This week is my writers week… a full seven days without any appointments or obligations that might cause me to exit my abode. I am going to be spending it fully immersed in Brutus, as I wish to get several chapters ahead of what you’re reading, so I can place them remotely on the days of Surgeries, naps and covered eye patches. I begin that portion of my journey on the 29th and it will be several weeks of surgeries, post ops, and rechecks… as well as strange schedules of sleep, eye drops at all hours, and most likely, a very new and brighter world. You know that my personality would not let me just leave you guys hanging out by yourselves on the days I may not be able to be here. Just know that I will be in the lobby in spirit, if not in person on certain occasions in the days to come…
You guys do realize that you can just go out and pick any funny joke you find, within reason, and post it on Wednesdays? I didn’t want you to think that I was expecting you to come up with new ones… who wants to think that hard in the mornings about a joke?!
Live Novel Friday continues with chapter 7 of Brutus… if you are just joining us of late, feel free to go back into the archives and find the beginning.
Saturday will be #14 in the Note To Self series for those interested.
Live Wire Sunday continues into the book of Exodus as we follow Gods people into their wilderness.
Oh, and I added the next episode of My Truths in the Lobby for those following the story.
Who would want to go through life without something to look forward to, something to pull us out of bed everyday so we can keep grinding out the hours that can earn us a dollar?
We use Vacations to give us something to plan for with excitement and anticipation… work hard so you can relax.
Vacationing… Shopping… Movies… Parties… dinners… Holiday Celebrations… etc. Pinterest is the perfect platform to keep as many pictures as you wish, of the things that you could make, buy, or design in your personal DIY fashion… or how to change your hair, makeup, clothes and/or surroundings, to fit who YOU are! What is the one element that flows up, over, around, and through all these different things? Passion!
We use many things to bring us happiness as we journey through life’s ups and downs. We have days that we wonder why we are doing this whole existence thing, not being able to see a clear direction in life that might make a difference. I’m saying this because I get it! I am a Christian Woman of Faith, and I have days that make it really really tough to stand in my faith… to walk forward in that same faith.
I discovered early on in my walk with God that having a passion for the journey would be a must! I was in need of a reason… a purpose to keep traveling. In all my years of walking with God, my passion has waxed and waned… sometimes seemingly absent altogether. I didn’t say that it was gone, it just felt that way for some time… but anything that God begins will always end GOOD!
All those times that I thought I had lost my passion, felt that I couldn’t go on… my passion was still there, I just misplaced it in all the Life Interruptus boxes laying around my world. Don’t we always love it when we find something in an old box in the attic we thought had been lost or destroyed? The discovery of the item brings with it a rush of pleasurable memories.
I guess maybe that is what comes to mind when asking myself if there is anything that I found and have kept for any length of time. The answer would be My Passion! For this girls human heart, my passion for God surfaces in everything I do… from dishes and housework all the way to writing here every day. I simply want to do the best I can with what I have, leaving things a bit better than I found them.
Passion gets me out of bed every day, driving me to move forward toward doing that which fuels my spirit. Whatever happens… come what may… may I never lose hold on that which carries me home…
Could you imagine if you and I were trying to start up a major life plan in our senior years? In todays society, the average human begins to slow and break down anywhere from 60 to 70 years old… some much much earlier.
As I was studying the life and events of Moses and the Israelites, I discovered several things I had not seen before, one of which was the fact that both Moses and Aaron were in their 80’s when God brought them before Pharaoh… a different one, by the way, from Moses Adopted Grandfather. God waited until that Pharaoh died, as well as anyone who would have tried to kill Moses.
Another thing that I read and am still processing, is where God tried to Kill Moses at the encampment, right before he met with his brother Aaron. I believe that it all came down to obedience … God is not one to ignore even in the most minute things that must go according to His plan, His Covenant, and HIS purpose! I don’t believe that God would have killed Moses, just as He interceded with Abraham on that mountain… just before he slay his own son to show God his true obedience.
God was preparing each and every step Moses would need to take, and there would be no overlooking something like not circumcising his own sons. I sometimes forget that Moses was brought up with an Egyptian culture, not the Hebrew one that he was born into, so I can see how it may have not occurred to Moses about the importance of the circumcision law set down by God. This is why I found it so important to read as many different translations and history of that time as possible… context is everything!
