Monday, June 25, 2007
Whew! Made It!
Happenings since the last time I posted: 3 Birthdays, a 30th Anniversary, Mother's day, buying all kinds of stuff for our new house, Kaleb in the hospital :(, closing on our new house, buying all kinds of stuff for Derek and Michelle's wedding and rehearsal, packing, packing, moving, moving, moving some more, opening boxes...closing same boxes because of no where to put stuff, move stuff to garage for garage sale, really fun wedding rehearsal, really fun wedding, thinking I now have 8 kids and 7 grandkids, WOW!, tacos in the new house, Father's day, more tacos in the new house (for Derek and Michelle who were on their honeymoon...see Derek's blog), Willis has a date (waiting for update on that), unpack, unpack, put more stuff in the garage, kidney infection, chillin' because of feeling so rotten, remembering I have a blog, and Whew! Made it! Except for Kaleb's hospital visit and the kidney infection the times have been absolutely wonderful! And I am now thanking God for absolutely everything, good and bad, and thinking of what an interesting and fun life I have. And no I am not on those kind of drugs...just total appreciation of all things and life itself. Think I will go have leftover tacos.....
Friday, May 04, 2007
Demons in the Backseat
From a Christian comic on TV (paraphrased):
I believe all children become demon possessed on Sunday morning. The normally compliant child runs like a banshee through the house, half dressed (although you dressed him only 2 minutes ago) slinging food on the animals and blaming his siblings for everything. The others follow suit so as to not be punished for something they didn't do. The correction from Mom and Dad start at a reasonable level only to escalate to yelling in a matter of moments.
"Tommy, where are your clothes?" "Tommy, please stop running." "Tommy you are grounded for the rest of your life!"
Once in the car, I sigh a futile sigh of relief and back out of the driveway. Then the demons put things into high gear. "He looked at me!" "He's touching me!" "He's breathing my air!" Well close your eyes, lean away, and stop breathing, I suggest. (Doesn't work, of course.) And soon I am yelling at the top of my lungs, swinging my arms toward the children in the back seat in an ineffective attempt to exorcise the demons before we reach the church parking lot.
I am swinging and yelling "Don't make me stop this car!" when I notice elderly Brother Smith passing me. (Please, God, don't let him see us like this!) God answers by letting Brother Smith smile and wave.
All through church service I anticipate the reprimand from Brother Smith and at the "Amen" he shuffles through the wave of people right up to me. "I noticed you were having problems on the way here...", he said pointing his righteous finger at my nose. "And I have a little advice for you." (Ok, here it comes...) "Next time you feel like taking a swing while you are driving, just hit your brakes real hard and you will be able to reach those little demons!"
I believe all children become demon possessed on Sunday morning. The normally compliant child runs like a banshee through the house, half dressed (although you dressed him only 2 minutes ago) slinging food on the animals and blaming his siblings for everything. The others follow suit so as to not be punished for something they didn't do. The correction from Mom and Dad start at a reasonable level only to escalate to yelling in a matter of moments.
"Tommy, where are your clothes?" "Tommy, please stop running." "Tommy you are grounded for the rest of your life!"
Once in the car, I sigh a futile sigh of relief and back out of the driveway. Then the demons put things into high gear. "He looked at me!" "He's touching me!" "He's breathing my air!" Well close your eyes, lean away, and stop breathing, I suggest. (Doesn't work, of course.) And soon I am yelling at the top of my lungs, swinging my arms toward the children in the back seat in an ineffective attempt to exorcise the demons before we reach the church parking lot.
I am swinging and yelling "Don't make me stop this car!" when I notice elderly Brother Smith passing me. (Please, God, don't let him see us like this!) God answers by letting Brother Smith smile and wave.
All through church service I anticipate the reprimand from Brother Smith and at the "Amen" he shuffles through the wave of people right up to me. "I noticed you were having problems on the way here...", he said pointing his righteous finger at my nose. "And I have a little advice for you." (Ok, here it comes...) "Next time you feel like taking a swing while you are driving, just hit your brakes real hard and you will be able to reach those little demons!"
