Unplugging my Toaster... and Counting My Blessings

Six months ago I pulled a load of towels out of the dryer and it smelled like smoke. I checked every thing out and it looked all right.

And then I forgot about it.

Growing up my dad had three household "rules" that he was fairly serious about:

1. no flame candles in the bedrooms,

2. don't leave the dryer running when you aren't at home,

3. unplug the toaster when you are done, and certainly before you leave the house.

As a kid, I followed along and did my best to remember (if not with a secret eye roll or huff here and there.)

Now I know how very important those rules are...

Yesterday, I threw in a load of laundry into the dryer and ran upstairs to grab some shoes and brush my teeth before taking my son to the doctor. The kids were downstairs finishing up their work and getting ready to go.

Within five minutes I could smell acrid smoke that burned my nose. I ran downstairs to find my dryer was on fire.

When I opened the door a puff of smoke came out and continued to rise from the lint screen.

We unplugged it and took the clothes out, and waited to see if the smoke would stop. It did.

Then we prayed that it wouldn't re-ignite, cuz we had to leave, we couldn't miss the appointment at the orthopedic office.

When The Mister got home he pulled everything apart and this is what he found...

We're pretty sure that this has been a slow-burn, a six-month tinder... a tragedy in the making.

Honestly, I try not to run the dryer while I am out of the house, but occasionally it happens. LIke two weeks ago when I ran the kids to the pool. I left the dryer running because I was only going to be gone for 20 minutes. Never again.

We escaped and I am grateful.

So for now, this is our dryer:

And this...

I know that, "faith is being sure of what we hope for, and certain of what we do not see"...but I do believe that every once in awhile we get the opportunity to really see.

Maybe more often than we choose.

Today I don't have to choose. Those wet clothes hanging all over the house are my memory stones.

I've been given the chance to see, and I am grateful.

The LORD is good to all; 

He has compassion on all he has made.

Psalm 145:9

The Red Door

This is my front door. 

And there is a story. 

When I bought this house three and a half years ago I was sad. 

I was leaving North Texas, a place I loved. My friends were there and it wasn't all that far from AZ where my parents live. It was the place I had grown spiritually and emotionally. A lot of good things had happened there for me.

However, the last two years in that town had been difficult ones for my husband. Probably the most difficult years he has ever had in his life.  He had a wrestle with the Lord that 

challenged him personally, professionally, emotionally, financially, spiritually and physically. 

It was a hard time. 

That two year chapter in our lives ended with our first move to North Carolina.  

One of my dearest friends, Jen with one N, came to help me find a house here in the piney woods.

We came on a weekend and had exactly 48 hours to find and buy the house of our North Carolina dreams. 

The realtor had about a dozen homes for us to look at and I was convinced that the Lord already had a home for us. I just knew He had a place in mind for The Sweet Mister to heal, for our family to recuperate. I had it set in my heart and mind that Jen and I weren't going home until I had bought that house, where ever it may be.

I had made a list of things that I knew the house needed: four bedrooms, a garage, lots of light, and preferably in the country with a bit earth to call our our "own."

But there were a few things that weren't necessary: a deck, two stories, separate dining room and kitchen. You know, things that would be nice, but not really necessary.

There was also something that I wanted that I hadn't dared to write down, but it was a desire in my heart.

A red door.

It wasn't until we had moved in and settled in that I realized that God had not only chosen a house that had nearly everything on my list, but He has also graciously given me the desire of my heart. Foolish as it was. 

Y'all, as I was hanging up our fall wreath on the door this week, I was filled with gratitude for a living and gracious God, who is kind and compassionate. Who heals the brokenhearted and cares for the smallest of details in our lives. 

I do not type lightly when I say that I do not deserve the red doors of life. I certainly haven't earned them. Which makes my heart flutter all the more with praise. God lavishly loves us by knowing the desires of our heart. He knows and understands the longings we don't want to admit we have.

Psalm 63:7

 I will tell of the kindnesses of the LORD, 

       the deeds for which he is to be praised,       

according to all the LORD has done for us— 

       yes, the many good things he has done 

       for the house of Israel, 

       according to his compassion and many kindnesses

La Vida Dulce!

PS: As I type, meh of Biding My Time, is about to get on a plane to visit for the weekend!  The blog may be quiet until Tuesday!

Maybe Next Week. Maybe Next Year.

Have you ever had one of those moments in time, when you knew that things were happening just as they should? When you realized that things were happening that you never could have orchestrated on your own? Yet you doubted still?

Yesterday (and really the last week) was one of those times.  

Yesterday I stepped way out of my comfort zone. 

I had the opportunity to meet an author of a book I read several years ago that was instrumental in my spiritual and physical life. She was in Scottsdale on business, and through a series of events (that I will talk more about on Monday) we found ourselves sitting in a Chipotle talking about life. 

The funny thing is that it was completely out of my character to make a very long drive to meet someone I have never spoken to. But when she invited me to meet for coffee last week, I knew I hadn't a choice but to go. I knew that that meeting had to take place, even though there was fear (on my part) in the meeting. 

