Forgiveness.
How does that one feel rolling off your tongue? Read that word again - Forgiveness.
Wait a second, we're talking about Simplifying Life here, right? What does forgiveness have to do with simplifying my life? I'm all about neat tips and tricks, and maybe even some touching verses and analogies.
But Forgiveness? .... Eh. That's a little too close to home. Let's get back to my comfort zone.
But... If you're Really Honest with yourself, I mean Really.Honest.With.Yourself. You have things and people in your past, and in this moment right now that you need to forgive. (Come On, no one else is reading this with you. Take off the mask for a second and try not to indulge in the gut reaction that is getting defensive.) It's not a secret. It's human nature. We All Do, and I myself am probably the worst offender.
The simplicity of a settled past, being healed, so we can be 100% present in this moment.
Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus. -Philippians 3: 13-14
-This ONE thing I do: Forgetting what is behind...
A great idea, to forget someone's transgression against us and move on. But this is So not natural. Our carnal instincts, our most basic (flawed and fallen) nature says that if someone hurts me, I have the right to be wounded. And even more so, I have the right to hurt them back. But when we get into this kind of mentality, bitterness can easily start to consume us. There's nothing simple about living in regret and anger, in fact it does the opposite - clouding up your life and thoughts, and keeping you from having a realistic view of all the blessings that are right in front of you.
Bitterness is like drinking poison, hoping it will kill the other person.
Women like to talk - it's typically how we work through our issues. The problem is, talking about something does help us to let steam off, but it doesn't always actually make us deal with our pain - it doesn't get to the heart of the problem and allow us to be healed and move forward. The enemy wants us to remain discouraged and disheartened, and to feel insecure about ourselves and our relationships. It's easier to gossip, and to place blame. But - although it may be painful and potentially take us to places we'd rather not go - there is freedom in forgiveness. There is simplicity in leaving the past in the past, and choosing to move forward with your life. Forgetting doesn't necessarily mean "no longer remembering" - it's more so "no longer remembering someones transgression against them." Letting something be settled in your life and in your heart. One of the most unfortunate parts of life is that we grow the most through pain, but when you see pain as just that - an opportunity to grow - it can start to change your perspective, and every single moment of your day.
"Forgiving does not erase the bitter past. A healed memory is not a deleted memory. Instead, forgiving what we cannot forget creates a new way to remember. We change the memory of our past into a hope for our future." - Lewis Smedes
"Don't share your mess with everybody until you can speak of it from a healed heart, and use it as a testimony."
I think about it this way: It's natural for us to react in self defense, in anger, in a cry for "justice" to be served to those who hurt us. But if you call yourself a follower of Christ, you are called to a higher way of thinking that is above these carnal, knee-jerk reactions. The world says you have a right to get angry and seek revenge. Jesus says trust in Him - that he sees all, and that he knows the hearts of everyone - and that one day all things will be revealed. As followers of Christ we are called to live above these petty and childish standards. It's really about growing up and being intentional about changing the way you see things - about being a person who happens to Life, rather than a person that Life happens to. We've all heard it before "you can't change what happens to you, you can only change how you react." Me personally? I have a long way to go with this one, but I want to be a person who is part of the solution, not part of the problem. It's about growing your heart; changing the way you see things, and becoming a mature person who has their reactions under control. There's so many beautiful examples of Jesus showing us how to do this, and the more I study the Bible the more I want to follow in my master's foot steps - to simplify my life, and to be the person he always intended me to be. Because really - "We all fall short, and that's the beautiful part. Broken, flawed, vulnerable people like you and me are invited to be the hands and feet of a Jesus who loves us exactly as we are; yet loves us way too much to let us stay that way."
I remember the first time I heard this song. Immediately God put a certain person on my heart. Who comes into your heart when you hear these words? Maybe today is the day you can finally start to simplify your life, and let go of what is holding you back.
Matthew West - Forgiveness
The story of our lives - plus some eclectic perceptions and pursuits.
