Tag: truth

The One Who Never Changes

I took one week away from blogging and every time I do this it always seems funny to me on where to pick back up…but a few things come to mind…

First of all WordPress notified me that I’ve been blogging for four years now! Time goes so quickly!!

Along with that the blog has over 700 followers, there’s been 10,000 plus visitors, and I’ve written over 173 posts—so crazy to me! Praying hearts would continue to be reached For His Purpose and I’m also incredibly thankful for the fellowship happening through the blog! Thank you all for being a reason to share my thoughts and share Jesus.

Moving on…

The past few weeks have brought some changes and if I’m honest I’m not a huge fan of change.

Change.

My grandma has been in the nursing home for months now and unfortunately her home must be sold to offset the necessary fees there.

I was offered the chance to choose some of my grandmas things from her home of over fifty years and it was such an uncanny experience rummaging through the house as many things are being sorted and boxed up. Her house was always so cozy and very orderly and now it is anything but.

The turntable pantry that was notorious for its strong scents of ginger and cinnamon and all things baking has now faded to nothing more than an abandoned stale cupboard—not even appealing to a mouse.

The entire house is just so different, it feels so empty and sad.

Here are the few things I chose that are packed with personal sentimental value.

My grandma had a large chicken collection and this is Big Al, one of her favorites. ❤️

I’m gonna miss making memories in my grandma’s house but will hold dearly to the ones I’ve been blessed with over the years.

More change.

Here at my own home, our remodel is nearly complete and while I’m loving how it’s all coming together I’m still trying to bring in that old homey feeling we had before we started. I miss seeing some of the old base colors we had. It just seems so foreign to me right now.

Funny how we get so familiar and comfortable with things…but it’s a reminder to hold earthly things loosely—especially keeping in mind that a house and it’s features is just simply a temporary dwelling until the good Lord calls us to our permanent heavenly home. That’s where our excitement for character and charm should truly fall into place (not in decor and comfort of earthly homes) but instead with a focus upward and becoming more like Christ!

I’ll share photos of our remodel when it’s complete. I know some of you enjoy seeing those before and after house projects.

Changes.

Some recent test results with the doctor show that my health has changed and things will be a bit different for an unknown period. Although I wish it could be avoided, I have such a sweet peace from the Lord in this. I trust so big that He will heal and that I can look at this as an opportunity to grow even closer to Him.

I’ve never been great with patience but I’m praying to be teachable and maybe now my desire (and neglect) to becoming more patient won’t go unchecked, maybe God is using this very obstacle for such a time as this.

In this various season of change I’m holding on to the truth of Hebrews 13:8, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”

Things change, it’s inevitable but God remains the same loyal steadfast God He always was and ever will be—no matter what.

In the areas I’m noticing change I remember that as Christians this earth is not our permanent home and these bodies that are wasting away will one day be restored in the most perfect of ways.

The assurance of God’s unchanging dedication and love for us is what can bring peace to unexpected and inevitable changes in our lives. He is solid and stable. He is wonderfully unchanging.

Weekend blessings to you all!!❤️

Taking Inventory On Our Habits

Well I’m pleased to say I’ve had a better week than the last two. Despite a mini water park voluntarily emerging in my basement yesterday, this week has still been good.

…We’ve been working on a house project and with that we had our washer and dryer permanently moved from upstairs to the basement to allow more space. After a week of working smoothly the sump pump (which is supposed to push water out of the basement) backed up and we ended up with water pooling up on the utility room floor and seeping into the hallway. It could’ve been much worse but thankfully my husband noticed it early, located the issue and it should be back in working order soon!

As our house remodel has been underway, I’ve been consistently reminded of the word “habit”.

First off the idea of moving the washer and dryer to the basement to begin with seemed ironic to me from a reasonable point of view because having them upstairs sounds pretty convenient right? When the washer and dryer are steps away from the dining room table you’d think a person could create an effective system out of that.

And I’m sure most people could.

Not me though.

I operate on distraction mode…usually…so often times when I’d make it a point to do the laundry (when it was upstairs) I’d be interrupted by something else and not great about sticking with my task of washing clothes.

I’d deeply formed a bad habit.

But I knew, like all routines, a new habit was possible once they were moved downstairs and I could train myself to do better. And up until yesterday’s messy surprise I had!! I actually look forward to doing laundry now that it’s in the basement. Weird.

