Why You Should Always Lock Your Cabinets!

My kids are a constant source of joy in my life. Let me rephrase, I am always thankful for my children. Let me try that one more time, there are times when I tolerate the little people who came from my body and now reside in my house. Do you kids ever embarrass you? I think mine have it down to a fine art. After raising so many boys I've become immune to a lot of it. You know, the stuff like when they smack each other in public, or wear their jeans so baggy their underwear show. No problem, you're the one who looks foolish, not me! I can so handle those times. I'm talking about the moments you want to crawl under the carpet and pretend you never had time to procreate.

I remember one such time when Monkey Boy was about 5 years old. We were having some kind of party/family gathering at our house. We had about 40 people there. With so many people around, half of them extended family I was guilty of not watching him very closely as I figured if he started gushing blood or exploded into flames or threatened anyone with his pocket knife someone around would either handle it or let me know about it. It turns out, not so much. I was in the opposite end of the house, of course, when I heard a good bit of laughter coming from the living room. I remember smiling and thinking to myself what a wonderful hostess I was that people were having such a great time talking and laughing. While I was patting myself on the back, my 5 year old was, in fact, providing the entertainment. He came sauntering in the kitchen to ask for a drink. I looked down at him and suddenly understood why everyone was laughing. It seems he had gotten a scratch somehow and felt, as all 5 yr olds do, that it immediately deserved a band-aid and, being such a big boy, he would just handle that himself. The only problem with this line of thought was he couldn't reach them. However, being so ingenious, he discovered the perfect solution. There, in Mom's bathroom was a little bag under the sink with the biggest band-aids he had ever seen! Each one was folded and wrapped in it's own little wrapper. He thought "Mom's been holding out on me! She's saving all the really good band-aids for herself!". Being so proud of his discovery he had to remove his shirt so everyone could see how big he was with his really big band-aid, before he strolled through 40 people to find me. Imagine my horror upon seeing my cute little boy covered in maxi pads! People were laying on the floor laughing. There were those who needed oxygen and one uncle whom I thought was going to need a defibrillator! I have never lived this down, and neither has he. He's almost a teenager now and claims to have absolutely no memory of the event, but the red on his face whenever it comes up tells a different story!

I'm no stranger to such deeds as this either, albeit unintentional, so Monkey Boy comes by it naturally. I remember in Wyoming a time I wanted to crawl in a hole and pull it in over me. We had moved to a new house and found we needed a new cable for the tv to replace one that had broken during the move. So, one Saturday afternoon I headed out to the local Radio Shack to secure the needed tv watching supplies. I was so proud of myself because I had remember to bring the old one with me so I was sure to get the right kind. I entered a very crowded store and, after a little bit of a wait, was approached by a young man, who, if out of high school was not by much. When he asked me what I needed, I replied, "I need another one of these" as I so proudly whipped the broken cord from my purse. Unfortunately, little did I know it had become tangled around, you guessed it, a giant maxi pad! As I whipped (there really is no other word the way I did it) it from my purse the pad came flying out with it, hit a gentleman standing close by in the back of his bald head, and landed at the feet of the poor, confused teenager. I'll never forget the look on the face of the bald man as he turned around to find out what was being thrown at him. At that point I prayed God would just rapture me right out of there. I can tell the story now without dying of mortification, but it was touch and go there for a while!

I've sometimes wondered if God, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit sit around and tell stories about their kids. I can hear it now, "remember the time....." and they all laugh. I'm sure, if that's true, I have supplied them with endless hours of material to talk about.

I guess if you can't laugh at yourself you'll spend too much time crying!

Excuse me now, I think I left the bathroom cabinets unlocked and I just remembered I now have another 5 year old in the house. I'd better go take care of that!

