Set apart for Him

Day 5: love is not Proud

Today we continue in our 14 day journey into 'loving intentionally.'

1 Corinthians 13:4-7 has shown us thus far that Love is... Patient and Kind

But it mostly has shown us what it is NOT... It does not Envy or Boast.

Today we will gain another tool that will help direct us in loving others.

I believe that being 'proud' holds the key to the undoing of most relationships. Marriages rise and fall on the couples ability to check their pride at the door. The very act of saying "I'm sorry,""I misunderstood your intentions," "I ......."

Rarely would the finger be pointed at self.

Pride keeps us from asking for help from others. It lies and says 'you can do this on your own' Pride seeks to keep you isolated and void of meaningful relationship.

Pride gives us this inflated view of self. A view that you are superior in some way. You are a better writer, speaker, singer, spouse, mom, dad, Christian, employee. You fill in the blank........

The closer we begin to walk with God the more at risk we become. We are proud of the success and victory that we have had from shedding the lies of Satan and begin to look at others and say "man, if only they would....."

Thoughts like this put us in a position of forgetting who our redeemer is.

1 Corinthians 4:7, "For who makes you different from anyone else? What do you have that you did not receive? And if you did receive it, why do you boast as though you did not?"

Pride causes us to inflate our values and blinds us of the value we have in God. We feed ourselves with lies such as 'God wants to use me' but in your head what you really are hearing is 'God needs me.'

Galatians 6:3 warns us about this trap, "If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself."

He goes on to say in verse 4, "Each one should test his own actions. Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry his own load."

You see when we are caught up in pride we only use others as a measuring stick. We compare ourselves against the people that we feel aren't as qualified. We compare our gifts, talents and godliness (righteousness) with another. We begin to qualify ourself because of self.

2 Corinthians 10:12, "We do not dare to classify or compare ourselves with some who commend themselves. When they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are not wise."

Love that is authentic does not demand that others puff you up.

A few years ago we invited a homeless man over for our Thanksgiving feast. We planned on having around 35 guests and I 'prided' myself on putting on the best dinner. A few days prior to Thanksgiving my son and I drove to remind our friend that we would pick him up Thanksgiving morning.

We talked with Dale and he asked me if he could bring his friend. I knew his friend and quickly replied, "no problem, but...."

Remember I have 40 people coming to my house. I want to make sure that I looked good, so I followed my but with...."make sure he has had nothing to drink."

Dale's friend was an alcoholic and only felt normal when he drank. I wanted to clean him up before I loved him.

Pride stood in the way of 'loving intentionally.' My view of what others would say about me, clouded my view of what God said about him.

When Dale arrived at my home, I asked him where his friend was. With sadness in his eyes he said, "Nicole, he had a drink this morning..." What I heard him say to my heart was... "Nicole, he was unfit to sit at your table. He wasn't clean enough."

Oh Lord, may I never be so full of pride again that I miss an opportunity to love the unclean.

Before you rush to defend my stance on having a drunk man in my home, let me tell you this. My issue with this man coming over wasn't a safety issue... It was a heart issue. The safety of my guests didn't cross my mind. The opinions they would have of me did.

Pride tells you that you are just a little smarter, a little wiser, just a little more qualified.

With the foggy vision of pride, we consider ourselves to be more important or more 'worthy' than another. We tend to view everything God has done for another person and forget what he has done for you.

Pride looks out for #1. It says, "you have suffered way too long in this marriage." "You have earned this job." "You have the ability to draw a crowd." Pride inserts a lot of "you" and hands all of the glory to "I."

May our love look different.

'Loving intentionally' means we must be willing to be in relationship with all kinds of people.

'Loving intentionally' means that you remove all judgement and expectation off of the other person and ask yourself, 'what should my response be?'

Have you been waiting for someone to get all cleaned up before you love them?

Have you been standing in the way of what God wants to do in ministry because you are just a little more qualified then the next guy?

Are you ready to sign on the dotted line because you have waited long enough for the other person to....?

What is your response going to be in regards to pride?

What will your response be to having authentic love void of pride?

Challenge: Spend some time and ask God to search your heart. Ask him to reveal the missed opportunities you have had because pride stood in the way. Confess your pride. Ask for forgiveness and hand it over to God the qualifier of the unqualified.

