Spilt Coffee

I was holding a cup of coffee in the hallway at school the other day as I greeted my kiddos. A sweet girl walked up behind me and bumped my arm and my cup jostled, spilling coffee onto the floor. She looked upset and started to apologize, when I assured her that it was not a big deal - we could easily clean up the mess with a few paper towels.


Perhaps just to remind me of God's timing and control, this event reminded me of an analogy I had seen only an hour or two earlier in the morning .... Why did coffee spill when the girl bumped my arm? Because she bumped me, you say? You're only partly right. 
When I was bumped, coffee spilled because I had coffee in my cup. Had I been drinking water instead, water would have been what spilled on the floor. 

Just like a cup spills if bumped, in the moments when we get jostled (both literally and figuratively) things come spilling out of us as well. It's easy enough for us to appear one way to the world when things are going easily ... but when life bumps and jostles you (and I assure you, it will), whatever is inside you is sure to be the same thing that spills out. Will it be anger ... hate ... frustration? Or goodness ... kindness .... love?

Only if we are *truly* filled with Godly things will godliness be what spills out of us.

2 Peter 1:5-11 tells us "But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love. For if these things are yours and abound, you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For he who lacks these things is shortsighted, even to blindness, and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be even more diligent to make your call and election sure, for if you do these things you will never stumble; for so an entrance will be supplied to you abundantly into the everlasting kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." and Philipians 4:8 reminds us "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

As we go through our lives - both the easy moments and the challenging - let us study and pray and dwell on Godly things so that even when life's tumultuous moments shake us, all the right things can come spilling out.

Grandpa's Poem

I firmly believe that if there were more people like my Grandpa in this world, the world would be a better place. It is not fun to watch him grow older and more feeble as his Parkinson's progresses .... but it is amazing and inspiring to think about all he has done in his life.

I wrote this for him for Christmas. Or, more accurately, I wrote it for me. =)

Grandpa

It doesn't take a genius
To look at you and see
That you must have quite a story
Your life has been telling.

It only takes one willing
To sit with you awhile
Listen to a story or two
And hear what's made you smile.

If he or she would take your hand
And examine close each wrinkle
Then look past the age your body shows
And watch your eyes -- they twinkle.

That person may soon start to see
Just how much you've given
The heart and joy and help you've shared
And those to success you've driven.

If one was lucky they could learn
How simple things you've done
Like keeping horses in the field
Have taught lessons and proved fun.

And if that one kept digging
They'd find out you've inspired
Through you're quiet, carefully chosen words

Many whom life made tired.

The way you've prayed and studied
To lead both church and family
A calm and steady pillar
Meeting the needs of a great many...

The times you've helped out others
Treated strangers as your kin,
Calmed, taught and played with youngsters
Helped and worked with grown men.

Then they'd begin to see the legacy
That you've created here for us
Of God and love and family
Of strength, grace, faith, and trust.

That person would be amazed to know
How with hard work and great love
Your life has been a sermon lived
For the good Lord up above.

You've pointed many towards Him
Helped and encouraged along the way
And raised a family to continue on
And with the Lord to stay.

No, It doesn't take a genius
To look at you and see ...
It simply takes one blessed enough
To be a grandchild like me.

Looking Back

Today I was looking at my phone and noticed my Blogger app ... I opened it up and realized I haven't blogged for over a year. Woops.

Since it's almost New Years, I looked back at this blog post I had written a couple of years ago when Lydia was little bitty ... and I realized, not much has changed.

Being Mommy is still my favorite. Even when "Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!" is yelled over and over again while I'm washing dishes or when I refold the same shirt 6 times because my 2 year old is helping fold the laundry...

Now the joys are multiplied by 2 and I get to watch my "big one" love on and cuddle my "little one" ... and I'm loving the baby snuggles AND the fact that Raina is a much better sleeper than Lydia ever was.

There are still things I am way  more awesome at than I was before I was a Momma ... mentally playing out each possible scenario in an effort to out think and out plan my 2 year old being one of my new super powers. And there are still things I'm working on - like remembering to take time for my own personal Bible study when I am awake enough to get something out of it.

