Thought Provoking Tuesday: The grass is always greener over there

I meant to post this yesterday, but things were a bit nutsy here at the hospital with my baby so I'm just a few hours late.  I found this gem of a read yesterday and thought I would share.  I'm sure a lot of us have this problem in at least one or more area's in our lives, I know I do.  It's really easy to get sucked in to seeing all the nice in someone elses life and/or blog and not consider that they have their own issues to deal with and that no one is perfect.  There's no such thing as a "perfect" life or situation, no one has it all together all the time, and if they appear to then they are putting a whole lot of effort into their facade.  They aren't being "Real", and eventually it will all come crumbling down and be worse for them in the long run.  Plus, it's no good comparing ourselves as God made us each unique and gave us all different talents and gifts to use for his glory.... Yes, you do have talents and gifts, you are just overlooking something if you try to tell yourself that you don't have any.  It's that thing that comes so easy for you that doesn't come so easy to others, the thing s that give you great joy when you are able to do them.  Just because it doesn't fit into the "mold" you think it should or doesn't look like "everyone's" doesn't make it any less important or special.  We seem to have this problem where it's always easier to see their gifts and covet them rather than rooting out our own and figuring out how to best use them, and then we are wasting all our energy on coveting instead of using our talent and being content.

Anywhoo, hop over Here to read the fabulous posting at InCourage and let me know what you think!

When keeping my eyes on Christ and His calling on me, I find my confidence.

It is then that I can rest and enjoy the gifts I see in other people.  And on other blogs.

Let us have faith that, in Christ, we are far beyond average.

Thought Provoking Tuesday.....ugh a day late again

Someday I will get my crap together and get posting when I should, but for now I'd like to leave you with a few verses a friend shared/reminded me of.  I've been having a rough time of it lately with my marriage, and being tired from being prego again, and running after four other littles.......but, these verses are holding me up and helping me through it, so I thought I'd share and see what you think. 

2 Corinthians 4:8, 9, 16-18

 

I am hoping to share another craft/recipe later this week or early next week, but we'll see how life goes for the next few days.....{:0)

 

 

Thought Provoking Tuesday

So, I heard this a few weeks ago while listening to a "teaching" on the radio, while I was driving, and I've really been chewing on it the last few weeks.....The woman was talking about her reaction to her husbands "sin issue", and how her reaction was to go tell her friends and chat about how horrible it was.  Even her thought process revolved around the fact that she couldn't understand why he couldn't have sin issues more like her, cause hers weren't so bad (at least in her mind).   Then she talked about how God really convicted her about the fact that Jesus died for her sin too, that he died for us all.....

I must admit I have gone this route many times, as my hubby tends to be in your face about everything, if he has a sin issue, it's right there for everyone to see.  So, I've been guilty of saying many times to myself that I must have to go through all of his muck to learn to rely on God.....and why does he have to do everything the hard way, why can't he be more like me?  

It's really the same thing the woman on the radio was talking about.  

God sent his son to die for each of us, so that some day we can be with him for all of eternity.....just because my hubby seems to wear his sin on his sleeve, and mine is more of an internal thing, it doesn't make any difference.  Sin is sin, and Jesus died for it all.  My sins aren't any better or worse than any other persons....

Do you have an issue with this....does it resonate with you?  Share your thoughts and feelings, please.....

Tomorrow is the day for the "stained glass windows" barring no great distractions....Thanks for being patient!

Thought Provoking Tuesday

Here's a new artist my friend recommended, and I love her stuff.  Check her out here.....

JJ Heller "Your Hands"

Thought Provoking Tuesday......a day late

Yesterday was really crazy around our house, I apologize for the delay.....anyways, let's get to it.

I was listening to the radio on the way home from dropping the munchkins off at school, and the speaker was talking about a story out of Luke 10.  The story of when Jesus and the disciples were having dinner, and Martha was getting peeved at Mary because she felt like she was doing all of the work and Mary was doing nothing important.  Mary had chosen to sit at Jesus' feet, while Mary kept herself busy (and anxious and upset) in the kitchen doing what she thought was important and necessary.  What did Jesus say?  I thought the speaker made a good point that Jesus pretty much said there's really only one thing to be anxious about in this life, and it's whether or not you've accepted Christ and his payment for your sins and therefore have salvation.  That Mary was doing the right thing in trying to follow Jesus and listen to what he had to say.  Following what Christ has for you needs to be the most important thing in your life, your focus as you go about your day.....

