The foolish things.

"Take a good look, friends, at who you were when you got called into this life. I don't see many of "the brightest and the best" among you, not many influential, not many from high-society families. Isn't it obvious that God deliberately chose men and women that the culture overlooks and exploits and abuses, chose these "nobodies" to expose the hollow pretensions of the "somebodies"? That makes it quite clear that none of you can get by with blowing your own horn before God. Everything that we have—right thinking and right living, a clean slate and a fresh start—comes from God by way of Jesus Christ. That's why we have the saying, "If you're going to blow a horn, blow a trumpet for God."

I Corinthians 1:27-31 The Message

Emphasis on the right syllable.

When I wake up in the morning, I'm already thinking of the schedule for the day.
As I have my morning coffee, I'm planning the grocery list for the weekend.
On my drive to my office, I'm thinking of the phone calls I need to make that afternoon.
Around 2:00 pm I mentally start to list the chores I want to finish that night.
Going home from work, I am making plans, lists, calls, etc.
Fixing dinner, I am pondering if I should blog that night or not.
During dinner, I am hoping it will be a smooth bath time.
While rocking my little girl to sleep, I am calculating the bills I need to sit down and pay.
Vegging in front of the TV I am thinking of who I need to see tomorrow.

~~~~~~~~~~

When the alarm goes off, I'm going to snooze for a few last minute snuggles with my husband.
I'm going to slowly savor my cup of, enjoying it's rich flavor.
I'll take time to pray for my neighborhood & community on my AM commute.
I will properly appreciate the blessing that is my job.
Driving home I plan on rocking out to some really good music.
I'll have fun cooking a meal for my family.
I know I will share some good conversation with the ones I love most around the dinner table.
I'm going to hold my baby as close as I can, for as long as I can while she falls asleep.
I won't turn on the TV, instead I'll take a bubble bath & find a good book.

Does not play well with others.

Every single day of my life, God gives me grace.
Before I even ask; without explanation; no strings attached.
It's beautiful. It's amazing. It's a gift.
He lavishly pours His strength, forgiveness, peace, joy, power and presence into my life.
It never runs out.
I do not have to beg for it, in fact, He's told me that He loves to give it to me.
He really likes it when I share with the world around me and promises me to give me new, fresh grace when I do just that.

And so, every single day of my life I have moments when I can pour this grace into others lives.

But I don't. I'm stingy. I hoard it.

I snap my frustrations at my husband.
I yell at my kids.
I loose patience with the driver in front of me.
I expect perfection from my co-workers.
My neighbors irritate me.
The dog drives me crazy.
The phone call in the middle of dinner sends me over the edge.
The drive thru takes too long.
I sigh heavily when someone wants to talk to me about their problems.
I roll my eyes with sarcasm any opportunity I can find.

This may be what my God report card looks like.

And then God smacked me upside the head.

Amen & amen.

.......or something like that..........

Recently God has been showing me some spiritual adjustments I need to make in my life. Ironically, it is the exact same thing I pointed out in a close friend's life a few years ago.

Because deep inside where no one else knows me, I'm really a 3 year old. I've been a kickin' and a screamin' while God patiently takes me back to the naughty rug and says, "I'm not done with you yet sweetie."

This is a painful, personal process.
I'm not one of those christian's who can pretend I've got it all together. I've tried that route and it ain't really pretty. I think the church (in general) is full of those type of people and I just don't fit in.

If I'm confident about anything these days, I know this: Me & God we are going to work this thing out. You see, I believe God loves me the exact.same.way I love my kids and while I do not enjoy punishing them (at all) I do it because I want them to grow up to be good people.

This Lent has been a purging/pruning season for me spiritually.
I'm looking forward to some tasty fruit real soon.

"I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn't bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.
Live in me. Make your home in me just as I do in you. In the same way that a branch can't bear grapes by itself but only by being joined to the vine, you can't bear fruit unless you are joined with me.

