We are moving to Colorado in two weeks and I’ve come up with three rules for sorting stuff before packing:
1. Do I use it?
2. If not, will I use it in a year?
3. If not, is the sentimental value worth moving it?
This eliminates:
1. jeans that once fit
2. single socks with no mate
3. old phone books
4. makeup that is two shades too dark but cost so much you don’t want to waste money by throwing it away
5. the fourth casserole dish with serving basket
6. old towels kept for rags
(Wait – don’t throw those away. They’re great for wrapping glassware, and can be tossed after the move.)
7. old formals that your grownup daughter never wore and your granddaughter won’t either
8. the two-pint containers of turkey drippings saved from Thanksgiving for soup someday
9. padlocks that have no keys
10. dried up ink pens from Disneyland
Some of these items can be recycled through thrift stores or sold on Ebay, but probably not the turkey drippings.
I know I’m not the only American who has kept things that should have been tossed or given away long ago, so if you have anything to add to the list, I’d love to hear from you.
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Mom-care
What is it about a mother that makes her do things for her kids all the time? Even when no one’s looking? Even when no one knows? Especially her children.
I believe it is the God-gene in her – not in a scientific, physiological sense, but in a spirit sense. God’s fingerprint is on his creation. He breathed the breath of life into Adam, from whom he created a woman, and Adam named her Eve because she was the mother of all living.
Of course it is a God thing.
Who else would go through pain for our deliverance?
Who else would give without thanks and then give again anyway?
Who else would say, “I’ll take care of you,” and then do it even when we’re not looking?
Psalm 121:7 says,
The Lord will keep you from all harm –
he will watch over your life.
Yesterday, when the Toyota service department technician called me out to my car to see the split rubber on the inside of the left front tire, I remembered that verse.
It was the tire closest to oncoming traffic. All the other tires were in good shape. There’s an imbalance somewhere, a misalignment. The fix is easy, but the damages could have been horrific.
This is not the first time the Lord has watched over my life, nor will it be the last. Psalm 121:8 makes that clear:
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
There’s a little bit of Mom-care there, just like the little bit of God-care in the mother I remember.
Thank you, Lord.
Thanks, Mom.
I believe it is the God-gene in her – not in a scientific, physiological sense, but in a spirit sense. God’s fingerprint is on his creation. He breathed the breath of life into Adam, from whom he created a woman, and Adam named her Eve because she was the mother of all living.
Of course it is a God thing.
Who else would go through pain for our deliverance?
Who else would give without thanks and then give again anyway?
Who else would say, “I’ll take care of you,” and then do it even when we’re not looking?
Psalm 121:7 says,
The Lord will keep you from all harm –
he will watch over your life.
Yesterday, when the Toyota service department technician called me out to my car to see the split rubber on the inside of the left front tire, I remembered that verse.
It was the tire closest to oncoming traffic. All the other tires were in good shape. There’s an imbalance somewhere, a misalignment. The fix is easy, but the damages could have been horrific.
This is not the first time the Lord has watched over my life, nor will it be the last. Psalm 121:8 makes that clear:
the Lord will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.
There’s a little bit of Mom-care there, just like the little bit of God-care in the mother I remember.
Thank you, Lord.
Thanks, Mom.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Spiritual Backbone
When I last visited the chiropractor, he demonstrated for me the reason many people suffer back pain and stiffness. It’s all about posture.
I thought I knew what he was going to say, because I’ve heard it since I was a kid: “Sit up straight.”
But the chiropractor surprised me with a more vivid application. Sitting on the edge of a chair, he curled into himself, drooped his arms and shoulders forward, hunched his back, and dropped his head.
“This is how people sit,” he said. “And this is how they should sit.”
With that, he raised his head, extended his back and lifted both arms as if opening himself up to the world. It was the perfect position of praise.
Even in the physical world, we see a picture of a healthier spiritual posture: open, looking upward, arms wide to receive the blessings of God.
This little display made me wonder how my spirit looks to the Mender of my soul. Am I turned in upon myself, or am I open, looking upward, and praising him for all he’s done?
Perhaps a little more praise and gratitude will improve my gaze and attitude, and give me the strong spiritual backbone that I need.
I thought I knew what he was going to say, because I’ve heard it since I was a kid: “Sit up straight.”
But the chiropractor surprised me with a more vivid application. Sitting on the edge of a chair, he curled into himself, drooped his arms and shoulders forward, hunched his back, and dropped his head.
“This is how people sit,” he said. “And this is how they should sit.”
With that, he raised his head, extended his back and lifted both arms as if opening himself up to the world. It was the perfect position of praise.
Even in the physical world, we see a picture of a healthier spiritual posture: open, looking upward, arms wide to receive the blessings of God.
