What a Mess!

         

(todaysparent.com)

“Mom. M-o-m, come see what Josie did. You’re not gonna like it. Come and see,” Heather giggled and sang out. She could hardly keep from laughing right out loud. She ran into her mother’s bedroom to get her out of bed and into Josie’s room. “Up Mom, come on. You’ve got to see what Josie’s done. You’re not ever gonna believe it. You’re not gonna believe that such a little girl could make such a mess. It’s an awful mess, Mom, but you gotta see it, come on!”

          Heather’s mom had barely opened her eyes and was being pulled out of her bed and dragged across the room. The floor was cold under her bare feet, so she pulled back on Heather’s arm and said, “No just hold up one minute here little girl, let me get my slippers on. What’s all this fuss about? How could Josie have made a mess all by herself? Are you sure that this is her mess? She’s still in her crib, she knows better than to get out before I’m up. And you know she wasn’t feeling very good last night. Did you go in there and wake her up to play with you?”

          By now she’d been pulled down the hallway to Josie’s room, Heather just shaking her head all the way. “Nope, Mom, see for yourself. I didn’t even help make this mess. She did a doozy on it all by herself. But Mom, don’t be too mad at her, after all, you said so yourself, she wasn’t feeling all that well last night when you put her to bed.” Being thrust through the doorway into the room of her precious little girl, Mom could smell the mess before she could even see it.

          “Oh, no Josie!” she declared as she made her way over to her crib. “Oh, my little Josie! Sweetheart, what have you done?”

          Hearing her mom’s voice made Josie jump up to a standing position and reach out for her Momma. “Momma? Momma? Get up? Get up?” she laughed.

          Every morning she looked forward to Mommy coming through that doorway, it meant that her time in the crib was up and she could get out and play with her toys, the ones that hadn’t somehow been tossed into her crib by some mysterious sister named Heather. She giggled with glee as Mommy walked closer.

          Mommy was cringing and wrinkling up her nose, “Josie, Josie, Josie! Look at what you’ve done to your crib, and to yourself!”

          Heather stood in the doorway trying not to laugh too loud. “Mom,” she said, “I think she might be feeling a little better. She seems happy enough.”

          “Heather Elaine, just what are you laughing about? You’ve made your share of messes, too!” But as she stood there shaking her head, she had to hold in a laugh of her own. “You look gross Josie!”     

          “Mom, like I said, it’s not completely her fault. I mean, it’s not her fault that she was sick last night. But she didn’t have to play in it.”

          “And someone didn’t have to give her all those toys to dirty, either.” Mom scolded.

          Josie was still standing there with her arms reaching out for Mommy and jumping up and down. “Josie dear, I love you, but Mommy isn’t going to pick you up and snuggle you with lovin’ until she gets you all cleaned up. Okay? Come on, let’s get you out of there. Now honey, don’t touch Mommy, just let Mommy pick you up. Okay? That’s a girl. No - Josie! Don’t kick your feet! Let me get you into the bathtub and you can play in the water. How about that?”

          To Josie, anything was better that staying in that crib any longer. Although the mess didn’t seem to bother her. Fifteen months old wasn’t old enough to know what she’d done or so Mommy kept telling herself. But Heather was eight years old, definitely old enough to have come and get her sooner, and definitely old enough to know better than to put all of those extra toys in there. Heather followed her into the bathroom and watched her mother take Josie’s clothes off and throw them into the toilet to be rinsed out. She said, “After you get all the poop off her, I’ll give her a bath so you can go and clean her crib out.”

          “How nice of you to offer!” Mom said rather sarcastically. “How about if you go down and wash your hands and get yourself a bowl of cereal?”

          Mom had a job on her hands, one that moms don’t look forward to. Some moms actually think that it will never happen to them, until it does. But eventually she got Josie all cleaned up and brought her down and put her in her high chair and gave her a bowl of Cheerios.

          “Now Heather, can you keep an eye on her while I clean her room? Call me if she starts to make another mess, okay?” Heather lowered her head and nodded, trying as hard as she could not to snicker out loud.

