It Pays to Persevere

At first I was taking some time to "put my thoughts together"...then I thought we would be announcing our newly remodeled web site/blog soon so I could just wait...but I don't want you to forget that life is worth Treasuring. So for this Wellness Wednesday I'm going to do just that.

1.  Perseverance does pay off. Since our daughter asked us sometime before Christmas to join her as a relay team for a Duathalon the first weekend in May I have exercised with that in mind. It did keep me going better than normal for the winter season. 10 days ago WE DID IT! I ran a 5k. Mark biked 20 miles and Amber ran the last 5k. Did we win? Nope, but that was not our goal. Our goal was to do it and do it together. That we did. Outcome - satisfaction and some great memories. (More lessons from this experience later)
2. Perseverance does pay off. Not only have we exercised this winter but Mark and I have changed quite a few of our eating habits. We are both trying to consistently eat smaller portions and have healthy snacks. I have seriously cut down on the sweet treats. Did I lose weight? Well at the start, like with most of us, I lost the water weight and got myself back to what I call my "stuck" weight which is about 12 pounds from my ultimate goal but losing even 7 pounds would make be very happy. I didn't give up even when I was "stuck" again. Perseverance. For the past 10 days I've been 2 pounds less than my "stuck" weight.  Yeah! Another break through.
3. Things have been in a constant state of change at my workplace for one entire year now. One of the doctors I work for had not one but two immediate family life and death health crisis. Of course that took him out of the office which causes chaos. More than one person has quit and it has taken longer than expected to fill each of those positions AND we started electronic medical records last October.  Everyone has worked overtime and gotten tired. However, some of us have chosen to "hang in there" and really fought to keep a good attitude. The outcome? We have actually developed much more of a team approach. We are all learning and there is far less complaining and negative attitudes overall.
4.  Actually my list could go on and on. Most of my life has been an example of "hanging in there." I'm not one of those people who start something and it quickly becomes a big deal. I have big visions but they start very small and come to reality over time - most often a very long time. So this is my encouragement to you today. Hang in there! Whatever you are trying to learn or do, don't stop. Even when you can't seem to "see" the progress, don't stop. Often there are things happening "behind the scenes" that we can't see.  As Joshua said, "Be strong and courageous. Do not be discouraged, for the Lord you God will be with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9 NIV)

What are you persevering in right now?

Wellness Wednesday - Continuing to Keep It Simple

Nothing outwardly profound or extremely amazing has happened in the first 10 days of 2012 but then again maybe it has. I actually have a good attitude about making healthy choices! I'm taking a little satisfaction in the small but good choices I've been making. I've managed to work in exercise at least 3 times each of the past two weeks. It helps that it's been nice enough here in Iowa to go outside. We are eating less in the evenings when both my husband and I tend to be snackers while watching TV. Those are the small physical things.

Mentally, I'm working on a set of two Bible verses to memorize. Memorization stretches the brain and that's a good thing. Planting Bible verses in our brain and heart is also a VERY healthy thing. God promises us that He will bring them to mind when needed.  We went to church with our daughter and son-in-law this weekend and Pastor John Piper talked about overcoming temptations. He uses an acrostic he made up:
Admit you can't do anything
Pray
Trust a specific promise - this means you have to know God's promises!
Act - do it
Thank God

So for me memorizing 2 Timothy 2:20-21 is helping me stay healthy mentally, spiritually and physically.  Listen:  "In a large house there are articles not only of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay; some are for noble purposes and some for ignoble. If a man cleanses himself from the latter, he will be an instrument for noble purposes, made holy, useful to the Master and prepared to do any good work."   These verses are helping to keep me "on track" making healthy choices!  Want to join me in memorizing scripture?  In August I set a goal of learning a verse(s) every 2 weeks. I failed at that up till now. I've got a fresh start. 

What other small but good choices are you making these days? Share and encourage someone else!

Opportunities to Make a Difference

This morning I've just been pondering the power of our thoughts. One author was encouraging me to keep an "eternal perspective."  He meant that in each situation that comes into my day to remember that it is not just about the moment. It's about eternity. It's not about whether I get my way or credit for the work I just finished. It's about getting the work done right, people cared for and thereby sharing the love of Christ. God knows what we are and are not doing, being, thinking....  Sometimes I make this waaaaay to hard.  I think living for Christ involves becoming a missionary or other vocational ministry worker. WRONG.  It means being you where-ever you are. (period)  My friend Arlin said it this way this morning.  (He is finishing up some business meetings in Chicago I think.)