There are wonderful moments like when Lydia declares "Mommy, God made Raina special just for us!" and moments that leave me searching for the right words like when Lydia asked "Mommy, did God make my bathtub, too? And did He build my house?" Moments that make me giggle and moments that leave me exasperated and exhausted.

And in all of these moments - both the blog worthy and the not so blog worthy - I am reminded of how blessed I am to be here, being Mom.

What Holds Us Back

I've had the amazing opportunity to watch several people make the decision to be baptized ... and what a wonderful and joyous occasion it is! It often makes me wonder what keeps other people from making the same decision? What holds us back from baptism? It is not a decision to be made lightly  -- but it is a decision that needs to be made. So, what keeps people from jumping in?

I'm sure people who have waited to be baptized could give lots of reasons for their wait. I'm sure those who are still waiting have lots of reasons, too. Whatever the reasons, I think the things that hold us back could be narrowed down to these three categories:

1) A lack of understanding.
2) A lack of urgency.
3) A lack of spiritual focus.

A lack of understanding:
This one starts out with the obvious: a small child does not understand why their parents want them to sit still and quiet through church services, let alone understand anything about baptism. As children learn and grow however, this begins to change. The point at which one is "old enough", "mature enough", and 'understands enough" is different for each individual. However when a person understands that Gods son, Christ, came to earth, lived a perfect life, and died for our sins, and that they need to turn away from sin and follow Gods will - beginning with baptism and continuing on the rest of their life - in order to be saved and have a home in Heaven, they are ready.

You don't have to know everything about the Bible. You don't have to feel ready to answer any biblical question anyone throws at you. You simply have to understand that Gods son, Christ, died for you, and that you need to be baptized and live for him (Acts 2:38, 1 Peter 3:21, 1 John 3:16).

If you understand you've sinned, Christ died for your sins, and you need God ... That's all.

You then have the rest of your life to work on understanding more and doing better (because no matter how old you get there is always the opportunity for more and better! Proverbs 19:27, Proverbs 1:5).

If you understand what you need to do .... Then do it.

A lack of urgency:
Somewhere, somehow, we developed the idea that we have all the time in the world. We live as if Christ won't come til we're dead, and we won't die til we're old .... But those things are simply not guaranteed. I could die tomorrow. You could die tonight. Christ could return at dawn. We don't know (ECC. 12:6).

And because we don't know how much time we have, any moment you let go by *not* being saved, you are taking a risk. A HUGE, unnecessary, risk.

You could die in your sin. Christ could come back and find you in sin. You could live an eternity in hell.

That one lie you told even though you knew better? That could keep you out of heaven. The one time you stole even the smallest thing? Hell worthy sin.

The smallest thing, the biggest thing - if it is a sin - it is keeping you from God. And if you haven't been saved, you have no way to rectify that situation. You have no way to God. No way to Heaven.

Isaiah 59:2 reads "your iniquities have separated you from your God, your sins have hidden His face from you so that He will not hear you..."

If the thought of dying in your sin and going to Hell doesn't fill you with urgency ... Perhaps you need to take a hard look at point 3.

A lack of Spiritual focus:
Perhaps one of the biggest things holding us back is that our focus is in the wrong place. Raised in the Church or not, we often fall into the same trap: we focus on school, on family, on choir, band, basketball, football, volleyball, keeping grades up, going to college, friendships, taking care of family, having jobs, finding a spouse, being a spouse, raising children, being there for others, following our dreams, ..... Etc.....

And we forget the most important thing.

We forget that we are spiritual beings. That our earthly selves (no matter what we do in a carnal sense) will eventually die. End of story. And our highschool experiences, our careers, our world dreams won't really matter anymore.

But our spiritual selves will live on. And how we chose to spend our worldly existence will determine where we spend our eternity.

So while we enjoy our lives and chase our dreams, we need to do so with our focus on spiritual things (Matthew 6:20).

