For My Husband... And My Sons... And ALL the Men in My World...

Yesterday was for my girls - today is for you, Dudes.  Because the guys in my life are special, and unique, and AWESOME as well... 

God created you for an amazing purpose... have you found it yet?  Are you living up to the MASTERPIECE that you are?

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; 
      you formed me in my mother's womb. 
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! 
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made! 
      I worship in adoration—what a creation! 
   You know me inside and out, 
      you know every bone in my body; 
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, 
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 
   Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; 
      all the stages of my life were spread out before you, 
   The days of my life all prepared 
      before I'd even lived one day.

Psalm 139:13-16, The Msg

Thank you for being you,
♥ Mags

I See You

You can find little life lessons everywhere... this one is brought to you by Dove, :)

What a difference between how each lady viewed herself... vs. how each were viewed by complete strangers!

We spend so much time worrying over and obsessing about and looking at and dissecting the things we find NOT QUITE right about ourselves, when in actually, we should be reveling in the awesomeness that is each of us.

In fact, I think we each need to find ourselves a THEME SONG.

Back in the 1990's I loved the TV show, Ally McBeal, and one of the episodes, called "Theme of Life," involved Ally coming up with a theme song to make her feel empowered (she chose "Tell Him" which was covered by Vonda Shepard on the show).  I like that idea of having your own theme song - or a bunch of them!!  

It's a running joke among my kids' friends (and my friends), that when I introduce myself, I tell them my name is "Maggie Is Awesome," "Darth Magius," or "Magius Malfoy."  The Star Wars and Harry Potter junkies crack up - and the littler kids just sit there pondering if "Is Awesome" is my true last name.  But it is pretty darn awesome when I show up to volunteer in my sons' classrooms, and a bunch of kids wave and say "HI, MAGGIE-IS-AWESOME!!"  What a feeling!

I have a playlist on iTunes called "AWESOME, I AM" (not specifically Yoda-speak, but I wanted it to be at the top of the list so I needed something that started with "A.").  These are the songs on the list:

• Titanium - David Guetta
• Just The Way You Are - Bruno Mars
• I'm Too Sexy - Right Said Fred
• SexyBack - Justin Timberlake
• Sexy And I Know It - LMFAO
• I Know You Want Me - Calle Ocho
• The Fighter - feat Ryan Tedder
• Survivor/I Will Survive - Glee Cast
• Because I'm Awesome - The Dollyrots (yes, that's an actual song!)
• This Is Your Life - Switchfoot
• U Can't Touch This - MC Hammer
• Good Life - OneRepublic
• The Champ - Nelly

My sixth grader would also tell me that no "Awesome Rock" mix would be complete without "Remember The Name" by The Rising Tied.  :)

Some songs are silly - some are serious - but all of them give me a little lift in my step and remind me that I AM awesome... just like you.

And if that doesn't help boost your self-esteem, consider that GOD looks at you and sees not your flaws, but an amazing masterpiece that He created:

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; 
      you formed me in my mother's womb. 
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! 
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made! 
      I worship in adoration—what a creation! 
   You know me inside and out, 
      you know every bone in my body; 
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, 
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 
   Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; 
      all the stages of my life were spread out before you, 
   The days of my life all prepared 
      before I'd even lived one day.

Psalm 139:13-16, The Msg

Like the video states at the end:  you are more beautiful than you think.
And, as GOD reminds us through His Word:  You are fearfully and WONDERFULLY made.  

Own it.

I Found God in Ingenuity...

This is a great little story that's making the rounds on Facebook...


The Tomato Garden

An old man lived alone in the country. He wanted to dig his tomato garden, but it was very hard work as the ground was hard. His only son, Vincent, who used to help him, was in prison. The old man wrote a letter to his son and described his predicament.

Dear Vincent,
I am feeling pretty badly because it looks like I won’t be able to plant my tomato garden this year. I’m just getting too old to be digging up a garden plot. I know if you were here my troubles would be over. I know you would be happy to dig the plot for me.
Love, Dad

A few days later he received a letter from his son.

Dear Dad,
Don’t dig up that garden!!! That’s where I buried the bodies.
Love, Vinnie

At 4 a.m. the next morning, FBI agents and local police arrived and dug up the entire area without finding any bodies. They apologized to the old man and left. That same day the old man received another letter from his son.

