How full is your jar? What did you do with the money saved in it?
For those that have been reading my blog, may remember me talking about how I pick up pennies when I find them. For those of you who dont remember ~ I do! If we are in a store, outside...I dont care where we are but if I see a penny (even other forms of money) and I find it ~ I placed that in a jar that sits on my counter. The money that is found ~ it usually happens at a time when I am worried about something. It is a reminder to me that God is in control of everything and to continue trusting Him! Last year, I was able to find $4.95. I know it doesnt sound like alot...but to me ~ it was just a reminder of how much God blessed us last year and continues to bless us. How much He takes care of us and how He is in control!
So now that you know that, you are probably wondering what I did with that. Maybe you aren't but I am going to tell you anyway. No, I didnt take Ben to McDonalds or to Target. No, I didnt go buy a book on clearance at Barnes & Noble. What I did though, I gave it to Ben to give as offering. He went proudly into his classroom with a ziplock full of change (and mostly pennies) and gave his offering. You maybe wondering what was the point of giving it to church or having Ben doing it. Well, two things really. The first being ~ the money wasnt mine! You maybe saying "You found it, of course its yours". See thats where I beg to differ. I feel the Lord put that penney or that dime in the spot where I would find it to remind me of Him. I feel because HE gave it to me ~ I will be giving it back to Him! Now you maybe asking why I didnt put the bag of change in the offering plate. Well, I would have but I give the kids money for offering. Ben wanted the bag so he got it! I also feel this is a good way to teach the kids at a young age to give back to God.
Bryan has an awesome job. I feel blessed for him and his job and also that I can be a stay-at-home mom (with Emilys health - especially in the past this has really benefited us that I was home). But I also feel that our money is HIS money. We give our offering every month. We support our missions every month but I also like to try and give back in other ways as well. The kids dont see me writing out check out for the church. Even if they did it wouldnt mean as much to them. When Ben took in that bag of change - the smile on his face to be giving with a happy heart - giving joyfully - thats what mattered! When the kids see my jar on the counter - it is a tool that can be used to explain how much the Lord has blessed us. When we take diapers and food over to the food bank we donate too ~ this is where they can see it. This is where I can explain to them how the Bible states it better to give!
I feel so blessed to have this jar. I feel so blessed to be able to speak and teach my kids about giving back and the blessings we are given. I feel so blessed to be able to teach and talk to my kids about the best gift we have been given ~ eternal life with Jesus!
What does our jar mean to you? Do you use it for a teaching tool? Next time your son or daughter asks you what the jar is for how will you answer them?
Finally, brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is
right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute,
if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on
these things.
How do you think? Do you see the glass is half full or half empty? Do you see it as a lost sock or you have one sock?
In our Sunday school class this past Sunday, our teacher has started a new series and this week it was about "Thoughts". This could be interesting, right? Have you ever thought about your thoughts? I know, that sounds weird! But really...I never thought about it before until I was in his class listening to him.
We can sit and please God by our actions. We can please Him by saying the "right" thing. We can please Him by giving Him the glory when we are church or telling others of Him. But the question becomes do we please Him with our thoughts? The things I just mentioned are outward actions. I mean - others can see what we are doing and see how we are serving Him. But are we serving Him COMPLETELY? Are we serving Him with our thoughts as well.
When Emily has been in the hospital, I would openly be reading a Christian book or pull out my Bible and be doing my devotions ~ right there in her room. Right there so anyone could walk up and see my Bible open and know what I was doing. I knew that I maybe asked about my faith. I was never approached about my readings but I was approached several times on "how we do it". After the first couple times of being asked that, I no longer had to ask "how we do what"? I knew what they were talking about. Nurses and even some parents of other patients - would ask "how do you do it". Nurses would say they have seen patients with a lot less medical issues going on and the parents are a basket case. Trust me, I was a basket case too but my answer was ALWAYS the same. The only way we make it is by our faith in Jesus Christ. The way we handle things is by knowing that HE IS IN CONTROL. Knowing that Emily is in His hands ~ that is how I can sit at her bedside each night, go with her to every surgery, be there with every blood drawn. This is how I make it each and every day. I felt just the actions were a testimony for my Lord.
The issue, for me and especially after hearing our lesson Sunday, would be if my thoughts werent following in the same suit. I mean if my actions were the ones of all worship to God and if my words were saying one thing but deep inside...i didnt believe what I said. If I, deep down, somehow blamed the doctors for not figuring out what was wrong with Emily sooner. Or I spoke one thing but felt completely different inside...theres a problem there! Now, I am not saying I am perfect. I am not saying that i never have a thought that isnt right or that isnt pleasing to God. What I am saying though, is especially now, I am going to strive to make sure my thoughts will be the same as my actions. I am going to work on making sure that the thoughts that I think about or dwell on during the day will be pleasing to the Lord.
