We have a phrase in our home that we repeat to our 3 year old often regarding obeying: Right away, all the way, with a happy heart. We try to make it fun and have him say it with us. While he doesn't get all 3 parts of that yet, he will someday. And while it may be idealistic to expect that of him now, the principles, nonetheless, are encouraged and commanded by the Lord. We are teaching him according to what the Lord asks of all of us. When I tell my 3 year old to put away his Legos, he believes that means putting away a few of them over the course of 10 minutes and whining along the way. I explain to him, hopefully gently, that I mean for him to put all, yes all 72 of them, away right then and do it without complaining or whining. Each time I say our little chant, its impossible for me not to be convicted myself. How can I ask my 3 yr old to do something without making sure I am doing the same?
When the Lord asks me to respect my husband, he does not mean for me to "spread" my respect out over a long period of time, respecting him when I feel like it, to respect him sometimes and tear him down others, and to "whine" along the way. No, He expects me to show my husband respect right away, yes, even in that very difficult heated discussion and to fully respect him (not allowing unwholesome talk come out of my mouth). He expects me to respect my husband while having a pure heart. That may not mean that its easy to respect him or even that I'm excited to. But its what the Lord commands and He asks for and expects my willing and joyful obedience. Right away, all the way, with a happy heart.
I'm continually reminded of James 1:22, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." I have read that verse many times but it wasn't until a few months ago that the last 4 words especially jumped off the page for me. "Do what it says." Do it! Just do it! The Lord could not be more direct. He reminded me that when we read the word and read his commands, commands like love others, forgive others, be joyful, etc. and do not love all others, forgive others, are bitter, etc. we are deceiving ourselves!
At times it seems idealistic, just like asking a 3 yr old, to obey the Lord right away, all the way, and with a happy heart. But, we can take heart and be confident that because that is in the Lord's will, he will do it in us! (1 John 5:14-15). I love it that the Lord doesn't ask anything of us that He won't supply the power and strength to do. (Colossians 1:11).
So, may we all walk one step at a time today singing to ourselves, "Right away, all the way, with a happy heart" and then just do it!
Wednesday, January 26, 2011
Thursday, January 20, 2011
Christmas day every day
Have you ever watched young children open presents on Christmas? Most of them act in a similar manner whether opening gifts on Christmas or their birthday. Unless they got a great night of sleep or nap and are overflowing with the fruit of the Spirit, namely patience, (at that young age, good luck!) there usually is a lot of whining involved, grabbing the gift out of a sibling or cousin's grasp, and asking where the next gift is. The scene usually unfolds like this: You carefully pick out gifts that your child will be ecstatic about and you purchase them not for your own benefit but purely for them. You spend an hour or so wrapping them, tying on bows, knowing the whole time that it won't be appreciated or probably even noticed by your 2 or 3 yr old. But, nonetheless, you know that he or she loves ripping off the paper. And, it looks pretty to you! The time has come to lavish the gifts on your child. You watch them as they burst into joyful screams, jump up and down in an excitement, and rush over to the pile of gifts. They rip off the paper to find the gift inside and for a split second, a millisecond really, they seem to be very grateful. You are ready to sit back and enjoy watching them play with that toy that you just knew they would love and have fun with. But wait...they actually threw the toy down and are already ripping into the next gift. The paper is off this one before you can even say the word "Wait". This time you hardly get a smile before they are, once again, on to the next gift. And so it continues until you're left with a pile of shredded paper, a pile of toys, and a little one crying and asking for more.
Pretty typical, right? Maybe it doesn't go quite that bad but now imagine you are older, perhaps in your 50's or 60's. Its your daughter or son's birthday again. They are much older now. They have spouses, children, mortgages and jobs. You enjoyed picking out their gifts because you know they don't always have the funds to splurge. You wrapped them up all nice and neat - again, because really its just prettier that way. You have your son sit down while you bring the gifts to him. Unexpectedly though, this grown 30 yr old man starts ripping the paper off and tearing into the gift. Bows and ribbon is flying in the air, boxes are tossed across the room. He sees the first item, throws a cursory "thanks" your way and is off to the next gift while you sit their astonished. You blink, maybe even pinch yourself, to make sure that 28 years really has passed and this is not your 2 yr old again. No, this is your grown child. This continues, again, until you're left with a pile of shredded paper, a pile of gadgets most likely, and a grown man annoyed and asking for more.
