Hiding from God leads to weight gain!

Meet Shrek the sheep; he became famous a little while back for hiding out in caves by himself for six years. Because of his isolation, his fleece was never shorn. It grew and grew; by the time he was finally shaved, the amount of fleece that fell away from his body weighed sixty pounds. Most sheep have a fleece weighing under ten pounds; sometimes it's more, but never by much.

For years, Shrek carried excess weight that he was neither created nor required to carry... all because he was away from his shepherd.

Psalm 23 tells us that the Lord is our shepherd. And in John 10:14, Jesus tells us that He is the good shepherd and His followers are His sheep. If you think about it, Shrek the sheep is much like a person who knows Jesus Christ but has wandered. Too often, we hide in the “caves” of this world like work, hobbies, relationships, even church activities and ministry. If we avoid Christ’s constant refining of our character, we’re going to accumulate extra weight in this world—a weight we don’t have to bear.

 Christ can easily lift the burdens we bear, if only we stop hiding. He can shave off our "fleece," that is, our self-imposed burdens brought about by wandering from our Good Shepherd.

Matthew 11:28-30 - ²⁸ Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. ³⁰ For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

Truth or Consequences

Is it ever okay to lie?  Is a little white lie really a bad thing?  If my motive is not to hurt someone, do I always have to tell the truth?

My husband and I attend a small group Bible study at our church. For the past nine weeks or so, we've been studying the Ten Commandments. Yesterday, we looked at the ninth commandment: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor." (Exodus 20:16)  Our discussion led to a discussion on lying in general. After some discussion, the facilitator asking the class if it is ever okay to lie. My quiet "no" was immediately drowned out by a flood of  yeses. I sat there, dumb-founded, as person after person presented reasons why they lie on a routine basis. My heart was broken as I heard people that I admire and respect as leaders in our church give excuse after excuse for lying to others. I was the lone voice speaking up for honesty in every situation. Later, one person told me she agreed but was fearful of speaking up in the group so heavily bent toward lying. During the lively discussion, I was called legalistic and rigid. I've been called worse to be sure but I was struck that in what has typically been a conservative church, one who takes God at His Word is called legalistic. As the day went on, I could not stop thinking about the discussion in our class. I thought of many reasons why being truthful is always the best policy; why as a Christian, my word is so important. I wish I had thought of them earlier and could have shared some of these reasons with my friends. Perhaps it would have made a difference. Perhaps not.

Why do I come down so firmly on the side of truth in all situations? I believe with all my heart that Scripture commands us to be truthful, even when it isn't easy to do so. The Bible is replete with verses that support truth. The book of Proverbs has numerous warnings of the dangers of lying. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus relates the importance of our words as does James in chapter 5 of his epistle. We should live in such a way that when we say something, people do not have to wonder if we are telling the truth. What's the big deal you may ask.  The big deal is this, if I am a person with a penchant for lying, people will naturally question when I say something. Even if I am only exaggerating, it can be detrimental to my testimony and any attempts I may make at witnessing to others. How? Well, what happens when I try to tell my friends that Jesus is the only way to God?  How will they believe me when I tell my neighbors that there is only one, true God?  How will my family react when I tell them that the Bible is the Word of God and can be trusted?  If I have a pattern of lies and/or exaggeration, I have damaged my credibility. Everything I say is suspect! Oh beloved, I implore you to examine your speech. Am I bringing reproach on the name of Christ? Is my speech going to make it difficult for people to trust what I say in the future? It's not always easy, but I believe that Charles Stanley is right: obey God and leave the consequences to Him.

So, what do you think? Do you think an occasional "white" lie is okay, especially if it is done to prevent someone from getting his or her feelings hurt? I really do want to know! Let's talk about it. Leave me a comment and share your opinion on this hot topic.

Ummm Uhhhh

Recently, I heard about a study that looked at the use of "ummm" and "uhhhh".  It seems that women use the "ummm" more often than men do and men use "uhhhh" more often that women. The study went on to conclude that when women use "ummm", they are trying to figure out what to say. When men use "uhhhh", they are trying to determine how to say it. As I began to ponder my use of these "words", I thought of the scripture verse in Romans 8 that assures us that there is One who intercedes for us when we do not know what to say or how to say it.

