Looking in all the wrong places...

This morning while I was brushing my teeth, I started thinking about teeth and upcoming dentist appointments and then was hit with a rather unpleasant thought. This time we won't have insurance. You see, the company my husband had been working at for the past 21 years unexpectedly closed its doors this month leaving my husband and about 300 other employees with no job - completely caught off guard and staring into the great unknown called the future.

Thankfully, I have a full time job and there will be unemployment benefits for at least long enough for a decent job hunt. Our insurance, however, will have to change. For the past 21 years we had been insured through my husband's work and while we are making the switch, I'm not sure our dental will be making the "trip." So, this time when we take the kids to get their teeth cleaned, I will have to pay the entire amount out of pocket. It will be a bit of a squeeze, but it's still do-able. For a brief moment, I even had a sanctimonious thought....at least I'm not expecting the government to bail me out. Those who look to the government to provide all their needs have made the government their god! Notice I said for a moment....then I heard that unmistakable whisper in my heart asking, "And who have you been looking to?"

You know that sick feeling you get when you realize you are wrong? The one where your stomach tightens a bit and feels queasy all at the same time? Yeah, that one. Well, I felt it because in that moment I realized I'd been looking to my husband's job to be our provider. I guess I'd kind of looked to our jobs instead of to God.

While my husband will find another job and will  be working, right now the provision isn't coming through his job or mine. I really do have to look to the Lord. Now I'm starting to learn in a new way what it means to say we look to the Lord for everything we need. It's different. I know that a new job will come, but for now we are having to trust the Lord for what we cannot see.

Don't get me wrong. We are doing fine. No one is going hungry and the power is in no danger of being turned off. Still, it is a very different feeling. We are not trusting in a job, or a bailout from the government, (although we do appreciate the unemployment benefits since we've paid into them all these years), and we don't expect to win the lottery or have some long lost relative leave us a small fortune. Now those dentist appointments or doctor visits or new glasses or any of our daily needs won't come from some company and the insurance that we have, it will come from our Father. It may come in the form of a new job, or some extra hours at work for me or through not getting sick, but I know it will come.

I guess you could say I'm still looking to someone to provide, only now that someone is not limited to earth and the things of man. Now I'm looking to the One who made the heavens and the earth; the One who knows what my needs are even before I do; the One who knows what the future holds for me and my children and their children and their children's children! Now I'm looking to the one who holds me in His hand and can calm the raging storms in me.

I don't know what your life is like right now. Perhaps you're doing better than me and have always been looking in the right places. But if you have come to a point in your life that you realize you've been looking in all the wrong places, may I invite you to join me in this new way of life. Looking to the author and finisher of my faith - Jesus. For in Him I find all that I need.

Not a bad start for a morning. By the time I'd finished brushing my teeth, I had a new point of view. I finally realized I, too, had been looking in all the wrong places, and it was time to make a change. Now that's enough to brighten the smile on anyone's face.

Psalm 105:4 "Look to the LORD and his strength; seek his face always."

“Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow...." Matthew 6:31-34


"And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Now to our God and Father be glory forever and ever." Philippians 4:19-20

"And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8

"The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He makes me to lie down in green pastures;
He leads me beside the still waters.
He restores my soul;" Psalm 23: 1-3a

Enjoy your wait...

Okay, I will admit it. I am impatient. I want what I want NOW! I don't like to wait for food to cook, bread to rise, cakes to cool, or just about anything else. I walk QUICKLY everywhere I go. I run to get ahead. I live life in the fast lane because I just don't want to miss a thing! How many times do I find myself saying things like, "I just can't wait until...."  And I don't think I'm alone. We are all running in this human race trying to get....where?

Lately, however, I've been thinking a lot about waiting. In Isaiah 40:31 it says, "those who wait upon the Lord will rise up with wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not faint."

Teach me Lord to wait. For in the waiting, if we will look, we will realize we are not waiting alone. God is there. He has provided moments just for us, if only we can slow down enough to see them. While sitting at the red light waiting for traffic, do I notice the color of the sky or hear the sound of a song that calms my spirit? While waiting in line at the bank, did I see the beauty of the faces around me...or see those who needed a smile. Did I share one with them? While waiting for my children after school, did I stop to see the beauty in their faces? While waiting for my meal, did I take the time to laugh with my family? What did I do during my "waits?"

