Attention Women! This Is For YOU!!!

I've mentioned before, that when I meet a new kid - especially one of my kids' friends, I usually introduce myself as Maggie-is-Awesome.  I tell them that I will answer to "Mrs. Buckley," but that I honestly prefer either "Maggie-Is-Awesome," "Darth Magius," or "Magius Malfoy" (if you don't get the last two references, you need to stop reading this, and go out an BUY and WATCH "Star Wars" and "Harry Potter" ..... like, NOW).   

The need to continually remind others that I'm not a dork (which in turn probably gives just opposite message) likely stems from my elementary school years as being... well... a dork.  (Who needs psychotherapy?  See how easy that was to figure out?!)  But I've got a message for all my gals today... just in case you aren't feeling it, YOU are AWESOME.  But don't just take MY word for it...

Remember...

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

-Psalm 139:14 NIV

Embrace it.
♥ Mags

See Me.

Please forgive any incoherent thoughts today.  I finally went to sleep after 11PM last night only to wake up at 2AM... and never returned to sleep!  When your mind is full, sometimes sleep is elusive.  But everyone once in a while, I feel a strong calling to write something very specific on this blog, and today, I have a message to share.

I know this will come as a surprise to those of you who know me in person, but as a child, I was a "Kick-Me-Kid."  You know the one:  I was last-picked at gym-- likely because I was terrible at any sport involving a ball... or climbing... or running... or sweat.   I had a hard time making friends-- because I was, (pick one)-- needy, bossy, afraid of confrontation, teacher's pet, attention-hogging, who knows.  I was a teacher's kid-- as in my Mom was THE English teacher for our school-- and nothing says "popular" like the straight-A kid of the English teacher. (note:  sarcasm)  Add to this that my school only had 15 kids in my GRADE, and you've got one nice recipe for

LEFT. OUT.

Fortunately, things changed for me when I went to high school for several reasons.  First, there was a HUGE ocean of students in which I could hide OR thrive:  440 kids in my grade alone... and all kinds of kids!  Tall kids, short kids, smart kids, arty kids, techy kids, bandos, hoods, goths, singers, student-counsel-power-people, homecoming queens and kings.  The sea of students was huge and wide and diverse... and heavenly.

Because there, I finally found people who "got" me-- People who didn't see a "kick me" sign on my back, but saw the "SEE ME!" sign up front.  People who ignored the "needy" and saw "funny" ... "clever" ... "hilarious," even.  People who (grudgingly?) accepted the "bossy" (the trait that would later make me a really good first grade teacher), but also saw the creative writer, the dancer, the musician (mostly heart vs. talent, but a musician nonetheless!), the thinker, and the loyal friend.  And now I'm blessed - because I have found good, solid, help-you-bury-the-body-in-the-backyard-friends who accept me in all my quirky, funny, awesome glory.  And to be honest, I don't have to be friends with people who don't!  What a freeing concept!  I can be polite and friendly, but I don't have to open myself up to people who don't get it.  And that is... well... awesome. :)  Because God made ME awesome - just like he did with you:

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

He is the Rock, his works are perfect,
    and all his ways are just. -Deuteronomy 32:4 pt 1 NIV

I wish my "kid"-self could have known such great things lay ahead!  

Another child I know is dealing with a version of the same issue right now.  This child is quirky, goofy, creative, hilarious, witty, sarcastic, and more.  And for the most part, he has "never met a stranger."  But he and another kid he'd really like to be friends with just. don't. get. each. other.  They don't speak the same language, and I'm not talking about English!  I'm talking sarcasm vs. literal, goofy vs. serious, free-thinking-vs-straight-arrow.  It's frustrating them and for both families because they bring out the worst in each other.  However, I was reminded last night (or possibly early this morning, remember I've had just 3 hours of sleep), that God made all sorts of masterpieces:  the silly ones, the serious ones, the creative ones, the mechanical ones, the bossy ones, the quiet ones.  ALL of these children are important in their own way - and they have all been bestowed with amazing gifts that will serve them well later in life (EVEN IF those same gifts are hard to handle now).  

These two kids might have to settle with "friendly" vs. "friends." -- Which is such a hard lesson to learn!  Because it is NOT okay for either kid to be in a situation where EACH one makes the other one feel badly.  But for both of them, it is important to remember that their respective quirks and gifts have meaning and significance; they just might not know yet what for.

I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us. 

-Romans 8:39

God has GREAT plans for you, Kid.  Embrace them, because

YOU

ARE

AWESOME.

I Found God in a Puzzle...

I'm part of the Christian Women's Bloggers Network on Facebook.  There, Christian bloggers can network, increase exposure to our respective blogs, and read some FANTASTIC blogs from other Christian authors.  I read one today that really got me thinking.  It was a short devotion called "Broken For Whole" and talked about how God wants us to come to him, broken, so that HE can heal us and make us whole.


It got me thinking about puzzles.  My kids love puzzles, but they approach them VERY differently.  Jack is the logical one.  He turns all of the pieces over (this may seem obvious, but wait until I explain his brother's methods!), separates the edges and corners, then sorts the remaining pieces by color before even starting the puzzle.  He begins working from the outside-in, glancing at the puzzle's photo often as he methodically matches up the pieces.


