Kelly Girl Thinks

“Be careful not to practice your righteousness in front of others to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. Matthew 6:1

The other day I was watching two ducks that landed on the water. As I studied them, I was searching for answers. There was something special about those ducks. Were they sea ducks? I passed on that idea because I really think they were mallard ducks, a male and a female. They weren’t some rare species, and their movements were very normal, so what was I to learn?

I watched them float next to each other. Even though they seemed so peaceful and weren’t doing much work, one would occasionally do some head dipping for what I assumed was to find a tasty morsel of food. They’d then continue just being still and floating next to one another.

Their bodies seemed so calm and peaceful, but once I got to thinking about how they were staying close to the edge of the water without hitting into the sea wall due to the current I was confused. How were they staying in one place?

That’s when I realized that there was work involved for them to keep steady. They might’ve had a peaceful state happening, but they were in no way motionless! Just because I couldn’t see what was going on, doesn’t mean that nothing was.

It wasn’t the type of ducks or even a miraculous feat they were accomplishing on the bay that I was to receive a grand lesson from. It was what I couldn’t see that contained the lesson. It was what was going on beneath the water. Those webbed feet were constantly paddling so they didn’t get pushed where they didn’t want to go.

They weren’t frantic, more like utterly peaceful, but they weren’t completely still either. They kept on paddling. The current didn’t worry them because they knew what it takes to remain and not crash. They knew that in order to remain, there is some movement involved. To go forward requires extra and to go backward is when there’s no movement.

What did that mean for me? It meant I needed to keep going in the direction last given without worrying about what is next or what has already happened. Showing steadiness while I keep paddling equals letting my faith shine.

Was God using the ducks as an example? I think so. His creatures don’t panic, but they don’t just float while waiting on Him. They stay in peace while they keep on paddling. If they were to quit while waiting on the Lord, they’d be thrown off course and hit the snags and walls, so they keep on paddling.

Do we tend to have extremes in our lives? Do we stop paddling and say we’ll wait on the Lord? Do we completely wash our hands of all responsibilities that the Lord has given us? Next, I have to think about the opposite extreme. We strive and strive relying on our own knowledge and strength without any room for the Lord to direct and make way for us.

I suggest we remain in peace like those ducks but keep paddling while waiting. Paddling without trying to get everyone else’s attention for what we’re doing could be what is expected from us. We need to paddle under the water, behind the scenes, more often than to be seen. It helps us remember that the Lord is still working in ways that aren’t visible just yet.

Where we end up will be more of a testament of His work than if He showed each step of the way. It allows our faith, perseverance, and character to grow along the way.

Also, keep that partner there with you. Remember I saw that male and female together? Just like exercising…it will be easier going through with someone who can encourage and remind us we can do it. We can keep paddling through the rough waters.

What can you do? Keep on paddling! No crashing into the sea wall for you. A wise person told me, “The most important things happening aren’t always seen.” Stay peaceful, not motionless.

For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, 1 Corinthians 15:3-4

This Easter season had my brain going off on a strange trip today. Many would say that isn’t too unusual but wait until you hear where it’s taken me this time. Wildfires. I think I can connect this for you if you stick with me. My thoughts aren’t as random as my hubby might think. They make sense to me anyway!

I was thinking back to 2016 when a wildfire took place in Virginia. I remember hearing about the thousands of acres that were burning from the Shenandoah forest fire. It took me back to the visits with the beautiful hills and turns of Skyline Drive. I’ve been there with my parents, with my hubby, and with my own boys. Thinking the beauty of that area was being lost really bothered me.

My dad needed to put things into perspective for me. Even though it looked bad, not all forest fires are bad. Actually, they can be incredibly beneficial for our ecosystem and quite natural. I had to do some looking into this. I suppose I knew about controlled burns, but did I know why they were even used?

Time for me to do some digging to find out how beauty could be made from ashes. The article “How does a forest fire benefit living things?” by Laurie Dove answered many of my questions. Here’s some positives I learned.

• Nutrients return to the soil.
• Underbrush and invasive species are cleared.
• Sunlight can get to the forest floor.
• Native species can return.
• Diseases and damaging insects are eliminated.
• Wildflowers bloom abundantly.
• More diverse species in animals and plants can be seen.

