I have a vivid, crazy imagination. There are all kinds of funny stories from when I was little. This can be a great thing...I have all kinds of inventions floating around in my head! But, it can also be very annoying. Because of this imagination, I often have the most clear, seemingly real NIGHTMARES. Sometimes I wake up scared, or angry, and sometimes it takes me a few seconds to realize that I was only dreaming. I'm not sure if they're caused by sub-conscious worries or fears, but I frequently have these vividly cruel dreams. Not being a morning person by nature (as in do not talk to me, and for goodness sake please DO NOT ever sing 'rise and shine' or any of the like, to me until I've had a good 20 minutes to wake up) these nightmares frequently leave me feeling drained and grouchy in the mornings.
So, last week, after a few consecutive nights of tossing and turning and fighting off the bad guys in my head, I prayed that God would give me 'sweet sleep.' Ya'll, I didn't wake up once during the night, and when I woke up in the morning I was LAUGHING. It was the weirdest thing. (And no, I'm not insane. Well, maybe sometimes. A little.) I was dreaming that I was laughing and thoroughly enjoying it, and then woke up because I WAS laughing! Talk about waking up on the RIGHT side of the bed! It was so refreshing.
I LOVE to laugh. I LOVE to hear other people laugh. In middle school my friends ribbed me because when I laughed I would do so with my mouth wide open and suck in air. The only sound was when I breathed in and it sounded like a grating hiccup. You know the kind. Hard to describe in words, but it was AWFUL. Every once in awhile a snort would sneak out. People would stop and just stare at me. I literally had to retrain myself to laugh silently.
In college, one of my favorite sounds was when a friend, Margaret Harritt, laughed. It was like a machine gun firing out giggles. It sounded like peals of laughter in fast forward - they came out so fast that it was just HILARIOUS. If you ever meet this girl, you must tickle her (just don't tell her Lindsay Tyner said so)or tell her a joke so you can hear this.
Most of my friends know that my favorite thing to fall asleep to is America's Funniest Home Videos. I know some of those things hurt those folks, but I just can't help myself. My Dad and I will watch and afterwards my stomach will just ache from the laughing.
I'm going to go ahead and apologize.
I could seriously hurt your feelings here.
If you fall down...I WILL LAUGH.
Ya'll, I CANNOT HELP MYSELF. Hopefully, shortly thereafter I will ask if you're okay and help you up, but my first reflex is to giggle. It happened when my grandma fell! I felt awful, but it just slips out. When Robyn came to visit me in Florence once, she was literally running into my apartment as fast as she could when she tripped over her feet and face-planted into my apartment. It was GREAT! One of the greatest stumbles in recent history was when my friend Brandon Greene (who was home on a short vacation from his AirForce job in Germany) was walking backwards and fell into a planter. Legs akimbo, butt in the dirt, arms flailing in the air...I snicker just picturing it again. His pride was obviously wounded, but I could not stop laughing! If I ever fall, I will probably laugh at myself, so you can, too, and don't feel bad.
The Bible says, "He will fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy!" Job 8:21 What an awesome God! He loves it when we laugh and are filled with joy! I don't know about you, but to me, laughter can be like medicine. It's as good as any anti-depressant. So, if you have nightmares, pray for 'sweet sleep,' and maybe the Lord will wake you up with laughter like He did me. If you're having a bad day...these are some things that always make me laugh:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NMHaiMzgCNA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aemXgP-2xyg
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IytNBm8WA1c
It's all fun and games 'til someone gets hurt...then it's hilarious! :)
Tuesday, August 3, 2010
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
It'll bite ya in the butt...
So I got this daily devotion (will share at bottom) in my email this morning and think I could probably read it every single day...I definitely need the reminder. Obviously, as God brought the issue to mind last night and then I got an email about it this morning. (He knows I'm thick-headed.)
Just last night in bed (side note: anyone else's brain kick into high gear around midnight when you should be sleeping?!) I was thinking about how our hearts are evil. Now before you get all defensive...yours is, too. :) Not always. But, our hearts are fickle and often led by pure emotions. The battle for that is in our minds, our thoughts, our spirit.
I've often had the not-so-fun experience of my heart leading me in one direction while my brain is screaming at me to run the other way. Which to listen to? Unless it is a Holy Spirit conviction of the heart (Romans 14; and we cannot judge others if their convictions are different from ours) then your 'feelings' can be a dangerous lead to follow. Proverbs 15:28 says 'The heart of the righteous weighs its answers.' But, oh how much more fun is it to give in to your desires and taste the deliciousness of all you crave?! That can seriously come back to bite you in the butt...hello, Eve and the apple, anyone? And doesn't Satan just looove to bite us in the butts later!
