Cleaning Up My Own Backyard

Beginning with my early Sunday morning run (which has become my date with God and the most peaceful time of my week), the Lord began showing me some important things - then, not coincidentally, the message from the Lord continued when I went to church.

As I stated in the blog that I posted on Friday, this week was draining to me - I thought it was draining because my body wasn't used to working everyday and because I missed my time with Luke, but this morning, the Lord showed me another reason that last week was draining for me - I lost my focus. This is what I mean - every morning, I get up around 4:30am and read and study the Bible and have my prayer time with the Lord.  By the time Luke wakes up, I am energized, ALIVE, and ready for the day in a lot of ways - I feel like I am connected with the Lord and therefore ready to serve my Earthly purpose - as an educator, a wife, and a mom.  Over the summer, I was able to keep this positive attitude throughout the day because I was not "out in the world" as much - by that I mean, I could pick and choose how I spent my time. If I wanted to read the Bible during Luke's nap, I did.  If I wanted Luke and I to do a craft using a Bible story, I did.  If I wanted to sing a song for Jesus, I stopped and did that.  I had more freedom and time to spend time with the Lord in a lot of ways.  Well, obviously, last week was so busy and hectic at work that I didn't have the time (or make the time) to stop and have those moments with the Lord and because of that, I found myself drug down into negativity a few times. I remember making a few negative comments to others that I shouldn't have made.  If I would have stayed focus, I wouldn't have let myself and others down by joining the negativity.  I know in my heart that I have to be a light - a POSITIVE light - even during stressful times.

This morning, during my run, I asked for forgiveness for those moments of weakness that I had last week and the Lord's forgiveness and grace is awesome!  However, in that moment of forgiveness, the Lord reminded me of something - why can't you stay in the Word throughout the day?  Why does the mornings have to be the only time you pick up your Bible?

You see - to me the Bible is a cleanser - it clears my mind of the worldly negative things and makes me feel clean again.  I guess that is why I feel so energized and clean in the mornings after my study time - it's similar to taking a bath. You know how great you feel after a long, nice shower?  Well, that's how I feel after I read the Bible and then when I'm confronted with the things that the world (school, the news, other people's negative comments), I begin to feel dirty - similar to how I feel if I've worked in the yard or dirt.  I begin to feel like I need to get clean again and if I don't take the time to do that, that's when my dirtiness rubs off on others through negativity and darkness instead of the cleanliness and light like Jesus.  So...I say all that to say that I need to take more baths during the day - I need to get back in the Word throughout my day, not just in the mornings.  Well, how are you going to do that you might ask?

I'm going to take my Bible with me everywhere that I go. Yes, that means, I'm taking my Bible to school - a public school.  The public school system tells me that I can't preach or teach the Bible to the kids but it doesn't say anything about me having my Bible with my personal belongings with me at school. What's the difference in me bringing my Bible and someone else bringing their favorite magazine? There is no difference.  I'm not pushing what the Bible says on others - I'm using it for my own cleansing.  When will I read it, you might say?  Whenever I can - I might read it during my lunch. I might read it on the way to the restroom or the drink machine.  I might need to read it in my car going from place to place.  I need the Bible to be accessible at all times so I can dive into the scriptures I need when I need them.

This morning in church, Pete talked about how the USA was built on the foundation of Jesus. Matter of fact, after George Washington was inaugurated, he immediately went to a church in NYC and thanked and praised God for this nation. Unfortunately, our Nation's leaders have chosen to destroy that foundation - they took prayer out of school, they took the 10 commandments off of walls, and they are trying everyday to take In God We Trust off of everything - all because the leaders say that we need to COEXIST (in other words, let other religion's gods be a part of our culture). Well, that coexisting will lead to the destruction of our Nation.  It's not IF, it's WHEN - the only hope for the USA is for the Church and the Christians in the Church to begin repairing the Nation's foundation. How do we repair the foundation of our Nation?  Individually, we repair our own piece - our own brick - our own cracks by turning back to the foundation, which is Jesus.  It's not too late - there is still hope - but it is going to take some boldness, some hard work, and all Christians to do their part in order to bring our Nation back to Jesus.  So....where to begin??? I need to begin by cleaning up my own backyard - by that I mean I need to clean up my own heart and my own actions.  I'm not doing my part of returning to Jesus when I'm out in the world making negative comments. I can't be a support to others in helping them clean up their lives if mine is not clean (and the Lord knows, I have a lot of work to do).

How am I going to keep my backyard clean?  By not putting clutter in it to begin with - each time that clutter comes my way, I'm going to refer back to the cleanest book in the world - the Bible.  I'm looking forward to trying my best to stay clean - everyday, all day.  That's a hard task and I will still fail, but the effort will count and the Lord will help me. The Lord rewards diligence.

Gang - I share these thoughts with you as an honest Christian who is working on getting closer to Jesus.  I don't know how these words or thoughts will affect you - all I will say is this -

REMEMBER, do not be ashamed of Jesus or the Gospel - it's time to be BOLD FOR THE LORD!

Jesus is the only foundation that will stand - don't sit around and wait to see if that's true - it will be too late - grab a hold of it now! The world will tell you different - you don't need Jesus - you have a great job, a great family, a ton of blessings!  Why do you need Jesus?  The world might make you think - those Jesus lovers are strange, peculiar, "off their rocker." Well, the world is wrong - Jesus is the LIGHT and HOPE for eternal life - when our worldly things are taken away or destroyed, Jesus remains in our hearts - he comforts us and loves us! Nothing is permanent except for Jesus!

Here are a few scriptures that I have studied this week -

Luke 11:33-36:  "No one lights a lamp and then hides it or puts it under a basket.  Instead, it is put on a lampstand to give light to all who enter the room. Your eye is a lamp for your body. A pure eye lets sunshine into your soul.  But an evil eye shuts out the light and plunges you into darkness.  Make sure that the light you think you have is not really darkness.  If you are filled with light, with no dark corners, then your whole life will be radiant, as though a floodlight is shining on you."

I WANT TO BE RADIANT FOR JESUS!  Do you? :)

Luke 12:8-9: "And I assure you of this: If anyone acknowledges me publicly here on earth, I, the Son of Man, will openly acknowledge that person in the presence of God's angels.  But if anyone denies me here on earth, I will deny that person before God's angels."

Self explanatory - be brave, be bold and claim Jesus as your Savior!

Have a great week!

Love,
Toddy