I am the Vine, you are the branches. When you're joined with me and I with you, the relation intimate and organic, the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can't produce a thing. Anyone who separates from me is deadwood, gathered up and thrown on the bonfire. But if you make yourselves at home with me and my words are at home in you, you can be sure that whatever you ask will be listened to and acted upon." John 15:1-8 (The Message)

My Lenten Meditation.

Comfort, oh comfort my child, Lisa," says your God.
Speak softly and tenderly to Lisa, but also make it very clear
That she has served her sentence, that her sin is taken care of—forgiven!
She's been punished enough and more than enough, and now it's over and done with."

Thunder in the desert! "Prepare for God's arrival!
Make the road straight and smooth, a highway fit for our God.
Fill in the valleys, level off the hills,
Smooth out the ruts, clear out the rocks.
Then God's bright glory will shine in Lisa's life and everyone will see it.
Yes. Just as God has said.

A voice says, "Shout!" I said, "What shall I shout?"
"I am nothing but grass, my love fragile as wildflowers.
The grass withers, the wildflowers fade, if God so much as puffs on me.
Aren't I just so much grass? True, the grass withers and the wildflowers fade,
but our God's Word stands firm and forever."

Climb a high mountain, Lisa! You're the preacher of good news.
Raise your voice. Make it good and loud, Lisa.
You're the preacher of good news.
Speak loud and clear. Lisa! Don't be timid!
Tell the cities of Judah, "Look! Your God!"
Look at him! God, the Master, comes in power, ready to go into action.
He is going to pay back his enemies and reward you because you have loved him.
Like a shepherd, he will care for you, Lisa, as part of  his flock, gathering the lambs in his arms,
Hugging them as he carries them, leading the nursing ewes to good pasture.


(Isaiah 40:1-10, The Message.) 
(Personalization mine. Bold emphasis mine.)

Superpower.

There's a funny line in the movie, My Big Fat Greek Wedding:
"The man may be the head of the household, but the woman controls the neck!"


Very humorous, but packs a punch with truth!


At our home, ask our kids who is boss & they quickly reply: Daddy!
The Poppa is in charge.
He is the final authority and lovingly sets the rules on what is right & wrong.


But in my short time of being a mother, I've come to realize, that my mood is the stabilizing force in our household. "If Momma ain't happy, ain't no one happy, kinda thing." With this knowledge comes a bigger sense of responsibility for me to be fully in control of my emotions. To not allow anger or frustration or aggravation be my motivator for my words or my actions. My kids are watching me all the time, judging how the day is going to go, determining how they should or should not act based on what I am doing.


When I really stop and reflect on this, I am afraid. Fearful that I cannot do this correctly. Because, frankly, life sometimes is hard. Sometimes I'm tired. Sometimes I am inpatient. Sometimes I am angry. I have failed and allowed what is happening in the moment to bring down the mo-jo in our home.

Of course I recognize the balance that is required with being authentic. I don't want my children to by Pollyanna's, to grow up and believe that everything is always in perfect harmony all the time. That's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about the moments where I'm frustrated because the bank balance is low and I've yelled at my children too quickly. (Yep, just being real here.....)

With great power, comes great responsibility.
" Dear Gracious & Kind Heavenly Father, I need Your help me to use it well. Amen."

An ugly truth at Christmas.

We do much work to make the nativity scene look so pretty this season.
Lovely figurines, decorative stables, persons arranged just-so. 

The reality is that birth of baby Jesus was dirty & smelly.  In the worst possible circumstances.  Crowded Bethlehem would have meant crowded barns.  More animals than normal squeezed into the stalls.

Beautiful, lovely, holy Jesus' birth took place among the animal dung.   
Perhaps this is why I find myself so broken this Advent Season.
Beautiful, lovely, holy Jesus wants to live in the dirty, broken places of my life.

So much of my life is hidden away. Sure, I arrange all the pieces so artfully here in this place.  Sharing the happy, decorating this blog with snippets of things that are good.

The reality is that I struggle with broken relationships. I nurse old wounds.  I am impatient.
I gossip. I am judgemental & critical. My life is full of dung.

Emmanuel. God with us.
As the birth of baby Jesus transformed a barn into a place of beauty;
Please, transform my heart too.