Pruning for Growth

Activities, Activities, Activities...

The past several weeks activities have been going around in circles in my head with one resounding theme,

 "What should we be involved in this coming year?"

I love having my kids explore their different interest and talents and have always wanted to nurture that, but when does it become excessive. I sat down and looked at my projected weekly calendar for the fall, and immediately my brow furrowed and my discouragement began to grow. How can I manage to keep up with this pace, get our schooling done, and give my little ones what they need as well. Honestly, my first thought was to formulate a workable plan and plow on through, which on paper I achieved, but my heart knew about three weeks in we would start to feel the affects. Peace was alluding me.

I had questions flooding my brain at all hours of the day. Yes, I did lose some sleep over it. Every time I came back to just one ALL encompassing question that needed to be answered,

“What does God want us to focus on this year and be involved in?”

To answer this question, it meant I would need to let go of MY reasoning and use HIS. I would need to let go of MY plan and FOLLOW HIS. I would need to let go of MY fears and TRUST HIM. Simply I would need to LET GO and that is something I am not good at.

Through the process of much prayer and seeking, God showed me His Will through these few verses and spoke to my heart in a way that brought tears to my eyes.

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.” John 15: 1-2 (NIV)

God the Father wanted us to “cut back” our schedule and let GROWTH occur.

In the ESV it says “my Father is the vine-dresser”. Of course we know that a gardener/vine-dresser prunes back that which is dead and no longer beneficial, but I could honestly still see benefit to our activities. What I didn't key in to till someone else pointed it out was that they also cut away living tissue to strengthen the vine and produce more fruit. OUCH! This means sometimes the pruning isn't just what is dead and no longer beneficial, but that which needs to be cut so that GROWTH can occur and it might be painful for a short time.

God has been showing me areas where He wants me to help my kids grow, where He wants me to grow, and where our family needs to grow. Now we need to prune back that which isn't allowing that growth to happen and “fertilize” what is left and watch it bloom. It's hard cutting back, but after all, the main goal is to stay connected to the vine and we must let the Gardner prune us now and then so we continue to grow in Him.

May the Lord GROW us this year

The writing on the walls..........

Sweet little giggles come escape under the door and dance into my ears while doing the dishes, a sound that makes me smile. As soon as the dishes are complete though, I decide to go sneak a peak and what these precious little angels are doing when they are suppose to be resting. I dry my hands and begin making my way to their room. As I approach I hear, “Mom's coming!” and the sounds of little bodies propelling themselves into bed, no doubt to pretend to be sleeping. I open the door and that is when I see it.

The writing on the wall

Oh my, this isn't just a little writing. It is a mural covering all 4 walls, the closet door, and back of the bedroom door. It doesn't stop there, it proceeds to envelop the play kitchen, toy box, and windowsills as well. It goes almost 6 feet up in some locations where things could be stood on. This fine example of expression is completely done in BLACK crayon. Needless to say it isn't exactly what I had in mind when I daydreamed about redecorating their rooms.

We march off to the kitchen for each girl to get a dishtowel with soapy water on it, and back to their rooms we go. It is time to scrub those black marks off the wall.

Five minutes goes by.... “Mom, it isn't coming off” 

Ten minutes goes by.... “I can't do this, it won't come off”

Thirty minutes goes by....”Mom, I am tired, my arms hurt and it won't come off”.

Aren't we all just like these little girls. We might not take black crayons and draw all over the room, but we do let sin tempt us with its promises of fun times and self-expression, leaving black marks upon our hearts. Just like my girls learned today, those black marks are not easy to get off. In fact, just like my girls scrubbed with soapy water and good intentions to no avail, the results for us will be just the same. We can't wash sin away with good works, those black marks will still shine though. The only way to rid our hearts of such ugliness is through the redeeming blood of Jesus. That's right, Jesus blood is our Magic Eraser for the heart, only it is All-Powerful and there is no sin too tough for it to wash clean.

As we sat and talked about how wrong writing on the wall is and making the parallel to the sin in our hearts, I watched 3 little girls begin to internalize the Truth. My girls may not totally understand the sinful depraved nature we are born with, or their desperate need for a Savior quite yet, but these teachable moments are the thread that God is weaving together in their tapestry to show them the picture of Himself.

I didn't continue to make my girls scrub to no avail, my compassion kicked in, and they were allowed to quietly sit on their beds while Mom began the task of cleaning the walls. My arms are tired and the job will take more time to complete than I have at this moment, but my girls will sit quietly on their beds and watch each time I work at cleaning the walls, remembering the lessons we are learning today.

