There's Been a Change of Plans...

It seems like the only thing I can count on lately is that nothing will go according to plan, so that's probably why this blog that I just read spoke to me so clearly and emphatically. I hope some of you can also benefit from the reminder that I apparently needed.


http://dianneguthmuller.com/4-things-to-remember-when-you-have-a-change-in-plans-john-44-3/

Be open to divine appointments this weekend, and be blessed!

Maria

Roller Coasters

"For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under the law but under grace." Romans 6:14

I really don't like roller coasters. It's not that I'm afraid when I'm on one but, rather, that they leave me off-balance and with a terrible headache. When it comes to staying off Pythons, Cobras, Hurricanes, and equally sinister-sounding rides, I'm pretty resolute. Why would I want to do something that makes me feel awful?? Why indeed.

For about ten years now, I've not just been riding a roller coaster; I've been living on one. It's one I built all by myself, constructed with lies I bought into and behavior I enjoyed. "This won't hurt you." "You work hard and deserve a treat." "No one will know." Isn't that always how it is? The enemy feeds us a lie, sells us a bag of goods that we believe to be one thing, but it turns out to be another. Eventually, it becomes something we do without conscious thought, or it's something we're completely aware is wrong but don't want to give up, something we feel entitled to. In my case, it's overeating and lack of exercise, but it could just as easily be an inappropriate relationship, gossip, resentment, overspending, poor time management, neglecting God's Word, faithlessness. Ultimately, it's all pride and, eventually, it becomes a battleground. God says, "This is not my plan for you. This will leave you feeling empty and separated from Me. This road leads to death." Despite His admonitions, we get on the ride, promising we'll go around just one more time and --well-- we all know how that goes.

So today, I'm writing for a multitude of reasons. To confess. To be accountable. To affirm that I cannot do this any longer...And not just because my cholesterol is too high and my knee stays swollen and my back is one long spasm...But because I want spiritual restoration and the guilt to go away...because I know that, though the Bible says that "...there is, therefore, now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus", it also says, "Shall we continue to sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!". Christ died "so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin". Bottom line--continuing to ride this roller coaster of sin and shame makes a mockery of the cross. This isn't new knowledge. I've been here before. I'm just hoping that this time I've made a permanent connection between these partiular choices I make and the consequences in my health and my relationships with God and others.

Have you been on any emotional roller coasters lately? How's that workin' for ya?  Maybe it's time for a change.

Norman Rockwell and White Picket Fences

Sometimes I wish that the game of life were more like a painting or a pallet of color; intentionally blended to a visual perfection complete with the artist's signature in the corner. But it's not. It is a forward motion of hues and sometimes the colors conflict and run in an inexplicable direction. I have struggled my entire life to make everything look good, to make everyone believe that my pallet is perfect... as if every day were the final presentation. of my art.  I was always claiming my independence and strength with hidden tears that were cried in the middle of the night, unseen and unheard by anyone, including those closest to me. I have always taken the stance that I don't need help or sympathy and I am simply fine doing things my way. A picture is only a picture and it's only perfect because the artist has had time to make corrections as he chooses. Life is quite different. Mistakes can be made privately and publicly, mistakes that hurt you and your loved ones. I'm sure that even Norman Rockwell had real life issues that were not represented by his art, yet I believe that I can't be the only one that desires to personify his paintings. The harder I try to make Christmas feel like ice skaters and snowflakes, the more frustrating it becomes to achieve the impossible. I don't ice skate and it doesn't even snow in Florida. Sometimes reality can hit you in the eye like bleach.

Things like Facebook and other social websites become our own Rockwell painting. I look through my pictures and see laughter and good times representing nothing of the real pain and struggle that is consecutive and consecrated in the everyday real stuff. A white picket fence looks so pretty when it's clean and freshly painted, but beneath the dirt is what really holds it up...and that's not the part that we want people to see. Oh, how we struggle to keep loss, pain, rejection and suffering below the dirt. Everything is "fine", everything is "perfect". My Norman Rockwell in actuality was far less than perfect when you mix real life into it. While raising my son, things were never perfect. His family was broken, how could there be perfection? I constantly struggled to maintain control of everything. He constantly struggled to be his own man and I wanted to keep him mine, and safe. Though we are exactly alike, sometimes it was water and oil in my effort to control everything. I never knew joy until he came in to my life and I look at him now and I am humbled that I had even a piece of it. It was an experience that I would not trade for anything in the world. My challenges however were created by me alone. I really never reached out to anyone "standing in my corner" and to be honest, I really wouldn't have recognized that there was anyone in my corner. I was tired and alone and always felt that, like my gas tank, my corner was empty. Unlike the artist, in real life you can't just trash your work and start over with a clean slate every time. In the process of starting over, you have undoubtedly left someone's emotions behind. You may have unintentionally just brushed right through the heart of someone you love in your attempt to repaint the pretty picture. The older I get, the more I realize that my canvas is not new, my colors have aged and the paint is chipping from previous unresolved issues. Those restarts weren't really restarts and my emotional thickness that I carried for so long has thinned and brittled. I no longer keep it together like I used to. There was a ten year period in my life that I can recall never shedding a single tear in anyone's presence. My own heart thought that I myself was broken. I was made of steel, inside, outside, and all the way through...unfortunately I tend to still behave like steel but I can crumble like aluminum at the drop of a hat. Reality really does hit you in the eye like bleach.

As I peel back the layers of paint, my tears drop on the canvas and don't always blend with the oil. It is my picture and I can't change any of the past. I used what I had at the time and I drew from the only source of strength that I knew. I often misinterpreted and misunderstood what I thought I knew. I acted when I should have listened, barreled  through when I should have regrouped, stood on a lone corner and failed to recognize my allies. I somehow got to where I am with enough of "me" left to offer my husband something real that includes the dirt, the paint and the canvas. I thank God for that. I also thank God for my son, although we have a tendency to clash externally at times, he is part of my internal canvas and I am part of his. We are bonded together and always will be. He shared my heartbeat for nine months and he was the most important thing in my life. He is exactly like me, the good, the bad and the ugly, and we will continue to forge our way through this painting until the day I lay my head down and sign my name for the very last time.

1 Corinthians 13:12 Now we see things imperfectly as in a cloudy mirror, but then we will see everything with perfect clarity. All that I know now is partial and incomplete, but then I will know everything completely, just as God now knows me completely. (NLT)

It doesn't have to be pretty to be beautiful.

