My family requested donuts this weekend and since I have pretty much banned them on school days and opted for more protein, I granted their request and bought an assorted dozen. Amazingly enough, there were 4 remaining last night. I spotted my fancy cake dome on the bar and decided to put the last 4 in there on display to motivate my crew this morning to rise and shine. There were 2 glazed, 1 blueberry, and one chocolate covered glazed. As I walked through rooms and turned on lights today, I quietly said just loud enough so that my sleepy heads could hear, "The first dressed and at the table gets first choice of the left-over donuts." I knew that would work! Heads raised, arms stretched, and all four of my kiddos were looking for clothes pretty quickly. I prayed as I walked out of the last room to myself that the fact there was an assortment remaining would not cause a war on a Monday morning. That would be no way to start the week or the day for that matter.
Banner, the oldest, was first as usual. Brazos, 2nd in birth order, was 2nd and made his pick. I commented to myself...no conflicts yet and walked back down the hallway to check on Blaise and Bosque. By the time I was back in the kitchen, the younger two were standing at the side of the bar by the cake stand looking at the 2 remaining donuts. One was glazed and one was chocolate glazed. I heard the most amazing thing as I walked towards the kitchen. Bosque, my 7 year old, said "Blaise, which one do you want?" She looked up at him, smiled, and pointed to her choice. I froze because I did not want them to see me yet and I had to take it all in! Big brother reached up and handed her the donut of her choice, took his, and they walked over to the table.
I was amazed! It was one of those little moments in life that is really BIG and not a little moment at all! I used verbal praise well that I was taught in my education courses at UTA to acknowledge his sweetness and added in that Bosque had a heart like the Lord wanted him to have at that moment. (I stress at that moment and this is not to make my son out to be an angel!!! Only a short time later in the bathroom he said he did not like me because I messed up his perfect hairdo with my hand trying to smooth it out a bit.)
I live for these moments in motherhood and in life! I really do. These times are bigger and better than any dream destination vacation and piece of jewelry that could ever be bought for me. These moments with my kids way top the new Old Gringo boots I bought and adore a million times! These moments in life can not be bought, planned, or created on our own!
In a little book on JOY I have been reading there is a quote by Rick Warren that says "Your were made by God and for God - and until you understand that, life will not make sense." Really nothing about our lives is about us. We will only be happy when we put others before us. My son did that. You should have seen the smile on his face when he asked her which donut she wanted. He made her day and he liked it! I too know I am the most happy and content when I put others before me. Why we slip into modes of "SELF" I do not know because it always ends in defeat, sadness, and even depression.
Jesus Christ lived to serve us, died for us, and did it all without thinking about Himself, what He deserved, and what was owed to Him. We must prayerfully and obediently follow as close as we can in His footsteps. It begins today with not demanding that we have life our way, but looking around us to see who we can bless.
I don't know. Maybe today it will be that you give up your favorite donut, let the person in the line at the store go in front of you, or even do the dishes again even if it is not your turn...and with a smile!
Rick Warren begins his book "The Purpose Driven Life" with this simple line "It is not about you." To me that statement reveals more than anything why most people are miserable! We will never be satisfied and content if we take on the world's view that life is about US and needs to revolve around OUR NEEDS! "Self" will not work and will never produce joy.
The next paragraph in the book goes onto say "The purpose of your life is far greater than your own personal fulfillment, your peace of mind, or even your happiness. It's far greater than your family, your career, or even your wildest dreams and ambitions. If you want to know why you were placed on this planet, you must begin with God. You were born by his purpose and for his purpose."
Bless someone today in your path. Live today with purpose from the Lord by putting others first, and yourself second. Oh, and...My son did not only make his sister's day, but mine too!
Monday, March 28, 2011
Sunday, March 27, 2011
It's me or the rooster....
Not to long ago my husband had to make a choice. I would like to believe that it was a quick and easy one. It was going to be ME or the ROOSTER. One of us HAD TO GO! Let me explain. Last summer we got a rooster from a friend to hang out here with our hens and do what roosters do. Oh, and he was quite the rooster! I enjoyed his early morning antics and wake-up calls because I am happiest at that time of day, but must admit that was the only thing that I liked about the beast. He and I just did not not get along. I was afraid of him and he knew it. He had my number! Anytime I was near him, he would fluff up like a man on some serious steroids and charge after me. I would then proceed to run and scream like a little sissy. Again, I fully admit...He had my number!!!
On one particular Thursday morning, I was home alone and went on over to the chicken coop to let our beloved birds free for the day. I hid behind the door, normal routine, until he was out of the house. I held onto my shovel, my chosen weapon, for dear life. He went on out and started strutting around after the poor little hens. I snuck into the chicken house and hurriedly gathered up the eggs. I watched out of the window for him to return like a robber in a bank watching for the police at the door in a total paranoid state. My greatest fear had been that he would trap me in the house and....I don't even know! I bent down to grab the last of the eggs and heard something at the door. At first I thought it must have been my dog, Belle, trying to come in and get her daily dose of fresh protein, but it was not. IT WAS THE ROOSTER and he was in the house with me. I was trapped in the corner and did not have a shovel or anything. I could not call for my husband to come and help me because he was not home. I was alone. It was me and HIM.
My first thought for survival was Belle. She would come and help me. She was near...had to be...I just saw her. I called for her. "Belle, come here, Belle, come here girl." No Belle. This seemed to make the rooster snicker and puff up even more and move my way, inch by inch. I looked around, without moving a muscle to see if there was anything I could use as artillery. There was nothing but the eggs that I had gathered in my hands. I threw one at him and missed. I screamed and yelled at him to get out. I know by this point that my heart rate was off of the charts. I resorted to prayer. I prayed. I thought to myself...Lord, help me. I am not going out like this!!! I stood still and stared at the rooster after my cry and plea for help to the Lord for what seemed like 5 minutes. I bet it was only 1 or 2. Finally...the rooster seemingly laughed at me and my cowardliness in the corner, pivoted around, and left the coop. I tiptoed to the door and peeked out of the window and made a run for it to the house. (I scolded Belle on the way home as I sprinted past her like a speeding bullet because she did not help me.)
After I stopped heaving from the ruckus, I called my husband and had to relive the ordeal like a victim being put on the stand in a packed courtroom. It still raises the hair on my arms even now as I type. I know I could have kicked one time and taken HIM out, but I was afraid I would kick, trip, and fall and then he would have had me down. Instead of ever really fighting back, minus that day using the eggs missiles, I gave into him and my fear. I gave my husband an ultimatium like never before. I simply stated to him. "It is me or the rooster!" I am still here and typing. That should tell you who won. As usual, this whole silly to many, yet serious to me scenario made me think of a Biblical principle. I told Branden "It's me or the rooster." I think the Lord tells us all of the time..."It's me or ________________." You fill in the blank. What comes to mind? Maybe it is a person, habit, addiction, sin, attitude, mood, or even not forgiving someone. What is He telling you today MUST GO? Possibly you can answer that question with...nothing really. There are seasons of life that come when we are walking pretty tight with Jesus and really can't find much that needs to go. That usually comes after a season of serious CLEANING, pruning, etc. I mean where He said "THIS MUST GO" and you submitted, obeyed and acted on it. There is usually a time of rest for a while after that, minus the huge spiritual warfare that then can come from the enemy when we are obedient.
