Hurry Up and Croak

You know what fascinates me? Frogs. Yes, I said frogs. You know why they fascinate me? Because they always sound joyful, and it's really cool how they handle themselves in the winter.  I do not intend for this blog to be a science lesson,  so if don't know anything about frogs in winter,  you should Google it after you finish reading this post.

Here's the thing that really gets me about the frogs. Winters in Virginia are absolutely nuts. It can range from a frigid 12° with snow on the ground to a fabulous, sunny and 75° day all in the same week, and sometimes in a 24 hour period. So where does that leave the poor little frogs?  One day they are asleep, with a slowed heart rate, almost freezing to death. The next day they are croaking a happy song like spring is right around the corner. They must be worn out trying to figure out what to do next.

I don't know about you,  but I am very much like those frogs, worn out trying to complete whatever I should be doing next.  I believe we are living in a time where most people feel this way. Although I try to sing a happy song, by the time the sun sets,  I feel like I could croak, and not necessarily in a sing-songy way.

But that's when I must remember to rest like the frog on a cold, wintry day. God does not intend for us to stay busy every second. Instead we must live out Matthew 11:28, which says, "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.

So here's the lesson we can learn from a frog.  Sleep when you need to, relax when you're tired,  and the rest of the time, croak on, my friend!

Ruby Lou

It was a time at the Bray house this morning!  Our driveway is an absolute mess.  There is a section in the driveway, where we normally turn around, that is so squishy and mushy with melting snow that even Troy's four-wheel drive truck struggled to get through it.  Kathryn wound up having to leave her car (Ruby Lou) stuck in the driveway. Lucky for her, she has a good friend who lives near us, so she didn't have to ride to school with me today!

Do you ever find yourself in a position like Ruby Lou?  I am sure you are not stuck in the snow, but have you ever been stuck spiritually?  I think it happens to everyone at one point or another.  Scripture tells us:

"Be diligent in these matters; give yourself wholly to them, so that everyone may see your progress. Watch your life and doctrine closely.  Persevere in them because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers."  ~1 Timothy 4:15-16 

When you feel stuck, remember to stay the course.  Don't get discouraged because Satan will move in and make everything worse.  Be diligent in reading God's word, praying, and surrounding yourself with Godly friends.  Pretty soon, the Son will shine and you will not be stuck anymore! 

Don't Let Anything Dull Your Sparkle

As I sit here in my pjs under a snuggly blanket and look at the snow covered ground, I cannot help but notice the beauty of the world around me. The once bare, ugly, dull trees are now glistening beautifully with ice crystals as the sun rises above them. But the longer I sit here and  the higher the sun rises in the sky,  the more the ice melts from the treetops. Pretty soon there will be nothing left of the shimmery, sparkly ice and the dull, brown limbs will be exposed again.

But that's just my perception of the immediate situation.  I could choose to step back and shift my focus. I could choose to see the bigger picture of what God has in store for me. Instead of thinking about ugly, brown trees, I can choose to see the beauty God created this very morning.  I can choose to see the blessings right before my eyes.

Sometimes life feels like winter to me. I get discouraged and my thoughts turn negative. I allow other people's thoughts to cloud my judgement. When this happens, my bad attitude prevents me from being who God intends for me to be.  So when life presses down on me, and threatens to dull
my sparkle, I will try to shift my perspective. After all, why would I want to melt away,  when what He wants is for me to shine like the treetops on a cold, wintery day?

"You are the light of the world. A town built on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead put it on a stand and it gives light to everyone in the house.  In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven." ~Matthew 5:13-16

You're Not the Boss of Me

I got really mad today! My tendency is to go into the whole long story, but I am going to refrain and just stick to the highlights.  In a nutshell,  here's what happened.

A lab company "misplaced" Caroline's bloodwork. After three weeks of waiting, 90 minutes of phone calls today, and a very disturbing story of what happened,  poor Caroline has to have the bloodwork done over again. Needless to say, I was a very unhappy mama.

