"The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth" (Luke 3:5).

I've blogged in the past about GPS. Global Positioning Satellite, God's Protection Systems, God's Personal Safety-net, etc. I've gotten past the annoying voice from my car GPS, Sometimes, I get off course and the voice says: "Recalculating route." Basically telling me I've missed my turn and letting me know the most direct route back on course. Sometimes we can make wrong turns in our spiritual lives. We think we are going the right direction only to discover maybe it was never God's will to enter that relationship, make that business deal, hire that person, make that move - the examples are limitless. Thing is, we will eventually get to our destination, just took a little longer.

There is an amazing thing about God. He can make our crooked places straight. He has an ability to make whatever blunder we make, turn out right. That doesn't mean we have the freedom to blow it all the time as there may be consequences to those decisions. He will always allow actions to work together for good for those called according to His purposes if we repent ("please make U-turn") and seek Him fully to make things right. These lessons can even contribute to greater wisdom in our lives if we learn from our mistakes.

Here's a comment from an annonomous gal- "I can remember waking up night after night, searching for the comfort of my husband, only to find our bed half empty. Going back to sleep alone, I closed my eyes to the glow from the computer screen that crept under the door, painfully aware that my husband was deeply entangled in the darkest places of the Internet.

My response to his physical and emotional rejection of me as woman was to find validation elsewhere. I filed in court, and as soon as the legal ink was dry I was prowling --a predatory divorcée. For my new life, I invested money in a new wardrobe and a little elective surgery. Changed on the outside, but filled with hurt on the inside, I relegated men to 'rental status.' This begged the question, 'Who was I, in relation to my rentals?'

Just as my ex-husband had objectified women, in my hurt I objectified men. I denied my humanity and the humanity of others by the way I lived my life. I stopped looking in the mirror with an attitude of approval. I had a wound that could only be healed by a Savior; the remedy for my pain was never going to be found physically-only spiritually. In Jesus I have found love, acceptance and forgiveness, and He's turned my life around."

It's pretty cool to know God's omnipotence is always one step ahead of our incompetence.

Too Far Gone?

Our Bonita house was built before 1892, it seems like we’ve been remodeling for the entire ten years we’ve owned it. Initially, we stripped most of the house down to bare studs; we re-designed, we moved walls, added living space in the attic, we fixed problems from years of neglect. Sometimes something would look okay on the outside, but inside a support beam was broken or a pipe was slowly rotting away. At one point, we filled two 40 yard roll offs with materials.

When we looked at the mess, we saw possibilities. Several of the surrounding neighbors thought it was a tear down, too far gone to be saved! Yet, when friends would come to visit, we would excitedly tell them what the plan was, and how we were going to achieve it. It took patience and hard work to make our house into the home we knew it could be.

So often in our lives all we can see is the mess. But God looks at us and sees what He's building. He can walk through our mess and see amazing possibilities. He knows the damage we've covered up that really needs fixing, and He knows what needs to be re-designed. And He is the perfect one to bring all those changes about.

In the mean time-Please be patient, God is not finished with me yet.

Godlilness with Contentment is Great Gain

If I raised my kids today like I was raised, CPS would be at my door...daily!

I used to play hide and seek after dark, and jump off roofs to get safe. Most summer days, I was locked out of the house til dinner was ready. I never wore a seat belt or child seat for that matter. Furthermore, I would routinely jump from the back seat to the front, and back. Bike helmet? What's that? My skateboard had metal wheels; one little pebble in the road would send me flying, oh, and I don't have wings! Amazingly, I'm still alive today, well, barely.

Today, we are consumed by safety, even obsessed with it at times. Even in our spiritual lives. How many of us have prayed the following? "Dear Jesus, protect us as we travel today, keep the kids safe at school. Bring us home safely...be with such and such, in Jesus name..." Now I'm not saying there's anything wrong with that, rather, that seems to be the priority. Sometimes we elevate it to the neglect of praying for what God thinks is best. Sometimes our comfort and safety may not be what's best?

Lately, I've been praying more for direction, discernment, right choices, right contacts, favor, and His blessings, and growing closer to Him along the way; whatever the outcome. "Godliness with contentment is great gain."

Persevere!

"Blessed is the man who perseveres under trial, because when he has stood the test, he will receive the crown of life that God has promised to those who love him" (James 1:12).

