Bug Guts

Just the other day...I was sitting at our computer by the window, checking on the weather for the day. From behind the blinds I heard a noise and immediately thought there had to be a lizard in the house...again. Great! I said something about it to the girls and they went screaming out of the room. I timidly and very carefully peeked behind the blind, standing back as far as possible. I was immediately disgusted by what I saw.

It was a huge cockroach.

HUGE (as in ginormous...like a granddaddy cockroach).

That nasty thing was scampering away so fast I had to do something! I couldn't leave it alive in my house! And the girls would want to be reassured that I had taken care of the problem.

So I did what any of you would do...I snatched off my shoe and then hit it...hard. Down it fell, guts partially out (sorry, but the title of this IS "Bug Guts", ya know!). There it laid, upside down on the inside of the blinds and I felt sure my hubby would do the rest of the dirty work when he got home. So I left it there, cause I have a "thing" about touching a bug. I'll kill it with my shoe (maybe), but if it's a monstrosity like this thing, I'm NOT touching it, not even with a paper towel. What if it did that crunchy-sounding thing?!?! You know that sound?! Nope. No way. Not me. That's why God gave me a husband (smile and a wink)!

Feeling like a hero, I returned to my quest of deciding what we needed to wear for the day...pants or shorts. Then I got sidetracked by a few emails and just as I was ready to get up, I heard a noise coming from behind the blind.

NO WAY!

That nasty thing was crawling back up the inside of the window, guts hanging out and all. I could not believe what I was seeing! It had fooled me into thinking it was actually dead.

This time, I was mad. Poor bug didn't stand a chance now.

Off came the shoe and SMACK!!! (Yeah baby! Take that you nasty bug!!)

I was busy reassuring myself of a job well-done when I looked down at my arm and noticed black and yellow spots.  Yep, you guessed it...

Bug guts....splattered....all over my arm.

You've never seen a person run so fast to the sink to scour their arm! I'm so glad my husband didn't witness the double-slaying of the bug, cause he'd still be rolling on the floor right at this very moment.


As funny as that story is now, later in the day, I realized there might be a little more to what had happened....perhaps...a spiritual lesson even??? (God has a sense of humor, you know!)

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How many times have you gone after sin with all your spiritual might thinking you had victory, only to have it rear it's ugly head once again?  I know I have!!!

I have thought, "Ahhhh, I finally GET IT and I'll never do that again. Thank You, Lord." Then, ho-hum, I go on my merry way feeling so good. "Whew, glad I can check THAT one off my list!"

And when I'm not looking and not paying attention, suddenly, that nasty sin is crawling back into my life...sometimes even nastier, with it's guts hanging out.

It's then that I'm shaken from my stuper, the fog lifts, and I get mad about it!!! Mad as in, ready to do battle!!!


I don't know about you, but it's in those times that I cry out more fervently. I become tenacious. I realize the second time around that the stakes are even higher. I think, "Uh-uh. No way! I'm not going back there! I can't leave this thing 'alive' in my life!"


I'm no expert (faaaar from it), but sometimes I think God allows testing to reawaken us, to shake us out of complacency, and to draw us closer to Him, the ONLY ONE who can help us defeat those besetting weaknesses and sins that plague us all.  He's also, I believe, doing a little heart check on us...helping us to clearly see where our allegiance lies.

Each time we hit our knees to do warfare against the enemy and his schemes in our life, we gain the upper hand and win a victory! We recapture precious territory in our lives. Most importantly, we remind him of his destiny!

And we become stronger...ready and prepared for the next battle...remaining even more vigilant just in case it happens again. If it does come again, our guard will be up because this time, we will be watching!!! Who wants sin to remain ALIVE in their life?!

