Don't

Don't complain.

Don't argue.

Or, as Paul puts it,"Do everything without grumbling or arguing..." 

Charlie preached today on Philippians 2:12-15, and he was spot on. He reminded us that we are 100% responsible for working out our salvation (NOT to be confused with justification, saved by grace in Christ alone) and we are 100% dependent on God. Paul holds these two declarations side by side without hesitation: 

Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose.

Do everything without grumbling or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky... (emphasis mine)

Charlie began by reminding us that the King of the universe has adopted us as his children. Most of the time, when I hear about my adoption as God's daughter, having been made a sister of Christ and an heir with him, I feel good and happy and think,"Wow! How much does God love me, disaster that I am?!" Today, though, Charlie pointed something out that I don't readily think of, and which is the other part of the truth of such an adoption. When one is taken into the royal family, then one must start to learn the ways of and live following the example of those who bear such a lofty and worthy name. The responsibility to learn, to grow, to obey, to seek, to work on, and make the great effort to affect such change lies with the one who is now a part of the family. The beautiful twist to this fairy-tale adoption story, though, is that the Father not only tenderly shows his children what way to follow, but works in them himself "to will and to act in order to fulfill his good purpose." 

Charlie brought up the tagline "Let go, and let God." He challenged us to put that phrase aside and instead to "Cling to Christ and get going!" I love that. That's what I need to do!!

And now I think that I should not have titled this post "Don't" because truthfully, and if we're paying attention we'll see this, God does not just give us a list of don'ts that we need to remember not to do. The "do nots" are certainly there, but the overwhelming final word from God is,"I love you." His victorious, powerful, wonderful Word, 

Who, being in very nature God,
  did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
rather, he made himself nothing
  by taking the very nature of a servant,
  being made in human likeness.
And being found in appearance as a man,
  he humbled himself
  by becoming obedient to death—
  even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
  and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
  in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord,
  to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:6-11)

His Word has made us his children. 

Don't forget. 

Do

Here is what needs to happen around here:

Go through each room in the house, and the closets, and get rid of as much as possible.
Clean up the entire house.
Organize in each room and closet in order to use space efficiently.
Get rid of living room couch, replace with back room couch.
Deep clean the bathrooms. (What is the best way to get tile floors (and I mean old school tile) (emphasis on old) really clean again?)

I'm feeling optimistic tonight (please, just let me have this moment) that we can get a lot of this done, and I am quite certain that most of it hinges on the act of getting rid of a LOT of stuff.

It's going to require a ton of work. But it's also increasingly clear that things around here have to change.

I'm saying these things at the risk of sounding like a broken record; maybe after so many tries, change will happen...we'll finally get it. Have you ever been at a point where the roads lay before you, and the choice was clear, and the choice was hard? I'm sure there are situations more significant than this. But right now it feels a little like do or die. Let's say it's do or die trying (and then just get 'er done).

Good Game, She Says

Today Eliana beat me soundly in Hi Ho! Cherry-O. She then went on to win the fastest game of Candy Land I have ever played. She drew the Princess Frostine card first. I countered with a red. Which led to me moving one space forward. From the start line. Six cards later, the game was over, and I hadn't even made it to Gramma Nut's house. 

She has also beat me at Old Maid, Guess Who, Sequence, and one more game that I can't remember. I probably have blocked it from my memory because the pain of losing is just too great. 

Tomorrow I am going to start her schoolwork early. Clearly she has too much time on her hands with all this game playing, and winning. 

Discipline

Take a minute to read those words by Dallas Willard. They brought me to tears, particularly the second paragraph.

At the end of a day in which I have felt quite despairing, and used that exact word somewhere else earlier, and after half a lifetime of knowing these ideas of putting into practice my confidence in him and learning to do better what he would have me do to be true, I can't but be certain that God is speaking to me right now. Even when I'm staying up too late, which I know I shouldn't do. Maybe it's because I'm doing something I shouldn't. He is coming after me.

I seem to be running away always, even when I try to say I'm not. How does one become disciplined who has never been disciplined? Is it a matter of practice? Will? Mine or his? Will he help me? Oh, Lord, please help me. Amen.

Getting Good Stuff Done

So today I felt better! I don't know why, but I'm just glad! I got some laundry done, cleaned up the back room, and after dinner, I straightened the kitchen up (in my house this means I put the cereal boxes that were on the counter away and hand-washed the dishes that require hand-washing). I wiped the counters down in the kitchen and I vacuumed the back room. The school table is cleared off.

Now I'm not going to lie: There are six bags of groceries that aren't put away in the back of the kitchen, and my pile of junk next to the couch is still there. The suitcases are still in the entry and the coffee table is completely hidden from view.

BUT...

I'll count today as a win, for it was a start! And it does feel good to get things done!

Along with the stuff around the house that I was able to do, I also played some games with Eliana. I need to do that more often. She loves it, and it's really fun. She beat me soundly at the Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich game, as well as Crazy 8s. After she wins, she looks at me with a smile and holds out her hand for a shake and says,"Good game!" She makes me laugh. 

Today was a good reminder for myself to be present, to pay attention. Sometimes I forget. So day by day, I need to remember to keep my eyes not only open, but also trained on the right object. Which would be persons, of course.