Mary and Martha's other Sister

This morning my  Drawing Room actually ended up being my car. I loaded everything in, started the car and reach for to turn on the radio, and then didn't. The Lord was calling me. I was at a place where I could really listen this morning.

Since I started this bible study I have been trying to decide if I am Mary or Martha. Well today I realized that there is a redheaded sister that the bible doesn't mention. I named her Matty. She is not the the hospitality queen of Martha nor Mary, the one bold enough to sit at the feet of Jesus. Matty is insecure, scared, lazy, worried, and weak.

I am Matty.

This morning, God said "Matty (He likes my new nickname), didn't I give you the peace to have a good night's sleep last night after the day you had. How many times do I have to tell you I got this." Well, evidently He has to tell me at least 7 times a day. But you know what else He told me? If it is 7 or 7000 times a day, He is there. He is NOT going to leave me.

Thank you God! For loving an insecure, scared, lazy, worried, and weak girl. Thank you for picking up the pieces when I fall apart (which seems to be often lately). Thank you for gently reminding me in the mornings that You are there, and thumping me in the head when I need it. Thank you for blessing me with the family and  friends in my life. In Your strong, brave, loving name I pray.....Amen

Have a blessed day!

Leaving the rest to God

I start the day in the Drawing Room with quiet time, I listen to Good Morning while getting dressed and driving to work, By 10:00am I am wallowing in in the misery that is my life. Funny how the devil knows the weaknesses we have and continues to poke at them until the balloon is popped and I have deflated.

So I spend the next 6 or so hours with my "friends", worry, anxiety, and depression. And I invite others into my misery (my friends are truly blessings in my life). Anyone that will listen. And when telling a friend about a email signature I saw, the I get the thump in the head again. The signature read

Live Simply

Love Generously

Care Deeply

Speak Kindly

Leave the rest to God

DUH! It's a wonder I don't have a permanent dent in my forehead from the God thumping me as He says, told you so! And then I picture the Told Ya So dance in my head (can't remember what TV show or movie that was from).

Moral of the story....God is always there to patch the balloon when we get a weak spot. 

All We Need is Love, and the "Drawing Room"

My bible study group agreed to keep each other accountable and encourage them to have quiet time with the Lord every morning. So I get up this morning, let the dog out, feed him, get coffee and sit down. Where do I begin? Do I just flip to a passage in the bible and start? So I sat here, and sat, and saw a book on the bookshelf that may be of some help, First Cup Devotions for Women. The bookmark was halfway in the book, but I decided to start over. Day 1 - It all starts with God. I'm thinking good choice Sharon. God is telling me, you didn't pick this, I did. And so I read. The I realized it really is just that simple. "Our ultimate aim in life is not to be healthy, wealthy, prosperous, or problem free. Our ultimate aim in life is to bring glory to God" Anne Graham Lotz.  How many things throughout my day bring glory to God? How many things make Him cringe?  In the field that I work in it is not easy to show God's love to the person on the other end of the phone screaming at you because they lost 4 months of data, or the software has changed and they don't like it. But I empathize, and try to make the best out of every situation, even as if there is anything else I can assist them with. Then I hang up the call and either mumble to myself or tell my neighbor what a grump they were, or how hateful there words were. Is that showing God's love? NOPE  I should just hang up the phone and say a prayer for that person before I go on to the next caller.

Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is Love   1 John 4:8

Now, I don't have to like what someone has said to me, but I can show them God's love by not arguing back, or in the case of work, not talking about them after the call. I can pray that the person will come to know God and feel His love in them. I truly can't understand why someone would want to walk around with so much anger in them. Why would they not seek the love of God? Why do people want to live in an angry, darkness in their hearts?

This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you, that God is light and in Him there is no darkness at all  1 John 1:5

That love is all we need. And when we have it, and nurture it, it spills out of us and glorifies our Lord. And then we have joy in our lives. I pray that I continue to go to the "Drawing Room" to feed my soul with goodness from His word. That love fills me and my deeds glorify my God. That darkness stays far away from my soul.

Blessings for YaYa's

I have a YAYA group of friends at work. I would do anything in this world for these friends. They have seen me and YaYa SU Cindy thru my surgery, and her hospital stay this year. And now they each have a need for prayer. Had a hard time thinking about what to specifically pray for each one, then I ran across this song by Laura Story. 

We pray for blessings We pray for peace 

Comfort for family, protection while we sleep 

We pray for healing, for prosperity W

e pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering 

All the while, You hear each spoken need 

Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

'Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops

What if Your healing comes through tears What if a thousand sleepless nights Are what it takes to know You’re near What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise

YaYa PP-Potty keeps saying not to cry, but what if her healing comes through tears?

YaYa Short Legs may have to spend 1000 sleepless nights to know that He is near

YaYa Frank, I know the trials of this life are His mercies in disguise for you. 

I love all of you with all of my heart!

