Month: March 2017

Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:2

As I reached the end of my driveway this morning, I found a crushed up beer can. This wasn’t exactly surprising, since we tend to find litter along our road. We see beautiful wildlife, but the view is diminished when we’re seeing trash at the same time. Litter is just plain ugly!

The information I found from the NC DPS website amazed me when I was researching facts about litter. Did you know that the United States taxpayers spend billions of dollars cleaning up litter in one year? We’ve actually spent ten times more money on litter cleanup than on the cost of trash disposal. Also, litter reduces property values. Neighborhoods experience more vandalism and other crimes when they’re heavily littered. Plus, it makes it seem like residents don’t care about their neighborhood. We sure can’t forget that litter attracts more litter too!

I had a choice this morning. Let the beer can steal my joy, which would only hurt me, or pick it up and throw it in the recycling container a few feet away. I threw it away, and reminded myself to get the family back out for another road cleanup.

Do we spend so much time reacting that we never take the time to act? We allow others to control our responses so often that we miss an opportunity to make the situation better. I had on a motivational video today that really hit me. I tried to look it up online and came across pretty much the same thing that was in an article by Sidney J. Harris (The Chicago News):

Do You Act or React??

I took the bus with my friend the other day – her usual route to work. As we got off, she took the time to face the driver, look at him, and thank him politely. The driver didn’t even acknowledge her.

“A rude person, isn’t he?” I commented.

“Oh, he’s that way every time,” shrugged my friend.

“Then why do you continue to be so polite to him?” I asked.

“Why not?’ inquired my friend, “Why should I let him decide how I am going to act?”

As I thought about this incident later, it occurred to me that the important word was ACT. My friend acts toward people; most of us react toward them. My friend refuses to return incivility for incivility.

Nobody is unhappier than the perpetual reactor. Their center of gravity is not rooted within themselves where it belongs, but in the world outside. Their temperature is always being raised or lowered by the social climate around them, and they are a mere creature at the mercy of those elements.

Serenity cannot be achieved until we become the masters of our own actions and attitudes. To let another determine whether we shall be rude or gracious, happy or angry, elated or depressed, is to relinquish control over our own true self and inner spirit, which is ultimately all we possess. The only true possession is self possession.

How often do you let others control your actions and attitudes? It gives me the chills thinking about some of the people that I’ve let take control of my inner spirit! How crazy was I? Steve Backlund shows the mediocre way being like a thermometer and the great way being like a thermostat. The situation and your emotions control the thermometer, but you’re in charge of what the thermostat reads.

I challenge you to keep your mind renewed, and don’t copy the behavior of others. Make a choice before leaving the house that you are going to act, not react today.  Also, decide how you can help problems, instead of grumbling about them.

 

 

Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” Matthew 19:26

How many of you have basements? I’m not talking the kind that’s finished, I’m talking the cement walls, concrete floor, low ceiling kind! That’s the kind we had as I was growing up. One of the first things I learned to do down there was drive. Yep, you heard me right! I was the most skilled tricycle driver out there. I could back up with the best of them! I learned to be creative down there. No need to pay for entertainment when my imagination could allow me to travel anywhere.

The next thing I learned how to do was roller skate. I started by shuffling along, but before I knew it, I was flying from one end of the house to the other. The old boombox blared music as I zipped, danced, and skated back and forth. I didn’t need to pay for lessons when I could simply get downstairs and practice.

I spent many hours practicing baton down there too. Remember how I told you the ceiling was low? It’s amazing how that can be an advantage in learning control. If it did get away from me, someone was yelling down the register wanting to know what was going on! I could spend every night down there in the winter and not worry about trying to get to a gym.

It was once said that no matter how slow you go you are still lapping everyone on the couch. How true! Simply get up, get moving, and stop letting excuses keep you from beginning a dream. Mary Manin Morrissey said, “Don’t wait for something big to occur. Start where you are, with what you have, and that will always lead you into something greater.”

I was determined to learn how to drive. I might’ve been a wee bit young, but I sure could start preparing. Let me tell you, I reached my dream! Ok, you’re saying that most people do reach that one, but I say that I didn’t even realize I was learning to set long-term goals back then. It’s a confidence booster to know I can set goals and see success.

I wanted to be having fun when I got to the skating rink, so I took initiative and learned at home. By the time I went, I could keep up with everyone else, plus skate backwards!

I wanted to be my best when twirling, so I didn’t just think about it. I was constantly practicing which led me to top scores during tryouts.