          In a little while Mom came down with a smile on her face and announced, “Nothing like a job where you can see the results so quickly first thing in the morning to get you up and moving, right?” She walked over to Josie and picked her up out of the high chair and gave her a really big hug and put her down on the dining room floor to play. Then she walked over to Heather and said, “Do you know how precious you two are to me? I love you so much. No mess could be so bad that it would make me stop loving you!” She hugged her and smiled really big and went into the kitchen. Heather followed her and asked, “How did you know what I was thinking?” Her mom looked down at her and said, “Why? What were you thinking?” Heather shook her head and said, “Never mind, it was silly,” and started to walk off.

          Her mom chided, “Now wait a minute here Missy, what were you thinking? Now you’ve got me curious.”

          “Oh Mom, I just thought that maybe some of that mess was my fault, but some of it was Josie’s fault, but some of it was Mother Nature’s fault, too. Now, you can’t hate Mother Nature, and well, you don’t hate me either.”

          “Of course not, dear,” her mom said as she picked Heather up and sat down with her. “We just had to clean the mess up. I wasn’t going to cuddle Josie all covered with that mess now, was I? I saw you trying not to laugh. You thought it was all kind of funny. No, you thought it was all sorts of funny and I guess I can see your point of view. I didn’t think it was funny, but it’s all cleaned up now and I didn’t love you any less while everything was messy than I do now, sweetheart. Heather hugged her mom again, really tight and then went off to play with her sister. Heather felt a little special. She believed that her mom would love her no matter what. She figured it must be a special kind of love a mom has for her kids.

          A few days later, in her Sunday school class, Heather found it hard to sit still. So far, the class wasn’t very interesting and the little sticker that her teacher had given her saying ‘Jesus Loves Me’ wouldn’t stick to anything anymore, so she squirmed in her seat. “Jesus loves me. Jesus loves me. Is that all they ever tell you here in Sunday school? Okay, so Jesus loves me, but I’ll bet He doesn’t love me like my mom loves me,” she thought. She wanted to tell that to the little girl sitting next to her, but she didn’t want to get caught talking and then have to tell the teacher what she’d said out loud, in front of everybody. So, she just continued to squirm.

          “How much does Jesus love you? Jimmy, how much does Jesus love you?” the teacher asked. “I don’t know, Ms. Wally,” and then he added, just to be funny, “How much does He love you?”

          “Ah,” she said, “He loves me just as much as He loves you! And I’ll tell you how much He loves you. He loves you more than anyone else in the world!”

          “Not more than my momma does,” Heather blurted out.

          “Heather, Jesus loves you so much, let me tell you about what He’s done for all of us, and then you decide, okay? Gosh, none of us are perfect, are we? Can you think of something you did that wrong? You don’t have to tell what it was, but just think about it for a minute. I find myself getting into one mess after another. But Jesus always bails me out.”

          “What do you mean?” Stevie asked.

          “Well, everybody in the world sins. We were born into this world of sin, it’s not our fault really that we’re born into this world, it’s the world God made for us. But the sin nature inside of all of us fell to the temptation of sin a long time ago in the Garden of Eden. When we’re tempted to do something wrong, and we do it, we get ourselves into a mess. It causes trouble for us. Let’s say your mom just baked some chocolate chip cookies and you could smell them all the way in the living room. You walk to the kitchen to see them and your mom says, ‘It’s almost supper time, you can have a few cookies later, okay?’ Now those cookies smell so good that you don’t want to wait, so when mom leaves the room, you are tempted to take a cookie and eat it quickly so she won’t catch you. Now, if you take it, that’s stealing and disobeying your mom. So, you’ve done something wrong, right?” Everyone nodded their little heads.

          “Now, the trouble starts. Mom comes back into the kitchen and asks, ‘Did you eat a cookie?’ You don’t want to get into trouble, so you say ‘no.’ Her eyebrows come down and form a frown a mile wide across her forehead. You know you’re in trouble. Not only did you steal, and get caught, you lied and got caught. See what a mess you’ve gotten yourself into? Now if only you could clean up that mess so your mom wouldn’t be mad at you and punish you. Wouldn’t that be great?”

          By now of course, little Heather is thinking about her and Josie’s mess the other day and how her mom loved her so much, she had cleaned the mess up for her. She wanted to interrupt Ms. Wally and tell her.