Tuesday, May 01, 2007
A Kodak Moment
There used to be a commercial by Kodak that ended in the catch phrase "This is a Kodak moment." It showed a photo taken by a persons' camera and given to someone to remember that moment forever. We all have those Kodak moments stuffed away in our memories....the first kiss...walking down the aisle...our first, second, etc. child...the first step, tooth, trip to the doctor, date...walking down the aisle...
But sometimes the Kodak moment is one that is a complete and utter shock...unexpected and painful. The kind that leaves just standing as Ephesians 6:13 says "when that (Kodak) day comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." But it doesn't tell you the rest of the story. That you may be left standing with your belt of truth so tight it cuts you through the middle. That you may be left standing with your heart pounding so hard that you know it will burst inside your breastplate of righteousness. That your ready feet hurt and are so tired and swollen that standing peacefully is really the last thing you want to do. Your shield of faith is so heavy with the arrows of satan that you can barely hold it up. Your head is pounding in the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit lies, tip down, in the mud created by your own tears. The only prayer found to be uttered is the one that keeps your fingers around the sword....
"...since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
And by the power of that Love I will stand.
But sometimes the Kodak moment is one that is a complete and utter shock...unexpected and painful. The kind that leaves just standing as Ephesians 6:13 says "when that (Kodak) day comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand." But it doesn't tell you the rest of the story. That you may be left standing with your belt of truth so tight it cuts you through the middle. That you may be left standing with your heart pounding so hard that you know it will burst inside your breastplate of righteousness. That your ready feet hurt and are so tired and swollen that standing peacefully is really the last thing you want to do. Your shield of faith is so heavy with the arrows of satan that you can barely hold it up. Your head is pounding in the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit lies, tip down, in the mud created by your own tears. The only prayer found to be uttered is the one that keeps your fingers around the sword....
"...since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have gained access by faith into this grace in which we now stand.
And we rejoice in the hope of the glory of God. Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us."
And by the power of that Love I will stand.
Wednesday, March 14, 2007
I Love McDonald's!
I have a routine of grabbing a bite of lunch from McDonald's, driving out to our building site and eating while watching our new house being built. Today I decided to check on my daughter while driving to McDonald's. I called her house and caught up on all the days activities (sorry, I was driving and talking at the same time....we will discuss that later....) when I pulled into the drive-thru. "Well, sweety, guess I will let you go so I can order," I said as I rolled down the window. "Ok, Mom, I love you! Bye," she said. "I love you, too!" I replied, looking at the menu. The speaker at McDonald's answered, "Uhhh, excuse me?" ... .... ....
Tuesday, March 13, 2007
The Gift of Hope
"...we (also) rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured our his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." Romans 5:3-5.
I had to start out with that scripture in front of me. It is a reminder of where I have been the last few weeks and where I am (by grace) going. I started the year with a promise to "do in" TSOO (The Spirit of Offense). Nobel. Then for lent, I set up in MY mind the idea of doing good things for people in Jesus name and giving up of myself. I really thought I could have a checklist at the end of the day: 1. Called sick person (check) 2. Didn't yell at the person who cut me off in traffic (check) 3. Helped a mom in Walmart pick up after her kids who had ransacked the shirt section when her back was turned (check!). Now I can feel good about the lent day I have just experienced! I really gave up some Jerks, right? And I did things good on purpose, right?
And then God placed me in a very strange place. After a few "check list" days I had nothing to do. Not that there weren't opportunities, just that they all turned out weird. I would do a "check off" thing and feel absolutely awful and empty! I prayed for guidance, more love, more grace, wisdom, etc. And He answered.