11/4/13
Walking in Simplicity Women's Retreat - Session One
This weekend I went on a retreat with my dear Army Wife friend Alexia, and some of the lovely ladies from my PWOC (Protestant Women of the Chapel) Bible Study group. The retreat was in De Funiak Springs Florida, at an old plantation style home in the back woods. (I Love saying Back Woods if you haven't noticed yet. Back Woods reminds me of "old school" values, a simpler way of life, and unification of family. I hope we always stay "Back Woods") Victoria Robinson was the speaker, and she presented so much inspiration and thought provoking ideas that I hardly know where to start - but it was lovely enough, and such a topic that is near and dear to women's hearts in this crazy fast paced day & age, that I wanted to share some of it. I'm big on quotes and words of wisdom - so naturally I scribbled down plenty of these. I'll share some of them, and my own thoughts/convictions - that might be a great way to lay this out right?
We are called to have prepared hearts for God.
Session One:
We live in a fast paced culture and multi-tasking has become a life style. Healthy boundaries are slim, and our internal code of saying "No" when it's appropriate is failing. We see all these needs around us that we want to meet, but we are only capable of so much. All too often our husbands and families get the "Left Overs" of us. I am so very much a people pleaser. I have a heart that is service driven, and I really feel like nurturing and cultivating deep relationships are two of my biggest spiritual gifts. Family is the most important aspect of life for me, so she really got me with the When you are always saying Yes to the world (trying to people please everyone) - Your family is hurting and missing out on the best parts of you.
Another thought about this same topic that was mentioned in my Bible Study last week was this: We feel like God needs us - like if we don't do it all, then it won't get done. But God doesn't need you, rather He wants to bless you and grow you with opportunities. You were never intended to do it all. Sometimes we need to say "No" so that someone else has the opportunity to say Yes.
Another thought about this same topic that was mentioned in my Bible Study last week was this: We feel like God needs us - like if we don't do it all, then it won't get done. But God doesn't need you, rather He wants to bless you and grow you with opportunities. You were never intended to do it all. Sometimes we need to say "No" so that someone else has the opportunity to say Yes.
"So often the Good will keep you from the Best. If the devil can't make you Bad, he will make you Busy."
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes:first to the Jew, then to the Gentile. For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed—a righteousness that is by faith from first to last,just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith." Romans 1:16-17
We are called to have prepared hearts for God.
I am such a planner. One of my biggest hurdles in my faith walk is letting go of control. It was said that we make plans, and then pray our plans to God and ask Him to bless them. This is All Wrong. We need to be praying diligently and making responsible choices based on the holy spirit's convictions and guidance in our hearts - bringing our needs and desires to a God who loves us, yes. But then we should be open to the knowledge that He sees the whole picture, and trust that He will bring about His will, in His time, to grow our hearts and bring about the best possible outcome. Basically - rather than be caught up in what we think we want, we need to be available to God's plan and guidance - because it's a promise that although the path may not be easy (like we would've chosen) - it will lead us to the true happiness and contentment that we will never find in our own agenda.
"We simplify, not just to be less busy, even though we may be right to pursue that. Rather, we simplify to remove distractions from our pursuit of Christ. We prune activities from our lives, not only to get organized but also that our devotion to Christ and service for His kingdom will be more fruitful. We simplify, not merely to save time but to eliminate the hindrances to the time we devote to knowing Christ. All the reasons we simplify should eventually lead us to Christ." Donald S. Whitney
To end the first session, we took a look at a well known story of the Bible, that led us to the home of Martha, and her sister Mary.
"We simplify, not just to be less busy, even though we may be right to pursue that. Rather, we simplify to remove distractions from our pursuit of Christ. We prune activities from our lives, not only to get organized but also that our devotion to Christ and service for His kingdom will be more fruitful. We simplify, not merely to save time but to eliminate the hindrances to the time we devote to knowing Christ. All the reasons we simplify should eventually lead us to Christ." Donald S. Whitney
To end the first session, we took a look at a well known story of the Bible, that led us to the home of Martha, and her sister Mary.
