Hanging on to hope…. and UK Basketball is there to prove it
Wow, Kentucky Basketball is back in the spotlight and now it is for a good thing… finally the Wildcats are ranked number one in nation. It has been awhile since I felt like I could put on my UK sweatshirt and wear it with pride. Yes, I’ll admit it… I don’t think my blood was pure blue. In fact, I think there were times when I didn’t even watch one complete game in a season because I was bored. Now you may think I’ve never been a true UK fan and that is totally incorrect…. I was probably the only girl in my middle school who had a blue and white bedroom with UK posted everywhere…. I was a true blue fan…. But when they began their spiral into just being an average team rather than an outstanding team, I lost interest. But I think I am on the road to recovery …. I once again think they are fun to watch.
With my confession I will say that there are many who never wavered in their faith in their team. Regardless of the poor performance or embarrassing losses, they still never missed a game, still wore blue and white… even at away games and they still cheered as loud as before. They withstood the test and their belief in a team held firm. And because of that they can say that they were faithful during the hard times and now it has paid off.
A test of faith pays off when we hang in there and hang on to hope.
There is a passage where Jesus tests a woman who had come to him for the healing of her daughter. The only issue (which really wasn’t one to Jesus) was that she wasn’t an Israelite… she wasn’t one of God’s chosen people… she was a Cannanite woman. She was begging for help and Jesus pretty much appeared to ignore her. Finally, his buddies had had enough and begged him to get rid of her. So then, Jesus says something that was directed to the woman…He said it wasn’t fair to give the children’s bread (Israelite’s healings) to the dogs (those who weren’t Israelites) and she retorted that even dogs get scraps. She was telling him that she believed even a crumb of what he could do would be enough to help her daughter. He tested her faith and she showed him that her faith was hanging on to the hope of what he could do….Jesus was pleased and he healed her daughter. That was the pay off for hanging on to hope.
Maybe you are dealing with something and you feel as if God is ignoring you….. or maybe you don’t feel worthy …. maybe you feel like your issue is not deserving….. But God is totally aware of your need…..Maybe He needs to see where your faith is… maybe he needs to test and see if your faith is true blue ….. Keep in mind though, I used the word “hanging”…. no one said it was easy… I know it is not easy, and sometimes it may seem if you are losing your grip…… hang on to hope. The pay off is amazing.
Oh yeah, “Go Big Blue!”
Matthew 15
21Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is suffering terribly from demon-possession.”
23Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”
24He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”
25The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.
26He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs.”
27“Yes, Lord,” she said, “but even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters’ table.”
28Then Jesus answered, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed from that very hour.
Be Aware… Penguins are among us
I’m a bit overwhelmed with all of the awareness days and ribbons. If I wanted to create an awareness day I think I would be out of ribbon choices… all of the colors are taken and most are even taken by several groups. I’m not knocking the whole awareness thing. I think, for the most part, it does help educate some. I’ve been known to see a ribbon of a certain color and go look it up online to find it’s meaning …. the problem is, unless I ask, I wouldn’t know whether they were making me aware of hunger or of Highway and Road Worker Memorials. Sometimes though, I’m not sure why awareness even needs to happen. Like today….
Today is Penguin Awareness Day. I’m not really sure who this day is aimed to make aware. Thanks to comical little penguins from cartoons and comic strips….Opus, may you rest in peace…. or possibly a nice documentary like, “March of the Penguins” or even for the retro crowd, a Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom episode, most everyone I know is aware of penguins. About 10 years ago I even became aware that some lived off of the coast of South Africa. So what are we needing to be made aware of????
Somewhere in some antarctic, uncharted territory are they, like “Kentucky Fried Chicken” Chickens are believed to be, being unethically bred and slaughtered? Are they in need of counseling as they live in great big groups and struggle to get along? Are they a gifted group of performers that need recognition or just a lucky break? Wait, maybe the whole awareness thing is aimed toward the seals that gobble up the penguins. Maybe that would explain the whole black and white awareness ribbon I saw on the killer whale today. (Just kidding)
I suppose there could be some significance to the whole penguin awareness thing… maybe they are gradually becoming extinct… I don’t know…. oh, I get it…. that is the the whole point… I just said, “I don’t know”….. I’m aware but not fully aware, therefore the need for Penguin Awareness Day! I feel so relieved to know that my little black and white awareness ribbon has significance.
The reality of it is that often we believe we are aware of something just because we know a little bit about it.
