Everything Good

A Day Out Fishing

My hubby and I were out fishing recently, when we suddenly had a visitor come tromping down through the yards, into the lake.  We were joined by Bullwinkle.  He stayed around for about an hour, feasting on lily pads and other plants out in the channel.  My fishing abruptly stopped, and my picture taking and admiration of Bullwinkle filled the hour.  I love living in the Northwest and getting surprises like this when we are out and about.  

Attitude

I thought this quote on attitude was a great way to start off the week.....

The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life.  Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past - we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude - I am convinced that life is ten percent what happens to me and ninety percent how I react to it. And so it is with you - we are in charge of our attitudes.

Charles (Chuck) Swindoll

Do You Have a Checklist?

As a follower of Christ, I have often been told, since I was young, to put God as the number one priority in my life.  At times I have, at times I have not.  There were times when I was so busy trying to make sure God was my number one priority, that He wasn't because I was too centered on my God checklist...prayer, bible study, personal time in God's word, ministry, serving, devotions, you get the idea.  All those are great in themselves, but not when the focus is on the task more than it is on God.  Other times, my priorities shifted and God was put behind my marriage, my family, friendships, my job, ministry, health issues, worry, circumstances.  It was at those times I would panic because I hadn't been spending my 1/2 hour in prayer in the mornings, or my allotted time in the Bible, or I missed two days in a row of not writing in my journal.  All these of course, are MY ideas, not God's.  I would think I had to get God back as my number one priority, or I was in big trouble.  It was something I felt like I failed at all the time because I felt I never DID enough.  

I have learned that the 'making God the number one priority by going through my checklist' is not what God wants.  God wants all of me.  He wants me to be with Him, not focused on a checklist.  A true relationship with my Creator, my Savior, has brought me to understand that concept, and now, God is at the core of who I am, the center of my life.  I breathe prayers to Him all day long, as I go about my day.  I reflect on His word throughout the day, not only by reading, but by remembering, by having His word hidden in my heart so that it is always there.  My life is now God centered, not checklist centered.  It is so much easier to love God that way, and it takes so much self-inflicted performance anxiety away and lets me just be.  Just as I want to spend time with my husband to enrich and grow our relationship, I do the same with my Savior.  Because of grace and mercy offered to me, to all of us, through Christ, I don't have to keep my checklist anymore.  I just have to be with God, in everything.


If God is woven into every aspect of my life, then He is in everything I do, everything I am, my relationships, my marriage, my family, friendships, careers, and things I am involved in.  Living like this means God is a part of my decisions, He is always apart of everything I do.  Do I always get things right, or always remember to invite Him to join me?  Far from it, but it's ok because just like my relationship with my husband, I can mess up and he forgives me, or we laugh about it, and we move on.  God is the same way.  I know He has to laugh at some of the decisions I make, and when I really mess up, He is there to help me back up, dust me off, and offer me grace to begin again.  


The core of my life is Christ.  I try my best to put Him in the center of all I do, of all I am.  I spend time in His word and in prayer because I want to not because I have to.  It's when I try to do things on my own and take Christ out of the center of my life that things spin out of control.  When He is in the center, I can be assured He is there, offering calm in the stormy times of life, giving me His strength to make it through.  


I posted this song before, but it's going through my head as I am writing about putting God in the center of my life, making Him my everything.  There are a lot of great truths in this song, so take time to just close your eyes and listen with your heart.  

One Thing Remains

We Are Sorry, This Blog Has Been Interrupted By Summer

Since Summer FINALLY arrived here in the Northwest, I haven't been on the computer much.  I have been outside, enjoying the sunshine, my garden, flowers, and family.  

