The DMV

I've had several people request a viewing of my tragic, albeit comedic driver's license photo. Well, for those of you who've been patiently waiting.....here it is.

Luckily I got my new license last month. I will say, however, the last 4 years with this pic have been interesting!! When I went to renew my license, I was bound and determined to take a better picture this time. I cheesed it up real big. Then she handed me the temporary and said, "You'll get the real thing in 5 weeks. Next.." I took my new license, confident it would be better.... Alas, one of my eyes was on vacation. It was looking off in some other direction. I looked half-crossed eyed. No!! This cannot be. I've spent the last 4 years with a license picture that made me look like a turtle. It was too late. Someone else was already in line, and clerk Bertha was no longer interested in helping me. So I limped out of the DMV with my head hung low. Then, a miracle directly from Heaven. Lo and behold, 5 weeks later I received my new license in the mail. My eye had been restored! The temporary was just a sham, a mockery, a lude trick. Sing praises! Finally, a license picture to be proud of. Anyway---the legendary photo is below. No, it's not an urban legend, not folklore. It really does exist.

I realize those of you who don't know me will not appreciate this. I'll have to post a current photo sometime to give you a point of reference. I promise, I do not look this scary!!

Anyway, this pitiful little photo has brought much laughter over the past 4 years. Sorry it took me so long to pass it on! Enjoy...


Ya gotta love the DMV... 

Covenant Marriage

I was blown away tonight when I turned on the evening news and heard a story on Covenant Marriage. They were featuring the governor from the state of Arkansas. That state has passed a Covenant Marriage law, which allows people to enter into a Covenant Marriage by their choice. A Covenant Marriage is different from a regular marriage because there is mandatory counseling prior to marriage. It is much more difficult to get divorced. There are only a limited number of reasons a divorce will be granted (abuse, imprisonment for a felony, or adultery). There is a mandatory "cooling off" period required (sometimes up to 2 years) before the divorce will be granted.

The idea is to help people see marriage as God intended, a life-long covenant between a man and a woman. So far, 3 states have passed these Covenant Marriage laws. 25 more have proposed them. The Covenant Marriage movement was started in an effort to help lower the divorce rate and bring God back into marriages. The governor of Arkansas is going to renew his marriage vows with his wife and convert their marriage to a covenant marriage in Feb 2005.

You should take a look at the Covenant Marriage site. It's amazing! I am so excited to see that God is finally being brought back into our marriages and even our legislature! Congregations can sign up to be Covenant Marriage congregations. I sure hope this movement takes the country by storm. As Christians, we need to stand up for our marriages and families. If Satan can destroy our families, he can destroy our whole existence. Things have gotten so twisted in our society. It's about time things started to turn around!

Merry Christmas!

Well, it's about 6:30 on Christmas morning. I guess millions of children are dragging their parents out of bed to see what Santa brought. They don't realize their parents only got into bed 20 minutes ago. They've been up all night reading directions and trying to assemble various toys. I can't wait to have kids!

The world will arise this morning as one big global family. We all come from different walks of life, different backgrounds, different races. We may not know each other by name, but we are all family. Today, most will arise full of a different kind of spirit. A spirit of giving. A spirit of hope and joy. Everyone slows down just a little, and takes a glimpse outside themselves. We visit Grandma and buy gifts for cousin Fred. We laugh at Aunt Dottie and the mis-matched clothes she wears. Mom will soon be buzzing around the kitchen, cooking for an army. We all kind of come together today. People are more likely to speak in the grocery store and let you over in heavy traffic. Christmas lights twinkle all around. Why can't we have this same spirit all year?

We called the soup kitchen to find out how we could volunteer today. They told us they already had enough volunteers, and we wouldn't be needed. Imagine if they had that problem on a daily basis, not just at Christmas.

While I know this morning will be full of laughter and joy for so many, I am reminded that there are multitudes of people that are suffering this morning. Somewhere out there is a man with no home, sitting under an overpass, trying to keep warm, wishing he had a hot breakfast to wake up to. Someone is lying in a nursing home, and doesn't even realize it's Christmas. All of their memories of past Christmas' have been stolen from them by Alzheimer's. Yet others are filled with grief due to the death of a loved one or memories of past Christmas' that are filled with hurt, anger and sorrow.

What if we all stopped for just a minute today. Stopped and looked around, searched our busy minds for someone that needed a special touch today. Maybe while everyone is snoring in the living room after a huge meal, we could sneak away and bless someone else. Drop by for a short visit. Maybe take someone a piece of pie. Maybe even a phone call. I don't know. It's just a thought. Our world has such great potential. We could be so giving, so thoughtful, so friendly. I know we are capable. We do it once a year.

Last night our family spent time reflecting on Jesus and what a tremendous gift he is to us. My mom and I had picked out different passages from the Bible. Mom printed them out and we passed them around. We went around the room, taking turns reading them. Afterwards we each took turns praying. I can't tell you what a blessing it is to be able to sit and pray with my parents and grandparents. We were discussing the state of our country, families, kids, prayer in schools, etc. My grandmother was telling us how grateful she was to be able to say that everyone in her family was a believer. We stopped to think about it, and it's true. Me, my parents, all of my grandparents, great-grandparents, aunts, uncles and cousins. We're all Christians. I marvel to think that my family, going back for generations, has been raised in Christian homes. I couldn't have asked for a more special gift!

Whatever you do today, I hope you have a very special Christmas!

Pusillanimous

Pusillanimous means: lacking courage and resolution; marked by contemptible timidity.

I sometimes struggle with fear and timidity. It seems God whispers things in my ear, things He'd like me to try or things He wants to do through me. Sometimes I listen and act. Sometimes I freak out. I have come to realize that the things I feel led to do that seem impossible and completely off the wall--those are from God. The things I want to do that make sense and have a defined order--those are of me. God doesn't often provide a full set of instructions, rather He lays things out one step at a time. That can be scary.

The good news is, I don't have to be pusillanimous!

God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline. 2 Tim 1:7

What makes us afraid as Christians? Sometimes it is fear of rejection or embarrassment. Fear of the unknown. Fear of loss or pain. Satan can sell us on fear of just about anything.

Sometimes we worry about being laughed at, abandoned or mistreated by the world. If we aren't getting some type of flack from the world, we probably aren't being as effective as we could be. That's not to say we have to go around offending everyone we meet. But there should be a definite sense of difference between us and the world. Sometimes that comes in being left out of certain groups at work or school. It may mean being made fun of. Maybe we are lied about by people trying to ruin our reputation. Or maybe it just means having to separate yourself from old friends who don't share your belief system. No matter the specifics, that sense of alienation or separation can be scary at times.