Some of my issues are to dwell on the past. This is a BIG issue with me that I am working on. Dwelling on times when I didnt feel good enough, or times when things didnt go right or maybe when i completely messed up and wished for a "do over". Then there are thoughts where I may question did I say the right thing when I asked Jesus to live in my heart ~ when my kids asked Jesus into their hearts ~ did I make sure they said the right thing. I am learning that Satan wants us so badly to dwell on things that are not right and make us question things that are concerning God. By me questions my salvation or my kids is just not right. I know, now, that Satan is trying to mess with me and I will not allow it anymore! I realize that dwelling on the past is also not right. I have to remember the past is just that...the past!
I will make sure my thoughts are thoughts that are right, pure and on God! If they arent, I ask that they maybe taken away and quickly.
I also learned that another way to keep positive, pure, pleasing thoughts on God is to be in the company of other believers. Have you ever been around someone where all they did was complain? Have you ever found yourself after being with someone like that - that you are complaining or being so negative? I know its that way with me. Sometimes it can almost be a toxic thing. I know, for me, it can get exhausting and then almost depressing when you Im finished with the conversation.
Next time you go out with your friends think about the company you are going to be in. Think about if this is pleasing to God. Next, think about your actions...do your actions and thoughts line up? Make sure that you are a witness not just by your actions but that your thoughts line up with those actions!
One of my new favorite singers is Colton Dixon. Here is a song that I think goes perfectly with this post!
Job 21:14 (NIV) Yet they say to God, 'Leave us alone! We have no desire to know your ways.
Rejection. One word with a big meaning. Rejection. How do you feel after being rejected? I'm sure it certainly isn't "Let's go conquer the world".
This post has been weighing on me alot ~ especially lately. When I think - I am NOT blogging about that - it keeps being thought of.
I think about the feeling of being rejected. It hurts. It may feel like a slap in the face. I feel like i tend to be the type of person that is a "people pleaser". I want everyone to be happy and deep down maybe I want everyone to like me. When I know someone doesn't this feels like rejection to me. The past few weeks I have been working on this. Praying about this. It may sound stupid or a bit ridiculous to pray about people liking me but it wasn't that. It was praying about how to accept that I cant MAKE everyone like me. This has been a struggle but something I want to overcome. I feel like facing it head on - I can do this. Again, may sound stupid to someone but for me...this has been an issue that I NEED to face.
During this process I have learned I cant ~ as much as I would like to ~ have control over people and how they feel. Its a blessing to me though. Crazy I know. Its a blessing because even though this is my "rejection" it has taught me more then just overcoming things....
I remember one day a couple years ago ~ in fact, it was shortly after Emily got out of the hospital and was at the biggest she has been since being on steroids. I took her and Ben to the park. There was another girl there that looked to be a few years older then Emily. Both her and Emily were on the slide and Emily was about to go down. The little girl looked at Emily and said "you know, if you didnt eat so much and exercised you could lose your weight". Emily just looked at her like "Girl, you have no idea what you are talking about". Instead of Emily letting this affect her, she smiled and went zooming down the slide. Shortly after that, we left and Emily began telling me what had happened. My heart broke. I dealt with adults and their verbal judgement on Emily when she was 3. The hurtful words and the words the yelled rejection because of the way she looked. Now, a few years later, Emily has to face this head on. Let me say, she handled it better then I ever did back in 2007!
There was another time, right after Emily went back to school after missing 3 months. I took Emily in before the Christmas break so the kids could see her. She was physically different and I didnt want her to have a hard time adjusting to being at school but also the million questions that the other students would have. One day she came home from school and said someone said a bad word to me today. I said tell me what they said - you wont be in trouble. She said they said the F word to me. Ok, my first thought was really? They are in 1st grade and someone said the "F" word to her. Then i realize it was the OTHER - F - word ~ FAT. My heart broke. Emily told me what happened and how her teacher immediately took care of the situation. I, rather, went into the other room and cried. The rejection that she would face because of her size...her appearance was what i was trying to avoid.
Thinking about how I feel when the feelings of rejection are felt. Feeling how hurt - rejected - Emily felt with the unkind words being said to her made me think of a couple things. How too often are we judging people by their appearance. How often are people treated differently because of the way they look. Do we, ourselves, turn the other way when you see the homeless man at the side of the road? Are we rejecting him? What about someone needing directions. Are we more willing to help the clean cut, in shape person and rejecting the person that maybe overweight and wearing clothes that arent the cleanest or nicest?
The other thing I thought of is rejection of Jesus. Can you imagine how He felt? I mean He had people following Him and listening to Him speak and soon He had the same people yelling "Crucify" Him when He was being hung on the cross. When we hear the message ~ the salvation message ~ and we dont accept the perfect gift of eternal life...we ARE rejecting Jesus. Everytime we hear that small voice in us saying "make a better choice" and we know we should and dont...we are, in fact, rejecting Jesus by not listening to HIS voice.
Next time we feel the need to turn away from the homeless man or not be as nice to the person that isnt dressed like maybe you would ~ remember, your not just rejecting them but also Jesus.