     "In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God." (Romans 8:26-27)

I can't begin to tell you how many times I've come to the Lord and not known how to pray. My thoughts are a jumbled mess in my mind. The words just won't come. I don't know what to say. I don't know how to say it. Oh the comfort of knowing that the Holy Spirit intercedes for me. Dictionary.com defines intercedes as "to act or interpose in behalf of someone in difficulty or trouble, as by pleading or petition."  The Holy Spirit acts in my behalf, pleading the words of my heart before God the Father! Isn't that amazingly wonderful? Oh what a precious promise.

So the next time you find yourself struggling for the words as you go to Him in prayer, rest in the promise that it's okay. There is Someone who does know and He is acting on your behalf.  He knows. He just knows.


Blessings,

Teresa

 

 

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Inspired by the dinner prepared by the hospitality director at my church during our recent ladies fellowship, I decided to get creative and make dinner in a pumpkin. Fall just seems like the perfect time for this! Here is the recipe. I hope you enjoy it!

Dinner in a Pumpkin

Ingredients:

3 small pumpkins
1 lb. ground turkey 2 tablespoon olive oil
1 cup chopped sweet onion
3 stalks of celery, chopped
3 medium carrots, chopped
3 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon fresh, chopped rosemary (or 1 teaspoon dried)
1 teaspoon dried thyme
½ teaspoon salt
¼ teaspoon black pepper
2 cup canned chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups cooked white rice

Instructions:

Pre heat oven to 350^o.

Clean and prep pumpkins by removing the top and the seeds. I also pull out the really dark pulp around the seeds. (Save the seeds for roasting later.) Bake on a cookie sheet for 40-45 minutes.

Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add onion, carrots and celery; cook 5 minutes, until soft. Add turkey and cook about 8-10 minutes until browned, breaking up the meat as it cooks. Add flour, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper; stir to coat. Add broth and bring to a simmer; simmer 4 minutes. Add cooked rice and stir, mixing all ingredients together. Simmer an additional 3 minutes, until mixture thickens.

Transfer turkey and rice mixture into hollow of roasted pumpkins. Place back in 350^o oven for about 12 minutes. Allow pumpkin to rest about 5 minutes before transferring to plate.

433 Calories per pumpkin

Getting Back to Mary

It's been a month since I've posted anything on here. Not a good way to run a blog. The last four weeks have been a crazy challenge. At times, it seemed as if I were in the midst of whirlwind, a flurry of activities and events demanding my undivided attention. At other times, I was so exhausted I could barely get out of bed in morning. It had happened to me. I had become a "Martha". I had become the woman so consumed with doing things for God that I did not take the time to spend good, quality time with God. Oh, I still prayed every day. I still read my Bible although admittedly, it was usually only a scripture here and there as part of a Bible study I was doing. I had so quickly gotten out of my habit of spending a good 30 minutes alone with God...just His Word, Him and me every morning. It hit me like a ton of bricks. This is why I'm frazzled and exhausted! I know better, yet I fell into the trap. While fixing dinner one night, these verses from Luke 10 came to my mind. I was "sharing" with God how tired I was. I was feeling unappreciated by many in my life. I wanted Him to know I was not happy about the situation. Suddenly, the Holy Spirit reminded me of Jesus' rebuke of Martha for basically complaining about the same thing. His gentle reminder broke my heart. I was Martha, neglecting "the only one thing necessary" and that was my time sitting at the feet of Jesus, listening to Him, loving Him and allowing Him to love me. Through my tears, I repented and ask Him to give me the wisdom to prioritize my life as He would have me. I desire to do the things that glorify Him. I don't want to be busy with activities, even good activities, at the expense of my personal relationship with the God who loves me. I feel like my inner Mary is making a comeback. She's in there...pushing through the tiredness and the busyness to enjoy the only one thing necessary...time with my King. I'm so grateful for the gentle proding of the Holy Spirit. I'm grateful for the God of second (and third and fourth and fifth) chances. I'm grateful for a God who not only forgives but restores! I'm finding a new and fresh excitement in my time with Him. God is good!

