All Night for Nothing

Remember the Christmas you stayed up all night trying to put together the "perfect" gift from "Santa?" The only problem was you couldn't get it to work. You finally give up at 5am, just about the time the kids came downstairs.

Today my professor reminded us of the story of Peter fishing. Peter and his men fished ALL NIGHT LONG & caught NOTHING! The next morning Jesus strolled up on the beach and said, "Put your nets on the other side of the boat."

Suppose Jesus came downstairs with your kids that Christmas morning at 5am and said, "Put the screw in the hole on the left side." What would our reaction be? It's like when your spouse who has been standing "watching" you work all night says, "You should do this." How do we react? Throw the instruction manual at them?

Remember, Peter and his buddies didn't know it was Jesus telling them what to do!
Peter did it, though! He took the nets and threw them to the right!

Do you ever feel like you are at the end of your rope?

You've tried everything when it comes to...

Getting along with your spouse.
Dealing with a boss.
Trying to raise your teenager.
Saving $ but everytime you turn around there is another expense.
Living healthy.
Closing a sales deal.
Finding a job.
Handling an unreasonable teacher or coach.

When Peter tried everything he could ALL NIGHT LONG, Jesus showed up with the ANSWER.
Peter was at the end of his emotions & effort, when Jesus gave him 1 simple thing to do.

What is the 1 simple thing Jesus is telling us to do today?
Do what our spouse wants even when we don't feel like it.
Be consistent with a teen or spend quality time with him.
Make 10 more phone calls to land that 1 account.
Call a recruiter.
Give up smoking.
Send a thank you note to a teacher.

When we do that 1 simple thing the results are HUGE!

Peter put his net on the other side. There were so many fish the men couldn't haul in the nets.
Jesus knows where the fish are, are we willing to go or do what he tells us in order to find them?

"Throw your net on the right side of the boat & you will find some."

John 21:6

Submit vs Surrender

How does the word submit make you feel?

Rick and I joke around about the Bible's command for me to "submit" to him. I don't know about you, but everytime I hear that word, my temp starts to rise & my blood boils a little. Why is that?

While reading the good book, a little voice asked me, "What's the difference between submit & surrender?"
If a gunman is holding a gun to my head, what does he say, "Submit or Surrender?" The gunman expects me to lay down my weapon and yield complete control to him. I have to give up! I have to surrender!

If the gunman told me to submit, I would give him complete authority to rule and make decisions about my life. That means I might keep my weapon and join him in his tyrant, if that is what he told me to do. By submitting, I would pledge complete obedience.

Jesus said, "If you want to come with me, you must deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow me." Matt 16:24

Isn't that the perfect picture of surrender & submit?

DENY myself, now, that makes my blood boil a little.

What is the 1 thing you couldn't live without? For me, it's chocolate & sweet tea. I tried to go 2 days without sweet tea, and it wasn't pretty. What would it be like if I denied myself the things of this world for the sake of Christ? What if I willingly surrendered those things that keep me away from Christ?

FOLLOW Christ, now that sounds a little better. This means submit to whatever he says. Obey him. Go where he goes. Do what he does. Be what he is. Say what he says. Think what he thinks.

Today let's DENY & FOLLOW. Choose 1 thing you know God wants you to deny yourself of & 1 way he wants you to follow.

You might be wondering...what kinds of things does he want us to deny?

Sarcasm, selfishness, some TV shows, porn, conversations that we know we shouldn't have, being right all the time, unkind words, judging, anger...

What kinds of things does he want us to do?

This one is easy! Acts 10:38, "Jesus went around doing good!" Go do good things all day!

Hug your kids, encourage your husband, buy someone lunch anonymously, smile at everyone!

Today let's surrender & submit

deny & follow!

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What Are the Things You Love?

I absolutely love the time I spend running!
You are outside...in whatever weather... sometimes sun, rain, clouds, or heat...
You can hear everything...the birds...the wind...people talking...dogs barking...
You get all of your emotions out...if you're angry...if you're sad...if you're feelin' good...
You think...about your family...your life...your friends...your future...your dreams...God
You have time to yourself...no pressure...no demands...nobody needs anything...
You savor quiet...no phone...no TV... no music...

This morning I took a run and saw the sun come up, the stars disappear, sky turn from black to gorgeous bright blue, heard the birds wake up, saw a couple kiss and say good-bye, watched squirrels playfully chase each other, heard the wind gently howling, saw the trees swaying in the breeze, and purple, pink, yellow, and red flowers blooming beautifully. I absolutely love to run!