However, most of us can easily identify what needs to go in our life to make us closer to the Lord. We just choose to ignore it and hold onto it for dear life sometimes. Many think that being a Christian means giving up stuff; therefore, living a boring, blah, life. It is quite the contrary! I have often been blown away by how exciting life really is when I am walking closely with the Lord. A friend shared with me today that she had been praying specific scriptures for her husband. One was that the veil would be lifted from his eyes and he would really see himself as the Lord sees him. He told her one day last week that he was on the tractor and to quote him..."It is like a veil has been lifted from my eyes. I see it all now." Is that boring at all? Does a life like that lack excitement? I think not.
This week...do not live any longer with the junk in your life. Get rid of it. There is power in the blood and all sin can be forgiven, any life can be transformed, any relationship can be restored. Jesus came to set the captives free. That is you and I. We do not have to live this life miserable in bondage to sin. If you do know Jesus as your personal Savior, He is probably saying to you right now...."It is me or _______________." Oh, dear friend, He will not leave you if you keep the junk or choose to hold onto the sin, worry, negative attitude, bitterness, etc., but you will miss out on all that He has for you because sin always holds us back. Jesus Christ loves us and only wants what is best for us! Jesus says in John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and have it to the full." Who among us would not choose to live and to have a FULL life?
In Romans 6:16-18Paul says "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey - whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness. But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
Will we choose to be slaves to sin or be slaves to obedience and a full life today? It all begins with a loving plea from the Lord for your total attention...What will it be for you? Will you choose the Lord in His amazing fullness, love, grace, and JOY, drawing closer to Him by spending time in the Word and in prayer?
Or will you choose _______________________. The choice is yours.
One more thing: This rooster incident had been building and was not an isolated case! I had several run-ins with the cocky beast before. I asked my husband nicely at first if he would consider taking out the rooster, but it was not serious enough yet for that type of action. I often think at first too God asks us nicely if we will STOP, think, and turn back to Him. When we continue on in the wrong direction, He will speak up a bit louder and eventually get to a point that we may hear Him YELLING. That is a good thing because He does not give up on us.
Kaye Arthur says in a Bible study I am doing "Sin will take you further than you ever expected to go. It will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay, and it will cost you more than you ever expected to pay."
On one particular Thursday morning, I was home alone and went on over to the chicken coop to let our beloved birds free for the day. I hid behind the door, normal routine, until he was out of the house. I held onto my shovel, my chosen weapon, for dear life. He went on out and started strutting around after the poor little hens. I snuck into the chicken house and hurriedly gathered up the eggs. I watched out of the window for him to return like a robber in a bank watching for the police at the door in a total paranoid state. My greatest fear had been that he would trap me in the house and....I don't even know! I bent down to grab the last of the eggs and heard something at the door. At first I thought it must have been my dog, Belle, trying to come in and get her daily dose of fresh protein, but it was not. IT WAS THE ROOSTER and he was in the house with me. I was trapped in the corner and did not have a shovel or anything. I could not call for my husband to come and help me because he was not home. I was alone. It was me and HIM.
My first thought for survival was Belle. She would come and help me. She was near...had to be...I just saw her. I called for her. "Belle, come here, Belle, come here girl." No Belle. This seemed to make the rooster snicker and puff up even more and move my way, inch by inch. I looked around, without moving a muscle to see if there was anything I could use as artillery. There was nothing but the eggs that I had gathered in my hands. I threw one at him and missed. I screamed and yelled at him to get out. I know by this point that my heart rate was off of the charts. I resorted to prayer. I prayed. I thought to myself...Lord, help me. I am not going out like this!!! I stood still and stared at the rooster after my cry and plea for help to the Lord for what seemed like 5 minutes. I bet it was only 1 or 2. Finally...the rooster seemingly laughed at me and my cowardliness in the corner, pivoted around, and left the coop. I tiptoed to the door and peeked out of the window and made a run for it to the house. (I scolded Belle on the way home as I sprinted past her like a speeding bullet because she did not help me.)
After I stopped heaving from the ruckus, I called my husband and had to relive the ordeal like a victim being put on the stand in a packed courtroom. It still raises the hair on my arms even now as I type. I know I could have kicked one time and taken HIM out, but I was afraid I would kick, trip, and fall and then he would have had me down. Instead of ever really fighting back, minus that day using the eggs missiles, I gave into him and my fear. I gave my husband an ultimatium like never before. I simply stated to him. "It is me or the rooster!" I am still here and typing. That should tell you who won. As usual, this whole silly to many, yet serious to me scenario made me think of a Biblical principle. I told Branden "It's me or the rooster." I think the Lord tells us all of the time..."It's me or ________________." You fill in the blank. What comes to mind? Maybe it is a person, habit, addiction, sin, attitude, mood, or even not forgiving someone. What is He telling you today MUST GO? Possibly you can answer that question with...nothing really. There are seasons of life that come when we are walking pretty tight with Jesus and really can't find much that needs to go. That usually comes after a season of serious CLEANING, pruning, etc. I mean where He said "THIS MUST GO" and you submitted, obeyed and acted on it. There is usually a time of rest for a while after that, minus the huge spiritual warfare that then can come from the enemy when we are obedient.
However, most of us can easily identify what needs to go in our life to make us closer to the Lord. We just choose to ignore it and hold onto it for dear life sometimes. Many think that being a Christian means giving up stuff; therefore, living a boring, blah, life. It is quite the contrary! I have often been blown away by how exciting life really is when I am walking closely with the Lord. A friend shared with me today that she had been praying specific scriptures for her husband. One was that the veil would be lifted from his eyes and he would really see himself as the Lord sees him. He told her one day last week that he was on the tractor and to quote him..."It is like a veil has been lifted from my eyes. I see it all now." Is that boring at all? Does a life like that lack excitement? I think not.
This week...do not live any longer with the junk in your life. Get rid of it. There is power in the blood and all sin can be forgiven, any life can be transformed, any relationship can be restored. Jesus came to set the captives free. That is you and I. We do not have to live this life miserable in bondage to sin. If you do know Jesus as your personal Savior, He is probably saying to you right now...."It is me or _______________." Oh, dear friend, He will not leave you if you keep the junk or choose to hold onto the sin, worry, negative attitude, bitterness, etc., but you will miss out on all that He has for you because sin always holds us back. Jesus Christ loves us and only wants what is best for us! Jesus says in John 10:10 "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come so that they may have life, and have it to the full." Who among us would not choose to live and to have a FULL life?
In Romans 6:16-18Paul says "Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey - whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness. But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness."
