Think the grass is greener?

Wayne Simien (click on the name to watch the video)

"All people are like grass and all their glory is like the flowers of the field; the grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of the Lord endures forever." -- 1 Peter 1:24

Don't we all sometimes think our lives are not what we want them to be and we long for better lives...like those of celebrities, sports stars or the very rich? We think about all of our little problems and challenges and think if we had THEIR lives everything would be better. We get the attitude that "it sucks to be me!" and we want something better. The old saying that the "grass is always greener on the other side of the fence" seems to lead our lives. However, I think we need to take a page out of an old book by Erma Bombeck who said that "life is always greener over the septic tank." The grass may be greener, but it took a whole lot of "fertilizer" to get it that way!

As Wayne Simien humbly said in the video, he did have everything that a 20 year old college basketball star could ever wanted and his future looked very bright. Even after he entered the NBA and had a very successful rookie year, he knew something was still missing. He found out what was missing after he put himself and his career second and God first.

By putting God first in your life and allowing Jesus to work in you and through you, life may not go exactly the way you had envisioned it, but it will be better! You may not have material success, but you will live a successful life. 

When my life isn't going the way I want it to go, or I am frustrated or disheartened by something, I cry out to God and once again put Him first and put my selfish needs and wants second. I find that when I do this, I end up finding someone else that needs a shoulder to cry on or needs some help. I put my needs aside and help someone else, but I get helped more than anything! I have also found that God sends His comforting message to me through other friends who put Him first in their lives. A note of encouragement from one, or a text of support from another at the exact moment I need it always seems to come, whether I ask for it or not! I believe that is because I am learning to put God first. He sees my efforts and gives me the reassurance I need. It is a "I am Second" cycle, don't you see? 

We don't need riches and glory in this life. Those things only wither and fade away. God wants us to see that by putting Him first and following his lead He will provide EVERYTHING we need! There will still be times when "fertilizer" seems to pile up on our grass. But when we realize that EVERYONE has "fertilizer" issues and leave it to God to spread that "fertilizer" around in exactly the right amounts, we will find that our grass will also be green and beautiful! 

I am Second!

Forgiveness can be freeing!

The Scruggs (Click on the name to watch the video)

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." -- Proverbs 3:5-6

All morning I thought about writing about forgiveness today. As I took my shower, words and sentences about forgiveness were taking shape in my mind. I thought about times I have been forgiven and times I have forgiven someone else. I thought of friends in my life who have forgiven loved ones and moved forward in their relationships. I thought of examples like the Amish community who reached out and forgave the man who killed their children in the school house shooting. Then, I watched today's I am Second video and was amazed that it was about how forgiveness and faith in Jesus saved and rebuilt a broken marriage.

Forgiveness when you have been hurt is so very hard. We naturally want to draw into ourselves and protect our hearts when we have been hurt. It is so much easier to hold on to the hurt and let it build walls around us than it is to let go of the hurt and leave ourselves open to being hurt again. If holding grudges were an Olympic event, some of us would have a mantle full of gold medals!

However, while holding on to hurt and anger is natural for us, letting it go and forgiving is so freeing and lets us move on and have our hearts open to more wonderful and amazing relationships. So, just how do we fight the natural urge to hold on to the hurt and learn to forgive? I believe in my heart that knowing Christ, believing in his forgiving and renewing grace for our sins, and relying on HIS power to forgive is the way to fight our natural tendencies to withhold forgiveness.  How can I know this? Because I have learned to let go and forgive people who have hurt me, and the only way I could have done that is by following Jesus. Jesus said we are to love God and love others, so that's what I try to do every day. 

I'm not saying I let others do whatever they want to me and walk all over me. Jesus stood up for those who were persecuted and I don't believe he wants to see anyone be weak and beaten down. BUT, when someone does hurt me, I ask Jesus to help me see that person through HIS eyes and try to understand WHY they did what they did. When you put yourself in the shoes of someone else, it makes it easier to identify with them and forgive them.