So back to the question: what should we listen to then, when our heads and hearts are warring? THE TRUTH. (A good example of why memorizing scripture is so important!) OUR FAITH. Even when feelings aren't there, or when they are and they're up to no good, we can TRUST and BELIEVE. Even when we don't want to. Don't feel like it. Are sick of feeling disappointed when we don't get answers we want, or any at all. And this leads me to what I read this morning:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Job 1:20-21 (NIV)
"God is always present, even when you are unaware of him, and his presence is too profound to be measured by mere emotion." Rick Warren
When you are a baby Christian, God gives you a lot of confirming emotions and often answers the most immature, self-centered prayers—so you'll know he exists. But as you grow in faith, he will wean you of these dependencies.
God's omnipresence and the manifestation of his presence are two different things. One is a fact; the other is often a feeling. God is always present, even when you are unaware of him, and his presence is too profound to be measured by mere emotion.
Yes, he wants you to sense his presence, but he's more concerned that you trust him than that you feel him. Faith, not feelings, pleases God.
The situations that will stretch your faith most will be those times when life falls apart and God is nowhere to be found. This happened to Job. On a single day he lost everything—his family, his business, his health, and everything he owned. Most discouraging—for thirty-seven chapters, God said nothing!
How do you praise God when you don't understand what's happening in your life and God is silent? How do you stay connected in a crisis without communication? How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when they're full of tears? You do what Job did: "Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.'" (Job 1:20-21, NIV)
Tell God exactly how you feel. Pour out your heart to God. Unload every emotion that you're feeling. Job did this when he said, "I can't be quiet! I'm angry and bitter. I have to speak!" (Job 7:11, TEV)
He cried out when God seemed distant: "Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house." (Job 29:4, NIV)
God can handle your doubt, anger, fear, grief, confusion, and questions. Just have FAITH.
Just last night in bed (side note: anyone else's brain kick into high gear around midnight when you should be sleeping?!) I was thinking about how our hearts are evil. Now before you get all defensive...yours is, too. :) Not always. But, our hearts are fickle and often led by pure emotions. The battle for that is in our minds, our thoughts, our spirit.
I've often had the not-so-fun experience of my heart leading me in one direction while my brain is screaming at me to run the other way. Which to listen to? Unless it is a Holy Spirit conviction of the heart (Romans 14; and we cannot judge others if their convictions are different from ours) then your 'feelings' can be a dangerous lead to follow. Proverbs 15:28 says 'The heart of the righteous weighs its answers.' But, oh how much more fun is it to give in to your desires and taste the deliciousness of all you crave?! That can seriously come back to bite you in the butt...hello, Eve and the apple, anyone? And doesn't Satan just looove to bite us in the butts later!
So back to the question: what should we listen to then, when our heads and hearts are warring? THE TRUTH. (A good example of why memorizing scripture is so important!) OUR FAITH. Even when feelings aren't there, or when they are and they're up to no good, we can TRUST and BELIEVE. Even when we don't want to. Don't feel like it. Are sick of feeling disappointed when we don't get answers we want, or any at all. And this leads me to what I read this morning:
"Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised." Job 1:20-21 (NIV)
"God is always present, even when you are unaware of him, and his presence is too profound to be measured by mere emotion." Rick Warren
When you are a baby Christian, God gives you a lot of confirming emotions and often answers the most immature, self-centered prayers—so you'll know he exists. But as you grow in faith, he will wean you of these dependencies.
God's omnipresence and the manifestation of his presence are two different things. One is a fact; the other is often a feeling. God is always present, even when you are unaware of him, and his presence is too profound to be measured by mere emotion.
Yes, he wants you to sense his presence, but he's more concerned that you trust him than that you feel him. Faith, not feelings, pleases God.
The situations that will stretch your faith most will be those times when life falls apart and God is nowhere to be found. This happened to Job. On a single day he lost everything—his family, his business, his health, and everything he owned. Most discouraging—for thirty-seven chapters, God said nothing!
How do you praise God when you don't understand what's happening in your life and God is silent? How do you stay connected in a crisis without communication? How do you keep your eyes on Jesus when they're full of tears? You do what Job did: "Then he fell to the ground in worship and said: 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised.'" (Job 1:20-21, NIV)
Tell God exactly how you feel. Pour out your heart to God. Unload every emotion that you're feeling. Job did this when he said, "I can't be quiet! I'm angry and bitter. I have to speak!" (Job 7:11, TEV)
He cried out when God seemed distant: "Oh, for the days when I was in my prime, when God's intimate friendship blessed my house." (Job 29:4, NIV)
God can handle your doubt, anger, fear, grief, confusion, and questions. Just have FAITH.