Will we choose to be slaves to sin or be slaves to obedience and a full life today? It all begins with a loving plea from the Lord for your total attention...What will it be for you? Will you choose the Lord in His amazing fullness, love, grace, and JOY, drawing closer to Him by spending time in the Word and in prayer?
Or will you choose _______________________. The choice is yours.
One more thing: This rooster incident had been building and was not an isolated case! I had several run-ins with the cocky beast before. I asked my husband nicely at first if he would consider taking out the rooster, but it was not serious enough yet for that type of action. I often think at first too God asks us nicely if we will STOP, think, and turn back to Him. When we continue on in the wrong direction, He will speak up a bit louder and eventually get to a point that we may hear Him YELLING. That is a good thing because He does not give up on us.
Kaye Arthur says in a Bible study I am doing "Sin will take you further than you ever expected to go. It will keep you longer than you ever intended to stay, and it will cost you more than you ever expected to pay."
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Observations from home today
Our lake is lower than ever it seems like.
The trees are budding and I see new green when I look across the pasture.
I needed 2 new tires.
I had the money to pay cash for them.
My daughter has a cough.
2 days ago she also had fever.
Hollywood seems to be winning out in America.
My 9 year old read the Bible out loud to us on the way to school this morning.
A friend's mom had a biopsy today on her breast.
She asked me to pray with her and we did at work... without fear.
I forgot to buy horse food today.
New grass seemed to magically appear.
A computer program not working correctly caused frustration today at work.
The input was saved before the "issue" began.
A dear friend is sick in the hospital.
She has a family around her and knows her Heavenly Father.
My feet hurt from my new shoes.
My Aunt Ginger gave them to me and they are cute!
So many families are hurting because of cancer.
The Holy Spirit reminded me to pray for them today.
One of our prized guineas was left out of the coop last week and ran into a raccoon in the night...you know, lots of feathers around and one less guinea.
My purple martins are moving back into their summer home and I can hear them singing all day.
I noticed there are so many tacky songs on the radio.
I ran and listened to Chris Tomlin.
A friend made a long trip last Sunday to see a man she knows and loves dealing with cancer.
She drew closer to God on the way home and thanked Him for her life.
My kids, as usual, got into a little fight right before their Dad walked in the door from work.
As we got out of the car after dinner with friends, my seven year old called each of us by name and said that he loved his family.
I turn on the news or even glance at my Facebook and wonder what is happening all around me with so many hurting and lost.
I make a choice when I wake up my kids in the morning that today I can not control the world or what people around me may do or say, but I can control my attitude and the environment that I create here in my own home.
Life really all depends on perspective.
A "no" from God is always really a "yes" in time.
Keep on looking for blessings this week!
Start a journal.
Write them down.
Make it an intentional choice to notice what is going right in your life.
The trees are budding and I see new green when I look across the pasture.
I needed 2 new tires.
I had the money to pay cash for them.
My daughter has a cough.
2 days ago she also had fever.
Hollywood seems to be winning out in America.
My 9 year old read the Bible out loud to us on the way to school this morning.
A friend's mom had a biopsy today on her breast.
She asked me to pray with her and we did at work... without fear.
I forgot to buy horse food today.
New grass seemed to magically appear.
A computer program not working correctly caused frustration today at work.
The input was saved before the "issue" began.
A dear friend is sick in the hospital.
She has a family around her and knows her Heavenly Father.
My feet hurt from my new shoes.
My Aunt Ginger gave them to me and they are cute!
So many families are hurting because of cancer.
The Holy Spirit reminded me to pray for them today.
One of our prized guineas was left out of the coop last week and ran into a raccoon in the night...you know, lots of feathers around and one less guinea.
My purple martins are moving back into their summer home and I can hear them singing all day.
I noticed there are so many tacky songs on the radio.
I ran and listened to Chris Tomlin.
A friend made a long trip last Sunday to see a man she knows and loves dealing with cancer.
She drew closer to God on the way home and thanked Him for her life.
My kids, as usual, got into a little fight right before their Dad walked in the door from work.
As we got out of the car after dinner with friends, my seven year old called each of us by name and said that he loved his family.
I turn on the news or even glance at my Facebook and wonder what is happening all around me with so many hurting and lost.
I make a choice when I wake up my kids in the morning that today I can not control the world or what people around me may do or say, but I can control my attitude and the environment that I create here in my own home.
Life really all depends on perspective.
A "no" from God is always really a "yes" in time.
Keep on looking for blessings this week!
Start a journal.
Write them down.
Make it an intentional choice to notice what is going right in your life.
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Get rid of The Gingerbread Man!!!
When it is time for a game around here, my first pick is always Yahtzee...yet we so seldom play it because I tend to go with the flow and wear my usual "peace-maker shoes" well. I remember my first introduction to Yahtzee was on a Fairfield Lake trip with my friend Trudi. We played Yahtzee all day with her family inside of their camper...great fun! I have been stuck on it since then, but now no matter what I might choose, we seem to go for UNO or Candy Land. (I must add in here that UNO with Banner, my oldest daughter, on her I-Pad is really enjoyable and makes her think I am up with modern technology because I actually can play it with her and press the right things!)
When we rediscovered Candy Land again this winter from the top shelf on my boy's closet, it was like finding an old friend again on Facebook. The colorful box had been tucked away with the mismatched sets of Lego's, John Deere tractors, and a variety of miscellaneous junk. The first day we played we were all very successful. We must have had 5 or 6 winners in a very short time span of only an hour or so. We drew mostly colored cards, avoided the licorice spots that make you get stuck and never happened to pick up the card that had the Gingerbread Man on it. Drawing the Gingerbread Man is the worst luck of all because it automatically takes you back to the beginning of the game board and makes you start all over. It trumps even "Go to Jail" in Monopoly and is quite heartbreaking for children and competitive adults.
That did not happen on this particular day. After several more games in a row with no Gingerbread man appearing, I made an innocent comment that I was really surprised nobody had drawn "him" yet. We played a few more rounds and kept on moving and grooving at record speed down the candy-colored maze.
When we were putting the game back in the box, I stacked the cards up and commented innocently AGAIN that Mr. Gingerbread must have been missing. Much to my surprise, my youngest daughter, Blaise, got a gigantic grin on her little face. Her eyes seemed to light up like she was "in" on something big or maybe even guilty of something big! She reached down under the box and pulled out a card! She had hidden the Gingerbread Man. No wonder we had not been a victim of his misfortune. He had been conveniently left out the game all together! Blaise said with a mischievous grin when she realized that I realized what she had plotted, "I can't stand that Gingerbread Man, so I am not playing with him. I took him OUT!" Her brother Bosque fell on the floor laughing. He was in awe of her determination to win!
I laughed as I put the rest of the game back in the box and thought about how Blaise was pretty smart...and tricky...and a bit of a cheat! She decided she did not want to play with such a nuisance as Mr. Gingerbread; therefore, she took it upon herself to REMOVE HIM! I explained to her that really if we want to play the game correctly, we just can't take a card out of the game and change the rules. We had to take the good with the bad.
