Month: April 2020

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them. For everything in the world–the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life–comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15-17

When the pup was a bit younger, his groomer had a family emergency and would be out of town for a while. Since she preferred that I have a certain amount done for her, she must not have thought it too much of a stretch for me to fully groom him. It was a situation I had been putting off, but it was the push I needed to just do it. There was a learning curve, but I now successfully keep him groomed myself.

With my guys, it was more about convenience for them that I got roped into cutting their hair. It was pretty easy when they insisted I just buzz it off. The youngest tries to tell me to make it all one length because he wants to sit there for the least amount of time possible. I try to respect their wishes, but in this instance, I highly suggests that he sits a little bit longer to get a somewhat faded look.

I dreaded doing my oldest son’s hair because he wanted to go above my expertise. Does he think this is a barber shop? The last couple times I couldn’t send him anywhere, so studying online was my best option. The only problem was me being super slow, but he liked it. I think I have a new client.

It looks like the dog, the hubby, and the two boys are taken care of. That leaves me. Salons aren’t open. Oh, how this could’ve been a problem. First off, I wasn’t getting anyone in my house to give me a haircut, that’s for sure. I have longer hair, so it isn’t a necessity right now. That is not a job I want to turn over to the guys in my family.

My problem for my hair was the pretty colors that were making an appearance and reminding me of my grandma. I love Grandma, but I’m not quite ready to go to that extreme. My hubby and I have remedied this problem before…many years ago. Surely, we could do it again. I figured that I’d even attempt highlights.

After looking for the dye, I started to get concerned. I couldn’t find any. Finally, a friend saved me by sending a link to a normal color. I wasn’t going to have to go blue after all! It got here faster than I expected, and I took my hubby up on the offer to help. Off to the laboratory we went.  Wait, what?

Apprehension settled in when I saw how excited my hubby became. Let me be honest, he was practically vibrating with energy. As he started mumbling about mixing and chemistry experiments, I grew concerned. When he went to get more “professional” gloves than what was provided and the crazy scientist look came out, I was ready to run and hide. This didn’t seem to bode well for me.

Finally, I suggested that he find something to do and I’d call him if I needed help. He actually dropped his head, rounded his shoulders, and acted like I severely wounded him. There might have been a pout or two thrown in. Listen, I know how a successful lab works. Fear to try many things is not an option because throughout all the failures, the great creation happens. We only had one shot at this!

I wrapped a towel around my shoulders, put Vaseline around my hairline so the dye wouldn’t get stuck there, and took off my glasses. Wouldn’t you know, I couldn’t see. I resigned myself to call the hubby from the bench and put him back in the game. After a little prayer that all my hair didn’t fall out, I told him the “good” news. Having quickly made it clear that I was not an experiment and he was my helper, I read the directions. Seemed easy enough.

Unfortunately, I couldn’t actually put the dye in my hair because I couldn’t see what I was doing. I had to rely on the helper. I think he did a little wiggle as if he ran the ball into the end zone. I was confused. Was he a chemist or a football player? I kept telling myself he was neither; he was my helper. It seemed to be going fairly well according to the comments being made behind me.

I understood it taking a while because I have a lot of hair, but I was afraid it was taking a little too long. I asked what the hold up was. Remember, I can’t see what he’s doing. He assured me everything was going fine, but I knew that we were taking too long. I asked why he wasn’t using the little cap that contained a brush they provided. He informed me he was following the directions that I told him.

Call me a little controlling, but I needed to step in. I put the new endcap over the bottle and started to slide it through the hair, except it wasn’t moving. It was stuck. In my hair. Why? Because I was matted like a poodle who hasn’t been brushed in two months! What in the world? With a slight panic in my voice, I asked what he did. He told me that the instructions said to massage it into the hair, and that’s what he did. I couldn’t argue with that.

We faced a dilemma. Massaging to him meant twisting the hair to spread the dye. I grabbed a comb and started to force it through the knotted mess. My hubby began panicking because he thought we’d have to cut all my hair off. Whoa! Let’s not get ahead of ourselves please. Getting on the phone, this project became a team effort. He was talking, I was combing, the people on the phone were advising, I was emailing, and the hubby couldn’t run and hide because I still couldn’t see what I was doing!

I admit it wasn’t our finest moment, but we got the dye in, and it turned out successful. Although the highlights are still sitting in the bathroom until the trauma wears off a little, you never know when I’ll feel adventurous again.

There was one problem later on. When walking out onto our sun porch the next day, there were brown spots all over the carpet. I asked what happened. Apparently, when he was taking the remaining dye out to throw away, it dripped. At least it wasn’t on our cream carpet. He looked at me and said, “I’ll never complain about how much it costs to get your hair done.”

