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!"

LEAP YEAR MONDAY

February 29th.

Brought to you by the clever inventors of leap year.

My dad missed it by one day – his birthday was March 1st.

If I had been born on February 29th, this year I'd be celebrating my Sweet Sixteen birthday! 

(Hmmm, I like the sound of that better than 62…ahem).

I got to thinking about leap years, so I looked up some information.


Here's the facts:

1.  A leap year is also known as an intercalary year or a bissextile year.

2.  The extra day keeps the calendar year synchronized with the astronomical or seasonal year, and aligned with the Earth's revolutions around the Sun.

3.  Seasons and astronomical events do not repeat in a whole number of days. Therefore, calendars that have the same number of days in each year drift over time with respect to the event that the year is supposed to track. Inserting the extra day corrects the drift.

4.  A year that is not a leap year is called a common year.

5.  The name "leap year" comes from the fact that while a fixed date in the Gregorian calendar normally advances one day of the week from one year to the next, the day of the week in a leap year will advance two days (from March onwards) due to the extra day added at the end of February (thus "leaping over" one of the days in the week).

6.  Gregorian calendars were first used in 1582.  They are a modification of the Julian calendar first used by the Romans.

7.  There is also something known as a leap cycle.  Over a period of 4 centuries, the accumulated error of adding a leap day every 4 years amounts to about 3 extra days. The Gregorian calendar therefore removes three leap days every 400 years, which is the length of its leap cycle.

8.  You can tell if it's a leap year by what day of the week the year starts and ends on.  January 1st and December 31st always fall on the same day of the week.  In leap years, December 31st will fall on the following day of the week!

9.  In Ireland and Britain, it is a tradition that women may propose marriage only in leap years.   In Greece, marriage in a leap year is considered unlucky.

10.  A person born on February 29 may be called a "leapling" or a "leaper."

11.  There can be drawbacks to being born on February 29th.  There are an estimated five million people with Feb. 29 birthdays, and they once had to face a number of day-to-day administrative hassles.  Insurance companies, banks and other major organizations often didn't recognize leap day as a valid date, forcing people to choose either Feb. 28 or March 1 as their birthday.  Evolving technology has made this less of an issue, but some websites still won't accept Feb. 29.

12.  In Gilbert and Sullivan's 1879 comic opera "The Pirates of Penzance," Frederic the pirate apprentice discovers that he is bound to serve the pirates until his 21st birthday (that is, when he turns 84 years old), rather than until his 21st year.

13.  Leap years in history: During leap years, George Armstrong Custer fought the Battle of the Little Bighorn (1876), the Titanic sank (1912), Benjamin Franklin proved that lightning is electricity (1752) and gold was discovered in California (1848).

14.  Famous people born on February 29th: Dinah Shore, Tony Robbins, Jimmy Dorsey, Dennis Farina, Lord Byron, and a bunch of other people that can't be that famous because I didn't know who they were!!


So in some ways, today is an *extra* day!

And that's got me thinking about time.

Did you know that time is bendable?

According to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, there is a phenomenon called time dilation – basically a difference of elapsed time between two events as measured by observers.

(For instance, clocks on the Space Shuttle ran slightly slower than reference clocks on Earth, while clocks on GPS and Galileo satellites run slightly faster…The laws of nature are such that time itself (i.e. spacetime) will bend due to differences in either gravity or velocity – each of which affects time in different ways.)

I don't begin to understand any of this – even though I am a huge fan of the "Back to the Future" movies!!

("…the encounter could create a time paradox.  The results of which could cause a chain reaction that would unravel the very fabric of the space-time continuum and destroy the entire universe!...Granted, that's the worst-case scenario.  The destruction however might be limited merely to our own galaxy." 
– Emmett "Doc" Brown)

"Great Scott!"


No, I am not a physicist, but I do know this.

Time is not static – especially as we experience it.

I have found that time moves at a different pace when I'm waiting for something.  If it's something good (tax refund check), time moves slowly.  But if it's something I'm dreading (root canal), it goes way too fast.  Of course, if I'm waiting to find out if something is good or bad (test results), time moves slowly again.

Interesting, huh?!

OK, if you've stuck with me so far – (and I'm sorry that today's post is rambling all over the place) – it's *time* to get practical.


