Credit Where Credit is Due

“…you treat the potter as a lump of clay. Does a book say to its author,
‘He didn’t write a word of me?’ Does a meal say to the woman who cooked it,
‘She had nothing to do with this?’”
Isaiah 29:16

Wouldn’t it absurd for an art student to go into a Thomas Kinkaid gallery, buy a painting, and then display it in his home as his own masterpiece? What about a woman baking a Mrs. Smith’s frozen pie for her guests, and then claiming that she made it from scratch? We would think that both of these things are preposterous.


The Bible says that we are the clay and God is the Potter. He created us and is molding and shaping our lives to be the Masterpieces He has created us to be. Yet, how many times do we find ourselves gloating in the blessings that He has given? We may not say anything at all, but all too often, if we are honest, we get a little puffed up when it comes to our success, our finances, our home or cars, and even our social status. We get a little too comfortable, prideful, and independent, thinking we can make it all on our own.



For us to take credit for anything at all in our lives is as crazy as a book saying to its author, “he didn’t write a word of me”. When we do this, we are treating God, the Potter, as a lump of clay. We all know that we had absolutely nothing to do with our coming into existence. I would venture to say, that there isn’t anyone who would say that they created themselves.



So, why is it that we are sometimes so quick to take credit for our own financial blessings, our successes, or our talents and abilities?





Even as mothers, we can find ourselves taking “internal” credit for our amazing children or the art of “juggling” all that we do as home managers. However, everything we accomplish, from the smallest to the greatest task, is all because of the gifts HE has entrusted to us. Whether it’s physical, emotional, mental, or social, “every good and perfect gift is from God”.


For example, is it the case that a mother is amazing because she is extremely organized, tidy, and does her job with excellence, or is it that God has chosen to bless her with the gift of organization, the desire to keep her home, and the physical stamina to carry out her calling?


Is it that a man is brilliant when he manages a large company and is financially successful, or did God orchestrate the gifts and opportunities in his life to bring him where he is and to bless him with the wealth he may have?


In other words, everything boils down to one thing and that one ingredient is GOD! We are nothing without him. “All things were created by Him and for Him” and even the things man “thinks” he has invented, came as a result of the brain and intellect that God Himself gave us.



Don’t you want your life to be a beautiful masterpiece that displays the wonder and glory of God? Wouldn’t you like for Him to be able to display your life as a “workmanship that He created” and for Him to receive the honor for it? Let’s acknowledge today that we, in and of ourselves, are nothing, and it is only through Him that we “live, and breath, and have our being”. Today, let’s just give all credit where credit is due!


Lord, thank you for all that you are doing in my life. Thank you for the blessings in my life. Help me today to be quick to give you glory and point people to the real source of my life, success, and blessings.



Your can read more from Tammy at Steps In Our Journey

There Is A Ministry Inside Of You

I remember being highly offended during two different church services because of what was spoken over me by the visiting evangelist. One said that I would be a missionary to the world. That was enough to get my blood boiling. God knew I liked the coziness of my hometown and He certainly knew I would never step foot on an airplane. Oh no, ma'am. Not me.

I hear you laughing.

The second person who spoke something over my life that, to me at the time, was even more offensive. She said, in the kindest and most sincere way, that God was showing her all the creativity and ideas that surrounded me. She said it was beautiful and that God's instructions to me were to write them down.

*gasp*

I went back to my chair and nearly cried knowing she couldn't have possibly heard from God. The most creative thing I had ever done was assign names to my Barbie dolls and semi-coordinate clothing according to pictures I had found in magazines. Huh! "God said," my foot. Who was this lady anyway?

I still hear you laughing.

Less than two years after my near nervous breakdown over prophetic words I realized that I could hear from God myself. It was a beautiful thing. At times He even allowed me to see things through His eyes. I saw the confused and hurt state of the women in our area and I felt burdened to help them; to minister to them. So, I prayed. He took me to some scriptures in Habakkuk.

This is the message that the prophet Habakkuk received from the LORD in a vision. How long, O LORD, must I call for help? But you do not listen! "Violence!" I cry, but you do not come to save. Must I forever see this sin and misery all around me? Wherever I look, I see destruction and violence. I am surrounded by people who love to argue and fight. The law has become paralyzed and useless, and there is no justice given in the courts. The wicked far outnumber the righteous, and justice is perverted with bribes and trickery. The LORD replied, "Look at the nations and be amazed! Watch and be astounded at what I will do! For I am doing something in your own day, something you wouldn't believe even if someone told you about it.
Habakkuk 1:1-5

I have no idea what began to happen from that point on but life as I knew it had changed. No matter what I went through, or how much other women hurt me, I still continued to fight for them; to pray for them; to hope for them. God had answered my prayer and birthed a ministry into my spirit. The more I did unto Him and for them, the more He blessed me with ideas and creative ways to accomplish them. I began to write them down so that I would always know which direction to walk towards.

