Why?

I've spent a lot of my life asking questions. Not always out loud. I want to know the "why" behind things. What is the reasoning? What is the point?

How come? Why not? Are you sure? Does this make sense? Is this right? What do you think?

I still wrestle with the "why" questions of  life.

This past year, in the Grief Share group that I facilitate with my husband, one lady (that speaks on the DVD) talked about the fact that she is directionally challenged, can't program her own VCR, and doesn't know how to change the oil in her car... and yet she expects to understand the why of her husband's death? She went on to say that if she, who had difficulty with day to day chores, could understand God and how He thinks, wouldn't that make God small? Wouldn't that be putting the God of the universe in a neat, little, understandable box?  We as humans with finite minds will never be able to completely understand an infinite God.

To hear her speak was humbling...

because, so many times that is me.

I was reminded... once again...

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways my ways,”
            declares the LORD.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55: 8-9 NIV

Yes, Lord.

And I am humbled.

Related articles

• A Perfect Plan (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• Should we really try to understand the Trinity? (westernthm.wordpress.com)


• Grief (livingingraceland.wordpress.com)


• Last Night a Trap Boy Saved My Life: T.I.'s Urban Legend (Feature) (popmatters.com)


• So much grief (ask.metafilter.com)

Why?

I've spent a lot of my life asking questions. Not always out loud. I want to know the "why" behind things. What is the reasoning? What is the point?

How come? Why not? Are you sure? Does this make sense? Is this right? What do you think?

I still wrestle with the "why" questions of  life.

This past year, in the Grief Share group that I facilitate with my husband, one lady (that speaks on the DVD) talked about the fact that she is directionally challenged, can't program her own VCR, and doesn't know how to change the oil in her car... and yet she expects to understand the why of her husband's death? She went on to say that if she, who had difficulty with day to day chores, could understand God and how He thinks, wouldn't that make God small? Wouldn't that be putting the God of the universe in a neat, little, understandable box?  We as humans with finite minds will never be able to completely understand an infinite God.

To hear her speak was humbling...

because, so many times that is me.

I was reminded... once again...

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
   neither are your ways my ways,”
            declares the LORD.
As the heavens are higher than the earth,
   so are my ways higher than your ways
   and my thoughts than your thoughts."  Isaiah 55: 8-9 NIV

Yes, Lord.

And I am humbled.

Related articles

• A Perfect Plan (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• Should we really try to understand the Trinity? (westernthm.wordpress.com)


• Grief (livingingraceland.wordpress.com)


• Last Night a Trap Boy Saved My Life: T.I.'s Urban Legend (Feature) (popmatters.com)


• So much grief (ask.metafilter.com)

God-Sized Dreams

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by Christina Spicuzza via Flickr"][/caption]

Yesterday came and went without me blogging.

Some days are so busy and then it is time for bed.

I'm going to blog about God-Sized dreams today...which is what everyone was talking about yesterday at Faith Barista.




*************

I've thought about this topic, and to be honest I wasn't sure what to write.  "Dreams" are something I struggle with.....

Do I write about big dreams that I have, and hope that God is along for the ride and that it all works out the way I'd like?

Do I say aloud what I'm really thinking?

Do I dream secretly and know it will never happen---so I learn to forget about the dream, and allow it to grow dusty in the recesses of my heart?

Are dreams meant to be acted on? Or are they just wishes?

Do I dream big, only to be made fun of? Or told that the dream is way too big and will never happen?

I just don't know. I really don't.

I wish I had some profound wisdom about the subject, some sage advice to share.

Alas, I do not.  Believe me, if I did I would tell you. It would feel good to share.

Should I not dream, because it might not be what God wants for me? I don't want to disappoint Him...or myself.

Does God even allow us our dreams? And maybe my dream is not what it should be? God is Sovereign, He knows what would bring true joy to my heart...but so many times He is silent on the topic of dreams. And I am left wondering. And worrying.

Am I way off? Should I settle for the small?

