DPFC

...Open a door that no man can shut....

 So, Friendo here (i.e., Sierra, my 24lb human daughter), recently discovered the doggy door.  For a while she has known about the doggy door and has been throwing her toys out the plastic flap only to land outside - out of reach and in Bobo's (our 8lb dog's) way of getting back into the house.

We were sitting in the living room the other night when she discovered that not only do her toys fit though the door, but she herself could probably fit too!  It was quite funny.  She didn't actually get her whole body through the door, but she got enough of herself that she could reach her toys.

I realized later that this is sort of what we do with God.  There is a verse in the Bible that says, "God will shut doors that no man can open and will open doors that no man can shut."  If she was a little smarter and wiser, she would realize that about 3 inches away from the doggy door is a "real", human door!  It  only takes someone with the ability and authority to open it for her.  Once opened, she could easily make her way outside to her valued toys and even more open space.

That's what we do with God.  Instead of being patient and waiting for God to open the door, we try to fit our lives through a small area that God never intended.  Life doesn't have to be this difficult.  If we would just wait for God, the one with authority and ability, to open the door then life would be SO MUCH EASIER!

So, whatever you are waiting on, whatever you are hoping for, whatever you desire - wait for it.  Let God open the door that no man can shut and shut the door that no man can open.  It will make life that much easier!

A Trust that never fails me...

  Psalm 131 says:

"Lord, my heart is not haughty

Nor my eyes lofty.

Neither do I concern myself with great matters,

Nor with things too profound for me.

Surely I have calmed and quited my soul,

Like a weaned child with his mother;

Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

O Israel, hope in the Lord

From this time forth and forever."

I like David.  He seems like a down to earth kind of guy.  One minute he is young, handsome and no one gives him notice and the next minute he slays a giant that everyone is afraid to even look upon.  One time he is so in lust with a woman that he has her husband killed and the next he is humble and bringing the Ark of God into the city.  He is angry in Psalms and he is humble.  He sort of seems like he has multiple personalities, but then again,... don't we all when it comes to circumstances?

I've been in a place where I have to choose who I will trust.  People around me that are tangible (I can see them and hear them audibly) or God who I trust in (I cannot see Him nor do I hear him audibly).  This has been a tough test.  I know this is a test we all go through as Christians, but I think it is a continuing test on different levels.  I have to trust Him more NOW than I did years ago.  I have to depend on Him more NOW than I did before.  This is tough.  ...honestly, it is really hard...

However, when God gives you that "perfect peace that surpasses all understanding" trust is not something that is so difficult.  I have had choices in the last few weeks that in the physical it looks good, but in the spiritual I don't have peace.  I have made decisions that don't make sense to other people, but I make them because I have that peace of God.  It truly does surpass all my understanding.

When we choose to make these choices based on the peace that God gives us, we can see how much we trust God.  I have to trust God.  Everyone else in life will fail me.  Guaranteed.  No matter how much they may love me and care for me, they aren't perfect - - - but God is.  My bet is definitely on God!

In my peace, my heart is not haughty.  I am calmed and quieted in my soul even when things around me swirl in chaos.  Genuine humility is a balance between self-abasement and arrogant pride.  David lived this balance.  He lived in peace with God.  By grace I choose to do the same and by grace I will continue to trust in the "unseen" God....  My physical eyes may never see Him, but my spirit recognizes Him even at a distance...

We're All Just Quackers.....

This is Quakers.  He never had a name until I just named him last night.  He's Sierra's (my 24.8lb daughter) duck.  She calls him "Ducka"... Now I call him Quackers. 

Sierra's had croup for the past couple days.  Nights have been yuck around here.  She has a hard time sleeping.  Weird since she's slept through the night since she was about 3 months old.  It is nights like the last three where Steve and I make the comment that maybe kid #2 is nowhere in our plans.  She barfed two nights so we were giving her a bath about 3 a.m. and cleaning the cribbage from the barfage.  Plus, she has started to scream when we put her to bed - something she rarely does.  I don't mean just whine or cry - I mean all out war and tantrum.  She's good at it too.  She can cry hard enough and long enough that she barfs.  It's pretty cool if it's someone else's kid, but not when it's yours! haha

So, last night we put her to bed around 8:30p.m.  She cried, then she screamed.  Then she held her sippy cup while crying and screaming.  We watched her in the baby monitor the whole time.  She is stubborn (gets it from Steve).  She's got patience too (she gets that from me of course).  I was thinking those two things until I saw her do something an immature person would do... she started throwing out all the things in her crib that she usually has when she goes to sleep.  First it was the sippy cup that she chucked across the room.  She screamed when she did it.  Then it was the blanket.  She sleeps with this blanket, but there it went ... over the crib.  Then it was Quackers.  (formerly known as "Ducka").  Quackers went flying to the floor and apparently his wings were broken cause that's where he landed.  Sierra screamed again -  Still standing of course.

