Faithful Chick

Priorities

Moses answered him, "Because the people come to me to seek God's will. Whenever they have a dispute, it is brought to me, and I decide between the parties and inform them of God's decrees and laws." Moses' father-in-law replied, "What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear yourselves out. The work is too heavy for you; you cannot handle it alone. Listen now to me and I will give you some advice, and may God be with you. You must be the people's representative before God and bring their disputes to him. Teach them the decrees and laws, and show them the way to live and the duties they are to perform. But select capable men from all the people—men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain—and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. Have them serve as judges for the people at all times, but have them bring every difficult case to you; the simple cases they can decide themselves. That will make your load lighter, because they will share it with you. If you do this and God so commands, you will be able to stand the strain, and all these people will go home satisfied." Moses listened to his father-in-law and did everything he said. He chose capable men from all Israel and made them leaders of the people, officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens. They served as judges for the people at all times. The difficult cases they brought to Moses, but the simple ones they decided themselves. Then Moses sent his father-in-law on his way, and Jethro returned to his own country. -Exodus 18:15-27

Hmmm. Ever had a Jethro in your life? Someone who gave you helpful advice on how to better manage your time and rearrange your priorities? Has the Holy Spirit been pulling a “Jethro” on you lately? Let me tell ya sisters, He has been working on me like nobody’s business.

Priorities are a hot topic for me right now and I came across this passage during my quiet time this morning. It made me think of all the moms out there who are trying to do it all. And by that, I mean me. Think of the words of Jethro – “What you are doing is not good. You and these people who come to you will only wear themselves out.” I feel like the Lord gave Jethro a prophetic vision of me circa 2007 and told him, “Please Jethro, let’s put in a word for this worn-out momma”. It’s like a mantra I should recite to myself all day long… What I am doing is not good. I will only wear myself out.

WEAR MYSELF OUT!

Can I get an Amen from the back of the room, please?

It is simply not good to stretch ourselves so thin that we can’t even see straight or form a cohesive thought. I have designed a not-so-scientific test for you to gauge how over-committed and stressed you are.

Here you go…

- Do you find yourself having to ask people multiple times during the day – What day is this? What’s the date?

- Have you ever been driving along and suddenly realized you have NO IDEA WHERE YOU ARE GOING? Then, you have to snap back into it, turn around, and get back on track. (Please, Lord, tell me I am not the only one. Just the other day I had to turn around twice - TWICE – in one day.)

- Have you ever caught yourself putting something away in the weirdest place imaginable? (i.e. car keys in the freezer, toothpaste in the shower, TV remote on the cordless phone charger)

- Do you ever call someone on the phone and the very second that they answer you completely forget why you called them? Or, my personal fav, forget who you called and try to figure out who just answered the phone?

- Do you secretly want to scream/run away when you look at your To Do List for the day?

Like I said, not-so-scientific, but I am guessing that these would be big-flashing-red-signs that you are having an issue with priorities. The issue of priority is a touchy one. It’s the one area where we all like to say out loud that we have them straight. God first, husband second, kids next, then everything else in a neat little perfect line. But, if that were so true, then why do we over-commit ourselves in the first place? If we did truly use that order of priorities, wouldn’t we learn to say no to extra commitments that we have no time for or that would interfere with our family obligations if we took them on?

The true order of our priorities is evidenced by the choices we make and the way we live out our lives. It’s sort of the “out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matt 12:34) concept. Out of the overflow of our minds, our actions speak. Why are we saying yes to more than we can handle in the time God gives us? Maybe we like the hustle and bustle of activity because the distraction and busyness makes us feel important and needed. Maybe that very distraction keeps us from having to listen to clear direction from the Lord, at times when we don’t want to hear it. Maybe we are in competition with one another, shooting for that “Chick of the Year” award (which would actually be a boobie prize, considering how much time you would steal from your family while trying to win it). Maybe we are trying to live up to some standard of what the world tells us a good wife/mom/woman should be. Maybe we want to please everyone. Maybe we care too much about what others think. Maybe we don’t know any different. Maybe…

I don’t have any definitive answers, but I do know this – the words I read in Exodus this morning rang as clear as a bell in my soul. The advice Jethro gave applies to all of us. In a nutshell, we have to delegate and equip others. We have to stop thinking that things will only be done “right” if we do them ourselves. We have to stop being paralyzed by perfectionism (which, by the way, is impossible – repeat, IMPOSSIBLE!). How in the world are we ever to get to the mission God has for us in this world, if we stay so darn busy? Some of these duties we are hoarding are supposed to be the duties He has equipped someone else for.