I wondered as I ran, does God think to himself, "I absolutely love the time I spend with you."
In whatever weather...
When you hear everything I say...
When you get out all of your emotions ..
When you take time to share with me what you think...
When we have time together...
When we savor the quiet.

He might say, " This morning I saw when the sun came up, the stars disappeared, the sky turned from black to gorgeous bright blue, heard you wake up, saw you kiss your family good morning, watched you playfully go through your day, heard you when you were "howling," and saw you swaying through the ups and downs of life, and I watched you blooming into the person I intended for you to be. I absolutely love you."

"For God so loved the world..." John 3:16a

A Night On The Couch

Whoever thought of tucking kids in at bedtime everynight only had 1 kid

By the time you're to the 3rd one, you've got toothpicks holding up your lids.

Sometimes I want to say to heck with you all - JUST GO TO BED!

Can't you just for once do it by yourselves, my body is already dead.

Just give me the couch and TV right there. American Idol, Biggest Looser, or WWF, I don't care.

I just want to do what I want to do. For one silly night, is that too much for you?

I'm not cleaning the kitchen, not 1 little dish.

I'm lying on the couch and do what I wish.

No bubbles, no shampoo, no brushing teeth.

No combing out tangles or scrubbing dirty feet.

No books, no not one, not one little word. You think this is strange and I'm being absurd.

But ask me if I care because I really don't. On this 1 night, NO TUCKING IN, I won't!

No secrets, no prayers, no talking about your day.

I'm going to the couch and I'm planning to stay.

"Hey mom, I love you, sleep tight, and good night," you call from upstairs.

I can just see your wet heads all snuggled in up there.

I smell the sweet scent of your sweet little face.

As I lie there on the couch, all perched in my place.

"See you in the morning," you say 1 last time,

And I picture your sweet slumber, so glad that you're mine.

I can't stand it, you know it, I can't miss one good night.

So I run upstairs and turn on all 3 lights.

"Come on you 3, one story in my bed."

Then we talk, and we giggle, and all prayers are said.

I smile as I tuck you in and kiss each little cheek.

An hour later I think, "A night on the couch...maybe next week."

What If I Were Homeless

• What if I lost everything I owned in the hurricane, and had no place to go?
• What if I had to hide from my husband because he beat me every night?
• What if the only place I had to turn was a building with other women and children who had nothing?
• What if my home was 1 room and I shared a bed with my 3 children?
• What if I slept with my 3 children last night hiding in a park under playground equipment?
• What if my children went to school in the 5th ward?
• What if I had NO formal education?
• What if every piece of clothing I owned was worn previously by someone I didn't know?
• What if I had 1 pair of shoes?
  
  

Why do I complain when I have so much to be thankful for?

God help me to appreciate all you have given to me because compared to others, it is so great and so much more than I deserve.

Check out Star of Hope Women's Shelter on-line! The shelter has served women and children in Houston for 102 years.

Do you think the person who started that ministry knew what a lasting impact it would have on so many people for so long?

What can I do today that will impact others for 100 years?

Am I Losing My Mind?

My son recently moved from the Havoc baseball team to play with the Crusaders. He played with the Havoc for 3 seasons. Last night at his Crusader game, the boys made a super play, so I immediately responded, "Way to go HAVOC!" The moms quickly & lovingly reminded me that we were watching the Crusaders. After a good chuckle, we returned to watching the game.
Several innings later the boys made another great play, I immediately hollered, "Way to go CARDINALS!" I paused, as all the moms turned to look my direction again. I quietly asked, "Did I just say Cardinals?" After another friendly round of laughter, they sweetly reminded me that our team is called the Crusaders.
Before bed I asked the Lord if I was loosing my mind. "Why would I have said Havoc & then Cardinals?"
The gentle thought swept through my mind, "Habits become actions."
For 3 seasons I had cheered for the Havoc. Cheering for the "Havoc" became a habit. My actions naturally reflected the habit. (and embarrassingly so)
That sounded logical, so I asked, "Why would I have said Cardinals?
"Because thoughts become words."
I remembered thinking the first time I saw Michael's new Crusaders jersey the spelling of the word Crusaders looked like a Cardinals jersey. My thoughts had become words.

I was challenged to consider what other habits had turned into actions & what thoughts had become words.

I worked in reverse order -

What actions in my life do not reflect Christ? (maybe the way I treat poor Rick)

What habits cause those actions? (speaking my mind without stopping to THINK first especially when I think I'm right, which is 99.9% of the time & I'm sure Rick would agree :)

At the same time, I asked-

What actions in my life reflect Christ? (loving His word)

What habits caused those actions? (reading & doing it)

Then, I asked -

What words I say do not reflect Christ? (I am so sick of cleaning these stinkin' toilets!)