After the slaying, we might rise up with "bug guts" all over us, but it can be washed quickly away by the Master's hand...no problem!

~~~~~~

So, who knew a cockroach could teach such a valuable lesson? Maybe next time you see one, you'll think of this and be reminded to remain vigilant over sin in your life!!!

Let me leave you with the following verses:

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything."

James 1: 2 - 4

*Linking up at
 Beholding Glory

 A Pause on the Path
Spiritual Sundays 

For His glory,

I Choose Faith

Just the other day...I felt that nudge. You know the nudge. It's that gentle push that God gives when He's about to push you out of the nest again, kinda like a momma bird teaching her young how to fly (I'm quickly learning not to get too comfortable in the nest). Then, He gave me thoughts, thoughts about His daughters meeting together for a night of worship. And then He just continued to give thoughts and impressions and before I knew it I was thinking, "Lord, I know this has to be You because this is so beyond me, it won't work unless it IS YOU!"

See, I really don't have big plans and big dreams...

but God does.

There's a generation of women and girls out there He died to reach and somehow, I don't think they have yet captured His heart for them. In fact, I just know it. I don't know it in my head. I know it in my heart, in that deep place where He speaks to me. And it hurts to see my sisters walk in such pain and confusion, not knowing who they were created to be.  Lies have kept us bound for way too long...they have kept me bound for way too long(!)...and I'm ready to see all of us walking in freedom!

So on October 7th of this year, our little church is starting something called NOWW, which stands for Night of Worship for Women. Monthly, we will hold a worship service that features various praise and worship leaders along with different speakers. If I could, I would tell you every detail about how God has already worked things out for this, even down to the tiniest detail, but it would make this way too long. I'll just say, He is on the move!!! I can't wait to see what He does (I'm filled with such excitement, I feel it in the pit of my stomach. Yep, that excited!!!).

I'm asking simply for those of you who read this blog to please pray...especially because I know so many of you have a love for women's ministry. From what I can determine right now, there should be close to a hundred women at our first gathering. Wow. What can God do with a hundred women set on fire for Him?! Change a community? Change a nation? Change the world???

See, I really don't have big dreams.

But God does.

FEAR can keep me from being a participant in His dream, or FAITH can propel me to play a role.

I choose faith.

  

For His glory,

Build Up or Tear Down?

Tale of Two Households

"I got two A's," the small boy said.

His voice was filled with glee.

His father very bluntly asked,

"Why didn't you get three?"

"Mom, I've got the dishes done,"

The girl called from the door.

Her mother very calmly said,

"Did you sweep the floor?"

"I mowed the grass," the tall boy said, 

"And put the mower away."

His father asked him with a shrug,

"Did you clean off the clay?"

The children in the house next door

Seemed happy and content.

The same things happened over there,

But this is how it went.

"I got two A's," the small boy said.

His voice was filled with glee.

His father proudly said, "That's great;

I'm glad you belong to me."

"Mom, I got the dishes done,"

The girl called from the door.

Her mother smiled and softly said, 

"Each day I love you more."

"I've mowed the grass," the tall boy said.

"And put the mower away."

His father answered with much joy, 

"You've made my happy day!"

Children deserve just simple praise

For the tasks they're asked to do.

If they're to lead a happy life, 

So much depends on you.

~Author Unknown

____________

You can use your words to build up or tear down. 

Choose wisely.

For His glory,

On Tough Love and Mommy Guilt

Have you ever had one of those days when it was all you could do to show "tough love"? Oh, today was one of those days for me. Princess #1 told me her room was clean and so I trusted her that it was up to par. Shame on me for not checking, I guess, but at the time Princess #3 had "issues" and had to be promptly put into the bath! I was a little preoccupied, to say the least.

Later, when I opened the door to P#1's room, I was astonished.  Shoes here and there, Polly Pocket clothes all over the floor, stray pieces of paper, clothes not in the hamper...certainly not clean by most people's standards. So I called her back and I must say, I did not have the most pleasant tone in my voice was pretty upset as I told her, "This is not clean!!! You need to stay in your room until it's completely finished."

Did I tell you how much I admire the way Michelle Duggar quietly disciplines her children?

I was not Michelle Duggar today.

My poor child cried big ole crocodile tears. She said, "It's too hard! I can't do it, Mommy!" (This, from my child who miraculously cleans her room perfectly without being asked at times!) I even stood outside her door and heard her say, "This is just the worst day ever!!! I wish my Grandma and Papa or my Nanny and Papa were here."

And down they came....those iron-clad shackles known as "Mommy Guilt" squeezed around me hard. I mean really hard. All I could think of in that moment was this..."I'm forcing my perfectionist tendencies on my sweet child. Why can't I just let it go this time? I'm causing her to have "the worst day ever", for goodness sake! I really am a terrible mom sometimes." (Wow, I don't have a clue where her "drama queen" tendencies come from. Ahem, let me clear my throat before I proceed.)

As I fought back my own tears (it was just one of those days), I prayed under my breath for God to help me. I needed Him to show me when to give grace and when to stand my ground. Isn't that SUCH a hard balance as a mom?!?! I didn't read that part of the manual.

