Sneaking Around at Night

I blame it on my family genes - on my mother's side. I love the night! The house is quiet. Everyone is sleeping. I can do exactly what I want to do. No one is talking. I do not have to consult with anyone on which Hallmark movie I choose to watch. It is WONDERFUL!

Then, it comes time to go to bed. Let me refresh your memory . . . the house is quiet, everyone is sleeping . . . One must continue to be quiet in order to get to bed without waking up the entire household. Never fear, I am here to help in this endeavor with a few tips for maneuvering through the house in the dark without waking up the sleeping people:

1. DO NOT leave the dishwasher door standing open. It really hurts when it hits your shins and can cause you to scream out in pain. (I put this one as number one because the memory is still very fresh!)

2.  DO NOT leave a basket of laundry in the floor at the foot of the bed (especially if there is a sleeping person in that bed). Again, when you hit that basket, it hurts . . .

3.  During the Christmas season, DO NOT put Christmas ornaments containing jingle bells around all of the door knobs. This one is very important if you need to open or shut one of those doors.

4. DO NOT attempt to walk across a room where Legos have been left on the floor. Same here as in numbers one and two - it really hurts when you step on one and it can cause you to scream out in pain.

5. DO NOT open those squeaky drawers in the bathroom that is right next to where your husband is sleeping. Just don't do it. It will wake him up every single time! To solve this problem, brush your teeth prior to him going to bed. Of course, this does do away with that midnight snack, but sometimes sacrifices must be made.

In other words, be prepared for those nighttime walks through the house in the dark. Plan ahead, people, plan ahead! Get rid of those surprises. On the positive side, it would be rather hard for someone to break into our house and maneuver around in the dark without waking up my sleeping husband.

On a more serious note, speaking of being prepared, God's word tells us something similar:

For you know very well that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. While people are saying, “Peace and safety,” destruction will come on them suddenly, as labor pains on a pregnant woman, and they will not escape. But you, brothers and sisters, are not in darkness so that this day should surprise you like a thief. You are all children of the light and children of the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness. So then, let us not be like others, who are asleep, but let us be awake and sober. For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, get drunk at night. But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, putting on faith and love as a breastplate, and the hope of salvation as a helmet. For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.  I Thessalonians 5:2-11

Lately, the thief has been trying to steal my JOY. With everything going on around us and thinking about the realization of my family celebrating our first Christmas without my daddy, my heart was feeling very heavy and sad. Then my eyes were opened. No, you cannot have my JOY. My salvation and my JOY come from Jesus. I am reclaiming my JOY. I will wear the breastplate of faith and love and the hope of my salvation as my helmet.

If needed, may you too reclaim your JOY! May the root of your JOY be in the hope of your salvation through Jesus.

Tami

A Few of My Thoughts

As I scroll through my Facebook feed, I do not have to read very many posts to know that those on my friend list have drastically different views on world events, nutrition, healthcare, religion, and life in general. I have also noticed that no matter the opinion, there is a blog post, news article, or someone else's Facebook post to support each opinion.

There are few absolutes in my life. One is that my faith and trust are in Jesus Christ as the Savior of the world and as my Savior. I know that not all on my friend list have this faith as I do, but it doesn't mean that I can't be friends with those people. I know for certain that one person with whom I grew up and who is very dear to my heart has a drastically different lifestyle than I, but I love this person dearly. I also have a friend on my friend list who is not just one of those casual friend list people but someone with whom I have truly shared day-to-day life and this person has a Muslim background. I have no doubt that this person is hurting over what is happening in the world just as my Christian friends are hurting over what is happening in the world.

Am I supposed to ostracize myself from my friend just because of what some bad people have done who also happen to be Muslim? Does our relationship change in any way? Do I view my friend any differently? No, I don't. I love my friend. I love my friend's family - the two precious children who have played in my home . . . there are fond memories of trips to the park and meals shared. The view that I have of my friend has not changed.

Questions keep popping into my head. As a Christian, Bible-believing woman, I go to the Bible, the Holy Word of God, for my answers. 

