The Wisdom to Know the Difference

     "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference."  The Serenity Prayer.  Anyone who hasn't heard it?  But did you know that is only part of it?  The prayer by Reinhold Niebuhr actually reads:

"God give us grace to accept with serenity

the things that cannot be changed,

Courage to change the things which should be changed,

and the Wisdom to distinguish the one from the other.

Living one day at a time,

Enjoying one moment at a time,

Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace,

Taking, as Jesus did,

This sinful world as it is,

Not as I would have it,

Trusting that You will make all things right,

If I surrender to Your will,

So that I may be reasonably happy in this life,

And supremely happy with You forever in the next.

Amen."

     Yesterday the Serenity Prayer, the one we've all heard a thousand times, kept sneaking into my head.  Well it didn't exactly sneak.  It would kinda just jump up loudly at times.  And, for the first time ever, I realized what it was saying.  After doing a little research and finding the original today, I am now certain that I get it.  I finally get it.

     There are things we absolutely cannot change.  The weather for example.  People complain whether it's cold, hot, sunny, raining.  Doesn't matter.  Somebody is going to have a negative comment about the weather.  I came to the conclusion long ago that there is absolutely nothing we can do to change the weather and complaining about it certainly doesn't help.  So we might as well accept it and deal with whatever the day may bring weatherwise.  Accept it with grace and be calm---serene---about it.

     What can we change then?  Our attitude about the weather!  In fact, if you think about it,  our attitude is pretty much all we can control.  Oh we try to control our lives.  We think we control our lives.  But in the end God is really the one in control.  Proverbs 16:9 tells us "You may make your plans, but God directs your actions".  Verse one of that same chapter says "We may make our plans, but God has the last word."  

     Our real choice, like the Serenity Prayer says, is trusting God will make all things right if we surrender to Him.  Accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.  Ever pray for something?  I mean really pray for something?  Then when things started looking worse you got so mad at God that you thought He must be mad at you or ignoring you or punishing you?  

     Like I said earlier, we can't change the weather but we can change our attitude about it.  Same with waiting for God to answer our prayers.  If we give Him our lives, every situation in our lives, He promises to work all things for our good!  (Romans 8:28)  There is a reason for the storm.  A reason for the sun.  And a reason for the timing of each.  

     Now that's not to say that life is always going to be difficult in order for us to have an answered prayer.  An example of that would be what I was greeted with this morning.  A lesson reminding me of what I learned yesterday.  (You know.....the wisdom to know what we can and can't change....the weather.  And how our attitude about the weather is something we can change and that's wisdom.)  

     Our 1 1/2 year old pomeranian Pippa tends to wake up about the same time every morning.  She stands in the hallway by our door and makes odd noises that often sound like "momma", letting me know she wants to go outside.  Somehow no one else ever hears her.  But she always manages to wake me.  I tried to ignore her this morning but it didn't work.  So I got up.  However, as soon as I opened the bedroom door, she walked back into her 'brother's' room and hopped up on his bed, deciding she didn't need out after all.  I quickly, and not too happily, scooped her up and carried her outside, letting her know all the way that I wasn't enjoying this and if she thought she was going to wake me up, and then go back to sleep herself, she had another think coming.  

     As I opened the door I set Pippa down on the deck so she could run out and do her business.  Not sure why I stepped outside because there was just a little bit of light rain falling as the sunrise greeted me from the east.  But I did.  And then I looked towards the west where I saw a beautiful rainbow!  It took my breath!  I could not believe what I was seeing!

     I quickly ran back in to get my iPad so I could take pictures but none of the pictures even came close to doing it justice.  A second rainbow appeared above it and the colors seemed to be repeating under it as well.  I took picture after picture and sat in awe as it faded away and then re-appeared.  No storm.  No dark sky.  Just a beautiful reminder of God's covenant. 
     The lessons I've learned from this?  1.  The wisdom to know the difference has been right there for me all along and I've been using it without even realizing it.  2.  Sometimes God blesses us with a rainbow after the storm and sometimes He blesses us with a rainbow just because He loves us. 

