Wow... that hurt!

We are fearfully and wonderfully made -- aren't we? 
Did you know that drinking water -- 16 ounces or more -- before going to bed will most assuredly wake you up before the sun rises? 
With a 50 something year old bladder and that much water, who needs an alarm clock?

A couple of weeks ago, my body's alarm clock went off around 4 a.m.  Not wanting to be awake yet, I rolled out of bed and shuffled off toward the bathroom.  Cutting through the darkness of the room is a night light that shines whether there's electricity or not.  I refused to open my eyes thinking that the least bit of light would really wake me up.  I was hoping to get at least one more hour of sleep before the real alarm announced the start of another day.  Why open my eyes?
I've been walking this same path for many, many years.  I know the way.  I can do this and go back to sleep.
Urgently closing in on the doorway to the toilet -- I was unaware that the door had been closed.

WHAM!!! 

My bowed head hit the door! Instinctively my hands flew up toward my head and I slammed my hand into the knob of the closed door.  I hit my head so hard against the door that the clock on the wall fell from the nail on which it hung.  As it fell, it knocked the night light out of the socket and then hit the faucet handle on the sink below causing it to turn on at full force!  The commotion of the room made my husband jump out of the bed as if he had been hit with an electric cattle prod!

I'm awake now.

Now I realize that I'm not the brightest crayon in the box but I could have avoided the knot on my hard head and the bruise to my hand if only I had opened my eyes to the light that would have guided my way. 

So this little night time trip made me think of a few spiritual things...
     1.  Why walk in the dark if you don't have to!  We have Jesus!  He said, "I am the light of the world.  The person who follows me will never live in darkness but will have the light that gives life."
(John 8:12)
     2.  Without the Lord's light, I don't know the way.  In John 14, Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and the life.  The only way to the Father is through me."  It should be the goal of every soul to seek His way, glorifying him as we walk through this life and into the next.
     3.  Even though this world can at times seem very dark and scary, the Lord's light is always there.  Light shines through the darkness -- but never can the darkness overcome the light.  "The Lord is my light and my salvation -- whom shall I fear?"  Psalm 27:1
     4.  Thankfully, his blood covers our daily sins as we ever strive to walk in His light.  "If we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin"  I John 1:7. 
Awesome, right?

Uh, one more thing... Just in case you were wondering...no, I didn't have to change my pajamas! ;)
Love till next time,
Lanna

New Year

Wow!  It's the beginning of another new year!  Can you believe it?!

As a child, it seemed like FOREVER from one Christmas to the next.  Now, at my age, time seems to pass faster and faster.  Is it just me, or does it seem like we were just putting away the remains of Christmas 2014?!  The phrases "fast as lightning" and "slow as Christmas" are becoming synonymous for me!

So did you make a New Year's resolution?  I did....the same one I made last year...and the year before that...and the year before that.  My resolution is to keep my mouth shut.  I have put my foot in my mouth more times than I care to count.  I've chewed more than enough leather to furnish shoes for everyone in the state of Texas.  Someone once said, "The Lord gave you one mouth and two ears so you can do twice as much listening!" 

Within the first week of the new year, I'd already blown my resolution...again.

Thinking about my failures and short comings make me even more thankful for our Lord's grace and mercy.  I really love what Paul has to say about grace in  Romans chapter 5 through about the 14th verse of chapter 6.  It assures us that a life in Christ gives us the gift of grace -- so that even when I mess up -- His grace is more than adequate to take care of my sin.  What an awesome, undeserved gift!

For Christmas, I received a beautiful new winter white sweater.  I loved it the moment I took it from the box.  I couldn't wait to wear it!
Grace is a gift we should wear like a badge.
In response to this wonderful gift, we can resolve each day to walk confidently in His light and in His service. 
 
So while serving our Lord, I'm gonna smile, stand tall and when appropriate...KEEP MY MOUTH SHUT!

Lamentations 3:22-25
II Timothy 1:7