Ping Pong Balls and Crochet Hooks!!!

My excitement for this week is my new laptop has been shipped! I use my laptop a lot; every day; sometimes hours a day. So, to have a new baby really makes me happy! The flip side is, I now must clean off and back up all the files, programs, photos, movies and articles on my now old laptop.

Which brings me to another thought. Just how many projects do I actually have going at the moment? Hummm.... four, no wait, five movies, a family cookbook, an afghan to crochet, a book in progress that I want to publish as an "E" book, a video of our testimony I want to edit, a photo trip being planned with some friends, and in the midst of it all preparing our house for selling.

My next question is, why do I do this to myself? Would it not be easier to finish one project before starting four more? Probably, but not nearly so interesting. My brain may very well have ping pong balls in it. I cannot seem to focus on one project for more than a few days before the balls start jumping around inside saying, "but wait! What about doing THIS? or maybe THAT? or heck, why not just quit and play BeJeweled a while!

Which is exactly why I am writing this blog - the balls are jumping after a few days of cleaning off and backing up files. They want excitement - fresh meat - new scenery.  Is this normal? Does anyone else have a million unfinished projects in various stages, just waiting for your attention?

Is there a spiritual principle here? I don't think so - I think its just those darn balls ... jumping, jumping, always jumping!!!!

Saturday Lazies

For years I worked a full time job and helped run a business while raising a family, keeping a home and running...always running. At this season of my life I have the luxury of relaxing on Saturday. No housework screams at me; no clothes demand washing; no taxi is needed to keep up with the many schedules of a busy home.

I suppose some people find it a bit daunting to have so much spare time. Perhaps some even feel a bit left out with no one tugging at their shirtsleeve, but me, I love it!! I paid my dues, I did my time, I loved it and the memories make my heart warm. BUT - this season of my life is peaceful, fulfilled and warm.

My hat tips to those of you still in the mainstream - I feel your pain. I also feel you joy! I hope you live to the fullest, hug your babies every day, sing a song just because you can and eat lots of chocolate! And in the midst of all your errands and duties, remember to thank the Lord that you have the energy and the wherewithal to live and love. 

And oh, do not, do not, forget to love yourself. You are God's precious gift to your family, your friends, and to the body of Christ! You are unique, one of a kind, and special made to order for your life. No one can ever take your place or fill your shoes!
And above all, know that you are loved.

Dig Baby Dig

The kingdom of Heaven is compared to a treasure; a hidden treasure that is found in a field, and then hidden again and then bought. Not only is the treasure bought, but also the entire field where it was hidden.

So, are we the treasure or is Jesus the treasure?

Yes.

Matt 13:44 .. The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.


You are a treasure;

I am a treasure;

Jesus is a treasure.

That's pretty awesome stuff for a Wednesday morning. Most of the devotionals I read based on that passage show Jesus as the treasure and mankind digging and finding Him and then he becomes our treasure so much so that we sell all we have to buy him.

It is true, I had been seeking and looking for several years before I 'discovered' Jesus and His amazing love. My life was a gigantic train wreck with no hope of survival before I looked up and surrendered. It took several more years before I surrendered everything to Him....well, in some ways I am still surrendering all to him. It seems to be a process here.

On the other hand, I believe that Jesus 'found' me in the field of the world and sold everything He had including his own life to buy me. He not only bought me and you, but the entire world. It is impossible to grasp that one drop of His blood can cure the ills and problems of this entire earth.

I believe that I am a treasure to Him. I believe that He found me, then hid himself and worked from that place of secrecy for several years before I even knew He was around. Otherwise I would never have wanted to search for Him. I would never have decided on my own to go looking for Jesus. That just was not in me.

And so, this morning I say to you:

You are a treasure! A beautiful treasure that God himself sold all to purchase. You are precious to Him and to the Father. Your value is beyond earthly words and He will do all in His unlimited power to keep you safe.

It is often called relationship, or salvation, or surrender .. but it is most definitely called Love!

