What’s in your Garden?

What’s in your Garden?

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Everything we do, Every word we say, is a seed we plant

What’s In Your Garden?

I hate gardening! Oh, don’t get me wrong; I love the harvest, and I love cooking up, canning, and freezing the harvest from the garden! I am more than happy to spend hours in the kitchen, steaming over a pot of hot boiling water as jars are sterilizing, just so we can get the harvest canned before it goes bad, even if that means hours on my feet to make it happen. Shoot, I don’t even mind getting out and planting the seeds at the beginning of the season (even if it does get dirt under my fingernails) and I have actually been known to go out and water the garden a time or two in my life!

 
But you know what I hate about gardening?? The WEEDS!! They are the worst, especially for an amateur gardener like myself. Sometimes I can’t even tell the weeds from the plants!  To avoid having to spend hours in the hot Kansas sun pulling weeds, I have even been known to wait till it rained, and then gone out in my bare feet with the mud squishing between my toes to pull them up while the roots are loose in the soil from the rain. Weeds are the worst, and there is nothing worse than going away for maybe a week on vacation and coming back home and finding that the weeds have taken over your garden!

 
This got me thinking………….
Gardening is a lot like life, you see. It’s like the words we say, the relationships we build, because with each word we speak, every action we take toward someone, whether they live in the same house as we do or it is a casual meeting in the grocery store, it’s like planting a seed and sometimes, when our brains seem to take a vacation from our mouths, it can cause a lot of weeds to grow in our relationship gardens.

 
See…..
We have the power to CAUSE peace in the storms of lives around us, or, we have the power to BE the storm of life in our families and in every relationship we come across. Because everything we do, every word we say is a seed we plant.

 

 Everything We Do, Every Word We Say Is A Seed We Plant!

 
If those words are bitter, then a bitter plant will grow up, like a weed growing in that relationship.

 
Sometimes those words can grow almost instantly! Maybe it’s the sharp words we said to our husband when we were surprised by something he said that caused the spirit of fear to rise up in us simply because he presented an idea that wasn’t in our plan.

 
And other times, it takes a while for those bitter words to grow; like when we repeatedly are short in our response to the child that we have such a hard time relating to. Over time, their constant questions just get on our nerves. When ignored and not dealt with, any of these seeds can grow into weeds and soon take over all the good fruit that is in the garden.

 
But, in the same way, when kind words are spoken and kind actions taken, good things grow in our relationship gardens. The question is; what are you growing in your garden today?
Have you ever noticed how a weed seems to grow twice as fast as the good stuff in the garden? I have a neighbor who lives across the street from me who I have told, more than once; they make the rest of us look bad because they are out in their garden and yard almost daily, weeding it, mowing it, and whatever else you can do to a garden and yard! It never fails; when I look out my front door, one of them (if not both) is on their knees, maintaining what they have.

 
We have to realize that every day is an opportunity for us to make a difference in someone’s life. It is our chance to speak life into someone, especially those closest to us. It might be those who God has called us to do life with and who live under the same roof with us, or maybe it is the people under whose roof we grew up. But God has called us to speak life into those around us and I believe He expects us to not allow any bitter seeds to come out of our mouths. If we are truly followers of Christ, we will love those who live in our own homes. How can the world outside believe that we love them when we don’t even live out that love in our own homes?

 

I want to challenge you today to consider what seeds you are planting in the lives around you. Maybe you have a long history of planting bitter seeds into your relationships, and the weeds have kinda taken over your relationship garden. I want to encourage you to get on your knees and start maintaining your garden with prayer. You need to ask God to let the water of life that flows from Him to come and rain down on your relationship gardens till the soil is so wet, the mud squishes between your toes! Because, I am here to tell you that the rain God wants to pour down on your relationship gardens can restore everything the weeds have tried to come in and destroy.

 
Let’s Pray!
God I thank You that You are the great gardener, and You have a perfect plan for my life. God I just ask today, that You would allow the living water that lives inside of You, to pour down on my relationship garden, restore what the weeds have overtaken and help me to never speak those words of bitterness or anger again in my life. Please help me to see that my self-centeredness and need for control are characteristics that are NOT like You!
Lord, let Your living water flow through my life, so that everywhere I go I bring life, and my life is always pointed toward You.
In Jesus Name, Amen.

