Of A Reunion with Contentment

"That was such a happy supper that Laura wanted it never to end. When she was in bed with Mary and Carrie, she stayed awake to keep on being happy... A splash of water on her face dimly surprised her. She was sure it could not be rain, for the roof was overhead. She snuggled closer to Mary and everything slid away into dark, warm sleep."  ... Laura Ingalls Wilder


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Ah, it's back to that consistent kind of happiness again for me.

I reread my blog posts written at our other suburb house and I had it then, that daily contentment. And at the apartment we had for six months afterward--it was there, too.

But at the farmhouse? That stay-awake-to-keep-on-being-happy feeling came and went. Was here again, gone again. 

In fact, one month after moving there, I remember standing with a rake out in one of our meadows and facing toward the adorable mobile home park three miles away. I thought, "Oh, how cozy it would be to have one of those tiny yards with bits of picket fencing and a corner sunflower patch and country decor and bird feeders and a compact house with rooms all on one level."

Shaking myself, I thought, "Debra! What are you doing?! You've dreamed about this farm for 30 years and your farm fantasies are all coming true!" And truthfully? I never forgot that day. It haunted me often, especially on the days contentment was 'gone again', days when I'd try to earn it back by reminding myself of all I've learned and all I've taught you here. 

Lessons about obedience, sowing and reaping, behaving, not doubting, worrying or being selfish.

At the farm? It felt like one long college course after another. A hard, difficult, never-ending course--and trying to get back to where I'd once been.


Today I am back, but even better. Whew. 

Amen.



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This woman will inspire the proverbial socks right off your feet! If you can't seem to get moving today, this will do it for you... and will keep you moving on into next week. ;) (A special thanks to my buddy, Wilma, for this link.)


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"Take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am gentle (meek) and humble (lowly) in heart, and you will find rest (relief and ease and refreshment and recreation and blessed quiet) for your souls."  ... Matthew 11:29


"Trust requires un-answered questions."      ... Joyce Meyer


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Broad, Sweeping Generalizations... Fine and Dandy?

"There are six things the Lord hates, seven that are detestable to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked schemes, feet that are quick to rush into evil, a false witness who pours out lies and a person who stirs up conflict in the community."  Proverbs 6:16-19

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Probably 20 years ago God convicted me to knock-off making broad, sweeping generalizations. 

They tend to be negative, so I'd assumed all these years that He just didn't want me running around saying negative things about the people He created. And there is that.

But this week I believe He showed me another reason. I'm thinking it's because broad generalizations tend to be, well, lies.

Examples of common ones we often hear?

"Parents nowadays let their children run wild. Every time you go to a store, kids are running around, screaming."

 So.......... all parents let their children run wild? Every store everywhere has screaming children inside, 24/7?

Or, "People nowadays are all selfish. They think only of themselves."

So.......... all people are selfish? No one does kind things for anybody besides themselves?

Or, "People who live in cities don't even know their neighbors anymore."

So.......... no one who lives in a city is acquainted with his neighbor? No one?


Hmm.

God takes a strong stance toward lying. Basically, He hates it.

So today, this is what I'm thinking: God works on changing me so to yank out "those little foxes that spoil the vine." He doesn't want me wandering around, cluelessly, doing the things He hates. You know, then asking the air, "Why don't I feel right anymore?  Why can't I feel free like I used to?" (Well, duh.)

At times like those, it could be that I'm walking around telling lies(!) Making those untrue, broad, sweeping generalizations, grieving the Holy Spirit and feeling "off" inside because hey, I know better. 

And when God gives more, He expects more.

And oh, I love this, neeed this:

"Stop being critical and you may be blessed with more creativity and quicker understanding." ... Catherine Marshall (as recalled by Joyce Meyer)

That, also, why I let God show me what's all wrong inside: so that I'll become free. More creative and way more compassionate. 

So that I'll have something valuable to give a clueless, hurting world who needs a huge, loving God. 


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"Then you will know the truth and the truth will make you free."  ... John 8:32

"For unto whom much is given, of him shall be much required..."  ... Luke 12:48


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Tracy shared her Valentines' decorating around her house and got me so inspired! I hunted around for some old Valentines and hope to put them in my window today.

More examples of lies, uh, broad generalizations:

No one plays good music on the radio anymore.

No one writes good music anymore.

There's never anything worth watching on tv nowadays.

They don't make good movies anymore.

Teen-agers today are all thugs.

