Storing Treasures November 14, 2008

Well it is 3:00am I am still up.  Yes, that’s right.  Still trying to get everything ready for the garage sale on Saturday.  But I wanted to post a little short tidbit of insight in my insanity.

Matthew 6: 19-21

Treasures in Heaven

19“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22“The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. 23But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

24“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

Because we accumulate “things” over time, it is sometimes difficult to see how many “things” we actually have.  It is not until we have to start purging it all that we actually take an inventory and realize our negligence.  If someone asked me, of course I would say that these possessions are worthless to me.  However, my overcrowded garage, and the large amount of things remaining inside the house after removing sale items, speak volumes to the contrary.

Why is it that we have to have all these things?  Do we even notice the tower of possessions we are building inside our own walls?  I look around me at the sea of things and can not help but wonder how many people could have been helped with that money.  How many orphans fed?  I am ashamed of my selfishness and my worldliness.

This prayer has really been ringing in my ears lately and I wanted to share it with you.

My Prayer Today—– Father I want to know thee,but my cowardly heart fears to give up its toys. I cannot part with them without inward bleeding, and I do not try to hide from thee the terror of the parting. I come trembling , but I do come. Please root from my heart all those things which I have cherished so long and which have come a very part of my living self,so that thou mayest enter and dwell their without a rival. Then shalt thou make the place at thy feet glorious. Then shall my heart have no need of the sun to shine in it, for thyself, wilt be the light of it, and there shall be no night in there. Amen

These toys can be inner or outward things.  I truly am ashamed of how many things crowd my heart.  Please Lord, take from me the need for anything other than YOU!

It is well.. With my soul! September 13, 2008

Being in school for teaching, one of the first things we are taught is engaging all 5 senses to encourage learning. There are so many times that we read the Bible and the stories have become common place to us. Do we really see the depth of the lesson being taught through them. Sometimes we need a visual.

I believe that has been provided. For those of you who still have power remaining, a large ship is stranded out in the middle of Hurricane Ike. There is no chance of reaching them and they were told to simply hunker down and ride out the storm. It reminded me of the a similar bible story.

Matthew 8: 23-27

Jesus Calms the Storm

23Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24Without warning, a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”

26He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

27The men were amazed and asked, “What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!”

When we read that story do we really understand the extreme conditions. Imagine this small fishing vessel. Surrounded by the winds and rains that we are seeing at this moment. The waves crashing overboard into the ship. Extreme panic and chaos amid this boat. The anger and the frustration as they realize that they are all panicking and Jesus sleeps. I love his answer when they awaken him. “Oh you of little faith!”- Oh is that me!

How many times do I panic over simple drizzle. The drops fall around me and the stress factor starts to rise. I wonder, could we even say that Stress, is the opposite of FAITH. Allowing our circumstances to control us instead of the creator of those circumstances shows how little faith we truly have. We have many Hurricanes in life… Loss of a job, loss of a home, loss of a loved one. We also have many smaller storms. You know the everyday things that happen causing us to freak out. How dare we walk into our churches singing … “When peace like a river attendeth my way.. it is Well with my Soul.” Is it well? Are you sleeping through your storms? I know I’m not.

“Oh ME of little Faith!” Even the winds and the waves obey him and I can not even trust him in little circumstances. We say we trust him but do we REALLY trust him. If we trust then why do we stress?

I know I would have been panicked on that boat. Even with the creator of the wind sleeping right next to me. Why do we lack the “true faith” that he has called us to as his children. Have you ever seen a child asleep at a football game or in the middle of the mall? The chaos around them is no match for their need to sleep. Did you ever realize the trust it takes for that. Our children have blind trust that we will protect them and they can rest in any circumstance. I think I need to do a little more sleeping through my storms.

Oh Lord, give me the Faith of a child. Your -child, that relies fully on you for each and every moment of each and every day. Every breath I breathe you have provided and have been granted to me through you. Lord help me to remember that the creator of the universe is in me and therefore no storm is greater than its maker. God help me to begin each day filling myself with you so that at as I gently lay down my head at night I with all confidence may say… “It is well with my soul!”

BTW…Remember we do not sing at church in order to entertain ourselves. The words we sing to our Savior bring Glory to him. The next time you are in corporate worship and you are joining in song, remember that if you are singing words that you are not acting out then you are standing in worship of the Savior with lies on your lips… May it be that each of us sing with all confidence at the throne of our King…. It is Well with My soul.. Read the words and MEAN them..

When peace, like a river, attendeth my way,
When sorrows like sea billows roll;
Whatever my lot, Thou has taught me to say,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Refrain

It is well, with my soul,
It is well, with my soul,
It is well, it is well, with my soul.

Though Satan should buffet, though trials should come,
Let this blest assurance control,
That Christ has regarded my helpless estate,
And hath shed His own blood for my soul.

