What Not To Wear (not ever)

Should I wear this, or should it be this, or should it be....I have never really figured out how much time I spend choosing what I am wearing for what ever thing I am doing. Sometimes what ever it is will have to work for a few different things I am doing that day as I go from one thing to another in my work a day mom world. I prefer grocery shopping in my jeans but that may be following a business type meeting. I am trying to develop a dressy casual look that can go both places but have to admit while shopping at Aldis is definately on my list of things to do for the great deals, I still feel funny shopping there immediately after church or the office. I feel like I am over dressed because I am one of those who likes to dress up a bit which may include heels with the ensemble.



All of this said to say...yesterday morning was church...so I took time to pull out an outfit that was smashed under some other articles of clothing waiting to "be put away". I hung the quite wrinkled items on hangers (ahem, yes now instead of days ago when they first came from the dryer). I proceeded to spray them down with a handy dewrinkler product my sister gave me most likely because she had observed my frantic run to toss items into the dryer while getting ready for something or because she had stepped in to help iron things before one of my daughters weddings (a pretty funny inside joke that will put a smile on her face like it does mine when I remember it). I have also been known to use my hair straightener to do quick fixes on my collars and the bottom edge of shirts that want to roll up.


So here is what happened. I proceeded to do make up, choose shoes and accessories, get the now wrinkle free clothes on and walk out the bathroom door to be met with the words "honey you know the red shirt you sometimes wear?" What ?!? What is he talking about? He hates when I wear red. (and for the record black is on his least favorite color for me to wear list too) Did I gently inquire with "no darling, which shirt is it you mean?" Uh uh. No. I became like a porcupine with all quills at attention.


So began the sunday morning battle that tries to steal our peace on the way to minister and have open hearts to be ministered to as well...(surely we have company in these skirmishes world over)


Shortly I learned which shirt it was and ladies and gentlemen it is one my husband bought me which is not solid red but has paisley burgandy, tan and brown designs. It is one he loves on me and one I do like but was more casual than I wanted to have on that day. Besides it would not match my grey dress pants and black high heels.  It would mean an overall change of said ensemble. And besides all that, I just did not want to change. 


This would be a great time for the sound effects of brakes squealing to the stop sign...I just did not want to change...my clothes or my attitude either one. So of course I tried to point out the sensibility of keeping what I wanted on. Without having him feel that it meant I hated the shirt he loves because I don't and I don't want to offend him either. Although I was myself offended that my appearance was not lovely in his sight.

Looming large was the pretty much unfavorite verse for many women because we think it devalues us somehow. It is the one from Ephesians that kept whispering to me "wives submit yourselves to your own husbands as unto the Lord" Yes that one. Not submit when it makes you happy to or makes sense to you or continues to let you have all your own way about things...and as unto the Lord...do it for Jesus sake, the One Who laid His life down for me do it as if I were doing it for Him. I said my life is His so shouldn't my actions line up with my words for goodness sake?Not that there wasn't some "I don't care if you like the other better" stuff bouncing around in my heart too. I did however, give my life to Jesus 30 some years ago and become a new creature in Christ like the Bible says. So I may be imperfect in walking it out sometimes but overall it is the standard that I stake my actions on since that divine transaction over my life took place.




Do any of you remember Esther before she won the kings heart and place as his queen asking the one in charge of preparing her for her night with the king to choose for her what the king would like. Most women probably went for what they liked and made them feel pretty and hopefully worthy of the king using all the physical charms they had. Esther had those charms but she also had something more, a desire to learn what would please the king. We know who became the queen.

Even so what offends my heart also reveals my heart. I did not want to change. I wanted to be thought attractive in what I wanted to wear but you know what is NEVER attractive? A bad attitude. Unforgiveness. Anger.Bitterness. Self righteousness. An unloving attitude. Grudges. Pride. Stubborness. None of it looks good no matter what shoes I wear. There are scriptures about what to take off and what to put on. We could call them the "what not to wear" scriptures after one of my favorite shows. Then we could talk about the scriptures that tell us what to wear.
That will be a different day though.