 

Let them all Die and Go to Hell, I Don’t Care!! (but I should)

Let them all Die and Go to Hell, I Don’t Care!! (but I should)

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girl-864392_1280Most people would never guess this about me, but I am shy. Oh, you don’t see it when I am in a crowd laughing, smiling, and cutting up with others!  But I am. No one feels the heart palpitations I feel before walking into a group of people. No one else knows the anxiety that rises up when I know I have to meet people. And, no one else but me can sense the fear I feel when I have to talk to someone. It often seems like the smaller the crowd the more anxiety! And, it has really risen since I have moved to a smaller town.  As soon as I walk out my front door, I feel all eyes are on me. No one, except for my immediate family, knows it takes everything within me to get out of my house and simply go shopping in this small town where I live.

 

Very few people know that the reason I have such big parties and invite so many people is not that I am such an amazing hostess; it is because my husband’s job calls for us to be sociable. However, it literally terrifies me to talk one-on-one to most people. So by entertaining several couples or large crowds, I just become the hostess; serving, while the group holds a conversation.

 

I have literally “gone blank” so many times, trying to think of what to ask people or say to someone in order to start a conversation, that, before I go to an event, I have begun to look questions up on the internet, so that I can be a good conversationalist. I have even gone to therapy for this problem!

 

I know most of you who know me will not believe a word of the above statements, but it is honestly something that I deal with on a regular basis and it happened again this weekend. You see, I am adopted and I have known my birth mother and siblings for only about 15 years now. In that time, I have had the opportunity – and pleasure – to attend about three reunions. Yesterday was one of these occasions, and as always my mind went whizzing with the same fears that hit me before any group event. What will I say? What will they think of me? How do I look? Will they like me? What if we have nothing to say to each other? On and on my mind will roll if I let it. There is no reason for this; I have NEVER felt anything but welcomed with open arms by this family that I was separated from for so many years, yet my fears continue.

 

When we look in the Bible, we find that God tells us fear is not from Him but is from the evil one, satan.  And, when I have looked back over my life, the biggest mistakes I have made have been when I was in fear. I have learned that if I allow myself to fear, if I allow fear to be the ruler of my heart, I can sabotage anything. But this isn’t news to God.  He knew this would be a number one tactic satan would use against believers! So God gave us a plan, a way out, and in His Word He tells us that we are to take every thought captive.

 

2 Corinthians 10:5 NIV “ We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.”

 

See, I have learned in this life, it is NOT about me. God has commissioned all of us to; first of all, “GO into all the world” . . . and, later on in His book, He says that people will know us by the love we have for our brothers and sisters in Christ.  So I am faced every day with the decision, “do I go…. do I show love”?? And every day I have to choose to either listen to the monkeys in my head and retreat into my own place, or to follow the commands that God has given us and do what I don’t want to do.

 

Christ’s crucifixion on the cross is a perfect example of what true sacrifice is. We read in the Bible that Jesus said, “If it be Your will , let this cup pass from me.”  See, Jesus didn’t want to have to do something His Father told Him to do either, but He did it. He gave the ultimate sacrifice, which was His life.

 

As for me, I know I have never been asked to give my life, in the literal sense, for anyone! But daily, in the spiritual sense of what I am to do, I AM asked to give up my life – my wants, my desires – especially when it comes to interacting with others. When I look back and see how Jesus was willing to be beaten and abused for me before He even knew me – the Bible says He died for me! – then how simple is it that I could give 20 minutes or an hour of my time to show the life that was given for me to others?

 

I hope you will accept my challenge today: step out of your comfort zone, your anxiety ridden situation, and fix your eyes on Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. In Him and only Him is where we find perfect peace.

CRUSHED!

CRUSHED!

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crushed pictureI silently prayed, I wished, I hoped, and I dreamed. It was so close! And, for about a week or two, I actually had the thought “I must be one of God’s most favored children if He has granted me this wish.”  I literally felt like I was walking around on air for a while. I was ecstatic with excitement! I thought my innermost desire that I had been praying for most of my life was actually going to come to pass. I thought God had heard my prayer and one of my greatest hopes and dreams was going to come true. I thought maybe, just maybe, it really would come true. I was scared to hope, but I allowed myself to do so anyway. I would shrink back and try to calm myself; then I would allow myself just a little more hope, afraid to believe but full of hope at the same time. And then, once I allowed myself to believe completely, it happened!

…………………. It all fell through at the last minute, and I was crushed. Crushed because I now wondered if it had been just a silly idea. Crushed because I had wanted it so bad; how could I have believed it would not come true? Crushed because I was crazy enough to believe.  Crushed because it didn’t happen. Crushed because, wasn’t I His favorite child??? Crushed with shame that I even believed. I knew I was silly to even think it was important enough for God to care about.

Have you ever been there????

Boy, I have! And, I have to tell you, it isn’t any fun! The mixed emotions can leave you speechless and somewhat in a state of shock. So what do we do at points like this in our lives???

