Don't think, just follow God

Tonight I was running the water in the bathtub and my four-year-old came in and announced it would be her last bath because she had just grabbed the last pair of clean underwear from her closet to put on after her bath. Sounds reasonable right? No more underwear, no more baths.
We, in our sinfulness, seem to come up with some very reasonable ideas, too. The disciples came to Jesus trying to figure out the reasonable amount of times to forgive a person. Was once enough, two for good measure, then oh well, they had their chance? Ah, but Jesus said seventy times seven. In other words, just don't keep track. We think we don't have time to help out at church or all those other good causes, but Jesus said, seek first the kingdom of God and everything else will fall into place. I can't tell you how often I've found that to be true. We think we don't make enough money to give anything to church, but God says, give me my portion and you won't be able to handle the blessings I give you. When a friend or co-worker cuts you down, talks behind your back, or makes false assumptions about you, it seems reasonable to do the same back. But Jesus says to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute you.
Blessings come when you do things God's way. Get in the Word and get it in your head, or your mind will be too polluted with sin. Forget reason, just follow God.

Why give something up for Lent?

I gave up sweets for Lent...again. The first few days the cravings for sugar were almost unbearable. I had a headache. I was tired without my sugar highs. I would look at my children's frosted mini wheats (which I never buy, but they talked me into the strawberry ones that were on sale) longingly.
I don't have to give something up. I never did in my younger years. My church doesn't mandate it. Somehow me thinking about sweets and making a conscious choice not to eat them makes it more real to me that at any moment when Christ was being spit at, or beaten, or hanging on that cross...at any moment he could have stopped it all. But He didn't. He didn't so my sin doesn't need to control me anymore.
I want to crave God the way I crave sweets. I want to feel weak and unable to go on if I havent spent time with Him today. I want Him to truly be my bread of life.

Don't miss out

Two days from now I'm giving a presentation on "when God doesn't give us what we want." I've been feeling a little inadequate, like maybe this isn't my thing. I worked on my presentation on and off all day. Tonight we had one of our two monthly Bible studies. For most of the day I was planning on skipping the Bible study to get my presentation nailed down. Forty-five minutes before the study, pressed by my mom for an answer as to whether or not she needed to babysit, I decided to go.
Our study was on 1 Timothy 4. We go around the table and each take a paragraph. Mine started at verse 11. "Command and teach these things. Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture, to preaching and to teaching. Do not neglect your gift, which was given to you through a prophetic message when the body of elders laid their hands on you."
I know Paul wrote this message to Timothy. I've never had elders lay hands on me. But tonight I felt God giving me an affirmation, an affirmation I nearly missed. When we skip out on Bible study we miss out on all that God wants to tell us. We miss out on Him telling us that He sees us, that He would never leave us or forsake us. We miss out on all the Biblical accounts showing how He was with the saints who walked before us. Make the most of every opportunity to get into the Word. Otherwise, you might just miss the encouragement He intended for you.

The sting of a cat scratch

My husband went to the doctor yesterday. A week or so ago, he had been playing with the cat and the cat won. Now, a week later his hand started to swell, so he went in and was put on medication.
Sin can work the same way in our lives. What starts out small can fester into a stronghold for the devil. Being unwilling to totally forgive someone can work itself into hatred, until we can't find anything good about them. The second or third or fourth glance at the appealing member of the opposite sex can easily turn into lust. Discontent can leave us wanting, hoping for more, until the blessings the Lord has given us seem diminished and underappreciated.
Thankfully Jesus is the balm that takes the sting away. We can lay all our sins at the foot of the cross. He can take our hurts and our trials. He can handle what we can't, even the temptations. He knows your thoughts. Be honest with him and pray for His strength to help you with the sin in your life.

Wallpaper

I've spent the last two days taking down a wallpaper border my husband and I put up ten years ago or so. We put it up to last. When I called our local paint store to let them know I was having a terrible time getting the border off she asked if we had put glue on the wall in addition to soaking the wallpaper. I said I thought we had. She assured me we had cemented it on, and it would take great pains to get it off. She was right.
God intended certain things to last in our lives, too. He intended to cement us to Himself, so that our sin, our guilt, and the world's temptations wouldn't pull us from Him. God intended our marriages to last. He intended that our spouse and us and Him would become a cord wound tightly together that would not easily unravel. He intends for us to live with Him, forever, in eternity. Our fate, with our faith in His son Jesus Christ, is cemented, and no one can tear that away from us.
I'll go back to my wallpaper now, remembering how great God's love is.

Addy's second birthday

Last night Addy fell asleep in her dad's arms. We thought of how quickly the time has gone since our first born, now 9, until our baby, now 2. One night they fall asleep in your arms and you carry them to their crib and the next night you put them in their new "big girl bed" and they learn to sleep on their own. Another milestone, letting us know time moves on. We try to keep up. Addy won't remember her second birthday, but I'll try to remember those little blond curls and the smile as she downs the last of the birthday cake leftover from Sunday's party. What treasures a mother's heart holds. And how quickly it can mean nothing if we haven't shown our children their Savior. We have taught Addy how to walk, now we need to teach her to walk in His ways. We are teaching her to talk, then we'll need to teach her to use her words to glorify God. She will learn to read, and then to read God's word, to do math, and to calculate (if and when that's possible)God is behind something. Happy birthday, Addy!

when God doesn't give you what you want

First post: Six days from now I'm giving a presentation to a group of ladies titled, "when God doesn't give you what you want." It seems when a group of women get together we turn so quickly to complaining....I can't keep up, the kids don't listen, where do those extra pounds come from? I'd like to start a new trend. How awesome would it be to call up your friend and say, "praise God, my husband still has his job, the kids are healthy and energetic, and I didn't get around to exercising today because I was so busy living!" I am going to try to be an encourager. Hopefully my mood rubs off on my kids.