Kindred Spirits

     If you know me well, you know that I am quite a social being.  As a matter of fact I'm that way so much that I think the worst form of punishment for me would be solitary confinement and I truly think that if left there for long enough that I would blow up physically - ha ha.  I know that God made me this way...to be social.  I love people with a passion that I cannot even begin to explain except that it comes from that fact that God loved me so much that He gave His only Son so that I could have eternal life and...love others in a way He would have me to.  Its a love that it stitched within my very being...to love on people.   Some find it weird, so if you find the need to turn your head a puke, go right ahead, I'm okay with that.  I have the ability to recognize that its less my problem and more theirs.  I empathize with people, I hurt when they may be hurting.  When they are walking though something I seem to be able to sense it and feel the emotions that go along with it.  Because of the way that I am stitched together, my friendships are extremely important to me.  I have lots of people I consider friends and would quickly hug their necks if I saw them on the street, but there is a small handful that I would call friendships or say that I am Kindred Spirits with.  Its more than an friendship but more like people who would be my "siblings" if I could choose them to be.  Its like we are cut from the same cloth, with the same passions, callings, hearts......  It almost like I know how they are, in their hearts, even before they tell me.  Upon meeting these people I can each say that I knew IMMEDIATELY that we would be life time friends without saying much at all.  Something I sensed in the Spirit maybe that made me feel as if I had already known them a lifetime.  It is difficult to explain, but I'm so thankful for these few that God has placed in my life to bless me, but more importantly for His purpose. 
      Nearly a year ago I wrote a post called "Iron Sharpening Iron".  I had forgotten all about it until I felt again so strongly to write about my God given friendships again today because of how thankful I am, that I recalled writing something before and had to look it up.  I am not sure I can put any better to words what I did before, so I will post it below.  I'm so thankful that God continues to bless me in this manner....I don't even have the proper human words to express how much. ;)
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     I cannot even begin to express enough how thankful I am for the friendships that God has brought into my life.  There is a quote out there about friendship " In your entire life, you can probably count your true friends on one hand".  I have to say that for me I could easily use two hands to do so.  I have a handful however that remind me of the verse in the Bible about iron sharpening iron.  The real, no matter how bad it gets, how stupid or wrong I may be, no matter time or distance, I can count on them to slap me upside the head,  encourage me, always tell me the truth,  cheer me on, and love me regardless of how dumb I might be without holding back, friendships are priceless to me and have no doubt been God ordained in my life.
       The phrase “iron sharpens iron” is found in Proverbs 27:17: “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.” There is mutual benefit in the rubbing of two iron blades together; the edges become sharper, making the knives more efficient in their task to cut and slice. Likewise the Word of God is a ‘double-edged sword’ (Hebrews 4:12), and it is with this that we are to sharpen one another—in times of meeting, fellowship, or any other interaction.
I am thankful for the times I have come to them in tears and just needed to be prayed with, over, and for.  I'm thankful for the times I too have been blessed enough to lift them up in prayer for needs in their lives and in their families lives.  We stand together in faith because we know that there is power in His Name.  

    Although I don't get to physically see these friends daily, I talk or converse with them nearly on a daily basis and am so thankful for social technology that aids in that, because the Proverb also indicates the need for constant fellowship with one another. Man was not made to be alone, for did not the Lord God say this, even before the Fall (Genesis 2:18)? How much more, then, after the Fall of Man, do we need to come together with our brothers and sisters in Christ for seasons of fellowship and prayer. Clearly this was recognized by the saints of the early church (Acts 2:42-47) who “devoted themselves” to the teaching, fellowship, communion, and prayer, all corporate activities that provided opportunities for sharpening one another. The result was that they were “filled with awe” and when they met together, they praised God for the favor they found with one another.  

 The meeting of two together in the Lord’s name will always guarantee blessing. It is a means of grace that the Lord Himself promised—where two or more are gathered in His name, there He is among them (Matthew 18:20). Also, we see a similar meaning in Malachi for those who feared the Lord talked with each other, and the Lord listened and heard (Malachi 3:16). When we sharpen one another in real Christian fellowship, the Lord bends an ear from heaven and is pleased. Not one word about Him which brings Him glory escapes His notice.

     Galatians 6:2-12  Speaks of bearing in one another burdens to fulfill the law of Christ.
The fragrances of divine ‘unity’ are best sensed in the relationship of David and Jonathan, son of Saul. When David was being hotly pursued by Saul, Jonathan sought David out “to help him find strength in God” (1 Samuel 23:16), which leads us onto our second point. Iron sharpening iron is an opportunity to fulfill the Law of Christ. The apostle Paul says that we are to carry and share the issues and burdens that we face daily, to lament over personal sin, advise on how best to repent of it, and rejoice over the conquest of it. This is the same “royal law” mentioned in James 2:8, where we are exhorted to love one another.
Returning to the analogy, if a knife is blunt, it still continues to be a knife, although it is less effective, less useful in the Lord’s service. Let us therefore be encouraged to spend more time together, exhorting, encouraging, praying, admonishing, sharing God’s Word, praying over God’s Word and the needs of one another, that we become sharper, more cutting in the calling that the Lord has assigned to each of us. Too often what passes as fellowship is centered on food and fun, not on sharpening one another with the Word of God. In far too many instances, the only knives being sharpened are the ones used to cut food - ha ha.
Finally, a knife that has been sharpened will also shine more because all the dullness has been rubbed off its surface. Likewise, we will shine better for our Lord if we do these things consistently. “How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity” (Psalm 133:1). After all, if we are not cheering one another on in our walk and walking in truth, then we are NOT - either you are or aren't.  Therefore, “... let us consider how we may spur one another on towards love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another ....” (Hebrews 10:24-25).