Maybe you can relate?

I have had dreams. Big dreams, but then life happens. The dreams get shelved and most of the time I don't get to go back. Oh, don't get me wrong. I do go back and blow off the dust and peek inside the box of dreams on occasion.  They just seem so big, unrealistic...

and I have dinner to make. Or bathrooms to clean. Or home school to monitor. Animals to feed. Groceries to gather. Clothes to wash. Floors to sweep. Furniture to dust. Bible to study.Friends to visit. Children to love. A husband to grow old with. Letters to write. Magazines to skim. Books to read. Emails to write. Prayers to pray.

And my dreams seem small in the urgency of the every day.

I wonder if I even have the right to dream big about things, when there is so much to do right here?

Dreams of......

Traveling. Writing. Speaking. Decorating. Teaching. Helping.

I am a very aesthetic person. God made me that way. So how does one dream about that?

I communicate through my love of words.  How can this be part of a dream?

I love to meet people, hear their stories.....listen. Is that dream material?

I long to help others in the battle of rights for the disabled. Is that a dream or a cause?

Are my dreams even worthy?

I don't know.

My job is to leave myself pliable in the Potter's hand. He knows things, I don't.

He is the One that can create dreams and watch them take shape.

He is the only One that can.

Yet you, LORD, are our Father.
   We are the clay, you are the potter;
   we are all the work of your hand.  Isaiah 64:8  NIV

 

 

 

Related articles

• Dream Big (soaringondreamerswings.wordpress.com)


• The God-Sized Dream (redletterbelievers.blogspot.com)


• Sweet Dreams. (greatriversofhope.wordpress.com)


• Dreams And A Little About My Dad (newauthors.wordpress.com)


• Keep Dreaming... (aaronconrad.com)


• God Sized Goals (markmathia.com)


• Protecting Your Dream (opendoorelo.wordpress.com)


• Failure (awarmcupofcomfort.com)

God-Sized Dreams

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by Christina Spicuzza via Flickr"][/caption]

Yesterday came and went without me blogging.

Some days are so busy and then it is time for bed.

I'm going to blog about God-Sized dreams today...which is what everyone was talking about yesterday at Faith Barista.




*************

I've thought about this topic, and to be honest I wasn't sure what to write.  "Dreams" are something I struggle with.....

Do I write about big dreams that I have, and hope that God is along for the ride and that it all works out the way I'd like?

Do I say aloud what I'm really thinking?

Do I dream secretly and know it will never happen---so I learn to forget about the dream, and allow it to grow dusty in the recesses of my heart?

Are dreams meant to be acted on? Or are they just wishes?

Do I dream big, only to be made fun of? Or told that the dream is way too big and will never happen?

I just don't know. I really don't.

I wish I had some profound wisdom about the subject, some sage advice to share.

Alas, I do not.  Believe me, if I did I would tell you. It would feel good to share.

Should I not dream, because it might not be what God wants for me? I don't want to disappoint Him...or myself.

Does God even allow us our dreams? And maybe my dream is not what it should be? God is Sovereign, He knows what would bring true joy to my heart...but so many times He is silent on the topic of dreams. And I am left wondering. And worrying.

Am I way off? Should I settle for the small?

Maybe you can relate?

I have had dreams. Big dreams, but then life happens. The dreams get shelved and most of the time I don't get to go back. Oh, don't get me wrong. I do go back and blow off the dust and peek inside the box of dreams on occasion.  They just seem so big, unrealistic...

and I have dinner to make. Or bathrooms to clean. Or home school to monitor. Animals to feed. Groceries to gather. Clothes to wash. Floors to sweep. Furniture to dust. Bible to study.Friends to visit. Children to love. A husband to grow old with. Letters to write. Magazines to skim. Books to read. Emails to write. Prayers to pray.

And my dreams seem small in the urgency of the every day.

I wonder if I even have the right to dream big about things, when there is so much to do right here?

Dreams of......

