Tidy Up

But since they don’t have deep roots, they don’t last long. They fall away as soon as they have problems or are persecuted for believing God’s word. (Mark 4:17, NLT)

First, please allow me to say this blogpost looks really long. But it should take less than ten minutes to read it in it's entirety. For example, if you are willing to exchange ten minutes of Facebook time to read this blogpost, I believe it will really bless you. Enjoy!

This week has been a very busy week for us. To give you an idea, Thursday my day started at 4:00 a.m. Nuff said.

Last night I laid down on the couch to catch my breath. I looked around the house, which was in need of a little…let’s just say, tiding up here and there.

When I saw the task that lay before me I wondered, how a house gets this messy when we were out of the house most of the week. 

Then it occurred to me. When we are home a lot, we tidy all day as we go. We take every opportunity to put things in their place and keep the house organized. When we are up and out early, then back late, we don’t take time to put things in their places but just drop everything where we stand. And then, we have a pile to clean up. Or in this case, many piles.

This week, I learned a valuable lesson. My spiritual life is the same way. When I take every opportunity throughout the day to visit with God (prayer), keep spiritual matters in their place (meditate on scripture) and keep my spiritual life “organized” (pursue peace and quick to forgive), my life stays tidy. (Matthew 6:33, Deuteronomy 6:6, Colossians 3:13, Psalm 34:14) 

However, when I “drop everything” (everything God has taught me)…life gets real messy real quick.

By organized I mean, quickly dealing with offenses (large and small) as they occur. Jesus said, “Offense will come.” (Luke 17:1) It is wise for us to have a plan for dealing with offense. Ignoring offense will not keep offense from occurring. Suppressing offense is not dealing with offense. Ignoring offense will only cause it to compound in our hearts and on our minds.

For example, hypothetically speaking:

• When I wake my girls and ask them to take a ten minute shower (in order to maintain our schedule that day) and their shower turns into a thirty minute bath…multiplied by two kids.
• My husband stumbles into the kitchen and while his coffee is cooking (or whatever it is that coffee does) checks his work email and has a list of negative things to deal with before he even walks out the door. And his attitude affects the whole household.
• Dads, you are leaders, even if you don't think you are. Where are you leading your family? 
• I am trying to get out of the house at a certain time and my children lolly-gag  and can’t find their shoes. (Of which, said shoes are supposed to be in the shoe bin at the front door.)
• As we pull out of the driveway and in unison my girls say, “I didn’t eat breakfast.” Everything in me wants to scream, “Oh yeah?! Well, it looks like you’re fasting till noon!"
• When making the forty minute drive into work (that turns into an hour) dealing with Honolulu traffic. I get cut off in traffic (at least three times) and at least two individuals wave at me in that “special” way using their “special” finger. Yep, even people in "paradise" fly the bird.
• About the time I think I have safely and almost without incident (Ok a list of incidents but at least alive!) pull into the parking lot at work, I get a phone call saying one of my co-workers got mad and walked off the job. 

All this before 8:40 a.m. 

Remember, we are working with hypotheticals today. *wink*

At this point, I have a choice to make. I can reiterate every offense of my day to everyone I see. Or, I can cast off every offense as they occur.

If a day like this isn’t immediately dealt with by applying God’s Word, all these offenses are going to add up real quick, negatively affecting me and everyone I come into contact with. 

Have you ever had “insider information” on a subject to the point it gave you an edge when handling a matter? Be prepared! I’m going to give you a hot tip that will change your life! 

And have no root in themselves, 

and so endure but for a time: 

afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, 

immediately they are offended. (Mark 4:17, KJV)

Why does offense come? For the Word's sake. 

No matter what happens in our lives, 

we must concrete our relationship in and with God’s Word.

All other areas of my life follow my spiritual life. When I’m doing well spiritually, I do well in all other areas of my life as well.  

How can this practically be applied? At each offense, run to our Father! Take time to visit with Him all throughout the day. And we can add a few simple organizational skills to help the day run smoothly.

Let's revisit the hypothetical list from above.

