What's in your Heart?

I finally recuperated from my holiday weekend shenanigans. I think I am back to a normal sleep pattern. I have decided to yet again have a fresh start to eating healthy, keeping a schedule and growing spiritually. You may do this daily and should but I always seem to end up ditching my efforts in favor of "anything goes". Not good! No success! So here I go again...surrendering my control of life to the Lord and praying for "Total Surrender". Something like when we were kids and we would say, "Tag! and no Tags back!". Lord, I don't want to be "it" anymore. Tag! You are it.

So last night I made out a schedule for my day. I am 1 hour behind but hey, flexibility is good. The schedule is actually a general list of "to dos" with target times to accomplish. So I woke up, did some quick straightening up in the kitchen and bedroom, and put some laundry to wash - "keeper of the home" am I, Lol! I put on my walking shoes and walked on the treadmill for 30 minutes. Took a shower, made breakfast, and prepared for my devotional time. Well, because I have obsessive compulsive disorder tendencies, I am distracted by all the little "Autumn/Thanksgiving" knick knacks and decor. It December today! I grab a basket and load it up. Wella, I am plain but not out of season. I get ready to sit down at the dining room table then I remember time for a laundry switch. Done. I sit down and look my hands are dry. I need lotion. Kevin walks by (his big mistake) and I ask him to get my lotion, and a blanket please. My hands are now soft. It was necessary for a proper devotional time - yeah right! I am ready Lord, sorry for the delay. I decide to thumb through the Bible to find a passage to read. I read Psalm 106. I pray for forgiveness because like the Israelites, I sometimes forget His acts of kindness and I rebel. I then pray, journal and read a devotion for dieters. I feel blessed. I feel joy. I can't leave well enough alone. I decide to continue to thumb into the Bible for more to read. I remember being told by a couple, that they were very blessed in studying 1John, 2John and 3John. Now they said "Study". In fact they said it took them 2 weeks. Well I don't know what's wrong with them. They are very short books. Honey, I learned very quickly that you just don't read 1John. You have to study. I casually read through the books. I kept stopping and saying to myself "God help me understand" or "God help me to live this out", and even asked Him "How does one do what is asked here - commanded here?" Ladies, I encourage you to read and study these books. They are profound. They are about our call to love. Genuienely love like God who is love.

I started this day wanting a fresh start on life. I want to live a life in service to God and create a home, and my physical body to reflect discipline and Godliness. I am not perfect but it is no excuse not to strive to be "Christ Like". Well, though my focus was on me and my home and my needs, it became very clear what my life is to be about. . ."Living as a child of God and loving one another". I still need to study these books.

In closing, I want to share a particular verse in 1 John that really spoke to me. It is a simple, not unpopular, charge we have heard before from the pulpit or elsewhere. Yet, it really made an impact this morning. I read it from several versions of the Bible but I like the way the New Living Translation simply puts it.

1 John 5:21
Dear Children, keep away from anything that might take God's place in your hearts.

The other versions share the same theme using the word "idol" for "anything".

Ladies, what ever your goals are this day, or long term. I believe any success we will share will because we put God first...because we seek God's will, strength and help for accomplishing our God inspired goals. We will succeed and enjoy victory because of His place in our heart.

So like the popular commercial tag line "What's in your Wallet?" I ask...

"What's In Your Heart?"