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He said, “Can I not do with you, Israel, as this potter does?” declares the LORD. “Like clay in the hand of the potter, so are you in my hand, Israel. Jeremiah 18:6

The boys are planning to visit an archaeologist to see his collection of arrowheads. The are both excited, but my oldest especially. He’s been reading about them and trying to find places around where we live to go searching. They were used in war and hunting, but I see them as art. It takes a skill to make those arrowheads.

I received a picture yesterday of pottery being taught to schoolchildren. Also, I saw pictures of girls wearing amazing necklaces, arm bands, headpieces, and tops that were made out of banana leaves and grasses. They were stunning and so special…true pieces of art!

We were in the lowcountry of Charleston where I became mesmerized watching the Gullah-Geechee people making baskets from sweetgrass. They were beautiful and made me appreciate the time and effort that were put into them.  They touched something inside of me.

Gifts that are handmade are so very special because they contain love that you can’t get from machines. I still have the painted rocks from my boys and the candleholder that my hubby made from the fence post taken from the property we had just purchased. I’ll always treasure the blanket made from my hubby’s grandma when we were married because even though her hands were crippled with arthritis, she made that treasure with love just for us. I smile each time entering my house at the wreaths on my doors because the hubby and boys went outside, got vines, and made them with their own hands.

I got to thinking how God is the ultimate artist…the ultimate potter. Just like those artists who make treasures with their own hands, God does too. His treasures are you and I. He put His time and energy into each one of us.

I started to think about how we find things to complain about in ourselves, but are we really complaining about the handiwork of the Almighty? Well, that makes me embarrassed. I could only imagine the looks on our loved ones’ faces if we complained about how we didn’t like a part of something they lovingly took the time to make especially for us.

I challenge you to tell God all the things you like about His creation (yes, I’m meaning you) because we know that the Potter doesn’t make mistakes.  We just need to realize that!

 

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid. John 14:27

What do I have in common with my pup? We both allow situations around us to steal our peace and calmness. How something so obvious could’ve been staring me right in the face, and yet I never even realized it until today is beyond me! You see, I’m determined to learn how to keep my peace and joy no matter what’s going on around me. I’m challenged in that area just about every single day. Finally a breakthrough was made! I think God was celebrating my revelation with a smile and saying, “It’s about time, girl!” He was saying to those around Him, “I knew she’d eventually get it as long as she didn’t give up.”

I think it’s so, so important to have right words, thoughts, and actions no matter what’s going on around us. Boy is that hard! It was even starting to feel like an impossible task. It would be rather easy if I was home all day by myself without contact from the outside world, but how realistic is that? Sure, it would be easy, but I wouldn’t be able to deal as soon as I made contact with a disagreeable person! I need to learn and grow in order to reach that place of peace among the negative energy.

We know that peace is inside us, but we just expect to pray it forth, and it’s supposed to magically become developed. That’s not how it works! Remember that I homeschool? My boys are amazing, wonderful, and absolutely awesome, but lets be frank here…they’re normal boys. They test my patience on a daily basis! Sometimes I even wonder if it becomes a game because they don’t usually do it at the same time. They trade off. When things are going great for one, the other is crabby about something.

I’m bound and determined to not let my surroundings dictate my behavior. Wow! Talk about one of the biggest challenges I ever faced. I failed! I didn’t fail once or twice, but over and over and over again. If one of the boys was upset, I felt that and got upset with him. No! I’m supposed to be the calm in the midst of the storm. How do I stay calm when emotions of young people are swirling all around me?

First, I needed to recognize that what they say isn’t necessarily what they mean. It’s called growing up and all the fun feelings running through their body is coming out of their mouths before they get hold of them. It doesn’t make it right for them to disobey or be disrespectful, but it does make them normal. Consequences will still occur, but from a calm and peaceful parent. How can we teach them when we’re out of control?

Second, we need to pray. When I say pray, I mean PRAY! Plead for His help, Rely on His help, Always believe He’s ready to answer, and Yield to what He tells us…I’m pretty sure it’ll have something to do with our words!

Next, take deep breaths and picture ourselves in a peaceful place. Separate ourselves from the situation for a few minutes until we’re calm and under control if necessary. We want our insides and outsides to match, and we’re going for calm not out of control here. If we can find something to laugh about, the quicker we’ll relax.

