Model Behavior

Thinking back to when I was a pre-teen, before everything was digitally available with a keystroke, I spent many hours pouring over glossy magazines like Tiger Beat, Teen Beat, and Young Miss. The pages were filled with articles, pull out posters (ahh..Scott Baio and Leif Garrett) and ads... lots of ads for make-up, Oxy, clothes.


I don’t recall any life changing stories but I do remember the ad from Barbizon School, the pretty blonde with her feathered bangs and the tagline “Train to be a model or just look like one”. Oh how I wanted to be a model and for a hefty sum, I just knew they could help me. I called the number got their pamphlet but my smarter than me parents said "No" (although at the time I disagreed)

Our Sunday school class is studying the book of Philippians. The focal scripture this week tells us to conduct ourselves in “a manner worthy of the gospel”, or another way to say it might be to model Jesus. One of the articles I read said,

God doesn’t care about your physical attractiveness, but he does care about your spiritual attractiveness

In order to model Jesus we must strive to have his attitude, one of humility, perseverance, boldness, obedience, and unity in the body. Unlike the Barbizon School of New York whose offer came with a price tag , God’s son gave himself for the whole of humanity at no cost to anyone but himself. He paid the cost of my sin and yours and lived a perfect life. Become familiar with the way he treated others, with the way he conversed with The Father, with his compassion, his passion, and his obedience unto death. Then once you get to know him - behave like someone who knows him.

I Wouldn't Go In There

There is a show on A&E about hoarding, it is in fact called "Hoarders". I watch it and am fascinated and repulsed at the same time. All the stuff piled ceiling high some of it treasures and some trash. There's always debris, petrified food, bugs, feces, and a tiny little trail where the person living in such conditions can travel either to a television viewing area or a bed. The worst offenders usually have animals living with them in those deplorable conditions and inevitably the team sent to set about the clean out process finds a few dead and decomposing bodies.

I have looked upon the lives of those featured and wondered just how they couldn't see what was surrounding them. I could never be like them. Among my many flaws you won't find an inability to throw out stuff or a need to hang onto every paper that my children bring home from school. Unorganized, yes. Skinny dress that hasn't fit my body in 18 years, yes. Would you want to open my closet doors? No, something might fall out. I also have several catch-all drawers filled to the brim with mostly junk. But am I a hoarder? The definition of  hoarder is a person who accumulates things and hides them away for future use.

Stuff I can let go of but feelings I can't. Feelings are nouns, nouns are things ,therefore, I think I am a hoarder of sorts. I hoard emotions. This was proved to me recently. Upon seeing a certain someone, a deluge of emotions came rushing to the forefront of my thoughts. Suddenly I felt surrounded by anxiety, bitterness, fearfulness all the hurt that I thought long ago thrown out. It was still there though hidden away, I'd just left myself a pathway through it. This was not a pleasant revelation and can most definitely fit the dictionary's definition.

My emotional hoarding has come into play in other situations (positively and negatively), I just really never connected the dots until today.  I think maybe I can better relate to the obliviousness of those hoarders on the show now, although the dead animals...don't think I'll ever understand how they missed noticing those.

Severe Weather Alert!



Yesterday, here in middle Georgia, we experienced some severe weather. Thunder, lightning, heavy rains, and high winds, all were part and parcel to the storm and not uncommon in this change of season.

I love a good storm weather-wise but am not so much a fan of relationship storms.

Because of the three teens under our roof, it should come as no surprise to me (or anyone else for that matter) that the number and intensity of relational storms has grown more frequent in this season of our lives. I wish there were relationship forecasters. I can just see it -some guy standing in front of maps saying "here you see a high pressure front from the school, when it reaches your home conditions are favorable for severe yelling, disrespect with a chance of slamming doors".  Maybe they could even recommend some items for an emergency preparedness kit: earplugs, breathing techniques chart, and  maybe a handbook would be nice plus I could really use a checklist.

I think over the past week every weather idiom known to man has played out in our house.

We've had  the "lull before the storm" with a lovely vacation and a "storm in a teacup" during which Ben walked out. Our son took shelter at "any port in a storm" while we (Sparta and I) "rode the storm out".  After talking "up a storm" we think the worst is over, although we are not sure if this is possibly just the "eye of the storm". Our hope is that we are now living in a long lasting  "calm after the storm".

There is great comfort in knowing that even in the most turbulent of circumstance I have a God who can speak to me in a storm just as He spoke to Job. I serve a Lord who is not storm-driven but who controls the winds and waves.  I found an original song on Youtube by a very talented young man- hope you take time to listen and enjoy. It's called "Calm My Storm"

So far it's been sunshine and peace this week....let's hope it stays this way.

Praying to no longer be driven by the storm but by the One who directs it!