laVender writes: December 2008

My "It's Alright" Song

When you feel you're at the end of your rope or wondering if there is any hope for your situation, just listen to this song and dance your troubles away!

Always by Jason Champion

Let me tell you something Dont you worry about a thing tonight

I promise you that everything is gonna be alright

Hold your head up high

Look up to the sky

Everything is gonna be "Alright"

He's everything that you'll ever need "Alright"

Just when you think it and it's gonna be "Alright"

Just call his name and you'll see what I mean "Alright"

Because HE loves you unconditionally

Forever, he loved you always

Don't worry he'll be there always

And just because you've had yourself a couple bad days

Dont mean its gonna be this way always

No matter what you're going through

And then you dont know what to do

Don't turn and run away

Fall on your knees and pray

Remember that he's witcha

Forever forever

Today is my last blog of 2008 - how monumental (smile). Hmmm...what words will I share to take us into the New Year? Although I try to treat every new day as special as the beginning of a new year, you can't help but get caught in the hype of the big celebration. After all, it is a blessing to see another year. As I type this, I'm reminded that someone will not see 2009 and to be realistic, it could be me. Live each day as if it is your last day and live each moment to the fullest. Below are a couple of quotes that touched me enough to share. Happy New Day to you!

“A loser seldom lives in the present, but instead destroys the present by focusing on past memories or future expectations.”
-- Muriel James

"You had better live your best and act your best and think your best today; for today is the sure preparation for tomorrow and all the other tomorrows that follow."
-- Harriet Martineau

Get over it and move on. It happened, it's over, enjoy the present moment.
- - laVender s. williams

Busy Bee

I was listening to a Television Evangelist this morning speak about being busy. Ha! Well, I learned the difference in being busy and being productive. She actually used the word fruitful, which is definitely beneficial and exactly what God calls us to be. Busy is running around like a chicken with your head cut off and going to and fro into the Earth without doing anything productive for God. Being fruitful is being in the will of God and helping others He's led us to help, support, encourage, and pour into. Well, I've had ALOT of busy days, but even before I heard this message, I began to say no to many events I'm invited to. Now, that's being busy! I don't have to attend every luncheon, party, and social event I'm invited to. It's not possible especially when God calls me to do other things - like tend to the needs of my family and use the gifts He's given me. Allowing God to lead and guide us with our busyness will definitely turn busyness into productivity. Have a joyful and PRODUCTIVE day!

Another Chance

The year 2008 is almost over – already! Did I accomplish everything I wanted to? Did I achieve the goals I never wrote down? Is my baking business aligned with the business plan I never put on paper? Did I finish the book I’ve been writing for three years? Good grief! Let me review my health walk. Did I make lifestyle changes? Am I drinking more water and exercising daily? Am I consuming more fruit and vegetables? Okay, two out of three isn’t bad. Let me address another area of my life – my spiritual walk. Am I praying for and with my husband and children more? Am I showing myself friendly? Am I judging less and loving more? Am I striving to live in obedience? Hmm... I’ll keep these answers to myself. A work in progress - yep, that’s me! I set high goals and standards, but remembering to surrender self daily and follow God sure makes life easier and less stressful. I thank God for His mercy and giving me another chance to get it right. How can I not serve a God that overlooks my faults and shortcomings day after day and year after year? How can I not love and forgive the way He loves and forgives me? How can I not accept others the way God accepts me in spite of my continuous mess? How can I not follow Him when He continues to show me His way is the only way? I’m blessed with another day, another year, another opportunity to try to get it right. Have mercy on me, Jesus as I try to do better and live better. Thank God for His mercy and thank God for another chance!
Happy New Year to my fellow mothers and may God’s love, peace, and mercy cover you today, tomorrow, and in the upcoming year.

Jude 1:2 (NIV)
Mercy, peace and love be yours in abundance.