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
SUPER FREAKY
"You're a freak!" That's like every middle schooler's worst nightmare in a sentence. Even as you get older, I don't think it'd feel too good to be looked at like you're a weirdo, because we all want to fit in somewhere. Yes, even if someone dresses in all black, with off-putting makeup and piercings, that person wants to fit in, too.
I think our desires to fit in with a group, especially when we're younger and more impressionable, come from a deeper need to be loved. Like Beth Moore says, under the desires of our hearts is really the heart of our desires. It's proven everyday. It's usually the ones who aren't loved or encouraged at home who most seek that attention elsewhere. I saw a clip on the news today about the Columbine High School killings. I wonder how different things might have been if the killers' classmates wouldn't have labeled them, 'freaks.' Or if even one of their peers would've reached out to them, despite their differences, and shown love and acceptance.
All too often we, especially as Americans, place importance on looks, economic status, job status, and forfeit getting to know good-hearted people because they don't look like us. I am ashamed to admit that I recently did this myself. I was out to eat at a restaurant when a homeless man came in to ask the server for a glass of water. I felt the strongest urge to invite this man to sit and have a meal with me and just let him know that someone cared for him. I knew this urging was from God, but immediately, my pride stepped in and I thought, 'I can't do that. People will wonder what I'm doing, sitting with this dirty man who is probably on drugs.' And so I let the moment pass. I have no idea how God could've used me to make a difference in that man's life, and for fear of what others might think, I will never know.
I've never been in his exact place, but I've been a 'freak' before. Middle school was a rough time for me, when I was made fun of a lot and didn't always have a true friend to turn to. In college, the choices I made and things I choose not to do set me apart. It's hard when people leave you out or poke fun at you, even good-naturedly. Thank God my confidence and self-worth don't come from what others think of me!
You see, I don't think being a freak is all that much of a bad thing. In fact, Jesus tells us people won't like us because we're different. And you know what? That's okay! Paul writes in Galatians 1:10 "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." That hit me like a ton of bricks. It's so much easier to think that if we make everyone else happy, then we will be happy because they'll like us. But, sometimes it's better to be a 'freak.'
So, I try to live my life devoted to my beliefs. Along the way some will probably think I'm crazy, but what is 'normal' anyway? If you can show me a 'normal' person or a 'normal' family, well, then I'd say there are some skeletons that just haven't come out yet! But, more importantly, who wants to be 'normal?!' To me, normalcy screams of a cookie cutter, average life. No one wants on his tombstone, 'Here lies Mediocre Joe. 1970 - 2020. We don't remember anything else about him because he just blended with the crowd.' Now, that, that would hurt more than not being in the 'in crowd.' So, the next time you're feeling like a 'super-freak,' or judging someone who you think is a 'freak,' just remember...we all are!
I think our desires to fit in with a group, especially when we're younger and more impressionable, come from a deeper need to be loved. Like Beth Moore says, under the desires of our hearts is really the heart of our desires. It's proven everyday. It's usually the ones who aren't loved or encouraged at home who most seek that attention elsewhere. I saw a clip on the news today about the Columbine High School killings. I wonder how different things might have been if the killers' classmates wouldn't have labeled them, 'freaks.' Or if even one of their peers would've reached out to them, despite their differences, and shown love and acceptance.
All too often we, especially as Americans, place importance on looks, economic status, job status, and forfeit getting to know good-hearted people because they don't look like us. I am ashamed to admit that I recently did this myself. I was out to eat at a restaurant when a homeless man came in to ask the server for a glass of water. I felt the strongest urge to invite this man to sit and have a meal with me and just let him know that someone cared for him. I knew this urging was from God, but immediately, my pride stepped in and I thought, 'I can't do that. People will wonder what I'm doing, sitting with this dirty man who is probably on drugs.' And so I let the moment pass. I have no idea how God could've used me to make a difference in that man's life, and for fear of what others might think, I will never know.
I've never been in his exact place, but I've been a 'freak' before. Middle school was a rough time for me, when I was made fun of a lot and didn't always have a true friend to turn to. In college, the choices I made and things I choose not to do set me apart. It's hard when people leave you out or poke fun at you, even good-naturedly. Thank God my confidence and self-worth don't come from what others think of me!
You see, I don't think being a freak is all that much of a bad thing. In fact, Jesus tells us people won't like us because we're different. And you know what? That's okay! Paul writes in Galatians 1:10 "Am I now trying to win the approval of men, or of God? Or am I trying to please men? If I were still trying to please men, I would not be a servant of Christ." That hit me like a ton of bricks. It's so much easier to think that if we make everyone else happy, then we will be happy because they'll like us. But, sometimes it's better to be a 'freak.'
