Bird's Eye View

The cleaning of the bedroom... sigh... Is there any other mother who wants to scream with a good deal of regularity over this chore of their children's? I do! Sheesh. This is my children's least favorite task during our morning routine, particularly during the summer time, and I often find myself reminding...and reminding...and reminding...and then reminding some more! During the school year, we rarely have this problem which I attribute to the good solid routine that school keep us in.

However, summertime brings an air of leniency from the momma of the house... Yep, that would be me, I'm the momma. :o) I often find myself letting them slide here and there with chores, cleaning and such. I find myself saying... They are on their summer vacation! Let them have some fun and not worry about responsibilities! They have their whole life to be grown, let them just be kids! Since these are all very true statements and kiddos just need a break now and again, there is one tool I use to keep bedrooms and playrooms from becoming unbearable...

It's something I learned from one of my supervisors over the years. She used to call it a bird's eye view. Stand in the room's doorway and scan the room for anything that hasn't yet been cared for, i.e. - bed made? laundry picked up? wet towels hung? (insert general clean up rules of your own home ;o)) This has been a great tool for during the summer when regular routines are somewhat scarce. In the morning as we are getting ready for the day,  I simply call out "Bird's eye view, Ladies!" The bedrooms and playrooms stay relatively habitable and momma refrains from screaming in frustration which is a good thing for us all. ;o)

As I called out this reminder to my girls the other day, the Lord asked me a question... "When was the last time you gave your heart a bird's eye view?" Now, mind you, I'd been having my time with the Lord, but I must say, during the summer, there are a few more interruptions from little feet coming down the hall way too early, and some days "boxes checked" rather than "heart surrendered" is more the theme of my quiet time... true confessions... :o)

So, as you might imagine, I was very convicted by this question posed. Have I spent time making certain my heart is cleaned and tidied? Have I stood in the doorway of my heart and checked for things that need to be cleaned up? Do I see any envy? How about malice? Deceit lying around? Is hypocrisy hiding under the bed?

"Therefore, rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind."

- 1 Peter 2:1

God wrote through the Apostle Peter a few of the things that can make their way into my heart fairly subtly and unnoticed. It's so important that I maintain a time to search my heart for these things that can affect my day to day behavior in ways I don't always realize. A bird's eye view of the heart can give me a glimpse of whatever has wadded itself into a ball in the corner of my heart. I want to keep my heart a habitable place for my Lord. ;o)

Oh! By the way, the above pic is Chloe's side of the room, so the below pic had to be included of Abbi's side of the room to allow for fairness, you understand... ;o)

Spilt Milk

This post is a different one of sorts. I love devotionals. I love reading them. I love writing them. I love the start to my quiet times in the morning that a light-hearted devotional gives. So, I was thinking that some of you folks who read this blog and have said you enjoy the start a devotional gives to your day might enjoy hearing about a devotional book I've found that I absolutely love! 

It's called Spilt Milk by Linda Vujnov. I don't know that I've ever enjoyed a devotional book more than this one. Her stories are the perfect package of humor and sentiment coupled with the "realness" of being a mom.  I tried to think of a way to describe her book and this is how I'd say it...

She takes the bow of perfection people often refer to as motherhood - you know, the kind of bow we watched Martha Stewart make on the Oprah Winfrey Show at Christmas-time that no one could ever duplicate?  Well, maybe I was the only one who couldn't duplicate it... ;o)
She unties that impossible bow with stories of the beautiful reality of motherhood. She then takes those ribbons of mischief, love and exasperation and ties them together with the word of God into the most beautiful, yet simple tie that can grace all of us mommas with the honor that being a mother truly is.

Her book has been a tremendous blessing to me and I couldn't recommend it more! Hope you enjoy it too! :)

Ladybug & The New Couch

We got a new couch not too long ago. My dog, Ladybug, wasn't happy. :( It took away the perch she claimed for more than a few years and it got her into a little bit of trouble when Daddy decided she couldn't be on the couch anymore and had to spend her time on the floor. Daddy felt a little guilty I think, because I came home the other day to a doggy couch, complete with a couch pillow and raised arms for her to prop her little head on. He's such a softy... ;0)

Still though, my dog just does not like not being able to be next to me on the couch. She sits across the room from me, looking at me with soulful eyes just begging to jump up. She doesn't dare try it when Daddy's in the room because she knows how it will end, gulp.

However, it doesn't keep her from hopping up there when no one is home and I know it as soon as I walk in the front door. Normally, when I walk in the door, she jumps around twirling and dancing to the back door as she knows it will be opened post haste for her to relieve herself. She's happy as a lark! However, when she's been sitting on the new couch, as soon as she sees me, she skulks around with her belly on the floor and her tail at a slight wag looking up at me like, "Momma, it was only for a sec, I promise!" My girls get a good healthy giggle out of it every time and always say, "Ladybug! You're a terrible liar! Why do you always tell on yourself?"