Traveling. Writing. Speaking. Decorating. Teaching. Helping.

I am a very aesthetic person. God made me that way. So how does one dream about that?

I communicate through my love of words.  How can this be part of a dream?

I love to meet people, hear their stories.....listen. Is that dream material?

I long to help others in the battle of rights for the disabled. Is that a dream or a cause?

Are my dreams even worthy?

I don't know.

My job is to leave myself pliable in the Potter's hand. He knows things, I don't.

He is the One that can create dreams and watch them take shape.

He is the only One that can.

Yet you, LORD, are our Father.
   We are the clay, you are the potter;
   we are all the work of your hand.  Isaiah 64:8  NIV

 

 

 

Related articles

• Dream Big (soaringondreamerswings.wordpress.com)


• The God-Sized Dream (redletterbelievers.blogspot.com)


• Sweet Dreams. (greatriversofhope.wordpress.com)


• Dreams And A Little About My Dad (newauthors.wordpress.com)


• Keep Dreaming... (aaronconrad.com)


• God Sized Goals (markmathia.com)


• Protecting Your Dream (opendoorelo.wordpress.com)


• Failure (awarmcupofcomfort.com)

When Walking In Pain

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by 竜次 ryuuji via Flickr"][/caption]

This week we are continuing to talk about being Christ-centric.

Making Christ our center.

Keeping Him in the center of each day.

In the center of a life.


**************

I've been thinking about pain, lately...

I cut my knee the other day. It bled a lot and it hurt.

I had a headache earlier this week and it made my neck stiff.

I don't like pain. I don't like to hurt. I try to shun it at all costs, if I can't do that,  I learn to tolerate it.  Sometimes pain doesn't show itself in a bloody knee, or a sore neck. Sometimes it shows itself, in ways that hurt to much to talk about.

Some days it is easier to deny the pain.

For awhile.

But then I'm forced to deal with it. Not always well. I struggle.

I am alone in my thoughts.

Isn't that the way of the human heart?

The thoughts rush through me, much like a tsunami. I wonder if this is what it feels like to drown?

...A friend who is watching the son she once knew, slip away to a confusing medical diagnosis--and doctors who don't hear her.

...Another friend who has to put his dear wife in a nursing home because her care has become to much for him

...A friend whose husband was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's, at 46

...A marriage dissolves

...A family that sits in an emergency room

...An unplanned pregancy

...Broken family bonds

...Poor decisions

...Hours cut at the job, when one is barely making ends meet

...A family member whose body is worn down from cancer treatments

...A widow, whose husband was taken from her by a man with a gun

And the list goes on.

Pain. Stinging pain.

How do I live a Christ centered life...how do I show Christ to others, when there is so much pain?

When the heart is burdened and the tears build

When an answer isn't given

When nothing seems to make sense

When facing the dashing of dreams

or the certainty of death...

I want Christ in the center.

I want Him not just near me. I want to be full of Him.

I want to be reminded that I do not walk alone.

I need to remember that nothing can separate me from Him. Nothing.

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8: 38-39

AMEN

Related articles

• The Big Questions in Life. (jesusfreak783.wordpress.com)


• What do you do in the midst of deep darkness? (crt010304.wordpress.com)


• God Heals Hurts (guest post) (marykathryntyson.wordpress.com)


• Embrace the Cross (Re-Post) (inchristus.wordpress.com)


• For those who hurt. (practicingjane.wordpress.com)


• Being a Christian (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)


• 6-21-11) Why This Pain (late4work.wordpress.com)

When Walking In Pain

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by 竜次 ryuuji via Flickr"][/caption]

This week we are continuing to talk about being Christ-centric.

Making Christ our center.

Keeping Him in the center of each day.

In the center of a life.


**************

I've been thinking about pain, lately...

I cut my knee the other day. It bled a lot and it hurt.

I had a headache earlier this week and it made my neck stiff.

