Do You Smell? Yeah, You Do.

Come in a little closer and I'll let you in on a little secret: I don't always smell very good.  And I use a lot of products to try to mask or avoid this truth: deodorant, perfume, soap.

Okay, now you know, and it really takes a load off.  I do trust that you won't tell anyone.  I can trust you, right?  I thought so.

Did you know the Bible talks about us smelling, too?

But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?  2 Corinthians 2:14-16

As a follower of Christ and a child of God, you smell.  God has doused you with His fragrance.  For some, taking in your aroma will be as pleasant as sharing an elevator with a woman who's spritzed herself with a divine perfume.  For others, you'll smell the way my garbage (with raw chicken I forgot to cook and then had to pitch) did last night when I set it out.  Either way, you smell.

A friend of mine (Hey Leslie!) who I worked with pre-kids, had a fall/winter fragrance and a spring/summer fragrance.  I stole this idea from her because I had two perfumes I liked but wasn't sure when to wear them.  Following Leslie's lead, I took to putting some on each day and switching on the first day of spring and the first day of autumn.  Being a girl is fun!

This week, these verses took smelling nice to another level for me.  I'm going to write them out and hang them on the inside of the medicine cabinet, where I keep my perfume and deodorant, as a reminder to daily be the aroma of Christ to my husband, my kids, my extended family, my friends, my neighbors, and even strangers.  For some, it will be like smelling roses, to others, rotting garbage.  But my main concern is to honor the Lord by spritzing myself with the fragrance of the knowledge of Him.  The world needs that and we're blessed by God to share in the spreading of his scent!

Perhaps you too will consider hanging these verses near your perfume or deodorant as a reminder of Christ's work in you and His plan to work through you even today.  You smell!  And it's exactly the way God would have it.

The Romp

This morning Elizabeth and I ran in The Romp, an annual 5K in my hometown.  My brother started doing this with his son Wyatt (below with Elizabeth) when he was only 4 and invited us to join him last year.  Elizabeth was psyched to participate again this year.  Wyatt smoked her by two minutes; he is one determined and quick little runner!  But Elizabeth did trim six minutes off of last year's time trying to keep his pace.  We all had a great time.  It was hot, but tolerable, and it's always wonderful to hear about the current crop of students from my hometown and their successes in track and field; the proceeds from The Romp go to scholarships for graduating seniors who've excelled on and off the race track.

Here are some photos, mostly for my mom and dad since they couldn't be there this year!

And, for both grandmothers, (and other suckers for babies),

a gratuitous photo of  the baby girl all dolled up for Memorial Day!

In Increasing Measure, a Lifetime Endeavor

After finishing the previous post, I later thought that it would be helpful to expand a little on what I think Scripture has to say about possessing these qualities [faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love] in increasing measure.

The main thing I want you to take away from this post is:

Possessing these qualities in increasing measure

is a LIFETIME endeavor.

As a young person, I thought that once I was saved from my sins I then needed to work hard to "arrive", that if I just did all the right things the right way I'd be a "good" Christian.  Let me let you in on a secret: there's no such thing as a "good" Christian.  The only right way to be a Christian is believing in, clinging to, and following Christ each day.  Following Him is not about checking duties off of a checklist; it's about a deepening relationship that transforms us from the inside out.  (In many ways that's much more difficult than simply ticking off obedience to the 10 Commandments, isn't it?  Yet it's so much richer and more beautiful to be in relationship with the Lord!)

So, we need a relationship that develops over a lifetime in which the Lord is working into us in increasing measure these Christlike qualities.  What does that look like?  How does it happen?  You might be surprised to find out that there's no magic formula or magic tricks, just grace.  Which is amazing(!), but not magical.

1. Spend time with God: The word of God is living and active, as much as God Himself is.  Interacting with Him and His Word in Bible reading/study and prayer will instruct, train, and equip you for every good work.  In short, if you're talking seriously and honestly with God, and asking Him to open they eyes of your heart as you read His Word, it won't be long before you'll be noticing the Spirit's handiwork in your life: sin will bother you more, joy will grow in your heart, you'll see God at work because you're looking for Him and you know to whom the credit is due.

