tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67040955227074727672024-03-13T12:45:49.087-05:00Mind of a LadybugLadybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-14765587682397032742015-06-07T13:58:00.000-05:002015-06-07T13:58:10.667-05:00Things of Importance...Over time, I've realized a few things that are important to me... and not in any particular order...some are serious some are not...but all are good.<br />
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God made you a certain way, don't fight it. He gave you a personality, a personal touch, a point of view. As long as you keep it aligned with what HE has for your life, you won't go wrong.<br />
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A hot bath with essential oils goes a long way...easy way to relax.<br />
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Guys with poor/vulgar vocabulary need not approach me, save us both the trouble. It's one thing to NOT know the word you're looking for, it's another to fill it in with an expletive as a general term. Very few people have language that is 100% clean (no anger, envy, lust,etc.) all the time, but the least you can do is make it not offensive (not just to God, but to my ears as well).<br />
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When people show you who they are, believe them....even if it's in the first 5 minutes of meeting them. Don't think "oh, maybe they're like this cause I'm meeting them in the middle of ___". This goes hand in hand with: Don't act fake with people. Don't butter up what you say to get them to like you any better....if you do, the real you may be a disappointment.<br />
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I have a good group of support from my girls a.k.a. female friends, but within that group there are different circles....and there's nothing wrong with that...not ALL my girls are going to meet each other. Don't expect that all of your friends will be cut from the same cloth as well.<br />
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Enjoying silence with someone is a good thing. Talking isn't the only way to communicate. Quality time is another way to.<br />
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If you believe firmly in something, find ways to help that cause/address that issue, don't sit idly by and let "someone" do it, cause then "nobody" will.<br />
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When someone feels like they are not priority with you, ask yourself why? Or better yet, see where your time is spent, cause that is one thing you only get to spend once.<br />
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Embracing all the details about yourself is one of the most liberating things....<br />
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I do have a thing for skirts and dresses...my girls know they will HARDLY EVER see me in pants...but on the upside, whoever I date/marry won't have to worry about me never wanting to dress up for anything. :-)<br />
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If you are honest with people 100% you won't have any lies to remember...<br />
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I meet a LOT of people...and as much as I try, I DO forget names...don't go running off getting offended....if I have to ask your name, that means I DO want to talk to you again...and would rather call you by your name than "hey you".<br />
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Taking time to read your Bible is important....I don't care if it's a physical book, e-reader version or a downloaded app on your phone....read it....it hasn't changed in YEARS for a good reason...obviously cause it's the correct thing to read....<br />
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Cherish your loved ones.....even if it's just a text, phone call, card.....let them know you love them....when they cross your mind, let THEM know. Don't just think, "oh, I wonder how they are doing..."<br />
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It's never saying "I love you" that's scary.....we say that to people all the time.....it's what HAPPENS after you say it that's scary.<br />
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Don't be afraid of change....Isaiah 43:2-3a....my favorite verse....look it up.....(just trying to help you with that read your bible part) :-)<br />
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Life changes and that's okay.....<br />
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Make time to do the things that matter....cause one day, you won't have the time to.<br />
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In relationships, never make the next relationship pay for what the last one did.....remember you're probably not someone's first significant other either, cut the newbie some slack.<br />
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Everybody's likes and dislikes are not going to be the same as others. The things that drive you won't be the same as the things that drive others. No need to look down on other peoples interest as trivial because they don't make sense to you. Not only is it annoying to them, it's also rude. Some people do things to get rich, some do it for the feeling of accomplishment.<br />
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Never be afraid to try again.<br />
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Enjoy your day and be blessed,<br />
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Roschelle<br />
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<br />Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-86961796150564944322015-01-13T12:46:00.000-06:002015-01-13T12:46:09.219-06:00Friends for Life and Different Seasons<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The topic of friendships has been on my mind for a while so in the spirit of that....here's the first blog of the year!!</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Every now and then I look at the friends that I hang out with more often and the ones that I do not. While I still have great love and admiration for long time friends and remember a lot of the fun and serious times I've had with them, it is in no way diminished by my lack of attention now. So many times we have a tendency to think of same gender friends, but no this covers the gender gap. I can think of guys that I've known for a long time (or a short time) and they have brought enrichment to me with their openness and honesty to me through our friendships the same way my female friends have.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Sometimes God gives you friends that you will experience certain things with, it does not make them more or less important then people you don't see anymore. When you are in an academic setting, God may give you people around you that know how to help keep you focused on school. People that will pull late nighters with you, go check out the new professors with you, help give you the moral support you need to get your degree. In a relationship setting, God may give you friends who have been through what you may experience in your own relationship with your significant other. In a religious setting, God will give you the friends that will help encourage you to recognize what your gifts are and to help you find a way to use them. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-size: large;">So many times, people do what I did...they move out of the area and make new friends. When you move back though, you may not hang out with the same people you hung out with before. It's nice to know that even though you may not hang out with them as much as you used to that there is no love lost. So many times people assume that just because they don't see you anymore or that you don't spend time with them anymore that you feel that you have become better than them. That is not always the case. More times than not, we find ourselves wishing that we could spend more time with people we used to but because of whatever we have going on presently in our lives, we don't. It's not a matter of like and dislike it's a matter of priority and what we need to take care of to do things for ourselves. I know I have groups of girls who are wonderful, some I met as a young girl overseas and today I'm still close with them even though we don't talk everyday. There's another group of girls that I went to high school with and they're always on my mind even if we're not planning a last minute get together, but in all the celebrations and heartaches they go through I go through them as well. I remember going off to college in a town that I did not live in, not knowing a single person at the school and I made a group of friends there that I will never forget. Looking at where I am now I have a few girls that I hang out with and bounce ideas off of and make memories with but it does not discredit anything that my previous friends have poured into my life.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-size: large;">I can't speak on the specifics about the friends that God has given you, but I can encourage you to do this: don't let those who you don't see or talk to on a regular basis lose hope that you still hold them important. Everyone wants to know that they mean something to someone else and that they will not be forgotten. It may be a text message, a phone call, tweet, Facebook message or card. Everybody has their faults and I know mine is sometimes keeping in touch with people on a regular basis. I keep the phone numbers and emails and get so busy doing other things and I don't stop and take those few minutes to just send a hello. Most times when I do get back around talking to some of my friends, so much has happened since the previous time that we have to play catch up. But the joy of having real friends is that they don't ride you that they haven't seen you or heard from you in a very long time they just say , "hey girl I haven't seen (or talked to) you in forever..." and then the next few minutes are spent on talking about what is going on in our lives.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #262626; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 15.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-size: large;">If you find yourself thinking about why you haven't heard or seen some of your friends don't get upset with them. If you have had no arguments, no disrespect, no unloving or inconsiderate moments, don't jump to conclusions. They may be going through something and they may be getting whatever support they need for that through someone else. Be happy for what you brought to their life, I'm sure they're happy for it. Just make a commitment to stay in communication with people more often that's all you can do... When someone crosses your mind, send a text, call them if you can...you'll both benefit from it. Friends are for life and for different seasons.</span></span>Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-64784666010247668652014-08-04T23:04:00.000-05:002014-08-04T23:04:21.057-05:00True Friendships are RealSo many times we hear or think about people's loyalty and you would think that there would be nothing to limit how far their loyalty goes. Sadly that is not the case....Most people have friendships with people where they may not talk to them everyday, and that is OKAY. Lately, I have seen in some of my friendships or in my friends other friendships where people who say they are our true friends, act in ways that are contrary. Some are new relationships while others are not. I can say this....someone who does something toward you that is not in your best interest is NOT your true friend. For example, I have a WONDERFUL, AWESOME best friend named JESSICA. Now I do have friends that I've known longer than her and friends that I've known much less than her that are also close, but none of them have the same bond that she and I share. Now in the roughly 15 years that I've known her, we have been through a lot together and separately. Here's a shocker....we DON'T always agree on everything (although we do agree on a lot). But we instead have our "sounding board" moments. I know at any time of day or night that I can call or text her and she will be there for me....and that whatever she says is the most unbiased, honest answer that I could ask for. She won't ever tell me something that is not in my best interest, even if it NOT what I want to hear. If I'm about to make a questionably bad decision...or maybe even one that may not be the most efficient, she'll tell me....and chances are she'll sound a lot like my conscience. The same way she is with me, I am with her. <br />
