I have another question I have been "chewing on" for quite some time now. Have you ever read the book Love Languages? I forget who wrote it and to be honest, I never finished the whole thing. The general premise is that we all operate "feeling" love by one of five "love languages." And you probably show love the way you want to receive it. SO, learn to love based on what the person whom you are loving best receives love and hopefully, they will do the same for you.
I have a new book that is similar to that. It is about how we relate to (love) God. It basically says there are something like nine ways we each relate to, or love God. and that is a little different for everybody. So, find out which one or two are specific to you and then do it! I think I will like this book because I have known for a long time that I relate to others best by spending quality time with them. I LOVE to relate by chatting it up! So then, why do I think I would relate to God the best by doing anything other than that! I LOVE to be in His presence! I love to worship and my prayer life is very conversational with Him. Is that wrong? Hmm........how do you relate to Him? Do you feel free to discover that or are you stuck trying to do the "right" thing?
I'll let you know how this book goes.....
Thursday, November 14, 2013
Be a good receiver
I have been thinking a lot about grace lately. You might even say I am obsessed with it. I wonder what is really is. Is it really as feminine as we make it sound? Is it weak? Am I weak if I need it? Am I selfish to want it? I wonder if I really have it. Do I extend it fairly? Is grace fair? Do I get it? From whom do I get it? Can I receive it? Or, more importantly, will I receive it?
That last question is one that I am pondering today.
I am convinced that grace is always available from the Lord. It is, after all, by grace we have been saved. So, we have at least received it one time in our life. But we need it continually. The Bible is clear on that. So, are we continually receiving it?
I think this society teaches us from a young age to not be a receiver. We are taught to not "need" things such as free gifts. An example would be last year when we handed out hot chocolate at a Christmas parade (or at least we tried). SO many people simply would not take it at first (or at all) because they were convinced there were "strings" attached. (Do you attach strings to the grace God wants to extend through you? Is grace really grace when there are strings attached?) We think we can do it ourselves... and then we wonder why we don't have the grace in our lives like so and so does....
Maybe we need to stop and learn how to be a receiver. Maybe there isn't anything wrong with, or a lack of grace. Maybe it is about the receiver of it. A gift, after all is meaningless unless it can be received...
Will you receive it today?
That last question is one that I am pondering today.
I am convinced that grace is always available from the Lord. It is, after all, by grace we have been saved. So, we have at least received it one time in our life. But we need it continually. The Bible is clear on that. So, are we continually receiving it?
I think this society teaches us from a young age to not be a receiver. We are taught to not "need" things such as free gifts. An example would be last year when we handed out hot chocolate at a Christmas parade (or at least we tried). SO many people simply would not take it at first (or at all) because they were convinced there were "strings" attached. (Do you attach strings to the grace God wants to extend through you? Is grace really grace when there are strings attached?) We think we can do it ourselves... and then we wonder why we don't have the grace in our lives like so and so does....
Maybe we need to stop and learn how to be a receiver. Maybe there isn't anything wrong with, or a lack of grace. Maybe it is about the receiver of it. A gift, after all is meaningless unless it can be received...
Will you receive it today?
Wednesday, November 13, 2013
Ideally
Shew!
I am thinking that I am done being transparent. I had a friend ask me last night if I had stopped long enough to really process all that I have been going through....
My response? I wish I could get away from it! I wish I could be busy enough that it didn't impact me in this way! I wish I could stop learning so much about myself (things that are good, things that need to change, and things that just are). But wait...
Do I really wish all those things? Do I really wish that I wasn't continually being sanctified by His grace? Do I really wish that just because it is hard and painful, I didn't continually hear the voice of my Father beckoning me to receive the gift of becoming more like His Son? Do I really think that there is anywhere in this world that I could "stay" that would erase the memory of my life and if so, would I want that? Do I really think that I would be okay being anyone other than who I am?
No.
That is why sanctification is so important. That is why you might have heard it said that Jesus loves you just the way you are- and that is true. But he refuses to let you stay that way- which is true.
So, change me, Lord! Make me into the woman I have always been but been unaware of so that I may glorify Your name!
And that is why, I am continuing to discover. That is why sanctification is so important.
I am thinking that I am done being transparent. I had a friend ask me last night if I had stopped long enough to really process all that I have been going through....
My response? I wish I could get away from it! I wish I could be busy enough that it didn't impact me in this way! I wish I could stop learning so much about myself (things that are good, things that need to change, and things that just are). But wait...
Do I really wish all those things? Do I really wish that I wasn't continually being sanctified by His grace? Do I really wish that just because it is hard and painful, I didn't continually hear the voice of my Father beckoning me to receive the gift of becoming more like His Son? Do I really think that there is anywhere in this world that I could "stay" that would erase the memory of my life and if so, would I want that? Do I really think that I would be okay being anyone other than who I am?