Thank you Lord for Teachable Moments

Oh the things people say.........

"That is way to many kids anyways."

Stunned to silence.  What do you say to a person who has such a negative opinion of how God has choosen to bless your family. Comments like this mornings do tend to come our way quite often, but it never ceases to amaze me from just whom you will hear them.  They pop up in the most unexpected places, today at the library we encountered such  negativism about our family size, and not from a fellow patron.  I was taken off guard.

I could have responded back with a comment of my own, "Well it isn't any of your business" for frankly it isn't.  Or a nicer approach, "Thank you for your opinion, but thankfully God doesn't agree with you and has choosen to bless us with these children and will provide all we need to raise them."  Instead I said nothing, until I got in the car and called my husband that is.  Poor guy, gets to hear it all even when he isn't there. 

I wish I could say that when barbs like these come at us, we are immune to them now, but that wouldn't be true.  We still fill their sting, even if it doesn't last as long as it once did, and it still makes me angry.  Our society doesn't value children or the family anymore, apparently even at the library sometimes.  You hear comments about how full your hands are, and glad it is you and not me, everywhere you go.  You get the stares, snickers, whispers, and resentful looks that underscore every outing and sometimes their is that misguided soul that thinks they should enlighten you, in front of your children no less, of how the world operates and that you are in violation of the 2.5 kids rule.

It would be easy to become bitter after awhile, to never want to leave the house, but I have made it my mission to do just the opposite.  I will constantly seek the Lord for strength, patience, and a bridled tongue when dealing with these individuals who have yet to realize it is God's decision of our family size, not theirs.  I will continue to take my children on outings, and yes I will go back to the library next week, see the same lady, and smile real big for I am thankful for my big family.

"See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many."  Heb. 12: 15

The warnings went out.
The predictions were made.
A timeline was given,
and then the winds began to change.

Sometimes He chooses to calm the winds, and sometimes He chooses to be glorified through them.

When the winds picked up and left nothing untouched in their path.  God raised up His children to care for those who lost it all.  We have seen the devastation in Tuscalousa, continue to hear of the searches through rubble in Joplin, and now find our own communinities in the midst of their own recovery effort, but God is still here. 

"Never will I leave you;

     never will I forsake you."

Hebrews 13:5

God was there with my family huddled together in our storm shelter praying that Daddy would make it home safely.  God was there for the woman watching t.v. in her recliner when her house was uprooted.  God was there for two little boys as they passed from this life into the arms of Jesus, and God is there for the grieving parents who have a long road ahead. 

God is still here!



Even in the midst of the storm.

I hope you have a very Blessed Resurrection Sunday as you pause in Rememberance of our Lord and Savior and all He has done for us.

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him."  John 3: 16-17

" He [Jesus] told them, "This is what is written: The Christ will suffer and rise from the dead on the third day, and repentance and forgivenes of sins will be preached in his name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem." Luke 24: 46-47

"For what I received I passed on to you as the first importance that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures"

1 Cor. 15: 3-4

The Letter

A few years ago we wrote a letter to our family and friends to help share our hearts on our family planning.  Needless to say it received a mixed reception by many.  Since starting this new blog, I decided I wanted to share it once again here so I have copied it off our old blog at www.homeschoolblogger.com/myattacademy. Wow, going back over there was a walk through the past that brought tears to my eyes for sure, how much my sweet babies have grown.

Dear Family and Friends,

As our family has increased and with each additional pregnancy, many have expressed concerns and fears and some have expressed harsh criticism of our family size.  Because we love and respect you we need to address those concerns as well as defend ourselves to our critics.  Our desire is to speak the truth in love and hopefully lay to rest all misgivings.  This is an abbreviated version of what we believe and if there is anyone who would like to discuss this further, we will be happy to do so.

We believe that children are a gift from God.

            Psalms 127: “Unless the Lord builds the house, it’s builders labor in vain.  Unless the Lord watches over the city the watchmen stand guard in vain.  In vain you rise up early and in vain you stay up late toiling for food to eat for He grants sleep to those He loves.  Sons are a heritage from the Lord, Children a reward from Him.  Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.  Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.  They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies at the gate.”

We further believe that our children are proof of our being blessed by God.

            Psalms 128: 1-4 “Blessed are all who fear the Lord, who walk in His ways.  You will eat the fruit of our labor; blessing and prosperity will be yours.  Your wife will be like a fruitful vine in your house; your sons will be like olive shoots around your table.  Thus is a man blessed who fears the Lord.”           

