What's Love Got to Do With It?

Getting back to basics, to me, means breaking things down to their smallest common denominator. Drilling down to the core issues - making it clear and simple.

This thought jumped out at me as I was studying Romans 13:8:

Keep out of debt and owe no man anything except to love one another; for he who loves his neighbor (who practices loving others) has fulfilled the Law (relating to one's fellowmen, meeting all its requirements.)

God really doesn't complicate things at all - we sure do! How much more straightforward can you get: Keep out of debt and love each other. How timely and practical for us right now in these crazy, unsettled economic and political times.

Beyond that, the phrase that says "love fulfills all God's requirements" is absolutely amazing to me. The Jewish people took the first five books of the bible and came up with hundreds upon hundreds of rules to burden themselves with. Many of us tend to look at the New Testament teachings and think, "How do I remember them all, much less do them?"

God made it so simple - it all boils down to love. God is love (1 John 4:8 & 16). When everything else fades away - love will still remain (1Corinthians 13:13). God loved the world so much He gave us Jesus (John 3:16). Love was and is His primary motivation in all He does because He is love. And the one that never ceases to humble me and fill me with awe - Jesus Himself tells us that God the Father loves us just as He loves Jesus (John 17:23)!! It fills me with awe to even consider that God loves me as much as He loves Jesus.

Maybe if we all stop worrying about the stupid, nonsense - the ridiculous, nit-picky stuff and focus on the core, the root, the heart of the matter:

Are we operating out of love?

Maybe then all the other issues would be resolved and life would become more peaceful and fulfilling.

Love - anyway you look at it, in the final analysis, is really all that matters. Now, that's what I call getting back to basics.

Real Self-Esteem

For something to have real value to us, it has to cost us something. If someone gives you an expensive item as a gift, you may treasure it, but it won't have the same value to you as something you worked, planned and sacrificed for. That is just a basic part of human nature.
The accomplishments that mean the most to us are those that we've put the most "sweat equity" into.

As a mom, the sacrifice (of time, energy, money, sleep) I have put into raising my children has yielded the most valuable result - three wonderful human beings. Has it always been easy? No. Have there been days when I had to force myself to get up and do whatever it was I had to for them? Yes! Have there been times I have been discouraged? Yes. Would I do it all over again? Without hesitation, question or a single doubt -YES!

You can take every piece of jewelry I own. There are pieces that belonged to my mom and have great sentimental value. There are pieces my husband has given to me that mean a great deal to me. You can take them all. You can take every penny and possession and truly I would still have what is most valuable in my sight - my children.

God feels the very same way about each of us. That concept is sometimes very difficult to really understand and accept. Sometimes we have to get personal before we can understand just how valuable we are to Him at a "gut level."

Look at the vast universe He has created. We've only scratched the surface of understanding it, yet it cost Him nothing to create it. He spoke and the worlds were formed. What is seen was created from what was unseen.

However, it cost Him everything to create you and me - His earthly family. He had to sacrifice His perfect, only begotten Son. I have two sons whom I love more than life itself. No matter how much I love you - I can't imagine sacrificing one of them for you, so you should probably be very grateful I am not God!

He did more than imagine it - He did it. That's how valuable you are to Him. If He esteems you that highly, who are you to disagree?

It's a Win-Win Proposition!

Everything is a seed you can sow in order to yield a harvest. Literally. Everything! Of course the type of seed determines the quality of the harvest. You are sowing seeds constantly whether you know it or not. As I said before, everything is a seed. Here are just a few examples:

thoughts, words, money, kindness, love, respect, faith, honesty, peace, discipline, integrity, prayer, patience, encouragement, compassion, understanding, generosity, excellence, grace, mercy, forgiveness, joy, obedience, enthusiasm, ideas, expectation, dreams, gratitude, liberty, praise, worship, consistency, talents, gifts, sincerity, a smile, faithfulness, truth, loyalty, action, perseverance, tenacity.

So often the focus is on money - financial seed - but as you can see, it is only one type of seed. God tells us that whatever type of seed we sow, that's the type of harvest we will reap (Galatians 6:7). So if you need money, by all means sow a financial seed. If you need friendship, be a friend to someone. If you need favor, show favor to someone. If you need prayer, pray for someone else. If you are down, go encourage someone.

Ephesians 6:8 tells us whatever good thing we need ourselves, if we sow it into someone else's life, it will return to us. I have experienced the truth of this many times. Recently I sowed a financial seed into a ministry that sends me wonderful daily, scriptural motivational messages. They have been so powerful and so relevant to my life, I felt God was impressing it upon me to become a partner with that ministry, which I have.

The lovely lady who writes the motivations contacted me with a beautiful message of thanks. Several days later she contacted me again to say she had visited my new website, the address of which appeared in my email signature, and was so impressed, she felt led to sow a seed into my business and offer me several months of free advertising. What an incredible seed! I not only took her up on that gracious offer, but I put a link to her website on mine as well.

I believe she will reap a hundred-fold return on her generous seed. This is a wonderful picture of Matthew 7:12, known to most as The Golden Rule. I encourage you to visit www.anewthingministries.com and sign up for their daily motivation - it will bless you. I also encourage you to sow as many good seeds as possible each day - the harvest will be awesome!

