Bamboo Two

This is Bamboo. Bamboo is one of the favorite stuffed animals of my youngest daughter. But what she doesn't know, is that this is actually Bamboo II.

You see Bamboo was left unattended downstairs. And when you have two dogs, bad things can happen to unattended stuffed animals. Bamboo gotten dirty, beaten up and ripped apart. I made an emergency visit to the store and purchased a new Bamboo. Hence Bamboo II. Now Bamboo is clean, fresh and "like" new...because he is new.

In life, we too get beaten up. We are dirty from our sins, ripped apart by our problems. Life is like two dogs chewing on us. But then there is Jesus. He makes us new again! He didn't make a trip to the store, but a trip to the cross. And like Bamboo II, we are brand new!

I love my daughter so much, I didn't want her to feel the loss of her beloved stuff animal. God loves us too much to lose us too. All we have to do is love and accept Jesus, then we'll be made brand new, just like Bamboo II.

"And he who was seated on the throne said, 'Behold, I am making all things new.'" Revelation 21:5

A Wise Woman

Proverbs 14:1 - The wise woman builds her house, but with her own hands the foolish one tears hers down.

I am a wise woman. Really. However, consider the fact that my six year old has to take allergy medicine during the fall pollen season. The problem was, I would always forget to give it to her. Dashing around each morning getting ready for school, it never would enter my mind. No, I would remember in the car on the way to school. As we sat in the quiet of the car, I would hear her sniffles and remember. And the guilt would come. I forgot...again! And I would tear myself down for being a "bad mom."

I tried making myself notes, enlisting the help of my husband, and encouraging my six year old to help me remember. Nothing worked. And then I realized that I remembered every morning without fail in the car. Why not just keep the allergy medicine in the car? Voila! No more problem!

Sometimes we get stuck in a way of thinking, and by thinking outside the box the problem is solved. We can build ourselves and our homes up, instead of tearing them down.

Join me at Titus 2 in Action to talk about some other ways to be a wise woman!

Still the One

“We’re still having fun, and you’re still the one.”
Still the One, Orleans, 1976

We live in a multi-tasking world. Our cell phones are not only phones, but calendars, email servers, text messengers. Our televisions are also DVRS, with cable access and internet access and the ability to upload photographs for slide shows. It's not enough to just have a nook (e-reader), we now have to have the ipad, which does it all!

Our schedules are packed and over flowing with to-dos. I know that I personally must be over scheduled, because never have I been so happy to be forced to stay home all day today while the carpet installers come. Forced to stay home! YAY!

We fill our lives with stuff. We fill our time with stuff. We fill our homes with stuff. We're packed full with so many things, we may miss the one thing that is most important. Jesus said, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed." (Luke 10:41-42) He was and is the one thing.

Being a follower of Jesus doesn't mean adhering to a list of rules either. Jesus wants us to live a full life, an abundant life! I have a T-shirt that states "Believers have more fun!" It's true. Being a follower of Christ brings you joy!

Jesus is THE ONE. We're still having fun, He's still the One.

Musical Musings:
1. Is your schedule so busy that you often forgo devotional time with God?
2. Are you distracted by all the stuff in your life that making time for God is tough?
3. What changes can you make to focus on the ONE.

Karaoke: Lord, I admit it! I like stuff. I keep too busy, I buy too many things, and I don't make enough time for you. Forgive me! Help me remember that you are THE ONE thing that I need. Help me to make wise decisions and prioritize my life better. Thank you for being a God of hope, a God of love and a God of joy! In Jesus Name, Amen.

Rock on: Romans 13:11 -- But make sure that you don't get so absorbed and exhausted in taking care of all your day-by-day obligations that you lose track of the time and doze off, oblivious to God. The night is about over, dawn is about to break. Be up and awake to what God is doing! God is putting the finishing touches on the salvation work he began when we first believed. We can't afford to waste a minute, must not squander these precious daylight hours in frivolity and indulgence, in sleeping around and dissipation, in bickering and grabbing everything in sight. Get out of bed and get dressed! Don't loiter and linger, waiting until the very last minute. Dress yourselves in Christ, and be up and about! (The Message)

Read the story of Mary & Martha in Luke 10:38-42.