Is It Really Over Already???? VBS, TSC Style

We just finished my favorite week of the year – VBS (Vacation Bible School)!

I enjoyed VBS as a child, but I LOVE it as an adult.  I love everything about it.  Getting ready, learning the lessons and the music, decorating, the sights and sounds, the laughter and games, but most of all the Bible stories and watching the kids “get it”!  I love watching adults drop their inhibitions and act like kids and at OUR church, I love watching the Pastoral staff jump in and participate alongside of the kiddos as crew leaders and other leadership.

Here’s our very own Pastor Tom as Chadder – a VBS tradition that he loves as much as the kids!

And our Executive and Men’s Pastor, Duane Murray, who acted as a Crew Leader all week with a group of very active Preschool boys!

It’s Time to Stop Asking “What Would Jesus Do?”

Yes, you read that right.  I think it’s time to stop asking, “What would Jesus do?”

For years now, there has been a movement of people asking that question, but recently I’ve come to the realization that it may be time to stop asking the question and start studying what He actually DID!

An article in a Nashville area publication was recently brought to my attention that got me thinking about this even more…the article was critical of a couple of churches in our area, mine included, for the “outward indications” that others could drive by and see and implying that crosses in a yard in memory of aborted babies or flags in remembrance of our fallen soldiers and in support of our country are signs of the “judgmental attitude” of the people inside of the buildings.  The author’s answer to what he thought the church should be doing instead was one that is becoming more and more common:  LOVE.

Now understand me:  I am FULLY in agreement that scripture teaches that we are to love one another, whether the others are involved in known sin or not.  We ALL sin.  ALL of us.  There are no exceptions.  I am fully aware of that and I am in no way saying that I don’t or that it’s not a common occurrence.

But does the fact that we MIGHT offend someone mean that we sit back and don’t speak out against things that are clearly stated in God‘s Word as BEING wrong?

My biggest concern with all of the “LOVE” talk is that so many use the “love” argument as an excuse not to confront in issues of known sin.  But what about the one who is allowed to continue in their sin, for fear of “offending them” when what they need to hear is the message of forgiveness and salvation?  There are churches all over that are filled with people who THINK they are going to Heaven when they die because all they have ever heard is that “God loves you”.  They haven’t heard the message that He loves them and WANTS to spend eternity in Heaven with them, but they have a responsibility in the matter too!  Their part is to acknowledge their sin, turn from it and accept Jesus’ payment of the penalty FOR their sin.

But how can they hear that if they aren’t ever confronted with the fact that God SEES what they are doing AS SIN?

Is a doctor who takes the symptoms and signs of a single woman who is pregnant “judging” her when he tells her she is, indeed, pregnant?  NO!  He is simply taking the indications that he can see and that she tells him and comparing them to the standard that he knows, from his studies, to be true and making a diagnosis.

What about a car mechanic?  You take your car to him and tell him how the car is acting.  He may or may not also do some diagnostics.  When he takes the standard of how a car SHOULD function and compares it to the way it IS functioning and determines that you need new brakes, is he judging the way that you drive by telling you that you need new brakes?  NO!  He is simply using the facts that he knows and comparing them to the diagnostic tools that he has to determine that you need new brakes.

But in the case of the Dr., is it better for the Dr. to let the patient leave without giving his or her diagnosis, so that the Dr. doesn’t “offend” them by “judging” their lifestyle or is it the Dr.’s responsibility to tell her, “You are pregnant.”?

Or in the case of the Mechanic, is it better for him to let the customer leave without letting them KNOW that they have bad brakes, so he doesn’t “offend” the customer by “judging” the way they drive or is it his responsibility to tell the driver, “You REALLY need new brakes or you might injure yourself or others.”?

So, this is why I say we need to stop asking “What would Jesus do?”  We need to START asking, “What DID Jesus do?”

I think that far too often, when we ask “What would Jesus do?”, we base our answer to that question on what we THINK He would have done.  It’s time that we start paying more attention to what He DID while He worked and ministered amongst us.  What DID He do?