Furthermore....
A lack of understanding, a lack of urgency, and a lack of Spiritual focus don't only hold us back from being baptized. It is these same three things that often hold us back from living up to our potential as Christians.

Baptism is simply the first step. Because if you never start your walk with God, you'll never be ready to run the race in such a way to win the crown (1 Corinthians 9:24).

Spending Time

This summer I read a book called "The Lost Track of Time" and I LOVED it. Based on a girl who resents her mother's need to schedule every moment, most of the book takes place in an alternate universe where the girl must search for the great Moodler and fight against the clock works.

The book fit right in with my determination to "go with the flow" this summer .... and by "the flow", I mean my 1 year old.

We played. We "fed our fancies" so they could grow and sometimes got carried away on them. We got dirty splashing in the creek and played til the bath water was cold. We borrowed time. We lost track of it. We scheduled time for ourselves.

Amidst a world where we frantically try to save time in the effort to gain an extra minute, Lydia and I spent time instead. And we loved every minute of it.

Now summer has come to an end. My meetings start tomorrow so I was going to get up early and get to my classroom to work. But at 5 something o'clock when Lydia started crying .... I turned off my alarm and we snuggled back to sleep in the recliner.

Clearly not the option that saves time .... arguably not the *best* use of time .... but, oh, for more mornings like this!

Because after all - "Time is not important dear, YOU are."

#Heisbigger

We live in a crazy world.

A world where "black lives matter" and we have to "stand behind the blue line".

A world where "Never Hillary" is shouted against "Never Trump" and there seems to be no good option.

A world that has somehow gotten the idea people can choose their own gender and that abortion is only about a woman's ability to make choices.

A world that *dares* you to try telling someone what to do. Or that they are wrong. Or that their actions may possibly have consequences.

A world where priorities are absent and askew and standards of morality are lacking.

But we aren't the first to be here. God has seen his people through such times before. Judges 17 tells of a time when there was no king and each one did what he saw fit "in his own eyes". And it is not a pretty picture.

You see, it is our eyes that are the problem.

We look through our own eyes. Do what is right in our own eyes. And we fall apart. Because our own eyes are not -  and cannot be - the standard.

It is when we look through Gods eyes ... strive to see things the way HE sees them ... That is when we are able to find the right path.

Here is a thought of comfort though ... God did not abandon the people in Judges 17. Do you know why? Because there is no sin that is more powerful than the power of God. Nothing we can do, no sim we can commit, is somehow more powerful than our God.

God is more powerful than the wickedness of this world. Period.

We have no need to fear. We may sorrow for the wickedness. We must stand up for the right. But we should not fear this world .... Because our God is greater.

So, perhaps we need to quit telling God how big the problems of this world are ... And start telling the world how big and powerful our God is.

#HEisbigger #powerup

Mind Training

I started back to work today after 2 glorious weeks with my sweet girl at home.

I started back to work today with meetings and came home exhausted, still needing to plan for the following first day back with kids.

I started back to work today and came home with work to do and a husband who is sick and crashed on the couch.

I started back to work today, and tomorrow I take my sweet girl to her first day of daycare (we have been so blessed to have my mom keep her all this time -- but now Monday's will be Nana days, and every other day will be a Mrs. Loretta day).

I started back to work today and I'm tired and a little whiny.

Then I was scrolling Facebook and came across this posted on a friends wall:

**Loading .... Attitude Adjustment**

I started back to a job I absolutely love today after getting to spend 2 glorious weeks with my sweet girl at home.

I started back to a job I absolutely love today and got to spend much of the day collaborating with other educators who I admire, am inspired by, and enjoy the company of --- and we learned and discussed things that will make me better for my kids.

I started back to a job I absolutely love today and then returned to the comfort of my home and got to relax and watch TV with my hubby while playing with my daughter. And then worked after Lydia was snoozing.

I started back to a job I absolutely love today, and I have a loving, safe, wonderful place for Lydia to spend time every day when I can't be the one with her.

I started back to a job I absolutely love today, and Im tired. But its the good - I have so many wonderful blessings to enjoy - kind of tired. So its all good.

Sometimes you have to train your mind.