Obedience. (quick post!)

Proverbs 7:1 - MY SON, keep my words; lay up within you my commandments (for use when needed) and treasure them. 

Just wanted to share a quick verse today.  It's very appropriate that this was the first verse I read. Have you ever had scripture convict you of something you should be doing? Or have you ever had a prompting or the Holy Spirit tell you something that you need to do? Here, in this verse, we are reminded to KEEP HIS WORDS. Obey.

I'm still working on crucifying the flesh... specifically when my alarm clock goes off! Say a prayer for me if you think about it! I NEED to wake up earlier!

What about you? Is there anything you are working on? Are you "keeping HIS word?" Are you being obedient to what His last direction was for you and your life? 

#192 - Focus on Obedience

Good morning! :) It's a beautiful day out here in Columbia! Birds chirping, a cool breeze and blue skies. Let's get started in the Word because Junior will be getting up soon! :)

Proverbs 31:29 - Many daughters have done virtuously, nobly, and well [with the strength of character that is steadfast in goodness], but you excel them all.

Matthew 6:27,31 - And who of you by worrying and being anxious can add one unit of measure (cubit) to his stature or to the span of his life. Therefore do not worry and be anxious, saying, What are we going to have to eat? or, What are we going to have to drink? or, What are we going to have to wear? 

This morning I had a some questions for the Holy Spirit... primarily on specific direction. I sat, in my mind I felt a little bit scattered, like I was just saying, "Well, what about this? What about that? Should I do this?" It was as if my thoughts were running out ahead of me to try to answer the questions. My thoughts were hurried and seemed chaotic. I slowed down enough to listen, and from that comes today's main theme, "Focus on Obedience."


The root of my 'firing of questions' to the Holy Spirit stemmed from anxiety or worry, but it was as if He had to slow me down. Re-focus me. Re-ground me. Remind me of my current tasks at hand, projects He's told me to work on. As I hurriedly listed off all the things that I had questions on and seemed to feel a bit of stress rising up on the inside, I just heard that still small Voice say, "Just focus on obedience." An area, where just two days ago, I had to ask forgiveness.

Columbia summers are hot, humid. Sometimes just walking out of the house or car, it feels as if the air is sucked out of you for a split second until you get acclimated to the heat & humidity. Once you adjust, it's usually OK... but a summer without a pool would be tough down here. Our development has a pool conveniently about 100 yards from our house. It's very nice to just be a short walk away. Well... we had not paid for our pool pass for the summer yet. We still had our key-fob that would allow us to get in, but just hadn't paid or gotten the newly issued ID cards with our picture on it. Not really thinking about Proverbs 31:29, and her "strength of character," I proceeded to periodically scope out the pool to see if the "pool man" sat checking ID's. I found that there was normally no one there in the morning. Confession time. So, a few times Junior and I rode our bike by the pool, seeing no guard, rushed back home, got on our swimsuits and headed to the pool for a few hours of refreshing, cool swimming.

I know, I know. Some of you may be laughing and my deceitfulness... some of you may have gotten your stones out already! Well... let me tell you the rest of the story. No, I did not get caught. No, I did not get in trouble. Honestly, if I weren't telling YOU publicly right now, I don't think really anyone would have known. I reasoned that, we were going to buy our pool pass soon, we just hadn't yet. Once we did buy it, it wasn't even going to be pro-rated, we'd pay the same price as everyone else. We just hadn't paid it yet. I reasoned that it was OK for now. I didn't really like having to sneak. It felt dishonest, which isn't typically a quality I hold. Tyler and I joked about me "not being a rule follower" because he has always been pretty straight and narrow... I have usually been the "spontaneous" or "adventurous" one of the two of us. I'd joke about "not following the rules" and getting in to the pool, he would chuckle a little, but shake his head. Monday after dinner, Honest Abe Tyler, Tyler Jr, and I played outside in the backyard in the sprinklers. We did have a blast. Tyler Jr was loving it! He just ran around laughing, getting soaked, it was definite entertainment! Before bed I was reading and that's when the conviction began. I couldn't shake that what I was doing was wrong. We hadn't paid for the pool, so I shouldn't be going. Tuesday morning I made up my mind. Tuesday at lunch, I told Tyler I wasn't going to the pool anymore until we paid. Junior and I would just play out in the sprinklers or the hose, or stay inside where it was cool. And... I had to obviously ask for forgiveness from my Father. Tyler was surprised about my newly-found "pool honesty" and our day continued.

Wouldn't you know it, Tuesday afternoon, Tyler told me that he was going to surprise me but that I could go down and pay for the pool passes and get my picture taken! I was so excited! Yippee!!! Would it have happened if I had continued in deceit? Or would it have been another few weeks?

So, this morning when I was reading about the Proverbs 31 woman, and read about her "strength of character," I couldn't help but think about my temporary relapse. It's hard to be blessed when walking in disobedience or walking in a lie, even if it seems like a little one. A lie is a lie. I thought about her. Her strength of character stems out to even her honesty. Someone with a strong character is honest, trustworthy, they do the right thing.

"Just focus on obedience," I'm reminded of the Holy Spirit's words this morning. I don't know what it is for you. Maybe it's something like my "confession" above. For me, this morning, it was about being obedient to the things that Holy Spirit has directed me to work on. It was about being obedient to the current tasks He has me working on, not trying to bring on other things to do, but just focusing on the few things HE has directed me to do. Spending my time doing those things. If I do that, my daily accomplishments will not be in vain, they will actually be fruitful and purposeful.