1. My girls bath scenario.
1. One thing I keep reminding myself is, my girls are 9 and 10 years old. They get distracted. I made them a list of things to accomplish in order to get out of the door and I gave them a time frame. 
1. For example: 
1. shower = 10 minutes 
2. breakfast = 20 minutes
3. pack backpack = the night before (include the shoes!)
1. Then I allow extra time to check on them every 15 minutes or so to insure they are staying on task.
2. My husband's addiction...oh I mean...coffee scenario.
1. Smile and sweetly say, “Maybe you should have your coffee at that coffee joint. That way you could relax and address your emails while you enjoy the aroma and the ambiance.” Ok, forgo the attitude in that last suggestion. Pray for him…yes pray! And ask God, “Lord, I ask in the name of Jesus, please guide my husband today. Quicken him by Your spirit to listen to Your voice. I thank You for directing his path. I thank You his eyes are blessed for they see and his ears for they hear!"
3. Children lolly-gagging scenario. 
1. Please refer to item # 1.
4. The “I didn’t eat breakfast.” scenario.
1. Ask them to open their bibles and each give you a ten minute sermon of the  King James Version of Matthew 17:21, "Howbeit this kind goeth not out but by prayer and fasting.” I’m totally kidding. Ok, not totally. There is a number of ways to handle this scenario. Ask God to direct your path in this area. He will give you witty inventions! The night before, have them pack a snack in their backpacks. Snack becomes breakfast instead of snack and it doesn’t hurt any of us to be a little hungry from time to time. It is great motivation to remember to eat breakfast the next day. I now refer you to the Parenting with Love and Logic website at www.loveandlogic.com (A very special thanks to my BFF, Shila for that insider tip!) 
5. The “special” finger scenario. 
1. Keep the praise music turned on and as loud as necessary. Use this time to visit with our Father and ask Him to line out our day, especially the "Honolulu traffic" portion of our day!
6. The co-worker scenario. 
1. “Lord, I ask in the name of Jesus, please guide me today. Quicken me by Your spirit to listen to Your voice. I thank You for directing my path. I thank You my eyes are blessed for they see and my ears for they hear! And I thank You for sending laborers into my co-worker's path to love on them and direct them straight to You!"

Prayer, 

the Word, and 

running to my Father for everything 

(big and small) 

keeps my life “tidy"! 

Let’s do a little spiritual weight lifting with Mark 4:17 and build some strength in this area of our lives.

• And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away. (English Standard Version)

Keep on building those muscles!

• But they have no root in themselves; they are short-lived. When pressure or persecution comes because of the word, they immediately stumble. (Holman Christian Standard)
• But they don’t develop any roots. They last for a short time. When suffering or persecution comes along because of the word, they immediately fall (from faith). (God’s Word Translation)

Don’t quit, only one more “set”! We are getting stronger and stronger!

• And they have no real root in themselves, and so they endure for a little while; then when trouble or persecution arises on account of the Word, they immediately are offended (become displeased, indignant, resentful) and they stumble and fall away. (Mark 4:17, AMP)

When we have problems, are persecuted, experience tribulation, are pressured, suffer, have trouble, become displeased/indignant/resentful, that is immediately our red flag to recognize, these weapons have been formed against me to steal the Word and my faith! Stand and declare, "No weapon formed against me will prosper, stand, or prevail!" (Isaiah 54:17) 

Father God, thank You for Your precious living Word! Thank You for never leaving or forsaking us! And thank You for wanting to be in every aspect of our lives! Thank You for being our Father, a father we can run to all day long to get what we need to throw off what doesn’t belong in our lives and to continually put on what does belong in our lives. Thank You for the “great exchange”! In the name of Jesus, I pray for every reader and I ask You to quicken them by Your Holy Spirit and let them know, as they submit to You and Your Word, You will direct their paths and make them straight! 

Hebrews 4:12

Hebrews 13:5

Isaiah 61:3

Proverbs 3:6


Additional help:

If you struggle with offense, Dr. Larry Ollison's book, "Breaking the Cycle of Offense" is a great resource and is available at www.faithman.org

The Perfect Pair of Pink Snazzy Shoes

Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you the path to take. (Proverbs 3:5-6, NLT)

I have a close friend who is remarkably beautiful. She always (yes always) dresses really well with every hair in place and every outfit perfectly coordinated and accessorized. Plus, she has a closet full of really snazzy shoes. I look forward to seeing her and when we get together we always giggle and chat about her shoes du jour. 

