Do you have room?

 I had an idea early on this week for my column.  One morning we drove to school in dense fog with low visibility.  (I sound like a weather girl.)  I utilized the defrost several times and my wipers to seemingly wipe away some of the moisture.  After we made the curve by the high school, my daughter asked if I would please hit the wipers again.  She says I make her nervous on that corner. Whatever!   

I tapped the wipers again.  We immediately had a clear view, and I had a lightbulb moment.  My kids were barely awake, but they got a lesson anyway.  I said “SEE, that foggy, unclear, obstructed view was like your life without Jesus.  Our perfectly clear view now is like your life with Jesus Christ.”  I got a yawn or two, not an Amen, but I was okay with that and quite accustomed to it at this point. 

Another possible theme hit me yesterday when we pruned the rose bushes.  You gardening experts please do not judge me if it is not time yet.  I think we skipped it last year and the bushes were becoming trees and threatening to take over the house.  My husband trimmed, manicured, cut them back…really he butchered them. 

He also worked on my lavender bush.  It was massive, probably a world record winner.  He said everything needed to be cut back and to have some room to breathe and grow.  I had my next “AH-HA” moment.

I thought about all of the things that have been “cut” back or cut out of my life.   I mean taken out in a positive way.  Maybe we are more able to breathe too, just like the plants, when allow some pruning and cut some of the junk, worries, attitudes, habits, and useless activities.  John 15:2 says “He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”  You see, cutting and pruning is good! 

Today though I had to let these topics move into the background of my mind because something else took center stage.  When I heard the familiar Christmas story presented through an amazing drama at church, it seemed new.  Luke 2:7 says “And she gave birth to her firstborn son; and she wrapped Him in cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn.” 

I pondered the fact that there was no room for HIM at the inn.  It is so easy for us to hear the story and think that they must have had a room, a better place than the barn for the young expectant mother?  I mean really…couldn’t they make room for Jesus, couldn’t they make room for any mom about to give birth?  Duh! I silently sat in my pew with a row full of kids and applied that thought to my life as our Pastor seemingly perfectly stressed the fact that there was NO ROOM! 

I have invited Jesus into the “room” so to speak of my heart, but do I really have room for Jesus day in and day out in my own life?  Can I make MORE room for Jesus?  What is in the way, what crowds Him out?  If there anything more important than HIM, I am missing out on so much. 

Before the first gift is unwrapped, take some time and reflect about what you make room for in life.  If there is not room in your life for Jesus and if He is not first, you very well may have a day marked on your calendar as Christmas, but you may be missing out on CHRISTmas.   

 

 

 

 

I Surrender ALL?

I remember the exact day I heard a strong and Godly woman say that she refused to sing the hymn “I Surrender All.”   I looked up to her so much and just could not imagine why she couldn’t proclaim in song that she was giving it all to the LORD.  I asked her why.  She said that she had given her heart to Jesus and surrendered so much in life, but if she was honest, she had not given HIM it ALL.  Therefore, to sing that song would be a lie.  I gave it some thought and since have found myself humming to it, but holding back. 

However, there is a song that I do not hold back on one bit.  I will belt it out!  I did today, and I do often.  It is “I need Thee every hour.”  The chorus says “I need thee, O I need thee; every hour I need thee; O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.” 

In the past few weeks, I celebrated my 16^th wedding anniversary, my son turned 13, and my daughter I is now one year away from driving and holding strong at 15.  My hubby had a birthday thrown in the middle too, but we are at the point that I will omit the details of his age.  I reflected on each event and especially on my daughter’s birthday because she was my first born.

I was so clueless when I had her, as we all are!  No matter how many nights you have been hired out to babysit or even if your whole entire profession and college degree has been dedicated to children, you are equally awestruck and incompetent at the moment the doctor places in your arms YOUR newborn, your flesh and blood.  No book, no experience, NO nothing prepares you for that moment. 

Wow, it nearly makes me tear up just thinking about it because I was so scared.  Part of the fear came from the fact that God, knowing the mess that I quite often made of my own life, would trust me with another one.  From that moment on, I began changing.  I was in need.     

When my nurse Pat wheeled me down to the parking lot at Presbyterian Hospital in Dallas, I truly knew that from that moment on, it was not just about me.  I was in need. 

I tried for a few more years on my own to do it on my own and even added a second child into the mix.  I knew something was missing in my life.  It was my salvation.  I believed, had been raised in church, and prayed often, but I had never invited Jesus into my heart. 

At first, I am embarrassed to say that I thought of Christ as my personal Genie in a bottle and that was the depth of our relationship.  I needed Him and asked Him to help.  HE often DID.   Like in the song, “O bless me now, my Savior, I come to thee.”  I had kids running around, a job, and a husband not happy with his own job, bills to pay, and a house to keep clean. 

On my daughter’s birthday though last week, it occurred to me that a lot about my relationship with Jesus has changed.  The change is not due to my hard work or will power.  (I have none.)  The change is because instead of needing a Genie, I have learned that I need a LORD.  My needs have disappeared and my desire to know Jesus more has grown.  It has less and less to do with what He can do for me and more about who He is.  He is peace, love, joy, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, my Rock, my Redeemer, my BFF, my Father, my Savior, my Counselor, my King, He is Christmas.  Do you need Him?

 

Silence

Thanksgiving Break is upon us.  Last night we had a rare evening where all six of us were in the same house and in the same room.  We watched the Dallas Cowboy game, flipped to other uneventful shows during the commercials and took breaks to get up and get a few things done. 

At one point on a break, I got up to do the dishes.  I was talking across the room while I did them, probably about the most amazing catch I had ever seen by Odell Beckman Jr.  There were two other conversations going on at the same time about deer hunting, Christmas lists, and what we were going to do this week.  My husband, who has to work, just sat in his chair with a puzzled look on his face.  I caught his eye when I looked up at my daughter to focus on what she was saying to me back across the room. 

At that point, my husband in a quiet voice, so quiet and calm that it was a miracle we even heard him, said “Everyone in this house is talking at once….I think I am going to bed.”  He did not leave us, but sure did make us laugh as usual because it was true. I am fully accustomed to the noise. It is normal to me; however, it was borderline too much for him. 

Last week I had to administer a benchmark STARR test.  Our campus tries to assimilate the “real” test so it really is a super duper silent environment.  I wonder if the silence is a distraction really.  It is so oddly quiet and so different from anything that we are used to.

I journaled about it later.  I wrote “Silence…it is really an odd thing.  It is even really possible in the year of 2014…with technology?  How often are we really silent? I mean not just from noise, but also from any handheld device that we are reading and scrolling through just for fun?  Maybe silence today needs to be defined and include both the ears not hearing anything and the brain not doing anything.  The Lord is sometimes silent too.  Silence is really odd, but OKAY.”

Silence is contrary to how most of us live today, but I think it matters because of the verse that says “Be still and know that I am God” from Psalms 46:10. That verse tells me that silence is a MUST!  It is an absolute.  How can we hear from the quiet, still voice of the Holy Spirit living in us if we never allow ourselves to be quiet and still? (I bet the devil loves the distracting world we live in)   

Maybe when we make our to-do list for the holiday season, silence and quiet time should be on the list and at the top of everyday!  How else can we navigate through this crazy life without knowing and hearing the voice of the Lord?  He speaks through His Word, prayer, in nature, and sometimes He even speaks to us in silence.

I once heard a statement made by a preacher that I have never forgotten.  He said that a teacher is silent during a test and that the Lord too can sometimes be silent during a test with his students, meaning us!  If you are quiet and ready to hear from the Lord during this season and you feel like He is silent, that is OK.  Hold onto what you know is true! He is there.  He is your teacher.

Christmas season for me does not begin with Black Friday, it begins with a celebration in the quietness of my own heart because I have been given a gift.  The gift is the greatest relationship I will ever have. It began with the birth of Jesus and knowing that daily I can be STILL AND KNOW that He is God.   You have been given the gift too.  Have you accepted it?  

 

SMH

I use a few abbreviations that have been created since the world of texting.  I like the ring of LOL, laugh out loud.   I have also been known to say SMH, which stands for shaking my head, but I have never used it as a text because I am way too old for that! 