Luke, on the other hand, dumps the pieces into a random pile.  He hardly even turns them over let alone sorts them!  His eyes scan the haphazard heap and he grabs two pieces that seem to match by either their puzzle-y edges or their colors and then puts them together.  Click!  They fit!  He continues on this way, barely looking at the puzzle photo, building the overall picture from the inside-out!  My husband and I really don't even understand his thinking (our brains work more like Jack's) and can't fathom how Luke sees the connections between the pieces the way that he does.  But this crazy method works for him. ;)


Either way... the end result is the same:  the puzzle is completed.


But what if you finished your puzzle and found that one, lone piece was missing?!!  What if you spend hours and HOURS sorting and scanning and comparing and working to finish this multi-hundred-piece puzzle only to find that one piece wasn't there?!!!  It wouldn't matter that the puzzle was "ALMOST" finished - it's still missing a piece!!!


That is your life without God.  Unfinished... incomplete... really, kind-of a waste of time, actually!  Because all of that working and and living and trying is fruitless if you don't include God in your life!  Life is hard enough; you need ALL the pieces!  


Furthermore, just like the HUGE differences between the ways that Jack and Luke each complete a puzzle, your life journey is going to be unique.  I started this blog because I was sure that there had to be other people out there who were floundering and frustrated with not finding God in the "ordinary" places... in church, in private school, etc.  My methods and experiences to placing that final piece into place (CLICK!) were along a twisty, windy road with many, MANY dead ends.  I'm just grateful that God is patient... and never gives up on one of his children. :)


If you can't see the whole picture, then perhaps you are missing a crucial piece to your life puzzle.  God is the final piece!  And with God, your life-puzzle becomes more than just a jumble of mismatched pieces... your life becomes a MASTERPIECE.

And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.

Romans 8:28 (NLT)

------- Additional Note -------

If you've read Nicole's original post and then mine, you still don't have all the pieces... because my friend Cindi wrote a follow-up to this about trying to do things your own way withOUT God and how the pieces just don't match up.  Be SURE to read on HERE NEXT!  It's a fabulous conclusion to this idea!

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

Of God and Gardening...

My Mom forwarded me an email with this story:

A successful business man was growing old and knew it was time to choose a successor to take over the business. Instead of choosing one of his Directors or his children, he decided to do something different. He called all the young executives in his company together.

He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next CEO. I have decided to choose one of you. "The young executives were shocked, but the boss continued. "I am going to give each one of you a SEED today - one very special SEED. I want you to plant the seed, water it, and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from the seed I have given you. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next CEO."

One man, named Jim, was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly, told his wife the story. She helped him get a pot, soil and compost and he planted the seed. Everyday, he would water it and watch to see if it had grown. After about three weeks, some of the other executives began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow.

Jim kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew.

Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by, still nothing.

By now, others were talking about their plants, but Jim didn't have a plant and he felt like a failure.

Six months went by -- still nothing in Jim's pot. He just knew he had killed his seed. Everyone else had trees and tall plants, but he had nothing. Jim didn't say anything to his colleagues, however, he just kept watering and fertilizing the soil - He so wanted the seed to grow.

A year finally went by and all the young executives of the company brought their plants to the CEO for inspection.

Jim told his wife that he wasn't going to take an empty pot. But she asked him to be honest about what happened. Jim felt sick to his stomach, it was going to be the most embarrassing moment of his life, but he knew his wife was right. He took his empty pot to the board room. When Jim arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other executives. They were beautiful -- in all shapes and sizes. Jim put his empty pot on the floor and many of his colleagues laughed, a few felt sorry for him!

When the CEO arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted his young executives.

Jim just tried to hide in the back. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the CEO. "Today one of you will be appointed the next CEO!"

All of a sudden, the CEO spotted Jim at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered the Financial Director to bring him to the front. Jim was terrified. He thought, "The CEO knows I'm a failure! Maybe he will have me fired!"

When Jim got to the front, the CEO asked him what had happened to his seed - Jim told him the story.

The CEO asked everyone to sit down except Jim. He looked at Jim, and then announced to the young executives, "Behold your next Chief Executive Officer! His name is Jim!" Jim couldn't believe it. Jim couldn't even grow his seed.

"How could he be the new CEO?" the others said.

Then the CEO said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone in this room a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it,and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds; they were dead - it was not possible for them to grow.

All of you, except Jim, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Jim was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new Chief Executive Officer!"

How often have we done something wrong and wanted desperately to hide the mistake? How often have we felt like Jim - head hanging in shame - thinking that we have screwed up beyond help? How often have we BEEN the other executives...? -- Trying to hide our mistakes and pretend we haven't messed up?

Unfortunately, while you can fool the world for a while... you can't hide from God.

That's part of what being omnipotent, omnipresent, and omniscient means...!

Whoever said "honestly is the best policy" is definitely referring to Jim. Honesty can be embarrassing, shaming, and hard, but it is what God expects from us. Off all the commandments God gave, LYING was one of the "Big 10."

Do not steal. Do not lie. Do not deceive one another.
Leviticus 19:11

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Put away perversity from your mouth; keep corrupt talk far from your lips. Let your eyes look straight ahead, fix your gaze directly before you. 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 4:23-27

The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in men who are truthful.
Proverbs 12:22

Courage and honesty is rewarded. If you plant honesty, you will reap trust. If you plant humility, you will reap greatness. And if you plant hard work, you will reap success.