Dear Dad,
Go ahead and plant the tomatoes now. That’s the best I could do under the circumstances.
Love you, Vinnie

I love the creative thinking!  The son, trapped within the confines of his cell, knew he, himself, could not help with the garden.  But his letter, which he knew would be read by the authorities, ensured that his father's garden would get tilled.

Now I'm not advocating tricking the police... But I am encouraging you to tap into the creative side of your brain - because you have one!  You are fearfully & wonderfully made...

I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; 
   your works are wonderful, 
   I know that full well.

Psalm 139:14 (NIV)

So think outside the box once in a while!

:) Mags

You are God's Masterpiece!!!

When I was in college, I had an assignment in my Art For The Elementary Teacher class to construct something that showed a change between "fantasy and reality."  I created a life-size paper-mache horse mask that turned into a glittery unicorn when you inserted the horn up through an opening in his head.  It's huge and unwieldy, but I was quite proud of it (got an A+), and even though I took that class nearly 2 decades ago, the horse head is still in our basement and has followed us through two moves.  My husband even wore it when our son was 2 and dressed as a cowboy for Halloween - letting Jack upon his back in a "horsey-back" ride while they went trick-or-treating. :)

This is a masterpiece to me - it might not be the prettiest thing to you, but I worked hard on it!  But what if my horse had a mind of it's own... the free will to make it's own choices?  Even though I spent hours... days!!... crafting him with my own two hands, what if the horse decided that I really didn't know what I was doing after all?  What if the horse was positive that what I really meant to create was this:

I would be frustrated, angry even!  That's not what I meant to create!  I CREATED what I meant to create!  I smoothed on the paper-mache.  I brushed the strokes of paint.  I attached the long, black mane!  I didn't mean for a green mane, or a hoop pierced through my horse's face, or pink, bloodshot eyes.  I certainly didn't mean for pink zebra stripes to mar his majestic face!


A friend of mine posted this crazy-disturbing link to people who have mutilated their bodies with extreme piercings, full-body tattoos, and something horrendous called "scarification-cutting" where people carve and brand pictures into their skin!  These pictures make me sad.  I can't imagine the pain receiving these mutilations - and I can't imagine the pain that person might be in who felt they NEEDED these "adjustments" to their bodies.


And I couldn't help but wonder what God thought of these "improvements" to his masterpieces...


Ephesians 2:10 (NIV) says, "For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do."


Deuteronomy 32:4 (NIV) says, "He is the Rock, his works are perfect, and all his ways are just.  A faithful God who does no wrong, upright and just is he."


God doesn't make mistakes.  God doesn't CREATE mistakes.   When Adam and Eve allowed sin into their lives, they paved the way for all kinds of sin to creep into ours.  And while we have the free will to mar and mutilate our bodies in a whole variety of ways, or choose activities and actions that blatantly go against the teachings of the Bible, or assure ourselves that "God" was the wrong one, it doesn't make it true.  And it doesn't make it okay.


I struggle with weight.  I fluctuate between 4 different sizes depending on how I take care of this body.  I can blame a low metabolism (yeah, I don't actually have this), fast food restaurants (French fries are such a weakness!), the rain (it's too depressing to exercise), the sun (it's too hot to exercise), God-"made"-me-love-food (so it's not my fault), my skinny friends (why can they eat anything and I can't?!!), whatever.  The bottom line is that MY poor choices can turn this body into a blobby mushbag, and my wiser choices can help keep it working better and longer.  The choices *I* exercise over this body are my responsibility alone.  The choices *I* make to mar one of God's masterpieces are, again, my responsibility.


Perhaps if we start to view ourselves as being "fearfully and wonderfully" made, in God's image, we would be less likely to justify our poor choices that hurt and harm our bodies, and more likely to take ownership of the masterpiece we have been entrusted to care for.

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; 
      you formed me in my mother's womb. 
   I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking! 
      Body and soul, I am marvelously made! 
      I worship in adoration—what a creation! 
   You know me inside and out, 
      you know every bone in my body; 
   You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, 
      how I was sculpted from nothing into something. 
   Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; 
      all the stages of my life were spread out before you, 
   The days of my life all prepared 
      before I'd even lived one day.

Psalm 139:13-16, The Msg

Take care of you,

:) Mags

I Found God on the Clearance Rack...

I love a good bargain!  I have a cozy winter fleece (that heavier Sherpa fleece material) that I once found for just $2.00 on the clearance rack at Kohls.  It makes me smile every time I get to wear it - because it is one of my favorites... and it was so ridiculously cheap...(and because wearing it means it's finally really COLD... my very favorite weather!).


