Right Now

As I contemplate Part Two of my life verse for this year, woohoo!  I get to use another of my favorite all-time verses to go along with it.  Hot dog!  Can you guess what it is?  No?  Well, let’s re-read my life verse and then see if you get it, keeping in mind we’re going through this step by step.  Ready?

“The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart’s been in the right place all along. You’ve got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can’t. The heart regulates the hands.” (2 Corinthians 8:10-12, The Message)

Did you guess correctly?  Here it is, one that is always a timely verse for us all (🕧):  

“To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:”  (Ecclesiastes 3:1, King James Version)

Timing is everything and the best thing I can do when?  Right now.  Not tomorrow.  Not in a little while.  Not when I get all this other fluff dealt with but right now.  How many times have I put things off because I just didn’t want to deal with them?  My sweater can answer you that.  It has sat on my dresser for many months, awaiting its chance to be taken care of so that it could be worn instead of bundled up, useless, not serving its purpose.  Just look at this picture and see how pretty it is, now that I have sewn it back together!  If I had left it there, then you wouldn’t be seeing this sweet picture, nor how it brings out the blue in my eyes to match those of the clouds and the river.😛

Now, obviously, when I chose this life verse about completing what I had started last year I had more on my mind than this sweater.  But I had--have!!--to start somewhere, right?  Why not begin with what’s staring me right in the face?  If you’ve been to my Pretty Purple Room lately, you would also see something...um, not quite completed but definitely gaining a sense of order!  You might be shocked to see my room is not as chaotic as it has been for a while now as I am endeavoring to make it orderly and to tie up the many loose ends in it.  I’ll be there for a while so look for me there when you need me.

As I close today’s blog, I want to encourage you to start.  Somewhere.  Look at that glaring thing that won’t leave you alone until you deal with.  Maybe it’s your checkbook that needs tidied up.  Maybe it’s your closet that needs cleaned out.  Your kitchen (which, by the way, I also recently tackled and my drawers sure are sweet now that my silverware is separated, my cabinets are better defined, and my junk drawer even has a separator to keep it in some sense of arrangement).  Maybe it’s your sewing pile or your private dreams of getting to “one day.”  Maybe it’s even those feelings you’ve been putting aside, putting off dealing with, because you know when you do, things will be different and that difference scares you.  But again friends, let me encourage you to make this the day that you start.  Don’t feel overwhelmed and try to do it all today but at least try to make a dent in it, would you?  I think you will be glad you did!

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, thank You for gentle proddings to get my butt out of this recliner and into the work arena.  There is so much that I need to finish and You and I both know how often I look at those things and give up before even trying because it just seems too big, too much, and too tedious.  You have commanded me to finish what I began, just as Paul spoke of in his writings to Your children in our daily walks with You, in our race to complete the job You assigned for each of us.

Help us all, I ask, to not be quitters.  And no, I’m not just referring to the box of cookies, the pack of chips, or the candy from Christmas that needs to be  eaten.  Sadly, although I wrote that with teasing in mind, some of us would rather turn to the fun stuff to complete and ignore the less-fun things to do, the things that require discipline.  Help us to throw out the things that hinder us, that weigh us down (in more ways than one), and help us to not hang on to things, Lord, that should have been let go of a long time ago.  Mmn hmn.  Those things, Father, that only serve a purpose of harm because their reminders gently prick us of things we don’t need to be considering.  Prick, I say, because Lord You know if they were objects of comfort then they wouldn’t jab at us and open those wounds and irritate the scars that they initially left behind.

I love You, Lord God, and ask You to keep us on the ball.  Or in my case, in my Pretty Purple Room where so much still needs to be done. May the things I complete bring honor to You, satisfaction to me, and help others to see Your glory in my life is my earnest prayer.  In the abiding name of Christ Jesus I ask this:  amen.