Our remodel has brought a lot of changes and things have been temporarily put in new places. Two of those things are the dogs’ food and water dishes and our kitchen trash can.

I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve went to throw something away and been reminded that the trash can is no longer in the same spot.

And it’s been funny watching the dogs jet over to their “refueling station” only to do a quick u-turn remembering that their dishes have been relocated to my bedroom for the time being.

None of these mindless habits are such a big deal that I’ll lose sleep over them but it shows how easily routines stick, for better or worse.

We all fall into the patterns of habit—physical or mental habits. Good habits. And not so good habits.

Sometimes we become so comfortable in our ways that we can’t easily recognize when we’ve gotten in the rut of a bad habit.

We must intentionally take inventory noticing if those traits are healthy or not.

When it comes to bad habits Paul has some thoughts to share with us and some follow up advice. Let’s check out what he says in Romans chapter 7.

That’s a whole lotta “I’s” and “do’s” and “not’s” and “sin,” right?! But what Paul is saying is that he recognizes some bad habits have taken shape in his life and he wants to deal with them.

In verse 21b Paul sums up those verses above by saying this: “Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me.”

I so get this issue! Can anyone else relate with Paul and I?

So many things I get frustrated about with myself. In this type of ‘game’ I’m my own worst enemy at times. Forget the sidelines, I’m right there catching the negatives that Satan’s throwing.

This piece of scripture Paul writes is one of my favorites and I’ve made a GOOD HABIT of coming back to it time and time again because reminders are good and necessary.

Verses 24 and 25 are where the answer dominates the obstacle of a bad habit—whatever it might be: “What a wretched man am I! Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death? Thanks be to God, who delivers me through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

That right there is the solution—Jesus Christ brings us to the other side of our bad habits. He is our rescue—from the negatives, from sin, from the bad habits we’ve fallen into Jesus will help us overcome.

Sweet friends whatever the struggle might be, we need to make a positive habit of going to Jesus again and again so we echo His example of healthy Christian living! He is our strength and hope, and following Him is a habit I never want to take for granted!!

Weekend blessings to you all!❤️

Learning Patience in Prayer Over a Rabbit…(what a weird title)

This past summer we’ve been taking care of a pet rabbit for a family (that we don’t at all know) as they’ve been out of state.

In early June my oldest daughter, Paige, received a call from a lady asking if she’d watch this rabbit of theirs and Paige accepted…for what she thought was just going to be a long weekend pet-sitting job.

Communication skills are and have been a large work in progress with our darling Paige…

When this woman showed up with her bunny she also brought along its living quarters, a very VERY big package of bedding, a few bags of bunny litter (yes it’s potty trained), and enough food for a whole herd of rabbits, as well as a tub of accessories.

Immediately I gathered that this was no weekend visit we were preparing for.

After chatting with the woman a bit I learned that her little fur friend would be with us much longer than Paige had understood over the initial phone call—for months she’d be with us in fact.

We never did ask the name because personally I was trying to process the idea that we’d involuntarily committed to this indoor rabbit’s extended stay.

I ended up calling her Kaytee, however, because the brand name on her water bottle has this name and I thought it seemed fitting.

Kaytee is not the kindest bunny; she’s sassy, threatens to bite, and when we put her outdoors to run in our fenced in grass area she’ll literally grunt and then lunge at us like a four legged chainsaw when we’re ready to bring her back inside—it’s entertaining, comical, and terrifying all at the same time.

Overall things have gone well having Kaytee in our home…until this past week.

Her food and water went untouched, she seemed sluggish, and her droppings weren’t typical looking. I contacted her owner to let her know I’d be taking the bunny to the vet immediately.

After iv fluids, two shots, and some follow up nutritional supplements the vet sent us home along with a warning that we weren’t out of the woods yet and only time would tell.

Time.

Time requires patience.

Like Paige struggles with quality communication, I struggle with zero patience.

Because absolutely no concern of ours is too insignificant for God, I prayed a lot over this rabbit—that God would please just heal it; but I also knew patience would be key.

And knowing I needed some encouragement in the area of patience (while waiting on this rabbit’s outcome) I pulled up my Bible app to do some studying over that difficult-for-me word.

Patience.

Isn’t it just like God to speak to our heart when we’ve finally quieted our whirling thoughts?

