Karaoke Tuesday: I'll Take You Back by Jeremy Camp

Jeremy Camp is rapidly becoming one of my new favorite artists... I love how he's redone some old favorites as well as created some new material. One of the songs that I particularly like is called I'll Take You Back.

If you're a regular on this blog, you know that the story of the Prodigal Son is probably my LEAST favorite Bible story because I've often felt that I most closely emulated the older son... the one who stuck around and did everything "right" only to watch his younger, screw-up brother get welcomed back with a feast. It has only been in the last few months that I've been able to view this story with new eyes - seeing clearly my own imperfections and how, in God's eyes, I resemble that Lost Son much more closely that I'd care to admit....

Considering that...

• I took a completely break from church from 9th grade until I got married - only "church-shopping" for a permanant Sunday location because it was important to my husband...
• That even after I was married, I insisted that we only actually attend church very other weekend (one week "on" and one week "off" was my motto!)...
• And that even when attendance became a weekly routine, I found it just another avenue to visit with my friends... I didn't feel God there at all... even sitting between the gorgeous stained-glass walls of our sanctuary, I never felt anything in my heart other than the urge to get the service over with as quickly as possible. This went on for a decade. I may have been physically present in church, but I was not mentally, emotionally, or spiritually there at all. In effect, I was lost.

It was only 3-4 short years ago when we visited our current church. On our second visit, I found what I had been looking for. (You can read about it here.). Finally, I was not lost anymore.

And that's one of the reasons I love this song.... Because no matter now long it takes you, no matter how twisted the path you take, God will always, ALWAYS welcome you home:

Lyrics for "You Take Me Back" HERE.


I fall... He picks me up.
I curse... He gives me better words.
I cry... He comforts.
I search... He shines a light to guide my way.
I screw up... He forgives me.
I get lost... He finds me... always... again, and again, and again, and again.

As much as I hate to admit it, the Prodigal Son and I aren't that much different after all. And lucky for me, God has room for ALL of his prodigal sons and daughters. :)

If you'd like to hear the song, you can HERE on LastFM.

I Found God In Little Eyes - An EverydayPlaces Rewind

First... a little note (THX, Michelle for forwarding this to me!):

WHEN YOU THOUGHT I WASN'T LOOKING


When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you hang my first painting on the refrigerator, and I immediately wanted to paint another one.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you feed a stray cat, and I learned that it was good to be kind to animals.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make my favorite cake for me, and I learned that the little things can be the special things in life.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I heard you say a prayer, and I knew that there is a God I could always talk to, and I learned to trust in Him.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you make a meal and take it to a friend who was sick, and I learned that we all have to help take care of each other.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you give of your time and money to help people who had nothing, and I learned that those who have something should give to those who don't.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw you take care of our house and everyone in it, and I learned we have to take care of what we are given.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw how you handled your responsibilities, even when you didn't feel good, and I learned that I would have to be responsible when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw tears come from your eyes, and I learned that sometimes things hurt, but it's all right to cry.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I saw that you cared, and I wanted to be everything that I could be.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I learned most of life's lessons that I need to know to be a good and productive person when I grow up.

When you thought I wasn't looking, I looked at you and wanted to say, 'Thanks for all the things I saw when you thought I wasn't looking.'

-Author Unknown (by me, at least)

This is my segway into EverydayPlaces Rewinds - a way to highlight some older posts that may have gotten lost in the Archives. One of my favorite posts is about being an AUTHENTIC Christian. "Little Eyes" see a LOT... just like God... who sees past our facades and who knows our hearts, our intentions, and our motives.... Go HERE to rewind to the original post about "God & Authenticity." It's a good one! :)

Karaoke Tuesday: Hope Now by Addison Road

So it's after Easter... everyone has had their fill of marshmallow Peeps, jellybeans, and Cadbury eggs. You may have brought your kids to the obligatory Easter Egg Hunt... you've undoubtedly taken your Easter Photos with them dressed up in their new spring clothes. Hopefully, you found a moment to reflect on the meaning behind Easter... the part that is deeper and more important than visiting with the Easter bunny. So what now?