          But Ms. Wally went on, “You see, we get ourselves into a mess every time we sin. And we can’t clean the mess up before we get caught because God sees us do it. That’s why we need Jesus. And that’s one of the places that Jesus can use for an opportunity to show us how much He loves us. He does the cleaning up for us!”

          “What do you mean?” asked Stevie, “I don’t understand.”

          The wheels in Heather’s head were turning quickly, she was getting a picture of how much Jesus loves her. She said, “Like, He gives you a bath and washes the mess you made away, so He can pick you up and love you! That’s how much He loves me. Just like my mom!”

          Stevie said, “I still don’t understand.”

          “Well, Stevie,” Ms. Wally started, “Do you know why Jesus had to die on the cross? Do you know that He did it for you?”

          “What do you mean Ms. Wally? Why for me? What good did that do?”

          “Stevie, not just for you, but for all of us. We all have sin all over us, like dirt.”

          “Like poop!” Heather thought.

          “But, unlike dirt, water can’t wash away the sin. It takes something special. Something stronger than Tide or Wisk or Dial soap, even stronger that that strong soap that maybe your father uses out in the garage to wash away greasy dirt.”

          “What’s stronger than soap to clean off a mess?” Heather asked. “Yeah?” agreed Stevie.

          “Oh, something special that only Jesus has. He uses it on us every time we ask Him to clean up the mess we’ve gotten ourselves into. Sometimes pride tells us that it wasn’t our fault we sinned, but we weren’t in any hurry to stop playing in the sin.”

          Heather could see Josie playing in her messy crib in her mind.

          “What I mean is, that sometimes we don’t seem to be in any hurry to stop the sinning. Maybe if your mom was out of the room long enough, you took two or three cookies, even though you knew it was wrong when you took the first one.

          “So, what washes sin off of us?” Jimmy piped up.

          “Well this might sound gross, but blood does Jimmy. The blood of Jesus. He died and His blood came out of Him so that our sin won’t send us off to be punished. So, if we ask Jesus to forgive us and we’re sorry we disobeyed; so sorry that we decide that we don’t want to do it anymore, we accept the punishment that Jesus took in our place. That cleans us by the wonder-working power of His Blood, our sins are washed away. He makes us clean like the mess was never on us. He can completely forgive us. The punishment for unforgiven sin is hell, but Jesus already took that punishment for us.”

          Stevie still had questions in his eyes, so Ms. Wally said, “Maybe I’m not making myself clear.”

          “Ms. Wally, can I try?” asked Heather. “I think I know. Like when your mom gives you a bath. She can love you up in her arms again, because you’re not dirty anymore. I know moms can’t stand dirt, so maybe Jesus can’t stand sin. He has to wash us off first.”

          “But with blood?” both Jimmy and Stevie squealed. Ms. Wally didn’t know what to say now. She hesitated for a second or two and then said, “Jimmy, Stevie, do you know what soap is made of? My grandmother used to make her own soap herself. Now I don’t remember just exactly what she did to make the soap, but she used fat or lard, which is like the grease your mom uses in the kitchen. She mixed it with an alkaline substance, maybe lye, which comes from the ashes of plants. Now would you want to wash with that?”

          “Gross!” the whole class said.

          “But it gets you clean, doesn’t it? Now, the blood of Jesus doesn’t actually touch our skin, it isn’t our body that has gotten messy with sin, it’s our soul. You can’t touch your soul, can you? But Jesus can wash it off. Here’s a miracle for you. Jesus takes your heart, which is black with sin before you ask Him to forgive you and He washes it with His red Blood and makes it whiter than snow. How’s that?”

          “I think you lost me,” Stevie said.

          “It doesn’t matter how gross you think the blood is Stevie,” said Heather, “you need it to wash away the mess so Jesus can pick you up in His arms and love on you. Like your mom does. Come on, I understand and the next time I sin, I’m asking Jesus to wash me off with His blood, because I like to be loved on. Everybody does. So, everybody needs to be washed off.”

          “Hey,” spoke up Todd, “my dad said that if a skunk gets you, you have to take a bath in tomato juice. Skunks sure do stink, but I think that God thinks sin smells worse, that’s why tomato juice doesn’t work on it.”

          Everyone started talking at once when Mr. Shatson peeked into the room and said that time was up. All the kids ran for the door. Heather walked slowly past Ms. Wally and said, “I understand, I’m bein’ washed. Today, I think.” Ms. Wally smiled and sat down in her chair.