You guys!! The verse of the day on my Bible app was this:

“I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in His word I put my hope.” —Psalm 130:5

Bible YouVersion App

Time. Wait. Patience.

Those words aren’t always graciously welcomed in my little ‘Alicia world.’

But that sweet verse reminds me that while waiting for God to answer prayers, hope is found in His word and His word points to Him.

Profoundly beautiful.

Praise God Kaytee appears to have made a positive turnaround and will go in for a check up today to evaluate her health.

A quickly answered prayer in this case.

I’ve been around long enough to know though that waiting sometimes never produces an answered prayer—and that can be a tough truth to swallow, one that can cause bitterness even.

When I think about this from God’s view I consider the countless times He’s waited on me…to come to faith, to learn patience, to fully trust, the list goes on…and yet He’s never given up on me even though these things haven’t all come to fruition.

I want to echo His consistency.

Ephesians 5:1 says this, “Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children,”

When we commit to following God’s example—His leading—we learn to walk, talk, and do life with patience filling our mind and heart through whatever issue comes our way. This truth is where hope hushes the trial and prayers become selflessly surrendered to fall under God’s will rather than our own. Patience is needed in our prayers and it requires a decent amount of trust but the lesson and peace gained in the midst of our struggle makes the wait worthwhile…I don’t know about you but that type of God-focused path is one I want to “hop” on!

Sweet blessings friends, thank you for reading!!

God, you’ve provided us with your word, which is choke-full of direction and hope and we are so incredibly blessed to have such encouragement straight from your heart. Thank you for answered prayers; help us to be patient as we wait on other prayers, just as you’ve had to be with us at times. You are an amazing example and I thank you for showing us your Way. Amen.

Lessons From a Fair Warning and a Dead Chicken

A few months ago a neighbor had staked down a rather peculiar sign in her always pristine front yard, it read:

‘Any chicken found in my yard will be dead meat’

Y’all I wish I had a picture of this but I guess I was too “chicken” to take one, nevertheless you get the idea.

The sign only stayed up a very short while and then it was replaced by warmer days, green grass, and this woman’s crazy mowing obsession.

These houses out where we live are part of a subdivision located outside of town. My husband explains it like we live in a pasture which I would concur. Quite a few people own chickens, some have goats, and there’s even a family with a cow or two at times.

At the beginning of this month, early on a Sunday morning, Nathan and I woke up to gun shots and sprung out of bed to see what the ruckus was. Farm animals out here are normal but gun shots right out in the residential area aren’t at all.

So we’re peering out our windows and much to our surprise we spot a group of chickens on the loose splashing around in the sprinklers of one neighbor’s yard and we’re oohing and ahhing for a second because it was cute and comical but still trying to figure out the gun shots.

I look over to the next neighbor’s property (the one who had a chicken slayer sign up a few months before) and wouldn’t you know there was a large cluster of what appeared to be white feathers on the far south end of her yard. Nathan ran and grabbed a scope from out of his gun safe and like a creep he’s spying out our front window, zeroing in on the lump of white and confirms…a fresh poultry kill…

Chicken dinner anyone?

The red is the chicken, the blue is the trap… Sorry I couldn’t resist adding a picture.

Come to find out, apparently this woman with the insanely well kept yard had an issue with a nearby neighbor (who owns free range chickens minus a white one now) and was not impressed when those chickens would show up at her place and this day she took vengeance.

She actually ended up leaving the dead chicken on her yard for the next two days before chucking it onto its original owner’s driveway. On top of that, immediately after the kill, she created a trap system in the middle of her yard which consisted of a plastic dome container that was propped up and then had a rope connected to it and that rope lead right into the front door of her house. I guess if another chicken was brave enough to step foot into her lawn and happened to make it’s way under the trap she’d pull the rope and the chicken would be trapped inside the dome. More humane than meeting it’s uneven match with a gun I suppose.

Although I don’t agree with how she handled the situation, I’ve gotta give her a little credit because she did after all give a forewarning with the sign..

And here’s where I want to point us to Jesus.

When we read God’s word, all throughout we find truth, promises, hope, grace, mercy, and even forewarnings. The Bible represents all these things.

Pieces of scripture warn us of the consequences and fate of not following Jesus and when we choose to believe and follow then we experience the blessings and joy of a relationship with Him, plus an eternity spent in Heaven.

