38 Now it happened as they went that He entered a certain village; and a certain woman named Martha welcomed Him into her house. 39 And she had a sister called Mary, who also sat at Jesus’[a] feet and heard His word. 40 But
Martha was distracted with much serving, and she approached Him and
said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to serve alone?
Therefore tell her to help me.”
41 And Jesus[b] answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things. 42 But one thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her.” Luke 10:38 (www.biblegateway.com)
Makes you think about some things huh? I mean we are in the most glorious of seasons, celebrating the birth of Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ! It is a time full of festive activities, family gatherings and re-connections. It is a time to lavish the ones we love and the ones in need with the best that our hands can give. However, it is also a time of stress, busyness, frustration and want. I guess everything, in this world, has its down side.
We are challenged to continue to remember and operate in the reason for the season which is Jesus. But maybe if we remember that our GOD is love and desires more than anything to have relationship with us on a daily, hourly and minute by minute basis we will stay grounded.
Spending daily devotional time with the Lord helps keep our focus, gives us energy and the correct perspective for the day. Placing Him first gives us the blessed assurance that He is always with us. Knowing that He is with us tempers our actions; where we might be frustrated we remember why He came; where we might be alone we remember that He loves us; where we might be prone to give into anger He reminds us of the peace He has left us. Without this daily refueling and fellowship we will fail in many of the things we, with good intentions, try to complete in our own strength.
He has given us power and permission to show the world about His Love, His Mission, His Sovereignty, His Grace, His Awesome Majesty through our actions. Not the gifts we buy, the gatherings we host, no they are only instruments; and I caution you, as well as myself, that unless our actions are motivated by Love- Christ's Love then we are operating under the wrong motives.
In our bible passage we see Martha dutifully going about hostess duties, making sure all the wreathes are hung just right; that each guest has enough coffee or tea; that all of the food is perfect in its presentation; that the sofa has the right amount of pillows on it...okay its a stretch but you get my point. Interestingly she had the Master in her house, right in His presence but she still got caught up in the day to days (the cares of the world) and her desire to please actually turned into a perfection tantrum. So much so that she was unable to recognize the treasure that was in her very midst! God appreciated everything she was doing and that was enough; she had a heart to serve and that honored Him. But all of the extra she required of herself, He didn't require of her. He just wanted her time and she needed desperately to sit in His presence. Can you relate? I can!
So friends..as this week unfolds and the end of the year draws ever nearer purpose to spend quality time with the Lord after all He is the Guest of Honor!
Peace, Health, and The Lord's Blessings Be Upon You!
Souljourner
Monday, December 23, 2013
Saturday, December 21, 2013
Wow Moments Never Grow Old
Greetings Reader,
It is a time for sharing! Enjoy:
I was re-reading one of my favorite books You're Late Again, Lord by Karon Phillips Goodman and I had an epiphany! Mrs. Goodman has a wonderful and witty way of exposing your faults not to make you feel bad but to encourage you to seek the Lord. In one of the passages she confessed that "I always wanted to complete the waiting, and I cared little about what benefits were in it for me" (Goodman, 2002) The wait she is referring to is the time in your life where you feel like you are stuck. Can't move forward won't go backward so you are just there. Well I have been in one of these waits for what seems like an eternity and had become very burnt out on life. To the point where I no longer wanted to be involved in any activity, social outing or anything that would require me to get out of clean pj's to make an appearance. But then just when I was settling, at least I thought I was, into my wait..determined to make something productive of the time being spent, a great opportunity was presented to me. I am now working with some of our most beautiful exceptional ed students at one of my local elementary schools. Any other time I would have shyed away from the opportunity because I have my own children who are on the spectrum and it seemed to be a bit much.
I have never been so happy to be so wrong. I love working with these kids! They are sweet, demanding, misunderstood but determined to make their own way. They actually remind me alot of myself and my relationship with Our Father. How so? Well let me explain it to you by using an example. On a regular day one of my students was having a particularly hard time adjusting to the rigors of school. He screamed, he hollered, he tantrumed, he tried to bargain, he demanded, he insulted and finally he he just sat quiet. Before the melt-down he earned a time-out and needed to serve it before joining his class for recess. In those moments as he sat on the rug and I watched the timer and looked upon him with compassion but resignation I wondered if that is what the Lord does with us sometimes? I mean I am never one for a longer than necessary wait and if I do a and b and c is expected then that is what I expect. Not a delay or d. I am impatient and can get frustrated really quick. I don't like to trust, I just want to know. So I mused how many times have I been like my student having an all out fit because a wait imposed on me by the Lord because the lesson I needed to learn would aid me in my success later? How many times have I bargained or got mad or frustrated and demanded answers from the All Knowing God because I refused to trust without seeing it first? God being so gracious and omniscient knows that I can't move on and successfully navigate the next level of challenges life will bring me without getting this particular lesson or lessons first. So He keeps me in a holding pattern, if you will, or a wait.
