Today, I went into my closet to pray. I should stop there because that makes me sound pretty good. I go into my closet to pray. The fact is, I should probably go into my closet to pray more often because I’m also a person who likes to yell. I find myself yelling at my iPhone, gps, remote control, the floor (because I’m clumsy and find myself tripping occasionally), or at whatever else happens to annoy me at any given moment in time. I used to regularly yell at my computer but then I got a Mac so now I don’t do that as much anymore. I also yell at my cat quite a bit because he is so mouthy. His name is Scoots and most people who know him think he’s really cute and sweet. They just haven’t been around him long enough. He almost seems to make it his mission to be as bothersome as possible. He starts meowing first thing in the morning when he wants to be fed and then he keeps it up all day long. Usually when I go into my closet to pray I make sure to put Scoots out of my bedroom and sometimes even put him out on the back porch because whenever anyone is praying in the house he REALLY starts to meow. That is the absolute truth. You can ask anyone who has ever prayed in my house. Anyway, today I forgot to put him out of my room when I started to pray which was a pretty big oversight on my part. I get into the closet, start to pray, and Mr. Big Mouth Most Annoying Cat in The World comes up to the closet, sticks his head right up to the crack under the door, and starts meowing. Now I wish I was a good enough person to tell you that I continued with my prayer, but no. I yelled. Then I put the cat out on the porch. Then I continued praying. It goes without saying that I’m not perfect and perhaps need to pray a little more. Maybe all of you should join in praying for me as well.

This blog isn’t meant to address my yelling problem. I could probably write a book on that. What is the cause of my yelling problem? Perhaps anger issues or maybe some other negative reason? Of course not. I like to think of it as my “feisty” or “high spirited” personality shining through. But me yelling at that cat during prayer time was the perfect illustration of a distraction.

I have been in a bit of a funk over the past few weeks. If you were to examine my life now, things look to be in nice shape. We are all healthy, my husband has a good job, and things are going well in the activities I’m involved with. So as I was thinking through this mood that I’ve been in, the reason all came down to distractions. I’ve determined that my focus is off.

We can be distracted by so many things. Things like anxiety, trying to please others, wanting to be right, competitiveness, insecurity, health issues, money issues and the list goes on. Me, I also get distracted by almost any shiny object I see, so we can add that to the list. As a Christian, though, our focus is to be on Christ. Lately, my focus has been veering off Christ and moving towards other things. Things like a big, annoying, fat cat who won’t be quiet. These are the times I find myself in a funk. As aggravated as I was with myself for yelling at my cat in the middle of a prayer, I was also thankful for the obvious example of how our eyes can be taken off Christ. Yes, Scoots can get under my skin at times, but I’ll have to admit that he is pretty cute and helped me learn a mighty big lesson. Maybe Mr. Loud Mouth will get a can of tuna out of this whole deal.

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2 ESV)

My friend and her husband have five children. Three of these children are adopted. Two of the adopted children are these precious little girls. One is from China and the other is from Africa. I can remember the day my friend told me the story about how her youngest daughter made the long journey from China to America. I didn’t know my friend very well at the time, but I cried when I heard the story. I cried because I was sad for what she had been through, but I also cried for joy because of what she had been rescued from. I guess that’s what you might call bittersweet tears. I also know the story of the older daughter, and it’s bittersweet as well. When I saw the girls joyfully dancing to songs of praise this past Sunday, I became overwhelmed by their stories and how these girls who were orphans had been given a family. I thought about how Christ rescues us from darkness and how through him we become the children of God. This past Sunday we sang “Be Thou My Vision”, and it was one of the songs the girls were dancing to as we rehearsed. These words from this song have even more meaning to me now as I think about these little girls.

Be Thou my Wisdom, and Thou my true Word;

I ever with Thee and Thou with me, Lord;

Thou my great Father, I Thy true son;

Thou in me dwelling and I with Thee one.

But it did make me think about doing hard things. When Tim and I were in college, before we were married, he asked me to return a library book. Please note, never ask me to return a library book. Anyway, I put the book in the back floor of my car and forgot about it. After several weeks, or maybe even several months, I forget now, he asked me if I returned the book. If I would have just sucked it up and faced the situation head on then, it may have been a little uncomfortable, but it would have been taken care of. Instead I used my amazing ability to skirt the issue and somehow managed to leave the book in the back floor of my car for several more weeks. Back then DQ blizzards were all the rage and Tim and I went to get one on a nice afternoon. When I was finished with mine, I threw it in the back floor of my car. Of course, I didn’t finish my entire blizzard because those things are so darned BIG!! Did I mention that another hard thing for me to do is keep a clean car? Well, several more weeks went by and Tim got in the back seat of my car for some reason. I discovered that day that a melted blizzard ruins a late library book beyond repair. It makes a huge mess.

