The balance of Grace

Ok…

So I am listening to Lysa TerKurst and Ann Voskamp talk about their lives.

And Lysa says I get asked this question allot “How do you do your life? with many children, writing, speaking engagements and everything else too, how do you do it? How do you balance it?”

and the interviewer lady said :  Balance isn't real! right?

I listened a little further and I stopped the video and just sat with that thought …..(repeating it to myself  - BALANCE ISN’T REAL …

and at first I am thinking WHAT!!?? wait a minute!!

I need balance….if I don’t balance I will be off over here to long and miss this and that and what about….and all this stuff going off in my head.

and then I hear the Lord say “that is what my grace is for.”

My heart kind of sank …and I started to write this, because I feel that I understand myself and what I am learning better when I write it out.

If God’s grace is for our balance then all my striving to balance home, church, friends, family, laundry and dinner is for nothing!!

But If I am relying on my own strength then NO WONDER I am constantly straining myself to do better, organize, get it right, get it on the calendar. Perfect my inconsistencies and fix my “look” of laziness and craziness.

(Now there is nothing wrong with improving…what I am talking about a need for “balance” called PERFECTIONISM that causes you to think down if your stuff isn't done or will cause you to miss a God Appointment because you need to do that stuff. )

I know I am not the only one here!

The Key is Grace -like the gyroscope…I found this little diagram:

 

(source)

What is the ultimate GRACE --Christ who gave His life for us!

Romans 11:36 For everything comes from him and exists by his power and is intended for his glory. All glory to him forever! Amen.

If we keep our eyes on CHRIST in the center of it all….

( in the midst of all our mess, and issues, and timetables, and running errands  )

IF we keep our eyes on HIM…WE ARE BALANCED! (can you believe??)

When we Pray to the Father ( Output axis) and love others ( input axis) all while our eyes are fixed on Christ ( Spin Axis)

we walk in HIS WILL!!

How much more balanced could we be than in HIS WILL!!!

If Christ …If Grace is your Axis, MY AXIS - then I can allow myself to be IMPERFECT in His PERFECTNESS…I can allow myself to let go of the need to BALANCE LIFE….and instead LIVE IN GRACE!

I can do His will, as He asks and allow myself grace for the dishes not done because I am walking His way…and not mine.

BTW--  …Lysa said “ I DON’T!!” Balance is a slippery term :0) and Ann said “ Christ is our Axis, he is our balance point! :0)

Amen Girlfriends!

I get it! How do you feel about balance and are you trying to find it?

 

Friendship of Love,

Starla

MONDAY MOTTO : BE SURRENDERED

MONDAY MOTTO : BE SURRENDERED

Philippians 4:8

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

My mom came to visit me over this past week. I really enjoyed my time with her. She kept making comments to me about my complaining while driving. Honestly I didn’t think that I had an issue until she pointed out ever HUFFY PUFFY, GRRRRRRRRR!!, What the? , DID you SEE that? and OH COME ON!!!!!!!!!! that I made while driving. I began to take a look at myself more closely. I had a complaint OFTEN on my lips. I immediately went to work of CONTROLLING MYSELF. Yeah..........:0/ that didn’t work so well. What I got was a deep brooding anger growing because now I was suppressing my anger.

I figured out what was needed.....SURRENDER!!!

When I gave up trying to do it in my own strength and said "LORD, I cant do this myself. You are my Life and I want to give you the reigns to my mouth. I need you Lord to do the work for me within" An amazing thing began to happen. I praised and thanked the drivers around me who were driving by the rules. MY FOCUS changed!!!

Yesterday my Pastor said sometimes we FOCUS on the wrong stuff. By being so UPSET over every driver out there that didn’t do right by MY RULES...I only fertilized that critical monster in me. My natural self wants to point fingers and blame the people on the road for not letting me on the highway, for not giving me enough room to get by or for going to slow. Well what I found out after my FOCUS adjustment was I was too slow, I was not patient, I was going to fast.

The way we handle things changes when we stop acting entitled because we are CHRISTIANS and actually BE CHRISTIAN!!

Surrender ...God knows how to fix it!!

F and L'er
Starla

Attitude and Attention

“And He called the people to [Him] again and said to them, Listen to Me, all of you, and understand [what I say]. There is not [even] one thing outside a man which by going into him can pollute and defile him; but the things which come out of a man are what defile him and make him unhallowed and unclean. If any man has ears to hear, let him be listening [and let him perceive and comprehend by hearing].” Mark 7:14-16 AMP

Two things that come out of us that can pollute us are ATTITUDE and ATTENTION

Do we just give to much stinking ATTENTION to offenses, defenses, bad behaviors, upsets, hurts, feelings, thoughts??? I believe there is a time and a place to look at these things and deal with them approprietly. I  think by the time we are hyper-aware of them we are out of balance and start hobbling down the road with a flat and too much wieght on one wheel getting our rim all bent up.

The bible says ...great peace to those who love thy law and nothing shall offend thee....well what about when I dont have great peace because for the UM-TEENTH time I am offended by Mr. Dear Hubby who leaves all his mess for me to clean up. Tracks mud or whatever across that freshly mopped floor???

Could that problem lead straight from my ATTITUDE!!! They say to cultivate an attitude of gratitude ....
well how about teaching those men from the beginning to respect your work in the house as a wife and mom and women by checking those shoes before they come in....

Is it possible that the reason we dont have a positive attitude and we are hyper-aware in our attention to offense is that when we begin relationships ( or continue in relationships)  in any setting...be it romantic, friendship, business...we always try to put our so-called best self forward (that is wordage for not being real) we are overly obliging and overly understanding when the truth is if we would let others know truthfully and honestly from the beginning when things hurt us, bother us, annoy us....(we may learn faster from our own honesty as well , as to when we are out of balance --ie. when we are starting to get a flat --like really really just having a bad attitude) they would know the real us....not the painted face. 

Husbands would know from the beginning what will drive their wife crazy and they can avoid it....instead of this nice "ohhhhhhhhh thats ok hunny dont worry about it I will get it ..*wink and smile*" then 5 years later she is a raging mess of hot anger ready to FREAK OUT in her ATTITUDE AND ATTENTION...

So..the best remedy for not being POLLUTED from the inside out...is HONESTY!! is TRUTH

Stop lying to yourself and everyone else and you will probably stop being offended all the time

(disclaimer: people dont always like the truth so when you start being real ...it wont be peaches and cream....so try not to be offended by their anger that you are suddenly truthful, be real and keep your eyes of Jesus :0)

F & L'er
Starla