Only In....

During a Labor Day Parade, I saw...

...a float titled "Hunting with Dad," completely camo, including a toddler strapped into a mock tree stand (for those non-hunters, tree stands are like tree houses for serious hunters).

...a 100-year-old man sitting in a lawn chair in the back of his son's pickup truck with a sign to declare "Established in 1909."

...a float to commemorate the first indoor toilet at the school. Not only was a toilet on the float but "school marms" pulled toilet paper off the roll, wrapped peppermints in the toilet paper, and tossed them to people along the parade route!

And my husband and I smiled and said, "Only in central Illinois."

Look around. What's specific to your area?

When I travel, I can expect certain things in certain regions. There are parts of the country where I find recycling bins everywhere..and some places where I can't find any. I have to strategically time my hotel workouts in some regions but have the equipment to myself in others. What's considered "business casual" for one region is completely too casual for another region. And it's important to know these things!

I love to discover the quirkiness of cities and the people who live in each area. What makes them unique? What seems "normal" to them but also sets them apart?

Set apart...and yet part of the world with everyone else. It reminds me of being a Christ-follower. What sets you apart as a Christ-follower? And yet how are you just like everyone else in this world? It's important to know both, holding yourself to a set of standards but maintaining humility.

I live in central Illinois, and while I'm sure much of my life is consistent with everyone else's in this region, there are many things I and others would say are "only in central Illinois" that I don't participate in or identify myself with. It's just not me.

The world would love you as one of its own if you belonged to it, but you are no longer part of the world. I chose you to come out of the world, so it hates you. - John 15:19 (NLT)

My identity is in Jesus. That means people assume some things about me, good and bad. I can deal with that. But what I wonder is how well I fit into my identity as a Christ-follower. I want to be set apart...only for Jesus.

Do not be stubborn, as they were, but submit yourselves to the Lord. Come to his Temple, which he has set apart as holy forever. Worship the Lord your God. - 2 Chronicles 30:8 (NLT)

Simple Joy

It was a thin ice ring of root beer that recently thrilled me. I was enjoying a fresh diet root beer at Fitz's restaurant and began twirling the straw around the inside wall of the ice cold mug when I discovered my straw wouldn't quite reach the bottom of the mug. As I firmly pushed my straw to the bottom, a small ice ring broke away and floated to the top. Wow! The mug was chilled to just the right temperature and the root beer pour in just the right way to form a small ring of root beer ice.

I was thrilled. It was as if I'd hit a jackpot. I tried to lift the ice ring out of the mug with my straw, but it kept slipping at the last second. And it was melting with each try. I had to take quick action.

So I stuck my finger and thumb info my root beer (yes, my hands were clean...and besides, it's just my own germs, right?), and I rescued the drowning ice ring, tossed it into my mouth and enjoyed the sweetness as it quickly melted on my tongue. It was delicious ...and apparently my joy was evident, because when I looked at my husband, he was smiling along with me.

Before you convict me of irrational and inappropriate behavior in a restaurant, play the tapes of your own life.

When was the last time you enjoyed something with such completeness?

Have you watched a child forcefully jump into a puddle with both feet? Leap into the air toward a parent or grandparent with complete trust the person would catch her? Grasp a glass of chocolate milk with both hands and tip it back for a long while, waiting for each previous drop to slide into her mouth?

You've had moments like that, too. Childlike abandonment...complete enjoyment of something that might seem to others to be frivoulous or insignificant. But if it was truly insignificant, you wouldn't enjoy it so much.

What are some of your simple joys?

Look for them. God understands our lives include many struggles. Simple joys are small, unexpected, inexpensive surprises he gives us. He enjoys giving us gifts of simple joys. And I think he thrills at the simple joys we give him as well.

So I recommend having fun, because there is nothing better for people in this world than to eat, drink, and enjoy life. That way they will experience some happiness along with all the hard work God gives them under the sun. - Ecclesiastes 8:15 (NLT)

Obedience

Obedience seems like such a simple thing. You either obey or not. You have a choice. Say "yes" or "no."