I was reading this morning about Jesus in his hometown. The people were aware of Jesus. They knew him as a carpenter’s son. They knew his mother and siblings. They knew him but they didn’t know him. What a shame…. it still happens today. Some know him and are aware of him but the never know him in a relationship and therefore aren’t aware of who he really is. That need for awareness is totally legitimate… the awareness of something more than an hour at church, a unpleasant experience with a “Christian”, or an attempt to read a hard to understand version of the Bible… those experiences may make us aware of his name and then we can claim to be aware but it is the investment of seeking and a commitment to him that makes us aware of who he really is …. we begin to see faith at work…. I don’t know… I’m seeing a red, white and black ribbon in the making.
How’s your awareness? How’s your faith?
Have a great Penguin Awareness Day!
Matthew 13:53-58
53When Jesus had finished these parables, he moved on from there. 54Coming to his hometown, he began teaching the people in their synagogue, and they were amazed. “Where did this man get this wisdom and these miraculous powers?” they asked. 55“Isn’t this the carpenter’s son? Isn’t his mother’s name Mary, and aren’t his brothers James, Joseph, Simon and Judas? 56Aren’t all his sisters with us? Where then did this man get all these things?” 57And they took offense at him.
But Jesus said to them, “Only in his hometown and in his own house is a prophet without honor.“
58And he did not do many miracles there because of their lack of faith.
(Disclaimer: There really is a Penguin Awareness Day. According to most calendars it falls on January 20th. However, to my knowledge, there is not a representing ribbon for this day, but I think black and white would make sense.)
I’ve Created a Monster… actually, just some Bobbleheads….
Sometimes I get really frustrated because I fight the gifts that God gave me… what I mean is, often times the grass is greener on the other side. Still yet what I mean is, yes, I know I have certain abilities but sometimes I think I’d rather be okay at something a bit more important… like being organized rather than being able to paint. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy the gifts that God has given me… just being honest here… and when I really think about it, I am thankful for creativity but wishful at the same time…. therefore enters the frustration. However, last night while watching American Idol and seeing the many gifted and not so gifted people, I was reminded about the vast differences in people and how creative God is. We are a part of a fantastic potpourri of an incredible Creator. So, since the gentleman (General Larry Platt) unveiled to the world his masterpiece, “Pants on the Ground”, on American Idol last night, I felt it might be a good time for me to share my creations.
Where I work, within the staff, I have been known to add a little laughter to our yearly Christmas parties. First it was the year of “photoshopped” heads on bodies magnets. Then it was the never forgotten clever little scheme to get loads of gifts for Christmas and I placed my name, “Nancy”, on every slip of paper in the hat to be drawn for gift giving… and everyone on staff got my name for Christmas…though it sounds like a great plan, it backfired a tiny bit… definitely a story for another blog sometime… Then there was the year of shirts (actually onsies for a soon to be dad on staff) that had my photo covering it and said, “I love Pastor Nancy”. Yes, those were all good years, but this past year just may have topped them all.
In the fall my daughter reintroduced me to a medium that I hadn’t played with in quite some time, polymer clay. After playing around with it for a few weeks I thought it might be fun to make bobbleheads for my co-workers… bobbleheads of their caricatured likenesses, that is…. so I went to work. Though I ran out of time and couldn’t complete an actual bobblehead… they did get figurines…. caricatured figurines of themselves…. we had a great laugh this year.
Maybe this will encourage you to embrace your creativity…. it is a gift from the original Creator.
Philippians 1:3-6
3I thank my God every time I remember you. 4In all my prayers for all of you, I always pray with joy 5because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now, 6being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus. (Thanks for the reminder, Grant)
Can’t decide if I like it
I’m not too sure if I like this new theme…. maybe you can advise… what do you think?
Stop! In the name of pug….well, more like poodle.. and Nix the Resolutions
Taking the back roads has its perks. Things like few stop lights, if any… scenery prettier than buildings and concrete… and just all around less boring…. I also like to think that they are shortcuts but often times they take just as long if not longer because of the hills and curves. Anyway, the other morning I had stopped to grab a cup of coffee and then began rushing myself to work through the not-so-shortcut back road shortcut. I came zooming over the hill only to come to a screeching halt….. coffee was sloshing, but no problem for me… the lid stayed tight.
I looked ahead to find why traffic wasn’t moving and there, sitting in the middle of the road, was a little bitty poodle. He was dirty and matted and had apparently decided that the line in the middle of the road was a comfy spot. Amazingly, that little animal was backing up traffic about 7 cars deep on both sides of the road. The school bus that was leading the line of cars opposite of me was honking the horn…. the dog just looked up… I wondered if possibly the dog was deaf but it seemed as if he heard the noise but just was too stubborn to move. Finally, after sitting in traffic for a bit, a lady a few cars in front of me hopped out of her and started walking toward the dog. Still the dog sat. The lady began yelling at the dog and clapping her hands. In essence, pushing the dog without touching him. The dog moved…. but only a small step… she now sat in front of the bus…. the lady continued clapping until the dog finally retreated to the middle of another road.
