life – View From My Shoes

A Treeless Christmas

Christmas is a special time of the year. Don’t forget what makes it so special.

I am a girl who LOVES Christmas: decorating, baking, gift giving, oh! and the music. It is a special time of the year for me. This year when it came time to decorate, we were wrapping up a kitchen and bathroom remodel that was painfully behind schedule. Workers would still be coming into our house to finish up after Thanksgiving. Construction and Christmas decorations do not mix. I was continually fretting over finding a time to decorate. One night I woke up and just accepted the fact that I was not going to be able to decorate for Christmas this year.

Once I accepted that reality, it was unbelievably freeing. A huge burden was lifted. It is now Christmas, I have three poinsettias that were given to me, a candle and a small wreath that were all gifts as well. That is the extent of our decorations. And guess what? As much as I love Christmas decorations, not having them has not changed one thing about the Christmas season. We’ve had family over, exchanged gifts, played Christmas music, but most importantly we have celebrated Jesus and God’s love for us.

Several Decembers ago, we had neighbors move in across the street who were from Denmark. As I was visiting with her and welcoming them to the neighborhood, she commented, “Everyone here wears Christmas. At home, we had Christmas in our hearts.” I think about that comment every year as I put up all of my trees and plan out my Christmas outfits for the month of December. Do I celebrate Christmas internally or externally?

God’s love and the gift of Jesus is incredible and life changing. I can experience His love and the peace it brings without one single Christmas decoration or Christmas sweater. His gift of forgiveness and unconditional love is here for us no matter what. I hope you will accept this gift and understand it was specifically given with you in mind.

1 John 4:9-10, “God showed how much he loved us by sending his one and only Son into the world so that we might have eternal life through him. This is real love—not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as a sacrifice to take away our sins.

By the way, I am looking forward to decorating next year. It will be extra special.

Purpose of Fruit

Just as a tree produces fruit to reproduce, so should we.

Scott and I have a crabapple tree in our back yard that provides beautiful pink blooms in the spring and deep dark foliage in the summer and fall. It is a beautiful tree except for the fruit that falls off of it each year. These little round balls of mess get on the dog’s feet leaving pink stains everywhere. There is also a blanket of seeds around the tree that get chunked across the yard by the mower. Worst of all, you guessed it, more trees growing all over the yard. Little science lesson here, the main role fruit plays other than a tasty snack is to spread seeds. This is referred to as seed dispersal, and allows the plant to reproduce.

In John 15:16 Jesus tells his disciples, “I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit.” We are to bear/produce fruit. How do we do that? Two steps. First, earlier in John 15, Jesus says, “abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in Me.” We have to abide, linger, remain, dwell, with God to produce fruit. We have to spend time with Him daily to produce fruit. Secondly, Galatians 5:16-23 instructs us to walk in the spirit, not in the flesh. It then explains that when we are full of the Spirit, we produce fruit. The fruit here is listed as “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” God clearly desires that we produce fruit.

I want to circle back around to the purpose of fruit – to reproduce. Jesus didn’t command the disciples to produce fruit to look good. He also didn’t command them to compare how much fruit they could produce. They were to produce fruit to glorify God and spread his love and faithfulness to others. We are to do the same.

I don’t just ask you if you are producing fruit. While that is necessary, the question for today is are you sharing your fruit and planting seeds? Are you loving others? Do you model patience and kindness with the people who cross your path? How are you share your fruit and plant seeds?

Trust God vs Doing it Yourself

Why do we try to solve our own problems instead of just trusting God? This is what He desires.

When Scott and I are driving somewhere new, we take completely opposite approaches. If I have any sort of idea where I’m going, I’m determined to find the location on my own. This often involves a U-turn or two. I use Google Maps only when I finally realize I cannot find the location, or if I’m going to be late because I keep backtracking. Scott on the other hand will use Google Maps right from the start. He has no problem trusting the map and letting it guide him. He just plugs in the address and heads to his destination without any worries. I however try to rely on my own skills. Grant it, this often resorts in honking horns as I abruptly change lanes or undue stress because I’m at the wrong place. Frequently I end up using the map despite my best efforts.

We have the same options when it comes to trusting God with our lives. Many times as Christians we feel we need to do it on our own. Maybe it is the theory that I got myself into this mess, I can get myself out. Maybe it is if I work hard enough, I can make this happen. If I keep pouring into this relationship, it will get better. I have to fix this before anyone finds out. Honestly, it can be any problem you are facing. We try to figure it out ourselves instead of trusting God. Otherwise, we wait until we have tried it ourselves and are out of options. Only then do we decide to reach out and ask God for help.