I want you to realize your dreams and goals, then go for it! Get creative and don’t think of all the reasons why you can’t accomplish them, just do something, anything, to get started. Work with what you do have.

I challenge you to get a dream today and take a step toward it. Don’t look at how impossible it seems, don’t let anyone tell you that you’re too young, too old, too poor, or not smart enough. If God placed it in your heart, get started because all things are possible with Him. I know you can do it!

 

But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. 2 Peter 3:18

For the past month I’ve noticed how my bamboo plant was getting too big for its container. If a plant is too big for its container, it inhibits growth. I read that the size of the plant is proportional to the care it gets. Also, if it doesn’t have the proper water, it will run out of nutrients. Last week I finally pulled out a really cool type of mug that matched my bedroom and got the plant moved.

Did you know that we could become stunted in faith like a plant becomes stunted? Our nutrients come from the Word of God. Are we getting enough food for our knowledge to grow? We grow by spending time with God in prayer, reading the Bible, and obeying what it says. People say, “But I don’t know what to say, I don’t understand what it means, and the people around me make it difficult to obey.”

It’s ok to feel inferior because we all are. God isn’t worried about how we start out, He sees us as we will become! If you can only say, “Help!” during your prayer time, do it. Begin to get wisdom in Proverbs and search out resources to help you. If people around you make it difficult to obey, are you around the right friends? My point is, take the step and don’t quit! Check out this story:

THE MASTER’S HAND

Wishing to encourage her young son’s progress on the piano, a mother took the small boy to a Paderewski concert. After they were seated, the mother spotted a friend in the audience and walked down the aisle to greet her. Seizing the opportunity to explore the wonders of the concert hall, the little boy rose and eventually explored his way through a door marked “NO ADMITTANCE.”

When the house lights dimmed and the concert was about to begin, the mother returned to her seat and discovered that her son was missing. Suddenly, the curtains parted and spotlights focused on the impressive Steinway on stage. In horror, the mother saw her little boy sitting at the keyboard, innocently picking out “Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star.” At that moment, the great piano master made his entrance, quickly moved to the piano, and whispered in the boy’s ear, “Don’t quit, keep playing.”

Then leaning over, Paderewski reached down with his left hand and began filling in a bass part. Soon his right arm reached around to the other side of the child and he added a running obligatio. Together, the old master and the young novice transformed a frightening situation into a wonderfully creative experience. The audience was mesmerized.

That’s the way it is with God. What we can accomplish on our own is hardly noteworthy. We try our best, but the results aren’t exactly graceful flowing music. But with the hand of the Master, our life’s work truly can be beautiful. Next time you set out to accomplish great feats, listen carefully. You can hear the voice of the Master, whispering in your ear, “Don’t quit, keep playing.” Feel His loving arms around you. Know that His strong hands are playing the concerto of your life. Remember, God doesn’t call the equipped, He equips the called.

Author Unknown

Proverbs 1:5 tells us the wise listen and add to their learning, and the discerning get guidance. The opposite of the wise is a fool, and I know I don’t want to be put into that category. I’m going to start growing, and if my surroundings are too small for that growth, I’m going to make my surroundings bigger. No excuses!

Today God is calling you. He doesn’t need you to come equipped; just show up and he’ll equip you to thrive!

 

Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Have you ever played the child’s game Memory? Have you ever played it with both adults and kids? We went to a family dinner tonight and the adults pulled out the children’s game. Since I may not have the best memory, I was just going to wing it…until the kids decided to join in on the excitement. Game on!

The cards were all in nice neat rows and columns when someone (maybe my oldest with his uncle quietly cheering him on) happened to move the cards to fill in the empty spaces. That’s not how you play the game! Cheating was called, but the game continued. Someone (possibly my niece) happened to take a couple extra peaks, so someone else (perhaps my other niece) decided to mix them all up to make it fair again.

Good heavens! I was starting to get into a groove and figure everything out when the unexpected changed the whole thing. I had to relearn the order when I thought I had it under control. I have to tell you though, it never stopped being a blast. Our volume showed how much fun we had. It was quite the game!

It reminded me how common it is to be starting to understand this thing called life when the unexpected comes in and mixes everything up. It feels like you need to start back at square one.

When the boys were little, it was constantly like that. We would find that a sticker chart was keeping things running smoothly until all of a sudden it lost the potency and we’d have to figure something else out. That’s the way life is. It’s a journey.