What thoughts became those words? (I have to do all the work around here & get no help, etc)

What words could I say that reflect Christ? (Thank the good Lord we have toilets! I'll gladly clean them!)

What thoughts could become those words? (Chad just got back from the Ukraine & the people going over for the mission trip won't have potties while they are teaching the soccer camps all day! What if I didn't have a potty?)

Habits become actions. Thoughts become words.

"As a man thinketh, so is he."

Who Wants to Change?

Have you heard the following simple information for living a longer, healthier life?

1. Drink water everyday.
2. Exercise 3 times per week.
3. Eat fruits and vegetables daily.
4. Cut high fructose corn syrup from eating.
5. Get 8 hours of sleep each night.

1 small problem...how often do I apply this information?

"Information does not equal transformation, APPLICATION equals transformation."

Make a mental note of ALL the information you hear today. Choose 1 piece of positive info and apply it for the week. Watch the amazing transformation that takes place!

"Be transformed by renewing of your mind. " Romans 12:2b

(Last night I learned that it is no fun for someone to say "whatever" to you, especially a teenager. This week I'm removing the word "whatever" from my vocab!)

Help! I Think My Kids Are Crippled

"When I do for my child what he can do for himself, I am crippling him!"

OUCH! That statement socks you right in the gut!

So I asked myself, "What can my kids do for themselves?" (that I might tend to do for them)

• set alarm clocks
• wake themselves up
• make beds
• clean rooms
• do homework
• do chores
• make dinner
• vacuum
• clean bathrooms
• etc, etc, etc

PLAN for De-Crippling

If you turn it on, turn it off.

If you get it out, put it back.

If you borrow it, return it.

If you drop it, pick it up.

If you loose it, find it.

If you break it, fix it.

If you're hungry, make it.

If you messed it up, straighten it.

If you can holler "MOM," stop it! HEE!

(All these thoughts & ideas courtesy of "Effective Parenting in a Deffective World!" It's a MUST!)

"He who loves his children is careful to discipline him." Proverbs 13:24b

Question for the Day

"If Jesus returned right now, what would he find me doing?"

What do I want to be doing when Jesus comes back?
A lady was sitting in the movie with her husband. The movie went from good, to bad, to worse. The lady told her husband, "I can't watch this anymore."
He asked, "Why not? It's not that bad."
She replied, "If Jesus came back right now, this is not what I want to be caught doing."

What if we were caught
... reading a bedtime story to our children
...having a nice dinner with our spouse
...helping a neighbor move lawn trimmings
...encouraging a friend who is down
...laughing over good memories
...smiling at a stranger
...letting someone go in front of us on a freeway
...asking the grocery clerk about life
...listening to someone who just needs to talk
...sharing an egg with a neighbor
... opening the door for an elderly person
...reading the Bible
...saying something kind to someone at work

Today...GET CAUGHT doing what you want Him to find you doing!

You Can Do Whatever You Like

A preacher preached a fiery sermon against drinking, smoking, cursing, and pornography.
A lady came up to him after the service and very candidly said, "Don't you fill like you are missing out on life because you can't do all of those things?"
He replied, "I can."
She was shocked, "As a pastor you can drink, smoke, curse, and look at pornography."
He very politely smiled and said, "Yes I can. I can do anything I want. However, for the sake of Jesus Christ and all he did for me, I choose not to."

For today, choose to do what makes God smile!

"Everything is permissible for me, but not everything is beneficial." 1 Corinthians 6:12

The 1 CM Stop

Nicole got her driving permit this week. She is doing GREAT! Yesterday, while she was driving & I was trying to look calm & relaxed, we talked about making smooth stops. I asked her to stop quickly, when she hears me say, "Stop." Like when we are pulling in the garage & are 1 cm from the back wall. Or when we are rounding a corner & a car is coming on our side of the road. She wasn't happy to hear the request and I responded in a way that didn't make her too happy either.

Last night, I apologized to the good Lord for getting a little overheated at the "stopping situation."
His response was, "It's okay. I know how you feel."
"What?" I snapped back.
"How many times have I asked you to stop doing something & it's a rather slow stop. Maybe you'll stop tomorrow. Maybe you'll stop next week."
"Like what?" I asked.
"Like, when I say stop talking and you stop when you want to. Do you realize you are 1 cm away from a huge arguement or hurting someone's feelings?"
"Or when I say, stop watching that movie. You are 1 cm away from putting so much into your mind that it's going to come out in your actions tomorrow."
"Or when I say stop gossiping. You are destroying someone's reputation, witness, or friendship."
I quickly responded, "I got it. You can stop now. (no pun intended)."

