Canvas Rhapsody

Tunnels are a necessary part of our journey. It seems they are the simplest way to get from here to where God wants us to be. Why then do we constantly try to take the long way around?

I wish I had a great answer. It does make me think about a necessary tunnel that I have recently come through. I entered it about 6 other times in my adult life. I always convinced myself to turn around because of self-doubt. My inability to see the end result in my own mind created doubt that coming through the other end was even a possibility for me.

What made it happen this time? I stopped relying on myself for the strength to get through. Renewing of my mind, so to speak. I believe a little more each day that He is strong when I am weak. I believe He has a greater plan for me than I have for myself. I believe I am an overcomer, not because of me but because I believe, I am adopted into a family of overcomers.

Here I am. On the other side. I am freed from the bondage of addiction, celebrating one year smoke free.

There is power in moving forward, through places where we can't even see around the corner.

Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of
things not seen.

Do you remember the challenge we were given during Nick's sermon in December? He asked us to intentionally bring change to 3 separate environments.


Matthew 5:13-16 "You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled under foot by men. "You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. "Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.

So, did you pick three? Did you change the atmosphere of a place because you were there? Was God glorified?

I have to admit, I haven't thought about the three environments I chose until I sat down to write this blog. I know it was on my heart over the holidays though and looking back I can kinda see a change in each environment. Going against the grain a bit here, I will tell you all three of my "environments" were actually relationships. I am going to share one of my experiences in the hopes that some of you will share how this challenge manifested itself in your own lives. (And if you didn't do it, that is okay, today is a great day to start.)

So, my first and most important environment is actually with my daughter Madi. Sometimes as mom, I can be really hard on Madi. Always seeing her potential and expecting the above and beyond from her. I know this isn't bad but sometimes I forget to take time to just be a light in her life. Sometimes our environment is more like a battlefield than a peaceful home. Over Christmas break I really made an effort to pick my battles and found time to pour into her the praises she deserves. With a little extra helping of self-control and patience, of coarse. God is amazingly faithful to me when I am ready for change that will truly glorify Him. I also called on a few accountability partners to keep me in check through the last few weeks. My goal now is to continue to change and find the balance that is so necessary in my relationship with Madi. I was reminded with this challenge that it isn't my job to just teach my girls about Christ but to show them what it looks like to be salt and light. My words mean very little if I don't pour into them the very things I tell them to do.

"To change atmosphere, be people willing to influence atmosphere"
~Nick Rains

Happy New Year!! I hope everyone has enjoyed the first 6 days of 2009. It is amazing how fast a week can come and go.

I hope you all can forgive me for my recent lack of posting. I was consumed by the insanity of the holidays (actually, I was just trying to edit our Stolpementary). So, it seemed appropriate to me to start this year off writing about my thoughts on time.

At the beginning of every new year we seem to make a new promise to spend more time with God, more time reading our Bibles. We go and buy the newest 15 min with God devotional that comes with the dates already. We buy the Bibles with the "Read the Bible in a Year" Calendars. Now Jan 1 never actually counts as the first day of the year because it is a day with family, a Sabbath day. So we start on the 2nd, we get up a few minutes early and read our 15 min devotional while the coffee brews. Then get out the new journal that a spouse loving purchased and inscribed for us because they support and love all of our best-of-intentions. We read the scriptures for Jan 1 and 2 because we observed the Sabbath. Write a few words about what they mean to us, maybe a question or two to talk to the pastor about.

Skip ahead a few weeks and we have only written in our journals a handful of times. Decided that the weekends were just too difficult, so this will be a commitment we will make on week days. About mid February you have overslept an entire week and the 30 min you had planned to spend with God has become a rush and an "I will get to that".

In my overactive imagination I can picture God, getting up a little early, enjoying his cup of heavenly java while waiting for me to join Him in our quiet place. I wonder how many mornings He has waited on me. I wonder how many times I passed by in my morning rush. I wonder how many more mornings He will wait for me.

Revelations 3:20'Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and will dine with him, and he with Me.

I think we make the idea of spending time with God much more difficult than it needs to be. He is there, waiting for us to spend time with Him. We don't need calendars or special devotionals, inscripted journals or the lasted Bible translation. We only need to want to be in relationship. We only need to want it bad enough that it is worth our time.