And those plants will thrive.

I Found God in Directions...

WHY is it so hard for some people to just follow the directions? Somebody spent the time to set up the directions in the first place... yet no one really wants to follow them...

My oldest son, Jack, is the "KEEPER OF JUSTICE" in our family. First born kid - he wants to know the rules and he expects EVERYBODY in his sphere of influence to follow them... or risk certain peril!

Now my younger son, Luke - finds most rules to be cumbersome and unnecessary. He views them as loosely-designed guidelines that are meant for other people -- surely not him.

Personally, I like to know what the rules ARE... so that I can find loop-holes that allow me to go around or disregard them. :)

What's YOUR stance on rules?

When people break the rules, my son, Jack is incensed that they might not get "in trouble." This is a valid concern - we see people all the time, you and old, getting away with it while the rest of us do our best to be obedient.

When Luke breaks the rules, he is annoyed that he might be in trouble - because again, he sees others getting away with it, and he wonders why he is the one who is BUSTED.... and he figures that if the rule wasn't so stupid, so many people wouldn't be ignoring it, right?!

If I can't find a loophole to get around a guideline, I'm irked that I'm trapped in the same confines as everybody else in the general population. Why can't I just go past this line?

Now, when it comes to rules or guidelines for life, God is pretty clear on a lot of things - Do unto others as you would have them do unto you... Honor your Mother and Father... Do not lie, cheat, steal, covet, commit adultery... Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, body, and mind...

In His word, God covers a variety of "hot topics" - marriage, divorce, sexuality, premarital sex, abortion, capital punishment, discipline, parenting, friendship, cheating, over-indulgence, money management, self-control, etc. His Proverbs give us words-to-the-wise on all kinds of "little," everyday issues too:

Never walk away from someone who deserves help;
your hand is God's hand for that person. Proverbs 3:27

God hates cheating in the marketplace;
he loves it when business is aboveboard. Proverbs 11:1

Intelligent children listen to their parents;
foolish children do their own thing. Proverbs 13:1

Friends come and friends go,
but a true friend sticks by you like family. Proverbs 18:24

When you're given a box of candy, don't gulp it all down;
eat too much chocolate and you'll make yourself sick. Proverbs 25:16-17
(I admit, when I first read this one, I was tempted to cover my ears and say, "La! La! La! I can't hear You!")

Most of His instructions leave very little "wiggle room" for us to make our own interpretations. Yet we do - we ignore His word... or we look for loopholes... or we paraphrase His Instructions to get them into "OUR" language. We twist and mutate His guidelines into what will "work" for us or what our friends think, or what the newscasters tell us. The Bible may not always be easy to understand, but we are accountable to it - regardless as to whether we've read it or not!

And Jesus said to them: You have a fine way of setting aside the commands of God in order to observe your own traditions!
Mark 7:9 (NIV)

When I was in school, my mother always said that "a spelling test should be the easiest test you'll ever take... because you know all of the answers before hand!" Life is like that as well; we have been GIVEN all of the answers in God's Word - all we have to do is seize them.

Do you know God's stance on the big issues in your life?

Do you think your life might go easier if you actually followed the directions God has already set forth?

God has great plans for each and every one of us - but in order to make the most of this fabulous life, He asks that we pay attention to His teachings and follow His Word. The first step is to accept Him as your personal Lord and Savior. Then open His book - anywhere - you don't have to start at the beginning - just pick a spot, open it, and read. God has something great to tell you on ANY page of His Book. What don't you see what He has to say today?

:) Mags

I Found God In A Quilt...

Got this great inspiration email from Gran-Roberta (my-step-grandma-in-law):

Quilt of Holes

As I faced my Maker at the last judgment, I knelt before the Lord along with all the other souls.

Before each of us laid our lives like the squares of a quilt in many piles; an angel sat before each of us sewing our quilt squares together into a tapestry that is our life.

But as my angel took each piece of cloth off the pile, I noticed how ragged and empty each of my squares was. They were filled with giant holes. Each square was labeled with a part of my life that had been difficult, the challenges and temptations I was faced with in every day life. I saw hardships that I endured, which were the largest holes of all.

I glanced around me. Nobody else had such squares. Other than a tiny hole here and there, the other tapestries were filled with rich color and the
bright hues of worldly fortune. I gazed upon my own life and was disheartened.

My angel was sewing the ragged pieces of cloth together, threadbare and empty, like binding air.
Finally the time came when each life was to be displayed, held up to the light, the scrutiny of truth. The others rose; each in turn, holding up their tapestries. So filled their lives had been. My angel looked upon me, and nodded for me to rise.

My gaze dropped to the ground in shame. I hadn't had all the earthly fortunes. I had love in my life, and laughter. But there had also been trials of illness, and wealth, and false accusations that took from me my
world, as I knew it. I had to start over many times. I often struggled with the temptation to quit, only to somehow muster the strength to pick up and begin again. I spent many nights on my knees in prayer, asking for help and guidance in my life. I had often been held up to ridicule, which I endured painfully, each time offering it up to the Father in hopes that I would not melt within my skin beneath the judgmental gaze of those who unfairly judged me.

And now, I had to face the truth. My life was what it was, and I had to accept it for what it was.

I rose and slowly lifted the combined squares of my life to the light.

An awe-filled gasp filled the air. I gazed around at the others who stared at me with wide eyes.

