVE IT! Years ago, of course, I would rather watch cartoons or some lame sitcom. But, as I grow and maintain a house of my own, HGTV becomes more and more fascinating. There is something about dramatic transformation that just catches my eye. I mean, who doesn't love to see a stinky, dilapidated, non-functioning kitchen turn into the envy of the neighborhood? Why wouldn't I want my home dramatically transformed for the better? But, of course, on HGTV, they don't just focus on the inside. Some of the houses have MAJOR structural damage. So, they spend time fixing the unseen as it directly impacts the seen.

And, here's what I started thinking - if I desire for my home to look good, smell good, function well, last long, and present itself in the best possible manner, then I wonder if Jesus desires the same?

Let me explain - when we become Christians, Jesus dwells in us. In 1 Peter 2:5 it states, "you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." And, then, in Ephesians 3:16-17, it says, "I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith..."

What does this mean? Well, here's what I think - we all want to put our best foot forward. We want people to see us not as the stinky, dilapidated, non-functioning kitchen. We would rather our lives be something like the envy of the neighborhood. But, lets be honest - who cares if you've got stainless steel appliances if they don't work? Who cares if you have hardwood floors if they are caving in? You see, its not whats on the outside that counts... its whats inside. Because believe it or not, our unseen directly affects our seen. Whatever is going on inside our hearts will eventually, if not already, be available for viewing. So, we need a firm foundation - Jesus. We need to establish and build a strong spiritual house - prayer, tithe and bible study. So, that our outside - our life, our persona - is not easily impacted by the world around us. We need to not work on what people think about us, but actually work on us. We need to affect our unseen (our personal relationship with God) so that it becomes the main thing that is seen! And, then, we will be the envy of the neighborhood.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Without WiFi, What Can I do?

2010-07-19T07:36:00.003-04:00

The internet - who would've known it would make a lasting impact on my life? I mean, really. I just spent an entire weekend at the lake with NO, and I repeat NO internet access (hence why there are no blog posts). Man, I wasn't prepared for that. You see, I packed my computer. I just knew I could blog, check my e-mail, access my research, etc. And, without the internet - I just feel lost, disconnected from the world around me, unable to communicate.

Flashback - I am traveling down highway 19 headed to the walmart (remember now, the walmart is at least 30 miles away). I am 15 miles into my trip and I realize, my cell phone is gone! So, I seriously contemplated returning home... I mean, seriously?!?! Because without my cell phone - I just feel lost, disconnected from the world around me, unable to communicate.

But, the truth is, as much as it pains me to admit - I don't NEED the internet and I don't NEED my cell phone. Without them, I am not lost; I am not disconnected from the world around me and I certainly am not unable to communicate.

You see, as people we are often convinced we need certain devices to communicate with others. Or, maybe we need a certain level of "goodness" to communicate with God. There are days when I feel lost, disconnected from the world around me and unable to communicate with God. I feel like my prayers are simply bouncing back - like I lost my connection or my wifi went down. But, the truth is - there is no magic device or connection that helps us communicate with God. All we need is a willing and open heart. In Jeremiah 33:3, God tells us "call to me and I will tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know."

Note what it does NOT say -
It does not say - call to me when you've been attending church.
It does not say - call to me when you are feeling great about your relationship with God.
It does not say - don't bother calling if you've sinned.
It does not say - hey - call, but I may or may not answer.

It does say - call! And, then, it says - I WILL ANSWER! I don't need a cell phone and I don't need the internet - I need to call upon God. There will be no connection issues. There will be no disconnections or "can you hear me?" moments. He is already there waiting on my call. He already found me. He connects me to the world around me. He is the only one with whom I absolutely need to communicate.

So, why don't I just call? I mean, who doesn't want to hear a secret? (He does promise to tell me one.)

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Hurricane Disaster Kit

2010-07-15T14:34:00.004-04:00

In case of a hurricane I will need:

water
food
blankets/pillows
clothing
first aid kit
toiletries (i.e. wipes)
flashlight AND batteries
weather radio
cash
keys
important documents (i.e. birth certificate, insurance, social security... all in a water proof container)
tools
vehicle tank full
And, so much more... in fact, there is an entire website devoted to disaster preparation, complete with tips, checklists, kit ideas and useful links - http://www.nhc.noaa.gov/HAW2/english/prepare/family_plan.shtml. In case of a hurricane, I need this website!