Oh Man, I do shake my head often with my family.  I shook it so hard last week that I thought it might fall off when my youngest daughter asked if Angelina Jolie was the one who sang “Jolene.”  For those of you who did not follow country music, in 1973 “Jolene” was a song written and performed that year by Dolly Parton.  Yes, SMH at her question!  I could see her connection, but had to break it to her that Angelina Jolie was not the singer of that song.      

SMH came up too this week when my oldest daughter had me turn around on the way home to go back and see the biggest hog she had ever seen. She had her brothers so excited that they were hanging out of the windows.  We creeped up on it.  I turned on the hazards and bright lights at this point because we were in the ditch.  She even said she did not know for sure if it was alive or dead, just BIG, that that dialed up the anticipation a notch.  When we got right up on it, it was a SMH moment because the massive black hog she had spotted was a massive black trash bag left on the side of FM 488. 

I had one more SMH moment, in a whole different manner, when I started on Life Principle #16 in my Bible Study by Charles Stanley last week.  It began with a verse from Ezekiel 25: 6-7 “Whatever you acquire outside of God’s will eventually turns to ashes.”  I honestly did not want to read on because they title was so convicting, but I did.  

Two pages later, the lesson ended with two of my favorite verses.  Dr. Stanley used Psalms 37:4.  It says “Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.”  The other one that I love and that he closed with was Psalms 16:11 “You have made known to me the path of life, you will fill me with joy in your presence.” 

I was SMH…How can desires of your heart, JOY, the presence of the LORD, and stuff turning into ashes all tie in?  I reread the lesson and was blown away with a depth found in my two favorite verses that I had never discovered before. 

When we delight ourselves in the LORD, we spend time with Him and we know Him.  When we are in His presence, we talk to Him and become more like Him.  As a result of a closer relationship with Him, we change what we pray for and what we ask for.  Our thoughts and desires line up more with His Kingdom work than with this temporary earth and with our own desires of the flesh. 

This earth will all fade one day and turn to ashes.  It all did make sense.  I stopped shaking my head and was thankful that I know when I delight myself in the LORD, He will give me the desires of my heart because my desires will line up with HIS.  This week make time to get in the presence of the LORD.  He will join you in your classroom, in your car, in your living room, in the deer stand, and anywhere else that you invite Him. 

REDO

This week wrapped up October. November blew in and the start of deer season began. I can scan my living room as we speak and spot piles of camo.  The “walkie talkies” are lined up on the bar like they are ready to spring into action at any moment when someone ventures out into the woods and needs a communication device.  I have one that stays here.  I guess I am the base station.   

It was also a week of “redos” here in our home because Friday happened to be the end of the six week.  My boys got lax about week four of the six weeks.  I checked Parent Portal, the online system for FISD teachers to post grades and parents to check them, on a regular basis like it was on speed dial in my cell phone.  The overall conclusion at the beginning of last week was that they had turned in some sloppy work, needed to seriously review before six weeks test began, and hopefully get a few grades up! 

In everyday language, they both just needed a “redo” in a few areas.  This “redo” session was not voluntary.  It was mandatory session mandated by none other than me.   Session one with Monico #3 was at the bar rewriting a book summary and using the rubric to make sure he had covered the required information.  It also included a math lesson on the importance of lining up numbers exactly as they should be and writing them neat enough so that none of the digits disguised themselves as other numbers.  You know 7 and 9 are closely related in the hands of a little boy who would rather hold a football than a pencil.  It is amazing how much more successful you can be when math is done neat and there is a difference in your grade when a teacher asks for four sentences and you actually give her four.  It was a successful “redo.”

The same night I had a “redo” session with Monico kiddo #2 to work step by step through a math review.  We had to rework a few problems and make sure that he understood everything that would probably make its way on the six weeks test.  We also had to “redo” a few papers for a higher grade. 

I was thankful as the grade monitoring mother that they both received a second chance.  I was also glad they had a chance to “redo” the work so that this time they could fully grasp the concepts and get it right!  Right about the time I poured an early evening cup of coffee to keep me going, I realized that I too was thankful for “redos” in life…I mean more than with homework too. 

If we are all honest, every day is a “redo.”  We all fail.  We all sin.  We let down those around us and most of the time we let ourselves down.  God sees it all, and offers us a plan of forgiveness. Jesus Christ came to earth, lived, and died to give us a “redo.”  He is the author of second chances.  It is called grace.  There will be consequences along the way, but the desire of our Father is that we will get it right and live without the burden of sin weighing us down. 

I love Paul’s words in Acts 3:19 when he wrote “Repent then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.”  All we have to do is repent and turn to God.  He will wipe out our sins and gladly give us a “redo” because He wants us to get it right!  I will start off my list of things I am thankful for this month with the word “redo” and then I will write the word GRACE. 

Trucking

I had an interesting ride on the way home from Dallas last week.  I looked normal, wore the same sunglasses, listened to the same station, and kept the same speed as usual using my cruise to help me manage my heavy foot. However, my mind was not normal because it was totally going “somewhere.”

Where was my mind?  It was on 18 wheelers.  My brother in law is in the process of buying one, so I had to check out what was on the market for him.  I am sure his research was complete some time ago on what make and model to buy, but I was on a mission to find the best looking rig on the road.  My Dad trained me early about big trucks and I used to watch for them all the time.  I must admit it had been a while. My conclusion was that there are some nice rigs, Smokey and the Bandit will live on forever, and maybe life with CB radios was better than life with cell phones. 

On that trip, I looked intently for something and I found it.  That can happen with a whole lot more than big trucks on I-45 too.   Last week when I was cleaning up the house for the week, I looked for my blessings, for the things I was thankful for instead of the obvious mess!  I was grateful for the shoes my son lined up on his floor in the middle of his room.  I was grateful for the wadded up math problem that should have been appropriately placed in the trashcan.  I smiled when I sucked up a fake nail or two, or three in the vacuum.  I was even thankful for the dustpans of dirt and bottle of 409 I had to squirt in large quantities on my kitchen counters.  Why the sudden burst of enthusiasm for cleaning?  It came because before I began I decided to look for the joy and blessings in the mess!  I looked, I found, and I gave thanks!

This week many in Fairfield are also looking to take care of some “Unfinished Business” on the football field.  The band wants to march longer, cheerleaders cheer, and coaches coach!  I can still do a few cheers and do so often just to impress my kids, but I am not skilled in football by any means. I will not offer any insight into plays or positions. I will say that if though that if you are looking for a victory, your chances of finding it are way better than if you are not looking for one at all.  Look high, dig deep, be intentional on and off of the field, and give thanks along the way! 

I don’t know what you need to find this week.  If it is a better attitude or a win, then look for the opportunity to have one.  If you are looking for more family time, you will probably find it.  If you are looking for better food choices, your chances of finding it are way better than if you are looking for the next Snickers.  If you are looking for an “A” or a project to get completed, you will most likely end up with that accomplished if you are looking.  Remember to give thanks along the way. 

If you are looking for a closer relationship with the LORD, you will find it because you will look for Him in all of the little things throughout your day.  Never stop talking to Him and looking for Him.  Keep communication open at all times!  Jesus is with you at the meeting, in the car, and when you lay your head down at night.   Start and end your day with this from 1 Chronicles 16:34 “Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good; his love endures forever.”  It is a guarantee:  Look for the LORD and you will find Him. 

 

Staying focused

The first week of school is in the books.  We were all smiles around here and even had enough energy to make it to the Eagle football game.  I think personally the new clothes, new crayons, and new classrooms help give us a push, like pushing off the side of the pool to get a head start when you are in a swimming race.  You push off hard when you want to win.  We push off hard at the first of the year, but it definitely gets harder when the new wears off.  Then, we have to focus more.

This topic is fitting for me this morning because I usually write on Sunday nights after I get everyone to bed.  I chose a movie last night with my kids and put this off until Labor Day morning.  We recorded George Strait’s concert “The Cowboys Rides Away” and it is currently proving to be the biggest distraction.  Between singing old songs and looking up at the big screen to see which special guest is joining George, I am struggling.  My husband is cooking a pot of beans and just got out a meat tenderizing mallet to divide up his frozen bacon.  I thought someone had crashed into the house when he made his initial chop.   I regained my composure, and then had to get up and find his baggies and wooden spoon. 