Soaked in His blessings,
Spokenfor

Changing Your Mind and Unloading Your Wagon

There was a huge church picnic today. I have to admit, it was a little rough for me. My kids would say it was an "epic failure"! Oh, don't get me wrong, the picnic itself was great. The food was yummy, (even if there was not a drop of real sauce at this "bar-b-que"! must be a North Carolina thing!) and everyone was super nice. The weather was clear, although it was hot as blue blazes, but I, once again, succumbed to my insecurities and found myself sitting on the outside looking in. Maybe it was the fact that it was so hot, maybe it was the fact that I still don't know many people very well, maybe it was the fact I was tired, didn't like what I was wearing and my shoes were too tight. It could have been any number of things. That's what I like to tell myself, but, inside, I know better. Once again the little demons of "what if they don't like me?" and "they don't really want to know me" and "if I talk to someone I'll just say something stupid" reared their ugly head. You may know them, I know them well. I'm also getting a little tired of them telling me how to live my life. It's just, well, I know them. They've been around for as long as I can remember and I really can't imagine life without them, but I'd like to. I don't want, at the end of my life, to look back and realize I missed out on so much because of fear; fear of rejection, fear of failure, fear of looking like a fool. I want to live life in a big way, the way I live it in my head.

I remember when I was young, you know, around the time of the dinosaurs, when the world should have been rife with possibilities. For me, it wasn't. There were, uuhh, how do I say this, certain restrictions put on me because of where we were in life as a family. Don't get me wrong, some very good things came out of the life we were living, but sometimes, I can't help but grieve for what could have been and never had a chance to be.

It was all complicated by the young man who destroyed my innocence when I was only 5 years old. He'll never know how what happened in that tool shed changed me inside. It took years for me to look at it clearly, to acknowledge the damage done to my little soul in only one afternoon. He left a deposit there that would remain for 30 years before God dug it out and threw it away. Complete healing, however, is a process. When you've spent 30 years acting and reacting a certain way, even after there's healing, there's the habits of living that have to be changed. We live as we think so, you could say, changing our mind is what is necessary. The Bible puts it another way; Romans 12:2 (amplified Bible)

²Do not be conformed to this world (this age), [fashioned after and adapted to its external, superficial customs], but be transformed (changed) by the [entire] renewal of your mind [by its new ideals and its new attitude], so that you may prove [for yourselves] what is the good and acceptable and perfect will of God, even the thing which is good and acceptable and perfect [in His sight for you].

It's the renewing of our minds that changes us. The shame that followed me, the feeling of always being different, of being damaged somehow has been healed by God. I have been set free by his amazing grace, yet, I still find myself falling into the same habits and patterns of behavior. I believe, as my mind is changed, renewed, if you will, by his word, these habits and patterns will fall by the way side as well. However, I have an active part in it. There's something for me to do. I have to see them for what they are, outdated, no longer necessary self-preservation behaviors, and do something about it. I have to have my mind renewed, my thinking changed.

We've all seen the burger commercial where they spout the old saying "change is good". Well, change may be good, but it's seldom easy! Admittedly, it would just be easier to say "this is the way I am, the way I've always been, it's all I know". However, when God calls us into something new, we can rarely accomplish all He has for us if we are dragging tons of baggage He's already made a way for us to off-load. I don't know about you, but I'm getting a little tired of dragging along a bag someone else packed for me. It gets exhausting in a hurry! God has broken the chains that bound it to me so I'm just gonna let it drop right here and start building a new outlook.

Take a good look at the picture at the top of this post. Do you really think that donkey is going anywhere fast? I think that is the way we look sometimes in the spiritual. We've allowed our wagon to get so loaded there's no way we can go anywhere! God says in Matthew 11:28 - 30 "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. ³⁰For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light." God's wagon will never tip you over with it's weight!

My goal this week will be to purposefully unload my wagon and work on changing my mind. My goal will also be to work on not purposefully changing my mind about unloading my wagon! lol I'm old, set in my ways, change doesn't come easy to me, but the potential rewards are luring me in. Look at the passage above. Notice anything in verse 29? It tells us the way to find peace is simply to learn of Him, "learn of me.....and ye shall find rest for your souls". I don't know about you, but I'm ready for some rest for my soul!

