I thought that for my blog today I would start with a verse from the book of Psalm 39:5 "You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand. My entire lifetime is just a moment to you at best, each of us is but a breath." What a beautiful verse, I couldn't have worded it any better!
When I look over the things that I have done over the course of my short life, I am amazed by the things that I have done. Over the past 33years I have traveled to Russia, sat in the United Nations building, gotten married, gotten divorced, remarried, had children, lost loved ones, helped a friend, helped a family member, made little mistakes, made huge mistakes, loved a child that wasn't mine, the list could go on and on. The point I am trying to make is that all of us have done many things in our lives. Some things are good and some things not so good. Everything that we do or experience in life helps to shape the person that we are.
I once had a friend that told me that he thought that whoever was running the universe was likely a mad scientist that just liked to toy with and experiment on all the unsuspecting humans here on earth. While I find this analogy humerus, I doubt seriously that's the case. God provides us with opportunities, tests, and trials to help us to gain and strengthen our spiritual understanding. The question that I want to pose, is what are we doing with that time? I believe everyday can be an opportunity to grow as a person and get closer to God. Do I always take advantage of that daily opportunity? I am ashamed to say that would be a resounding NO!!! How much simpler our lives would be if we would use our time wisely and look at every obstacle and encounter as a chance to get closer to God.
Having four children, I spend a lot of time shuttling, scheduling, complaining, worrying, and well just feeling sorry for myself. I have had people comment to me on many occasions, that it is okay for me to feel overwhelmed and frustrated because I have so much on my plate. But do I really have the right to do that? When I think about the suffering that my Lord went through for ME, my problems seem like mere peanuts in comparison. What am I doing with my time? God has in trusted me with four beautiful and unique lives. How many hours a day do we waste on worry and feeling sorry for ourselves. I am reminded of a song "Live Like You Were Dying" by Tim McGraw. Do we live our daily lives like that? How many countless days do we waste on our own petty problems. When you read the bible, have you ever read about something that Jesus did that didn't have a purpose? No, because EVERYTHING Jesus did had a purpose to it!
Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for YOU!!" Where is God leading you? What are you doing with that time? We may not understand why our circumstance are what the are, but HE has a plan, and it will work if we let it! I get angry with myself when I think of all the hours I have wasted not serving Him. How much easier do my daily tasks become when I know that I am doing it to serve Him. When we think we a are only serving others, rather than serving Him, well it's no wonder we get discourage and feel sorry for ourselves. There is nothing on this earth that we can do without His help. So the next time you are in the car driving to yet another activitie with your child, church, or whatever it may be... Think...what can I do with this time to serve HIM!!!
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Waiting for God's Time
In this fast past world that we live in, Americans have been raised to expect instant gratification. We live in a society that has built everything on what is fast, convenient, bigger, and better. Everything that we do from cooking meals, serving meals, even carrying on conversations is hurried. We as Christians are not untouched by this either. Unless you are Amish, or living under a rock, you know what I am talking about.
Does this idea of instant gratification affect our prayer lives as well? We want everything we do to be on our own time table. We want God to grant everything now, and when that doesn't happen we get discouraged or start thinking God isn't listening. This leads us into doing things that are not necessarily God's will. If you believe that God is all knowing and perfect in every way then shouldn't we trust Him to know when it is time to answer our prayers?
In my church we have a weekly prayer meeting that is usually started with a brief reminder of what and why we are doing it. This week our prayer leader brought up the question,"What is the Lord's prayer really saying to us?" If you don't already know it, I will share it with you:
Does this idea of instant gratification affect our prayer lives as well? We want everything we do to be on our own time table. We want God to grant everything now, and when that doesn't happen we get discouraged or start thinking God isn't listening. This leads us into doing things that are not necessarily God's will. If you believe that God is all knowing and perfect in every way then shouldn't we trust Him to know when it is time to answer our prayers?
In my church we have a weekly prayer meeting that is usually started with a brief reminder of what and why we are doing it. This week our prayer leader brought up the question,"What is the Lord's prayer really saying to us?" If you don't already know it, I will share it with you:
Our Father, which art in heaven,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
Hallowed be thy Name.
Thy Kingdom come.
