Today I Stopped (my to-do list)

To be honest, I really don't like reading books to my kids. I know it's terrible. But it's not something I have made a great habit of doing. I have had much mommy guilt over this little truth But now my secret is out.
Today, it was a rainy sunday. I wanted to do many things inside. Cleaning projects, organizing, and such....
So I prayed as I often do throughout my day that God would help me to be "productive" and that I would complete the tasks He wanted me to do today.
Turns out, God's to do list for me was different that my to do list for myself.
As a mom, if you are one you'll know, there are many a task that one wakes up with in their minds to accomplish. She (the mother) sets out to do this and that, and keep her little home afloat and her children alive and if she's lucky, she gets a shower. (on a good day)
SO goes the life of a mommy.
But lists seem to grow as the children do, as I recognize that my "me time" slowly is slipping from my grasp as well. And I'd be lying if I said I am not at war with with my responsibilities at times. Today though The Lord (without my knowing it) focused me on what was really important. Today I read books. For a long time. A really long time. :) I put down my broom, (twice) and went into play Barbies.  Anyone else every been shocked by how creative their children are?! I was today. They live in a beautiful make-believe world of dress up, and daring knights and fancy dresses. I loved every minute of it. I took lots of pictures.
It was a little bitter sweet because I realize that this type of magic happens every day, and I miss it. I'm not beating myself up, because I realize that meals have to be made, and house has to stay somewhat in order in order for a home to feel peaceful, but I also realized a new truth: I can take a few minutes and play Barbies and make my girls's day. I can turn on the Disney cd, and dance around the room while I clean. I can be the Mother God can empower me to be, if only I ask.
I can enjoy the little magical moments, and it's a gift to enjoy those moments. Today was the kind of day that made me stop and think about how blessed I am. Today was the kind of day that I ended with a sense of real thanksgiving in my heart because of the miracle of life that I get to experience each and every day. I felt the spark today.
It's usually the little moment that I feel too swamped to take that would change the way I feel about the way I parent. When my children feel cared for, and loved, and important they don't nag. Or complain as much. They say things like "your the best mom ever," and "this was the best day ever." I smiled when my five year old daughter grabbed my face in her sweet little hands tonight and said, "today was the best day ever Mom!" She felt the difference, and so did I. I kissed her forehead and said, "Yes it was." because Yes, it was a great day. And because of God, and His amazing grace, every day can be the best day ever. He always takes the time to dance with me. To talk. He's always there. And He is not only my great supplier, He is my example. What HE has, is available to me, and He made that very clear to me as I prayed today, "Lord, help me to be productive." AND praise Jesus that HE told me that today, the laundry and dishes could wait. SO NO. My laundry did not get done. And my dishwasher is finally running, and I think there might still be Ketchup sitting on the table from tonight's dinner, but honestly, I really don't care. Today I felt His hand and His presence as I sat and just enjoyed my wonderful children. So tomorrow as I pray for productivity, I know He will lead me again as He sees fit, but in every productive day, I will also pray for moments. Moments to stop. TO listen and to be. Just to be still, and actually listen to my children's responses. To pay attention. TO give them focus time. TO play barbies or ninjas, or princess, whatever the flavor of the day is. Truly...I have but one life. And with Christ I can live it to the full...His way...His time. I am so thankful for this beautiful day that I almost missed because of my "to-do" list.

Let's Be Real (For Real)

He chose to be mistreated along with the people of God rather than to enjoy the fleeting pleasures of sin. (Hebrews 11:25 NIV)

Instead, they were longing for a better country—a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for he has prepared a city for them. (Hebrews 11:16 NIV)

“To what can I compare this generation? They are like children sitting in the marketplaces and calling out to others: “ ‘We played the pipe for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn.’ (Matthew 11:16, 17 NIV)

Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not people, (Ephesians 6:7 NIV)

The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time. The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled. So the Lord said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race I have created—and with them the animals, the birds and the creatures that move along the ground—for I regret that I have made them.” But Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord. (Genesis 6:5-8 NIV)

All these scriptures are verses that ought to make us think. You are here, I am here on earth for a few years. God created us. This truth we know. You and I are not here by chance or accident. Your parents did not accidentally conceive you even if they said it was an accident. It was not. God planned you. SO this begs the question of "why?" Why did He plan you? Why did He put you here?

