the least of these

"Then those 'sheep' are going to say, 'Master, what are you talking about? When did we ever see you hungry and feed you, thirsty and give you a drink? And when did we ever see you sick or in prison and come to you?' Then the King will say, 'I'm telling the solemn truth: Whenever you did one of these things to someone overlooked or ignored, that was me—you did it to me.'" (matthew 25:37-40-msg)

I woke up this morning with this scripture rolling in my mind.  I'd like to think it's because Jesus is reminding me of the people who were "overlooked and ignored" and I noticed.  maybe He's thanking me.  I'd like to think He's giving me props.

but I wonder if He's setting me up today.  you know.. opening my eyes before I get bombarded.  I wonder if He just wanted me to have it fresh on my mind before I go out into a world of 'overlooked and ignored".   today.

I come in contact with them all the time.  sometimes I wish I could put on glasses that flash a little one-liner over every person's head as I look at them.  just a phrase that gives me a clue.

..looking for a friend..

..fighting addiction..

..missing her mom..

..wishing he could die..

that way I'd just know what they're looking for.  I wouldn't have to guess.

if there's one thing I've learned, it's that you can't ever guess what someone's going through.  it's impossible to know all of a story just by looking at a person.  I mean, I've met some people who look good.  they put on expensive perfume and lipstick and bat their long eyelashes -- but inside they hate who they are -- and they have deep, deep hurts. 

I'm sometimes amazed at how long a 'cover' can last. 
but then again.. who of us wants our true 'self' to show all the time.  we all have days we are less than our best and we've learned to disguise well.. especially women. 
we are masters.

so for me this morning, I wonder if Christ has come to remind me that sometimes the 'least of these' isn't the suspected culprit.  sometimes it's the one who looks like they're ready for a night on the town.  sometimes it's not obvious.

today I pray I'll be able to see things as they are.
that my eyes will become His eyes.
boy... wouldn't that be nice. 


or would it?

I can't believe it.

my daughter got a new iphone4 for her birthday.
2 weeks ago.

yesterday, she was standing in the bathroom talking and when she turned around it flew out of her hand and into the toilet.

she immediately grabbed it and started shaking it - water flinging out both ends.  she held a hairdryer on all of it's "openings" trying to get as much moisture out as possible.
then she completely submerged it in a glass full of rice.

this morning I went in the kitchen, pulled the phone out, re-booted it and it started buzzing with received text messages.  we charged it and it seems to be completely fine.

I don't know if she's the luckiest girl in the world or the smartest.

probably a combination of the two.

it's just words..

do you think about what you say?
I mean.. before you say it.

I went through a lot of years of my life saying exactly what I think without a thought of who cared.. it was my opinion, it was valid, and besides, I probably knew a little more about what I was talking about than the listener.

and then I met Scott.

this man doesn't say anything before he thinks about it.
and I mean anything.

I remember the first argument we ever had.  after it was over, he sat me down and had a little chat with me.  he didn't say a lot.  only that he believed when the Bible says  we will be held accountable for 'every careless word', It means it. (matthew 12:26 nasb)

as a side note, the niv says "every empty word"

so from that moment on, I have been more careful about my mouth. 
it may be hard for you to believe if you know me.  because I still have a strong opinion, and I often speak it.. but from that day to this, I have been very careful about spouting off.  and certainly careful about telling people off.  I just don't do it.  and if I ever do, the Holy Spirit sits on my shoulder reminding me about it until I go back and take care of it.

lucky for me, I married Scott and I have lived in a household without careless words.
ever.
and I mean ever.
in 17 years, not one time has he said anything derogatory to me, our children, or anyone else.  he always, always thinks before he talks.  he never speaks an 'empty' word.  even in anger.

what an example.

this last Sunday, our lesson was on words.
and this morning I've been re-reading some of the scripture.

proverbs 18:21
'The tongue can bring death or life; those who love to talk will reap the consequences." (tlb)

I'm re-committing my life today to words of praise.
I'm realizing that however high I want my relationships to go, my words have to go there first.  because words sow seeds. 
just like you can't plant a tomato and get a watermelon, you can't reap good relationships from bad words. 


come back to this scripture the next time you remember someone in your past-maybe from years ago-who said something to you that comes back to your mind. 
good or bad. 
be reminded that words don't evaporate.

incidentally, the next verse in proverbs says this, 'the man who finds a wife finds a treasure and he receives favor from the Lord."
if the mouth speaks out of the overflow of the heart, I want my words to be sweet.
I'm pretty sure I'm not a 'treasure' otherwise.

white as snow

Isaiah 1:18 “Come now, let us settle the matter,” says the LORD. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow"

It snowed last night. it's the most beautiful snow I've ever seen. very dry.. it's like crystals all over the ground. I was looking out the window this morning at the back porch. there isn't much snow on the table and chairs - just what blew up there - but it's so beautiful.

immediately, I heard the words to an old hymn in my head. .."now wash me and I will be whiter than snow.."

