It Ain’t My Fault

Sunday Morning, with less than ten minutes to spare before leaving for church, my youngest daughter comes in my room and asks for a band aid for her leg. Before moving to get her the requested item, I ask her what she needed one for. As a mom, we have to know everything about our kids, right! She responded by telling me that the razor that was sitting on the side of the tub, fell down on her leg and cut her. Hmmm, that just don’t sound right to me.

“Don’t lie to me,” I say.
“Mom, can you please give me a band-aid.”

Now I’m noticing the blood streaming down her leg from underneath the towel she had wrapped around her, and my psychic-mom abilities kicks in. I know that she has wanted to shave her legs, arms, and whatever else that she is too young to do. We’ve all been there—wanting to grow up too fast. My daughter and I have had many conversations on why can’t she wear make-up, and why can’t she shave, and why can’t she get her eyebrows waxed, and why can’t she stay up late “like her big sister”. “It ain’t fair,” she says. Anyhoo….. After she admits to trying to shave, I did what only a mother can do best. I scolded her.
“You had no business messing with that razor because; I have already told you that you can’t shave your legs. One- You’re too young. Two- You don’t know what you’re doing, and when you’re disobedient, things happens.”
Now, I must be honest with you, God got me good on this one. Let me see if I can show it to you like he showed it to me—there were three people in this situation at fault.

1. My oldest daughter- who is 19, out of disobedience, left the razor on the side of the tub- This was careless and irresponsible on her part, especially after I have gotten on to her about not putting things back in their appropriate places.

2. Me- I hardly ever go in their bathroom, but I went in there like two days prior to the incident and noticed the razor on the side of the tub. My first thought was, that I needed to move this razor before my youngest daughter sees it and gets tempted, but instead I left it there, because I wanted to fuss at my oldest daughter for leaving it there in the first place.

3. My youngest daughter- out of disobedience as well, she bothered something and did something she had been told NO about several times. Although my daughters were wrong, so was I, and I am thankful to God because He didn’t let me get away with it. So, the same way I fussed at my daughters, he scolded me. EVERYONE is at fault.

With my wild imagination, I can see my baby girl sitting in the bathroom on the first day, and the razor is saying, “C’mon girl, pick me up and use me. Nobody has to know.” I can see her fighting this temptation with all her might, and the first day, she beat it; but that second day, she wasn’t so strong because it came to her again with more enticing words. So what’s the message this week—I’m glad you asked.

1. Always be careful not to leave things out for other people to fall, to sin, to error. Be careful that you don’t cause another person to fall. Everyone is not as strong as you are, and what may not be a temptation for you, may be a temptation for others. Remember, you were not always at the place you are in today. If you do this type of thing, YOU ARE AT FAULT

2. If you see something out of order, fix it. It doesn’t matter if you didn’t create the mess; if you have the power to correct something—then do so. You never know whose life you may be saving, or what you may be preventing from happening. If you see something out of order, and leave it there because…. YOU ARE AT FAULT

3. Take heed to the teachings that are given to you. Be obedient, especially to the Word of God, because disobedience brings about consequences and repercussions. If you disobey what you know is right, guess what….YOU ARE AT FAULT.
Lord, please forgive us for being careless in our ways, careless with our words, careless with our actions. God I pray that we become mindful of what we are doing in front of others, and that we would be careful not to cause others to fall or to error by our actions. Lord I also pray that we will become more accountable for our brother and sisters, that if we see something out of place in their lives, that we will step in and do the necessary things to keep them from falling. That we won’t turn a deaf ear or ignore the signs to what’s going on around us. And Father, I pray that we will learn to follow instructions and be obedient to you and your word in all things, for we know that you wouldn’t withhold any good thing from us. Help us to remain humble, and to never try to be more than what you have created us to be. Thank you for the lessons of life. Thank you for a teachable spirit, and thank you for being the God over my life. We love you! In Jesus Name, Amen!
Stay Hopeful,
Clarissa

