Wednesday, April 11, 2012
Happy Fun Girl: Jesus called Shotgun!
Happy Fun Girl: Jesus called Shotgun!: Where do I even begin? This past Sunday I could hardly contain my excitement! Most people who are close to me know that Easter is one of ...
Jesus called Shotgun!
Where do I even begin?
This past Sunday I could hardly contain my excitement!
Most people who are close to me know that Easter is one of my very most favorite holidays of the whole year if not the most.
I also love Independence Day.
And yes, Christmas is cool too, the whole miraculous virgin birth and all, but seriously?
To rise from the dead after three days? That's pretty stinkin' amazing and something worth really celebrating!
I love Easter and the hope in the message of the resurrection and a chance for new beginnings.
Okay, and chocolate marsh mellow bunnies, and egg hunts. You can really cash in at my mom's house on Easter. Way to go Dinah, you beautiful gazelle. :)
It's spring, things are fresh, it's a time to celebrate and reflect on just what Jesus did on the cross for me that day. For all of us really. You don't have to believe it happened. To many people, it's foolishness.
That's okay.
Love and hugs anyway and especially.
Personally, I do believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ, but back to my story, because it's gonna blow you away. Bang!
So, I wake the girls up Easter morning, "We're not going to church today," two of them announce half asleep.
"Boots," my oldest is missing in action. No one knows where she is.
Cheerfully I say, "Okay, I'm not going to argue with you on Easter Sunday," and I leave by myself looking forward to the day but still not sure which church I want to go to.
I'm in San Antonio. I have choices.
Max Lucado's church? I've never been there and he is awesome, but, it's also on the other side of town and I'm not riding on a full tank of gas lately.
My old church The Turning Point is not in existence anymore. Bummer. I love those people.
Rockhills? I love Rockhills but that's a door that's sort of been closed for personal, relational reasons.
Besides, I don't want to send the wrong message or appear to be stalking on resurrection Sunday.
Some things just can't be brought back from the dead.
Kudos though to Chris Taylor and his worship team for rocking every service. I read they were playing some Rolling Stones that morning, but, mmmhhh? "Which way do I go Lord, which way do I go?"
Bandera Road City Church? That's the one I had contemplated last week and it is just up the road from my mom's house.
I allowed the three second pause in case he does want to give me some clear direction.
BRCC it is then.
Excellent.
I drive windy Mainland road, praying the whole time out loud to myself, "Lord, I just lay my whole life down at your feet. You see what it has been like. I give you my finances, my career, my relationships, my children, my book, Pig's Big Adventure...I lay it all down to you. I ask for favor and a new career path. I pray that you will open doors for this book and provide new opportunities, expand my territories, please! I praise you, I love you and I trust you with everything in my life. It's all yours anyway. Feel free to show up on my behalf any day now, today would be good. It's Easter after all and I love you, just sayin.' "
It went something like that anyway.
Now, Pig's Big Adventure, my children's book that's soon to be published by Westbow Press, is a sort of true story about a baby pig that escapes from a portable petting zoo and ends up living and learning the importance of boundaries, home, family and friends in an upscale San Antonio subdivision.
So guess what? I drive to the church, park my truck and almost get to the door when I spot a crowd gathered.
Reenactment of the resurrection? Nope, there was much more of a crowd here than the one that showed up to check out the empty tomb back in the day.
I look over shoulders in front of me and totally freak out, "Are you kidding me? Is that a portable petting zoo? OMgosh!! Look at that baby pig!"
"Do you want to hold him?"
"Heck yes I want to hold him! I just wrote a children's book about a petting zoo and a pig! I want to kiss his snotty nosed little snout and snuggle him in my bosom and take him into church and seriously get our pig praise on!"
Tears of joy and a smile I could not stop stayed with me the whole service.
The girls would not believe this! Ya snooze, ya lose.
Don't go out...can't kiss the snout.
I have not even been to this church in about 5 years!
What?
God is soooo the man!
To top it all off, the service was great!
In summary, the message was, "Don't let your worst ways, effect your best days."
In other words, when trials and tests come, 'cause we are promised that they will, we have the overcoming power NOT respond with our less than best, default position.
Our "worst way" wallowing is not the first way we should respond.
I know that in my heart, but honestly it's sometimes a struggle to hoof it out in "best way" behaviors.
But with God, all things ARE possible, right?
"Power me up, Lord! Come into my little pig pen of a mess and help me out of here already, please!"
Let me just tell you, "IT" has been coming against me for a while and even more so since Sunday.
There are things going on in my life and the lives of people I love, and we know it is going to take nothing short of a miracle to overcome some of these obstacles.
But I believe!
And really, this is so much cooler.
When and then,
I can truly say, "Look what the Lord has done!"
I am now in a place where it can only be done by Him. I'm out of DIY options.
When he finally does come through, it will be to the total glory of God.
I have not one thing to boast about except his awesomeness because I feel like I have been spinning my wheels and not in a NASCAR good kind of way.
It's felt like a drag race though.
Or just a drag, mostly. :)
But I feel that the finish line is close. I can practically see that checkered flag.
It matches my checkered past.
Jesus is in the driver's seat.
I need power from his top performance engine. I need to refuel and continue to pray for better ways of coping with fear, finances and my uncertain future.
I pray not just for better days, but God's best days because I also know that I know, that I know, the enemy keeps trying to high jack my vehicle and steal the wheel.
Just last night, there was an attempt to slam me into a guard rail.
I won't go into the details of what went down, let me just say that a bizarre and crazy turn of events manifested and ruin the entire book deal.
For a minute or so, I thought it was over.
A drive by and hit and run, all in one.
I started to get discouraged, but then it hit me alright, like a bug on the grill of my Dodge.
Quickly, I saw the course.
VAROOM! Start your engines!
I started shouting and pacing the kitchen, "OH NO! We war NOT against FLESH AND BLOOD, but principalities of darkness and spiritual things that set itself up against the Most High God!! OH NO!! This is not going down like this! Get behind me Slewfoot! If God is for us, who can be against us?"
"This is not about this issue or that issue. This is not a fight between the people involved. This is the enemy doing what he does! Trying to deceive and destroy...trying to sow doubt, confusion, hopelessness and coming against the very people who give God glory. Lord, you are going to do something with and through this book! Get behiiiiiiind me Satan!"
I called my friend Cindy and shared with her what was going on and we agreed it was not going down like that! Glory! Glory! Where two are gathered....
Within minutes, literally, it changed.
In the middle of writing this blog, God jumped in, intervened and came through as our winner, again!
Faith and Love won.
I want to write in all caps to convey how excited I am but I'm often misunderstood and it may be taken as yelling.
MY GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!!!
Okay, it is what it is. It's yelling! It's SUPERPRAISE!
The enemy can get behind me! Sit down and shut up in the backseat where you belong!