Most of us don’t like to do hard things. But the longer we let them go on, or the more we are willing to use our amazing abilities to skirt the issue, the bigger our messes become. We still talk about that book sometimes. It’s become one of those stories that we like to tell and laugh about. But when I think about it I can’t even remember how much money we had to pay for that library book. I’m sure it was more money than we had at the time. And the sad thing is I was the one who made the mess, but Tim ended up paying for it, too.

Reflecting on this reminds me of when Christ was talking to the rich young ruler. Jesus asked the young man to do the hard thing of giving up his worldly possessions and following him. Sadly, the young man found this just too hard to do.  His earthly riches proved to be more important to him than following Christ. Whether it’s confessing to trashing your boyfriend’s book with a blizzard or sticking to a commitment to exercise, we all find some things difficult to do. Most importantly, we all need to consider what hard thing Christ is asking us to do and if we are willing to do it.

And he said, “All these I have kept from my youth.” When Jesus heard this, he said to him, “One thing you still lack. Sell all that you have and distribute to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” But when he heard these things, he became very sad, for he was extremely rich.  (Luke 18:21-23 ESV)

Tim and I have been married for 26 years. We are thinking about having one of those marriage renewal ceremonies, and it’s probably not a bad idea now that I’m getting a new wedding band. It would be nice to have a small ceremony in the presence of our daughters, family, and a few close friends. We planned on doing this a few years back. We were going to go to Vegas for the ceremony. We wanted to go to there because one night before our wedding we were dangerously close to flying out to Vegas with a friend to get married (sorry mom, I don’t think you knew this). That didn’t happen, but we thought because of this earlier event, Vegas would be the perfect place to renew our vows. Also, a shiny, sparkly, over the top dress would work well there, too, so I thought it was a great idea at the time. Unfortunately, some unexpected events happened and we were unable to fly anywhere for a while, so the renewal ceremony was put on hold. That was about 15 years ago. Hopefully, we will be able to make this one happen.

God has blessed us with a good marriage. People say that marriage is a lot of work, and I suppose that’s true, even though it hasn’t always seemed like a lot of work to me. But I have stepped back and looked at our marriage to see what has made it work, and I think I see two things that stand out the most. First, while the two of us have always had other friends, our first priority has been our marriage. When free time is hard to come by rather than spend it with others, we spend it together. Our relationship has always been our top priority. Second, we have always worked as a team. We serve together in church and the community, we have been on the same page when it comes to our children (no ask mom if dad says no), and we each work for the best interest of the other.

All that said, our marriage isn’t perfect. Tim annoys me sometimes. More often than not, I annoy him. I annoy myself sometimes because I’m a pretty annoying person when it comes down to it. I’m sure if you were around us long enough, you would find plenty of things wrong with both of us. But I sure am happy that I’ve been wearing this $19 wedding band for the past 26 years. I can’t wait to wear my new one for many more.

Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and they shall become one flesh.

(Genesis 2:24 ESV)

So this has been a pretty laid back Christmas season so far, and it’s been nice. I’ve enjoyed having my girls home from college even though the amount of garbage that we have produced has more than doubled since they have come home and boy you wouldn’t believe how many Capri Suns two skinny young women can drink in two days time.

But the point of all of this isn’t Capri Suns or garbage output. I’ve been thinking a lot about gifts lately. My girls both got the same wonderful gift from their Grandma for Christmas. She got them both old-fashioned record players. Once they opened them, they headed straight for my old LPs and started playing them. If memory serves me right, the first song they played was Bruce Springsteen’s “Glory Days”. I got the biggest kick out of hearing them sing along and watching them dance around the room to my old record. That gift made them happy, it made me happy, and gosh, it made us all happy!

While working out in our community  I’ve had the opportunity to see some folks be very generous with their gifts. Gifts of service, charity, kindness and time. It’s made me wonder why some people take joy in being so generous. It’s certainly not always an easy thing to do. But of course it’s because these people truly realize the gift that has been given to them in Christ. They have been transformed by this and are giving out of their joy. The gift they received gave them true joy and it shows through a generous spirit in their day-to-day lives.

……… the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness.

(Romans 12:8 ESV)

Why did we both bring drinking glasses to the party? I don’t know, except for the obvious fact that the two of us have exceptional taste, and the “great minds think alike” thing. But us bringing the same item to the party made me think about how this young lady has become part of our family. We have come to know her well. She has become a part of our lives and we have become a part of hers.

