Hoarders

Have you ever seen the television program called “Hoarders?”  I am appalled and fascinated by it, all at the same time.  The concept of the show is that a person or family is seeking help for an unbelievable problem.  Their homes have been taken over by stuff.  Sometimes the stuff is as innocuous as piles upon piles of clothing, books, and boxes of belongings.  Other times, the person or family keeps everything in their home, including garbage, animal or human waste, and other unthinkable filth.  The homeowner occasionally has an explanation for why things have gotten to that point, but most of the time, they can’t explain why it happened.

Inevitably, every time I watch the show, I always ask myself:  “How do they let it get so bad?  At what point did they just give up and let the piles of stuff take over?”  The good thing about the show is that the person or family receives help cleaning up and counseling for their problem.  They are given a way out, if they choose to accept it.

I think this show is a pretty good comment on the sin condition in our world.  A person starts out with a little “pet” sin.  That gateway sin leads to other ones.  Eventually, the person finds himself in over his head in the filth of sin.  Sometimes, he says “I’ve let it get too bad.  I’m just going to give up and let this sin lifestyle take over.”

The good news is that this person --and all believers --have a way out, if we choose to accept it.  Jesus Christ spilled his blood so that we may be free from the filth and guilt of our sin.  His blood washes us as white as snow.

God Bless You!--Lianne

On Blogging Hiatus...

...Be back soon!

Goodness

I see her every afternoon as I wait to pick up Emma at school. She comes out before all the other kids, holding on to the arm of a teacher. With some degree of difficulty, she makes her way over to the bench and sits down.

I can't begin to imagine exactly what her disability is, but if I had to guess I would figure it to be muscular dystrophy or something akin. No matter what ails her physically, she never fails to keep on smiling. Even when there's no one paying any attention to her, she sits on her bench and lights up the world with her bright grin. She's a cute little thing.

Then I saw HER yesterday.

She made her way across the parking lot as quickly as three legs would allow.  I'd seen her out there before, but she never ventured all the way across the long lot to where the kids were.  I wondered if the administrators would shoo her away. 

She obviously belonged to someone, seeing how she was looked very well-fed and was wearing a collar.  She looked like some mix of Labrador Retriever and who knows what else.  It appeared that her body had never quite snapped back from having puppies some time back.  (I FEEL YOU, MAMA DOG.  I DO.)

As she quickly ambled her way over, she stopped and scratched as best as three legs would allow her to do.  She made a beeline for the little girl.

I held my breath, wondering what would happen next.

The little girl smiled brightly.  If I'm lying, I'm dying--that dog smiled right back at her.

They greeted each other like old friends.  The dog curled around the little girl's feet (and even though I couldn't hear it, I know she did it), breathed a contented sigh.

The little girl reached down and stroked Mama Dog's head.  Mama Dog looked up into the little girl's eyes.  In that moment, I saw pure joy...bliss...no judgment.

As I blinked back tears, I realized it was a good day.

Hold my hand!

Anna Beth has recently started sleeping through the night, every night (Cue choirs of angels singing the “Hallelujah” chorus here,).  She has developed a little habit that I find endearing and thought-provoking.  She wants me to hold her hand when she goes to sleep.  If I’m holding her, she locks her tiny hands around one of my fingers.  If she’s napping in my bed, I have to lie next to her, holding her hand, until she drifts off to restful sleep.

Anna Beth derives total comfort and peace by knowing that I am there with her.  She feels protected and loved by having someone’s hand to hold on to.  Don’t you feel the same way about your relationship with God?  I know I do.  I know that if I chose to grasp tightly on to God’s hand that I would be less likely to worry and fret over situations that He can handle.

Thinking back to the time I was a little girl, I can remember being scared of the dark.  I found comfort in holding my Daddy’s hand.  I knew there was nothing too big or too scary that he couldn’t handle.  I find that same comfort in my Heavenly Father now.  If I didn’t have the “Everlasting Arms” to “lean on,” I don’t know where I’d be.

When you feel your faith is being stretched and tested, reach out for God’s hand.  Find your rest in Him.  His hands are strong and sure.  In Isaiah 41:10, it is written: “Do not fear, for I am with you; do not anxiously look about you, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, surely I will help you, surely I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.”  God’s hand is unfailingly with us in times of trouble and in times of peace.  I praise Him for that.

