For those who know us and have known us for longer than, say a few years, you might label our lives as simple right now. For in the past, we both were clock punchers for a long time, like most of you reading this post I'd imagine. And at some times, double and triple clock punchers! Again, like most of you. And our lives then could be summed up with these labels: paycheck-to-paycheck, trying to find breathing room, struggling to make ends meet, feeling like we'd never get ahead, typical double-income family struggling to get by with kids in daycare, car payments, and jobs just to pay the bills. Free-time, unheard of! Are you kidding me?! It was come home from work, make dinner, do dishes, bath time, kids to bed, make lunches for the next day, wake up and do it all again, early rising, scramble to get the kids ready for daycare/school, just to rush to work to accomplish something for someone else. Weekends were for catching up with sanity and the laundry.
How did this get simple? All is 'gift and grace'. (this is my new favorite truth!)
There was a point in our lives, just a few years ago, where we had a decision to make - it was a definite moment of decision, there was no gray area about it. And it was a test of our faith, and we knew it completely, there was no question; we needed to make a choice to follow and EXPLODE on the faith path we'd been slowly following OR deny it, deny our Creator God, and leave Him in the dust. This moment was a gift from our Father and how we chose to open and use that gift was the determining factor for the other gifts he had waiting for us.
This moment of decision was not, by any means, SIMPLE. It was surrounded with fear, tears, questioning of sanity, blind faith, the unknown and a giving up of control.
And this blog should give you a hint of the choice we made ~ together. Speaking of 'together', our marriage today is a direct result of this choice and the gifts our Father bestows on just our marriage alone each day.
All is 'gift and grace'. ALL - EVERYTHING - EV'RY-THING IS A GIFT OF HIS GRACE.
So today our life is Simple. Because we CHOSE to open the gift of God's grace. When you open a gift, that's just the first part of a gift. You must accept the gift then too. And once you open and accept it, then you decide whether to use the gift or lay it to the side and let it collect dust and be forgotten.
We did not forget this gift of grace, which brings along with it a deeper wisdom, a spiritual discernment that goes so much deeper, a heart transformation where life is not about going through the motions but living it out in actions to show a true romance with our Creator. Oh, no, no - forget it, are you kidding me?
Our lives are simple, not because, we don't do anything, but because we do the work of the Lord. We are still living paycheck-to-paycheck. Isn't that funny - you think, 'they were working the daily grind for so long and were hard-pressed for money, now they are doing the work of the Father and are still hard-pressed for money'. Goes to show a few things: 1) whether you've got 'secure' income as most call a 'job' or whether you put your 'income' in the hands of God, the outcome is still the same - and that is whatever GOD's plan is for you, not how much you think you earned or the world tells you your worth. 2) Now we know God, in his faithfulness, WILL provide as he ALWAYS does. 3) It shows that 'security' of a job is false security and when you give the control to God, life can become simple, the more you losen your grip on the control, because your life can be secure in God.
Our lives are simple because we trust in him, we dwell with him, we love him and we claim him as ours and name him as our source of everything. And for this, his love overflows and out of his unfathomable love for us as his children, he provides according to his will for us.
As some of you know, YouFactor (our gym), is at a decision point; sign a lease at a monthly payment we, by way of our own means, can't afford, or, what, move to another place? Is there another place for our gym? We can't really afford any place at the slow place the gym is at currently. Is the stereotypical moment of panic for most. And most would look at us and say, most businesses make it or break it in the first year. Gyms have never thrived in that location. You have no more money to invest in your gym, how will you keep it going? And that's just it - 'we' will not keep it going. Remember that choice we made way back then ....
God is in control. We handed over that control to him...remember that choice.
I once was told that God would not ask us to live beyond our means, that he would not lead us in a direction where the means we had currently could not support the direction God was leading us in. What a fatal mistake - can you find a smaller box to put God in? When God leads, anything is possible. Do we have the money, right now, to keep YouFactor going another month let alone a year - absolutely not! Does that mean God can't show up tomorrow with the means for that too happen? Absolutely NOT! And this again, is where life is simple. We know, if it is God's will, he WILL provide for YouFactor. And if it is not his will and YouFactor's doors need to close, then he has a different plan for our lives. It's as simple as that.
