Loving Old

I am still thinking about the Sermon from Sunday morning.  While I know there were great truths about Jesus being the Son of God, I am stuck thinking about the love.  My pastor talked about how as the world grows further away from God, love will dry up.  He mentioned that while we live in the word, it is easy to be jaded, cautious and untrusting.  He said that love will get harder the older we get because experience will teach us to be weary of being hurt or disappointed.

WOW, this totally changes my plans for old age!  I was already prepared to be that loud mouth old lady who says whatever she wants whenever she wants.  I want to “call them like I see them,” but it occurred to me that, this approach may not be the most loving.  My husband and I constantly remind each other that GOD calls us to love one another.  We think God may have also called us to ride in separate cars to church on Sunday, because there is less arguing that way!  Better yet, if every Sunday can be like this passed Sunday, when I was quiet before church, there was a remarkable difference in our love on the way to church! LOL.  For those of you who know me well, know that me being quiet for long is almost an impossibility.  After all, I love to hear myself talk, and I love to read myself blog too!  LOL

The incredible impact of what Pastor David preached about on Sunday is sitting in my heart and relating to all the wild things going on in our country.  I think that the Occupy Wall street people might proclaim that they are seeking peace and love, but I ask are they really?  Love is one of those words that is loaded far deeper than people really invest in it these days.  If we take our love and compare it to God’s standards, then it may be that we never truly love.  There is a whole chapter devoted to love in the New Testament.  In actuality, the whole Bible is about love, but in 1 Corinthians, there is a great definition for love.  

Our world today is so caught up in political correctness, but that means nothing if you do not have love.  Think about it, why would we need political correctness if we were all treating each other with love.  It is almost laughable that we have to legislate equality.  I saw a report earlier on a group that made their bake sale prices reflect affirmative action.  After watching the report, I thought what was meant to do good really only made the divide between race greater.  After all, if we are going to give a discount to one group shouldn’t it be to all groups?  What if you went to Macy’s and the prices were structured to reflect that the group you belong to absolutely never got a sale, I think it would hack you off after awhile.  God help you if you complained, you would be vilified.  Then in turn it is likely that resentment would form toward the sale group.

Now, let’s take this back to love.  Is there anyone who doesn’t love love?  Is there anyone who doesn’t want to share love, or feel love?  Love can give you wings, it can give you strength, and love can give you life.  I mean that literally, if you know Jesus Christ.  When the Bible says, “…That the greatest of these is love,” this is more profound than we allow it to be.  This is one of those “Churchy” verses, every one says it, everyone knows it, but how many of us live it every day?

Everyone has someone around that is hard to love.  Usually they are part of your family.  Just writing this, I can bring to mind a few that I find difficult to love.  There are two categories for me:  someone who has hurt me in some way, and then the type who drives me crazy with their crazy beliefs or lack of belief. (Let’s face it, I can almost not carry on a conversation with someone who is what I will politely call a raging liberal democrat.)  The thing about it is God calls me to love them anyway.  

How do you love a raging liberal democrat?  Or even more importantly how do you love that person who hurt you?  I think for me, I just have to tell myself over and over again, that God calls me to love.  Love means everyone, all the time, and then I have to hit my knees and pray really hard until I can love.

I guess I will change my old age plans and be the loud mouth old lady who is full of love and laughter.  I think I will redefine old from grumpy old to old and loving.  Although it sounds like a cliché, couldn’t we all use a little more love in our lives?

That is my mindset now tell me yours!

No Pinterest

I have received over the past two weeks invitations to the website: Pinterest.  Many of my friends have discussed how addicting it is, and how fun it is.  Today, I tried the website for the first time, and I believe it is the cause of a minor identity crisis.  This is when I suddenly realized, I am no ordinary woman.

You see the concept is simple.  Create a bulletin board.  Select various themes and then “pin” things to them that you want to try.  The boards can be about anything examples, cooking, arts and crafts, and sewing ideas.  Pintrest gives you a few default board titles, to help get you started.  The board that started this minor identity crisis was called “Things I love.”

Immediately I was screaming on the inside uh…ok….hmmmm…. what do I love?  Wait, oh my gosh, I don’t love anything!  Social Crisis!  I was acutely aware, that no one was going to care or want to “follow” a board on my love for chips and queso.  I confess, I missed the day in school when they taught girly! 

Confession 1:

I have never owned a hot glue gun.  I have seen it used once or twice by my mother-in-law, but I have never really done anything with hot glue. I have no “craft closet” in my house.  When I go to Hobby Lobby it is to buy something that is already made, or to fill a list for work or my daughter’s school.  I have never looked at ribbon and said I can make this into a beautiful bow.  Nor have I ever been on the scrapbook aisle and thought how fun it would be to cut and paste. 

