Gratitude births deep desire

I feel like I have been drowning in a sea of grace as of late! It's an awesome thing! God has been pouring down blessing upon blessing, so much so that I haven't been able to focus on just one thing to write about! But something I have come to learn, over and over again through his showers of blessings, is that allowing gratitude to reign in my heart opens up the floodgates of his grace.

Malachi 3:10
Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the LORD Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.

Let's just replace the word 'tithe' with 'gift'.

See, everything is Gift and Grace from God. Everything. And when we bring all of everything he's given to us, to give it back to him for use in his Kingdom, he throws open the floodgates!

So much blessing that there is not enough room to store it. The key to this is...what is that blessing? Maybe it's not a tangible gift - food, money, clothing, shelter - maybe its assurance, love, a friendship, a means to an end.

And it's our desire to want to see God's will for what it is, rather than imposing our will on God, that opens up the eyes of our hearts to see those floodgates bursting open.  When our hearts can see that what we have and what we've been given and what we own and what businesses we run and what teams we coach and what groups we lead and the children we have are REALLY God's possessions and God's businesses and God's teams and God's groups and God's children, we allow him to open those floodgates and pour out the blessings.

Because only when we fully surrender ourselves, only when we forget our agendas and surrender our control of our plans to him, do we then have perfect vision of what God had intended us to be doing all along - Loving Him and Loving others.

Only he knows the form his love needs to take on to love others, and we just need to be the vessels, equipped and ready to be used.

And we do that by taking ourselves out of the way!

By being grateful, in the deepest depths of our being, for the second chance we've been given to serve him.

It's not yours to keep.

"I am grateful for sight, sound and breath. If ever in my life there is a pouring out of blessing beyond that, then I will be grateful for the MIRACLE of ABUNDANCE." Andy Andrews, The Traveler's Gift

Sight...sound....breath ~ these three 'rights' (as humankind sees them) are miracles in and of themselves. It is the life-giving divine breath of our Creator God that wakes most of us up with these three gifts. Some of us might be missing sight or sound, but we're still alive if we have breath, and maybe even more blessed to not have sight or sound, as that often allows an individual to be more thankful for what he/she does possess. 

Three things though, just three. Most people I know have more than these three things. Play along with me for a moment:

4. all the necessary body parts

5. a cover over our heads

6. food to eat daily

7. water to drink daily

8. a bed 

9. with bedding 

10. and pillows

11. a choice of what to wear when we get out of bed

12. several choices of what to wear when we get out of bed

13. a shower

14. and a bathtub

15. an in-house toilet

16. with toilet paper

17. coffee for the morning

18. a bible to read

19. the ability to read

20. a computer 

21. a cell phone

22. maybe even a smart phone

23. washer/dryer

24. soap

25. shampoo/conditioner

26. razors

27. utensils to eat with

28. plates to eat on

29. camera (on our phones and traditional)

30. pots to cook with

31. stove

32. dishwasher

33. gym facility

34. classrooms to be taught in

35. classrooms stocked with supplies

36. a job to go to

37. a wage to be earned

38. a car to drive to that job

39. a grocery store nearby

40. paper to write on

41. candles to burn

42. baggies

43. toothbrushes

44. pajamas

45. a TV to watch or play movies on

46. a pantry 

47. a garage

48. an umbrella

49. a garden

50. a christmas tree

51. pets

52. windows that open/shut

53. lights

54. safety

55. shoes

56. radios

57. CDs/DVDs

58. Video games

59. bikes

60. sports equipment

61. chairs 

62. dining table

63. drinking glasses

64. picture frames

65. refrigerator

66. bedrooms

67. remote controls

68. health

69. youth groups

70. postage stamps

71. fingernail polish

...you get the idea. This list took me about 10 minutes to write. And it is not all-inclusive, by any means! 

This is all ABUNDANCE.  And much of what is on the list is not had in singles but in doubles and triples and quadruples in our homes.  The homes of God's children.

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A missionary going across the world is blessed by others that share of their financial abundance so this missionary can be sent into the mission field. That seems like a logical way to share the abundance. 

It's easy to drop some loose change (clearly not even a tenth of what most have at their disposal) into a red kettle when the bell is ringing in your ear. 

It's also easy to bring a nice spread out for a family member's birthday/graduation/retirement/baby shower/bridal shower/baptism party.  And there's always leftovers. Would you do that for a stranger?

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It's quite easy to share what we have with others in these two primary situations 1) when we feel we'll get something in return or 2) when sharing requires of us much less than what we actually have so as not to involve any sort of perceived sacrifice in order to give that gift.  

But God doesn't give abundance to whom he does so that they may keep it to themselves, in essence becoming 'better off' than one of his other children. Has that ever crossed your mind before? Do you think you deserve to keep the abundant gift to yourself because somehow you've earned it, from God (if that part of the equation even comes into your mind)?

