There Are No Guarantees in Life. . .OR are there?

 

Benjamin Franklin once said “There are no guarantees in life except death and taxes.”  Well, isn’t that just a cheery thought!  It’s a good thing babies don’t understand words and meanings in the beginning or they would just want to crawl right back in the womb and stay there.  I disagree with this statement and I’ll tell you why.  First, let me tell you what I can guarantee:

 

A cow will moo instead of clucking.

A dog will bark instead of meowing.

When it rains, something will get wet.

If you make bees mad, you WILL get stung.

If you get bit by a mosquito, it WILL itch.

If you break bones, it WILL hurt.

If you build a garden, there will be weeds in it.

If I sang a solo in church, I would never be asked to again.

If you put roller skates on me, I WOULD fall down.

If a woman has natural childbirth with out medications of any kind and says 

   It wasn’t that bad, she’s lying.

If I go into my son’s room as he is falling asleep, he will ask for a backrub.

If I ask my husband to do a job, he will always find a way to accomplish it.

When I talk to my momma on the phone, she will ask “How’s my darlin’”

If you are around someone having a laughing fit, you will at least giggle.

Each spring, the trees will leaf out and the flowers will bloom.

You have a past.

You are living in the present.

You do have a future. (Someone might argue this last one…just hang on)

 

What is a guarantee?  The web offered definition and these were the best:

Anything that assures a certain outcome.

A collateral agreement to answer for the debt of another.

To assume responsibility for a debt.

            (And my favorite)

To undertake, to free the prisoners.

 

I bet a lot of you know where I’m going.  But there are some who don’t and this is who I’m speaking to now.  Someone has given us the guarantee of an abundant life, to have everlasting joy and peace regardless of our circumstances, unconditional love, to never leave us or forsake us, and to give us a home in a paradise one day, Heaven instead of the other awful, fiery alternative. What an awesome guarantee and who could make such a promise?  Jesus Christ.  What is the collateral?  We repent of our sins and give them over to Him, and He takes the guilt away.  Once prisoners to our sin, we are now freed! 

 

The world can be so negative and people can be such downers.  I know, because I’ve been one of them.  Because I let the hurt of circumstances become stronger than my focus on the Lord of my life.  But when I drew my focus back on Him and placed my circumstances in His hands and let go, the peace and joy came back.  I started to move past those circumstances and go on with my life. I didn’t leave them behind.  I put them in the hands of the one I knew could take care of it all and I daily trust Him with the outcome.

I, for one brief moment, took my eyes off of Him and concentrated on what the devil wanted me too.  I wised up and said to him “NO MORE!”.  My eyes are focused once again in the right place, they are wide open, and a smile is back on my face.

 

Are you smiling?  I know bad, gloomy things happen in our lives and He gives us a time to grieve, but when the time is right, it is time to move on. 

 

If you’re wondering how to do this kind of life, it’s really very simple.  You just bow your head humbly before the Lord, repent of your sins asking Him to take them away and come into your heart and be Lord of your life.  That’s all there is to it.  It’s not hard, it’s not complicated.  Then you step forward with a renewed way of living.  Once a prisoner, now set free, no matter where you are sitting.

 

Wouldn’t you like to be debt free?  Wouldn’t you like to be set free? Hand the sin over to Jesus Christ and accept the gift of forgiveness that will last forever.

 

You want a guarantee?  How about John 3:16…’For God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life.”

The Seven Cow Wife

I read this a long time ago, can't remember where, but it struck me as worth keeping. I found it the other day and thought I would share it with you. . .

The Seven Cow Wife

In a small, rural town in Africa, a young man decided to get married. It was the custom in that area that when a young man decided sought a woman in marriage, he would pay the bride’s parents a dowry in cows. If a woman was of average appearance and ability, the dowry might be two or three cows. If less than average, fewer cows. And if a particular young lady was extremely beautiful and talented, a young man might pay as high as four cows. In rare situations, he’d offer as many as five.

How many cows a man was willing to pay for his wife became a bragging point for the women. As the story goes, George found a young lady who struck his fancy but who was rather plain and ordinary. George approached her father and offered to pay him seven cows for her hand in marriage. Seven cows! No one could ever remember anyone paying that much for a wife. The whole town mocked George for being so foolish. Well, the wedding day was set, and everyone in the town was there. The bride’s father put on quite a party, but the conversations all day revolved around how foolish everyone thought George was for having paid seven cows for such an ordinary and plain wife.