"Loving intentionally" is a call to personal responsibility in your relationships and daily encounters with others.

Sit back, close your eyes and hear the words to this song.
http://youtu.be/pr9YVD05x8M

Day 4: Love does not boast!

Day 4: Love does not boast

We all know what it means to boast or at the very least we have been witness to shameless over the top boasting.

In a Facebook, Twitter, social media world it is so easy to get caught up in the boasting game. In one form or another all of our tweets and status updates boast about something.

Boasting all together isn't a terrible or bad thing, but the things we boast about can be.

2 Corinthians 10:13 says, "We, however, will not boast beyond proper limits, but will confine our boasting to the field God has assigned to us, a field that reaches even to you."

You see Paul understood when and where boasting was to take place. He understood that sharing the victory of the day was proper with those he worked the field with but in someone else's territory it was foolish. He wanted everything he did to be counted as victory to the Lord.

I recently have been told that I am quick to point out all of the great things that God is doing in my life and not so quick to share my pain, fears, failures and missteps.

When I heard this I thought...'of course! Who wants to be around a Debbie downer all day?"

But I missed the point

2 Corinthians 11:30 spoke volumes to me. "If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness."

Paul was quick to boast of his weakness and spoke little of the power he had. He didn't speak of all of the victories he shared in or all of the conquests he undertook. He boasted in his weakness so that God could have the victory.

I have always prided myself on not living in the past and walking in the promises God has for my future.

Did you catch the key word in that sentence?

That's right you heard it... pride!

Boasting in all that God has done in and through me when released at improper times, comes out as nothing more than pride.

My dear friend shared with me that while I write well, I don't use examples from my own life to personalize the God I wish others would see. I am quick to point out (boast) the victories in my marriage and slow to reveal the pain and hurt that has driven me at times to feel desperate and alone.

I am quick to share (boast) about how proud I am of my husband for making it through medical school. Yet I am slow to share that through that process we lost our home, were racked up thousands of dollars in debt, we had days-weeks that we didn't know how we would survive.

I desire others to want relationship with God but don't show them what He has brought me through.

Why?

Out of fear, out of pride or simply because I am afraid that people will see the past and not see who I am today.

I somehow have fooled myself into thinking that people already know my story, therefore I shouldn't have to share with others my history with God.

There is a time and place for everything. It is in the way we share our victories.

When my daughter Ellie was hit by a truck... I constantly heard "you are so strong!" The thing I didn't share with people was that inside I felt like my world was caving in. After three days of her in the ICU my husband told me I had to go home. He said I needed to sleep in my own bed and take a shower. I was terrified to leave her side. I was so scared that if I walked out of that room for more than a few minutes that somehow everything would fall apart.

I remember taking hours to muster up enough courage to finally walk to the elevator and get into my car. I was terrified that I may never see her again if I left. My drive home was horrible. I called a friend and sobbed. I cried and cried but when the time came for people to see me again, I put on my big girl pants and sucked it up. I didn't want people to know that I was scared to death. I was so scared that Ellie would die but trusted God if He chose to take her.

Jesus was the calm in my storm but all people saw was the calm.

The boasting part came in because I never showed others my fears. I just spoke of the trust I had in God to see us through whether we lost her or not.

People never saw the pain because I only boasted of my courage.

Not everyone wants to hear what God has done in your life....again and again and again!

They need to see the person that is no different then them so that they can see the God that is far bigger then who they can ever be.

Boasting draws the eye and heart to self and only in the shadows is God ever seen.

We all want to share our excitement and joy. We need to be cautious because not everyone will be as excited for you. It can leave you feeling deflated and empty.

Boasting is the brother of envy. Envy is a response to our boasting.

Joseph found this out first hand in Genesis 37. He was so eager to share his vision and dream with his dad and brothers that he only further alienated himself from those he loved most. In Joseph's immaturity of his spiritual gifts he boasted. Out of his boasting his brothers sought to destroy him and plotted his murder. Now we know through this story that Joseph rose to be second in command in Egypt.

God used his immaturity and boastful heart but Joseph endured pain and suffering for his actions.

Nobody walks through life free of trials and unscathed from the journey. It is out of those trials that Jesus is made known to the world.

Share your weakness along with your blessing. Couple your joy with your pain, so that the strength of God is revealed.

