Where's Jesus?

"You will call to Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13

These verses were emailed to me by a friend this morning. I liked them so I posted them on facebook.

Then I started thinking... Search for Jesus. How? With child-like enthusiasm!

When we were kids we used to get those Highlight magazines full of activities. Hidden pictures was always a big favorite. It's self explanatory; you had to find the hidden objects in the picture.

Or maybe you were a child who loved 'Where's Waldo?'

The minor league baseball team here in town started a new game this year between innings of 'Where's Waldo?' Excitedly everyone searches the stands to be the first to find the silly guy dressed in red and white stripes.

Screaming, "There he is!" you start pointing.

There's Waldo sitting in the open (not hiding in the bathroom) waiting for you to find him.

Jesus isn't hiding either. He may be sitting right next to you. He may be the guy in line behind you to get a ballpark hot dog. But if you aren't looking, you won't find Him.

If you are enthusiastically searching to find Jesus today, you will. I'm kind of excited for the challenge, much like I was when the new Highlight magazine arrived in the mail.

Thanks Givings Challenge

November is officially over, the time of year that everybody looks at the blessings in their lives. People make a conscious effort to stop and thank God for what is good. From grace to trials; from children to parents; from sunshine to cold rain. There is beauty all around and for one month out of the year even the bad can be good.

I enjoy it. Some may call me a sap, a wimp, or too soft-hearted, but when I can feel the genuine gratitude from someone it can bring tears to my eyes. I have one cousin in particular that has blessed me this month with her thankful posts because her gratitude comes from deep in her heart. I know she means it, and without knowing it she has challenged me to dig a little deeper.

Here are the basics: I'm thankful for Godly parents; I'm thankful for my house; I'm definitely thankful for my car; every day I'm thankful for food (those that know me know just how much this is true); I'm thankful for my church; I'm thankful for friends that love me despite my faults; and, especially dear to my heart, I'm thankful for my four legged children.

However, here is the first challenge: Be thankful for the things below the surface. Can I be even more specific about the blesssings in my life?

I'm not just thankful for my parents; I'm thankful for the childhood they provided me. Every day I come in contact with people who had absent parents that provided no structure; or helicopter parents that rescued them from having to solve any of their own problems; or parents that used punishment out of anger rather than discipline out of love. They taught me the value of hardwork while allowing me to be a child. And as an adult, I will always have the support and help of my parents. I am beyond blesssed.

Many people say they are thankful for the roof over their head. What about all the items under that roof? The Lord has given me the opportunity to own my home. It is a simple and old home that has its quirks, and I definitely fill up every space in it. I have been able to furnish it with couches, tables, beds, and dressers. The closets are full of clothes and lots of shoes ;-) The plants have managed to stay alive. I'm thankful for the washer and dryer that keep my clothes clean, a vacuum and broom that pick up dirt off the floor (at least when they're put to use), and hot water for showers and dirty dishes. It may be strange to some people to be thankful for these things, but they shouldn't be taken for granted!

My car... It's paid off so I'm grateful for no car payment! It's comfortable and rarely has problems beyond regular maintenance. Yes it burns oil, but I'm able to keep up with regular oil changes. I guess I should put a plug in here for my amazing mechanic. Since he knows my financial situation, he tries to keep me prepared for any upcoming expenses. This car has assisted me in meeting the requirements of my job all over the state. And it has taken me and friends on many trips. Here's to hoping it sticks around for a little while!

I have a church family that believes in the mission of touching lives. We do not claim to be perfect; we are a body of sinners, saved by grace. I grew up in church; however, I've never seen so much passion in one place. I've had the privilege of watching miracles happen in people's lives through the ministry of my church.

Friends are very special to me. I wrote about different types of friends and their purpose here.  The handful of roots in my life really help shape who I am. There are friends I can count on to pray for me; there are some friends that get to see my goofy side and share my strange sense of humor; there are a few people that I can share my soul with; and their are those that are only around for a season. My friends help make my life rich, even the leaves.

Fur children definitely bring happiness to life. No one is as excited to see me as they are when I walk in the door. The wagging tails, purring hearts, and hugs around my legs are some of the best 'I love you's!' in the entire world. It doesn't matter if my hair is a mess or I've had a bad day; they love me no matter what!

 

I hope you're getting the idea.

In addition to going beyond the surface, the second challenge is to be thankful for the trials.

One day a friend wrote "I'm thankful for trials and tribulations." How many can say this and truly mean it?

I'll say it... it's hard! I woke up this morning still mad about some things I was thinking about last night. People I thought were... well they aren't. My throat hurts. And being a woman just plain sucks about once per month. I want to complain, not be thankful.

Hindsight often shows me purpose in a problem. Broken relationships have often brought to light things I need to change about myself and they have also proven that I have some positive attributes.

It's easier to be thankful for lessons learned after I've learned them. But, can I be thankful during the trial? God promises to never give me more than I can handle. Trials produce patience and endurance so that I can become "mature and complete, lacking nothing." My God promises never to leave me.

I'm thankful that I'm not in control of the circumstances in my life. Even when I feel there are things to complain about, there are positives to be found in every day.

