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Carla's Blog

Pants on the ground

4/28/2012

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Today we go to a wedding!  We had the honor of hosting the minister who will be performing the ceremony at our home last night.  He came in from out of town to do the honors and needed a place to crash.  We are renting a big house with lots of extra space, so it was a no brainer... the more the merrier!  By the time he arrived at our house last night after the rehearsal dinner it was dark, and after he brought in his belongings from the car, we sat around and talked for awhile before everyone hit the hay.  This morning we all slept in late and then as we were enjoying coffee and breakfast in the dining room, our son came in carrying a pair of dress pants.  He went straight up to the visiting minister, thrusting the pants at him and said, "Are these your pants? They were on the ground."  I was flabbergasted!  Immediately my mind was racing...  Did the pastor leave his bedroom door open? Did one of our dogs go in his room and mess with the poor man's pants, leaving them slobbery and wrinkled on the floor?  Did Timmy have something to do with this?  Oh Dear!  Then the details started to come out...  "Where did you find the pants, Tim?" I asked, in a somewhat accusatory tone.  "On the ground, outside," he replied.  "Why were you outside?"  "I was scootering!" Okay, it appeared he was innocent, but we were still baffled. Eventually we put the pieces together and realized that the minister's pants must have slipped off their hanger last night in the dark as he brought in his belongings after his long car ride, and ended up spending the night on our front lawn.  

Is it mean and heartless that I can't stop giggling about this?  Is it weird that this video keeps popping into my head now?  I don't care.  It made me laugh and we all need a good laugh now and then.  :)
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Weary of waiting; Glad for HIS intercession

4/27/2012

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The feeling of tears of frustration and fatigue running down my cheeks is an uncommon sensation for me... not entirely unheard of, but uncommon.  I am known more for my loud, boisterous laughter than for outbursts of tears. Today, however, was a day when playing the "waiting game" felt like a bit too much to ask of me, and the tears flowed freely.  Do you ever feel that way?  Like what life is requiring of you in the moment seems a bit too much to take?  Like what GOD is requiring of you is taking a bit too long and hurting a bit too much with not enough of an explanation of the "why" behind it all or the "when" of its eventual ending?  I'm right there with you.

In my heart I know the Truth: 
  • God will work all things together for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28. 
  • His ways are not our ways. Isaiah 55:8. 
  • Who am I to question God anyway? Romans 9:20. 
  • Waiting on God will eventually lead to a renewal of my strength. Psalm 27:14.
  • He comforts us in our sufferings so we can one day comfort others with the same comfort that we've experienced from Him.  2 Corinthians 1:4
  • God promises that endurance will produce maturity in me, so I can and should consider the stages of life that require endurance as PURE JOY.  James 1:2-4
I get it.  I know it is true and I will stand by these truths until the day I die and beyond, but every once in awhile, the intensity of the emotions involved in the living-out of these Truths pushes me to the brink and the tears fall and it is then that I am most grateful for the ministry of the Holy Spirit.  It is truly an all-knowing and all-loving God who not only gives us the Truth to frame our worldview, but also provides relief for our human weakness when living out the Truth is hard and frankly, makes us cry  - "In the same way the Spirit helps us in our weakness.  We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express." Romans 8:26.


Thank you, Father.  You are good.  All the time.
Picture
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Humility

4/17/2012

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"We are not on earth to impress each other."  This is the thought that is echoing in my brain today.  What a pointless and tragic life I would lead if my aim were to have as many people as possible think well of me.  

Revelation 3:17-21 (NASB) says, "Because you say, 'I am rich, and have become wealthy and have need of nothing,' and you do not know that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind and naked; I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich; and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed; and eye salve to anoint your eyes so that you may see. Those whom I love, I reprove and discipline; therefore be zealous and repent.  Behold, I stand at the door and knock; if anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.  He who overcomes, I will grant to him to sit down with Me on My throne, as I also overcame and sat down with My Father on His throne."

What did Jesus overcome?  John 16:33 tells us that He has overcome the world!  What is more worldly than thinking more highly of ourselves than we ought???  What is more worldly than thinking that this life and my own fame and glory is all there is?  Philippians 2:6-7 tell us that even though Jesus was GOD, he didn't consider his God-ship to be something to grasp on to and claim at all costs... rather HE MADE HIMSELF NOTHING and took on the nature of a servant.  

How would life be different if as Christians, we did not grasp on to our perceived rights and privileges or spend our time maintaining our reputation in the eyes of men, and instead made ourselves of no reputation, seeing ourselves as we really are and others as they really are and truly believing that overcoming the temptation to elevate ourselves is a daily priority?  What if we lived like we believed that dining with Jesus at a celebratory "overcoming supper" was better than any accolade we could receive here on earth?

Oh let it be true of me today!
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P31 Wife

4/4/2012

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Today I had the wonderful honor of guest blogging as the missionary of the week at the P31Wife Blog.  Great blog for women who want to serve the Lord with gladness!  

I may or may not have reverted back to my love of Saturday morning cartoons in my post... Check it out.
http://p31wife.com/post/20457679571/p31wife-missionary-series-carla-ritz
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Do YOU Have What it Takes? The answer is No.

4/3/2012

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"God doesn't call the qualified; He qualifies the called."  Perhaps you've heard this catchy statement before.  I know I have heard it several times, and I always agree with it wholeheartedly when I do. I have certainly found myself in a variety of places in life where I felt completely inept and God used those times to humble me and show me what He can do in and through me with no "help" from me at all.  Those are always the sweetest times, and yet I tend to avoid them whenever possible!  I don't like feeling inept.  I REALLY don't.  I like being able to say things like, "I've got this," "No problem," and "I'll take it from here, don't worry about a thing!"  I hate having to say, "I have no idea," or "I wish I could help you, but I just don't know where to begin," or "I'm horrible at that."

What if, when the disciples had been called to follow Christ, when He told them He would make them fishers of men, what if they claimed their ignorance and ineptitude and insisted that he had the wrong guys.  Think about all they would have missed out on!  Equally as misguided though would have been if they said, "Sure, I'll follow you.  That is exactly the kind of thing I am good at.  No problem!"  When Christ called them, they experienced God and were used by God uniquely and powerfully, not because of their many gifts, but because of His; not despite their lowly estate but as a result of it.  Pride could have easily robbed them of the opportunity to be used by God just as easily as false humility could have.  Appropriate humility is being aware of your lowly estate, but not believing that it defines what God is capable of doing through you.  Appropriate pride is not being impressed with our own abilities or accomplishments, but being in awe of God's and boasting in what He is capable of in our lives and in the world.

"Brothers, think of what you were when you were called.  Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth.  But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong.  He chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before Him.  It is because of Him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God - that is, our righteousness, holiness, and redemption.  Therefore as it is written: 'Let him who boasts boast in the Lord.'" - 1 Corinthians 26-31 (NIV)

If we take these verses to heart, then when we feel lacking in wisdom, when we feel foolish, when we feel weak, when we see ourselves as lowly or despised - it is time to thank Him and look for ways He might be using us or preparing to use us in the world.  These are the types of vessels He uses.  When we do not see ourselves in this light; when we think we've got what it takes - it may be time to step down and ask God to humble us before we walk down a path where He is not leading.  

"This is what God the Lord says - he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people and life to those who walk on it: 'I, the Lord, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.  I am the Lord; that is my name!  I will not give my glory to another or my praise to idols.'" - Isaiah 42:5-8 (NIV)
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    Carla Ritz.  Proof positive that God uses cracked pots!

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