What is Important---A New Perspective

Someone posted a quote on their Facebook page they heard on TV yesterday about the earthquake in Haiti. It read, “Today, important things became very unimportant.” Oh, how true that is when we face tragedy. My heart remains heavy today for the people of Haiti and those waiting to hear about loved ones.

I can’t help but ask myself why. Not the ‘why’ you might think—Why did this happen? Instead the ‘why’ of us as people—Why does it take such tragedy for us to stop to think about what is important in this world? Bear with me as I ask us both some questions:

• What were you fretting about, angry about, frustrated by, trying to buy, thought you had to do/have the night before this earthquake?
• Did your perspective change?
• Do those same things seem not-so-important now, in light of what those people are living through?

If this tragedy has touched you and changed your perspective about what is really important then will you join me in this prayer?

Father God,
I am a needy person. I need You and Your presence in my life every single day. I need reminders of why I am here and that this life is not about me. I was created to bring You glory. I was created to build Your kingdom and not Lori’s kingdom. I want to live for You and have a heart that breaks over the things that break Yours. I want to have the eyes of Christ Jesus, so that I may see who/what needs Your attention on this day. Lord, take the selfishness from me. Replace the selfishness with a heart of generosity. Replace godlessness with a godly life. Replace sinful attitudes and thoughts with thoughts and attitudes that are lovely, pure, true and right. Lord, You are to be my priority and my focus for living. Keep me on Your path with a heart that says, “Wherever You lead, there I will go.” Lord, I do not have the strength to ALWAYS stay focused on eternal and everlasting things, but You living through me will make that happen. May I yield myself to You every day, many times throughout my day so that I may live a life that honors and glorifies You. In the precious name of Jesus I ask these things. Amen.

In His Love,
Lori

What Belongs in Your Space?

This first picture is the space where our Christmas tree stood. It appears to be a bare corner of the room--empty and in need of some TLC.

The second picture illustrates how different this same space appears once we moved the chair back into its place, added the pillows, and the throw. All of these things make it appear warm and inviting. I want this place to be warm and inviting because I try to begin each day here. This is what I call my ‘sacred place’. This is where I spend most of my morning times with the Lord.

The thought occurred to me on New Year’s Day that I have choices about what I could place there. I could have left it empty, changed it to a different chair (one more fitting for the area), or found a piece of furniture that might have looked better there. However, I wanted my ‘sacred place’ preserved. As I pondered this I realized that we all have those choices about the ‘space’ within each of us. What will we fill our heart, soul, and mind with this year?
• Will we choose to pore over God’s Truths and allow them to invade our very being?
• Will we choose to fill our mind with Scripture and commit it to memory?
• Will we fill our days with ‘activities’ that are eternal or temporal?

Dear friend, Choose today whom you will serve. Choose today what you will do with your time. Choose whether you will spend your time and energy on temporal or eternal things this year. I can’t wait to witness the great things God will do this year and I can’t wait to hear what He will share with me this year as well!
In His Love,
Lori

Merry CHRISTmas!

Friends,
We want to wish you all a Merry CHRISTmas!

Thank you to our precious Heavenly Father for sending your Son, Jesus Christ into this world to save us.

For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us; and the government will rest on His shoulders; and His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. Isaiah 9:6

Merry Christmas to you all and may you celebrate the true reason for the season!

Blessings,
The Keepers Team

Need a Quick and Scent-sational Gift?

Did you forget someone on your Christmas list? Did you just realize that your child’s teacher, coach, or your hair dresser didn’t make your list? Or maybe you have been racking your brain trying to think of something unique and wonderful to give to your neighbors and those listed above.

I have a great idea for you and it came from our "Gift Giving 101" presentation by Irene Delano two years ago. It is still the one thing I make every year. Because of the simplicity of the gift and the way it can be used for weeks through the holidays, I am crazy about giving this as a gift. I also love using this for myself!

The first picture is what it looks like completed as a gift to give.

The second and third picture is what it looks like when you use it. I wish this computer could send a scent your way!

Copy and paste the following for the list of ingredients and easy instructions under the title of Holiday Scent. http://www.keepersofthehome.org/2009%20GG-%20online%20info..pdf

A couple of tips:
• When you buy in bulk (fruit and especially the cloves) you will save bundles of money.
• Make sure you buy REAL cinnamon sticks. The first year I unknowingly bought decorative cinnamon sticks at Wal-mart and Hobby Lobby. Needless to say that when I simmered the concoction, I didn't smell cinnamon and saw lots of paper in the water! Sorry to all those first year (2007) receivers!
• Make it personal by adding a special verse to the tag. I make the instruction tag (given at the link) and then, depending on who it is for, another tag with a special verse such as:
Merry Christmas!
We give thanks to God always for all of you,
making mention of you in our prayers;
constantly bearing in mind your work of faith
and labor of love and steadfastness of
hope in our Lord Jesus Christ…….1 Thess. 1:2-3
Steve, Lori, Josh, Jonathan & Brooke Merrill

These make great Hostess gifts for parties and Thanksgiving gifts as well.
Enjoy and have a Merry Christmas!

