This Christmas I did something crazy. I gave my color blind father-in-law those glasses that help correct color blindness. Unlike the videos you see on tv, it actually takes 15 minutes of use before your brain begins to “see” the new vibrations. Even though it is “neat” most color blind people do not wear the glasses full time. Why? They are accustomed to the blindness.

I had a similar experience when I went to correct my “2-D” vision. I have never been able to see 3-D, and was about to get laser vision to correct it. Over the weekend they gave me glasses that corrected my stigmatism and Even though it allowed me to see the world as I had never seen it before (trees are really cool, by the way), There was a problem. The focused vision made me not see actions that were coming. I was photographing a wedding that weekend and actually missed shots I normally would’ve gotten because I couldn’t see the actions coming from my peripheral vision because my eyes were so focused on one thing. I actually canceled the surgery. Why? Because I found the strength in my weakness.

Spiritual Weaknesses are a tricky thing. On one hand we don’t need to become complacent or accepting of sin, But we do need to find the value of our weakness because the Bible says “when I am weak then I made strong” because it is our weaknesses that make us rely on God and build our strength/character. If you have a weakness that bugs you and you’ve done all you can to rid yourself of it, REST. IN. HIM. In Him is where you will find the strength to carry on, even if “carrying on” means continuing on WITH your weakness. He can use ALL THINGS for His purpose and glory.

We are moving. Gag. For the 10th time. Double gag. Part of moving is packing and … DECLUTTERING!!! My parents were both teachers and I inherited their (needed) pack-rat ways combine that with 4 kids who are all artsy/craftsy and it is a MESS around here. Decluttering for me is super hard. Like, trying to do trigonometry for most people. I feel confused, exhausted and like i’m sinning as i envision my grandmother who lived through t he Great Depression tisking me in shame every time i throw something away. But, truth is, we are not living in the Great Depression. This is a different time and place and some things just need to go!

Sometimes our spiritual lives are like that. Maybe we’ve inherited bad ways or patterns of living that need to go, but it is HARRRD, so very, truly HARD to do something different, something new. Many times, it feels foreign and even wears us out, it’s such a different reality than we’re used to. But we must keep our eye on the ultimate prize and press on, despite the hardness and foreign feeling and exhaustion. For, at the end, comes the reward. If you are trying to break old ways, or plow a new spiritual path KEEP GOING! Your future generations will thank you!

Christmas has already sprung. Hobby Lobby is decked out in tinsel, trees and lights and carols are playing at the grocery store. In October. It’s all a bit…early, but one thing I do enjoy: the crystal trees. They resemble the tree at Crystelle Creek restaurant in Gatlinburg that stands over 12 deep tall, dripping in glittery icicle lights. I could spend hours watching the slow moving, dripping lights. It is a tree most beautifully adorned.

The Bible also uses the phrase “beautifully adorned” except it’s not talking about trees, but women. Most specifically, the ones with “gentle and quiet spirits.” 1 Peter 3:4 says the women of past were like this, “adorning themselves with a gentle and quiet spirit, WHICH IS OF GREAT WORTH TO GOD.” In this day and age, the loud and proud and entertainers get the glory but what is of great worth to God? A “gentle and quiet spirit.” He calls those people “beautifully adorned.” May we all strive to become what pleases God and not man.

We are moving again. Number 10. And invariably the question comes, “Are you excited?” And I’ve started answering, “We’re choosing to be.” because, usually, it’s true. Moving, like every other change in life, comes with questions, unknowns and trepidations. So many things can play with our minds and emotions. But there are also new starts and friends and horizons. For the most part, whether we are excited or not depends on which part of the move we choose to focus on. Luckily, Feelings are like that: they are unpredictable and sneak up sometimes but they can also be DIRECTED. Let us pray for God to give us strength to direct our feelings in the right way.

Our family moves. A lot. We have moved 10 times between 5 different states for my husband’s job and We are about to make our 10th move. There’s something I’ve learned through the years: once you make an offer on a house, you stop looking. Why? Invariably, if you keep looking through the “for sale” websites, you will find something that seems “better.” The same advice can be said of marriage, in some cases for the same reason lol. But seriously, once you’ve selected one and sign the papers, STOP LOOKING! Good advice.

We just got word we are moving again. Our tenth move. Back to Atlanta. I’m currently in the process of decluttering and packing up & there’s something interesting about the moving process: it makes you get real. When you have to pay by the box, you get down to the essentials: do i use this? Not “will i use this?” Or “one day i want to use this,” but “do i use this?” You are forced to see who you really are and what you really do. (I literally just asked my husband if it was ok to toss a fondu set that had been setting on the side table for months, with dreams of being used lol. I’m discovering we are very simple people.

It’s almost like Sunday mornings, where all pretense is stripped away & you stand, bare and empty handed, before God. Where you can’t hide behind your title or degrees or money or status…it’s just God and your heart. That’s the important thing about Sundays: they strip you to reveal you. All the good, bad and ugly so God can begin a good work in you. Don’t neglect Sundays, guys. They are vital in keeping the heart soft and real.

I love seeing how the Lord responds to his people, especially in times of trouble. In one particular case, he confronts Adam after he and Eve have sinned, having eaten of the forbidden fruit. Even though their actions have affected mankind forever, God does not blow up or destroy them. No. He asks a simple question, “Who told you you were naked?” It is almost as if He is directing Adam’s (and His own) attention to the fact of where the problem lies. SATAN had told them they were naked, so His message could not be trusted. What messages are you believing today? “Who told you that?” When we can derive just WHO a message is from, we can decide whether it’s even worth listening to, or just a pack of lies. Always question, and always stay alert.

We all know the story of David and Goliath, how David bravely slew the huge man with a stone and a sling. But before the battle came the prep. King Saul, despite himself being one of the tallest men in Isreal, cowered in fear, but instructed David to wear his kingly armor into battle. The problem? Another man’s armor didn’t fit young David, didn’t suit him. It actually encumbered & hindered him!

Point? In our spiritual walks, no one is the same. Some our strong where others are weak. Some are skilled while others are just beginning. In our efforts to grow spiritually we should not assume that what works for others will work for us. Are you a night owl? Then do your prayers and study at night. Are you still struggling with a certain, pesky sin? Try fasting AND prayer. What works for one might not work for everyone, so feel free to tweak strategies to suit you. Afterall, the overall goal is to win over evil – whether you use a sword or a stone.

I was cleaning out my closet today and ran across my wig from my chemo days. It was my one silver linings at the time, as I loved the dirty blonde hair. I had to shave my hair, my glory, after the second treatment because my hair was falling out in clumps. My glory was gone, but after I got the wig I could have it back, in a way. It was my borrowed glory.

I was going to talk about how the wig is like our relationship to Christ – how we borrow his glory to stand before God, perfect and whole, but then I delved into the word. While it says we were created FOR His glory, it also says we ARE His glory! (Isaiah 43:7, John 17:22). We don’t have BORROWED glory anymore, we ARE part of His glory, through Christ! How amazing that God can take us, his rag-tag bunch, and make something holy out of us! Praise to God & Jesus for these miracles!

Notice what it says in this verse.

Stand

Notice what it does not say. It does not say “thrive.” There are going to be some trying times in our walk when all we can barely do is STAND.

And on those days? It. Is. Enough

Have a blessed week, friends!