Last night we headed across the street to Gibson’s Steakhouse.  That was an experience in eating.  The meal started with a show of the steaks and seafood – tableside with an explanation of the Gibson FDA meat certification.  They are the only restaurant in the US with their own grade.  The filet was extremely good and the side dishes were fabulous as well.   Here are a few pictures of the food we had there.  The meat was amazing, but the desserts were crazy.  The table split two desserts and couldn’t finish them – not by a long ways.  The Turtle Pie had one gallon of ice cream and the carrot cake was a quarter of a four layer cake.  I have to admit besides being very full, I felt a little guilty about the amount of food that was wasted and the cost of our time together there.  It certainly wasn’t the most expensive meal I have ever been part of by a long shot – the prices were actually pretty decent.  But we had talked earlier in the day about a trip to Africa that one of the members was making and the attempt to raise money to help schools across the ocean just have enough power to run some notebook computers.  I find myself more and more thinking about the wasteful spending of money as people are suffering.  Anyone else struggle with that reality – that we Americans are spoiled and could use our money in a lot better ways.

My little patch has plenty of opportunities to make a difference for people.  This week as I have been involved in groups talking life and legacy plans – I have heard the words – I want to make a difference – on many reports and discussions.  I have been convicted that life is not about making a difference – it is about being a difference.  That little change of words – from make to be – is a significant change in responsibility.  God convicted me that I can make a difference without really doing all that much myself.  It is a matter of getting others focused and managing their output.  If we are going to be a difference – we have to do something.  That is what God desires – for us to go and do things in order to be a difference.  We need to follow God’s lead to help us truly change people’s lives by being what God desires.  Are you ready to be?  Another day of Masterminds before we head home tomorrow.  God is so good.  (Emphasis mine)


Everyday, where-ever you are is the world you live in and the opportunities God has given YOU to live for and with Him.  Is that the attitude you have today? If not, give it a shot and see if it makes a difference in your day. Then share about your day with us! We'd love to hear what you do or do not notice.

Peace in Hard Times

I just haven't been able to shake thinking about my friend who told her story. A few years ago she lost her house to foreclosure. Neither she nor her husband understood the whole process and during this time one of their daughters got married. Obviously she had a lot to think about.  She said they moved out but were not able to do a full move all at once.  One day she came back with her car to get another load of their possessions and everything was gone!  Everything. The house had been sold and the new owners thought what was left had been "dumped" so they had it hauled away as trash. My friend commented that her husband was a guy who kept everything and that the garage was full when they last left.  So there are "things" from their life that are just plain gone. (period) No getting them back.  What a shock/loss! However, she said she is currently living in a place roughly a third of the size of that house and has never been more peace-filled. Her countenance backs up that statement.

I thought of her as I read something van Gogh said when referring to a painful season of his life, "As molting time - when they change their feathers - is for birds, so adversity or misfortune is the difficult time for us human beings.  One can stay in it - in that time of molting - one can also emerge renewed." Suffering is not abnormal. It is not to be avoided in this life. It is an aspect of God's grace to be accepted. To sacrifice your immediate desire is often how to fulfill your ultimate desire. Jesus endured the suffering of the cross because His ultimate goal was to obey His Father and save us from our sins, which brings Him great joy.

For me in a much less dramatic part of my life, choosing to go exercise when I'd really rather be reading or watching a movie is a minor "sacrifice" of my immediate comfort/pleasure for a long term health that I desire to have.  My friend chose to focus on what is long term important in her life rather than on the tangible things she lost. She has learned that God truly is her provider and she doesn't need as many "things" as she thought in order to be happy. God teaches us to give up things with only a "little" value to gain things of eternal value. We learn this through the pain of "trials" - things we don't choose but they happen and "discipline", things we do choose.

Dallas Willard writes: "It is absolutely essential to our growth into the "mind" of Jesus that we accept the "trials" of ordinary existence as the place where we are to experience and find the reign of God-with-us as actual reality. We are not to try to get in a position to avoid trials. And we are not to "catastrophize" and declare the "end of the world" when things happen." (emphasis mine)

When I relax and realize that God is walking with me through my circumstance I begin to watch for what He wants me to experience and learn.  The hurt doesn't necessarily go completely away but I will say the sting is much less. I know God loves me and ultimately if I will cooperate with Him I will come out of this season of hurt stronger.  What about you? Have you experienced this or are you experiencing this now? Are you in the midst of a season that you just can't "settle" with? Tell us, but more importantly tell God. Hang in there, you are not alone.