We are finite beings – with a pre-determined amount of years allotted to us.

God sets our earthly time, our life clock, before we are even born – and He alone knows when that time will tick down to a stop.

And even if we live to be 100 years old, the time will still pass quickly.

So, what are we doing with the time given to us?

Our lives are a gift from God.

And in some ways, what we do with them is our gift to Him.


Are we pursuing His wisdom, His ways, His Word?

Are we spreading His Good News?

Are we making inroads for the Kingdom?

Are we storing up heavenly treasure?

Are we seeking His face, and spending time in relationship with Him?

Are we serving others well?


In other words, are we spending the time wisely?


I don't know how long my life will last.  But I want it to be well spent.  I am less concerned with quality of life than living a life of quality.

I want my years here to count for something – more accurately, I want them to count for Someone.

So, I'm taking this *extra* day and pondering how I might make better use of my time as I serve the Lord.


Time is passing.

Time is short.

And it's TIME – to get busy living, making the best use of our days, wisely following the Lord as He leads us moment-by-moment.

For He is coming…

…soon!

"Time is what we want most,
but what we use worst."

-- William Penn


Teach us to number our days,
that we may gain a heart of wisdom.

(Psalm 90:12)

"LORD, remind me how brief my time on earth will be.  Remind me that my days are numbered – how fleeting my life is.  You have made my life no longer than the width of my hand.  My entire lifetime is just a moment to you; at best, each of us is but a breath.  We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing.  We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.  And so, Lord, where do I put my hope?  My only hope is in you." 
(Psalm 39:4-7, NLT)

"Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.  For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust.  As for man, his days are like grass; as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.  When the wind has passed over it, it is no more, and its place acknowledges it no longer.  But the lovingkindness of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear Him…" (Psalm 103:13-17, NASB)

"He remembered that they were but flesh, a wind that passes and comes not again." (Psalm 78:39, ESV)

"For the life of every living thing is in his hand, and the breath of every human being." (Job 12:10, NLT)

"For the Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life." (Job 33:4, NLT)

"…He is not far from each one of us.  for in Him we live and move and exist [that is, in Him we actually have our being]…" (Acts 17:27-28, AMP)

"Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.  How precious to me are your thoughts, God!  How vast is the sum of them!" (Psalm 139:16-17, NIV)

"Since his days are determined, the number of his months is with You [in Your control], and You have made his limits so he cannot pass [his allotted time]." (Job 14:5, AMP)

"How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow?  Your life is like the morning fog – it's here a little while, then it's gone." (James 4:14, NLT)

"But I am trusting you, O LORD, saying, 'You are my God!'  My future is in your hands." (Psalm 31:14-15, NLT)

"So, my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable.  Always work enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is ever useless." (1 Corinthians 15:58, NLT)

"Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature.  But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit.  So let's not get tired of doing what is good.  At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up.  Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone…" (Galatians 6:8-10, NLT)

"'Look, I am coming soon!  My reward is with me, and I will give to each person according to what they have done.  I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End…'" (Revelation 22:12-13, NIV)

"He who testifies to these things says, 'Yes, I am coming soon.'  Amen.  Come, Lord Jesus." (Revelation 22:20, NIV)



How are you using your precious gift of time?




Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, SMALL WONDER, MONDAY'S MUSINGS, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, LIFE GIVING LINKUP, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, MONDAY OF MANY BLESSINGS, THE ART OF HOMEMAKING MONDAYS, MAKING YOUR HOME SING MONDAY, MUSING MONDAYS, MODEST MONDAY, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, TITUS 2 TUESDAY, UNITE LINKUP, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, TUESDAY TALK, TELL IT TO ME TUESDAYS, RA RA LINKUP, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, TITUS 2SDAYS, WISE WOMAN, WORSHIPFUL WEDNESDAY, TELL HIS STORY, THE HOMEMAKING PARTY, 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, WEDDED WEDNESDAY, TUESDAY'S RUBIES, THURSDAY FAVORITE THINGS, LIVE FREE THURSDAY, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, PARTY AT MY PLACE, SHINE BLOG HOP, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAY, FROM HOUSE TO HOME, COZY READING SPOT, NO RULES WEEKEND BLOG PARTY, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, GRACE AT HOME, BLOGGER SPOTLIGHT PARTY, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, FAITH 'N FRIENDS, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, GRACE & TRUTH, TGI SATURDAYS, FAMILY, FRIENDSHIP & FAITH, DANCE WITH JESUS, WEEKEND WIND DOWN PARTY, WEEKEND WHISPERS, WORD OF GOD SPEAK, LIVING PROVERBS, SMALL VICTORIES SUNDAY, GIVE ME GRACE, SOCIAL BUTTERFLY SUNDAY




BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

MY WILD WEST VACATION

"The Hub" and I just got back from a few days' vacation in southern Utah.

There is some beautiful scenery in this area.

Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Cedar Breaks National Monument, and Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument are all within driving distance.

Beautiful red rock vistas, crystal-clear rivers, secret canyons and waterfalls, towering mountains, and wide-open spaces – a feast for the eyes!  We've visited them all, and reveled in the beauty of God's creation.

But, this trip we were on a different sort of adventure.

We *journeyed* to the Old West instead!!

Once a year, "The Hub" and I make the trek to Kanab, Utah, to attend a Western Festival.

It's such a great time!  

Four days of music, movies, shopping, food, and fun!

And, just to make our time more "authentic," we dress up!  "The Hub" – who many think bears a striking resemblance to Sam Elliott – puts on his Virgil Earp garb.  And I wear my city-girl lavender satin dress.

What a pair!!  (Check out the photos of us at the end of this post!)

One of our favorite things to do at this event is visit with the *stars.*

Many of you will probably remember such movie and TV stars as Bruce Boxleitner, Don Collier, Barry Corbin, Cheryl Rogers Barnett (daughter of Roy Rogers and Dale Evans), Wyatt McCrea (grandson of Joel McCrea), and Clint Walker.

Well, we got to visit with them all!

And the one thing that always impresses us is how very kind, polite, and respectful these people are.  They are genuinely interested in what you have to say, and they are very generous with their time.

These people portrayed characters from a different time who truly embodied something called, "The Code of the West."


A little background on the "Code":

It was first chronicled by the famous western writer, Zane Grey, in his 1934 novel "The Code of the West."  Although no actual, written code ever existed, the tough and hardy pioneers who lived in the West abided by a set of "rules" – rules that centered on hospitality, fair play, loyalty, and respect for the land.

Ramon Adams, a Western historian, explained it best in his 1969 book, "The Cowman and His Code of Ethics," saying:

"Back in the days when the cowman with his herds made a new frontier, there was no law on the range.  Lack of written law made it necessary for him to frame some of his own, thus developing a rule of behavior, which became known as the "Code of the West."  These homespun laws, being merely a gentleman's agreement to certain rules of conduct for survival, were never written into statutes, but were respected everywhere on the range."

There are many versions of the "Code" – but they all have one thing in common.

They closely parallel Biblical principles.


So, without further ado, here's a short version of "The Code of the West" – and some spiritual *rules* I think we can all follow:


1. Live Each Day with Courage

We are called to be courageous, and exhorted often to "Fear not."  I find it so difficult to be fear-less, but I think it's crucial as believers not to be fear-ruled. The enemy's kingdom is dominated by fear.  But God's Kingdom is ruled by love.

As children of the King, we should live like it!

"…be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged.  For the LORD your God is with you wherever you go." (Joshua 1:9)


2. Take Pride in Your Work

My dad always said, "If it it's worth doing, it's worth doing well."  A great work ethic, but an even better spiritual principle to live by.  We speak volumes to others when we take our duties, our jobs, our responsibilities seriously. Displaying a thoughtful attitude about everything we do is crucial to our witness.

For in fact, we work for the Lord, and for His Kingdom.

"Work willingly at whatever you do, as though you were working for the Lord…" (Colossians 3:23)


3. Always Finish What you Start

Lazy, irresponsible people do not make good Christian witnesses.  We are called to integrity and excellence in all we do.  God does not want tepid, half-hearted workers for the great harvest He is preparing.  He calls us to persevere and endure, to complete the tasks He assigns.

So, let's be strong to the finish of the race of faith.

