I cleaned the kitchen yesterday.  I didn't just clean it... I scrubbed for three hours.  My 5 year old son was in and out, helping some, which was more like watching movies, playing & stuff.  He was also on the patio making friends with a bird.  "Peck peck peck!" he would yell.  He thought it was a woodpecker.  I remember seeing that bird perched on a patio chair near the open kitchen door, and thinking to myself I ought to shut the door.  I just had this hunch but I shoved it in the back of my mind.  Next thing I knew, that bird had followed Isaac into the house and was flying around the kitchen, pooping on the floors and curtains, and on the family room couch!

I was thinking as I scrubbed bird poop, that Mr. Birdie had shown me a great little analogy.  How I scrub and scour to clean myself up, but if I leave my heart's door ajar to temptation, sin can dash in quickly to mess it all up!  Such a great picture.  Just as I'll definitely remember to close the kitchen door from now on, and keep those feathery critters out... I am reminded to keep my heart's door sealed up tight against the flapping wings of temptation.   Because every tomorrow is a new day!

This morning I was noticing how much my little girl has begun to reach for things.  It seems like overnight she became a little grabber!  Anything within her reach ends up in her lap and FAST.  I was pondering why she's so grabby.  One reason is that she doesn't know yet that things can hurt her.   Another is, simply, she trusts me wholeheartedly.

Oh that we would trust God wholeheartedly, just like babies!  That we would reach out and grab the things that He puts before us.  What a great analogy!  My toddler daughter has inspired me today, to be a "little grabber" for God.  A-men!

Taken from my Journal:

Sitting here at retreat, at Calvary Bible College Murietta, sipping coffee and musing. I've been feeling a little un-spiritual lately. Found some gems in Jeremiah 31 this morning, as God always knows how to cheer me up. I read about how Israel was sinful, and that God was the one who scattered them. Wondering if God is telling me something? But then knowing how often Israel sinned, and reading in Jeremiah how God has plans to ransom and restore them, blesses me and gives me peace.  

JEREMIAH 31:10-14  "HEAR THE WORD OF THE LORD , O NATIONS, AND DECLARE IT IN THE COASTLANDS FAR AWAY; SAY, 'HE WHO SCATTERED ISRAEL WILL GATHER HIM, AND WILL KEEP HIM AS A SHEPHERD KEEPS HIS FLOCK.' FOR THE LORD HAS RANSOMED JACOB AND HAS REDEEMED HIM FROM HANDS TOO STRONG FOR HIM. THEY SHALL COME AND SING ALOUD ON THE HEIGHT OF ZION, AND THEY SHALL BE RADIANT OVER THE GOODNESS OF THE LORD , OVER THE GRAIN, THE WINE, AND THE OIL, AND OVER THE YOUNG OF THE FLOCK AND THE HERD; THEIR LIFE SHALL BE LIKE A WATERED GARDEN, AND THEY SHALL LANGUISH NO MORE. THEN SHALL THE YOUNG WOMEN REJOICE IN THE DANCE, AND THE YOUNG MEN AND THE OLD SHALL BE MERRY. I WILL TURN THEIR MOURNING INTO JOY; I WILL COMFORT THEM, AND GIVE THEM GLADNESS FOR SORROW. I WILL FEAST THE SOUL OF THE PRIESTS WITH ABUNDANCE, AND MY PEOPLE SHALL BE SATISFIED WITH MY GOODNESS, DECLARES THE LORD ."

Today I am sitting by my studio window, admiring all the lovely plants and winter flowers. But there are so many weeds!  Fuzzy ones, spikey ones, tall ones, flat spready-outy ones.  And the weeds are all trying to take over. Kinda like a picture of our lives: if Christians were flowers, weedy is how we would look with sin in our life. But, here's the beauty of it all, that while we were yet sinners Christ died for us. 

And as I sit here looking out my window, I can see that the flowers are still beautiful, despite the weeds.