There are several passages in God’s Word that speak to this:

In Luke 5 (vs. 27-32), the Pharisees and teachers of the law confronted Jesus because they knew that He had spent time eating with “tax collectors and sinners”.  Jesus response, in verse 31-32 was, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance.”

When Jesus spoke to the Samaritan Woman at the Well in John 4, He asked her, knowing full well what her situation was, to “go get her husband and come back”.  When she responded and said that she didn’t have a husband, He said, “You are right when you say you have no husband.  The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband.  What you have just said is quite true.”  Then, He went on to teach her and challenge her in knowledge of the “coming Messiah” and told her that He was that man.  He called her to repentance and she left and brought others back to Him who then believed in Jesus because of her testimony!

And finally, in John 8, where scripture talks about Jesus’ forgiveness of an adulterous woman, Jesus was teaching and some of the “spiritual leaders” brought a woman before Him who had been caught in the very act of adultery.  There was no doubt of her guilt.  The leaders wanted to see how Jesus would handle it.  Instead of lighting in to the woman, Jesus “turned on them” in a way.  He picked up a stick and started to write in the dirt.  Now we don’t know exactly WHAT He wrote in the dirt, but I tend to think that He stood there and wrote sins that He knew the accusers had committed in the dirt in front of them all.  Rather than have Him call them out in front of everyone, they, as we say in the south, “turned tail and ran”.  When Jesus was done writing, He looked up and the only person left standing there was the accused woman.  Scripture then says that He simply looked at her and said, “Woman, where are they?  Has no one condemned you?”  “No one sir,” she said.  To which He replied, “Then neither do I condemn you.  Go now and leave your life of sin.”  This implies that they BOTH recognized her behavior as sin, indicating that He didn’t ignore the fact that there was sin involved, but He called her to repentance and sent her on her way.

My point?  Jesus was not afraid to confront sin.  He called it sin.  He asked those involved to acknowledge their sin, and then sent them on their way expecting their behavior to change.  No, we are not here to “judge”.  Only God will do that.  But we ARE expected to know what CONSTITUTES sin.  That is CLEARLY delineated for us in scripture.  It is our responsibility to KNOW what the standard is.  In order to do that, He left us an “instruction manual”.  If you don’t read it, you can’t know it.  If you don’t know it you can’t live it OR share it.

I am not judging when I know what God’s Word says and choose to follow it and encourage others to do the same.  I am not a “hater” simply because I don’t want to see others suffer the consequences of not following the instructions that Jesus left for us.  And there ARE and will be consequences.  That ALSO is clearly stated in God’s Word.  These aren’t MY rules, they are God’s.  They may or may not be “fair”, but that isn’t up to me.  I may or may not AGREE with them, but that doesn’t matter.  I don’t have a say in the matter.  The “say” is God’s and if you have a problem with it, He’s the one to take it up with!  🙂  I think He can handle it.

The ONLY way to truly LOVE is to do everything we can to bring others WITH us when we one day stand before Our Father in Heaven.  In order to that, we have to be willing to speak the truth as lovingly as we can, but we MUST NOT shy away from speaking the truth!

So, from here on out, I will be asking, “What would Jesus do?” much less frequently and asking, “What DID Jesus do?”  MUCH, MUCH more!  Will you join me?

Stop and Smell the Flowers…

I could make a lot of excuses, but let’s just say busy has been an understatement around my house lately.

It’s been more than a little overwhelming.  But sometimes you’ve just got to stop and smell the flowers!

So…at the risk of boring anyone else reading this, I’m going to take this chance to document the changes in my flower bed.  It’s looking beautifully different from when I first planted the bed last year.

Here’s what it looked like then:

Flower Bed 2011 (Year one!)

That was last year.  Here’s this year!

