Cluck, not suck.

I am in charge of coaching someone in the discipline of not laying around moping (though there's a valid reason to), but instead, of getting up and out to a productive life and day of work. To make it a bit more fun, I sent this devotional to her office. Though silly, it's helpful....

It’s true! All discipline seems to suck at the time we are called to suck it up and get with it. Dieting, exercising, quitting something unhealthy for us (mentally, spiritually, or physically), or beginning something we don’t want to face—all of it can seem quite sucky. Till… the afterwards.
Afterwards, when a diet loss has won us a healthy body, or exercise has stopped our arms from flapping after we’ve stopped waving, or we’ve quit our habit of moping and there’s a non-stop flow of joy, or we’ve faced the unface-able and have that priceless sense of accomplishment, then it’s so worth it. And that doesn’t suck at all!
So, one day, you will look back on all this discipline and cluck its praises—the training will have paid off!
Your day’s motto—cluck, not suck. (I know, I know, it’s very clever.)

Cluck—Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; who pardons all my iniquities; who heals all my diseases; who redeems my life from the pit; who crowns me with lovingkindness and compassion; who satisfies my years with good things, so that my youth (yahoo) is renewed like the eagle. Psalm 103:1-5.

Suck—Discipline, before the benefiting, joy-generating afterwards.

Rich in Jesus!

Do you ever have one nagging deficiency? Something that you wish was different in yourself? Or some thing you wish you had that you don't? I have plenty of them!

For instance, confidence. I desire to kick my insecurities out of my life forever, but each day, there they are. Could it be that God is letting it hang around for a reason? Perhaps to show me that He is my confidence, even when I haven't an ounce of that sparkling trait?

This particular lack shines its brightest when there's a social gathering. So, on the way to the party, I ask the Lord to get my focus off of me and onto others. I ask for the gift of gab. And guess what? He provides!

What I am learning is that my lack of confidence (or any other deficiency) is a handy tool for the Lord's skill to be displayed. It's amazing what He can do! So, let's let Him use our deficiencys to display His whole array of skill and splendor!

You can lead a horse to the water trough.....

.... but you just can't make him drink! You could be Mr. Atlas, with muscles bulging from every crevice, able to use your might to push the horse's head into the water, but you could not make that horse stick out his tongue and draw in long droughts, if he had a mind not to.

And neither can Christians force someone to believe the truth in God's word. We can lead them to the truth, show them how to drink it in and find refreshment, and teach them how the Living Water would cause them to thirst no more, but we can't make them slurp it up in belief.

That is the Holy Spirit's doing. We just lead them to the trough of truth (God's Word), and He hands them the cup, offering them a way to drink it, if they've a mind to.

It's their choice. And it's nice that God lets us choose... just hard when we see that someone chooses to walk away parched. But fear not, as I was reminded twice this week - God's word never goes void "without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it" (Isaiah 55:11).

It's all in God's hands!

Testing

This is only a test! This picture is in my backyard, and it's probably from our last Easter celebration. The picture is not the subject of this day, though. I am simply trying to learn how to put a picture into my blog. So many of my friends have them, and you know how it is.... we always want what others have. LOL. So, let's see if this works!

Let Us Pray! :)

There's a gal I pray for, via almost-daily e-mails. This morning's prayer I read again and again, praying it for myself, too. So, I thought to myself, Self, why not put it on your blog, so that others could pray for themselves and their friends, too? And you can see that I did! :)

Dearest Father, our Almighty God, our Abba, who loves us to the utmost. For you, we offer this day. For every task, fill our hearts with joyful willingness. For every vexing, give us your patience and mercy. For all thoughts, let them be sweet and glorifying. Holy Spirit, check our thoughts today, and make us aware of the idle ones that slip in without our being aware, that are not pleasing to you or uplifting to our well-being. Turn our sighing into choices to sing. We'll need your help with that, for sure, 'cuz you know the pull to pout is ever present. Bring to mind those we can pray for, and along with that, let us know the exact thing to pray for those persons. I know this: praying for others derails our thoughts off our own self and stuff, so we want to be doing lots of that today. Let us serve you in that capacity. Teach us your will and direct our feet into it. This is a new week, a new, clean slate; let us do that which comes to mind, not putting it off or deferring it (as I read in Steams in the Desert today), so that we can lay our head peacefully upon our pillows and sleep soundly through the night, with no regrets, but only with that wonderful, calming sense of accomplishment. Thank You, Lord. In Jesus' powerful name. Amen. xo

To Be or Not To Be

Is there a way you'd like your husband to be, or not to be? Seriously ask yourself this question: If I could change one character trait of my husband's, what would it be?

