Avoid a Withering Spirit

“While you were at the mall. . .she was playing softball – she stole on you!”

“We love softball, yes we do, we love softball, how ‘bout you?”

“9er, 9er, hit a line driver.”

“Ball in the, ball in the dirt. . .yeah, she can make it work, yeah, she can make it work.”

Any softball parent can relate right now.  A weekend filled with games leaves a parent singing these jingles throughout the work week.  The girls behind the jingles reveal their passion for the game inning after inning.  Their focus remains on the diamond.  Their ears perk to the coach’s voice.  Their eyes hone in on each sign given with each play. 

I absolutely LOVE watching my children perform in sports.  Not for reasons of pride or to gloat (though these kids are awesome at what they do), or to gain another piece of hardware to dust in my home.  But, I love watching because I see the passion each holds for the sport.  I see the joy it brings when they step up to begin a game or competition.  I smile when teamwork shines out of their little hearts. 

Engaging in activities that gear our passions provides character building that cannot be taught in a book.  We learn from a young age how to lose, the feeling accompanying a win.  We learn how to manage time, socialize, the benefits of hard work, the joys of play, necessity of rest and value of dedication.

The jingles above fill the soul of a player.  The player knows full well that a team works alongside to compete to their best ability during the game/competition.  They are not alone. 

The cheers from the stands confirm love for each player no matter the results of the game/competition. 

The coach/leader encourages, teaches and builds the player to face each battle.

Whether my son brings home hardware from a competition or not, my love never changes.  Whether my daughter scores in a game, gets an out or not, my love never changes.  They are loved for the person revealed from the heart.  Will I work on developing a better player/performer?  Yes.  Will I give my two cents on their performance?  Yes.  BUT, not without loving them every step of the way.

This world can be cold, bitter and downright ugly.  Our worth ranked solely on performance.  Our acceptance based solely on outward appearance.  The world can break us, destroy passion and kill joy.  We get caught up in the world and stumble off the path laid for our lives. 

Ponder the joy felt while watching a child give their all during a game/competition.  Meditate on the actions each child performs.  Learn from these moments. . .

While the years pass by, we begin to age physically.  The body begins slowing down in every aspect physically.  If we throw caution to the wind, our spirit will begin to wither.  We must remain focused on the path God prepared, perk our ears to the Coach’s Voice and keep eyes honed in on the presence of God each day.

Burn with passion for our God, Creator and Father in Heaven.  He holds Truth required to live here in this world.  His Truths fill our soul, confirming that He walks alongside us in this world.  We are not alone.

The loved ones He places in your path confirm the love He holds for each of us.  He desires joy, peace and comfort in this cold world.  He is the Light that outshines the darkness.  He is the Way that provides clarity amongst the ugly actions in this world.  He encourages, teaches and walks alongside to build strength to face daily battles. 

His love never fails.  He never gives up on us.  He always desires a relationship. 

¹ In you, Lord my God,
    I put my trust.

² I trust in you;
    do not let me be put to shame,
    nor let my enemies triumph over me.
³ No one who hopes in you
    will ever be put to shame,
but shame will come on those
    who are treacherous without cause.

⁴ Show me your ways, Lord,
    teach me your paths.
⁵ Guide me in your truth and teach me,
    for you are God my Savior,
    and my hope is in you all day long.  Psalm 25:1-5

   

Live life. . .One Day at a time! 

Sheree Craig  

Take a Time-Out

Because, when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing. . .

These words hang on the wall in our home which I have the privilege of staring at many hours of the day.  Due to my current condition, I sit and recite the words, passing the time of the day until someone returns.  I quickly change the thoughts of despair, disappointment and depression into positive by simply reciting and remembering this life is amazing!

Prior to a recent surgery, the daily schedule refused any “down” time.  Working in a fast-paced career kept my feet moving continuously for 12-14 hours.  Coming home to tidy up, put supper on the table and get all to bed left no room to relax.  We ran at this pace for months before I realized the craziness.  We had to work.  We had to maintain the house.  We had to complete basic life skills.  But, there had to be a way to weave peace into the madness. 