I was struck by a new(ish) song I heard on 93.3 recently by Addison Road called Hope Now. Take a look at the lyrics below:

If everything comes down to love
Then just what am I afraid of
When I call out Your name
Something inside awakes in my soul
How quickly I forget I'm Yours

I'm not my own
I've been carried by You
All my life

Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

When my life is like a storm
Rising waters all I want is the shore
You say I'll be ok and
Make it through the rain
You are my shelter from the storm

Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down
Your love sets me free

I am not my own
I've been carried by you all my life

Everything rides on hope now
Everything rides on faith somehow
When the world has broken me down

You've become my hearts desire
I will sing Your praises higher
Cause Your love sets me free
Your love sets me free
Your love sets me free


It reminds me of 1 Corinthians 13:13. After the widely-used wedding verses on Love Is..., comes this sentence:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.
But the greatest of these is love.

After the betrayal.

After the pain.

After the sacrifice.

After the Cross... comes Faith, Hope, and Love.

As the story posted on Easter Sunday said, we are not just celebrating "Easter" once a year. Easter is every day. Every day, we reap the benefits of Jesus' sacrifice and blessings. We may dig out the plastic eggs, bunny ears, and baskets in March and April, but it is through all seasons that we should be cognizant of the marvelous gift we were given. As the song says, it is the Love of Jesus that has set us free.

I attended an Episcopal school from grades 4-8. We had Chapel services each Thursday, and at the end of the service, the Pastor would say, "Go in peace... to love and serve the Lord" and we would reply, "Thanks be to God." While I enjoy much more the unscripted church service we attend now, I do think that farewell is fitting for this post. The best way to show our gratitude for the blessing of Jesus' sacrifice is, indeed, to go in peace... to love and serve the Lord.

Thanks be to God. ♥

My Name Is Maggie... Do You Believe In Easter?

If you are actually stopping by here on Easter Sunday, I imagine you are looking for something more meaningful than the crackle of the wrapper around a Reese's Peanut Butter egg (my personal favorite Easter treat)... so I have a story for you:

THE STORY OF EDITH BURNS

original story by Russel Kelfer

Edith Burns was a wonderful Christian who lived in San Antonio, Texas. She was the patient of a doctor by the name of Will Phillips. Dr. Phillips was a gentle doctor who saw patients as people.
His favorite patient was Edith Burns.

One morning he went to his office with a heavy heart and it was because of Edith Burns. When he walked into that waiting room, there sat Edith with her big black Bible in her lap earnestly talking to a young mother sitting beside her. Edith Burns had a habit of introducing herself in this way: "Hello, my name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?" Then she would explain the meaning of Easter, and many times people would be saved.

Dr. Phillips walked into that office and there he saw the head nurse, Beverly. Beverly had first met Edith when she was taking her blood pressure. Edith began by saying,"My name is Edith Burns. Do you believe in Easter?"

Beverly said, "Why yes I do."

Edith said, "Well, what do you believe about Easter?"

Beverly said, "Well, it's all about egg hunts, going to church, and dressing up." Edith kept pressing her about the real meaning of Easter, and finally led her to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Dr. Phillips said, "Beverly, don't call Edith into the office quite yet. I believe there is another delivery taking place in the waiting room."

After being called back in the doctor's office, Edith sat down and when she took a look at the doctor she said, "Dr. Will, why are you so sad? Are you reading your Bible? Are you praying?"

Dr. Phillips said gently, "Edith, I'm the doctor and you're the patient"
With a heavy heart he said, "Your lab report came back and it says you have cancer, and Edith, you're not going to live very long."

Edith said, "Why Will Phillips, shame on you. Why are you so sad? Do you think God makes mistakes? You have just told me I'm going to see my precious Lord Jesus, my husband, and my friends. You have just told me that I am going to celebrate Easter forever, and here you are having difficulty giving me my ticket!"

