Of course, this Nonna thinks mine are the grandest of them all.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
My Grands
Grands are the best! I have two right now. Bekki and Jack. Bekki comes to visit every Saturday and spends the night. I look forward to it every week. If I could wish a wonderful thing for you I would wish you would have grands as grand as mine.
Of course, this Nonna thinks mine are the grandest of them all.
Of course, this Nonna thinks mine are the grandest of them all.
The Peter Show
I have a boy on my bus who has a lot of issues. One day I had to tell him this isn't the Peter Show! (Named changed because of privacy laws). He is so used to being in control everywhere he goes. He throws fits and has outburst when things don't go his way. He wants all the attention. He wants it his way, right now! He does at times stomp on the floor in anger, lash out, scream etc. He has a melt down often. All because he wants "his way".
I got to thinking about this. How many Christians are this way? Do we want control? Do we want "our" way? Are we angry because things aren't going the way we want? Do we go around and around, insisting on trying again a way that doesn't work? Are we like Peter insisting on the "Donna Show" or insert your name the " Show"? Really we need to have each day be the Jesus Show.
We also have been taught another thing at my job. If a child has his hand gripped around something like the handle to hold to go up the stairs to get on the bus, we have a method to loosen his grip. You "peal" his or her hand off the object. You start with the pinky finger and work up to the pointer finger than the thumb. You start with the weakest and "peal" the grip till its broken free. Maybe this is what we need to have done. We need to let the Lord "peal" our hands off the control lever of our lives. Maybe we have to let him start with the little things and work up to totally letting go of our need to control what we really can't control anyway.
It's funny and sad that we believe we have real control of our lives. Like Peter who thinks he controls the world, we think we control our corner of the world. Peter is, I think, ten. I imagine he has been in control since he first threw a fit as an infant. It's been the "Peter Show" that long. How long has it been your show instead of the Jesus Show? When, oh when, will we let him peal our tight grip free? You know Peter just wants peace and freedom to live happily. We can only have happiness, joy, peace when we let the Prince of Peace have control. Peter has been in control badly for about 10 years with terrible results. How long have you been in control? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? How long will you choose to stomp your foot and scream and yell "It's not fair!"?
I've started the process toward freedom but I have areas I'm still learning how to let Jesus control and Donna to just rest and follow His lead. I hope you will join me in the journey of the "Jesus Show" today. Just like its the best thing for Peter to not be in control. It's the best thing for us to not be in control. Really!
I got to thinking about this. How many Christians are this way? Do we want control? Do we want "our" way? Are we angry because things aren't going the way we want? Do we go around and around, insisting on trying again a way that doesn't work? Are we like Peter insisting on the "Donna Show" or insert your name the " Show"? Really we need to have each day be the Jesus Show.
We also have been taught another thing at my job. If a child has his hand gripped around something like the handle to hold to go up the stairs to get on the bus, we have a method to loosen his grip. You "peal" his or her hand off the object. You start with the pinky finger and work up to the pointer finger than the thumb. You start with the weakest and "peal" the grip till its broken free. Maybe this is what we need to have done. We need to let the Lord "peal" our hands off the control lever of our lives. Maybe we have to let him start with the little things and work up to totally letting go of our need to control what we really can't control anyway.
It's funny and sad that we believe we have real control of our lives. Like Peter who thinks he controls the world, we think we control our corner of the world. Peter is, I think, ten. I imagine he has been in control since he first threw a fit as an infant. It's been the "Peter Show" that long. How long has it been your show instead of the Jesus Show? When, oh when, will we let him peal our tight grip free? You know Peter just wants peace and freedom to live happily. We can only have happiness, joy, peace when we let the Prince of Peace have control. Peter has been in control badly for about 10 years with terrible results. How long have you been in control? 5 years? 10 years? 20 years? How long will you choose to stomp your foot and scream and yell "It's not fair!"?
I've started the process toward freedom but I have areas I'm still learning how to let Jesus control and Donna to just rest and follow His lead. I hope you will join me in the journey of the "Jesus Show" today. Just like its the best thing for Peter to not be in control. It's the best thing for us to not be in control. Really!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Know Jesus- Know Peace
As for God, His way is perfect; The Word of the Lord is proven:He is a shield to all who trust him. 2 Samuel 22:31
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in you; Let them shout for joy; because you defend them; Let those also who love your name be joyful in you, for you, O Lord will bless the righteous; with favor you will surround him as with a shield. Psalms 5:11, 12
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. Psalms 118:8
Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. Isaiah 50:10
Lately I've been thinking about trusting God. These verses all tell us good things about trusting God. A clearer way to say it is that when you trust in God you are resting in Him, in who He is and in what He says in the Word and to your heart. As we learn to know how awesome and mighty God is and than realize that He loves each of us, personally We can begin to learn to trust and rest in Him. We can look at our problems, situations, challenges and get overwhelmed or we can see who God is and learn to trust and find a peaceful resting place.