The kids needed me to help salvage a sausage biscuit and now they are building a tent.    Finishing this column will be a true test for me on staying focused and doing my best!  It will be nothing short of a miracle if I get it finished before the paper calls me.  Blaise just asked if George Strait was married to Sheryl Crow and said she thought Kid Rock was dead.  The thought occurs to me I should take my laptop and move to another room or perhaps the roof of the house, but I am not going to.  I am going to stay put, even though a pink monkey just flew by me and someone is singing the “Meow Mix” jingle. 

We often have to make the choice in life to do just that…to stay put, work through the distractions and storms.  This type of focus and intentional living requires an anchor because without one we will get pulled to and fro, never finishing anything.  Without the anchor of Jesus Christ, the consequences can be worse than just getting tossed about though.  We can totally give up.

We talked about a song yesterday in Sunday school that relates to this topic, “The Anchor Holds” by Ray Boltz.  It is a beautiful song, but the concept is even more beautiful.  The anchor of Jesus Christ DOES hold.  IT HOLDS through cancer, sending a loved one to heaven, exhaustion when the daily ins and outs of life are just too much.  It holds through family drama, teenage drama, addiction, job loss, job gain, and the many distractions we face.  The anchor of Jesus holds through the big storms and the little storms of life, that at the moment do not seem so little. 

The song says “The anchor holds, though the ship is battered, the anchor holds, though the sails are torn.  I have fallen on my knees, as I faced the raging seas, the anchor holds, in spite of the storm. “ My prayer this week is that Believers remember that the anchor holds.  If you do not have the anchor of Jesus in your life, you have to know something is missing.  Someone is missing and He wants to be the anchor of your life.  Pray and ask Him to be. 

Spring, Texas

Life is pretty calm at the moment. I just sat down to knock out my column for the week and I am all alone. All alone, except for the two dogs I just moved in so my cats could eat on the back porch in peace and my bag full of Beaver Nuggets. If I do not get up and go hide the Beaver Nuggets from myself, it is going to be bad! Yesterday I had the privilege of spending the day with my oldest daughter. I was her taxi driver, water girl, and personal photographer at a softball camp down in Spring. We usually go north for everything, so the trip south was an adventure. We were on the road by 7:00 A.M. I was happy with my coffee. She was happy with her favorite blanket and her seat leaned back sleeping. I prayed all the way down there for her and many others I know and love. I prayed for myself too because last week was tough. I enjoyed the silence in the car and had mentally cleared out some junk, including bitterness the Lord had convicted me of. We sailed smoothly until we were a few exits away from FM 2920. Traffic came to a standstill. There was construction ahead and only one lane was open. We had an hour to spare, but being the aggressive and impatient driver that I am, I jumped off the highway and headed west. I assumed that in just a few minutes I could cut over and head south to Spring Cypress Road. I am including the specific street names because If you are a Houstonian, you are laughing already because you know that in Spring, Texas, there is no way to go WEST to go SOUTH and then WEST again. It is the craziest thing I have ever seen. No matter how hard I tried to find a side street, my GPS took me back to I-45 South. I did not give up though. I took the feeder and decided to go one exit back north and try again. It still did not work because we ran into dead end after dead end. After twenty five minutes of trying it my own way in unfamiliar territory, in totally disgust with my own navigating skills, I got back on I-45 South! We eased on down the highway. Only by the grace of God and skillful maneuvering behind the wheel did we make it on time. I must had sounded like a stuck, scratched record because I told Banner over and over that I had learned my lesson. If I did not know where I was going, I would stay on the highway! I vowed to not waste 30 minutes on Plan B because even if Plan A is slow, it is a sure plan! Likewise, there will be things in life that will take longer than we want and we will get stuck, but looking for a way out is not always the best plan. Sometimes the Lord wants us to go THROUGH the battle. He will not always provide us with a way out or a way around it because going THROUGH the hard times will give us faith. Do not even get me started too on how much time we waste when we try to go our own way. It just does not work! It is also foolish to think that you will never have trouble or get stuck! John 16:33 sums it up. Jesus says “In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world!” We will never go through trouble alone if we know Jesus, and His plan is always better than mine!

From the heart!

This week is an easy column. It comes straight from the heart. We celebrated all last week that our seventh grader was going to play his first football game! He has played here in the backyard with his brother and sisters, but Thursday was all about leaving a packed gym from the pep rally and going to Palestine on a bus to suit up in Eagle uniforms. We planned out our maroon and gold and decked out early Thursday morning. Brazos wore his Dad’s old game day tie that he wore to every game he played at Bryan Adams High School. I thought about shoe polishing the car, but knew that was way over the top and would get me banned from even going to the game. I came back home Thursday morning and the minute I walked in the door alone, it hit me that this was one of the things I had prayed for. When I was diagnosed with cancer in April of 2007, I started off chemo pretty good and still took on my tasks with kiddos. However, by the time school started the next Fall, I was weak. I remember on many occasions loading up the kids and driving them to second grade, kindergarten, and Best Friends Daycare, that I owed at the time, with tears rolling down my cheeks. When one of them would say Mom, why are you crying, I would say I had allergies. Then, the battle in my head would begin. They never knew that as we sang Aaron Watson’s “Barbed Wire Halo” or Kenny Chesney’s “Don’t Blink” that there was a war raging in my head. I never used my rearview mirror to look at myself because I was wearing a cap to hide my bald head and bare eyebrows; however, I would adjust it just right so that I could see all of them, still in car seats, lined up and buckled in. I would study each of their faces, learn the freckles, creases in their noses, and recall old scars that told a story of bike crashes and sidewalk mishaps from our Dallas years. I would say to myself things like this… Lord, I thank you that I will see her grow up. Father, I am so happy I will watch him play football one day. Lord, I want to watch him walk across the track at FHS and earn his diploma. Jesus, I am glad that I will watch her Daddy walk her down the aisle. Lord, please, I beg of you, please, let me be their Mom and raise them. I pleaded with God on a regular basis because when you have a “cure rate” and a “stage” hanging over your head; you have to look UP! I would look back and then look UP and say, I just want to be their Mom. Every time I Iooked UP to the Lord, I got to know Him more! Prayers were answered and I have been cancer free for years. Why God chose to heal me and take others, I don’t know. I will never understand. I do know though that when I walked in my house last Thursday and realized that I was living out one of the things I asked the Lord to heal me for, I was completely overwhelmed and grateful. It was humbling and I had to redo my make-up because I cried tears of JOY and ruined my mascara. I do not have a verse in mind this week, but I will tell you this…Jesus is real! Jesus is real and if you do not know Him as your Savior, you should! He will take away your sins and heal you from your hurts. I know I am not promised even tomorrow here on earth, but I am thankful for each day and will spend eternity in heaven!

Key word: CANCER

We have a few key words and phrases around here that get everyone’s attention: Bastrop, backstrap for dinner, hunting in Iradell, Madea, smores, GIVE me that electronic, and cancer. The first few are things that we love, like vacation spots, deer leases, movies and our favorite foods. The last two are not as fun. When I am having trouble with a Monico kid and need their attention to be fully focused on the issues at hand, I snatch whatever electronic could be a distraction for as long as need be. Cancer is a key word that here that will always stop us in our tracks. It came up last week. I had a tiny spot on the side of my face frozen off at the dermatologist. The kids did not even know that I made a quick trip to Corsicana and questioned me big time when they saw the blister on the side of my face. I told them it was no big deal; however, it took a few minutes to explain to them all that precancerous skin spots are not a big deal for a former sun worshipper in her forties and that it just had to be frozen off. They hung on the word cancer. One of my little lovelies in particular said…”Mom, you did not even tell us you were going to the doctor, do you have cancer?” It is uncomfortable for me to write about cancer because I made it through it and so many in our community have not. I don’t get it, but I do know that there are some truths that I know came from my battle with Lymphoma back in 2007 that I will take with me forever. The first is that our greatest trials in life are when we will closer to the LORD than ever and know Him in an amazing way. Jesus was so real to me during my trial. I learned to lean on Him and depend on Him in a way that was even more real than my earthly relationships. It is sad that it took a disease to get me to that point of total dependence. Human nature is just such! The other truth is that I took with me is that friends, family, and community are truly amazing. I went an entire summer and never cooked a meal or even went to the grocery store for more than milk and bread. People took care of us. My family was blessed on the receiving end, and givers were blessed too. It worked both ways. When someone offers to do something for you, let them be a blessing to you because it will bless them. The other thing I learned is that without Jesus as my Savior and without knowing His Word, I do not know how I would have made it. When I laid there in the CT scan tube or felt the burn of the chemo in my arm for months and months, I had a verse to say. I had a true word to hold me tight. I would pray every scripture I had ever learned and recite them over and over in my head. I literally do not know what I would have done if I had battled cancer alone, so I beg you to get to know Jesus and study His Word because your trial may never be cancer, but you will have many trials in life. Proverbs 30:5 says “Every word of God is tried and purified; He is a shield to those who trust and take refuge in Him.” Jesus was my refuge when I had cancer and still is every day.

