the path of life is seldom without ups, downs...and even...turn-arounds...i find some days i skip along merrily with my hair dancing in the breeze (not really...my hair is much to short...but doesn't it sound good?), while other days i drag my sorry self about as if i'm carrying the weight of the world in my backpack...between the breezy days and the backpack days...are the endless brick-carrying days...which seem to be how i spend the majority of my time...my brick days are the times i purpose to put one foot in front of the other...taking care to do the tasks at hand...i choose on those days to believe that the discipline as well as the drudgery fit into a higher destiny...that the bricks of obedience and follow-through serve a greater purpose than just to give me an aerobic workout...
the problem with transporting bricks is that we are so busy with the lifting and the carrying that we catch only glimpses of the progress...perhaps that is as it was meant to be...lest we become so impressed with our little stack of bricks that we distract ourselves from the higher calling...which is...to add our bricks to the tried-and-true paths laid by those who have gone before us...this task is for our benefit and for those who will follow after us...
after all, there is nothing like a well-ordered, well-lit, well-marked path...
so where is this thought process coming from?? i've been reading about mary of bethany...
mary, sister of martha, seems inseparable from her sibing; each time we read of one sister, we hear of the other...well, almost every time...for instance, remember when the brick path led to their doorway, and the duo entertained Jesus and His disciples in their home? martha felt put upon because while she was saddled with all the chores, mary was seated at Jesus' feet...what a to-do that caused! i mean, folks have been finger-pointing at the sisters ever since...picking sides over who was right and who was wrong...should mary have helped martha prepare for their guests, or should martha have been sitting next to mary at the Savior's feet?
hmmm...i just wonder if they both weren't doing the right thing...perhaps their portrait paints for us two necessary paths that are often women's to walk in: one of physical leadership and service and one of spiritual availability and responsiveness...of course...the challenge is figuring out when to walk each path in life's fullness...
mary seemed certain of her calling in regard to Jesus...we see that her footpath led her repeatedly to His feet...that's where we find her sitting, weeping, kneeling, listening, and ever questioning...life's demands were not about to vie for mary's attention...somehow she sensed her time to be with the Savior was now...Jesus acknowledged her wisdom and affirmed her decisions...how deeply satisfying that must have been...
i want to be a mary...yet i also need to be a martha...she was busy with many things, which is true for most of us...we are called to be responsible for the tasks at hand...yet we long to be spiritually responsive to the Lord...so must we give up one path to follow the other - or is it possible these two paths converge at certain points?
i believe we can pace our race...not easy...but possible...it takes determination to pick up one foot and put it in front of the other without forsaking the sitting-at-His-feet time...
i want to walk a purposed path in hopes that i, too, will know the sweetness of His approval while doing my part to leave a clear path...
my youngest...who happens to be sasha...the one eyed kitty...truly is an entertaining cat...he is just...well...quirky...
he has many wierd actions that truly make him a...well...interesting specimen...
tonite...for example...i came home after a VERY long day...and although i have been fighting it...decided to turn the heater on...i guess it is part of my denial that it is getting colder...and that summer is truly behind us...there have actually already been a few very cold days...but i chose to freeze under a blanket...instead of turning on that heater...
now i understand why sasha and i are such a good fit =) could it be i have my own quirks??
so...back to the story...the heater is on...i come downstairs...chester...my older "normal" cat is in his bed...as per usual...and sasha?
i forgot...one of his quirks...he loves sitting on top of the heater grate...
he must be pretty excited sitting there...knowing that he will have months of frying on top of the heater grates...i seriously have no idea how that is comfortable for him...i have picked him up before...and his fur is HOT...but he sits comfortably - not noticing...
but if he is not feeling the burn...so to speak...who am i to take this pleasure away from him?
last week i attended the mid-peninsula republican women's federation luncheon...i was pretty excited because i knew that there was going to be a fashion show...so of course...anything to do with fashion...makes me excited...
but this was going to be different...this was going to be about the history of fashion from 1800 to 1933...on republican first ladies...
i blogged about it in my fashion blog...but thought some of my readers here might enjoy it as well...so i thought i would share...
there are four parts...if you love history...there is a lot of facts listed about each of the first ladies...
if you love fashion...it is great to see how the styles have changed...my favorite remains to be the bathing suit...it just cracks me up how there is not a stitch of skin showing...but it was the bathing suit of that time...
i have been struggling a bit with some very big decisions in my life...wrestling with one in particular where the line between selfishness and generosity is very very blurry...
what to do?? that is the question...
seldom does God allow us a sneak peek into our futures...He gives us wonderful promises and prophetic statements...but we don't know the ins and outs of His plans...i'd love to own a pair of holy binoculars so i could see what's coming...
or would i??
i think about my life just in the past year...the end result (the now) is good...but the beginning and middle was excruciating...if i had seen through long-distance glasses that i would suffer as i did..i don't think i would have had the strength to walk into that season...
no, on second thought, forget the binoculars...i'll stick with the life of faith...taking one step at a time and trusting the Lord to see me through...come what may...He "sees" so much better than i do...for He is my Alpha and Omega...i'm grateful that all our beginnings and endings...all our comings-in and goings-out...all our losses and all our gains...are in His sovereign care...
Lord, I am amazed and grateful that You desire to converse with me...and quite honestly, i'm not sure at times how You get a word in edgewise...
quiet my incessant need to fill the air with chitchat...open my reluctant lips when i carry Your message...
esther was cautious and yet courageous...she was still and yet outspoken...she was young and yet wise...and You used her as Your messenger to protect a nation...how do You desire to use me?
You have given me language so that i might express my feelings for You and others...may i be sensitive to the leading of Your Spirit so that i pace both my walk and my talk...teach me to be fluent in Your love and selective in my words...that what emanates from my lips may inspire others to learn...to grow...and to celebrate their lives...
when i first saw this video...it really griped at my heart...i am not a mom...but even without being a mom...i have had children placed in my life...whether through teaching sunday school, choir, being an aunt...having friends that had children...
one thing i know...children are like a sponge...they take everything in...as the end of this video states...children see...children do...
this song has always been a favorite of mine...and a reminder...although the words are from a dad about a son...we really can apply this to so many areas of our lives...because as much as the children watch us...and we need to be so aware of that...adults are watching us as well...
"i want to be just like you" phillips, craig & dean"
He climbs in my lap for a goodnight hug He calls me Dad and I call him Bub With his faded old pillow and a bear named Pooh He snuggles up close and says, "I want to be like you" I tuck him in bed and I kiss him goodnight Trippin' over the toys as I turn out the light And I whisper a prayer that someday he'll see He's got a father in God 'cause he's seen Jesus in me
Lord, I want to be just like You 'Cause he wants to be just like me I want to be a holy example For his innocent eyes to see Help me be a living Bible, Lord That my little boy can read I want to be just like You 'Cause he wants to be like me
Got to admit I've got so far to go Make so many mistakes and I'm sure that You know Sometimes it seems no matter how hard I try With all the pressures in life I just can't get it all right But I'm trying so hard to learn from the best Being patient and kind, filled with Your tenderness 'Cause I know that he'll learn from the things that he sees And the Jesus he finds will be the Jesus in me Right now from where he stands I may seem mighty tall But it's only 'cause I'm learning from the best Father of them all
what can i say about myself? as i look back over my life...i realize what a wonderful life i have had. although there have been some really tough times...looking back - i wouldn't trade them for anything...i believe everything happens for a reason...and although many times i may not understand & i may ask why...ultimately God has it all in control...and i need only to trust Him.