That is a great life verse don't you think? Fact is, sometimes I have this test over and over again. I wonder when is it going to let up? But that's when I start to get excited! I've told many people who are going through trials and struggles in life that to some this is the only hell we'll ever know. While others, unfortunately, this is the only heaven they'll ever know. This life here is so temporary, it's almost silly to worry and stress about it. The better question is what am I doing today, right now to bring glory to God both personally with our vertical relationship, and horizontally with everyone we come in contact with.

Even though I live on a golf course, I rarely follow the game. Maybe a little when Tiger is playing due to his notoriety. What I notice most is sometimes the shots are hit perfectly, but the outcomes aren't always as hoped. One shot just misses the cup, then rolls past, catches a slight slope and rolls away and into the trap. Cr-p!

You and I need to keep the big picture in mind when things don't always turn out as planned. As we persevere, we grow stronger, and when the occasion arrises when, even if we hit the ball of life correctly, one bump can send that ball off course. It's the next hit out of the trap that counts.

Mother's Day 2010

Ode to mom;s

Direct quotes from Proverbs 31:10-21...well, kinda. My paraphrase...

Seek to be a fantastic mom and wife; she's trustworthy, more precious than gemstones, builds up, never tears down, greatly enriches those around her, all her life.

She's an avid coupon mom, only buying the best deals out there. She's the first one up, preparing breakfast each morning for the whole house.

She's a ebay babe, selling for profit, then plants a garden and vineyard.

She's always helping those worse off than herself, while at the same time making sure her family is ready for the tough times to come.

She makes her own stuff. She's a Creative Memory and Cricket babe. Even has her own line of clothes.

She's not a blabbermouth; when she speaks, only wise words that are kind and full of instruction come out.

Her kids and husband say "your the best mom in the world!"

Beauty is only skin deep, and gravity eventually takes it's toll, but a mom who puts her trust in the Lord; kudo's to you.

Bring her gifts for all she has done.
Let the world see she's got her act together.

Thanks Moms...your the best!

The next best thing

Are we meant to endure an average mediocre life?

Here in GA, there is a village named Vickery, where each house is unique but a knock off of a famous house or theme. Cool place to live. Matter of fact, the village won an award four of the past 5 years as the best planned community in the U.S. In 2005, Better Homes and Garden Magazine was giving away a Frank Lloyd Wright knock off in Vickery Village. When Mr Wright was asked which of his famous homes he liked the best, he said “The next one.”

So it is or should be with us. Rather than gloating on the “what was” or “could have been,” maybe, just maybe, we should bank on the next best thing.

Maybe it’s time to stretch our faith once more? Get the fire back. Get the passion back. Even if you’ve been stuck for a while, or maybe struggled with depression or self worth, It’s time to break free. It’s time to rise above the morass to become the person God created you to be. Defeat failure and negative thinking all entangle us from time to time. Just remember whose we are. God is on your side; He loves you, and is in your corner 100%. I will trust in You, I will rest in you.

Pruning is an often overlooked but necessary function of gardening. Sometimes, even healthy looking limbs need to be cut back and even cut off altogether. Ouch. In our lives sometimes that hurts. Unbeknownst to us, we wonder why that limb was cut off. New growth burst forth with a passion when the sun hits the new growth and then fruit can flourish.

Many of us have had our branches pruned back from The Vine...Now the excitement of new growth begins...

Insanity

Doing the same thing day in and day out and expecting something to change.

That is a classic definition of insanity.

I pondered that thought as I was perusing one of my journals this morning. I came across a question by Brian Tracy. “What two areas in your life if mastered, would produce the greatest reward or result?” For me personally, they would be consistency with my Heavenly Father, and consistency of being the spiritual leader of my family. I can settle for the status-quo, or seek to make some change for the betterment in these areas.

I know that I know that I know I'm supposed to do those things, and sometimes I do them very well. Other times, I don't. Inconsistency. However, if I was to master those two things, my vertical relationship with God, would be more "Abba" like in nature. Rather than a rote religious checklist; went to church..check. Did a "quiet time." Check. Thanked Him for food and bedtime prayer. Check. He created us with free will, not a checklist to turn into Him at the end of our lives. Additionally, my horizontal relationships with wife, family, friends, and associates, would also improve.

Therein is my struggle; do I do them because I'm supposed to, or because I want to? Where the vertical and horizontal intersect, "the Cross" is present. I'm convinced that more of Jesus in my life is the one thing needed to displace insanity.