Three Cheers...

I never was a cheerleader, and I'm not a football fan, but there's something to be said for each of those. Join me at Exemplify Online's Blog and find out what in 'Super Bowl Perspective'. I promise, you don't have to like football for this one!

Tweet

Motive Check

Today's Gathering at the Well is all about our motives.
Our discussion question is:
Are my motives pleasing to God?

This is something that I've been mulling over for awhile now, and something I've been really keeping an eye on in my life. Why? Because there are times when I do the things I do in an effort to draw attention to myself. I see that cropping up in me, and I hate it. BUT there are also times when the only reason I do what I do is out of obedience to God.

The times my eyes are focused on me, when things are selfishly all about me—those are NOT pleasing to God. Those are also the times that the only reward I receive is here and now.

The times my eyes are focused on pleasing and serving God, and focused on obeying God, those are the times that please God. Those are the times my motives are right. When I'm acting out of obedience, my motives fall in line because my eyes aren't on me—they're on God and what He wants me to do. Many times I've been asked to be released from things that I do—Lord, please send someone else to work with the kids at church. You know I'm not a kid-person...Lord, can I quit writing long fiction, please? It's about to do me in...Lord, how about blogging? Can I quit blogging? It's so constant and I expose so much of myself, can't I just fade into the woodwork? Please? ...Can I just send the kids to public school? How about...

The list of my requests goes on and on, and the answer I get back is to keep doing what I'm doing. Carefully doing what I'm doing. So I have a choice. Ignore God's direction, which I know from first hand experience is a direct path to misery not only for myself, but for my family as well, OR I can obey out of love of my Savior. I hate misery. I spent too many years there to want to go back, so I'm obeying.

Now the choice comes in of HOW I obey. Joyfully or grudgingly? To be honest, it depends on the day and the moment. But that's a choice I make. I do not have to let my emotions rule me. Even on days like today when it's all I can do to keep from crawling onto my bed and pulling the covers over my head.

I truly believe that God has given us each things to do and we need to be faithful and do those things—whatever they may be.
“Take heed to the ministry which you have received in the Lord, that you may fulfill it.” ~Colossians 4:17 NAS

The cry of my heart today is this:

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable in Thy sight, O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer. ~Psalm 19:14 NAS

For me, this is a good way to check my motives. What about you? How do you keep a check on your motives?

Tweet

Walking Pork Butts

Welcome to Fiction Friday! Today Sherry is our host at A Candid Thought. Be sure to join us there for links to more fun fiction! And if you're posting fiction with us, don't forget to add your link to Mr. Linky at the end of Sherry's post. See ya there!
********
“It's not fair! You get to do everything and I can't even go to the movies.” Jenna flopped onto her unmade bed.

“I'm also two years older than you.” Kayleigh leaned against the door jamb, surveying the mess.

“Yeah, but you went to the movies all the time when you were my age.”

“Yeah, and my room didn't ever look like this, either.”

“I don't see what the big deal is,” Jenna whined as she looked around. “I'm not a neat-freak like you are. Who cares?”

“It's not about being a neat-freak; and obviously Mom and Dad care, otherwise you'd be at the movies now and not here, whining.”

Jenna glared at her sister. “I'm not whining.”

Kayleigh flipped long hair over her shoulder. “Whatever.” She tip-toed to the clothes hamper near the closet and peered into it. “There's dirty clothes all over the floor and none in here. Wouldn't it be just as easy to toss 'em in the hamper as it is to drop 'em on the floor? That's not being a neat-freak; that's being a short cut freak.”

Jenna scooped up a handful of clothes and pitched them toward the empty hamper. “There's no such thing,” she muttered as all but one thing fell short of its mark.

“Sure there is. You're the queen of short cuts, so you ought to know.” Kayleigh picked her way back to the door, cringing when she stepped on things.

“Short cuts, pork butts. I can have this done in nothing flat and still make it to the movies,” Jenna declared, rising from her bed.

