My Family History

Yesterday I went for my annual mammogram. This is always a time of some nervousness for me. You see, when I was only 20 I had a solid mass removed. Then another when I was 27. They were both benign, but I've got fibroid cystic disorder/disease and have got lots of interesting things happening inside. So that means I'm more vigilant than I might have been had I never had a problem.

Also in the past, Satan has used the threat of breast cancer as a tool against me. I've actually experienced oppressive fear at times. But praise God, I've have been miraculously freed of it.

Although I don't experience the same high level of fear, I'd be lying if I didn't say there was a low level of anxiety at this time of year.

Especially this year.

This year, my sister got breast cancer. Just last month she had surgery and will start treatment soon. Praise God, it was caught early. But she has been dropped into a battle she didn't expect -just like millions of other women who don't expect to be in a fight for their lives.

So this year, my family history of breast cancer changed. Before, there was no history. Now there is.

As I've been thinking about that this week, I realized I've got another family history. One even stronger than breast cancer. I've got a history of a very powerful Heavenly Father who fights for His children.

My family history contains stories of a Father who parts water so His kids can escape an army, pauses the sun, makes donkeys talk, saves people from lions and fiery furnaces, confuses enemies so they destroy each other, restores sight to the blind, makes lame walk, brings hope to the hopeless, feeds 5000+, heals diseases and raises the dead!!!

That's MY family history!!

So yesterday, I asked my Heavenly Dad for help. I needed to be reminded of ALL my family history. I needed Him to go with me into that office. I needed Him to battle the enemy's lies and plans for me. I needed to be protected from disease.

I needed to be reminded that even if the test showed something concerning, that He was bigger than any test result and would take care of me.

So my Father went with me yesterday. And was faithful to do all that; the tests were all normal.

Sometimes God uses situations to remind us of truths we need to bury deep into our hearts. Here's my truth for today: I've got a Heavenly Daddy who loves me and will intervene in my life to care for me and bring good out of all situations. I either believe that or I don't. Situations don't change that truth. There is no situation that takes Him by surprise or is too big for Him to handle. I need to remember that.

Here's a great passage from Isaiah 51:12-16:

“I, yes I, am the one who comforts you. So why are you afraid of
mere humans, who wither like the grass and disappear?

Yet you have forgotten the Lord, your Creator, the one who stretched
out the sky like a canopy and laid the foundations of the
earth. Will you remain in constant dread of human
oppressors? Will you continue to fear the anger of your
enemies? Where is their fury and anger now? It is
gone!

Soon all you captives will be released! Imprisonment, starvation, and death will not be your fate!

For I am the Lord your God, who stirs up the sea, causing its
waves to roar. My name is the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.

And I have put my words in your mouth and hidden you safely in
my hand. I stretched out the sky like a canopy and laid the
foundations of the earth.I am the one who says to Israel, ‘You are my
people!’”

As we approach Easter next week, it's good to be reminded that the same God of the Bible's history is the same God of our history. And that is a really cool family history.

In His Love,

Glynnis

Do you think I have potential???

Today the little girl inside me surfaced. I got passed over for an opportunity and it hurt.

In my mind, I thought I should be old enough to not have it hurt. Haven't I outgrown the need for someone to see I have potential? Apparently not. It's been there for a long time too.

I looked back and saw a small 6-year-old with freckles and barrettes in her first-grade classroom. She anxiously raised her hand in class, hoping the teacher would see her and call on her to answer. She knew the answer. She wanted to share it. But the teacher looked right past her and called on someone else. She lowered her hand, and sighed.

Then she was 12, and hoped her chorus teacher would think she had potential. Did she have a voice that was good enough to do a solo or be put in a quartet of girls? Did her teacher notice her voice? She stood on the back riser with the other tall alto girls and watched while petite sopranos got to sing.

She was no longer a little girl, but a college graduate looking for her first job. Would anyone see that she had writing and administrative skills. Would anyone see her potential and give her a chance?

