Snakes, birds, and future spouses

I have only a few hobbies left at this stage of motherhood and life. Running, reading, writing, and watching my purple martins. My father in law is the biggest bird nerd and he has trained me well. My three houses are equipped this year with snake guards. Snakes have proven to be a problem in the past for my bird population and one can run your bird family off for good.

Therefore, I was totally surprised when I looked out of my bathroom window Sunday morning and saw a snake up past the guard weaving itself into the bird house. I screamed like a total panicked woman and as usual, my husband grabbed a gun and some bullets. We all ran out in the front yard. Some of us, will not give names, not even in appropriate clothing yet.

The horrible and mean snake got at least 2 of my adult birds. The others are scared and may not return. I was just amazed at the disgusting determination of the snake. Sickened by it. It reminded me of a quote I wrote down last week from my favorite Stormie Omartian book "Power of a Praying Parent." She writes "Remember that your fight is not with your child, it's with the devil. He is your enemy, not your child. Stand strong in prayer until you see a breakthrough in your child's life."

That is another example of frightening determination. The devil will stop at nothing to get to us and our children because his ultimate goal is to hinder the work of Jesus Christ. Pray and be on guard. Recognize that you are in a battle! Sounds a bit "out there" but it is true.

Part 2 of the snake story: I immediately sat down both of my daughters and told them that I needed to have serious talk with them. I made them promise me that they would marry a man who could shoot a gun, kill a snake, and take care of business like their daddy when duty calls. Second to being a Christian, I desire a man for them, and especially if they make their home in the country, who is a good shot.

Broken and used to it.

I get my greatest inspirations when I am vacuuming. Maybe it is because the house is usually empty and I am alone or perhaps because I am so excited that for one day everything in my little world will be half way clean. Either way, some of my finest moments have been had cleaning my house.

This was true last week and a thought occurred to me as I wiped the layers of dried, caked-on, nearly artwork like bits of toothpaste off the bathroom sink. I realized for the first time in over a year or so that my bathroom sink fixture is broken. A entire knob came off of it a really long time ago. I don't even recall how it happened. I have also accepted the flaw and not even made plans to fix it. Company visiting our house must think "OH, I bet that just happened." Not true.

In a way, We are all like the sink: broken and totally used to the brokenness. A recent book study in Sunday School by Beth Moore called "So Long Insecurity" revealed to me some areas in my life that too have been "broken" that I have totally gotten used to. Not good! We can't just settle into life and get so acclimated to our issues that we totally accept them as part of what's normal.

I just read that part of Psalm 139 means God created us all and must have stepped back, looked at His work, and said...Isn't she lovely? Isn't he lovely?

That kind of blows me away and sure does help mend any of the hurts, failed attempts to impress the world, need for approval from man, and even regret over past mistakes. Know TODAY, dear one, that God created you and thinks you are HIS best work. Perfect, no, but His child. If anything IN you is broken, don't accept it or just get so used to it that it becomes the norm, let The Lord heal and fix you.

Strawberry shortcake without strawberries

I was prepared today, totally not the norm, and had sloppy joes and strawberry shortcake ready for our after school, pregame snack. It was a yummy treat. Banner dished up the dessert and had it ready to serve as usual. Bosque's request baffled her. He wanted strawberry shortcake without the strawberries.

Big sister thought that was the funniest thing ever. I didn't even laugh because when I was a kid, I did the same thing at Mammaw's house on Sundays. Banner said it just didn't make any sense!

As usual, overhearing my munchkins, I compared the request of my son to something The Lord had been teaching me. Bosque wanted a dab of "this and that." He was sort of on the fence, you might say, with his order for dessert. He wanted to pick and choose, create his own idea of what would be good for him.
In the land of Burger King, he wanted to have it HIS own way.

We do that with The Lord. We read our Bibles, hear a sermon, get our answer from The Lord in our prayer time and then pick and choose what we will obey fully, obey partially, or even completely ignore.

We can't ignore this word in Romans 8:6. "The mind of the sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace."