Have you ever had an embarrassing moment?  Mine was at the Summer Concerts outdoor event at Horizon Valley Center a couple years ago.  I was super stoked to get to play with Ricky, producer for the Rock Everlasting album, and also to share the stage with Ian Galleghar and the Dance Floor Prophets.  I love outdoor evangelism, it's so amazing to watch God work on people's hearts.  And I like the loud sound systems too!  So I get up there, begin a beautiful song, and this fly starts buzzing me.  It went in my nose, buzzed my armpit, my eyes... I totally flubbed.  I actually had to start the song over. Howwwww embarrassing!  Everything turned out alright, and I still was blessed to have Ricky back me up on the bass, but I was humbled.  And at the end of the day, after all the great bands... it was the clown with the Gospel Puppet Show who truly made an impact.  SO many kids raised their hands and wanted to know Jesus!  A good humbling is necessary now and then, to keep things in perspective.  God is in control, and He will always do good things, no matter if we flub, or not.  And at the end of the day... I was totally encouraged to keep on keepin' on, despite when there are flies in my armpit.

Stickers on the furniture, french fries in the car, a cheese stick in my purse.  Spit-up on... everything.  There's gravel in the dryer, bandaids stuck to the trashcan, matchbox cars under my feet, plastic teapot in my bathroom.  There's whale soap in my shower (for special occasion big-boy showers), play-dough crumbs in the carpet, bakugan magnets stuck on the lamp.  Glitter on the dashboard...  dinosaurs on the kitchen table...

And a HUGE smile on my face every time I walk through my house :)

Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven... it's called the Lord's Prayer.  The rest of it is spelled out in the Bible.  Over the weekend, I led worship for The CC Escondido women's retreat, and Cathy Dickinson was taking us through the Lord's Prayer.  A few of the gals were asking me if I could play the Lord's Prayer hymn.  Well, me not being raised on hymns, I honestly had no idea how to play it. Feeling somewhat inadequate as a worship leader, I spent some time in my room Saturday writing my OWN Lord's prayer song.  It was pretty cool, just came flowing out in about 20 minutes of writing. Then another half hour or so of practice and the song was ready to go. I decided to play it at our Saturday night session, and even though it wasn't the hymn they wanted, at least I was able to give them something!  The coolest part of the whole thing... the new song actually turned out pretty good, and will be featured on my next album coming soon.  Yay!  Who knows, maybe it will be the next Lord's Prayer Hymn.

I had the most wonderful time tonight with my son's preschool teacher.   I noticed something special about her the moment I met her two years ago.  And with relationship over time, invites to our church events... genuine friendship... we reached the grand finale:  I got to pray with her tonight to invite Jesus into her heart.   We spent hours looking at bible verses, giggling about life, shedding tears of repentance for sin.  She left my house with a smile on her face, bible in hand, one of my CD's... ready to rock-and-roll for Christ.  I am so grateful that God would let me be a part of His plan for her life.  And, I am encouraged to keep making friends... even the teachers need Jesus!

Oswald Chambers, verse for today: "Whom shall I send, and who will go for us?  Then said I, Here am I; send me." Isaiah 6:8 

Chambers goes on to say, "God did not address the call to Isaiah, Isaiah overheard God saying, "who will go for us?" The call of God is not for the special few, it is for everyone. Whether or not I hear God's call depends uponthe state of my ears; and what I hear depends upon my disposition."  And he ends with, "If we let the Spirit of God bring us face to face with God, we to shall hear something akin to what Isaiah heard, the still small voice of God; and in perfect freedom will say, "here am I; send me."

Aren't we glad that Oswald Chambers said, "Here am I," to God?

Taken from my journal:
 
ROMANS 3:20,21 (PARAPHRASED) THEREFORE BY THE DEEDS OF THE LAW NO FLESH WILL BE JUSTIFIED IN HIS SIGHT.  FOR BY THE LAW IS THE KNOWLEDGE OF SIN.  ...THE RIGHTEOUSNESS OF GOD APART FROM THE LAW IS REVEALED... ON ALL WHO BELIEVE FOR THERE IS NO DIFFERENCE.  FOR ALL HAVE SINNED... BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS.

There's that word, justified.  So we're not Justified by doing the "deeds" of the law, but by grace.  Thank you Jesus!  "Lord, please forgive me for being lazy and slack regarding your instructions.  Just because I'm under grace doesn't mean I have an excuse for my sin, and freedom to not make an effort.  Please help me to be strong, and to keep doing what is right."