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 
John 3: 16-17

So, from one treasure to another:  Have a wonderful day and know that your price is high. Let your standards be likewise.

Lovin' the season and making memories.

Easter Eggs and Two Edged Swords

Easter has come and gone for this year leaving me way overboard on my Weight Watcher's points. It has also left me full of gratitude for all the Lord has done for me over the years. Of course with a family the size of ours, it is rare that everyone can be here at the same time, but looking around at the family members we were fortunate to have with us yesterday was a feast to my eyes and my heart. 

Like any family, we have our problems, our struggles and our conflicts. Occasionally we struggle with one another but more often we struggle together against a common foe. Life is busy for most of us and time together is hard to come by. But this morning I am aware that above it all stands Jesus with his arms outstretched. A calmness washes away pressures and worries. He is here with us and all is well. Underneath really are the Everlasting Arms. 

For me, the trick is to try and live according to the spirit as opposed to the soul. Don't get me wrong, I love laughing and playing and enjoying life with my heart and mind wide open to my surroundings. But getting into the soulish realm with all its emotions and sentimentality when it comes to serious life matters can wreck a person. Looking through the eyes of my feelings puts too much responsibility on me to 'fix' things. Looking through His eyes and His Word makes life do-able again. 

Maybe what I am trying to say is: I will take all the good emotions and feelings that come from living in this world surrounded by people I love. I will soak up all the happiness my soul can hold during those times. But the depressing stuff that comes from my mind and the enemy... I think I will pass on those and look unto Jesus, the Author and Finisher of my faith. I choose to walk after the Spirit and accept his take on the matter. 

Is that cop-out theology? Nope - that, my friend, is just plain good sense.


For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword; piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. Heb 4:11-13


He knows my heart and He is faithful. Isn't that all I really need to know? 

I hope your weekend was as enjoyable as mine. 

Loving the season and making the memories...

It's Not About The Fire...

Have you ever noticed how time dims some memories but others only grow more vibrant? Is it just me, or do the lessons learned in the school of the Holy Ghost seem to enlarge and deepen over time?

True to his nature, Jesus has brought a new level to my understanding about our walk through the darkness. A few weeks back, someone graciously offered to video our testimony and put it on DVD. As we prepared our hearts and minds for telling the story again, the Lord dropped a new word in our heart:

"It isn't about the fire; it is about Jesus in the fire."

Twelve years have passed and God has healed in many ways. In fact, we had to read our own book to remember some of the details. The flesh heals, the soul heals, the memories dim in our hearts and minds of the daily struggles we faced. But the lessons learned in the Spirit grow stronger as time passes. The revelations God brought to us during that time have made a life changing impact on all of us.

His message to me today is clear. No matter what tragedy or pain we walk through in this life, no matter the loss, God is big enough to heal our hearts and strengthen us again . At times He calls us home, at times He heals, at times He leaves reminders of our physical or emotional pain - but the real treasure is what He accomplishes in our spirit.

It isn't about the fire - whatever our 'fire' may be - but it is about the truth that Jesus is in that fire with us. He walks with us through every second and never leaves our side. His grace, love and strength hold us in ways that are not humanly possible and not understood in human words. Even during those times when we are not aware of His presence; not realizing His grace and love are holding us; even then He is there.

...and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the world. Amen   Matthew 28:20 (b)

The understandings Jesus worked in our hearts during that time have become an integral part of our belief system. Royce often says it is the worst and the best thing that ever happened to him. His revelations of God's love have changed the way he looks at life. My revelation of Jesus as my Friend is just one of the many treasures deposited in my heart. These things that were taught by the Spirit in the dark places will never fade.

He is not a man that He should lie. He speaks truth and then He proves it. He is wonderful and faithful beyond all human understanding. How wonderful!!! No one, including me, wants or enjoys traveling through dark times. The pain is at times unbearable. The healing takes a long time both physically and emotionally. But the end result is a closer walk with the Lover of our souls.