How many times do we get caught up in all of the things on our "to do list" that we forget to count our blessings?  How many times are you willing to stop when God puts someone in your path that needs you're help and God's love that can shine through you?  Are you willing to get down in the muck of other peoples life for Jesus?  Are you willing to follow God even if it leads you off of the path you think you should be going down?  Do you feel like you're doing everything you're supposed to, but are still feeling like you're missing something?  Where is your focus today?


Thanks for hanging out with me for a moment, and feel free to leave me anything you'd like to add or comment on.  Oh, I'm thinking I'll have a post soon about either making playdough at home, or making some simple curtains for your window....or maybe both if I get the chance, which would you prefer?

Do you love your Dots?......Thought Provoking Tuesday

Sorry about missing last week, I've been getting stuff ready to put in my etsy shop, and the hubby has been getting ready for his finals on top of working.....Anyways, I ran across this today, and thought I'd share and invite you to share your thoughts as well.



Becoming Real....at InCourage

Do you accept your "dots"?  Or are you forever trying to change them, or pretend they're not there in order to please others?

It seems so easy just to "stuff" the yucky stuff down, or hide it somewhere.  But, we all know how that ends up....well, at least when I do that, it rumbles around for a little bit and looks all neat and clean on the outside, and when you least expect it, it comes bubbling out uncontrollably and profusely.... If you talk about it with some one you trust and they have the light of Christ in their lives too, then it usually ends up so much better.  You can talk and cry and pray together, and let God do his part.  Seems so much harder at first, but then when you actually take those sorts of steps everything is better in the long run....and those people close to you don't get covered in the muck of life that comes from the end result of trying to hide and be something that God never created you to be.

Thought Provoking Tuesday

At least I think that's what it's supposed to be.....not thursday right?  We've been snowed in here for two days, again, so I'm a little jet lagged I think.  Anyways, I wanted to share about what the teaching was on sunday when we went to church, and I had the bulletin to reference the passage right up till about an hour ago.  I think one of the munchkins made off with it.  So, the teaching was out of Luke, and I'm going to try to set up the story for you, as I've misplaced my bible as well.  Anyway, Jesus and his disciples decided to go across the lake as they were tired, and wanted rest.  So, they came to the "non-jewish" gentile side of the lake, and found a man that had been demon possessed and shunned by all of society.  Long story short, the demons begged for mercy (even though they'd given the man none), ended up going into some pigs which drowned themselves, and the townspeople came to see the man who had been "cured" and was now calm, and because they were afraid they wanted Jesus and his disciples to leave.  The man wanted to stay with Jesus, but Jesus told him to go tell everyone who would listen about what happened and how Jesus had saved him. So, he did.

Now, the parallel the teacher was on, was that Jesus only had to speak, not ask God for help, therefore showing that he was God incarnate, and also that there are such things as demons and that they do exist.  They are not figments of imagination to be blamed away by silly excuses like maybe they didn't know what they were talking about way back then because they didn't have the diagnostic tools necessary to really figure out that it was just some mental disorder.....Really.  But, God pointed something else out to me along the way, on a different parallel.  I got stuck on the fact that Jesus left when the people were afraid so they told him they didn't want him to stay.  Our teacher also shared another story about another time where Jesus did a healing, and the townspeople welcomed him (that's something to think about to, would you be readily willing at the drop of a hat to have Jesus over?  I only say that cause most of us would say lets go somewhere else, because we're worried about being judged......) and didn't want him to leave.

The thing I thought was interesting, is the fact that God is right there waiting, from the first time you decide to let him in and accept his forgiveness so you can have eternal life, all the way till the end.  But, if you don't want him, he will not barge in.  He patiently waits for you to invite him into whatever you're doing at the moment, and will always be there when you decide that you need him, and he does know you and knows whats best.

