Most days I enjoy flossing my teeth and getting out the good old water-pik. I love the feeling you get of having clean, white teeth. It's refreshing to know I literally got the grimy plaque out to the best of my ability. Not to mention that I have a clean set of chompers afterwards. But occasionally, there are those nights where I 'm so tired, or just plain lazy and I don't feel like doing them... or I'll do them and it was a quick & non-thorough job. I don't like those days anymore than my teeth do, but unfortunately they happen.
And so it was, the other night. I could already visualize myself laying in bed as I brushed my teeth. I forced myself to floss and quickly get at it. As I was rushing through though, I noticed the striking similarities between flossing ones teeth and our daily walk of faith with God. See, just because I flossed really good for 5 days straight prior to this night doesn't mean I can slack off the next time I meet my floss.  Each day is a new day filled with all sorts of good and bad things that get stuck in the crevasses of my teeth. The same is so very true about life and our walk with God.  I may have had 5 straight days of good, sincere and meaningful prayer & devotion, but that doesn't mean I can slack the next day and not pray or put it off till later. We MUST pray daily to renew and restore ourselves in Christ. What I did yesterday was for yesterday. We cannot ignore today. Each new day God gives us is a blessing, and we should always be giving Him thanks and praise.  "That your faith should not be in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God." -1 Cor. 2:5.  It's the laziness in our mentality that allows us to slowly grow insensitive to sin and sever our relationship with Christ.  We simply can't have a lazy attitude towards God and our devotional life. We aren't lazy when it comes to putting clothes on, feeding our bodies, or filling up our car with gas. Those are things we condition ourselves to understand as a necessity. Our time with Jesus is no different and endlessly more important. For it is HIM who gives us the ability to put our clothes on, who puts food on the table, and who provides the ways and means to fill up our gas tank or even have a car!  "Laziness lets the roof leak, and soon the rafters begin to rot." -Ecc.10:18. We make excuses to push that special time with Christ back a little, which eventually grows to rarely.  Our mind, our soul...it's our shell. Just like that very roof the bible verse speaks of in Ecc. When we get lazy, the roof leaks. As rain would pour into rafters causing it to rot after a period of time, so too does sinful nature and worldly affairs to our souls. It creeps in little by little, finally causing a downpour and rotting the inside...hardening our hearts, eventually dying, in need of repair and restoration. Our body is the roof, and our soul is the rafter. Don't let in what will cause damage to your soul.

Smile : )

Smile today. You never know what someone else is going through. More often than not, a genuine smile can make all the difference in the world. A smile speaks of the joy in our heart.

I'll never forget the little boy who came zoomin' down the hospital hallway in his wheelchair smiling back at me with such appreciation that someone was smiling at him. Here I was, healthy as can be bringing my grandmother to receive radiation for the cancer that was attacking her body and this little guy had the ability to put life in perspective for me with literally just one second and one smile. Despite the hardships, shattered dreams, or valleys of this life, we can still maintain joy through it all. Why? Because God gives us promises to stand on that extend beyond this short life on earth. Stand on them today, and smile.   : )

Challenge Yourself

A challenge for today: to be reminded that at any moment your life on earth can end...And you can't change it.

As you think about all you want, ask yourself if it's going with you when you depart. Take it a step further and ask yourself "is that the last thing you'd want to say to someone...is that the last way you'd want to look at someone...or treat them". That moment when you're faced with a choice to hurt someone or love them, remember that it could be that last choice you have that you'll be remembered by here on earth. Sometimes it's hard to remind yourself of this daily when the responsibilities of life feel so heavy. But with just a simple desire, you can acquire the wisdom & clarity to do so by reading the bible and praying each day, as often as you can.  Allow yourself to dive into an eternal mindset that alters they way you live & think. There can be no regret in that ever.

Wisdom in Proverbs

"Knowledge is good, but a vast difference stands between 'knowledge' (having the facts) and 'wisdom' (applying those facts to life). We may amass knowledge, but without wisdom our knowledge is useless. In this age of information, knowledge is plentiful, but wisdom is scarce. Wisdom means far more than simply knowing a lot. It is a basic attitude that affects every aspect of life. We must learn how to live out what we know.  What the book of Psalms is to prayer & devotional life, the book of Proverbs is to everyday life. Proverbs gives practical suggestions for effective living. This book is not just a collection of interesting tidbits; it contains deep spiritual insights drawn from experience. Learn how to learn from others. Don't be a know-it-all. Instead be open to the advice of others, especially those who know you well and can give valuable insight and counsel."*
As I journey through the book of proverbs over the next few weeks, I pray that any wisdom I seek from the Living Word spills out onto the pages of this blog. The depth of widsom in just one verse alone can feel endless, so I come with an excited heart to see what God reveals to me throughout the entire book. Find a proverb for yourself each day for the next week to reflect on. Study it, break it down, grasp how to apply it to your life, recite it, write it down in all sorts of places, and ask God how He wants to shape you through it. The truth is, He WILL answer, if you simply ask and allow Him to speak.

"Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline." -Proverbs 1:7

*(Referenced from The Life Application Study Bible, NLT.)

