Planting & Transplanting

I have gotten into the habit of saying that I have a “brown thumb”. Truth is, I have had a LAZY thumb. Yes, you heard that right.

It’s a matter of discipline. Remembering to water, feed, and weed these plants. It’s a choice. To watch them grow to their full potential or let them starve and die. Before my girls were born and even when they were tiny, I used to love planting and taking care of my yard. Then….I gave it up. Weeds started to grow. Flowers died or either went out of control. It’s really quite amazing to me..how God can take something like gardening and turn it into a teaching moment for me.

Weeds taking over.

 The things the I choose to care about are the things that I spend the most time taking care of. The things that I choose to nurture will in turn produce a beautiful harvest.

I CAN have a “green thumb” if I CHOOSE to! It isn’t a matter of being naturally good at it. It is a deliberate choice. Water, fertilize, feed, nurture, protect….and I will see growth.

I am 2 years into reading and studying the ENTIRE Bible from Genesis to Revelations. TWO years of self-discipline. The reward is KNOWING my Savior like I have never known before. My roots are growing deeper. I LOVE it and I already have a plan in place to read it all the way through again. I am in Ephesians now and when I finish with Revelations, I plan to use my Chronological Life Application Bible next.

I tell you this not to boast..because it is only by the power of The Holy Spirit in me that I have kept at it. As I begin each day reading through, making notes, and studying it, I pray and ask to read it through HIS eyes and not mine. I also pray that HE would give me the desire to be obedient and the time to do so. If I can do it..You can too!

Gardenias from our yard

In my previous post, Cutting Loose, I talked some about change… and one thing that I am changing is my LAZY thumb. I planted another gardenia bush in my yard yesterday…Gardenias are my absolute FAVORITE flowering plant. I also planted several other pretties in our yard. Then…after getting the “fever” for mint from my precious friend (she knows who she is), I planted mint and hot oregano and a cucumber plant! ME! The self-proclaimed plant killer. The woman whose husband asked her not to buy any more plants to kill,  for the front porch.

Why? Because I know that I can keep these plants alive. It’s a choice. (if you feel like praying for those plants, feel free )

I encourage YOU to step out of your comfort zone and commit to something that you’ve always wanted to do. Just take that step. You CAN DO IT!

Philippians 4:13 says it best, “I can do ALL things through HIM who gives me strength.”

Until Next Time,

My Family <3

I think it is extremely important for us to remember that ANYTHING or ANYONE that we put first in our lives…becomes an idol. So, if it isn’t God that is first…then we have to re-adjust..re-order the things in our lives. With that being said….

Do you have too much on your plate? Are you loaded down with “things” that get in the way of what should really be your top priorities ? You know…Too many activities, things that take away from God and family, too much social media, too many clubs, too much volunteering. That is just to name a few.

We shouldn’t let our lives speed out of control. We should live intentionally. Keeping our priorities in order helps make this intentional living possible.

Psalm 39:6 has this to say about living lives that are too busy and filled with too many distractions: “We are merely moving shadows, and all our busy rushing ends in nothing. We heap up wealth, not knowing who will spend it.”

I am working on simplifying my life. Eliminating certain things from my life…one of those things being my personal Twitter account. I LOVE Twitter..I love Social Media. It just distracts me. So..I am changing it to my “blog Twitter” and no longer a personal Twitter account. I have removed a few more social media distractions as well. I am also being more intentional about the quality in the time that we spend with our little family…Making sure that my family is first after God. Another thing that I have been doing is reading a book called The Excellent Wife. It is written by Martha Peace. I highly recommend it. This book has really made me look at my role as wife in the way that God wants me to view it. Convicted to say the least.

Is there SOMETHING or are there some things that YOU may need to cut loose of for a time?

Here are a few signs that you may have too many distractions or things out of order:

~ Stress (no brainer)

~ Irritability.. because you feel rushed all of the time.

~ Never seem to be able to finish a task.

~ Complaints from husband/wife/children that you never have time for them..or if you are with them they say you are distracted.

~ No time for bible study or quiet time.

~ No time for quality family time.

~ Exhaustion (mental and physical)

~ Feeling the “need”  to check your multiple social media sites throughout the day ..but never feeling the need to open your bible app or open your bible .

