No Regrets

When I was younger I had this dream of growing up and moving to New York. Maybe it was the lights, or the tall buildings that so intrigued me. Whatever it was, when I was 18 I was going to move there, marry Kirk Cameron, and become an actress. But, since I was only 13, I would settle for posters of New York all over my room and walking down to the Minute Market and buying New York Seltzers.

When I turned 18, my dreams had changed and so had I. I was happily married to my high school sweetheart, and we dreamed of what our future together would look like. What would we do, where would we go, how would our life be? Anything was possible and everything was attainable.

Now that I'm 36 and life has happened (so to speak), there have been times that I have caught myself wondering if it was possible to dream again. If I could do anything I wanted to, what would it be? The answer has been, at times, I don't know. Somewhere along the way our big dreams had faded and our reality had set in. Don't get me wrong, I love my reality. I think I have the most wonderful family in the world! There's nothing about them that I would change. But where and when did I stop dreaming?

As I listen to conversations, at times, I realize that I am not the only one. When you're older, you deal with having regrets, and wondering if it's to late to do anything meaningful. When you're younger, especially with young children, you are living very much in the here and now. Somewhere in the midst of it all you can lose sight of your dreams.

The Bible talks about how when people have no vision they perish. I understand that. To not have anything to look forward to, or hope for, is miserable. But I don't want to live like that. So now when I ask myself the question, "if I could do anything what would I do?" My thought is, "I may not know completely, but I am going to have fun finding out!"

Choose to dream again, live life, laugh hard, enjoy the journey, and never have any regrets!

Happy Thanksgiving

As I sit here enjoying Thanksgiving with my family this morning, I feel truly blessed. At the moment, my house is filled with the smell of Pumpkin Pie, Sean is making his seasoning for Fried Turkey, the kids are jumping on the trampoline, and I am taking a moment to do what I love to do...write.

As I contemplate on how blessed I am, my mind turns to those who aren't so fortunate. There are so many people who, for whatever reason, may be struggling today. I think of the families who have lost loved ones this year and are having their first Thanksgiving without them. I think about the soldiers who are over seas and their families who are here. I think about the ones who have no family and are just waiting for today to be over, so they don't feel so bad. Sometimes I think it's important to stop what I'm doing and think about how others are doing.

As I am enjoying today, I am also looking for ways to be a blessing to others. I am also reminded that not just on Thanksgiving Day should I ponder these things, but through out the entire year. There are so many times I complain about little things, and this year I want to remember, every day, to be thankful. Even if the kids are going crazy, the car is breaking down, the house is leaking, etc.

How about you?

The Gift of Life

As many of you know, in June of 1993 my brother, Scott, was killed in an automobile accident. It was truly the toughest thing our family has ever had to face. In times of tragedy many people will say that somehow something good will come from it. But, when you are the one who is affected by the tragedy, you often ask yourself, how? How can anything good come from the loss of someone's life, especially when they're so young? I am here to tell you today, that though there is nothing that can ever replace my brother, nor stop the pain you go through, that through the tragic loss of Scott's life, a gift of life was being given.

In one of my first blogs, I went into detail about the accident. You can read more about it at:

http://kristaeisma.blogspot.com/2010/03/my-testimony.html.

Today I am not talking so much about the tragedy, but I am going to talk about the miracle that happened through the tragedy.

One of the decisions my sister in law and parents made in the hospital was the consent for Scott's organs to be donated. Little did we all know at the time that just 4 days earlier a man, we would know later as Jack, was told if he didn't have a heart transplant soon, he was going to die. The challenge would be to find a heart that "matched" in time.

On June 26, 1993 Scott died. Very shortly afterward I remember looking at the front page of the Mail Tribune and reading a story about how Jack, who had also been from Central Point, received his miracle heart. Throughout the article there were so many similarities, we immediately knew, and it was later confirmed that Scott's heart had been the match Jack needed.

Though it was good to know that through one man's death, the gift of life was given to another, it would take years for my parents to emotionally be able to meet and talk to Jack. When the meeting did take place, it was kind of surreal. As we sat in the restaurant, all of us crying at one point, Jack talked about how thankful and truly blessed he felt to be alive. He was very compassionate towards our loss, as he explained what he had been doing since the transplant 10 years earlier. He had made it his mission to get completely involved in speaking to people about the importance of being an organ donor, as he told his story all over the country. He also played an intricate part in donor and recipient families meeting. To our suprise, he did this all in the memory of Scott. He even had his obituary in his wallet, where it had remained all these years.

That was the only time we met Jack and his wife Joan. I believe I was pregnant with my 8 year old son Timothy at the time. However, a couple of weeks ago my Mom decided to try to get in contact with him again. She was successful, and he was beyond excited to talk with my parents. We are looking to meet up again, and he is still speaking on behalf of being an organ donator, all the while Scott's obituary is still in his wallet.

To read part of Jack's story go to: http://www.vowelscommunications.com/story2.html

School Pictures

What is it about school pictures that can take a grown adult back in time? Is it remembering having to sit on that dreadful stool as all of your classmates watched you awkwardly force a smile for the photographer? Was it rememebering that anxious feeling you had in the pit of your stomach when the envelope came back and you dared to open it? Was it going to be a good picture that would forever shine in that year's yearbook? Or, like me in 5th grade, would you instantly inherit the nickname "bird face"? As I watched my daughter pick out the clothes that she was going to where for her school pictures, I was reminded about all of this with her simple statement..."This is so important to me."

When I asked the question, "What is your most memorable school picture"?, one lady said, "I remember all of them, even what I was wearing." Mind you, this lady just attended her 30 year high school reunion. I would venture to say that the school picture experience, for many, can be imprinted in our minds forever. If we're not careful, the tape player in our mind can be imprinted forever also. The tape player that says, "bird face, awkward, ridiculous, ugly..."

How do you overcome those recordings? You have to change the tape! I learned a long time ago, that my thoughts about myself are so different then God's thoughts towards me. I had to make a decision to let God's thoughts play over and over again in my mind, not my own. This wasn't easy, because in doing this, I also had to overcome a spirit of insecurity. I had to let go of the past, and let God frame my future with His words.

Ps 139:13-17
3 For You formed my inward parts;
You covered me in my mother's womb.
14 I will praise You, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 My frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.

17 How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!

Do you know what God thinks about you, or are you still letting "old school pictures" form you? Do you believe that He made you exactly how He wanted you to be, and has a purpose for you? God NEVER makes mistakes! Choose today to let his "tape player" make an imprint on your mind and in your heart. You can be a light to a generation of young girls and guys who think beauty is only skin deep, and are devasted, many times for years, when they have a "bird face" kind of day.

Grandmother's

Last week as I was sitting in my living room looking out my front window at the red leaves falling on my lawn, I was reminded of my Grandmother. When I was younger, she lived in a small house with a very large tree in her front yard, and it was my job every year, to help rake the leaves.

When I was 4, I went to a preschool for a couple of weeks, and hated it. Whether it was because they served Tomato Soup for lunch, or because they made me take a nap every day, I don't know... Of course, being a childcare provider now myself, I understand FULLY why they made us do that. Nonetheless, my Mom took me out of preschool, and for the next few years my Grandma took care of me while my parents were at work.

There are so many things I remember about her. Playing Scrabble and Perquackey, listening to Jim Nabors on her 8 track player, learning to play Silent Night on her organ, gopher trips (camping), her knitting doggy sweaters in her rocking chair, KFC every Sunday after church, and her obnoxious snore are just a few memories that pop up immediately when I think about her.

One of the most memorable moments was when I was a Sophomore in high school and decided I hated school (again). I had skipped so many classes that it had already looked as though I wouldn't graduate on time. My teachers' had pretty much given up hope for a turn around. One afternoon while I was at her house she looked at me and said, "I know you can graduate. Work really hard, and prove everyone wrong". Though she wouldn't live to see it, that's exactly what I did.

My Grandma Jackson died on October 4, 1989 - 21 years ago, last week.

My Mom's Mom, my Grandma Winnie is still alive and full of life! I love being around her. When you walk into her house, it still smells like cookies :) As a child, my first memory of her was when I stayed the night there and we went to church. At some point during my Sunday School class 2 clowns went on stage and started performing. Afterward they came right up to me, and picked me up. I realized it was my Grandma and Grandpa. She was always doing things like that or having kids' back yard Bible Studies at her house. However, I think it was when I was a young adult that I became the closest to her.

After Emily was born I spent a lot of time with her making crafts, and just listening to her wisdom. It seemed like she always had just the right thing to say at the right time. I know, it is because she is close to the Lord. To this day, whenever I am at her house, I feel at home...the beauty of it is...so does everyone else who walks in her house.

As a mother of 4 myself now, I can appreciate Grandma's even more - from a different perspective. My children have been blessed w/ 2 amazing ones! Let me tell you, for me, they have been life savers at times. You know, when you are just having "one of those days" and need a break - Or when you need some adult conversation that doesn't include Blues Clues, SpongeBob, or Barney. Sean's Mom and my Mom are the greatest. I couldn't ask for better "Grammy's" and Grandma's for my kids!

Some day, I will probably be sitting in my rocking chair, looking at the red leaves falling into my yard - and my prayer is that I will be as much of a blessing to my grandkids, that my Grandmother's were to me.

