MYOB

Monday April 22nd is "Earth Day." This annual celebration originated in 1970 with intentions to inspire awareness and appreciation for the Earth's natural environment through demonstrations and events. Currently, over 192 countries world-wide celebrate being "green" on this day.  This one day is a great reminder for the remaining 364 days to MYOB (mind your own business). I'm sure you are wondering how the childhood phrase "mind your own business" applies to Earth Day.  I believe being "green" is a Godly principle and He made it our business to maintain it. In Genesis God created the Earth and called it "very good." He created man and woman, He blessed them and commanded them to manage their new home called Earth."And God said unto them, be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth." (Gen 1:28)  If you read a little further in Genesis 2:15 it says, "The Lord God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it."  

From the beginning of mankind God gave us the Earth to live in, work in and maintain. Just like any "very good" business its managers have the control to work and maintain it in order to carry out the operational responsibilities of the business.  We have that same power and responsibility for our green Earth. Contrary to Kermit the Frog's song, "It's Not Easy Being Green," it's actually quite simple. Here are some ways to MYOB :) If you're new to being "green" start with one or two :)

*Have recycle bin in your home 

*Repurpose, Repurpose, Repurpose

*Avoid purchasing plastic. (buy glass, wood, or stainless steel)

*Ask for paper instead of plastic at the grocery store

*Use reusable snack packs instead of plastic zip lock bags (great $ saver)

*Shop at consignment stores for kids toys & donate your kids toys

*Stop buying bottled water; get a water bottle (great $ saver) 

*Unplug electrical appliances when not in use  (great $ saver)

*Avoid things that require batteries 

*Avoid synthetic fibers

*One night a week start a "no electronics night." (great for family time)

*Go outside and enjoy nature!! 

Resurrect Yourself

Easter Sunday is one of my favorite days to be at church. Today was the first time since becoming a Christian that I missed attending Easter service because both myself and my daughter woke-up with fevers. Thanks to technology we did not miss the service. We streamed it online and it was awesome! Easter service at my church has always been joyous, happy, fun and filled with the hope of life. So, while I was not there in person,  I am able to embrace all that Easter has to offer, beyond chocolate eggs, which by the way are both mine and my daughter's favorite candy, or attending a fantastic church service. The miracle of the resurrection and the promise of new life that Easter represents gives me hope. It reminds me on a large scale that my life and yours have been saved because Jesus paved the way before us. When I take a more focused look into my life I am reminded that while some things that have been crucified are to remain buried, there are some God-given things that were designed for resurrection: dreams, plans, ideas, healing, relationships, connections, conversations, love, marriages, new life...

Matthew 28

Jesus rose from the dead and because He lives in you, so can whatever is dead inside of you, resurrect.  In Matthew, scripture tells us that an earthquake occurred and Jesus rose from the dead.  He went ahead of the Marys into Galilee to await for them and the disciples.  Jesus has already gone before us and is waiting. He is waiting for you to rise, shake things up a bit like that earthquake and resurrect yourself. You are destined for great things.
 Happy Easter!

Mighty Oak Marriage: Part Two

In my last post I reflected on Valentines day and one of the most romanticized scriptures in the bible, Ephesians 5:31. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." While you will have lots of "warm fuzzy " moments in your marriage, becoming " one flesh," is hard. I gave two ways to grow your marriage into the mighty oak it was destined to be: 1. Honor your spouse with your lips and 2. No secrets. The next two are a little more challenging, but well worth the effort. 