Yes, devoting time to getting to know God and letting Him know the real you (even though technically He already does!) will lead to possessing in increasing measure the character of Christ.

2. Spend time with God's people: Another wonderful source for growth and grace that God has given are His people.  Sometimes we can be quite the rag-tag bunch and very un-exemplary of the Christian life.  But the Bible speaks a LOT about our need for fellow believers, to meet together, pray together, speak truth to one another, encourage each other (Hebrews 10:24-25, Matthew 18:19-20, Ephesians 5:19-20, Colossians 3:15-17, to name a few.)  This can be done in formal settings, like worship; we must worship with God's people on Sundays!  You can also join a small group or meet up with a friend for regular prayer and accountability (I do this with a far-away friend over email, even!)

It is CHRIST at work in and among us that begins to change our hearts, toward Him and toward one another.  Yes, spending time with God's people - taking advantage of their gifts and sharing yours - does much to advance God's kingdom in the world ... and in your own heart.

3. Start practicing! This might sound unchristian to you, but it's not.  There are several places in the Epistles where you can find the phrase make every effort.  In fact, one is even in this I Peter passage!  Ask God to bring to mind what you're reading in the Word, that you might see more clearly how His living and active Word interacts with real life.  The Holy Spirit dwells within you - Christ in you, the hope of glory!  Col. 1:27 - and He will open your eyes to see where God is at work in and around you.  

The other day when I wrote about this passage I was given the opportunity, in a situation where I could have gotten quite angry and vindictive, to practice brotherly kindness, self-control, godliness, and love.  I KNEW it was Christ in me.  Yes, God will meet you, friends.  He will show you how He is working in you and you will only be able to boast in HIM.  Start practicing the things you want God to make come naturally to you, like faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.  You will not look like Christ over-night, but you will see Him working in you.  There's nothing quite so amazing as seeing grace at work in that way!

Often we want spiritual growth to happen by magic and/or quickly.  It doesn't.  By consistently practicing the disciplines of the faith, we grow - there are no substitutes or shortcuts.  A plant, without food, water, and sunlight, will wither.  A Christian, without these, will whiter too.

Let's flourish by taking advantage of the good graces the Lord has provided for us: His Word, His people, prayer ... HIMSELF!

*    *    *

Have a lovely Memorial Day, friends!  And peace to you, if you are remembering loved ones who lost their lives serving their country and its people.  We are grateful.

I Peter 1:3-9

His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness.  Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.

For this very reason, make every effort to add to your

faith

goodness;

and to goodness,

knowledge;

and to knowledge,

self-control;

and to self-control,

perseverance;

and to perseverance,

godliness;

and to godliness,

brotherly kindness;

and to brotherly kindness,

love.

For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. But if anyone does not have them, he is nearsighted and blind, and has forgotten that he has been cleansed from his past sins.

What encouragement this passage is!  God has given us everything we need for life and godliness! And Peter urges us to pursue the things of God that we might be effective and productive in our knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ.  It is remembering that we have been cleansed from our sins, by the power of the blood of that same Christ, that sustains us, transforms us, and cheers us as we pursue all of the good things listed above.

Today there are many things we need to do in our homes, our jobs, and our relationships.  They far exceed our abilities and capacity (if we're honest with ourselves.)  So rather than focus only on the tasks, let's pursue the tasks before us today with a little more faith, goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love.

Would it not be a delight today, even in the mundane, to be effective and productive for Christ by pursuing the things He calls us to - which are much greater and lasting than any thing we check off our to-do lists?  I find in my line of work, that very little I do is lasting, but the change God works in me as I do those things is lasting.  Of greater value than gold or silver.

Yes, I want to posses these qualities in increasing measure to Christ's glory.  How about you?

8

Are You Clinging Today?

Life has been threatening to undo me.

My lists are too long, my expectations too high, my hormones too unstable, my brain too small, my body too weak.

My God, however is big.  So BIG.  There's nothing my God cannot do.