As you read this please don't hear me saying that you should be a ho-hummer. We all know of people that live constantly in their misery and rarely speak about joy they are experiencing. Living a life to honor God provides us with ample opportunities to praise Him, just do it with complete humility and out of love for others.

Begin to share your victories on a level that is more proportionate to who you are and your weaknesses on a level that is proportionate to who God is.

May everything you do and say boast of the mercy and grace God has personally shown to you.

Challenge: Look back through your Facebook, Twitter posts. Do your posts show a boastful heart. Do they reflect what 'you' have done or what 'you' have obtained?

Begin to couple your victories with your short comings. Allow others to see your scars so that they can also see the healing that has taken place.

Loving intentionally requires us to be intentional in our thoughts and actions.

Are we thinking of others when we post, tweet and share our life?

Everything in moderation :)

Again, I ask you to let this song go deep into your bones. Let it be your battle cry as you walk out your story.

http://youtu.be/pr9YVD05x8M

Day 3: Love does not Envy

Day 3 of 'loving intentionally' bares a bit more weight and can be a tender area for many of us.

Let me first begin by defining what envy is. I searched high and low for the best definition of what the scripture was talking about when it said, "love does not envy."

Noah Webster’s Dictionary from 1828 is great at defining words in Biblical terms. So here goes...

Envy – Pain, uneasiness, mortification or discontent excited by the sight of another’s superiority or success, accompanied with some degree of hatred or malignity, and often or usually with a desire or an effort to depreciate the person, and with pleasure in seeing him depressed. Envy springs from pride, ambition or love, mortified that another has obtained what one has a strong desire to possess.

Now who is eager to stand up and publicly declare that they have been guilty of envy? I know that is not a line I would be eager to stand in.

.... However, if I am honest I have been guilty many times.

I love to speak and write. I want to learn from the best. I want to honor God and everyday become more like Him. At least that is what I tell myself when I begin to examine the lives of people who are where I want to be.

I keep a watchful eye on the people I am trying to emulate. After all, it is good to have mentors, people who have gone before you and carved out the way. In my careful observance of their life I desire what they have and long to know where they have been.

Envy isn't always wanting what others have.

We all want something...

A fruitful marriage Prestige Peace

A platform to share what we're passionate about The record deal

Kids 'The' job "The" life

Fill in your own wants and desires.............................................

Now ask yourself... Am I willing to put in the work to have what I desire?

Envy goes a step beyond. It says, "you should have all of this... their no better than you... they always get what they want.... why is life so 'easy' for them? If people only knew this about them..."

We have all at one time or another entertained envious thoughts.

Envy is flat out sin... To call it anything else is just pulling the wool over your eyes. It is considered one of the seven deadly sins for a reason.

Envy is toxic! It destroys hope, it declares all out war on the plans God has for your life.

Envy lies to us and tells us that even though the other person, couple, family has put in the time and work they still shouldn't have what they have. It deceives us and allows us to believe that we are more important and more deserving then another. Envy softly whispers in your ear that you have received a lousy deal and that other was dealt a full house.

Envy begins to take root and crosses over into slander. When you hear that name your thoughts begin to conspire of how to reveal "the truth" about the other person. How can I make this person see how 'not so great' they really are?

The unfortunate part about 'envy' is that it only hurts ourselves. The person or persons you are after have no idea that you have a watchful eye on them. They are oblivious to your thoughts of hoping that maybe just maybe they'll fail this one time.

The envied often understands the gravity and responsibility of having and sacrificing for what it is they have. They have every hope that you too will put in the blood, sweat and tears to live out what you personally were created for.

The very person that you envy may be the person that you can learn from the most. That person is generally the quickest to help you up when you fall and doesn't delight in watching others bleed.

In contrast to envy we have love...

Love desires to see the best lived out in others lives.

Love cheers at the side lines as others run through the finish line.

Love sits at the back of the room so that someone else has a better view.

Love encourages, builds up, inspires and motivates.

Love wants God's best. Love hopes. Love isn't always thinking about "ME."

Isn't love what you are after? Life wasn't designed to meet your every need and whim.

Do you want to really be consumed with envy every time you hear a name or see their face?

Do you really want to keep focusing on how others aren't meeting your needs instead of pointing your efforts to be a blessing to others?