The Pretzel

I declared last week as clean up, clean out the vehicle week. I battled the Accord the first day. It is smaller and a more logical starting point. I tackled the Suburban on day two. When I started working on it, I realized they were as different in size as a mouse and an elephant and yes, more space holds more dirt. I deposited ten minutes worth of quarters and dove into the Suburban. Sometimes there is no other way to begin. I started in the far back and worked my way up. I made sure I had on proper work clothes, nothing nice and all, and contemplated whether I might need a pair of plastic sterile gloves for an extra protective layer. I worked at a decent pace, tossed a few water bottles, chunked a football or two in the far back, and made a mental note to tell my youngest that my car is not her closet. When I found myself tucked in behind the passenger seat in the floorboard like a gymnast in the middle of a front tuck, I got stuck. No, I was not physically stuck in the floorboard, although that could happen as well. I mean I got stuck like I was totally focused on one item and I could not move on until I got it. Time was running out on my deposit, but I did not care! I was on a mission to get a waffle style pretzel that was lodged in between the passenger front seat and the console. I put down the vacuum hose all together, hard decision for a penny pincher to make, and used the seat lever to move the seat all the way up. I shimmied my hand in between the seats, wiggled my fingers, and tried with all of my might to reach the pretzel. It took a few times for me to get it. From my crouched down position and nearly entirely 100% under the front seat by this point and out of breath, I had my “ah-ha” moment of the week…hard to believe there could be a divine appointment in this circumstance I know. I could have ignored the pretzel because our Suburban was cleaner than it had been in some time, and I had come so far in my quest of cleanliness. However, I chose not to ignore it! I wanted all it, and decided from the moment I spotted it that a clean car included getting the one by one inch forgotten pretzel out. Likewise, God wants all of us. He does not want us to leave anything only partially surrendered to Him. Partial obedience robs us of peace and joy. We cannot reason our way through life by thinking that a certain amount of sin, not too much compared to last year, can just be ignored and forgotten. The Lord does not want us to give Him 99% and keep 1% hidden and tucked away. Nothing is hidden from Him. We only kid ourselves when we think that. Just like I was not satisfied with the one pretzel being left, the Lord is not satisfied with us when we hold onto, grip one part of our life and refuse to give it all to Him. So, ask yourself this week. What is tucked away out of sight, but not out of mind? What is hidden and out of view to everyone, but you know it is there and that God wants to take it from you? Get it all out this week. Give everything to Jesus. In 2 Corinthians 2:9 Paul urged the church of Corinth “For this is why I wrote, that I might test you and know whether you are obedient in everything.” That applies today. Are you obedient in everything?

Unexpected

This was a weekend full of unexpected events. Saturday morning I loaded three bags into the trunk of our car and scurried back in to get my coffee. The girls and I had a weekend of shopping, softball, and Nicolas Sparks planned. (His new movie just came out) The boys were staying home for deer season preparation round one and the Freestone County Game Association Dinner in hopes of winning another gun to add to the collection. As I poured my coffee, my youngest nearly ran me over to get to the sink because she was sick. I will leave out the details. I jerked out two bags from the trunk and threw my husband’s bag in. He made a speedy change from boots to khaki shorts and headed to the ballpark. I headed to the couch with my sick little one. This meant Nicolas Sparks was OUT because Dad was going to Dallas and that I had to take the boys to the hunting event if Blaise was well enough to go. I have learned the hard way to nearly expect a Plan B and not to sweat it. A few weeks ago when faced with a similar situation, I manipulated the day to get to do what I wanted and was miserable the entire time. I did not do that this weekend. I simply thought…OK, LORD, you have another plan for the day. There is such peace in knowing God has a plan and He knows all, sees all, and unpacking the bags is better than forcing something to happen that is not in His Will! Unexpected to us is never unexpected to God. Blaise bounced back from her aliment by mid-morning which meant she had to tag along Saturday night with us to the V.F.W. She has sent her Uncle in Dallas a lengthy list of snacks and needed items for the deer lease, but really she is just along for the ride when it comes to hunting. However, when she heard BLAISE MONICO it all changed! She stood right up and marched forward because she won a gun. I jokingly said to the men around me that she would trade the gun for some shoe money. Man, was a wrong! She was so proud of her gun. She called every important male figure in her life who was not present and announced that she won a gun! The funny part was when she tried to recite to her Dad what kind it was. It took five minutes for her to spit it out and it was a “Rosie” like a flower brand rather than a “Rossi.” Her big win was unexpected and her JOY over it was really the unexpected kicker. It made my night. I filled out my first firearm form and we headed out the door with her carrying her very first gun ALL BY HERSELF. I am learning day by day that unexpected does not need to be negative. It is okay when a well planned out plan A goes to Plan B... and it is fun! Paul wrote in Philippians 1 :6 “I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.” Life is just a work in progress! We are all just works in progress, and I am eternally grateful that Jesus uses the unexpected in life to teach us to settle down and trust Him. There are no unexpected events to Him. He is at work in your life. Will you let Him work this week?

The OAK

It feels like Fall! The cooler temps make the men in my family think about deer season. They think about it all the time, but their brains really get going when we have our first cool snap. I accompanied them on a Ranger ride Friday and all they did was discuss what needed to be trimmed and cut to get ready for hunting and winter. We cut our own firewood so there was a running list going of dead trees that would be perfect for that. I expected at any moment for one of them to grab a legal pad and start taking notes. I did the usual, like close my eyes when we went through the dugout. When I am on these trips too with my family, I have a habit of thinking about what I could be doing at home. I have learned to “Give THANKS” as we ride around. I thank the Lord for the trees, my healthy family, my home in the country, and the fact we live in a free country where we can ride, look, and pretty much do as we please. My mental list of thanksgiving came to a halt when I heard my husband say something about a cluster of trees. There was a decent size Oak tree. My husband then pointed out two smaller Cedar trees were growing right by it and said they had to go! I am no tree expert, but according to the Monico men, the smaller cedar trees evidently were crowding the Oak tree and stealing its nutrients. They were disturbing the root system of the Oak and a few more things of that nature were listed that I missed. I knew at that point that in a strange way, but isn’t life always strange if we are honest, that my life was represented in a way by these trees. I saw myself as the OAK tree and some of the extra things in life as the Cedar trees. The start of this school year has been stressful. I have continuously used the word hard to describe it! I have not been myself. Maybe I need to get rid of some “underbrush” or the cedars in my life that are crowding in and robbing my life of peace and joy. I thought as my kids got older that I would not be as busy. (HaHa) That is the funniest thing that I ever thought! Life was a breeze when all we had to do was play in the dirt pile and think about our next meal or what time Dad would be home. A fun outing was taking the trash to the dumpster. We did that over and over again, one bag at a time, just to get out of the house. Life is more complicated now. I will not bore anyone with a list of what needs to go in my life, what the cedar trees might be for me. That is something I am going to have to pray about. After I pray, then I will have to be obedient because it may be good stuff that has to go. Likewise, It could seem strange to an observer when the Monico men cut down the perfectly two good cedar trees next to the Oak. The Cedar trees are good, but not as good as the Oak. It may seem strange to observers when I or anyone else gets rid of some good stuff in their life to do the Lord’s Will. That is why we must obey the Lord and not others! Deuteronomy 30:19 says “Choose life in order that you may live, you and your descendants, by loving the LORD your God, by obeying His voice, and by holding fast to Him.” I am memorizing this verse this week, praying I can live by it, and do some necessary pruning. Join me!