As we completed a churchwide journey revealing the obsessions that stole a relationship with God, my eyes opened wide to the problem.  It was not the jammed packed schedules.  It was not the hours required to complete life skills.  It was not chores done to keep up our home.  It was obsessions!  My obsessions took up way too much time in life.  I ran to these when life overwhelmed (which was like Every. Single. Day.).  The time spent fulfilling obsessions stole “down” time.  The energy wasted on filling the void every day with obsessions stole “relaxation” right out from under me. 

Ironically enough, a recent surgery knocked me down quite a few notches.  I am restricted to any movement beyond walking with crutches.  I cannot even bend over to put on socks/shoes or clean my feet.  And shaving remains out of the question!  Enter 24/7 down time and obsessions taken away cold turkey.  I believe God will not take me into a chapter of life without providing the strength to get through; but, some days sitting inside the four walls of home watching the paint crack, I feel incapable of this chapter. 

Sit.  Ice.  Eat.  Walk a few steps.  Repeat.  For days on end, this is my schedule.  The plans of each day trigger eating disorder thinking.  I sit and think.  Then, I sit and think some more.  As I venture down the old rugged path, God steps in and redirects.  God remains busy because redirection occurs often throughout the day.  One redirection that works every time is reading the above words hanging on the wall I stare at every day. 

Pulling me from the pit of negativity, shutting down the pity party, these words remind me of the blessings surrounding every moment in this life.  Thank God for two legs to walk the path He planned for me.  Thank God for two healthy kids returning to me every day with stories to brighten my day.  Thank God for the husband who sacrifices and shaves my legs, cleans my feet and helps me get dressed.  Thank God for family that care enough to send love, pray for me, drive me to appointments and help without hesitation. 

Because, when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing. . .

The list goes on and on and on.  God provides life sustaining blessings every day.  The obsessions I ran toward provide temporary survival.  The obsessions leave me empty.  God desires more for our lives than temporary fill-ups.  God wants us to help in building His Kingdom.  God wants us to enjoy the works written in our chapters.  He wants us to be obsessed with our story – written by Him.  He does not need us. . .He wants us!  Major difference.     

He wants us to keep eyes on this pretty amazing life given daily.  This life given to each of us holds a mighty purpose.  Let’s not waste a moment of it.  Let’s keep our focus on the prize waiting after this life ceases.  The trials and tribulations only build our faith.  Believe in God to see you through and your faith will increase on the other side.  God provided this time-out in my story.  He wants me to spend time with Him and listen. . . 

¹⁶ All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, ¹⁷ so that the servant of God^[a]may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.  2 Timothy 3:16-20

Will you take a time-out today and listen?  You will be amazed at what He reveals in your story. 

Because, when you stop and look around, this life is pretty amazing. . .

Live life. . .One Day at a time! 

Sheree Craig  

The Day I Broke

Humble:  having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience (adj.); to destroy the independence, power or will of (verb)!

There should be a class before surgery to teach humility.  Humility weaves into every aspect of surgery.  Prior to surgery, all routine medications/supplements and lifestyle choices stripped away.  During surgery, no control exists and crazy things occur to the body.  Post-surgery, the basic skills in life cannot be attained without assistance from others (not even going to the restroom).

I faced such humility the moment the surgeon presented the choice:  continue living as such until you no longer can use the right hip, OR, have a total hip replacement now.  The hip replacement remained inevitable; it was a matter of when.  I chose surgery now due to life already being hindered by less than 100% use of right hip.  That moment of decision broke me.  Fear struck every fiber in my body. 

Humility cannot be found in my vocabulary.  With humility in the way, I could not survive.  I chose years ago to depend on me to get things done, survive this world and figure out every detail of a situation.  I did not want to burden another or rely on another for survival.  I kept to myself and assured that I did not ‘need’ anyone in this world. 