R-E-S-P-E-C-T

Tonight I ran into the Dollar Store to buy materials to make my mother-in-law's birthday gift (I'm not cheap...Well, yes, I am, but it's what she wants; I promise!). I was at the end of a very long line to pay for my items and heard the adorable, young (maybe 17 or 18 year-old) cashier ask every customer she rang up if they'd like to donate a dollar to buy a needy child's school supply. As far as I could tell, each customer before me said, "No", and went on about his business. By the time I reached the girl, her voice sounded noticeably defeated, but it didn't keep her from doing her job. "Would you like to donate a dollar to buy a needy child's school supply?" Honestly, I said "Yes" because I felt sorry for her, not the needy children, but it didn't seem to matter. Her face lit up like a Christmas tree as she thanked me, reached over to pull a cheap calculator out of a little basket of equally-cheap merchandise, and drop it in a marked shipping box. I started a casual conversation with her about how long the calculator might actually last, and she laughed. Then she said something that's stayed with me all night and into this morning. She said, "You wouldn't believe how rude people can be when you ask them to donate a dollar. All they really have to say if they don't want to is, 'no' or 'no, thanks', but I've had people get mad at me." Apparently, she'd gotten an earful more than once about the state of the economy and unemployment and how people wouldn't be shopping at the Dollar Store if they could afford to donate a school supply to someone else's kid.

I know a man--a believer--who got gas at the same place every week for years. One day, the gas station was sold to a Muslim man. Think what you will, but the Christian admitted to me that he initially considered changing gas stations because he felt uncomfortable with the middle-easterner and strongly disagreed with his religious views, but he was strongly convicted not to do so. Instead, he started going into the store to pay for his gas instead of paying at the pump, and often he would buy a cup of coffee and spend a few minutes talking to the owner about business or the weather or whatever. He did this for two years, and the men became friends. Eventually, the Christian went on a Mission Trip for a couple of weeks and was missed at the gas station. Upon his return, the business owner inquired about his trip, and my friend had the opportunity to tell him about his relationship with Christ that compelled him to share God's love with others. It was a seed planted and, approximately a year after that, the Muslim was led to faith in Christ by my friend.

By now you're wondering what the connection is between these two stories. Well, if you know me, you know that I tend to think in tangents. My Dollar Store cashier got me thinking about all the political and social positioning going on these days and how differently people are responding to it. We're polarized by hot issues like healthcare and homosexuality and--Lord, help us!--chicken sandwiches. There's no doubt we each have our own beliefs and values and opinions but, at the end of the day and at our core, I believe we're all fundamentally the same...in desperate need of love and grace, desiring to be treated with dignity and respect. I'm not suggesting Christians negotiate truth. I'm just saying that, if I want people to repect my values whether they agree with them or not, then I must do the same. I can't expect the world to lead the way on this one or even reciprocate. I'm promised in 1 Cor. 2:14 that "The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit." These next words, written by the brother of another friend of mine several months ago, also express what I'm thinking pretty succintly.

"...When people fall in love with Jesus, they are compelled, through the work of the Holy Spirit, to change their life. When a nation is full of people who have met Jesus and are a new creation because of it, murder rates drop, people stop hating each other, people start embracing generosity instead of greed, marriages survive pride and selfishness, children grow up with mothers and fathers in the home. And that nation’s policies will naturally start to reflect its values without the need for lobbying or picketing or fighting."

I don't know. I'm just a woman who can't sleep and ends up thinking too much. You mull it over and decide for yourself. I promise to respect your opinion either way.

~Maria

Miracle Grow

I guess you could say I've never had a "green thumb". I've never been able to a keep plants alive in my home. I'm sad to say I even killed a cactus, now that's  pretty bad. I really had a hard time remembering to water them until it was too late. I was always just too busy with my life to slow down and care for them. I'd see them and think, I need to water that plant soon but I never took the time to do it. I knew what I was suppose to do but yet never did it. So yet another plant would bite the dust and be tossed into the garbage can, lifeless and hard as a rock.

So I gave up on being a plant person, that is until I inherited my mother's plants when she passed away. My mother was an avid plant person and gardener. She would sit for hours in the yard pulling weeds and pruning plants, getting dirty, stiff and tired. I could never understand how she could waste so much time on something that seemed to me to be so difficult. But she preserved and had beautiful plants and I just thought I didn't inherent the plant gene. But now, I have learned that it takes work, we must tend to the weeds as to not choke out the plant, prune off the dead and dying parts that weigh it down and that stop new growth, water and feed and provide abundant sunlight and protection from the cold weather. I've learned through taking care of these plants is how I should live my life as a Christian woman.

Such is life. As I now tend to my mother's plants, I pray, I talk to her for guidance and I've come to understand the importance of of being thorough and following instructions to have beautiful blooming plants as well as a beautiful abundant life in Christ. Just as plants have instructions for care, so do we and it's the Word of God. It's all there! Every doubt, every problem we could ever face and every question of why can all be answered in God's word. Like the importance of pulling weeds in a plant, we must pull the weeds in our life so that we may bloom into the beautiful person God intends us to be. But we MUST DO THE WORK! Not just sometimes sprinkle ourselves from our instruction book of God's word but everyday feed ourselves. To totally surrender every aspect of lives to God, so the weeds of the enemy can not creep in and choke our growth. But we are human and we sometimes do fail and the weeds do come but we must quickly pull them and know that God will ALWAYS forgive us and nourish us for he gave us His Son Jesus Christ so that we may always know Him. How awesome is that? 

I'm happy to say that all my mother's plants are thriving and taking care of them has blessed me in so many ways. As well as inheriting the plants I have my mother's tools and box of Miracle Grow but even better then that I have her bible which in essence is our "Miracle Grow"...our instruction book  on how to live a happy, joyous and abundant life in Christ! 

Thank you Mom for planting the seeds in me...I'm finally doing what it takes to bloom! 

Peace, Deb

For He shall grow up before Him as a tender plant, and as 

a root out of dry ground ~ Isaiah 53:2

It's Gonna Hit'cha

I was in training this week to learn about some of the latest science in the biology of addiction, coming to understand more about the power of our brains' limbic system and how it can totally hijack us at a moment's notice. The trainer, a Duke University professor, stressed that while relapse can be a process (with the addict making a series of poor choices that render him susceptible to using), it can also be an event brought on by something sudden...a trigger that slaps one in the face and leads to an impulsive and deeply regrettable act, no matter how dangerous or destructive. Borrowing from a fellow researcher in a related field, he referred to events like this as "STUGs": sudden, transient, upsurges of grief.

