Sensible Shoes

Do you remember going "school shopping" when you were a child? It was always exciting for me! We didn't have a lot of money, but we always got a new notebook, fresh notebook paper, a box of pencils and a pencil case. We also got to get a couple of new outfits and a new pair of shoes. I loved school shopping day!

When it came time to pick out a pair of shoes, we always had to choose the "sensible" ones...the ones that would last the longest. Often, they were just a tad big, to allow for "room to grow." Now, I must say, the choices of school shoes in the 60's simply did not compare to the choices children have these days. The popular shoes for girls were saddle oxfords, penny loafers, and mary janes. I don't really remember much about most of the shoes I wore in elementary school, but I know they were "sensible." I do, however, remember a pair of shoes I got to get when I was in the sixth grade.

I can remember sitting in the shoe department looking at the Buster Brown image over a selection of shoes while my mother was getting shoes for my sister and my brother. My eyes were drawn to the most beautiful, soft gold leather slip-ons with a little laced bow at the toes. They even had a little, flat heel. They definitely WERE NOT sensible. But they were BEAUTIFUL! I could almost imagine myself wearing them walking to the bus stop and to my classes. Oh the outfits I could wear with those shoes! I picked them up and held them as if they were magic shoes.

Of course, my mother came over to me and saw me holding the shoes. I showed them to her and sang all sorts of praises about the shoes and how they were PERFECT for me. She said they weren't sensible and that I needed a sensible pair of shoes. She must have seen the look on my face, and in that moment, I believe, my mother must have remembered what it was like to be a young girl and really want a pair of beautiful shoes but knowing you would only ever be able to have the sensible ones. My mother bought those soft leather gold slip-on shoes for me that day. I have never forgotten it. Sensible shoes made sense, but my mother seemed to know that I needed a pair of beautiful, magic shoes. Shoes that made life fun, shoes that made you want to skip on your way to school, even if you were 11 years old, now, and shouldn't be skipping anymore.

Life is a lot like wearing sensible shoes. We work, we come home, we eat dinner, we pay bills, we do the things expected of us. We do the things we know we need to do. The sensible things. Sometimes, though, we need to do the unexpected. Sometimes, we need to break from the routine and put on our fun shoes and do something completely NOT sensible, something unexpected, something magical.

Yes, there is a time for sensible shoes, but there is a need for magical, fun shoes, too. If you have spent your whole life only wearing sensible shoes, you need to go find the most magical, wonderful, amazing, unsensible shoes you can find. Put them on and wear them.  Don't leave them on the shelf. They will make your heart sing and you will feel alive! You might even find out that those are the shoes you should have been wearing all along!

Happy shoe shopping!

"Easy Out"

Growing up I was never athletic, nor did I have any athletic talent outside of jump ropes and hoolahoops. I dreaded recess on the days we would play team sports, like kickball. I knew that I would be picked last to be on a team. When it was my turn to be "up," the opposing team would always say "Easy Out! Everybody move in closer!" The truth was even though I would try very hard and would believe that "this time I could do it," I would only kick the ball a mere few feet and would be tagged out immediately. It was disheartening.

Fast forward to adult life. The company I work for decided that it would be good for our health to join a sports team made up of coworkers. The teams would play each other for fun. My coworkers decided to form a kickball team and asked if I wanted to be on the team. I know what you're thinking..."Hey, at least you weren't picked last." True, but I knew my athletic skills had not gotten better with age, so I declined. I could cheer them on, but I wouldn't play.

You see, I had learned some valuable lessons growing up.  Each person needs to find their own "team" to play on. They need to find where their talents are and "play" in that arena. I knew I could not play kickball well and knew I wouldn't enjoy it if I tried. (I did enjoy watching them play, though!)

I learned, growing up, that I really liked school and learning, liked reading, liked playing the guitar, and liked singing. While in school, I joined the clubs I was interested in and I joined the chorus. As an adult, I have sought out similar interests. I was involved in Music Ministry for 35 years. I have also continued to learn by taking different classes along the way.

One of the most important lessons I learned, growing up, is that I am not defined by "what I can't do," I am defined by "what I can and what I want to do."

What about you? Are you stuck back in your own "Easy Out" situation, focusing on what you can't do? Choose a new team to play on and find the things you can do and like to do. The next time you're "up," you'll kick a home run!

"It was then that I carried you..."

Have you ever gone through a difficult time in your life where you were worried, stressed or filled with fear of the unknown? Did it feel like you were all alone in your darkest time? Are you going through one right now? Life is not easy, nor is it fair. Losing a loved one, going through a divorce, having a sick family member, watching a child make wrong choices, financial difficulties...sometimes the things we are going through make us feel hopeless and alone.

It might feel that way, but we are not. The thing is, when we are in the "midst of the maelstrom" it is very difficult to see anything other than the situation. Depending upon the severity of the circumstances, we may, truly, only be able to focus on that situation. (And, sometimes, that is what we need to do). But we are not hopeless. And we are not alone.

