A Jesus moment...

Divine appointments are happening everywhere. Each day I wake up, God places someone or puts something in my path to remind me that He is there for me.  


There have been many over the past few weeks but today was especially fantastic and much needed.


For months my car has needed new tires.  After visiting a tire place last December I was told that it would be about $500 to replace all four.  I laughed.  It's all I could do at the time.  With Christmas quickly approaching I knew there would not be a penny to spare.  I waited.


As the months have passed, I have gone back and forth at different times wondering if I should use bill money or grocery money to just go ahead and replace at least two.  Again I waited.


I am not a mechanic but even I could tell my tires were in bad shape and it made me nervous but I was holding out and trusting God.  I waited.

This week I received an assignment to visit a tire store and evaluate their customer service.  Easy enough.  I took it.  As I dropped my three year old off at school this morning, the low tire pressure light came on in my car. The timing was perfect.  I had a legit reason to visit the store. 


I made my visit to the store which was busy so I waited my turn.  An associate approached and asked how he could help. what I explained my tire pressure light was on and wondered if could be checked.   He said of  course and headed out to look at my tires.  Then came the bad news.  My tires were in horrible shape.  (this I knew but I just didn't want to hear again)  He began to look up the price of each tire.  Again it was over a hundred a tire.  I knew it wouldn't be happening today.


I told him I was a single mom with five kids and just could not afford to get them right then.  He looked concerned.  I felt broken-down.  He asked if I would be interested in him checking to see if they had any used tires.  Of course my answer was yes. After checking several stores, he could only find one.  I was frustrated.  


Next came the question of what did I actually have to spend on tires? This is where I felt stupid.  I knew in my head what I had but knew it wouldn't even cover one tire.  I didn't even want to verbalize it out loud but I did. He said ok and went  to see what he could do to help me.   I waited for his return ready for disappointment.


A few minutes later he came back and said that he would give me two brand new tires for the price of one.  What??  I will admit that I was taken back.  Over the past two years, I have not had many "people being Jesus to me" moments.  I have a hard time recognizing them when they come so I was stunned.  I still had an issue.  I had the money but had no way to access it at the moment.  I told him I would be back.


One of the other miracle moments that occured earlier in the week had left me with some money that I did not have access to quite yet.  I went on faith that, though it would be too soon for it to be in the mailbox, it would be there today. And guess what??  It was.  I was so excited!!  


I took my money and made my way back to the store.  Within twenty minutes, I had two brand new tires on my car.  As I left they told me to return when I was ready to get the other two and they would work with me again.  What an incredible blessing!  How can anyone deny God's hand over my day?  


God is so faithful to provide.  He is always here reminding me that He WILL take care of my every need as long as I trust Him and have faith that He will do what He says He will do. 


"God is faithful, who has called you into fellowship with his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord."


1 Corinthians 1:9 

Mom, can we talk...

So tonight as I was folding laundry, my nine year old whispered in my ear, "mom can we have a girl talk?" Of course we could and we did.  

I am often surprised by my kids.  They each have come to me at one time or another with important questions.  Questions that have opened up doors for serious conversations on topics that need to be addressed.  I am not sure why but I always feel honored.  Maybe they trust me.  They know that they can tell me anything, whether good or bad, and I will sit and listen, loving them regardless.


I'm learning that as a mom, dialogue with my kids is important.  If I want them to talk to me, I have to be open to listen whenever they need me.  House work, phone calls, writing and people in general have to come second when they say "mom, can we talk?"


BTW, she wanted to talk about boys.  Made me smile that she wanted to share her secret with me.  Being a mom is AMAZING!!

Rob Bell makes me nervous...

Not trying to stir up controversy, just trying to inform.  Please do not attack but instead respect that others have opinions and are entitled to share.

Love Wins

Relaxing...

When I was a kid, I would have never thought that visiting bookstores would be something that I would enjoy as an adult.  I have always loved to read but would have never thought that spending time in a bookstore would be relaxing.

I love going to Barnes and Noble because the three year old can be entertained while I browse the shelves.  I love sitting in a chair with a book and being greeted by the wonderful smell that lingers from the pages.  Sometimes I am able to sit and finish a book.  

One of my favorite things is visiting used bookstores.  I have discovered one particularly quaint place that I fell in love with the moment I walked through the doors.  The shelves are full of books.  There are books everywhere.  Even the counter is stacked with books.  I am not a coffee drinker but love the smell, especially when I am reading.  This small store has coffee constantly brewing so I am able to curl up in one of their comfy chairs, enjoy a book while taking in the fragrant smells that surround me.  It almost becomes sensory overload but I love it.  The three year old isn’t as entertained but she is developing a love for books like her mommy and I love it.

The chicken and the slow cooker

I love recipes that allow me to throw things into a slow cooker and forget about it.  Here is a little something I put  together last week and it turned out pretty well.  The kids liked it and it was easy to prepare.

3 Boneless skinless chicken breasts (frozen of fresh)
1 Large sliced onion
1 Large sliced green pepper
1 can diced tomatoes with garlic, basil and oregano
1 28 ounce jar spaghetti sauce
fresh sliced mushrooms
favorite spices and seasonings
pasta

Place all ingredients minus pasta in slow cooker and let it cook all day on low.  (approx 8 hours)

Pick your favorite pasta.  Prepare according to directions.  Serve chicken and veggies over pasta and viola!
Enjoy!