Traffic began moving along as normal once again. I noticed as I passed by that there was another lady who had maneuvered her way out of traffic to the side of the road to see if she could rescue this poor little, confused, dirty, matted dog. She very gently and slowly walked up to the dog and though I couldn’t hear what she was saying, it was apparent that she was talking sweetly in that “you’re a good puppy, aren’t you” voice. You would think that this unattractive little dog would have been excited to hop in a warm car with a sweet person who obviously cared about its welfare, but instead it barked and growled and when the lady backed up a bit the poodle took off running into a tangled brush area just off of the road.
As I drove past I could see the look on the helpful lady’s face and I think it was one of disbelief
or frustration or that of helplessness. She had done all she could do. The poodle made its own choice.
A part of me chuckled at the whole situation… a little dog holding up so much traffic. He got warnings and he even got sympathy but even after he begrudgingly moved, he accepted nothing from anyone and continued on the same path that he was already on. All I could think of was what a sad, little stubborn (or maybe dumb) dog. And it was then that I think I got a little kick in my rear …. you know, I tend to be just like that little dog. I’ll sit in traffic (theoretically, not technically) … as dangerous as it might be… and a warning may push me to move a little bit, but even at times when I am completely moved, I may run back to the same old routine. Are ya with me?
I usually don’t make New Year’s resolutions but the New Year is a great time to begin a new routine. I heard on the radio yesterday morning that the average person will have abandoned their resolutions by day 18. But I have also heard that it takes 6 weeks to create a new habit… so pushing beyond day 18 for a little over another 18 days will create a changed person. I can imagine that if that poodle had gotten into that car, he would have been cleaned up, nourished and ended up looking like a cute, lovable little guy. That is a good ending to a bad situation. So what makes us stop before day 18 rolls around? Could it be fear of the unknown, fear of change, fear of failing, fear of stepping out of what is comfortable?….
But you know something else… there were two women in that situation who were very important… the one who moved the dog and the one who tried to rescue the dog… Sometimes we don’t even realize we are in the middle of the road and we need a reminder, someone to move us. I think that is where God jumps in and does the motivating that gets us to move and provides the rescuing of our lives… maybe it is a friend or family member who urges us to get help, maybe it is an invite to church, maybe it is a song or story that is heard or maybe we look up and step out of ourselves and see the lives we are affecting (just like the backed up traffic). Then we find ourselves at a crossroad to an encouragement, a safe place, a hope…. a loving God…..or back to the same old tangled brush.
Maybe you are a like that little dog in the road…. possibly in a dangerous situation… maybe it is a habit that is killing you, a lifestyle that consumes you, a relationship that alienates you, an attitude that robs you, an ailment that embarrasses you, or a spiritual neglect that is calling you… Whatever it is, you don’t have to sit in the road or run to the tangled brush… you can hop in the car and be changed.
This can be the year to not make a resolution to change but to actually change. That’s my prayer.
Philippians 4:13
13 For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.
Celebrate the Season-Advent Day 1- What’s in a name?
I find it pretty funny that, according to several books, my name translates to the meaning, “Graceful” or “full of grace”. Assuming the translation refers to the art of being graceful (or “lady-like” as my mother would say), hang around me long enough and you’ll find out how graceful I am not. My name was not picked by happenstance… I was named for two of my aunts. Though I could be wrong, I’m pretty sure my mother didn’t name me with the thought that either I was a graceful baby or that I would live my life gracefully just because my name translated so.
Picking a name for a child is a tough job… my husband and I had the hardest time deciding on each of our girls’ names. Honestly, I didn’t look at the meanings of their names or if I did, I didn’t give it second thought. I just went with the name that I liked.
My advent reading today was Isaiah 9:1-7 and I focused on the names that this prophecy gave Christ…the names were descriptive of who this “son” was going to be… Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. I love these terms, not just because I can sing them (Hallelujah Chorus), but because of what these four or possibly five names can really mean.
Wonderful- astonishing, amazing.. wonderful goes beyond good, even beyond great….. wonderful exceeds expectations and in most cases blows us away
Counselor- who can I depend on to guide me in the best direction? Who can I confide in? Who can I gain understanding from? Yep, it would be the counselor…. or rather, the Wonderful Counselor
Mighty God- I love the term mighty. From what I can comprehend about God… there is nothing that can touch Him… He is mighty and more powerful than all
Everlasting Father- Never ending…. No death…. infinity and beyond … However you best understand it, God is forever.
