It is time for another update!

Here we are at the close of another season. While winter doesn't officially begin until 12/21, it feels nothing of Fall here anymore. The trees are bare, the grass no longer needs to be mowed, and I'm to the point where I run from my car to the targeted building. And in another week or so, I wouldn't be surprised if the snow flakes start flying!

It's fine, though. As much as I love to hold onto that last glimmer of sunshine and warmth, when it's this late in the game (i.e. it's the week of Thanksgiving), I'm OK with the weather starting to feel more season-appropriate. Especially since next week I'll be listening to Christmas music! (Wait, or this week? I may have snuck in a few holiday tunes while stuffing Christmas Cards last night. Don't tell Ryan).

A few musings before we get into the show & tell portion of the post...

Today, I saw a quote about humility on one of my Instagram's feeds and it really struck a chord with me. I think it's because a humble heart is not just something most people wake up one morning with and have mastered. It is created over a lifetime of joys, sorrows, wins, failures, challenges, victories, and losses. Our experiences help shape us into who we are and the Father helps mold our hearts into Who we need to become more like. I do genuinely believe some people are naturally more meek than others, because that is just the way they are wired. But for the vast majority of us (myself included), much work needs to be done.

Then, tonight my devotion was based on the verse Psalm 51:17, "The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God."

The Lord desires a broken and contrite spirit. One that is humble and pliable.

I want to be more this way, but admittedly, sometimes fear stops me from asking God what I know I need to ask: Lord, will you make me more humble?

That opens up the door to an opportunity for me to learn. He may certainly supply me with a situation that humbles me, and honestly, that is a scary request.

But I will ask it anyway, because I know God desires it of me and He is the only one who can help me to get there... Lord, please help me to have a humble heart. Strip my walls of pride down and show me the areas where it is hidden to even my very self.

The quote I shared on Instagram, which unfortunately I have to list as anonymous because I am unsure of the source, was this:

"A humble person thinks much of God and others and spends little time fixating on herself. She recognizes that anything she has is better than she deserves. She doesn't feel anyone owes her anything. She doesn't feel entitled to have more, or for life to be easy, or for everyone to love her and treat her well. She's grateful for the least little kindness that's extended to her, knowing it's more than she deserves."

I think the reason this quote got to me is because it gets at the heart of what every woman DOES truly desire... material blessing, financial peace, and a pain-free experience with lots of friends who love us. Because a lot of us have grown up in a pretty cushy environment, a sense of entitlement can easily entrap us before we even realize it's there. And it's not so much of a verbal affirmation as it is an attitude... no one wants to admit that they feel entitled. We all want to feel loved and accepted. We want people to like us, accept us, speak well of us and speak well of our families and houses and talents.

But what if we adopted the exact opposite attitude, as the quotation suggests? What if we start seeing kindness as a gift, even a surprise? What if everything we own is not ours, but a loan from the Father for us to use it wisely? What if the people we come in contact with are not objects of our approval, but rather souls with hearts that we see as the Lord sees? What if, when we are slighted, instead of feeling like we are owed better, we look Heavenward and cast it on the One who cares for us?

This may seem like an off-topic thought, but so many times during this past Election, I kept asking my husband, "What do you think Jesus would do in this scenario? Do you think He would have voted? And if so, who would He have voted for? How would He have handled the people and their reactions?" I came up with no answers, but posing the questions got me thinking in the right direction. And I was more easily able to hand it over to Him, knowing I may not know what I am doing, but God sure knows what HE is doing. And really, that's all I can do, even with my hot mess of a prideful attitude and entitled-leaning heart. In any scenario the day confronts me with, I must ask... What would Jesus do?

Just some thoughts milling around in my mind tonight. Onto some pictures of the past couple months... and in the spirit of my deeper musings, a LOT of reasons to be grateful & thankful as gifts from above...

I mostly try to stay out of the political drama, especially when it comes to social media and the like. Everyone has an opinion, and even though this is quite possibly the most divided race in American history, it seems as though everyone feels quite passionately about who we should vote for to keep America in tact.

I could write a blog post on which candidate I think you should go out and vote for, but I'm not going to do that. The first reason I am not going to do that is because I have no idea what to say. I really don't. And secondly, even if I did feel strongly about a certain candidate and had well-formed opinions and data about that particular individual and how their win would result in the least amount of damage to America, I genuinely do not believe that tactic is very effective.

For the past several months, we have been inundated with articles, social media posts, and the news, all of which tells us different things. Whether it's your friend on Facebook or the "unbiased" media or the religious leader you respect, they all have varying views on this situation with their own reasoning behind why their views make sense.

But I submit to you a larger view and a different perspective. (I write with a Christian audience in mind.)

First, let us never forget our Ultimate Leader. He is so much bigger than a president. His sovereign will must unfold. It's easy to let fear creep in and charge our minds with all of the "what if's," but we know how it ends. Why do we let Satan have a foothold? Let Truth calm your mind. It is our reaction to these current events and the way we handle our character that says the most about who we are. And others are watching-- whether it be your close friends, your co-workers, your family members, your children and your grandchildren.

I recently watched a very refreshing perspective that speaks to this well-- you can watch it here.

Lastly, let us never forget that those running in this election are people. I am not here to excuse or belittle their track record and the transgressions they have committed. We don't even need to go there. I do want to say, though, that when certain people are under the microscope for so long, and we are only focused on their garbage, that is our view of them. Many of us have never come close to the crimes they have carried out, but one thing we learn from the Word of Truth is that it doesn't matter when it comes to God's grace and forgiveness. By default, we are all in the same boat, headed for Hell without a Savior. We know that turning to belief and Faith and repenting is the path to peace, and we might be humbled to pray for these candidate's hearts instead of trashing who they are and bringing up everything they have done.

My only advice regarding who to vote for in this election is that you pray about it with open hands. Pray for every candidate, pray for their families, and pray for those in current power. This is the kind of support they need most (and the kind of support any of us would want in this position). Ask God to continue to show Himself as Father, Leader, and the Almighty One. And may His peace be in all of our hearts, regardless of what is to come... because we know Truth!