The Evil Blender

The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it? Jeremiah 17:9

Who me?  My heart deceitful?  Really?

My blender was on the fritz and I just happed to see an advertisement for the most magnificent Blender ever on TV one morning while was working out at the gym.  Hmmmm…..that blender does everything but the dishes!  So I began my devious plan…..
I had convinced myself that I could make the fabulous “power” drinks with this awesome blender. It would be so healthy and maybe it would help me to loose a few pounds I thought to myself.  Why you could even make fresh soup with it and it would be heated to boot! 
Just watching all those veggies and fruits going and whalla a delicious drink. So I was sold. But the price was ridiculous, something like over $200!  So I still needed a blender but I could not bring myself to consider one that expensive.  BUT then there is always eBay………….
So, my wonderful husband found me a blender exactly like that one for a fraction of the cost.  Actually it cost me no more than getting a replacement average blender like the one I had.  So I was so excited.  When it arrived…………..
Did I immediately shove spinach leaves, tomatoes, apples and carrots down it’s throat?  Why no………..immediately my heart began to convince me with this powerful machine I could make the most awesome blueberry shakes with the blueberries we had picked in the summer and the fresh cream from the cow.  In just a push of the button it was a dream come true.  I have never seen it work like that and it was so frosty like………….hummm……..
I wonder if i could make my own Java Chiller/frappe?  I made the coffee and put some creamer, caramel, and chocolate syrup, so ice cubes and put it in the freezer to chill.  I got out the ice cream, the ice, the chilled coffee.  Got all the yummy ingredients into the blender hit the on button and in less than an nano instant java “killer” was ALL over the place……..
Something had gone wrong and it had leaked all out the bottom and was melting fast.  I lifted the container only to have more pour out.  What a mess, I duped it in to the sink.  Humph!  I was not chilled nor thrilled with this turn of events!  I cleaned up the offensive container and examined it over.  I could not figure out the problem so I put every thing back together best I could and tried again.  Same thing…………….! UHG! What is the deal!  This is such a sticky mess!  So finally hand stirred the contents left and drank it.  It was delicious, I drank it all the while  this “possessed” machine stared at me.  I turned my back to it, not even wanting to look at it while I sucked down the last bit.  later………
I went to clean up the kitchen and clear the counters.  I picked up my fabulous blender and in the process I leaned it forward and sweet coffee pour out all over me, the counter, down into the cabinets, between my toes.  It was like the flood gates had been released and the yummy liquid came rushing at me.  I was so shocked I could barely move…………..
I put the offensive blender base, vent side down in the sink just incase there was any more liquid in the thing.  I wanted out of there.  After soaking several towels and heading to the shower myself………
What a blunder of a day…….did I ever use it for the “reason” my heart said to buy it?  Have I yet made a power drink??  No……….but it is interesting that I immediately thought of two shakes that my heart would love to have and managed to try both back to back…………interesting………..

The things our hearts deceive us about are limitless.

  So lesson learned:

Never Trust my Heart!

(I was going to put a picture---but it was a mess!)

Riptide Christians

Allow God to take you wherever He wishes!

I was leaning over the railing at Monterey Bay watching the sea otters and harbor seals play. They are so cute as they splashed at each other, dive under the water, come up laughing (barking). They seem to have this serenity about them that just amazed me. It did appear that life was all about fun and games. I watched mesmerized by their carefree nature. I knew God had a lesson for me….

I want to be like the animals of the ocean, the sea otters, sea lions, dolphins and seals; allowing God to take me wherever the current flows for His glory and His “porpoise”! I don’t want to be held back by worry or fear nor shackled by bitterness and hate. I want to be free to go with the flow! Now, the sea animals do swim and go where they want to in a general sense, but the current tides do take them in and out.

I want to be like the dolphins when the tide takes me out into the depths of the seas making me rely on God in a BIG OCEAN (world). Boy that can mean an ocean full of things from moving across country to a new community, going to a new church, getting a new job, giving a speech in front of hundreds of people, getting married, having children, etc…..

I want to be like the seals when the tide crashes me on the rocks of life, causing me to cling to God for every breath. This may be a loss of a job, a loss of health, a divorce, cancer, death of a loved one, depression, etc.

Go with the flow and let God grow you whether you are in the depths of the sea with darkness surrounding you or the searing pain you experience as you are dashed against the rocks. Cling desperately to Him; allow Him to have His way in your life.

My prayer for you and me:

That we go freely and joyfully wherever He takes me!

A song comes to mind that expresses this thought

Wherever He leads I’ll go B.B.McKinney

“Take up thy cross and follow Me” I heard my Master say; “I gave My life to ransom thee surrender your all today!”

He drew me closer to His side, I sought His will to know; And in that will I now abide—wherever He leads I’ll go.

It may be thru the shadows dim or o’er the stormy sea; I take my cross and follow Him—Wherever He leadeth me.

My heart, my life, my all I bring to Christ who loves me so; He is my Master, Lord and King—wherever He leads I’ll go!

Wherever He leads I’ll go, Wherever He leads I’ll go

I’ll follow my Christ who loves me so—wherever He leads I’ll go!

L i v e L i f e on “P o r p o i s e”!

And then He said to them all: “If anyone would come after Me,

he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow Me!”

Luke 9:23

 

Heaven’s Ashes


As I gaze out the window and watch the snowflakes swirl around the house, I am amazed at the look. It is so beautiful to see the snow falling. Absolutely breath taking the view before my eyes. The snowflakes quickly band together forming solid covers on everything outside. I have watched with fascination, the farm yard, the out buildings and vehicles slowly turn white. This so completely draws my eyes and my heart to think of God.

So I look up to where all this glorious white wonder is coming from and I am shocked! For as much beauty as the snow possesses, the sky is frightfully dark. Can this be? That something so beautiful can come from such and ugly sky? How can something so pure and so white come from something so angry and black?

I couldn’t help but think about the passage in Isaiah 61:3 where it talks about God making beauty from ashes. He does that in our lives today! He takes our failures & weaknesses and turns them in to something beautiful and useful for His glory and His purpose.

We are like the snowflakes from our individuality, there are no two alike, to our sinful heritage, the black in our lives, to the pure snow white heart God gives us through His salvation.

An extra special lesson for me today is Christmas! So I can’t help but think about Baby Jesus coming into the dark world, He being the pure, sinless, snow, covering us with His Salvation. Making something beautiful out of the ashes!

So when you see snowflakes, look at the sky and praise God for the beauty He has made out of your dark messed up life!