Well, we have a choice, a cross roads per se. We can choose to be offended, and blame God, like a child who doesn’t get their way and stomps off and decides they never want to have anything to do with this God because, after all, “if He isn’t here to answer my prayers what is He here for?” Or, once all the dust settles and we come out of the shock we are in and pick ourselves up off the floor from fainting (Ok! so maybe that doesn’t happen literally, but it happens to us figuratively!), we can remember that God knows best; He knows our every thought, and He sees what lies ahead.

It all really comes down to, “Do I trust Him?” Or, are we looking for a God who will be our “genie in the bottle” and provide our three wishes? Do we want a God we can explain or do we want a God who is bigger than what we can comprehend?

Do we want a God we can explain or do we want a God who is bigger than what we can comprehend?

For me, I don’t want a God who jumps at my every command.  I want a God who I serve, not one who serves me, I want a God who watches out for me and keeps me from harm’s way.  I am thankful that I serve that kind of God. I am thankful that God cares for me enough to tell me “no” when what I want isn’t in my best interest; even when I have hoped and dreamed of it for years. Yes, it hurts and it is disappointing, but it comes down to the question: do I trust Him to know what is best for me, or do I want to hold on to control myself?  As long as I am in control, I will continue to make the same bad mistakes I always have! But when I have surrendered my will to His, sometimes (no, most of the time!) that means I will be disappointed, if I think things are going to work out the way “I” planned.
The Bible says in Proverbs 19:21, “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the LORD’s purpose that prevails.”

So how do we avoid disappointments of this magnitude? Ultimately, we have to know and trust that God is in control. I don’t think it was wrong of me to hope and dream. In fact, it was just the opposite. See, by hoping and dreaming, it showed the faith I have in God. The Bible says, in Hebrews 11:1, “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us assurance about things we cannot see”.  If I didn’t have faith that my God is big enough to make my hopes and wishes come true, I wouldn’t have any faith. But I am wise enough to know that if something doesn’t happen, then God’s plan is better and I have to say, “I can’t wait to see what is better, because my dream is pretty awesome!” And yes, after I picked myself up off the floor and dusted myself off, I still think I am His favorite child. The truth is, He, like our youngest when he was three years old, when asked who he loved more, mommy or daddy, would respond, “I wuv you all the same!” Christ does love us all the same, and I am so glad that He calls me friend and I always trust my friends!

Won’t YOU trust Him today??

The Not So Perfect Couple!

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Recently, Jeff and I celebrated our 32nd wedding anniversary. On Facebook, I posted a video I had asked our daughter to put together a couple years ago which reflected so much of our past. But, as I watched it this year, it seemed incomplete to me. Oh, sure, there were the pictures of Jeff and me from our teen years; pictures of us dressed up so much we could have gone to a prom. (We never did though; that’s a long story for later.) Pictures of our honeymoon; pictures of Jeff, headed to the airport to leave me for nine long months to go to the Philippines with the USAF, after being married for just three weeks; pictures of our babies, from birth till now. And, all that caused a plethora of memories to rush in.  

But honestly, it all looked a little fake to me – or maybe I should say, the premise of it all made us appear to be something that we aren’t.  We aren’t “Perfect”! What you didn’t see in that video is the tears that have been cried over loved ones dying, infertility, the extended childhood illness we went through with our son, the learning disabilities,  the financial infidelity,  the rejection of our extended family, emotional infidelity, homelessness, joblessness, the harsh words said to each other, and the tender moments when forgiveness came. You didn’t see the 13 moves we made – in three states and two countries – and the 18-plus jobs Jeff had to support us.
The “perfect pictures” you see on the video aren’t what makes our life perfect. What does make our life perfect for me, is knowing that Jeffrey Miller knows the worst of me and still chooses to find the best in me. It is knowing that, no matter how aggravating I am to that man, I know he would give His life for me! It is the times we have stood together through the trials and prayed together. It is the times that we couldn’t stand to be in the same room with each other, but God’s grace brought us together once again.
See, the video, which makes our life appear perfect, is just a perception. If anyone had been a fly on the walls of our lives for the last 36 years, they would never say, “This is a ‘Perfect Couple!’” No, they would be scratching their heads, asking, “How did this young couple, who met at the ages of 13 and 16, even make it down the aisle, let alone still stand together 32 years later?”
But i am here to proclaim, it is simply by the grace of God! There is nothing good within either of us that deserves the grace that God has given us, let alone the grace we have received from each other. God’s faithfulness has completed us and, without that grace, we would not have had the stamina it has taken to stick out this life-long commitment we made some 32 years ago.
Were their times we wanted to quit? You bet! The odds were stacked against us, yet we still prevailed; not in ourselves, but in the strength of God. There were days when we could not have taken another step in this relationship if it wasn’t for the grace of God, carrying us through. But God directed our steps and saw us through. He is the One who gave us the strength to try it one more day.
In this day and age, when the sanctity of marriage is being attacked all around us, we must remember that the only way we can make it another 32 years is not in the strength that we have within ourselves, but it is only through the love and saving grace of Jesus Christ.
In our first 32 years of marriage, we have learned that love is not a feeling, but a choice; an action; a verb. It isn’t about what we feel, but it is about what we know and then, what we do!
Yes, love is a choice, and I am so glad that through it all, we made that choice! Even when it was a tough one! So don’t let the pretty pictures on Facebook deceive you. There isn’t a couple that has been married for very long that won’t tell you that they have all had their struggles and their trials. The only difference in the outcome is the choices they made.
So I encourage you: whatever issue you are having right now with the person you love, remember, “Love is a choice.” I will also give you some amazing advice that a good friend of mind gave me – after she had almost lost her marriage – when I was in the hardest part of our marriage, and was ready to walk out the door. She told me, “All I can tell you, Alesa, is this: If you will hang in there and not quit, it will be worth it – I promise!”  She was right. It was those words that God used through her that encouraged me to stay one more day and is why we are where we are today.
So hang in there, don’t quit! I promise, “it will be worth it!!”
PARTY!!!