And yet, when have you struggled with obedience? It's a "when" and not an "if." I'm assuming you, like me, have disobeyed. I'd even venture to guess you've disobeyed knowingly, not because you didn't know of a rule or guideline. After all, we're human. We mess up...even when we have the best of intentions.

But what do we do once we mess up and realize it? Rationalize. Excuse. Reason. Ignore. Oh...and sometimes, apologize. We live in a society which generally encourages our rationalizations. Right or wrong appears relative, and no matter what our stance, we can find someone to support us.

When have you said "yes" when you should have said "no"?

When have you said "no" when you should have said "yes"?

The football coach of my high school team used to say, "Should've, would've and could've means you didn't."

Stop the excuses. Take responsibility. After all, we're human.

Joyful are people of integrity, who follow the instructions of the Lord.

Joyful are those who obey his laws and search for him with all their hearts.

They do not compromise with evil, and they walk only in his paths.

You have charged us to keep your commandments carefully.

Oh, that my actions would consistently reflect your decrees!

Then I will not be ashamed when I compare my life with your commands.

As I learn your righteous regulations, I will thank you by living as I should!

I will obey your decrees. Please don’t give up on me! - Psalm 119: 1-8 (NLT)

Obedience isn't just about you. It's about God.

Don't Push Others

Remember those childhood playground rules? Don't push others. Don't take something that's not yours. Don't go beyond the boundaries.

As adults, we think we've outgrown the need for such rules. We're adults, so isn't it obvious we'll be considerate of others and won't overstep boundaries? The problem is we as adults don't remind ourselves of the basic rules often enough. And we hurt others. And we get hurt.

Watch small children play. One child pushes another out of the way for the swing, and the screaming follows. It must seem like the end of the world to that child...and yet, ten minutes later, the children are not only playing but have left the swing to move on to something else. Or, as a children is running laps up and down the slide with a group of other children, he loses his balance and falls at the bottom. By the sound of the screams, you wonder if he should go to the hospital. And yet, a hug, a kiss, and a bandage are all is needed to send him on to the next adventure.

I wonder what we can learn from the way children deal with trials. Not that I think we adults should throw temper tantrums, but we often have the opposite approach as children. We bump into each other all the time. (After all, we're bigger, and it's easier to bump into each other!) Sometimes we end up bruised, but do we say something right away? Or do we think about it, talk about it with others, and simmer? It's like we keep poking at our bruises, because we want to remember what happened. But we'd certainly heal faster if we just turned to the person right away and said, "Ouch. That hurt! Could we please try not to run into and bruise each other?"

Or sometimes we unexpectedly fall. Falling seems to hurt more as an adult! (I guess, we have farther to fall.) We think it's easier to just stay where we fell. Whether it's that we think it takes too much energy to get up, or we think someone should come by and help us, we'll sometimes sit in our own self-pity for a long time...and all the time, our muscles just get more stiff and sore from sitting. Action is healing.

But action, whether it's letting someone know we're hurt by their behavior and words or asking someone to help, must be mature. And this is where being an adult helps. We know what to do. We just have to decide to do it. So ask for help, apologize to others, let them know you're hurt or you need help. They might not know you fell. They might not know they bumped into you. And yes, it's true, they might not care, and that hurts worse, but give people the benefit of the doubt. God does.

Your words have supported those who were falling; you encouraged those with shaky knees. - Job 4:4 (NLT)

P.S. As I was writing this, I heard the words of Chris Tomlin's We Fall Down. What a perfect reminder of God's timing and provision.

We fall down.

We lay our crowns.

At the feet of Jesus.

The greatness of Your Mercy and love.

At the feet of Jesus.

And we cry holy, holy, holy.

And we cry holy, holy, holy.

And we cry holy, holy, holy.