Rearranging

Have you ever had plans to do one thing, and then decided last moment to do something else? There's been so many times in my life that I have done this, and now it is spilling over into my blog. I had every intention of doing a blog called "The Significance of Your Name", which I think is important. Instead, however, I will be talking about "Rearranging".

I don't know about you, but sometimes in my house, I like to rearrange things. Especially in the fall and spring, my house and the rooms in it can use a good cleaning. Whether its moving furniture around, changing out pictures, painting, going through kid's clothes, closets or toys - it all needs it. Usually, right in the middle of doing it, I wonder what in the world I got myself into. It appears as though I 've created more of a mess then what was there before. But, when it's all said and done, I am so happy I did it.

One of the definitions for the word "arrange" is as follows:

* to put into a proper order or into a correct or suitable sequence, relationship, or adjustment

I believe it is safe to say, that to "rearrange" something can be described as putting something that once was in order, back.

In our lives, things can get out of order. It's easy to see the breakdown of society in the big picture. Families have suffered, children have suffered, the economy has suffered, etc. Why? The answer is, because of sin. The biggest goal of the enemy is to steal, kill, and destroy, everything in your life. It is to take what God intended to be good, and twist it. Sin is not something you can move around, change the picture of, or paint over. Only the blood of Jesus Christ can get rid of it. When we recognize and receive that, then Jesus's biggest goal can happen. That is to give you life, and life more abundanlty in every area! (John 10:10)

What about the small picture of things, aka, your life? What about the rooms in your heart and your mind? Have you checked them lately? Are there doors left open for the enemy to get in? If something in your life is not the way God intended it to be, let Him rearrange you today.

A Tribute to the 80's

The other morning I was listening to my husband's Ipod and some old 80's music came on. Instantly I felt like I was 13 again. Of course, this is when, MY now 13 year old daughter walked in. It was in that moment that she witnessed something she probably wished she hadn't. Her Mom, jamming out in the kitchen...80's style!

In 1980 I was 6 years old. So, that whole decade was when I basically grew up. There's alot of changes between the years of 6 and 16! So I thought I would have a look back in time to see what was popular when I was my daughter's age. (No, I'm not going through a mid-life crisis) In the words of Nacho Libra..."it's for fun."

Who could forget (though we might want to) Cyndie Lauper, Michael Jackson, Debbie Gibson, Richard Marx, and of course Aha - who had the one hit wonder, "Take on Me"? As you can tell by some of the ones on my list, I was a sappy love song lover. Some things never change. My brother, on the other hand was the opposite. He liked Ratt, Poison, Def Lepard, Van Halen, etc. etc. etc. So you can imagine the fights that would break out in the station wagon over which cassette we were going to listen to.

As far as fashion and hair style...I was the queen of big hair and high bangs. My babysitting money would go towards Aqua Net, blue eyeshadow, and HUGE earrings. Pathetic, I know...finally last year, Sean told me it was time to put that stuff away. (Just kidding...I hope you knew that!) Guess jeans, Espirit shirts, Fish Net sleeves, and Leg Warmers could all be found in my closet. I probably should tell you though, they were borrowed. There was no way, in you know where, that my parents were going to spend that kind of money on clothes. Especially when the jeans had holes in them :)

"Buehler? Buehler ? Buehler ? " Remember Ferris? How about the Breakfast Club or the 2 Corey's ? One of the 1st movies I saw in a theatre was E.T. and then of course Top Gun! Ghost Busters and Karate Kid were a hit, and everyone thought seeing Michael J Fox go from Family Ties to Back to the Future was amazing. Which coincidentally, we watched that on T.V a few weeks ago, and do you remember in the movie Marty went back in time 30 years? He went from 1985 to 1955, and everything had changed so much! Well, my friends, 1985 was 25 years ago, and I would venture to say that, again, everything has changed so much!

All in all, it was a fun time. I often think, what in the world were we thinking?! However, when a song comes on the radio, or an Ipod, you might just catch me dancing...80's style!

Be Who You Were Made to Be

I was teaching a 3 year old Sunday School class this morning about the account of David and Goliath. For those of you who are familiar with the story, you know that David killed Goliath, the giant, w/ a sling shot and 5 stones. Before the victory, however, the reigning king, Saul, had tried to prepare David for the battle by putting on his own armor. The armor was too big for David, so much so, that he was ineffective in it. So David took off Saul's armor, and grabbed what he was used to going to battle with...his slingshot.

Many times in our life we try to wear someone else's armor, only to be disappointed with the outcome. For whatever reason, we don't take the time to find out who we are, and how we are effective.

God has given each of us unique gifts. I've talked about that before in previous blogs. One way to find out what those gifts are, is to ask yourself the question, "What do I love? What do I enjoy? What am I good at? What is my passion?" Everybody is a 10 at something!

God will, many times, use the gifts that you have for His kingdom, and His purposes. When you recognize that you are not supposed to wear someone else's armor, but be comfortable in your own skin, so to speak, you will not only be effective, but you will love what you do, and how you are being used.

What about the "giants" we face? First of all, I believe, we can't defeat any of them, indefinately, without the power of God. But then, I believe, He gives us very practical ways to win the battles. Like He did with David, He gives us the opportunity to wear our own armor.

An Unexpected Teacher

Have you ever had a favorite teacher? Thinking back to my years in school, I can remember all of my teachers....every name and every grade. It's just one of those things I remember, kind of like birthdays, I guess. But, there was one teacher in particular who had a reputation, that she lived up to quite well, as being one of the meanest and strictest teachers in the school. Little did I know, the summer before my second grade year, when I found out that she was going to be my teacher, that she would, to this day leave an imprint on my life.

Mrs. Lasley was probably in her late thirties when I had her as my teacher. Of course, then I thought she was old - now that I myself am in my late thirties, I of course know better :) She had a certain look that she gave when she was upset or irritated at you, and the goal was to never get that look. However, being an 8 year old kid, sometimes you got the look no matter how hard you tried.

It was in December, of my second grade year, that I saw a different side to Mrs. Lasley. We were preparing to do a Christmas program at the school, (when you could still sing Christmas songs) and we were going to sing "Silent Night". She started telling us about her life growing up, and how both of her parents were deaf, due to a horse accident. Being unable to speak to her parents with her voice, she became very fluent in sign language, and that was how we were going to sing our song that year at the Christmas program...with our hands.

On the day of the program, after we performed Silent Night in sign language, we were in our class having a party. It was afterall, the last day of school before Christmas break. Suddenly she sat us all down, and had began taking small beautiful wooden ornaments out of a bag. Each one had our name on it, her name on it, and the date - 1981. She had carved and polished each one by hand, and wanted us to take them home and hang them on our tree...it was a gift. This teacher, who was known for being strict and mean, had made an impact on my heart, right then in that classroom . I never looked at her the same.

Though I still got in trouble that year, and had to put my head on my desk or do an extra assignment here and there, I always loved Mrs. Lasley. It wasn't that the gift she gave was elaborate, or that learning sign language has been a big part of my life. It was the spirit in which she was giving those things to us. It was from a pure heart, out of love, from a teacher, to her students. It impacted me. To this day, I still hang that star ornament on my tree every year.

I want to leave you with two questions. Who are the unexpected people in your life who have made a difference in one way or another? Maybe it was a teacher who believed in you when nobody else did, or a friend or relative that was just always there. Possibly it was a complete stranger that helped you in a time of need, or a nurse or doctor who made you feel like everything was going to be alright. The other question is, Who have you been there for? Are we looking for ways everyday to make an impact on the people we love or even complete strangers?

Through unexpected people many times come unexpected blessings.

Bullying - Stop!

As a young girl, one of the toughest times I ever had to face was during the summer before my 7th grade year. Going in to junior high is never really easy, but it's especially not when you're being threatened. It didn't help that the school I was going to already had the reputation of bullying. You had to get by the "hoods" who stood right off the entrance of campus, smoking. If you were a newby (like I was going to be), then you had the possibility of getting initiated by either being thrown in a locker or shoved in a garbage can. Whether it was hype to scare people, or it really happened , I didn't know. All I did know, was one of the top "hoods" lived on the same block as I did, and she didn't like me.

My best friend, at the time, also lived on the same block, only down further. So, during the summer of 1986, every time I would walk to her house, I would have to pass by where the other girl lived. Now mind you, at one time we were friends. In fact, I had stayed the night with her before. But, sometimes, girls can be friends with you one minute and hate you the next...especially at that age. There would be a group of them, and everytime I would walk past their house they would yell out their window, "Hey B...., we're going to kick you a.." "Just wait for school to start b.... (and that is the nice version) It got to the point where I was so afraid, I wouldn't walk over to my friends house anymore, unless I took the long way, and went around a couple of blocks. This lasted all summer, and then one day, they decided to like me again. I guess in my case I was lucky. I was only bullied for a summer. However, bullying still goes on today, and in many cases it's not just for a summer.