I had just finished cleaning up our itty-bitty apartment, set the trash out on the front stoop for Derek to take to the dumpster when he got home in about an hour, showered and left for an appointment. Later in the day I was greeted with a "Notice of Lease Infraction" for putting the trash out on the stoop. It was only there for 30 minutes, (I asked Derek). He had taken it to the dumpster when he got home! Our neighbors leave theirs out in piles for weeks at a time and I get the Infraction notice for a 30 minute offense?!? My prayer came back to bite me along with my resolution to not take offense. The office was right. Our lease did say not to leave garbage sacks outside the residence. No loophole of how short the time might be...just don't do it. I took another garbage bag out and cleaned all the trash from around our apartment outside asking God to forgive me for being so petty thinking that a check list of good was the way to go. The real Jerk is Satan, deceiving us into thinking that our "acts" are what is important and by doing more of them God is impressed. He's not impressed. After all, looking down from the cross at my checklist attitude must have added to his reason for dying and made Satan chuckle at his success in hurting the Son of God a little bit more through me. That's when I realized that Satan was the Jerk I had given up for lent...not people after God's own image...the one, real, true Jerk on the Earth is Satan!!
A few days later came the bigger answer to that prayer. And it was a bit more personal. I have a standing appointment with Ms. Clairol every few months (and you thought my hair was natural at my age?!) Having only five minutes left in the process, I went to set the water temperature only to find out there was NO WATER! I frantically called the office and got the lady that had previously sent me the lease infraction notice..."Apartment 710 doesn't have water!" I gasped. "Oh," was her reply, "We have someone replacing a hot water tank in one of the apartments and had to turn it off. We never know when he is going to work so we can't give any notice of shutting of the water." "When will it be back on?" I asked, my head beginning to sting with the hair solution. "Maybe an hour or so...never know," she answered. Then she hung up...no apology, no words of encouragement...she just hung up. That prayer bit me again, but this time the Jerk was so clearly apparent I began to laugh! Then I realized my hair felt like it was on fire! I rushed to my daughters house with a towel on my poor head and rinsed the solution off 35 minutes late. I am waiting to see if I have to get a new haircut and style. So far I haven't lost more than tips of my hair. But that is a small price to pay for the lesson learned.
I have prayed everyday for that lady, that I have an opportunity to do something nice for her face to face with all the love God can plant in my heart. She is not the Jerk. She is the instigator of a very funny event (at least it will be...smile) and the real Jerk is the Spirit of Satan that tried to convince me that doing good things is a simple check list with no heart involvement. And TSOO that threw the option of offense in my face at a time he knew it would be hard not to claim my 'rights'! Thank you sweet Father for the glimpse of your wisdom and love, and allowing us all to participate, in different ways, in the great sacrifice that your Son experienced! Please continue to put to death the parts of me that are not like Him and raise up the Spirit you have given me to praise you in all things!
I had to start out with that scripture in front of me. It is a reminder of where I have been the last few weeks and where I am (by grace) going. I started the year with a promise to "do in" TSOO (The Spirit of Offense). Nobel. Then for lent, I set up in MY mind the idea of doing good things for people in Jesus name and giving up of myself. I really thought I could have a checklist at the end of the day: 1. Called sick person (check) 2. Didn't yell at the person who cut me off in traffic (check) 3. Helped a mom in Walmart pick up after her kids who had ransacked the shirt section when her back was turned (check!). Now I can feel good about the lent day I have just experienced! I really gave up some Jerks, right? And I did things good on purpose, right?
And then God placed me in a very strange place. After a few "check list" days I had nothing to do. Not that there weren't opportunities, just that they all turned out weird. I would do a "check off" thing and feel absolutely awful and empty! I prayed for guidance, more love, more grace, wisdom, etc. And He answered.
I had just finished cleaning up our itty-bitty apartment, set the trash out on the front stoop for Derek to take to the dumpster when he got home in about an hour, showered and left for an appointment. Later in the day I was greeted with a "Notice of Lease Infraction" for putting the trash out on the stoop. It was only there for 30 minutes, (I asked Derek). He had taken it to the dumpster when he got home! Our neighbors leave theirs out in piles for weeks at a time and I get the Infraction notice for a 30 minute offense?!? My prayer came back to bite me along with my resolution to not take offense. The office was right. Our lease did say not to leave garbage sacks outside the residence. No loophole of how short the time might be...just don't do it. I took another garbage bag out and cleaned all the trash from around our apartment outside asking God to forgive me for being so petty thinking that a check list of good was the way to go. The real Jerk is Satan, deceiving us into thinking that our "acts" are what is important and by doing more of them God is impressed. He's not impressed. After all, looking down from the cross at my checklist attitude must have added to his reason for dying and made Satan chuckle at his success in hurting the Son of God a little bit more through me. That's when I realized that Satan was the Jerk I had given up for lent...not people after God's own image...the one, real, true Jerk on the Earth is Satan!!
