If you like to shop garage sales, thrift stores or Craig's List and Ebay OR if you've ever purchased a previously-owned (used!) car, you are familiar with the term "as is". This term is usually used for an item that is perfectly usable except for....that....one (or more)...imperfection. If it is an item with wheels, it may even be sold "where is" meaning you have to do whatever you need to do to get it to your location.
Sometimes, especially on down days, we can get to feeling a bit "as is" (or whatever you choose to call it: less than, not enough, different, etc). The good news is that "as is" does not mean useless or unworthy.
God can and will pick us up, dust us off and make us the BEST as is we can become, IF (that is a big IF sometimes!) we let Him.
"God loves us the way we are, but too much to leave us that way." - Leighton Ford
Praying that whatever may be standing in your way today that you may feel better than new and never just "as is". God has paid a high price for YOU! He thinks you are worth it. I do too.
Acts 17:27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us.
Thursday, May 28, 2015
Friday, May 01, 2015
Who Holds the Key?
Who Holds the Key?
Thoughts are fleeting inside of my mind.
There one minute and gone the next.
Sometimes it feels like there is a lock on me.
Then I question:
Who holds the key?
My body gets fragile
Wrinkles appear
I look in the mirror
Don't always like what I see
Sometimes it feels like there is a lock on me.
Then I question:
Who holds the key?
I can be filled with the Spirit
if I'd give up control.
Give up perfection.
Start to feel free.
Sometimes I feel there is a lock on me.
Then I question:
Who holds the key?
8/19/12
KL
-----------------------------------------------------
As I get older, I realize the importance of balance between mind, body and spirit even more. When I pay attention to one more than another, life can feel like a free fall. Sometimes it feels like I can unlock one....and there's another lock, and another lock.....barriers. On a good day, I can say, "bring it on!" On a not-so-good day, I have to find better ways to deal with and sometimes realize it's OK (and preferable) to give God the key. He's a pretty good key master. :)
Got any locks you need to deal with? They may have been there for awhile. Dust off that key. You've been holding it all along.
Thoughts are fleeting inside of my mind.
There one minute and gone the next.
Sometimes it feels like there is a lock on me.
Then I question:
Who holds the key?
My body gets fragile
Wrinkles appear
I look in the mirror
Don't always like what I see
Sometimes it feels like there is a lock on me.
Then I question:
Who holds the key?
I can be filled with the Spirit
if I'd give up control.
Give up perfection.
Start to feel free.
Sometimes I feel there is a lock on me.
Then I question:
Who holds the key?
8/19/12
KL
-----------------------------------------------------
As I get older, I realize the importance of balance between mind, body and spirit even more. When I pay attention to one more than another, life can feel like a free fall. Sometimes it feels like I can unlock one....and there's another lock, and another lock.....barriers. On a good day, I can say, "bring it on!" On a not-so-good day, I have to find better ways to deal with and sometimes realize it's OK (and preferable) to give God the key. He's a pretty good key master. :)
Got any locks you need to deal with? They may have been there for awhile. Dust off that key. You've been holding it all along.
Friday, March 27, 2015
Thinking Outside the Box
Remember jack-in-the-box? Sometimes "jack" was a clown, or Snoopy, or another popular character. They may have had a different tune, but the one I'm thinking of is *POP* goes the weasel. One would s-l-o-w-l-y turn the handle, listening to the music, knowing that the *POP* would come. UP Jack would pop, we'd laugh (especially if playing with an unsuspecting child!....I know, MEAN!), then "jack" would be tucked back in the box, cover closed, to do it all over again.
I've been thinking how often I have treated God like my own personal jack-in-the-box. The box sits on a shelf until I'm ready to use it. Every couple of days or when something goes wrong, whichever comes first....I pull down the box. I turn the crank.....I read the Bible, I sing a praise song, I listen to Christian radio, I pray....*POP* I am pleasantly surprised God shows up to meet my need. Then I conveniently (for me) push God back in the box, cover closed, to do it all over again.
Sometimes I convince myself that God couldn't possibly be interested in ALL the things that are stressing me out or making me feel overwhelmed.
Sometimes I convince myself God is only interested in the BIG stuff.
Sometimes I convince myself God is limited by human frailties.
Sometimes I am convinced, I think.....TOO much!
I have limited God to the confines of the little box I keep Him in. I do not allow Him to be ALL He is that can make me ALL I can be. I've known God long enough (relationship) to KNOW that He IS interested in ALL the things going on in my life NOT just the big stuff. He is NOT limited by my human thoughts. He took on the qualities of a human for a brief period in time.
Sometimes we get SO wrapped up in the turning of the crank and the expectation of the *POP* that we forget we are the one that shut the lid!
I want to move beyond the limitations that I have put on God. Want to join me?
*POP*?!?!?!?!?!
John 1:1-5 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Job 11:7-9 (NIV) “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.