Here are a few ways people can be bullied:

1. Verbal bullying including derogatory comments and bad names
2. Bullying through social exclusion or isolation
3. Physical bullying such as hitting, kicking, shoving, and spitting
4. Bullying through lies and false rumors
5. Having money or other things taken or damaged by students who bully
6. Being threatened or being forced to do things by students who bully
7. Racial bullying
8. Sexual bullying
9. Cyber bullying (via cell phone or Internet)

Some recent statistics on bullying are as follows:

- 1 out of 4 kids is Bullied. The American Justice Department says that this month 1 out of every 4 kids will be abused by another youth.
- Surveys Show That 77% of students are bullied mentally, verbally, & physically.
- In a recent study, 77% of the students said they had been bullied. And 14% of those who were bullied said they experienced severe (bad) reactions to the abuse.
- 1 out of 5 kids admits to being a bully, or doing some "Bullying."
- 8% of students miss 1 day of class per month for fear of Bullies.
- 43% fear harassment in the bathroom at school.
- 100,000 students carry a gun to school.
- 28% of youths who carry weapons have witnessed violence at home.
- A poll of teens ages 12-17 proved that they think violence increased at their schools.
- 282,000 students are physically attacked in secondary schools each month.
- More youth violence occurs on school grounds as opposed to on the way to school.
- Playground statistics - Every 7 minutes a child is bullied. Adult intervention - 4%. Peer intervention - 11%. No intervention - 85%.

There have been so many stories, movies, and articles on bullying over the last few years, and eveytime I see one, it makes me sad. Many times, the result of it can be suicide. Though in no way do I condone suicide, no matter what the situation, I can't imagine what it must feel like to be taunted, teased, threatened, excluded, and set up to fail every day by people. Though I mentioned girls earlier, that lovely age between 11 and 15 where they can be down right mean at times, you see this in boys also. Girls, many times will take the hurt inward. Boys, however, many times will take the hurt outward...in violence.

Whether directly or indirectly we have all been touched by bullying. We may even have been the bully at one time, like the girl who lived on my block. I think it's important that we pay attention to it more, especially with our own children, and talk about it. If you see them involved in it in any way, confront it. If we, as adults, are involved in it...STOP! Our kids learn from our actions and responses. Let's not keep silent. Lets agree to talk about it, before it's too late.

Being Happy With Where You're At

Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wish I was doing something else?" It's so easy sometimes to get discontent with where you are at. It could be a job situation, a place in life, or any number of things. People will feel that way a lot before they are Christians, because no matter what they do they still feel like something is missing. But even after we receive Christ, most of us would agree, that there are still times when you find yourself thinking the same thought.

In my blog "Season's Change", I went in more detail about how I struggled for a long time with where I was at in my life. Many times when you're in that place you feel very lonely, and besides the question, "I wish I was doing something else", you also ask, "Who am I ?" You try to be this for this person, and that for that person, and in many cases we lose perspective of WHY we are doing the things we're doing in the first place. So many of us have many roles to fulfill. For me I am a wife, mother, daycare provider, pastor's wife, mentor, daughter, friend, etc. In every area, I have to ask myself consistantly, "why am I these things?"

An example that comes to my mind is in the area of homeschooling. There have been times I have wanted to quit sooooo bad, and I would get so frustrated. It wasn't until someone finally suggested to me, to remember WHY I was homeschooling in the first place. When I did that, when I remembered the goal, it helped me so much. In the hard times, when I wanted to give up, it was comforting to know there was a reason why I was doing it. I now see the fruit in my children's lives.

No matter where you are in your life right at this moment, remind yourself why you're doing what you're doing. If you're in a job that you don't like - remind yourself that it's for a season, and for now you're bringing in a paycheck, or getting trained for something better. If you are single and waiting to be in a relationship - then remind yoursef that it's all in God's timing and that He will bring you the right person. You are waiting because you know God's choice is always right and you are a beautiful example to others who are also waiting. If you are in times of transition, then remind yourself to be joyful for today, and for the victories that today brings - God is the one who forms our tomorrows.

Renewing our minds in this area is not always easy, but it is necessary. One of the things that was first spoken to us as new Christians was that we were in need of patience. That with patience, we would be lacking nothing. I have to remind myself of that often - be patient - the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord.

Find the balance of having vision for the future, yet being happy for where you're at today.

A Testimony in my Journey

Psalms 147:3 – He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.


I was sitting in the laundromat with my 3 month old daughter waiting for, what seemed like forever, my clothes to dry. She was right next to me in her car seat sleeping, as I picked up a magazine. I turned to read a story that, little did I know, would change my life. Staring up at me through the pages, was a woman who was talking about how she had to come face to face with the decision she had made earlier in her life. She had to face her decision to have an abortion. I couldn’t tell you her story, because in that moment a wave of sorrow poured over me. In an instant, I had also come face to face with my past. A past that I had never really dealt with.

In June of 1990 I had just turned 16 and was working in a local hotel/restaurant as a bus girl. The only thing I was into at that time in my life, was guys. Then, low and behold, Prince Charming was a waiter at the same restaurant! It didn’t matter to me that he had a girlfriend, as long as she didn’t find out. I guess it didn’t matter to him either. So, here we began our summer romance. In my naïve mind, I thought it would last forever, but of course, it didn’t. September came, he went off to college, I started my junior year in high school, and I was confused why I didn’t start my period that month.

Two months later I went with my friend to Planned Parenthood because she wanted to get on birth control. I still hadn’t started my period, so while we were there I decided to take a pregnancy test. Why I was shocked I don’t know, but when the nurse came back with the slip of paper that read pregnancy test positive, I was floored. I remember putting that slip of paper into my pocket and going home, dreading what I would say to my parents. I remember standing in my kitchen waiting to see my dad’s reaction when he read it. And, I remember when he asked me what I was going to do, I said very matter of factly, “I’m going to have an abortion”. There was no question in my mind, after all, what would the people at school think? What would my new boyfriend think? I didn’t even stop to ponder, that the baby inside of me, was now 3 and a half months old! I was in my second trimester.

On November 13, 1990, one month after my niece, Kara, was born, I drove to an Ashland clinic and had an abortion. Afterward, I went home and the same girlfriend who was with me when I found out I was pregnant, came by to see how I was doing. Her hair or make-up wasn’t perfect that day so the first words that came out of my mouth to her were not, “Thank you for coming over”, or "Thank you for checking on me", but instead, “You look like sh**”) She looked at me almost with disgust, and left.

Later that year, I would meet the man who has been my amazingly wonderful husband for 18 years now. Two years after we got married, we went to church one Sunday morning, and got saved. Our lives had been totally transformed. I never really thought about the abortion. I had just put it behind me. I knew I was forgiven, and I left it at that. This went on for years. The only people who knew about it were my parents, my friend, the father (who I never saw again), and my husband. It was as if it never happened, and I definitely never let it sink in. That is until I was sitting in the laundromat.

As I read the article in the magazine and looked at my beautiful baby next to me, the first of our four, everything that I had done came back to me. My heart was broken. I thought about how much I loved my daughter, and how I was so thankful to be a Mom. I thought about how blessed I was, when there are so many women out there who can't have children, yet want them so badly. Then I thought about how I chose to murder my child without giving it a second thought. It was overwhelming. For weeks, thoughts of my past plagued me. The realization of it all, broke me. I fell quickly from brokenness, to complete condemnation.

On a Wednesday night my husband and I went to church like we always do, but this Wednesday we had a guest speaker. To this day I couldn’t even tell you who he was, not even if I saw him. Right before he got into the message, he said , “he had such a strong feeling about something he just had to mention it”. “Someone here in this place tonight is suffering from a broken heart, and God wants to heal you.” He continued to say that after the service was over, he wanted to pray for whoever that was. My heart immediately begin to pound. I knew he was talking to me. Now mind you, not one person in the church knew about the abortion, except for my husband. So really, no one knew how bad I was suffering. I became really good at putting on a good face. I leaned over to my husband and told him that I was the one with the broken heart, and I needed God to touch me, to heal me. As the service was about to end I started having doubts. I thought, maybe I wasn’t the one who needed prayer, and if I was, what would everybody think once they knew what I had done. I slowly started to talk myself out of going down. The evening was ending, and people were starting to leave when the minister got back on the microphone and said, “the person who has a broken heart is still out there, and God wants to heal you.” At that point I knew it was me, and I practically ran down to the altar. As I was standing there with my husband, the preacher came over and very quietly whispered, “You don’t even have to tell me what you’ve done. God knows you, He loves you, and He wants to heal your heart tonight. Whatever it is you are dealing with, He is telling you to draw a line in the sand tonight, and never again look back at that situation the same again.” Then he prayed over me. I instantly was healed. All feelings of guilt and condemnation were gone. I knew God’s hand was upon me, and I know God’s hand is upon that child.

From that day on I believed that He would use me to help other women who have either had an abortion, or ones who are contemplating abortion, to let them know there’s a better way. There's other choices that can be made. To let them know that if they have already had an abortion then feeling broken is ok, it’s good. If we're not broken over our sin, then I would venture to say, it hasn't been dealt with completely. But, there’s hope and a future when you let God take what Satan meant for evil, and turn it to good.

There are so many women who are suffering from past mistakes. Maybe abortion wasn't the issue, but something else. My message to you, is the same. I don't know why I chose now to tell my story, this way. I trust that God does. My prayer is that it will help someone. I will never be proud of, or condone, the choice I made. However, I will never let Satan shut my mouth, and not tell of how an amazing, wonderful, forgiving, God can change your testimony, and heal the broken hearted.

Jealousy

The first time I ever can remember really being jealous of someone was in grade school. My best friends family had a lot of money, and would constantly be getting new things. We, on the other hand, were struggling financially, and it started being that every time I would see her in something new, I would get jealous. That old familiar feeling has tried to be my friend throughout life. However, not just in the area of relationships, but at times, in ministry too.

