God & Tools

When I was a kid, my mom bought my dad a lathe at an antique shop. For those of you unfamiliar with the term, this was a gigantic monster of a machine that is supposed to help a carpenter shape table legs-- the theory being that my dad could make some table tops (the easy part) and use this $200+ hunk of metal to create the detailed legs (the harder part).

That lathe sat UNUSED in our garage for several years... before my parents finally sold it at a garage sale.... they probably should have dumped it much earlier, but they clung to the thought that SOMEDAY... Dad would use it.

Our church just completed a month-long study on a book by Kerry & Chris Shook called One Month To Live." If you only had 30 days left on earth, what would you do? How would your behavior change? And WHY aren't you doing that already?

One of the chapters talks about people that bug you - and equates those people to different types of tools:

• The HAMMERS - the ones who are always forcing their way and railroading everyone into their way of thinking.
• The SKILL SAWS - who know just the thing to say that cuts to the quick and hurts feelings.
• The VISE GRIPS - the needy ones who ignore social boundaries and suck the energy right out of you with their issues and drama.
• The GRINDERS - people whose emotions are always on the edge - ready to explode at the slightest infraction.
• The AXES - who tear down the hopes and dreams of others with their negative attitude and comments
• The HATCHETS - who hang on to those o-l-d grudges... forever!!
• The PUTTY People - the ones with no spine, who agree with everything and never stand up for themselves nor anyone else. These people can't say no, and you never know what they are thinking because they can't think for themselves.

It'd be easy to think, CHUCK 'EM! These tools are defective! Irritating! Broken! Why should I keep hanging around these tools in the shed when they are such drainers???! Just like Dad's lathe, I should have dumped them a long time ago...! However, we're not talking an old bucket of toxic chemicals - these are just the regular tools in the shed...

God hasn't placed these "sandpaper" people in your life just to annoy you. One of the reasons He may have gifted you with a Vise or a Hammer-friend is to help you learn to deal with all types of people AND... to maybe point out one of your own tool-type behaviors.

“Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye."
Matthew 7:3-5 (NIV)

It's not our job to judge these people - or point out how they are such a tool... Rather our job is to serve as a healing agent... To use the gifts we have been blessed with to help others and to accommodate others' needs. We cannot point out all of the faults of others all the while ignoring our own quirks and issues. I can be such a tool sometimes... a little hammer mixed with a tiny bit of hatchet with some grinder moments mixed in. I'm just thankful that the other tools in the shed overlook (or just resign themselves to dealing with) my quirks and continue to be my friend.

What tools are in your life? How can you be the best possible friend to them?

And what friends are you SO THANKFUL for because they put up with you and your own tool-type behaviors...?
:)

I Found God In My Head...

Today is a Praise Day... Yesterday I had my yearly MRI... scanning my brain to check that there were no signs of regrowth from the tumor that was removed in January 2002. I got another "ALL CLEAR" - No signs of tumor! And the hole that was left when the tumor was removed seems to finally be closing up (new brain? more brain? shifting brain?).

It is a good day.

My doctor expected me to be more (visibly?) excited when he delivered the news - I realized that a clear scan is what I've come to expect. Tumor was there. Doctors removed it. Tumor is gone. All is good.

Sometimes it's just too easy to take God's blessings for granted, isn't it?

My family watches the show IMPACT! Stories of Survival on Discovery Health. I know, I know... most of you gather around America's Funniest Videos, or American Idol, or sports... my family bonds over the stories and reinactments of huge crashes and accidents and how a person survived and was put back together. In most of the stories, the victims end up saying how "NOW that they have survived this horrific accident, NOW they will start appreciating life and stop taking it for granted..." Yet, I wonder if, eventually, their hard-earned recovery becomes less of a miracle and more of a "given" as time goes on.

Matthew 28 says, "Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." It's so easy to come to God when we are in trouble... when we need help. Unfortunately, sometimes, it's just as easy to forget to offer thanks when He has blessed us... protected us... sheltered us... healed us... Psalm 188:24 says, "This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." THIS day... EACH day... EVERY day.

Today is a Praise Day. I am typing on my blog, designing new scrap layouts, chatting with friends, seeing my kids off to school on the bus. I am taking the dog for a vet appointment, running laundry, and unloading the dishwasher. I am sneaking in games of Bejewelled 2 when I want to feel mindless. I am listening to The Young & The Restless in the background. I am sipping my third cup of coffee. I am healthy. My family is awesome. My husband is the best.

But really, YESTERDAY was a Praise Day too... And the day before that... And the day before that. Eight years ago, God guided the doctor's hands into my head and healed me. Because of His grace, I have had eight more years of normal, everyday life... Eight years of chatting with friends, playing on my computer, parenting my kids, going out with my husband, laughing with family, napping on the sofa with my dog... Eight more years of an already good life.

Sometimes it's just too easy to take God's blessings for granted... but I am thankful each and every day. I may forget to tell Him, but I feel it just the same. I am thankful for my blessings. Thank you, God.

Back in elementary school, when I went to Vacation Bible School, we sang this song:

This is the day. (This is the day).

That the Lord has made. (That the Lord has made.)

I will rejoice. (I will rejoice.)

And be glad in it. (And be glad in it.)

This is the day that the Lord has made,

I will rejoice and be glad in it.

This is the day. (This is the day.)

That the Lord had made.

:)

THIS day.

EACH day.

EVERY day.

Rejoice... Count your blessings... Then say thanks.

:) Mags

I Found God At The Garage Sale...

If there was ever proof that you CANNOT TAKE IT WITH YOU when you die, it was demonstrated at the whole-house garage sale that my Mom and I completed for my in-laws. My husband's grandmother died after a 6-mth struggle with colon cancer. After the funeral, after the family divested the house of some furniture and various personal items, there was still a house PACKED with STUFF... stuff that had to be dealt with. Enter my mom and I - who offered to organize and run a whole-house garage sale...