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When someone becomes my friend, not an Instagram or Twitter follower or Facebook friend, a bond is built that only few things can break it...dishonesty and envy are two of the biggest killers. <i>Side note: just because someone is my Facebook friend, that means that they are at least an acquaintance. I have an extensive list of friends/acquaintances that I've known across a number of moves with my family and a long list of cousins who we all find it easier to FB stalk each other...and it's acceptable.</i> When I think of how I WANT to be treated by my friends, I think of how I treat MY friends. If someone talks about me behind my back instead of to my face, that is hurtful and I in turn do not consider them a real friend, but maybe more of an acquaintance. If someone has some kind of dealing or arrangement with me and they don't hold up their end of it, I don't consider that person to be a real friend of mine. Real friends don't gossip about each other and they keep their word with each other. When someone has an arrangement with me and doesn't uphold it, or giving me a heads up about it, it shows that they could care less about the seriousness of it. If you take on the mentality of something not being a priority to you because it doesn't affect you directly (although it will affect a friend) that's not operating in someone else's best interest. In those times, you (along with them) find a compromise. For example, if Jessica is having a barbecue at her house and has asked me to bake a few desserts but then I go plan to go out of town leaving the morning of the event, it would not be right of me to just say "well I guess I won't do it, since I won't be there for it anyways." It's called: bake the night before or ahead of time and drop them off the morning of....Side note: if she's having a barbecue, I'm THERE!! haha.<br />
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True friends also don't use their friendships as stepping stones to "get more" out of life....that's what contacts are for. There is a such thing as networking and having contacts, but if you treat your FRIENDSHIPS like that, your friends will see through that. If you have friends that actually don't mind being a networking source for you, remember it goes both ways....they're a contact for you and you are a contact for THEM.<br />
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Life happens, we get it. But the joy of having real friends is that you have a bond with someone that GETS you....they understand you, they celebrate or hurt with you. Not all friendships are the same either. I have friends that I've met through different events or hobby similarities and I am close to them in ways I'm not close to other friends. We all have our shortcomings (just ask Jessica about my memory with exact birthdays) but we all ACCEPT them. Now that DOESN'T mean that you just act as a bad friend and blame it on that's "just the way you are". You try to CORRECT your hurtful actions (I personally found my Google calendar to be my best friend). When you make it a point to treat your friends right, and not just enough to appease the situation but to REALLY do the right thing, they will see that you are making an effort and will love you more for it.<br />
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TREAT YOUR FRIENDS WITH THE RESPECT AND LOVE YOU WOULD WANT AND YOU'LL SEE A DIFFERENCE...If you don't want to bother doing that, remove yourself from their lives, you will do them a favor of having to figure out that you're not a real friend and having to dismiss you politely (most of the time) from their lives.<br />
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*Now I'm not saying treat your close friends like royalty and your acquaintances like dirt....I'm just saying that you need to treat the people who are in your corner fighting for your best interest and good name right...and be there for them in the same fashion. <br />
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IF YOU HAVE NOT HAD A CHANCE TO CHECK OUT THIS GUY....DO IT......GREAT MOTIVATIONAL SPEAKER!! <a href="http://trentshelton.com/">http://trentshelton.com/</a><br />
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Wishing everyone success in all they put their hands to!! On that note, I am getting my Etsy store cleaned up and will be having a sale in the next few weeks! Stay tuned!! If you want to check out my store it's at <a href="http://www.etsy.com/shop/mindofaladybug">www.etsy.com/shop/mindofaladybug</a>Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-25783707028495242802014-06-06T11:43:00.000-05:002014-06-06T11:43:41.618-05:00Random Thoughts for the day...just something to chew on......Change.....<div>
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So many things can be summed up in that word. Recently....well not just recently....maybe over the past 4 years or so, I've come to realize that what I do for my career is NOT my passion....sure, I'm good at it, I enjoy it, but it is not something that I rush home to sit and think about. :-) Instead, I pour over Pinterest, Google, Polyvore, Better Homes & Gardens, Craftgawker,Threads, Jewelry making magazines, JoAnn, Michael's, Home Depot, Lowe's and any other site that gives me tools, fabrics, paints that I can SOMEHOW turn into a masterpiece....all that is DEFINITELY not Technical Writing. I remember thinking years ago....when I was in my early 20's that I would much rather have a job I ENJOY, even if the pay isn't great. Now just a few years later (who's counting) I have the same opinion. I would love to have a job I am passionate about that pays well enough to pay my bills, save/invest some and fund my passion. I have goals in sight and I definitely plan on fulfilling them, but my approach is a little different this time around. </div>
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It's never to late.....for anything...</div>
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So many times we talk ourselves out of doing something because we claim "it's too late for _____". NEWSFLASH: It's not too late, unless you're dead...and if you're reading this, you still have a chance.</div>
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It's never too late to work towards a goal whether it's (in my case) a new career, running a marathon, mending relationships, becoming independent, giving back, paying it forward, WHATEVER you want to do.</div>
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When things change, you may sometimes find yourself frazzled, spent, numb, completely depleted of ALL energy....take your time.....recoup, rethink your "plan of attack" then proceed. Sometimes we find ourselves in those positions because we doubt our own abilities...which is just plain old self sabotage. If you are indeed good at something, have the guts to recognize that and not downplay or run from it. Many times we do this if it's something we've never had formal training in. Think of it this way....God gives us talents....not the universities or schools we've graduated from. While they can teach us, they can't put in us what God gave us....</div>
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That is all for today....I hope you all have a wonderful day!</div>
Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-2699569576822750352014-04-14T23:31:00.000-05:002014-04-14T23:31:08.947-05:00The Gift of Inspiration<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #a64d79; font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i>When you find yourself inspired, be inspiring to others...Inspiration is the gift that keep on giving...you inspire others when you act on inspiration.</i></span><br />
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Over the past few years whether it's in music, jewelry, clothing, written pieces, building/construction or photography, I have found myself pouring over the works of others. The way they see, sculpt, build, explain or construct things, I will never understand it all; at the same time, it taps into my inquisitive side. Many Saturday and Sunday afternoons I have spent trolling Pinterest, magazine flipping or window shopping for my imaginary (future) home. Don't keep it to yourself....as you express yourself, you show others that there is nothing wrong with self-expression, it's okay to be different. But don't think for a moment that you don't have a choice whether your self-expression is good or bad. While you can't control how people interpret it, you can control the message you put out. USE IT FOR GOOD...There is nothing more inspiring than to have someone come and tell you at a later time that what you did, say, communicated touched them in a personal way that made them want to do better or do more for others.<br />
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I have my goals....I have my agendas.....I have my tools.......my God given abilities.....and I have my love of DIY....I have my support system.....and I always have my inspiration, even if I don't know what to do with it..scribble down the first thing that comes to mind. Sit on it, think on it, sleep on it.....but don't let it go to waste...<br />
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GET OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE! Stroll around, assemble something with different textiles, talk to people with different views, visit antique stores, snap pics using ALL the filters in your camera app...I mean it....you have do something different to get different results...who knows? You may find inspiration along the way...don't keep it to yourself!!!!<br />
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<br />Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-27567962311543939362014-03-31T20:01:00.001-05:002014-03-31T20:01:22.114-05:00Update for 2014!!! (+playlist)<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="344" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/aQP6t4_P2m0" width="459"></iframe>Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-11865865575281394282013-04-16T15:35:00.001-05:002013-04-16T15:35:39.832-05:00Jesus is the Best DentistSo we go to the dentist for cleanings, fillings and other orthodontic work….well Jesus is better…..<br />
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We go to the dentist for regular cleanings, they take care to look at all the trouble spots that we need to address soon and others that may be potential issues in the future. Well when we are regularly in tune with God and the body of Christ (this includes attending church) God uses praise and worship/music ministry and the sermons to touch our hearts to address the trouble spots we have in our lives whether it’s our behavior, attitude or lifestyle. The same way that a dentist examines all of the mouth, looking at glands and such, not just the teeth, God not only addresses us, but he examines all we deal with, it’s not about having one part right and everything else lacking. God is checking out our friends, family, jobs, hobbies, clubs and activities. We are told that we need to floss and brush our teeth and to use mouthwash….This can mean fasting and having a deeper prayer life than saying grace or praying just in times of trouble. A washing of the Holy Spirit can come through praying for and receiving a renewing of the Holy Spirit to guide us.<br />
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When a dentist finds that we have cavities that need to be filled, they will clean out the area then patch up the tooth so that it looks normal but is guarded against continual decay. God does the same for us. When we sin, we can repent to him (letting him fill us with what we need to fortify our spirits and ourselves) and He has the ability to patch us up to build us up so that we are ready to live how we should for him. But when a dentist finds a tooth that is so decayed that it cannot be patched, a root canal is done and a crown is placed in its spot. We sometimes get ourselves into situations where we hit rock bottom and there is no way out but for God to completely turn our lives upside down to rid us of what we have held onto for so long. When articles stick in between teeth or on teeth for too long, they start to decay the teeth….when we have issues or sin that we refuse to let go of, it decays our souls. Yes, teeth that are in need of repair are still usable, we can still use them to eat, but their condition continues to worsen, the same way that we can still function partially in the body of Christ and do work in our local communities and churches, but our lives, our souls continue to become weaker and more desolate. The same way the tooth is completely emptied of all that is in it, we have to WILLINGLY let God do the same with us…..clean us OUT, remove EVERYTHING…..and fill us with HIM. With the crown (new tooth) being put in place of the old one, God gives us a new look on life, a new drive to do what He wills. <br />
