Red Wednesday's Widsom - CHG #8, Part Four

Commit to Listening and Making a Decision
Your SW from last week related to two Scriptures from the Book of John.  I suggested that you reflect and meditate on how these two scriptures spoke to you.

John 11:25, “I am the Resurrection and the life.  Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.”

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

I hope that you have a greater sense of clarity in deciding what these verses mean to you this week compared to last in regards to your eternity.

This week I would like to bring closure to CHG # 8 by making some specific points.

Hearing and Listening to God                                                                                                            Do you know that God’s Character is always a reflection of what He tells us to do?                        God is the almighty Listener and, therefore, He also wants me to listen.                                      Listening means that I do what God tells me to do.  This is called obedience.                                    We have lots of clutter because we choose to not listen to God.                                                          Consider how God listens constantly to our thoughts and desires.                                                    God is the only One who hears me more than I hear myself.                                                          Would there be any point in my praying if God did not listen to me?
If God did not listen to me then there would be no basis for CHG #3.                                             CHG #3 tells me to ask, ask for help, and pray.  

Hearing and Listening to Myself

I am the # 1 person who talks to me more than anyone else.

So how do I learn to really listen to what I have to say to myself?

It begins by writing out my answers to the SW.

Writing down what I am thinking helps me to see my self-talk.

CHG # 8 is the CHG that reinforces us to use one word phrases.                                                     These one word phrases are called “rhema” words.                                                                       

Rhema in the Greek means an “utterance.”

A rhema word is that one word that resonates or speaks to you and it gets reflected in God’s Word.                  

John 6:63 says, “It is the Spirit that gives eternal life. Human effort accomplishes nothing. And the very words (rhema words) I have spoken to you are spirit and life.”  

SW is designed to help you develop your listening skills.

Your SW over the past few weeks related to specific rhema words.  These words, for me, are first perceived through the Holy Spirit (the SW – The Spirit at work in us), and then they get reinforced in God’s Word.  Last week the Scriptures for your SW related to the rhema word being eternity, the week before that, the rhema word was live, and prior to that week, the rhema word was listening/noticed.  We need to be in God’s Word every day so that we can validate that what we are hearing or sensing is actually coming from God and not from Satan or from ourselves. 

Here are some words of caution: 

♥ Be aware of being tricked. Satan believes in God and he knows how to come across as the light.  You need to be in God’s Word to know God as your Truth.

♥ Be patient.  Allow God’s character of order and pattern to speak specific words to you over and over.  Satan’s character is not one of order but of chaos and confusion.  So, if you feel disoriented or confused in making a decision, then wait until you are at peace with the order and pattern that can only come from God. 

This week, Father God, I pray for that specific rhema word and Scripture that you want each of us to hear through Your Holy Spirit.  Please open our ears to receive what You want us to hear, and help us to become better listeners.  We depend upon You to lead us in making decisions that are in line with Your Holy Word and that are reflective of our love for Your Son, Jesus.  Touch us with the strength and power of Your Holy Spirit.  Amen

Red Wednesday's Wisdom - CHG #8, Part Three

Commit to Listening and Making a Decision
Two weeks ago, I invited you to commit/entrust your SW to reflecting on the word LIVE, and to consider its importance in one sentence as you researched the meaning of Passover and then also Easter. 

First of all, the word LIVE for me has a physical as well as spiritual component.  From a physical stand point, LIVE means that while I am on this earth I am alive and breathing.  Spiritually speaking, it means that even though I will die some day, I will LIVE in eternity.  For me, I know that my eternity is in heaven because of my relationship with Jesus Christ.  Without that relationship, my eternity would be apart from Christ, in hell.  Jesus says in John 11:25, “I am the Resurrection and the life.  Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will LIVE again.” Are you listening to what Jesus Himself is proclaiming about who He is in just one sentence?  He is the Resurrection, and He is life. And here is what is so mind boggling.  Jesus proved this during the Passover season 2013 years ago when He arose on Resurrection Sunday, or Easter Sunday.

What is Passover? 