So, go learn of Him, it'll help unload your wagon.

Meanwhile, I find myself strangely craving oats with a side of hay.........

Soaked in His blessings,

Spokenfor

Happy Feet and Colored Contacts

Pastor Awesome and Mrs Awesome came to our house tonight. We wanted them to pray over and bless our new home. It was a great time of fellowship and prayer. Part way through their visit I was hit with a stunning revelation. These people are the first pastors I have ever been around where I was completely comfortable! Don't get me wrong, the pastors of my past were some great men of God. None of them had horns, breathed fire, levitated, moved objects with their minds, were prone to wild fits of hysteria, none of them. There wasn't even a case of b.o. or bad breath that comes to mind, well, there was this one...... never mind. My point is I have been away from a certain place (some of you know where) for long enough that I no longer fear being dragged to the front of the church and having my mail read for the entire congregation. I have learned to trust again. For me, that is HUGE! I am finally in a place where I feel safe, safe to be who I am, safe to trust the man God has put over me is not going to annihilate me emotionally, simply put, I am safe.

I thank God he sent us to North Carolina. It's not been an easy road, I'm not going to lie, it's been tough in a lot of ways. However, I am now starting to see some wonderful benefits from our move. I am learning who I am, not who I could be, should be, or want to be, but who I am. It's important for us to move in the giftings the Father has given us. How can we do that if we are afraid to admit they are there? Knowing yourself, I believe, is a big step towards knowing God and how He wants you to live your life. Take me for instance, (since I'm the one writing, it seems only natural to use me as an example, live with it! lol) I am not a quiet person. Now, I know that comes as a shock to some of you, but hear me out. I love to laugh, I love even more to make other people laugh. I love to get excited, to shout, to sing, to live exuberantly! I believe it's one of my biggest strengths, but also, one of my biggest weaknesses. I find it hard, at times, to be as subdued as some situations call for. I have friends who are so sweet, really sweet, not fakey sweet. We all know people like that. They go through life with a sweet smile, never getting too upset, never really loosing their temper, staying steady and calm. The commander is like that. I, am soooo not. I can force myself, to a certain extent to take on an air of peaceful sweetness for a time, but sooner or later (usually sooner) my true colors show through. It has sometimes caused me trouble and I have wanted so badly to be one of the calm people in the world. I am who I am. I am who God made me. I have to do and be what he made me for, not anyone else.

Have you ever seen someone with colored contacts in? Your brown eyed co-worker shows up one day with stunningly blue eyes. It may be beautiful, but it's not real, it's an illusion. I believe we need to come to the place where we can look at our giftings, personality, intelligence, the list goes on and on, the same way we look at something as simple as the color of our eyes. I can love the fact my eyes are green. I can play it up with make-up or hair styles but I can't really take credit for it. It is what it is. I can put in blue contacts that make my eyes the color of a fall sky, but underneath, they're still green. I've only covered up what God has made me to be. That's the way it is when we are reluctant to admit to and develop the gifts and talents God has given us. We are only covering up what He has made, we're not actually changing anything. There's no reason to be proud of my green eyes, I had nothing to do with their coloring, just as I had nothing to do with the fact the Father blessed me with a good voice. I have hidden for years from my giftings, partly from fear of straying into pride, but partly from fear of not being worthy of them. Now that's just plain silly! Who has ever opened a present on Christmas morning only to turn and hand it back to the giver and say "I'm not worthy" or "I'm afraid I'll be too proud of it"?