Get Your House In Order

Today was just one of those days where—I didn’t feel like doing much of anything.  For one, this sinus cold is really getting the best of me, and so I have been feeling kinda blah.  Anyhoo, my husband is the kind of guy that likes a clean house, and being that I don’t work, I try my best to honor his request in that matter.  It’s not spotless, but you know it’s enough to keep him from fussing.  **ha ha**

 

Well I played around doing a little bit of something, but a whole lot of nothing, and when I looked at the clock, I only had 15 minutes to wash the dishes, make the bed, and straighten up the living room—by taking coats and things, and throwing them in another room.  **LOL**   As I was running through the house trying to get things in order before the hubby got in, I imagined, just for a moment, was this how we would be doing at the return of Christ. Would we already have everything in order, or would we be running around like a chicken with his head cut off, trying to get everything ready at the last minute? 

 

My prayer today is…. that we will get ourselves prepared for the Lord’s return.  That we will be ready and prepared like the five wise virgins, for the hour that He will return, no man knows.  Have you accepted Christ?  If so, are you prepared?  If not, there’s not time like the present.  

Stay Hopeful,

Clarissa

Take Heed to the Warnings

Yesterday, as I was driving, I was stopped by the State Patrol.  In this case, not to make an excuse, but I really didn’t know I was speeding.  The speed limit at the beginning of this highway was 65 MPH, but when I went through one of the little cities, the speed decreased to 45 MPH.  After I had passed the city, I pulled my speed back up to 65 MPH, not realizing that it had now changed to 55 MPH.  Needless to say, I was going 10 MPH over the speed limit.   Luckily for me, I was only given a warning instead of an actual ticket.  WHEW!  One thing I can’t stand is, giving my money away for something that could have been avoided or carelessness.

I am thankful because, the warning was all that I needed to correct the thing that I was doing wrong.  So many times, we fail to take heed to the warning signs that are given to us, but had we—we could have prevented ourselves some major heartaches and headaches.

Warnings are good because it allows us time to prepare and get things in order—Look at Noah!

Warnings are good because it allows us time to get out of a dangerous situation—Look at Lot!

Warnings are good because it allows us time to make corrections or changes before we enter into a dangerous state—Look at Cain!

I am convinced that the warnings of God, are far better than the consequences of disobedience any day.

As we enter this new year, my prayer is that we take heed to the warnings that the Lord has graciously seen fit to send to us.  I pray that we don’t have to endure the pains of destruction in order for us to get in line with His will and purpose for our lives.  I pray that we all have a prosperous year!

Stay Hopeful,

Clarissa

Whoa! I Didn’t Ask For This

My step-daughter’s son, (I’m not sure the exact age, but I think around six or seven) stated he wanted an XBOX 360 for Christmas, and his mom decided to get him the XBOX 360 Kinect.  For those of you who don’t know, the only difference is, the “Kinect” is an attachable motion sensor that allows you to operate games without using an actual controller.  They are actually both the same exact thing because, if you want to, you can actually detach the Kinect, and hence have the original XBOX 360, however, as a small child, he could not grasp that he was actually getting more.  He told his mommy, “I don’t want the Kinect, I want the 360!”

He didn’t understand that what she wanted to give him was waaaaay better than what he actually wanted.   He didn’t understand the value, the benefits, or the capabilities of having the Kinect.  He couldn’t grasp that his mother wanted to bless him with more than what he asked for.  He couldn’t grasp that he was indeed getting what he asked for, but so much more to the 10^th power.

The scripture that comes to mind is, Ephesians 3:20 (The Message) God can do anything, you know—far more than you could ever imagine or guess or request in your wildest dreams! He does it not by pushing us around but by working within us, his Spirit deeply and gently within us.

Brace yourself, beloved.  God is ready to blow your mind!  He dreams bigger than we do!  So while you’re asking for a house, he wants to bless you with a mansion.  You’re asking for a job, and he wants to give you a career.  Honey, whatever you are asking for, believing for, or even thinking about; He wants to give it to you a 100 times over.