Therefore, the moment I realized I would be helpless, relying on others to get through and needing support; I broke.  How can I get through without being able to get everything on my to do list done?  How can I ask another to care for me when they are busy themselves?  How can I give total control over to some surgeon I just met?  What does life look like without going nonstop to fix everything?  How can I give up my routine?

The overwhelming anxiety took lots of prayers, quiet time with God and venting to my husband.  By the time surgery arrived, God already began the process of picking up the pieces and rebuilding a stronger Sheree.  He began with humility.  He revealed the pedestal I stood on in life.  He knocked the pedestal out from beneath.  The ‘things’ in this world I feared incapable of completing post-surgery were the very things that kept me from truly loving the most important people in life.  He revealed the effort put forth to be “perfect” shattered my spirit, leaving me empty and exhausted.  He revealed the distance placed between Him and I due to fear of failure in this world. 

Though a storm brewed ahead, I knew full well that it packed a mighty purpose in my story.  God’s plans reveal a mighty purpose for you and me.  In this storm, I will take time to discover how to love from my heart and not my hands.  The works provided to my family cannot reveal the love I feel in my heart.  I love them, cherish their presence and long for time spent making memories; yet, I get caught up in doing ‘things’ for them and expecting appreciation in return.  I feel they need me only to fulfill the works done around the home.  Lie #1 the devil uses to fill me with fear and place a wedge between my heart and the Cross.   

In this storm, I will take time to discover how to change the goal from perfectionism to purpose.  Daily, God holds a purpose for you and me.  Perfection gets in the way of purpose.  I feel I need to be perfect to be accepted and loved.  Lie #2 the devil uses to fill me with condemnation/shame and place a wedge between my heart and the Cross.

In this storm, I will take time to discover the steps required to strengthen my relationship and reliance on God rather than this world.  God desires to walk alongside you and I daily.  God sacrificed His Only Son to have a relationship with you and me.  He loves me!  He loves you!  I feel I got this!  I feel that God has bigger problems to fix.  God has others to worry about.  My little day to day concerns are stupid.  My mountains to climb seem like a minor hill to God.  Lie #3 the devil uses to fill me with fear and place a wedge between my heart and the Cross.

Today, I pray for God to send His Holy Spirit and overpower the lies lingering in my thoughts.  Today, God will begin to erase the lies remaining in the pages of my story and begin writing Truth. Today, God will set me free from me!  Today, I run to the cross in humility, broken, ready to be put back together in His Timing. 

Join me in prayer today. . .

 ⁹ “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
¹⁰ your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
¹¹ Give us today our daily bread.
¹² And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
¹³ And lead us not into temptation,^[a]
    but deliver us from the evil one.^[b]’  Matthew 6:9-13

⁸ “For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
    neither are your ways my ways,”
declares the Lord.
⁹ “As the heavens are higher than the earth,
    so are my ways higher than your ways
    and my thoughts than your thoughts.
¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.  Isaiah 55:8-11

Live life. . .One Day at a time! 

Sheree Craig  

Where are you Headed?

A line from a movie eluded to the idea that your heart indicates the path ahead and your face reveals the path already walked. 

You cannot judge a book by the cover.  Glancing through the plethora of books sitting within the walls of a library, how would you choose?  Would you search for that one a friend mentioned in conversation the other day?  Would you seek out a specific genre?  Would you choose randomly?

Most choose a book or movie by glancing over the front cover and reading the summary on the back cover.  The front cover rarely supplies enough detail to comprehend the structure of a story.  Each story captures the heart of the reader with a beginning that sets the scene.  Moving forward, the reader digs into the rising action running full force toward the climax.  Once the climax is read, the reader cannot put the story down for the desire to know the outcome is too strong. 

You cannot judge an individual by their face.  Glancing through the plethora of people in this world, how do you choose?  The most popular?  A specific category of individuals?  Randomly?

