To Obey Is Better

This past week, I witnessed two children react in two completely different ways to instructions from a parent. In the first interaction, a two year old complied immediately with instructions whispered to her by her father. She was rewarded with a kiss on the top of her head. In the second interaction, a three year old wrestled and struggled when her mom tried to get her to sit still and eat. She was "rewarded" with a trip outside for a spanking and a stern talking to. Both of these interactions made me reflect on the way I way respond when my heavenly Father provides me with instruction. As much as I would like to say that I am most often the obedient two year old, the truth is that too often I am the struggling, rebellious three year old. Will I ever learn that His instructions are for my good? Will I ever fully understand that He will not ask me to do something that will bring harm to me or someone else? Even if I don't fully understand, am I willing to step out in faith and just obey? I can't help but think of Abraham. God had promised Abraham that his descendants would be more numerous than the stars, yet when Abraham's only son was still young, God instructed Abraham to take the boy and offer him as a burnt offering. My human mind says that doesn't make sense! First of all, why would God ask Abraham to burn his child the way pagan gods did? And then there was the promise that God had made. If Abraham killed Isaac, how would Abraham have descendants as promised by God? Abraham had been through enough with God to know He always kept His promises and he trusted God. Abraham took his son to the mountain as God had instructed. He prepared the wood and had his son lie down on the wood. Just as he was about to raise his knife, God stopped him and provided a ram instead. Now I admit, my human mind cannot comprehend a test of that magnitude. There are large magnitude tests today that each of us go through. Each of those tests or trials serve to grow us and help produce endurance in us. They also serve as a means to teach us of God's faithfulness.

Truth be told, in many ways I am like a three year old wrestling against the instructions of a parent. I am growing up and maturing in my faith and trust in God. My heart's desire is to be like that two year old who, upon hearing the whisper of her father, immediately obeyed and was rewarded with a kiss on top of her head. I long to have my heavenly Father kiss me on top of my head.

Blessings,
Teresa

Hometown Reflections

Recently, a friend of mine wrote of her hometown on her blog. Sadly, she does not have fond memories of her small hometown. In fact, she hates it. It made me really sad for her. Reading her words describing the things she hated about her small town, I began to reflect on my own small hometown, Zephyrhills, FL. My memories are quite different. I loved my small hometown. I didn't fully appreciate it when I lived there, wishing I lived in Tampa, some 30 miles away. Looking back, I'm very grateful for my small town upbringing. Probably one of things I'm most grateful for is the very low crime rate. Not only was it safe for my brother and I to go out with our friends, my father was a police officer. Our town was much safer for police officers than big cities were. I also like the fact that we had a small school. I liked it that all of my friends went to the same school, regardless of where they lived. Every teacher knew who every student was, even those who were not in their classes. My graduating class had about 240 students. That seemed big at the time but when I hear of graduating classes of over 1000, I realize it wasn't so big after all. It was nice to go into most any restaurant in town and be known by the employees. Some places even knew your "regular" order. Sure, we had our problems just like any other city. There were cliques: the jocks, the rich kids, the smart kids, the band geeks, etc. I don't that is any different in small towns versus big cities. Until we got our Kmart when I was the 8th grade, we pretty much had to drive to Tampa for anything other than groceries. What made my hometown better than any other were my family and my friends. They are the ones who made my hometown my "home" town! I am a proud Zephyrhills Bulldog, class of '81. Even though I don't live in Zephyrhills anymore, I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to grow up there. It's a place that holds great memories for me.

All of that got me thinking about all of the places I've lived in my life. I've lived in a number of states and too many cities to count. I always worked hard to make each new place feel like home, carefully decorating either my bedroom, apartment or home with just the right touches to make it "homey". As much as I like where I live now, I've come to realize that this earth is not my true home. The Bible tells us that those of us who are in Christ are citizens of heaven. We are strangers and aliens in this world. (Ephesians 2:19)  I have a place being prepared for me...in heaven...by Jesus Christ Himself! (John 14:2) I won't worry about crime or school or traffic or cliques in heaven. I won't even have to worry about finding a tissue to dry my tears. He will wipe away my tears. (Revelation 21:4) Those daily concerns will still be part of my life while I live on this earth, but I will use the power He gives me to serve Him here on this earth, but oh how I look forward to the day when He calls me home and shows me the place He has for me!