Easter is all about rebirth and new beginnings. Jesus showed us mercy in such a magnificent way when we didn’t get the punishment we deserved by taking it on Himself. He extended such grace to us when He blessed us with that direct relationship with God by no work on our part. He died so we’d receive a new life. It was ugly, painful, and horrific. Yet, if we keep looking at the cross, we miss the beauty of the resurrection. Accept the wildflowers!

As more land is being developed, not only are animals and vegetation being harmed, but property and people are too. That’s the heartbreaking part. I hate to see the suffering and pain families are dealing with after a wildfire has swept through their neighborhoods. I pray that anyone who’s been caught in this situation remained optimistic that there is new life after fires. Not only for the land but for them too. If this was you, turn your eyes from the scorched, hot places and see promises of the future.

We can receive the Easter gift anytime and anywhere. We can go back to it during each difficulty we face. When we see nothing alive and good, we’re looking at the destruction from what happened and not the resurrection of what’s to come. Wildflowers are coming. Greater and more diverse blessings will be upon you even if things look dead, dark, and dismal. Accept what can happen in this season of your life with the hope of a new chapter. Your greatest chapters aren’t behind you.

What’s happening during your own personal wildfire? Nutrients are returning to your heart as the decay turns into ashes. All the bad weeds that took over are being cleared away for healthy seeds to sprout that were lying dormant or even being choked out by the invasive species. God’s light can now reach you! Halleluiah! The diseases and damaging things that have been in your life are being eliminated. The blessings, the beauty, the wildflowers are coming. A greater and more diverse world is being prepared for you!  Let the wildfire be beneficial to you.

Oh, one more thing I learned. Most animals can smell the fire from miles away, even if it’s small. Pay attention to your nose today. Sometimes we can tell there’s trouble coming. Don’t freeze from the destruction, rather run to the reconstruction. Get out of the way so you aren’t trapped by the wildfire while waiting for the wildflowers!  It’s your Easter gift…He has risen!

Again Jesus said, “Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you.” John 20:21

We had that white stuff falling from the sky again yesterday. You know, the cold stuff that’s supposed to be gone by now and replaced with sunshine. I wracked my brain trying to come up with a good reason not to be annoyed. Aha! I was reaching but found it. The cicadas. My heart did a little tap-dance in my chest when I saw that this was the spring they’ll emerge after their last party seventeen years ago. The cold temperature was keeping them away a little longer.

Hate is too strong of a word to use for cicadas. They’re just out there doing their thing unlike the ticks that I’d like to see decimated.  A small, personal opinion. I do hold a teensy grudge from their last bash. They were only out for a good time and being completely harmless when things got a bit out of control.

The swarm of noisy partiers decided to move into our yard. I acknowledge they didn’t intentionally set out to make me nuts but the chaos that ensued left a lasting impression. They were buzzing around, enthusiastically greeting one another without a care in the world. The level of excitement made things quite noisy. If you’ve never experienced one of their get-togethers, just picture Black Friday right as a store opens that has the best deals with the most amazing items.

I made the mistake of trying to get to my front door in the midst of the madness. The thing is, I was huge, they were not. I was waddling up the sidewalk with my big belly leading and one of those overly energetic bugs crashed right into me. The rest are jabbering away all around me and I’m in crisis mode. Not that it was overly painful, but it went right down my shirt.

Who was more surprised and damaged by the incident? I’m not sure, but I do know that it was trapped. Inside. My. Shirt. There wasn’t a whole lot of room in there to maneuver, and it was too noisy for me to think. In the midst of my dilemma, I did have the grand revelation that it needed to get out! The only way I could think of freeing it was to get the barrier off between it and God’s world.

With my hubby’s mouth hanging open, that’s just what I did. I didn’t think it through; I instinctively needed to provide some self-preservation. I didn’t have time to go through all the pros and cons when I knew that if I dealt with it much longer, the crisis would create a catastrophic meltdown from this very pregnant lady. Thank God we didn’t live in the city and there weren’t any airplanes flying overhead.