          After church that morning, Heather asked her mom and dad, “Did you get washed in the blood?” They both laughed and her mother turned to her and said, “Why yes dear, we have been washed in the blood. Did you hear us singing that song in church this morning?”

          “No, what song?” she asked.

          “The song about being washed in the blood,” her mom insisted.

          “No, well, gosh, I guess people do sing in the bathtub, why not sing in a blood bath?” Her dad glanced into the back seat at her and asked, “Have you been washed in the blood?”

          “No, not yet. I gotta wait till I sin. Then I will be. Jesus does it you know. He’s the one who gives you the blood bath. But, you know. Huh? Did you feel it? The blood, I mean?”

          “Well, I felt all warm all over when I knew my sins were forgiven, but there was no blood on my body. Just on my soul,” said her mom.

          “Don’t you wish you could see your soul? Then you’d know when it was dirty and then maybe you could see the blood wash away the sins,” Heather said, giggling.

          “Well,” her dad said, “if we could see our souls, I guess we wouldn’t be walking around so self-righteous. But the Bible is like a neat pair of glasses. When we read it, it points out our sins, shows them to us. We can’t see them with our eyes, but we have to admit that they’re there. If we don’t, we’d never ask for that ‘blood bath’ and so we’d stay dirty.”

          “I bet Jesus would still love us anyways, but He couldn’t pick us up in His arms and hug on us, cause the sin stinks too bad,” Heather said thoughtfully.

          Her mom laughed and said, “Are you thinking about the mess that Josie made the other day?”

          Heather laughed, too, and said, “That must have happened for a reason, so I could understand about getting my messy soul cleaned up, huh?”

          “I guess the Lord can use anything,” her mom said.

          “Since I don’t read the Bible, how do I know my soul is dirty?” Heather asked.

          “Well, in church the preacher tells us what the Bible says, and our teachers tell us what it’s about, but really honey, you need to start reading it for yourself. Someday, somebody might try to convince you of something different and you need to know for yourself what the Bible says. You’re not too young to start reading it. Everyone needs to know what it says for themselves. God can talk directly to you through the Bible. It’s important to read it. That’s why Mommy and I both have our own, and why we bought you the one you have with all the pictures in it. Not just so you can look at the pictures. You know how to read and what you have trouble with, you just come and ask us about it. Okay?” her dad answered.

          By then they were home and her dad said, “Are you ready for that bath?”

          “Dad,” she said, “baths are kind of a private thing, don’t you think? But mom can come.” She and her mother went to her room and talked a little more and Mom answered a few more of her questions and read a few scriptures to her. Then Heather asked Jesus to wash her clean, and He did. Now she’s clean and when she gets a little smudge on her soul, she knows where the bathtub is.

Ready for Fun?

Who’s ready for a little fun?

I know we’re not all fed from the same trough, but my “happy tank” sure gets filled spending time in the great outdoors. Yeah, the heat and lately, the humidity, makes me work a little harder for it, but it’s sooooooooo worth it.

There’s a new trail in town, and we’re going to hit it – soon.

Between hiking up Helen Hunt Falls and roaming the trails at Palmer Park with my husband, and traipsing around the Fountain Creek Nature Preserve with our grandchildren, my happy meter has been registering quite high lately. Does that make me immune from the blues? No. But, it sure goes a long way in self-care!

Sometimes I don’t even let it register that what I’m leaving the house to do will require energy, which, quite frankly, I don’t always feel like I have. I get ready anticipating the joy that will come of it. I suppose I could face all forms of exercise this way; perhaps that would help me to “just do it….”

There’s just something about the word “exercise” that doesn’t register in my brain as fun. But, how do I change a lifetime of thinking this way?

One thought at a time!

Sometimes I think my children think that babysitting their children should be a task for me, something that should drain me. I can’t seem to convey to them just how life-giving their children are to me; how they energize me and re-teach me the pleasures that come from simple things. How did I forget? Well, I don’t think I actually forgot. I think I just don’t always remember to remember, if that makes any sense.