Different Seasons

It is funny how the passions that we have can change over time.  Life takes on different seasons.  We experience different seasons in our relationships, work and church.  But have you ever thought about how your passion for things changes as well?


I used to have a passion for singing.  Not a passion for standing in front of a crowd for attention but instead a passion  to worship God and lead people to His throne.  For me is was my way to express my love for Him.  The thoughts of ever having to give it up was unbearable.  Oh how things have changed.


This is how I now feel about writing.  It has become my passion.  I wake up with the desire to write and go to sleep thinking about what I can write next.  I have a passion to share my story through words.  I have a passion to encourage others through words.  

As I look back now I can see how God used my singing to prepare me for writing.  I sang with a group.  I did not like singing alone.  I was insecure and lacked confidence.  Toward the end of my time of singing, God stretched me and I sang my first solo.  Little did I know it was not to prepare me for a life of singing for Him but instead writing.  


There is nothing more personal than writing and putting yourself out there.  People will rip you apart and not think twice about doing so.  In order to write you have to have confidence enough in yourself and what you believe to put it all out there.  God had to prepare me for that and I had to work through a lot of issues to reach a place where I could write in a transparent way.  It has been a journey and I have learned much along the way. I sure hope this passion I have for writing never fades away. 

Eat, Drink and ...

I have made a decision in our home.  We are going to become vegan-ish.  We will not be full-time vegans but instead begin practicing some the habits of those that choose this as a lifestyle.

 From cows to beans.

What does this mean?  Veganism is the practice of  no longer using non-human animal products.  Meaning no meat of any kind (ouch), no dairy (I need MY cheese and ice cream) and more.  At first thought, this is a lifestyle I would probably say that I would never do 100% but over the last couple of years, I have learned to NEVER say NEVER so I will not be ruled out.  Who knows what might happen.

My reasoning for this choice comes from time spent on how to teach my children healthier eating habits.  Some of my children are built in such a way that as they get older, they may struggle with weight issues.  I want to teach them each to eat right and eat things that are healthy and beneficial for their development.  

I believe the vegans are on to something from the statistics and findings that I have found.  All that to say, I still believe that meat in moderation is ok.  I am a firm believer that God made cows, chickens and fish for a reason.  There has to be a benefit for us to consume those things.  The problem in the US is that we consume way TOO much.  Eating in moderation is not something that is practiced a lot.  

So well planned vegan diets have been found to offer things such as protection against obesity, heart and renal diseases. cancer and arthritis.  Knowing those things make it a little easier for me to proceed forward with this change in our eating habits. My kids are pretty good about eating anything.  I am always trying new recipes and introducing new foods to the table. From the time they were toddlers, they were eating things like mushrooms, black olives, onions, green peppers, tomatoes and more.  This makes my job of eating healthier just a little bit easier.  I am looking forward to this new challenge.  We will be eating more veggies and fruit and less fried and greasy food. 

From what I have heard, those who cut out fast food have more energy.  I NEED that!  I am going to focus on finding new ways to prepare fish, chicken and beef so that we are still able to enjoy those things but in a healthier way.  Maybe they will start craving my cooking instead of a Big Mac.

We will see how this goes and how the kids manage the new menu.

Love and Attachment: Do you know the difference?

I found this article fascinating and wanted to share.
Once we begin to understand this issue (the difference between love and attachment), we can begin helping those hurt by emotional abuse in relationships.


The Details:


Are you in love with your significant other, or attached?  Romantic novels and soap operas have convinced us that love is a relationship made up of a combination of adolescent whims and cheap sentimentalism, a particular type of dramatic relationship in which each one of the protagonists tires to satisfy specific egotistic needs.  This is not love, but merely attachment.  Attachment and love are at the same time; similar, and yet very different.  Some might say that they are both attacks, as well as in love.  After studying the two; maybe then you can decide where you stand.  Most people completely confuse attachment with love.


Love:


In contrast, love is the freedom of giving and sharing, without hoping for anything in exchange, because love is its only reward.  Love is generosity and is patient.  Love utterly lacks any ego.  Love is kind and it does not boast or envy.  It's a profoundly tender, passionate affection for another person.  A feeling of warm personal attachment, (with love) or deep affection.  Love does not dishonor others and is not self-seeking.  It's a waterfall that pours from the heart and is not proud.


Attachment:


Attachment (without love) is a kind of emotional disease; it is an obsessive emotional state, a type of addiction in which our peace and happiness depends on the closeness or distance from an object or person to whom we are attached.  Attachment is egoism.  The ego lacks love.  Attachment attributes an exaggerated and illusory value to objects, situations, or people; it totally disconnects us from reality.  Any attachment  is not part of reality, but an illusion whose existence is merely psychological.  Attachment is the desire to receive not give.


The Bottom Line:


Attachment turns us into tyrants who wish to control everything, for which even people are objects to be possessed. Like dictators thirsty for control and domination, we are impelled to elevate ourselves over others.  Attachment fragments the peace of its victims, leading to complete emotional disorder and chaos.  Love seeks to eliminate all the differences and limits between people.  Love is a profound longing to eradicate borders. 


Published in Talk of Your Towne April 2011

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