Passover is literally about living rather than dying, and it is a celebration of the deliverance of Israel from the slavery of Egypt. When the Egyptian Pharaoh would not listen to God’s repeated commands to let His people go, God implored severe consequences through a number of plagues.  The final plague was death to all first born sons. In order to protect the first born Hebrew sons, God instructed their families to take the blood of a lamb and spread it over the doorposts of their homes so that the Lord would literally "pass over" their homes, sparing their firstborn sons.  Exodus 12:13 states, "The blood you have smeared on your doorposts will serve as a sign.  When I see the blood, I will pass over you.  The plague of death will not touch you when I strike the land of Egypt.”

God commanded the Israelites to celebrate that first Passover every year, and every year a lamb was to be slaughtered by every family. On that Passover 2013 years ago, it was Jesus who took the place of all those lambs being slaughtered.  Jesus became the Passover Lamb once and for all.  Passover points us to Jesus Christ who is The Son of God and The Passover Lamb.  He is The Deliverer and The Savior for all people!

What is Easter? 

Like Passover, Easter is about living, rather than dying.  It is a celebration of the deliverance from the slavery of sin for all people through the resurrected Jesus Christ.  Jesus is the only One, ever, to rise from the dead and be living today!
 
John 3:16.  I am sure that we have seen it and heard it more than any other Scripture, especially at large sporting events, but have we ever taken the time to really consider its ever so simplistic life-giving message? It says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

When I think about those Israelites during the first Passover, I imagine that they had many questions going though their heads.  I wonder how much alike we are to them today?  Are we committed to listening and then making a decision based on what God is telling us?  God never changes.  He has always loved us and has always wanted His people to live and be free, but the decision is not His to make for us. What we decide to do with what we see and hear is up to us.  The Israelites had to decide if they would listen to God in order to live.  They had to decide if they would partake in God’s plan to slaughter a lamb and put its blood on their doorpost so that their first born sons would live.  Today, we have the same decision to make about our lives.  We can see and hear what God’s Word tells us, but do we truly listen to it and make the decision to move into action so that we live with God in this life and forever?   It is my hopeful prayer that we will.  The greatest time in my life was when Jesus saved me and said, “Live!”

With regards to your SW, I also asked you to become more in tuned to how you were being listened to/noticed.  For me it had to do with a radio broadcast that got noticed by listeners who wanted to lessen the clutter in their lives.  Because of the needs of these callers and their readiness to learn, I knew I needed to hear from God about what He wanted me to do with them.  That is why there was no post last week.  I needed to focus on what action I was to take.  The outcome of what is taking place is very unexpected, but it is also very exciting.  Home Touched has launched its first on-line clutter group, using the teaching postings that began exactly a year ago here on this blog.  And because of the research I have done on how to do this, we are now looking into doing videos to go along with the posts.  As I said, it is very exciting.

This week, your SW is to look up the two Scriptures from today’s posting and decide what they mean for you: 

John 11:25, “I am the Resurrection and the life.  Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will LIVE again.”

John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

Red Wednesday's Wisdom - CHG #8, Part Two

Commit to Listening and Making a Decision
Your SW from 2 weeks ago was about lessening your relational clutter by being more attentive to how you choose to listen, or not to listen, to God and others.  One of the suggestions that I made in helping you to become a better listener and decision maker, was to refer to a dictionary.  I encouraged you to look up the following words to see if their definition supplied you with just one word that might give you a fresh new meaning to your style of listening and making decisions.  Here are the one word definitions that inspired me to get a fresh new insight regarding my own skills with listening and making decisions:

♥Commit - entrust
♥Listening - notice
♥Decision - resolve    
♥Planting - placing
♥Fertile - productive
♥Hear - perceive
♥Understanding - grasp

When I examined the seven words that came out of my definition search, I was reminded of some of the experiences I encountered over the past 2 weeks that mirrored these words.  Noticed was one of the words that was most consistently being spoken into my spirit, and this was prior to me even looking up the definition for listening.  Consequently, I now realize that one of the learning curves for me, in terms of listening, has to do with me becoming more cognizant of my own nonverbal behavior and how it gets heard/perceived.  I think the following story will give more clarity to what I want to say, and I think it is worth noting because it made such an eternal imprint upon my heart.