As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. 39 She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. 40 But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”
41 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, 42 but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”Luke 10:38-42
I've read this story before, but diving into it a little deeper during this particular study helped illustrate some profound truths. Other times when I skimmed it (because of who I am - a planner, and nurturer, a Martha) in the back of my mind I always felt for Martha - 13+ visitors to your home, all needing fed, washed, somewhere to sleep, taken care of - to a nurturing soul that's wonderful, but also - HOW STRESSFUL? And then her little sister doesn't even help her, but rather joins in on the enjoyment of Jesus while she is left to do all the necessary preparations? I can see where frustration would set in. In the heat of the moment, Martha gets a little sassy with Jesus (Can you imagine? This in itself makes me raise my eye brows, and laugh at the same time.) His response to her reveals the root of the problem that is in the hearts of many of us (including myself) today: It's not about the preparations, but about your heart condition. It's not about what we do, but why we do it. Martha had lost touch with her spiritual gift of service, and allowed jealousy and stress to harden her heart - making her miss out on the blessing that was Serving the Lord Jesus, and preparing a place for Him. I can't tell you how many times (daily it seems) I get side tracked by irritation and I miss the blessing.
One of my Least (if not The Least) favorite "chores" is cleaning up dirty dishes. As in - I'd rather scrub a toilet than wash dishes. It's easy for me to become overwhelmed by dishes, as I tend to let them stack up because of this built in aggression I seem to have for them (Laugh Out Loud, but not really.) So I am constantly having this inner battle - because if you stop to think about it, the Kitchen is the heart of the Home, and serving food is one of the best opportunities to love on and be a picture of Christ to my family. But Dang - THOSE DISHES! The other day I was surfing Pinterest and found this little gem that hit me like a ton of bricks:
One of my Least (if not The Least) favorite "chores" is cleaning up dirty dishes. As in - I'd rather scrub a toilet than wash dishes. It's easy for me to become overwhelmed by dishes, as I tend to let them stack up because of this built in aggression I seem to have for them (Laugh Out Loud, but not really.) So I am constantly having this inner battle - because if you stop to think about it, the Kitchen is the heart of the Home, and serving food is one of the best opportunities to love on and be a picture of Christ to my family. But Dang - THOSE DISHES! The other day I was surfing Pinterest and found this little gem that hit me like a ton of bricks:
(This beaut is getting printed and put up in my kitchen. Would a 16"x20" be a little over the top?!)
This was another quote that summed it up and hit me hard from this part of the session: The Devil doesn't want to take you out of the kitchen, he wants you to lose your purpose in the Kitchen.
What happened to Martha? Well - we see her again later, at a similar situation in John 12:1-2. "Martha Served." No sass this time, just a gracious heart - content in Christ and prepared to use her spiritual gifts to honor Him.
Talladega Nights
The truck races were the first day - we had awesome seats!
I must admit - to me the best parts of Hockey games are the fights, and Nascar races are the crashes (as long as no one gets hurt! ;) There was a CRAZY pile up crash on the last lap of the truck races - involving all drivers except for 3.
Breakfast Time = Waffle House Time! We LOVE Waffle House!!
The BEST Waffle in the South, and quite possibly the North too!!
Dale Jr. was a favorite in the crowd. Brian was cheering for Kasey Kahne, and I went the Girl Power route and focused my energy on Danica Patrick. (Plus I just Love GoDaddy.com - her sponsor)
The Raminator and quite possibly it's biggest fan.
11/3/13
First Anniversary!
As it is now November, I suppose it's about time to blog about our one year anniversary in AUGUST. (good grief Ashley :)
Where we live in Alabama there really isn't a lot of Awesome things to do close by, but we've learned that the cool thing about the South is that you are always within a couple of hours of something historical and wonderful. We decided to start a tradition - Brian gets even Anniversaries, and I plan the Odd ones. (And yes.... this one turned out wonderfully Odd if I do say so myself.)
