Where Treasure Lives

The voice of a woman among the community of believers is more often misunderstood or ignored completely than the voice of a man.  I'm under no illusions as to that fact.  This is not because godly men don't desire to consider a feminine view, it's just part of the repercussions of  The Fall. Godly men will deny this fact on one hand and then immediately confirm it with commentaries about a woman's unpredictability during the course of her menstrual cycle.

As women, we may believe that the only way for us to prove our reliability is to effectively crush the very things which define our femininity. Little wonder that feminism has taken this approach in recent years.  Woman? What woman?  I don't see a woman here, just a human who has a female body, but NO, she's never governed by anything but reason and logic.  But that is a catch 22 isn't it, since such a woman isn't considered feminine, womanly.

We have a unique position as women in the body of Christ.  Often, it can feel like a position of powerlessness.  This isn't true at all. The reality is that we have tremendous influence, but rarely, if ever, direct influence and that may explain why we have the impression of powerlessness.

Mary, the mother of Jesus must have felt this very strongly.  As a Jewish woman in her time, she would have been relegated to the status of property,service and second class citizen by, not just her husband, but the community as a whole.  Within that brand of societal pressure, she was asked by God himself to bear and raise, together with Joseph, the Child who would change the world.

Perhaps it is important to consider that framework as we view Mary's response to the birth of her very precious Son.

But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart. Luke 2:19

Today's 1st World woman might be inclined to post it on Facebook, write a blog entry, invite the media or perhaps author a book. At the very least, she'd want to host a party. But Mary simply gathered up all the bits and pieces that God himself offered her and started a treasure box inside the confines of her heart where they would be safe from harm.

What does it mean to treasure and ponder? We can't know for certain, but as I've considered Mary's actions (it is said that she does this several times throughout the narratives) I've sought to learn how to treasure the things the Lord shows me.  The idea puts me in mind of another decidedly Jewish practice, that of placing stones of remembrance. Samuel does this in 1 Samuel 7:12 as a way to remind the people of God's faithfulness.

Each time the Lord opens our ears to hear His voice whisper truths, let us ponder those words and then set them alongside our other treasures as Mary did. Surely, there will be many times in the future when we'll have a need to go through our stored treasure as we watch our world crumbling around us.  I envision Mary doing just that as she watched her Son on the Cross.  The truths that she had pondered and stored all those years ago must have served to give her strength when she needed it most.

I'm hoping that the treasure I've stored will serve to influence you by the power of the Spirit of God. I'm opening up my treasure box today and sharing with you the jewel which I seem to have the most of.  This gem sparkles and shines and reminds me of who I really am in times when I begin to doubt.  This is the gem which whispers steadily and repeatedly 'I love you darling.'.  It's a phrase my Jesus frequently speaks to me and today I was reminded that He does this on purpose so I will store it carefully in my hearts treasure box.  I hope you too will store this truth in yours.

Elusive Light

O Lord, you have examined my heart

    and know everything about me.

You know when I sit down or stand up.

    You know my thoughts even when I’m far away.

You see me when I travel

    and when I rest at home.

    You know everything I do.

You know what I am going to say

    even before I say it, Lord.

You go before me and follow me.

    You place your hand of blessing on my head.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

    too great for me to understand!

I can never escape from your Spirit!

    I can never get away from your presence!

If I go up to heaven, you are there;

    if I go down to the grave, you are there.

If I ride the wings of the morning,

    if I dwell by the farthest oceans,

even there your hand will guide me,

    and your strength will support me.

I could ask the darkness to hide me

    and the light around me to become night—

    but even in darkness I cannot hide from you.

To you the night shines as bright as day.

    Darkness and light are the same to you.

You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

    and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

    Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it.

You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

    as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

You saw me before I was born.

    Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

    before a single day had passed.

How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

    They cannot be numbered!

I can’t even count them;

    they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

    you are still with me!

O God, if only you would destroy the wicked!

    Get out of my life, you murderers!

They blaspheme you;

    your enemies misuse your name.

O Lord, shouldn’t I hate those who hate you?

    Shouldn’t I despise those who oppose you?

Yes, I hate them with total hatred,

    for your enemies are my enemies.

Search me, O God, and know my heart;

    test me and know my anxious thoughts.