Confession 2:

Sewing is not my thing.  What makes this statement so incredibly funny is that I work at an embroidery company!  However, I am not allowed to touch the machines.  I know just enough to make me dangerous should I ever get behind a regular sewing machine.  The only thing I have actually sewn is our Christmas stockings.  They are quite possibly are the saddest looking little stockings, but they are special.  My mother-in-law spent a whole afternoon showing me how to use the little sewing machine that I have never visited since.

Confession 3:

My cooking is simple, and my menu the same.  I cook the same things over and over.  I try new things, but nothing has ever made the long term cut.  I bake, but again it is chocolate chip cookies, or cake from a box.  You will not find me slaving in the kitchen over some exotic dish.  All good things can be bought pre-made! 

All of this is to say, that I have NO PINTEREST!  This website has given me a complex.  I actually spent time trying to think of hobby things I really like to do.  This is what I came up with:

I like to eat chips and queso.

I like to listen music.

I like blogging/writing.

I like funny.

I don’t know if these things can be “pinned” but there all I got and I am sticking with them.

For now, I end my blog with this conclusion, while I have no passion for any particular "womanly" hobby, I do love my family and my friends.  That love and their company must keep me content, and that is better than any silly hobby!

Dang toilet paper is expensive!

Lately life seems like it has me saying things like this.  It is as if all the sudden I have turned into one of my parents, walking up hill in a snowstorm to school because it made for a great lesson!  Literally, I was in the grocery store, and I had to buy toilet paper, and my usual brand, Scott tissue, price had increased almost $2.00.  I screamed on the inside, “What the heck!”  After all, this is paper that I will literally be flushing away after one use, and it costs more than my bath soap.  At least I get multiple uses from my bath soap, but don’t even get me started on how expensive soap is these days!

I guess I am in somewhat of a cantankerous mood because my house is in disarray.  Yes, it would be easy to laugh this off and say, what has changed?  I have never been an excellent housekeeper.  I will settle, yes settle, for being an ok housekeeper.  Over Labor Day, we had a pipe in our home break, and thus started a trickle down effect of things we are now doing to fix our house.  While there is still a hole in the wall and some missing carpet, the toys are off the floor for now.  Shoes on the other hand, have a way of creeping around.  While they have a proper home in a closet or shoe basket, they some how end up all over the place.

I tell you all of this to say that this chaos has wreaked havoc in my life.  I admit that I feel a little out of control and, inadequately prepared for almost everything.  This only confirms my current conclusions of Proverbs 31.  (I don’t know if you have read it, but it is a synopsis of what a Godly wife/woman should be.)  Frankly, I think the woman described here, was either an over achiever, and or taking speed.  I look at the list of noble character traits and find myself feeling like these are impossible to accomplish, and even more impossible with a happy heart.  I think, if I had lived back in those times, a trip to the well would have been interesting.  In my current state of mind, going to the well with a kid strapped in a papoose and water jug on my head would have only resulted in some major complaining.  The well would have been the modern day coffee shop or nail place.  It would be filled with women sharing the things that women share, or gossiping.  I can just hear it, “Did you see Miranda, there were dirty dishes in her hut, and even more shame, her bed unmade!”  While I admit that I have some real work to do in my interpretation and opinion of Proverbs 31, I know God has a reason for it.  At some point, I will find joy in mopping my floors and making my bed.  

It always strikes me as funny the way God works in life.  I am in a bible study about the Life of David.  It is called Anointed, Transformed, and Redeemed it is written by three amazing Christian women: Kay Arthur, Beth Moore, and Priscilla Shirer.  This week’s lesson was about going through disappointments.  Beth Moore gave many examples of situations when you expect something good, and then you get something bad.  I admit that with all this chaos, I felt lucky as I read the lesson.  I feel lucky, because lets face it in the middle of the chaos, I still have a roof over my head, food in my fridge, and a job.  God is choosing each “stressful” situation to teach me something, and prepare me for His plans for me.  While, I admit, that accepting God’s plan as oppose to my own is a hard pill to swallow, but it is ALWAYS for the best.  My house is suddenly like a metaphor, what God chooses to fix first is not necessarily where I would start!

Beth Moore wrote something that was so profound to me.  She wrote this:

 “If we only understood that any part of us crucified in doing His will becomes a hotbed of resurrection power.  Where we die to self, the Spirit of Christ is raised in us.”