Several years ago I was shopping and came across what I thought was…

THE Perfect Pair of Shoes. 

The (seemingly) perfect pair of classy pink heels. The moment my eyes gazed upon their beauty...I was quite convinced I heard angels sing! I didn’t hesitate! I grabbed them off the shelf and tried them on. 

...Something just didn’t feel right. 

Oh but I wanted these shoes so much! 

My feet said, “This is not good.” 

But my emotions screamed, “You must have these shoes!” 

I completely disregarded everything my spirit was telling me as I ran to seal the deal on my pink snazzy shoes!

Once home, I looked through my closet to coordinate as many outfits as possible with my new pink snazzy shoes so I could wear them as much as possible. But something continued to be…just not right. I reasoned, “It’s going to be ok. Over time, I will break these shoes in and all will be well with my world.” Months later I determined, “I’m going to wear these shoes no matter what it takes!"

But every time (yes every time) I wore these shoes, everything in me screamed. These shoes were just so beautiful! 

They looked great on the outside but inside my body screamed. 

Wearing them continued to cause me so much pain from my toes to my mid back.

I continued to force a relationship between my body and these shoes. I didn’t want to give up on these shoes. 

I continued to torture myself…oh, I mean, I continued to wear these shoes over the next coming months. 

One day, I came to my senses and I said, “The shoes have got to go.” Later that day, I was meeting my friend…the remarkably beautiful one with the closet full of really snazzy shoes. I said, “Here, take these shoes.” 

I wasted so much time on something that would never fit.

When I got in my car to leave I screamed, “I am finally free! Good riddance to you pink snazzy shoes!"

Sometimes...in life...

we work so hard to force something to work. 

We ignore what our spirit is telling us and we run. 

We gaze upon what we think will be perfect and 

our emotions scream.

Our spirit tells us, 

“Something just isn’t right.” 

We continue to attempt to force things to work because we just don’t want to give up.

And we waste time on something that will never fit.

• an occupation
• a relationship
• a marriage proposal
• a homeschool curriculum 
• staying in a department at church when we belong in a different department
• a pair of seemingly perfect shoes…yep, even shoes

We’ve all tried to do what God never intended for us to do. 
And we've all failed to recognize when a season is over.

Free yourself. 

Make the change. 

Give up the “pink snazzy shoes” in your life. 

And never look back. 

Lord, I tried my way. Please forgive me. I trust in You with all my heart. I will no longer lean on my own earthly, temporal understanding. I commit to seek Your will in all I do. I thank You in advance to showing me each and every path to take. And I thank You for showing me every and every path, not to take. In the name of Jesus, I pray for every reader right now and I thank You for having a very specific plan and purpose for each of us. And I thank You for showing us Your plan for us in a way that we can clearly see without hesitation or doubt which paths to take and which paths to refuse to walk down. Many paths look good but isn’t a part of Your perfect plan. Thank You LORD, our eyes are blessed because they see and our ears for they hear.

Isaiah 43:18-19

Philippians 3:13

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, counselor, pastor, etc. I believe you have to specifically hear from God yourself in order to know when to dig down deep refusing to give up or to put an end to what you are doing because you’ve veered off God’s plan. Child of God, you are His sheep. You clearly hear His voice.

John 10:27

The Day I Realized I was a Complete Failure…at Everything.

Love is patient and kind. Love is not jealous or boastful or proud or rude. It does not demand its own way. It is not irritable, and it keeps no record of being wronged. (1 Corinthians 13:4-5, NLT)

The last two weeks have been two very long weeks. Homeschool has been a struggle. My husband has been working long hours. I’ve been training to run a 5k, a very challenging sprint, and a lava man. Oh wait, I forgot about that other 5k. (Is that really a total of four?! Oh wait, don't tell me.) And I got sick and I haven’t been sleeping well.

