Press Through!

 Firstborn was sick with a stomach virus that left him lifeless for a few days.  On the third day of his virus, I encouraged him to get up and fight his illness. Also on that third day, Firstborn’s football coach called to check on him. While listening to his coach speak, I thought about athletes who play with broken bones, pain, and high fever.  Athlete or not, we all meet adversity and learning to press through our uncomfortable circumstances is the only way we move forward.  I boldly explained pressing through pain to Firstborn and the very next day, I was faced with my own test of pressing through

 I decided to cut the grass, so full of energy, I tackled the back yard and then moved to the front yard. Halfway through the front, I was exhausted and wanted to stop.  I immediately remembered my bold, encouraging words to Firstborn. Sigh… I knew I needed to practice what I preached.  Needless to say, I pressed through my fatigue and the heat and finished the yard.  

Grapes are pressed to get the sweet juices out of them.  We too, must be pressed to get the best out of us.  If grapes had a voice, I’m sure they’d scream from the pain of the press, but the press is necessary.  The same is true for us. In order for God to get the optimum performance out of us, we must endure painful press positions.  Firstborn’s coach had no idea his phone call would offer a life lesson on pressing through adversity, but that’s what a good coach does – gets the best out of his players.  The fourth day, Firstborn was still weak, but he went to practice and pressed through. When he got home, he asked who cut the yard. I smiled and said, “Your Mama pressed through and cut it.”

If you find yourself in an uncomfortable press position, pray to press through!

Celebrate You!

This is my birthday month and I’m turning 48 years old. Not 43 or 45, but 48. It seems like it happened overnight. The 40s fly by quicker than the 30s and I heard the 50s zoom by. Many women don’t care to share their age, but the older, wiser woman is absolutely captivating to me. Notice I said older and wiser because some women simply get older without an ounce of wisdom to impart. 

Now, for you younger women, please take note. Your beautiful body will always be beautiful although your breasts will begin to sag and unless you do 200 sit-ups a day, your mid section will become pillow-like. If you aren’t stretching and exercising daily, your muscles and joints will become tight and it’ll take you two minutes to stand from sitting position. Heaven help you if you aren’t drinking at least ten glasses of water a day and eating fruits and vegetables because the menopausal season will shake your body into shock. Men want to have sex regardless of their age, so we better stay in shape! Our aging bodies will treat us exactly how we’ve treated it over the years. Think about the amount of fast foods and sodas you’ve consumed. It’ll come back to haunt you if you don’t make changes now – it’s never too late and your body will thank you. 

The woman’s body is like a piece of art - the older it gets, the value and appreciation increases. Just like wine and cheese – we too, get better over time. Pray to embrace becoming the older, wiser woman. Why fight something inevitable? Don’t you want to meet the older, wiser you? You’ll embrace your gray hairs if you truly embrace YOU. You’ll embrace your sagging breasts if you truly embrace YOU. Embrace every season of your life you’re alive. Every day with breath in our body is a reason to celebrate. Celebrate life! Celebrate YOU! I am…all 48 years!

Sauce Stain

This weekend, my attention was captured by the book of Proverbs. One evening, I reached for my Bible, on the sofa, which was already opened to the Proverbs and I noticed something on the page. I immediately tore into hubby sitting close to my Bible. I threw several questions at him without waiting for his reply. “What is this? Are you crazy? I don’t believe you!” Hubby used my Bible to place his empty, dirty lasagna plate on.  Hubby didn’t say a word, but looked at me like I was crazy.

I wiped the sauce off, but of course it stained the page. The stain wasn’t on an actual Proverbs passage, but on a study note that read, “These short, wise sayings give us practical wisdom for daily living. We should study them diligently and integrate them into our life.” I hysterically laughed as my life lesson came through the sauce stain. I didn’t have to go off on hubby the way I did; my reaction could have been totally different. Reading the Proverbs is one thing, but integrating them into my daily life is another. Quoting scripture is one thing, but living the scriptures is another.  Going to church is one thing, but being the church is another. My lasagna was one thing, but my life lesson from the sauce stain was better. 

Life will be full of opportunities to integrate God’s Word. My reaction to my children, traffic, telephone calls, emails, unexpected situations, hubby, people, and every part of my life will offer opportunities to integrate the Word in my life. The stain on my Proverbs page is a reminder to allow God’s Word to stain my heart – to apply them to my life. My life lessons come from the strangest situations, but there is a lesson in everything – even sauce stains!

BBB

I spoke to a new mother who is realizing her bundle of joy has turned into a bundle of battles. Whether it’s a new marriage, new baby, new car, new position, new job, or a new business, our season of bliss will bring battles – it’s guaranteed. Blissful times often take our focus off God, but battles bring us back.  

Years ago, I would have prayed for this new mother to be delivered from her adversity, but now I know her storms are exactly what she needs to be strengthened. Every woman reading this can agree. From Bliss to Battles to being Blessed – that’s life.

We pray to be healed from sickness and delivered from difficult times, but can we trust God enough to let Him have His way? We don’t want to experience physical, spiritual, emotional, or even financial pain, yet pain empowers us! Storms teach us to fly like eagles – above the storm! Our battles will even empower others if we aren’t ashamed to share. We’ll say God brought us through, but we won’t say what He brought us through. This young mother needed to hear how God brought me through my past days of sleep deprivation, emotional muddle, and sometimes feeling like a single mother. I shared because I knew we both would be blessed. From Bliss to Battles to Blessed.

My prayer for this new mother is not for deliverance from her battles, but for peace and endurance to go through; she will definitely be blessed! We rarely learn anything in good times, but battles invite growth. From Bliss to Battles to Blessed.