Fluff or Slough?

So, I don't know if Blogger had a hiccup...but I just noticed that a post I wrote long ago, had over 18,000 Google shares. WHAT??? And I have 69 followers. Interesting. Hmmmm....take a look at the post, and consider following this blog...I have a new hope in sharing my heart!

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For two days, my husband and I uncovered a whole mound of doctrine that we almost bought into...or didn't know we had allowed to shape us because it has wrapped its tendrils around many things we've always counted on as solid and true.
I have a sudden awareness of the world around me, and a deep desire to cling to the foundations of what I know. In the light of truths that I depend on, aka the Holy Bible, I am more aware than ever of twisted doctrine that's seeped into my heart, blurred my vision, and fostered a judgement for those who run the other way.

 I should be running, too.

 Mostly, I have realized, that just because it says "Christian", doesn't give it clout to be trusted. As much as I preach anti-cultural ideas, have I ever pulled apart the web of Christian culture to dissect the parts that paint a plastic doctrine of God? It's difficult, because it seems so appealing to the human heart, but only with a keen eye of discernment do I know that it's feeding my flesh, not my Spirit.

 Through solid Bible studies, like Beth Moore's, and my Scripture-preaching pastor, I begin to slough away the falsities, the manipulated ideas of putting experiences of God ahead of the Truths of God, pushing off the man-made notions that God needs us instead of us desperately needing Him in this one-way street to Glory. The false promise that what we've gone through has any clout  against the Word of God.

I am but filthy rags.

Never before has the solid teaching of hiding Scripture in my heart meant more to me. In a world of diluted doctrine and false prophets that have disguised themselves so well in the mainstream, I must be sharp and unwavering in the recesses of my soul.

Did I really think these warnings in Scripture only described obvious non-Christians? Sheep's clothing is trending as we speak, even among our Christian circles. It's fluff without the Word backing it up, it's synthetic without the roots of The Vine offering Life. Hiding the Word in my heart is my only chance to see beneath the disguise, to slough away the fluff and rest in Truth.

Click Here for Scripture on these Truths.

Life is Pointless...Really

I can't imagine a world without love, can you?
And I can't imagine love being a product of our scientific make up instead of God.

Really, it doesn't make any sense to Love in a godless world. If our existence is purely based on science and random acts of matter, then what's the point of love?
Really.
Without God being Love, have you ever thought...what is the point of love? Is it just hormones raging from a scientific reaction to another creature...oh wait...can you call it that without "creation" in the picture?

Is humanity really significant from a scientific perspective? Does it even matter if I care for my neighbor, my brother, my kid...if there is no driving force bigger than a group of atoms that meshed together?

Raison d'etre is out the window if we are that insignificant in the universe. If life is just a second among billions and billions of years and just a spec among billions and trillions of stars, planets, universes...then what the heck is the point?

To breathe air and release carbon dioxide?

To gain pleasure for our insignificant atoms in a random development of materials?

To develop the next generation for the next second where they could help or destroy a planet that really isn't that big of a deal in the grand scheme of infinity?

If there is no Who to care about all this life...then who cares?

Really.

Without the WHO, there is no answer to WHY...and without WHY we just don't really matter. 

Can anyone be okay with that?

Not me.

Every man, every woman, every CREATURE, is a testimony of the WHO...God's very essence is obvious in the love, the compassion, the heartache, the struggle. I don't care what you believe about God. Your definition of God does not change the Truth of God.

He made you...and you are proof of Him. No matter if you chose to believe it.

A Season For...

"Whether it be a slew of rejections on the book of my heart with less and less hope for a "yes", or a broken relationship where time is the only medicine, I am starting to realize the importance of a season versus a momentary lapse.

On www.freedigitalphotos.net by Grant Cochrane

I would rather throw a fit, move forward, and slap a huge happy band-aid on my struggles. It's worked before. A new contest to enter, a new book proposal to whip up, an apology, a change of scenery...

But what happens when those things just don't cut it? When the future...while glimmering with hope in the distance...just isn't all that pretty in the up-close? When the writing doesn't come, the desire is as parched as a dried up inkwell, and chaos is frantically buzzing around?"

There is healing ahead, but sometimes you just have to know what the season calls for...check out the rest of my post on The Writer's Alley today. Leave a comment too!

Top Five Survival Tips for an Overloaded Spring Schedule

Spring time... a time (long ago it seems) of fresh flowers and budding trees. Hoping that happens soon around here. And around here, we have plenty of time outdoors to enjoy them with our busy schedule of baseball and soccer. We also have swimming, youth group, and piano in the mix too...oh, and I can't forget the music concerts for school, and the academic competitions. YIKES! Well, I thought I'd offer some tips to anyone else who might be feeling the heavy weight of a busy schedule crushing all sanity from their momma brain....um...well what's left of it after raising colicky infants to defiant toddlers to know-it-all school age kids...oh I do love the little rugrats.;)

Here are my tips...maybe not in any particular order of importance...maybe that's in the eye of the beholder?

1. JUST SAY NO: So, to get any negativity out at the front so we can end on a positive note...I thought I'd start with this one. Always check and adjust according to your family's well-being and each individual child. It's never too late to say "no" when it comes to the best interest of those you love. For example, we noticed a severe decline in our second son's ability to concentrate once his schedule got loaded down. RED FLAG! We had to re-evaluate and drop things...and he was ten times better for it.This is hard if you follow the philosophy of "Never Quit", but sometimes, quitting is exactly what you need to do because you really shouldn't have said, "yes" in the first place.

2. FAMILY TIME/DATE NIGHT: Carve out time for family time. Even when you have two baseball games, a soccer game, two swim practices, youth group, and a school music concert in one week, there is always time to sit in the family room and just hang out....it might take a little effort, but in the long run, it is more important than a practice or game. Also, remember to include a date night here and there with the hubs. Seriously hard to do. Even if it means putting the kids to bed and sitting on the deck for a quiet evening. You won't enjoy this season if you are disconnected to the one person on your team!

3. MESSES ALLOWED: Don't expect a clean house. UGH!!! This is so hard for me. Clean=Peace in my mind. And when life is going 100 MPH, I need as much peace as I can get. But I gotta remember that this isn't HGTV and my house isn't on the market for a potential buyer. Paying attention to what matters most (my family) must trump a messy living room and a sink full of dishes. Peace could be found in the joy of my kids enjoying their activities...right? Still working on that one...but catching on more and more each season!

4. MENU FLEXIBILITY: And about that sink full of dishes....every once in a while, you just have to throw in the towel on cooking a healthy meal. There are plenty of quick healthy-ish options out there when you are in a time crunch...and actually, a couple of bad options once a month or every couple of weeks won't hurt. A friend and I talked about how we can work ourselves up into a paranoid mess if we worry about every thing our kids ingest now-a-days with all these diet fads and theories out there. It can work me up into a frenzy and make me feel completely out of control and like a failure as a caregiver. But I have to remember that God's in control...God is the ultimate Protector of my kids, inside and out. Sometimes you do what you have to do...no guilt necessary.

5. HAVE FUN: This is so difficult to remember...I am naturally a complainer. It is so easy to get frustrated with overlapping games and time conflicts. But...the reason I allowed these things to happen is because my children benefit greatly from these activities. They learn confidence, team work, perseverance, endurance, and the list goes on! We have seen a TREMENDOUS change in our oldest's self-esteem once he got involved in sports. I know not every kid needs this or benefits from it, but when you find the passion in your kids, don't complain about the activity...enjoy watching your child thrive and GROW! It's over in a blink!

HAPPY SPRING....AND GO TEAM!

Any other tips you can think of? Would love to hear from you in this comment section!