New School Year...Run your Race!

Last Sunday in church I heard a familiar verse; however, I did not just hear it, I heard it and it spoke to me in a new way. (Yes, the Word of God is living and does actually speak to those who take the time to listen.) I adopted it as my verse for the 2014-2015 school year. Drumroll please….my verse for the school year is Hebrews 12:1-2. It says “Let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” I wrote it in my journal using my own words and it was like the Lord spoke to me and said this: Run YOUR race, kid. Run it well. Do not quit running when you are tired. Get rid of the sin. It will slow you down. Run your best race, do your best. Put on blinders, the world will try to distract you. We have come too far, even when you are tired, don’t turn back. Don’t dare look behind, right or left, but look forward at Me. Keep your eyes on Me and RUN YOUR RACE, KID. For those of you who know I am 41 years old, you may think it is funny that I felt like the Lord said to me “Run your race, KID” since 41 is not the age of a kid. Relatively speaking though, I still am a kid in the Kingdom of God. I invited Jesus into my heart only 11 years ago, so all of this is still new to me. I also feel better than I did in my twenties, so I still answer to and identify with the title of kid. Let’s get back to Hebrews 12: 1-2. I want to share this verse with Moms and Dads who begin the race this week of getting kids up and out on time, helping with homework, and playing taxi driver even when you may be worn slap out. Run your race! I share this verse with the home school mommas, whom I admire and greatly respect, because they are both Mom and teacher all day and night long. Run your race! I share this with recent graduates from high school who now are running an unfamiliar race at college or in the workforce. Oh, my heart goes out to you and I plead with you to hear this…Jesus says “Run your race, kid, and keep your eyes on me. You may be all grown up and independent, but spend some time with me every day so I can help you. Run to adulthood and know I am running with you.” I share this verse with the brave men and women who work in the school system. With changes, cuts, and increased pressure from this test and that, Jesus says to you…”Run your race and run it with love because there is a whole classroom full of kids who look up to you. Lead them to the content, but love them on the way.” I share this verse with students of any and every age who are tempted to compare themselves to someone else and feel like they just don’t add up…Jesus says “Run your race, kid, and there is an emphasis on YOUR, run YOUR race and don’t compare.” With the help of Jesus Christ, I am going to try and run my race this year with a smile. We are only given one life, one race here on this earth, so we better run hard, run with purpose, and most of all, run with love.

The Tomatoes

This morning began with “Operation: Free the Tomatoes.” I procrastinated weeding our small garden for long enough, and it was suddenly more weeds than tomatoes. I glanced at it last week and grabbed a few easy pieces of grass I could snatch up without gloves. Today though, I knew I had to really get to work. I suited up and immediately knew I had a problem. I asked my son to help me identify the weeds because everything looked green to me. He separated the tomato vines from the weeds and showed me how even though they were tangled up, they were easy to divide and pull up. I got a quick warning from him to be careful with what I was pulling up so I did not kill the tomatoes before he took off on his four-wheeler. I put on my gloves and got to work. I squatted down eye level with the plants to figure out what needed to stay and what needed to go. The weeds seemed to have an agenda. They wanted to blend in and take over. They had succeeded. Luckily, there were only two or three tomatoes lost in the battle when I plunged in and started pulling. They ended up on the ground more flat than round. When I finished, the garden looked small and sparse. It was kind of puny. It did not look full anymore; however, anyone with even the slightest green thumb knows that nearly naked and bare is better than crowded and cluttered with weeds. When I was down on my hands and knees right in the middle of the mess, I drew a line like a dot to dot in my mind from weeds to sin. I had seen the analogy before in my head many times, but it was even clearer than before. First of all, temptation in life that leads to sin is not clearly marked SIN and it does not have a sign that flashes in bright colors DANGER. (The weeds were not marked weeds.) Sin looks okay at first. It blends in with what we are already accustomed to. It does not present itself as sin, but as an adventure, a way out, fun, or even just way too much of a good thing. Secondly, when one wrong turn grows into more and eventually leads to devastating consequences, I do not think anyone ever said that they knowingly signed up for it. It starts small and grows, just like the weeds in the garden. Once it starts growing and the conditions are right, it can get out of control fast. Next, I had to look really closely to even decipher what was a good from bad. In fact, someone else had to help me. I was forced to physically get in the middle of the garden and separate the green mass with my gloves all the way down to the root. When we find ourselves in a mess, that is what we have to do. We must identify the root cause because unconfessed sin will not just go away. It will stay, remain, and grow. Lastly, the tomatoes that got crushed were damaged beyond repair. I tossed them over the fence. What a contrast that is to a life in Christ because when Jesus lives in our heart, we are never beyond repair. Even though we will have consequences for our sin, there is always forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 says “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” Just like I cleaned out the garden and freed up the tomatoes to thrive, maybe this is a good week for us to clean up our lives and throw out some sin. We can thrive too and be free because Jesus forgives.

Stuck

We just got back from Schlitterbahn. There were lots of laughs, lines, more laughs and more lines. There is a certain ambiance that comes with the largest waterpark in the world. Today I thought I saw smoke and realized that it was a mom at a picnic table spraying sunscreen on her kids. I also thought I witnessed a drowning baby until a fellow “Dragon Slayer” waiting in line explained to me that it was a fake baby being thrown in the river to make sure that the closest lifeguard was doing his job. He was! I heard a whistle and he yanked the baby out by one leg from the river before I could even climb under the rope to go help. I was on my way! I still may need counseling to get over it. Thank God it was a training maneuver. I told my kids early this morning as I slowly slipped down into the icy water never to doubt my love for them because I was freezing. That first ride today marked the pinnacle of my laughter. I got caught up in a whirlpool current that would not let me move on down the chute! It was crazy. I was going around and around and could not get out of the whirlpool no matter how hard I tried. I started laughing. I was hysterical. Everyone scooted effortlessly by me and floated right on down. I got so tickled that I could not even ask for help. The sad thing was that right about the time I could not breathe and my stomach was cramping from cackling so hard, I saw a familiar purple shirt coming way my. It was Bosque. I just knew he would help me; however, he got stuck too. There we were together doing a “do-si-do” like we were square dancing in the water going around and around. Bosque got mad at me for chuckling and yelled loud enough to be heard over the rushing waves, “MOM, it is not funny…get me out of here.” He splashed me too as if that was going to punish me. I could not possibly have been more wet or cold. Finally, we worked the current over on the right hand side and got out! Twelve hours later, I still laugh so hard that I cry when I think about our predicament. That is my lesson of the week or my “note to self.” Sometimes when you are stuck and going around and around in life, just laugh. I mean, just sit back in your chair, relax in your tube, or wherever the LORD has you, and laugh. Stop trying to fight your way out and getting mad that the world is passing you by. Do not worry about who momentarily scoots right past you without any effort at all because maybe God will send you someone to hang out with you, thus my Bosque today. Maybe too you are meant to be stuck for a while, just where you are, so be content. I was so content today after I stopped fighting. I had a blast! I settled in. It reminds me of the verse in Philippians 4:12 that says “I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” I agree with Paul. I know the secret too of contentment. It begins with Jesus in your life.