There’s got to be balance. If you give a majority of your time to volunteering, social media sites, friends, etc.. and find that your time with Jesus and your husband/wife/kids is less than the others, it’s time to refocus and get things (people) back in the correct order.

In “THE EXCELLENT WIFE”, Martha Peace writes: Wives are also to love their husbands as their closest neighbor. The Lord Jesus made it clear, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). Compare how hard you work at showing love to your girl friends with how hard you work at showing your love to your husband. He is your closest neighbor. He should come first.

(This goes for husbands as well…)

So, I invite you to join me in taking a look at your life and praying about what God wants you to do so that you will glorify HIM. There is freedom in surrender. True peace and joy comes when we have our lives in the right order. The alternative is stress and feeling all out of whack. I hope you’ll join me in looking deep within and seeing what you need to change..who knows, you may not need to change a thing. Chances are, somebody that you know may need to. So, share this post if you think it could help someone.. There are also several links to other posts that I placed in this one. (Hoping that one will help even just one person.)

             Until Next Time,

I’m good at stuffing. Stuffing drawers. Stuffing cabinets. Stuffing closets. AND, yes, stuffing my feelings. Throw it all in and hurry and slam it shut before it falls out or comes undone. Just, out of sight, out of mind.

That’s. Not. Healthy.

So, to be honest..it took me writing out my testimony to realize some of the reasons that I stuff. Some are just hereditary..and some are because of choices made.

So, after realizing some truths, I began to make some changes.

And..I began to change.

Now, I still fight the battle of stuffing. No, I’m not a hoarder by any means.I have no problem throwing away stuff.  I just tend to get overwhelmed and want to forget about it. That’s the case with organizing my home and my emotions.

You can’t break a lifelong habit overnight. It takes intentionality….To make healthy changes. It takes work.

When it comes to being unorganized…I found that admitting I can’t do it alone helped me a lot! I asked for help from someone near and dear to me..(she knows who she is). She’s a natural at this sort of thing. So, we organized and MAN, is life getting easier! I can focus better. It is awesome!

Now, as far as the emotional stuffing goes…That is a work in progress. There’s a thin line we have to be careful of. To still bridle the tongue and glorify God in everything.

To keep in mind that making a big deal about feelings…makes it ABOUT ME…not God.

To trust HIM in every situation and at the same time to deal with emotions, hurts, and feelings instead of stuffing them down. Pretending that they don’t exist. That’s. NOT. Healthy. But trusting HIM and giving it ALL to HIM to handle…That’s WAY BETTER than stuffing.

Psalm 28:7 ~ The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in him, and I am helped.

So…I’m still a work in progress. Learning what to stuff and what not to stuff. Learning that everything has a place and that includes emotions.

I challenge you to look at yourself…Are you a stuffer? Or are you an exploder? Lysa Terkeurst’s book, Unglued, is a fantastic book.. She talks about the four reaction types. Most of us are more than just one type of reactor. Here is her blog post where she discusses the four types.

I’m so glad to know that God is not finished with me yet.

Philippians 1:6 ~ being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.

Until Next Time,

You probably are wondering why in the world I chose the title above. Truth is, I didn’t. In fact, I woke up around 3 A.M. and God gave me this title. So, here we go.

Never say never. The “objects” that you are seeing occur in other people’s lives can very easily occur in yours as well. I had a vision of a mirror with many different words written on it. Picture it with me:

SIN. LOSS. BETRAYAL. HURT. FEAR.

SIN…ADDICTION…IDOLATRY…GREED..GOSSIP…HATRED…SLANDER

ADDICTION…LUST, EXCESSIVE SPENDING, OVEREATING, ALCOHOL ADDICTION, DRUG ADDICTION, PORNOGRAPHY, ADULTERY and the list goes on and on.

The objects in the mirror can be closer than they appear.

Closer than they appear to you. Closer than they appear to others.

They all are a part of the battle we are in..against Flesh. SPIRITUAL WARFARE. Satan wants us to fail. He wants us to be separated from God.

Ephesians 6:11 ~ Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.

Never say never my friends. Always be on guard against the Devil and his schemes. Your mirror may appear to be clean..but is it really?

If there is SIN in your life that you think is “HIDDEN”, you are mistaken. Forgive me for speaking so boldly. It isn’t meant to sound judgemental in any way, shape, or form. I say these things because I truly care. I know what it is to be truly surrendered to God. AND… I know what it is to not be surrendered.