First 3D movie for all of us!  Cars 2

The Way

Jeremy Camp - The Way
From the album We Cry Out
All creation cries out with longing
With groans only You could comprehend
And with wisdom, You always answer
And give the words of life
So unfailing

And Your glory shines all around us
Your faithfulness shown for all to see
When we think of all of Your wonders
The beauty of Your plan that's been revealed
We walk in Your light
When we walk in it

(Chorus)
Shine, bright
Let Your glory fill this land
Lift high,
The King of Kings and great I AM
Jesus, You are the way

We can see the works of Your loving hands
With the hope and peace not made by man
When You poured out Your grace and Your mercy
And You held out Your arms
So we can see
And bled for all mankind
Set the captives free

Chorus

Jesus You are the way

Chorus

Jesus You are the way 

Happy 4th

As we celebrate our country's birthday and freedom today, remember to be thankful for your freedoms, and to take a stand for them.  Our freedom's have come at a great cost to many.  Stand strong and proud as an American, not only today, but everyday.  


Thank  you to all who have fought, and continue to fight, to keep our country free.  

Lessons Learned While Stopping for a Sunset

Tonight on my way home from browsing in a bookstore, the sun was starting to set over the Rathdrum prairie.  I pulled off the road to watch the beautiful display of God's handiwork, and of course, to snap a few pictures.  I have always loved sunsets.  They always give me a deep sense that no matter what, God is in control, and He will take care of me.  I needed the peace of that sunset tonight.  I will admit, I was hit pretty hard a week ago by some very malicious lies and it knocked me down hard.  The person who told these outright lies is someone I have known for numerous years, and the lies that she told, were a blatant attack on my character, my family, and my beliefs.  The things said by her were very hurtful, but the most hurtful of the long list of lies she told, was the way she attacked me in my faith.  I have felt for over a decade that when we are together there is a spiritual war going on. There are many details, but those aren't the point.  The point I am making is that after reading what she said about me, the way she attacked me and my family and my faith, I was hurt, very down, and took a lot of her words and let satan use them to make me believe they were true.  It's funny how insecurities can suddenly raise their ugly, unwanted little heads and not want to leave.  My husband, a friend of mine, and deep down inside of me kept saying the lies weren't true, that I was a child of God, deeply loved, and that I was worthy, but my heart kept arguing with those points.  I spent a few days really down.  I was intentionally trying reading scriptures, listening to the sermon from Sunday which even applied to the situation (go figure!), and trying to get out of the hold of mean-spirited, negative, rude, hurtful comments that kept playing over and over in my head, continually.  Coincidently, I started to receive email devotions on negative self talk, and how we take to heart what others say about us when we know it's not true, because God loves us, has a plan for our lives, and made us His masterpiece.  I read the first three, but they didn't sink in.  It was not a fun few days.  

Tonight, however, as I was sitting looking at the sunset, I was also thinking of my Gram.  I don't know why but on the way home, I was really missing her and wishing I could just pick up my phone and call her, but she's been living with Jesus for six years now, so I can't.  As I was sitting on the side of the road, the song Fight Like a Girl by Bomshel came on my CD player, a song written in honor of my friend, Jenny, and her battle with cancer.  If you don't know the song, I will post it below.  I have listened to the CD's in my car numerous times, and have never heard that song come up.  It's on a mix I made up to listen to for when my husband and I were taking dance lessons.  I have no idea why this song was on there, because it's mainly Michael Buble music.  Anyway, I shed a few tears as I thought of Jenny and how much I miss her, too.  I was watching a beautiful sunset on the side of the road, snapping pics, and thinking of two beautiful women who touched my life.  I hit replay, and I hit it again, and again.  The words started to sink in.  I felt like the little girl on the playground getting pushed around and made fun of by the bullies by the afore mentioned person.  This is far from the first incident with her, believe me, just the most vicious one that I have had the 'privilege' to be a part of.  I know from others she condemns me all the time, but I have not heard in person the extreme attacks, just get constant jabs and put downs, but not to the extent of what I experienced last week.  Instead of like the little girl in the song, I ran to my husband and asked why she hated me.  I asked God the same question.  My husband is a mutual party in this.  He told me not to let her bring me down, because I had worth, and she couldn't take it from me.  My friend told me over and over in an email the same thing.  But until tonight, I really didn't let God infiltrate deep into my heart, and make that a truth.  Through this song about standing up and being strong, and not letting someone take the light out of your eyes, I finally let it go.  I sat on the side of the road, with a beautiful sunset as a promise to me that it's ok, she doesn't need to control who I REALLY am.  I know who I am, I am not the person she described and attacked.  I listened to that last verse in the song that talks about my friend, Jenny....this is just another test that God gave me, and I know how to handle this..I'll hold my head high, never let this define me, or take the light from my eyes.  I am working on standing back up and being strong, strong in the Lord, and not giving up, but knowing that through the love of Christ I can overcome this battle, and fight like a girl, just like Jenny did with her illness, just like my Gram did with all she faced in her life.  

