Month: October 2016

See! The winter is past; the rains are over and gone. Song of Solomon 2:11

The boys had an opportunity to participate in an archeology dig recently. My oldest is fascinated with history and digging up artifacts to learn more about what life was like in the past. We thought they would get to meet a couple real archeologists, listen to a talk, and even possibly watch them dig. I was so surprised when we got there and they did explain what they were doing, but then put the boys right to work. There were only a few families there, so the opportunity they had was amazing!

The couple that was conducting the dig was phenomenal with the boys. They were patient, kind, and built up a passion that I don’t think we’re soon going to see leave. They allowed the boys to use their tools, figure out sections to dig, and allowed them to do the digging, unearthing all kinds of great finds. The boys had to be very careful and meticulous that they didn’t miss anything. They worked in a 1 meter wide by 1 meter long section for eight hours! They got to tag and bag their finds, plus they drew the area where they worked. Pictures were even taken to refer back to. The boys enjoyed it so much that we returned in order for them to clean what was found before it was sent away.

It’s unbelievable to me how God knows every bit of us, just as the boys learned every bit of their square they worked on. He cares about the past too. He has compassion for our hurts and disappointments. He has celebrated with us on our achievements. Although what has happened to us previously has shaped us into the individuals we are today, He wants us to live in the present. We should learn what we can from the past, but if we still live in the past, He can’t move us forward into the future.

If something negative has happened to us, but we can’t seem to move on from it, we are allowing that circumstance to control us. The past is controlling the present and future instead of God. We aren’t seeing the rainbow God has straight ahead of us because we’re still looking at the dark clouds behind us.

Just like that archeology dig, the past is for learning and growing from. It’s so we don’t make the same mistakes over and over again. It’s for gaining understanding and wisdom. Just remember the rains are over and gone. This is the present. It’s for seeing God’s rainbows, not for seeing the mud puddles. We have to go through the rain in order to have the rainbows of the future!

Don’t let the past dictate your todays and tomorrows. Allow God to show you life without the splashes of yesterday distorting your view of today.

She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. Proverbs 31:25

• They are one of the original toys inducted into the National Toy Hall of Fame.
• The company was founded in Denmark in 1932.
• The new ones can still be used with ones from 1958.
• You can combine six of the eight-studded bricks in 915,103,765 ways.
• There’s a house made from this toy.
• “Leg” and “godt” means “play well”…taking the first two letters from these Danish words gives the name of the famous building blocks that are a favorite toy in my house.

I’m sure you have it figured out…Legos! It doesn’t matter if you’re a year old playing with the Duplo bricks or 100 years old constructing intricate models, all age ranges love them. Did you know that Lego Duplo bricks can connect with regular Lego bricks? I don’t know how that’s possible, but I learned all kinds of information from the Huffington Post. I was getting informed!

My boys would be fine to get rid of just about every toy there is and only have Legos. They have bookcases full of their planes, police stations, trucks, and things I don’t have a clue what they’re supposed to be. I do know they’re from Star Wars though. They enjoy creating their own masterpieces, but they have their favorite sets too.

It amazes me how it all starts with one little, bitty brick. Building brick by brick it can grow into something quite large! That single building block seems so insignificant. Some sets though, can become quite large from hours of building them.

One of the bigger sets was just built at my house. It took an awful lot of time, and I didn’t quite realize how many hundreds of those blocks were locked together until it was dropped and the explosion occurred. Of course I mean from the toy…not the person…absolutely.

Have you ever had a pesky annoyance that you didn’t think too much about? It was small. No big deal. You chose to let it go, keeping strife out of your house. That’s awesome! Then, another small, but irksome thing happened which interlocked with the first one that you let go…well, maybe just pushed aside. Where was it hiding? Those little disturbances kept building up over time until they were too heavy to keep hold of. Finally, the explosion took place.  Sound familiar?

Instead of pushing the annoying instances to a place that will come out later after you receive a build-up, try letting it out right away. That doesn’t mean I’m saying you have free reign to gripe and complain, tell someone off, or even stomp your foot. Nope, I’m telling you to let it out another way. Whatever works for you that God would find acceptable; laughter is always good!  Can you find the humor in the situation?