God has called "shotgun" and he's the driving force that will help us cross the finish line!
Bang!
This past Sunday I could hardly contain my excitement!
Most people who are close to me know that Easter is one of my very most favorite holidays of the whole year if not the most.
I also love Independence Day.
And yes, Christmas is cool too, the whole miraculous virgin birth and all, but seriously?
To rise from the dead after three days? That's pretty stinkin' amazing and something worth really celebrating!
I love Easter and the hope in the message of the resurrection and a chance for new beginnings.
Okay, and chocolate marsh mellow bunnies, and egg hunts. You can really cash in at my mom's house on Easter. Way to go Dinah, you beautiful gazelle. :)
It's spring, things are fresh, it's a time to celebrate and reflect on just what Jesus did on the cross for me that day. For all of us really. You don't have to believe it happened. To many people, it's foolishness.
That's okay.
Love and hugs anyway and especially.
Personally, I do believe in the saving power of Jesus Christ, but back to my story, because it's gonna blow you away. Bang!
So, I wake the girls up Easter morning, "We're not going to church today," two of them announce half asleep.
"Boots," my oldest is missing in action. No one knows where she is.
Cheerfully I say, "Okay, I'm not going to argue with you on Easter Sunday," and I leave by myself looking forward to the day but still not sure which church I want to go to.
I'm in San Antonio. I have choices.
Max Lucado's church? I've never been there and he is awesome, but, it's also on the other side of town and I'm not riding on a full tank of gas lately.
My old church The Turning Point is not in existence anymore. Bummer. I love those people.
Rockhills? I love Rockhills but that's a door that's sort of been closed for personal, relational reasons.
Besides, I don't want to send the wrong message or appear to be stalking on resurrection Sunday.
Some things just can't be brought back from the dead.
Kudos though to Chris Taylor and his worship team for rocking every service. I read they were playing some Rolling Stones that morning, but, mmmhhh? "Which way do I go Lord, which way do I go?"
Bandera Road City Church? That's the one I had contemplated last week and it is just up the road from my mom's house.
I allowed the three second pause in case he does want to give me some clear direction.
BRCC it is then.
Excellent.
I drive windy Mainland road, praying the whole time out loud to myself, "Lord, I just lay my whole life down at your feet. You see what it has been like. I give you my finances, my career, my relationships, my children, my book, Pig's Big Adventure...I lay it all down to you. I ask for favor and a new career path. I pray that you will open doors for this book and provide new opportunities, expand my territories, please! I praise you, I love you and I trust you with everything in my life. It's all yours anyway. Feel free to show up on my behalf any day now, today would be good. It's Easter after all and I love you, just sayin.' "
It went something like that anyway.
Now, Pig's Big Adventure, my children's book that's soon to be published by Westbow Press, is a sort of true story about a baby pig that escapes from a portable petting zoo and ends up living and learning the importance of boundaries, home, family and friends in an upscale San Antonio subdivision.
So guess what? I drive to the church, park my truck and almost get to the door when I spot a crowd gathered.
Reenactment of the resurrection? Nope, there was much more of a crowd here than the one that showed up to check out the empty tomb back in the day.
I look over shoulders in front of me and totally freak out, "Are you kidding me? Is that a portable petting zoo? OMgosh!! Look at that baby pig!"
"Do you want to hold him?"
"Heck yes I want to hold him! I just wrote a children's book about a petting zoo and a pig! I want to kiss his snotty nosed little snout and snuggle him in my bosom and take him into church and seriously get our pig praise on!"
Tears of joy and a smile I could not stop stayed with me the whole service.
The girls would not believe this! Ya snooze, ya lose.
Don't go out...can't kiss the snout.
I have not even been to this church in about 5 years!
What?
God is soooo the man!
To top it all off, the service was great!
In summary, the message was, "Don't let your worst ways, effect your best days."
In other words, when trials and tests come, 'cause we are promised that they will, we have the overcoming power NOT respond with our less than best, default position.
Our "worst way" wallowing is not the first way we should respond.
I know that in my heart, but honestly it's sometimes a struggle to hoof it out in "best way" behaviors.
But with God, all things ARE possible, right?
"Power me up, Lord! Come into my little pig pen of a mess and help me out of here already, please!"
Let me just tell you, "IT" has been coming against me for a while and even more so since Sunday.
There are things going on in my life and the lives of people I love, and we know it is going to take nothing short of a miracle to overcome some of these obstacles.
But I believe!
And really, this is so much cooler.
When and then,
I can truly say, "Look what the Lord has done!"
I am now in a place where it can only be done by Him. I'm out of DIY options.
When he finally does come through, it will be to the total glory of God.
I have not one thing to boast about except his awesomeness because I feel like I have been spinning my wheels and not in a NASCAR good kind of way.
It's felt like a drag race though.
Or just a drag, mostly. :)
But I feel that the finish line is close. I can practically see that checkered flag.
It matches my checkered past.
Jesus is in the driver's seat.
I need power from his top performance engine. I need to refuel and continue to pray for better ways of coping with fear, finances and my uncertain future.
I pray not just for better days, but God's best days because I also know that I know, that I know, the enemy keeps trying to high jack my vehicle and steal the wheel.
Just last night, there was an attempt to slam me into a guard rail.
I won't go into the details of what went down, let me just say that a bizarre and crazy turn of events manifested and ruin the entire book deal.
For a minute or so, I thought it was over.
A drive by and hit and run, all in one.
I started to get discouraged, but then it hit me alright, like a bug on the grill of my Dodge.
Quickly, I saw the course.
VAROOM! Start your engines!
I started shouting and pacing the kitchen, "OH NO! We war NOT against FLESH AND BLOOD, but principalities of darkness and spiritual things that set itself up against the Most High God!! OH NO!! This is not going down like this! Get behind me Slewfoot! If God is for us, who can be against us?"
"This is not about this issue or that issue. This is not a fight between the people involved. This is the enemy doing what he does! Trying to deceive and destroy...trying to sow doubt, confusion, hopelessness and coming against the very people who give God glory. Lord, you are going to do something with and through this book! Get behiiiiiiind me Satan!"
I called my friend Cindy and shared with her what was going on and we agreed it was not going down like that! Glory! Glory! Where two are gathered....
Within minutes, literally, it changed.
In the middle of writing this blog, God jumped in, intervened and came through as our winner, again!
Faith and Love won.
I want to write in all caps to convey how excited I am but I'm often misunderstood and it may be taken as yelling.
MY GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!!!
Okay, it is what it is. It's yelling! It's SUPERPRAISE!
The enemy can get behind me! Sit down and shut up in the backseat where you belong!
God has called "shotgun" and he's the driving force that will help us cross the finish line!
Bang!
Saturday, March 31, 2012
Happy Fun Girl: GCB? I thought the B was for Beauties.