The Best Thing

“The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart’s been in the right place all along. You’ve got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can’t. The heart regulates the hands.” (2 Corinthians 8:10-12, The Message)

As I continue to ponder these verses that I have chosen to be ones I especially implement into my life this year, I am struck by several thoughts that are within them.  To begin with, the words “the best thing” remind me of when Jesus told Martha that Mary had chosen that good part, the part that would not be taken away from her (Luke 10:42). Now, I don’t know about you but as for me?  I like the good parts of things, such as the biggest slice of chocolate pie, the nachos with the most cheese, or the yellow pieces of popcorn over the white ones (next time maybe I should eat lunch first so I don’t focus so much on food!).  I like the good part of a novel when the storytelling is rich and about to reach a climactic point.  I like the chorus of a song that reverberates in my head as the words touch my heart.  I like the good deals at the grocery store, the good times had with friends and loved ones, and the good memories made throughout the years.

Have you ever been given a choice between something good and something better?  You weighed the pros and cons and tried to decide which was really necessary, which you really really wanted, and which would bring you the longer happiness rather than the instant gratification.  Most of us, I daresay, would choose the better thing, right?  I mean, after all, why settle for good when one can have the best?  That’s what advertisements tell us, don’t they?  The announcers croon in our ears, telling us the most enticing details of the product, and then they zoom in on us personally, telling us what?  You deserve this!

You know what, friends?  I rarely feel worthy of such items.  It’s not often that I allow myself to believe that I deserve something unless I have truly put a lot of hard effort into obtaining it.  But for the verses above when I am told what the best thing is?  When I am told from the precious Word of God what the best thing for me to do is--from Someone Who knows the end from the beginning?  Well, let’s just say it causes me to sit up a little straighter and to pay more attention.  How many times do I wonder what the best thing to do in certain situations is?  How many folks have I asked for wisdom and advice on a topic and listened to them?  Many!  And often their helpful words have led me to pursue things differently.  Yet, when the chips are down (ugh!  More food, Stef?), most of what I need to follow is right here, in the Good Book, just waiting for me to seek it.  

That’s all.  For today, anyways.  I intend to follow up on the other portions of this verse later.  Right now I am going to consider the best thing and appreciate God for showing me that He always has my best planned.  I must be pretty special, huh?  He thinks so!  He thinks that about you too, friends, so I encourage you to revel in that for today.  He gave His best.  For me.  For you.  Wow!

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, how wonderful You are.  How marvelous are Your thoughts and plans!  Why You care so much about me is in itself amazing and oftentimes I just don’t fully appreciate what that means.  Out of all the peoples in the world, You chose me to reveal Jesus to.  You chose me to share the beauty You and He created and to fill my heart with hope and love.  

Thank You, Lord God.  Thank You for giving me Your best.  I love You!  In the name of Jesus I pray, amen.

I Have A Dream!

I Have A Dream

♫Dream.  Dream dream dream. Dream...All I have to do is dream♬  The Everly Brothers sang this tune way back in the day.  Dan Hartman sang “I Can Dream About You” in reference to an unattainable love.  Trace Adkins sang of dreaming out loud while Clay Walker crooned about doing it with his eyes wide open.  Fleetwood Mac also had a hit with their song and poor Carrie Underwood wished her life was just a dream--and a bad one at that that she could awaken from.  And who can forget the Mamas and the Papas hit about California dreaming--especially on these bleary winter days?  Kenny Rogers and Kim Carnes warned folks not to fall in love with a dreamer and then there was the classic Elvis song “If I Can Dream.”  Lastly, although there are many more tunes I could reference, let’s not forget Cinderella’s take on this:  A dream is a wish your heart makes.

A quote by Henry David Thoreau I happened upon while researching for today’s blog tells me:

"If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours."

Meanwhile, Proverbs 16:3 (ESV) tells me:

Commit your work to the Lord, and your plans will be established.

Yesterday, I asked God specifically for fulfillment of a dream I have had for some time now. I outlined the reasons why this dream should be a reality, told Him of the usefulness it could provide if it was to be accomplished, and reminded Him (as if!) of the gifts He had already given to me to make this dream come true. I pondered on it for the umpteenth time and later, after our Bible Study on Job, I told Steve about it and asked his agreement with it so that we could mutually--as well as individually--pray about it and seek God’s will for it. Having a spiritual cohort along for the journey sure makes the trip more pleasant!