Point out anything in me that offends you,

    and lead me along the path of everlasting life.

Psalm 139

The light of evening holds an elusive quality.  Sometimes?  No, all of the time.  It runs away like a cheeky child hiding in the bushes but then, when it's good and ready, comes bolting back out with a command that you be ready to play once again.

One might be tempted to say that spiritual fervor is this way too.  It seems all too ardent one moment then still and dead the next.

So what do you and I do when our fervor seems to have lost its lustre? For many years, I thought the answer was to just try harder.  To be honest, that is what I heard from respected Christian leaders. 

If you aren't feeling God's presence then you need to dig in to the Word and prayer more. Better yet, work on your bible memorization, or perhaps what you really need is to serve!  Have you considered 'Children's Ministry', they always need people!!

While each of these are good practices, I'm not sure that we can pin our spiritually darkened periods to how many good spiritual disciplines we have under our pious belts.

Let me pitch and idea out there for you to consider and you let me know if it rings true.  I think our fervor is dependent more on how intimate we are with the object of our fervor.  Think for a moment about someone with whom you have a relationship.  I mean a close relationship. Do you have that person in your mind? Ok, what is it that causes you to feel fulfilled in that relationship?

Is it that you've memorized facts about the person?  Is it that you read things about that person?  Is it that you have one way conversations with that person where you do all the talking and they simply listen?  Is it that you serve other people on that person's behalf so they will notice your kind heart?

Or is it that you spend time with that person, so much time that you can finish each other's thoughts?  Is it that you can look at your special someone and know how they are feeling and know exactly how to respond to them as a result?  Is it when you do things, even normal everyday things, together? Is it when you serve other people together?  Is it when you know them so well that you understand their motivations for whatever they do and even when you don't like what they do, you still like who they are because you get each other's hearts?

That is how we think of people that we care about, but is it how we think about relationship with God?  We may be able to recite His characteristics, but have we experienced those characteristics in such a way that we trust His heart? The Word tells us about God's character, but it is time spent with Him, knowing His character personally that allows us to love Him. It is when we are in such intimacy that we have listened to Him as He shares His emotions with us that we can begin to say we KNOW HIM.

This is why David wrote the way he did in the Psalms.  He poured out his heart, his anguish, his worry, his confusion, but always, he came back to words of praise and trust, not because it was so much information that he'd taken in, but because Jehovah God and David had walked together and talked together and lived together in intimacy.  This was not some theoretical intimacy, this was real! In Psalm 139, David trusted His God to carefully search the innermost workings of his heart for what might be ugly and sinful.  We will never do that with someone that we don't know intimately, that we don't trust completely!

We've all heard sermons on how to get intimate with our Father.  Usually, they include recommendations for spiritual disciplines in one form or another.  These are important parts of the Christian life, but they are not a substitute for spending time with the actual person of Father God, the actual person of Jesus Christ or the actual person of the Holy Spirit.

The light, the True Light is elusive because we simply don't let Him into our Christian activity.  We have moments when we do this, perhaps during worship, perhaps as we look out over a roaring sea or a storm wracked sky.  But these are exceptions.  We do not daily expect to exchange personal thoughts, heart desires, hurts and joys with the Lord Himself. We don't anticipate His voice speaking directly to us.  And so the light wanes.

Today, expect Him to respond when you talk to Him, and then simply listen.  What is He saying?

What is Glory Anyway???

But when one turns to the Lord,

the veil is removed. 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, 

and where the Spirit of the Lord is,

there is freedom. 

And we all, with unveiled face,

beholding the glory of the Lord,

are being transformed into the same

image from one degree of glory to another.

For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 3:16-18 (ESV)

I have spent hour upon hour contemplating the glory of the Lord.  Mostly, my reason for this was because it was something I simply didn't understand,........but I wanted to.  Glory seemed to me to be a mystery.

The only way I was at all able to explain God's Glory was by borrowing the language found in passages like Isaiah 6:1-6 or Revelation 4.  Grand images of throne rooms and robes, angelic hosts and light beyond imagining were the place of beginning for me. The sound of the voices of the angels alone seem like they would cause an onlooker to faint dead away.  But when the voice of the One is heard........well how can that be comprehended?!