Would she be asked to dance, picked for the team, selected for the promotion, asked to go to lunch with the girls, picked for the speaking event, have her book purchased on Amazon?

Seems I'm always hoping that someone sees my potential. Looks deeper than the surface. Gives me a chance. Believes in me.

I don't think I'll outgrow it. I've worked through this issue long ago, so I don't depend on any one's approval for my sense of self worth. I know my value is found in Christ and Christ alone. But the truth is, it still hurts when I'm passed over.

So here's what I've vowed to do. When I have the chance, I will let you know that I see your potential. I'll see it, because I will look for it. I will see your potential in your writing, in your leadership, in your creative talent, and in your effort to be the woman God has called you to be.

I know you won't ever outgrow the need for someone to see your potential. No matter how old you are. Or if you get sick. Or if you are knee-deep in diapers. Or if you mess up really bad. Or if you are unprepared, or overwhelmed, or grief-stricken.

You still have potential as long as you are breathing. I promise.

God always sees it. And if given the opportunity, I will too.

In His Love,

Glynnis

P.S. This is the perfect opportunity to let you know about She Speaks. I'll be there, as the director of the writer's track. And this year, for the first time in history, we have scholorships available due to the generocity of Cecil Murphey, author extraordinaire. Read my friend Lysa's blog for all the details.

Have fun with your kids

Hi, I'm Glynnis and I work too much.

While some people might proudly proclaim that as a "weakness" on a job interview, I claim it with regret. While I love to work, it definitely has the potential to lure me from other priorities, such as the people I love most in this world.

Working at home only makes it worse. It is always there! My desk is in the middle of everything - which is intentional so that I'm not somewhere behind a closed door. But I can see the work that needs to be done. Sadly, because of my personality, I often prefer work to having fun. I know that sounds impossible, but it's true.

Last week, a friend challenged me to have fun with my kids on Spring Break.

I thought, How hard can that be?

Actually, it's pretty hard when you are used to working all the time. In fact, it wasn't until the next to the last day that I felt convicted about not having enough fun individually with each child. Although we had fun as a family, it wasn't the same as having fun individually. So when one son wanted to go swimming, I went with him. We had a blast.

I really, really like being with my kids, and thanks to my friend, I realize that I need to be more intentional about having fun with them. Laughing. Playing. Relaxing. Enjoying them. This was easier when they were younger, but they are all teenagers now. Their interests take them away from me a lot.

They know I love them. But do they know how much fun I have with them? No, because it doesn't happen enough.

So that's my personal challenge. To have more fun with my kids. Thankfully, I still have time to work on this.

In His Love,

Glynnis

P.S. Thanks Kristen T.

Softening a hard heart

Howdy! That's how we say hello in the desert Southwest ... well, not really ...but I wish we did, because I like it.

Anyway, what I mean to say is welcome to those of you who have found your way to my blog after reading my devotion about Soil and Dirt.

If you live in a part of the country where you have rich soil, I'm jealous for your delicious tomatoes and raspberries. We have good oranges here and any day now the trees will start to blossom and fill our streets with the most incredible fragrance ever. But I'd trade my orange tree for your raspberry bush any day of the week.

As I was reflecting about my heart and whether it's got more soil or hard dirt, I think it's half and half. Sometimes I find my heart very hard. Normally it's after I've been hurt by someone. It's like all the softness evaporates and all that is left is hard, crusty dirt.

When that happens, like it did earlier today, I find myself not really caring about the condition of my heart. It doesn't last for long, but it happens. I'm hurt. I'm mad. I'm offended. And I don't feel like doing anything about it except mulling over what happened and how wronged I am.

Even knowing I was going to write this post didn't help in that moment earlier today. I thought about all the things I would tell someone else. You know, all the RIGHT things that a Christian woman should say ... and believe. And still my heart felt hard. I wasn't ready to forgive the offense, and anyway, I hadn't received an apology.