I had gone for my standing blood draw at the lab.  And as is usually the case, I was reading my leather bound, Jesus Calling, in the waiting area.  I was totally oblivious to what was going on around me.  As I closed the book and reached for my Bible to look up some of the scripture references, an older man said, “Oh, you don’t need to worry or pray honey, it’s no big deal.”  I smiled and responded by saying, “Actually I am not worried.  In fact, I have gotten pretty accustomed to getting my blood routinely drawn.  As for praying, I do that all the time.”  “Oh, I am so sorry!”  He replied.  And then he continued.  “My wife has been so sick and I am not a man of faith.”  “My goodness,” I said and then continued, “There is no need for any apologies.  I am so sorry that you and your wife are going through such difficult times.”  There was silence as he sadly bowed his head.  I began to look for paper so I could write down the book’s name for him, but as I was doing that, this thought got planted/placed in my head, “Give him yours.  He will not go and buy this book.”  I was committed/entrusted to the decision/resolve that was being rooted in the fertile/productive ground of my mind and heart.  “Sir?” I said, as I put the book in his hands in hopes that he would understand/grasp its words someday, “you can read this book every day according to the calendar date and it will help you and your wife to feel less sad and be more hopeful as you experience God’s presence in these pages and in your lives.”  With excitement, he said, “Thank you so much!”  I then heard the technician call out his name, “Mr. Reuben?”   In no time Mr. Reuben was in and out of the office, and as he left he said, “Mam, thank you again.”

It was then my turn to be called in, and I heard, “Colin?”  No one answered to Colin so I figured it had to be me. Jokingly, I said, “Do you mean Colleen?  I have been coming here too often for you to call me Colin!”  There was then laughter as my name was correctly called out.

As I passed by the enclosed reception area, the secretary popped her head out as I entered the blood drawing area.  I had not noticed her before, but here is what she said.  “You are such a blessing every time you come into this office.”  All I could say was, “Really?”  I felt clueless.  She then continued, “What you did for that man this morning was so kind and such a blessing.” My eyes swelled up with tears over the fact that she had noticed, but it was also because she took the time out of her schedule to tell me.  She then made this concluding statement, “When you get the chance, read Ezekiel 16:6.  I "randomly" opened to it this morning after dealing with my daughter’s bloody nose and needing to get myself to work.”

God had obviously planted/placed His foot into that office, and He personally touched a number of us in ways that were seen and unseen.  I could hardly wait to hear/perceive, what God had said to her that morning and what He was going to say to me in the Book of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 16:6 says, “And when I passed by you and saw you struggling in your own blood, I said to you in your blood, “Live!”  I could only imagine how that mother felt as she listened to what God’s Word told her about the bloody circumstance that she had faced with her daughter that morning.  Did you hear it?  God said, “Live!”  It’s an exclamation.  It’s a command.  It was originally spoken to God’s people, the Israelites, and it is still being spoken to you and I!  Through His Word, God Almighty equipped this mother to go to work feeling His comfort and peace in the midst of cluttered chaos!

But the story does not end here.  God was also speaking to me about my blood!   I was in a blood lab that morning.  I was getting my blood drawn to evaluate my blood levels that have been compromised due to the blood cell changes in my bone marrow that are the result of two rare blood disorders.  What Word in Ezekiel 16:6 do I hold on to, understand /grasp?  It’s “Live!”  Despite my health condition with the blood, I do not doubt or question that I am going to live in this life and the next.

But again, the story does not end here either.  This past week many of us celebrated, or were at least aware, of it being Passover and Easter.  This week, I invite you to commit/entrust your SW to defining or describing Passover and then Easter in one sentence as you reflect on this word, LIVE.

When I originally conveyed the above story to my daughter, I was so taken back by her profound response that emphasized the word noticed, that I needed to ask her to repeat what she said and listen again.  She said, “Mom, you always will get noticed.  Some people like what they see you doing, and some do not like what they see you doing, but no matter what, you will get noticed.”   Have you ever thought about how you are being listened to/noticed?  Enjoy the process of finding out.

Red Wednesday's Wisdom - CHG #8, Part One

Commit to Listening and Making a Decision
As we look to CHG #8, which tells us to commit to listening and make a decision, what does this guideline imply as being the root cause of my clutter?