There is one who came to give us hope, one who will always be there for us, one who will walk through the "maelstroms" of life with us. His name is Jesus. He came not only to bridge our way to the Father through His sacrifice on the cross, He came to be with us...each and every day...in good times and in bad.

I have been through times in my life where I could not see the light through the darkness. Where, although I believed in Jesus, it was hard for me to see hope. I would pray as I went through it. I would cry out for help. Although I couldn't see the light or feel the light, deep down I knew He was there. When I looked back, after coming to the other side of the darkness, I could clearly see that He was with me the whole time. I knew I could never have made it through on my own.

I have a necklace with a "Footprints" charm on it. I've had it for many years. The charm is worn from all the years I've held it between my fingers when going through a difficult time. The charm has footprints on the front and an excerpt of the Footprints poem on the back. It says, "When you saw only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you."

The Footprints poem is about a man who had a dream that he was walking along the sand with Jesus while scenes from his life flashed across the sky. For awhile, there were two sets of footprints, side by side. When it seemed that there was only one set of footprints during the hardest times of his life, he asked Jesus, "Why when I needed you most, were you not with me?" And Jesus replied, "My son, during those hard times, it was then that I carried you."

There is a verse in the Old Testament that comforts me. It is Isaiah 43:2: When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned.


We will go through some of the most difficult things in this life, but we do not go through them alone. In Isaiah 41:10, God says, "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."

If you are going through something hard right now, I pray that you will reach out to the One who will walk beside you, who will carry you through it.  He is hope. You are not alone. He will not leave you. You are not alone.

I am including a link to Kari Jobe's song, I Am Not Alone. Please listen to the words, and be encouraged.

Hypocrites in Church? That's Where They're Supposed to Be!

I can't tell you how many times I've heard the phrase, "I don't go to church...too many hypocrites!" A thought occurred to me the other day...of course there are hypocrites in church...that's where they need to be!"

According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, a hypocrite is "a person who claims or pretends to have certain beliefs about what is right but who behaves in a way that disagrees with those beliefs." In a nutshell, if you are a Christian and your "walk" doesn't match your "talk", you are a hypocrite.

I don't know about you, but I fit in that category from time to time. My "walk" doesn't always match what I say I believe in. I can try to live a life that shines what I believe in, but, inevitably, I'm going to mess up and do or say something that is contrary to that. Guess what...so will you. We are all imperfect, we will all make mistakes.  In Romans 3:23, it says, "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." That is why we need a Savior. (John 3:16-17)

The thing is, most people are hypocrites at some point in their lives. Some on a daily basis. Whether or not you believe in God, you believe in something and when your "walk" doesn't match your "talk," you are a hypocrite. Most people believe in right and wrong, for example, and many are very vocal about it. Yet, those same people will also make wrong choices or do or say the wrong thing. That is just our human nature.

When you become a Christian, though, you are asking Jesus into your heart and into your life and asking for help to become a better person (more like Jesus), and to live life "better." Too many people think that once you become a Christian, you should no longer make mistakes. Nothing could be farther from the truth. On the contrary, you WILL make mistakes. The difference is you have someone to go to for forgiveness and for help in trying to "do" better.

Are there people in church who live their lives as a constant contradiction to their beliefs? Yes, unfortunately, there are. Church is filled with imperfect people. Most are truly trying to live better lives and make a difference.

Being a Christian isn't about living life "perfectly." If it were, we wouldn't have needed Jesus. In Mark 2:16-17, after the Pharisees (teachers of the law) saw Jesus eating with the Tax Collectors and other sinners, they questioned his disciples about it, thinking he shouldn't be "hanging around with sinners." Jesus told them "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I have not come to call the righteous, but the sinners."

You see, he knew we would mess up. That's why he came.

That is comforting to me. When I know that I've messed up my "walk" in some way and said or done something that definitely doesn't match "my talk," I can go to the one who understands and ask for forgiveness and for wisdom in how to do it better the next time.

Me a hypocrite? Yes, from time to time. Am I forgiven? Yes! Can I get help to "walk" a better walk? Yes!  How about you? Do you need help in "walking your talk?" Ask Jesus into your heart, today. He's really good at "walking" and "talking."

...and if someone tells you they don't go to church, because it is filled with hypocrites...invite them to come with you! They might just fit in!

What Label Do You Wear?

Our world today is full of labels. Labels on the clothes we wear (designer or not); labels on the food we eat (fat-free, sugar-free, organic); and labels on the cars we drive ("sporty," "mommy-van," "green"). We even have labels for each other: Tall, short, fat, thin, cool, nerd, friendly, hermit, lazy, workaholic, etc. Sometimes the labels are complimentary, such as "she's such a caring person." Most of the time, however, the labels are negative.

