A BREAK IN THE ACTION

I've been MIA in Blog Land for a couple of weeks.

I feel like I need to give some explanation.

I've been blogging for 6½ years now, and over that time, many people have come and gone in the blogging community.  I've known and been close to several of them, and built a relationship, only to have them "disappear."

Often I've wondered what happened…

Why did they quit blogging?

Was it burnout or something else?

Are they OK?

With that in mind, I wanted to at least explain my absence.


First of all, I'm OK.

Except that illness has come to roost in my body…again…GRRR!

After three weeks of some respiratory illness, and a five-day round of antibiotics, I managed to feel better for about two weeks.  And then, I got hit with something else last week.

Flu.

This time I have had a fever, aches, chills, cough…blah, blah, blah.

I don't know what's going on with me, except I've been around family a lot more lately, and it's that time of year…

I think we're ping-ponging illnesses.

Evidently my family is a "giving" family?!

So, missing my regular Monday posting one week, easily became two weeks, and here we are.


I'll be honest, the time off has been nice.

I have been struggling with my writing lately.  Feeling uninspired and burned out.  Questioning my place in Blog Land, and wondering if it's time to hang it all up.

I don't have the answers yet.

Part of me wants to stop, but I don't have peace about that.

And knowing that the enemy has a vested interest in silencing God's voice speaking through me, I don't want to make a hasty decision.  And I certainly don't want to make a decision based on my current physical and emotional weariness.

Feelings must not dictate.


So, dear friends, I am taking a break for now.  

Using some much-needed time off to reflect, refresh, restore, and renew.

Praying for God's clear direction as to what HE wants me to do with my blog.

Seeking renewed fervor and inspiration if He leads me to continue.

I'd appreciate your prayers.


I will try to do some visiting in Blog Land this week.

I miss reading the wonderful things that all of you contribute to the blogging community in general, and to my heart specifically.

I am always inspired, encouraged, challenged, convicted, uplifted when I visit.

So, forgive my absentee presence (oxymoron!!) lately.  I'll do my best to rectify that as soon as I'm feeling a bit better.

And I hope that I will return to my writing and posting soon…if God so leads me in that direction.


In the meantime, keep the faith!!



What have you been up to lately?  Would love to hear all about it in a comment!

Ah yes, this is the question!! 

I just googled "God restores the weary" and the first entry referred to Jeremiah 31:25.  I have read the whole chapter, and wonder if it isn't God speaking to me.  I share the portions that spoke to me, personalized:


"Thus says the LORD:
Sharon…found grace in the wilderness;
when she sought for rest,
the LORD appeared to her from far away.
I have loved you with an everlasting love;
therefore I have continued my faithfulness to you.
Again I will build you, and you shall be built,
O Sharon!
Again you shall adorn yourself with tambourines
and shall go forth in the dance of the merrymakers.
Again you shall plant vineyards…
the planters shall plant
and shall enjoy the fruit…

With weeping Sharon shall come,
and with pleas for mercy I will lead her back,
I will make her walk by brooks of water,
in a straight path in which she shall not stumble,
for I am a father to her…

He who scattered Sharon will gather her,
and will keep her as a shepherd keeps his flock.
For the LORD has ransomed Sharon
and has redeemed her from hands too strong for her...

She shall come and sing aloud…
and she shall be radiant over the goodness of the LORD…
her life shall be like a watered garden,
and she shall languish no more…
I will turn her mourning into joy;
I will comfort her, and give her gladness for sorrow…
and she shall be satisfied with my goodness,
declares the LORD.

Keep your voice from weeping,
and your eyes from tears,
for there is a reward for your work,
declares the LORD,
and you shall come back from the land of the enemy.
There is hope for your future,
declares the LORD…

Set up road markers for yourself;
make yourself guideposts;
consider well the highway,
the road by which you went.

Return, O Sharon…

Once more you shall use these words in the land…

For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish…

I will watch over you to build and to plant, declares the LORD…

You shall not be plucked up or overthrown anymore forever."


Yes, Lord, may it be so!



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

HOW I GOT STARTED BLOGGING

Blogging.

Some people take to it like a duck takes to water.

Me?

Not so much.

In fact, I would call myself a most reluctant blogger.

At least in the beginning.

It's kind of an interesting story.  

Would you like to hear it?


In 2010 I decided to take a class on speaking.

A woman who used to be in my Bible Study group was teaching it.  She had a lot of experience in speaking – at conferences, retreats, ladies' groups, luncheons, etc.

Actually, I had never even considered taking the class until my Bible Study leader, a good friend, suggested it.

