Shelia Gaines

Challenging thought for today:

And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; Ephesian. 6:15

After snagging an opportunity that her colleague had been starving herself for months to have, Anne Hathaway’s character in the movie, The Devil Wears Prada, justified her decision by claiming that she didn’t have a choice because her job depended on it.

Her colleague’s response (paraphrased here) went something like this. “Girl, please, you sold your soul the minute you put on your first pair of Jimmy Choo’s.  For those of you interested, you too can snag a pair of “plain” patent leather Jimmy Choo pumps for around $800 at Neiman Marcus, but I digress.

If there is one area in which most women can find common ground on, it’s shoes. Every fashionista knows that the perfect outfit is not complete without the perfect shoes.  Even a trip around the track or to the gym calls for “cute” shoes.  The old clunky “tennis” shoes or sneakers having long been replaced with sleek lightweight walking or running shoes in every color and price range.  Even a simple pair of rain or snow boots can be the height of fashion.

In today’s challenge verse however, the analogy was to Roman soldiers and the footwear they chose to fight in. Though they wore sandals instead of boots, the thick soles protected them against hot sand, rough terrain, rocks, thorns, etc.  This verse continued the apostle Paul’s discussion on the armor God has equipped us with to fight any spiritual battles we encounter.  It also reminded me of a simple song a lady we knew sang with conviction every time she was called upon.

Lead: Travelin’ shoes, Lord,

 Congregation: Got on my travelin’ shoes

I can travel now,

got on my travelin’ shoes

I hope you will let this simple example inspire you to allow the spiritual steps of your life’s journey to be ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23) and be content wherever it takes you.  If you do that, it won’t matter if you walk around all day in stilettos or flip flops, the Holy Spirit will keep you on the right path.

Take a moment and think about your own “travelin’ shoes”.  When you walk into a situation, do you bring peace or confusion? Do you buy every pair of shoes that calls your name and patiently wait until you find the right outfit to wear them?  Do you have that same attitude when God leads you to a path that calls for a rugged pair of work boots as you do when you get to choose your favorite pair of everyday walkers?

My prayer for you today is no matter which road you are traveling on your life’s path, that you will dust off those travelin’ shoes and hit the road.

Take the next step:

Stop walking in the footsteps of your past mistakes.  Follow the path that God has put before you.  Lace up those sneakers of faith and run this race with patience and endurance and find peace.

Be Blessed,

Shelia

  “Do you have the guts to take on a fixer-upper?” Joanna Gaines (no relation) asks this question in the introduction to the HGTV show, Fixer-Upper, that she co-hosted with her husband Chip.  I may or may not be a little obsessed with HGTV home makeover shows.  Y’all pray for me.   

One thing I have learned from my HGTV fetish is that no matter how bad a house looks on the outside, or even on the inside, it is rarely un-salvageable.  If the foundation is still good and it’s structurally sound, you can fix up the house by stripping it down to the studs and making it into what you would like it to be.   

When an old home needs a lot of work but still has a solid foundation, it’s often referred to as having good bones. Most contractors are undaunted by whatever current shape the home is in because they can easily look past that and see what it has the potential to become.  

Considered this “fixer-upper” concept in light of 1Samuel 16:7b …for God sees not as man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”  Just as a contractor sees past broken windows, damaged walls and cracked foundations to the real potential of a home, Jesus sees past our crushed spirits, dashed hopes and deteriorated dreams to the wonderful temple that we were created to be. 

In one episode of Fixer Upper, Chip and Joanna call one of their projects the “Three Little Pigs” house because it was in such bad shape that it looked like a strong wind would just blow it over.  Have you ever been there?  Teetering on the verge of collapse?  Afraid that one more demanding phone call, one more hurtful, thoughtless word or one more rejection just might send you toppling over.  Most of us have.  You may even be there now.  

