The Wise and the Foolish

I woke up early in the AM unable to sleep. This happens to me quite often. I don’t know why. Sometimes it is obvious, I am worrying about something I shouldn’t be worrying about. But this night there was nothing. My brain just wanders.

What I usually do to combat this is pray. This works almost every time ,but this is the thing………my prayers take at least an hour because I am constantly going off task! HA!

Does this happen to you?

You start a prayer, thanking the Lord for his marvelous wonders, his awesome creation…………oh, like the one in UT, Bryce Canyon, Lord that was cool. My daughter was so funny hugging all the trees and asking me to take pictures………my daughter, I need to spend some more time with her, I am in the middle of that great book I am reading to her and I haven’t done it in a week. That is a good book..... but the one I am reading to myself is good too, maybe I should just read it now…………AAAAAHHHHHH!!! OFF track!

I apologize to the Lord for my lack of focus and get back on track………only for it to happen again and again. I am sure HE is rolling his eyes at me.

ANYWAY! This is not my main focus. As I lye there(is it lay or lye? This verb has always been a mystery to me!) Sorry........I began to think of my husband and son going off on their week long hike on the Appalachian Trail. I was thinking of bears and then , in the dark I just started to panic that they would meet up with one………..worry worry worry. More praying.

I finally fell back to sleep. When I woke up the next morning, I picked up my Bible to read Proverbs. I read Prov. 17, one of my favorites. It has a lot in it that pertains to me personally.

Prov. 17:12 "Better to meet a bear robbed of her cubs than a fool in his folly." WOW!

First I thanked God for hearing my panic and giving me a verse that has to do with my boys. But then I began to think about this verse. Can you visualize it? A mama bear who has just had her cubs taken from her. I can just see her in total destructo mode, tearing down the whole forest just to get them back. She would be something to reckon with I bet.

In contrast, can you see how God looks at a fool and his folly. WOW is all I can say, once again. If the Lord would rather have me try to stand up against a momma bear than a fool............amazing. I just don't have words to describe how I am feeling.

So what constitutes a fool? This is what my husband asked me after I told him about my night and my reading. I thought it was a great question.

Sometimes I think the fool is easy to detect, especially when I am watching TV! There are so many foolish shows on now. That is literally what I do, flip through, look at someone doing something totally dumb and say "Fool" and turn the channel. Suffice to say that I am not watching too much TV!

But seriously, how can we detect a fool? I think the biggest idea was given to me by my friend Kaye when I told her about my night. She reminded me of Psalm 14:1
"The fool says in his heart, there is no God."

Easy! There is a fool. Total fool. But what about the others? What about the ones that claim to love God? Here are some others that let us know a fool when we see one:

Pr 1:7 ".........but fools despise wisdom and discipline."
Pr 10:18"....whoever spreads slander is a fool."
Pr 13:19"......but fools detest turning from evil."
Pr 14:16 "...but a fool is hotheaded and reckless."
Pr 14:9"...but fools mock at making amends for sin."
Pr 15:5 ".....a fool spurns his fathers discipline."
Pr 15:20 "...but a foolish man despises his mother."
Pr 18:2 "a fool finds no pleasure in understanding but delights in airing his own opinions."
Pr 20:3 "......but every fool is quick to quarrel."
Pr 28:26 "he who trusts in himself is a fool."
Pr 29:11 "a fool gives full vent to his anger


As I began writing this list, so I can spot a fool when I see one, I now realize that I am looking into a mirror! Do you see yourself as the fool? I know I do. Many times I have practiced those verses and not in the good way.


So what can we do about it? Lets look at the opposite of a fool----wisdom. Again, I think Proverb pretty much sums it up.


Proverbs 9:9 "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding"

Or how about this one:

Proverbs 8:11 "For wisdom is more precious that rubies and nothing you desire can compare with her."

You know I love how the Lord uses such visual things throughout the Bible for those of us who need a visual to get it! There is such meaning in a visual picture for me. The words begin the understanding but sometimes the picture seals it up.

