encouragement

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

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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

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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!

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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!

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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

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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.

That’s How We Roll!

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unnamed[1] (17)This picture is of my favorite, favorite little guy, Anderson.  He is one of the best “and yet..God!” stories of my life.  His parents, Jamie & Candon, came to know the Lord late – after 12 years of living together, and two children ages 11 & 10 at the time.  After their salvation, they wanted to honor the Lord in all things, and they got married in July, 2012.  They had been told much earlier that they could never have any more children…..AND YET!!  Two months after the wedding, Candon was pregnant. This little guy was the glorious result, and after the shock wore off, they realized that God indeed blessed them with this miracle in response to their obedience. Anderson will be 2 next month, and although he has outgrown being my worship buddy in “big” church, he is still all mine on Sundays.

Candon sent me this picture the other day, telling me “this is how we roll at age 2!”  As you can see he  is watching TV, all snuggled up, pillow behind his head, favorite stuffed animal by his side, favorite blanket at his feet, and there’s a juice cup in there somewhere.  All the comforts of his life, and his Mom on standby if he needs anything else!  And that confident look on his face indicates he is seriously pleased with life and he has no worries.

Wouldn’t it be great if we lived our lives that way?  Not that God has promised us all the comforts of life.  To the contrary, He has promised us that there will be trials and suffering, and believing in Him will GUARANTEE that we will be hated and persecuted by the world, because they hated HIM.

But we can live victoriously!  We know, as they say, how it all turns out, and it all works out for good for those that love Him (Romans 8:28) that in all things we conquer (Romans 8:37), and that NOTHING can separate us from the love of Christ (Romans 8:38-39)!  So, while we can’t climb into laundry baskets anymore and expect to be waited on hand and foot, we can still adopt my little guy’s confident smile, and KNOW that we will be taken care of, and we win in the end!  Amen!

Rearranging is NOT Progress

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Yesterday in the Walmart parking lot I watched a very interesting thing happen.  I had just pulled in and something caught my eye in the row across from me.  A woman and a young boy were struggling to get something out of the car..and I mean struggling!  Not wanting to miss out on anything, I stayed put to watch.  They were finally able to get it out after about 10 minutes and it was a very large car seat.  Humongous. They took the carseat and threw it into the back side passenger seat on top of something else. Just then another woman approached with 2 -two-FULL buggies of stuff!  And they were going to that car!

I watched again as they began to put the bags in the trunk they had just emptied.  The first buggy full barely made it in there, and they began trying to stuff part of the 2nd buggy in there as well.  No go.  They finally opened the back passenger side door and began to cram bags in on top of the car seat…up to the ceiling of the car!  Then they stuffed the poor young boy on the other side, they got in, and took off.

So what’s the point of all this?  The point is that they had too much junk in their car to put in what they needed!  AND they thought that rearranging the junk was going to make a difference.

God spoke so clearly in that moment.  The junk in the car represents the junk in my life..all the things I need to throw out because they take up too much room.  The sin, the bad habits, etc.  The buggies represent all the good things, the blessings, the joy, and the peace that God wants to give me.  And I look at Him and say, “just a minute God and I will make room for those”..but all I do is rearrange my junk..not get rid of what is blocking the way! And I am not a bit more successful in creating room for the good things.

moral of this story is, I am going to start throwing out, not rearranging..so that God can work in me and add the good stuff!

What a Deal!

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ClearanceSign[1]Anyone that knows me well knows that this sign is all it takes to get my heart pumping, eyes focused and buggy rolling!  I am a shopper’s shopper, and refuse to buy anything full price.  And also anything “only” marked 50% off – after all, if 50% off is possible, then so is 75%!!  It is such a thing with me that there is a running joke in my family that if I had biological children (I have stepchildren) I would have named them Clearance and Sale.

So on my daily visit to Walmart today, I noticed buggies in the middle aisle and up front, loaded with stuff, and yep, they all said “Clearance”!  I quickly manuevered my way over there, through the hundreds of people (ok, maybe 10’s of people) and scoped it out.  And it was so sad.  Although there was everything from underwear and socks to fishing line and tire inflaters, it was really NOT clearance.  Most of it was marked down anywhere from $1-$5, and that is NOT clearance!  It is just Walmart’s way of making you THINK you got a bargain – when really, you could get some of those prices on any of their regular sales, or at other stores on sale.  But did that stop people from digging through, and loading up their buggies with those so-called deals?  Absolutely not.

