I finally have a Chia Pet!

Do you remember those funny little Chia Pets? Were they from the sixties, maybe? I can remember they were different than anything I had ever seen. I didn't have one, didn't even want one at the time, but I was intriqued by their uniqueness.

That brings me to the present. My husband and I can laugh at anything, and often do. I wouldn't dare recount all the bizarre things we find funny. Someone would want to commit us! However, I will share a little laugh we had last night because the image just keeps giving me a chuckle. So, humor me, okay?!

Bill has always had nice hair, but lately, his previously dark soft locks have been evolving into something akin to a steel wool pad - increasingly grey and wirey . Gel helps to camaflouge a bit, but when that dries or gets "slept" away, we're looking at a brand new "animal". A porcupine comes to mind.

Last night Bill looked in the mirror, then said to me, "I need a haircut.... whatta ya think?" I glanced over at him and flinched a bit at the sight I beheld. Grinning at my reaction, he said, "My hair doesn't grow long anymore. It just grows out!" Putting his hands out to the sides of his head to emphasize the obvious, I suddenly had a flashback to the sixties. I laughingly exclaimed, "You've become a Chia Pet!"

I guess you had to be there, maybe, but we're quiet easy to entertain. I don't care what you say, but to us, it was funny! I still chuckled throughout the day, today, as I remembered the sight of my husband; my very own Chia Pet. I also started to think about an analogy that could be extracted from my husband becoming a Chia Pet.

Here's my analogy. Bill used to be someone that did not yield any growth. He was like a Chia Pet, still in the box. Without care and cultivation, he was not ready to morph into what he was intended to become. But now he's something quiet different. He was "bought" by a Saviour that transformed him as he showered him with his love, grace and truth. As he continues to grow, I am grateful that I finally have a Chia Pet. I'll say, some things are worth waiting for!

Romans 12:2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is - his good, pleasing and perfect will.

A Personal Paraphrase of "My Psalm" - Psalm 18

I had been introduced to you, my God, as a young child, but I never really got to know who you were and appreciate how much you love me. In my ignorance, I walked along what first seemed like a beautiful white beach, but became increasingly more like a quicksand that steadily began to engulf me. As I sankfurther and further into its murky depths, I could almost sense the battle for my redemption. Invisible, but strangely present claws were grabbing me by the ankles, trying to pull me completely under and boast about my demise. Yet, every time it seemed like I would disappear into the darkness, strong wonderful arms and wings like soft feathers would lift me up into a soft warm glow to keep my head above the abyss. Each time, my heart, my very soul could not resist the beauty and warmth that drew me into the light of salvation. You were so patient with me, Lord; allowing me to stumble down a dirt-trodden path that waited to cover me with the filth of its unclean, crooked landscape. You knew that I could have well sank to my death and been completely defeated while I was still in my state of oblivion. You continued to whisper softly, yet firmly, to me and I heard your voice and came to recognise it. You kept assigning a mighty army to take down the very real enemy that was snarling at me and had me nearly within grasp. And when I called upon you, you released all the powers of heaven in my defense. I cried to you and you came to my rescue. You gave me strength and life. Suddenly, the darkness turned to light and hope sprung alive as you brightly exposed the truth through your spirit within me. My enemy had no chance of winning this round. My Saviour held me in His arms and I felt that He had moved heaven and earth on my behalf. My shaking knees could no longer withstand the tremble that transcended the physical and spiritual worlds. I willingly bowed to you. You didn't just stop at my rescue though; you continued to teach me and answer my prayers. My life, my husband's life, and our marriage are among your most profound miracles. You have reminded me that the battle is not mine and that you will always be with me. Yet, you still give me armor and remind me that I must put it on daily to be protected from intentional arrows that always seek to steal the victory you've given me. You set my path straight before me and put your Spirit within me. My trust is in you, my God, and I am eternally grateful for your unfailing kindness, grace and mercy.

You're Welcome!