Earlier today, we talked about being alert - the devil is on the prowl... seeking to devour us (1 Peter 5:8. And, so, I got to thinking. We need to be prepared! If we spend so much time, energy, money and effort preparing for a natural disaster which may or may not come our way - why not spend the same (or more) time, energy, money and effort preparing for an eternity which certainly comes our way.

How come we will check websites, phones, even TV stations about a natural disaster and we won't check the Bible for inspiration? How come we will send countless dollars to earthquake victims and we won't pay a tithe to the church? What is it that makes us so prepared for life's uncertainties... and so unprepared for life's certainty - death?

So, in light of these thoughts, I made another checklist -

Life's Eternity Kit -

Jesus - Check!

I think I am ready for anything!

Key verses for today -

Romans 3:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

Romans 8:38 - "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future nor any powers, neither height or depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Army Worms

2010-07-15T08:27:00.002-04:00

Army Worms - those horrible little creatures that come and steal your grass away in the night. Perhaps you've never heard of them... perhaps you've never been privy to their prey. Or, perhaps, you simply live in an area of no worms (lucky you). Whatever the case... beware!

You see, last year, we built a new home. And, due to the slope of our lot, we needed grass FAST! So, naturally in true Albertson fashion, we (all about six of us) laid 60 pallets of sod (that's roughly 30,000 square feet) in a little under 18 hours. Crazy - I know, but we were on a roll. After the time, effort, money, and well, body aching we spent on the lawn - nothing was going to keep it from thriving... so we thought.

And, then, in the middle of the night - we were ambushed! You see, one day our lawn was green and thriving - looking somewhat like a golf course with its plush greens. And, then, we noticed a slight breeze rolling through. Now, by breeze I mean, the grass was waving - pretty, yes. But, weird as there was no wind. And, within literally hours - the entire lawn went brown! Then, we saw them - the sneaky little worms had moved in and were eating our grass one piece at a time.

So, I, being the lawn care expert that I am, went immediately to Lowes (and, by immediately, I mean drove the 45 minutes to an hour to the Lowes... as we do live in the middle of nowhere) and purchased three bags (each covering 15,000 square feet) and one sprayer (covering another 15,000 square feet) of army worm killer. So, you do the math - our lawn recieved twice the dose of army worm killer. I was determined to kill those army worms - dead!

Needless to say, my adventure in army worm attack turned out well. For a while there, we thought I burnt the grass, but fortunately, it was determined to survive. We caught the ambush in time! And, with our quick thinking (and special food), the army worms were no longer a threat to our lawn... until this year (we'll get to that in a minute).

In 1 Peter 5:8, we are asked to "be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." Well, here's what I think... we need to be on alert. Even when things look great - correction - especially when things look great, the devil is waiting to ambush!

Now, let's think about this. Would the army worms attack my lawn if was brown? NO! Army worms like fresh green foliage. To attack a brown yard, would be to attack one they'd already won. Its the same with the devil. When things are stinky and I am not in God's word, why would the devil fool with me? I mean, he's already won. But, when life is good and my relationship is thriving, he seeks to ambush. Then, sometime, in the middle of the night, he sneaks in and turns my green, plush relationship into a brown, gritty mess.

As previously mentioned, I won my battle with the army worms... last year. And, this year - I'm feeling pretty great. No army worms, green grass... life is good. And, then, in the middle of the night - brown grass, again. And, I see - the worms!

So, what's the moral of the story? You can conquer the worms once, you can conquer them twice (which I did), but they are coming back. And, sometimes, they leave scars on your lawn (like a big brown patch in the back yard). Same with the devil - we can conquer him once; we can conquer him twice, but he's on the look-out. And, if we are not alert, he will brown scars on our life.

So, beware the worms are coming - are you ready? And, are you alert?

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Pants on the Ground

2010-07-14T09:58:00.001-04:00

I am a teacher by profession, some would say a teacher by design. And, in my daily routine I am currently privy to touch the lives of approximately 130 ninth grade students - not all of whom seek God daily.

