Not Everything is Good for You

Can having a dog help you teach your son Biblical lessons? I think so!

My son was eating a pot pie the other night and it was still steaming hot.  Our dog normally doesn't beg while we eat, but since he was sitting at the coffee table eating, our dog thought he'd check out the menu.  My son, feeling sorry for him tossed him a chunk of chicken.  Barkley caught it in his mouth and quickly spit it out.  Why?  Was it bad?  Did it taste yucky?  Did he not like it?  Nope, it simply was too hot!  This is something he would normally be allowed, but at the time, it wasn't good for him.  It could have burnt his mouth.  And even though it was hot, he kept coming back for another bite.  My son thought it was funny and commented on how stupid he was to keep begging for something so hot he couldn't even eat.  Finally I told him to quit giving Barkley anything until it cooled down, that as a dog he doesn't know any better. All he knows is that it tastes good and he has no concept of proper timing, of waiting on it to cool down.  My son had to withhold the chicken from him.  Not because we were being mean, but because we didn't want him to get burnt.  Other things he would love to eat, but isn't allowed, like scrambled eggs.  (who wants to sleep with a dog that poots eggs?...nasty, seriously nasty)

I told my son that is how it is with some things in life.  As a teen he may see adults do certain things and be eager to try them himself, but as a young teen, the timing is not right and he may be burned in the process.  There are some rules we have that will not change no matter his age, but other things as he gets older he will be allowed to do or participate in.  Are we being mean?  No. I doubt any of you would think I was being a responsible parent if I tossed him my truck keys and said, "go have fun."  It requires timing, training and following the proper rules.  Same with sex, am I being prudish by teaching him to wait?  No.  I simply prefer not to see him make mistakes that can change the whole course of his life.  I want to protect him, protect him from diseases, unwanted pregnancy and undo heartache.  Eventually he will be old enough and free to make all his own choices.  But I hope he remembers that sometimes not everything we are allowed to do is what we should do.


You may say, "I am allowed to do anything." But I reply, "Not everything is good for you." And even though "I am allowed to do anything," I must not become a slave to anything.  I Corinthians 6:12 (NLT)


As for Barkley, I'm glad that he helped provide me with an illustration to teach my son with, but he is still not allowed eggs! :)

The Value of Friendship

Not much is better in life than great friendships, those relationships that really mean something.

One of the greatest friendships in the Bible that comes to my mind is between Jonathan, son of King Saul, and David, future King of Israel.  You can read about it in I Samuel.  Their bond of friendship was so strong that even though Saul wanted David dead, the friendship between Jonathan and David stayed strong. Jonathan said to David, “Go in peace, for we have sworn friendship with each other in the name of the Lord, saying, ‘The Lord is witness between you and me, and between your descendants and my descendants forever.’ ” I Samuel 20:42 (NIV)

Another incredible friendship in the Bible is between Ruth and Naomi, her mother-in-law. "See," Naomi said to her, "your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her gods. You should do the same." But Ruth replied, "Don't ask me to leave you and turn back. I will go wherever you go and live wherever you live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. I will die where you die and will be buried there. May the LORD punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!" So when Naomi saw that Ruth had made up her mind to go with her, she stopped urging her. Ruth 1:15-18 (NLT)

Much was written in the book of Proverbs about friendships, here are a few of my favorites:

• A friend is always loyal, and a brother is born to help in time of need. Proverbs 17:17 (NLT)
• There are "friends" who destroy each other, but a real friend sticks closer than a brother. Proverbs 18:24 (NLT)
• The heartfelt counsel of a friend is as sweet as perfume and incense. Proverbs 27:9 (NLT)
• As iron sharpens iron, a friend sharpens a friend. Proverbs 27:17 (NLT)

These last few weeks have been very trying and hard for me, yet in the midst of it I have come to realize just how blessed I am with the people God has placed in my life.  From all walks of life and all ages; from friends I’ve met at church, to neighbors to family members.  My husband has been working out of town a lot lately and both of my kids have had me running interference at school on their behalf.  Calls from the school nurse’s office, the school resource officer and school counselor.  We’ve had everything from broken noses to broken hearts.  Doctor appointments to heal the physical and doctor appointments to help the mental/emotional.  Quite frankly, it has been overwhelming at times.  I’ve questioned my purpose, struggled with the fact that life in general just seems overrated as well as irrational thoughts.  Thoughts that are able to take words like “they may have a disorder that has some genetic/inherited tendencies” and change them in my head to “they got this from you, it is all your fault.”


