Tip of the Day 7/13/12

Word for Today, Beloved: I am a lover of words and good literature. When I read a story or poetry written in a beautiful style, I am inspired to speak in a more refined manner. To season my speech with grace as the Bible tells me to. The word "beloved" is found often as we read the works of great writers like Jane Austen or Louisa Mae Alcott, Shakespear and Dickinson. A few months ago I told one of my girlfriends every time I was with her I felt inspired to speak as if I was in an Austen novel. But this is also the language of David and Solomon and Jesus. I love the beautiful words and language used throughout the Bible. It is my language guide, to teach me to season my speech with grace. Do we inspire others to a gentler form of speech? Our heart speaks through the mouth. What is your heart saying? "I am my beloved's and his desire is toward me."

Tip of the Day 7/12/12

99 Days of Summer:  It has been so dry in most of the country that your car is probably covered with a nice layer of dust. Today would be a great time to enjoy washing your vehicles. Get the hose and some buckets, everyone put on their bathing suits and get cool while accomplishing a needed task. Your car and the kids will thank you.

 Word for Today, Companion: As Richard and I are about to celebrate of 32nd wedding anniversary I was reminded of weddings he has performed over the years. One has always stood out to me as really special. It was a ceremony he did with a Spanish Pastor named Ricardo. One of the parts of the ceremony included a beautiful hand beaded lasso that was placed around the bride and groom. It was two loops that held the bride and groom together and the pastors explained to them the concept of holding each other up or causing the other to stumble. It was a beautiful picture of what marriage could and should be. This is a concept that should be a part of all of our relationships. Do we support those around us, or do we cause them to stumble and sometimes fall because of our actions? "Two are better than one... For if they fall, one will lift up his companion." "Let us not put a stumbling block or a cause to fall in our brother's way."

Tip of the Day 7/09/12

99 Days of Summer: The past two weeks have been pretty non-enjoyable for most of the country. The horrible fires, storms on the east coast, heat wave across the nation, and on and on have caused many of us to just retreat inside. But, we are getting a respite from most of the situations and now is a time of rebuilding and regrouping for many people. A great way to spend these "dog days of summer' would be to find a relief effort or an organization that could use some extra hands from volunteers. Soup kitchens need help even in the summer, not just on the holidays. Habitat for Humanity does the bulk of their work in the summer. Check with your local Habitat Restore to see if they could use some volunteer help. Don't just sit there, get up and help where you can. You will be glad you did.

 Word for Today, Fashion: Most women love new clothes. We are constantly looking for that perfect outfit. We spend time in front of mirrors trying on different combinations looking for just the right thing to wear for a special occasion. We want everything from our PJ's to our little black dress to be right for us. We look for the right fit, color, and style that are most flattering. Most men don't obsess over their clothes as much as women do, but they want their clothing to be comfortable and reflect their personality and style. There will come a time we no longer have to stand in front of a mirror to see if what we are wearing is just right for us. God has prepared the perfect "outfit" for us to wear for all eternity. He knows the right color, pure white, and he knows the right fit, covering our sin and shame with His righteousness. We don't need Stacy and Clinton of "What Not to Wear" to tell us what looks best, our Creator is the ultimate fashion authority for eternity. "I have removed your iniquity from you, and I will clothe you with rich robes." "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness."

Tip of the Day 7/06/12

99 Days of Summer:  My husband grew up camping, I did not. His father was a Naturalist with The Park Service and he lived in National Parks his entire childhood, Yosemite, Glacier, Badlands, and vacations were spent camping. This meant sleeping under the stars most of the time. It has always sounded like an idyllic childhood. My family always stayed in hotels when we traveled. My Mom's idea of a vacation was not cooking and cleaning. Throughout our married life I have convinced Richard to camp a few times, but it has been the exception, not the rule. He likes to say, "my idea of roughing it is slow room service." We own a tent and all the equipment and I keep dreaming that one summer we will use it. Camping in the backyard can be a great option for "vacationing" when you can't get away. The kids love it and it is a great money saver. By camping in the yard you can vacation every weekend if you want to. Of course there are probably plenty of campgrounds close to home and you will feel like you have gotten away with little expense.