You can say, “Oh, I HAVE surrendered to GOD.” Your actions will prove it though. You know. God knows.

James 2:17 (NIV) ~ In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.

When you face a trial, do you have true and complete peace in knowing that God really is enough? Do you truly feel that you are filled with Joy that can’t be explained any other way? Are you able to smile when the “world” would tell you to hide and fall apart?

There is a difference. In the way you handle life’s awful storms. When you finally…truly…SURRENDER ALL.

There’s a peace…an Anchor, if you will. To be able to smile and have hope…when before you might have done the opposite. It’s the result of full Surrender.

“  Oh, nobody knows about my “little” sin. ” “It doesn’t hurt anybody but me.” “ I still love God.” “ I am saved, so I can do it and just ask Him to forgive me..I mean..it says He forgives when I ask.”  AND here’s a huge one.. ” I am just too weak.”

Those are all lies. Satan wants you and me to believe those things. The fact is, SIN is anything that separates us from God. Separated.

Separated…think about it. To be apart from…cut off…

I don’t ever want that. I need my Father God. Every minute of every single day.

It is a conscious CHOICE. There is that word again that I seem to use a lot in my posts.

The moment you decide to follow God, the Holy Spirit comes to guide you. Sin that you don’t get rid of is like a wall of heavy stones. The stones are stacked one on top of the other. With each stone the wall gets higher and higher. Each time you CHOOSE sin over righteousness, picture that wall being built that separates you from God. Leaving you miserable and ineffective for His calling on your life. Ineffective only until you SURRENDER to God fully. When you do, you’ll be able to resist the temptations and even laugh at them.. Not because YOU are resisting, but because YOU are allowing God to finally fight your battles!

Ephesians 5:11 (NIV) ~ Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of the darkness, but rather expose them.

Honestly, I would like to write out the entire portion of Ephesians 5…but, instead…just read it if you will..

If you want to truly follow God, you have to make a choice to pick Him over that temptation. God knows we aren’t perfect…and He knows we can’t do life alone. We need HIM. He doesn’t NEED us.

It’s a DAILY CHOICE…minute by minute…second by second… A Daily Walk.

Galatians 5:16 ~ So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

   I leave you with this last passage of Scripture. Read it …soak on it..and believe it. His Word is Truth..His Word is Alive.

1 Peter 5:7-11 ~ Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in faith, because you know that your brothers throughout the world are undergoing the same kind of sufferings. And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered for a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast. To him be the power for ever and ever. Amen.

   Standing Firm!

   Until Next Time,

  I am not the most organized or structured person. I can’t stand the feeling that disorder gives me though. The busyness of life doesn’t help much with my lack of organizational skills.

   I mean, I WANT to be organized and all perfectly scheduled out. That’s just not how I tend to roll though. I try.. I even get organized for a bit and then I fall off the wagon yet again. The cycle repeats itself. I get frustrated with myself, promise to do better, and try again.

   Recently, after reading one of my favorite blogs that my twitter/bloggy friend Courtney  writes. It’s called the Women Living Well blog . I was inspired once again to try this schedule thingy!

   The link to her blog is found on the right side of my blog, under the title of: Blogs I Love. She’s great. Now, she homeschools too..(I don’t). So, for those of you that homeschool  you might like her schedule for that. I started trying to go by her menu and cleaning schedule. Of course my schedule is a little different. The HUGE thing for me though, is that I am attempting a schedule.

   I tend to be a fly by the seat of my pants sort of gal. Schedules?? Pshhh. I am more spontaneous, while my husband (bless his heart) tends to be the planner. And when I say “bless his heart“…I really mean: THANK GOODNESS opposites attract! God knew I needed someone like my amazing man in my life to make me focus! I tend to just want to DO IT…get started.

   Sure there are times in my life (like when my kids were smaller, etc..) when I was better about schedules.

   Sure, I am some-what organized…Well, in my head. I am trying to be more intentional about every single thing in my life. That means I have got to be a better scheduler and I have got to stick to it! I know I feel so much better when I am organized (even if it’s just for a little while). Organization and planning are a must for healthy living!

   I hope you check out the link that I suggested. Or, maybe just google planning or schedules for your home life.

   I am going to try to really stick to it this time! Oh and while we are talking about scheduling our time, don’t forget to give God a spot too! Start your day with the One who gave you this day! I promise your day will go better when you begin it with HIM!  None of the meal, cleaning, home or work schedules should come before your time with God.