I was nervous about the logistics of how our meeting would take place. I was nervous about making it to the office on time. I was nervous about meeting this gal. I was nervous about driving on my own, to a city I do not know. I was nervous about what we would talk about. I was nervous. 

No, I was anxious. 

Honestly, while being excited for this opportunity, I was praying that God would release me from this responsibility. 

Ambivalence is such a paralyzing and exhausting thing.

Tuesday morning during my quiet time I realized that I needed to trust God with the details, and do what I normally do: Be who I am.

I was prayer journaling, writing out every concern.  Asking  God for His peace, but also for the strength to wait.  I also confessed my ambivalence, and my selfish desire to respond only to things He asks me to do that are convenient, or that allow me to be seen in a favorable light! I wrote of my great excitement, and my foreboding nerves. I confessed my hope in the meeting, and the hope that we might not meet. 

I opened my bible and found myself in Isaiah 55:22

"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.

 You will go out in joy 
   and be led forth in peace;"

So pretty much this is what I felt the Lord speak to my heart that morning:

You think you're in control. Your not. 

I have asked you to go. You will go. 

I have plans. You will accomplish those plans, in My strength. 

I will lead you in peace. You will follow. 

I have worked big things in your life, you have reason to trust Me. 

You don't have to worry about what comes of this, because it's not really up to you. 

You'll meet with this gal, and tell her that you are interested in being apart of her work:

Tell her: "Next week or next year." 

Ask her to keep you in mind.

You will chat. You will come home. 

You. 

Will. 

Wait. 

If this sounds harsh to you, let me assure you it wasn't. Sometimes Truth can appear harsh, but it really makes life easier.

I went to Scottsdale. I wish I could tell you I wasn't a bundle of nerves. I wish I could tell you that I went in complete peace. But peace isn't about the absence of nervousness. It's about knowing that sometimes doing what God asks you to do feels risky, but when He's involved You can rest in this truth: obedience brings blessing and strength (Duet 11:8). 

Maybe next week. Maybe next year.

The meeting went well. I thought it was positive. Of course, I spent a good portion of the ride home thinking of all the things I should have said; all the things I wish I hadn't said. I felt a little uncomfortable talking about myself...not in the moment, but in the time afterward.

It's in that doubtful place that I find myself this morning. Often times, when I share a part of myself with another person, I find myself doubting the next day.  I know that this is a normal part of relational risk. That's why I am so grateful that God didn't just leave me with that verse in Isaiah. In my quiet time on Wednesday I read this last line in my current devotional (written by Beth Moore) that I feel was definitely written for me in that moment:

Persevere doer of the Word. A harvest is coming.

I am incredibly grateful for yesterday. Meeting others who are passionate about the work the Lord has called them to is inspiring, motivating and exciting. My heart stirs just thinking about it. I looking forward to telling you more about it next week. 

I am sharing this with you because I know there are times in life when it seems easier to avoid doing what God asks us to do: To pretend we don't hear and look the other way. I want you to know you are certainly not alone. 

We all have things we are scared to do. Things we believe we are not qualified to participate in; Passions we are afraid to share with others. Moments when we feel we have nothing worthwhile to share.  Thoughts that come into our mind that make us want to believe God cannot use us.

That's not true.  He wants us to seek Him, listen to Him, and obey Him. To be a doer of His Word.

If you are struggling with this, if you think these thoughts at all, I am going to tell you what He keeps telling me this morning, just in case you need to hear it too:

Look to the LORD and His strength, seek his face always.

Psalm 105:4

La Vida Dulce!

It Happened Last Night...

...the event all desert dwellers wait for.

A strange phenomena happens here when the temperatures never gets below 100, and land is especially parched.

Desert dwellers begin to dream of rain and moisture. Relief. We talk about it. Dream about it. Live for it.

It happened last night. After the sun had set, and the evening darker than usual.

The big clouds came that billow and tease. Often it's so dry that you can see rain falling but it evaporates before it hits the ground, teasing us with the delicious smell that comes from moisture in the desert. Not last night.

We watched the lightening as a little squall rolled in from south. It's a show I have never seen else where. Lightening that doesn't just strike from sky to ground, but plays in the clouds like children on sugar.

The wind started to kick up with a cool, comforting, feel.

We piled in the car and got some ice cream. Then we went to our local park, where the kids ran around as if they had never been outside.

The Boy, who is a country boy at heart, ran around with his hands in the air, catching large droplets of water on his face and saying, "I'm actually COLD! I'm actually COLD!"

The Girl got back into the car. Lightening, even when it still far away can be scary when you're eight.  I know, I remember.

On the other side of the park stand the baseball fields, lit up by giant flood lights. The rain, began to fall heavily on that side of the park. We could see the rain drops shining under the lights. We remained dry.

The Mister said, "Here it comes."

And two minutes later, it was raining on us. 

And then...

...then we just sat there in the car and watch the wonder of monsoon. 

The beauty of water in the desert.

Y'all, it made me happy. Which is saying something, cuz I'm already a pretty happy girl.

What makes you happy today?

Because I provided water in the desert, 

   rivers through the sun-baked earth,

Isaiah 43:20 (MSG)