Are you sick of being so caught up in your own little world that you are missing the role God has given you to uniquely play in His big world?

Envy does nothing but lead to death....

When the diagnoses of cancer is given we are quick to begin treatment.

Will you begin treatment for your illness today?

Will you seek restoration?

Recognize it! Confess it! And let God have all rights to it!

Will you 'love intentionally' today? Today will you speak blessing over the person that you have spoke death to in secret?

Be free today!!! Love intentionally!!!

Challenge: Send encouragement, a card, a phone call, do something out of the ordinary for that person that you have viewed as extraordinary. Love with your actions and put action to your words. The one you have envied needs your love and support. Will you begin to love them?

Listen again:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pr9YVD05x8M

Day 2: Love is Kind

Kindness is something that we try to instill in our children...

"Please don't do that. That wasn't kind."

"Be kind to your brother!"

"Justin and Caleb will you be kind to... and go offer to mow their lawn?"

Kindness is something we want to see in our children, but as adults we begin to attach conditions to the level of kindness we'll show.

Love is... Kind....

Love is a flippant word... 'I love you'... 'I love that'... 'I love...'... 'I love this...' 'I love that...'

When the word love comes out of our mouth, it often requires no action or sacrifice on our part.

However, when we love the way that God tells us to love... action is necessary.

Galatians 5:14 says, "Love your neighbor as yourself."

We may not like ourselves at times and even partake in self destructive behavior and patterns but if we didn't love we would shrivel up and to the point of death. You chose to love yourself each time you take a shower. Each time you put a bite of food in your mouth. With every brush of your hair, with every smile on your face... you are loving yourself.

You see, it is a choice to love.

We can not 'like' something or someone but still offer love.
We can detest the body we have but love it enough to provide it the basics for survival.
We don't have to like our job but we certainly love the paycheck that comes from it.

Love is a choice.

Being kind in our love means to love your neighbor as yourself.

Liking the lifestyle of the homeless man on the corner is different than loving him enough to remove your own shoes and offer them for him to wear.

Liking your family member that is engaged in risky behavior and loving them enough to show them the kindness of Jesus are two very different things.

Liking your husband is dependent upon his actions, loving him is dependent upon yours.

How do we begin to move forward in a direction that offers kindness in place of our anger, kindness in place of our hurt, kindness in place of our disappointment, kindness in place of our judgement.

It all begins with 'loving intentionally.'

Removing the expectation from the recipient and placing back in your lap.

Don't offer your shoes to the homeless man and expect him to come pull your weeds.
Don't make your husbands coffee with the expectation that he will take out the trash.
Don't offer a bed in your house to someone you love with the hope that one day they will repay you.

Offer your kindness because that is what honors God.

"...whoever is kind to the 'needy' honors God." --Proverbs 14:31

Oh, how I am needy... Oh, how you are needy!

Can you think of one person that you encounter that is in 'need' of your kindness... your love?

Perhaps your dying marriage is hinging on your ability to be kind. Your kindness (love) is what the woman at work has desperately been crying out for.
Your parent, your neighbor, your children... will you offer kindness?

Will you change the rules of the 'love' game?

Will you love the way Jesus asked you too?

Would you be kind?

You don't have to like someone or something to offer love. Kindness is dependent on you.

Will you CHOOSE to love today?

Love is patient...

Love is KIND!

Kindness causes us to swallow our pride and act in a way that honors God.

How different our lives may look if 'kindness' was the response of our heart. How different our divorce rate in the church could be if kindness was our response.

How different will you be? Will you choose to love intentionally today?

Challenge for day 2: Be intentional... offer kindness more than once today. Make it a daily rhythm.

Day 2 of listening to "The proof of your love" by For King and Country
http://youtu.be/pr9YVD05x8M

Send this link to anyone who has the ability to love. Together let's begin to change the landscape of love.

Day 1: Love is 'Patient'

'Patient?'..... Shoot.....Who isn't?

As I began to prepare dinner all I wanted was them (my kids) to stop being so loud. I wanted to hear myself think! I felt the blood rushing to my head as I yelled, "Go outside!!!!!!" The room volume didn't change. I was about to blow my top. Instead of getting quieter my daughter runs over hollering "mom, mom... can I??" "No!!! No you can't" as I slammed my hand on the counter. I was successful, the room was silent.