The negative "label" can come from anywhere. Sometimes it's society or the media that defines and places the labels. While this, in itself, can be a bad thing, I believe it is far less harmful than the "label" that is given to us by a loved one or given to us, by ourselves. It's a lot easier to "shake off" a label given by someone who doesn't know and love us, than it is to free ourselves from a negative label given by a loved one. We tend to believe it when a loved one labels us, even if it wasn't true. And worse, it may not have been true, but we might even "grow into it." If you tell a child that he is "worthless," he may grow up thinking he is. We even "label" our own selves with labels like "unloveable," "beyond hope," "ugly," or "not good enough."

The truth is, though, we are not what society, a loved-one, or ourselves label us, we are so much more.

We were created by God to be much more than any earthly label that tries to define us. He created us with specific gifts, talents, and personalities that are unique to us, and no one else. Even identical twins are unique, in their own way. We were created for a greater purpose, to use our unique talents and personalities, to be a blessing and to be blessed. (Read 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 1:4-5; Ephesians 2:10; Psalm 139:13-18).

What label(s) are you wearing today? Maybe it's time to remove that label. Maybe it's time to "put on" the label that was made for you by the One who created you. You are so much more than what others, or even, yourself, think. Maybe it's time you choose His label...the Master "Designer's" label. Wear it well, you are one-of-a-kind!

Doormat, Doormat, Doormat...Door Closed!

I like to find doormats that either match the season or my current home decor. My last doormat had a beach theme, light blues and browns with "Welcome" in the middle. I really liked that doormat. Unfortunately, with all the rain and mud tracking over it, it was time to replace it. I found one for "in-between" that will do, but I'm looking for something I'll really like.

A doormat can say a lot. A "Welcome" doormat can say that you really do welcome guests into your home. A seasonal doormat, can say that you like to celebrate and embrace the seasons. A brand-new doormat can say that it's your first "home" and you're excited about it! 

I think we can be a lot like doormats. If we're the type of person who really enjoys meeting and speaking with people, we really "have the welcome mat out." If we're the type of person who doesn't really want to engage with others, whether for a time period...or ever, we won't "have the welcome mat out."

Sometimes, though, we leave the Welcome mat out when we shouldn't. There can be people in our lives who take advantage of, use, or abuse us...if we let them. These people will keep walking right over our welcome mats, over and over again, wearing it out, tracking all kinds of mud and dirt into our lives. We don't need to make these people feel "welcome." As a matter of fact, we need to remove the Welcome mat and keep the door closed to these types of people. They can try to knock, but they shouldn't be allowed in. Eventually, most of them get the "you're not welcome" message and go away.

Life is too precious to allow anyone to take advantage of us, use us or abuse us. To these people, I say,  "Doormat, doormat, doormat...door closed!" 

Now, on to find that "just right" doormat...

The Junk Drawer

Everyone has a junk drawer. It's usually overflowing with a bunch of things we think we might need someday, things we haven't found a place for, or things that are important but we can't remember why. Sometimes the junk drawer is so full that we have trouble even opening or closing it. Have you ever tried to find something in your junk drawer? It's like going back in time. You can find gadgets, missing pieces, old pens, etc., that you've had for YEARS. 

I recently found myself in a scavenger hunt to find something I was sure was in my junk drawer. Of course, it wasn't. I started looking at the items in the drawer. An old flip switch, a dried out marker, old batteries, varying "missing" pieces, tools, scissors, tape, rubber bands, twist-ties, and some old keys. I decided, that day, to do a "Junk Drawer Makeover." I took everything out of the drawer and looked at each item. If it was something I really did need, I found a more appropriate place for it, such as tools going in the tool chest. If it was something I didn't need, I threw it out. If it was a piece to something that I couldn't remember what it was for, I threw that out too. If I didn't need it all these years, I certainly didn't need it now. Surprisingly, I had very little left to keep. I wiped the drawer clean and lined it with shelf liner. I even bought a couple of drawer organizers to fit the remaining items in. What a difference it made! I could even open and close the drawer with ease!

If you're like me, you also have a personal junk drawer. This is the junk drawer where we tuck things away, like past hurts or memories, that we don't know what to do with and tell ourselves that we will "deal with them later." Sometimes we put things in the junk drawer we wish would just disappear. The trouble with a junk drawer, though, is it just gets more and more cluttered. Things don't disappear, they just pile up.

Maybe it's time we really look at what's in our personal "junk drawer" and see if there are some things that we could get rid of so we don't "carry" them around anymore. Sometimes it helps to really take a look at those things. We might see something that might have been important a long time ago, but isn't anymore. We might see something that when we take it out and look at it, we might be surprised we're still hanging onto it. We also might see some things that still hurt us, that we don't know if we're ready to discard. It's alright to keep some things in your junk drawer...for a specific period of time. You might need to make a plan to look at those items again so your drawer doesn't start getting cluttered again.

I don't know about you, but when I've taken the time to really look at the clutter in the junk drawers of my life and clean things out, it gives me a brighter outlook on life. I'm no longer hanging onto things I don't need. I have to make room for all the new things and experiences yet to come!

What about you? Do you need to do a "Junk Drawer Makeover" today?