Jenn’s Journey

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Happy Monday! I am so glad you are stopping by to read my thoughts and perhaps enjoy a cup of coffee and a break from whatever you are doing.

Last week I mentioned I was looking through a basket of old mementos. I've found myself in an end of summer cleaning mode. I go through this several times a year, the urge to purge. No drawer or closet is safe! The garage, oh, the garage…it's definitely time for a sale.

Coincidentally, the sermon at my church happened to be on this very topic. The series for the month of August is on simplifying life. The premise of the talk was that 'stuff complicates our lives. I find that to be true for myself…and I am an organizer at heart. The more stuff I have, the more stressed I feel. I think this is true for a lot of people whether they recognize it or not.

The pastor cited a study that was done on what happens in the brain when we buy something new. The area of the brain called the caudate nucleus, lights up when we buy 'stuff'? Would you believe this is the same area of the brain that lights up when a person feels a deep connection to God? I find this very, very interesting.

How often do we think a shopping trip is just the thing to bring some cheer? The perfect pair of shoes, a purse, a cute shirt, home decor…anything to fill the empty spot for the moment. I know I've done this many times and usually on auto pilot. How long does it take for the excitement and newness to wear off? I watched my daughter rip open birthday presents last week, with frenzied excitement. There was hardly time to see what each thing was before she was on to the next bag. To be fair to her, she has played with many of those new toys, but the newness has definitely worn off... already! So much so that she was begging for a stuffed animal from the store two days later.

I am not suggesting that we never shop, or not give/get birthday presents, or that we should give all we have to the Goodwill. I am however wondering if it's easy to get the 'fix' we need temporarily by filling life with things. Things can never take the place of close relationships, particularly one with God. If our brains are wired to light up when we have a deep connection with Him, why are we letting things take the place of that? This is a question I am asking myself as I prepare to downsize my junk and simplify my life.

In Luke 12:15 Jesus tells us "...life does not consist in an abundance of possessions."  "Stuff" can never fill the space that He can. Hebrews 13:5 says "be content with what you have, for He has said, ‘I will never leave you nor forsake you.’”

May you look up to Him for that contentment when the urge to get more stuff hits you!

Until next week, be blessed,

Jenn

Faith Filled Fridays From Croley’s Corner of Chicklit Power

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. Romans 11:29

As a child growing up my parents believed in us as children. They have always told us we could achieve anything that life threw at us. They also taught us to trust God and to exercise our faith when we faced with challenges. Now as an adult I believed in their instruction and I have experienced many roads that were prepared for me along the way, roads that have led me to many places; from prisons to other countries, from huge auditoriums to very poverty-stricken places that many would choose not to go. I knew in my heart, back then, I was building an Ark, maybe not quite like Noah but my faith was just as strong to understand I was fulfilling the plans that God had purposed for me, Psalm 33:11. Grab your coffee or favorite beverage and your journal for you never know what nuggets will inspire your heart at a time you may need it the most. So let’s get started!

We read about a faith hero named Noah in Genesis. We find that Noah pleased God in the midst of great corruption and that violence had filled the earth and because of this God told Noah to build an Ark; and, so, Noah did. He instructed Noah how to build the Ark with every conceivable dimension known to man; what a task set before Noah. Wow! One has to know that something BIG was gonna happen! I can also envision the taunting that must have taken place every time Noah came out with a hammer. Yet with all that confronted Noah, he never gave up or gave in. Noah pushed through all the mocking, laughing, and the many sceptics that stood before him.

I wonder if our faith would have survived such a test of time and hardship. I can only imagine being called by God and Him asking me...”Debbie, I have a great assignment for you and it’s going to require some faith and your talent on your part…are you up to it?”  And of which my immediate response would be “Why of course, God, here I am; use me, whatever it is. I’m ready and able.”

Then the plans come. The instructions are loud and clear from God; yet there are those times our minds begin to rationalize the idea or the thought, then our hearts move to analyzing every process that God’s requiring.  Would we have the nerve to tell Him, “Well, God, this is a great idea; however, I may not be the one you’re really looking for, so how about asking someone more qualified than I?” Just like children, we argue, rant and carry on that the task is too hard and impossible. 

God sometimes calls us to assignments that seems impossible, especially to others. Luke 1:37

My point is we all have been given a measure of faith and the ability to carry out the plans of God. Yet it's easy to fall into our own purposes of what God's will is because it's natural for us to let our will override God's.  Don’t let the voices of many drown out the voice of God just to find out later that you missed the greatest opportunity ever to follow through with His plans.  It takes a strong commitment for God's will to emerge in our lives based upon His plans instead of our own. His purpose will bring us to that finished product He intends for us to become. I call as I see it; you may be a Noah and He may be requiring you to build something that will, indeed, bring others to Christ. You may be called to be a Moses to lead many to Christ in their wilderness, and yes, you may even be an Esther who will bring your family to a life of serving Jesus. Don’t limit your gift and certainly don’t limit God; He believes in you!

 Until next week…and remember to keep Him close to your heart!

Love Debbie

Nana Holds from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Thanks for taking time out of your day to have coffee with me and for returning for more of Nana Holds, the longest blog series ever written! Grab your coffee and come on in. It’s Christmas morning and Bryden’s joy is splashing on each of us.