84 years of living was priced in 3 days and sold in 2 -

with a last half-dozen boxes of misc. junk carted off to Goodwill

at the end of the sale.

A lifetime of "STUFF" - divided, sold, donated, trashed. Most of the "STUFF" was meaningless. We kept a toy train that my kids asked for: one that always circled GG's Christmas tree. We took an old Machinist's Handbook - that belonged to David's grandpa - his version of a graphing calculator or laptop. A piece of furniture here - a keepsake there... but the majority of items now rest in someone else's home... to one day be a part of their garage sales.

STUFF is meaningless.

STUFF can be lost, broken, sold, bartered, stolen, donated, trashed.

In fact, the "stuff" that really counts is not "stuff" at all: relationships, memories, words, actions, deeds, faith-- Those are the "things" that stick with people long after you're gone. Your bit of immortality on Earth are the memories people have of you and the stories they pass down. And your "ticket to Heaven" will not be given to you based on the amount of "stuff" you had on Earth.

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also."
Matthew 6:19-21 (NIV)

God knows that your heart points to what you treasure most. Your actions clearly show that you value the most. Do you use your talents and gifts that He has given you by helping others, loving your neighbor, and acting selflessly? Or do you use these God-given gifts to just further your own agenda and accumulate more "stuff?"

If your treasure is your laptop, then your pleasure is tenuous at best: one computer virus away from destruction. Is your treasure money? Then you walk stressful line watching the stock prices or the Dow numbers... one fall away from a great depression. Is your treasure popularity? Do you fill yourself up with important "friends" to make yourself feel better or more important? People are fickle and can turn on you on a dime - this treasure lays on slippery ground.

BUT... If your treasure is in God - then you listen to His Word, act on His Behalf, and spread His Good News. These things are eternal - everlasting - unbreakable... and the blessings that befall you are real and powerful. God blesses His followers - on earth AND in Heaven.

So adjust your thinking! Realign your priorities! Purge out the useless STUFF in your life, and concentrate on what matters most: God, your Family, your friends, your service. Use the gifts God has blessed you with and pay-it-forward: Help someone!

Because, he who dies with the most stuff doesn't win... He who dies with the most stuff just leaves a lot of garbage for the rest of the family to deal with!!!

I Found God In My Name...

I'm ashamed to admit it... but some days, I hate my name. Not the "Maggie" (although it's taken me a while to enjoy that moniker... especially when I've met more dogs than people with the same name), but the other name... The name I received when we had our first child:


"Mom."


I'm ashamed because I know there are hundreds of people who would LOVE to hear some little child call them "Mom." And because I know that God has blessed with the two perfect boys for us - and I love them dearly.


But the fact remains that having small children means that I hear

Mom....

Mom.....

Mom.....

M O M . . . .

about 100 times a day. Kids that yell M O M?!?!? from the basement (when I'm on the 2nd floor)...

or wail MOMMMMMMMMM when they are ready to tattle on the sibling...

or repeat "MAAAH-M!" just in case I didn't hear them the first 3 times.

It can get very tiring... quickly!! And it's tempting to say, "STOP CALLING MY NAME!" or some equivelent, for sure.... Because the whining/tattling/nagging, and such gets OLD swiftly. Sometimes, when I least expect it... when I'm on my last nerve... my little one will say, "MOM!" for what seems like the millionth time, and I'll probably either say?/sigh?/shout?/growl?/snarl? "W H A T!!" and in return, the little voice will smile, "I LOVE YOU....." :) And I'll be warmed by these words (and properly chagrinned by my snarky response), and I'll remember what a blessing my children are - even in their most trying of moments.

And, I am humbled when I think of how "childlike" I AM when I call God's name. I'm sure He would be ever so pleased to hear me call out, "God...! I love you!" on a regular basis. But, I'm equally as sure that he more often hears me sigh / shout / growl / snarl / scream,

"G-O-D !!!!!"

in that shrieky, whiney voice that I also possess. And the very thing that annoys me about my own kids is the very thing that I do to my own Father.

Fortunately, there is this verse from the Bible:

People were also bringing babies to Jesus to have him touch them. When the disciples saw this, they rebuked them. But Jesus called the children to him and said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." Luke 18:15-17 (NIV)

I know...! I know...! That's NOT what He meant!! :) He was talking about the honest and pure "childlike faith" - the children who come seeking Him with no hidden agenda. But often, that's what my kids are doing to me. They are looking to ME to be their caretaker, referree, savior, doctor, comforter... When they are hollering "Mom," it's because no one else can take MY place in their lives either. They need me - and I need to make sure that I can be counted on.

Because if one of our goals in life is to emmulate Jesus, to ask ourselves, "What WOULD Jesus Do?," then we need to answer the call. God is ALWAYS there when I call Him... Always. And I am so thankful that when I call unto Him, an angry, weary, snarky, tired voice DOES NOT shout back from the Heavens, "WHAT?!!!!"

My questions, laments, cries, or comments are welcomed.

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." Matthew 19:14 (NIV)

How have YOU been calling out to God lately? Have you inserted a smiley, "I love you," lately? Because I'm sure He's love to hear it.

:)

Email Inspirations: Finding God In An Invisible Fence

My cyberfriend, Tricia, gets these amazing daily devotions delivered right to her inbox. Then she posts them in my Scrapbooking With Faith online group. I'm snagging a few of them and posting them here as well because they are just wonderful and inspiring. I may also use "Email Inspiration" Days to post some other great devotionals that I receive as well. These aren't my words, I'm just passing on a good bit of food-for-thought. Enjoy! :) Mags

God & The Invisible Fence (by Sharon Jaynes)

I used to walk around the neighborhood and see signs that read, "Dog contained by invisible fence." Actually, I thought it was a joke, but after we got a dog, I learned about this incredible invention, and decided to have one installed.

