Treasures

I'm nesting this week....and no, I'm not pregnant! After being at the amazing One Conference that was held here in Miami last week, and reading the book, No Longer A Slumdog, by K.P. Yohannan, I felt convicted, so I started implementing some due changes.


Matthew 6:19-21
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.


This was one of the scriptures that God impressed upon me.  After spending time listening and seeing so much need around the world, it made me think a lot about my resources and where the majority of it goes.  My energy, time, money.  I started to think about the lost and needy world that we, in the United States, are practically oblivious to.



If you never read one of K.P. Yohannan's book, I recommend you do! You will be changed. After staying up late one evening in a silent house with this book in hand, I read, and read and read, until I finished the book. 


It hit me like a ton of bricks.  Everywhere I looked all I could see was money spent, energy used up, time gone by. Its ironic how what we sometimes desire to have is the very thing that holds us back in some respects.  Our homes, jobs etc.. We have responsibilities here!  But what is our responsibilty to God?  Jesus warned us about storing up because he knew it would keep us busy and away from the things that are near and dear to His heart.  People.


So I've had quite a week wrestling with this and asking God for clarity. I see how much "rust destroyed" items I have sitting in my garage. Things that were once treasures have received their new home in their temporary "unwanted pile".  I look around and all I see are things that are fading away.  Don't get me wrong,  I love a pretty home, but I don't want it to be my master!


So getting back to the nesting part...I've decided to start by trimming down on the content in our home, well, more of a detox.  I'm getting rid of many of the things that enslave me and rob me of time, energy, and money that I could be investing in my heavenly treasures. Its become our family project, so we're all in this together! 


This week we began in the kids room.  AMAZING how much junk can be gathered in there! We gave each child a supermarket bag and had them fill it up with things to throw out.  Then we had another pile for things to give away or sell. We will be doing this weekly in the kids room so that it can be maintained at an easy level.  "Girls, do you really need 7 pairs of the plastic dress up shoes? Boys, do you need a big bin of random parts for those robots you'll "someday" make?"

As I look through the lens of my culture, I am considered an average middle class American family, but from a wider worldview perspective, I am rich.  My desire is for Jesus to someday find me rich as well.  Rich in love, kindness, generosity, and service to others.  May our heavenly account overflow!


Where are you storing your treasures? 


Linking up at:
womenlivingwell.org/
time-warp-wife.blogspot.com/
www.raisinghomemakers.com

15 Years of Marriage

Last week, my hubby and I celebrated 15 years of marriage.
WOW! I can't believe how fast time goes by, and how much we have been through! Two out of state moves, one big career change, five babies, and so much more.  Looking back on our time together, I can definitely call it adventurous!

Adventurous but not perfect.

There have been the good times and the bad. The "for better" or "for worse" moments.


The good times, where we've experienced the riches of marriage in the way God intended it to be. The bad times that have drawn us closer to God as we have worked out the wrinkles of our relationship.


So I'd like to share with you today a few things that I've learned and have helped me throughout the years of being married.  


Be your husbands biggest fan: Are you proud of your husband? Does he know that he can count on you to stand by his side?  When he looks down the sidelines, does he see you cheering him on? This takes many forms: Encouraging him, listening to what's on his mind, and reminding him that your standing besides him through thick and thin. 


Even during the times where I have not exactly been on board with decisions that my husband has chosen to make, I have tried to make sure that he's known that I believed in him anyway, regardless of the circumstances or outcome. He'll usually tell me that I'm a biased opinion because I love him.  SO remember, you're on the same team...cheer him on!


Do him good and not harm: Proverbs 31:12 She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life.  Speaking bad about our husbands to others doesn't just harm our husbands, it can ruin marriages.  We should act and speak about our significant others remembering that our words have the power to bless or curse the one that God has made us one with. Are you always complaining and telling others about your husbands mishaps?  Putting him down in front of others, or talking back, are ways that we can be disrespectful towards our husbands. 


Mark 3:25 If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand. 
I always find it uncomfortable when a conversation turns to someone who is trashing their husband? What does one say? 


As a woman, I understand the need to speak out our feelings, but are we speaking it in its proper setting? Sitting with a trusted friend who will bring encouragement or help pray for the situation is different than just kicking up the dust for the sake of making the other person look bad and not desiring a solution.  


Love him unconditionally: As humans we will fail, so when our husbands mess up, so do we, if we point fingers and blame. Of course, this is the time when our husbands need us the most to just love them and forgive them. 
Romans 5:8  But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  
Marriage is one of the areas where we can demonstrate and live out this scripture daily following Jesus example. He gave it all for us when we were still enemies of God.  


I used to be really good at holding grudges.  I'd forgive but it would all resurface when the tension was high.  Through much prayer, God has freed me of that and now I can say that when I forgive, I let it go.  Not only has that made my relationship better but it has also set me free from living in bondage to bitter feelings.  


Pray for him:  It can really be this simple.  The most effective changes happen when we give our problems to the Lord and let Him work it out according to His good and perfect will.  Ladies, we are very shrewd.  We know how to manipulate situations and be three steps ahead of our husbands. But it doesn't always work, does it? Besides, its hard work to have to play out every scenario in our head and have a playbook for every situation we encounter! We like to think we're in control, but the bottom line is, we're not.   


I'm ashamed to admit it, but I was really good at this game, yet it never yielded the results in quite the way I wanted it too. It was when I discovered that God cares about every detail in our life and he understands us, that I began praying about these situations instead of taking matters into my own hands.  What I discovered was wonderful!  When it comes from God, it is He who convicts the heart and brings on change.  A change that is true and lasting.  Its not up to us, its up to God, so bring it too him and let Him work it out! It may not go our way but at the very least we can be confident in knowing that the Lord is directing in the way He feels is best.  


Ecclesiastes: 11:5
As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.


Marriage is an invaluable gift, when we treat it as such. Cherish it, protect it, and nurture it.  May your marriage be blessed with love, full of understanding, and centered in Christ.


Linking up to:
time warp wife



  

The Top

Last year while on a plane trip towards a conference with my husband, we met a wonderful older gentleman who was seated next to us. He shared the following with us and now I'd like to share it with you.

The Top by Zig Zigler

You are at the top when…

You clearly understand that failure is an event, not a person, that yesterday ended last night, and today is your brand new day.

You have made friends with your past, are focused on the present, and optimistic about your future.

You know that success doesn't make you and failure doesn't break you.

You are filled with faith, hope and love; and live without anger, greed, guilt, envy or thoughts of revenge.

You are mature enough to delay gratification and shift your focus from your rights to your responsibilities.

You know that failure to stand for what is morally right is the prelude to being the victim of what is criminally wrong.

You are secure in who you are, so you are at peace with God and in fellowship with man.

You have made friends of your adversaries, and have gained the love and respect of those who know you best.

You understand that others can give you pleasure, but genuine happiness comes when you do things for others.

You are pleasant to the grouch, courteous to the rude and generous to the needy.

You love the unlovable, give hope to the hopeless, friendship to the friendless and encouragement to the discouraged.

You can look back in forgiveness, forward in hope, down in compassion and up with gratitude.

You know that "he who would be the greatest among you must become the servant of all."

You recognize, confess, develop and use your God-given physical, mental and spiritual abilities to the glory of God and for the benefit of mankind.

You stand in front of the Creator of the universe and He says to you, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant."

Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did!