I will climb up into my watchtower now and wait to see what the LORD will say to me and how he will answer my complaint. Then the LORD said to me, "Write my answer in large, clear letters on a tablet, so that a runner can read it and tell everyone else. But these things I plan won't happen right away. Slowly, steadily, surely, the time approaches when the vision will be fulfilled. If it seems slow, wait patiently, for it will surely take place. It will not be delayed.
Habakkuk 2:1-3

It has been a process that has lasted and will continue to last for many years. I know I have to be patient and wait on Him to reveal things to me in His time and I just walk in it for His glory. And just to prove Himself mightier than I, He made sure I got on a plane, not once, not twice, but many times since then and He showed me just how small my thinking was and He proved to me that His ways are not my ways. I am a missionary to the world. The runner of my message is the internet and it reaches across the boundaries of every country's border. Can you believe that? Yeah, He must have gotten a good laugh at me. That's okay though. I laugh with Him now.

You see, I think I got offended because I knew that God knew it wasn't in me to accomplish the things that were prophesied to me way back when. It made me feel like either God didn't really know me or that these people weren't really hearing from Him. But, you see, He did know me. It was I who didn't know Him. And something else I didn't know at the time was that it wasn't me who would bring these things forth and make it happen, it was Him. I simply had to walk in obedience toward the vision and on the path He laid out for me. I simply had to follow Him.

If you have loved and welcomed Christ as your savior then yes, there is a ministry inside of you. The more you get to know Him and wait on Him, the more He will reveal it to you. Just keep walking.

I'd love for you to visit me at my personal blog: Amy Bayliss.com

More than a Splash

The Internet Cafe is thrilled to welcome Patty Wysong of Patterings!

I love my house plants. They bring me great joy as they thrive, adding color and texture to my home.

Over the years I've noticed that my plants seem to go in cycles—they'll be beautiful for awhile and then they start dropping leaves and getting ugly. One of my favorites is a ming aralia—a miniature palm tree, and it's definitely in an ugly stage right now.

The main trunk is severely leaning and there's a pile of branches around it and more are dropping off. I was pulling off dead leaves and branches, mulling over the idea of composting it and just filling that spot with something else, and that's when my eye caught a sliver of green. Right where the old branches were connected there was new growth pushing up, even before the old was gone.

I'm tired of constantly having to clean up after this little tree, even if it is my favorite, so, I googled to find out what mings need to flourish. I determined that if it this shedding continued I'd toss the plant and move on. My research was a 'duh' moment for me.

What I thought was a cycle of the older branches making way for new growth, turns out to be...not enough water. Can you tell I'm not a botanist?

I don't even have a green thumb, I just happen to have a house that's ideal for house plants.

Yes, my plants go in cycles, and those cycles are directly linked to me. When I remember to water them, they flourish and are beautiful. When I forget to water them for a long period of time, they get ugly, which reminds me to water them--but by then the uglies have set in and I have to deal with ugly consequences.

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

and in His law he meditates day and night.

And he will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

which yields its fruit in its season,

and its leaf does not wither;

and in whatever he does, he prospers.

~Psalm 1:2-3

My life is like my house plants.

I need watering from God's Word to flourish.

Without that watering, I get ugly. My leaves wither, turn brown and die, leaving me with a pot full of dead leaves and empty, meaningless 'works.'

Consistent watering is key to healthy healthy Christians. That doesn't mean subsistence amounts of watering--a splash here and a splash there. It means watering on a regular basis. If I do this, when I miss a watering, it's not so life threatening for my plants. It also means the plants can handle the extra heat of summer without much problem.

Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord and whose trust is the Lord. For he will be like a tree planted by the water, that extends its roots by a stream and will not fear when the heat comes; but its leaves will be green, and it will not be anxious in a year of drought nor cease to yield fruit. ~Jeremiah 17:7-8

Have I been consistently watering my soul by spending regular time in God's Word, soaking it in? If I haven't, I'm not prepared for the heat life throws at me and I certainly won't be able to bear fruit.