Proverbs 3:5-6 tell us, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” This Proverb tells us not only should we trust God instead of ourselves, but when we do, He will direct our paths. Just like the time and stress I could save by using a map, we can save ourselves heartache and costly mistakes. We also experience a lack of peace that wouldn’t be necessary if we acknowledge God by trusting our problem to Him. We must let go and trust Him.

Right now ask yourself, what are you trying to do yourself that needs to be turned over and trusted to God? What is keeping you up at night or always on your mind because you are working around the clock to solve a problem that God wants to help you solve? Take that problem and place it in this this verse. Make it a personal prayer.

I trust in you Lord with all of my heart to _________. I am not leaning on myself, but calling out to you so you can direct my path.

Passionately Share Your Faith

I love sharing my food and allowing others to enjoy. Why do we not share Jesus with the same passion?

When you get your food at a restaurant, do you sometimes want everyone at the table to try it? I know, some people like to share food more than others. Scott and I share bites almost every time we eat out somewhere new. I find myself saying, “You have to try this.” Scott of course will do the same. It isn’t because we don’t want to eat what we ordered. It is because the food is amazing, and we want each other to taste it and enjoy.

Shouldn’t we feel the same about our experience with Jesus. Most of you reading this blog, have experienced what it is like to be with Jesus. You have experienced what it is like to feel His peace in the midst of a crisis. You know what it is like to see Him miraculously meet your financial need. You remember a time when He made the impossible happen. If we know and have experienced something this wonderful, why do we not passionately share it with others? For me, I personally want my friends to know and understand how peaceful it is trusting that God has a plan for my life. I want them to know that they can rest with Him. We don’t have to figure this world out on our own.

In John chapter four, Jesus meets up with a woman at a well. After their conversation she goes running back to town telling everyone about what she just experienced. She isn’t keeping this life changing event to herself. She is telling everyone she knows. Verse 39 states, “Many of the Samaritans from the town believed in Him because of the woman’s testimony.”

If you know Jesus, you have something to share and tell others. You should be actively looking for ways to tell others about what you have. Make a list of times God has been there for you. Write down what He did that others need to know. Then like the woman at the well, tell anyone you can when God gives you the opportunity to do so.

I do want to point out one major difference between sharing food and sharing Jesus. When sharing your food, there is a limited supply. By sharing with others at the table, you give up what would be yours. This isn’t the case with Jesus. Telling others about Jesus and sharing your faith, does not take away anything from you. Jesus’ love, forgiveness, grace… is unlimited. Share it!

God is our protector

Like our phones, we have a protector. God is always there to keep us safe.

Recently I had to buy a new phone. I’m not the techie type of phone person who buys a phone every time a new version comes out. I hold on to mine as long as I can before investing in a new one. While I don’t often buy a new phone, I do like a cute case and change them often. So, as they were transferring everything over to my new phone, I was shopping for a cute case. There were no cases in the AT&T store that I was even willing to carry until I could get some ordered, so I headed to Target with my new phone. I was a nervous wreck; my phone felt very vulnerable as I walked through Target without it in a case. It’s funny how much security a phone case offers. I drop my phone all of the time without worry, but I knew I could not drop it now because it was unprotected.

I can think of so many times in my life I felt vulnerable, unprotected, all alone, or even abandoned. You may feel this way right now. You have a bill you cannot pay, or a problem bigger than you can fix. Your latest doctor visit didn’t go as planned. It feels someone at work is out to get you. I don’t know what problem you might be facing, but you are not facing it without the protection that God offers us.

In Exodus 14:14 the Israelites see the Egyptian army closing in on them. They had to feel unprotected, vulnerable. However, Moses told them to stand still. God was their protector and would fight for them. All they had to do was stand and watch. We are also told in Psalms 91:14, “The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”

Think about how safe and comfortable you are throwing your phone around when it has a cover on it. We should feel the same sense of safety knowing we are covered by the Blood of Jesus. We are safe. We are protected.

Prepared for Tomorrow

I try to prepare for tomorrow, but I have to put tomorrow in God’s hands.

The last thing I do every evening before I leave the office is check my calendar for the next day. I just want to make sure I know what the next day holds. I check to make sure that if I have a meeting, I am prepared for that meeting. I check to see if I need to send out any reminders. Most importantly, I check to see what dress attire will be needed according to what is on my calendar and whether I need to pack a lunch or if I will be out of the office at lunch time. When I leave the office each evening, I want to be fully prepared for the next day so I don’t have to think about it once I have left.