Blessings,
Teresa

 Methodist Church in Zephyrhills

 

 

 

Friendship

I've been thinking a lot lately about friendship. Maybe that's because my BFF for the last 36 years has been here and we've spent time together. Maybe it's because I've had the joy of spending time with a number of new friends in last several days. Maybe it's because I watched the "Anne of Green Gables" marathon on TV yesterday. Maybe it's a combination of all of the aforementioned. I'm an introvert by nature. Not shy or timid, just introverted. It's not that I don't like people.  I love people, but my batteries are recharged by alone time. Nonetheless, friends are important to me.  As is typical with me, when I get a concept in my head, I start turning to the Bible to see what God has to say about the subject.  It might surprise people to know that much is written about friends and friendship in the Bible. The Bible warns us to be careful who we choose as friends. It gives us examples of bad friends (look at Job's friends!) and gives us the characteristics of good friends. Jesus had friends. He handpicked 12 men with whom He would spend His time and ministry. Of those 12, He had 3 to whom He was very close: Peter, James and John.  As I poured over the scriptures on friends and friendship, it became very apparent to me that there is but one who perfectly fulfills the role of friend at all times: Jesus. He is the One who sticks closer than a brother. He is the One who will never leave me nor forsake me. He is the One who always has my best interest at heart. He is the One in whom I can confide. While we all need "friends with skin" as I call them, it's important that we remember that He alone is our very best friend...our bosom friend...our kindred spirit. Friends are important and can bring joy to this life, but the one friend everyone needs is Jesus. Won't you take a minute today to connect (or reconnect) with Him? After some time with Him, why not call a friend with skin just to let them know how important they are to you.

Blessings,
Teresa

"A bosom friend--an intimate friend, you know--a really

kindred spirit to whom I can confide my inmost soul." -L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)

A New Day...A New Attitude

When last I left you, I was having a zoo dirt kind of day. I'm very happy to report that I have dusted off the zoo dirt and am in a much happier place. It was actually my sweet husband who started my cleaning process. He came home from work shortly after my blog posted. He was exceptionally tender and thoughtful throughout the day. I don't remember what he did or said but at one point I remember laughing out loud and thinking that laughter was just what I needed. The Eeyore style dark cloud gradually drifted away and by early evening, I was back to me.

What a gift and a blessing to have someone (or maybe even multiple someones) in our life to love us through those zoo dirt days. Emotions are so unpredictable and erratic. Therefore, they really should not be trusted especially when you have a decision to make. I often heard of the acronym HALT. I think I actually heard it in a sermon the first time but most recently, we dicussed in our First Place 4 Health group. The premise is when you have to make a decision, you should HALT and consider if you might be:

       Hungry
       Angry
       Lonely
       Tired

These emotions may keep you from making the wisest choice so you should really consider your options. It may even be wise to obtain outside counsel, particularly if your decision is a major one perhaps regarding your job, relationships, or buy/selling big ticket items like a car or a house.  Often times decisions we make out of emotion can turn out to be a disaster!  Haven't we all spoken words in anger that we wished we could take back? Ladies, haven't we all gotten that hairstyle we thought we would love only to find ourselves asking "what was I thinking when I did this?" when we came to our senses?  Have you ever experienced buyer's remorse?  All of these are most likely a result of making a decision based on emotions or during an emotionally vulernable time.

Don't experience "buyer's remorse" with your life. Consider your choices and choose wisely. Choose to follow Christ, the One who died for you. Choose to obey the Scriptures, even when you don't understand them. Choose to love, even the unlovely. Choose life because Jesus came that you may have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10). These will lead to a life of no regrets, one without buyer's remorse!

Blessings,
Teresa

Zoo Dirt

Today is a "zoo dirt" day.  Do you know what zoo dirt is?  Think about it. It's the dirt in the zoo that the animal stand on, relieve themselves on, walk on, etc.  It's the yuckiest of all dirt. A zoo dirt day is the yuckiest of all days. You know, those days when you just don't feel like yourself.  You're not sick or in pain. You don't really know why. You can't explain it. You just feel yucky. Men totally don't get it, but other women do. I don't think I've ever met a woman who hasn't had a zoo dirt kind of day at one time or another. Fortunately, I don't have them often but when I do, I just want to be left alone in a quiet house. Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day!