Know this.  You are not alone.  Stop living in fear of what will happen if you start over from scratch. Again.   Remind yourself that you don’t really have to start from scratch.   Matthew 25:24 –27 reminds us to build our homes upon the solid rock of Jesus.  So that when (not if) the storms come and life’s winds and rains leave you in a damaged or dilapidated state, you will still be able to stand.   

Chip Gaines always followed up Joanna’s question by saying they take the worst house in the best neighborhood and make it into their client’s dream house.  But I would be remiss if I didn’t throw in a word of caution here.  Dream houses don’t magically appear out of the rubble left of an old one. It takes weeks, sometimes even months of challenging work by the contractors, carpenters, structural engineers, decorators, and owners.  There is a high price to pay to restore a home to its former grandeur and add new life and character.  Here’s more good news.  Jesus has already paid that price and the only work required of you in this restoration is to trust and believe in His ability to save and keep you.  It’s not too late. 

What shape is your natural and/or spiritual foundation of your “house” in today?  What is it leaning on?  What are you holding onto that is damaging your relationship with God?  Are you still digging through the ashes of an empty burned out shell, holding onto broken promises from untrustworthy people when God is prompting you to give him those fragments and allow him to make something beautiful? 

And one final question.  Do you have the guts to be a fixer upper? I encourage you to let Jesus fix it for you and let today be the first day of residence in your “new home”. Tear down the walls of protection you have built around your heart and open it up to him.  Strip away old doubts and fears and replace them with faith and hope.   

When people look in the windows of your soul, it won’t matter if the physical location of your natural home is in the worst neighborhood or the most desirable part of town, because all they will see is that you “cleaned up good”, and you were “fixed up” with the love of Jesus.   

Be Blessed, Friends, 

Shelia 

Challenging Thought for Today:

He replied, Because you have so little faith. Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you. Matthew 17:20 (NIV)

You can’t see forever, but if you are willing to take the half mile hike, straight up the mountain from the parking lot, and then scale a 54 foot observation tower, you can see a 360-degree panoramic view that spans over 100 miles.  At 6,643 feet, Clingmans Dome is the highest point in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, the highest point in Tennessee, and the third highest mountain peak east of the Mississippi.  Even when clouds and air pollution limit viewing distances to twenty miles, the views are still picture worthy.

It’s a slow drive up because few people can resist the urge to stop and pull their car over to appreciate the many scenic viewing areas on the way.  One website called these treasures “scenic pullouts with endless views of ridges and valleys.” I know we stopped at least two or three times before we completed the seven-mile trip to the end of Clingmans Dome Road many years ago.

The road ends in a parking lot that signals the beginning of the trail that leads to the observation tower.   The trail is pedestrian only.  While it is paved, the incline is too steep for bikes and wheelchairs, let alone cars.   There are benches for resting along the way and posted signs advise visitors to take advantage of them.

When we arrived at the walk ramp to the tower, we saw a woman who had unfortunately decided not to venture the final leg.  Someone in her party patiently pointed out to her, the trek up the winding ramp of the tower was nothing when compared to the half-mile incline she walked to get there.  But, no amount of reasoning swayed her. She patiently waited while others moved past her to the destination, content to bask in their satisfaction on the return trip.   It baffled and saddened me that she came so far and missed the whole point of the trip.

It made me ponder on spiritual mountains alluded to in our challenging thought for today.  When we look with our natural eyes at the monumental challenges of our daily life, they often seem unconquerable.

I wonder if we would have as many regrets in life if we move our focus from the mountain to the climb.  Mahalia Jackson sang a song, Lord, don’t move the mountain, but give me the strength to climb.  Lord, don’t take away my stumbling blocks but lead me on around.”  If we’re honest, there are so many times we want God to make it a lot easier for us by removing stumbling blocks and mountains from or paths rather than teaching us the valuable lessons of learning to climb and maneuver around those things of the enemy that would block our path.