Coming Home

My family was divided in two the past week. If you do the math, that would be six divided by two, and I was here at home with only two kids for the first time ever. My husband took off across the country with two kids to Georgia. I had time to clean out a few cabinets, volunteer at VBS, have friends over to swim in the lake, and even take a trip to Urban Jump and IHOP on a date with my two kids. The traveling three left Atlanta in the middle of the night when my husband could no longer sleep and headed home. They pulled into the driveway this morning after twelve hours on the road allowing only restroom and coffee stops. I could tell they were here because our lab, Belle, stood up from her usual napping position in the carport, and headed down the rock road to meet them. I abruptly ended a phone conversation with a friend and something happened that I never expected. I started crying! I did not stop until I hugged all three of them and got them, along with the first load of junk in the house. If I am honest though, I really did not miss them that much. I know really too that they had not missed us either. We all had our own things going on. Why the tears then? It was just an overwhelming feeling that I had my family back home and really more of an overwhelming feeling of love. (I hope that doesn’t sound too cheesy.) I often find myself working so hard to take care of them and keep us all one step ahead of the next day, the next meal, the next activity, that I forget how much I really love them. It hit me like a ton of bricks! I witnessed another episode of love yesterday that was similar to my emotional meeting with my crew in a way. A precious young man at VBS asked Jesus into his heart. When my pastor visited with him about what was in his heart and on his mind, it was so evident to me that Jesus Christ himself had another child who was coming home to Him through salvation. It was priceless! To hear him say that he was a sinner and wanted Jesus in his heart reminded me that salvation is so simple and so free. It is love. I had to explain to him that my tears were happy tears so I did not freak him out! I thought of the passage in Matthew 18: 12-14 that says “What do you think? If any man has a hundred sheep, and one of them has gone astray, does he not leave the ninety-nine on the mountains and go search for the one that straying? If it turns out that he finds it, truly I say to you, he rejoices over it more than over the ninety nine which have not gone astray. So it is not the will of your Father who is in heaven that one of these little ones perish. “ I believe with all of my heart that these words spoken by Jesus are true and if you are lost, He is looking for you. You are never too lost, messed up, or too far gone for Him to bring you home to Him, so stop running the wrong way, and turn to Jesus.

Camp

Today has been an awesome day. I went to church with all four of my kids, laughed all the way to Dallas with my daughter, ran in Target for a few summer essentials, fit in a quick run, visited with a dear friend for over an hour, and came home to delicious ribs cooked by my hubby and a clean house. Even though today was a picture perfect day, all I could think was…I miss camp! I had the privilege last week of going to Latham Springs with 29 kids from Fairfield and three other adults who were game for an adventure. And…I miss camp! I would go back this week if I could. I would trade in my king size bed for my twin bottom bunk in a heartbeat. I miss the laughter, tears of joy, Bible Study, great music, crazy kick ball games, and my unofficial post as shower monitor reminding the girls to get washed up quickly and keep up with their personal belongings. I miss organizing a search party several times a day to find a missing sock, misplaced brush, or bag. I miss our area of the cafeteria where we ate being serenaded by kazoos and a constant beat made by newly purchased drumsticks on the table. Why do I miss it so much? What could be so wonderful about averaging six hours of sleep a night in a cabin full of forty or so girls and spending the hottest three hours of the day outside in the heat? It was amazing because without the constant distraction of television, cell phones, housework, and cooking for me, the presence of the Lord was very real. After about two days at camp and sensing that the kids loved it too, I began telling them that we had to find a way to take the “feeling” we were having at camp home. The theme of camp was “Duct Dynasty.” The last day during Bible Study we did a cool activity where we were each given a piece of duct tape and asked to write one thing on it that we wanted to stick and take home. There were so many truths I wanted to take home with me from camp like: God will always take you back. This book, the Bible, will keep me from sin. Sin will keep me from this book. Everything we say should honor God and encourage others. You can’t have Jesus in your heart and do nothing! How will you know you had a good week at camp? You will know it was good if you go home different. Those are a few of my notes that I really wanted to stick, and did I miss that I really miss camp? However, I am home now. All of my extra kids, who I really miss, are home now and back in their own set of circumstances. I know for a fact that the only way I will make it on this earth and experience joy is to read my Bible and spend time with the Lord daily. The only way my campers will make it on this earth is to read their Bibles daily and try to apply God’s truths to every situation that comes their way. So, join us. Whether it has been a day, a week, a year, or your quiet time with Jesus Christ has yet to begin, start today. Psalm 16:11 explains it all. “You have made known to me the path of life. You will fill me with joy in your presence.”

Playing ball and being a light

I headed out of town a few days ago packed for baseball in Paris and loaded down to send my oldest to Georgia to play softball. I cooked in Dallas at my in-laws to get everyone’s bellies full before hit the road. I accidentally burnt the cinnamon rolls because I was on the phone with my husband. I had the following thoughts about playing ball right about the time I performed cosmetic surgery on the cinnamon rolls to remove their dark brown bottoms. Go get the state title, the college look, the ring, the medal, the home run or strike out applause, but do not just get “it” and come home. Give and be a blessing in the place you are in, on your team, in your vehicle. Pray for someone, share a water, be an encourager, smile, and give your coaches and family a thank you for going with you and supporting you wherever you are. This applies to everything in life. Get the grade, but give a kind word in class. Get the job, but bet ready to be a blessing and work hard. Get the title or promotion, but be ready to encourage someone. Get the ring, the trophy, or the scholarship, but be ready to find a younger kid to mentor. Get the girl or the guy to marry you, but be ready to put them first and love unconditionally. I saw this idea in motion when we checked into the Comfort Inn in Paris. There was man working who greeted us, and went to work. I mean…he went to work! Trinity checked us in and mopped up a continuous puddle of water that kids made when they ran from the pool to the lobby. He delivered blankets. He made reservations. He cut up fresh watermelon, put out trays of cookies, and sent someone to get extra drinks that could be iced down in the lobby. He visited with kids playing video games and elderly women there for a family reunion. He circled through the dining area to make sure our crew was okay on his way to carry more towels to the pool. We were all in awe of his hospitality. Did he own this hotel? Was he the manager? No, he was just an employee on a mission to do his best and give back. I asked Blaise, my youngest, what she thought about Trinity. She said right off the bat, “Mom, He IS a Christian.” She could tell he was a Believer and not just a believer in anything or anyone, but a Believer in Jesus Christ. He told her that he loved Romans 10:17. It says “Faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.” In a little sermon in the lobby on his way to help some kids track down something they had lost, he told her to get as much of the Word of God as she could every day. I was reminded several times this weekend to give life my best shot and to be a light. I love the saying “Bloom where you are planted.” It often slaps me in the face! I threw a few fits when we were packing up the car. (yes, a few) I sometimes momentarily forget to bloom where I am planted and to be a LIGHT in every situation that the Lord puts me in. It is not possible because of who I am, but who He is. Jesus said in Matthew 5:16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.” That, my friends, is a thought for the week.

peas

When I poured my first cup of coffee one morning last week I had a tingle, really a pain, in my thumb. I felt like I had been in a fierce thumb war and won the championship after several rounds. Once the cup of caffeine set in and recharged my brain, I remembered that my thumb was more likely sore from my new hobby, shelling peas, than from any recent thumb war. I call it a hobby because I enjoy it. Go figure, I married a man from Dallas who has managed to be more country than I ever dreamed and grow an amazing garden. He grows, waters, and I tend to it when I am home in the summer. We are a pretty good team. One day last week in particular, the kids and I spent some time in the pea patch and also in the corn. The corn is so tall in one area that I thought I was in a maze I had seen in a Texas Highways magazine. I spent many a hour in a pea patch ten times I know the size of mine when I was a kid with my Great-Grandmother. She was a master gardener before the term even existed. I did not like it then, but many years later, the physical labor and quietness of outdoor work sure has grown on me. The first batch of cream peas we picked were not quite ready. We got excited snapped them from their vine a few days too soon! One of my kiddos asked me after the day we brought them in and realized they were not fully developed it they would get bigger and better. My answer was well….no. I saved that thought for a teachable moment the next time we were out in the garden. Covered in sweat, dirt, and bug spray because mosquitos did not seem to get the message that they are only supposed to bite at night this year, I bent down to show Blaise and Bosque how we were letting the peas stay connected to the vine a little bit longer. They started avoiding the smaller ones and went for the “Big Daddy Peas.” I started my verse in John 15:5 and they finished it for me about staying connected to the vine. Peas just take time. Gardening takes time! I guess that is why I love it. It teaches me to wait. It teaches me to be patient. It teaches me that when I get my kids outside together and away from television, phones, and technology all together, that we have the best conversations. I have sat outside and inside so much the past week shelling peas and it has served my mind well. I have sorted through some problems and seen mother nature first hand. I have learned the hard way for the thousandth time, that waiting is hard, but rushing anything can cause waste and ruin. I have remembered all of the times that I took the reins in life to rush and push my way into what I wanted or thought was best for me. Sadly, that never works because God has a plan and His plans cannot be rushed or manipulated! I am reminded of a promise in Micah 7:7. It says “But as for me, I will look to the LORD; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” Instead of rushing the crop, or rushing your life, looking and waiting for the LORD is a much better plan.

