Peanut knows how to spend her Caturdays. And for her, every single day is Caturday.
I am envious at how completely relaxed and chill she is nearly all of the time. You might say that she’s purr-fectly relaxed.
Now if I could only convince her to switch places with me so that she can trek off to work at 6:15 am and I can sleep in . . .
“Love never gives up.
Love cares more for others than for self.
Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.
Love doesn’t strut,
Doesn’t have a swelled head,
Doesn’t force itself on others,
Isn’t always ‘me first,’
Doesn’t fly off the handle,
Doesn’t keep score of the sins of others,
Doesn’t revel when others grovel,
Takes pleasure in the flowering of truth,
Puts up with anything,
Trusts God always,
Always looks for the best,
Never looks back,
But keeps going to the end” (1 Corinthians 13:4-7, The Message).
“A lenten prayer to avoid entitlement from Richard Rohr:
‘Maybe we all should begin our days with a litany of satisfaction, abundance, and enoughness. God, you have given me another day of totally gratuitous life: my health, my eyes, my ears, my mind, my taste, my family, my freedom, my education, clean water, more than enough food, a roof over my head, a warm bed and blanket, friends, sunshine, a beating heart, and your eternal love and guidance.
To any one of these we must say, “And this is more than enough!'”
Boy, if I started out my days like that, what a difference it would make. There’d be less anxiety and more rest, less worry and more trust, less complaining and more gratitude, less bitterness and more joy.
Whenever people ask me how I’m doing, the answer I’ve been giving lately is “Better than I deserve.”
I believe Dave Ramsey has been known to say that as well, but I’m not sure if he’s the one who originated it. Whoever did was spot on.
I am always doing better than I deserve. If I’m honest, I know who I am apart from Jesus and it’s not pretty. Still, I get hesed — when the one from whom I have the right to expect nothing gives me everything instead (thanks to Michael Card for that one).
If you need something to readjust your attitude or reboot your way of thinking, that’s a good prayer. You can borrow or steal it from me anytime. I stole it from the best.
“yeah, so maybe the day didn’t go quite as planned, because, hey, let’s be real honest here, we aren’t what we would have planned.
But, we can hear it, in all the noise everywhere, the grace of Your whispering Word right here: ‘All that matters? Is that I have loved you at your darkest. All that matters is that you are deeply loved in the midst of your deepest dark.’ Romans 5:8
So, yeah , we sit with that — sit with that for a good, long bit. That binds up the wounds.
The grace in Christ is far greater than the mess in our crisis.
That changes our world tonight…” (Ann Voskamp).
Not every day is going to be your best day ever. Some days you can look back and say that the best part of that day is that it’s over.
But God has a a way of working even the worst of days– and even the most mediocre of days– into good. He is leading you into a deeper trust that you are loved and you are the Beloved, no matter what.
Only what God says about you matters. Not co-workers or friends or family or anyone else. Not the naysayers or the flatterers.
Only God knows you perfectly. Only God can claim authorship and ownership. Only God knows your innermost secret thoughts and desires of your heart.
What does God say?
God said when He made you, “It is very good.”
God said when He sent Jesus for you, “I chose the nails for you.”
God says to those of His children, “You are my beloved.”
That’s what matters.
I think periodically we need the reminder of how good we really have it.
I’m not saying we don’t have any problems or that our lives are perfect and pain-free. I’m definitely not intending to minimize or discount any suffering or pain you’re dealing with.
I am saying that I really do tend to whine and complain over small stuff. In the grand scheme, most of what keeps me up late at night won’t really matter in ten years . . . or five years . . . or perhaps in six months.
It’s a bit funny that I get upset over spotty wi-fi when over half the world’s population went to bed hungry last night. No internet doesn’t seem nearly as much of a crisis when so many have no access to clean water.
Maybe I need to give thanks more often for all that I routinely take for granted– my health, my food, my clean water, the roof over my head, freedom to worship as I choose.
If it’s a reminder I needed for me, then maybe it will be a helpful reminder for you as well. Stay grateful, my friends.
“Be thankful for the smallest blessing, and you will deserve to receive greater. Value the least gifts no less than the greatest and simple graces as especial favors. If you remember the dignity of the Giver, no gift will seem small or mean, for nothing can be valueless that is given by the most high God” (Thomas a Kempis).
Maybe it’s time to start that list again. It’s the one I did where I listed everything I could think of that I was thankful for. It took several weeks and went way past where I originally intended.
Gratitude reminds us of how blessed we are. It takes our focus off what we’re lacking and off of what’s not working. It reminds us of who’s really in control and where good things really come from.
Most of us have a default setting of complaining and bitterness and envy. It’s not hard to see why in a culture where every commercial is based off of a competitive mentality where what you have can never be enough. The whole economy seems to be based on “just a little more,” i.e. bigger house, fancier car, newer phone, etc.
But giving thanks makes you grateful for what you already have. It makes you content. You can say, “No thanks, I have enough.”
It’s no wonder that God’s will for you in Christ Jesus is to pray always and give thanks in everything. That sounds like a plan to me.
I’m absolutely brain dead tonight. I can’t think of anything remotely creative or original.
So I bring you a picture of the salad I had for dinner recently. It was very good. And in case you’re wondering, it came from Chopt. You’re welcome.
Hopefully by tomorrow I will be back on my game.
The End.
That cat definitely has the right idea. Except for forgetting the snacks.
Sometimes, it’s good to step out of the hectic race and chill for a little while.
Rest is not a dirty word. It’s a necessity.
If you don’t intentionally chose times to rest, your body will chose it for you. That may look like illness or exhaustion. But eventually you will have to stop.
I remember the story of Elijah who was tired and discouraged at one point after he had seen a mighty victory of God over false prophets.
God provided his needs in that moment. Basically, God told him to eat a snack and take a nap (see 1 Kings 19:1-9).
I think it’s important to rest your body and your mind. Take naps. Do fun stuff. Take a break from the regular madness of routine.
But don’t forget your snacks.
Sometimes you have to be willing to stand for your convictions and beliefs, even if that means standing alone. Wrong is wrong, even if everyone assents. Right is right, even if no one follows.
“If you go back to the others now, and wake them up; and tell them you have seen me again; and that you must all get up at once and follow me—what will happen? There is only one way of finding out.”
“Do you mean that is what you want me to do?” gasped Lucy.
“Yes, little one,” said Aslan.
“Will the others see you too?” asked Lucy.
“Certainly not at first,” said Aslan. “Later on, it depends.”
“But they won’t believe me!” said Lucy.
“It doesn’t matter,” said Aslan. . . . Lucy buried her head in his mane to hide from his face. But there must have been magic in his mane. She could feel lion-strength going into her. Quite suddenly she sat up.
“I’m sorry, Aslan,” she said. “I’m ready now.”
“Now you are a lioness,” said Aslan. “And now all Narnia will be renewed. But come. We have no time to lose.”
He got up and walked with stately, noiseless paces back to the belt of dancing trees through which she had just come: and Lucy went with him, laying a rather tremulous hand on his mane. . . .
“Now, child,” said Aslan, when they had left the trees behind them, “I will wait here. Go and wake the others and tell them to follow. If they will not, then you at least must follow me alone.” (C. S. Lewis, Prince Caspian)
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