Simple = Trust
And this is how it plays out:
Husband lies in comma in hospital - God provides peace for me and rest and restoration for his body
8 months preggo and landlord says after 5 yrs, time to leave - God provides shelter and a way for us to own our own home
Husband has a passion to start a gym - God's house he provided is the perfect set-up for a starter gym
Gym gets too big for the space - God provides a tax return to afford a retail space for us to lease
Deer totals only car - God provides our trusty steed, the 'truck'
Children need godly friends to follow - God provides local church with just that
School kids are just plain yucky to Ashlynn, to the point I'd pray for God to just bring her home where she can feel loved all the time - God provides the closest thing this side of heaven, homeschooling by a family who fears God and lives by love
Mortgage is coming due in 2 or 3 days - God provides a landscaping job or some other means
Relationships need attention - God's Word provides wisdom
Souls needed to be fed and grown - God provided a new venue
The world, human tradition , would label us as lazy, maybe moochers, maybe saying we're expecting handouts - I'm sure lots of labels are running through our minds.
But when God leads and we follow life is simple.
Have you all forgotten? We are all part of God's plan. Have you forgotten, you are living on this earth by 'gift and grace' and your purpose is not to serve yourself but to serve God's purpose. He's just waiting for you to unwrap his gift and make that choice for yourselves, sometimes more than just once, too.
Somethings our lives are NOT filled with - not a lot of material things, none of our closets are even halfway full, we do not have possessions boxed up in storage, we do not have tons of 'extra' space in our house, no clutter, no duplicates of items or clothing or shoes or toys and for me personally, I do not have a space filled with things I'd love to do if I had the time. I did stamping for a while and had a good collection of supplies - but after kids, there is not time for that. I had scrapbooking stuff and lots of art supplies and paper goods, etc. for those - 'what if I want to do that sometime?' moments. What I learned after letting all that go, letting go of the control of my time, is that my time is not spent thinking, oh, I should be doing this project now instead of sitting here with my kids, I should be using those stamps I have sitting in the closet instead of spending time talking to God or seeking wisdom in his Word, I should be crafting instead of spending time next to my husband enjoying just him. My time is now spent on what truly matters, the truth of why I'm here, for those relationships God has place in my life -my husband, my kids, my friends and Him. It's not a struggle to know where to spend my time now.
Our lives are simply filled with lots of love, lots of mystery (ie. faith) in how bills will get met, lots of excitement in waiting in expectation, lots of time to sit and read scripture, lots of time to memorize scripture, lots of time to spend focused on our kids, lots of time to spend focused on our health and fitness, lots of time to spend focused on our relationships - not because we have no jobs (do you forget we own two business, volunteer at many different locations, serve the local Fire Dept and community?) - and certainly not because we're lazy...
Because WE CHOSE to accept 'gift and grace'. We name it and give it the praise it deserves, DAILY. We've simplified life (through God's gift of grace).
Really, it IS SIMPLE. MAKE TIME FOR THE ONE WHO MAKES TIME.
Friday, September 2, 2011
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Taking time to be still
It's quiet time in our house right now. One is napping. One is making a box about how God made her and why she is special. And I am reflecting on this quiet time, this time to be still, this time to listen.
There are not too many times in the day of a child or an adolescent or an adult, that we'll CHOOSE to be still and stop thinking about past or future to just be, right here, right now. As an adult, you might be familiar with Psalm 46:1o:
Many focus on the part 'be still' and quickly give up because it's impossible to be still, it's so hard to not let the mind wander or to think of the to-do list. And this is true for me, in the sense that I cannot find a place where my mind does not think about anything, my mind cannot be still. And so that is something I pray for.
But right here and now, the part he's pointing out to me is not the stillness but this... 'and KNOW that I AM GOD.'
KNOW - that's a definitive, concrete word; he didn't say 'contemplate, wonder, figure out if I am God'
NO, he said 'KNOW' that I am God. That leaves no room for doubt. The rest of Psalm 46 speaks of the power and majesty of GOD.
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
He is a refuge, he is strength, he will not fall, he is our fortress, he is Almighty, he is an ever-present help - this is what he wants you to KNOW (not wonder about, not doubt, not think maybe this is what he is but I don't know for sure). Therefore, DO NOT FEAR (vs 2), but be still, still the innards, calm the butterflies, chase away the fear because you KNOW who God is.
And you want to KNOW who else he is: (from Exodus 34 - God is describing himself to Moses)
5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
He is GOD. He reigns sovereign in each of our lives from beginning to end. To KNOW him means to have faith in him, without doubting who he is. To KNOW him means to have faith in what he can do, which is far more than anything we could conceive of ourselves, to KNOW him means not to limit him by putting him the Bible Box and telling him he can only do what he has shown he can do in the bible.
To KNOW God means to not know what your tomorrow brings and to trust him with your today.
So put to rest the fluttering, the worrying, the list-making and ACCEPT that he IS GOD. KNOW HIM.
