Christmas Experiment

I read 1 John 4:12 ("No one has ever seen God. But if we love each other, God lives in us, and His love is brought to full expression in us." NLT) a couple of weeks ago and the thought of being an expression of God's love jumped out at me. What would that look like? How am I doing at being an expression of God's love?

So I decided to try an experiment. For the time remaining till Christmas, I would consciously try to be God's expression of love to the people around me (including family).

It's been a couple of weeks and I have to tell you that it's changed my attitude about Christmas and shopping and the rest. I look forward to each outing and am on the lookout to see what will happen. Instead of dreading shopping, I anticipate opportunities to show God's love to people.

For example, I ran into CVS to pick up a couple of things before heading home. I briefly asked the new clerk something about Christmas and she launched into a lengthy story of how she had just moved to Nashville from Illinois, but left all her family behind. I felt God nudging me to slow down and listen and genuinely hear her story. She told me about the gifts she had made for her grandchildren (afghans with each of their names on them) and how much she loved them, etc. Instead of feeling irritation at this interruption of my scheduled stops, I tried to show love and kindness that Jesus would have given her if He were here on earth.

I know this is a really simple thought (and something I should be doing every day of my life) but it has given me a new perspective and more opportunities to show God's love to people. And isn't that what Christmas is really about....God loving and giving His best to people.

Merry Christmas...may we all be an expression of God's great love to those who need it.

Spending Wisely

“I will very gladly spend and be spent for you.”
2 Corinthians 12:15

Paul was writing this and he was willing to spend his life for others. Someone has said that life is like a coin – (no, Forrest it is not like a box of chocolates!) you have one chance to spend it and then it’s gone. There are no re-do’s. Each day must be used wisely in service to God and others.

As we approach the holiday season, I can honestly say that I usually feel "spent" at the end of each day. BUT I don't exactly think that's what Paul had in mind.

How am I investing my life for God and others this holiday season?

As I pondered this question, I realized how easy it is for all the shopping, wrapping, cooking, and celebrating to eclipse the true meaning. And I'm not exactly sure what to do. I have good intentions at the beginning of December, but by Christmas Eve, I'm one crazy woman shopping for that last gift!

How do you slow down enough to focus on the true meaning of Christmas?

A couple of things I want to do...

Share Christ with someone this year. This could mean giving a tract (I saw the parking attendant reading a tract someone had given her as I pulled out of a parking garage, so you never know what could happen) or meeting with my hairdresser for coffee and specifically sharing the gospel message (I've sowed a lot of seeds so far.) or who knows...maybe if I just listen closely to God, He will guide me.

Spend some time thinking about God's great gift to me every day. What a great sacrifice Jesus made coming to the earth as a baby to grow up and give up His life for me!

I would share more ideas, but I don't want to be so ambitious that I get overwhelmed and give up before I even get started. Please share any ideas of how you focus on the true meaning of Christmas.

Spend your coin wisely.

Happy Thanksgiving

It's almost Thanksgiving week, so I decided to make my Thanksgiving list. Of course, this is something I should do every day because I have so much to be thankful for. Focusing on what I have creates a contentment that creates a peaceful me - not so much yearning and wishing for more.

I'm thankful for:

At the top would have to be forgiveness of sin and a real relationship with God - I honestly can't even believe that He (the GOD of the universe) wants to have a relationship and continues to love me, in spite of myself.

Purpose in life - I usually wake up with several things on my list to do each day - and that's a good thing - I enjoy what I do - I love working from home in my pj's. I love traveling with Richard to visit the church planters.

I would have to put Richard (husband) at top of list, too. Now that all the kiddies are gone and it's just us, I am re-discovering how much I enjoy being with him.

I love my family - and love spending time with them.

My sister - we talk every day and can finish each other's sentences. Once a week, we pray together via cell phone.

A washing machine - it's scrubbing my clothes as I write this. (AAAAHHHHH)

These are just a few of the things I wrote down...there's so much more - friends, plenty of food, warm house, health, hot showers, books, good car that runs, the list is pretty long.

Of course, I'm thankful for ministry wives who are serving alongside their husbands loving people and giving so much to build God's kingdom. Thank you for all your hard work!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What's Really Important

I was just in South Carolina visiting our daughter and I was reminded of how God is always shaping us. Rachel (who I hadn't seen since August when she moved there to work on the campus of USC Spartanburg with Campus Crusade) and I had a delightful time together - eating, laughing, shopping (at the Goodwill, of course) and just being together.

The three short days flew by and it was the last morning I was there. I made her a chocolate and toast breakfast (a sweet - literally- family tradition) and we went back to her room. I was intent on finishing up the curtains. We had bought ribbon for tiebacks, but had to screw in the cup hooks and cut the ribbon to size. I had just started when Rachel said from the bed, "Just lay back down here beside me, Mom." I reminded her that we needed to finish the curtains and she reminded me that she cared more about the spending the last few minutes we had together talking and cuddling (yes, even at 22 years old they still like to cuddle).

