MOVE!

(picture borrowed from the Rathes' Hawaiian vacation collection)
Tim asked us last night if we could define a mountain that was in our way and name it.
Did you know that God says this about mountains:
He replied, "Because you have so little faith. I tell you the truth, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there' and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you."Matthew 17:20
At first thought, I said my mountain would be the mis-perception of TIME. You see, when you have an out-of-the-home job, or are in school, you have time schedules to meet, breaks, class changes, lunch, and at some point you go home again. And it's all broken up to a degree of understanding and in relationship to and with time.
But when you wake up at an given time throughout the night (last night it was five times or so) and you never know quite when your day is going to begin (Saturday it was 5:40am, today 7:06am) or when you are going to get a break or a chance to *work, it gets quite confusing. My day, though somewhat predictable, can distort time in many ways. And I look at it, or back at it and wonder what of it? Did I take time for this? or that? Did I *make time? Or can one really do that? God makes time, He holds it in His hand. He gives it to us. You've heard "it is precious" or "it's a gift." So why does it sometimes seem like my enemy?
On further thought, those mountains could also be called "Mount Laundry" or "Mount Dishes" or surely "Mountain of BILLS" even "Mount List-of-things-to-do." Which would then turn into "Mountain of OVERwhelming ideas." These mountains need to get of my way!
Good thing that by Faith, I can ask God to move these mountains from my way and He will!

This morning I took a refreshing brisk walk in the cool autumn air: Praising God for giving me this life he has, this time to walk so freely, and no mountain to block my view of His Givingness to me.

Praise God, everybody!

Praise God, everybody! Applaud God, all people! His love has taken over our lives; God's faithful ways are eternal. Hallelujah!
Psalm 117 (The Message)

So, just yesterday I was telling a friend that I have these wonderful opportunities to pray for people. About 3-4 times a day I have to sit quietly still and nurse the baby down for anywhere from five to twenty-five minutes. It's a sacred time, and I love it. Since she doesn't even like for me to READ, I am forced to just sit still. Which has been very heart-revealing to me. I use this time to pray. Mostly for people in my life. But I feel like I haven't really spent a lot of time praising God for being Himself, so great and abundantly rich in love, and thousands of other things I could praise Him for.
So, lo and behold, I open up my Bible this morning to Psalm 117 (above). Perfect! I thought. This will get me started. Psalm 118 is just as great and even more elaborate, and I read through it twice. I set out determined to praise God all day! What could be better?
Well...it sounds great, but in reality everything began to go wrong. We rushed around to leave by 8:20 and I couldn't find my keys. ANYWHERE. Brielle pulled up to the table and spilled an entirely full travel mug of hot coffee all over the door entrance (she didn't get it on her-thank God!). And I literally thought, "I still have to praise God, don't forget!"
So we took a walk that I literally wanted to close my eyes to, the sun, the wind, my tears. I know, silly tears. Things go wrong. I know.
So, when Brielle took only a 21 minute nap, and I was beginning to rank this up there with one of the worst mornings ever, hence my high level of frustration at this point, I realized this:
Things could get even worse than this if I still continue to Praise God! (and also if I don't) but no matter what, He deserves my praise today. He is more than worthy than any meager praise I can offer to Him with my day. And no matter what happens, what may or may not, I am called to burst out of my current unlikely situation and PRAISE the One who I believe in!!!