Dr. Phillips thought to himself, "What a magnificent woman this Edith Burns is!"

Edith continued coming to Dr. Phillips Christmas came and the office was closed through January 3rd. On the day the office opened, Edith did not show up. Later that afternoon, Edith called Dr. Phillips and said she would have to be moving her story to the hospital and said, "Will, I'm very near home, so would you make sure that they put women in here next to me in my room who need to know about Easter."

Well, they did just that and women began to come in and share that room with Edith. Many women were saved. Everybody on that floor from staff to patients were so excited about Edith, that they started calling her Edith Easter; that is everyone except Phyllis Cross, the head nurse.

Phyllis made it plain that she wanted nothing to do with Edith because she was a "religious nut". She had been a nurse in an army hospital. She had seen it all and heard it all. She was the original G.I. Jane. She had been married three times, she was hard, cold, and did everything by the book.

One morning the two nurses who were to attend to Edith were sick.

Edith had the flu and Phyllis Cross had to go in and give her a shot. When she walked in, Edith had a big smile on her face and said, "Phyllis, God loves you and I love you, and I have been praying for you."

Phyllis Cross said, "Well, you can quit praying for me, it won't work... I'm not interested."

Edith said, "Well, I will pray and I have asked God not to let me go home until you come into the family."

Phyllis Cross said, "Then you will never die because that will never happen," and curtly walked out of the room.

Every day Phyllis Cross would walk into the room and Edith would say, "God loves you Phyllis and I love you, and I'm praying for you."

One day Phyllis Cross said she was literally drawn to Edith's room like a magnet would draw iron. She sat down on the bed and Edith said, "I'm so glad you have come, because God told me that today is your special day"

Phyllis Cross said, "Edith, you have asked everybody here the question, "Do you believe in Easter but you have never asked me."

Edith said, "Phyllis, I wanted to many times, but God told me to wait until you asked, and now that you have asked." Edith Burns took her Bible and shared with Phyllis Cross the Easter Story of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Edith said, "Phyllis, do you believe in Easter? Do you believe that Jesus Christ is alive and that He wants to live in your heart?"

Cross said, "Oh I want to believe that with all of my heart, and I do want Jesus in my life. "
Right there, Phyllis Cross prayed and invited Jesus Christ into her heart. For the first time Phyllis Cross did not walk out of a hospital room, she was carried out on the wings of angels.

Two days later, Phyllis Cross came in and Edith said, "Do you know what day it is?" Phyllis Cross said, "Why Edith, it's Good Friday." Edith said, "Oh, no, for you every day is Easter. Happy Easter Phyllis!"

Two days later, on Easter Sunday, Phyllis Cross came into work, did some of her duties and then went down to the flower shop and got some Easter lilies because she wanted to go up to see Edith and give her some Easter lilies and wish her a Happy Easter.

When she walked into Edith's room, Edith was in bed. That big black Bible was on her lap. Her hands were in that Bible. There was a sweet smile on her face. When Phyllis Cross went to pick up Edith's hand, she realized Edith was dead. Her left hand was on John 14: "In my Father's house are many mansions. I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also." Her right hand was on Revelation 21:4, "And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes, there shall be no more death nor sorrow, nor crying; and there shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." Phyllis Cross took one look at that dead body, and then lifted her face toward heaven, and with tears streaming down here cheeks, said, "Happy Easter, Edith - Happy Easter!"

Phyllis Cross left Edith's body, walked out of the room, and over to a table where two student nurses were sitting. She said, "My name is Phyllis Cross. Do you believe in Easter?"


God works in wonderful ways, and to believe in his power is to truly be free. Not only do I wish you and yours a Happy Easter - but I wish for you the ability to see Easter as a daily celebration of His love for you. More than bunnies, and chicks, and eggs, and baskets... More than a once-a-year party... but as a daily reminder of the promises that are still to come in your life.

So......

Do you believe in Easter?

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.

I Found God In Smallville...