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In some cases where some may have to get dentures or wear partials, consider those to be our support groups. We don’t have to have them, but with them, things are so much easier to do. We can find the support we need from family, friends or even other outside groups. When it comes to dental assistants that help out the dentist, don’t think that God forgets about us there either. He surrounds us with people: who love and care about us to tell us the truth in LOVE, who will hold our hand when we can’t hold our heads up, who will push us to remain honest, who genuinely care enough about us to get mad at us for doing something that doesn’t help us become better people. I can’t speak for everyone else, but I KNOW God has placed some of those people in my life and to all the ones that I don’t have deep relationships with, I don’t discount the sincerity of their conversations. Those are like the commercials that we see reminding us about our dental hygiene, toothpaste, mouthwash or other dental needs.<br />
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We can attempt to tend to all of our dental needs (spiritual growth) ourselves, but in this case, Jesus is the best dentist.<br />
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Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-42148168086891028642012-09-16T23:10:00.000-05:002012-09-16T23:24:59.739-05:00Life Changes....And That Is Okay...So we think that we finally got a grasp on our situations...we think that things have finally reached a point where we can breathe freely....take a step back....chill...but no...there they go again....changing. It may not be a lot, just maybe some small detail...but something changes. There's a sense of betrayed ownership you get when the decisions you make seem to be tossed up in the air when unplanned changes come up. We, well I'll just say I since I can't speak for anyone else but myself, get jilted when our plans go awry and it's for no logical reason that we can see. <br />
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Sometimes, people change...they change for the worst, they change for the better. When they change for the worst, sometimes we have to be able to discern why and how to help them get back to their "normal" lives. Sometimes we just have to cut them loose so that their actions don't cause us to make the wrong decisions or influence us and persuade us to accompany them down the road of wrong choices. When they change for the better we need to be able to encourage them to continue to do the hard work they've done to achieve their goals. We need to let them know that we see and we appreciate the changes they are making so that they know that they don't have to celebrate successes alone. Not that we should always need an audience...but there is something to be said about when someone else recognizes the successes we make in our lives without us having to point them out.</div>
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Sometimes the situation changes...what was at one point bleak now looks promising and inviting. We had no car, no job, no significant other...now, we have a great running vehicle to get us to and from work and even out with our friends, we have a job that (while it may not be our passion) pays us well and helps us to afford some nice things. And now, what looked like the beginning of a life's worth of empty Friday and Saturday nights now needs a calendar to stay on top of everything that is going on. Or it could be that what was once a "sure thing" has turned sour and is now a heartache and a headache. You live, you learn, you lose a couple of years...but you keep the lessons learned.</div>
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We know there is nothing we can do to keep life the same day after day. If everyday wasn't filled with a new set of situations or choices to make, we wouldn't be who we are today..but what we can be sure of is that God has the final say.... We have to be able to trust that He has everything in control no matter what comes up...and when things are looking ridiculous to me I remember God's Sovereignty: Nothing touches me that has not passed through the hands of my Heavenly Father.</div>
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Most of the time when life changes, we get scared...even if we're happy or anxious, we get scared. It's the fear of the unknown that gets us...sometimes it's easier to face things if we know what we're up against, but when we don't know, it makes the whole situation very scary for us, it makes dealing with people around us very difficult. It's in those moments that we have to remember that He's got this...and He's telling us that life changes...and that's okay. Sometimes just knowing and believing that truth can relieve our shoulders of the weight that drags on us.</div>
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Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-14770156451892129612012-08-02T20:55:00.003-05:002012-08-02T21:01:35.488-05:00You Can't Get a Return on Something that You don't Invest InThis isn't Wall Street. You didn't put in your $20 worth so how can you expect to get back $200,000 worth? In the stock market, you buy and sell...hopefully making a return between doing the two...<br />
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So many times we find ourselves in situations where we want to experience the benefits, rewards or returns of hard work, prayer and perseverance. We forget that all the things done in preparation cost someone something....and us nothing. We expect that since we are doing what we THINK we're supposed to be doing that everyone else, including God, will recognize that we are such good, hard workers (although we've shown no reliable work ethic). Then when it comes time for compensation we are standing there with our hands out and open. We wonder why we see results showing up for everyone else...but not us. But then we have to think back....how much work did we actually put out for the very thing we want to be better? How much did we contribute? You can't have a small business that does floral arrangements and throw yourself into spending all your time working on your car and expect for your business to thrive and grow. <br />
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In our jobs, relationships or spiritual walk we can't trade in efforts for one area for rewards in another. You can't walk around declaring that you should be seeing things happen a certain way or that people should be treating you a certain way if you didn't try to take care of those things or people the right way before. The same way you get no return if you didn't invest in the money market, you don't get a return on your job with a promotion when you don't take training or try to learn new tasks. You don't get a return in your relationships when you don't treat people right that you say you care about. You don't get a return in your spiritual growth if your time with God is non existent or very little...and your prayer life consists of just praying over your food.<br />
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Now before anyone gets their feelings hurt, I know some of you are saying "but I DID put in hard work....I DID make an investment"...I HEAR YOU, believe me, I hear you. I've found myself in that same boat. Wondering how could I give so much or stick with something so much and instead of seeing a return on my investment, I seemed to be losing more and more....to this I offer this explanation...<br />
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In the money market, there is more than just one person involved cause if there wasn't the brokers would be doing business with themselves...seeing this, in our situations, we have to realize that there are more people involved in this effort to results equation. We can't expect everything to run smoothly all the time. <br />
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When we are looking for a return, first, we have to be patient....not with others or our situations, but with God. We have to allow Him time to put his finger in it and stir the situation and do with it what He wants. Second, we have to realize that sometimes the outcome of our return is different than what we were expecting. You may have been putting in hard work on your job, eyeing a certain position because it makes more money than your current one, but instead, God takes you completely out of the company you're working for and puts you in a company that better suits your lifestyle and long term goals. The friend that you've been trying to talk out of alcoholism for reasons of treating their family better dissapears and you lose touch with them only to find out that they went to rehab and now help run a center to help others the way they were helped, sharing the gospel and witnessing all along the way. The ministry that you've been pushing to get going and gain help doesn't pan out how you think it should but then you find that while interceding on behalf of those who it would impact, God starts pointing out to you things that He is trying to do in you.<br />
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I've found that in my own life, instead of looking at a situation and wondering where my return is for the years I've invested and the money I've spent, I'm realizing that God has grown me in areas that I let go lax in my focusing on my trials...and that in turn makes me a stronger person from here on out.<br />
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The return that I am getting is much more valuable than the time it took for me to get to this point. Life can be unfortunate at times, situations and people can upset us, but we shouldn't lose the remembrance that God is always watching over us....He knows our pain, he sees our tears and He also has it all under control. When getting our returns though, we have to do so with an open heart, not giving room for resentment or bitterness. We may continue to be let down, but resentment, bitterness and anger only hold us back from all that we are to receive.<br />
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But every now and then when you start to wonder why you're not seeing the results you want....or results period....consider what your investment is....Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-91237511052494528212012-04-30T21:23:00.002-05:002012-04-30T21:23:49.237-05:00God, Where's My Bonus?So many times I sit and wonder why we do what we do how we do it....Is it to get recognition? Is it because we are trying to get our point across? Is it maybe because we are working towards a personal goal?<br />
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I'm reminded of the story of the Pharisee praying aloud in the courtyard where everyone could hear him praying thank you to God for not making him like the others that have a lower social status than he did. He went on to publicly announce what he was doing and giving supposedly for God. Now when I say supposedly, I mean that he said he doing and giving those things for God but he wasn't, he was only doing them in God's name with a self righteous intent. How many times have we done that???? We do and give for God only to fulfill a selfish desire. I can say we because I know at times that has or had been me....I can only be honest..... (See Luke 18:9-14 and Matthew 6:1-8)<br />
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This past week I was on a cruise and was definitely impressed by the service I received. I do not even think that I really saw who provided my room service until the last day. They came in quietly while we were away to dinner or shows and took great care to turn down our sheets, leave chocolate, clean the bathroom, make a stuffed animal out of towels and didn't ask for anything. Their main goal was to provide the best service they could without bringing any special attention their way. They always want to exceed our expectations for service but they didn't leave us any notes asking us to only put towels on the floor in the bathroom or to not leave trash on the floor or counter. How many times have we treated God that way? Doing our best for Him, giving Him our best service and not asking for EVERYTHING in return? <br />