Listen, ask my son, just because something is shoved under the bed and you can’t see, doesn’t mean it was taken care of. It’s just waiting for more to join it until the “monster” is too big to hide. It will eventually come spilling out from under the dust ruffle.

I’ll give you an example.  What about if you have a crazy driver behind you and they’re practically kissing your bumper? If you are going to put on a puckered up face and say, “I’m not going to get upset at that person because it just wouldn’t be Godly,” but you stuff it down and not really get over it, it probably isn’t the best way to handle it. Just be careful the explosion doesn’t take place as an overreaction to one more of those small annoyances. Innocent bystanders could get hurt!

Wouldn’t it be better to truly turn it over to God and let Him take care of it? He’ll help you let it go. This actually happened to me. Yep, I was the one in the car with a crazy person behind me.  They finally passed me(I was going the speed limit by the way) and even waved to me, but not necessarily in a friendly manner. Anyhow, God sure made the laughter come out so there was nothing there to build on later. Up over the hill I went and do you know what a saw?  The vehicle that had passed me. Why? They got behind a tractor they couldn’t pass! Don’t tell me God doesn’t have a sense of humor!  I laughed the whole way home even though it took me quite a bit of extra time behind the person just doing his job in that tractor.  That irritation was gone…nothing to build on!

Today, be clothed with strength and dignity. Being strong isn’t holding everything in and pushing every irritating thought down. Being strong is dealing with those things in a healthy way so that there aren’t any explosions later on.

 

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves, not looking to your own interests but each of you to the interests of the others. Philippians 2:3-4

When my youngest was little, we’d put his brother on the school bus and take our dog for a walk. I think some of my best talks with the boys have been strolling down the road. The words tend to flow more for boys while they are doing something. They’ll clam up face-to-face, but add physical activity and the grunts go away.

We’d have to get really quiet in some areas because of the T. rex that was in the woods. We’d have to move pretty quickly in others because of that log…I mean that alligator that was watching us. The woods on our road came alive with more than what was common to the area. Our wise old dog was willing to go with whatever we came up with. If we took off, he did to. If we had to creep down the road, he was in!

When we weren’t on a great adventure through the desserts, forests, or wherever our imagination took us, my youngest would beg for stories of a little boy named Bill. In the stories he had a side-kick…his dog. The little boy led an everyday life, but his good manners and helpfulness made him a hero. The situations he found himself in paralleled my youngest son’s life. When he helped someone out, they would thank Super-Bill, the hero, for making their day.

As an adult, we see heroes only if they make a huge sacrifice, putting their lives on the line. We are so very thankful for those type of heroes, but there is room for everyone to be a hero. The dictionary says it is a person who is admired for great or brave acts or fine qualities.

What is a hero in my book?  The person who bought a meal for a homeless man is a hero. A child who befriends someone who is being picked on and stands up to a bully even though he is scared is a hero. A teacher who has faith in a student that has never seen support is a hero. A father who takes the time to teach and have quality moments with his son or daughter is a hero. A mother who never gives up and is the biggest cheerleader for her child is a hero. A husband who swoops in and helps out a tired wife is a hero. A person who helps an overwhelmed mother who has a crying child, a cart full of groceries, and who just dropped the keys to the car is a hero.

Be a hero like in the stories we used to tell. An everyday hero inspires others, encourages, and spreads kindness. They don’t realize the impact they have, yet they keep doing. They have humility and value others.  They last.

But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds,’ declares the LORD…   Jeremiah 30:17

I have a cousin who was more like a little sister to me as she was growing up. I was always staying with her mom and dad, and I used to babysit her. I think it was during that time when I realized how much I’d like to have a family of my own someday. I enjoyed helping care for her, making her smile, and teaching her new things. When I would babysit her, we would often go on picnics right by her house. There was an old school house that had swings and a slide. When she was too little to swing on her own, I would hold her in my lap and we would slowly swing back and forth while I would tell her nursery rhymes and sing silly songs. What fun we had!