The bible speaks to the importance of being prepared and working hard. Bluntly saying in Proverbs 10:4 that “lazy men are soon poor,” and even making references to how the ants work in the summer to prepare for the winter (Proverbs 6:6-8). It is important that I am prepared for the day in front of me, but what is equally important that once I am prepared, I put that behind me and go home. I don’t spend my evening worrying about what tomorrow may hold. I cannot be 100% prepared for tomorrow because I can’t know everything that will happen tomorrow.

Matthew 6:34, “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself.” This verse is found at the end of the chapter where Jesus is telling the multitudes not to worry about where their next meal or clothing will come from because God feeds the birds and clothes the lilies of the field. While it is important to prepare, you cannot get caught up with worry and anxiety about tomorrow. Continually worrying about “what if” will rob you of the peace God has intended for you. Learning to do your part to be prepared and then turning everything else over to God is not easy. However, I can tell you without any hesitation that God is trustworthy, and he will take care of your tomorrows.

What is Missing?

Do you feel you need more to be happy, or are you content with the blessings you already have?

The picture attached to this post is a picture of my dashboard. Let me start by saying, when I bought my car several years ago, I did some serious car shopping. I wanted a car with every possible option because I was planning on driving this car for many years. I thought my car had everything on it that was possible until I saw this place where obviously another option was available. Once I noticed this, I became obsessed about what might have been there, but wasn’t.

Instead of looking at all the features my car had, I was consumed thinking about what was missing. I had been cheated; I was missing out. After looking in the manual and realizing the missing switch was for the heated steering wheel, I really felt deprived.

So often, we feel this way in life when we begin to compare ourselves to others. We become consumed with what others have and what we don’t have. Maybe it’s a bigger house, the latest fashion trend, or some FB post that creates a desire for something you don’t have. Even though we are surrounded by blessings, we are focused on what is missing.

Hebrews 13:5 NIV tells us to “Keep your lives free from the love of money and to be content with what you have, because God has said, ‘Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.’”

I wish I could say that I have never been guilty of seeing someone in a pair of shoes, then grabbing my phone to search the internet to find those shoes because I just have to add them to my collection. This mindset isn’t what God desires for us. He desires for us to be content with what we have and to find our joy and pleasure in Him. Our worth and value is set by God; not by what we have.

I’m not going to lie, there is joy in getting a new pair of shoes. However, that joy is short term. It is only a couple of weeks or the next season until another pair of shoes are needed. Compare this to the promise “I will never leave you or forsake you.” Joy and peace truly can be found when we change our focus from what we might be missing to what we have and what God has provided.

I pray for you and for me that we can find our value and be content in the way God has created us and what he has provided for us instead of always looking for what is missing or what we don’t have.

Gifts

You have been given spiritual gifts. Are you using them, or saving them up like gift cards?

Are you a gift card spender or keeper? Scott and I view gift cards very differently. I can promise you, if you gave me a gift card for Christmas, I used it by the end of January. It was given to me as a gift and given to me to be used. Scott on the other hand, saves every gift card for that magic moment when he may really need something. He saves them up like they are earning interest. I use them like they might expire in a week.

I think of this compared to the gifts God has given us. 1 Peter 4:10 tells us, “God has given each of you a gift from His great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another.” Think of this like God has given each of us a “gift card.” The question is, “What are you doing with it?” Are you using it as we are directed to do or are you saving it up? Peter goes on in verses 11 telling us, “Do you have the gift of speaking? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Do you have the gift of helping others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies.” Spiritual gifts are given to us to be used.

It is so easy to get distracted and find other tasks to do rather than using the gifts we have been given. I know every time I sit down to write, I see something that needs to be done. Just tonight, I swept the porch, filled bird feeders, watered flowers and completed an order on Amazon all while intending to sit down to work on a post. It is easy to put our gifts aside and save them for later because of distractors.

Another reason it is easy to hold onto that gift God has given you instead of using it is because we don’t feel adequate enough or deserving of the gift that is given to us. I struggle with this as well. I see so many who are beautifully gifted, that I struggle to put myself out there because I don’t feel my gift compares to theirs. A gift from God is great and not to be compared to others. It is to be used.

You have a gift. I Corinthians 7:7, “Yet each person has a special gift from God.” Spiritual gifts include wisdom, healing, prophecy, teachers, leaders, helpers, givers, and many more. Take a look at the scriptures below, pray about your gift, and then get busy using it.

