I WANT THE REAL ONE!

We were leaving the house; me, my four year old daughter, and my seven year old son.
The leaving-the-house ritual ensues. You might have one of your own. Ours looks like this. I bark orders that sound something like, “Quickly, get your shoes on! Don’t just stand there. Grab your coat, its cold outside.”
Yet, in the midst of the chaos time stands still as I watch my children respond to my orders. As my daughter looked for her shoes in the closet, I hear her say, “where are my croqs? “I don’t want those,” she says to her brother. “I want the real ones!”
You see, like every good thrifty mother, I purchased the knock off brand of imitation croqs for my children. Kids grow out of their shoes so fast. My wallet hurts at the prospect of paying high dollar for shoes that become too small before they are well used. Both of my children continued to ask me for Croqs despite having a perfectly good imitation. Once again, like every good thrifty mother I looked for Croqs that were on sale; I never found them on sale.
One day while my husband and I were Christmas shopping, my husband finds both a pink and blue pair of Croqs at full price. It is Christmas after all so we splurge on two pairs of full-priced Croq’s. You can imagine the delight on their faces when they unwrap their gift and open their shoe box on Christmas morning. Finally, the real deal! They never thought it would happen, but their Croq dream became a reality!
As I stood watching this scene with my daughter, I thought to myself, “We are wired for the real thing.” My daughter is four years old. She has no brand sense yet. I, with my thrifty nature have obviously not taught her about name brands. How does she know the difference between a Croq and its imitation and more importantly, why does she care?
We are wired for the real thing. No imitation will satisfy. The void in our souls can only be filled with God; the one true God. The bible says, you are God, there is no other. You are God, there is none like you.
I tried for many years to fill the void in my soul. I chased new age religions like Eckankar and I studied self improvement techniques from men such as Tony Robbins. These methods provide temporary relief. They are a band-aid on a wound that never heals. For years my soul cried out, “I don’t want those. I want the real one!”
I have found the real One in Jesus and because we are wired for the real thing, no imitation will do. Stop shopping for an imitation. No need to be thrifty, Jesus is a free gift.

Blessings,

Theresa

CHILL OUT!

Occasionally, I tell my son, "Chill out, dude." I am attempting to accomplish two things with this comment. One is to lighten up an intense moment. Second, I want to get my point across that it is time to end the drama.
Occassionally, I also need to listen to the instruction I give my son. God often shows me, through my son, the character improvements I need to make. For instance, if my son has trouble with obedience, interesting enough, I also have obedience issues. So it seems, this particular day, God taught me to chill out.
One morning as I backed out of the garage, I heard a noise. It wasn't a loud noise but an unfamiliar one. I noticed it but didn't think much of it. I arrived at my destination, got out of my car, stepped onto the curb, and noticed something out of the corner of my eye. When I turned to look, I noticed a tennis racket sticking out of the grill of my van. Yes, that's right, a tennis racket sticking straight out of my van like it had a tennis match on my short drive to the gym. I laughed out loud as I tugged on the tennis racket to dislodge it from the jaws of my van.
In the past, I might have rolled my eyes and grumbled some inaudible complaint about my kids leaving their toys out. As I thought about how the tennis racket could have gotten there, I remembered my husband pulled the van into the garage the previous evening. He evidently had pulled the van in too far and drove right into our children's sports box. In the past, I might have grumbled some inaudible complaint about the driving and parking incompetence of my husband. However, this time I got a good laugh at the expense of my husband. Bless his heart!
This event was a comical yet apparently insignificant moment in time. However, this was a breakthrough for me. I had officially chilled out! I had taken one of life's mishaps and enjoyed the humor of it rather than get cranky.
If such a breakthrough can happen to me, it can happen to you. What has God shown you that needs improving? Do you need to chill out or do you have other issues? God is in the restoration business and He can restore your humor, innocence, purity, health, reputation, joy, etc. Listen to Him, obey Him, and let Him restore your life.
Blessings,
Theresa

THE LIGHT OF MY WORLD

Matt 5:14-16 "You are the light of the world." A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.