It hit me like a ton of bricks that as adults we often want to "remove" people from our lives. In Candy Land talk, a few co-workers, teammates, friends, and even family members might end up hidden under the box and eliminated from our paths totally if we had the choice. Maybe we just do not like the individual, but often the reason we are annoyed by certain individuals is because their personalities differ greatly from ours. We just don't understand how they can think they way they do, say the things they say, or even behave and react to situations in such a different way than we do. The old saying "She/He just rubs me the wrong way" comes to life with these people we encounter!
I read years ago in a devotional book that the Lord will keep on putting people with the same annoying characteristics in your path until you develop the patience and necessary "Fruit of the Spirit" to deal with them. Funny...we can change jobs and move half way across the country and still find our desk next to someone who "irks" us like noboby's business. Not a coincidence that just about the time the annoying neighbor moves and the coast seems clear that someone else pops up and seems to have the same personality of the one who was just driving you insane. The same personalities will pop up again and again until we develop the grace to love them and deal with them, just as Jesus Christ deals with us and loves us!
Several books have really opened my eyes recently and helped me understand and appreciate personality types. I have a new and improved view of my husband and my own children especially. Since a book study last year in my Sunday School Class, I have told everyone I know just about to read "Personality Plus" by Marita Littauer. It goes right along with "Two Sides of Love" by Gary Smalley and John Trent. I believe the solid Biblical point of views presented in these books could help save relationships. It is POSSIBLE to appreciate how we are all different and utilize each other's strengths instead of despising them. I am amazed here at home how a Saturday spent working outside all day long with no breaks is the best to my son Brazos. His little brother Bosque thinks that a Saturday spent on the couch is second to none. I see it all the time here; we are all wired differently! It makes life more fun.
There are so many verses that cover this in the Bible and quite honestly cut us to the core when we decide to write someone off because they are just too different from us or simply because we do not care for them. The Word tells us that we will eventually distance ourselves from the Lord when we keep on distancing ourselves from certain people. It takes "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" to a whole new level.
James 3:9 says "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praising and cursing. This should not be!" (OUCH... is the word here that comes to mind!)
Back in 2002 in my Bible, I marked Luke 6:41. It says "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"
1 John 4:11 says "Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another."
How is this possible to live out this kind of love? Is there a simple formula to make it happen or a button we can push daily when we wake up to help us all get along? A starting point for us is summed up totally in the example that Jesus sat for us in Mark 6:31. Jesus tells the apostles the words that I believe He still speaks to us all today. "Come with me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest." When we get alone with Jesus Christ daily, we can get along with others in our life.
The word rest too is essential in our modern world. Rest to me means that we take a nap every now and then and get to bed at night at a decent time. It also means that we are not trying to live a life with good works, but resting knowing that the work of our salvation is free with grace. We do not have to do everything! We must do what we are called to do well!
Rest also comes with knowing that the Lord is in control. There is a peace that comes with that kind of rest. We do not have to control the world around us and work to manipulate situations because God is at work! He can work more when we stay out of the way and REST. With that comes less frustration and stress. Then we can get along with others and begin to love like the Bible instructs us to do. Simply saying "I don't care for her or he drives me crazy" really does not work in the Kingdom of God. Life is not a game of Candy Land and unlike with Mr. Gingerbread Man, we often just can not get rid of people, but must find a way to get along!
When we rediscovered Candy Land again this winter from the top shelf on my boy's closet, it was like finding an old friend again on Facebook. The colorful box had been tucked away with the mismatched sets of Lego's, John Deere tractors, and a variety of miscellaneous junk. The first day we played we were all very successful. We must have had 5 or 6 winners in a very short time span of only an hour or so. We drew mostly colored cards, avoided the licorice spots that make you get stuck and never happened to pick up the card that had the Gingerbread Man on it. Drawing the Gingerbread Man is the worst luck of all because it automatically takes you back to the beginning of the game board and makes you start all over. It trumps even "Go to Jail" in Monopoly and is quite heartbreaking for children and competitive adults.
That did not happen on this particular day. After several more games in a row with no Gingerbread man appearing, I made an innocent comment that I was really surprised nobody had drawn "him" yet. We played a few more rounds and kept on moving and grooving at record speed down the candy-colored maze.
When we were putting the game back in the box, I stacked the cards up and commented innocently AGAIN that Mr. Gingerbread must have been missing. Much to my surprise, my youngest daughter, Blaise, got a gigantic grin on her little face. Her eyes seemed to light up like she was "in" on something big or maybe even guilty of something big! She reached down under the box and pulled out a card! She had hidden the Gingerbread Man. No wonder we had not been a victim of his misfortune. He had been conveniently left out the game all together! Blaise said with a mischievous grin when she realized that I realized what she had plotted, "I can't stand that Gingerbread Man, so I am not playing with him. I took him OUT!" Her brother Bosque fell on the floor laughing. He was in awe of her determination to win!
I laughed as I put the rest of the game back in the box and thought about how Blaise was pretty smart...and tricky...and a bit of a cheat! She decided she did not want to play with such a nuisance as Mr. Gingerbread; therefore, she took it upon herself to REMOVE HIM! I explained to her that really if we want to play the game correctly, we just can't take a card out of the game and change the rules. We had to take the good with the bad.
It hit me like a ton of bricks that as adults we often want to "remove" people from our lives. In Candy Land talk, a few co-workers, teammates, friends, and even family members might end up hidden under the box and eliminated from our paths totally if we had the choice. Maybe we just do not like the individual, but often the reason we are annoyed by certain individuals is because their personalities differ greatly from ours. We just don't understand how they can think they way they do, say the things they say, or even behave and react to situations in such a different way than we do. The old saying "She/He just rubs me the wrong way" comes to life with these people we encounter!
I read years ago in a devotional book that the Lord will keep on putting people with the same annoying characteristics in your path until you develop the patience and necessary "Fruit of the Spirit" to deal with them. Funny...we can change jobs and move half way across the country and still find our desk next to someone who "irks" us like noboby's business. Not a coincidence that just about the time the annoying neighbor moves and the coast seems clear that someone else pops up and seems to have the same personality of the one who was just driving you insane. The same personalities will pop up again and again until we develop the grace to love them and deal with them, just as Jesus Christ deals with us and loves us!
Several books have really opened my eyes recently and helped me understand and appreciate personality types. I have a new and improved view of my husband and my own children especially. Since a book study last year in my Sunday School Class, I have told everyone I know just about to read "Personality Plus" by Marita Littauer. It goes right along with "Two Sides of Love" by Gary Smalley and John Trent. I believe the solid Biblical point of views presented in these books could help save relationships. It is POSSIBLE to appreciate how we are all different and utilize each other's strengths instead of despising them. I am amazed here at home how a Saturday spent working outside all day long with no breaks is the best to my son Brazos. His little brother Bosque thinks that a Saturday spent on the couch is second to none. I see it all the time here; we are all wired differently! It makes life more fun.