Prince of Peace- I’m not sure if this title is descriptive of world peace or peace within but I believe that Christ showed us how to live peacefully within ourselves and among the world
I love the fact that Christ lived up to his names…. I’ve experienced the Wonderful and was blown away. I’ve experienced the Counselor and was guided in the correct direction. I’ve experienced the Mighty God… so much power and never backs down… fights the enemy for you. I’ve experienced the Everlasting Father…. time is of no issue… He is always there. I’ve experienced the Prince of Peace…. there have been times when I thought my world was falling apart or times when I was broken… Peace came in and rescued me..
Christ lives up to his name…Just one of the many reasons to celebrate the season and the hope that it brings.
Isaiah 9:1-7
1 Nevertheless, that time of darkness and despair will not go on forever. The land of Zebulun and Naphtali will be humbled, but there will be a time in the future when Galilee of the Gentiles, which lies along the road that runs between the Jordan and the sea, will be filled with glory.
2 The people who walk in darkness
will see a great light.
For those who live in a land of deep darkness,
a light will shine.
3 You will enlarge the nation of Israel,
and its people will rejoice.
They will rejoice before you
as people rejoice at the harvest
and like warriors dividing the plunder.
4 For you will break the yoke of their slavery
and lift the heavy burden from their shoulders.
You will break the oppressor’s rod,
just as you did when you destroyed the army of Midian.
5 The boots of the warrior
and the uniforms bloodstained by war
will all be burned.
They will be fuel for the fire.
6 For a child is born to us,
a son is given to us.
The government will rest on his shoulders.
And he will be called:
Wonderful Counselor,[d] Mighty God,
Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
7 His government and its peace
will never end.
He will rule with fairness and justice from the throne of his ancestor David
for all eternity.
The passionate commitment of the Lord of Heaven’s Armies
will make this happen!
Sing with me…”Whoa Black Friday, Bam-A-Lam… ” Oh, the memories…
Yes, I know that the song is really “Black Betty”, but it is kind of catchy, don’t you think? I don’t know about you but Black Friday always seems to sound like such a creepy day that I think it needs something like a theme song.
I’ve never quite figured out why a day that kicks off the holiday shopping season has such a dreary name. Black Friday… it reminds me of a day that we should either be in mourning or scaring the living daylights out of each other… “Move over Halloween, it’s Black Friday… Bwahhhahahaha….”.
I realize that the whole “Black” thing has to do with some accounting term about being on the good side of the economic table, but even having to explain the term “Black Friday” is so boring…. It seems like they could have created a name that is a bit more appealing to the laypeople. Maybe they could have named it- “Really Big Sale Friday” or “Crazy Standing in Line Friday” or “Fight for your Deal Friday” or “Be Kind Friday”(Sending out a subliminal message, of course) or “Spend Lots of Money Friday” or “Camp Out Friday”… Do you realize how hard it is to convince a 7 year-old that you don’t have to dress in black on Black Friday?? Let’s just say that she now has a new black T-shirt….
Regardless of why it is called what it is, I have never really been a fan of it. I have gone out a few times during the early morning hours but I will have to say that each time was only because my sister-in-law was at my house and I went to keep her company. I’m more of a 10:00am, catch the mid-morning deals, type person, but when I’ve gone with her I admittedly have found a bargain or two.
This year there was a twist to our experience. There was no 4:00am alarm. Nope. Toys R Us opened at midnight and we were going to get a deal. We figured there wouldn’t be much of a crowd. After all it was Thanksgiving evening and most would be gearing up for the next morning. My two oldest were ready for their Black Friday initiation and at 11:50pm, off all four of us (my sister-in-law was obviously there) went to get bargains at the toy store. As we got closer we began to see that traffic was pretty heavy for a midnight… and as we got even closer we found that it was pointless to take the front roads but instead cut to another road and slyly worked our way up from the back. As it turned out, we weren’t the only ones who had that thought and we were in total disbelief…
Though there was no way to count, I couldn’t believe what I was seeing.. hundreds, maybe even thousands of people…. there was a line that stretched amazingly around the whole mall building. I couldn’t imagine that this could be the line for Toys R Us. (Apparently, Zhu Zhu pets had gone under my toy radar and I was oblivious to the Zhu Zhu pet craze that allowed parents to actually get their child a clean smelling hamster..not a real one but close enough)…….As it turned out it was the line for the toy store or at least that is what we were led to believe. We walked to the back of the line and answered as cars passed by and asked us if we were in the Toys R Us line. We would nod our heads and shrug our shoulders at the same time because we, just like everyone else, just went to the back of the line without checking to see where the line went. So, our assumption was that we, along with everyone else in Lexington, were waiting to go buy toys.