Happy Fun Girl: GCB? I thought the B was for Beauties.: Wrong again. The B is for B-----S. Yikes! I have to say that my first impression of GCB was they were totally mocking Christians. It appe...
GCB? I thought the B was for Beauties.
Wrong again.
The B is for B-----S.
Yikes!
I have to say that my first impression of GCB was they were totally mocking Christians. It appeared to me to be almost anti-Christian. I thought the angle presented wasn't very inspirational, shallow and perhaps totally contradictory to what a Christian is 'supposed' to look and act like.
But as I started watching, it reminded me of me a bit, and I have to admit, I think it's stinkin' hilarious!
We all have the capacity to be hypocritical at times don't we?
This show is just holding up the mirror so we might catch a reflection of ourselves.
Maybe not you, but me for sure. And yes, we should look like Christ and reflect him and his ways.
Mirror, mirror on the wall....who's the holiest one of all?
Just kidding.
I do wish they could write a story line into it where they are helping and loving others and I hope that as the season progresses we will see their faith grow and mature, but for now, the show is getting a lot of controversy for it's contradictions.
The industry people are probably loving it! Everyone wants to watch and see what the big hoopla is about so they can pick their side.
I take the side with the "let's lighten up" people.
It's funny.
Statements like,"Cleavage makes your cross hang straight," is hilarious!
It's been said that the characters on the show aren't 'real' Christians. How do you know?
One definition of a Christian is someone who has decided to entrust his or her life to Jesus Christ. A Christian trusts Christ for forgiveness of sin, a right standing before God, and guidance in life.
But aren't we all at different stages of learning to walk the walk?
Maybe some of us still occasionally toss out a cuss word, wear inappropriate clothing, act lustfully outside of marriage, speed, gossip, get angry, harbor resentments and bitterness, act like a hater...it goes on and on and on....
Jesus Christ.
The blood of Jesus, shed for the forgiveness of sins.
We can never know where another person is on the road, unless we've walked in their shoes.
I'm certain I've never walked in the GCB girls' kind of shoes.
They're probably Manolo Blahniks, and mine cost less than $20.00 at Payless.
It's all about the perspective.
I know, I know.
You'll know by their fruit.
I thought it was, "they will know we are Christians by our love."
I'm growing new plumb and peach trees in my backyard, and although I'm no expert green thumb, I've noticed that they don't just sprout fully mature fruit overnight.
It's a process and can take a while.
Sometimes they are flat out rotten. :)
A daily walk with the almighty Miracle Grow-er who is guiding us and prompting us of what is acceptable and what is not is what's required. He may be talking to each of us about different issues. Just tonight I used a certain word with my 23 year old daughter and then immediately had to call back, rephrase the word and apologize for my bluntness.
If you are offended by it, then just change the channel.
Isn't there also something about not being so easily offended?
Is it poking fun at religion? Yes.
Religion and a relationship with our loving father are not the same.
Are some of the story lines not very Godlike? Yes.
Is it entrepreneurial and humorous to market a pair of jeans as the Western HosAnna brand, instead of Western Ho's? Yes.
I think it's catchy and kind of cute.
Laughter is good medicine.
I see a lot of myself in that show and I see a lot of Christians I know also.
I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but in Texas, if you throw a God Bless before or after your sassy little comment, it sort of counts as okay. :)
You know the ones.
"God Bless her, the little tramp."
There are also the gossip sessions we hide under the veil of prayer.
"We just need to lift up sister so and so Lord, she's fallen off the wagon again, God bless her drunkard spirit and reconcile her to you."
Now if you hear that with a sweet as syrup southern twang, it's funny as heck.
I literally, lol, watching every episode!
I love how Amanda, the main character on the more moral high road, takes a job at "Boobylicious", which is a Hooters kind of place, and then gets a ton of flak from her arch enemy Carlene for working in such a tawdry place when she is a professing believer.
Turns out, Carlene owns the place!
I wonder if she tithes off that money?
Now, occasionally there are a few romping sex scenes like last week when Carlene and her husband Red, cleared his office desk in about 5 seconds flat for a quick, unscheduled, love appointment.
I'm going to be completely honest here and say, they're married, why the heck not?
That's fun.
Maybe if married people were being a little more spontaneous and cleaning desk tops quicker than the Merry Maids ever could, the men would be a lot more merry and not hanging out so much at places like "Boobylicious."
Just a theory I have. :)
I wasn't trying to offend, truly.
Of course, even I have to draw the line when they've come up with their own 10 Commandments.
The list includes things like;
Thou shalt add bling to everything (Not a blingy person, so already, I'm guilty.)
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors husband....unless he's really hot. (Leaving that one alone.)
Remember thy spa day and keep it holy (I'm spa coveting right this second.)
Thou shalt know that it is wrong to expose your thong (Please. It would be wrong of me to wear a thong, let alone expose it.)
And my personal favorite,
Thou shalt not wear it if it's under a carat....(Rethinking that maybe some bling is acceptable and good.)
Because after all, if you've got the ring, you've got the desk thing!
Minus the conviction.
How heavenly!
GCB, may not be your southern cup of tea, but it is for me.
I'll bring the sweet rolls.
The B is for B-----S.
Yikes!
I have to say that my first impression of GCB was they were totally mocking Christians. It appeared to me to be almost anti-Christian. I thought the angle presented wasn't very inspirational, shallow and perhaps totally contradictory to what a Christian is 'supposed' to look and act like.
But as I started watching, it reminded me of me a bit, and I have to admit, I think it's stinkin' hilarious!
We all have the capacity to be hypocritical at times don't we?
This show is just holding up the mirror so we might catch a reflection of ourselves.
Maybe not you, but me for sure. And yes, we should look like Christ and reflect him and his ways.
Mirror, mirror on the wall....who's the holiest one of all?
Just kidding.
I do wish they could write a story line into it where they are helping and loving others and I hope that as the season progresses we will see their faith grow and mature, but for now, the show is getting a lot of controversy for it's contradictions.
The industry people are probably loving it! Everyone wants to watch and see what the big hoopla is about so they can pick their side.
I take the side with the "let's lighten up" people.
It's funny.
Statements like,"Cleavage makes your cross hang straight," is hilarious!
It's been said that the characters on the show aren't 'real' Christians. How do you know?
One definition of a Christian is someone who has decided to entrust his or her life to Jesus Christ. A Christian trusts Christ for forgiveness of sin, a right standing before God, and guidance in life.
But aren't we all at different stages of learning to walk the walk?
Maybe some of us still occasionally toss out a cuss word, wear inappropriate clothing, act lustfully outside of marriage, speed, gossip, get angry, harbor resentments and bitterness, act like a hater...it goes on and on and on....
Jesus Christ.
The blood of Jesus, shed for the forgiveness of sins.
We can never know where another person is on the road, unless we've walked in their shoes.
I'm certain I've never walked in the GCB girls' kind of shoes.