In my four year stint of teaching, I can honestly say that approximately 500 students have entered my room and experienced my quirky behavior day in and day out for at least the required 180 days. But, even with my experience, my calling, and my education courses, nothing could compare me for one faithful May day in my teaching career...

So, let me set the scene -
in my classroom we are diligently working on mathematics projects. Students are working in pairs around the room as I float from group to group answering questions. It is nothing unusual for students to walk to the front of the classroom for supplies off the supply table, so I thought nothing of it when my precious student (We'll call him Sam) headed that way.

Next thing I know, to my shock and horror - his pants are on the ground! There he is, at the front of my room, standing alone... with no pants, sporting his underwear and proudly holding gym shorts in one hand. Naturally, like any calm, rational teacher would - I stop (eyes wide... seriously considering what to do) and say, Sam, honey, just what are you doing? And, casually, he replies, I am changing into my gym shorts. Mrs. A - we have basketball today. It's my favorite and I just don't think I'll have time to change before class.

Then, it hit me - Sam didn't see a problem with sporting his underwear in class. To him, it made perfect sense to change clothes for gym right in the front of my mathematics class. He saw what he needed and made it happen, without thinking of the consequences. (Needless to say, poor Sam had some sad consequences for changing in class that day.)

So, I guess now you are saying - what does this random story have to do with God? Well, let me tell you. Sam taught me several valuable lessons -

1. Not everyone knows what is right.
In Ephesians 4:18, we learn nonbelievers are "darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them..." As sad as it is, not everyone knows Jesus. And, not everyone knows what is right and what is wrong. Although Sam is a great kid, he is lost. And, as a believer it my responsibility to "live as a Child of the light... and find out what pleases God." (Esph. 5:8-9) As a believer, I need to understand that not everyone knows what is right, but it is my responsibility to share with the non-believer. As a Christian, I am held to a greater standard. And, with that greater standard comes great responsibility - I am required to share.

2. Sometimes, we need to jump in - see what we need; make it happen, without thinking of the consequences.
Let me explain - sometimes God calls us to the unthinkable. And, us, being the rational people we are - instead of listening to God, we listen to ourselves. Instead of thinking, God knows best... we know best. And, we weight out what appears to be our consequences rather than realizing God knows our consequences and chose them for us. In Isaiah 6:8, it states, "here I am; send me!" How often do we just volunteer? I mean, think about it - God wants us to share the gospel, simple enough, right? Instead of jumping in, we weigh our "consequences." What if they think I'm stupid? What if they make fun of me? What if they say no? And, instead, we should just jump in to what we need to do; make it happen, and trust God with the consequences.

Now, don't place your pants on the ground... Just follow God!

And, in light of this story... I thought is best to share the American Idol Pants on the Ground song... just in case you need a laugh. Click the link below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tMwhl4IrPNc

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Your stories are LAME

2010-07-13T12:16:00.001-04:00

If you know me, you know I am not one to let other people talk. Or, I guess you could say - I talk alot. Although Andrew would beg to differ, I am not a fan of my own voice. And, there are times when I have to stop and say, "really, dana, do you really think other people really want to listen to your stories?" (Emphasis on the really...)

According to my husband, I have an uncanny way of telling "funny stories" that are lame. In fact, I've been banned from starting a sentence with - "I have a really funny story" or "guess what funny thing happened to me today"... those phrases are a death sentence to my already fragile ability to create humor. And, upon a weak moment, when I use my funny phrase, Andrew's eyes immediately glaze over. He knows my story is not funny... probably pointless and a waste of time. After all, I've proven my pre-referenced humor doesn't exist. In short, he tunes me out. Now, let's be honest - we've all tuned someone out. Whether it be when a "funny story" arises, when our favorite tv show is on... or just when we don't feel like listening; we nod, we smile... and we have no clue what is being said.

This morning, I read Hebrews 4. In verse 2 it states, "for we also have had the gospel preached to us, just as they did; but the message they heard was a no value to them, because those who heard did not combine it with faith." WOW - now theres a deal breaker. To me, this verse simply said, "Dana - when you hear God's word and fail to act upon it... its like bringing home a funny story without the funny. Hardening your heart to God's word is not a way to start a conversation."