No.
That is why sanctification is so important. That is why you might have heard it said that Jesus loves you just the way you are- and that is true. But he refuses to let you stay that way- which is true.
So, change me, Lord! Make me into the woman I have always been but been unaware of so that I may glorify Your name!
And that is why, I am continuing to discover. That is why sanctification is so important.
Tuesday, November 12, 2013
Why? Grace?
I know you ask it as well. Why?? Why me? Why now? Why this?
I have asked that question lately. I don't even think it consciously sometimes but I realize my actions and subsequent thoughts point to me wondering why...
It hit me the other day that maybe an answer to "why" is simple...
One of God's favorite things to do it extend grace...
And it is in those circumstances where we are asking the "why" that His grace can be fully extended and accepted...
I have asked that question lately. I don't even think it consciously sometimes but I realize my actions and subsequent thoughts point to me wondering why...
It hit me the other day that maybe an answer to "why" is simple...
One of God's favorite things to do it extend grace...
And it is in those circumstances where we are asking the "why" that His grace can be fully extended and accepted...
Whelmed
I admit it. I watched (and loved) the movie, Clueless in high school! There is this part in the movie where Cher and her friend are walking to school and she says, "I know you can be overwhelmed and you can be underwhelmed, but can you ever just be whelmed?" To which here friend replies, "I don't know, that is deep..."
Ha ha ha, right? I thought is was funny then (and I do thinking about it now) but I found myself thinking about that last night...
I was cooking dinner by myself with four small children. My almost two year old was closest to me, about two feet away playing in the sink (hey, that keeps him occupied longer than most anything). I was attempting a new recipe that required a lot of patience (which I have little) and skill (which I have even less). I was concentrating really hard. I knew my little bit had water running, but wasn't really paying much attention...until the sound changed....but I was at an intense part in the recipe so a couple minutes went by....
Then I looked over (two feet over, mind you) to see water running out of the full sink, over the counter, down the side of the cabinet in-between the stove, and leaving a four foot diameter lake on the floor...
I yelled for someone to get a towel but because of their select hearing, no one answered...
I left my dinner, ran upstairs to get two of the biggest beach towels to sop the water up...
I came back down, saw that I had forgotten to turn the water off (so did that), cleaned up the water (which took more than the two towels), then threw my now smoking pan of dinner off the hot burner...
I noticed it was not too bad, so I put it back on and poured the chicken stock into the scalding pan= steam burn on both my hands!!!!
I then heard water again and looked over to see that my little bit had pushed a chair back to the sink and was running more (hot) water and sitting inside the sink! I cursed to myself because of the pain of the burn and ran over to turn the water off and get little bit down.....
I was finishing the sauce for the homemade meatballs when my daughter came down and peered into the oven to ask, "mommy, are you making cookies!"...
Looked in to the oven with her to see my meatballs were now meat patty/pies!
Heard another water noise and turned around to see my little bit dumping the contents of the dogs' gallon water jug on the floor....
Finished dinner a little late (John walked in the door and only had 15 min by the time dinner was done)
And found myself thinking, "I am SO OVERWHELMEMD!!! Can't I just be whelmed???"
So, have you felt the same way?
Ha ha ha, right? I thought is was funny then (and I do thinking about it now) but I found myself thinking about that last night...
I was cooking dinner by myself with four small children. My almost two year old was closest to me, about two feet away playing in the sink (hey, that keeps him occupied longer than most anything). I was attempting a new recipe that required a lot of patience (which I have little) and skill (which I have even less). I was concentrating really hard. I knew my little bit had water running, but wasn't really paying much attention...until the sound changed....but I was at an intense part in the recipe so a couple minutes went by....
Then I looked over (two feet over, mind you) to see water running out of the full sink, over the counter, down the side of the cabinet in-between the stove, and leaving a four foot diameter lake on the floor...
I yelled for someone to get a towel but because of their select hearing, no one answered...
I left my dinner, ran upstairs to get two of the biggest beach towels to sop the water up...
I came back down, saw that I had forgotten to turn the water off (so did that), cleaned up the water (which took more than the two towels), then threw my now smoking pan of dinner off the hot burner...
I noticed it was not too bad, so I put it back on and poured the chicken stock into the scalding pan= steam burn on both my hands!!!!
I then heard water again and looked over to see that my little bit had pushed a chair back to the sink and was running more (hot) water and sitting inside the sink! I cursed to myself because of the pain of the burn and ran over to turn the water off and get little bit down.....
I was finishing the sauce for the homemade meatballs when my daughter came down and peered into the oven to ask, "mommy, are you making cookies!"...
Looked in to the oven with her to see my meatballs were now meat patty/pies!
Heard another water noise and turned around to see my little bit dumping the contents of the dogs' gallon water jug on the floor....