Wellness Wednesday - Maybe It's Time to "Change It Up"

I felt tired all day yesterday. It might have to do with working outside the whole day before helping our parents with some projects. Then I filled in for someone at work yesterday so there is an extra day of my "day job." Any way you look at it I was tired when I got home from work. I remember thinking on the way home, if Mark didn't go for his bike ride I'll just make us some spaghetti for supper,  read for awhile and go to bed early. But as that garage door went up I could see his bike was gone. No excuses. I had a decision to make, go for my run or curl up in a chair and read a book.  I knew if I sat down I'd never get up again and it was gorgeous outside. I love being outside each day. I had worked INside all day....okay, okay. I changed my clothes and went for my run.  I started out thinking I feel some sore muscles from crawling around transplanting plants yesterday.  I'll walk quickly but if I don't run today that will be okay. Maybe I won't do the whole 2.2 miles - even though it's time to add some more distance, maybe I'll just do 1.2 miles. As I rounded the corner where the "warm up walking" usually stops and the "running" (barely faster than a walk) begins my feet just moved.  Mark and I had just talked about this the day before. Running was NOT something I did as a kid. I tried track for about 1 week as a 7th grader. It was obvious this was NOT my sport. I wasn't fast. I wasn't competitive. I didn't care.  However over the past couple of years I have continued to struggle with fatigue, some weight gain and some very minor health issues.  When I look at the symptoms logically and with my "nurse brain" I can see that much of it relates to poor eating habits and poor exercise habits. I've got reasons and excuses for each of these things. If you want to hear them let me know and I'll easily recite them to you. But I don't think you really want to hear my excuses. That's all they are, poor attempts to make myself feel better about NOT doing something I should be doing.   It's time for a change.

I could start for the umpteenth time a certain program or promise to do this or that. But I realized that if I start again something I've done before with little or no success and expect to succeed, that's just crazy. I've heard that's the definition of insanity. I can believe it. So July 9th I started fresh.  I had been sporadically walking/running for some time. I decided to try to run at least 4 times weekly and to keep track of my time. I was just curious how fast I really did walk.  Along with that for the first time ever I decided to cut all sweet treats out of my diet for 3 weeks. My plan was to get the sweet tooth cleaned out a bit.  I was a bit short on the number of times running in those 3 weeks but I was faithful on the sweet treats and I did much better drinking enough water daily.  I lost the first 5 of 15 pounds I'd like to lose. The best thing is my attitude is MUCH improved. I've proven to myself  that I can make healthy choices consistently.  I allowed myself to eat some treats again but now I'm at a plateau. I, again, have choices to make. This time however, I know I can do it.

As I was running last night I thought about all of this and realized that there are many things in life that we sometimes have to choose to "change it up". We can't always do the same things the same way and get different results.  I have a friend who is a bit older than me, single and about a year ago lost her best friend/companion.  She is lonely, single and lives in a small to medium sized midwestern town. If she keeps all of her old habits, going to the same places at the same times she may never meet someone new to do things with. BUT, if she would sit in a new place at church, swim at a different time at the pool or take a class at the community college she just might meet a new friend.

Is there an area in your life where it's time to "change it up?" I'd love to hear about it!

One Good Thing

It's Monday, a holiday Monday which means many of us have the day off.  We're planning to spend the day helping our parents with a couple of "fix-it" projects around their homes.  At this stage of life spending time with our parents is a great reminder of what marriage and love really is.


So many days I catch myself being critical or just having a selfish attitude as I go through my day at home. When my husband asks me to help him by bringing him something I think about how it is an interruption in whatever I'm doing. Or I catch myself thinking why can't he__________ (fill in the blank with your favorite (or should I say least favorite) task)?

Marriage isn't about who does what. It's about your relationship. Sure in your relationship you each have things you may be responsible for but the motivation is your love, your relationship. If it's not, it's time for an attitude adjustment.  This month I've joined a group of women on-line. We are choosing to honor our husbands by telling them one something we appreciate about them everyday. Look for it. Recognize it. Thank God for it.  Guys, this doesn't need to exclude you. You can do the same thing for your wife.  It's amazing what being purposeful about this can do for your attitude!

I think about this today because I know that the daily-ness of parents caring for each other as they age is more often than not, not fun. We are so honored to have parents who truly love one another.  Our fathers both care for our mothers with such respect. It's a great example to us.

So do you want to join the challenge?  You will be alot more committed to it if you tell someone you are doing it. Why don't you tell me?  Leave a comment letting me know you've joined us on the month of September "at least one good thing" a day challenge.