There are so many verses that cover this in the Bible and quite honestly cut us to the core when we decide to write someone off because they are just too different from us or simply because we do not care for them. The Word tells us that we will eventually distance ourselves from the Lord when we keep on distancing ourselves from certain people. It takes "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all" to a whole new level.
James 3:9 says "With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. Out of the same mouth come praising and cursing. This should not be!" (OUCH... is the word here that comes to mind!)
Back in 2002 in my Bible, I marked Luke 6:41. It says "Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?"
1 John 4:11 says "Dear friends, if God loved us in this way, we also must love one another."
How is this possible to live out this kind of love? Is there a simple formula to make it happen or a button we can push daily when we wake up to help us all get along? A starting point for us is summed up totally in the example that Jesus sat for us in Mark 6:31. Jesus tells the apostles the words that I believe He still speaks to us all today. "Come with me by yourself to a quiet place and get some rest." When we get alone with Jesus Christ daily, we can get along with others in our life.
The word rest too is essential in our modern world. Rest to me means that we take a nap every now and then and get to bed at night at a decent time. It also means that we are not trying to live a life with good works, but resting knowing that the work of our salvation is free with grace. We do not have to do everything! We must do what we are called to do well!
Rest also comes with knowing that the Lord is in control. There is a peace that comes with that kind of rest. We do not have to control the world around us and work to manipulate situations because God is at work! He can work more when we stay out of the way and REST. With that comes less frustration and stress. Then we can get along with others and begin to love like the Bible instructs us to do. Simply saying "I don't care for her or he drives me crazy" really does not work in the Kingdom of God. Life is not a game of Candy Land and unlike with Mr. Gingerbread Man, we often just can not get rid of people, but must find a way to get along!
If this all sounds impossible,
try Mark 6:31 first and see where the Word leads you today.
Sunday, January 30, 2011
Taylor Swift and Sweeping
My daughter, Blaise, grabbed the broom from me this morning because she wanted to help me sweep. Before too long she was going around our high-traffic area by the table and must have decided she needed some music to keep her motivated. Did I say "high traffic area" when I really should have said pitifully dirty area by our table? After a few minutes of work, she put down the broom for a minute and ran over to press play on her Taylor Swift c.d. that seems to forever be in the stereo and drives her older brother, Bosque crazy. I was washing dishes at the sink, but could see her every move and hear her singing as she pranced back to her work zone. She picked the broom and got back to work without even looking my way! She was enjoying herself to say the least. She was working hard and singing like she was in a video. Blaise swept up every crumb and created several piles.
Honestly, I could not keep my eyes off of her because the whole scene was just too cute! My soapy water in the sink could have quickly run over and turned into a sudsy river on the floor and I would not even have known it. I was looking up at her! She finally realized that I was watching her and began looking up at me too every few seconds too. We would smile simultaneously at each other and then both look back down and resume our domestic duties. We did this several times and then it turned into a big joke. After a few times of her glancing up and seeing my eyes still on her, she was all giggles and I was not far behind her. She finally said in a super dramatic voice, "Mom, every time I look up, you are still looking at me!" Simply put...I just could not stop watching her and was caught up in the moment of it all!
I thought...ok, me keeping my eyes locked on Blaise must be like how Jesus Christ keeps his eyes on me and for that matter, all of His children. Anytime we look His way, His eyes are on us. He must smile too and even laugh when we choose to pause in our busy day and look His way. He always promises to catch our glance whether we look His way for a meaningful, long stare or just a passing look and provides us with what we need for that minute in time! This is why He is Sovereign and Omnipresent. He can see it all and do it all at the same time! He can keep His eyes on you, me, the whole world. That just blows my mind and yes, just like this morning with Blaise, it makes me smile and gives me total peace when I think about the times that I seem to have "locked eyes" with the Lord!
My path last week crossed a woman's path who is only 28 years old and is battling breast cancer. If I am honest here, I wondered how I would feel after meeting her as I walked into her office because I had no idea what to expect. Would the reality bring it all back to me? Would I feel sorry for her and desperate to help her, or even feel a bit down? After we visited and I walked out of her office, I was totally amazed because I did not feel down. Karen lifted me! She made me smile! I could see Jesus all over her. She is looking to the medical field to help her, but more than that, she is looking to the Lord for her healing.
I pray Karen does not take her eyes off of the Lord for even a split second. In the midst of our greatest trials, we must look to Him and don't dare look away! I claim to know very little in all reality, but I know that to be 100% true. In some strange way that is hard to explain, in the scariest, darkest, most challenging times of life, whether it be a cure rate, a financial plan gone wrong, or news of a a love one in trouble, there is NOTHING that can compare to looking to Christ and knowing without a doubt His eyes are on you!
There is word in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 that says "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." How can this be possible? We can face persecution head-on and not be abandoned. Likewise, the fiercest blows in life need not end in destruction if we are children of the Most High. We will face trials; however, we will not face them alone.
Another passage at the end of 2 Corinthians 4 seems to offer a plan for this type of life. It says "Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
If we fix our eyes on the Lord by reading His Word, knowing Him as our Savior, and communicating with Him, our eyes will be fixed on the only thing, the only One who can get us past the temporary trial. We also have to keep in mind that everything here in this life is temporary and our real eternity will be spent in heaven.
What happens if we look away, allow sin to get in the way of our view, or just get so busy that we forget to look? He will forgive us. The really special part of a relationship with Jesus too is that when we finally look His way again, we will discover that He never took His eyes off of us. So, today fix your eyes on the only thing that matters.
Honestly, I could not keep my eyes off of her because the whole scene was just too cute! My soapy water in the sink could have quickly run over and turned into a sudsy river on the floor and I would not even have known it. I was looking up at her! She finally realized that I was watching her and began looking up at me too every few seconds too. We would smile simultaneously at each other and then both look back down and resume our domestic duties. We did this several times and then it turned into a big joke. After a few times of her glancing up and seeing my eyes still on her, she was all giggles and I was not far behind her. She finally said in a super dramatic voice, "Mom, every time I look up, you are still looking at me!" Simply put...I just could not stop watching her and was caught up in the moment of it all!
I thought...ok, me keeping my eyes locked on Blaise must be like how Jesus Christ keeps his eyes on me and for that matter, all of His children. Anytime we look His way, His eyes are on us. He must smile too and even laugh when we choose to pause in our busy day and look His way. He always promises to catch our glance whether we look His way for a meaningful, long stare or just a passing look and provides us with what we need for that minute in time! This is why He is Sovereign and Omnipresent. He can see it all and do it all at the same time! He can keep His eyes on you, me, the whole world. That just blows my mind and yes, just like this morning with Blaise, it makes me smile and gives me total peace when I think about the times that I seem to have "locked eyes" with the Lord!
My path last week crossed a woman's path who is only 28 years old and is battling breast cancer. If I am honest here, I wondered how I would feel after meeting her as I walked into her office because I had no idea what to expect. Would the reality bring it all back to me? Would I feel sorry for her and desperate to help her, or even feel a bit down? After we visited and I walked out of her office, I was totally amazed because I did not feel down. Karen lifted me! She made me smile! I could see Jesus all over her. She is looking to the medical field to help her, but more than that, she is looking to the Lord for her healing.
