Tug of War

Self-control in short supply, and patience fleeting.  My words short and my tone lacking love - I lash out.  At what?  A cluttered kitchen, dirty underwear scattered over wood floors, short-attention spans.  For what purpose?  The appearance of order, of perfection?

For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do-this I keep on doing.  For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, wagging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.  What a wretched man I am!  Who will rescue me for this body of death? - Romans 7:19, 22-24

An internal tug-of-war.  The appearance of perfection is not what I strive for.  It is the perfection found only in Jesus I long for.

Thanks be to God-through Jesus Christ our Lord!...Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. - Romans 7:25, 8:1

Jesus doesn't care about my dirty dishes, or messy floors, he loved and welcomed children into his presence - short attention spans and all.  

He must increase, but I must decrease - John 3:30 

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness and self-control.  Against such things there is no law.  Those who belong to Christ have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires.  Since we live by the Spirit let us keep in step with the Spirit. - Galatians 5:22-25

God forgive my actions that do not reflect you.  I lay myself down, so you may increase in me.  Help me to grow and display the fruit of your Spirit in my life.   I take hold of the hope I have in you and in your forgiveness.  Thank you for loving me where I am.  

Tick-tock

There is a time for everything and a season for every activity under heaven. 
A time to be born and a time to die, 
A time to plant and a time to uproot,
A time to kill and a time to heal,
A time to tear down and a time to build,
A time to weep and a time to laugh,
A time to mourn and a time to dance,
A time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
A time to embrace and a time to refrain,
A time to search and a time to give up,
A time to keep and and time to throw away,
A time to tear and a time to mend,
A time to be silent and a time to speak,
A time to love and a time to hate,
A time for war and a time for peace. 
- Ecclesiastes 3:16-8  


I'm unsure what season I'm in.  It feels busy, I feel tired, but I have great joy in so many things.  And I'm so thankful I don't have to pretend to be Miss Sunshine everyday.  That it's okay to be Partly-Cloudy with a chance of tear some days.

I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. - Isaiah 41:10


God thank you for all the seasons of my life.  Thank you for the fun and easy times, may I relish in them.  May I dance with joy and laugh with my whole heart.  And in the difficult times make me strong, courageous and grant me contentment.  I trust in you - I lean on you and I love you Lord.

Love Letters

The day long and the night not long enough, I awoke.   My mind clouded, and overwhelmed as my body groaned with exhaustion.  I didn't stop to pray.  There were needs to be met; little bodies to clothe, breakfast to be made, a house to be kept.

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him, She had a sister named Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said.  But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made." - Luke 10:38-40a


Self-focused and distracted by the day ahead of me I neglected the one who loves me more than another.  But it wouldn't be for long.  A note dangled from the bathroom mirror, and it read...

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." - Matthew 11:28
*lay your burdens and stress at his feet.

Tears welled up in my eyes and I stopped to lay my burdens down.  Jesus didn't come over to clean my house, he didn't make breakfast, or help get the kids dressed.  But he gave me a husband who taped notes of scripture all around the house.  He listened to my stress, and he gave me a peace in my heart.

"Martha came to Jesus and asked, 'Lord-don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!'  'Martha, Martha', the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed.  Mary has chosen what is better and it will not be taken away from her.'" - Luke 10:40b-42


God forgive my selfishness.  You know I am a "fixer" a "doer," but God let me first be a seeker.  Let me lay down my stress and allow you and your word to guide me and give me the peace and rest you desire for my life.  I seek you today -

More like pumpkins

As we scavenged for the perfect porch decoration, the field held a numerous amount of choices, yet so many seemed imperfect and un-pickable. Some bruised, some broken and others rotting from the inside-out. And so we passed them by. Left to rot back into the dry earth whence they came.

The Lord saw how great man's wickedness on the earth had become,and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time...and his heart was filled with pain. - Genesis 6:5-6

How much am I like those imperfect pumpkins I left to rot back into the earth?

There is no one righteous, not even one... - Romans 3:10

I am the bruised, broken and rotten pumpkin.

It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick...For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners. - Matthew 9:12-13

God I recognize the unworthy condition of my heart.  And you love me anyway.  Thank you for sending Jesus, thank you for wanting a relationship with me.  Forgive my sin that leaves me bruised and broken, and restore me so that from the inside-out my life will reflect you.

Pumpkins

The wagon bumped along the dusty path as the sun illuminated the field filled with the colors of fall.  The vines twisted and dry littered the ground.  And the pumpkins of all different shapes, sizes and colors reflected the creativity of their maker.  Our maker.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. - Genesis 1:1
Then God said, Let us make man in our image, in our likeness...So God created man in his own image in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:26, 27
God saw all that he had made, and it was very good.  - Genesis 1:31


My eyes shifted from the pumpkins lying in wait to be picked to the pickers.  And we too reflect His creativity.  Some tall, others round, some with lumps and bumps, diverse in color but all made in His image.

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb.  I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful I know that full well. - Psalm 139:13-14


God as I live my life, may I take time to see your creativity.  And as I strive in the journey to give you a piece of my day -everyday, reveal yourself to me in your word.  Help me to appreciate the way you've made me, unique in mind, and body.  And see those around me as you do.