Timing is also very crucial here, as there was no way that Moses, nor his brother Aaron, were prepared to simply walk in before the Pharaoh and boldly command that the people be released… Moses was still being prepared to do what God had called him to do, and that would not happen overnight… it could, but I know how we humans can be, so God, in His infinite patience for us, chose the timing of each and every phase of the process of Freedom for His people.
I can understanding the lesson being short and sweet if it were only for a single souls path, but to change the heart of a nation of Taskmasters with a desire for comfort, wealth and power, the letting go lessons had to be big ones.
Not only did I see God work in the smallest of details in Moses Obedience, I understand more of why God set things up to ensure the people would be set free. The signs and wonders to be displayed before the people were not only to strengthen the Israelites faith to pack up and bravely leave the only life they knew, but also to make the Egyptians want them gone.
God repeatedly hardened Pharaohs heart right on the heels of each Wonder performed, because He already knew that it would take all of His signs and wonders to change hearts… not just one or a few had to believe. ALL the steps had to be taken to break every tie that held the Israelites in bondage. This process was just as necessary for the people of God as it was for Pharaoh and his people. Just as the Taskmasters needed to want them gone, the Israelites needed to be brave enough to get up and go.
Several times Pharaoh even tried to trick God into thinking he would finally let them go, even before it says that God hardened his heart, so the man was definitely playing a game of poker here and God finally called his bluff… at the cost of his firstborn son.
We follow a God that whispers, but f.y.i. He is not a fool and most assuredly, no bluffer!
What God is, to me, is a God of infinite patience, mercy and grace, and the most tolerant of all parents. If you understand anything about being a parent, it’s that we love our children enough to discipline them for their betterment. At some point, we realize that we cannot always be their friend, our parentage will guide them through those times… even if they don’t like us very much… we have to think of the long run, their end game. Parenting is not for sissies!
And…….. you guessed it… GOD IS NO SISSY!
He is the parent of all parents! I am so grateful that He showed us this all the way back in our history from the very beginning. His timing worked in every place I have studied, so this gives me confidence and great comfort in knowing that my life, which is in His hands, is traveling along in HIS timing, and not mine!
There is a song by Josie Buchanan titled, “Whatever Your Plan Is” that seemed to be fitting this morning. May it bring you encouragement in your day as you remember that whatever your plans are, God will always do you one better!
Now for the goodies… It’s Fast Food bliss from here on out...
Though we all must do this chore, it is not my favorite… mainly because I am unable to easily carry baskets back and forth from the laundry building two doors down from our RV. Til I can get my bum arm fixed or a magic washer/dryer magically materializes inside our RV closet, clothes will just have to get done when I get around to it.
In todays world of Bigger Better Faster Stronger Smarter Prettier Wealthier and on and on and on and on… it is easy to feel like little ole me will never be enough, never measure up and most likely will never be remembered for anything worth mentioning.
Where does that leave us then, all of us that will never be enough?
That point in ones life where we feel this kind of reality is different for everyone. Some learn this early on, while others will go much of their life before getting smacked in the face with this moment of clarity.
Once we arrive at this moment, what do we do then? When I accept that I will never measure up to the Worlds’ standards, what am I left with? I still want to feel valued, appreciated and loved for what I can offer… otherwise, what the heck are we trying so hard for?
That is where my relationship with God enters this conversation… He chose me first and not the other way around. Isn’t it funny how, for the most part, God always chooses to work in the lives of nobodies like me and you… regular old messed up lives of everyday folks like us.
Rather than chasing rabbit holes of the Whys of things, I simply choose to believe that God is actively working in my life, and my successes are met with His approval while my failures are met with His Grace. He is the author of my faith, and the only one who believes in me more than I do. It is more important for me to follow His will and purpose, than to seek my own earthly ideas of where I need to be. Even though I know this to be true, there are still those days… you know, the days where we need reminding of who we are in Him, and who He is in us!
I find it amazing every time I pick up my bible, how many places throughout this book where God leaves us reminders, messages of hope, and reasons to pursue Joy… His love and desire for us has been intricately woven throughout the whole of scriptures. Not just that, but everything we will need to make it through to the end of things… it’s all there… we just need to look for it!
