Keeping up with Jesus, not the Joneses

Yesterday I started on a project that has put me in a little slump. I have this wonderful craft room downstairs that is my creative room. I painted it in a beautiful apple green color, and it is my space! Well, all that is going to change. You see we have two boys, 13 and 7, and they share a bedroom. Unfortunately the time has come where the 13 year old wants and needs his own space. So what do we do as parents, we give up what we have for them. To say I'm okay with this would be an understatement. I don't want to give up "my space!" And, I don't want to go through all the clutter in my room. It seems I have a knack for storing projects that I want to complete. Will I ever get to those projects, yeah in about 20 years when the kids are gone! Will I still want to make those projects then? No. So I am taking a hard look at all I have "collected" and am cleaning out the clutter. And now that the process has begun I have to say it feels good to get rid of the junk. I am looking forward to cleaning up and de-cluttering. In fact, I think I will tackle the closets next!
Sometimes we need to de-clutter our lives because we end up with too much "stuff." De-cluttering is never easy, we drag our feet, we moan and complain but when the task is complete, satisfaction! Americans are very good at "collecting stuff." We try to "keep up with the Joneses" as they say. It gets very costly to keep up. These items not only cost money, but time. Time we could spend with family, friends, God. What if we spent as much time trying to "keep up with Jesus!" I'm not saying you need to get rid of everything, but look around. Do you have some "stuff" you are saving for later? Are you really going to use it? Can you get rid of it and use the time and money you save for good? Jesus told us to "store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where your treasure is there your heart will be also." Matthew 6:20-21 What treasures are you storing up, are they treasures or just "stuff." Can you de-clutter and work on your heavenly treasures? Paul tells us "whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward. It is the Lord Christ you are serving. " Colossians 3:23-24 Today let's de-clutter and work on those heavenly treasures!

Heavenly Father,  you know I am just a little crabby about this de-cluttering process, help me to be a cheerful cleaner. Help me to de-clutter and start working on my heavenly treasures. I know my reward is in heaven, help me to focus on that reward not my earthly one. I know that I am blessed to live in a land of plenty, help me to not store up too much, to share with others, to "keep up with Jesus, and not the Joneses! "

The suffering is as much a gift as the trusting.

Do you ever feel you have been given a cross to bear? I often tell people about the cross I carry, a congenital birth defect that has forever changed my life. In 2005 I was diagnosed with Chiari Malformation, also known as Arnold–Chiari malformation. Chiari is a condition that affects the brain. It consists of a downward displacement of the cerebellar tonsils through the opening at the base of the skull. As a result there is an obstruction of spinal fluid. With the obstruction comes headaches, fatigue, muscle weakness, difficulty swallowing, dizziness, nausea, tinnitus, impaired coordination, and, in severe cases, paralysis. In 2005 I was dealing with all of this and trying to raise 2 very young children. On February 23 of 2006 I went in for a three and a half hour brain decompression surgery. I spent 3 days in ICU, none of which I remember. I do know my husband, parents, and sister prayed as if there was no tomorrow. My mother tells me she called home to our church Sunday morning and asked them to pray for me and that afternoon I came out of my fog! The power of prayer! Today I am so glad I had the surgery, but because there is no cure, I hope and pray that I don't  ever have to have another surgery. This is my cross. A cross that causes mental fog, memory loss, and extreme physical pain. I see a pain management doctor all too often and live on many medications. The reason I tell you all of this is because this is what brought me to my knees physically, literally. I have spent many hours praying and talking with God. I don't know why I was brought to my knees, I only know that it has brought me closer to my Lord. I once read that "suffering is a gift entrusted to us, to sharpen our focus." I not only believe this, I KNOW this. "The suffering is as much a gift as the trusting." When I am in severe pain I pray and try to focus on God. I pray for relief, for patience, for understanding. Would I pray and talk to God this often if I wasn't suffering, NO! Is it a gift, YES! Do I get angry, absolutely! Do I cry, more than you know! Do I give up...NO! I believe it is okay to get angry with God, to question God. I think this makes my faith stronger. It pushes me to find answers, to seek, to grow, to trust.  Do you have a cross you are bearing, physically or mentally? Is it dragging you down?  Take a moment to stop and talk to God about it. Cry your tears, get angry, and then pray. Remember to be a living sacrifice. Bear your cross, moment by moment, day by day. And then when all the tears are dry and all the anger gone, thank the Lord for the gift of your cross because it helps to sharpen your focus.

"Heavenly Father I want to take a moment to say thank you! Thank you for my cross. Carrying my cross brings me closer to You and closer to understanding Jesus' suffering. When days get hard and pain is present I drop to my knees and seek You out. Thank you for my time, time to pray, seek, worship, focus. I trust You Lord, I thank You Lord, I love You Lord! Amen"

Green Pastures and Hissing Turtles

On our way home from town today my husband saw a turtle on the side of the road. My oldest son asked us to stop so we could pick him up and move him to safer ground. So off the two of us run to grab mister turtle. All the way home he was scratching me with his claws and hissing at me. I wanted him to understand I was trying to help him. I don't think he cared! After letting the kids see him we let him go in some beautiful tall grass by a lovely little pond. As we walked away I couldn't help but think that is exactly what God does with us. We find ourselves on a busy road and He stops us and tries to move us to a calm green pasture. As He moves you, do you go peacefully or do you claw and hiss the whole way?

Why do you think we hustle and bustle? Are we trying to please ourselves, our family, our God? The end result is we can't please anyone because we are too busy. God tells us we can do anything, but we can't do everything. And do you know who wants us to be busy? Satan! Satan wants to keep us busy because that allows us less time for prayer and meditation. What does it hurt if you say no today? Look back on your week, have you spent it hurrying down the road, or walking through the green grass? Take a moment to thank the Lord for all the good He has given you! Today I ask you to slow down, take the gravel road, look for the green pasture, smell the roses, oh, and be on the look out for hissing turtles!

 "As the road gets busy God, I ask you to guide me to a slower, safer path even though my claws might be out and my hiss is loud! Jesus wasn't afraid to escape the busyness of his life, so help me to not be afraid to escape mine. Today I pray for the strength to be still and know that you are my God!"

Fallen

Have you fallen lately? The other day I fell and I fell hard. The only thing bruised however was my heart. You know who picked me up and brushed me off? God. He always catches me when I stumble.  He asks me if I'm okay, dries my tears, and grants me grace. Do you do that for your family, your friends, yourself? 

 We don't always, do we? Thank goodness for an all forgiving God that doesn't do that. And that my friends is why we are human. We fall, we stumble, we get hurt. But then we pick ourselves up, we brush off and we ask for grace. But most importantly we need to ask for forgiveness. Who do you need to forgive - your spouse, your colleague, your brother in law? Grant them the forgiveness that God grants us. Say a prayer and forgive and feel your heart be free. Today is a new day of love, forgiveness, and grace.