Just Desserts

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I love sweets. I mean I really love sweets. Cookies, cake, brownies, ice cream, pudding, cereal, candy, if it has sugar in it, I cannot resist it.  That’s why I have to limit how much of it I keep in our house.  If it’s there, I will eat it.  This is an area of my life where I definitely lack self-control.  I realize part of the problem is that the more I try to stay away from it the worse I get.  For a while, I had a good solid run of limiting the amount of sweets I had been eating. But that’s only because I hadn’t been buying them and hadn’t really been a lot of places where they were offered.  But then summer happened. Going to this bbq and that dinner and then this holiday came and that holiday came and the desserts were bountiful.  I can definitely tell by the way my clothes fit (or don’t fit now) that I went overboard.  This morning I got a revelation.  The reason that I lose control is because I haven’t allowed myself to practice self-control. By keeping sweets out of the house, I really wasn’t practicing self-control or exercising discipline. I never had to make a conscious decision to not eat the sweets because they just weren’t there.  If I ever want to be able to truly resist the temptation I have to actively say no to the temptation when it’s right in front of me.  The more I practice resisting, the easier it will become and that is when I will truly achieve self-control.   

“The temptations in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, he will show you a way out so that you can endure.” 1 Corinthians 10:13 NLT 

What A Mess!

This weekend I took on the project to clean out my office.  For a while, it wasn’t my office. It had actually become a dumping ground for dirty clothes, junk mail, and a host of other things that I either didn’t know what to do with or was just too lazy or busy to put a way.  It was a complete mess.  What was meant to be a space for productivity became a place of chaos and disorder.  Not much unlike my mind.

As a wife, mother of two toddlers, full-time worker and church volunteer my life can be pretty hectic at times.  I am a creative person so I get some pretty fun ideas swirling around in my head but because I am also very detailed oriented all of the little pieces to all of those fun puzzles start swirling around as well.  When things get busy, my mind starts looking like my office did, a lot going on but everything is out of order and out of place.

So determined to get my life back on track, I decided it was time to clean out my office.  It is amazing how much cleaning out and organizing the physical space helped my mental space as well.  Now that everything is in place and in order, I am way more productive.  I’m learning how much the atmosphere around you really does impact you.  When I was surrounded by chaos and disorder, I tried to function in that space but all I really got was more chaos and disorder.  But now that I’m working in a warm, uncluttered space, I can see clearly and function more productively.  Do you need to change anything about the space around you?

“For God is not a God of disorder but of peace…”  1 Corinthians 14: 33 (NIV) 

For Control Freaks Like Me

I listened to a sermon today that had some really great points that I thought I would share.  You could probably describe me as a control freak, type A personality or task oriented.  These are great qualities to have because like Martha in the New Testament, I get things done. But sometimes I allow my plans to get in the way of God’s plan and this sermon was a great reminder to keep the main thing the main thing and that is making sure that whatever I do I need to spend time with Jesus.  Here are some points from the sermon that really hit home for me. I hope they will help you too.

• Not everything that you don’t plan on happening is a distraction. Sometimes the things we have planned are the real distraction.
• It is illogical to believe that what is important to me should be important to everybody else.
• You trying to control somebody else’s priorities could be a cover up that you don’t have yours in order.
• Know the line where your responsibility ends and God’s sovereignty begins.

2nd First Day

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Today was my daughter’s second first day of school. She started preschool last year and today was the first day for this school year.  Since she is still in preschool, it really isn’t significant in and of itself but to me, it really stood out because I haven’t written a blog post in a VERY long time.   Now had she been going to Kindergarten, that would be a different story.  Kindergarten is like the official start of her educational career and everything from this point on is what really counts. But, it’s just her second first day of preschool.  The reason it stands out to me is that it is still a second first day.  This school year, although she is in the same classroom with some of the same children, she still has the opportunity to do something different.  She has a new teacher, she can make new friends and I’m certain she will learn new skills.

So by now you are probably wondering, “Well, what does any of that have to do with your blog?”  I’m glad you asked.  Since, I haven’t written anything for this blog in well over a year, I’m going to consider this my second first day too.  I wrote my first ever blog post on March 7, 2014. It was a very exciting day for me.  I ventured out and tried something new.  I didn’t know if anybody would read my posts or even care about what I wrote about but I did it anyway and I hope I touched at least one life in the process.  Along the way, I got distracted.  Several weeks passed. Then a few months came and went. Before I knew it a whole year had gone by and I somehow given up on what I once thought was a worthwhile endeavor.  But today is special. I’m restarting.

This is the official second first day of my blog.  I hope I can encourage someone today that whatever it is that you put down, pick it back up. It’s never too late to start again, start over, regroup or refresh.  The key is just to start, even if you have to start small.  It may not require all of the big hullabaloo of a first day of kindergarten, but if it matters to you, then it matters.  I realize I may not be one of those blogs that makes a ton of money by having millions of followers and getting ad revenue but I’m still going to move forward with the goal of fulfilling my purpose. That purpose is to encourage people with my words with the help of God. So no matter what you stopped, today is a good day to be your second first day!

You Can’t Change A Person

Written by Rev. Oruelle Mershon

This ideology of changing someone is a fallacy that comes from an unknowing God complex wherein we start wanting to be someone’s redeemer.  But we are not, nor can we ever be, God to someone.  When you have a “need-to-be-needed” complex, you’ll allow that need to influence your choices.  And the more others warn you about it, the less you listen to them.

