I've Moved. . . For Good

All right folks, this is for keeps. I've moved my last time over to The Jesus Mommy with the folks at Wordpress. I am doing moving around! I've found my home! Please meet me there. It won't be the same without you :)

Love and Blessings,

Judy

Nobody Did It

"Hey guys! Who got out the dress up stuff?"

Johnathan - "I didn't! I think it was Julia."

Julia - "No I didn't. It was Katie!"

Katie - "Noooo, I did't"

 "Alright. Well, since "nobody" got out the dress up stuff, then "nobody" needs to clean it up because you guys can't watch TV until it's picked up."


I knew this would happen one day. Nobody showed up. And, it's always in the moment when a person of authority wants to know the truth and nobody want to own up to the part that they played.

Nobody wants to responsible.

You know how it all began, in the garden, when Adam pointed the first finger and Eve followed up with her own, while the snake just sat there, according to scripture, absolutely quiet. Maybe he knew there was nothing he could say. Or, maybe he was sitting in complete satisfaction, knowing that the blame game would never end as long people didn't want to be held responsible.

Nobody did it. Yet, everyone hands are bloody. And, we are still pointing fingers.

. . . until, Somebody, entered the scene. God, in His amazing mercy, sent Somebody to end the blame game. He chose to take on the blame and the shame and point to Himself. He became sin even though He had never experienced what it could do to His heart and Mind and Soul. And, He did this to bring you and me back into God's presence, clean and whole, no longer pointing fingers but taking on the God-given responsibility that had been ours in the first place: Oneness with God and man and Oneness with creation.

. . . Thy Kingdom come, Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.

Are you ready to stop pointing fingers? Are you willing to own up to the part that you have played? Would you love to experience a oneness with God? Jesus is that somebody that became the nobody. He has already done the work. Will you accept it? And, if Christ is already yours, are you ready to bring the kingdom to this earth?

Let's be the Somebody that Jesus has already shown how to be.

I can do all things through Him who strengthens me. - Philippians 4:13 

And, to let you know, the dress up stuff was picked up. The evidence is right in the living room: All three kids in one space, enjoying some TV time, no longer pointing fingers.

Living the Reality

Yesterday was one of those days.

My energy was gone. My thoughts were scattered. Finishing a task seemed nearly impossible. I knew that I needed to write but I. just. couldn't. do. it.

What's the deal?

The evening before, we celebrated the first day of spring, my favorite day of the year. There are no presents to buy, no parades, no store sales, or special music played. This day goes unnoticed by most people but, it's become my favorite to celebrate. It's the reality that winter is over. Whatever the weather does the next day doesn't shake me a bit. I know the reality. Spring is here.

And, yesterday, I needed a serious reality check. I can get incredibly lost, so trapped, and self-absorbed by what is going on in my brain that I forget that:

. . . God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline. (2 Timothy 1:7)


. . . We do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who in every resect has been tested as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)


. . . Everyone must be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger; for your anger does not produce God's righteousness (James 1:19-20)


. . . His divine power has given us everything needed for life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3)


. . . You were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 5: 11)


. . . Discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. (Hebrews 12:11)

This is my reality and yours if you are trusting in Christ Jesus. But these things keep slipping my mind.

Why is that?

I forget that I am being hunted.

Like a roaring lion, your adversary, the devil prowls around looking for someone to devour. (1 Peter 5:8b)

How do we keep from being eaten? The verses preceding this one gives us an awesome picture:

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that He may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you. Discipline yourselves, keep alert ( 1 Peter 5: 6-8a). . .  because we are being hunted.

I am realizing that when my energy is down and my heart feels loopy, my main goal becomes, "How can I get more sleep?". . . I walk around like a zombie. . . . so. . . tired. . . and frustrated. Instead of turning to God, taking my frustrations to Him and disciplining myself, staying alert to what's really going on in the war that is my heart, I get stuck in how I feel. Everything around me suffers and I end up wondering what in the world happened. And, satan gets a bite for lunch.

This morning, I am more aware of the battle that surrounds me. Part of the victory is keeping you unaware of the war. If the enemy can make you believe that it's just you, or God's fault, then he gets to walk dance around causing all kinds of heartache and we blindly ask why things aren't working.

Today, if you will, join me this morning in bringing purpose for this day. Finish the every day tasks with flourish. Love the faces that are right in front of you. As a reflection of your Maker, bring peace, order, hope, and harmony to this dying and troubled world. They need your heart and your light.

  . . . don't let satan *blow* it out, I'm going to let it shine, let it shine, let it shine, let it shine.