   Matthew 6:33 (NIV) ~ But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

   Happy Scheduling!

   UNTIL NEXT TIME,

The picture above is of part of my flowerbed…and as you can see, the weeds are taking over. I was going to pull the weeds. Why pull them when I can spray some weed-killer on them and be done with it??

Then, it hit me… So many times we try to do everything ourselves (at least, I do) and God is right there waiting to be my “weed-killer”. He says that we have not because we ask not. We go through our day, struggling with different issues…ignoring the fact that He is capable to do the impossible if it is His will. So, why don’t we give our problems to Him.. ?

James 4:2,3 (NIV) ~ You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

I will be the first to admit that I am terrible about asking others for help…and even worse about letting others help me. I am trying to do better though. I used to be really independent. So much so..that when I was sick and needed help …I would apologize for being sick. Seriously. It is different with God.

God is The Ultimate Weed-Killer. We have to surrender to Him first though. Surrender our will. Surrender our independence. Surrender our problems. Surrender our weaknesses. Surrender = Complete Trust. Surrender also = Complete Peace and Freedom.

Everybody has had weeds of some sort in their life. Weeds choke the life out of you. Weeds cover up the beauty. Weeds get out of control really fast.

What weeds do you need to pull or better yet, let the weed-killer handle for you?

The first step is trusting and believing in Jesus. Next, you have to admit your “weeds” and start getting rid of them. Finally, you have to surrender to Jesus. Trust Him. Let Him.

1 Corinthians 5:7 (NIV) ~ Get rid of the old yeast, so that you may be a new unleavened batch – as you really are. For Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.

The enemy (satan) wants you to keep the weeds in our life. As long as we keep sin (especially hidden sin) in our life, the devil has got us right where he wants us..in bondage. Miserable. Unable to be free to do God’s work.

What weeds might you be holding on to?

I am not asking out of judgement. All have sinned and fall short.. (Romans 3:23). It is an everyday decision to choose to let God lead the way.

1 Timothy 5:24,25 (NIV)~ The sins of some are obvious, reaching the place of judgement ahead of them; the sins of others trail behind them. In the same way, good deeds are obvious, and even those that are not obvious cannot remain hidden forever.

Jesus loves you. He loves you and He is patient and forgiving. There is nothing too bad or too ugly for Him to forgive.

Here’s the kicker…want to know how He is the ultimate weed-killer?? Well, it’s simple. When He forgives us of our sins He forgets them too. They are gone for good..unlike the weeds in my flowerbeds that keep coming back. You know though, if our weeds (sins) keep coming back, it is our fault. Yet, He is still faithful to forgive us our sins. What an awesome and loving God!!!!!

1 John 1:9 (NIV) ~ If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Psalm 103:12 ~ as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us.

Until Next Time,

Most all of us have felt broken-hearted at one point or another in our lives. If not..I promise you it’s coming. The good news is that with God in control, we don’t have to be in control during those times. We simply have to let God help us.

Heartbroken..a feeling of great despair..when feelings of confusion tend to set in. These feelings can be caused by death, loss, betrayal, etc.. God doesn’t guarantee us a life without suffering and broken-heartedness. Instead, He guarantees to equip us and never leave us during those times.

Matthew 11:28 (NIV) ~ Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

Deuteronomy 31:6 ~ “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the Lord your God goes with you; he will never leave you or forsake you.”

The verse (Deut. 31:6) just means so much to me! What hope that is found in that verse!! Why wouldn’t someone want to believe a truth such as that?? Our GOD…Creator..Sovereign Lord..Almighty Savior..Risen One..He promises to never ever ever leave us or forsake us.

Heartbroken can mean that you were forsaken…but remember that you weren’t forsaken by God..just by man.

I personally, am grateful for those times that I was at my lowest point. Now, I didn’t say that I enjoyed those times. No..not at all. However, it was at those times that I sought God more and became closer to Him. It was during those times that I realized that God was enough.

That is because I made the choice to seek Him during those times, not just anybody needs to know your problems. Not everybody has your best interest in mind. I guarantee you this : God ALWAYS has your best interest in mind.

You have to be careful who you go to for advice when you are hurt or angry.

In fact, we should really seek God first. Stop and pray and be still. Seek wise counsel.