Later that night, one of them decided to bring the party into the house. It was jamming out to its own song, when my hubby saw something that must’ve frightened him. I believe my eyes got huge while darting from one corner of the room to the other. He recognized that it would be in his best interest to find and escort the intruder out of our home, maybe for his self-preservation.

What did I learn? When in the midst of a crisis, don’t ignore my own well-being. If I did that day, the cicada could’ve died in there and I could’ve dropped from exhaustion or had a panic attack by the time everything was dealt with. That wouldn’t have helped the situation. What if my hubby didn’t understand what was going on? I’d have stayed in crisis mode while dragging him right in there with me.

This is a bit of a silly (even though true) story to recognize a very serious issue. We all face times of crisis in our lives, and it’s better to know how we’re going to handle them before they come along. When we don’t give ourselves a break from a crisis, we will break from it.

Have you tried to play superman or superwoman while in crisis mode? How did that work out for you? Were you the one who needed treatment at the end of it all? How were your other relationships by then? Were you exhausted and snapping but refusing to step outside of the crisis for a moment? Don’t play the martyr as it’s referred to these days (a self-imposed victim or self-possessed champion) because it takes God out of the crisis. Isn’t that who we want smack-dab in the center?

Take a second to throw your shirt up…oh whoa…uh yeah…that didn’t come out right. Let’s try that again. Take a breather during a crisis to receive that peace from Jesus. As God sent Jesus, He knows just where to send us to maximize our effectiveness. That one decision to let Him send us will provide the exact prescription needed in the crisis we face.

Maybe before I went rushing into the swarm of cicadas, if I’d have prepared better, I wouldn’t have contributed to the chaos. I’d have the instructions to bring peace through the entire trip from the beginning to the destination without trapping others along the way. At least, I took that moment to deal with my own issue before continuing on.

I challenge you to take time out for a consultation from the One who can better prepare you to face the chaos in peace, while increasing your effectiveness. Won’t that allow you to lift others instead of being drug into the chaos? When that peace starts slipping, it doesn’t mean to keep going as you are, it means to get back to the Peacemaker. Let God define the best way for you to contribute during a crisis. I know it will be peace instead of more chaos.

Remember to give yourself a break from a crisis, so you don’t break from it.

For God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. 2 Timothy 1:7 (ESV)

Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised. Hebrews 10:35-36 (ESV)

When we receive new products, they come with a manual. They’re repeated in several languages with the hope that one of them with allow us to get the most out of the product. Most come with warnings and dangers too. When we leave the hospital with the most complicated, new item on earth, we get a congratulations and good luck while we think someone muttered, “they’ll need it.”

This isn’t exactly true, but I hear many people complaining about babies coming without a manual. I know I received quite a bit of information, but the fact is, nothing can truly be written with all the precise details to help us raise children. Information is certainly out there; we just need to search. We wouldn’t be able to fit the manual in the vehicle if all the information was combined into one book or even a volume of books.

I do know there is one manual out there that is a guide that has lasted generations and has stayed relevant on the fundamentals of having a successful life. The Bible. It may not contain illustrations on how to change a diaper, but it has guidelines to life. Often, it’s the best place to begin and end when trying to figure out a problem. A concordance to the Bible is especially helpful.

Many times, I’ve tried to look up verses on self-confidence without a whole lot of success. Surely with all the talk about self-confidence, it must be in that life manual! Come on…I need a foundation before hitting YouTube. What about some mantras or visualizations? Oh, how about breathing techniques? Don’t forget about standing up straight with our shoulders back (but don’t stick out the belly!) and head held high. Fake it until you make it?

I’ve reached a conclusion. There’s no self when joining our lives with God. Take the self out of self-confidence and we’ll be on the right track. Mantras and visualizations? Fantastic! They’re a great tool when you don’t actually believe you’re getting confidence from words or pictures just because you’re putting them out there. Your confidence goes back to being aligned with God’s will for your life and His promises of a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control. Look at that! A “c” word that begins with self.

Let’s have self-control in putting our confidence in the right person without letting our fears overtake us. The power to be brave will be there. We don’t have to look at our shortcomings anymore because it’s God’s ability that our confidence will be in, not our own. That should allow us to breathe easier! If nerves are still high, do some of that square breathing to calm the anxiety.  Also, be sure to look confident in your stance because of whose you are.

