Trouble can be like spider webs...

Mouth Full of Spiders

There is nothing like a spider to get me moving and make me look like a crazy woman spinning out of control. I know they have a purpose in this world but I want nothing to do with them. I've had a few undesirable run-ins with those horrible hairy creatures over the years and would prefer they keep their distance.

 I once had one flicked at me by someone who thought they were being funny only to discover minutes later that it went right into my mouth! Spiders taste horrible by the way. I also had one run from the front of my bathrobe straight into my mouth! I felt the hair of his creepy little legs on my tongue and I quickly spit him across the room. I breathed one up my nose when I was at work and he bit me that was embarrassing to say the least. My nose and eyes watered so much that my mascara made me look like someone from an eighties Goth band. I have done the “spider web dance” a number of times. You know, screaming, twirling, arms flailing till you think it’s all gone only to find the spider in your hair minutes later. It’s just embarrassing.

Spiders are like those annoying trials that come into our lives. We are just living life, minding our own business and –Bam- suddenly we've walked into a web of troubles.

We all endure temptations and trials. There are no lucky ones that get to live life carefree or without struggles. Even Jesus had troubles but knew his Father was with him.

John 16:33 says, “I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.”

 Thankfully, we can have peace even in the midst of great trials. We can rest and be assured that God will not let you be tempted too much and promises a way to escape. Sometimes things don’t happen the way we want them to. The situation may feel all consuming but God is faithful and loving and he always provides a way of escape.

1 Corinthians 10:13 says,  “You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and He will show you how to escape from your temptations.”

You are never too lost to get back on track.

Walking in the right direction

      Distractions are just a part of life, keeping focused on the right path is not always as easy as it seems.

The first time my son borrowed my car he had his whole trip planned out except the directions. When he went to his dad for those directions I knew it was not going to end well. My husband is a very detailed person, Doug is not. I watched as half way through the conversation, Doug’s eyes glazed over and the distant look of a coma fell on his face.

Doug and I share the same outlook on life; it’s called KISS or Keep It Simple Silly. I once asked my husband for directions to a nearby city and his reply started with, “Have you ever noticed the plume of smoke in the north westerly direction?” I had to stop him in mid-sentence, “Wait, who do you think I am, Geronimo?” I asked. I’m not even sure which way North West is and he wants me to notice a plume of smoke? Who talks like that anyway?

 Doug left the house scratching his head and about an hour and a half later we got the phone call, he was lost. Not only was he lost but he was in an entirely different state. I took over the phone and told him to turn on the GPS. You can’t get any simpler than that. Later I asked him why he didn’t use the GPS in the first place and he said he turned it off because he didn’t think he needed it. 

 It is so easy in life to get off track and get out of God’s will. God has given us His own GPS, it is His word, and it’s simple and straight forward.

Psalm 119:105 and 133 says, “Direct my footsteps according to your word, let no sin rule over me.” And “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

I thank God for his love, mercy and grace. He is always there to get me back on track. I later asked my son where he thought he went wrong, he said it was when he stopped listening to the instructions and turned off the GPS. Hmmm, that is a great lesson to remember.

 Proverbs 16:3, 9

  Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and your plans will succeed. In his heart a man plans his course, but the Lord determines his steps.

 

A little bit of spit.

Just don’t touch

Have you ever felt like you just can’t stay out of trouble? Do you ever feel like no matter how hard you try to do right, somehow you always end up in failure?

   1 Thessalonians 5:22 says:

Avoid every kind of evil.

That’s not always easy to do in this crazy mixed up, whirlwind of a world that we live in.

 My best friend and I took a trip to the beach one summer. We decided to go through the local museum of weird facts. We had just started walking through when we came to the display of “The Queen’s Jewels.” It was a table made of mirrors with some overhead lighting that made it look like shimmering diamonds.  We both could clearly see that something was not right, but instead of just walking on, my friend ran her fingers across the top of the mirror, asking at the same time, “what’s that?” We soon discovered someone had spit in the middle of that mirror. We were mortified! Immediately we were running for the bathroom gagging and screaming the whole way.  Sadly this is not the first time my friend has gotten into trouble because curiosity got the best of her. She also got the surprise of her life when she touched the strange little puddle of yuck in a frying pan at the store, same run, same gag reflex. I tease her by asking why she has to touch everything; you would think she would have it figured out after the first time.

Even Paul confesses in Romans 7:15 “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do.”

Paul knew that no matter how hard we try; sometimes we end up doing what we hate. Thank God there is hope and we are made righteous through faith and the blood of Jesus and not by our actions.

Romans 3:22-24 says, “This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference, for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

Sometimes we mess up, sometimes we make mistakes and we stick our fingers where they don’t belong only to find spit in the middle of the mirrors! We all do it, God is not surprised and his love never changes toward us.

As we grow we don’t make the same mistakes too often, but when we do just remember there is nothing that separates us from his love and we are more than conquerors through him. (Romans 8:35-39)

My BFF and partner in crime. Ethel and Lucy, Lavern and Shirley all rolled up together.

As far as the east is from the west

If I Had a Hammer

Have you ever done something you were ashamed of? Something you wish you could forget or never did in the first place? Well, congratulations, you are a part of the world wide club of “Everyone That Ever Existed.” Of course knowing this doesn't make me feel any better, I would prefer to be the one who handles every situation with grace and perfection.

    One of the strongest weapons the enemy uses against us is guilt and condemnation. This relentless duo keeps us feeling ashamed and defeated, resulting in a failure to recognize God’s grace, love and forgiveness.

   The devil knows exactly what buttons to push; he is the accuser of the brethren (Rev. 12:10). All he has to do is drop one single thought in my head or bring up a memory I have worked very hard to get rid of and -Bam! - I have become my own worst enemy. I guess you could say I am my own personal bully.

    I have a friend who explains it like this, “The Devil has a hammer and he beats us over the head with it, but we come along and take that hammer from him and beat our self over the head doing a much better job than he did in the first place.”

   I have to remember that God loves me and is not shocked by what I do; He knew exactly what He was getting when he sent His Son to die for my salvation.

   Memorizing scripture and putting it into practice has become one of my most successful defenses. Revelation 12:10 and 11 tells us the accuser of the brethren has been cast down and we over come him by the blood of the Lamb and the word of our testimony.

     Realizing the devil is a liar and refusing to help him in our own destruction gives us hope and courage. We need to realize how precious and cherished we are to our Heavenly Father.

     We can choose to move on, leaving past sins where they belong, forgiven and in the past. When you find that hammer in your hand remind yourself that there is nothing that the blood of Jesus has not already washed away and you are forgiven.

Psalm 103:12

  As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.

2 Corinthians 5:17

  Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old has gone, the new has come!