I watched her in the monitor.  She was still standing and still screaming.  I guess she thought that if she chucked all her stuff overboard that we'd come to the rescue and save her and the stuff.  But we didn't.  I just watched and sorta chuckled to myself at the irony of getting rid of stuff that normally makes her happy.

Then I noticed that instead of screaming just for the sake of screaming she started pointing and screaming at her stuff on the floor.  Sorta like she couldn't believe her stuff was on the floor and the "how did it get there?" look. 

We eventually rescued her belongs and put her back to bed, but I realized that is what we do at times with God.  We get really mad at something that is or isn't going on in our lives and we start to boycott the things that normally made us happy and gave us comfort.  Stuff like church, family, wise counsel... The stuff that normally we look at and know that God put before us to help us. 

Haven't you noticed that when things aren't going great and we are mad that we start to shun the stuff, relationships, or situations that God has put around us to get us through things?  God never leaves us, even though we may feel like it.  In fact, God has put people and situations around us to let us know that He is still there. 

I pictured Him last night doing what I did with Sierra.  Watching me throw a tantrum and sort of chuckling to Himself that I am so immature and just don't understand the big picture.  We're all just quacks.  =0)

A few bricks short of a load....

Have you ever known someone who is good at "bending the truth"?  You know, little things that seem really small and insignificant until they start to pile up and become big? 

I realize that we all exaggerate to some degree.   Yes, I do believe that exaggeration is just another form of lying and Yes, I do it quite a bit myself... about 1,000 times a day (exaggeration of course).  

We exaggerate little things such as:  "The line at Starbucks had a gazillion people in it today!", "That person is dumber than a box of rocks", "He's just one french fry short of a happy meal", "I will not raise taxes", or "I read my Bible ALL the time".  Those are just simple examples, but sometimes we say things that we actually start to believe.  We tell people little exaggerations that end up becoming  our "truth" that we live by.  And when we bend that truth, we  don't realize that God isn't in it.  Actually, He is no where near it.  His truth is far from us when we try to bend the truth.

I have a friend that always seems to have a "reason" or "excuse" for things that are wrong.  It amazes me how this friend can talk their way out of anything.  It is one of those conversations where I walk away wondering what just happened.  I know the "truth", but what they just said was far from the truth - yet they were SO convincing!  Amazing.  This friend is a "pro" at bending the truth - so much so that they don't even realize what they do.  They could talk their way out of anything.  They are the type of person you would want with you if you get pulled over by the cops for speeding just because you know they have to have a good way to bend the truth as to why you were driving 500 miles over the speed limit.... (there I go exaggerating again....)

Steve and I watched a show the other night about a guy who deceived people into believing that he was an FBI agent.  He got a job in a small town, working at the local police station.  He arrested drug dealers, got search warrants to investigate, etc., etc.  When he was finally caught, he was mad that he was going to prison because he said even though he lied he helped to put criminals behind bars.  He couldn't realize that his actions of "bending the truth" had actually hurt other people.  He started to believe things that were never true.

Satan is like this.  He is so convincing that we start to believe his subtle lies.  I am sure that is what happened with Adam and Eve.  It was so subtle and believable that they believed him!   I do the same thing.  What Satan whispers in my ear sounds so much like the truth, but is really far from it.  I can get so impatient that I don't take time to discern the truth.  Sometimes I think I so easily believe what Satan says because he is a "bender of truth" just like I can be.  Sad really.  God has called us to so much more, yet we settle for the exaggerations.

Watch what you say this week.  Don't "bend the truth" to sound better.  Don't "exaggerate" the truth to look better.  You just may start to believe your own lies.

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We all run the race. . .

Yep.  We are all in a race.  Paul stated it several times.  We are "pressing towards the goal". 