This was how things came up this year. I was happy, but there were some holes where seeds didn’t germinate as I had hoped or in one case the plant died… 😦

So, I went an splurged and bought a couple more “pretties” with extra pennies I could scrape up… 😉

With the new additions!

And some close-ups:

Asian Lily

My Herbert Azalea – (My Grandpa’s name was Herbert and he had quite the green thumb, so it just made me happy to find this, and then to top it off it was a color that is one of my favorites!)

This is a pink phlox that I just love! It blooms for a LONG time!

Purple Clematis. This should just get more fullness each year! LOVE IT!

This is a Blue Butterfly Delphinium. It’s supposed to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. I’ve seen butterflies, but no hummingbirds!

Purple Verbena. The Butterflies LOVE this one! I have seen some of the prettiest butterflies on and around this plant!

This is called a Ruby Candle Penstemon. I bought it because it’s a fuchsia color – one of my favorites and because my Grandma’s name is Ruby (Herbert’s wife – isn’t that cute?) 🙂 Again, just a “happy flower” for me!

This is the neatest flower! It’s called a Blue Balloon Flower. The buds actually look like balloons and then open into a really pretty flower!

And the last one that’s blooming at this point is this Summer Nights Delphinium. This is another one that’s supposed to get pretty tall, if I can keep enough water on them in this hot weather to keep it alive!

I’ve also got a white Dwarf Crapemyrtle that is beautiful when it blooms, but it hasn’t done that yet this season – soon!!!

And then last but not least, there are my Ruby Calla Lilies.  I bought these last year, again because they were “Ruby”.  These are in my barrels by the driveway and have been in bloom for quite a while now.  They spread nicely last year, so I’m hoping that trend continues this year!

Flowers just make me happy!  Anyone else?

What’s blooming in your yard this year?  I’d love some more ideas to fill in holes!  Do tell!  🙂

A Renewed Perspective on Things…

When I started this blog almost a year ago, I did it for a purpose.  I did it to help ME remember.  You see, by nature I struggle with being someone who doesn’t always see the good in things.  I have a tendency to see the negative first and then to worry about it.

I don’t like that about myself.

So, several years ago I came to the realization that I am the only person who can change that and I started working to make a change in my outlook.

And I realized that in order to do that, I MUST look for the good.  I have to consciously LOOK for it and do it quickly.

I’m going to be honest, that has been hard for me to do in the last several weeks.  It has not been an easy couple of months in my world.  The income is MORE than tight.  I am working night and day to do whatever I can to bring in income.  I’m sending resumes that haven’t even been responded to for jobs that I know I am MORE than qualified for.  And God is providing.  It’s not been easy, or often even fun, but God is providing.

And then a significant part of my world came crashing in on me.  People I love dearly made a discovery that rocked ALL of our worlds.  Someone we love disappointed us in a way that I didn’t even want to BEGIN to think about, let alone discuss, and yet it HAD to be talked about among a very small circle of people directly involved.  Thankfully, for the most part, I wasn’t involved in those conversations, but just knowing what was happening and the hurt that it was causing and the utter devastation of those involved, many of them children who shouldn’t be required to deal in the muck of “adult stuff”, deepened my hurt.

And then, despite the attempts of those around me who tried so hard to protect me, the blame for the mess was laid at my feet and I was accused of “causing” it all.  It is now over three weeks later and I am still wrestling with that.  It many ways, to ME it didn’t matter that I didn’t DO what I was accused of doing to “cause” all of it.  It didn’t matter that those who matter the most in the situation knew the truth and were willing to speak it, if given the chance.  All that mattered to me was that someone who I cared about believed the worst about me after “knowing” me for many years and was willing to completely sever a “friendship” because of what they were choosing to belive.

But then this afternoon, I read a little book online by Andy Andrews called “The Perfect Moment“.  I got it via an email newsletter from the author himself a week or so ago, but just hadn’t had time to read it until this afternoon.  You can find and download it HERE.

And he reminded me of the perspective of looking for the good!

