A Lesson While Doing Laundry

I was recently doing laundry at a friend’s home. She showed me how her washing machine works and after that, I got things underway. Now normally washing machines effortlessly go from one part of the cycle to the next until it’s finished, but once the machine got filled up with water, nothing happened.

I alerted my friend that I didn’t hear the cycle change so we went to investigate. It turned out that sometimes her machine (for now apparent reason) will not move on to the next cycle unless you press the START button a second time. After that, it’s groovy gravy. (And yes, I did just say that!)

This got me thinking about how 2020 has been a lot like that moment with the stalled washing machine. We began thinking that things would just roll along as they usually do until… COVID19. Now we find ourselves stuck in a cycle that we desperately want to get out of but we must restart to move on.

Masks or no masks at all. Schools open then shut down. Businesses go on lockdown then open up only to go back on lockdown again. The Government increases unemployment benefits but then stalls on a stimulus package. The General Election is over and there appears to be a new administration on the horizon, yet the current Administration will not concede, thereby impeding the peaceful transition of power. In the words of Marvin Gaye, “makes me wanna holla and throw up both my hands.”

I submit to you that it’s time to admit that what we’re doing is simply not working. But moreover, I submit to you Followers of Christ (not just Christians), that we’ve been given the answer to an open-book test. The Word of God is not just a great book to read in your spare time. It actually has keys in it to unlock the door to solving a lot of our problems. 

While several scriptures come to my mind, one stands out loud and clear in this strange era. So if we ever hope to turn things around in this world, we’d better listen and learn to apply it liberally:

“If my people who are called by My Name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from Heaven and will forgive their sins and heal their land.”  2 Chronicles 7:14 ESV

It’s important to note that God was speaking to King Solomon during a time when things were going well in the land of Israel. Solomon had just completed the building and dedication of The Temple of God as well as his own palace. Afterward, he took a moment to reflect and rest. Then during the night, God spoke to him. Because Solomon had demonstrated his trust in God and his obedience, God gave him a covenant promise. 

Whenever the Kingdom of Israel found themselves in trouble, even due to their own disobedience, all they had to do to turn failure into favor was adhere to the four principles of that covenant promise:

1. Humble yourself before God

2. Pray 

3. Seek God’s face

4. Turn from your own wickedness

Bouncing between wickedness and righteousness is not just a longstanding American issue, it’s an issue of the human condition all over this world.

I believe this is how we get stuck in crisis mode. And whether you believe in Jesus Christ or not, it doesn’t take much to realize that we are collectively in deep trouble. The question is, what are we willing to do about it?

I happen to believe in God. I am a genuine Follower of Christ. By no means perfect, just willing to allow The Holy Spirit to help me to improve each day. I fail, I fall, I repent, and I get back in the game. But I cannot be serious about taking this stance unless I am willing to live in the truth, not in denial. And how do I do that? See the previously mentioned four principles.

Want to bring this current crazy cycle to a close? Don't we all!

Let’s press that proverbial START button... again. 

Please and thank you. :)

Stop Ignoring the Obvious

Ever done something that you knew beforehand wasn't going to work but you did it anyway? I have.

Just recently, I was on my way home and when I got off at my freeway exit I saw that the traffic was being rerouted away from a bad accident. This was the main thoroughfare that I actually live off of, and to be detoured wasn't going to take me that far out of the way, but I was on a tight schedule and ready to get home. Apparently, my fellow drivers were also not willing to go out of their way either. As we took the U-turn onto the feeder road, each of us blindly following the other, the traffic turned on a side street that had a "Dead End" sign prominently displayed on the corner. However, all of us chose to ignore the sign and followed the procession of traffic onto the street anyway. Even a city bus driver followed suit; and you would think he, of all people, would have known better. Looking back on it, I think the fact that someone who presumably would have more knowledge of the streets than I did influenced me to go against my better judgment. Hmmm....

Anyway, we all inevitably ended up turning around (some, like the city bus, with great difficulty) and taking the "out of the way" route after all. After turning around and getting back to that same corner, something struck me. I saw other cars rounding that same corner, also ignoring the sign as well as the rest of us who had turned around trying to tell them not to turn down that street.

Wow! What makes us so determined to continue going the wrong way even when we KNOW that it's not going to turn out right? What drives us to ignore the obvious? More importantly, what is driving YOU to ignore the obvious right now? If you're making the same bad choices that have failed you before, it's time to ask yourself 'Why?'.

Let me know what answers you come up with.

What's Your Frame of Mind?

Hey there all!

I know.... Once again it's taken me a "minute" to post something new. But bear with me and please extend me your supportive grace. I'm still transitioning into the information age you know. However, I do promise to keeping sending encouraging and motivational highlights to you, and you'll be happy to know that my blog will now be updated bi-weekly, starting TODAY!

And now - for today's topic...

Have you ever heard the phrase "It depends on your frame of mind"? I was recently pondering this and had an a-ha! moment. How exactly do we "frame" our minds?

Consider the purpose of a frame. The frame we use for pictures protects the photo inside, while also providing directing attention to what's actually in the photo. Hmmmm...

The frame of house is the very thing that keeps it standing, no matter what's happening on the outside. Hmmmmm...

See where I'm going with this? Well, it stands to reason that there are two important factors involved in this thing called "framing": focus and foundation. So what frames our minds? Those things we're focusing on, which are ultimately derived from our foundational thoughts. Check out this example:

Foundational Thought

"I don't think I'll ever get out of all this debt!"

Focus

Overdue bills, calls from bill collectors

Frame Produced

Worry, Doubt, Fear, Depression

Now let's flip it-

Foundational Thought

"My debt is huge, but my God is greater. He will provide for all of my needs and make my name great!"

Focus

God's promises, present blessings, new opportunities

Frame Produced

Joy, Hope, Encouragement, Peace

See how that works?

The Word of God should be the foundation of EVERY believer (see Luke 4:4). But let's be honest. Many of us haven't exactly made "hiding the Word" in our hearts a daily practice - and as a result, we easily allow our minds to be influenced on things that are depleting instead of completing. It's not just about committing words to memory, but it's about keeping those words alive and active in our thought bank. It's about making it a point to meditate on them and say them out loud to eventually override our struggling belief system. Once that happens - and it can - we will focus more on what we BELIEVE (what God says) and less on what we FEEL and SEE. That's the point at which the power of God really manifests itself to us.

Remember, God generates love toward us. In response to His love, we generate faith in Him. Faith generates hope on the inside of our hearts. Our hearts represent the seedbed of our mind, will, and emotions. Once our hearts are filled with hope, it spills over into our words. "Out of the abundance of the heart, his mouth speaks." - Luk. 6:45 ESV

Ready for the challenge? Come on! It'll be worth it.

I invite you (along with me) to venture into the practice of Custom Framing your mind for the next couple of weeks. And to get us kicked off, here's some wise counsel from the Apostle Paul:

Philippians 4:8 (The Message)

8-9Summing it all up, friends, I'd say you'll do best by filling your minds and meditating on things true, noble, reputable, authentic, compelling, gracious—the best, not the worst; the beautiful, not the ugly; things to praise, not things to curse. Put into practice what you learned from me, what you heard and saw and realized. Do that, and God, who makes everything work together, will work you into his most excellent harmonies.

See ya in two weeks (I promise)!

-Tracy