Don't Procrastinate

My small flower bed has been neglected this year.  I pulled the weeds and got it ready for the new flowers over a month ago, but I just haven't had the money to buy the flowers yet.  It hasn't been empty though, I have 3 gerber daisy plant that came back from last year.....and more weeds than I would want to count!  I decided that I was going to get the weeds out today and get the bed ready for flowers that I plan on buying this weekend.  Morgan was supposed to help me, so I waited on her to get home from school to tackle the job.  She got busy with her dolls this afternoon and forgot all about me!  As I was out there sweating like a horse and wondering why I hadn't put on my sweat band to keep the sweat out of my eyes, I scolded myself for letting the weeds get so big and so numerous.  I tried to justify by reminding myself that I have had a nasty cold for what seems like forever.  My conscious spoke up and reminded me that nobody ever died from a cold and that if I had pulled the weeds when they first popped up, there wouldn't have been so many and their roots wouldn't have had time to spread deeper and wider into the soil.  I'm sure that God was chuckling at me as I had this conversation with myself.  No, it wasn't outloud this time, but I have been known to talk to myself at times!  In the midst of the weeds and the sweat, God spoke to my heart and said, "Kim, this is exactly how sin takes a hold in your life.  It starts out small; barely even visible to others in your life.  You know that it's there and that it needs to be dealt with, but you try to ignore it or justify it.  Before you know it, everybody that drives by can see it!  It is smothering out the good in your life just like the weeds were hiding your flowers and it is now going to take work and sweat to get rid of it.  There are probably people that love you that will be hurt in the process too. That is why you need to be in my word daily and worship me in all that you do.  That is also why you need to fellowship with other believers and have a trusted friend to hold you accountable in your words and actions.  I am here for you no matter what, but I want to help you avoid the pain that sin causes in your life.  So, as soon as you spot sin in your life, yank it out and toss it to me.  I know how to get rid of it once and for all."  I'm so glad God loves me enough to speak to me; even if it is through the weeds!  And guess what?  I found another gerber daisy plant hidden beneath the weeds!  Don't procrastinate!  Get rid of the weeds so that your flowers can shine, and don't be afraid to use some weed killer to keep the darn things from coming up in the first place! 

Just some Lotion

Yesterday Morgan and I went to the movies.  Just us.  One large popcorn and 2 large sodas.  We had a great afternoon!  After the movies, we went to Family Dollar just to look.  30 minutes and $40 later we came out with some things that we needed and a couple that we just had to have.  Morgan just had to have the giant cupcake pan, which we tried out as soon as we got home.  You should have seen her face when we took it out of the oven!  I just had to have a bottle of Jergen's Original Scent Lotion.  One of the last things that my Grandmother, Nanny to me, asked me to bring her when I visited her in the hospital was a bottle of that lotion.  She loved it!  And it had to be original scent!  I opened it up in the store to smell it.  I smiled as I thought of her request.  I would have spent $40 on lotion if she had asked for it, but she only wanted Jergen's.  Boy, would I love to see her and touch her just for a few minutes!  So, this morning after my shower I took the bottle out and covered myself from head to toe with Jergen's Original Scent.  My allergies drive me nuts, so I don't normally use scented body lotion.  Today I used plenty!  You should have seen my face!  It had a smile on it as big as Texas!  The kind of smile you have when you drive 5 hours and walk into the room to see someone you love to pieces because just hearing her voice on the phone doesn't comfort you the way that putting your arms around her does.  I know that I can't be with her now, but I closed my eyes and saw her face, heard her voice, smelled her lotion and felt her presence this morning.  To most people it is just some lotion.  To me it is a precious reminder of someone who can't be here in body, but will live on in spirit as long as I remember and share her stories with my kids so that they will remember too. 

Hope

As my relationship with Christ grows, I am learning to be less of a worrier and more of a worshiper.  It hasn't been an easy thing for me.  Anyone that knows me will tell you that I am a natural born Martha.  I worry about details and chores that need to be done.  Very seldom do I just hang out at home.  Even when I do sit down to watch TV, I do laundry or get up during commercials to do some task.  Relaxing is something that doesn't just happen for me.  I have to plan for it!  So, there are some difficult things that I have been experiencing over the course of the last 4 years and most recently, a broken relationship in my family.  I am thankful for my growth in Christ because the person that I was several years ago would be a miserable wreck by now and would have made herself sick worrying about the situations.  The woman that I am becoming today knows that God has not only seen my past and sees my now; he also sees my tomorrow and has already taken steps to help me handle whatever happens when I get there.  Don't get me wrong.  I still have moments when the worry creeps in and starts to consume my thoughts, but I now know that I can take those thoughts and cast them away in the name of Jesus.  He didn't die on a cross so that I would spend my time worrying about bills to pay or family members who don't speak to each other.  I pray for God to give me opportunities to work so that I can better manage my finances, and I pray that God will heal the hearts of family members who can't let go of anger and pride or whatever it is that keeps them apart.  I try to replace the worries with worship by being thankful for something in place of worrying.  Today on the way home from work I was listening to my favorite Christian radio station.  A mother called to thank the radio station for playing a song that she said has helped her get through the difficult days and nights that she faces since the death of her 4 month old baby.  My heart broke as she shared her story.  On my worst day filled with phone calls about our debt or a sad heart because someone that I love doesn't attend family functions or take time to see our Mom on Mother's Day, I still can't even begin to know the hurt and pain of this Mother.  As long as I am alive and able to work there is hope for my financial future.  As long as my family members are alive there is hope for reconciliation.  So, today, I am thankful for 2 healthy daughters and a God that gives me hope and the strength to focus on the hope and not the worries of the day.