Stuff

My son has gotten into a very funny habit lately. Every morning as we leave for school he walks through the living room gathering up as many toys as he can to “take wit me mommy”. Each time he picks one up he looks at me and says with complete honesty “okay, this is it”. Only to look down and find yet another treasure that he simply cannot do without. The scene plays out just like the movie “ The Jerk” where Steve Martin’s character has lost everything and as he is leaving his new found fortune says “I don’t need anything but this chair," etc..gathering up every random possession he can on his way out of prosperity into ruin.As I watched my son I could hear God say “Oh my child how all of you are so like this.” My mind went to the parable of the soils where Jesus spoke of the "Other seed (that) fell among thorns, which grew up and choked the plants” (Matt 13:7) He later explained to his disciples in Matt 13:22 “The one who received the seed that fell among the thorns is the man who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful." Ouch! How many times have I let my desire for this world and it’s stuff keep me from being “ the fertile soil” for God’s work in my life. Too many times I move through this world telling God and myself “ just this one more commitment, just this one more thing, just this one more accomplishment.” Only to be bound to a schedule and lifestyle that chokes the propose out of me.

God’s word says"let us throw off everything that hinders and sin that so easily entangles, and let us with perseverance the race marked out for us. (Heb 12:1)Stuff is not all bad, but when it binds and hinders it takes us from God and then IT IS SIN. My prayer toady is for God’s wisdom to infuse us to know what we are bound to and what is hindering us from His calling in our lives. Then for His power to show us how to throw it off in obedience and RUN!

Messages

I remember when I went to college we were all so excited because every freshman, it seemed, had been sent to school with the latest gadget: The Answering Machine! A semi complex box with a little cassette tape that would actually record all the messages while you were out! We spent countless hours recording the PERFECT outgoing message: Not too long, you'll get cut off, sound happy or your parents will come visit, but not too happy or they will come visit, try to keep the background yelling to a minimum unless you're going for a partyesq feeling. Ohh the fun! But what we most enjoyed was coming back to the dorm and checking your massages. Seeing who loved you enough to record a little snippet on that cruddy cassette tape. Some messages were day makers: the guy you met yesterday, some were day bummers: your mom telling you that your checking account was overdrawn AGAIN!, and some were day killers: there's been a problem come home we'll tell you more when you're here. No matter what, you WANTED to see who had a message for you and know what it was.

God has a message and it is the UTIMATE day-maker. I would not be wrong to say that it is a LIFE maker. It is a message of Love and Hope but mostly it is a message of Grace. I 'm not sure if your like me, but if you are then you don't always go running to get your messages from Him. You are too busy, tired, or stressed. Sometime I don't want the message because it interferes with my plans for me. Yeah, that's the real problem M-E. I feel entitled to my desires and getting my way. Sad, I wonder how many beautiful sentiments I have missed from God. I pray that I don't miss many more.

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. John 10:27

Beginnings

Well I guess this is how you start! I feel a little vain blogging. It seems like introspection meets voyeurism. I do like to ramble on, those of you who know me well can stop laughing now, but I've gone 41 yrs now not writing it down for the whole of cyberspace to see so this is weird to me. A few warnings to begin: I am a horrible writer! My grammar is awful even with a sister who taught Language Arts. I am dyslexic so don't expect that the spell check will save me cuz it wont. And finally, I have started doing this to write me ideas and understandings along my walk with Christ so the majority of my posts will be about you guessed it...God/Christ/The Holy Spirit. My prayer it that this pleases my God The Maker of Heaven and Earth. I also pray that you gleen what He wants and that I can stay out of His way. ( No small task for a ham like me)