The fence company dug a narrow four foot deep trench around the perimeter of our yard and buried a small wire. This wire was attached to a control box mounted on our garage wall. Ginger, our golden retriever, was then fitted with a collar sporting a special little box with two small prongs that rested against her skin. The dog trainer then placed white flags all around the yard, marking where the underground fence was buried. As Ginger neared the flags, she heard a quiet warning sound clicking from the box. If she kept going and crossed over the boundary marked by the flag, she got a shock and came back.

Now before you get upset about Ginger getting a little shock, I have to tell you, I let the trainer shock me first. It wasn't painful, but I did not want him to do it again. For twelve years, Ginger crossed over the invisible boundary only twice. Once when the fence wasn't working properly and once during her sixth week of motherhood to escape her seven nursing puppies.

After the first month of training, you didn't see any white flags decorating the perimeter of our yard. So, you might wonder, how does Ginger know where the boundary is? It is simple. For the first week, white flags lined the boundary of our yard. On the second week, I removed every other flag. On the third week, I again removed every other remaining flag. And I continued removing flags, until eventually, they were gone. The flags were gone, but Ginger remembered where the boundaries were. She also learned that the warning clicking sound was her friend and kept her from getting into a "shocking" situation.

Those flags are a great picture of the boundaries we set for our children. When they're young, we mark out clear boundaries, and as the child matures into adolescence, we begin pulling up those flags just a little at a time. As they graduate from high school and move into college, most of the flags are gone, and we pray with all our might that they will remember where those boundaries are.

Just like when Ginger heard the warning sound, I believe the Holy Spirit taps on our children's hearts, and warns them not to cross the boundaries set by their parents. Sometimes they will proceed to cross the boundaries anyway. That's when the shock comes in. It might be in the form of discipline and it might be in the form of living with some very unpleasant consequences.

In the Old Testament, God wrote the Law (the Ten Commandments) on tablets of stone, but in the New Testament, He wrote the Law of Love on our hearts. Isn't that our prayer? Yes, we have to spell out the boundaries for our children and point them in the right direction when they are young. But as they move into adulthood, we pray the boundaries will be written on their hearts.

Consider the boundaries listed below:

Be careful what you see. "The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness"(Matthew 6:22, 23 NIV).

Be careful what you love. "No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money."(Mathew 6:24 NIV). "Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." (Proverbs 5:23 NIV).

Be careful who you listen to. "My son, pay attention to what I say; listen closely to my words. Do not let them out of your sight, keep them within your heart; for they are life to those who find them and health to a man's whole body." (Proverbs 5:20-22 NIV).

Be careful what you say. "Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips." (Proverbs 5:24 NIV).

Be careful where you go. "Make level paths for your feet and take only ways that are firm. Do not swerve to the right or the left; keep your foot from evil." (Proverbs 5:26, 27 NIV).

Be careful whom you choose for close friends. Do not be misled: "Bad company corrupts good character" (1 Corinthians 15:33 NIV).

Karaoke Tuesday: Lose My Soul by Toby Mac

So I was reading my Daily Bible (still on track!) and I came across this verse:

And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul?
Is anything worth more than your soul? ~Matthew 16:26 (NLT)

And I had to smile, because one of my favorite songs on the radio right now is Toby Mac's "Lose My Soul" (With Feat, Kirk Franklin and Mandisa)- and it's just an example of another artist who found inspiration for his music right in the Bible. :)

"Lose My Soul" LYRICS HERE(Toby Mac with Feat. Kirk Franklin, Mandisa)

If you feel empty at the end of the day, ask yourself what you're searching for... God might have had it all along.......

If you want to hear this song, you can go HERE on LastFM.

I Found God In Glass Slippers...

--> This post is part of a series on God & Shoes... to read the first in the series, CLICK HERE. To read ALL of the posts in this series, CLICK HERE.

GOD & GLASS SLIPPERS

Matthew 6:1 (The Message)

Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding.

Are you authentic? Or do you put up a façade for the world? Do you speak and behave as an authentic Christian … "real" in your interactions with others and in your heart? While you don’t have to have all of the answers, it is your duty as a Christian to show authentic Christian behavior in your words and deeds. You are a model for others … and a spokesperson for your faith. People should see God through your words and deeds … like the delicate feet housed in glass slippers. And your actions may just lead another to Christ.

Sometimes, a single pair of shoes can change a life… just look at Cinderella.

I Found God In Steel-Toed Shoes...

--> This post is part of a series on God & Shoes... to read the first in the series, CLICK HERE. To read ALL of the posts in this series, CLICK HERE.

GOD & STEEL-TOED SHOES

Matthew 16:24 (NIV)

Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.

Heavy work boots remind us to really put our whole selves into whatever we’re doing for God. We’re not to be concerned about whether people notice what we’re doing. We’re not to be thinking about the benefits we’ll receive. Put 110% into everything we do for the glory of God. Put God FIRST… before self, family, or friend.

I Found God In Moccasins...

--> This post is part of a series on God & Shoes... to read the first in the series, CLICK HERE. To read ALL of the posts in this series, CLICK HERE.

GOD & MOCCASINS

Matthew 7:1-2

Do not judge, or you too will be judged. For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

A Roman soldier could compel any Jew to carry his gear one mile. Jesus said that His followers should go beyond what was required and carry the gear two miles! Imagine the surprise of the soldier who met someone who did more than was expected!

