Rubik’s Cube®

The Rubik’s Cube is a 3-D mechanical puzzle invented in 1974 by Hungarian sculptor and professor of architecture Ernő Rubik. We were pretty excited at our house when it first came out because we are 100% Hungarian.  It wasn’t until recently that I wondered if there were some correlations between this cube and my life.

  • While getting one side to be all one color is impressive, it isn’t considered “solving the puzzle”.
  • Life Correlation: Just because I look put together in one area doesn’t mean I have all of life figured out. Check out all the sides.
  • One wrong turn can lead to several and that can lead to a mess.
  • Life Correlation: One wrong turn is rarely ever just one wrong turn. It is often the start of a series of bad moves.
  • Trying to put the puzzle back to its original shape takes time, patience, and practice.
  • Life Correlation: Trying to pick up the pieces in my life and put it back to its ‘original shape’ is impossible. I am so thankful for God’s mercy, grace, and forgiveness!
  • No matter how messed up it looks right now, there is someone who can put my confused Rubik’s Cube®  back into a complete and perfect, original shape.
  • Life Correlation: No matter how messed up my life looks right now, God can take all of the wrongs I have done and the wrongs done to me and transform them for ministry moments in this broken and hurting world.

My prayer is that you allow God to work His healing and wholeness into every area of your life. As your healing progresses, do not be surprised if He asks you to share your story (His-story) to bless another fellow traveler on the path.

Growth Spurts

Kids and growth spurts! It seems like overnight they can add six inches to their height! It’s all a part of who they are becoming. How do you measure your growth?

Have you had any spiritual growth spurts lately? A time that might not yet seem outwardly productive but inside God has been molding and pressing and shaping you to become who He wants you to be? He undoubtedly wants us to be His ~ heart, soul, and mind. And while He works with our unique personality, Christians do have many similar characteristics. In Galatians 5, God mentions the Fruits of the Spirit:

  • Love
  • Joy
  • Peace
  • Patience
  • Kindness
  • Goodness
  • Faithfulness
  • Gentleness
  • Self-Control

God wants to grow some fruits in our lives and allows us many experiences in order to produce a bumper crop! Anyone who grows plants knows there are some Godly truths found in the process and procedure of tending to greenery. May God give you eyes to see the growth in others as well as the perspective to view your life experiences in terms of growth for His purposes!

1 Blessed is the one
who does not walk in step with the wicked
or stand in the way that sinners take
or sit in the company of mockers,
2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD,
and who meditates on his law day and night.
3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water,
which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither—
whatever they do prospers. Psalm 1:1-3


 

Spirograph® 2

I have been pondering Spirographs® lately. You can too, and come up with your own connections.

If my faith-life was represented with a Spirograph® flower, it would have a large overall diameter representing both the times I have walked closely with God and the times that I have strayed away.

How about you?  Are there times in your life you have been more connected to God’s Word than others? Have there been times when you have traveled down some difficult roads because you have decided to ‘blaze your own trail’? Are you hesitant to confess and seek His forgiveness because you think your sin is unforgivable?

God can and does use all of our experiences to shape us into vessels He can use to share the Good News about His love, sacrifice, forgiveness, mercy, and grace. Allow Him to cleanse, redeem, forgive and renew you!!

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9

My prayer is that you know the love of our Heavenly Father and center your path around His Word. May the Holy Spirit guard and empower you!

 

Spirograph® Designs and Faith

At some point you have probably messed around with or at least seen a Spirograph® set. They can make some pretty cool designs. But recently I wondered how a Spirograph® can be a springboard for a conversation about faith.

We often crab about restrictions on our lives. Really, who likes rules and regulations? I am one who has often stepped out of line. I resented restrictions. But honestly, the times I walked over the line were the ones that brought heartache into my life.

Think about the large ring on the Spirograph®. It creates a boundary where the smaller wheels or gears can move and create incredibly beautiful patterns within the ring. Think of God’s laws or commandments as the large ring: fixed and dependable, providing structure and stability for the gear to move freely within the boundaries.

There are many ways to create beautiful patterns with a Spirograph®. Working within God’s boundaries can be freeing and refreshing. There is safety within His boundaries.

Are your fighting the boundaries that God has in place for your protection?

Muzzles

Scripture is so real!

I love how I can relate to it–even when the imagery makes me laugh. And His Spirit convicts me.

1 I said, “I will watch my ways
and keep my tongue from sin;
I will put a muzzle on my mouth
as long as the wicked are in my presence.” Psalm 39

Oh the many days I should have done that.

I also think it is amazing when I am in the midst of the conviction process and things that don’t actually point to my sin point me to my sin. It is almost as if I am being boxed in until I really come to see it and confess and turn away from it. God may use Scripture but He is not limited to getting our attention that way. I am so thankful for the Holy Spirit’s guidance and God’s care for me.

Lord, there are so many times that I sin with my words without even thinking beyond the moment. Help me to consider my words before they are spoken. Give me Your wisdom in conversation and Your insight into my various relationships. Help all I say and do reflect You and Your glory. In Your Son’s Name, Amen.