A few days later came the bigger answer to that prayer. And it was a bit more personal. I have a standing appointment with Ms. Clairol every few months (and you thought my hair was natural at my age?!) Having only five minutes left in the process, I went to set the water temperature only to find out there was NO WATER! I frantically called the office and got the lady that had previously sent me the lease infraction notice..."Apartment 710 doesn't have water!" I gasped. "Oh," was her reply, "We have someone replacing a hot water tank in one of the apartments and had to turn it off. We never know when he is going to work so we can't give any notice of shutting of the water." "When will it be back on?" I asked, my head beginning to sting with the hair solution. "Maybe an hour or so...never know," she answered. Then she hung up...no apology, no words of encouragement...she just hung up. That prayer bit me again, but this time the Jerk was so clearly apparent I began to laugh! Then I realized my hair felt like it was on fire! I rushed to my daughters house with a towel on my poor head and rinsed the solution off 35 minutes late. I am waiting to see if I have to get a new haircut and style. So far I haven't lost more than tips of my hair. But that is a small price to pay for the lesson learned.
I have prayed everyday for that lady, that I have an opportunity to do something nice for her face to face with all the love God can plant in my heart. She is not the Jerk. She is the instigator of a very funny event (at least it will be...smile) and the real Jerk is the Spirit of Satan that tried to convince me that doing good things is a simple check list with no heart involvement. And TSOO that threw the option of offense in my face at a time he knew it would be hard not to claim my 'rights'! Thank you sweet Father for the glimpse of your wisdom and love, and allowing us all to participate, in different ways, in the great sacrifice that your Son experienced! Please continue to put to death the parts of me that are not like Him and raise up the Spirit you have given me to praise you in all things!
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Green Thumbs
It's spring. Well actually it is still winter but with 70 degrees outside I can have my fantasy. My mom is probably spending the whole day outside pruning her trees and flowers. She has a bright green thumb...mine is brown so I really am amazed at what she can do with plants. She has been known to stop along a roadside in Colorado, dig up several baby Aspen trees, plant them in her yard in Oklahoma and have them survive Oklahoma weather! At one point she had a small grove of Aspen in her front yard that turned a beautiful yellow in the fall. She said my dad wanted a little bit of Colorado at home so she planted Aspen. Anyone who knows anything about plants knows that this is almost impossible to do. Aspen in Oklahoma. It's like snowballs in a rainforest...it could happen but not likely.
But back to the pruning. Mom prunes dead branches off all her plants. The dead can cause disease, she told me. But she also prunes live branches. This enhances the look of some plants and the fruit of others. Looking back on her canning lists she knows her stuff. And one look at her yard in spring, summer or fall will convince you to listen if you want to grow plants. But right now it all looks hopeless. The winter has not been kind to things outdoors. The ice storm was beautiful, in a way. The light playing off the ice could not be described adequately! But the damage left was awful. Large trees split down the middle. Smaller trees bent to the ground, never to stand straight again. Azaleas with holes where, in years past, there was an abundance of flowers. Mom has her work cut out (literally) for her. She morns what is lost knowing it will never be the same again in her lifetime. But in the middle of the loss, she will pick up her tools and go to work to make the destruction beautiful and productive once again.
I feel pruned. Yesterday left me wondering if I will ever get all the dead stuff off and really be productive for God. I am hoping to have a wonderful time helping and encouraging people but in past experience I know the challenge will be great. (I will be the object of 99 percent of the Jerks in our area :0) My daughter reminded me of a scripture we both struggle with in 2nd Corinthians 10:5...taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ. Pruning off the thought process so that Christ's thoughts can become mine...oh that it were easy! But it is a battle against the storm of negative self talk and negative outside influence...and like the ice storm it leaves me thinking that the damage is too great to even try to clear out and clean up, much less that anything positive could come of it. But in the middle of it all, God throws another scripture out...that He is the vinedresser and pruner (John 15) and that any branch that does not bear fruit he prunes away and He repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. So I guess in my mental pruning I am pruned if I do think Christ-like thoughts and I am pruned if I don't. But it is God doing the work...not me! Taking out the negative and causing the positive to grow even more positive. All I do is abide and live in the Vine, Jesus.