The Big Picture

The devil has a wicked and sly way of playing games. He uses trickery and deceitfulness, making us believe that when we're doing something wrong it's really right. When we're close to a major breakthrough, promotion, or hurdle in life he tells us we are so far away we might as well toss that vision and resort our own thoughts & plans rather than that of God's. That's precisely how so many dreams get shattered, marriages lose their strength, and we lose our focus. His plan uses doubt, discouragement, diversion, defeat, and delay. Oh the list goes on and on when describing his bag of tricks, but know confidently that he is well aware of what can set you back. He knows what your downfalls are and he knows where you're the weakest. The moment we lose sight of Christ and center ourselves around the things of this world that satan has to offer, he attacks ferociuosly. He's altogether a prowler. Yet he highly underestimates the breadth of God's mercy. Often times so do we though. But that's no green light to live a life entirely unpleasing to God just because you think you can get away with it. God is the only one who TRULY knows your heart and the sincerity within it. We will ALL have to stand in front of Him one day to for our actions. The terrific authors, John & Stasi Eldredge of the book "Captivating" quoted it like this: "Wounds don't just stop once we grow up. Some of the most crippling and destructive wounds we receive come much later in our lives. The wounds that we have received over our lifetimes have not come to us in a vacuum. There is, in fact, a theme to them, a pattern. The wounds you have received have come to you for a purpose from the one who knows all you are meant to be and fears you. "

It makes total sense when you begin to understand how far back Satan wants to hold you in life from God's unique promises to you. God gives us the freedom to make our own choices-everyone knows that, including Satan. He also knows how the story ends, so he will do what he can to keep us from carrying out God's plan for our lives. When we live for God and center ourselves in His will, it becomes your living testimony. That means others will see God glorified in your life. Satan doesn't want that, therefore he doesn't want you in God's will. God will fulfill HIS plan with or without us, so we can be confident in the proclaimed ending to this magnificent story. The NLT study bible makes several scriptural references about the devil that I will mention in short to give you an idea of his character: "occultists get their power from him; defeated by Jesus' death & resurrection; his goals contrasted with Jesus'; hoped to divert Jesus from him mission; misinterpreted scripture; rules the evil spiritual world; his work has become more intense; meets his doom in the lake of fire."  

Satan makes it very easy for us to lose sight of the big picture and focus on tunnel vision that doesn't do anything to remind us of eternity and this short little stint on earth called life. Keep your nose in The Word and stay prayed up so you always see the bigger picture.

Give A Little

"There is no reason we all can't give more."  When that statement is heard, it's typically met with ideas of giving financially to those less fortunate. But realistically, it means so much more than $$$. It means giving a phone call to someone who might be lonely or need to know they're loved. Or giving a smile to someone who hasn't seen one in days, from anyone! Paying attention to that elderly person in the store who can't reach the shelf they need something from is GIVING MORE, that is if you follow through with what you see and what God moves you to do. Jesus DID for others. And he still DOES. He merely wants a repentant, humble, and willing heart that He can use to transform an increasingly dark world. The rewards are too great to count when you genuinely try to give and do for others. When it's sacrificial, the heart changes. It encounters a make-over that may be slow moving, but nonetheless it's happening. And if it's authentic, it shows...it can't be hidden.

There are countless ways to "give more" of your time, energy, and talents to the greater cause we're called to. Once you do, it sends a ripple effect so lengthy, it becomes contagious. It's incredible to know that one little act of kindness, of giving more, can reach the ends of the earth...can reach Heaven.

Psalm 22:3

"Broken"

Having been fractured or damaged and no longer in one piece or in working order.

I was experiencing a tough day emotionally last week. I felt utterly broken. As the word is defined, damaged or no longer in one piece couldn't sum up my heart any better. I was not "in working order" to say the least. It took everything I had to hang on to the promises of God as my day progressed. 

Without having known what kind of day I was having, my dad entered the room with words of wisdom that pierced my heart for several reasons. First, he had no idea what kind of day I was having. Second, these were sincere, inspired words, specifically from the book of Psalms. And third, there wasn't a doubt in my mind that God knew I needed to hear them. With grace in his heart, my dad said to me "He inhabits our praises. Think about that literally. He inhabits our praises."  I was moved as I thought about the fact that God actually cares to inhabit my praises. He's there with me when I praise Him. And He not only inhabits my praises to Him, He desires them. He desires me, all of me. He loves me without measure. Imagine what infinite love is like?! It's so hard to because our minds are finite and we're only human. But if you can grasp just a smidgeon of the depth of His love, you'll never be the same. He is there, with us, in our praises. It's real in every sense. There is no rock bottom low enough that He won't forgive. The least we can do is honor Him...in our lifestyles...in our choices...and in our praises. Psalm 22:3

Another derb' Another dollar

The derb' has rolled around yet again and like always I'm fascinated with the hats. I love hats. Any sort of dressing for the head (within stylish & fashionable reason) I typically swoon over. Large brim hats, fancy fascinators, diamond crowns, veils... some lavish, some regal..you name it, I love it. Often times there's meaning behind them that I appreciate as well: Veils representing marriage, crowns representing royalty, feathers symbolizing pomp & circumstance...some archived in museums, others neatly packed away in trunks. But of all to ever exist, only one has left its mark on history as the most humbling & meaningful of all: the crown of thorns Jesus wore. There is no other head piece to represent such an impact in all of time. No, not one. Unlike our often vain reasons for wearing dressings on the head, Jesus was offered no choice of His, rather He was forced to wear it to inflict massive pain and humiliation. But His death brought victory over sin, a fact worth dwelling on for a serious moment. I am every bit undeserving to wear my satin lined hats that are far from causing me any sort of pain, but I'm always humbly reminded of the price that was paid so that I may have life everlasting.

True Colors

There are days when life is straight up overwhelming and down right tough. It can literally feel like you are carrying 500 lbs. on your shoulders with no end in sight. I've had my fair share of those days, but I'm certain there are others who've had plenty more. As I look back in retrospect at how God shaped me in those struggles and trials, I wouldn't lift that weight off my back for nothin'. People observed what I was going through when I was going through it, and I had the choice to let my true colors shine OR let the burdens weigh me down to almost invisible. God speaks through us to others when we are willing to submit to Him...which in turn has the ability to provide a mighty powerful testimony. We are called to let our light shine. Don't hide when troubles come, rather rejoice for what God has in store and how He may chose to use you. It's an honor.