Recently, I was reading an entry from Oswald Chambers 'My Utmost For His Highest'. (the entry was January 23rd, if you're interested) The devotional itself was very impacting, but I'm a bit of a rebel and cannot simply leave my study at only a snippet of Scripture which appears to be plopped down out of context.  'What Else Does It Say!!??' screams my inquisitive mind.

So I spent a bit of time in 2 Corinthians 3 to learn what was the context.  In the end, I had to agree that Mr. Chamber's people had well chosen the passage that was being illuminated. Here it is again,

And we all, with unveiled face,beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit.

What grabbed me was the idea that beholding His glory brings about transformation. Because my concept of glory was fixed on the idea of grandeur and majesty, I have often felt at a loss as to how exactly to be transformed by that glory. I pondered over this a while longer and then did what I've been training myself to do, I asked Jesus.  Here was my question. 

"Jesus, I want to behold your glory, but I am not always sure how to accomplish this.  How do you want to show me Your glory right now?"

I am lately in the habit of asking Jesus questions like this and then sitting quietly and listening in my heart for what He would say.  On this occasion, he caught me by surprise.  The first line from Chamber's devotional said "The outstanding characteristic of a Christian is this unveiled frankness before God so that the life becomes a mirror for other lives." 

As I considered that, I realized that being unveiled and frank implies being open as to what I really think about Him and then inviting Him to correct whatever needs correcting. In this instance, here is how Jesus corrected me.

Where I thought glory was meant to be bright and shiny, He reminded me that He'd been an ordinary carpenter and yet that He'd displayed God's glory every day of His life.  Where I thought it involved angelic songs, He reminded me that it simply meant a quiet touch and a kind word to one who is hurting. Where I thought it required weird creatures circling above an impossibly large throne, Jesus reminded me that it was simply when His sheep hear His voice and come to Him.

And when it was time to be personal, He reminded me that His glory is displayed in ME every time a new and healthy response comes out of me that looks like Jesus' reflection.  Throwing out my old ways of thinking, the ones that weighed me down is a reflection of Jesus' glory in me.

He reminded me that my definition of glory needed some refining too, right alongside of me.  I wonder, what other definitions are in need of some tweaking?  Today, I invite you to ask Jesus the question I asked. If He shows you something you hadn't seen before, I do hope you'll share it with me.

The Goodness We Sometimes Miss

“Ask, and it will be given to you; 

seek, and you will find; 

knock, and it will be opened to you. 

For everyone who asks receives, 

and the one who seeks finds, 

and to the one who knocks it will be opened. 

Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, 

will give him a stone? 

Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? 

If you then, who are evil, 

know how to give good gifts to your children, 

how much more will your Father 

who is in heaven give good things 

to those who ask him!

Matthew 7:7-11(ESV)

Recently, I was reading in Matthew, in particular, Chapters 6 and 7. Having begun with 7:7-11 and working backwards, I realized that much of the sermon on the mount is meant to help Father's children recognize the goodness of His heart toward them. 

I've spent more time than I care to remember worrying over many things. Sometimes those are related to provision, though not terribly often that. Sometimes it related to what someone else was doing and whether it was the 'right' thing to do, asking whether they were in God's will or not. Many more times, I was concerned with whether or not I was 'in God's will' or doing the 'right thing'. 

This morning, as I considered this passage, I was blown away by the unfathomable sea of goodness that the Father invites me to wade in. 

It's His goodness towards me. 

His heart towards me is always that I would know He is on my side, that He is offering protection, provision and blessings. It may not always be material blessing (though it often includes this) but primarily, His desire is that I fully understand His goodness toward me. He tips up my chin so that I look at His face and see His eyes sparkling down at me in delight. 

His gaze is fixed on me not because of my goodness or that I am 'in His will', but simply because I am His child and He delights in me. It is out of this experiential knowledge that my service to Him grows and is perfected. As I receive His goodness for me, I can share it generously with those around me.

Father God is for me and He is FOR YOU. His desire is that you and I know we are accepted as we are, fully. Does He want to sanctify us? Of course!!! But He does this through the filter of His love and provision for us. So many things we worry about as Jesus says in the chapters mentioned above, but what Father wants is for us to know He provides all we need out of His Fatherly love toward us, his child.

Spend some time soon in what is known as The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) and look there for the goodness of God through the words of Jesus.  Don't let that goodness be something you've missed.