For several moments as he talked about these overwhelming emotional reactions to stimuli, I stopped thinking about my clients and started thinking about STUGs I've experienced in my own life. I also had a liberating moment of clarity about a specific loss I've suffered and my seeming inability to "get over it" once and for all. Two years have gone by, but there are related memories and feelings that still hit me suddenly, when the pain is just as palpable and just as overwhelming as it was the first day. I had one such "event" earlier this week, and I'm embarrassed to say that I allowed it to completely derail me for days. Who'd have thought God would use professional development to offer me freedom? Why does He still amaze me?

Rather than beat myself up about this "powerlessness" I often feel, this new understanding I've gained about the nature of STUGs empowers me. I know the wave will come, but I also know it will recede. A craving lasts about 15 minutes. 15 minutes. That is not relapse; it is just a reminder that the addict has already waged this war at least once before and won, and if he has won once, he can do it again. And again. And again. On the other hand, if the addict gives in to the craving, a downward spiral begins that can go on for a lifetime. So it is, in varying degrees of complexity and severity, with any area of our lives that holds power over us. Regret. Overeating. Unforgiveness. Anger. Grief. Depression. When a STUG throws open the door, we can choose to let it come in and eventually go, or we can invite it in and serve it iced tea. It' simple, but it's not easy. victory is possible though.

"For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship." Romans 8:37

~Maria

A Spark

Escalation of an argument into a full blown door slammer. You can see it coming a mile away and yet, like a locomotive unable to stop, it happens. One word too many was said or one word too few.
“Sorry” “Thanks” “Okay”
Maybe 3 words too few.
And these arguments usually begin because someone is tired or frustrated by a situation and the other person doesn’t realize it or maybe even care. Either way, there’s a spark and then, instead of being diffused, something flammable is thrown on it. A look,  an unkind word, or a selfish remark. In an instant, the spark is given life and grows into a little fire.
Now water can still douse this little fire but if careful consideration isn’t made, the fire grows. Argument becomes door slammer. Everyone is disappointed and everyone is upset…and everyone is adamant that they are right. And no one wins.
I hate those arguments. Despise them. I have sat in my bedroom many times contemplating the moment the flames ignited and wishing it weren’t so. Wishing that the words could be taken back and kindness would replace ambivalence…but wishing doesn’t make it so. And 700 compliments can be erased with just one careless comment.
This therapist I know once said that underneath all anger is hurt and I know that it sounds simplistic and I’m probably the last human being on earth to have realized it, but that’s the truth. How many door slammers have happened in your life that were a direct result of being hurt…and angry?
Diffuse the sparks and extinguish the tiny little flames with the people in your life. If you’re hurt, say so. Maybe they have no idea how they’ve hurt you! And then find a way to move on.
My wisdom isn’t always put into action, friends…but I do know what I’m talking about.

Proverbs 19:11 Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense.

James 1:19,20 Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God. 

Ephesians 4:26-27 In your anger do not sin. Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry, and do not give the devil a foothold.

Praying tonight that I send the devil packing.
Blessings,
Amy 

Conversations With God

"God, I am really sorry about today. I promise I will give you more time tomorrow." How often do I wage these apologies, full of excuses and reasons of why I failed to fall on one knee? I still feel his hands on my heart, waiting patiently for me, as I rumble through life and all of the responsibilities that resemble a perpetual hamster wheel.
The day ends and I have forgotten to say thank you.

 Another sunrise, another beautiful day encroaches and I am angry and irritated at people who fail my expectations. "I am sorry God, it's just a bad time right now. Stay there, I will be back in a minute." And yet another moment of procrastination with the Father. I can feel his arms hug me in the warm breeze as I walk to my car. He is still there. Oh good, I'll visit with Him tomorrow, I think to myself, as I cram in lists of what needs to be done by noon. The day ends and I have forgotten to say thank you.

A beautiful rain storm and cool breeze follow the next day. I am frustrated over my plans being canceled because of the weather. I gather my to-do list and try to accomplish as much as I can on this one day... to make the most of it, again failing to "fill my tank" so to speak. "Ok God, I will devote some time with you as soon as I am done, maybe I will crack the bible a little later." I pull in to the driveway and see that my lawn looks greener than it has in the past and the hibiscus looks happy and healthy. As I walk under the tree, I feel tears on my shoulder. Raindrops falling from the leaves penetrate my shirt. "I know God, I overlooked you again, I will do better." Another missed opportunity to rest in His arms that remain open and patiently waiting for me to surrender. The day ends and I have forgotten to say thank you.

Another day passes and I am blessed repeatedly... blessed by my husband who is the most wonderful man ever created for me, blessed by my children, all of them, mine and his....blessed by my grandchildren who are gifts straight from Heaven. I am blessed by the friends that He designed just for me. The day is filled with laughter and food and sharing. Goodness abounds and I feel like I can conquer the world. "God, I am having a great day, I am going to get back with you tonight and I am going to bend a knee and acknowledge all that you have given me." The day passes in to night and I am so exhausted that I fall asleep on the couch until my husband gently reminds me to go to bed. Another day and I have forgotten to say thank you.

How many of these conversations have I had? Endless weeks of "busy"...endless weeks of "I'll get back to you" and yet I know that He is always there. The very second that I take a moment to reflect on Him, it is as if I never left. I know as a Christian woman that there are valleys and peaks in my relationship with my Creator. I have fervently pursued His word and His will for my life, and there are times I have selfishly procrastinated. Even with all of that, there is never a time that I have felt abandoned. The very second that I reach out, He is there, reaching for me. I don't deserve that kind of patience or loyalty or grace, but it is there. He doesn't know any other way to love us. That's just who He is.

Peggy

So Much Goodness!

Do you ever just sit in amazement at how good God is? It's as if He delights in blessing us. Oh, wait...His Word says that's exactly how He feels, doesn't it? Well, knowing God is good doesn't stop me from being blown away when He lavishes His love on me in such abundance, and that's exactly what He did this week.