I constantly need that reminder! You see, I'm a Martha - always doing. My love language is acts of service and that's the way I tend to show my love. (Rachel's is quality time, if you haven't guessed.) It's a family joke that I can't sit down to enjoy a movie- I have to be folding laundry, etc- always doing two things at once.

On my way home, I heard a Focus on the Family interview with Dr. Dan Allender who wrote the book, How Children Raise Parents. He mentioned that God uses our kids to shape us and knock off those rough edges. Sometimes our kids speak to us in such prophetic ways that help us to see things to which we are blind - in my case, being fully present and doing what is really important. There will be always be MORE to do - more dishes to wash, more rooms to clean, more socks to pick up, more projects to complete, more, more, more! But I need to slow down and not do just the urgent that screams to me from the laundry basket, but to do the things that really matter - listening, sharing, cuddling, laughing, reading, making memories.

How about you? Are you fully present with your husband, your kids? Do you take time to enjoy each other? Hopefully, some day my kids will finally get me raised and I will be more of what God has in mind for me.

Keep At It!

Have you prayed for something for a long time and it still hasn't happened?

It's easy to lose heart and give up. You may even question if God is listening... if He is able to do what you've asked. I want to encourage you today to keep doing what you are doing. God is listening. God has all-power. God cares.

I came across this quote from Richard Foster recently and liked it.

We may not see the end from the beginning, but we keep on doing what we know to do. We pray, we listen, we worship, we carry out the duty of the present moment. What we learned to do in the light of God's love, we also do in the dark of God's absence.
We ask and continue to ask, even though there is no answer.
We seek and continue to seek, even though we do not find.
We knock and continue to knock, even though the door remains shut.

This constant, longing love produces a firmness of life orientation in us. We love God more than the gifts God brings. Like Job, we serve God even if He slays us. Like Mary, we say freely, "I am the Lord's servant. May it be to me as You have said." (Luke 1:38)

May God give you the added faith and strength to keep at it!

Insecurity...good?

Last week I wrote about insecurity and it started me thinking...

God often uses our weaknesses (the things we are insecure about) more than He uses our strengths. We all like to stay in our strengths and not highlight our weaknesses, but God seems to delight in showcasing them.

Think about Bible examples. Peter. What would you say his biggest weakness was? His mouth, right? Peter, who was always saying things and probably regretting it later (I can so relate). God used Peter to be a spokesman for the early church. God took Peter's weakness and used it.

Paul. He had been trusted with some important information (taken up into the third heaven?), so God gave him a thorn - something to keep him humble. We don't know what the thorn was, but it was a constant reminder for Paul to operate in God's strength. He even said that he delighted in his weakness, because God's power was perfected in weakness. (2 Corinthians 10:12)

There are lots more examples.

Gideon was so fearful that when the angel appeared to tell him of God's plan, he was hiding in his family's wine press. God used fearful Gideon to be the leader of an army.

Moses, complained to God that he couldn't speak (maybe he had a speech impediment?), but God used him to speak to the most powerful man on earth (Pharaoh) and demand release for God's people.

Thinking about these examples encourages me. God wants to use me - even my weaknesses. I want to forget them. But He wants to work through them to showcase His greatness - to myself and to others. He doesn't always take away my weaknesses. I guess that keeps me dependent on Him...a good place for me to be.

What are your weaknesses? How can God work through your weakness to bring glory to Himself?

Who would have thought that weakness could be a good thing?

Every time I visit my daughter-in-law's blog, I LOVE reading about their adventures, home improvement projects and even what they're having for dinner; BUT I also see my blog listed as one of her favorites and beside it, how long it's been since I've written one. As of today, it's been two months since I last wrote a blog. Do I feel guilty? You bet! Do I wish I could be as diligent about blogging as she is? I certainly do!

Do you ever compare yourself to others and feel like you come up short? Why do we as women lack confidence in ourselves and are so insecure? (We must be insecure as Beth Moore has recently written a whole book about it!)

I don't know for sure, but I think it starts early. I remember comparing myself with my little sister at an early age - she was so petite and cute; I was so tall and gangly (that is actually working in my favor now as I'm finding more places to hide fat HA). I remember comparing myself to other girls, teens, women, for as long as I can remember. And don't forget the last pastor's wife - what big shoes she wore!

Comparing ourselves is never a good idea, so I don't know why I do it?! Paul says those that compare themselves with others are not wise. (2 Corinthians 10:12) It can lead us to pride (Thank goodness, I'm not as __________ as she is!) or to self-defeat (I wish I could be more _______________!) Usually, I prefer the first one to the second one. (Can anyone say INSECURITY?!)

There is certainly too much to say about this for one blog (I know..when I finally do write, I have a tendency to go on and on...MORE INSECURITY!) But I do want to encourage you to focus on what God thinks about you:

He knows you inside and out and still loves you!
He is at work in you to grow and change you.
He will complete the work He has started in you! (Philippians 1:6 - my life verse)