Today, Do You Hear His Voice?

Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says,

“Today, if you hear his voice,

do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion,

on the day of testing in the wilderness,

where your fathers put me to the test

and saw my works for forty years.

Therefore I was provoked with that generation,

and said, ‘They always go astray in their heart;

they have not known my ways.’

As I swore in my wrath,

‘They shall not enter my rest.’”

Hebrews 3:7-11

Recently, I was praying together with a woman over an issue that the two of us shared. As we prayed, we were seeking Jesus to help us understand why we were so prone to sin in one particular area. We began with one question, asking Jesus to speak to us right there. I was able to hear what Jesus had to say to me and I wrote it down. But my friend was frustrated, unable to hear.

I asked her a few questions to try and determine what was keeping her from hearing in this case and ultimately we came to another issue where she had a question. That question was keeping her from actually listening to Jesus in the first question. I prompted her to ask this second question and to do so out loud. As she quieted her mind and asked the Lord Jesus her question, something wonderful happened. She HEARD Him speak an answer to her heart. 

In both questions, I too asked the Lord, quietly what He wanted to say to me and I received an answer quietly each time.

Once that question was answered, we returned to the first question. Again, I encouraged her to ask the question aloud. This time, she clearly heard the answer again, almost before the question itself was fully formed. I could see the joy on her face in discovering that Jesus not only listens to her prayers but is willing to answer her directly in a voice she is able to recognize.

In that moment, my friend and I were able to enter a place of rest in the Lord's provision for our situation. Our hearts were soft to hear His response and the result was hope and rest that we would be able to move forward and overcome the thing that kept tripping us up. We both realized that this was part of a process, but it was a hopeful process. 

When we were nearly finished, she asked me why I was able to hear while I silently asked my question and she seemed to need to ask it aloud. I admired her courage and honesty in asking. Not everyone is willing to ask a question like that. Here is how I responded: 'I've been doing this for many years, training myself to ask my heart's questions. In the beginning, I learned to do it with the aid of a mentor and it was done aloud just like you did. But now that my 'hearing' has become keener, I am able to do it on my own and in my spirit. At the same time, when I am really struggling, I still go to my mentor and she helps me ask the questions that my heart struggles to ask. It's just another part of the process.'

I'd like to invite you to join my friend and I in learning how to ask for wisdom and then listen, with a heart and ears that are ready to hear what He has to say to you. The result will be rest.

On Pruning

I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples. John 15:1-8 (ESV)

Today, I resolved to begin working on the mess that is my yard, as I shared the other day.  So, with pruning shears in hand, I set out into the wild desert that is my circle drive.

Not much grows on my land that isn't a cactus of some kind, but one of the items that does is known as Brittle Bush.  It's, as you might expect, a very brittle and low growing bush.  It's got a very unique silvered green leaf and a grey stem.  In the Spring when we've had good rainfall the desert erupts all over with an abundance of yellow blooms from this unassuming little plant.

But, like with most flowers, when it shrivels it is considerably less beautiful.  Usually, the stems, which shoot out about 8 inches from the plant, turn into something a bit like straw and they just stay there until something brushes passed with enough force to break them off.

In the case of those in my front yard, they are quite well intact.  Last year being a good bloom, they are quite full of straw. An unpruned plant looks like this.

I looked out over the mass of unpruned plants and thought 'This could take a while!'.  And I started in on the first one I came to.  I'm asking myself as I proceed if this is worth the effort?  I'm still not sure in this case whether it is or it isn't, but in the process, I learned a few things which I thought I'd share with you.

• Pruning is back-breaking work.  It requires bending over and carefully examining the plant in question
• The gardener must be very patient, following each stem or branch to be pruned to it's original source if she wants an attractive result
• The gardener must be slow and methodical as she goes over the entire plant, not skipping any part.
• The gardener is often taking a risk of injury herself as a plant often will snag the gardeners hands  as she does the work.  This is especially true of the thorny plants like rose bushes.
• The gardener has to be aware not just of what she is pruning, but also what is around her so as not to injure herself or the plants that are around her.  
• Sometimes the decision of what to cut off is a bit difficult as something can seem healthy but the gardener may realize that it will actually hinder the plants growth if she continues.