We have been told that God has gifted us with brains, modern medicine, and freedom of choice and that we should use them.  We agree wholeheartedly, however, we disagree with the application and context in which this is said.

When we became Christians we made a choice to submit our lives, including our wills to the will of God.  As Paul tells us, rarely are our wills and thoughts in line with those of God.

            Romans 7:19 “For what I do is not the good I want to do, no, the evil I do not want to do – this I keep on doing.”

            2 Corinthians 10:5 “…. and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to the will of Christ.”

God has a perfect plan for each of our lives.  His desire is for us to submit completely to His will; however, because He also loves us with a perfect love, He allows us to make choices that do not coincide with His plan.  We believe that God’s first desire for our lives is for Him to be in complete control of our family planning including when and how many children and the timing of their birth.  God reserved for Himself alone the rights to birth and death.  People have, from the beginning with Cain and Abel, wrestled this right from God’s hands.  We acknowledge that it is not only possible, but from a worldly perspective, more desirable to take control of this aspect of our lives.  God opened and closed the wombs of nations at His discretion.  We believe that He would prefer that we allow Him the same prerogative.

Examples: Genesis 20: 17-18; Genesis 21:1-2; Genesis 25:21;

Genesis 29:31; Exodus 23:25-26; 1 Sam 1:5-6, 20-11, 19-20; Ps 113:9; Luke 1:5-7, 11-13.

While we believe that our children are God’s blessing to us, we also believe that not every family is blessed this way.  There are many families that God has chosen to either close the womb before any children were borne, or before the parents were ready.  We believe that in those cases God has other blessings in store.  Ultimately the choice and action were God’s.

We are daily grateful to God for allowing us to have the use of medicine, to be citizens of a country where medical research and development is the most advanced in the world and where the access to medical help is widely open.  We believe that God created us in a very specific way with very specialized biological functions.  He has given us medicine, doctors, technology, and knowledge to help us when those functions are not working properly.  There is, however, and old saying, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it!”  God never gave us permission to interfere with His perfect creation and try to improve on what God himself considered complete.

We have been told that many children in one family is a great financial burden and it is unfair to the other children within the family to have a large family.  We believe that his is very untrue.  We have already established that children are a gift from God.  Why would He bless us with something that was too great a burden for us to handle? 

Also, we have been told that having too many children causes others to be neglected and not get enough attention.  We believe on the contrary, there is always a listening ear, open arms to offer hugs, and plenty of playmates. Everyone’s needs get met by the family as a whole, and no one is forced to wait long when there is an older sibling more than willing to help out.

How many children are too many?  At what point does God’s blessing become too much and not welcome anymore?  We should not base acceptance of God’s blessing on whether we can supply but rather on whether God can.  God has promised to provide for us and His provision is always the best.

            Matthew 6:25-34 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear.  Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes?  Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.  Are you not much more valuable than they?  Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?  And why do you worry about clothes?  See how the lilies of the field grow.  They do not labor or spin.  Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these.  If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?  So do not worry, saying ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’  For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them.  But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.  Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.  Each day has enough trouble of its own.”           

As Christians we need to remember that our priorities are not the world’s.  We are called to a different standard than the world has set.  The standard of provision as set by our society, and our circle of friends, is distorted in the view of what the Bible says is necessary.  God promised that He would provide for our needs, our daily bread, but not necessarily our wants.  We do not believe that the “things” that our society says are needs are the same as what God considers our needs.  In fact we believe that they are very different.  Does a child really need most of the things that the world says we “should” be providing for them?  Or to go further, does God really want a generation of children that believe that desires are the same as needs?  Being able to give gifts to our children is a good thing and used wisely is a gift from God to us as parents.

We believe that God wants us to be fruitful and multiply filling the earth with His children.  This command is mentioned more than once and to more than one person throughout God’s Word.  He wants godly offspring for His kingdom.  Since God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow, and His word is the Living Word, doesn’t that mean that His command to Be Fruitful and Multiply would still apply today?

            Malachi 2:15 “Has not the Lord made them one?  In flesh and spirit they are his.  And why one?  Because he was seeking godly offspring. So guard yourself in your spirit, and do not break faith with the wife of your youth.”

            Genesis 1:28 “God blessed them and said to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it.”

            Genesis 9:1 “Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, ‘Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth.’”

            Genesis 35:11 “And god said to him, ‘I am God Almighty; be fruitful and increase in number.  A nation and a community of nations will come from you, and kings will come from your body.’”