I don't like pain. I don't like to hurt. I try to shun it at all costs, if I can't do that,  I learn to tolerate it.  Sometimes pain doesn't show itself in a bloody knee, or a sore neck. Sometimes it shows itself, in ways that hurt to much to talk about.

Some days it is easier to deny the pain.

For awhile.

But then I'm forced to deal with it. Not always well. I struggle.

I am alone in my thoughts.

Isn't that the way of the human heart?

The thoughts rush through me, much like a tsunami. I wonder if this is what it feels like to drown?

...A friend who is watching the son she once knew, slip away to a confusing medical diagnosis--and doctors who don't hear her.

...Another friend who has to put his dear wife in a nursing home because her care has become to much for him

...A friend whose husband was diagnosed with early onset Alzheimer's, at 46

...A marriage dissolves

...A family that sits in an emergency room

...An unplanned pregancy

...Broken family bonds

...Poor decisions

...Hours cut at the job, when one is barely making ends meet

...A family member whose body is worn down from cancer treatments

...A widow, whose husband was taken from her by a man with a gun

And the list goes on.

Pain. Stinging pain.

How do I live a Christ centered life...how do I show Christ to others, when there is so much pain?

When the heart is burdened and the tears build

When an answer isn't given

When nothing seems to make sense

When facing the dashing of dreams

or the certainty of death...

I want Christ in the center.

I want Him not just near me. I want to be full of Him.

I want to be reminded that I do not walk alone.

I need to remember that nothing can separate me from Him. Nothing.

³⁸ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons,^[a] neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, ³⁹ neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.  Romans 8: 38-39

AMEN

Related articles

• The Big Questions in Life. (jesusfreak783.wordpress.com)


• What do you do in the midst of deep darkness? (crt010304.wordpress.com)


• God Heals Hurts (guest post) (marykathryntyson.wordpress.com)


• Embrace the Cross (Re-Post) (inchristus.wordpress.com)


• For those who hurt. (practicingjane.wordpress.com)


• Being a Christian (zwingliusredivivus.wordpress.com)


• 6-21-11) Why This Pain (late4work.wordpress.com)

Take Me Home Country Roads...

There is just something about those round bales of hay...



I love lavender. I'd plant my entire flower garden with it, if I could.







Country in the kitchen...

*****************

The morning is starting out quietly, with the exception of the wind chimes blowing in the breeze.

A peaceful morning bodes well for the rest of the day.

Related articles

• Lavender recipes for the summer (telegraph.co.uk)


• Send Us Pics of Your Garden/Flowers! (fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com)


• Take Me Home...Country Roads (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• An update on Stumpy my cat (misswhiplash.wordpress.com)


• Brighten Up Your Life with Decorative Lighting from StylishHomeDecorating.com (prweb.com)


• Best route for drivers is 'home' (autonetinsurance.co.uk)

Take Me Home Country Roads...

There is just something about those round bales of hay...



I love lavender. I'd plant my entire flower garden with it, if I could.







Country in the kitchen...

*****************

The morning is starting out quietly, with the exception of the wind chimes blowing in the breeze.

A peaceful morning bodes well for the rest of the day.

Related articles

• Lavender recipes for the summer (telegraph.co.uk)


• Send Us Pics of Your Garden/Flowers! (fellowshipofminds.wordpress.com)


• Take Me Home...Country Roads (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• An update on Stumpy my cat (misswhiplash.wordpress.com)


• Brighten Up Your Life with Decorative Lighting from StylishHomeDecorating.com (prweb.com)


• Best route for drivers is 'home' (autonetinsurance.co.uk)

My Father's Day Gift

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by alex drennan via Flickr"][/caption]

Today at Faith Barista we are talking about Father's Day.

Bonnie told us to write on the topic

however we chose, just keep it real.

So that is what I am doing....


*****************

Some of us had difficult relationships with our fathers

When we weren't "daddy's little girl"

When words were said

and feelings hurt.

And although he was there,

he wasn't. Not really.

For times he chose others over my sister and me.

Maybe we just didn't understand each other.