*     *     *

Yesterday morning I had to cling tightly to Jesus, intentionally, on purpose, with great determination.  Why?  Because what I wanted to do was hold worry's hand and let him lead me into despair's black hole.  I wanted to give in and give up; I look around at all of the piles and unfinished projects, how I'm not living up to my own expectations, how I'll never catch up.  Rather than fight, I wanted to flee.

But the Gospel tells me that my worth is not determined by how "on top of things" I am, by how I'm meeting my expectations, by how much or how little I accomplish in a day, a week, or a month.  To believe this, I need to cling to the cross, to my Jesus, my Savior, my Lord.  He alone can conquer the lies within me and lead me into the freedom to pursue (with joy!) whatever task I am able to do at a given moment.  He alone can remind me to lay things in His hands ... and enable me to do it.

Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.  Matthew 6:34

That was God's word to my heart as I spoke with Him yesterday.  So, I chose the tasks that seemed most important, focused on them, and left the others aside.  I went to bed with a huge pile of dishes next to the sink, a family room floor littered with "life," and an impossible amount of things left on my mental list.  But the patio was weeded (special thanks to my husband for all the yard work he did this weekend!), the kids end-of-year photo album photos selected, cupcakes baked and iced for E's party today, and a friend visited at the place she's been interning this past year, to see her work.  Thanks be to God for redeeming the day with the reminder to concern myself only with the day before me!

Give us this day our daily bread.  Matthew 6:11

This morning I woke feeling rested.  Haaaa-lelujah!  And as I sat and chatted with God, He brought to mind the phrase my heart and my flesh may fail.  I knew that came from scripture somewhere, but could not remember the rest of it.  Biblegateway filled in the rest for me:

My heart and my flesh may fail, BUT GOD is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.  Psalm 73:26

Yes and Amen!

*     *     *

Friend, what fears, doubts, or worries grip your heart today?  Look 'em in the eye, tell them they have no place there, and cling all the more tightly to Jesus and His promises.  Ask the Lord what word He has for you and let Him take you from there.  Your heart and your flesh will fail, but the Lord?  Well.  He doesn't.

The Necessary Messy

If you dropped by our place and I wasn't expecting you, you might be impressed by the messes you find!  Perhaps you're new here at Life in the Valley or don't know, but we homeschool.  Friends, that means that my kids are home all the time, which means there's never really a break from life's messes: meals to make and clear up, toys strewn across the floor, little clippings from a cutting project on the table, blanket forts that take up half the family room, school books and manipulatives littering the floor or desk or kitchen counter, or all of the above.

That's life, when we live in our homes, isn't it?  Messy.

Of course, part of training our children is teaching and reminding them (and sometimes reminding them and  then, ... reminding them) that one must pick up the mess he makes.  But as a mom, sometimes I want to wish the messes away. completely. eternally.  Can't my home stay organized and picked up FOREVER?  Pretty please, with a cherry on top?

The abiding reality:

LIVING WITH CHILDREN IS MESSY.

*Sigh*

BUT MESSES HELP THEM GROW!  

Without the opportunity to explore their world, try things out, build, destroy, invent, cut, paste, draw, paint, climb and fall, there are so many things our children would never have the privilege of discovering.  Without food to nourish them (dishes to wash), clothes to keep them warm (laundry to do), and space made for play (floors and surfaces to tidy), their little brains and bodies would not be able to take advantage of these creative and shaping opportunities.

This morning, as I pondered this blog post, it occurred to me that God works in our lives the same way.  He lets us make messes and He also makes some messes for us.  Usually those places are significant spring boards of growth.

Shall we give thanks today for the messes and let them happen?  Shall we let they boy try, when he wants to pour his own drink or cut a piece of paper into a million little pieces for no apparent reason?  Shall we free the girl to climb a little higher than we'd like so she can see what she is and isn't capable of?

I wonder: what messes in your life have launched you to new levels of ability or maturity or grown your faith?

Praise God for the mess!

Yes, thank you, Lord, for the messes.

Change our hearts, so that even in and with the mess we give you praise.

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.  Galatians 6:9