Created

Lately, I've been nesting.  Fixing my house up just the way I see most fit and functional.  I have many plans for this house that I grew up in, memories in every corner and nook.  The children and I see nothing but, opportunity and adventure!  Thanks to my mom, we are making it our own with new memories and laughter in every single room.  I believe that is what my father would have wanted for us.  I am now the care taker of my childhood home and am honored to keep it beautiful and safe.  As I was talking to a friend this evening that is currently struggling to understand why they have to be somewhere and telling me they could do better on their own, I was enlightened.  You see, I felt the same as my friend not too long ago.  I thought I could grow more and succeed better anywhere else rather than in my hometown.  When I was away from here:  pay was better, stress was gone, and people were more accepting.  Favorable circumstances occurred and life seemed effortless!  As I returned to the place I once called home I felt taken advantage of, judged, lost in a dry land of ritual and legalism.  People seemed harsh, unhappy, angry and stuck.  It was HARD and I didn't want to come back.  I literally hid from everything and everyone.  I learned it was not the town or people, it was me and my perception.  I told my friend this, and then noticed the bar-stool my kids and I painted the day before and said to my buddy:       

"Look at your life and circumstances this way:  You are an artist(you will understand this), when you create a piece of artwork - you see it as a masterpiece.  It's yours and you created it.  Well, God created you and when he looks at you - He SEES HIS MASTERPIECE!  Only He can envision the WHOLE picture and scheme of things(like a director of a film).  We can only see what is in front of us, not the end or deleted scenes.  God knows what's best (He's been there and done that) and we MUST trust Him!  You can't trust man, that includes yourself!  Man screws everything up.  Trust God with your life, the one who created you for it.  When we attempt to do it ourselves or try to take control and do things the worlds way, I don't think that we can become the masterpiece He designed for us to be (without Him/the Creator).  It's only when we realize that we desperately need Him to become the masterpiece He has designed us to be.  Then, we can discover why we are here and what our purpose is!  Seek Him and FIND Him, our creator, because when we see with His eyes what we are and how He sees us, we will be completely satisfied.  By spending time with the one that knit us together we discover our purpose and what we were made for.  He views us as beautiful, priceless, YES! WE ARE HIS JOY!  Just like when we delight in our workmanship."  

We are God's MASTERPIECE!  We can't fully be what we were created to be if we aren't plugged into the one that can maintain us and guide us to our destiny.  We might not reach our fullest potential if we don't get charged by our Creator, our Source of energy and strength.  Sometimes I'm foolish and run from the one that wants the BEST for me.  I cave into gullible thinking that I can discover better for my life.  I don't trust man, which translates "why trust myself?"  I know I will definitely mess up.

Point:  We really and truly can't be what we were created to be without our Creator.  Art doesn't just happen, there is ALWAYS an artist with a master plan!  Try to trust the one that sees the BIG picture and not your own tunnel vision.

p.s.  Take a look at this video, Pledge isn't just for cleaning furniture!

http://youtu.be/mgTMYjhVXQg

Humans fail

Last night, my dog Tiger was with me in the attic going through some boxes to find something I lost in my most recent move.  As I walked out and passed the rat poison bait box, it was empty.  Every single pellet was gone as I noticed my dog licking her lips.  I freaked out, got on my phone and dialed every vet umber in town.  Turns out there are no emergency vet clinics in my town that are open on the weekends and weekday nights, the only ones available are an hour away.  I grabbed the peroxide and started making Tiger drink it to induce vomiting, nothing.  The kids were crying, I was shoving peroxide down Tiger's mouth and life was not calm.  I had that drop in my stomach feeling.  My ex husband and his wife showed up, which turns out she adores animals.  In all the chaos, one of my kids called them.  Brooke asked if she and Adam could take Tiger to Columbia since I had the kids and the peroxide wasn't working.  I was fine with that, seeing how I was on the verge of losing my only consistent companion.  Brooke's phone rang and it was a friend of hers that worked at a local vet facility in town and she got a hold of the veterinarian.  One hour later, Tiger was vomiting up the poison, hooked up to an iv and eating charcoal like a champ.  Thanks to the two people in my life that I usually don't get along with.  Tiger, was dying, she ate something that she thought tasted good.  Like many of us, we think what we want is good, yet in all actually brings us death.  I thought working 24/7 when I didn't have the kids was good, but I'm laying here in bed sick because I haven't taken care of myself.  Everyday I wake up & rush out the door to a job or help out someone and only devote a few minutes to Bible reading and talking to my Creator. I forget to eat and find out at the end of the day I never exercised. This is NOT something that should be normal. I'm eating poison, the poison of this world that says its okay to work work work and never acknowledge our Father that patiently waits for us to spend time with Him so that he might nourish and encourage us (reminding us, that this too shall pass).

Truth is, I failed. I fail daily at loving someone that constantly sees only the negative in me and reminds me of this daily.  They failed, they fail at remembering I'm not God and never will be perfect even though I strive to be more like my Heavenly Father(wanting less of me and more of Him).  I fail at getting things done, being on time, being a good friend, and keeping a positive outlook.  Humans fail, there is not one soul I can depend on to save me, take care of me, love me NO MATTER what. There is only one that cares that much and can go above and beyond temporarily using His children to share His unconditionally love and grace. God is God for a reason, because we as humans screw everything up.  Yet, when we take the time to listen to Him- the world changes because we start to see through His  eyes.  His vision is way better than anything we can imagine.

Last week, my Bible study crew not only brought me a beautiful new bed for one of my boys, they left my house full of God's peace. Peace that no matter what, I'm not alone and I'm seriously loved.  I was exhausted from working around the clock (trying to make ends meet), forever feeling I can't go on another day because I was running this life alone(being the mom, the disciplinarian, the house keeper, the friend, the maintenance, the councilor, the provider, & wearing ALL the crazy hats a single mom has to wear) and it was too much for one to carry alone.  The stress of a custody battle on top of it all, I was sick of complaining and crying out to God.  WELL, a simple bed delivery gift turned out to be an extreme GOD is REAL moment.  I was working through out the weekend and left a key for Leslie(Bible study peep) to deliver what I thought was going to be a used bed for one of my boys who didn't have one.  A day later when I returned to my house after seeing Eve leave the hospital from an infection, I didn't walk into my chaotic-just-moved-in house full of boxes and things all over the floors, I walked into a beautiful, clean decorated home.

Doors were fixed, pine straw was laid out in the yard, pictures were hung, toilet seat was put on, bunk bed was made safe and secure, new rugs in the hall, kitchen and bathrooms, sweet smelling candles in every room, laundry done, refrigerator full of my favorite foods, shelves stocked with paper towels and toilet paper!  POINT made! God showed up and used his precious people to do it! They more than listened, they took action!  God didn't fail, we might at times, but He redeems us and that's when we get that second, third or forth chance to be His hands and feet.  Thank you Leslie, Bo, Jennie, Brian, Wendy, Ben, Leslie, Lindsey, Justin, Christyn, Victoria and family, Lourdes, Mike, MOM, and YES....thank you Adam and Brooke. Thank you all for putting yourself aside and putting on Christ.  It's amazing I fail, yet God still LOVES me ALWAYS! Now is the time to be with Him, seek Him, find Him, through His word and always remembering the things He has done!