And yet...

I am thankful for the years he provided for his family

and gave routine and predictability to the day.

I do have good memories too.

I wish there had been more.

I wish he had chosen to live.

To see me... and my sister.

To see his grandchildren.

To know and understand that

Fatherhood is important.

I could choose to burden myself with the "Why?" questions

but, the answers would echo cold

in the void, left behind.

Instead, I have chosen forgiveness

As much for me as for him.

To forgive him,

even now, years gone

is my Father's Day gift

to him

and to myself.

R.I.P

Dad.

Related articles

• Freedom For Father's Day (forjenssake.wordpress.com)


• Last Minute Father's Day Gifts (whoisandywarner.com)


• Forgiving and Forgetting (churchinaction.wordpress.com)


• "Can You Forgive Too Much?" (babyjill7.wordpress.com)


• Some Fun Facts for Father's Day (Infographic) (bradsdeals.com)


• TodayI...Planned for Father's Day! (meltodayi.wordpress.com)


• Dad's Get Dissed on Father's Day (livescience.com)


• Daddy Knows Best, What I've Learned From My Father (hellobeautiful.com)


• NASCAR drivers balancing fatherhood, dangerous livelihood (cbssports.com)


• Fatherless on Father's Day (lowercaseliving.wordpress.com)


• Irreplaceable (thiscouldgetugly.wordpress.com)

My Father's Day Gift

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="240" caption="Image by alex drennan via Flickr"][/caption]

Today at Faith Barista we are talking about Father's Day.

Bonnie told us to write on the topic

however we chose, just keep it real.

So that is what I am doing....


*****************

Some of us had difficult relationships with our fathers

When we weren't "daddy's little girl"

When words were said

and feelings hurt.

And although he was there,

he wasn't. Not really.

For times he chose others over my sister and me.

Maybe we just didn't understand each other.

And yet...

I am thankful for the years he provided for his family

and gave routine and predictability to the day.

I do have good memories too.

I wish there had been more.

I wish he had chosen to live.

To see me... and my sister.

To see his grandchildren.

To know and understand that

Fatherhood is important.

I could choose to burden myself with the "Why?" questions

but, the answers would echo cold

in the void, left behind.

Instead, I have chosen forgiveness

As much for me as for him.

To forgive him,

even now, years gone

is my Father's Day gift

to him

and to myself.

R.I.P

Dad.

Related articles

• Freedom For Father's Day (forjenssake.wordpress.com)


• Last Minute Father's Day Gifts (whoisandywarner.com)


• Forgiving and Forgetting (churchinaction.wordpress.com)


• "Can You Forgive Too Much?" (babyjill7.wordpress.com)


• Some Fun Facts for Father's Day (Infographic) (bradsdeals.com)


• TodayI...Planned for Father's Day! (meltodayi.wordpress.com)


• Dad's Get Dissed on Father's Day (livescience.com)


• Daddy Knows Best, What I've Learned From My Father (hellobeautiful.com)


• NASCAR drivers balancing fatherhood, dangerous livelihood (cbssports.com)


• Fatherless on Father's Day (lowercaseliving.wordpress.com)


• Irreplaceable (thiscouldgetugly.wordpress.com)

Hiking The Canyon

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

Today, Ann Voskamp  has us posting about being Christ-centric in her Walk With Him Wednesdays.


Ouch.

How do OTHERS see Jesus in me? DO they see Jesus in me?

My hope is that they do but...

I'm not perfect. I don't always have the words to say. I lose my temper. I want my own way. I wish things were different. I complain. Not very Jesus-like, huh?

Words like FAILURE, MISTAKE, and UNWORTHY come to mind. I wear them around my neck, like ID tags. Don't you recognize me? I'm the one that is unworthy to bear the name of Christ. The woman that stumbles under the weight of her own perceptions.

