Broken Feet, Parade, Scrapbooking, & Baking
My feet are talking to me. Yep, I’ve heard it said before that when pain talks to you, you need to pay attention to it. God gives us pain as a way of telling us something. My feet sure are talking to me, but I do not always listen. Sometimes I try to ignore them for as long as possible.
Moving day to the new office Friday was really hard on my feet and they were not just talking, they were shouting at me. They were screaming! Maybe I should not have ignored them when they were just talking for their shouting brought tears to my eyes.
By the end of the day, I was broken, physically and emotionally broken. I needed fixing.
Saturday was a long day too. The boys were all three in the local parade, two in the marching band and one with a youth group. The house that was built as an Eagle project was also in the parade (see photo above). The weather was beautiful, a bit nippy, but nothing really to complain about.
As always during parades, I am a bit troubled by the response of our people to the American flag. I look at the many people who do not even rise to their feet when it passes, much less put their hand on their heart, and I am appalled. What has happened to the patriotism in our country? Are people numb and untouched by it? I was at a very crowded section of the road and by my example, about one-fourth of the people followed me and stood up, but only I had my hand on my heart from what I could see. Then the veterans section of the parade went on for over five minutes and I wasn’t sure how many flags I was supposed to honor in this manner, so I eventually took my hand down. And when I sat down, everyone else sat down. That was interesting. It’s not the first time I’ve had people follow me in my actions at a parade.
Of course, the politicians were out in a big way in the parade. Flyer after flyer, sticker, magnet, etc. was folded up and quietly put in my pocket. There was one smart politician. He was handing out carnations. Now that is one way to keep your name in someone’s hand (and on my table).
Following the parade, I played taxi-mom and got the boys home and then headed out to pick up my Little Sis. We went to a scrapbooking event and made a few pages. It was a rewarding activity; although I must admit the paper scrapping was odd to me, but I was able to share some of my newly learned skills with others in order help build pages.
After returning my Little Sis home, it was time to bake. The boys will be attending the National Youth Gathering in Florida next summer and the fundraising is in full speed. Since we missed the baking together with the youth due to the parade, we had to bake on our own at home for the bake sale today at church. We baked for five hours and then ran the goodies out to church late at night so they would be ready for the early service purchasers. It was after eleven before we got home.
What a long day.
Today, was a wonderful day at church as our previous Pastor visited. He has a wonderful gift for preaching. It was amazing how the church filled up and even people who had left the church came back to visit. God is so good as was evident by the coming together of people who had previously had grievances with each other. I looked about and could remember many past pains between peoples all washed away as they sat and worshiped together. Just amazing.
Moving day to the new office Friday was really hard on my feet and they were not just talking, they were shouting at me. They were screaming! Maybe I should not have ignored them when they were just talking for their shouting brought tears to my eyes.
By the end of the day, I was broken, physically and emotionally broken. I needed fixing.
Saturday was a long day too. The boys were all three in the local parade, two in the marching band and one with a youth group. The house that was built as an Eagle project was also in the parade (see photo above). The weather was beautiful, a bit nippy, but nothing really to complain about.
As always during parades, I am a bit troubled by the response of our people to the American flag. I look at the many people who do not even rise to their feet when it passes, much less put their hand on their heart, and I am appalled. What has happened to the patriotism in our country? Are people numb and untouched by it? I was at a very crowded section of the road and by my example, about one-fourth of the people followed me and stood up, but only I had my hand on my heart from what I could see. Then the veterans section of the parade went on for over five minutes and I wasn’t sure how many flags I was supposed to honor in this manner, so I eventually took my hand down. And when I sat down, everyone else sat down. That was interesting. It’s not the first time I’ve had people follow me in my actions at a parade.
Of course, the politicians were out in a big way in the parade. Flyer after flyer, sticker, magnet, etc. was folded up and quietly put in my pocket. There was one smart politician. He was handing out carnations. Now that is one way to keep your name in someone’s hand (and on my table).
Following the parade, I played taxi-mom and got the boys home and then headed out to pick up my Little Sis. We went to a scrapbooking event and made a few pages. It was a rewarding activity; although I must admit the paper scrapping was odd to me, but I was able to share some of my newly learned skills with others in order help build pages.
After returning my Little Sis home, it was time to bake. The boys will be attending the National Youth Gathering in Florida next summer and the fundraising is in full speed. Since we missed the baking together with the youth due to the parade, we had to bake on our own at home for the bake sale today at church. We baked for five hours and then ran the goodies out to church late at night so they would be ready for the early service purchasers. It was after eleven before we got home.
What a long day.
Today, was a wonderful day at church as our previous Pastor visited. He has a wonderful gift for preaching. It was amazing how the church filled up and even people who had left the church came back to visit. God is so good as was evident by the coming together of people who had previously had grievances with each other. I looked about and could remember many past pains between peoples all washed away as they sat and worshiped together. Just amazing.
And all of our baked goodies were picked right up! Yeah! I hope they tasted as good as people thought they looked.
And now, back to my feet talking to me. Three hours of grocery shopping and over $400 later, my feet are talking to me again today. I struggle just to find time to grocery shop and when we do, we really do it good. Our freezer was empty, but now there is not one bit of space left. After last weekend’s overdoing on my feet and now this weekend’s, my feet really need some time off.
I was reminded of how broken I am during today’s sermon. It really hit home for me today and was just what I needed.
The Pastor said, if you want someone to know about Jesus…
………..…talk about Jesus.
But if I want people to know about how I’m broken because I feel like I am allowing people to walk all over me because I am doing what I feel Jesus would want me to do, if I want people to know how much pain I am in, if I want people to be reminded that they are being false witnesses and stirring up dissension, if I want people to know how angry I am at them, if I want people to know how small my work space is, then tell them.
But if I want someone to know about Jesus, talk about Jesus.
Without the Pastor saying anything more, I got the message. I think we all got it. I have a choice. I have a choice on what I talk about. Which would be the better to talk about? That is an easy choice. It really helps to put a perspective on physical and emotional brokenness.
I was also reminded during today’s sermon that God looks at His people and sees them as perfect people. Their "sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool" (Isaiah 1:18). That is how God looks at them and that is how I should look at them. I’ve been frustrated all weekend, imagining in my head the things that I would say to some people who have wronged me. How wonderful God’s Word is to put things back into perspective for me. What a sense of peace came over me when I was reminded of how God looks at these people. I need to look through His eyes.
As some of the words in the music moved me, I was reminded to pray that He “take not Your Holy Spirit from me; restore to me the joy of Your salivation.” I felt restored.
And now, back to my feet talking to me. Three hours of grocery shopping and over $400 later, my feet are talking to me again today. I struggle just to find time to grocery shop and when we do, we really do it good. Our freezer was empty, but now there is not one bit of space left. After last weekend’s overdoing on my feet and now this weekend’s, my feet really need some time off.
I was reminded of how broken I am during today’s sermon. It really hit home for me today and was just what I needed.
The Pastor said, if you want someone to know about Jesus…
………..…talk about Jesus.
But if I want people to know about how I’m broken because I feel like I am allowing people to walk all over me because I am doing what I feel Jesus would want me to do, if I want people to know how much pain I am in, if I want people to be reminded that they are being false witnesses and stirring up dissension, if I want people to know how angry I am at them, if I want people to know how small my work space is, then tell them.
But if I want someone to know about Jesus, talk about Jesus.
Without the Pastor saying anything more, I got the message. I think we all got it. I have a choice. I have a choice on what I talk about. Which would be the better to talk about? That is an easy choice. It really helps to put a perspective on physical and emotional brokenness.
I was also reminded during today’s sermon that God looks at His people and sees them as perfect people. Their "sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow, though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool" (Isaiah 1:18). That is how God looks at them and that is how I should look at them. I’ve been frustrated all weekend, imagining in my head the things that I would say to some people who have wronged me. How wonderful God’s Word is to put things back into perspective for me. What a sense of peace came over me when I was reminded of how God looks at these people. I need to look through His eyes.
As some of the words in the music moved me, I was reminded to pray that He “take not Your Holy Spirit from me; restore to me the joy of Your salivation.” I felt restored.
“Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and Holy, tried and true.” I felt peace.
“You are my strength when I am weak; You are the Treasure that I seek.” I felt strong knowing He is there in all situations and to trust Him to take care of things for me.
“To You alone may my Spirit yield.” I was refocused on where my spirit is to be, not in anger, but in Him.
If you are broken today, I pray that some of my reflections and revitalizations also touch you and help you in some small way,
If you are broken today, I pray that some of my reflections and revitalizations also touch you and help you in some small way,
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