PARTY!!!

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I LOVE a party! I love planning a party; I love dreaming about a party AND making all the preparations for a party!

I have loved everything to do with a party for as long as I can remember. Before I was  even 16 years old I was helping plan and coordinate weddings. So it might come as no surprise that the photographer at my own wedding said, “This is the best planned wedding I have ever seen!”

My love for planning parties has even led me to organize city wide events. When I asked the city administrator, of the town I was living at, at the time, if I could plan a second event in the same year for our city, he voiced his concern that I would wear myself out. He was shocked when I told him, “This is like breathing air to me! I love it!”  To which he immediately replied, “You are CRAZY!”
All of my children are not like me though. My oldest has never wanted big parties or, frankly, a lot of attention about anything. He is that low-key kind of kid. If he didn’t look just like me, I would have him tested to be assured there was no mix up at the hospital! When he was told he had won a scholarship to his college of choice, he simply said, “Oh! That’s nice,” and walked away, leaving his father and I exasperated that he didn’t show more emotion. He is one of those kids who consciously has to think to smile and act happy when opening up gifts, etc. He is like a rock; solid, steady and dependable, but NOT expressive.
His sister, on the other hand, might be a little more like her momma. We are expressive in everything we do and nothing brings us more joy then planning parties and celebrating with others. We have been known to plan an adult tea party for girls just to celebrate the china we have. After all, if we have it we should use it – and celebrate! Right?
When Amy was told she had a choice: we would buy her a car, or, she could have a party for her 16th birthday, guess what she chose? ……. Yep, that’s right! The Party! – and she participated in every detail of planning it!  I will never forget hurrying around, putting the finishing touches on the party, as my eldest sat in the corner, just watching the hub-bub of it all. When I heard him say, “Mom, you finally got the child you always wanted,” At first, I was taken back, thinking he felt unloved because of the attention his sister was getting.  But he explained it was only because he knows my love for celebrating was being enhanced by Amy’s enthusiasm.
You know, the Bible talks about celebrations. The book of Leviticus is full of celebrations established by God through Moses for the Israelites.  There is the Feast of Weeks, Feast of Passover, Feast of Unleavened Bread, and the Feast of Tabernacles, to name a few. How awesome is it that we have a God who likes to PARTY!
John Orthberg, describes Jesus as the “Joy-bringer” in his book called The Life You’

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Thank you for your response. ✨

ve Always Wanted, and I can think of nothing that brings people more joy than a good party! Let me clarify here, when I say “party,” I am not meaning one where you fall out on the floor from getting drunk or so high on drugs you can’t remember what you did. No! That kind of party only provides a momentary hilarity (mostly at your own expense!) that soon fades away and is mercifully forgotten.
When we read 1 Peter 1:8-9(NIV) it says:
“Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy, for you are receiving the end result of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
It says that we are filled with joy! JOY! How awesome is that? And not only filled with joy, but filled with joy over the fact that, even though we have not yet seen our Heavenly Father, we are filled with an inexpressible and glorious JOY! Wow! If we are that excited about Him before we see Him, how are we going to feel once we actually see him face-to-face?
If we have truly received this gift of salvation and are in a relationship with Jesus Christ, shouldn’t we be as excited as a bride is, when she is waiting to see her groom for the first time on the day of her wedding?
Have you ever noticed that when a bride stands at the end of the aisle before walking down to her groom, the whole atmosphere in the place changes? No matter if it is held at a beach or in a chapel. The people around her stand; all eyes are on her; and the groom, waiting at the end of the aisle, looks in awe at his beautiful bride.
Isn’t that the way our lives should be, because of the relationship we have with Christ? We should be full of joy, aware that, when we walk into a room every eye is upon us, and Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior, is watching every step we take as we walk towards Him!