They're probably Manolo Blahniks, and mine cost less than $20.00 at Payless.
It's all about the perspective.
I know, I know.
You'll know by their fruit.
I thought it was, "they will know we are Christians by our love."
I'm growing new plumb and peach trees in my backyard, and although I'm no expert green thumb, I've noticed that they don't just sprout fully mature fruit overnight.
It's a process and can take a while.
Sometimes they are flat out rotten. :)
A daily walk with the almighty Miracle Grow-er who is guiding us and prompting us of what is acceptable and what is not is what's required. He may be talking to each of us about different issues. Just tonight I used a certain word with my 23 year old daughter and then immediately had to call back, rephrase the word and apologize for my bluntness.
If you are offended by it, then just change the channel.
Isn't there also something about not being so easily offended?
Is it poking fun at religion? Yes.
Religion and a relationship with our loving father are not the same.
Are some of the story lines not very Godlike? Yes.
Is it entrepreneurial and humorous to market a pair of jeans as the Western HosAnna brand, instead of Western Ho's? Yes.
I think it's catchy and kind of cute.
Laughter is good medicine.
I see a lot of myself in that show and I see a lot of Christians I know also.
I'm not sure about the rest of the country, but in Texas, if you throw a God Bless before or after your sassy little comment, it sort of counts as okay. :)
You know the ones.
"God Bless her, the little tramp."
There are also the gossip sessions we hide under the veil of prayer.
"We just need to lift up sister so and so Lord, she's fallen off the wagon again, God bless her drunkard spirit and reconcile her to you."
Now if you hear that with a sweet as syrup southern twang, it's funny as heck.
I literally, lol, watching every episode!
I love how Amanda, the main character on the more moral high road, takes a job at "Boobylicious", which is a Hooters kind of place, and then gets a ton of flak from her arch enemy Carlene for working in such a tawdry place when she is a professing believer.
Turns out, Carlene owns the place!
I wonder if she tithes off that money?
Now, occasionally there are a few romping sex scenes like last week when Carlene and her husband Red, cleared his office desk in about 5 seconds flat for a quick, unscheduled, love appointment.
I'm going to be completely honest here and say, they're married, why the heck not?
That's fun.
Maybe if married people were being a little more spontaneous and cleaning desk tops quicker than the Merry Maids ever could, the men would be a lot more merry and not hanging out so much at places like "Boobylicious."
Just a theory I have. :)
I wasn't trying to offend, truly.
Of course, even I have to draw the line when they've come up with their own 10 Commandments.
The list includes things like;
Thou shalt add bling to everything (Not a blingy person, so already, I'm guilty.)
Thou shalt not covet thy neighbors husband....unless he's really hot. (Leaving that one alone.)
Remember thy spa day and keep it holy (I'm spa coveting right this second.)
Thou shalt know that it is wrong to expose your thong (Please. It would be wrong of me to wear a thong, let alone expose it.)
And my personal favorite,
Thou shalt not wear it if it's under a carat....(Rethinking that maybe some bling is acceptable and good.)
Because after all, if you've got the ring, you've got the desk thing!
Minus the conviction.
How heavenly!
GCB, may not be your southern cup of tea, but it is for me.
I'll bring the sweet rolls.
Got a Light?
Signs and wonders.
I know we're not supposed to look for them, but I do read, and there is a big sign out on Brady highway that says, "Smoking or Non-Smoking: Where will you spend eternity?"
I always laugh when I see that although I am aware that eternal damnation is not funny, I laugh anyway. My initial response when I saw it years ago was, "How great is God that he would offer some of us a smoking lounge?!"
I hope they have big comfy couches...and coffee!!
Yes, I know that's not the point of the sign.
For a long time now, I have been convicted about my sometimes closet smoking. It's actually backyard smoking because I generally hide somewhere I can't be seen by the public or people not in my immediate "circle of trust."
Some have been kicked out of that circle but, I'm not going to go there right now...Ah-em..Robert :)
I've been a sponsor at youth group rallies and have had to sneak out to my vehicle and lay on the floor board to get a quick fix. That's a little humiliating.
Here's a kingdom key or maybe just a new sin slogan....."Gotta hide? Let it slide!"
I've snuck out of the house in the middle of the night, pulling the door quietly behind me, only to turn around and get scared out of my wits because my teenage daughter was doing the same thing and we ran right into each other.
Ugh. That apple doesn't fall far...
No sin goes uncovered.
Is smoking a sin anyway? It is certainly not on God's Top 10 Things You Don't Do list.
But, I also know that my body is the temple of the holy spirit and I am probably choking the crap out of him.
I go for long periods of time, and then I light up.
Just one, I think.
That "just once" always gets me!
The problem for me is that God is dealing with me on it and I have not been obedient enough to just let it go completely once and for all.
And I have a trainload of excuses right now. I know they're excuses. Walk in my shoes a while and then we'll talk.
For many years, he never mentioned smoking to me at all. I suppose he figured it was more important to heal me and help me to grow up in other areas first.
Truthfully, because of my past, I have needed such major "fixing", that I'm sure he was just kind enough to not hit me with it all at once, so I wouldn't get totally freaked out.
I love God. He's so good like that.
It truly is his kindness that leads us to repentance. I am trying. I truly am. I'm also trying to maintain sanity right now and it is occasionally helpful when my mind gets racing and trying to figure things out.
I just really need him to pony up the power so I can run with it once and for all, because when I try to do it myself, in my own strength, I fail and end up hanging my head down lower than Tom Dooley!
There is also the peer pressure from 89% of the people around me who despise it, many who try not to show their complete disdain at my failure to flush my flesh. But I feel it.
Always.
This includes my mother who keeps assuring me, "You're better than that."
God bless the 11 % for understanding my struggle and letting me be such a little moocher. :)
There are about 5 convenience stores in town and I'm now down to only 2 who will even sell them to me if I Super Cave and go buy my own pack.
The problem is, one of those stores has some stupid built in noisemaker and when I say, "Marlboro Ultra Light, Shorts" this little bird thing goes off and makes this high pitched, "uh-oh" sound.
I'm serious!! It's terribly taunting and only adds to my inward humiliation.
Humiliation is character building I always say to my daughter. :) It keeps us humble.
One day, I was heading to a Girl Scout meeting and spraying down the car with one of the random 4 or 5 cans of air freshener that I carry under and behind my seat when Natalie said, "What on earth are you doing besides gagging me? Enough spraying!"
"Well, I don't want to smell like smoke and be a bad influence on the Girl Scouts."
She gave me 'the' look and replied, "Yes, God forbid you be a bad influence on the Girl Scouts."
Ouch!
I did quit for quite a while after that zinger.
Another time, I was standing in line at my Valero in San Antonio and asked for a pack of Marlboro Light 100's. Do you see the progress here? Lights to ultra-lights, 100's to shorts. American Spirits sometimes, because they are natural.
