Clean through the Word

I know that God loves me when He tenderly repeats what He is teaching me.  It takes me a while to get it sometimes.  But I'll notice that what I'm reading in the Bible is repeated from the pulpit and said again in a conversation or an article or song, and then I know, I hear God saying, "Kate, listen up. This is for you.  You NEED this."
Well, that's been happening.   Verses have recently jumped out about being clean.  I hate being dirty. Feeling uncomfortable in my own skin, itchy and bothered because I just need to get clean.  Maybe you're thinking, "What is wrong with this person? Just take a shower and be done with it."  I've found that with 3 littles to clean and dress and now a Grandmom to provide basic hygiene for that my own gets neglected. There have been days that lunch is approaching, and I haven't taken care of my own needs to clean up for the day.  Getting a shower energizes and refreshes me, makes me feel ready to face the filth that lies ahead.
How much more important is it to get and stay spiritually clean? And that's what God has been talking to me about lately. The first time was through a televised sermon on union in Christ and the importance of abiding in Him.  I've long thought of abiding in Christ as dwelling in Him and to do that through continuous and consistent prayer, Bible reading and meditation.  And though that is a good definition, the preacher brought forward John 15:3 which is tucked in the midst of the vine, branch and abiding verses. "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you."
Then I had the epic Psalm 119 as part of my daily Bible reading assignment. Verse 9 says, "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word."  And today at a wedding the preacher used Ephesians 5:26 in his challenge to the new husband on how to be a good leader by loving his new wife as Christ loved and Christ loved by giving himself for the church, "That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word." 
An example was brought to mind of a grandpa who gave his grandson an old, dirty basket and said, "Go down to the river and bring me back some water."  The boy was obedient but found that the basket was insufficient to do the job.  The water would just run through the holes in the basket. The grandpa kept sending the boy back. "Go bring me back some water." The boy didn't see what was happening.  He only saw that he couldn't hold onto the water, but the grandpa's purpose was to get the basket clean and that's just what happened.
We may not be able to hold onto all of God's Word but when we run down and scoop it up it is doing something to us to clean us up and make us usable. So take some time every day to wash up in the Word. Sometimes there will only be time for a birdbath. But make sure to get in some long soaks.

Life's about Changing

"Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same, " it's a line from a Patty Loveless song. And though I like the song, I'm glad there is one Foundation that's sure and One who says, "I change not."  2015 had already brought lots of change to the Lytle home.  The great grands moved in with us, Grandmom on hospice a week ago now.  The two weeks prior to that were spent in frenzied preparation for their arrival.  I lost my voice 10 days ago and wonder when it'll come back.  I think it may have been the Almighty's way of keeping me from saying something I shouldn't.  As I'm typing, a sweet little baby boy is kicking my insides; and a baby always brings new things.  We see him again on ultrasound in a few days to monitor his kidneys.  So though I don't know what changes may be around the corner, I know the One who does not change. A better lyric than my opening is, "many things about tomorrow I don't seem to understand, but I know Who holds tomorrow and I know Who holds my hand."

Thankful

I'm thankful that my parents taught me to put my trust in the finished work of Jesus. They pointed my thoughts and directed my heart to rest on a solid foundation. They didn't cloud my young and tender faith with false hope in Santa Clause or the Easter Bunny or the Tooth Fairy. They tried to put into practice what they were taught from the Bible. They failed at times but the emphasis was on Jesus' success. God made the way because we cannot. He came to us. He lived selflessly. He died sacrificially. He rose and defeated death. He loves us and cares for us tenderly and personally. I'm thankful I didn't have to search high and low to learn where satisfaction abides. Mom and Dad, thank you for telling me about Jesus and having a contagious faith. I'm sure thankful I caught it.