September 2, I can hardly believe it. Where did summer go? But it is another change of season, a time of fresh starts.  Some of us are resistant to change.  I received our women's ministry newsletter yesterday and my friend, Emily summed it all up. She graciously said I could share it with you. I will say, Emily is the real deal. She is a woman after God's own heart but she is very honest about the ups, downs and arounds in the daily living it out. We've had the privilege of walking with them since the beginning of this new adventure in the their life. We've seen their hearts.

Change. Just the word alone makes me cringe. I often think of change as the opposite of security. Security is what is familiar to me. Security is 

predictability. It is routine. It is comfort. It is control. I guess when it comes down to it, security to me is the absence of change. The problem is, change is inevitable.

Change is always marked by the end of one thing and the beginning of something new. This time of year generates a lot of change for most people. It's the end of vacation time and the beginning of schedules, school, and new projects. It's the end of swimming suits and tank tops, and the beginning of jackets and jeans. It's the end of iced tea and lemonade and the beginning of cappuccinos and hot chocolates. The end of flip-flops and the beginning of Uggs. The end of sprinklers and lawn mowers, and the beginning of rakes and shovels. The end of the air conditioning, and the beginning of warm fireplaces and space-heaters. Some changes we dread and some we look forward to.

Throughout the past year, my mind has been consumed with a very big change that will be happening to my family just a few short weeks from now. One chapter is ending, and a new one is beginning. We are pulling up the roots that have grown deep into the soil of familiarity here in Des Moines, Iowa and replanting them in the soil of unfamiliarity, unpredictability, and discomfort in Nairobi, Kenya. When the Lord first started nudging our hearts to be missionaries in Africa, the fear of change overwhelmed me. Even now, so close to our departure date, I still have plenty of days when fear threatens to overpower me.

As we are preparing for Africa, I've been thinking a lot about my personal attitude towards change and how the LORD might be challenging me to see it from His eternal perspective. Watching beloved pieces of furniture and other meaningful objects be hauled out of our home, sent off to Goodwill or sold on the driveway, I've had to make a decision every day...sometimes every minute: What am I going to put my hope and trust in? Familiarity? Comfort? Routine? Predictability? Or will my hope be in the Unchangeable, Unshakeable, Loving, All-powerful, Sovereign God?

I've found that my fear of change is most overwhelming when I start thinking too much about me. If I base my attitude solely on my own abilities or inabilities to cope with change, I should be afraid! I know I can't do it. If I spend too much time thinking about how unqualified I am and how hard this change is going to be, my fears would paralyze me. And if I forget about the power that is in me through Christ and His limitless abilities to help me, protect me and guide me though all the unknowns, I would not cooperate with this change at all. I'd fight it, and desperately try to cling to my "content", routine, predictable life and miss a whole lot of great things that God could teach me when I am outside of my comfort zone.

But God says, "Forget the former things! Do not dwell on the past! See, I am doing a new thing!" (Isaiah 43:18-19) The question for all of us is this: Will we embrace His new beginning for our lives, or will we run from it?

It's when we're outside our comfort zones, living beyond ourselves, and trusting Him with each new step of the way that we can quit focusing on our own weaknesses and begin living in His strength and power. To know Him like that.....now that's my kind of new beginning!

Emily and PJ Holmertz along with their two children begin the adventure of a lifetime as they head to Africa at the end of this month.  You can follow them on their blog.http://holmertzadventures.aimsites.org/

Wellness Wednesday

Okay folks it's time to start talking!  What are your stumbling blocks to wellness?  Why don't you "eat healthy?"  Why don't you exercise?  Why do you worry all the time? Why don't you "do" your hobby?
Why don't you...?

Come on, let's get real.  What is stopping us from being healthy?  Usually we don't even take the time to stop and think except for as we're running out the door thinking, well I blew it again - no exercise this morning!  So take some time, today or very soon. Think about it. Really, what is the deal?  Do you not think that YOU are worth the time or effort? You are.  You are a Treasure to God.

Commitment

Commitment, that's a "sticky" word for most of us.  We want the people around us to be committed to whatever we are working on. We want them to show up when they say they will and to finish the project we are working on. On the other hand, we ourselves don't want to be "stuck" doing something that we really don't want to do so we answer requests "I'll be there if..."  We have an old friend who when asked to bring something to a meeting would answer "I will if I remember." He meant it. It wasn't very helpful. You never knew for sure if you would have what you needed from him at the time you asked for it.