Several years ago, I finally made Jesus Christ the Lord of my life. Before that, I had known of Him, but I never really bothered to get to know HIM. That left an emptiness in my heart and in my life. Once I finally surrendered my will to Him, He occupied what was once emptiness in my life. My heart became a treasure chest of love. There are now precious gems of truth and nuggets of encouragement that shine from within me. Just as Paul's letter to the Colossians was to impress upon them that there was complete adequacy in Jesus Christ, as compared to the emptiness of mere human philosophy, God's word to me has impressed that same truth, "My purpose is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Colossians 2:2-3.

One precious gem that I've always remembered to put on display in my treasure chest is a special story of God's faithfulness and His love for me. One day our lesson in Sunday School class was to recognize God the following week in all the details in our life, even the small ones. My prayer, upon rising Monday morning, was for God to make himself known to me all throughout the day. I told him I would be watching and waiting and I invited him to bless my socks off with a keene awareness of His presence.


My top spiritual gift is faith, so this wasn't really a stretch for me to believe that God would show up. The funny thing was that, having a strong faith, I never really needed to ask to see things; I just knew He was always there and always working. I was in for a real treat that day. Almost immediately, I started to recognize God in the small details of my day.


On the way to work, I was worshipping God as I listened to K-Love radio. A song had just played that affirmed the truth that God will make a way. I believed that, and I'm so glad God reminded me of how He made a way for me. As I sat at a traffic light, the front plate on the car facing me across the intersection suddenly seemed to jump out at me. The plate simply said "Jesus". On a normal rushed and busy day, I may not have noticed the words of the song or the visual representation of how the way was paved for me for an eternity through Jesus. Sometimes things have to be spelled out for me. I mentally grasped that nugget of encouragement and verbally thanked God for showing himself to me.


Through both music and a great appreciation for God's creation, I find it easy to worship and praise God for everything under the sun. This particular day, God spoke to me in my language. You know in your heart when God is talking to you. I couldn't believe I had never really tried to listen and watch more closely before. I shared with my husband at dinner that night, all the beautiful and meaningful ways God had made his presence known to me that day. It was a sweet time of thankfulness. On the drive home, a steady rain had just let up and the sun came from behind the clouds just before sunset. Once again, just at that moment, a beautiful sunset and colorful rainbow was accompanied by a song of God's faithfulness through the storm. He was showing me His promise. I was watching and listening. I added another precious gem to my treasure chest. I was rich with blessings.

As I dropped my husband off at home, I ran to the store on an errand. My conversation with God was ongoing and I was thanking Him for being visible to me all day. I thanked him for always being with me, even when I couldn't see, hear or feel him. Yet, I also thanked Him for a special glimpse, something tangible to put in my treasure chest. Just as I was saying "amen", I looked up at the white puffy clouds in the late evening sky. All of a sudden, in the midst of the clouds, I saw a very clear and visible smiling face; the face that had become familiar to me as that of Jesus.

I began to think I was getting a little carried away, so I looked away, not once, but twice. Each time I looked back, I saw the beautiful face of Jesus yet again. I started to chide myself for being a bit too imaginative, but then I remembered how my entire day had gone as a result of God answering my prayer and showing himself to me through what, up until this point, had been the small things. But, THIS was no small thing, let me tell you! This was a humdinger of a revelation. All day, God had spelled things out for me, had spoken and sang to me, painted the sky for me, but NOW, He was smiling at me. This was the gem of all gems; this was literally my ROCK that still shines atop my treasure chest. All I could do was praise Him and say, "THANK YOU, LORD!" As I closed my eyes, still seeing His smile, I knew He was saying, "You're welcome!"

I shared this experience with my class the following Sunday. They were a bit in awe, but I know they believed me because they knew me. The following Sunday we had a great laugh about how everyone was going around looking at the clouds all week, trying to get a glimpse of Jesus. They didn't see him there, but I'm sure He made his presence known in other meaningful ways to them.

God doesn't have to be visible anymore for me to know He's there, but it sure was a BLESSING to see and feel my Saviour's love that day. I think, because I have a lot of faith and just believe that God is God and He will do what he says he will do, he gave me precious nuggets to store away that day in my treasure chest. I can just close my eyes and still see his smiling face.

