Tag Archives: following Jesus

by

Driving me CRAZY!!

Never this sweet girl!

Never this sweet girl!

There are certain looks, or tones of voice, certain words or phrases that can drive us crazy. (whatever!)

I remember thinking if one more child walks in the door and the FIRST thing they say is “What’s for supper?” that I just might roast that child!!!

It’s those little irritants that can make a day so trying. Here are a few that come quickly to mind:

  •  I have just mopped the kitchen floor and they come in from soccer practice in their cleats.
  •  I have just finished getting everyone dressed, ready to go out the door and a HUGE stinky diaper is detected
  •  I have all the kids in their car seats and one has to go to the bathroom – RIGHT NOW
  •  We sorted the toys while the youngest is taking a nap. After that child wakes up – she dumps all the toys out.
  •  We are all dressed up for a family picture and the baby spits up on the ONLY blouse I can button right now.
  •  I have 4 suckers of different colors and they ALL want the green one.

You get the picture – these are all little things – but they can be so irritating.

I read recently about the process that a clam goes through in making a pearl.  A grain of sand  – or other irritant – gets in the shell. The clam forms a coating, layer after layer of smooth surface to cover that irritant. That becomes the pearl! It no longer irritates because it is smooth and round.

What a lovely picture.

Those very things our children do that drive us crazy can become the substance of something very beautiful. It is not the behavior that becomes beautiful, but my response to it. If I can be patient, loving, and full of grace in those trying situations – something of beauty is formed.

Jesus is teaching about the Kingdom Of Heaven in Matthew 13. He wants his disciples, and us, to understand that the Kingdom of Heaven is of great value because it is where the King – God – rules or has authority. Jesus says –

Matthew 13:45-46   AMP

45 Again the kingdom of heaven is like a man who is a dealer in search of fine and precious pearls,

46 Who, on finding a single pearl of great price, went and sold all he had and bought it.

Jesus wants us to value God’s authority in our lives more than anything else. He wants us to value His rule as we would a very expensive pearl. The Lord desires to use those things in our lives that we see as irritants to “polish” off our rough edges and make us “shiny” enough to reflect His glory.

I pray that we can see the things that rub us the wrong way as people or circumstances that God is using in our lives.

It’s ok to recognize that certain behaviors are driving us crazy – but let’s allow God to use those very things to make us more like Jesus.

 

by

Keep the Fire Burning

?????????????????????????

I heard a truck in the driveway and the first thing I did was glance at the wood stove.

Was there wood in the stove or had I let the fire go out?

As is often the case, I had been caught up in my book-making and I had forgotten to tend the fire.

So, before Phil came in I quickly added wood and was sheepishly grinning when he entered the den.

After 38 years, Phil is accustomed to those sheepish grins. 🙂

Yes, I am easily distracted, yet when I am working on art, time literally slips away. I am totally immmersed in the creative process and I need reminders to fulfill my other responsibilites.

We do this spirtually as well. We can get so caught up in “doing” for God that we forget to “tend the fire.” What does it mean to “tend the fire” spiritually?

It means that we are re-stocking our lives with fuel from the Source, in other words making sure that we are receiving fresh spiritual food from God’s Word.

I have been a Christian for over 55 years, yet I can’t survive on old teaching from my past – as good as it was. Anyone who heats with wood will tell you – old wood burns up fast!

I need to allow Holy Spirit to speak to me with fresh insight for the current issues I face today. As I read the Bible, the Living Word, it feeds the flames of the spiritual fire within me.

John the Baptist spoke of this fire in Matthew 3:4-11. First, Matthew describes John’s appearence, unique to say the least.

4 John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. 5 People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. 6 Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.”

John is referring to Jesus who soon after this came to John to be baptized. The Pharisees and Sadducees were students of the Law, but their fire had gone out. They were not producing “good fruit”, the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

I must be faithful to feed the spiritual fire within me through reading God’s Word, hearing Biblical teaching, and listening to the Holy Spirit within me. Only then will I have something of value to share with my children and grandchildren and other individuals in my life.

Feeding on the Word of God will keep my fire burning!

PS – Last year I had the special priveledge of speaking at the Women’s Retreat “Follow Him 2013”. I was so blessed by the wonderful ladies who came ready to hear God speak as He challenged us in our desire to Follow Him. Those of you who read this blog and live in Jackson County may be interested in attending this year’s retreat – “Serve Him 2014”. I have been invited to speak again and I have been convicted by what the Lord has given me to share. It is something I know God wants me to work on – so I have sensed the “fire burning.” If you would like more information – please contact Kandi Newkirk or Lorraine Arnold at 586-6008. The dates are Friday evening March 14th through Sunday morning March 16th and the location is the Hemlock Hills Gatlinburg Resort, Gatlinburg, Tenn.

by

Where is Your Treasure?

Nana singing to twins

The idea of finding hidden treasure is something that has always captivated the imagination of people. Think of finding a Honus Wagner baseball card in perfect condition in an old cigar box in the attic!

Treasure hunts are exciting. Find a map with an “X” and all you have to do is follow the clues and dig up the treasure. Unless of course the map is a fake or someone else found the treasure before you. Phil and I like yard sales and flea markets. I like to think of these excursions we take as “treasure hunts” although our sons-in-law have discovered the truth – we are Christmas shopping.

Soon after moving into our current home, Phil was repairing a floor in the barn and came across a cardboard box. I got all excited thinking it might be something buried that belonged to someone from the Great Depression Era when they didn’t want to put money or valuables in a bank. It turned out that the box had glass coffee mugs in it. We washed that “treasure” up and use those mugs each time we have company. They probably originally cost about $1.00 each.

At the beach this summer, I drew a map and buried some treasure in the sand on the beach. Our grandsons followed the map and dug up the treasure – packs of gummy bears!

Treasure holds fascination for us no matter what age we are. Jesus used the idea of treasure in several of the parables He taught.

Matthew 13:44-45

44 “The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.

45 “Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. 46 When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it.
What is of such great value that these men sold ALL THEY HAD to purchase the treasure or the pearl?

The Kingdom of Heaven.

Knowing Jesus as Savior and Lord, allowing Him to reign in our lives is of immeasurable worth. The Kingdom of Heaven is that place where Jesus rules. That place needs to be our lives.

Our children and grandchildren are fascinated with finding treasure. Are we doing all we can to help them see what REAL treasure is?

Matthew 6:20-22 (NIV)

20 But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.Whatever we value most is our treasure. As parents and grandparents we should examine our hearts – ask ourselves – what DO we value most? If we see that we value a house, a career, education, or material things the most, that is our treasure. If so, our treasure is not of eternal value.

We only have to look at where we invest our time and resources – that is the true test of what we value, what we treasure.

I am blessed by the fact that the parts of the Church our daughters fellowship with puts a high priority on ministering to children. Their pastor recently preached “…”imagine the difference we can make in the next genreation if this one class of Confirmands (one of which is our eldest grandaughter) is taught the Bible, the ways of Jesus, and the lessons of faith learned by those who have preceded us.” (Pastor, Bob Thompson)

Another daughter has helped begin a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) group where they fellowship. The previous location closed it’s doors to this group of young mothers and children so our daughter’s part of the Church has taken them in. I was so blessed to hear that.

Jesus taught that children are precious in God’s eyes. In fact, we must become like children to enter His kingdom!

So – where is our treasure? Is it our children and grandchildren? Do we value them enough to invest our lives and our resources in their growth as followers of Jesus?

That has eternal value.