Like it or not, life is full of waiting. It only goes quickly during the moments you wish would last forever. But it's in the in-between times when God gently whispers our name and, if we are listening, we can realize that we are walking with Him. Why would anyone want to get in a hurry if they were walking with God? Think about it. When the disciples were walking with Jesus, did they feel the need to rush or did they realize they were right where they needed to be....with the Son of God? Did the road seem long, or did time pass without even being noticed because they were in His company? Did they realize those moments of waiting would come to an end so soon? Do I?

I don't know if I will ever learn to really enjoy the wait, but I want to learn to enjoy the moments I have been given, no matter where I am. I want to recognize it when God sends a "wink" my way. I want to hear His voice along the way. I want to live each moment recognizing that God is there with me....yes, even in the wait...for in the wait, I really have nothing better to do than to focus on Him...now do I?

Psalm 33:20 - 22 "We wait in hope for the LORD; he is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. May your unfailing love rest upon us, O LORD, even as we put our hope in you."
Isaiah 26:8 "Yes, LORD, walking in the way of your laws, we wait for you; your name and renown are the desire of our hearts."
Isaiah 30:18 "Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion. For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him!"
Jude 1:21 "Keep yourselves in God's love as you wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to bring you to eternal life."

Momma always said.....

"Momma always says there's an awful lot you could tell about a person by their shoes. Where they're going. Where they've been." Forrest Gump

That quote is from one of the many "Momma" quotes from the movie Forrest Gump, but come to think of it my mama used to say pretty much the same thing. She had her hands full with me. It didn't really matter what I wore, I wanted to wear my tennis shoes with it. I can almost see her shaking her head in amazement now as she tried to figure out my reasoning for my shoes.

I guess I've always had a thing about shoes, something that may sound strange to those who know me and my usual choice of footwear. I think it's something all women care about in one form or another....just look at the number of shoes most women have in their closet! I even see it in tiny toddler size girls! When I meet a little one, if I complement her pretty shoes and tell her how much I like them, I immediately have a friend. It is just something in the DNA of a girl to care about what's on her feet. Think about every Cinderella story you've ever read...didn't the choice of shoes make a difference?

Now to any guys that may be reading this, don't stop just because you don't yet understand the topic. I know most of you are happy with two or three pairs of shoes, sometimes less. But hang in there...I promise there is a point to all this.

As I've said, I am fascinated with shoes, even though I rarely wear cute ones. I love to look at them and I admire those who can wear the cute heels and still walk at the end of the day. I've been known to NOT choose an outfit simply because I knew I had no shoes to wear with it. As any woman can tell you, it makes a difference! After all, you can't go out in cute capri pants and a pair of old clunky tennis shoes....not without ruining the picture.

This past Easter, I was determined to look cute in my dress, so I put on my one pair of really cute heels. I knew I could handle being in them for at least as long as it took me to get inside the church. Once there, I kicked them off because, well, my church pretty well knows me and it wouldn't surprise them that I had taken off my shoes and walked around. (I think secretly many of the other women wanted to follow my lead.) Anyway, I had no sooner kicked off my shoes and gotten a good distance from them than a friend grabbed my hand to lead me out into the parking lot to see their new blessing of a car! Let me tell you, I was NOT prepared to cross that rock filled parking lot. I did it somehow, but not with any speed and definitely not without pain! I found myself wishing I had on my heels, even if they did pinch my toes a bit!

I think shoes can even make a difference in our mood. Just this week I saw a newscaster put on a new pair of boots and break into dance! Don't tell me the right shoes can't put a spring in your step! They can make a difference in the way you feel! Take for instance last week. I woke up to a "don't mess with me" kind of mood. My regular comfy shoes just wouldn't do for that day. I knew I HAD to wear my shoes with the heel that day. I wasn't in a bad mood at all, but I was in a mood that said I meant business. My feet hurt a bit by the day's end, but somehow it seemed worth it. I didn't cover as much ground that day, but it was as if on that day, I stood in authority where I was. Perhaps it was because those shoes made me stand a bit taller than my normal 5'2", perhaps it was the sound my heels made when I walked, or perhaps it was just the way they made me feel.