JEALOUS - hostile toward a rival or one believed to enjoy an advantage.

RELATED WORDS: controlling, demanding, grasping; covetous, envious, invidious, jaundiced; distrustful, mistrustful, suspicious

We all deal with iniquitous roots. Some of us have a tendancy to be thieves or liars. Others may deal with anger, rage, alcoholism, or drug abuse. Me, one of my iniquitous roots, one that I've had to fight all my life, has been insecurity...which tends to lead to jealousy. Deep down, there has been that feeling of "I'm not good enough" or inadequacy. Therefore, anyone who comes across as being "good enough" has, at times, been in my direct line of fire.

Some of the consequences of being jealous or envious are, falling into a mode of self pity, anger, bitterness, depression, and broken relationships. Unfortunatley, the relationships that get broken are usually close ones. Eventually envy and jealousy, if not defeated, can lead to death. In Genesis we see this in the account of Cain and Abel.

How do we overcome this, or any root, that tries to be our friend? When the Lord was talking with Cain before he murdered Abel, He said this:

Gen 4:6-7
6 So the Lord said to Cain, "Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7 If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it."
NKJV

Sin always makes an attempt to come to our door - but it is not to rule over us, we are to rule over it! We do this, not in our own strength, but by walking in the fruit of the Spirit.

Gal 5:22-26
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ's have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.
NKJV

Learning to walk in the Spirit is a process. It doesn't happen over night. That is why being in the Word consistantly and having people who you allow to speak truth into your life is so important. We were never meant to do this alone. When I have old ways of thinking try to creep up, I have to be able to rule over it. To much time has already been wasted on being a slave to iniquitious roots. Today's the day to overcome!

Clearing Things Out

One of the things about me that you may not know is I am a yard sale junkie. I love almost everything about them. I love seeing them on the street, I love going to them, I love hearing about the deals people get from them, I love having them, and I love the way it can clean out a garage! The only thing I don't like about them is the overwhelming mess it makes while you are getting ready to clear things out.

This last weekend was my turn to HAVE a yard sale. So for a few days before the sale I was dragging things out of my garage, out of my kitchen, out of my bedrooms, and out of every other part of my house. If you're going to clear things out, you want to make sure you get everything, right? I know I do! I don't want to go through all of the work, all the dust, making all the poster signs, and not get everything out that needs to go.

Isn't it the same in our lives? At times we have to go through every part of our life and ask, "Does that need to go?" or "What about this?" So many times we can take on extra baggage like stress, fear, insecurity, disappointments, etc. until we finally get to that place where we know it's time to clear things out!

I usually have a yard sale once a year - and that's ok when it comes to natural things. But when it comes to our life, we should be looking at it a lot more then that. Some things, we even need to look at daily. I can tell you, from experience though, that when you begin to open up the rooms of your heart, it can be overwhemling. You might even say what I said last week when I was getting our yard sale ready - "What was I thinking???" But, you know, in the end, it's worth it!

Is God asking you to clear things out? If so, understand that for those of us who are in Christ - we are not alone! I love the Scripture that says, "He who began a good work in you, will be faithful to complete it." I've thought about that many times, concerning the call of God on my life. But, I believe it also fits in this context. If God is beginning a work in you, to clear baggage out of your life - then as long as you are obedient to what He's asking you to do, then He will be faithful to complete it!

Is it time?

Rest Areas

This last week we went over to the coast for the 4th of July - as I've mentioned before - it's tradition :) On the way there, is a big tunnel you not only drive through, but you also must honk your horn and scream the whole way through! When you see this tunnel, you know you are getting closer. In fact, you're only about 1 hour away. On the other side, is a rest area. Our intention was to go straight past the rest area, and keep heading to our destination. Plans changed, when the transmission on our Suburban decided to go out. So there we were, parked. What we hoped would be a quick trip, suddenly became much longer.

During our 4 1/2 hours at the rest area, Timothy, Anna, and I found a spot on the grass where we would "huddle up". We talked about keeping a good attitude, having patience, and how we had to keep focus on getting to the coast. I must say, I was very proud of both of them! Knowing that Emily and Christopher were already there, didn't discourage them at all.

Without going in to all the details of everything - things worked out. We got to where we were headed, and had a wonderful vacation :)

Thinking about this detour, I think about how many times in life we are headed in a certain direction, not intending to stop, and many times, unexpected events happen and we are forced to stop. I will call them the "rest areas" of life. Some rest areas are consequences of things we may have done, and some rest areas happen without any warning and not because of anything we have done.

I wish I could say in every detour of my life, I had a good attitude, was patient, and kept focus on the original destination. But I haven't...in fact most of the time, I do quite the opposite. I pray that I learn a lesson this week, from my children.

What keeps you rooted and grounded when disappointments, delays, or unexpected problems happen? What would happen if we always reacted to what we feel? I know if I always gave in to my emotions, my world would be torn apart. What about you? I believe you have to live principally. I also believe, you find those pricipals in the Word of God.

The Bible says that the steps of a righteous man are ordered by the Lord. When we are stopped at the "rest areas" of life - do not fear - keep your eyes and heart focused on the Lord, and He will bring you to the original destination.

Freedom

When it comes to the 4th of July our minds can think of so many different things. For us, as a family, we have gone over to the coast for the last 11 years to watch the fireworks from the beach. Maybe you are going to someone's house this year for a BBQ, or maybe you are the one who's house everyone is coming too! Whether it be fireworks, BBQ's, parades, or however you celebrate it, we do it because we are celebrating the freedom we have here in the United States of America.

I want to take a moment and honor the men and women who have, are, or are going to be serving in the military. Everyday there are those on the front lines risking their lives for our nation. For the families who are here, waiting for their loved ones to return, I want to thank you also. I'm sure it's not easy, but I know you are proud.

In our lives, though we live in this beautiful country that represents freedom, are there times when you don't feel free? It's the same concept as being in a room full of people, and yet still feeling lonely. You can be free in one area, and yet bound in another. As a Christian woman, I am here to tell you, that you can experience true freedom. It comes through the blood of Jesus Christ, and receiving Him as your Lord and Savior. The Bible tells us very plainly that Jesus came to set us free. Free from sin, free from fear, free from past mistakes, free from depression, free from addictions, free from loneliness - etc. We were never meant to try and live this life in our own strength.

In my life, there have been so many times I have fallen into a cycle. You know, when you're convinced that you have conquered whatever it is you need to, only to find out you didn't. There is a battle going on in the spiritual realm, and as much as there is a real God, there is also a real devil. Believe me, he knows what buttons to push...however, Scripture says very clearly that we have authority over the enemy in the name of Jesus! When he comes and trys to tell you that you aren't an overcomer, and that you'll never change - you come back to fight him - with the Word of God. When you do that you will find freedom.

I want to leave you with a couple of Scriptures, and a thought. When you have been set free, what greater gift can you give someone who is still bound? That is why Isaiah said, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, to set the captives free." Let us learn from those who willingly lay their lives down for our nation's freedom - every day, they are out there on the front line - giving no place to the enemy. Could we possibly do the same, as Christians, for lost souls?

Isa 61:1

61 "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me,
Because the Lord has anointed Me
To preach good tidings to the poor;
He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted,
To proclaim liberty to the captives,
And the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
NKJV

John 10:10

The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.
NKJV

Don't Blink - They'll Be Grown Before You Know It!

Little did I know when I thought of writing this, that this week would be officially "daughter's week". Convenient, I think...however I don't just have 2 amazingly wonderful daughters, but I also have 2 amazingly wonderful sons. So, I think it should be officially "child week". :) At least for this blog. I find it hauntingly humorous at times, how people will tell you when you're children are young, not to take it for granted, because when you blink, they'll be grown. I remember in the early years, when Emily and Christopher were young, one of my best friends, who is older then I, told me this. At the time, I thought for sure I would be in the toddler stage forever - but - somehow - I blinked...

As a mother, it doesn't matter how old your children are, they are still your babies. Though you may not be able to hold them in your arms - skin to skin - like when they were first born, you forever long to. I beleive for the child, no matter the age, there will also never be any comparison to a mother's touch, a mother's hug, a mother's voice. They say for soldiers who are dying on the battle field, many times some of their last words will be about their mother.

In 1997 there was a song called "Butterfly Kisses" that came out right around the time Emily was born. Never has there been a time when this song is played that tears don't flow down both my husband's and my face. The thought of your little girl or little boy growing up, learning to ride a bike, loosing their first teeth, becoming a teenager, and then eventually getting married and having kids of their own is at times overwhelming...though totally natural. In fact, if they didn't grow, we would say that something was wrong.

Sometimes we get lost in the growing process. When we're right in the middle of the hard stages, like I mentioned before, we think they will never end. (You could apply this to every part of your life) For me, I would notice this a lot during vacations...you know, when you came home and felt like you needed a vacation because you went on vacation. For Sean and I, in was inevitable that we would get in a fight every family camp, every 4th of July coast trip, and every picnic...because it was so hard to try and do everything you felt like you needed to do to make everybody happy, when the only thing you wanted to do was actually relax a little bit. But, things change...and like we are experiencing now, they get older. There's ups and downs, isn't there?