Sigh. I suppose in this way I'm a terrible liar too. Those who know me well know I'm horrible about telling on myself whenever I do something foolish or inappropriate. Just like my Ladybug! ;o) Sometimes I feel like King David did whenever he wrote these words in Psalms...

"For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me."

Psalm 51:3

My sins sit right in front of my face and remind me of how badly I've blown it on quite a regular basis. Anybody else? Well, I have some encouraging news for you today... ;o) A few years ago, I came across a song called What Sin? by Morgan Cryer. This excerpt is my favorite part...

Lord please deliver me / From my accusing memory 

 Nothing makes me weak this way / Than when I hear You say 

 What sin? What sin?  / Well, that's as far away as the east is from the west.

What sin? / What sin? / It was gone the very minute you confessed 

 Buried in the sea of forgetfulness.

These words are such a true reminder of where Scripture says my sins really are supposed to be. Not in my face or tattling on me! ;o) 

 

Anybody Feel Like Worshippin'? ;o)

Woke up today wanting to do a different kind of post. I had several ideas running through my head and couldn't wait to get to my computer with my coffee. :) This is the idea that seemed to stick, so I hope it's a blessing for you. I could sing this song all day long (and I often do, much to the consternation of my girls ;o)) and not get tired of it, cause the words are the outcry of my heart. It's called Psalm 130.

Again, I hope you are blessed! I love you, Jesus! You are my God.

Gonna cut back on my posts a little, gang. I've been able to goof off this summer and just write, but it's back to reality this week. I'll be teaching music (Yipee!!) in the fall and I've got to get goin' on my responsibilities for that. Hope you still click on over on Monday, Wednesday and Friday and check out what weird thing the Lord is talking to me about! Have a fabulous Monday!!! :)

A Most Unholy Contraption!

Ever been on a roller coaster? I have.

I've only ridden a few, but I do have an opinion about them.  I detest them.

My first ride on a roller coaster was when I was 6 years old. It was a miserable experience and I made quite certain my parents knew I wouldn't be doing it again any time soon! Recently, I got on a roller coaster again... sigh. It was for my children! We were at Six Flags without the help of Daddy or big sisters and they really wanted to ride this thing - it was the Judge Roy Scream. Now, for those of you who are avid coaster fans, I'm quite sure you are already laughing at me because this is considered a very mild roller coaster; however, when you have an aversion as strong as mine, even the mildest ride can unglue ya!

So, I found myself in line for this ride and I convinced myself it couldn't be bad, it had a green sign! (Six Flags rating for mild ride intensity) As I fastened my seat belt, I think I finally believed this ride would be no big deal. Wrong-o! As the car climbed the top of the very first hill, I felt the sweats, shakes and sincere remorse at this not-very-well-thought-out decision begin to overtake me. My answer? Prayin' to my sweet Jesus at the top of my lungs! My youngest was sitting next to me and I think she probably regretted that particular decision along with the decision to even get on this thing because she seems to have the same aversion as her momma.

As we crested the hill and began the rapid descent, I felt my heart go up into my throat which I shoved back down with a mighty, "AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! Yuck! YUCK!

•  I detest the feeling of free falling and holding on so tight I can't feel my arms! 
•  I detest the feeling of my feet having no firm place to stomp in protest! 
•  I detest the feeling my poor stomach is put through during the upward climbs and rapid descents and whatever other jerking and gyrating goes on! 

Now, I can't help but notice some parallels with my feelings about roller coasters and an issue with which I struggle- insecurity. This particular subject has caused me more than a few unpleasant rides, shall we say? The difference? Glad you asked! ;o) 

• When insecurity causes me to fall, I don't have to worry about holding on tight because Jesus holds me tight.
• I've never met an insecurity that could shake my firm footing when I'm standing on The Rock, even if I'm stomping in protest. ;o) 
• Lastly, when the stress of insecurity tries to "do a number" on my internal organs, I'm strengthened by the grace of God to withstand even the most unsettling of circumstance.

Now, I know this Scripture reference is lengthy, but it is so perfect and I urge you to read it all the way through and not give up in boredom.

Psalm 91 from The Message

 You who sit down in the High God's presence, spend the night in Shaddai's shadow,
Say this: "God, you're my refuge.
I trust in you and I'm safe!"
That's right—he rescues you from hidden traps,
shields you from deadly hazards.
His huge outstretched arms protect you—
under them you're perfectly safe;
his arms fend off all harm.
Fear nothing—not wild wolves in the night,
not flying arrows in the day,
Not disease that prowls through the darkness,
not disaster that erupts at high noon.
Even though others succumb all around,
drop like flies right and left,
no harm will even graze you.
You'll stand untouched, watch it all from a distance,
watch the wicked turn into corpses.
Yes, because God's your refuge,
the High God your very own home,
Evil can't get close to you,
harm can't get through the door.
He ordered his angels
to guard you wherever you go.
If you stumble, they'll catch you;
their job is to keep you from falling.
You'll walk unharmed among lions and snakes,
and kick young lions and serpents from the path.