Have I been just quickly splashing my soul, hoping it will be enough? It might be enough to keep me alive, but it's not enough to grow and flourish on. I need to determine to water my soul regularly, so I can grow.

Father, please help me to sink my roots deep into Your Word, so that my soul can be well watered and flourishing with fruit for You. Thank You for Your Word which is refreshment and life.

Patty Wysong is a wife, a home school mom of five, book-keeper of their remodeling business, and an active member of Faithwriters.com. She is also a teacher in her church's children's ministry and is discovering she loves blogging kids' lessons. Her regular Patterings blog is a collection of every day happenings that God uses to teach her spiritual lessons. Join Patty daily at her blogspot;

http://pattywysong.blogspot.com/

Wild Savior

Following Christ is a constant learning experience. It never fails to astound me how little I know the deeper in relationship I get with Him! Over and over again He has taught me stagnancy is just not healthy. He desires movement. Growth. Travel. He wants my today to play out a little differently than my yesterday.

I was in the shower a few weeks ago talking with Him about random things (most likely the wonder of Starbucks) when I got into my crazy head the shampoo in my hand looked like what I imagine the Israelites would’ve used as anointing oil.

Stick with me. I know things just got strange but hear me out.

Staring at the thick, beautiful, volume-taming dollop of oil-like shampoo, I decided this was the perfect opportunity to anoint my head with oil.

Clearly I am the Lucille Ball of the Christian faith.

I had a moment of prayer, threw my hand to my forehead and…

Anointed my eyes.

I missed my forehead completely. Not on purpose, it was just that the “anointing oil” was so thick it slid off my hand due to its heaviness before I had reached my head.

With burning eyes I couldn’t help but crack up laughing.

Isn’t that just the way of our wild Savior? He shakes things up.

I think, “I’ll go to school, get a job, get married and perhaps bake a sale item for the church fundraiser when I grow up.”

He says, “That’s not where your anointing is.”

I think, “Okay, I will go into advertising and shine my light on the subways in Manhattan.”

He says, “That’s not where your anointing is.”

I think, “Alright, let me see…I will consult business owners on how to run their shops more effectively.”

He says, “That’s not where your anointing is.”

I think, “We’re running out of options here, Lord.”

He says, “We haven’t even started yet.”

I believe we often think we know better than Him. Don’t we? I know I do. The deepest struggle I have walking with Christ is the letting go of my independence and the walking in dependence.


Each day is a lying down of what I think my life should look like or how I feel my talents would better be spent. It is the thing that I most struggle with and yet it is the thing that most keeps me looking ahead.


As that shampoo hit my eyes and my laughter filled the bathroom I thought, “Nicely put, Lord. I’m trying to anoint my own head here and you won’t have it.”


“I am your Anointer.”

“Lord,” I whispered, “do you think you could…”

“I already have.”

“You anoint my head with oil;

my cup overflows.”

Psalm 23:5

Kristen is the daily author of {dancing} in the margins, her personal blog. She welcomes you to stop by!

Floss your Heart

The Internet Cafe is thrilled to welcome Patty Wysong of Patterings!

Raising kids is great, but it is not for the weak at heart!

Why is it kids have to be constantly reminded to brush their teeth? You'd think they'd get tired (and grossed out) by their yucky tasting , scuzzy, scummy mouth, but they aren't. Even when reminded of how nice a minty clean mouth is, they still drag their feet and bellyache about brushing their teeth.

I was grumbling about that to God as I brushed my teeth, and when I finally paused for a breath I heard that still voice.

Don't you do the same thing?

He wasn't talking about brushing my teeth, but my heart. I felt like I'd been sucker punched. How many times have I done a ten second brush job—on my teeth and on my heart—hoping a blanket prayer would do the trick. 'Dear Lord, please forgive today's sins, amen.' --when what I really needed to do was a comprehensive brush, complete with a thorough flossing.

He who conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will find compassion.
~Proverbs 28: 13

Just like we need to use floss to get the grungies out from the crevices between our teeth, we need to use floss to reach into the hidden and secret crevices of our heart. Those are the places we like to tuck away—hide--the sin we don't want others to see. We all have those places, and we all need to stop concealing our transgressions there. If we continue to ignore them, the hidden sin will do to our lives the same thing that mouth grungies will do to our teeth: rot them. At the very least—give us bad breath. That tucked away sin will give us bad spiritual breath and will cause rot and decay in our lives.