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God rewards what we do privately openly, not the other way around. For someone who manages their time wisely to accomplish their tasks, he may reward with a managerial position. For someone who manages their money wisely, he may bless with a job as a banker. Why do we try to do things out in the open with an audience and expect God to throw an extra large public blessing on top? He tells us that as much as we have done to the least we have done as much to Him. Sometimes we throw ourselves into solving our problems thinking that we are on the right track when we are so way off that we do not even realize that we have lost sight of the track. <br />
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This past weekend I heard a very respected friend of mine preach and she definitely was parking on a lot of toes including mine....she called us all to not let the things we go through steal our joy of doing things for God...and that is so true..<br />
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I thought about all the times I have gone through valley-like situations and have momentarily lost my drive to do anything for God. The past few years have been the greatest faith stretchers to my life....now, I cannot say that I have done everything right, cause I know that I have not, but I can say that I have tried to get it right or at least get the things that are in my control. God has allowed situations to come into my life that I would rather have not even wished on my enemies and I had to get honest with God and say "Really God???? You just had to let that happen....I'm not even trying to hear you...." and believe me, I was not trying to listen, not one bit. I was bitter about coming to church, I felt depressed, disappointed, alone, and all at God's hands...and here I am thinking, "God, I prayed, cried, fasted and for what? For THIS???? Nope, I am done...for real, I am done." Now it could have just ended there but no. I found that the only things I found joy in were the ministries that God put me in...I am not even kidding....I did not want to show up at church if I did not have to be involved in those ministries..and in being there to uplift my brothers and sisters in Christ, it pushed me to put my own issues to the side. Now I have faith in God to do certain things in my situation but I had to change my thinking. I could not think "God I STAYED in my prayer closet, so I need you to blast out this situation by doing it BIG!!!" God is not going to automatically bless me BIG or blast out my situation just because I was doing the smaller things that He called me to do regularly in PRIVATE in the first place.<br />
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We need to make sure that when we do things for God, we do them because we love Him for what He has already done for us. We should not do things expecting a future payoff. Now I look at my situation as every day is a new day, I find more ways to trust God, but not because of what I THINK He should be doing for me....I cannot go through my day thinking, "God, where is my bonus?" I should just be like the cruise staff....doing what I am supposed to, trying everyday to exceed God's expectations of me and not expecting anything in return......cause He has already done enough for me already....<br />
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Love you all..<br />
<br />Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-34545284714472285862012-02-16T18:27:00.001-06:002012-02-16T18:31:54.604-06:00Love and ComfortSo February 13th I was having a conversation with a very good, trusted friend of mine and I'm not sure how we got on the subject (probably talking about how I haven't written anything lately..lol). Anyways, we started talking about the different opinions people have about Valentine's Day and came up with few constants.....so let's dig in...<br />
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Many people want to be loved or receive some kind of token of the love from others. They may not love the person they want to receive it from, but they instead want <strong>themselves </strong> to be loved or desired. This is commonly confused by wanting comfort. Instead of actually appreciating and enjoying the other person for who they are and how they affect one's mental, emotional, spiritual or physical well being, they just want to be comforted. Finding comfort in things is not always good for you...<br />
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So many times we settle for more shallow shows/actions of "love" (chocolates, flowers, other items, etc.....bills paid, dinner, nice guestures, etc) instead of settling with the comfort of what real love is (without the shows/action). We should believe the real displays of love not comfort. Now before everybody starts saying "But I AM showing my love by doing those (tangible) things", I am not discounting those things, but people should know that we love them by how we treat them....how we speak to them....how we talk to them. <br />
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We find comfort in security (okay, I can only answer for females probably) whether that security is fulfilled through the tangible or intangible actions....but true love is not in the tangible (think about it, salvation is not tangible...duh..) but in the intangible. We need to be sure to not credit the tangible things as though they are the only real proof of love. Comfort is/and can be tangible and just because we can touch things does not make them more secure. Tangible things can also fall through our fingers. People can pay our way, get things for us and at the same time only mean for their intentions to be as deep as what they do for us. <br />
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On another tangent, let us NEVER have one day delegated to be the only day that we show people we love them...you never know when someone's day will be their last....so it should not be Happy Valentine's Day but have a loving life!<br />
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Check out my bestie's <a href="http://tablefortwoandcounting.blogspot.com/">blog</a> sometime too.. :-)Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-3499336805571728382011-12-29T00:40:00.000-06:002011-12-29T00:40:13.899-06:00What Happens When the Weather Changes and the Emperor is Still Wearing His New ClothesS<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">o many of us have heard of the tale of the Emperor and His New Clothes; an Emperor is talked into having clothing made of a precious material that is only visible to those who are worthy enough to see it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While his royal court sees no material or clothing being made, the tailors convince him that it works and is only seen by those who are of a good enough pedigree. His royal court for fear of being kicked out the royal home and service, goes along with the scenario. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He has a number of fittings and when the clothing is finished (and the tailors have been paid an outrageous amount of money) there is a processional for him to show his clothing off to the rest of the citizens. <o:p></o:p></span> <br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">While the processional is making its way through the city, the people are looking at the king who is wearing what looks like just his undergarments, although they were told that<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the special material is only seen by those who are worthy so they all pretend that they can see the clothing that had been made especially for him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After they get a short way through the city, a young child who is still young and not understanding the lie that everyone was accepting for the sake of not upsetting the King yells out, “Mom!! He’s not wearing any clothes!!” The King overhears the young child and cringes because he himself feels that he is a fake, not wearing any clothes but refuses to show it and tries to get through the rest of the processional without showing any signs of embarrassment.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">I find the story for us in this is more than just the story of not being coerced into doing things that put us out there, making us look foolish and jeopardizing our character.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Looking at the title “What Happens When the Weather Changes and the Emperor is Still Wearing His New Clothes”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>there is another side introduced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So many times we (the King) get involved in things where we put on a good front for others and do whatever we can to hide our true selves from people (wearing clothing only seen by those worthy). We try to surround ourselves with the people (tailors) who will stroke our egos and agree with the things that we tell them and won’t question our viewpoint or <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>authority.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we are ousted by a voice of clarity or truth we have a tendency to do as the King did and continue on our path, willfully undeterred by the truth ringing in our ears that we are living an unholy<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>lifestyle, that we are a fake…our<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>story is that those in our circle or those who are “worthy” in our eyes will let us just fly under the radar of living as we should because they are our friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We know in our minds and hearts that we are wrong, but we refuse to acknowledge the fact that we are wrong but instead draw attention to those who question us question their level of worthiness and their need to “reveal us” to ourselves.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The bad part is when people reveal us to ourselves and we publicly retaliate against them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We choose to make a public example out of them because we feel they are trying to embarrass us but in the end, we end up embarrassing ourselves and acknowledging openly that we were in the wrong. My personal motto is: “When I am in the wrong, I should not care what I look like while trying to get right.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I may look a mess, but the end result of what I am going to be is so much better than what I am or was”.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">The other side for the story is when the seasons change. If the season changed and the emperor was still parading around in his new clothes his body would still show signs of being open to the elements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it was raining, he would have gotten wet, if it was snowing he would have been freezing, if there was a sandstorm<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>or anything his skin would become chaffed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We would expect him to take measures immediately to shield himself from the elements forgetting <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>that he is supposed to be wearing clothing. But how many times do the seasons change in our situations and we refuse to acknowledge them or we just deny that any changes are being made or taking place.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We stick to our dishonesty and misconceptions in the name of not being embarrassed or having our true character revealed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even when the situations that we have been in have been completely depleted,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>we still hold on to a shred of pride or hope that we can just get by on the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>feelings and opinions about us that still hold us in high regard. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; line-height: 115%;">So many times we need to run back home like the King should have done to get some clothes and repent of what we’ve done and ask for forgiveness but we don’t.