After a few minutes and a dozen or so cars asking if we were standing in line for the toy store, I decided to be bold and venture to the front of the mall area to just make sure that we weren’t standing in line for the makeup or furniture store. (I know, I know… no one would stand in line for a furniture store…makeup maybe but not furniture) What do you know, we were in the correct line. But there is a catch to this…. it wasn’t the only line. There was another line that was about 1/20 the size of the other line. I got in the short line and called my sister-in-law to come join me and we giggled the rest of the time at our Black Friday maneuvers. Oh, the memories…..
Well, our night didn’t stop there… one hour in line outside (yes, in the short line), two shopping hours and one more hour in line to check out…. it was now time for other stores to open. Walmart had better watch out because the Hall ladies were tired, slap-happy and hungry…. Oh, the memories
We tackled the Walmart bargains and again went to get in line to check out. I double checked my basket to see if it was worth the wait…. the line stretched completely from the front of the store to the very back of the garden center (for non-Walmart consumers, that is a long line) and yes, my goodies were worth the wait. So we started walking to the back of the long line and it hit me… we were just assuming that this was the only line… while my sister-in-law waited in line, I again took off and navigated to the front of the store to scout out the line construction…. little surpise to find out that there were plenty of two to three people lines but those in the long line had no idea.
I hopped in a short line, called my sister-in-law and we once again giggled at our little Black Friday maneuvers. Oh the memories…
I’ve thought a lot about those lines since Friday. I think I was amazed at how easy it is just to get in line and not really know what lies ahead. Everyone else seemed so confident and patient in those long lines… as if it was inevitable that the long line was the only line available… looking around at the confidence and patience it seemed as if it was the natural thing just to fall into that line, no questions asked… How easy that is with a spiritual walk as well…we know the relationship we need to have with God but then we look around and everyone else seems to be heading for that big long line… they talk the talk, whether it be faith filled or anti-faith filled talk, and seem very confident so we tend to just get into that line because it seems to be leading in the right direction. We have no idea where it really leads but we scoot along blindly missing so much because we didn’t venture away.
I’m wondering how many people live their daily lives thinking that they are in the best line… maybe they are longing for something different, knowing that there is a shorter line out there just waiting… or maybe they are content to find out that others passed them by….I’m not pointing a finger a any one group of people…there could be many.
What line are you in? Are you tired of living in the long line? Have you stepped away to find the short line?
It is out there… seek it, you’ll find it.
After my Black Friday adventure I went home, fixed some breakfast and fell asleep. Pretty sure now that the whole Black Friday name is because of the sleep you have to catch up on when you get home… well, deserved name then, I guess. My father asked me if I enjoyed myself and I believe I said that I would never do that again…. well, at least until next year.
2 Peter 3:17-18
17 I am warning you ahead of time, dear friends. Be on guard so that you will not be carried away by the errors of these wicked people and lose your own secure footing. 18 Rather, you must grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
All glory to him, both now and forever! Amen.
Hugging God…….Thirty things I’m thankful for
I once read that blessings are a hug from God and counting your blessings is giving God a hug back. I had a challenge earlier this month to daily write one thing that I am thankful for until Thanksgiving day arrived. I have been faithful to that challenge but once I started writing them I began thinking of so many things, so I decided to add to my daily list by listing thirty random things. Here we go:
- baby squirrels- Apparently these little guys are quite the popular internet search…and because I posted one little photo of a cute little baby squirrel in February, my blog gets a great number of hits daily just to look at my little squirrel. It is a
great confidence booster when I look at my visitor numbers… I’m thankful that they help keep my blog alive. I will definitely be embarrassed if I find out that “Baby Squirrel” is some rapper’s name or something like that - creativity- I’m a person who loves to create…. whether it be a story or a sculpted caricature of someone….It is what I love to do… I’m thankful for a creative Creator and amazed at what He created
- gloves- don’t have to touch things that are yucky if I don’t want….
- crocs- the heavenly shoe of the wide-footed human like me… cavemen would have loved them…
- my parents- by example they taught me how to work through arguments, dance, laugh, love each other and love God and church….
- my husband- he makes me laugh, is a great dad, incredibly dependable and is just an all around great husband…
- my children- such a great gift to be called “Mom”… they bring an unexpected joy… even when they are old enough to roll their eyes at you.
- bug spray- genius invention…. Take that, Mr. Mosquito!
- grace- thankful that I don’t get what I deserve…. because I can never do enough to get the good portion of deserving all by myself….
- the alphabet- abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz…. may be a lot of them but thankful there are no ~ or ` or other symbols over the tops of them….