What would I say to do today? Today, take the time to think about and look at your children. Ponder them... No matter if there little, big, or possibly still in the womb, and ask the Lord how you can be a blessing to them. The saddest thing for me would be to one day wake up and be full of regret for the times I didn't say I loved them. For the times I didn't stop my busyness and hug them or talk with them. Take time to look at their growth and accopmlishments (no matter what age) and tell them that you're proud of them. It is so important that you do this... before you blink.

Father's

If you ask almost any man what their most rewarding and challenging job they have is - it wouldn't be their business or employment, a sport, or a hobby. It would be the role of a father. Becoming a Dad is easy - anyone over the age of 11 can physically do it...becoming a father is much different.

I have had the priviledge of living with two father's in my life. The first one being my Dad, and the second one being my husband, who is the father of my 4 children.

My Dad had the rewarding and CHALLENGING job of raising me :) Lord have mercy on Him! My dad is awesome. Some of the funnest memories I have with him growing up include, watching Portland wrestling, (it gave me an excuse to stay up late, instead of going to bed) going camping every year, looking for night crawlers (big worms) in our back yard because he was getting ready for a fishing trip, and my most favorite memory, is playing with him in the 50 degree ocean for hours, riding waves.

I got married to my husband, Sean, 6 weeks after we graduated High School, however we waited 4 years before having kids. During that time, we had given our heart to the Lord. When my daughter Emily was born, or life changed. I saw in my husband a switch...he had become a father. Not only has he been there for each of our children physically - whether it's taking them on vacations, rooting for them on the sidelines, or just hanging out doing nothing in particualar - he has also been there spiritually. When each child was born, he prayed over them for health, strength, wisdom, and for the will of God to be fulfilled in their life. Throughout the years he has taught them the things of God, and helped make them who they are today.

Where does their love come from? The love that changes a man from just being able to physically have a child, to that of being a father? I truly believe that the only place it can come from is not deep within themselves, but from their Heavenly Father. The Bible says that we love because He first loved us. And as much as we like to give good things to our children, our Father wants to give, and has given, so much more. Before we were even born, we were known by Him, and loved by Him. He is our ultimate Father...which is beautiful.

Thank you to my Dad, and my husband, who have been amazing examples of what it means to be a father!

Focusing on the Good

The other day my youngest daughter, who is 5 and quite dramatic, was in her room crying. She had gotten into an argument over whose turn it was on the swing set. When I asked her if she was ok, she stated very matter of factly, "I'm having a bad day!"

Oh, how many times I have thought, if not said, the same thing.

Whether you're a child, a teenager, a young adult, middle aged, or older - we all have something in common. Sometimes, we just have a bad day! The challenge can be, often times, to not have a bad week, month, or year :) Often times in my life I have "camped" there. It's easy to talk about what's wrong with the world, the economy, and sometimes people in general. Sometimes things go south or attitudes flare up, and before you know it you hear things come out of your mouth, that you wished never did. But, I don't want to camp there anymore.

I asked people to name one thing positive about themselves before I wrote this blog - why? I want to start thinking about what's right with everything, not what's wrong with everything. So I started there...we could probably all name 20 things we didn't like about ourselves, but what do you like? There's again, multiple things we could say is wrong about any given situation - but what about it is right? I don't know about you, but when I'm constantly focusing on the bad - that's when I tend to have a bad day.

I'm not saying real problems don't happen, and there won't be times when there's nothing you can really say or do in that moment to make them go away. In fact, sometimes the best thing to do is sound the alarm, and focus directly on it. What I am talking about is not "camping" in an attitude of distress. I'm talking about living a life that says, in most things I could focus on what's wrong, but I'm choosing to focus on what's right. Choose today, to have a good day.

Phil 4:8

8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy — meditate on these things.
NKJV

Brothers

As we were driving around the turns heading towards the South Umpqua Falls it never failed...every year...the inevitable noise of my brother pretending like he was going to throw up. Now mind you, he didn't really get car sick, he did this out of shear torture, because I hated it when people threw up, and he wanted to tease me. Whether it was the sick noises, polywogs down the pants, rubber fishing worms mixed in with my candy gummy worms, or trying to scare me with ghost stories, I could always count on my brother to be in on it.

It's interesting to watch my two boys who are 3 1/2 years a part. Some days they drive each other crazy, and other days they are the best of friends. I suppose that is normal in a lot of families, after all, brothers do know what buttons to push. I tend to think they push the buttons purposely and often. Growing up, I'm sure I drove my brother crazy all the time. I was a bit dramatic, and he would pull it out of me. However, I never thought it was fair when he would instigate something, but I would get in trouble for screaming.

One of the most memorable moments I have with my brother was on my wedding day. My whole life, he would tease me, draw funny faces on my posters hanging in my room, hang my dolls up from my ceiling fan, or put life size poster people in the shower to scare me. But, on this day, he was different. There was a look in his eyes, when he cornered me after the wedding, and simply said I looked beautiful, and hugged me. I will never forget that moment, a moment when I knew he loved me and was proud of the woman I had grown up to be. Little did I know then, that one month before our first anniversary, he would be killed in a car accident, at the age of 23.

Sometimes when I hear my children say things out of frustration to each other, I remind them to never take each other for granted. I teach them to honor and appreciate one another, and to realize that having a brother and sister is a blessing - even when their buttons are being pushed. It isn't always easy, or sometimes we might just forget, but lets remember to take the time to tell our family that we love them today. Even though it's been almost 17 years since Scott died, I wish with all my heart, that I would have done that more.

Scott Wayne Jackson
11-18-69 to 6-26-93

Oh No! That Didn't Just Happen, Did it? (Embarrassing Moments)

What's one way to get a group of people who don't really know each other, very well, to suddenly feel as though they've known each other for years? By sharing some of your most embarrassing moments, of course! It's happened to all of us at one time or another...you know, that moment when you do or say something, and immediately you think to yourself, "Oh no! that didn't just happen, did it?" The difference between some people, and myself is, I like to share some of mine over the internet :) So, here we go.

Top 10 Most Embarrassing times in my life:

10. In high school, I was so insecure, I used to wave at pretend people in the hallway, just so it looked like I had friends. Then one day, my best friend caught me, and asked who I was waving to. When I told her what I did, she just looked at me awkwardly, silently confirming what a nerd I really was.

9. Again, in high school, I was waiting for my Mom to pick me up after school, and when I turned around to look at something, I smacked right into a telephone poll, really hard, right in front of everybody. Of course, I acted like it didn't hurt - but really I wanted to cry.

8. My sister in law and I were doing Tai Bo w/ Bobbie Blanks (?) and when Sean walked in, I thought I would show off. It happened to be when we were spinning our hands, like a boxer, near our face. Bobbie said, "Double Time", so I went faster - proceeding to punch myself in the jaw extremely hard. Once again, confirming what a nerd I can be.

7. Praying for someone down at the alter, and not being able to really hear the person, because of the music coming from the stage. When I asked her, her name, I thought she said "Ham". When I repeated it, she looked at me funny, and said, "No...Pam!" That was the first time I ever met my friend Pam Plumb :) who has since forgiven me!

6. One of the things I consistently do, is mix my words up in my sentences. So I say things, all the time, that don't make any sense. One time I went to say "sweet" and "cool" and I ended up saying "Kweet" - Of course, this happened in front of someone who loves to tease me anyway, so I never lived it down.

5. In fourth grade I got this amazing mullet - that was in style then (I think)- But then they permed the top. So for a long time my "friends" called me volcano head. A couple months later, when the perm started dying down, they would say my volcano erupted.

4. Not being very good w/ comebacks - I immediately default to sticking both of my thumbs up, as if saying "good job!". This happened w/ Aaron M. when I was walking by his car - years ago - he honked to scare me, and I turned around and went to say some really cool comeback. However, I couldn't think of one, so I just gave him a thumbs up.

3. Going out to dinner w/ my husband in a really nice restaurant, and when the waiter came to get our order, I started laughing really hard for no reason. I laughed so hard I started crying, and he walked away...luckily he came back later.

2. Roller Blading down McAndrews hill - and having to make the dive roll of my life, in a small patch of grass, so I wouldn't die, by flying off the curb. Of course, all the cars driving by saw quite the sight.

1. The number one most embarrassing thing that has ever happened to me - is to embarrassing to put on the internet. Let's just say, I was in my 7th grade English class...you'll have to ask me about it :)

LIVE LIFE! LOVE LIFE! LAUGH HARD! Have a great day!!!

Season's Change

One of the best things about living in the Rogue Valley, is the fact that we get to experience all four seasons. Now, if you ask most of us, at the moment, we are ready for the winter/rainy season to go away, because we are ready for summer! However, three months from now, we will be talking about how we're ready for the 100 degree weather to go away, and we'll start preparing for cooler nights and watching the autumn leaves begin changing color. We're always ready for old seasons to end and new seasons to begin.

It's no different in our lives, is it? I can tell you in my life I have experienced all four seasons - and most of the time they last more then three months. I remember when Sean and I first got married, we could go and do whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted, and for however long we wanted...as long as it didn't cost more then $10! Then after we had children, that all changed. No longer could we go anywhere without bringing the stroller, change of clothes, baby food, diapers, wipes, etc. etc. etc. At that point in time it felt like most of my friends weren't in that season. They either had older kids, young kids with older siblings to help, or they didn't have any kids. In fact, it felt very lonely for a long time. It was also right in the middle of a lot of transitions for Sean and I in careers, and if being honest, I would have to say it was one of the winter seasons in my life. There were times, even as a Christian, when I doubted I could ever feel happiness again. I would question, "Who am I?" all the time.