"Now you should finish what you started.  Let the eagerness you showed in the beginning be matched now…" (2 Corinthians 8:11)


4. Do What Has to Be Done

The walk of faith is not easy.  It can be full of hardship and suffering. Following the Lord takes dedication and devotion.  And sometimes we are called to do difficult things.  In all of this, God calls us to do what has to be done – always giving of our time, our resources, ourselves.

Let's strive to be good and faithful servants.

"Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone's duty." 
(Ecclesiastes 12:13)


5. Be Tough, But Fair

Tough love.  Every parent knows that it is sometimes required.  And in the Body of Christ, we are also called to confront sin.  We are not to be conformed to this world, and that means we are to stand firm on issues of Truth.  Let us do everything in the name of love, but let's never slide down the slippery slope of compromise.

Pray for wisdom and discernment, and when called to do so, stand tall!

"This is what the LORD says: Be fair-minded and just.  Do what is right!" (Jeremiah 22:3)


6. When You Make a Promise, Keep It

I don't know about you, but it seems to me that fewer and fewer people value the virtues of honesty, honor, and sincerity.  Never is this more apparent than when this country approaches election year.  Do you believe anything anyone says anymore?!  God calls us to something greater.  He calls us to Truth.

Therefore, we should be people of our word, because we are People of His Word!

"The godly are directed by honesty…" (Proverbs 11:5)


7. Ride for the Brand

When I look around me, when I look within me, I sometimes question God's plan to make us His representatives.  What was He thinking?!  We are all too often very poor reflections of his Son.  We must realize that being a Christian is much more than just a title.  It is a responsibility to the Lord to let Him do His work through us.

Pray for the will and the power to represent Him well.

"So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us.  We speak for Christ…" (2 Corinthians 5:20)


8. Talk Less and Say More

Can anyone tame the tongue?!  (Correct answer = NO!)  In fact, we must constantly be aware of our tendency to speak too much.  We must be aware of our power to hurt and wound with careless words.  Rather, we must allow the Holy Spirit to direct this mighty weapon.

May we allow the Lord to speak through us, and to silence us when we should not speak.

"…I will watch what I do and not sin in what I say.  I will hold my tongue…" (Psalm 39:1)


9. Remember That Some Things Are Not For Sale

We must never forget that we are a redeemed people, purchased and bought with the blood of Christ.  Therefore, we must be oh-so-careful to remember that we are living temples of the Holy Spirit – and we are admonished to behave accordingly.

Guard your heart, protect your reputation, shield your mind, respect your body.

"You do not belong to yourself, for God bought you with a high price.  So you must honor God with your body." (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)


10. Know Where to Draw the Line

The very best *roadmap* in life is The Word of God.  Full of wise counsel, its words will guide us.  No, we are no longer living under the tyranny of the Law – the Lord has set us free from slavery to sin.  However, He has not given us a license to exercise bad behavior!

Know His rules, obey His regulations, and freedom will reign.

"Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation." 
(Matthew 26:41)


Yup, we would do well to follow the "Code of the West" – but it's much better to follow the "Code of the Word."

Which just might be summed up by Paul's words in Philippians:

"And now, dear brothers and sisters, one final thing.  Fix your thoughts on what is true, and honorable, and right, and pure, and lovely, and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise.  Keep putting into practice all you learned and received from me – everything you heard from me and saw me doing.  Then the God of peace will be with you." 
(Philippians 4:8-9, AMP)


Happy Trails, pardners…

See you on down the road!

If it's not yours,
don't take it.
If it's not true,
don't say it.
If it's not right,
don't do it. 

"Don't be afraid, for I am with you.  Don't be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you.  I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." (Isaiah 41:10, NLT)

"This is why we work hard and continue to struggle, for our hope is in the living God, who is the Savior..." (1 Timothy 4:10, NLT)

"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me – the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace." (Acts 20:24, NIV)

"His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.  You have been faithful over a little; I will set you over much.  Enter into the joy of your master.'" (Matthew 25:23, ESV)

"...we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church...So stop telling lies.  Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body." 
(Ephesians 4:15, 24, NASB)

"A man who makes a vow to the LORD or makes a pledge under oath must never break it.  He must do exactly what he said he would do." 
(Numbers 30:2, NLT)

"Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:5-6, ESV)

"In the same way, the tongue is a small thing...the tongue is a flame of fire. It is a whole world of wickedness, corrupting your entire body.  It can set your whole life on fire, for it is set on fire by hell itself...If you are wise and understand God's ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom." (James 3:5-6, 13, NLT)

"Just as our bodies have many parts and each part has a special function, so it is with Christ's body.  We are many parts of one body, and we all belong to each other." (Romans 12:4-5, NLT)

"No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind.  And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it." (1 Corinthians 10:13, NIV)




Are you living by "The Code of the Word"?