Practicing quiet time for everyone, adults and kids alike, allows each one of us to observe how God is working in our days and helps us to turn over the control, giving back to the one whose hands it is best in.
There are not too many times in the day of a child or an adolescent or an adult, that we'll CHOOSE to be still and stop thinking about past or future to just be, right here, right now. As an adult, you might be familiar with Psalm 46:1o:
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
Many focus on the part 'be still' and quickly give up because it's impossible to be still, it's so hard to not let the mind wander or to think of the to-do list. And this is true for me, in the sense that I cannot find a place where my mind does not think about anything, my mind cannot be still. And so that is something I pray for.
But right here and now, the part he's pointing out to me is not the stillness but this... 'and KNOW that I AM GOD.'
KNOW - that's a definitive, concrete word; he didn't say 'contemplate, wonder, figure out if I am God'
NO, he said 'KNOW' that I am God. That leaves no room for doubt. The rest of Psalm 46 speaks of the power and majesty of GOD.
1 God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]
an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake with their surging.[c]
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the LORD has done,
the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD Almighty is with us; the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the shields[d] with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
He is a refuge, he is strength, he will not fall, he is our fortress, he is Almighty, he is an ever-present help - this is what he wants you to KNOW (not wonder about, not doubt, not think maybe this is what he is but I don't know for sure). Therefore, DO NOT FEAR (vs 2), but be still, still the innards, calm the butterflies, chase away the fear because you KNOW who God is.
And you want to KNOW who else he is: (from Exodus 34 - God is describing himself to Moses)
5 Then the LORD came down in the cloud and stood there with him and proclaimed his name, the LORD. 6 And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The LORD, the LORD, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, 7 maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.”
He is GOD. He reigns sovereign in each of our lives from beginning to end. To KNOW him means to have faith in him, without doubting who he is. To KNOW him means to have faith in what he can do, which is far more than anything we could conceive of ourselves, to KNOW him means not to limit him by putting him the Bible Box and telling him he can only do what he has shown he can do in the bible.
To KNOW God means to not know what your tomorrow brings and to trust him with your today.
So put to rest the fluttering, the worrying, the list-making and ACCEPT that he IS GOD. KNOW HIM.
Practicing quiet time for everyone, adults and kids alike, allows each one of us to observe how God is working in our days and helps us to turn over the control, giving back to the one whose hands it is best in.
Saturday, August 6, 2011
A life that lives for God's glory is FREE
A life that lives for the glory of God (that in all and through all he will reign majestic) frees, is freeing and is free.
Today we got to experience some of the cutest of God's creation, some beautiful horses, ducklings, chicks, bunnies, a very friendly and cute goat (yes, this goat was cute!) and chickens.
This was such a gift to us! A woman, committed to God shared her abundance with us. She runs a daycare and a summer camp at her home, which is on several acres of land. And she gives God all the glory for the way he's turned her gift for children and her passion for animals into a livelihood. She was not shy to declare this today and it was awesome to experience. And because of her devotion to our Father and the faithfulness she witnesses each day working out all the details so that she can keep doing what she's doing, she extended God's grace to us and allowed us to come share in it as well.
Though she always has her financials in mind, as her husband has been out of work for two years and the bills still need to be paid, she did not ever ask for a dime for us to come and share in God's gifts. She could easily charge a fee to each person that comes to visit her but that is not what God asks of her.
Although she has to face her financials and look her unemployed husband in the eye each day, her trust in the Father allows her to be free, unencumbered by the money. God's faithfulness frees her from having to be a 'penny pincher' because to her, she's been given these gifts of time to share, passion for animals and kids and she is just giving back what God has given her so freely.
And in turn, we, along with all the others she entertains at her place, got to give our children a gift, that all too often is unaffordable when payment is required. We got to let them spend time being free with our Father's creation, to experience the joy his precious animals can give, all soft and furry, cuddly and playful as they are. And it was absolutely Free. As a mom on a very tight budget, moments like these, are memories I cherish forever.
And I'm forever grateful for the grace God bestows on us to allow us to have this experience and the grace he bestows on her that she knows him too, and knows the power in his freedom which he freely gives to those who seek him.
Thank you Joan!
Today we got to experience some of the cutest of God's creation, some beautiful horses, ducklings, chicks, bunnies, a very friendly and cute goat (yes, this goat was cute!) and chickens.
