Legacy

The older I get, the more I realize that I have been thinking about what I want to leave for my children. I know for a fact,they think about it too. They each have their "favorite" jewelry, book, knick knack, or whatever it is that they have their eyes on.

I know that is normal, but I also want to leave them something more than that. I want what I leave them to be just as tangible as the knick knack on my end table, but impact them for eternity. I'm sure that all of us parents feel the same way!

I have struggled with what that would look like for years. I have tried to imitate other people's ideas, I have tried to journal, I have tried to scrapbook, I have tried to crochet them blankets (BIG FAIL)....the bottom line is I have tried to become someone I am not.  I don't want to be remembered for that.

 My mother is beautiful through and through. What I would treasure most of hers when she no longer has use for it on this earth is her Bible. As a little girl I remember coming into the living room and my mother's Bible was always on the back of the couch with a notebook in it. Her Thompson Chain Bible full of notes from her devotional time with God. I didn't appreciate it as much then as now. When I was little it would frustrate me because I was always knocking it off, or would whack my head on it when I sat down....But oh how I would love to get my hands on it and flip through the pages and read all the highlighted scriptures and notes in the margins that my mother has spent her entire lifetime notating and commenting on. What a treasure trove of wisdom is to be found in those pages! 

But then again, I know this...I know that the highlighted verses were also highlighted in her heart. She has been diligent to pour that into my life at every opportunity. That is the true legacy!  You see, that is what I want to leave my kids. Not to say that all of the other things that you wonderful, apparently more organized parents than me can, save and create for your children isn't good...it is wonderful!!! It is part of how God made you and will be wonderful memories for your children.  Like I said earlier.....Oh how I wish I had the time, creativity, and "want to" for those projects. 

Instead, I choose to embrace what I know that I can and will do.  I will love God with all my heart, with all my soul, and with all my strength - like commanded to in Deuteronomy 6:5. With that will be an overflow of Godly wisdom that pours out and leaves a legacy of godliness....a tangible path for my kids to follow. 

You too can leave a path of godliness for your children. Live your life purposefully. Choose every moment of everyday to live passionately for Jesus Christ. Turn to God when you don't know what to do....He will direct your path. Proverbs 3:6 say "In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your path." Your children may not say so now, but one day they will realize the wonderful legacy that you created on their behalf, and they will thank you!

Dig Out!

I find myself sitting at my desk today, feeling a little overwhelmed. Have any of you ever had that moment where all the sudden you feel like everything is heavier than it used to be and you can no longer hold it all up?  I don't think I'm alone in this! 
Sometimes we can be gliding along just fine, keeping everything going, then for some reason that we really can't put our finger on.....we come to a screeching halt and everything goes flying!

So, as I sit at my desk today, that is how I feel. That everything that once was a breeze, now seems to litter my office with no exact rhyme or reason!

I want to share a little secret with everyone so lean in.....it's okay to feel that way!  I bet you can't even believe I said that! ha ha ha
It's okay to take a moment and regroup. It's okay to have a moment of feeling overwhelmed.  You see I have learned something that helps me deal with days like this better than I ever have in the past. We do not have to let our feelings dictate our future.

I could sit here feeling overwhelmed and let it so consume my thoughts that I can't get anything done....or I can realize that anyone would feel overwhelmed when they have papers, books, pens and pencils, and a myriad of other miscellaneous items strewn all over their desk. You see I have neglected my office space and not spent much time there lately, so it has become the catch all for whatever was deemed "Mom's" and everything got stacked in, on, or near my desk. So I am doing something about it....it's what I like to call "digging out."

I know that as you read this you probably can relate to a time that you had to do the same thing. I would like to tell you this is the one and only time this has ever happened to me, but that would not be true! It does happen from time to time with all of us.

Sometimes we run into the same problem in our walk with God. Things are going smoothly and that is when we start neglecting the foundational pieces of that relationship. We may not even realize it until something hits us square in the face and we find that we no longer have the strength to go on. I am so thankful that God is not like my desk. My desk offers no help when I find myself overwhelmed, but God is my refuge and strength, my very present help in time of trouble. Psalm 46:1  James 4:8 tells us that if we Draw near to God, He will draw near to us.