So, it makes me really think – what would my life be like if I started to really live out my priorities the way I say them.

God first.

Husband second.

Kids next.

Then, the rest.

Here’s the challenge. With every decision we make, let’s ask ourselves if it would impede on our priorities. If so, give the responsibility to someone else (another chick, your husband, your children). Or, if you have to accept it, don’t set your standards at an unachievable level. And, for goodness sake, stop giving a flip what other people think about you. You can’t care about what people think about you and please God at the same time – yet another impossibility.

What about time for yourself? Girls, hear this loud and clear – if you do not make time to rejuvenate yourself and stay equipped with God’s word, you will never survive. Your personal time with God is what fills your tank and readies you for this whole priorities thing.

Do you accept the challenge?

Original Post Date: October 2, 2007

Praise and Thank Him

When we left church yesterday, we were floating on a cloud. It was one of those sermons where the Holy Spirit is so thick in the room that you can feel Him all around you. I loved one particular part of the message, where our pastor explained what to do in hard times.

Our tendency is to give the Lord a laundry list of what we need in our life and send up unlimited requests. Yes, the Lord needs and wants to hear our prayers. But, do you find yourself giving Him suggestions on how to handle situations? Or, do you try to figure things out first and then give them to God? Pastor said one of the best things you can do in hard times is to just PRAISE HIM. Praise Him and thank Him for all of your blessings, one by one.

Here’s the interesting thing about praising Him…

Before Satan was kicked out of the kingdom, he was the Praise Leader. So, nothing ticks Satan off more than a good ol’ round of praising the Lord! It reminds him of what he lost. In one session of praising and thanking the Lord, you can simultaneously put Satan in his place and give God the glory. Talk about knocking out two birds with one holy rollin’ stone!

Today, I am praising you Lord for all of my blessings.

- For a husband that I don’t deserve. I do love that man.

- For an oldest son who I share such a special kinship with. I didn’t give birth to him, but I love him as if I did. Thank you for bringing him into my life.

- For a middle son who thinks I hung the moon and doesn’t mind telling me. Thank you for all of the cuddles, hugs and kisses that he has in unlimited supply.

- For a youngest son who makes me laugh everyday and melts my heart with one glance from those ocean-blue eyes. He was a big surprise for us - an unexpected blessing that we wouldn’t trade for anything.

- For a roof over our heads, a soft pillow on our beds, clean water to drink, food aplenty and the air that I breathe.

- For good health. May we never take it for granted.

- For the chance to stay home with my children and pick them up from school everyday. For loving me in spite of my fear of taking the leap of faith to quit my job. You knew it would be okay all along.

- For your continuous and unending supply of grace and mercy that I will never deserve, and making me feel that I do.

- For some of the best friends I could ever hope or pray for. You hand-picked them for me – I just know it!

- For a family that will always love me…no matter what.

Praise you Lord!

What are you praising Him for today? What are you thanking Him for?

Right now, after typing these words, I see the effect this has on my heart. Instead of worrying about my needs, I just want to keep praising Him.

How about you?

Original Post Date: September 24, 2007

Testing. Testing. 1-2-3. Is this thing on?

I'm thinking I may have lost my audience.  All four of you.

Seriously...I am hoping the whole "absence makes the heart grow fonder" thing is real. 

This summer has been an exercise in priorities.  I would love to say that I have my stuff together enough to blog regularly through a summer with three boys at home and not miss a beat.  But that, my dear chicks, would be a BIG FAT LIE.  I'm not into big fat lies.  They are sooooo last season.

The boys are starting school this week.  We need a week or so to get our schedules back on track, so I am going to run some archived posts in the meantime.  Several of our blogging friends are doing the same....great mommy minds think alike. 

Thanks to those of you who have emailed or left comments.  I am still alive and kicking.