In my need for silence I lost my cool. I failed to communicate appropriately and instead did the opposite of be 'patient.'

1 Corinthians 13:4 begins our two week look at loving intentionally.

"Love is... Patient"

I would love to sit here and say that I am a patient lover, but I am not. When things aren't going just the way I want them to, I react. Usually that reaction is very reflective of my heart. I need to be intentional in the way I approach love and it starts with patience.

Funny how Paul describes actions void of love as 'a resounding gong and a clanging symbol!'

I bet my kids would have preferred the symbol over the noise that I yelled at them.

Are you patient in your love?

Do your kids often see you lose your cool?

Is your spouse the recipient of "Never mind...I'll do it!"

Are you quick to react and slow to use the first characteristic of Godly love?

Good... Me too!! There is hope for you and for me. Why? Because 1 Cor. 13:2b says, if I don't "have love, I am nothing."

and I know that God wants us to learn to be good lovers.....

I have heard many say, "don't ask God to help you be patient, because he will give you the opportunity to be."

I say let's face it head on and ask for help in an area where a lot of us could stand to grow.

Will you begin this 14 day journey of learning to intentionally love? Perhaps you know someone that struggles with love (all of us). Invite them to join in as we explore ways that we can intentionally love others.

Love is... PATIENT!

Lord, today I failed to show my family love. I failed to show them the greatest gift you have for us and instead became a resounding gong. Lord, I ask that you begin the process of transforming my heart and give me the courage to love intentionally. I commit to learning to be a better lover to everyone I encounter.

I encourage you to listen to this song each day of the 14 days of 'loving intentionally.'

http://youtu.be/StTzrXMVzmE

I wanted to be his...

Seventeen years ago, I was a immature eighteen year old. I hated looking in the mirror and couldn't understand why anyone would ever want me as their bride. I was chubby and unsure of myself. I wanted to be loved by someone the way you see in the movies. I wanted to be swept off of my feet and carried away in a horse drawn buggy. I wanted the fairy tale. I wanted to be the lady in the room that caught his eye and made everyone else disappear. I wanted to be his. I wanted to captivate and excite him. I wanted to inspire him to be better. I wanted to be his. I wanted him to want me for the rest of our lives. I wanted to grow old and play with our grandchildren together. I wanted him to satisfy that deep need to be loved.

I wanted to be his.

I stood in front of two hundred and fifty people on a beautiful Sunday afternoon and said, "I do." I expected that life as I knew it would forever be great. He actually agreed to spend his life with me. He actually said "I do." My fairy tale of a handsome prince coming and carrying me away was happening. He wanted me to be his forever.

The honeymoon was over and we were beginning life as a couple. For some strange reason he wasn't filling that deep desire to be loved. The horse drawn buggy was empty. The fairy tale was not a fairy tale. I quickly began to realize that he did some things that didn't honor me or God. He too was a sinner. What???!!!! I thought that because we waited to have sex until we were married and did all the right things that we would somehow have it all. Oh how wrong I was.
I had waited and longed to be loved but somehow having a husband wasn't the fix.

I thought once I was married I would suddenly feel pretty, accepted and loved. I thought I would look at my body differently and magically feel good in my clothes. I thought he could fix my need to be loved. I longed to feel whole.

After many years of trying to make Tim be who I wanted him to be, I pushed him further and further away. My actions kept showing him that he wasn't enough. He wasn't going to be "the one." The more I tried to make Tim into who I 'needed' the less he satisfied me. Frustrated with where we were as a couple I realized that Tim couldn't be enough. I searched for so long and waited for the right guy however he was never meant to 'be enough.' I wasn't getting what I needed from Tim because I had never allowed God to be enough in my life. I had given God parts of me, but covered everything else up with a smile.

I desperately wanted a husband but never stopped to worry about the kind of wife I would be. I was blinded by the fairy tale and forgot that I needed to first be what I wanted Tim to be.

I needed to fall in love with my creator.

I needed to begin to take steps that allowed God to infiltrate all of my hurt and past pain.

I needed to be His.

Tim couldn't fill that void until I wanted to be His (God's). I had given my heart to Jesus but I held back so many areas from him that I was still too afraid to relinquish control over.

It didn't happen over night. It didn't even happen in a year... but the more I started to move toward God, the more my heart began to change toward myself and toward Tim.