This little display made me wonder how my spirit looks to the Mender of my soul. Am I turned in upon myself, or am I open, looking upward, and praising him for all he’s done?
Perhaps a little more praise and gratitude will improve my gaze and attitude, and give me the strong spiritual backbone that I need.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
The Tomb
Dead.
Dead and gone.
Gone where? Gone?
He is not here, but is risen!
Alive!
John and Peter saw the evidence – grave clothes without a body in them.
Mary saw him alive and thought he was someone else – until he spoke her name.
And later he spoke to all the disciples. They saw the wounds of nail and spear, felt his smile, breathed his peace, and realized he had conquered death.
They would not have risked their reputations for a hoax.
They would not have risked their lives for a fable.
They could not have risked the faith of their Jewish forefathers for anything less than the promised Messiah, the risen savior of all who believe.
Jesus lives and so can we. Death is not the final word. Death does not win!
If.
If we take Jesus at his word.
If we believe him.
Believe and live.
Live!
John 20:1-20, The Holy Bible
Dead and gone.
Gone where? Gone?
He is not here, but is risen!
Alive!
John and Peter saw the evidence – grave clothes without a body in them.
Mary saw him alive and thought he was someone else – until he spoke her name.
And later he spoke to all the disciples. They saw the wounds of nail and spear, felt his smile, breathed his peace, and realized he had conquered death.
They would not have risked their reputations for a hoax.
They would not have risked their lives for a fable.
They could not have risked the faith of their Jewish forefathers for anything less than the promised Messiah, the risen savior of all who believe.
Jesus lives and so can we. Death is not the final word. Death does not win!
If.
If we take Jesus at his word.
If we believe him.
Believe and live.
Live!
John 20:1-20, The Holy Bible
Friday, April 2, 2010
Good Friday. Good-bye.
We call it Good Friday. Is that because we get off work early to pack for a weekend away at the lake or the beach or the mountains if it’s warm enough?
More than 2000 years ago, a handful of Jewish leaders in Roman-occupied Jerusalem considered this a good day because it meant they were getting rid of a troublemaker. “Good riddance,” they might have quipped in Hebrew to the man who had turned their world upside down.
However, Good Friday was intended to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth on a Roman cross. He hung there, the Bible tells us, in our place. He took our mistakes and failures and sins upon himself and paid for them with his very blood. He died there. His friends retrieved his body, wrapped it in linen strips and laid it in a stone tomb.
That day the Passover holiday was upon them and they had to get Jesus out of the way. It was their tradition – not an uncaring ritual, but one that dictated immediate burial of the dead.
So they did.
And that should make it good.
I know that without his death I would die, but I still find it hard to call this day Good Friday. Crucifixion is anything but good. I’d rather call it Black Friday – a day when the Light of Life went out and Satan sang in triumph. But “Black Friday” is taken. It’s the day after Thanksgiving when American retailers raise their profits out of the red pit of loss – another misguided moniker.
Maybe it’s easier for modern man to consider this a good day because we know the rest of the story. But Jesus’ family and followers did not. He was gone. Dead. Buried. They were alone. They didn’t know he was the ultimate Passover Lamb sacrificed in their place. Nor did they know he would live again.
Tonight and tomorrow imagine what it would have been like to have everything you believed in destroyed. Imagine finding the answer to life only to have it ripped from your fingers and nailed to a cross. Imagine turning your back on the stone-cold tomb and walking away wondering if you would be next.
Imagine.
More than 2000 years ago, a handful of Jewish leaders in Roman-occupied Jerusalem considered this a good day because it meant they were getting rid of a troublemaker. “Good riddance,” they might have quipped in Hebrew to the man who had turned their world upside down.
However, Good Friday was intended to commemorate the crucifixion of Jesus of Nazareth on a Roman cross. He hung there, the Bible tells us, in our place. He took our mistakes and failures and sins upon himself and paid for them with his very blood. He died there. His friends retrieved his body, wrapped it in linen strips and laid it in a stone tomb.
That day the Passover holiday was upon them and they had to get Jesus out of the way. It was their tradition – not an uncaring ritual, but one that dictated immediate burial of the dead.
So they did.
And that should make it good.
I know that without his death I would die, but I still find it hard to call this day Good Friday. Crucifixion is anything but good. I’d rather call it Black Friday – a day when the Light of Life went out and Satan sang in triumph. But “Black Friday” is taken. It’s the day after Thanksgiving when American retailers raise their profits out of the red pit of loss – another misguided moniker.
Maybe it’s easier for modern man to consider this a good day because we know the rest of the story. But Jesus’ family and followers did not. He was gone. Dead. Buried. They were alone. They didn’t know he was the ultimate Passover Lamb sacrificed in their place. Nor did they know he would live again.