- medicine- had I been living 2000 years ago, I can imagine that without medicine I probably would have been one on the side of the road in need of healing when Christ walked by
- health- thankful that, though I should focus more on taking care of myself (I see a New Year’s resolution here) I can walk, talk, and do most anything I want to do because I have good health
- my home- I’ll confess…. there are times when I wish I had a bigger yard or one more bedroom or a live in maid, but I am blessed to have what I have and know it
- my co-workers- not too many have co-workers that feel like family…. I do and am thankful
- my family- I’ve already mentioned my parents so I’m looking at the other ones that I call family….no siblings but cousins, aunts and uncles… brothers and sisters-in- law, father and mother-in-law(deceased- but wonderfully remembered), a wonderful step mother-in-law…. so many great memories and wonderful little bundles of precious baby cousins
- my friends- some to laugh with, some to weep with, some both, some who have passed in and out of my life, all have a special place in my heart
- waterfalls- not sure why they are so beautiful but it regardless of their size…. they are wonderful to enjoy
- cute animals-baby squirrels aren’t the only little things that are so cute… puppies, kittens, baby rabbits, baby bears, etc… well, except baby narwhals
- laughter- not at the expense of others but wholesome laughter might just bring the world together
- sense of humor- glad I have one, even if I am the only one who thinks I’m funny
- those who have sacrificed- sometimes I wonder why I live where I live…. how did I get to be so blessed? Then I think about it …. not just happenstance that we live the way we do… some fought against much so we can have much freedom
- antibacterial items- can you imagine surgery without it?? that’s what I’m talking about
- the beauty of seasons- all goes back to creativity… I love red/orange leaves and the bright gray sky just before a good snow..and a loaded tree of cherry blossoms…. and the heat of sun on the concrete in the summer
- clay- maybe you have to be me to be thankful for it but it provides me with hours of entertainment
- computers- can’t imagine having to type this blog on a typewriter or by hand…. also am thankful that they have gotten smaller and smarter
- spices-cinnamon, garlic, salt, pepper…… just to name a few ……without them it would just be sugar toast for breakfast, bread with spaghetti….you get the picture
- chocolate-enough said
- peanuts- peanuts make peanut butter…. protein and yummy
- fruit-something good for you and tastes good too…. bananas, fuji apples, grapes, kiwi, raisins, watermelon, actually all melons, strawberries, cherries(my personal favorite)….. shall I go on?
- A Loving God- anyone who makes a way for you to get to them must love you a lot…. thankful that the Creator of all did that for me…. and for you…. so when I am thankful, that is who gets my thanks… without the Creator and his grace, all of the other things are pointless.
The challenge is on…. can you list thirty???
“Hey, Jephthah… You might want to change your shirt” -A not so common Bible story
Anyone who knows me knows that I am not much of a morning person. I love a beautiful sunrise …… but only in photos. There is not too much I love about mornings except maybe the concept of a snooze button. Now, in reality, I would love to be an early riser who could get up about 5:30am and go jog (if I can get up at 5:30 then, yes, I can also jog), come home and fix my family breakfast, have my daily quiet time and then take my time getting ready and still be on time to work. Yes, that is the way that I would love for it to be but I’m pretty sure that even though it was a recessive one in my parents, I believe that I was given an “unearly” gene somewhere in my system.
My mornings are more like this….. hit the snooze button, hit the snooze button, hit the snooze button…. get out of bed, stand somewhere between the bed and the bathroom, stare at something until the snooze button goes off again…. slowly go about waking myself up while I manage to get dressed, fix breakfast and get my youngest ready for school.
How safe it is for the rest of the world, I don’t know…. but because of my husband’s work schedule, on most school day mornings I am the one who delivers the youngest to school. The fortunate thing is that she attends the school in the building where I work. Some mornings I stay at work when I take her but often I will return home for some quiet time and finish getting ready for work time.
The other day was one of those hurried mornings. After rushing to get her to school, talking to her teacher, stopping on the way back to the car to have a detailed conversation with two other parents, and running into my office, passing a multitude of parents, I decided to slow my morning back down by stopping at the nearby food mart for a cup of coffee. Once home I made my way to the mirror for a makeup refresher and noticed something that completely woke me up……my shirt was on but it was on inside out!
Now, you might say that was not a big deal… even stopping to chat with others or going into a public place… it could have been a lot worse and you are probably correct. It is just the thought of what people may have thought…. it was actually pretty funny (though I had no one to share the humor with) but I laughed, corrected the error and went about my regular routine.
Funny how no one told me that my shirt was on inside out…. maybe they didn’t care, maybe they didn’t want to embarrass or offend or maybe they just didn’t notice… regardless of the reason, if I hadn’t gone back home then I would have really made a fool out of myself at a later time during that day.