1 Corinthians 12:8-10

1 Corinthians 12:27 & 28

Romans 12: 6-8

Entangling Vines

Scott and I went on a hike over spring break and about half-way through our hike, we came upon a tree with a large vine growing around it. The vine had been wrapped around the tree for so long that the tree was growing around and over the top of the vine. I couldn’t get its deformed image out of my mind the rest of the hike.

Now, I understand that the tree itself doesn’t have the ability to get rid of the vine, but what bothered me the most was the way the tree appeared to have become very comfortable even adapted to the entanglement of the vine around it. The tree just kept going on with its life which for a tree means it just kept growing up and out. However, because of the vine, it grew in a different shape than designed.

I believe as Christians, we often do the same thing. There are sins or hindrances in our lives that instead of removing them, we just become very comfortable with them. We adapt and move on with the choking vine preventing us from normal growth or the growth God has planned for us. I know one of mine is the entangling vine of busyness. One night last week I had a cancelation, so after dinner was fixed and put away, I found myself with an unscheduled hour and half. I embarrassingly really didn’t know what to do with this free time. In Ecclesiastes 4:4-8 we are told that it is a fool who toils to please others. Now, in this story, Solomon warns that we shouldn’t just fold our hands and do nothing, but one handful of quietness is better than two handfuls of working all the time just to gain what others have.

Right after the evening with some unexpected free time, I was reading the book Emotionally Healthy Spiritually. The last few chapters of this book focuses on spending quiet time in God’s presence and keeping the Sabbath. When you are as entwined with busyness, as I have allowed myself to be, you cannot keep the commandments of the Sabbath, and your life begins to look like the tree we spotted on our hike. God has so much more for us when we live without vines in our life.

Reflecting on this, I realize I also struggle with always wanting more. Not always new things, but also more work. As soon as I get one job around the house finished, I find another one. If I can get this done, the yard will look better. If I paint that wall, that room will be complete. “If only” is a vine that chokes and twists around us like none other. Hebrews 13:5 speaks to this. “Let your conduct be without covetousness be content with such things as you have.” Always wanting more can be another choking vine.

Enough about all the vines I have in my life. What vines are twisted around you in your life? Vines we just live with every day. Vines we just work around because we have become very comfortable with them. Vines we don’t even recognize as holding us back from what God has intended for us. I pray that you find your vines and prune them from your life, so you do not become misshapen as the tree in this picture, but can grow into the beautiful tree you were created to be.

Open Doors

God opens doors. Are you prepared to walk through them?

I don’t like to make rush decisions nor am I very spontaneous. At work when someone proposes a new idea, my first reaction is to buy time – time to check with others that might be affected, time to read up on the idea, time to think. I’m the same way at home. Scott will throw out an idea, “Let’s go eat at this BBQ place I just saw on FB.” I have to process this suggestion. I start thinking through everything. “Well, I have pork chops thawed out,” or “what time will we get home?” It is hard for me to just say “Sure, let’s go!” I like to have time to mentally prepare.

There are times when God asks me to do something where I have plenty of time to prepare. When asked to teach a class or speak to a group, I have time to prepare the lesson. I have time to pray and think through everything. However, there are times when God opens a door that requires spontaneity. The other day while standing in line to checkout with my groceries, a lady asked me about the shirt I was wearing. It was a shirt from church that said North Women Discipleship. I didn’t have time to stop and pray about my answer. I didn’t have time to practice what I was going to say. I had to give her an answer right then. God opened a door while standing in line at Crest, and I had to be ready.

Preparation for these times or opportunities has to take place in advance. This is why it is important to stay in the word and to regularly spend time in prayer. We need to be prepared for these opportunities. David gives us an excellent example of this. He spent years out in the fields watching over the sheep. He spent time in prayer and praise. He was anointed as king, and he was called into Saul’s court as an armorbearer. He was prepared for whatever door was opened for him. Little did he know when he was sent on an errand to deliver some dried grain, cheese and loaves of bread to his brothers that a door would open for him to jump through. Once David hears of the situation with Goliath, he doesn’t ask for time to go pray, he doesn’t need time to go practice. He simply walks through the open door and says, “Your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.” (1 Samuel 17:32) David did not have to go and pray or go prepare. He was ready.

While I don’t think my nature will ever love surprises or completely unplanned events. However, I do want to always be prepared to walk through the doors that the Lord opens for me.