Has someone hurt you? Did a friend betray you? Did a spouse cheat on you? Did someone say something mean or untrue about you? Instead of holding on to that hurt, ask Jesus to help you let it go. Take a look at that person through Jesus' eyes and try to understand them better. You may never understand why they did what they did, but Jesus will help you learn to forgive. It may take time, but you will see and feel the difference in your heart when you let go of the hurt. God can do amazing things in a heart that learns to forgive! Just look at the Scruggs from the video.

What has God done in my life?

Whispering Danny (click on the name to watch video)

Because of vacation, I missed about a week's worth of I am Second video sharing. I watched today's video and thought that I wanted to get back to sharing! It is a good one. You should watch it too!

Whispering Danny, who whisper-talks because of tumors that grow on his larynx, tells the story of seeing the miracle of his buddy surviving a deadly motorcycle accident. The doctors were ready to harvest his organs when his mother asked for one more day. Danny heard someone come in a pray a prayer of healing a salvation over his dying friend, and then wondered what all this crazy "Jesus stuff" was about. He went searching for himself on the internet that evening and ended up praying to Jesus himself. The next morning, his friend woke up. Whispering Danny now puts God first and says that he finds that through Jesus, he gets guidance, support and help in his life. It is a very dramatic story, but one that speaks of the hope and freedom that loving Christ brings to one's life.

My challenge for today from the I am Second email I received this morning was not only to share the video, but to share what I have seen God do in my life. Mine is not a story as dramatic as Whispering Danny, but I can definitely see what a difference putting God first in my life as made. While I was raised in the church and knew about God, Jesus and the Bible, it was not until well into my 30's that I discovered what having a real relationship with God was. I began to study the Bible, pray daily and often, and I began to understand that life was easier with God in it. I still had problems...MANY problems and heartaches...but in my heart I KNEW I could get through those problems and recover from the heartaches and it was easier to move on. I learned to be so very grateful for the grace and forgiveness that God gave me through Jesus and am more able to show grace and forgiveness to others around me. You know, that makes life easier for me! Not letting anger and frustration with other people rule my life and being able to let go of those kind of things does more for ME than it does for the people that I am showing grace to! People notice how I USUALLY don't let things get to me and how I seem pretty "zen" about most things. When appropriate, I share that my ability to be "zen" about things comes from God and not from anything that I am doing. Jesus said the two greatest commandments were to love God and love others. I try to live by those commandments each day. Like Whispering Danny, I find that I receive guidance, support and help in my life each day and I am sure it comes from my loving Father God!

I am Second!

I am Second - Day 2 - A Father's love

David McKenna (click on this link to watch the video)

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"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." -- John 15:12

David talks about how he thinks his father is a good illustration of what our Heavenly Father is to us...holding our hand and stroking our head and never giving up on us, even when we have done terrible things. I have always felt that way as well. My dad loved me and showed me that love all the time and always told me I could be whatever I wanted to be if I put my mind to it. He encouraged me and supported me, and forgave me when I did things he didn't approve of.

When we put God, our Heavenly Father, first in our lives, we begin to FEEL that fatherly love, encouragement and support, even if we can't see Him. I can't explain it. I don't understand all of God's mysteries, but I know in my heart and soul He is there and loves me unconditionally. 

David also says in his video that there is not always a later. We think that we can put off our relationship with God until we are in a better place, until we kick the bad habits we have, until we become a better person, until we have time...there is not always a later. If we truly believe that God can love us unconditionally, then there's no reason to wait until we are "better." God loves you RIGHT WHERE YOU ARE! If you reach out to Him, He will reach back and hold your hand and stroke your head and you will feel that fatherly love flow over you. I know this because I have experienced it myself.