All this made me think of the way Jesus is with us as he prunes away the dead wood, that which isn't producing any sort of fruit or which makes us ugly. He must be patient and slow and methodical as he works. I may bleed a bit when He prunes me, just as a plant produces sap to cover over the pruned area. But I will heal and I will grow stronger in the end. And ultimately, it is Jesus, the Master Gardener who is doing the work of pruning, NOT ME, the plant.  

The end result is a clearer version of the original.  It's no longer defined by all that is hiding it, now it is defined by it's true self, the parts which are alive and healthy and are now ready to produce afresh.

Differences Should Drive us to Christ and Ultimately, to Unity

If you are like me, you've noticed that even among God's people there are an awful lot of differences.  We can usually accept some level of difference of personality, or difference of appearance, or difference of preference.  However, a difference of opinion?  Watch out!

When differences of opinion (or what we deem to be the 'right' way to think/do/speak/feel) surface, we get might touchy!  And often, we become downright angry and resentful.  This is especially true when someone else's different way of doing things affects us directly.

It's true that the world speaks a great deal about tolerance, but the reality is, even within the secular world, the tolerance only extends as far as what seems to not affect others in a direct manner.  (We could certainly discuss some different interpretations of 'effect' but lets not for today.)

I believe God would love to speak to His people, in partiular, about how we are to accept one another's differences.  I've seen in my own relationships, in my church family and among the people of God as a whole that differences bring separation and I believe this deeply grieves the heart of God.

Jesus was pretty specific about this concept in John:

“My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message,  that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me.  I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me. 

John 17:20-23 (NIV)

God desires unity among His people.  If that is the case, how do we deal with the differences of opinion?  And for that matter, why does He even give us these differences?

Do you know how many times I've asked God to just sort of brainwash me so that I could think the way 'John Smith' thinks instead of always battling in my mind about how 'John Smith' might be 'doing it wrong'?  Well, I can tell you, it's a LOT of times.  A LOT!! (maybe this is especially difficult for women since our position within the church is not one of leadership?)

But I am coming to believe that God has a unique purpose in allowing these differences.  We know that God works all things together for the good of those who love him and are called according to His purpose(Rom 8:28).  So that has to include all the differences right?

I believe that what God calls His people to do is this: when there are differences  significant enough to breed contention, he desires us to take our frustration, our resentment, our concern, our anger.....all of it.....directly to Jesus and ask Him to deal with it.

And leave it there.

Our differences are intended to cause us to more carefully look to Jesus as the author and perfector of our faith.  They are NOT intended to divide us, or cause us to hold resentments, or to avoid people, or to hate people.  They are there to bring us to the end of ourselves so that we can begin to look more like Jesus.  Ultimately, they are meant to bring us to a point of humble unity.

Yes, there are times when we do have to confront things that are in error, but have we first really left it with Jesus and waited for Him to point us to a godly confrontation?

These things are very much a part of what allows us to truly  and unconditionally love the people around us.  May we wholehearted seek unity through submission first to Christ our Lord.

Is it Fear?

If you read my blog yesterday, you know that I wrote a very short post about something I'd read in an Eldredge book that is ministering to me this week.

When I did that, I neglected to mention that Eldredge is sometimes a bit controversial (it was brought to my attention by a precious friend, thank you sister).  He gets accused of all sorts of things, depending on the particular group pointing the finger, but sometimes, it is as serious as heresy.

Now, I've read quite a few of his books and I don't believe that the man is a heretic, however, I do understand why he gets accused of it.  I think what it boils down to is that what he writes of tends to be difficult for some people to understand personally.

He's kind of a touchy feely guy.  He leans toward the mystical and that just freaks a lot of Christians out altogether.  He talks alot about emotions and wounds and how all of that plays out in our lives.  He speaks of the cosmic battle as if he understands it and has been involved in fighting it actively, as if he's a warrior alongside his warrior princess (that would be his wife Stasi). I've noticed over the years that such talk tends to make a lot of Christians extremely uncomfortable.

And often, when something makes a Christian uncomfortable, he's very sorely tempted to point a finger and scream heresy.