The bottom line is I knew I needed to forgive the offence, but I didn't FEEL like doing it. Instead of waiting for the feelings to come (or the apology which never did) I had to make a choice. I had to ask God for His help to soften my heart, because I couldn't do it on my own. I asked God to help me feel like forgiving.

There was no immediate change of heart, but it was like the rising of the sun. It happened gradually and I was able to forgive.

As we at Proverbs 31 minister to women around the world, we find that many have been hurt deeply, offended greatly and offered no apology. I believe there are many reading this blog today who would say that has happened to them.

I know there are no easy answers. And it doesn't always help for someone to say the right words, because you already know them. So today, if that is you, I pray for God to soften your heart, just like the gentle rising of the sun. Perhaps it will happen so quietly that you won't notice it happening until you don't feel quite so hard and brittle.

Then, as God does His miraculous work, I pray you experience a softened heart to receive all that God longs to give you.

Until then, know that you have sisters in Christ who will pray for you, stand in the gap when you don't have the energy to do so yourself, and love you with the love of Christ.

Thank you for reading my blog today. If I can pray for you, please leave a comment. You can do so anonymously, God knows.

In His Love,
Glynnis

The Mystery of "Sync" Solved

I'm going to share something my family knows well, but few others do. I'm really, really, really bad at figuring out technology.

For example, we finally had to get one of those boxes that records tv shows because I couldn't remember how to operate the DVR. The advertisements promised that it was easy to record your favorite shows. They had me at "easy."

I had to go down to the cable store to exchange the cable box and was surprised when I didn't get a manual. I asked (nay, begged) the salesperson to PLEASE give me some sort of written directions for this new box. And she said there wasn't any, because it was so easy.

I looked at her and laughed out loud! "Ha!" I said. "You have no idea what I can NOT understand. I'm the queen of making easy things difficult."

Hence my experience with my I-pod. A few years ago my husband bought me this cute little I-pod Shuffle when I thought I was going to start running. I figured out how to buy songs on I-tunes and they automatically got on my library when I pressed "buy." My teenage son showed me how to get them from the library to the I-pod. My husband showed me how to put some podcasts on the I-pod. And I should have figured out how to do it by watching them. But I didn't.

Last fall, I needed to put some conference calls on my I-pod. I could get them to my I-tunes library, but I couldn't get them on the shuffle. I worked for hours, thinking surely, I should be able to do this myself. I e-mailed friends for help. I Googled instructions. I searched the I-tunes help pages. But nothing made sense. I actually cried over this, I was so completely frustrated with myself.

Finally, in annoyance at my own ineptitude, and after months of trying on my own, I asked my husband for help.

To his credit, he kept a straight face and said, "You sync it and they will be on the Shuffle." Within seconds it was done.

I couldn't believe it. For some reason, no matter how many times I read the instructions, I thought it should have been harder. I knew how to sync songs, but I thought the conference call recordings were different. I DON'T KNOW WHY I THOUGHT THAT!

This has bothered me for a month. I can't figure out why I couldn't get it. Then I realized that I sometimes I make life and faith too hard. I try on my own to solve problems, look on the Internet for answers, ask friends, and read books looking for answers.

When all along all I needed to do was sync my heart with God's heart. When I quiet all the internal fussing down, and put myself in a position to listen instead of talk, God speaks.

What an amazing gift God gives us when we look to Him for answers. He actually answers us in a way we can understand. When we expect Him to. When we listen for His answers.

It's simple, really. But in this super-complicated world, I expect it to be harder. I expect it to take more work on my part. God knew I needed it easy.

So, I've finally figured out how to put songs, podcasts and recorded conference calls on my I-pod. Now if I can just figure out that recording box the cable salesperson said was easy.

In His Love,

Glynnis

Tip for Managing Clutter

Have you ever thought that piles were taking over your home? Piles of clothes, magazines, dirty dishes, mail, etc.