What's Your Filter?

I believe a critical part of being truly healthy is having the right perspective. Everything we experience in life is based on our perception of it. What frightens, angers or depresses me may not even register on your emotional radar screen!! It all stems from how I perceive it.

What may seem like an insurmountable and impossible obstacle to me, only seems so because it is how I choose to see it. A previous experience, how I was raised, my family's beliefs all come into play here. These past experiences are stored in our subconscious and create very personal "filters" through which we each see the world and our own personal lives. The bottom line, however, is whether God sends that thing/experience directly or not, if it happens, He has allowed it. He will use it for our good and His glory if we'll choose to look at it from His perfect perspective instead of our flawed one.

His Word says: "with God all things are possible" (Matthew 19:26) and "everything is possible for him who believes" (Mark 9:23).

I know that can seem like so many pretty words. The meat of the issue is: how do I actually do it? We have to teach ourselves to think like God does. Staying in His Word is the basic and best way. How do you know what your husband/wife/parent/friend thinks about a subject? You spend time with them and listen to what they think. It's no different with God. Feeding our spirits and souls on uplifting and encouraging messages - whether on CD or in a book - is also very effective.

Someone sent me a video recently that I found beyond powerful and made me think about my own perspective on certain issues. If you are struggling with thoughts and feelings of inadequacy or weakness, I encourage you to visit www.magichundred.blogspot.com and scroll to the November 11, 2008 post entitled "Get Up Your Goals are Waiting for You." Watch the five minute video.

You'll see things differently - I guarantee it!

Trust God and Your Gut

I was already thirty years old when my first child, Christopher, was born. He was absolutely gorgeous - healthy, lovable, alert. However, as he approached two years old, he grunted and made other sounds, but did not speak. Although he seemed unable to form words clearly, he understood whatever he was told and by watching Sesame Street had actually taught himself to read and write.

When his speech problem persisted, we had him evaluated by a speech therapist, who said Christopher had such a complex problem, her best estimate was that it would take at least three therapy sessions per week for several years just to bring him to a point where he could be understood. This was startling, but we were willing to do whatever was necessary to help him.

We began the therapy sessions and almost immediately the therapist had to cut his sessions down to once a week because of a scheduling problem on her part. She indicated that this might mean it would take much longer to get results.

Christopher, an active three year old, quickly became bored and fidgety during his hour-long appointments. To help him get through it, I began praying with him in the car just before going into each session. He and I would ask the Lord to help him listen and pay attention and do whatever the therapist asked. Then I would confirm the Word of God over him by saying things like: Christopher is obedient; Christopher has a spirit of self-control; Christopher can do all things through Christ Who strengthens him.

From the very first time we prayed together in this way, the therapist began seeing a positive difference. We were encouraged until another doctor who had observed Christopher called me in for a meeting. He told me he felt my son had a severe neurological problem. He said he recommended five days of intensive evaluation and testing for a proper diagnosis. Needless to say, I felt like I'd been punched in the stomach. The doctor pressed me to make a quick decision, saying he should begin the evaluation process as soon as possible.

I knew that we needed time to take this matter before the Lord, so I managed to delay making a decision until I could speak to my husband. We set ourselves to lay the entire matter before God in prayer the week before Christopher's next session. In my heart I felt my son was extremely bright, that there was no neurological problem, but I wasn't willing to let my love and pride jeopardize his future by not getting him help he might truly need. I had to trust the Lord to show me what was right.

As we went to prayer for Christopher's speech problem, immediately the Lord spoke a scripture promise from Isaiah 40:11: "He will feed His flock like a shepherd, He will gather the lambs in His arms, He will carry them in His bosom and will gently lead those that have their young." From that moment on, I felt complete peace and confidence that God was in charge.

However, everytime I thought or prayed about those tests, I had a total absence of peace. Finally, relying on the command in Colossians 3:15 which says we're to let His peace act as umpire to decide and settle with finality all decisions, my husband and I decided not to subject Christopher to the tests at this time, but to just continue with his speech therapy. That doctor was very angry with our decision. In fact, he actually told me I was a terrible mother for not doing what he was recommending and he never spoke to me again.

Two months later, when Christopher was in the eleventh month of his speech therapy, his therapist declared him age-appropriate and recommended that he cease therapy and enter nursery school! After less than a year of her original "several years" estimate and only having one session per week instead of the three she'd originally deemed necessary, Christopher's speech was age-appropriate. Truly our prayers had been answered.

This all occurred 21 years ago. Christopher went all through elementary school in the "gifted and talented programs." He went through junior and senior high school on the high honor roll every single year. A year and a half ago he graduated summa cum laude from Seton Hall University as a communication major!!! He's actually done several news casts on our local television station as part of an internship. That, to me, is a lovely irony. In fact, I wish I remembered the name of that doctor so I could show him all my Christopher has accomplished. Every time I look at him, I am reminded of the Lord's faithfulness, how gently He carries our children and how much He longs to lead us parents in these difficult choices concerning our children. I shudder to think what the outcome might have been had we not listened to God and our hearts. It's so easy to allow yourself to be bullied by a "professional" who supposedly knows more than you. However, in this case, I knew my son was more than just a "severe speech problem" - he was a wonderful, curious, intelligent, loving little boy.