As we discussed what part to play in this unfolding drama, we wondered how much help God needed to make it come true.  I mean, after all, He could just speak it into existence if it lined up with His plans, right?  Didn’t He tell me in Psalm 37:4 for me to delight myself in Him and He would give me the desires of my heart?  Mmn hmn:  He sure did.  He also told me in Jeremiah 29:11 that His plan was to give me hope and to give me a future, as well as to prosper me.  Yes, He most certainly did!  

So, as we pursued this line of thought and truly felt that this dream of mine fell under those categories, we still pondered what type of activity was needed on my part to give this dream some legs and get it upright.  A few ideas were tossed about and we settled on one, well two, for now.  After all, there are certain things I must be proactive about if I am to show myself approved for this venture.  Committing myself to perfecting my end of the bargain and then having God season it with His blessings and special touch go hand in hand.  For you see, without His approval and guidance, this dream could turn into something that becomes all about me instead of it being all about Him.

Therefore, as I close today’s blog, I encourage you to pursue your dreams as well.  If they indeed line up with the promises God has already made, then why are you slumbering instead of living the dream?  Make the Monkees proud and be a daydream believer and scream along with Steven Tyler “Dream on: Dream until your dreams come true!”  After all, Who do you think placed these thoughts in that sweet little head of yours?  “Sweet dreams are made of these and who am I to disagree?”

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, as I have bantered and sung my way through this blog, I rejoice in knowing that You made promises to Your kids so that they could live lives full of joy.  This dream of mine?  You know what it is and You know the likelihood of it coming true.

As I begin more earnestly than ever to doing my part, Father, I ask You to not let me get ahead of myself, of You, or to do something that compromises the dream from being something that honors You and brings You fame into something that becomes all about me.  For You know, Father, my flesh wants some accolades too as this potentially becomes something shared with my world rather than kept in the secret places of my heart and mind.  And my soul.  You know my insecurities and desires to be heard, to be acknowledged, and yes, to be acclaimed rather than going to the grave with nothing to show for my life.  Keep my pride at bay, I ask, so that this endeavor takes root and grows stronger, long after I am gone.

Oh Lord!  Help me, I pray.  Help me to seek Your will above my own.  Open doors for me to walk through where the person on the other side is welcoming me with anticipation.  Sharpen my mind and soften my tongue.  I commit this work to You, Father God, this dream, as my offering of praise for a small part, a token, of what You have given to me and blessed me with.  Show me which paths to take and which to avoid.  Guide me to folks who see my vision and want to be a part of it.  Encourage me when the efforts appear to fall short and nudge me when I get tired and feel hopeless.  I know those times will come.  But greater is He--YOU!!--that is in me than he who is in the world.

May this dream bring You delight is my earnest plea, asked in the name of Jesus Christ.  Amen and amen!

Validation

A great friend of mine is going through… something.  It’s hard to exactly describe it, to pinpoint it to just one thing, to define what it is that’s troubling Stacey (for privacy reasons, we’ll just refer to said friend as Stacey).  She’s got some things nagging in her subconscious that have been trying to steal her joy--something you faithful readers of mine know is a huge No-No.

Being the ever-so-helpful-and-oh-so-wise-friend that I am, I offered Stacey some advice, based on years of wisdom and things I wish someone would have told me.  I advised my precious friend to write things down.  On a slip of paper, the back of a receipt, a notebook, a note card, a post-it note, a notepad, or nearly anything she could find to quickly write out the words she was feeling--even if they weren’t in a whole sentence.  Sometimes a couple of words would suffice and other times she might need to write a whole paragraph or essay.  “Just don’t do it on the back of your hand, Stacey, for that is just not a good place to keep these random thoughts.”