In 2003, my husband and I ran the L.A. Marathon.  26.2 miles... and let me tell you - that .2 is almost worse than the 26 part!  Ugh.  Steve had ran quite a few marathons prior to this and this was my first.  ...and last.  I thought I was prepared, but I definitely was far from that. 

Let me put it like this, there were over 17,000 people that finished the race.  Quite impressive!  Steve finished about 7,000 - even more impressive.  What is not so impressive is that I finished by beating only about 400 people.  Yes, I was the end of the race.  I like to say that the only person I beat is the guy with no legs ~ literally, he had no legs, but I DID pass him! ha!

Steve finished the race in a little over 5 hours, but I on the other hand, finished in over 8 hours.  *sigh*  A full day of, not running, but walking, crawling, scooting, slowly moving.  There was only about 6 miles of run in me and they were all gone in the beginning, leaving me with 20.2 miles left. 

I was so far behind that at one point I heard a loud truck behind me which ended up being the dump trucks that go through the streets at the end of the race to clean up the water cups and other trash left from the prior 16,600 people. 

I had HUGE blisters on my feet (from my new shoes... don't wear new shoes to a marathon), I had a severe sunburn on my shoulders, head and back (I'm a very white chick), and I was just out of shape for what I was trying to accomplish.  However, my pride made me finish.  I knew people said that I wouldn't finish so I had to prove them wrong.  I had a goal in mind and although it seemed I'd never finish, I knew I had to because that's how much pride I have (not always a good thing by the way).

As I finished the race I was handed a medal.  Hmm... Even though it took over 8 hours, I had blisters the size of quarters on the bottom of my feet, I had 3rd degree burns from the sun and I could barely move?  Yes, apparently I was awarded a medal... the same medal Steve got and the other 17,000+ people receive!  Ha!  How's that for justice! haha 

I learned something very valuable that day.  We all run the race.  Some of us are prepared for it and have an easier time in life because we know what is ahead of us.  However, there are people that run that same race and struggle through it simply because they are not prepared.  We all get the same prize when we finish, but some people had a rough time making it to the finish line. 

As Christians, we know what our finish line is, but if we don't exercise our faith and walk out the promises and commandments of God, we are going to have a tough time. 

So, as you run your daily race of life - walk in God's promises, live a life of faith.  It is so much easier when we are prepared for what is ahead!

Faith, Faith, Faith...

Steve, my husband, has been home since Friday because he threw his back out.  It was a pretty serious injury - enough so that he was bedridden from Friday to Monday night.  He's finally (slowly) walking around now.  At the same time he is bedridden, my one year old daughter, Sierra, had the flu.  It was quite an exciting time in the Ryan household.  I was a mother, nurse, and even a tired zombie in the early mornings and late evenings. 

I have to be honest and admit that I had a few meltdowns.  I did good for a few days and Steve never saw me having a meltdown, but after about Sunday I couldn't hold it back anymore.  I was so stinkin' tired, mad and frustrated.  My husband can't get out of bed, my daughter can't keep food in her and I am running around trying to fix everyone to no avail.  It was not fun.

Steve was having a rough time.  He was bored, sore, hurting, drugged, and very unhappy.  He had his moments of clarity as well.  In those moments, I have to say that I learned alot.  He has so much more faith then I do!  Dang that stinks!  haha  (Not that it's a competition, but still...)

He told me on Monday that if God is God, then He should heal him.  Pretty blunt.  He went on to say that there is no reason why God can't be the God of Acts today.  If we believe it is the same God, then we should believe there is a posibility God will do healings.  Okay, so I agree.  However, God hadn't healed him!  He was still laying in the friggin bed!

I went away from our conversation a little bothered that I had realized my faith was so weak.  Where was this God that I talked about serving?  Where was my faith and belief?  I remember a teaching I did years ago on faith.  Looking back, I was so stupid.  I'm sure the teaching was all Biblical, but I can guarantee you that I didn't understand faith then like I do today.  In the teaching, I used a quote that was "Fear knocked at the door and faith answered."  How true that statement is.  (Wish I could say that I was brilliant enough to come up with it, but I didn't I stole it from someone and don't know who.)

