andyet..God

June 31st

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

When I worked for the bank, in the electronic banking support department, one of the most interesting parts of my job was reading the “contact us” email.  There were emails that make perfect sense, well worded, and straight to the point.  There were also emails that threatened, whined and complained…and I was supposed to come up with some reasonable answer to all of them.

However, there were some that were just downright hilarious, and were amazing in what they said.  One of my favorite ones was a sweet, sincere note..asking for help with their online statement.  It seems they had downloaded the statement, but they felt it was incomplete.  The email basically read “I am having problems with my statement.  When I download it I only get June 1-30 – and I can’t figure out why you cut off the 31st!”. Ok, if you haven’t caught on, June only has 30 days!  And I very politely replied to that effect.  But now when I have one of those days, just the thought “June 31st” can make the worst moment very bearable.

I believe God allows days like that for a very specific purpose.  One is to get us to quit taking ourselves and our immediate “worlds” so seriously…to get us to step back and say, “Really? Am I so worked up about this?”  God does want His children to laugh, and smile, and enjoy their lives…and we need to act like we have unending joy and peace in our lives.

Another reason is to make us humble.  We can be very impressed with ourselves sometimes, and we forget that we are just one step, one thought, one moment in the wrong cirumstances to start downhill towards some very ugly attitudes and habits!  And we just really DON’T impress anyone when we have a judgmental attitude.

And finally, I believe God gives us those days to say, “Look – I am in charge here, if you will just let me work.  And since you won’t always, I have to make you weak so that I can be strong.  In your weakness I shine…so here’s __________to help remind you whose power you need to be walking in!”

So, when a June 31st day happens to you, or maybe a June 31st week, stop.  And look around.  And pray. And ask God what He needs to do through you, or show you, that you aren’t picking up on.  And above all, LAUGH!  To Him be all the glory as we pursue this life as His children!

Do You Know Your Role?

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

My stepson and his wife have recently moved to a country area near south Atlanta, and they are making a great effort at living off the land, and living economically, since they have their own business now as their sole income.  To help that process, they recently purchased 3 wild hogs, and plan on eating those hogs later this year.

Their two girls are will soon turn 12 and 10, so they are old enough to know that (1) these are dangerous animals and not pets and (2) they are not there forever – they will be food later!  So, when Robert and I visited recently, the girls were very excited to let me know that the hogs had been named.  I was a little worried, thinking they might have gotten too attached to them and there might be trouble down the road.  However, I fell out laughing when they told me their names – bacon (smallest hog), sausage (next bigger one), and pork chop (the largest one)  They had assigned those names based on the meat that would be provided!  So their understanding of the hogs role in their lives is firmly intact.  They are taken care of accordingly, fed accordingly, and they act like – well, hogs!

Which of course led to this thought.  Those hogs have a specific purpose.  They are being groomed for that purpose, and they are expected to grow fat enough to fulfill it.  On the other hand, they have no other REAL purpose.  They are not expected to run and play with the kids, clean the yard, or have chidren ride on them like the horses next door.

So how about me?  I wander through my days sometimes with no sense of accomplishment or purpose.  That would be ok if those days didn’t sometimes turn into weeks…I become so absorbed with the routine of living that there is no distinction between my life and any other person’s.

AND YET!  God did NOT create me for that!  He created us in HIS image, and then He saved and redeemed those of us who are born again, and now we are to live for ONE purpose – His glory!  Can you imagine how simple our lives would be if we just lived for that one thing alone?  It would take a lot of stress out, and it would also cause the heart of our God to rejoice.  So why not join me in a renewed quest to live for the ONE purpose we were created for?

Shining in the Dark

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

DSCN0198I was very blessed to get this picture last fall when I was driving home from church one night.  I love the light breaking through the darkness, refusing to be swallowed up, and shining on.

I always think of this Scripture “Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in Heaven.”  (Matthew 5:16). Our world today in general is a very dark place.  It seems every day that there is new wickedness, new brutality, and new evidence of man’s fallen state, and very little of the victory of God and His people.  It is so easy to watch a 30 minute nightly news cast, and think, “what’s the purpose?”  And sad to say, this is very true of Christians as well.  I have heard this more lately than not, “even so, Lord Jesus, come!”  Or “I am SO ready for the Lord to come back and take us home!”  As if there are no more victories to be had, no more sinners to be saved,and no more good to be done on Earth.

AND YET!!  Our God says that WE have the victory, and we are more than overcomers, and WE are the ones He has chosen to use to penetrate the darkness of this world! What gives us the right to give up, if we have the most powerful source in the world – the Lord – working on our behalf??