Then, I looked upon the tapestry before me. Light flooded the many holes, creating an image, the face of Christ. Then our Lord stood before me, with warmth and love in His eyes. He said, "Every time you gave over your life to Me, it became My life, My hardships, and My struggles. Each point of light in your life is when you stepped aside and let Me shine through, until there was more of Me than there was of you."

May all our quilts be threadbare and worn, allowing Christ to shine through!

God determines who walks into your life ... it's up to you to decide who you let walk away, who you let stay, and who you refuse to let go.'

When there is nothing left but God...

that is when you find out that God is all you need.

Of God and Sin and Men and Basketball........

My husband and I spent last week in New York City with our good friends, Stephanie and Nathan. We had purchased two tickets to the Big East Basketball tournament (15 games in 5 days, baby!) - and while the husbands attended most of them (the gals shopped), there was an evening when Nathan scored two extra tickets, and we all went together.

Steph and I "people-watched" far more than we watched any actual basketball... and I must say, it was much more interesting... Midway through the game, a young couple came down and claimed the seats two rows in front of us. Immediately there was a ripple amongst most of the men around us (Our -husbands excluded... and we're so proud of them!). The girl was very skinny in ultra-tight "skinny" jeans, with long dark hair, and an average-looking face. But what set her apart was her surgically-enhanced bustline that was bursting (thanks to a push-up bra) out of her shirt that had the top 5 buttons undone.

Now, I say the girl was "surgically-enhanced" for this reason - if God had given a girl that robust of a busom that defied gravity so absolutely, most girls would cover themselves out of sheer embarrassment. But when a gal PAYS for something, she will likely do everything she can to show off the assets and make sure people know she got her money's worth. This girl was deliberately showing off her womanly parts to the world and often stood up, leaned over, at one point, even started patting her own rearend (no kidding!), or adjusted herself to make sure that she drew stares. And stares, she did receive...

Men in a 10 yard radius were reduced to their most primitive selves - slobbering, leering, and turning their necks so far that we thought many of them would require a lengthy chiropractic session to straighten out their spines. Forget the dribbling on the court...! We had dribbling and drooling men all around us!! Here are some of the characters we noticed...

• "4 Sleazy Dudes" - Group of 4 guys right behind us - late 20's/early 30's, post-college guys but who became nearly incoherent except for oggling eyes and phrases like "like to get me some of that" and "did you check out her rack?!" When she started patting her own backend, one nearly dumped his beer on me, he was leaning forward so far!


• "Mid-Life-Crisis Man" who sat across the aisle and a row below her with his two buddies. His neck is definitely out of alignment for all of the craining he did. Plus, tons of obviously lewd gestures and tongue-waggling in her direction as he envisioned all the porno-type thoughts he could come up with and share with his cronies.


• "Clearly A Grandpa And A Pervert" - Guy well over 65 years old with his buddy sat in our row. He was up on his toes to look down her shirt more than once.


• "My Girlfriend Doesn't Have As Big A Set" Dude who sat with his girlfriend directly in front of "Boobalicious." He spent most of the game turned completely around pretending to talk to his date but eying the magnificent display the whole time. There were many "pretend" reaches to the floor behind him for his water bottle so he could get a closer..... look.

What's wrong with this picture....? Several things!

1. The Girl has self-esteem issues, big time. She is thinking that her self-worth is derived by how men react to her, but isn't realizing that these men are only reacting on the most basic of levels... No one is thinking of her "as the girl I'd introduce to my parents" - she is reduced to the "skanky girl who might get me laid." Here is what God says: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV) Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. Or The Message version which is a bit more specific: There's more to sex than mere skin on skin. Sex is as much spiritual mystery as physical fact. As written in Scripture, "The two become one." Since we want to become spiritually one with the Master, we must not pursue the kind of sex that avoids commitment and intimacy, leaving us more lonely than ever—the kind of sex that can never "become one." There is a sense in which sexual sins are different from all others. In sexual sin we violate the sacredness of our own bodies, these bodies that were made for God-given and God-modeled love, for "becoming one" with another. Or didn't you realize that your body is a sacred place, the place of the Holy Spirit? Don't you see that you can't live however you please, squandering what God paid such a high price for? The physical part of you is not some piece of property belonging to the spiritual part of you. God owns the whole works. So let people see God in and through your body.
   



2. This girl's behavior has now become a stumbling block to the men around her. It is quite possible that some of the leering guys struggle with addictions to pornography (my money's on "Mid-Life Crisis Guy"), and her lack-of-outfit just throws more images into their permanent "Mental Rolladex." God says in Romans 14:13 - Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another. Instead, make up your mind not to put any stumbling block or obstacle in your brother's way. Obviously she is not responsible for everyone else's problems, but there are SO many poor messages being sent out with this attire... there doesn't seem to be anything positive about it!
   



3. This doesn't mean "Girls: don't be cute." Beth Moore put it best when she said, "Ladies, you can be cute! You go out and buy the cutest outfit you can find... but COVER yourself!" You can be pretty, or beautiful, or flashy, or cute WITHOUT being skanky, or lewd, or tacky... or be nicknamed "Boobalicious!" Our friends with a teenage daughter have the "4 B's Rule" in their house. For their daughter, it's NO boobs, NO butts, NO belly, NO bra strap showing or she can't leave the house. This would seem like a NO-BRAINER... but a lot of today's fashions leave a tons of personal skin exposed and on display!