So, I try to live my life devoted to my beliefs. Along the way some will probably think I'm crazy, but what is 'normal' anyway? If you can show me a 'normal' person or a 'normal' family, well, then I'd say there are some skeletons that just haven't come out yet! But, more importantly, who wants to be 'normal?!' To me, normalcy screams of a cookie cutter, average life. No one wants on his tombstone, 'Here lies Mediocre Joe. 1970 - 2020. We don't remember anything else about him because he just blended with the crowd.' Now, that, that would hurt more than not being in the 'in crowd.' So, the next time you're feeling like a 'super-freak,' or judging someone who you think is a 'freak,' just remember...we all are!
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Anything but that...
We've all heard Miley Cyrus sing about 'The Climb' (unless your head has been in the sand for a year). You've heard it, but have you thought about it? Life is a long hike...lots of climbing the mountains, just to get to the top, enjoy the view ever so briefly, and then realize your peak is overshadowed by an even bigger mountain waiting to be scaled.
Though I am a girly-girl, I love to hike. I relish the feel, the smell, almost (not the bugs) everything about being outside. However, I have never, never wanted to be a mountain climber. Hanging on a rope, trying to get these short arms and legs up into the high crevices, clinging to loose rocks for dear life...maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but it doesn't appeal to me in the least. You spend all that time sweating it out, wanting to give up, scratching your knees, breaking nails, just to see a view you could way more easily see from an airplane.
But, unfortunately for our 'I want it now' human nature, that's a lot like life. We spend the majority of our years waiting. Waiting to get our driver's license, waiting to graduate high school, waiting to get a career, waiting to meet 'the one,' waiting to have kids, waiting to retire. Whew! That's a lot of waiting. Every time you get to the top of your mountain, there's something else to 'wait' for. It dawned on me as I was thinking about this, that the LIFE is in the waiting. The view that we crave so much is brief, and then we start sweating and climbing again.
My life lately has been all about waiting. I called one of my confidantes earlier this week and cried to her, 'how long do I have to wait?!' 'When have I waited enough?!' I pray every day for God to show me where to go, what to do, to give me a yes, or even a no - just a sign or direction. Just no more waiting, anything but that!
But we know that when we are the weakest that's when He's the strongest. In this time of waiting in my life, He's been showing me some things. If we're not happy in the waiting, we will not be happy when we get whatever it is that we've been waiting for. No job or significant other or goal reached will do more for us than has already been done. We are to be content in all circumstances because Jesus has already given us all we could ever need. Even in the waiting. Especially in the waiting.
God uses these waiting periods to develop our perseverance, which leads to character, that blossoms into hope. It's only when we are in the fire, the hottest, most uncomfortable part, that we are soft enough to be molded into what we were made to be. The Bible says He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver (Mal. 3:3). He may hold us in that uncomfortable position, but He will never take His eyes off of his, will never drop us in the flames to be devoured. It's in that waiting that He will teach and grow us.
For me, this waiting has been the hardest thing I've ever gone through. But, I've never been closer with God. I would give up anything not to have wait anymore. Anything but that. This new level of intimacy with God is worth the wait.
A friend told me about this poem and I love it. Maybe you will too! :)
Wait
by Russell Kelfer
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate . . .
And the Master so gently said, "Wait."
"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.
"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply."
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.
"You'd never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
"The glow of my comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.
"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.
"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still . . . Wait."
Though I am a girly-girl, I love to hike. I relish the feel, the smell, almost (not the bugs) everything about being outside. However, I have never, never wanted to be a mountain climber. Hanging on a rope, trying to get these short arms and legs up into the high crevices, clinging to loose rocks for dear life...maybe I don't know what I'm missing, but it doesn't appeal to me in the least. You spend all that time sweating it out, wanting to give up, scratching your knees, breaking nails, just to see a view you could way more easily see from an airplane.
But, unfortunately for our 'I want it now' human nature, that's a lot like life. We spend the majority of our years waiting. Waiting to get our driver's license, waiting to graduate high school, waiting to get a career, waiting to meet 'the one,' waiting to have kids, waiting to retire. Whew! That's a lot of waiting. Every time you get to the top of your mountain, there's something else to 'wait' for. It dawned on me as I was thinking about this, that the LIFE is in the waiting. The view that we crave so much is brief, and then we start sweating and climbing again.
My life lately has been all about waiting. I called one of my confidantes earlier this week and cried to her, 'how long do I have to wait?!' 'When have I waited enough?!' I pray every day for God to show me where to go, what to do, to give me a yes, or even a no - just a sign or direction. Just no more waiting, anything but that!