Let me jump ahead, now you are 20, 30, 40 something...have you figured out why your here? To work a good job...to raise a family? To find love, to be love...what? What is your purpose...

Skip ahead again...
Your on your death bed... What is your "claim to fame.." are you comfortable in saying, "I lived a good life, I worked hard, and now I'm dying and that is all there is?" I'm going into the ground and there I'll stay. I cease to exist. I have no soul. I have no aftermath. I have no life to look forward to after death?
And if you believe you are going to an after-death place..where did you get that idea? What do you base your belief on? Where did you find your truth to base your confidence in as your life on earth slips away from you?
Good questions.
If you don't know the answers to these questions, no matter how old you are right now, it may be time to start questioning and seeking these answers.
I know, as I read Gods word, (the absolute truth) (how do I know it's the absolute? because I choose to believe that Gods plan is the only plan. All the other plans fail because they are human based. If you were trace them back to their beginning, they are based on human origin, and man is flawed, since the time of Adam.) Gods word tells me from start to finish all about His plan, man's sin and our way out, our escape.
Jesus, the nails that would be pounded through His hands, His life that was given for mine, and then, His  raising from the dead, ascension into heaven, His GIFT of the Holy Spirit and His plan for us depicted on all the pages of HIS word.  Tell me, beyond my ability to comprehend, that He in fact has a plan for my life, one that makes sense, and is learned, and followed a day a time.
I just find myself astounded that we as humans would rather live for ourselves for a few meaningless days and pleasure filled ways, than trust in a plan that has been set in place since before the foundations of the earth were laid. Before the earth was, Gods plan for YOU was already in place. Think about that. NO. really. THINK ABOUT THAT. Isn't that astounding?
Maybe you want to take a second and ponder in your heart how you really feel about all this.
Do you live a life that is centered on what YOU will do for that day, how YOU will make yourself feel good that day, how YOU will do nice things for other people based on how YOU feel about things? Or do you start your day asking GOD who made you, what HE wants for you, what HE has planned for you that day, how HE will have you impact the lives of those around you.
The bare reality is this: One day YOU will die. Your breath will cease to flow through your lungs, it will stop providing your body with life blood and life as you know it, will end. Just like that.   Is this thought alarming to you?
It doesn't scare ME one bit.
IN fact, it excites me. "Death is just a doorway to take me to my Faithful Lover. The lover of my soul." says a line in one of my favorite rap songs.

I think in the rush of each day, we live our every 24 hours based on emotions we have, feelings we go through and confusion that ultimately ends in many disappointments. I absolutely know these feelings because I lived my life this way for 24 years. Now on the other side of the coin as I have put my trust on Someone greater than myself, I see the polarizing difference of a life wrapped up in Jesus, Vs. a life wrapped up in myself.
I just feel like saying, "Let's be real!" Think about life in terms of your 80 to 90 years and consider, who your' living for, why and what the point of life is. What is the point?
My Point is the hope I have wrapped up in The Lord JESUS Christ. The one who guards my life, runs my life and set me free from fear of death.
O the hope that lies in just that one line.
If you have not thought about the things I am writing about, then perhaps you should. But I challenge you, to pray. Pray about these things, to the unseen God, and ask Him to reveal Himself to you. It is as simple as this. You can do it anywhere, anytime, and you can pray just as you are. With a sincere heart, wanting to hear from GOD.
You and the creator of the world can have a relationship. He will encourage you, give you life and grant you guidance hope and peace as you walk this earth.
You need only to call upon His name, and listen.
There are no magical words, no secret formula, no chant, no book that will tell you "this is the way you get God to hear you."
He only asks we come to Him with a sincere heart. One that is waiting upon Him.
Do so today. DO so right now. Ask Him.
Your life depends on it even though you may not know it.