My grandparents lived right down the alley from that school house. On a sunny, summer day everyone was gathered together at Grandma and Grandpa’s because there was going to be a community parade and carnival in the evening. While we were waiting for the time of the parade to arrive, a few of us “young ones” decided to take my little cousin to play for a while.

We had a great time, but as we were heading back to the house I felt something go up my shorts. It was a bee and it stung me in my rear! Apparently, since I wasn’t flapping my arms and doing the bee is up my shorts dance, it decided to really make sure it got me…over and over again. Boy did that hurt! Of course, I couldn’t do anything about it because I was carrying that sweet little girl in my arms, and my number one priority was to keep her protected. Therefore, no bee dance.

When we got back, I handed her over and went to get babied myself. Grandma made some miracle cream to put on those horrendous bites. Ok, maybe she just pulled out some toothpaste, but grandmas know how to make things better! It did soothe the sting and the festivities could continue without giving that bee the satisfaction of ruining my day.

The days of that little playground are gone and the school house is now apartments. That little girl is all grown up and doing well in a career that she enjoys. Times change, but there are still chances of getting stung. Do we handle it with grace and dignity or with frustration and complaining? God is always waiting to soothe the stings in life if we only allow Him.

Would I have as much dignity now if I was stung like I had back then? Would the whole neighborhood hear me hollerin’?  Would I feel it necessary to bring it up and make everyone around me listen to the moaning and groaning about what that bee did to me?

Today, instead of complaining to everybody we see about our stings, let’s go directly to the One with the ability to heal our wounds.

As soon as they had brought them out, one of them said, “Flee for your lives! Don’t look back, and don’t stop anywhere in the plain! Flee to the mountains or you will be swept away!” Genesis 19:17

In previous years we’ve enjoyed beach vacations in October. It wasn’t too hot, the crowds were gone, it was more affordable, and the bugs weren’t as bad as usual. As I’m following Hurricane Matthew and all the evacuations that are taking place, I think back to the signs on the highway leading away from the coast and how important that road becomes when there’s only one way out of danger. I was reading how in South Carolina they reversed the lanes so that traffic on the interstate, which would normally be heading into Charleston, is now heading west out of Charleston.

The traffic might be slow and the ride long and difficult, but it’s better to keep moving forward slowly than decide to go back where we shouldn’t be. By staying, we are not only putting ourselves at risk, but we are putting others at risk when they have to come in to save us. Once we get on our way, we should take comfort in knowing that we are leaving somewhere that we may have stayed too long as it is. Any more time and we could be trapped in a place without a choice of leaving.  No matter how dangerous something is, we would sometimes rather face it in our comfort zone instead of fleeing to safety.

I’m sure you realize I’m talking about more than evacuating from a hurricane. There are times in our lives when we need to evacuate from bad situations. Just like that interstate heading out of Charleston…there is only one way to go. That’s forward. Get in the car and start driving, then God can keep you going just like the flow of that traffic. Rely on Him to not allow you to turn back into danger.

May God lead the evacuation to safety for all who are facing life’s dangers.

It will be a shelter and shade from the heat of the day, and a refuge and hiding place from the storm and rain. Isaiah 4:6

How did I not hear it? How did I not feel it? How did I miss it? When did it happen? These were my thoughts as I opened the door to my son’s room. I stood in the doorway with my eyes bugging out and my jaw dropped open in shock at the devastation that had taken place. I finally was able to form words and asked, “What happened in here?”

This is where I got the brilliant response, “What?”

WHAT? The tornado!

There were clothes strewn about, books everywhere, toys covered every inch, papers and pencils all over, and money…money on the floor! Yet, I hear a calm, somewhat bored, “What?” Is my child from a different planet? Did something happen to his eyesight? How can he be so relaxed in the midst of utter chaos?

I may have been horrified and completely astonished, however I was intrigued. Is that what Jesus felt while napping in the middle of the storm? Did He look at the disciples and say, “What?” Hmm…I want that! I want to be able to get calm in the middle of the storm. I want that peace. I love the quote “Sometimes God calms the storm, sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child.” I know the peace comes from God, but the big question is…How do I get it?