Piles just seem to accumulate around most homes, and it just becomes easier to move them around than deal with them.

Today I want to share one of my daily practices for managing, actually avoiding, clutter. I am diligent in keeping clutter at a minimum around my home. Mostly because I live a very full life, and clutter drains a lot of energy from me that I can't afford to lose. Plus the fact that I've got five kids and two home-based businesses means I don't have time to clean up after the fact. I've included a photo I just took of my kitchen. You'll see my clean lunch dishes and a glass of water are the only things left out.

Another reason for keeping my home clean is I work here. My desk is actually in a nook under the stairs, and I have to look at my living room and kitchen all day long. So I really want it to be clean.

To keep things picked up, I give myself a simple command multiple times throughout the day:

Finish what you start.

Here's what I was doing when I had to tell myself that today:

• Cleaning my bathroom counter.
• Hanging up my bathrobe, instead of leaving it on my bed.
• Putting my pjs in the drawer, instead of leaving them beside by bathrobe on the bed.
• Cleaning my dishes after lunch.
• Folding a load of clothes.
• Putting the remote control where it belongs, instead of a convenient table top.
• Walking recyclable items all the way outside and not leaving them on the dryer.
• Hanging up a pair of jeans I wore yesterday and didn't hang up last night.

It seems that I want to stop just short of finishing a task. My inclination is to put clean and folded socks on top of the dressing instead of in the drawer. Or stack dishes in the sink instead of washing them. Or leave my jeans draped over the tub because I'm going to wear them again. It only takes seconds to move the task to completion, but for some reason I resist.

I see this behavior in my kids all the time. Instead of taking five more steps and putting their shoes in the closet, they get to the door of the room and drop them on the floor.

What is this within us that causes us to stop short of finishing what we start? I haven't figured it out, but I do know it is a cause of some clutter. Not all, mind you. But some.

Today my encouragement is to finish what you start. It's a little habit that can make a big difference in the clutter battle. Plus, I find that clear counters, dressers, tables, and couches help me clear my thinking. And believe me when I say I need all the help I can get in that area.

In His love,

Glynnis

Becoming a Woman of Dignity

Today I've got a devotion running on Proverbs 31 and Crosswalk about becoming a woman of dignity. I'd like to wish you a warm welcome if you are visiting my blog for the first time.

Seems there's often a battle going on within me about the woman I want to be and the woman I actually am.

You see, I have this vision of the woman I would like to be all the time. I'm her some of the time. But then "something" happens. Like, say, someone leaving something somewhere it's not supposed to be ... again. When that happens, like it often does in my house, the woman I want to be high-tails it for safer ground, and an undignified, blow-things-out-of-proportion woman shows up.

Where does that woman come from, I ask you.

I've realized she comes from some unidentified place down within me. That place where she's still a little girl stamping her foot and demanding her own way. She comes from that place where she has to have the last word, and be right all the time, and make sure everyone knows the "correct" way to do things, which is ... obviously ... her way.

And in that place down inside me, that undignified woman holds tightly to her own will, for fear that she'll be unappreciated, overlooked, disregarded, and irrelevant. And she's afraid, but it's hard to identify it as fear for the frustration and annoyance that covers it up.

It seems to be easier to lose my cool at times, than deal with the real issue: I like to be in control. And in reality, there are things I just can't control, as much as I would like to.

It comes down to a choice. One I have to make daily. I need to choose to submit my desire to be right and need for control to God.

Submitting those desires to God doesn't mean I care less about what's going on. It just means I'm choosing to trust God to watch out for me. He will be my defender when I feel taken advantage of. He will give me my worth when I feel unappreciated. He reminds me of my potential when I feel irrelevant. I don't have to grasp for those things by lowering my dignity and giving in to emotion.

So what are some way I keep my cool when things get tough? Well, when I do things right, here's what helps:

1) I prepare myself in advance through prayer. God's Word has amazing power to bring clarity to a situation.