Kayleigh snickered as she stepped into the hall, almost running into her mom who rolled her eyes and shook her head at Jenna before padding off to the kitchen.

A little later Jenna trotted into the kitchen, smiling. “My room's clean. Can I go now?”

Her mom frowned as she looked up from the cookbook. “At the beginning of the week we told you that you could go if you kept your room neat...”

“Yes! Thanks, Mom.”

“Not so fast, Jenna. Your room's been a mess all week; in fact, it was completely trashed out just 15 minutes ago.”

“But it's clean now,” she sing-songed.

“Well, good. Let's go check it and we'll see if it's done right.”

“But what about the movie?” Jenna asked hopefully.

“You lost your chance at a movie by not keeping your room clean throughout the week. We'll see if you get to do anything else this weekend or not.”

The hopeful smile slipped away as Jenna followed her mother back to her room. When Mom dropped to her knees and reached under the bed Jenna grimaced. Soon there was a mound in the middle of the floor. Next her mom went to the closet and cautiously reached for the door knob while looking at Jenna, her eyebrow raised in question.

“Uh, Mom, why don't I finish and let you know when it's done?”

“You already had a chance to do that. It seems you need some help, so I'll give you a hand,” Mom said pleasantly as she opened the closet door.

Sinking onto the bed Jenna groaned when her carefully constructed pile toppled out. Soon the closet was empty except for the clothes that hung neatly in place, and the bedroom floor was littered with several weeks' worth of hidden mess.

“There. Doesn't that look better?” Mom said as she stood looking at the emptied out closet.

Jenna smiled weakly. “I get the idea, Mom...” Before she could get any further, Mom was trying to open a dresser drawer. It slid open three inches before it jammed from too much being shoved in it and forced closed. Jenna groaned and hid her face in her hands.

“Oh, my,” Mom sighed. “I was afraid of this.” She worked it open, digging her fingers in and pulling things out, dropping them on the floor. Finally she got it open all the way. Jenna spread her fingers apart and peaked out through them.

Jenna's hands fell limply into her lap. With her mouth hanging open, she watched as her mom set aside the folded clothes, then she pulled the drawer out and emptied it over the collection on the floor. Each drawer adding to the colossal mess.

Wiping her hands on her jeans, Jenna's mom looked around. “Well, that about covers it, don't you think?” Her eyebrow was up again as she studied her daughter who sat in a daze on her bed.

“You know, Jenna, our spiritual life can be a lot like this.” Mom waved her hand around, indicating the mess on the floor. “There are two ways to take care of the sin in our lives. One way is like what you've been trying to do with your room—shoving everything out of sight and hoping God won't look. The other is to take care of it correctly by confessing it to God and changing your ways. Some would say they're both short cuts; but I don't.”

Mom leaned her hip against the dresser as she looked at all the things she'd pulled out of hiding. “Shoving things out of sight might seem like a short cut, but it's only a temporary time saver. Just like cleaning your room is now going to take much longer, dealing with sin later will take more time and it will be more painful, too. The confessing and changing might take a little longer at the beginning, but in the long run it's the best way, and it saves you time and energy down the road. That's what good short cuts are: ways to save time and energy in the long run.”

Jenna looked from her mother to her room, a look of understanding settling on her face. Mom started to leave the room, but stopped in the doorway and looked back at Jenna.

“Kayleigh is right, you are the short cut queen, and short cuts are great things, Jenna—when you use the right ones. Otherwise they truly are pork butts—the kind that walk on four feet.”
********

This is an old trick in my family--both the 'cleaning' on the daughter's part and the mother's cure--and I've been on both sides of this story now.

Don't for to join us at Sherry's A Candid Thought.

Tweet

How Majestic...

We're blessed with beautiful sunsets around here, and I've enjoyed watching my daughters soak them up. My older daughter took this picture--she watches for the good ones, grabs her camera and races with her sister to the fence row at the top of our small hill to watch and get pictures. They've braved temperatures that make me shiver just stepping out the door for a moment--all to watch God's glorious sunset. I need to learn from my girls.