Tuesday night was the annual fundraising banquet for our local Crisis Pregnancy Center and, several months ago, Pam Tebow committed to be the guest speaker for the event. I was grocery shopping right before Christmas when I ran into the Center's Executive Director. Knowing that I went to UF and love all things Gator, she asked me if my husband and I would like to sit at her table for dinner with Mrs. Tebow on April 10. That was an easy question to answer! In early March, she and I met again at a fundraiser for another ministry, and she asked if I would decorate our table that night, in keeping with the banquet's football theme. Since I just happen to have a few orange and blue things laying around, I happily agreed to do so. Then on Monday evening as I was putting the table's centerpiece together, my friend came and asked me if I would like to take Mrs. Tebow to the airport on Wednesday morning. Ummm....let me think about it....YES!

Pam Tebow is a beautiful woman with a passion for the Word of God. Her message at the banquet to over 1700 people communicated her commitment to life and family, and I was convicted about how many opportunities I've lost over the years with my own children. More than that though, I was reminded of how big God is (big enough to redeem my failures) and how worthy He is of my devotion and service. His plans for each of us...even the unborn...are for our welfare and not calamity, to give us a future and a hope. He really does delight in delighting His child, and the best way to insure He can do that is for me to cling to Him and rely on Him to plant dreams in my heart and then help me realize them.

That's obviously what He has done in the Tebow family. It's also obvious to me now that Tim's humility and charitable heart are genuine because I have seen those same qualities in his mother. When I picked her up at her hotel yesterday, she hugged me and made me feel like we were old friends, and that feeling only grew as we chatted on the ride. She is from Tampa, so we talked about "home". Her oldest daughter who is a missionary in Thailand was a Music major in college, so we had that in common as well. It took us over 45 minutes to make a 30 minute trip because of a traffic back-up on the interstate; it was as if God wanted to give me every second He could with this delightful woman, this walking example of Proverbs 31. Mrs. T and I talked for another five minutes or so in the drop-off zone at the airport and then prayed together in my car. She jotted some words in my husband's copy of her son's book and, because I had mentioned earlier that my daughter had a "wall of encouragement" in her dorm room, Pam wrote her a sweet note that she'll receive tomorrow. What struck me the most as we hugged goodbye was really not anything about Mrs.Tebow, myself, or even my friend who had provided me with this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Rather, I was just acutely aware that God had been very much with me on this little trip. He was the reason there were no awkward silences in the car. His love created the fellowship. His hand was the one doling out blessings.

When was the last time you stopped to think about all the ways, including those creative and subtle ones, that God demonstrates His love for you? As if His death and resurrection had not been enough and despite our failings, He gives us His presence, power, and so many gifts each day - grace to bear the bad news you've been dreading, the ability to meet that deadline you thought you'd surely miss, a simple hug from your child that lets you know he really does appreciate you, a husband who does something before you ask him to, a washing machine that spontaneously starts working after three days of not working--saving you from an expensive repair bill, or an hour alone with Pam Tebow. God-smiles, I call them. I'll never understand why He does it, but I'm going to try to do a better job of acknowledging His goodness, thanking him for it, and paying it forward.

"Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from The Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." - James 1:17

~Maria

Passover Remembered.

OH HOLY NIGHT.

Exodus 12:6-  The date of the 14th of Nisan given for Passover.  Sunset on April 6, 2012
Exodus 12:13, 14- God commands it be an everlasting ordinance. 
Luke 22:7- Christ commands disciples to go prepare Passover so He can partake of it with them.  This would of course have been on the 14th of Nisan.
Luke 22:14 Christ shares Passover meal with disciples the evening before He is crucified. (our April 7th)
Luke 22:19,20- Christ reveals Himself as the Passover... the bread and the wine... the body and blood.
Luke 22:39- Christ shows the very depth of His "man" in the Garden of Gethsemane.  Sorrowful scriptures.
1 Corinthians 5:7- Christ, OUR Passover lamb.
John 3:16- All because He loves us THAT much.  "God so loved the world..."

Oh HOLY Night.  How blessed we are to have the WORD of God to give us such insight and personal connection with our Creator and Savior.  How blessed we are to know the very days of such Sacred and Holy events that changed the universe.

Oh to really, really, really grasp and understand THAT LOVE!

"... that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God."  Ephesians 3:17-19~  

THAT YOU MAY BE FILLED WITH ALLLL THE FULLNESS OF GOD!!!!!!!!!

Praise Him!

All to Him I Owe

I woke up this morning feeling the weight of my sin. Good Friday is just a day on the calendar, and by that I mean that I'm no more guilty today than I was yesterday. Still, it's a day on the calendar designed to remind me, remind us all, that God paid the ultimate price to free us. How could my freedom mean that much to The Creator of the universe? I can't wrap my head around it, and I suppose that's why so many intellectuals choose not to believe. But it's not about intellect. "For it is by grace you are saved, through faith, not of yourselves so that no man can boast." I'm so grateful for His grace, but I'm just as thankful for the gift of faith to believe.

Chuck Colson shared the following a couple of years ago on his radio broadcast. I thought it worth sharing again this morning.

Can it really be just three months ago we gathered with loved ones to celebrate Christmas? What joy we felt as we celebrated the birth of the baby Jesus. Emmanuel. God with us.

But today, on Good Friday, we reflect on how that beautiful babe in the manger came to fulfill a mission. A terrible and glorious mission! God invaded planet Earth. He became a human child, to live as one of us, to call us to repent, to love God with our whole heart, minds, and souls, and our neighbors as ourselves.

And today we should tremble and shudder as we remember the horrible climax of His mission. Beaten, scourged, mocked, and stabbed, Jesus mounted the cross, receiving the just punishment for your sins. For my sins. For the sins of the world.

This is why He came and died.

Yes, Easter is coming. The light is at the end of the tunnel. But that’s days away. Today, stop. Think about why He came and died.

He came because He knew that mankind was lost. He knew that we would kill our own babies in the womb by the millions. And that many would call this horrible evil good.

This is why He came and died.

He knew that hatred would drive men and women to strap bombs to themselves to kill innocent people in the name of religion.

This is why He came and died.

He knew that man would deny that God was his creator. That man would seek to remake himself in his own image, tamper with the genetic code, and treat human life as mere test-tube material.

This is why He came and died.