No one delivers milk in glass bottles anymore.

Mega-churches are nothing more than Christian entertainment.

All tv evangelists are schiesters.

Prices today are too high on everything.

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Ack! I received a second kind comment early this morning, one from anonymous, but Blogger ate it! Or perhaps the person changed their mind and deleted it (even though it was nice). Either way, just wanted you to know I saw it and appreciated it. Thanks.

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Penny-Pinching--Good Stewardship?

"There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear: because fear has torment. He that fears is not made perfect in love."  ... 1 John 4:18


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Of course, many different types of Bad News Stories (as I call them) sadden me. The murders, the sinking ships, the deadly earthquakes or tornadoes, etc.

But what ranks high in my personal Top 5 of bad news? When I hear that an elderly couple (or single person) died inside their home of a heat-related illness because they thought they couldn't afford air-conditioning.

Oh, that makes me both sad and a little angry, too.

Months ago while we chatted with our friends, John and Donna, about the 'old days', John brought up how, when he was young, he had an air-conditioner that was enormous, heavy and cost a ton of money to use. Then he said he was thankful for Today's air-conditioners because they were smaller and cost only a fraction to use daily.

That's when I spoke up and said, "Oh! I'll bet that's why you hear of elderly people dying in their homes during the summer. Perhaps they refused to buy an air-conditioner because they believed they still cost a ton of money to run."

Everyone nodded their heads and said, "Could be."

(Now, hang in there with me while I try to make a point.)

Always, even since being a teenager, I've adored reading How To Save Money books. I find it fun to discover ways to create something from nothing, to use more imagination than cash and to try to get the most you can from a simple dollar. But some of those books take it too far (imo) and I have to watch myself that I don't go there, too.

Some authors have the cost of everything figured-out down to the bare penny. Like, how much it'll cost you to cook a bowl of oatmeal on a gas stove versus an electric one. Or how long you can leave a room to make it worth turning off the light so to offset the 'surge price' of turning it back on (the answer is at least five minutes, in case you wondered). Or how much you'll save making sun tea as opposed to heating water on a stove (instead of just finding the fun in setting your tea jar out on your driveway on a sunny, summer day). 

And much more pinch-the-penny-till-it-cries stuff.

The problem I find with that type of penny-pinching?  They've totally factored out the God part of the equation.

What about God's provision for His children who He dearly loves? Where is the figure which says if we do what we can do, God will do what we can't? And how is this kind of fear-based, one-wrong-move-and-it's-living-on-the-streets-for-us lifestyle showing anything positive about God's supernatural provisional abilities as a Father?

Fear is a thief. Fear is the exact opposite of faith, so it will repel blessings rather than attract them.

Just something to think about today. Rather like the way I think about those elderly people who've died in their homes in our area on summer days and how it saddens me that they didn't believe  that--because God wanted them to stay sufficiently cool--He would help pay their cooling bill if only they had a perfect love, a perfect trust in Him who loves us so perfectly.

And how, because of a fear of lack, they died unnecessarily much to the horror of their neighbors, like me, who can never quite shake the haunting memory.


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Okay, disclaimers:

Yes, some people just hate air-conditioning. If they hate it and don't need it, ok. But is that a good enough reason to die for lack of it?

And yes, sometimes air-conditioners break down. But God can arrange it so that we can afford to have them repaired or replaced. They need not sit in windows for 30 years, broken.

Yes, some people enjoy figuring down to the last pinched penny. If so, then--most likely (she reasons)--they're not living with a fear of lack so there's no real problem. More power to them!

And yes, we're to be good stewards of the money we're given. Good, faithful stewards, not fearful ones. God had some pretty strong words for the fearful steward who buried his money in the ground so not to lose it.  (See Matthew 25)


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"I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread." ...  Psalm 37:25

"But the Lord's kindness is forever with those who fear him; so is his justice, for their children's children, for those who keep his covenant and remember his commands, for those who put them into practice." ... Psalms103:17-18

"With God nothing is impossible." ... Luke 1:37


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There are other videos with this one, below. I find them enjoyable and inspiring to watch.
How To Feed A Family of 4 on $15 A Day  (Use the arrow below the videos to find this specific one.)


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Oh! Remember those old-fashioned, bad-for-you-but-they're-adorable Jiffy mixes? You can order "Hospitality in a Jiffy Recipe Book" from them by way of snail mail. So fun! Just be sure to send back the confirmation email.


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