We agreed we would make it a day celebration instead of a whole weekend (We're saving up for our life goals and trying to be sensible while still having some fun) SO - my plan was to wake up early and have my friend Alexia take some fun photos of us by the Black Hawk field (another tradition - take a photo every year on our anniversary that has a story telling element of that day or of where our lives are at that point). Then we were going to head down to Topsail Hill Preserve near Destin, Florida for a day of ocean kayaking, bike riding, and relaxing on one of the only "natural" beaches left in the pan handle. Top it all off with a fondue dinner & dessert at The Melting Pot, where I had reserved a private room for two. It really was the best of intentions. But then Reality sets in.... you know that line - "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him Your plans."
That morning it was raining raining raining - photos were out. We looked at the forecast, and Destin was sunny and beautiful still however, so we grabbed our beach bag (Yes. We have a Beach Bag on stand by. The thought of this is still quite the novelty for a couple of Iowa farm raised kids. We love to laugh and get excited about it still, even after over a year.) We drove down and chatted the whole way - something we really try to do is never turn on the radio on long trips - but rather engage each other in discussion. Sometimes we even just enjoy the silence. We've gotten very use to long car rides, and it really is half the fun for us.) We get to Destin, pay the state park entry fee, grab a map and park the car, heading in to the bathrooms to change into our beach gear. No Lie - in the 5 minutes we were in the bathroom it went from Sunny and perfect to stormy and tropical storm kind of weather. We literally came out to a man telling us they Just closed the beach, and he was taking the tram down to pick up everyone and bring them back. We decided we might as well ride along, we at least wanted to SEE this beach we drove over 2 hours for. We're sitting in an aluminum trailer, bouncing along the path, and it starts POURING... like you can't see your hand in front of your face kind of rain. It's pelting us from every direction! And then, we start to hear heavy roars of thunder and lightening flashes in the distance. You know those moments where it seems like everything is going "wrong" and you just can't help but Laugh? Yes.... uncontrollable giggling set in, because of the ridiculousness of our situation. We laughed so hard we couldn't breathe, waving at all the people running and biking for cover on the road next to us - we must have look Crazy now that I think about it. The trailer arrives at the beach building, but we can't even see the water because of the dunes. We decide we'll sit here for a bit while the driver takes everyone else back to camp. He says he doesn't quite get what we're trying to accomplish, but he'll be back in 15 minutes. If you know my husband, and even me really, you know what happens next. We decide to ignore the "Beach CLOSED" signs. Pushing past them, we walk along the beautiful decking to the shoreline. The lightening is crashing, the thunder is rumbling - but the rain has subsided, we figured we Must press on, in the name of adventure and all that is fun. We get to the Almost abandoned beach and we see two women sitting near the edge of the water - I'm thinking we should probably see exactly what was said, and make sure we aren't in some kind of crazy danger right? We say hello and start chatting - officially meeting Cindy Middlebrooks & Tracy Brooks. What was going to be a 2 minute Q&A session turned into Hours! These two ladies were Hilarious, clever, sweet, and engaging. Eventually we were joined by Tracy's husband and some other friends that were camping with them. It was now lunch time - so they fed us and gave us water while we all stood around laughing and chatting about everything and nothing all at once. It was really fantastic, like we had met up with some family - and (as cheesey as it may sound) it really warmed both of our hearts to feel that way; life in Alabama can get lonely sometimes! It didn't take long - we realized we were with "Our Kind of People". Eventually it started pouring again, and they invited us back to their camp to hang out some more! Kayaking & biking were out at this point - and we had enjoyed our time so much, (and we were pretty sure they didn't want our kidneys - hahaha, we all joked about that one) so we figured what the heck Why Not? Brian and I walked back with Cindy, and she opened up to us - sharing intimate details of her life journey and her faith walk. We shared some of our stories and struggles, and she encouraged us and "mothered" (loved on) us. Like I said, heart warming moments. At their camp site we were greeted with warm towels and comfy chairs. We laughed and chatted for almost another two hours, sharing stories, talking about everything from childhood memories, the current state of our country, to the Bible and our Faith Walks. What a blessing these people were. When it was time to go we all shared warm hugs and exchanged information. Tracy's husband took us to our car, and "fathered" (loved on, and shared some beautiful words of wisdom) us. It was good for our hearts; and for one of the first times since we moved I really felt at Home and overwhelmed with that Joy and contentment that only a family (or brothers and sisters in Christ) can make you feel. We got in our car and watched him drive away waving, and Brian says: "You know that verse in the Bible about sheltering, clothing, feeding, and giving people drink? (Matthew 25: 35-40) ... Those people totally just did All of that for us." It was so profound, and so beautiful. We laughed and said a quick prayer, thanking God that he allowed it to rain and "spoil" our plans - because we realized in that moment that he had something so much better in mind for us on our first anniversary: fellowship, encouragement, and "family time" with these wonderful people who not so randomly crossed our path.
