Are You Preparing?

Well, I have survived yet another Christmas. As you may have noticed, my blog and my life have been sideswiped for a while now. Unfortunately, I must admit that I have become somewhat of a scrooge in recent years. When I see the stores changing their displays to red and green in October I begin to retreat. Though I hate to admit it, I have allowed the Christmas season to become a time of stress, strain. But yesterday God sent me another whisper that got me thinking. Are you preparing? He said.

Now this whisper did not bring to mind what you might expect. Are you preparing? What comes to mind first? The return of Christ? Do we forget that He is already with us?

I get frustrated over Christmas because I feel that it distracts me from my beloved Christ. In my own feeble humanity I daily prepare for Christ. I love to sit with Him and hear what He wants to teach me. Yet when the Christmas season starts pushing, I truthfully get sideswiped and distracted from these precious times with the Lord. I resent materialism and loose my joy; I get in a rush and forget the important things. Where is the witness for Christ in me when I do this? What honor does it bring to the King of kings? I am no better than a Pharisee!

There are so many lost souls right now who are concerned about the second coming or as they see it , the end of time. Have we, His witnesses forgotten the first coming? Do we send forth light or cast a shadow? And what exactly do we allow to control us during the Christmas season?

When I heard the whisper say are you preparing - this time it was not in reference to the final appearance of Christ, as you might expect. If that were the case I could, and have in my own Pharisaical way say "yes I am trying but this Christmas mess just gets in the way". Rather the question for me is am I really preparing for the Christmas season or do I just allow it to haphazardly happen, snowballing into at season of joyless flurry.? I see this as a challenge - a challenge for Christ. Instead of belly aching it would serve better to start right now preparing for Christmas. Focusing my effort on things like working out a schedule of family visiting that will not be so rushed, to start talking about the level of gift giving and planing to scale back decorating to a simple and pleasurable level.

The real question is am I preparing physically for a spiritual Christmas? Do I allow Christ to work His miracles in me today - on my attitude for example? There is a balance. Christ told us to be in the world, but not of it. I cannot deny the world that He has called me to. So, I will, with His help, choose to focus now on the details, so that when that blessed season arrives again, I can truly enjoy it! This will not happen without an effort any more than my constant struggle of living a kingdom life in a material world on a day to day basis can occur without daily preparation.

Are you preparing? Why is it that when we have seen His miracles in big things, we continue to question him in the small things ?

Then he told them, "Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet."

They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine.

John 2:8-9

All Scars Fade Over Time

Yesterday my daughter was having some stomach pain and she asked me "Which side is your appendix on?" You know, I couldn't remember. I even had my appendix removed at age 5, but I couldn't remember the pain, or even the location of my own scar. I am sure that the surgery had to have been quite an ordeal at the time - surgery on a five year old in the 60's. But now, I can hardly see my scar at all.

The voice again ~ All scars fade over time.

How true! No mater the context - physical, emotional or even spiritual. If we allow the Father's hands to touch our wounds, they do heal and even the scar left behind will fade and affect us less as time goes on. This is God's way. Often however, we want to pick our wounds, keep them fresh, complain and re-live the pain over and over again. That is not God's preferred path. If a wound is clean and cared for it will heal. If the scar is left alone, before long, we hardly even think about the hurt from whence it came.

When we deny this healing, we are denying the work of Christ in our lives. We have been told to "forgive so that we may be forgiven" and our relationship will be right with our God. Christ died"once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous." Only our own pride keeps us from the total healing that He provides.

There is only one set of wounds that will never heal .
These precious scars remain so that our deepest hurts and fears can, if we allow, heal and fade away.

But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. Isaiah 53:5

Hidden Treasures

Have you ever hidden something for safe keeping? From time to time I have been know to put things away in a safe place and say to myself, "I will remember where this is. It is too important to forget." But it never fails that when I need the item again, I can't remember where it is! I may spend days or weeks to searching before find the cherished item again.



And in the whisper I heard ~ Be careful about what you hide. You may just be hiding it from yourself.