His childlike enthusiasm lit up the room with love each time we handed him a package. And the excitement with which he opened each of them held us captive as we waited for the moment when it was unwrapped and he was actually experiencing what was inside. It didn’t matter whether it was a pair of pajamas, a new sticker book or a little toy; his appreciation never wavered as he exclaimed what each gift was while holding it up. That awakened something in me, a realization that it didn’t necessarily matter what the gift was as much as the giving of the gift. Bryden was feeling loved and the way he received it actually filled my love tank while taking me back to my one of my childhood Christmases.

what is it?

I say “one of my childhood Christmases,” because sadly enough, there’s only one that I do remember. I can almost feel the anticipation of that Christmas morning and the presents under the tree, and how difficult it was to drift off to sleep because excitement kept tugging on my mind. There had been several hints about Christmas that year from my mom. She had actually been at the same job for a while now and the man she had been married to was finally working as well.

Looking back, I now understand how fulfilled she felt by the ability to give all five of us something that we had put on our wish list, and then some. What I can’t imagine is how difficult it must have been to provide for five children and how frightened she must have been with all the times of uncertainty. But for this day, Christmas morning, It was complete joyous chaos as all five of us ripped into our packages, exclaiming appreciation with childlike enthusiasm. I don’t even remember what was in the packages; but I’ll never forget the unwrapping party and the feeling of happiness that comes when surrounded by those who love you and whom you love.

Christmas with Daddy!

Toy Story back pack

Maybe that one Christmas is what drove me to go above and beyond for my own son each year so he could experience every year what I had experienced that one year. Little did I know that my extreme gift-giving fed his sense of entitlement which drove him to do some of the things he did. Oh, how I thank God for His sovereignty that has the power to take our mistakes and turn them into beautiful lessons to positively affect our present and secure our future.

The reality of second chances fills my heart to overflowing as I watch Bryden unwrap his long-awaited backpack and lunch pail, which actually took some serious shopping to find. To say he was excited really isn’t the right word, maybe a bit of an understatement, especially considering actions speak louder than words. Yes, the look on his face was priceless, captured in my heart forever. But what he did next affirmed me emotionally in a way that I’ve experienced only a few times in my life: He put the backpack on and exclaimed “this is my favorite ‘pwesent’. I ‘wuv’ it!”

Join me Monday for more priceless moments and life-changing revelations.

Evinda

Nana Holds from Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Powe

Thanks so much for joining me for a little coffee break today and more of Nana Holds. Grab your coffee and come on in. It’s Christmas time at the Lepins’!

Ah, Christmastime, so different this year with a little one in the house. I am giggling inside as I remember me being the early one up instead of Bryden. I couldn’t wait to see his little face when he saw the presents under the Christmas tree. George and I waited, and waited, and waited. But we made good use of the waiting time, sharing gifts we had for each other, until finally, he was awake.

His daddy brought him downstairs and his big brown eyes got bigger. Oh, the excitement of a child that causes him or her to do things without any sort of inhibition. So refreshing and one of the most precious gifts for me to just watch, observe, from the outside in. If I could describe it in words, I guess I’d have to say it’s like watching a beautiful picture come to life, a whole new perspective on being a child, getting to be a child.

What a gift and as long as I am one of his guardians, I will guard that privilege with all my might, to allow him to be that child as long as he possibly can without the world and all its harshness crushing his little spirit. Oops, I’m jumping ahead to where I am now in my heart but back then, I was simply in a state of marveling his childlike spirit, almost as if in awe but not really able to comprehend all that I am able to now that more of the pieces of the puzzle have been added to this true story.

Christmas joy

As we watched his enthusiasm spark over the smallest of gifts, like a pair of Angry Bird pajamas, a beautiful truth came to light: it wasn’t so much the gift itself as it was the gifting. He was so excited to be receiving the gift, and all the

oh, the joy of a child!

unconditional attention. I remember thinking before Christmas how much my whole perception about Christmas and gifts had changed over the years. I used to think that I had to get my son something really big, super special, and I each year I would try to outdo myself. That gets so stinking exhausting. When George and I shopped for Bryden, we didn’t agonize over the fact that we didn’t buy him some special gift from “Santa,” some toy that he didn’t need. We kept it simple and we couldn’t wait to see his reaction to the gifts we had chosen.

There is such beauty in simplicity and Bryden reiterated that truth for me then and continues to do so now.

Join me tomorrow for more of Nana Holds.

Evinda

My Christmas Wish for You – From Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power

Happy Christmas Eve to you and thanks for joining me for our coffee break today! I hope you enjoy my Christmas card made just for you! Grab your coffee and come on in and ponder these words. I pray they resonate in your heart and help you with perspective in the Christmases to come.

It is not about the presents under the Christmas tree, but the presence of love we feel from friends and family
It’s not about the shopping that we feel we must do, but about the gift that has been given freely to me and you
The gift is a gift that money can’t buy; the birth and death of Christ was for you and I
It’s not about making a list and checking it twice and buying countless gifts for the naughty or the nice
The reason for the season isn’t about all the debt and stress, but a season to offer special gifts such as forgiveness
Or maybe a gift of time for one whose time is running out, a meal for a family  to encourage hope where there is doubt
Maybe someone needs a helping hand to accomplish a chore; yes, these are the kinds of gifts that give on forever more
Oh, if we would take the materialism out of this season and in its place remember redemption is our reason
These gifts come freely to and from those walking in His Spirit; they outlive materialism though the world doesn’t hear it
The gifts of Love, joy, peace, patience don’t ever need a reason;
nor does kindness, gentleness or self-control have to have a season!

May the gifts of the season guide you to and through the new year!

   

Merry Christmas
Evinda