To Him All Life Was Beauty

To Him All Life Was Beauty

To Him all life was Beauty. The sun upon the hills,

The sweeping shadows, and the winding lane.

Morning He loved, with dewdrops on the flowers;

Evening, with sunset and soft, warm April rain.

Friends He found in lepers stumbling to Him, 

Love in those who hate, grace in sinner's eyes.

Dawn He saw with all earth's new-born glory, 

Twilight and darkness, and hope in human sighs.

Youth was His, and springtime, and music in the trees;

Life was His, and sunshine, and the murmuring of the bees;

Joy in healing broken hearts; manhood's noble strife;

All the wonder and the beauty of a sacred human life.

He walked the common lanes, the city streets He trod,

And in His heart was Beauty . . . the Beauty born of God.

- A. L. C.

A Conversation In: Dusk

The Grocery Run 3-15-12

What?!?!? We are out of food again???

To be sure. The cupboards are bare, the refrigerator is bored, and the freezer is thinking about switching careers.To save our precious home, we rally our hearts and minds and travel to Meijer, Whole Foods, ALDI, and Trader Joe's. The journey is long, full of victories and heartaches, but the rewards are beyond measure.

We've narrowed down the grocery trip to once every two weeks, which saves on gas and energy (mine, specifically). 

So, how much food does it take to feed this family of five for two weeks?

Behold! The hallway:

Crazy. But, this is only part of the glories that we bring with us. . .

Presenting. . .

The Grocery Run

The bi-weekly adventure of three women (well, one grown up, and two little girls), seeking out the most delectable foods on the planet, while un-earthing magnificent music and ideas along the way.

1. Good Morning! -  This was how our day began:

And, this song made me dance! Y'all want that bounce?



2. Bumper Stickers -  I love reading the bumper stickers on other peoples cars. If there are a lots of stickers like this one attached to a vehicle. . .

I harbor a secret desire to meet the owner in the hopes of striking up good conversation:

Hey, you want to go save the world with me? 

Sure! Can I put my vegan, non-gmo, organic food away first?

Yes. Oh, but can we stop by Chic-Fil-A on the way?

Absolutely!! I'd been craving that all week! 

3. Consumer vs. Creator - I think it hit me coming out of the second super market that Americans are crazy consumers. The day before this, I had been in the mall and was astonished by the horrible pressure that I felt to buy more than than I could afford. As I passed by the shops, I kept thinking, "I can't keep up! There is no way that I am going to keep up with all of this stuff." Back in the food aisles, those same thoughts hit me again. And, I thought about how I consume much more than I ever create. 

We are made in the image of the Creator, meaning we should be reflecting His nature as well. I admit that I don't portray that image very often. I am perfectly content to sit back and let everyone else do the creating while I make whatever money I can to support my convenient consumer habits. 

I ran into this verse last only last night:

". . . Aspire to live quietly, to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we directed you, so that you may behave properly toward outsiders and be dependent on no one."

~1 Thessalonians 4:11-12

I want to move closer to that kind of life.

4. Unhappy People - I am amazed at how grumpy people are when they go grocery shopping. Like, no smiles. Anywhere. I look around me and think, "Are you seeing what I'm seeing? This place has duck eggs!!! Look! It's a lady bug on the lettuce! What else do you want???"

I guess it's another exposure to the fact that stuff does not make us happy.

*Sigh*

5. It Takes All Kinds - The girls and I are very relaxed when we're together. We play and work and know how to stay out of each other's space (most of the time). But, when it comes to music, we are very different. 

This is Julia:

This is Katie:

This is Me:

This is an amazing fact about life. It takes all our tastes to reflect the unfathomable glory of God. It can't be put in a box. It's not possible. But, if we remove the boxes that we've placed on God and the people in our lives we might begin to see a glimmer of the reality of Who they really are.

Have a great day!

Judy

Hi!

My name is Judy. I am a mommy. A Jesus mommy, to be exact. I accepted Christ when I was six years old and have been walking in that relationship ever since. Now, I have the privilege of sharing my life with an amazing husband and three young children. The journey can be crazy but it's always worth it. I want to share what I've learned along the way as well as what God is teaching me now. I want to know what's going on in your life, too. Feel free to make your own voice heard!

You might know me from What Kind of Mother Are You. My hope is to continue what I did there in a more definitive, real, and truthful place. So, if you liked what you've seen so far, you'll be excited about what's to come.

I have about five minutes left. I need to pick up my first grader and then it's making cookies for snack time. Oh yeah, if you know me at all, you know that I LOVE food. There will be lots of recipes popping up on this website.

I hope that your day is marvelous and I will see you soon!

Blessings,

Judy