Not having many unfavorable traits, I had to really think about what I would like changed in Mike. Then, an unusual word - one that is not normally in my vocabulary - came to mind --- reticent.

Of the four definitions I found on dictionary.com (I love this site, 'cuz if I spell the word wrong, which I did, it gives suggestions), one hit the bullseye:

the trait of being uncommunicative;
not volunteering more than necessary

There is so much wisdom in being reticent, since it would keep you from putting your foot in your mouth. On the other hand, to a wife's heart, it can be a form of abandonment.

It was eye-opening for me, and also gave me wisdom how to pray, without any judgemental or angry feelings . I'm excited to see the Lord answer this one.

Now.... perhaps it's time to ask another question: What character trait could be changed in MY life???? :) Happy changes to you!

Fuel up Your Prayer LIfe

From Spurgeon's devotional Morning and Evening, were these words: Do we engage with lukewarmness in private devotion? Is the fire of devotion burning dimly in our hearts? Do the chariot wheels drag heavily? If so, let us be alarmed at this sign of decay. Let us go with weeping, and ask for the Spirit of grace and of supplications.

Get alone with God and just start talking! :) Talk about your lack of zest, your loneliness, your marriage, your kids, the things in government that frustrate and scare you, terrorism, our soldiers in Iraq, that neighbor that irks you, the trial that seems so endless, the joy that seems depleted, the fears that are robbing your faith, the friend who doesn't know Jesus as Savior and Friend, and whatever else is on your mind. Talk about the goodness of God that you appreciate, His many benefits, that we don't ever want to forget, and also, talk about strongholds and sins that you need deliverance from. (Deliverance by man is in vain - Psalm 60:11-, so, of course, we will need to talk to our Deliverer about these.)

Eze 22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should build up the wall, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it; but I found none.

Let's be the ones that will stand in the gap, so God can destroy the enemies of the souls of men!

Merrily, Merrily Through the Snow

Okay, Christmas bells aren't ringing and there's no snow to merrily glide across. However, imagine that you are living back in the midwest, it's winter and the sky is dark and dreary. No clouds are single, but all married to each other, forming one big family of gray. Blizzards are howling and clawing at your door, for three long days, until finally they're over and have left you a visual reminder of their presence with drifts of white, glistening snow, six feet deep. And, you've got to walk a mile to town... just like Laura Ingalls...

Sometimes, our problems and circumstances are so long and deep that walking through them is just like pushing through that soft, deep snow. Trudging, one step at a time. Will frostbite set in? Will your legs hold out? Will you ever reach your destination, where a warm fire awaits to relieve and revive you?

God has given us a safe assurance that the answer to all of the above is a resounding 'yes'! Isa 43:2 "When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; And through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, Nor will the flame burn you. For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior..."

And that's why we can go merrily, merrily through the snow - no matter how packed it is!

Ooops, I alway do this

I will write a title and then tell a story that has nothing to do with it. LOLOLOL!!! Okay, here's the popcorn Christianity story --- When we live by faith and not by feelings, God's grace and the Spirit's power just pop us out of our downcast, doubting, double-minded mood and out pops joy in its place. ta da... the end. :)

Popcorn Christianity

I was just sitting here reading my last blog, and guess what???? I could've written the exact one, all over again! I guess being a slow learner is better than being a fool who refuses to ever learn, eh? And as long as I'm sharing my shortcomings, I think you might like to know that I have the hardest time dealing with disappointment. My girlfriend laughed at me when I mentioned that to her this morning because she has noticed this in me, too. Drats and double drats.