But God's Word says:
Who is going to harm you if you are eager to do good? But even if you should suffer for what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear their threats. Do not be frightened. 1 Peter 3:13-14

When we fear stepping out into the unknown, seemingly alone - God is there. He has gone ahead of us. He has prepared the way. In 1 Corinthians, Paul said, "If Timothy comes, see to it that he has nothing to fear while he is with you, for he is carrying on the work of the Lord." (I Cor 16:10) God may send others to our aid. He may give us the strength internally. However He chooses to encourage and strengthen us, we can be assured He will not leave us dangling out there alone. Why would He call us to do something completely outside the scope of our abilities and then not equip us to carry it out? That doesn't make sense. His goal is to be gloried and to further His Kingdom. He isn't pulling the wings off of the proverbial butterfly.

Praise be to the Lord, the God of Israel, because He has come and has redeemed his people; to rescue us from the hand of our enemies, and to enable us to serve Him without fear in holiness and righteousness before Him all our days. Luke 1:68, 74-75

Remember when you were a kid and your parents told you to do something? When you asked why, they said, "Because I said so." Sometimes they didn't give you a reason. God is often like that. But the request is always for our own good. As His children, He wants what is best for us, and He wants to see us grow. Sometimes growth comes from being forced to do scary things. What if your parents had not made you brave the darkness as a child and sleep in your own bed? Would you have been sleeping in between your parents at age 17? What if they had not allowed you to fall on your fanny numerous times as you learned to walk? Would they have been carrying you around in some huge kiddy sling at age 10? Sometimes growth and change is scary, but it can be oh so productive--not only for us, but for others as well. Just remember, He is our Father and He has our best interest at heart!

You did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the spirit of sonship. Romans 8:15

Facing fear can also bring enormous freedom. Think in practical terms. I am afraid to fly on an airplane. But if I ever decide to go to Europe, it will take me forever to get there by land and sea. Look at the freedom I can gain by getting into one of those caskets with wings (sorry!). Facing fears in one area can liberate us in other areas as well. Once you realize that fear won't kill you, it has less power in your life.

God can use fear to teach us about His power. He can use it as an exercise in faith. What better way to build our trust in Him than for us to experience Him catching us over and over each time we fall? God doesn't always make sense to us. He does things in an order that we often don't understand. But He is God. He's been doing this for a really long time. I think He's got a pretty good handle on things, whether I understand it or not. Rather than focus on the fear, the key is to focus on the Father. He IS faithful, and He WILL guide, protect and catch us if we seek Him.

Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you. Psalm 9:10

Happy Anniversary

I'd like to say a big, "Happy Anniversary to Tim & Rhonda!!" Today is my parents 37th wedding anniversary. I know most people think they have the best parents in the world, but I hate to break it to you---mine are the best!!

I don't know much about raising kids because I don't have any. But I do know about being raised. My parents were always real with me. I've seen them fight, cry, get angry, apologize, laugh, pray, worry, scold, teach, serve, study, hurt, succeed, mourn, comfort, the list could go on and on. My parents have been such a huge part of my coming to know Christ. I hope I am half the parent they are when I have children.

I can remember my mom making me sit and read to her at night. I hated every minute of it. I wanted to be off running around and playing. But she made me read to her anyway. Now I want to be a writer. When I started wearing make-up, my mom took me to the Estee Lauder counter at the mall and had them do me up right. She didn't want me to look like a clown, so she invested the time and money to help me learn how to wear it. She even took me to "charm school" one summer. She went with me. We learned how to sit properly, walk properly, talk, etc. My mom loves to learn. Through the years I have gone to cooking classes, sewing classes, basket-weaving, painting, drawing. Some of the classes were for me, some were for her and she dragged me along. It taught me the value of being your own person-pursuing your own interests, despite being a wife and mother. In addition to classes on cake decorating, flower arranging, and becoming a Master Gardener through the County Extension service, my mom also went to college when she was in her 40's and finished her degree in Psychology.

In addition to all that learning, she has also taught me how to serve. I can't tell you how many nursing homes and little old widow ladies I have visited over the years with her. I also marveled when she taught Sunday school and all the flip charts and puppets and bulletin boards she created. We've taken countless casseroles to sick people, new mothers, grieving families, etc. She has helped raise money for a paralyzed lady and taken in visiting missionaries. She has taken on many of my friends as if they were her own, welcoming them into our home-even inviting them to spend Christmas with our family. When I was in college, our house was often the local hang-out. Sometimes the living room would be so full of people that you could barely walk through. My parents would retreat to their room and leave the house to us (I think they were mostly relieved to know I wasn't out tying one on somewhere!).

My mom reaches out to all kinds of people. One Christmas, we had a house full of people that had no families. They all became part of our family that year. We ate until we were sick, played games, watched Christmas movies, etc.

My mom has also taught me to laugh. We can get cracked up at some of the most off the wall things. We almost had to leave the theater when we saw "Bruce Almighty" together because we were laughing so hard. And if she ever gets tickled at a TV show, you can be sure that you will hear her laughter no matter where you are in the house. Many times my dad and I have been drawn out of another room, completely intrigued and amused by her hysterical laughter. She loves to go to Hallmark stores and read funny cards. She doesn't mind the stares and whispers. She just laughs all the more.

My mom has celebrated victories with me, cried with me over broken hearts, and even taught me about men by rebuking me when I didn't treat boyfriends the way I should.

Most importantly I recall all the times I observed her curled up in a chair with her Bible and a notebook. I remember all the times we've prayed together and discussed God's Word and His Will. She has taught me to know what I believe and why, to stand up for what's right, to depend on God and to trust Him with everything.

As for my dad, I remember all the Sundays when we would have "dinner on the grounds" at church, and he stood patiently waiting until everyone in the place had fixed their plate before he would eat. He's always been a leader in the church, teaching Sunday school, serving as a deacon, leading a small group. When I was a teenager, we went to a small church that had no youth minister. My parents made sure we had activities, devo's, went to youth rallies, etc. My dad even wrote a newsletter for the youth group. He wanted to make sure I had as much exposure to Christ as possible at that critical age in my life.

I can remember many nights we have sat up late talking about all kinds of things, anywhere from boys to the Bible to fears/doubts/decisions to hobbies. My dad is a counselor by trade now, but he hasn't always been (at least not to the general public!). I guess I was good practice for him! Recently we had a hurricane come through our town, and my dad called one of the emergency shelters and offered to come give free counseling if anyone there needed it.

My dad isn't afraid to stand up for what he believes in. He will boycott companies that support/promote ungodly things. He keeps up with what's going on in the world. He isn't afraid to enter into an "intelligent discussion" with anyone and vocalize his viewpoint, even if it is different from theirs. I have seen him pouring over the Word and studying for hours on end. His collection of commentaries and other Biblical reference books always makes me salivate.