Psalm 147:5 (NIV) Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
I've been thinking how often I have treated God like my own personal jack-in-the-box. The box sits on a shelf until I'm ready to use it. Every couple of days or when something goes wrong, whichever comes first....I pull down the box. I turn the crank.....I read the Bible, I sing a praise song, I listen to Christian radio, I pray....*POP* I am pleasantly surprised God shows up to meet my need. Then I conveniently (for me) push God back in the box, cover closed, to do it all over again.
Sometimes I convince myself that God couldn't possibly be interested in ALL the things that are stressing me out or making me feel overwhelmed.
Sometimes I convince myself God is only interested in the BIG stuff.
Sometimes I convince myself God is limited by human frailties.
Sometimes I am convinced, I think.....TOO much!
I have limited God to the confines of the little box I keep Him in. I do not allow Him to be ALL He is that can make me ALL I can be. I've known God long enough (relationship) to KNOW that He IS interested in ALL the things going on in my life NOT just the big stuff. He is NOT limited by my human thoughts. He took on the qualities of a human for a brief period in time.
Sometimes we get SO wrapped up in the turning of the crank and the expectation of the *POP* that we forget we are the one that shut the lid!
I want to move beyond the limitations that I have put on God. Want to join me?
*POP*?!?!?!?!?!
John 1:1-5 (NIV) In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
Job 11:7-9 (NIV) “Can you fathom the mysteries of God? Can you probe the limits of the Almighty? They are higher than the heavens above—what can you do? They are deeper than the depths below—what can you know? Their measure is longer than the earth and wider than the sea.
Psalm 147:5 (NIV) Great is our Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.
Wednesday, February 25, 2015
You're OK
Life stays too busy, but what else is new? Truly what makes it busy is sometimes just things to keep me busy so I don't have to deal with other "stuff" and life avoiding.
Our mom had eye surgery yesterday. I went last night to help until my sister could get there. She is much better with medical stuff than I am. I can crunch numbers like nobody's business and help with general "care", but get me near needles and medical mumbo jumbo? EEK! We all have our talents and areas of gifts. :)
After surgery, mom needed more assistance than normal doing everyday things she can normally do pretty well on her own. One eye was covered up. She was supposed to lay on her back as much as possible. This is difficult enough as it is. Life is challenging enough without extra challenges! Understandably, she felt unsteady as she made her way through the day.
Last night, I found myself saying numerous times, "you're OK". As a parent, I have said this to our kids many times. I have personally dealt with anxiety and had close family members that do too. I've been told this many times too. I remember not always feeling OK even though I was being reassured I should feel OK.
I thought I was being reassuring. Later though, I got to thinking it was also kind of condescending.
She didn't FEEL OK. I've been telling, not listening. I didn't take that extra few seconds to find out WHY she/our kids/other people/I might not actually feel OK.
Looking back, I think I meant to say "Trust me. I know you can't see right now. You don't trust yourself. Trust me. I will be your eyes. I will help get you to where you need to go."
It is extremely difficult to be this vulnerable. We are sometimes. We don't want to ADMIT it though! Even if others can see why we might need some reassurance and assistance.
Looking at the bigger picture? I think God has been whispering this to my soul lately. I haven't been doing the best at listening. I find things to reassure myself I'm OK. God tells me I don't need to FEEL OK. I need to TRUST Him!
How about you? Feeling a little less than OK? TRUST.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Psalm 9:10
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Psalm 62:8
Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Our mom had eye surgery yesterday. I went last night to help until my sister could get there. She is much better with medical stuff than I am. I can crunch numbers like nobody's business and help with general "care", but get me near needles and medical mumbo jumbo? EEK! We all have our talents and areas of gifts. :)
After surgery, mom needed more assistance than normal doing everyday things she can normally do pretty well on her own. One eye was covered up. She was supposed to lay on her back as much as possible. This is difficult enough as it is. Life is challenging enough without extra challenges! Understandably, she felt unsteady as she made her way through the day.
Last night, I found myself saying numerous times, "you're OK". As a parent, I have said this to our kids many times. I have personally dealt with anxiety and had close family members that do too. I've been told this many times too. I remember not always feeling OK even though I was being reassured I should feel OK.
I thought I was being reassuring. Later though, I got to thinking it was also kind of condescending.
She didn't FEEL OK. I've been telling, not listening. I didn't take that extra few seconds to find out WHY she/our kids/other people/I might not actually feel OK.
Looking back, I think I meant to say "Trust me. I know you can't see right now. You don't trust yourself. Trust me. I will be your eyes. I will help get you to where you need to go."
It is extremely difficult to be this vulnerable. We are sometimes. We don't want to ADMIT it though! Even if others can see why we might need some reassurance and assistance.
Looking at the bigger picture? I think God has been whispering this to my soul lately. I haven't been doing the best at listening. I find things to reassure myself I'm OK. God tells me I don't need to FEEL OK. I need to TRUST Him!
How about you? Feeling a little less than OK? TRUST.
Proverbs 3:5-6 (NIV) Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.
Psalm 9:10
Those who know your name trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.
But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation.
Psalm 56:3
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you.