This was such a gift to us! A woman, committed to God shared her abundance with us. She runs a daycare and a summer camp at her home, which is on several acres of land. And she gives God all the glory for the way he's turned her gift for children and her passion for animals into a livelihood. She was not shy to declare this today and it was awesome to experience. And because of her devotion to our Father and the faithfulness she witnesses each day working out all the details so that she can keep doing what she's doing, she extended God's grace to us and allowed us to come share in it as well.
Though she always has her financials in mind, as her husband has been out of work for two years and the bills still need to be paid, she did not ever ask for a dime for us to come and share in God's gifts. She could easily charge a fee to each person that comes to visit her but that is not what God asks of her.
Although she has to face her financials and look her unemployed husband in the eye each day, her trust in the Father allows her to be free, unencumbered by the money. God's faithfulness frees her from having to be a 'penny pincher' because to her, she's been given these gifts of time to share, passion for animals and kids and she is just giving back what God has given her so freely.
And in turn, we, along with all the others she entertains at her place, got to give our children a gift, that all too often is unaffordable when payment is required. We got to let them spend time being free with our Father's creation, to experience the joy his precious animals can give, all soft and furry, cuddly and playful as they are. And it was absolutely Free. As a mom on a very tight budget, moments like these, are memories I cherish forever.
And I'm forever grateful for the grace God bestows on us to allow us to have this experience and the grace he bestows on her that she knows him too, and knows the power in his freedom which he freely gives to those who seek him.
Thank you Joan!
Monday, August 1, 2011
The miracle too often overlooked each day -
There have been many situations/events in my life that many would consider 'serious' as far as the implications of the outcome, but God delivered me so much peace, those times almost seemed simple.
Or for instance, it has never been a question for me to wonder if God exists. This is something my heart has always known. More recently, I've opened my eyes to see that not only is God real, but he is really involved in every moment of my life and I want him to be in control. And fundamentally I do not question this either.
These are graces God has bestowed on me. I realize, not everyone sees God for who he is without questioning his existence and his majesty and the fact that he will reign sovereign to the end, when heaven is made new on earth.
I realize not everyone is blessed with the faith and trust in God that I have been given. God tells us it is time for my husband to quite his FT job - our major source of income. My response was simply - okay. God allows a deer to total our car, our only car. My response was simply - okay, I know he'll make it right. God says it's time to take on a car payment again and buy a truck for the landscaping business. My response is simply - okay, I know he'll provide for it. God says he'll provide for us, making a living on two small businesses, both dependent on having clients, both with seasons of ebb and flow. My response is simply - okay, I know he will provide.
This should not be mistaken as a careless, lazy or 'hand-it-to-me' type of attitude. There is a difference in trusting God enough to allow him to be in control and simply sitting back and expecting God to hand the riches down to you. The biggest difference in the two attitudes is your heart.
And he knows your heart, what's really on the inside. He knows if you are trusting his sovereignty or if you are mocking him. And people around you who do trust God know the difference as well, they can see it in how you live your life. And if you don't trust God to the degree that you allow him to have control and you see someone who claims to trust God and it appears they're just sitting back and everything somehow is going well for them... well then maybe you're missing the boat!
The boat called G R A C E.
Grace is the daily miracle that 99% of the time is overlooked. God works all things by his grace, all things. Know this, as sinners, we deserve not one ounce of the life we live. It's God's grace that let's us wake up with breath in our lungs. It's his grace that puts food in our mouths, his grace that gives us a shower to use, clothes to cover us, a car to transport us, a ski show to entertain us, a church building to worship in, a sun to light our days even when it's stormy. It's his grace that's allowed you to have the job you have which provides a paycheck and maybe even health insurance, his grace that affords you the wisdom and knowledge you need to do that job, his grace that has given you the spouse that you love and that loves you. It's also his grace that brings you hardship, because by these hardships he's challenging us to grow and learn - just as we challenge our kids to grow and learn through discipline. He loves us, perpetual sinners, so much that he wants us to grow to be more like him and the only way we simple-minded humans can learn to be more like him is by messing up or facing hardships and coming through them as he designed, by his grace.
Every moment of every day can be considered a miracle of God's grace - but that's an attitude you have to chose.
The other side of it - well it's GREED.
Thinking you deserve the car you have or maybe even a better one, you deserve a raise in pay (telling God what he does pay you is not good enough), you deserve a vacation, you deserve to have more 'toys' or electronics or the latest iPhone or iPod or laptop or the biggest flat screen out there or a summer house on the lake or in another state, or that you deserve more attention at your job or in your family, you deserve to have better food in your fridge or more time to yourself or more money to spend on yourself or more money so that you can go out more often....