Well, more than suggested it.

She said, "God told me to tell you to take the class."

I believe that God talks to us, bubbles up His thoughts in our spirits.

And so, I believe that He did indeed lay this message upon her heart.

However, I wasn't quite so sure that He was speaking the same message to me!

So I used the proper *Christian* response when we don't really want to do something – "I'll pray about it."

But here's the thing.

The more I prayed about it, the more I started hearing the same thing!

Which was crazy!!

You see, I remember the 12 weeks our group had spent listening to this woman's "speaking class travails."  She cried, she was nervous, she felt inadequate, she felt overwhelmed.  Every week she asked us to pray for her as she prepared for the class, as she wrote another speech.

And then she would report to us how difficult it was to be critiqued.

Well, with this enthusiastic endorsement of the class, who wouldn't be eager to sign up?!

Me.

But, I kept hearing the Lord telling me He wanted me to do it.

And so, I did.

Yes, the whole experience was really difficult.  I also cried, felt nervous, inadequate, and overwhelmed.  I also found it emotionally excruciating to be critiqued.  And I asked for prayer every week.

In the end, though, God gave me a life-changing experience through the process.

And this speaking class was the springboard into blogging.

Here's the story on that…


About halfway through the class, our teacher told us about a Writer's Conference that was being held at a local church.  She highly recommended that we attend, as good writing is a crucial step toward good speaking.

One of the other ladies in the class and I decided to go.

We were so excited.

The morning of the conference, we got all dressed up in what we thought made us look like *real* writers.  We brought all our important note-taking stuff.  We practiced serious faces.

We loved the initial mix-and-mingle buzz in the room.

Then, just before the keynote speaker's presentation, my friend went to the restroom.

And promptly came back with another woman in tow.  (I think we women have a knack for making instant personal friends anywhere!!)

"Look who I met!  This woman goes to my church, and she's going to join us!"

Well, that was fine with me.

And so, the three of us immediately became fast friends.

Later that afternoon, there were breakout sessions – individual seminars on all sorts of topics.  My two friends decided to go to the one that was all about blogging.

Nothing was less interesting to me than blogging.

I was and am not a social media girl.

At the time, I did not even own an updated cell phone.

And even the word *blog* bugged me to death – I couldn't even say the word without a "teenage valley girl" inflection in my voice:

"Hi, I'm Sharon.  I, um, like, live in Southern California.  I totally love walking on the beach, like, it's awesome.  I'm a Taurus, like, that means I'm ornery, whatever that means.  Hee, hee.  Oh yeah, and I, um, I blog.  Ciao!"

So I politely told my friends that I couldn't care less about blogging, it had zero appeal to me, and I'd catch up to them later.

That's when I went off by myself and had a good ol' meltdown.

I talked to my husband.  

I talked to my sons.  

And I finally talked to God.

I told Him how lost I felt, like I had no purpose.  I told Him how I didn't feel like I was good at anything.  The speaking class was terribly hard, and I wasn't doing anything with my writing either.

I told Him how useless I felt.

No thunderbolts.  No whirlwind.  No burning bush.  

No startling revelations.

But, I did feel a nudge.

"Go join your friends."

I wasted some more time, because I did not want to go hear anything about stupid blogging, Lord, thank you very much.

But, considering the fact that passersby were beginning to look at me weird, I decided to gather myself and move on.

Because, after all, who wants to see a sobbing woman in the lobby at a Writer's Conference??  ("Wow.  That must have been a tough rejection letter…")

I (reluctantly, unwillingly, grudgingly) joined my friends just in time for the tail end of the blogging seminar.  But, instead of listening, I doodled and sniffled and muttered under my breath...

"This is so NOT me."


A couple of months later, my friend – the crazy extrovert who makes lifelong friends in the bathroom – had started her own blog, and was applying lots of fervent pressure on me to do the same.

Finally, I allowed her to open an account for me.

"You've got to pick a name for your blog," she gushed.  "Something fun and catchy."

Fun and catchy.  

Not exactly my forte.

But I finally came up with something I liked…

Sharon Sharing God.

I thought of it because if I was going to attempt blogging, it was going to be all about God!  This was my whole desire – to serve Him in my writing and in my life.  And I liked the little wordplay of sound-alike "Sharon Sharing."

Who could have known that six long years later, I would be the only person still blogging?!

Well, God did.

The irony does not escape me.

Me, the most reluctant blogger, still at it and still enjoying it!

Blog Land is where I belong.