In man's defense, not ALL of the guys around were a drooling mess. The two men right in front of us (who could have had an excellent view) seemed to be quite UNcomfortable with the whole thing and were looking anywhere BUT at her... Our dear husbands actually seemed oblivious to it all as they were totally into the game (until we told them about it and they started watching the surrounding crowd). But the majority of the men around us did not represent their gender well! And I felt sorry for them.. and for their wives... or their daughters... or their girlfriends... or their mothers... all of the women in their lives who had just been disrespected by their behavior.

When I was a kid, my Mom used to tell me to "pretend she was sitting on our shoulders" when we were out and about... that whatever we did or said - to ask ourselves if Mom was watching... would we still be doing that particular thing... (My brother often looked at her and used his fingers to flick off the "imaginary Mom" off of his shoulder... but I digress...!)

While your Mom might not always be with you, there is a parent figure who IS always watching you... God sees your stumbles and falls... your good days AND your obnoxious ones. And while He loves us and forgives us, He can still feel disappointment in our choices. I screw up daily... by the hour, sometimes! ... but I one of the things I pray for is for God to help me be a better person/mother/wife/friend/Christian tomorrow than I was today. And in order to actually accomplish that, I have to make better choices.

How's your behavior lately...?

Are you representing your gender well?

Your family well?

Your Creator well?

Take care of you this week,

:) Mags

I Found God in Alexander & His Terrible Day...

Note: I actually completed this entry late last night... but in fitting with my lousy day, my connection to the Internet failed on the desktop computer and I could not post it...... of course. *sigh*

Today I am defeated.

My head hurts.

My eyeballs hurt (who even knows why??).

I've got snot.

My laptop has just been reformated for the SECOND TIME in 7 days, and right at this very moment, a remote Dell technician is reinstalling programs on it.

When he's done, I'll still have at least a week's worth to time required by me to reinstall all of my own programs.

I'd lay my head down and cry... but I've done that already... and it just led to more snot.

One of my very favorite childhood books was Judith Viorst's Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day. Here is just the first page:

I went to sleep with gum in my mouth, and now there's gum in my hair, and when I got out of bed this morning, I tripped on the skateboard, and by mistake I dropped my sweater in the sink while the water was running, and I could tell it was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.

Page, after page, it continues...

On the way downstairs the elevator door closed on my foot and while we were waiting for my mom to go get the car, Anthony made me fall where it was muddy and then when I started crying because of the mud, Nick said I was a "crybaby" and while I was punching Nick for saying "crybaby," my mom came back with the car and scolded me for being muddy AND fighting.

I AM HAVING A TERRIBLE, HORRIBLE, NO GOOD, VERY BAD DAY! I told everybody.

No one even answered.

Alexander continues chronicling his awful day - wishing all the time that he could just ESCAPE to Australia because surely in a place that far away, things must be better... At the end of the book, when his mother is tucking him into bed - and things are still going terribly for him, his mother tells him that "some days are like that........even in Australia."

No matter where we live, some days just stink. Some days leave us feeling like the BUG squashed on a windshield - defeated and spent. It is those days when prayers are most needed. Praying (shrieking?), "GOD...HELP ME!" doesn't mean that God is going to swoop in and fix things up for you all nice and neat (but, OH, how I wish he would!). It does mean that God will lend His strength to you so you can keep your priorities in order and deal with whatever obstacles are in your way. I know that today, my patience is short and my temper is huge because I'm feeling sick AND frustrated. I know that this 4-and-a-half-hour online/phone call with Dell is just the first of many hours of getting my laptop back the way I want it to be. It stinks, for sure. But it's not God's fault. And it's not the end of the world. Other people have bigger things to deal with than a little bit of snot and a busted computer, and I'm fortunate to just have those two things on my plate right now.

So I guess my big word for today is "perspective." Some days we just need to crawl in bed, pull the covers up over our heads, and wait until morning. For me, today is one of those days... But I have hope that my tomorrow will be better - and either way, I know that with God, all things are possible, and He will be my source of strength.

Karaoke Tuesday: "Britney" by Bebo Norman

Below is an excerpt from an interview with Bebo Norman on his song, Britney - copied from CCMagazine.

“Britney” is a song about what our culture says and does to young women these days. It’s a collective apology for the struggle girls face growing up too fast in today’s overly adult-oriented world. The song confesses, “I’m sorry for the lies we told… We took you into our arms then left you cold/I’m sorry for this cruel, cruel world… /We sell the beauty but destroy the girl.” It’s about the lies we tell them about fame and money and what’s beautiful and what will give them life. It’s an apology for those lies. But more than that, it’s an invitation to the truth about a God who is bigger than the pain this world so often leaves them in.
I was up late, couldn't sleep, watching some news channel, when yet another story about Britney Spears came on. My first instinct was to scoff and write it off, but then there was this freeze-frame shot of a look on her face of utter and absolute despair and confusion and brokenness—a look that I recognized. And I remember thinking “This girl is a child of God.” Suddenly, I saw her story not as something to mock, but as a real-life tragedy that is desperate for redemption and hope—a story not so different from any of our stories. Take away all the lights and cameras, and it’s really just a narrative of a girl so clearly in need of love, so clearly in need of the redeeming love of our God.