I am NOT the same person that I was when I first met my friend.  I have grown and developed.  I was challenged to learn new things, develop new abilities or build on things that others saw in me as a result of our friendship.  I met MANY wonderful new people.  I developed lifelong and life-changing relationships with countless people as we worked alongside of each other on many life-affirming opportunities for spiritual growth.  I was able to make a difference in many situations and lives because of both the opportunities and relationships that I have built over the years.

I got to do fun things with fun people in fun situations, often WHILE “working”!  How often can people say THAT?

I have learned VALUABLE lessons:  Lessons about how our actions, even when we think that others aren’t watching, affect EVERYONE who comes into contact with us.  Lessons about how to interact with others.  Lessons about how to teach and how others learn and grow.  Lessons about friendship.  Lessons directly from scripture.  Lessons from dear friends.  I’ve learned who my real friends are.  I’ve learned HOW to be a friend and maybe most importantly I’ve learned that even when you try your very hardest to be the friend someone needs during a hard time, it is ultimately up to them whether or not you will be allowed to be that friend.

I have been reminded that others CAN hold you back if you’re not careful.  I’ve been reminded that if I am not careful I AM capable of allowing others to bring me to a place of compromise in my beliefs and convictions.  I’ve been to the brink of that, toyed with it in some areas and “turned tail and ran away”!

So, while it still hurts and I still grieve over a lost friendship and I’m still struggling and I could really use extra prayer right now if you’re reading this and care, once again, I am reminded of a different perspective.

God knows.  He knew BEFORE all of these events happened that they would.  He knows the lessons that I still have to learn from all of this.  He knows the example that He WANTS me to be.  He knows my desire to be a GOOD EXAMPLE.

He has given me the promise of Prov. 31:25, which says, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

AND

I know that Jer. 29:11 reassures me that the plans My Father has for me are to prosper and not to harm me and they are for a hope and a future.

I don’t know what all that future holds.  I have some “rebuilding” to do. There are a few “empty spots” in my calendar that I was really looking forward to, but God knows what is ahead and I am excited to see what He has in store…

Life Lessons

I just got an email from my brother, Greg, that was too good not to share.  There are some GREAT reminders in here!

Written by Regina Brett, 90 years old, of the Plain Dealer, Cleveland , Ohio … “To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me. It is the most requested column I’ve ever written. My odometer rolled over to 90 in August, so here is the column once more: 1. Life isn’t fair, but it’s still good. 2. When in doubt, just take the next small step. 3. Life is too short – enjoy it. 4. Your job won’t take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and family will. 5. Pay off your credit cards every month. 6. You don’t have to win every argument. Stay true to yourself. 7. Cry with someone. It’s more healing than crying alone. 8. It’s OK to get angry with God. He can take it. 9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck. 10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile. 11. Make peace with your past so it won’t screw up the present. 12. It’s OK to let your children see you cry. 13. Don’t compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about. 14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn’t be in it. 15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye But don’t worry; God never blinks. 16.. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind. 17. Get rid of anything which isn’t useful. Clutter weighs you down in many ways. 18. Whatever doesn’t kill you really does make you stronger. 19. It’s never too late to be happy. But it’s all up to you and no one else. 20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don’t take no for an answer. 21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don’t save it for a special occasion. Today is special. 22. Over prepare, then go with the flow. 23. Be eccentric now. Don’t wait for old age to wear purple. 24. The most important sex organ is the brain. 25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you. 26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words ‘In five years, will this matter?’ 27. Always choose life. 28. Forgive but don’t forget. 29. What other people think of you is none of your business. 30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time. 31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change. 32. Don’t take yourself so seriously. No one else does. 33. Believe in miracles. 34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn’t do. 35. Don’t audit life. Show up and make the most of it now. 36. Growing old beats the alternative — dying young. 37. Your children get only one childhood. 38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved. 39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere. 40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else’s, we’d grab ours back. 41. Envy is a waste of time. Accept what you already have not what you need. 42. The best is yet to come… 43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up. 44. Yield. 45. Life isn’t tied with a bow, but it’s still a gift.”

