Written on
January 20, 2013 by
Kris in
Blog
“Come messy”, That’s what I read right before I closed the book for the night. I took a photo of the words and tweeted them out to anyone who might need encouragement like that–because honestly, more than I care to admit, I do. I seem to need constant reassurance that my cluttered heart, and my messy emotions are ok to bring before God.
I remind my children all of the time, that God sees everything–that there’s no place they can hide from Him and how that fact shouldn’t be scary, but instead ought to be a comfort. But when it comes to my own messy parts, well, suddenly, I’m not so sure anymore.
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It’s the beginning of December when they start making their appearance. First as a slow trickle, but then two by two they march into my mailbox – Christmas cards.
In recent years, the majority are picture greetings. With giddy excitement, I tear open each one, eager to see the creative cards and read well wishes. Every year I display them across my kitchen cabinets, smiling faces greeting me as I cook and help with homework.
For years, I struggled with what to do with them at the end of the season. It seemed a crime to toss the beautiful glossies of the families I loved in the trash.
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Let me begin by telling you that I have battled depression . . . both situational and chemical/hormonal. I’ve been depressed at times when the people around me understood, and at times when they had no idea what to do or how to help.
If you are dealing with depression know that I am praying for you as I write this.
Something I have learned from my struggle with depression:
I want to be happy!
If you want to be happy too . . . I have some suggestions for you:
1. Get help – Talk to your doctor, talk to a counselor, confide in someone you trust.
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I’ve been working my way through Your 100 Day Prayer: The Transforming Power of Actively Waiting On God, by John Snyder, over at Counting My Blessings this summer.
I believe that finding this book was a God appointment in my life. You see, I’ve been praying about something for a VERY long time. God has blessed me with peace and patience most of the time, but occasionally when longing sets in and my heart hurts . . . well, I’ll bet you can relate.
One of my favorite quotes from the book is:
Prayer is not like rubbing a magic lamp to get our wishes granted.
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Rev and I are celebrating our 40th Wedding Anniversary today. It’s hard for me to believe. I can still relive the moment we met, our first date, our first kiss, and each and every milestone since.
We have a few do’s and don’ts that we’ve used over the years. We believe they have been helpful in not only having a marriage that lasts, but one that is happy and fun, too.
Our Top Ten Marriage Tips:
1. Laugh – We both love to laugh and we love to make each other laugh. Humor has gotten us through many of life’s difficult moments.
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I can see him. Sleeping in bed. His little body curled up and his hands tucked close to his face. There’s the sweet sound of breathing — in and out — as his body rests.
I want to pick him up. Hold him.
Yet, I know, that will wake him up. So I stand there watching him, marveling at the beauty that can be found in a toddler fast asleep. I stand there, in the room, the room still littered with little toys around and books crooked on the shelf, and I bask in the moment.
I really don’t see those toys.
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I spent some time visiting with a dear friend the other day. We each have things that are heavy on our hearts. Issues that we see as being potential problems for God’s people. Situations where individuals are investing themselves in things that could ultimately hurt them spiritually, and also have a ricochet effect on the lives of those closest to them.
How do you handle this kind of conversation?
I have a few tips to share should you ever find yourself in a similar situation.
1. Don’t Gossip
- Be very careful to discuss the problem without names.
- Details are unnecessary, stick to the big picture.
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We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5
I awakened this morning with the title of this post running through my mind. What if the first time you had a thought, it was just that . . . a thought? The second time you thought it, you were granted a mulligan by God’s grace. But if you continued spinning it around in your head, it appeared across your forehead in ticker tape format. Right there for everyone to see!
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