Our dinner however DID go according to plan - the private room was lovely, the dinner was very fun and interactive (perfect for Brian!) We exchanged gifts - he had an infinity ring I've had my eye on made for me, and I bought him a personalized NIV Quest Study Bible. It was such a great night. We noticed that the art that was hanging in our private room was intriguing - a cross on a sunset backdrop. Lovely and fitting I thought, but it really became special when I explored the rest of the restaurant and realized that it was the ONLY christian piece that was on display. It's amazing to think that the God who created the Heavens and the Earth is also the God of intimate details - like making sure we ate our anniversary dinner at the foot of the cross. Beautiful!
Some Visual Highlights of our amazing day:
Where we live in Alabama there really isn't a lot of Awesome things to do close by, but we've learned that the cool thing about the South is that you are always within a couple of hours of something historical and wonderful. We decided to start a tradition - Brian gets even Anniversaries, and I plan the Odd ones. (And yes.... this one turned out wonderfully Odd if I do say so myself.)
We agreed we would make it a day celebration instead of a whole weekend (We're saving up for our life goals and trying to be sensible while still having some fun) SO - my plan was to wake up early and have my friend Alexia take some fun photos of us by the Black Hawk field (another tradition - take a photo every year on our anniversary that has a story telling element of that day or of where our lives are at that point). Then we were going to head down to Topsail Hill Preserve near Destin, Florida for a day of ocean kayaking, bike riding, and relaxing on one of the only "natural" beaches left in the pan handle. Top it all off with a fondue dinner & dessert at The Melting Pot, where I had reserved a private room for two. It really was the best of intentions. But then Reality sets in.... you know that line - "If you want to hear God laugh, tell him Your plans."