My dad just seems to know everything. I'm sure everyone thinks their dad is the smartest man alive, but mine really seems to be! You can ask him about almost anything. He might not be an expert on the topic, but you can almost bet he knows something about it. It's amazing. He exposes himself to a lot, so he absorbs a lot. He watches the news, the History channel, the Discovery channel, listens to Christian radio, etc. He uses words I've never even heard of sometimes. My mom and I joke that we need a dictionary to understand him.

My dad has also given me the gift of independence. Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean my dad didn't stick a power tool in my hand and teach me how to fix it myself (or at least try). I have spent countless hours with him underneath my car (now I will say that I have no clue how to fix cars, but I am good at handing out tools...). He has given me the confidence to try things for myself. I have replaced pipes under my kitchen sink, repaired toilets, built things with wood and power saws and drills--all because he refused to let me be helpless. I love him for that.

My dad and I are good at making each other cry. He's written things for my high school graduation, given me jewelry with a special analogy tied in, made those "dad" speeches about being proud... I tell him he is getting sappy in his old age. I can write him a card, and tears will glisten in his eyes (he's probably crying reading this blog right now!).

My dad also loves to laugh. Some of my favorite memories are around the dining room table, telling stories and acting crazy. Heads thrown back, laughter abounds.

When I was young, we used to live in North Alabama where it actually snowed from time to time. My dad would tie a rope to the handle of a metal trash can lid, sit me on it and take off running down the street. He also used to grab my knees and squeeze them, telling me that was how a cow ate corn-which of course used to send me straight to the floor in a fit of laughter (I am very ticklish).

I am so very lucky to have these two wonderful people in my life. They have taught (and continue to teach) me so much. I am where I am as a person and as a Christian because of them. I couldn't have picked a better family to have been born into. I am eternally grateful to God for the wonderful gift that is my family!!

I love y'all~~


Our little family way back when (1973) 

Worthy Vessels

Recently I met an awesome lady by the name of Kitty Tilson. She is a potter, living completely on faith. A few years ago, Kitty was living in a rental house in North Alabama. She had never owned her own home, but had always dreamed of living in a log cabin. The time came when her landlord decided to sell the house she was renting. For various reasons, Kitty couldn't buy the house. She was in a quandary about where to live. Some friends asked her to move to Utah with them, so she did. Living there just didn't feel right to her. Her heart was in North Alabama. And she still wanted a log cabin.

One day she got a phone call from a friend telling her about a cabin for sale in North Alabama. Kitty had looked at a few cabins there, and thought she had already seen this one. She wasn't interested. But her friend persisted. This was a cabin Kitty had never seen before. So Kitty decided to take a look.

She had been praying for God to give her a place to call home. She specifically told God that she wanted a place with lots of trees, a creek, at the end of a dirt road, and it had to have a place for her to use as a pottery studio. She decided she wouldn't ask for the log cabin because she didn't want to be greedy.

When Kitty and her friend arrived to look at the property, it was at the end of a dirt road, surrounded by trees and had a creek. There was a separate building that could be used as a studio. Oh, and the house was a log cabin!

As they were walking around with the realtor, Kitty was having a serious prayer session in her head. She had never owned a home before, and this one would need a lot of work. She asked God to give her a sign that this was the place He wanted her to buy. While she was in the middle of her prayer, her friend asked the realtor what the name of the creek was. (Kitty was mildly irritated by this because she was over here praying her heart out in her mind. Who cared about the name of the creek...) The realtor's reply was, "Oh, the creek is called Kitty Branch." Kitty decided to buy the property that day!

Kitty's place is amazing. It's almost dream-like. The cabin has a screened porch on the back. From the porch, you can hear the creek running over the rocks. Her grass is a plush green. Behind the cabin, on the other side of the creek, the tree-covered land slopes upward giving her total privacy. Her pottery studio is next to the cabin. Inside, the cabin is so warm and inviting. To get to the original bedroom, you have to climb a ladder-like staircase through a hole in the living room ceiling (kind of like Little House on the Prairie). The cabin is the old style with a dog-trot. On the other side of the dog-trot, she has built a 2 story addition with 2 more bedrooms and bathrooms. She uses her dog-trot to display her pottery. (The next time I go I will take some pictures)

Kitty lives solely off of her pottery sales. People come to her home, and she travels to trade shows. The day we went to see her, she made hot cocoa and homemade gingersnaps for everyone. It felt like we were stepping into a Christmas card.

If you are ever in North Alabama, you should give Kitty a call. You will be blessed by her heart and her testimony. Her pottery is beautiful as well.

She calls her business Worthy Vessels.

Kitty Tilson
211 County Road 494
Lexington, AL 35648
(256) 229-POTS


"My life and work are centered around my love relationship with Jesus. In Him flows all life and because of Him my life sweetly flows here in North Alabama.
You are welcome to come and visit anytime. Just call ahead.
I hope you enjoy the pottery and that it points you to Him who is everything, Jesus."
-Kitty Tilson

Bless all my skills, O Lord, and be pleased with the work of my hands. -Deut. 33:11

In the world vs Of the world

Today I found out that a friend of mine (we'll call her Melissa) was attacked at her home last week. She went out to her car around 10:00 pm to get something out of the trunk. Two men drove up and one chased her to her house. They fought at the door. Although she was finally able to get the door closed and locked, he kicked it in - completely destroying the door frame. She was screaming prayers at the top of her lungs. Even though she and her 8 year old daughter live alone, she called out to her "husband" to get the gun because someone was breaking in. When the man heard this, he backed out of the house. He stood outside the door as she called 911. She told the 911 operator that she and her daughter lived alone and had no way to defend themselves. I'm sure the man heard the conversation, yet he never re-entered the house. Eventually he ran off. She lives in my neighborhood. The men were never caught.

"Stephanie" is another friend who is 32 and recently found out she has cancer. She had learned she was pregnant the week before. The doctor wanted her to terminate the pregnancy so they could begin treating her cancer. She refused. Her son is now 6 months old and she is currently undergoing chemo.

"Brandy" is living as a single mom. Her husband shot himself several years ago. She has two sons, but one of them was taken away because she simply couldn't care for him. He lives with his grandparents. She and her smallest son live in a tiny apartment. For his last birthday, I baked a cake, bought toys and decorations because she couldn't afford to give him anything for his birthday. The church helped her with some of her bills just so she could get through the month. She was recently fired from her job.

"Peter" used to live in Los Angeles. He was a member of a gang called the bloods. When he went to L.A. to visit, he and a friend were off to see some guy the friend had business with. Peter didn't realize the business was murder. His friend stabbed the guy multiple times and put him in a coma. Peter was caught by the police. Rather than rat out his friend, Peter sat in jail until the guy came out of the coma and cleared him.

"Libby" used to do drugs. She went to clubs, slept with an untold number of strangers. She'd sometimes wake up on the sidewalk, not remembering how she got there. She traveled with a band for a while, smoking, drinking, living life on the edge. She's in rehab now.