Old Habits Die Hard

Ever think you have something figured out? Like you've finally got it licked? You're sure it'll never stump you, trip you up and leaving you lying flat on your face again only to find yourself back on the floor in another shameful faceplant.
I've been there more times than I care to think back on. Forgiveness, true thinking, patience and self control are some of the areas in which I struggle. I realize as individuals we are unique. We are made in the image of God, the only reason I can figure that He would find us worth saving. But I am far, far fallen from God's likeness. It seems we are also each uniquely bent and broken. I sometimes find it difficult to rightly divide what makes me me and what needs to be changed, repented of and left off all together.
So take diet and its affect on the body. The Bible says that the believer's body in the temple of the Holy Spirit and therefore it is the believer's duty to care for the temple accordingly. But ask a hundred experts in health and medicine and you will get a hundred variants of the proper care of the body. Eat whole grains, go gluten-free, vegetarianism, high protein. And each of those would have their benefits. So I'm left with the decision what is the best for the care of this body I've been given. Only I'm not left alone to make the decision on my own. I'm supposed to ask the One Who made me, Who knows me inside and out, my physiological and spiritual and emotional make up and is aware of all the many reasons I eat other than to fuel my body. And for whatever reason that is one of the areas in life where I'm unwilling to let God have all of me all the time. I want to eat what I want to eat when I want to eat for the reason I want to eat. And any attitude like that is sin. It's the sin of pride and self importance. It's akin to the very speech that got Lucifer thrown down from Heaven. Do I know this? Yes. Do I want to change? Yes. Do I have success? Sometimes, when I confess my sin and walk moment by moment seeking the Lord. Are there pleasures in sin for a season? Sure, otherwise I wouldn't eat that late night bowl of cereal followed by the lunch meat and cheese, followed by something else sweet, followed by something salty. You see the craziness right. Stop at the cereal. That's OK. It's probably not even sin. Maybe not necessary but not sin. But what am I trying to fill, what am I really craving that the sweet salty sweet salty sweet salty alternates are not satisfying. I know it's God's presence, His refreshing company, His fulfilling. And no substitute will do. So then I remember this and I confess and forsake and experience victory. For a while. And then I start feeling good about myself . I even drop a few pounds and fit better in my clothes and think I'm looking OK.  And wham! I'm back on my face not relying on the LORD for the strength to overcome temptation and continue in His victory. O wretched  human that I am? Are the bad side effects not enough to deter you - the cellulite, the tent-like clothing, the indigestion, the physical and emotional distance you create in your relationships, the prediabetes with increased risk for other future health problems. Knowledge is not necessarily power.
As I re-read this post that I started over 1 1/2 years ago I find that I have made some changes toward success and have seen how others struggle with similar attitudes whether their problem is the same as mine.  So there are no hard, fast solutions to offer other than to moment by moment trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding but in all ways acknowledge Him and He will bring it to pass.  Easier said than done, but at least it's true and proven because He said so.

Service from Shortest Startup Weekend Developer

So Tim and his Lehigh Valley Tech chums ran the Valley's second Startup Weekend over the past 54 hours,  and Tim had one star volunteer on Friday helping with the event's preparations.  Ella is five.  She is my chatterbox, talking from sunup to sundown. She demands attention and she has the words to convince you that her needs are the most important and definitely more important than her three and almost one year old sisters.  So it's challenging to find the right balance of time and attention for each child and her individual needs.  It makes me think of God and how Jesus taught us that God is a loving father. I want to be the kind of parent God is. He always takes time for you when you bring Him your concerns.  He's not too busy for even the small details. He loves when we delight in Him and take time to talk to Him. He's not bothered by our many petty issues. He cares about all our concerns, no matter the size. I have such a long way to grow to be a parent like God. I care far too much about me and my needs at times. Selfish. Yep, that's me. Jesus said that the greatest was servant of all. As a mother everyday I've been given countless opportunities to serve and therefore to be great. So what started out as a post to celebrate my little chatterbox and what a help she was to her daddy and just how great she is reminded me of what true greatness is, simple, selfless service. So if I want to be a great parent like God, I have to be willing to serve. Thank you, God, for using my little ones to teach me!

