Our Temporary Home...

I love this time of year when all that has appeared dead returns to life and once again resurrects into the beauty of springtime! I particularly enjoy the incredible green grass that cover the ground and beckon us to sit beneath the flowering cherry trees and enjoy the falling blossoms.  This is a lovely temporary home.

I know I’ve never shown pictures of Monkey on here before but she was having such a wonderful time yesterday and I thought it would be nice to show you just how much we enjoyed the day.  As much fun as we had in the sunshine, picking flowers and blowing bubbles it still is just a temporary home.

Is there anything more beautiful than a child looking lovingly at her father when he returns home? I can think of nothing that equals the beauty of the face of a child who waits with eager anticipation for their father.

As beautiful as this world God created is I'm reminded that it isn't our home. We are merely pilgrims here in this world and one day we will be called to our permanent home. I'm so thankful that we have a loving Father who loved us so much He was willing to send His only Son to make a way for us to be with Him.

One day our Father will send Jesus to return for us who have placed our faith and trust in Him. I know that on that day Jesus will split the sky and call us to be with Him!

“For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.” Philippians 3:20-21 NKJV

One of the things that really strikes me about this passage is that we will be given a new and glorious body like Jesus Christ. My beautiful child who has suffered so much here in this world will not suffer in her permanent home.

What's That Smell?

Sometimes we have an area in our life that we feel is dead yet we persist in trying to fix it. God will allow us continue to fail on our own. We can struggle and do our best but that won’t do a single thing until we come to the realization that we can’t fix it by ourselves. Seeking outside assistance doesn’t help either. It’s to the place where we reach the end of our rope that God wants us to come. Until we do there is nothing that God can do for us. I know this sounds strange doesn’t it? Let me elaborate.

Imagine our problems as a swimming pool, while we struggle in the problem we are telling God by our actions that we’ve got it under control. Just as we might see a man drowning in a pool thrashing around in the water it would be unwise to jump in and try to save him right then because he would pull you under and you would drown as well. He is obviously in trouble but his actions say he believes otherwise. Only when the man stops flaying his arms it is safe to swim up behind him and pull him to safety, this is because he has surrendered.  This is what God wants from us as well. But for a different reason, He is God and obviously wouldn’t get pulled under by our problems.

We just recently celebrated Jesus resurrection from the grave! He conquered death and the grave and He has promised us that we will join Him in the resurrection IF we join in His death. “If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection.” Romans 6:5 NIV

God has been resurrecting what belongs to Him since the days that Jesus walked the earth. The word “resurrection” did not appear in the Old Testament, but in the New Testament Jesus Christ introduced it and He has been breathing life back into the dead ever since. “Graves opened, and many of God's people were raised to life. Then after Jesus had risen to life, they came out of their graves and went into the holy city, where they were seen by many people.” Matthew 27:52-53 CEV Notice only God’s people resurrected. He resurrects what belongs to Him.

Since God only resurrects what belongs to Him don’t you think it’s time to give your problems to Him and allow Him to breathe new life into it? Surrender whatever it is that you’ve been struggling with; finances, marriage, health, unforgiveness, career, it doesn’t matter how big the problems seem because God is bigger than any problem we can have! He conquered the GRAVE! He SPOKE the world into creation! He is GOD!

And then, when we have surrendered our problems to Jesus and allowed Him to move on our behalf, instead of the smell of death we can have the beautiful aroma of Jesus Christ.

“For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing.” II Corinthians 2:15 NKJV

Nancy Drew and the Case of the Grumpy Monkey

There are times I wish that being a mommy came with an instruction manual, but it doesn’t. I recall being told to look for the inevitable fever, look out for a cough and runny nose, red cheeks could be a sign that your little one is getting sick as well. But no one prepared me for Monkey. She is as different from any other child as night is from day I believe. Not that it’s a bad thing but she is different.

Last month I took her to the doctor with me because I had “razor blade throat” otherwise known as strep. She wanted a swab too because if mommy gets it then obviously Monkey needs it too! She had no outward signs other than being a little naughty. They prescribed me antibiotics because my ears and throat were obviously infected, they called later with a prescription for Monkey because she swabbed positive for strep too. Everyone was surprised!

Today I took her on a very important appointment to interview a possible new school placement. She really liked the school but when the time came to leave she turned into “Spaghetti Girl” and had to be dragged to the door. Ughhh. Then when we finally made it to the car she hit it with her fist and hurt her hand, cried the whole way home and whined when we got there. I’ve been very sick and so I asked her if she felt okay to which she answered “I go doctor?” Yes, I called and she’ll be going tomorrow.

I should have known this was brewing, I’ve been sick for over a week. I didn’t go to the doctor last week because we were so busy with practice for the Easter Drama/Musical and then the performances (which God placed His hand on me to be able to make it through) and I finally went Monday. I really should have made the appointment for both of us but she seemed fine. Of course, she typically winds up being asymptomatic with most illnesses.

And since she is asymptomatic with most illnesses I am learning to wear a new hat…Nancy Drew. But God is ever faithful. He never lets us down and will always give us the wisdom to see what we need to see if only we have the wisdom to ASK.