What will this benefit you in your state of need, you might wonder?  I am so glad you asked!  Here are five things that I jotted down this morning as I considered my friend and the advice I had given to her.  Ready?  Here they are, in no particular order:

1. Writing it down ACKNOWLEDGES:  the pain, the situation, the fear
2. Writing it down VALIDATES:  that you have the right to feel this way
3. Writing it down SEPARATES:  the truth from the lies
4. Writing it down ALLOWS:  the anger, the grief, the release
5. Writing it down ADMITS:  the helplessness, the helpfulness, and the hopefulness

Whether you follow up on these notes today, tomorrow, next week, year, or what have you, writing it down brings a bittersweet satisfaction to voicing this thought/feeling--even if there is no resolution.  There is still this concrete, tangible proof that you exist, that your situation is troubling you, and that you matter--even if to no one else.  You are allowed to feel, friend.  You don’t have to stuff it all inside and await the day it all spews out into a bigger fluff than it might have had you just taken the moment to deal with it on its surface.  Remember Neil Diamond’s classic song “I Am, I Said” where “no one heard at all, not even the chair”?  It still helped ol’ Neil (and ol’ Stef on more than one occasion) to belt it out in song or to write the beloved lyrics on the paper.  

Lastly, even if the situation only serves to remind you of the pain, again, it validates your...well, it validates you.  You are alive.  Your feelings do matter.  You have a right to feel this way in this moment at this time.  Now, you don’t necessarily have the right to act on these feelings, mind you.  “Be angry and sin not” as Ephesians 4:26 tells us.  But when you write these thoughts down, friends, at least they are not buried so deeply inside of you that once the flow starts, it cannot be quenched.  Does that make sense?  Sometimes a snowflake starts an avalanche (Max Lucado).  Don’t let one straw break the camel’s back.

Okay, enough of the analogies and quotes.  For Stacey, myself, and all of you out there in Wandering Land, I encourage you to keep a pencil and paper handy.  When something fascinates you, excites you, encourages you, incites you, and so on WRITE IT DOWN!  Let your fingers memorialize this instance and follow up on it when you can.  Better for it to come out of these members than the one that cannot be tamed.  Yes, I’m referring to the tongue.  We can’t always take back what we said but with a good eraser we can certainly blot out what shouldn’t have been.  Amen?

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, I hope this message gets through to Stacey and to the ones out there like her.  It’s so hard, Father, to express ourselves when we aren’t even sure what it is we’re feeling.  Therefore, to write these momentary trials, temptations, and/or twinges on our hearts is the safer way to handle them until a more opportune time comes along.

Yes, I know, Lord, that often these evidences can serve to bring back pains and things probably best forgotten.  But they can also serve as warnings and reminders to not behave this way again or to not let that situation get the best of us.  We are to be constantly standing for You, God.  When our feelings control our actions, though, we tend to stumble and fall.  Help us, I pray in the sweet name of Jesus Christ, to temper our behaviours into ones that bring honor to Him, to You, and to not let them steal our joy.  Amen.

Consolation to Condemnation

I’d like to share with you a couple of things I’m learning from my study of the Book of Job.  Currently, Steve and I just finished chapter eight and I must say, there’s a lot of Job--and unfortunately, his friends--in me.

For those not familiar with this book, Job was an upright man that was considered by Satan to be tested for his faith in God.  God permitted this trial and the results are ones left for those of us who often wonder why He allows “good people” to suffer.  After losing all of his worldly possessions and his family, Job had three friends come by to commiserate with him.  And here’s where today’s blog lesson starts.

Job’s friends heard of his calamity and did what most try to do when disaster strikes:  they showed up.  However, unlike most in today’s time, these pals came to Job and sat with him for seven days.  Seven days!  No talking, no advice, no offers of help.  They just sat with him, speaking no words.  Goodness!  Can you imagine doing this for seven minutes?  I cannot but these buddies?  They did it for seven days!!  They shared with Job their presence when his grief must have surely been unbearable.

I wonder about them as they sat there.  Did they make lots of mental notes for the words that would soon come from their mouths?  Did they surreptitiously draw pictures in the sand to remind them to bring up such and such story so that when the time came, they wouldn’t leave anything out?  Oh, the memories they must have had!  Job had seven sons and three daughters and I am sure they left numerous impressions upon these beloved “adopted uncles” of theirs.

