He said, "Clean your house..."

Yesterday I prayed for inspiration, spiritual insight....something to write that would encourage, be meaningful and worth the precious time of anyone who reads my blog.  You know what the whisper of the Lord's voice said to me?  "Clean your house."  I knew what He meant--it was not a huge, earth-shaking spiritual truth, enlarged and imprinted upon my heart.  He meant, practically, "clean your house."  It was time to clean the bathrooms, vacuum, dust, and put clean sheets on the guest room bed.  His direction for me yesterday was to "step" (see my blog "Just a few more steps")  into the practical and be about my "home" making tasks.

And yesterday as I left my devotional and prayer time to fix breakfast, God spoke to me of the practical, and gave me my marching orders for the day.  I had things in mind that needed my attention but if I surrender my life to His purposes, I have to be willing to trust His wisdom and guidance each day.  Hence, yesterday I cleaned my house and cooked, and offered up a good hot meal to my Man--all what most people recognize as practical tasks.  I kept talking with the Lord about my blog, but He kept saying, "You can trust me for that".  So that's what I did.  I thought all day as I went about cleaning and cooking, "Okay, Lord, is this something to write about?".

This morning I continued reading  the story of Joseph's second ascension in Pharoah's kingdom of Egypt in my Daily Bible.  Lots of good stuff to learn in Joseph's life story.  From the spiritual of God given-dreams and interpretations to God-ordained power in a specific time in history... to practical wisdom, knowledge, and authority to develop a plan for Egypt to save the increased harvest during years of prosperity and make them available during the coming years of famine...to save not only his country but his family from that famine...spiritual meets practical, practical meets spiritual. And far above all that is this overriding truth....God is God of our world--personal and global, daily and eternal, practical and spiritual.

We really can't neglect either one.  They are intermingled, and in fact all is spiritual if our reality is God's kingdom now and for eternity.  Woven together just like the threads of the throw on our guest room bed--pull one thread and the whole country scene is marred--neglecting the practical in our life will eventually reflect badly on our spiritual walk, and vice versa.  The practical and spiritual are really one reality--they actually make a complete picture, just like the one on my throw.

This reality is a life-saver for me--housecleaning is not one of my favorite things to do. But as I went about it yesterday, looking, listening for and seeking my Lord in those tasks, the practicality of cleaning and cooking became a treasure hunt. I felt certain He would speak to me or at least bless me in my spirit for following his directions for my day. And, for those of you who either know or desire the sweet fellowship we can have with the Lord, let me tell you, I did find the treasure of that fellowship as I walked in obedience to the Lord's priority for my day. To have heard His voice in the morning, and known His fellowship all day--can words express the significance that that gives the "dailyness" of my life?

We have a God who is infinitely involved in our daily life--all spiritual and practical. We have a God who speaks to us!  We have a God who delights in us!  We have a God who directs our path!  We have a God who is a rewarder of our faith in Him! And He has given us a soul that above all things yearns for Him and finds it's purest happiness and joy in Him. 

Be encouraged with me...even the practical "housekeeping" of physical and spiritual life can be a treasure hunt of spiritual blessings as we walk with the Lord, Our God....and the phone is ringing as I finish this post....my daughter-in-law and son are on the way to the hospital...it is time for baby Colt to enter this world...I will be having overnight guests tonight....guess my Lord knew I needed to get the housed cleaned yesterday....isn't He wonderful!!  Talk to you later....time to see my new grandson!!

Just a Few More Steps

 My kids laugh at me because of the things I save.  Some of you will laugh too....aluminum foil sheets that are still clean and not torn after covering a dish that is now empty...rubber bands from the green onions and celery bought at the grocery store...twisties from bread bags...zip lock bags that can be cleaned out...shipping boxes...decorative tissue paper from gift bags...and gift bags...I'm feeling your snickers now!!  The years I spent raising my family on ranches has a lot to do with this habit of saving. When the grocery store is not around the block, and you're not very good at remembering to take your grocery list with you when you do drive the distance into town to shop (do you do that too?...please say you do!), saving things for future use becomes a necessity.

But honestly I laugh at some of this too...like when I open my "junk" drawer in the kitchen and there are a gazillion twisties in there!  But be encouraged...when I cleaned out that junk drawer I was willing to throw away a lot of that junk!

Today, though, I needed to repair one of those things that I keep--a zippered bag that quilts and comforters come in.  I keep all those bags...also the small ones that come with pillow cases, sheets, and curtains.  I've used these for all kinds of things--for keeping your garage sale items organized,  keeping just about anything organized and protected that will fit in them--greeting cards that you buy on sale, sewing notions... you get the idea.  (ok, enough of the "good housekeeping" tips)  So I had a mattress topper in its original bag, but the bag was torn.  I really wanted to keep it in that bag, so I headed for the kitchen to get some tape to repair it.

As I got to the kitchen, the thought occurred to me that packing tape would be better for this repair than regular one inch tape, but the packing tape is in another room...hesitation to decide which way to go...and then a voice in my head said, "the packing tape is just a few more steps away...".  That thought actually stopped me in my tracks. "JUST A FEW MORE STEPS AWAY...".

How many times in my life have I NOT gone the distance to accomplish a task well, or "settled" for progress rather than overwhelming victory....stopped short of going "just a few more steps".