Blessings,
Teresa

BFF

Do you have fond memories of middle school or high school? As difficult as those years were, I really have great memories! There are a few not so great ones, but for the most part, I had a great adolescence. I'm sure the primary reason is because I have great parents who made sure we had a fun...lots of fun!  They also worked hard to make sure I received a good education, was taught the value of work, honestly and living a life of integrity. Aside from those lessons imparted to me by my parents, the greatest gift I received in the 8th grade was a best friend!

My family moved from Maryland to Zephyrhills, Florida the summer between my 7th and 8th grade. While some may think that was a horrible thing to do to a teenager, I survived quite nicely. Sure I missed friends back in Maryland and I missed my grandparents, but I loved Florida and our new life there.  Toward the end of my 8th grade year I met the girl who would quickly become my BFF. Drawn together by our love for the Bay City Rollers, Tammy & I were instant friends. We were opposites in many ways, but we were really just two teenagers looking to each other for fun and help getting through high school.  We spent every weekend at one another's house. Her family became my family and mine hers. We were inseperable for the next four years. After high school, I went to college while Tammy chose to join the US Army. For the next nine years, we had little contact with other. We had each made choices that distanced us from one another. In 1990, due to Tammy's tenacity, we were reconnected. She was living in Washington state and I was in Sarasota, Florida. It wasn't long until we caught up on the previous nine years and were best friends again. We've been connected although living in different states for the past 23 years. In many ways, it's really like we didn't lose those nine years at all. Sadly, we missed the big events in each other's lives (weddings and the birth of her kids) but we've been able to share the joys and sorrows of life long distance. I was thinking the other day that although I consider her my best friend for the past 36 years, we really only had 4 years on which to build that foundation. I've known her longer than she's known her husband or I've known mine. The only people either of us have know longer are family members.

I'm super excited to be seeing Tammy and her family this weekend! They are coming down to central Florida to play tourist and we get to spend time together. I can promise you that it won't be long enough. I'll cry when I see her and I'll cry the whole way home but the time we do have will be the sweetest time for me and I will thank our great God for every second!  Friends like Tammy are rare and a true blessing from God and one that I choose to remember every day and not take for granted.

Blessings,
Teresa

T.G.I.F.

Yes, today is Friday; however, my T.G.I.F. does mean what you think it might mean. To me every day is T.G.I.F.  To me T.G.I.F. is Today God Is First. As a disciple of Christ, I am called to put God first every day.  Scripture calls me to "Seek first the kingdom of God" and to "love the Lord with all {my} heart, soul, mind and strength."  My eyes easily glide over the words as I read my Bible, rarely even stopping to ponder their meaning. But on those occasions when I do stop and really think about what I am being instructed lead me to some serious heart examination. I love to do word studies while doing Bible study. As such, I have done numerous studies on the meaning of words like "seek", "first", "love" and "all". All of my studies lead me to one conclusion: that I must intentionally put God above all else in my life. My relationship with Him is to supersede any and all other relationships.  This is often an area that causes non-believers or new believers to stumble. They have a preconceived idea that the relationship with their spouse or children should come first. God is certainly not commanding me to neglect these other relationships.  He is trying to get me to see that if I pursue my relationship with Him above all others, He will guide me in the ways necessary to ensure all of these other relationships are the best they can be.

Not only am I to put my relationship with God before other relationships, but I am to put God before my own fleshly desires. I have been called to deny myself, take up my cross and follow Him.  Since I started First Place 4 Health in February, I have become increasingly aware of my selfish desires. I choose the French fries rather than the salad.  I choose to sleep an extra 45 minutes or to watch reruns of "NCIS" rather than go to the gym. Why do I do these things? Because my flesh is screaming louder than the still small voice of my Savior and because I choose to listen to my screaming flesh. It's a choice that I make. I want to do the right thing...to make the right choices, but I don't always do it. I can so relate to the Apostle Paul when he says in Romans 7:15 "For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate." Paul does such a marvelous job describing the war between the flesh and the spirit. He ends the chapter with "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?"  Ahhh, but then comes chapter 8 which begins with "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."  What beautiful words! Even though I make wrong choices, I am not condemned. Even those I sin every day, I am not condemned! Praise be to God!