Today, we were witness to one of God's children distributing a gift of abundance to another of God's children. It was a moving, grace-filled moment for all of us involved.

We were also witness to a body of proclaimed 'Christ followers' trying to hold onto their abundance, as if it's their God-given right. Out of a body of thousands of people who proclaim Jesus is their Savior, not enough people have stepped forward to distribute the abundance God has given them to support the church body's attempt to love an international group over a Thanksgiving holiday.  There are not enough people who are willing to submit to God and let go of the abundance they've been blessed with (which is not truly theirs to begin with) to feed/host the expected group of Internationals they were hoping to love over this holiday,  a holiday in which everyone superficially proclaims their thankfulness! They don't even have half of what is needed to accomplish this mission - and Thanksgiving is four days away. Have any guesses as to what this body of believers will be doing instead?.....

It's easy to love those who love you back. It's easy to share with those who give something in return. It's easy to share with someone who is not in desperate need or appears to not be in desperate need. It's a lot easier to pass judgement on why someone who clearly appears to be in desperate need is truly in need and to come up with the reason that it's their own fault; and clearly, if it's self-induced, why should you bother sharing with them. They'll have to learn the lesson on their own, the hard way. Right? 'My abundance is mine, I earned it and I'm not just going to hand it off to someone else who appears in my book to not be doing their part.'

There is a message God has for all of us regarding the abundance he provides. He doesn't provide the same abundance to all of his children. Some are blessed in the area of finance, some in skill, some in spiritual gifts, some in people skills, others in personality, others with a business, etc. And some are blessed with a humble state. A humble being of poor state and lower on the economic ladder. And yes that is a blessing to ~ no matter how poor and humble someone is, there is always something to give away freely - LOVE.

I'll end with a few simple questions:

Why do you think you need this world in abundance?

Whom could you be sharing your abundance with, for nothing in return?

Why do you think you need to keep some, half, three-quarters or even all of it to yourself?

Have you ever tried to give without TRULY expecting anything in return?

2 Corinthians 8:14-16 (English Standard Version (ESV))

¹⁴your abundance at the present time should supply their need, so that their abundance may supply your need, that there may be fairness. ¹⁵As it is written, "Whoever gathered much had nothing left over, and whoever gathered little had no lack."

God Speaks Anywhere, Even in the Bathroom

I have talked with many who have been able to recount a time when God spoke to them, either through a dream, a voice, in the stillness of their head. I've had a few instances where my thoughts have been guided by the Holy Spirit, but the other day I experience God speaking in a way unknown previously to me.

I had spent a bit of time in his Word, preparing for our bible study this Saturday morning. I had a great time digging into scripture as I always do. God reveals so  much to me through his word and I get excited about spending that time with him. But I had other things to get to and so I closed my books for a bit and was in the bathroom brushing my teeth. Usually while I do that I'm staring into the mirror. And I noticed for a small space of time, my mind was totally blank. I was able to notice that because it was an odd feeling!! My mind is never just blank space. Never. I've yearned for it, tried to stare at one point to focus my mind into blankness many-a-times to no avail. So I noticed this blankness!

And then it came into that empty space:

'There is justification for you. There is no justification for your sin.'

It was a morsel of wisdom, on the very topic I was building and supporting for our bible study group, and it was straight from the mouth of God! Uber awesome.

The other time God met me in the bathroom was not in such an obvious way. But my husband and I have this ongoing discussion over toilet paper. When I go to get the groceries, I look at the square footage of the toilet paper to see which one has more. And although Scotts is not the softest toilet paper, it is the 'longest' and so I buy that. And it will last through at least one week of groceries, if not another half a week. But when he goes, he says he looks at the number I do, but he thinks that Northern Quilted has more square footage. So that's what he gets. And the package never lasts an entire week. But after two trips to the store and the same discussion, I just let it lay and left him to his own choosing; it's not worth ruffling feathers about really. But it is kind of a bummer to have to make a TP run mid-week when it runs out. So this time, before he went to get groceries, he let me know he was going and we made our list which included TP. At some point in that day before I was going to the bathroom, noticing we were on our last roll of TP and it was not that big and I thought, I wish he would just get the Scotts TP. But I simply took it to God. I know that if it's God's will he get Scotts, it'll happen. And I know that when I delight in God, he'll give me the desires of my heart.

Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

So I just prayed, 'Lord, if it be your will, please have him bring home Scotts.' And I left it at that. No need to bring it up or try to drop hints about it. It was a silent prayer between God and me. And later that evening, he came home with the groceries and I saw it... the answer to my prayer.  And this prayer was not about an answer to a problem, per say, or a need that needed to be met, or a miracle or anything. It was really just asking God to fulfill a promise: if I was truly delighting in him, that he would give me the desires of my heart as he promises. And it was not about winning a debate, in fact, unless he reads this blog, my husband will not know about this God-moment because I will not boast in it to him and to me it was not an argument, but rather simply his point of view and my point of view; it is not a life or death issue we needed to come together on. I desired this brand of toilet paper, simply to spare our budget, to be able to see our toilet paper last longer, plain and simple. My motives were pure and I delighted in God. And he was faithful.

When we delight in God, he is always faithful. Always.

Tiny Morsels, so so 'tasty'

Often, I'd dreamed of having home-schooled children, but the thought of me doing that homeschooling always scared me. See, my perspective on school was teaching my children, exactly as they are taught in a public school, which seemed way beyond my league.
But God opened up a whole new world to me, when he brought the opportunity to my daughter to be home-schooled in someone else's home. What a concept, I had never contemplated that before. And I soon began to realize, once I saw inside to the world of home-schooling, is that it's not about schooling exactly like public school. So much can be learned in the home, about life, and all that is important, and sometimes, most times, that looks nothing like 'school' - through the eyes of the public school system.

I became inspired to start doing school with my youngest. A bit daunting at first, but I came across many great resources online and through the library, all free, that have given us a stepping stone. He is learning things that I take for granted, things I know, that of course at some point had to learn, but I never thought I was the one to teach him.  They learn that in school, right?!

But spending that time with him, is not just about learning, it's about bonding, playing, having fun, showing him he's got my attention for that time, undivided. And it's a heck of a lot better than pretend playing with tools, cars, war sounds, gun games and whatever sounds little boys can make that my mouth just does not do! I like that I can enjoy our school time and I'm not dreading disappointing him because I can't make the right sounds while we play.

So each time we do 'school' we begin with a prayer for the day and then a devotion out of his preschool devotion book. And this may sound silly or whatever else you might call it, but that little book has some fantastic, very easy to understand wisdom in it! It could be that my eyes are just now being opened, too. Either way, I have learned A LOT from this time in school with my son, and in school with my brother, Jesus.


For instance: Treasures in Heaven

Matthew 6:¹⁹ “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal; ²⁰ but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. ²¹ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Many times, I've heard this verse. When the devotion message was treasures in heaven, it clearly told me how to store up treasures in heaven. My AHA moment ~ you store up treasures in heaven by doing good things FOR GOD. And if I'm doing good things for God to store up treasures, that means my heart is wholeheartedly following God. AHA!

Or how about: Delight in God

Psalm 37:4
Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Note this says, the desires of your 'heart' not your mind! Very important distinction.  This is another verse I have heard many many times. How is it, exactly, that you delight in the Lord? Well, now I know: 1) Love God more than anything else in the whole world 2) Obey him happily (willfully without complaining) 3) praying to him.   These are three very clear, concise ways to delight in God and then your will will be his will, so that the desires of your heart can be realized.


Another great one: A Clean Heart 

Psalm 51: ¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God,
         And renew a steadfast spirit within me. 

Another simple but profound message for me. We clean our bodies with soap and water, but we can't clean our hearts that way. Our heart is on the inside and we can't clean that ourselves. But who is the only one who can clean our hearts?  God. And how does he clean it, wash it and make it pure? When you tell God you are sorry, he washes your heart. 

And these three examples, which are just a few that I have clung to, by his design all have to do with one thing: your HEART.  And here's what the bible says about your heart...

^{Matthew 12:35} A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

 
Proverbs 27:19 As in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man.

 Your faith is not about anything LESS than a complete heart transformation. If your heart is not right, it will show. So take to heart these tiny morsels of wisdom, the miracles of my mornings, and allow the miracle of a heart transformation to be done in you.

Imposters???

Genesis 1:27

"So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them."

Colossians 3:10 

Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices ¹⁰ and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator.

Today was an amazing, heart-stopping, beautiful day. Blue skies, a nice breeze, 83 degrees, sunny ~ who says it has to be fall-like during Fall?

Instead of filling my head with 'garbage thoughts' of the day, things like, 'I wonder how long this will last?' 'I wonder what is happening in the atmosphere that's allowing these awesome, abnormal temps?' 'It's probably going to be freezing in no time.' 'The snow will be here next week because that's how WI is,' We filled our day with praise and delighted in God.  For a split second when I woke up, I felt like I needed a to-do list because I didn't have one for the morning, not even school with Gabriel was on the list today. Instead, today we truly lived by the moment.