Words of Wisdom from the Hobby Store…

I was working on a project last week and spent part of an afternoon running errands.  One of my stops was Hobby Lobby, my favorite stop when it comes to decorative and/or craft items.  While wandering in the clearance section, I came across several signs with quotes.  Those who know me know that I LOVE a good quote.  I could literally line all of my walls with them.

Many of my favorites are passages of scripture and THOSE are on the walls and flat surfaces of my living room, bedroom and even the door to the garage at my house.

I didn’t buy the ones I saw this last week.  I may go back and get them, although eventually I’ll run out of places to put them!  😉

The ones I saw this week were reminders that have been very timely for me.  But isn’t it often the case that the things that stick out most to us are reminders of the place that we find ourselves in life?

The first was this one:

I’m not sure anything else needs to be said about this one.  It’s usually easy to “do the right thing” when we know someone is watching.  We too often forget, though, that whether someone is physically standing right next to us or not, Someone is ALWAYS watching.

The next said:

This one speaks SO LOUDLY to me.  My greatest desire is to make a difference in the lives of those I “touch”.  When I really stop to think about it, I think this is WHY that desire is so great in me.  I don’t have children of my own.  But I can make a difference in the lives of every child that I have opportunity to minister to if I am willing to invest in others.  And in the end, isn’t that what we are called to do?

Some days, you just NEED to go to the hobby store and wander the aisles!

 

 

Don’t Tell ME My God Won’t Answer My Prayers!

I have seen God provide for my needs.

I have seen God provide for my WANTS.  (See this post.)

I have watched God restore families that were broken “beyond repair”.

I have seen couples have children that weren’t supposed to be able to have them.

I have watched doctors find solutions to medical needs that had stumped others for years.

I have seen friends live YEARS past their expected death dates.

I have watched sons and daughters restored to families that thought they had “lost them forever”.

I have seen a much-loved family member of a friend leave a homosexual lifestyle after YEARS of commitment to prayer for his release from the bondage of same-sex attraction.

I have seen family members accept the Lord.

I have seen cancer go into remission.

I have watched grieving family members walk through their grief and have blessings bestowed on them for their faithfulness.

I have seen ministries thrive because of their faithful walk.

I have watched “the truth come out” after years of misunderstandings.

I have seen broken friendships restored.

I have seen broken lives repaired.

I have watched as just the right jobs were provided at just the right time.

I have seen housing come through at just the right moment when situations were becoming “desperate”.

I have seen soldiers protected while they were in battle and away from their families.

I have watched as people were released from the grip of the abuse of alcohol, drugs, nicotine, pornography and other addictions.

I have seen marriages restored after affairs.

I have held babies that were saved from “crisis pregnancies”.

I have watched women choose life for their babies over abortion.

I have seen money provided to restore my church building after “the great Nashville flood“.

I have watched people come out of great struggles with depression.

I have seen babies adopted into homes that desperately wanted a child.

I have seen successful surgeries restore health to those in need.

I have been provided a home when I shouldn’t have been able to afford it.

So when someone tells me that prayer CAN’T change something, do you think I believe them for ONE SECOND?  

NOPE!

What prayers have you seen God answer in mighty ways?  Please share them in the comments below!  We all benefit when we see what God is doing!  

OK, Now It’s ON!!!!!

Have you ever seen the movie “Mousetrap”?

We’ve got a real-life version of that going on at my house.

I’m not sure that I’ve mentioned this on my blog, but Doug and Amy and their kids are living with me temporarily.  We’ve been doing yard sales and have some of their stuff in the garage and Amy recently discovered a new friend in the garage.  At first we thought it was a mouse.  Now we think it’s a shrew or something in that family.

Whatever it is, it’s a sly little thing…it keeps getting the peanut butter out of the traps without springing them.  We’ve tried different KINDS of traps and combinations of traps, etc.

