Month: February 2017

“Whoever can be trusted with very little can also be trusted with much, and whoever is dishonest with very little will also be dishonest with much. Luke 16:10

I have an issue…orderliness. I like things to be put away in their designated place. My family…eh…take it or leave it. Again, not an issue to them, but it drives me a little bonkers.

A have a little example of pencils being one of my issues. A pencil monster apparently lives in my house. I gave the boys nice little containers with all new pencils, erasers, and all the other stuff they’d need for school. I have a pencil holder on my desk that holds pens, a ruler, highlighters, and pencils in there (everything that my children have also).

You wouldn’t believe it…they disappear! Nobody ever knows where they’re at though. I figured I’d get smart by only keeping pink and purple pencils in my holder. Since I live with a crew of males, I’d be safe, right? Color doesn’t seem to bother the pencil monster. Nope, no discrimination there!

Now, when a bedroom finally gets put into order, you’ll never guess what. The famed pencil monster deposited those pink and purple pencils in my sons’ rooms! You may be asking, “Are pencils really that big of a deal?” In the grand scheme of things, the answer is no.

I want you to think about something though. How much time has been wasted searching for a writing utensil? How many times have we bought more, only to find several later? How many times until my ears start smoking because I can’t find MY pencils in MY holder that I didn’t misplace? Not that there’s much of an issue there, just…maybe…a…tiny…one. No big deal. Ok, showing orderliness just might cause less stress too.

The character trait for today is Orderliness-arranging myself and my surroundings to achieve greater efficiency (definition from characterfirst.com).

Terri Savelle Foy has a podcast called The Laundry Basket Law of Success. I really suggest checking it out! She also has talked about five benefits of getting organized. She talks about how it’ll save you money, time, and stress. It’ll allow you the time and energy to go after your dreams and goals. Here’s another positive I bet you didn’t think about…it’ll give you more confidence!

I really believe if we clean out the clutter, there’ll be room for God to bless us with the things that really matter. Do we want to be looking back at all the stuff from our past or focusing ahead on the great things to come? Wouldn’t we rather open that area for genuine abundance? Really, are we going to miss that item that we didn’t even remember having? Think of what a blessing we could be to someone who’d really enjoy it.

Also, look to see if you’ve outgrown your home. Maybe your stuff just outgrew the space. Sometimes I can feel overwhelmed when there’s too much and not even realize what I really have. It’s great to clean out. It gives me a fresh start and I really enjoy and use what I keep. Another thing, I believe, is that if we don’t take care of what we do have, God isn’t going to bless us with better.

When we have things in order, we’re pleased with our homes and more thankful for what we do have. We have better self-esteem and more peace around us! We’re thrilled to welcome someone into our homes. We should never be embarrassed. This is where that confidence comes in she was talking about.

Please don’t think I’m saying everything has to be perfect all the time. I remember many days when the boys had a train set and everything that went with it was spread the whole way across the floor as they were building and playing. That still makes me smile! That showed we a home that was lived in and memories were being made there. They just had to clean up after they were done playing and before moving on to something else. It kept things from total chaos!

Today, respect what’s important to others, and let others see you be the change! As a family you might want to discuss why orderliness can be so important. Just remember to listen to what your spouse and children have to say. You might find out why something is really special to them that you wouldn’t have known otherwise. They might even realize that they have a bunch of stuff that’s holding them back from doing what they really want to. Organizing the room might make more space to build those Legos!  Just sayin’.

Don’t get caught up in doing everything at once either. If kids are on board, great! If they aren’t too sure about it all, start with them getting five things a day for a certain number of days out of an area you want organized. I bet they can find all kinds of old papers, garbage, and pencils the pencil monster deposited that they don’t need…that’ll last them several days right there! It won’t be so traumatic either.

A quick tip that works for us: When you go on a trip that you want to remember, instead of buying a souvenir, get a postcard and take a few pictures. It saves on money, will be around much longer, and takes up a whole lot less room!

Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path. Psalm 119:105

I set a goal to walk the dog first thing every morning by going to the end of the road and back, even in freezing cold weather. My resolution was tested yesterday when I was a good distance down the road, and it all turned to ice. I could see my destination, but I wasn’t so sure of my ability to get there. I started thinking that I needed to turn around so I didn’t fall and break something when my goal flashed in front of my eyes.

I came to a roadblock; I could fail at my goal or become victorious. If I continued on, I knew I’d have to go slowly and shuffle along which would put me behind schedule. The devil doesn’t like us to achieve our goals and knows when we’ll be challenged the most!

You have to understand that I’ve been practicing changing my thoughts and words by declaring what God wants from me. I’ve been working on showing obedience to Him. Guess what I do on those walks every morning? I repeat that I’m strong, I’m victorious, I’m bold, I’m courageous, I make the right decisions, etc.

I had to make a choice right there if I was going to quit before fulfilling the goal or if I was going to put one foot in front of the other to be victorious. It didn’t take me long in deciding to keep going! I’d been telling myself I could do it without even realizing I was setting myself up for success. I just figured that if I went down, at least I could call the hubby to come pick me up.

The most amazing thing happened…once I started forward, there was a tiny, narrow strip of snow right in the midst of all that ice. It wouldn’t be something I’d see, unless I was really looking for a path! There was enough traction to keep me upright if I just followed it. When it stopped, there was another one to take its place!

Wasn’t that amazing? I not only made it to the end, it didn’t take me nearly as long as I thought it would. Once I was determined, I was willing to crawl to reach my goal, but I didn’t have to!

After completing my walk, I felt such a sense of accomplishment. When you complete something you start, it builds confidence. Today, I faced that ice without even slowing down. The path where I needed to travel was new, but I had confidence from not quitting yesterday.

I started thinking that this was God’s way of showing me all about life. If He calls me to do something, I can guarantee the devil will try to stop me. I need to ignore him and stay in obedience to God. Right thinking will help me do it.

He’ll already have a path planned, I just need to follow and keep my eyes focused straight ahead. He’ll light the path! If I start looking at the challenges around me, it will take my sights off the goal and I’ll get distracted which could cause me to slip. I also learned that once I let Him lead me the first time, it becomes easier to do each time after.

The character trait for today is Obedience-quickly and cheerfully carrying out the direction of those who are responsible for me (definition from characterfirst.com).

There was a second lesson in my morning walk. What was the pup going to do? If he got ahead of me, I needed to correct him by turning around, but I couldn’t or I’d lose balance and fall of the strip. He shocked me! The pup who likes to creep ahead seemed to know he needed to let me completely lead. He actually dropped behind me and followed. Sometimes we need to follow the Leader, while being the leader to someone else!

How many times do we get excited to complete a job or a goal that God has for us…until that first roadblock. If God gave you the orders, shouldn’t we realize that He gave us a way to complete them? Just obey and follow the path!  I guarantee you’ll be able to find it if only you look.

Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” And they divided up his clothes by casting lots. Luke 23:34

Have you ever come across someone who just wasn’t being very nice? The boys have dealt with that. This boy was really saying nasty and mean things. He was extremely hurtful to my youngest, attacking his character, while my oldest was standing there. Now, let me say that my youngest is a gentle soul and is very sympathetic to others’ pain. He also can display a bit of a temper…quickly. He’s working on harnessing and keeping that temper under control. The oldest believes he can irritate his brother, but nobody else better.

That sounded like it could be a recipe for disaster. They weren’t happy campers, and many around them were pretty mad too, which could’ve fueled the anger. They didn’t give into it though, they didn’t respond with like words, or deal with it physically! They were able to walk away.

This is someone they had to deal with on a regular basis. Unfortunately, hatred continued to spew from his mouth. They struggled with this, they looked to me for help, and they prayed for this person.

Now, I don’t believe in allowing someone to be bullied. Adults were already trying to handle the situation. It wasn’t the boys’ job to “get even” or even repeat the experiences to all their friends.