♥ My clutter builds up when I do not commit.
♥ My clutter builds up when I do not listen.
♥ My clutter builds up when I do not make a decision.

Therefore, when I commit, listen, and make decisions, I lessen my clutter and this brings healing to me.

The Scripture to support CHG #8 is from Mark 4:3-9, “ ‘Listen! A farmer went out to plant some seed…some seed fell on a footpath…on shallow soil…among thorns…on fertile soil…Anyone who is willing to hear, should listen and understand.’ ”

If you go to your Bible, you can read these Scriptures in their entirety.  In Mark 4, Jesus is teaching through one of His many parables.  This time the parable is not about fishing as we saw with CHG #7.  Instead, it is about planting or sowing seeds while taking into account the type of soil that our seed can fall on.  The parable is used as an analogy to our listening skills, and especially to God’s Word.  When seed gets scattered over open land or when sound travels through our field of hearing, the seed or sound can fall onto four types of soil:

♥smoothed out paths
This is where the seed gets eaten by the birds.  There is no soil for growth.  Our hearing can be that way too, what we hear in one ear, goes out the other, and there are times when we do this with each other and with God.

♥rough and rocky terrain
On rocky soil, there is very little earth for something to take root, there is no depth for growing what is sewn.  When it comes to our selective hearing, we can take in what someone says or what God’s Word tells us for a little while, but it can quickly be forgotten or disregarded.  It gets scorched out and dies.

♥weedy thorny overgrowth
Weeds and thorns can choke out what gets planted.  Biblically speaking, it’s the light of God’s Word that we hear, but it gets choked out by the darkness that we are so accustomed to, and therefore, no crop is produced.

♥fertilely enriched
This is the ground that is READY to receive what gets planted, and it results in a harvest that is beyond one’s expectation.  Because of our readiness to hear, listen, and understand, we bear much fruit as we accept and soak in the Word of God and learn to respect our communication with others.

What do you think Mark 4:3-9 implies as being the root cause of why our clutter can occur?

♥ My clutter builds up when I do not listen.  Jesus emphasizes this need to listen both at the beginning of these verses and at their ending.
♥ My clutter builds up when I do not plant my seeds on fertile ground.
♥ My clutter builds up when I am not willing to hear.  
♥ My clutter builds up when I do not understand.

Therefore, when I listen to the Word of God and value others by listening to what they have to say, I produce the fertile ground that helps me to receive what I hear with open ears and to pursue the desire to understand.  This lessens my clutter and brings healing to me and to others.

Your SW this coming week is about lessening your relational clutter by paying more attention to how you listen, or do not listen, to others or to God’s leading and teaching.  The dictionary, next to the Bible, is my favorite reference book.  I find that just one word in a definition can give me a fresh new meaning and slant to words that are already very familiar to me. Here are some of the words related to this week’s CHG that you might want to look up.  Check them out! See how one new word to define the following words can give you a fresh new approach to how you listen and make decisions:

♥Commit
♥Listening
♥Decision    
♥Planting
♥Fertile
♥Hear
♥Understanding

Father God, please help me to take this CHG to heart by being honest about me.  It’s hard to admit, but I know there are times when I am in too much of a hurry to listen, or I do not respect what I hear You or others telling me.  I can find myself in a race to speak what I have to say because I think it is so important, valuable, and wise!  Consequently, it causes me to only half listen, if at all, to the words of You or another.

Please forgive me for thinking that what I have to say is far more important than being silent and giving my full attention to listening to You or someone else.  Help me to recognize that my decision to listen is a demonstration of my love for You and others.

Red Wednesday's Wisdom

Getting Organized to Move
This post is for those of you who made it known that you could use some help in your upcoming moves.  So, if you are contemplating a move, or know that one is drawing near, now is the time to start planning and moving into action, a little bit at a time.  Avoid putting off what you can begin to do now.  Because there are so many different moving situations, I will list the general bullet points that can help you to begin the moving process with a sense of peace and joyful anticipation.
 