Do you know what? We could’ve quit when all the cards were mixed up because that wasn’t how the game was supposed to be played, but that wasn’t even a thought. If we gave up, we wouldn’t have had the great memories and there wouldn’t have been a winner. Giving up guarantees that nobody will be a winner. Pressing forward guarantees that you don’t have to start back at the beginning.

When an obstacle comes in to throw you off course, just remember to focus on the end result. Look at the big picture and know that you are striving toward Jesus. He never moves because He’s the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow…ok, forever!

Today, I yelled, “They’re the same!” when I got a match. The next time an obstacle is blocking you from achieving your goals, go around it and get back on course. Jesus is ahead showing you a different path and leading you on to victory. Feel free to yell, “He’s the same!” just to let the devil know who you’re following.

Make sure you refuse to quit and not be surprised be the obstacles the devil will put in your path. They might change the route, but don’t you dare quit the journey! Remember that when you quit, the devil wins (I hate that!) and he guarantees you lose. His goal is to keep you at the starting line. Orison Swett Marden said, “Most obstacles melt away when we make up our minds to boldly walk through them.” See, you may not even have to go around, you may be able to just walk through them!

I challenge you to be bold today and yell, “He’s the same!” and press forward.

The LORD came and stood there, calling as at the other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” Then Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant is listening.” 1 Samuel 3:10

During a visit to my aunt’s house, I watched the boys looking around every fifteen minutes. Finally, they couldn’t handle it anymore and asked what the noise they kept hearing was. My aunt was stumped. She couldn’t figure out what noise they were talking about. We finally figured out it was her clock that gave a little chime every quarter-hour. She’s so used to the sound that she doesn’t even hear it.

The same thing happened to my hubby’s cousin when he was staying with us. We had a clock that chimed every hour. It never bothered us because we never even heard it through the night. Unfortunately, he didn’t get much sleep because of it waking him up. He wasn’t immune to the sound like we were!

When our water softener regenerates, it sounds like a jet taking off in our basement. I thought for sure that we’d have to set it to regenerate during the day since I was wide-awake listening to it during the middle of the nigh, but it didn’t take long for me to not even wake up.

It amazes me that someone could even live next to train tracks, but it doesn’t even register that the train is going past. The silence would attract more attention! I even listened to someone talk about how quiet it was around where we lived so it was terrible sleeping, but when we stay in a city we can’t sleep because of the traffic and noise. Our noise is just different. Spring peepers sing us a lullaby, and traffic sings others to sleep.

Do you know anyone who can’t seem to get up with an alarm clock? I used to have one that would play music and it was just incorporated into my morning dreams. Why? Probably because I wouldn’t get up right away the first time I heard it. I’d just listen to it for a while before starting the day. The same thing happens when someone starts hitting snooze. They get used to hearing it!

Are you guilty of not hearing? Is there an area of your life where you’ve heard something so often that it doesn’t even register? I know it happens in my house. The boys have heard me say the same thing so many times while not taking action that they stopped truly hearing me. We have to be careful that we don’t get so used to not giving full attention to what is being said that we stop hearing the needs of one another.

Are you still tuned in when God speaks to you, or did you get in the habit of saying, “I’ll do that later.” If so, what awesome things are you missing out on because you no longer hear God’s call because you got used to ignoring it? Be as attentive as Samuel was in order to hear God’s voice. Don’t let it fall into the area of noise that no longer registers.

Today, practice hearing on purpose.

 

Be always on the watch, and pray that you may be able to escape all that is about to happen, and that you may be able to stand before the Son of Man.” Luke 21:36

We’ve been experiencing some high winds the past couple days. They were supposed to really be blowing last night so we got ready in case we lost power. We cranked up the heat, made sure we had flashlights, and since my hubby was away, our bedroom became the sleepover zone. The boys sprawled out, but had a hard time falling asleep.

When the winds started to blow, the electricity blinked. When they started to howl, our lights went out. It didn’t panic anyone though because we were prepared.

I’ve heard the Boy Scout motto “Be Prepared” many times. This is what it says in the Boy Scout Handbook:

“Be prepared for what?” someone once asked Baden-Powell, the founder of Scouting.

“Why, for any old thing.” said Baden-Powell.

The training you receive in your troop will help you live up to the Scout motto. When someone has an accident, you are prepared because of your first aid instruction. Because of lifesaving practice, you might be able to save a nonswimmer who has fallen into deep water.