I have noticed that when you are at the foot of a mountain and look up, the trees loom overhead as if they are hundreds of feet tall.  However, when you get up on the mountain where they are, you realize they are just plain old trees.  They haven’t changed.  They are the same trees you see from the valley, but your perspective changes when you see them close up.

So, whatever mountain you are facing today, no matter what situation you find yourself in, prayerfully keep climbing.   Don’t be the one who gets so close and then stops.  Be the one to go the whole way and see whatever is waiting for you from a new perspective.

Today, I pray that that God not only gives you strength to climb the mountains in your life, but also keep you mindful of the time you spent in the valley.  Not so that you will look back with regret, but so that you will consider others who may still struggle in the climb.  Lift them up in prayer.

Why not take the next step?  Instead of asking God to remove every difficult situation from your life, why not ask him to show you where he is in the situation, what you need to learn from it, and how he wants you to overcome it.

I often wonder how the woman who stopped below the observation tower would have felt if she overheard the conversation between two friends who followed us down.

“Man, I’m glad you didn’t tell me how much walking and mountain terrain was going to be involved in this trip,” one of them said to the other.  “I would have stayed in the room, but I’m glad I came.  Yesterday, I saw black bears in Pigeon Forge, and back there when I looked off that mountain… I saw God.”

Be Blessed, Friends and Keep Climbing!!

Shelia

I started writing this yesterday and I am literally “a day late” since today is Saturday.  Nevertheless, here’s a little something to tickle your funny bone and give you a brief moment of reflection.    

One of my relative has a magnet on the refrigerator that reads “You can’t make everyone happy”… My first thought was “ain’t that the truth?” However, the statement didn’t end there. Those three little dots were followed by the words, “so concentrate on me”.  Of course, it’s meant to be funny and sarcastic (I think). 

Either way, it resonated with me and made me wonder if we sometimes view our responsibility as our brother’s keeper with a similar attitude.  We are fine with all those familiar scriptures that we like to quote and learn in Sunday School and Vacation Bible School.  We dutifully teach and share them with others as we see them in situations where they would be wise to remember them.  But, how often are we as quick to apply that same biblical wisdom to our own lives on a regular basis?

We are Matthew 6:33 experts, quoting the “seek ye first” scripture, but spending our entire lives seeking bigger and better.  We know we need to forgive “seventy times seventy” but our forgiveness coffers start to run dry long before we get to twenty let alone seventy.  We teach Jesus would turn the other cheek, but we live “try Jesus, don’t try me”.

I can think of many more examples, but my challenge to you today is simple.  Spend some time thinking about where you are in your “Lord, I know you are busy, but can you concentrate on me right now, moment?”

And, I’m in no way saying we shouldn’t feel comfortable going to God for our needs.  Because that is what he wants us to do. But, what about those times when we ought to consider others.  To realize that it’s doesn’t always have to be about us.  Those times we need to move past quoting the scriptures and start applying them to our lives. 

Maybe the best way to accomplish this is to remember the first part of the refrigerator magnet quote and stop wasting precious years of your life trying to please everyone and just concentrate on pleasing God.  Someone called it serving for an audience of one. When you do that, it will be a lot easier to keep the focus where it belongs.

Be Blessed, People,

Shelia

Please enjoy this slightly updated version of a post from 2022.  

Light and color.  That was the immediate difference I saw in my vision after I had cataract surgery a couple of years ago.  I learned that colors appear brighter after your surgery because you are looking through a new, clear lens.  A cataract is usually yellow- or brown-tinted, causing your vision to become cloudy and muting the look of colors.  I had become so used to the view I saw through my cataracts that the difference in clarity through the new lens was almost overwhelming.  In a good way. Thinking about that reminds me of the lyrics to the old song Satisfied with Jesus: 

I looked at my hands and my hands looked new.  I looked at my feet and they did too. And, ever since that wonderful day my soul’s been satisfied. 

To me, that song speaks of the new look of things once you start looking at things through a Jesus perspective, a different lens, so to speak. 