Most choose individuals that look, act and/or believe like them.  But, the fault comes when we first seek out the front cover before learning more about the individual.  The front cover, or face, speaks volumes to the story within an individual.  Society works to negate anything less than perfect.  The anchor placed by society with which we use to judge comes in an airbrushed form.  Using such anchor, we miss out on relationships, love, spiritual maturity and joy.  We miss out on a good story that would build our character and impact the chapters within our own. 

You cannot judge an individual by their summary.   Glancing through the newspaper, Facebook, Instagram and any other social media source, how do you choose?  The one with the most likes?  A specific group?  Randomly?

Most conform to the drama found in social media.  We all love a good story, right?  We admire pictures with captions explaining the greatness of a family or individual.  The trap of comparison kills.  A true summary of an individual (the one not blasted on social media) helps to explain the person behind the face.  Society weaves into the summary, editing anything less than perfect.  We hide, bury and distort our summary to fit in this world.  All the while, missing out on our purpose, lasting relationships, love and joy.  We shorten our story and fail to build up unique chapters to reveal our true self. 

⁷ But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart.”  1 Samuel 16:7  

Your Heart!  That is it!  True friendship can be found in the heart of another.  A definition found online for the heart - the central or innermost part of something.  The innermost part of you and me. . .the heart, the spirit, the thoughts/emotions, the driving factor for our lives. 

¹³For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb.  ¹⁴ I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.  Psalm 139: 13-14

Our innermost part, He created.  He created our innermost being beautifully, wonderfully for all the world to experience His greatness.  He loves you and He loves me enough to carefully touch every fiber of our being, lacking nothing. . .EXCEPT. . .

Him!  He left one area open for us to choose.  He does not want to dictate or force a relationship.  He wants to hold us in Heaven by our choosing.  He wants our heart to reveal where we are headed by accepting, believing and confessing.  Accept Him as Lord and Savior.  Believe He is our Creator and Lord.  Confess to the world His Truth.  Live from your heart.  Look past the cover and summary of others.  Learn another’s true story.

Live life. . .One Day at a time! 

Sheree Craig  

Pssst. . .Watch Out for the Phony

Fear is a Liar, by: Zach Williams.  Every lyric speaks loudly to my thoughts.  The chorus captivates my situation, bringing clarity to the struggle. 

Fear – he will take your breath.

Ever had a panic attack?  Oh, you would know if one occurred.   These attacks literally take every breath and multiply it by five.  Heavy breathing, intense emotion, overwhelming hot flash and spinning environment.  The only thought running through the mind is the one planted by fear.  When I stand face to face with the liar, I panic.  Suffocation comes and I see no escape.

Fear – he stops you in your steps.

When the liar enters the situation, I freeze.  I enter the “what if” zone and push away reality.  I stand frozen on the path in life.  What if I step forward?  The situation ahead looks scary, overwhelming and I just don’t want to walk through a storm again.  I will play it safe and remain standing in fear. 

Fear – he robs your rest.

Captivating every thought, the liar won’t quit until he wins.  The physical body could be exhausted; but, the mind cannot rest.  The liar shows up in my dreams, wakes me throughout the night and then eventually leads to me throwing in the towel and beginning another day earlier than desired. 

Fear – he steals your happiness.

The liar wants nothing more than misery to lead me away from God.  God will not bring chaos, misery, pain, worry or hatred to your thoughts.  God is peace, love, comfort, healing and forgiveness.  When I allow the liar into the situation, a fog enters in that moment, blinding me of Truth.  I lose happiness in that moment.  I miss out on a good memory in that moment.  I surrender my moment, one by one, to the liar. 

Fear entered the scene at birth.  I feared being alone as a child.  I feared other’s opinions in this world upon entering the school years.  I feared failure.  I feared the dark.  The liar was present from the get go. 

Over the years the fears changed and conformed within each chapter.  The liar remains. . .