Isn’t it a good time to evaluate what we’re doing and why? We can’t let our decisions be based on what works for others. No comparisons are needed!

We shouldn’t be afraid to try new things. This is the season that it’s becoming quite necessary. We can except our experiments or reject them, but not until we’ve tried. It might be several tries later before we become eager to continue, but does the outcome outweigh the uncomfortable? For grooming the pup, pretty much. For cutting my hubby and youngest son’s hair, yes. For cutting my oldest son’s hair, I’m getting there. For dying and cutting mine at home, no way! Could we? Yes. Should we? No.

What’s something new you’ve been forced to try? What might work long-term that the outcome means more than the difficult process? Are you being forced to look at how you’re spending money? Is it homeschooling? Is it how you’re spending your free time? Is it your appreciation of your job? Is it realizing you want your job to go in a different direction? Is it the way your family interacts with one another? Let’s stop judging by what the world says is important.

It might be out of necessity that we start something, but it’s by choice if we continue it.

I challenge you to take a break from what others are showing the world and concentrate on what can be learned from this time, when by necessity, we’re forced to do things a little differently. I know that we’ll succeed in reevaluating our lives and be better for it!

For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God. 2 Corinthians 1:20

As my toothbrush was heading toward my mouth this morning, a torrent of rain hit the bathroom window like I’ve never heard before. We were either in the midst of a hurricane or something was just not quite right. After placing the toothbrush on the sink, I made my way to the window. Slowly lifting the shade, I saw the water pelting the window full force. It wasn’t falling from the sky though; it was coming from below. It was my hubby…on the balcony below the bathroom…with a hose. The water stopped, and I let the blind fall back down.

I might not be the quickest in the brain-working-department that early in the morning, but after a few seconds of it starting up again, it dawned on me that this wasn’t quite normal. My hubby is usually at his desk working around this time, and wasn’t it actually raining outside? What was he doing? Two things popped into my mind. He’s finally lost it would be one, but I just knew it was my second conclusion. He was being romantic!

How did I think this could possibly be a romantic gesture? Thank you for asking. I’ll be glad to share my exciting deduction with you. He was afraid of his own strength. Keep following me here. This was a scene out of a movie. He was the leading actor trying to win the girl. Knowing which room she was in, he needed to get her attention to proclaim for all the world his never-ending love.

Oh, the romance of the balconies. He made it to the balcony because it was the closest he could get to the leading lady. (That would be me.) The power he doesn’t always realize he has made him fear the consequences of the stones hitting the window too hard. He wasn’t looking to break anything for that would ruin the moment, so he went with water to get the attention he so desperately was looking for.

That blind popped open so quickly that I think I must’ve startled him with my face. The water stopped again. Slowly, opening the window, I came up with the most brilliant line of the scene. “What are you doing?”

After blinking a few times, and in an attempt not to wake the neighbors, he whispers, “Washing the bird poop off the window. It’s a mess.” Window shuts and blind goes back down. Well, at least he was being productive. That I appreciate.

Seems to me like expectations can be a dangerous thing. Just because I can create a whole scene in my head, doesn’t mean the same one is running through someone else’s.

Have you ever faced disappointment because someone didn’t play out the scene you had scripted? Well, I’m here to tell you to knock it off. If I take away my scene (that I never even expected when I rolled out of bed this morning) and replace it with reality, it allows me to be thankful that he got that mess cleaned off the window! Let me tell you, it wasn’t a small amount either.

Today, don’t get caught in the dangerous web of expectations. There were some unrealistic expectations of what Jesus was going to do when he came to this earth. Peoples’ thoughts weren’t the reality. His plan didn’t line up with theirs in what they believed He would conquer.  We ended up with an even greater gift by His conquering of death instead of what was expected.  The place our expectations are safe, are in His promises.  Even so, are our expectations really what He said or what we want?

I’m not saying expectations are always bad, but if I would have stuck with that unrealistic expectation that I put on my hubby this morning, things could’ve gotten ugly. This was an easy situation to see the humor in, but not all are that easy. Our expectations need to be flexible and realistic.

I challenge you to be willing to communicate with kindness and honesty. Be open with your expectations and find out the expectations that others have for you. You might be surprised! Expect wonderful things in your life, but don’t get rigid on what that should look like.

