Long Time, No Post...

So it's been quite a while since I've posted here, mostly because three blogs is just simply too much! So I have been doing most of my posting over at www.stringsattachedministries.com ...if you want to know what I'm up to lately...you should check out that site.  

Doesn't mean I won't show a little love over here now and then, but for the most part, I'm setting up camp over on the ministry side of the house.  Why don't you come visit?

The Better Wash

1/13/10

Give me the “Better Wash” please….

I should be doing a million other things right now other than writing this post, but this image struck me so square between the eyes that I could not ignore it.

Recently, we had a pretty intense snow storm- well, for Arkansas it was…about eight inches of snow on the ground. And with all the gravel, salt, slush and mud that is created in the melt off, our jeep looked like we actually took it off road (ha!)…the poor thing was crazy dirty.

Since then, the weather has finally cleared, and everyone is scrambling to get their cars clean (perhaps to rediscover what color their car ACTUALLY is beneath all that beige and dirt and grime.) The lines for the car wash have been CRAZY!

I was so excited to pull up to the order station and find I was the first one in line yesterday. I selected the “Better Wash”- you know the one without the fancy tire shine and was directed into the bay by a nice college boy who offered me a sucker to pass the three minutes of wash time.

I set the car in neutral and sat back…letting the scrubbies and giant wash rags buff away 8 inches of dirt on the Jeep. Watching the rainbow soap as it blended together and turned purple, listening as the “Spot Free” rinse rained on the sunroof and rinsed away all the lather and soap and dirt and grime.  Then through the giant blow dryer to dry all the little droplets of water left behind.  By the time I reached the green, “GO Now” light, I had a SILVER Jeep again.  AHHHHH! How wonderful it felt to be in a freshly washed car.

Now I love Boomerang because you pay a little higher price for a wash, but they have free vacuums. So, meaning to clean out the inside of the car, I pulled in next to one of the vacuums. But, it was 34 degrees outside, I was in heels and there were still icy patches in the lot, so I decided that I would skip the vacuum and just be ok with the clean car on the outside.

As I was driving out of the parking lot it hit me. I do this in my Christian walk to. I ask for the “Better Wash” and pull my life into the automatic car wash.  Jesus, being full of grace  and love for me, washes me clean. I come out all shiny and new, and because it it’s hard, or it’s cold, or it’s slippery, or I’m just plain ole too lazy, I don’t take the time to CLEAN OUT THE INSIDE. I put my Jesus coat on, and on the outside, I am clean and pristine. but inside, I am still dirty and grungy and greasy and have trash piled so high that I have no room for other people to come in, unless they want to sit on the yuck stuff.

The sad part is that I don’t HAVE to carry any of that around. Jesus provides us with FREE vacuums.  Powerful vacuums that can suck up any dirt, any debris, any trash.  That take it all away and we don’t have to worry about anymore.  All we have to do is get out of the car long enough to use them.  It isn’t easy.  It does mean you got to look at that trash squarely and decide you don’t want it anymore. That you are going to let it go and not ever look back.

But isn’t it worth it?

For that just cleaned, brand new feeling that you get. The “AHHHHHH!” of scrubbed fresh. Jesus wants to do that in our lives, but he’s not gonna stand at the end of the carwash and force you to do it. He loves us enough to let us make the choice. 

What trash will you get rid of today?

Encounter with the Saviour

From my bible study this morning, I love this.  (I am currently working through a Bible study called Live Intimately: Lessons from the Upper Room by Lenya Heitzig and Penny Rose.  It has been a wonderful study so far.  This morning, from the chapter “Changing Expectations:”

I had walked life’s path with an easy tread,

Had followed where comfort and pleasure led;

And then by chance in a quiet place-

I met my Master face to face.

With station and rank and wealth for goal,

Much thought for body but none for soul,

I had entered to win this life’s mad race-

When I met my Master face to face.

I had built my castles, reared them high,

Till their towers had pierced the blue of the sky;

I had sworn to rule  with an iron mace-

When I met my Master face to face.

I met Him and knew Him, and blushed to see

That His eyes full of sorrow were fixed on me;

And I faltered, and fell at His feet that day

While my castles vanished and melted away.

Melted and vanished; and in their place

I saw naught else but my Master’s face;

And I cried aloud: “Oh, make me meet

To follow the marks of Thy wounded feet.”

My thought is now for the souls of men’

I have lost my life to find it again

Ever since alone in that holy place

My Master and I stood face to face.

Dear Lord, I have to admit that washing feet was not what I had in mind when I became a Christian. It’s awe inspiring to see your humble example. Lord, I surrender my lofty plans. Let me do what you  have done and serve others. Amen

Vision and Invitation: The Fast

Wow! Did God lay the smack down on me this weekend! Totally. Rocked. My. World. I wrote all about it over at Strings Attached...why don't you come check out what's going on over there?

Go Pluck Yourself

I grab the tweezers and lean in close to the mirror.  Bracing for the pain, I stretch the skin taut and        take a firm hold on the stray hair- and then *pluck*!

OWWWWW! Man..that one smarted!

Let me just say before I jump into the life illustration, the woman who told me “the more you pluck,    the thinner and less likely your eyebrows are to grow back” lied through her teeth! But I whole-heartedly believed her because, well...

To read more and find out what I think habits have to do with plucking, come on over towww.carikaufman.com!