the measure of a man

Luke 10:25-28
On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus.  "Teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"


"What is written in the law?" he replied.  "How do you read it?"


He answered: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' "


"You have answered correctly," Jesus replied.  "Do this and you will live."




Really reflecting on the above verses today.  What strikes me is this:  


Life is about relationship--with God, then others.  We were created for relationship.


Life isn't about:
- our to-do list
- our talents
- our dust bunnies
- the quality of our clothing, car, house, possessions
- how smart we are
- how glamorous our careers
- what side of the tracks we come from
- education
- how neat our flower beds are (can you tell I'm aching for neat, cheery flower beds?)


If we summed up a man by the quality of his relationships, rather than by his job and what he drives, things would change in amazing ways.


If we summed up a woman by the quality of her relationships, rather than by her stylish clothing, neat flower beds, fine china, extra-curricular activities, and well-behaved children, wouldn't that be amazing?


All the other measures of a person?  Fleeting.  The next recession can wipe out many of them--or the next hurricane, tornado, earthquake, flood or fire.


Sadly, the things we fill our lives with only take us further from happiness, which is what we were after in the first place!  We then have no time to nurture our relationship with our Lord, or with our family and neighbors.  


Choosing simplicity is fringe.  Perhaps it's slowly making a comeback, but the majority of people still have full schedules and lots of stuff to manage.  And their next acquisition looms.  


It takes strong conviction to live differently.  Different is isolating.  If we make relationship the meaning of life, rather than the procurement of status symbols, we won't fit in with the Joneses anymore.  And what will they think of us?  


Only this:


"Wow!  That's one insanely happy family!"




Daily Blessings for Saturday


- mealtime Scripture


- dancing with my children


- kids piling on me for hugs


- Saturday night pancakes with berries


- my son, the chef (he can almost do the entire pancake recipe himself now, complete with flipping them)


- nursing my baby, seeing her body relax, feeling my own relax from the hormones released


- pitching the ball to my kids, who get so excited over their hits


- a fenced yard


- the power of Scripture 


- my boys' thoughtful expressions, as I explain that life is all about relationship


- job loss and an unstable economy, because it took head truth and made it heart truth.














 

how do you spend your time?

I found this thoughtful post about getting distracted by outside pursuits.

U.S. Census-worker training is complete.  Workers will now be knocking on your door if you haven't yet returned your Census form.  The statistics collected help decide Congressional seats.  States can lose seats if too many forms aren't turned in.

team of bloggers in Dominican Republic

A team of bloggers sponsored by World Vision will be in the Dominican Republic next week.  Here is a preview post.

color my world happy

The older three needed something to keep them busy while I nursed Beth down for her morning nap.  This guaranteed a mess, but I knew they would stay safe.  

Much to my delight, they painted a picture of happiness. Something to color my world.  

When your baby or toddler leaves you a substantial mess after every meal--after every activity for that matter--you begin to say to yourself, "What's one more mess?"  You squash the ever-ready "no", replacing it with "why not?".  

I will hang their mural in the playroom, to be looked at each time frustration threatens to trump patience.  Lately, that's hourly around here.

They actually gathered up all the paint brushes and put them in the sink in a cup of water.  All the paints were back in the box.  My sinful tongue began to make something of the carelessly screwed on caps (surely to result in spilled paint).  All those days of Proverbs--with an emphasis on the sinful tongue--stopped me short.  Instead, I said, "You boys are maturing nicely!  You took care of the paint brushes and paints without being asked!"

My boy flashed me a heart-melting, ear-to-ear smile, causing my Momma eyes to tear up.

There are a lot of reasons to become a mother--all very compelling.   But among the most important?  

Motherhood melts your heart, over and over again.  

A melted heart is a beautiful heart--a God-pleasing heart.

Earlier paintings, celebrating spring:

reflections on Matthew

Having finished Proverbs yesterday, we are continuing in Psalms during meals and have added the Book of Matthew.

Something new struck me as I began reading:

Matthew 2:13-14
.....an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream.  "Get up," he said, "take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt.  Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him."  So he got up, took the child and his mother during the night and left for Egypt, where he stayed until the death of Herod.

and again:

Matthew 2:19-21
After Herod died, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt and said, "Get up, take the child and his mother and go to the land of Israel, for those who were trying to take the child's life are dead."  So he got up, took the child and his mother and went to the land of Israel.


How amazing that both times, Joseph just immediately obeys!  He could have wondered if the dream was just an everyday dream.  He could have rolled over and gone back to sleep.  He could have stewed about it for several days, wondering what to do.  But no, he just gets up and goes.  Complete, immediate obedience.  


We don't have the luxury of receiving direct instructions through an angel of the Lord, but we do have the Holy Spirit to nudge us.  


Let us be like Joseph.  Get up and just do it!  


What instructions is the Holy Spirit giving you right now?