Along with the sunset tonight, God lovingly brought to mind two women who faced a lot of trials in their lives, yet kept going, looking to God through it all.  It's amazing how God can work, if we take the time to slow down, even stop, and hear His message to us.  I am glad I stopped tonight to enjoy the sunset.  I am thankful for a song that reminded me of who I am, and that because of Christ, I can keep standing strong, and fight against the lies that satan tries to put in my head and heart, even when it's through someone who is supposed to stand with you, not against you.  I am thankful for God bringing to mind Jenny and Gram, and how the more I listened to the song, over and over, the more I realized I needed to get the light back in my eyes and overcome the darkness that had crept in.  I needed to start fighting like a girl, a girl who is secure in her relationship with a loving Heavenly Father, and I need to remember that, no matter what.  So, as I finish typing this, I have a weight lifted off my shoulders.  The words still sting, but I know that none of them are true.  I have known that the whole time, but I haven't been able to shut off the continuous playback in my head, but I have tonight.  I know who I am, and I am grateful that God reminded me tonight how much I am loved.  

You will know the truth, and the truth will set you free."  John 8:32



For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.  Ephesians 2:10

Sunday Song of Worship

Spiritual Legacy

Building a Spiritual Legacy

Posted on June 23, 2011 by Chip Ingram

If you knew with absolute certainty that you’d die exactly one year from now, who are the top five people that you’d want to invest your time in?  Do you know what you would want to pass on to them after you’re gone?

Every day, without knowing it, we are passing on who we are, what we possess and what we learn. But are we really passing down the stuff that matters?

All of us desire to leave an inheritance of significant value to those around us, but we don’t always know what that includes or how to do it. We plan for how to pass down our wealth, but when it comes down to the intangibles – the kind of stuff money can’t buy – we don’t seem too concerned. We might tell ourselves, it’s OK, and we’ll figure it out later. But the truth is, the average person will fail to pass on what matters the most to the people they care about the most.

Who comes to your mind when you think about those you would want to pass down a lasting inheritance – is it your family, your friends?  Maybe it’s your spiritual children, the people you disciple in your small group, or the people at your workplace or school. It might be different for us all, but one thing is certain: God has uploaded the truth of his spirit into each one of his children. Therefore, it’s our responsibility to “download” – or transfer — to others the truth and the values that God has given us. This is our spiritual legacy.

The apostle Paul compares the Christian life to running a race. In 1 Cor. 9 he says, “Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize.” Each Christian is called to win the prize. The prize does not represent salvation, which is a free gift; the prize is an earned reward.

Paul sees this race as a relay in which each participant passes along the baton to the next runner. In a relay race, if the baton is dropped, the team is disqualified. As Christians, our goal of running the “faith race,” is not only to finish well — which means to life a live that glorifies and pleases God – but to also run the race with purpose. Why else would you run a race if you weren’t in it to win?

By running to win the prize we must pass on the truth and life of Christ that was deposited in us and give it to the “next runner.”

Building a spiritual legacy requires us to live out our faith with transparency and pass down the character traits that God is refining in us.  What might this look like for you?  When you are willing to share how you respond to hardship, approach your work, manage money and make decisions, you bring tremendous, life-changing potential to those around you. Even when your life seems like a train wreck, God can and will use your experiences to help others grow when you trust Him with every area of you life, depend on His Word and live in community with other believers.

This week’s upcoming series, “Download: Passing on What Matters Most” explores how to leave a legacy that stands the test of time. As we learn ways to practically live out our faith in five key areas of life, the secret to passing on God’s truth to others will be revealed.  My prayer is that God will use this series to renew your desire to run the race well and use what He’s given you to change the lives of future generations.  Visit this blog here.