But we know that when we are the weakest that's when He's the strongest. In this time of waiting in my life, He's been showing me some things. If we're not happy in the waiting, we will not be happy when we get whatever it is that we've been waiting for. No job or significant other or goal reached will do more for us than has already been done. We are to be content in all circumstances because Jesus has already given us all we could ever need. Even in the waiting. Especially in the waiting.
God uses these waiting periods to develop our perseverance, which leads to character, that blossoms into hope. It's only when we are in the fire, the hottest, most uncomfortable part, that we are soft enough to be molded into what we were made to be. The Bible says He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver (Mal. 3:3). He may hold us in that uncomfortable position, but He will never take His eyes off of his, will never drop us in the flames to be devoured. It's in that waiting that He will teach and grow us.
For me, this waiting has been the hardest thing I've ever gone through. But, I've never been closer with God. I would give up anything not to have wait anymore. Anything but that. This new level of intimacy with God is worth the wait.
A friend told me about this poem and I love it. Maybe you will too! :)
Wait
by Russell Kelfer
Desperately, helplessly, longingly, I cried;
Quietly, patiently, lovingly, God replied.
I pled and I wept for a clue to my fate . . .
And the Master so gently said, "Wait."
"Wait? you say wait?" my indignant reply.
"Lord, I need answers, I need to know why!
Is your hand shortened? Or have you not heard?
By faith I have asked, and I'm claiming your Word.
"My future and all to which I relate
Hangs in the balance, and you tell me to wait?
I'm needing a 'yes', a go-ahead sign,
Or even a 'no' to which I can resign.
"You promised, dear Lord, that if we believe,
We need but to ask, and we shall receive.
And Lord I've been asking, and this is my cry:
I'm weary of asking! I need a reply."
Then quietly, softly, I learned of my fate,
As my Master replied again, "Wait."
So I slumped in my chair, defeated and taut,
And grumbled to God, "So, I'm waiting for what?"
He seemed then to kneel, and His eyes met with mine . . .
and He tenderly said, "I could give you a sign.
I could shake the heavens and darken the sun.
I could raise the dead and cause mountains to run.
"I could give all you seek and pleased you would be.
You'd have what you want, but you wouldn't know Me.
You'd not know the depth of my love for each saint.
You'd not know the power that I give to the faint.
"You'd not learn to see through clouds of despair;
You'd not learn to trust just by knowing I'm there.
You'd not know the joy of resting in Me
When darkness and silence are all you can see.
"You'd never experience the fullness of love
When the peace of My spirit descends like a dove.
You would know that I give, and I save, for a start,
But you'd not know the depth of the beat of My heart.
"The glow of my comfort late into the night,
The faith that I give when you walk without sight.
The depth that's beyond getting just what you ask
From an infinite God who makes what you have last.
"You'd never know, should your pain quickly flee,
What it means that My grace is sufficient for thee.
Yes, your dearest dreams overnight would come true,
But, oh, the loss, if you missed what I'm doing in you.
"So, be silent, my child, and in time you will see
That the greatest of gifts is to truly know me.
And though oft My answers seem terribly late,
My most precious answer of all is still . . . Wait."
Sunday, April 18, 2010
The Heart of the Matter
Do you ever find that you've become cynical about people? That, instead of expecting the best in others, you expect them to let you down? I didn't realize how jaded my thinking had become until I met someone who surprised me - in a good way. This weekend my cousin, who I haven't seen in at least 15 years, stayed at our house. When we first picked him up from the military base, Ft. Gordon, he seemed like the average 21-year-old guy. Or, at least, the average s-l-o-w talllkkkkiiinnn Alabama country boy.
Of course, I asked him a million questions about life on the military base. And as I would cringe thinking being under the 24/7 control he and his bunk-mates are under, he only had a good attitude. He had joy no matter that he was painting barracks, running in the rain, or doing his yard duties. He kept saying that He felt like he was called to be an army chaplain and that if God wanted him there, he knew God would take care of him every minute. Still, this wasn't what got to me...
He wasn't preachy. He wasn't in your face. He was humble, he was straight up. He would answer questions by saying, 'God says...' but it wasn't pretentious or judgmental, it was real. Still, this wasn't what got to me...
If you know me well at all, you know that I ask lots of questions. My curiosity combined with the fact that I hadn't seen this cousin in more than a decade and the poor kid was probably wondering if I was going to ask how he brushes his teeth or something. Even though I know guys aren't always big on gushing about their love lives, I had to ask about his girlfriend.
Me: "So how'd you meet?"