I think I just heard my mom roll her eyes as I typed that.
The familiar clerk behind the counter said loudly for all to hear, "Girl, I thought you quit?" to which I replied, "Okay, you know what? Paul, who was a great apostle even said, the things I don't want to do, I do do, and the things I do want to do, I don't do. And he was a great apostle! So, with all due respect, please don't harass me and just sell me the cigarettes."
The dread locked Rastafarian standing behind me said, "Hey mon, that sounded like scripture or something."
"It is. It's Paul's letter to the Romans, Chapter 7. Check it out."
(Maybe read Chapter 8 too) Amazing.
Driving and puffing on the way back home, I got pulled over by the police.
"Do you know why I pulled you over?"
I held up my pack of cigarettes, "Yes officer, yes, yes, I do. Right here it is, disobedience at it's best!"
He looked at me with raised eyebrows, like I was a crazy person (let that go) and said, "You're inspection sticker is expired."
"Oh, I know you think it's about the inspection sticker, but it's not. It's God. I would not be getting pulled over right now if I didn't have to come get these!"
He smiled back and let me go saying, "You've punished yourself enough for today, just get your inspection sticker soon and go home."
Punishment? Guilt? Condemnation?
That's what I received from my Catholic upbringing.
I'm not being disrespectful or bashing that religion, I'm just sayin'.
It felt performance based and left me always feeling guilty. It came across like a bunch of hoop jumping that I needed to do correctly just to get Jesus on my side and keep God from smiting me like the almighty smiter I was sure he was.
I thought I had to earn God's approval, and knew I never could.
A few weeks later, I was telling Pastor Pat about it, "Read on," he said. "It goes on to say that because we are new creatures in Christ when we accept him, we are dead to sin and can have victory through Christ who lives in us."
Party pooper!
He is also a God who loves me so much that he sent his son to die on a cross for my sins.
A God who forgives when we call on him and then casts it into a sea of forgetfulness.
Every time I turn around lately, I am hearing or reading something about forgiveness and since I kind of consider myself a fast forgiver, I've been trying to figure out what the heck is up with all the F words?
So, I take it up with God and ask if there is someone I need to forgive? Am I walking in unforgiveness? Maybe there is some situation that still irks me and gets under my skin? I don't think so.
Oh, yeah, right. There's that.
And that.
But I'm not holding unforgiveness, I'm over it.
"Good," he whispers, "then quit bringing it up and let it go already."
Gulp.
Anyone else, Lord?
"You."
Me?
"Yes, you."
This makes me chuckle, because sometimes I'm like 5, "Who me, couldn't be then who, Macarena stole the cookie from the c-c-o-o-k-i-e jar." Skip that, it's a childhood sing-song thing they probably didn't do in Texas.
I do have a really, really hard time with forgiving myself when I stumble, fall or nose dive into it.
My mom also tells me that I've always been the most paranoid, guilt bearing person on the planet.
A good friend told me the other day, "If I'm your friend for another 80 years, I will continue to tell you that Christ "did" for you, what you cannot "do" for yourself, at the cross. Period." There was a lot more to what he said and it was so sweet.
I felt Jesus on the phone with us and it moved my spirit in such an incredible way. The heavy yoke was broke, no longer weighing me down or accusing me.
Joyce Meyer confirmed it the day after, "You can't let your "do" effect your "who", which is what I totally do when I blow it.
Christ finished this on the cross!
That is the good news! Man, can I just get a hold of that and keep it?
I don't have to go around beating myself up every time I make a wrong turn or a bad choice.
His mercies are new every day.
Also, it says, I set before you life and death, choose life! And I want to!
But as soon as I find myself getting into works of the flesh and "trying to do the right thing", I am negating what he did on the cross and the grace and mercy that set me free when I asked him to be the savior of my life.
One of my favorite verses is Galatians 5:1 that says something like this, "It is for freedom that Christ died for us, therefore do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
The yoke is no joke. Have I said that already?
I pray this frequently because it gives me strength to help me not walk in the bondage of old ways of doing things. I read it again this morning and the gist is, don't put yourself under the law. It is not the things that you do or don't do that make you righteous. You are the righteousness of Christ, in Christ.
Period.
The whole freedom and "free to be me" thing comes into play when I can be joyous, thankful and grateful that God loves me and recognize that out of this great love, he cares enough about me to deal with areas that may need a little tweaking.
The love remains, always, regardless of my sometimes unpolished behavior.
No, it's not giving license to live recklessly and selfishly, because I know that we are supposed to be a light!
Need a light?
Yes, I want to stay in the race and fight the good fight of faith, but there is a huge difference between condemnation and conviction, and there is no condemnation in Christ.
Growing daily in my relationship with God is my goal and quite frankly, I get tired of the finger pointing and people who are just looking outwardly at what they see.
I was stopped once in an HEB parking lot where I was smoking, (before I had the sense to hide) ;)
The woman handed me a tract and said, "Excuse me, but I'd like to introduce you to Jesus and invite you to church."
"Thank you so much, but I already know and love Jesus and have a strong church family."
She looked at me, then at my cigarette and then back to me and with pursed lips said, "Do you now?" and huffed away in disgust and disbelief.
I puffed and then huffed at the lack of love that we Christians sometimes convey.
"It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and end up destroying your freedom, but rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love, that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom." Gal. 5:13, The Message.
American Spirit anyone?
I know we're not supposed to look for them, but I do read, and there is a big sign out on Brady highway that says, "Smoking or Non-Smoking: Where will you spend eternity?"
I always laugh when I see that although I am aware that eternal damnation is not funny, I laugh anyway. My initial response when I saw it years ago was, "How great is God that he would offer some of us a smoking lounge?!"
I hope they have big comfy couches...and coffee!!
Yes, I know that's not the point of the sign.
For a long time now, I have been convicted about my sometimes closet smoking. It's actually backyard smoking because I generally hide somewhere I can't be seen by the public or people not in my immediate "circle of trust."
Some have been kicked out of that circle but, I'm not going to go there right now...Ah-em..Robert :)
I've been a sponsor at youth group rallies and have had to sneak out to my vehicle and lay on the floor board to get a quick fix. That's a little humiliating.
Here's a kingdom key or maybe just a new sin slogan....."Gotta hide? Let it slide!"
I've snuck out of the house in the middle of the night, pulling the door quietly behind me, only to turn around and get scared out of my wits because my teenage daughter was doing the same thing and we ran right into each other.
Ugh. That apple doesn't fall far...
No sin goes uncovered.
Is smoking a sin anyway? It is certainly not on God's Top 10 Things You Don't Do list.
But, I also know that my body is the temple of the holy spirit and I am probably choking the crap out of him.
I go for long periods of time, and then I light up.
Just one, I think.
That "just once" always gets me!
The problem for me is that God is dealing with me on it and I have not been obedient enough to just let it go completely once and for all.
