For the summer I am keeping kids, four of them between the ages of six and nine. My house is suddenly in a state of perpetual messiness. And what is weird is that at the very same time for some reason spiders have infested my house...big brown ones...augh! Anyway, the point of this blog is the amazing wonder of how messes get messed all over my house all day long and somehow everytime I appoint a cleaner upper, it's not their mess. It's someone elses...I know it isn't mine because I don't play with train sets or puzzles or read elmo books or build lego towers(then topple them over) or spill koolaid (and not clean it up right away) or make tents out of quilts and try to play baseball inside of them or a lot of the activities that create the messes that I find in my very own room. (note of admittal: I do play these kinds of games at times but make a point to clean up after each episode) Just yesterday I walked into the play room and wondered if the carpet had been replaced by a collage of toys and pillows, when I turned to the children (who were IN the room) and asked them to please clean up they simultaniously pointed to each other and said, "he did it" and "she did it" also simultaniously. They both had to clean up and as usual when I went in the room later I finished cleaning up what was left out...funny thing about kids, the definition of 'cleaned up' for them is a little different than my definition of 'cleaned up'. So more often then not, they 'clean up' then I go in after them and finish up. Anyhow, upon walking away from this situation I started to think, "do I do that"? In my life, when I make a mess, do I clean it up or do I point to whoever is closest or easyest to blame and say "they did it"? When I have a day that isn't the best, do I turn it into my failure to examine my own self or do I blame the person who said one sly remark and 'ruined my day'? Then, even if I do make a mess and try to clean it up myself, do I really get it cleaned up? I know that I can't clean up my sinful mistakes, all I can do for those is admit to them and God does the forgiving (cleaning) part.
There are many people in my life, including myself that could look back on their past and become angry and bitter. Not at themselves necessarily but at the people that added to unfortunate events in their lives. Praise God that in most, I do not find this to be true. Sure we all have our days where we pout a little (or a lot) over our lot in life. For the most part though, by God's unfailing grace, we are able to wake up each day with a purpose and live beyond what our pasts drag into our daily lives. Just think about it, before you start pointing fingers, clean up what you got out and whatevers left...God will take care of it.
Tuesday, May 30, 2006
Thursday, May 11, 2006
Prayers...
Please pray for Anna, this is a picture of her with her mom, Marlo. Also, find updates on her progress at: http://www.caringbridge.org/ok/annajane/ Wednesday, May 10, 2006
To my fellow sufferers...
This week I had a great conversation with a friend of mine about a subject that happens to be coming up a lot in my life recently...so just like any good blogger would, I made a note to blog it. As I start writing this I have to think to myself first of all where in the world to I start with this and second, how personal do I really want to get. Well, I have decided to start here...
1 Peter 4:12-13 'Dear friends, do not be suprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.'
Granted, my 'suffering' is slight compared to the trials that many people around the world are having to face, I do have the tendancy to look at my struggles and become weary. And I have just come to a very important and real understanding of how and WHY God stretches us through suffering. I know that when I am stretched in my faith and still believe and have confidence in God's power and wisdom, I will come out with stronger faith and a 'greater capacity to serve Him.'1 When it comes down to it, this is why I am alive and serving Him is what I desire to do through every aspect of my life. (Another side of this issue is the fact that Satan is SO ready to pounce on our every weakness and try his hardest to bring us to a place of defeat. I often ask myself, why does it take me so long to figure out, in the midst of pain and suffering that so much of it is because I give in to Satan's lies. But that is a whole other blog.)
Fact is, fellow sufferers, He won't give us more than we can handle...through His power, we will always come out of our pain (hopefully better at trusting Him then before our trials) when we rely on the power of God to work in our lives. Aren't you glad we are all in this together, on this 'SHORT road called life, in preparation for eternity with Him!'2
1. http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/devotionals/in_touch/
2. Thanks Molly!
1 Peter 4:12-13 'Dear friends, do not be suprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. But rejoice that you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed.'
Granted, my 'suffering' is slight compared to the trials that many people around the world are having to face, I do have the tendancy to look at my struggles and become weary. And I have just come to a very important and real understanding of how and WHY God stretches us through suffering. I know that when I am stretched in my faith and still believe and have confidence in God's power and wisdom, I will come out with stronger faith and a 'greater capacity to serve Him.'1 When it comes down to it, this is why I am alive and serving Him is what I desire to do through every aspect of my life. (Another side of this issue is the fact that Satan is SO ready to pounce on our every weakness and try his hardest to bring us to a place of defeat. I often ask myself, why does it take me so long to figure out, in the midst of pain and suffering that so much of it is because I give in to Satan's lies. But that is a whole other blog.)
Fact is, fellow sufferers, He won't give us more than we can handle...through His power, we will always come out of our pain (hopefully better at trusting Him then before our trials) when we rely on the power of God to work in our lives. Aren't you glad we are all in this together, on this 'SHORT road called life, in preparation for eternity with Him!'2
1. http://www.crosswalk.com/faith/devotionals/in_touch/
2. Thanks Molly!
Tuesday, May 9, 2006
Izard County, Arkansas
Here I am with Grandma G, we are in front of the schoolhouse that she went to school at growing up.
Here are Sahara and Bria, on the way there...yeah for road trips!
This is me ringing Grandma's old school bell...the same bell she used to ring when she taught school there years ago!
Family snapshots...This is at Aunt Betty's house where we had red velvet cake and ice cream with a bunch of diabetics.Tuesday, May 2, 2006
Random Thoughts...
Can atheists get insurance for acts of God?
What would Geronimo say if he jumped out of an airplane?
If you're in hell, and are mad at someone, where do you tell them to go?
If you get cheated by the better business bureau, who do you complain to?
Why do grocery stores buy so many checkout line registers if they only keep 3 or 4 open?
What would happen if an Irresistible Force met an Immovable Object?
Is it legal to name your kid "Anonymous"?
Why do they call it getting your dog fixed" if afterwards it doesn't work anymore?
Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?
What was the best thing before sliced bread?
Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
Why do they put "for indoor or outdoor use only" on Christmas lights?
How fast do hotcakes sell?
Why do we say "bye bye" but not "hi hi"?
What does OK actually mean?
When you see the weather report and it says "partly cloudy" and then the next day it says "partly sunny"; what’s the difference?
Why does a round pizza come in a square box?
What would Geronimo say if he jumped out of an airplane?
If you're in hell, and are mad at someone, where do you tell them to go?
If you get cheated by the better business bureau, who do you complain to?
Why do grocery stores buy so many checkout line registers if they only keep 3 or 4 open?
What would happen if an Irresistible Force met an Immovable Object?
Is it legal to name your kid "Anonymous"?
Why do they call it getting your dog fixed" if afterwards it doesn't work anymore?
Why is the alphabet in that order? Is it because of that song?
What was the best thing before sliced bread?
Why is there a light in the fridge and not in the freezer?
Why do they put "for indoor or outdoor use only" on Christmas lights?
How fast do hotcakes sell?
Why do we say "bye bye" but not "hi hi"?
What does OK actually mean?
When you see the weather report and it says "partly cloudy" and then the next day it says "partly sunny"; what’s the difference?
Why does a round pizza come in a square box?
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