Monday Morning Memo: "Small" Sins

Since I try to stay away from chemicals as much as I can…I subscribe to quite a few people who have created DIY (Do It Yourself) recipes for lots of different things.  If there is something I can make myself and not use chemicals which can make me ill…I’m all for it.  But this past week I received an email with a DIY recipe that actually made me laugh.  The title was:  DIY for Thicker, Fuller Eyebrows.  Why did I chuckle?  Because one of the last things I need on this earth…is something that will make my eyebrows thicker and fuller!  

 

Seeing this email reminded me that I wrote about my eyebrows many years ago.  We had just been to our daughter’s home in North Carolina.  While we were there, we made plans to do something that I did every time I visited Erica.  It is something that I had never done at home, but always made a point to get accomplished when I was in North Carolina.  So, Erica took me to an area business where I got my eyebrows threaded.

 

I realize that there may be some of you who have no idea what eyebrow threading is.  In threading, a thin thread is doubled, and then twisted. It is then rolled over areas of unwanted hair, plucking the hair at the follicle level. Unlike tweezing, where single hairs are pulled out one at a time, threading can remove short lines of hair.  There are lots of people who think this is a sadistic form of torture, but I enjoyed it.  I have been “blessed” with very heavy eyebrows and it takes time and effort to keep them from being a unibrow.  

 

At that point in my life, my schedule was pretty hectic and the problem was that I didn’t often take the time to keep my eyebrows under control.  As a result, it made me feel so good when I could get them cleaned up and shaped in just a few minutes.  The thing was that even though it seemed like it at times, my eyebrows hadn’t gotten out of control overnight.  It happened gradually…one hair at a time.  If I would have just made sure and taken care of the unwanted strands as they appeared, it wouldn’t have been such a major chore to get them shaped up.  But unfortunately, I often ignored the signs until it was a rather major task to get them shaped and contoured.

 

Having my eyebrows cleaned up on that particular trip, made me think of what happens when sin begins to creep into our life.  It usually doesn’t occur overnight or show itself in grand fashion.  It usually presents itself in small ways in the beginning and it’s easy to overlook it and think it isn’t a big deal. The problem with that is that those small “insignificant” sins begin to add up and before we know it, sin has taken over and it takes a much bigger effort on our part to get things cleaned up.  God is able and willing to forgive us no matter what we’ve done…but then we often must deal with the consequences of those things which we have allowed to creep in that have gone against His plan for our life.  

 

Life for me has slowed down since that trip to North Carolina quite a few years ago.  I’m sure you will be thrilled to know that I have a lot more time now to make sure my eyebrows are kept in order  I also have a lot more time to spend in God’s Word and really listen for what He wants for me.  This has helped me be more intentional to squelch sin more quickly as it rears its ugly head, instead of allowing it to slowly infiltrate my life.  Just as it feels good to have my unibrow tamed when needed…it feels even better when my heart is clean and in tune with God’s will.  I’m still far from perfect, and I know I must be willing to take the time each and every day to follow His leading and make the choices He would want me to make.  I know by doing that, my life will be much easier in the days and weeks to come because I won’t have to clean up the consequences of my neglect.

 

How about you?  Are there sins in your life that you have deemed to be “small” which you are neglecting?  Are they beginning to build up and be out of control?  I want to urge you to stop and spend time in God’s Word…reading and listening for His direction.  He can give you the strength and power to blast those sins out of your life so that you will be clean and in tune with God’s will for your life…and oh, what a good feeling that will be.

Monday Morning Memo: Are You a Mistake?

I have a question for you to start your week.  How often are you thrilled with what you see when you look in the mirror?  All the time?  Most of the time?  Rarely?  Never?

 

I was thinking about this question recently and it made me think of all the times in my life when I have looked in the mirror and didn’t like what I saw.  The times when I have wished I was like someone else.