While, I have heard and read verses that discuss this very subject, I don’t think they ever really sunk in.  This time the big bad word OBEDIENCE came to mind.  If I submit in obedience to God/ His will, then I am capable, prepared, and able to do anything.  WOW!  What an awesome thought!  If I am obedient, then my heart will find joy in the things that myself and the world are telling me is no fun.  Obedience is a scary word, I am not sure that anything in my life has been done obediently.  I think that God is telling me that he is going to work on this with me.  If I am being honest, the thought of working on obedience scares me!  Obedience is foreign to me!  I will have to trust God and see where this takes me.  I will let you know after I mop my floors and make my bed just how I am feeling!

This is my mindset; feel free to share yours with me!

The Big Things

I kind of like starting my blog as if we are in the middle of a conversation.  We have just spoken moments ago and you know exactly where I am coming from.  However, the truth is my blog has been  a slow conversation these days. Things just seem to come up and steal my time.   However, I am back in Bible study and so far my study as been enlightening.  It has me thinking about the BIG THINGS.

You see, I often think that God is not doing anything important in my life because there are NO big things happening.  I am waiting for my special calling.  In case you didn’t notice, I am what some people would call a “DRAMA QUEEN.”  Actually, my husband likes to say, I am like TNT, I know drama!  Well, for the most part he is right.  I often overreact and expect that the world should actually stand still when I stub my toe.  This is why I have an issue with the big stuff.   I keep thinking I am going to wake up one day and God is going to be like, “Hey Miranda, you are ready to be the next Anita Renfroe, or  here is this place where you can make a BIG difference in the lives of many.”  There are so many great examples of BIG stuff in the bible.  A whale swallowed Jonah.  David beat Goliath, the GIANT, and for that, matter won most every fight he fought.  Naturally I think that when I am called it is going to be something BIG, like sounding the horns at the walls of Jericho.

This week, during study, I read a profound revelation.  While reading about the anointing of God, and how it creates a super natural way to live, the author wrote this:

“While you have patience in your mothering, holiness in your singleness, gentleness in your response, contentment in your circumstances, and empowerment in the face of your challenges, you are experiencing the greatest miracle of all: God’s presence appearing in your life.”

This was a major AHA moment for me.  God’s work in my life is not at all about the big things, it is mostly about the little things.  It is how I react to life.  It is how I exhibit my Christianity.

Sooo, I went to Galveston on what I considered a last minute trip.  It was at that point that all God’s presence vanished from my life.  You see, my husband and I, while we love each other dearly, we do not travel well together.  We have two very different styles of travel.  I like to know where we are going, him not so much.  I like to plan, him not so much.  All travel with us starts with a few small arguments here and there, like did you pack this? Or don’t put my bag there!  Then it progresses into, I don’t want to go, you are being a pain!  It always turns out fine.  Once we are out of town the mood changes and the laughter starts.  We joke about how silly we acted, and how this is just part of some weird travel routine we have.  We agree that we should approach travel like Sunday morning church.  It would be better if we rode in separate cars!

Now that we are back from our whirlwind trip to Galveston, I have to question myself about the small things.  After all, the small things will drive a person insane.  The small things are the pieces that add together to make a great day or a bad day.  While I admit, I have never been detail oriented; I would say that the small things are where the real work is done.  I have to remember that sometimes God chooses the small moves to prepare us for the BIG THINGS, and there is blessing in preparation.  I will probably always have that drama queen in the back of my head, wondering what great cause God has for me.  However, I think now, I will cherish the small details of God’s presence more.  I will rest in His participation in the small things, knowing that my God is not only present in the big things, but also in the small. 

  So, I close this conversation with a verse, that really inspired me this week:

“In ALL THESE THINGS we overwhelmingly conquer, through Him who loved us.” Romans 8:37

Fellowship and Prayer

 A while back, I saw a post on a friends Facebook page.  It went something like this:  If your excuse for not coming to church is because you think it is full of hypocrites, then you will fit right in!  Please join us in the pews!  I loved it, because I use to think that way.  I have had my fair share of bad church experiences.  My most memorable went something like this….

I was in Junior high and it was around the time when the jr. high kids transitioned to being the sr. high kids.  There was a lovely trip to the beached planned for us, and I was excited.  I really wanted to go.  That of course is when; the adult sponsor called and told my folks that I could not go, because they did not want the responsibility of having a diabetic child on the trip.  I would like to tell you that I was ok, but in fact, I cried, and I cried a lot.  At that impressionable age, I felt singled out, left out, and discriminated against.  It only took the one bad experience to make me not want to go to church or participate in any of the church programs.