Blessings,
Teresa

Seasons Change

I've been thinking a lot lately about season changes. People are starting to put fall recipes and decorating ideas on Pinterest and Facebook. While I think fall is my favorite season, I actually really enjoy all of the seasons for various reasons. Some say we only have two season in Florida. Not true. We actually do have four seasons although the changes in those seasons are not as drastic as those experienced by my friends in Illinois or even my family in Maryland. Trust me. There is big difference between the April and August in Florida! I love Spring for the newness of life that is all around us. The grass gets green again. Flowers really blossom. You can pretty much guarantee that by the time the calendar says it's Spring, it is perfect flip flop weather every day for the next 9 months. Summer is great too. Personally, I love summer because it casual day every day at work. I'm talking jeans, t-shirts and flip flops casual! Even better, in July & August, we have shortened hours for summer...and get paid for a full week! What can I say about winter? I love it! I am one who really enjoys the occassional "cold" day we have here in central Florida. I like putting on a coat and gloves 2 or 3 times a year. There is a crispness in the cold that I find invigorating. I also love winter for some pretty selfish reasons: Christmas, birthday, Valentine's Day and wedding anniversary....it's gift season for Teresa. For someone whose love language is gifts, this is a sweet time of the year.  But my very favorite season of all is fall. I love, love, love fall! I just love the rich, golden colors. I love the smells of fall. The fragrance of cinnamon, clove, apples, pumpkin pie, turkey in the oven all take me to my happy place. Fall ushers in the holidays. Holidays translates to time spent with family. Sure there are some "dislikes" about each season too, but I choose not to focus on those. I choose to focus on the things that I like about each. That keeps me grounded and allows me to appreciate the good in all situations or seasons.

The same can be said of seasons of life. All of us go through many seasons of life. We have our childhood season, our high school season, our college season. Some of us have a long season of singleness when we want to be married. Others have a long season of marriage when they want to be single. Many have seasons as parents of children at home. That generally leads to the empty nest season. Regardless of your season, I encourage you to take the time to pause, look around you and find the good in that season. Look at your season through eyes of appreciation and gratitude for the blessings that you do have, no matter how hidden they may seem at the time.  Enjoy every day...every season of this life on this earth that the Lord blesses you with. Take time every day to thank Him for His abundant goodness, grace and love.

So, enjoy these final official days of summer and look to fall with eager expectation. Smile at the present and smile at the future. Both are in His capable hands.

Blessings,

Teresa

Vacation All I Ever Wanted...Vacation Had to Get Away

I am coming off of a 4 day weekend and having a difficult time getting back into the groove. I'm really a creature of habit and it doesn't take much to throw me off balance. I like routine. I like "normal". I like schedules. I like planning. My husband jokes about me planning our vacations years in advance. I sorta do. I'm always thinking about places we can go...things we can do. Some people thrive on the spur of the moment plans but not me.  If I'm going to a place that I've never been before or even a place I love, I know that I'm there for a limited time and I don't want to miss anything. I do tons of research when we set out on an adventure. It doesn't matter if it's a weekend trip or an extended vacation. I'm going to Google the location and find out what there is to do. Then I read reviews from other travelers to see what they thought of places I'm considering. I've always done this. For as long I can remember taking vacations as an adult, I've researched and planned. It used to be I went to my local AAA office and got Tour Books for all the states I would be visiting. Back in the early 1990's, I planned a 7 day Civil War vacation for a friend and me. With no Internet, I was totally dependent on those Tour Books and Trip Tik from AAA. But I did it. I knew exactly how far we had to drive each day to get to all of the places we wanted to go to in our 7 days. Thankfully the Internet makes it much easier to do my research. Now I can see videos, pictures and read current reviews. I planned a trip to Montana and Wyoming for my mom and me in 2006. Neither of us had been but we sat in front of the computer for hours looking for places to go, eat and stay. I remember the absolute thrill I got one year when my brother asked me to plan three different vacations for them to choose from. I thought I had died and gone to vacation planning heaven! When we are going on a cruise, I research the ship and find out all about the ship. I study and excursions to see which ones we want to do. I think I love the planning almost as much as I do the traveling. So what are some things to consider when planning a trip?

The feelings & desires of others: I am a leader by nature so I do have to be careful that my plans do not infringe on others or that I do not come off as controlling. It's important that I consider the feelings and preferences of others in my planning. I like spending time relaxing on the beach but that is not my husband's idea of fun at all. It would be incredibly selfish of me to plan an entire vacation around lounging on the beach.

 The unexpected: Plans also need to have some wiggle room. Inevitably, the unexpected happens. When they do, allow yourself time to laugh a bit and regroup. Don't allow yourself to be a prisoner of your plans. If you planned to go to the beach one day but you wake up to rainy day, allow yourself the freedom to enjoy an indoor day. Make that the day you visit a museum or an indoor aquarium. There is no rule that says you can't make it a "stay in your room all day" day.