I think I want to come back to the blog with something fun.  A bloggy party of sorts, with a giveaway.  Maybe we'll call it the My-Boys-R-Back-In-School-So-I-Can-Get-My-Bloggy-Groove-On Party.  That's subtle enough...right?

While I'm finding something fun to give away when I return, enjoy some archived posts.  They are like leftover spaghetti - even better the second time around. 

How are you chicks doing?  You still with me?

It's a Man Crush. I just know it is.

This summer, the postings are pretty spread out around here.  I think we're all just going to have to accept that.  Unless I want my children thinking this laptop is a permanent appendage. 

Once they start back to school, bloggy friends, it is on like Donkey Kong. 

Now, I have a confession.

I'm convinced my man has a crush on Mike Rowe.

Seriously.

My man is as heterosexual as the day is long, a man's man, if you will.  But, Mike Rowe has taken up permanent residence on our television. And in my man's heart.

Deadliest Catch.

After the Catch.

Dirty Jobs.

I think a Mike Rowe marathon on TV would make my man so excited his head would explode. 

Then Mike Rowe could follow a camera crew and clean up the mess.

I actually like Mike a lot.  He's such a nice guy.  And, it seems like he would be fun to hang around. 

After looking for a link to his name, I like him even more. 

Did you know that he once sang for the Baltimore Opera?

And sold items on QVC?

Hmmmm...let's see.  A nice guy.  Manly.  Sings well.  Promotes shopping.

I think I might have me a little crush, too.

10 Minute Tuesday: A Prayer Challenge

Today's 10 Minute Tuesday is a challenge.

We gave the same challenge to our Sunday School class two weeks ago.

You know how we always tell people that we are praying for them?  Happens all the time. 

At church when someone tells us about a sick relative.  "We're praying for them."

When our best friend confesses a personal struggle during a phone conversation.  "I'm praying for you, girl."

When our child is struggling with how to handle a situation at school.  "Mommy is praying for you to make wise choices."

When we see a woman on a park bench, drowning in her own tears.  "Lord, please comfort her."

Here's the challenge:

Instead of just giving the future promise of a prayer, or saying a silent prayer in your head, pray with that person - right then and there.  You can have a tremendous impact on someone's day if you will pray with them.  If you haven't done it before, you might be a little timid, but I promise you it will be a tremendous blessing to your soul. 

My man and I had the opportunity to pray with a friend this past Sunday. As her tears fell, I knew that prayer had more impact than "We're praying for you..." ever would have. 

Who needs your prayers today?

If you would like to, please share your experience in the comments section. 

10 Minute Tuesday: Mourning into Gladness

...I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow. -Jeremiah 31:13

On Monday afternoon, I received a very sad, but expected phone call.  My grandfather went to be with the Lord after a long battle with Alzheimer's/dementia and several strokes.  Hospice was called in this past weekend, so we knew it would be sometime this week.  I've heard some people speak of Alzheimer's as the "long goodbye".  It most certainly is. 

Tonight, as I watched members of my family make funeral arrangements and discuss the events of the day, I saw something on their faces that I was not expecting - relief.  This "long goodbye" has taken its toll on the family.  It is so difficult to watch someone you love waste away.  Now, they can be glad.  Glad that he has exchanged his tired, sick body for a healthy one.  Glad that he is no longer struggling to swallow, struggling to breath.  The family can now receive the comfort and joy that only our Father can bring. 

Yes, there will be sorrow.  There will be grief.  There will be sadness.  But, we rejoice in knowing that he lives in Glory - restored and renewed.   

This week, the blog will be quiet.  Thanks for understanding.

10 Minute Tuesday - Romans 12:2

God's Word For You Today:

Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. -Romans 12:2

My pastor spoke on this verse this past weekend.  When I opened my Bible to follow along, this verse was already underlined.  When I originally underlined this verse, I was focused on the "do not conform" message.  The whole concept of separating myself from the ways of the world was fresh at that time.  I had begun the process of deciding who I was, apart from what the world expected of me.

This time, I was focused on a completely different message.  My pastor's sermon was focused on changing your life.  In a good way.  A very good way. 

My eyes were transfixed on "transformed by the renewing of your mind". 