But here’s the point for today that I want to share with you:  Job’s friends went from consoling their crony to (gulp!) condemning him, his children, and his actions.  “If you had done this, Job,” or “If your son had not sinned so,” to “What did you do to God, Job?” and “If it was me, I would have…” blah blah blah.  Wow:  what an abrupt change of tone, huh?  One day they are sitting around crying with Job over these unfathomable losses and before too long, they are adding to his woes by berating him over what he had done wrong, what his kids did to bring on their untimely deaths, what sins he must repent over to get God’s blessings back, and so many more utterances that it still makes my head spin.  As if we could do anything to win God’s favor!  But that’s another story.  

I’ll close with this nugget of gold I received from portions of these first chapters of Job.  For you see, I am guilty of this type of behavior too.  When someone I care about has suffered a loss--whether a family member, a job, a friendship, or what have you--I am ashamed to admit it but I too often wonder what their part in this was to bring such sadness into their lives.  Maybe if they didn’t show so much cleavage in their Facebook pictures they could have attracted the right sort of man instead of that loser.  Perhaps if they had disciplined their kids better then they wouldn’t have gotten into so much trouble.  If they were more spiritual instead of being so religious then maybe they wouldn’t have lost their position.  The money foolishly spent on “I-gotta-have-it-now” items would have come in handy for the phone bill.  The list could go on and on.

Instead of saying these things out loud, shouldn’t I be praying for my friends, for their needs, and for their spiritual growth?  Shouldn’t I be silent about this for at least seven days, like Job’s friends were, instead of opining my great wisdom and offering unasked for advice?  Yeah, I think so too.  Keeping one’s mouth shut and controlling the tongue before unsolicited “help” comes out would save this world a lot of grief rather than adding to it.  Spiritual duct tape, cover my mouth is my prayer today.

Dear Lord, for all the times I condemned instead of consoled, I humbly ask forgiveness.  Yes, most of it was in my mind but Lord?  I shouldn’t let such negativity invade a time of need when my beloved is hurting.  S/he doesn’t need my words, only my presence, my pats of understanding, my shared tears, my silence.  I’m sure the devil is giving enough grief to this soul without me adding to the guilt being offered by him.  Help me control my tongue and my thoughts, I ask, Lord so that I may be a blessing and not a blight.  In the name of Jesus Christ I ask these things:  amen.

Hush Your Mouth!

Remember that ‘80s TV show “Full House” that was on Friday nights for so long?  Yeah, the one they’ve recently made a remake of, “Fuller House” I believe is its name.  Anyways, remember the character Stephanie Tanner?  She’s the one who often could be heard saying “How rude!”

Recently...well, let’s face it. Nearly all of the conversations I have with folks these days I seem to be interrupted in.  A lot.  It exasperates me to no end!  Whatever happened to common courtesy?!  Seriously, and I know I am not the only one this happens to and yes, I confess, I am guilty of it myself (see, I can’t even write this blog for interrupting myself 😛) but isn’t it time to bring Miss Manners back into our lives?

I know we are all just such brilliant peoples with fascinating tales that come to mind when another soul is sharing her latest adventure or another person is discussing some brilliant truth recently revealed to him.  Why must we try to always one-up each other though?  Why must our stories be interjected into the conversation that was on a different topic just so that our wondrous activities could be inserted in where they don’t belong?  Why is what we have to say so much more important than what the other one is speaking about?

Sigh.

That’s all.  I could go on and on about this but I’d probably wind up offending myself as my good Stef argues and plays devil’s advocate with my evil twin.  Instead, I leave you with the thought of trying to control your tongue.  Yes, this is commanded in the Bible and has a usually different connotation with it as it teaches us to not let our thoughts become actions that cannot be taken back.  Hmn.  Maybe not so different after all, huh? James 3:8 tells us “But no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”  ‘Restless evil?’  Indeed.  Let’s be peacemakers today, friends, and listen without interrupting others.   They just might surprise you with their knowledge for a change instead of constantly being your student.

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, I know I may step on some toes this time but You know what, Father?  I am tired of being constantly bombarded with rude people!  Whether it is on the news as someone is interviewed with the alleged attempt of trying to find out that one’s opinion when the reality is the reporter just wants to incite anger or whether it is with friends or acquaintances who know better but just think their words are so much more important and necessary than the ones being spoken at the time.