I don't know about you but I tend to worry. Even though I have been striving to stop. Though I found a verse that said it was a sin. My thoughts, like a dog chasing it's tail, go round and round stressing me out. This is so the opposite of resting, trusting. And what a denial of what I believe. I do believe in God I do believe in the Bible and this striving, wringing of my hands, this negativity is just wrong! And tiring. But trusting in Jesus. Trusting in Father God. That's where the peace is. There is the rest I desire.
I have heard the catchy phrase: Know Jesus-Know Peace Sounds simple, right? But it's a journey. Just like I know my husband better and better because I've spent time with him. I've talked with him and shared my life with him. I've heard his ideas and dreams. It's the same with the Lord. Spend time praying reading the Bible, studying it and learning more about who He is and as we do that we will "know Him". and we will "know peace" .
What does this look like in real life? Well for instance: I had a problem with a child on my bus. It was so frustrating. I decided to ask the Lord to help me with this. He gave me an ideal to try. It worked! As this child was unruly I would step back and whisper a "Help me Lord". I would feel peaceful and an ideal would come to me, what to say or what to do. I would then do what I felt nudged to do. I was able to trust in Him to help me and I knew peace in that difficult situation.
Another picture of what trusting God, resting in God is like is this. Imagine floating on water in a pool. You have to 'trust' the water to hold you up. You have to "rest" on the top of the water. If you strive or struggle, down you will go splashing, getting water in your mouth. You wont be able to float if you don't trust. We have to lay back in the word of God. We have to trust in who He is to hold us up.
This is just a few of my thoughts on this subject. I've in no way exhausted this subject but I hope I've got you thinking.
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. Proverbs 3:5
Let all those rejoice who put their trust in you; Let them shout for joy; because you defend them; Let those also who love your name be joyful in you, for you, O Lord will bless the righteous; with favor you will surround him as with a shield. Psalms 5:11, 12
It is better to trust in the Lord than to put confidence in man. Psalms 118:8
Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. Isaiah 50:10
Lately I've been thinking about trusting God. These verses all tell us good things about trusting God. A clearer way to say it is that when you trust in God you are resting in Him, in who He is and in what He says in the Word and to your heart. As we learn to know how awesome and mighty God is and than realize that He loves each of us, personally We can begin to learn to trust and rest in Him. We can look at our problems, situations, challenges and get overwhelmed or we can see who God is and learn to trust and find a peaceful resting place.
I don't know about you but I tend to worry. Even though I have been striving to stop. Though I found a verse that said it was a sin. My thoughts, like a dog chasing it's tail, go round and round stressing me out. This is so the opposite of resting, trusting. And what a denial of what I believe. I do believe in God I do believe in the Bible and this striving, wringing of my hands, this negativity is just wrong! And tiring. But trusting in Jesus. Trusting in Father God. That's where the peace is. There is the rest I desire.
I have heard the catchy phrase: Know Jesus-Know Peace Sounds simple, right? But it's a journey. Just like I know my husband better and better because I've spent time with him. I've talked with him and shared my life with him. I've heard his ideas and dreams. It's the same with the Lord. Spend time praying reading the Bible, studying it and learning more about who He is and as we do that we will "know Him". and we will "know peace" .
What does this look like in real life? Well for instance: I had a problem with a child on my bus. It was so frustrating. I decided to ask the Lord to help me with this. He gave me an ideal to try. It worked! As this child was unruly I would step back and whisper a "Help me Lord". I would feel peaceful and an ideal would come to me, what to say or what to do. I would then do what I felt nudged to do. I was able to trust in Him to help me and I knew peace in that difficult situation.
Another picture of what trusting God, resting in God is like is this. Imagine floating on water in a pool. You have to 'trust' the water to hold you up. You have to "rest" on the top of the water. If you strive or struggle, down you will go splashing, getting water in your mouth. You wont be able to float if you don't trust. We have to lay back in the word of God. We have to trust in who He is to hold us up.
This is just a few of my thoughts on this subject. I've in no way exhausted this subject but I hope I've got you thinking.
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