That should help us when the Lord speaks to us and we think to ourselves, NO...I think I will have it may way. Sin is sin. It leads to death and destruction. Living in the Spirit means not living perfect, but staying close with The Lord and asking The Lord to forgive us when we do goof up. Obedience is not boring. It is the most freeing thing in the world because peace and walking right with The Lord brings joy like nothing else will!

Having it our way may feel good at the time, but having it the Lord's way is the best! It starts today with obedience.

This is it!

I just got a picture from my brother in law that he snapped over spring break. I opened it and immediately thought: this is it!

It's the kids and I at White Rock enjoying ice cream from the ice cream truck. This picture screams to me: THIS IS IT! This is what it is all about. The smiles, the laughs, the sunshine, and the simple fun times that can be shared when life is simple and there is not too much going on.

We only have one shot in this life on earth. Heaven will be forever, but this is not. What is your "this is it". Does it line up with how you spend your time? Does it line up with how you spend your money and energy? Life is too short to miss it.

Romans 10:9 is "IT" too. That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.

What is your "This is it?"

Laundry issues

I often find interesting objects in my washer and dryer. I do a happy dance when it is money or something of value. I'm not as happy when it is gum left in a pocket of new Nike pants, lipgloss seemingly poured out on a blouse of mine, or pocket knives that flip, flop, turn, and rust!

Last week I found something interesting in my dryer. It looked like flaky bits of snow that had been blown into my laundry from a huge winter storm. Every bit of clothing was covered in it. I never found the source and couldn't concentrate on that, but began a shake to get it off of everything. I shook the clothes in the laundry room and had to immediately sweep. I had to give them another shake in my room before I could fold them on my bed. After 3 or 4 shakes, I reached the point that my clothes were no longer covered, but my floor was. Thus, the second sweep began.

I thought if how we too can be covered in things. We can choose to cover ourselves in the Word of God or we can choose to cover ourselves in the mess of the world. The choice is ours. What will you cover yourself with today?

I don't know about you, but I need to be covered in The Lord. Pray now if you have a need and ask Him to wrap you in His loving kindness and cover you with His strong arms.

Being intentional today...

I just completed an hour long journey through Walmart to restock our bare pantry. I started out with 3 lists. One of them was carefully composed this morning by my first born daughter. She knows what she wants and is not afraid to ask for it. (Study birth order and this will make sense.)

I laughed out loud when I saw her specific request for a certain kind of chocolate chips. She told me this morning that she was trying out a new recipe this week. Much like her father, she is a great cook. I marveled at her detail as I stopped on the baked goods isle and even snapped a picture of the list. Gotta love a person who is intentional in their planning and knows what they need.

We should all be more like that because if we are not intentional in our present society, we are going down. We will focus on more money, cooler phones, better looks, more trophies, greater accomplishments, what Hollywood says is IN, and really leave what matters in the distance!

What does matter? The way we spend our earthly days loving and serving others. A church sign in town says, "He must increase. I must decrease." That HE is Jesus and that sign sure is true. Jesus will not increase in our lives however if we are not truly focused on our DAILY walk with Him. Start today with your Bible and a few minutes of your time. See where that leads. I promise it will bless your day and then you can love and be a blessing to others.

It is finished

I have always been intrigued by the 3 words in the Bible: It is finished. These Words that Jesus spoke on the cross seem so simple; however, they are very complex and they have a meaning for us all today.

It is finished means to me today, the day after Easter, that the same power that raised Jesus Christ from the grave resides in every born again believer! It is finished. I am finished with_______. With Christ's help, this is the end of__________ and it is finished. Fill in the blanks. Take your pick.

Maybe today you need to close the chapter on something in your life. So many believers are plagued with things like insecurity, bondage, resentments, bitterness over the past, grief, jealousy, addictions, worry, that could today be put over in the victory column and taken out of the "issue" column of life. Move it on over!!!

Life will never be perfect, but living with a constant nagging and knowing "something" needs to go, is not acceptable for a Child of the Most High.

Seems to simple? Seek The Lord and He will guide you to freedom. There is so much power within our grasp. Just reach out.