I have a sweet tooth. That’s an understatement. All 10,000 taste buds on my tongue along with the 32 teeth in my mouth hanker for chocolate confections. Thankfully, my self-control is in top form at the grocery store.
I can walk down the cookie aisle cucumber cool and give the bakery and frozen delight sections only a wistful glance and perhaps a moment of yearning without adding a single cupcake to my cart. Sure, I’ve bought a few pints, eh hem, gallons of ice cream in my life time and I do like to bake, but in general my “all in moderation†mantra keeps me balanced and on the low-sugar track at the grocery store.
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I love those loving me, And those seeking me earnestly do find me. (Proverbs 8:17 YLT)
I was first labeled as “high maintenance†by a college roommate who found the variety of beauty products I had amassed to be somewhat astonishing. Nearly 15 years and possibly hundreds of perfume bottles, make up containers, and floral scented moisturizing lotions later, some still deem me as high maintenance.
My first inclination is to protest being labeled a term coined for those extremely fragile individuals who spend hours primping and exact gobs of attention. After all, becoming a stay-at-home mother decreased my self-maintaining abilities and desires.
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During a recent play-date at Chick-Fil-A, my 16-month-old son climbed to the top of the playscape to explore the overhead tunnel. This was his first attempt at tackling the Godzilla of toys.
It was not an easy climb for a little guy. His big sister stood near as his spotter, but resisted the urge to hoist him upward. In addition to reaching his goal, my son did something else I wasn’t expecting from him. Each time he reached the next level, he screamed with terror; yet instead of reaching toward me for rescue, he garnered composure and stretched his 24-pound body toward the next step.
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Part three in the series, Lifting the Veil of Rejection.
Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. What goes into a man’s mouth does not make him ‘unclean,’ but what comes out of his mouth, that is what makes him ‘unclean.’ ” the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?” He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. Leave them; they are blind guides.[a] If a blind man leads a blind man, both will fall into a pit.”
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Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! (Isaiah 30:18 NIV)
My husband’s grandmother, Mema, has filled several china cabinets with antique glassware. One cabinet in particular contains milk glass, which was very popular in the 1950’s and 60’s. Some of Mema’s collection always belonged to her, while other pieces she acquired at various sales. Some of the bowls, pitchers, and creamers in Mema’s cabinet are valued at more than $250.00, yet she never paid that amount of money for any of them.
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“Take the helmet of Salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God…” Ephesians 6: 17 (NIV)
Shhh. Come close, I have a secret to share. Ready? Here it is. Not everyone likes me. Not a shocker? I didn’t think so. Reality. It’s harsh. And as a recovering people pleaser, my skin isn’t very thick. I know that it is trendy to be strong and blow away insults with a single confident puff followed by a quick hair toss, but that’s not me. And truth be told, I don’t think that is suppose to be me either.
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In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all flaming arrows of the evil one. Ephesians 6:13
Nearly 20 years ago, Twila Paris released the lovely song, How Beautiful. Whenever I hear the words, “How beautiful the feet that bring the sound of good news and the love of the King…†one person comes to mind, my grandmother, MemMem.
Before MemMem walked along the golden streets of Heaven, she walked with the light of Christ guiding her every step. She walked with love and she walked in faith. Standing four feet and ten inches tall, MemMem didn’t appear formidable.
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“Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.†Ephesians 6:14-15
A few weeks ago, as I was driving to the last MOPS meeting of the year, a simple rain shower evolved into a roaring thunderstorm. I am convinced that whoever coined the phrase “it’s raining buckets,†first uttered those words during a similar storm. It looked and felt as if someone was standing ten feet above me dumping ten gallon buckets of water on top of my mid-sized sedan.
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