2) I decide in advance how I'm going to respond to common triggers. For example, when a child whines that she is bored. Instead of giving her a lecture, I am ready with some suggestions on what she could do. That's much nicer than the, "When I was a little girl ..." speech.

3) I don't take things personally. I make a choice to believe the best about another. The truth is it's not all about me. It just feels like it sometimes. People don't always care about what I care about, and their priorities are the same as mine. But they aren't against me. I need to remember that God made people different for a reason.

4) I keep things in perspective. In July 2004, my niece was killed in a car accident. We miss her daily. As frustrated as I might get with someone I love, at least he or she is alive. That thought brings me to a place of persective faster than anything else.

5) I keep my mouth shut. Proverbs 18:7 says, "A fool's mouth is his undoing, and his lips are a snare to his soul." Yep, sometimes it's best not to say anything.

Proverbs 31: 25 says, “She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come.”

I may not be there all the time, but with God's help, I pray I'm becoming more a woman of dignity every day.

In His Love,

Glynnis

If I can just make it to the next light pole ...

I'm midway to my weight loss goal and feeling the same feelings. And I'm concerned.

This happens to me every time! My clothes start to fit and at the same time, I get tired of all the limitations. I get that inner 3-year-old whine going ... "Why can't I have two brownies! Waa!"

Plus, I know how hard it will be to lose these last 12 pounds. Why? Because I actually need to eat LESS than I have before. Eat less or exercise more. Both are a challenge.

As I put up the brownies last night that my son made (after allowing myself a small piece), I contemplated this challenge, and I remembered how I felt when I tried to start running last year. Instead of thinking about how far I wanted to run, I thought about just making it to the next light pole. That's all.

If on Tuesday I ran five more steps than I had on Monday, I was happy.

While I no longer run, thanks to birthing three children and being in my late 40s (some of you know what I mean), I realized I needed to apply that same principle to this weight loss challenge, and other challenges I'm facing. Here it is:

Sometimes, when I am feeling overwhelmed I need to set very small and immediate goals, and be happy when I make them.

For example, today, I am not going to eat any more of those brownies. Plus, I've already planned what I will eat today. I'm not worried about tomorrow or the weekend. Just today.

And instead of worrying about the 12 pounds I've got to lose, I'm only focusing on the next one. I'll be happy when/if I get on the scale tomorrow and it's down one pound.

I've also got a lot of work to do on my website business (www.RoseLaneCottage.com). But instead of feeling overwhelmed with all the work, my only goal is to get 6 new products online.

Sometimes I can look at a long to-do list and feel energized. But other times, I need to break it down and just put one manageable item before my eyes.

What do you need to do today that feels overwhelming?

Is it laundry? Do one load only and then put it up.
Is it cleaning? Pick one thing to clean and that's it for today. Your kitchen sink or bathroom mirrors are a good place to start.
Is it dealing with a defiant toddler? Pick one issue to stick to your guns about today. Only one.
Is it a huge task at work that you've procrastinated about? Make one phone call today.
Is it dealing with a difficult relationship? Make the decision to say one nice thing to that person today.
Is it your personal devotion life? Sit down and read one chapter of the Bible (the book of John is a good place to start). Then tell God one thing you are thankful for and one thing you need His help with.

Seems that life can overwhelm even the most competent woman. More than any goal setting trick, I need to remember that I don't have to do all this in my own strength. I was created to face life armed with God's strength.

Isaiah 40:29, "He gives strength to the weary and
increases the power of the weak."

Phillipian 4:13, "I can do everything through him who gives me
strength."

So today, I need to look to God for strength, take a breath and set smaller goals. Because some days all I can think about is just making it to the next light pole.

Proverbs 4:11-12, "I guide you in the way of wisdom and lead you along straight paths. When you walk, your steps will not be hampered; when you run, you will not stumble."

Have a lovely day,

Glynnis