But while I love to find massively discounted "THINGS" on clearance, I certainly wouldn't want a PERSON to feel that they are so "worthless" that if there was a people-clearance rack, they would be on it.  I saw this quote today on Facebook:

If you're not being treated with love and respect, check your price tag.  Perhaps you have marked yourself down.  It's YOU who tell people what you're worth by what you accept.  Get off the clearance rack and get behind the glass where they keep the valuables!  Value yourself more... because if you don't, no one else will!

We all have times when we feel worthless, low, cheap, or on that clearance rack.  Sometimes it's the result of how we let others treat us - or how we treat ourselves.  But God views EACH of us as unique and priceless... each of us matters.

What's the price of two or three pet canaries? Some loose change, right? But God never overlooks a single one. And he pays even greater attention to you, down to the last detail—even numbering the hairs on your head! So don't be intimidated by all this bully talk. You're worth more than a million canaries.

Luke 12:6-7 (The Msg)

You have worth.
You are valuable.
You are PRICELESS.


So if you are feeling like you've been placed on the clearance rack, how have you gotten there?  What can you do to get off?!  Stand up for yourself!  Pray for wisdom in your choices, strength to deal with others' un-Christianlike behaviors, and the peace of mind to follow through with what you know is right.  Surround yourself with Christian friends - people who can love and support you... and treat you right.


You have worth.
You are valuable.
You are priceless.
And God loves you.


You don't belong on the clearance rack.  NO child of God belongs on the clearance rack!  

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out:

you formed me in my mother's womb.

I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration—what a creation!

You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day.

Psalms 139:13-16 (The Msg)  

So stop letting people walk all over you!  Stop letting events "happen" to you and start being proactive in living the life God has planned for you.  Whether that means disengaging yourself from bad influences, or taking control of your finances, or ceasing the endless train of bad decisions you've been making.  God has big plans for you... so start praying and talking with God to find out what those plans may be!  You know He has your best interests at heart - and that He considers YOU to be so precious, so valuable, and so loved!

“God created human beings in His own image. In the image of God, He created them. Because you are made in God’s image, you are a reflection of His glory and valuable. God loves you and made you to be like Him."

Genesis 1:27

You have worth.

You are valuable.

You are priceless.

God loves you.

Act like it.

Thinking of you today,
:) Mags

My God Is NOT Anonymous!

I REALLY like it when awesome things happen to people and they remember to thank God.  Too often we run screaming to God BEGGING for "HEEELLLLPPPPP!!!" when things go sour, but then forget to run screaming to him shouting "THHAAANNKKK  YOOOUUU!!!" when we've been blessed.


Fortunately, this week, there have been some great examples of people remembering the Lord...


1. Scotty McCreery won this year's American Idol.  One of the FIRST things he said, to the ENTIRE cheering audience was "I've got to thank the Lord first; he got me here!"  In fact, every week over the course of the competition, Scotty has taken the time to give thanks for his successes.  How fantastic is that?   This blog article written by a person from his hometown area further explains how God has blessed Scotty AND how he has openly offered this thanks to Him.  It is so refreshing to see someone in the public light, with thousands of fans (many of them tween kids) seeing a role model who is opening faithful to God.  Rock on, Scotty!!


2.  Tornadoes have been ripping through areas of the US this week.  One even touched town briefly in Liberty Township, OH which is just a few miles from our house!  Despite "only" being an F1 tornado (the 2nd weakest), the short 100 yards it hit were devastated.  Take THIS house:

YIKES!!  Hannah Hawkins (17) and her Mom were asleep UPSTAIRS when the tornado ripped the roof and walls off of the second floor in the middle of the night.  As the father ran up from the basement (after hearing his daughter screaming), he could stare right up into the night sky.  The ROOF WAS GONE!  

There is a wonderful article in today's Cincinnati Enquirer chronicling this scary event.  The Hawkins' across-the-street-neighbor, Kelvin Scott, found one of his cars completely flipped over.

  This is what he said about the tornado:

“God preserved everybody in this neighborhood. This is all just material stuff. Cars, homes can all be replaced. But human life cannot. So God gets all the praise. He was looking out for everybody in this neighborhood last night.”

God gets all the praise.