If you already know this fatherly love, then you can share it with others. In the video, Dave explained that he needed love when he was weak. His parents showed him that love. However, there are people in the world who don't have loving and supportive people around them. If you see someone hurting in your life, reach out to them today. Or, just do something nice for someone you come in contact with. Buy a cup of coffee for the janitor. Call your mom. Pay for a stranger's lunch. Jesus commanded us to love others the way He loves us. We can show this love in very simple ways. Put God first in your life, and you will discover many ways to show His love to people you meet. I am Second!

I am Second - Day 1

I am Second - Brian "Head" Welch (click on this link to watch the video)
"Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." -- Matthew 11:28

A year or so ago, my pastor did a sermon series based around the "I am Second" concept. This is a movement of all kinds of people who are living their lives for God, instead of for themselves and telling their stories. There is a website where people from all walks of life tell their I am Second stories. They are very powerful. During my pastor's sermon series, he handed out "I am Second" bracelets. I still wear mine every day. Some people have asked me what it means, and that has given me a chance to tell them that I live my life for God and put myself second.

I recently went back to the I am Second website and  started watching some of the videos. They really touched my heart because there are some people who really lay their hearts right out there and tell how God saved them, brought them out of a bad situation, helped them accomplish dreams and made their lives so much better. I decided that I wanted to share these videos with others, so for the next several days, I would like to share an I am Second video here on my blog and hope that someone who really needs to see it will see it.

I am not perfect by a long shot, and I make many mistakes every day, but I KNOW that my life is better and even a little bit easier with God in it and with Jesus walking beside me. That may sound like a lot of bunk to some of my friends, but it is what gets me through the day and enables me to do all the things I do in my life! I am second!

Full of sap at 90!

"They still bear fruit in old age; they are ever full of sap and green," -- Psalm 92:14

"Do not cast me off in the time of old age; forsake me not when my strength is spent." -- Psalm 71:1

"Gray hair is a crown of glory; it is gained in a righteous life" -- Proverbs 16:31

Yesterday I wrote about treasured memories of my childhood. I so enjoyed and reveled in those memories and thought about how much better things were then than now. I longed for the simplicity of my youth. Then, last night, I went to dinner with a friend of mine who is celebrating her 90th birthday today. I could not help but think that I want to be HER when I grow up to be 90!

This woman, who may not be as spry as she used to be, is still so full of life!  A born storyteller, my friend loves to share her life with others through her stories. She wrote a book about her stories a year or so and those of us that have read her book adore this woman even more! But, I discovered last night, there are many more stories that didn't make it into the book. She has many life adventures and misadventures to tell about.

There is the story about her flagging down and riding with a trucker when her car broke down on the highway...did I mention she was well into her 60's or 70's at the time? This adventurous woman has driven the Yukon highway, went skydiving, as well as trying other daring escapades in her old age, after teaching in the classroom for 30 years. She knows who she is and is true to that person, not caring with others think about her. She enjoys people so much and people enjoy being with her as well. I would say that even at 90 years old, she is most definitely still full of sap!

She has inspired me to not just look at my wonderful childhood years with longing, but to make the last half of my life wonderful too! I will be 45 next month, so I AM exactly half as old as my friend. I want to remain full of sap for the rest of my life and do daring things and things that excite me every day. I want to spend time with people that I enjoy, tell stories and do things now that I can tell stories about when I am 90!

So, today I say Happy Birthday to my friend Mary Shrader! May she continue to tell stories and inspire people around her for many years to come! May I keep Mary in my heart as I grow older and remember her example the next time I look at my childhood with longing instead of looking at my present and my future with the same kind of excitement and hope!

Treasured Summer Childhood Memories...