She was officially my sister. My oldest sister in fact, but she was more like a second mother to me. She was also my friend, my confidante, and my counselor. Barbara lost a battle with cancer and I lost a sister 16 years ago. She was a light in my dark world. She embodied all the qualities I wanted to be but I wasn't conscious of it at that time; I just knew I liked her company. She was kind and gracious and I was critical and self-absorbed. She created a home for her family and I was lonely young woman looking for love in all the wrong places. She was a patient listener with a tamed tongue and I was a talkative complainer that had a habit of sticking my foot in my mouth. Honestly, she meant much more to me than I did to her. I imagine I was quite a nuisance for her!
Prior to her illness, I was a young working woman but couldn't make it on my own so I moved in with her and her family which included a husband and 3 young children. I didn't just move in; I was unoffically "adopted" and became a part of their family. I joined them for family dinners and family vacations and outings. Being a part of their family was a departure from growing up as a child in my own family. I was the youngest of eleven children and couldn't wait to leave the house. But with my sister's family, I couldn't wait to get home. My sister showed me a loving home.
I remember Barb's living room well even to this day. She loved antiques and they fit well in her country style colonial home. In the corner of her living room was a tall oak hutch with glass pane doors. Atop that hutch was a small lamp with a blue and beige checked shade. That lamp was always burning. She never turned it off and I never thought to ask why.
It was the Christmas season when life slipped slowly away from my sister. She became certain she would not see her children grow, she would not become a grandmother,nor would she travel in retirement with her husband. She wrote goodbye letters to family members not Christmas cards and she gave away her personal belongings rather than wrapped gifts. Her only wish was to live through one more Christmas with her family. I watched her husband carry her from the bed and gently place her on the couch that Christmas day. Tears welled up in her eyes. She didn't want to die and she didn't want this to be her last Christmas. But on January 3rd she took her last breath. The light in my dark world was gone and the light in her living room was turned off.
A lamp continuously shines in my kitchen in honor of Barb and Jesus is now the light of my world. I pray I am the light of my home as Barb was in hers and His love continually shines through me for all to see.

ABIDE IN ME

You on your throne and me all alone,
How glorious a sight, how wonderful
it feels to abide.

Abide in me, I hear you say.
You call my name and the world goes away.
A treasure waits from the heart of
my King.
My knees are my offering

The veil removed,
the scales are gone,
my eyes are clear,
my ears can hear, your Kingdom has come.
It surrounds me, it fills me.
There is no other place I'd rather be
than to abide in Thee!

In you, I see myself;
how I'm meant to be, not who I am.
In you I'm totally content,
completely loved and confident.

I was lost and now I'm found.
The Good Shepherd holds me, I'm no
longer bound.
It's a wonderful place to be,
You never cease to amaze me.

Abide in me I hear you say.
You call my name and the world goes away.
A treasure waits from the heart
of my King.
My knees are my offering.

God Bless,
Theresa Anderson

IS IT JUST ME OR IS ANYONE ELSE TEMPTED?