I couldn't love Tim the way he needed to be loved until I allowed God to love me the way He wanted to love. In my pain, I searched for a bandage to cover over the wound but what I desperately needed was heart surgery. I needed a heart transplant. I needed God's heart. I needed to look in the mirror and see the woman that God saw. I needed to look at my body and see who God saw. I needed to find my worth in God and not in Tim. Tim couldn't be 'the one.'

I wasn't allowing God to be 'the one' either. I wasn't allowing him to give me His heart. He was patiently waiting for me to run to him and say "rescue us... rescue me!" The funny thing is... the more I yelled "rescue me" the closer I became to Tim. I began to not be as frustrated with the things he did. I worked for years to push him away and that needed repair and God began to do it.

The more I allowed God to 'rescue me' the less I needed Tim to be 'the one' I expected him to be.

Your spouse CAN'T feel that need for love... but God can.
The desire to not be alone, won't be filled on your wedding day... only God can fill that desire.
Waiting for your spouse to change, won't change your marriage...but God can.
Expecting your spouse to 'just get it right' won't happen... until you allow God to completely change and transform you.

You need a heart transplant just like I did. You need to view yourself with the lens of God. Once you begin to no longer 'need' a spouse, is when you will find that God's best is right in front of you. He longs to feel that deep desire for love... Will you patiently begin to give Him your heart?

"I waited patiently for the Lord; he turned to me and heard my cry. He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord." ~Psalms 40:1-3

Are you desperate for change?

Are you desperate for a spouse?

Are you desperate because your marriage is falling apart?

Do you want the fairy tale?

Will you today cry out to God and begin to do things differently?

Share your heart... There is something about saying it out loud. Tell someone... Post on here... Don't keep change a secret.

God is pursuing your heart!!!!

Is there anything of value left?

"Nicole, someone broke into both of our cars... stuff is everywhere," these were the words my mom uttered as she came in from taking the girls to the bus. I quickly went outside to survey the damage and assess the value of the contents missing.

The damage was minimal because the doors were unlocked allowing for easy access to take whatever the thieves could get their hands on. As I opened the driver side door I saw the contents of my glove box and center console scattered throughout the car. I looked throughout the car quickly realizing that the thief attempted to take every last penny they could find. There was nothing of value (to them) in the glove box, so they chose to just throw it out, leaving a huge mess to clean up.

My mom worked to clean up the truck and I cleaned out the car. We both had trash bags in hand, as we sifted through the items in the vehicles to pick out the things of value from the things that were indeed trash.

Admittedly our cars were in need of a good "cleaning out."

As I sifted though the contents of my car I was reminded of the verse in John 10:10;

"The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy..."

It the middle of the night and under the cover of darkness someone wanted something that never belonged to them in the first place.

Immediately after seeing my vehicles in complete disarray I was forced to clean it out. I was forced to clean up the things I had left to sit and take up unnecessary space on the floorboard of my car. I was actually grossed out by a few of the things I found... after all, I do have five kiddos. I was also excited to find a few items that I thought I had lost.

In the same way we never desire unfavorable, bad or uncomfortable situations to happen in our lives but there are certainly times that they seem to come in like a violent tornado.

There are times that we leave the door unlocked for the thief to easily access our life, giving him unsolicited permission to 'steal' from every compartment and crevasse. He comes to steal what belongs to someone else for his own purposes and pleasure. He comes to rob your joy and leaves you to sift through the trash to see if there is anything left of value.

In response to the thief in our life,

Jesus had a response...

"...I have come that they (you) may have life, and have it to the full." John 10:10b

After the thief has come in and left everything in disarray, there will be a period of time when we need to begin to clean up the trash that we have ignored for way to long. Often that ignored trash leaves a lasting aroma.

But...

After you start to sift through the compartments of your life, you will begin to discover that there were things that Satan never stole because they were of no value to him.

Jesus is the restorer and can make all things new.

Have you left the door to your heart and life unlocked?

Have you given the thief access to things that never belonged to him?

Is there trash that needs to be sifted through so that the valuables can be found?

There are necessary 'clean-up' periods in our lives. There are times when we need to take a good look at the things that are of value and sift them out of the trash.

Today will you get a big black trash bag and start to clean out the compartments and crevasses you have been ignoring?