Unfortunately, as we go about our lives, we sometimes forget that God is always with us. We sometimes are too busy to include Him in our daily activities. We forget that He wants to bless us and give us His strength to draw upon; He wants to be our Rock, our Strong Tower. But, He wants us to live that relationship with Him every day; not just when we remember or are reminded that we need Him. We will always need Him and He will always be there. For that, I continue to say, "Thank you, Lord!" I know He smiles and says, "You're welcome!"

My Elephant Has Become Pink!

Anyone that knows me well, knows that I like to live by my conservative principles. Yet, I realize that I must pepper them with a balance of grace and patience. One main directive that keeps me balanced is that of not becoming a stumbling block to anyone in their relationship with God, by letting my actions be disprespectful or ugly in any way. I could easily tell those that are off base that they're especially challenged, but I must refrain from that initial reaction. I only say it on the inside! Just kidding, but God is shaping me into someone with more patience for those that are blinded by thier own rhetoric and/or doctrine. I have to pray for discernment that I have the wisdom and understanding I need from God to discern His word and stand firm on that. Albeit, continuing to represent Him in an honoring way.

In all honesty, I'm directed to be salt and light in this world and stand up for what is right in a way that can be respected. It's often that kind of truth that is not tolerated on all sides. It's not politically correct to speak of truth because it is offensive. Salt is a substance that can be abrasive, yet that is often needed in order for it's cleansing attributes to be fully realized. Light represents exposure and truth, yet those that aren't willing to accept it seem to turn away because to them it becomes a glare; something they aren't willing to look at or even consider. They just don their rose-colored glasses and continue along their misdirected way. Does this frustrate me to no end? You bet! But last time I checked, I wasn't responsible for them. My only responsibility is to show them unconditional love and grace and hope that God's truth will one day penetrate their souls and show them truth in all areas. The only way that can truly happen is if one honestly seeks God's direction and asks for wisdom and discernment in the instructions He gives us. The instructions are meant to bring us good and to keep us from harm and evil. It's unfortunate that we often think we have a better plan and go our own way. It hasn't worked yet. I would venture to say, it never will.

That brings me to the point of my latest frustration. As much as I would love to, I'm not sporting my bumper sticker or displaying my yard sign for my presidential candidate of choice. I understand that it could be a deterrent to how God wants to use our influence to bring people that don't know Him into a relationship with Him. I get that. Yet, I must admit that my flesh rises up when anyone presumes to suggest that I shouldn't do so. I have my own discernment, thank you, and I plan to use it! What really burns me though, is the fact that those in christian ministry are not expected to be leaders in politics. I can't sit on the sidelines for that one! If we can't lead in politics, how can we effectively reach the ends of the earth for God's purposes? It's okay to "lead" everywhere but in politics? I'm sorry, but that doesn't make any sense to me. It's just a cop-out for being politically correct. In the meantime, we're in danger of falling in line with the wrong leaders. I can't believe its God's will for us not to stand up for what is right, so He can be well represented, not only in our personal lives and in our homes, but in the way our country is led. I believe He is calling us to do just the opposite, to lead by example and be proud of it, because it's the right thing to do.

I couldn't believe my ears recently when I heard someone say something to the effect that God doesn't tell us who to vote for; He just lets us make our own decision. WHAT?!!! Carnally, we make our own decisions about anything and everything. Choosing our own way has always been our human problem and it will always be our downfall. However, God does have direction for everything in our lives. It's called the Bible. It's meant to be read and taken seriously. Dare I even suggest that doing so could lead to obedience in ways He wants us to follow? Within the pages of the bible, God gives us good indications of what is right and what is wrong. He gives us His wisdom and knowledge in areas we are willing to submit to Him and in areas where we are willing to follow His lead. Does that sound like He's telling us to make our own decision? I guess, ultimately, He gives us free will to make those decisions, but we are not left without direction as to what He has to say about it. No, He's telling us to follow His instructions. Doing so is rewarding. It could result in a leader being elected that is actually the right man for the job. We don't have to settle for what human choice determines. We can pray that God will lead us in our choice and in His ultimate choice of who should lead our land. It's too important a choice for us to leave to chance or political correctness.

So, I guess I'm just talking about my pink elephant in the church. At least its an elephant!