God doesn't just call us to avoid conformity, he calls us to continually change and grow.  Once we discover who we are in Christ, we can't expect the fruits of our life to reflect that discovery without any effort on our part.  Every day, we have a chance to morph into a better version of ourselves.  Not for our own glory, but for His.  We have to be teachable, a work-in-progress until the day He calls us home.

Change is a scary word.  It's an even scarier reality.  But, might change be easier to accept if we embrace it, rather than fear it?  Is it possible that change is a good thing?  Even a great thing?  Absolutely. 

I can choose to live a safe life, surrounded only by my family and friends, going through my daily routines.  Or, I can choose to be open to positive change in my life and watch God open the doors of opportunity.  I know He has great plans for me.  He has great plans for you.  But, those plans can never come without change.

Are you ready for it?

Now, please set your timer for 10 minutes and soak in His word.  Look here for the 10 Minute Tuesday guidelines.  Don't forget to link directly to your 10MT post below.  I look forward to reading your responses.

I don't like memes.

Really, I don't. 

I should probably clarify that I don't mind reading memes on other blogs.  But, I am not big on doing them myself.  I don't know why.  I'm sure a few weeks with a licensed psychotherapist would reveal the truth. 

Since I don't have time for that, I'm going to try my own brand of therapy.  I'll force myself to do a meme today. 

Actually, I don't have any good posting material and I saw this meme out on the web.  I thought it was neat, so here goes.

If you want to play along, just cut and paste the following list into your blog.  Make BOLD anything you have done.  You might want to un-bold everything when you cut and paste.  I mean, you really don't want everyone thinking you are as much of a heathen as I was, do you?

Here goes:

Smoked a cigarette.

Crashed a friend's car.

Stolen a car.

Been in love.

Been dumped.

Shoplifted.

Been fired.

Been in a fist fight.

Snuck out of your parent's house.

Had feelings for someone who didn't have them back.

Been arrested.

Gone on a blind date.

Lied to a friend.

Skipped school.

Seen someone die.

Had a crush on one of your internet friends.

Been to Canada.

Been to Mexico.

Been on a plane.

Eaten sushi.

Been jet-skiing.

Met someone in person from the internet.

Been moshing at a concert.

Taken pain killers.

Loved and missed someone.

Made a snow angel.

Had a tea party.

Flown a kite.

Built a sand castle.

Played dress up.

Gotten a tattoo.

Gotten a body piercing.

Jumped in a pile of leaves.

Gone sledding.

Cheated while playing a game.

Been lonely.

Fallen asleep at work or school.

Used a fake ID.

Watched a sunset.

Felt an earthquake.

Touched a snake.

Slept beneath the stars.

Been robbed.

Been misunderstood.

Petted a reindeer/goat.

Won a contest.

Run a red light/stop sign.

Been suspended from school.

Been in a car accident.

Eaten a whole pint of ice cream in one night.

Had dejavu.

Danced in the moonlight.

Liked the way you looked at least at one point in time.

Witnessed a crime.

Been obsessed with post-it notes.

Been lost.

Been on the opposite side of the country.

Swam in the ocean.

Cried yourself to sleep.

Played cops and robbers.

Recently colored with crayons.

Sung karaoke.

Paid for a meal with only coins.

Done something you told yourself you wouldn't.

Made prank phone calls.

Laughed until some kinda beverage came out of your nose.

Caught a snow flake on your tongue.

Written a letter to Santa Claus.

Been kissed under the mistletoe by your boy/girlfriend.

Watched the sun rise with someone you care about.

Blown bubbles.

Made a bonfire on the beach.

Laughed so hard you pee'd your pants.

Cheated on a test.

Been kissed by someone you didn't like.

Gone skinny dipping in a pool.

_______________________

That wasn't so bad. 

Have I said how thankful I am for God's grace?

They DO always have good snacks in the pantry

When I was passing through my mother-in-law's laundry room earlier this week, I stopped dead in my tracks.  I was frozen in place, staring at a t-shirt that was hanging to dry.

Before I share what caused this frozen state, I have to give a back story.  In January of this year, I was at my grandmother's (MeMe's) home for dinner.  When I washed my hands at her kitchen sink, I noticed a small bottle of lotion in the window sill.  My hands were a bit dry, so I reached for the lotion bottle.  When I saw the label on the bottle I giggled. 

