Monday, November 30, 2015

A Little More Like Uno



Oh Uno.... He is our almost-8-year old boxer.  His teeth are yellow, breath a bit fishy, and he has gone gray in the face.  I wish I was a little more like him, though...in another way.

He has mastered the art of self-control.  Not many humans have.  We have all got our vices, but very few have conquered them entirely.   When speaking of self discipline there are so many things it could involve. Spending, lust, vanity, technology, words, temper, food, you name it...it may just have you in its chains.

Whew, lately, I have been abusing the whole tasty world of gluten.... Making a glutton of myself with gluten, if you will.  I am supposed to steer clear of it for some autoimmune reasons.  But, once I have had just a tad, then feel fine, it is like I MUST gorge myself until my body aches and feels horrible.  This has been going on for about 3 weeks now. There is an addictive cycle to my lack of self control and plenty of reasoning to go along.  "But ahhh- it's the holidays- I should give myself a break.... Or sometimes, I just have to eat what is convenient.... Or you are stressed- enjoy a second piece of cheesecake!"

Back to Uno... He can have a Milk bone on the carpet for a few hours before he decides he is ready for it.  Or perhaps his bowl is filled with a fresh cup of food-- he won't touch it, until he is ready.  I admire that, because if I am being honest, all it takes is to drive past a Dairy Queen, and my brakes are squealing to get myself turned in just enough time for the drive-thru.  Or Jeesh- if ANY form of chocolate is in our kitchen, it won't be as soon as I know of its existence.

God does take this reckless lack of management seriously however.  One who is following Christ, and growing in Him should have the following qualities,"love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." (Gal. 5:22-23) Just wondering if self-control is last because it is most difficult to attain??  It runs the gamut of so many areas in our lives- far beyond chocolate and gluten.

Other verses to think about as you ponder your own self control (or lack thereof):

2 Timothy 1:7 “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline."

2 Peter 1:5-8 “For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge, and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.”


That last one is powerful.  If we seek to have any lasting change, we have to increase our knowledge of His word and depth of of our relationship with Him.  You want to be productive? Be your best self? Set an example? Please God?

Lay down the excuses, the secretiveness of your struggle, and pray for yourself.  Yes- pray for you.  God is the only One who has the power to change you.  You are the only one to change your own habits with HIS help.

Ps- isn't it incredible that we have natural consequences for things we do not have under control?  For instance- my waistline will not get any smaller if I continue eating like T-Rex.  You checkbook will bounce once you have spend it all and more.  Your own mind and body can and will suffer if lust gets the best of you.  I would say God programmed us that way...or else we would never learn.

Tuesday, November 17, 2015

I Own My Phone. It Doesn't Own Me.



Blessed are those who own dumb phones, for they shall possess the moment.  

Yes, I do believe in the power of a phone that cannot do much for you other than make a call or text a few phrases, without the use of all those fun emojis.

I am holding on and trying not to give in.  Gosh, would it be nice to get directions with a quick search, or send a text just by saying it.  I would love a smart phone just to get a cute cover (pathetic much?).  I know, I have the soul of an eighty six year-old.  The sales kid at the Verizon store could have told me that.... He didn't get me at all.

But, I had consciously chosen the dumb phone at my last "upgrade" due to the fact that I know a few degrees of separation is better for me.  I like the present.  I enjoy watching where I walk, and looking at the faces of those conversing with me.  Too convenient it would be to reach in my purse and with a few taps update my Facebook status.... Only to be suckered into reading everyone else's posts about their kids, their dinner, their political views, etc...

Not all are consumed with their smart phones, but enough people I know have made me think twice about owning one.  All of these instantaneous & constant news updates, trendy hashtags, and Pinterest boards.... Add to that the trending topics, selfies, memes, fantasy sports and I find it all a bit dizzying and exhausting.  

When does anyone have time to live life and experience moments rather than pose and put them on display for all 1,200 of their closest friends to see?  Seriously.

Debbie Downer, here... I suppose.  I love sacred. I love meaningful.  I love being there & showing up. I love 100%.  I love single-tasking as opposed to multitasking.  I love my baby and husband and the mundane moments of our days.  I even love social media- just not 24/7.  Holding on to my no-frills phone a little bit longer. 

Sunday, November 8, 2015

Evidence All Around Us


You and I are delighted in and doted upon every single day.  God has made sure we don't forget His love for us in countless ways.  It seems, though, for most of us- if we have lived on Earth for any number of years, we can start to take those reminders for granted.

He didn't have to, but God fashioned Earth in grand and minute ways that make our physical experience here so much more enjoyable. It could be colorless, flat, and dull.  It could be cold all the time, or spring all the time.  But you know what?  He gave us so much convincing evidence of His love for in those first days in creating this globe on which we dwell.

Animals of all species, sizes, colors, temperaments, capabilities, and appearances can be seen all over our planet. We have four seasons to see our world cycle through and be made new each year.  The stars and moon are miracles and lights in the night sky.  Mighty ocean waves move about in constant motion.  Snowflakes, by the trillions, fall from the sky- each differing in design.

These are the very things were are blessed with, but we can (and do) easily brush off or even complain about them.  In "The Color Purple", Alice Walker wrote, “I think it pisses God off if you walk by the color purple in a field somewhere and don't notice it. People think pleasing God is all God cares about. But any fool living in the world can see it always trying to please us back.”   Not how I would say it, but she does make a point!!  Every facet of Earth declares God's ingenuity, creativity, and His love for us.

Notice those little things.  Take delight in them and thank our Lord for another day here.  Our physical experience will not last forever... But so much of His goodness surrounds us.  Take delight in Him as He takes delight in you.