Saturday, June 18, 2011

Happy Father's Day!



Can I tell you about the most amazing Dad on the planet?  He belongs to me but he's not my Dad.  He is my husband.  Our daughter has to be one of the luckiest little girls on Earth.  She has the greatest Dad ever.  And she'll tell you that and much more.

He is the military style parent.  Not a pushover and certainly not one to tangle with.  He won't put up with disrespect, disobedience or whining.  He's quick with a spanking if it's needed.

He's also the most selfless, loving person I've ever known.  He makes Addie pancakes at least three times a week.  He leads our family prayers every night that he's home (and most nights that he isn't).  He is our protector and leader and lover of our souls.

The day he taught Addie how to ride her bike is one I'll never forget.  I wasn't there.  But when I came home my little angel was sitting on the couch with an icepack on her mouth and blood all over her shirt.  She had turned too sharp and took the handlebars in the teeth.  Her gums were black and blue and her teeth were loose.  And her Dad made her ride the bike home.  And she's never, ever been afraid to get back on and ride.

A few things Addie wants to say about her Dad:

"Well - this year whenever he found a birds nest on our porch he didn't spray it down.  He let the babies stay and grow up and be strong.  They're flying on their own now!"

"He buys us pool passes!" 

"His pancakes are fantastic, like a real deal chef's."

"He's a fantastic Dad and helps Mom put me to bed every night."

"I hope Dad reads this!"

"We love you so much!!!!!!"

"It's our pleasure to have you in our family."  :)

"PS - I think the mother bird is feeding her babies right now!  6/18/11 - 8:18pm"

"(I also really wish I could keep one.)"

Jesus, thank you for this man.  Thank you for building this family.  Our lives are forever blessed because you joined us together and you are at the center.  We praise you for all the goodness that we've been able to experience this year.  Please be with each and every person who does not have a Dad like this one.  It is in your Holy Name I pray.  Amen.


You're the best Dad on the planet!!!

Sunday, June 12, 2011

Wake Up with The Sunlight

He made the moon for the seasons; the sun knows the place of its setting. You appoint darkness and it becomes night, in which all the beasts of the forest prowl about. The young lions roar after their prey and seek their food from God. When the sun rises they withdraw and lie down in their dens. Man goes forth to his work and to his labor until evening. 
 Psalm 104:19-23 


Today I slept until 11am.

Oops.

Yesterday was a day filled with 7 year old Girl Scouts.  And family.  And fun.

Wonderful rest today.  

Is it a Godly kind of rest or is it a lazy glutton kind of rest?
I'll let Him be the judge.

Friday, June 10, 2011

Avoid Heavy Meals and Drowsiness

for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags.
Proverbs 23:21

For some reason I am surprised when the bible gives real
practical nuggets of wisdom.
~okay, not really surprised~

But I often think it should be more complex or difficult to
understand than some verses are. 
Oh, avoid heavy meals and drowsiness? 
That makes sense.

Especially when it's 100 degrees in June in South Texas.

And I'm craving a giant plate of enchiladas and a nap.

photo

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Avoid Perfectionism and Accept Uncertainty

Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let not your hands be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well. 

Ecclesiastes 11:6



Wow!  
Ecclesiastes has a lot to say.  

Solomon wrote this book.  The purpose was to spare generations the bitterness of learning through their own experiences that life is meaningless without God.

I'm sad to say that I don't think I've read it before.  

You could probably tell.

In an attempt to avoid perfectionism in this post (HA!!  None of them are perfect.)...
...I'm going to cut this short and just say: 

Ecclesiastes is short and the time taken to dive in is going to be well worth it.

Go read it!!

:)

Monday, June 6, 2011

Do Not Fear


Part Two...

The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion is in the streets!” 

Proverbs 26:13


Proverbs 22:13 says basically the same thing:
The sluggard says, There is a lion outside!"  or,
"I will be murdered in the streets!"



How many times do we throw things completely out of proportion?  I don't want to do chores.  In fact, I better stay inside where it's safe.  There are no lions near my couch!  Really?  You think you'll be murdered if you go to work? 

Excuses, excuses, excuses.

The less I do, the less I want to do.  The more I sleep the more I want to sleep. 

Fear is a big struggle for a lot of us.  Even when we don't realize that it's fear holding us back.  At times that is the beginning of lazy habits.  It's much easier to NOT do something than to do it and FAIL.  It's easier to avoid than achieve.  One of my favorite sayings is:
"If at first you don't succeed...
....SHRED all evidence that you tried."
It's funny but it's not productive.  


What would you attempt to do if
you knew you could not fail?


Thoughts?

