Sunday, January 22, 2012

Commitment

I am so glad that I live in a day where we have wonderful technology!  I am so glad I don't have to wash clothes by hand!  I'm so glad I have a phone in my purser that helps me navigate when I don't know where I'm going and also gives me games to play while I'm in the carpool line at my kids school waiting for my turn.  I love my microwave that help me prepare a quick meal on baseball practice days.  I feel so blessed to live in this day and time!

I have a friend named Pat.  Pat is a precious sister in Christ and in her early 80's.  I'm sure if you sat down and asked her about the progression of technology she has seen over her lifetime she would amaze you with her answer.  From no TVs to TVs in our cars.  From ice boxes to refrigerators.  From no phones to phones in our cars.  Wow!  The changes she has seen.

Along with the positive changes, there have been some negative changes... changes you and I have noticed but maybe have become immune to.  Changes to stuff like what we watch on TV, changes to how we value the Word of God, and maybe changes to what commitment looks like. 

It's the change in our commitment standards that's really bugging me today.  I see people leaving marriages for lack of commitment.  I see people volunteering but not following through on their commitment to help.  I see people committing to things and then for whatever reason just not keeping their commitments.  That really bugs me.  Where is the integrity in our words if our words don't really mean what we say?  Can someone consider me honest if I tell you I will do something but don't follow through?

This past week we had a gentleman in his 60's give us a bid for some repairs around our home.  Not a big deal other than he showed up when he said he would and he got us the bid back in writing sooner than he agreed to do so.  There's a younger guy that supposed to give us a bid.  It's now 1:30 and he was supposed to be here at 12:30.  Isn't that interesting.  It looks to me like a lack of commitment.

And then there's my friend Pat that I mentioned.  This week she watched her husband of 62 years leave this world and go to his eternal home in Heaven.  She stood by her man in sickness and in health, until in death did he depart.  Were all of their 62 years amazing great with no struggles and no fights?  I bet not!  But she honored her commitment.  She is a woman of integrity and honor and grace and, well, a woman of commitment. 

What are you committed to?  Are you keeping your commitments? 

Lord, help me to be a woman of integrity.  Help me to honor my commitments.  Thank you for blessing me with a friend like Pat.  Please bless Pat as she mourns the loss of her husband.  Thank you for the example they set for the rest of us as they walked together as husband and wife.  ~ Amen

Monday, January 16, 2012

Livin' the Dream

Today we remember Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  I can't think of him and not think of the words, "I have a dream."  Our lives were changed for the better because Dr. King, along with countless others, had a dream that the world we live in would consider all people equal.  Although we have a ways to go worldwide, I do see that dream coming true.

Dr. King was not just a any dreamer, he was a Christian dreamer.  You see I believe there is a difference between those that love Jesus that dream, and those that don't love Jesus that dream.  In Psalm 37:4 it says that if you delight yourself in the Lord, He will give you the desires of your heart.  So, for those that do not follow Jesus, their dreams may or may not come true.  But for those of us that follow Jesus, for those of us who call Him "Lord", I strongly believe He will allow our dreams to come true.  In His timing, He will give us that believe and delight ourselves in Him the desires of our hearts.

Ok, so there's a few of you that might be thinking this is just not accurate.  There are some Christians, some of them my friends, that have prayed for months and even years to have children, or to receive healing, or something major, and it has not come to pass.  I don't pretend to know God's ways.   I don't know what He has planned in all our lives, but I do know one thing.  I know that if we delight in Him, He will give us our dreams.  It will just be in His timing and not our own.  And, I also know that if we delight in Him, He will cause our desires/dreams to change to line up with His plan for our life.  I know both of these from personal experience. 

I dreamed of having kids, but in 2000 was pretty tired of praying for a family.  After two miscarriages and lots of tearful nights, I wasn't sure that God's timing was good.  I wasn't even sure God heard my prayers!  Looking back now I can see that God's timing was perfect.  I did get those kids I prayed and asked God to give me, but it was in His timing and not mine.  I remind myself how much I prayed for kids every time one of those little answers to prayers smarts off to me or rolls their eyes at me!  HA!

And I'm so glad that God changed some of the desires of my heart as I've delighted myself in Him. The closer I've gotten to Jesus, the less important my business has been to me.  The closer I've gotten to Jesus, the more important women's ministry has become to me.  I no longer am concerned with what my net income looks like for my company, but yet I am more concerned with reaching souls for Christ.  I'm so glad God is changing my desires!

Today as we think about "I have a dream", I pray that each one reading this will think of their dreams.  I pray that each one will think about delighting themselves in the Lord so their dreams will come true!  He is the Giver of all things good!  He does make dreams come true!

Jesus, thanks for giving me the desires of my heart.  Thanks for making my dreams come true.  You are an amazing and gracious God.   ~ Amen

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBx4vPr27fo&feature=related

Monday, January 9, 2012

"On Your Feet. Get Moving!"

