Stuff

I heard a song recently that struck a chord with me. It wasn’t the tune which got me. In fact, when I first heard it, I was ready to dismiss the song as fluff, “gospel-lite”, not worthy of my attention. But the words convicted me deeply.
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Too often, I’m derailed by small things, things that are so trivial it’s embarrassing to admit I’m bothered by them, “stuff” as Francesca Battistelli calls them. In a world where people experience deep suffering, why do I allow these small matters to rob me of joy and peace?
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The Bible refers to small annoyances such as these as “little foxes that ruin vineyards.” Song of Sol 2:15
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Many small things have great impact.
• A poor widow donated two small coins and was honored for it.
• A young boy shared a lunch of two small fish and five loaves, and it was used to feed thousands.
• The mustard seed is the “smallest of all seeds on earth. Yet when planted, it grows and becomes the largest of all garden plants...” Mk. 4:31-32
• “The tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.” Jms 3:5
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Small things can have large consequences -- negative ones or positive ones -- depending upon our response to them. We’re given a choice: to just be irritated OR to allow God to use these irritations to shape our character like a file smooths a rough surface.
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This is the Stuff - Francesca Battistelli

I lost my keys in the great unknown

And call me please 'Cuz I can't find my phone

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This is the stuff that drives me crazy

This is the stuff that's getting to me lately

In the middle of my little mess

I forget how big I'm blessed

This is the stuff that gets under my skin

But I gotta trust You know exactly what You're doing

It might not be what I would choose

But this is the stuff You use

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So break me of impatience my frustrations

I've got a new appreciation

It's not the end of the world

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6HteoxWzAT8

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Clogged ?

Last month, I had unintentionally withdrawn from writing and serving, sensing overcommittment and burnout. While in my self-imposed exile, I read about the Dead Sea, specifically that it is "dead" because the water doesn't flow out.

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.God calls us to be rivers, not lakes; conduits of the blessings He has showered on us, not reservoirs. This winter, the drainpipe at our home was stopped up, frozen and immovable with the water that was made to flow freely through it. It wasn’t serving its purpose to receive from above and channel the water to the soil below.

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And neither are we if we receive the gifts that God has given us and keep them to ourselves. The Bible says that the gifts we are given are for the “common good1,” that is - they are given to us to share with others. If I am given a gift for teaching, what good is it if I keep it to myself? What about gifts of hospitality, mercy, leadership, giving, wisdom, faith, healing? We are told to “eagerly desire the gifts2” but what is the benefit of hoarding such gifts?
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There is no doubt that in this fast-paced, hyperactive society we live in that there is real danger of overcommittment. But the answer is not to withdraw completely. It is to achieve balance. If we’re stopped up, we can become stagnant, like the Dead Sea. Better to allow the Living Water from above flow freely to us and through us.
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A well-known phrase in chiropractic circles is ADIO - meaning that healing comes from “Above Down Inside Out.” It’s a perfect metaphor for how we should live our lives. We can’t be truly successful on the outside unless we are filled and flowing on the inside having received from above.
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Throughout Scripture, drink offerings were “poured out” to the Lord, and it is well-known that in his final letter, Paul referred to himself as being “poured out like a drink offering.3” But before that, in his letter to the Philippians, he made the same reference “even if I am being poured out like a drink offering …, I am glad and rejoice with all of you.4” This time, it was part of his message that God is at work in us5, and we ought to do everything without grumbling and complaining that we might be blameless and pure, shining like stars in the sky6. Wow, I wanna shine like the stars. How about you?
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Right now, I’m feeling a bit like the “little teapot” of song; Lord - tip me over and pour me out - that I might be filled again and again, and poured out again and again.

1- 1 Cor. 12:7
2- 1 Cor. 12:31
3-  2 Tim. 4:6
4- Phil. 2:17
5- Phil 2:13
6- Phil 2:14-15

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100th Follower Giveaway Contest!

You're invited to my 100th follower party! I'm having a giveaway contest celebrating that there are now 100 followers of Eternity Cafe. Thanks to Carolyne of Lady on a Roof for being my 100th follower. Well, at least 100th in the blogworld. I'm also most grateful to the 100+ subscribers who receive my blogposts via email.

