Well...Glory Be!

So whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. (1 Corinthians 10:31, NLT)

If you grew up hearing the phrase, 

“Well glory be!” 

(sounds like, Well...glawwwwwwy be!")

... you may be from Oklahoma.

In our homeschool, we are working on glorifying God in every thought, act, and deed. 

(1 Corinthians 10:31)

Today, I created a “Glory Tabs” reward system as a quick and easy reminder to maintain our focus on always glorifying God.

Be like Bo, it's cool to glorify God!

Lord God, I pray for every reader today. In the name of Jesus, please prompt us by your Holy Spirit to maintain a thought life that always glorifies you. Please bring a clearer understanding to each of us how critical our thought life is and for us to take every thought captive and insure the meditations of our hearts and the words of our mouth, always bring you glory!

2 Corinthians 10:5

Psalm 19:14

The Traylor Switch

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God's love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow--not even the powers of hell can separate us from God's love. (Romans 8:38, NLT)

This is another post written straight from my heart totally bypassing my head and the advice of some who say, "Keep it clean". 

When I started this blog, I made a commitment to be transparent (even though deep down and even at the surface, that still makes me cringe...it always has) and create a source for others to go to for true help and true encouragement. I've been attacked for that and accused of not bringing glory to God. 

I still hold to that which is my original goal for this blog independent of a few opinions in that I am real, life is real, and at times, we all need real help. Sometimes, we need our friends to jump down in the ditch, take our hand, and help us walk out as opposed to offering up a smile, a quick pat on the head and a, "I will pray for you." Sometimes, we need a friend to say, "What can I do to help?" And then follow up and actually do something. And then keep checking in until victory is accomplished...whether that takes a minute or months. It is my heart's desire to be such a friend and to love at all times. 

Let's just say the first part of this week has been in the ditch. Thats ok, I'm determined it is out of the ditch as of now. 

I will explain. Monday was full of little foxes. One of which, Macy's called security on me.  It's not as exciting as it sounds. If you really want to know, I added the incident at the very bottom of this post so those who wanted to skip it can due to time restraints. 

Tuesday night, we were cleaning up from dinner when my youngest ran in crying and buried her face in my shoulder. A man in the neighborhood told her and her three friends they can not play near his home...which is quite impossible because it is next door to our home. And all the neighborhood kids congregate at our house. And he added, "Do NOT tell your parents about this!"

Suffice it to say, my "Traylor switch" flipped.

Suffice it to say, there was a showdown at his doorstep (I grew up on the Texas state line) and now he totally understands he is to never approach my children again under any circumstances. 

I walked away (as a few of my senses began to return to me) and thought, yep...I've got great opportunity to repent now. But praise God I was reminded that nothing can separate me from the love of my almighty Father, not even me.

I told you all of that to tell you this. Even when we handle matters through mom filtered glasses, He still loves us because it is who He is. 

I'm not at all suggesting you handle matters by having a showdown. In hindsight, it would've been wiser for me to stay home and have Mike handle the situation. He is much better at these things than I am. And I have to say I am very well pleased at how he handled the incident in those rare and very brief moments where he was able to get a word in edgewise during those milliseconds when I inhaled. 

But in all honesty, I cannot say I regret defending my girls. I do not regret standing up for what is right. A man (or anyone else for that matter) has absolutely no right to tell children not to tell their parents anything. Some may view that as indignant. 

If so, please pray for me. I will be here, still wearing my mom filtered glasses, still walking life out. 

SECURITY!

About a month ago I went shopping on Oahu and bought a dress. I live on the Big Island. Sunday, I was going to wear my new dress; however, discovered the ink security tag had not been removed. Monday I took the dress to our local Macy's (praying for favor beforehand) and told them what happened. The cashier asked for the receipt. Now...why didn't I think of that? Please refer back to the Monday full of little foxes comment. She called security and asked them to check the cameras to insure I walked in the door with the dress. She asked me my exact route. I was thinking, now wouldn't this be a less than perfect ending to a less than perfect day? West Hawaii News headlines complete with "headshot", local business owner arrested at Macy's for stealing a $40 dress! I'm totally kidding, kinda. 

The security officer walked up, smiled at me, looked at the cashier, rolled his eyes and said, "Just take the tag off the dress." Thanked me and left. FAVOR! 

My Father's Heart

But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. (Luke 15:20, NKJV)

Mike and I dropped our girls with friends so we could take an inter-island trip. Before we were out of the driveway I said, "No matter who we leave them with, it is always so hard for me to drive away."

I will think about them all day. I will look for something specific to bless each of their hearts. My heart is always turned to them. I will even run, fall on their necks and kiss them!

Our Heavenly Father's heart is always turned to us! Even when we sin against Him and we feel like we are not worthy to be His child He sees us from a great way off and has compassion! (Luke 15:21-24)

Hidden Beneath

For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart. (Hebrews 4:12, NKJV)

We bought a new house last May (2011). We were so excited and everything was brand spank’n new! Mike and I grew up in a lot of lack so to have this home was a huge blessing to us and we wanted to be really good stewards of God’s blessings. We took extra special care of every aspect of our new home.

Our sliding screen door that opens onto our lanai (patio) was very close in color to the outside environment which made it a little bit of a challenge to see when the screen was closed. Over and over, Mike reminded all the kids (ours, friends and neighbors) not walk through the screen door.

Seven months later, after months of successfully not having any children walk through the screen door, Mike walked through the screen door. I was in the kitchen making a salad and he was going to our outside kitchen to check the grill. He didn’t see the screen and walked right through it knocking it off the track and turning him into a screen wrecking ninja! 

When he first walked through it, he didn’t realize what hit him so arms started flailing and the duck and jab commenced! He moved erratically, thrashing about! It was one of the most hilarious scenes I’ve ever witnessed! Days later, I was still telling the screen ninja story and laughing. After all, Proverbs 17:22!

A few days later…I…walked…through…the…screen…door. In one week, every one of us walked through the screen door, Mike, me, both girls, and our dog. Our dog succeeded in making two trips.

As you can probably imagine, by this time, the screen was not quite what it use to be. Mike did a good job repairing it and it still worked; however, the handle was hanging by its side because one of the screws was missing. For weeks, every time I went in or out of the door, I thought to myself, “If I could just find that screw I could fix my door.” I’d make a quick look around on the surface to see if I could find the screw but didn’t really get down close to the ground and look in the cracks.

Today, I used the hose to wash the tile on my lanai. I thought, “Wouldn’t it be great if I found that screw and fixed the door?” I got down low and cleaned every crack and crevice to wash out all the dirt, small rocks and dead grass. In one of the cracks of the tile I found the screw and repaired my door! The screw had been hidden underneath the dirt, small rocks, and dead grass.

At the exact moment I saw the screw, the LORD spoke to my heart and said, “That is what I do. I dig deep in the heart of man, beneath the dirt, small rocks, and dead grass and I find what it takes to repair what has been broken.”

Open up your heart to Him today, let your thoughts and the intent of your heart be on wholeness. If there is any dirt, small rocks, or dead grass hidden in your heart, allow Him to dig beneath. He wants to repair everything that has been broken! Let Isaiah 61:3 rule in your life!