toilet bowl

Spring is in full swing around here. There is lots of baseball, softball, and county fair talk. The trampoline has hooked back up with the sprinkler and seems to be the favorite pastime again this year. We are mowing, weeding, and I am particularly enjoying my purple martins and the constant chatter they keep going in the air. It is music to my ears and makes me want to sit on my back porch all day. My kids are growing up right before my eyes, and I must say that my dogs are growing up too. Our lab has reached a hefty size that she probably needs chase balls more and eat less. (Don’t we all?) Our Jack Russell, Bubs, has reached a height that he can now…drumroll please… drink water out of the toilet. He has been a fan of the water in the shower for quite some time now, but has suddenly graduated to the toilet bowl for his primary source of hydration and loves it! One day last week I filled up his nice, clean, silver bowl with fresh water from the sink and watched him walk past it to make his way down the hallway to the bathroom for a drink. I fussed at him and told him that was the dumbest thing I had ever seen. After I scolded him, I pointed in the living room to his “area” and reminded him that his water in there waiting. All of a sudden I had an “AH-HA” moment. I thought about how stupid Bubs was to take in the toilet water over clean water that had been laid out and prepared especially for him. Likewise, how stupid am I am when I choose to go my own way and “take” in the junk of the world when the Lord has laid out and prepared for me a good life? Let me explain…maybe just maybe, we pick” toilet water” over “living water” on a regular basis because we are so used to it that we don’t even know the difference anymore. We can live in defeat, depression, and sin for so long that we have forgotten about the goodness of the Lord. We know something is wrong or something is missing, but we are too busy and complacent to even look up and do something about it. Maybe too our plummet to the “toilet water” was so gradual that we did not even realize we were headed in that direction. I am not a name it, claim it type of Christian because I believe with all of my heart that the Lord does allow hard times to come because they make us lean on Him. However, I also think many Believers are living in constant defeat when the Lord is ready and willing to help them overcome sin and live victoriously. I feel like sometimes God must look down and think…why on earth would he/she do that and make such a mess of things when I prepared something so much better? I sure did wonder that about my beloved dog and I know God wonders that about me. He must just shake His head and think…WHY? I am on a mission this week to move from the “toilet water” to the living water of Jesus Christ, so join me. The Lord is pointing us in the right direction if we will just look up, listen, and obey. He has prepared a way and choosing anything other than His way his just plain stupid. Deuteronomy 28:2 says “All of these blessings will come upon you and overtake you if you obey the LORD your God.” That sounds good to me. What about you?

stand UP

My husband and I were raised in totally different places 90 miles apart, but when we started dating we realized we shared some things in common. We both shopped at the Shoe Box at Northpark Mall in Dallas for our shoes. Now, our reasons for going there were very different. He was looking for anything in an extra wide width. I was on the hunt for something cute and very narrow. I vividly remember finding a pair of shoes that I loved often and being told “No, I am so sorry, but those do not come in a triple A.” I usually ended up with a pair of Capezios. All I ever wanted was the “YO YO” sandals with the hole in the heel. That never worked out because of the width. (I might just try to find a vintage pair now because my feet along with everything else seems to be wider.” We also discovered that we had a love for the Hill County and Luckenbach. We were later engaged there. Why this computer does not recognize Luckenbach as a word and thinks it is misspelled is a mystery to me because Luckenbach is a special place. One childhood memory we have in common is a really scary one. We both nearly drowned in the Guadalupe River tubing. I made the mistake of holding onto each adult on the side of me and not my own tube. When we hit the chute, I quickly lost my tube and went under. A lifeguard on the side came to get me after what seemed like eternity. The water was not deep, but the current was fierce. My hubby had the same scare in what we think was the exact same location. Thank God we made it because we are a pretty good team. My dear friend last week told a similar story in Sunday school. She got caught up in a current that sucked her under like a miniature whirlpool. She shared how the water was flowing over her head and she tried to come up for air, but could not. Then, she realized she had not tried to plant her feet. She said “I did not understand that all I had to do was JUST STAND UP.” She nearly drowned in water that was only about three or four feet deep and the bottom had been there all along. I jotted down those three simple words in in my study book in all caps and BOLD. I wrote down “JUST STAND UP.” The simple phrase only has 11 letters, but they give a lot of bang for your buck. The whole visual of being held down, kept under, caught up in something that seems to have a hold on you until you just plant your feet and stand up is powerful. If you have ever been held down by something, and most likely the result of your own poor decisions, you know what I mean. When you feel like you need to plant your feet to stand up to rise above whatever has kept you down, claim a verse and read it out loud. The power of the spoken Word is life changing. If you want to, borrow this one from me for now and plant your feet on the only Solid Rock: Jesus Christ. 1 Corinthians 16:13 says “Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong.” It is a command, not a suggestion or an idea. It tells us how to live, so decide today to JUST STAND UP.

Prayers and Payton

I had confirmation today that my children do listen to me. Sunday is usually our treat day after church. By treat, I mean we stop by Rob’s Drive In, a favorite of mine since I was a kid and could ride my bike there and park it on the side. My kids are usually granted one “free choice” pass each and I grab whatever necessities I will need for the rest of the day. Today we ended up with some bean dip, Fritos, a canister of potato sticks, and a small container of ice cream. I was proud of my youngest when we got home and she sat down at the bar with her ice cream to study the label. She was delighted to let me know that her ice cream had three grams of protein in it. I preach protein and although she was way “off” to look up nutrients in ice cream, I was proud that she remembered that protein matters to Mom! Her grin was priceless when she announced the good news to me. It was like….Mom, I got it! I was able to explain to another kiddo this week about the power of prayer and I think he got it too. His name is Dalton. Dalton was genuinely concerned about his friend, Peyton Turner. Dalton told me that Peyton had an accident and was in the hospital. I asked him what we should do. He knew the answer and said we should pray. I could not agree more. The Lord quickly gave me a visual to share with Dalton. I drew a triangle with Jesus at the top. On one side of the triangle at the bottom, I drew a stick figure and told Dalton that was him and everyone else who was praying for “Pate.” On the other side of the triangle at the bottom, I drew another stick figure and labeled it Peyton. I wanted to show Dalton that his prayers were going up to the Lord and that they actually came back down the other side of the triangle and landed right on his friend. Like Dalton, most of the children today at church today requested prayer for Peyton and for his Mom, Kayla, who is also in the hospital. I could not help but think that we may be known here for peaches, Sam’s Restaurant, and Big Brown, but we are also known as a community who loves each other and who prays. I know that personally. When I had cancer, I went an entire summer and did not have to cook. Food was delivered here every few days. I received cards in the mail often and knew people were praying for me. I felt like even if I was losing my hair and was as sick as a dog from chemotherapy that I was in a bubble protected. This week please, I mean pretty please with a cherry on top, pray for someone in need. Put up the phone, turn off the television, and pray. Your relationship with the Lord will grow stronger because of it. Communicate with the King of Kings, Lord of Lords, and assume your role on one side of the triangle. Remember God is at the top and trust Him to take care of the person or situation on the other side. Even in hard times and when we do not like the outcome, He is at the TOP and has a plan. I am going to bed tonight holding onto this word from Philippians 4:6-8. “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