One morning this week I seriously debated just pulling the covers over my head and not even getting up.  But I rolled over and on my nightstand is a Willow Tree Angel that a good friend (one I’ve claimed as my big sis!) gave me for Christmas.  It is the “Courage” angel.  And above that on my “tree” lamp I hung a plaque that a co-worker had given me for my birthday a couple of weeks ago.  Both were right there in my face and they reminded me that I am God’s Beloved.  Great reminders that I have courage and I am special to God.


My friends have called to check on me, stayed up late on lonely nights to chat with me on facebook and gone out to eat with me.  On Wednesday I had one friend go to lunch with me and greatly encourage me, reminding me that sometimes it’s the little things in life that have meaning.  Then went to dinner that night with my Aunt, who also was a great encouragement.  It has been the love of God in human form through the friends and family He has placed in my life.  And for which I have been very thankful for.

If you have even one close friend in your life, thank God for him/her today and let them know how much they mean to you.

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. Ecclesiastes 4:12 (NLT)

What is Celebrate Recovery? Why Celebrate Recovery?

Most people who know me well, know I've been involved with Celebrate Recovery in different aspects for the past five years.  From an attender, a small group facilitator, a 12-step facilitator, or in whatever capacity I can help in.  What many people don't know is exactly what Celebrate Recovery is or why people go.  I was talking with someone about it today and decided to write a blog about it.

What is Celebrate Recovery? Why Celebrate Recovery?

You are sitting at church, or pretty much any large gathering for that matter. Look to your right, look to your left.  All around you are hurting people, hiding behind smiling faces. Stop for a moment and take about three minutes and watch the short video, Smiling Addiction.

Look at yourself.  What mask are you wearing right now?  Are you sitting there with a smile plastered on your face, while inside you are struggling with an issue?  What are you using to mask your true self? It doesn’t have to be drugs or alcohol, it could be food.  For that matter, it can be just about anything.  Everyone has some kind of hurt, habit or hang-up in their life. 

Celebrate Recovery is a place at area churches where we can go and take off the masks and be “real.”  Confidentiality is a big key to this, what you say stays there, even that you went is confidential.  It is structured in such a way that you have fellowship with dinner together and then a time to worship during what is called “large group.”  In those times where you may not be able to express yourself with words, the songs sung during large group can give you the means to say those words.  For me, I can express much more emotion through song than any other way.  Also, during this time there is either a lesson given or a testimony from someone sharing how God has changed their life, very often how it has changed through their involvement CR (Celebrate Recovery).  CR operates a CHIP system as well.  There are chips for time that you have spent working on your issue.  And again, this is for everyone, not just the drug and alcohol group.  You don’t have to tell anyone what your chip is for, it is up to you to decide what area of your life you want to work on.  But the chips are great reminders to hang on to mark your progress over time.  Showing up to large group is just the first step, the real work begins in "small group."  It is there that the groups are broken down into specific topics and by gender.  Here is finally a place just for YOU.  You get to share what is going on, whether it be abuse, past issues, chemical dependence, anger issues (drive in Atlanta during rush hour and you will find out how your anger issue is!), etc.  Believe it or not, only one in three people attend CR due to drugs or alcohol.  Every one is dealing with some kind of hurt, habit or hang-up.  Maybe you are the one that was hurt, or you could be the one that has hurt someone else.  But we ALL have issues in our life that we have attempted to hide or sweep under the proverbial “rug.”  After small group, there is some sort of “Café” time.  This is a little bit freer time to share numbers or books or just visit with new friends that you’ve made.  Once you have been in CR for a while you may choose to go even deeper with it and attend a “step group.”  These are small groups dedicated to going through an in-depth series of four books that walks you through a 12-step, 8-principle process using Scripture as a guide. The step group typically takes about a year to complete.

Why share? Why Celebrate Recovery?  This is a SAFE place to share.  Maybe you’ve been burdened for a while but didn’t know where to turn to.  Maybe you feel ashamed because you think that Christians shouldn’t be dealing with “issues.”  Christians are forgiven, but still human.  Here is a place you can finally be real at.  For many people in CR this is the first time they’ve ever had a place to be real.  And just sharing can open up the doorway to taking that first step in healing, not hiding.  It has been said, “We are only as sick as our secrets.” What was the secret in your family of origin? What is your personal secret? Release it so God can take it from you and begin to heal you.