Thy will be done in earth,
As it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we forgive them that trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
For thine is the kingdom,
The power, and the glory,
For ever and ever.
Amen
The part that he wanted us to pay particular attention to was the "Thy will be done in earth" the question being, "what does this mean?" It does not say "my will" it says "thy will"meaning "His" will (what He wants) this also means, "when He wants!"
Here are a few verses from the bible I thought I'd share with you:
Psalm 40:1 I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry.
Psalm 37:7-9 Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper—it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land.
Romans 8:24-25 We were given this hope when we were saved. (If we already have something, we don’t need to hope for it. But if we look forward to something we don’t yet have, we must wait patiently and confidently.)
**** all of these were taken from the NLT
Monday, September 19, 2011
In Praise Of My Friend
Today I had the opportunity to spend the day with a dear friend while getting ready for our church yard sale. I love days such as this, when I get a chance to share my heart with a more seasoned christian! I could not begin to explain how these moments fill my cup. This particular woman just always seems to know what I need to hear to settle my worries and calm my fears. Seeking sound advice and direction from an older woman of the church is something that I have found to be such a great blessing in my life. I would encourage other woman to do the same, as it can be a tremendous benifit to you as well. This simple act of friendship is more valuable to me than she could possibly ever understand. A woman who is always putting herself last and the needs of others before her own. I can only hope to be as good a role model as she is someday.
I read something not that long ago that reminds me of her...thought I would share so others can apply it to their lives as well.
The Meaning Of JOY:
Jesus comes first! Put Him first in all you do.
Others second! The bible tells us that we are to put others needs before our own.
and finally...
Yourself last!
Matthew 25:21 "The master was full of praise. "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!
I read something not that long ago that reminds me of her...thought I would share so others can apply it to their lives as well.
The Meaning Of JOY:
Jesus comes first! Put Him first in all you do.
Others second! The bible tells us that we are to put others needs before our own.
and finally...
Yourself last!
Matthew 25:21 "The master was full of praise. "Well done, my good and faithful servant. You have been faithful in handling this small amount, so now I will give you many more responsibilities. Let's celebrate together!
Sunday, September 18, 2011
It was the worst of days...(at least that's how it started)!
If you ask any wife of a truck driver, what's the hardest part about it is, she will undoubtedly tell you it is always feeling like a single parent.This is made even harder when you have more than one like we do, I happen to have four. Out of the four only one is a girl, and for those mom's with boys you know why having dad around makes it easier dealing with them at times.
My bad day started at around one in the morning when my youngest (age 5) woke up with tummy troubles. I quickly ushered him to the bathroom, where he proceeded to take care of "business" (I'll save you the details). This was accompanied by a massive migraine on my part and a wave of nausea that was getting worse with my son's "business". So, needless to say, there was not much sleeping going on in the Perkins's house!
Seemed like only minutes before the alarm went off, and it was time to get up and get ready for church. The temptation to stay home was really strong, but I made a promise never to miss unless I was deathly ill, and lack of sleep did not constitute this. Not to mention, I have nine fourth graders who depend on me being there to teach Sunday school.
I quickly woke the kids up and told them to get ready, and when you are in a hurry, it seem like they intentionally mover slower! My daughter is the queen of making us wait, with endless battles of what she will wear, or won't wear. I have been know to throw her shoes in the car, load everyone in, and start the car to make her think we will leave without her!
To complicate matters even more, today happened to be a our church fish fry. Everyone in the church was required to bring a covered dish, including the crazy lady with four kids. The one who happens to always look angry and bedraggled upon walking in to church. So what did I bring you ask? Watermelon, yep it was the first thing I spotted in the store, prior to that I had no idea what I would bring.
We finally made it to church with not much time to spare, as I still had to prepare for my class that would be starting in short order. The kids all made it to their designated classes without much of a fuss, and Sunday school went on without a hitch.
After school we all walk upstairs to worship together and hear the message from the preacher. We had only made it through the second hymn of the morning when it happened... "Mommy I have to use the bathroom", my five year old said. He looked at me with that white as a ghost, hand over his mouth, universal sign, for " lady if you don't take me now we are going to have a serious problem!" I quickly grabbed him and rushed out of the church like I was caring a bomb, and no sooner walked out the door when he exploded. "Literally!"