It is so easy to judge others, to form opinions without really knowing the circumstances. Remember the old proverb: “Don’t judge a man until you have walked a mile in his shoes (or moccasins).”

*This particular "Shoe"-sipration was written by Kay Moll.

I Found God in "That Parent..."

Today I became "That Parent."

Sometimes at the bus stops, I see a Mom who has loaded her elementary-age kids into her minivan, driven down the driveway (or up the street 3 houses away), and waited for the school bus. Maybe it was raining, or snowing, or cold, but I always laughed to myself because it seemed so insane that an adult just couldn't get out an umbrella (or boots... or a coat!) and WALK the 50 feet to the bus stop with their child. It's not like we are going to melt, you know?!

But, like with all things that I've rolled my "superior" eyes at, it came back to bite me.

Today is was raining sideways. And the only umbrellas I could unearth were the kid-sized ones with Diego or Spiderman (both snatched out of my hands by my kids with a whiney "THAT'S MINE!"). We did attempt to walk 4 houses up to the official bus stop, but before I even got out of my driveway, I stopped the kids, returned them to the garage, and grabbed my car keys.

And yes... we DROVE up the street, parked, and waited for the bus!

Matthew 7:1 says "Judge not, that ye be not judged."

The Message (7:1-5) version phrases it a little differently:

"Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor."

Ouch! Painful words... but so true! In "Maggie's World," it'd be phrased like this:

"Everytime you judge someone else, it will always comes back to bite you in the arse!"

Just as quickly as I might jump upon my "high horse," I will inevitably be knocked off by the realization that I have (or soon will) do the very same behavior! God reminds us not to judge others because we are full of flaws ourselves. I sure felt that lesson today as I sat in my car peeking at the amused glances of three of my neighbors standing nearby... with their umbrellas, of course! :)

I Found God in Flip-Flops...

--> This post is part of a series on God & Shoes... to read the first in the series, CLICK HERE. To read ALL of the posts in this series, CLICK HERE.

GOD & FLIP-FLOPS

Matthew 7:24-27 (NIV)

Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.

Is your spiritual foundation strong? Or is it as flimsy as your pair of flip-flops? There are thousands of things that chip away at faith all of the time – you need to have a strong foundation in your mind, body, and soul to keep your eyes on God.

I Found God In Google...

You just got to love Google...!

On the right-hand side of this blog is a Feedjit Widget that keeps a running tab of who is popping by the blog and in some cases how they arrived on this side. I love seeing the Google searches that bring people here. One from yesterday said this:

East Lansing, Michigan arrived from google.com

on "Everyday Places: I Found God In My Blackberry..."

When I followed the Google link I found this in the search box:

can i sync my blackberrys calendars to my boyfriends

I'm sure the searcher meant "Can I sync my Blackberry calendar to my boyfriend's Blackberry calendar" - but in just using the plural of boyfriend, it seems as if she is asking if she could sync her Blackberry to ALL of her boyfriends... and the result was God leading her to my Christian blog. :)

Here are some of the other Google searches from the last week that brought people to my blog:

karoake grace like rain

poem about homecoming with God

sweetly broken karaoke

in the gym i met son of god

jordan sparks "god loves ugly"

god & vegetables

laziness ignorance spelling

"to the cross i look" & "to the cross i cling" & "was bruised and crushed"

There were actually two searches for God & vegetables that brought people to my site in the last 5 days. Guess people will try anything to get their kids to eat those leafy greens! :) And I love that the last search listed above only had one result on the Google search... THIS blog! :)

This shows me that you never know how your words or actions will impact others.

Here I am just writing my random thoughts on finding God in everyday life to a small audience (anywhere from 9-20 people/day according to Stat Counter) hoping to make some sense of my place in this world, and some days, complete strangers might do a Google search and find their way to my story. Maybe something I type will impact them in a positive way... leading them close to God as they traverse their own faith path. Maybe something will spur a discussion with their families... or cause them to re-think some choice they've made.... or give them a good chuckle... or find them a new song for their iPod.

Regardless, my choices of what to write on this blog make small ripples that move outward affecting others. Similarly, this happens in our interactions with others day in and day out. With friends, aquantances, and even strangers, our words and behavior leave impressions.

And it's up to us to choose wisely the way we want be viewed by others and the messages we want to send.

Fortunately, when we live in a manner that is pleasing to God, our words and behaviors honor him. Like Simon Peter and Andrew, we do become "fishers of men:"

Walking along the beach of Lake Galilee,

Jesus saw two brothers: Simon (later called Peter) and Andrew.

They were fishing, throwing their nets into the lake. It was their regular work.

Jesus said to them, "Come with me. I'll make a new kind of fisherman out of you.

I'll show you how to catch men and women instead of perch and bass."

They didn't ask questions, but simply dropped their nets and followed.

Matthew 4:18-20 (The Message)

I hope that in a small way, my words on The God Blog cast out into cyberspace like a net into the ocean... snaring individuals and giving them a few minutes to walk with God. I am honored to be used by Him - and so happy that God has chosen one of my favorite pasttimes (my computer!) to allow me to spread His message.

Thank you for stopping by my blog. I hope you'll be one of the ones listed under "returning visitors" in the future.

♥Mags

PS... Stat Counter cannot tell me "who" you are... just where you can from. If you enjoy posts on this blog, I love to read the comments that are posted. Just click below on the link that says "COMMENTS" and leave one. You can still remain "anonymous" when you do it - and I really love the feedback!! Thanks! :)

I Found God in the Movies: Dead Poet's Society

In college, I had a movie writing assignment - to write about the theme as it pertains to teaching (my major) in a movie of our choosing. One of my all-time favorites is Dead Poet's Society with Robin Williams, Robert Sean Leonard, Ethan Hawke, and Josh Charles; that was the film I chose for my essay.