Doug is about to lose his mind, I think, trying to catch the little rascal!  He came in the first time it took the peanut butter out of the trap without springing it and said, “NOW IT’S ON!!!!”  😉  It’s become a challenge now.

That got me thinking.  I have so many close friends struggling with big things right now.  And in some of those instances, in all honesty Satan appears to be winning.  In some of the instances, there is no doubt that it is downright spiritual warfare going on.  Sadly, in some instances the participants are actively fighting “the Roaring Lion” themselves, but in others, friends are doing their best to fight him with what appears to be little or no impact – things are getting worse instead of better.

Maybe I’m trying too hard here, but I think fighting these battles parallels catching the “critter”.  Satan knows just the little tricks needed to sneak through the cracks of our lives and make some headway, just like the little guy in the garage appears to have figured out how to get what he wants from the trap without snapping his little neck.

BUT

Both the “critter” and that “Roaring Lion” are messing with smarter, higher powers.  We all know who will eventually win if we just persevere.  It’s the persevering that is so incredibly exhausting.  But we don’t have a choice.   Because we love, we persevere.

And that’s why I say, NOW IT’S ON!!!!

What about you?  Who do you need to spend some focused prayer time on?  They might not appreciate it now.  But that doesn’t give us an excuse to give up.  We serve a great God and in the end, my Bible says HE WINS!

Blessed

This Mother’s Day weekend, I am truly realizing how very blessed I am.

We so often hear Proverbs 31 referred to on Mother’s Day Weekend.  And we should.  It truly teaches the attributes of a wise and virtuous woman.  I am very blessed to have had a mother AND grandmothers who were truly women who fit into this description of a wise woman.  

Verses 10-31 speak of so many of the traits that I saw in my Mom and my Grandmothers.  If you know them, you’ll see that in these verses:  

^10-31 A good woman is hard to find, 
   and worth far more than diamonds.
Her husband trusts her without reserve, 
   and never has reason to regret it.
Never spiteful, she treats him generously 
   all her life long.
She shops around for the best yarns and cottons, 
   and enjoys knitting and sewing.
She’s like a trading ship that sails to faraway places 
   and brings back exotic surprises.
She’s up before dawn, preparing breakfast 
   for her family and organizing her day.
She looks over a field and buys it, 
   then, with money she’s put aside, plants a garden.
First thing in the morning, she dresses for work, 
   rolls up her sleeves, eager to get started.
She senses the worth of her work, 
   is in no hurry to call it quits for the day.
She’s skilled in the crafts of home and hearth, 
   diligent in homemaking.
She’s quick to assist anyone in need, 
   reaches out to help the poor.
She doesn’t worry about her family when it snows; 
   their winter clothes are all mended and ready to wear.
She makes her own clothing, 
   and dresses in colorful linens and silks.
Her husband is greatly respected 
   when he deliberates with the city fathers.
She designs gowns and sells them, 
   brings the sweaters she knits to the dress shops.
Her clothes are well-made and elegant, 
   and she always faces tomorrow with a smile.
When she speaks she has something worthwhile to say, 
   and she always says it kindly.
She keeps an eye on everyone in her household, 
   and keeps them all busy and productive.
Her children respect and bless her; 
   her husband joins in with words of praise:
“Many women have done wonderful things, 
   but you’ve outclassed them all!”
Charm can mislead and beauty soon fades. 
   The woman to be admired and praised 
   is the woman who lives in the Fear-of-God.
Give her everything she deserves! 
   Festoon her life with praises!

But as I pulled up the passage because I wanted to do a blog post of thankfulness for the blessings that I have experienced in my “heritage”, I chose to pull the passage up in The Message translation.  I must admit, it has been a while since I have gone to that particular chapter.  Too long.  I didn’t even remember the way the chapter STARTS.  It says:

 ¹The words of King Lemuel, the strong advice his mother gave him: 

 ^2-3 “Oh, son of mine, what can you be thinking of! 
   Child whom I bore! The son I dedicated to God!
Don’t dissipate your virility on fortune-hunting women, 
   promiscuous women who shipwreck leaders. 

