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Saturday, July 9, 2016

Hand to the Plow

  Our Pastor taught on idolatry a few Sunday's ago. He challenged us to "surrender the thing that is ruining you."
Immediately I had something on my heart to surrender and a few days later, yet another! That's how it works with me. So on our way home from Indiana (after dropping our kids off for 3 days and 2 nights!!!) I said to my man, "So I have been thinking about what Brian said today and my idol is wanting to control your relationships with your kids. I can see how it is not helpful but damaging and I want to surrounding it!" "So what's your idol." Long pause. Then Paul said, " Sorry babe I don't work like that. I listen to the teaching and it takes about of week for me to process the truth and walk it out. So I may have an answer for you in a week. I'm just not the camp counselor that gathers a group of people shares their struggle and asks everyone else to take a turn and share their heart." Blahahhahahahahahahah! I just died laughing because there was so much truth in that statement and it cracks me up how different he and I are. As soon as God speaks to me about something I talk to everyone I know about it and ask if they can relate! My introvert of a man gave me a great word picture of how he functions in life in his walk with God.

     He said, "Picture an old school plow. Its strapped up to a horse or ox and the man is plowing his filed. He has to get it done in time to plant and for there to be a good harvest. Picture the man plowing along and right in his way is a rock. He picks the rock up, gets it out of his field and keeps on plowing. He doesn't talk about it. He doesn't call up his farmer friends to come take a look at the rock and stand around having a conversation about where it came from or what its made of or just pondering the reason rocks have to exist at all. He just handles it and moves on with the desire to do his work well and there be a good harvest."

     What!? I so would not handle it that way! Metaphorically of course, the rock is sin. I tend to have a process about the sin, confessing it to the Lord, grieving it and then hardest for me is moving on in grace. For my man the process is different and a bit more simple. I have to confess just hearing about his process convicted me about my desire to set up a tea party round my rocks. I do dwell on them to long instead of just acknowledging it to God and trusting Him to make my path straight. I'm sure that I have been helpful to him at some point in nudging him towards processing stuff a little more. Iron sharpens Iron and Paul and I are each others greatest iron in life.
     I wanted to share because I was so encouraged by the word picture. First because I think its a great sneak peek into how men think (at least my man) and Second I was challenged not to linger so long on the problem but to acknowledge it, toss it out of the field, and get on with God's kingdom work.

     Do you have a rock in your field? (there goes the camp counselor in me! lol) Do you linger to long on it? Do you need to talk less about it and confess the thing to the Lord and get back to plowing? Or are you on the other end? You don't communicate at all and the body of Christ would be extremely uplifted if you would share more?
    I pray we would all plow well today!

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be added unto you

Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Christmas Morning

     I was challenged this week at Church to look at the gifts God has given me and use them. Seems simple right? I have been walking with the Lord for quite some time and found myself dumfounded at the task of evaluating what the gifts are. I ended up texting my Pastor and he was quite helpful (as usual!)
     My biggest trip up when thinking about gifting is that I forget that God says, "My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways My ways." (Is. 55:8)
     At Christmas time, well actually we have made a habit of getting Christmas shopping done in October! WHAT! Its so great cause then I can super focus on the teaching stuff God gives me for the kids. Easter and Christmas we kind of have our own little VBS kind of weeks leading up to the big day! ANYWAYS~ When my husband and I are thinking about what to give our kids we think of one kids at a time. We think about what would delight them and be useful. Some gifts are for pure fun and others (like art sets or legos) if used at the child's full potential can bless others. They can use their made in His image-ness to create something from nothing and it will delight others.
     Now as is human nature there are times that our kids will take their eyes off their own gifts and decide if what their siblings got is better or not. I think this would be a good description of where I go wrong with my thinking on spiritual gifts.
     I think God would have us unwrap our gifts and use them in a way that we bless others and never forgetting Who gave them.



As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God's varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies- in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To Him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 4:10-11

     The overwhelming theme of that scripture is a God focus and not a self focus.  So if I am going to go off of God's thoughts on the matter of gifts and not my own, I think I will be blogging more. I love to share the truths that God is teaching me. I haven't written in 4 months because I got my eyes of Him. I looked around at other's gifts and decided mine weren't as shiny so I should just put them away. Not at all what God has called us to.

     So here is the challenge to you my friend and reader. Do you know what God has given you? Are you willing to use it fully with out looking at what others got and waisting your heart comparing yours to theirs?

     I am convinced this is a process. Just as children don't wake up Christmas morning blink and have their 500 piece lego set built and on display. We first need to have a heart to receive not thinking ourselves any less loved by God than others. Then unwrap. Then lets serve one another spend ourselves and our gifts to encourage the body. There are so many people hurting and struggling out there, James 1 talks about various trials we go through. That word various is the same word that God uses in 1 Peter 4, talking about various grace! God matches trials with grace and He'd like to use you functioning in your gifts to dispense that grace. Lets not rob one another with childish perspective on spiritual gifts. Let believe scripture and act accordingly.
     Can I get a high five?!