"Andrea" was married to an abusive husband. Every day when he left for work, he would remove the spark plugs from her car so she couldn't go anywhere. They lived too far out for her to walk anywhere. They had no phone. She was stuck all day. The trailer they lived in would get so cold in the winter that the water in the toilet would freeze. She and her small son would sit in a bedroom all day trying to stay warm, waiting for hubby to come home and beat them some more.

"Daniel" was always in trouble with the law. He was arrested for grand theft auto, threat with a deadly weapon with intent to kill, among other things. One night it all came to head when he committed yet another crime. The courts gave him the option of jail or the military. He chose the military. When he was alerted he would be going to Iraq, he almost went AWOL. Instead he decided to fulfill his duty, so he went. Even though the military was supposed to turn his life around, he still wound up killing people. It was just government sanctioned now.

"Wendy" was a 17 year old girl who had been abused as a child. She was adopted by a nice Christian family when she was 6. No matter how much they loved her, the damage was already done. She grew up being a wild party-girl who lied to everyone. One night she disappeared from a party like a vapor. They found her skeleton 1 year later. She had been murdered 3 miles from home.

These people are all friends of mine. There are countless more.
Cocaine. Abortion. Adultery. Alcoholism. Violence. Prison. HIV. Murder.

To hear me talk, it sounds like I run around with a band of thugs. I don't. These people are all fairly normal. They look normal. They have normal jobs. I've worked with some of them. I've gone to church with some of them. I've even dated a couple of them.

I am just struck sometimes be the enormous effect of sin in our world. I am constantly made aware of sin by words and conversations I hear, things on TV, things in the paper, etc. But to stop and think about all the people that have crossed my path over the years whose lives have been ripped to bits by Satan. Sometimes I am just taken aback.

My new motto is "No one ever changed the world by being like the world or hiding from the world." If you had told me when I was 14 that in the course of my life I would have close friends that had these kinds of life scars, I would have told you that you were crazy. I would have thought helping "people like that" would be too overwhelming. Yet I find a great sense of peace in it. I guess I never realized until recently that God has called me to minister to all kinds of people in all kinds of ways.

I feel so completely inadequate to help anyone. I am so scattered, so spastic. Yet God keeps putting these people on my door step. I am so humbled by that. Sometimes I feel so helpless. Especially when I don't see the fruits of my labor. My first experience with the crude reality of sin came when I was 15. I was spending the night with my friend "Natalie." Her parents were hopped up on LSD. They were an upscale family, certainly higher on the financial food chain than my family. I remember sitting in Nat's bedroom, huddled together with the door closed as we listened to her parents yell and throw things in the other room. It seemed like it went on for hours. Probably did. It scared me to death, but at least that was one night Natalie didn't have to endure alone. The next morning I remember going to the restroom and seeing her dad's Playboy magazines scattered all about. That life was so foreign to me. I did finally get Natalie to go to church with me. She spent a lot of time at my house. We were such close friends. I had such high hopes for her. She was the first girl I knew to lose her virginity, which spawned her "extra-curricular activities" for the remainder of our high school days. I don't know where she is now, but I have to believe she came into my life for a reason.

I am humbled to think that God could use me to help anyone. Yet I am grateful He chooses to use messed up people. One because He receives all the glory even more. Two because it reminds me that there is hope for us all. The people I spoke of earlier are real. Not one of those stories is fiction. They are only a small fraction of what goes on all the time in our world. Those people are us. We are them. I'm grateful God can use ANYONE, even me, to do His work. None of us is a lost cause.

And Christ died for every last murderous, lying, alcoholic, lustful, greedy, crack-head one of us!

Just remember, NO ONE EVER CHANGED THE WORLD BY BEING LIKE THE WORLD OR HIDING FROM THE WORLD!

Let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. This then is how we know that we belong to the truth, and how we set our hearts at rest in his presence. 1 Jn 3:18-19

Be imitators of God and live a life of love, just as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us as a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God. Eph 5:1-2

Above all, love each other deeply, because love covers a multitude of sins. Offer hospitality to one another without grumbling. Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms. 1 Peter 4:8-10

Elmo Rocks!

Well, it's been about a hundred years since my last post. Sorry to say that I am one of those people with a commitment problem. I love "new toys" and things like that, but after a while my ADD kicks in and I wander off to something else. But I'm back. Trying to keep my bloggin' alive.

Last week I had the priviledge of baby-sitting my little Emily (see her picture in a previous post). Her parents are really good friends of mine. I called them up and asked them if they would let me come over and play with Emily so they could go out on a date. They were, of course, thrilled.

Emily and I had the best time. And, as I usually do, I found several things about that evening that spoke to me about life as a Christian. First, Emily and I watched Elmo (or Melmo as she calls him) at least 6 times. Having no children of my own, I've never really been exposed to Elmo. I fell in love with him that night. Truthfully, I'd like to be more like Elmo. He laughs all the time (oh, wait. I already do that!). He is extremely patient (although I've yet to see him drive in Alabama traffic). He isn't afraid to ask questions. And he's just so darn friendly. I think we could all learn a lot from that little guy. Man, his little laugh just makes me smile.

Over the years, I have felt called to minister to married couples in this way (offering to babysit so they can have some one on one time). At one point I was doing this once a month for 4 different couples, which meant I had anywhere from 2 to 8 kids at my house on any given Friday night. We'd watch movies, bake cookies, roll around on the floor. One night we even had a dance party. We cranked up the music way too loud and danced all through the house. What a blast!

I guess I have a heart for marriage and children. I long to be a wife and mother some day. Now is not the time God has chosen to bring that about in my life. So I feel compelled to help those around me have better marriages.

Last week I think I was more blessed than anyone to have spent time with Emily. She is not quite 2 years old, and she is in a hugging phase right now. That night I probably got more hugs from her than I've gotten in the past 6 months. She would be playing or doing something, and she'd stop, grin at me, then run towards me full speed until she crashed into me, wrapping her little arms around my neck. At one point I laid on the floor and she spent 30 minutes climbing all over me. She stood on my head, sat on my shoulders, rolled all over the place. We had a blast. And I felt so full of love when I left. Isn't that how it always is?

I'm amazed at how God uses something so seemingly unimportant to bless so much. If you think you aren't a minister or have no talents or abilities, think again! God can use something as simple as babysitting to do wonderous things.

Sometimes I get bogged down thinking I have to do some big production to be useful for God. Big productions are great, but I have ministry opportunities at my feet every day. Besides, some people were designed to be on-stage, out front, doing the big production. Others were meant to be in the shadows talking to the unwed mother, holding a sleeping child, wiping the tear of a recent widow, taking cookies to the nurses working the third shift, paying someone's power bill, holding the hand of a 93 year old Alzheimer's patient, or inviting a visitor at church to sit with them in Sunday school. Whether you are out front or in the background, your ministry can be powerful. God can and will use everything about us for His purposes if we are open to that.