 ^4-7 “Leaders can’t afford to make fools of themselves, 
   gulping wine and swilling beer,
Lest, hung over, they don’t know right from wrong, 
   and the people who depend on them are hurt.
Use wine and beer only as sedatives, 
   to kill the pain and dull the ache
Of the terminally ill, 
   for whom life is a living death. 

 ^8-9 “Speak up for the people who have no voice, 
   for the rights of all the down-and-outers.
Speak out for justice! 
   Stand up for the poor and destitute!”

And I realized that I am even more blessed than I thought I was.  Because I have parents and Grandparents who have taught us what SCRIPTURE says.  My parents especially go to God’s Word as their guide.  I remember meals growing up and other times as well when either Mom or Dad would read from Proverbs or another passage to pour words of wisdom into us that we draw from even today.  

I was just talking with a friend earlier today who reminded me how very blessed I am to have been nurtured and taught, from CHILDHOOD, to turn to scripture for my guide to life.  It isn’t always easy to follow the instructions given there.  To be honest, we might miss out on some things that others consider to be fun or pleasurable, but just as a parent has rules for his or her children that they don’t always appreciate or understand, there is purpose in EVERY word.  

We can choose to question some of those things, but ultimately, as I have gone through life I realize that there is purpose for EVERY instruction given.  There are also consequences for every one broken.  Just as a parent disciplines their child for the good of and instruction of their child, the Lord has purpose and reason for the “rules” that He has set forth.  

I am SO GRATEFUL to have had parents that have taught me from a very young age to honor and respect the Word of God for what it is – our guidebook for life.  

My mom especially is KNOWN as one who doesn’t just “read what it says”, but digs to REALLY see what it means and she did her level best to instill that in her children.  I remember many afternoons of copying passages of scripture as “punishment”.  I now realize that it was MUCH more than discipline.  Doing those “exercises in discipline” actually built a knowledge of scripture into my life that I still refer back to today.  

I do not take for granted the fact that I was truly blessed to have that kind of teaching built into my life.  When others around me struggle for answers, I often have a base to go back to or at the very least a knowledge that I can RUN to scripture for my answers and that, in VERY large part, is because of the Godly Heritage that was passed down from my parents and especially Mom!

As Proverbs 31 says, I can truly “Rise up to call her blessed.”  

THANKS MOM!!!!

What about you?  Does your Mom need to hear a word of thanks from you for bringing you up with a similar belief system?  And if not, remember, you STILL have the opportunity to learn and build those truths into YOUR children and/or the friends and other family members around you.  Start today!

The Playlist Just For Me!

Tonight on the way home from choir I had an “aha moment”.  The first song on the radio spoke to me.  Then the second song spoke louder.  By the time the third song hit, I started to feel like the Holy Spirit was SHOUTING at me.

As is true for all of us at one time or another, there is SO MUCH hurt around me.  Right now, to me, it seems like almost more than I can bear.  And THOSE are the hurts of others.  I feel so burdened at times that I just want to shut my brain off and sleep for days.

A reminder from a friend of mine recently jumped into my mind this evening because of the playlist on the radio that I heard on my short trip home.  My friend reminded me several weeks ago that I need to take time to process all that is going on around me and take the time to grieve when needed.

It’s easy for me to make time to rejoice.  That comes naturally, but my nature has become one that likes to concentrate on the good, and not spend much time dwelling on the bad.  THAT nature didn’t come naturally, by the way.  I have had to work for YEARS on finding the good wherever I can, so the very idea of taking some time to work through the bad REALLY didn’t appeal to me, especially when my friend mentioned it several weeks ago.

But the playlist tonight made me think about it.