The difference now?  Fear lingers around every corner; but, my God promised to calm the situation.  My God promised to love over fear.  My God promised to comfort, to heal and forgive when I let fear dictate decisions. 

I realized Who provides the breath of life!  ⁷ Then the Lord God formed a man^[a] from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.  Genesis 2:7

I realized Who prepares the way for each step taken in faith.  ⁵ Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; ⁶ in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.  Proverbs 3:5-6

I realized Who offers peace, allowing rest unlike anything this world can provide.  ²⁷ Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  John 14:27

I realized Who allows joy to overflow even in the toughest of storms.  ¹¹ You make known to me the path of life; you will fill me with joy in your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.  Psalm 16:11 

Does fear still enter the scene and throw lies my way?  Of course; but, I grab God’s Hand a bit tighter when the lies creep in and replace each one with Truth.  Some situations take a whole lot more Truth spoken before fear loses; yet, some situations fear cannot even touch due to the Truth that killed the lie over the years. 

FEAR – HE IS A LIAR!  Cast your fear, lay it at the Cross, take God’s Hand and let Him speak Truth into your mind.  This world wants to tear us down, let us walk this journey together building one another up and redirecting each other toward God in every situation.

Live life. . .One Day at a time! 

Sheree Craig  

Slow Down and Walk

Our church recently completed a journey.  The journey, though short-lived, left lasting impact.  God presented this journey in a timely manner within my story.  A climax moment woven into an unexpected chapter in my story. 

Obsess: to dominate or preoccupy the thoughts, feelings, or desires; to think about something unceasingly! 

The journey titled Obsessed walked us through various questions and promptings to discover what dominates our thoughts.  What desires overtake each decision?  What feelings dictate each step? 

The preacher honed in on three ‘C’ words to categorize common obsessions among individuals; Comparison, Control and Comfort.  Once completing a collaboration of questions, the answers placed you in a category.  To no surprise, mine fell in Comfort.

Comfort: to soothe, console, or reassure; a state of ease and satisfaction of bodily wants, with freedom from pain and anxiety!

The problem does not exist in being comforted; but, it is the source of the comfort that becomes the issue.  Where do I run when emotions rise and times get tough?  How do I handle uncomfortable situations? 

Over the years, I used any available source in this world to find comfort, numb out, avoid emotion and run from pain.  Whatever the source, it brought comfort. . .temporarily.  I continued this roller coaster for years.  I hit rock bottom and fell in exhaustion of running after comfort.  I came to the realization that comfort was not something to run after; but Comfort was something to embrace.  I found a Source that extended comfort in ALL situations, walking me through rather than taking me away from this life.  Through prayer and faith, I began to find comfort in a lasting Source. 

Step by step on this new path, I grew in strength.  Life didn’t hurt as much anymore.  People did not control my reactions as much anymore.  But, through this recent journey, God revealed a portion in life that I still run after comfort.  In the literal sense. . .I run after comfort.  I run until life makes sense again.  I run until all emotion is left in the dust.  I run and run and run until I feel good about me and strong enough to handle the hurts in this world.  All the while I am running, God is trying to speak louder than the pounding on the pavement.  I hear Him from time to time; but, unceasing thoughts of exercise and remaining “good enough” for this world overpower Him. 

See, I equate my worth with my health.  Why?  Because, over the years all the compliments from others revolve around my discipline to exercise and eat “healthy” foods.  Others even desire to sit and hold conversations pertaining to health and wellness.  Others desire to hear the knowledge I gained through obsessing over food, exercise and balancing the two.  Others desire to be in my presence based on my level of health. 

In the beginning, I used the balance of food and exercise to become healthy and recover from my eating disorder.  But, over time, I simply replaced restriction with “healthy” living.  Obsessed for sure!  Mind blowing information here, I know right?  I knew the obsession existed; I just did not want to face it.  I convinced myself it is okay and I must keep exercising to maintain and be worthy of existence.