How many times have I used the excuse that I am having a "bad day" to gripe at my husband, snip at my kids, or yell at the dog? I begrudgingly vacuum the rugs, clean the toilets, wash the clothes and fix the evening meal. I clean messes that I didn't make, say things I didn't mean, and make it my mission, on certain days, to not be joyful.  Thoughts run through my mind like a broken tape recorder.  On some days I feel the bitterness creep in... don't I deserve more than this?

The fissure in a soul can break wide open and leave a canyon between what is known and what is done.

Be more like Christ...   "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32 NAS

Just as Christ has forgiven me. The words echo deep in the canyon... bouncing off the walls of my heart. Forgive them.

Be more like Christ...  "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."  Philippians 4:8  NAS

Dwell on these things. Even the deepness of a canyon can be beautiful, when the sun shines on rough rock. It is difficult to complain if I am concentrating on lovely things. I can make that choice.

Be more like Christ...  "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 145:8  ESV

Showing grace and mercy, the anger drains from me. Let it go!  Anger and bitterness kill the spirit of the one that holds on to them, and I can die from thirst if I can't find my way off the canyon floor, to the life giving water.

Being more Christ like is not easy...but, Jesus Himself said it would be worth it. So, I continue hiking out of the canyon.

Related articles

• Good to go: Marrakech, Grand Canyon, Ibiza (independent.co.uk)


• Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon (arizonaroadtrip.wordpress.com)


• Sunrise at the Grand Canyon - Grand Canyon National Park, AZ (travelpod.com)


• Somewhere between the heavenly and the hellish . . . (hopeofglory.typepad.com)


• Grand Canyon day & night - Grand Canyon Village, AZ (travelpod.com)


• Blessed "Be" attitudes :: Be Merciful (thepauls.wordpress.com)


• Why is it necessary to pray for 'forgiveness of our sins' if Jesus took all our sins away from us (wiki.answers.com)


• A New Creation (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• A Word for the Weary (traskman.wordpress.com)

Hiking The Canyon

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Image via Wikipedia"][/caption]

Today, Ann Voskamp  has us posting about being Christ-centric in her Walk With Him Wednesdays.


Ouch.

How do OTHERS see Jesus in me? DO they see Jesus in me?

My hope is that they do but...

I'm not perfect. I don't always have the words to say. I lose my temper. I want my own way. I wish things were different. I complain. Not very Jesus-like, huh?

Words like FAILURE, MISTAKE, and UNWORTHY come to mind. I wear them around my neck, like ID tags. Don't you recognize me? I'm the one that is unworthy to bear the name of Christ. The woman that stumbles under the weight of her own perceptions.

How many times have I used the excuse that I am having a "bad day" to gripe at my husband, snip at my kids, or yell at the dog? I begrudgingly vacuum the rugs, clean the toilets, wash the clothes and fix the evening meal. I clean messes that I didn't make, say things I didn't mean, and make it my mission, on certain days, to not be joyful.  Thoughts run through my mind like a broken tape recorder.  On some days I feel the bitterness creep in... don't I deserve more than this?

The fissure in a soul can break wide open and leave a canyon between what is known and what is done.

Be more like Christ...   "Be kind to one another, tender-hearted, forgiving each other, just as God in Christ also has forgiven you." Ephesians 4:32 NAS

Just as Christ has forgiven me. The words echo deep in the canyon... bouncing off the walls of my heart. Forgive them.

Be more like Christ...  "Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things."  Philippians 4:8  NAS

Dwell on these things. Even the deepness of a canyon can be beautiful, when the sun shines on rough rock. It is difficult to complain if I am concentrating on lovely things. I can make that choice.

Be more like Christ...  "The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. Psalm 145:8  ESV

Showing grace and mercy, the anger drains from me. Let it go!  Anger and bitterness kill the spirit of the one that holds on to them, and I can die from thirst if I can't find my way off the canyon floor, to the life giving water.

Being more Christ like is not easy...but, Jesus Himself said it would be worth it. So, I continue hiking out of the canyon.

