Resolutions

I make resolutions every day. I break them also every day. So what makes a resolution stick? My being resolute. My being intentional. My being convicted that what I plan, need and desire is worth sticking with longer than it takes to utter.How can I think something is so important to think... and so not important to do? We have good ideas, we make good lists and then we get out of the store without what we came for. That's like the resolutions we seem to make this time of year. So perhaps I should continue the "grow" list I have rather than making resolutions I will fail to carry through on. I will make an effort to finish what I start rather than start another project. I will be intentional about loving rather than making an effort but not making contact. I will not be making New Years Resolutions but I will be making intentional steps in doing what I know I should be doing anyway!!! I will pray for intentional moments, I will pray for intentional situations and I will pray that I intentionally follow through when God puts the obvious in my lap!!

Cleaning House

Two days ago we were riding horse on a 70 degree day, the sun shining and girls laughing. Today it's chilly, rainy and dreary. The little daffodils that braved their heads to open up are wondering where global warming went to.
It's on a rainy day that I begin to clean.
There are three things I clean regularly; my house, my home and my heart. Probably not as regularly as I should but I do clean house. We live in a rather large old farmhouse. I can clean it and a day later have a layer of dust all over. We live on a gravel road, we live in the country and we farm; those are three strikes against clean houses. I vacuumed the front rugs the other day and it made it 15 minutes before someone walked in mud. It's a good thing those things are important to me. Dusting, cleaning, making sure the house looks good, is safe for the allergy suffers in our home and letting it reflect my job as caretaker is important. God expects me to have a house that is pleasing to my husband and functional for my family.
Then, I take a stab at cleaning my home. Last night our intentions were excellent. We sat down as a family to begin watching the "Ten Commandments". Jim and I were the only ones still watching at the end of the first disc. I had never seen the movie and Jim doesn't remember seeing it all. The kids had never seen it and we are doing our home Bible study going through the historical life of the Old Testament so it kind of fit in; they all had to go to bed but we will finish it later. Cleaning the home is checking to make sure relationships are in good working order. It's making sure the kids spiritual valves are tuned into what they need, making sure that they are involved in good friendships, giving them opportunities to serve, bless others and grow themselves. It's my responsibility to be sure that the home is a fun place. A place to laugh, enjoy and feel like you can take off your shoes and show the holes in your socks. A place where you can sit and eat cookies at the counter and talk about what's happening in life, with friends, dreams and see your kids through God's eyes.
The hardest cleaning takes place when I have to clean my heart. It's when I have to sit and talk to God about what's going on in the corners, on top of the fan blades, under the couches that others can't see and I think is hidden in my heart. God has a way of moving things around and exposing the dust bunnies of my heart. I need that. Psalms 51 reminds us "Create in me a clean heart Oh God." That might be doing whatever it takes to get something clean; scrubbing with bleach, pine-sol, soaking overnight, putting two times through the wash machine, but when I ask God to help me create a clean heart, I am giving him permission to do whatever it takes.
So, I'm ready to clean... just don't ask me to come help you. I have enough to handle here!

Who doesn't really matter

I heard someone say something that really bothered me. Perhaps the low self esteem or the lack of purpose in life led them to make this statement but when asked where they worshipped they began to tell how much they liked their church and their emphasis was on who was leading the church. Who do we care is leading the church? I don't care who is leading the church down here as much as who is leading the church from above. The church is too concerned about what they are doing in their walls and not worrying about what's happening with the man on the corner. People come to their comfortable churches and sit in comfortable seats and are content with who is leading the church. We are followers of Jesus; not an earthly leader. When we try to impress people with who is leading the church or in control of the church we have our emphasis on the wrong thing. The same church I happened to know someone who is leading a ministry that God is got both hands on and shaking blessings all over. When people come to this man for prayer they could care less where he goes to church but that he is the hands and feet of Jesus to them at that moment. Church is quite far removed from their thought pattern. Jesus is what they see; perhaps we need to quit worrying about our churchs and start being followers of Jesus....

Does it matter

Does it matter if we simply get up in the morning or must we engage in life?
Does it matter if we eat breakfast or must we nourish our bodies?
Does it matter if we are who we are or who God thinks we should be?
Does it matter if we bless others or if we invest our lives in others?
It doesn't matter, unless you ask God what He really has in mind for our lives.