Life should be lived with the same joy we have when we attend a great party. No matter what comes our way, or what distractions Satan tries to throw at us, we can keep our eyes on the groom, walking toward Him with inexpressible, glorious JOY!
I don’t care how many times I have been to a wedding, I have never seen a bride get distracted and stop, or turn around, once she starts heading down that aisle. Her eyes are fixed on her groom, and she is taking one foot and placing it in front of the other, as quickly as is customarily acceptable.
I think this is the way we should live our lives: with inexpressible and glorious joy, realizing this life is just a walk down the aisle! If we keep our eyes on Christ, there is nothing that will distract us; not the bill that comes in the mail, or the person at church who just hurt our feelings or even if our presidential candidate won or lost.  We can’t get distracted about such stuff! We must remember we are “atmosphere changers!”  The minute we walk into a room, it is our job to keep our eyes on Christ and keep walking the life he has laid before us.
I hope you will do that today, and do it with inexpressible, glorious joy! If we keep our eyes on Him, nothing will distract us or cause us to do otherwise.
Let’s Pray:
Oh dear, precious, Heavenly Father above, we ask You today to help us live our life as a party, with the joy you have put inside us. Too often, Lord, we have become distracted by the things of this world and have forgotten to keep our eyes on You. Lord, for that we are sorry and ask You to forgive us and fill us with that inexpressible, glorious joy that You give, again and again.
In Jesus Name we pray,
AMEN

 

 

So What Are You Doing Today?

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Recently, I was having a conversation with my daughter and it hit me . . . I said “You know, your dad and I probably only have about 25-30 years left on this earth . . .”
Wow! What a reality check! 3/4 of my life is over, and what have I done with it? What will I do with what is left? Have I made a difference?

The idea of dying doesn’t bother me. I feel confident in where I am going. In fact, being where I plan on going (Heaven) is the easy part and, frankly, something I look forward to a lot. It’s like when you plan an amazing vacation and you are just days away from leaving.
What worries me is the thought of the dying process: being bed ridden, memory loss, unable to take care of myself, etc.  Yeah. That, and what it will do to those around me, is what bothers me.
Now, I can choose to focus on that – which don’t get me wrong, I AM trying to live a healthier life style (probably 40 years too late, but anyway, I am trying, right?) so that I won’t encounter some of those things – but let’s face it: death is inevitable unless the Lord comes back first.

See, I have worked in the healthcare field for the elderly and in all my experience I have never seen one person, as they got older, get healthier, younger, or more active as they aged. No! That just doesn’t happen. God’s word even tells us, “It is appointed unto man once to die and after that, the judgment.” God also reminds us that, “To everything there is a season . . .”

So I want to live well! I want to live like I am dying! See, if we were given notice from the doctor that we were going to die in 30 days – 6 months – or even a year, how would we live our lives?  What would we do differently?  Would we be nicer to people? Would we be more concerned with pleasure – and maybe go to Disney World? Or, would we get the perspective we need and follow after the real purpose of what God has called us to do?

He told us to, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel.” Now, does that mean we all need to run to the seminary and get a degree? NO! What that means is; we need to testify about God’s love every day to those around us. We need to let them know He first and foremost wants to be our best friend and He wants us to share the relationship we have with Him with others.
I can just imagine . . . if I was given my dream vacation for free and was allowed to take as many of my friends and family members as I could with me . . . who would I choose?  See, this is kind of like planning our trip to heaven: who do we want to go with us? We need to be sharing our lives with these people. Because, there is something else I have realized: the only thing in this life you can take with you to heaven is not money, fame, or gold; it is the people around us that we love and want to share His love with.

So what are you doing today? Who is on your invitation list? Who will you be giving that special invitation to today?  Because, one thing is for certain: this life isn’t heaven, but we can be sure we are going there if we give our life to Him. So, who is coming with me???
Let’s Pray:
Lord you know the life I have lived. You know that my ways have not always been your ways. God I ask you now to come into my heart. Forgive me of my sins. Help me be a new creature in you. In Jesus name I pray. Amen!

If you prayed that prayer then you are signed up for heaven and God is looking forward to growing His relationship with you. Get into a Bible-believing church where you can learn more and grow in Him.