We need to relax. There is a peace in being who you are, the authentic you, the you God made you to be, not the you you want to be, but the you you already are. If you are loud, be loud, be happy, spread your joy and sunshine. Slather it on everyone you meet. Don't be ashamed of it. If you're quieter, reserved, don't try to be anything else, it only comes across as stilted and forced. Spread your peace and quiet contentment to all you meet. If you can sing, then sing! If you can dance, then dance! If you can teach, teach or preach or witness or draw or paint, or write, or take pictures, or host someone in your home or whatever God has given you the ability to do. To take a phrase from popular media; Just Do It!

In 1 Corinthians 12 Paul writes of the gifts of the Spirit. The different gifts are given to different people in the body. He was speaking of spiritual gifts, but I believe this goes for gifts in the natural as well. The gifts are all different, but they come from the same spirit and for the same reason; to edify the body. How ridiculous would it be for someone to try to make their nose act as their ears? or their ears to act as their mouth? But that is what we do so many times. Each body needs it's ears to act as ears, it's eyes to act as eyes. Each spiritual body needs those who teach or sing or host or praise or vacuum or clean the bathrooms or run after the rug rats in the nursery. The eyes are so small in relation to the rest of the body, but can you imagine being without them? It may seem like a lowly job to clean the toilets at church, but can you imagine if there were no one to do it? Take joy in your purpose.

I am reminded of a children's movie I once saw called "Happy Feet". It was all about a small penguin blessed with the gift of dance but born into a flock of singing penguins. He struggled to fit in, to be accepted, but it was truly awful when he tried to sing. In the end, though, it was his unique gift that saved the entire flock from being wiped out and netted him the pretty girl penguin to boot. His feet were, indeed, happy. He couldn't sing, but he also couldn't not dance. That's where I want to be. I want to be so in tune with the Lord I can't not do what he created me to do nor be anything other than what he created me to be.

I am going to make it a point to start to thank God for me, for who I am, for who he made me to be. I will strive to not be ashamed of who I am, for I am in Him.

Now, the size of my thighs, that's a different matter. That's all my doing...........

Until next time stay,

Soaked in His blessings,
Spokenfor

Sometimes I feel like a nut.........

"Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character." - Albert Einstein

I can across this quote the other day and I had to sit and ponder it for a while. Character and the building of it, is not something we hear a lot about these days. It's not "PC", not cool or hip, or "fly" as my kids say, anymore. When did it go out of style to be a person of integrity? After all, that is how we could describe someone of strong character, isn't it?

Character is something that is built on a daily basis. It's what is being built when no one is around to watch what you are doing and how you are acting or reacting. It's about what is going on inside your heart. If character were an oak tree, attitude would be it's acorn. Have you ever found yourself having a bad day that you just can't seem to shake? The dog wakes you up at 5am, your car won't start, your kids are begging for last minute homework help, the coffee maker won't work, it goes on and on and on. By the time you get on your way, you're late, and when someone cuts you off in traffic you explode. You call down all sorts of calamities upon their head, even if it's silently. The heart is never silent to God. You go on through your day snapping at people, having no patience and a hard shell starts to develop around your heart. Left that way, over time, your heart starts to harden and you become your snappy attitude; always thinking everyone else has it better, easier and they're all out to get you.

Your day could have gone a little differently. This time, when the dog wakes you, you take time to appreciate the sunrise God created. When your car won't start you realize you can slow down, wait for a repair and not rush into a panic. You can thank God your kids want your help and, if they're teenagers, be amazed they deem you smart enough to help them. Once you're on your way you stop and treat yourself to a Starbucks since the coffee maker wasn't working. You reach your destination, maybe a little late, but relaxed and peaceful.

How many of us have lived out either scenario above or at least something similar? Life is not easy, things go wrong, but we don't have to be at the mercy of our emotions and attitude. I'm not saying I'm always living out the second scenario, truth be told, sometimes it's more like the first, but usually it's somewhere in between. The attitude we choose to live our life with will eventually define us. From an irritable attitude can grow self-pity and martyrdom which will foster a sense of entitlement. An arrogant attitude will harden our hearts, squeezing out any empathy that may be there and causing us to scoff at others less fortunate.