This should be our mantra - in every awesome moment, in every quiet success, in every GOOD thing in our lives, to give thanks AND to tell others of the blessings we've received.

I will give thanks to you, LORD, with all my heart;
   I will tell of all your wonderful deeds.

Psalm 9:1 (NIV)

God does NOT want to be anonymous.  He wants you to share how He has blessed and changed your life.  Whether you blog, or Facebook, or witness, or just talk amongst your friends, be sure to weave in a comment or two that shows others that your God is not anonymous, and that you are thankful for His blessings everyday!

:) Mags

God Heals.

A friend a link to this wonderful video on Facebook - it's about a little dog, Starfish, who suffered years and YEARS of horrible abuse before she was finally rescued and adopted by her forever family:


Think of all of the suffering this little pup endured... all of the painful days and undoubtedly sleepless nights... how the majority of her little life was probably miserable. But by the love of a family who wouldn't give up on her, she was able to run and jump and sleep peacefully for the remainder of her life.

When I saw this, I immediately thought of how God heals us. We can have years of doubt, anger, sin, isolation, questions, baggage, misery, and bad choices. We can literally be broken like the fragile bones in this little dog... Yet when we ask God into our hearts... when we reach out to Him.... His love and peace and understanding fills us with a healing that cannot be rivaled. Our sins are forgiven (again and again)... Our questions are answered... Our doubt, and anger, and isolation, and misery are enveloped by Him with a love that is so mighty it can heal our wounded hearts and minds and souls.

Psalm 103:3-4
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion...

God heals... no matter how severe our wounds. And I am so thankful for that!

Hoping that your wounds feel a little lighter after watching the video,
:) Mags

I Found God in WiFi...

This summer, we went on a cruise from Anchorage, Alaska to Vancouver, Canada. Both my husband and I are very "techie," and we noticed quickly, that our cell signals and WiFi connections vanished as soon as we set sail out into the deep, blue sea. Now I know most people can turn off their their cell phones on vacation, but David and I have iPhones and use ours to play games against each other -- games that require an internet connection. So when we sailed close to land, one of us would notice that the the "little bars" were back and jostle the other one so we could get quick access to Facebook, our email, and our latest game stats. Then we'd sigh as we saw our bars slowly disappear as we again sailed away from the nearest cell tower...

I was reminded of this when I passed the sign at this great little church down the street from my house; it read:

PRAYER Needs No Internet Connection

During our cruise, David and I would be holding up our cells to find even one bar of signal. Luckily, GOD doesn't need a nearby cell tower to receive our prayers! He doesn't require a Hot Spot, WiFi, Ethernet cable, or Dial-Up Modem. He doesn't even need you to speak OUT LOUD for He can hear your thoughts, desires, lamentations, and prayers from right within your heart and mind.

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
Psalms 145:18

Aren't we LUCKY that our God can get to us instantaneously?! We don't have to wait for a priest, a portal, a telephone, or a WiFi connection! We can talk, and laugh, and cry, and pray to the Lord of all directly. And God would not want us to wait until Sunday! He's available every day, every hour, every minute to each and every person on this Earth. I don't need to call the cable guy or satellite technician... God has time for me NOW and is EAGER to hear from me.

When was the last time you reached out to God...? With your thanks, your worries, your prayers? No need to wait for all 4 bars... God can hear you now.


Thinking of you today - and hoping you are enjoying the bountiful blessings God has gifted you,
:) Mags

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 Bus Stop (re-run)

In honor of all of the parents watch their kids head back to school - especially this year, where I saw my youngest off onto his first school bus to kindergarten, I'm re-posting one of my favorite posts: Finding God at the Bus Stop. I wish I had been as contemplative THIS year - but in truth, we almost missed our first bus - it came early! :) Anyway - I hope you enjoy this Everyday Places rerun:

You know - it goes against a parent's very nature...

Let's walk our 5-year old to the bus stop. Sling an oversized backpack stuffed with school supplies on their little backs - throwing them completely off-balance. Put them on a giant vehicle with no seatbelts (let alone the Federal-approved, safety-tested carseat that has been a constant since the child was born!), driven by a complete stranger to a school with only 1 adult per 25 kids!

Yet every September, parents of kindergarteners gather at the bus stop with their cameras in one hand and the small fingers of their child in the other... waiting tearfully... and sometimes fearfully for the big, yellow bus to come around the corner. And every September, those cameras capture the brave 5-year olds who climb that first enormous step onto the school bus and turn around to flash a smile at the proud parents waiting at the curb.