Maybe you already have your ticket for heaven but you realize by reading this that you need to share with others about the reservation you have made. Know that I will be praying for you and I am here for you in the comment section if you need any advice or encouragement.

God has great things planned for those that believe! So, even if you and I never meet here on this earth, I’ll see ya in heaven! Be sure to stop in at my place and say, “Hi!” I’ll be the one with the fixer-upper mansion and an unlimited budget, since God knows how much I like to decorate, and an unlimited budget would be heaven to me! (LOL!!:-) Oh, and if you get there before me, tell my family members who have gone on before me I said, “Hi, see ya soon!”

 

Until then,
Alesa

I like knowing where I am going!

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Recently our family was visiting our hometown and, in trying to get from one location to another in K.C., we found ourselves in the middle of road construction. A sign appeared in the middle of the road stating, “NO THROUGH TRAFFIC.”  Jeff turns to me and says, “Can we get through here?” and my immediate response was “Sure we can! We just have to cut through this subdivision,” as I pointed to the street to my right.road construction sign

So we turned and began to maneuver our way around the subdivision. What might have been complicated to someone who was unfamiliar with the area (like Jeff), was easy for me because I had been here before. Taking this short cut saved us several minutes, which was important because we were already late for an appointment. As we arrived on the other side of the subdivision I commented with a sigh of relief, “I love knowing where I am going!”

Which got me to thinking…………

Am I that assured I am going to heaven? My response is, “Yes!” See, I can have that assurance because I have surrendered my life to Christ; I live daily trying to please Him. Am I perfect? NO! But is my attitude such that I am seeking to please Him every day? Yes.

See, God isn’t looking for perfection. In fact, just the opposite is true. He says, “In your weakness I am strong.” Did you get that?  “OUR Weakness – HIS Strength.” So many times we have that backwards.

God is looking for someone who is willing to die to themselves and surrender their will to Him. Just like Jeff, as we drove through the subdivision, was following my directions until he realized where he was. The sooner we begin following Him, and surrender our will, the more time it will save us, as well as the heartache and pain of trying to live life our own way. Too often, we go down a detoured path God never intended us to be on. It is then that we soon realize following Christ is the only way.

Jesus is looking for His children, who will follow Him. Will YOU follow Him today?

Let’s Pray:

God, for too long I have tried to do things my own way, I want to surrender myself to you today. Guide me down the path you would have me go and lead me in the direction you have for my life. Lord, I give my all to you!
In Jesus name Amen!

If you believe what you prayed above, please email me, at: behindtheparsonagewalls@gmail.com and let me know your life has been changed today. Then find a church where you can go and learn the truth of God’s word so you can grow in Him.  I look forward to hearing from you soon!

 

Burnt Offerings

Burnt Offerings

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You know, I was baking these cookies the other day and the thought came to me, “I like to think most people who have been to my house would say I am a great hostess and amazing cook.” 10864242_10154897423100487_1329287083_o

But, that would just be the people who come over for special occasions. You see, I love to entertain; and when I say entertain, I mean ENTERTAIN!! I mean, it is not uncommon for me to have really large groups come into our home.

Each year we try to have a Christmas Open House where we invite the whole community! And, I know one Memorial Day weekend we had over 150 people come through our home, with three different parties, consecutively.
I was figuring up this year and I am pretty confident that I have entertained at almost 300 people in our house in the last 17 months; not all at one time, but typically large crowds.

This entertainment thing has been passed down to my kids. When my son was single and in college, it was not uncommon for him to organize parties and events with his friends. He and his wife continue on today, entertaining friends and family in their home all the time. My daughter also has the bug and, since she was a young child, has always organized and planned events and parties with her friends.

Besides entertaining, I like to think I am a pretty good cook! I mean, how can you entertain if you don’t have good food? Maybe you have seen the sign that says “Many have eaten here, few have died.” I have promised my family on more then one occasion, that one day I am going to get one of those signs!

From this picture of my cookies, however, you might not think that saying was true! In fact, if you asked my family, they would probably give me a 5-out-of-10 rating on my cooking abilities. Why??? Because they have seen all my mistakes – like in the picture! They know that, at my house, the smoke detectors are often used more like a timer than for their actual purpose! You see, I do a lot of practicing on my family to get it right. Unlike the guests who are over to our house for special events and see the perfected, finished product, my family sees the real me! They KNOW me.
Isn’t that just like God? The rest of the world sees the facade we put on the outside of us, but God – He knows the depths of our hearts, He knows the pain we feel. He knows the intent of our heart to do good, when others only see it as bad. He sees the tears when we have cried ourselves to sleep.