First up was this song:  (Click on the Title to see a video and hear the song)

Slow Fade by Casting Crowns

Songwriter:  Mark Hall

Lyrics:

Be careful little eyes what you see
It’s the second glance that ties your hands as darkness pulls the strings
Be careful little feet where you go
For it’s the little feet behind you that are sure to followIt’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray 
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
It’s a slow fade, it’s a slow fadeBe careful little ears what you hear
When flattery leads to compromise, the end is always near
Be careful little lips what you say
For empty words and promises lead broken hearts astrayIt’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray 
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day

The journey from your mind to your hands
Is shorter than you’re thinking
Be careful if you think you stand
You just might be sinking

It’s a slow fade when you give yourself away
It’s a slow fade when black and white have turned to gray
Thoughts invade, choices are made, a price will be paid
When you give yourself away
People never crumble in a day
Daddies never crumble in a day
Families never crumble in a day

Oh be careful little eyes what see
Oh be careful little eyes what you see
For the Father up above is looking down in love
Oh be careful little eyes what you see

Then next up was this song:

The Hurt and The Healer by Mercy Me

Songwriter:  (I’ve looked all over and can’t find this info!!)

And the lyrics:

Why?
The question that is never far away
The healing doesn’t come from the explained
Jesus please don’t let this go in vain
You’re all I have
All that remainsSo here I am
What’s left of me
Where glory meets my sufferingI’m alive
Even though a part of me has died
You take my heart and breathe it back to life
I’ve fallen into Your arms open wide
When the hurt and the healer collideBreathe
Sometimes I feel it’s all that I can do
Pain so deep that I can hardly move
Just keep my eyes completely fixed on You
Lord take hold and pull me through

So here I am
What’s left of me
Where glory meets my suffering

I’m alive
Even though a part of me has died
You take my heart and breathe it back to life
I’ve fallen into your arms open wide
When the hurt and the healer collide

It’s the moment when humanity
Is overcome by majesty
When grace is ushered in for good
And all our scars are understood
When mercy takes its rightful place
And all these questions fade away
When out of the weakness we must bow
And hear You say “It’s over now”

I’m alive
Even though a part of me has died
You take my heart and breathe it back to life
I’ve fallen into your arms open wide
When The hurt and the healer collide

Jesus come and break my fear
Awake my heart and take my tears
Find Your glory even here
When the hurt and the healer collide [x2]

Jesus come and break my fear
Awake my heart and take my tears
Find Your glory even here

And then came:

Blessings by Laura Story

 

Songwriter: Laura Mixon Story

Lyrics:

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering

All the while You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
What if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
We cry in anger when we cannot feel You near
We doubt Your goodness, we doubt Your love
As if every promise from Your Word is not enough

And all the while You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

And what if trials of this life
Are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us, when darkness seems to win
We know that pain reminds this heart
That this is not, this is not our home
It’s not our home

‘Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears?
And what if a thousand sleepless nights
Are what it takes to know You’re near?

What if my greatest disappointments
Or the aching of this life
Is the revealing of a greater thirst
This world can’t satisfy?

And what if trials of this life
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are Your mercies in disguise?

I don’t think you have to even know the particular hurts that I am experiencing right now to see how the progression of these songs might have touched my heart!

Perhaps one of the best lessons I’ve learned in the last few years is that God is ALWAYS at work.  It is so easy to overlook so many of the ways that He is at work if we’re not looking for them.  It’s a conscious choice.  I choose to look for the ways that He wants to move and work in my life.  Lately, I have found myself so wrapped up in the chaos that is going on all around me and the stress of my “situations” that I am VERY guilty of not seeing all of the ways that He is working.

And worst of all, I have not taken the time to “express my stress” to Him and ALLOW Him to take them.  I’ve been trying to carry them myself and I have no idea how many blessings I’ve missed because I’m trying to carry them myself.

That’s going to change.  TONIGHT!

What about you?  What are your thoughts?  Do you need to spend some concentrated time in the lap of your Father who loves you?  Join me!  His lap is big enough for all of us!  🙂