Consider what unexpected way you might minister to someone...

Cooper

Since you've all read about Cooper being "all strung out" I wanted you to see what he looks like! It's amazing how much this little guy teaches me about God (or how much God uses this little guy to teach me!)

Have you ever had a dog that begged for a treat? (If you've ever had a dog, I'm sure you've had one that begged for a treat!) One thing I realized when Cooper begs for treats is that he gets so excited and so focused on the treat that he completely blocks me out. Sometimes I will hold the treat and give him a command. I want him to focus on me, not the treat. I fully intend to give him the treat, but I want him to hear me first and obey! He gets so frustrated because I won't drop the treat. But if he could just realize that I am waiting for him to forget the treat and obey me.

It made me realize how often I am like that with God. I am blinded by my desires sometimes. Even though my desires might be for good things, I still focus on them too much. I may get to the point that all I can see is the "treat." I am down here hopping around, all frustrated wondering why in the world God won't give it up already. I think sometimes He is waiting for me to stop focusing on the "treat" and focus on Him.


Ain't he cute? 


Cooper 


Cooper 


Cooper 

All strung out

My dog, Cooper, loves to play. He has a basket full of toys in the living room behind the recliner. Every night around 9:00 he gets a second wind and bounces around the living room, flinging his toys around. We play catch, fetch and all that. He's a riot.

Tonight I wasn't paying much attention to him because I was busy doing something else. I heard him growling and jumping around, fulfilling his nightly ritual. I happened to look over, and much to my dismay he wasn't flinging his toy around--instead a big ball of string! I don't know where he found it. I didn't even know I had a big ball of string.

He had flung that thing around so much that the string had begun to unwind. Before I could stop him, he was completely tangled up. He had string wrapped around his legs, head, body and around several pieces of furniture. It took me forever to get him untangled.

So many times he does things that God uses to teach me. Tonight while he was "strung out," he was as happy and oblivious as can be. Isn't that how we are with sin sometimes? Giving no thought to what we're doing. Living in the moment. Completely caught up in the pleasure of it all. Meanwhile, the very sin we revel in is slowly closing in on us. Before long, we are paralyzed and completely consumed by it. And it doesn't take long.

Although God forgives us, it may take a lot of time to undo what sin has done to us. Just because God takes away the guilt, he doesn't always take away the consequences. If I were to put that ball of string back on the floor right now, Cooper would be right back on top of it. Ready for round 2. It didn't really cost him anything to get out of that mess. I took care of it for him. So he didn't learn anything.

Maybe I need to tie some of that string somewhere I'll see it. Maybe it will serve to remind me how quickly I can get into a big ol' mess when sin comes creepin' in.

Photos

stairs 


Random pics 

In case you haven't figured it out, I just learned how to post pics on my blog! Anyway, I am trying to learn the art of photography. These are a couple of pictures I've taken (I also took the pic of Emily). It actually started when a friend asked me to help decorate his apartment. I decided to be clever and drive around town taking some odd photographs that I could blow up and frame (like they do on Trading Spaces). These 2 pictures were in the running (what do you think Jon?). Anyway. My interest in photography grew from there. Since then I have done 2 photo shoots of children & mom's, 1 bridal portrait, 1 session with a couple and 1 session with a single subject. I also play around with still-life.

This has surprisingly snowballed into a much larger thing than I ever imagined. I now have 1 more shoot scheduled, 3 more in the works and a wedding someone is trying to talk me into. Truthfully, I am still just fooling around trying to figure out what in the world I am doing. Hopefully I will be able to take some classes after the first of the year.

Emily

Emily 

This is Emily. She is my adopted niece (she's the daughter of a very close friend of mine). I have no children, so I have latched on to her! Isn't she the cutest thing?
Recently Emily became very ill and had to be rushed to Children's Hosptial. She scared us all to death. She's home now and doing much better, but she needs our prayers for continued recovery.
This little girl means the world to me, and I just wanted to show her off!!
~Aunt Lee Lee

Skipping Christmas

Last year my family began a new Christmas tradition. No gifts! It all began with me. I have everything I need. When my family would ask me what I wanted for Christmas, I couldn't come up with anything. I'd rack my brain and finally make out a list of stuff that I really didn't care if I got or not. Then I had to go through the grueling task of finding gifts for everyone else. We are all so blessed. No one can come up with any ideas or things they want. And buying for my dad? Forget it! He's like the hardest person on the planet to buy a gift for. He has everything, and the stuff he does want usually involves something he will spend two years researching and comparison shopping to get the best deal because it costs so much. After several Christmas' of this, I decided I'd had enough.

Last year I made the proclamation that I thought we should forego gifts since we all had too much junk anyway. That would save everyone from getting the inevitable gift that you know you hate but you smile and say "Oh, wow!" because you don't want to hurt anyone's feelings. And when you get home, you toss it right in the yard sale pile. My mom was all for it. In fact, I think she breathed a sigh of relief. My grandmother was on board once she realized the idea really had come from a grandchild who wouldn't feel slighted with no present from Grandma. We had a hard time selling the idea to a few family members, but in the end it all worked out.

What we decided to do was play "Dirty Santa." Everyone brought a $15 gift and we had the best time stealing from each other. I think there was more laughter in the house that Christmas that ever before. We all spent time in the kitchen together, cooking the big meal. The afternoon was spent watching Christmas movies. Later we attempted to assemble a gingerbread house. I had found one of those pre-baked kits that just had to be glued together with frosting. We spent forever working on that, and when we were done it looked like a condemned building on the edge of town. The roof kept sliding off. We didn't care. The kitchen was filled with laughter and jokes. One of the gingerbread men kept falling over into the "bushes." We named him Uncle Lloyd and decided he must have been hitting the egg nog. When evening came, we piled in the car, loaded in some Christmas cd's and took off to ride around looking at Christmas lights. And not one gift was among us. No tangible gifts anyway.

That was probably one of the best Christmas' I've ever had. No pre-holiday stress of getting assaulted at the mall while fighting with someone over the last Cabbage Patch doll. No fretting over whether or not Uncle Fred will hate the electric socks I bought him. No strain on the budget.

I tell you this, I can't remember what I got for Christmas 2 years ago when we were still doing the gift thing. But I can remember almost everything about last Christmas. The warmth, family, laughter, love. It was better than any shiny gift anyone could have gotten me. We plan to continue with our tradition again this year. I encourage you to consider having a "giftless" Christmas in your family. You'll be amazed at how much more you enjoy the holidays!!