Go for a walk with a child – it can become an adventure if you allow it to. Look at what they’re seeing, from their perspective. Get on your knees if you have to! There’s so much excitement there for the taking, so much pleasure for the enjoyment. How did becoming an adult rob us of some of the most incredible yet incredibly simple joys of life?

Letting go seems to be a theme in my life, lately, (actually, for several years now.) Sometimes it’s much easier than I’d have ever thought it could be. Other times – I don’t even realize what I’m hanging on to so tightly.

A few years ago, a friend was going through a particularly hard time. Watching her grieve drew my attention to some of the differences between how children look at life, and how we adults try to control it.

“And he said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” – Matthew 17:3 (NIV)

I’ll leave you with a poem that came to me through watching her wrestle with God’s will and her own. It resounds loudly in me, from time to time.

When you were just a little girl

The world was simple and small.

There wasn’t much to be anxious about

Or cause you to worry at all.

Faith came so easily, trust was just there,

We knew that we weren’t in control.

What is it that’s changed between

childhood and now?

We’ve let doubt take it’s toll on our soul.

What’s the secret to that childlike faith?

How did we sleep at night?

There must be a way to get it all back,

A way to make everything right.

Did we know more when we were a child?

Have we forgotten the basics of living?

A good place to start as we take back our lives,

Would be laughing and playing and giving. 

Let’s go back to being God’s own little girls

And give back control of our days.

We’ll promise to worry when God says we can,

And feel fear when He says it’s okay.

We’ll rest when He tells us it’s time to relax.

We won’t let adult things cause worry.

   We’ll laugh for no reason and cry when we want

And deadlines won’t make us hurry.

We’ll pray every morning, we’ll pray every night

And refuse to doubt angels are real. 

We’ll smile at our trials and scoff at our pain,

Feeling each feeling we feel.

~ Helen Williams! c 2006

Our Crazy Love

I hide the silliest things from people.

The other day someone asked me how Dave and I have managed to still be so in love after all these years. Besides the obvious, that God is the glue that holds us together through thick and thin, the only thing I could say is that we are without a doubt, the silliest, goofiest couple ever. If a sitcom were created about our married life, most of it would get laughs primarily because folks would say, “No one’s really that goofy that much of the time.” Hey – if you can’t laugh at yourselves and each other, a couple doesn’t really stand much of a chance, in my opinion.

Sure, you’ve got to be quick to forgive, generous with mercy and sincere compliments, but you’ve got to know you have permission to laugh; loud and often.

Yes, you need to build each other up and respect each other and speak positive words over each other; you need to pray over each other – sometimes out loud! But, without humor, we’d miss the best parts of each other. Don’t you think?

Whether we’re playing a board game, hiking together or simply watching television from the comfort of our bed, Dave and I know we can laugh, spontaneously.

Not necessarily the kind of laughter that makes fun of each other, but rather, the kind of laughter that makes fun with each other.

I admit it, I’m an oddball. But, I have to think I’m not the only oddball out there. Most of the time, the side of our marriage we show to the world around us tempers our goofiness. Sometimes folks may only see the facet of our relationship where I get snippy with Dave.

No doubt, if you’ve known us long at all, you’ll see the side of life where I’m “lovingly suggesting a better way to do things” – i.e. my way.

You might see our serious sides.

But, you probably won’t see even a measure of the silliness. Why? I ask myself….

Perhaps we just don’t want folks thinking marriage is easy? Nah. Everyone knows you get out of a marriage what you put into it. Well, in most cases. I think.

Maybe I’m actually backwards about showing off how good we have it. So many couples around us seem to struggle all the time. Wouldn’t putting our happiness on display only make them feel bad about their squabbles? Nah, probably not. Perhaps it would even be encouraging to see that two messed up humans can make it work for their entire lifetime together, despite the mountains they have to climb together and individually.

Maybe it’s the (false) idea planted somewhere in the back of our heads that whispers to us, saying that there are folks watching and waiting for us to fail? Nah, who cares what others think? If they’re thinking we’ll drift apart or face something marriage can’t handle, they’re wrong.

Maybe, it’d be considered bragging? We all know how morally wrong that would be, right? Nah, anyone who knows me knows I’ve screwed up a lot, bragging about something God is doing in our lives doesn’t even fall into that category.

Hmmmm. What could it be? Why would we be so modest as to hide our joy?