These are just a few examples.  Nowhere in our study have we found were God recedes this decree for fear of financial burden, over population, or stain on the wife’s body.  Instead we see example after example of His blessing the obedience, faithfulness, and increase of His people.

            Proverbs 14:28 “A large population is a king’s glory, but without subjects a prince is ruined.”

           

The family, as seen throughout the Bible, is very important to God.  Although not everyone is blessed with a large family, everyone is called to submit their lives to Him.  Even if we were wrong in our interpretation, we know that God will not discipline us for willingly submitting this aspect of our lives to Him.  We recognize that in our society today this is a very sensitive issue.  How you plan your family is between you and God and we sit in judgment of no one in this area.  We do ask for the same respect from others, especially our brothers and sisters in Christ.  We also would ask that you rejoice with us at the addition of every child that God sees fit to add to our family.

Love,

Mitch and Katrina

Goodnight Jim Bob!

"Goodnight Taegan"
"Goodnight Garrison"
"Goodnight Ainsleigh"
"Goodnight Shaelin"
and on and on and on till all 9 children have told their brothers and sisters, mom and dad, cats and dogs, and anything else that might need to be told goodnight.  Oh, and don't forget Mom and Dad needing to kiss, hug, and tell goodnight all their baby dolls and stuff animals as well.

This long routine at bedtime has been a constant annoyance to me up till recently when God showed me a new perspective on it.  I mean honestly, it is late, I and my husband are tired, we just want to get them in bed so we can get the dishes washed, sink shiny, and head to bed before we have to get up and start this all over again.  Can you blame us for being annoyed?

Maybe annoyance seems reasonable when this little routine adds an extra 45 minutes to the bedtime routine, but God has shown me that the issue isn't with the time I feel I am losing in sleep, it is with the selfishness in my heart and the blessing I am missing.  Each of these children are a blessing from him and the love that they are showing to each other comes from Him as well, so why am I trying to squash that just to get the spoons clean for breakfast?

Ouch!  When God points something out, He doesn't waste punches on getting to the heart of the matter.

Taking a step back, God has shown me that these moments are precious and we only get them for a little while.  They are also the key to making a close, loving family that will stick together through good times and bad.  I need to see my children's antics through His loving eyes and enjoy them while I can.  Some days I may struggle to remember this, but I must commit to TRY each day to do so and let them see how much I love them and not be annoyed with any time delays that might occur because they are showing that love to each other.

If I am honest with myself, my rushing them off to bed and getting annoyed over this was a selfishness on my part of wanting some down time.  I was missing the blessing in this moment of seeing my children display Love for each other every night.  Selfishness was robbing me of this, and I must pluck it out by the roots so my rose bed of blessing can thrive and be seen.  I need to revamp my way of thinking and see that blessing in the little things and respond with love and gratitude to it. Likewise, as I change my heart and behavior, they will change what behavior they model as well.

"Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life." Proverbs 4:23

The wellspring of life flows from the heart, and it will only flow with what we put into it. I want that to be Christ-likeness for my kids, but I can't lead them to that until I acknowledge and change what is in my own heart, like selfishness in getting annoyed at bed time taking forever.

Sad News

Please join me in remembering a great icon of the entertainment community. The Pillsbury Doughboy died yesterday of a yeast infection and trauma complications from repeated pokes in the belly. He was 71.

Doughboy was buried in a lightly greased coffin. Dozens of celebrities turned out to pay their respects, including Mrs. Butterworth, Hungry Jack, the California Raisins, Betty Crocker, the Hostess Twinkies, and Captain Crunch. The grave site was piled high with flours.

Aunt Jemima delivered the eulogy and lovingly described Doughboy as a man who never knew how much he was kneaded. Born and bread in Minnesota, Doughboy rose quickly in show business, but his later life was filled with turnovers. He was not considered a very smart cookie, wasting much of his dough on half-baked schemes. Despite being a little flaky at times, he was still a crusty old man and was considered a positive roll model for millions.

Doughboy is survived by his wife Play Dough, three children: John Dough, Jane Dough and Dosey Dough, plus they had one in the oven. He is also survived by his elderly father, Pop Tart.

The funeral was held at 3:50 for about 20 minutes.

If this made you smile, please rise to the occasion and take time to pass it on and, share that smile with someone else that may be having a crumby day and kneads a lift.