We pray for blessings

I GOT THIS...

I was reminded tonight after a nice pity party, that God's got this. And by "this," I mean EVERYTHING. I continually pray for certain things to be done now, with God's blessings of course. Well, I ever so blatantly had it spelled out for me tonight. We are not working on my agenda, no matter how hard I pray or try to do it by myself. God is making the agenda and I need to pray that I am willing to follow wherever He leads me, and in His time. I think that is the part I struggle with the most. Sometimes I even try to "make a deal." Lord, please just give me a little sign, a smoke signal, a shooting star, something. Funny thing....he keeps telling me I GOT THIS, all I need from you is for your to show others who I am thru your actions everyday. All you need to do is concentrate on your relationship with me, plain and simple. Put Me first, I got the rest.

So tonight I go to Lord in thanksgiving. I am thankful for my growing relationship with Him, for my family nad friends, very thankful for my church family, and thankful that He's got this....cause I'm making a horrible mess of it by myself. But I also know that He loves me despite myself, just as I am.

How does your foot taste?

I think I should start praying for God to keep my foot out of my mouth, because my foot doesn't taste so good.   I say I am a changed person, now trying to walk closer to God and strengthen my relationship with Him. But I continue to fly off the handle and I am tired of tasting my foot, from it being placed ever so obviously, in my mouth. I pray for patience, understanding, compassion, and react in the totally opposite way. What kind of example is that? Sometimes I think there is a short between my brain and my mouth. I can just picture God looking down and saying, "here we go again, open up so I can get the foot out of your mouth." The one thing I know for sure, is that He still loves me and knows that I will continue to get my foot stuck in my mouth (hopefully not as often).  How thankful I am for the forgiveness that was given to me by Jesus' sacrifice!

Spiritual Oompa-Loompas

Funny how God speaks to us. In a world where people are continually trying to change the face of Christianity to be new, fun, cool. Bright lights, bands, fireworks...I love the way Joanna Weaver describes it. "We are not spiritual Ooompa-Loompas in some cosmic chocolate factory, working night and day to churn out a smoother, better-tasting Christianity." She states also that we may be trying to "improve" Christianity because we don't want to leave our comfort zones. We feel uneasy, don't want to get too emotional, or just don't slow down enough to give time to your relationship with Christ.

So, today as I was sitting in the doctor's office I realized that God doesn't want a brighter, bigger, better-tasting, cookie cutter Christian. He wants to have a fellowship with us. "There is no need to lay aside your intellect or your personality when you enter the Living Room. Just come as you are. As a child of God." Just as I am... nerdy, theater loving, balding, sarcastic, emotional me!

And......I LOVE that He used Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory to break it down to me!

New Journey - New Friends

Tonight I embark on a new journey of spiritual growth. I am attending a ladies bible study at my church. I am excited to see how the Lord will work in my life thru this study. I am nervous that I am not as knowledgeable about the bible. I am worried about entering a room of women that I really don't know. I am nervous to let new people into my life. But I have learned from reading to catch up, that my nervousness and worrying are counter productive and harmful. I know that God has led me to this group of people for reasons I may never know. But they are all good reasons. So I tell myself not to worry, and thank God for leading me to this group. I thank God for Amy, Jessica, Diana, Sherry, and the other women that have already befriended me. I know it will be another wonderful experience on my journey to learn more about, and walk closer with Christ.

Fried Chicken and Jesus

During the school year our church serves Wednesday night supper. Once a month we normally have fried chicken. My Papa Toby is the chicken fryer. Papa Toby accepted a new position about a month ago that was not going to fit in with Fried Chicken Wednesdays. But to our surprise, we found out Monday that he would be off in time to cook his famous fried chicken (per the request of one Mr. Rick Luhrs). We had more people last night than I have seen in a very long time. I enjoyed seeing all the faces come thru the line, smiling and happy to be there. I also saw plates coming back into the kitchen with tons of food left on them (mostly the side dishes and desserts). Seems people just want the chicken and not the other nutritious food. Makes me wonder if that is how we are handling the relationship with Jesus. We want the parts that make us happy and smile, but don't want to live the parts that are good for us because people may look at us strange, or we might not be cool living for Christ. Justin put it simple last night. We can smile and do good deeds (show up for chicken night), but are we living, wanting, striving for a relationship with Christ? Showing up for fried chicken is nice, but isn't going to get us into Heaven. We have to seek the relationship with God. Accept that Christ has taken away any and all baggage that we have been carrying around. That God loves us! Strive everyday to show others God thru the way we live our lives. For some people we encounter, the God we show them may be the only way they have ever seen Him.

It's pretty simple really...if we have faith and know that God sent His son Jesus to die on the cross to pay for our sin debt, seek a personal relationship with Him, and live your life so others see Him thru you. I know it has changed my life for good during this past year. And all I had to do was to invite God into my heart...he's been sitting there waiting all this time.