And I have a trainload of excuses right now. I know they're excuses. Walk in my shoes a while and then we'll talk.
For many years, he never mentioned smoking to me at all. I suppose he figured it was more important to heal me and help me to grow up in other areas first.
Truthfully, because of my past, I have needed such major "fixing", that I'm sure he was just kind enough to not hit me with it all at once, so I wouldn't get totally freaked out.
I love God. He's so good like that.
It truly is his kindness that leads us to repentance. I am trying. I truly am. I'm also trying to maintain sanity right now and it is occasionally helpful when my mind gets racing and trying to figure things out.
I just really need him to pony up the power so I can run with it once and for all, because when I try to do it myself, in my own strength, I fail and end up hanging my head down lower than Tom Dooley!
There is also the peer pressure from 89% of the people around me who despise it, many who try not to show their complete disdain at my failure to flush my flesh. But I feel it.
Always.
This includes my mother who keeps assuring me, "You're better than that."
God bless the 11 % for understanding my struggle and letting me be such a little moocher. :)
There are about 5 convenience stores in town and I'm now down to only 2 who will even sell them to me if I Super Cave and go buy my own pack.
The problem is, one of those stores has some stupid built in noisemaker and when I say, "Marlboro Ultra Light, Shorts" this little bird thing goes off and makes this high pitched, "uh-oh" sound.
I'm serious!! It's terribly taunting and only adds to my inward humiliation.
Humiliation is character building I always say to my daughter. :) It keeps us humble.
One day, I was heading to a Girl Scout meeting and spraying down the car with one of the random 4 or 5 cans of air freshener that I carry under and behind my seat when Natalie said, "What on earth are you doing besides gagging me? Enough spraying!"
"Well, I don't want to smell like smoke and be a bad influence on the Girl Scouts."
She gave me 'the' look and replied, "Yes, God forbid you be a bad influence on the Girl Scouts."
Ouch!
I did quit for quite a while after that zinger.
Another time, I was standing in line at my Valero in San Antonio and asked for a pack of Marlboro Light 100's. Do you see the progress here? Lights to ultra-lights, 100's to shorts. American Spirits sometimes, because they are natural.
I think I just heard my mom roll her eyes as I typed that.
The familiar clerk behind the counter said loudly for all to hear, "Girl, I thought you quit?" to which I replied, "Okay, you know what? Paul, who was a great apostle even said, the things I don't want to do, I do do, and the things I do want to do, I don't do. And he was a great apostle! So, with all due respect, please don't harass me and just sell me the cigarettes."
The dread locked Rastafarian standing behind me said, "Hey mon, that sounded like scripture or something."
"It is. It's Paul's letter to the Romans, Chapter 7. Check it out."
(Maybe read Chapter 8 too) Amazing.
Driving and puffing on the way back home, I got pulled over by the police.
"Do you know why I pulled you over?"
I held up my pack of cigarettes, "Yes officer, yes, yes, I do. Right here it is, disobedience at it's best!"
He looked at me with raised eyebrows, like I was a crazy person (let that go) and said, "You're inspection sticker is expired."
"Oh, I know you think it's about the inspection sticker, but it's not. It's God. I would not be getting pulled over right now if I didn't have to come get these!"
He smiled back and let me go saying, "You've punished yourself enough for today, just get your inspection sticker soon and go home."
Punishment? Guilt? Condemnation?
That's what I received from my Catholic upbringing.
I'm not being disrespectful or bashing that religion, I'm just sayin'.
It felt performance based and left me always feeling guilty. It came across like a bunch of hoop jumping that I needed to do correctly just to get Jesus on my side and keep God from smiting me like the almighty smiter I was sure he was.
I thought I had to earn God's approval, and knew I never could.
A few weeks later, I was telling Pastor Pat about it, "Read on," he said. "It goes on to say that because we are new creatures in Christ when we accept him, we are dead to sin and can have victory through Christ who lives in us."
Party pooper!
He is also a God who loves me so much that he sent his son to die on a cross for my sins.
A God who forgives when we call on him and then casts it into a sea of forgetfulness.
Every time I turn around lately, I am hearing or reading something about forgiveness and since I kind of consider myself a fast forgiver, I've been trying to figure out what the heck is up with all the F words?
So, I take it up with God and ask if there is someone I need to forgive? Am I walking in unforgiveness? Maybe there is some situation that still irks me and gets under my skin? I don't think so.
Oh, yeah, right. There's that.
And that.
But I'm not holding unforgiveness, I'm over it.
"Good," he whispers, "then quit bringing it up and let it go already."
Gulp.
Anyone else, Lord?
"You."
Me?
"Yes, you."
This makes me chuckle, because sometimes I'm like 5, "Who me, couldn't be then who, Macarena stole the cookie from the c-c-o-o-k-i-e jar." Skip that, it's a childhood sing-song thing they probably didn't do in Texas.
I do have a really, really hard time with forgiving myself when I stumble, fall or nose dive into it.
My mom also tells me that I've always been the most paranoid, guilt bearing person on the planet.
A good friend told me the other day, "If I'm your friend for another 80 years, I will continue to tell you that Christ "did" for you, what you cannot "do" for yourself, at the cross. Period." There was a lot more to what he said and it was so sweet.
I felt Jesus on the phone with us and it moved my spirit in such an incredible way. The heavy yoke was broke, no longer weighing me down or accusing me.
Joyce Meyer confirmed it the day after, "You can't let your "do" effect your "who", which is what I totally do when I blow it.
Christ finished this on the cross!
That is the good news! Man, can I just get a hold of that and keep it?
I don't have to go around beating myself up every time I make a wrong turn or a bad choice.
His mercies are new every day.
Also, it says, I set before you life and death, choose life! And I want to!
But as soon as I find myself getting into works of the flesh and "trying to do the right thing", I am negating what he did on the cross and the grace and mercy that set me free when I asked him to be the savior of my life.
One of my favorite verses is Galatians 5:1 that says something like this, "It is for freedom that Christ died for us, therefore do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."
The yoke is no joke. Have I said that already?
I pray this frequently because it gives me strength to help me not walk in the bondage of old ways of doing things. I read it again this morning and the gist is, don't put yourself under the law. It is not the things that you do or don't do that make you righteous. You are the righteousness of Christ, in Christ.
Period.
The whole freedom and "free to be me" thing comes into play when I can be joyous, thankful and grateful that God loves me and recognize that out of this great love, he cares enough about me to deal with areas that may need a little tweaking.
The love remains, always, regardless of my sometimes unpolished behavior.
No, it's not giving license to live recklessly and selfishly, because I know that we are supposed to be a light!
Need a light?
Yes, I want to stay in the race and fight the good fight of faith, but there is a huge difference between condemnation and conviction, and there is no condemnation in Christ.