I have found it to be a place of comfort and inspiration.  A place to connect and make real friends.  A place for God to use His words through me to help others.

A place to wrestle with my own faith, and an avenue to encourage others in theirs.

My blogging has evolved.

I can see how my writing has changed.  How my format has changed.  How God has developed something that I am truly blessed by.  (If you're interested, my first blog post can be found here).

And, after all is said and done, God has taught me a thing or two through this blogging journey!!


1.  Be careful what you say *no* to!

God has a sense of humor.  I'm convinced of it.  And He is at His funniest when He brings to our lives the very last thing we want.  Not troubles or trials, but opportunities that we think we will *never* do.  It is much better to really and truly pray about these things, for they just may be the very moment that God has planned for us all along.


2.  Listen to your friends.

There are times when our friends are invaluable conduits for what God wants to say to us.  They can encourage and cajole us, prod and coax us, counsel and advise us.  And sometimes, they really do hear from the Lord, and can speak a message into our lives.  Sometimes they can be wrong – but if they're saying the same thing that the Holy Spirit has been niggling you about, well, I'd pay attention!


3.  Sometimes God knows us better than we know ourselves.

Sometimes we may think that we'd never be good at something, it just isn't "our thing."  But, God knows our hearts, and He knows how He made us.  And the very thing we don't consider as a possibility may be just the thing that allows us to blossom in our faith.  God wants to use our unique talents and abilities, and He knows best what they are.  He knows the shape and color of our threads.  Let's trust Him to weave us into the place that we belong.


4.  God likes to take us out of our comfort zones.

Growth happens when we are stretched.  When we reach a point where we cannot do something on our own.  God loves to step into those moments.  He often opens opportunities for us that make us feel inadequate or unprepared for.  This is when He shines!  He delights in giving us strength in our weakness, power in our feebleness, and comfort when we're out of our comfort zones.


5.  God delights in showing us His purposes.

I marvel at the fact that if I had kept saying no to God's invitation into blogging, I would never have discovered some of His purpose for me.  God wanted me to write, and He knew how much it would fulfill me, while at the same time fulfilling His purpose for me.  If you truly want to serve the Lord, be ready for Him to show you what that looks like.  And be willing to venture forth, even if it doesn't look like what you thought it would look like!  God has given each of us spiritual gifts, and He enjoys revealing them to us and through us to others.  And no one cheers louder than Him when we use them for His glory!


So, there you have it – my blogging autobiography.

It's been quite a journey.

A journey I never expected taking in the first place.

But God…

God had an idea.

He had something He wanted me to do.  

And He found a way to get me to do it.


Sharon Sharing God.

I can still hear Him chuckling…



How did you start blogging?

I write because the words
burst forth from
within me.

And God is faithful
to keep filling me
with
His words. 

SSG Blog Trivia: I usually tell people that I have an online devotional.  I guess I still haven't made peace with the word *blog* – though I have coined this tagline – which you'll see at the end of all my blog posts:

BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

Fun and catchy, huh?!



"Everyone who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made." (Isaiah 43:7, NASB)

"For we are God's masterpiece.  He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago." (Ephesians 2:10, NLT)

"For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn." (Romans 11:29, NLT)

"There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them.  There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord.  There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work." 
(1 Corinthians 12:4-6, NIV)

"As slaves of Christ, do the will of God with all your heart.  Work with enthusiasm, as though you were working for the Lord rather than for people. Remember that the Lord will reward each one of us for the good we do…" (Ephesians 6:6-8, NLT)

"Therefore I…beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God." (Ephesians 4:1, NLT)

"…for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." (Philippians 2:13, NIV)

"…may he equip you with all you need for doing his will.  May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him.  All glory to him forever and ever!  Amen." (Hebrews 13:21, NLT)

"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 3:14, NIV)

"…my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus – the work of telling others the Good News about the wonderful grace of God." (Acts 20:24, NLT)

"The master was full of praise.  'Well done, my good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful…'" (Matthew 25:21, NLT)



Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, MONDAY OF MANY BLESSINGS, THANK GOODNESS IT'S MONDAY, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY, MUSING MONDAYS, MODEST MONDAY, MOTIVATION MONDAY, INSPIRE ME MONDAY, LIVING PROVERBS, REFLECT LINKUP, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, UNITE LINKUP, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, RA RA LINKUP, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, INTENTIONAL TUESDAY, WISE WOMAN, THE HOMEMAKING PARTY, TELL HIS STORY, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, WAITING ON WEDNESDAY, SITTING AMONG FRIENDS, WEDDED WEDNESDAY, THE LOFT LINKUP, ONE WORD COFFEE, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, GRACE MOMENTS, THANKFUL THURSDAYS, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, PARTY AT MY PLACE, SHINE BLOG HOP, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, GRACE AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, COZY READING SPOT, NO RULES WEEKEND BLOG PARTY, 100 HAPPY DAYS, BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT PARTY, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, FAITH 'N FRIENDS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, GRACE & TRUTH, DANCE WITH JESUS, TGI SATURDAYS, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP & FAITH, WEEKEND WIND DOWN PARTY, LET US GROW, WORD OF GOD SPEAK, SMALL VICTORIES SUNDAY, GIVE ME GRACE, SOCIAL BUTTERFLY SUNDAY




BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

MY WORD FOR 2016 - THE BIG REVEAL!

The time has come!

A new year, a new word…

Wordsmith that I am, I like the idea of having a *word* for the year.

I think it's a unique way for God to speak into your heart – a way to focus on what He wants to teach you in the coming year.

And so, I was on the alert the last two months of last year, listening and waiting for Him to reveal His thoughts on the matter.

Well, this year He did indeed speak.

And the word He gave me is…

GRATEFUL.

Hmmm.

I wasn't quite sure I wanted to hear this word.

And, if you think I was protesting, you should have heard the heckling from Nervous Nellie and Negative Nora!

Nellie: "Oh dear.  You know that God's going to teach you gratitude by giving you a bunch of stuff you're not thankful for, right?  What terrible things are you going to have to be grateful for that you don't want?  I'm scared to be grateful, it might jinx things."

Nora: "Oh no.  That's a terrible word.  I don't feel like being grateful.  I like complaining and grumbling and moaning.  Count your blessings, shmessings. Life is hard, and there are so many unhappy things in life.  Who could be grateful in a world like this?  Harumph."

Boy oh boy, do those girls like to yak!

They are insistent and persistent and shrill.

Unfortunately, I listen to them.

(Please tell me that you caught the irony of my immediate reaction to the idea of being grateful – fear and negativity...)


Hence, I began a rather lengthy inner dialogue with God over the next few weeks.  I suppose He listened, but He did NOT change His mind.  He confirmed this word over and over again.  

Including the time I showed up to church and the pastor announced a new sermon series on thankfulness…ahem.

But here's something interesting – at first I thought my word was going to be gratitude.

And yet, just a couple of weeks ago, it changed to grateful.

I pondered that…

Was it just a change of semantics?

What I began to understand was this – gratitude is a noun, a some thing.

I have gratitude.

Almost like a possession.

But grateful is an adjective, and it describes some one.

I am grateful.

A character trait instead.

Maybe it's a small difference, but it has begun to make a big difference in how I view this word.

I don't think God is going to be satisfied with me simply possessing gratitude - somehow that seems like it stops at an intellectual level.

I have gratitude for this and that...

No, I think God wants more – He wants to transform something fundamental about me.  He wants to move beyond my mind into my heart.

He wants to make me a grateful person.

This does not come naturally.

And this is why I begin this year with a struggle.


I know that many of you have read Ann Voskamp's book, "One Thousand Gifts: A Dare to Live Fully Right Where You Are."  

And I know that many of you would say that it's been life-changing.

But I have never been an innately optimistic person.

Sure, I express gratitude for things, I show appreciation for people, I can be thankful when it comes right down to it.

But an Ebenezer Scrooge lurks deep within my soul.

And when he heard my word, he muttered…

BAH.

(I think Ebenezer is the grandfather of Nellie and Nora…)


OK, so this is the word.

GRATEFUL.

Why is this word so important?

Because gratitude is a really big deal to God.

Part of the reason God judges the human race is because they do not give Him thanks – 

"For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened." (Romans 1:21, ESV)

And if gratefulness is important to God, you can be assured that the enemy will fight against it. 

After all, isn't that exactly what he did in the Garden of Eden?  He tried to convince Adam and Eve that God was withholding something from them, that He wasn't the Great Giver of Good Gifts.

(Commentary from Matthew Henry: "It is the craft of Satan to speak of the Divine law as uncertain or unreasonable, and so to draw people to sin…Satan teaches men first to doubt, and then to deny.  He promises advantage from their eating this fruit.  He aims to make them discontented with their present state, as if it were not so good as it might be, and should be.")

Yes, the enemy is the father of discontent.  

And when the seeds of discontent are allowed to germinate, they sprout into the weeds of grumbling, complaining, thoughtlessness, faultfinding, cynicism, anger, and bitterness.