Take words with you and return to the Lord. Say to Him, “Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously, that we may present the fruit of our lips.” ~Hosea 14:2

Blanket prayers are not what God wants. He wants us, His beloved children, to sit and talk with Him, to tell Him what we've done. It's that open communication that's so important. When we take words with us, we're confessing, which leads to true repentance. Confession removes the sin that will cause rottenness.

I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; and You forgave the guilt of my sin. ~Psalm 32:5

Acknowledged sin leads to confessed sin.

Confessed sin leads to forgiveness.

“Though your sins are as scarlet, they will be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they will be like wool.” ~Isaiah 1:18b

The redemption price, and the consequence of our sin, has been paid in full already by the blood sacrifice of the Lamb of God: Jesus. We don't have to carry around a heart full of nooks-and-crannies stuffed with sin. We just need to acknowledge and confess our sin to God, and He will forgive it. There's no reason for us to have spiritually bad breath when we can floss with the Word of God and spend time confessing.

When was the last time you not only brushed your soul, but flossed your heart, too?

Dear Heavenly Father, I confess to You my tendency to hurry through this matter of confession. It's not nice to see my sin, but Lord, You already see it and know all about it. Thank You for loving me in spite of it all, and please help me to bring words with me as I enter Your presence. I want to remove all that separates me from closeness to You, and that means digging into those out-of-the-way places and confessing that sin. I love You, Lord. In Your name I pray, amen.

Patty Wysong is a wife, a home school mom of five, book-keeper of their remodeling business, and an active member of Faithwriters.com. She is also a teacher in her church's children's ministry and is discovering she loves blogging kids' lessons. Her regular Patterings blog is a collection of every day happenings that God uses to teach her spiritual lessons. Join Patty daily at her blogspot, Patterings

The Gift

Please join us in welcoming Beth Pittman to the Cafe!

As Jesus looked up, he saw some rich people putting their gifts into the Temple money box. Then he saw a poor widow putting two small copper coins into the box. He said, "I tell you the truth, this poor widow gave more than all those rich people. They gave only what they did not need. This woman is very poor, but she gave all she had to live on."
(Luke 21:1-4, New Century Version)

Today is my oldest son’s birthday. He is 28 today and is spending this day in prison. My youngest son’s 20^th birthday was just five days ago. Yesterday, he received a rare letter from his big brother. He read it and left it open for his daddy & me to read. It was a short letter. Just a “how are you doing?” kind of letter. He asked about his job and his new place (he’s recently left our nest). He also wished him a happy birthday. Inside the letter, were two pieces of chewing gum in wrappers. Those two pieces of gum make my heart hurt. I held them in my hand and thought about what my oldest son was thinking when he put the gum in that envelope. I think he wanted to give his little brother something for his birthday and that was the only gift he was able to give him. You see, my son has been separated from us for a long time. Crimes committed must be punished and the cost of that has been years in prison. It was not what his daddy & I envisioned when he was born 28 years ago today. We had big plans for him. He has missed so much of life behind those bars and razor wire. And now, in an effort to make up for some of that, he sends his brother two pieces of gum. I hold them lovingly in my hand and forever in my heart.

We have very little to offer as a gift to our heavenly Father. In a sense, I come to Jesus with my two little pieces of gum, wishing I was a better person, wishing I hadn’t hurt Him so much over the years, wishing I could change the things of the past and make up for what I have done. Jesus looks at me, holds out his hand and I give him my two little pieces of gum. He takes them and just as I did with the gum my son sent in his letter, he holds them lovingly in his hands, he smells them, he rubs his fingers across the wrappers and his heart breaks. He wanted so much more for us, you know. There were big plans for us in the Garden. Unbroken fellowship with him, lives lived in perfect communion with God. But then the fall and sin separated us from Him just like my son’s crimes have separated him from us. And now, all we really have to offer to God are comparative to those two little pieces of gum. He knows that we are broken creations, but still he lovingly and with great compassion takes our little gifts in his hands and forever holds them in his heart knowing that it is all that we are able to give, and for him, just as my son’s gift was for me, it is enough.

Heart thoughts:

· Do you find yourself comparing yourself to others with regard to talents, time or money?

· Do you feel as though you have little or nothing to offer to God?

· Is there an area you’d like to serve Him in but you feel inadequate?

· What steps can you start taking today to present your gifts to Jesus, no matter how small?