Several years later, a traveling missionary came to town and began hearing all the stories about George and his seven-cow wife — how this young man had paid so much for such an ordinary woman and how the whole town had mocked them to the point they had moved away. The traveling missionary decided he must see for himself how this story had played out. When he knocked on the door of George’s house that first evening, he was impressed with the appearance of the entryway. George’s face lit up when the missionary introduced himself at the door and quickly invited the visitor into his home. He introduced the missionary to his four young children. All handsome young boys, and very well behaved, thought the missionary. He was also impressed with the cleanliness and order in the home. After entering the living room, George’s carried in a drink from the kitchen, where she was preparing dinner. The missionary was taken aback at her beauty, poise and grace. He thought to himself that George must have gotten another wife, as this woman was anything but plain and ordinary.

George invited the missionary to stay for dinner. After a lovely meal, the two men retired to some chairs on the front porch. The missionary complimented George on his beautiful wife, great family and immaculate house. “But what happened to the woman you had paid seven cows for?” George replied that this was the same woman.

The missionary marveled and said that he had heard the stories from the other village about the plain, ordinary wife George had married. “What changed?” he asked. George replied that he had always wanted a seven-cow wife, that she knew he considered her a seven-cow wife, and that she had risen to the bride price. She believed in her worth.

The value we put on other people greatly affects the way they value themselves.

I could say a whole lot more here, but. . .
I'm just going to leave us pondering on that.

 

 

 

 

15 Ways the Hubby and I Are Different

I read Ree from the Pioneer Woman the other day and how she and her Marlboro Man were different. You can read her list here . It got me to pondering....hmmmm....what would my list look like....

1.  He doesn't mind his clothes on the floor.
I don't mind mine folded neatly in drawers and hanging on hangers in closets.

2.  He loves to hunt. . .animals
I love to hunt. . . for a good book.

3.  He loves to sit in a canoe for hours and fish.
I love to sit in a chair for hours and read a good book.

4.  He puts the toilet paper roll on backwards
I put it on forwards .

5.  He eats his cereal holding the spoon hand over handle.
I eat with my hand under the handle.

6.  He doesn't like to read out loud.
I do.

7.  He learns EVERYTHING about the camera and takes gorgeous pictures.
I just want to know where the on, off button is and have half way decent pictures.

8.  He likes his bacon chewy
I like mine crispy.

9.  He sneezes WAY, WAY loud.
I sneeze quietly and delicately.

10.  When asked to cut a slice of pizza in half, he cuts width way. (What's up with that?)
I cut it length ways.

11.  He walks through the grass barefoot. . .and gets grass-stained feet.
I walk through the grass with flip flops on. . .and have clean feet.

12.  He's a hamburger and fries kinda guy.
I'm more a pasta alfredo gal.

13.  He likes vanilla ice cream.
I like the other 30 flavors.

14. He listens to Ricky Nelson in the car.
I listen to Josh Groban

15. He has a great memory.
What were we talking about?

Oh yeah! We were counting. Here's a number

I like better. . .

31

the number of years we've been married. The differences don't make a bit of difference if you have the #1 reason for a good marriage. . . Christ at the head.  I'll be honest with you here though. . .some of the differences did annoy me years ago, maybe even a few years ago. But you know what? I have a good man and I figured out  those annoying little things don't matter. I've decided about that strand of three chords we have. . .I don't want to fray it with petty things. Speaking of petty. . .

Here is a tip for a good marriage. . .

 

 

 If your spouse puts the roll on wrong,

just turn it over yourself and remain quiet;)

 

ONE MORE THING:

 

I want to give a shout out to my husband. . .

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY HON!

I'm so glad you decided to take those feet of yours and walk down the marriage isle with me and right into 31 years of marriage. . .so far.

I would not want to walk this life with anyone else.

I love sitting in the porch swing with you , you eating your vanilla ice cream, me with orange sherbert.

My flip flops entwined with your grass stained feet. . .

a match made in Heaven.

I love you. . .differences and all! 

 

 

 

Matthew 25:35-37



For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat. . .

 

 

 

 

 

I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink. . .

 

 

 

 

I was a stranger and you invited me in.

 

 

 

 

I needed clothes and you clothed me. . .

 

 

I was sick and you looked after me. . .

 

 

I was in prison and you came to visit me.

