Who determines this answer - The World or God?
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I should be…

Should?

So many times I think I would like to be the creative type. You know this person. The one who can MacGyver a piece of twine, a few berries, and a candle into the most beautiful holiday tablescape you can imagine. Sometimes I can pull something off, but let’s just say I’ll never have my own Etsy shop…

Yet, every time I see a post about someone’s craft store or a new little creation that somebody made, I feel this pull. Like, I should be able to do that, right? Or, maybe if I worked a lot harder I could get that skill?

When I was younger, I would have said, ‘Absolutely!’ But, now that I am a little older, (and hopefully a bit wiser), I now realize that I don’t think that’s how God made me.

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Silence Resolved

Silence

For more months than I would like to admit, that’s what God heard from me. Not complete silence, but compared to how I had been communicating with Him before, I’m thinking He noticed. I know I did.

In the beginning of December, I had back surgery. It was one of those things that was inevitable at some point. And, I had tried every single conservative option – at least once. So, when I was offered the date of December 8th, I figured I could hide my very fashionable back brace (a requirement until March 8 – but who’s counting?) under sweaters, I took it.

If you look back at the posts on this blog, you’ll notice that the last time I posted was on The Birthday of our Baptism. Yep. That was in October. It has been 85 days since I wrote anything. 85 days!

Granted, over the last month I have been recovering from a pretty major surgery – and, celebrating one of the best Christmases I have EVER had – but that still leaves about 55.  And even that is a big number.  I’m having a hard time getting past it…

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Let Go Let God
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Let Go – Let God

Let go and let God.  I know it’s a saying that can be overused.  But, it’s a pretty important thing to remember.  If we truly have faith and believe that God’s got this and He is in control, then why would we need to hang on?  If we do it for show, and just say that God is in control, but try to be a puppet master behind the scenes, then that’s really all it is – a show.  Deep down we know it definitely wasn’t us.

We aren’t strong enough, or – let’s face it – smart enough to solve problems the way God can.  Way too many times I find myself getting in God’s way trying to control and guide a situation.  I wonder how many times my trying and my attempt at controlling something actually causes more work for God in the end…  (If you have kids, you know how that one usually turns out.)

How frustrated should God be with me?  I can just see Him shaking His head, with a sort of half-smile and a bit of sadness in His eyes, because this was supposed to be the time I actually submitted…

If I were Him, I would have put me in a time-out years ago… I thank Him every day for His patience.

Turns out, I have a really hard time letting go.

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The Armor of God
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The Armor of God

In my last post, Is it Enough?, I talked about how much the world throws at our kids every day.  It really hit me how important it is for us to equip them with tools they can use when they are subjected to all the temptations and Satan’s lies.  After being super convicted that we haven’t been doing enough to help our kids, I studied out Ephesians 6.  I really appreciate Paul’s use of imagery when he describes The Armor of God –

But to do this, you will need the strong belt of truth and the breastplate of God’s approval.  Wear shoes that are able to speed you on as you preach the Good News of peace with God.  In every battle, you will need faith as your shield to stop the fiery arrows aimed at you by Satan.  And you will need the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God.                             Ephesians 6:14-17 LAB

As I started writing, I began by breaking down each part of Paul’s description.

The Strong Belt of Truth…The Breastplate of God’s Approval…Shoes to speed you on…Faith as your Shield…The Helmet of Salvation…The Sword of the Spirit – which is the Word of God.

And, then I realized, I didn’t need to break it down.  Right now, I need to focus on what should be the foundation of it all.

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Is it Enough
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Is it Enough?

It’s hard to believe the kids are starting their second month of school today.  It seems like we were just going back-to-school shopping… But, as they rushed around this morning, getting themselves ready to head out the door, I found myself wondering, is it enough?

I wasn’t thinking about the clothes they were wearing, or the supplies they were stuffing into their backpacks.  Nope.  Thankfully, those items are well-stocked so I don’t worry about those so much.

Instead, what really makes me stop dead in my tracks from time-to-time is when I think about everything that the world throws at them.

Every.  Single.  Day.

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