What people are uncomfortable with varies greatly from one person to the next.  For example, many conservatives are very discomfitted when they see tongues being practiced in the church.  Most groups are a little freaked out when people are manifesting or casting out demons.  Some more liberal churches get really anxious when you begin to define sin and name specific sins.  Charasmatic churches are a bit put out when you point out things about 'order in the church' from Scripture.  Evangelicals wig out if a woman is ministering.

Each group has its areas where we get leary of another point of view.  Have you ever wondered why?

Why are we so certain that our interpretation is right?

Why are we often unwilling to even hear another point of view?

Why are we so ready to point a finger at another group of God's children and label them as wrong, disobedient or flat out heretics when they see things from a different perspective?

Are we so very convinced that we have a corner on the market of hearing from God?  That our group is the one group that has ALL of it's interpretations in proper order with the stamp of approval from Christ himself?

I'd like to suggest that it is FEAR that is the author of such suspicious attitudes.  I'd like to suggest that we have given in to fear when we will not respect our brothers and sisters in Christ from other points of view enough to really consider their perspectives.  We become afraid because......what if THEY are RIGHT?  What if the way I've always looked at it turns out to be wrong, misguided, inaccurate or worse.....HERESY?

And so, like the Pharisees, we hide in our little Christian box.  It might be stamped Evangelical Free, or Methodist, or Catholic, or Baptist (Fundemental, Southern, Missionary, etc), Lutheran, Assemblies of God.  Whatever our brand, it's where we are comfortable. And the reason we are comfortable is because we are convinced that it's the 'right' way to think/believe.

Fear keeps us separated.  Fear controls us, our thoughts, what we are willing to consider.  Fear locks us up in a box not of God's making.  Fear causes us to hate.

I don't mean to say that we should just believe everything that is out there with no discernment.  But I do mean to challenge you to consider whether the reason that  you won't even look at a different POV in matters of faith is really just because of fear.  Our God is big enough to answer our questions when we come to Him in humility.  If our goal as individuals is to seek Him with all our heart, mind, soul and strength, then can't we trust Him to allow us to find Him?  And can't we also trust Him to do the same for the rest of His children as well.

Make a list, check it twice

Without giving too much away, I'd like to share a little about a recent class I took.  You may have heard of it.  It's called Ella's Boot Camp and really is a wonderful class.  There are a total of twelve modules covering design principles, journaling ideas and photo editing tips.  Plus, there are an additional 6 modules that offer extra tips.

I highly recommend you check it out.  It was live last week so I'm not sure if it will continue to be offered after this week or not but I really think you ought to check it out.

I have been inspired to create 3 layouts already and I have about 10 more in mind just from this class.

The layout I'd like to share with you today is a list of Guiding Principles. Without the prompts I would have had a tough time doing this but I am sooo glad that I did.  I can't wait to do this again in a few years and see whether I've changed or stayed the same.

I used the Glee Club kit from Studio Calico again. (been on a role with that kit!)

I am hoping to increase my list of trusty followers so if you haven't already, I sure would appreciate it if you'd click the little 'Will you Follow Me?' button please.

As always, thanks for taking the time to visit with me today and I hope your day is filled with beauty!

His Wonders NEVER Cease

Clearly, it's been too long.  I guess I'm not a wonderful blogger.  The truth is, I'm not a terribly well organized person.  Not sure if that is good or bad but it is true.  I am guessing it is both good and bad in some respect or other.


So I just wanted to post a few things that I've been thinking on lately.  Really it is just a jumble of thoughts that I'm pouring out all over you.  They are connected but separate and have come from a variety of places with most of them being not my own original thought.


I'll start with today's thought which comes from the book of Ecclesiastes and was brought forward in my Bible study called The Lord's Table which I think is one of the most profound studies I've ever done.  So, here it is:
Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. Go near to listen, rather than to offer the sacrifice of fools, who do not know that they do wrong. Do not be quick with your mouth; do not be hasty in your heart to utter anything before God. God is in heaven, and you are on earth, so let your words be few. Much dreaming, and many words are meaningless. Therefore stand in awe of God! — Ecclesiastes 5: 1-2,7


This one grabbed me because I am just wondering how often my words are nothing more than the sacrifice of fools.  Sobering words to be sure.