I am having trouble wrapping this post up, so I think I will just end as it is getting long. I pray that we all desire to seek the Lords wisdom and run, fast and far away, from a fool and his folly!

XO

Words of Wisdom

This is a short post today, but something to truly ponder and act on...........................

I was doing my Beth Moore Study called "To Live as Christ" and she put down some things that I think we all could/should learn from.

She writes: "God's gift of salvation is complete. Although we can't accept more salvation, we can receive on a daily basis:

1. A greater filling of the Holy Spirit
2. A deeper wisdom
3. A more obvious disclosure of God's activity (see John 14:21) ** written below**
4. More effectiveness in service
5. Character more conformed to Christ, and best of all
6. A more intimate relationship with Christ

John 14:21: "Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me. He who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love him and show myself to him."

I have written these on a 3x5 card and have them posted near my bed so when I pray, these are the things I add to my prayers. There is a lot here to chew on, but it is one of those things that needs to be done with the Lord, not with me.

I hope you put these into practice. I believe our lives will be all the better for it and God's truth will be spread further.................

XO

Amen for Christian sisters!!!

Can I just say that I love my sisters in Christ.

As you know we are traveling all over the country. We left with such an excitement to see all of God's creation. And, we have. WOW the beauty of our country, our continent is amazing.

But, as our journey progressed and we are working on being on the road 7 months, the beauty of the country is becoming my third favorite thing.

First has been the greatness of my family. It has been fun hanging out with our crazy teens, our kooky little 9 year old and of course my number one dude - my hubby.

But the new second has been the blessing of sisters in Christ, my girlfriends. I don't know if I have the words to describe the love I feel for them. It is a love that only Christ can give. A bond that can never be broken for we share one heart.

My journey has been wonderful because of them. It all began in VA on my way out to see my dear friend Jen, going back to Marquette to see my sisters Susan, Mim and JoAnn (and many others from our church) one last time, to our trip to WA to see Pam, to CO to see Chris, and Heather, to AZ to see Anice, toTX to see Bonnie, to TN to see my friend Kaye and then be enveloped with love by my sweet sisters, Liz, Kathy, Teresa, Linda, Rene, Mary, Andra and Dottie (Jeanette and Camille in spirit) in Millington, where we used to live and where my walk with the Lord began. Not to mention some new sisters that happen to be the wives of my husbands friends. Even though we didn't know each other, we have a common bond - CHRIST!

I know there are others that I haven't seen yet like Sandie, Lisa and Michelle and I am SO looking forward to it. They encourage me, revive my spirit and just leave me with so much fuel to go on. I am blessed, blessed beyond measure.

Thank you sweet sisters for making my life so wonderful!!!

Great Expectations

Great Expectations.......I'm in the process of reading this book. It has been on my list for a while, along with many others. But today I am not talking about the book, I am talking about life.

The devil is always at work, trying to find another way into our lives. Once we really begin to follow the Lord, the obvious ways the devil can get to us are usually easy, well, maybe easy isn't the right word, just more apparent, to avoid. Basically following the 10 commandments. But what I am talking about are the sneaky ways he tries to get in there and just ruin our day, month, year. Turning us from a loving Christian into a three headed monster!

For me one of those things are expectation. I rely too heavily on them at times, even though I know I shouldn't. Even though I have even talked to people about this very topic, it still sneaks into that brain of mine. I expect to have enough $$ to buys food. I expect my children to want to get their school work done. I expect to be able to have some quiet time in the morning before I start my day. I expect that my husband understands all my moods. I expect that everyone will enjoy my dinner without complaint.

OK, can you see how the expectations can set you up? How the devil can set you up to feel justified in your anger, worry and frustration? Can you see that this is his ploy? And the worst part is, it is one of a million. He is the master of confusion, the master of disillusionment, the master ill will toward our brothers and sisters. And yet, we let him in.............