In this time there is so much too learn and it can be productive and positive if I don't resent or try to manipulate the timing. Abraham and Sarah did that and we are still receiving the consequences of that action. But GOD! He knows and still He doesn't give up on me or you...when the timer alarmed and the student was allowed to join his classmates we went over what not to do next time and I hugged him and sent him out the door. He got his freedom but when he gets the lesson he will be even more free, so much so that he will not want to return to what got him there in the first place.
I want to be like that student so I have made a conscious choice to enjoy my wait. Enjoy the journey without knowing how it all fits together but understanding my work is a necessary component to GOD's unfinished plan. Unfinished because I am still on His wheel being shaped, molded, corrected, built up, polished and finished to perfection.
It is a time for sharing! Enjoy:
I was re-reading one of my favorite books You're Late Again, Lord by Karon Phillips Goodman and I had an epiphany! Mrs. Goodman has a wonderful and witty way of exposing your faults not to make you feel bad but to encourage you to seek the Lord. In one of the passages she confessed that "I always wanted to complete the waiting, and I cared little about what benefits were in it for me" (Goodman, 2002) The wait she is referring to is the time in your life where you feel like you are stuck. Can't move forward won't go backward so you are just there. Well I have been in one of these waits for what seems like an eternity and had become very burnt out on life. To the point where I no longer wanted to be involved in any activity, social outing or anything that would require me to get out of clean pj's to make an appearance. But then just when I was settling, at least I thought I was, into my wait..determined to make something productive of the time being spent, a great opportunity was presented to me. I am now working with some of our most beautiful exceptional ed students at one of my local elementary schools. Any other time I would have shyed away from the opportunity because I have my own children who are on the spectrum and it seemed to be a bit much.
I have never been so happy to be so wrong. I love working with these kids! They are sweet, demanding, misunderstood but determined to make their own way. They actually remind me alot of myself and my relationship with Our Father. How so? Well let me explain it to you by using an example. On a regular day one of my students was having a particularly hard time adjusting to the rigors of school. He screamed, he hollered, he tantrumed, he tried to bargain, he demanded, he insulted and finally he he just sat quiet. Before the melt-down he earned a time-out and needed to serve it before joining his class for recess. In those moments as he sat on the rug and I watched the timer and looked upon him with compassion but resignation I wondered if that is what the Lord does with us sometimes? I mean I am never one for a longer than necessary wait and if I do a and b and c is expected then that is what I expect. Not a delay or d. I am impatient and can get frustrated really quick. I don't like to trust, I just want to know. So I mused how many times have I been like my student having an all out fit because a wait imposed on me by the Lord because the lesson I needed to learn would aid me in my success later? How many times have I bargained or got mad or frustrated and demanded answers from the All Knowing God because I refused to trust without seeing it first? God being so gracious and omniscient knows that I can't move on and successfully navigate the next level of challenges life will bring me without getting this particular lesson or lessons first. So He keeps me in a holding pattern, if you will, or a wait.
In this time there is so much too learn and it can be productive and positive if I don't resent or try to manipulate the timing. Abraham and Sarah did that and we are still receiving the consequences of that action. But GOD! He knows and still He doesn't give up on me or you...when the timer alarmed and the student was allowed to join his classmates we went over what not to do next time and I hugged him and sent him out the door. He got his freedom but when he gets the lesson he will be even more free, so much so that he will not want to return to what got him there in the first place.
I want to be like that student so I have made a conscious choice to enjoy my wait. Enjoy the journey without knowing how it all fits together but understanding my work is a necessary component to GOD's unfinished plan. Unfinished because I am still on His wheel being shaped, molded, corrected, built up, polished and finished to perfection.
Isn't That Interesting
It is the Saturday before Christmas and I am not out shopping or competing with the hustle and bustle of the last minute crowd. Have I bought anything? Absolutely not. Normally I would be wheeling and dealing to try and make sure my children received a few things off of their list; but this year is different. This year I just don't want to to. This year I just want to celebrate the simplicity of life. I want to hang out with family and friends, play board games, eat (not too much) holiday food and just appreciate life. I thank GOD for the peace He has given me. I thank Him for allowing me to see more purpose in the everyday's and not be concerned with productivity of them. I am just loving life and more appreciative of His Son's miraculous arrival on Earth and humbled at His plan to save humanity.