Psalm 62:8
Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Surely God is my salvation; I will trust and not be afraid. The Lord, the Lord himself, is my strength and my defense; he has become my salvation.”
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Labels:
Isaiah 12,
OK,
Proverbs 3,
Psalm 13,
Psalm 56,
Psalm 62,
Psalm 9,
Romans 15,
Trust
0
comments
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Choices
A new year has arrived! In true procrastination fashion, Happy New Year! (and I still write 2014 when dating things...should be up to speed by....let's go with February).
“We all sorely complain of the shortness of time, and yet have much more than we know what to do with. Our lives are either spent in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do. We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them.” Seneca (Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)
I enjoy social media (ex. Facebook) for the opportunity to share encouragement, pictures, witty quips and quotes, etc. However, sometimes those quips and quotes can hit a bit to close to home OR maybe it's just the day I see it I am reminded of something going on in my or a friend/family member's life. Then those things roll around in my brain making me deal with stuff I would rather not deal with.
One that stuck out recently is: Doing nothing is a choice.
Ouch! Think about that for a couple seconds. Let it sink in.
Even when we are "doing nothing", our bodies breathe, heart beats, blink, etc. However, practically every waking moment we are faced with choices of the big, but usually small seemingly inconsequential magnitude.
When we are children, our choices are often made for us. It is a wise parent that allows their child to start making little choices in preparation of the much larger choices they will face when the world and friends will be more than willing to assist them in their choice making.
It is always easier to see when looking back that there are certain choices we make that may have been made differently with more knowledge or thought or "if I knew THEN what I know NOW". Even those choices, beget new choices when needing to figure out what do you do NOW that you do know what you know, you know? (You might need to go back and read that part over!)
Then you throw regular day-to-day life in with some stress and sometimes some not-so-regular stress..... No wonder people start to feel so overwhelmed!
Technology has helped us do many things better, easier and more quickly which is WONDERFUL! Except for the fact that sometimes TOO much of anything can be a not so good thing.
By choosing one thing you are not choosing another. From my own life: Candy Crush or www.biblegateway.com ? CHOICES!
“We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision.” Gary Collins
So, my choice for now will be to learn to love myself regardless of the choices I have made in the past. I will give myself grace to make informed choices from here on out. I will realize that there will be days my choice will be to go back to bed and not deal with whatever it is right then. More than likely, "it" will still be there when I wake up (hopefully) in a better mood.
If you made the choice to read this far, thank you! Make good choices (even if temporarily the choice needs to sometimes be "nothing")
-------------------------------------------------------
While looking up verses for "choice", it was interesting that for most of the Bible "choice" was used as another word for best. hmmmmm.
Romans 8:19-21 (NIV) For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
“We all sorely complain of the shortness of time, and yet have much more than we know what to do with. Our lives are either spent in doing nothing at all, or in doing nothing to the purpose, or in doing nothing that we ought to do. We are always complaining that our days are few, and acting as though there would be no end of them.” Seneca (Roman philosopher, mid-1st century AD)
I enjoy social media (ex. Facebook) for the opportunity to share encouragement, pictures, witty quips and quotes, etc. However, sometimes those quips and quotes can hit a bit to close to home OR maybe it's just the day I see it I am reminded of something going on in my or a friend/family member's life. Then those things roll around in my brain making me deal with stuff I would rather not deal with.
One that stuck out recently is: Doing nothing is a choice.
Ouch! Think about that for a couple seconds. Let it sink in.
Even when we are "doing nothing", our bodies breathe, heart beats, blink, etc. However, practically every waking moment we are faced with choices of the big, but usually small seemingly inconsequential magnitude.
When we are children, our choices are often made for us. It is a wise parent that allows their child to start making little choices in preparation of the much larger choices they will face when the world and friends will be more than willing to assist them in their choice making.
It is always easier to see when looking back that there are certain choices we make that may have been made differently with more knowledge or thought or "if I knew THEN what I know NOW". Even those choices, beget new choices when needing to figure out what do you do NOW that you do know what you know, you know? (You might need to go back and read that part over!)
Then you throw regular day-to-day life in with some stress and sometimes some not-so-regular stress..... No wonder people start to feel so overwhelmed!
Technology has helped us do many things better, easier and more quickly which is WONDERFUL! Except for the fact that sometimes TOO much of anything can be a not so good thing.
By choosing one thing you are not choosing another. From my own life: Candy Crush or www.biblegateway.com ? CHOICES!
“We can try to avoid making choices by doing nothing, but even that is a decision.” Gary Collins
So, my choice for now will be to learn to love myself regardless of the choices I have made in the past. I will give myself grace to make informed choices from here on out. I will realize that there will be days my choice will be to go back to bed and not deal with whatever it is right then. More than likely, "it" will still be there when I wake up (hopefully) in a better mood.
If you made the choice to read this far, thank you! Make good choices (even if temporarily the choice needs to sometimes be "nothing")
-------------------------------------------------------
While looking up verses for "choice", it was interesting that for most of the Bible "choice" was used as another word for best. hmmmmm.
Romans 8:19-21 (NIV) For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)