So drop that burden and those secrets you’ve been carrying and hiding and give Celebrate Recovery a try! To find a group in your area, click the icon below.

The Double Yellow Line

We all know what the double yellow line in the road means.  Do not cross.  But have you ever thought about how important that strip of simple yellow paint is?

My daughter and I were sitting in heavy Atlanta rush hour traffic earlier this week.  We had gotten off the interstate for a run through the Chick-fil-A drive thru and were about to get back on.  As we sat on an overpass we watched the cars on the interstate creep below us.  I looked to my left and so close that I could have reached out and touched it was another vehicle.  It was facing the opposite direction.  What kept us apart?  That double yellow line.  We were two vehicles, headed in completely opposite directions with nothing between us but paint!  I looked over to my daughter and commented, all these vehicles and the only thing keeping us all from being a tangled pile of metal is rules and painted directions.  Yellow lines, white lines, turn arrows, etc.  I asked her if she thought it was fair that there were so many driving rules.  She gave me a quizzical look and replied no.  I asked her if we could break them...yes, but we might get hurt.  I asked if we would be safer and happier if we watched for the lines and signals and followed them...of course.  Then I told her that is what it is like to be a parent.  We lay out the lines and rules.  Some paths are so dangerous that we erect barriers, like the concrete ones on the interstate.  But on other paths and roads, our only guidelines are the stripes of paint.  We know what we are supposed to do, but nothing is preventing us from crossing that line.  So for her to remember that when she thought some rules might not be fair, or how easy it would be to cross over some of the lines and boundaries we've placed.  That as parents we don't make those to ruin the fun, but so that she can travel far and safe and have even more freedom.  Without the lines our freedom would soon end in a mangled heap.  A lesson not just for my preteen, but for me to remember as well with the guidelines God has set out in His Word, the Bible.  Some of the "rules" may seem old fashioned and out-dated.  But they are there for our protection, not to stop us, but to help us travel further.

LeAnne's Nose

Just as I was walking into work last Friday (January 28) I received a phone call from the middle school.  The school office told me LeAnne had tripped and had a bloody nose.  She can be clumsy and has had other falls at school so it didn't register real high on my "concern meter" at first.  Then she said that they had called a nurse who was on the way to the school.  My "concern" needle started vibrating.  "We have to have a parent come up here right now, it's quite a bit of blood."  With my "concern" needle shooting way up I spun around, left my office and immediately headed to school.  As I was walking into the office I see two janitors walking out with an armful of white towels, covered in bright red blood.  My daughter's blood.  I felt faint.  I see two more cleaning up blood stains on the carpet, shaking I ask if my daughter is down the hall.  I'm escorted into the nurses area, where the nurse had beaten me to the school.  I look over and LeAnne seems ok and in one piece.  I slowly exhale, not even realizing at first that I had been holding my breath.  Sit down with her and it seems they have everything under control.  She had changed shirts due to all the blood, though there was still blood on her pants and shoes.  But the nose was no longer bleeding.  On the outside was a cut.  The nurse pulled me to the side and informed that she thought it was broken.  I asked if she was sure, she nodded a yes.  Said to get her to the doctor as soon as I could to make sure pieces of bone hadn't gone into her sinuses.  We have Kaiser insurance, so that meant I had to call and jump through all their hoops to get her seen.  They could see her quickly, but I'd have to go to the Sugarhill facility.  On the way there I told her, well baby I guess we get to spend the day together.  She replied, "I don't think this counts as quality time, Mom."  Guess not, not when you have been bleeding like crazy, have a broken nose and shaking in pain.  Get the x-rays and the broken nose is confirmed.  Instructions are to go home, stay propped up on pillows for 24 hr and ice it for 10 minutes every hour or so.  Follow up with an ENT.  She was such a trooper, kept asking the doctor if she could please go back to school.  This was her first day that she missed school the whole year.