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for seeing my brokenness, my smallness and my weaknesses and for still loving me beyond measure. Help me to offer you all that I have and to know that even as small as I think my gift may be, to you it is a treasure that you hold within your heart. Amen.

In Him,

Beth Pittman

I am a “just-turned” 50-year old wife and mother of 3. (My friends accuse me of trying to hold on to 49!) I’ve been married for 30 years to the same wonderful, loving man. I’ve worked with the federal courts for over 24 years and am five and a half years away from retirement. I was raised in a Christian home with loving Christian parents, but it wasn’t until I was 32 that I really understood that Jesus loved and died for me and what that meant for me individually. My life has never been the same since.

Join Beth at her blogspot,

www.lifeboatmoments.blogspot.com

A God of Creativity

I don’t know about you, but I love to do all of the womanly things I swore, as a teenager, that I would never do. Cooking a big meal from start to finish (from scratch, not a frozen pizza!) is such a liberating feeling. When I look at the meager ingredients I started with and see the masterpiece I created, I feel exhilarated.

Even though many women in their 30’s like me have career ladders and board meetings on their long-term planning goals, I have sewing and scrap book projects that will keep me busy for years to come. Martha Stewart might turn her nose up at the curtains I made for my son’s room from Wal-Mart bed sheets, but I am pretty proud.

There are so many areas that we, as women, can be creative. Busy lives often rob us of our ability to express this side of ourselves. Yet, for many of us, it is lying just under the surface, begging to be released.

Do you ever think your creative projects are frivolous? Is it just one more thing that gets pushed to the side to meet more important demands?

Did you know that expressing your creativity can be a way of reflecting God? It actually can be a way to worship Him in a way that is uniquely “you.” When we look at the creativity He gave us like this, it seems terrible to waste it.

God is the God of creation. Read the first chapter of Genesis and see that He loves to create. While we might have looked down on the earth and saw a big blobby mess, God saw potential. By taking a little of this and a little of that and giving it enough TLC, He created a world that is breathtakingly beautiful.

When we seek to glorify God, we can’t help reflect a little of His nature. Part of that nature is creativity!

For some like me, that creativity may be of the domestic nature: cooking, sewing, gardening, and even a crazy love of cleaning. For others, it may include drama and singing, or even painting. Our areas of creativity are just as diverse as the people He created us to be.

They do, however, have one thing in common: They are given to us to glorify the One who created us.

In my own walk, I have found the closer I am to Him, the more creative I am. I take joy in each aspect of my creativity. It actually becomes a form of worship for me.

For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:10

Sometimes I catch myself comparing myself to others, and telling God that He must be more pleased with someone else’s efforts more than my own. Yet, I realize He is pleased more with my effort and attitude while creating, rather than the final product.

I am reminded that I delight in each one of the crafts my children brings home from church each week. I don’t compare them to what the other kids made. They are special because of who made them. It has nothing to do with what they appear to be, but everything to do with the heart and hands that made them.

For the most part, I am not a sentimental person. I debate little about throwing something away if I think it will create clutter for me later. Yet, when it comes to the crafty things my children create at home and church, I find myself unable to part with them. Instead I have a big box for each of them in our basement where I silently tuck away each macaroni necklace and toilet paper roll binoculars they make.

Those items, no matter how trivial they are, have great meaning to me. Those boxes in my basement represent the great love I have for my children.

I can only imagine where God must treasure our “little creations.”

Yet, I know that He does value each meal that we make and each hem that we sew. Every time we use a gift He gave us, it brings Him great joy. They are precious to Him, not because of what they are, but who created them.

Why not get CREATIVE today?




I would love for you to visit me at my personal blog, "Overflowing Grace."

Show Me the Meaning!

Show Me the Money Meaning


"I made the cut!”

How satisfying to announce to family and friends that my writing had passed several editing cuts and was finally going to be published--with compensation.

Initially, money wasn’t my motivation for submitting. I was just thrilled that somebody judged my thoughts interesting enough to publish. And I can’t deny that feedback from readers is as refreshing as a glass of sweet tea after mowing the lawn.

But somehow, simply saving my columns in an album became less satisfying. I needed validation. I needed to be paid.

Months passed. I received numerous messages from the editor about the sluggishness of the process. “The check is in the mail” became a running joke between my girlfriends and me.

However, it finally arrived.

I stuck it on the refrigerator and admired it daily for a month.