The Birth of Christ

Christmas Spirit

For some reason, I just can't seem to get into the Christmas spirit. I've decorated, taken the boys shopping for gifts, and our dessert business has me extremely busy, but there is no extra excitement in my holiday this year. No, I'm not being a Grinch, but I'm just going through the holiday motion. I thought maybe it was because the boys are getting older or maybe because my husband had a death in his family, or maybe my busyness is getting in the way of enjoying the season. I was hoping to receive a special Christmas meditation to share this morning, but I didn't, so I prayed and asked God to reveal just what my problem is. The Holy Spirit revealed it's not about sharing a flowery Christmas meditation, but it's about sharing Christ daily. It's not about the gifts I give or receive, it's about God's free gift available throughout the year. It's not about the Christmas lights I turn on and off, but it's about letting my light shine all day and all night. It's not about the Christmas music, it's about having a continuous song in my heart. It's not about a real or artificial Christmas tree, it's about being a strong branch bearing fruit. It's not about my children participating in the Christmas play; it's about me teaching them to act like Christ every day. It's not about being with family, it's about representing God's family. Christmas is not about a season, it's about my steadfast relationship with King Jesus regardless of the season. Needless to say, I'm okay with not feeling the "Christmas spirit" because it's not about feeling the spirit of a holiday, but about living in the Spirit of Christ everyday. God requires more than a holiday feeling from me. The "Christmas spirit" comes and goes, but the Holy Spirit within me is everlasting and gives me unspeakable joy! Merry Christmas!

Isaiah 9:6 (NKJV)

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Who is in Control?

People don't control circumstances; God does. Whatever we might be going through with our family, friends, marriage, children, or on our job, God is in control. We waste time and energy being angry, holding grudges, and thinking about why people do what they do and the decisions they make we might not agree with. God is in control of everything and our faithfulness is tested by how we react to the circumstances in our life. Worship and praise God when things are going well and praise Him when you feel like you're going through hell. God IS in control.

Giving

I believe giving is the foundation of every relationship. How we give ourselves to our children, to our husbands, co-workers, neighbors, church family, and friends, and family sets the tone of the relationship. Children need our time and energy. Husbands need our time and energy. Friends and family desire our time and energy. Time and energy seem to be what we have little of, but it's required the most. Sure, it's easy to purchase a gift, but material things fade. The time and energy we pour into those we love is what will last a lifetime. Christmas is not the only season of giving - Everyday is an opportunity to give. Don't forget, while you're giving to others, pour something into yourself!

Tone of the Home

My home was quite peaceful last night - not quiet, but peaceful. The boys were in their room playing, my husband was sitting in the kitchen keeping me company while I baked cookies, Christmas music was playing in the background, and our conservative Christmas decorations and lit candles added a comforting atmosphere to the home. I wish every evening could be like last night, but that would be far from reality. I realized the main factor last night was the absence of the television. Aha! There were no strangers visiting us through the tube! There were no restaurants tempting us to participate in gluttony. There were no half naked women prancing in front of my men. There were no couples turning my living room into a temporary motel. There were no lessons on foul language. Reporters weren’t reminding us about the struggling economy. There were no women trying to persuade me to look like them, and there were no advertisers tempting us to spend money. No wonder the house was peaceful! All those outsiders were turned off and away. It made such a difference that we kept the television off all night.

I'm not looking for a perfect home, just a peaceful home and this peace must begin with me. When I have peace, I have more patience, I’m more loving, and I’m in a better position to hear God’s voice. I believe the mother sets the tone in the home. Chaos is created and disorder is designed, yet a peaceful mother is a praying mother and a praying mother is a powerful mother. Something as simple as having soft spiritual music in the home is enough to keep the enemy away because he can’t stand a peaceful environment and he sure can’t survive in a praise atmosphere. I know I will have to compete with the popular television, but it's worth a little effort. I thank God for the Prince of Peace and the peace He has already placed in me. Let's embrace our peace and share it with our family.

Proverbs 3:17 (NKJV)
Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.
perfect peace,

Breaking Point

All women have a breaking point. There is a point in your small world of tolerance that allows you to go only so far. Many of us don't know our breaking point until we've reached it and before we know it, we've gone off the deep end. Being a wife, mother, bookkeeper, cheerleader, nurse, teacher, mediator and whatever other hats we wear can exhaust us to the point of no return. Frustration levels shake and irritation sets in. Learn to take a break before YOU break! Get to know yourself enough to know when you've had enough. Don't push yourself so hard to please others, but love yourself enough to keep your sanity and your peace of mind. Enough is enough! Do you know when enough is?

All Powerful

This morning after seeing my husband off to work, I sat outside and watched the rain, thunder, wind, and lightening light up the dark sky. How can I not believe in an all-powerful God? How can I allow simple matters of my life to rock my boat? If God created the heavens and the earth, how can I not trust him with my life? If He created me, how can I not trust him to make decisions for my life - after all, I was created for His purpose! What an awesome God we serve. Life is simple when we realize we have no power, but are empowered by an all-powerful God. Put your life in His hands and watch Him work!