Just exactly the opposite of being grateful.


Yes, Lord, You have made no mistake in choosing this word for me.

However, I'm not gonna lie, so far being grateful feels like wearing a coat that's too big, or too small – it just doesn't fit right.  

And the journey of making it fit is going to require me getting bigger – moving past my narrow, nervous, negative way of looking at life – and smaller – learning how to be humble enough to show gratitude for the many gifts I've been given, none of which I deserve.


GRATEFUL.

So how am I going to live it out?

At first, I'm going to start by thinking of one thing that I'm grateful for each day.

JUST. ONE. THING.

(C'mon, guys – I'm like a kid learning how to walk.  It's going to take some crawling at first, lots of tripping and falling and bumping my head...)

This process feels uncomfortable to me, rather arbitrary – kinda forced and stilted – perhaps even a bit insincere (especially on those horrible, no good, very bad days)?

But a journey begins with small steps, and this is the way I'm starting…


The Lord has been so clear that this is *THE WORD* for the coming year.

And though I am squirming a bit, I am excited to see what changes God is going to bring in me.

It feels a lot like a continuation of the last two years – the years of joy and healing.

For what can bring more joy than seeing God’s gracious providence and goodness in each day?!

And what can bring more healing than learning to be grateful every day?!

Lord, I thank You for this word, and for the journey it begins.

May it permeate my thoughts, capture my feelings, and transform my spirit.


G ratitude is
R emembering
A ll
T hings
E manate
F rom
U ndeserved
L ove


HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Smile though your heart is aching
Smile even though it's breaking
When there are clouds in the sky
you'll get by
If you smile through your fear and sorrow
Smile and maybe tomorrow
You'll see the sun
come shining through
for you...

Light up your face with gladness
Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be
ever so near
That's the time you must keep on trying
Smile, what's the use of crying?
You'll find that life is
still worthwhile...

If you just smile.


(A Song by Charlie Chaplin)

You can find today's Scripture verses on my new page, 2016 VERSES ON BEING GRATEFUL.

Except for this (which I have personalized), from Psalm 145 (Amplified Bible):

"I will exalt You, my God, O King,
and [with gratitude and submissive wonder] 
I will bless Your name forever and ever.
Every day I will bless You and lovingly praise You;
yes, [with awe-inspired reverence] 
I will praise Your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised,
and His greatness is [so vast and profound as to be] 
unsearchable [incomprehensible to man]. 
One generation shall praise Your works to another,
and I shall declare Your mighty and remarkable acts.
On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
and on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.
I will speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
and [with gratitude and submissive wonder] 
I will tell of Your greatness.
I will overflow [like a fountain] 
when I speak of Your great and abundant goodness
and I will sing joyfully of Your righteousness.
The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. 
The Lord is good to me,
and His tender mercies are over all His works 
[the entirety of things created].
All Your works shall give thanks to You and praise You, O Lord,
and Your godly ones will bless You.
I shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
and talk of Your power,
to make known...Your mighty acts
and the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and Your dominion endures throughout all generations. 
The Lord upholds me when I fall
and raises me up when I am bowed down.
My eyes look to You [in hopeful expectation],
and You give me food in due time.
You open Your hand
and satisfy my desires.
The Lord is [unwaveringly] righteous in all His ways
and gracious and kind in all His works. 
The Lord is near to me when I call on Him,
when I call on Him in truth (without guile).
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear and worship Him 
[with awe-inspired reverence and obedience];
He also will hear my cry and will save me.
The Lord keeps all who love Him,
but all the wicked He will destroy.
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
And my flesh will bless and gratefully praise 
His holy name forever and ever."



NOTE: In order to incorporate a grateful attitude into my daily life, and to keep at it, I'm adding some NEW FEATURES.

Accountability is a good thing!

First of all, you'll find a section called "Daily Grateful Word" on my sidebar – in which I list the one thing I chose to be thankful for each day of the past week.  Then, I'm adding a new page called "Daily Grateful Thoughts" – in which I expand on my feelings about my grateful word. 


I'm adding some other features, too.

Here's the new stuff!!

Sidebar Features:

My Word for 2016
My Verse for 2016
Daily Grateful Word
A Word from the Word – (weekly Bible verse)
A "Message" from God – (weekly Bible verse from The Message)
Food For Thought – (picking one of my grateful words, and a question to prompt your thoughts)

New pages:

Daily Grateful Thoughts 
2016 Verses on Being Grateful 
2016 Quotes on Being Grateful 
2016 Essays on Being Grateful 
2016 Grateful Songs 

What's your new word for 2016?



Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, GRATEFUL HEART MONDAY, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, UNITE LINKUP, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, RA RA LINKUP, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, INTENTIONAL TUESDAY, THE (NOT JUST) HOMEMAKING PARTY, TELL HIS STORY, WISE WOMAN, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, WAITING ON WEDNESDAY, SITTING AMONG FRIENDS, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, GRACE AT HOME, SHINE BLOG HOP, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, COZY READING SPOT, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, EVERYDAY TESTIMONY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, FAITH 'N FRIENDS, GRACE & TRUTH, ESSENTIAL FRIDAYS, NO RULES BLOG PARTY, COFFEE SHOP CONVERSATIONS, DANCE WITH JESUS, WEEKEND WHISPERS, TGI SATURDAYS, SUNDAY STILLNESS, SMALL VICTORIES SUNDAY, GIVE ME GRACE, SOCIAL BUTTERFLY SUNDAY




BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

SPAM?? - CAPTCHA GOTCHA

OK, so there's this verification thing on blogs.

It's called Captcha. 

But did you know it stands for this:  "Completely Automated Public Turing test to tell Computers and Humans Apart".

It's a way to screen out spam comments.

Usually, one only needs to check a box to confirm that you're not spam. (While trying not to be personally offended at the implication that you would ever be spam even if given the chance!  Totally kidding!!)

I don't know why I get all nervous waiting for the green check mark.  Or why I then get all excited when it appears.  (As if I was ever in doubt???)

But, sometimes the verification asks for a second step.

In this scenario, you are shown a photograph, and then asked to check off all the other photos that are in the same category.

OK, honestly, this is a difficult task when you are "reading-glass-challenged" like those of us who have reached…um…wonderful middle age.

I have found myself squinting to even see what the photos are!!

Then, the second challenge is the category itself.

I have been known to fail on my first attempt.

Once I was asked to check all the boxes that were sushi.  As I squinted, I checked off the boxes that I thought were photos of sushi.  Then I was informed that I had somehow failed.

Huh?

What did I do wrong?  

Did I mistakenly check off a spring roll, or a tiny hors d'oeuvre, or…what the heck WAS that anyway???

Or, how about the category of meat.

Don't "tiny bits of something white in a salad that look like chicken" count? Or, excuse me, should that have been considered for the incorrect salad category?

Sometimes, after encountering a few of these Captcha moments – (which I am not fond of capturing) – I find myself inordinately hungry for really random food.

Not so great.

Especially when there's no sushi in the house.

Suffice it to say, that I also used to struggle with the verification method that asked you to type in the number you saw in a photograph.  Can't tell you how many times I looked, and scanned, and peered…and yes, squinted…trying to determine what the numbers actually were.

Is that an 8 or a 3?  A 1 or a 7?

Where's a magnifying glass when you need one?

Now, I have to admit that I did enjoy the old verification method of one or two words that you had to retype.  I had fun imagining what the gobbledygook words might mean.

Like gobbledygook.

And, I enjoyed the occasional actual word(s) that snuck in.

This was especially fun when the two words formed a rather funny phrase. Like *heroic lizard* or something else ridiculous – (I just made that up).

(By the way, what is a heroic lizard anyway?  One who keeps his tail?  Or one who burns his belly by refusing to do those funny lizard push-ups on hot cement?  Or what about the one that refuses to move when I scream??)

I digress.


But really, all this has got me thinking…

Two thoughts come to mind.

First of all, we are not spam to the Lord.

He has saved us, and we belong!

There is no need to add to His gift of salvation.  There is nothing we can ever do to make His love for us greater or less.  We are justified by our faith, and the verification is the presence of the Holy Spirit in our hearts.

What a comfort in a world that is becoming increasingly more impersonal, more dangerous.

It is an age of social media, where people "connect" but often never get beyond the surface of "look good, talk good" posturing.

It is an age of identity theft, when people try to "steal" who we are.

It is an age where many are bullied, many are persecuted, many are hated – just because of misguided stereotypes and preconceived judgments.

It is an age where we can get *lost*…

No need.

For we are intimately connected to the Lord God Almighty.  

The One who knows all about us, way beyond our surface.  The One who promises that we are never in danger of losing our identity as His children. The One who is infinitely kind and compassionate to each and every one of us.

No more judgment, no more condemnation.

For we are held securely by Our Redeemer, the One who *verified* us when we opened the door of our hearts.

Green check mark completed!


The other thought I've had is that there is no confusion in Him.