*Deep cleansing breath*

At the end of the two very challenging weeks, I laid on the couch waiting for my husband to come home from work. Wearing an oversized t-shirt, no make up, and my hair up in a pony tail...I realized I hadn’t done laundry…since….oh….I couldn't remember. About that moment, I heard my girls fighting…again. 

I thought, “Wow. I want to be him, so I can work late too.” 

And I intervened like any great mom would do, refusing to intervene and telling myself, “Survival of the fittest is a great parenting tool. So, whatev." I'm sure Dr. Seuss or Dr. "Somebody" endorses it. I tried to be really quiet, hoping they would think I wasn't home.

All that seemed to be compounded by the realization that we (as a homeschooling family) are almost at the mid mark in our homeschool career. Meaning, how on earth did half of our homeschool “career” just vanish into thin air?? Accompanied by, “Do my girls know everything they need to know? Are they being equipped? Will they be able to make a living when they move out?! How will I know?” Not to mention, our wifi (that we need for school) has kicked us offline a minimum of a dozen times per day and our printer has only worked half the time.

Ok...I mentioned it.

And then there was this…in the sink. 
Yea, I don’t know what that is and I am not going to ask. 

And then realized, our 17th wedding anniversary is Monday and we’ve done nothing to prepare for such an amazing day…I mean, it’s a very important day, a huge milestone, and should have been met with an equally amazing celebration! I haven’t even bought a card, uuuuugh. 

When Mike got home, I asked him to take us out for a late dinner. I needed a nice, quiet, delicious dinner to (hopefully) change the momentum of the past two weeks. He took us to a beautiful, open air restaurant with burning tiki torches, swaying palm trees, tropical breezes, and the sounds of many waters. Things were definitely looking up! Only to be very disappointed in the quality of the food. Even the garlic was bad. Who can mess up garlic?! And I went to bed nauseous. Really? Can anything go right?! 

No really.

If I’ve ever been tempted to believe I am a failure at all things…this was it. 

I felt like a failure

• as a wife
• as a mom
• as a home educator

Why am I sharing this borderline meltdown on this public forum? 

"Good faith girls" don't share such matters. 

Well, this one does.

Because I want to address the elusions/misconceptions.

• Is any marriage perfect? nope
• Is any homeschool perfect? nope
• Is a bloggers life perfect? Hahahaha…nope
• Is Christian life perfect? nope

Perfect, or...even remotely anything like it? Nope.

Thankfully, I could turn to Facebook. Hey two are better than one and since one puts a thousand to flight I will use whatever means are at my fingertips! (Ecclesiastes 4:9 and Deuteronomy 32:30) Pun intended to it’s fullest degree. I posted a comment asking for advice and I could literally hear the calvary as my girlfriends immediately ran to my aid! Some prayed with me, some texted me, some sent me inbox messages, some sent me helpful links, some texted, "Call me now!”  Now THAT…my friends is love! Thanks girls! Thanks for loving me, encouraging me, and always having my back!

While I do not encourage desperate Facebook posts...in the midst of all this, something very powerful occurred to me.

I know most of you have applied the "keep no record of wrongs" verse to others...but have you ever applied it to you? Please slow down and really re-read that. I will retype it for your convenience. 

I know most of you have applied the 

"keep no record of wrongs" verse to others...

but have you ever applied it to you? 

So here is what I want you to do…refuse to keep a record of your (real or perceived) wrongs. It is easier to forgive the wrongs of others but do our wrongs fall under a different category than the wrongs of others? And, do our perceived wrongs fall under a different category than real wrongs? Um…no, they do not. So, toss out that record of wrongs, forget the former things, refuse to dwell on the past (Even if that means this morning!) and press onward to your Heavenly prize! (Isaiah 43:18, 1 Corinthians 13:4-5 and Philippians 3:14) 

Now…who is gonna clean up that sink? 

That would be…not me as I yell…yep…yell, “Girls!"

