Practice what is preached...

Haven't blogged in awhile...it's been an unintentional break I guess you could say. My last post was about taking time to play in the rain...which I also took to heart and took more time to do more than just play in the rain.. I've been taking time to enjoy the basics of life and what God has gifted to me.

In the month of May, I had high aspirations for writing and really devoting myself to channel what God was showing me into devotion form to hopefully impact others for Him. Instead, He has seemed to block the avenues that once were wide open for me to travel and the words stopped flowing from my mind onto paper. I still had thoughts and wonderful applications from His word, however, they stopped with me and I meditated on them. I realized, I needed to apply the aspects not just convey them and move onto to the next anecdotal concept to share with others. I needed to put into practice what I was attempting to preach. What God showed me was that He was trying to spend intimate time with me and for me to really listen to Him.

There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven:
Ecclesiastes 3:1 (NIV)

My aspirations were strictly that, MY aspirations and not those of the Father. Not to say these goals were not godly, but they were not in His timing. I still feel He wants me to write and to share His word; however, in this case I was slipping back into the business of taking matters into my own hands to carve out the destiny I thought God had for me, not relying on Him to pave the way.

For I know the plans I have for you,"
declares the LORD,
"plans to prosper you and
not to harm you,
plans to give you hope and a future.
Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

With my recent sabbatical, the pressure has been taken off of me to try to write down for all to read what I am feeling and what God is teaching me. Out of all of that, I had found a much more fulfilling life. I am taking things and people in my life less for granted.

Unless you have been on a deserted island or living under a rock, the headlines on every form of communication have been overcome with the news of deaths of celebrities both young and old. Some are more legend than star but the one thing they all have in common is their humanity. None of us can shake our humanity or hide it under the glitz and glamour money and fame affords us. Bottom line, we don't own anything in this life -- not the material things, not the family and friends we hold dear or even our bodies... They are all just borrowed items living on borrowed time. There is no guarantee of tomorrow or even the next minute. What we are challenged with is to live our lives and make them count for something.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.
Matthew 6:34 (NIV)

My son and hubby are so dear to me and over this past couple of months, we have taken more time together as a family. We laugh more, talk more (I mean really talk), and just enjoy being together. It seems like just yesterday Little Man was doing the army crawl, screeching for momma while holding a pacifier in his mouth that hubby said resembled the way old man hold onto their stogies. Fast forward, 5 years later and now he would rather spend time with his friends and off he runs down the street barely looking back to shout "bye mom." I realized if I didn't stop and really enjoy this time, the fast forward button may get stuck and all the chances to make lasting memories could be lost forever.

So, I challenge each of you to really look at your lives and see what motivates you to get out of bed each morning. Think of the trivial things in life and determine if they are really worth the effort we put into them. Consider what and who is really important to you... I challenge each of you to take today to start make memories...and pause the fast forward button for just a little while. After all, we aren't promised tomorrow so let's make the most of today. Live life with no regrets!! That's my plan -- want to join me??

Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.
James 4:14 (NIV)

Dear Heavenly Father - -I thank You for not turning off the lines of communication yet allowing me to see that You still had more for me to learn and to make changes in my own life. I thank You for all that You have allowed me to have in this life, particularly my family. I pray that You forgive me for taking them and my life in general for granted. I pray for Your direction and guidance to make the most of this life You have given me to live. In the precious name of Jesus AMEN.

Application:

• Do you accept my challenge above???
• Do you accept God's directive to make your life count for something?
  

Take time to Play in the Rain

A couple of days ago, Little Man and I had the opportunity to visit a local amusement park. We went in the afternoon in hopes of seeing the night parade. We were prepared....had a plan...even added an umbrella and rain slicker to our bag of goodies "just in case."

Thirty minutes after our arrival at said park -- the proverbial bottom dropped out of the sky. I am not talking just a drizzle but a full-on downpour. My typical response would have been to turn and head back to the car to salvage what was left of the day. Instead, we donned the rain slickers. I turned to my son and said "what do you want to do?" He looked at me with his face ever-so-slightly peeking out of his head covering and said "let's just walk around." Well, for those that know me -- I am more the "wait it out" kind of girl but that day I threw caution to the wind, pulled up the hood on my newly minted rain poncho and did just as the young master had instructed -- we started to "walk around."