That morning it was raining raining raining - photos were out. We looked at the forecast, and Destin was sunny and beautiful still however, so we grabbed our beach bag (Yes. We have a Beach Bag on stand by. The thought of this is still quite the novelty for a couple of Iowa farm raised kids. We love to laugh and get excited about it still, even after over a year.) We drove down and chatted the whole way - something we really try to do is never turn on the radio on long trips - but rather engage each other in discussion. Sometimes we even just enjoy the silence. We've gotten very use to long car rides, and it really is half the fun for us.) We get to Destin, pay the state park entry fee, grab a map and park the car, heading in to the bathrooms to change into our beach gear. No Lie - in the 5 minutes we were in the bathroom it went from Sunny and perfect to stormy and tropical storm kind of weather. We literally came out to a man telling us they Just closed the beach, and he was taking the tram down to pick up everyone and bring them back. We decided we might as well ride along, we at least wanted to SEE this beach we drove over 2 hours for. We're sitting in an aluminum trailer, bouncing along the path, and it starts POURING... like you can't see your hand in front of your face kind of rain. It's pelting us from every direction! And then, we start to hear heavy roars of thunder and lightening flashes in the distance. You know those moments where it seems like everything is going "wrong" and you just can't help but Laugh? Yes.... uncontrollable giggling set in, because of the ridiculousness of our situation. We laughed so hard we couldn't breathe, waving at all the people running and biking for cover on the road next to us - we must have look Crazy now that I think about it. The trailer arrives at the beach building, but we can't even see the water because of the dunes. We decide we'll sit here for a bit while the driver takes everyone else back to camp. He says he doesn't quite get what we're trying to accomplish, but he'll be back in 15 minutes. If you know my husband, and even me really, you know what happens next. We decide to ignore the "Beach CLOSED" signs. Pushing past them, we walk along the beautiful decking to the shoreline. The lightening is crashing, the thunder is rumbling - but the rain has subsided, we figured we Must press on, in the name of adventure and all that is fun. We get to the Almost abandoned beach and we see two women sitting near the edge of the water - I'm thinking we should probably see exactly what was said, and make sure we aren't in some kind of crazy danger right? We say hello and start chatting - officially meeting Cindy Middlebrooks & Tracy Brooks. What was going to be a 2 minute Q&A session turned into Hours! These two ladies were Hilarious, clever, sweet, and engaging. Eventually we were joined by Tracy's husband and some other friends that were camping with them. It was now lunch time - so they fed us and gave us water while we all stood around laughing and chatting about everything and nothing all at once. It was really fantastic, like we had met up with some family - and (as cheesey as it may sound) it really warmed both of our hearts to feel that way; life in Alabama can get lonely sometimes! It didn't take long - we realized we were with "Our Kind of People". Eventually it started pouring again, and they invited us back to their camp to hang out some more! Kayaking & biking were out at this point - and we had enjoyed our time so much, (and we were pretty sure they didn't want our kidneys - hahaha, we all joked about that one) so we figured what the heck Why Not? Brian and I walked back with Cindy, and she opened up to us - sharing intimate details of her life journey and her faith walk. We shared some of our stories and struggles, and she encouraged us and "mothered" (loved on) us. Like I said, heart warming moments. At their camp site we were greeted with warm towels and comfy chairs. We laughed and chatted for almost another two hours, sharing stories, talking about everything from childhood memories, the current state of our country, to the Bible and our Faith Walks. What a blessing these people were. When it was time to go we all shared warm hugs and exchanged information. Tracy's husband took us to our car, and "fathered" (loved on, and shared some beautiful words of wisdom) us. It was good for our hearts; and for one of the first times since we moved I really felt at Home and overwhelmed with that Joy and contentment that only a family (or brothers and sisters in Christ) can make you feel. We got in our car and watched him drive away waving, and Brian says: "You know that verse in the Bible about sheltering, clothing, feeding, and giving people drink? (Matthew 25: 35-40) ... Those people totally just did All of that for us." It was so profound, and so beautiful. We laughed and said a quick prayer, thanking God that he allowed it to rain and "spoil" our plans - because we realized in that moment that he had something so much better in mind for us on our first anniversary: fellowship, encouragement, and "family time" with these wonderful people who not so randomly crossed our path.
Our dinner however DID go according to plan - the private room was lovely, the dinner was very fun and interactive (perfect for Brian!) We exchanged gifts - he had an infinity ring I've had my eye on made for me, and I bought him a personalized NIV Quest Study Bible. It was such a great night. We noticed that the art that was hanging in our private room was intriguing - a cross on a sunset backdrop. Lovely and fitting I thought, but it really became special when I explored the rest of the restaurant and realized that it was the ONLY christian piece that was on display. It's amazing to think that the God who created the Heavens and the Earth is also the God of intimate details - like making sure we ate our anniversary dinner at the foot of the cross. Beautiful!
Some Visual Highlights of our amazing day:
And one of the best parts - we were home by 9:30, to sleep in our own bed :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)