They tried to see what was behind all the hurt. They harnessed their anger into work for God. They continued to pray for him and to love him as God did. There was certainly hurt going on in this child’s life to act the way he did.

They reached out doing their best to treat him with respect and kindness after the cruel words. This was not them being weak, and it was not condoning this child’s actions. This was showing mighty strength in controlling anger and turning the situation over to the only One who knew how to handle it appropriately.

Unfortunately, I don’t have a wonderful ending to the story. He continued to give others grief and doesn’t seem to be part of that organization anymore. Jesus knew He couldn’t make everyone like Him, just as the boys had to come to that conclusion also.

That young man’s story is far from over though, and just maybe he’ll remember the kindness extended during that hard time in his life. He could turn everything around and do great things.

The character trait for today is Meekness-yielding my personal rights and expectations with a desire to serve (definition from characterfirst.com).

So many people see meek as weak. This couldn’t be further from the truth. Jesus was in no way weak, and he never let anyone take advantage of Him. He just saw higher than those around him. He knew how to bring His power under control. He was able to keep serving while having many people come against Him.

Today, I challenge you to harness your words into great things for God. We must pity those who don’t know better. Be willing to say, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Don’t allow bitterness to creep in from a wrong that you feel you need to deal with. Stay meek and allow God to make it up to you. It’s the way to keep your joy and show great strength in your character!

But Ruth replied, “Don’t urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God. Ruth 1:16

Last year was one rough year! It was as if everything bad was coming our way all at once. On Christmas in 2015, I lost two very important people in my life who were my mentors and who I called my mama and papa. It was a time of transition.

Within eight days, we had a puppy…a puppy. The pup couldn’t be crated due to major separation issues. It took me a month of working with him and never leaving him before we found success. He had health problems too. After trips to the veterinarian, we realized he had food allergies. He had to be on a prescription dog food and treats long term. This made it more challenging to train because we couldn’t use the treats that were considered high-value to get his attention in exciting situations. Plus, when I’d take him to train, I’d have to keep a sharp eye out that he didn’t get any treats dropped by the other dog owners or the problems would start again.

By the beginning of March, I had shingles. I was still working with the pup and walking him twice a day, teaching the boys, and trying to keep going. I couldn’t remember things, I was exhausted, I was super sensitive, and basically couldn’t wait to get better. I had some weird things happening!

It was July, and I was still dealing with those symptoms. I kept blaming the shingles. I came across an article about silent warning signs of Lyme disease. Most of them were me! I was dealing with what seemed like a sinus infection, so when I went to get help with that, I asked to be tested for the Lyme disease after a doctor friend told me to do that immediately. Sure enough, it was positive and I started on antibiotics.

Over the next several months, my mind seemed to go downhill. It was so scary! I couldn’t think of words that I was looking for and I couldn’t remember anything. I was writing EVERYTHING down. Thank God that my doctor friends studied into the disease for me and came up with foods to eat and what to drink to help me. I made an appointment with a specialist, but wouldn’t be seeing him for several months.

Now, remember when all this was happening, I didn’t know if I was coming or going, yet I felt like God was calling me to start up this blog. What? Not only was I “allergic” to technology and unable to think of everyday words, He wanted me to write! I felt like I just needed to shut-up and obey, but I would post something and say, “Did that make sense at all?”

Meanwhile, my hubby’s work suffered an explosion that had him scrambling for months and didn’t allow us to get away. Plus, my great-aunt’s health was declining and we ended up losing her. My oldest was working on becoming Eagle and my youngest was working on crossing over into Boy Scouts. Am I forgetting anything?

I’m not complaining with what I’m telling you, I’m celebrating! That season is over and God is promoting us! Almost exactly one year later, we went away, and I came back a whole new person. I felt healed…body, mind, and spirit! I now actually thank God for the Lyme disease. It taught me so very much about stress, eating right, and keeping Him in sight.