Is it just me or is anyone else tempted? I was Christmas shopping alone recently and noticed the sale prices at every store I visited. Prices are slashed in half so stores can make money and move merchandise during this tough economic time. Every year, I look forward to the after Christmas sales when I can purchase items at a fraction of the original price. However, this year I'm not sure anything is going to be left over after the holidays with stores slashing prices now.
Prices were so low I was tempted to purchase more for myself than as gifts, and I was tempted to purchase items I didn't want or need. I have a red-tag radar built into my soul that beeps when I see a red sale tag. This left me in quite a quandry because my husband and I are in debt and currently following the baby steps of Financial Peace with Dave Ramsey. We have committed to be debt free and sale prices, regardless of how low they go, can sabotage our financial freedom plan.
With student loans, business loans, and personal debt my husband and I have been in debt so long it is hard to imagine life any other way. So, as I walked through Kohl's I wondered how I might feel different when I have the freedom to spend and that particular temptation has no hold over me. A familiar verse of scripture came to mind but with a new meaning to me. In John 13:12, Jesus says, "Whoever has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him."
What this scripture speaks to me regarding my personal financial situation is that those who have money will be given more and those who have little, even what they do have will be taken away. I heard Rush Limbaugh say and I believe it's true that this nation's prosperity is not genuine, it's borrowed. American's who have been financially responsible through the years by saving, giving, and living below their means are acquiring wealth and have been able to weather the storm of this economic crisis. Therefore, they already 'have' and are obtaining more in some cases because they have a strong financial house. However, most american's who save little, and give little, and spend more than they make, what little they have will be taken. Their cars will be repossessed and homes foreclosed with hurt pride and feelings of shame.
What I have learned through our financial journey is that it is never too late to surrender your finances to Jesus and start making wise financial decisions. You or your situation is never too far gone. God is faithful and will reward your actions when done in obedience to His Word and His Ways.
I vividly remember the moment my husband and I drew a line in the sand and said no more to debt. We owed taxes but didn't have the money to pay the bill. Rather than borrow the money to pay on time, we chose to wait and pay when we actually had the money. Consequently, we were penalized with a late fee of several hundred dollars. The government takes their due dates seriously! Since that pivotal moment, my husband and I have tried to be faithful and obedient steward's of God's money. God is the owner of all things and we are managers. If He can trust us to do the right thing with the money He provides us, I believe He will provide more. However, having more is not merely for our entertainment or to satisfy our temptations. Having financial abundance is a tool He uses to fulfill His purposes. Will you join me on the debt-free journey this new year?
I pray God blesses you with financial and spiritual abundance. I pray He will teach you and equip you to receive more of His blessings because you are faithful to Him and His Word. I pray you hold strong against the temptation to spend for the sake of spending and that you obey the Kingdom principles of saving, spending and giving.
God Bless You
Theresa

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

WHATEVER HE SAYS TO YOU, DO IT!

I didn't sleep well last night and when I woke up this morning, I didn't feel well. I will skip all the gory details but suffice it to say that I made a few trips to the bathroom. My husband helped me by taking my daughter to preschool and I quietly and gratefully slipped back into bed. Oh, how I love to slip back into bed; into sheets that are still warm from the night's sleep. What can I say, its a simple indulgent pleasure that I have but only indulge in occassionally. My dilemma this morning was a brunch to attend in an hour. Do I call and say I'm not feeling well and can't make it or buck up and go but risk possibly fleeing the room for a bathroom visit? The thought of staying home curled up in my warm bed for a few hours while my children were still at school was very tempting. At the same time, I had made a committment to friends and wanted to follow through. So, I inquired of the Lord. After He answered, I said "but, Looord," don't you know I don't feel well. How embarrassing it would be to go and spend more time in the bathroom. So, I inquired of the Lord again, and again, and again. I asked the Lord what I should do about a dozen times in a dozen different ways. Finally, I surrendered and said, "okay Lord I will go, I trust you but I wonder about you sometimes." So I went and thoroughly enjoyed myself catching up with friends I hadn't seen in a while. It was a blessing to boast about the Lord with ladies who love him as much as I do.
I am reminded yet again that God knows better than I. He knows better what I need and what is best for me. I am thankful I obeyed Him today and I felt great the rest of the day. It makes me wonder if I had listened to my own whining instead, might I still be in bed not feeling well. In John 2:5, Mary the mother of Jesus says to the servants, Whatever He says to you, do it. Today, he told me to go and I did it. We can never go wrong when we listen and obey the One who knows all.
What about you? Do you inquire of the Lord and do you obey? The One who created you and loves you wants what is best for you. He delights in you. Will you talk to Him and trust Him today? Whatever He says to you, do it.
Blessings,
Theresa