During all of this I kept thinking about Phil 4:13 "I can do All things through Christ the Lord who gives me strength! Admittedly, it is a challenge to continuously think that when it seems like things are always going wrong, but I did it!
Now, I am on the kitchen committee and part of my duty is to make sure when we have events such as the fish fry, I am responsible for cleaning up. I was secretly thinking to myself "really? am I going to be able to handle this today?" The kids took off to play with their friends and for a minute I had some peace. I took the time to make a plate, and relax with all the wonderful food everyone brought. After good conversation and some hard work afterward, I really started to feel much better about my day.
I took the time to greet and conversate with friends, and all the troubles of my day just seemed to melt away. Perhaps God knew what I needed better than I did! Go Figure!! Ecclesiastes 4:4 tell us "Two are better than one..if one falls down his friend can help him up!
It is not always easy getting everyone dressed, ready, and out the door in time for church. But, I made a promise to God that I would raise up my children in the way of the Lord, and that is what I intend to do! Mothers, remember, on those days when you feel like you just can't go on another minute to stop and pray! Let the Holy Spirt fill you and remind you of what is important. Your worst day may just end up being a little better!
My bad day started at around one in the morning when my youngest (age 5) woke up with tummy troubles. I quickly ushered him to the bathroom, where he proceeded to take care of "business" (I'll save you the details). This was accompanied by a massive migraine on my part and a wave of nausea that was getting worse with my son's "business". So, needless to say, there was not much sleeping going on in the Perkins's house!
Seemed like only minutes before the alarm went off, and it was time to get up and get ready for church. The temptation to stay home was really strong, but I made a promise never to miss unless I was deathly ill, and lack of sleep did not constitute this. Not to mention, I have nine fourth graders who depend on me being there to teach Sunday school.
I quickly woke the kids up and told them to get ready, and when you are in a hurry, it seem like they intentionally mover slower! My daughter is the queen of making us wait, with endless battles of what she will wear, or won't wear. I have been know to throw her shoes in the car, load everyone in, and start the car to make her think we will leave without her!
To complicate matters even more, today happened to be a our church fish fry. Everyone in the church was required to bring a covered dish, including the crazy lady with four kids. The one who happens to always look angry and bedraggled upon walking in to church. So what did I bring you ask? Watermelon, yep it was the first thing I spotted in the store, prior to that I had no idea what I would bring.
We finally made it to church with not much time to spare, as I still had to prepare for my class that would be starting in short order. The kids all made it to their designated classes without much of a fuss, and Sunday school went on without a hitch.
After school we all walk upstairs to worship together and hear the message from the preacher. We had only made it through the second hymn of the morning when it happened... "Mommy I have to use the bathroom", my five year old said. He looked at me with that white as a ghost, hand over his mouth, universal sign, for " lady if you don't take me now we are going to have a serious problem!" I quickly grabbed him and rushed out of the church like I was caring a bomb, and no sooner walked out the door when he exploded. "Literally!"
During all of this I kept thinking about Phil 4:13 "I can do All things through Christ the Lord who gives me strength! Admittedly, it is a challenge to continuously think that when it seems like things are always going wrong, but I did it!
Now, I am on the kitchen committee and part of my duty is to make sure when we have events such as the fish fry, I am responsible for cleaning up. I was secretly thinking to myself "really? am I going to be able to handle this today?" The kids took off to play with their friends and for a minute I had some peace. I took the time to make a plate, and relax with all the wonderful food everyone brought. After good conversation and some hard work afterward, I really started to feel much better about my day.
I took the time to greet and conversate with friends, and all the troubles of my day just seemed to melt away. Perhaps God knew what I needed better than I did! Go Figure!! Ecclesiastes 4:4 tell us "Two are better than one..if one falls down his friend can help him up!
It is not always easy getting everyone dressed, ready, and out the door in time for church. But, I made a promise to God that I would raise up my children in the way of the Lord, and that is what I intend to do! Mothers, remember, on those days when you feel like you just can't go on another minute to stop and pray! Let the Holy Spirt fill you and remind you of what is important. Your worst day may just end up being a little better!
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