My girlfriends asked how I would spend it, and I answered, “If I took one or two of you to Starbucks, I could easily blow it there.” But the amount wasn’t important; the fact that I was a paid “author” was!

Last week, I decided to cash it. I remembered I wanted to take our winter quilt to the laundromat, so I asked the teller for lots of ones, which made my pay seem even skimpier.

Driving away, I thought, “I can’t believe I’m going to spend this at the laundromat. This is my writing money, after all!”

Later I pushed some cash on a very poor college student whom I know extremely well.

After that, my husband presented me with a chopped, grass-stained $10 bill that he had shredded while mowing. I recognized that $10 and wept.

Actually, I laughed at the irony of it all. As John Ortberg says about both Monopoly money and real-life possessions, “It all goes back in the box,” or, “You can’t take it with you.”

Even on a small scale, money and validation are nice, but they’re not permanent. Only relationships are.

Sometimes, when my written words strike a cord with or encourage someone, I see that my writing has indeed fostered relationship, and that is intensely rewarding.

So I’m just going to keep focusing on what I feel God has called me to do for his purposes, according to Philippians 1:6: “ … being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Ultimately, he is the one for whom I write. My sense of significance and meaning comes from him.

Everything else is just sweet tea.


Questions:

Do you find yourself growing in discontent with something in your life that previously did not seem insufficient? If so, why do you think your perspective has changed?

Are you ever tempted to seek your validation, affirmation, meaning and significance in achievements or appearances? What do you do to correct your thinking?

Do you consciously and consistently use your God-given gifts to encourage and/or help others in practical ways?



Please visit Linda Crow at her personal blog.

Serving May NOT be our Spiritual Gift

Serving May NOT be our Spiritual Gift

My kids attended Vacation Bible School at our church two weeks ago.

The theme was Power Lab with scientific experiments. The stage was decorated with beakers. They made slime in the craft room and had bottled Coke erupting like a volcano in Recreation.

And there were water games. Soaking. Wet. Water. Games.

Of course, this was the highlight of the week. Because kids and water? They go together.

My kids came home wet and happy the first day. They made gooey glittery test tubes and slid down the enormous water slide.

The next day, my son entered the car wet and tired. My daughter? Dry as a bone. With an explanation.

"Mom, they choose one group each day to skip the water area and go into the serving room. The group spends the whole time making the snacks for the rest of the kids," she said.

I thought this was a fabulous idea and told her so.

"You know what was weird, Mom? They acted like having us serve was as big a treat as playing in the water!" she said incredulously.

I hid my smile. "Well, honey, they are trying to teach you that serving is the greatest gift."

"Well. I think the slide would have been better."

My son patted her on the arm, leaving wet marks. Emphasis on him being wet.

On the third day, my son entered the car, dry, wearing his sister's expression from the day before. My daughter did the patting that day.

I shared this scripture with them in Ephesians 6: 7-8, "Serve wholeheartedly, as if you were serving the Lord, not men, because you know that the Lord will reward everyone for whatever good he does . . ."

I explained to my kids that when we serve others, we serve the Lord.

That's a hard lesson for an 8 and 6 year old. But an important one.

Who am I kidding? That's a hard lesson for me.

Our human nature is selfish. We want to take care of ourselves first and we usually think of ourselves before others. I couldn't help but think about my good intentions to help with VBS. My toddler was sick at the beginning of the week and I couldn't volunteer.

I decided to take the rest of the week and try to catch up on work at home.

But how could I expect my kids to learn about serving when I had decided to take the easy way out?

So, I showed up to help the last two days of VBS. Guess where they put me? Yep, the serving room.

The schedule planned for one group to serve twice. When I saw my daughter's group walk thru the door, I couldn't help but smile.

As we made Crosses out of Ritz crackers and squirt cheese, side-by-side, I knew that my daughter wasn't the only one that God wanted to teach about serving.

I needed the lesson too.

Prayer:

"Jesus, you were the greatest Servant of all. Thank you for teaching me by Your example. Help me to see opportunities to serve, to do it with a thankful heart and to do it unto You. Amen."

join Kristen daily at We are THAT family where serves up a dose of humor daily!

Lessons in Origami: Everything is Possible with God

Researchers from the University of Tokyo and Japan’s Origami Airplane Association have announced plans to create paper airplanes capable of traveling from the International Space Station to Earth’s surface without burning up.

The team has already successfully tested small prototypes at Mach 7 (seven times the speed of sound) for 30 seconds at 482* F, and they plan to launch 100 planes later this year from space.