Shoes, Shoes, Shoes

I confess. I have an obsession with shoes. I am closing in on owning approximately 50 pair. Each and every pair was purchased with a purpose in mind (ooh, kind of like when Christ died for each of us....purchasing each of us with a purpose in mind for us....anyway-sorry I get sidetracked sometimes...). Okay, every girl knows that you need some brown shoes and some black shoes. Some casual shoes, some dressy shoes. Some comfortable shoes, some uncomfortable shoes that are only worn for their fashion value.
Some flat shoes, some tall shoes. Some exercise shoes, some 'hey I need to run to the store' shoes. I have them all. I most often find myself wearing my tall shoes (meaning the heels or soles are thick, you know, 'clunky'). See, I'm not short enough to be short, but I'm not tall enough to be tall. I'm stuck in the frustrating middle ground. Often, my pants are a little too long, hence the tall shoes. (Yes, I realize I could get my pants hemmed, but where's the fun in that?)

Okay, now to the story. First, for those of you who know me, you know that I often refer to my life as a comic strip. I feel like a cartoon character most of the time. Things happen to me that, well, don't happen to other people. My boss calls me Lucy referring to 'I Love Lucy') because of all the "situations" I get myself into. Recently I was in his office (while wearing some of my tall shoes), and we were discussing some serious business
issue. (I should stop here and tell you that I usually find it difficult to be still. If I am standing, I am usually swaying from side to side or turning my feet and standing on the sides of my feet or something.) This particular day, I was standing by my boss's desk, and out of habit I turned both of my feet over on their sides. It is such a habit for me to do this that it didn't occur to me that I was wearing these 'stacks' (tall shoes).
You can't really turn your feet in stacks.

At that instant, both of my ankles gave way and I flew into a fit, flailing my arms and bending at the waist trying to recover and avoid falling flat on the floor. I did manage to remain vertical, however I also gave my boss a near heart attack. He thought I was having some sort of attack or seizure or something. I mean, what kind of person is standing in one spot and just falls right there in place without tripping over something? Apparently a person like me. I looked like a 10 year old trying to walk in high heels
for the first time (only I wasn't walking). I mean this wasn't a graceful 'she looks like she's passing out' kind of fall. This was a violent 'I've got a wasp in my shorts' kind of fall. It's sad really. My boss now knows that I am a confirmed spaz. He finds joy in reminding me of that fact frequently.

I share this with you to caution you of the dangers of wearing big shoes. I guess it is an acquired skill. But you know what they say, if you fall off that horse, you've got to get right back on and try again. So I went out and bought 3 more pair of stacks. I am dedicated.

Slot machine God?

I got one of those forwarded emails today, you know the kind that's probably been around the world 187 times. This one told me that if I repeated their prayer, I would receive lots of money. It actually said that someone who used this "formula" received the exact amount of money they needed to pay off their credit card! Can you believe that?

I was shocked at first, until I really stopped to think about it. How often do we treat God like an ATM machine? Push all the right buttons, and out pops whatever you want. Sometimes I think we view Him as a slot machine. Although we don't really expect to win, we'll invest a dime or two, yank the arm and if we're lucky, we'll hit the jackpot. Blessings will fall at our feet. Bells will ring. Life will be good.

God does want us to live an abundant life (John 10:10). He loves to bless us (Matt 7:11). However, as with any other relationship, we are going to have times of growth, sadness, frustration, questions, pain, even discipline. God wants our love as much as we want His blessings. He wants to walk, sit, talk, laugh and cry with us. He wants to share life with us.

Picture this. God is at a work table. He's forming something with His hands. He's bent over the table with His work-light beaming down on the new creation. He turns it ever so gently in His hands, shaping it just right. He spends months working on it. No one can see it until He's done. People try to peek in through the windows, but they can't really see any detail. Every day for almost a year, He returns to His workshop and works on His project. Time slips away from Him as He sits on the stool, making small adjustments, forming and shaping each part.

Finally after 9 months has passed, He sits the creation down and says with a smile, "Perfect." He leans back on His stool, cocks His head to one side, breathes a little sigh and smiles. He has invested so much time into this little creature. You can see the love in His eyes as His gaze is fixed upon his newest creation. After a while, he takes a deep breath and stands up. Time to deliver this little one to his earthly caretaker.

God has been doing some research, long before He began work. Searching for the perfect person to entrust with His new creation. They would have to be special. Now the time has come. His delivery comes in the form of a baby.

As the new mother cradles the baby in her arms, His heart is filled to overflowing. He gets that warm feeling in His chest as He sees them bonding. As mommy learns to care for her new baby, God stands watching with His chin lifted, biting His bottom lip. There, she's got it. That's right. Hold him carefully, mommy. He's fragile.

As the baby grows, God delights in watching him take his first steps, learn to talk, throw baby food across the kitchen. The first day of school, God's heart breaks as the little one cries and trembles in fear. He so desperately wants to take the child into His arms and buffer Him from any hurt. But He knows the child must learn, so He watches lovingly. Come on, son. Trust me. Just go inside. I've picked out a wonderful teacher for you. I've even worked it out so you'll meet a friend that you will have for life. I know you're scared. Just trust me. I've already been there, preparing things for you.

Eventually the boy grows up to be a teenager. He's on the high school football team. As God watches the boy run up and down the field, He jumps to His feet, screaming, "That's my boy! Run, son, run! Yeah! You go, boy!" His heart races as it swells with love. He is so proud, and he carries a big smile on His face all the next day.

Over the years, He watches as the boy goes through good times and bad. As the boy gets older, he gets busier and less interested in spiritual things. God longs to talk to him. He longs to sit and dream with him. God knows what's on his heart, what excites him, what scares him. If only the little boy, who is now a man, would turn to Him. He waits, but day after day, the man never slows down long enough to get to know God. Sure, he prays from time to time. "God, give me this. God, help with this. God, I want this." But He doesn't spend much quality time with his Father.

God wants to bless Him. He wants the man to really know Him. There is so much He wants to teach Him, so much to show Him. God created Him with specific purposes in mind. He gave him certain talents to use, certain people only this man could reach. But the man just ignores God, going about his daily routine, only thinking to pray when he wants something.

God continues to watch the man, His beautiful creation. He thinks back to the workshop and all the time they spent together there. His heart is sad, but He keeps on watching the man, helping Him, trying to reach Him. He sends certain things into the man's day, hoping each one will make the man stop and notice God. But right now, the man is too busy to notice.



Right now, as you sit in front of your computer, God is gazing at you. He remembers the time you and He spent together as He formed you in your mother's womb. He remembers your first day of school and the last broken heart you had. He remembers the day you won the big game, and how excited you were on your 12th Christmas morning. He saw you when you fell off your bike and when you helped that old lady in the grocery store. You make Him grin. He laughs at you when you're funny. He hurts with you when you cry. He knows when you're scared, and He's already been ahead of you checking things out. He's there now, waiting to hear from you. He loves you so much. Why don't you go talk to Him for a while?

Who do I trust?

My heart is extremely heavy tonight. Through a series of events that have unfolded today, I have come to realize that I have not trusted God with my life.