I pray Karen does not take her eyes off of the Lord for even a split second. In the midst of our greatest trials, we must look to Him and don't dare look away! I claim to know very little in all reality, but I know that to be 100% true. In some strange way that is hard to explain, in the scariest, darkest, most challenging times of life, whether it be a cure rate, a financial plan gone wrong, or news of a a love one in trouble, there is NOTHING that can compare to looking to Christ and knowing without a doubt His eyes are on you!
There is word in 2 Corinthians 4:8-9 that says "We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed." How can this be possible? We can face persecution head-on and not be abandoned. Likewise, the fiercest blows in life need not end in destruction if we are children of the Most High. We will face trials; however, we will not face them alone.
Another passage at the end of 2 Corinthians 4 seems to offer a plan for this type of life. It says "Therefore, we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal."
If we fix our eyes on the Lord by reading His Word, knowing Him as our Savior, and communicating with Him, our eyes will be fixed on the only thing, the only One who can get us past the temporary trial. We also have to keep in mind that everything here in this life is temporary and our real eternity will be spent in heaven.
What happens if we look away, allow sin to get in the way of our view, or just get so busy that we forget to look? He will forgive us. The really special part of a relationship with Jesus too is that when we finally look His way again, we will discover that He never took His eyes off of us. So, today fix your eyes on the only thing that matters.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
She's at the feet of Jesus!
The title of this blog was the subject of an email that went out this morning..."She's at the feet of Jesus!" Our loss today is heaven's gain because Twila Lyles is indeed sitting at the feet of Jesus. She was the sweetheart of Fairfield, a true love of several generations. When I tried to explain who she was this morning to my Father-in-Law, my 5 year old daughter interrupted me. She ran to our fridge and grabbed a picture. She wanted to show him Twila, a description was just not enough for her. Blaise insisted that he needed to see her! The picture was taken last year at "Relay for Life" of her, my four kiddos and I all crowded in together. We were wearing smiles. She was wearing an even bigger smile, her tiara, and her purple, "Team Twila" t-shirt.
Twila was a magical creator of laughter and fun. She was an amateur storyteller, actress, and dancer. She was capable bringing her fans to tears and then getting them all riled up into uncontrollable laughter. The funny thing is that this total range of emotions could happen all within only a minute or so. She was a dear friend and always was willing to share a cup of coffee or a game of cards when anyone was ready. She was a loving Mom and Wife. She was an adored Grandmother, an avid Eagle fan and supporter of everything her Grandchildren and their friends were involved in. One of Becca's softball teammates said today that Twila was not feeling well last spring she sadly did not expect to see her at their game. She could not believe it when she looked up and saw her sitting there with a smile...determined to support her girls. The word cancer seemed to make her live even a little bit more, if that was possible! Twila was a walking, talking example of what the Bible speaks of when it mentions the word JOY. Joy from the Lord is just as real in the valley as it is on the mountaintop.
Twila's life began to touch me in a new way last week when I visited with her daughter in law, Shelly, and knew the time was near. Shelly told me how a old friend of Twila's would be making her way to Texas from North Carolina to see her. She hoped to fly, but could not because of the weather. Instead of giving up, her husband decided to drive her here to Fairfield. I was so touched by this sentiment of true friendship and sheer determination. Wow, it made me think!
A question formed in my head that touched my heart. I pray it forever alters how many of us live out our time here on earth, because of the example set before us by Miss Twila. The question is this:
When my time is near and my heavenly Father is calling me home, what will my legacy be?
Will my friends and loved ones travel to sit by my side?
Will grown children move home to help and just be near me?
Will my future daughter-in-law take a leave from teaching for just for one more chance to hang out with me?
Will I ever have a Grandson sit by my side and read the Bible out loud to me because he knows that I love it?
Wow again and this list could go on and on!!!
You can add to it whatever you want, but what a legacy she lived to have such true and abundant love surrounding her during her lifetime.
I can't stop there if I am honest. This just can't be some abstract thought of leaving a legacy. This legacy we desire to leave requires daily hands-on attention and totally intentional living. It will not just happen!
The real question we must honestly consider is this...What am I doing today, right now in this life I have been given, to leave a legacy that reflects this kind of love? In other words, how can I live this out?
Look away from the media and from what most of American says matters. It has nothing, ZERO, to do with fame, money, fortune, or position. It has everything to do with the gift of love that has been given to us through a personal relationship with Christ Jesus and how we share that love with others around us. That is the bottom line here!
A few more thoughts that run through my mind are:
How do we respond when a little one wants to play one more game of Candy Land on a Friday night and we are tired?
What will our answer be when that co-worker needs our help one more time at the end of a long day with a project?
Will we tutor someone to help them make a better grade?
Will we speak to the new kid in the hallway at school?
What will our attitude be when the line is too long at Brookshire's and we have to wait longer than we wanted?
Will our home be open at anytime, clean or unclean, when a friend calls and needs a cup of coffee and a minute of our time?
Will we make time for our Grandchildren and pour into their lives as they grow up?
Will we send the card to a friend in need or make the phone call when the Holy Spirit leads us even if it was not on our agenda for the day?
Will we stand up and sing the song in the choir with a smile when we have heard the diagnosis?
Will we offer a kind word to the nurse who holds the needle or the doctor that speaks the words we don't want to hear?
Will we hug when we would rather hide or run?
Will we color at the table or play another round of UNO when we would rather sit on the couch and catch up on our favorite sitcom?
Will we encourage a roommate when they are in need or stay up late to study with them before finals?
Will we call home just to say HI or leave a note in a special spot to say thanks?
Will we walk and talk when a loved one asks us to meet them at the walking trail when sitting really seems better?
Will we load the dishwasher, change the oil, and mow the yard with a smile?
Will we forgive when we are hurt?
Will we love the unloved?
None of us are perfect and we will not always answer these with a YES, but the love of Jesus Christ in us is perfect! He gives it to us free and expects us to share it. We all express the love of Christ in many different ways through our spiritual gifts, but in some unique way coming from the depths of your being, this love must show and be given out to others!
It may be raining today in Freestone County, but I know that in heaven today the sun in shining. We can rest assured that our Twila is at the feet of Jesus laughing and loving just like she did here on earth. That leaves me with a smile to go along with my tears and makes me ask myself again as this day comes to an end:
What will my legacy be when I too go to meet my amazing Maker in heaven?
With the help of my Savior Jesus Christ, what do I need to do with every single second I have here on this earth to make that happen?
There are many verses today that come to mind. One is Philippians 3:14 that says "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Galatians 6:9 says "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Galatians 3:11b "The righteous will live by faith."
Isaiah 53:4 reminds me "But he was pierced for our trangressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."