For today I just want to mention the one from 1 Peter 3:3-4
Do not let your adornment be merely outward-arranging the hair, wearing gold or putting on fine apparel-rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God."

Here is to some quiet spiriting by the grace of God! And guys if you are in on this reading -no fair intentionally pushing our buttons!

The Inside Kitty (and the day God has made)

Did you ever have a day that seemed really divinely orchestrated in spite of your own self? A day you didn't set apart for something like a wedding or party yet when the day happened was perfect for what you had to do? That is this day for me. What is it you ask? Well nothing most of us would normally be saying "this is the day the Lord has made! I will rejoice and be glad in it!" And yet I am! Story behind the story....

One month ago I took Lily to the Hobart Humane Society to look  at kittens. Just look. Period. No purchase promise. In fact we "WOULD NOT BE GETTING AN INSIDE CAT". Don't laugh at me yet. And apologies to you friends who dearly cherish animals but most of our animals for years were outdoor living due to allergies and athsma and life busy enough with a household of 8 children.

On our first stop they had just closed. Oh how sad... but you know for Lily it really was. And I love her so I was sad for her even if I had breathed a secret sigh of relief for my own sake. And you know my word is supposed to be my bond so this meant after our next day visit to the Chiropractor we would stop again during their open hours. Lily happily strode in. I followed trying to look engaged in the whole process. Naturally God has made baby creatures absolutely adorable....but none of the kitty cats in the front were yet heart grabbers for which I was thankful. I really was.

But you know not only do I love Lily but God does too and knows the desires of her heart and after all I have got to remember life is not all about me and only what I like. "Are there more kittens somewhere?" we asked. "Certainly. In the hallway is a room off to the right with more and you can take them out of the cage into the room across the hall and play with them"...oh they know what they are up to....

Into the room we went and there was Charlie. Front and center. 4 months old. Like Marys little Lamb except he followed some kids home from school one day and ended up at Hobart Humane Society.
"Oh Lily no" I silently pleaded. "Don't open the cage door",  as she was proceeding to open the cage door.
She pulled Charlie out to cuddle him and I am not kidding you he reached out with his front paws and HUGGED MY ARM! Oh no! Why kitty Charlie? Why would you hug this self professed non inside kitty  persons arm? Is it because you saw something in me that my tough no inside kitty exterior could not  hide from you?

We left Charlie that day since I really had no money to adopt him. Because her dad loves Lily, he said he thought an inside kitty would be nice to have. And not only do her daddy and I love Lily, her brother does too and Abe gave up part of his birthday money to get Charlie for Lily as an early birthday present for her. So the next day we were back to make him Lily's.

And he fits here. Makes everyone happy. Even the dogs. Already litter trained, only a couple of issues we are working to resolve. (Finds the curtains especially intriguing and attack worthy. Also loves to jump on the table which is especially a NO in my house rules.)

And then there was the promise we made to the shelter to have him nuetered. Today was that day. And it could not have come at a better time. He and our two dogs had developed a flea problem that was starting to affect people too. So today he is getting his male kitty stuff done and treated for worms, fleas, mites, long claws, rabies and something else that I can't remember.

In the mean time I have purchased and am using (well have been until this break) all the equipment needed to treat the dogs and house to rid us of fleas. So see I know it isn't a day most people would be rejoicing in but if you saw how busy my life gets and how rare it is to have a whole saturday just open itself to coordinate all of this at once maybe you would rejoice with me too.

Soon we will have to go pick up our inside kitty cat from the Anderson Feline Clinic. But we won't be asking for Charlie because he has a new name...(kind of like God having new names for us written on a white stone that only we will know that the book of Revelation talks about in Chapter 2 vs17 except everyone gets to know our kittens new name and it will be engraved on his tag not a stone). We will be picking up Saint Mewis.

Have blessed weekend. Time for me to get back to task...

Gate Keepers (the gate swings both ways)

This is the thing...if I don't get to blogging early when the idea is fresh, it is really hard to get back to. It's kind of like praying and reading the word. If I don't "hide out" pretty much immediately in the first morning hour on my living room corner of the couch where my Bible, books, notebooks and pens are right next to me on the end table with great lighting, that time is pretty well swept away in the flurry of the day. Hard to find and get back ahold of.