I WILL earn my salvation

Heresy! Cries everything in me. And yet, my actions and my thinking slip down that path so easily. I come from a line of thinking that say's, "I will DO just a little bit more to earn His love." I'm always trying to BE a "good little girl" to earn God's love. This thinking is so flawed and I know it is, but I constantly have to fight the urge to try to be better for Him. When in reality from the moment He scooped me up and placed me on His heavenly lap He viewed me as holy and blameless, and my sins were forgiven. I have to remind myself that this is the reason that Christ came to the cross to deliver me from my striving. Striving has ceased! No more striving! No more trying just a little harder. No more walking on pins and needles, hoping  I did enough to earn His forgiveness. To try and earn forgiveness is to discredit the cross. There is nothing I can DO right now that will make Him love me more than He did the moment He went to the cross for me. He loved me then, as He loves me now, and no amount of walking little old ladies across the street will put me in better standing with my Lord.

"For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God. He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit. (1 Peter 3:18 NIV)"

"When they came together in Galilee, he said to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men. They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised to life.” And the disciples were filled with grief. (Matthew 17:22, 23 NIV)"

Jesus spent a lot of His "career" time on earth telling His followers that He was going to die. So either His disciples thought that Jesus had some sort of obsession with death, or they realized that there was something bigger than them going on here, and they had better listen and pay attention.
Don't you think that if there was some other way for sins thirst to be quenched and for forgiveness to be made available to us, Jesus would have taken that route? Don't you think that God would have made a different way if there had been a better way? Yes! But there was no better sacrifice for my sin that Jesus Christ. HE was perfect and spotless, clean in every way. The ultimate payment for our sin. And to say there is a better way is to elevate ourselves above God, and claim to that we would have done it differently although is feels as though we are looking out for Christ's best interests, it instead points to the fact that we like Peter, have in mind the things of man, and not God.

God did what only GOD could. By sending Jesus, He took away the sins of the world, for those who call upon His name, answer His call and receive the gift of grace and salvation. The gift also comes with the added extras, it comes with the ability to cease fire. We no longer have to strive. To earn. To feel the guilt if we didn't meet the daily quota of good deeds. My whole being breaths a sigh of relief.

All I can say is "thank you Lord." This freedom that He has offered me, (and you) makes me want to live a life of obedience to Him.
I'm sure you've heard the song, "Obedience is, the very best way, to show that you believe!" And it is.  After reading the book of Micah last night I left that book feeling a renewed sense of why we obey.
however strange it may seem these words came flying off the page to me,
"Heed the rod, and the One who appointed it." (Micah 6:9b) Heed the rod? Simply means to me, respond in obedience, for God is behind the direction or He is in this.
Doesn't that just come full circle and land me back on my earning His LOVE? NO! This is actually the beautiful melody of love that a heart sings when it's been set free. The song of obedience flies out your finger tips, and comes dancing out of your heart when you realize all that He did for you. You long to be obedient to the One who gave His very life for yours, so you didn't have to strive in your own strength, for you own salvation. My debt was paid. My sins are forgiven, and the chains on my wrists were unlocked so now I am free to use both hands to serve Him. And willingly I do so, because I realize all that He did.
I obey not to earn His love, but to rather to show my love for Him. The very word love implies that you are doing what is in the best interests of the one you love. To look out for the best interests of Jesus, for the integrity of the gospel and for the furthering of the Kingdom. To obey says, "Thank you Jesus for what you did for me."
And for the days I "screw up" royally, and do not fame the name the set me free, HE has grace and forgiveness for me in my folly. It's not a checks and balance system for Him. Nor is He waiting for me to screw up so He can say, "I told you so."
Grace is grace. It doesn't change. Neither does is love for me.
SO the next time I, (or you) start to consider either how badly we screwed up, or how great we did and "God must be so proud of me..." We ought to re-check, and check again, that it really is only by the grace of God that we are forgiven. Not by works. SO that NO one can boast.

"because of the surpassing grace of God in you. Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 

2 Cor. 9:15

"Fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him he endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."

Hebrews 12:2

It is finished was His cry. The wrath of God was satisfied, every sin on Him was laid. OUR PENALTY HAS BEEN PAID!!!!