Growing daily in my relationship with God is my goal and quite frankly, I get tired of the finger pointing and people who are just looking outwardly at what they see.
I was stopped once in an HEB parking lot where I was smoking, (before I had the sense to hide) ;)
The woman handed me a tract and said, "Excuse me, but I'd like to introduce you to Jesus and invite you to church."
"Thank you so much, but I already know and love Jesus and have a strong church family."
She looked at me, then at my cigarette and then back to me and with pursed lips said, "Do you now?" and huffed away in disgust and disbelief.
I puffed and then huffed at the lack of love that we Christians sometimes convey.
"It is absolutely clear that God has called you to a free life. Just make sure that you don't use this freedom as an excuse to do whatever you want to do and end up destroying your freedom, but rather, use your freedom to serve one another in love, that's how freedom grows. For everything we know about God's word is summed up in a single sentence: Love others as you love yourself. That's an act of true freedom." Gal. 5:13, The Message.
American Spirit anyone?
Friday, March 23, 2012
Happy Fun Girl: Adventure Travel Package Deluxe
Happy Fun Girl: Adventure Travel Package Deluxe: Recently I got excited about entering the Faithwriters.com writing challenge. The point of the contest is to write creatively about a given...
Adventure Travel Package Deluxe
Recently I got excited about entering the Faithwriters.com writing challenge.
The point of the contest is to write creatively about a given topic within the time frame given.
"Predicament," was the challenge word and I scoffed at the irony in relation to my current situation.
But, I wanted to write something a little more original and inspiring than a "How To Guide: Keeping a Good Attitude when your World is Upside Down."
My first thought was fishing. I'm not sure why, it just was.
Lately I've been thinking about going back to my original birth name, Tina Mollie Fisher.
It's a long story, but growing up, I was Tina Shogren. All of my Iowa friends know me by that name.
Then, it was Tina Rich.
This is the name I took one fateful Friday the13th. Knowing that the marriage would be a flat out nightmare, I romantically chose that date.
Next, Tina Hoffman.
Another long story, but having been divorced now for over a decade, much longer than the marriage actually lasted, I figure it's about time for a name change.
God even said, "I will give you a new name."
He did it for Saul. He became Paul.
But I would not make a good Paul, at all.
I make a better Peter.
Let that one go.
I've always thought "Mollie Fisher" would be a great anonymous pen name. But then who would know it was me? Or maybe that's the whole point of anonymity. And maybe that's a good thing.
Fish. Fishing. Fisher. Fishes.
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea...Joy to you and me....
I'm sorry. I randomly rabbit trail in both word and speech.
But then I remembered where Jesus said, "I will make you fishers of men."
Umm.Yeah. No thanks.
Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt.
Oh! Wait!
I Googled "Predicament" t-shirts.
Unbelievable internet find at Threadless.com!
It's a light blue t-shirt where this guy is fishing under a beautiful tree, and he has a tiny bait fish on his pole. His predicament is that he is actually standing on a very, very huge fish already and just doesn't know it.
I Googled it again just now and they are on sale for $9.99!
Check out this totally cute shirt!
Anyway...I pondered a bit more about fishing, and being a fisher of men and then BAM!!
God drops Jonah into my head and I'm so excited! I can't imagine a bigger predicament than being swallowed up by a giant fish, whale, shark...or whatever it really was. Everyone has an opinion about that.
So, for a week I'm forming the entry in my head while working in my garden and then I end up in my own pitiful predicament. I misunderstood the deadline. They said it was Next Thursday, which was in fact This Thursday.
Needless to say, I ended up, "missing the boat."
Here is what would have been my idea of an original entry for "Predicament":
Need to Get-Away?
Which way would you go? East Coast or West?
Actually, I don't have any extra spending money for luxurious trips or even weekend escapes, but I still enjoy reading the daily deals I get from LivingSocial.com.
Sometimes they are real bargains, and I feel compelled to share them with friends or family who might be interested in something fun and new to do, at a great price!
Living Social: Bright White Smile - $29
Living Social: Family Portrait - $19
Living Social: Zoo for Two - $10
Living Social: 3 days & 3 nights in the Belly of a Whale, The Adventure Pack - Priceless.
Okay, so Jonah didn't have a travel agent or access to the internet back then, but he sure got himself on board for the trip of a lifetime with his unwillingness to do a job that God gave him to do.
He was told to go to Nineveh. But he blew it off for the better beaches at Tarshish.
Now, when you're a prophet, there is probably a certain amount of required socializing that is going to have to take place. It's a public speaking kind of gig.
God was telling Jonah that he needed to go to the capital of Assyria to warn the people to get it together and get right with God, or it was going to be Hammer Time.
But Jonah didn't want to. He wasn't feeling particularly sociable towards the people of Nineveh.
He didn't even like them. Inwardly, he despised them, because although they were a great empire, they were evil. They mocked God and were Israel's greatest enemy.
Jonah didn't want to go to them because he was prideful and arrogant and had a serious attitude problem.
I would go so far as to say, Jonah was a jerk!
I used to think I loved Jonah because I could totally relate to not doing what God tells you to do the first time. Or the second, or even third.
Not only am I sometimes disobedient like Jonah, but I am also a person who has a job that frequently requires me to live socially.
The major difference between us though is that I love all people. Or at least I try to be loving.
Most of the time.
Admittedly, I love the misfits most of all.
My people are the outcasts, the dismissed, the forgotten, the losers and the unlovable.
Jonah was a jerk because he didn't want to deliver a message of God's love to people he didn't approve of.
He knew that God's character was good, merciful, gracious and compassionate, but Jonah didn't want him cutting them any slack.
What Jonah really, really wanted was a fire and brimstone light show that rivaled any modern day rock concert!
He didn't want them redeemed and set free. He wanted judgement. Jonah and the Jews, not to be confused with Josie and the Pussycats, wanted them to suffer for their sins and transgressions.
He believed that his own people were "the good ones."
They thought they were better than everyone else and the gentiles didn't deserve God's mercy and grace.
Jerk.
So, Jonah ignored God, went his own way and ended up getting thrown off a boat and into the ocean to then get swallowed up by a giant fish of some sort. At this point, he was probably wishing he'd have listened to the almighty tour guide.
Jonah spent an all-inclusive, 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of that great whale.
And then he prayed a thankful prayer.
It wasn't a "get me the heck out of here" prayer, but more of an, "Oh, wow! You are an amazing God who saved me from a certain death in an unimaginable way! How great you are! I praise you even in this situation and I will do what you told me to do to begin with. So sorry, seriously. My bad and I love you."
Next, the Lord caused the great fish to spit him out on the beach and told him again to go to Nineveh and preach to the people.
Talk about pier pressure!
This time, Jonah obeyed immediately and gave the urgent message.
They responded willingly and were saved from a certain type of self-destruction.