I'm not talking about perfection here...not at all.  I have those perfectionist tendencies....but what I'm hearing from the Lord is about the steps HE wants me to take as HE reveals a path, a few more steps away.... from whatever my heart and mind are seeking....His wisdom, His knowledge, His answer, His will, His revelation, His plan, His path...

He has given us such wonderful promises.  Promises that He will reveal His way, the steps we need to take in our daily walk with Him. Those promises tell us that He will speak to us...like His voice that gave life to the words I heard in my head this morning...."just a few more steps away." His Word, written and spoken, is a light that will guide us, counsel that will give us wisdom, and He will watch over us...just like we watch over our children....

Isaiah 30:21
Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, 'This is the way, walk in it,' whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left'   

Am I listening for His voice?

Psalm 32:8

I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you and watch over you.

Am I teachable and willing to accept His counsel?

 Psalm 119:105
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path

Am I choosing to stay in the dark or turn the light on and get in His Word, then follow the path that is lit up before me?

Proverbs 16:9
A man’s heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his steps.

Am I sticking with my plan, or letting Him direct my steps?

Isaiah 48:17
This is what the LORD says—
   your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
“I am the LORD your God,
   who teaches you what is best for you,

   who directs you in the way you should go.

 Whoa!  The Holy One of Israel...the LORD my God is speaking...and I think of a drill sargent getting in my face and in that authoritative holler saying..."YOU ARE MINE, PRIVATE...I REDEEMED YOU...I AM THE LORD YOUR GOD...DO YOU UNDERSTAND?...I WILL DIRECT YOU...AND NOTHING ELSE WILL WORK OUT TOO WELL FOR YOU....

DO YOU UNDERSTAND?"

Sometimes His direction IS right in our face...but...He is not a drill sargent, red-faced, veins popping, ready to eat us up and spit us out if we don't do what he says.  His is a gentle voice, often just a whisper; or a written Word, needing to be read; a learned Bible verse ready to pop into our consciousness, and sometimes a burning bush...a light in our darkness...and our willingness to really hear and obey is totally voluntary. So we don't always hear his still small voice directing us toward His way....we are too busy....too distracted....not listening....depending on ourselves instead of Him....dwelling on the problem instead of on God...or just not willing to take "just a few more steps" to find His way.

But when we do hear His voice, listen to His message, walk in the steps illumined for us...our soul is filled with hope, peace, and the fullness of Knowing OUR Lord. It happens everyday....if we're listening....if we follow..."just a few more steps...."

John 8:12
When Jesus spoke again to the people, he said, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Lessons from A Stained Glass Window

I'd always wanted a stained glass window.  And one day last summer, I found this one.  It was a nice day in Comfort, a wonderful Texas town, historical, peaceful, comfortable.--the last day of a summer fling with 4 friends from high school, our ninth summer of getting together.  These ladies are very special friends.  We are all from Corpus Christi, Tx., went to some of the same schools together from 1st thru 12th grade, and were members of the same church youth group.  One was my roommate in college too.  We were in each others' weddings, we knew each others' parents and siblings, and have loved each other through the ups and downs of life... and many of the down sides were very tragic times.  We've also shared the good things...babies, fun times, spiritual growth, second marriages, return of prodigals, triumph over hardships; the love and support of just knowing you have those long term relationships in life that are a constant for you...people that offer grace to you because they have known you so long...they know your history...and love you anyway...they know your weaknesses...and love you anyway...they know your strengths...and appreciate you...they know your struggles...and pray for you.

So last summer I got my longed-for stained glass window, while I was with some of the people that know me best in this world.  I put it in the kitchen window that looks out into the "sun room" that became my husband's wood shop (not the greatest scene out the kitchen window). Today, I was trying to find the perfect place for  six yellow roses my husband gave me for Mother's Day, and decided to try them in front of my stained glass window.  Well....I liked that....and then....an "ah ha!" moment...my life in Christ is like my stained glass window...

My life was stained by sin and the world, but by the power of Christ's death that paid for my sin, His resurrection that gave me new and eternal life, and His transforming grace, He made me to be a window that can reveal the Light of Christ to the world.

God's truth says my life is hidden behind the beauty of Jesus Christ, just like the wood shop is hidden behind my stained glass window (Col 3:3 "For you have died and your life is hidden with Christ in God).  No matter how "pretty", "cute" or "plain", aren't you glad what really makes us beautiful is the life of Christ that shines through our earth suit? He takes broken pieces of glass, particles of sand heated in the furnace of a life...holds them together by the lead of His great promises, and uses His carpenter skills to frame us and use us to reflect His glory....beauty from ashes.... 

You know, scripture also says His light shines ON us and THROUGH us (Numbers 6:25; Matt. 5:14-16),  I tried taking some pictures of my stained glass window without a flash, just to see if the light coming through the window would look brighter...but it didn't. The window needs light from both sides to demonstrate it's full beauty. Darkness on either side, blots out the intricacies of the glass. Daily looking at Jesus, His Word, meditating on His truth instead of myself, allows His light to shine on me and through me.  Then my imperfections become opaque, letting His transforming light become the beauty that others see.

In my simple window, there are only two colors--amber and blue. The waviness of the glass' uneven surface  though, allows the light coming through the medallion design to be transformed into a kaleidoscope of color, looking like many pieces of glass....much more complex than it really is. So the valleys and the mountain tops of my individual life are part of God's amazingly creative touch, that allow His character and glory to be revealed in me, a simple stained glass window....