• It is imperative to get ready for a move by reviewing CHG #7. 
Your move is going to be so much smoother if you begin to get your “stuff” in order now.  It is time to decide what you need verses what you want.  So take advantage of this time to fish: gather, sort, let go, containerize, and take it home to rest.

• Clean and wash your treasures before the move rather than after.  It feels so good to move right into a new place and just have fun setting up and decorating.

• As you gather your “let go” items, you can save time by calling one of the charities to schedule a truck pick up.  This will keep you from making frequent trips to do drop offs.  Estimated price sheets for your donations can be obtained at any Goodwill.  And remember to get a receipt so you can itemize for tax deductions.  With good condition furniture or collectibles, consider listing them on Craig’s list, EBay, or with a resale/consignment shop.  The price tag will be comparable.  Usually you can get a little bit more by selling it yourself, and you do not have to wait for the pay off.  A basic rule of thumb is to anticipate the value to be half the price of what you paid.  If you are contemplating a moving sale, be sure you have volunteers to help you.  The pay off can be very motivating, but be sure you have the time and energy to organize.

• Gather your supplies: 
1. Packing Boxes
2. White packing paper
3. Packing tape
4. Scissors to cut tape (I prefer this), or a tape dispenser
5. Thick black Sharpie markers
6. Heavy duty black garbage bags
7. Post it’s

Determine how cost effective and time efficient you want to be.  Boxes, paper, and tape can be purchased through professional movers.  Some movers will deliver the supplies to you even if you do not use them for the actual move.  You can also go to the moving company to pick up your packing needs.  Ask the moving company if they have boxes that have been recycled from previous moves.  They will be less expensive compared to buying new ones.  Also consider if there is anyone you know who would have boxes and paper to pass on to you after their move.   Supplies can also be purchased at U-Haul and Home Depot type stores, but they can be a little more pricy than getting the supplies from a moving company.  Grocery stores can be a good source for free boxes, if they are willing to assist you.  I personally like Trader Joe’s.  They will let you know the time and day that is best suited for retrieving their boxes.  You cannot have too many boxes, especially the small to medium sized ones that are needed for heavy items like books, appliances, pottery, and heavy glass. You can always recycle what is left over.  Be sure to ask what the return policies are for unused boxes and unopened boxes or rolls of paper.  Avoid using newspaper for wrapping.  It is so messy dirty.

• Decide who is going to do the move – you (and those you know) or professionals.  If you are using professional movers then get three estimates.

• Set a moving date. 

• Do a walkthrough of your living space and determine what area is least used.  Packing will begin in that area.  For most people, this will be the storage areas, followed by dining room and living room.  Bathrooms and kitchens are the last to get packed, except for the items that are rarely used.

• When you are putting boxes together, stick with that one activity and make a number of boxes before you begin to do any packing.  If you are not using a tape dispenser, be sure to turn the edge of the tape under or you will struggle to get the end free as it sticks to the tape roll.

• Only cushion the bottom and top of a box with crumpled paper when pack- ing breakables.  I love using towels and rugs to pack and protect big heavy, breakables.  It saves on paper.

• Label the top and side of your box with room location and contents.

• Stack your boxes on the perimeter of the room with the labeling visible.

• Gather all the “like” items that are displayed in your rooms and categorize them: framed pictures, decorative breakables, floral arrangements, etc.  When you move, you may find that things look better in different rooms and don’t end up being displayed where you originally thought they would go. Unpacking these categorized items and then putting them in their new “home” will feel like shopping in a store and can be fun. 

• Heavy duty black garbage bags, or your unused suit cases and duffle bags, are great for packing shoes, purses, boots, linens, towels, pillows, bedding, and clothes that do not get hung.  Remember to label the bag with post it’s and reinforce with tape!!!  Bags are great for fillers and cushions when loading the moving truck.

• If possible, keep hanging clothes on hangers and stack as you lay them flat in your vehicle.  Wardrobe boxes can be pretty expensive when purchased new ($11.00 to $17.00 per box).  There are some cases when they are needed and more practical.

Hopefully, these pointers will lessen your feelings of being overwhelmed and help you to be more at ease and actually enjoy the process of moving.