Linked with:

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



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

LIFE IS A BOWL OF BRUSSELS SPROUTS

Vegetables.

Used to hate 'em – now I love 'em.

Except.

Brussels sprouts.  (Which, for most of my life I thought were actually called brussel sprouts.  But no!  Brussels sprouts is correct, for they are thought to have originated in Brussels, Belgium).

I digress.

I have always hated Brussels sprouts.  

And lima beans.

And creamed corn.

I am actually gagging a bit even as I type their names.  Evidently they hold the power of suggestion over my gag reflex.

All the other squishy vegetables that I hated as a child?  I now love them! Zucchini is my best friend.  Butternut squash?  A winner!  I have even made peace with peas.  ("Give peas a chance…")

But not those three.


So, here's the deal, though.

My dad loved these vegetables, and he insisted on my mom fixing them all the time.

ALL. THE. TIME.

And the worst was when my mom got sick, and had to stay in bed.  Which never, ever happened.  So that's probably why I remember the one time it actually did happen.

And Dad cooked.

And yes, you guessed it.  Brussels sprouts galore.

My dad was a big guy, too – 6'3" and over 200 pounds.  So, not only did we have the dreaded Brussels, we also had Dad-sized portions.

We sat at that table for like two hours.

"You are not leaving that table until you've cleaned your plates."

Gag.

"And I'd better not hear the garbage disposer turned on."

Tears and gagging.


I don't know how I survived that night.

I do know how somebody survived – my sister.  You see, she had discovered that an old electrical outlet had been removed and papered over in the kitchen nook.  And she had wiggled a small opening in said wallpaper, and managed to hide unwanted food in there!

I'm not sure that I can describe the stench after several weeks.

Mom discovered it – thank goodness!

Otherwise, my dad might have punished us by serving Brussels sprouts, with a creamed corn sauce, and lima bean ice cream for dessert.

Gag.


I'm not really sure what triggered this blog post.

Perhaps a subconscious childhood flashback?

Table trauma?  Dinner despair?  Food fear?

Maybe someone's delicious blog recipe for Brussels sprouts?  (If you have a delicious recipe, I apologize.  But, for me, delicious and Brussels sprouts will never, ever fit in the same sentence.  Culinary oxymoron for me…)

Regardless, I'm thinking right now about how to derive a devotional from this!!

And, it's this.

Sometimes life is a bowl of Brussels sprouts.

Not cherries – but maybe the pits!!

Yup.

Things that we don't like at all.  

Oh sure, these things might be good for us, but they are not palatable to our innate desire for a comfortable and *tasty* life!

We want an ice cream life, I think.

Sugary and sweet.

Dessert and sodas and candy all the time.  

Here's the thing, though.  Empty calories will not nourish.  Not in real life, nor in our spiritual lives.

So sometimes it's necessary for us to experience things we don't like.

Because sometimes, the very things that we don't like are the very things that we most need.

Testing, refinement, character-building.


God knows this.

He knows exactly what *food* our souls need to survive, and to thrive.  And He is absolutely dedicated to "serving this up" in our lives.

Dessert?  Sometimes.  Fruits and Vegetables?  Often.

Yucky Brussels sprouts, lima beans, and creamed corn?

Oh yes, most certainly.


Life is a bowl of Brussels sprouts at times, whether we like it or not…

But dear Lord, I still want a balanced spiritual life.  I want to be fed well. So, bring to my life the things that aren't necessarily *tasty* and palatable to the comfortable life I want to live.

Serve up the stuff that is nutritious.

And good for me.

For this one thing I believe with all of my heart…

Father knows best!