Captcha has sometimes confused me with their numbers and their photos.  I find myself struggling to understand what I'm seeing.

And in this tired old world, with its many "mixed messages", it's easy to get confused.  We are constantly bombarded with conflicting viewpoints.  And how widely the meter of public opinion swings.

Sometimes humans can be so naïve, so gullible, so willing to follow…

Confusion could reign, if we were not given the sure beacon of Truth.

The Bible is the perfect antidote to a world gone mad.  

We are cautioned against listening to false teachers and untrue teaching.

And we do this by reading, studying, contemplating, memorizing, internalizing Scripture.  By making ourselves intimately familiar with it.

We are promised that if we seek wisdom, it will be given to us.

Let's take God at His Word (literally!).


So, my friends, as we negotiate Blog Land, with all its idiosyncrasies, may we remember these two things…

We are not spam.

We need not be confused.


OK, one more thing…

We are eternally *verified* by The One who *captcha-ed* us and who has said forever…

"Gotcha."

Sorry.

The heroic lizard made me do it!! 

Hey!

I passed the test!

I got the green check mark.

 Thumb's up!! 

"Know that the LORD, he is God!  It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100:3, ESV)

"'My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.  No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else.  No one can snatch them from the Father's hand." 
(John 10:27-29, NLT)

"If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord." (Romans 14:8, NIV)

"Because of Christ and our faith in him, we can now come boldly and confidently into God's presence." (Ephesians 3:12, NLT)

"So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God.  There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." 
(Hebrews 4:16, NLT)

"You, therefore, dear friends, having been warned beforehand, must continually be on your guard so as not to be led astray by the false teaching of immoral men nor fall from your own steadfastness." 
(2 Peter 3:17, WEYMOUTH)

"Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit.  You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world." (1 John 1:4, NLT)

"If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him." (James 1:5, ESV)

"By your words I can see where I’m going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path." (Psalm 119:105, MESSAGE)

"Every Scripture is God-breathed (given by His inspiration) and profitable for instruction, for reproof and conviction of sin, for correction of error and discipline in obedience, [and] for training in righteousness (in holy living, in conformity to God's will in thought, purpose, and action), so that the man of God may be complete and proficient, well fitted and thoroughly equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16-17, AMP)

"You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:13, ESV)



How does knowing you belong to God *straighten out the paths* of life?



Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAYS, SMALL WONDER, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, GRATEFUL HEART MONDAY, REFLECT LINKUP, MOM 2 MOM MONDAY, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, WORDS OF COMFORT MONDAY, SOLI DEO GLORIA, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, RA RA LINKUP, WOMEN HELPING WOMEN, INTENTIONAL TUESDAY, TELL HIS STORY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, WISE WOMAN, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WAITING ON WEDNESDAY,WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, WOMEN WITH INTENTION, JOYHOPELIVE LINKUP, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, THE (NOT JUST) HOMEMAKING PARTY, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, BELOVED BREWS, EVERYDAY JESUS, GRACE AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, SHINE, HEARTS FOR HOME, LOOKING UP LINKUP, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY, LIGHT FRIDAY HIT LIST, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, FAITH & FELLOWSHIP, GRACE & TRUTH, DANCE WITH JESUS, SATURDAY SOIREE, STILL SATURDAY, TGI SATURDAYS, WEEKEND BREW, SUNDAY STILLNESS, GIVE ME GRACE



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

MY SELFIE

OK, let's just say that I am not a social media queen.

I am not on Facebook.  Neither am I "linked in."  I do not tweet, smartchat, flickr, or instagram.  (Though I have been known to google).  I am not a tumblr.  And, silly me, I still think "meerkat" is a cute wild animal, and "periscope" is something on a submarine.  Evidently I am not a very pinteresting person.  

My blog is my one shining example of staying current with the times.

But, I admit, I do like taking photos with my *intelligent* phone.

And I have been known to spy on look at other peoples' photos.  I especially like the people who post publicly.  This allows me to watch their lives unfold without the commitment of joining anything.  (Kinda like buying a gallon of ice cream and then hiding all the spoons so you don't have to commit to eating it).

Some people take really interesting photos.  Like small pieces of portable art, they are colorful, exotic, beautiful, dynamic.  Some people are very talented, even with a phone.  Other people are just silly.

Really, is there any need to post something every day?

And really, is it necessary to bombard the internet with copious amounts of selfies?