This process often happens without your even knowing that you have allowed the need-to-be-needed impulse to take over your decision-making process.  Perhaps you heard testimonials from those who have experienced massive change through their marriage.  But the difference is that the power to change must come from within the person, not from you.  When you try to change your spouse, it doesn’t work, and eventually the hope for change makes you sick. “Hope deferred make the heart sick” (Proverbs 13:12)

Hope makes you sick when you keep envisioning something that never  materializes, sick of making lame excuses for what is not working even as it becomes increasingly obvious to those around you.  Sound relationship decisions are not based on hope.

Now add in  the fact that people of faith often try to spiritualize every issue.  In the name of faith, we often dumb down our instincts and ignore our senses.  That is not having faith in God.  Faith in God should be just that, faith in God.  We must not place our faith in men and women.  They will fail us.  God gives all of us a will and doesn’t force us to change.  Change must come from within each of us as we accept the grace God repeatedly extends to each of us.

In any relationship decision, make sure you’re processing all the data and listening to your gut.  What you see is what you get.  Don’t mistake yourself for God in someone else’s life.

Are You Plugged In?

I love gospel music. Not only is it encouraging in its message, to me its personal.  It’s like the artists were thinking about me when they were writing the songs.  When I listen to gospel music it’s like someone is speaking directly to me, to my situation.  Then I step back and think, someone is speaking directly to me. It’s God.  He was thinking about me when the songs were being written because He knew at some point in time that I was going to need to hear from Him.  He uses all kinds of means to reach us in our time of need.  We just need to have open ears and open hearts.  Your message may come through a song, a sermon, a prayer, a conversation with a friend, or even directly from God himself during your quiet time.   I can’t hear my music unless my headphones or speakers are plugged into the device that is playing it. Make sure you are plugged in and connected to God our Father so that you can hear from Him today.

Look & Listen

Photo of the sky reminding of God’s infinite presence

This past Sunday, our Sunday School lesson focused on looking for God in nature. To take that a step further, I encouraged my students to look for God in everything, even their day to day comings and goings.  Well today, I got to practice what I taught. I saw God in something so small and seemingly insignificant.  As I was preparing to go to work this morning, I packed my lunch and got money for breakfast.  I walked out the front door and heard the Holy Spirit tell me to go back and pack some breakfast. So I immediately went back inside and packed something to eat for breakfast and headed to work.  As I was driving, I saw a homeless woman standing on the side of the road. I had seen the woman before and had even helped her. But today was very interesting. The last few times I saw homeless people asking for help, I didn’t have any money on me but said to myself, “Next time I have money, I will definitely help them.” Well today, since I went back to pack some breakfast food, I no longer needed the money in my pocket so I had the opportunity to bless the woman.  She also blessed me today though too. She actually remembered me and smiled and asked me how I was doing.  It really meant a lot to me that even in her circumstances she 1.) smiled and 2.) was concerned about me.  That just reminded me that it doesn’t matter who you are or where you are in life, you are always in a position to be a blessing to someone.  We have to be sure to listen to the Holy Spirit (that little intuition or gut feeling, yeah that’s God speaking to you) so that we know how God wants to use us.  I was able to be a blessing and be blessed all because I saw God in something as small as going back to pack some breakfast.  Be on the lookout and listen to what God is saying to you even in the small things.  You don’t want to miss an opportunity to be a blessing and to be blessed!

The Land of the Free?

My heart is heavy and I am overwhelmed by all that has taken place in this great nation called America.  Only days ago, we celebrated our Independence Day, the day we became a free nation, free from the oppressive rule of England.  But I would argue that we are not completely free because as a nation we are still subject to a different oppressive ruler. That ruler is sin.  It is sin that causes us to murder one another in cold blood. It is sin that causes us to hate each other. It is sin that divides us.

There is only one solution to the issues we are facing here in America.  There is only one way to overcome our present day slave master in disguise.  Jesus said, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”  Well what teachings are Jesus referring to? He taught us to love God and love our neighbors as ourselves.  But this is where it gets a little tricky. Our human minds would have us to believe that we can do that on our own, but we can’t.  It’s hard to love our enemies. It’s hard to love those who insult, stereotype, demean, undervalue, and kill us.  We need help with that. But that help is readily available in Jesus.  He is that truth that will set us free. He is the only way that we can truly be free.

 

Black Love Matters

As I look around the room, I see so much black love

A gift so amazing, it could have only been sent from God above

I see beauty in my black sisters, strength in my black men

So many valuable treasures hidden down deep within

The voices they tried to silence, the hearts they tried to break

Are the very things, my friends, that we are here to celebrate

From the civil rights movement back then, to black lives matter today

Black love has been pushed, pulled, and pressed on every side, in every way

But there’s something that I love about you, my black people

You have a way of overcoming every kind of evil

Your love has stood firm, enduring the toughest of trials

Those strong winds may have blown, but you stood firm all the while

Like Barack and Michelle, you’ve walked in your power

Like Will and Jada, you stayed united in your darkest hour

Like Martin and Coretta, you fought the good fight and won

Like Ossie and Ruby, you loved until your job was done

You can’t tell me that black love doesn’t exist or that it isn’t strong

They may discredit the black family, but we can prove them all wrong

Like glass hitting the floor, I see stereotypes shatter

Because today we celebrate that black love does matter.

Halfway

On my way to work this morning one of my favorite songs came on the radio. It is called Halfway by a band named 3For3.  The lyrics say (At least this is what I hear):

You keep my heart beating when it’s broken

You keep me on the move

Even on my darkest days

You don’t love me half way.

You’re gonna finish everything you started

You’re gonna see it through

Even when the seasons change

You don’t love me half way.

I just wanted to use this opportunity to thank God for never loving me only half way. I also thank Him for songs that speak directly to me and can express the way I feel when I can’t put it into words myself.