Tuesday.  Our appointment with the ENT to find out what next.  Have had people praying for us.  Poor LeAnne is a nervous wreck.  It really hasn't swelled too badly and not much bruising either.  I'm hoping for the best.  Get to school to get her and her principal tells me LeAnne has hugged him three times and is nervous.  She comes to the office for me to sign her out and the principal tells us he is praying for us.  So very grateful for a Christian principal.  Thanks to Kaiser we have to drive 50 miles to the ENT.  She turns out to be extremely nice though and talked directly to LeAnne in terms she (and myself) could easily understand.  Apparently LeAnne cracked off a tee tiny piece of bone on the end of her nose.  The doctor said to hit it with that force, had she had her head turned a little to the left or a little more to the right and it would have disfigured her nose.  Requiring reconstructive surgery.  Said the knot/bump on the top of her nose was just swelling around the piece of bone.  Suggested we ice it three more days.  If it still doesn't go down then they could give her a shot of steroid in her nose, breaking down the scar tissue so it could finish going down. Thank you, Jesus! So now LeAnne has a story to tell her grand kids one day and the worst case scenario she might get a shot.  I did ask her if she wanted her nose pieced, told her it was hurting already so it wouldn't be a big deal.  Her response? A long drawn out "Ma .. um, Puh-lease!"  LOL

Power Balance Bracelet - spread the word?

I am faster, stronger, more focused, balanced, more flexible, etc, etc.  Why? Because I am the new proud owner of a Power Balance bracelet.  These little silicone bands with their "hologram/Mylar material at the core of Power Balance has been treated with energy waves at specific frequencies.  The resulting Mylar is believed to resonate and work with your body’s natural energy flow to help enable you to perform at the best of your ability."  Whether you believe the hype or if it is simply the power of suggestion, these bands have created quite a buzz lately.

Here at our office this afternoon it looked like an episode of The Office.  On our sugar highs from a work room loaded with Christmas goodies and our Power Balance bands that got here this afternoon we put them to the test.  We flexed, stretched and tried to pull each other over.  I'm not sure if we actually accomplished anything in the midst of our teasing and laughing, but I do want to try it out at the gym...where let's just say my, ummm, "gracefulness" isn't always apparent.  Especially while doing lunges with a 20 lb dumbbell in each hand.

Athletes are on YouTube, blogs, tv, commercials, etc touting how much it has done for them.  People see the "change" these bracelets bring about and rush to get one for themselves.  I'm not knocking these people, seeing that I'm wearing a Power Balance Band at the moment!  But my thought is this, if something changes your life for the better, even something as simple as better balance or flexibility, we are quick to tell someone else about it.  Yet as Christians we have been given the eternal life-changing gift that Jesus has given us.  Has He changed you, has He showered you in grace, mercy, and love?  Has He picked you up out of a pit and set your feet on solid ground?  Has He stuck by you when you questioned Him, been mad at Him, even yelled at Him? Has He brought more peace, balance and focus to your life?  And yet how many of us are rushing around telling our friends what Jesus has done for us?

Hopefully when someone sees my Power Balance and asks me about it, I'll have the courage and boldness to not only tell them about the bracelet, but to also tell them about Jesus, the One who has brought the most change to my life.

Affirmations: self-centered or Christ-centered?

Wow...what a ride these last couple of months have been.  It has been very much a growing season in my life.  I know God is trying to teach me that I am not in control and to quit thinking I can tough anything out and do it myself.  Think of a two-year old toddler, you try to help them do anything and they jerk back and scream with, "NO! Me do it!"  That has often been my attitude.  I'm in the midst of Beth Moore's Daniel study right now and we are learning how King Nebuchadnezzar was walking on the roof of his royal palace and declared that it was all done by his power and for his glory.  At that point he became like a animal of the field and for seven years ate grass like cattle, his hair grew like feathers and his nails like claws.  Once he raised his eyes toward heaven his sanity was restored. (see Daniel chapter 4)  Beth Moore commented, "God is not trying to destroy us.  He's trying to keep us from destroying ourselves."  Psalm 119:71 says, "The suffering you sent was good for me, for it taught me to pay attention to your principles."

So I'm praying that the things I have gone through recently will be beneficial and help me pay attention to the principles of the Lord.  But I keep getting stuck on the pride of issue of  "I got this."  Which is a scary thought, because if this doesn't humble me before God, what would it take?  Would it take wondering the fields, eating grass like an animal for seven years?  I pray not!