My MeMe wanted to know what was so funny.  I really couldn't help but giggle because, you see, the little bottle of lotion was Hemp brand.  When I explained to my sweet, innocent, church-going, woman-of-the-Lord, grandmother what Hemp was, she gasped.  GASPED and held her chest.  Although it was funny that my MeMe had lotion with a picture of a marijuana leaf in her kitchen, I couldn't figure out why she was reacting so strongly.  Then, I almost wet my pants, when I heard her say...

"OH MERCY!  I have a gift set of that lotion to all of the ladies in my Sunday school class!  OH LANDS! OH MERCY!!"

She was lost in space for the remainder of that night.  Poor, sweet, MeMe.  She gave the pot lotion to the church ladies. 

Now, back to my mother-in-law's laundry room.  This is what had me frozen:

I wasn't very sure about the phrase, but I definitely knew what that plant was. 

I called out to my mother-in-law, another sweet, innocent, church-going, woman-of-the-Lord (sounding familiar?), and asked her why in the world she had this shirt in her house.  She then looked at me innocently and asked, "What do you mean?"

Here we go again.  What's up with the ladies in my life and the pot?!

It felt like dejavu.  I explained to her that the lovely green leaf was, in fact, Mary Jane.  And then she, you guessed it, GASPED. 

She thought it was a palm leaf.

I asked her where she had worn the shirt, to which she replied, with passion, "ALL AROUND TOWN!!!"

She held her head, trying to think if she had worn it around the pastor.  The horror!

I fell on the floor laughing.  I was not prepared for what happened next.

She had bought another one for her man.

Oh yes.  A 2XL marijuana shirt.  Feast your eyes...

So, let's recap. 

My sweet MeMe...the pot lotion.

My sweet mother-in-law..the pot shirts.

Both of them...MORTIFIED.

These are the times when I think I missed my calling as a stand-up comedian.  These stories are meant to be shared. 

(P.S.  What is 4:20, you ask?  Basically, it is slang for smoking marijuana.  I may have just busted some teenager whose mom reads this blog.  420 is code for all things marijuana-related.  Look into it.  I wasn't going to provide a link, but let's consider this a PSA for parents of teenagers.  You can go here to read up on it.)

Fudge Ripple Ice Cream and The Global Food Crisis

Sometimes, God's timing makes me laugh out loud.  In my life, He makes a lot of important points through contradictions. 

Right now, I am at my in-laws' home in a small town in south Georgia.  My boys are sitting at her kitchen counter eating fudge ripple ice cream.  I am reading an email about the Global Food Crisis.

See what I mean?

I think it is hard to wrap our minds around a Global Food Crisis when we have full stomachs and an overflowing pantry.  But, I have to try.

Let's try together.

WHAT IS THE GLOBAL FOOD CRISIS? (from Compassion)
The World Food Programme calls the global food crisis a phenomenon, a "silent tsunami," that is affecting families in every nation on every continent. Food prices for popular menu items like rice, wheat and beans have doubled in the last year. Though increases in food prices have hit all budgets, it's the poor who bear the brunt of price inflation. The higher prices are forcing people who survive on just $1 a day to spend upwards of 80 percent of their budgets just on food.  As a result, many people, including millions of children, are going hungry. The longer food prices rise, the more people will be plunged into hunger and poverty.

For more information about the Global Food Crisis, look here.

It sounds overwhelming.  I keep thinking...What can I do?

Compassion International has set aside June 25 as a day of fasting and prayer to honor the victims of the global food crisis and pray for them. To place a Compassion Day of Prayer and Fasting widget on your blog go to: http://www.springwidgets.com/widgets/view/42681 

Would you be willing to fast and pray on June 25th?  Would you be willing to spread the word?

You can also help by making a donation to the Global Food Crisis Fund.

Check this out:

• Your gift of $13 can feed a child for about one month.
• Your gift of $78 can feed a family of six for one month.
• Your gift of $520 can feed 40 children for about one month.
• Your gift of $3,250 can feed 250 children (an entire child development center) for one month!

I will never fully understand why my kids are eating fudge ripple ice cream while others are praying for even a teaspoon of rice to sustain them for a day.  But, I can choose to move beyond the need for understanding and do something about it.  Will you join me?

Remember...

For where two or three come together in my name, there I am with them. -Matthew 18:20