In the past few weeks we have met and talked with many old and new friends. In one form or another this subject kept coming up. Someone had "let them down." Or they just didn't think they could be a part of that group or their marriage anymore because someone had "let them down." Some people are not actively a part of a local church because they don't like the way Christians talk or are portrayed in the media. They don't want to be associated with "hypocrites." Those people disappointed them.

While studying for teaching on marriage at the Okoboji Lakes Bible and Missionary Conference I challenged the term "marriage covenant".  I asked pastor-friends. I looked up all the verses I could find using covenant in my concordance. (well maybe not ALL of them) I also studied the Biblical definition. What I learned is that a covenant is a commitment. When you enter into a covenant you are agreeing to stick to the deal, whatever that might be.  The clinker is that when you enter into that agreement you are agreeing to keep up your part no matter what the other guy does.  In Genesis 15 the Lord makes a covenant with Abraham that his family will inherit the Land. The Lord made the covenant. He will carry it out. Abraham had a part - it is to believe and obey but God's covenant is not based on Abraham's participation.  He also did that through His son, Jesus. God made a covenant to love us and save us from our sins.  He did His part. He sent His son to die to cleanse us from our sins. We choose whether or not we will participate (recognize our sins, repent and receive His forgiveness) but He did it irregardless of our reaction. He loves us that much. He is that committed.

Kindof puts a new slant on our life commitments doesn't it? When my co-worker doesn't hold up their end of the work and I bail out because "they aren't helping" I'm really not very committed am I? Or even more importantly, when our spouse doesn't behave the way we want them to and we react with retaliation or just give up on the relationship - we're not carrying out the covenant we made with them when we got married.  I'm even thinking about our commitment to the Body of Christ.  When we don't join in a local church on a ongoing basis it seems to me we're not very committed to the Body of Christ. We just want to use it when it's convenient or helpful to ourselves. I believe we are missing out on lots of great though maybe at times hard things. Deep relationships, support, encouragement, and love are built over time.

What's your commitment level?

The Glory of God in the Gift of Disability

The Glory of God in the Gift of Disability
http://www.desiringgod.org/blog/posts/the-glory-of-god-in-the-gift-of-disability

If you have known me for very long you know that I have never felt that anyone should have to "re-invent the wheel." I believe that God designed us for relationships and that we are to learn from each other. Out of God's grace He has enabled me access to wonderful people and written or recorded words. It is my desire to share them to all those in my world.

The above attached link is one such thing I came across while actually researching something entirely different. We know several families with family members with physical or mental disabilities. We have learned much from all of them. Pastor John Piper spoke to this tough issue. Sometimes people struggle with understanding a God who loves us but doesn't "fix" everything the way we believe it ought to be "fixed." From the first day of our son-in-law's diagnosis of untreatable cancer we all knew our God could heal him. He (our son-in-law) was the first to say, "I will be healed either here on earth or in heaven". God was glorified in Mark's life and in his death as he died fully trusting that God's will was being done.

I've not read this couple's book therefore I can't endorse it personally but their video and this blog post spoke volumes.

What do you see?

The question is "who do you see when you look into the mirror?" Someone whose nose is too big or small or whose hair is in a perpetual state of rebellion? That made me laugh out loud. I wonder if the author of the question has been following me around for life? If you've known me very long you know that my hair is plentiful and usually in a "state of rebellion". Actually I have never used those exact words but they are perfect!  That question follows on the heels of a conversation I had with a counselor friend on mine this weekend. Her question was "why does one, even small negative thing take all of our attention away from everything that is going right?"  She had been working with a couple for a long time. She stated the couple definitely love each other but just always thought things ought to be "better". There last visit with her revealed that things had gone well for two weeks but the night before coming to her there had been a "problem" and they just didn't know if they wanted to go on "living like this".  The problem was over the lawn mowing taking a little (less than 20 minutes) longer than anticipated and therefore their 5 year old (who is not in school yet) getting to bed a little later than normal. The counselor remarked that one incident washed away all of the good in the two weeks prior. How sad. Instead of focusing on the kindness of the husband to offer to put the child to bed after mowing the lawn so the wife could keep on doing something she enjoys, she only saw that it was not done exactly in her timing.

Sadly they are not alone. One crabby patient in my day can overshadow all the great people I met along the way. My "rebellious" hair can take over the fact that I have hair and lots of it. So often we miss life's beauty because we are preoccupied by it's flaws. Instead of enjoying the feel of the grass under our feet we complain that grows to fast or has a few dandelions. Our mighty, creator God looked at all He created and said it is good. (Genesis 1:31)

Let's ask God to renew our sense of wonder and gratefulness for all that He created today and see what happens. Pay attention. Expect God to show you. Share what you see.