The Bible talks about having "your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace" in Ephesians 6:15. I wonder if we ever really think about what that means. (Of course, I do because I've got this whole shoe thing going here!) What does it mean to wear the preparation of the gospel of peace? Since it is a piece of the armor of God, it's got to be important. We would never think of giving our soldiers all the armor they needed for battle and then sending them out barefoot or in flip flops, would we? They'd move as painfully and slowly as I did across that gravel parking lot!

These shoes are made to help us cover hard and rocky ground...places where the love of God has not yet removed the obstacles. For some reason the term, "walking all over someone's heart" comes to mind. These shoes, however, aren't there to crush, but to be able to make their way in. They allow us to go into places where bare feet just can not go. The Bible often mentions taking your shoes off when you stand on Holy Ground, in the presence of God. The shoes are for when we leave His presence and go out into the world to take His message of salvation. We may have to cross thorny places, rocky places, and places filled with every manner of hidden danger...still we are to go.

I can't help but think it's time for me to stop worrying so much about comfort or cuteness...it's time to make sure I am wearing shoes that allow me to carry the message of salvation to a lost and hurting world. My spiritual shoes don't have to look cute...but I guess they do match the outfit - the armor of God.

There's another quote from Forrest Gump that seemed to be the perfect way to close this blog. "My momma said my back's crooked like a question mark. These are going to make me as straight as an arrow. They're my magic shoes." My gospel shoes aren't magic, but they are powerful. They take me boldly where no man has gone before. How about yours?

Keep your chest covered....

Okay, since last blog I fussed at the boys and I want to be an equal opportunity "fusser", today's blog is aimed toward the girls....or as Stacey and Clinton on What Not to Wear would say, your 'girls'.

Just the other day my daughter and I went to a local department store to pick out a dress for her to wear in a fashion show at our church. We found quite a few dresses that looked so adorable on the hanger, but when she put them on the were not what I'd call modest. While most came all the way to the ground in length (not something I was especially concerned over) they evidently had used up all their material making the dress long and in turn left the top as quite revealing! She still didn't dare bend over - not because the dress was too short, but because it was cut so low!!! We finally found a cute cami to go underneath and she looked beautiful in the show.

Fast forward to my classroom and I see one of my beautiful young ladies come into the class wearing a similar dress, only the cami she had chosen to wear underneath was cut so low it really didn't help much! I wish this was the only time I'd had to talk to a student about wearing revealing clothes, but unfortunately I find I am having to do this more and more. Do they look cute? Absolutely - until you look closer (and believe me - boys do) and you are basically being given a peep show! One teacher told her student that it was difficult for her to concentrate while being 'flashed' and she couldn't imagine how much more difficult it must be for the boys in her class! Our pastor once said that boys assume if you are willing to show it, you are willing to share it. OUCH!

With all these things in mind, we enter today's random thought about the armor of God. We've already covered (pardon the pun) the belt of truth and today it's time to look at the breastplate of righteousness - in otherwords, keeping our chest covered.

Now I am in no way a fashionista (hope I spelled that correctly), still I like to look cute in my clothes. The armor of God is, however, about more than just looking cute. We need it to survive, yet I find that wherever I go, young women are 'letting it all hang out' and never realizing they have left their armor at home. Maybe they don't even know what it is!

First of all, we are to put on the WHOLE armor of God so that we may withstand in the evil day and having done all, stand. According to Strong's, withstand is the word anthistemi which means to stand against...and it can be compared to antihistamine. Now anyone who lives in south Mississippi is very aware at how important an antihistamine can be in order to survive! When allergy season strikes, if you aren't taking an antihistamine, very often you won't be standing long! You find you can barely function, much less live life to the fullest or fight any kind of fight, much less a good one! We are to anthistemi or block the evil forces!

Back to the breastplate of righteousness. It obviously is to protect the heart. Let that sink in. How many young women are running around showing off their chest because they have been told it makes them look attractive? They think it makes them look 'sexy' and they have been led to believe by the lies of the world that 'sex' equals love. Just like the men, they have bought the lies. Young women, whose bodies have matured at a rate far faster than their spirits, have been lied to. What they desperately want, even if they don't know it, is to be loved. What they get is the world's cheap imitation.