When I am having those days… like the one I was mentioning earlier, sometimes I need a reality reminder of why I am truly still here on this earth. For this reason I chose a scripture passage that reminds me of whose plan and purpose I can follow by faith, and it is actually not about me at all! The plan and purpose are His and not mine…
Note To Self #13
You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:14-16
If I do anything good or leave anything behind when I go, it wasn’t my idea, nor my perfectly designed plan, but HIS! I remember that it won’t be you standing there looking over my life on the day I am called home, but God, and not a single word of approval or praise by the world will ring louder than “WELL DONE MY GOOD AND FAITHFUL SERVANT”! Those will be His words, not yours or mine…
Anyone who knows me, understands how this question could easily go in several different directions, possibly good, or even possibly bad. So the question I could fire back might be something like, Do ya feel lucky… well, do ya? That was Clint Eastwood, by the way.
In the WordPress Prompt Sandbox, I shall play nice… for now…
It’s important for me to begin by looking up the definitions of both Famous and Infamous just to sound smart for everyone. You shouldn’t think that I am guessing or anything.
According to Merriam-Webster,
“Famous means “widely known.” Infamous does not mean “not famous” but rather it means “having a reputation of the worst kind.” It may help to remember that infamous is related to infamy which means “evil reputation brought about by something grossly criminal.”
Famous is good peeps and Infamous is bad! That’s the basic difference between my choices here, and I can say I have met both… whether you have to think they are or not wasn’t terribly clear in the question nor the definition.
While I could say that meeting ALABAMA in person, back stage after their concert, when I was only 15 was the most famous group of folks, my first face to face with Jesus changed my world. There will be no topping this guy for being who He is!
I will say that I have come across at least 3 very very infamous people… the problem with meeting someone truly Infamous, is the fact that no one in public ever sees them. You may think that Infamous people will have names and pictures all over media and history books, but most truly Infamous Ones remain in the shadows. For myself… I will give them no honor of seeing their own names in print, or hearing one mention them, as they crave power above all else and I shall give them NONE!!!!!!!
I know it may sound silly, but I am so excited that our floor is in, I don’t even care that there’s chaos reigning in every other corner of the RV… one thing at a time… baby steps!
We didn’t get here overnight and it will take every ounce of our strength… and faith in God… to get us out of the hole that Life Interruptus buried us in!
As I sit here in the quiet of the morning, sipping my coffee and rubbing my feet on the new surface covering the floor… I sort of laugh at how different my perspective is now, compared to before our nomadic existence began.
Sacrifices made, obstacles overcome, and a commitment to stay the course has become our daily bread. Had anyone asked me 5 years ago if I could handle even a handful of the things we have faced, I would have laughed in their faces… this girl loves her lotions, perfumes, and pretties… all of which would seem out of place and absurd now, sitting next to boxes, blankets, tools, and two humans climbing over each other while seeking that misplaced roll of paper towels.
I find myself getting rushes of pleasure when watching my plant survive amidst all odds, or finding a pair of socks I had not seen in a month. Suddenly, how I smell or how my skin looks and feels, pales in comparison to whether there is creamer still in the fridge, or discovering that extra roll of toilet paper I didn’t see in the back of the cabinet.
I think that I spent way too many years with a very immature perspective on what was important, or valuable, in the long run.
We humans are such complex creatures… some with the capacity for evil, but most reflect a great capacity to expand and overcome adversity. We are built GOD Tough!
Here is the thing I have been mulling over, as I slide my socks back and forth like a child, just because we all have the same ability to overcome something and find the good… we have to choose to utilize this ability… our perspective can make or break us, in regards to the getting up and getting through.
Hills, Valleys, Mountains, and the Deadlands of life exist for us all… our perspective makes all the difference in how we climb over, travel through, march around or stay the course straight ahead, as we travel on. This is where Mental Chores are so very important for my journey of healing.
It’s pretty simple! I stay as close to God as I possibly can… through my prayer, my study of His word, and walking one day at a time!
I said simple, not easy… The last several years have been some of the most difficult, and yet beautifully life changing, for me personally. For this girl, I find that by walking with a bit more of God’s perspective on things rather than mine, which can be very emotionally fueled, I have begun living rather than just surviving…
I know that you may call foul on this answer because my body could easily produce a baby free of charge, technically!
You may also argue that the price of a baby is spread out over the childs’ life, not actually having a singular price tag!
So!
It’s my answer anyway, because my children were more costly, and more valuable than anything I’ve ever purchased. They also have a much greater chance of getting to the gates of heaven than my car or bank account. I believe in solid investments in this regard…
I almost shared a teething biscuit for this mornings prompt… don’t judge… they tasted good!
Then I spied this Egg Cheese and Bacon Breakfast Biscuit and went for this instead…
Journey With Me! 