I learned what amazing friends I had who encouraged and got me through it. By the way, one of those people told me about apple cider vinegar and pomegranate juice. My mind was so much clearer! That’s what I’m saying…God never let me go through any of what I was talking about alone. He already had people in place to help me. He didn’t take away the problems immediately, but He did carry me through it. I can’t even begin to describe the many miracles and blessings I experienced during that year of painful growth.

Most of all, I realized how blessed I was with my hubby and boys. They were my rocks! They showed me what loyalty means. My hubby stepped in as my knight in shining armor and the boys stepped up and showered me with love and support. We were going through a season of testing, but we were going through it together! It was the year that I grew the most of any other year I’ve lived. I look at life a whole new way and my family is stronger for it!

The character trait for today is Loyalty-using difficult times to demonstrate my commitment to those I serve (definition from characterfirst.com).

Today, if you’re struggling, get excited and keep praising the Lord because something big is about to happen to you! Appreciate those who show loyalty to you. My family doesn’t give up and God never gives up. There is no greater gift! Accept loyalty with gratitude and know that showing loyalty is a privilege.

Here is a poem/prayer that I wrote down years ago, but I don’t know where it came from. I pray this with my family. Maybe you’d like too also:

God, please grant us the blessings of sweet unity to You; the joy of togetherness, the comfort of each other’s warmth in the wintry days of life. The peace of unconditional acceptance, in spite of failures and flaws, the sigh of relief at burdens shared. Please grant us the freedom of truthful expression, a spiritual harmony, and hope for the future because we can face them as one. Please grant us listening ears to unspoken pain, compassionate eyes to see each other’s secret need, gentle words to heal emotional wounds and a love so fiercely loyal that nothing on earth can sever its bond. With all these blessings and more, God the Father please join and hold us together through all eternity to come. Amen.

 

Blessed are those who act justly, who always do what is right. Psalm 106:3

Some of the biggest lessons I learned in high school didn’t come from the material we were covering, they came from life lessons taught by caring teachers. One of those lessons was during an economics class in high school taught by one of the football coaches. I did my assignments and received good grades on the tests while being pretty quiet in his class.

He was passing out grades one day, and it seemed like mine wasn’t quite right. It didn’t make sense, but what if I was wrong? I didn’t really want to disrespect my teacher and question him, but I didn’t think it was what it should’ve been. This was no reflection on him because he was always very kind to me and approachable. Anyway, I finally got the courage to speak to him about the grade. My voice didn’t reflect confidence that I should’ve had, since there was no reason to think my grade would’ve been anything besides an A in his class.

Do you know what? He got a bit firm with me, and I’ll never forget it. I swear he put that grade on there to teach me a lesson. He looked me in the eye and said in no uncertain terms that I was not to except something that I knew was wrong and that I never should be afraid to speak up. He taught me a lesson in finding my voice, in my confidence, and in justice. I will never forget that lesson or how thankful I am today.

The character trait for today is Justice-taking personal responsibility to uphold what is pure, right, and true (definition from characterfirst.com).

Thomas Jefferson said, “It is reasonable that everyone who asks justice should do justice.” So basically, everyone who wants to be treated fairly should treat others fairly. We do that through doing what is right every time. We respect and never take advantage of others. We must be impartial (unbiased, unprejudiced), treating everyone equally.

Ask yourself if you’re being reasonable and keeping an open-mind in each situation that is comes up. If you see an injustice taking place, stand up for that person. As my high school teacher taught me, never be afraid to speak up!

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. Romans 15:13

When my mom was pregnant with me, my grandpa had a massive heart attack. He stopped breathing several times, and the doctors kept bringing him back. After he was stabilized, the doctors gave him a maximum of seven years to live. He had several heart attacks throughout the years, but he played a very active role in the lives of his grandchildren. He didn’t pass away until I was 21 years old.

Grandpa taught me how to love the Lord and that actions speak louder than words. He taught me to be on time (I’m not perfect, but I try)…remember Sunday mornings? He was the one out in the back alley teaching me to ride a bike (or the lack of…maybe crashing into the shed has something to do with that).