Finished dinner a little late (John walked in the door and only had 15 min by the time dinner was done)
And found myself thinking, "I am SO OVERWHELMEMD!!! Can't I just be whelmed???"
So, have you felt the same way?
Monday, November 11, 2013
My Dad
O.M.G.
I got a call from my dad the other day and it went like this:
Me: Hello?
Dad: Hi Meic
Me: Hi Dad, what are you doing?
Dad: Oh, not much, I was just sitting here thinking about you, so I waned to call and tell you that I loved you!
Me: mouth fell to the floor and tears start flowing Wow Dad, thanks. I love you too.
Never underestimate the power of telling someone you love them and are thinking about them. You never know how much it means....
I got a call from my dad the other day and it went like this:
Me: Hello?
Dad: Hi Meic
Me: Hi Dad, what are you doing?
Dad: Oh, not much, I was just sitting here thinking about you, so I waned to call and tell you that I loved you!
Me: mouth fell to the floor and tears start flowing Wow Dad, thanks. I love you too.
Never underestimate the power of telling someone you love them and are thinking about them. You never know how much it means....
Where I am today
Here is my situation for today...
I am noticing a trend in my life. I have many relationships. I love them all. I love people. I feel like I fight for people.
The trend I am noticing however, is that I feel like there are not many people who fight for me. I am not saying they don't fight for me, but I feel like they don't.
So today, as I was explaining this to one of my friends, I was flooded with many thoughts as to why this is so (I am the kind of person who thinks as they talk, an extreme extrovert f you will). I was also thinking about the fact that I have figured out that I am a fixer and when I get emotional or stressed out, that comes out quite strongly. It is strong these days.
So, in this particular relationship, I have felt like the expectations were clearly set at the beginning (never underestimate setting and communicating about expectations in any relationship). It started off really well. I grew to love and be loved. Then things started to change. The communication started to wane. And now, I am at the point of questioning the validity of the relationship.
The first question I asked myself is, "Why?" Why am I feeling this way? Is it emotional? Is it selfish? Is it valid? I figured out that indeed, at least at face value, it seems valid, a little emotional (why wouldn't it be?). I also figured out a couple other things. I am feeling this way because I feel like I am losing a friend.
I value relationship above most things in life. So, to lose what I thought was a good one is very hurtful to me.
I have also done all the "right" things to save this. I have tried to talk it out, I have communicated my expectations to the best of my ability, and I have expressed my feelings (both hurt and gratitude) openly.
So, why is this still unsettling to me? Then the yucky question came? Do I fee so nasty about this because I am hurt over the possibility of losing a relationship or the fact that I feel like I can't fix it? Do I feel out of control in it? Is it too vulnerable right now?
I said to my friend, "I just feel like I am going to lose this person and then who would I have left?" to which she so wisely responded, "Well, you need t look at it like this. Maybe God is weeding out of your life some people that don't need to be there so that He can put some more in."
Wow, now I am convicted that I am negative too ;-)
I am noticing a trend in my life. I have many relationships. I love them all. I love people. I feel like I fight for people.
The trend I am noticing however, is that I feel like there are not many people who fight for me. I am not saying they don't fight for me, but I feel like they don't.
So today, as I was explaining this to one of my friends, I was flooded with many thoughts as to why this is so (I am the kind of person who thinks as they talk, an extreme extrovert f you will). I was also thinking about the fact that I have figured out that I am a fixer and when I get emotional or stressed out, that comes out quite strongly. It is strong these days.
So, in this particular relationship, I have felt like the expectations were clearly set at the beginning (never underestimate setting and communicating about expectations in any relationship). It started off really well. I grew to love and be loved. Then things started to change. The communication started to wane. And now, I am at the point of questioning the validity of the relationship.
The first question I asked myself is, "Why?" Why am I feeling this way? Is it emotional? Is it selfish? Is it valid? I figured out that indeed, at least at face value, it seems valid, a little emotional (why wouldn't it be?). I also figured out a couple other things. I am feeling this way because I feel like I am losing a friend.
I value relationship above most things in life. So, to lose what I thought was a good one is very hurtful to me.
I have also done all the "right" things to save this. I have tried to talk it out, I have communicated my expectations to the best of my ability, and I have expressed my feelings (both hurt and gratitude) openly.
So, why is this still unsettling to me? Then the yucky question came? Do I fee so nasty about this because I am hurt over the possibility of losing a relationship or the fact that I feel like I can't fix it? Do I feel out of control in it? Is it too vulnerable right now?
I said to my friend, "I just feel like I am going to lose this person and then who would I have left?" to which she so wisely responded, "Well, you need t look at it like this. Maybe God is weeding out of your life some people that don't need to be there so that He can put some more in."
Wow, now I am convicted that I am negative too ;-)
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