"If you'll hold on to me for dear life," says God,
"I'll get you out of any trouble.
I'll give you the best of care
if you'll only get to know and trust me.
Call me and I'll answer, be at your side in bad times;
I'll rescue you, then throw you a party.
I'll give you a long life,
give you a long drink of salvation!"

See! I told you it was perfect! Aren't you glad you read till the end? Jesus has the answer to every problem, folks, even roller coasters! ;0)

Have You Had Your Starbucks Today?

I love Starbucks. It's one of my favorite treats on my way to an early morning destination. One morning, I stopped to go through a Starbucks drive-thru to get my fix and I had an experience I won't soon forget. Now, the parking lot had several entrances, so there were two possible avenues to enter the drive thru. I was in line, but not all the way up to the ordering screen when an SUV came up from the other direction. At first, I didn't think it would be a problem. I mean, I was there first, he saw me and he would just get into line behind me after I had moved my van completely into the path of the ordering screen, right? Wrong.

I'm pretty sure the gentleman saw me, but he moved his SUV into a position that made his intention clear - he was going to cut in front of me. I. saw. red. (In Southern, that means I got mad!) I gunned the engine, yanked that gear shift into drive and jerked forward before he had time to move an inch. Was that enough for me? Nope. I turned my head in his direction and explicitly mouthed the words, "I was here first!"  Hmph. I gave myself an inner high-five and chuckled at the absurdity of the injustice this man was about to commit and how proud I was that I had stopped it! Anyone care to guess how long that party lasted? Well...... um....... :0)

I would love to say that the Holy Spirit began to speak gently to my heart, but I really want to be genuine here, okay? The Holy Spirit CHEWED on my hiny for the next five minutes and they were the LONGEST of my life! My momma used to say the Holy Spirit was a gentleman, but well, this day, He seemed more like a dad who was about to wup me!

Sigh. I knew what had to be done.  I pulled up to the window and gave over my bank card. With a down-trodden face and a sheepish tone, I began to tell the clerk of my encounter. She listened very respectfully while I explained my behavior and asked would she please add whatever the total of their order was to my bill and tell them how sorry I was. Thankfully, she didn't laugh at me, but rather nodded her head (almost as if she already knew) and said, "Yes, ma'am." As I pulled away from the window and into the busy morning traffic, I could barely lift my head, so great was my conviction. So glad I did... As I looked up, the woman in the passenger seat had rolled down her window and nearly hung herself out the window waving and mouthing "Thank you!" over and over. Unless my eyes deceived me, I'm pretty sure I saw tears too...

I've never seen those folks again, but I've often wondered if the Lord was able to do anything with my behavior? You know, was He able to take my mess of an ungodly reaction, conviction and obedient attempt at earthly restitution and use it toward His glory? Might just be wishful thinkin' on my part, but I'm certainly not perfect (and the above is a wonderful example of that) and I can only hope and pray that the Lord will take my mistakes and somehow turn people's eyes toward Him, you know part of that whole "work" thing that comes with salvation... ;0)

"Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling,"   - Philippians 2:12

Scars

"Heal the wound, but leave the scar / A reminder of how merciful You are..."

 

I heard these words in church a few weeks ago during the special music portion of our service and I was so blessed by the message.  

I have a scar on the back side of my skull from surgery on my brain stem almost two years ago. It's a very lengthy tale, spanning several years, this story of me and my skull. However, so unimportant are the details I won't bore you with them. The importance of this story to me is the scar. At the risk of offending some, I want you to know - I believe in divine, miraculous healing. However, in my particular case, I walked a journey that didn't end with an instantaneous miracle that rid my body of my issue without medical intervention. I saw doctors- many doctors. I received diagnoses - many diagnoses. I took medicines- many medicines. I prayed prayers- many, many prayers. Finally, my case ended in surgery to correct the abnormalities of my skull and it's problematic symptoms. I was left with a scar that I have to say... I'm pretty proud to know is there. ;0) Just ask my neurosurgeon and hubby - they were there when the dressing was removed and I took one look at the reddish wound with it's ugly black stitches and all I could say was, "Cool!" ;0)

My scar reminds me of how God prioritized my internal work over my external. Through this journey, I learned to trust my heavenly Father in a way I didn't know existed. I learned to extend forgiveness and enforce healthy boundaries, something I failed at for many a year. I learned to have relationships far away from the roller coaster of insecurity. I learned to enjoy my girls rather than spend all my time instructing them. So many are the lessons I learned I don't have enough room on this blog to list them! ;0)

Every time I sweep my hair into a ponytail, I can feel the place where I was cut. It's covered by my hair now, everything grew back, but I can still feel it. I'm reminded each time of the grace of God, His loving hand, His perfect timing. My wound healed a long time ago, but I hope my scar is always there to remind me of His mercy - His unmerited favor toward me.

"Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need." - Hebrews 4:16