So this summer, if you’re mowing and come upon a paper airplane, don’t mow over it! It could be worth a lot of money and be the ultimate show and tell when your child goes back to school:

Teacher: “Bobby, did you fold that airplane yourself?”
Bobby: “No, this Japanese plane flew 250 miles from the International Space Station and landed in my backyard!”

Instantly, Bobby is popular for life and/or sent to detention for lying.

Because I’m not a big fan of space programs, my first reaction to the announcement was, “This is the most pointless and expensive experiment ever.”

When I learned that the goal is to develop lighter but safer materials for real spacecraft, I realized that I had only known half the story.

That’s the trouble with average people like me. We don’t know what the experts know about aerodynamics and heat-proofing paper and sweet paper airplane designs. And practical people can’t imagine art and science coming together like this until it’s spelled out for us.

Wouldn’t it be great if God held press conferences to spell out His plans for our individual lives?

Sometimes He does illuminate our path miles ahead, but other times we see only the next step. Still, scriptures such as Isaiah 30:21 promise, “Whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, ‘This is the way; walk in it.’”

I’m in the midst of a decision about which I’ve been praying for weeks with no clear direction. However, waiting on God can be a “holy wait,” if in our confusion we continue to trust in His character.

It doesn’t take much to challenge our faith, does it?

But if finite man can send a tiny, highly destructible article hurtling through space, why do we doubt God’s ability to do the impossible? Why do we doubt that He has grand plans, even if they are not spelled out for us? Why do we think God can’t use simple gifts and talents (like making paper airplanes and blogging) for bigger purposes?

Although most would never admit it, many of us have trouble believing that relationships can be healed, finances can turn around and loved ones living like desperadoes can come to their senses. After all, doesn’t Dr. Phil constantly tell us that past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior?

The reason we can dare to believe for miracles is that Jesus said that while some things are impossible for man, “Everything is possible with God.” (Mark 10:27).

I’m placing a paper airplane on my desk as a reminder that God is capable of doing more than I can dream, that he will show me which paths to pursue even if he chooses to reveal one step at a time, and that every gift can be used for a bigger purpose when we submit to Him and trust in His character.



*Addendum: At the time of this writing, I had no way of knowing the outcome of my decision and how God would move in a clear and miraculous way. I am happy today to testify once again to God's ability to meet every detail of every need in my life.

Please visit my personal blog: 2nd cup of Coffee.

My box of 64!

Nothing in the world thrilled me as a little girl more than a box of 64!
I imagine that was how it was in the beginning, for God...with many more colors than in my box of 64....
God began with darkness...a piece of black paper ~
stroke by stroke, landscape after landscape, species after species,
and created it all...
the color, the texture, the patterns
ALL OF IT, creatively orchestrated by our GOD!!

That same amazing God created us, each unique in our gifts~

"We all have different gifts, each of which came because of the grace God gave us."
Romans 12: 6

Sometimes we get so darn busy with the duties of our daily lives that we forget that we were made by a CREATIVE God to express ourselves creatively. When was the last time you indulged in something creative....really creative?
I mean something like~
dance,
drawing,
writing,
scrapbooking,
quilting,
sewing,
painting,
cooking....
the possibilities are endless
"WHAT?" you say, "I don't have a creative bone in my body."

Re-read that passage from Romans, we all, not just your crafty neighbor or that fabulous art teacher you know, were created with GIFTS of creativity from GOD...
Creative gifts. It's just that sometimes in the harried lives we live or in the labels we believed as children we let that creativity slip away.

One of the most beautiful ways to NOTICE the amazing creation around us, is to engage in our own creativity. It is in letting God work through our creative spirit, that we can become God's creative masterpiece. If we can tap into that spirit that God has created us to be, then we can serve others through our creativity.

I know it's asking a lot....
We are SO busy doing what we have to, to get through the day.
But I beg you to humor me! BEGGING!!
Just the other night I sat looking through a Paper Crafts Magazine. I have a stack of them that I look at after my nightly devotional....I dream in paper~
I need to make time for that creative outlet, it's a way for me to show others God's creativity in me. I owe it to HIM to use the gifts he so graciously has given to me.

So if you think about it, pick up a box of 64 the next time you are at the store...and while you are at it, roll out some paper on the table and let yourself go....walk by and add to it, add to your masterpiece,
you just might rediscover those creative juices that you had as a little girl will come flooding back to you!!