3. Increase Your Tolerance For Pain
Yes, you read that correctly. No one said your spouse will never hurt your feelings, make you mad, cry or even challenge you to forgive them. No one is perfect. Not you, nor your spouse. Chances are at some point your spouse has or will really tick you off.  The Word of God tells us conflict is actually good. The Message bible translation of 2 Corinthians 1:6 says,  "When we suffer for Jesus, it works out for your healing and salvation. If we are treated well, given a helping hand and encouraging word, that also works to your benefit, spurring you on, face forward, unflinching. Your hard times are also our hard times. When we see that you’re just as willing to endure the hard times as to enjoy the good times, we know you’re going to make it, no doubt about it." Mighty Oak marriages endure. They persevere because their roots are planted secure in good soil. In our society too many marriages end in divorce because it is easier to walk away then it is to endure. In most cases when couples choose to endure they reap a reward that is far greater than walking away. When you stood before God and repeated your vows to one another, you promised to love through the good times and the bad times....Learn to increase your tolerance for pain. 

4. Don't Stop Being Married Because You're Hurt
I find it crazy when I hear friends tell me they had a fight with their spouse and haven't spoken in 2 days. This boggles my mind. When you're married the two are still supposed to operate as a one unit. You can't stop your daily routines, responsibilities and interactions because you're going through a struggle. A mighty Oak can't split its trunk and grow separate, but grows upright and strong despite a branch or two breaking. Express yourself to your spouse and listen to their expression of hurt or anger, but don't stop being married. If you have children, they are taking notice too. 

I decided to add one more...

5. Pray Together
Pray for each other and with one another. It's hard to hurt someone  when you set aside selfishness and pray for the other.

I hope you find these concepts helpful. I know I want a marriage that is strong, mighty and rooted in the soil of God so that in all seasons it will endure. The love you share with your spouse should be a reflection of God's love for us. 

Mighty Oak Marriage: Part One

Combined with treats exchanged between our family and the large goodie bag my daughter brought home from school, our house is still over-flowing with hearts, candy and all things red and pink from Valentines Day.  With all the "love in the air," I couldn't help but think about one of the most romanticized scriptures in the bible, Ephesians 5:31. "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two will become one flesh." The idea that two souls come together to become one seems dreamy and picturesque. Many people think that once you marry your life becomes like a fairy tale.  Sorry to break the news to you, but a fairy tale it is not. A beautiful reflection of what God is, yes. We often forget that God's perfect picture of love involves sacrifice, blood, sweat and tears.

With that said, let's think of marriage like a nut planted in the soil. And yes, some days you may feel like a nut or you may think your spouse is a nut. You may even experience "nutty" times in your marriage.  But even through changing weather, with the right elements that small nut grows into a mighty oak tree.  So here are 4 concepts I think are key to growing your marriage into a solid and mighty oak. I will give the first two today and will finish with part two on the next post. 

 1. Honor Your Spouse With Your Lips
 While using your lips to give kisses freely to your husband is wonderful and encouraged  
I'm actually referring to a different type of lip service. Your words have the ability to speak life or death into the soul of your marriage (Proverbs 18:21). So let me explain. There is nothing worse than being in the break room at work or at a party and hear a woman talk about her husband like he is scum. It is wise to keep your dirty laundry in the laundry room of YOUR own house. Speaking ill about your spouse brings him dishonor and also reflects your state of being. If you read a little further in Ephesians 5:33 you will see where this is true. "However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband."  Wives are called to honor their husbands. So the next time you need to vent, zip the lip on dishonor and speak of your husbands qualities that bring life into your marriage.( this is also true for husbands towards,their wives) Reserve the problem solving for you, hubby & God. 

2. No Secrets 
Communication is vital to a marriage. My hubby and I do a lot of talking and have vowed to keep a "no secret" rule in our house. It doesn't matter what it is. Secrets have the ability to destroy a marriage by causing division. When a house is divided it will not stand (Mark 3:25). The same way we don't allow our own secrets to divide us, we also don't let other people's secrets come between us. If anyone comes to me in confidence and says, "I have to tell you something, but don't tell your husband," my reply is the same. "I don't keep secrets from my husband so if I can't tell him, then don't tell me." We also have taught this to our daughter. We are a packaged deal. To take this a step further, if you are thinking of doing something you feel uncomfortable telling your spouse, then it is probably not a good or God idea. Two will never become one when there is division between them. 