When all the rest of the world looks at us from the outside and thinks our lives our perfect, He knows who we really are.
And like my cooking, this life of following Christ takes some practice. We will make some mistakes along the way and we might set off the smoke detectors once in a while. But, like my family, God still loves us, in our downs as well as ups; even through our burnt meals and grease fires!
I could have stopped anywhere along the way of life and said “No! I am not cooking anymore; I am no good, and I can’t do it!” But I kept on, I never gave up. And, that is the same way God expects us to live life with Him: to keep on, to never give up! And if we burn the cookies, we simply throw that batch away and make a new one. We DON’T QUIT!

If I had quit, I never would have had the confidence to do the things I have been privileged to do. With no formal education for it, I have been an event planner for an Assisted Living Facility where we had community-wide events with over 500 in attendance. In one city we lived in, the mayor asked me to chair an annual city-wide festival where the average attendance was 5,000 people.

See, if I had given up after the first breakfast I made Jeffrey, where he claims you could repair the driveway with the grits I made, I would never have had the opportunities I have had.

That is the same way with our walk with God! My son Chad, who is profoundly dyslexic, told me the other day, when he was going through a battle, “Mom, it isn’t how many times you fall down, it is how many times you get back up again.”

Wow! What wisdom!! And, it is truth. We can choose to stay down, or we can (as the song says) choose to get back up again!

What will you choose today? Because, like the love of entertaining that I have passed on to my children, we can pass on a love for God and the determination to continue on in the faith no matter what may come at us!!

So I ask the question again, “What will you do?”
As for me and my house, WE will serve the Lord!! Through burnt offerings and all!!

Zombies and the Walking Dead- I bet you know more Zombies than you think

Zombies and the Walking Dead- I bet you know more Zombies than you think

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There is trend now that has resurrected itself (no pun intended)  It is Zombies and the Walking Dead, they seem to be the cool thing to some right now! I am not personally into that type of thing so I googled it and here is what gotquestions.org said about them 

“Zombies are imagined creatures that can be described as fully dead corpses which have been “reanimated”; that is, they act as though they are alive while continuing the natural process of decay.”  ” Romero’s zombies are mindless, flesh-eating monsters that stumble about, intent on fulfilling a craving for human brains.”  “However, the walking dead is not merely a 20th-century idea. Practitioners of Voodoo in Haiti and Africa have long believed that sorcerers are responsible for reanimating and controlling corpses.”

Yeah, so now you see why I am not that into it! 🙂 

But with all the commotion about it, especially this time of year, it got me thinking…….. and the truth is I see a lot of Zombies and Walking Dead people every day.  Because if the above definition is true and they are “Fully dead corpses that walk around mindlessly, acting as they are alive while continuing the natural process of decay”  Then we all are a little Zombie like, at least until we have a relationship with Christ. You see there is a story in the bible about Zombie, OK, they don’t call her a Zombie but she was a person dead inside decaying away until she met a man who could give her life. It is found in John 4. You see there is this Zombie (Ok! a woman) and she is at this well to draw water for her family that day, when she meets a man. This man tells her everything she has done and obviously can see the hurt and pain her life choices have brought her. This Man wants to give her life, because He can see she is dyeing inside so here is what He says. 

“Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty……….” John 4:13-15 ESV

Remember the second half of that definition “flesh-eating monsters that stumble about, intent on fulfilling a craving for human brains.”Isn’t that just like us before we know Christ, we stumble about intent on fulfilling our cravings for whatever the first thing that comes into our mind?” 

All the while we are never satisfied because the only thing that really will satisfy us is the living water of eternal life that can only be found in a relationship with Jesus Christ. 

So I don’t know how many Zombies you know, or maybe you are one yourself, but the truth is there is a different choice, a choice to have a spring of living water from the giver of life, welling up inside you. I am pretty sure you can ask anyone, but the last thing you call a spring of water is dead. No, it is usually a bubbly brook that brings life to everything around it. 

Let me ask you a question,  Do you have that life today? Are you a living example of the creator of the universe, the giver of eternal life? Or do you feel like you are dyeing inside just stumbling around in this thing called life doing whatever the first thing is that comes to your mind and it seems like it doesn’t matter what you do, nothing ever satisfies you? 

There’s another part of the bible where Jesus tells a woman “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die;— John 11: 25

If you want to live and I mean really live, the truth is you have to die, die to yourself, die to your ways, your ideas and give you life,ideas, thoughts and plans to God. Because it is only when you die to yourself, you can truly live for the King of Kings. 