For whom did Jesus die? 

He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world. 1 John 2:2

Now, I am not saying that every sin is automatically forgiven. One has to accept Jesus as Savior and ask for forgiveness from sin, but this invitation is freely offered to EVERYONE.

If you declare with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Romans 10:9

Exactly whom am I supposed to love? (I have a previous blog post on this one.)

Jesus replied: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments." Matthew 22:37-40

As these verses clearly state, I am to love above all else - first God and then others. That is all others. I do not get to pick and choose.

Is God aware of what is happening?

Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care. And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. So don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows. Matthew 10:29-31

Yes, He most certainly is and He tried to prepare us for it.

. . . In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. John 16:33

The real key to everything is Jesus - accepting Him, seeking Him, following Him, doing as He leads you to do. I only answer for me. You will answer only for yourself. It doesn't matter what your friend, spouse, parents, kids believe, do or say. It comes down to what you believe and then what you do with that belief.

My desire is to be the person God desires for me to be. I believe that is where true peace, true joy is obtained. For every person that looks differently.

Don't take my word for anything. Do your own research. Read the Bible. Find answers for yourself. If you haven't already done so, trust Jesus and follow His plan for your life. I believe that you will be glad you did.

Continuously seeking Jesus in order to have JOY . . .

Tami

Giving Up

Do you ever want to just give up? There are times that I certainly do. When things aren't going my way, I just want to quit. There are many times that my kids have wanted to give up and I, as the parent, have to say, "No, you have to keep going." Then, there are those times when you need to give up and you continue to hang on ever so tightly. That is what is on my mind today - giving up when it is time to do so.

I am a very possessive person - my house, my car, my clothes, mine, mine, mine! I often say this is because I only have one brother and we never shared anything while growing up. He was all boy and I was all girl and we very seldom ever crossed any lines when it came to what was his and what was mine. Prior to marriage, I lived alone for about ten years so everything was definitely MINE!

I am very much a "homebody." I would much rather stay home than go anywhere else. My house is my haven. It is very me - everything has a place and everything is in its place or I am working on getting it into its place. (That includes screaming, "insert child's name come pick up your _______________ and put it away - NOW!"- We have a lively home.)

Over the years, I have been asked to give up my home - yes, the house in which I live, my haven. The first time was about 13 years ago. My daughter was an infant. She had the perfect little room. Being that she was an infant, it was virtually untouched. When I received the call from the youth minister at our church asking if a missionary family (with several young kids) could stay in our home while we were out of town, I almost hyperventilated. The nerve of him to ask such a thing of me! Even though it was very hard for me, I did say yes and I was blessed. That particular family stayed in our home other times as well and each time I received a blessing.

At this point, I would really have to stop and think to count up how many have stayed in our home since that first rendering. Some times, we were out of town. Other times, we have been home. I can only think of two families that we actually knew prior to them arriving on our doorstep. The majority have been people seeing doctors at MD Anderson Cancer Center. The most recent call came this past Monday. I didn't know the woman on the other end of the phone. She is the sister-in-law of a friend of my mother's. All I knew is that her husband is very ill and that they are desperately seeking a miracle through the doctors at MD Anderson.

This time, I was asked to give a little more. Due to the husband's health, he is not able to go up and down the stairs in our home to get to the second floor guestroom. The only bedroom on the first floor is the master bedroom - my bedroom, my haven. The place where I go when my kids are driving me crazy. The room that has my favorite chair. Really? Give up MY room? Yes, I knew in my heart that I was to give up my bedroom.

Yesterday, I spent the day cleaning. Top to bottom I cleaned. I spent more time on the master bedroom and bathroom than any other room because for the first time EVER it was going to have guests in it. Not just any guests, but guests who are going through one of the worst things one can imagine. At the end of the day, when the cleaning was done and dinner was made, I received a text that our guests would not be coming to our house after all. The doctors decided to keep the husband in the hospital and the wife was choosing to stay with him. Would you please take a moment to say a prayer for this couple?