Need I go on? The human race is sick with greed and it's God's grace that waits, patiently, giving all of us every last opportunity to turn and see his grace and respect his sovereignty so that we may come to know him for who he really is and accept his son as our gift, to live forever in the new heaven on earth.
For those of us who have been blessed with an inherent understanding of God and his grace, we are able to live lives a bit more free of this greed each day we are still here on this earth.
So each day I choose the attitude of gratitude - cliche - but oh, so POWERFUL. This life is a battle of the mind. When you choose to focus on grace by way of being grateful for every moment of each day, one moment at a time, you are giving the control back to God - where it should be.
If you know me personally, then you're witness to what God's grace looks like played out on this earth. It's not sitting back and expecting handouts, it's giving the wheel back to the one in control and thanking him for loving me enough to spill his grace on me.
Look for your miracle of grace today! Maybe tell me about it in a comment.
Remember, Grace means getting something you don't deserve.
Or for instance, it has never been a question for me to wonder if God exists. This is something my heart has always known. More recently, I've opened my eyes to see that not only is God real, but he is really involved in every moment of my life and I want him to be in control. And fundamentally I do not question this either.
These are graces God has bestowed on me. I realize, not everyone sees God for who he is without questioning his existence and his majesty and the fact that he will reign sovereign to the end, when heaven is made new on earth.
I realize not everyone is blessed with the faith and trust in God that I have been given. God tells us it is time for my husband to quite his FT job - our major source of income. My response was simply - okay. God allows a deer to total our car, our only car. My response was simply - okay, I know he'll make it right. God says it's time to take on a car payment again and buy a truck for the landscaping business. My response is simply - okay, I know he'll provide for it. God says he'll provide for us, making a living on two small businesses, both dependent on having clients, both with seasons of ebb and flow. My response is simply - okay, I know he will provide.
This should not be mistaken as a careless, lazy or 'hand-it-to-me' type of attitude. There is a difference in trusting God enough to allow him to be in control and simply sitting back and expecting God to hand the riches down to you. The biggest difference in the two attitudes is your heart.
And he knows your heart, what's really on the inside. He knows if you are trusting his sovereignty or if you are mocking him. And people around you who do trust God know the difference as well, they can see it in how you live your life. And if you don't trust God to the degree that you allow him to have control and you see someone who claims to trust God and it appears they're just sitting back and everything somehow is going well for them... well then maybe you're missing the boat!
The boat called G R A C E.
Grace is the daily miracle that 99% of the time is overlooked. God works all things by his grace, all things. Know this, as sinners, we deserve not one ounce of the life we live. It's God's grace that let's us wake up with breath in our lungs. It's his grace that puts food in our mouths, his grace that gives us a shower to use, clothes to cover us, a car to transport us, a ski show to entertain us, a church building to worship in, a sun to light our days even when it's stormy. It's his grace that's allowed you to have the job you have which provides a paycheck and maybe even health insurance, his grace that affords you the wisdom and knowledge you need to do that job, his grace that has given you the spouse that you love and that loves you. It's also his grace that brings you hardship, because by these hardships he's challenging us to grow and learn - just as we challenge our kids to grow and learn through discipline. He loves us, perpetual sinners, so much that he wants us to grow to be more like him and the only way we simple-minded humans can learn to be more like him is by messing up or facing hardships and coming through them as he designed, by his grace.
Every moment of every day can be considered a miracle of God's grace - but that's an attitude you have to chose.
The other side of it - well it's GREED.
Thinking you deserve the car you have or maybe even a better one, you deserve a raise in pay (telling God what he does pay you is not good enough), you deserve a vacation, you deserve to have more 'toys' or electronics or the latest iPhone or iPod or laptop or the biggest flat screen out there or a summer house on the lake or in another state, or that you deserve more attention at your job or in your family, you deserve to have better food in your fridge or more time to yourself or more money to spend on yourself or more money so that you can go out more often....
Need I go on? The human race is sick with greed and it's God's grace that waits, patiently, giving all of us every last opportunity to turn and see his grace and respect his sovereignty so that we may come to know him for who he really is and accept his son as our gift, to live forever in the new heaven on earth.
For those of us who have been blessed with an inherent understanding of God and his grace, we are able to live lives a bit more free of this greed each day we are still here on this earth.
So each day I choose the attitude of gratitude - cliche - but oh, so POWERFUL. This life is a battle of the mind. When you choose to focus on grace by way of being grateful for every moment of each day, one moment at a time, you are giving the control back to God - where it should be.