 Word for Today, Word: When I was in 5th or 6th grade I used a word at school that I had no idea what it meant. It was not a nice word and since I grew up in an environment where that type of language was never used, I have no idea how I knew it. Since I am old and that was during the age of black and white TV, four letter words were not a part of what we heard while watching The Andy Griffith Show or Gilligan's Island. There were shows that started to push the envelope of language and behavior in the mid-sixties like The Smothers Brothers and Laugh-In, but compared to what we here today... Sadly this language has become so common place that most of society has become desensitized to it. It is rare to watch or read anything without it. There are several things about this trend downhill that are disturbing. Not only is the language offensive, it shows a lack of intelligence. Kids today use four letter words throughout a conversation just as in the past kids used the word "like" repeatedly. They are completely unaware they are even saying it. Their words have no substance. One of the reasons authors from the past have endured is the beautiful pictures they painted with the language they used, from the Psalms of David to Jane Austen or Emmerson, the language was beautiful. The Bible tells us that out of the heart, the mouth speaks. As I listen to the speech of today, it is sad to realize that the hearts of so many are so devoid of beauty and substance. "Let your speech always be seasoned with grace."

Tip of the Day 7/05/12

99 Days of Summer:  I hope everyone had a safe and fun 4th of July. It was like a mini-vacation in the middle of the week. Today I would like to offer another option for what can be considered a "stay-cation." Is there something you have always wanted to learn how to do, but never seem to have the time or money? Maybe it is learning to sail or surf, to use a potter's wheel or paint, to weave or quilt, to build your own solar panels or raised garden beds. There are classes for everything we can imagine, but they all take time. Several years ago Richard was inspired by cooking shows to learn some real skills and decided instead of a regular vacation we would spend 8 Saturdays attending cooking classes. It was amazing. We looked forward to a fun activity together every week and then put what we learned into practice. It was a wonderful, all summer, "vacation." The rewards have been as lasting as any vacation we have ever taken. The key was, as a married couple, doing it together. There are plenty of options for a family to pursue together, or if you are single, ask a friend to join you. Pursue a dream this summer.

 Word for Today, Enough: The other day I heard a conversation quoted where a millionaire was asked, "how do you know when you have enough money?" His smug answer was, "it is never enough." How tragic to go through life always feeling like you need more money in order to be be happy. Can you enjoy what you have if you are always striving for more? I grew up in a home where we always had enough. My Dad worked hard and provided a wonderful home, clothing, food, and fun for our family. I always found it strange when I talked to other people that never took family vacations because we took a big one every other year. My Dad was a police officer and my Mom was a stay-at-home Mom except for a couple of years. Yet we always had enough. Most of our married life I have been a stay-at-home mom and wife as well. It is what I feel called to. It has meant times of sacrifice, but it was and is what is right for our family. Through the years we have always had enough. There have been times of testing when the temptation to step out of what God has designed for our home and family to seek for more has risen. But God has always been faithful to provide for every NEED just as He has promised to do. If you have a desire for a change of circumstances in your home, take the time to seek the Lord for His guidance. It is amazing how many things we see as needs really are habits. Do you really need the level of cable TV you are paying for? We just cut our phone bill by $60 a month by searching for a better option and really evaluating our needs. What about eating habits? Is your crockpot just sitting in the cabinet? It takes an act of our will to recognize what is enough and make the changes to live within it. If you are feeling a call as a wife or mom to come home, there will be sacrifice. If as a husband or father you want more time for your family, there will be great sacrifice. There are seasons of life where we have to do things that are not our first choice, but God rewards that sacrifice. But, if you are being called to make some changes, take a step of faith. That first step will bring you to enough. "Having food and clothing, with these we shall be content."

Tip of the Day 7/03/12

99 Days of Summer;  As Richard and I planned or "vacation" for this year, and decided we would make it a "stay-cation" as we did several years ago, we decided on an option a little different than last time. Rather than Day Trips or activities, we decided to treat our house like a vacation home or cabin. We didn't make the bed (that is so hard for me), we didn't cook with the food in the freezer and pantry (we bought things we would not normally make, like lobster and clams), we ate cookies in bed, we spent time in our backyard, we slept in and stayed in bed reading and talking for hours, we ate at restaurants in our town that we had never tried before, we got dressed up and splurged on a nice dinner out, we acted like tourists in our own town. In order to fully enjoy this type of a vacation you have to set your mind to thinking like you don't live in your house. Shut doors to rooms that you wouldn't have in a vacation home, the office, sewing room, etc. Stop the mail like you would on a regular vacation. Eat foods you enjoy on vacation and don't fix for everyday meals. We always buy snack food on trips, but rarely at home. Act like you are on vacation and you will be. There are several advantages to this type of vacation: 1) No travel time and you begin to unwind much faster 2) The money you would spend on gas and hotels can be spent on lasting purchases. We used what would have been the cost of one day on the road to purchase a new blender/food processor and the cost of another day on a TV that needed to be replaced. It was great for the budget. 3) You can help the economy of your own home town. I highly recommend trying this type of vacation.

