De-Weeding the Garden

Its been quite a while since I planted my garden. OK its been a few months!! Between rain, work, things to do almost EVERY weekend, I finally made my way out to the garden to both clean out the weeds, and to see what was growing. To our amazement, we had 2 peppers, not sure if they are hot or not, and either a zucchini or a cucumber. Yes I probably should have written down what I planted and where..

As I am cleaning out the garden I think of just how much work this is, how much de-weeding is involved. It is physically tiring....

I think of God and Us! God is de-weeding us. He is trying to take out the weeds, the things that are not good for us, so we can flourish and grow much like our vegetables.

Pruning, cleaning out the weeds, is difficult and when it comes to cleaning out the dark areas of our lives, it is neither easy or pleasant. In a garden we do not know where the weed will pop up, but once it breaks through the ground, we can see it, and then remove it. God does the same, He brings our sins, our bad to light so that we can see it, give it to God, and remove it! 

What is God bringing to light that he wants you to let go of??

sm

Goodness is still contagious

A few weeks ago I went to Shoppers to grab some things for my daughters graduation. As I went in, I pulled out a cart and gave it to the older man behind me. He looked at me and ask: "Is there something wrong with this one? Or are you just being nice?" I told him I was just being nice. Which in today's word is not seen often! So I grab a cart and go. The older man proceeds to pull out carts giving them to the next few people that walked in! 

Goodness is still contagious and its still out there!

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Marriage Advice? Really?

Often I wonder if I am "qualified" to offer any type of marriage advice. The first marriage ended in divorce, and looking back it lacked a few import things...Even now I am not married...

I have lived with my Significant Other for over 12 years. (longer than my 1st marriage of 9 years) - so though we are not "married" I view us more married than when I was actually married...

I believe marriage must have love - yes this is a given, and almost a DUH, but honestly, my first marriage lacked true, honest love. There was I don't want to be alone love. There was the spouse was injured so I must love. Then there was the no one else could possibly want me, so I should love you. It should be the I don't want to live without you love. 

I believe marriage should have respect. Respect for the person, respect for who they are, respect for what they believe, respect for what they do. 

I believe marriage should be full of compromises on both sides. Love is a give and take and there are more times that you will give.

I believe marriage should be full of compassion. Loving the one you are with, loving who they are and being able to give them love when you feel they don't deserve. Compassion is knowing your significant other is hurt - mentally or physically, or upset and any anger you may have towards them flee's the instant you see the pain. 

I believe marriage is being submissive. This took me years to truly understand, to truly realize, and to truly get God's meaning here. Finally 14 years after ending my first marriage, I view submission totally different thanks to God. 

I believe marriage is constantly a work in progress and is far from easy. There will always be the moments when you reached your point, the tough seasons, the season of change, but each of these bringing you closer and closer to where God wants you to be..

To every season…Turn, Turn, Turn

Today was the first day in over 20 days that I did not have to be up early for something. Been a busy few weeks, between work, camping, church, and graduations, by the time 8am rolled around I was already up and moving and still going in the evenings until about 10pm!! I didn't realize how much I missed the leisure of getting up without an alarm clock and the simply sitting at home in the evenings….

This totally explains why it seems like I have been running in place and getting nowhere! My focus, my closeness to God, both seemed to have drifted a bit. It was so easy to loose focus and put God on the back burner when life picks us speed.…

A few big steps have also taken place…Child #2 has graduated from high school, and Child #4, the baby, has graduated from 5^th grade (elementary school) and in a few months our house will go from 3 kiddos to 2! Having child #2 visiting child #1 for the past 3 days, I have realized that it is going to be so different with only 2 kids at home!! Going from 4 kids at home to 3 kids wasn't much of a difference, but going from 3 kids to 2 kids, is quite a different…

Time to refocus, time to regain my closeness with God.

sm

The Elephant has Appeared

Sometimes God talks and we halfway listen. Through books, through online bible studies, through a women’s group, it seems I have only halfway listened, so typical me! Today as I drove to a client’s location, I start reading this book as I drive. The point of the section I was reading: “Change me Lord”. I get to a point where cops had a check point. Apparently checking for dead inspection stickers…I happened to be that person! Just a few months behind! But hey I had to chuckle. Seriously who doesn't know the inspection is past due 5 months!! The cop probably thought I was lying, oh well.

So as I drove home after work, I was thinking. Music turned down and it was just me and God.God: Pay attentionMe: Well you got me there – I do need to pay more attention.God: Really, Slow down & pay attentionMe: Ok. I do tend to sped through without paying attentionGod: Slow down, pay attention and LOOK at what you are doing…The bible studies, the book studies, books… all of the same lessons seem to just flood my brain…God: Recognize your sin.Then I remember looking over my monthly bookkeeping income for the past few months, this also floods my brain, money I have spent and not given for bills…God: Slow down, pay attention, really look at what you are doing. Recognize your sin….

OUCH was all I could think…

Just this am I was trying to think of sins I have committed and none came to mind…Yeah time to see and recognize my sin…Just this am I was thinking of all things I wanted to change about the man in my life….Yeah time to look at myself and see my sins…Just this am I was wondering how I would pay my taxes….Yeah time to once again see and recognize my sin…

So I go get my car inspected. Thankful I was able to get in and seen within an hour….The car failed inspection. 2 tires were bad and failed. 1 tire in particular was ready to blow….The mechanic said to me “The car probably would have passed if it was done in Jan 2013 when it was supposed to be.” My reply “Then I wouldn't have known about the tire getting ready to blow…” Either one of my daughters could have be driving it when the tire blew….Small blessings…

So 2 new tires, low on money, and an honest thought to get a real job, instead of running a business…the elephant has plopped down in the middle of the room….me & money

What do you Believe

So now here we are at the healthy habit. We need to focus and examine our goals. Being happy is a choice – being focused, making goals, is a choice. As Melanie tells “The things I focus on and the goals I set are all choices I get to make.”

So we have made that choice to be happy, to see the good. We are focusing and goals are in place. Yet “Ole Smutty Face” starts to plant little seeds….and we mess us. Or you can’t seemed to get focused and life seems to be nothing but a struggle. Nothing seems to be going right. So that leaves us with the question…..What do you believe?

 

Do you believe there is hope for your current circumstances? Do you believe that regardless of the present that things will get better? Do you believe:

The Bible tells us in Romans 5:3-5: “3 Not only that, but we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, 4 and endurance produces character, and character produces hope, 5 and hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us.”

Time to examine your belief system. Is your beliefs making you happy? Or Unhappy? Are you trusting in God in all areas of your life? Or do you believe that you are a failure, unloved, worthless? Then it is time to change what you believe about yourself. You are a daughter of God! It is time to believe what God’s word says about us, and not what we have been told by others.

It’s time to change how you think, change your mind, and begin believing in things that will increase your joy!

Romans 15:13 “May the God of hope fill you will all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

 

Dear Father,

I want to thank you for being our father that is loving and forgiving. I pray that you continue to open our hearts allowing us to seek you in your Words reminding us that we are a wonder child of God! I pray that each of us learn to trust you completely, and simply believe.

Amen