If you know me personally, then you're witness to what God's grace looks like played out on this earth. It's not sitting back and expecting handouts, it's giving the wheel back to the one in control and thanking him for loving me enough to spill his grace on me.
Look for your miracle of grace today! Maybe tell me about it in a comment.
Remember, Grace means getting something you don't deserve.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Back to true customer service...not the bottom line; Mazo locals, this is for you!
How many times have you been afraid to try something new - a store, a gym, a restaurant, a church, a hangout - because, well, the unknown is, dare I say 'scary'!
I distinctly remember adopting this attitude, dismissing a new restaurant in town because I knew nothing about it. It's a one of a kind, with not much outside advertising or information, and let's be blunt, the front of it is a garage door. Not the most inviting place in town, from the outside!
But, ON THIS INSIDE, it was one of the most love-filled places we've eaten at in a long time.
Bay 5 Diner, right on Hwy 14 in Mazomanie, across from the eating joint where we usually chose to go, because we know it well. But we took a chance, since I had my bravery on my right arm (and the funds), who said, let's give it a shot. It's definitely a garage door on the outside, but on the inside, it's a very warm, welcoming, simply but sophisticated design and it's family-owned.
The miracle in this was not that we made it out alive with no food poisoning; man, what the devil can do with idle thoughts about what the unknown could turn out to be....
No, we walked in on a budget, not knowing what the menu was like having never been inside before. And what we walked into was a place who cared about us as a family. The miracle was that we got a meal for our family with a strict budget and they completely accommodated us out of the kindness of their hearts, because we were people to them and not a bottom line. We were not treated any different because we could not pay full price for their goods.
As a result, we had a chance to see God work through them! He provided a meal for us. He loved us through them. And he again reminded us that it's what's on the inside. The unknown is only unknown to us, but not to him. Think of what we could have missed in terms of a gift from God, had we chosen not to enter into the unknown.
And in turn, I have been and will continue to pray for them and their new business. I will spread the word that this is a place to be visited and invested in, as they care about who they are serving and how their customers feel while they are in Bay 5 Diner.
And to me, this is exactly what I hope our clients would say about our gym, after they've spent one night in their with our family. So I get it....just as they broke the rules to love a family in need, so will we do as our Father directs to assist those who walk through our doors and show them His love.
Shout out to Bay 5 Diner!! Stop in and get some awesome food! Every day is a different menu - tacos, italian, pizza, BBQ, prime rib, fish fry - yuuuuummmyy!
I distinctly remember adopting this attitude, dismissing a new restaurant in town because I knew nothing about it. It's a one of a kind, with not much outside advertising or information, and let's be blunt, the front of it is a garage door. Not the most inviting place in town, from the outside!
But, ON THIS INSIDE, it was one of the most love-filled places we've eaten at in a long time.
Bay 5 Diner, right on Hwy 14 in Mazomanie, across from the eating joint where we usually chose to go, because we know it well. But we took a chance, since I had my bravery on my right arm (and the funds), who said, let's give it a shot. It's definitely a garage door on the outside, but on the inside, it's a very warm, welcoming, simply but sophisticated design and it's family-owned.
The miracle in this was not that we made it out alive with no food poisoning; man, what the devil can do with idle thoughts about what the unknown could turn out to be....
No, we walked in on a budget, not knowing what the menu was like having never been inside before. And what we walked into was a place who cared about us as a family. The miracle was that we got a meal for our family with a strict budget and they completely accommodated us out of the kindness of their hearts, because we were people to them and not a bottom line. We were not treated any different because we could not pay full price for their goods.
As a result, we had a chance to see God work through them! He provided a meal for us. He loved us through them. And he again reminded us that it's what's on the inside. The unknown is only unknown to us, but not to him. Think of what we could have missed in terms of a gift from God, had we chosen not to enter into the unknown.
And in turn, I have been and will continue to pray for them and their new business. I will spread the word that this is a place to be visited and invested in, as they care about who they are serving and how their customers feel while they are in Bay 5 Diner.
And to me, this is exactly what I hope our clients would say about our gym, after they've spent one night in their with our family. So I get it....just as they broke the rules to love a family in need, so will we do as our Father directs to assist those who walk through our doors and show them His love.
Shout out to Bay 5 Diner!! Stop in and get some awesome food! Every day is a different menu - tacos, italian, pizza, BBQ, prime rib, fish fry - yuuuuummmyy!
Thursday, July 14, 2011
Human Tradition - What is it and why it is a fatal mistake.
I think it's very important for me to present the scripture to you first in this post, as when I was reading it, I completely missed the lesson the first time through - due to human tradition.
