Friday's Challenge on Posted by Rebekah

Every Friday @ 12:30pm (CST), you can hear a weekly challenge from me on Faith Music Radio.  My podcast is called Posted by Rebekah. You can listen online HERE or download the free app for your smartphone.  I would love for you to join us, listen and take the challenge!

Tune in any time of the day to Faith Music Radio for uplifting Christian music and talk. 

Here is today's podcast in blog post form. :)

It isn’t too often I come across a situation that sobers me.  Recently, though, I did.

The situation was one of a lady living alone – a mere seventy years old.  Perhaps seventy sounds ancient but the older I get, the younger it sounds. Her health is not good but her mind still there.  She appeared to me as a person of much potential.

There was one factor that makes her life a sad, depressing portrait to me.  She is an alcoholic.  For no other reason, she drank continuously.  Her coffee cup was filled with whiskey which never ran dry.   It is very clear she is addicted.

I relayed my experience to my husband who in turn explained that was the story of his Papaw – his dad’s father.  His grandpa lived with them for a time and he constantly drank.  Was never without a drink.  His dad also an alcoholic.

After returning home from her home, my mind couldn’t forget the whole scenario.  This woman lived in a gorgeous home – yet confined herself to her bedroom and her bottle.  How did she get to that point?  I don’t know the story of how her addiction came to be.  I do know that addictions always must begin somewhere.

You get to that point by starting.  Taking that drink.  Sneaking a pill.  You just have to start – one time.  Maybe you were just a teenager.

Then slowly, justification takes over.  You don’t need it – you just enjoy it.  I can make these decisions for myself.  It doesn’t hurt anyone.

Ask my husband what alcohol did to his family – his mom left his dad.  Divorce – broken home. You never walk away from alcohol without consequences.

What did I take away from this experience?  I mean, why even write about addictions?  This is Christian radio for Christians.  Is it even relevant?

To me – yes.  It challenges me that as a mom – there is always someone watching me.  The decisions I choose for myself are also decisions I am choosing for my kids.  If I choose alcohol, they are more likely to also choose alcohol.

It also challenges me that there are those in our ministry and beyond that are watching me.  I am an example to many.  A liquid is not worth my marriage, my family or my ministry. 

I am challenged to think hard about this subject.  I hope you will too.

Will you take the challenge?

Friday's Challenge on Posted by Rebekah

Every Friday @ 12:30pm (CST), you can hear a weekly challenge from me on Faith Music Radio.  My podcast is called Posted by Rebekah. You can listen online HERE or download the free app for your smartphone.  I would love for you to join us, listen and take the challenge!

Tune in any time of the day to Faith Music Radio for uplifting Christian music and talk. 

Here is today's podcast in blog post form. :)

I love this time of the year.  The weather is getting nicer and it is so pleasant to be outside planting and gardening.  My girls love to help me plant seeds and vegetable plants and flowers.  That’s the fun and easy part.  The hard part is then the waiting!

After you plant your seeds, you have that period of…are those seeds going to sprout?  Are they going to grow into what we hope them to be?  Healthy and vibrant as well as plants that produce?  I mean, plants are great and all, but what would the purpose be if they never produced flowers or vegetables?  Is all that labor going to be in vain?

Time.  And care.  That is what those plants need.  And that is what most people need too.  Being a mom – it is easy to look at your child and worry.  Will my children be able to make it?  Am I giving them the resources that they need to thrive?  What if they choose a different path than I would like them to take?  Here is a few thoughts…

First, just like plants need the sun, your children need the “Son”. Make Jesus real in your family’s lives.  Don’t just let it be something that you do on Sunday.  Make Him the center of your family.

Second, children, like plants, need to be “pruned” and the soil around them tilled up from time to time.  Life ain’t easy.  Let them experience hard situations.  Teach them respect, character, diligence.  Discipline when needed.  These are tough years and it takes a tough parent to make it through.  But when you stick with it, your children will thank you later.

Lastly, they need “rain”.  I think of rain as those times of refreshment.  Fun and happy times.  Sweet memories. 