Honoring a Life Well Lived

It's been awhile since I've posted and it seems like  a lot has gone on. Most recently a gal from my hometown area died. She was just diagnosed with Cancer a month or two ago and now she is with Jesus. Pat was old enough to be my  mother. She and Dave were married for over 50 years.  I met her when she approached me at the Okoboji Lakes Bible and Missionary Conference shortly after it had been publicly announced that our son-in-law had untreatable cancer. (age 21)  She very sweetly but purposefully approached me and introduced herself via e-mail. She told me she was from Harlan, a neighboring town from Elk Horn where I went to school. She stated that she was a nurse and her husband was a pharmacist and they had some supplements that they believed could help and they were willing to share them if we would take them.  I shared the information with our daughter and son-in-law, trying to protect them from the many, many people with possible "cures".  Pat wasn't pushy. She just offered. After reading about her suggestion our kids decided it couldn't hurt. A relationship started. 

Pat was a prayer warrior with a love of God and life that was remarkable. She and Dave love laughter and shared it as freely as they did the supplements. She kept in touch and now 7 years later I truly considered her a friend. We stayed in their home in November as they came to our marriage enrichment. How do you like that? 50+ years into marriage and they still wanted to invest in their relationship. A great example for us all.

While honoring this dear woman's life I want to challenged to think what does my life represent? What do others "see" in my life. Pat prayed and then she followed the Lord's leading, reaching out to those she knew and those the Lord brought across her path. She told God stories and proud stories of her children and grandchildren. She was positive and appreciative of all God had given her in her life.

Thanks Pat for the great example.

My Plans...or Relationship?

"Men tend to multiply duties in their observance of religion. This practice enables them to give Me money, time and work without yielding up to Me what I desire the most-their hearts."  December 6, Jesus Calling 

Wow, that quote caught my attention this morning.  We've had a busy 3-4 weeks and things around the house had really gotten away from me. BUT, I had a plan!  Friday I was to finish a costume for a Christmas event on Saturday morning, then get the long overdue grocery shopping done, plus a couple of other errands, maybe even a bit of Christmas shopping. Event on Saturday morning, clean and put up Christmas decor on Saturday afternoon. Church Sunday morning, afternoon off and small group at our house (looking clean and lovely) Sunday evening.  Do I even need to tell you that Friday didn't work out anything like what I planned which made me crabby?  So then there was tension in the house. Well after and in between all activities this entire weekend I cleaned, took down fall decor and put up Christmas decor. As I worked feverishly, I nearly ignored my husband, did ignore two phone calls and didn't call my parents as is the normal Sunday afternoon routine.  But why? Because we were having small group at our house last night.  But even more than that, because it was MY plan. I wanted it.

Well the decorations are up and the lights are all lit. Admittedly, I love the lights. They are pretty and peaceful.  However, our whole focus of small group is relationships. Life is about relationships. Why do I get so caught up in doing things my way, in my time? It certainly doesn't build relationships. I hadn't even talked to my kids all week.  So for the rest of this Christmas season (it's a starting place) I'm going to intentionally choose to make relationships the #1 priority.  Do you have thoughts on how to keep this focus?  What do you do?

Sometimes I'm Fickle

It's sad how fickle we can be, well I can be anyway.  The day before Thanksgiving started with such a grateful, peaceful attitude.  Somewhere in the middle it got detoured momentarily.  Some unexpected interruptions and late starts played with my attitude but thankfully I got back on course pretty quickly.  By Friday I was tired and ready for some relaxed time, regrouping, putting up the outdoor decorations and then off to see our daughter for the weekend.  Well, I didn't realize my husband had work to do before any of that could take place. And by the end of his work it was later then either of us wanted and he was aching all over due to some old injuries and the cold weather. RATS! Not the way I had envisioned the day. I was ready to just go back to bed and skip this day. BUT GOD is faithful.  Through some quiet steady lets just keep moving forward time. God reminded me again (and again) that my life is totally in His control. He is not surprised by any of it and He can handle all of it.  Thanks God.  I guess our II Corinthians chapter 4 theme for Treasure Chest Ministries is really a life theme.  We will not lose heart.

Trusting God with No Umbrellas

"Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord whose confidence is in Him. He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8 (emphasis mine)

"I don't think I'm testing God to see if this or that direction is true and from Him, like Gideon. But I may be testing myself to see if I can hold water, holy water. I wonder if this whole thing is more about my ability, or my willingness to soak up the rain He causes to fall on me. Maybe it's about throwing away my umbrella, getting rid of the protections and distractions that keep me from seeing what God wants to dump into my life."  from "Surprise Me God" by Terry Esau.