Pretty ridiculous, right? Well, the Lord, in his infinite grace and mercy reminded me that we too can act like this. The scene looks a little different and there isn't really wrapping perse but it still plays out the same. The Lord blesses us each day with some repeating, though still amazing, gifts like breath, a new day, a warm bed, food, etc. He also gives us other gifts, that He picks out just for you or me, like a sunny warm day or a fresh cup of coffee or a kiss from a loved one. Sadly though, I find myself all too often throwing up to him a cursory "thanks" and going on to the next gift. I continue to do this, saying thanks less and less and looking more and more for the other gifts. By the end of the day there I am, standing among hundreds (yes, count them and I'm sure there are hundreds) of gifts and asking for more. Pretty ridiculous is right.
Verses to remember: "Every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Thess 5:18, and "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7.
When we have a truly thankful heart and remember the multitude of gifts God lavishes on us each day, it is pretty hard to be anxious about things. I pray that tomorrow will be different -that my "thanks" will be true and that I will gratefully open up one "gift" at a time. Next time you watch a child open up gifts hopefully it will be a good reminder to check yourself and make sure you aren't still a 3 yrd old living in an adult's life.
Pretty typical, right? Maybe it doesn't go quite that bad but now imagine you are older, perhaps in your 50's or 60's. Its your daughter or son's birthday again. They are much older now. They have spouses, children, mortgages and jobs. You enjoyed picking out their gifts because you know they don't always have the funds to splurge. You wrapped them up all nice and neat - again, because really its just prettier that way. You have your son sit down while you bring the gifts to him. Unexpectedly though, this grown 30 yr old man starts ripping the paper off and tearing into the gift. Bows and ribbon is flying in the air, boxes are tossed across the room. He sees the first item, throws a cursory "thanks" your way and is off to the next gift while you sit their astonished. You blink, maybe even pinch yourself, to make sure that 28 years really has passed and this is not your 2 yr old again. No, this is your grown child. This continues, again, until you're left with a pile of shredded paper, a pile of gadgets most likely, and a grown man annoyed and asking for more.
Pretty ridiculous, right? Well, the Lord, in his infinite grace and mercy reminded me that we too can act like this. The scene looks a little different and there isn't really wrapping perse but it still plays out the same. The Lord blesses us each day with some repeating, though still amazing, gifts like breath, a new day, a warm bed, food, etc. He also gives us other gifts, that He picks out just for you or me, like a sunny warm day or a fresh cup of coffee or a kiss from a loved one. Sadly though, I find myself all too often throwing up to him a cursory "thanks" and going on to the next gift. I continue to do this, saying thanks less and less and looking more and more for the other gifts. By the end of the day there I am, standing among hundreds (yes, count them and I'm sure there are hundreds) of gifts and asking for more. Pretty ridiculous is right.
Verses to remember: "Every good and perfect gift is from above." James 1:17, "Give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." Thess 5:18, and "Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus." Phil 4:6-7.
When we have a truly thankful heart and remember the multitude of gifts God lavishes on us each day, it is pretty hard to be anxious about things. I pray that tomorrow will be different -that my "thanks" will be true and that I will gratefully open up one "gift" at a time. Next time you watch a child open up gifts hopefully it will be a good reminder to check yourself and make sure you aren't still a 3 yrd old living in an adult's life.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
She does exist! At least in plastic...
I bet it won't be a surprise to anyone who reads this but did you know that there is a Barbie Mommy Doll? She is actually part of the set appropriately (or idealistically) named Barbie Happy Family Set, complete with the whole happy family made up of Ken, baby and Barbie herself. Well, in some of them there are a few kids in the mix but nonetheless, she does exist. I wondered if there was this morning as I found myself, once again, wanting to be perfect mommy. I usually walk down this dead-end road when the d.w.m. isn't fully in place for the day. Although a dead-end road, its a road I think many moms try out. We try to do it all, starting at 7 am and hoping we can make it to the 9 or 10 pm bedtime. We try and keep the house spotless, fix healthy and delicious meals 3 times a day, play with our children while teaching them their letters, numbers, manners, etc., keep up on the latest with our friends, start and finish those new Martha Stewart-like projects, knit an afghan in a day, and have dinner on the table by the time our husband gets home! Phew! I'm exhausted just writing all that. Yet, that ideal still drives me throughout the day. Well, maybe not the afghan part but most of the other stuff is true, and usually some other ridiculous things thrown in the mix. Its not a wonder that I find myself all around worn out, frustrated, and feeling like a failure. I won't get into the myriad of reasons why I, and countless other moms, tend to go down this road - at least not today. :)
No, today I want to just rest. Not analyze, just rest. I am going to choose to cling to Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
To my dear friends that are soon-to-be mommies in the next 2 months or next 2 yrs, Barbie Mommy will haunt you time and time again. She will tell you that it can be done, that you too can do it, if you just try hard enough. But, as you know, she is just plastic. She was made by Mattel, not God. And you cannot do it all. You will mess up, you will make mistakes as a mommy, the house will sometimes be a mess, dinner won't always be ready, and you won't always look like you showered and put makeup on (most likely cause you didn't because you were busy changing diapers and cleaning up spit-up). But that is O.K. Enjoy the chaos, the lessons learned, the less-than-perfection state of things. And most importantly, find your rest in Him, in Jesus Christ alone. Not your husband, not your children, not your projects, work, or hobbies. Only He will give you rest, rest that everyone, especially mommies need.
