Homegrown Hospitality

Fortune Cookie Faith Translation

Today's post was inspired by the email I got from my "Daily cup of Inspiration" from the lovelies over at Internet Cafe Devotions.  The quote and verse used reminded me of the term I use "Fortune Cookie Faith."

I use the term "Fortune Cookie Faith" because I know that for some, it is much easier to just read about faith than practice it, some may not know how to talk about faith, simply do not want to talk about  faith or quite honestly, have an easier time reading, believing and quoting something from a fortune cookie, than from a bible.

Guess what?

It is okay by me..because I believe that I am here as one of God's creative crash test dummies to translate for you! (LUCKY YOU!)

Be of good cheer. Do not think of today’s failures, but of success that may come tomorrow. You have set yourselves a difficult task, but you will succeed if you persevere; and you will have a joy in overcoming obstacles—a delight in climbing rugged paths which you would perhaps never know if you did not sometimes slip backward, if the road were always smooth and pleasant. Remember, no effort that we make to attain something beautiful is ever lost. —Helen Keller

Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go. Joshua 1:9 NIV

Your welcome.

Contentment

Contentment -  satisfaction; ease of mind.

I could make this a 1 mile long blog post but I think I will chop it into segments.  LOTS to talk about on this subject and I don't want to start your Monday off by taking up too much of your time.

your welcome.

So, we heard an amazing message about "Contentment" this weekend, an hour lesson that should needs to be aired on the radio, shown on television, posted to the internet..heck tattooed on our arm as a constant reminder to be happy with what we have instead of always wanting more.

If you got this message in a fortune cookie, you'd think about it, so maybe cut & paste it, print it out and think about it now:

"It is better to be satisfied with what you have than to be always wanting something else." Ecclesiastes 6:9

The facts are the facts and unfortunately, we are all guilty of comparing ourselves to others and thinking we need more. It is our dang culture, the media, our own insecurities, it is natural...dang Adam and Eve had to go screw everything up...so don't beat yourself up about it too much. 

For us personally, it is a daily arm wrestle with the boys talking CONSTANTLY about who has what and how much it was and "knowing" that if they could have it...life would be so much better. Little do they understand that what they have is really so much more than they need and so so much more than most have...and shoot, living inside the "Orange Curtain" where "life" is portrayed on a Bravo realty show does not help.

DANG IT!...uggh...that is an entire different blog post.

Life is NOT about things...We might think that it is..but it is not.

We NEED to learn to enjoy what we have...instead of wishing for more.

Wanting brings causes more fatigue (yes, more than we already have from multiple games on multiple fields, carpool, laundry, working, more carpool, having teenagers, more games and still more laundry)

Wanting brings on more anxiety because the more you have, the more you worry, duh!  (I am happy that my car is older so that when the surfboards, boogies boards and 10 feet from 5 boys leave sand EVERYWHERE, I do not have to freak out. THEY just vacuum it out.  NO biggie. It doesn't mean that I don't have to take care of my car, it just means I do not have to stress out about it)

Wanting brings on expenses. We all have regular expenses to pay for..why add more to the pile??? I have NEVER shared our personal financial info here but will tell you that we are credit card free, usually broke after we pay what we need to pay for ( I am an artist, remember?) but credit free...and have been for MANY years. If we don't have the $$$ then we do not buy it. Plain and simple.  Can I shout Hallelujah???!!!!

Wanting causes conflict.  Seriously, if you don't have it to worry about..you won't fight about it either.

Wanting causes dissatisfaction and you can't buy happiness. amen. Some think you can, but you can't.

As I sat in church yesterday and listened to the message, I thought about where I was four years ago, driving through Sowato, in South Africa and how it changed my heart completely.

This is a photo I took as I walked on the opposite side of the street.  I felt guilty for taking the picture but I was just so stunned. It took my breath away.  

I am certain that this is contentment. They have dinner. Maybe even for two nights.

 
We have NO idea how blessed we are.

Seeing this picture again is going to make me stop complaining about how much laundry I have to do.

See, I told you this could go on for a mile....

Remember, life is not about things...Focus on what will last.

 
 

Putting It Out There..

"Just warning you: this might be a long one..but please try to read it all..."

As you have most likely noticed, I am sharing my faith on this blog more and more each day.

I have not always been like this..in fact, I was NEVER like this(I mean on "sharing outloud)...and I will always be the first to tell you that I will NEVER EVER push "religion" on you...ever.

I promise that...mostly because it has nothing to do about "religion."

For me, it is about my RELATIONSHIP with God and it is my personal choice. Again, something that I will never push on you or sway you with. Now...I may "Creatively Influence" you, but that is about it.

 
I share my faith as an example and a reminder to myself...that things, as bad as they get (and they will get really bad) will ALWAYS get better, that it is all part of the "plan."

 GOD promises that...and I am living proof, so that is why I share.

I know that I may lose readers based on the "faith" content, but I also know that I may gain readers based on my sharing.

I started this blog as a place to share my creative life, an now, almost 6 years later, it is so much more than that. It is still based on creativity for sure, and always will be, but because I have grown spiritually, creatively and relationally  and am learning how to combine them, I feel the need to share more..

BUT...(stupid big but) don't misunderstand me...

I am still that "simply complicated", totally dorky, frugalista (that really could use some new clothes but HATE to shop) girl.  The over stimulated creative girl that struggles with keeping up with laundry, organization, staying focused and balancing her weight ALL on a daily basis (and MAN..the weight thing is getting harder in my 40's.)  and I still stumble (more often than I prefer to admit!)...and sometimes, not just stumble...I fall flat on my face (and the older we get, the harder we fall.)

I am human and I live in a wrecked world.

DANG IT!

The GREAT thing is, without hesitation...I get back up. 

I can because of my faith and because I know that deep down, there is some type of lesson in my stumbles (even though I can't understand them) and I keep going...

and guess what??

YOU can do this too because

guess what??

YOU are human...

and well, YOU live in the same wrecked, dented, cracked beautiful, amazing world!

WELCOME!

and guess what??

YOU too, have to get up and keep going!

Okay..whoops..

I am pushing you, but you know exactly what I mean here...

YOU MUST GET UP and KEEP GOING!!!

Yes, I am talking to you...

but you do not have to listen to me...it might be easier to get the message from a fortune cookie:

If you fall down 7 times, get up 8 times.
- Chinese Proverb

Now if I ate Chinese food (even though I don't) I sure would love to get a cute little paper in a cookie that looked like this and say's "ut, um"...the same thing:

 
I will continue to share my faith, probably more and more, because I am walking and creative proof that giving all of your worry and stress to God changes EVERYTHING.

He promises that, I am proof and I hope that I don't lose ya!