A Happy Little Pill...

Something strange happens to a woman after you hit the BIG 30. Goodness gracious I can’t imagine what the 40’s has in store for me. Everything just goes out of whack. Patience is dropped, levels of annoyance are heightened, hormones are on a rollercoaster, things sag in all areas, etc. I could keep on going.

The sweet hearted happy go lucky 20’s have officially vacated this body. What has been replaced is nothing to brag about or even understand.
Now I am stubborn when it comes to any forms of medication. It takes a lot to make me pop a Tylenol yet the doctor has loaded me down this year. “Trust me”, she says, “This can only make you happy. “ HHHMMMMMMM???? Happy? What does that word really entail.
I have a lot of friends over the age of 30 and some who take certain forms of “happy pills”. We always joke that there isn’t anything our happy pill can’t fix.
So a dear friend of mine who is struggling with the concept of 30’s came to me to ask for some advice about some emotional and physical issues. Me being the jovial sort said, “Just tell them you are old and in need of the happy pill.” So I was laughing yesterday when she did in fact make a doctor’s appointment for the next day and was cheering about her happy pill. Immediately after though my heart dropped and my soul suddenly became burdened.
I am not sure why the effect of those words bothered me so but I was up all night contemplating what to do. Then in my devotional this morning I was reading about how it is a disgrace to dishonor God by not cultivating your spiritual gifts. “You are the sole owner of your own set of talents and opportunities. God has given you your own particular gifts-the rest is up to you.” I truly believe I have been graced with the gift of encouragement and testimony but the last one scares the crap out of me!!!!!
So it took a few long hours and a last minute knock on an office door to share the word of God with a co-worker and a friend. “Call HR if you want but I just have to throw something out there. Today when you leave from the doctor’s office you will either have a prescription in your hand or a disappointment in your heart; however there is really only one form of a happy pill. While we all need different forms of love whether it be pills, attention, affection, or material things: there is truly only one happy pill. I look at you and I see perfection because God made you. I also see someone who just can’t understand that and has allowed that insecurity to overshadow the beauty of your soul. No relationship is perfect, no day is perfect, and we definitely as people aren’t perfect. Yet the beauty comes from accepting that every situation and/or relation will never compare to the PERFECTION of our Father. So while I hope you get something that calms your anxiety a little bit; I pray more that you will love yourself as much as God loves you. When you accept that kind of grace then everything else fails in comparison.”
Now I hope I don’t have HR waiting for me tomorrow! J I do however hope that I touched someone’s life with words of encouragement and I hope you are one of those.
Blessings to all my faithful friends and followers.
“Moreover, when God gives someone wealth and possessions, and the ability to enjoy them, to accept their lot and be happy in their toil-this is a gift of God.”
Ecclesiastes 5:19

A kiss goodbye....

A kiss goodbye…

My children are the lightest sleepers in the world once there is a hint of sunrise in the sky. One door squeak, a kitten meow, or dog bark, and these little bundles are wide awake. To a mom who wants to enjoy every single second of sleep this becomes extremely annoying to me. So it use to really bother me when every morning before Phillip would walk out the door he would go into their rooms and kiss them goodbye on their cheeks. Okay I know that sounds mean of me but seriously!!!! As soon as he closes the door to start his day; my extra 15 minutes of sleep is ruined by tugging hands and snotty noses. Grrrrrr…..

Now the amazing wife that I am (them just jokes) I try to think things through before becoming the annoying nagging wife. Even though I am certain the reason Philly does this is to just annoy the heck out of me…maybe just maybe there is another reason. Then I am quickly reminded that my lovingly adoring hubby does the same thing each night too. He locks the door, turns off the lights, and then through our monitor I hear him squeak into each child’s room and kiss them on their forehead and whisper to them goodnight. It kind of reminds me of the book I Will Love You Forever. It has become a nightly routine of him showing his love to his children.

After almost 13 years of marriage I like to think I know my husband very well. He is very much a visual person and needs to be reminded about things in the same way. (Ex: picture of diamond earrings cut out of a catalog taped to refrigerator 5 months before Santa.) I truly believe/know that there are two reasons for Phillip’s tender actions towards his children daily. First; he wants to start his day knowing what he is living for. The very purpose of our day and lives is wrapped up in the existence of these children so Philly wants a visual remembrance of them. I think it keeps him balanced and ready to take on any hardships of the day. Secondly; the kiss goodnight is a way for him to see his daily blessings. No matter what happens to us in the disappointing day how blessed we are to have those two sweet children. When he prays at night he always dedicates his love to them first and I can’t imagine a better picture of blessings then our children wrapped up in their blankets snoring away.