And suddenly, all I wanted to do was just apologize, over and over. I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry...on behalf of this fallen world, on behalf of our consumerism that so consistently devours what it wants and leaves the remnants in the wake of the search for the next fix, on behalf of believers, like myself, who mock and hurl stones rather than scribbling a message in the sand.

I think that night I saw her through the eyes of Jesus for the first time. I imagined what Jesus would say to me in my darkest hour and realized that those are the words we should speak to this world, to this culture, and even to Britney Spears in their darkest hour. “I’m sorry. Hope is here.” –Bebo Norman

This song is amazing! I didn't even realize it was about Britney Spears at first - I was just struck by the lyrics themselves and how they can apply to so many people - even me. It's so easy to cast the stones... poking fun at someone else who looks different, smells different, dresses different, acts different, or speaks differently... talking about someone behind their back (or blatantly in front!)... judging others for their choices... There used to be that childhood saying that "Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me." Sadly, we realize all too quickly that the quote is a falsehood. Sometimes, words hurt much more than a stone; the words we use have the potential to leave scars that can last a lifetime.

Currently, I have a subscription to People magazine - it was a gift last Christmas, and I've noticed more and more, how sad I feel for these celebrities when their personal garbage is strewn all over the newsstands for us to gape at. Easily, I can judge them - for their ridiculous choices and behaviors that have led them to whatever current mess that is written about. But this song reminds me to have a little more sympathy and a little less judgement. Because when you compound all of the millions of people in the world who witness a celebrity's mistakes and blunders every day via TV or magazines, you realize that it must be so frustrating to have all of your life (the good times and the bad) displayed for the masses just because of the line of work you chose.

I found a fantastic Fan Video on You Tube using this song... The song, itself, is about 4 minutes - but the last 2 minutes include some bonus footage that you wont want to miss. I hope you have time to watch it all.

Song: Britney
Artist: Bebo Norman
Album: Bebo Norman

Karaoke Tuesday: "I'm Not Who I Was"

It's interesting... I had an entire post about this song ready in my head based on what I thought this song was about (what I had gotten from it, at least!). Then I read the lyrics - and saw a video from the artist on his intentions, and I realized that we were on different paths...!

But isn't that the great thing about music? That it can inspire different feelings in different people?!

Today's song is "I'm Not Who I Was" by Brandon Heath. I took from it the changes that occur inside you when you start to really "feel" Christian (or for those people who felt a sudden transformation: who are "born again.") The person that I am now is so much different from the person people knew in elementary school, or high school, or even college.

I smile to myself because a feed to this blog shows up on my Facebook page, and I figure that people who haven't seen me in a while will be rolling their eyes and saying, "When did Maggie get all religious?" or "Was Maggie always some religious weirdo?!" They know the girl who could cuss like a sailor and who was known to say (regarding the midnight Christmas Eve service), "It's the same old story... WHY can't they liven it up with a laser light show or something?!?!"

*sigh*

It is funny though, how transformed you feel inside when you finally find your Faith... And those changes in your heart and mind inevitably lead to changes on the outside as well. Some things are slower to change than others... I still have to work on my potty mouth sometimes. I'm still impatient. Judgemental. Prideful. But I feel like a different person than I was then... and it's not just the increase in grey hairs! :)

Now apparently Brandon Heath was leaning in a different direction when he wrote this song:


He was looking back at people from his past - people who may have wronged him in some way and against whom he still held a grudge. I can identify with that too! :)
I think I've mentioned before that I was a "kick-me" kid in elementary school. A year behind everyone age/maturity-wise, a year ahead academic-wise... not a good combination for surviving the social game of high school! It's easy, when you've been a target, to hold onto hostility and anger towards those who made you feel inferior... small... unloved. Lord knows that I've got some residual hostility, but allowing yourself to forgive others is a blessing from God. Brandon Heath mentions that his favorite line of the song is this:

Well the thing I find most amazing In "amazing grace" ... Is the chance to give it out

Is there someone in your life who needs your grace? Or do you need to extend a little grace inward and forgive yourself for something? Take the opportunity to be "Christ-like" and to give it out. Because if you have felt the transformation of your Faith, then you are like a new person, and this new person can forgive.

Song: I'm Not Who I Was
Artist: Brandon Heath (http://brandonheath.net/)
Album: Don't Get Comfortable
LYRICS
Listen to this song and other by Brandon Heath here: http://brandonheath.net/music.php

God and Pants... Part 3

Considering I wrote two different posts on my cursed pants / Jesus pants, it would stand to reason that I would take a moment to write about another pair of pants... The Traveling Pants. :)

In 2001, Ann Brashares wrote The Sisterhood Of The Traveling Pants. What a cute story!! Four girls stumble upon a pair of well-loved blue jeans in a thrift store - and amazingly enough it fits all of them perfectly: the tall athlete, the curvy tempermental, the willowy beauty, and the small-boned rebel. That it fits all of their vastly different heights and frames AND makes them feel beautiful is no less than a miracle.

In the premier novel and the 3 books that follow, the girls share the pants each summer - mailing them back and forth across the places where they visit. From summer camps to visits with relatives... from digs in Turkey to movie internships, the girls use the pants to keep in touch with each other and keep their friendship connected. And the pants are there through all of their summer experiences: the divorce and remarrying (to other people) of Carmen' s parents, Lena's first love... and loss, Bridget's coping from mistakes she made with her boyfriend, Tibby's grief at the death of her friend, Bailey, plus various other family, social, or school issues. The pants are a constant comfort to each of them.