In a rural town of Smallville, Kansas, a baby boy is brought to Earth, seemingly from the Heavens, in a meteor shower. His adoptive parents accept him, love him, guide him - but know that he possesses abilities that are far above "normal." As he grows up, the boy and his family come to understand that his birth Father sent him to earth to serve, protect, and ultimately save mankind from injustice and evil.

Sound familiar?

In this case, it is Clark Kent who carries the burden and responsibility of his abilities and his purpose. He knows, without a doubt, WHO sent him here and WHY he was sent.


Can you imagine that? Waking up every day knowing, without a doubt, the reason for your existence?


Jesus knew.

From the very beginning, Jesus knew his purpose. His earthly parents knew it too.


It's one thing to have hopes and dreams for your child... you might wonder "will my kid be a doctor? a lawyer? a teacher?" It's quite another for The LORD to tell you exactly your child's place in this world:


Luke 1:30-33 But the angel said to her, "Do not be afraid, Mary, you have found favor with God. You will be with child and give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus. He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever; his kingdom will never end."


WOW... talk about potential!



Jesus also knew his role in the world. While the early years of his life aren't documented minute by minute, there is a story in Luke from when he was 12 years old and was separated from his parents for about 4 days. Upon finding him, finally, his parents were understandably upset:


When his parents saw him, they were astonished. His mother said to him, "Son, why have you treated us like this? Your father and I have been anxiously searching for you."
"Why were you searching for me?" he asked. "Didn't you know I had to be in my Father's house?" But they did not understand what he was saying to them.

Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. And Jesus grew in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men. (Luke 1:48-51)

Jesus knew His purpose even at the age of 12 - accepted it... acted upon it. And He also understood his obligations and responsibilities to his earthly family. The verse includes the part where he "went home with them and was obedient to them." He didn't pull out the "I'm the Son of God" card - He honored his earthly parents as well as His Father. He was obedient to them both. Furthermore, throughout his life, He served His purpose; He did not run from it.

Similarly, Clark Kent strives to be obedient to his earthly family and his Kryptonian father, Cal-El. He knows he is different - He knows he possesses unearthly skills - He knows his duty.

I love the hidden (and sometimes not-so-hidden) parallels of Christ to pop culture icons. I remember in high school, when we would study poetry, we might read a poem about a DUCK and the teacher would extrapolate all of these inner meanings: man's struggle vs. man... man vs. nature... man vs. addictions... etc. I often figured that the authors were looking down on us and just laughing... because their poem really was just some verses about a duck swimming in a pond. :)

However, I believe that God has created us with the urge to share His stories - and we do it in all sorts of ways and through all sorts of venues. Movies, TV, comic books, novels... these are all places that contain amazing stories in which you can find many links to God... even if that wasn't the original "purpose" of the author.

I don't know the history to the Superman saga - whether or not the authors specifically and deliberately made these Christ-like references. The important part is that the references are there all the same. There is a neat website called Hollywood Jesus - an archive packed with tons of pop culture stories and movies and how they incorporate the stories of God and Jesus.... Superman included.

Clark Kent and Jesus Christ knew, without a doubt, their purposes in life. They knew "the last page" of their respective stories... the duty that called them to action. We don't have the luxury of flipping foward to the last page of our lives to see what should have been accomplished. Our lives aren't scripted that way. With God's blessing of FREE WILL, we get to write our own stories... line by line, chapter by chapter. We get to find and execute our own purposes.

Have you found yours?

Have you deliberately incorporated your faith, your service, your time, your sacrifice into a purpose worthy of your Creator? And if not, isn't it about time you started thinking about it?

Happy Living,
:) Mags

I Found God in Transformers...

No Sacrifice... No Victory...

That is one of the mottos of Optimus Prime and his Autobots.

For those of you who missed the 80's and all it's Transformer glory, the short story is this (courtesy of this website):

The Earth has become a battleground. Centuries ago, on a distant planet, the robotic alien races known as the Autobots and the Decepticons waged terrible war over a powerful cube called the All Spark. The cube was lost and both races vowed to find it. Now the cube has come to rest on Earth, hidden away by the US government for years, and the final stand of the Autobots, led by Optimus Prime against the Decepticons, led by Megatron will take place on our planet. But the Autobots have an ally: humans.