Have you ever had a feeling way deep down inside, a feeling that something was meant to be or supposed to happen? A feeling that whatever this "thing" is for you was just right. A feeling that won't go away, no matter how much you try to rationalize or deny it. No matter what you try to stuff in its place. It's just there, lying somewhere below your heart - right in the core of your body. If you've ever had the feeling I'm talking about, you'll know exactly what I mean.

Maybe this is the place where your "calling" resides. I don't know. I can't help but wonder if this is like a portal in my soul, the place from which God whispers to me the great mysteries of a life with Him. But sometimes He doesn't give many details (or any details), and I find it difficult to acknowledge that I hear anything because what I do hear scares me.

The thing is, I think that "feeling" can sometimes bring great joy and peace, but other times it can scare you to death. When God calls us to do something, often it will seem so foreign to us. He doesn't let us in on the details. He doesn't always reveal the ending. I didn't realize until today how much I rely on the ending.

So today I've been met with this harsh reality. I think God wants my life to take one direction. But that direction is full of uncertainty, uncharted waters-so to speak. So I came up with my own version of my life and have been pursuing it in vain for many years. Out of fear, I've squelched that little voice inside me. I have decided that my life should go this way or that way. These are the things I know and am comfortable with. I can have my little life and still serve God, right? Wrong. But see, I can do this and this and this for Him. I'm good at this and this, and I can use that to work for Him, right? Maybe-but that's NOT the point. I have been rationalizing my attempt to manipulate God into giving me what I want. I have been trying to hide behind the familiar and chase after something that feels comfortable to me. God hasn't called me to be comfortable.

So I am sad tonight. I am faced with the knowledge that I have to truly let go of the things I have chased over the years. Things that are familiar and comfortable. I love those things. The thought of letting go of them makes me sad (and scares me). If I let them go, I have no control. I have no pre-packaged answers in case God doesn't come through like I think He should. At least these "things" I am clinging to have a face, something tangible I can see and grab on to.

But God wants me to cling only to Him. I do love Him, and I thought I trusted Him. Obviously I have trusted more in myself. I need to make the plunge, let go and jump blindly into the "darkness" where only God is in control. I feel like I am standing in that doorway. I know I need to let go and trust Him, but my hands are clamped onto the door frame. I am sitting in the belly of the whale and have been for years. I think it's time I was vomited up onto the beach.

Party Game

As promised, here are the instructions for my new party game:

Invite your friends over and ask them to bring a Bible and concordance (if possible). You might also want to have a Thesaurus on hand.

There are no "points" in this game. The only point is to help us to recognize God more readily, and to see Him in absolutely everything.

The game goes something like this. Look around the room. What's the first thing you see. A chair? Okay. Now let your mind explore the word chair for a moment. How can you connect that to God? Try looking up the words "throne," "seat," "seated," and "chair" in your concordances. Then look up the verses in the Bible.

Next thing you see. A lamp? Okay, trying looking up "light" or "lamp." See where I'm going? It's great to have a thesaurus on hand to help expand your search. You can do this with just about anything you see.

The more you play this game, I think you'll be amazed at how alive the world becomes to you. You might be driving down the road and see a tree and think of Christ hanging from a tree. The road itself might remind you that 'small is the gate and narrow is the road that leads to life...'(Mt 7:13-14). Maybe you see a dog and are reminded of the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15 whose daughter was suffering from demon possession. She told Christ that even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from the master's table. Because of her faith, her daughter was healed.

The point is to train yourself to see God in everything. It's a fun thing to do with friends. Your excitement will build off of each other. And discovering God together always brings people closer together!

Enjoy! And let me know how it goes...

eBay

Hello, my name is Aleah, and I am addicted to eBay.

Someone please help me! I have discovered that I am hopelessly addicted to eBay. I find myself sitting in front of my computer, near exhaustion. With bloodshot eyes, I strain to see the screen. My hand is cramped (much like Fred Sanford's arthritic claw) from being wrapped around my mouse for hours. As the bidding whips into a frenzy, I find myself throwing caution to the wind, bowing up like a cobra determined to win. What actually ends up happening is that I pay WAY more than I probably would have otherwise, simply for the satisfaction of winning. Whew.

Now, as you will learn, I am generally able to squeeze a spiritual connection out of just about anything. I love to look at the world around me and find ways to relate it to God. In fact, I have invented a whole "party game" for just that purpose (party game instructions to come later).

Anyway. As for selling to the highest bidder. How often do we do that with ourselves? How often do we sell ourselves to the highest bidder? Do we choose God (who will always be the TRUE highest bidder)? Or do we choose the world (Satan's playground)?

Satan will spin out a counterfiet that glitters so bright it would make Elvis himself stand up and take notice. As we sit back and watch the bidding war to see who will win our time, money, hearts, and souls, let us not be blinded by all the glitter.

Is your life on the auction block? How about your money, your time, or maybe even your soul?

Bible study or Sunday night football?
Encouraging words or gossip?
Serving or selfishness?
Stewardship or debt?
Commitment or adultery?
Sacrifice or greed?
Meditation or busyness?
Honesty or lying?

Who will win? They are all bidding for your life right now.

Satan's graceful, yet deceptive hand is wrapped around his mouse. Christ's nail-scared hand is wrapped around his.

Who's bid will you take?

My Frog

I have a frog.
He likes to blog.
Lives on a log.
I have a frog.

One day my frog
while on his log
was eaten by a hog.
No more frog.

I have a hog.
He has no log.
He doesn't blog.
Boring hog.

I have a dog.
He bit my hog.
He wrote a blog.
Applaud the dog.

I took the log
of my long-lost frog.
I lit a fire.
Roasted hog.

No more frog.
No more hog.
Only my dog,
who likes to blog.

Black Out and Clue In

I think we should have a National Black Out Day. This would be a day with
no electricity. We wouldn't be allowed to drive cars. We'd be forced to
slow down.

Let me just say that I am the last person in the world you might imagine to
survive without modern conveniences. My friends compare me to Suzanne
Sugarbaker and laugh at the thought of me going camping (that's another
story for another day). I am the person with white knuckles sitting in
traffic reminding myself that I am a Christian and don't use those kinds of
words. I hate to be hot. A day in Alabama with no electricity would be
brutal, but I think we need it nonetheless.

Hear me out. I recently watched a movie about an attorney who had to go
live on an Amish farm for a period of time while working on a case. She had
to go 20 miles up the road to use a phone. The only light she had at night
came from an oil lamp on her bedside table. She had to function without her
computer. It was quite the adjustment.

Growing up, my Grandpa used to take me to Tennessee to some Amish farms
there. He used to buy syrup and other things from them. I always thought
they were so weird. No electricity, boring clothes, no cars, etc. I can
remember one trip in particular where I stayed in the car and an Amish boy
around my age (10 or so) came over to the car. He stood right outside my
window and just stared at me. I guess we were weird to them too.