Time & Budget: This is especially important when planning trips. Don't try to pack 7 days worth of activities into a weekend. It will only frustrate you and anyone else along on the trip. Pick the top two or three things you would like to do and plan the rest of trip accordingly. Budget is also important. Decide BEFORE the trip what your budget is and stick to it. Be sure you account for every expense including food, snacks, admission fees, parking, souvenirs as well as gas and hotels when considering your trip budget. We have a vacation budget and put some money aside each pay period to cover our vacation expenses. This way we are not tempted to put anything on a credit card. If you decide early enough where  you want to go, you can begin researching airfare, car rentals, and housing expenses. This will help you determine how much you will need and you can save a little at a time. Twenty five dollars a weeks doesn't hurt as much as $1200 all at one time.

Weather/Activity appropriate clothing/shoes: When we took our recent trip to Maggie Valley, NC, I knew there was no need to pack a skirt and pantyhose. I would be wearing neither of those during that 7 day trip! I did need some clothes for warm and cool weather and shoes comfortable for a lot of walking. When my mom & I went to Wyoming and Montana, I did not take sunscreen. I mean who thinks of sunscreen in Wyoming? Not me for sure...at least not then. I got the worst sunburn I've ever had while we were on a floating raft trip down the Snake River topped off by sitting out in the sun for 45 minutes waiting for Old Faithful to erupt. That day followed a night in which temperatures dropped into the 40s in Yellowstone National Park...in July! Didn't see that coming either! Do your research. Check the weather websites. You can get a pretty accurate forecast up to 10 days out for most areas in the world.

Pets: While David & I love to travel, Hannah is not much of a traveler. She's good for the 5 minute trip to my parent's house but that's about it. We never take her with us but this is a great time for her to spend with her grandparents. My parents always keep Hannah for us when we travel. If you have a family friend or relative who keeps your pet, make sure you check dates with them before making all of your other arrangements. Do not assume they are available. Don't forget to pick them up a small gift of appreciation while on your trip. If you need to board your pet, make your kennel reservations early. This is especially important during high travel seasons: Thanksgiving to New Years, Spring Break, and Summer. Also, be sure to include those boarding expenses in your budget! If you are planning to take your 4-legged children with you, be sure you check to make sure they are permitted. It would be a real drag to spend 10 hours in a car driving to a beautiful beach side bungalow only to find out your cat or dog is not welcome. You also want to consider what you will do with your pet while you are inside restaurants eating during the trip to and from your destination. You certainly CANNOT leave them in your car! Your ability to get out and about while at your destination could be hampered by the pooch who does not want to shut up inside a strange room or house all day while you are having a great time. Be considerate of your pet's feelings!

Capture the memories: While in the moment, you may think "I'll never forget this!" but chances are that a few years down the road, you won't remember the name of that waterfall or exactly where it was you found the best huckleberry pie in all of Montana. Plan for pictures and video! Most cell phones take both still photos and videos. We found small lenses for our iPhones that allow us to take fisheye, zoom and wide-angle pictures. Digital cameras make is so easy to capture literally hundreds of pictures. It is so easy to forget what the name of that waterfall was that was 712 pictures ago! If possible, take your computer and cable with you on the trip and upload your pictures each night when you get back to your room. That way you can label them while the events and names are still fresh in your mind. I have tons of pictures of various waterfalls and lakes from my Montana trip but honestly cannot remember which waterfall or which lake it is for most of them. For big trips, invest in one of those hardback books with all of your vacation pictures. Some drugstores have them and there are many vendors online as well.

Check for travel documentation: If you are planning a cruise or a trip to another country, you will need certain documentation for the trip. Do your research early to avoid major stress and headaches just before the trip. Word of advise, even though many cruises do not require a passport, it is wise to get one. In the event of a medical emergency in a foreign country, you could have a lot of trouble getting out of that country by any means other than the cruise ship. For your own peace of mind, invest in passports.

Time for relaxation and fun: Remember, it is a vacation so be sure you allow time to relax and have some fun. You don't need to be on the go from sun up to sun down. Seriously, who wants to come home from vacation to get some rest? Your time away should be a time of renewal.

So, whether you are considering a trip to see the fall leaves, Christmas in New York City or are starting to think about the family vacation next summer, start laying some of the groundwork now. Start talking to your family to see what they would like to do. Do your research. Determine your budget. If done properly, the planning can be almost as fun as the vacation.  So my friends, happy planning and have a wonderful vacation!

Blessings,
Teresa