As I grew, I attended church sporadically.  My motto then was, I just want to go and listen to the word, and then leave.  I do not want to invest in any of the people who will just ultimately disappoint me with their lack of Christianity.  (Insert HUGE laugh here!  REALLY, I don’t know what I was thinking; the only perfect example is Jesus.)  I guess I had this idea of Christianity but no clue as to the real relationship with Jesus it is suppose to be.  I just figured that Christians were Holier than Thou and always out to judge you.  I was wrong, so very wrong, and not in the right Church.

I have learned that in the right church, fellowship can be so much more than expected.  There is nothing like assembling with a group of Christians who are struggling with the same struggles, but at the same time-sharing, the same laughs.  I will take this moment to give a BLOG SHOUT OUT to my Bunco girls!  They are crazy, funny, and sweet women that God uses in my life.  I know that in this group, there are friends I can count on that will pray for me faithfully when I need it.  There is nothing more refreshing than a room full of Christian women laughing together!  My husband and I also attend a Sunday school class.  They are a wonderful group of people that share in our lives.  The group has a genuine quality and sense of care for each other.  As a Sunday school family, we lift each other up as needed.  They are the people we consider friends, even if we have to “Bible” them! (Bible is our code word for letting some one know they have talked too long, or gotten off subject.)  We learn about God, share His love, and have a few laughs too!

I guess the reason this is on my mind is, without fellowship in the name of the Lord, life and struggles would be harder.  The people that you share God with are also the people who will pray with you, lift you up and hold you when you cannot.  I have a dear friend who is struggling with Cancer.  She is the epitome of humor and love.  The people, who are in fellowship together, praying for the same goal, have magnified the effect of prayer in her struggle.  This is how she describes the fellowship of prayer for her:

“I want to start this out by telling you a story...Everyone is asking me how do you feel and I (am) going to describe the feeling. You know how at rock concerts they body surf a person through the crowd? Well I feel like everyone is holding their hands up in prayer and you all are body surfing me through with prayer. Everyone is touching me with their hands in prayer, chanting and thoughts, as I go through this crowd. IT IS AMAZING!!!! I wish everyone could experience this sometime in their life, without having to go through a hard time of course. So this is the best way I can think of to tell everyone that every prayer, every thought and every chant is felt, and is holding me up high. WOW!!!”

I know that people often say, “Church just isn’t for me,” but there is something special in a fellowship of believers.  As a community of Christians, we need each other.  We need to pray together and for each other, our community and country.  The Bible says in Matthew 7:7-8:

 “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.  For everyone who asks receives; the one who seeks finds; and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.”

I don’t know about you, but if fellowship coupled with prayer can lift me up and send me body surfing through a crowd, on my way to a miracle rock concert lead by the King of Kings, I am in!

What exactly is too Churchy?

It was brought to my attention that some of my blogs are “heavy.”  I can only translate this as too Churchy.  Now I realize that Churchy is not an actual word, but y’all know what I mean. 

I will just say a few things on the subject.  First, I believe in the Apostles Creed.  The Apostles Creed goes like this:

I believe in God the Father, almighty maker of heaven and maker of earth, and in Jesus Christ His only begotten Son, our Lord. He was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilot, He was crucified, buried, and dead.  He ascended into Heaven and on the third day, he rose again! He ascended into Heaven where He sits at God’s mighty right hand. I believe that he is returning to judge the quick, and the dead, and the sons of men. I believe in the Holy Spirit, one Holy Church, the communion of Saints the forgiveness of sins, and I believe in the resurrection. I believe in life that never ends.

The band Third Day does a great song of this creed.  The lyrics that follow the creed say, “I believe what I believe; it’s what makes me who I am.  I did not make it. No! It is making me.  It is the very truth of God and not the invention of any man!”

Now if you feel this is too Churchy, well, let me also explain why I need God in my everyday life.  It would be simple to say please, just watch the evening news!  However, there are smaller issues that need addressing regularly with me.  I have discussed on many occasions my lack of obedience, which coincides with a lack of discipline.  These are things I pray about, but even more than that, I need God for the even smaller issues.

I need to remember God when I am driving.  If I did not have God, then most people would get the finger from me, when they cut me off on the highway, or worse when they do not know how to yield!  That is not to say that I have never slipped up on that one.  I also need God when I stub my toes, because it is in that moment that my mouth automatically wants to shout, “OH ---- pick an expletive.”