Monday and it's raining. There's nothing else I'd rather do on a Monday when it's raining than to just stay in my bed and sleep.  But there's work to be done.  There's laundry that won't wash itself.  There's dishes that just don't jump out the the dishwasher into my cabinet.  There are kids that want to eat, and like three times a day!! There's no time to rest. Mondays seem so harsh.

After starting all my chores this morning I sat down to read from the Message Bible.  I've decided to read the entire Message version of the Bible this year.  (You should consider this.  It's a great way to read the whole Bible!)  Today I was reading about Abram who was later called Abraham.  I can't wait to meet him and his wife when I get to heaven.  We know from scriptures that Abram was a man of faith.  In Genesis 12 God promised Abram that he would be a great nation.  Abram had faith in God and did what He said.  When God told Abram to move, he did.  God wanted to bless him, but to get that blessing he had to move.  As a matter of fact, God told him in Genesis 13:17, "on your feet, get moving!"

"On your feet.  Get moving."  God had blessings for Abram but in order to get those blessings he had to get moving.  He couldn't sit still.  He had to do as God said.  He couldn't just sit there and wait.  He had to go get them.

I think it's interesting that on a day that I want to crawl back in the bed, I read, "on your feet, get moving!"  Nothing will stop if I stay in bed all day.  I could do there laundry tomorrow and my kids could fix themselves cereal to eat.  But if God has blessings for me today, I don't want to miss it!  I don't know what they are, but I hear Him whispering to me, "on your feet, get moving!"  I want those blessings from my Savior. 

Now I'm fired up about my day.  I can't wait to see what God does in my life today and this week.  It's giving me a new perspective about Monday.  Today is the day the Lord has made and He has a blessing waiting for me.  Now that I think about it, He has already blessed me.  My family woke up healthy and got off to school and work safely.  It is raining and we sooooo desperately need rain in San Antonio.  My son gave me some extra hugs this morning.  I'm so glad I didn't miss that to stay in bed and rest! 

Lord, Bring on the blessings!  I'm ready for this day Lord.  I'm ready to walk through this day and the rest of my life for you.  Sometimes in my humanness it's tough to get going.  But I know you have great things in mind for me Lord.  So today I choose not to lay around but to get on my feet and get moving.  Today I choose your will for me, Lord!  Thanks for the many, many, many blessings this day will bring! ~ Amen

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Watch Out 2012! Here I come!!

It's 2012 and I am excited.  I know my God has GREAT plans for me and I can't wait to see what He does this year.  I began 2012 in Mississippi with my family there.  If you haven't been to Mississippi you should go.  It's beautiful.  The people there speak funny, but it's so sweet.  And, they have grits everywhere!  There's grits for breakfast and there even shrimp and grits for supper.  YUMMY!!!

My parents house in Mississippi is always a fun place for my kids to be.  My daughter, Leanna, loves to be there because she loves horses and my parents board horses for some friends.  As soon as we arrived at "The Mims Ranch" my daughter kisses her grandparents and rushes out to the field to pet the horses.  She spends most of her day talking to those beautiful animals. 

This time we got a little surprise the last day of our visit.  Leanna, now 10 years old, bridled a horse and road it bareback across the field.  Now, that's really not a big deal except for the fact that she did this without asking/telling us that she was gonna do it!  I could have passed out when I saw her out the window.  We were all inside and there she was, riding like she was a professional.  I was ready to tar and feather her because that was a dangerous thing to do!  But she was riding so well and really knew what she was doing. (She's had a few lessons in the past.) When she finished her ride I asked her what she was thinking when she was climbing the fence to then climb on the horse.  She said she was scared but prayed to God twice for help.  She said she knew He was watching her.

Faith like a child!  Jesus said we should have faith like a child, I just had never thought of it like this.  I would much rather my daughter stay up under my wing for the rest of her life and never take risks.  But if she does this, she will never get to experience life as God intended.  She has to grow up.  She has to take chances.  Doggoneit!! 

As we drove back to San Antonio yesterday (10 hours for the love of Pete!!) I thought about my daughter's adventurous side.  God has been giving me a verse this morning as I continue to think about her adventure and what other adventures He has for her and for me in the future.   Romans 8:31 says  "If God is for us, who can ever be against us?"  And really, if God is for us, then who in the world could be against us?!?!?!  Who or what can harm us if God is our Protector?!?!??!  Psalm 91 says He sends His angles to watch over us so we won't even hit our toes on a stone if He doesn't allow it!

Knowing that God is for me makes a difference.  It makes me want to be adventurous.  It makes me want to have more fun.  It makes me want to put God first.  I want to be on His team.  I want Him to be my coach.  I want to live an adventurous life.  I want 2012 to be amazing.   I want to...I want to...well, I want to be a little more like Leanna this year.  She knows God is for her.  She has faith like.....well..... like a child.
Jesus, thanks for watching out for me. Thanks for protecting my Leanna and my family.  Thanks for giving us a beautiful world to live an adventurous life in. I love this adventure I'm on with You. Help me to show the world how wonderful life can be when You are what we put first.  I love and adore you my King, my Savior and my Friend. ~ Amen