For links to more Word Filled Wednesdays
run to the 160 Acre Woods!

Tweet

These are a few of my favorite things...

Today I'm at both Exemplify and At the Well. I'd love to have you stop for a visit there!
This is another fun one that I got from Joanne, who got it from Kristen...

10 things I love –All beginning with the letter S.

Seeking of God --I've been saved for 35 years and God is more than just a decoration on my wall. The older I get, the more I find myself seeking Him and the more I want to seek and serve Him.

Scribbling –I love to write! Love, love, love writing!

Sanity --I value sanity, but I'm finally coming to accept that it's really over rated. If following God means that I have to adjust my sanity expectations, then that's what I'll do.


Silliness --Some days the only thing that keeps me from running to the Funny Farm is silliness. I'm convinced it has saved what little sanity I have left. Much of that silliness (but obviously not all!) comes from...

Sisters --by blood, through Christ, by choice, and some through two or more of those. I have been abundantly blessed with my sisters—all of them, and I'm exceedingly thankful for them!!

Sons & Daughters --I have three sons and two daughters and I cannot imagine life without them—even if they are part of the Funny Farm Equation. ;-) (That's our oldest son in the background.)

Snacks --If I could skip meals and just snack for the rest of my life I'd be happy! Cookies and crackers and bits and bites of this and that...yummm.

Sweets --I'm a junk-aholic. Truly I am. The best? Well, cookies are tied with chocolate...maybe. Weeeeeellllll, no. Cookies are better than chocolate...usually. LoL.

Scuba Diving --I don't like swimming, but give me my tank and mask and I'm good to go! One of the things I love about diving is that it's Silent!

Sleeping –When the kids were babies (one after another, after another...) I learned to value sleep—especially a night of unbroken sleep. This last week, sleep has been a novelty.


Now, when I asked my dear, wonderful husband for help with this we didn't understand it was supposed to be things I love—we thought it was words that described me. (Normally I'm real good about reading the directions, but after a day of working with number (ugh!) I was short-circuiting. Here's the words he immediately threw out and in this order! (I'm including them for the entertainment value of them! LoL)

Steady
Sensual, succulent and sensuous (Remember, these did NOT come from me—but from my husband!!) ROFL.
Sassy – um, this is one I have to agree with, and everyone my family would agree with 200%.
Stubborn --a mule has nothing on me.
Screwball
Semi-conscious –huh???!!! Don't ask me what he was thinking 'cuz I don't know!! LoL
********
If you would like to join the fun, just let me know and I'll give you a letter to work with. I promise I'll be nice! This was another fun one to do—LoL--BOTH versions were fun, the 'things I love' and 'words that describe me'. I hope some of you join in!
********

Today I'm at both At the Well and Exemplify and I'd love to see you over there! Both sites have been recently redone and are absolutely wonderful! I love them and I'm honored to be part of them!

Smelly Cans at:

Pass the Tape at:

I'd love to have you stop by and say hi! And don't forget, if you'd like a letter, let me know and then join in the fun of posting 10 things you love!

Tweet

Older Women

This week's discussion questions are based on At the Well's theme verses from Titus 2.
When you read the Scripture found in Titus 2: 2-5, how do you see this playing out in your own life?

What are your areas of strength? Of weakness?

If you could set some sort of goal in relation to this Scripture, what would it be?

Older women likewise are to be reverent in their behavior, not malicious gossips nor enslaved to much wine, teaching what is good, so that they may encourage the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, to be sensible, pure, workers at home, kind, being subject to their won husbands, so that the word of God will not be dishonored. ~Titus 2:3-5

Many times in my life there have been older women that came alongside me, sometimes for an extended length of time in the form of a Sunday School teacher or fellow nursery worker, and sometimes simply a lady that spent 15 minutes talking with me. Those women often gave me a great gift in some little nugget of wisdom that they shared with me, maybe even unknowingly. Many of those nuggets have stuck with me for years and have made a difference in my life. Sometimes it was only a few sentences that they said about their husbands that showed me how or where I was erring. Some were more blatant. One wonderful lady said to me more than once, “Oh, Honey, you can't...” and she would then go on to gently instruct me in a better way.