Although I firmly believe that praying for patience is a prayer foul, I do need it.  My definition of a patience prayer foul is simple, pray for patience get tested until you finally get it.  That is usually not fun.  There have been occasions when I admit to my impatience, and the Lord and his sweet sense of humor put me in check. For example, the night I was trying to get my four year old to wash her hair in a timely manner.  I mentioned that I was not trying to be impatient, but she needed to hurry anyway.  She stood there, put her hands together in a prayer position and said, “Dear Lord, please help mommy not to be so impatient.”  As I contemplated my feelings, laughter and guilt, I decided I should be proud that she had in fact been listening about prayer.  I chalked it up to a win.

My churchy-ness is sometimes not just about sharing my Faith with others; it is also a reminder to me.  God calls us to love one another, and to be Christ like.  It is really hard to remember to love when you are too busy being upset over the little things.  For me, I take solace in the Bible and the promises it offers, and try to remember God has a plan for everything.  He has a plan for me, and He expects me to carry it out with the same mercy, grace, and love that he has given me.

I guess if you think I am being churchy, then be glad God calls me to be nice to you!  

The In-Laws

For those of you who don’t know I live across the street from my in-laws.  Yes, that is right; I live in the real life Everybody Loves Brent!  My in-laws are great people they have taught me a thing or two, and I would like to share this wisdom with you.

Lesson 1: 

I find that love is something you learn more about with each passing day.  My husband and I moved to San Antonio after we had only been married a year.  One day I was watching the news with my in-laws and husband.  As we watched the weather, weatherman Albert Flores was on television.  My husband said, “Hey, did you know that Albert Flores is really the Spurs Coyote?”  I was a new Spurs fan and so I said, “What?  Really?”  I had disbelief thinking that he was too chubby to be in the costume, but then I asked my father-in-law.  A little background here, my father-in-law, may be the nicest man on the planet, and at this point, I thought he would never lie to me!  His answer was straight faced as well as a bold face lie, “Yes, Albert Flores is the Coyote; he has been doing it for years.”  That answer solidified it for me; Albert Flores was the Spurs Coyote.  For the next six months, until they finally came clean, I believed Albert Flores was in fact the Spurs Coyote!  I learned then, that Gravett love was funny, and put me at risk for being a fool.

Lesson 2:

Don’t leave your water hose unrolled in the yard, and fix the flag!  As my neighbors, my in-laws believe in keeping up the neighborhood, and so do I.  However, there is nothing like the phone call in the middle of dinner that says, “Can you believe our neighbor?  That house looks so tacky with the hose in the middle of the yard?”  My response, naturally, “Which neighbor?”  Then with a hearty laugh, the answer comes, “Yours! Go roll up your hose!”  Then there is the flag that constantly needs untangling.   On a side note, CONFESSION, I hate to make my bed.  I make my bed nearly everyday, but it is a fact that when I do not, my mother in law WILL come over!  I know there is a pride issue here, but I often think when I am standing in front of God Almighty, I am pretty sure, he won’t be asking me if I made my literal bed everyday! 

As far as a neighborly role, I often tease them that I am going to plant all fake flowers in my yard.  I also tell them for Christmas I will buy huge inflatable decorations that light up and sing loudly to drive them and their dogs insane.  In response, they say don’t waste your money, we will sneak over in the middle of the night and pop the inflatables and pull out those tacky flowers!  There is a constant banter of neighborly issues. “Did y’all take my water sprinkler?” The responses is always deny first, laugh hard, and confess later, much later!

Lesson 3:

This by far is the most important lesson, love without condition!  I have to say, I am honored and blessed to have such sweet in-laws.  They are shining examples of loving unconditionally.  My husband is there only son.  My mother-in-law told me very early on that she decided she was just going to like me no matter what.  To this day, even when we have a bad day, I know that at the end of the day she still loves me.  My father-in-law is my biggest ally when the evil twins get together.  (That being my hubby and his mom, I call them evil twins because they have the same sense of humor and are usually on the same page.  I will often get the same conversation from them separately in the same day.)  My in-laws are always giving to us, and to our daughter.  Their actions truly show their hearts and their hearts over flow with love for Brent, our daughter, and me.

While living so close to my in-laws we have our funny quirky moments.  We always seem to have a good time, and there is always laughter in our homes.  The laughter isn’t so much with each other as it is AT each other.   

Finally, I just want to dedicate this to my sweet mother-in-law, who called me last week and gave me some insight into our relationship.  It was at that moment, I knew I must do something special for her, and this is my little love letter to her humor, grace, and love. SO THERE!  :)