It started out with an unplanned trip down memory lane with him, strolling through picture albums of births and his older siblings as babies. He took so much pleasure in seeing his siblings as babies and knowing now that they are 'big'. He loved seeing grammie and grampie and his auntie, like they were at our house in person. Then we took a nature walk to the library to have 'school' working on colors and that started out with an ubber-intense display of the Creator God, a snake, right in our own front yard! Ah!! But we made all the right moves and survived the encounter, unscathed. And the snake was identified as matching our yellow block. Bonus! We shared our love with neighbors on the way, pointed out creation matching other colored blocks, found the perfect walking sticks and enjoyed a morning of perfection in our small little town, we've affectionately called 'home'.

Our day was overflowing with love from our Creator, not only in the abundance he provided, but magnified in our own hearts as a result of recognizing Him as the source of all this goodness and in the undeservedness of it all.  

A day where, although it began feeling 'off' because I did not have a to-do list, it quickly turned into the most peaceful day we've had in the last week. We've no doubt had a busy week, as have many of you, I'm sure. But by accepting my assignment to let myself be free of a list, we live our day as close to 'the image of the Creator' as I feel we could have.

And there is wisdom in the bible that shows us, this is not a random phenomenon of a day that I have experienced ~ for those of you who think these types of days can't happen to you because you are simply too busy: (again in Colossians)

¹⁵ Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. ¹⁶ Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. ¹⁷ And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. 

When we ask Jesus to be the savior of our lives, this peace is available to us, every day, at any time. And by thanking our Creator, God, for our days, our hours and minutes ... the peace that passes understanding is ours to bask in daily.  When you trust in Jesus to be your savior this should be your reality:

Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.

Hidden in Christ

Are you walking around an imposter of who you are really meant to be? Do you have a shell of this world? Can you recognize these behaviors in your life daily ~ negativity, anxiety, impatience, greed, a gossiping tongue, sarcasm, bitterness, disdain, a lack of gratitude, a split-personality depending on the circle you find yourself in, excuses, 'it' is never enough....

Maybe you can intentionally bury the imposter and come back to who you are in Jesus - and that is none other than FREE. We are made in his image, we are hidden with him and we don't need to posture to make it through this life.

Christ is Peace. And Thankfulness (directly to him and for him) is our path.

There is no other way. If you want to chat about Jesus, I'm here for you.

Sometimes a simple list will do

Not every moment needs a profound explanation, a long, detailed account to prove a point. Sometimes, a simple list will do...

This weekends miracles:

an unplanned, last minute campfire night allowed God to work out the previously hairy details of a group of women coming together to know him more

said campfire also connected a woman with a gym just after finding out her classes were cancelled at her long-standing gym due to lack of participation

and said campfire continued to forge new relationships built on the foundation of God

weekend landscaping continued to forge new friendships, refresh a tired yard and it's owners, new skills were learned, truly good-hearted people served a landscaping crew they hadn't previously known, and maybe even some free Badger tickets were acquired...


a last minute outdoor cookout provided deepening of wonderful friendships and great wisdom was shared in a loving environment

said cookout also revealed God's majesty in the sky - an amazingly bright and awesome double rainbow that just kept growing in the sky as the rain slowly let down

Faith was tested, prayers were prayed, babies were covered in prayer, fires were ignited for Christ and doors were set in place ...

waiting to be opened.

Aliens and Strangers on Earth

 

 ^{Hebrews 11:13} All these people were still living by faith when they died. They did not receive the things promised; they only saw them and welcomed them from a distance, admitting that they were foreigners and strangers on earth.

'These people' were not living for the red part, as Francis referred to it. 'These people' are the righteous ones recounted in the 'Hall of Faith' - Hebrews chapter 11. They knew what was in store for them in the part after the red part of life. 

Many times feeling like Aliens and Strangers in this land, as far as human tradition goes, means there's something wrong with you.. maybe you're depressed, need to have some 'fun', need to go spend some money, need to find some one/some way/something to give you love or for you to love...

I honestly love feeling like a stranger in my own land and do not want that to change. Knowing that my heart does not jive with this world and the human tradition in this place brings joy and comfort.  I do not belong in a world of broken pieces, as the song goes.

But being human, made of flesh that is sinful and rotten, I am broken and there are days where the world suffocates and overwhelms and then that feeling of alienation turns on the self-pity and the oppression and I feel some sort of victim. These are the days when, leading up to, I have not concentrated my time on living for Jesus.  Leading up to these spiritual droughts, I have taken on my own agenda, like my master plan is so much better than God's.  'Have you not heard?! Do you not know?' (Isaiah 40 comes to mind!)

I read Hebrews 11: 13 yesterday, the Spirit foreshadowing the trials of today. And I was slow to listen. I did not hear with my ears. 

And a lesson has been learned. Mental note: I am not living for the red part. And any time this world wants to pull me back into that red-part-thinkin', I will now train myself to shout back to the darkness - 'I am an alien and a stranger on this earth, and you can't take that away from me!'

What part of the rope might you be living for? At the end of the day, was all your striving for your agenda or for God's?