Choosing to make God first in my life every day requires being intentional and disciplined. I don't think one can walk with Christ as He calls us and not be disciplined. It takes discipline to get up early and read the Bible and pray. It takes discipline to choose God over flesh. It takes discipline to say "no" to the sex outside of marriage, alcohol, movies/TV shows that glorify the very sins that sent Jesus to the cross. It takes discipline to get up Sunday after Sunday, sometimes in the middle of a tropical storm, and go to church. Yes, it takes discipline, but the rewards and blessings are so worth it! God has a wonderful plan for my life (and for yours!). I will discover that plan only when I put Him first.  So, on this Friday, make the commitment to always T.G.I.F.!

Blessings,
Teresa

 

 

The Contents of Me...Part 4

Now we come to our last purse.  This transparent purse represents the transparent life.  When a lady carries a transparent purse, people can see what she is carrying.  That’s the reason many department stores require their employees to carry them.

As Christian women, we should be the transparent purse.  Just as you can see the initials of the designer on this purse, when others look at us, they should see our designer. And our designer is infinitely greater than Dooney & Bourke! People around us should see God’s Word active and alive in us. They should see our love for Him and for others by the way we treat people and the way we speak to people. We should be last people to gossip. We should be the last people to whine and complain when things don’t go our way. I’m talking to myself here. I love me a good pity party from time to time, but God is growing me and teaching me that it really isn’t all about me and my agenda. Things are going to happen…even in the church…that I don’t necessarily like or even agree with. But my speech must still be peppered with kindness. I should be encouraging others and building them up.

They should know we are His by the movies we watch, the music we listen to, the books we read. “Oh now you’re meddling!” is what you’re thinking, right? But it’s true. You’ve heard it: garbage in, garbage out.

Matt. 5:16 says “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works and glorify your Father Who is in Heaven.”

Do others see the light of Christ in your life?  Do people at work, at school, in your family know you are a Christian?

A transparent life is one that draws others to Jesus.  It’s a light in the darkness, shining bright by the good things we say and do for His glory.  Let your light shine.  Remember the words of Proverbs 31:30---“Charm is deceitful and beauty if vain, but a woman who fears the Lord, she shall be praised.”

I challenge you to live a transparent life, one in which others see Christ in you. Live in such a way that you, like Paul, can say to others “join in following my example…” (Phil. 3: 17)

So think about these purses. Which one most closely fits your life? Are you happy with that? If not, which one do you want to be and what changes are you willing to make to become like that?

Blessings,
Teresa

The Contents of Me...Part 3

Okay, so maybe you’re not the small bag or the big bag, but there is another purse I want to talk about.  On the outside and from a distance, this might look like a genuine Louis Vuitton.  It looks pretty good on the outside…kinda close to the real deal.  But there are subtle things that to the discerning eye will tell you it is a knock off---a fake!  Perhaps the best indicator is what is on the inside.  I’m told that a real LV has a serial number and the finest grade of suede for its liner.  A close look at this “Louis” does not reveal any numbers and the “leather” feels pretty cheap to the touch. What about you?  Are you real on the inside? When others get close to you, do they see indicators that you are authentic? Does your heart truly belong to Jesus or do you just “look the part”?  Just like my fake Louis, fake “Christians” can give the appearance of being real, especially from a distance. 

Jesus warned us of these types of people.  In fact, He told them directly that their faith was only on outside.  In Matt. 23:27, He said “Woe to you, teachers of the Law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean.”  Not everyone who says “Lord Lord” will enter the Kingdom of heaven any more than a purse with “LV” on it will pass for a real Louis Vuitton. The life of an authentic Christian will be one that bears good fruit. It is a life marked by love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Apart from Christ, you cannot have these things. Apart from Christ, we are empty and dead on the inside.

If your inside is empty and dead---without the eternal life that comes only through Jesus Christ, you can change that here, tonight. Paul tells us in the book of Romans that while we were still sinners---while we were still dead inside---Christ died for us. (Romans 5:8)  Today is the day of salvation. Do not harden you heart.

Blessings,
Teresa