Go ahead and pull out that concordance to look up scriptures on confidence, fear, and courage. Let them sink in and remember that when we’re in front of people, about to express a difficult opinion, or with a crowd that makes us unsure, use it for God’s glory. Do we really think we have more power than Him?  If we’re following His word and being His representatives in life, we won’t screw it up more than He can cover.  Endure for Him.

I challenge you to take your focus off yourself in stressful, nerve-wracking situations, and put it on the only One we can be fully confident in. Always fall back on being kind, even if it’s just through facial expressions. It transcends language barriers, cultural differences, age gaps, and whatever else you can think of.

So, put on some stress response deodorant and remember that being brave is simply being scared and doing it anyway. Don’t let fear win. That’s feeding into the devil’s plans. Robin Sharma said, “The fears we don’t face become our limits.” Don’t limit what God can do through you!

At the end of that time, I, Nebuchadnezzar, raised my eyes toward heaven, and my sanity was restored. Then I praised the Most High; I honored and glorified him who lives forever. His dominion is an eternal dominion; his kingdom endures from generation to generation. Daniel 4:34

As my boys and I were sitting around our dining room table beginning our school day, I caught a whiff of something quite pungent in the air. I chalked it up to my imagination until I realized it was getting stronger and wasn’t going away. Since the occasional nasty smell permeates my home (two teenage boys), my tolerance for stinky odor might be a little higher than some. I’m pretty quick at figuring out the source, but this time was an exception. There was no need for reminders of manners because no way this was coming from them. Besides there not being any smirks, grins, giggles, or outright guffaws, it smelled of bleach or chlorine mixed with plastic. I was clueless.

I asked the boys if they noticed it because if they could smell it, I knew we had a problem. Frankly, their nose sensitivity went out the door a long time ago! I think that’s for survival. Anyhow, they agreed it was starting to stink like crazy. The search was on for the origin of our problem. When my oldest said it reminded him of the smoldering house that recently was on fire near us, I kicked it into high gear.

We were like bloodhounds as we walked around nose first trying to determine if it was coming from the vents, appliances, downstairs, or even outside. When we met back at the dining table, we agreed it was definitely coming from that specific area, and it wasn’t getting any better. My oldest asked if it could be coming from the lightbulb above the table. Seriously? How did we forget that it was just flashing? We said it was burning out within the past half-hour. Yet, it had stayed on; we didn’t expect that.

When I got to studying them, the bulbs looked like they had brown tar melted on them. If we wouldn’t have taken time to really look down in the coils, could there have been a fire? After getting the lights shut off, I called my hubby to see if this could be a bulb issue or an electric issue. It ended up not being the electric that was the problem, and I finally got matching bulbs throughout my house the next day! Woo hoo!

Fine, maybe it seems a little weird that matching lightbulbs would make me do a jig. Sure, not everyone would see having lights where three out of the four bulbs were different and very noticeable would care. Me? I was thrilled with our new purchase. I swear the guys never noticed, but that was to me what wearing Realtree and Mossy Oak together would be to them. Now that might make them say, “How uncivilized.” Never mind, they probably actually do that too.

This would’ve been solved way quicker if we started right there where we were sitting. Instead, we had to search everywhere else and question each other before realizing the answer was above us. Sound familiar? Ever do that? I’m guessing many of us do. We recognize something stinks a bit. We don’t trust that little nudge and try to ignore it until it gets too bad to be ignored. Then, we start questioning everyone around us; we’re trying to see if others agree with what we’re “smelling.” Next, we search all over for an answer to our problem. If we have the right people, we’ll probably be led towards a positive solution. If not, your house could burn down!

Three lessons I learned from our smelly adventure would be to not ignore the stink, choose Godly council, and most importantly…start by looking up. I challenge you to raise your eyes! Your solution might be much simpler than you think.

The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.” Romans 8:15

My son had a crew of guys here, and I really was trying to be on my best behavior so I wouldn’t embarrass my boys. There may have been times in the past when I didn’t realize the phone was in use and they got to be serenaded by my not so wonderful singing voice or something that my family might falsely consider “crazy.” I was determined to show them how civilized and normal I could be.