The deal with my neighbor has brought about some laughs. I joked with my son one day, “hey I dare you to run over and set off the trap unless you’re too chicken.” He didn’t go for it but we did “crack” up over it.

The thing is when it comes to the warnings we read in God’s word that’s one thing my family always takes seriously. There’s no jokes to go along with it.

We all are given the opportunity to read scripture and accept every word of it or reject it.

That chicken trap has now long been taken down from my neighbor’s yard just like the warning sign was removed before the slaughtering ever happened. She followed through just like her sign warned:

‘Any chicken found in my yard will be dead meat’

When we compare this to the way God operates we’ve been given the chance to study scripture and make what we want of the warnings. God will one day judge the world and by our choice we’re either walking toward Him or headed for destruction as the end will inevitably come.

As long as we’re living it’s never too late to turn to Him and take His warning for the benefit it longs to bring and the glory it provides for His purpose.

Have a blessed Memorial weekend y’all. I’m fixing to take my kids tent camping by myself as Nate is out of town. It should be interesting…and no worries my chickens are always locked safely away!

Overcoming the Lies of ‘Not Enough’

Insecurities are no fun, plain and simple, and unfortunately they can fester when least expected.

I’ve made progress in gaining confidence in a couple of “big to me” things over the past few years…

The two newest achievements:

1. I’ve graciously embraced my graying hair—determining it’s much easier to just go gray instead of maintain and apply color to my roots every three weeks to try and conceal grays. And I finally don’t mind how it looks.

2. I’ve reconciled with my height—the fact that I’m short and any hope of a growth spurt is decades past me. I’m now good with the idea that I won’t even make five foot with heels on because I’m clumsy, usually in a hurry, and quite frankly flats are much more comfortable! I’ve also learned to give grace to my oldest daughter who constantly rubs it in that she’s “reached” her goal and passed me up by a few inches!!

But after way too long of wearyingly tackling those self-made acceptance boosts, unsurprisingly Satan’s blind-sided maneuvers have discreetly slid in (almost like clockwork) with growing irritation in an unavoidable way.

I’m not sure how this came about but in more recent months I’ve now traded the above issues and instead began “picking” on my intellect. I’ve noticed that whether in a small group or large group setting, if the spot light is on me, I’ll give very brief descriptions or answers out of fear my words or stories don’t make sense otherwise.

This is a problem because it causes me to feel self-conscious. I begin feeding into lies like I’m not educated enough for this conversation. I don’t have enough knowledge to respond. My feedback isn’t going to be interesting enough…and as a result I shutdown.

Coming to grips with the idea of this new anxiety I realize I can’t allow it to continue.

I refuse to give Satan the satisfaction of messing with me.

I’ve had to dig to understand where this is rooting from and how to overcome…

I struggle with PTSD from my childhood and in those moments where I wrestle through flashbacks from those younger years it can be tough to not get stuck in the negative memory of it all. Because of my faith in Jesus I’m usually able to quickly identify when my mind is nearing a dark memory lane and I can cut to a happier path mentally.

In those instances I’m able to consider that my life is new because of Jesus. I’m not that old person anymore. I’m forgiven because of Him. None of the yuck from my childhood was what I asked for BUT God has been able to use it for His purpose. Those truths transition my focus toward a positive mindset.

When I think about getting over this new hurdle, this one where I’ve been beating myself up about feeling “not enough” I know that I can only overcome the lies through Jesus and what He says is true about me, similar to the way I handle those childhood flashbacks. I have to remember that God does the following things for me:

He loves me unconditionally. (Romans 8:37-39)

He equips me. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

He gives me wisdom. (James 1:5)

He defines me. (Psalm 139:14)

He has chosen me. (1 Peter 2:9)

These things are not up to me to come up with on my own, they’ve been offered by a loving and compassionate God—all things from and of Him.

Image from YouVersion Bible app

The same way that I can move and think past any negative I experienced as a child, will be and is the same way I can escape from Satan’s deceptive practices…focusing on the truths (not the lies) ushers in a positive mindset.

Maybe you can or have been able to relate to what I’ve been experiencing. Honesty and sharing our struggles with others speaks volumes of healing. I pray you would join me in fighting against the lies of “not enough” and embrace the steadfast truths felt in God’s amazing love and throughout His unfaltering word.