Look at this picture again.  What is the predominant color?  Black/dark gray.  But what is the color you notice first?  The light!  And why is the light so striking?  Because it’s surrounded by dark!  That’s the way God’s people – you and me – need to be especially now.  We need to look the darkness in the face, and say, “You will not drown out my light – in fact, you will just emphasize it!  We need to remember that God expects us to share that light, and work to bring as many people as possible to Him – because the Scripture also reminds us that He is not willing that any should perish, and that His longsuffering towards us is because He wants to give as many as possible an opportunity to know Him.

So, the next time you notice you are surrounded by darkness, remember – that’s your time, and God’s, to really show off His love and let others see Jesus in you!  Remember – we have the rest of eternity to live in His light – so what’s a little darkness now?

A Daily Scrub

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

I love bath and body products – love, love love them!  And I am always finding one that works, and then going to the store a month or so later, and then finding out that of course it was being discontinued and would never be mine again.  If you are a woman, you KNOW what I mean!

I ran out of my face cleanser last week, that I loved, and of course today when I went to buy it again…..not there.  Not anywhere.  So I looked and pondered and considered this afternoon, mulling over all the possiblities, and chose a scrub this time by the same company.

I evidently did not read the entire label, because when I used it tonight, the first sensation was scrub….and the second was my face being on fire!!  As soon as I could get my face rinsed and my eyes focused, I looked at the label and saw these two words:  energizing (no joke!) and “pore-reducing” (loss of skin cells!)  Oh yeah, I was definitely impressed that I got my money’s worth.  And then I saw another word – peppermint – on the label – there’s the fire!  I don’t know if you have intentionally poured peppermint on any part of your skin lately, but it will ENERGIZE you – to get it off as soon as possibile!

However, now that the fire is out, I can feel a difference in my skin.  It does feel smoother, and it does feel much cleaner.  And I dare any dead skin cells to still be there.

Which leads me to this thought – that’s just the way I feel after reading God’s Word.  The Word of God is designed to “scrub” my heart, soul, mind and emotions.  It is designed to close those “pores” – the inroads that sin may have begun to make.  And it definitely energizes me!  It makes me cleaner – and more usable.  It makes my path smoother, because I have been directed by God for that day’s journey and I am less likely to get “dirty” with sin. And it removes all those dead “skin cells” – those unpleasing thoughts, attitudes, and words that may be lurking in my soul.

So – while I will never recommend peppermint for the skin, I will always recommend the Word to anyone whose life or journey needs energizing – its the best thing around!  To Him be the glory!

Chipmunk Lessons

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment
100_0881

Peanut shell is right in front of this chipmunk

100_0879

This chipmunk has stripped the peanut of everything and is chowing down!

These little guys are some of my favoirtes! Robert and I have been to Estes Park, CO several times – on our honeymoon, a few years later with the kids, and on our 25th wedding anniversary motorcycle trip.  One of the highlights is going to a mountain top by trolley car lift and feeding the chipmunks there.  Going up, watching scenery change all around me, never fails to overwhelm me with the power of our Creator God.

Once on top, the gift store has bags of peanuts to feed the chipmunks.  After getting the bags, it’s a short walk out the deck to get down where the chipmunks are.  We would settle in, put a peanut in our hands and wait.  Soon, one chipmunk would arrive, snatch the unshelled peanut and run off a little way to eat it.  As we stayed totally still and quiet, all that could be heard around us was the munch and crunch!  In a few minutes, that chipmunk would come back, and then other chipmunks would join him, and as they got braver, they would take the peanut, and eat in front of us.

Now, the chipmunks had no idea who we were, or what we wanted.  Hundreds of people every day take that ride and feed them.  We could have been cold blooded “killers”, out to have chipmunk stew for supper.  We could have put poison on those peanuts, and they would have died. All they knew is that we had peanuts in our hands, and we looked innocent enough!  We looked right, sounded right, and offered food that tasted awesome.  And that was all they cared about.

Thinking about church tomorrow (it’s Saturday night), and the Christian radio that I listen to, and the books that I read, it occurred to me – how many times am I like that chipmunk?  Do I obey the Scripture that says to test everything I see and hear as to whether it is true to God’s Word (I John 4:1)?  Or do I take it at face value and believe that because it looks good, sounds good, and feels good, then it must BE good?

God has called us to be responsible in what we believe and live by, and to determine if we are following the one true God and not just someone offering us “food” that may lead to our ruin.  May He help us to be that kind of believer!

 


You’re Not Just Settling for that….Are You?