The theme continued in my reading this morning:





"The moon marks off the seasons,


and the sun knows when to go down.


You bring darkness, it becomes night,


and all the beasts of the forest prowl.


The lions roar for their prey


and seek their food from God.


The sun rises and they steal away;


they return and lie down in their dens.


Then man goes out to his work,


to his labor until evening."


Psalm 104 19-23





Isn't it amazing how our Lord ever so naturally protects us from things of the darkness. They prowl around in the dark of night for their prey - while we are sleeping - safe at home in our beds. And when we wake, they hide away again. It occurred to me - Is there anything good that needs to be hidden? Adam and Eve only hid when they became aware of their sin. In God's own creation, snakes, spiders and creepy things are not running around in the bright of day. They hide in the crevices and dark places. So it is with our lives. If there is something that we are hiding, it probably is not good.





Sometimes we hide the things that hurt. Sometimes we hide ways that we have hurt others. Sometimes it's not anything really bad - feelings of contempt, resentment, anger. We tuck it away in a secret place hidden from everyone - even ourselves.



In truth, what good does that do us? What good for the kingdom? It might gather dust or spiderwebs until it is hard to recognize, or like mice and insects, it could even multiply, infecting more and more of our lives. Out of sight; out of mind we like to say. Not true at all I'm afraid.



On the other hand, if we take time to pull it out and allow our Lord to clean it up - it can be used! Most of the time, it can be a real treasure when used for the good of someone else. That horrible, hidden, hurtful thing is usually more of an 'ugly duckling'. It can even have amazing healing powers once it is placed in the hands of the Father. However, it will be changed. You might not even recognize it once He has perfected it - probably because it is no longer yours - it's His and has become beautiful, precious and good!


"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose."

Romans 8:28

Sometimes We Just Need Rain

I have really been feeling dry lately - like I do not have a lot to give. It really grieves me when I feel this way. One of my love languages is quality time. I love to spend time, share words, encourage others. In this, I feel most used by God and most complete in Him. But lately, I have been having a hard time hearing what He wants me to do. I am paralyzed. My confidence has been low and I have not been able to focus on His Word in the way that I am accustom. It is like I have spiritual ADD. Today, several things have occurred to call my attention to a deep need for spiritual cleansing that I have been ignoring.

In my quiet time this morning I fell over that emotional wall, that always leads me back to His presence. The tears came. I was broken once again by realization of my own foolish and sinful ways. But after the cleansing, I felt myself sitting in my Father's lap and hearing His voice - that ever comforting voice that I have been missing so much recently.

Then, stepping back into this world, I walked out to the mailbox and as I walked I felt the crisp grass crunch beneath my feet. "Man, it is dry!" I said to myself - and then the whisper ~ Sometimes you just need rain.

Oh how true it is! Nothing refreshes like the rain. I can water my garden regularly, but nothing revives the earth like water from the heavens. This is true in our spiritual life as well. Sometimes we try so hard pushing forward, reading, studying, doing good - but there is no life in it. We become deflated, limp and dragging. The beauty is lost. We need the rain of Living Water pouring down on us to truly lift and invigorate us.

Can you experience rain without a storm? I think you can.
Storms are powerful, drenching and frightening, and storms refresh the earth - refresh our need and our desire for Christ like nothing else.

Even so, a little rain shower can replenish and energize us to move forward also - when we are just a bit tired or distracted. God does speak in the storm, but He also speaks in a little 'cloud sprinkle' like my own. In theses small times of testing He rejuvenates us just enough to raise our heads and fill our veins. Then when His sweet Word comes to us, alive again, it brings us back to full life - life in Him - enough to share!

"If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." John 7:37,38

Expectant Waiting

I have started packing my suitcase. Even though I am just the Nana, I am so anxious to meet our newest family member that I can hardly wait! My oldest daughter is expecting her first any day now - well, in truth 10 days ago! So, the whole family is on call, expectantly awaiting Little Miss Bumpkin, as she has become known. Her Mama says that she is just falling in line with the rest of the family. We have a tendency to be - late no matter where we are going!