I May Get Arrested the Next Time I Take a Walk

     Walking, as a form of exercise, is something I started doing over two years ago.  I kinda got bored at just walking though.  So I tried running and I really liked that.  The competitor in me kept trying to go faster and faster and farther and farther.  But then my knees started not enjoying the running so much.  So it was back to walking.
     Because of the extra hours I've been putting in at work lately and just plan ole exhaustion, I haven't taken many walks.  Didn't think anyone noticed except me.  Then my husband came home one night last week and told me that the 'boys' at a certain fire station near our house had asked about me.  Well what he said was that they wanted to know why his miniature wife hadn't been running by lately.  Miniature wife?  Yeah apparently he thought that sounded better than 'little woman'. I still don't know exactly what they said but I do think it's funny that they've noticed!
     Always wishing I could draw or paint and never having that ability or talent, I became interested in photography.  In fact, my photography is scattered throughout our house.   A couple of months ago I started something new for me.  I take the pictures and then add Scripture to them, praying that God will use them to bless just one person as I share.  

     Like this for example.  I actually took a photo of hydrangeas for sale at Sam's Club!  I've started running out of flowers at home so I take pictures of flowers, clouds or just about anything else that catches my eye.
     Well, here's where the getting arrested part just might happen.  Because I get a little bored just walking, and because I see potential art work everywhere in God's creation (actually it already IS artwork....God's artwork.  He just lets me borrow it), I started taking pictures on my walks.  And I've found myself taking pictures of people's mailbox flowers! 

     Now, so far, no one has said anything.  And I'm hoping they recognize me by now and know I'm harmless.  But what if..........  I've imagined the police car suddenly following me as I happily stroll down the streets of our neighborhood, pausing at mailboxes and snapping a few photos!   The blue lights come on and I'm ordered to put my hands above my head and drop my cell phone!

     Would I really be able to explain this?  Hopefully they will let me go with just a smile and drive off thinking how nice it is that I am using these pictures to inspire others.  But if not, I hope they at least let me fix my hair and makeup before they take my mug shot.
    
    

Love is Just a Game

     Love is just a gaaaaaame.....  Can you hear it now?  If you were around in the late 70's to early 80's you know what I'm talking about.  There was a time, I admit, that I listened to country music.  And Larry Gatlin and the Gatlin Brothers just happened to be one of my favorites back then. 
    But is love really just a game?  I don't think so.  In fact I know it's not.  God created love.  God IS love.  Love is patient and kind.  It's not jealous or conceited or proud.  It's not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable.  Love keeps no record of wrongs.  Love is not happy with evil but is happy with the truth.  And Love never gives up no matter what.
     I will be the first to admit I can be very competitive.  I want to win.  Always.  But I've learned that, thinking of a person as a prize is just not right.  And it's definitely not love.  It's not a game.  At all.
     When God created man He realized man needed a helper.  Another person to spend time with.  To work with.  To love.  So He created woman.  And He created marriage.  Marriage between one man and one woman was His plan.  Covenant.  Yeah, that was and is God's idea.
     Not only is marriage a good thing God created between one man and one woman, it's also the way He describes His love for us.  Jesus is the groom.  The church is the bride.  The groom loves the bride so much that He gave His very life for her.  And the bride has an attitude of respect and obedience for her Groom.
     How could we think that love is just a game when God takes it so seriously?  There is no escape clause from love and marriage.  God commands us to love our neighbor as we love ourselves.  Can you image what life would be like if people actually did that?
     He also commands that a man love his wife and a wife respect her husband. (Ephesians 5)  Not always easy.  But always worth it.  And because marriage was created by God, endorsed by God, and the very beginning  of another creation of God....the family....the devil doesn't like it.  So many people give up.  They throw in the towel.  But there really isn't an escape clause as so many believe.  Once you're married, you're married for life.  Matthew 19:6 is Jesus speaking and He says "So they are no longer two, but one.  No human being must separate, then, what God has joined together."  Marriage is sacred.
     So, because marriage and family is so important to God, it's important to the devil to destroy it.  And life is hard. Sometimes bad things happen and life feels absolutely impossible.  But what is impossible with humans is more than possible with God. There is absolutely nothing that is impossible with God.
    Is love a game?  To the devil it is.  He seeks to destroy marriages and families.  He wants us to become bitter.  It's his goal to destroy every family.  Especially families he knows God has special plans for.  But here's the deal.  To God, marriage and family is serious business.  Love is serious business.  And anyone who seeks to destroy it goes up against our Almighty God.  No argument or trying to reason away does any good.  If it's contrary to the Word, it's sin and straight from the devil.  God is always right.  And He doesn't take kindly to anyone who tries to declare something right that is not only wrong but against His Word.
     So where do you find yourself today?  Have you made mistakes?  Have you treated love like a game and people like prizes?  People aren't prizes.  And that's not love.   If we are treating someone like a prize, we don't really love them.
     Who do you love?  Do you really want what's best for them? Love encourages others to live for the Lord. Love  encourages them to read the Word.  The Word tells us in Proverbs 10:29 that "The Lord protects honest people, but destroys those who do wrong."  I don't want to be destroyed.  I don't want you to be destroyed.  Trust Him today and know true love.  And remember that love is not just a game.  The only way to win is according to God's Word.  Will you start doing that today?
      