Fiery battles ensue and eventually, Optimus Prime is willing to sacrifice himself to save humankind... planning to stick the All Spark cube in his chest to destroy it and save Earth. Whether or not Optimus Prime is forced to this end will be yours to discover if you see the movie. What I love is that you can find so many Christian undertones weaved throughout the storyline...

God asks us in Romans 12:1-2 to sacrifice the commonplace behaviors and corruptions of earth to live in a way that is acceptable to Him...

And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice—the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.

The Bible is packed with characters who made sacrifices to claim God's victory...

Noah... who sacrificed his reputation to build a giant boat that would guard his family against the end-of-the-world flood.

Moses... who gave up his independence to follow God's instructions and return to Egypt to save the Israelites.

Mary and Joseph... Joseph knew that baby wasn't "his" yet sacrificed his pride to be an earthly father to God's son while Mary gave up her own expectations and dreams to serve as the mother to Jesus.

Jonah... who had to face his fears to follow God's instructions.

Saul/Paul... who sacrificed his power in the Roman Empire to serve the Lord.

And Jesus... who truly gave the ULTIMATE sacrifice... Himself. His sacrifice yielded VICTORY for all of mankind.

Without sacrifice, there can be no victory. The important things are worth fighting for... they are worth the sacrifice.

Incidently... the other main motto of the movie is this:

One shall stand - One shall fall.

Good vs. Evil

God vs. Satan

Everlasting Life vs. Death

Who knew that you could find so much Godliness in some transforming robots? :)

--> Note: The Transformers movie is PG-13, and in it's original form, this is NOT for young kids. However, you can visit GoodMoviesOnline.com and purchase the edited-to-PG version that removes sexual references, anything with human blood, and all foul language. While the special effects are fabulous, the items that earned it's PG-13 rating are obnoxious and unnecessary. Do consider watching an edited version if you have kids!

I Found God in GoodMoviesOnline.com

If you saw Transformers - The Motion Picture in theaters, you know that while the toys are played with by the 5-to-10 yr. old set, the movie was rated PG-13 for a completely UNnecessary scene concerning a teenage boy and masterbation. Thank God for GoodMoviesOnline.com - a FANTASTIC website that edits movies down to PG and PG-13. To stay copyright-compliant, when you buy a movie from this website, you pay for the original version and get the edited version for free. As long as you keep the two versions together, no "additional" movies are actually made (which doesn't violate copyright). I have used this service; I am SO THRILLED with the results!!! :)

I remember sitting with my 7-yr. son Jack in the movie theater one day when a preview for Transformers came across the screen. Both of us were mezmorized by the short clip, and we saw the shiny grill and heard the robotic sounds... both of us whispered at the same time: Optimus Prime... as the Autobot leader flashed before us.

Imagine my dismay when the movie was released and was rated PG-13. WHAT? The toys are marketed for little kids - why include material that prevented little kids from seeing it? Transforming robots saving the world from evil with loud explosions, fast cars, and military men? What more could a little boy want?!?!

I watched Transformers movie after it came out on DVD... without my kids. Good thing! - While it was, indeed, amazing - packed with all of the robots my kids would adore, it was also infused with a handful of suggestive dialogue plus the obnoxious masturbation scene.

*sigh*

But in November, I stumbled across the GoodMoviesOnline website. And Transformers was one of the movies they offered. They could edit out the questionable scene and maintain the PG-13 rating or they could "dumb-it-down" to PG and eliminate all sexual references as well. I bought the PG version; we saved it for Jack's birthday in February, and finally, tonight, the boys and I had time to watch it.

Amazing!

Fantastic!

Stupendous!