You see, scripture reading is a conversation with God. He talks, and in theory, we are supposed to listen. But, oftentimes, even the best of us, read half-heartedly. We find ourselves reading verse 12 over and over again without a clue as to what it says. Or, we read a verse, feel its inapplicable and fail to look for ways to act upon it. God speaks... and we tune Him out.

Now, God doesn't preface his stories with a "funny phrase" so you can rest assured his word is important. After all, He's proven again and again for it be so. So, why not start our conversation with open eyes, an open heart... and some ears ready to listen?!

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Diets and Attitudes

2010-07-12T20:31:00.001-04:00

Attitude is the little thing that makes a big difference - Winston Churchill

If you don't like something, change it; if you can't change it, change the way you think about it. - Mary Englebreit

Everyday may not be good, but there's something good in every day. - Author Unknown

Attitude - does it really make a difference? Well, sure. Think of a diet plan. Once I set up the parameters - no chocolate, no cake, no fried food, no chips, no fat, no sugar... until next year - the cravings begin. I never really want to eat poorly until I cannot. And, then, my negative attitude toward dieting helps me to fail.

Then, I think of the little engine that could.... his "I think I can; I think I can; I think I can..." helped him to climb a hill... the seemingly impossible. Yes, attitude can make a difference.

In Philippians 2:5, we learn about Christ's attitude -
Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus
Who, being in very nature, God
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made Himself nothing
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness,
And, being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and being obedient to death -
even death on a cross!

Jesus' attitude allowed Him to go to the cross, to die for me and for you! Was this exactly what Jesus dreamed of? No! In fact, He looked for another way. But, upon realizing the only hope we had was for Him to die, Jesus accepted His fate with open arms. He openly and positively allowed Himself to go from King to servant... so I could live.

Attitude took Jesus to the cross. Attitude made a significant difference in His life and mine. Attitude - it is everything. It does make a difference.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

The Yellow Lab

2010-07-11T20:39:00.001-04:00

My precious dog Olive has a friend visiting - and this yellow labrador simply will not leave me alone. She follows me everywhere... I mean, even into the shower.

All day she looks at me with those sweet puppy eyes; she relies on me for water, food, a potty breaks... and she barely even knows me. She just knows I am her current caretaker and she is sticking by me through it all.

Then, there is Olive. She knows I am here. She knows the water bowl will be full and all her needs are taken care of - she's been there, done that... and doesn't need to follow me around to know that all will be taken care of.

Both girls remind me of myself... and both illustrate a unique aspect of the Christian life.

There are times when I cling to the word of God - I follow His every word, hang on His voice... trodding only one step behind as God unfolds His vast plan before me. There are times when I need to see God, feel God - just as the visiting labrador needs me. There are times when I must see God to have complete faith in Him.

There are other times when I trust God, but I am not trodding one step behind. I am living life, checking in with God. He is taking care of me, even though I cannot always see Him or feel Him - I know He is there. I, like Olive, trust my caretaker even when He is not visible.

But, in both cases - there is a caretaker that provides for my needs. For without Him, I do not eat; I do not drink... and there are no potty breaks. Regardless of my feelings or place in life, God is always there right when I need Him.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Hungry

2010-07-10T17:15:00.001-04:00

The Psalmist cries out, "I say to God my Rock, why have you forgotten me?...." (Psalm 42:9)

I think we all reach a point of longing, whether we long for fame, fortune, a new car, a new house, a new job... a new life, whatever it may be... we long. We are apprehensive, anxious, wondering "is there more to life than this?" We wake up longing.... longing for something.... not knowing exactly what it is that will fill our thirsty souls. But, we do know one thing - we need it. And, we need it now.

We spend hours, days, even years searching for that.... that thing, whatever it is. We spend countless dollars looking... and yet, at the end of the day - we are still longing... longing for the next car, the next house, the next job... whatever....

Even as a Christian, there are days when I think - "is this it? really? but, there's got to be more..." Even as a Child of God, there are days when I feel empty.

Is is wrong? I don't think so. Sometimes I just feel forgotten.