Father God, thank You for being in every aspect of our lives. Thank You for showing Yourself to us in Your sweet, still, small voice even in the midst of piles of laundry, unrecognizable objects in the sink, oversized tshirts, and math concepts that currently remain ungrasped….Lord, is that even a word? Thank You for teaching us to apply Your Word not only to others but to personally apply it to ourselves as individuals. I pray for every reader right now. In the name of Jesus, touch them precisely where they are and please show them those secret records of wrongs they have been keeping. The “lists" that call out their names, point at them, and say, “Here is your downfall, this is why you are not enough.” Lord, please replace those lists with waves of love and peace. Your precious peace that surpasses all understanding and the peace guards our hearts and minds! And Lord, thank You not expecting us to be perfect and thank You for giving us Your Son...Perfect Jesus! 

(Philippians 4:7) 

Yosemite...and I don't mean Sam!

Praise the Lord from the earth,You great sea creatures and all the depths; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Both young men and maidens; Old men and children. (Psalm 148:7-12, NKJV)

This blogpost is a series of posts about our recent road trip from Portland to Yosemite National Park. 

Our trip from Tahoe to Yosemite National Park was very interesting. We drove from Tahoe to Bridgeport. We had been so enamored with all the sites were had been taking in that we wasn't paying a lot of attention in the way of navigation. Once we arrived in Bridgeport, we stopped to get gas. I saw three people standing at the front counter. I said, "Can y'all tell me where we are and how we get to Yosemite?" Their hesitation was a bit unsettling; however, not as much as when they all three burst into laughter!

One of them said, "You are in Bridgeport. The middle of nowhere. You can't get to Yosemite from here. You have to turn around back towards Tahoe and drive two hours. Hang a left and then drive four more hours. Had you gone the right way, you would've been there by now."

Needless to say, my jaw hit the floor. So we did as they said, which we were glad we did because we got to spend more time in Toiabe National Forrest.

Mike was thrilled to be walking where Kit Carson once walked!

After much driving, we finally arrived at the Evergreen Lodge conveniently located near the Yosemite National Park gate. The lodge is full of nostalgic cabins, nestled in the woods with the great smell of cedar, cool crisp mountain air, the sounds of the woodland creatures, and the best tasting water on the planet! 

However, imagine my shock-n-awe to see snow on the front porch of our cabin! 

Once inside Yosemite, we were met with the world famous Half Dome!

 Mike had asked me what I wanted to see most. 
I wanted to see waterfalls and at this time of the year, Yosemite does not disappoint!

My thrill seeker immediately got busy doing what she does!

While my deep thinker sketched all the sights!

As you can see, not much changes whether we are home or away!

A quick foot bath in the mountain streams!

And hanging with a few locals!

Yosemite National Park is a wonderful family vacation. Wildlife, hiking, horseback riding, mountain climbing, just to name a few! We also found a fresh tasty spinach and strawberry salad inside the park at one of the shops!

Yosemite requires you do what it takes to get the shot! 

So be prepared to do a lot of climbing over rocks!

Back at the Evergreen Lodge, 

my girls made friends taking turns at the piano outside the restaurant while we waited on dinner. The kids were our evening entertainment!

Evergreen Lodge was built in 1921 and is a wonderful place to stay while in the area having very helpful and friendly staff. The food at the restaurant was five star quality and there are many events at the lodge such as hiking, bike rentals, zip lining, horseshoes, and making s'mores by the outside fireplace. 

And, either I became acclimated, or the weather warmed for our last day!

Look, no jacket and fewer layers!

And perhaps best of all, 

Evergreen Lodge offers absolutely 

no television, cell or wifi service!

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!

(Psalm 150:6)

The Beautiful Lake Tahoe!

LORD, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (Psalm 8:9, NIV)

Today's blog post is a continuation of our April roadtrip!

From Carson City to Tahoe, we experienced...more...snow...in April, I was shocked!

A lot of snow...in April. Did I mention I was shocked...as well as grossly underdressed!

My girls screamed, "What do you do when you are find yourself in a snowstorm?! Have a snowball fight, what else?!" So...we did!

Well...they did, while I hid out in the van...with the heat on high...dressed in layers.

