Pursuing More

I do not have one of those super-cool, tear-jerker, emotional testimonies. Mine is rather… well, boring. I came to Christ at the age of 6. No “big” sin to turn from. No dramatic change, just a young heart answering God’s call on a cold wintry night. I have always rather envied those with exciting, dramatic stories of leaving a life of sin and clinging to the hope of a Risen Savior. They love Him much, you can see it in their teary eyes as they share their story. According to Matthew 7:27, they love much because they have been forgiven much. Does this mean that I have no hope of loving God much? Does it mean I will never know the passion that intense love brings? Sadly, this is what I assumed for years. I believed that that kind of love was just something I would never have. But as I reflect on sin and forgiveness and more specifically my own sin and need of forgiveness, I realize it is really not about the amount or depth of sin but more of a matter of understanding how fil...

The tune streaming from the radio station sent me into an 80’s flashback. Blending in perfect harmony, the lyrics took on a different meaning for me than when I was 15, wearing neon and sporting a poodle perm. "You should know everywhere I go You're always on my mind, in my heart, in my soul. You're the meaning in my life, You're the inspiration. You bring feeling to my lkife, You're the inspiration. I wanna have You near me, I wanna have You hear me sayin' No one needs You more than I need You. When you love somebody, through the end of time, When you love somebody, always on my mind...." (“You’re the Inspiration”   sung by the band “Chicago” in 1984) As my hands gripped the steering wheel at 10 and 2, my heart soared with the lyrics. “YOU are the meaning in my life – without YOU, there is no meaning, this life would be nothing….YOU are the inspiration that keeps me loving others…..I want to have YOU near me, I need YOU, Lord. May YOU always be on my ...

Hey! I'm glad you stopped by! I hope you enjoy the fresh look, it was time for a makeover! I am HTML illiterate and oh so trying to learn, so please bear with me as I continue to finish working on the new look of things around here! Have a look around, read some posts, leave a comment (I absolutely love hearing from you!) and I hope to see you again! Blessings, Sharon

Contentedness: I can be content with what I should eat and not feel deprived because I “can’t” have everything my eye beholds as delicious. (Like a scotch-a-roo… or a Strawberry Cheesequake Blizzard…or chocolate cake with cool whip frosting...) Attitude is everything. I can choose to view it as “I can’t” or “I can”. Contented, as in the state of being satisfied with what I have and not desiring more. It doesn’t come naturally; it is a learned trait. And it flows into all areas of my life. This was a great refresher course to re-learn to be content with what I have been given. And it goes hand in hand with thankfulness. Contentedness is a heart condition. It’s difficult to praise God when my heart is occupied with wanting more. (Philippians 4:11, Hebrews 13:5) Self Denial: In the first week of our diet, we hosted a birthday party for a friend. There was a lot of talk, laughter… and of course food.   I was dying to have some cheesy hash brown hot dish or some ice cream cake. An ...

(Continued from last week. See below to read part 1.) While following this strict (and I mean strict in the strictest form of the word) diet regime, I was reminded of the good eating habits I once had.   It is a very freeing feeling. Some foods I like had gotten lost in the sea of junk food. Take rice cakes for instance. I actually like them. They have lots of munchiness packed into a handy and tasty little low calorie treat. I hadn’t eaten one in years. And veggies. Veggies rock. They are delicious and nutritious. But when was the last time I had reached past the Doritos for the relish tray? A Snickers bar used to be too much for me to handle and I would take two or even three days to nibble my way through it. I would eat a portion of it, then tuck it away in my chocolate stash to be finished another day. I used to pour out the last half of a can of pop because my stomach just couldn’t handle the whole thing. Seconds at dinner was not even a thought.   So when exactly did...

Ugh! I had noticed a few extra pounds. You know what I’m talking about… Baggage that left no bag in my jeans. Clearly, my eating habits had changed. I used to mentally gauge my food choices. I only ate when I was hungry and chose wisely. I employed the give and take principle. A balance between calories, flavor, serving size and cravings. Somehow, this morphed into eating what I wanted when I wanted – which was a lot and often. Case in point: Jeff and I were out and about running errands and picked up donuts and strawberries for our lunch. Next we headed get some coffee to go with them. On the way, I wrestled with myself. Just get a black coffee, it will balance the calories in the donuts…but I really want an iced coffee… they’re so good… but black coffee has no calories and will be good with donuts… but the iced coffee is so good…you’re already eating a ton of calories and fat…black coffee it is…end of discussion. Still wavering as we approached the cashier, I changed my mind to mi...

It’s almost Christmas and naturally I find myself turning to Luke 2 for my bible reading this week. The story is familiar as I read it, but 2 words seem to jump from the pages and land on my heart. Treasured and pondering. Luke 2:18-19 “…and all who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds said to them. But Mary treasured up all these things, pondering them in her heart.” Luke 2:51 “But his mother treasured all these things in her heart.” Mary was placed in a very unique one-of-a-kind situation. Literally. A visit from an angel. A virgin giving birth. The mother of the Savior. The Messiah born in a manger. Prophecy fulfilled. More Angels. Shepherds. Amazement. And then later, her 12 year old son goes missing and tells his parents “Didn’t you know I had to be in my Father’s house?”    Mary kept this information, this knowledge, this truth. She thought it through, reflected on it, and preserved it in her heart. She treasured it. She did not store it away like Christ...