Month: November 2014

Daylight Savings Time

~ Kristin ~ Leave a comment

Daylight Savings Time.  Ahhhh, gotta love it.

I remember when the kids were little, daylight savings time just made me angry.  My kids woke up at the same time as every other day; they didn’t get the memo.  They always woke up around 6:00am, so DST just meant 5:00am.  I once packed all the little ones in the car first thing in the morning, drove to Target, and bought alarm clocks.  These clocks were not to wake them up in the morning.  No, these clocks were to be set at 6:30am — the time when they were allowed to get out of bed.  Until the alarm went off, they were to stay put.

We stayed up a little later last night watching the final moments of a football game, so, in the absence of little ones, we enjoyed the luxury of sleeping that extra hour this morning.  I knew we had pushed it a little too far when I felt a wet nose pressing into my face.  Oh, yeah, we still have Chester.  He hung in there like a champ, but his bladder would hold no longer!

I’ve noticed that in Michigan darkness lasts a little longer than it does in Missouri.  The sun comes up a little later and goes down a little earlier.  I am sure someone could explain the science of this to me, but really I just see it as an invitation to sleep longer.  If the good Lord wanted me out of bed, he would turn on the lights, right?

Now, don’t worry.  I don’t actually sleep the whole time it is dark outside.  Even I can’t sleep that long! And what do we need to save the daylight for anyway?  Doesn’t everyone have electricity?

When I finally crawled out of bed this morning, I was greeted by a beautiful fall day.  It’s chilly, to be sure, but absolutely beautiful. The daylight, knowing that it has just been rescued, is beaming down casting shadows on our lawn.  The leaves are mostly off the trees, so from my perch here in the office, I can actually see the river, not just imagine it.  A pudgy little squirrel is outside my window eating every last acorn he can find. He’s taking advantage of the daylight.  Maybe he knows what is coming.

But I don’t want to talk about that.  Nope.  I am going to blissfully enjoy the beautiful fall day! I am full on that extra hour of sleep and headed out to an hour or more of worship.

Ahh….gotta love Daylight Savings Time.

Psalm 118:24

This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Worry?

~ Kristin ~ Leave a comment

So for the past couple of days I have been a little worried.  We had some expenses surface that were unexpected and the finances started to look, to me, a bit scary.  I may have uttered the words, “if I just got a full-time job, this would not be a big deal.”  As if in response to those words, I was plunked down on the couch with the most demanding aches I have had in quite a while.  I literally had to rest.

A still small voice was uttering:  Hey, little girl, I’ve got this.  You are not in charge.  I think I can handle your finances.  

Wait, what?  I don’t think I heard that.  Let me worry and grump around the house for a couple of days.  And I did.

Then, I opened my Bible study this morning.  I have to be honest and tell you that I haven’t done my regular Bible study in three days.  You see, our group got a little behind in our study, so we have altered our pace.  It is no longer necessary for me to do my homework every day.  So, I let it sit for a few days.  Should I make it very clear here that my few days of worrying coincide with my few days of not doing my regular Bible study?

I know, I know, it is not a magical formula.  But we are what we eat, you know?  If I take in the Word of God, it tends to center me on truth.  If I fail to take in the Word of God, the other ‘stuff’ in life tends to overwhelm me, crowding out the truth.  I start to feel like I have to carry all my problems on my own.

Anyway, I opened my Bible study this morning.  The whole point of the study was prayer — taking concerns to our Dad because He delights in giving us all good things.

More than usual, the study required that I look up verse after verse to make the point.  Luke 11:13 — the heavenly Father gives things to His children, Ephesians 1:3 — He has already blessed us with every spiritual blessing, 2 Peter 1:3 — His power has granted to us all things, and 2 Corinthians 9:8 — God is able to do this.  Now, I know this Bible study was published in 2014, but it wasn’t published this morning.  Yet God assembled this study to be just what I needed to see this morning. Because He knew where I would be in my thoughts this morning.  Because He knit me together in my mother’s womb.  And He knew about the expenses that, to us, were unexpected.  So, He probably has a plan for how they are going to work out.

Yup.  Schooled again.

Was it just yesterday that I wrote about the three time periods — now, a little while, and when Jesus is revealed?  Wasn’t I talking about how I was going to live my life for the little while I have until Jesus is revealed?  Do I want to spend it worrying?  Or do I want to climb up onto my Dad’s lap, tell Him the situation, and let Him reassure me: Hey, little girl, I’ve got this.  You are not in charge.  I think I can handle your finances.  

Yeah, that one.

Do not be afraid, little flock, because your Father delights to give you the kingdom.

Luke 12:32