Do you see Mr. Lima Bean
right smack dab
in the middle of this photo???
Gag.  

"You gave your good Spirit to instruct them.  You did not withhold your manna from their mouths, and you gave them water for their thirst."(Nehemiah 9:20, NIV)

"All of them ate the same spiritual food, and all of them drank the same spiritual water.  For they drank from the spiritual rock that traveled with them, and that rock was Christ." (1 Corinthians 10:3-4, NLT)

"When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart's delight, for I bear your name, LORD God Almighty." (Jeremiah 15:16, NIV)

"I have not departed from the command of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food." (Job 23:12, NASB)

"How sweet are Your words to my taste!  Yes, sweeter than honey to my mouth!" (Psalm 119:103, NASB)

"The laws of the LORD are true...They are sweeter than honey, even honey dripping from the comb." (Psalm 19:9-10, NLT)

"Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation.  Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord's kindness." (1 Peter 2:2-3, NLT)

"'Do not work for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you'...'Our fathers ate the manna in the wilderness; as it is written, 'He gave them bread from heaven to eat.'  Jesus then said to them, 'Truly, truly, I say to you, it was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but my Father gives you the true bread from heaven.  For the bread of God is he who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world.'  They said to him, 'Sir, give us this bread always.'

Jesus said to them, 'I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst...I am the bread of life. Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died.  This is the bread that comes down from heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die.  I am the living bread that came down from heaven.  If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever.  And the bread that I will give for the life of the world is my flesh.'" (From John 6, ESV)

"He took some bread and gave thanks to God for it.  Then he broke it in pieces and gave it to the disciples, saying, 'This is my body, which is given for you. Do this to remember me.'" (Luke 22:19, NLT)

"Oh, taste and see that the LORD is good!" (Psalm 34:8, ESV)

"Give us today the food we need..." (Matthew 6:11, NLT)



Do you have a vegetable that you just can't stand?  What is it?




Linked with:

SHARING HIS BEAUTY, PLAYDATES WITH GOD, SMALL WONDER, MONDAYS AT SOUL SURVIVAL, MAKE A DIFFERENCE MONDAY, GOOD MORNING MONDAYS, ALL THINGS BRIGHT & BEAUTIFUL, TELL ME A TRUE STORY, SOLI DEO GLORIA, TITUS 2 TUESDAYS, TESTIMONY TUESDAY, A LITTLE 
R & R WEDNESDAYS, UNITE, WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAYS, CAPTURE YOUR JOURNEY, TEACHING WHAT IS GOOD, COFFEE & CONVERSATION, SO MUCH AT HOME, TELL HIS STORY, WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY, THREE WORD WEDNESDAY, COFFEE FOR YOUR HEART, WISE WOMAN, BELOVED BREW THURSDAYS, THOUGHT-PROVOKING THURSDAY, LITTLE THINGS THURSDAYS, EVERYDAY JESUS, HEARTS FOR HOME, SHINE, GRACE AT HOME, THOUGHTFUL THURSDAYS, LIGHT FRIDAY HIT LIST, MAKE MY SATURDAY SWEET, FRIENDSHIP FRIDAY, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAY, FELLOWSHIP FRIDAYS, FAITH FILLED FRIDAY, SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS, COUNTING MY BLESSINGS, A GROUP LOOK, STILL SATURDAY, WEEKEND BREW, SATURDAY SOIREE, RECOMMENDATION SATURDAY, GIVE ME GRACE, SUNDAY STILLNESS



BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"

A DANGEROUS ENCOUNTER

OK, this is a great story – with a good lesson.

Ready?


My sons went on a business trip a few weeks ago.  Stayed in a hotel for a few days.  And, if you happen to be two young men with big appetites, staying in a hotel is a good thing.

Can you say…?

Free breakfast buffet.

Son #2 (the early bird) got up bright and early the first morning and decided to go get something to eat.  He graciously invited Son #1 to accompany him.  Son #1 (the night owl) mumbled something incoherent that sounded something like "Not now…sleepy..."

So, Son #2 dressed up in his slacks, his dress shoes - no socks - and an undershirt (I would have given money to see that get-up!) and headed down the elevator.

When the doors opened, the first thing he saw was a large and scary man dressed in camouflage clothes pointing a very large weapon directly at his heart.