Tonight and tomorrow imagine what it would have been like to have everything you believed in destroyed. Imagine finding the answer to life only to have it ripped from your fingers and nailed to a cross. Imagine turning your back on the stone-cold tomb and walking away wondering if you would be next.
Imagine.
Sunday, March 7, 2010
A must-read book for moms
Few people would deny that we live in a shaky world. From earthquakes and tsunamis, to soul-rattling emotional tremors, our families face unsettling circumstances on every side. We need a strong foundation and author Judy Scharfenberg couldn’t agree more. In her new book, Secure Families in a Shaky World, she outlines six simple action steps for building and maintaining that foundation.
Scharfenberg encourages mothers of all ages through her delightful candor as she shares from a lifetime of experience. As a Christian speaker, wife, mother, grandmother and retired school librarian, she knows what it means to be busy, hurried, pressed and overwhelmed. But she also knows how important it is to hold the family together – especially today – and she doesn’t mind sharing what works and what won’t.
From personal success stories, recipes and meal planning tips, to a simple how-to for exercise or prayer, Scharfenberg weaves her tapestry of health and hope with timeless scriptures that speak to the need of the moment.
Do you need joy in the middle of your day? In Chapter 4, Scharfenberg shares her Checklist for Joy. Here are just a few items from that list, things that even the busiest mom can handle:
· Mend a quarrel; apologize; ask for forgiveness.
· Seek out a forgotten friend.
· Hug someone tightly and whisper, “I love you.”
· Make or bake something for someone anonymously.
· Listen. Smile.
· Speak kindly to a stranger.
· Turn off the TV and talk (my personal favorite!).
· Encourage an older person.
This book is a must-read for women seeking spiritual and physical health and balance in their homes from one who truly understands that you are “the heartbeat of your family.”
Secure Families in a Shaky World can be purchased through Amazon, Christianbooks.com, and Pleasantwordbooks.com.
Scharfenberg encourages mothers of all ages through her delightful candor as she shares from a lifetime of experience. As a Christian speaker, wife, mother, grandmother and retired school librarian, she knows what it means to be busy, hurried, pressed and overwhelmed. But she also knows how important it is to hold the family together – especially today – and she doesn’t mind sharing what works and what won’t.
From personal success stories, recipes and meal planning tips, to a simple how-to for exercise or prayer, Scharfenberg weaves her tapestry of health and hope with timeless scriptures that speak to the need of the moment.
Do you need joy in the middle of your day? In Chapter 4, Scharfenberg shares her Checklist for Joy. Here are just a few items from that list, things that even the busiest mom can handle:
· Mend a quarrel; apologize; ask for forgiveness.
· Seek out a forgotten friend.
· Hug someone tightly and whisper, “I love you.”
· Make or bake something for someone anonymously.
· Listen. Smile.
· Speak kindly to a stranger.
· Turn off the TV and talk (my personal favorite!).
· Encourage an older person.
This book is a must-read for women seeking spiritual and physical health and balance in their homes from one who truly understands that you are “the heartbeat of your family.”
Secure Families in a Shaky World can be purchased through Amazon, Christianbooks.com, and Pleasantwordbooks.com.
Saturday, February 13, 2010
Storing the Light
We installed a solar porch light last month. On sunny days, it stores enough light to cast a moon-like glow beneath the pergola at night, lighting a pathway to our front door.
However, if the day is overcast, rainy or foggy, the solar cell collects nothing and remains dark the following night.
It’s just like me.
If I’m not collecting the hope and wisdom and comfort of God from His word, darkness washes in around me during the night of my struggles. It’s Son Light I need – and the more I store up, the brighter my own light shines.
Darkness is the absence of light. But even the smallest glow flickers against the blackest void. It cannot be hidden – it shines. And no matter how feeble it may be, it offers life to those who are searching for a spark of hope.
How about you? Is your soul cell charged with the Son Light of God? Open His word today and fill up with His life-giving light.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house (Matt. 5:15 NIV).
However, if the day is overcast, rainy or foggy, the solar cell collects nothing and remains dark the following night.
It’s just like me.
If I’m not collecting the hope and wisdom and comfort of God from His word, darkness washes in around me during the night of my struggles. It’s Son Light I need – and the more I store up, the brighter my own light shines.
Darkness is the absence of light. But even the smallest glow flickers against the blackest void. It cannot be hidden – it shines. And no matter how feeble it may be, it offers life to those who are searching for a spark of hope.
How about you? Is your soul cell charged with the Son Light of God? Open His word today and fill up with His life-giving light.
Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house (Matt. 5:15 NIV).
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