So, back to my story:  While mulling over the topic of faith, I was playing with Sierra in the livingroom.  I realized she was giggling again, playing, yelling, etc., etc.  I walked out of the room for a minute and came back to my kid actually walking for the first time... then I looked up and there was Steve in the hallway (on a walker, but out of bed!).  Looks like they both started walking at the same time! haha 

 I realized that my faith was so weak in the God that I serve.  However, no matter how weak we are - God is strong.  I always say: God is so faithful even when I am faithless.  That should be my life motto because I really can be very faithless.  God is good.

Whatever you are facing this week or going through, just know that even if you don't have the faith to believe that God will come to your rescue - He will.  Hang in there.  He is faithful even when we're faithless!

Merry ChristmasKwanzaHanukka

I am sure you know the constroversy over stores not letting employees say "Merry Christmas" because it is considered religious.  They are suppose to say "Happy Holiday's" instead.  I am sure there are a lot of people who still say 'Merry Christmas' whether they are an employee or just a customer.  I didn't go into this Christmas season with the thought that these stores had changed their policies and sort of expected it this year.

However, what I didn't expect was a conversation I overheard recently between a few people.  These weren't employees of a store, just friends having a conversation.  They weren't debating whether they should say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Holiday's".  They were stating why they choose NOT to say "Merry Christmas". 

The overall consensus was that they didn't want to say "Merry Christmas" because it could be offensive to people they don't know.  They said they'd rather say "Happy Holiday's" so as not to offend anyone they may come in contact with at the grocery store, the mall, the street, on the phone, etc. 

How ridiculous is this?  They aren't being told by anyone, like an employer, that they can't say "Merry Christmas"... they are telling themselves that the "right" thing to do is to not say it as to not offend anyone...and some of these people were Christians!  Wow.  I was a little annoyed at the stores making this policy, but someone actually grasping that concept for their personal and every day life?  Geesh...

I doubt Jesus was worried about offending people.  I doubt He would be the least bit considerate about whether you celebrated Kwanza, Hanukka, or nothing at all.  I think He would be more concerned about whether or not we really knew the true meaning of Christmas. 

So.... in order to incompass all those around me, I have come up with my own saying for this holiday season:  Merry ChristmasKwanzaHanukka. . . (oh, and if you're atheist I apologize for the whole statement, but I don't take it back because everything is relative anyways.)

Was Jesus OCD?

Was Jesus OCD? (Obsessive Compulsive?)  Did he ever make a mess in his work shop and didn't clean it up before the day was over? Was Jesus always neat and tidy in how he handled life? 

 

The real Jesus was really pretty messy when it comes to truth. He didn't always clean up the messes his words of truth caused. There were times when he healed people and just walked off with out a good religious explanation of why he did what he did.

 

THINK ABOUT IT, JESUS MADE SOME MESSES THAT WE ARE STILL TRYING TO CLEAN UP!

Amazingly Critical.

With all that is going on in our nation right now, it is hard to go a day, or an hour for that matter without seeing, hearing, or thinking about our recent elections.  To be honest, I am tired of hearing about our elections.  I know that is sad to say.  I am American to the core, but it seems like we've been hearing about November 4th for the last decade!  Agh!

So, now that November 4th has come and gone I get the feeling that some people are a little let down by the whole commotion.  Some are excited at our new president, some are very disappointed.  Some are thrilled that "measures" passed and some are annoyed that they didn't.  Not everyone is ever happy at the same time.  haha

The big word for this year has been "Change."  We definetly have a big change ahead of us.  Obama is our newly elected president and I am sure he has a lot of changes that he is preparing for our nation.  I am also sure that he is preparing for change himself.  New home.  New staff.  New way of life.

Whether we agree with him or disagree with him, he will be our president.  He deserves our support as our president.  We should still pray for him and his family no matter what our "political" views may be.  However, the last few days I have read, heard, and seen many people who do just the opposite.  They are so mad at the fact that Obama will be president that they forget that he deserves our prayers just like anyone else.  There is such distain for a man that none of us really "know".  We've read about him.  We've listened to TV and talk radio about him.  We've even heard from the man himself.  Either way, change is happening.

Next time you hear someone talk against Obama as president, next time you read an article that is critical towards him, or next time you get ready to say something that is against him, just remember that very over  used statement from the 1990's "WWJD"  What Would Jesus Do?

It is amazingly critical that we uphold our nation in prayer and concern.  This is still the greatest nation in the world.  This is still the free-est nation in the world.  This is still God's country and luckly God is still God.