Finally, we should repeat positive words while believing in what we asked for. Do whatever works…even if it’s picturing ourselves in a cape running around yelling, “I’m SUPERWOMAN!” or “I’m SUPERMAN!” it will at least get us laughing…especially if we’re wearing their outfits.

It’s still a work in progress with me because I’m still growing. When I achieve peace, joy, and a good attitude in all situations, what victory that will be. We really can overcome the negativity and what’s going on around us to be stable at all times.

This is where I got hit over the head today. I tell my dog trainer that it doesn’t matter what’s going on around my pup, he needs to be able to have self-control at all times. I can’t control what others do around him, but I want him to be focused on me and paying them no mind whatsoever. He doesn’t need to get bouncy and out of control because someone around him is trying to get him wound up. He needs to take his cues from me. HELLO! What has God been trying to tell me?  I guess I better not expect this to happen overnight since it hasn’t with me.  He has to practice and grow to become a more self-controlled pup.

Never give up on an area you’re struggling with. I challenge you to listen to “Overcomer” by Mandisa a few times, then be prepared to be an OVERCOMER!

 

The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. John 10:3

The phone constantly ringing is a bit of a pet peeve of mine. It drives me nuts! I’ve learned to not get too excited about running to grab the phone because most of the time I don’t even answer it. I get so many calls from people that I don’t know, and it’s so often a machine! I figure, if it wasn’t important enough for a message to be left, it wasn’t important enough for me to answer.

For a while, my phone was ringing so much that I would cringe with the first ring. I got a brilliant idea! I would simply get a new telephone with a different ringtone. I figured that I like animals, so I’d get one that would make animal noises instead of ringing. At first, it did keep me in a better mood because we’d laugh as we’d work our way through the animal calls. You should’ve seen guests jump when they were visiting and the phone rang. I’d get such a kick out of it!

When it was set up for the bear, it was perfect. It was already growling, so I didn’t have to when the phone rang! The turkey gobbling probably lasted the longest, but really, how many times can a turkey gobble in the house? The mountain lion was just pure entertainment as the hubby went into defense mode every time it made its frightening sound. Well, after that phone wore out, we went back to a regular one. I just try not to let my life revolve around the phone. If it’s important, they’ll leave a message.

One morning this week I got up to see a message on the answering machine. Apparently it was left the afternoon before, but I missed it. I must’ve been in the back of the house where I didn’t hear it ringing. I guess when I have my hubby and two boys around, I don’t feel like I have to be jumping for the phone. Yes, I have a place to plug in the phone in the back of the house. Yes, I did recently plug one in when the electric went out not too long ago, but I actually had it off.

My phone back in the bedroom was completely capable of making a connection, but since it was turned off, I never knew someone was trying to get through. I was thinking that our relationship with God is kind of like the phone back in the bedroom.

When things are shut off on our end, He has to resort to more drastic measures to get in touch with us. I don’t know about you, but it’s always better for me when I listen to the still, small voice. I never quite like the other ways He has to use to get a hold of me.

Make sure you have your “phone” turned on in order for God to get in touch with you today!

 

“Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” Mark 14:36

Are your pets allowed on the furniture? We happen to not allow our pup on ours. He always follows this rule and we really don’t have a problem with it.

Since I still wasn’t feeling all that great, I fell onto the bed pretty early last night. It wasn’t time for the boys to crash, but I guess they were pretty bored and decided to see what I was up to. The next thing I knew, they were flopped down next to me. At least I didn’t have to worry about where they were at and what they were up to!

I figured that I’d better check to see what the pup was doing. I called him, and like the obedient dog he is (ha, ha) he came running in. Well, he ended up listening a bit too well and came right up onto the bed to join us. Once he got there, I believe he realized his mistake because he lay down and didn’t move a muscle. Apparently I wouldn’t know he was there if he was super still.

The boys just thought that was hilarious and wanted him to stay curled up with them! I told him to get off while the boys groaned and the pup pouted. I couldn’t be upset with him because he was granting my request…it was actually pretty cute!

Just as we need to be careful with what we ask of others, we need to be careful in what we ask from God. We’re blessed that He doesn’t always answer with a yes! It’s like Garth Brooks’s song, “Unanswered Prayers” when we think we so badly want something, but God knows what’s best for us. I feel a certain safety in going boldly to God with my requests, but also saying, “Not my will, but Yours be done.”