Death of a loved one, loneliness, disappointment, hurt, abuse, and so many more things, affect people in many ways. The beautiful thing about winter though, is if you process through correctly, not only does spring ALWAYS follow, but with it comes new life, new hope, new vision, and new purpose! You can also come out of winter with a closer relationship with the Lord, if you will trust Him. My personal belief is that it would be very hard if not impossible to make it through this life without the Lord.

Think about your life. What a difference a day can make! What a difference a year can make! there's no time limit or boundaries to seasons, only the guarantee that we will experience all of them, and get through all of them. And just like living in the Valley, without the winter and rain, could you truly appreciate the summer?
What season are you in? Where is your hope?

Covenant Relationships

As the old woman lay in her bed, her breathing had shallowed. Beside her were her children, now of course grown, and holding her hand. In the background were pictures...snapshots, if you will, of a life well spent. Some of them were when she was younger - her dark hair shining in the sun. Others were of when she was older, holding her great grandchildren. On the other side of the bed, holding her other hand, was the man that she had loved for the last 70 years. As she looked into his loving green eyes, it took her back for a moment. Suddenly there she was, in a beautiful white dress, staring into those same green eyes. Promises were being made, promises that were not meant to be broken. Promises made for better or for worse, for richer or poorer, until death do they part. On this day, there in her room - those promises would be fulfuilled.

I asked the question yesterday, "if you are married, when is your anniversary, and how many years have you been married?" Almost 40 people responded! The years ranged from almost 1 year to almost 49 years. I am proud to say that on June 21 my parents will have been married for 42 years! That is what prompted me to write this blog. I have never tasted the bitterness of divorce, and for that I am grateful. I understand that it is not the case for many people. But, that can change. That is one of the reasons we take such a strong stand on purity, with our children.

There are many types of covenant relationships. Some being marriage, parent/child, friendship, and then the most important one is our relationship with the Lord. In order to be in this kind of relationship we can't be emotionally led. That is one of the number one reasons for divorce - people were either emotionally led in the preparation of getting married, or they were emotionally led in getting out of the marriage. I understand there are situations of abuse and different things...that is not what I am talking about. I am talking about people who just "fall out of love".

Think about the words in our marriage vows for a minute. How would things change if every person lived by them? There would be a lot less broken hearts, and a lot less pain. I never once layed in my bed crying at night because I thought my parents didn't love each other. I never worried if my Dad would be there in the morning, or if my Mom would up and leave him for yet another man. But I know people who have. I bet you do too. Maybe you were one of them. That is why, we have to get back to what it really means to be in a covenental relationship.

For better or for worse:

Every healthy relationship goes through storms. In fact, the Bible promises it. The difference is, when your relationship is built on a strong foundation (Jesus Christ) the storms will make you stronger, not weaker.

For richer or for poorer:

Paul said this: Phil 4:11-13
Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

Don't let financial problems bring a wedge between your family. We must fight for what is important!


Until death do us part:

Do you really mean it? In the beginning of this blog, I wrote about an old woman, looking into the loving green eyes of her husband. That is the woman I want to be - 60 years from now. Looking into Sean's eyes, holding on to Emily, Chris, Timothy, and Anna's hands. I want to have pictures all over the place of me playing with my grandkids. And then, when it is time for me to go home to be with my Lord and Savior, I can truly call myself a covenental woman. It is what I long for, it is what I strive for, it is my desire. How about yours?

The Memory Box

In my room sitting next to my bed is a hope chest. Hope chests are traditionally used for a girl before she is married, to collect things in, for when she has her own home. However, my hope chest is not dishes, or towels, or anything for my home. My hope chest is now a box full of memories I have kept while building my home. I got this idea from my Mom. I remember as a young girl being curious as to what was in it. Some times the curiosity got the best of me, and when she was away at work I would sneak in it. There in that box was all kinds of little things my brother and I had made for her that she considered "keepers", or letters from my Dad when they were dating, or maybe in it was something I didn't recognize, but she would know exactly when and where it came from. So, as a Mom myself now, I have my own memories, right there next to my bed.

Over the years I have saved many things from each of my kids, a lot of my friends, and special things from my family. More then likely, I have things that would suprise people. A little lady bug I got at a gift shop 6 years ago when I went to the coast w/ some of the Armor Bearer girls. A napkin or brochure from a trip I went on. To some, like I mentioned before, it wouldn't mean anything. But, for me, I can tell you time and place, and very likely what I was feeling at the moment. Anyone who has kids knows that you can't save everything. If we did, it would get crazy! All of the pictures they draw you in class or the crafts they make...you wouldn't be able to keep up. Then suddenly they give you something, and you immediately know that it is a "keeper".

I wonder if God has a Memory Box. The times when He looks at us going through life, and maybe we do something or say something and He jots it down and puts it away for us to see someday. Wouldn't it be awesome to see! I think so. What about you? Do you have a hope chest or memory box? I hope so, I think everyone should. Maybe that's the sentimental side of me.

A Wise Woman Builds Her House

My 7 year old son Timothy came to me a few months ago, and said he knew what he wanted to do when he grew up. Curiously, I asked him what? He stated very matter of factly that he wanted to build buildings. Knowing how my son's mind works, I thought he very well could! So we talked briefly about what kind of buildings he would like to build and how among many things, he would need to learn how to read a blueprint and how to build a strong foundation. It is afterall, the most important part!

Over the last few days I have been pondering on what people in general will sometimes try to build on. However, I'm not talking about buildings, I'm talking about their lives. They could be built on money, fame, relationships, good intentions, tragedy, etc. Only to find out that it is like sinking sand. It doesn't stand.

Then I began thinking about a Scripture in Proverbs 14:1 that says, "The wise woman builds her home, But the foolish tears it down with her own hands." What does that mean? As a woman, I have been given the responsibility to build my house on a strong foundation. I also am responsible for looking at the blueprint of what my home should look like. By trying to ignore this, or pass it off to someone else, I am automatically tearing it down... with my own hands.

So what makes a strong foundation, and what blueprint should I use? The Bible says that Jesus Christ is our rock, our foundation. Anything that is built without Him is again, like sinking sand. Storms will come to every house at one point - maybe through finances, stress in relationships, tragedy, etc. - and you will find that a home can not stand on those without Christ. Our blueprint is the Word of God, the Bible. In it is what our marriages, our children, our "homes" should look like. And guess what? We, as women have a huge role in that! It is a responsibility and it is a priviledge.

Are you a builder?

Proverbs 14:1
Matthew 6:46 - 49

Suicide Amongst Youth

In this mornings paper I saw an obituary, and immediately the name stood out to me. the reason being, is because he was the father of one of my brother's best friends growing up.

I was probably 10 or 11 years old, and Greg was about 6 years older. He would come over all the time and hang out with my brother. They would pick on me, and I would complain, but then come back for more... Sounds familiar...Greg seemed larger then life. He seemed to always be smiling. They were friends for a year or so, and then started getting into trouble. Small things at first, like harassing animals, and then bigger things like vandalizing the schools. I was young enough to where I didn't quite get everything that was going on, but just knew the cops were coming over a lot. This went on for awhile - Greg was no longer allowed to come to our house, nor was brother allowed to go to his.

One evening, we got a call. Greg had gone into his room with a shotgun, and committed suicide. He only lived a couple of blocks down the street, and it was devastating. For his family, for my brother, for my parents, and everyone who was involved. For me, it was hard to imagine that this boy who at one point seemed so happy was now not here. What happened? When did things change for him?

His mother died a few years later, and his Dad apparently remarried. In reading his obituary this morning, it appeared as though he had committed his life to the Lord, and became very involved in his church. I was glad to hear that.

I have learned that you can not look at someone on the outside and be able to tell everything that's going on inside. We can be good at masking, can't we. I have also learned we have an answer. When you come to the Lord, it doesn't mean you won't ever have problems. It means you have an answer to those problems.

Jeremiah 29:11 - For I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord. Plans of good and not evil. Plans to give you a hope and a future.

Some Statistics:

In 2006, it was the eleventh leading cause of death in the U.S., accounting for 33,300 deaths. The overall rate was 10.9 suicide deaths per 100,000 people. An estimated 12 to 25 attempted suicides occur per every suicide death.

In 2006, suicide was the third leading cause of death for young people ages 15 to 24.

Children ages 10 to 14 — 1.3 per 100,000
Adolescents ages 15 to 19 — 8.2 per 100,000
Young adults ages 20 to 24 — 12.5 per 100,000

I am so thankful to be part of a church that loves the children and youth! From the time they are in the womb we are speaking life into them. Our Children's Ministry is called "History Makers", because we put a purpose in their heart, and truly believe they can make history now, and not have to wait until they're older. Our Youth is dedicated to purity and training young men and women to be passionate about the kingdom of God, and fulfilling God's will and purposes in their life everyday.

