How my faith can be tested.

We’ve had Maxwell for a little over 8 months. He’s the craziest, most rambunctious cat that I’ve ever owned. He loves to charge at things without a real plan and attack whatever may be in his way.

His blue eyes tend to get him out of a lot of trouble.

I’ve become so accustomed to him screeching around the house at 90 m.p.h., that I no longer think there’s a boogie man in my house at 2 a.m. I know it’s just this guy blowing off steam.

He also rests at 90 m.p.h.. It’s either full-on tackle mode for him or full on sleepy-mode, complete with whisker twitches, weird lip movements and tiny noises as he dreams.

I am fully in love with him-which was hard to do after we lost my buddy of eight years, Cowboy.

I’ve opened my heart to him and can’t imagine my life without this little bugger.

Two days ago, he started laying around and wasn’t eating. He threw up three times and made horrible sounds before he did so. I decided to take him to the vet and we found out he had a 105 degree temperature (4 degrees above normal for a kitten). He then received an antibiotic and a anti-nausea shot, which is presently at work in his tiny little body.

Here’s the thing. I’m going to be real. I don’t know if I can handle doing all of this again. It broke my heart to give Cowboy almost daily IV’s and watch as his body wasted away. Losing him was extremely difficult for me. I didn’t understand why God didn’t heal him. I know God cares, I know he’s faithful, I know he’s good. I still ask “why” from time to time.

I know it’s just a cat to most of you and to the rest of the world, but he’s become my little sidekick. I hate to see him in pain and I miss his rambunctious ways. We need your prayers, blogosphere-him for healing and me for peace and understanding. Thank you!

Because I don’t want to….

This is what I should be doing this weekend.

I cannot remember the last time I’ve washed our car which is found underneath a layer of dust and bright purple bird poop splotches. The neighborhood birds have been eating some form of black berries which seem to pass through them at lightening speed and they are using our car for target practice. Thanks, birds.

The tea, coffee, flour and sugar tins on my counters are sporting a mess of water spots, food tidbits, and fingerprints. But hey, who cares?

The rugs have a fine layer of white cat fur resting atop of them. But if you shut the door to the living and dining room, you don’t know that it’s there. Job done.

And then there’s all of this that I could do but haven’t.

Instead, anytime Biceps puts his studying material down even for just a second, I want to be there to offer him this. I’m such a doer, a get-it-doner, that it’s hard for me to ignore all of the chores that should be done. But, they’ll be there tomorrow and Biceps will be back at the fire department. I’ll still have the laundry, but not the lips of my beloved.

I hope that’s ok with anyone that visits my house this weekend. If not, come back later.

DIY Ant Deterrent

There are ants in my garden! Who invited them?

I’m trying to keep my garden as free from weed and bug killers as possible. These chemicals rob the soil of vital nutrients, making my job harder when it’s time to plant.

But, I still don’t want these guys around, either. They are pretty pompous and arrogant, in my opinion. They need to go.

And I have just the solution!

Here’s all that you need to make your very own Homemade Ant Deterrent:
Spray Bottle
Water
Mild Dish Soap

Fill the spray bottle with water. Add 4-5 drops of the mild dish soap and shake vigorously.

Spray the solution on the plant-wherever the offenders are and watch them slip and slide all the way to the ground. I usually do this either in the early morning or right before the sun goes down, to avoid scorching the leaves. After a heavy rain, you might need to re-apply the DIY Ant Deterrent solution.
This won’t harm your plant, but let’s see what it does to our ant friends….

I bid thee farewell, small ant. And take your brothers with you.

Directions to Life

This statement has been floating around a lot lately-“I just feel (insert one of the adjectives given) and I don’t know what to do.”
–overwhelmed,
-restless,
-confused,
-tired,
-lonely
The bummer thing is, I don’t have the answers-sorry. And as I get older, I realize how dumb I am and how much more I have to learn about God. But, I’m so grateful that He gave us an instruction manual that outlines exactly what to do with any situation we face.

I have to be honest, there have been times in my life where scripture was meaningless. The Bible was just a lot of letters on a very thin page that my stupid man hands tore accidentally.

Until I needed his word, I didn’t see a need for it. So, maybe today you are searching. Maybe you aren’t. Maybe, just maybe, you’ll meet someone that needs to hear God’s truth about them. In any case, it’s better to be prepared.

Are you feeling abandoned or forgotten by God? Do you feel he is distant or not listening to you?

Listen to what His truth says about you!
Deuteronomy 4:31-33
For the LORD your God is a merciful God; he will not abandon or destroy you or forget the covenant with your ancestors, which he confirmed to them by oath.
Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of?

Do you think your life has no direction, or are you unclear which way to go?

First, quiet your spirit (literally-sit quietly) in order that you may hear what he needs to say to you. Secondly, ask God for wisdom. Solomon asked for wisdom-when he could have asked for anything else. Because he asked for it, God gave him wisdom that caused foreign kings to marvel.

II Chronicles 1:11 & 12
God said to Solomon, “Since this is your heart’s desire and you have not asked for wealth, possessions or honor, nor for the death of your enemies, and since you have not asked for a long life but for wisdom and knowledge to govern my people over whom I have made you king, therefore wisdom and knowledge will be given you.

Do you have unanswered prayers-things that make absolutely no sense at all? Are you mad at God? Do you feel like he let you down?
These verses encouraged me when I was at the lowest point in my life-and continue to do so today.

Psalm 18:16
He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he drew me out of deep waters.

Isaiah 41:13
For I am the LORD your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you.

Has someone deeply wounded you, abused you or traumatized you to the point where you aren’t sure you can forgive? And is this person even a professing Christian? I’ve been there.
I know that’s been one of the hardest thing for me to do-to forgive a “brother” in Christ.

Genesis 50:17
This is what you are to say to Joseph: ‘I ask you to forgive your brothers the sins and the wrongs they committed in treating you so badly.’ Now please forgive the sins of the servants of the God of your father.” When their message came to him, Joseph wept.

Luke 6:37
Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.

At any time when I feel depressed, lonely, or needful in any way-I’ve learned that all my answers lie within the pages of my well-worn Bible; which is falling apart and has a few slightly torn pages bound between the emerald green leather cover. Before too long, every last line of that thing will be highlighted, underlined and starred. As it should be.

Amen.

If you need someone to talk to, to pray with, or just to have on the other end of a computer-I’m here. And I love to make new friends.