 I did get a bit of my Bible time in before the rest of the day took hold and some thoughts worth jotting down and thinking about (aka meditating on) stood out to me. That dear reader is what this days writing will be about. It is a new brick to add to something I had been building on previously but not written about. Its about DOORS.
As in Who is knocking and should I open or not?

 Even before we get to the doors though there is a gate

From 1 Chronicles 16 (what I was reading this morning) there is the telling of bringing the Ark of God (different than Noah's ark) back to Israel but this time correctly since it had been attempted before without consulting God just doing things the way it seemed to mans mind would be good and honoring except it had disastrous results.

Don't we get ourselves into some fine fixes when we go about things our own way sometimes. Like this (whatever I think this is) makes me good enough for Heaven when God Himself already told us how to go about being good enough by receiving what HE says is the only way good enough to get us there... accepting that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God (meaning I am a sinner), believing that Jesus died for my sins and confessing that as true before others. Its the A,B,C's of Salvation..

There I am rabbit trailing again..someone may have needed that though.
So yes, DOORS and GATES

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Verse 18 talks about who the GATE KEEPERS were and verse 24 the DOOR KEEPERS. This reminded me of a situation where someone doing work for us here wanted to have an acquaintance come over to help.  After a bit of background on the person, I said no. This made me appear mean and uncaring in his eyes and I simply told him "I am a gate keeper here and have say over who or what is allowed to come in" Sounds a little archaic as far as terminology goes and it was the first time I had ever said it. It turned out later we were to learn how wrong it would have been to let that acquaintance join him here as we became aware of newer events in his life. Super unhealthy in fact.

Sometimes we think because we are Christians we are to have an open door policy to show Gods love to others but I don't believe that is true. Life without limits is chaotic. Water has borders and look what happens if it doesn't stay put there...Tsunamis...and light breezes are ok but heavy winds need to be still or stay high above the earth...don't invade my happy space with the things and people important to me. No hurricanes or tornadoes wanted here. Earthquakes where the earth is moving out of its proper place. Not good. Undisciplined kids, lawless community structure which is not structure at all bring ruin. Get where I am coming from now in a general sort of way? Soooo bringing it home....

We give permission to things that enter our lives. (Not to be mistaken with sometimes wrong and horrible things do happen in our lives uninvited.) Just as we have gates and doors to yards, homes or at least our own rooms, we have spiritual gates and doors. What we allow in either way can affect us spiritually and in many other ways. And sometimes to paraphrase an old saying we need to tell those wrong things "don't let the gate door hit you where the good Lord split you" as we send them on their way out of our lives for good.

Something allowed to get through the front gate it has easier access to my door.It is why parents get frantic even belligerent seemingly about things their kids want to do sometimes.  It is also harder to remove something once it has been already allowed into our lives. A simple example would be smoking. How many people wish they had never gotten started with that? A miserable relationship. Messing around with occult stuff. 1 Chronicles talks about Gate Keepers and Door Keepers as separate things.    

How do I gate keep aside from naturally assessing things and saying yes or no? Prayer. We have great authority given into our hands by God to use for good in this world. He says
"Behold I give you power to tread on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Luke 10:19-20 
"In my name you shall cast out demons"Mark 16:17
Look not every crummy thing happening is a demon, but the devil does masquerade as an angel of light to deceive and we are not supposed to live ignorant of his devices and think that he will leave us alone if we pretend he isn't around or don't make trouble for him by standing up to him and setting captives free and keeping ourselves and family free. So when he comes slinking around the gate say "NO in JESUS name NO! Leave now!" He has to bow to the name of Jesus but he may try again just to see if you meant it. Just like trespassers who take my no trespassing signs down around our property. Have to rehang the signs because we mean it really!

Four points just to wrap it up today:
*Some people or things are allowed past my gate
*Some people or things are not even allowed in
*Some may be in the yard but not allowed in the house
*Some may get permission to come in the house but not access every room

I will be continuing in this  gate and door line for a few more future blog posts...have a blessed week and take some time to check your gates...