In Tahoe, we stayed at the magnificent Marriott's Timber Lodge, located in the "Heavenly Ski Resort" area. Walking into the reception area we were immediately greeted by a roaring fireplace. Off to the right of the reception area was the next best thing to said roaring fireplace...the Cub House...for kids! Complete with crafts, toys, birds, fish, and a climbing wall! 

Our suite included a washer/dryer and yes, another roaring fireplace as well as an oversized jacuzzi tub. Our Marriott stay was very enjoyable. The grounds were beautiful and the staff was very friendly and helpful. The Heavenly Ski Resort area is full of fun shops, tasty coffee houses and restaurants. When we left Hawaii for this trip, we knew three things. When we were leaving, where we were spending the first night, and when we were flying home. We quickly discovered we had not allotted enough time for Tahoe and our next destination. We also discovered will definitely be spending more time in Tahoe!

If you find yourself in Tahoe, do not miss out on the Emerald Bay. It is one of the most beautiful places on earth! Why use words when pictures tell it all!

Lord God, it is no wonder to me why the Psalmist sang, "LORD, our Lord, how majestic is Your name in all the earth"! When I sit and take in the sights, sounds, and smells of your creation, I too sing, "LORD, our Lord, how Majestic is Your name in all the earth"!


Tomorrow: Yosemite...and I don't mean Sam!

On the Road Again!

I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is filled with joy, and my mouth shouts his praises! My body rests in safety. (Psalm 16:8-9, NLT)


We recently took a road trip and blogged about it in a previous blogpost. We will finish up our traveling blogpost this week.

Along our journey we were blessed with a personal tour of Romain Electric who happens to be one of our companies suppliers. You may find our company information at www.starterman.com.

Out of everything in the factory, 

Mikea was most impressed with the employee refrigerator!

During our whole trip, it seems Gracie was most impressed with our lodging accommodations!

Mikea decided she wasn't impressed with the clams!

Next up along our route was the Jedediah Smith National Park.

The trees are amazing, huge enough for us to play inside!

Come on in!

We comfortably fit inside one of the trees with plenty room left over 

for twenty or so of our closest friends!

Now THIS is a major tree!

Yes, it's true. And yes, we drove the mini van through this tree!

After playing in the trees, we ate lunch at the Speedy Taco Truck and Mikea enjoyed her first Jarrito!

Part of our fun was enjoying the local food!

We stopped by a roadside stand to buy some fresh strawberries. Mikea asked the owner if she could pick her own because she had never picked fresh strawberries before and she was thrilled when the owner gladly invited her out to his field!

We grabbed a quick shot of these beautiful elk along our way!

And these pretty wildflowers.

 

Last minute, we decided to go to Reno. We were met with a snowstorm at Donner's Pass so Mikea bundled up in the event we got snowed in at the pass! 

Thankfully, we didn't get snowed in at Donner's Pass so the next day we enjoyed building a gecko house at the Children's Discovery Center. We go to every Children's Discovery Centers that we find. A couple of our favorites are the one in Honolulu, Vegas, and Reno. 

The Reno location had many fun exhibits. Our favorite one being, "The Work Shop".

The climbing exhibit came in a very close 2nd!

Next, a little "cowboy" time in Virginia City.

Virginia was a really fun "old town" with old candy stores, "main street" type shops, and cowboy reenactments. Unfortunately, we were two days early to see the cowboys "shoot em up"!

 

Virginia City is full of remnants from the "rush". A very fun place to visit. 

Virginia City also has snow at the end of April so dress warm. 

Insider information: Five layers is not enough layers for this island girl!

Tomorrow we are off to Tahoe!

Lord God, thank You-thank You for this amazing opportunity to travel and see more of Your beautiful creation! Thank You for always being with us! You are always right beside us! It is no wonder our hearts are filled with joy, our mouths shout Your praise, and our bodies rest in safety! I pray for every reader right now, in the name of Jesus, Lord stir up in them Your heart's desire for them. Order their steps in such a way that each and every one of them live the life that Jesus provided for them! I thank You for always being with them filling their hearts with joy and their mouths with Your praise! May each and every one of us always be fully aware of your goodness, mercy and love!