Are you Missing It?

I have a friend who misses 'it' all the time. What is 'it' that she misses? To me it is the important details of the messages I send her. We do ministry together and often I send emails to my ministry team about important information that I believe everyone on the team needs to know. This dear friend however has a habit of skimming emails or thinking they don't apply to her so she moves to the next thing. (We'll see if she reads this post!) How do I know this? Because often times our conversations revolve around the details of the latest email I sent. When she asks me questions that were answered in the email eventually our conversation involves this dialogue, "Did you read my email?" to which she replies, "Oh, that was in the email. I guess I didn't."

We have laughed about this bad habit of hers and our Keepers team gives her a hard time about it. Recently I sent her an E-card and knew she had not read it because the company sends a notice when it has been opened. So, knowing her habit I finally asked her, "Did you ever get the E-card I sent you?" She told me she had, however I knew she had not read it because I had not been notified. The next day I received notification that she had opened it thus I knew now that she had read it. She later explained that she thought it was a 'blanket card' that I sent to all my friends. Little did she know that I had written her a message of love and thankfulness to her from my heart.

This situation reminded me of this time of year. God sent a special message of love to you and me in the form of a baby. Not just any baby, mind you. This 'message' was God Himself in the form of a baby. Fully man and fully God. He came to this earth so that we might have life and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) We needed a Savior from our sins. He sent His Son to be that for you and for me.

CHRISTMAS...are you missing the details of what this time of year is all about? Are you skimming over the most important message of this season because you have so much shopping to do, parties to attend, and food to prepare? Are you celebrating this season without really receiving the MESSAGE of love that was sent to you by God? Are you like my friend who could have missed my personal message of love to her because she skimmed over it? What a shame it would be to go through this month and never focus on the personal MESSAGE of love that God sent to you and to me. The even greater tragedy would be to never receive His gift.

Don't let this month get away from you and then realize you skimmed over the Message God sent to you; the *gift of His Son.
In His Love,
Lori

*Salvation is available to all who believe and receive. Read the following to learn how to do this.
Our Need--Romans 3:23 and 6:23a
God's Provision--Romans 5:8 and John 3:16
God's Promise--Romans 10:9-10, 13

Four Statements of the Gospel by Dennis Newkirk
1. God came to the earth in Jesus
2. Jesus suffered and died on the cross in order to receive the punishment of your sin.
3. Jesus arose from the dead to conquer both sin and death.
4. If you repent and believe this you will be saved.

One Way to Make Your Laundry Smell Great!

Mondays are my laundry days. I LOVE when you can smell the subtle fragrance of laundry soap in freshly washed clothes, don't you? I can't seem to get that scent to stay in our clothes like some of my friends can. However, on this particular Monday...

...I got way more scent than I could have ever imagined. My laundry day turned to laundry DAYS as I washed the same loads over and over again until all the suds had diminished! That, my friend, is a Warehouse size of Laundry soap all over my utility room floor.

Keeper tip of the day--DO NOT LEAVE DETERGENT ON TOP OF YOUR WASHING MACHINE SINCE IT DOES VIBRATE AS IT SPINS!!! Oh yeah, and if you do, then laughter helps!

Blessings,

Lori

Do you Struggle?

Considering what I am about to write I already know the answer to the question. I don’t think I am alone in this category of Christian living. However, I needed to get your attention. I have pondered this issue of struggles recently and particularly pertaining to our thoughts. Last week a woman shared with me that she stays mad at her husband almost all the time. When examining why this is, I was able to get to the root of the problem really quick. While she is doing things around the house throughout the day she thinks about all the things that make her mad about him. She simply stated, “I can be folding laundry and chewing him out in my mind the whole time.” She said often her husband comes home to her anger towards him and has no idea what he has done. Let’s face it, not many of us want to walk in the door to that every day.

Sad as it is, I believe all of us can be plagued by this issue. It may not be a husband, but it can be thoughts about something or someone else that plague our mind. The solution is quick and easy. Let me restate that—the solution is, maybe not so much for the actual doing!

Solution = changing your thoughts

As I share in Called to be a Keeper; I struggled with fear and worry in my mid-twenties (And I struggle today more than I would like to admit). I knew where those ‘strongholds’ came from, but I didn’t realize I had a choice in whether or not they consumed me. The good news from God’s Word is that “greater is He who is in me than He who is in the world.” (1 John 4:4) In other words, if a Christian, we do have the power within us to kill those thoughts and not become a slave to them. However, the longer we have allowed them into our minds the harder it can be to become free of them. We have to tap into the power of the Holy Spirit and obey Gods Word when it says, “Finally brethren, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things (Philippians 4:8). Taking thoughts captive truly is a discipline. It does require training. However, if you ask the Lord to prompt you each time you entertain ‘unworthy’ thoughts He will be faithful to do it.

How about you? Are there thoughts that plague your mind daily, keeping you in bondage to anger, hurt, frustration and the ‘what ifs’ of life? What are they? Recognize them now and give them to God through the power of the Spirit within you. Would love to hear from you!

In His Love,
Lori