Tim and I have lived away from most of our extended family for the majority our married life. But we have learned, and pray that our children have learned as well, that family extends beyond our household. I’m thankful for all the opportunities that we’ve had to build our family by becoming part of other’s lives, and allowing other’s to become a part of ours, even if that process can be a little trying at times. Through this, we have had the true privilege of growing our family.

And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved.
(Acts 2:46-47 ESV)

When he was 40 years old, in August of 2004, we found out that he had heart disease. He seemed to be healthy one moment, and then the next he’s in the hospital getting a stent put in his heart. I remember waiting to get results from a nuclear stress test the day we went to the emergency room. The room we were in was filled with a bunch of men at least 20 years older than Tim who looked to be in very poor health. The results indicated that Tim needed some work done on his heart immediately, and I started crying when I had to sign a form stating the risks of open heart surgery, just in case he needed to have that done. This one very kind, but very sickly looking, older gentleman took my hand and told me everything would be alright. I still wonder how that man is doing.

There’s a reason I’ve started thinking so much about Tim’s heart lately. I am writing this on the day before Thanksgiving 2011. We got test results back yesterday that indicate that Tim possibly has another blockage in his heart. Being the holiday weekend, we have to wait until Monday to talk to the cardiologist to see what the next step is. If there is a blockage, I’m thankful that it was caught early so it can be taken care of. I still, however, don’t like to hear this news.

I am not happy about the broken heart that my husband has due to heart disease. If I had things my way, I would make that disease go away today. But I am happy to see Tim’s example of another kind of a broken heart. He hasn’t changed at all since we first met. He still steps in to help those in need, even if that help ends up costing him something in the end. And that cost isn’t always finanicial, but is often offered as time taken out of a full schedule, lending a helping hand when he’s tired himself, giving a kind word when I know he’s had a bad day, opening up our home when the fact is he’s a pretty private person by nature, or doing just whatever needs to be done. He does this because he has a heart that is broken for those who are in need or are hurting. I’m grateful to be married to a man like this.

He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.

(Psalm 147:3 ESV)

]]> http://mrslasherwood.wordpress.com/2011/12/05/my-husband-has-a-broken-heart/feed/ 2 mrslasherwood http://mrslasherwood.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/waiting-stinks/ http://mrslasherwood.wordpress.com/2011/11/29/waiting-stinks/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 16:31:34 +0000 Lea Ann Sherwood http://mrslasherwood.wordpress.com/?p=80 Continue reading →]]> Sometimes waiting just stinks. You know those kids who like to find and open their presents before Christmas day? I was one of those kids. When we first got married, my husband would make sure to hide any gifts that he didn’t want me to open until just the right time because I would worry those presents until I figured out what they were. When I’m reading a book I like to read the last few pages first. When I made this delicious apple pie the other day I probably should have waited a few hours to let it cool before I cut it, but it smelled so good that I didn’t. It burned my mouth a little, the pie fell apart because it was too hot, the flavor probably wasn’t quite as developed as it was going to be once it cooled, but boy that warm pie tasted good….I think you get the picture here.

But sometimes waiting really stinks. In all of the instances above the waiting really wasn’t all that bad. It’s easy to flip to the end of a book and read the last page first, cut a delicious slice of too hot apple pie straight out of the oven, or find wrapped presents, carefully cut the tape, and rewrap them so they look as if they’ve never even been opened (not that I’ve done this before.) Really, that kind of waiting is a little fun. But there is another kind of waiting in life that is hard. It’s a type that we’ve all experienced, or probably will at some point or another. It’s when your child was supposed to come home at 10:00 pm and now it’s 2:00 am and they’re not answering their cellphone. Or when you were supposed to hear back about that job you interviewed for and they keep putting you off. Or when you took that important test and you’re waiting to see what your grade is. Or when you or a loved one is struggling and you’re working to get out of it but things just don’t seem to be changing. It’s that kind of waiting that is hard.

Waiting stinks. I don’t like it. I would love to be able to tell you that I go through times of waiting worry free, but that would be a lie. If it were possible, I would write a profound blog instructing you on how to manuveur through times of waiting without a care, but as of yet, I haven’t been able to accomplish that myself. But I am very thankful that I don’t have to rely on myself, my own wisdom, my own strength and especially my own patience when I’m going through life, especially when struggling with difficult times. Times of waiting remind me of my own weaknesses, and this makes me so grateful that I don’t have to rely on myself. There are many verses about worry and anxiety in the scriptures, and I would encourage you to look them up if this is one of your struggles. They have been a real help to me, and I rely on them greatly during times of trials. But I really love the verse I’m including here because it is a daily reminder that as Christians, Christ is our strength. When I find myself at my weakest, I am the most thankful for this.