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The backlash is when those who mean us no harm are injured by our retaliation and whatever relationship is destroyed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whether they are in our “royal court” or whether they are acquaintances, we damage our relationships with them by treating them badly.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Catch the video which is on YouTube...<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7AkQZ6nvFsY&feature=youtu.be">link of the video</a>. (Excuse the lag in the video/audio -- I guess I need to use my camera and not my webcam next time)Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-88804927267874292582011-10-03T22:29:00.000-05:002011-10-03T22:29:49.866-05:00In my own wordsSo, in the past few months life has been hectic. I will say this....there is nothing like some personal crisis to make you re-evaluate your relationship with God. I have seen firsthand where when the Devil cannot get to you, he will attack those close to you, whether it be immediate family, in-laws, or your spouse. I have looked back on some of the not so wise decisions I made in college or while single, and I remember how at the time, they seemed to be great decisions...not so much anymore. (What WAS I thinking?) I have seen in my family, how other's bad decisions have affected their lives (and mine in the process). I have now been married 2 years and 4 months and thanks to certain restrictions from employers (lol), we're STILL newlyweds :-) Being married is a CHALLENGE....whoever disagrees must have married a clone of themselves...(this is the point where all married couples nod in agreement) GOD has been the glue for my marriage, and also for my peace of mind. With my husband and I having to carry on our lives miles apart, the Devil has certainly had his share of opportunities to break us up. Has he tried??? CERTAINLY.......That question should read, "WHEN has he NOT tried?" <br />
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I have found that the path to choosing forgiveness when you do not think it should be granted is paved not smoothly, but with cobblestones. Those cobblestones can be circumstances, haters or over zealous family, friends and acquaintances that do not want to stand idly by watching their loved one get hurt. When faced with making lifechanging decisions, I had to do what I had been doing from the jump....wait on God. Now that does not mean that I just did nothing. I took care of myself and business that needed my attention, but when it came to certain things, I had to let God do what he wanted to do....I could not rush anything. I had to be sure to dot all my i's and cross all my t's...I had to live in such a way that would bring glory to God and not myself. God teaches us to be faithful in all things, not just the big things. <br />
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Bluntly, in my mind I had thought so many things and made up my mind time and time again....but I could never accept one of those as being God's will for my life....so what did I do? Continue to wait on him. Now looking back on the decision to listen to God and not my own reasoning, I see that it was for a reason. As I continue to grow in this "new" area of leaning on God in my marriage, it lessens the expectations I have of my husband because I remember that God works on his life the same way He works on mine. I understand that both of us are two separate personalities, with separate hobbies, likes, dislikes and areas of ministry. On the other hand, we both have our own vices, downfalls, and triggers.<br />
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In my own words, all great marriages, comes with their share of growing pains and when both people are committed to something that they believe in and they keep God at the head, then it is more than possible for marriages to be successful. You stay in something if it is worth it....and anything that GOD ordains IS worth it. I am not saying this for me.....but I know that someone else needs to hear that it is not just them.....and it will get better....one way or another.....stay in the presence of God......Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-47069734221505308112011-07-12T14:24:00.000-05:002011-07-12T14:24:43.387-05:00Stick to the Script!So when a movie is being made, the movie director has a group of actors who are telling a story....a long cinematic story. It does not matter the genre...comedy, horror, romantic, etc. they all have a script. If the actors and actresses begin to add in their own lines to the script, and they fail to use the material that was given to them, what starts off as a sci-fi ends up a comedy and what starts off as romantic, ends up as drama. It does not matter what the beginning of the movie looks like, if you do not follow the script you will not get the movie you were hoping for.<br />
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When we think about plans/goals that we lay out for ourselves, it can run the same range of returns. When you learn a new language because of an upcoming trip to a new place, you may end up learning another language fluently but if you do not follow through and go visit, you may end up as a translator for a business somewhere. I know I have an ongoing goal for myself and although the script has changed a couple of times, the goal has not....how I get there has, but every time it has changed, I have stuck with it.<br />
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When speaking on credibility, if we do not stick to our word on things that we discuss with others, they will start to wonder if we are being honest. We cannot tell one group one thing and then tell another group something different then when someone finds the flaw, we get indignant....stick to the script...keep your word. If you say that you are going to do something, make sure you do it. With any task, there is nothing wrong with not being able to do something because you do not know how to, but there is something wrong with konwing how to and being able to and choosing to not do something especially if others are counting on you. Be courteous, let them know. This way the task is handled and you do not lose credibility (or respect).<br />
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In all these scenarios, giving up and quitting is never an option. It is always going to be an issue of getting things straightened out and maybe rewriting what needs to be said or done or even going back and scrapping the entire plan to come up with a better one..but when that happens, do not be worried, just continue to stick to the script. Even if the script changes and things come to an end, that does not mean that you quit, it just meant that the script came to an end.<br />
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Additionally: <br />
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When looking at the aspect of where to get your advice from.....Stick to the ScriptURE! With all the self-help, relationship, work ethic (and more) materials, so many times we bypass the Bible in lieu of other authors. If you find that the version you have is hard to understand, look into getting a version that makes it easier to read and understand.Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-13292302503242615582011-06-15T13:08:00.002-05:002011-06-15T13:15:10.905-05:00Do I Look Like a Bellhop?I have a set of luggage that I LOVE....no really I do. Although I would be floored if it was in my fav color (blue), I love it because of its size and the different pieces that came with it. One extra large, one regular, one carry on (the one I use the most), one large and one small toiletry pieces. Now when I travel, I carefully select what pieces to take so that I do not have to check any bags...I usually travel with two carry-ons and be done with it, I hate to travel with a ton of luggage. But I started thinking that if I was going to travel somewhere that has bellhops at the ticket kiosk, front desk or valet station, they would be able to help me at least unload my things from my car or vehicle and/or get me one of those rolling carts. If I was lucky enough to go to a really nice hotel I may even get a bellhop to carry my things to my room....a bellhop to <strong>carry my baggage</strong>.<br />
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So many times we treat our family and friends like bellhops without even recognizing it. We start off wanting someone to help us by bearing our burden (although we may not even be sure in what way exactly) and they end up carrying our baggage. We all go through trials and we need support (emotionally, physically, spiritually and mentally) and it may start off with us receiving prayers, words of encouragement, etc. but somewhere along the way, the burden turns into baggage. <br />
<ul><li>The burden of healing after a bad breakup turns into the baggage of being discontented with (wo)men or assuming all of them are dogs, golddiggers, etc. and finding something wrong with everyone else that our friends try to introduce us to. </li>
<li>The burden of finding a new job turns into the baggage of others paying our bills because they do not want us to be homeless or go without things we need and in the process we become dependent on them even <strong>after</strong> we may find a job to pay all our own bills.</li>
<li>The burden of self-improvement turns into the baggage of us frustrating others when we fail at keeping up our end of the bargain of being held accountable.</li>
</ul>Now, I will go out on a limb and put myself out there (because I definitely do not want to put anyone else out) and I will say this: I will help bear a burden, but do NOT look at me to carry your baggage. When I have to carry your baggage, I now have to think like you do, do like you do, and mirror you in every way. Not because it is necessary for ME to live, but it is necessary for me to carry your baggage. Now I am not saying this to be rude, but keep in mind, EVERYONE has baggage...whether it be good or bad....and that means I have my own to carry. Good baggage? Can there be such a thing??? Yes. Do we call it baggage? No. Why do we <u>not</u> call it baggage? Because it is not a burden. Think of non-profits...they are functioning to help a cause. The person who started the non -profit may have had an experience that made them more sensitive to certain situations and whenever that situation comes up, they feel the prompting to help.<br />
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But back to the baggage...We always hear that we are supposed to learn from a situation but leave the baggage. So many times we think we do that, only to find that we have been dragging our baggage behind us on a cart tied to our ankle. When our pace slows because we find ourselves back in the same situation, that is when the baggage cart keeps rolling and hits us in the achilles tendon like how kids catch their moms with grocery carts and we are reminded all over again about the baggage we have been dragging. The easiest way to do a spring cleaning is to go over the baggage that you have (including your carry-ons) and start looking at what is packed in them. If there is no useful information or outcomes, then it is not worth holding onto. Nobody packs heavy coats, earmuffs, scarves, winter boots and gloves to go to a beach destination vacation...if the items inside the suitcase are not the right ones, you do yourself no favor by bringing them.<br />
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Now letting go of baggage can be hard, but believe me, you will start to see how much lighter you feel in all aspects after getting rid of things. Keep this in mind though, you can only get rid of your own baggage....you cannot help someone else get rid of theirs. People will only get rid of their baggage when <strong>THEY</strong> are tired of dealing with it. (Reminiscent of my <a href="http://mindofaladybug.blogspot.com/2010/05/hoarding.html">Hoarding</a> and <a href="http://mindofaladybug.blogspot.com/2010/05/addition-to-hoarding-blogon-spiritual.html">Addition to Hoarding</a> blogs). When we refuse to get rid of our baggage we build an area around us, where our baggage is just sitting and it keeps others at bay.<br />