Traditions

Have you ever been doing something and all of a sudden something happens and it immediately takes you back to a memory you have? It might be something somebody says, a movie, a song, or maybe a smell. Yesterday when we were driving past the Harbor in Brookings and to the hotel, the smell of the salty sea air and the sights around me threw me back in time to all the times we have been here with our kids on the 4th of July. Everywhere I looked, I thought of them. In the gift shop across from the hotel, Timothy is known as the Webkinz kid because he kept going in and buying Webkinz cards with his spending money. At the hotel, I looked at the pool and thought about how every one of my kids learned how to swim there. Even looking down on the beach or being in the hotel room, I thought about all the memories we've created. Why? It's a tradition.

When the kids were younger I hated coming. It was so much work packing porta cribs, swings, and everything else that came with the toddler age. We have a large extended family, and at the time no one else had kids. At times I would feel isolated because they would all want to do things that weren't kid friendly - like snorkling down the Chetco or golfing. Every year Sean and I would end up in a fight because I would get so frustrated. I didn't realize at the time, we were building memories for the kids -traditions - that would be so cherished.

I think there will be things that family's do as traditions that are intentional. We all have those fun little things, that we hope our children will carry on when they have a family of their own. I also think there will be things that we have no idea will become traditions, until one day we look back and think of all the memories that have been created.

Some of the Eisma Family traditions:

- 4th of July in Brookings
- Family Camp at Lake of the Woods
- Picincs at Medford Oaks
- Christmas morning at Grammy and Grandad's house
- Getting each child a new ornament at Christmas
- Having 2 Thanksgiving Dinners :)

Feel free to share some of yours!

Space Invader

Yesterday was an amazing day because not only was it Mother's Day, but it was also my 36th Birthday. So, needless to say, I woke up in a great mood (like I do every morning...not) and was ready to spend the day with my family and friends. While we were at church, I had a lot of people come up to me to wish me a happy day, and then worship started.

There are times during worship when I get distracted, and then there are other times when I am totally in it. Yesterday, I was totally in it. Now something strange happens to me when I close my eyes, especially if I'm not hanging on to anything. I tend to get off balance, so there have been times I am at church and find myself really in prayer or worship, and when I open my eyes I have turned completely around and am facing the wrong way! So yesterday we are there, and I had my eyes closed and my hands raised, and I am really in worship, when all of a sudden my husband leans over and whispers to me, "Honey, your hands are right in my face." We both started laughing because I have done this before. One time I was in Louisiana with Pastor Natalie and the same thing happened. We were right next to eachother and I keep noticing out of the corner of my eye that she is moving forward. In my head I am thinking, "Wow God is really touching her!" Though that was true, her continuing to move was because I kept touching her! Once again, I kept shoving my hands and arms right in her face. Needless to say, I have been nicknamed "The Space Invader".

We all know "space invaders". It might be during worship or it might be those people who insist on standing 3 inches from your face when they are talking to you, and it doesn't matter if you scoot back because they'll just scoot closer.

I have found with God, that He isn't always a space invader. Don't get me wrong, there are times when He is, and I'm glad.... but that's not what I am talking about. I am talking about how sometimes He'll let you know He's there, but He won't force Himself on you. He didn't make us all robots, that were forced to love Him, forced to pray, or forced to worship Him. He gave us all that choice. Yet, He drops hints doesn't He. Those times when you hear the still small voice, saying, "I love you, I want to spend time with you, I sent my Son to die for you, you are mine." Sometimes we have to trust that God is doing that with those we love also. He is a gentleman, and though He will scoot close to you, He won't always be that space invader...

At least not until you give Him permission :)

What is your name?

When I was in the 4th grade I remember being on the play ground with my friends at school, and I was wearing, what I thought, was the coolest sweatshirt. I thought it was cool because, on the back of it, it said "Kritter", my nick name. Thinking back now, I wonder where the heck "Kritter" came from :) None the less, at the same time there was a new cereal that came out called "Crispy Critters" and the commercial had a catchy jingle to it - so all was good!

When I was in the 9th grade, one of the movies I was totally in to at the time, had a character named "Starr". So, I informed everybody at school, (no wonder I wasn't popular!) that my name was now Starr. It went over for about a week, until someone called my house and asked for Starr, and my Dad got really mad. I wondered what his problem was, and he told me. He said, "you're Mom and I picked out your name, because we love the name Krista". I didn't realize, that I had hurt his feelings.

Did you know that God has given you a name? Sometimes we go through life, and we're always trying to change it. I thought the name Krista was boring, because I didn't know anybody else who had it. The same way, God has given each of us a unique name.

Maybe, you don't really know the name that God has given you. You know what the world has called you. Before I was saved, I can tell you what the world called me. Krista, the partyer - Krista, the flirt - Krista, the insecure girl - Krista, the liar... But when I came to the Lord, I found out who I really was. Now, I am Krista, the beloved - Krista, the redeemed - Krista, the blessed!

What is you name? When you begin to find out who you really are in Christ, you will never want to change it!

We Have a BIG God!

Have you ever had so many things on your mind you thought you might go crazy? We tend to worry a lot, don't we. I've mentioned before how it would be so nice if we could just see a peek in to the future - or see around corners, so to speak. I find myself at times wondering if everything will really work out ok. It's in those times I have to remind myself just how big God really is.

I'm a very visual person. I have to see something, to really grasp it. So, many times when I am at the coast and just watching the ocean, I am amazed by how big it is. I begin to think about how it is only one ocean out of many in the world. Then I think of how God not only created what I am looking at in front of me, but every thing around me. I feel so small.

How could someone so big be concerned with someone so small? I think about my children, when they were babies, their entire hand would wrap around one of my fingers. And though they were so small, I'd give my life for any of them. Guess who we learned that from?

Matt 6:25-31

25 "Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink; nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 Which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

28 "So why do you worry about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; 29 and yet I say to you that even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Now if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is, and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will He not much more clothe you, O you of little faith?

31 "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32 For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

Like I said in the beginning, their are times when I find myself worrying. But one thing that helps, is remembering what He has already brought me through. When we put Him first, He will always make a way, where there doesn't seem to be one.
WE SERVE A BIG GOD!!!

Millionaire by Age 30 - Say What?

I read a quote somewhere the other day, and it said "money can't by happiness". Then right underneith it, someone who was wealthy wrote back, "yes it can!" I laughed... probably out loud - and I thought to myself "I wouldn't know". :) I keep telling my husband that the only reason I married him was for his money. Well, that and his good looks!

When we first got married, we had everything all planned out. We were going to be multi millionaires by the time we were 30, therefore never worrying about debt. We would have a beautiful "ginormous" (giant + enormous) house, and maybe even our own airplane or two. The thought of vacationing on beautiful tropical islands, where the sand is white and the ocean is a beautiful light blue, anytime we wanted to, was so intoxicating. It didn't matter to us, that he worked at Safeway, and I worked at Supercuts.

I am now almost 36, and as I am sitting here writing this in my one story house that needs a fresh coat of paint, on furniture that has been through the ringer, I look over beside me. Laying next to me, in a chair sleeping, is my beautiful daughter Anna, all wrapped up in her pink blanket, like a burrito. I realize, I am a truly a happy woman. To be married to a man I love, to have 4 children who adore me, and to be right with God - who can beat that? Well - maybe someone who has all that, plus a million dollars!

Be thankful today for what you have. Maybe it's your family, maybe it's your friends, maybe it's just a little bit of quiet time that you get, or maybe you're packing your bags to go on vacation :) Whatever it is - be thankful.

Although I would still have NO PROBLEM having lots of money - happiness comes when you have a thankful heart, and you can't buy that!

Accomplishments

Coming home from Eugene last night, I had a large cup of coffee, and a stash of sugar candy that was just as large right next to me. Driving at night when I am tired is not fun for me. Heck, I scare myself driving in the daytime when I'm wide awake! None the less, I was driving home as an extremely proud mother. Sitting in the backseat, was my beautiful daughter, who had just won 1st place in every event and all around at her State Gymnastics Meet. It's such a great feeling when someone you love accomplishes something. I will be the first to tell you though, that this did not come easy for her. She is NOT a natural gymnast. However, she is a hard worker, and this was the night when all of her HOURS of stretching and conditioning had paid off.

When I think about the Lord, I can't help but think that He is proud of our accomplishments as well, because we are His children. Those areas in our life, that might not come easy or natural for us, but we overcome them anyway. I can tell you in my life, there have been things that I needed to overcome, that no amount of physical conditioning or stretching would fix. I straight up needed God's supernatural help. I think we've all been there! On the other hand, there are areas that God says He'll give us strength and favor, but we will have to work hard for the victory.

Each step of Emily's journey, we've been proud of her. When she was 8 and just starting, we didn't expect her to do a back tuck. We were proud of her getting the horrendous (at the time) single leg shoot through on the bars :) Now, she could do that in her sleep, but she works on other things. Isn't it the same with all of us? We are all on a journey, and I think God is proud of the accomplishments we have everyday, both big and small!

So keep "conditioning", "stretching", and believing in the supernatural. When you feel as if you've been doing it for hours and hours - still trust that your VICTORY WILL COME!