Why can’t I be as pretty as her?
Why can’t I be as thin as her?
Why can’t I be as creative as her or him?
Why wasn’t I given the athletic ability with which she or he was blessed?
Why can’t I be as smart as she or he is?
Why can’t I write as well as she or he can?

AND probably my most asked question these days…

Why can’t my health be as good as hers or his?

I could go on and on with my list.  There have been many times when what I saw in the mirror or what I had to face on a daily basis, just didn’t measure up to what I thought was “perfection” or even “fair”. 

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So, when I saw this graphic a few days ago it really hit home.  It is so hard for me to believe that not once had God looked at me and thought:

I sure wish LuAnn was as pretty as ___________.
I sure wish LuAnn was as thin as ___________.
I sure wish LuAnn had the same creative ability as ___________.
I sure wish LuAnn was as athletic as ___________.
I sure wish LuAnn was as smart as ___________.
I sure wish LuAnn could write as well as ___________.

AND the hit to the heart…

If LuAnn’s health was as good as ___________, then I could use her for my glory.

Not once has He done this.  God created me to be me and I can waste so much time in my life trying to be someone else, that I miss out on who and what I am.  I am a child of God who was created in HIS image.  I am a child of God who is so dearly loved, that He sent His one and only Son, Jesus, to die on the cross for my sins.  I am a child of God who has accepted Him as my Lord and Savior and, as a result, I have a home which is being prepared for me in heaven.  When He calls me home…I will spend eternity with Him, my Heavenly Father.

 

And the exciting news?  The same is true for you! Not once has He looked at you and wished you were more like ______________(insert the name of your choice).  Not once has God looked at you and thought He made a huge mistake.  NOT ONCE!  You were also created in His image and He loves you more than you can ever imagine.   And He loves you just the way you are…right now…even if your health limits what you can do for Him.  

Yes, He loves you and me with all our flaws and imperfections and nothing we have done or no inferior quality which we might have can diminish His love for us.  I don’t know about you…but that just blows my mind!

Does that mean we should never strive to change those qualities which hinder us from looking like Jesus?  Of course not.  Striving to reflect His image should be our focus every day, by making choices which we know will please Him.  It is a continuous process in which He loves us where we are today…but wants even greater things for us tomorrow.  Why?  Because He loves us that much.

I just feel like someone needs to read these words today.  Someone feels they are a failure.  Someone doesn’t think he or she has worth.  Someone is thinking that if they were just like ___________...their life would be perfect.  So, if you are that “someone”…when you look in the mirror today…don’t concentrate on what or who you aren’t.  Concentrate on Who created you and in Whose image you were created.  Remember…God never does anything accidentally and He never makes a mistake, so He didn’t make a mistake when He made you and He loves you right where you are TODAY!

 

So God created mankind in his own image,

in the image of God he created them;
male and female he created them.

Genesis 1:27

Monday Morning Memo: The Days Ahead

They are words I am hearing a lot these days.  It seems like many are feeling the same way and I can see the concern on their faces as they speak about the current condition of our country.  I have been told over and over again, “I worry so much for my children and grandchildren.  What kind of a world will they have to endure?”

 

Honestly, it may be a good thing that we don’t know what we or our family will have to go through in the days ahead.  What we are promised is that our God does know what tomorrow will bring and He is already there.  Nothing will be a surprise to Him and nothing will catch Him off-guard.  He is faithful…and that is what we need to remember and it is in Him that we need to put our trust.

 

So, if we don’t have a clue what tomorrow will bring for our loved ones… what can we do for them today?  If we are truly concerned for our children and grandchildren…what can we do now to help them be prepared for whatever comes in their path?