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Imagine sitting in the middle of a room with about 100 suitcases surrounding you. Some suitcases are small and light while others are large and heavy. When other people come to you, they cannot even approach you becuase you are surrounded by baggage, they cannot get to know the real you without having to move or carry away some of your baggage. Now think of how many pieces of luggage you personally can move without getting tired quickly...now imagine someone else doing the moving. People will give up on trying to get to know you or help you because you have too much baggage in the way.<br />
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Remember the bellhop? Everybody has a purpose, everybody has a part to play, and everyone deserves appreciation. In most areas, it is a general custom to tip the bellhop and we need to remember to tip ours. Most of the time our friends do not want or expect a financial payback for their listening ear or advice, but a word of thanks, a note, text or card is a nice thoughtful way to pay them. Think of how you want others to respond when you come to their aid...Remember, when we remember to keep our baggage light and tip the bellhops, they do not seem to mind helping us when we repeatedly need it.Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-89132598884209674582011-06-14T10:30:00.001-05:002011-06-14T10:30:39.299-05:00Extreme Couponing for JesusSo I was on the couch one evening watching the TV show "Extreme Couponing"...to anyone who has never seen this show, it will leave you second guessing your ability to get every cent worth out of your coupons. The shoppers are usually moms with multiple children and are stay at home women. They dedicate about 30+ hours to researching stores and cutting coupons for a shopping trip that will take them about 3 or 4 hours at the least. They will end up buying 4 or 5 different items but have them in multiples like 70 containers of mustard or 30 packs of hot dogs or 90 bottles of tylenol but the kicker being that when they get up to the register their total may be in the $1,200's but they only pay about $2.00. All that started my thinking, how many times are we presented with a chance to witness to more than one person at a time but we bypass that chance? We may be in a public area or in the company of more than one or two people who we know are unsaved but we keep OUR (rolling my eyes) Jesus in a box, not sharing him with anyone. The value of 100 people's lives to God is worth more than the $1.00 worth of our time it will take for us to say something to them to share Jesus. I'm not saying that we have to squeeze out the Gospel in a nutshell every time, but we could give a Godly opinion or advice from how God would want us to respond to others and give God a shameless plug. If those moms can go shopping and get 100 cans of baby food for $.02 because they do a little careful planning, why can we not plan the same when it comes to our witnessing? We sometimes think that it takes so much to witness, like we need a committe/board, or to host a huge event....and that is not the case, the way we conduct ourselves is sometimes a huge witness especially if we have been through hard times. The same way those moms will only get 5- 10 different items, we may only be targeting 5 - 10 different types of people. But the value is when those 5 - 10 can go back and share what they experienced. We need to look at our surroundings and see every day of our life as a chance to do some extreme couponing for Christ, even if we are a silent witness.Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-87616381067498427052011-05-04T14:55:00.002-05:002011-05-04T14:55:50.472-05:00I am CoveredI am covered.<br />
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I was watching a video of Beth Moore speaking with a group of women about “5 things to be happy about”. One point that she made that hit home with me was “I am covered.” The explanation behind it was that I am covered by God….but only after I lay myself bare to Him. When we come to God and admit to our sin specifically, then He can cover that specific sin. Moore says, “God will not cover what we cover, he can only cover what we uncover.” Notice I did not say admit to the Pastor, Bishop, Pope or church clergy…or other family in Christ. I said God. We try to half-repent, repenting to only the obvious things that others can see, but we keep the roots covered, like repenting of the fruit our trees bear will kill the root issues. Hmm. Now what sense does that make? But that is for later discussion. <br />
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Back to going bare before God…We try to hold on to a little bit of sin thinking and saying in our heart to God, “you get that big, ugly sin over there that makes me look bad, I can handle this little bit over here. I know you taught me to come to you for help instead of doing it myself, but God, I have grown in my walk and I think I can handle this lil’ bit of sin.” We have to come to God and specifically say what we are sorry for. We already know the feeling of freedom in God for repenting of our sins and receiving Him as Lord of our lives (if we are saved) but why do we not want that same feeling when it comes to repenting for just ONE sin in particular? It is like I have talked about with friends, when we apologize for something it does not make sense for us to apologize for how someone else feels in a situation or how I feel (even more self-centered). It only makes sense for me to apologize for what my part was in the issue, same thing when we come to God, we have to apologize specifically for what we did or did not do. If we do not then the apology means nothing to the person who needs to hear it…including God. He knows when we are bluffing on our apologies to Him any day but I would think He is especially concerned just before we take communion. I can think back in my teens and young 20’s when I may have not been involved in the most wholesome leisure activities and I would ask God for forgiveness but in my heart I was not really trying to do the right thing. I was trying to do what I wanted…why? ‘Cause I was selfish and not interested in truly doing God’s will. I had to get to the point where I had to come to God and lay my heart out…admit to my selfishness, my envy, my hate (Gasp? Me? Hate someone? Yes…but I had a long history of learning how to craft the “slap on smile”). But the greatest joy was the feeling that even in my much less than perfect being, God was the best cure, solution, comfort, redeemer, Savior, provider…..and oh how I could go on… God lets us know that when we surrender our lives to him complete with all the unmentionable sins that we have committed and tried to sweep under the rug, He gladly covers them with the blood of Jesus. God I am sorry….mmmmmm. God, I am sorry for lying to my parents about where I went out to last weekend…covered. God I am sorry…..hmph. God, I am sorry for not doing as the Holy Spirit prompted me when____.....covered. Point is, we can try to be general with God like we are with people, but people are not the ones who cover us with sinless blood and stand in for us to the Father and save us from Hell.<br />
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Okay, now back to half-repenting for the things that we know we need to rid ourselves of but we try to repent of the fruit and not deal with the root cause. I heard something in a bible study a few weeks ago that made so much sense to me…”be careful of the seeds you plant because in time they will bear fruit.” No matter what the seeds are: anger, joy, love, hate, thankfulness, regret, etc. THEY WILL BEAR FRUIT. I find it so funny (yes, even sometimes at my own expense) that we are so stunned to see how our unwilling attitudes to help others will affect our kid’s attitudes to be selfless when they get older. Or to see how when we stay true to what God would have us do how it teaches them to stay with God’s directives no matter what the personal cost is, that God’s way is always more beneficial. So WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY WHY…..WHHHHHHHHHHHHYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY do we act like the “lil bits” of sin that we hold on to will not blossom into some huge stubborn ROSE bush with thorns? I say rose bush because: 1. Sin is always attractive, how do you think Satan gets us to sin? The appearance of sin is NEVER ugly…. 2. It will not be like a tree that grows straight up for the most part, one huge trunk with a few branches that may break the main growth pattern. It will have at least 3 or 4 branches or vines that break off, each having their own bunch of roses and thorns. Yes, there may be a luscious rose that beautifully peeks out its head and shows that yes, something attractive comes out of the bush, but do not forget about trying to prune that bush, you will have your own set of finger pricks to deal with. Seriously, we figure we will not do stuff like gamble or watch porn (yes I said it), but we will spend a good $30 on scratch offs or watch shows that have people wearing less clothes than infants and say, “but they have clothes on” or we will say, “but the main parts are covered”. Okay, maybe none of us have struggled with that. Here is another one that for me has ALWAYS been a struggle…”I am not listening to the words, so it is okay to listen to the music.” The bad part is that is a dangerous one. What you listen to, you put in your spirit, and what you put in your spirit comes out in your actions, beliefs, words, etc. I can remember hearing songs that my parents would hear and frown on (and most assuredly speak out against—repeatedly) and I would say “well it is only the instrumental” or “I am not listening to it for the words” but what good does saying that do if I KNOW the words? <br />
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Seeing from these examples, we have to watch what we allow into our lives, it may be activities, issues or people. Whatever or whoever those things may be we need to apologize for those things to God (and to those affected). It never seems like a huge deal to us, but it is a huge deal to God when He is waiting to forgive us for the sins that we have committed and cover us. We think that wearing the big girl or big boy pants for 0.2 seconds and getting through a time of trial classifies us to somehow trumping God’s decision and we self-medicate ourselves with our pride and self-righteousness. One last thing that Moore said that was a stick pin was that until we fully accept and embody our forgiveness in Christ we will continue to fall into some form of the sins we struggle with. When we cannot fully accept that God makes us whole and He forgives us and accepts us into a life of righteousness we will continue to struggle and relapse. So what do we need to do? LET IT ALL OUT……TO GOD….YOU WILL NOT BE SORRY……JUST COVERED.Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-37510227820716512212011-04-19T13:40:00.000-05:002011-04-19T13:40:25.802-05:00Void? What Void??So many times we call ourselves busy....busy doing something good, when all we are trying to do is fill a void that we may not realize is there. Chew on this ....just because we have a void doesn't mean that the space isn't filled by something else. We feel the emptiness with something else, trying to compensate. We figure that if we can just do enough _____ or enough ______ then people will be fooled by or accept what we're doing as doing the right thing. We just say that we're looking for opportunities to do something...good. But no, it's not the <strong>RIGHT</strong> thing, it's just <strong>A</strong> thing and if it's not right then it's <strong>WRONG</strong>. We run around, not stopping to hear from or look to God see what He has for us. We figure we know what the Bible says, we've all heard the stories...we know all the clichés...but who cares? We will just do whatever we want because it feels good...it feels productive...it makes us happy... all this to fill a void....who cares what it is or who is affected. The sad truth is that the void that we don't realize that we have is the one that only God can fill. He has everything under control when we don't see how...He is the only one who truly knows us...He knows why we have this emptiness. He sees how it started and He knows how it will end. <br />
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God is waiting for us to see that we need Him more than we realize and that if we would just surrender to Him, the void that we mask as "being busy" or "doing God's work" would be filled with the love, divine will, patience, and understanding that He wants to impart to us. Now maybe some of us have "arrived" and we don't have any voids in our lives...but even then, there may be areas of our lives where we are lacking love, peace, joy or other things that God can make full. We need to remember that while we are hard at work for God, not to get carried away in things, events, occasions and the like...we need to remember what the agenda is...and stay true to our beliefs and the reasons why the things, events and occasions take place. The void we may have can be detrimental to us and our work for God if we are not careful to let all areas of our life be ful filled by Him.<br />