onions

I realized last night that my family had reached the next stage in life. I pulled up at the house from a party and hopped out of the truck. I was wearing some wedge shoes that had already proven to be difficult. I had no business going to close the chicken coop door in them for sure, but I set out on an adventure in the dark because I was too lazy to change shoes. Sure enough, I turned my foot on a rock in the driveway. Go figure… I hobbled back to the house to meet my boys who were unloading the truck. I was pleasantly surprised to have one of them meet me by the pick-up to take my purse and offer me a shoulder to lean on for support. I could not believe that he was taking care of me. I thought to myself how in just a short time period, our roles had reversed. I was no longer the strong one who could throw him on my hip and carry him around, but he was the solid one helping me. I thought as we walked in the house together arm in arm... we have reached “that” point of me being the old Momma in need of assistance. Do you ever feel like you are at “that” point with things in life? This can be positive, like a breakthrough, where things suddenly make sense. It can also be negative, like being one step away from totally going bonkers. (If that is even a word) I have reached “that” point this week with a few things. I realized that my heart is like an onion. (Stay with me here) I can allow layers and layers of junk to build up and maybe…just maybe, my heart is beating, but it is not okay anymore. Bitterness and unforgiveness can build up and eventually make a heart become hard. They can smother out anything good. When our hearts are not right, our thoughts and words are next in line to totally fail. From time to time, we have to ask God to help us peel away the layers of hurt and heal us. We may have to offer forgiveness even if we think we are right. When the layers are peeled away, we can love again like we should. I have reached a point too with the issue of trust. I realized last week that I was not very happy with the way a few situations have turned out. My dissatisfaction had caused me to temporarily forget to trust God. I know this because I was grumbling and complaining. I had taken my eyes off of Jesus Christ and allowed them to settle on the circumstances. I gave myself a pep talk, got in the Word, and reminded myself that Jesus is alive and well. He is working and involved, even when I cannot see the progress. I can trust Him because He has never let me down. If you are at “that” point with anything, lean on the Lord. In Psalm 94:18 David wrote “ If I should say my foot has slipped, Your lovingkindness, O LORD, will hold me up. When my anxious thoughts multiply within me, Your consolations delight my soul.” No need to grumble, complain, fall, or slip this week. Let the LORD hold you up.

firsts

We had a week of “firsts” around here. My son for the first time ever decided to be a tray at school and buy a cafeteria meal. He has never, and I mean never, ever, wanted to mess with the line, the wait, and then the sometimes rush that comes with eating in the cafeteria when you end up sitting down last. I have told him for years that he should try it, especially because he is the main one in the family who likes real food. He is not really a sandwich kid. He is more of a gravy, mashed potatoes and chicken fried steak kind of fellow; therefore, I have always thought that a school tray might be just what he needed. I have suggested. He has said no. I have mentioned it. He has said no. It just took time….nearly 7 years to be exact before he took the plunge. When he came home and announced his big news to me, he was a happy camper and said he could not believe he had waited so long to try it. Our other first was that for the first time in 14 years, I found myself behind the wheel of a car. I started off when I had my first child in a Ford Explorer and graduated to a Suburban. My family grew big and grew quickly, so I have never downsized in the automobile department. That is…until now. We got a car to help with the rising, and staying high for some reason I might add, cost of gasoline. I sometimes make three or four trips back and forth to town in a day. I did not expect to like the car at all. I have been in a big SUV for so long that I just knew I would feel like I was tiny and cramped in a car. Much to my surprise, I love it. I can honestly say that I would never drive my big Suburban again if I did not have to. When we all go somewhere though or we need to pile a lot of junk in the back, we will still need the bigger ride. Friday morning when I made my school rounds and zipped in and out of parking spaces with ease, I thought….I can’t believe I waited so long to do this.

Easter

Our Easter was perhaps the most simple and best Easter ever. Our outfits did not match and were not even new. There were no fresh flowers on the table or corsages on our wrists. (Corsages were all the rage when I was little girl.) We did however spend time with both of our families, enjoyed the perfect and much anticipated spring weather, and church was truly a blessing this morning. I just tucked in the last sleepy kiddo of my crew. For some reason after our prayers, he asked if we could have a day that all I said was “YES.” I asked him to please explain that concept a little bit more. He said “Like a day that we can do anything we want to…maybe the water park in Waco and Sonic if we want it, whatever we want, Mom.” I let him know that soon it would be summer and that a “YES DAY” was a possibility if they had been obedient and said YES to everything I asked of them the day before the big “YES DAY.” I am not sure if he liked that idea. He said “Oh, forget it, I am going to bed.” His question coincided with my week because I had a personal revelation about Easter. As it turns out, Easter was/is really the greatest YES DAY ever. In my preparation for delivering the kid’s message today at FBC in Fairfield, I prayed for the Lord to give me a clear direction of which way to go with the children. As usual, the message was for me to learn and take in way before I planned on teaching it. I realized I had never really gotten a grasp on what Easter means to me as a believer in Jesus Christ until this year. When Jesus was on the cross, John 19:30 says that He said “It is finished” and then bowed his head and gave up His spirit. He said YES to us and took away our sin. When He spoke “It is finished” our lives really began because without forgiveness of sin, who would really want to live anyway? (Reread that…it is huge!) We also must believe in the power of IT IS FINISHED when we are struggling and drowning in our own sin. We need to allow the Lord to help us overcome whatever is holding us down. The word “overcomer” makes sense to me now. Because Jesus said yes on the cross, we can overcome. My other newfound truth is from Romans 8:11. It says “The Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead, lives in you.” (that is worth a reread too) So, if I believe that verse to be true and the entire Bible is true, then there is no reason for any believer to be down for too long when the same power that rose Jesus from the grave three days after his death resides in every child of God. That verse has been ringing loud and clear in my head and forcing me think that I better rise up and live because Jesus did just that. Because He lives, I can and will rise up and make a difference in my little world around me. That all began with Easter. If Jesus lives in you, rise up today. If you realized that you are living a meaningless life, say YES to Jesus and today and every day for eternity will have meaning. Jesus said YES, not it is our turn.

chicken feed

I just got home from the movie GOD’S NOT DEAD, so I will have to try to really focus to get my column done tonight. I need more time to think about the movie before I could even begin to put it into words. I will say this…it is a must see, a cancel other plans, make plans now, and get to the theater type of movie. My topic has nothing to do with movies, but more to do with real life here in my kitchen. Trust me too; this place is nothing like Hollywood. One morning last week I had three of my lovely children lined up at the bar for breakfast. I was in the kitchen pretending like I was working at Sam’s again when they arrived. (Yes, I am a morning person, but not worth a flip past 9:00 P.M.) Breakfast is big here because I know what a school day entails. I believe that a good night’s rest and a decent breakfast with protein helps kids stay on task and alive until lunch. On this particular morning, thank God I was in a really pleasant mood and running ahead of schedule, I had nothing in my house in the way of breakfast food. We were out of eggs. We were out of multigrain waffles. We were out of cereal except for corn flakes. I attempted to be creative and began offering several choices at the bar thinking something would appeal to just one of the kids at least. I served up a cheese tortilla, some toast with honey, and offered corn flakes with honey. Everything that I pushed across the bar, one of my children pushed it back in my direction. One of crew was pretty clever for 6:15 in the morning and started saying as they pushed the food back across “Chicken feed.” After I heard “Chicken feed” a few more times, I gave up. I have no idea what they finally ate, but they lived and the chickens were happy, happy, happy that day. I went straight to the store after I dropped them off and stocked up on breakfast essentials. I was not going through another day of “Chicken feed.” Our “Chicken feed” morning reminded me of Daniel in the Bible. When he lived in Babylon, he refused to eat and the wonderful, rich fare the King offered to him. He also refused to fall down and worship the golden image like King Nebuchadnezzar ordered. He was intentional. When I studied the life of Daniel years ago, I was awestruck. The word INTENTIONAL was my word of the year and the word RESOLVE was a close second. Much like my children who refused my jumbled up melody for breakfast, Daniel refused to give in and was eventually rewarded for his amazing obedience to the Lord. Just thinking through it all again, I want to be more like Daniel. I want to refuse things I know are not good for me. I also want to refuse to let negative thoughts take over my mind. I want to live my life in a way that is worthy of the King because, like Daniel, I am a Child of the Most High God. What do you need to refuse this week and possibly push right back at the enemy? Be intentional, spend time in the Word, and keep this in mind from Romans 12:12 “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is – his good, pleasing and perfect will.”