We are never too old to rediscover that God-given creativity within us. I am reminded of a quote that I once heard,

"and now in age, I bud again." george hubert

I loved it when I heard it, it was so full of hope! Take some time to rediscover that creative spirit inside of you, ask God for guidance, follow HIS voice and not the voice of the world as He leads you where He wants you to go creatively. And pray for a sense of wonder about the world, you may be amazed to see that all things are new in Him. (Isaiah 48:6)

In Him,

most days you can find me over here, at my personal blogspot...
you are always welcome!

"Like Sands Through the Hourglass, So Are the Days of Our Lives"

As I write this, I’m 24 hours out of a heavenly week spent lounging on a beach, sipping giant Icees and devouring two novels. We’ve been vacationing on Anna Maria Island, and I’m already wistful about the satiny white sand cooling my toes and gently buffing my heels, the bubbling waves rolling onto the shore, the seagulls’ cries and the carefree banter and laughter of my children swimming together in the ocean. For one week, we simply existed, without any thoughts toward deadlines, school or work. Read: “Sigh.”

Today, we’re revving up to move into dorms, begin new ministry programs and continue work projects. Time, perhaps our most precious commodity, stops for no one.

--Wait a minute--of course it does! We all have a number of days allotted to us (Job 14:5) and then time becomes a historical phenomenon; eternity stretches on before us.

I’ve been thinking about how I invest my personal allotment of time, about making a difference in my sphere of influence, because soon (we are all merely one heartbeat away) time will stop indeed.

Although it’s not an original notion, I couldn’t help noticing this week how the tide washed away my many “signatures” on the beach: my footprints, my castles, my name in the sand—all of the marks that said, “I’m here!” were relentlessly erased. Before the orange sun dipped into the ocean each evening, any signs of the life-form known as “Linda” were completely gone, reminding me of the temporal versus the eternal, prompting me to wonder: “What imprints of mine will remain after I’m gone?”

I’ve decided there are three eternal depositories into which I can wisely invest my time; maybe they will speak to you, too:

1) Knowing and promulgating the word of God. Matthew 24:35 says, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.” And 1 Peter 1:25a says, “But the word of the Lord endures for ever.” God’s word is alive and immutable; it’s validity transcends time because his character never changes. So even when there will be a new heaven and earth, his word will remain perpetually consistent. Therefore, when I use my tongue (or my keyboard!) to share his word and encourage others, I contribute to influencing the world for God’s eternal glory. That is exciting!

2) Cultivating relationships. In John 5:24, Jesus promises us “Whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not be condemned; he has crossed over from death to life.” The prophet Isaiah proclaimed that Messiah “will swallow up death forever” (25:8). In other words, people (their spirits, the core of who they are) last forever. Therefore, if I invest in people, I’m making an eternal investment. Creating time for nurturing relationships is important, but it doesn’t come naturally to me. Daily duties, personal fears of rejection or feeling smothered can keep me from being vulnerable or available to people. But people matter to God, and they should (and do) matter to me, so I must make time to be relationally present. We are meant to live in community, now and throughout eternity. I want to be the friend who is there in the capacity Aaron was for Moses; I want to be the friend who always points the other to Christ, our one and only Answer.

3) Creating a spiritual legacy. I want to foster a spiritual heritage for my family for many generations to come, including those who will most likely not even know my name in two or three generations. I would love for my grandchildren and great grandchildren to be able to echo the psalmist: “The lines are fallen unto me in pleasant places; yea, I have a goodly heritage” (Psalm 16:6). I recall Paul’s reference to Timothy’s faith-filled mother, Eunice, and his grandmother, Lois, and how Timothy assumed the cloak of their strong faith (2 Timothy 1:5). I don’t have a boatload of valuable material possessions to pass on to my children, but maybe through faithful, intentional prayer, they will prosper spiritually and be sensitive to the Holy Spirit’s invitation to share abundant life with him. If the prayers of a righteous man availeth much, how much more so the prayers of a faithful grandma?!

In my first sentence, I called my week of languid existence “heavenly,” but I don’t really believe we will merely lounge around in eternity. I believe we will have roles to fulfill and rewards to enjoy. I want to invest my time in things that matter, things that last—promoting the ageless, unalterable word of God, living in community and love with immortal brothers and sisters, and leaving a legacy of faith for those who will carry on after me. And if there happens to be glistening alabaster sand in heaven, I can live with that, too.





Please visit my personal blog at 2nd Cup of Coffee.