I learned a huge lesson from the 1 cm Stop:
Hear the Holy Spirit and Handle it!
When I hear the voice in my head say "Stop," and it lines up with the Bible, handle it!
I have no idea what is 1 cm ahead, but He does.

Schedule Time for Your Kids - How?

In our LifeGroup (Sunday School class), we are doing a series called "Effective Parenting in a Deffective World." Sunday we learned 8 ways to bond with our kids.

One way is to SCHEDULE TIME.

This means write on the calendar the time you are going to spend with your kids. For example,

Sunday

Church with family 9-12

Monday

Family Dinner 5-6pm

Wednesday

Family Dinner 5-6pm

Friday

Family Movie Night 6-9pm

Saturday

Family 4-Square 3-4

It looks like alot of time, but really it's only 9 hours out of 168!

When a meeting, comes up you simply say, "I'm sorry I already have something on the calendar, how about another time?"

I decided to try this Sunday. I announced there would be a family meeting at 3:00. Everyone moaned and groaned. I had no idea what we were going to do, so I shot up a quick prayer. An hour later the idea came - 4-square in the garage. I moved the car out of the garage, drew a 4-square court with chalk, and brought out the "jam box." At 3, after a gentle reminder, everyone showed up. We headed out to the garage. 2 of the 3 kids were pumped, but 1 was in total rejection mode. (Isn't that the way it goes?) We just ignored it and kept playing. At 4:00 the "scheduled time was over." I announced, "That was fun! We can stop now." Much to my surprise all 3 of them responded, "What? Let's keep going. This is fun." At 5:30 I left the garage with the family meeting still in progress.

3 Things to Note about Scheduled Time:

1. If a child is not happy to participate, DO NOT LECTURE! Just laugh & have fun! It's contagious and he'll catch it.

2. Be flexible! "4-square" became "Keep Away" which became lay on your back and try to set the ball to your partner 120 times. What you have planned may change and that's okay. Go with the flow of your family.

3. Make it FUN! Family fun time is not time for competition. The goal is not to dominate your children in a game or activity. The goal is laugh, talk, and bond!

P.S. The parenting class is open to everyone! You don't have to be a member of the church to come. We meet at Champion Forest Baptist Church at 9:30 Sunday mornings in EA80! We would love to have you.

My Hero Saved Me Last Night

Have you ever been so frightened that you felt your heart drop all the way to your toes or your body remained frozen for what seemed like eternity? Well...
Last night Rick turned off the TV, turned out the lights, locked the doors and came to bed.

Everyone was nestled all snug in their beds (1:30am) with visions of school today dancing in their heads, when downstairs in the den...I suddenly heard the TV come on!
What? How could the TV come on?
I froze.
I couldn't breathe.
My heart was thumping in the 8 toenails I have left.
Who was downstairs in the den watching TV?
Should I wake Rick?
Do I go check on the kids?
I don't know...I can't breathe much less move or think. I'm frozen.
I listened for any other sound of evidence. NOTHING.
Was there some man sitting on the couch in the den wearing camos and a black face mask with a big machine gun?
Would tonight be my last night with my family?
I started to yell downstairs...take whatever you want. I'll go back to sleep and play like you were never here.
Instead, as quietly as I could, I whispered..."Rick, do you hear the TV?"
He rolled over. I saw it hit him at once. His heart dropped. He was frozen. Was he breathing? I wanted to rub his toes to get his heart back up in his chest, but the only thing I could move was my mouth.
Suddenly, he began to thaw. "Is it the kids?" he asked.
"I don't know."
He slowly moved out of bed and crept to the bedroom door and looked down the stairs.
"What are you doing?" I whispered.
"I'm going to check it out."
"You can't do that." I replied. Hadn't he thought about the guy downstairs in his camos and black face mask?
"What do you want me to do?" he asked a little frustrated.
Suddenly I realized this wasn't a good time for an arguement so I said, "Go for it. I'll be right here praying for you."(Isn't that what a good Christian woman would do?)
"What?" he yell-whispers. (You know the kind you give your kids at church when they are acting up.)
I realized I couldn't let him go alone. Afterall, I watch "The Unit" every week, I should be prepared for this.
I slowly crept down the stairs as close to Rick as I could.
Rick jumped around the bottom of the stairs. I noticed the front door knob. What a great idea!
I unlocked it, threw open the door and was ready to scream for help if the camo guy decided to attack.
My hero went through every room in the house, looked in every closet, checked outside, and all the windows and doors. Everything was locked up tight and in it's place. No camo guy to be found.
We looked at each other in bewilderment and headed back upstairs.