And He knew that His own bride, the Church, would grow cold and distant, forgetful of the faith given once for all. Comfortable with the world and its ways. Seeking relevance instead of love, pleasure instead of holiness.

This is why He came and died.

And He knew that you and I, covered with sin, could never stand before God, our all-holy Father, without His supreme sacrifice.

So today, don’t look ahead to Easter. Instead, reflect on the Passion. Examine your life. And repent! Repent of your sins, repent of your coldness of heart. Ask God to grant you the desire to serve Him, your Lord and Master, with all your strength.

And then, please, ask God for a spirit of repentance and revival to sweep down upon the Church—and upon the nations of the world. It is our only hope in these terrible, dark times.

May God Bless you on this terrible, wonderful day.
~Maria

Not Enough Time

I had major surgery two weeks ago and have been recuperating at home. I thought I'd have lots to blog about while I had a little extra time but, surprisingly, the urge hadn't hit me. Then, last night, I sat with a friend - a mother who is living every mother's worst nightmare - and thoughts poured through my mind. Unspeakable words. Senseless tragedy.

I layed in bed last night and thought of this beautiful, sweet boy and his grieving family, and I cried again. I was overwhelmed by the affirmation that darkness is real, and it is slowly swallowing up our children. We live in a culture that no longer values life. If the erosion had happened from one day to the next, no one would have stood for it, but it happened over decades, and those of us who should have spoken up were silent. Now that I want to speak, I find myself unable to...I'm at a loss for words. Questions that are spiritual in nature have become political, and I can only imagine how it saddens the heart of The Creator.

This is what I want to say, what I have to write.

Life comes from God, a precious and delicate gift. And while it is up to us to make use of the lives we're given, we've got to understand that we're just stewards. I'm not the "captain of my ship", and I've certainly got no authority to define for someone else what his or her "quality of life" should be. The truth is, life is hard. It's messy, and it's troubling. Much of the time, it hurts. We've bought into the lie that we deserve something less difficult, less painful, less uncomfortable and challenging, and we've raised a generation with that misconception. Now, they're paying the price, and so are we.

Before he went to his room last night, I told my son I loved him. I hugged him a little tighter than usual, and I looked him in the eyes to say, "There is nothing so bad that we cannot get through it together. That will always be true. God is bigger than any problem you will ever face, and that will always be true. He always has a higher purpose, though you may not see it, and He will always redeem the messes you make in life. That is His character, and it will always be true." 
If only I could share that message with every depressed teenager who has been deceived by the darkness and sees no way out....If only I could go back in time and share it again with this one, this boy being missed by his mom today.  

~Maria

G2K

Isaiah 41:10

New International Version (NIV)

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

Good to Know!

So I've come to the realization that we all struggle! Yes, it's actually taken me this long to figure it out! My whole life I've been searching for perfection. To be the perfect daughter, perfect wife and perfect mother, etc...and ALWAYS falling short!

Well, duuh! I've been so hard on myself trying to keep it all perfect that I made a huge mess of things and in the process and made so many others miserable!

Wow, what a hard truth to swallow!

Through God's word, I've found that people throughout time have ALWAYS struggled and those that were blessed had faith in God..NO MATTER WHAT!

Simple right? No, it's never going to be easy but it is very possible. Life is full of challenges for us all. The more we turn over every aspect of our struggles to God, the more we will given HIS peace,grace and mercy. Oh how I LOVE peace! It is so much nicer that turmoil. It makes me sad that for so many years I had it all wrong, but I can not dwell on that now. I can only give thanks and praise to the Lord, that I once was lost & now I am definitely FOUND!

Life is not about Perfection but Progress and THAT my friends is

SO GOOD TO KNOW!

Keep it real friends!

:) Deb

The Real Ugly Truth of It... and Then New Mercies!

Last night I was lying in bad, thinking, amongst all the other drama bouncing around in my head, about what a horrible blogger I have become!  I used to have my camera in hand at all times and blog about just about anything.  Then year by year, the posts became less and less and then there is the current... maybe posting 10 a month.  And without wonderful eye catching pictures. So sad.  Time.  Lack of time!

So I almost jumped right out of bed to hit the computer and post an apology to Amy about being such a slack contributor to this amazing blog she has created.  And I thought, "I'll tell her that I am just in the depths of such attack and frustration and ugliness that she is far better off with me not saying anything..."  and then I heard her answer, "But that is exactly what you need to write about... the truth... even when it's ugly."  (HA Amy... jumped right in there for ya!)

My husband and I were lying there and staring at the ceiling as I shared truth with him... ugly truth.  It began to pour out of me after he asked one simple question: "Do you enjoy being a mother?"

Pause.
Thought.
Answer.
Truth.
Ugliness.
Sorrow.

Spoken.

"No."  I answered in raw truth that jumped out of my mouth.

My husband was shocked.  But handled it well. 

So I continued:
"That is my answer now... today... yesterday... and the day before.  No.  I am exhausted.  I am so tired and feel like I am just failing in so many ways.  I have idea how to reach "A" and her rejection and ugly attitude towards me every day, as I pour myself out to her, just makes me angry and frustrated and sad and depleted.  I don't even want to try anymore.  There is nothing left.  And I love her with every inch of my soul... a deep love that has fought for her very life.  But I don't like her.  And that fact makes me feel horrible and ugly and dirty every single day. My soul cries out and I long for her to be someone she is not.  I swing back and forth from wanting to accept her and her illness and attitudes and just deal with back to wanting to teach her better and fight for her in the heavenly realms!  And her words cut me every day... sometimes I lose it after several direct scratches and other times, there is a deep cut and I fold.  I am so tired of this.  I can't do this.

And then I have to put on my "preschool" mother hat and pull out the play dough and sing silly songs and play with blocks and then I have to put on my "tween" hat and sing Selena Gomez songs with "T" and talk about puberty and sex and friendship and God.  And then I have to sling on the "sex kitten" hat when you come home and try to be the wife who just has everything together and all the energy in the world when all I want to do is crawl into bed and sleep for... a month."

"I don't even know who I am anymore.  And I am hurting so badly and have no idea how you or anyone else can help me.  And then someone says I have this great heart and I just cringe.  No.  No I don't.  It is not good.  Oh how it is not good.  Really."

So we stared at the ceiling. 

And thoughts of blogging came to my mind.  Funny.

Saturday night, I cried out to the Lord... begging to see Him, to hear from Him, to feel Him.
 