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

It has barely been 24 hours since I announced in yesterday’s blog about my new job, and the comments have covered the whole range of available answers!  “Really, you want to work parttime??”  “Is that because you are afraid nothing was happening?”  “Isn’t it too soon to rule out other options?”  And my favorite, “Why are you settling for that?”

What fun!  While most people have been supportive and congratulating me, I have actually heard -either by text, phone, or in person – all of the above comments in some form or another.  We have become a society of outspoken people, and never more than when we think an opinion is wanted/welcomed.  And I am just as guilty of that as anyone else I know.

This is not the first time in my life that I have heard this – this “settling” for something.  As if something bigger, greater, and more wonderful was waiting just around the next corner.  Sometimes, I really did “settle” for something, and God did have other options available.

But as I get older, and hopefully wiser and more mature, I have come to realize something.  When someone asks “are you settling for ____________”, I can truthfully answer NO.  After all, if I have prayed for an answer, earnestly asked God to provide, and see Him working to answer that prayer, why then would I turn around and question Him about it?  Or why would I question another believer about their decision if I know the same is true about them?

When we use the phrase “settling for”, we are usually implying that what has been given, or an answer that has been received, is less than.  Why?  Is it a case of the grass is always greener?  Or is my faith less mature because I believe that I have received guidance from the Lord on something that may not meet other’s expectations and I proceed forward?

One of my favorite Bible stories is of the early Christians praying for Peter’s release from jail, and while they are praying God releases him. Peter goes to the house where they are praying, knocks on the door, and they’re like, “Quiet!  We’re in the middle of a prayer meeting here to get Peter released” (paraphrase mine, see Acts 12:5-16 for the whole story).

Isn’t that a riot?  And that’s what this post is about.  When God answers a prayer or need, rejoice and go with His answer!  So, YES, God has answered my unemployment prayer, and YES, the answer is parttime work, and YES He has other great things for me to do that I couldn’t do working fulltime!   It’s all about HIM, and HIS desire, and I am fine with that!

Obedience + Forgiveness = Blessings

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

obedience 2[1]What an awesome lesson learned!  A couple of days ago I shared my experience with asking for forgiveness and how God used that in my life to restore a relationship and bring peace.  Today, I am announcing:  I HAVE A JOB!!

And I do not for a minute believe that is a coincidence.  Now, does everyone who is unemployed have unconfessed sin/need for forgiveness in their life?  Absolutely NOT.  There are all kinds of reasons for unemployment and I would not dare to presume to have some special “key” to fixing that.  Not at all.

But my struggle was with God shutting door after door for fulltime work anywhere in our community.  Slammed shut.  But there was one job I had left – voluntarily – and not in God’s timing, and the way I left was not pleasing to Him.  And I have always known that I had left some bad feelings on both sides unresolved.

AND YET!  God provided the opportunity for me to now go back, work for His glory, not my own, and rebuild some bridges that I tore down and have been a hindrance to His work in my life and my ministry for Him.  What a mighty God we serve!

He has also given me, again, the opportunity to work part time.  Yay!  Less money, but less stress.  Fewer benefits, but more time.  Less “prestige”, but more ministry.  What a mighty God we serve!

So, as the title says, I believe my obedience in seeking the forgiveness I needed to receive has directly resulted in this new opportunity.  Scripture is quite clear that as we forgive others, God forgives us (Colossians 3:13) AND that we are to go ask for forgiveness  (Matthew 5:23-24). I am a living testimony today that God is faithful to His Word, and that you have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!  Let’s go out there and pratice some obedience!

Two Lane Trouble!

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

9e036ce4cce7f1daf056f5040063bdc2[1]I will preface this blog with two thoughts.  First, yes I do spend a LOT of time at Walmart.  Second, there is a bell that rings every Wednesday morning (lol!) for all senior adults to proceed to our local grocery store (which has Wednesday only bargains) and then to finish up at Walmart!

Now that you know those things, as I was in Walmart today, I headed toward the checkout only to find a near senior adult riot occurring.  There were only 2 “regular” checkout lanes open, but our Walmart now has “self check”…and those machines were almost totally unoccupied!  And the griping and complaining could be heard everywhere near the checkout – “I can’t believe they only have two checkouts open”  “This store doesn’t care about its customers” and “they must be cutting back again, since there are NO cashiers!”

Now I understand that seniors and technology do not always go together.  However, they were not the only people in line.  There were all ages represented, and each line was 10 deep. And when I went to the self checkout, it scanned all my groceries, let me use my coupons, and took my debit card..and I was out the door before about half of those in line.

