Clutter, and clutter, and clutter....OH MY!

While I was at work the other morning I grabbed my purse to get my hair brush out, and while I was looking for my brush I found everything but the kitchen sink, then I found my brush.  “Good grief” I thought…I didn’t even know I had this stuff in my purse. 

Being the picture taking person that I am here ya go. 

 

Hair brush, note pad, sunglasses, pencil, Pluto, plastic snake thing, toy rings, paint sponge, tissues, hair ties, glasses cleaner, church notes, lip stick, lip gloss, a pair of Gem’s pants, a Jazzercise magnet, and a blue crochet hook.  My sister and my niece would be proud of me for that last one, check out their blogs here...Sister's Blog & Niece's Blog.  Also, I found a TON of receipts, but ya’ll didn’t need to see that mess.  This got me thinking about my house.  Now, I am a women who is not very good at keeping a tidy house.  I am not good at keeping up with cleaning anything except myself and my daughter.  This is something that’s always on my mind and it’s something I’m trying hard to change.  I’ve got clutter, and clutter, and clutter…OH MY!  Now, I know most people have an area that is clutter filled, but for my house it’s in EVERY ROOM.  Having Gem around has really made me start kicking myself in the tush to get things in order.  Children are a great mirror, and I’m not liking what I see.  I don’t want her developing my bad habits.  I have now come to understand that my house is something that the Lord has given me to steward, and I have not been a good steward at all, but together we are making changes.

Having all this external clutter around makes me see all the internal clutter I have lying around too.  All the internal clutter that I didn’t even know was there until I needed something.  Then I started looking for it and I see all that “stuff” that I had never put away.  That leaves me open to attack from the enemy.  Our minds are something I believe the enemy has captive.  The way we think and how we perceive things as believers is vital to our witness to others.  If we are not thinking differently and perceiving things differently people see it in our lives. "Those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on what the flesh desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires." Romans 8:5 NIV  Our internal lives are vital.  If we are thinking bad thoughts and feeding bad habits it comes out in our lives.  How we talk to people, how we treat people, and how we see people.  The same goes for good thoughts and good habits.   

Here are some questions I’ve asked myself…What am I watering my mind with?  Who do I socialize with?  What do I listen too?   Who do I listen too?  What am I watching on TV?  What am I reading?  What do my friends post on Facebook that I see?  What do I post on Facebook?  What internet sites do I frequent?  Especially in today’s world with how easily everything is accessible we must have boundaries.  When we stumble we have to clean up our mess put things away, and we must have our “cleaning supplies” on hand, or should I say ‘in mind’.  Keeping the Word in our minds and available to us is a big part of the battle.  EVERYDAY we must put on our armor.  (Ephesians 6:10-18) Being a good steward of our minds is so crucial.  This is a battle that is not going to be won until we are standing in front of our Father in heaven so get ready.

 

Peace, Love, and God Bless

  

 

 

"Mommy, I need you."

This past Sunday we had a special worship service.  Our church is located down town on “the island” where we live and this past weekend our town had their annual art show.  They block off streets and had all kinds of vendors and such selling their goodies.  We have a pretty small “church” parking lot and most people park away from the church a block or so and walk.  With the art show going on you need to get up at 6 am to get a parking spot.  It really gets packed out.  Having service like we usually do would have been difficult, and we have done it in the past, but with our church growing like it is we have recently purchased property for a second campus.  We are not building out there yet, but it’s a beautiful spot.  Many volunteers have worked hard to clear the property.  There is a lake, they have set up a prayer garden, picnic tables and a swing, even a horse shoe pit.  We have used the property for our Easter sunrise service, our bible study group has had a picnic there, this past Halloween they had a bash there for the community, and this past Sunday we had a combined church service out there.  Tent, chairs, stage, sound equipment, choir, praise team, the works!  We had a special guest come and share his testimony, and we had a BBQ chicken lunch afterwards.  Temperature was high 70’s, low 80’s, and we had clear sunny day.  The kids had bounce houses set up, the adults played horse shoes, corn hole, fished, walked the property, oh…and they had tractor rides to tour the property too.  It was really a beautiful time.  Gem was really a good girl while the service was going on as well.  I was a really proud Mama, but had everyone seen us before we got there…

You know the drill, Sunday morning, getting ready for church, and you have a 2 year old who doesn’t want to get ready, or maybe a husband who doesn’t want to get ready, whatever your situation is.  Gem was not acting like much of a gem while we are getting ready to go.  It is so hard to not get angry when you’re trying to dress a 2 year old who is whining, and running around saying, “I don’t want to!”  I was really losing my calm while getting her dressed.  I would get one arm done with sunscreen and she would run off, I’d get her back and get the other arm done, and she’d run off again.  She would want to get dressed on the floor, and well…this Mama is getting to be very pregnant…and I still have till May 25^th to go!  There was no way I was getting on the floor, I’d never get up.  Fixing her hair is always a fight, if it’s not a fight I write it on the calendar.  She has such a sensitive head that I don't  even have touch her with the hair brush and she’s already saying, “Mommy that hurts!”  Anyway, finally getting her sun screened, dressed, and hair up I needed a break.  I was short with her several times saying things like, “Gem, you’re stalling!” Or “You’re not listening!”  Or “Now, Gem!” and it took some restraint not to just get all out mad and yell at her.  Setting her on the bed with her milk to drink I went in the other room to fix my coffee, and pack our bag.  (Note to self…have coffee before getting her dressed next time.)  I’m in the other room maybe 3 minutes and she’s already calling my name, “Mommy!”... “Mommy!”   I take a deep breath, take a long drink of coffee, and go into the room, “Yes, baby.”  The next thing that came out of her mouth stopped me in my tracks, she looked up at me and said, “Mommy, I need you.”  Wow!  That little turkey.  Ever want to get a Mama to tears look up at her and tell her you need her, or at least that worked for me.  I sat down with her, kissed her forehead, and cheeks, and told her I needed her too.  We snuggled for a few minutes, and then I finished getting things ready.

What a picture of how I act with the Lord.  I’m running, I’m not listening, and I’m wanting to play instead.  Then I turn right around and tell Him, “Lord, I need you.”  How wonderful it is to have a Father in heaven that takes us in and comforts us even after we have misbehaved.  The Lord has given me this little misbehaving Gem, and I look forward to more moments like this where I can show her that no matter what I love her.