Friday, June 3, 2011

Be Happy and Thankful

 
Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength.  
Nehemiah 8:10

 Be joyful always;
pray continually;
give thanks in all circumstances,
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 
1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18
 
 
Let's face it.  Sometimes we're not happy.  
Sometimes we're grumpy.  
Stressed.  
Heartbroken.  
Sometimes evil chases us.
At times we're the evil ones.
And then sometimes we're just plain tired.

The scripture at the top of this post isn't a hokey, pie in the sky, feel good, positive thinking, kind of baloney.

God gives us the strength we need to be joyful always.  He knows that it's not 'natural' in our human bodies to give thanks in all circumstances.  Really?  Expecting us to be thankful when we're battling depression?  Or cancer?  Or children in the midst of their summer screaming, "I'm bored!"  

Do not be grieved, for the JOY of the Lord is your strength.  Really.  It's true.


How many times have you wondered, "What is God's will for MY life??"

I know I have.  
(insert whiny voice when asking the question above.  
possibly thrash on the floor in a tantrum. 
not that I would have done that.)

And who knew.  He states it clearly right there in the bible.  
Hmm...  If only I had opened that book sooner!

Be joyful always.
Pray continually.
Give thanks in all circumstances.
 
For this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
 
I encourage you to simplify this summer.  It's very easy to want God to drop His master plan in your lap and tell you His will for what job you should take, or what medical treatment you should try, whether you should adopt, make a mission trip, or even spank your child.  It would just be so much easier if He would just tell us what to do!!

And imagine that - He did.


In the middle of the uncertainty - Be Joyful.

Rather than go to Google for answers - Pray and ask Him.

The last might be the hardest.  But if you can look follow Phillipians 4:8 and really focus on 
...whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy...
 
You really can Be thankful in all circumstances.
So I challenge you this summer.  To follow God's will for you.  
 
And I would love to hear how it works out for you!!

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

Lazy Summer Days Ahead!!



Tomorrow is the last day of school!!  I work from home and my husband is home a lot also.  The summer can be a time when we all get to spend days together.  At the park, at the pool, not necessarily working hard. 

Some folks I know lean towards being classified as a work-a-holic.  You could never put me in that category!  I ere on the side of lazy.  Sleep is one of my dearest friends.  And lounging can quickly steal hours from my day.  So to combat the tendency to sit like a bump on a log for days, weeks, months during the summer...

I NEED A PLAN.

So I did a quick google search on what the Bible has to say about laziness.  Wow.  I found some good tips!  I've got a lot to say on these and you'll hear more about each in the blog posts ahead.  But for now here is the list that I'll be working from:



Be Happy and Thankful


Do not be grieved, for the joy of the LORD is your strength. Nehemiah 8:10

 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, 
for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus. 1 Thessalonians 5


Do Not Fear

13 The lazy man says, “There is a lion in the road!
A fierce lion is in the streets!” Proverbs 26:13

Avoid Perfectionism and Accept Uncertainty

6 Sow your seed in the morning,
and at evening let not your hands be idle,
for you do not know which will succeed,
whether this or that,
or whether both will do equally well. Ecclesiastes 11:6

Prepare Your Tools

27 Finish your outdoor work
and get your fields ready;
after that, build your house. Proverbs 24:27

Avoid Heavy Meals and Drowsiness


21 for drunkards and gluttons become poor,
and drowsiness clothes them in rags. Proverbs 23:21

Wake Up with The Sunlight

19He made the moon for the seasons;
The sun knows the place of its setting.
20
You appoint darkness and it becomes night,
In which all the beasts of the forest prowl about.
21
The young lions roar after their prey
And seek their food from God.
22
When the sun rises they withdraw
And lie down in their dens.
23
Man goes forth to his work
And to his labor until evening.  Psalm 104:19-23

Observe and Emulate

6 Go to the ant, you sluggard;
consider its ways and be wise!

7 It has no commander,
no overseer or ruler,

8 yet it stores its provisions in summer
and gathers its food at harvest.

9 How long will you lie there, you sluggard?
When will you get up from your sleep?

10 A little sleep, a little slumber,
a little folding of the hands to rest-

11 and poverty will come on you like a bandit
and scarcity like an armed man. [a] Proverbs 6:6-10

Go Hungry

10For even when we were with you, we gave you this rule: “If a man will not work, he shall not eat.” 11We hear that some among you are idle. They are not busy; they are busybodies. 2 Thessalonians 3:10-11
26 The laborer’s appetite works for him;
his hunger drives him on.  Proverbs 16:26

Move Your Body

12 The sleep of a laborer is sweet,
whether he eats little or much,
but the abundance of a rich man
permits him no sleep.  Ecclesiastes 5:12

Avoid Idle Chatter

23 In all labor there is profit,
But idle chatter[a]leads only to poverty. Proverbs 14:23