 

I had the opportunity to stay with three of my grandsons in June and we did a lot of talking about my childhood and I shared with them how much it means to me to be their grandma.  I then found my devotional book which I wrote on their bookshelf, and I had my oldest grandson read my dedication out loud.  I knew if I read it…I would probably cry and they wouldn’t be able to understand me!  This is what he read:

 

Dedication to my Grandchildren

 

I was told for many years that being a grandma was something wonderful, and even though I knew that was probably true, there was no way I could really understand until I became one.  As each of you entered the world, my heart just expanded to hold more love than I ever imagined was possible.  As I looked into your eyes, I vowed to do all I could do to be the grandma that Jesus would want me to be.

 

I want each of you to know that I will always have time for you. Remember that grandma loves you more than you will ever know, and spending time with you is a blessing. I want to have fun with you, explore with you and laugh with you.   I want to listen to your funny stories and play make-believe.  I want to hold you, read to you and kiss your boo-boos.  And there will be times when I will just want to “be” with you, without having to do anything at all.

 

I will not be successful as a grandma though, if all you remember about me is that I was someone with whom you had fun.  More importantly, I want you to be able to remember me as a grandma who loved her Jesus with all her heart.  When you are with me, I want you to see Jesus.  When I talk with you, I want you to hear words from Jesus.  When we explore this great big world together, I want you to find Jesus.  When I hold you close to me, I want you to feel Jesus in a special way.

 

There is nothing more in this world that I want for you, than to love my Jesus with all your heart.  He will never leave you or disappoint you.  He gave everything so that you can walk with Him with every step, every day and someday spend eternity with Him.  

 

Unfortunately, I’m not going to be a perfect grandma, but I hope my love for you will outshine my imperfections.   My prayer is that as we do life together, each of us will learn and grow from each other, and be better Christ-followers as a result of our relationship.

 

When you read this book I have penned, I want it to remind you of just how much I love my Jesus and how much I love you.  You are truly a blessing to me.

 

Love & Lots of Kisses,

 

Grandma

 

I still can’t read (or hear!) these words without getting teary-eyed…because I love these precious souls so deeply.  I want each of them to not just know me…but more importantly…know my Jesus.  But what if my actions and reactions during this crazy time in our world aren’t reflecting Him…but reflecting my selfishness and my self-centeredness?  What if all they see is me screaming to get my own way and name-calling those who don’t see things the way I do?

 

You see, even if I am right in what I believe…even if all my opinions and facts are Bible-based…if I’m not showing Jesus’ love through me, what will my children and grandchildren learn?  Oh, I’m guessing they will still learn from me, but it probably won’t be anything that is beneficial.  

 

You and I can’t see tomorrow.  You and I, more than likely, can’t stop bad things from happening in our world tomorrow.  But there is something we can do today to help prepare those, whom we so deeply love, for the days ahead.  We can do all we can to be Jesus with skin on for those who come behind us.  We can show them how Jesus loves others.  We can show them how Jesus forgives others.  We can show them how Jesus shows compassion…even to those who disagree with Him.  Yes, we can show them Jesus…by allowing them to see His ways in us.

 

I am definitely not a perfect mom or grandma; I’ve blown it many times.  But I am committed, with Christ’s help, to do all I can to not just speak about my Jesus…but show Him to them too.  I need to remember that they are watching and that the old saying, “Actions speak louder than words” is often so true.  My prayer is that what they “see” in me will line up with what they “hear” from me…because turning their eyes towards Him…will help them face whatever life has in store in the days to come.

 

“If I could speak all the languages of earth and of angels, but didn’t love others, I would only be a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal.  If I had the gift of prophecy, and if I understood all of God’s secret plans and possessed all knowledge, and if I had such faith that I could move mountains, but didn’t love others, I would be nothing.  If I gave everything I have to the poor and even sacrificed my body, I could boast about it; but if I didn’t love others, I would have gained nothing.”

 

1 Corinthians 13:1-3

Monday Morning Memo: Scared to Death!