He taught me to take time to relax by enjoying shows like the Price Is Right. Also, relaxing with loved ones is so important. He loved his family vacations! When I’d say, “Just one more night,” he was all for it!

He taught me confidence by carrying his hot tea without spilling it. He taught me sharing…Trident gum and oranges that I wouldn’t have to peel! He taught me gratitude from a good back scratch while sitting on the arm of his chair. He taught me how to savor a good cantaloupe on a hot day. He taught me to not be afraid to voice my opinion. He even tried teaching me the birds and the bees…I’m still scarred!

What I’m trying to say is that even though he was faced with unpleasant conditions every day of his life for 21 years, he allowed the God of hope to fill him with joy and peace. He trusted in the Lord and maintained a good attitude. I don’t remember the one person who seemingly had a right to complain, doing so. He never stopped living the life God gave him! He still got on my great-grandma’s roof…just to make sure they were doing things right up there! He lived life.

He spent his share of nights in the hospital. We even laughed and had joy during those times! My grandpa’s attitude was a big part of that. My grandma had a huge part in that too. She always made it seem like just another adventure. We got to eat in a great little place within the hospital when we visited. Dessert was always special. She would sit and play games with us too! One vacation we had to leave an amusement park because he had to get to the hospital because of his heart (he didn’t lie around…zoos, amusement parks…), and I don’t even remember thinking that we were missing out.

The character trait for today is Joyfulness-maintaining a good attitude, even when faced with unpleasant conditions (definition from characterfirst.com).

Andrew Matthews said, “We learn more from disasters than we do from success. Disasters get our attention and we take action!”

Steve Remington said, “You will have bad times, but they will always wake you up to the stuff you were not paying attention to. There is always a way to turn a negative situation into an opportunity to become a better version of yourself.”

Grandpa had to slow down, but he didn’t let that get him down. I believe the quality of our time together was so special because he was wide awake to the amount of time he had left, yet he never dwelled on it. He made the best with what he was given.  He was a better version of himself.

Today, when you feel like complaining or getting down in the dumps, stop it! Use whatever problem you’re facing to become a better version of yourself. Have a hot tea and some oranges, it just might make you feel better. Don’t let anything or anyone steal your joy!

Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Proverbs 16:3

When he becomes an adult, my youngest is going to be a paleontologist. I’m reminded of this pretty much every day because he’s quite determined. Is he waiting for a college class to assign him work before he actually studies the information needed to understand his field of study? Absolutely not! He started his studies while he was still young. There hasn’t been anyone telling him that he must read certain books, watch documentaries, or even keep up on the latest news of dinosaurs. Plus, a grade isn’t waiting at the end of a semester, but he sure has taken the initiative to learn everything he can!

The character trait for today is Initiative-recognizing and doing what needs to be done before I am asked to do it (definition from characterfirst.com).

I don’t know about you, but I tell my boys to see what needs done and do it right away. They shouldn’t wait until someone asks them. Just like them, we need to keep our eyes open for ways to show our initiative.

Sometimes it’s easy to see someone else’s need and jump right in there, but how often do we take the initiative do get started on dreams that God has put on our hearts? We want something, but are we showing God that we’re going to take the first steps believing He’s paving the way? It’s about time we make our words line up with His and start speaking what the Bible is telling us! We need to stop waiting for Him to give us a huge shove.

Today, be like my youngest and take a step in faith believing that God will make the dreams He put on your heart come true. Just like him, be prepared for God to do His work. That young man isn’t questioning if it’s going to happen, it’s when. He’s already taken initiative, you can too!

“You don’t have to be great to start but you have to start to be great.” -John C. Maxwell

“The vision must be followed by the venture. It is not enough to stare up the steps; we must step up the stairs.” -Vance Havner

“The start is what stops most people.” -Don Shula

“Inaction breeds doubt and fear. Action breeds confidence and courage. If you want to conquer fear, do not sit home and think about it. Go out and get busy.” -Dale Carnegie

“Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, magic, and power in it.” -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

“If all you can do is crawl, start crawling.” -Rumi