I hope you have found part one of this post insightful. Stay tuned for the last two keys to a mighty oak marriage! 

Prune Yourself

I recently purchased a beautiful ivy plant for my front porch. Its home is a simple terra cotta pot outside my front door. My plan is to keep it contained and pruned. I learned my lesson on ivy many years ago when I was managing a preschool that had lots of the lush green stuff surrounding the building in the back yard.  Because it had never been pruned, the lovely vines had become overgrown and took over the landscape. At one point I noticed those persevering leaves grew right through the crevices of the back door and began showing itself inside. It was out of control! Like most plants proper pruning is necessary to help keep a plant from becoming overgrown, to stimulate new growth and promote flowering and the bearing of fruit. Just like that ivy plant,  we may have certain things we have allowed into our lives that have, "taken over," become out of control or have snuck up into the crevices of our homes without us even realizing it. If this is the case it may be time to prune or cut a few things back or even out of our lives. Anytime God calls us to prune back he is preparing us for new growth. John 15:1 says "I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." While cutting something or someone from our lives seems painful it is the Gardner's job to prune us. It is our job to be like the vine and allow the Gardner to prune, shape and guide us into His masterful purpose so that we will be even more fruitful than before.  What has become so overgrown in your life that it has stunted Godly growth in you? What things need to be pruned or even cut out?  With God's help, I'm making my list right now :)

Happy "Renew" Year

Today marks the ending of one year and the beginning of a new one. Many people use this time to make New Years resolutions. I have to confess, I've never made them. I don't think anything is wrong with resolutions, I just don't necessarily make them on January 1st. Tonight I've decided as 2012 comes to an end I will celebrate 2013 as the "Renew Year."  It is a time to renew things to life; bring refreshment, vigor & restoration to life. Friends, It is a time to continue & extend ourselves in the things of God. It's a time for new ideas, miracles and God's love to refesh our hearts and minds. Romans 12:2 tells us "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."  Phillipians 4:8 gives us 8 clues to help us renew our minds. "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things". To achieve the freshness of life and share it with others the adjectives below should describe the things that we do, say and think. 

1. True (real, genuine, faithful, actual)
2. Noble (grand, high-minded, excellence, above)
3. Right (morally just, favorable, fair)
4. Pure (clean, free of the unnecessary, virtuous)
5. Lovely (beautiful, charming, harmony, grace)
6. Admirable (deserving of respect, love, of merit)
7. Excellent (eminently good, heavenly,
8. Praiseworthy (commendable, exemplary, tough)

Remember,  a New Year is only a mark on the calendar, but a Renew Year can happen anyday of the year, one day at a time :) If you stumble you can always get up and keep renewing!

Show Up & Play

I love this time of the year! I love the decorations, the baking, the laughter, the gift-giving, spending time with family and friends, all done in honor of the birth of Jesus. To me it's one giant birthday celebration. Instead of the traditional "happy birthday," song we sing carols of His birth. One of my favorites is "The Little Drummer Boy." It's a simple yet powerful story of a young boy who hears that a King has been born and is told to go see the baby Jesus. He is ashamed because he is poor and thinks he doesn't have a gift fitting for a King. Instead of letting this great moment pass him by he humbly offers Jesus the only things he has... a song played on his drum. With a nod from the King's mother, encouragement from the animals and a smile from the King himself, he plays his drum. I admire this boy for his humble courage and willingness to give Jesus all that he had. This season I pray you won't let a God-given opportunity pass you by because of shame or the feeling that what you have is not good enough. You have talents inside of you designed to be shared with others. Sharing your gifts with others honors the King far greater than any expensive gift. You don't need to look any further than within yourself. Your gift is there. Waiting. For you to show up and play your best. The King is there. Waiting. To give you His smile of approval.