God knows I’m quick to brag about the grandchildren to anyone who will listen, and even many who could totally care less. Would declaring our happiness be prideful?

Maybe our happiness doesn’t need to be a horn we toot too loudly – hopefully everyone can see through the thin veil of discretion and knows how deliriously content we are in each other’s arms.

For the record, no one this side of heaven could make me happier than Dave. No mere mortal could love me better or more consistently, no matter what each day brings.

I love you, Babe! Forever and always, Me!

“Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen.” -  Ephesians 3:20-21 (KJV)

“Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” – Ephesians 4-31-32 (KJV)

“Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ; submitting yourselves one to another in the fear of God.” – Ephesians 5:20-21 (KJV)

“For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself; and the wife see that she reverence her husband.” – Ephesians 5:31-33 (KJV)

“I thank my God upon every remembrance of you…. Being confident of this very thing, that He which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” – Philippians 1:3 & 6 (KJV)

Thinking Out Loud Ed Sheeran (youtube.com)

Simple Challenge

(localharvest.org)

Here’s an experiment. Slow down. Just for today. After my yoga practice the other day I challenged the women in my class to slow down for the rest of the day. That could mean chew your food slower, drive slower, talk slower, breath slower or read slower, shower slower… we do so many things in a day.

The day before, I was getting a massage and thought several times, “She’s doing this so slowly!” As if she weren’t going to get to my whole body before our time was up, it got under my skin. Then I realized, “She’s not in a hurry, why am I?” Seriously? Was I in a hurry during a massage of all things? That’s messed up!

(pinterest.com)

What would it look like to take up the challenge to slow down? Just for a day? Might we be surprised at how much we enjoy the simple, routine things we do every day? Maybe we’d stop calling our everyday tasks “chores”.

As I left yoga that morning, I purposefully and mindfully drove one mile per hour under the speed limit. It was a challenge, indeed! I’m not saying I have a lead foot, but, let’s just say I giggled. A lot!

This meant:

*Letting others get ahead of me! Ouch! Am I really that competitive? Yes, I’m laughing at myself right now, but, sheesh – I didn’t realize how important it was to me to be in front of the other cars!

*Using the right lane, you know, the “slow” lane!

*Not “gunning it” at the traffic signals; either to beat the light (skating through on pink) or to be the first one off the mark when the light eventually turned green for me.

*Laughing at myself all the way down the street. Who knew I was such a control freak when it comes to road travel? Well, my husband probably knew that. I always have a better or faster route to take, or would be in a different lane, because, clearly, I am an aggressive driver.

(alifechangingjourney.com)

Eating slowly meant I got full faster. Well, not faster, but before my food was gone. Wow, who knew? It really is true. And, of course, getting full before my food was gone challenged me to leave some on my plate. I’m learning to do that, too.

And eating slowly also turned into eating more mindfully. Chewing each bite slowly, actually tasting each bite, instead of scarfing it down. One reason we love to eat - food tastes good! So why do we rush through this pleasure?

Breathing is something we do without thinking, every minute of the day. Our bodies just do it on their own. However, if we pay a little attention to it, we can breathe more deeply and bring instant stress release to our bodies. You know, the stress that comes from being the most aggressive driver on the road? Or having just devoured our lunch standing up or sitting behind the steering wheel because we’re in such a hurry to get to the rest of our chores.

Stress can melt away quickly and easily with a few slow breaths. Now, will all stressors in our day fall away? No. Well, I doubt it. But, in the few moments you take to breathe deep, mindful breaths, you can sort out the real stress factors from the ones you’ve created in your own mind while you were hurrying through your day. Hmmmm…..the ones that fall into that last category may be the bulk of the tightness in our shoulders.

(deliciouslyfit.guru)

How much beauty escapes us, simply because we’re in a hurry?

What else might you slow down, today? What will that look like? Slow down and let me know what it meant to your day!

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. (I lack nothing.)

He makes me to lie down in green pastures;

He leads me beside the still waters.

He restores my soul;

He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name’s sake.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,

I will fear no evil;

For You are with me;

Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me.

You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies;

You anoint my head with oil;

My cup runs over.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life;

And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever.”  -  Psalm 23 (NKJV)

Funhouse 'Fun'

In your mind’s eye, look for a little boy at the fair, cotton candy in hand, uncontrollable giggles. Is his hair sandy colored, jet black, curly, in desperate need of a comb? Is he tall? Well dressed or wearing the t-shirt he slept in last night?

