The place where dreams come true

Be careful what you want on earth.

You may get it through all eternity.

More

"Life is more than food, and the body more than clothing."

My child, if you're consumed with food and clothing, you're operating at a surface level, and there's so much MORE!

Dive into the More with Me.

He can't wait to see me dance

I was worrying (again) about what I should be doing. About missing that Big Thing I'm supposed to be doing. There's so much I want to do...where do I start? Which one is the right thing for this season, and my precious little free time?

(I didn't know it was worry, mind you. But I guess that's what it's called when thoughts swirl round and round in your head, and you start to feel anxious and controlling and confused. And so alas, I must admit, I've fallen into the worry trap once again.)

Only to be rescued once again.

We were at the twins' "show" yesterday to conclude their week of gymnastics camp. (A dream come true for Cora!)

Evelyn, in her black leotard with the little skirt, started out on the balance beam, and walked across with such grace, touching toe to knee with each step ("like they told me to"). Her grace and loveliness almost took my breath away, and gave me such delight.

I can't wait to see her do more. To have the opportunity to use and develop that obvious gift.

You can bet I'm moving heaven and earth to get her the ballet lessons she's been asking for. Just for the pleasure of watching her.

And that...that is how my Father feels about me.

The Lord will fulfill His purposes for me...because He doesn't forsake the works of His Own hands. (Psalm 138:8...my life verse)

"Secularization"

You can't "take God out" of anything. He's the only source of good in the universe.

If you tried to take every bit of God out of everything, all you'd be left with is...

hell.

Smart investing

Prayer is a chance to "buy stock" in God's great enterprises.

Life

Life is simply the playground where God's children exercise their faith.

And underneath are the Everlasting Arms.

Do not be afraid, little flock...

I chuckle at my children while they play, so earnest and serious about things I know are trivial and fleeting, shadows of reality. Paw Patrol figures and stuffed animals and taking care of their bikes as horses, on a regular schedule of do-or-die.

And I wonder if God chuckles so often at us grown-ups, His little children.

"Oh, they're in a power meeting at work and they think it's such a big deal. How cute...."

The secret

I tend to look to people to meet my needs...for approval, for acceptance, even for self worth and identity. (It sounds so foolish and embarrassing to write this out, in actual words, but if I'm honest, I've struggled with this every day of my life...eek). I can't believe I'm 44 and still struggling with this!

Oh and I also look to things to meet my needs...for provision, protection, fun, and excitement. But to look to these things is to struggle, since...

Only. God. can meet my needs. That's it. God is the only person or thing in the universe who can actually, physically, spiritually, everything-ally FILL those holes of need, in my body, soul, and spirit.

"Every good thing and every perfect gift is from Above..."

Because He is THE only good in the universe. The only Source of anything good, beautiful, true, or right.

"And my God will meet all your needs according to His riches in glory in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4.19

I think we tend to focus on the needs part of this verse. Will God really supply all our needs? Yes, He will. Yesssss, He willllll, we say through clenched teeth of sheer faith sometimes.

But yesterday (in the bathroom at the dentist office, of course) the Holy Spirit turned His spotlight on that verse in a new way for me, and suddenly I saw!

GOD will meet all my needs. It's God who meets all my needs. Not friends, not Steve, not kids, not coworkers, not the dental hygienist. Not money or food or natural remedies (hehe) or a clean house (or a better house) or books or a nap or what I really want to be doing right now but instead I'm doing what I need to do.

God meets needs. Only God meets needs. Only God can meet needs.

So. I'm. Free.

I'm....I'm freeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!

Because God's gifts are free! For the asking. And He owns the cattle on a thousand hills, and the banks in a thousand cities, and the magic remedy to cure all ills, and the heavenly ice cream that flows down from the mountains of abundance into my hungry mouth and both tastes good AND is good for you, ha.

And YOU are free! (You should be very excited about this. ; ) )

Because I don't have to look to you or depend on you or cling to you or wait for you or control you or manipulate you or figure out how to help you or change you.

I do all that to God instead. Well, the first four anyway. ; )

And now, when it comes to people, I'm free...to give. I'm free...to love. I'm free...to take from God, and soak and savor and slather and splash around in His goodness, His provision, His beauty. And you get the overflow.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

What a way to live! That,  my friends, is

how

I

want

to

LIVE!

So help me, God. ; )

"Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through Him Who strengthens me." Philippians 4.11-13

Gulp...it's me

When you read Proverbs, do you find yourself saying, "who is this 'fool'?" "Who is this 'wicked person'?' "Who is the 'righteous'?"

I do. And then I reason, Oh, the wicked person and the fool is the unbeliever. The righteous are the believers made righteous in Christ, as Paul says.

And this is true.

But, I just glimpsed a more relevant meaning. A more applicable meaning. A more realistic meaning.

The fool is...me. The wicked person is

me.

Me in my sin. Me in my natural tendency, my flesh. Me in my own ways. Me without God's help.

Hmmm. I'll be reading Proverbs a little differently now. Heh.

Not what but how

The  more I read the New Testament, particularly the epistles, the more I see that God is not so concerned with what, but how.

I get so contorted with anxiousness about the what: what to-do item to tackle first, what to feed my family, what to be doing with my time, what to buy on amazon. And I so remember that "what" angst with life decisions that seems to start in  high school: what college to go to, what job to take, what man to marry, what city to live in, what house to buy. 

It's so important! 

But...I am really seeing that God is more concerned with how.

(And the right how leads us to the right whats.)

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, (how)

And do not lean on your own understanding. (how)

In all your ways acknowledge Him (how)

And He will direct your paths.

Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. (how)

I was just sitting here thinking, do I really care what my kids do with their free time? I mean, I do. But do I care much what they draw or paint or build? Do I care if they're playing with dolls or legos or Paw Patrol? Certainly I care and I'm interested and I love to hear their play babble.

But I care far, far more about how they are playing: are they getting along, do they have peaceful loving hearts, are they joyful, are they sharing, are their words to one another encouraging and building up, are they working in harmony together and out of love for the Lord?

And those things--mixed in with their own uniqueness and creativity--are what make their play-babble so beautiful to my ears and the rejoicing of my heart.

And what drives me crazy? Not when they change activities (unless they don't clean up the first...which rarely happens actually...we're working on it, ha). 

But when they start fighting. When they grab. When they hit each other. When there's a cutting word, or they turn a deaf ear to a call for help.

Wow, 23 results for "love one another" in the New Testament. It's amazing to skim through those and hear the heart of God. And then most other NT commands are the "how" of that love.

"Above all things, have intense and unfailing love for one another..." I Peter 4:8

Lord, renew my mind with this truth! So that I can love my fellow Christians and fill Your heart with joy. <3

Infinitely MORE delicious and fun

How exciting must God be

if His gifts alone keep us busy and addicted for a lifetime!

...and distracted from the Giver.

Impossible

Sin is essentially telling God, "I don't need You. I can do this on  my own."

I am so foolish!

I'm like a sunflower seed saying to the sun, "Please don't shine on me. I can do this growing and blossoming thing on my own."