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I read something today in a book (given to me by my mom) "He Speaks to Me: Preparing to Hear from God" by Priscilla Shirer that really just hit home for me...<br />
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"God is love....all the time....God is good....all the time". <br />
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No matter what the void is, God is our only option for filling it correctly......mmm...I think I need to Facebook status that... :-) <br />
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Have a great life!!Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-69396620240883680172011-04-12T11:45:00.000-05:002011-04-12T11:45:57.449-05:00The Storm Regulates the Atmosphere<span style="font-size: x-small;">First, I will definitely give credit to my good friend James...the title is from something he said :-) </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Second, I know it has been too long since my last post, but I have come to understand that sometimes when God is taking me through things, I find it hard to encourage others without tainting the messages I feel that God is laying on my heart...and honestly, it is hard for me to hear from Him and talk to you all at the same time..</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">On with the Blog!!!!... :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">We see this all the time...the weather reporters talk about how there are cold and warm fronts moving across the land and how where they meet there will be a storm or undesirable weather. We watch TV shows with storm trackers looking at hurricanes that form over the water and we observe some of the storms gaining strength while others weaken and dissipate. The atmosphere is in turmoil with itself...there are two or more change agents at work, and in its path, you may find that the skies are dark, rainy, windy and such. When fronts collide or when the storm grows stronger, moving across land, we have storms that may do little harm or we may have tornadoes that destroy homes and take lives. The one thing that happens for certain is that after the storm, the skies could not be more clear. The atmosphere received a serious scrub down, a heavy duty-wash. Now, things are calm and tranquil.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">Such is the same in our lives...even when we do not see the building issues (opposing fronts) in our lives, they are still there. They may be far off or they may be right around us but still not be "visible" to us. As we feel or see the tension (storm) building, we have to prepare ourselves for whatever situation may arise. As we begin to deal with trials, tests, issues, unrest and the like in our lives, we will question God more than once...more than twice....more than three times....oh you do not? then I will just be honest and say I have....I find myself dealing with situations that I NEVER thought I would have to deal with and more than once I have wanted to just give up. And even more than that, it is not even just one "storm" it may be a series of small ones...they may vary in the strength of their damage but they are there nonetheless there. As the issues are brought up and dealt with, the storm wears down, and we start to see the clearing of the skies....the end of it all. Only sometimes we realize that the storm that we just went through took lives. With an actual storm this happens and it is tragic. In the "storms"/issues in our lives, people may not lose their lives, but they may be removed from our circle of influence. We may find that there were some who removed because they were no good for us or we were no good for them. Yes, there will be aftermath from the storm to deal with. You will have to either completely tear down things that are half standing or rebuild things that were damaged but one thing we will see is that GOD has regulated the "atmosphere". He has pushed the reset button.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">With all issues we deal with, there will be collateral damage. Sometimes a lot, sometimes just a little, but if we had not gone through those storms, God would not have been able to stretch us and push our limits of understanding, wisdom, devotion, perseverance, and such. I find there are some things that I have to pray for EVERY DAY....for God to constantly keep me in the right frame of mind....for me to learn the lesson from my storm....to not go back to things that He removed while I was in the storm. I also have to learn to deal with what is left over after the storm even if it is aftermath from someone else's storm.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">In time, after the storm, the days WILL look brighter (even if it is just a small percentage more than the day before). It may take a long time but it will get better. We may see that our surroundings are much different but as long as we continue to lean on and learn from the Lord, we will be fine.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">As I write this as encouragement to you all....I write it also to encourage myself. Thank you for all who have kept me in your prayers as I continue to seek God more in the midst of the aftermath of a personal storm. You all continue to be an encouragement to me while I try to be an encouragement to you. Be blessed!!!!</span>Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-4192446083842946892011-01-17T12:25:00.001-06:002011-01-21T10:21:06.987-06:00Even the Valleys Have a BottomThink about it....you're looking at a lush green valley...and there's a river flowing through it. The river winds down the slope and as it flows the lush green gives way to a dark winding current with fallen trees and things lurking in the water. Just like the river flowing in the valley, this more dense area has deep water but there is a riverbottom. The river is not some bottomless pit. I can think of things that I have gone through where I feel like I'm in a valley and I've wondered and thought "God, why me? What did I do to deserve this valley in my life?" While I'm sitting there watching the situation get worse and worse,I feel like the situation is just going to continue to worsen every day. But then I realize, this is a valley I'm in, not a bottomless pit. Things will stop getting worse at some point...So many times we find ourselves dealing with an issue that just drains us mentally, physically, spiritually and we wonder if God is with us in that valley, but we have to remember that if the rivers IN the valleys have a riverbottom, then our situations do have a limit on how much worse they can get.<br />
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As we continue on our course, we are shaped by our situation, the good that happens and the bad that happens shapes us to be a different person. We have to pray and seek God's guidance not to just give up, we have to keep doing the right thing and see the value in our valley. Like the saying goes, "what doesn't kill us makes us stronger" The saying never implies that your situation will come out the same at the end but just that if you make it through you will be stronger because of it. Sometimes God takes us through things to show us ourselves, we get down into the tough, turbulent areas of our valley and God shows us what we are made of and what we need to better ourselves in. That is the riverbottom....the lowest point that God takes us to where we realize what we need to do.<br />
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In my own time of going through a valley, I'm finding out so many things about myself, areas where I feel stronger in, areas that I don't care for as much as I thought I did....lots of self realization going on... many things about myself that I may not have seen had I not been in this valley. I know that God has something in the works right now, I just need to pray that I am silent enough and obedient to get what I need out of this experience.We all need to remember to take our time in doing what God would have us do and not to act based on emotions but on what God would have us do. <br />
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The valley does come to an end....either where the ground slopes back up to where you rise again to a mountain top or to where your river gives way to an ocean, a new frontier in your life...with it's own set of highs and lows....but remember there's no bottomless pits cause even the valleys have a bottom.Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-11803904246920489772011-01-09T22:34:00.000-06:002011-01-09T22:34:21.645-06:00Forgiveness and RedemptionOkay, for those of you who may have never read any of my other blogs, this one will actually be a part 2 in sorts to one I originally wrote back in November '09 (posted 4/22/10). See the link to read it...for those of you who have read it, it's the blog about <a href="http://mindofaladybug.blogspot.com/2010/04/forgiveness-orig-posted-112909.html">Forgiveness</a>. <br />
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So the short recap on forgiveness is that we need to give it, even when we don't want to. It's not for them, it's for ourselves. But after forgiveness it's sketchy. I have faced some of the toughest situations where forgiveness has had to be given and although that was not the hard part (because we're all human and screw up sometimes), redemption is a whole 'nother story.<br />
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So "redeem" according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary means: to get or win back, restore or repair. If we look at this as a starting point, then we will see something important....when you lose something and get it back or have something repaired or restored, it may NOT be the same as it was before whatever happened for you to lose it in the first place. So many times we will be in situations where we do something stupid, careless, or malicious and we will in turn affect the people around us whether it be a great deal or minimally and it's in those times where we may need to be redeemed of what we've done or said. While we may hope that a complete redemption can be given, we have to face the facts that a full redemption may not be possible. <br />
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I remember an incident between some friends and I where I was a little less than tactful and I ended up hurting a good friend. In the time following that, I had a fall out with other mutual friends who came to the first one's defense. Well in the long run, it's been about 9 years or so and I have made up with the friend who I offended and we talk often now (which is wonderful) but my relationship has never been the same with the other mutual friends. Now in that situation there was a full redemption (with the offended) and a partial redemption (with the others). It may not be what I want it to be, but I have to (and have) accepted that what's done is done. We have to come to that conclusion when we need or ask for redemption, what's done is done and we are at the mercy of the "redemption giver". We can't EXPECT them to grant us full redemption because it's the "nice thing to do" or because we're their friend, but we have to face the music so to speak and deal with the outcome. We can do or say things to gain back as much as possible, but we must know that we may not gain back 100%. <br />
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So, what do we do if we are the one to redeem someone else? After granting forgivness, we have to assess the situation. We look at all the things that brought about the breach in the relationship (coworker, friendship or otherwise) and we have to look at EVERYTHING.....the qualities of the person, surroundings, how we are tied to the one who offended us, etc. When there is a partial redemption we can be cordial with folks and get along with them, but we still keep them at a distance because we remember what happened to cause the distance. Now I don't need to hear from the "redemption seekers" that we're still not being fair...just because they apologized and we forgave them.....just because forgiveness is granted it doesn't mean that we always put them back in the proximity to us they were in before. I have been in situations where I have had to forgive some folks for something and in the same breath let them know that things were not going to be the same anymore. It is not that we keep the offender at a distance because we have a grudge, but because we see or realize that they may not be good for us or are not headed the same direction we are in life. I've dropped a number of friends for reasons like this...and if you're reading this then obviously you are not one of them...lol<br />