At this point, the street that only minutes earlier was packed with people, was now a virtual open highway for me and my stroller riding friend to explore. So, as others were crouched under eaves, standing in doorways or mulling inside the stores -- Little Man I headed down the middle of the street. I am sure folks were looking at us -- well they had to -- we were kind of the only thing to look at other than the rain -- but anyway they were looking at us and thinking "what are they nuts???"

Nuts or not, we proceeded down our normal path but something funny happened. When we came to our routine stopping place for our first ride, Little Man wanted to keep going. So, keep going is what we did. That day, we put aside our normal check list and we began to see things in the park that we never paid attention prior. We are fortunate to be able to visit on a frequent basis so we already know which way to go and when to get there in order to hit all the places on our "to do" list. As we walked that day, we tried new rides, came across a restaurant we didn't know existed (and the food was pretty good), and found a new favorite dessert - -all because we "just walked around."

That day got me to thinking. How often in the busyness of life and making sure I mark everything off on my agenda, do I miss out on "blessings?" How often do I take for granted what is around me all the time? How often do I miss the joy of something new in order to search for the routine.

As I reflected on God. I realized that humans have been doing this for as long as we've been around. Adam and Even were so intent on having it all that they didn't realize what they had was paradise - the place all of us yearn to be. The Israelites lost focus on the fact that God was with them with the Ark of the Covenant and began to focus on what the ark itself could do for them -- not the fact that they were in the very presence of God. The disciples didn't realize that Jesus was fully God walking and talking with them daily until He was gone.

We all get busy, often times too busy. Yes, we all have responsibilities and things that "have to be done" yet we still can take time to enjoy the everyday blessings God has out there for us. Sometimes, they are found in the small things like new desserts and unbeaten paths and other times, they can be found in spending a little time in the Word and communing with the Creator of the Universe and of all time.

All these blessings will come upon you
and accompany you if
you obey the LORD your God:
Deut 28:2 (NIV)

My take-away from the other day -- to not take a moment for granted -- blessings are all around me. I am going to challenge myself to take the advice of Little Man and "just walk around" more often and see where God takes me. After all, the things on my list will be there when I get back to them. Now, gotta go and "play in the rain." How about you?

Dear Father - thank You for using the rain and my son to show me that everything doesn't have to be planned and that it is okay to slow down and just "be." I pray that You continue to remind me that You created everything for us and the blessings abound, if I would "just walk around" and see where You lead me. Thank You for Your love and grace even though I don't deserve once ounce of it. In the Blessed Name of Jesus - AMEN

Application:

• Have you taken time to slow down and truly enjoy everything around you?
• Is your "to do" list keeping you from seeing and experiencing God -- even in Ministry?
• Pray that the Lord will open your eyes to see the blessings He has for you - encouragement in the little things.
  

He's at it again....

"There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity
under heaven:...."
Eccl 3:1 (NIV)

"Ping-Ping-Splat", "Ping-Ping-Splat" -- It's Florida in mid-July -- no wait --it's only mid-May, (I digress)... Anyway, it's HOT with a capital H!! -- It hasn't rained in ages, our grass is brown like desert sand (wait -- has it turned to actual sand??), our plants have shriveled to "what-might-have-been" and now this!! Unfortunately, the sound I hear is not rain but the infernal splat of LOVE BUGS on my windshield.

For those of you that don't live in Florida and are thinking "oh that's got to be a cute bug with a name like that" -- Let me assure you that you are wrong. I must preface this post that I have done NO official research on these critters and do not plan to do any, so all "facts" about them are from personal experience and/or purely contrived in this head of mine. That being said, let's move forward...

These...umhumm....bugs got their name because they join together in perpetual copulation and fly around until their timely death with an oncoming vehicle. It appears from my "findings" that they seem to prefer the extreme heat of the Florida roadways. They then begin to become one not only with each other but with the windshields and front end of every automobile that comes their way. For battle weary folks like myself, I have found they are no respecter of automobile, cost or even your "station in life." Their motto is -- "if you drive here -- we shall entrench ourselves in your paint." So, be forewarned, car washes LOVE these critters.