What was the last thing the Holy Spirit told you to do? Are you working on it? Are you working towards completion? Have you gotten distracted with other things that seemed good to you? Have you forgotten what the last thing the Holy Spirit directed you to do? Maybe it's time to re-visit. Maybe it's time to check again, are we on the right track? Am I doing what I'm supposed to be doing? Am I being diligent? Am I focusing on obedience?

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Here's Tyler Junior and I at the pool yesterday! GUILT FREE! Having a great time! Look at how brave he is!!! Tyler said, "Maybe an Olympic diver?".... any cheerleaders out there know that it actually is a pretty good extension! :) (Though, I'm not speaking my son is going to be a cheerleader! HA!)

#129 - Real Stories: Even the Little Things Matter

Good morning. Well... today's blog is going to be a little big different. I'm actually going to share some real stories with you. You are about to see a little bit more into the life of Amy (and Tyler). They are technically  stories about how the Holy Spirit will direct us if we are willing to be obedient. Stories like this happen on a regular basis in our lives, but these were just a few that have happened this week and are examples of where we did not listen. Shame on us, right?! But they show how God even cares about the very little things in our day, the tiny details even matter to him. 

Proverbs 20:18 - Purposes and plans are established by counsel...

So... the scripture today talks about how plans and purposes are established by counsel. The KEY for a believer though, is once we RECEIVE counsel (from the Holy Spirit), to be OBEDIENT to the counsel. We can choose to still do it "Our Way" but the outcome is not guaranteed to be good. Let's take a look....

1. Breakfast: Tuesday I was fixing breakfast for Tyler Jr. Some days he eats as much as Tyler & I do, and some days, he doesn't. Well, Tuesday, while I was getting his breakfast ready, I cut up an orange to let him eat that while I fixed him Cream of Wheat. I have always enjoyed cream of wheat, and ate it a lot growing up....and it has been one of those staple foods for TJ for breakfast. Typically, he gets an adult serving: 3 Tablespoons of Cream of Wheat with 3/4 cup water, microwave 2 min, stirring every 30 seconds. After it comes out of the microwave, I usually add about 1/2 cup of applesauce to make it kind of sweet. Well.... Tuesday, as I was getting it ready, the Holy Spirit said, "Just do 2." I heard Him pretty clear. BUT, I reasoned, "If the boy doesn't eat it all, I'll just finish it off." Obviously, you and I both know that MY WAY is better than the Holy Spirit's, HA! Yah right! So, I continued on, with 3 Tablespoons of Cream of Wheat. While it was cooling, I made a chocolate, banana, peanut butter protein shake for Tyler Sr and I to split. It was yummy. Breakfast was ready. I fed the boy. I drank my shake. And do you know what? The boy barely ate HALF of his food! And do you know what else? After I drank my shake, I wasn't hungry to even have a bite of it, let alone finish it off. Do you know where the remainder of the Cream of Wheat went? Down the garbage disposal. Isn't it funny, that the Holy Spirit will even direct us in the little things! So, next time, I'm determined to listen to that still small voice!
2. Travel: Also on Tuesday.... Tyler had on his schedule that he would be traveling for his job. He was going to travel to part of his territory that is about an hour to an hour & a half away, Augusta, GA. He sets off for Augusta in the morning and is off. He later receives a phone call after he is already in Augusta, and finds out he needs to get to Charlotte, NC right away to pick up his newly issued laptop. Looking at it from the outside, it seems like a major inconvenience. From Augusta, Charlotte is a 2 1/2 hour drive one way, with our home being in the middle. A LOT of driving for one day. What does Tyler do? He checks with the Holy Spirit to see what he should do, and he gets the answer to GO to Charlotte, despite Tyler's flesh telling him that sounds ridiculous! Tyler makes the drive, gets the laptop, gets caught in traffic on the way back, and it ends up being a day of being on the road a lot! Wednesday morning Tyler woke up to have his Quiet Time.... his first question that morning was, "Lord, why did you have me driving all over the place yesterday? It seemed so unproductive." - The simple answer Tyler received was, "You never asked." Then the Holy Spirit proceeded to tell him that he would never have had him drive to Augusta, but Tyler didn't ask. 
3. Pants: OK... this one.... I'm still in the middle of. I exchanged some things I got for Christmas, in doing so, I got a lot of really cool Nike clothes. I also purchased a pair of pants. Super cute, kind of a dry-fit, not silky, but just real smooth when you touch them. I knew when I tried them on that I would probably have to hem them because they were a little bit long. The Holy Spirit told me not to buy them, but I wanted them so I bought them anyways. (I know! Bad, right!?!) So.... I bought them and get them home. One reason I liked them is because they were a size 4 and I was excited about that. So.... there they lay, up in my bedroom on my chair, a great representation of disobedience. They still have the tags on them. I've wanted to wear them, but I haven't. In my mind, I have been going back and forth, "Return them, or keep them." Well.... finally, I have decided I'm just going to return them! I'm sure the Holy Spirit knows WHY they aren't a good idea for me. Maybe I won't ever wear them. Maybe I'll get pregnant soon. Maybe I won't ever hem them. Who knows. But... I'm going to make it right and return them! 

So.... these are just a few situations that WE have had lately. I'd like to say that most of the time we are obedient and listen, but these were a few of the times that we were not. It just reminds me how God even cares about the little things! I mean, 1 Tablespoon EXTRA of Cream of Wheat?! Who cares, right? But God even cares about the little things! That was 1 tablespoon that was wasted and did not have to be. 

Today, will you choose obedience? Listen. Ask. Obey.