How interesting that I would revisit this for The God Blog. It wasn't a "religious" movie, specifically - but the central theme revolved around discovering the beliefs and values you consider important... and then standing up for them. There was a quote from this movie that has always stuck with me... Not the "Carpe Diem" (Seize the day!) that Robin Williams' character, John Keating, was known to say... Not Captain, My Captain quoted by his students. This was just one more truism that Mr. Keating spoke - and it had a big impact on me.

He says...

You must strive to find your own voice,
because the longer you wait to begin...
the less likely you are to find it at all.

Your own voice. Do you have one?

Do you hold fast to your beliefs or do you cave under the pressure to fit in with those around you? Do you mimic the voices of others... never taking a stand for yourself? Are you silenced by the fear that people will make fun of you? Or are you just too lazy to take a stand on what you know is right?

Perhaps your voice is mumbled and muffled so that YOU won't be the one making waves or causing "discord?" Perhaps you don't have a voice at all. The platform of "no opinion" is certainly an easy and safe place on which to stand.

But the longer you wait to find what you believe in... the longer you stall on truly finding the lines you will not cross... the less likely you are to find your Voice at all. Your voice will become muted - dwarfed by the larger voices speaking out around you - and others will speak for you... instead of you speaking for yourself. When it comes to your faith... can you really afford to be silent?

Your own voice. Do you have one? And does your voice echo the voice of God?

God gave His people free will because He wants us to use it. He wants us to make choices and honor Him with our decisions. The tricky part for us is that often using our voice to glorify God brings condemnation from others. The Bible even tells us this:

"When people realize it is the living God you are presenting and not some idol that makes them feel good, they are going to turn on you, even people in your own family. There is a great irony here: proclaiming so much love, experiencing so much hate! But don't quit. Don't cave in. It is all well worth it in the end. It is not success you are after in such times but survival. Be survivors! Before you've run out of options, the Son of Man will have arrived. ~Matthew 10:21-23

If you haven't seen Dead Poet's Society, I HIGHLY recommend it. It's one that will stick with you - just as Mr. Keating's teachings did with his pupils. The boys in Mr. Keating's class found their Voice; they learned to think for themselves again... to stand up for their their beliefs - even in the face of disciplinary action, even in the face of great personal loss:

Can you imagine the changes in your life if the voice you find within yourself glorifies God? Mr. Keating climbs upon his classroom desk and says, "I stand upon my desk to remind myself that we must constantly look at things in a different way." Standing up for God, the Bible, and Christianity - even if others roll their eyes at you and say "That's crazy..." or even if the herd brays "That's baaaaaaad," - needs to be one of the components in the Voice you speak. God stood up for you when he allowed His Son to sacrifice Himself for all of mankind. Isn't using your voice to stand up for God the very least you can do?

Mr. Keating shouts to his students:

In my class, you will learn to think for yourselves again!...
And as the powerful play of life goes on, YOU will contribute a verse...!

In a sea of millions of people in this world - all contributing a verse to the overall play of life, what will your verse say? How will your verse stand out from all the rest?

Speak. I'd like to hear your voice... especially if you leave a comment on this blog! :)

♥Mags

Karaoke Tuesday: "This Is Your Life" by Switchfoot

What's on your iPod?
Mine is packed with everything from Christian contemporary to Rock... Techno to Broadway musicals... 70's to 2000's... some grunge... some heavy metal... some bubblegum pop. I know all of the words to Metalica's Nothing Else Matters, Paula Abdul's Cold-Hearted Snake AND the entire High School Musical soundtrack... And I've found in writing this blog, that you never know where you'll find Divine inspiration!

This week's song is This Is Your Life by Switchfoot. It asks a simple question:

This is your life. Are you who you want to be?

WOW... that actually makes me feel... uncomfortable...

It's not asking "Are you WHERE you want to be?" "Where" would imply some status or accomplishment that I could easily shrug off with a careless, "Yes, I want to publish a book one day, but I've got time, right?"-kind of answer. Or "Sure... I might go back to teaching.. Who knows?"

Asking me "WHO I want to be" is an entirely different matter altogether...

Who DO I want to be, anyway?
I want to be honest.
I want to be funny - I love to make people laugh.
I want to be free of worrying about what people think of me.
I want to be a good mother... no... a GREAT mother.
I want to be a loving wife and best friend to my husband.
I want to be caring. I want to think of others ahead of myself.
I want to do right by my family.
I want to be thought of as "Christian."

Am I all of those things? Wellllllll... sometimes? Some days, I'm lucky if I achieve even half that! And although each day I start fresh trying to be those things, I know that my own pride, or arrogance, or preoccupation with my own activites often gets in the way of just WHO I want to be.

And each "failed" day builds up on me... weighing me down with it's garbage. That pile of regrets, and apologies, and guilt just builds higher and higher until it knocks me off of the path I've been trying to follow.

Switchfoot reminds us that "Yesterday is dead and over" - implying an alternative: to let go of the baggage and garbage that clouds our minds and hearts. That's easier sung about than actually done, isn't it?! But it just so happens that there IS a way to dump that garbage out of our souls:

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened,
and I will give you rest. ~Matthew 11:28

God knows that often we either come running to him shrieking "HELLLLPP MEEEE!" or come crawling to him crying in our exhaustion and despair. Fortunately, He scoops us right up and offers us comfort from the terrors or troubles that have knocked us down. With his ever-renewing Band-Aids of "forgiveness," He picks us back up and walks with us through our bumpy journey of life.
But he can't do our LIVING for us.
We are free to make our own decisions and our own mistakes. And it's those mistakes that sometimes have us looking back over our life wondering "What-in-the-Hades happened to me?! This is my life?!?! Are you serious?!" It is at that point where we must grab on to that free will God has provided us, and make some choices that put us back onto the path God intended for us to follow.
This IS your life: Are you who you want to be?
And if not, what are you going to do about it?
♥Mags

The Lyrics
Song: This Is Your Life
Artist: Switchfoot
Album: The Beautiful Letdown
Hear it on Last.FM!