The good thing in my estimation is that they are gone a couple of weeks after they appear. However, these can seem like very long weeks when there is a daily accumulation be removed from my windshield and front end of my car every night. But, hey it's not as bad as the weekly malathion spraying we had 10+ years ago. (wow - now I'm really dating myself)... Back to the topic at hand...

I began to think or as I do ponder what possible meaning could these "things" have in society. God led me to 3 conclusions that also (as usual) lend themselves to my life. So, I will share my epiphany as it were with LOVE BUGS:

1. I don't have to understand them -- but they are a part of life
2. I don't have to like them -- God has a reason for them
3. They will be gone soon enough -- there is only a brief season for them

Well, that sums it up for me as of late... I don't understand events that have played out in my life but I know God is in control. I surely don't like the direction that God seems to have led me - after all, I didn't get my way --- but I do know that He has a plan. As with these crazy bugs, the suffering will only last for a short time in the measure of God's timing.

Funny, how He wakes me around 2am with thoughts of Love Bugs and then proceeds to teach me a lesson in life through these "things." God can and DOES use everything in this life to reach us where were are.. I guess Love Bugs are useful after all..

Dear Father -- thank You for Your provision. I know that You are in control of all things in this world, down to the minute details of my life. If You have a plan for even the seemingly insignificant insect, then I know You have a plan for me. I just pray that You equip me to be of service in Your kingdom in order to glorify Your Holy Name. In the Precious Name of Jesus - AMEN

Application:

• Are you dealing with things in your life that you don't understand, like or even feel like will end any time soon?
• I encourage you to read through the Psalms -- King David experienced many ups and downs in his life and his walk with God --- I feel my own feelings being played out on those pages and in them I find comfort
• Pray that the Lord will show you a little clarity in your life and for peace to peak through the clouds to show you the way to hope.
  

Chipping away....

The past couple of weeks has been a virtual roller coaster ride for my family. I must say that I am one with a proclivity towards motion sickness so the ride has been none too friendly for my tastes. Well, last week we finally reached the station with a direction and clear path. After being rocked by the actual ride, the destination nearly did me in. It may have been from the exhaustion of "not knowing" but I was not prepared for my reaction to the ending.

I penned the last post -- a poem entitled "God Said NO" last week and it was only by the grace of God that I was even able to form a complete thought. For one thing, poetry is not my thing --- I don't even know a pentameter from a centimeter. I just wrote out my thoughts and finished it in a few minutes. What came from it did not hit me until Sunday when I had some time alone with just me and God. I had an opportunity to read it and see that He was right there beside me the whole time.

You see that night, I couldn't sleep, nor pray, nor keep an idle thought in my mind. It was one of those times when I really wanted to speak to God - to pray - to understand yet only nonsense came forth. Or at least that is the way I perceived it. God however, understood the utterances of my mouth along with the gut-retching pain that resonated through my veins and screamed silently from my heart. But, MY God heard it! He understood it! He translated it! He soothed me as only He can do.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness.
We do not know what we ought to pray for,
but the Spirit himself intercedes for us
with groans that words cannot express.
And he who searches our hearts
knows the mind of the Spirit,
because the Spirit intercedes for the saints
in accordance with God's will.
Romans 8:26-27(NIV)

Now, I begin a new chapter in my life and must truly trust the One who redeemed me. I feel that I am in the process of another round of refinement at the Master's hand. I am like a diamond that continues to be chipped and chiseled so that when He is finished, my facets will reflect His light to truly show off His artistry and His glory!

Trust in the LORD with all your heart
and lean not on your own understanding;
in all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make your paths straight.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV)

Oh, I still question and I still don't understand, but if God has shown me anything over my life, He has a reason for EVERYTHING!!!! He will use my circumstance for His glory. I can't wait to see how it turns out!


Dear Father -- thank You for showing up at a time I felt all alone. I praise You for showing me that You were there and are there all the time! I thank you for helping me through this journey and working my way to acceptance. Thank You for the gift of Hope!! In the blessed name of Jesus- AMEN!