Side note: Here’s how awesome God works…in the heat of really discovering I was battling these new “not enough” lies, God provided. I had only shared with my very-supportive husband my struggle, so no one else knew. In that time, I showed up to a women’s event (a hidden mess inside) and was sitting at the same table as a sweet friend of mine who handed me a gift bag, inside was this t-shirt with much needed words of encouragement!!

Isn’t it awesome how God works? He used my friend’s love to speak exactly to my situation…only He can perfectly put things together in this way…only Him!!

There’s no reason to ever give up because God out-does the hardship every single time…if not now then Heaven-side.

My Own Testimony of Hope in God’s Easter Plan

Through some really traumatic childhood experiences, where blame could be directly targeted to certain individuals, I’ve learned forgiveness by the grace of God in ways that only make sense through Him.

Things that many would’ve deemed unforgivable I was able to humbly hand over to God who replaced those hardships with divine peace.

When I reflect back to those early years of my life, with the wisdom I’ve gained since, I now recognize numbness must have began building as the afflictions happened.

Finding faith years later actually made it very easy to forgive those who were guilty because I was so far-distanced from feeling the hurt I had experienced. God’s goodness in my new-found faith was so powerful and contagious that it exceedingly outweighed the darkness.

The only way I can understand it is because I believe in the beauty of God’s mercy and grace and I see his work upon it without a shadow of a doubt, plus I consider how desperately I’m in need of his forgiveness for my own self-imposed errors.

Forgiveness in those major adversities from my younger years just isn’t something I struggle with.

…BUT somehow lately I’ve felt a small nudging of bitterness within me from petty offenses done to me by others more recently.

Subconsciously I guess I’ve tallied them up and now they slowly ooze over me. This is not an experience I wish to have linger around, and quite possibly it reverts back to PTSD from my little girl years unfortunately.

I’m more aware of hurtful feelings because my mind and heart are grounded to Jesus these days. Words or actions of betrayal are something that don’t just go unnoticed on my radar. I can actually feel and process my hurts at this point of my life, it’s a good thing but God has shown me that often times I react negatively.

That negativity that I’ve started to compile transfers as sin and doesn’t fit the necessary mold of Christianity.

I actually tried to avoid writing this post and even went blank last week to come up with a different post as God continued to gently prod me in this particular direction while I fought against it. I’ve wrestled through the words but have realized the timing of digging through this is perfect.

Because it’s Easter week I’m doing a Bible reading with my family in the mornings and evenings, recounting the last days of Jesus’ life. The lessons to be taken in are refreshing reminders.

When I think about the cross my mind inevitably races to Jesus — his willingness to take our sins upon himself out of a love meant to glorify his Father is the most amazing of phenomenons. Man I just never want to be comfortable enough to take that truth for granted. I don’t ever want to feel like I’ve (personally) allowed him to suffer in vain.

The reality of it comes down to the very fact that Jesus shed his perfect blood and died for those big sins I experienced when I was too young to know better — and he also died for the sins of others that I call petty but still get bent out of shape about. On top of that he died for the sin of bitterness I try and tuck away among my other character flaws.

He died for ALL sin. (1 John 2:2)

Had Jesus’ life completely ended at the cross I would be pointlessly seeking a freeness from my sins…we all would.

But the FULLNESS of the life-giving, glorious hope of the Easter story isn’t nailed and halted at the cross like our sins were…we can’t end there…because when we look at the big picture we move on from a sacrificial cross that served a holy purpose, to an empty tomb that provides and points to a sacred resurrection celebration!

God doesn’t want us to hold onto sins of any sort, no matter their size or place on our life’s timeline — if he did, there’d have been no reason for Jesus’s death to begin with.

If (as Christians) we are to replicate Jesus’ example of love, obedience and glory to God then my sin-issue of clinging to offenses must give way (John 14-15). Anything other than that takes advantage of God’s mercy and grace.

My goal is to do better in recognizing my irritation in the small things (and the big) before they have a chance to negatively impact my emotions. And to remember that the cross shows the commitment of forgiveness and love our victorious God has for us — in whom there is no place for sin to be found at all.

With every single breath of life I’m blessed with, that’s something I want to continually place my hope in and follow after wholeheartedly!!

He is risen!! Happy Easter!!