The parents brains are swimming with
How in the world did my baby grow up so fast?!
What if they can't find their classroom?
What if they are scared?
What if the teacher won't let them go to the bathroom?
What if they cry all day long?
What if a kid picks on them?
What if they pick on someone else?


We're proud to see our smallest kids start that long journey of "SCHOOL" - yet fearful because this is a journey that we, ourselves, have traveled. We know what lays ahead on this road... the fun times, the hard times, the studying, the games, the tests (both academic and social), the angst, and the joy. We've seen and done it all. Some of us wouldn't go back and repeat school life even if we were paid a million dollars... yet we still have to send what is most precious to us - our children - through this journey because we know how important it is and that it is a necessary step in their life.

Did you ever wonder if this is the way God feels when a new baby is born?

Everyone one of us is a precious child of God - loved by Him before we were ever born:

Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;

you formed me in my mother's womb.

I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!

Body and soul, I am marvelously made!

I worship in adoration—what a creation!

You know me inside and out,

you know every bone in my body;

You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,

how I was sculpted from nothing into something.

Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;

all the stages of my life were spread out before you,

The days of my life all prepared

before I'd even lived one day.

Psalm 139:13-16 (The Message)

God has marvelous plans for each of His children - but He also know how hard it can be on Earth - He lived it through His own son, Jesus. Yet God still places His children here to go through the journey of life... knowing that sin will tempt them, that tragedy might strike them, that hardships will try them. But knowing all along that the amazing experiences each child will have on Earth will be worth the trip.

So when you make that long walk to the bus stop and give up your child to the journey of school, remember that God is with you AND with your son or daughter. He is walking alongside you both, holding your hands, guiding you, and loving you. Just like always.

I Found God In Clown 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 & CLOWN SHOES

Psalms 1-41

Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit in the seat of mockers. But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night.

Just as children delight in the circus, we should delight on the Lord and the path He has set before us. God promises to have great plans for us – we should be excited for the next adventure He has planned for us. God never intended that the Christian life be one of drudgery. Instead, He intended that the Christian life be marked by joy! Paul said to the Philippians, “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Think of all you have; think of all you are in Christ. You are redeemed! You are sanctified! You are forgiven! You are saved for all eternity! Life up your heart and live your life with joy!

I Found God In Snow 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 & SNOW SHOES

Psalm 51:7 (NIV)

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

When it snows, everything looks clean, beautiful, and bright. All of the imperfections of the earth are covered with a white blanket, and everything appears new and reborn.
When you accept Jesus into your heart and life, you are, in essence, reborn. He removes your sins from you as far as the east is from the west. And there is more! The Christian has the promises of ongoing forgiveness. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9 NIV)

I Found God In Ballet 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 & BALLET SHOES

Psalm 37:23 (New King James)

“The steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord: and he delights in his way.”

Ballet is a beautiful and intricate dance with complex choreography and performers who practically eat, breathe, and sleep their craft. Just as we delight in ballet performances, God delights when we follow the life-path - the earthly choreography - He has set before us.

I Found God In Nursing 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 & NURSING SHOES

Psalm 103:3-4 (NIV)
Praise the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits- who forgives all your sins and heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit and crowns you with love and compassion.

Jeremiah 30:17 (NIV)
But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds," declares the LORD.

A good nurse will care for you, offer compassion, and provide healing. Just as nurses can help heal your body, God will heal your soul. Turn to Him when you are in pain, in hardship, in trouble. He will help.

I Found God in 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 & SLIPPERS

Psalm 18:2 (NIV)

The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold.

When your life is a mess, when your plate is full, when you are at the end of your rope, God is there. Just like a cozy, comfy pair of your favorite slippers, God will envelop you in warmth and heal your heart.

I Found God In An Online Quiz...

I found a link to this quiz on The Broken Man's blog and had to give it a try. It's on the 7 Deadly Sins; these are my results:

Greed:	Medium
Gluttony:	High
Wrath:	Medium
Sloth:	Medium
Envy:	Low
Lust:	Very Low
Pride:	High

Discover Your Sins - Click Here

Now isn't that interesting... Considering that I'd be MUCH healthier if I lost about 50 lbs. not to mention I could stop taking blood pressure medine, I wasn't too surprised at the pitiful gluttony score. I also wasn't surprised by the "sloth" score - A sloth is actually my favorite animal... just because it IS so lazy. While I feel like I'm constantly busy, I could, happily, be a completely bum and couch potato all day long (which undoubtedly would raise the gluttony score even higher! LOL!). I also hate to put things away... another slothlike tendency!