Who turned on the TV? We still do not know, but there is one thing I learned.

1. FACE FEAR HEAD ON!
Rick never hesitated to go downstairs.
Had we not gone downstairs we would have laid in bed frozen in fear all night. What a waste of time that would have been!

2. UNCOVER THE TRUTH!
Rick was determined to find out what was going on. He wanted to know the truth.
Obviously the camo guy was not a clear picture of the truth.

As I snuggled back in bed, I asked God, "What was the purpose in all of that? Are you bored tonight and need a little entertainment?"

When suddenly that still quiet voice whispered, "Face your fears head on EVERYTIME! Don't be paralyzed by what others tell you, what Satan tells you, or what you tell yourself. I am the way, THE TRUTH, and the life. Follow me."

"Yes sir," I thought, as I snuggled up next to my hero with visions of the kids at school today dancing in my head.

"Do not fear, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name. You are mine. When you pass through the waters I will be with you, and the waves will not overcome you." Isaiah 43:1-2

What's the Difference in Boys and Girls

Saturday, Michael had 2 friends over to play!
I got so tickled watching as the boys wrestled, punched, hit, threw balls, ran, and laughed the entire time. It reminded me of a poem I wrote one night after tucking the girls and Michael in bed.

What's The Difference Between Little Boys and Little Girls I Wondered?

Little boys go to sleep with helicopters and golfballs,

Little girls go to sleep with stuffed animals and dolls.

Little boys make noises like and animals and cars when they play,

Little girls hum and sing.

Little boys read books about trains,

Little girls read books about princesses.

Little boys jump off everything,

Little girls simply sit.

Little boys like to play alone.

Little girls like to play together.

Little boys DO,

Little girls talk.

Little boys build,

Little girls write and color.

Little boys put both hands in the dirt,

Little girls use one finger.

Little boys are always dirty,

Little girls are always washing.

Little boys go with the flow,

Little girls set the agenda.

Little boys are just plain,

Little girls are so complex.

Little boys have cute haircuts and necks,

Little girls have ponytails and bows.

Little boys have lots of jeans,

Little girls have lots of outfits.

Little boys have lots of matchbox cars,

Little girls have lots of Barbies.

Little boys would rather play outside,

While little girls are inside dressing up for parties.

There are lots of differences between little boys and girls,

but there are some things that are all the same...

The all laugh and giggle.

They all love books and bubbles.

The all move to music when they hear it.

They all cry when their feelings are hurt.

They all love peek-a-boo, even when it's hide and seek style.

They are all very busy,

and

they all have a momma who loves them very much

NO MATTER WHAT THEIR DIFFERENCES.

Saving Private Ryan & Saving Me

TNT is hosting Saving Private Ryan this month. If you haven't watched it in awhile, check it out.

The last scene of the movie is Private Ryan standing in the military cemetery at the cross marker of his general who died in combat saving Ryan's life. Ryan kneels before the cross and whispers to the man who died for him, "I hope my life was good enough." Ryan wanted more than anything to live his life in honor of the man who died for him.

All I could think was...one day at the end of my life, I will stand before the man who died for me. The man who gave His life so that I can live. What will I say? If I say, "I hope my life was good enough," that would be the wrong answer. My life can never be good enough to deserve a life of eternity with the one who died for me. I think that maybe, as I kneel before Him, I will simply say, "Thank you," and hope in my heart that the life I lived was pleasing to Him.

Stop That!

Here is the GREATEST tip for worry and anger!

Have you ever been...

worried over something and it continued to roll around in your mind...non-stop?

mad at your husband so while cleaning the bathroom or cooking dinner,
mentally you repeated one-way conversations with him, that you are determined
to say, but never do?

been so angry with your child's teacher that you drag the poor woman through
the mud AND the ringer in your mind so by the time open-house draws near
you are afraid to go because she might have somehow heard everything you thought?

The next time it happens...IMMEDIATELY say STOP IT!
Don't let your mind go where it doesn't need to be! Just tell your thoughts to stop!
If your child was running in the street, you would tell him to stop.
When your mind runs into walls of worry and alleys of anxiety, tell it to stop!

2 Corinthians 10: 5b Take every thought captive to make it obedient to Christ!
(This GREAT tip came from a super friend! Tune in tomorrow for tip 2!)