Refrain

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Refrain

For me, be it Christ, be it Christ hence to live:
If Jordan above me shall roll,
No pang shall be mine, for in death as in life
Thou wilt whisper Thy peace to my soul.

Refrain

But, Lord, ‘tis for Thee, for Thy coming we wait,
The sky, not the grave, is our goal;
Oh trump of the angel! Oh voice of the Lord!
Blessèd hope, blessèd rest of my soul!

Refrain

And Lord, haste the day when my faith shall be sight,
The clouds be rolled back as a scroll;
The trump shall resound, and the Lord shall descend,
Even so, it is well with my soul.

Where did I drop my brain? September 10, 2008

Twice a year in the Shreveport/Bossier City area, the entire population of mothers completely loses touch with reality. As we line up like a group of teeny boppers waiting for the next ticket of the heart throb of the day. But are we waiting in hours in the hot sun for tickets to be entertained? Are we waiting in scorching temperatures and on uncomfortable sidewalk to be serenaded by our favorite band or musician? Oh NO! That is much too logical for us. I believe there is much to be said about the line “I lost my brain with my placenta!”

No, come fall and spring people plan, organize and tag. They begin to dig out and pull out and find anything they can to put into our city wide children consignment sale. What is the big deal you ask? Oh…. For all that labor of pricing and preparing you are rewarding with… Early entry to get the great things others toiled to put into the sale. And by the time the waiting and the fighting and the lines are said and done, you have spent way more than you have made.

Yesterday the “Participant Only Early Entry Sale” opened at 6:00pm. A few of us got into line at about 4:30ish. We were probably about 50 people back in the line. By 5:30 the line wrapped the entire building. And at 5:50 people began to move and like a bunch of groupies we run forward only to find that we moved like 4 feet. And then.. it happened.. At 6:00 the glass barricade is removed as the cattle are herded into this domain of deals and the “manners are left front door.” Hundreds of mothers are pushing and pulling and grabbing and fighting over clothing, toys, furniture, shoes, decorations, outside toys, and whatever else you can get for children. These docile gentle creatures who sat so quietly in a concrete line and spoke of their happy little families become……. WILD ANIMALS in search of their territory!

Amid sweaty bodies from digging for treasure and horrible backaches from the positions your body is forced into in order to dig, you still manage a smile as you puff up with pride over your new found possessions and head to the check out. And then again.. it begins.. As grueling as it began.. Another line.. About 300 people long.. And again you are forced to wait. (last night we stood in line for over an hour and a half) Once you reach the front and money is exchanged you drearily head to the vehicle where you forcefully decide you will not do this again next year!

And then when Spring rolls around.. You notice your kids sure have out grown a lot of stuff.. And that is when it happens again.. No one knows how or when it happens.. It is subtle- but soon and very soon.. The brain is gone again!!

Just thought I would share some pics of what this is like.. Hope you enjoy.

Throw out those bandaids.. August 25, 2008

Well it is late at night.  I should be in bed getting my beauty rest.. I sure do need it.  I am waiting on my husband to call from Guam and I thought I would ramble some thoughts on here in the meantime.

Most of you know that we have recently been called of God to leave our church home.  I do not think even I realized the gravity of the hurt we experienced when we walked away.  Of course there were the differences in theology, the differences of opinion, the angry words and the bitterness that ensued but beyond all that I just felt “homeless.”

I do not think that in those moments, with those wonderful people, I truly realized how special our church family was.  This imperfect group of sinners that God drew to together under that roof became a family.  We held one another accountable, we spurred one another in growth.  We encouraged, loved, and supported one another.  If someone was out on any given service it was like there was a missing link.  No one had to work at loving each other.  We just did.

Walking away was a very clear calling for us.  We knew that God did not want us in a place where the Word of God would no longer be preached or be allowed to be preached in its entirety.  All the political and sinful drama is not pertinent so I will save you the time.  But we knew we could no longer be a part of that.  A good deal many of us walked away.

For over 2 months now we have been bandaging our wounds at different local churches.  Quick fixes to heal our broken hearts.  None of us aware of how deep our connections were and how painful this truly is.

For the past 2 weeks however, God has ordained for me to visit in a church where he has used this body to begin healing me.  There is no “perfect church” except the spotless bride when our Groom comes to get us.  I was not searching for one either.  But this church by simply being themselves and loving one another has restored my hope in finding a “family” once again.

I feel so blessed.  Most people are never find the fellowship and love that I had at my previous church and I am possibly finding it twice.  It may not be with the same people but it is with the same minded people.  God has grown me so much in a year.  I deserve nothing from him other than death, and yet he chooses to continue to bless me with fantastic Christian friendships.

The healing has begun.  I am throwing out the bandaids and attitude of quick fixes.  I am allowing my heart to open up to this new group and I am allowing God to use me however he will here for his Glory alone!