The Book I'll Be Starting the New Year With

Here's a link to a little book that is life-changing if you will let it be: 

And it's FREE! :) 

Merry Belated Christmas and Happy New Year. 

It's called The Christian's Secret of a Happy Life. And I love it. 

If the title doesn't hook you, I certainly couldn't with some lame-o review. 

I read it at least once a year, and this year I'm starting a new tradition by making it the first book (besides some of the Bible) I'll read in the New Year. 

Won't you join me? 

Wasting Storage Bags

I truly hate to waste things. The other day I caught myself saving about a tablespoon and a half of grated cheese. 

I got out a brand new quart sized storage bag and began putting the cheese in there, when it occurred to me that the baggie was worth more than the cheese. 

Ha! What a waste of a storage bag. 

Of course, if you've read this blog before, you know I'm going to make a bigger life application out of this. 

Is there anything you are putting in your body that isn't worth it? I mean, you could look at it literally and think about sugar, caffeine, liquor, drugs, etc. But what about the more insidious things? Anger, bitterness, guilt, fear, etc.?

Do you know how much you are worth? The price of God's only begotten Son. 

Don't waste your life by filling it with worthless, or even harmful things. 

It doesn't make sense. 

My wise Bible study leader asked the question the other day, "Is the Holy Spirit at home in me, or am I too crowded with "worldly" things?"

Hmmm. Good question. 

"Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body." I Corinthians 6:20

Bossing vs. Obeying

It's funny to me that every time I give my kids a joint command, (i.e. Time to wash up for dinner!) my older turns around to tell his little sister what I just said, and then proceeds to make sure she obeys. 

Now, I don't know if it's a first-born thing or just human nature. 

I can't tell you the number of times I've said, "Let me be the Momma, you obey." I appreciate the help at times, and I know that getting him to teach his sister the rule is a good way for him to learn it too.  However,  when I've just said it out loud to both of them at the same time and she has clearly heard just as plainly as he has, it just annoys her and me. 

I realize that I do the same thing - especially when I've just heard a good sermon. Have you had that experience? You are listening to a really convicting sermon or reading a key passage of scripture and you think about three or four OTHER people who should really hear this? And obey it? 

Me too. 

What if WE just obeyed? 

Wouldn't it be a better way for my son to teach his little sister by being a good example and just obeying Mama quickly and with a happy heart when I asked them to do something? 

Wouldn't it be a better way for us to influence those in our circles by being a good example and just obeying God quickly and with a happy heart when He asks us to do something? 

Especially our husbands? 

Without words? 

"Wives, in the same way be submissive to your husbands so that, if any of them do not believe the word, they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives." 1Peter 3:1-2 

Covered up, not Cleaned up

I asked my kiddos to clean up their rooms before supper the other evening.  And then I went in to check. They are only 4 and 2, so I don't expect excellence, but I try to teach them, and encourage them to do their best. 

I found my son's blanket on the floor, and when I picked it up, there were all the toys that belong with his castle set that he had been playing with earlier. 

I said, "Covered up is NOT the same thing as Cleaned up."

Immediately that annoying voice in my mind asked me, "What have you covered up lately that should have been cleaned up?"

Now,  I'm pretty sure my boy hadn't done it on purpose. He was just being sloppy. 

I, on the other hand, tend to conceal on purpose. 

"Sure, I lost my temper, but I was under a lot of pressure." 

"Sure, I made that unkind comment, but she's annoying. "

"Ya, I've been a little lazy around here lately, but the kids have been waking me up at night. I'm tired."

"Yes, I overspent, but it's the holidays!"

You get the idea.   

How about you? Got any confessing and renouncing to do? 

"He who conceals his sins does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy." Proverbs 28:13

Visiting the Burn Unit

My "littles" this Thanksgiving. 

This was a quiet Thanksgiving for us. Just the four of us, and my mother-in-law and father-in-law. (my oldest son was with his Dad's family)

Still, when I read some of my favorite blogs leading up to the holiday, there were all kinds of tips about how to get along with your relatives. All were well intentioned.  Most were well written. Some were even helpful. 

But as I mulled the content of them over while doing other household things to get ready for the big day, it occurred to me that not once had I seen a real missons-oriented view. 

Consider this, what if you were called into a burn unit to visit the sick. Would you go in there seeking to be ministered to? Or to minister? 

I suspect whatever little annoyances you walked in there with would instantly melt away as you faced the gravity of the situation. And I'm certain your gratitude for your own health and safety would bathe whatever wounds you had, and allow you to do the same for those around you. 

Well, guess what? When we visit our relatives, or friends, or really put ourselves into any situations where we are surrounded by people, it IS like visiting the burn unit - in a spiritual sense. 

People all around us are injured, suffering, and simply not safe.  Spiritually speaking, if you know Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are healthy and safe. 

Now, I know we all sin. And no one, especially not me, is better than anyone else, saved or not. However, we, by grace alone, are saved for eternity if we trust Him. 

And, as a result of that knowledge, our little annoyances should melt away as we face the gravity of the situation. Let our gratitude for our eternal health bathe whatever wounds we have, and allow us to do the same for those around us.

We are to seek to minister, not to be ministered to. To serve, not to be served. To love. 

This would prevent a lot of the "friction" felt at family gatherings during the holidays. 

"When they had finished eating, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you truly love me more than these?"
"Yes, Lord," he said, "you know that I love you."
Jesus said,"Feed my lambs." John 21:15

Reflecting the Light

This morning my alarm went off while it was still dark. Yuck. 

My husband got up and took the dog out, turned on the light in our dining room and started his Bible time. 

I laid in bed thinking about all of the other times I hadn't wanted to get up, and the many ways God had blessed me when I HAD to get up, just to provide for myself and my boy. 

Then my mind started going to all the unpleasant memories from that time. The bad decisions, the moral failures, etc. Yuck.

Just then, I noticed that one of the pictures hanging on my side of the room was perfectly lit. I immediately ruled out the window (dark outside, remember?) and thought, how is that happening?

It didn't take me too long, even in my half asleep state, to realize that the light was coming in from the 2 inches my husband left the door ajar, reflecting off of a mirror on the other side of the room and perfectly lighting the picture. Amazing! 

A little miracle to get my mind off the ugly and back onto the Light. It was almost as if God was telling me, "Just like this, I have perfectly arranged everything in your life."

 "When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said "I am the light of the world.  Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12

An Ungrateful Dog

We have a dog. She is actually my husband's dog. However, he works a lot of hours, and I'd rather he spend his time off loving on me and the kids than taking care of the dog. 

So, I've taken on most of the dog duties. I feed her. I take her for walks. I even clean the pen. (That's poop people.)

And yet, she doesn't love me. Not even a little. Oh, she tolerates me, and even lets me pet her now and then. In fact, sometimes I fool myself into thinking she's coming around to me. 

And then my husband walks in. If she's outside she starts calling to him. Really. She whines and kind of half talks in "dog". 

If she is already in the house, she just goes all goosey and wags from head to tail and looks at him adoringly. 

If I pet her, she proffers her ear to be scratched. Sometimes her hind end. If my husband pets her, she flops down on the floor and offers her belly. She tries to crawl into his lap. 

The darn dog has no sense of gratitude. 

And mostly, neither do I. There is one who provides for me, and cleans up all my messes, and yet I go all goosey over other things. 

And yet, His love is perfect. No matter how flawed mine is. 

"Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends." John 15:13 

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17