Keep Out

We have these cute little raccoons that love to sneak in our yard at night and create havok on the neighbors roof. So the neighbors solution is to put up spikes (nails) to unwelcome them to her back yard. On the surface these racoons look cuddly , harmless but at closer inspection they can cause a lot of damage.This reminds me of whats in my heart. On the outside I look friendly, cuddly harmless but sometimes on the inside it is not so. Sometimes there is a war battling inside my heart. I say the wrong thing, have the wrong thoughts and leave destruction in someones path. These spikes , like the nail scared hands of Jesus remind me everyday I have a choice.
Finally , brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable-if anything is excellent-think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Pardoned Me?

"May the Lord, who is good, pardon everyone who sets his heart on seeking God"
2 Chronicles 30:18-19.
I was reading through the old testament this morning. Actually I had been whining about having nothing to read while my foots healing up. When zap like a bolt from heaven I got struck in the butt. Yes, I did need a kick in the butt (will use that term as it is more user friendly). You see when I asked my 22 year old if he read any good books lately, with out a blink of an eye he responded yes...the Bible. I rolled my eyes and then you guessed it zap. My son might as well have rubbed his legs on the carpet and zapped me with static, ouch. You know the feeling. You are expecting something totally different and then zap. And all the justification in the world is not going to make you look good. So God I'm asking your pardon. Fill me with your passion .Passion to know you. To love you. Passion to put me second. Passion to set my heart on you .Passion for the lost. Passion to extend your grace, as you bestow it on me everyday.

Worry Or Trust?

I love surprises. Last Saturday after my 3 and 1/2 hour evening hair appointment I came home to this. Rudy had a feast of chicken nachos , veggies, fruit, candles and wine all set up for the two of us. A little background for those that don't know me ...I really don't like going to the hair dresser. And hobbling along on crutches, sitting patiently for hours waiting to be fixed up externally, really isn't my thing. I tried a new hair dresser. She was great. Anybody who can work magic on my hair deserves full credit. The only problem was the 3 hours of pain pulsating through my back, shoulders and legs. Not to mention the mixed up appointments and hence late night visit. So when Rudy picked me up and took me home I was ...mmmm...not on my most gracious behaviour. And then it all changed when I walked in the door. And I was glad again for the husband I have and again I was humbled how God takes care of the little things in life.  Seldom do I deal with dilemmas of national scale or world conflicts. Seldom do my crises rock the Richter scale. Usually the waves I ride are made by pebbles, not boulders.What begins as a snowflake can snowball into an avalanche unless properly taken care of. Misunderstandings, lack of patience, complaining, failing to forgive. The list is endless. When Mary ran out of wine at the wedding feast she just told Jesus "they have no more wine" (John 2:3). That's all, she simply assessed the problem and gave it to Christ.What causes me to think of prayer as the last option rather than the first? The servants were commanded to fill up there jars with water and serve it to the master. When the master tasted the water it became wine. Note ,the water became wine after they had obeyed , not before. Remember God wouldn't ask you to do something that He thought you couldn't do.

Stepping Into something Great

If you feel God has called you to something greater than what you are doing now, it's probably true.
Hobbling along with a 10 pound cast on my foot, reassured me that God defiantly has called me for something greater than this. Sunday morning I was reminded of God calling me to holiness. The Lords prayer, Our Father which art in heaven. Hallowed be your name. And then the rest of the Lords prayer , give us our bread our daily bread. First and foremost my focus on God, not me. Why is this so challenging? I've found it doesn't matter what circumstance or phase of life I'm in. I want my daily bread first than I want what God wants. But greatness is not about us, it's about His greatness in us. God's idea of greatness is having a heart, soul ,and spirit so full of His greatness that it manifests through us. A great person is one who obeys God.. Again with that obedience word. "Trust and Obey, for theres no other way, to be happy in Jesus" ,but to trust and obey.

Running Away

So I've spent the last year and a half running from God. Literally and figuratively. God I don't want to deal with cancer, death, doctor's or anything else unpleasant. I owe you my life but do I really want to surrender every area? Obedience always comes at a cost. As long as I'm physically able to take care of myself  I can tackle all. Super woman , if you will. But you know God doesn't need me to take care of the world. You know how I know? Well I had a terrible fall four weeks ago. And God caught my attention and is forcing me to trust Him. In everything, all the time. And though my heart is overwhelmed with grief at times,it is well with my soul. And though I maybe only able to hum this tune right now, I am listening , waiting till I can sing it again..."it is well with my soul"