Life is kind of like that. People live their lives seeking and searching and filling voids with “stuff”… actually living life inside out or upside down. They think they are on the right path but have it mixed up just a little… It is not something uncommon or distinctive of our day and age. The Bible has stories that took places thousands of years ago and are totally relative to living inside out.
Jephthah was a prime example of finding out that, though his intentions were good, he was living inside out. The story is one we often don’t hear … (I definitely know why it isn’t taught to children…unless you want them to have nightmares). Jephthah lived in a time period when the Israelites were caught up in idol worship. They knew about God and even worshiped Him to some extent but their faith was intertwined with false religion… making it easy to get confused about exactly what God wanted. So, Jephthah was apparently quite the warrior…. he was winning battles but his call out to God to defeat the Ammonites had a twist to it. Jephthah made a promise to God (remembering that breaking a promise to God was a law that if broken would have been sin… and there was no grace of a savior at that time). He told God that if he would let him defeat the Ammonites then he promised to sacrifice to God “whatever was the first thing to come out of” his house when he arrived home.
Jephthah defeated the Ammonites, so being a man of his word he headed home ready to sacrifice the first thing that came through his door. Now I’m not sure what the guy was thinking. Maybe he was thinking that his beloved dog would come running out to greet him … yes, that would be a sacrifice. Maybe he was thinking his mother-in-law would step out the door to see who was coming… yes, that would be a sacrifice…a sacrifice maybe or a blessing. Maybe he was thinking that it would be his wife… maybe he pictured her coming out of the door saying,”Well, it is about time you came home. Do you know while you and your little warrior buddies were out galavanting all over the countryside I have been here cooking and cleaning and raising a family. Now get in here and help me already.” Yes, that would be a blessing… er, uh sacrifice. In reality though, he had to know that if that was his home then something of value to him would walk through that door and that is exactly what happened. His precious daughter came out singing praises to God because her father had won against the Ammonites. He grieved and told her of his promise to God…. she understood and agreed that he needed to keep his promise and Jephthah killed his daughter as a burnt offering.
So what is so “inside out” about keeping a promise to God? Probably nothing if it was actually a promise that God would approve of (however, I’m not so sure how God feels about cutting a deal with him) but that was the problem. Jephthah had his faith mixed up with the false religions of those around him… nothing pure about what he believed. And because of that mixed up faith he ended up doing the unspeakable…. he was no different that those around him. He definitely needed someone to tell him to turn his shirt inside out. That what he was he was doing was honorable but not necessary. There was a wholesome way to give praises to God that did not require a human sacrifice…. those kind of sacrifices were left up to the believers of false gods.
People today are still caught up in living inside out. They seek another unhealthy relationship just to fill a lonely heart. They drown their sorrows in substances trying to hide pain. They work more hours to avoid facing a relationship struggle. They leave a relationship just because they want something new. They try to find answers through seminars and self help books…..I would say most of the time I am completely guilty of not sharing what could fill the void. Why is so hard to let them know that they might want to change their “shirt”? Maybe it is because we don’t care. Maybe it is because we don’t want to offend. Maybe it is because we didn’t notice…. If I am guilty of the first two then maybe I need to evaluate how much I want to see them make fools of themselves later because I didn’t say anything. If the last one is the case then maybe I should find out why I didn’t notice…. maybe I might find out that my shirt is on inside out too.
Judges 11:21-39
21 “Then the LORD, the God of Israel, gave Sihon and all his men into Israel’s hands, and they defeated them. Israel took over all the land of the Amorites who lived in that country, 22 capturing all of it from the Arnon to the Jabbok and from the desert to the Jordan.
23 “Now since the LORD, the God of Israel, has driven the Amorites out before his people Israel, what right have you to take it over? 24 Will you not take what your god Chemosh gives you? Likewise, whatever the LORD our God has given us, we will possess. 25 Are you better than Balak son of Zippor, king of Moab? Did he ever quarrel with Israel or fight with them? 26 For three hundred years Israel occupied Heshbon, Aroer, the surrounding settlements and all the towns along the Arnon. Why didn’t you retake them during that time? 27 I have not wronged you, but you are doing me wrong by waging war against me. Let the LORD, the Judge, [c] decide the dispute this day between the Israelites and the Ammonites.”
28 The king of Ammon, however, paid no attention to the message Jephthah sent him.
29 Then the Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah. He crossed Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and from there he advanced against the Ammonites. 30 And Jephthah made a vow to the LORD : “If you give the Ammonites into my hands, 31 whatever comes out of the door of my house to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites will be the LORD’s, and I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering.”