Getting the Right Directions

A few months before Sean and I got married, we were getting ready to meet some friends up at Howard Prairie for a party. Sean had to work late that night, so we were coming up a few hours later then everyone else. But, being the brilliant party animals that we were, we got directions from a friend to get to the "hideaway" camp. He said, "all you have to do is turn right when you see the beer cans". Seriously, how many beer cans are you going to see on the side of the road up by Howard Prairie!?! At the time Sean drove a little gray 2 Wheel Drive Toyota pick up, and when we turned right, we ended up driving in to snow. Within a few minutes we were completely stuck. So, around 1:00 in the morning, we decided we would walk to either try to find our friends, or walk home. 5 hours later, we were still walking, on a road, out in the middle of no where, wondering how in the heck we got there. Thankfully, at 6:30 in the morning, a truck came by and offered us a ride home.

In life, there are so many decisions we have to make. Where do I go in the area of family, friendships, health, career, ministry, my personal walk with the Lord, etc.? Every season we are in brings new decisions we have to make. It is important to know who you're getting your directions from.

I wish we could see around corners. It would be nice to know if the turn we were making in life was going to get us "stuck in the snow". However, I believe with all my heart, we serve a God who does see around corners, and when we let Him give us directions, - we will always stay on the right path!

Proverbs 3:5-6 says "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path."

Making a Difference

What is one of the things that most people would say they wanted to accomplish in thier lifetime? I think, if you ask most people what they want to do, it is to somehow make a difference in the life of another person. Whether you're a pastor, teacher, coach, doctor, nurse, it really doesn't matter what area of work you're in, you can be an influence and help to others.

I have had many influences in my life. Sometimes there are people who are there to encourage you, and sometimes there are people who are there to push you out of your comfort zone. Many times, this can be the same person! I have had people in my life for a short season, and other's who will be there for a lifetime. It is the same with each of us.

I have come to believe that whenever you put yourself in the position to be there for others, there is the chance to get hurt. Why? I think it is because we open our heart, and that is vulnerable. But do you know, I wouldn't change it for the world! There's an old song by Garth Brooks called "The Dance". Part of the chorus goes like this..."I could have missed the pain, but I'd of had to miss the dance."

Make each day count, even in the struggle, you are making a differnece!

Singing Songs to my Kids!

We all have things we wished we did better in. You know, those gifts that someone else has that you wish you could just steal for a moment. Maybe it's playing sports, maybe it's cooking, maybe it's drawing, maybe it's just me...
One of the things I really wish I could do well, is sing. Luckily however, I have recognized I can't hold a tune, and I don't try to force my way on to the worship team, or go in front of millions of people and audition for American Idol :) But, that doesn't stop me from singing. I just do it in the confinement of my own home, and guess who is the lucky ones who get to hear me? You guessed it, my family.

I have 4 kids, and each of them has a song I made up for them. Ever since they were babies, I've sung to them. However, what I do, is take tunes from other songs and put my own wors in them. For example - Timothy's song is to the tune of "Baby Looney Tunes" - and it goes like this "Heeeee's tiny, he's toony, he's Timbo Roony, and he is a good boy, I love him very much!" Christopher's is to the tune of Winnie the Pooh...you get my point. Ok - I never said it was brilliant, I just said I sang to them. I have found that one of my "giftings", along with remembering people's birthday, is making up random songs that rhyme. And I do it all the time :) Secretly I think they all love it.

When you have children, you ponder them, you think about them, you make up things for them - even if they are strange. Do you know that God ponders us? We are His children. The Bible says that He even knows the number of hairs that are on our head, He pays attention to us that much! Do you know what else I think He does...I think there are times that He sings over us! I wonder what my song is? I wonder what your's is.

Be Specific

Have you ever been in a situation and thought to yourself, "oooh, I should have been more specific!" This question can have many answers. I'm sure we all have our stories. Sometimes with my children I'll tell them to clean their room, and I quickly realize - I needed to be more specific. For my daughter Emily who is a competitive gymnast, being specific is vital. If she is off on any of her routines, or even the slightest movements, she gets deducted. Being specific in the area of prayer is no different.

About 7 years ago we were in the process of moving. Our third child was almost 1 and we were living in a 2 bedroom house. The year before my husband and I had mapped out to the tee, and prayed specifically what we would like our house, and especially our back yard, to look like. I had commented several times that I wish we could move into a house like I had when I grew up, because it had a huge yard. Now, for those of you who know me, you know I am sentimental and a little wierd. So, when you mix the two together you get someone (me) who drives not only their children, but also their daycare kids by their old house that they lived in growing up - just so they could see. I even mapped out my old house in one of my journals...like I said, I'm a little wierd!

The week we had made the final descision that we were going to put our house on the market and look for a bigger one, my friend called me. She said that my old house was just put up for sale. So I drove over there, and again because I'm wierd, knocked on the door without an appointment. They graciously let me come in and see it. It looked completely different from when I grew up there, except for a few things, but I loved it. After I went home and told Sean, we took out the mapped house we had made. I am not kidding you, it was exactly what we had drawn out. The back yard was incredibely specific, and they even put up a wall in the family room to make it a four bedroom house, which is what we were looking for. There are so many other details about this, it is to long to write. But, now for the last seven years we have lived in the house I lived in growing up.

What are you praying for? Be specific - be patient - and like I said in the last post, trust that God's timing and His ways, even though they may be different than your's, are perfect!

Early, Late, or On Time?

There are 3 different types of people in the world. Those who are always late, those who are always early, and those who are right on time. Growing up, my family was always early. No matter what it was, we were there 10 minutes early. However, we have known people who are the opposite. No matter what it is, they are always 10 minutes late. Now I have adapted to my parents ways in this area, except for, I have taken it to the extreme. Not only do I not like it when myself or others are late, but at times I already feel like I'm late, hours before the event is supposed to start. I'll give you an example. This weekened I was having a birthday party for my son Chris who turned 11. We planned to have his party on Friday from 5:00 - 6:30. At around 2:00 my husband noticed I started getting a little restless, and he questioned why. I explained that the party was going to start soon, and I still had a couple things to do. He looked at me like I was crazy, and said "babe, you still have 3 hours!".

Now, don't get me wrong...there are things that I procrastinate on, unfortunatley. I wish it wasn't so, but it is.

Pondering this idea, I can't help but think about other areas in my life. I think we all, at times, wonder why we're here on this earth. We have so many questions that at times go unanswered. When you're young, you wonder if it's too early to dream or have a calling, and when you're older you wonder if it's too late to fulfill your dreams or calling. I have come to the conclusion though, that when we put our trust in the Lord, we don't have to worry, because He is always right on time!

You can never be to young or to old to fulfill His purposes.

Joy - Have you ever laughed so hard you cried?

Have you ever laughed so hard you couldn't breathe? If you've never experienced laughing until your crying, you're truly missing out! If you have, then you know what I am talking about. This usually occurs with a good friend or family member. What is kind of creepy is when it happens and there's no one else around :) I've done this before...you know, when you think about something funny that happened a while ago, but you're still laughing about it! How about laughing at the wrong moment? I remember one time my husband was standing on a chair changing a light bulb outside, and the chair gave way, and he biffed it hard. Immediately I started to laugh, and then my second thought was, "oh I better see if he's ok!" What if you're in a meeting or class, and it's a serious moment, and you begin to lose it? That's the worst! Today, I want to focus on the joy of living.

There were times in my life when I felt like I couldn't laugh. Those seasons we go through where feeling happy seems so far away. You may know what I am talking about. But what I have learned, and am continuing to learn, is that you can still have joy in the midst of chaos. There is a peace that surpasses all understanding. Psalms 30:11 says, "You have turned for me my mourning into dancing: You have put off my sackcloth and clothed me with gladness."

No matter what season of life you're in right now, let's focus on joy today. Maybe for you that means laughing your head off with a friend (or by yourself), or maybe for you it means just putting your trust in the Lord, and knowing that in the middle of madness...you can dance!

By the way, if you have a funny story you want to share - let me know. Or if you can comment a couple sentences on facebook, that's always fun too!

Go the Extra Mile

I'll never forget the first time our cell group was in charge of cleaning up after one of our annual church picnics. We were up at Medford Oaks Campground, and everyone, except for our group was already gone. We were responsible for making sure the picnic area was clean and put back to how it originally was. In my mind it looked great, but Sean was not satisfied. So, he had all of us go practically inch by inch, not only in the picnic area, but all the way around the picnic area also, picking up trash. This included the tiniest pieces of trash that weren't ours.
I remember being so annoyed (because I can be selfish) and accusing him of being a perfectionist, in a bad way. He explained to me, that it wasn't perfectionism, it was having a spirit of excellence.

Last night I went on my monthly grocery shopping trip to Food 4 Less. Which by the way, is going very well! I am now in my 3rd month of doing it, and needless to say, I had a lot of groceries. While I was bagging up my second cart of groceries, a young man who worked there named Chase came over and very nicely offered me help. Now I was always under the impression that at Food 4 Less you bag your own groceries, and that is true, but Chase went above and beyond what was being asked of him in his job description. Not only did he bag my groceries, but he helped me bring them out to my car in the pouring down rain. What do I think of that? SPIRIT OF EXCELLENCE!

So many times in my life I try to just "skate" by. Like all of us, I am busy, so at times I do the minimum that will make whatever I am doing acceptable. I'm ashamed to say that I don't always have a spirit of excellence. I think we can all relate though...at least in some areas. So, this week, I am deliberately going to go above and beyond my "job description". I want to have what Sean and that young man Chase has - and that is the desire to go the extra mile.

Matthew 5:41 says: And whoever compels you to go one mile, go with him two.