I Found God In My Heart - Part 2

My story today is fairly UNrelated to the original "I Found God In My Heart" post, but since it involves "hearts," what else would I title it...? :)

My 4-year old is currently fixated on "floods" - He continually asks if it is going to flood, if it might flood, if it will flood, and other translations of the same question. At first I thought he was just afraid of thunderstorms, but his questions got more insistent (requiring a better answer than my standard "Um-Hm" or "Uh-uh,") AND often came in the middle of a sunny day. When he finally mentioned God, I realized he was fixated on the Noah's Ark story and the BIG flood.

I try to explain that God isn't going to flood the world again. My mother-in-law even helpfully reminded him about the rainbow and God's promise and all that. But he was still whining about drowning in a flood, and I was distracted trying to check email or something - so I said something uber-helpful like "You just have to listen to your heart when God is talking and hear him tell you that he won't flood the world again."

Nice answer, Mom.

He's 4.

He takes things literally.

The next thing I know, my son is contorted into some strange position on the sofa.. head all twisted up and cock-eyed. I start laughing and ask him what he is doing, to which he replies, "I'm trying to put my ear on my heart to listen to what God is saying in there!"

D'OH!

This reminded me that children - especially young children take just about everything literally. We sing so many fun Bible songs - many about Jesus being IN our hearts. You ever wonder how the kids take that? Because they are so trusting, do you think they envision a mini-Jesus walking around inside their bodies?

It makes me giggle... what their young minds might conjure up... but at least the idea is planted in their minds. And, as they grow older, hopefully, they will transition from the idea that there is an actual person inside their hearts to FEELING God filling their hearts and souls with His love, His Word, and His guidance.

Jesus replied: "Love the Lord your God with all your heart

and with all your soul and with all your mind.

This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:36-38

Following God's greatest commandment will allow the Lord to guide and protect my children - and allow them to accomplish all of the great plans He has for them...

... But until then... I'm going to have to be a little clearer on how I explain things... otherwise, my son is going to be permanently bent up like a pretzel! :)

Hug a little one today,
♥Mags

I Found God In A Bucket of White Rice...

We ordered Chinese food the other night for dinner. My 7-year-old son only wanted "the biggest thing of white rice they have, Mommy!" Feeling relieved that he, at least, was being agreeable to the dinner selection (it's not his favorite), I order a large steamed rice - and of course, it comes in the standard 5-inch paper container. Jack was totally annoyed with me... sure that I must've ordered a small because this container just can't be big ENOUGH to be a LARGE...!

We scoop a humungous portion on his plate which he eats.

He then eats a second enormous blob of rice.

He works on a third mound of steamed rice, and then looks inside the container only to see that it is still OVER HALF FULL of white rice. He then proclaims:

"Momma! It's like the loaves and the fishes!!

God just keeps filling up this bucket of rice!"

Now THAT was an excellent response!! My son honored God first. As much as I might have liked to have heard "Wow, Mom - you were right, this was more than enough rice to order!" (Yeah... right... I wasn't holding my breath!), Jack's first thought was that God had provided more than enough for him. (I think he still believed that I had ordered a small... and God was refilling it as fast as he could eat it!)

In surfing around the Internet for some other commentaries on the story of the loaves and the fish, I stumbled upon an excellent post by the Troy Schmidt - Indy Writer Guy. In it, he explains a simple Truth about God:

God will provide practically, but not necessarily extravagantly. The key for us is to appreciate what we receive and recognize it came from God. My family knows Matthew 6 very well. We quote it. We believe it. We hang on to it for our dear lives. In all my years, God has not broken this promise. To live with this verse at the core of my being, I had to understand these statements:

1. It may not be what I want, but it is what I need.
2. It may not arrive when I want, but it arrives in time.
3. It may not come to me how I want, but it comes nonetheless.

We must set aside our expectations and expect only God's promise.
This promise comes with an expectation on our part, though. We must seek Him first. God doesn't provide for everyone, all the time. Only those that follow him.

Recently, my husband, David, spoke with a friend about the stresses of being the sole breadwinner to our family - and how being the "only one" to provide (monetarily) can be mind-numbing. His friend stopped him and replied, "But you aren't the 'only one.' GOD is the One providing for your family... he's just working through you to do it. He will provide for your family no matter what job of yours he uses to do it..."

What a shift in perspective!!

I've noticed a change in my husband's mood since that talk. When he feels stresses at work, he reminds himself that God will provide for our family and will place him in the right spot to carry out His plans. The burden does not rest soley on David's shoulders - God has made a promise to help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes (Matthew 6:34 - The Message). And like Mr. Schmidt says in his own article, "God does not break His promises!"


My son was thankful to God for providing him with enough rice to stuff himself silly. More importantly, he offered praise to the One who provided this treat. Now God provides for our simple and complex needs every day... Have you taken a moment to say thanks? My son was thrilled with the abundance of plain, steamed, white rice... Haven't you received at least a few bigger provisions for which God should get at least a simple thank you? :)

--> To read the full article by Troy Schmidt, visit this link: http://www.indywriterguy.com/indy_ramen.htm. It's a great read!!

I Found God In My Blackberry...