How cool is that?

What do you think about this?  Please leave me a note and share what you've been chewing over this week...

Oh, sometime this week, I will post a cool idea/tutorial for some easy placemats for the munchkins to make.

Thought Provoking Tuesday

So, I've seen lots of idea's for different days of each week, and I've decided to try to devote Tuesdays to share things that have grabbed my attention lately.  Particularly in the area of my faith and how God is working in my life.  Okay, I heard this song around Christmas time, and it really pulled at my heart.  It's one of those where if you really listen to the words it's very profound.  I really wanted to share it with you, just in case you've not heard it yet.  So, here goes......I haven't figured out how to import the whole little box to watch it here, so you'll just have to visit the link, I guess.
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Downhere, How Many Kings

Season for Change

I feel like the tides are changing, that maybe God's working to mold me into who he wants me to be, even if it's just a small piece that's being reworked.  Like years of work towards one small goal might be coming to pass.....and man, it's not much fun.  I feel like he's finally "killed the lizard" (from C.S. Lewis' book The Great Divorce) of my bargain-spending-money issue, although I know it may take quite a bit longer before I don't have relapses and twinges to spend when I don't need too.  I feel like I finally (after my whole life) have the control (only through God's grace and help) to keep myself away from and say no to myself in this area.

Now, I feel like we've moved on to some key spiritual identity issues.  I've always struggled with putting my husband in God's place, which we all know no man could ever measure up to those standards, right?  So, I've asked God continuously to help me not do that, and to focus on Him instead of trying to control my hubby and what he does so I can feel "okay".  Do you know what happens when you pray for something like that, or like patience, really any of those sorts of "virtues"?  God gives you ample opportunity to lean on him and "learn" the very thing you've asked for.  So, I feel like He has been trying to help me in this area for a very long time, and I am really wishing I could "get" it, so I could be done struggling with this.

What do you feel like God's trying to help you with lately?

New Year, New Thoughts, New Idea's.....

I'm not usually one to make a New Year's resolution, I don't know why, other than maybe it requires too much work and it usually brings up the thought of failure.  Who likes failure, right?  Anyways, this year I am going to try to start a couple of new habits to replace old.....sort of like that saying of out with the old, in with the new thing.  So, here goes....

First and foremost, I would like to continue in my pursuit of a closer relationship with God, and choosing to say yes to allow him to work in my life and through me to reach others for him.  Which also means trying to find time to study and pray more often, and purposefully doing so, rather than just doing it when I "have time".

Second, I want to continue to move towards my husband, instead of putting him where God belongs and requiring him to be more than he ever could be.  I want to have the sort of marriage that is a blessing to our children, so that they can look and see what it should be.  To have it be a light for Christ and and example for them, so that they base what they want in marriage and beforehand on what God wants rather how the world says it should be.  I want to work for our marriage so that we are still giddy and in love when we are 85, rather than old and crotchety and tired with each other.

Third, I want to continue to make strides in my housekeeping and money management skills, so that we have a schedule and have savings in the bank.  This one may not seem like a big deal, but one of my biggest issues, and one that God is currently working very hard on, is money and saying no to a "bargain".....and housework and schedule's are not my strong suit whatsoever.....

So, I am going to attempt to make small steps, with God's help, towards these changes, and we'll see how it goes over the next year....with lots of prayer and help, I'm sure.

The warmth in the leaves set the tree on fire

It's such a wonderful day outside, the kind where you wake up and just know inside the it's going to be an awesome day.....  We're driving out to help celebrate a birthday, and see those we've not seen in a bit.  But, I love driving in the fall on a sunny day, to thoroughly enjoy the colors of the trees in the fall.  It's one of those things that just amazes me about the wonderful God we serve, that he created it all, and yet took the time to decide the colors of the leaves, all the way down to the intricacies of each of our personalities.  I love the fall, the pumpkin picking, the collage leaf making, the leaf pile making and jumping in and doing it all over again, and watching everything anew through my childrens eyes.......