How does that relate to anything?  Many believers are the same way!  They want to come on Sunday morning, occasionally on Sunday night or Wednesday night.  And then, they complain.  They complain about the service being too long.  They complain they are not cared about.  And, they are the first ones to say, “I just don’t feel like I am growing spiritually” or “something’s just wrong with my spiritual life”.

AND YET!  God never intended for us to “stand in line” all the time, waiting and complaining, and not receiving the “service” from Him that we need.  He is ALWAYS there.  Just like those self checkout lines, we can “speed up” our growth, our happiness, our contentment, and our usefulness – all we have to do is “self help” ourselves!  We can self help through the Bible, His written and inerrant Word, and through prayer.  There is never a line for either of those, you can just step right up, and receive.  And I have yet to see a local church, at least here anyway, that is so crowded that you cannot find a seat and “self help” yourself by becoming part of a local fellowship!

So, if our relationship with the Lord, seems lacking, or stale, or stalled, it may be time to look at our self help habits, and see what we are missing out on!

Just Give it Up!

/ tilson123 / Leave a comment

I am not generallly a person who bears a grudge, and I find forgiving others is usually not a problem.  HOWEVER..I am not as good at asking forgiveness.  Saying I’m sorry does NOT come easily.  It is scary, and nerve wracking, and generally not something we rush to.  But if I only offer forgiveness to others, but don’t asked for it myself, I am only practicing half of what God intended.

I was able yesterday, with the Lord orchestrating the whole event, to have an opportunity to ask for forgiveness from someone that I had terribly wronged 4 1/2 years ago.  I told you I am slow at this.  But I wronged someone that I see about 3 times a week in various places, and over the last 4 1/2 years, we have been cordial – but there has always been this unspoken “thing” between us.

We are studying forgiveness in Wednesday night Bible study, and God has been convicting the hound out of me each week.  So last night, I sucked it up and apologized, sincerely, and asked for forgiveness  What an experience!  They had already forgiven me, but the hug didn’t come until I owned up to what I had done and how wrong I had been!  And the relief I felt was SO worth all the struggle!

I don’t say this to pat myself on the back, because I don’t deserve it.  I am sharing this to say……apologizing is not NEARLY as hard as the anticipation of having to do it!  The enemy has lied to us to have great fear – of humilliation, of rejection, of being seen as weak – andi is robbing us of the joy of reconilication with our brothers and sisters!

AND YET!  God so loved me that He died for me, when I didn’t even know or care what He had done (Romans 5:8)  And he commands us to ask to apologize to each other so that there will be unity in our fellowship (Epheaians 4:31) and for our health (Hebrews 12:15).

So, I say this morning – GIVE IT UP!  Give up the fear, the dread, and the pride!  Give up your need to be right, and admit your wrong to whoever needs to hear you say it!  Give up the feeling of “that happened so long ago it doesn’t matter”!  It does, and God always wants us to deal with it!  To Him be the glory and honor as we learn to love each other more!

A Change of Scenery

/ tilson123 / 1 Comment

100_1299My husband Robert is a “porch sitter” from WAY back.  He spent his first 9 years in the mountains of north Georgia, where life was much more laid back, money was scarce, and your neighbors were mostly family.  They would spend most evenings, especially in the hot summer, on the porch, playing, sharing and laughing.  Therefore for him the best vacation spots are in the moutains, with a porch high up where major relaxing can occur.  This photo was taken at one such place about a year ago, in the foothills of North Georgia – and it was delightful.

As a matter of fact, when we bought our current house, the first thing we saw was the HUGE screened in side porch..and it was a done deal before we ever went inside!

I grew up a city girl, with places to go, things to do, and people to see…and none of it happening at home!  It took me a long time (we’ve been married 32 years) to realize the value of a vacation that involved actual resting – not scurrying around seeing sights, and NOT at the beach -which is what my childhood vacations were made of.

But as I grew older and life got busier, I began to appreciate the time out approach, and now I can’t imagine any other way to go.  Life today can be crazy – and feel hopelessly out of control sometimes.  There are very few moments that truly belong to any of us, with all the demands of our jobs, family, church, and other things.  It is SO hard to just stop..and do nothing.

AND YET!  God calls us to stop. Period. And rest in Him.  Talk with Him.  Enjoy His presence.  Ask HIM about our worries,, and troubles, and concerns. Be with Him.  Let Him remind us of how much He loves us.  But that will not happen, until we find that “porch” in our lives – that quiet place, or quiet 10 minutes, or 30 minutes, where WE do nothing, and He does everything.  He will cause us to feel renewed, refreshed, and ready to go back to our lives, if we will only let Him.  So here’s to some porch sitting!  And may He allow us all to experience the beauty of being in His presence.