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

(2 Corinthians 12:9 ESV)

What did we talk about at lunch ? People prefer to talk about what they’re going to do rather than do it. And sometimes we confuse talking with doing. I’m telling you right now, Tim would have said that in five words or less. Tim is right, of course. For example, I’ve been talking about going back to school for close to 6 months now. I have chosen a school and program. All I need to do to is start the paperwork. But I’m acting as if talking is doing. I keep telling people I’m going back to school, but the fact is, I’m not going back to school until I enroll. Talk means nothing. My words don’t mean anything until I put some action behind them.

On social media you see “post for 1 hour if you know someone with …..” These often touch my heart because I frequently know someone with “……”I realize that perhaps the point of these posts is to raise awareness for the disease or affliction mentioned. But it makes me think that perhaps at times we feel that by saying we have sympathy for a person, or group of people, who are hurting we are actually doing something about it. Again, we are confusing talk with action.

Sadly, I believe this sentiment has bled into our churches. We have study after study where we discuss the teachings of Jesus. Then we have another study. It seems as if we feel that by studying these teachings and by talking about them enough, we are actually doing them. Instead of applying the teachings within our churches and outside our church walls, we go to another study.

I love my husband. He is a good man. I hope what I wrote conveys what he meant to say. I would encourage everyone to take a look at their lives, stop talking about that one thing and start doing. You do that, and I’m signing up for school.

But he answered them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”

(Luke 8:21 ESV)

]]> http://mrslasherwood.wordpress.com/2011/11/20/tims-idea-about-talk-from-lunch-today/feed/ 2 mrslasherwood http://mrslasherwood.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/what-i-learned-about-food-this-week/ http://mrslasherwood.wordpress.com/2011/11/11/what-i-learned-about-food-this-week/#comments Fri, 11 Nov 2011 20:27:49 +0000 Lea Ann Sherwood http://mrslasherwood.wordpress.com/?p=63 Continue reading →]]> I like food. I grew up in a family that liked to eat. Some of my best memories revolve around the big family meals at my Grandma’s house when we would set up a long line of tables down the one large room that she had in her small house, fill those tables with food, and eat until we couldn’t eat anymore. Then we would take a break and eat again. There were always lots of mashed potatoes at those gatherings and as far as I’m concerned, that’s about the only food that you need to make a meal complete. My husband always says that in my family we are talking about what we are going to eat for lunch while we are eating breakfast and he’s right. Growing up, we often had people over for dinner, and when anyone was sick or in need, the first thing we did was fix them a meal. So food has always been a big part of my life.

I suppose I have carried these things into my adult life. I have found myself having people over for meals, even though I’m not a great hostess – Martha Stewart has nothing to fear. Dinner guests will tell you that I can’t set a table or organize anything. You will probably end up getting your own plate out of the cabinet or drink out of the pantry. When someone is sick, the first thing that comes to my mind is to make them something to eat. If you walk through my door, I will automatically want to feed you. It’s part of my nature.

So I am happy to help Streetwise with the ministry of feeding folks in need with both spiritual and physical food. Streetwise has a food pantry, and there are many people who work to keep this ministry going. Those who donate to help fill the pantry, organize the pantry, put the food in boxes to be handed out to people, and the list goes on. I, along with others, deliver food to those in need during the week. We get to know some of the people that we visit, and there’s one man who I’ll call “Bob” (but that’s not his real name), who’s become one of those. Bob lives alone, his apartment is in poor repair, and he doesn’t seem to be in good health. We make a point of visiting him every week to take him food, but some weeks he asks us to give his food to the people who live across the way because he feels that they need it more than him. We usually try to get him to take a loaf of bread anyway to put in his freezer “just in case.” This past week when my friends and I delivered food to Bob he wanted to show us his appreciation. He had collected pecans from the trees outside his apartment and he gave us a bag of them to take home. He had also given a few bags of pecans to the group who had taken him food the previous week. Now, to me a bag of pecans doesn’t seem like much. But as I listened to Bob, he indicated that he was pretty happy for the food that we brought him because it would be nice to eat something besides pecans. Giving us those pecans was a real sacrifice for him, since I believe that was much of what he had eaten for the past week. And the food that we had delivered to him this week was just chips and Little Debbie cakes.

I am thankful to be able to feed people in my home. It is a joy to bring that type of fellowship into our lives. I am also so blessed to be able to help feed those in the surrounding community through Streetwise. People come together and fellowship over food. We comfort people who are hurting by giving them food. We show generosity to people through food. This week, Bob taught me lessons about sacrifice, gentleness, kindness, and gratefulness by offering me some of his food.

He said to him the third time, “Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” and he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.

(John 21:17 ESV)