And He came.

As I began to worship Him, Psalm 38 popped into my mind.  I love it when this happens and so I immediately opened my Bible to see what He had for me. 

Psalm 38  "O LORD, do not rebuke me in your anger or discipline me with your wrath. (1)  My guilt has overwhelmed me like a burden too heavy to bear. (4) My back is filled with searing pain; there is no health left in my body. (7)  * I had to catch my breath and reread this last verse.  I have thrown my back out THREE times in the past 5 weeks.  The stress in my body is just taking a toll. I have become like a man who does not hear, whose mouth can offer no reply. I wait for you, O LORD; You will answer O LORD my God. (14 & 15)

As that settled in my heart, I continued to worship, so thankful He had spoken to me... and pricked with sadness at the sin that lies within me.

Then we began to sing, "I Surrender All," and the words could not leave my lips.  As my hand covered my mouth and tears began to flow down my face, I heard my Father tell me, "YOU DO NOT SURRENDER "A" TO ME."  And I knew it was such truth.  I fled the room and tried to find a spot in the house where I could have a break down alone.  I found a corner in the dinning room and started sobbing.



Once I could muster enough energy to look up, I sought the face of the shoulder I had saturated with tears.  Sweet Joy.  Joy was her name.  Precious woman of God who saw me leave the room and felt the LORD tell her to go after me.  Precious.  She prayed for me... as a mother... a mother's prayer.

When I went back to continue worshiping, Psalm 66 came to me.  "Shout with joy to God, all the earth!  Sing the glory of His name, make His praise glorious!  Say to God, How awesome are your deeds!  So great is your power that your enemies cringe before you.  All the earth bows down to you; they sing praise to you, they sing praise to your name. (1-4) For you, O God, tested us; you refined us like silver.  You brought us into prison and laid burdens on our backs.  You let men ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, but you brought us into abundance. (10-12) I cried out to Him with my mouth; His praise was on my tongue.  If I had cherished sin in my heart, the LORD would not have  listened; but God has surely listened and heard my voice in prayer.  Praise be to God who has not rejected my prayer or withheld His love from me!" (17-20)

Blown away.  I was blown away.  I was saturated in His presence with His breath and love and truth.
I left feeling cleansed and renewed and full of hope.

And then the bottom fell out Sunday morning as I tried to help "A" get ready for church.  I didn't see it coming.  I was vulnerable... full of hope.  And I blew.

Hence this is where the conversation came from last night.

And then came Monday morning.
I had voiced raw and ugly truth to the man I love and share my life with.  And what did he do with that?  He offered to let me sleep in and not have to do the morning routine.  And I took the offer.
He then brought me breakfast in bed.
He loved me.
He served me.
He was Christ to me.
He let me lie in new mercies and showered me with love.

I had a sweet friend call to love on my this morning.  She blessed me with her friendship.
I was touched with the album, Simply Nothing, by Shawn McDonald, ALL DAY LONG.  I have listened to it about 20 times.  EVERY SONG is my cry.  It is amazing.
Another friend brought me dinner.
God showered me with His love today.

And I feel Him.
And I know that He will be there again tomorrow.
And that I will get through this storm filled season one day at a time with Him... and not one step without Him.
And that He loves me... ugly truth and all.
And He has more for me.  More of Him.  More of His truth.  More of His strength.  More of His mercy.  More of His grace.  More of His love.  More of His Presence.  More of His lessons.  More of His calling me closer... every so closer to holiness.  And all the sin has to be burned away.  Burned with Holy Fire.

How can I have such love?
Jesus.
Love.
Redemption.
Life.
Grace.

Let that love be ever flowing from me.  That is my prayer.

Romans 3:21-26
Romans 8:28
Ephesians 3:14-21
Isaiah 58:8,9
Isaiah 43:1,2
Psalm 61: 1-5

Love, Dawn  

So it seems...

For I am very near to falling, and my grief is with me always. Indeed, I acknowledge my guilt; I grieve over my sin. But my undeserved enemies are strong; many are foes without a cause. Those who repay evil for good harass me for pursuing good. Forsake me not, O Lord; my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord my salvation! Psalm 38:18-23

So it seems...

the closer I get to you Lord, the more the enemy pulls at me;

the more I understand you Lord, the more people come into my life that tempt me.

How easy I feel that I can fall from your Grace when pulled by the stresses of this world. Keep me strong, be with me in every moment of every day. I know it's not you that moves away but rather me. Give me hope in the difficult moments of my days. Give me peace of mind that all will work according to your will.

Is my human weakness worthy of such blessings? For your word tells me it is so. I love you Lord, you are my salvation, my only hope, my joy is in you and no one else. I will not let the trappings of this world steal it from me and burden my family with it's lies.

Thank you Lord, for loving me, for forgiving me, for encouraging me, for blessing me with my family and my dear sweet friends in Christ.

Let the world know that I am a Christian by my love!

<3 Deb

Let No One Steal Your Joy

My girls are so busy! No, I don't have a house full of daughters (mercifully, I have ONE and though she is a blessing like no other, God knew that I didn't have the energy for another so he gave me a boy 3 years later). The girls I'm referring to are my girlfriends who contribute to this blog.

So, bear with me, as I take the reigns for a few days while they recuperate, relax, re-energize and reorganize   :-)

Does your life right now resemble their scenario? "If it's not one thing, it's another", "Murphy's Law", "I believe God doesn't give us more than we can handle, but really??"   I know, friends. Times are crazy and most of us are stressed about something right now. Whether it's school, health, kids, our extended families, finances, job security, car troubles or our pets, there are probably one or more of these that want to steal our peace and joy.    

Well, guess what? We are not going to allow it! Armed with the Word of God, our joy will come from Christ today and every day. Troubles will come but we are going to give those troubles to God and take rest. Easier said than done? Yes....and no.

If you're feeling particularly burdened today with something (anything!), might I suggest just a few passages to read and pray upon? These are well worn pages in most bibles and though you may not have your health issues disappear or your finances immediately taken care of, you will find peace if you release your fears and take back your joy. These are all from The Message (MSG) bible translation today~ read here or read in your own bible but go to Him. I'm praying for you!

1 Corinthians 10:13

No test or temptation that comes your way is beyond the course of what others have had to face. All you need to remember is that God will never let you down; he'll never let you be pushed past your limit; he'll always be there to help you come through it.