Politician, Friend, Family or Foe

     Tis the season to throw your hat into the ring.  Presidential ring that is.  While I seldom ever just sit down to watch the news on TV, where I work there are TVs offering various national news programming all day long so it's a bit difficult to not catch at least a little bit of the current happenings.  From conservative to liberal and everything in between, opinions (that don't really matter when it's all said and done) are freely offered about each candidate. 
     Something that has caught my attention for many years during election time is the families of the politicians.  We usually know who the politician is and many times we are familiar with their spouse.  But on the day they announce their bid for their party's nomination, suddenly their kids, kids' spouses, grandkids and anyone else considered a close relative find themselves in the spotlight.  Boys and young men appear polished, every hair in place, smiling and shaking hands while dressed in their sports coats and sharp looking ties.  Girls and young women wear pretty dresses (oh and most everyone is wearing red, white, blue and/or a combination of the three), smiling and waving  as they cross the stage to stand by their also smiling and waving parents. 
    Kisses and hugs are given and received as each family member makes their appearance....as if they didn't just see each other back stage.   Everyone looks perfect.  On that day at least.  Then the mud slinging starts.  Those nice suits and pretty dresses need to go to the cleaner's pretty quickly.  Opponents and the media dig and dig and dig to find any dirt they can find.  Even the tiniest speck is put under a microscope and enlarged, turned over, x-rayed, dissected and talked about to ad nauseum.
     I have to say that this really bothers me.  Why are people always looking for something bad in other people?  Yes I know that politicians are looking to win elections and they think if they can make someone else look bad, then it makes them look better.  But does it really?  I don't think so.
     ".....fill your minds with those things that are good and that deserve praise:  things that are true, noble, right, pure, lovely, and honorable." Philippians 4:8.  Yes!  That's the ticket.  That's what I want to hear about others. And that's what I want others to say about me.  Do I have not so great stuff in my life like those politicians and their families?  Of course I do.  But what does the Word say about it?  Well, after we have repented and God has forgotten it, we need to think about the good things. It doesn't matter who it is.  Part of my goal today is to think about the good things.  And guess what.....when we concentrate on the good stuff, we look better ourselves.
     Politician, friend, family, foe.  It doesn't matter.  I resolve to think about what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely and honorable.  How about you my friend?