Spiritual Disclaimer:  Sometimes the things we ask for comes with a price, and a great responsibility—so be careful when you start asking, dreaming, and thinking.  God is ready to do the unimaginable for you and through you!

Stay Hopeful,

Clarissa

 

Making A Bad Situation Worse

Courtesy of dreamstime.com

My baby girl, age 11, experienced her first pimple bump, positioned perfectly, on the right side of her face, about an inch underneath the eye.   Using motherly wisdom, I warned her not to pick at it because, it was too soon, and it could make it worse.   When she came home from school the next day, there was a noticeable change in the blemish.   What started out as a small, red bump, had now turned into a sore.  She was devastated.  Without caring how hideous she looked, she was putting band-aids on it, and applying globs of cocoa butter on it.  Sounds familiar?

Have you ever had a small problem/situation that you were faced with—carelessly, you approached it the wrong way, and made it worse?  Then, found yourself trying to bandage it up, and apply soothing creams on it, to make it feel better, or to reverse the bigger mess you’ve created.   This could be as simple as a small bump, but for most of us, it’s life—our finances, marriages, friendships, raising our kids, our bodies, our health, ministries, goals, etc.  And for those of us that understand the power of words, we don’t even have to put our hands on a situation to make it worse, we can just speak the wrong things regarding it, our lives, and things/people attached to us.

Sarah is a prime example of meddling—trying to fix a problem in her own way, and making a bad situation worse.  I’m sure she thought to herself a million times, “What on earth have I done?”   Every time she turned around, there it was; a reminder of what she had done.  But in the end, God fixed it.

We can’t change what has already been done, but I’m confident, that there is absolutely nothing too hard for God, and he can definitely clean up, heal, and undo, some of the things we’ve done.  However, from this point forward, we have to learn to be careful in how we approach a situation.  Be careful what we do, and most importantly, watch the words that we speak, regarding our situations, and our lives.

Some things are just not for us to mess with, but in the result that we do, it’s not the end of the world.  Although we can’t fix it, God can.  Is there anything too hard for God—even the messes that we make for ourselves?  Absolutely not!

I’m a true believer that this is what God meant by:  And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them. (Romans 8:28 NLT)  Yes, even what we consider bad, and mess-ups, God can use for a bigger and better purpose, and for His Glory!  “I can see Him saying, she messed up, but I can use that later.  Uh-oh, she messed up again, I can use that too!”  Only God can make a mess, a message, and bless someone by it.

Disclaimer:  Sometimes the consequences of our actions, leaves an everlasting blemish.  These lessons should be used as testimonies for others.  Don’t you remember someone older telling you that they are telling you this, to keep you from making the same mistakes as they did?  Right; it’s a learning experience.   So, don’t be sad about it, use it to help someone else.

Stay Hopeful,

Clarissa

 

I Didn’t Even See It Coming

The number on the phone is not a familiar one, but I decided to answer it anyway. The voice from the other end says, “Ms. Johnson?”

“Yes it is.”

“Hi, my name is Karen with ABC bank (name left out for privacy purposes), and I work in the Debit Card Dept. My job is to monitor the usage and transaction made via debit card purchases. My purpose of calling you today is to ask if you had just tried to make a purchase at Gamestop for $377?

Shocked, I answered, “No, I didn’t!”

She continued, “Ok, well the transaction was rejected, and no monies were deducted from your account, but we have cancelled your card, and you will need to call customer service and order a new card.”

I ran to my room while the rep was speaking, and searched through my wallet for my card, and there it was, in it’s normal place. Many questions ran through my mind, such as….

1. How did they get my card number?
2. I wonder what site did they pull it from?
3. What would have happened if they didn’t catch the transaction in time?

“WOW! Thank you so much for catching that! May I ask you, how did you know to reject this transaction, unlike all the other ones that I do use my card for?”

“Well this transaction was done in California, and you live in Georgia for one.” “WOW!” was all I could offer as a response.