"You who are young, make the most of your youth. Relish your youthful vigor. Follow the impulses of your heart. If something looks good to you, pursue it. But know also that not just anything goes; You have to answer to God for every last bit of it. Live footloose and fancy free - You won't be young forever. Youth lasts about as long as smoke" -- Ecclesiastes 11:9-10, The Message Translation

Have you ever had moments when you feel like you could just reach out an touch memories from the past? Lately, I have been in a nostalgic mood, thinking about my childhood. Finding old pictures, like the ones above, just reinforce this mood. I was so lucky and so blessed to have almost an idyllic childhood. I lived in a small little town until I was 16, but I spent most of my weekends and basically every summer on my grandparent's farm. My brother and I were expected to do our part to help out, whether it be pulling weeds in the garden, mowing the yard, helping in the barn, or...my "forever" job...doing the dishes! It wasn't always work we had to do. There was a lot of play time on the farm as well. Those are the moments I remember most.

My cousins, who lived out of state, would come home most summers and spend time on Grandpa's farm with us. Remembering back, there were endless things for us to do, and my cousins had such great imaginations, that I don't think we were ever bored. Sometimes we would put on our long sleeved shirts and go berry pickin'. (You can't say picking...it just isn't the same!) We would take those green and tan woven baskets that Bloomer's candy came in, or if the berry pickin' were a last minute adventure, we just strung the berries on a long stem of timothy hay. The big green "head" of the timothy kept the big, purple berries from falling off. Our fingers were stained purple for days, and we ended up eating more that we took home, but it was so much fun! Of course, we had to be on the lookout for snakes...my Grandpa always said if you smelled cucumbers, a copper head was near! I don't think I ever saw a snake on those trips, but I sure kept my guard up!

We would play a lot of make believe games. We pretended we were the family on the old show "Big Valley." I don't know why it was that show, except I think my cousin had a crush on "Heath" played by Lee Majors. Sometimes those make believe games would take place in the barn, where we made elaborate homes in the hay loft. We moved hay bales around so we had a living room, kitchen and bedrooms. One bale would be the refrigerator, one bale would be the stove. HOURS were spent in those hay houses! I'm not sure my dad and grandpa were pleased with the way we messed up their nicely stacked hay bales, but they never said too much. Being in the barn was also a lovely place to be in a thunderstorm. We would either hide out in our hay house, or sit in the big back window of the barn, watching it rain and listening to the steady rhythm of the rain hitting the old tin roof. 

Hay baling days were also a highlight of the summer! I'm sure for my dad, grandpa and uncles, it was a lot of exhausting work, but for us kids, it was the ride that we loved. We'd sit at the back of the wagon and watch the square bales kajunk, kajunk, kajunk out of the baler. It was a steady rhythm that could very easily lull you to sleep. My uncle would pull the bales out of the baler with his metal hook and stack them, starting at the back of the wagon. As the stack would get higher and higher, us kids would climb up so we were sitting on top. Riding around the hay field on that wagon as it filled up with that sweet smelling hay was such fun! We would sing and chew on a piece of hay and hate for the ride to be over. It was always stifling hot, but we didn't seem to mind so much! There was always a jug of ice cold water on the wagon somewhere, although we always made sure there was enough for the hard working guys!

Big family meals to feed all the workers always followed. So much food! Everyone sitting around the table, eating and telling stories about the day's work. There was always dessert! My favorite was cherry pie made from the sour cherries picked fresh from the tree. Oh, and the special days when we cranked homemade ice cream! It always took SO LONG to crank! We kids got to take turns turning the handle around and around, with our foot on the base to hold it steady. The salt and the ice on the top was cold and gritty, but we knew the sweet goodness that was waiting in that shiny metal can! It would get too hard for us to turn and the men would take over. Scooping out the pure white ice cream was a joy! Oh the headache I would get because I ate the super cold stuff too fast, but it was worth it! Grandma always got to eat the ice cream off the beaters in the middle of the can.

These memories bring joy to my heart and a tear to my eye. I long for the simplicity of those days I spent as a kid growing up on the farm. I wouldn't trade my childhood for anything! I thank my parents and my grandparents for giving me those opportunities and the chance to live free and easy. I also thank God for blessing me so greatly! I treasure those memories and get them out in my mind from time to time. Youth does last about as long as smoke, but the memories of those days will live in my heart forever!