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

So they rose up that very hour and returned to Jerusalem, and found the eleven and those who were with them gathered together, saying, “The Lord is risen indeed, and has appeared to Simon!” Luke 24: 33-34

I was a little saddened knowing I needed to get rid of my once beautiful flowers my hubby had gotten me. Unfortunately, letting them sit for as long as they did wasn’t uplifting in any way. When I woke up this morning, I figured that there were two ways I could look at my drooping flowers in my bedroom. I could see the overall wilted bouquet or focus on the couple that were still lively and beautiful. Those still pretty ones were the reason they were all still there.

Why did I accept the overall dismal picture just because there were a few flowers still looking nice? Because I was holding onto something that no longer had the purpose they once had. I let them sit in that vase way longer than I should have. Do you know what happened after tending to the mess? Something of beauty appeared! Allowing the flowers that were alive and well to become independent of the wilted ones brought life back into the picture.

Pondering this lesson, I began wondering how many people were becoming like me and haven’t realized they have messy vases too. There are times when we don’t even recognize the beauty because we’re so caught up on the good that used to be, we’re blinded by what doesn’t serve a purpose any longer. These create messy vases of life.

Another situation that causes problems is when we allow some of our wilted flowers to overtake what was once good. Simply becoming aware of changes and choices in our lives can make the picture clearer. I’m sure we all have areas we could do better and be more aware of changes that need to be made. On the flip side, I’m positive there are things we’re doing well. We just haven’t thought about it to own it!

I love Easter! No matter what’s raging around us, through us, or to us, we know what is constant. The whole reason of Easter is to celebrate the resurrection and eternal life for all who believe. It’s full of light, new life, victory, and hope because there is Someone who doesn’t change. Through the storms of life, we can choose to see the Light and separate Him from the wilted, dead, drooping sadness to allow the joy and peace to roll over us.

After having a reawakening this morning with the flowers, I decided to search out what could use some improvement and what should be celebrated. Making right choices gives us motivation for the difficult that needs dealt with. My recent win was Easter. A trip to be with family was cancelled, and the weather wasn’t looking too promising to enjoy the day outside. We could’ve moped about, but the choice was unintentionally made by all to really enjoy the time together.

I had dreams of grandeur while considering having the family get dressed up to let our minds know that this wasn’t just another day at home. I was thinking of putting on a dress because I remember when I used to get an Easter dress, new shoes, maybe a new necklace, an Easter bonnet, and possibly even gloves. I was feeling nostalgic. Since I felt out that situation earlier, I knew it probably wouldn’t start the day in the best way. I knew God wouldn’t care how we showed up, but couldn’t we please look a little more put together for such a special holiday?

As I threw my hair into a ponytail while making my way out of the bathroom in the morning, I spied an outfit my hubby had set out on the bed. He was keeping it casual but was getting out of his fleece top and into a dressier shirt. I’d take the fishing pants! I quickly ran back into the bathroom and danced a little jig. It wasn’t hopeless! Out my hair came from the ponytail and on went the jeans with a nice top. Now, onto the boys.

My youngest was already awake.  Being concerned with the reception from waking up my oldest a little (or a lot) earlier than he’d like, I braced myself and went full out high-energy on him. “Peter Cottontail” may have been sung and clapping may have ensued, by me of course, as I urged my teenagers to put something on other than sweats. I didn’t hear any growling and may have even heard a couple mumbled, “Happy Easters.” Ooh, it was looking good.

Thinking I’d test their alertness, I starting with my oldest saying, “He is risen!” His response, “Yes He has…” Hmm.

I moved on to my youngest, and he answered without missing a beat, “He is risen, indeed!” Yes!! Correct answer. All those Easter Sundays at church taught him something.

My hubby got it right on the second try. That wasn’t bad!  They were still waking up.

Next, it was time for a scavenger hunt instead of the traditional Easter egg hunt. Laughter ensued as the boys tried to figure out the clues and seeing their reactions when they found another reward. We have so many things to look forward to when things are open again!

Getting breakfast and calling family came next. After sliding the ham into the oven, we gathered to worship together for our own little church service. Then, we died Easter eggs. Everyone did it without complaint. Here’s where a secret comes in. Food. Tease them with the smell of food. Keeps them alert and much more cooperative in seeing things your way. Saturday the smell of Paska worked miracles too.

By the way, those eggs were quite interesting. Our artistic skills might leave a little (or a lot) to be desired. We didn’t quite create those that I admire from Eastern Europe, but they were special because we were creating memories while doing them together.

We decided on an Easter meal that worked for us. Having enjoyed juicy ham, deviled eggs, the comfort of macaroni and cheese, and candied yams, we were only missing collard greens. Maybe another year! A nap was needed after all that.

What could’ve been a day focused on everything that wasn’t right, I’m excited to look back and say that we found those flowers that were lively and beautiful.