This ends NOW!  I made my mind up during the journey to stop this madness. I took steps along the way to eliminate tools that allowed this obsession to continue each day.  I opened up to others and spoke of such obsession.  I brought it to God.  I said No More!  

Ironic enough, shortly after the last sermon in this series, I received information that will force such obsession to be eliminated from my story.  I will soon have a surgery that will knock the whole exercising down a notch or two.  I will be receiving a hip replacement, forcing me to give up running.  I must now slow down and walk through life. 

Walking through this life will not happen alone.  I am slowing down, taking God’s hand and walking with Him.  Instead of running ahead and away, I will walk alongside and be comforted by the One leading me through.

What is your obsession?  What dominates your thoughts everyday?  Walk with me in this journey called life and allow His Truth to overpower obsession in this world.       

With love my dear friends. . .

Live life. . .One Day at a time! 

Sheree Craig  

The Name Above All

When complaints enter – Jesus

When comparison saturates – Jesus

When conflict destroys – Jesus

“What a beautiful Name it is
What a beautiful Name it is
The Name of Jesus Christ my King

What a beautiful Name it is
Nothing compares to this”

Complaints enter the minds of every human being.  Complaints manipulate the thoughts of human beings.  Complaints place a wedge between human beings and the Cross. 

Comparison saturates the minds of every human being.  Comparison takes over as judge of all scenarios a human being experiences.  Comparison creates a barrier between human beings and the Cross.

Conflict destroys relationships among human beings.  Conflict brings with it pride.  Pride blinds human beings from seeing the Cross.

Guilty on three accounts.  I visit the complaint department the moment I come home.  I hold everything in all day long and spew it out to my husband when returning home.  Nothing good comes from complaining.  I do not feel any better about a situation and no problem can be fixed by speaking concerns behind closed doors at home.  It is easier to complain than to figure out a solution and present it to the involved parties. 

Comparison runs rampant in my mind daily.   With each comparison, I become smaller and smaller.  Walking around buried in feelings of inferiority exhausts.  These feelings lead to a loss of worth in this world.  Our culture drives comparison to deem worth within the confines of this world. 

Conflict holds a different power than the latter two mentioned.  I run from conflict.  Conflict, when handled with pride, destroys relationships.  I fear rejection; therefore, I avoid conflict.  I work diligently to keep the peace in all situations; which ends up exhausting my spirit.  All of conflict sends my spirit to crazy town – the loudness of conflict (whether it be raised voice or raised emotions), the outcome of conflict (someone usually comes out hurt) and the strong opinions which may differ from my own.  It is easier to run from conflict than stand up for myself. 

Can anyone relate?

Need an answer to all this mayhem? . . . Jesus!  The powerful name of Jesus solves all the above issues. 

Complain to Jesus in prayer.  Our concerns of this world matter to Jesus.  Better yet, Jesus will help guide us to a solution that aligns with Truth.  The Holy Spirit will provide strength to take the solution in this world and make a difference while shining the light of Jesus onto others.  Go ahead, complain; but, complain with an open heart and mind.  Approach the Cross and allow Jesus to enter your heart.

Compare your actions only to Jesus.  Strive to act, speak and think like Jesus.  The comparisons in this world will send us all over the place trying to live up to a million different standards.  The only place to look for guidance is Jesus.  His Words written to guide, confirm our purpose and fill our minds with Truth.  Approach the Cross and allow Jesus to saturate your thoughts.

Conflict brought to Jesus turns into peace.  Peace which passes all understanding.  Conflict can be healthy when filtered through His Word.  Conflict can strengthen relationships when compromise and understanding enter the scene.  Approach the Cross and allow Jesus to build within conflict.     

“What a wonderful Name it is
What a wonderful Name it is

The Name of Jesus Christ my King

What a wonderful Name it is
Nothing compares to this”

Live life. . .One Day at a time! 

Sheree Craig