However, let's not stop with those, because it doesn't end there. Oh, no! The good news is that when we become aware of our sins and failings, we just march our little selves right up to our jumbo God and ask for mercy and help. Now, I hadn't thought of this till I was just now typing, because, well, I was living by my feelings! Yep, I was weighed down with feelings of failings. (Does that make any sense?) But... smile, smile, smile... not anymore.

Nope, the burden has been lifted by our strong God. The blood of Jesus washes all scarlet sins white as snow, His power is perfected in our weaknesses (the more we have, the more His power is on display), and He makes our feet like hinds' feet, causing us to finally be able to flit right past our feelings onto the Rock of our faith - Jesus!

So, as you can see - even our failings and feelings can give way to faith, when we remember the truth in our Bibles!

Up and Running Again!

Whew! What a fiasco to get back on this blog site! They said it's all new, but it sure looks the same to me? What do you think???

Anyhoo, want to hear something interesting? Well, I was reading through one of my 2001 journals, and I had some of the same pleas then that I do now. One of them - "Restore to me the joy of my salvation." You know what conclusion I came to when I read that? - I need faith!

See, faith overrules feelings. Could it be that all these days I've been basing my joy on how I feel, and not on what I believe is real in my life -- that my name is written in the Lamb's book of life, that thanks to Jesus dying on the cross and rising again, I am accepted in the Beloved, called a child of God, brought from darkness into His brilliant shining light, and have lavished grace upon me, day by day?

So, there's just one more reason why journaling is beneficial - it does help your walk! Hey, had I not seen the same ol' questions and prayers repeated, I might've been a broken record in 2007, too!

But now, I can sing a new song and give thanks and praise to God! And who knows what interesting things I'll be able to tell you when I look back in this year's journal in 2008!

Here I Am!!

Shoot, it's been so long since I've blogged that it took me a while to figure out how to get to this page. Now, that's pretty bad. Not only this, they now have a new and improved version.... To get that, though, I would have to sign up with Google, and I really don't want to do one more sign up...not yet, anyway. So, I will stick to the familiar. :)

Now that spring is making an appearance, I've gotten back on my bicycle. I rode 8-9 miles on the bike trail on Saturday. Remember how sunny and warm it was (unlike today)? It was awesome. In the River Walk Park lake were miniature sailboats. I am assuming they were remote controlled. How I wished I would have had my camera with me, because it would have made a beautiful and fun picture for my sister's newsletter. Mabye they'll be out there on the next sunny and warm Saturday.

Let's see, what have I been up to since my last entry, which was two months ago??? Hmmm.... I finished my second quilt for the Quilts of Valor. My last one went to a male Marine, but this one will go to a gal soldier, since that's what the Lord told me. For some reason, I like making them for the men and I fought the Lord on making this one for a woman. However, the Lord always has the last say, and when the quilt turned out very feminine-looking, I flew the white flag. I should have it back from the longarmer (the gal who quilts it on a huge machine) tomorrow and then it will be on its way to cheer some wounded soldierette.

Well, I need to quit typing here and continue on with my Old Testament kings research. Talk to you tomorrow (or whenever lol). xo

It's beginning to look a lot like 2007!

I've got a secret!

And the secret is.... drum roll..... feelings don't have to dictate your life! Now, mine do, but yours don't! Hahahahahaha! Case in point: After getting my brows (ok, and face) tweezed at the pro shop, then working a bit, then returning home to a big, fat mess (I should find me a new maid!), I was really doubting that I would hop-to and whip this place in order. However, I prayed and then just moved one step at a time, one room at a time. Prayer worked! God answered! Not only is the home fire kindling softly its welcome, but while ironing a two-week pile, I memorized a verse in Daniel. Now, don't ask me which one, cuz i memorized the words only. Wanna hear it from memory??? (And I'm not cheating cuz my Bible is still by the ironing board.) Here goes - "Let the name of God be praised forever and ever. Because all wisdom and power belong to HIm." Quick, go look in the first chapter of Daniel and see if I'm right! :) Anyhoo, my computer room is still waiting for its turn, but I just had to say 'hi' first. Back to work! P.S. Holidays are nice but they sure do throw a routine around!

Sewing Saturday

Busy sewing today. But now I need a nap (my mantra these days). Perhaps a quick snooze, then back to sewing!