How are you tending to your vases of life? Can you clearly see the good that is hiding among the wilted? I challenge you not to except an overall dismal picture. Use what’s in the vase to improve and celebrate. Once you see there is always something good left, share it.

Jesus is a constant good. He is the Light. He is risen! When you catch that glory, spread it to someone else. We can spread Light instead of germs! Be kind. Be thankful. Be determined. Be patient. Have joy! Don’t wait until tomorrow when you can do it today.

Those who passed by hurled insults at him, shaking their heads and saying, “So! You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, come down from the cross and save yourself!” In the same way the chief priests and the teachers of the law mocked him among themselves. “He saved others,” they said, “but he can’t save himself! Let this Messiah, this king of Israel, come down now from the cross, that we may see and believe.” Those crucified with him also heaped insults on him. Mark 15:29-32

I’ve been falling asleep every time a sit down the past few days. The list in my brain of things I want to do isn’t getting any shorter when nothing gets deleted and more gets added. Here’s the thing, doesn’t seem to be bothering me too much right now. Why? I’m more concerned about my lack of ability to stay awake. After putting my detective skills to work, I’ve come to a conclusion. If I take medicine, I’ll have some sort of side effects.

Do you see the commercials on the television for prescriptions? Scary stuff! I think I might stick with the original problem if given the choice over their dire consequences and other alternatives. I really do understand that medicine is given if the problem needing dealt with outweighs the concerns for the possible side effects. I’m incredibly thankful for doctors and medicine!

Getting back to my problem. Lately, if I’m not moving, I’m resting my eyes. That was my grandpap’s way of not admitting to dozing off even if he was catching flies while sitting in his chair. You’d think I’d know by now that when something like this coincides with starting to take some sort of medicine, I probably have my answer. Allergy medicine was kicking my butt.

After thinking it over, were my symptoms worse than sleeping my life away? I figure that’s a negative. I even tried cutting it in half. That allowed me to sit here and type, even if the battle is real right now. I’m so sensitive to medicine that even a multi-vitamin needs cut in half. I think I’ll go with some eye drops instead of my hubby turning to stare dreamily into my eyes only to see my eyelids. Hey, it could be happening! I have no proof it isn’t when I’m snoozing away.

What about you? Have you ever tried to fix a problem, but the solution you came up with seemed to be worse than what you originally started with? I’ve often wondered what to do in those situations. I think my youngest son helped me find the answer, and it all had to do with Algebra. Math was never really a problem until this year. He’s quite good at it actually; however, his confidence took a bit of a beating and frustration was at an all-time high.

This year, I’ve seen him conquer his writing phobia brilliantly, completely own science, keep up quite well with his older brother in civics, and I am trying to keep up with him in Bible studies. When he did reach a difficulty in one of his subjects, he took on the challenge and powered through. We were just struggling with Algebra. He was getting more and more confused. We’ve used the same curriculum since starting to homeschooling back when he was in first grade, but not every year is like the others.

I felt like we were coming to a crossroads, and a decision was needed. Were we going to power through because he was passing, or did we need to take a couple steps back in order to move forward? If we stuck with it and just got through this year, would the solution be better than the original problem?

To his disappointment, my conclusion was no. This wasn’t the way to end his school year in math. After some research and advice, I was changing his curriculum. In my opinion, it was more important to have a solid foundation than move on to the next math where he’d probably feel even more lost.

The unpopular decision was made to go back a couple steps even though we were so far into the school year. The new curriculum was ordered. This time, instead of jumping into Algebra, we were going to work through pre-Algebra. I’d be there with him every step of the way…lucky him. What came easily to him, we’d go through quicker. Every problem didn’t need to be completed just to have busy work. We would be working for knowledge and foundation. Quizzes and tests would still being taken so that I knew for sure he understood the problems and recognized that he isn’t bad at math.

We’re going to have this finished by the time school starts up again. He’s determined to have it done a lot sooner. That’s some good motivation! He knows it isn’t about rushing, it’s about growing. We’ll tackle Algebra with a new curriculum next year, and I know that he’ll do fantastic!

I believe that there are different ways to work out problems. It isn’t the same for everyone. For us, the side-effects of plowing through without full understanding were worse than taking a couple steps back. I think this shows character on his part. After getting over the initial disappointment, he’s embracing this. That character will get him far in life. He won’t just get through, he’ll excel! He never quit; he just took a new route.

Do you ever feel like you’ve run into a problem and what you’re trying for isn’t really happening? Do you ever feel like you’re drowning in confusion as to what your prescription might be? I would ask you to think back to when it was clear.