There is a spiritual parallel here. So many times the world will throw stuff at us.  They will package it all pretty and nice, and even put a “sale” price on it.  As in, this will make you so cool – cigarettes, alcohol, clothes, etc – or this will make you the life of the party.  Or this – car, boat, perfume, etc – will make you important AND happy.  AND that there is very little cost to you…or at least a lot less (clearance) than you have heard.  Except that just like those “deals” today, you will find out that you have been ripped off.  What seemed like such a good thing really costs way more than you thought. and ususally there is a HUGE price to pay.

AND YET!  God does not treat us that way.  He offers the best thing of all – salvation – and it will fulfill its promises. He also offers it for FREE – not at a discount, but FREE.  And we are never shortchanged in that deal..it lasts for all eternity.  So as I left Walmart today, without any of those  items, I was thanking God for His free gift, and praising His name for my salvation!

Go Slay Some Dragons!

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DSCN0059This picture is from one of our favorite vacation spots in Tennessee -it is the Dragon’s Tail motorcycle route, with 318 curves in 11 miles.  In a car, that’s not a big deal, but on a motorcycle, it’s a WOW!  Robert and I have done it twice, and loved each time. It is also known for the daredevils it attracts, and the wipeouts they have riding through because of speed and recklessness.

And outside the restaurant/gift shop is this bad boy, with a chain around his collar, looking very calm and innocent.  It is easy to have a great big smile knowing the dragon is not real, and cannot harm me.

However, there are real “dragons” in life – and they are NOT tame!  There is real fear connected with them, and there are real battles being waged against them.  The dragons of failure, worry, financial hardship, work issues, change, and instability are just a few that chase us in our daily lives.  And the dragon of unemployment is my current one.  There is also the REAL dragon, the spiritual one, that we call satan – and right now he is not contained and he “prowls about about like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8)  Doesn’t seem like we have much of a chance, some days, to survive, much less live a victorious life for Jesus.

AND YET!  God is over ever present help in times of trouble, and HE has promised us that if we allow it, He will not only assist us in the battle, He will actually do the battling for us, if we will just trust in HIM (2 Chronicles 20:15). And we won’t face wipeouts, if we do it His way.  So, as I face this uncertain time right now, I believe I will follow the advice that I give a favorite pastor friend of mine, and go slay some dragons! To God be the glory for the victory He gives us through Himself!

A Million Dollar Mouth!

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Big-Smiley-Face[1]

Well, ok, maybe not a million dollars – but a lot!  I am going this afternoon to have my 9th – yes NINTH! – permanent crown put in.  I broke this latest tooth two days after losing my job, and it joins a long list of other dental expenses.  I started thinking yesterday about how much money has actually been invested in my mouth.  Nine crowns x $1,700 each (approx) equals an amazing $15,300.  Add to that 2 cleanings a year at approximately $70 per cleaning through the years, and that totals around $3,500 over the past 54 years. Not even adding in original fillings, those crumbling with time, and new fillings!  Plus those tacky braces when I was a teenager, which adds about $3,000 to the total.  That’s around $22,000 invested in keeping my mouth healthy, my smile pretty, and my eating abilities intact!  And how about the money spent on breath fresheners, toothpaste, mouthwash? Or if I ever flirted with whitening those teeth…well you get the picture.

During my quiet time last night,the Lord spoke to my heart and I wondered – how much “expense” (effort) have I put into keeping the WORDS from this mouth clean, pretty, and healthy?  Ouch!  The Bible has a lot to say about our words – a LOT- and I was greatly convicted by the contrast in sacrifice and expense between my physical mouth and my spiritual mouth.

One of the first verses I learned as a child was Psalm 19:14 – “Let the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Your sight…..”  Psalm 17:3 also addresses this issue “I have purposed that my mouth will not trangress…”  And I could list the other references and fill up the remainder of this page.

So, as I experience the thrill of dental work yet again today, I am asking God to continue reminding me of HIS desire for my mouth..and to continue His work in keeping those words from it “with grace, seasoned” (Colossians 4:6), so that my “and yet!” God can continue to use me in spite of my weaknesses.  Amen!