 Word for Today, Lean: The Lord has really been speaking to my heart since listening to the message from Sunday. This is a quote from that message: "If you are weary and burdened, you have either taken upon yourself things that the Lord has not intended, or you are fighting against where He has placed you and the plan He has for you." (HT: Richard Grom)
This is what the Lord has spoken to my heart regarding this topic:
1) We live in a fallen world, and even though I am a believer in Jesus as my Savior, the choices of others will still impact my life even when they are not God's perfect will for me.
2) God has established a way for me to be able to go through those situations and for me to learn from them.
3) He has allowed me the choice of being yoked to Him in a way perfectly fitted for me that allows Him to carry the burden of the weight in any situation.
4) Just as the eyes of those that came against Israel could not see the spiritual battle that was raging around them, neither can we. I cannot imagine how much worse any situation would be, no matter how bad it looks through my human eyes, if I could see the part Jesus is carrying.
5) I cannot choose what comes into my life, but I can choose to let Jesus carry the bulk of the load, as His yolk for me is intended to do, and, like the younger ox that is is yolked to an older, wiser ox, learn from Him.
6) We will never NOT have a battle, but we will ALWAYS have a choice in how we will walk through it.
One of the action words Jesus uses to teach us is "to trust." This is translated from the original Hebrew, "to lean on." As we willingly wear the yoke God has designed to fit us perfectly we are able to rest, to lean on it, as we tread through whatever comes our way. The younger ox didn't get placed in the yoke with the older ox and just stand there while the older did all the work. He had to follow him, imitate what he was doing, and learn to do the same, or he would have been greatly injured as the other ox pulled him along. He learned to trust the wisdom and strength of the older ox and as he "leaned on" him, he grew stronger with each step he took. He learned when the older ox stopped to stop, not plow on ahead. We will find rest as we lean on Jesus even as we tread through the grain of this life. And just like the ox grew strong, so will we. And, just as the ox ate the reward of his labor, so will we. We must take our eyes off what we are walking through and trust the One that is leading us through it.
"He who heeds the word wisely will find good, and whoever (leans on) the Lord, happy is he." Proverbs 16: 20
"You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he (leans on) You. (Lean on) the Lord forever, for in Yah, the Lord, is everlasting strength." Isaiah 26: 3 - 4

Tip of the Day 7/02/12

99 Days of Summer: After 10 wonderful days of vacation I am feeling refreshed and renewed. This year we chose to do what has been named a "Stay-cation" in recent years. We first did this several years ago and had so much fun we decided to do it again. We approached the time differently this year and this week I would like to share some ideas for different types of "stay-cations." For our first "stay-cation" we planned a week of activities, day trips, movie outings, beach time, camping in the back yard, etc. It was a lot of fun and we did a lot of the things visitors to our area do, but seldom the residents. A great way to plan this type of "stay-cation" is to approach it as you would a vacation anywhere. Pick up brochures or go online for ideas and plan the "trip." Plan a budget just as you would for any vacation. The advantages are obvious, lower gasoline expense, no hotel fees, money stays in your community, more time for fun because of no travel time. If you enjoy where you live, but never seem to have the time to enjoy what the area offers, consider this type of vacation this year.

 Word for Today, Desire: Our youngest daughters name is Desrie', which means desire. She, as well as all of our daughters, were an answer to the desire of my heart to be a mom. It is often hard to understand how God works in our lives to fulfill our desires. At the age of 22, recovering from a hysterectomy, I certainly did not not see how my desire to be a mom could ever be fulfilled. But God! The beautiful thing is God goes above and beyond what our desires are to fulfill His purposes. I was overjoyed at being blessed with our two daughters and step daughter, but 10 years later God said, here's more, and we were blessed with two more daughters. As I have watched them grow up, marry, have children, and now their children having children, I find myself in awe. My vision for myself was so small. He looked deep in my heart and knew my deepest desires. As we surrender our will to His hand, and trust that He knows best, we desire what He wants and accept what He knows is best. I wanted children, and was "satisfied" with our first gifts, but God saw that the older girls needed a family and decided that was the completion of my desire. "Delight yourself in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass."