I may be a future candidate for Hoarders!

This was my Facebook status today: "anyone else get emotionally attached to things in the home? We bought a new printer during black Friday ( more like cyber Friday for us) and I've had my other printer for 8 yrs... I'm actually sad to see it go..it's been through a lot with us..from Jr. high school reports, to taxes, to high school assignments... fare the well my hp printer....and welcome home new hp 3510"

 

How crazy is it to get so used to things ,that it makes you sad to see it go? Our printer which was once a scanner, copier, printer has now become.. a no scan, copy, and barely print printer... I have held on to it for as long as possible because the cartridge is refillable and I cannot pay $50 for ink...it is crazy to me. So, when I saw that it was on it's last function I knew it was time to replace it and with all the black Friday deals on printers we couldn't pass up the opportunity. So, I have this brand new hp printer sitting on my desk and I feel sad to put out the old and bring in the new.  How strange to even think about the length of time we've had our old printer and all that it has been through. I can remember when we purchased it, we were only married for a few years and our kids were little. It really has survived 4 teenagers, a toddler, and a man who would bonk it on the head when it wouldn't work right! I know it's silly to even have these feelings, but I am grateful that the printer lasted as long as it did. I'm not trying to store up treasures here on earth so don't worry, if you come over to my house you won't see a collection of broken items in my garage( actually I may have some stuff in there right now that needs throwing). 
  I wonder if this is how Writers felt when their typewriters would clunker out?

What is a christian? Please Respond!

The Christian Experiment...

With recently re-entering the workforce I personally challenged myself not to share my beliefs or my faith with anyone at my job. I do this with the purpose that I'm hoping people will see a difference based on my work performance and attitude. I want to be a light (or as I tell my 7 yrs old ...a flashlight) and a light is something you see with your eyes and not necessarily "hear with your ears." Although I do believe if the door is open for a discussion, there is an appropriate time and approach to any topic. I am usually comfortable sharing what I believe in and why I believe it but, this approach for me was a challenge where I was able to really ask myself " Will people know I am a Christian without me having to say anything?" I take that train of thought with a quote from Billy Graham who said "share your faith, and if necessary use words". I really wanted to share it first by my actions and then (and only then) if there is an open door share with my words. So, I propose the question to all. What does it mean to be a Christian? I know a question like this can spur on some intense emotions and all I ask is that whatever your opinion is , you share it constructively. Please respond in the comment section. Thank you!  (participating in Pour out Your heart through thingsicantsay!)

The cat and I

So today was freedom day for the cat! We’ve had her for a week and the poor thing has spent the majority of that time in the garage (by her own choosing) I figured she liked the garage better because it was cooler in there than the house and with all the stuff in there she could hide herself if she felt the need.  So today we slid open the back door and prayed as she walked out that she would not run away. My son and I decided to grab a blanket and make an evening of it so as the day set into the evening we enjoyed the coolness of the night. It was intriguing to watch the cat explore the back yard, especially since she’s been crying every night to get out. She slowly stepped out and began her inspection of the space. She once in a while would look at us and then she would proceed. We sat out in the back for about 40 minutes with her and  laughed at her silliness, we especially thought it  was funny when she heard the next door neighbors horse I mean dog ( it’s a marmaduke dog!) bark. Her back arched so high and she became stone still, it was too funny. Eventually she relaxed and proceeded with her inspection of the place. I was amazed at the difference from the last time she went outside (she escaped on the first night) I remember trying to coax her out of the neighbors shrub and her only response was a hiss! She is an all together different cat today, so relaxed and comfortable in this new environment. It took her a whole week which in people time would be ummm…scientifically, made-up about 2 months in people time. Of course this observation hits me because I’m still in the “hiding out in the garage phase.” But, I hope just as the cat felt secure enough to explore that I too will eventually be ready to proceed (with caution of course). Anyways back to the cat, after watching her for a while we felt pretty sure that she would not run and decided to go inside the house. She reappeared in the house about an hour after us meowing at me because I had moved her food bowl to the backyard!  I got the message and moved the bowl back into the garage, once I did that she sprinted towards it. Who does she think she is anyway! She’s not the boss of me (or is she????)  I chuckled as I heard her “crunch, crunch, crunch” through her meal and closed the back door. Two hours of exploration was good for her first time out there and I figure tomorrow we’ll let her out again especially now that we know this truly is her home!

The weeded heart

Recently, I was in the backyard pulling weeds, actually we all were.  While we were pulling weeds our handyman was also in the backyard busy fixing the back window. After a while of pulling weeds he walked over and said “you know if you wet the soil it will soften so that the weeds will glide out instead of you having to yank them out.”  I realized what he was saying was  true because as I was pulling weeds I noticed that areas where the soil was softened the weeds were very easy to pull and came out all the way down to the root. In contrast areas where the soil was hard the weeds were almost impossible to pull.  As I continued pulling the roots out I started thinking about the roots the Bible warns against, root of unforgiveness, root of bitterness, root of fear, and so on. I know the Bible says “do not let any root of bitterness ….. But today I realized that these roots the Bible speaks of grow as naturally in our own hearts as they do in the earth. Like the weeds in my backyard they must be pulled out yet, in my heart God is the one who pulls the roots out.  Like the soil, it is easier when our hearts are softened. Which got  me thinking even more because when I would tug on one of the weeds and it wouldn’t give way I would simply move on to the next. Especially when I know all I have to do is water and wait for that soil to be softened. I wonder, does God wait just the same?  Does He patiently wait till our hearts are softened so that our hearts can give way to the process? I know the answer is yes; God not only waits for my heart to be softened, but takes the time to water me as well. I go back to pulling the weeds and ponder these things in my heart.