Tool Box

What is in a tool box? I think to answer that question we must first look at the tools inside to determine the answer. Okay stay with me. If there is a screw driver, a hammer, and a wrench then the answer to the type of tool box would be one a handyman's tool box.
What about a life tool box? Some of us need tools for our tool box just to get through the day. Some people have a journal to write in, others have a diet to eat right, and others have devotions or inspirational readings to think on good things. Next, there might be a few pictures in their tool box to remind them of who they use to be and not who they are now.
Some of us have gone to church, support groups, have mentors, or therapist to help us gain tools. These tools look like inventory list, writings of their many blessings, or even some attitude adjustments that they have made.
Recently I had my tool box filled with some marriage tools. I went to a marriage conference even though I am single. The reason I wanted to go was to find out what my role as a wife looks like to God. What I can do to be a better life partner to someone one day and it was great. These are tools I can use in a marriage and in other outside relationships. I look at marriage as a oneness, a joint effort. I understand now when I see a ring that has no beginning and no end.  It is God who created and he has no beginning and no end either. This is a tool for my tool box of life.
God alone has given us tools for our life tool box, it's the Bible.
Believers Instructions Before Leaving Earth. 
Psalm 119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.(KJ)

I think the life lessons we go through are also tools for our life tool box. We all make mistakes and when we learn from them; the lesson appears. Isn't that a tool?  We know that when we write in a journal our daily actions we can see how we react to other peoples actions. If we responded in anger, we can see how that may have lead to an action of violence or hurt. When the next time the situation arises we may see it coming and react in a more subtle and gentle way that wouldn't cause violence or hurt. BUT we have to be willing to change out those tools. We have to be willing to learn new ways to communicate. Have you heard the saying hurt people ~ hurt people? The reason we hurt other people is because we don't know how to handle our own hurt. We may not even take the time to examine our hurt and we don't recognize when we hurt others. The tool here is to take  the time to look at what is hurting you, deal with the hurt with help and learn ways to release that hurt. Then when a time arises, you won't hurt nor hurt other people in your path. Remember the more you invest into something or someone, the more you are going to receive an investment from it. It might not come as you want it to, but it will show up right on time.  Invest some time into yourself, put new tools into your toolbox of life, change the things you want to change, equip yourself with goodness, gentleness, love, kindness, and learn long suffering.
Your life will be better and can get better when you choose to change out your tool box.
Any tool unused just gets rusty.

Go in Peace and Love,
~ Marjorie

To Do or Not to Do?

Recently I committed myself to attend an event, but did so with reluctance. The reasons I had were good ones, or so I thought.  I rationalized that it was going to be unpleasant and I wasn't equipped to do it anyways.
Little did I know that there was going to be a lesson for me.
I had to first come to the definite realization that I made a commitment to attend. This commitment lead me back to my saying "I want to be a woman of my word." So, yes I will attend. Up until last night I was fighting tooth and nail that I wasn't going to go, besides I have two weeks before the event happens. People will forget that I was asked to attend.  Nope.
God distributes gifts to each of us. Some have the ability to play a piano or some other instrument, another might be a poetic writer, or some (like me) was given a voice to sing. I've even had my friends hear me sing and ask why I am not in the choir. My very pleasant and honest answer is "some people in the congregation need help too."
I still firmly believe it doesn't matter where you stand as long as you sing to praise the One who gave you the gift.
Well here it is, two weeks before the event and I know what song I am suppose to sing. I don't want to sing it.
The song is "In the Garden." I didn't want to sing it for the sheer fact that it was played at my dad's funeral and the second is the event that I am to sing at is on Father's Day, June 19th. How am I suppose to sing a song that has such depth meaning to me and it's only been less than 5 months since my dad passed away. Well God provided away.
I was with a friend when we pulled up the song on YouTube and listened to it. I quickly ran out of the room just at the first note and words, crying. I could stand to listen to it. As I cried, it felt like my heart was being split open, it HURT! It was truly as if someone had taken a knife and split me open at my breast bone and cut to my heart.
I now call this "God's sensation of heart surgery."  I cried so hard. I tried singing the song to make it better, but it didn't feel better, it still hurt.
After a while my friend and I talked it over and made the decision to make new memories with this song. So I began the journey of walking in the Garden with Jesus as Adam and Eve did in the cool of the day.
My tears began to dry up, my attitude changed from sad to happy or semi happy. Now, I cannot get the song out of my head nor off of my heart.
It's funny when I think about it, but here is one song "In the Garden" when another song comes after it "It Is Well With My Soul." I choose to surrender to all that God wants to change inward than what I'd rather project outward.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet the inward man is being renewed day by day.  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory,  while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.
2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (NKJ)

In your journey today are you holding steady and letting God do a good work in you or are you fighting him?
When you increase your dependence on God, amazing things begin to happen that YOU couldn't do on your own.  So why not step back, look at your current situation and surrender it to the one who already knows what is going to happen? He wants to give you his BEST and you won't even come close to that on your own.  It's a mistake to make a permanent decision based on a temporary circumstance or changing emotion.

Step out in Faith with me
~Marjorie