Related articles

• Good to go: Marrakech, Grand Canyon, Ibiza (independent.co.uk)


• Grand Canyon and Bryce Canyon (arizonaroadtrip.wordpress.com)


• Sunrise at the Grand Canyon - Grand Canyon National Park, AZ (travelpod.com)


• Somewhere between the heavenly and the hellish . . . (hopeofglory.typepad.com)


• Grand Canyon day & night - Grand Canyon Village, AZ (travelpod.com)


• Blessed "Be" attitudes :: Be Merciful (thepauls.wordpress.com)


• Why is it necessary to pray for 'forgiveness of our sins' if Jesus took all our sins away from us (wiki.answers.com)


• A New Creation (gibsongirl247.wordpress.com)


• A Word for the Weary (traskman.wordpress.com)

Summer Begins At Home...

Memorial Day is the unofficial start of summer...



I love wind chimes. I like to hang them on the deck, of course we live in a wind tunnel...so my poor wind chimes take a beating.



Summertime is much more laid back...peace and serenity is sitting on the front porch on a quiet summer evening.



My husband put our new flag up yesterday... Looking at the crisp red,white, and blue flapping in the breeze made me so happy.



This is where you will find me in the evenings. My favorite spot. I thought the red pillow just made the sitting area "pop".



Yesterday, my son pulled out a birthday present from a couple of years ago. Now we have a big yard (since we moved) and he practiced shooting off his rocket last night.



"America, America, God shed His grace on thee."



I got these windsocks on sale at Wmart. I thought they looked festive, but they also remind me of the beach. Perfect for summer.

***********

What makes your house feel like home? Do you have a favorite spot?

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God Is In The Storms

He covers the sky with clouds; he supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills.  Psalm 147:8  NIV

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Perfectionism Is Poison

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The cake fell flat.

The cat puked.

Ants have migrated to the kitchen.

The flower bed is...well, a mess.

I didn't get enough rest last night.

I need a haircut.

The kids didn't finish their school work.

I didn't read my devotional today.

That thing that happened really annoyed me.

My nerves are frayed.

And I'm still waiting for my 21 year old body to return...any day now.

I hear the hiss in my ear.

I want the perfect life. I strive for the perfect life.

I fail at the perfect life. Big sigh.

I gripe at times. I hold onto resentment. I long for more.

I play out in my own mind what I think should happen. How life should be.

Perfectionism is the poisonous venom of a serpent.

I've been bit, and it stings.The wound is raw... and painful.

The realization hits me. Again. This life will never be perfect.

And yet, I still search.

What is wrong with me? I wish I could just let it go. Be happy with the way things are.

Wouldn't life be easier if I didn't care about pet fur, and folding laundry? If everyone would follow the schedule, and pick up after themselves? If I had a new vehicle and a snappy wardrobe? If I looked like I did when I was younger and had more energy?

Each day I do battle with perfectionism.

The fangs sink deeper into my flesh.

I need to break free from the bondage of perfectionism. It really is bondage, pure and simple.

The fear of not being perfect, is really the fear of not measuring up to (impossible) standards.

God did not give me the the spirit of fear. His desire is not for me to be a frustrated perfectionist.

"For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."  2 Timothy 1:7  NIV

He loves me. Imperfections and all.

*********************

Keeping it real, in our jam about perfectionism. Won't you join us?

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A New Creation

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This is the third post I've attempted this morning. The other two posts I saved for another day.

Over at A Holy Experience we are talking about new life. What does this mean to me?



I thought I might write something bookish or scholarly...but, it fell flat.

So, I've decided to just be blunt. Plain. Open my heart. Tell about new life, in the only way I know how.

Living a new life in Christ...as a follower of Jesus.

Jesus. The name above all names.

"Therefore, God exalted Him to the highest place and gave Him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." Philippians 2:9-11 NIV

The Jewish people called him, Yeshua. As a Christian, I call Him God's Son. King of kings. Lord of lords. The Light of the world. Messiah. Passover lamb. Rock of ages. Shepherd. The Alpha and the Omega. The Way. The Truth. The Life. The living Word. Wonderful Counselor. The Prince of Peace.