Margins

Pick up a book, magazine, or newspaper and you are sure to see margins on the edge. If there weren’t margins, you would likely be overwhelmed when reading.

So what about your life? Does it have margins or are you running from event to event? It is easy to get caught up in all there is to do. There are so many options and possibilities and they may even all be good things to do. Maybe you can afford them all. Maybe everyone has fun doing them. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they are things you should be doing. Just because you can doesn’t mean you should!

One trick I have learned is to check in with my sweet husband first before I commit to too much because there are times he knows I am getting overwhelmed before I do. And he tends to remember what else we have coming up whereas I am a ‘in the moment’ kind of gal. If you are finding yourself over committed and lacking energy and enthusiasm, take a look at your schedule and your priorities. Sometimes it’s ok to Just Say No!

Consider why you are here, how God has gifted you, and what you were created for and this might help you prioritize a little.

1 I will sing of the LORD’s great love forever;
with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations.  2 I will declare that your love stands firm forever,
that you established your faithfulness in heaven itself. Psalm 89: 1-2

If you are so inclined, Richard A. Swenson, MD wrote a great book “The Overload Syndrome: Learning to Live Within Your Limits” (previously titled Margins).

May God bless you and your endeavors as you re-evaluate your schedule!

In a fog?

Ever been in a mental fog due to illness or medicine or lack of sleep or busy mind and found yourself doing something out of habit? Maybe you don’t recall how you got from Point A to Point B, but there you are.

The other day I was heading home from a certain side of town and I intended to stop by the post office. I must have been distracted somewhere because I was within one short block of home before I realized I didn’t stop at the U.S.P.S.!

Rats.

Kids arguing in the back seat can distract us. Pressing needs, grief, and sin can all distract us. I think it is fair to say that we have all been distracted from a Godly path at least once in our lives. Sometimes it is a quick detour. Other times the detour may be several years long. With God’s help and a willing spirit, you can get back on His Path.

Seek God’s heart by reading His Word. If you are in a vulnerable place, pray for Godly friends who can encourage you on His path. Be involved in a healthy congregation. Be aware that your choice of reading material, music, and ‘screen’ choices can influence your Christian Walk for good or bad. Pray for God’s strength to get on the right track and stay the course.

One of my favorites: Psalm 34

 

Expectations

Many a human relationship has been challenged due to unstated or unrealistic expectations. You have them. I have them. Sometimes we have expectations and we don’t even recognize it. Unmet expectations usually result in a little (or a lot of) relational stress.

What about when God doesn’t meet our expectations? If we are honest with ourselves and God, we would admit that things happen in life that were certainly not what we were expecting. What will today really bring? We don’t actually know but we can lay our requests before Him and leave them there for Him to address.

Give ear to my words, O LORD,
consider my sighing.  Listen to my cry for help,
my King and my God,
for to you I pray.
In the morning, O LORD, you hear my voice;
in the morning I lay my requests before you
and wait in expectation. Psalm 5:1-3

Lord, give us the grace to accept Your will in our lives. Continually open our eyes to Your perspective and to Your plan but, above all, increase our faith and trust in You. Amen.

 

Frustration

The are so many things to be frustrated about–the economy, crime, gas prices, family relationships, the health care bill. The list could go on and on. Do you have something that has been really bugging you?

What do you do when you are frustrated?

  • Seek answers?
  • Work harder?
  • Threaten?
  • Go for a run?
  • Name calling?
  • Count to 10?
  • Speak first and think later?
  • Pound a pillow?
  • Flee?
  • Punch a wall?
  • Cry?
  • Swear?
  • Have a drink?
  • Pray?
  • Avoid?
  • Cry out to God?

Sometimes our responses are on auto-pilot; we don’t even think, we just respond. Consider how you respond when you are defeated, discouraged, or disappointed. Ask God to show you ways that are productive and not destructive.

Evening, morning and noon I cry out in distress, and he hears my voice.  Psalm 55:17 NIV

If you find yourself in some bad habits as you respond to frustration, ask God to help you change your behavior. Here’s a sobering thought: The people in your life take note of how you respond to disappointment and frustration.


 

Friendships

God has blessed me with so many friendships! I am always amazed at this. At each place and station in my life, He has placed such fun and Spirit-led and thoughtful and loving people in my path! I thank God for my friends!

There are so many offshoots with a topic as broad as friendship. As you ponder this idea, possibly you know someone who is surrounding themselves with dangerous friends and/or heading down a compromising road. Maybe you are concerned about a family that is moving away and that God would provide them with wonderful friendships in their new town or the loss you will experience when they move. If you have children you may want to pray for them to be good and Godly friends and to be able to lovingly address conflicts with their friends. Maybe you have been praying for a friendship that needs to be restored. Is there someone in your life God has been nudging you to befriend?

Dig into God’s Word and let God use the Scripture to tune your perspective and your heart to His perspective and heart and let Him lead you in prayer. And remember, He wants to be your best friend.