While trying to get to the bottom of the issue, I had the perfect opportunity to practice James 1:19:

My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen,  slow to speak, and slow to become angry.

Now don't misunderstand me. I am not suggesting I did a good job fulfilling that scripture. I'm just saying I had the fabulous opportunity to practice during three calls to the doctor's office, one phone call to my husband, five calls to the lab, (speaking to multiple people in the company) and one call to my insurance company.

Unfortunately,  things did not end as I had hoped.  As it turns out, my insurance company is the boss of me. They would not allow me to take Caroline to her doctor's office to have the blood redrawn. Instead they are forcing me to use the same company that messed up. Here's the good news, though.  My God is the boss of everyone. He forgives people when they mess up. So tomorrow, we will have a do- over. I will give the lab another opportunity to correctly do their job, and God will give me another opportunity to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry. I sure am glad God is my Boss and He is in charge of me!

Friendship

Lately I've been thinking a lot about this business of friendship.  I love how God brings friends to us just when we need them the most. Sometimes we remain friends forever, and other times the friendship is just for a season. But what qualities should we look for in a friend?

Often we put too much pressure on our friends, which is so unfair and can leave us feeling disappointed. So how do we avoid being disappointed in our friends? I think the answer is to keep God at the center of every friendship. Everyone knows what a friend is, but maybe we should talk about what a friend is not.

1. A friend is not someone who is always there for you. I mean think about it. I don't know about you, but I am a needy girl. It's not fair for me to expect my friends to always be there. Always is a very big word. The only person I know who is ALWAYS there for us is God.

2. A friend is not someone who always supports what we do. We're all human,  and sometimes we really mess things up.  I would much rather have a truthful friend, who calls me out when I'm wrong, than one who is always justifying my actions.  I want a friend who holds me accountable and pushes me to be more like Jesus.

3. A friend is not someone who always says, "Everything is going to be fine."  Life is hard, and it brings all kinds of struggles. Some situations are just not "fine." A true friend directs our attention back to God, encouraging us to lean on Him instead of getting through struggles leaning solely on our friends.

So as you travel this path of life, be sure to thank God for the friends He has placed in your life. But also remember to put your hope in God, not in your friends.   Isaiah 40:31 says, "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

Fa-la-la Choir Crashers

First thing this morning,  while running around Christmas shopping,  we saw some Christmas carolers outside of a busy shopping center.  As we dashed in and out of stores, we kept commenting on how fun it was for them to be spreading Christmas cheer!

As we prepared to move on, I had the sudden urge to join the carolers.  Kathryn,  however, was not quite as eager. I think her words went something like this. "Mom, you cannot just join a choir of random strangers and start singing with them. Who does that?" After 16 years of living with me,  she's gotten pretty used to my shenanigans.  So after some major convincing, we finally got out of the car, joined the choir, and started singing.  Everyone was very welcoming,  and the choir director's face was priceless when he discovered the newbies singing Silent Night with his regulars!

I don't know if we spread Christmas cheer to anyone else, but we sure did have an amazing time. It was a fun adventure, and I'll always be thankful we took a risk and joined the choir, even if it was only for one song. 

Here's the lesson I learned today.  Life is an adventure, so don't drive away! Be crazy and join a choir. Who knows, maybe they were a choir of angels. Merry Christmas,  everyone!

Grocery Store Score

I had to run to the grocery store this afternoon,  which is really not my favorite chore. But today,  it was awesome!  Do you know why? Every few steps I ran into someone I hadn't seen in a really long time. It was so much fun! I was in the store for an hour chatting it up with old friends and former students.

Ephesians 3:20 says, "Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us," All I wanted to do was get in and out of the grocery store in a quick hurry without spending a fortune.  But God had much bigger plans for me today! I got to share a bunch of hugs and smiles, which turned the dreadful grocery shopping chore into a major score!