Maybe I'm an old fogey...I'm okay with that. Perhaps you think I have no fashion sense....I'd have to agree with that as well. Some might even hint that I might be jealous that I am not as "blessed" in the 'girls' department...who knows. What I do know is that we are in a battle and cannot afford to face the enemy without our armor. Since our flesh should mirror what is happening in our spirits, I can't help but wonder how many young women are blindly following the world and letting their armor fall to the side. I'm not saying you have to wear longjohns in the summer, I'm simply saying that it's time to examine our hearts. It's time to grow up. Stop acting on what feels good and starting acting on what is good.

Men and women...don't buy the lies. The devil has nothing good planned for you, but God has promised that He has a plan for you that includes a hope and a future! You can know that if God said it, it is true.

Next stop....our shoes.

Pants on the ground

"Pants on the ground, pants on the ground, you're lookin' like a fool with your pants on the ground."

Unless you've been completely disconnected from television and internet for the past year, you're probably familiar with this tune. It was made famous by its creator, Gen. Larry Platt, the 62-year-old civil rights activist, when he sang it for the American Idol auditions this year.

As a teacher, I have used this song quite a bit to humorously remind young men to keep their pants pulled up. Most are gracious and simply pull them up. However, as I walk around town I am still bombarded by young men (and some who are obviously old enough to know better) who walk around literally "showing their rear"! That phrase used to mean you were acting a fool, guess it still pretty much means the same only now all those around are subjected to the view or your plaid underwear, or in the worst cases, your dingy bvd's! Just the other day I watched as a young man crossed a busy intersection in front of me and he had to hold up his pants with one hand while dodging traffic. I have seen students run for the bus only to have their pants fall to the ground and almost cause them injury when they stumbled over them in the gravel parking lot.

But it wasn't until today that I finally started to understand what was going on with "pants on the ground." Our youth pastor was sharing a message on the armor of God and he titled it, "The Belt of Truth - Truth holds up more than just your pants." It was then that the random though hit me....no wonder so many young men are walking around with their pants falling off - they have no belt - no TRUTH!

Over the years, I have watched truth become more and more relative in people's eyes. The whole, "if it feels right for you" nonsense explains why these young people are walking around with their pants falling off and then telling you it's "comfortable". It feels right to them...even if it's not.

Think about it. People think it's normal now to lie. They expect it! We expect if from our politicians, our news media, etc. We have learned the hard way that people lie...and we justify it. We say it's normal and everyone does it. I have students who will blame their misdeeds on everyone around them, even ME, but almost never admit to telling a lie or doing wrong. They have been taught - deny, deny, deny. It has become a way of life for them, and in the process, they have given up the belt of truth that would strengthen them and allow them to run without fear of their lies tripping them up.

Belts are sometimes uncomfortable - so is the truth. Belts show us when we're getting a bit lazy and out of shape - so does truth. Belts may be seen or not, but if you're not wearing one and haven't yet "grown into your britches", everyone around you will know about it....same with Truth. Telling the truth often lets the world know you're growing up. It is tough to tell the truth when you know it will mean you get in trouble. Telling the truth means you are becoming a person of character, depth, and responsibility. You can be trusted.

Perhaps the greatest reason for truth is that it sets you free. I have to wonder how many young people with their pants hanging off their rears think they are showing the world how "free" they are, when actually they are showing the world their bondage and slavery. They have become slaves to the lies they have come to believe. Lies like: if it feels good do it, women are for your pleasure, sex is love, all authority is out to get you, divorce is normal, infidelity is normal, violence is normal....don't believe me? Turn on the radio or watch a little tv. You'll find plenty of lies, but to an entire generation of young people it has become what they think is real. They've lost their belts! They bought the lies!

I don't think I'll ever look at a young man with his underwear showing quite the same again. Now I don't see rebellion, I see someone who has lost their belt of truth and it shows. We simply see on the outside something that has been slowly happening to our country on the inside for years. It's time to put back on the whole armor of God, beginning with our belts. It's time to examine my own life to see if perhaps my spiritual pants are 'sagging'. I want to know that every part of my life is held up by truth so that I can run, not from the battle, but into it. I don't want to be a person who is "looking like a fool with my pants on the ground." How about you?