In the final book, the pants are lost - mirroring the feelings of loss the girls are going though as their individual lives push them farther and farther apart from each other. However, the girls come to realize that the pants were only a symbol of their everlasting friendship, and that the jeans, specifically, didn't have to be physcially present for their friendship to endure.

Now think of our Lord... a one-size-fits-all God who is with us through our hard times and our good times. He's with us when we succeed and when we make mistakes. He will comfort us when we are hurt and celebrate with us when we are happy.

When you meet other Christians, you have something instantly in common. No matter your size or weight or style, your faith links you together.

When Jesus died on the cross, the apostles were "lost" at first. How could they go on? How could their Lord continue if he had been crucified? But like the traveling pants, Jesus lived on in the hearts and minds of those who believed in Him. Tibby, Carmen, Bridget, and Lena discovered that they didn't need the actual pair of pants to remain best friends - even as miles and miles might physically separate them. Likewise, we don't need the physical body of Jesus to be there for us to be covered by His love.

For the girls, believing in the power of the pants was enough.

For Christians, believing in Jesus is a power in and of itself.

If you were to re-read this series of books with the parallel of God & Pants in your mind as you read, I think you'll look at this "humorous, light, fluffy, summer read" in a whole new way. But that's the fun of this blog... finding God in everyday, ordinary places... and what's more "ordinary" than a novel?! :)

If you'd like to read Parts 1 and 2 of God & Pants, follow these links:
Part I "I Found God In Some Cursed Pants"
Part 2 "Not Cursed After All... They're Jesus Pants!"

I Found God In Email...

Normally, when I get one of those forwarded "Christian emails" it is some type of SPAM: Either it says to forward this to 287 people if you love Jesus and a little boy with cancer and two heads will be healed or a random prayer request for a friend-of-a-friend-of-a-friend's-cousin's-adopted-daughter's-neice's-half-uncle. They usually are loaded with those little "forward arrows" because so many people don't actually take the time to clean up an email before they sent it on, and the text is disjointed and spread across several lines. This drives me crazy, and all of those types of emails end up in the delete folder...!

BUT...

Everyone once in a while, I get a great Christian email that I actually want to share. This particular one came via my Scrappin'-With-Faith friend, Sharlotte:


One day God was looking down at Earth and saw all of the rascally behavior that was going on. So he called one of His angels and sent the angel to Earth for a time.

When he returned, he told God, 'Yes, it is bad on Earth: 95% are misbehaving and only 5% are not.

God thought for a moment and said, 'Maybe I had better send down a second angel to get another opinion.' So God called another angel and sent him to Earth for a time.

When the angel returned he went to God and said, 'Yes, it's true. The Earth is in decline; 95% are misbehaving, but 5% are being good.'

God was not pleased. So He decided to email the 5% that were good, because he wanted to encourage them, and give them a little something to help them keep going. Do you know what that e-mail said?

?

?

?

?

?

?

?

No? Yeah...well...I didn't get one either. :(


I wanted to share it not just because it said "rascally" which gave me a giggle considering so much of human behavior can be summed up as "horrifying," "stomach-turning," "pitiful," or "depraved," -- not merely rascally, but also because it struck me as simple, yet poignant.

So many of us are quick to point the finger that "the other guy" - we are sure that WE are doing all of the right things... WE are acting Christian... WE aren't doing anything wrong...

But we forget that God doesn't divide sin into neat piles of "good," "bad," and "ugly." He doesn't put the murders and molesters in a different category than the ones who "borrow" office supplies or who gossip about their freaky neighbor, or who lie, or who cheat. It is sooooooo hard for us to comprehend that idea because humans DO weigh sin. We are quick to separate ourselves from the "criminals" or the "undesirables" - thinking that our minor transgressions aren't nearly as bad.

Jesus talks about this in John Chapter 8 (NIV translation):

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery.

They made her stand before the group and said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?" They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him.

But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her." Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground.

At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, with the woman still standing there. Jesus straightened up and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?"

"No one, sir," she said.
"Then neither do I condemn you," Jesus declared. "Go now and leave your life of sin."


No one was able to cast a stone at the woman because NO ONE was without some sin of their own. I did not get God's email because while I try to live my life in a Christian manner, I invariably screw up each and everyday. It might be "small" things... cursing, socially-acceptable-little-white-lies, watching garbage on TV... but it is sin nonetheless.

God knows this.
And He loves me just the same.

And because He loves me and all of my faults and sins, I am encouraged to try each day to think and behave just a little better than yesterday. In fact, I often end my prayers to Him with, "Thank you, Lord, for your blessings... and help me to be a better wife, mother, and Christian tomorrow than I was today."

How about you?

Did you get God's email? And what are you going to change in your life to make God proud of your choices?


Prayers for you this week... and your 2nd-cousin's-grandmother's-half-uncle's-step-son. *wink

♥Mags

Not Cursed After All, They're Jesus Pants!

I ran a load of whites last night - included was the pair of cursed pants that I wrote about earlier this month. When the wash finished, I opened the door and my heart sank because inside was my husband's pair of Ray-Ban sunglasses.