Pain and Suffering

I hardly ever get sick, but last week my body ached off and on. What I thought was a 24 hour flu turned into a 96 hour lesson on pain and suffering. One night while in the shower, I pictured Jesus on the cross and saw the blood running down his face and body. His face showed the level of excruciating pain He was experiencing. He didn’t die of a quick death, but had to endure a slow, painful death with a lot of suffering. Even the days leading up to His crucifixion were full of pain and suffering. While carrying the cross, He reached a level of exhaustion no Mother will ever reach. He even endured a meaningless, intolerable beating. As I stood in the shower, my aches and pains, all of sudden, seemed minimal. I began to praise God for taking me back to the cross. Yes, God is my Healer, yet I should be willing to sometimes share in the suffering of Christ. My goodness, can I endure a little pain from time to time? If God allowed His son to be bruised, why wouldn’t He allow me to be bruised? Even when I’m going through a storm, I would rather be delivered, than go through. When I’m hot, I turn on the air. When I’m cold, I turn on the heat. Good grief! Being sick and experiencing the pains and sufferings of life doesn’t change my relationship with Christ, but it sure does challenge my relationship with Him. I began to praise God in the shower for this life changing revelation and I asked for strength and mercy in my sickness. It’s amazing how my simple, yet sincere praise energized me and made me feel better. Focusing on the cross offers peace, deliverance, healing, and everything else Christ suffered and died for, but when we take our focus off the cross, we lose our power. My sickness was just another way of God getting me to the place where He can use me.

I Peter 4:1 (NLT)
So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too.

No Time For Pain!

Remember the commercial from way back that sang a song about a woman not having time for the pain? I believe it was an aspirin commercial or something. Well, I've been singing that tune for the past couple of days. I thought I had a 24 hour flu, but it has continued into the 48 hour time frame! I definitely don't have time to be sick! I put my mind and my body in auto-pilot and I'm doing what I have to do while taking frequent breaks to rest my body and nap. I hardly ever get sick, so this is unusual to me. I even had the nerve to feel a little guilty for feeling bad, but I got over it quickly. My goodness, does a Mother have to have permission to get sick? Give me a break! I'm drinking as much water as I can, taking my soy shakes, and getting lots of rest. I'm not a medicine person, so I'm letting nature take it's course. I haven't got time for the pain!

Happy December!

I can feel my December schedule beginning to take me to a level of stress I don't want to visit. Okay, breath in, breathe out. Breathe in, breathe out. I don't have to do everything I'm asked to do and I sure don't have to go everywhere I'm invited, so my stress level is in my hands. I create my own stress and I choose not to go there this holiday season. Relax, release, relate (smile). Besides alot of baking, I really don't have alot to do, but there is alot I would like to do. I love to entertain, so I will limit myself to plan one gathering this month - yes, just one. I can do it, I can do it! The important thing is to remember the reason for this special time of the year. Celebrating the birth of Christ is such a joyous occasion and to incorporate this in every thing we do this month, makes it more meaningful and will definitely bring God glory.
Happy December!

A Spiritual Note

Start your day not only on a positive note, but on a spiritual note. A note of love, peace, and joy.

Our attitude determines our behavior, so let's allow our mind to lead us through a day full of things that will bring God glory. Our walk, our talk, and our thoughts can be controlled. Choose to think on things that are beneficial and fulfilling to your mind, body, and soul.

Dust Bunnies

While moving furniture last night, I noticed a few dust bunnies hidden in corners that I would have never seen. Little did I know these sneaky dust bunnies were waiting to deliver a Life Lesson for LaVender. It wasn’t enough that I had to dust and vacuum, but I had to endure some painful pruning. The house appeared clean from the surface, but it would take more than surface cleaning to pass any inspection. A few things had to be moved in order for those dust bunnies to be visible and the same is with my life. My spiritual walk may appear all right, but God is aware of all my hidden sins and private thoughts. He knows my heart and knows exactly what things in my life need moving in order to pass His inspection of righteous living. I choose not to remain stagnant in my spiritual walk, so in order to grow, some things must be moved – it’s time for some changing and rearranging. My heart is in need of deep cleaning – surface cleaning just won’t do anymore. Me? A dirty heart? Well, if we’re honest with ourselves, we all have a few hidden dust bunnies. We may appear to be an always loving Mother, supportive wife, and steadfast Christian, but we know behind closed doors, we allow the enemy to have his way with us. With another year rolling around, I sure don’t want to take old dust bunnies with me. I want to start with a fresh anointing and a stronger desire to follow Christ. I know the devil will be busy and I can never reach perfection, but God knows my heart and will assist me with His almighty power. What better way to show my thankfulness than to clean those hidden dust bunnies!

James 2:10 (NIV) For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.

laVender writes

Links