 

 

(Pictures are from the Homeless Outreach Ministry at our community's bridge.)

 

Many churches and people in our community come together to give in one way or another. This is not a Baptist or Methodist, etc. ministry. This is a Gospel action ministry

 

It is one thing to read the Holy Words of the Bible. And it is another to witness the words in action. As I stand around the bridge area and watch our volunteers hand out food, drink, care, friendship, a listening ear, prayer. . .I get goosebumps. I see these words moving and I feel God's presence and I thank God every Tuesday evening that he pulled me out of the boat, out of the comfort zone, out of my insecurities. . .and led me into something I would have never gone into on my own.

 

"He doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the called"

 

That's you and me guys!

 

 

I pray this will encourage you. . .if you are in sitting in a comfort zone, are sitting in the boat looking out but scared. . .just reach for HIS Hand and let Him lead. I guarantee that you will not be sorry.  I can't guarantee that everything will be rosy and cheery because that's not life. . .He didn't promise roses and happiness in our life. . .but I can tell you, that if you let Him lead you, you will experience more joy, love, and peace than you ever will in the comfort of that boat, or that sofa, or in whatever comfort zone you are in.

 

 

This little boy showed up at the bridge with these on. I showed it on facebook.

 

A week later he was putting on new shoes someone had donated for him. 

 

 

 Vs. 37 : Then the righteous will answer him, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?"

 

The King will reply, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me."

 

Walking in shoes that fit and carrying a bag with shorts, underwear, socks, and two new swim suits, also donated by caring people.

 

He was SO happy.  So were we.

 

That is the Gospel in action.

 

 

Is God asking you to step out of the boat?

Where is He leading you?

What's holding you back? Or have you already lept out?

I'd like to hear:)

 

 

linking with

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



I Went To Jail

There were stools lined up in a very tiny corridor with sectioned off glass panes. A phone on each side of the pane.  You talked on one, the inmate talked on the other. This was my very first jail visit and I told myself to put on my big girl pants that morning as I was getting ready. I looked like a big girl on the outside but I was a not so big on the inside.  There were little kids visiting a loved one through the other glass panes. My friend and I were visiting one of our bridge guests. His eyes were big, tired, sad, pleading as he shared what happened. . .he had been working all day, came back to his place under the bridge and just wanted to eat out of his cooler. . .found two drunk men trying to steal his food. . .he hit one and the guy fell breaking his pelvis. . .he hit the other.  He said, "the poor just do not steal from the poor, that just ain't right. I'm just out there trying to do the best I can."

Greg had said basically the same thing in our visit #2 out at the park. Greg told me that the code of conduct amongst the homeless is that they help one another, but every now and then someone will come in and break that code.

As I pictured in my mind two homeless men trying to steal food from another homeless man, I thought to myself, they're just like wild animals. . .sniffing out food and taking it whether it belongs to them or not.  I could feel the burning behind my eyes, but I kept telling myself, "Be a big girl, be a big girl."  I was.

I believed the man behind the glass pane. I've witnessed him and the other two men and I know none of them are perfect by far. . .neither am I.  Some would ask why I felt the need to go visit. I'm just convinced all the more that we need to be there for ones who have not the Father as their Lord and Savior.  They need to see His reflection looking back at them through those who have the Holy Spirit indewelling in them, even though we are not perfect, we are being made holy through Him. They need to see hope, love, and acceptance. . .not for what they do or don't do but because they are a child made in HIS image and we have the privelege of reminding them of that and showing the reflection of HIS wonderful face back at them. I also believe you can't be a part of a ministry like this and flee when something bad happens. Jesus doesn't flee. Neither should we. We don't learn, others don't learn, if we all retreat back to our corners.

I want to pray that I never have to sit on that little stool and talk into that phone again, but I've learned what I want and what God asks of me is not always the same. I've also learned that when I step out of comfort zones and be obedient to what He has asked of me, I am always so thankful on the other side.  It may not always be easy, it may not always be pretty, but it is always a time of learning for me and blessings always follow. God has been teaching me discernment through listening. I've listened to many others would call rough cut. Greg also said to Keith and I one time, "I know I'm rough around the edges, but God is sanding me down, little by little."  I believe love is the sandpaper.

The man behind the pane said he was so thankful that my friend and I came to see him. He touched the pane with his palm and then touched his palm to his heart. I think God did a little sanding this morning behind the glass pane.

linking with