When we need to be reminded of the Lord's plans and that He knows how we feel...read my personal favorite... Psalms 139
P.S. For the women LUCKY enough to have seen her in action at the FBC Ladies Laugh In....Can you just see her and Gynne up there on stage, in costume, HAMMING it up? I Sure can. Rest assured, the Lord must hold a special spot for natural comedians!
Twila was a magical creator of laughter and fun. She was an amateur storyteller, actress, and dancer. She was capable bringing her fans to tears and then getting them all riled up into uncontrollable laughter. The funny thing is that this total range of emotions could happen all within only a minute or so. She was a dear friend and always was willing to share a cup of coffee or a game of cards when anyone was ready. She was a loving Mom and Wife. She was an adored Grandmother, an avid Eagle fan and supporter of everything her Grandchildren and their friends were involved in. One of Becca's softball teammates said today that Twila was not feeling well last spring she sadly did not expect to see her at their game. She could not believe it when she looked up and saw her sitting there with a smile...determined to support her girls. The word cancer seemed to make her live even a little bit more, if that was possible! Twila was a walking, talking example of what the Bible speaks of when it mentions the word JOY. Joy from the Lord is just as real in the valley as it is on the mountaintop.
Twila's life began to touch me in a new way last week when I visited with her daughter in law, Shelly, and knew the time was near. Shelly told me how a old friend of Twila's would be making her way to Texas from North Carolina to see her. She hoped to fly, but could not because of the weather. Instead of giving up, her husband decided to drive her here to Fairfield. I was so touched by this sentiment of true friendship and sheer determination. Wow, it made me think!
A question formed in my head that touched my heart. I pray it forever alters how many of us live out our time here on earth, because of the example set before us by Miss Twila. The question is this:
When my time is near and my heavenly Father is calling me home, what will my legacy be?
Will my friends and loved ones travel to sit by my side?
Will grown children move home to help and just be near me?
Will my future daughter-in-law take a leave from teaching for just for one more chance to hang out with me?
Will I ever have a Grandson sit by my side and read the Bible out loud to me because he knows that I love it?
Wow again and this list could go on and on!!!
You can add to it whatever you want, but what a legacy she lived to have such true and abundant love surrounding her during her lifetime.
I can't stop there if I am honest. This just can't be some abstract thought of leaving a legacy. This legacy we desire to leave requires daily hands-on attention and totally intentional living. It will not just happen!
The real question we must honestly consider is this...What am I doing today, right now in this life I have been given, to leave a legacy that reflects this kind of love? In other words, how can I live this out?
Look away from the media and from what most of American says matters. It has nothing, ZERO, to do with fame, money, fortune, or position. It has everything to do with the gift of love that has been given to us through a personal relationship with Christ Jesus and how we share that love with others around us. That is the bottom line here!
A few more thoughts that run through my mind are:
How do we respond when a little one wants to play one more game of Candy Land on a Friday night and we are tired?
What will our answer be when that co-worker needs our help one more time at the end of a long day with a project?
Will we tutor someone to help them make a better grade?
Will we speak to the new kid in the hallway at school?
What will our attitude be when the line is too long at Brookshire's and we have to wait longer than we wanted?
Will our home be open at anytime, clean or unclean, when a friend calls and needs a cup of coffee and a minute of our time?
Will we make time for our Grandchildren and pour into their lives as they grow up?
Will we send the card to a friend in need or make the phone call when the Holy Spirit leads us even if it was not on our agenda for the day?
Will we stand up and sing the song in the choir with a smile when we have heard the diagnosis?
Will we offer a kind word to the nurse who holds the needle or the doctor that speaks the words we don't want to hear?
Will we hug when we would rather hide or run?
Will we color at the table or play another round of UNO when we would rather sit on the couch and catch up on our favorite sitcom?
Will we encourage a roommate when they are in need or stay up late to study with them before finals?
Will we call home just to say HI or leave a note in a special spot to say thanks?
Will we walk and talk when a loved one asks us to meet them at the walking trail when sitting really seems better?
Will we load the dishwasher, change the oil, and mow the yard with a smile?
Will we forgive when we are hurt?
Will we love the unloved?
None of us are perfect and we will not always answer these with a YES, but the love of Jesus Christ in us is perfect! He gives it to us free and expects us to share it. We all express the love of Christ in many different ways through our spiritual gifts, but in some unique way coming from the depths of your being, this love must show and be given out to others!
It may be raining today in Freestone County, but I know that in heaven today the sun in shining. We can rest assured that our Twila is at the feet of Jesus laughing and loving just like she did here on earth. That leaves me with a smile to go along with my tears and makes me ask myself again as this day comes to an end:
What will my legacy be when I too go to meet my amazing Maker in heaven?
With the help of my Savior Jesus Christ, what do I need to do with every single second I have here on this earth to make that happen?
There are many verses today that come to mind. One is Philippians 3:14 that says "I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
Galatians 6:9 says "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."
Galatians 3:11b "The righteous will live by faith."
Isaiah 53:4 reminds me "But he was pierced for our trangressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed."
When we need to be reminded of the Lord's plans and that He knows how we feel...read my personal favorite... Psalms 139
P.S. For the women LUCKY enough to have seen her in action at the FBC Ladies Laugh In....Can you just see her and Gynne up there on stage, in costume, HAMMING it up? I Sure can. Rest assured, the Lord must hold a special spot for natural comedians!
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Stupid guineas
My son and his uncle from Dallas made a trip last spring to the "outskirts" of Corsicana to purchase a few guineas. Actually, Uncle Darin and Brazos bought 16 to be exact. We raised them for the first month or so in a small coop to keep them safe. Their homestead then progressed to a larger 10 by 10 pen. They lived in that larger coop for another few months. We threw them food in each day and kept their water fresh. The high point of their day must have been, if I can put myself in the shoes of a hungry and potentially bored guinea, when the kids slid fresh grass under sides of paneling to give them a bit of real vegetation.
Why did we practice animal cruelty and keep them so long in captivity? We cautiously protected the birds until they were old enough to hopefully fly up and away from the many predators that surround us. (We did not do so well with our first batch last year. We let our group of guineas out too quickly and never saw them again....except for the trail of feathers leading into the woods.) The guineas became a favorite past time for us. When Brazos and I went into feed them or change our their water, one or two would usually escape. That meant we were together on a mission to catch them. We used quick feet, quick hands, and a big net. Brazos did tell me one day that I was the best Mom in the world because I helped him catch his guineas as we walked together out of breath to the house. The only reason we were ever successful at catching any of the feathered fugitives is because even when they got past us and the gate, they would stay right around the edge of the pen just lingering and looking at their cell mates. Imagine that...escaping into freedom and then not making a run or a fly for it!
Much to my surprise, my husband decided one Saturday morning EARLY last summer that it was time to release them from their pen and let them enjoy a life of freedom. He is an early bird himself and went out to the pen right after daylight to open the gate, expecting that within a minute or two the pen would be empty. Even if they had succeeded so many times before escaping, as luck would have it, on the first morning of their freedom, none of them would leave the pen. One word comes to mind...stupid! (Yes, the guineas being stupid... and not my husband!) Branden even went into the pen and tried to "shoo" them out. They would not leave the pen. They continued to run around in a circle and refused to exit! Just thinking of it makes me dizzy.