But, being a slow learner, like some of us, Jonah got angry and God had to school him again in the lessons of compassion and love, kindness and mercy.
God saved the sailors who threw Jonah overboard. He saved the people of Nineveh, and again, saved Jonah with his unconditional love.
The Lord answers our prayers when we sincerely call on him.
He says, "You will find me when you seek me with your whole heart."
It is a message for all people.
"Call on me and I will rescue you."
"I will give you rest."
Although I would love to go on a nice beach vacation, I better just do what he's telling me to do.
Right now.
Otherwise, I may end up with my own kind of Super Saver Travel Voucher.
Living Social: Seaweed Wrap for One - Free!
The point of the contest is to write creatively about a given topic within the time frame given.
"Predicament," was the challenge word and I scoffed at the irony in relation to my current situation.
But, I wanted to write something a little more original and inspiring than a "How To Guide: Keeping a Good Attitude when your World is Upside Down."
My first thought was fishing. I'm not sure why, it just was.
Lately I've been thinking about going back to my original birth name, Tina Mollie Fisher.
It's a long story, but growing up, I was Tina Shogren. All of my Iowa friends know me by that name.
Then, it was Tina Rich.
This is the name I took one fateful Friday the13th. Knowing that the marriage would be a flat out nightmare, I romantically chose that date.
Next, Tina Hoffman.
Another long story, but having been divorced now for over a decade, much longer than the marriage actually lasted, I figure it's about time for a name change.
God even said, "I will give you a new name."
He did it for Saul. He became Paul.
But I would not make a good Paul, at all.
I make a better Peter.
Let that one go.
I've always thought "Mollie Fisher" would be a great anonymous pen name. But then who would know it was me? Or maybe that's the whole point of anonymity. And maybe that's a good thing.
Fish. Fishing. Fisher. Fishes.
Joy to the fishes in the deep blue sea...Joy to you and me....
I'm sorry. I randomly rabbit trail in both word and speech.
But then I remembered where Jesus said, "I will make you fishers of men."
Umm.Yeah. No thanks.
Been there. Done that. Got the t-shirt.
Oh! Wait!
I Googled "Predicament" t-shirts.
Unbelievable internet find at Threadless.com!
It's a light blue t-shirt where this guy is fishing under a beautiful tree, and he has a tiny bait fish on his pole. His predicament is that he is actually standing on a very, very huge fish already and just doesn't know it.
I Googled it again just now and they are on sale for $9.99!
Check out this totally cute shirt!
Anyway...I pondered a bit more about fishing, and being a fisher of men and then BAM!!
God drops Jonah into my head and I'm so excited! I can't imagine a bigger predicament than being swallowed up by a giant fish, whale, shark...or whatever it really was. Everyone has an opinion about that.
So, for a week I'm forming the entry in my head while working in my garden and then I end up in my own pitiful predicament. I misunderstood the deadline. They said it was Next Thursday, which was in fact This Thursday.
Needless to say, I ended up, "missing the boat."
Here is what would have been my idea of an original entry for "Predicament":
Need to Get-Away?
Which way would you go? East Coast or West?
Actually, I don't have any extra spending money for luxurious trips or even weekend escapes, but I still enjoy reading the daily deals I get from LivingSocial.com.
Sometimes they are real bargains, and I feel compelled to share them with friends or family who might be interested in something fun and new to do, at a great price!
Living Social: Bright White Smile - $29
Living Social: Family Portrait - $19
Living Social: Zoo for Two - $10
Living Social: 3 days & 3 nights in the Belly of a Whale, The Adventure Pack - Priceless.
Okay, so Jonah didn't have a travel agent or access to the internet back then, but he sure got himself on board for the trip of a lifetime with his unwillingness to do a job that God gave him to do.
He was told to go to Nineveh. But he blew it off for the better beaches at Tarshish.
Now, when you're a prophet, there is probably a certain amount of required socializing that is going to have to take place. It's a public speaking kind of gig.
God was telling Jonah that he needed to go to the capital of Assyria to warn the people to get it together and get right with God, or it was going to be Hammer Time.
But Jonah didn't want to. He wasn't feeling particularly sociable towards the people of Nineveh.
He didn't even like them. Inwardly, he despised them, because although they were a great empire, they were evil. They mocked God and were Israel's greatest enemy.
Jonah didn't want to go to them because he was prideful and arrogant and had a serious attitude problem.
I would go so far as to say, Jonah was a jerk!
I used to think I loved Jonah because I could totally relate to not doing what God tells you to do the first time. Or the second, or even third.
Not only am I sometimes disobedient like Jonah, but I am also a person who has a job that frequently requires me to live socially.
The major difference between us though is that I love all people. Or at least I try to be loving.
Most of the time.
Admittedly, I love the misfits most of all.
My people are the outcasts, the dismissed, the forgotten, the losers and the unlovable.
Jonah was a jerk because he didn't want to deliver a message of God's love to people he didn't approve of.
He knew that God's character was good, merciful, gracious and compassionate, but Jonah didn't want him cutting them any slack.
What Jonah really, really wanted was a fire and brimstone light show that rivaled any modern day rock concert!
He didn't want them redeemed and set free. He wanted judgement. Jonah and the Jews, not to be confused with Josie and the Pussycats, wanted them to suffer for their sins and transgressions.
He believed that his own people were "the good ones."
They thought they were better than everyone else and the gentiles didn't deserve God's mercy and grace.
Jerk.
So, Jonah ignored God, went his own way and ended up getting thrown off a boat and into the ocean to then get swallowed up by a giant fish of some sort. At this point, he was probably wishing he'd have listened to the almighty tour guide.
Jonah spent an all-inclusive, 3 days and 3 nights in the belly of that great whale.
And then he prayed a thankful prayer.
It wasn't a "get me the heck out of here" prayer, but more of an, "Oh, wow! You are an amazing God who saved me from a certain death in an unimaginable way! How great you are! I praise you even in this situation and I will do what you told me to do to begin with. So sorry, seriously. My bad and I love you."
Next, the Lord caused the great fish to spit him out on the beach and told him again to go to Nineveh and preach to the people.
Talk about pier pressure!
This time, Jonah obeyed immediately and gave the urgent message.
They responded willingly and were saved from a certain type of self-destruction.
But, being a slow learner, like some of us, Jonah got angry and God had to school him again in the lessons of compassion and love, kindness and mercy.
God saved the sailors who threw Jonah overboard. He saved the people of Nineveh, and again, saved Jonah with his unconditional love.
The Lord answers our prayers when we sincerely call on him.
He says, "You will find me when you seek me with your whole heart."
It is a message for all people.
"Call on me and I will rescue you."
"I will give you rest."
Although I would love to go on a nice beach vacation, I better just do what he's telling me to do.
Right now.
Otherwise, I may end up with my own kind of Super Saver Travel Voucher.
Living Social: Seaweed Wrap for One - Free!
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