Unsolicited Advice

Since my husband has retired we spend almost all of our time together.  Good thing we still love each other very much!  Honestly, it is what I have been anticipating for many years, our time.

He never was one to do anything in the kitchen except lick the spoons or steal some cookie door off of the sheet right before I popped it into the oven.  It made me ponder how my friends had gotten so lucky to have husbands that cooked.  Not mine.  He is a self proclaimed “eater”.  Without eaters the world would not need cooks is his logic. (lol)

Last week I was preparing dinner.  A simple beef roast with vegetables in my Rockcrok, a slow cooker.  All of a sudden I had a supervisor.  “Those potatoes need to be cut in quarters instead of halves.” my husband gingerly stated.  Having gotten away with that a minute later he stopped me and said “Whoa, you have enough carrots in there.”  Now I was getting a bit irritated.  The final straw was when he asked “Do you always use that many herbs and keep the celery leaves on?  Maybe that’s too much.”

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I don’t tell him how to run things in the yard or take care of the vehicles, because I have no experience.  He knows so much more than I do in those areas.  Just like I know so much more about cooking than he does.

As soon as that comparison came to my mind, so did something else.  How many times have I done the same thing with God?  Ouch!  Have I really tried to give advice or tell the Creator of the Universe what to do?  Well, yes, I guess I have.

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There have been times I have taken things to Him in prayer, and instead of asking that His will be done or for His help, I have listed what needed to be done.  Have you ever done that?  I would pray asking Him to do specific things so that the end result would be what I thought I needed.  How ridiculous is that?  The child giving instructions to the all knowing Father? Unsolicited advice being given to the One that directs us?

Scripture tells us in Philippians 4:6-7:  “Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Abba doesn’t need a work order from me.  His way is perfect.  He already knows what needs done and what will happen.  All I need to do is lift my request to Him.  God knows exactly what needs to be done.  He is not waiting for my suggestions on how to solve a crisis.

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My prayers now take a different tone.   I know God knows and does what is best.  When I pray I take my concerns to Him, thank Him for being bigger than any issue I have, and leave it with Him.  Believe me, it isn’t always easy.  Sure I would love to include my suggestions but that would be silly.  Jehovah is our powerful God.  He isn’t our God that needs help.

Think about this the next time you pray for something.  Don’t make the same mistake I did.  Ask Him for help not if He needs any.

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Forgive and Forget

Get comfortable and let’s chat a little bit this morning.  Shall we?  I need to ask you something.  How easy or hard is it for you to forgive?  Wait!  Let’s back up a second.  I’m sorry.  0826DD35-5ADD-43A2-BEAB-E89FBA5BB7DEFirst, what does forgiving someone mean to you?  Do they have to ask for it?  Is it earned like respect?  Do you still feel the same way about that person or can you go back like nothing ever happened?  Are forgive and forget a married couple?  Well, I wish we were chatting over coffee and tea instead of tablets and phones.  I want to know your thoughts.

Recently I struggled with this from both sides.  An issue with a family member had completely torn me apart.  As a Christian I know I am called to forgive, but when it came down to a serious, nitty gritty situation, I was floundering.  After a lot of prayer, I fell exhaustedly face done crying for help. “I don’t really know how to forgive.”  It was at that moment in the stillness that I heard God speak to me.  “Yes, you do.  I have shown you.”
Talk about food for thought.  My mind went racing through all of the stories and scriptures I knew about forgiveness. 55C5BD65-5BB9-45A2-8D9D-61CD49CF656E In my heart and soul, I knew the answer.  My example, my teacher was Jesus.  Right?  Even in the Lord’s Prayer we pray to “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.”  So was I forgiving like that?  Like God forgives.
When He forgives it it total.  He washes away my sins and makes me clean.  He forgives and forgets.  There is nothing else waiting to drop.  It is total forgiveness and then gone.  Poof!  If I receive this great mercy then how can I give any less.  Right?!
My forgiveness is total amnesia, the best this human mind can handle.  So yes, I would say Forgive and Forget are a couple, like salt and pepper,or peanut butter and jelly.  It is resetting the love and care button and disabling the caution or warning one.  For me to be happy and make my Savior delighted in me, I need to follow His example.  It is not being unforgiving or carrying a grudge and saying “I will forgive you but never forget what you did.”
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Same goes if I need to be forgiven.  Even if I don’t know what I’ve done, sometimes making the first step in reconciliation is the most important step you’ll take.  Offer your sincere forgiveness and desire to be reunited.  Do not stir the pot once more.  That concoction has made you both sick for a long time.  Time to try something fresh and new.  Even if you start with “I don’t know why you are mad…” you have started.  Don’t give up on forgiveness given or gotten no matter how many times.
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Thanks for the ear this morning.  Give it over to God, my friend.  Look to Him for your perfect example and ask for His help.  I hope if any of you are struggling with forgiving someone or being forgiven this has helped.