I have no doubt that God knew all of this from the VERY beginning - even before that first phone call. I believe that He just wanted to know where my heart was. He wanted to know if I was willing to give up that part of me that is so very MINE. You see, my master bedroom is the hidden part of who I am and God used this to show me that he wants that hidden part - not just the part that I allow everyone else to see. I am also thinking that this all goes back to that denial thing. What do you think?

For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. Luke 12:34

I want/desire for my treasure to be the things of Christ, not my earthly possessions. Like me, is there something to which you are holding on too tightly? Is it time for you to give it up?

May you find JOY in giving up. I know I have!

Tami

Just a side note:  I do share the master bedroom with The Professor, but he lets me pretend that it is all mine!

The Internet and Social Media can be a good thing

So often, the negatives of the internet and social media are pointed out. And, I have to admit, there are times that I think social media is horrible! It seems to give people the freedom to say whatever pops into their crazy heads. The Professor refuses to be part of social media because he doesn't want to be part of the drama. I refuse to allow my thirteen-year old to be part of social media because I do not believe her mature enough to handle all the drama! Sometimes I even think I am too young for all of the drama.

However, I believe there are also great, life changing, benefits to the internet and social media. For me, it all began back in 2007 when The Professor accepted a visitorship position at Washington and Lee University in Lexington, Virginia. During our time there, I was doing a lot of sewing and joined an online fabric coop. In this coop, I met a fellow sewer named Kym.

Kym and I are about the same age, both originally from Oklahoma and both love anything crafty. (I have to throw in, though, that I am "crafty". Kym is a true artist.) A friendship quickly budded and when Facebook came to be, we became Facebook friends. Over the last several years, we have rejoiced with each other, cried with each other and watched each other's family through pictures. No, we have never met in person, but I do hope to some day.

Kym is the one who introduced me to New Horizons for Children which led to our hosting an orphan from Ukraine in the summer of 2013. Hosting that little girl was a life changing experience for our family - some good and some not so good. While in the middle of some of the not so good, I was introduced, through Facebook, to Beth, a behavior specialist.

Not only was Beth a great support to me when I needed someone who understood what we were going through while hosting a very hurt little girl from a foreign country, but we also learned that we have so many things in common.  We are the same age, we have had a lot of the same health issues and we generally like the same things like hot tea and Hallmark movies just to name a few. Just like I have with Kym, Beth and I have laughed together, cried together and generally shared life through Facebook.

Several months ago, Beth sent me a little book of poems. In the wake of my dad's death back in August, I passed that book over to my mother thinking it might bring her some comfort. My mom ended up picking a poem from that book to use as part of my dad's obituary at his funeral. Looking back at how God orchestrated and strung everything together amazes me. He is truly a part of the little details.

A couple of weeks ago when we traveled to New York, my kids and I were able to take the train from NYC over to Lancaster, Pennsylvania to meet my friend Beth and her three boys. What a blessing it was! Spending time with Beth in person was quite fun. I felt as if I had known her forever and that we were just picking up where we left off. I don't know when or where we will get to actually connect in person again, but we are keeping in touch on a daily basis through Facebook.

So, to those who think social media is keeping people from having "true" relationships, I beg to differ. Not only am I getting to reconnect with childhood classmates, former teachers, coworkers, and neighbors, I have made new, true, lasting friendships through social media. It has been quite a blessing in my life. I am reminded of this verse from Proverbs:

One who has unreliable friends soon comes to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 NIV

I thank God for these friendships.

May you have JOY in your friendships - old and new.

Tami

Denial - Part 2

Typically, even before I started blogging, when I  have a thought running through my head, I can write about it and that's the end of it. This denial thing is proving to be a different story. Prior to publishing my last post, I had "The Professor" (aka my husband) read it and he exclaimed, "You can't just end with one post! You have to have a follow-up." So, here I am with post number two on denial.

As I previously stated, denying something like the laundry, your age, etc. doesn't make it go away or change. I have a tendency to fall back on the ole "out of sight, out of mind," but that doesn't work either. Every time I look in the mirror I am very aware of the age thing! Reality has to hit at some point. Most all of the time it is better to face the facts and deal with it.