But Baden-Powell wasn’t thinking just of being ready for emergencies. His idea was that all Scouts should prepare themselves to become productive citizens and to give happiness to other people. He wanted each Scout to be ready in mind and body for any struggles, and to meet with a strong heart whatever challenges might lie ahead.

Be prepared for life – to live happily and without regret, knowing that you have done your best. That’s what the Scout motto means.

Boys learn so much about life through that organization, but I just want to ask why my hubby still goes away when it’s cold without a coat since he’s an Eagle Scout? When I ask him that question, his answer is, “Don’t need it.” What if he breaks down along the side of the road?

Let me tell you a little story, then I’ll get back on topic. When we were on vacation, the guys wanted to head to the beach knowing it was supposed to rain. They had their backpacks that were weighed down with all their supplies, but no raingear. I might ask you where the Boy Scout motto was during that time.

I’m not a Boy Scout, but I stayed dry with an umbrella. Hey, I didn’t even have to lug a big backpack with me. I’m only saying this because later we needed some sandwich and gallon bags for fossil finds back at the house. Do you know my hubby kept pulling them out of that backpack? I’m talking at least fifty! I was told that you never know when you might need them; he was prepared. Why on earth would you need that many bags, but no raingear?

Remember that I get to ramble occasionally. It’s good to get it out of my system! Now, back to Baden-Powell. He wanted to prepare boys for life. He wanted them ready in mind and body for any struggles, and to meet challenges ahead with a strong heart. Isn’t that what God wants from all of us? Are we going through the ranks to be prepared as the scouts do on their journey to Eagle or do we get lazy?

The boys and I were prepared for the windstorm and the possible effects it might have had. It was no big deal to us, but what if we weren’t prepared? What if the electricity being out meant us being really cold? What if someone panicked because something was wrong, but we had no flashlight to see with?

I believe that God never wants us in the dark; he wants us prepared. We are told to remain alert, be watchful, and vigilant. He wants us to get ready before the storm comes by praying, learning His promises, and becoming strong in faith. We shouldn’t wait until disaster strikes and think we are going to act like an Eagle Scout when we haven’t even passed Tiger Scout rank.

I challenge you to prepare now in order to stay confident and strong during times of storms. Then, there won’t be any regret from wishing you would’ve done something before the storm was upon you. Like Baden-Powell, I want you prepared for any old thing!

 

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Matthew 4:1

I remember when the contractor told us our modular home was arriving to the property we’d purchased. We were so excited! I was with my hubby and our oldest as the cranes arrived to lift each piece onto the foundation. Our oldest was ecstatic because what could be better for a little guy than big equipment and mud?

My parents had decided to tag along too, so when I went running towards the woods, the contractor asked my mom what was wrong. She responded, “Oh, she’s probably just sick.”

I think that at this point he questioned himself as to whether he should’ve told us when the house was showing up. I’m sure he’d seen jittery people during the moving process before, but maybe I took it to a whole new level! He asked Mom, “Is she that nervous?”

Mom said, “No, she’s just pregnant!”

I pretty much had a case of constant nausea during those days, but my boys were worth every bit of discomfort I experienced!

We’ve probably all went through something that wasn’t so pleasant in order to get amazing results. They seem so big at the time, but when we look at what Jesus went through, we stand in awe and wonder at what He endured for us. He was completely unselfish. He even went off to be tempted by the devil, which sounds like misery to me. We won’t even talk about the humiliation and pain that He endured on the cross. It leads us to pure appreciation that He thought we were worth every single thing He went through.

When we’re going through those uncomfortable times, the devil will tempt us with everything possible. He loves it when we’re weak. If we’re nervous, he’ll try to worm his way in to make us question ourselves. If we’re going through a rough time, he’ll try to make us think that God has abandoned us. He’ll even try to convince us we aren’t in the perfect will of God when it’s absolutely clear we are.

Jesus was led by the Spirit, and that Spirit lives inside of us to help in every temptation the devil dishes out. With the example of how Jesus handled the devil in the wilderness, we know we can win and not allow anyone to keep us from God’s plan in our lives.

Start the Lenten Season with gratitude, and show that we’ve learned from the devil’s attack on Jesus. I challenge you to do something a little uncomfortable in order to give someone a big reward. I know many people will deprive themselves of things, but without reward to others. I would love to see you deprive yourself of something so that someone else benefits. Isn’t that really why Jesus went through everything He did here on earth? It wasn’t for Him, it was for our benefit.