Looking back at the day I walked into his bedroom, my son wasn’t concerned with the chaos around him because he was seeing life in a way God meant for it to be seen. He knew that crazy room didn’t change the big picture. Sure, he still had to clean up, but it didn’t steal his peace of the moment.

Me, I start to feel anxiety and my calm goes out the window. That’s really pretty ridiculous. How does it help the situation? It doesn’t, it only makes it worse.

I started wondering if I ever stayed in the eye of the storm where it is calm, or if I always let myself get swept away into the storm. Believe it or not, I’ve had successes. It’s good to focus on what we’ve done right instead of just our failures.

When I was nursing my boys, I insisted on privacy. There were wonderful people in and out of the house non-stop for quite a bit celebrating our new addition.  Sometimes, I admit, it got a bit overwhelming. While the party continued all around us, my newborn and I would take a break for him to eat.  It allowed us just to be still. Success!

When the boys were little and zooming around the house, the level of noise around me got higher and higher.  I got still and whispered instead of adding to the chaos. The curious little guys they were needed to know what I was doing, so it quieted them enough to get them under control again. I didn’t just take refuge here, but I was actually able to calm the storm instead of contributing to the whirlwinds. Success!

We’ve been in a busy doctor’s office waiting for an appointment where a video was being played and kids were running around everywhere. We were able to huddle together while quietly reading a book together. It was our own little island of peace in the middle of total chaos. Success!

I’ve had the pup around people with high energy (recipe for disaster) and other dogs barking. If I got all tense and contributed to the chaos, misbehavior would have certainly happened. Yet, by simply pretending I was confident and in control of the two of us, I was able to give him the anchor he needed for success. Sometimes pretending will lead you to the actual feeling!  I learned that the pup will try to calm things down by freezing and lifting his paw, yawning, or licking his lips.  Goodness, if a dog tries to do his part, surely we can do our part and let God do the rest!

Think on three or four successes you’ve had in being calm in the storm. Then, remember to add more to your list today by taking shelter in God’s peace instead of the world’s chaos when the storm is raging.

Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters, Colossians 3:23

When my youngest was little, he went to public school for kindergarten. They had a stuffed dog that each student took a turn bringing home and recording its activities. Then, they reported back to the class the adventures of the pup.

My son couldn’t have been more excited when it was his turn. He wanted the pup to enjoy the things that he did, so we started out by taking it to the local park. Good thing that we didn’t feed it before going because it got to zoom down the slide, fly high on the swings, and go up and down on the see-saw!

When we got home, it was introduced to the live dog that wasn’t quite sure what to think. His buddy had a new buddy? Hmm…how about that…

It was Halloween, and my youngest was dressing up as Batman. Of course we had to take the class pup Trick-or-Treating as Super Pup! We made a cape and a mask so it could visit lots of family members. That’s how we Trick-or-Treated. We made a big loop and visited aunts, uncles, and cousins that lived within that area. The youngest was especially happy with the way things worked out because wherever they would go, the pup got him an extra treat. Super Pup had to be exhausted by the time it got back to school!

It was a day we got to be silly, yet it was a day that gave my youngest the responsibility of taking care of the class pet. Do we look at responsibility as a privilege like he did or as a chore?

If Jesus was standing in front of you after the boss or even a coworker left you with a pile of work, would you grumble and complain or paste a smile on your face and even tell Him how thankful you are to have a job? It’s a privilege to provide for your family.

If you are getting done with the fifth load of clothes and found some more that didn’t make it to the laundry room, do you get frustrated or tell Him how thankful you are to have a washing machine? Sometimes don’t we forget that He’s right there whether or not we can see Him?

N. Pemberton and J. Riehecky wrote that responsibility is a good thing to have. It’s doing what you’re supposed to do, when you’re supposed to do it. It’s thinking of others, not just yourself. They said that when you are responsible, others can count on you to do what is right. This was taken from a children’s book, but doesn’t it apply to adults too?

Today, see responsibility as a privilege instead of a chore. I dare you to even go so far as to thank the Lord for it.  Work for Him today!