However, there is some positive denial. As a parent, I have had to deny numerous things for the sake of my kids.  Just to name a few:

1. Deny going to the bathroom in peace. It never fails, someone always yells at me.

2. Deny myself  that last chocolate cookie (that I tried to hide and eat when no one was looking) to my favorite chocolate-lovin little man. That kid can smell chocolate a mile away!

3. Deny having the day to myself by homeschooling because I believe it is best for my kids. I would rather ship them off to someone else on a daily basis so I can watch Hallmark movies and eat those chocolate cookies without anyone knowing.

There is also that denial that God asks of us - denying yourself for the sake of Christ (you can see Matthew 16:24-27 as quoted in my previous post). What does that look like? It is different for every person, but it is something that we all must do IF we want to follow Christ and be whom he created each of us to be.

For me, some of it looks like:

1. Living in Houston because I desire to support my husband and that is where God has placed him when I would rather live in a small quaint town and spend my days watching Hallmark movies.

2. Homeschooling instead of sending my kids to a public/private school so I could watch Hallmark movies.

3. Helping out a friend when I would rather be at home watching a Hallmark movie.

4. Anything that is my own selfish desire (i.e. watching a Hallmark movie) that prevents me from being and doing what God has called me to be and do. That can actually change on a day-by-day basis.

For others it can look like giving up all material possessions and moving to a foreign country to love on other people. It can be serving in the children's ministry at church when you would rather go to church and just sit. It can be cooking and delivering a meal to a sick friend. It can be disrupting life as you know it by fostering or adopting a child. The list can go on and on.

The point is Jesus tells us that in order to follow Him and be whom He created us to be that we must deny ourselves. In the book of Matthew, Jesus tell us:

"He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it." Matthew 10:39

This denial thing is serious business! It's one thing to try to deny you are getting older and not be successful, but it is another thing to not deny yourself for the sake of Christ. It is only through the denying of self that we can truly be the person that God desires for us to be. Are you making the right denials? Only you can make that choice. I pray that you make the right one.

There is true JOY in denying yourself!

Tami

Denial - Part 1

That word "denial" has been running through my head for the last few days. Why? I have no idea. I would like for it to STOP!!! But, there it is floating around. Do you live in denial? There are times that I really try to live in denial, but it just doesn't work out very well.

Denial can come in many different forms. There are days that I like to deny the need to get out of bed. My kids at times like to deny that I told them to clean their rooms. I would much rather watch a Hallmark movie while denying that there are dirty clothes in piles on the laundry room floor waiting to be washed or piles of laundry that need to be folded.

Sometimes, I would even like to deny that those kids acting really bad while out in public are mine!

For years, I have tried to deny that I am getting older. I have tried really hard to stay 16. That was such a good year. I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing when that birthday rolled around. I can't pinpoint why that was such a wonderful year; but for some reason, I have tried to hang on to it. Now, 30 plus years, a husband and three kids later, that's a little hard to do. When I am out in public and look around, I can see there are other women trying to do the same thing! It obviously isn't working for them either.

Denying something doesn't change it. I do have to get up every morning and see to my children, the laundry does have to get washed (folding is optional!), the kids are really mine and they do eventually have to clean their rooms, and every year - same day - I have a birthday and get a year older.

Living in denial or not, life doesn't stay the same. Thank goodness! I am so glad that I am not the same person that I was back when I was 16. God intends for us to move and grow and change - for the better. In doing so, God intends for each of us to become a new person and that does require some constructive denial. Jesus tell us:

"Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it. What good will it be for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul? Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? For the Son of Man is going to come in his Father's glory with his angels, and then he will reward each person according to what they have done. Matthew 16:24-27 NIV

The choice is mine and yours. What kind of denial will you choose - denying you need Jesus or denying who you are and accepting Jesus?

My prayer for you is that you find JOY in denying yourself and seeking after Jesus.