Read a Book Monday: “My Heart Belongs in Glenview Springs, Colorado…Millie’s Resolve”

Do you like to read?  Obviously I do.  There is something relaxing for me to get lost inside a book.  I love traveling to places and making friends between the covers of a new novel.  Don’t you.  Well, today I have a really good one.  “My Heart Belongs in Glenwood Springs, Colorado…Millie’s Resolve” is a 256 page Historical Christian Romance written by Author Rebecca Jepson.  Published by Barbour it was the first book I have read 2B48CB54-1270-4592-9F12-99CB0D84D629by that author, but it definitely will not be the last.  This is a fresh delightful, emotionally packed historical Christian romantic fiction.  I enjoyed it so much I did not want to do anything else except read that book!
Glenwood Springs, Colorado is a town with a healing spa.  The story is set there in 1888 and is the tale of Millie Cooper.  She is a caring young woman running from her past.  Millie grew up in Nantucket as the daughter of a poor fisherman.  One summer she fell in love with the son of a wealthy family on vacation.  The results were heartbreaking for Millie and the book opens with her now in Glenwood Springs working beside dear Dr. Murphy.   Everything is going wonderfully until the brother of the man she fell in love with came into town and turned Millie’s world upside down.  He needs a nurse for his family and Millie seems to be the one.  This man prevented her from marrying his brother and now wants her to care for his mother and brother’s pregnant wife.  Oh my!
Author Jepson presents a fresh new story that I have not ever read.  It deals with forgiveness, regret, mercy, love, grudges, social classes, faith, illness, and trust.  The author tackles issues in 1888 that we can relate to now.  Her writing style is lovely.  The words just lowly effortlessly making the story easy to read and book hard to put down.  Twist and turns are added to keep readers on our toes. 9B1B3DF4-9C70-4265-A04E-C5EEE3D32768I was emotionally invested within a few pages. The descriptions were so good felt like a fly on the wall watching things happen.
The characters are so well rounded and defined that I felt like I knew them.  Not only did I become friends with the main characters but secondary ones, too.  I loved Dr. Murphy!  Some characters I scolded, others I had empathy for, and the majority I wanted to stay my friends.  I could travel to healing Glenview Springs and have coffee or tea with my new buddies.  The novel gave me the feeling we were that close.
“Millie’s Resolve” is a touching historical, Christian romance.  The lesson to trust God is prevalent throughout it.  I loved on page 192 the lines “The Master of the crashing sea was with her.  He was Lord…even of this storm.”  This beautiful message of faith is woven in the story so well.  Anyone will benefit from reading it and feel inspired.  Nonbelievers shouldn’t find it off putting or preachy.  This is just a great story.
I highly recommend this.  It is one of those books I wanted to finish reading, couldn’t put down, but did not ever want to be over.  What a dilemma!  It is a complete story, no cliffhanger.  I just loved it.  Any reading group would love discussing this delightful tale.  There are no discussion questions but just asking “what did you think” will start words flowing.  This gets a big 5 out of 5 star rating from me.  Loved it!
I received a complimentary copy of this book from Barbour Publishing and was under no obligation to post a review.41D8B9AB-D3BF-4C95-94F5-249C5BCB2C25