Both of those methods are ones that I want to grow into. If a sister can glean something from my life, however small a nugget it may be, I'll be pleased that God used me. How thankful I am for all of those ladies who were older women to me! They had an impact on who I am today, and I pray that God will use me in a similar manner.

My weakness in this area? I'm one that is much more comfortable speaking through my fingers than with my mouth. I often let my fear of becoming tongue-tied seal my lips shut. Moses has nothing on me when it comes to wanting someone else to do the actual speaking!

My strength? Um, yeah. I haven't found those yet.

For several years now I've asked God to use me. To work through me. My goal is to be more available to Him—and that has to mean my mouth, too, not just my fingers. I need to remember that He is strong in my weakness. I don't see myself as an older woman yet...I still feel 23, but when I work in the nursery I'm forced to see that I am older to at least some. (And it totally cracks me up!) I need to keep my heart and ears open to God's prompting so when He says speak (or write) I'm ready to obey. I need to rely on His power to do the task He's called me to do—and being an older woman to some is something I'm called to according to Titus 2.

No matter where we are in life, there are women that are younger than us and we are responsible for teaching them and passing on to them the things we've learned—things that will make their lives better, more fulfilling and help them be obedient to God's call on their lives. That's something all of us are called to do, in any and every way we can.

In order for our message to be heard, we need to make sure that what we have to say isn't discounted because of how we live. We need to walk our talk. We need to be reverent in our behavior—not pushing the envelope of what's acceptable and what's not. We need to stay away from gossip—our mouths get us in soooo much trouble! We cannot be enslaved to much wine—but I think being enslaved to anything that is not producing godliness in us would go along here. Being enslaved to things that draw our focus away from God will discount our testimony and anything we have to say about living for God.

When we walk a life that is God honoring, what we have to say will have credibility and God will be able to work through us to teach and encourage the younger women around us.

Don't forget to join us At the Well for links to more thoughts on Titus 2 and being an older woman.

Tweet

Jesus Wept

For Monday Manna this week, Joanne chose the shortest verse in the Bible. Don't forget to join us at Joanne's for links to more thoughts on this great verse!

Jesus wept.
~John 11:35

This is a verse that has grabbed me each time I've read it for the last several years. I always see the compassion of Jesus in this verse—whether it's compassion for the heartache Mary and Martha were going through, compassion on Lazarus for calling him away from the better place he'd gone to, or compassion on the lost people all around Him. Jesus was a compassionate man.
He is a compassionate God.
He sees our heartaches and understands our sorrows.

But Your are a God of forgiveness,
Gracious and compassionate,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness;
And You did not forsake them.
~Nehemiah 9:17

The Lord's lovingkindnesses indeed never cease,
for His compssions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great it Your faithfulness.
~Lamentaions 3:22-23

Not only can we depend oh His faithfulness, but we can depend on His compassion—remembering that He is a just and righteous God.

The fact that the Bible records that Jesus wept is a vivid reminder to me that He is compassionate and that He does understand what we're going through and just how frail humanity is. There's tremendous comfort for me in Jesus' tears. When we're going through a hard time and we come in contact with a compassionate person, we really appreciate and feel their concern. How much greater when we encounter Christ's compassion and tears for us?!

Heavenly Father, thank You for understanding me, and loving me. Being the just and righteousness God that You are, You could have passed over being compassionate, but Lord, I'm so thankful You didn't. Please help me to always run to You for compassion, but also to never take it for granted. You paid a high price for compassion. I love You, Lord Jesus. Thank You.

He was despised and forsaken of men,
A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;
And like one from whom men hide their face
He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.
Surely our griefs He Himself bore,
And our sorrow He carried;
Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,
Smitten of God, and afflicted.
~Isaiah 53:3-4


Be sure to join me Tuesday At the Well for Smelly Cans!

Tweet