Monday, September 20, 2010

Driven by Perfection

Today, I have another guest post at Truth and Grace Ministry Blog with Karen Lowe





I dreamed about my life being perfect. Marrying the perfect man. Having the perfect children. You know, the perfect family? Right?

What? Your family is not perfect? Well, honestly, neither is mine. But that’s okay, because perfection does not drive me; having fun is my approach to life. My youngest son strives for perfection in everything he does.

Perfection is a typical melancholy trait because they want things done right. The Sanguine and Melancholy personalities are polar opposites of each other. Not that a Sanguine does not want things done right, but details do not naturally rise up in a Sanguine’s thought process.

I’ll be loud, goofy and funny, but not so much for my son Chase. He tends to be serious, quiet and orderly. As I took a break from writing this post to play with him, he said, “Mom, you’re in my bubble.”

To read the rest of this post, click on over.


Monday, September 13, 2010

Truth or Lies

Can lies be disguised at the truth?

I think so.

What do we think about and believe, but later found out where false?

"He will never understand me!"

"This child will never change!"

"My friend has not called me in a week, I must have made her mad at me."

I confess, I battle with thoughts in my head like a gardener battles weeds. If we think on something long enough, we start to believe it even if it is not true.

I’m thankful to have God's word, for He tells us what to do when those lies come to us.

" We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Corinthians 10:5, NIV).

We are to destroy the lying thoughts as if we're pulling weeds. Weeds left to their own demise will grow stronger and stronger. The roots grow deeper and wider, the stem growing thicker, and it will take much more work to pull out the weed. But if a weed is pulled at the time it pops out, it is much easier. Lies will grow and grow until it becomes too difficult to retrain our minds.

But we can't just stop with the demolishing of the thoughts like weeds. We must replace the lies with God's truth. God's truth will transform our lives from the inside out.

Once a gardener removes weeds, she must take care of the soil and water it. God's word is like the tender loving care of the gardener. We must be fertilized and watered on a regular basis like a garden to keep the lies from planting themselves in our minds. Yet, sometimes, like weeds, they pop back after removal.

That happened to me this last week. My husband supports me in the writing and speaking ministry where the Lord has called me to serve. Thoughts came to my mind that he did not. I entertained those thoughts which led to me lashing out at him and him jabbing back at me. It took a few hours, but once we realized what happened, we talked and prayed.

I am learning to discern more quickly the lies the evil one wants me to believe and to be in regular communication with my husband. We then turn to God's Word, which is truth. We can run to His Word and be set free from the lies. What are you believing? Truth or lies?


Monday, September 6, 2010

Free to Be Me

Today I am a guest at Truth and Grace Ministries blog with Karen Lowe.



For many years, I lived a depressed life. I would wake up, take the kids to school, come home, start some wash, and go back to bed. About noon, I’d get up, eat something, put the clothes in the dryer, and return to bed. At three, I forced myself to put on clothes, wash my face, and pick up the boys from school. I moped around the rest of the day doing only what was required.

Though I’ve never been incarcerated, I formed bars around myself that limited my life and freedom. Why? What happened to me?

For years, I tried to be everything that everyone wanted me to be. I could not live up to their expectations; therefore, I felt like a failure–as a wife, mom, friend, and, yes, even as a Christian.

To read the rest of this post, click on over.