Cousin: "I met her in school. She was friends with my ex-girlfriend."
Me: "Hmmm...interesting. Does your Mom like her?"
Cuz: "She doesn't really know her, but she worries a little about how I would take care of her in the future."
Me: "Oh...is she high maintenance or something?"
Cousin: "No. She's in a wheel chair for life. She has spinal bifida."
Me: "Oh...wow...is that hard for you?"
Cousin: "Well, people wonder how we could have a future together, but I think I could take care of her, especially through the Army. And I don't really care about how she looks, the physical part. I care more about what kind of character she has, and if she's really living for God."
Me: That shut me up.
We were in the car on the way home from dinner, so I was quiet for awhile as I let that sink in. That God looks at the heart (Gal. 2:6,7)of a person was something I'd studied just this past week in my quiet times. I had been in prayer already this week, asking God to help me value hearts more than anything else. I'd been thinking that I was doing a good job of it...until this. Conviction hit me like a hammer. Would I be willing to overlook the physical that much? Would I follow God if that's where He led me? And that's what got to me. This sweet Alabama boy was simply being a disciple to the core. Valuing what God values.
In two weeks, my cousin (Derek McReynolds) is being deployed to Korea for a year. He's going with a great attitude, a willingness to serve, and a readiness to respond to God. I know he's appreciate it if you sent your prayers with him, too.
Of course, I asked him a million questions about life on the military base. And as I would cringe thinking being under the 24/7 control he and his bunk-mates are under, he only had a good attitude. He had joy no matter that he was painting barracks, running in the rain, or doing his yard duties. He kept saying that He felt like he was called to be an army chaplain and that if God wanted him there, he knew God would take care of him every minute. Still, this wasn't what got to me...
He wasn't preachy. He wasn't in your face. He was humble, he was straight up. He would answer questions by saying, 'God says...' but it wasn't pretentious or judgmental, it was real. Still, this wasn't what got to me...
If you know me well at all, you know that I ask lots of questions. My curiosity combined with the fact that I hadn't seen this cousin in more than a decade and the poor kid was probably wondering if I was going to ask how he brushes his teeth or something. Even though I know guys aren't always big on gushing about their love lives, I had to ask about his girlfriend.
Me: "So how'd you meet?"
Cousin: "I met her in school. She was friends with my ex-girlfriend."
Me: "Hmmm...interesting. Does your Mom like her?"
Cuz: "She doesn't really know her, but she worries a little about how I would take care of her in the future."
Me: "Oh...is she high maintenance or something?"
Cousin: "No. She's in a wheel chair for life. She has spinal bifida."
Me: "Oh...wow...is that hard for you?"
Cousin: "Well, people wonder how we could have a future together, but I think I could take care of her, especially through the Army. And I don't really care about how she looks, the physical part. I care more about what kind of character she has, and if she's really living for God."
Me: That shut me up.
We were in the car on the way home from dinner, so I was quiet for awhile as I let that sink in. That God looks at the heart (Gal. 2:6,7)of a person was something I'd studied just this past week in my quiet times. I had been in prayer already this week, asking God to help me value hearts more than anything else. I'd been thinking that I was doing a good job of it...until this. Conviction hit me like a hammer. Would I be willing to overlook the physical that much? Would I follow God if that's where He led me? And that's what got to me. This sweet Alabama boy was simply being a disciple to the core. Valuing what God values.
In two weeks, my cousin (Derek McReynolds) is being deployed to Korea for a year. He's going with a great attitude, a willingness to serve, and a readiness to respond to God. I know he's appreciate it if you sent your prayers with him, too.
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
Mean What You Say
Jason DeRulo got it right with his popular song 'Whatcha Say.' It speaks to the power of words. Whoever came up with the 'sticks and stones' phrase was wayyy off track. Words do hurt. We've all experienced that. But they also unleash power.
Late last year I did the Beth Moore 'Believing God' Bible study. I had always heard that our words have power, but don't think I quite knew the extent of it. It seems silly, doesn't it, that just by opening our mouths we can change things? But that's exactly what the Word says! Proverbs 18:21 "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." It doesn't say only if you speak right, will you reap what you sow, but when you speak defeat you reap that, too!
Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God. What does that mean? Look at how we, as children, imitate our parents. Words and deeds. Babies start trying to make sounds like their parents from a very young age. Likewise, we are to imitate God. Our words should be His words! This means we are to KNOW the scriptures and their contexts, we are to speak things that are not as though they were!