Unfortunately, my good intentions went flying out the window when I was attacked right there in my own kitchen! Nobody was around to witness the fact that the sprayer located beside the faucet came alive and began an assault on me, but they sure did hear it. Why can’t things in this house be normal? For once, can I please not say or do something that makes me look completely off my rocker? All I was looking for was a few days.

The hollering for my hubby started…maybe that isn’t the most accurate statement. The drawn-out version of my hubby’s name was quite loudly being amplified throughout the house after letting out quite the yelp as water was dripping off me. That’s more accurate. Was this a practical joke that he was pulling?

I never realized how dangerous that seemingly innocent sprayer could be until recognizing how it’s always aimed directly at the person standing in front of the sink. I now know that something innocent and helpful when rinsing out the sink or filling up a water jug can be quite dangerous when it goes rogue. 

After I got the button unstuck (there wasn’t any tape holding it down; I checked), my hubby cautiously made his way over to examine the situation. He found nothing wrong, I dried myself off, and we continued going about our day.

This wasn’t the only time it happened to me (only me) within a couple weeks. I’d forget to check it before turning on the water and then bam! It was happening again. Yesterday, I was having a really rough day when it decided to go into attack mode for the final time. Now, the first couple times was kind of funny because I thought it really would be a brilliant joke. That last time didn’t find me in such an accommodating mood though.

My perturbed voice definitely got my hubby’s attention, but what he said certainly got mine. He haughtily stated, “I fixed it. It doesn’t happen to anyone else.” Well gee. Since you all are staying dry, that’s all that matters. It must be me and not the sprayer that has the problems.

In a pity-party moment I started questioning why it was happening only to me. Why was I the special one that gets the shock of water spraying at me? Why didn’t anyone care, just because it wasn’t them going through it?

Do you see how ridiculous that is when it was just some water being sprayed on me? Those thoughts could easily lead me down a dark path that’s full of loneliness and heartache. They’re like a little snowball that picks up speed and gets more and more snow packed onto it until a whole snowman could be made out of it. How did I go from seeing the humor in my situation to being depressed?

Just like the dirt and mineral deposits might have clogged that sprayer causing it to malfunction on me, my insecurities might’ve begun to clog my mind, causing it to throw out misinformation telling me I’m not normal or good enough. It’s scary when we think we’re alone and vulnerable.

There’s a secret that we forget during these times. We’re never alone. We always have a parent that never leaves our side. Nobody could love us more, have all the answers to our problems, or see that our future doesn’t depend on our past. That parent didn’t make us to be normal. He made us special no matter what our circumstances seem like right now, no matter how many things go wrong for us, and no matter how insignificant we feel.

I didn’t need to be normal just because there were a bunch of teens at my house. That isn’t how God made me. I don’t think He made anyone else normal either by the way. What exactly is normal? If someone is that in one area, I guarantee they aren’t in another. Normal is fairly boring if you ask me, and it doesn’t make us very unique and special!

Also, we need to remember that there were many times some of our greatest men and women of the Bible had to feel incredibly alone, only to find out they weren’t. Those were the same ones who went on to do great things in their lives. They ended up being great leaders; however, they didn’t know what special things God had planned for them during their dark times.

The next time you feel alone, think of that spray hitting me. It eventually woke me up; let it wake you up too instead of believing its only purpose is to attack you! That parent…Abba, Father…is there to break the chains that make us slaves within our own minds, being held captive by the dirt and deposits of our thoughts that don’t serve any positive purpose. They simply create a buildup of depression and angst. That sprayer had to be completely replaced.  Sometimes our thoughts do too so they don’t go rogue!

I challenge you to laugh at normal. See your situation as one where Abba will use for your learning and growth. Are you going to give Him the chance to mold you into an incredible leader for the future? Just like those in the Bible who felt alone but weren’t, neither are you.

Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence? If I go up to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn, if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast. Psalm 139:7-10

A few years ago, when I was baking cookies with my mom, there might have been an error in judgement on my part. What is it with me and kitchens?  By the look on my dad’s face this was a little concerning for him.  He really should’ve been more aware of my limited abilities in a room with four walls and an oven since I am his daughter. Unfortunately for him, I usually can hide it pretty well.  My food can be passable, if not downright tasty at times, believe it or not. The smoke gave me away this time.