Ephesians 6:10 - 18 "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints."

John 8:32, "Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."

Face the storm....

Well, today's blog sort of came out of nowhere and it's a bit different from my normal "Random thoughts" Today's blog is more of, well - for lack of a better word, a vision I had. No, not some sort of spooky weird thing, just a picture that came to mind while I was a church today.

There I was in worship, enjoying the music and sort of seeking direction, just open to hear from God. I knew I wanted more of God....more wisdom....more....that's when I got this picture in my head. Imagine if you will a storm shelter. Inside it is safe, not very big, and not really all that great. I sat in the corner of that storm shelter knowing I was safe, hoping I was safe...and suddenly I knew what I needed to do. I needed to stand up, fling open the door of that shelter and face the storm. Yes, the winds were whipping around me like crazy, but there was no fear. I knew I could stand. There was perfect peace despite the storm....for I knew it could not really harm me.

For too long, I, and many others, have tried to stay safe in our little world - hoping the storm would not harm us. In doing so, our "world" became very small - sort of like that box of a storm shelter I imagined. In trying to separate ourselves from the growing storm around us, we have actually retreated into a place of fear. We can't really stretch out or grow...and we're not even sure it's all that safe anymore. It's time to fling open the door of our small little world and face the storm - WITHOUT FEAR.

Words for once, fail me; however, if in reading this you can picture what I am saying, then perhaps this was not only for me but also for you. I don't pretend to know what storms you are facing in life, but it's time to stand up, fling open that door, and face the storm. You don't have to live in fear.  The storm  may bluster and blow, but it cannot touch you. In facing it, you can go out and help rescue so many others that are being ravaged by that same storm. But it is definitely not time to hide in our little shelter anymore. It's time to change the world.

See you out there!

"...greater is He that is in you than he that is in the world." 1 John 4:4

Didn't expect that to happen...

Spring is in the air. The breezes are getting warmer, the grass is getting greener, and most importantly, my daffodils are starting to bloom! I always get excited when those happy little flowers make their first appearance. It takes me back to when I was young and my mom would point them out to me. Their bright yellow faces lifted toward the sun somehow fill my heart with hope every time I see them.

My sweet husband has always given me daffodils in the spring. After a few weeks of enjoying them indoors, he takes them outside and plants them. I thought I knew where each one was located - that is until today. Somehow a new batch of daffodils has shown up in my yard! I noticed them when I returned from my afternoon run. In the middle of one of the azalea bushes, I could see the faint yellow of daffodils! I picked up my pace to check them out. They were different from any of the other flowers in my yard. These flowers had a softer yellow hue and they showed off their ruffled center with a certain feminine flair that my bolder flowers didn't quite have the hang of. I was thrilled!

The only thing was, the azalea bush was sort of crowding out the flowers! Now I like azaleas as much as the next person - okay....that's not quite true. I don't particularly like these azaleas. They don't bloom very often and they seem to make an awful lot of work every spring. Now they were crowding out my beloved daffodils and I without hesitation went to get the clippers. There was nothing to do but cut away the offending limbs so my daffodils could shine.

I was very careful to cut away from around the flowers and not damage the tender green shoots. What I did not seem to notice was that with every cut, the flowers started to droop a little more. By the time I had finished the "trim" at least 3 of the blooms fell toward the ground! Try as I might, I couldn't get them to stand straight on their own. What I thought had been an obstacle for my daffodils had actually been a support! Those limbs were allowing that gentle plant to make flowers that stood taller than any others around them.

And then I looked at my life and wondered - am I making the same mistake in other areas as well? My children immediately came to mind. I so want them to have a life free from burdens and pain. I want them to have so many more advantages than I did...but by removing some of the obstacles, am I keeping them from reaching as high as God wants them to go? Perhaps that which I am trying to remove is actually what He will use to help them shine. I definitely don't have all the answers on this one.

I eventually had to cut one of the blooms because nothing I tried would help it stand again. It now is in a vase in my kitchen and while it is beautiful, this daffodil makes me a bit sad. Sometimes it's hard to learn life's lessons.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope’” (Jeremiah 29:11)
"...yet not my will, but Yours be done." Luke 22:42b