Remember, enjoy your Creator and throw Barbie Mommy out because in reality, her smile is only painted on. Yours will be real and lasting.
No, today I want to just rest. Not analyze, just rest. I am going to choose to cling to Matthew 11:28, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
To my dear friends that are soon-to-be mommies in the next 2 months or next 2 yrs, Barbie Mommy will haunt you time and time again. She will tell you that it can be done, that you too can do it, if you just try hard enough. But, as you know, she is just plastic. She was made by Mattel, not God. And you cannot do it all. You will mess up, you will make mistakes as a mommy, the house will sometimes be a mess, dinner won't always be ready, and you won't always look like you showered and put makeup on (most likely cause you didn't because you were busy changing diapers and cleaning up spit-up). But that is O.K. Enjoy the chaos, the lessons learned, the less-than-perfection state of things. And most importantly, find your rest in Him, in Jesus Christ alone. Not your husband, not your children, not your projects, work, or hobbies. Only He will give you rest, rest that everyone, especially mommies need.
Remember, enjoy your Creator and throw Barbie Mommy out because in reality, her smile is only painted on. Yours will be real and lasting.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
d.w.m.
So what's up with the initials d.w.m.? Well, each day as I come before the Lord, I have a habit of writing down the priorities in my life. I write them down as a reminder to myself, as a renewal to the Lord, and as a list of how to pray the rest of the day. Months back I noticed that by the end of the day, no, really by the end of the morning usually all those priorities had been mixed around and some even dropped off my radar. I started writing d.w.m. on my hand to remind me throughout the day - remind me of my roles and in which order they are SUPPOSED to be in.
"d" - first and foremost, I am a daughter of the Lord - purely by the grace of Him. My sole purpose is as written in the Westminster Catechism: "A man's (or woman's) chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever." How quickly I forget or more accurately ignore this truth but it is the truth. I was not created to do my thing, enjoy my life, pursue my desires and my glory. No, I was created for HIS glory. And if we pursue that, we pursue Him and the things that He cares about, we will also enjoy him. Do YOU enjoy God? Do YOU enjoy your Creator? I don't, not like I should. Enjoy Him right now, this day. Get to know Him, glorify Him by following hard after Him, and you will enjoy Him.
"w" - April 22nd, 2006 I made many vows to a wonderful man, vows to not only marry him but love him, honor him, respect him, serve him, submit to him. I am his wife - a role that I sadly don't take seriously enough most days. I desire to be a wife of noble character as described in Proverbs 31. I desire to love this man with all my heart. But again, the order of d.w.m. is crucial. In Proverbs 31:30 it says "a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." How did she do it? How did that woman have such a noble character? Probably because she knew and lived like she was first a daughter of the Lord, she feared her Creator, set him apart as Lord. She had "d.w.m." ingrained in her very being.
"m" - Most days, "d.w.m" feels like "diapers, wipes, and more" but I truly am blessed and thankful to be a mommy. What a humbling and extremely rewarding responsibility! The Lord has entrusted 2 wonderful little boys to me and I am daily learning, usually by mistakes, how to be a godly mommy - how to love them, lead them, teach them, and most importantly show Jesus to them.
In all honesty, most days, while d.w.m. may be written in that order on my hand, I find myself living m.w.d. Sometimes, the "d" was left back with my journal and bible. Sometimes, I've put the "w" away until 5:15 pm when my husband comes home. And the "m" has overtaken me. I forgot that I can't be a good "m" when I'm not clinging like velcro to the Lord. I forgot that being a good "w" is done in both the presence and absence of my husband.