The whole family is thinking ahead and arranging our days to be ready for that most important call. Nana here has been preparing special things to take with me - vegetable soup, pimento cheese, and of course peaches and butter beans. I am gathering things to wear and share and my camera to capture the memories. I have been calling almost everyday to check in.

Then another whisper comes ~ Are you preparing as expectantly for My coming?

That hit me pretty hard. Am I truly anxiously awaiting the return of Christ! Am I thinking ahead and arranging my days for Him? Have I been making my best effort to take His precious people there too? Am I thinking about what I will be wearing there - will there be a crown for me? What kind of memories I making with My Lord? Am I checking in with Him regularly? Unfortunately, I have not been so faithful. I am more concerned with clothes to wear and pimento cheese.

Father forgive me. Let my focus always be on the eternal and on the most expectant coming of all.

Blessed is the man who listens to me,watching daily at my doors, waiting at my doorway. Proverbs 8:34

Be Careful Or You Might Get Burned

Yesterday I felt a craving for some fresh peaches. Peaches remind me of my Daddy. He was raised in the upstate, so when peach season came around there was always a basket of peaches in the house to be enjoyed and shared. Every good gift should be enjoyed and shared ~ What sweet memories.



Anyway so, I headed to the farmers market with mother in law in tow. We had a wonderful time visiting the vendors and even got a free peach each to taste.



I got my peaches and I also got some good old southern butter beans. I froze some and saved some for a good southern meal tonight: chuck roast in the crock pot, fried okra, corn on the cob and BUTTER BEANS!



Well since I live in an old house with a kitchen that heats up as the day goes on, I decided to cook the butter beans this morning and start the roast in the crock pot, so that tonight there want be so much to cook - and not so much heat in the kitchen. The butter beans were cooking as I made some pimento cheese and man, they started to smell good! Well, I thought to myself "self - someone needs to taste those butter beans to make sure that they are seasoned just right." So myself faced with all of the temptations of smelling and thinking about and wondering about those butter beans decided to take a taste. "They look a little hot." "Oh, just cool them in the slotted spoon for a bit and it will be fine." "OK, that should be long enough." " I don't know, has that been long enough?" "Go ahead, they really do smell good!"



And NO it was not long enough! I do believe that I burned my tongue. And now - thank you very much self - I will not be able to taste the butter beans or anything else in my wonderfully planned mean tonight. So God whispered in my ear ~



That is the way that life here is. Be patient or you might get burned. He brought my thoughts to Abraham and Sarah who had been promised a son. They did not wait. They did get burned!



So often, we want to rush our way through life, but God doesn't work that way. He says "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways.."( Isaiah 55:8)

We want to take and taste before He has made us ready. Sometimes we want it before it has even cooked at all. God says take time. Let it simmer. Let me cook it up just right for you with all of the right seasoning and the blending of juices that takes time. Then let it cool a bit. Let me help you to wait until the temperature is just right - Not too cool, not too hot - so that you can appreciate it, and see it from my perspective. Let me teach you a few things while you wait. And then when you finally taste it you will be blessed!

Pennies from Heaven

Yesterday as I wandered through my day, I continually found pennies around the house. One on the laundry room floor, one in the kitchen by the coffee maker, one as I vacuumed the bedroom. Pennies were EVERYWHERE!





Lately God has also been working on my heart in terms of treasure. "Where your treasure is there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:21)It occurred to me that God often sends me 'treasures' as He whispers in my ear through quiet times or simply in my day to day world.





Two of my daughters are great penny pincher's! They have the gift of always finding the best buy for their dollar. I have concluded that in addition to being good stewards of the monetary gifts that He gives us, God also wants us to also be good stewards of the treasures that He sends to us through His word, His people and His world. So here we go!





So today I felt charged to start this blog and share with you the little 'pennies' - little treasures as God shares them with me.