And Christ lives within you, so even though your body will die because of sin, the Spirit gives you life because you have been made right with God. Romans 8:10

I hope today that if you are living the life of a Zombie, you will no longer be the living dead, but you will drink of the living water of Christ and become a well of life. 

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, I know you are the giver of life, and no matter what I have done you love me. I know your desire for me is to live and live life to the fullest!  Come into my life today, let me live in you. So I will never thirst again. 

Reasons your daughter should not move out of the house!!!

Posted on by • Posted in Christian growth, encouragement, fear, Grief, Parenting • Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , • Leave a comment

I am a firm believer in helping others in this walk of life. I believe we are all on this journey together and as I walk my path of faith, I need to look back and hold out my hand to encourage someone who may be behind me. In the same way, I believe there are others further along on this journey who reach back to me and pull (and, let’s face it, sometimes they DRAG) me along!

Because of that I am compelled today to write about this whole empty-nest thing that my husband and I are experiencing. Granted, we still have our 17-year-old (gulp – can’t believe he is that old!) son at home. But, for this week we have been empty-nesters. You see, our son has been at camp for two weeks and during that time we moved our daughter back to Kansas City to attend college. So, for the past week we have been practicing empty-nesting.

I have to say, it is quite different than what I expected. My overall view of it is that, while I have gained an almost-perfectly-clean house for the first time in 29 years, it is WAY too quiet! I have to honestly say, as much as I ranted and raved about keeping the house clean when the kids were at home. I would give it all up to hear them laughing in the other room or break out in song while driving down the road.

There have been some specific disadvantages to our daughter’s absence, that I didn’t feel the effect of when our oldest son moved out over 10 years ago. (Yes, there is 10 years difference between our first 2 children) While lamenting to my husband over the fact that our daughter was leaving, he responded to me, “What am I, chopped liver? I will still be here.” To which I replied, “Are you going to go shopping with me, paint my nails, and dye my hair for me?” To which he promptly retorted, “Nope, not me!”

There have been some other disadvantages of her leaving as well:
1. She took HER clothes out of MY closet!  How rude! I thought possession was 9/10 of the law!
2. She took the good fingernail polish with her! The fact that it was HER fingernail polish to begin with is beside the point!  Couldn’t she have left me a parting gift? (Smile!) 
3. She is/was my right hand in almost everything I did. And now that she is an adult, I can say with full confidence, we are “BFF’s – BEST FRIENDS FOREVER! Therefore, I miss her terribly!

Amy's Empty Closet

Amy’s closet looks awful empty

Yet, with all the changes – and  my selfish reasons for missing my daughter – I am so thankful to hear the joy in her voice when she calls; to know the excitement she feels when returning to the comfort of what she calls home. I draw peace from the fact that she has a huge support system with our church family back in KC and I am confident that, as much as I love her, there is a Heavenly Father who loves her more than I do, and He is watching over her.

Oh, I know the next few years will hold many changes for me and for our family but there is one thing that will remain the same: the steadfast love of God. He is faithful, and He will never leave us. I know that I can call on Him whenever I have a problem and He will always be there.

And in those times when I feel alone and afraid, unsure of what the future holds, I rest in the confidence that I know who holds the future! When I have that desire to be in control and try to figure it all out on my own, it is in those times I must learn to sit back and lean on the everlasting arms of Jesus because He is my rock, my fortress, and the only one on whom I can depend

A friend posted these words on Facebook this week and they are absolutely true. “I know that God always supplies our every need according to his riches in glory. I’m starting to understand that walking with God is just one leap of faith after another. I don’t think it ever gets easier, I just think we learn to trust God more.”

 ” I’m starting to understand that walking with God is just one leap of faith after another. I don’t think it ever gets easier, I just think we learn to trust God more.”                                                                                                                                                   January Lare                                                                                                                    

”Isn’t that the very basis of our foundation in Christ – “Trust”? We have to trust or there is no foundation for our faith walk. And that is what this life is, whether you are a new mom, empty-nesting mom, or unsure if you will ever be a mom. It all comes down to trust. If we have truly surrendered our heart to Him, it is just one trusting leap of faith after another.

My daughter states there is one phrase that has helped her keep it together through this time of transition for her and it is this: “If your dreams do not scare you, then they are not big enough”

 ” If your dreams do not scare you then they are not big enough ” Ellen Johnson Sirleaf

I hope today, that whatever dream God has put in your heart, it is so big it scares you to death! Because, I know there is a God who is right there beside you, ready to hold your hand and walk with you.  He cares for you and wants to see you succeed in everything you do.  Sometimes it can get scary, getting to the place where He wants us to be, but we can rest on the fact that He is working “all things for our good !”……..

Won’t you trust Him today?

And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28 NASB