32 Then Jephthah went over to fight the Ammonites, and the LORD gave them into his hands. 33 He devastated twenty towns from Aroer to the vicinity of Minnith, as far as Abel Keramim. Thus Israel subdued Ammon.
34 When Jephthah returned to his home in Mizpah, who should come out to meet him but his daughter, dancing to the sound of tambourines! She was an only child. Except for her he had neither son nor daughter. 35 When he saw her, he tore his clothes and cried, “Oh! My daughter! You have made me miserable and wretched, because I have made a vow to the LORD that I cannot break.”
36 “My father,” she replied, “you have given your word to the LORD. Do to me just as you promised, now that the LORD has avenged you of your enemies, the Ammonites. 37 But grant me this one request,” she said. “Give me two months to roam the hills and weep with my friends, because I will never marry.”
38 “You may go,” he said. And he let her go for two months. She and the girls went into the hills and wept because she would never marry. 39 After the two months, she returned to her father and he did to her as he had vowed.
The Parenting Code .. written by “Unqualified Mom”
I totally know now why there is no book about the anxieties of parenting… Well, I guess there could be a book about it and I would never know, because I am a parent and don’t have time to read anything other than notes from the schools and a 2nd grade reading book with my daughter … But I’m pretty sure that there is a gap between the books of how to have great kids/how to be a great parent and how to fix your kids/how to fix poor parenting. But I decided the other day, while sitting in the Driver’s License Testing area waiting for my daughter, that it is my time to shine… fill that void in the book world, write my book and pack my bags because Oprah will be booking me soon..
Writing a parenting book… Not just any parenting book, but a book about parenting that will change the world because all of the secret things that people conveniently forget to tell you will be revealed. I know you may be asking what qualifications I have to write such a book and my answer would be … “None.” Nope, no qualifications at all. In fact, my pen name will be Unqualified Mom….but that’s not the point. I just decided that writing a parenting book would easily be a top seller without much effort…. here’s why…
First of all, I don’t know one single parent who has time to sit down and truly read a parenting book. Now maybe when you are expecting your first child … or maybe when you are expecting your second child and the first one is in school or napping, but if you have more than two kids I can pretty much guarantee a parenting book becomes nothing more than prop to even out a wobbly table.
Secondly, parents want to be good at what they do so and if nothing else, they want to look like they know what they are doing… possibly even create an intimidation factor for the kids, so they will load up the book shelves with parenting books that would impress any grandparent. Therefore, a parenting best seller need nothing more than an appealing title and an eye catching cover…. maybe even an interchangeable cover to match any decor. It could be filled with substance but if it sells just because of the outer images, then why bother…
While sitting in the driver’s license testing center waiting for my daughter to take her road test the other day, I tossed a few book titles around in my head…. “Parenting for the Book Smart” (I’m pretty sure Parenting for Dummies is taken) … no……..”Have a New Kid by the End of this Book or Decide not to Have Kids by the End of this Book”….. no…….. “Kids…. Who knew?”….. no….. then finally… the one that Oprah will promote… ” The Parenting Code (Momma Never Told You but I Will)”.
This was the winner because of the gimmick factor and also the great possibility that Oprah would actually probably expect me to answer some questions about it…. so, for those who are parents and are truly wanting to read a parenting book (I still don’t think it is possible), I will add a bit of parenting wisdom and it won’t really matter what I say because it will totally in code form. (I figure if you have time to read it then you will have time to figure out the code.) The code will make it seem more intellectual and mysterious… taking it totally to the number one spot on the New York times list.
The little tidbits of wisdom I give will be all about those little things no one told you about being a parent because if they did then, just like the Shakers (Google it), civilization would die… yes, you read that correctly… if people were told about all of the sleepless nights, the anxieties, the worries, etc then there would be no procreation… so my wisdom would enlighten many and help them deal with the realities of the parenting life.
All of this came to mind that day because, try as someone may have to tell me to expect this, it just sank at that moment ……that as they grow and spread their wings and fly into adulthood you still ache when they ache, rejoice when they rejoice, and would fight tooth and nail to keep them safe…. Though the idea of a more convenient daily routine was enticing, I still think I would be okay driving her around for a few more years, but it was not to be. Despite forgetting to turn on the ignition during her driving test, my daughter passed the road test and is now a licensed driver.
I was told that life would never be the same again.. (See if you can figure out the code in that sentence)
So this is the only qualification I have to write a parenting book on the “silent code” to keep civilization booming… I am a parent and I always will be… no matter how old they are. ….Now that I think about it though, I would hate to be the cause of the end of civilization. So therefore, maybe I should focus on the “Parenting for the Book Smart.”
And for the record, my daughter got her license last Tuesday….. And she totaled the van last Wednesday. So I am definitely qualified!
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus”.