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We can reach the point where we forgive but we redeem over time, true redemption is almost never immediate. There may be times where we forgive and we can redeem in a short time....and there are times we can forgive and it takes a long time to restore anything at all. It depends on what the situation is for the main part. I have found that prayer has been the best policy for me when faced with a serious decision...of how much redemption is adequate...or desired. At the same time while redemption is being administered, there can be hiccups along the way that sharpen our view of the future....in everything that we do, I believe that when we trust God to take full control that He will give us peace about the level of redemption that we grant to the offender (and also about the direction of our lives going past the offense)...<br />
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Well that is all I have for you all tonight...I'll keep the blogs coming......<br />
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Be Blessed!!Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-17871421308903916452010-11-30T07:42:00.000-06:002010-11-30T07:42:15.231-06:00Embracing the Good ( By: Patsy Clairmont...Repost from Women of Faith)<span style="color: blue; font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"><em>After going through some tough times myself I read this in my email this morning and thought that I would share.....Love, Roschelle </em></span><br />
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Endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. Consider what I say, and may the Lord give you understanding in all things. — 2 Timothy 2:3, 7<br />
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It isn’t natural to look for good in bad. It’s far more human, when bad rears its ugly head, to gaze upon it stymied. But when we believe that God designs and redesigns all things for our good, even when the intent of others is for our demise, it allows us to let them off the hook and look up. Our task is to detect and embrace the good, which means we will have to be alert and discerning if we are to benefit from the windbreaker of gratitude.<br />
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I’m not thankful when my heart is broken, yet I’m grateful that through internal ruptures comes a deeper compassion for others who grieve. I had no idea how unaware and indifferent I was toward the agony of others until I suffered through a season of intense winds and came out of that time with enhanced sensitivity. It wasn’t that I hadn’t cared about others; I just didn’t have a clue what their struggles were costing them until hardships exacted a high price from me.<br />
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Someone once said, “We can only know joy to the degree we have known pain.” Hardships have the potential of carving out greater space for God’s grace within us. And grace helps us to live with life’s inequities without the disabling residuals of anger, bitterness, and disillusionment.<br />
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— Patsy ClairmontLadybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-64796255545093816872010-11-27T15:58:00.000-06:002010-11-27T15:58:03.403-06:00What's Your Motivation?So I'm re-evaluating my approach....on everything. Have we ever found ourselves in a place where we thought that we were handling everything to the best of our abilities the CORRECT way? Of course we have....we plan everything out, we do our own risk assessment of the situation and figure out how to make a situation work out to the best of our advantage without overstepping anyone or trampling on anyone needlessly. But then wait, out of nowhere we are faced with something that completely stops us in our tracks and makes us think again. One little gust of wind is all it takes to blow down our house of cards...We try so hard to salvage what is left and it's like when we try to salvage anything, the pieces left just seem to internally combust in our face. We cry, we pout, we scream, we feel hopeless......but we know we need to keep moving...to stop is to give up. We may need to take breaks to cry, wipe our noses, pray, but we keep moving.<br />
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In finding what God's will is in our lives we may feel like we lose our way, get sidetracked and have blockades in our way from those who do not want us to be successful. I find myself getting burned out sometimes from doing things....not because I don't enjoy them, but maybe because I DO enjoy them, but for the wrong reasons. When I'm not living in a way to help others and become selfish, things get stale....I run out of energy, I'm grouchy, grumpy....whatever. Now I'm not saying for everyone to call, text, email or contact me otherwise to see what kind of creation I can do for them (lol), but I'm saying that as long as I keep everything in the right perspective then I have less occasions of my house of cards falling in on me.<br />
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I make sure to have my priorities right and have balance in my life....I remember to pray, take care of my family's needs, read my Bible, be good at my occupation, attend church, be a great friend, keep my morals and beliefs, have hobbies that are beneficial to someone even if the greatest impact is not on myself, etc. I've seen that when my motivation is not right, then I'm not successful. When the deck of cards is bent and the cards are damaged from continuous use and not taken care of properly then they will set you up with a shoddy foundation. But when the motivation is correct (a fresh stack) then you can have great results. Remember this: When we become self-centered, the undesired results will also be centered back to us...Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-3221232903737646122010-11-05T09:56:00.000-05:002010-11-05T09:56:38.281-05:00How Fat is Your Character?Now before you think "What in the world?", reread the title: How Fat is Your CHARACTER. This past week I was thinking this: The good that people ASSUME about us should never outweigh the TRUE WEIGHT of our character. (I know I am guilty of this myself, so please do not think that I am pointing fingers.) <br />
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When you look back in history or just look at certain groups and civilizations, being fat is a sign of being wealthy. (I'm not not talking about gluttony, that's a whole separate subject.) There's enough food to eat, there's no thought of starving...the people are plump. We should be the same way with our character. If we one of God's children then we have more than enough to eat and there is never the thought of an upcoming famine. <br />
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God equips us with so many things: gifts, talents, fruit of the Spirit and the armor of God. We should be learning as much as we can and gaining weight in our character to the point that it is overweight....but then again, your character can never be overweight, but it can certainly be underweight. When we neglect our bible reading, study time, fellowship with other believers and such, our character "body" becomes lean, trim and is soon withering...but if we are putting up a good front, we will continue to have other people assume things about our character. Our character is shaped by the choices we make. When we have the chance to make the right decision we are taking the initiative to positively influence our character. So many times we let what other people assume about us precede what is the truth about us. Whether it be good OR bad, we let other people's opinions and not GOD shape our character. We should always strive to live for God and to do what He has for us and not coast on the cloud of praise. <br />
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When God is shaping and molding us, it will hurt and we may go through some much needed pruning but that is the cost. While God is putting us in situations that are building up our character, He is adding that heavy weight that will stick to us.....compare a light salad with a grilled chicken fillet to a home-cooked meal of greens, cornbread, smothered steak, mashed poptatoes with gravy, corn and your favorite dessert.....which meal will stick with you???? Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6704095522707472767.post-57513200057079257342010-10-18T13:02:00.000-05:002010-10-18T13:02:32.029-05:00Grow, Stretch and Strain, Take a Hiatus, then Plow....Okay, so you can look at the title and figure it out that's what I've been doing. You all know that I've been blogging for under a year and it has been a wonderful experience. I started making YouTube videos and looking into other ways to "expand my horizons". Recently I've been thinking of how so many of us are involved in a ministry whether it's a large group at our local church, community, workplace or if it's just a self-started personal ministry. Everybody has something that they are involved in where they can contribute to making a difference in someone's life. If you are a secretary or aide, you can set the tone for an office with your attitude. If you are a stay at home parent, you can do the same with your family and those who come by for a visit. If you work in a medical profession, you are working in an area that can affect someone's health and livelihood. In the church, you can help strengthen another's spiritual walk. <br />
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No matter where God has placed us, we have to learn to keep at what ever work He has given to us. It will not always be fun, nor will it always be easy. When we first begin, we will grow in ways we never imagined...then as the load gets heavier, we question God about if we are really doing what He wanted us to do.....we stretch to cover everything or to move out of our comfort zone (without remembering to pray for continual guidance and other things) and then IT happens....we strain ourselves. Whether it's our spirit, body, finances, patience, perseverance, or peace of mind, we strain something. Then there we are looking helpless and ridiculous thinking "now, if I had only consulted God first....." The good news is that He is ready and able to quickly repair us..even if we have to bear the consequences, He still gives us a solution. <br />
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Sometimes we have to take a hiatus, disappear, lay low.....only to rise for a quick breath then sinking again into a dark abyss....like a hippo... Similar to sabbaticals, hiatuses are like mini rejuvenation vacations. When I think of a hiatus, in my mind I'm in a spa, being pampered gently till I doze off only to wake up and have drool running out the side of my mouth. It's during those times where we refocus, gather our material, sanity, and desire. Saturate ourselves with the Holy Spirit.....We start to remember why we got into our ministries in the first place and before we know it we're on that last step (which happens to be the beginning of the first step): Plowing. <br />
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We return feeling refreshed, rejuvenated, like a younger but wiser version of ourselves. We have the stamina we wish we had before...we stand in front of the door of opportunity ready to march in and seize whatever comes to use it or to be used in whatever way is determined. We are ready to plow the field before us to prepare it for future yield. Don't get discouraged when things don't quite work out how you want them to.....things happen for a reason independent of how we feel they should go. God has the situation under control....so go ahead, go through the cycle....every time you will come out better prepared, stronger, fresher than when you started.Ladybughttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06558213567016017157noreply@blogger.com