In a few minutes, after she had calmed down and I had calmed down, I reentered the room. She was working, but very slowly and with a frown on her face. Suddenly, thank the precious Lord, I knew what to do. I sat down with her in the floor and said, "This is what mommy would do." Then, I proceeded to show her the exact steps I would take to get the room finished.

It was like the heaven's parted and the sun had finally broken through.

Not too long after that, out she popped, "all done"! Then my very happy girl went outside to play with her little sister, and I, checking the room, thanked the Lord for entering into my day in the most simple and profound way.

Hmmmm, what is that quote?

"Tell me and I will forget. 

Show me and I will remember. 

Teach me and I will understand."

Lord, please help me to never forget the lesson you taught me today. Help me to discern the teachable moments and promptly act on Your leading. Help me to remember what it is like to be a child...still trying to make sense of things, still wanting oh-so-much to please, but not always knowing how to accomplish what is expected. And, help me to enter into my children's world, with a willingness to guide them from the level they are at in the moment. 

_________________
 

*Linking up Tuesday at Time Warp Wife

*Linking up Wednesday at Women Living Well and Raising Homemakers

For His glory,

Every Shadow is an Opportunity

Just the other day...I wrote a letter to God. I'm sharing it here in hopes that it might help someone else.

_____________

What I don't deserve You freely give and all to say, "I love you." I'll ponder it my whole life long and never understand it. Such grace...so many good things...all too many to count. And yet, at times my eyes look around at my life and they betray me, telling me the opposite is true...that You are not for me, that somehow I have missed the mark.

When I look behind me, I know the truth. The truth that, just as I see such beauty in creation...Your handiwork so evident in the landscape around me...I see it in the pathways I have walked. Behind me, I can see all of Your goodness in all of it's glory. Behind me, Your faithfulness shines like the noonday sun. For there You have worked out every intricate detail in all Your majesty. You are the One, the glorious One, who has crafted a work of beauty out of every trial and every pain. Behind me the road is paved amazingly well and it reflects and reveals grace. It reveals You. 

It's only where I'm standing at the moment that there seems to be shadows. It's here in the shadows that I hear the sinister question, "Did God really say______???......Surely not."

Oh, how I wrestle in the shadows.

In the shadows, I enter into the ever-constant, staggering dance between faith and doubt. Full of faith and confidence one minute, full of anxiety and fear the next. I know it's not what You want, this double-minded and divided heart. But how to rid myself of it? The answer escapes me.

So I turn to Your word, and there You are.

"Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it - he will be blessed in what he does."

James 1: 22 - 25

That's exactly it!

When I immerse myself in the Word...not just read it, but meditate on it and act upon it, I understand. I see so clearly! I "look intently into the perfect law" and yes, it gives me freedom...such freedom and clarity!!! But then, I walk away from that perfect reflection and I forget who I am in You (i.e. royalty, a daughter, righteous because of Your sacrifice). I become blind, deaf, and dumb. I become needy, like a beggar, seeking some kind of affirmation when You have already shown me the truth and what to believe. When the ball is in my court, when it's time for me to act out my faith and to rest in it, so many times I botch things up...forgetting.

And do You know what's worse than forgetting who I am?

It's forgetting Who You are.

I never actually forget You, but in the shadows, so many times I forget to proclaim Your truth and stand on it. I pray that in the shadows, I can be found recounting Your truths..."My Father is the Lord of all creation. He is on His throne, exalted and in full control. I am His daughter, saved by the shed blood of Jesus Christ. No good thing will He withhold from me. His love for me is immeasurable. He is Lord over every circumstance. He holds my days in the palm of His hands. My Father has plans to prosper me and not to harm me. He has plans to give me a hope and a future. He is for me. Is there anyone or anything that I should fear?!"

When will I learn that every shadow is an opportunity?

Every shadow is an opportunity for me to choose to remember who I am, but more than that, the shadows are an opportunity to remember who You are.

Every shadow gives me a chance to proclaim Your word,

pray Your will,

trust in Who you are,

and rest in the fact that You will come through...

GLORIOUSLY!!!

Just as You have in the pathways I have walked before.

 ________

 
What about you? What are you choosing to do in your shadows today?

For His glory,

Don't Miss This...

Last night I had the privilege of watching an amazing web cast. It touched my heart in so many ways. In fact, this morning I woke up saying, "God, interrupt me today. I say YES!"

I hope you'll hop on over to www.lysaterkeurst.com and watch the replay. You'll hear the always-lovely Lysa speak, along with one of my favorite bloggers, Ann Voskamp from A Holy Experience. Prepare to be blessed!!!

P.s. It takes a bit to download. Be patient and hang with it. (I had to walk away and wait for the whole thing to download before it played without going in and out.)

*Linking up at Raising Homemakers.



For His glory,

A Few Pics from Our Vacation

I always love to see "real life" pics on other people's blogs, so I thought I would share a few of ours. I'm a picture-taking fanatic (as in:  I took exactly 537 pictures JUST on our little 6 day vacation)! Yep, I probably could use some therapy;) Hope you enjoy!

 Lovin' this one...it will be framed!

Oh yeah...this will make it in a frame too! For some reason, they were in a loving mood at the restaurant.

In her own little world:)

 

These two wanted to live in the pool for the week!

All of us on the ferry. We had such a wonderful time!

Can someone send me back...now?!?! ;)

For His glory,