#29
Last night when my Son got home from work , he seen me outside trying to capture a picture of Ebony’s tree for my blog and when I came in the house he asked me if I ever thought I’d run out of ideas ? I told him their not my ideas , their HIS and I pointed up , I know he says he believes me but even I know how off the wall that sounds but I really do rely on the Lord everyday for his ideas and insight because if I was relying on myself , you could forget it lol These words are a gift and so are the stories and I’m thankful for each one and although it may look effortless , like I’m a natural writer but I assure you I’m not and even if I were , someone would have to come up with the stories and give me the ideas and every morning someone does, but it’s up to me to keep a heart that’s light and open and build up the muscle tone that’s needed to support the extra weight and that’s where the effort really begins .
This morning as I was getting ready this picture in my downstairs bathroom caught my eye . It’s my favorite of Jesus because it reflects my relationship with him and what is required to receive the gifts needed to do this blog .
Last fall as they were preparing to take down my Grandpa’s house, some of the family went in to Gather the things that were salvagable and this picture made the cut .
My Mom grabbed it and thought I’d like it . Everytime this picture calls out to me, like it did this morning , I love it more .
When my Mom first gave it to me , I thought it was just a nice picture with lovely detail in the trees and 2 of Jesus’s Disciples walking with him on a path ,listening to his teachings but if you look close ,like I did this morning there’s so much more .
This morning when the Holy Spirit got my attention with this picture . The Lord asked me to describe what I seen in detail. I didnt just see 2 people walking with Jesus and listening to his his teachings. I seemed to notice the one on the left looked like a women holding a tablet or scroll in one arm and holding on to a staff in the other and Jesus is talking and looking directly at her , like he’s not only teaching her but directing her and she seems to be at ease , taking it all in and listening while keeping her attention on his words and because I can’t see her eyes directly , it kinda seems like she’s got her eyes on listening to her instructor but also an eye on what’s before her . While the other guy to the right of Jesus looks real anxious , like he’s studying Jesus’s every word so intensely , that it don’t look like he’s enjoying the walk and even though Jesus is right next to him , he doesn’t seem at ease , the way his hands are clinched .
When I was in high School , I was a Cheerleader and the one thing I wanted most to do , was to learn how to do a backhandspring. It wasn’t like I didn’t try , I looked like the guy in that picture on the right , desperate and hanging on every detail and instruction to the point , it stressed me out . I watched the girls on the squad who could do backflips, in fact I watched them over and over and I studied their every motion . They made it look so easy ! Effortless! Like they had little or no effort involved and everytime, right after they’d flip and land it , they’d smile and say ” it’s easy , you just put your hands down and use your legs to push off ” just like that …it’s easy .. oh ok, maybe for them , but for me , a 4 ft 2 inch chunky monkey I just couldn’t seem to do it! My best friend on the squad was Debbie Kuhnle and man could she do a backhandspring , her and her sister Terri both had such an ability for tumbling that it was more frustrating because I tried so hard and couldn’t seem to get passed my fear of flipping myself over . I figured they were just gifted . I remember going to their house one day and they had this mattress in their basement and they’d both convinced me , I could do it and they’d spot me . Debbie and Terri both lol , one on each side of me , they’d each have 1 hand on my back and 1 on my leg ..I had 2 spotters and I was on a mattress and I was still scared to death ! I remember how they’d say ” just do it ! We got you !! Stop over thinking ! ” and I’d be like ” I will ! I’m scared ! Don’t rush me ! ” I’d be standing there with my arms straight out and starring straight ahead but in the inside I was already throwing in the towel , I pretty much figured ,it comes easy to them and I’ll just continue to study their every motion and compliment them on how talented they are , but they wouldn’t let it go because they knew they weren’t gonna drop me and if they could just get me to do it once ,they’d show me , they wouldnt let me fall and I’d get over my fear because I was literally terrified . I remember finally getting the courage and standing there , them both waiting on me and spotting me and I’d be like “ready , set …” then I’d chicken out ..then I’d say “ok..ok..i’ll do it , come back ..spot me ..this time I mean it!” And finally one time I did ! and it was like ..cool !