Choosing Well

This past week I witnessed my oldest daughter struggle in-between two big choices on each side of her.

She was asked to join her youth group this summer to attend a five-day Christian high school conference by the name of CIY Move, which she hasn’t ever gone to. This is an event held in different areas of the country and I’ve been told it’s absolutely an amazing experience. On the flip side that sweet little conference just happens to land on the very same week as our county fair, and Paige showing her animals for 4H is something she doesn’t take lightly. I remember one summer we were in the middle of moving and by a cluttered state of mind I didn’t get my kids signed up for 4H, I thought I was going to lose my role as mom over that deal!

Needless to say, given the idea these events both take place on the same week Paige would have to end up deciding on just one.

Choices are tough, especially as we age. They say, on average, people are presented with roughly 35,000 conscious choices in one single day — goodness no wonder my ‘meat computer’ feels close to fried each evening!!

We choose what time we’re going to wake up in the morning. We choose our clothes…breakfast…hairstyle (this one’s easy for my bald husband). We choose our attitude, and whether we’ll smile, laugh, or frown.

Choices happen all day long, sometimes without us actually even giving much thought at all. I like to think of these as ordinary, everyday choices.

But then there’s those tough decisions, like what my daughter faced this week. I honestly cringed at the idea when I knew I was going to have to let Paige know these two ‘very-important-to her-events’ are happening the same week this summer and she’d have to choose between the two.

You bet when I finally told her, the good old fifteen-year-old floodgates poured open. She took herself and the news straight to her bedroom where I figured she’d remain for the afternoon without any desire to talk this over — ever. BUT when I went to check up on her a bit later she was actually holding up maturely and had let me know she was going to visit with her youth group leader to get her input.

Paige was already beginning the steps of choosing well in what impacted her as a big decision! And she was doing it with a good attitude! As a mom, this is exactly what I wanted to witness.

Decisions like Paige’s often times carry pros and cons and these are definitely worth considering before choosing one way or another.

There are some key Bible verses I like to reflect on when I’m overwhelmed by choice-making:

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.”

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:6-7

Perspective is also important, because even though either of Paige’s two choices would’ve been fine it really comes down to having a glass half-full attitude rather than a glass-half empty one.

We can choose to see the good in all things. Even when the news of cancer comes, we can choose to recognize that God offers the most important healing for our souls in that circumstance. When the decision to move our family from one place to another seems unfavorable but necessary we can choose to remember God will come along regardless. When the pregnancy results in a miscarriage leaving an empty womb, we can choose to trust that God longs to fill our hearts with comfort, growth, and strength in Him.

Those are the tough things — but it comes down to choosing well even in the midst of chaos. When we feel nothing is left we must choose to remember, surrender, and obey to God’s perfect will — choose to believe in His unconditional love for us no matter what else is happening. He already has everything figured out anyway.

And when we miss the better choice we can come humbly to God, rest assured He holds us in the palm of His hands and will show us the better way still. After all we’re perfectly chosen by Him who makes no mistakes. He is the Corrector and Perfecter of all things and no doubt about it — choosing God, His way, and His direction will always be our best decision and can help guide us in everything else.

When I spoke with Paige later that evening she confidently told me she’d decided she was going to CIY this summer. When I asked her what helped her decide so assuredly she simply responded, ‘I just knew I wanted God to come first and felt this was the better choice.’

Oh how this mama’s heart chooses to swell with joy over that beautiful decision…I can’t wait to see how God is going to MOVE in the lives of those teens that week!

Our Sins Are ‘Toast’

Unfortunately burnt toast and burnt whatever happens more often then I’d like to admit in my house.

This was from yesterday morning, and the smoke that ensued caused my twelve year old to gag and ask how much longer till we we’d be leaving for the day.

I seriously just have to laugh it off anymore because it happens in what feels like a millisecond of time and frequently; if I didn’t laugh I’d spend a majority of my time offended.

One moment hunger-craved-food goes into our toaster oven…and the next moment smoke-alarms “long” to sound off wildly…had my family not pulled the batteries months ago after getting irritated with the ear piercing urgent beeping.

I really need to put batteries back in…just in case.

We bought the little toaster oven because of the convenience it offers. I can easily bake or toast non gluten free items in it and then afterwards line the baking tray with fresh foil to make my gluten free daughter’s food without the worry of cross contamination. It really works wonders so long as I pay attention. Literally though I can pop something in, turn around to take care of something else for what I think is just a speck of time, and come back to find a haze of smoke creeping it’s way out followed by a display of well done briquettes. It puts Weber to shame!

Side note: Truly the “burnt offerings” as they’ve come to be known at the Witt residence, have something to do with my ADD kicking in (which I’d actually rather refer to as multitasking, it makes me feel a bit more accomplished.) So in hindsight, I realize, I’m to blame for the blackened treasures. The toaster oven is not malfunctioning, it’s the operator!

The uncanny part of me sharing this story is that through this bad habit of burning food I’m actually reminded of how quickly sin can take up space in my life.

There have been times, as a Christian, where I feel so close to God that I forget Satan is always lurking, looking to devour. My Bible reading is meaningful, prayer time is heartfelt, and tithing is passionate and it seems like none of that could go wrong…

But then, as if out of nowhere, a Bible reading gets replaced by an article from CountryLiving, prayer time is interrupted by a Pinterest inspired craft time, and tithing is cut short because of supplies for the Pinterest craft.

And then the grueling process of sin builds; it becomes a gateway for additional slip-ups to come in more prominently — the Pinterest craft doesn’t turn out just right and anger instills, the best friend’s version looks flawless and jealousy emerges…

Can anyone else relate??

Friends what I end up with is anything far from a tasteful dish…

Instead I’ve allowed the sneakiest fox of all known as Satan to have his way with me…

Because once I begin to abandon those good habits I had (with me and Jesus) I become smoldered in a mess of sin.

And it happens in the blink of an eye…just like that burnt toast.

The good intentions are there, but if I don’t pay attention with care and concern sometimes those good intentions are scorched over with no forewarning.

Thankfully we serve a God who isn’t a fan of sin (and probably not burnt toast either). He’s not around to hang out for those things. He’s a God full of mercy and grace, and even re-do’s.

Which brings me to my point…

Whenever I end up with burnt toast, I remove it from the heat source, set it on a plate to cool off, and then I ditch that burnt toast to the trashcan faster than it took to burn it!! And I begin again — this next time with more attentiveness.

And you know something? I’m convinced God has a likeness with us and our sin nature and His way comes readily and unconditionally every time. He intervenes, carries us as we vent, shows us the correct path while our other one trails in the dust behind and then He leads us closer and nearer to Heaven’s perfect banquet, lovingly prepared by Him.

And that’s a feast I never want to miss out on.

Father God, you are so good to us. Our mess of sin, no matter how dark, is nothing compared to your gracious love. You desire to come to our rescue and you want nothing more than to have each of us as your very own. Thank you for never giving up on us. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

‘For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more.’ —Hebrews 8:12

Temi from ‘Christian Mommas’ Blog

Blogging (through WordPress) has given me the opportunity to read, follow, and interact with many other bloggers all over the world. It’s been neat to connect with people in this way.

To pick up encouragement along this journey and also dish it out is such a two way blessing.

One of the first blogs I began following when I started on WordPress a few years ago belongs to Temi who writes at christianmommas.com

The name (almost) says it all but while you may think “oh well I’m not a mom yet…or my kids are already out of the house…I’m a dad…etc” don’t let the name keep you from checking Temi’s blog out! It’s packed with humble encouragement and love; and though the focus is geared toward Christian parenting there’s life lessons of faith tucked away that are applicable for anyone and all life experiences — momma or not!

Christianmommas.com was created by Temi but she also has a team of other like-minded women sharing their testimonies of God’s mercy and grace through motherhood on her blog as well. Their posts really are a charming treasure filled with hope pointing to Jesus!

Last Summer I had the chance to read a book authored by Temi — ‘A Christian Mother’s Creed’ available on Amazon here. Such a great read where she shares how her experience as a U.S. Army veteran helped shape her dedication to be the best Christian mother she could possibly be. She meshes the idea of life as a soldier with life as a Christian mother —comparing the two with Christian values and Biblical principles, knowing that this world is full of battles but striving for kingdom-bound children nevertheless — trusting God has the ultimate victory already! When we parent and do life with Him we get to experience that truth firsthand.