Tami

What makes you tick?

What floats your boat? What puts a smile on your face?  How would an acquaintance describe you? How would your spouse describe you? What would your closest friend say about you? Are you everything that meets the eye? Have you ever thought a person is one way and then once you get to know that person she is not that way at all?

I have been told before that I come across as being very prim and proper and generally having my act together. Just typing that makes me chuckle! Anyone who really knows me knows that I am anything but "prim and proper." And, if I have an "act" I definitely do not know where I put it! I am the person who misses the chair when she goes to sit down. (I really shouldn't have a rolling desk chair!) I am the person who trips over her own two feet while walking in high heels through Wal-Mart in small town Oklahoma where people know who she is! My husband considers me humble because when one of those really embarrassing moments happen, I laugh. And, I don't just mean that I laugh. I heehaw and snort and if there is liquid anywhere close it typically comes spewing out of my mouth and . . .umm . . . my nose!

I have noticed that people in general are so quick to judge. Within a couple of minutes of meeting someone, I typically have that person "summed up" if I intend to or not. Why do I do that? So often, the person doesn't turn out to be at all how I have envisioned in my mind.

Last week, my kids and I had the blessing of tagging along with my husband while he traveled to New York City for a conference. (I can't ever say or type New York City without thinking of the Pace Picante Sauce commercial screaming, "New York City"!) While there, we had the additional blessing of going to Broadway to see Wicked. It was so much fun! We thoroughly enjoyed it, although, it was not at all what I expected. I knew that it had something to do with The Wizard of Oz, but really didn't know the story line. I won't spoil it for those of you who haven't seen it and wish to do so, but who knew? It is definitely the perfect portrayal of "you can't judge a book by its cover"!

God has a few words to say about that judging stuff. In the book of Matthew in the New Testament of the Bible Jesus is quoted as saying:

"Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me take the speck out of your eye,' and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye."  Matthew 7:1-5

Whoa! Really? Jesus said that? It really makes you stop and think, doesn't it? Or at least it does me! I know that I prefer for people to give me the benefit of the doubt. I pray that I do the same.

May there be JOY in not being the judge!

Tami

Looking Through A Lens

My daughter and I spent the majority of last week attending a photography boot camp.  I have owned my camera for years, but never learned to use it properly, until last week.  Wow! That camera of mine can do a lot. I truly had no idea.

Not only did I learn a lot about my camera and how to take better pictures, I also learned that my years are starting to catch up with me. I am not quite as keen as I once was. My 13-year old soaked up all of that information as quick as it hit her brain.  I, on the other hand, had to ask the same questions over and over until it finally started to stick. There were even a few times that Annie said, "Just give it to me," as she would take the camera out of my hands and adjust the settings so that I could get the picture that I wanted.

One thing that is very obvious about a camera - that I think everyone knows - is that you have to look through the lens in order to take a picture.  When looking through the lens, your vision is very limited. One can only see that small square of space that is allowed by the particular lens being used. There are some lenses that allow a broader picture, but still it is limited.

That is exactly how life is.  We have such limited vision. We know what happened in the past and we have hope for what will happen in the future, but we can only actually see what is happening right now, right in front of us. That makes it so easy to get caught up in the here and now.

One thing our photography instructor stressed during our lessons is that we shouldn't get so caught up in taking that perfect picture that we forget to create the real memories. Those things that are going to matter 5, 10, 25 years down the road. That prompted me to take an overabundance of pictures of my daughter taking pictures! The scenery was beautiful, but what I really want to remember about our trip is the special time that I had with my daughter.

As you are moving through life . . . through today . . . tomorrow . . . this week, I pray that you take the time to look at the bigger picture.  What is going to matter a few years down the road? Whatever is happening in your life right now is part of the bigger picture. The book of Romans tells us:

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28

What does that look like in your life?  May you find JOY in adding to the Big Picture.

Tami

Are you a good lover?

I am typically always proud of my kids. I guess you can say that I am just one of those proud mommas. Except, when one of them acts really snotty or says something really smart aleck then, well, not so much. But most of the time, I am quite proud. This past week, though, I had the absolute best proud momma moment.

