One Thousand Gifts-Take 2!

I am attempting to begin again a fantastic book my bestie, Stacey, gave me a few months ago that she said spoke to her heart. One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are. The moving of roots took me from it only a chapter into it and my sister's discovery of it from a friend has prompted me to dust if off and dig back in to it from the beginning. As I read some of the highlighted passages from the first go 'round, I get excited all over again and humbly amazed.It amazes me that the same passage can be read by different women, in different ages/stages/phases of life, in different time zones and leave each with "How does she know that is exactly how I feel?!" I realize tonight through reading a bit more of the chapter that it is because the issue is a human one. A heart issue that doesn't discriminate. An equal opportunity blemish, if you will. Ingratitude. Ugly word isn't it? Offensive even.
Voskamp wrote the following: "what I have, who I am, where I am, how I am, what I've got-this simply isn't enough."
"Our fall (including Adam and Eve) was, has always been and always will be, that we aren't satisfied in God with what He gives. We hunger for something more, something other."
It is easy to deny this "disease" lives in any of us. This spirit of ingratitude is deceptive. It is as easy as wanting new furniture, a cleaner house, a more engaging marriage, different music played at church,  or thinner thighs! It is more easy to see when we pray for something feverishly and it may even be something we are beseeching on some one's behalf. The prayer goes answered or almost more painfully, answered in a way we didn't see as God's best.
We throw our temper tantrums. We tell God "I won't accept this from you. I thought you loved me." I think, in our humanness, our view of love is so damaged by our sense of entitlement. There is a lack of gratitude or even the absence of it because there is an attitude of entitlement. Think about it...when we don't get our way we might not fall to the ground in tears with our fists and feet flying but we sulk. We question. We huff. We sigh. We keep score. We play the martyr. We jut out our chins in defiance and tell God "I am not going to be your friend if you don't do what I want."
Why? Because we honestly think we DESERVE what we want. I know that is how I have felt but perhaps I am the only one. And, that my friend is entitlement. We would never grant every wish our children make but when it comes to us, adults, we sing a different tune.
How do I know this? Because I have lived it and if not careful, will continue to live it. I know that "hunger for something more, something other." I have been through various stages: God answers prayers to I will pray but I won't dare ask for anything to if God is going to do what He wants to anyway then why bother praying to IF there is a God, He doesn't live here. I know that place. I have bought Satan's lies. It is a dangerous and less than fun place to be. And being raised Southern Baptist will cause you to choke on that bitter pill.
"Now everywhere we look, we only see all that isn't: holes, lack, deficiency." Voskamp
We have some how lost our humbleness. In truth, we deserve nothing! Forgotten "our place" in accordance to WHO God is and who WE ARE NOT. There is no fear left in our "God fearing". We have leveled the playing field in our minds.  Made the planning of our lives a collaborative effort with God in a consultative position rather than recognizing His sovereignty.  We have lost our reverence, our awe for His power.
We have in short, "dumbed" God down.
How insulting that must be for Him.

Mexico 2011

Does This Thing Still Work??!!

Been a while and here are 10 things that I know for sure...I think:

1. I love my friends! Especially those who blog as often or less often than me! Thanks for keeping it real, gals! (You know who you are.)
2. It rains a lot in Georgia.
3. Oh yeah, we moved to Georgia. Did you get the memo?
4. God is not finished with me yet...And thank God for that 'cause I just seem to be in a constant state of "needs improvement"!
5. Boxes multiply when you are sleeping.
6. One must plant 10 trees for every 1 tree destroyed according to Georgia law.
7. Sometimes I get on facebook and think, "I really dont care what anyone is doing right now." And so, I just log off without reading a single status update.
8. The older I get the more I need a bit of time alone each day and a bite of chocolate each night.
9. I would like to go to Paris but I dont want any French people there.
10. Other than HGTV and Food Network, TV is stupid.

Dinner is Served

You often hear people (mostly famous ones) respond to the question, "Who would you invite living or dead to dinner?". I never really thought of my answer but I have had the most interesting list of guests pop in my head this last few minutes. One of my guests would be Corrie ten Boom. I am reading her devotional and I checked out The Hiding Place yesterday from the library. I just find her adorable looking and so fascinating. She looks so tiny and I just want to put her in my pocket! Today in the devo she writes, "Oh Lord, thank You that Your side of the embroidery of our life is always perfect. That is such a comfort when our side is sometimes so mixed up.". It reminds me of my cross stitching days as a young girl and the back always looked like a disaster. You couldn't make heads or tails out of it! My mom would always encourage me, "Don't worry about the back. No one looks at the back. They only see the front."
What a joy to know that our Father can take a jumbled up "back" and make it a beautiful "front"! It is so easy for us to let our "backs", our past, determine our "fronts",our future. How sad that must make God feel when we take our eyes off Him and focus on our past. I think He wants to take our faces in His hands and say, "Baby girl, I fixed it already. I fixed it. It is nailed to the cross.". What a comfort to know that it doesn't matter how you start, just how you finish. What a divine thought that when we get to heaven, no one is looking at the "back",only our perfect "fronts".

Bloggin' at its Finest!

I decided to hop on and see what my other friends are blogging about and I find it very refreshing to see there are "some of us" who have not blogged in quite some time. You know who you are and thank you for not being "perfect"! And for those who have posted something in the last 2 months, "well done you" and I enjoyed catching up with you!
Here is a quick update from "our neck of the woods"...literally.

Mo is currently serving on a jury for a murder trial. Although I don't know details other than what I see on the news, it is very graphic, involves a young girl and he hasn't slept well in a week. It is expected to go on another 3 weeks. Pray for God to use this in his life...although I don't know how God uses that kind of thing but know He can.

Kami is doing really well this year and we got her information packet for high school registration....sigh. Still into music, computers and books. Boys, make up and clothes are not on the radar...thank ya Jesus. Thinking she will be home with us for only 4 more years...just doesn't seem like enough. She really enjoys her bible study group. Already has her life mapped out: exchange student in England for her jr year then off to Columbia to major in journalism. She will spread her wings and fly!

Kori is doing well also although 5th grade has been hard (even I am ready to be done with the school year). Still playing hockey and looking forward to swim team as well as skiing. She wants to live with us forever, "My husband and I can live in the basement and I can wipe your bottom when you get too old.". Of course she is still wanting to open a "hotel for homeless people so they can take a bath" and is chomping at the bit for us to start foster care again so her hands maybe too full for bottom wiping when we are old.

I am with a home health agency and enjoying it. Love the elderly! I try to read or knit when possible but mostly enjoy cooking and talking with the girls. I just started to volunteer at a local foster care agency a couple hours a week doing whatever.

We are home shopping which is always fun except Colorado is an expensive place to live and we are tighter that Dick's hatband! And it is just a house so it is really not that big of a deal. I would be thrilled with an old fixer upper! Something to gut and rebuild! God has the perfect place for us that will allow us to serve foster kids and a few cadets from the Air Force Academy..just have to wait until He shows us.

Still looking for a church home. Have about 50 in a 10 mile radius but nothing like our little Southern Baptist FBC Sanger! Texas really does have the most friendly people on Earth.

And I have come to the conclusion that Coloradians (is that a real word??) do not particularly like to eat...or at least cook. None of my girlfriends like to cook! How crazy is that?! Nothing revolves around food. No homes have big 'ole kitchens. I offer to share recipes with my friends to which their husbands reply, "Don't bother. She will never make it. She doesn't cook." Blaspheme! To which I really want to reply, "And you married her??". I say, "let me bring a meal to you.", and they look at me like I have a third eye! To them I must be some kind of "Paula Deen wackaloon". I tell them it is the southern way, every Texas woman worth her weight in salt is this way and there is no situation that food especially that with gravy or processed cheese can not remedy. Perhaps this is why Texas leads the nation in "most unhealthy places to live" but we wear that banner with pride! So, I have made it my mission to reclaim the Sunday Family Meal in the name of Jesus to this way ward state! Invite friends, family and neighbors and lets break bread! The only fly in the ointment is that currently our kitchen and dinning room put together are the size of the women's restroom at Target. But alas, I will prevail! I have also come to the conclusion that it must be the result of all the Californians who have moved here and contaminated the place.

Are You Afraid?

I have started studying the book of Proverbs in preparation for a bible study with a friend of mine. In the first chapter, I am already swimming in great "stuff"!
Our pastor said in a sermon many Sundays past that "wisdom is what you ought to do based on how the world works". I don't know if those are his words or another person's, but I like it!
In Chapter 1, the first few verses point out the purpose of Proverbs: attaining wisdom, discipline, insight, prudence, knowledge and discretion for the young, and for the wise (aka old people could be added here, or maybe not) to add to their learning. I don't know about you but I could use a bit or a lot of all those! But maybe that is just me.
In verse 7 is his first point and the one that I am camping on this morning.
"The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge."
As I roll around in my head what does a "fear" of the Lord mean, I come up with a lot of thoughts but nothing I can put in five words or less. However what a statement to start a book on wisdom!
If we do not have fear of the Lord then the Bible essential means nothing to us. Why follow one word of it? Why read it? Why attend church or worship at all? If we do not fear the Lord then why do we even care what He said? I think it is safe to say that if you do not have fear of the Lord than you wouldn't give one iota to any of it.
And I think that is precisely what has happened in our world. We, as a whole, have taken God out of everything possible and even taken Him out of those things not possible. We thumb our nose at Him and turn our backs at His word all in the name of "We have it under control. We don't need you. Mentioning your name offends others." We have done this without so much as a thought as to whom it truly offends: God, himself! There is no fear of the Lord in our world, in our government, in our schools, or in our communities.
I read an article about a well known atheist who is dying of cancer. He continues to not believe in God and his response to those believers who write to him to let him know they are praying for him is this, "Pray for me if it will make you feel better but do not pray on my account."
It blows my mind. To be on your deathbed and believe that Jesus Christ, the almighty powerful healer and savior, has nothing to over you. It moves me to tears.
Sorry, Charlie Daniels, this world doesn't need a few more rednecks. It needs a healthy dose of "fear of the Lord".