Remember that when you make a request to God, you better be prepared for the answer!

No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

We have a local restaurant that I’m told has delicious coconut cream pie. Since it was Pi Day and my oldest had an orthodontist appointment, I figured that I’d order a pie to take into the office. The boys were having so much fun with the holiday, I figured that I might as well get into the spirit too!

There was a group in the restaurant eating when I stopped in to pick it up. They apparently had their eye on that coconut cream pie. The owner must’ve told them that it was spoken for, but what she didn’t tell them was that she had another one made for them to eat. She asked me to stop at the table to let them know that I was taking the pie. Sure, I’d play along! I ended up knowing someone in the group and after hugs, but much grumbling from the others at the table, I made a quick exit!

I got to thinking about how that group probably wasn’t even thinking about coconut cream pie until they saw it sitting there, then they couldn’t stop thinking about it. By the sounds of things, they just had to have it! I’m pretty sure it became worse when they thought it was gone.

Whether we’re facing a temptation to break a diet or another temptation that would lead us down the wrong path there are a few things to remember. First, we aren’t alone because others have faced the same temptation. Next, if a gun was pointed at us, we wouldn’t HAVE to give in to the temptation. Finally, God will give us the strength to get away from the temptation!

Today, keep what tempts you out of sight. If you are faced with it, remember the strength that’s inside of you. You have a choice! Those choices determine your future.

 

Lazy hands make for poverty, but diligent hands bring wealth. Proverbs 10:4

I’m down today. I got a nasty cold that I could no longer ignore. I woke up, brushed my teeth, washed my face, and put on new pajamas. Yes, I started the day by putting on pajamas. Who does that? Apparently someone who’s sick. I needed comfort…you know, the soft, fluffy, wrapped in a cloud kind of pjs. I smothered Vicks all over my chest and on the bottoms of my feet because I was told it works. Odd, right? Then, I put on the soft, fluffy socks.

The hubby forced me to bed and pampered me today by bringing me medicine and chicken noodle soup, but mostly he’d poke his head in to make sure I was still kickin’ and try not to breathe in my presence. As long as I was coughing and sneezing it was pretty safe to say I was surviving.

When I wasn’t asleep, I’d pull out my Kindle and watch shows from youtube. I watch these shows where people are searching for houses. They’re pretty good. I’m weird though because even though I have a big tv I could be watching them on, I prefer my Kindle…drives the hubby crazy. I think it’s so cool because I can put my screen wherever I want it! Again, the odd things we do or maybe it’s just what I do. Am I the only one?

Since I really don’t watch television, I could handle only so much of it. When I told the hubby I found a porta potty for us, he knew that I better only be down for one day. He wasn’t sure what I might come up with next. I think he was a little concerned. He couldn’t figure out why we’d need one, but I think it was a brilliant idea! Maybe the medicine was getting to me.

Try to follow my train of thought here. I decided to check my email and noticed we got one for a sale going on at an outdoor store. So really, I was shopping for the guys. I found a really good tent that I would be less reluctant to stay in. This led to thinking about having to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, which led to me designing my own bathroom in the tent. Well, I even got to thinking more…this is when I get scary. A porta potty would be perfect if the electric goes out too, right? Hmm…maybe I should just get one of those standby generators that would automatically kick on when the electric goes out. Would I be able to flush then? They have those too!

Maybe I think about odd things when I’m sick. I was even looking for homes for sale in a different state. Apparently we’re moving, but the hubby doesn’t even know about it. I can see how if I didn’t stay busy that I just might bring us to poverty like the Bible says. Let’s hope I’m better tomorrow!

My suggestion to you…stay healthy so you don’t have to be in bed all day! You just don’t know the odd things you might do.

 

Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. –Hebrews 11:1

While I get ready in the morning, I listen to something motivational. I had on Les Brown today, and he was talking about how we get paralyzed and find reasons not to take a chance on our dreams and ideas. We start to feel intimidated and inferior.

He talked about how we’ve all been in situations where we were overwhelmed with fear and didn’t know how we were going to survive, yet we’re still here. We need to look at what we came through and use that as a testament of how powerful we are. To me, that’s also a testament of how powerful God is. He’s proved that He can get us through overwhelming situations, yet we still question His ability to handle new ones.

