My Heart to Yours

I have been reading, Don’t waste your life, by John Piper and the following paragraph really struck a chord with me. “God created us to live with a single passion: to joyfully display his supreme excellence in all the spheres of life. The wasted life is the life without this passion. God calls us to pray and think and dream and plan and work not to be made much of, but to make much of him in every part of our lives.”

I wonder how different this world would look if we were all following this passion and not other gods. (such as money, status, recognition, etc.)

What about following the desires of our heart? Someone once said, “The mind is a faculty but the heart is the dwelling place of our true beliefs.” Emotions are the voice of the heart. The heart expresses itself through emotions and other ways. Creativity flows from the heart, Courage comes from the heart, Loving requires a heart that is awake, alive and free. My heart is me…the real me! What does your life and the “real you” say about your heart? Is your heart in your work or ministry? Is your heart in your relationship with your spouse or children? D you have the heart to make it work or have you lost heart?

Living from your heart essentially means being real. Not hiding your emotions or feelings, not pretending to be something you are not, not waiting for the perfect relationship. Of course, your heart is the object of a great and fierce battle. It is your most precious posession and the enemy knows it. He knows you were created with heart and passion and fears what you “could” become. Is he attacking you where it hurts the most? IN THE HEART!!!

Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life. Prov. 4:23

John Eldridge writes in Waking the Dead, “How you handle your own heart is how you will handle the hearts of others. Care for your heart above all else. Not only for your own sake; not even primarily for your own sake. Do it in order to love better, for the sake of those who need you. And they need you. Remember- This is our most desperate hour.”

Enough said!

My husband and I are off to speak at a weekend youth retreat on something we are passionate about.

The offer is freedom and life!! But any movement towards freedom and the enemy will be out to destroy us any way he can.

Bottom Line: The enemy wants our hearts because we are dangerous. He knows what we were created to be and the kind of potential we have and he is hell bent on destroying us.

John 10:10 “The thief comes to steal, kill and destroy… but I have come so that you may have life and have it abundantly.

Even though I clutch my blanket and growl when the alarm is going off in the morning, Thank you Lord that I can hear, there are many who are deaf.

Even though I keep my eyes tightly shut against the morning light for as long as possible, Thank you Lord that I can see, there are many who are blind.

Even though I huddle in my bed and put off the effort of rising, Thank you Lord that I have the strength to rise, there are many who are bed-ridden.

Even though many hours of my day are hectic, when socks are lost and cereal is spilled and tempers are short, Thank you Lord for my family, there are many who are lonely.

Even though my table never looks like the pictures in magazines and the meals are often unbalanced, Thank you Lord for the food we have, there are many who are hungry.

Even though I grumble and moan about my daily grind and complain and sometimes whine, Thank you Lord for the gift of LIFE!

For Fun!!

Dear Santa,
I have been a good mom all year. I have fed, cleaned and cuddled my two children on demand, visited the doctors office 168 times, made a few healthy balanced meals, and attended many soccer and tee-ball games and practices only to chase my daughter around the fields. I was hoping you could spread my list out over several Christmases, since I had to write this letter with my son’s red crayon on the back of a receipt in the laundry room between cycles and who knows when I will find more free time in the next 18 years.

Here are my Christmas wishes: I’d like a pair of legs that don’t ache after a day of chasing kids (in any color, except purple, which I already have) and arms that don’t flap in the breeze, but are strong enough to carry a screaming toddler out of the candy aisle in the grocery store.

I’d also like a waist, since I lost mine somewhere in the seventh month of my last pregnancy. If your hauling big ticket items this year, I’d like a car with fingerprint resistant windows and a radio that only plays adult music; a television that doesn’t broadcast any programs containing talking animals: and a refrigerator with a secret compartment behind the crisper where I can hide to talk on the phone.

On the practical side, I could use a talking daughter doll that says, “YES MOMMY” to boost my parental confidence, along with one potty trained toddler, two kids who don’t fight, and three pairs of jeans that will zip all the way up with out the use of power tools. I could also use a recording of Tibetan monks chanting, “Don’t eat in the living room” and “Take your hands off your sister,” because my voice seems to be just out of my children’s hearing range.

If it’s too late to find any of these products, I’d settle for enough time to brush my teeth and comb my hair in the same morning, or the luxury of eating food warmer than room temperature with out it being served in a stirofoam container. If you don’t mind I could also use a few Christmas miracles to brighten the holiday season. Would it be too much trouble to declare ketchup a vegetable? It would clear my conscience immensly. It would be helpful if you could coerce my children to help around the house with out being bribed, or if my toddler didn’t look so cute when she is sneaking into the contraband candy.

Well Santa, the buzzer on the dryer is ringing and my son saw my feet behind the pantry door. I think he wants his crayon back. Have a safe trip and remeber to leave your wet boots by the chimney and come in and dry off by the fire so you don’t catch cold. Help yourself to some cookies on the table but don’t leave crumbs on the carpet.

Yours Alway,
MOM

I ran across this poem today and thought I would share it with you:

If Jesus Came

Would you have to change your
clothes before you let Him in?
Or hide some magazines, and put
the Bible where they’d been?
Would you hide your worldly music
and put some hymn books out?
Could you let Jesus walk right
in, or would you rush about?
And I wonder - if the Saviour
spent a day or two with you,
Would you go right on doing, the
things you always do?
Would you go right on saying, the
things you always say?
Or would life for you continue
as it does from day to day?
Would you take Jesus with you
everywhere you go?
Or would you maybe change your
Would you be glad to have Him
meet your closest friends?
Or would you hope they stay away,
until His visit ends?
Would you be glad to have Him
stay forever on and on?
Or would you sigh with great
relief when He at last was gone?
It might be interesting to know,
the things that you would do,
If Jesus came in person, to spend
some time with you.

Author-unknown

What are your thoughts?

The last 2 days have been so nice. I decided to pretty much “do nothing”. I have presents that need to be purchased, tree that needs finished decorated, house that needs lights on it, and on and on. I realized that I have needed rest. Spiritually, physically and mentally. I even took a bath last night while the kids were still awake and running around the house. It is amazing what a little rest will do for your heart and soul. It rejuvenates me to live the Life God intended for me and it gives me energy to fight the battle against the enemy.

Many people long for rest. Jesus’ welcome words call out, as if saying, “Give me your impossible burdens. I will carry them.” Jesus says that He will take from our shoulders the heavy burdens that are draining us, and replace them with an easy yoke, a light burden. Jesus is in touch with the burdens of life that we carry and how much they hurt and exhaust us. When we give our troubled hearts to Him, He gives us rest for our souls. That kind of rest will cure our exhaustion and renew our enthusiam for Him!

Mathew 11:28, “Come to Me, all you who are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Many of you who know me, know that I am not much of a morning person. It takes me a while to rise and shine. In fact some mornings I don’t speak for a very long time. I cherish every last minute of shut eye I can get. I want to get up early and excercise, I want to get up early and prepare for the day, I want to get up early and spend quiet time with God. It is just so hard for me. I want to be like the Proverbs 31 woman who rises early, but it just doesn’t happen.

I ran across this verse in Isaiah 60:1, that says,”Arise, shine; For your light has come! And the glory of the Lord is risen upon you.

When you rise from your bed rubbing the sleep out of your eyes and looking at your crazy hair in the mirror how long does it take you to really shine?

Oh that long!!

Join me in giving God your first few minutes each morning!

Consider this a challenge!!