As I have previously shared, we are homeschoolers and my daughter takes most of her classes through our homeschool coop. One of the things in which she participates that is not part of our homeschool coop is an art class. She attends art class one evening per week at a local art studio. It is a class specifically designed for teenagers. There are about eight kids in the class with only one being a boy. My daughter is the only homeschooler.

Every week when I pick Annie up and make the five minute drive home, I get the low down on what happened in class.  I get a lot of my teacher said this, so and so said that, so and so is painting that, our next project is going to be this, etc.  Last week when I picked her up, the story went a little, well, a whole lot differently.  It went something like this.

"You know the girl I always sit by with short blonde hair?"

"Yes, I remember her."

"Well, she got kicked out of her church.  It is just terrible."

"What do you mean she got kicked out of her church?"

"Well, she told me that she is gay."

"Really, why did she tell you that?"

"I told her that I am a very conservative Christian.  And, she said to me, 'Then you probably won't want to be my friend anymore because I am gay.'  I told her that I really don't care if she is gay or not, that it doesn't affect us being friends.  I may not agree with her lifestyle, but she's still the same person.  She then told me how after her church found out that they basically kicked her family out.  I told her that was just wrong and that she is welcome to go to my church with me."

Honestly, I can't remember what I said at this point.  But, my heart was - and still is - overflowing with pride for my daughter and her behavior. Love, that is what it all boils down to. When you strip away everything else, all that remains is love.

Of course, I do not mean that purity of heart and life do not matter.  They do.  But, no heart and life can truly be sanctified without love.  A life that is perfected in God's love is a life that is wholly surrendered to God's will.  And, to love unlike God loves is to live far short of God's righteous calling on our lives.*

So, what kind of lover are you?  Do you love everyone or just those whom you have deemed "worthy" of your love?

Jesus, the best lover of all, had a lot to say about the way we love.  In the book of Luke we are told:

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind; and Love your neighbor as yourself.  Luke 10:28

Wow! Love my neighbor as myself. If someone doesn't agree with me, would I like for that person to still show love towards me? Yes, yes, I would. That girl of mine got it right and that makes this momma proud!

Go share some JOY by loving on someone who needs some love.

Tami

*The Professor (aka my husband), my resident Bible scholar, helped out a little with this paragraph for clarification purposes.  Love that man!

The Back Shelf

The other day I had to get something from the very back corner of my closet. As I was digging through the container I keep back there hoping to find the item for which I was looking, I discovered a sack.  I quickly opened the sack to discover a book on none other than the Sherlock Holmes.

You are probably wondering why I had a book on Sherlock Holmes in a sack hidden in the back of my closet.  Well, let me tell you.  My daughter use to have the biggest fascination with mystery and crime.  She was a die-hard Nancy Drew fan.  She even designed and I then made a Nancy Drew detective bag for her.  It had all of these little compartments that held all things detective and she carried it EVERYWHERE she went for several years. As she started getting older, we introduced her to Sherlock Holmes.  She then became a Sherlock Holmes fan.

We typically only buy gifts for our kids for special occasions such as birthdays, Christmas, Valentine's, etc.  Whenever I am out and about and see something that I think one of my kids will like, I will pick it up and then save it for whichever occasion is next.  Hence, the Sherlock Holmes book in a sack hidden at the back of my closet.  Sadly, though, Sherlock Holmes missed his chance. I completely forgot I had hidden Sherlock in that container in the back of my closet.  My daughter's Sherlock Phase ended a couple of years ago.

Do you have things you are trying to keep hidden in the back of your closet?  Things like fear, worry, pride, bitterness, envy, unforgiveness . . . the list could go on and on. I know there are things in my life that I would like for the rest of the world to not know.  In other words, I would like to keep some things hidden. At times, even from myself.

Trying to keep things hidden can become very burdensome. Thankfully, there is a solution for that! Jesus tells us in the book of Matthew:

"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."  Matthew 11:28-30

Is it time to clean out the back corners of the closet and lighten your load?