A quick set of background details:
After Israel asked for their first real-life king (instead of continuing to call God their king) and received King David they began learning why the difference was between following God as their king and following a human being as their king. Shortly thereafter, Israel split away from Judah (formerly part of Israel's collection of territories and the line of Kings I am discussing is the line of kings for Judah). King David was a great king. And God promised that Israel would always remain under a ruler from the house and line of David, so as each king passed on, their son would follow suit and take the throne as ruler. This continued on down the line. It went - King David, then Solomon his son, then Rehoboam (this is where Judah and Israel started to be ruled by different kings) his son, then Abijah his son and then Asa who was Abijah's son. I learned a very important life lesson when reading, for the second time, about King Asa. Here's what I was reading
Why the 35th year?
Well, Asa lost his way; don't we all?
A quick set of background details:
After Israel asked for their first real-life king (instead of continuing to call God their king) and received King David they began learning why the difference was between following God as their king and following a human being as their king. Shortly thereafter, Israel split away from Judah (formerly part of Israel's collection of territories and the line of Kings I am discussing is the line of kings for Judah). King David was a great king. And God promised that Israel would always remain under a ruler from the house and line of David, so as each king passed on, their son would follow suit and take the throne as ruler. This continued on down the line. It went - King David, then Solomon his son, then Rehoboam (this is where Judah and Israel started to be ruled by different kings) his son, then Abijah his son and then Asa who was Abijah's son. I learned a very important life lesson when reading, for the second time, about King Asa. Here's what I was reading
2 Chronicles 15
1 The Spirit of God came on Azariah son of Oded. 2 He went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa and all Judah and Benjamin. The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you. 3 For a long time Israel was without the true God, without a priest to teach and without the law. 4 But in their distress they turned to the LORD, the God of Israel, and sought him, and he was found by them. ...8 When Asa heard these words and the prophecy of Azariah son of[a] Oded the prophet, he took courage. ...14 They took an oath to the LORD with loud acclamation, with shouting and with trumpets and horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced about the oath because they had sworn it wholeheartedly. They sought God eagerly, and he was found by them. So the LORD gave them rest on every side. ...17 Although he did not remove the high places from Israel, Asa’s heart was fully committed to the LORD all his life.
19 There was no more war until the thirty-fifth year of Asa’s reign.
Why the 35th year?
Well, Asa lost his way; don't we all?
2 Chronicles 16
1 In the thirty-sixth year of Asa’s reign Baasha king of Israel went up against Judah and fortified Ramah to prevent anyone from leaving or entering the territory of Asa king of Judah. [Asa was being threatened by King Baasha of Israel.]
So he took matters into his own hands: 2 Asa then took the silver and gold out of the treasuries of the LORD’s temple and of his own palace and sent it to Ben-Hadad king of Aram, who was ruling in Damascus. 3 “Let there be a treaty between me and you,” he said, “as there was between my father and your father. See, I am sending you silver and gold. Now break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel so he will withdraw from me.”
4 Ben-Hadad agreed with King Asa and sent the commanders of his forces against the towns of Israel. They conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel Maim[a] and all the store cities of Naphtali. 5 When Baasha heard this, he stopped building Ramah and abandoned his work. So his bribe worked and the threat was removed - good right? If you had the means wouldn't you have done the same thing?
This is what I missed...
7 At that time Hanani the seer [prophet] came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand. 8 Were not the Cushites[b] and Libyans a mighty army with great numbers of chariots and horsemen[c]? Yet when you relied on the LORD, he delivered them into your hand. 9 For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him. You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”
10 Asa was angry with the seer because of this; he was so enraged that he put him in prison. At the same time Asa brutally oppressed some of the people.[Typical pride-laden reaction, ever seen something similar?]
I know that's a lot of scripture on a topic, most likely only I am into. I've been reading the bible from Genesis since the beginning of the year. Not as a challenge to read from the start, but because I was curious as to how the bloodlines began forming after the flood of Noah's day. It's a great gift from God to have the curiosity and then the understanding to follow it through like this. So here's why I love this story of Asa.
He is a good king. Fully committed to the Lord, doing good by removing idols and idol-worshipping and trying to recommit the people of Judah to following the Lord after they've taken a slight detour. Sounds like a good path, right? Lasted 35 years. But then God tested him with a challenge in the way of King Baasha. So Asa, thought his only option was to do a little name-dropping - our fathers got along so we should too - and took care of the matter himself. Sounds like an easy solution and it worked; Baasha backed off by way of a break in treaty and some threatening forward action by the King of Aram and all was well again for Asa and his people.