In 2 Kings 6:17 when Elisha’s servants became afraid of the enemy’s army.  Elisha prayed that God would “open their eyes”.  He was petitioning God to give the men spiritual insight to see the protection all around them. God allowed them to look (spiritually) into the heavenly realm and rest in the assurance it provided.  They were able to see it clearly when they looked through the lenses that faith in God provides. 

Remember, it’s the prescription in the lenses of glasses that improves or corrects your vision.   But once you take off the glasses, your vision is still the same, so you will always have to wear the glasses to see better.  The beautiful thing about cataract surgery is that the results are usually permanent.  In fact, many people will not need glasses to correct their vision following the procedure.  Some people, including myself, will still need them for reading.  But the overall vision improves almost immediately and remains corrected.  

However, in some instances, after cataract surgery, the capsule that is inserted to hold the lenses in place can become cloudy or wrinkled and lead to blurred and/or impaired vision.   This happened to me, and I had to have another procedure last week in order to restore my clear vision.    It was less invasive than the original surgery as it was a quick laser procedure. But the results were the same. I began to see improvement almost immediately afterwards and it kept improving as the day wore on until my vision was clear again.  

I wanted to share this with you today and to ask a few questions.  What do you need to view differently these days? Have you taken off your spiritual glasses or do you just need to ask God to “open your eyes”?  

Today is a good day to start seeing things from a different perspective. God’s perspective instead of your own.  You might be surprised to discover how much clearer your vision will become.    

Meditate on that and… 

Be Blessed, 

Shelia 

On New Year’s Day, I responded to someone’s post with the words, “Thankful for opportunities in 2023. Grateful for more awaiting in 2024.” I saw a Facebook post that read “if you are wanting more and expecting more, you first have to show gratitude for the little.” To me, that’s not meant to belittle anything major or catastrophic that happened, it just magnifies the fact that everyone has to start somewhere and reminds us to not despise the small things as we look forward and work toward bigger and better things.  

I am teaching a young lady to drive and I have told her several times that everyone starts at the same place when they learn to drive. Getting to the point where you are confident in your ability to control the car, getting comfortable behind the wheel and literally learning how to stay in your lane is a skill that we all have to learn. While some people may get there sooner than others, but nobody starts there. It’s a process. All part of the progression from learning how to drive to being prepared to pass a driving test. 

My word for last year was progress. While there was not as much progress in my life circumstances as I would have liked, there was more progress in my relationship with God than I could have imagined. That is what brought me to the gratefulness that I feel “flowing from my heart” as the song says. 

As I said last year, it’s normal to be reflective at the beginning of the year. We look back and wonder if we could have done something better or different, but we also look forward and wonder if we will do better this time.

Lamentations 2:22 -23 reminds us that the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases and his mercies are new every morning. Not just on those mornings when things are going well. Not just on those mornings when chaos is all around. Each new day presents a new opportunity to experience God’s grace and compassion. Three hundred and sixty five days a year. Three hundred and sixty five new opportunities to get it right. Three hundred and sixty five times to be forgiven when you get it wrong. 

Remember that today and each day this year. You won’t be grateful for every situation that occurs, but you will be able to find gratitude in God’s grace, love and mercy as he walks you through those situations and circumstances. 

Even if you have already made and broken New Year resolutions or if you didn’t bother to set them because you knew you wouldn’t keep them. You may even be that person who makes and breaks them every year. Wherever you find yourself today, it doesn’t change the fact that God’s grace and mercy is still new every day. I can’t promise you a problem free year. God didn’t promise you a problem free life. He jus promises you a solution to every problem in the person of his son Jesus Christ. 

Be grateful and thankful each day from this day on. Read and mediate on Psalms 34:19 and John 16:33 when trials and tribulations come, and let those verses renew your faith and make you even more grateful.

Here’s to a wonderful year.

Be Blessed,

Shelia