The wrath score was surprising - I always considered "WRATH" to be BIG, YELLING, AGONIZING, ANGER - like a tornado of evil - and that's not me, fortunately. But I know myself - and I have lots of small, tiny, grumblings that probably, over time, could add up to a "wrathful feeling." I have a low tolerance for ineptness or stupidity, and in my mind, when I'm annoyed, I'm usually thinking "dumb*ss"... I only hope that I really am thinking it IN my mind and not muttering it aloud where kids could hear!

The greed score was probably accurate if not rated a little low. I'm a scrapbooker - digital now - but when I scrapped with paper, I HAD to have all of the latest toys, gadgets, and products. The Sizzix die-cutter with 4 alphabet sets and other assorted dies, a self-sharpening 12" cutter, the Wishblade personal die-cutter that connects with my laptop computer to cut out any title I desire, plus a ton of other little tools that filled my 5 (FIVE!) scrappin' bags. If someone asked for something, I could usually whip it out of one of my bags. I had too much. I still have too much. And I always wanted more.

Likewise with diaper bags. I have two kids. They are now 7 and 4. Over the course of their toddler years, I bought 17 (SEVENTEEN!!!) diaper bags. This one was too small... that one was too large... maybe a backpack would work... that one didn't have an insolated area... this one didn't have a place for my cell phone... etc. I've sold many at various garage sales, but our hall closet is still home to about 3 of them and the boys' closets still have another half-dozen stored! Who really needs 17 diaper bags?! :(

I also have been known to say that "sharing is an over-rated concept" (not Christian, I know... I'm a work-in-progress, remember?!). I can be very generous, but I can also be quite stingy when people want to borrow something of mine. If it's a dvd, cd, or scrappin' tool, I will invariably attach a label with my last name on it so there can be no mistaken it's ownership. I don't like to lose things - and probably over-compensate because of it!

I'm proud that envy and lust scored low. I find envy to be a useless cycle. I figure that if you want something bad enough, either work for it or make the appropriate choices so you can buy it/obtain it. Often if you save up for something long enough, you find that you no longer want to spend that much money on whatever anyway. And because I'm apparently greedy, chances are I already own it anyway... *sigh* As for lust, I'm married to my college sweetheart, a 6'7" beautiful man who is a wonderful Dad to our two children and who can still make me laugh. WHY in the world I look elsewhere?!


Which brings me to the big shocker... pride.
Wow... that was my worst fault? Really?

It's probably my pride that has me stumped on this one... Probably my pride that had this result coming out of left field for me... Probably my pride that is an undercurrent in all of the other areas too.

I remember in high school, I was in the highest tracks of classes. Not just "college-prep" - that was the 3rd highest in my high school - I was in I.B. (International Baccalaureate) and I remember feeling like that qualified me to be treated differently... better. I remember being stopped by a hallway security guard when I came late after a doctor's appointment. I had a note, but I distintly remember being annoyed that I would be stopped at all. Didn't he know who I was? I wasn't one of those hoods from the lower tracks - I was in I.B....

*sigh* What an obnoxious attitude to have!

The Bible says a lot about pride... here are some nuggets of wisdom:

Psalm 10:4

In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God.

Proverbs 16:18

First pride, then the crash— the bigger the ego, the harder the fall.

Proverbs 18:12

Pride first, then the crash, but humility is precursor to honor.

Proverbs 21:4

Arrogance and pride—distinguishing marks in the wicked— are just plain sin.

Proverbs 29:23

Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for honors.

OUCH!

There are many other verses that come when you do a search for "pride" in the Bible... and unless they are talking about a "pride of lions," I'm not thinking I'm going to find many positive verses on the subject! There aren't any that say, "Please... Do be full-of-yourself - that, truly, is the way of the Lord," is there?!

I know this quiz was created by a human - and probably subject to a LOT of error... but I found the results revealed a lot about myself (and sadly, not in a good way!). Why don't you give it a try too... feel free to leave me a comment with how you do! It may give you something to think about and work on... helping you be a better Christian tomorrow that you were today. I know I've got stuff on my personal To-Do List now!