Open the eyes of my heart Lord... 
That was my journal entry on August 30, 2010.  At that point I posted most of that.  I was going to try life without the umbrella. Try to live soaking up whatever God had for me, not afraid of getting wet or messy.  Today I am so, so thankful.  It's been a long time since I've had such a season of peace.  Life is not quiet and calm right now, in fact there have been some major changes in the circumstances of our life in the past few months. But God is in charge of it and HE has provided peace for me. I trust Him. My confidence is in Him.  I have seen Him walk me and our family through some tough situations. I have seen Him shower us with blessings and loads of laughter. I trust Him. Because I trust Him I don't have to have all the answers and that is a great relief. (Not that I ever did, but I seem to think I was supposed to have answers)  So this Thanksgiving I can honestly say I am thankful for my life, right now, right where I'm at with all of the good and all of the challenges.What about you?

Happy Thanksgiving!

Let God Surprise You Today!

So since to this point I have not blogged daily and I'm wondering if you have forgotten what we are in the middle of. We are spending a month asking God to surprise us on a daily basis.  Those of you who are reading this are welcome to join in right now, whether you've been doing it or not.  The thing is a couple of you have admitted to me you've stuck your toe in the water to test the temperature. (meaning you've prayed this prayer a time or two) But, you've not shared what happened. Speak up! The point of this blog is to "do life together" reminding each other that we are all "treasures" in God's sight. He loves us all equally and He gave us each other to support, encourage, challenge and yes, even reprimand each other. So join in, share, ask questions...there are no wrong answers or too stupid of questions.

As you probably have noticed by now, I don't always share original thoughts. Often I'm processing something I've read. Today is one of those days. Often I use devotional books to start my thinking process in the morning. Today's entry was just too good.  God is currently surprising me by allowing me to trust Him in a season of change like I've never trusted before. I'm surprising myself! :)  Anyway, what do you think about this:
" I am perpetually with you, taking care of you....I am not limited by time or space; My Presence with you is a forever-promise. You need not fear the future, for I am already there. (Bold added) Your future is in My hands; I release it to you day by day, moment by moment. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow.
 I want you to live this day abundantly, seeing all there is to see, doing all there is to do, Don't be distracted by future concerns. Leave them to Me! Each day of life is a glorious gift, but so few people know how to live within the confines of today. Much of their energy for abudnant livign spills over the timeline into tomorrow's worries or past regrets. Their remaining energy is sufficient only for limping through the day, not for living it to the full. I am training you to keep your focus on My Presence in the present. This is how to receive abundant Life, which flows freely from My throne of grace."
Matthew 6:34 (read vs. 19-34); John 10:10;James 4:13-15
Quoted from September 30, Jesus Calling,  by Sarah Young Thomas Nelson Publishing

Contentment

Content = "A state of heart in which you would be at peace if God gave you nothing more than He already has." Love Focused

That statement has really made me think. What I've concluded is that if you are not always focused on the "outcome" of what you are doing it's way easier to be content. For example, we live in a home with 3 stories, basement, main floor and 2nd floor. The bedrooms are on the 2nd floor, the laundry and office are in the basement. My husband has two bad knees. Not a great combination. So for several years I've been praying about a ranch style home. We've even looked into a couple. Nothing has worked out. It used to really bother me, but today I realized it doesn't bother me anymore. We have a home and the living expenses are reasonable. When we actually "need" something different I'm sure the Lord will provide it. He always has.

Now the challenge is to take that contentment to the rest of my life. This can be really challenging in relationships. What about you? Tell me about contentment in your life.

It's simple

Okay, call me simplistic or unrealistic or whatever, but I really think we make life too hard. At least I'm sure I have.  Life is really very  simple. I didn't say it was easy but it's simple.  Why do we make it complicated?  I think we make things harder than they really are. Usually that happens in my life when I am really making it "all about me."  Now I may not admit that. In fact I may have some pretty convincing reasons that it's NOT "all about me" but often it's really "all about me."

So to prove life is supposed to be pretty simple check out Matthew 22:37-39. "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

Simple. Not complex. Not always easy but not complicated and a hidden mystery.  So how about we focus on this for the next month?  Want to see what happens?