Les Brown told about how making mistakes or not feeling good enough is a huge fear for people. He said that the person who has never made a mistake hasn’t done anything. You’ll see that others might ridicule or make fun of you. You’re going to feel awkward, stupid, and dumb sometimes, but that’s ok. What’s important is that you get out there.

The better we become, the more confident we feel, and the more confident we feel, the better we want to become. We realize we have no ceiling. We can get better and go further. As long as we’re breathing, we got some more work to do and something else for us to achieve. Going through life quietly without taking any chances is not living.

I’ve been challenged in my thinking lately. First, I was told to write down all my successes so that when I have goals, I know that I’m capable of succeeding. I was stumped. Have I had successes? That was the devil talking because when I started writing, I kept on writing! Try it, you gain confidence.

Now I was being challenged again because Les Brown was telling us how we’ve gotten through overwhelming situations in the past, so we can handle new ones. Hmm…I started wondering if just maybe I haven’t been living. Have I faced overwhelming fear and failure?

I remembered writing down my successes, so I figured I’d try it with fear and failure. Well, let me tell you, that list started flowing. Now I know that I’m living…whew! I was worried just a little. I also realized that I came through some big decisions that required a leap of faith. I was faced with overwhelming fear, and guess what: I survived! I not only survived, I made a difference in someone’s life.

There are times when God pushes us to see what can be, not just what is. We can’t be afraid to take that leap of faith because if we don’t, we’ll never see the awesome things He has in store for us. If we fall, He’ll catch us!

If I hadn’t taken leaps of faith, my life would be drastically different. I would’ve missed out on so much that God had in store for me. It would’ve completely changed my hubby and boys’ lives also. Just one example is taking them out of public school and starting to homeschool. Talk about a leap of faith! There’ve been failures along the way, but we learn and grow from them. I didn’t even think about them as failures at first because we keep on persevering!

I urge you not to let your fear override your faith. If you take a leap of faith, you might be surprised to find yourself flying instead of falling.

“Never be afraid to try something new. Remember, amateurs built the ark; professionals built the Titanic.” -Anonymous

“If we never had the courage to take a leap of faith, we’d be cheating God out of a chance to mount us up with wings like eagles and watch us soar.” – Jen Stephens

For God is not a God of disorder but of peace–as in all the congregations of the Lord’s people. 1 Corinthians 14:33

I have to remember to change the clocks before I go to bed because we “spring” forward for Daylight Saving Time in the early morning hours. Frankly, it can be so confusing! Who does, who doesn’t? Do we really save energy? What effects does it have on our health? How confused are our pets and farm animals? In the spring, the cows are saying, “What are you doing here? I’m not ready!” In the fall, the cows are grumbling and shouting, “Where were you??? I needed milked an hour ago! Did you enjoy YOUR sleep?”

So who got the hands on our clocks moving? Was it Benjamin Franklin in his essay “An Economical Project”, George Vernon Hudson of New Zealand who wanted more time to hunt insects after work, Congress when they implemented it to save fuel during World War I, or Roosevelt during World War II when he made it a year-round event? We can look clear back to the Romans to see this wasn’t a completely new idea. In 1908 it was first used in an area of Canada. Germany was the first country to implement it in 1916. No matter how it started or why it continues, Daylight Saving Time sure has some interesting history!

We just need to remember to reset our clocks in our houses, on our computers (although that’s usually done for us), on our phones (my old phone still requires me to take the battery out and put it back in), on our watches, and even in our vehicles. If we don’t reset them, we are fed wrong information. It leads to confusion.

Let me tell you a little story. My hubby’s parents used to have this clock they kept hanging in the living room. They wouldn’t change the time, so it was an hour off until Daylight Saving Time rolled around again. I’m telling you…it was a ploy to mess with our minds! I truly don’t know how they coped with remembering when it was correct or remembering to mentally add or subtract an hour (I don’t even know which, I was so confused at that point). I don’t have room in my head to do that kind of mental aerobics every single time I glanced at a clock. Maybe it would be good for me, I don’t know.

The boys had a scout outing today so I stayed at home doing my own thing. I had no idea how badly I needed to reset. So often we don’t realize it until it happens. It dawned on me today that there is one word that will help us know we’re in great need of resetting: confusion.