Ephesians 1:13-14

It's in Christ that you, once you heard the truth and believed it (this Message of your salvation), found yourselves home free—signed, sealed, and delivered by the Holy Spirit. This signet from God is the first installment on what's coming, a reminder that we'll get everything God has planned for us, a praising and glorious life.

James 1:12

Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life.

Psalm 55:22

Pile your troubles on God's shoulders— he'll carry your load, he'll help you out. He'll never let good people topple into ruin.

Matthew 7:11

"Don't bargain with God. Be direct. Ask for what you need. This isn't a cat-and-mouse, hide-and-seek game we're in. If your child asks for bread, do you trick him with sawdust? If he asks for fish, do you scare him with a live snake on his plate? As bad as you are, you wouldn't think of such a thing. You're at least decent to your own children. So don't you think the God who conceived you in love will be even better?

John 16:33

Jesus answered them, "Do you finally believe? In fact, you're about to make a run for it—saving your own skins and abandoning me. But I'm not abandoned. The Father is with me. I've told you all this so that trusting me, you will be unshakable and assured, deeply at peace. In this godless world you will continue to experience difficulties. But take heart! I've conquered the world."

This is the Stuff

"But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33, NIV)
"Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." (The Message)

Our culture constantly bombards us with messages about what's important and where we should place our attention. Often, those things we're told are "news-worthy" provide a welcome distraction from the day-to-day, sometimes ordinary concerns that weigh us down. Rather than digging deeper into our own circumstances until we see God beyond them and can discern what He's trying to say to us, we look elsewhere. It's easier. We're like the dog that's intent on finding a bone in the backyard, only to see a squirrel and chase off after it instead.

I've been pretty preoccupied for several weeks now with concerns about my kids and my dad, my own health issues, demands on my husband's time, pressures and deadlines at work...nothing too earth-shattering, but still enough to wear on me. You have no idea how tempting it is, when I feel this way, to just "deal" with my life rather than really live it. I spend more time on Facebook than I do reading God's Word. My prayers get less energy than my rants about flags in NJ being flown at half-staff for Whitney Houston. Is it any wonder my circumstances are getting the best of me?

Francesca Battistelli has this great song I love called "This is the Stuff", and it speaks to the way God uses ordinary thing in our lives.

This is the stuff that drives me crazy.

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately.

In the middle of my little mess,

I forget how big I'm blessed.

Oh, this is the stuff

that gets under my skin;

But I've gotta trust, You know exactly what you're doing.

It might not be what I would choose,

but this is the stuff You use.

The lyrics are exactly correct. God uses everyday, commonplace "stuff" to teach us some pretty important lessons, but we have to be paying attention. We have to stay focused. It's just too easy to miss the bigger picture when your child is heart-broken over not making the soccer team or your father's health is failing and you're 600 miles away or your short-staffed and even shorter-tempered. ...But make no mistake; there is always a bigger picture to be seen. 

EVERY situation we face in life has the potential to make us more or less like Jesus. Becoming more like Him requires that we let some of those squirrels go.

~Maria

Make it a Day about LOVE

Did you score the candy this year? Maybe even get a bunch of flowers on your doorstep? Or, possibly, a new Audi in the driveway?

No? Hey, don't sweat it. It's Valentine's Day. It's consumerism and it's driven by romance and flowers. It isn't really about love, friends. It's about romance~ the kind women love. The stuff that every sappy chick flick is based on. Don't get me wrong...I LOVE a good romance film. The Notebook? Oh yeah. What girl doesn't want a man who will be a bird with her? :-)   I'll bet, if there's a romantic bone in your body, you've stormed out of a fight with your boyfriend or husband and were appalled that he didn't follow you into the rain to grab you and hold you close, never noticing the thunder and lightning because he was so lost in your eyes. Sound familiar? You bet. And you know why? Because that's romantic and beautiful and it feels SOOO nice to feel needed.

That's Valentine's Day. That's romantic love.

But real love is more complicated. It's complicated by personalities, mistakes, oversights, burnt chicken, weak coffee, a mailbox full of bills and in-laws. Sometimes we forget that love keeps us there and not romance. Love sees past the quirks and bad moods. Love rolls its eyes at the toothpaste left in the sink and the socks on the floor. Love forgives someone when they hurt you and love prefers honesty over the fairytale. Romance is content with the fairytale and will flounder under honesty...unless love is present.

Look around. You are surrounded by people who love you. Friends, family, children, spouse...you are blessed with love. You are loved by your Creator. YOU are loved and there is no greater gift.

If you find romance today, embrace it and enjoy it to its fullest. If you find love, never let it go.

Proverbs 10:12  Hatred starts fights, but love pulls a quilt over the bickering.

Proverbs 15:17  Better a bread crust shared in love than a slab of prime rib served in hate.

Proverbs 17:9  Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends 

Song of Solomon 2:16  My lover is mine, and I am his.

Matthew 22:37  Jesus replied, "You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. 

The Clay and The Potter

Today, feeling led to share what I wrote on my personal blog this morning...seems so appropriate for a blog entitled "Unending Faith". 

This morning ~ well, in truth, for many mornings now~ I have felt the absence of God.

Don’t misunderstand me. I know He’s there. But His presence, normally evident and palpable, seems clouded. Veiled.

You know those dreams where you’re chasing something and you wake up before you reach whatever it was? That’s it. My need for Him is so obvious and yet He isn’t showing up. I’m chasing and He feels elusive.

Of course God isn’t avoiding me. Of course He is pained, watching me flounder and wrestle with the course of my life…and I take as much comfort in that as I did climbing into my dad’s lap as a scared little girl when the summer tornadoes would pass our midwest home. Faith. Faith is what sustains me.

Maybe He wants me to rely less on Him and more on what I know to be true in my heart. Maybe He wants me to realize that people aren’t always kind and they will fail us even when they didn’t intend to…or expect to. Maybe there are lessons here that I will never fully realize until we meet face to face. It is faith that assures me that that day will, indeed, come to pass.

Even in this place of struggle, I am so aware that I must come to an understanding that I am blessed through this trial. In James 1:2-4, it is written “Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way.” I am trying. Admittedly, my own strength is weakening and I pray for an end to this complicated issue. Admittedly, His timing isn’t aligned with my own. Admittedly, I am trying to fix what isn’t mine to fix.

