One Spring To Another

It's been over a year since I posted a word here. Just one spring day to another...the following year! On my "leave of absence", I've been mommying, reading, soul-searching, seeking God, wondering how this time flew away from me so quickly.

My sweet littlest man is now 7 months old. He wiggles and shakes his fists, squirms to move his body from one spot on the rug to another, giggles and squeals and shouts.

What a full year this has been! And while the time passes even faster, it seems, with four little people at home, 7 months to 7 years, God prompts me again to redeem the time.

At home, the easiest thing to keep up with these days is the news. I can flip it on while the kids play outside and baby sleeps upstairs and I chop carrots next to the sink. But don't you just cringe at the news anymore? It's one uprising after another, one earthquake after another, one heartache after another, it's war, and it's politics.

When it comes to politics, what a mess. Each side hurls insults at the other, gross insults even, one side believes the other is fully motivated by greed, the other by power. Noone seems to believe these public servants, at least somewhere deep down, want the good of all, want the best for as many as possible, whichever side they are on. It's all very discouraging, disheartening, scary.

What's going on in our country, the world?

At times this year, my fear held me hostage, while I held tiny baby close and begged God to protect him from evil. I read eight thick books about the end of the world, along with the entire Bible. Maybe this is why time flies by these days? In between home and school and church and friends, I read. 

I have to admit, my recent overindulgence in books came about because I felt scared. And while I struggle with fear, I know where it fizzles. Fear drives me to the Word of God and to books that help me study the Bible. I feel far more confident that God is in control and that I am His and that the end of the world may very well be near. I'm at peace with the fact that I don't get to know when.

I may be here for 50 more years and die an old lady, or Christ may come next year and all our plans will no longer matter as they once did.

Have you ever lived your life, your days, like it's not all about your little life?

What would it change for you, for me, if we lived like Jesus was coming sooner rather than later? Would many of our daily stresses melt away? Would we omit certain activities, watch less television, read more Scripture, spend more time loving our neighbors, serving? How do we FIRST seek His Kingdom and His righteousness, and what would it mean for us to store up treasures only in Heaven, not to store up anything here?

I wrestle these questions, and more, over months. I find answers, continue reading Scripture, ask more, wait for answers. I purpose not to stay busy--or entertained--just to drown out the hard questions. I want to offer Jesus more than just belief, more than avoiding the bad and filling up on good stuff, stuff that is fun and keeps us all smiles. So I ask.

How can we truly follow Jesus, with whatever time we have left here?


And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’  Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain. And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.
Luke 12:16-21, NIV

Don't store treasures for yourselves here on earth where moths and rust will destroy them and thieves can break in and steal them. But store your treasures in heaven where they cannot be destroyed by moths or rust and where thieves cannot break in and steal them. 
Your heart will be where your treasure is.

The eye is a light for the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light. But if your eyes are evil, your whole body will be full of darkness. And if the only light you have is really darkness, then you have the worst darkness.


No one can serve two masters. The person will hate one master and love the other, or will follow one master and refuse to follow the other. You cannot serve both God and worldly riches.
Matthew 6:19-24, NCV

Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him now while he is near. Let the wicked change their ways and banish the very thought of doing wrong. Let them turn to the Lord that he may have mercy on them. Yes, turn to our God, for he will forgive generously.
Isaiah 55:6-8, NLT