We are His children and He never takes His eyes off of us.....even when we take our eyes off of Him. So if you find yourself realizing you have been neglecting those foundational pieces of your relationship with God (Bible reading, prayer, church attendance....) it is time to do something about it. Don't just sit there thinking "It has been so long, and I feel so far gone to do anything about it!".......Dig Out!! 

Pray and ask God to forgive you for the neglect and move forward, Open your Bible and read His Word, go back to church!  Your church family is waiting for you with open arms!  More importantly, the God of the universe who created you and delights in you is also waiting with open arms!  His love is never ending!!

Boundaries

Boundaries are a part of everyday life. Sometimes we appreciate the boundaries and sometimes we don't, what we do know for sure is that boundaries can be very good for us.

Think about the track runner. What would happen if there was no starting line and no finish line? How would there be a race? Where would the runners go? How will they know when the race is over? Think about the basketball player. What would happen if they could run anywhere in the whole building to keep the ball away from the other team? That would be one wild and crazy game! Think about driving down a road that has no lines. I witnessed traffic in the Dominican Republic. It was interesting indeed. There were rules and boundaries there, but weren't always obeyed. That makes the traffic paralyzing and dangerous!

God doesn't want us to live that way! He has given us His Word as a set of guidelines for living. The boundaries that he has set in place make sense. His Word gives instruction not just for beginning this race we call life, but also about how to make it to the finish line.....as a winner!  It is up to us to learn, study, and obey His Word, and that is when our course is made clear to us. Instead of chaos, we can have peace. Instead of confusion, we can have clarity.

Romans 12:2 says: "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will."

I was sitting with two of my daughters the other day, talking about rules and boundaries. One of them turned to me and said, "I like your boundaries mom, in the end they always make sense."  As a mom I have to tell you that her statement sure did my heart some good! It also made me acutely aware of the responsibility I have as a Christian. As parents we want to be good examples for our kids, but it can't stop there. In addition to our immediate family we also have a circle of influence that our words and actions impact. Whether we are single or married, a mom or grandma, a dad or grandpa, a brother or sister, what we do, or don't do impacts other people's lives.

Our calling is simple. We are called to make disciples of others.
Matthew 28:19 "Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit."  It is time for us to live with purpose. Dig into the Word of God and do what it says.....the impact you make on others will be for eternity!

Are You Comfortable?

So, I have finally become "one of those people!" I got up and ready for the day, knowing I had a lot to do. Dressed in cute capris, a simple yet stylish blouse, and my sequin leopard slippers, I decided to get some cleaning done on my house and run a few errands. I knew we would be pushing it to get everything done that needed to be done, but my girls and I were on a mission. We made quick work of the upstairs and we decided to run a few errands that needed to get done before lunch. That is when things went awry!

I grabbed my grocery list and my packages that needed to be mailed and headed out. I must say that I am very thankful that my first stop was the Post Office. It was there that I made the discovery that I was not wearing any shoes......I still had my slippers on! I have to tell you I was mortified!  I had to stand on my tippey toes to do what I needed to do at the front counter and when my heels slid out of the furry center of my slippers....I gasped. The mail lady asked if I was okay and I responded...."Ummmmm....no! I came here in slippers! I never leave the house in slippers!" She chuckled at me as I am now fumbling around like I have just committed the worst crime imaginable. Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those people that always has to be dressed up to leave the house, but I am one of those people that requires herself to at least be in SHOES!

These are my OH SO COMFY slippers!

You see I was so comfortable and so busy that I didn't even realize that I was not ready to face the world. I was so caught up in what I was doing that I didn't pay close enough attention to what I was wearing.