Now that you’ve got a vivid picture in your mind, take him over to the funhouse. Watch as he snatches his hand from the ticket taker and runs headlong into the mirrored halls, squealing with delight.

He’s bobbing and weaving, running into mirror after mirror, filling the halls with his robust laughter. He sees the reflections of other children as they make their way through the maze. His first time in the funhouse proves to be the time of his life, pleasure that’s addicting.

Dad waits patiently outside, watching child after child after child go in and come out – yet his son remains inside. Occasionally the boy laughs so loud; dad knows he’s okay.

Eventually the laughter subsides. Though it’s been fun, he panics looking for the way out that has to be there. Sitting down, the boy concedes, trapped in the mirrors and yells, “I have to live in here forever?”

Unbeknownst to him, dad has come into the funhouse. Reaching out to him, taking his hand and lifting him to his feet, they exit the mirrored halls easily.

Hebrews 11:25 tells us there is pleasure in sin - for a season. We wind up trapped in the sin, convinced there’s no way out. God has already come to where we are, yes, He’s stepping into our world of sin, to take us by the hand, lift us up and lead us safely out.

*Genesis 19:16 When he hesitated, the men (angels of God) grasped his hand and the hands of his wife and of his two daughters and led them safely out of the city, for the LORD was merciful to them.

*Genesis 21:18 Lift the boy up and take him by the hand, for I will make him into a great nation.”

*Exodus 13:14 …‘With a mighty hand the LORD brought us out…of the land of slavery.’

*Mark 9:27 But Jesus took him by the hand and lifted him to his feet, and he stood up.

A 'Funny' Break

Since we've been talking about questions I decided to share an email I got the other day... filled with questions. Funny questions! They remind me of an old column about 'things that make you go, hmmmm.....'




Can you cry under water?

Why do you have to 'put your two cents in'... but it's only a 'penny for your thoughts'? Where's that extra penny going to?

Why does a round pizza come in a square box?

What disease did cured ham actually have?

How is it that we put man on the moon before we figured out it would be a good idea to put wheels on luggage?

Why is it that people say they 'slept like a baby' when babies wake up like every two hours?

If a deaf person has to go to court, is it still called a hearing?

Why are you IN a movie, but you're ON TV?

Why do people pay to go up tall buildings and then put money in binoculars to look at things on the ground?

Why do doctors leave the room while you change? They're going to see you naked anyway...

Why is 'bra' singular and 'panties' plural?

Why do toasters always have a setting that burns the toast to a horrible crisp, which no decent human being would eat?

If Jimmy cracks corn and no one cares, why is there a stupid song about him?

Why does Goofy stand erect while Pluto remains on all fours? They're both dogs!

If corn oil is made from corn, and vegetable oil is made from vegetables, what is baby oil made from?

Why do they call it an asteroid when it's outside the hemisphere, but call it a hemorrhoid when it's in your butt?

Why do we press harder on a remote control when we know the batteries are getting dead?

Why do banks charge a fee on 'insufficient funds' when they know there is not enough money?

Why does someone believe you when you say there are four billion stars, but check when you say the paint is wet?

Why do they use sterilized needles for death by lethal injection?

Why doesn't Tarzan have a beard?

Why does Superman stop bullets with his chest, but ducks when you throw a revolver at him?

Why do Kamikaze pilots wear helmets?

Whose idea was it to put an 'S' in the word 'lisp'?

If people evolved from apes,why are there still apes?

Why is it that no matter what color bubble bath you use the bubbles are always white?

Is there ever a day that mattresses are not on sale?

Why do people constantly return to the refrigerator with hopes that something new to eat will have materialized?

Why do people keep running over a string a dozen times with their vacuum cleaner, then reach down, pick it up, examine it, then put it down to give the vacuum one more chance?

Why is it that no plastic bag will open from the end on your first try?

In winter why do we try to keep the house as warm as it was in summer when we complained about the heat?

How come you never hear father-in-law jokes?

Why do they have braille at the bank drive up window?


Tomorrow I'll post five funny riddles (and the answers) for you.