I frequently pray this verse; it was one of my Daddy’s favorites…

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5

And then in Proverbs I found this gem, my “Nancy Drew” verse…

“Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, and attend to your herds;” Proverbs 27:23

I know, she isn’t a “herd” but she is my little sheep and she can’t tell me how she’s doing so I must observe her to be able to attend to her so I think it appliesJ.

Yes, I’m Naturally Blonde, Why?

Yes, I’m Naturally Blonde, Why?

I was driving in my car and thought I would practice my song for the Easter program since the actual program starts in exactly one week! I have been practicing, don’t misunderstand me, but I’ve been practicing with my iPod and that was at home so I grabbed the CD out of my purse and began listening, first track wasn’t my song so on to track two, this sounded like mine…

Just to fill you in on what’s been going on in our lives this week, well, it’s been a little bit more than hectic and this would be why no blog. I expect next week will be even more hectic with practice every night. I blame the chaos that is filling my days and evenings for what I’m about to tell you…

I began singing my song, I have a sore throat so it was a stretch but I only had a little trouble with the really high parts, however, by the end of the song my throat was SCREAMING! Oh my! I had swallowed razor blades! This is not good. I sucked on a cough drop, drank a sip of water and tried again, UH OH! I am losing my voice! I can’t sing it! I mean I can’t sing it at ALL! I start the track over, I try again, I can’t even start the beginning part which isn’t even a high part! I just sang that part a minute ago! What’s going on? I’m going to have to find someone else to fill in for me or they’ll have to cut the whole scene! I’m driving and these thoughts are racing through my brain, okay, not the end of the world, who else can sing this song, plenty of women, our choir is FULL of talent! About that time the song ends and the next track starts and I realize I was trying to sing the high track. The HIGH TRACK! I was so caught up with my sore throat and tight chest congestion I just assumed I was so ill I couldn’t sing anymore. I didn't realize the CD had the High, Medium and Low tracks. Yes, my hair is naturally blonde…

Anyway, I just thought this was too funny not to pass on because if you can’t laugh at yourself who can you laugh at! I love what the Bible says about laughter…

“A happy heart is good medicine and a cheerful mind works healing, but a broken spirit dries up the bones.” Proverbs 17:22 Amplified

 Hope you all have a blessed weekend!

STOP! And Smell the Rose!

As I lay in bed last night thinking about the events of the past few days and the things that are on my schedule in the next two weeks and a peculiar thing happened. I realized how easy it is to become so busy preparing for all the celebrations that you leave little time for the One you’re celebrating. It’s not that I’m doing anything “wrong” but that during the course of the day I’m choosing things that aren’t God’s best. I’m practicing to give Jesus an excellent gift and there is nothing wrong with that, I’m listening to music that glorifies Jesus, I’m working on things that are all good but I’ve become so busy as I lay there and I felt like Martha, not Mary. Have you ever done this?

For those of you who don’t know who I’m speaking of I’m referring to Mary and Martha in the Bible. They were sisters of Lazarus, the one that Jesus raised from the dead. One day Jesus had been out ministering to many multitudes of people and He stopped at their home to rest and eat a meal. They were His close inner circle, He could relax at their home and enjoy the company of people who loved Him not for what He could do for them but just because He was their friend. Remember that Jesus was a Healer and had people grasping to just touch Him everywhere He went to be Healed, that had to be exhausting to His humanness.

So back to the ladies, Martha was in the kitchen preparing a huge feast for Jesus and the disciples and she was busy! But where was Mary? She was learning at the feet of the Rabbi Jesus, her Teacher, the One who gave her access to something not that only she had been denied but something all women had been denied prior to His coming, education! But it was more than just that, she was sitting at the feet of Jesus, soaking up every single Word that came out of His beautiful mouth and basking in His glory. She was worshipping Him! Well, this didn’t go over particularly well with Martha who thought that Mary was a HUGE slacker and she went straight to Jesus and asked Him “Don’t you care I’m doing all this work by myself? Tell my sister to come help me!”  

Jesus responded in a way that warms my heart, He told Martha that she was worried and upset over many things but only one thing was really necessary and Mary had chosen it and it would not be taken away from her. How beautiful are the words of a Savior who truly understood the motives behind each woman and why she was doing what she was doing! It appeared Martha was the virtuous woman here, she was working hard and Mary was just lounging at the feet of Jesus doing nothing! But Jesus saw the hearts. I love Him so much for this!

Here is the Scripture I was referring to, “Now it came to pass, as they went, that he entered into a certain village: and a certain woman named Martha received him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word. But Martha was cumbered about much serving, and came to him, and said, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve alone? bid her therefore that she help me. And Jesus answered and said unto her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things: But one thing is needful: and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38-42

I know in our Western Culture it may seem this is unfair of Jesus to some. We are so busy with planning activities, we are addicted to busyness. There is nothing wrong with busying ourselves with the work of our Father but when we do so at the expense of sitting at the feet of our Savior then something is wrong. We must be very careful not to replace time at the feet of Jesus with American Idol or some other television program.

So for this Lenten Season I will be tuning out of television land and taking time to smell the sweet fragrance of the Rose of Sharon……