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Friday, October 29, 2010

Cleaning Up The Mess

Still at the hose filling up the water balloons was our nearly two and a half feet tall friend. I just smiled again and marveled for a second at the thoughts I had a couple of days ago.


I asked God a question, “Is there something else you want to say to me about these water balloons?”


As fun as our little friend was having, I still felt the message to me this morning was

"Let go…move on."


I read in Exodus 14 where the Israelites were beginning to grumble about their situation. Their fearful hearts desired to remain in bondage rather than be in the current situation, rescued and moving forward with God.

What a place to live...rescued and moving forward with God! Are you living this way?


The Lord’s words in Exodus 14:15 were resonating in my heart,”…move on.”


Moving on can be scary at times. Moving on or keeping ourselves in a forward motion leaves a lot of questions and unknowns in our minds…especially if we don’t have faith to believe that God is bigger than any of our circumstances.


Whether we are facing extremely high hurdles or little itty bitty ones today, I believe God wants us to trust Him to carry us over the hurdle.


When I came back home from taking the boys to school this morning, I saw my little water balloon friend’s Daddy cleaning up the yard. He was winding up the hose and picking up little pieces of latex balloon that had been sprinkled throughout the lawn.

I pictured, our Daddy….God cleaning up after us.

He brings people into our lives, those who bring knowledge and understanding.

(Jer 3:15).


He surely cleans us up our messes and blesses us!

(Jer 33:6-9)


Girlfriend, I’m thanking God for continually cleaning me up and for bringing you into my life to encourage and inspire me along the way.


May we hold onto these promises together and move on!


Let's go and do something outside of the social media world today and physically hug someone who has brightened up our path along the way...AND MOVE ON!

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Water Balloons in October?


I opened my front door this morning to see little guy’s bright eyes and adorable smile beaming with delight. He was proudly gripping a water balloon and the sun was just coming up beckoning him and the rest of the neighborhood kids to trot off to school.

Not knowing whether I or my own two boys needed to dunk, I just smiled back at him as I felt the cool Fall breeze against my face.
I felt God whisper to the recesses of my heart...
”Oh, don’t all of my children desire to hold on to something as I bring about change.”
My mind drifted to my heart’s cry earlier that morning beckoning me to embrace some change going on in my own home and heart. In addition, the wrestling match I had with one of my boys’ who desired to wear one of his favorite shirts that was clearly now too small for his sprouting frame.

We all have growth spurts from time to time. Are you in one now?

Don’t we sometimes desire to hold onto a season just a little bit longer?

What is God calling you to let go of today?
What does God want to clothe you with in this new season?
Is it time for swim trunks and water balloons or jackets and sweaters?
Do you need to lay down the water balloon and grab a hold of your sweater?
I am asking myself these questions this morning.
I’m ready girlfriend. Are you?
I'll see you girlfriend bundled up and ready to embrace this change…this new season.
For even if it doesn’t seem like it and even if our hearts desire to hold onto something good… God is surely bringing us to a place of abundance. (Psalm 66:12).
Even if it doesn’t quite feel like it yet...let's embrace the truth!
Let’s run with the new Fall breeze.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Victorious Movements

Wiggle, swoop, jab are the seemingly constant joyful movements occurring inside of me these days—and I LOVE IT!!

The motions remind me of the life God is growing inside of me and who cannot get excited about that. It naturally reminds me that everything is okay and progressing along as it should.

This pregnancy has also made me aware of how easily I can run down roads of anxiety and worry in my mind. Fearful of what might happen, and all too aware that I am ultimately not in control of this life.

I recognize that there are all too many things in this life that can happen causing the tides around me to rise. Causing me to fear and be anxious. Thoughts like these leave me feeling defeated at the end of the day.

God calls us to live differently.

I love what Psalm 44:4 says that God decrees, “VICTORIES!”

I’m choosing to remember this and when I sense worry or anxiousness rise up inside of me. This week I want to focus on laying down the anxious thought and grab onto His decree of VICTORY!

I’ve seen how quickly time flies by; with my oldest boys approaching 8 and 10 and my 15th wedding anniversary approaching next summer.

I do not want to waste one more minute doubting…one more minute fearful of what might happen.

I want to live every moment victorious in Christ.

I’m taking on the challenge, aware of the choices I need to make and also aware that there will be moments that I will fail and fall flat on my face…yet again. Just like, I did yesterday when I succumbed to the stress after my misjudgment of time and made my family late and the poor attitude of one of my adolescent boys sent a bit of rage erupting inside of me.

Oh, I hate it when I lose my cool and allow the waves around to sink this valiant vessel God created me to be.

Rather than get down and dwell on the past moment, I’m going to remember what God has decreed and know that He is here to help me.

Just as little Jacob stirs and jostles inside of me—so is God moving and grooving to the beat of His eternal drum!

For, it is God who is working in me…and I can do everything through Him who gives me strength.
(Phil 2:13 & 4:13).

May we encourage each other to make the minutes of our day victorious!

Friday, October 22, 2010

Things to Treasure


I just got back from dropping off the boys at school and had an unplanned impromptu coffee and prayer time with a couple of girlfriends.

So great to sit and chat and thank God with girlfriends and then to encourage one another through the daily grind of life. I was even unexpectedly challenged to take a look at my own heart and tendency toward waywardness because a girlfriend was brave enough to share her own challenges of the heart.

How often do we get the chance to be comfortable and genuinely share our hearts in this life?
My body craves this and desires to be a catalyst for environments like this…oh the things I treasure in this life!