Finding Balance

    1 Peter 5:8
"Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring (in fierce hunger), seeking someone to seize upon and devour."

      If you know me well, you know that I am a person who would give you the shirt off my back if it was needed. I'm not one to shy away from getting things done, or helping a brother out if I can.  When I commit to something I am there, on time, and without fail if I can pull it off.  I hate being late, and I work hard at completing the task at hand and not just do it...but do it well.  
As I lay here in my bed however, recovering from Bronchitis/ pneumonia that nearly ended me up in the hospital (due to my oxygen levels), my battle is with the mind and the heart vs the body.  I am one of those that struggles getting my mind to shut off.  There is always something to be done, somewhere to be, something to do....the life of being a mom, as many of you can testify, is never ending.  With my husband being a truck driver, much of the responsibility of the kids, house etc... falls on me.  Don't get me wrong, I am thankful for his job...its an excellent job and has allowed me to be the mom I need to be to my kids, work a job that I love, that works with their schedule, and to send them to school where they can build their relationship with Christ even closer....that to me is priceless and something I will never regret.    
I'm also am involved in many other activities that are callings on my life and whole-heartedly enjoy them, but where does one find balance.  I know I am not the only one out there who does the "balancing act" in life....we all do in many ways.  I'm also smart enough to know that if you spread yourself too thin, and don't leave enough for yourself....you will be no good to anyone regardless of the calling on your life.  I get it.  I think the enemy  loves and does try to make us so busy that we do spread ourselves too thin....but it comes down to personal choices and not giving the enemy so much credit.  My personal, being real with you, struggle is in the mind.  Right now I am in bed and my brain is telling me all the things I could be doing, yep even though I am home sick from work.  Dishes in the sink, my Masters class, laundry etc..... but my body is screaming "Have you lost your mind".  Honestly, I am sick enough that I will remain in bed, but what is this battle???  I know I cant be the only one who deals with it.  I mean, really?!  What will happen if I don't do those things.....they will still be there, and the world will not end.  For me its not out of fear, although I know for some it is.  That question of "What will the neighbors think?"...for me I could care less what the neighbors think.  You should have seen what I looked like when I had to drag myself out of bed to take the kids to school...right then you would have known that I didn't care. Even my oldest questioned if I should be out of bed because of the way I looked ;)  
     As I look at the lives of my close friends....its funny to me how many of us are the same in that way....constantly running, doing, going...rarely resting until something slaps us across the face to get our attention and slow us down a bit. Ive been guilty of reminding those friends to slow down and rest...without doing it myself.  GUILTY!!  I can quickly see it in others lives but for me I just seem to ignore it as there is no time to think about it, until now when I'm forced to. Even now I say to myself "I don't have time to be sick".    My life is an open book, always has been.  To God be the Glory!!  So this is me, being real...trying to find balance.  Its kinda funny how I was just having a conversation with some friends on Saturday about this very topic...having no idea that I was about to get slapped in the face with the reality physically, although I know the Holy Spirit has been telling me to slow down for awhile....so I have been finding myself delegating around the house even more, asking for help and spreading the love of keeping the house in order more evenly, because I just cant do it.  I'm thankful for my families eagerness to jump in more without complaint, as in the past I have been guilty of not asking for help.
In the last week, I have seen or been given two quotes from friends that have really resonated with me.  One was "Just because someone desires you, does not mean they value you", and the other one was "Be patient and be a good patient".  Those hit me between the eyeballs because for starters....I have always struggled with being patient (but here in the last year have been really working on that), and have never been a good patient.  I am used to being the one as the "nurse" or helper and absolutely loving doing that because of my love for people and my love to serve.  I also never want to be a burden to anyone.    The other quote to me was a reality check....something to ponder for my own life.  Truth!
    I'm personally thankful for my hope and relationship in Christ.  When people don't have that, I have no idea how they walk through struggles.  I also have those God given "cheerleaders" in my life that encourage me constantly.    I know that when the world squeezes on me, they are gonna get the Word of God flowing out because that is what I am constantly refueling with.  I may be in bed but my spirit is soaring. ;)  
  Balance is a challenge in many of our lives and I am admitting its a challenge for me on trying to find it, as I think it needs constant re-evaluation.  So my purpose in this blog post is simple:  To be real, as I try to be, and to ask yourself about the balance in your own life.  Is it time to re-evaluate. re-prioritize, or just start saying no more.  I know from recent conversations with friends, who are strong followers of Christ, that its an across the board struggle.  Maybe you aren't there right now, but at some point in life you have been or possibly will be.  
1 Peter 5:8 (quoted above)  immediately came to mind to me as I deal with this battle of the "balancing act".  I know I will come out victorious however, and for that I thank God and give Him all the Glory.  Thanks for letting me be real.  God Bless You!!