So the challenge today is to all you moms – don’t stress too much over what college your child is going to attend in 18 years.  Don’t stress what career they will choose.  Take one step at a time.  Focus your family on Jesus.  Stay with it and be that tough parent.  And don’t forget to create those happy, fun times together!

Will you take the challenge?

Friday's Challenge on Posted by Rebekah

Every Friday @ 12:30pm (CST), you can hear a weekly challenge from me on Faith Music Radio.  My podcast is called Posted by Rebekah. You can listen online HERE or download the free app for your smartphone.  I would love for you to join us, listen and take the challenge!

Tune in any time of the day to Faith Music Radio for uplifting Christian music and talk. 

Here is today's podcast in blog post form. :)

Our family is going on a short road trip to Fairfield, CA tomorrow.  Just a couple of days – my husband will be preaching for a pastor friend there.

Our children’s pastor asked me this week – what kind of snacks would the girls like for your trip?  He said, “I know Addie likes Flaming Hot Cheetos.”  I started to chuckle when I read that comment.  You see, our last road trip camping, we were on our way to the beautiful Redwoods.  We had barely crossed over into California and a couple of the girls started to get car sick.  The joys of kids!  Ha!  Well, when Addie got sick and started vomiting, she was exclaiming, “Oh, it’s hot!” in between her hurls.  Meaning, the hot Cheetos coming back up was not very pleasant.  And obviously, they still hold their quality of being hot!

It was all my husband and I could do to keep from bursting out laughing in the front seat!  Oh yeah, there are definitely many moments like that as parents and you know it too!  Here your kid is throwing up and you can’t keep your laughter in.

But you know what?  That bad experience hasn’t deterred my daughter’s love for hot Cheetos.  She still loves them and would eat them every day if she could.

So what is the lesson in this weird story?  Sometimes, you are just gonna have a bad experience.  Give it another chance.  I thought of choosing a church in this scenario.  There are no perfect churches because churches are ran by imperfect people.  People sometimes decide to leave over experiences.  Yes, they may be valid.  But most of the time, if we just take some time to chew on it – we are able to think a little clearer and realize – It wasn’t really a big deal.  Things are just gonna happen and that’s ok.

So the challenge is – this Sunday, if something happens that hurts your feelings…discourage you…anger you – take some time before you react.  Give it another chance!

Will you take the challenge?

Friday's Challenge on Posted by Rebekah

Every Friday @ 12:30pm (CST), you can hear a weekly challenge from me on Faith Music Radio.  My podcast is called Posted by Rebekah. You can listen online HERE or download the free app for your smartphone.  I would love for you to join us, listen and take the challenge!

Tune in any time of the day to Faith Music Radio for uplifting Christian music and talk. 

Here is today's podcast in blog post form. :)

Hoarders.  I have mini size people hoarders who live in my house.  Yikes! They like to keep anything and everything!  LOL!  Two of my four girls are the creative type.  Therefore, they can look at a piece of trash – something that I render useless and want to throw away – right away! – and they will save it.  They will get out the tape, scissors, yarn, glue, colors – and turn that piece of garbage into something of value to them.  They see usefulness where others may not.  They see a different future where others may not.  They see a purpose where others may not.

What a great quality to have in life!  Are you the type of person that sees something in another person where others may not?  Do you judge others’ worth based on what you see on the outside?

My husband grew up in a home without God.  He didn’t go to church – in fact, when he went to a Baptist church for the first time, he couldn’t believe the man said Jesus Christ in church.  He just thought it was a curse word his whole life.  When a friend invited him to a youth activity, I am sure there wasn’t much value in my husband’s life at that time.  He probably just seemed like another punk off the streets – another poor kid in the ghetto – another teenager that was headed for the system.

But under that exterior was a heart that was turned toward God.  Value.  Worth.  Purpose of life.  Someone was willing to take a chance on that seemingly useless life.

And then God took over from there.  He worked on that life and molded it through hardship and unsavory circumstances – into a preacher of His gospel.  Into a life now reaching other useless lives in that same city of Reno, NV. 

The challenge is today – be the type of person to see what others potentially can be and not what they currently are.  Find the remnants of lives – the discarded ones of seemingly no value – love them – put time into them – until they are a vessel of beauty, worth and value.

Will you take the challenge?