2 Chronicles 18:4 ~ But Jehoshaphat also said to the king of Israel, “First seek the counsel of the Lord.”

Isaiah 28:26 ~ His God instructs him and teaches him the right way.

Here is some more great news for us all : Praise God that He works All things together for our good when we seek His will and truly trust in Him. Even though we may not understand the why of what we are going through, we can be assured that if we let God have control that our pain and trials are not in vain. When we can help others because of something we have experienced we are bringing glory to God. (that is, if we are willing to share)

Romans 8:28 ~ And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

See, even when you may feel like your heart is being ripped into a million pieces, God knows the outcome. Even when you feel like you don’t know what to believe or think, God says that He will never leave you. When you feel like giving up and throwing in the towel..God says wait..because with God ALL things are possible!

Matthew 19:26 ~ Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

We don’t have to supply the strength that is needed to make it through the difficult times. God promises to be that strength. God promises to supply all our needs. When you trust Jesus as Lord and Savior, you gain the gift of Salvation. The bonus gift (extra prize) is that The Holy Spirit comes to live in you, guide you, convict you, and strengthen you. When you accept Christ the old you should be gone..you have invited Christ Jesus in to lead you every second of every day.

I will leave you with one of my favorite verses that sums this up.

Philippians 4:13 ~ I can do ALL things through Christ who gives me strength.

Even with the tough things. Even when I can’t see a way. He is still there. He is the way. He knows the way.

If you don’t have that security, that assurance of Salvation, what are you waiting for??

Until Next Time,

.

Today I am going to share something with you. It may sound silly, but oh boy is it true. Here it goes : Cake is NOT my friend. Sorry if you were expecting something more..but keep reading because you may find where this relates to you as well.

I love bread and cake…and cupcakes and muffins, BUT they don’t love me.

I can’t always control myself when a yummy cake (with chocolate icing especially) is in my presence. I try. I really do. But..one piece turns into two and then I may even just eat another piece in place of my supper. Get the picture? Is anybody with me here???

So, I tell my kids and husband, and myself that I am NOT eating anymore breads or sweets or cake, etc… Then, cake is placed in front of me..just whispering, “Heather, come on , just one piece won’t hurt.” What do I do? Yep, I give in and boy does it taste good for those few seconds of indulgence. Then, the guilt sets in. Then I go put on a pair of jeans that were loose last week and can barely zip them up. And….the cycle repeats itself..”I am NOT eating anymore cake, sweets or breads!!” Pshhhh. Yeah. Until next time.

What other areas might this relate to in our lives? Areas where self-control and moderation need to be practiced?

Here’s the thing : If I could be more disciplined and eat one piece..ONLY ONE PIECE, it would be okay. Moderation. That is the key with my relationship with cake and bread. Self-control is the other key.

I must remember that my body is God’s temple and I have to treat it as such. What I put in it…be it food or media or whatever…has got to be pleasing to God. If I eat too much cake, then I feel bad about myself. If I eat too much cake then it can’t be good for God’s temple. Same thing goes for anything in our lives that is out of control. Eating, spending, internet (social networks..web-surfing…etc..), time management ..anything that we do that takes our focus off of God and family can really cause problems for us.

1 Corinthians 3:16 (NIV) ~ Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s spirit dwells in your midst?

We can even be caught up in doing good things for the church or other people..and pat ourselves on the back..trying to justify that those things are for GOD. We have to be very careful, because it becomes dangerous when we are doing good things for the praise that comes from men..instead of to bring God glory.

Eating cake isn’t bad. Social networks aren’t bad. Doing good things for others is not bad. We just have to be careful about the amounts and the reasons. We have to be sure that whatever we are doing is bringing God glory. If it isn’t bringing Him glory, we can be sure that it isn’t good for us.

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

Here’s to trying harder! To seeking God in everything…every single thing. To moderation and to bringing God glory in everything! And to NO MORE CAKE for me …if that is what it takes! I am so thankful that my Savior is a loving, merciful, patient and forgiving God!

Hope you enjoyed my post today… If you haven’t signed up to get an email when I post something new, please do! Just click on the SUBSCRIBE button on the top right corner of my blog. You can LIKE my Simple Truths Blog Facebook page and follow me on Twitter as well ( @hgd1973 ). Would love to have you join me!

Until Next Time,