Can you tell what this is? A cactus. . . . No, really . . . Look at this. 
I had to bend way down to see the prickles.
What a beautiful transformation God has made. From a normal vantage point it's all flower. All beauty.
That's what I want. I want God to hide my prickles with His beauty. I've got a lot of prickles, so it takes a great big God to cover them all.
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit.
You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you, unless you abide in me." John 15:1-4
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.
If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit." Galatians 5:22-25
No, this is not an infomercial.
But, would you like to find out how to have the following?
- a prolonged life
- prosperity
- favor and a good name
- straight paths
- healthy body
- nourished bones
- barns filled to overflowing
- vats brimming with new wine
- happiness
- something more profitable than silver or gold
- something worth more than rubies
- long life
- riches and honor
- pleasant ways
- peaceful paths
- travel in safety
- protection from stumbling
- sweet sleep
- no fear of sudden disaster or ruin
- confidence
- be God's confidant
- home blessed
- grace and even more honor
Seriously. These are all promises of God for you found in my favorite chapter in Proverbs - chapter 3. Check it out.
Oh yeah, it's the one place I know of where the Bible encourages us to be "tree huggers" Prov. 3:18. "She is a tree of life to those who embrace her." :)
I noticed they were playing the movie "Groundhog Day" on tv the other day. I started smiling. I can't help it. It's a funny movie.
I particularly love the part when Bill Murray punches the insurance agent. (No offense to all you insurance agents out there.) And when he steps in the same icy puddle for the umpteenth time.
While reflecting on how long it took him to avoid the aforementioned puddle, I began to wonder how long it would take me.
How long would it be necessary for me to repeat the same day over and over before I was able to live it the right way?
Just that morning:
- I had screamed at my 20 month old for wiping her nose on my blouse.
- I had been impatient with my 3 year old for not coming in IMMEDIATELY when I called so we could get lunch ready. (we're on such a tight schedule around here you know - wink wink)
- And I probably snapped at my husband for something he said that he didn't really mean.
Now those are just a few of the things I did do that I shouldn't have done. Not to mention all of the things I hadn't done that I should have.
Whew. No wonder Jesus told us that "each day has enough trouble of its own." Matt 6:34
It would take years for me to get just one day right.
However, I don't have years. None of us do - we only have today. This day.
What if I had been grateful for a nearly 2 year old who has nothing more wrong with her than a snotty nose? And a washing machine that makes cleaning up easy.
What if I had been grateful that I own a home with a yard for my boy to play in? And that we can afford a lunch to call him in for?
What if I had focused on all the loving things my husband does and says for me instead of the one offhand comment that I took the wrong way?
Do your best. Slow down. Be grateful.
Give grace - especially to you.
Last Sunday, I arrived at church for second service before the first service people had begun leaving. The parking lot was crammed full of cars and I had two antsy little ones with me. My husband was working, so I did the best I could. I pulled in kind of sideways behind the middle row of parked cars. I didn't block anyone in, and I was reasonably close to the entrance. Problem Solved!
Until we came out of second service. Suddenly, my brilliant solution looked like a crazy person, or someone at least under the influence, had parked my car.
As I walked towards it, rather sheepishly, another congregant looked at it, looked back at me, and kind of laughed under his breath.
"The parking lot was packed when I pulled in!" I tried to explain. "It made sense at the time!"
"Oh yeah," he continued to half laugh back at me. "I was just wondering why everyone else wasn't doing it."
Okay. I had to laugh too. It was funny. And it looked ridiculous.
But then I thought about all of the people I know who seem like their, ummm, "cars" have been "parked cockeyed" for one reason or another. I'm sure it made sense to them at the time.
So, before you rant or rave and get disgusted by someone - or even laugh to poke fun at them - consider what the parking lot looked like when they left their car.
Give grace.
Alright. Here's more dorky information about me. I loved this movie. Really. I first watched it not long after it came out. In fact, I liked it so much that I watched the entire trilogy recently.
Here's the problem though. I watched the THIRD movie in the trilogy before watching the SECOND movie in the trilogy. Their titles don't really clarify what order they are supposed to be watched in. (Perhaps the makers never dreamed anyone would watch them after their initial release! Ha!)
Anywho. . . the story lines aren't all that complicated, so it's not a big deal to watch them out of order. Trust me - you'll still get it. But it does take all the drama out of the whole (SPOILER ALERT)
" Is mom going to die? Or isn't she?," part in the second movie - SINCE SHE'S IN THE THIRD ONE!!!!!!!
It occurred to me today that knowing what's in God's trilogy should really take all the drama out of this life for me as well.
I know the ending. I've seen (read) the THIRD movie in the trilogy. And, I suspect, you have too. (ANOTHER SPOILER ALERT)
He's ALIVE! He comes back. He's already won. AND He loves you! Enough to die for you. You are going to spend eternity in Heaven. With Him. If you put your faith in Him.
That's it. Takes all the drama out of this movie.
"Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End." Revelation 22:12-13
The other day I was unloading my dishwasher. I always unload the bottom rack first, so if there's any water in the stuff on the top rack it doesn't drip down and get the dishes on the bottom wet. Anyway, I unloaded all the bottom rack dishes and moved on to the top rack. . . . where I found a DIRTY mug! Aaaargh.
So then I was suspicious of all the other "clean" dishes I just put away. I tried to remember exactly what else was in there, and I hope I got all of them out to wash by hand, but it did leave me wondering. (Not to mention grouchy about having to wash by hand all the dishes that should have been cleaned by the machine the night before.)
And it made me think. Maybe the bottom dishes were clean, but they just got a bad reputation because of that one dirty mug.
And then I thought - am I that dirty mug? I used to be in sales, so, trust me, I've met plenty of dirty mugs. Sales representatives in general get a bad reputation because of the dirty mugs in the business.
But as a representative stay-at-home-mom, am I a dirty mug? Do I complain or sigh or look down on moms who have made other choices? Do I make people around me suspicious of the other innocent stay-at-home-moms in the dishwasher with me?
Worse yet, am I a dirty mug Christian? Does my attitude or behavior reflect badly on other Christians? Does yours?
"You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me and I will remain in you. " John 15:3-4
On bad weather days, my kids still need physical activity. So, one of the things we do is set up a "crash pile". We pile up pillows and blankets on the floor in front of the couch and they are allowed to jump off the couch onto the pile. This is the one time they are allowed to stand up on the couch, which makes it a double treat.
The first time we did it, they were fairly cautious. They kinda hopped down and landed on their feet, not really trusting that this was all ok. But, as they continued trying, they got wilder and more fun to watch. They jumped higher, twisted around and landed in a heap.
They were a testimony to the safety of the "crash pad."
Have you jumped onto your "crash pad" lately? Are you not really trusting that this is all ok? Are you fun to watch? Are you a testimony to His safety?
Jump higher! Twist around! (It's ok if you land in a heap.)
"Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20 (emphasis mine)