During this season I attended some classes and was given some literature.  One is a daily affirmation sheet.  We were told to read this sheet every morning before we left the house.  At first glance, it sounded good, and definitely helped to make you feel better about yourself.  But last night it dawned on me as I really, truly looked closely at it, just how ego-centric it is.  I typed it out below:


1. I feel warm towards ME because I am a unique, one-of-a-kind person, ever doing the best I can, ever growing in love and wisdom.
2. I am in charge of my life.
3. My first responsibility is to learn to love myself more and more. The more I love ME, the better I will love others.
4. I make my own decisions, take credit for the good ones and accept the consequences of the others, but always free of self-accusation, guilt or remorse.
5. I am not my actions; I am the one who acts. I am a fallible human being, who sometimes acts in a good way, sometimes in a not-so-good way.
6. I am my own authority and cannot be hurt or put down by the attitudes or opinions of others.
7. It is not what happens to me that determines whether I feel good or bad, but my attitude toward those things that determine my feelings.
8. I do not have to prove my worth or excellence. I need only express myself as honestly and effectively as I can at any moment.
9. I am free of animosity or resentment.
10. I am a success to the degree that I feel warm and loving towards ME.
11. I am kind and gentle with ME.
12. I live one day at a time, do first things first, one at a time.
13. I am patient because I have the rest of my life to grow.
14. Every experience of my life contributes to my personal growth.
15. No one in the world is one bit more or less important than ME.
16. My mistakes and failures just prove I am human.
17. I am totally free of guilt, shame or remorse.

What a list huh?  I didn't realize until typing it out how often it capped ME and how prideful of ego-centric it is.  It may not be entirely wrong, but as a whole, it totally leaves God out of the picture as being the one who lifts us up, affirms us and gives us our worth.  I started thinking maybe I should try to make a Christian "affirmation" sheet to read. So this is what I came up with:

1. For I can do everything with the help of Christ who gives me the strength I need. (Phil. 4:13)
2. Because of Christ and my faith in Him, I can come fearlessly into God's presence, assured of His glad welcome. (Eph. 3:12)
3. I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources HE will give me mighty inner strength through HIS Holy Spirit. (Eph. 3:16)
4. God has showered me in His kindness, along with all wisdom and understanding. (Eph. 1:8)
5. I am responsible for my own conduct. (Galatians 6:5)
6. I won't get tired of doing good or get discouraged and give up, for I will reap a harvest of blessing at the appropriate time. (Gal. 6:9)
7. I won't worry about anything; instead, will pray about everything. Telling God what I need, and thank him for all he has done. If I do this, I will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. (Phil. 4:6,7)
8. I am a child of the light. (I Thess. 4:5)
9. I will always be joyful and keep on praying. No matter what happens, I will be thankful, because I know this is God's will for me, if I belong to Him. (I Thess. 5:16)
10. I will run from evil things and follow what is right and good because I belong to God. I will pursue a godly life, along with faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. (I Tim. 6:11)
11. I will think of ways to encourage others to outbursts of love and good deeds. (Hebrews 10:24)
12. I will think clearly and exercise self-control. (I Peter 1:13)
13. I will be glad during fiery trials because afterward I will have the wonderful joy of sharing His glory when it is displayed to all the world. (I Peter 4:13)
14. Jesus, through HIS divine power, has given me everything I need for living a godly life. (2 Peter 1:3)
15. My heavenly Father loves me so much that he calls me His child, and I really am! (I John 3:1)
16. I am guilty, but no matter how deep the stain of my sins, God can remove it. He can make me as clean as freshly fallen snow. Even if I am stained as red as crimson, He can make me as white as wool. (Isaiah 1:18)
17. I will trust in God's unfailing love. I will rejoice because He has rescued me.  (Ps. 13:5)
18. I am created in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27)

Each of these verses I read in the NLT (New Living Translation) and then adapted them slightly to make them personal statements. Wonder what a difference it would make to read those statements each morning? And not just reading them, but meditating on them and letting the truths of those verses sink deeply into our souls.  We are made not to be the light and glory, but to reflect His light and glory in us.

I think I'm going to print out my new list and pray that those truths are the truths that I see myself through and in doing that, will change how I act and think.  Not thinking I am good enough, or tough enough, or my own god, but realizing I am nothing without God.  But with Him, I am loved beyond comparison.