Mom had a whole lot of cookies she needed to bake, and since my sugar cookies are usually nice and soft, I was going to be her helper. We were making little hearts. That wasn’t my specialty, but how big of a deal could that be? The cookie sheets were really small, and it seemed to be a waste of our time to bake the cookies on only two sheets at a time when four easily fit into the oven. My mom asked me what I thought (her first mistake), and I said we should try it. What could it hurt?

We got the dough from the fridge, rolled it out, made the cute little hearts, put them in the oven, and set the timer. This wasn’t going to take as long as we expected! Then, I opened the oven. Hello smoke! I got the pans and ruined cookies to the sink as my mom ran around opening the windows. Of course, my dad had to make an appearance at this time. Did the smoke detector go off alerting him? I can’t remember. Everything was a little too hazy, but I reassured him everything was under control (ha!) and just a tiny mistake happened on my part. He could go back about his business.

Well, a few lessons got learned that day. If you want pretty, permanent hearts tattooed into your baking sheets, just burn cutout cookies on them. Second, to get your dad moving like an athlete in his prime, act like his kitchen is on fire. Third, overfilling an oven doesn’t allow air to circulate properly and can lead to issues. By the way, after we got our little problem worked out, the cookies turned out delicious; although, I can’t remember Mom asking for my help again…hmmm. As a matter of fact, I think Dad replaced me as the helper out of concern for the safety of all involved.

You see, those cookies got burnt due to lack of air circulation just like I get burnt-out when I don’t have some room to breathe. Do you get like that too? When the schedule is so packed that there isn’t quality time left with your loved ones, or you feel so smothered with everyone else’s needs, hopelessness sets in. That’s dangerous and an alarm should be going off!

We weren’t made to just survive from one activity to another trying to get through a jam-packed schedule. I guarantee those overwhelming times are when the worshipping and praising takes a hit.  Recently, a smart man said, “Your provision is in the praise.”  When we allow everything and everyone to control our time, the most important things in our lives get pushed aside.

Has God been nudging you to do something that you’ve been putting off because you’re needed elsewhere? I’m sure those other things are important, but are they more important than obeying the One who can take care of all the other stuff? In our superhero complexes we forget that God is Omnipresent (everywhere all the time), Omnipotent (all powerful), and Omniscient (all seeing), but we aren’t.

I believe that if we stop trying to be everything for everyone and start allowing God to take the role that only He’s capable of, we’d breathe again. We aren’t helping anyone when we try to fill a role that we aren’t qualified for. Sure, be quick to take on the jobs that God wants you to. Be His hands and mouth when appropriate, but don’t be trying to step into His job, which only frustrates everyone involved.

I’m challenging you to allow more circulation in your life by letting God take over the superhero role. More will be accomplished and forward progress will become something we can expect rather than dream will happen.  Only then will the alarms quiet, the smoke dissipate, and forward momentum circulate again.

Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end. Proverbs 29:11

When the snow is coming, I must mentally prepare for the shoveling that will need to happen. I was ready this weekend since the prediction of misery was given a week out. The boys and I shoveled on Friday to have a clean slate since I knew we were in for several inches Saturday. I was on top of the world that it never happened. Yes, it came down, but my hubby and I made quick work of that before it turned to rain. He informed me that it looked like we were in the clear. Oh, how naïve I was.

As I was snuggled all nice and warm under the covers this morning, I heard this odd scraping sound. I knew my hubby was up to something but wasn’t quite sure what. Then, he did it. He informed me that there were several inches of snow outside, and we needed to get it off the driveway as soon as possible because the temperature was dropping. He was going to wake the boys up so we could get started. He gave me false hope yesterday; I wasn’t mentally prepared!

What was there to do but drag myself outside, for the third day in a row, into the wonderful world of shoveling? I’m ashamed to say that I wasn’t jumping out of bed giving God the glory for a beautiful day. It was more like dragging with a few mumbled words. Before I even went out, my oldest was coming back in looking for face masks because of how cold it was. Oh great. I bundled up and realized that it wasn’t normal shoveling, it was heavy slush under the snow. The kind the sticks to the shovel.