Recently Temi expanded her creative talent by opening an Etsy shop (Shop Christian Mommas) where she is selling artwork in the form of greeting cards, wall art, phone screensavers, and more. On her blog she featured a giveaway last month and after commenting on her post she let me know I had won her giveaway in the form of a $25 gift card to her shop.

Here’s what I chose from her shop:

5×7 inch devotional cards…to remind me of God’s goodness.

The phrases on the devotional cards reflect a Bible verse and can work as conversation starters as I hang them up around my house. And since a Bible reference is noted on each one it also encourages me to look those verses up and study them deeper!

I hope you’ll check out Temi’s blog, Etsy shop, or her book!! This lovely lady is on a roll for His purpose and there’s no stopping her!! Have a wonderful rest of your week and sweet blessings!!

Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. —Proverbs 31:30-31

TEMI’S BLOG link

TEMI’S BOOK link ‘A Christian Mother’s Creed’

TEMI’S ETSY SHOP link

Disappointed But Not Hopeless

Y’all I was gonna try and avoid this post and publish this month’s DIY instead — but every time I try to write something else my thoughts take over — can’t avoid reality so I guess this is meant to be. I’m just being honest and hopefully something can be gained from where I’m going with this post.

During the middle of the night, recently, I woke up abruptly, this feeling of ‘unrest and overwhelm’ flooded my mind.

I won’t get terribly political (I hope) but here was some of what was rallying around up there: ‘for crying out-loud my husband works in the oil field, Biden seeks to replace oil with renewable energy…how will that impact our means of providing??…And popularizing abortion — an ugly option that isn’t a part of God’s plan. If you don’t want a baby, don’t have sex…Rape? Convict the criminal, not the innocent baby…there’s always adoption or the Witt residence. The desire to abolish the death penalty for a hardcore criminal but yet give the green flag go for an unborn human to receive the death penalty?? Come on. Call me crazy but I’ll never understand any reason or logic in that. Ever.’

**I’ve heard too many stories of doctors telling mamas their unborn child will be born with defects only to later give birth to a completely whole and healthy baby who grows up to do amazing things...And when the doctor happens to be right, well you go on and love that baby and every breath of their life just the same way Jesus does..

Sometimes it’s battle of the mind field running my life and I just need God to drop a truth-bomb. Because I know those thoughts obviously portray opinion, judgement and disgust.

Here’s what I have to remember: I’m not perfect, nor are my thoughts. I’m desperately in need of saving grace as much as anyone else.

In the quiet hours of the night, minus my busy mind, the Holy Spirit cut in — reminding me of a verse I haven’t read or heard in a very long while:

This verse, with such faultless timing, comes from 2 Chronicles chapter 7 when King Solomon and the people (Israel) had just finished worshiping God at a freshly built temple (a place to worship God) dedicated to Him.

Solomon sends the people home and later the Lord appears to him setting ground rules (including the above verse). He was the leader of what was known to be a stubborn nation and if Solomon followed God’s plan, blessing would come…if not, a nation (Israel) would come to ruin.

Eventually sin ensued and most of the kingdom was lost (see chapter 12). Solomon had lost his way to idols in the form of power, riches, and sexuality and as a result Israel suffered.

I can’t help but notice how applicable this verse is even now, all these years later. That’s the beautiful thing about scripture — it never fades out.

God wants our attention. He wants our hearts. He wants our repentance.

God wants the same requests of us that He asked over Solomon along with Israel.

Our leadership is corrupt. We, as sinful people, are problematic. None of us are perfect.

BUT…

We’ve all been given the same fair opportunity and we all live under the same God-willing expectation:

To humble ourselves. To pray. To seek God’s face. To turn from our wicked ways.

Just as recorded in 2 Chronicles 7:14.

Perhaps when we do so, God will hear from Heaven and heal our land…united as one.

Will we act in obedience to God’s direction or push it off just as Solomon did with a trail of destruction dragging behind?

I can only do my part…take up self-control, admit fault, seek forgiveness, cling to God, and aim to do better through His perfection, which is where I’m at right now.

I don’t want to live in anger or disgust and I can only overcome that negative mindset because of God’s goodness, mercy, and grace with grounded faith as I commune with Him.

By my example and others who are on the same page, I pray that a testimony would show to those watching and that a contagious result would follow for His purpose.

I pray that we (as a nation) truly would encourage one another and work toward a turn around — with God as our ultimate leader and hope for healing. Only by His way will we move forward.

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