Our tomato and zucchini plants we started were doing amazing, and then…not so much. When were they thriving? Was it when they were in the warmer part of the house? Was it when they got a bit more water? We needed to go back to that point before things turned. It’s better to go back those couple steps than lose those plants out of stubbornness.

I challenge you to remember failure isn’t going back a couple steps, it’s quitting the game. Ever play the game Sorry? The boys always wanted to get their piece out of the starting point, then choose a backwards four. Even though they were having to take a couple steps back, they had a stronger chance of getting to home without several starts and stops along the way. Also, the likelihood of winning the game got higher.

Don’t be caught sleeping and just barely getting by. If you’re going to sleep, do it on purpose! If you’re going to excel, do it with purpose. If you’re going to grow, figure out the right temperature and amount of water needed.

Don’t be afraid to take those couple steps back. Remember to evaluate the side-effects of your prescription. There usually is more than one option.

Viewing things with human eyes, didn’t Jesus seem to take a couple steps back when he came to us as a baby, was tested and tried, and submitted to pain and ridicule? As I think on those things this Holy Week, I’m unbelievably grateful He did. What might seem like going backwards right now, might lead to the biggest fulfillment you could imagine.

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Mark 1:35

I live with four males. That would be a hubby, two sons, and one dog. I love it! I really do. Even as I type this with my eyes glazing over, I wouldn’t trade that for anything in the world. I’m completely certain that this is the perfect family for me, but did I mention that I’m surrounded by those of the male species morning, noon, and night?

My dad…oh my poor dad. It was the opposite in our house growing up. There might have been one specific incident that made him run from the dinner table even though he wasn’t quite finished eating. Don’t worry, I think he took his food with him. I’m sure he was running to a secret hiding spot.

What you don’t know is that my home has a very open floor plan. What I love about it is also what can be problematic at times. There is no quiet space! The bathroom is always an option but doesn’t seem like a really good one. Our bedroom is actually a tad bit open too, so it’s out.

Not one to give up, I decided to keep on the mission of finding a secret hiding spot. One morning I was in my closet getting dressed because I hate shutting my blinds since I would miss the gorgeous sunrises. Apparently, my hubby was looking for me. When I opened the closet door and popped out, I scared the living daylights out of him! It might have caused me a tad bit of amusement.

What I realized during this unfortunate, however highly entertaining, event was that I couldn’t hear everything from in there. I was being handed quite a wonderful gift. I found it…my secret hiding spot! The next time I was being searched for, he got smarter and checked in our closet.

It’s possible that if I acted like nothing was out of the ordinary, it wouldn’t seem weird that I was quite content in my new office. If one was to do that, hypothetically speaking of course, they would in their most professional sounding voice and with a smile on their face say, “How may I help you?” Remember, when one acts like everything is perfectly normal, all others will believe it. Or not, but we do try our best in this house.

Yesterday, I had time to make a quick phone call. The boys were in the middle of some schoolwork that didn’t need my immediate attention, and my hubby was already on a phone call for work. I figured that it was safe for me to skip out for a few minutes because they’d just think I was folding clothes or something. They never know when eyes will be on them.  Remember…open floor plan.

Grabbing the phone, I ran into my closet and got comfy. While wanting to make sure everything was fine with my parents, I figured I’d take a few minutes break. I’m not sure if it was the way I was quietly talking or the lack of background noise that made my mom ask if I was in my closet. Thinking that it was getting quite ridiculous that everyone is learning about my secret hiding spot, I forgot I told her when they came to see our new place.

Even though it’s supposed to be my secret spot, I catch my hubby peeking in if I go missing for a few minutes. I was glad he did this time! The next thing I knew, he appeared with hot tea and cookies, telling me to take as long as I wanted because he got science with the boys. Yes, science is all him. I turned that over to him when they got to seventh grade.

It was nice to be getting that break and didn’t even bother me that my quiet time was occurring inside a closet. There are times when we need an escape as individuals, especially if we’re constantly together. We should never feel ashamed of having some down time.

I cherish this season that my boys are still at home. My favorite times are when we’re all together. Also, I’m excited for the future when they choose a life partner. The trust I have in their decisions makes me thrilled to have a couple girls I’ll be able to enjoy coming around so that I’m not so outnumbered! In the meantime, I’m going to make sure I get some quiet every now and then, even though my secret hiding spot isn’t so secret anymore. They respect it…for the most part!

I challenge you to find your own spot that allows you time to regroup, hear yourself think, and have a chance to pray without interruption. I would think that if Jesus found it important, we need to make it a priority. We’re being reminded to take care of ourselves physically, but I want you to remember your whole self today. That includes your spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health.