After the rough-n-tumble spin cycle, they were scratched and cracked, a lens was out, and a few small slivers of lens glass were scattered through the clothes. I pulled out the frames and dug around for the missing lens; I felt badly for my husband who had recently purchased these - they were definitely ruined.

Apparently, as I was scavenging for the lens, I cut my finger on the edge. But I did not notice this as I transferred all of the whites to the dryer (I'm just going on the assumption that the filter will snag any stray pieces of glass... that's a good plan, right?!) By the time I got upstairs and handed my husband his demolished sunglasses, I noticed that my hand had blood all over it. No problem - wash off the cut finger, add a Band-Aid. We're good.

This morning, I opened up the dryer to get out the whites. The first item I pull out is the cursed pants... and I see big blobs of blood ALL over them. My eyes widen in panic -

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!

I realize that when I transferred the clothes to the dryer, my bleeding finger must have dripped blood all over my pants. My mind races as I pull out the other things:

• my husbands nice khaki shorts,
• two pairs of my favorite khaki shorts,
• 5 pairs of kids' shorts,
• lots of socks,
• and an assortment of underwear.

Nope.

Nope.

No.

Uh-uh.

Hmmmmm.


W O W. There wasn't any blood on the other clothes... just on the cursed pants. I laugh, at first, thinking, "well, of course, these particular pants would get stained with blood that was now set in with the heat from the dryer... that's the way these pants work, right?!" But then I started thinking some more... I had handled ALL of the other clothes -and by the time I got upstairs and realized that I'd been cut, there was a lot of blood. Why didn't the other clothes get ruined too?


And then I realized something:

I have misjudged the pants.

I don't think my pants are cursed. I think they are sacrificial pants... They are Jesus pants. Just as Jesus offered himself up to take the sin and stains from all of humanity, my supposed "cursed" pants seemingly throw themselves in front of stains and guard the rest of my clothes from damage.

I know you are grinning right now - and I promise you that I'm not really believing that my cotton, over-bleached, cargo Capri's have a literal mind of their own, BUT this blog is about finding God in everyday, ordinary life - and from this event on, my "Jesus Pants" will now remind me of His sacrifice every day that I wear them.


You've got to appreciate God and His sense of humor - and that he often has divine and unusual ways of getting a message to you. My message today came via a pair of pants. I love these pants! :)

Hope your day and your laundry is bright and unstained!
♥Mags

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 Imperfections...

I ran into someone from high school today... *sigh*... not just an "anyone-someone" - a "someone-someone" - one of the handful of people I can think of that if I were to run in to them in public, I am supposed to be my skinniest, most fabulous, put-together self. You know the ones... any ex-boyfriends... any girl that an ex-boyfriend may have dumped you for... a nemisis that haunted the high school halls... or anyone from the "POPULAR" crowd.

Sadly enough... the part about only running in to them when you are your skinniest, most fabulous-put-together self never happens.

As it was, I run in to this "someone" when I'm wrestling my kids in the fitness center swimming pool... my hair clipped up in a wad... my "Yes-I'm-about-50-lbs-heavier-than-I-was-in-high-school" body... and in a swimsuit, no less. You can't get much more UN-put-together than that!! And of course this someone lounges by the side of the pool in a bikini... *groan*

Why is it that visions of high school (no matter now fun it was), will instantly remind you of all of the insecurities you felt then...? The pressures to "fit in" - even if you had a bunch of friends...? I'm a grown woman... yet I can be instantly transported back to my 16-year old self when I run in to certain people from high school. And while it shouldn't matter anymore what I look like or what I'm doing... somehow, it does.

Fortunately, there is one individual where it DOESN'T matter what I look like or how flawed I'm feeling. God loves me and all of my imperfections... (which also means that He loves those "someone-someones" and all their PERFECTions as well, I guess............... but I digress...). He will not roll his eyes at me (or you!) and talk behind our backs. He will not "accidently forget" your name or be looking for anyone "cooler" to talk to. When you or I talk to God, we have his undivided attention... there's no one "on the other line" distracting Him. He can tune out all of the millions of voices and just be with you or me. Hair in a scrunchy-wad OR in a chignon, we are valued to God. And of all the "someone-someone's," HE is the most important SOMEONE of all.

Relax... you don't have to impress Him... He already knows all of your secrets, your faults, your insecurities... He knows the snarky thoughts that you hide in the darkest corners of your heart... and STILL HE LOVES YOU!

So wad up your hair any way you want - go play in the pool with your kids - and ignore the bikini-clad, popular girls lounging on the side. Compared to God... they are irrelevant to your world.

photo by tamimontano

Happy Swimming,
♥Mags

I Found God In A Blizzard...

...Okay, so it wasn't an "official" blizzard according to the weather gurus... but we got 13.6" in 24 hours... and that is A LOT for this area!

I love the snow... I love to go outside after it has just snowed (even to shovel!) because everything is clean, and quiet, and "new." One of our pastors said it brilliantly last Sunday... that when it snows, "it's almost as if God has covered up all of the Earth's imperfections with his white blanket - and everything looks new and reborn."

So while you're out shoveling... or pulling your kids around on their sleds... or working tirelessly on a snowfort that will be knocked down by your kids even after you slaved and slaved over it... take a moment to breathe in the clean, chilly air - and know that just like God can mask the imperfections of the world with his blanket of snow, He can mask the imperfections of your heart and mind with a blanket of His love.

♥Mags