So for anyone who may read this, look at your roles, the roles God has given you. Be honest about what order those roles have become in your life and decide to put them back in their rightful order. Write them on your hand like me if you find that helps. But, more importantly, write them on your heart and commit them and yourself to the Lord and His glory and....get ready to enjoy Him and what He has for you.
"d" - first and foremost, I am a daughter of the Lord - purely by the grace of Him. My sole purpose is as written in the Westminster Catechism: "A man's (or woman's) chief end is to glorify God and enjoy him forever." How quickly I forget or more accurately ignore this truth but it is the truth. I was not created to do my thing, enjoy my life, pursue my desires and my glory. No, I was created for HIS glory. And if we pursue that, we pursue Him and the things that He cares about, we will also enjoy him. Do YOU enjoy God? Do YOU enjoy your Creator? I don't, not like I should. Enjoy Him right now, this day. Get to know Him, glorify Him by following hard after Him, and you will enjoy Him.
"w" - April 22nd, 2006 I made many vows to a wonderful man, vows to not only marry him but love him, honor him, respect him, serve him, submit to him. I am his wife - a role that I sadly don't take seriously enough most days. I desire to be a wife of noble character as described in Proverbs 31. I desire to love this man with all my heart. But again, the order of d.w.m. is crucial. In Proverbs 31:30 it says "a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised." How did she do it? How did that woman have such a noble character? Probably because she knew and lived like she was first a daughter of the Lord, she feared her Creator, set him apart as Lord. She had "d.w.m." ingrained in her very being.
"m" - Most days, "d.w.m" feels like "diapers, wipes, and more" but I truly am blessed and thankful to be a mommy. What a humbling and extremely rewarding responsibility! The Lord has entrusted 2 wonderful little boys to me and I am daily learning, usually by mistakes, how to be a godly mommy - how to love them, lead them, teach them, and most importantly show Jesus to them.
In all honesty, most days, while d.w.m. may be written in that order on my hand, I find myself living m.w.d. Sometimes, the "d" was left back with my journal and bible. Sometimes, I've put the "w" away until 5:15 pm when my husband comes home. And the "m" has overtaken me. I forgot that I can't be a good "m" when I'm not clinging like velcro to the Lord. I forgot that being a good "w" is done in both the presence and absence of my husband.
So for anyone who may read this, look at your roles, the roles God has given you. Be honest about what order those roles have become in your life and decide to put them back in their rightful order. Write them on your hand like me if you find that helps. But, more importantly, write them on your heart and commit them and yourself to the Lord and His glory and....get ready to enjoy Him and what He has for you.
Thursday, January 13, 2011
Borders, designs, and not enough time
Years ago I remember sharing with my mom that I just didn't get blogs. A) Why would someone spend what little free time they probably have reading about someone else's life? and B) Why would someone want to write about their life? Well, here I am, doing just that. Its not that I expect anyone to really read this - in fact, that's not why I decided to finally make a blog. I'm writing purely because in a way its therapeutic for me - it helps me take the jumbled mess of thoughts in my head and make some sense of it on paper (or screen). While I don't know who would want to read this jumbled mess, I pray that it may encourage those who do read, or at least bring a smile. I pray as in the book of Hebrews that my words would spur others on towards love and good deeds. I pray that what I write will be a sweet aroma to the Lord and that He will use it to both sift and refine that which is in me and if I may be so privileged, that He would use it to sift and refine others.
To be honest, I tried doing this blog thing months ago, but I didn't get my major in computer tech or graphic design so after an hour of searching online I was overwhelmed and gave up. This morning as my oldest is at preschool and my 5 month old slept away, I decided to once again take on this daunting cyber challenge of creating a blog. After about an hour of trying out different templates and headers, etc. I sensed the Lord asking me why again I was doing a blog? Isn't this really about His glory and not if I have some cute savvy-looking blog? And since when do I have an hour to surf the web? So, bear with me please as I learn the art of blogging while hopefully remembering that this is all for Him.
Here we go!
To be honest, I tried doing this blog thing months ago, but I didn't get my major in computer tech or graphic design so after an hour of searching online I was overwhelmed and gave up. This morning as my oldest is at preschool and my 5 month old slept away, I decided to once again take on this daunting cyber challenge of creating a blog. After about an hour of trying out different templates and headers, etc. I sensed the Lord asking me why again I was doing a blog? Isn't this really about His glory and not if I have some cute savvy-looking blog? And since when do I have an hour to surf the web? So, bear with me please as I learn the art of blogging while hopefully remembering that this is all for Him.
Here we go!
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