I had a brilliant idea! I once heard if you use cooking spray on the shovel, everything would slide right off. I got all the shovels sprayed and sat the can on the step outside. I got dug in, but still had trouble with the nasty mess that was out there. Whose brilliance thought that shoveling builds character? Whoever thought it allows for fresh air and physical exercise is really obnoxious on days like today. I was annoyed at myself.

As I sit here with a hot pad on my back, I’m chuckling about what happened next. It was amazing! I’m standing in the kitchen with my hubby, and a magic trick was happening right in front of my eyes. The can of cooking spray that was brought back inside was on the island moving! When I told my hubby, he looked at me as if I was having some sort of breakdown and wasn’t sure how to help me. That’s when his eyes bugged out a bit as it landed on the dancing can that was heading across the island.

I think the shock of it all had my hubby in a state of awe when it dawned on me what was happening. I yelled, “Get it outside, it’s going to blow!” It froze as it was sitting outside and the pressure building up inside was sure to make an explosion. We took action to keep the reaction under control. The quickness in our movements were something to be admired.

Unfortunately, this wasn’t my only strange incident in the kitchen. I’ll never forget the strange hissing noises I heard in there one summer. I couldn’t figure out where they were coming from until I was moving the watermelon, I had on the counter, to check behind it. There was juice leaking from the watermelon, so I grabbed it to get it outside. As I got to the woods and tossed it, it burst into smithereens! In the midst of my trauma from the exploding watermelon, my hubby was only concerned that he missed it. I can only shudder thinking of the mess that would have created if I hadn’t heard the sign it was giving off. Disaster was averted!

That got me thinking. Do I take action quickly enough to keep my reactions under control? Is that something I could be doing better? There were signs that told me the can and the watermelon were going to explode. Do I know my signs? Does my heartrate and breathing increase? Do I tense up? I need to have an exit plan when an explosion is about to take place to avert disaster!

Candace Cameron Bure said, “Sometimes we let our feelings take control of a moment, a day, and even our whole lives. That’s troublesome, because while our emotions are a gift, they shouldn’t be sitting in the driver’s seat. If we’re ruled by our feelings, we start to make decisions not out of a sense of purpose or principles but from how we feel in the moment. We don’t have the capacity to extend kindness to others, because we’re too wrapped up in how we feel about ourselves.”

How about you? Try to pay attention to your signs before your about to blow! Have an exit strategy in place so your emotions aren’t in the driver’s seat. We can be observant to the signs of others too. It could prevent many issues in the future for us and them.

Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” John 4:13-14

As Thanksgiving made way for the Christmas holiday, I pulled out the festive decorations tucked away in the attic.  As the boys voted to do away with the mistletoe, I vetoed their decision. Up went the mistletoe! I can’t help it they haven’t figured out how to avoid standing under it. I admit it is becoming more difficult to reach the oldest when he doesn’t want a smooch since he needs to bend down, but I manage even if it’s out of pity that he allows the big smack on his cheek.

I knew that when I read number 25 of Things You Didn’t Know About Christmas posted by David Pegg, I had to share with my boys. It went against my best interest, but there are some things that are too good to keep to myself. When I could work it into a lesson, I couldn’t resist, even if it meant the possible demise of my mistletoe.

Here’s what I read about number 25: Mistletoe…Literally meaning “dung twig”, mistletoe is named after the fact that it tends to spring out of bird droppings on trees after the seeds have passed through the bird’s digestive tract. Not only this but it can also be very parasitic, often requiring a host tree in order to sustain itself. So, next time you kiss your significant other beneath the mistletoe, remember, you’re standing beneath a parasitic poop twig.

I admit that this information wasn’t so bad if I thought about it.  Now that they’re teenagers, I certainly don’t want them smooching under the mistletoe just because it’s tradition!  Mainly, I thought this was cool enough information that I’d get their attention long enough to get a lesson across. It started as I suspected with my wonderful darlings saying, “See Mom, this is what you insist on hanging in our house.”