They worked with their hands all day. They worked hard. Families and
communities pulled together to get things done. Yes, it may take longer to
get somewhere or to get something done. But the quality of life for them is
so different from ours. If you've ever bought furniture or baskets from the
Amish, you will know that the quality of craftsmanship is significantly
greater than something you could buy at the mall. Made to last, sturdy.
They put their hearts and souls into what they do. Probably because they
have time to.

What if we were forced once in a while to slow down, to do things the old
fashioned way. What if we really took pride in our work, quality rather
than quantity. What if we spent time really talking to our families rather
than watching TV. What if we slowed down long enough to remember what's
really important, to invest ourselves into people. What if we all did that,
even for just one day.

Maybe we need a time to "black out" so we can clue in to what really matters
in life.

Back pockets

In the corporate world, I often hear salesmen refer to the back pocket. They will meet a potential customer and offer their sales pitch. If things aren't going smoothly or they need an extra boost to close the deal, they'll have something extra in their "back pocket." It might be a special discount on price or an extra freebie. Whatever it is, it sweetens the pot. They don't expect to use this bonus, but it's there just in case. A back-up plan.

When God calls us to do something, He doesn't always reveal the process by which He will carry things out. His timing is not our timing. His methods are not our methods. When we are staring into the dark with nothing but a call from God, sometimes we want to generate a back-up plan.

God may call us to wait on a certain type of person to marry. If the wait is too long, we may decide God needs our help. We begin settling for less and compromising our dreams and values. We overlook things we normally wouldn't tolerate. We try to twist and squeeze our choice to make it fit the design we were originally called to wait for. Maybe our model has many of the characteristics we are looking for. But what about the missing pieces? God would never give us an incomplete blessing. He wants to lavish us with things beyond our comprehension, yet we often expect Him to show up with half-mangled, yard sale leftovers. God doesn't work that way!

Maybe God calls us to leave our careers and pursue something new. Rather than taking steps of faith, we might remain in an unpleasant work environment. If God can't show us a five year business plan with income projections, growth potential and profit margins, we might not take Him seriously. I'm not suggesting we walk off the job the first time we have a bad day, but sometimes God calls us to do things that seem crazy to us. He asks us to trust Him. We might not know where the money will come from, but He will provide.

God doesn't usually reveal the ending up front. If He did, why would we need faith? The Bible shows us repeatedly where God called someone to do something extraordinary, yet only gave them one puzzle piece at a time. The rest of the pieces awaited them on the journey, and He didn't offer them a back-up plan. We do see, however, these same Bible characters pulling something out of their back pockets from time to time. Their back-up plans usually back-fired, as do ours.

"Don't be misled. Remember that you can't ignore God and get away with it. You will always reap what you sow! Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful desires will harvest the consequences of decay and death. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So don't get tired of doing what is good. Don't get discouraged and give up, for we will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time."
-Galatians 6:7-9

Haunted House

"Be self controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour."
-1 Peter 5:8

Imagine walking through a haunted house. It's dark, the path is crooked and the quarters are usually close. Noises are all around you. You hear screaming in the distance. Someone's fearful breath is on your neck as you huddle together for safety. Your senses are working overtime. As you move through the house, you are aware of every little movement. Anything odd or out of place catches your attention. You expect something to reach out and grab you. You brace yourself in anticipation. Out of nowhere, something shrieks and grabs your sleeve. Instantly, by reflex, you jump and move away.

Preparing for Satan's attacks are much like navigating a haunted house. As we move through life, our senses need to be heightened. We need to be on alert, looking for things that are out of place in our spiritual lives. Satan is going to attack us. We need to anticipate that. If we are prepared, we can react immediately.

We don't need to be so paranoid that we are crippled by fear. When you are in a haunted house, you are, in fact, moving. The key is that you are on alert, looking for things that will attempt to attack you. Thus you are ready to flee the moment something comes at you. You're not leisurely strolling through this haunted house, talking on your cell phone, completely distracted by the mundane.

If we are in tune with God, it will be easier to instinctively turn and run from evil. Satan wants us to take it easy, forget he exists. He doesn't want us to give him a second thought. After all, what hunter wouldn't want to find their prey asleep under a tree?

After the fight

Have you ever had a really bad day? Just felt beat up? Cried yourself to sleep, woken up with a weeping hangover? Man, I hate it when that happens. It makes me feel like I have been in a school yard fight. Often that's how I feel after I've had a rumble with Satan. I know he's always lurking around trying to trip us up, but sometimes I feel like we have an all out WWF brawl.

After one of those battles, it always makes me really mad at Satan. Why can't he just leave me alone? Then it occurs to me, his plan really back-fired. Anytime he and I go to rolling around in the grass, I may come out bloody, scratched, bruised and covered with grass stains. But my relationship with God grows. Satan intended to harm me, but he only served to push me closer to my Lord.

I recently read that when you reach a point of despair in your life, you position yourself for God to work in you. So far, that has pretty much held true for me. I sure hate to go through a battle, but I always come out on the other side grateful for the new insights I've received.

"Yes, and the Lord will deliver me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly Kingdom. To God be the glory forever and ever."
-2 Timothy 4:18

Hurricane Ivan

Recently hurricane Ivan blew through my area of the country. Because I live in an older neighborhood full of mature trees, I decided to go stay elsewhere with family. As I packed to leave, I walked through the house looking for sentimental items to take with me. As I made my search, I thought, "Okay, in case the roof blows off, save what you really want." I was amazed at what few things I took.

Modern technology and the speed of the storm allowed us plenty of time to prepare. I wasn't running frantically through the house grabbing things as if I only had minutes to spare. I took my time, walking around and really looking for things that couldn't be replaced. During the process, I came to the conclusion that I can live without most of my "stuff." In fact, when my walk-through was over, I basically felt as if I was saying, "Okay, Ivan. I got what I want. You can take the rest."

It makes me wonder why in the world we work so hard and go into so much debt in order to obtain "things." I think I will do a "walk-through" from time to time (regardless of impending disaster) to remind myself that I can live without all of this. Funny how easily distracted we are by bling, huh?

Chased by God

I'm amazed at times by how God chases us. I don't know why I continue to be amazed. This happens to me on a pretty regular basis, probably daily. I guess I notice it more when I am looking for it.
Today God sent me a preacher, sunbeams, tears, scripture, a friend and a phone call to let me know He was in control. Each of these things were seemingly unrelated, yet they were all connected. God weaved together all of these circumstances and people to let me know that He knew exactly where I was. I was not forgotten. He did hear my cries. Even though you know your Daddy is in charge, sometimes you just need that reassuring hand on your shoulder to remind you of His strength.
I wonder how many other days have been this perfectly connected to bring me a message, yet I have been to busy to notice?

"The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them; he delivers them from all their troubles. The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. A righteous man may have many troubles, but the Lord delivers him from them all." -Psalm 34:17-19