Help us, God, to control our tongues, our minds, our actions.  We are Your children and You have taught us to be better than this even if our parents failed to do so.  We need to be courteous to one another, for when we aren’t, folks are turned off instead of being drawn to us.  They can’t see You when all we reflect is our own selves.  Help us to not try to out-talk another but to use the two ears we have and listen more.

Thank You, Father, for lessons learned.  May I be the one to first set this new old-fashioned way of being respectful back into existence.  In the name of Christ Jesus I pray.  Amen.

Nasty Boy!

Wandering Through the Bible shared UNILAD's video.

5 mins · 

This morning as I was looking for just the right picture for a thought inspired by my hubby the other day, I came across this video. Watch it and then consider this:  when we--as God's children--mess up, when we are so dirty and covered with sin, and then, when we fall and need a hand up, a kiss to make it better, a comforting hug to show us we matter, does God turn us away? Unh unh. He most certainly does not! As parents and grandparents, we see and practice this kind of love each day. Yeah, we get a little messy and irritated sometimes to have our pretty messed up but God? He loves us whatever state we are in. Our sins won't mess up His carpet nor will we see Him surreptitiously wiping away the potential stain our ugliness leaves behind. Jesus' blood already did that.

Am I then saying it's okay to play in the mud of the world just because the blood of Christ will make us white as snow? Hardly. But what I am saying is that when we play around with sin and need cleansed, He's waiting there for us. Don't let your nastiness prevent you from seeking the comfort and security that Christ provided for us. He's not afraid of getting you on Him in order for you to get Him living inside of you. <3

https://www.facebook.com/pg/uniladmag/videos/

-0:32

Five Years?!

Recently I was with a very special friend in my Pretty Purple Room.  As I gazed at the closet behind me, I asked him if thought I’d ever use all of these supplies I had bought for crafts and for scrapbooking.  His response?  “If you’d stop buying more, maybe you could use these up that you already have.”

Smart alec.

But his words echo in my mind today and I can’t help but smile.  This friend definitely has some wisdom and words that I should apply.  Words that I should apply today as I ponder on my life verses for this year.  In case you need a reminder of what they are, here they are from 2 Corinthians 8:10-12:

The best thing you can do right now is to finish what you started last year and not let those good intentions grow stale. Your heart's been in the right place all along. You've got what it takes to finish it up, so go to it. Once the commitment is clear, you do what you can, not what you can't. The heart regulates the hands.

Intentions are all well and good but until they become deeds they just...well, they sit on a shelf, much like my crafting items do.  They’re great to ponder and look upon and to think about all the wonderful things they could do and become and the beauty that could be the end result.  However, until they become tools in my hand and are put together in whatever project it is that I work on, they are just empty vessels.

This friend told me I probably had enough to keep me busy for five years.  I wouldn’t disagree with that.  This picture only partially shows the things I have to work on.  My other storage areas would reveal many more items that are just sitting there, waiting for their turn to be molded into works of art.  Compare this to the things in my mind that I think of doing and indeed:  five years could be an appropriate measure of time until their purpose has been completed!

Sigh.  But we just aren’t guaranteed time, friends, are we?  We have today and today is what matters.  Those cards I have been meaning to send?  I think I shall go back to my PPR and get them out.  They aren’t much good, are they, sitting in the box, encouraging it instead of the ones I bought them for?  Those stamps in their container don’t need to just sit there when instead they could be stuck to said cards and be put into motion, and those pens?  Yeah, now would be a good time to practice my handwriting skills as I pray over the words that I will write with them, words that will hopefully build up and motivate and perhaps even bring some smiles to some folks who could use a pick-me-up.

Goodbye then, for now.  Hopefully I can put a dent into some of these things and see you before five years is over.  😏

Let’s pray!

Dear Lord, as I purpose now to go be a doer I ask You to guide my words that will go onto these cards.  I ask You to bless the ones who are hurting that I shall be sending them to.  And mostly Lord, I thank You for this opportunity to make good use of my time instead of wasting it.  

Thank You for friends who point out the obvious and thank You for setting the example of how to be a true friend.  Your love is the difference, Father, and I pray that difference will be shown in my actions today.  In the precious name of Jesus I pray this.  Amen.