Who Are They Anyways?

After the arrival of Justin & Jordan at 26 weeks, coming home on heart monitors, and then the 'normal' thing…whatever that means… with twins, Jamie and I knew there would be some time involved before deciding when and if we were going to have another child.  I think we always wanted another one or maybe it was the fact that we wanted to have a baby and hold him or her right away like you dream of doing.

Regardless, I remember people telling me that 'they' say it is probably best if I don't have any more children since I already had a child with not one but two disabilities.  

Funny, because Jamie and I never listened to the 'theys' when 'we were too young to get married', 'you'll end up in divorce because both of your parents are divorced', 'you'll end up in divorce because firefighters have a 200% (however that is possible) of divorce'!!  

YOU WANT TO KNOW WHY WE NEVER LISTENED?

We believe God when he says "For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to slavery.  Galatians 5:1

When I look up slavery and see words like bondage, power over, control,  it reminds me of lots of situations people find themselves in because of the 'theys'.  

A simple illustration happened this weekend going to a painting party.  We sat down to a blank canvas (except for a penciled in heart).  We all were doing the same design except we could choose our own colors.  We were all given plates with primary colors on them.  Many ladies discussed wanting different colors so that it would match their houses just like I was thinking. Sadly, many never tried to do it and copied exactly what the lady showed us verses doing what was in their heart.  You want to know why… because it wouldn't look like 'they' think or said it should.  But here's the deal… they were each supposed to be our own masterpieces that were a reflection of us!

Think about it… Our lives are like blank canvases!  The heart sketched in on each of us is because God chose us!  He loved us so much that He sent His One and only Son to die on the cross for us!  It's up to us whether we accept that love and let Him fill our lives and make them a masterpiece.

See some didn't come even try because they were afraid they'd mess us the painting, and some were there, but were too concerned about making sure it was perfectly like everyone else's.    But who says it's messed up or what it's supposed to look like?  The they's?

Who are they anyways?

They are the people around us that we try to please, we try to be liked by, the people that we sit at ballgames with, and all the other people that surround us.  We let them control choices we make and sometimes they aren't the choices we want to make.  They have this power over us as though they are our authority.  A wedding dress that I like may be completely different than the wedding dress someone else picks out which is PERFECTLY FINE!  If we were all the same, what a boring place this would be.   We are all masterpieces in God's eyes…fearfully and wonderfully made IN HIS IMAGE.

Or the 'theys' can be the people who write these studies like the one I read this morning that says that identical twins cannot have the same fingerprints.  Their studies show 'that when identical twins are conceived, they start out with the same fingerprints, but during weeks 6-13, they each touch the amniotic sac that forms ridges that result in different fingerprints'.  Well, first off, I'm not sure how 'they' are able to know such intricate details, and secondly, Justin and Jordan could not use the library check out procedures at school because their fingerprints were exactly the same.

I tell you all of that because of this 'THEY DON'T ALWAYS KNOW WHAT IS BEST FOR YOU OR WHAT IS RIGHT', BUT GOD SURE DOES!!!

Pick up the paintbrush of your life, listen ONLY to THE ONE who knows every single little detail about you and is working it together for YOUR GOOD and watch an amazing masterpiece unfold!!

Who Does He Say We Are?
-Child of God... John 1:12
-Friend of Jesus…John 15:15
-Justified & Redeemed… Romans 3:24
-Not Condemned… Romans 8:1
-Fellow Heir with Christ… Romans 8:17
-Accepted By Christ… Romans 15:7
-Saint…1 Corinthians 1:2
-Temple of the Holy Spirit… 1 Corinthians 6:19
-Chosen, Holy & Blameless…Ephesians 1:4

WOW!!  Chill bumps reading through those Truths!  Let's start making choices based on His love for us and our love for Him not needing anyone else's approval!

NOW THAT IS FREEDOM!! 

"For freedom Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not be subject again to slavery. "
Galatians 5:1

So THANKFUL we didn't listen to them…

Our life would not be the same without our Jet!!

Is your charger broken?

I've often wondered about this whole independence thing?

We are often taught in this world that we need to rely only on ourselves and no one else…everyone else will always let us down, hurt us, or leave us.

I wonder, though, if that is what is confusing to some when it comes to their relationship with the Lord.

After all, isn't it BEST if we rely on Him to guide us, direct us, love on us?
Isn't our ETERNITY based on relying upon Jesus since "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  John 14:6

What I witnessed a couple of weeks ago couldn't explain it any better!!

For months, Jordan's phone hasn't charged easily in addition to it being so very cracked!  I'd hear him connect, it not connect, connect, it not connect and make all kinds of vibrating noises back and forth, back and forth.  He would wedge it between a chair and the baseboards trying his best to make it charge. Occasionally, I'd hear him grunt, get frustrated, complain, but many, many times he would not say anything rather battle it quietly to himself for almost 20 minutes  before he'd get it sitting just right to charge overnight.

A couple of weeks ago, he finally gave up because it would not connect at all.  He asked Jamie if he could see what we could do.   Jamie took an old 3G to AT&T to get it activated with Jordan's number so that he could have a phone until upgrade time.

What happened next is HILARIOUS!!!  Jamie comes home from going to AT&T, exchanging the phones with Jordan at the baseball game, and he takes a paperclip, yes a simple little paperclip and cleans out the area where the charger goes into the phone.  Guess what?  The charger goes right in!!

How many months of struggle could have been lessened by simply asking Daddy for help?

Don't we do this though?  Life doesn't 'connect' easily.  We grunt, complain, force it, and many, many times quietly battle within our own thoughts until we finally can't do it anymore, give up, and ask for help.  All the while God, our Heavenly Daddy, is waiting patiently for us to turn to Him!  He won't force us, but He is always there waiting because He will NEVER leave or forsake us.  (Joshua 1:5)

What happens when we turn to Jesus?
Just as Jamie cleaned lots of lint out of Jordan's charger,  He will remove things or situations from our lives so that we can better connect with Him (the ultimate charger!)  He doesn't 'fix' everything to the way we would want it (like Jordan's phone is still very cracked), but He does work it all together for our good.  See one day, Jordan will get to finally upgrade his phone to a brand new, no cracks, works smoothly and charges perfectly phone!  In the same way, one day, those of us who have put our trust in Christ get to upgrade to a heavenly body where there will be no more death, sorrow, crying or pain (Rev 21:4).   In the mean time, when we depend solely on God for our strength,  our security, our future, He fills us more than we could ever imagine or ask!  Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (right with God), for they will be filled (satisfied)!  (Matthew 5:6)  How are we right with God?  JESUS… depending solely on JESUS!!!

Are you tired?  Is your burden heavy?  Most of us can answer yes to this or have at one time…
take some time today to talk to your Heavenly Daddy about it!  He loves helping you!!