Why is this matter of character so important? Beyond the simple fact that living with character makes for a happier life, we need it if we are to be any good to the kingdom. It's important to allow God to develop the character needed to carry the gifts and callings He has chosen for us. To do otherwise is to court trouble. God blesses men and women of good character. The word of God tells us "Moral character makes for smooth traveling" (Proverbs 11:5 The Message Bible).

All this talk of character and the building thereof had me thinking again. It's something I try not to do too often, I get a headache. How is character built? Where does it come from? We have to turn again to the word of God. In Romans 5: 3-5 "Not only so, but we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not disappoint us, because God has poured out his love into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, whom he has given us." If you're honest and you're anything at all like I am, that scripture made you groan and want to hide your head in the sand because it all started with suffering! It's kind of like that virtue called patience; we all want it, but since "tribulation worketh patience" we don't want to pray for it!! But the benefits outweigh the pains.

It has to become something we work on daily. Every time we choose the right attitude we're watering that little acorn of character. Every time we over look someone else's faults or slights against us that little acorn gets a little more of what it needs to grow into an oak. Sure, it takes time and effort, but be assured, it's worth it. Do you want God to be your shield? Proverbs 2:7 says the answer is to walk with integrity. There's quite a list of the benefits of living a life of character. All the following are found in Proverbs; 2:7 God will be your shield, 11:3 guidance, 11:20 God relishes integrity, 20:7 blessings on our children, 14:32 integrity creates a safe place to live.

I want to be a person of character, of integrity. Do you? Are you willing to let God work in your heart to build the character the he wants to have there? Are you willing to make the hard choices concerning your attitudes on a daily basis? Are you willing to spend time watering that little acorn with the "miracle grow" of the word of God? If you are, then I know the Lord will be faithful to grow that tiny acorn into a towering oak tree of character, one that dominates the landscape of your life and draws people in. Then God will pour out the richness of all His blessings on you and on your family.

So the next time someone calls you a nut, just look them dead in the eye, give them a big smile and say "thank you very much"!

Soaked in His blessings,
Spokenfor



Proverbs 22:1 - A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.

Aaah-choo!!!

It was a lovely Sunday morning service. It was a nice Sunday family lunch. It was an ok Sunday all around, until..... until the mother of all colds decided to settle upon me and beat me up from the inside out! So, what I'm trying to say, nicely, is, GO AWAY! don't go away mad, just go away, and pray for me while you do! For a while I was afraid I was going to die, and now I'm a little afraid I won't. I'm going to bed, I suggest you do the same.

C-ya
Spokenfor

Yes, I do happen to know the way to Sesame Street.

I am a mom, that is what I am. Each pregnancy is etched in my mind so clearly. It's all there; the sickness, the heartburn, the exhaustion, the first movement, the first kick, the first heartbeat. I remember each birth; each pain, each incision, the first cry, the first look, the first moment of love. Never will I forget. I am a mom. I cherish the memory of the first bath, the first bottle, the first diaper change. I can clearly recall the sleepless nights, the colicky evenings when no one slept, the spit up, the throw up, and covering up to nurse in public. I am a mom.

As they each grew, the needs and sounds of our household changed, but I still carry those sounds with me. The bickering and teasing, the squeals of joy and yelps of pain, the contented sighs and the belly laughs, all still echo in my mind. I am a mom. I remember every skinned knee, pinched finger, pulled hair, and stubbed toe. I remember nights filled with fever and little sleep, and days filled with cartoons, sippy cups and laughter. I can still see the joy of the discovery of learning; letters, colors, shapes, sounds, it was all so amazing. I remember it all. I am a mom.