That doesn't mean it won't be scary. When you're stepping out in faith, you're being vulnerable, opening yourself up to attacks from the world. But Jesus tells his disciples in Mark 11: 22-24 to have FAITH. He says when we live by faith, we can SAY to the mountain 'MOVE!' and it has to listen! But how often do we see that happening in our modern world? I don't know about you, but from where I'm sitting, the mountains ain't movin. Does that mean the time for miracles has passed? Some would like to think so because it scares them and because hoping for them would mean to leap out of one's comfort zone. But Jesus said we are capable of not only miracles, but even more than He did! John 14:12 "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the father." So why don't we see them? Jesus says we cannot have doubt in our hearts. And we ask for all things in His name - which means not just simply saying 'In Jesus' name,' at the end of prayers. When we say things in Jesus' name, it means it lines up with His word and His purposes. Miracles aren't simply for our comfort or our gain, but must glorify His kingdom.
So how do we unleash that power? Our words! There is power in the tongue! Jesus SPOKE to the wind and the sea, the fig tree, the demons and even to dead men. Sure, he could've just pointed at them, but he SPOKE. God SPOKE the earth into existence. The Bible says faith is HEARING the word. Jesus says Christians are given the keys to the kingdom - whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven and whatever we bind on earth will be bound in Heaven. (Matt 16:19)
Charles Capps said, "Words are containers, they carry faith or fear, and they produce after their kind." Don't take my word for it, try it for yourself! When worry tries to take over my mind, I speak scripture to it. Confess victory in the face of apparent defeat! Confess abundance in the face of apparent lack! Jesus tells us that we can have what we say (Mark 11:23), but we are saying what we have. Circumstances should not dictate our theology, but our theology should dictate our circumstances! Mean what you say and make it happen.
Late last year I did the Beth Moore 'Believing God' Bible study. I had always heard that our words have power, but don't think I quite knew the extent of it. It seems silly, doesn't it, that just by opening our mouths we can change things? But that's exactly what the Word says! Proverbs 18:21 "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit." It doesn't say only if you speak right, will you reap what you sow, but when you speak defeat you reap that, too!
Ephesians 5:1 tells us to be imitators of God. What does that mean? Look at how we, as children, imitate our parents. Words and deeds. Babies start trying to make sounds like their parents from a very young age. Likewise, we are to imitate God. Our words should be His words! This means we are to KNOW the scriptures and their contexts, we are to speak things that are not as though they were!
That doesn't mean it won't be scary. When you're stepping out in faith, you're being vulnerable, opening yourself up to attacks from the world. But Jesus tells his disciples in Mark 11: 22-24 to have FAITH. He says when we live by faith, we can SAY to the mountain 'MOVE!' and it has to listen! But how often do we see that happening in our modern world? I don't know about you, but from where I'm sitting, the mountains ain't movin. Does that mean the time for miracles has passed? Some would like to think so because it scares them and because hoping for them would mean to leap out of one's comfort zone. But Jesus said we are capable of not only miracles, but even more than He did! John 14:12 "I tell you the truth, anyone who has faith in me will do what I have been doing. He will do even greater things than these because I am going to the father." So why don't we see them? Jesus says we cannot have doubt in our hearts. And we ask for all things in His name - which means not just simply saying 'In Jesus' name,' at the end of prayers. When we say things in Jesus' name, it means it lines up with His word and His purposes. Miracles aren't simply for our comfort or our gain, but must glorify His kingdom.
So how do we unleash that power? Our words! There is power in the tongue! Jesus SPOKE to the wind and the sea, the fig tree, the demons and even to dead men. Sure, he could've just pointed at them, but he SPOKE. God SPOKE the earth into existence. The Bible says faith is HEARING the word. Jesus says Christians are given the keys to the kingdom - whatever we loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven and whatever we bind on earth will be bound in Heaven. (Matt 16:19)
Charles Capps said, "Words are containers, they carry faith or fear, and they produce after their kind." Don't take my word for it, try it for yourself! When worry tries to take over my mind, I speak scripture to it. Confess victory in the face of apparent defeat! Confess abundance in the face of apparent lack! Jesus tells us that we can have what we say (Mark 11:23), but we are saying what we have. Circumstances should not dictate our theology, but our theology should dictate our circumstances! Mean what you say and make it happen.
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Over Tomato Pie...
Been awhile since I've blogged. I love to write, just not usually about myself. I love to read mothers' blogs...ha, what an unfair advantage they have in blogging about cute kids! Ya'll just wait, my Mom says one day I'll have a 'payback-kid' who will embarass me in public and say anything she thinks to whoever is listening, just like I did to her. Frequently. (Just ask my friends. They just looove to mortify me in front of new people by telling stories of when I was little.) But, until I have kids to write about, thanks for reading about plain ole me. :)
I haven't been blogging as much because I've been waiting on something exciting or big to tell ya'll about. But, the 'little things' in life are far more frequent and can make the best memories anyways. Kinda like last night.