After we got over the interruptions to my brilliant speech, I found a way to bring about the main idea. What are we keeping in our lives that are out of habits or tradition? Do we even know where they came from? Really, can mistletoe be considered romantic or even a fun holiday tradition after getting the facts? I think that its time for us to look at some of the facts about what we’re keeping in our lives.

Also, don’t we all have some host trees that we attach ourselves to that aren’t so healthy? It’s not their fault because they were never meant to sustain us; we only have One that could do that. Too often we attach to someone who doesn’t have a limitless supply of wisdom, strength, and love.

Let’s look at this one more way. Are we being the parasitic poop twig (PPT as I like to call it) in someone else’s life? Are we draining those around us with our attitudes, words, or actions? We don’t want to be sucking their life out of them!

I challenge you to think about these things. Do you have any PPTs in your life that you’re still standing beneath because it’s tradition? Are those habits or people draining you? Here’s an even bigger question…are you being the PPT that’s draining a host not meant to give you your water and nutrients?

Try plugging into the source and drink the water given by Jesus! The Holy Spirit is a gift that can be accepted this holiday season.

Then Jesus said to him, “Get up! Pick up your mat and walk.” John 5:8

It was a week before Thanksgiving when an ice storm took down trees and power lines all around us. What a beautiful mess it created! The electricity went out in the middle of the night, so it was a bit chilly crawling out of bed. I let the boys use the power as an excuse not to have school and used the time to get a whole lot accomplished around the house. Keeping moving kept me warm! I must tell you, I LOVED the silence. No humming from appliances, no radios or televisions, no noise but the wind could be heard!

Once the temperature started dropping, my dad put his Superman cape on and came rushing to save the day with his generator. The only problem was that he didn’t have electricity either. He made his house go dark in order to heat up ours. He got that heavy thing into the back of his truck and drove the thirty minutes to our house to hooked it up for us. The electric company was estimating it being back on that night, so after it was warm inside again, we thought we were all good.

The fridge and freezer were cold again, and we wouldn’t open them. Dad went back to his house and we got ready to go for an early Thanksgiving dinner at my aunt’s that night. My oldest was planning on having friends over later, and I wasn’t sure if it was a good idea, but they thought it would just be another adventure. They were warned, plus the electricity was supposed to be coming back on that night anyhow.

My aunt kept her power and the roads were clear (besides some branches left), so we enjoyed a wonderful evening out. We didn’t give the cold and dark much thought while there. We picked up some brave kids after dinner and headed to the grocery store. We realized shortly after that we weren’t getting power anytime soon. It was going to be at least a couple more days. Meanwhile, if we traveled a half hour from home, life was moving as normal.

Superman came back and insisted we keep the generator because of the gathering happening at our house. He didn’t want them to get cold. Heat was never an issue for my parents due to a wood burner that keeps them toasty warm. As he did the whole process of bringing over the generator late at night and planning to come back again in the morning, it was time to call it. Land lines were down, and we weren’t getting much cell service. Plus, we didn’t want my dad running back and forth between our houses worrying about us when we could get a hotel room. If we kept the fridge and freezer closed, everything would be fine.

It amazes me how much a change in scenery can change perspective. We could’ve wallowed in self-pity while sitting in the dark freezing or we could’ve gotten out of the house and gone to somewhere that was opened or visited a relative. I understand that isn’t always possible for everyone, but what about the people it is possible that choose to be miserable? Does that happen? It sure does! “It’s so bad. I’m stuck in the cold and dark.” No, you aren’t! You have a car and the roads are clear!

What about you? Is there a situation you don’t like but are choosing to stay in? What’s keeping you there? Are you complaining just to complain? Even us…what were we going to eat each day if we couldn’t open the fridge or freezer? We could’ve gone to the grocery store, got some meat, and fired up the grill! Yum! Would we have, or would we have complained?

We had fun during our impromptu outing! The food was good, the time together was nice, and I even did some shopping. Why be miserable when we can be creative?

I challenge you to change your position to change your perspective! You won’t get a medal for staying miserable, and I guarantee you that people won’t feel near as sorry for you as you think they will. When God gives you a better way, snatch it up and move forward. You might be uncomfortable leaving what you know, but you’ll sure be glad you did after you get in that better position. Pick up your mat and walk!