I once had a closet of suits and dresses, I now have a dresser full of sweats and t-shirts. I once carried a designer purse, then came the designer diaper bag. Once it was coffee with friends, then it became juice boxes at the park, I once knew the plot to quite a few prime time soaps, now I can tell you every train on Thomas and Friends, as well as every member of the Justice League. I know all the words to Steve's mail song, how to stop Swiper, and just who it is that lives in the pineapple under the sea. That is my world and I try to stay knowledgeable about current events, and yes, I do happen to know the way to Sesame Street. I am, after all, a mom.

I have watched my kids grow with a heart filled with joy, a body filled with pain, a stomach filled with butterflies, and eyes, at times, filled with tears. Remember, I am a mom. Now we're on to girlfriends, learners licenses, contacts, cell phones, lap tops and video games. I look at a man standing 6' 5" and I see a little boy only 3' 3" holding a metal lunch box heading to preschool. I want to give them roots, I want to give them wings. I want them to soar, I want to catch them if they fall. I want them to have a wonderful life, I want them to never move away from home. I am a mom.

Motherhood, no greater joy, no greater heartache to be found anywhere on earth. I know, I am, after all, a mom.

Laundry today, or naked tomorrow

I haven't written much lately. I'm not sure why. The brothers are back in school and the house is mine for a few quiet, albeit short, hours a day. I find myself in a bit of a funk, at a crossroads if you will. I'm adrift in that transitional place where the excitement of the move has worn off, but life is not yet as it will be in, say, 6 months from now. You know, when I will once again be surrounded by so many devoted fans, uh, I mean friends. The place where my social calendar is always full and I have to draw names from a hat to try to figure out which invitation to accept less I offend one of the many people clamoring for my attention. Ok, I'm awake now, what I mean to say is when I have a friend I can go have coffee with!

This is a season of change in my family's life and in my life personally. You know the saying, "change is good", well, thats relative.

The brothers started school yesterday. I admit, when they left, I cried. I don't know why, I guess I just missed them. Monkey Boy seemed so small standing there at the bus stop all by himself. I had to drive him to it as there was a mix-up and the closest bus stop to our house is almost a mile away! Then, when I was returning to the house I passed Surfer Boy and Mumbles at their stop. There were about 15 kids out there with them, but they were standing off to themselves talking to each other. No one was paying any attention to them. Now, before you start feeling sorry for them, please remember who we're talking about. They were probably standing there quietly making fun of those surrounding them, thereby rendering them with no time to actually talk to those same kids. My boys are nothing if not predictable. I know how their safety methods work; pretend to not want to make friends with anyone so if no one likes you it's all good. So, saying all this, I also have to admit they were not even in the house this afternoon before I was supremely annoyed by them! They are under the false belief that as soon as the doorbell is rung I magically am teleported to the front door to open it for them. Ain't happening.

Being the first day of school I decided to make homemade chocolate marshmallow cookies for them. It was a new recipe, but it looked so good, and so it was, at least I thought it was. Out of the four brothers, one loved them (but he'll eat anything sweet, so he doesn't count!) one said they were good, but that he "would finish eating it a little later", one said they were just "ok" and one said they were too chocolatey. Is that even possible? I've never heard of anything having "too much" chocolate. That's like saying "I'm too thin, too rich, and my house is too clean". It just can't happen in truth!



No great spiritual insights today. I'm just here in the trenches, slogging it out, trying to keep my head down so I don't get shot and keep the laundry up while I'm doing it. I heard someone say once that as a Christian woman, how we ran our home was a direct reflection on God. I kind of hope that's not true, because if God were here, he probably wouldn't have anything to wear tomorrow either!

Running around crazy today; doctor appointments, errands, laundry, and cooking. I'm already tired! This writers block, like all blocks, will pass, hopefully soon. Until then you're stuck with the mundane happenings of my everyday life and the lives of my kids.

Quote of the day: Laundry today, or naked tomorrow! gotta love truth when you see it!

Gotta run, I'm out of Tide and these trenches get really muddy!

Soaked in His blessings,
Spokenfor