I have a new phone... a Blackberry Pearl... and not much else makes me happier than a new tech toy!! I've had this phone for about 2 months - enough to figure out how to use about 75% of it, and one of the features is the calendar. I can fill in the calendar either on my phone (slow!) or in Microsoft Outlook (much faster!) and sync the two together. I've discovered that my phone will "chime" about 15 minutes before any activity or event that I've logged into the phone - alerting me to the fact that I'm supposed to be somewhere or doing something in just a few moments.



My husband's phone displays his calendar as well... but I notice that he is more weary when checking his calendar... the resigned sighs as he looks over the meetings in his workday... the heavy eyelids as he grapples with the amount of work he needs to accomplish that day...



...And, I started to wonder about God's Blackberry... it must be chiming ALL of the time!! There must be rings and alerts going off every second... sometimes many simulataneously!

Chime! - Appt. with Mary and family today at 8AM - she's having a mastectomy.
Ring! - Divorce Care Group meets at 7PM
Ding! Ding! Ding! - Church services... just about everywhere... Sunday...8AM... 9AM...11AM...
Alert! - Little Jimmy fell in the well!
Buzz! - 7,043 families have requested travel mercies this week


Does God ever roll over some morning (does He ever sleep? And does he have a Westin Hotel "Heavenly Bed?") look at his Blackberry and just sigh, "Today is going to be a b-u-s-y day..." Some days, there are HUGE catastrophes in the world... plane crashes, tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, terrorists, train derailments... events where there are mass-casualties, and MANY people are calling out for mercy, or help, or in despair, or pain all at once.

The idea that our God can handle all of these major events - events with hundreds or thousands of people calling out for help at the same time - should help us rest easy that our God can also handle our small issues... our "smaller" prayers for help in the day-to-day tasks of our life. God says "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) He does NOT say "Come to me... those of you with 'big' problems..." - but rather He invites us ALL to come to Him with our burdens and trials.

God's Blackberry IS alerting Him to our needs all of the time... but fortunately, He does not get weary or tired of us coming to Him. He wants us to seek Him out - He craves a relationship with us, His finest creations. Your problems are neither too small nor too large for Him to handle. And once He is on your side, as it says in Philippians 4:13, "I (You!) can do all things through Christ which strengthens me." :)

This week, take one burden and pass it on to God... He's watching his Blackberry for a message from you.

♥Mags

I Found God In Authenticity...

I was distracted writing the post before this one because full text of Matthew 6:1-4 had me thinking about authentic Christians:

The World Is Not a Stage: Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it. It might be good theater, but the God who made you won't be applauding. When you do something for someone else, don't call attention to yourself. You've seen them in action, I'm sure—'playactors' I call them— treating prayer meeting and street corner alike as a stage, acting compassionate as long as someone is watching, playing to the crowds. They get applause, true, but that's all they get. When you help someone out, don't think about how it looks. Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.
Pray with Simplicity: And when you come before God, don't turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?

I stayed away from church for a long time during high school and college - partly because I didn't "feel" God when I was there... and partly because I was so leary of what I called "freaky, religious people." You know the ones - like in the movie, Leap Of Faith, where Steve Martin's preacher-character is knocking people in the heads "healing" them, making a big show of being "saved..." while stealing their money at the same time. Some so-called "religious" people are, in actuality, false... faking their faith on Sundays and then cheating, or lying, or whatever during the rest of the week.

Over the years, I've had my share of false people in my life just as I'm sure you have as well. People who pretend to be good... pretend to be faithful... and in their pious attitude, condemn the rest of us who aren't living up to their standard. It makes me so angry when I know that their Sunday behavior is just a carefully constructed facade created to hide their sins or flaws.... and in their theatrics, they can cause the rest of us to feel unworthy...

So, I am very committed to surrounding myself with "authentic" people. People who don't just raise up their hands or close their eyes during Worship because it "looks good" - but because they are truly feeling, at that moment, moved by the Spirit... People who don't pretend to be sinless or perfect, or better than everyone else. And we have been so lucky to have found so many authentic people within our current church and within our circle of friends.


Now, as I started writing this post, I did a Google search for this phrase "Bible behaving one way on Sundays," I remembered a sermon our Pastor did a short time ago, and he had a quote from the Bible that would have worked very well for this post... if I could have remembered it!

But, my search led me to this article about Christians Behaving Badly by Holly Vicente Robaina. She is discussing the behavior of the Westboro Baptist Church (WBC) after the passing of the actor, Heath Ledger, and she says this:

Stories such as this one embarrass me.

They make me want to disassociate—Well, I’m not like “those Christians.”

But I’ve started to wonder: Do any of my actions make me seem like them?

Do others ever perceive me as one of “them”?

“Those Christians” make me uncomfortable because

their actions cause me to consider my own.

When I'm writing on this blog, I sometimes feel so "wise..." so filled with knowledge... so eager to impart what I've learned on any who read this. And 15 minutes ago when I started this post, I was smug in the knowledge that I was authentic, myself. But God warns us about pride...

Proverbs 16:18 - First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.

When it comes to authenticity, this is what I know about myself:

• I am flawed.
• I am ordinary.
• I struggle in this Christian walk - to be true to myself AND true to God's Word.
• I want to inspire others, and I crave affirmation that I'm doing it.
• I am impatient, and needy, and sometimes prideful.
• I screw up all the time...

BUT...

I am honest (sometimes to a fault!).
I am true.
And I am trying... trying hard each day to be a better person, wife, mother, daughter, and friend today than I was yesterday.


You don't have to be a Saint. You don't have to be perfect. You don't even have to "pretend" to be those things... God doesn't view us though "beer-goggles;" he sees us clearly to our very core... In our actions, in our thoughts, in our hearts. He knows whether we are authentic or not.