 

(borrowed from Taste of Pinecraft)

Jane Roe's prolife commercial

Eleven Reasons to Keep Homeschooling

We are at that half-way point of the school year, deep in the trenches, and tired.  The winter months are keeping inside and we are getting stir crazy.  You don't have to you know, there is much to be learned outdoors in the winter, you can break out of this cocoon and explore all the Glories of God's creation through its dormant state.  So much learning is just beyond that door, calling for you to come out and play. 

Below is an article that encouraged me a lot and I want to share it with you.  Take a moment and remember why you are homeschooling, why it is important, and then put on that coat and mittens, get outside, and see what animal tracks you can discover amidst the ice and snow.

Eleven Reasons to Keep Homeschooling
by Karen Koch

Let’s face it. Homeschooling is often hard work and sometimes discouraging because we’re stuck in the ruts and can’t envision the end results. As we near the halfway mark in the traditional school year (although we all know schooling actually goes on year-round), we at CHEA thought we would encourage our readers with some Focus: Eleven Reasons to Keep Homeschooling in 2011.


Reasons to homeschool vary almost as much as homeschoolers themselves. This is not an all-inclusive list, but we hope it is a reminder to you of why you began this task in the first place and the catalyst to keep at it.

1.     You and your children can start every school day with God.This includes prayer, Bible reading, songs and discussion. Our family is praying through a Voice of the Martyrs prayer calendar every day this year (arranged by country). We spent a few months last year praying specifically for all the homes on our street. We read missionary biographies regularly.

2.     You are not in this alone.God will sustain you in this homeschool journey. If you don’t have a supportive homeschool group, check CHEA’s Homeschool Directory for a group near you. Pray for God to provide you with godly encouragement from like-minded homeschoolers.

3.     You don’t have to know everything to love and teach your children.When you’re overwhelmed with a foreign language or geometry, resources exist to help. Co-ops, community college classes, online courses or curriculum, or a friend who is gifted in that area can help. Check CHEA’s Directory for service providers.

4.     Your family will be stronger, and learn conflict resolution and grace.My children are 2, 8, 12, and 14. If I wasn’t homeschooling, the kids would likely be scattered across town in different schools with separate lives. God set us in families for a reason. Let’s learn together how to face the world together and be prepared for the tasks God will give us.


5.     You won’t miss anything.If the kids are off in different schools, there are a vast number of their daily moments you will miss. A homeschooling veteran friend of mine once said: “They grow up so fast, but I have no regrets. I didn’t miss a single thing.”

6.     You can reinforce what your children are learning.When you see a Latin root, you can point it out (my kids’ favorite). When you see an image of a historical figure on TV, you can say, “Look kids – it’s Benjamin Franklin,” because you know what they are studying.

7.     You can “do life” with your kids every day.The kids can learn beside you in so many ways: grocery shopping, buying a used car, learning how to turn off the water when they accidentally break a pipe (the day after Christmas, no less), mowing the lawn, painting the kitchen, helping change the baby’s diaper, balancing a checkbook. I graduated first in my public high school class, but I barely knew how to do laundry and knew next to nothing about car maintenance.


8.     You can teach your children Christian worldview in all that you do.The state doesn’t choose the curriculum, you do. You are free to discuss God’s providence in history, His hand in science and nature, His beauty in music and art. You can ask yourself daily, “Are my children learning to be disciples of Christ?”

9.     You can protect your children from negative influences and equip them for the future.Of course the big, bad world is out there, but why not prepare the kids before sending them out to the wolves? How about teaching them discernment and truth first? Homeschool kids have been shown to be less peer dependent than their contemporaries.

10.   Because when your kids need an answer, you are the someone who is there.Not the feminist scholar. Not the atheist. Not the humanist. Not the media.

11.   You can meet your child’s unique needs.There is no “magic cookie cutter” that produces “educated” children. You know them better than anyone else, so help them find their God-given gifts and guide them through their weak spots.

Thank you to Kristin Murdock, Rebecca Kocsis, and Laura Messina for their contributions to this list.

Carrots, Eggs & Coffee Beans

A certain daughter complained to her father about her life and how things
have been so hard for her. She did not know how she was going to make
it and she wanted to give up. She was tired of fighting and struggling.
It seemed that just as one problem was solved another arose.

Her father, a chef, took her to the kitchen, filled three pots with water and placed the fire on high. Soon the three pots came to a boil. In one he placed carrots, in the other he placed eggs, and in the last he placed ground coffee beans. He let them sit and boil, without saying a word.