So I guess I am not going to complain about it; however I would like to find some WD40 to put on those doors! I will instead use it as a lesson in how I should praise my God. I truly believe that first thing in the morning is the best time to praise and connect with our Father. Instead of waking up and already carrying the weight of the day why not just hand over the big heavy box of burden to God? Let him dissolve any suffering and/or worry that boggle down your day. While our children are the reason for living here in this mediocre world God is our reason for making it to the ultimate destination. So why not carry that purpose with you throughout the whole day? Even a simple 2 minute devotion puts me in an elevated state of mind to live a glorious day for God.

“Is is good to praise the Lord and make music to your name, O Most High, proclaiming your love in the morning and your faithfulness at night,”

Psalm 92:1-2

Then how after a day of being able to just breathe can you not extend faithfulness to God? While I am not an anthropologist by any means; how can we not realize the depravity that this world is enduring and be thankful for the little or A LOT that we have? I can not imagine the sorrow that dwells in Heaven when we ignore the blessings and grace of God. “My child I gave you life today! Is that not enough?” We must overcome our guilt and recognize our Holy Father in Heaven on a daily basis so we do not lose direction.

“I will praise the Lord, who counsels me; even at night my heart instructs me.”

Psalm 16:7

If only I could physically see my Lord and I could kiss Him each morning and tenderly hug Him each night so then I would never lose focus. As not to leave the love my husband has for me and of course to brag; I get a kiss each morning and each night too. Hopefully I am a part of his blessings also.

I pray that you are constantly reminded from sunrise to sunset of God's glorious plan for your life and the daily gifts He bestows on your.

Blessings to my faithful friends and followers.

"But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. You are my strength, I sing praise to you; you, God, are my fortress, my on God on whom I can rely."

Psalm 59: 16-17

Cleaning Day

Sunday is the typical cleaning day for the Danciu household. No one enjoys it and least of all my little piglets. There is no such thing as a joyful heart when it comes to my kids and cleaning up their rooms. The irony is every Saturday night all I get is promises of being a happy helper for the next day. Yeah right! So this past Saturday I talked about the importance of cleaning up our rooms and how it is equivalent to cleaning up our hearts for Jesus. You need to make a nice spacious place to rest and feel at home. During this conversation I see a solemn look come across my 4 year olds face. Jocie, I say, tell me what you are thinking about? “Mommy I know how to clean up my dolls but I don’t know how to clean up my heart? I mean how do I clean up my time outs when I am bad?” I had to chuckle!

Of course at the same time how many of us have that same confusion about cleaning up our own guilt? I think the majority of us follow the simple “Sweep it under the rug” method. If you don’t see it then you don’t think about it. Unfortunately that isn’t really true is it? For too long I have tried the sweep method when it comes to the big stuff. There are certain things that I just didn’t think God could forgive me for because I couldn’t forgive myself for it. Sometimes it is just too hard to clean up the shame and guilt of sin.

Many images I have of Christ and Heaven relate to light, clouds, harps, and the perfection of it all. Now that I have a closer connection to God I try to find a more realistic view of God. We are manifested in His image and sometimes the simplest way to view Him is to see how we are as parents. So I imagine myself on Sunday evenings rushing to get everything in order for the week ahead. I clean one room only to have to go to the next. Then the next and then the next… (Trust me my house isn’t that big just that messy) The most aggravating thing to me is to reenter a room and see in a corner or hiding under a bed one of the kid’s toys. I could scream. My nose starts to twitch and my palms start to sweat. “If they would just clean up after themselves I wouldn’t have to clean up behind them every stinking time!!!!”

Can you imagine our God being the same way? Here He is with this awesome vacuum called “The Grace Machine” just cleaning up the residue we leave behind or sweep under the rug. “My child; please stop dragging this around and let’s get rid of it for once and for all!”

If you are confident in your relationship with God, (confidence meaning to live life boldly without fear of past or present), then you are disgracing your Father by not allowing Him to love you. Once you give Him your old ways to discard then He can love you anew and without judgment of the past.

No past sin or disgrace is too dirty for God’s redeeming power.

Now if I could only borrow his vacuum to clean up all of these toys.

God bless to all of my faithful friend and followers.

“May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. The one who calls you is faithful and he will do it. “

1 Thessalonians 5:23