I remember the day well.  I was getting ready to step out on the platform to preach and my mentor in the ministry was there too.  He looked at me and asked if I was nervous and I assured him that I was.  He answered, “Good.  The day you don’t feel some nerves before preaching…you might want to check yourself.  Stepping into the pulpit is a huge responsibility because you are representing our Lord and sharing what He has laid on your heart.  It’s never for our glory…but for His…and that responsibility should make you have some nerves.”  I hope I will never forget those words which were spoken to me many years ago at a time when I was learning to step way out of my comfort zone.

 

Few people love to step out of their comfort zone.  Most of us enjoy feeling comfy where we are…doing what we always do…when we always do it.  So, when the Lord starts telling us it is time to get out of those cozy surroundings because He has something new for us to do…fear and anxiety can easily overwhelm us.  Trust me…I’ve been there many times and I’m confident I could lead a group called C.Z.Anonymous (aka Comfort Zone Anonymous).

 

It gives me reassurance though to know there were those in the Bible who weren’t crazy about pushing the boundaries in their lives either.  Remember Moses?  When he was told to lead his people out of Egypt…he struggled to believe he could do it since he had murdered an Egyptian and was rejected by his Hebrew brothers.  He worried that the people wouldn’t believe him or even listen to him because he wasn’t good at public speaking.

 

Then there was Jeremiah.  God wanted him to be a speaker and warn the people of their sins and the punishment to come.  Jeremiah resisted the call and said he was too young and didn’t know how to speak.  

 

Did God agree with them and let them off the hook?  No, He didn’t.  For Moses, he allowed his brother Aaron to speak for him.  For Jeremiah, God told him He would put the words in his mouth for him to say.  He told him not to worry because He would be with him and protect him.  God never gave up on either of them and whatever Moses and Jeremiah needed to carry out His plans…God provided.

 

There are many others in the Bible, but what about you and me?  How willing are we to do whatever God calls us to do?  What excuses can we come up with so that hopefully God will realize He chose the wrong person?  I don’t know about you…but I usually have a “ready” list to recite back my objections.

 

What if Moses and Jeremiah had just stayed in their comfort zones and rejected God’s call?  Could God have accomplished His plan without them?  Of course He could have.  But what blessings would they have missed because they didn’t follow God’s perfect plan for them?

 

What if you and I choose to stay in our comfort zones and reject God’s call?  This is a question I am currently asking myself.  I believe He is using these turbulent days in our world, to speak to each one of us concerning what we can do to make a difference…what we can do to further His kingdom.  We have a world full of people who desperately need to see Jesus and if they don’t see Him in us…they may never see Him at all.

 

God is speaking. But if I’m honest, I must admit that I’m good at immediately pulling out my list of objections…hoping maybe He will choose someone else.  But He doesn’t give up on me and continues to whisper His plan.  My prayer is that I will continue to listen and allow Him to guide me every step of the way.

 

How about you?  I’m confident God is speaking, and it will be up to you as to whether you choose to listen.  I want to encourage you to take the next step in His plan and let Him worry about all the things which have you scared to death. If He could help Moses and Jeremiah with the huge tasks which were put before them…and if He could help me preach on that Sunday many years ago (especially in front of my mentor!)…He surely can help you!   

 

Jesus looked at them intently and said, 

“Humanly speaking, it is impossible. But not with God. 

Everything is possible with God.”

Mark 10:27

Monday Morning Memo: "Hidden" Sins

Occasionally, I’ll come across a graphic that just stops me in my tracks.  Today’s graphic is one of them.  I saw this the other day and at first I thought, “Well duh…of course that is true”.  But then I realized that I sometimes forget this very basic truth.  God does see everything I do…but why don’t I always live in a way that shows I believe it?  How many times in my life have I done something I knew wasn’t pleasing to my Jesus…but I just figured He wouldn’t notice.  I mean…He is so busy with all the major disasters going on and this upside-down world we are living in…He surely isn’t paying any attention to my “small” sins.

 

I have a question for you and me.  Why do we brag about our Jesus being all-knowing and all-powerful…but then hope to high heavens He doesn’t see what we are doing when we sin?  Rather silly, isn’t it?  But unfortunately, I’m guessing all of us have done this at some point.  Oh, maybe we figure it isn’t a “big” sin.  Maybe it’s just reading books or watching movies which we know we shouldn’t be reading or watching.  Or, maybe it’s just speaking to our spouse in a way we know we wouldn’t…if we saw Jesus standing next to us.  Or maybe it’s just that white lie we told the person who called because we surely didn’t want to have to spend time with them.  Why, it could even be that money we took “under the table” in our job so we wouldn’t have to report it on our taxes.  When we figure out all the “big” sins we see going on in our world today…surely ours can be hidden and ignored.

 

Psalms 139: 1-6 says, “O Lord, you have examined my heart and know everything about me.  You know when I sit down or stand up.  You know my thoughts even when I’m far away. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home.  You know everything I do.  You know what I am going to say even before I say it, Lord.  You go before me and follow me.  You place your hand of blessing on my head.  Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!”  We read these words and we often think how wonderful it is that He knows everything about us…until we really comprehend that He DOES know EVERYTHING about us!  AND, He still loves us anyway…with all our faults and failures.  Such amazing love.

 

It’s because of His amazing love for us that He wants so much more for us.  He wants us to look more and more like Him…to be more Christ-like in everything we do…and that will never happen if we just continue to think we can hide our sins from Him.  Later in Psalm 139, we find these words, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. Point out anything in me that offends you, and lead me along the path of everlasting life.”

 

I know if I really do want to look like Christ, my desire…my longing… should be for Him to point out those things in my life which aren’t pleasing to Him.  Then I must be willing to ask for forgiveness and put those things aside which are weighing me down and holding me back from being a totally devoted follower of His.  I know that some days will be harder than others to really listen to His leading and then be obedient…but if my heart is truly given to Him…it will be so worth it as He leads me along the path of everlasting life.  

 

As we go throughout our week, let’s keep today’s graphic in our mind with each decision we make.  Let’s take a moment to ask ourselves if we are trying to “hide” in our sin…hoping and praying He isn’t looking.  Or, are we thrilled to pieces He is right by our side…enjoying the journey with us. The decision my friend…is ours to make. 

Monday Morning Memo: Being Intentional

Well today is Labor Day, which is a sure sign that summer is coming to an end.  UGH.  As I have shared before, summer is my favorite season of the year and winter is my least favorite.  So, I’m praying that we have many more sun-soaked, warm days before the snow flies!

Labor Day is a day when we honor the American worker; those people who work hard day in and day out to keep this world of ours moving forward.  Everywhere we look, we see laborers who are faithfully doing their job to the best of their ability.  Yes, I’m not naïve enough to think that everyone is doing their very best and working their hardest…but I don’t want to dwell today on those who choose to do just enough to get by.

 

I think we would probably all agree that many of America’s workforce is stressed beyond measure.  Rising prices, lay-offs and an unsettled future has many struggling to pay their bills and feed their children. I oversee a ministry where we help fill the shelves of our local food ministries and they are all telling me that the numbers keep rising and there are families coming for help who thought they would never, ever need help such as this.

I think it is even more important then to be observant of those with whom we come in contact as we go about our daily lives.  In many cases, we have no idea what each person is facing in their life and we may not realize that some are at their breaking point.  They may be holding on by a thread, and it just may be that our making sure we “see” them, could be what makes the difference.  I think so many people feel invisible in this world and believe no one cares…no one even sees them.  

 

It is so important that we recognize and appreciate these workers today on Labor Day and in the days to come.  It doesn’t matter whether they are a cashier, a salesperson, a teacher, a lawyer, a ditch-digger, a stay-at-home parent or a doctor.  We need to make the effort to truly “see” them and thank them for what they are doing.   Many give their all in everything they do…even when the world seems to be unhinged…but never have anyone notice.  It is easy to become so busy in our day that we overlook those whom God has placed in our path who need an encouraging word.  

Wouldn’t it be wonderful if, as we go throughout each day, we were intentional in praising those we see?  It doesn’t have to take a lot of our time; sometimes just a simple, heartfelt “thank-you” is appropriate.  Maybe it is just asking the cashier how he or she is before they can say anything to us.  Maybe it is writing our child’s teacher a note, thanking him or her for all they do to instruct our loved one.  Maybe it is taking the time to tell our spouse how much we appreciate all they do each day to make our lives easier. 

The list of those we can encourage is endless.  The key is that we must be intentional; otherwise opportunities will be missed.  The amazing thing is that as we lift the spirits of others, we will also be blessed.  The reason is that we can’t out-give God…so as we deliberately strive to bless others…we will be blessed in return.

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So, let me begin by thanking all of you, my readers, for the love, support and encouragement you have shown me.  I am so humbled that you take your valuable time to read my ramblings.  Some of you I know quite well and there are others whom I have never met.  Regardless, you have blessed me immeasurably and my prayer is that God will shower you with His blessings as you continue your journey with Him!

 
“Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for all of you with joy, for you have been my partners in spreading the Good News about Christ from the time you first heard it until now. And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.”

Philippians 1:3-6

Monday Morning Memo: A Stuck Tongue

Sometimes I come across verses in the Bible which probably weren’t meant to be funny…but they make me chuckle.  The reason is that I immediately picture in my mind what it would look like if these words were describing me.  Let me share an example:

 

“Then the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet. He spoke to me and said, ‘Go to your house and shut yourself in. There, son of man, you will be tied with ropes so you cannot go out among the people. And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be speechless and unable to rebuke them, for they are rebels. But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says! Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse, for they are rebels.’” (Ezekiel 3:24-27)

 

I’m thinking this might be a very good idea for me…except I’m guessing I probably wouldn’t be talking very much.  If I’m honest, if God would make my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth so that I couldn’t say the wrong thing…it would definitely be a lot quieter at my house 

 

You see, my mouth is often my downfall.  It is so easy for me to speak before I think…and as a result…wrong things can be said.  I think this happens sometimes because I’m already thinking about what I should say next, while the other person is talking.   So, the second they take a breath…I quickly blurt out what I’ve been thinking about, and it can be the wrong words…because I truly wasn’t listening to what the other person was telling me.

 

Oh, how much easier it would be if God would just make it so that I couldn’t talk unless my words were His words!  And can you imagine what a difference it would make in our world if all of us could only speak when God wanted us to speak or post on social media when He directed us to do so?  

 

As I’m sure you have noticed…right now in our world there are so many words being thrown around that I am confident are not pleasing to God.  To be honest…my heart is breaking over the hateful, spiteful words which some Christians are spewing out to degrade others.   Social media makes it all too easy to slam blast someone with words we would never have the courage to say in person…so we hide behind the keyboard to deeply hurt others.  As children of the King, every action and every reaction we have should be based on Biblical principles…not on our emotions.  When we choose to run our life based on how we feel instead of on what God teaches…Satan claps…because He knows it won’t take much to cause division.  What a tragedy.

 

James 1:19 says, “Understand this, my dear brothers and sisters:  You must all be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to get angry.”  Unfortunately, I have not perfected this verse in my life, and I know it is something I need to work on.  How about you?  Maybe it would be a good idea if all of us would make a point today to be quick to listen (even to those who may have a different opinion than us)…slow to speak (even when we are confident our way is the right way) …and slow to get angry (even when we really want to give others a piece of our mind).  

 

Would you pray with me?  “Father, I know that my words can either lift up…or tear apart.  Guard my mouth, Lord; keep watch over my lips…so that I will only speak…or write…those things which are pleasing to you. Help me to act and react according to your Word…instead of my emotions.  I know the world is watching and listening Lord…may I be the light that is needed in this very dark world.  Amen.”