The final Thanks Givings Challenge I have is... let's do it for the entire year!

Thanksgiving Day is my favorite holiday. It is a holiday with meaning and purpose. There is no pressure to buy presents in order to make others happy. I don't have to analyze and refigure my budgets to avoid leaving out anyone. For the most part, we spend time with family and we EAT!

As much happiness as this holiday brings me, it is one weekend out of the year. The family I'm thankful for in November is the same family I should be thankful for in April. The house and hot water that serves me in November, keeps me cool and sheltered in July. The car that transfered me from Springfield to Republic repeatedly last week, will take me from Springfield to Fair Grove next week. And fur babies, I'm always thankful for cuddles from them whether it's January, June, or September :-)

Let me also point out that thankfulness has proven benefits for your mental and physical health. It can help with depression, stress, blood pressure, sleep patterns, and improving relationships. I challenge you to keep life in perspective with grateful hearts!

The Challenge to Change

"If it doesn't challenge you it doesn't change you."

I read this on a facebook post today, and I don't want it to be true.

I am a work in progress. Every day provides a different challenge and a new opportunity for growing into a better person. However, it's not always easy to meet the challenge with an open heart and an open mind. Sometimes it's just painful.

In those moments of pain it can be hard to discern between the voice of the Holy Spirit revealing my sin and the emotional abuse of Satan telling me I'm worthless. The Holy Spirit is challenging me to not become complacent with my life; I am destined to be greater! Satan would absolutely hate that so he combats it by constantly reminding me that I'm not worthy.

The choice is now mine. Do I choose to believe God unconditionally loves me and desires me to come closer to Him so that I can be a positive influence on others? Or, do I choose to continue down a self-destructive path of demeaning myself, lessening my value, and negatively impacting the world around me?

 

 

"Yet Lord, You are our Father; we are the clay, and You are our potter; we all are the work of your hands." Isaiah 64:8


 

Tree Friends

Someone said your friend base changes every 7 years. I have been mulling over this a little bit and found it's pretty accurate for my life so far.

I have always had high expectations for myself and the people in my life who I care about the most. These high expecations include what I believe close relationships should be. I often discuss the true meaning of love with people. While we love people in our life in different ways (you don't love your mom in the same way you love your dog), the foundation of love is always the same. It is unconditional and sacrificial. It is an action, not a feeling. I apply these same standards to the way I love my friends. Unfortunately, not everybody holds the same meanings for friends and love as I do. There have been a lot of people who have come and gone in my life.

Tyler Perry wrote an illustration about the different types of people that come and go in life. It's not anything that hasn't been said before. Some people are leaves, some are branches, some are roots. The leaves are only here for a season. As soon as it gets cold and the wind blows, they are gone. The branches may be around for a several seasons but you have to be careful because they may break if there is a big storm. And the roots are special. They hold you up and help you be strong through any season and any storm.

No doubt there are names that come to mind of people who fall in each of these categories. However, Tyler made a statement that stopped me in my tracks. He said not to be angry with people that are leaves or branches because it is just who they are. They will never know or realize that they are a leaf or a branch; so don't try to convince them.

I confess that I have held some anger and resentment towards the leaves and branches in my life. I invested my time and my heart into friendships that didn't turn out to be what I thought they were. I expected that they would have the same standards as I do, only to find that the relationship was seasonal.

So with this new revelation from Tyler Perry, how do I let go of that resentment and realize that is just who they are?

For one... forgiveness. I will forgive the leaves for not being roots. I will forgive the branches for breaking under pressure. And I will choose to love them for who they are.

It is currently Fall; my favorite time of year. The leaves bring me joy. They bring vibrance before a cold winter. They are fun to rake and a blast to play in!

Several years ago, we had this huge ice storm. Branches everywhere cracked under the pressure. It looked like a war zone. I have a ginormous tree in my front yard. For years, every time the wind blew I was picking up dead branches from that ice storm. Some of the branches tried to stay around even longer than apparently was intended for them.

Unless you were here for the ice storm you wouldn't know it had happened by looking around now. The trees are still standing and they are still growing. They don't look the same as they did prior to the ice storm, but there are some amazing stories to tell.

Second, I will choose to focus on my roots. Even though my friend base has changed about every 7 years, out of each of those bases I found a root. There are a handful of people who I know will always hold me up. Life can send me droughts, ice storms, thunderstorms, even tornados; the roots remain. No matter how much time goes by, no matter where the jet streams take each of us, we will find each other. I am beyond thankful for each of them!

The tree in my front yard has to be 100 years old. It would take two of me to wrap around its base. There's no doubt it has seen a lot of seasons and a lot of storms. I'm sure there are some empty spots where strong branches used to be. I'm sure there are scars from where those branches broke off. For every year that the leaves fell off, another year produced more. Can you imagine how many leaves this tree has been through in its lifetime?

Then there's the side of the tree that I cannot see. The roots. I wonder how deep into the ground those roots go. How far out from the tree do those roots reach? In its lifetime, how many times have those roots kept this majestic tree standing?

Can you imagine? Can you apply? Can you challenge yourself?