Yes.

AT. HIS. HEART.

He told me the only thing he had time to think was, "I'm dead."

Scary camouflage-man quickly whispered to him, "Are you going to breakfast?"

"Uh yeah," my son answered.

With a quick move, the large and scary man shifted to the first floor hallway, took up a defensive position, and motioned with the weapon toward the lobby.

My son left.

When he arrived in the lobby, he encountered another very large and scary man.  Assuming this was the commander (his brain now moving past "I'm dead" to "Huh, must be a SWAT situation"), he stopped.  Well, he was commanded to stop – and questioned – and ID'd.

The commander informed Son #2 that there was a fugitive situation in the hotel on the first floor.

And, in no uncertain terms, there would be NO breakfast.

At which time, my youngest retraced his steps back, where he was once again weapon-motioned toward the elevator.

No one got breakfast that morning.

When it was time for the sons to go to their meeting, they had to call down first, quickly leave the elevator, meet and greet Mr. Commander – and be questioned and ID'd again – before they could leave the hotel.

Well, I'm happy to say the situation was resolved peacefully.

But, the joke of the day was Son #2's reaction to having a weapon pointed at him.

Did he close the elevator doors and go back up to his room?

Oh no…not that son.

He KEPT ON GOING to breakfast.

When he told me this story (long after they had arrived home from their trip, thank goodness!), I asked him about this.

"Why did you keep going to the lobby?  What were you thinking??"

His answer?

"I was hungry."

Yup, just like that.  Matter-of-fact and to-the-point.


That's the great story.

Here's the good lesson.


You know, we so often walk through our days without thinking.  Normal routines, normal activities, normal places.  We don't often think we're going to face danger.

But, as believers, we are in danger all the time.

There's a devouring lion on the prowl.  He lies in wait, he hunts us down. He's always ready to pounce with unexpected attacks.

And once in a while, we might just find ourselves with one of his weapons pointed directly at our hearts.

Yes.

AT. OUR. HEARTS.

But this is the crucial moment.  The moment of decision.

In the face of his onslaught, his assault, his ambush – what should we do?

I'm afraid that I would not follow Son #2's example.

I'm afraid that I'd be inclined to back up into that elevator, push the button, and retreat to the confines of my room.

I'd cower.

And even though I would have preferred that my son had done the same in his real-life SWAT situation  – in some ways, I admire him.

He went about his business.  He walked on undeterred.

Why?

Because he was hungry.

He had a mission – and he just kept going.


This is the lesson I'm taking away.

There are going to be times when unanticipated danger is going to come our way.  For we have a dangerous enemy.

But we must not let him back us down or send us running.  We must not allow him to force us to hide.

Let the SWAT team take care of the danger.  (Sharon's Acrostic Dictionary defines SWAT this way):

S avior
W ins
A ll the
T ime

Us?

We should just keep going about our godly business, walking on undeterred.

For we have a mission!

Carry on, my friends…carry on!

These shoes are made for walkin',
and that's just what they'll do. 

"Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour." (1 Peter 5:8, NLT)

"Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." (Philippians 3:12, NIV)


What does the enemy use to deter, detain, or distract you from God's mission?


Linked today with:

Joan at SHARING HIS BEAUTY
Michelle at HEAR IT ON SUNDAY, USE IT ON MONDAY
Hazel at TELL ME A TRUE STORY
Jen at UNITE
Darlene at TITUS 2SDAY
Salina at HEART REFLECTED
Nannette at WISDOM WEDNESDAY
Rachel at WHIMSICAL WEDNESDAY
Rosilind at A LITTLE R & R WEDNESDAY
Jenifer at WORD FILLED WEDNESDAY
Tracy at WINSOME WEDNESDAY
Judith at WHOLEHEARTED WEDNESDAY
Wanda at THE FRIDAY FIVE
Laura at FAITH FILLED FRIDAY
Leslie at FAITHFUL FRIDAY
Mel at ESSENTIAL FRIDAYS
Charlotte at SPIRITUAL SUNDAYS
Sandra at STILL SATURDAY
Barbie at WEEKEND BREW
Janis at SUNDAY STILLNESS


BLOG = "Blessedly Leaning On God!"