The daughter sucked her teeth and impatiently wondered what he was trying to do. She had problems, and he was making this strange concoction. In half an hour he walked over to the oven and turned down the fire. He pulled the carrots out and placed them in the bowl. He pulled the eggs out and placed them in the bowl. Then he ladled the coffee out and placed it in a bowl.

Turning to her he asked. "Darling what do you see?"
Smartly, she replied. "Carrots, eggs, and coffee."

He brought her closer and asked her to feel the carrots. She did and noted that they were soft. He then asked her to take an egg and break it. After pulling off the shell, she observed the hard-boiled egg. Finally, he asked her to sip the coffee.  Her face frowned from the strength of the coffee.

Humbly, she asked. "What does it mean Father?"

He explained. "Each of them faced the same adversity, 212 degrees of boiling water. However each reacted differently." "The carrot went in strong, hard, and unrelenting. But after going
through boiling water, it softened and became weak."

"The egg was fragile. A thin outer shell protected a liquid center. But after sitting through the boiling water, its inside became hardened." "The coffee beans are unique however. After they were in the boiling water, it became stronger and richer."

"Which are you," he asked his daughter. When adversity knocks on your door, how do you respond? Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

Are you the carrot that seems hard, but with the smallest amount of pain, adversity, heat you wilt and become soft with no strength? Are you the egg, which starts off with a malleable heart?
A fluid spirit. But after a death, a breakup, a divorce, a layoff you became hardened and stiff. Your shell looks the same, but you are so bitter and tough with a stiff spirit and heart, internally.

Or are you like the coffee bean? The bean does not get its peak flavor and robust until it reaches 212 degrees Fahrenheit. When the water gets the hottest, it just tastes better. When things are there worst, you get better. When people talk the most, your praises increase. When the hour
is the darkest, trials are their greatest, your worship elevates to another level. How do you handle adversity? 

Are you a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean?

AUTHOR UNKNOWN

We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are perplexed, but not in despair; Persecuted, but not forsaken; cast down, but not destroyed.
II Corinthians 4:8-9

"Prayer Changes Things!"

Rep. James Lankford: "The Right to Life is Self-Evident"

Off Ramp Ahead!



I have been travelling along at a leisurely pace and see a sign up ahead notifying me of an upcoming off ramp to a new road.  Hmmmm, I need to make a decision, which road do I take?  Do I continue in the direction I have been heading, or do I wish to reroute my journey and set off another direction?  Their is no GPS for life decisions to just tell me what I should do.

The road I am on now is paved with Convenience and Complacency.  It goes through the towns in Indifference and Obesity.  It contains thousands of potholes along the way, not noticeable at first glance, but there all the same.  These potholes have names, you know the ones, Depression, Self-pity, Restlessness, Discontentment, and Spiritual Decay.  This road has the appearance of easy travel and looks so great from the onset, if only that blasted sun wasn't blaring in our eyes we might be able to see what is ahead.



I notice as I draw closer to the off-ramp that their is a Construction sign for the new road.  Growth is promised.  This new road is rocky and difficult to travel.  It requires Endurance, Determination, Alertness, and Patience.  It will travel through the towns of Compassion, Diligence, and Good Health.  Their are no convenient Drive-Thrus along this road for it requires Direction and Preparedness from the onset.  This road has its potholes as well, remember that Construction sign?.  The potholes of Failure can be found scattered occasionally along this road, but don't fret, they are constantly being paved over with Perseverance and Initiative.  There are many hills and mountains to climb, but the view of Wisdom, Contentment, and Gratefulness is like no other you have ever seen.  Remember the harder the climb, the greater view from the other side.  This road promises to be plagued with challenges that will required Decisiveness and Boldness to make this journey.  There are many off ramps along the way to take you back to the first road if you choose to take them, but be warned that the longer you travel this road, the less likely you are to use one of them.

Two Roads, Two Different Journeys
It is time to decide.

Thankfully I recall bringing my MAP with me and if I am reading this correctly it says I have been on the wrong road for way to long.  I will never arrive at my desired destination on this current course, I need to take the off ramp, circle around on the donut (WHEEEE!), and merge onto this new THOROUGHway.  Immediately I will feel the gravel grinding away at me as I begin this journey, but it is all part of stripping away the old, and bringing out the polished shine of the NEW.  So I take a deep breathe, open the glove box, pull out my SONglasses and head off on a new trajectory with Joyfulness.

My new journey will take me through many Challenges, but if you never step out of Comfort you can never Acheive anything.  We are all traveling on an INNERstate, but you must choose which one you will take and what towns you will visit along the way.

Are You a Good Person?