A Slow-Go Monday

Hi there! Even though the list of to-do's are longer than the paper (thankful am I for the back sides), here I sit, avoiding all of it. How can this be??? I did take Mika for a very frustrating walk. Clearly, she thinks she is Boss. I about whipped her neck off as I pulled her around this one time, and after that, she bowed to me, the Queen. She's such a sweet and loving dog, but oh.....

Mike and I have begun to plan our 27th anniversary trip to the coast in September. The dates aren't certain, but we will be gone for at least 3 nights, maybe more. When Mike first mentioned a trip, I was in shock, to say the least. Gosh, I thought, he's gotten so romantic. Then, as we got some plans on paper, it all became clear that he was in love with fishing! One full day of our trip will be so he can fish. In fact, all other plans are working around that one trip. I am beginning to see the light, and it's shining over a boat, not me. Drats!

Let's see.... what else? I've been quilting some, and that's been fun. In fact, that's what I'd like to do right now. However.... that list of chores is still waiting. Ta ta!

Jill Brisco Conference

This conference was awesome! I've heard Jill speak twice before - delightful both times - but this was totally heart-changing. It was very obvious that it had been covered in prayer, and the Spirit was doing His sweet convicting and encouraging through Jill, Anne Barbour, our worship leader, and the many who served us. If you've never heard of NEWIM, it was through this avenue of Jill's, trying to encourage those in ministry. And to think, I almost changed my mind and didn't go!

A fun day!

Ooops! lol Can you see what my mind is like these days? It's gotten so scary that I've begun doing all the little freebie games in the daily newspaper, in hopes that my mind will get flexed again. I am really depending on the Lord for sanity!!! See, He keeps us close to Him, one way or the other!

Noah moved back, did I tell you that? Well, it's been just dandy!!! Already, he has taken me to the movies - at night, normally my bedtime, and I actually kept awake the whole time! lol Then yesterday, mike, me, noah, kyle, all went to Stockdale and played golf. Now, those silly young bucks were just pos they could 'take' mike and I, so they bet us pizza at Plumberries. Well, Mike kept saying all night long how his back hurt from 'carrying' me during the golf game ( I golfed the worst ever). However, Mike played pretty darn good and we won!! Yep, those boys had to cough up the dough for the pizza dough. It was great! We actually ate AT THE RESTAURANT and OUTSIDE, my fav!!! See, it is a good thing Noah moved back, cuz he's getting mike and I out. Hooooray!!

Having to hang a billion garage sale signs today for theresa's Oaks neighborhood fling, I decided to ride my bike, and since amers got her a darling new bike, she came along....good thing, too, cuz i got too much sun and was not in good shape, till we pit stopped at jamba juice and the infused b vits hit my veins, then all cylinders were running again. It's fun to have a daughter!

Anyhoo, as you can imagine on this hot day, after being the sun for hours on end, floating int he pool with a mag felt mighty fine. yep, mighty fine. Oh!! I almost forgot to tell you - guess what I picked from our garden today??? Our very first crooked neck squash and zuchhinis. Now, hurry up tomatoes!!

Write me! xo

A fun day!

In the Good Ol' Summertime!!!!!

Let the fun begin!!!! It's summertime, summertime, sum-sum-summertime!!!

What sealed the deal for me, and changed my mindset from spring to summer were two things: 1> Shannon and I spent a whirlwind day at the coast yesterday. Zoom, zoom, zooom in fun! and 2> I cleaned out the pool and patios and pruned and raked and washed down the deck. Oh, and had bought two brand new noodles and two floating lounge chairs.

Now can you see why it's the good ol' summertime?? :) We are bbqing burgers tonight and playing cards with my sis, and maybe....jumping in the pool! Oh what fun!

But, before the fun, I must clean the house. During the week, i pretty much have a routine of upkeep with the house, wanting mike to come home to a welcoming peaceful haven. but then, on the weekends...well, it's party mode my mind slips into and the house goes to pot - when he's here all day. go figure. so, am cleaning it right now and then he can wallow in wonderful enjoyment. me, too. :) have a fun day, and get your flip flops on - it's summertime!!!!