In the same way I have been cleaning out junk drawers and closets this week and organizing and getting the baby’s room ready I want my life to be full of the same. Where I am constantly being challenged to allow God’s Spirit to clean out my heart and lead me, much like the Psalmist’s words in Psalm 139:23-24

“Search me, O God and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in a the way of everlasting”

In the same way that I sat soaking up the completeness of the work done in the baby’s room this week; may I sit and soak up the Lord’s work in my own heart and be brave enough to share it with those around me.

May I be ready for not only baby Jacob to occupy his room;
but ready for any good work that the Lord has for me to do. (2 Tim 2:21).

Like I plan on teaching my sons…may I first take it to heart and welcome you girlfriend as well…
We are loved, we are precious and we are treasured.

May we not fear a little cleaning up around our home or heart…but treasure them!

Thursday, October 21, 2010

Remember When...


I forgot something important the other day. At a time when I was younger I would have had to run home to do what I forgot to do…or my day would have been ruined for sure.

Not sure what to think of the fact that I felt more inclined to keep going than risk being late.

My forgetfulness was not something that would cause great upset for anyone else. It definitely was not going to disrupt anyone else’s day on the planet nor keep the earth from spinning in orbit as usual.

Still…forgetting to brush my teeth is pretty profound. Can I blame it on pregnancy?

It was well into the afternoon and I was out of the house and a sense of panic came over me.
My anxiety was quickly replaced with laughter as I pictured God allowing me to forget to brush my teeth.
He often reminds me of a lot of things…don’t forget to write that note to your little guys or call that girlfriend or send that text to your hubby…certainly He had purpose in allowing me to forget to brush my teeth.

Was this a funny way to remind me of what’s ahead with a newborn again?

I remember being a brand new mom a decade ago and there were days when jumping in the shower or grabbing my toothbrush was not even possible until I was ready to get into my jammies for the evening…only to realize that I never got out of them all day.
Please tell me that some other mother out there can relate.
As I was driving fully aware of the fuzz on my teeth and anticipating a run into my children’s school to excuse them for doctor’s appointments I was distracted by the DJ on the radio. She mentioned something about a good way to show love and appreciation to someone is to say
“I remember when…” and then share a memorable moment you had with them.
She explained that this was a good way to communicate that you genuinely care about someone…your spouse, a co-worker, a friend, a family member.
The idea was to communicate that you care about them and appreciate them and you remember the moments you shared together.
Really, haven’t we all at times gotten caught up in our own busyness that we forget to make deposits into the relationships that brighten our lives everyday? Speaking words of love can so easily be silenced and forgotten in this fast-paced, social-media-soaked world.

I had to chuckle to myself again thinking that a great way to show love to those around me would be to surely remember to brush my teeth. (tee...hee...)

Because there was no time to run home, I ingested a few mints and kept a safe distance as I talked with those beloved people I ran into at the school, the doctor’s office and the grocery store before I made it back home for a good brushing.
This idea of remembering is sticking with me; as I know that God calls us to remember. I actually found that the word: remember is in the Bible 162 times and the truth of Psalm 143:5 resonated in my heart….
The words of the Psalmist David speaking to God,
I remember the days of long ago; I meditate on all your works and consider what your hands have done.”
May we start our days communicating our love…telling God that we remember when…
Oh, and remembering to brush is always good too.

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Steps


WOW!


Where has the time gone?

I’m about 32 weeks along in my pregnancy and I have to say I really thought I would have written and blogged so much more about it along the way.

Rather than look back and be sad that my time was spent on other things
(some necessary and some other not so necessary);


I’m going to choose to look ahead. I don’t want to dwell on the “could have been,” “should have been” or” what might have been.”


I’m not going to wait for the perfect writing piece to come to my mind before I share and publish it on my blog. I’m going to just do it! Just write and reflect and continue to make my joy complete!


So here goes nothing...
Back at it and I am a little perplexed this morning thinking through some thoughts, some ideas for one of the last chapters in my book that I just feel led to alter and change drastically.


I am trusting that God will reveal the specifics to me at the just the right time.

Today my thoughts match the weather and mood depicted in the sky. Literally while driving down the road there was sunshine and blue sky to the East and dark storm clouds to the West.


I sensed the heat from the sun rising in the East and the coolness from the clouds in the West moving closer, encroaching to meet the sun in the middle. It was a bizarre sight with the road I was travelling on seeming to divide exactly the two scenarios in half.


Bizarre seems to sum up my life these days.

Do you ever have time to stop and think about your day and your life? Do you ever feel that you are living in your own realm of bizarre? Are you ever confused about the direction of your life?

These feelings are rising up inside of me today.


I'm feeling a bit confused about where God is taking me in this journey we so creatively call life. I feel a bit of His warmth and love and peace like the sun to the East and yet the thrill, anxiousness of a unknown storm approaching from the West.


I know and sense life in J-girl’s home is about to change in a matter of just a few weeks. In more ways than just embracing our new bundle of joy. I’m just waiting on God to reveal the exact place for me to stand in His love through it all.


Basically preparing myself to hold on tight for the ride! I know it's going to be good!


Do you ever feel that way…I mean, are you ever unsure of where life’s next turn will be; but still sensing a major shift in the road up ahead?


As I sit reflecting on this day, and all the things that are before me to get done today, I’m thankful for God’s truth that He upholds me with His hand and He makes my steps firm. (Psalm 37:3)