Great expectations lead to greater disappointment. When you are waiting for something to happen, planning on something and then it doesn't come to fruition, things can get ugly! If I mentioned all the examples of this in my life I think it could fill a small book! UGH!

But The Lord tells us in Matthew 6:31-34 "So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

God's word also says: "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour; resist him, standing firm in the faith"..................1 Peter 5: 7-9a

I go over these verses in my mind a lot. I wouldn't call what goes through my mind worry, just constant thinking :) Is there a difference? Probably not.....................HA!

When I first became a Christian my "worry bucket", as my husband called it, was always full and if it wasn't, he knew something was wrong. It was just me, part of the package. But after the Lord took root in my heart that is one of the first things he emptied. I was SO grateful.

I say all that because worry is in me. I have to pray hard to get rid of it-daily. I am sure we all have certain things that have been woven into our lives so long that they are hard to let go. Bad habits die hard after all,

I think expectations add to this constant thinking and worrying about things. Not that we should lower our expectations, just that we need to rethink what God has in store for us. Allowing God to be in complete charge of our lives should actually calm us down. We should rest in the fact that we have no worries because God is in control. When I am reminded of this I let out a sigh of relief!

I wrote this blog back in December! I could never really finish it. I didn't think it quite rolled off my tongue. It was all disjointed. I have written some more and it still seems a bit disjointed, but I am a little off anyway LOL! I hope you get what I am trying to say. Let go and let God, isn't that what some people say?

Personally I find tremendous peace in the fact that the Lord knows each hair on my head, he knows my words before they come out of my mouth, he has a plan for my life. THANK YOU GOD!!!!! Now those are some expectations we can count on! God never changes, never fails us.

AMEN!
XO

Marriage

I LOVE MY HUSBAND!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


There, I said it, phew! It is out there. HA!


For me it isn't an issue, but for many women it is hard to even say these words. It breaks my heart to hear how unhappy women are in their marriages. What is worse is the apathy they feel toward them. Like marriage is just another stage in your life that you go through and if it lasts, ok, if no, that's ok too. How terribly sad!

I once went to a marriage conference and the speaker there had us turn toward each other and say, out loud, "My spouse is not my enemy" Again for me, not hard, but what went through my brain was the list of people I do know that might not actually be able to say those words. And again, my heart aches! For I know what they are missing..................



Hebrews 13:4 says "Marriage should be honored by all" This verse is so very telling because this is how God expects us to feel/be/act/think and the world we live in today is saying exactly the opposite. Marriage is not honored by all, and I may even be bold to say that is isn't honored by too many any more. Between gay marriage and the divorce rate, not to mention the glamor that constant remarriages by all of Hollywood seems to portray we are in a poor state.

I think it is because they have lost sight of what marriage truly is. It is a covenant relationship. It is a representation of Christ and the church. Of course in order to really know this, you have to BE in a relationship with Christ. And of course, that is where it all begins to fall apart. Our country, that claims to be 80% Christian, is losing its battle. What started out as a country where people came to worship THE ONE TRUE GOD in their own way has turned into a melting pot of ungodly people. But I am getting off topic here.

Where was I.......Marriage..........When my husband and I got married almost 20 years ago we weren't believers. Well, if asked, we would have told you we were Christians, but we weren't walking with God. The ceremony we had was done in a church and scripture was read, but it was only because that is what you were suppose to do. It didn't MEAN anything to us. I look back on that and I PRAISE the Lord that he took those two filthy hearts and made them His. I thank Him that He still loved us enough to bring us out of the unknowing pit and into the light which is Christ.

Now with Christ as the center, our marriage will never end, until death do us part. Will there be trials, yes, heartaches, yes, but when you both are living for Christ, knowing that there is no alternative than to stay together and work it out, then you can relax and enjoy each other and that is what I plan on doing, for as long as I live.

So love your husbands, honor them, take pride in them and tell them often. For besides Christ, they are your rock!

XO

Rocking out at church

We went to church this past week and it was a ROCKIN service. Brick wall behind the alter, band members in jeans and nice, modest tops, different levels on the stage for the guitar players, drummers and singers. It was rockin!


But I wasn't happy


Don't get me wrong. I love a rockin Christian song, I really do. I get totally swept up in the moment. Hundreds of people singing praises to OUR GOD! We sang the Revelation Song, which is one of my favorites. It moved me to tears. It was so amazing.


But, I wasn't happy.

Don't get me wrong. I love a rockin Christian song. I love to sing at the top of my lungs and be totally drowned out by the band - as I should be because I can't really sing :) I love it that only the Lord can hear my voice as I sing those glorious words just to Him...."Worthy is the Lamb who was slain, Holy Holy is He!" Moves me beyond understanding.


But I wasn't happy.


Why? I think it was because it was Sunday morning. Because it was church. For me that time is for a bit more reverence. I think Sunday morning should be a time of quiet reflection, a chance to begin your week with thinking, praying and honoring God without focusing on the hype of the world. I know churches are trying to be relevant, but I think that they can go over board at times.


The Bible and all it has to offer can speak for itself. Yes there are times you need to reach out to others where they are and I know that to be true as Jesus did it Himself. But, to change the make-up of the church by making it a rock concert is going too far for me. To me that isn't what church is about.


All I kept thinking was, "Are these people here for a good time (because it was a good time, the worship team/band was awesome), or were they here for God, to glorify Him? I am not sure. Also, I can see how a non-believer can get lost in the hype, all the praising and singing to the Lord without really knowing God and all He is.

Why not do this kind of worship on say, Wednesday night. Make it a singing worshipping time in the middle of the week. That would be great! Kind of a revival in the middle of the week slump that you sometimes feel as Sunday starts to fade in the distance.

Am I being too judgemental in these last two posts? Maybe. I can get that way at times and God has to knock me down a notch or two or three :) This is just my opinion. You may go to a great big rockin church and it is amazing. I am glad to hear that. I know that there are all types of ways to worship God. Just as long as that is what we are doing - worshipping and bringing glory to the ONE who is to be praised!

XO

church size

We went to church this past Sunday at Fellowship Bible in Arkansas.

Can you say huge??? I am sure there are others out there that are big. Thousands of people walked the halls.............I am in awe.

I am always amazed at the size of these mega churches. So many thoughts go through my brain like; WOW all these Christians worshiping God!! WOW!! Look at all the outreach services, kids ministries, men's and women's groups they have! How great is that!

But, also, I think of things like - too big! HA! I know simple, but for me, true. We walked in there and received a bulletin and a big smile and welcoming hello, but no one would have known if we were visitors or life long members. I am sure I could walk those halls for years and years and still see few people I knew, who I really knew.

It reminded me of my college experience. For two years I went to a small school in PA. 2300 students. Each and every day I would see hundreds of faces that were familiar to me as I walked around campus. All the girls in my dorm I knew by name. It was great. But, being 11 hours from my boyfriend (now husband) was too much for me, so I transferred to a university in NC to be closer. That one had 15,000 people. Not huge by university standards, but super big for me. I can honestly say I walked to classes most days without ever seeing a friendly face. I didn't like it one bit.

For me it is sad. I think church should be a place where people really know each other, hold each other accountable, help raise your children, bond! How can you do that with 1000's of people.

I am sure there is an argument for the other side. And I am sure it is a good one, but I just don't like them. I need more people time. I need to see familiar faces and more than just 10. I like to see how my 80 year old friend is getting on. I like to hear how a friend is doing with her new born baby and all the women in the church are giving her a shower. I like it when we have our welcoming time before service that I can just about shake everyones hand or at least wave! I like that we , as a church body, can have a picnic and fit in the park! HA! The list just goes on.

Bottom line really is that God made us all different - good thing! There is room for HIS church big or small. As long as the body is serving the Lord, worshiping Him and bringing Glory to Him, all's good. I just like it small.........................

XO