But, deep in my core, I know I am remembered. On days of forgottenness - days of longing - I put my hope in One that proved over and over and over again that He is faithful. The God who once filled me continues to fill my soul. And, I put my faith in the Rock that I stood firmly upon many times before. On days when I am downcast, lonely, and in need of something... I seek my God.

And, on those days... I cannot help but sing aloud a faithful praise and worship song - (Check it out on youtube - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8xFkXgthZLU)

Hungry, I come to you for I know you satisfy
I am empty, but I know your love does not run dry...
So, I wait for You. I wait for You.
I'm falling on my knees... offering all of me.
Jesus, you're all this heart is living for.

When you are hungry - to whom do you run? When you are empty - for what do you long?

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Cactus vs. Liana -

2010-07-09T09:01:00.001-04:00

On my porch are two welcome baskets with flowers inviting all to enter, well, theoretically - my flowers are dead. (I am unsure what message that sends.) I've debated about planted cacti, but do I really want to welcome people with an uninviting plant? I don't think so. Although this logic seems fairly normal when it comes to plants, we often fail to apply it to our lives.

Despite our best efforts, we often present ourselves to God and the world as cacti - and why? Cacti are caloused and lonely plants - certainly not welcoming. And, this harsh demeanor, unfortunately, carries into our daily life, whether or not we realize it.

We fail to drink daily from the word, for we can survive on little or no water (so we think).
We fail to let others in, after all - we need to be tough on the outside - no one really needs to know our true feelings.
We often do not share our joys, our hurts, our excitements with others as we should.
And, we just stand there, looking tough, not inviting those around us to experience the JOY we have found in Christ, probably because we don't know how to experience it ourselves.
Or, We have the knowledge inside and we are hording it - keeping it away from the world.

Isaiah 12:3 states, "with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation!" So, why not be a plant that loves water? Why not be inviting, connecting others to the water source?

Lianas are vines that live all over the rainforest, connecting trees together and allowing animals to move freely. They begin as a small self-supporting shrubs, deeply rooted in the fertile soil, often desiring support from the plants around them. Since the liana is well rooted, it grows quickly, allowing it to give back to the environment by connecting others. And, a liana, of course, needs water to grow.

Like us, the liana needs a strong beginning. We need a saving faith in Christ.
And, as it grows, the liana realizes it cannot fully support itself - we too need support through Christian friends, church and Jesus, our Lord and Savior.
As the liana develops it begins making connections, helping the world around it. And, eventually, the liana becomes and integral part of its community - helping others. We too must use our fertile roots to help those around us. We need to draw from the well of salvation and establish connections to our world.

But, we must remember - to make a difference, we must have firm roots in our salvation - otherwise, we cannot grow.

So, the question is - am I a cactus or a liana? It is impossible to be both. Which one will I chose?

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Thirsty -

2010-07-08T21:07:00.000-04:00

I must admit - I am not an athlete, but something inside of me feels the need to run.

I am getting ahead of myself.... I should probably start from the beginning...
As a non-athlete, out of shape, busy woman, I struggle to exercise everyday. There is, of course, a need to be healthy, the desire to fit into my jeans, and the hope of feeling less guilty for eating that extra biscuit or piece of chocolate cake. So, sometimes I crawl, sometimes I walk - the fifteen feet upstairs to get on my elliptical machine and there I struggle to complete one hour of the fatburn workout. Its torture, its hot, and I get really thirsty. Embarrassingly enough there are days when, half way through, I have to stop, get off, and get a glass of water. There is something about diligent work and sweat that makes me really thirsty. And, after my hour is up, even with my lack of energy, I run to the sink. After all, exercise makes me thirsty.

In God's word, Isaiah asks "all you who are thirsty" to come, to "come to the waters." And, I am thirsty. I think David put it best in Psalm 42 when he wrote, "as the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God." How can I not be thirsty? After one day in my life, I need a refreshment. After cooking, cleaning, organizing, working, and everything else... I am thirsty. Just like my hour workout leaves me seeking more, so my life leaves me seeking more. My thirst must be quenched... and its my choice how I quench it. Do I choose God? Do I run to Him? So, the question isn't - do you need a drink? The question is - how do you quench your thirst? To whom or what do you run when you are thirsty?

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1