But PEOPLE are not that gifted - they can only see your actions and hear your words. They make assumptions based on what limited information they receive from you. So I challenge you to speak and behave as an authentic Christian. To be "real" - in your interactions with others - and in your heart. You don't have to pretend to have all of the answers. You don't have to give the illusion that you have it all figured out. But like the Little Engine That Could, you do need to keep chugging along everyday... continuing in your own Christian Walk... learning more and more each day... and showing authentic Christian behavior in your words and deeds... becauses you never know who is watching you and learning from you.

What lessons are you teaching them?

♥Mags

Everyday Places Link Added To Footprints Site... aka "I Found God In Humility..."

After linking to the Mary Stevenson Footprints site in the last post, I took a moment to surf their site and learned a lot more about the famous poem... its origins and the four authors who claim authorship to it. It's a rather interesting set of circumstances; you ought to stop by their site as well. Anyway, while I was there, I submitted this blog to their Links page... and I found out this week that it was accepted! *pause to jump up and down in praise... Whoo-Hoo!*

I know it's small... but I was so thrilled to have someone "official" like this blog enough to "recommend" it on their Links list. Maybe they'll take anyone who asks, but I prefer to think they are highly discriminatory on where they will refer their site traffic...! :)



And the thrill I feel to have the link "published" somewhere else... and the yearning to share the news with anyone who will listen reminded me of part of a passage I read once in Matthew 6:1 & 4:

Be especially careful when you are trying to be good so that you don't make a performance out of it....Just do it—quietly and unobtrusively. That is the way your God, who conceived you in love, working behind the scenes, helps you out.

It's the "do it - quietly and unobtrusively" that gets me everytime!! :( In Gary Chapman's book, The Five Love Languages, I'd be the one who needs "Words of Affirmation" the most. Maybe it's from being that "kick-me-kid" in elementary school.... Maybe it's a need to be an attention-hog... Who knows?! I do know that I was the one who needed my name listed clearly on the Honor Roll (not just the A on my report card), who needed my name in the "credits" for my submissions to the yearbook, who wanted that recognition for accomplishments. I've heard of people who drop off a dinner "anonymously" for a family in need or a friend having a hard time. Sadly, I'm not sure I could ever do that...! I'd be happy to drop off the dinner... but I'd need to add a note saying "thinking of you... From MAGGIE BUCKLEY!" *sigh*

Philippians 2:3 says "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves."

In light of the blog add, I'm hoping to separate "selfish ambition" from "honest praise to God for inspiring me to write this blog and getting it noticed and read by other people on the .Net and not just my friends!" :)

But I think there is a difference between "pride in your work" from "pride in oneself." I am so proud of this blog and hope it touches everyday, ordinary people who are looking for answers on their own Christian journey, B U T, I know that my best writing comes when I am truly inspired by God. When I have listened closely and written the stories He wants me to share, those have been the best posts! Yet, there have been many-a-post where I started off on my own tangent... only to delete it after I realized that I wasn't making any sense!

Proverbs 29:23 says Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for honors. Yet, already, I AM honored... honored to write this blog... and honored to share it with you.

Have a great day,

:) Mags

Of course, old habits die hard.. so feel free to throw the needy, affirmation girl a bone and leave a comment on the blog! :)

I Found God In The Garbage Truck...

I'm not sure we all fully appreciate our garbage collectors... 

We drag out all of our trash: our smelly food leftovers, broken down boxes discarded from fun packages, wrappings and trappings from holiday gifts, crushed soda pop cans, snotty Kleenexes... a whole assortment of stuff that we just want someone to "make go away." Our garbage collectors come (for a fee, of course, but when you really think about what they are gathering up, it's probably not near enough!) and take all of that garbage away. You don't have to think about where it's going (unless you are hyper-environmentally-conscious). You don't have to worry if it will come back and appear strewn all over your front lawn. In a few moments (they really are quick!), all of your trash has disappeared... gone... *POOF!* 

What if someone could do that for our mental garbage? Wouldn't that be amazing?! What if Someone could slip in to our minds and lift the burden of our worries, our anxieties, our pain, our past, our frustrations, our quirks, and all the little annoyances that plague us daily? What if that Someone would come to us... not just once a week like our garbage collectors... but daily... even each moment if we asked. This Someone would be at our beck-and-call to collect the trash that has built up in our heart and soul. Even better - the cost of this garbage collecting service would be my personal favorite price: FREE!!! How amazing would that be?! Like a mini-trash can waiting on our shoulder to collect all the stuff that beats us down. 

When you are Christian... you have that Someone. His name is Jesus Christ; He is Lord. He is both the Father and the Son - the creator of Heaven and Earth and has lived in human form. For Someone to accomplish that miracle... don't you think he can help you purge the garbage from your mind, heart, and soul?

Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes. ~Matthew 6:34

Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. ~Matthew 11:28

If you have too much garbage in your heart... too much baggage in your mind... too much trash in your soul, consider calling the ultimate Garage Collector to come and take your burdens away. He will help lift you. He will empower you. He will save you. You will be able to feel lighter - and able to conquer the things that have driven you down. Whether it is something small and petty... or large and cumbersome... God can help you. 

Often, I try to handle everything in my life all by myself.  I like to control things - and yet, so many things that I try to control are actually OUT of my control.  I get angry, frustrated, and OH. SO. TIRED. In the times that I truly S T O P and ask for help from God, it is then that I feel less aggravated, less weary.  Sometimes, I have to remind myself to ask for help again and again - I have to ask God to just take all of these garbage worries and garbage anxieties and garbage thoughts from my brain.  I lean on Matthew 11:28 - so that I can rest in the promise that God is big enough to handle my worries and problems.  

I can rest free of the mental garbage that God takes away.

 Have a blessed day, 

:) Mags