…they did have me! ..that wasn’t so bad ! They spotted me and I’d flip over .. Ta Da! I remember feeling fearless and ready for the next practice because I got over my fear ! I figured , well heck , I did it with Debbie and Terri and I landed it , I’m good to go. The next practice was one I’ll never forget , we got to use the wrestling room to practice our backhandsprings and let me tell you , those mats arn’t like a bed mattress lol not only were the mats different , but so we’re my spotters! Let me just say that when you ask for spotters , those spotters actually think you can pretty much flip yourself over , as their only there to support your back and help assist you , the rest is up to you , they can’t make you put your arms down lol So the moment I counted off and figured they’d be there for me like Debbie and Terri …all I remember is throwing myself back and the next thing I knew ..boom! I don’t know where my arms went lol but the only thing that hit the mat was my head ! Did I mention My Friend Debbie and her sister had a set of calf muscles that buldged out from their legs and a set of guns for arms . That’s why it seemed so effortless to them , because it was ! but not because it came easy ,it was easy because the actual work was in the time they spent building up those calf muscles and arm muscles because that’s what they needed the most to not only push off the ground with their legs but to push off with their arms keeping the momentum going so they wouldn’t land on their head like me ! I still have no idea what I was thinking , I didn’t have the strength in my arms or legs and why ? Because I didn’t want to make the effort to lift weights or work out like them . You know why they always seemed to smile after they landed their flip , because they actually enjoyed gymnastics and I didn’t , I just wanted to do a backhandspring but I didn’t really want to devote anymore time then I had too , in developing muscle tone to do it.
So when you read my blogs and it appears like the words seem like they come without effort and I make writing look so easy , in all honesty the real effort is in the extra time I spend working out in the word . Just like building muscle, the word is my strength , like muscles , the more you lift weights , the more toned you get , the more I open my Bible , read God’s word , listen to it , read it , sing it , the more toned I get . Thing is , like the girls that always seemed to smile because they enjoyed gymnastics , God wants you to enjoy his word , I enjoy reading scripture and talking about it . When you enjoy something , it does come natural . The Word of God should bring a smile to your face , if it doesn’t then your gonna be like I was with that backflip , a person who wants the gifts but doesn’t want too make the effort to build up some muscle tone , you need that muscle tone to protect yourself because if you don’t , you will land on your head over and over and never be able to figure out why everyone else makes something look so easy and you struggle . The Father , the Son and the Holy Spirit are the best spotters you could ever have because they will always have your back , but like spotters , they will guide you and support you and help you flip over anything and land on your feet but they can’t make you put the extra time into developing muscle tone in the Word but if you ask , the Holy Spirit is the best weight lifting trainer you can have for building the best biceps. Before I even open the Bible , I ask for help in understanding it , if only one curl at a time , one verse at a time and before you know it , your adding another weight and another until that’s the only Book you want to lift .
#29
Never let the Devil convince you that your not worthy of any of God’s gifts , God has gifts for all his Children . I’m living proof that you just have to build up some muscle tone in the word and walk along side the Lord with ease and let him be your spotter and have no fear because he will always have your back and guide you , but you got to build up muscle tone in the word and make the effort because he won’t do it for you .
The one thing the Devil loves the most is to see a Christian with the will to learn God’s word and walk closer with him , so close ,that they study his every word with clinched hands and no smile. You have to let go and open your hands and give the Lord everything your holding onto , your hate , your regret , your shame,your worry , your troubles , your bitterness and your unforgiving heart because if you don’t , he can’t take it from you and free your hands and give you the gifts he wants too . The Devil Does not want you to know that the only way I can do this blog everyday is to open my clinched hands and give the Lord what’s there , just so I can be like the women in the picture , freeing my hands so I am able to carry the blank scroll and staff , the best gifts come naturally but only when you walk along side Jesus with ease , building muscle tone.
365 Things The Devil Doesnt Want You To Know 