Red Wednesday's Wisdom

More of Colleen's Quips and Quotes

·        Want to make God laugh?  Tell Him your plans.

·        Let go of telling God what to do.

·        Let go of picking on yourself.

·        Let go of “shoulding” on yourself and others.

·        Let go of saying, “I have to.”

·        Let go of negativity.

·        Let go of perfection.

·        Let go of saying, “I don’t have time.”  We all have 24 hours a day.

·        Let go of saying, “What if?”

·        Hold on to saying, “This is what I need.”

·        I will keep on getting what I have always gotten, unless I make a change.

·        I will keep on doing what I have always done, unless I make a change.

·        We mirror what we see.

·        God’s Word will change the way you see God and yourself.

·        It takes 31 days to establish a new habit.

·        There are no quick fixes.

·        Ask for help.

·        Take care of yourself.

·        Prayer allows God to change us.

·        When I express thankfulness, I am telling God that I trust Him and depend on Him.

·        My outward life reflects my inner life.

·        My outward clutter is a reflection of my inward clutter.

·        Our homes can reflect and symbolize what is inside of us.

·        Our homes reflect our hearts.

·        Basements can be where we “stuff.”

·        Bedrooms are for intimacy and love.

·        Kitchens are the heart beat and survival of life.

·        Family rooms are for gathering and socializing.

·        The Living room represents the 80% of your home that is rarely used.

·        Do not be a fool to Satan’s schemes.

·        As I learn to trust God, I learn how to trust myself.

·        Look into the mirror and say, “I love you,________________(your name).

·        Our focus is to be on the Creator, not His creation.

·        We do not know how to love and nurture our relationships because we ignore the Creator of love.

·        To be truly loved and nurtured we must remember to love God first.

·        I will feel loved and accepted when I ask Jesus into my heart.

·        It is God’s desire that we clean out our hearts and homes.

·        Cleaning out our hearts means that we clean out the sin in our lives.

·        Pride = a rock hard heart.

·        Humility = a sponge soft heart.

·        God gives us many warnings and many chances.

·        The more we ignore God, the greater the consequences we face.

·        The Bible is your spiritual PDR (Physician’s Desk Reference).

·        The Bible is your book to recovery.

·        CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) is a life saving measure to bring back to life what was lost.

·        CPR Warning:  Even good things can cause clutter – too many devotionals, books, tapes, groups, serving.etc…

·        Focus on God and not your circumstance.

·        There is no such thing as a “white” lie.  A lie is a lie.

·        Let go of what is worn, torn, and broken.

·        Break it down. Take little steps: ONE step at a time.  One activity at a time.

·        Disobedience will cause desperation, devastation, and destruction.

·        Disobedience delays God’s blessings.

·        Repentance calls me to move into ACTION and to CHANGE:  I make a turn around.

·         Our past can keep us from moving forward.

·        Lessen your clutter:  Determine what you need verses what you want.

·        We use 20% of what we have and waste the other 80%.

·        Think of the sunflower as God’s Sonflower.

·        Get organized by gathering, sorting, categorizing, containerizing, and taking it home.

·        Clutter is the result of ignoring, avoiding, or pushing off the process of making a decision.

·        MESS – PR: the clutter that is Mental, Material, Emotional, Situational, Spiritual, Physical, and Relational.

·         Clutter can be divided in to two categories - hidden or exposed.

·        Your list can become clutter.

·        Are you ready to take off the dark glasses that keep you from seeing?

·        Create a clear pathway to walk on and in.

·        We are imperfect people, living in a imperfect world.

·        Owning all the latest organizing “tools” does not make you organized.

·         Relinquish control.

·        You lessen your clutter when you “let go” and follow through.

More of "Colleen’s Quips and Quotes" will come after we conclude the remaining CHG’s. Enjoy the SW of pondering these quips and quotes as you consider how they personally touch you. 

I am also going to make a request.  A number of you are moving, or you are contemplating a move.  Please e-mail me ASAP at Colleen.flenner@gmail.com if you would like next week’s posting to be: Getting Organized to Move.  I will eventually do a posting like this further down the road if the need is not indicated at this particular time.

I will close with one of my favorite prayers. 

God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change,

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference. Amen.