If you are facing a difficult decision regarding one of your children today and are feeling pressured to make a choice you are not comfortable with, I encourage and even urge you to take the time to ask God what to do. If you ask sincerely and get quiet and listen, He will definitely lead you on the very best path. Always, always listen to your gut and let peace be the deciding factor.

Do You Really Know It?

We are inundated with information. Information overload doesn't even begin to describe it. I read that a weekday edition of the New York Times actually offers more information than the average 17th century English person came across in their entire lifetime! That's amazing. We have access to more information now than at any other time in history. You would think that fact alone would make us healthier, happier and more successful in every respect, but it hasn't. Do you ever wonder why? I do.

I think that it all comes back to what God says in Hosea 4:6 - My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge.

While it is true we have access to every type of information imaginable, what exactly is information? I did a little study - I love digging into the meanings of words. My dictionary says information is "a telling or being told something, news, intelligence, word, facts, data, learning, lore." We can get a multitude of information on any given subject, and still have no true knowledge of that subject. Knowledge is defined as "a clear and certain perception of something; the act, fact or state of knowing; understanding." The original meaning from the Hebrew of the word translated knowledge in the verse above has many meanings, including, comprehension, to understand or be sure of. True knowledge goes a step further than simply amassing information. We only acquire knowledge of something when we understand it well enough to interpret and utilize it practically and productively for a specific purpose.

You may have a wealth of information about proper diet, nutrition and exercise and yet still be overweight, out of shape and malnourished! Do you take the information you have and study it until you understand exactly how to apply it to your own life in a practical and specific way and for a strategic purpose? Then and only then does it move from mere information to knowledge.

God is right - many particularly in our country, are being destroyed, literally, by this lack of knowledge. They are being destroyed by obesity, diabetes, heart disease, cancer and a host of other devastating illnesses and conditions that could be prevented, reversed or treated by applying knowledge - understanding and doing it.

There's actually one more step and that is to acquire wisdom, which is defined as "the faculty of making the best use of knowledge, experience, understanding, etc.; good judgment." I happen to believe the only true wisdom comes from God. Wisdom originated in Him and we can move from simply having information to having true knowledge, which then becomes wisdom when we seek Him as to exactly how we are to apply it to our lives.

So next time you think you "know" something - stop and think about it. Do you really know it or is it simply more information you've collected?

Just Do It!

I spoke to my Aunt Ruthie a few days ago. She just moved for the third or fourth time since my Theo Costa (Uncle Gus in Greek) passed away seven years ago. When I think about Aunt Ruthie a collage of memories comes to mind - she's always been a very soft-spoken Southern lady - but she had a laugh reminiscent of Phyllis Diller, could burp on demand (which never failed to impress my brother, George, and me!), was always ready to take us on an adventure whether it was fishing or some other fun pursuit. She has always been my favorite Aunt. We spent a lot of time with her as kids. She and my Uncle would come up from Florida and stay with us for the entire summer. I can't begin to tell you what a treat that was!

Aunt Ruthie was not Greek, but she learned how to cook all my Uncle's favorite dishes from my Giagia (grandmother & her mother-in-law). Her genuine love and respect for my Giagia didn't go unnoticed. She always treated her with great tenderness and love, especially in later years when she'd had several strokes and was frail. My Giagia would lapse into Greek half-way through her conversations with everyone - including my Aunt Ruthie - but even though she didn't really speak Greek, she understood her perfectly. Love is the universal language, isn't it?

My Aunt Ruthie just moved again to a senior residence - she is now just shy of 81 years old - she and her beloved cat, I should say. I remember well when my husband and I moved from Tennessee to New York 20 years ago - I was only in my early 30's and while we also had a toddler and baby at the time, packing and actually moving was an exhausting, overwhelming experience. I can't even imagine doing the packing, cancelling services, changing addresses, drivers license, taking care of banking, finding new doctors, and all the other details a move entails all by myself at 80. But she did it. I had no way of contacting her until she moved and settled in. I was so relieved to hear her voice when she called the other night to share her new address and phone number.

I asked how she was and she shared that it was exhausting, and the drive from Sanford to West Palm Beach was a bit daunting, but she said she got in the car with her cat, just said, "I can do this" and she did! That's been her "MO" all her life. She pretty much did everything, even when my Uncle was alive, although just being able to share it all with him made it easier. She has never complained or become bitter or felt she's had such a difficult life (although some would definitely think she had every right to).

As soft-spoken and sweet as she is, there is an undeniable current of strength and determination that is evident in her. She only quit her waitressing job 2 years ago!! Hard work never put her off. She's had to overcome difficulties from the time she was a child. Rather than dwelling on what she didn't get or have, she moved forward and did what she knew to do and at each juncture, God showed her the very next step, and the next...

Even though we are not related by blood but by marriage, I pray that some of her strength, courage and determination have rubbed off on me - even just a little. Nike may have coined the phrase, "Just do it" but she epitomizes it every day.