I Read Too Much

For my birthday, I bought The Message version of the Bible. I told myself as soon as I got to the New Testament in my current reading plan I would stop reading in the NIV and switch over to this one. I admit I took my sweet old time getting there. I was scared. It almost felt like I was doing something wrong reading any other version than the one I had been reading for as long as I could remember. But a funny thing happened as I was reading this story-like version - in my head, I heard the words in the NIV. I could relate and still do, the words I've read and heard, over and over, for the past few decades. That is when I was able to really open myself up to what I was reading. Then today, it hit me. I am still learning God's truths, and the post you are about to read is what He revealed to me this morning.  I've often looked for the "more" in life.  What can I do to be "more"?  I want to be better than I was the day before. This constant striving to be...

I love lazy mornings. Take today for example. The Mr. woke me up before he left for work and I drifted back to sleep. Then my alarm went off at six (don't ask me why I had it set, I have NO clue) and I promptly shut it off, but by that time my body was telling me to get up. Despite fighting myself on this, the dog felt it time to let me know she heard said alarm and she wasn't going to lay back down knowing I was here...for her...to do her bidding. Yes, I got up. I wasted time on my phone, as I am apt to do when I don't want to get around and/or think.  I found some interesting discussions concerning politics and gun control.  I read enough to know we are a deeply and horribly divided country - and I'm going to leave it at that, at least here. I watched a video about turning writing into a paying career and decided at that point I may not have the fortitude for it. I window shopped on Amazon.  I think I found the new decor I want for my dining room. And I flitted arou...

"Who Am I?" At some point in life, everyone asks this of themselves in one way, shape, or form.   It is an age-old question.  For some, the answer is quick and they carry on with life in full confidence of each step and move they make.  For others, it is a daily quest wrought with wins and losses.  I am most assuredly closer to the latter than the former.  We live in a society that applies labels to people faster than Amazon can deliver a package. In fact, right now, typing this, I can be labeled a blogger.  I also have the honor of holding the labels - wife, mom, step-mom, daughter, daughter-in-law, cousin, friend, employee, the list goes on and on.  It, without a doubt, has no true end. Despite all these labels, I have one that has been mine since birth -  my name. I was blessed with a plain name. It has no frills, no elegance behind it, it is boring, and quite frankly I've hated it since I was old enough to know how to. I have often wondere...

This morning I am reading in 1 Chronicles.  I am coming to the end of the book and we have King David turning the work of the temple over to his son, Solomon.  While the Lord had given David all of the instructions, down to the smallest detail, David was not to build the temple because he was "a warrior and have shed blood." (vs 28:3b) A few verses later David tells his son, " acknowledge the God of your father, and serve him with wholehearted devotion and with a willing mind, for the Lord searches every heart and understands every desire and every thought. If you seek him, he will be found by you; but if you forsake him, he will reject you forever." (vs 28:9) Let's stop there for a minute. I don't know about you but I am equally humbled and thankful God searches my heart and understands every desire and every thought I have. Really!  This means I am NOT invisible to Him.  He knows every single detail about me.  He knows the things I love the most and He ...

This morning I am reading in 2 Kings. I need to be honest, these are hard books to read. The names!  Oh, my stars the names.  Not only the names but how close they all are and how the kings overlap each other.  People, these 2 books are full of joy, pride, anger, hate, plot twists, love, encouragement, fear, great military acumen, business deals, essentially you name it, these two books have it.  I have read the words and shook my head as well as cried happy tears of God's great love.  These aren't a fast read.  It's definitely taken me a minute, but I recommend them to you.  Now, to my point! Think of two opposites.  Like the ends of a battery, the poles of the Earth, light and dark, soft and hard. Ok.  You get the picture. What I read this morning was exactly like that.  I began reading in chapter 21 about King Manasseh.  It didn't take me long to realize this guy was awful.  He was pure evil.  In fact, the modern-day ...

I think one of the hardest things to do in life is accepting when you are wrong, most especially when another person is too.  Hear me out on this.  I am quite adept at standing my ground - with some people.  I have a hard time being walked on, talked down to, and treated like I don't matter/exist. When this type of action is taken against me I tend to lash out - mostly with my words and the tone of my voice.  While it is never good to be walked on, it is also never good to stoop to the other person's level. This is altogether harder when the person is someone you desperately want a relationship with. The Bible has a whole lot to say about our words, our tongues, and anger.  In some ways - meaning if you feel justified in your actions - it feels like the Lord doesn't want you to have a voice.  But this is oh so very wrong.  He does want you to have a voice.  He just wants you to have the right voice and to use it in the right way .  There...

I got today's prompt from Pinterest - surprise, surprise!  Funny thing about it, though, I actually thought of what I wanted to write about last night while I was trying to fall asleep.  Despite this, I told myself I was going to pick a random prompt and go with that instead.  Well, haha, looks like the topic I thought of last night sort of chose me today instead! The prompt I found was to talk about something you want to change about yourself.  Now, I will be the first to tell you there are many things, and while I could go on and on about all of them, there is one specific thing that has come to light repeatedly during the past 24 hours.  Have you ever seen a two-year-old thrown a full-blown temper tantrum?  I don't mean one of those little arms crossed, pouty lip, crocodile tear stances.  No, I mean the lying on the floor, screaming their head off, kicking their little legs while crying with all of their might, temper tantrums which were more ...