the Stuff of life

Box after box after endless box began filling our 970 square foot apartment. I knew there were items in these boxes. Items that we apparently couldn’t live without because we spent $300 to rent a truck big enough to move it all; but I couldn’t recall what in the world could be in these boxes that I so desperately needed to bring with me. As the Stuff began taking shape and boxes piled in the corner, I realized that I probably needed to get to get rid of some of it… OR store it so that all our Stuff could fit.

I headed to target- the land of new Stuff. I found stuff to clean our Stuff, store our Stuff, and add to our Stuff. As we squeezed in the new Stuff, the old Stuff piled in a new box. The donate box. We ventured to the Salvation army- the land of reused Stuff. What a cathartic feeling of goodness we felt as we drove to the back and graciously passed off some of our old Stuff to someone new. Then we drove 10 yards to the front and walked in the front door to see if we needed any new-vintage Stuff.
The madness of this perpetual cycle began to sink in…

We fill our lives with Stuff. We get better jobs so that we can get more Stuff. We get a bigger house to store the Stuff. We hurt our backs to lift the Stuff. We get a storage unit to put the leftover Stuff somewhere. We get more Stuff to maintain the other Stuff and need insurance so that we can protect the Stuff. When we move it all revolves around our Stuff… “How big of a place do we need to fit our Stuff?” “How many boxes will we need to move our Stuff?” “What size truck do we need to rent to hold the boxes that hold our Stuff?” “Where in the world did we get all this Stuff?!”

As we packed up our sweet little house in the mountains, I had an encouraging thought. In our Final Move, the very last Departure, we won’t pack a thing. Nothing will need to be wrapped up, squeezed in, taped up, or lifted. It will all mold, rust, decay, deteriorate, break, be turned into new Stuff, and not give a thought to it’s previous owner.

Jesus says that my life is a vapor and my Stuff is dust.

Depressing.

Unless... I can use the fading moments left in my life to invest in true Treasure. My Creator. His People. His kingdom...

Stella's favorite things

I thought I would take a moment to share with you what we get to enjoy everyday. Stella is now 11 months and a week old and very opinionated about what she does and certainly does NOT like! We are enjoying parenthood way too much and love each phase she is going through as we anticipate what she surprises us with next!
Her favorite things this month are...
Her puppies.

She loves their ears, tails, and noses. They also love her! Bosley likes to lick her after I put her lotion on and Betty thinks she's the designated nanny.

Laughing

She loves to laugh at me when I blow my nose, at Seth when he tickles her, and at anything else her little mind finds comical.

Bananas

Every morning.

The Ziplock bag drawer

When I am working in the kitchen or laundry room, Stella follows me in and promptly finds her way to the Ziplock bag drawer which is conveniently located at the bottom. She sits down, opens the drawer and begins pulling baggies out one-by-one. She isn't interested in each individual baggie, but more in the sound and feeling of them coming out of the box. Before one bag has landed on the tile, another is in the air. Then, when she is content with the pile of wrinkled bags on the floor, she uses two as slippers for her hands and shuffles/scoots her way back to the livingroom, leaving a trail of orphaned sandwich bags behind her.

The fast I have chosen...

I am absolutely undone!! This morning I was reminded of a passion that was ignited in my heart 6 years ago when I went to Cambodia and Thailand for two months on outreach with Youth With A Mission. Before we left, we received cultural training and learned a little bit about FGM (female genital mutilation) and Child sex trafficking and exploitation. The statistics show that 2 children are sold to the sex trade every minute! Six years ago, I asked the Lord if He would not allow me to forget these little ones and the absolute wickedness that fuels this billion-dollar per year industry. He hasn't. The verse that He gave me six years is Isaiah 58:6-9...

"Is this not the fast that I have chosen:
To loose the bonds of wickedness,
To undo the heavy burdens,
To let the oppressed go free,
And that you break every yoke?
Is it not to share your bread with the hungry?
And that you bring to your house the poor who are cast out;
When you see the naked that you cover him,
And not hide yourself from your own flesh?

Then your light shall break forth like the morning,
Your healing shall spring forth speedily,
And your righteousness shall go before you;
The GLORY OF THE LORD SHALL BE YOUR REAR GUARD!
Then you shall call, and the Lord will answer;
You shall cry, and He will say 'Here I am'."

Oh that He would set these captives free! I write this to ask you to partner with me in prayer for these little girls and boys and for the ministries and organizations in place to help rescue and rehabilitate victims of sex-trafficking. The website I found this morning is www.love146.com. They are a non-profit organization committed to this cause.