The mall doesn't hold that type of revelation joy! Neither does a 25% off sale or extended ours...I am good. And honestly GOD always surprises me and the children end of up getting more than they need or can carry. So why go through the stress of trying to make something out of nothing? Don't get me wrong I love creature comforts and if I could run out and make purchases I would but I,(we), are not in a position to do so. But I am in the position to watch the Lord work and provide. So I content myself and remain thankful as the Lord works in my life and in the lives of others around me.
Remember you are already blessed beyond measure because you have been given the gift of salvation from the Lord Jesus Christ. Embrace the day! Live the Season..all year long.
Peace & Love
Souljourner
The mall doesn't hold that type of revelation joy! Neither does a 25% off sale or extended ours...I am good. And honestly GOD always surprises me and the children end of up getting more than they need or can carry. So why go through the stress of trying to make something out of nothing? Don't get me wrong I love creature comforts and if I could run out and make purchases I would but I,(we), are not in a position to do so. But I am in the position to watch the Lord work and provide. So I content myself and remain thankful as the Lord works in my life and in the lives of others around me.
Remember you are already blessed beyond measure because you have been given the gift of salvation from the Lord Jesus Christ. Embrace the day! Live the Season..all year long.
Peace & Love
Souljourner
The Cycle of Knowlededge
The More I live, The More I Learn.
The More I Learn, The More I live.
-Souljourner
The More I Learn, The More I live.
-Souljourner
Tuesday, December 10, 2013
River City Buddy Ball
Good Morning Family! I wanted to make you aware of an awesome group of people that work with my sons and kids like them. River City Buddy Ball of Richmond Virginia; what makes them so special is that they ensure that all children especially our children who are challenged with autism, MD, processing delays (MR), down syndrome have an opportunity to play sports. They are kids who love to run and play with other children. They provide jersey's, play facilities and treats at no cost to the parents. For more information see www.rivercitybuddyball.org
Now that I have introduced you to a cause close to my heart. Please take a moment to browse pampered chef products and consider making a purchase. All purchases up to 12/20/13 will yield a 15% donation to buddy ball. So calling all chefs and those who are aspiring to be! Come and check out the goodies at : www.pamperedchef.biz/indygriffin make a purchase and help our kids!
www.pamperedchef.biz/amywhite go under search hosts click indy griffin, richmond va.
Here are some great pics of the kids...shameful bribary!
Thursday, December 5, 2013
There is Happiness tucked into every day if you choose to find it!
I will be the first to admit that some days are more challenging than others. You know it's gonna be one of those days when you can't find your keys; or you fight with the kids to get out the door on time or someone forgets a book bag or leaves a lunchbox on the back seat. No matter what makes you look up to the sky and go ARRRGGGHHH, there is still something salvageable in that day.
It's never as bad as it seems it is when we you are going through it. And if you would remember that going through is actually a action phrase which means nothing is standing still and the moment is passing right before your eyes. It might make you smile the next time you lock your keys in the car or forget to grab gas before you run into the traffic jam on the way to work.
Not every moment is a hooray moment but I would challenge you to find a piece of happiness on the worst of your days. It's like taking a spoon full of sugar to help the medicine go down. I am doing that right now as I listen to my two little people communicate in a language only they understand. I can say I am thankful they are talking even though it is in 3rd person and doesn't always make sense. I also do it when their processing delay is so evident I have to wait almost a full minute to get an answer to a question. I also do it when I think of the reality that they may never be able to operate on their on as adults..but then I don't know the future and so far I have been pleasantly surprised with their obvious leaps and bounds of progress.
It's kinda like this...you don't get a rainbow until after the rain.
Souljourner
It's never as bad as it seems it is when we you are going through it. And if you would remember that going through is actually a action phrase which means nothing is standing still and the moment is passing right before your eyes. It might make you smile the next time you lock your keys in the car or forget to grab gas before you run into the traffic jam on the way to work.
Not every moment is a hooray moment but I would challenge you to find a piece of happiness on the worst of your days. It's like taking a spoon full of sugar to help the medicine go down. I am doing that right now as I listen to my two little people communicate in a language only they understand. I can say I am thankful they are talking even though it is in 3rd person and doesn't always make sense. I also do it when their processing delay is so evident I have to wait almost a full minute to get an answer to a question. I also do it when I think of the reality that they may never be able to operate on their on as adults..but then I don't know the future and so far I have been pleasantly surprised with their obvious leaps and bounds of progress.
It's kinda like this...you don't get a rainbow until after the rain.
Souljourner
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