My mom doesn't label her fruit trees. She knows what they are by the fruit they produce. They just stand there, through the storms, letting her lop off the bad and sometimes the good, and allow her to even dump manure on them occasionally. And at the right time the flowers and fruit appear. Oh that I can abide and stand in Jesus, Messiah, trusting the Father to produce the crop that He already is planning in me at just the right time. All I can say is thank you to the wise pruner who has the greenest thumb of all!
But back to the pruning. Mom prunes dead branches off all her plants. The dead can cause disease, she told me. But she also prunes live branches. This enhances the look of some plants and the fruit of others. Looking back on her canning lists she knows her stuff. And one look at her yard in spring, summer or fall will convince you to listen if you want to grow plants. But right now it all looks hopeless. The winter has not been kind to things outdoors. The ice storm was beautiful, in a way. The light playing off the ice could not be described adequately! But the damage left was awful. Large trees split down the middle. Smaller trees bent to the ground, never to stand straight again. Azaleas with holes where, in years past, there was an abundance of flowers. Mom has her work cut out (literally) for her. She morns what is lost knowing it will never be the same again in her lifetime. But in the middle of the loss, she will pick up her tools and go to work to make the destruction beautiful and productive once again.
I feel pruned. Yesterday left me wondering if I will ever get all the dead stuff off and really be productive for God. I am hoping to have a wonderful time helping and encouraging people but in past experience I know the challenge will be great. (I will be the object of 99 percent of the Jerks in our area :0) My daughter reminded me of a scripture we both struggle with in 2nd Corinthians 10:5...taking every thought captive and making it obedient to Christ. Pruning off the thought process so that Christ's thoughts can become mine...oh that it were easy! But it is a battle against the storm of negative self talk and negative outside influence...and like the ice storm it leaves me thinking that the damage is too great to even try to clear out and clean up, much less that anything positive could come of it. But in the middle of it all, God throws another scripture out...that He is the vinedresser and pruner (John 15) and that any branch that does not bear fruit he prunes away and He repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit. So I guess in my mental pruning I am pruned if I do think Christ-like thoughts and I am pruned if I don't. But it is God doing the work...not me! Taking out the negative and causing the positive to grow even more positive. All I do is abide and live in the Vine, Jesus.
My mom doesn't label her fruit trees. She knows what they are by the fruit they produce. They just stand there, through the storms, letting her lop off the bad and sometimes the good, and allow her to even dump manure on them occasionally. And at the right time the flowers and fruit appear. Oh that I can abide and stand in Jesus, Messiah, trusting the Father to produce the crop that He already is planning in me at just the right time. All I can say is thank you to the wise pruner who has the greenest thumb of all!
Wednesday, February 21, 2007
Giving up Jerks for Lent
My daughters' blog inspired me to change my own blog from "Does God Really Love Jerks" to the above title. After reading the Wikipedia description of Lent though, I decided that my attitude needed an adjustment...(ouch)....and my yucky day of dealing with (ahem) people should be turned around for the glory of God. (Ok...for those who are going "What in the world happened?" I will explain with two words...Insurance Referrals...'Nuff said.) Instead of giving up something though, I liked the idea of actively doing something: giving, volunteering, etc. So my Lent is Random Acts of Kindness. I will look for the person or persons throughout the day that I could easily ignore or, worse, be rude to, and ask God for a way to bless them. So in the reality, I am 'Giving up Jerks for Lent' by making them a focus of Gods' blessings...thus they become 'Kindness Opportunities'. Seriously, this will be a total attitude check for me! For those of you that are giving up things like coffee or french fries, when you crave those and start praying, be sure to include my name in your prayers. This is gonna be hard (but good :) and hopefully will be the beginning of a really cool habit.
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