I feel a LOT like clay these days. 
And I don’t feel like being grateful about it.
But I am not alone. Veiled or not, He is there to see me through. He will never leave nor forsake me.

Be blessed. In all times.
Amy 

Praying for Our Children

How many of you moms out there would rather donate a kidney than have one of your children be mistreated or rejected or watch them come up short? I don't think it matters what age they are or even how well they handle disappointment. I just take it personally when one of my kids is hurt or overlooked but, sadly, the scales don't always balance. This morning on my commute to work, I thought about a situation affecting my family right now and involving one of my kids.  By the end of the week, this child is likely to be either very happy or very disillusioned. I know how I think things should turn out, but I am really seeking God about how I need to respond either way.

In times like these, I believe God wants us to meditate on His Word and seek the greater lesson for our children, rather than worry about outcomes. Most of the scriptures I thought about this morning, I did not know word-for-word. I also didn't know the exact reference for many of them. I just did the best I could at recalling them and trusted that God knew my heart. After meditating on each truth, I prayed something simple but specific. Specific and relevant to my child's situation.

• "He who walks with the wise grows wise, but a companion of fools suffers harm." (Prov 13:20)  Lord, please surround _________with the right companions. I desire that above any temporary successes he/she may experience.
• "Let another praise you and not your own mouth; someone else, and not your own lips." (Prov. 27:2)  Lord, may ___________ gain favor in the sight of those in authority over him/her. Let them see effort and integrity and strength of character, not just talent and skill. May my children be slow to speak about their own abilities, knowing that you are their Advocate and that you are trustworthy. You will raise them up at the proper time.
• "For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes." (Deut 10:17)  Father, You are the Final Authority over all authorities. You have the last word and cast the final vote. Your Will is not swayed by popular opinion or politics or people's changing priorities. Accomplish Your Will in this situation. I'm not asking You to show partiality because that is contrary to Your character. I only ask that Your Will be done. Please dispense grace to ____________, to accept Your "yes" with humility or Your "no" with confidence and thanksgiving.
• "But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things--and the things that are not--to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him. It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God --that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption." (1 Cor. 1:27-30)  Lord, I confess that my desires are often short-sighted and do not match up with what You deem to be of value. Please forgive me for this, and help me love only what you love. Lead my children, by Your Spirit, to pursue Christ...always first...to choose the things You would choose and to have no desire for things that do not please and honor You.
• "He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and familiar with suffering..." (Isa. 53:3)  Please remind ______________ at just the right moments, God, that Your Son was rejected by his own people. He did what was right, but that did not prevent His suffering. Remind _________ also that Jesus knew His mission was greater than short-lived acceptance. He had a calling to glorify His Father at all costs. We have the same calling. Help us live beyond these ordinary moments in full awareness of eternity, knowing that Your Word says we have been "rejected by man but chosen by God and precious to Him." (1 Pet 2:4) What an honor it is to be precious to you, oh God! Help ________ know how precious he/she is to You.

By the time I got to the office this morning, I was spilling over with hope and joy for my child because I had been reminded that God is in control and He is always working on our behalf. I looked up references for the verses brought to mind in the car and am blogging today in hopes that I can encourage a mom who is just about ready to give up on praying for her child or give in to the discouragement that so often comes with parenting. Don't do it! Before I left the house this morning, I was right there with you, almost convinced that the only choice I had was to wait until the end of the week and then react to whatever happens.  My child, who so often takes his/her cues from me, would then do the same. When I recognized that the enemy wants to rob us of today because he knows Christ has already secured our futures, I refused to wait passively. In the waiting, I will pray. I will listen for God's voice. And I will try to teach my child to do the same.

~Maria

Do for just ONE

I listened to a message by the prolific Pastor Andy Stanley yesterday. Now, as those of us who attend a church service regularly know, there are usually nuggets of information that we take away each week that really speak to our heart. Little pieces of scripture or a one-liner that resonates with our own life, our own experience or our own need for encouragement. Yesterday, my husband and I were both moved by Andy Stanley's bold declaration because it felt so polar opposite to what we have expected..and accepted...from other pastoral influences. 
I encourage you to watch the message~ you will be inspired, I promise! 

 I'm going to paraphrase the gist of his 36 minute sermon into just this:
Just because we can't do for everyone does not give us the excuse not to do for one. 


Of course we all remember people telling us~ for as long as our memory serves~ that we can't be the exception. Why? Because it wouldn't be fair. "If I do that for you, then I would have to do that for everyone."

I don't know about you but I truly accepted that explanation until now. After all, I'm definitely not interested in anyone being treated unfairly. But it's not as simple as that; simplifying life into an if/then scenario is the entirely wrong angle. Fortunately, I haven't necessarily lived by that force fed rule~ something must have clicked inside of me long ago that the "fair" response lacked any real truth or substance.  For instance, several years ago, I assisted in a middle school classroom. One of the students was a young man who came from a highly dysfunctional home, lacking in every type of support imaginable. As a result, his social skills were delayed and I noticed he spent lunch periods alone and, often, without food.  No, he wasn't the only child in that school with needs, BUT he was the only child that I became aware of who didn't mind hanging out with a teachers aide in the classroom and sharing a lunch. Different kids would wander in and out of that room every lunch period to catch up on homework or study for a test but this one child was there every day because his needs were being met with a sandwich and some idle conversation with someone who cared. In other words, I didn't choose to do nothing just because I couldn't accommodate everyone. 


Several months ago, while promoting a benefit for an enormously worthwhile cause that had stirred a lot of interest within my church, I heard and accepted "I can't allow you to place informational flyers for this event behind the information desk because if I do it for you, I have to do it for everyone."


Well, the truth is this.
You could have. You should have.
It was the right thing to do. 


That one erroneous and misguided explanation from a decision-maker within my church changed my outlook on what my church was all about. When I went on to explain that this was an outreach being placed on the hearts of a small group OF this church, his response was startling. "Do you know how many requests we get for outreach support? We can't possibly do them all." 


Well, the truth is this.
I wasn't even asking for money. I was asking for some counter space. 
You could have done for one what you couldn't do for everyone. 


Don't lose sight of the big picture, friends. Don't let the words "if I do it for you, I have to do it for everyone" be part of your vocabulary. Start with doing something for just ONE. You can't make a difference for anyone if you're not making a difference for someone. 


Blessings,
Amy