I'm giving away the bestselling book, The Hole in Our Gospel by Rich Stearns. This book, awarded the 2010 Christian Book of the Year by the Evangelical Christian Publishers Association, is a compelling account of how a CEO struggled to obey God at all costs. It challenges us to do the same. This book is a life-changer.

To enter the contest, simply leave a comment and share either why you want to receive this book OR how something you read on Eternity Cafe has impacted you. Each comment, either here on the blog OR on facebook, will count as an entry. Commenting in both places will count for two entries.

Okay, here's how you enter:
1) To enter: Leave a comment with your email address. Entries without an email address are not eligible. (If you are commenting on facebook, you can send your email address privately via message.)
2) To enter you must either be a current Follower or Subscriber OR become a Follower or Subscriber. (Please let me know if you have been or just became a Follower/Subscriber.)
3) Receive a bonus entry by posting about this giveaway on your blog, facebook and/or Twitter. Please be sure to let me know you did so in your comment.
3) The contest is open to residents of the U.S. and is void where prohibited.
4) Deadline: Saturday, 2/26/11, at midnight. Winners will be notified via email, and an announcement will be posted on the blog.

Disclaimer: Neither the publisher nor the author provides this book or requested this giveaway.

I thank you for being a part of my world. You have blessed me greatly. It is my prayer that this blog will bless you in some way and encourage you to walk strong for God, providing bits of humor along the way. And if you have been blessed, please share it with a friend.





 
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ.

Is Jesus in the attic?

Since the snow in the Northeast began on Dec. 26th, we haven’t seen lawns; Christmas decorations are still out; and the roadways have had fewer clear days than treacherous ones. Central Park in NYC had a record 53 days of snow-covered grass.
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I have to admit that our own nativity display is still out. We haven't been able to get to it due to the amount of snow and ice covering it. After it was buried with the first snowfall, more and more just piled on top of it. Our other decorations were stored away, but we just couldn't put Jesus back in the attic.

And maybe that's why sometimes things just keep piling up in our lives -- so that we don't put Jesus away. We have a sorry tendency to tuck Jesus away in a corner when things are going well, but when there's tribulation, we call out to Him in greater measure. I've heard it said - nothing improves your prayer life better than big trouble.

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I think with this weekend’s warmer weather, we may be able to finally put away our nativity set. We’ll put away the plastic Jesus, but not His presence.
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"You have made known to me the paths of life;

You will fill me with joy in Your presence."

Acts. 2:28.

Jersey? Sure!

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I am a real housewife of NJ.
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First let me say that I have never seen Jersey Shore or Real Housewives of NJ or any of the other rubbish supposedly depicting my state. But I have seen enough on the news or the internet to know that these programs do not represent where I live and work and raise my family. Although I spent my early years in NY state, I’m a Jersey Girl through and through.
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I love the beaches, the mountains, the 4 seasons, the diversity of ethnic foods and cultures, the 24 hour diners and convenience stores, cheap gas prices and I don't have to pump it, and of course, the people.
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NJ is called the Garden State because its rich soil grows the best and most abundant tomatoes, eggplants, corn, cranberries and blueberries. There's nothing so sweet as blueberries in June or a fresh Jersey tomato in September.
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I love being near NYC and Philadelphia, yet being able to go home to my quiet little abode by a lake.  It's easy to take a plane, train, bus, cab, truck, or boat to just about anywhere on earth. Sure there's traffic, but lots of places have traffic, don’t they? Some say they don’t like NJ because of the NJ Turnpike, in particular the northern industrial end. I say comparing the state of NJ to the NJ Turnpike is like comparing the state of NY to the Cross Bronx Expressway. It’s just a few miles of industry providing jobs to many people.
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As a college freshman, my daughter had to give a persuasive speech. Her topic? Why New Jersey is the best state. When she finished, her teacher said, “Now I don’t feel so bad about paying my taxes.”
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I know people love to mock New Jersey, but too often people mock what they don't know, so I thought I'd share a little taste of my state:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9gpyms1OUc&feature=player_embedded

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ps- click here to check out why I don't live in Florida!