"Just a little Patience..."

When God was giving me the virtues He knew I needed, He decided to go sparingly on patience.  It’s not something I’m satisfied with, so I pray that He will provide more patience or teach me how to be more patient daily.  I’m impatiently waiting to become more patient!

In my defense, I do not live in a society that encourages patience.  Instant communication is possible through texting, phone calls, and e-mails.  A person can microwave a complete turkey dinner in less than five minutes for lunch.  In mere moments, you can feed your entire family exactly what they want from a drive-thru window at a fast-food restaurant.  We have devices in our home that allow us to record our favorite television programs and fast-forward through the commercials.  Our society does not value patience; rather, we are constantly figuring out ways to do what has to be done in faster ways.

The God we serve is not always a “fast-food God.”  In fact, His response to many prayers is “Wait.”  It’s the message of “Wait” that can bring doubt into the mind of a believer.  God can and does give instant replies to prayer, but that is not always the case.  Sometimes He seeks to teach us to be patient in our request in order to deepen our faith, trust Him more, and learn to live in expectation that He will act.

 I will continue to strive to be a more patient person.  I know God has been infinitely patient with me, so I will seek to be more like Him, even if the majority of the world disagrees.  

 As I learn to be more patient, my faith will grow.  I will learn to be joyful, no matter my circumstances.  I will learn to endure with grace and to be hopeful for what God will do.  While I wait, I will, in the words of Hebrews 12, “run the race…with perseverance…fix my eyes on Jesus…and not lose heart.”

God Bless You!--Lianne

A Very Special Guest Post

Hi Everyone! I'm Anna Beth.

My Mommy said that I could write a guest post for her blog. I didn't even know I could write yet!

Anyhow, I have heard that some people wanted to see pictures of me. My Mommy doesn't blog much. I think I keep her pretty busy most days...and nights.

I stay pretty busy myself--what with the playing, eating, sleeping, and...well, that other thing that I'm really not at liberty to talk about.

My parents tell me that I am a blessing and a miracle baby. Now, I don't know what all that means, and I'm guessing all Mommies and Daddies say that. But, my Mommy promises me that it is true.

Last September, my Mommy's doctor told her that my heart rate was way too low. He said that my body measured way too small also. Can you imagine that???

Anyhow, the doctor didn't really think I was "going to make it." I'm not sure what I was supposed to make, but if it's what I do in my diaper...well, I "make it" several times a day. 

Oops! I wasn't going to talk about that.

 My parents are always thanking God for me. You know who I thank God for? My big sister, Emma, and my big brother, Luke. 

 They are SO GOOD to me. A baby could not ask for a better big sister and brother! They love to help my parents out with baths and entertainment. They love to hold me and play with me, too. I can't figure out why they won't change my diapers, though.

Well, I have to go play, eat, sleep, and maybe that other thing when my Mommy's not paying attention.

It was nice meeting y'all!

Time

It occurred to me that the people who have the least amount of free time are probably the ones who spend the most time worrying about it.

 I know that since adding a third child to our family, my time seems to be disappearing a lot quicker than it ever did before.  I spend much of my time holding and feeding Anna Beth, and when I have those rare moments when she’s asleep, I have to make the absolute most of that time, whether it be eating a meal, showering, doing laundry, or spending time with Emma and Luke.

I feel my time comes at a premium right now.  If I don’t make smart use of my fleeting moments without a baby in my arms, I find myself frustrated (and hungry and unshowered, etc.) because I didn’t get anything done.

We all get the same 24 hours every day.  What we do with those hours is what determines our productiveness, our closeness in relationships, and other outcomes.  What we choose to spend our time being focused on defines to the world what we place our importance on.  Anyone looking at my life right now can see that my priority is taking care of my children.  Anyone looking at my house can see that it is not a priority to me at the moment!  (The piles of laundry and the furry Tupperware in the back of the fridge are a testament to this fact!)

In Ecclesiastes 3:1, Solomon tells us that “ There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven.”  I know there are days where I don’t think there is a time for everything, and sometimes the most important thing I should be doing—praising the God who gave me this day—gets pushed to the bottom of my “to-do list.”

If you were to analyze how you spend your 24 allotted hours, what would your clear priorities be?  Would it be work, sleep, family, or time spent studying/praising/talking to God?  Take the time to be introspective.  You might be surprised.