At this point, Branden came back home to wake me up, a bit earlier than I would have liked, to get me to come into the pen with him so we could TOGETHER run them out. I asked him for 10 more minutes of sleep like I usually do. By the time I was up and had my first cup of coffee, Branden came back home and announced to me that one of them finally found his or her way out and lead the others.
Sadly, the guineas were quite comfortable in their nasty pen. The ground was dirt. There was no grass because they had eaten it all! To describe it in one word....FILTH! I did not even like going in it and often tiptoed around if I was in my good shoes. Even when they were all free finally and should have gotten as far away as possible from their miserable living conditions, they still stood by the pen for a bit and lingered still.
Maybe they were scared ???
Perhaps the thought of going back into the tiny pen compared to the open acreage here seemed safer???
Maybe they were just simply stuck in the past and did not know what to do next???
It is also quite possible that they were dizzy and disorientated from running around in a circle for so long.
It occurred to me that day when I replayed the events in my head that in many ways, I too have behaved like the STUPID guineas from time to time.
I have been scared of the unknown when it came to a new job possibilities.
I have been so set in my ways that when the Lord wanted to show me something new, I refused to leave my old thoughts, habits, and behaviors.
I have even believed lies that there was no way out of several dead-end situations in my life.
I still find myself going around and around in circles when I know the Lord must be saying...."Will you just follow me out of this? Get behind me, stop insisting you lead, and follow me."
Maybe I am the only one guilty of settling for so little. We have been promised that by simply obeying Christ after accepting His free gift of salvation that we can have more than just a little, mediocre life.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, He freed us! In guinea talk, we no longer have to stay in the little, dirty pen, and helplessly run around in a vicious circle living in the same miserable cycles. We are free! We have been set free. Our life has been bought. Our sin has been paid for. We can not expect life to be perfect and free from trials, but we can rest assured that we do not have to be held captive by sin and the lies of the enemy. Wouldn't the devil like nothing more than to see us waste years of our life going around and around the same loop? If our enemy can keep us captive and in the same, old patterns of sin and defeat, God is not getting glory from our lives.
Isaiah 61 touches on all of this. I first marked it in my Bible back in 2002. It struck a chord with me then and still brings me to my knees in 2011. The Word here in the Old Testament is a promise of what is to come in the life of Jesus in the New Testament. It says "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and to release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown on beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, for the display of his splendor."
That my friends, is not a life of meaningless confusion or captivity in any form or fashion. That is freedom. Broken hearts can be mended, captives can be free, and despair can be transformed into praise. If the door or the gate is pushed wide open and your promise is waiting, do not linger. Follow Christ and step into freedom.
Why did we practice animal cruelty and keep them so long in captivity? We cautiously protected the birds until they were old enough to hopefully fly up and away from the many predators that surround us. (We did not do so well with our first batch last year. We let our group of guineas out too quickly and never saw them again....except for the trail of feathers leading into the woods.) The guineas became a favorite past time for us. When Brazos and I went into feed them or change our their water, one or two would usually escape. That meant we were together on a mission to catch them. We used quick feet, quick hands, and a big net. Brazos did tell me one day that I was the best Mom in the world because I helped him catch his guineas as we walked together out of breath to the house. The only reason we were ever successful at catching any of the feathered fugitives is because even when they got past us and the gate, they would stay right around the edge of the pen just lingering and looking at their cell mates. Imagine that...escaping into freedom and then not making a run or a fly for it!
Much to my surprise, my husband decided one Saturday morning EARLY last summer that it was time to release them from their pen and let them enjoy a life of freedom. He is an early bird himself and went out to the pen right after daylight to open the gate, expecting that within a minute or two the pen would be empty. Even if they had succeeded so many times before escaping, as luck would have it, on the first morning of their freedom, none of them would leave the pen. One word comes to mind...stupid! (Yes, the guineas being stupid... and not my husband!) Branden even went into the pen and tried to "shoo" them out. They would not leave the pen. They continued to run around in a circle and refused to exit! Just thinking of it makes me dizzy.
At this point, Branden came back home to wake me up, a bit earlier than I would have liked, to get me to come into the pen with him so we could TOGETHER run them out. I asked him for 10 more minutes of sleep like I usually do. By the time I was up and had my first cup of coffee, Branden came back home and announced to me that one of them finally found his or her way out and lead the others.
Sadly, the guineas were quite comfortable in their nasty pen. The ground was dirt. There was no grass because they had eaten it all! To describe it in one word....FILTH! I did not even like going in it and often tiptoed around if I was in my good shoes. Even when they were all free finally and should have gotten as far away as possible from their miserable living conditions, they still stood by the pen for a bit and lingered still.
Maybe they were scared ???
Perhaps the thought of going back into the tiny pen compared to the open acreage here seemed safer???
Maybe they were just simply stuck in the past and did not know what to do next???
It is also quite possible that they were dizzy and disorientated from running around in a circle for so long.
It occurred to me that day when I replayed the events in my head that in many ways, I too have behaved like the STUPID guineas from time to time.
I have been scared of the unknown when it came to a new job possibilities.
I have been so set in my ways that when the Lord wanted to show me something new, I refused to leave my old thoughts, habits, and behaviors.
I have even believed lies that there was no way out of several dead-end situations in my life.
I still find myself going around and around in circles when I know the Lord must be saying...."Will you just follow me out of this? Get behind me, stop insisting you lead, and follow me."
Maybe I am the only one guilty of settling for so little. We have been promised that by simply obeying Christ after accepting His free gift of salvation that we can have more than just a little, mediocre life.
When Jesus Christ died on the cross for our sins, He freed us! In guinea talk, we no longer have to stay in the little, dirty pen, and helplessly run around in a vicious circle living in the same miserable cycles. We are free! We have been set free. Our life has been bought. Our sin has been paid for. We can not expect life to be perfect and free from trials, but we can rest assured that we do not have to be held captive by sin and the lies of the enemy. Wouldn't the devil like nothing more than to see us waste years of our life going around and around the same loop? If our enemy can keep us captive and in the same, old patterns of sin and defeat, God is not getting glory from our lives.
Isaiah 61 touches on all of this. I first marked it in my Bible back in 2002. It struck a chord with me then and still brings me to my knees in 2011. The Word here in the Old Testament is a promise of what is to come in the life of Jesus in the New Testament. It says "The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and to release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn, and provide for those who grieve in Zion - to bestow on them a crown on beauty instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair. They will be called oaks of righteousness, a planting of the Lord, for the display of his splendor."
That my friends, is not a life of meaningless confusion or captivity in any form or fashion. That is freedom. Broken hearts can be mended, captives can be free, and despair can be transformed into praise. If the door or the gate is pushed wide open and your promise is waiting, do not linger. Follow Christ and step into freedom.
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