He came to this earth as a baby. He walked this earth as a Jewish man. Began His ministry. Boldly proclaimed that He is the Son of the living God. He spoke wisdom, performed miracles, and changed people's lives. Yahweh. God in the flesh. Sacrificed for me. For you. For us all. There is nothing I could have done to save myself. I was unworthy. I needed a Savior. A Redeemer. And yet, His love for me, for us, was so great that ..... He died in my place. He rose again. Is living today, and will one day return.

It is because of Jesus' sacrifice, the fact that He took my place, that I have new life. It is because of Him that I have hope. It is because of Him that I have peace. It is because of Him that I have assurance. There is nothing else in this world that can take His place. Everything else falls flat and empty. It is only through Him that I do not just survive, but truly live.

My life is changed... all because of Him.

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation" the old has gone, the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 NIV

Do you know Jesus? Not just as a historical character. Not just as a Jewish carpenter. Not just as a character in the Bible. But, as Jesus, the Son of the living God. He wants to know you.

"Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in..."  Revelation 3:20 NIV

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Giving Thanks In The Midst Of

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I heard the rain and wind last night

Only semi-awake in the dark of the night

A fleeting thought of stormy weather

As I changed my sleeping position

I woke to the early morning news of more people hurt

more buildings demolished

more lives destroyed

more people gone...just gone

never to return

Those who have lost so much in the deadly winds

Why them? Why not me?

Is it right for me to give thanks on this Monday, when so many are hurting? Lost? Devastated?

I quietly sit at the table

and stare at my computer screen.

Images from the news seared into my thoughts

My heart aches.

*thankful that more people weren't hurt or injured

*for friends and neighbors who reach out their hands

*for those who come to help

*for the human spirit

*for not giving up

*for pressing on

*for trying one more time

*for surviving

*for God, who is still there

Some of us have not gone through the utter devastation of a tornado, but we have lost loved ones. Some of us have never huddled through the howling winds, but we have huddled in fear of losing everything from job loss. Some of us have never watched as our house was torn apart, but we understand fire, floods, or theft. We haven't stood in terror watching the storm approach, but we understand the terror of a deadly diagnosis.

Storms of life come in all shapes and sizes.

I am thankful that God loves us, that He cares for us through ALL of life's storms.

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.  Psalm 18:2 NIV

What are some things you are thankful for this Monday?

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I Quit

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Today at Faith Barista we are discussing--- To quit or not to quit.  Share your thoughts or experience on quitting something or not quitting something.




I don't consider myself a quitter. It's not a word that describes who I am.

If I've started something, I will finish it. Or at least give it a very good try.

But....

I'm quitting.

Yes, you heard me.

*I'm quitting...the fear of not measuring up

*I'm quitting...the paralyzing grip of perfection

*I'm quitting...the thinking that I am in control

For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7  NIV

I'll stop worrying about what others might think of me. The truth is, most people are too busy worrying about their own stuff to think about me. I don't mean that in a bad way. I have many people in this life, that love me dearly and care for me without regret. I just mean, they don't really care if I'm wearing yoga pants today instead of khaki's. Or if I fix the same meal, twice in one week, or  if I don't sweep up all the dog fur from under the dining room table where it gets trapped like tumbleweeds in the desert.

I'll stop worrying if my house isn't like a picture out of House Beautiful. Perfection does not mean, not messy. People live here... 24 hours a day. We work from home, and school at home, and love at home. All those things don't fit in my nice containers. (Even if those containers are the cutest things ever!) As the keeper of the home, the house is a reflection on me....may it reflect a family that lives with and loves each other.

I'll stop believing that all my plans in life will work out perfectly. Life is fragile, and I'm fooling myself if I ever thought for one second that I was the one in control.

My life is not my own. It is Christ who lives in me.

I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galations 2:20 NIV

And all I do is for that audience of One.

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