Just like that clock at my in-laws gave me confusion when it wasn’t reset, my mind starts feeling confusion until I get reset. I start questioning things that I know to be right and true. I start getting confused in my priorities and goals. You see, that isn’t right. It tells us in the Bible that God is not a God of disorder (confusion) but of peace.

As soon as confusion starts to creep in and your peace starts to trickle out, I challenge you to stop what you’re doing. Take time to reset so you don’t get off course. The peace will come back after resetting.

And whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:5

My youngest is thoughtful and kind, but naturally quiet and reserved when dealing with most people. He’s been working hard to overcome some of that shyness. It takes him a bit to work up the courage to speak out, but he’s really growing. There are times that he blows me away with how far he’s come!

We were at the grocery store the other day checking out with a cashier who was very polite to me, but didn’t seem all too happy with her job. We have no idea what kind of day she’d been through, and I didn’t think anything about her attitude until I watched my youngest show kindness to her. He took initiative by bringing the next cart to her and even trying to talk with her. I was so proud of him! Unfortunately, the cashier completely ignored him. He never mentioned anything afterwards, but I’m sure that didn’t bolster his confidence. As a matter of fact, it could cause him to quit trying for a while.

On the flip side, there’ve been so many people who do engage them in conversation. They’ve had the best discussions with adults! I’m forever grateful for those who welcome our young people. They’re contributing to their success in life. I’ve been noticing those who ignore our children and youth, those who talk at them, and those who talk with them. Did you ever notice that the ones who aren’t setting the good example, are the ones who are the first to complain about the youth of today?

Whether we know it or not, we’re making an impact on someone’s life (rather young or old) with every contact we have. It could be for the positive or the negative, but I guarantee that our interactions are bolstering their confidence and making them feel good or chipping away at their confidence and causing their head to be a little lower than before our contact with them. When we start thinking about the effects our words and actions have on someone else, we realize how important we are to every person that crosses our path.

Remember that the choice of nourishing or poisoning is yours with each interaction you have. We want to be illuminated like the old hymn says in order to have open eyes that we may see how to build confidence, open ears that we may hear what needs to be said, an open mouth to bear warm kindness, and an open heart to nourish all who come in contact with us.

 

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

A couple years ago the place my hubby works for decided they’d have a company picnic at an amusement park a couple hours away. We were definitely on board, but when the day arrived, the forecast didn’t look so good! It was calling for rain and thunderstorms off and on all day. That doesn’t sound too great for a day at an amusement park, but we felt it was important to show our appreciation for all the hard work that people put in to make the picnic happen. We were off to brave the weather!

Our first snag came when we didn’t have the appropriate raingear. We decided to stop at a store near the amusement park, but ended up going to a couple other places until everyone had what they needed. Suited up for the adventure, we went straight to the pavilion being used by his company once we arrived. The boys were fine with that (remember there was food waiting) and we had a great time. I met a couple for the first time that I really enjoyed chatting with.

The rain stopped and the rides got dry for us to go on a few. The great thing about a day that makes you think about curling up on the couch at home is that is exactly what most people decide to do. We didn’t have any lines to wait in! The first ride, only my oldest and I went on where we spun and soared to fifty feet. It was one of those times that you don’t forget about because of the expressions from another person. He was so funny! My hubby said that all he could hear was me laughing. I seriously don’t know if I’ve ever laughed so hard or long in my life. I just asked him if he remembered it and the look he gave me was priceless. He said that he never gripped onto anything so hard in his life.

We got in a few rides before the thunderstorm started. It was so much fun! We quickly made it to the vehicle and talked about how we might not have been there long, but we still had an awesome time. As the rain was pouring down and everyone in the park was trying to find some shelter, we were cozy and warm in the car. We seemed to get home in record time because we enjoyed each other so much.

It was a day that had we stayed home because things didn’t look so great, we’d have missed out on the opportunity to spend time with some great people and create memories to store away for a rainy day! There are certain times that it looks like it would be easier to just pass on what you think could be a miserable experience, but God might take that and turn it into a wonderful adventure!

When you feel like your plans might be ruined, just change your expectations of what “should be” to what “could be.”  Commit your plans to the Lord and He’ll establish them and make the seemingly impossible, possible.