I read this and thought, great, problem solved, nice work Asa. See, even I, who is committed in a very big way to God (only he knows how fully), subscribed readily to this human tradition -
Step #1: Brainstorm how I can solve this matter myself and quickly. Aren't we supposed to be Independent, Problem-Solvers, Self-Reliant, Self-Sufficient, Resourceful human beings; that's what we learn in school.
WRONG, wrong, wrong, wrong wrong!!!!!!
2 Chron 16:7 At that time Hanani the seer [prophet] came to Asa king of Judah and said to him: “Because you relied on the king of Aram and not on the LORD your God, the army of the king of Aram has escaped from your hand.
There was not going to be piece in his 36th year because he handled matters himself instead of seeking out God's will FIRST, before anything else. He relied on himself and his resources instead of relying on the Lord. And because of that, the King who just bought him his peace, was now out of his hand, and my guess would be, at some point, this is going to come back and bite him in the bum!
Let's see if it does:
2 Chron 16:9b You have done a foolish thing, and from now on you will be at war.”
Yep, 'from now on you will be at war.' And then God chose to afflict Asa with a disease in his feet.
2 Chron 16:12a In the thirty-ninth year of his reign Asa was afflicted with a disease in his feet.
But Asa was too full of pride and too angry now to have learned his lesson...
2 Chron 16:12b Though his disease was severe, even in his illness he did not seek help from the LORD, but only from the physicians. 13 Then in the forty-first year of his reign Asa died and rested with his ancestors.
To make this all very clear, as it was made clear to me:
God wants us to rely on him. To DEPEND on him, for our lives to be contingent on him. And we do not rely on God when we first choose to consult a physician, seek a counselor, brainstorm our options in despair, or even simply brainstorming options when not in desperate need of an answer or solution, mybe we're simply looking for a next step or next option.
We rely on God by coming to him in praying, being with him, seeking him, as our FIRST step.
The LORD is with you when you are with him. If you seek him, he will be found by you, but if you forsake him, he will forsake you.
He will be found and then we let God use physicians, counselors, his own strength, his own mercy, his own power to transform, whatever he chooses to use to lead us to our next step - but we have sought him and given him the lead. We let go of the reigns, hand over the control and ALLOW ourselves to be GUIDED by him. And if we don't seek him, he will forsake us. He will allow us to feel the consequences of attempting to control our own lives or our own situations that we think need fixing.
So remember, when searching for a next step/solution/fix to a big or small moment in life, bend down first and seek him, pray, tell him what you're facing and give him the space to do what he needs to, let him take the lead. Human tradition will always fail but God's will will always prevail.
One final piece of wisdom:
Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ. ...20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining the indulgence of the flesh.
Depend on Christ! Be fully committed to him, not this world.
When this truth was revealed to me a few days ago, I had been seeking worldly solutions for a problem God can be trusted with and relied on to work out. The miracle of The Truth found in The Word.
Saturday, July 9, 2011
Miracles of Abundance
a beautiful day, hot sun tempered by cloud cover
finding friends for all of us at the pool
husband kind enough to stay home while littlest one tries to find slumber; rest of us enjoying the gifts of pool and summer
three landscaping bids in one weekend
sharing God with friends, new and old
a full, full fridge
seeing God work in the gym
16 minutes well-spent keeping my temple healthy
husband with endless ideas from the Holy Spirit to help keep our temples healthy
biking around town, for multiple purposes
mint sun tea from God's garden
loving a friend, even though a favorite snowglobe was broken today
seeing my daughter find the forgiveness and move on in love; earthly things - no big deal, love - eternal
green smoothies - more good stuff for the temple
talking with my step-son, a genuine, real conversation
reading 'The one and only ever you' to sweet boy before bedtime
In the words of Anne Frank via Andy Andrews: "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."
finding friends for all of us at the pool
husband kind enough to stay home while littlest one tries to find slumber; rest of us enjoying the gifts of pool and summer
three landscaping bids in one weekend
sharing God with friends, new and old
a full, full fridge
seeing God work in the gym
16 minutes well-spent keeping my temple healthy
husband with endless ideas from the Holy Spirit to help keep our temples healthy
biking around town, for multiple purposes
mint sun tea from God's garden
loving a friend, even though a favorite snowglobe was broken today
seeing my daughter find the forgiveness and move on in love; earthly things - no big deal, love - eternal
green smoothies - more good stuff for the temple
talking with my step-son, a genuine, real conversation
reading 'The one and only ever you' to sweet boy before bedtime
In the words of Anne Frank via Andy Andrews: "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."
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