I'm staying in Columbia at my friend Mallori's house for a few days, as I'm in town to do some FCA work and go to Bible study Tuesday night. So yesterday, after finishing my work, I made a tomato pie for us for supper.
Though I could probably eat an entire pie by myself (sadly, this is not an attempt at being funny), we decided we had enough food to invite Stacey over to join us (home girl can throw back some grub, as well).
So Stacey and baby Ella Kate came...and her poor husband, Josh. (Who ate cheerios and listened to us talk about boobs and boys. We cured him of girl-time.)
It was just a regular, hum-drum night - except it wasn't. I 'made' them watch THREE HOURS of the bachelor with me (they gagged and made snarky comments at all the right places, of course, and Josh kept saying it was the worst night of his life), and they had to sneak and eat M&M's so I wouldn't tackle them for a bite of chocolate (which I quit, thank you very much). Baby Ella (who normally loves fun time with her 'aunts' Lindsay and MalMal) wasn't happy with anyone but her Momma and kept spewing out the food she needed to eat. Just a boring night in - except it wasn't.
It was a 'little' night. But, to me, it was much more fun that a 'big' night out somewhere. Because we laughed the whole time, made fun of each other, and had some good 'girl-talk.' (Again, poor Josh.) And it helps, of course, that it was all over a plate of tomato pie. Try some...no way you'll dislike it! It's easy to make and maybe you can invite some friends over and make it a 'tomato pie' night like we did!
TOMATO PIE RECIPE:
Ingredients:
-4 BIG tomatoes
-1 frozen pie crust
-1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
-1 cup sharp mozzarella cheese
-1 cup mayo (yes, I know, but even if you don't like it, it's good in this!)
Preparations:
Peel all the tomatoes, cut into big chunks and drain. Then mix the cheeses and the mayo together in a bowl. (I usually add herbs and spices...basil, oregano, garlic, onion salt, chives, salt and pepper, etc.) Use a fork to poke holes in the pie crust. Put the tomatoes in the pie crust. Lather the cheese mix on top, covering all signs of tomatoes. Bake at 350 for 30 mins or until cheese is brownish on edges. Enjoy!
I haven't been blogging as much because I've been waiting on something exciting or big to tell ya'll about. But, the 'little things' in life are far more frequent and can make the best memories anyways. Kinda like last night.
I'm staying in Columbia at my friend Mallori's house for a few days, as I'm in town to do some FCA work and go to Bible study Tuesday night. So yesterday, after finishing my work, I made a tomato pie for us for supper.
Though I could probably eat an entire pie by myself (sadly, this is not an attempt at being funny), we decided we had enough food to invite Stacey over to join us (home girl can throw back some grub, as well).
So Stacey and baby Ella Kate came...and her poor husband, Josh. (Who ate cheerios and listened to us talk about boobs and boys. We cured him of girl-time.)
It was just a regular, hum-drum night - except it wasn't. I 'made' them watch THREE HOURS of the bachelor with me (they gagged and made snarky comments at all the right places, of course, and Josh kept saying it was the worst night of his life), and they had to sneak and eat M&M's so I wouldn't tackle them for a bite of chocolate (which I quit, thank you very much). Baby Ella (who normally loves fun time with her 'aunts' Lindsay and MalMal) wasn't happy with anyone but her Momma and kept spewing out the food she needed to eat. Just a boring night in - except it wasn't.
It was a 'little' night. But, to me, it was much more fun that a 'big' night out somewhere. Because we laughed the whole time, made fun of each other, and had some good 'girl-talk.' (Again, poor Josh.) And it helps, of course, that it was all over a plate of tomato pie. Try some...no way you'll dislike it! It's easy to make and maybe you can invite some friends over and make it a 'tomato pie' night like we did!
TOMATO PIE RECIPE:
Ingredients:
-4 BIG tomatoes
-1 frozen pie crust
-1 cup sharp cheddar cheese
-1 cup sharp mozzarella cheese
-1 cup mayo (yes, I know, but even if you don't like it, it's good in this!)
Preparations:
Peel all the tomatoes, cut into big chunks and drain. Then mix the cheeses and the mayo together in a bowl. (I usually add herbs and spices...basil, oregano, garlic, onion salt, chives, salt and pepper, etc.) Use a fork to poke holes in the pie crust. Put the tomatoes in the pie crust. Lather the cheese mix on top, covering all signs of tomatoes. Bake at 350 for 30 mins or until cheese is brownish on edges. Enjoy!
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