then I went to the Word. I love how it begins. "let us settle the matter," says the LORD.

the Message says it perfectly, 'enough with your arguing.'
listen to me.
this is how it IS.
it's settled.

it doesn't matter how much I bring up the past or what my opinion is, it's settled.

have you ever dropped something liquid in snow? it immediately ruins the white, flawless look. the liquid even bleeds all around where you drop it and discolors the whole area. and there's no way to get it back to the way it was. once it's disturbed, it's never white again. really white. like it is when it falls from the sky.

now add to that - red. red doesn't play.
paint, icing, fingernail polish, blood, kool-aid, ink, food coloring, even fabric..
red is not a friendly color. it's selfish.
it wants everything around it to be left with its mark.
and scarlet is just worse.. it's dark red.
there's no getting away from it. once you get dark red on you, you can use paint thinner, acetone, bleach.. and you can fade it - but you're not back to normal - it just has to wear off.

"though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow".

only God can do that.

change what is scarlet into white.

so today I am thankful for salvation.

for the way that God, in a way only He can, takes what is ruined and makes it completely new. white. flawless. blameless. crystal clear.

and that, my friend, is amazing. at least through my eyes.

the best kept secret

today is my daughter's birthday. she's 14.

FOURTEEN!

I can't believe how quickly time has gone by.
her favorite place to eat (right now) is 501 cafe' in classen curve and they only serve breakfast on saturdays..so today we went.

they have another location north of here and you can't kick your way through there on saturdays. the one in classen curve just started serving weekend breakfast in november and apparently no one knows. we nearly had the place to ourselves.

check out the menu - I split the Black Bean Quesadillas with my sister in law and it was amazing.

so today, before 10am, I'd already started a great day - a yummy breakfast and a birthday celebration of my favorite girl in the world.

a good man

today I am thankful for the man who calls me his wife.
he's a good man.
I don't deserve him. he's far better to me than I deserve.
I don't know how in the world no one snatched him up .. but they didn't and he found me.
and I am thankful.

there's not a better dad -- a better husband on earth.
and that's how I see things through my eyes.

has it really been 6 months?

so.. I just read my blog.. the one I started in july as a journal. too bad I didn't go ahead and chronicle these last 6 months. it's been quite a journey and it's unfortunate I won't be able to remember each detail.. so I'll just pick up here..


take 2.


first of all, a shout out to my one follower! hi brittany. I just saw that you've checked in here.. not sure how you discovered me, but hello. :)


it's been 6 months and life is different.


I somehow did get out of that funk. I don't know what in the world it was.. other than disappointment in myself that I was getting up day after day and not doing a thing to change the things about myself I didn't like - but I'm out of it.
(thank goodness, since it's been 6 months)

• my kids are now 16 and 14
• my son is driving. the older he gets the more I enjoy him in our house. how we got so lucky I'll never know
• my daughter is growing as a person and as a basketball player - which is her deep goal - and I'm proud of her
• my husbands business is better than ever. (which is amazing in winter.. in this economy)
• I'm learning anew a lesson about God. you canNOT out-give Him
• I've lost 46 pounds
• I'm working on new and improved ways to meet God daily and get to know Him on my own

• I read "parenting teens with love and logic"...my friend melissa told me about it and I bought it in hardcover and audio.. and I now swear by it. it's revolutionized my relationship with my son. when I have an issue or wonder how to handle something, I go to the reference BEFORE we talk and I leave the conversation abundantly thankful I didn't find this book 5 years from now. if you have teenagers, go get it. today. very quickly I realized our problems (as little as they were) were not about him. most of them were about me. I'm learning how to approach parenting differently and quit making his adult problems my problems. I'm learning how to set boundaries for a mature young man (and young lady) and how to allow them to have natural consequences for not keeping their end of the bargain... after all, I can teach them or the world will..right?

• did I mention I've lost 46 pounds?
• I'm working on (finally) adding window treatments to the house I've lived in for 5 years. (I know.. nice..)
• I have actually started an exercise routine.. which is a miracle if you know me.
• I've always been organized..I think from birth.. but I'm simplifying. I'm cleaning out and giving away and keeping our lives as cleared out as possible - we americans can really stack things up
• I've already begun my list of things I'm going to do on my month off this summer.. not going back to that hole I was in last year
• and yesterday we booked a house in the mountains for 16 people.. we're going with friends and family at the first of july and it's going to be a great time. intentionally.

so things are a little different around here.


my perspective of myself is changing.. literally. I honestly had resolved to the fact that I'd never be able to shop in the 'juniors' section again - and I'm there.. not very often - but now it's because I know I'm too old to look like that - not because I can't fit into it --which is much, MUCH different.


maybe I didn't stick with blogging because I didn't want to tell people how depressed I was. it's too bad.. it might have been helpful to see how I daily came out of it..


and did I mention..
I'VE LOST FOURTY SIX POUNDS!!


45 was my goal. I'm going another 15.