My kids loved it - I loved it - and the questionable scene was edited out flawlessly - I couldn't even see where it had been! Plus, no bad language! No human blood! Of course, we're talking about Transformers: it IS full of explosions, battles, duels, etc.; you can't edit that out or you're left with nothing but the closing credits! :) But I knew what I was getting into... I just wanted it without the sex and language!

This is an amazing service - just think of all of the fun movies out there that we CAN'T show our kids b/c of the adult situations, language, or extreme violence contained within. Even when they are "13" - some of the messages are still not ones we want reinforced. GoodMoviesOnline.com has a huge assortment of new and classic movies to choose from.

I am so thankful to find a place that takes the "junk" out of movies to make them kid-friendly. I hope you'll check out their store too - because this is one place that I hope stays in business for a long, long time!! :)

PS... I actually found God IN Transformers too... for that, you'll have to wait for the next post! :)

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 "Good Morning"

Someone sent me this little acrostic... I thought it was cute...! :)


When I say "Good Morning" I mean to say

G - God
O - offers us His
O - outstanding
D - devotion to

M - make us
O - obedient &
R - ready for a
N - new day with Him.
I - inspire others please, and
N - never forget
G - God loves you!

Today as I was driving home from dropping Luke off at preschool, I passed a local business. With the anti-smoking laws in place in our area, workers can no longer smoke in or even on the property of their place of employment. Therefore, at this particular large insurance company, the workers have to cross the street to a drainage ditch to smoke. At any given time of day, you can find workers huddled in the cold on the edge of the street - teetering between swiftly moving cars on the road and the soggy ditch below them.

Admittedly, I've been very judgemental when I've driven by in the past - rolling my eyes at the rediculousness of these people - clinging to their smoking habit by the side of the road. In winter, you cannot tell the difference between the smoke drifting out of their mouths and the cold vapors of regular exhaling. It just seems sad.

Today, as I drove home, there was one solitary man on his smoke break. One older guy bundled up tightly in the 30 degree wind. With his ear-flap hat, the only bits of exposed skin included his eyes, nose, and mouth - complete with the cigarette dangling from his lips. But today as I stopped at the light in front of his ditch, I prayed. I prayed for this man - that God would give him the strength and determination to quit. He cannot possibly be happy out there... ruled by an addiction that drags his body out into the freezing temperatures to smoke. He certainly didn't look happy. But instead of sitting on my soap box with my judgemental frown, I took action... a small action, albeit, but action, nonetheless. I said a prayer for this man.

What soapboxes do you stand upon? What frowns do you cast at other people just trying to do the best they can? It is so easy to say that "my sin isn't as bad as that person's sin." I know - I've found myself qualifying sin more than once... But God doesn't qualify sin.

There is an interesting passage in 1 John 5:16-17...

The Message:
For instance, if we see a Christian believer sinning (clearly I'm not talking about those who make a practice of sin in a way that is "fatal," leading to eternal death), we ask for God's help and he gladly gives it, gives life to the sinner whose sin is not fatal. There is such a thing as a fatal sin, and I'm not urging you to pray about that. Everything we do wrong is sin, but not all sin is fatal.

The NIV:
If you see a Christian brother or sister[a] sinning in a way that does not lead to death, you should pray, and God will give that person life. But there is a sin that leads to death, and I am not saying you should pray for those who commit it. 17 All wicked actions are sin, but not every sin leads to death.


Here it says that we should pray for others we see sinning (unless their sin has led to their death - which, at that point, it's too late, I guess). I'm not saying that "smoking" is "sinning" - but it is hurting one's body... a creation of God. I imagine when we do anything that hurts ourselves or another of His creations, He's not too thrilled. And, standing on my soapbox with my judgemental frown is not helpful to this person at all. A better avenue is for me to DO something to help - and given that I don't know this man, praying for him seemed a better option than stopping my car, rolling down the window, and telling him he should stop...! :)


Take a look at your day - your everyday, ordinary routine and see if there is someone you can pray for. The poem at the top of this post says to "inspire others" - You never know how much of a difference your prayers might make to another person... :)