May you find JOY in giving it all to Jesus.

Tami

Do you ever get lost?

Do you ever get lost?  I mean, you look up and you have no clue where you are.  I have noticed that as I am getting a little older . . . uh hmmm. . . that I have a tendency to walk into a room and then not remember why in the world I am there. It can be really frustrating, especially when you know you went into that room for a VERY important reason!

We live in a planned community in the city of Houston. Those who live in a planned community know that you can easily get lost among the dead end streets. These communities are designed so that only a few streets actually allow you to travel through the neighborhood.  Most of the streets just dead end into another street or into a cul-de-sac.

We are homeschoolers. When anyone asks me about my kids and school, I typically reply, "We are crazy homeschoolers." Because, honestly, I have always thought that homeschoolers are really crazy people.  And, now, I am one of them!  (Just a side note:  It really helps with my "anti-social" tendencies because as you all know, homeschoolers are really missing out socially.)

Even though we are homeschoolers, my kids receive most of their "teaching" from other people. They attend classes offered through our local homeschool coop.  My daughter takes all of her classes through the coop except for two extra-curricular classes. My son, on the other hand, has a rather crazy schedule and only attends a couple of classes with the coop. Therefore, I make several trips on school days taking him to and from class.  It is only a five minute drive from our house so really no big deal.

And, now, you are thinking, "Where in the world is this going and what in the world does it have to do with being lost." I am getting to that part . . . patience . . . patience is a virtue, you know.

Anyway, after taking my little man to class today, I was so lost in thought when driving home that I looked up and had no idea where I was!  Have you ever done that?  Don't even ask what I was thinking about because I don't even remember.  It was so important!  Ha!  I immediately made a U-turn and backtracked until I figured out which turn I had missed.

That little detour got me to thinking.  (This time I actually remember what I was thinking!) How often do I do that in my spiritual life? All of the sudden I look up and realize I have no idea where I am or where I am going. Does that happen to you too?

In the book of Proverbs in God's Word, Solomon writes, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your path straight." (Proverbs 3:5)

I have truly found it to be that simple. Whenever I feel completely lost, overwhelmed, unsure, I can make that U-turn right back to God by putting my trust in Him and He will guide my steps.  Is it time for you to make a U-turn?

There is JOY in the journey when you are trusting in God.

Tami

Laughter

After my previous post on death, I decided that my brain needed to be parked on a happier subject. Is there anything happier than laughter? I love to laugh. Do you enjoy laughing? I mean the kind of laughing that makes your sides ache and tears pour from your eyes.  When was the last time you laughed like that?  

We laugh a lot at our house. I think part of the reason is because I am incredibly klutzy and I have two children who take after me. As the saying goes, the apple doesn't fall far from the tree. One of us is always stumbling our way into a funny predicament that "forces" the remainder of the family to burst out in laughter.

What makes me laugh the most, though, are my kids. One of the reasons for this is that they never stop talking. And when I say "never," I really mean NEVER! So, naturally, a lot of really funny stuff comes out of their mouths.  My little man, Rex, recently told me that he really prefers friends who are introverts. That way, they don't get in the way of his talking!

Unfortunately, there are times that I just don't feel like laughing. My kids are the same, especially when they have just gotten in trouble. They are mad and they want to stay mad. It is at those times that I usually try to do something to make them laugh. Nothing can get one over being mad any quicker than a good laugh.

However, I completely understand that there are times when one just doesn't want to laugh. You truly need to wallow in your misery. So, I want to help you out. I have a list of things that you definitely should NOT do if you want to stay in that state of misery.

1.  You should not allow your 13-year old who, by the way, has absolutely no athletic ability whatsoever, to attempt to throw a skirt over a ten-foot partition from one dressing room to another while shopping. After said skirt gets stuck on top of the ten-foot partition, you definitely should not let your 4' 9" ten-year old try to retrieve said skirt by jumping and trying to grab it. Just walk away, walk away. Otherwise, unplanned laughter may erupt.