Our pastor, Pastor Bell from Lifeway Church Indy, has been preaching a sermon series on the Armor of God and I have found myself challenged to say the least. How many times have you been caught on the battleground with your slippers on instead of your combat boots? You start going about your day, your week, your month coasting along fine. You get relaxed and stop suiting up for this battle that we are in.....that is when a blow comes out of nowhere and knocks you to the ground. If only we were prepared! If only we had been vigilant! We could have been successful......"IF ONLY!"

I have heard people say, "God will never give you something you can't handle." To them I say hogwash! Being found on the battlefield unprepared is not God's fault! God isn't in heaven seeing how He can trip us up....He has given us everything we need to face this battle and come out victorious. He gave us His Word to instruct us. He has given us the body of Christ to encourage us. He has given us our pastor to equip us. Plus, bonus of all bonuses, He has already defeated our attacker!  Yes, you heard me correctly we are in a fixed fight! All we are required to do is obey His Word!

Come on people! This is something to SHOUT about!

In my Sunday School lesson we were talking about faithfulness.  Faithfulness is more than showing up. I don't call my fence faithful because it surrounds my yard.  That is unless it has weathered horrific storms and never faltered. That is when I see that fence from a different perspective.

We are called to be faithful servants of our God. That means we will face some things. Know my friend that he has provided the armor for us to wear if we would just put it on. We are called to be purposefully persistent, always moving forward and advancing the Kingdom of God. This is our calling as true Christians.

Lost and Found

I have "collected" quite a few animals in the past ten (10) years or so. Some of them we still have, and some have lived a full life span from beginning to end in our care.  My husband is in the Army and has had to be gone on occasion for long periods of time. It seems to be our habit to get a new animal every time my husband is gone for an extended period.  We didn't plan it or anything, it just seemed to happen. At one point I thought I might be able to print up "Petting Zoo" tickets and sell them to the neighborhood kids and let them walk through my home playing with all the animals. I thought it was a great fundraising idea! 

Let me try to list out the animals so you can get the gist of what I mean.  In the past ten years we have had: 6 dogs, 3 rabbits, 1 turtle, 1 gecko, 2 hedgehogs, 10 hermit crabs, 5 different fish tanks with 100+ fish, and 1 hamster.  To the best of my memory, this is a comprehensive list! Ugh! I can't even believe it myself now that I'm looking at it!

This is Charlie. He is the most "unique" animal that we have adopted. He is the only one that found us. He was wandering around our yard dirty, starving, and mangy one morning before I left for work.  We searched for his family, and when they couldn't be found, we were a little relieved since we had already fallen in love with him.

 

When I say that he is unique, that is quite the understatement. When we first got him we thought he was just a disobedient dog because he would bark and spin in circles every time we gave him a command. It was quite frustrating until we realized that he only understood Spanish!  We couldn't believe it either!  Don't worry, if you come to visit he is now bilingual so if you talk to him in English, he will understand you now! He loves to be held, especially in a sling like the above photo, and he is a hugger. He runs to us and jumps on us and hugs us!  It makes us all feel like he knows that we rescued him. He takes every opportunity to show what seems to be appreciation to us for the love that we have shown him. The fact is, he makes us smile everyday because of the large doses of love he gives us!

 

Charlie is usually snuggling close to me in the mornings as I do my devotion, and I got to thinking about how I show my appreciation to God for the fact that he rescued me! I sacrificed very little to rescue Charlie. God sacrificed His own Son to rescue me! Jesus gave his life for me. I don't have the right to go days without thinking about the sacrifice made for me, it was too great!

 

I know this dog story is a little silly, but it is one of the unique ways that God speaks to me. He wants to speak to you too. He wants you to remember the sacrifice Jesus made for you. He wants you to tell everyone you know about how God made a way for your salvation, and then live your life purposefully loving on Him. Share God's love at every turn.  Anyone that has visited my home knows how much Charlie loves us. It is unmistakable!  He never wants to leave our lap.....ever!  That may aggravate us at times, but it will never aggravate the lover of our souls.  He desires to have us close. He desires us to be in His lap as we face every part of our lives. He desires us to never leave His side. 

 

We have been rescued by the Creator of the universe. That is something to be thankful for every minute of every day for the rest of our lives!