Eyes of Appreciation

So as I totally enjoy the most gorgeous weather ever on my deck I am engulfed in the love of God. Can you appreciate His love when you look out and see the blue sky, hear the birds, notice the green grass and colorful flowers? I challenge you to go through your day to day with appreciative eyes. We were barely out of bed this morning when I made a silly comment to my husband that was meant in fun but had an underlying demeaning tone. He heard the tone more than the fun. Ouch! When he graciously pointed it out I realized he was right and apologized. Now I'm not always that quick, but I really do appreciate my husband. He is a very hard worker and I had insinuated otherwise. That takes me back to the book of Nehemiah. Chapter three contains the names of people and/or groups of people who worked on the wall. Using someone's name is a way of recognizing them, honoring them. When you call someone by name rather than just saying "hey..." you acknowledge that they as an individual are there and that you want to communicate with them. It appears amongst other things Nehemiah was acknowledging all of the workers, appreciating that they joined in the work of the Lord.
It also just plain acknowledges who joined in and who did not. In our time together on the farm it was stated that there is a time to just let the non-working people go. We are to love all people but that doesn't mean that we have to try to bring people along against their will. We need to present the project or topic of discussion with clarity and respect for all people involved. But, we do not have "chase" people until they see things our way. Nehemiah acknowledges those who didn't join in but it doesn't appear he dwells there.
Noting all the groups and where they are working leads us to believe while Nehemiah is leading he is actively watching others take responsibility for sections of the wall. The words simplicity, delegation, participation, cooperation, administration and appreciation are all exemplified in this chapter.
This is not "rocket science". To get a big project done it takes multiple people each doing their own part. This means the leader, boss, coach, captain or whatever you call it needs to make the goal and plan clear and then let them work. He/She needs to see what they are doing and show appreciation for it. When this happens walls are built, projects are completed.
So today's "project" is to live with my appreciation glasses on. I wonder who I can encourage today?

I find it so interesting that when I'm aware God is teaching me something He keeps showing me in different ways. The same topic just keeps coming up. Recently I've been learning about being flexible and watching for God. Sometimes that involves doing something and sometimes it means being quiet,just trusting and watching for God in my life. Yesterday the following was in the women's ministry newsletter from my church, written by my senior pastor, Quentin Stieff. How could he know what I'm learning about?

We could all tell stories about how God opened and closed doors in our lives. Because God is always at work, we need to look to him with expectancy and great flexibility. Rather than being disappointed, we are filled with anticipation over his next move!

An episode in the book of Acts illustrates this principle:

Acts 18:1-11
After this, Paul left Athens and went to Corinth. There he met a Jew named Aquila, a native of Pontus, who had recently come from Italy with his wife Priscilla, because Claudius had ordered all the Jews to leave Rome. Paul went to see them, and because he was a tentmaker as they were, he stayed and worked with them. Every Sabbath he reasoned in the synagogue, trying to persuade Jews and Greeks.
When Silas and Timothy came from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself exclusively to preaching, testifying to the Jews that Jesus was the Christ. But when the Jews opposed Paul and became abusive, he shook out his clothes in protest and said to them, "Your blood be on your own heads! I am clear of my responsibility. From now on I will go to the Gentiles."
Then Paul left the synagogue and went next door to the house of Titius Justus, a worshiper of God. Crispus, the synagogue ruler, and his entire household believed in the Lord; and many of the Corinthians who heard him believed and were baptized.
9One night the Lord spoke to Paul in a vision: "Do not be afraid; keep on speaking, do not be silent. For I am with you, and no one is going to attack and harm you, because I have many people in this city." So Paul stayed for a year and a half, teaching them the word of God.

ONE DOOR CLOSES, ANOTHER ONE OPENS
The Lord is 100% committed to getting out the message of his love in Jesus Christ. Sometimes, when his followers share this message of love and hope, not all of the listeners want to hear it. Eventually, Paul got chased out of the synagogue. But guess what? After that door closed, God opened up another door... right next door!

When Paul was forced to leave the synagogue, some of the Christians may have become discouraged, thinking, "Well there goes any chance of sharing the gospel. That door is closed."

But God is not limited at all in the ways he can bring people to faith. So, God worked in an unexpected way. If Paul couldn't go to the synagogue, God would bring the synagogue to Paul! He did this by providing a house for his preaching right next door. And then, he drew the synagogue ruler to faith in Christ.

For the advancement of the kingdom, what is more important? To have the synagogue for a teaching location? Or to have the synagogue ruler become a Christian? That's a no-brainer, for sure.

So, never despair. When one door closes, God opens another one. Perhaps right next door.