(Interesting sidenote: The term "selfie" was discussed by photographer Jim Krause in 2005…Initially popular with young people, selfies gained wider popularity over time.  By the end of 2012, Time magazine considered selfie one of the "top 10 buzzwords" of that year; although selfies had existed long before, it was in 2012 that the term "really hit the big time." – From Wikipedia)

People enjoy selfies because of the control they give self-photographers over how they present themselves.  Therefore, selfies are normally flattering. Well, duh.  And, don't get me started on celebrity selfies. 

But really, I have to ask…how self-absorbed can we get?

Now I'm not knocking the innocuous fun of most of social networking. But then again, I think it's a symptom of the general disease of human nature.

We are rather enamored with ourselves – with our SELVES.

It occurs to me that this preoccupation with self was the root of the first *fall from grace.*  

Can't you see Lucifer snapping selfie after selfie as he admired his beauty? Thinking that he was "all that" he toppled himself right out of heaven.

Then there's that second *fall from grace.*

Adam and Eve, again focusing on themselves, fell into the trap of self-aggrandizement and pride.  After their terrible sin, I'm not thinking that any selfies were taken.  They would have been too unflattering to the human race.

But, we must not point any fingers.

After all, here we are, so many years later, suffering from the same fixations.

Humans are an interesting bunch.

We can be narcissistic or self-loathing.  We can be egotistical or lack self-esteem.  We can be self-sacrificing or selfish.

Sometimes, even as believers, things can be confusing.

We are taught to die to self, and yet to love our neighbor as ourselves.  We are unworthy to achieve eternal life on our own, but we are worth saving.  We are taught to turn the other cheek, and love our enemies, and yet told to stand firm against opposing forces.

We can be prideful – even in self-deprecating ways.

I don't think I'd like to see a selfie of my heart.

Fortunately, there is an alternative.

There is another view.

And it was accomplished on a cold and dismal day when Someone hung from the cross.  And later, when He triumphantly walked out of a tomb.

Can you imagine if Jesus posted a couple of selfies on those days?

One a picture of unspeakable horror and suffering and pain.  A gloomy portrait.  Singularly unflattering.  

And then, a couple of days later, another photo full of glorious light.  A glowing Savior's face.  A miracle of joy.  

The most beautiful picture ever taken.

So, as we negotiate the crazy world of social media, let's be mindful of our tendencies and preoccupations.

Let's remember that *self-ease* can only come by believing in the One who paid the price to redeem us from ourselves – our SELVES.

Let's remember that though we are unworthy of His grace and forgiveness, He deemed us eminently worth saving.

Let's remember that we are not "all that" – but neither are we wretched worms.

Our true selfie can only be found by viewing ourselves through the lens of Jesus' righteousness. 

And only by following Him, can we ever hope to look like Him…

His selfie.

The most beautiful picture ever taken.

"Selfie Incognito"

"I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe." (Ephesians 1:18-19, NASB)

"For God, who said, 'Let there be light in the darkness,' has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus Christ." (2 Corinthians 4:6, NLT)

"And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another.  For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:18, ESV)

"Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is." (1 John 3:2, ESV)

"For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face.  Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known." 

(1 Corinthians 13:12, ESV)

"'Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.'" (Matthew 5:8, ESV)

"Even after my skin is destroyed, 

Yet from my flesh I shall see God; 

Whom I myself shall behold, 

And whom my eyes will see and not another.  

My heart faints within me!"

(Job 19:26-27, NASB)

"I had only heard about you before, but now I have seen you with my own eyes." (Job 42:5, NLT)

He must become greater, I must become less.

For God so loved me...

How do you view your *self*?  How does looking through the eyes of Jesus change your perspective?

Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, GRATEFUL HEART MONDAY, MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAYS, MOTIVATE & REJUVENATE MONDAYS, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, SOLI DEO GLORIA, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, FIND STABILITY, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, UNITE, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAY, WOMEN HELPING WOMEN, LIVING PROVERBS, TUESDAY TALK, RA RA LINKUP, TELL HIS STORY, A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAYS, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY, WISE WOMAN, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, WOMEN WITH INTENTION WEDNESDAYS, WAITING ON WEDNESDAY, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, GRACE AT HOME, BELOVED BREWS, EVERYDAY JESUS, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, SHINE, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, LIGHT FRIDAY HIT LIST, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, A GROUP LOOK, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, FAITH & FELLOWSHIP, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY, GRACE & TRUTH, TGI SATURDAYS, DANCE WITH JESUS, SATURDAY SOIREE, STILL SATURDAY, WEEKEND BREW, GIVE ME GRACE, RECOMMENDATION SATURDAY, SUNDAY STILLNESS



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"