Second was a quote I heard on K-Love yesterday and I thought it was quite profound.  The question posed was 'What if this morning, you woke up with only the things you had thanked God for yesterday?'  I can tell you that I immediately began to thank and praise God for the amazing array of blessings he's given me.  I included my health, a voice to sing and speak, the contents of my home and my home itself, my car which runs and can transport my entire family comfortably, my husband, my friends and family, the people in my life who challenge me, the ability to move and walk and so forth.  The list goes on and on.  What are you thanking God for??


Finally, a thought I had on vacation was that every single person, no matter how great or how small, from Barack Obama to the newest baby each are equal in the sight of God.  Each has struggles either presently, behind them or in front of them. Each will have insecurity and fear.  Each will want to be liked and will worry over that. No one person is better than another.  For real!...No, I MEAN it!  This is not a philosophical thought, it's a fact.  But we don't act based on that fact most of the time.  It ought to create compassion and understanding and love for others.

And here is a photo of an amazing Rainbow coupled with sunset that happened just days ago in my back yard.  How wonderful is that?

Perfect.......loss

So I'm back on the 'losing' wagon lately. Actually, it's been about a week and I'm using a bible study that my lovely daughter Kaitlin showed me called The Lord's Table.  So far, I've lost 4 lbs, that's 4 lbs in one week. I'm pretty pleased with that rate. I really don't think I could ask for better. 

The most wonderful thing about it is that it brings me closer to God and I get some physical benefits on the side.  God's working in some pretty cool ways in my life so I am just blessed all around. 

I had lost about 27 lbs before Kitty's wedding and then put 15 of it back really quickly. So now I'm on my down again.  One of the things that's happened is that the Lord seems to have taken away my desire to drink Mt. Dew all day. (this has been a real issue for me to let go of)  Instead, I'm drinking water quite happily. This is completely new for me.  Yay God!!!

And let me share one more Layout with you.  This is another from the challenge that my friend Caz is running.  I have now completed 18 LO's with this one kit.  Hard to believe that it is the smallest kit I own.  I can see it is going to take me a long time to get through some of the others that I have.  Anyway, here is my LO titled 'Perfect Couple'. I love love love it.   I hated that pink ring paper but I am so happy with how this turned out.

How Many Times

I ask how many because I do wonder each time I set out to lose weight whether this will be the final time that I am embroiled so deeply in this particular battle.  I have really only tried very seriously two times that I can think of.  One was about 12 years ago when I did Weigh Down Workshop and the second was last year when I did the Eden Diet.

They are both very similar.  This time, I am doing Setting Captives Free, again, very similar.  The other two worked, but only for a season.  I lost about 70lbs the first time and 30lbs the second.  I felt good in both cases but lost motivation and went back to old habits quickly.  I've noticed between last time and this that I put on the weight much much faster today than I did 10 years ago.  That is disconcerting.  However, the weight did come off quickly this time and for that I am thankful.

The main difference with this particular program is that right off the bat, they speak of the need to have a proper, Godly motivaton for such an effort.  So today, I confess that in the past, my motivation has been my own self-idolotry and the desire to look good/feel good etc for myself.  I may have said it wasn't, but it was.  Today, I am praying for a new attitude.  I am praying that God will graft into my heart a desire to lose weight to His glory alone. I believe that if I can aquire and maintain such an attitude, the Lord will be in my efforts and they will be successful.

If I don't succeed, I think we will all know it's because my motives were wrong.  Pray for me!  Please.

On thankfulness and new pretties

I just thought I ought to pop in and share a little about the journey of thankfulness I've been taking.  I'm by no means feeling like I've got this wrapped up, but I am in process and that feels like a good thing.  Life is so full of mishaps and misunderstandings that thankfulness can quickly get lost in the mix. 

I'm feeling that the thing I'd like most to cultivate is the ability to feel thankful even in the middle of truly frustrating circumstances.  I've gotten to the point where I can speak out thanksgivings.  I can think about things I am thankful for, or ought to be thankful for.  However, feeling thankful is another thing entirely. 

Feeling thankful can sometimes seem elusive when my circumstances have me surrounded by tension and turmoil.  Even so, I believe that God desires to work in me an attitude of gratitude even during those all to frequent occasions when nothing seems to be going well and everybody's emotions seem tossed about in a hurricane of negative sentiment.

I know that He who began a good work in me will be faithful to complete it.

Here's a couple of my most recent LO's to share!