The Perfect Comeback

I almost did it.
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Have you, like me, ever yearned for a perfect comeback to someone discourteous, but couldn’t think of a thing until hours later, and only then after mulling over all possible options for hours?
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Today, I almost had my moment.
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Of course, it’s a dicey situation, isn’t it? What if that person walks into my office tomorrow or my church on Sunday, not to mention the fact that I represent Jesus who is always with me. But today, as I muttered to my steering wheel, it came to me. The perfect comeback. And I almost had the opportunity to express it.
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Here’s how it all went down:
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I met my husband and son at the Post Office needing to renew our three passports. The clerk, Ann, had just taken their mug shots photos and seemed a little annoyed that she had to stay in the chilly lobby to take yet another one. [OK, I get that.]
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My husband’s joke, “Can I get a different background?” was met by stony silence. No smile, headshake, or even an acknowledgement that he had spoken, despite the chuckles of other patrons stamping their letters nearby.
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After my quick headshot, we returned to her station to proceed with the paperwork. Tony reminded her to process my son’s application first because he needed to leave quickly. Her steely-eyed glare was almost as cold as her reply, “I heard you the first time.” Ouch, that was a little harsh, but giving her the benefit of the doubt, my husband can have a tendency to make sure things are done “right.” [Luv ya, hon ;D]
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As she continued to process the many papers, photos, and payments, her attitude continued to deteriorate from abrupt to curt to downright churlish.
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Tony and I walked away mumbling to each other about her. My photo horrified me. For the next 10 years, I will be identified by a ghastly auburn slash of bang bisecting my forehead. Come on, I’m a girl, you’re a girl, can’t you clue me in before you snap?
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But later I had to return to mail the applications with a “traceable delivery method” and I would have my chance. At least I thought I would. Here’s how I had it worked out in my head:
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“Hi, again. Are you having a bad day today? Because I’d like to pray for you.” [genuine sweet smile]
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“Hmmmpphhh…”
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"But if you’re just ordinarily surly, I’ll pray differently for you. [wink, not so genuine huge sweet smile] Thank you so much. Have a great day.”
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When I returned to the scene of the crime, alas, at clerk Ann’s counter stood Charles; Ann nowhere to be seen, perhaps gone for the day. The momentary disappointment that I wouldn’t get my chance for the perfect comeback was partnered with a flood of relief that I couldn’t share that perfect comeback.

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In the movie, You’ve Got Mail, Kathleen Kelly (Meg Ryan) longs to hurl a perfect comeback to her adversary, Joe Fox (Tom Hanks). Only when she finally does, it came with the realization that her words left her feeling worse for having said them. “Do you ever feel like you've become the worst version of yourself? That a Pandora's Box of all the secret hateful parts -- your arrogance, your spite, your condescension -- has sprung open. Someone provokes you, and instead of just smiling and moving on, you zing them. I didn't get any satisfaction from it," she types, "I just felt mean. When you say the thing you mean to say at the moment you mean to say it, remorse inevitably follows.” I knew I’d feel the same way.
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So, what is the perfect comeback? It is to come back to the Lord and allow Him take care of any consequences my “adversary” deserves. I spent half my day invisibly tethered to a mean-spirited postal worker. What a waste of time and energy.
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Instead, I decided to honestly pray for her. You never know why God puts certain people in your path, and it may be that I’m the only one praying for her. For the next 10 years, my bifurcated forehead photo will serve as a reminder, not just to pray for Ann and others like her, but to keep turning the other cheek, going the second mile, and loving the unlovely, for as Jesus said, “If all you do is love the lovable, do you expect a bonus? Anybody can do that. If you simply say hello to those who greet you, do you expect a medal? …In a word, what I'm saying is, Grow up. You're kingdom subjects. Now live like it. Live out your God-created identity. Live generously and graciously toward others, the way God lives toward you." Mt. 5:46-48 MSG





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I'm baaaaack ;)

After nearly a month-long unintentional blogging hiatus, I'm back.
No excuses, well at least no valid excuses.
Life's been busy. But when isn't it?
Is it the writer's block or the distractions that's the culprit? Likely a combination of both.
But I finally followed some sage, if not eloquent, advice:
- Just Do It [thanks, Nike]
- BIC [Butt In Chair, famous writer advice]
- Just Say No [to distractions]

Now I've got a few in the cue, some new posts coming your way.
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After that, look for the continuation of my series of "little i am's," based on my work-in-progress book. These are "people posts," stories of people who exemplify the names that God labels us. Last fall, I shared with you “i am a Shepherd”, “i am a Servant,” and “i am an Ambassador.” I’m excited to share at least 6, maybe more in the weeks to come.
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Blessings,