2.  After telling your 13-year old that you cannot get the roof of your mouth to stop itching, you should not let her convince you that scratching your ear will make it stop. It does not. After you tell that 13-year old that it doesn't work, you most definitely should not let her convince you that it is not working because you are not doing it correctly and allow her to attempt to scratch your ear for you. This will put you at high risk for unplanned laughter.

3.  You should never under any circumstances stick your head under the top bunk of your child's bed to kiss your child good night and allow your child, who is now stronger than you are, to grab you around your neck and "zerbert" you instead of kissing you. You will not be able to get free to stop the craziness and laughter will completely consume you. Your husband will fail to offer any help so do not plan on him rescuing you. Therefore, the laughter will go on for several minutes, your sides will most definitely hurt and tears will pour from your eyes.

4.  If you are extremely ticklish, you should not allow your ten-year to tickle you. Laughter will pursue and your sides will hurt.  (My husband can attest to this one.)

Honestly, it may be a whole lot easier to go ahead and give in and have a good laugh.

May the laughter in your life remind you of the great JOY within your soul.

Tami

He will yet fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.  Job 8:21

Death

Death, do you ever think about death?  What it really means, what it would be like?  I'm really not trying to be morbid.  It has just been on my mind lately.

You know, there is only one thing certain about your life:  you are going to die.  It will happen sooner for some than others, but it is going to happen.

The summer of 2015 will always be the summer of death in my mind.  It all started in June (while on a little family vacation) with the death of our dog, Hershey.  Only a few days later, we received the news of the unexpected death of my mother's brother.

As of today, it has been exactly two months since my dad left this earth for his eternal home in Heaven.  He died exactly one week after the unexpected death of my husband's grandmother.  My dad's death was definitely anything but unexpected being that we watched for over six years ALS completely destroy his body.  However, that did not make it any easier or make me miss him any less.

Now you know why my brain has been parked on the subject of death.  I have some very strong convictions and beliefs about death.  As previously stated, it is going to happen.  The real question is, "Are you ready?"

I believe that Heaven is very real and what a glorious place it will be!

I believe that if you believe in Jesus Christ as the son of the one true God and have accepted Him as your Savior, then when you die your soul will go to Heaven for eternity.  That belief gives me such great JOY!  I look forward to the day when I will be reunited with my loved ones, especially that precious little girl, Maggi, whom God only allowed me to keep for 46 very short hours.

I believe that people are people and angels are angels.  People are God's chosen being.  We are the only thing created in His imagine.  How exciting is that!  Angels, on the other hand, are God's special messengers.  They act and move and do according to God's command.  When we die, we move into the heavenly realm, but we are still people!

I believe there will be people in Heaven that you never in your wildest dreams thought would be there.  I also believe that there will be people who got so caught up in this world here on earth that they didn't take the time to find out if Jesus is real or not.  And, then, it will be too late.  The thing about it is if Jesus is not real (I believe he is) and you have accepted Him, then you've lost nothing. But, if he is real and you didn't accept him, then you've lost everything!  Just a little something to think about.

I will leave you with my husband's very favorite Bible verse:

Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life.  

No one comes to the Father except through me."

John 14:6

Until next time . . . may your heart be filled with Joy!

Tami

Here We Go . . .

I have finally succumbed and entered into the blogging world. I can't say that I am 100% comfortable with this new adventure. But, following my own advice (recently posted on Facebook), I am stepping outside of my Comfort Zone.

Life is always an adventure.  And, the adventure is always what you make of it.  My desire is to live in such a way that Joy is always evident no matter the circumstances in which I find myself.  This blog will be a place to share some of those adventures with you, my readers.

My prayer is that you will experience a laugh or two and maybe a little encouragement along the way.  We are all making it through this life one step at a time.  Those steps can be a little easier and a lot more fun when shared with others.

So, here we go . . . until next time, go find some Joy!

Tami

A joyful heart is good medicine, but a broken spirit dries up the bones. Proverbs 17:22