Monday Morning Memo: Out of Sorts

Thanksgiving 2018 is in the books and as a result…I’m tired. I had a great week which included cooking, cleaning, eating, laughing, playing with grandkids, more cooking, more eating…well you get the idea.  I loved every minute of it, but it does take a toll on me and as a result…I’m tired.  And if I had to guess…you just may be tired too.

We had some of our family in for dinner Saturday night and while I was getting things ready in the kitchen, my two-year-old grandson came in and he was out of sorts.  I wasn’t sure what triggered his sudden mood change, so I decided to take him by the hand and we went in to the living room where it was quiet.  I held him in my lap and we just started talking.  I asked him several times what was wrong, and he finally said he didn’t know…he just wanted me.  Melt. My. Heart.  So in the quiet room we just spent time together.   We didn’t do anything noteworthy; I just held him and we talked about his day.  After a while, whatever caused the meltdown was long forgotten…he was smiling again…I felt renewed strength…and he ran off to join the rest of the family in the other room.

As I relaxed in my recliner later that evening, I thought about those precious moments with Ezekiel.   That precocious little boy sure made my day by just wanting to spend some time with me. He didn’t have a long list of things he wanted from me…he was just happy to be with me.  I think he just needed to be taken out of the noise for a while to allow him to reset his emotions.

We are entering a time of year that can be crazy busy as Christmas is on the horizon.  I’m fairly confident that there will be times during these next weeks, when we will, once again, become weary.  Maybe at those times it would be beneficial to just spend time with our heavenly Father because I’m guessing He loves it when we want to sit quietly with Him. Time spent not telling Him our long list of requests, but just being content to be with Him.  

Let’s be mindful this Christmas season of the times when we need to remove ourselves from the “noise” of this world to reset our emotions as we spend time with our Jesus.  Maybe if we do that, we will have less times when we are out of sorts.  And maybe, just maybe, others will see more of Him in us as a result of our quiet time in His presence.

 “Those who live in the shelter of the Most High

will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty.”

Psalm 91:1

Monday Morning Memo: The Lesson in Pie Crust

I love to try new recipes.  I find many of them on the Internet and I usually read many of the reviews before I try one.  It has never ceased to amaze me, how one recipe can raise so many different opinions from various cooks.  One person thinks the recipe is the best he or she has ever had…and the next person threw the entire concoction in the trash!  Just goes to show that we are all different with a variety of likes and dislikes.

Some of the recipes I have tried over the years, have received rave reviews from my husband.  Other recipes though, have made him make this declaration, “You don’t need to make this again.”  In other words, that is his way of saying that I can dispose of that recipe.  Oh well…you win some and you lose some!

There is one thing though that it doesn’t matter what recipe I try (and I have tried many of them) I just can’t make successfully. I’ve even tried recipes that have the words “No Fail” in the title…but I still manage to make it fail.  No matter what I do or how hard I try…I can’t make a pie crust to save my life.

Because of this, I bought my pie crusts for years and I’ve just always kept a supply of them on hand.  But when I ran out of them some time ago, I decided that surely after all these years, I could be successful in making my own.  So the search began, once again, for a recipe that I could master.  I wish I could tell you that I was finally victorious…but I wasn’t.  It didn’t matter what recipe I tried, even if it had great reviews, mine was awful.

Boy I was frustrated.  For pete’s sake…it’s not rocket science…it’s just a pie crust. Lots of my friends make great crust; why in the world can’t I?  I consider myself a fairly decent cook, so if I can follow lots of other recipes and they turn out fine, what is different with this?  What is wrong with me that is keeping me from making this simple crust?

I was whining about this to my husband, telling him how I felt like such a failure and he said, “Oh well…you are good at a lot of other things”.  Simple statement…powerful words.  At that moment I realized I was doing something that I have taught we should never do.  I was comparing a weakness of mine to other peoples' strengths…and I guarantee you that I will lose every time I do that.

Now I realize that a pie crust is a pretty minor thing in life, but I know I’ve done this comparison game before.  Why can’t I sing like she can?  Why don’t I have athletic ability like they have?  Why does my metabolism run like a turtle but hers seems to run like a cheetah?  Yep, I could go on and on.

I wonder how often I make Jesus sad because I wish I was someone else, instead of being thankful that I was created to be me. I was made, with my strengths and weaknesses, to bring glory to Him and that isn’t possible if I’m whining and complaining.  Yes, I have weaknesses that I can work on improving, but I think there are times when He wants us to use our weaknesses to help others.  Sometimes, people need to see our shortcomings, to realize that Jesus can use everyone to touch the lives of others.  Sometimes others need to see that we are human…definitely not perfect…and through our imperfections He can bring beauty.

I don’t know what your weaknesses are, but I hope you aren’t dwelling on them today wishing you were someone else.  You, my friend, were created in God’s image and He loves you just the way you are.  Can He help you improve in some areas?  Of course He can.  But He is much more interested in you having a willing spirit to be used for Him regardless of what you see as your imperfections.  

So, this is fair warning that if you eat a piece of pie made by me…it won’t include a crust made by me.   But, trust me on this, you should consider that a blessing!

“So God created human beings in his own image.
In the image of God he created them;

male and female he created them.”

Genesis 1:27 

Monday Morning Memo: Time With Jesus

If you have been in my home, you may remember that I really don’t have a theme as far as my decorating.  I pretty much have things on the walls and sitting around that I like…regardless of whether they all flow together or not.  I’ve heard people say that their style of decorating is country, or modern, or eclectic, or traditional or mid-century modern…my style is just me!  I really don’t care if it is the latest fashion or not…I just want to feel comfortable with it and I want my home to feel comfortable to those who visit.

My decorating includes several scenery pictures on my wall that I really like, but there is one that has a very special meaning to us.  A dear friend of ours painted this picture that I’m sharing with you today.  While I’m sure we would love it if we just saw it in a store, it has a much deeper meaning to us because the artist is someone that we know.  We have spent time with him and we know him fairly well, so when he gave it to us it immediately became a prized possession of ours. 

The photographs I have in my home of my family also mean the world to me.  Looking at them brings me comfort, happiness and a feeling of contentment.  Why?  Because I know those in the photos really well and oh, I love them so.  I have spent hours and hours with them and have desired to know everything about them.  I could put pictures of your family throughout my house and while I would think they were really nice…I wouldn’t have the same feelings when I looked at them as I do with my own family.  I know my family intimately because I have spent lots of time with them and I am closely related to them.  If I ever feel distant from them, it is usually because I haven’t spent quality time with them recently. 

All of these pictures mean so much to me because I have a close relationship with those pictured and with the artist of the picture.  I was thinking about all of this as I cleaned our home this past weekend.  As I worked, I eyed my Bible and it got me thinking about the times when my Jesus feels distant to me.  Those times when I feel alone and I become discouraged.  Is that because He has left me, or is it maybe because I haven’t spent quality time with Him for a while?  Have I been reading His Word because I truly want to know Him intimately, or am I just skimming the words to be able to mark it off my to-do list? 

I am the daughter of the author of this precious book and so it should be my desire to know everything about Him.  I should know Him so well that I should feel comfortable in His presence as I share with Him and He shares with me.  Being with my Jesus should bring me comfort, happiness and a feeling of contentment; but none of that will happen unless I desire to know everything about Him and want to live my life according to His instructions.

When you enter my home, I’m guessing it won’t take you long to know how much I love my family because of everything I have displayed.  But since I know I must love my Jesus more, I’m realizing that you should notice something more.  My goal needs to be that above all, you sense my love for my Jesus.  I want you to sense that the Holy Spirit lives in me and through me.  If you don’t…then I have failed.

I have a long way to go to be the follower of Jesus that He wants me to be.  I know I need to spend more time in His Word…devouring His ways so that they become my ways.  Since He is my Father, I want to learn everything that He wants to teach me.  I’m definitely a work in progress and I hope you will keep me accountable to live according to His ways.  I think we all need to support each other and encourage each other on our journey because we are all in His family together.  And I just can’t help but think that maybe when we get to heaven and see the home that He has prepared for us…there just might be pictures of us displayed for all to see.  Why?  Because we are His children and oh, He loves us so!

“So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding.”

Colossians 1:9

Monday Morning Memo: The Winning Side

I am so thrilled that tomorrow is Election Day…not because I love elections, but because I am really tired of being bombarded with all of the political ads.  In case you haven’t noticed, just about every commercial is a candidate slam blasting his or her opponent.  I normally tune out most commercials, but there are so many of these negative ads that it is almost impossible to ignore them.  I’m guessing that is their plan…to make sure they can’t be ignored.

If you are also on any social media venue, I’m sure you have noticed that everyone seems to have an opinion to share on the election too.   I’m actually amazed at times of what some people post and the anger that seems to fuel them.  There isn’t anything wrong with voicing your thoughts on a candidate, but I am saddened with the way that some decide to use this opportunity to attack others.  We all have the right to our own opinions, but why is it so difficult to share them without assaulting others with our words?

Unfortunately, we seem to almost relish stepping all over others while we loudly tell others our political views.  Why is it then, when it comes to our religious beliefs, we are often silent and use the excuse that we don’t want to step on anyone’s toes? When we have the opportunity to speak up and share what Christ has done for us, we chicken out because we might be rejected or looked down on.  Instead of telling others, in love, that we have the answer to their searching, we just hope and pray that a minister comes along to tell them the Good News.

I have to wonder what would happen if we were as willing to share our faith as we are to share our politics.  Would it make a difference in eternity?  I have to believe that it would.  Time is of the essence and we need to be willing to speak boldly about our Jesus to a lost world.  Whether you are a Democrat or a Republican, I’m sure you hope you are on the winning side. Well with Jesus, we can be confident that we are and always will be the winners! 

“Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.

Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.”

Psalm 96:3