Money money money money MONEY!

2 Chronicles 25:9 KJV

And Amaziah said to the man of God, But what shall we do for the hundred talents which I have given to the army of Israel? And the man of God answered, The Lord is able to give thee much more than this.

I  would ask the same question Amaziah does here.  But what about the money? No one wants to loose money on a deal. You work hard for your money.  You work to keep it safe.  You work to put it to work for you. Money allows you to do things and makes your surroundings comfortable. But I'm reminded of a proverb that goes something like "money makes itself wings and flies away." Money comes and goes. Sometimes you have it and sometimes you don't,  but you carry your character and your name with you your whole life.  So this verse was a good reminder to do right even if you loose cash in the process.  You'll have chosen something of far greater worth.

Who's Talking?

God's voice agrees with God's Word.

Have you ever heard God speaking to you? These are just quick thoughts about a few of the routes that God uses to speak to people with some personal examples.

God can speak to you every time you open the Bible.  Those words are His words.  The Bible is inspired or "God breathed" and should dwell in us to keep us from sin, clean us up, correct us, instruct us, reprove us, complete us and make us ready for good works.

God can and does speak through preachers of His Word. For some reason God uses the foolishness of preaching to talk to people, and it's a powerful thing.  But make sure you bring your Bible, open it up, follow along and keep that preacher accountable to the Word. If God's Word is twisted, it is not His Word.  The Deceiver is skilled in getting just enough of God's Word in there to make it sound good.

God speaks through nature and reveals His amazing news! The heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth His handiwork.  This world is a testament to the Creator leaving no one with the excuse, "I didn't think there was a God."  The reply to that is simply, "Then you weren't thinking."

God speaks through people...and not just Christians. A former pastor's wife of mine said, "all men are my teachers."  People are made in the image of God and though we are far fallen from His glory I think it is this godly template that makes all people worth saving.

God speaks through Christians.  I am especially glad for the commeradery of believers,  specifically the members of my church.  The local New Testament church is supposed to edify or build the believer up in faith.  I lived at home while going to Indiana University and was able to continue serving in my local church. It was the serving that carried me through those years. Working with second graders in Sunday school when some people (my mom included) said I should be sleeping kept me focused physically and spiritually. Sitting in a class full of college and career aged individuals left my mind wandering and inevitably I would fall into a pattern of self-pity (why isn't there anyone who gets me?) The One who "gets me" had a place for me with a bunch of seven-year-olds and He used them to talk to me. 

God speaks through music. Singing in choir was another way God encouraged and talked to me.  Learning new songs every week kept a fresh melody on my heart and in my mind.  There's a reason that we are told to speak to each other in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs and to sing and make melody in our hearts to the Lord. It's good to praise God and bless God because He is worthy, and it's good for us. It can set the heart aright quickly. When I would sing with the choir and congregation,  I felt as if the angels in Heaven were singing along in praise to the One who gives us a reason to sing. It was more special than I can explain. Sometimes I forget to sing. I forget to turn on some God honoring music and unfortunately miss out on the much needed encouragement and admonition.

God speaks through His Spirit, and this is my favorite. When God speaks to me it sounds different than the voice in my head.  That voice is uncertain, kind of "judging", and often sarcastic. But God's voice is calm and clear and kind.  He uses everyday things that I can understand and that I'm currently going through to teach me on my level.  He once used my eavesdropping on a conversation at a restaurant. I was hearing one friend counsel another how to handle a relationship. "Don't read his letters,  don't answer his phone calls, stop thinking about him." Apparently this guy was bad news for this girl but that's when God's Spirit said, "That's how you fall in love with me. Read my Word,  talk to me and think about me." He doesn't do it this way much. But the times He has have been sweet. He uses his other ways more often probably because I'm bad at putting myself in a place where I can hear His still small voice. 

Just remember to take the voice back to the Bible.  If it doesn't agree,  it's not God.