For once in a long time, I was proud to be a customer of ABC Bank, especially now, knowing that they were watching out on my behalf.  The enemy’s plan didn’t work this time!  I was protected from predators, hackers, and thieves taking what belonged to me.  Yes, my father is rich and owns the cattle on a thousand hills, but I need all my money! Bills got to be paid, groceries have to be bought, and Christmas is right around the corner.

Isn’t it great to know that even when you don’t think it, someone is watching out for you?   The Bible says that our Father in heaven, never sleeps nor slumber.  It is definitely a great relief to know that He sees what we can’t, and even while we are asleep, He’s always watching, waiting to protect us from dangers seen and unseen.

I thought about the many times He’s directed me to go a different direction, just to find out later that He prevented me from a horrible accident. I thought about all the boys that broke my heart and left me, just to later find out that He prevented me from some major heartaches. I thought about the doors He closed, the times He said No, when I wanted so eagerly for Him to say Yes! I owe Him many THANKS for watching and protecting me, even when I didn’t know that He was.  (Take a moment and think about it–I’m sure He’s protected you from something)….Makes you proud to serve a God like that, don’t it?

Just as Karen watches over my finances, God watches over us completely!  Being a visual person, I can literally see Him (GOD), with a shield and sword, blocking and protecting anyone, or anything from getting in the way of our future, and purposes.  Sure things have happened; bad things have happened, but I now know that- Nothing happens unless He allows it to; and even then- He knows all, and He sees all, and I am confident that it will all work out for my good.

Psalm 121:1-8–1 I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. 2 My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. 3 He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber . 4 Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep . 5 The LORD is thy keeper : the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. 6 The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. 7 The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. 8 The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.

Stay Hopeful,

Clarissa

Preparation Is The Key

Recently, my daughter signed up to take the ACT for college.  There was about a two month span from the time she signed up, and the time she actually had to take the test.  So, she went to the local library, and checked out books to help study for the upcoming test.

After about a month, I asked her had she been studying, and she told me that she hadn’t started yet, but would, soon.  Now that she is 18, and so-called grown, I try to not fuss as much. I simply told her to not wait until the last minute, and take advantage of the time she had to prepare.  After all, this is a BIG test, that determines whether she will be accepted into certain colleges of her choice, and if so, what type of classes she will take once she begins.  In other words, this is something that was very important to her future.

Finally, the big day had arrived.  I got up extra early to cook breakfast for her, but she told me that she was too nervous to eat before the test.  I drove her to the designated location, and wished her well.

About a month later, the results came in.  You guessed it—she didn’t make the scores needed to attend the college she wanted to.  She actually was only ONE point away.  She was so disappointed, distraught even.  She was crying, and feeling hopeless.  She was saying things like she was a failure, and she didn’t know what she was going to do with her life, etc., and all she needed was someone to pet her up, and tell her that everything was going to be okay.  But instead, I gave it to her straight with no chasers—like only a mom can.

“I’m sorry you didn’t make what you needed on the test, but this is nobody’s fault but your own.  You had all the time in the world to prepare, and you didn’t.  You didn’t take it serious enough.  And although you didn’t pass, it’s not the end of the world.  You have to accept responsibility for your own actions, and simply accept the fact that you messed up.  But, it’s not a permanent mess up.  Just pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and get serious about this thing, and try it again.”

Accepting responsibility for our mess-ups can be hard sometimes, but it’s necessary in order to move forward.  It doesn’t necessarily mean you are a failure, until you give up, and refuse to try again.

There are two messages in this blog. One is, to be successful at anything, preparation is the key.  My daughter was only ONE point away from the score she needed; imagine what she could have done, if she had actually studied, and prepared herself.

Two, it doesn’t matter how long it takes, you should never give up, on anything.  Imagine what would have happened if my daughter had wallowed in her mess, and accepted defeat.  No matter how bad it seems, you can’t give up.  In the words of the late singer, Aaliyah, “If at first you don’t succeed, pick yourself up and try again.”

Stay Hopeful,

Clarissa

Hello world!

Welcome to A Light Of Hope Inspirations.  May the words you read, be a blessing to your soul!