The Big Pink Eraser

The big pink eraser -

When I was in first grade, the school supply list asked for one big eraser. I always got the pink one. You know the one I am talking about. It was huge and could take away any mess regardless of how big. And, that eraser NEVER ran out. Regardless of how much I scrubbed, rubbed and erased, the thing never grew smaller. It was never ending... and unlike those silly pencil erasers, it never let me down.

Unfortunately, the pink eraser often did not get an opportunity to do its job. I let it get lost in my bag... I forgot it was there... I simply didn't use it. Instead, I relied on those silly small pencil erasers that left smudges and partially erased film. I forgot about the one thing that could eliminate all mistakes in one simple swoop - the big pink eraser.

How often do we forget about our one mistake eraser? How often do we choose to live with partially smudged paper and silly black film? How often do we allow the reminants of sin to remain in our lives? Instead, why don't we turn to God - the big eraser. In Isaiah 44:22, we read "I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist. Return to me, for I have redeemed you.” God can erase all our sins... so why don't we let Him?

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Somewhat untraditional

A somewhat untraditional post to remind us all of the power of prayer. I Thessalonians commands us to "pray without ceasing" and I ask you to do so. A friend of mine sent me this link asking for prayers for her friends and their baby. Please join me in praying for Jimmy, Jennifer and their precious little one.

Her blog post, With Heavy, Heavy Hearts explains it all. Click on the link to read their story.

Their faith and the faith of those who are praying with us as well as the outpouring of strangers seeking God on their behalf is enough to simply bring you to your knees and thank God. May God keep this precious family in the palm of His hand.

Join me in prayer...

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Best Friends

I pick up the phone to call my friend Jenn... its been a few weeks, but nothings changed. We still laugh, giggle, chat, and carry on like no time has passed. We have the "never goes away, pick up where you left off" kind of friendship. The one in which I know she is ALWAYS there for me, but I don't need to hear her voice everyday.

Unfortunately, I often treat my relationship with God like my relationship with Jenn. Of course in Jeremiah 33:3, He tells me, "Call to me..." so I know I can always call on Him. I can call on him in distress - In 2 Samuel 22:7, we learn “In my distress I called to the LORD; I called out to my God. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came to his ears." And, I can call on Him in the good times - (Galatians 4:6) - "Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.”

But, will I call on God at all times? (Job 27:10) Its not that I want to discount this immediate calling, the ability to rely on God regardless of how my devotional life the past few weeks was going. Don't get me wrong - I am thankful for an ever faithful, ever forgiving God... who loves me and provides me with aide even when I don't deserve it. But, doesn't God deserve so much more? Doesn't He deserve for me to call on him frequently and often? And, quite honestly, how will I know if God is calling me unless I am familiar with His voice?

Its not that He needs to hear my voice daily... let's be honest - He knows whats going on. Its that I need Him daily. I need to establish that eternal connection - often and frequently. I need to know His way of thinking and emulate His every move. I need to be like Jesus - seeking God daily. Don't you think that if Jesus (who is God) needed a daily dose of God conversation that I am in desperate need of one as well? In Mark 1:35, we find "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." He didn't wait until times were difficult or until He had great news to share - He called upon God daily.

And, Jesus KNEW God's voice. His daily conversations with God created a unique familiarity. Just as my daily conversations with the Lord will lead me to know when God calls me (Phil. 3:14, Romans 11:29, Acts 2:39)

Now, I'm not saying that my relationship with Jenn is unhealthy and wrong because I don't call upon her daily - I shouldn't need her daily. See, Jenn and I are friends... I do not worship her. I do not model my life after her. We are companions - we don't need a daily contact... I don't need to know the ins and outs of her life.

But, God - He is a different story. I don't want God to be a mere companion... I want Him to be my everything. And, quite frankly, if He is to be my everything - I need to know EVERYTHING He is about. And, the only way to do that is to worship Him completely... and to spend DAILY time with Him. The weekly phone call is not enough. I need a daily dose of God and sometimes, I need more than one! And, through this daily dose - that is the only way I will know His voice and His desires for me.



"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Homework.... what's the point?

I believe in preparation. In fact, I am a firm believer that everything you need to know cannot be learned in one setting. You need to stew, to think through things... you need to develop an idea. Sometimes that stewing, that development... it takes a little time and quite often it takes a slight bit of effort. And, particularly, in the mathematics classroom, you need to study.

Today marks the first day of midterms for my 9th grade mathematics students - most of which believe education comes in the form of simple osmosis. They carry around a book and wa-la they automatically know everything in the book. Forget taking notes, forget practicing problems... just holding the book is enough. It never ceases to amaze me when students assume that just attending class makes them a mathematical genius. Forget bringing a pencil even... attendance is key. Forget using the material in real life... and honestly, who even knows how to count to ten. If my teacher can talk about mathematics for an hour while I try to pay attention (or well, why I am at least physically present) - well, that makes me fluent in the subject and quite frankly... that makes me deserve an A. Attending makes me a master... and bringing my text should give me bonus points.

You may laugh... perhaps you experience this struggle as well. You and I know that learning is a choice. And, a little effort must be placed into the learning idea. In fact, just a mere second of preparation... grabbing a pencil, completing a homework problem... can be the difference in mastery and failure.

Funny how we see the silliness of my students' logic when it comes to school, yet fail to see the obviousness of its relationship to our lives. Think about our Christian walk. So many of us attend church... don't pay attention really... just attend. We carry our Bible. Forget opening the word... carrying it is enough. We leave church and think - well I should be master Christian by now. God should be really proud. I came and I brought my book! Don't I get bonus points for that?

Did we bother to read the book? No. Did we bother to delve deep for understanding? No. Did we bother to look for applications of the book in our real lives? No. We simply showed up, brought a text and assume we are masters - we deserve an A. We deserve the best. And, quite honestly, we deserve bonus points - after all, we did bring the text.

I read in 1 John 2:4, "He that saith, I know him and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him." If we claim we are masters. If we claim to know Jesus... and fail to take it from the service to our lives - we are lying! It is not enough to merely attend church or carry the Bible... we must implement it!

I cannot help but think of the miracle in John 5:1-18 - Jesus heals the lame man. (Click on the verse to view the entire story). In verse 8, Jesus told the man to "pick up his mat and walk." So, the man did! He didn't say - well, I always have that option later. He didn't say... well, I came here to the pool and got some assistance... that's almost as good as walking. He paid attention! He focused and he did his homework! And, as a result - the man walked!

So, my question is - why don't we just walk? Why don't we keep the commands? Why don't we take our knowledge outside the church doors and look for ways to apply it? When will we realize osmosis is not enough - Christianity is a lifestyle... something we live not something we watch.

When are we going to start acting? And, when, are we going to start completing our homework?





"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

Snow vs. Ice -

Well, the past two days have been interesting. Our great state, Georgia, was plagued with ice and snow storms. As a result, black ice covered the roads and school was cancelled (insert cheer for fun, non-planned day off here... times two).

Black ice sounds gross and after further investigation is quite terrifying. From first glance, it appears normal, okay even... safe. But, that's just how it gets you. You venture out... you seek something different, the thrill away from the norm... something to eliminate cabin fever. You are traveling along, moving, speeding up... and then, you slide off course. What appears to be a nice, safe road turns out to be a treacherous impassible area from which an accident stems.

Black ice... almost sounds like sin. We've discussed this before. We are traveling along safely following God's commands... and we get cabin fever. The road next door seems safe, despite the warning we recieved to stay inside for now. So, we venture out. Things are going great. And, then we slide. We find ourselves sliding uncontrollably into a pit before we can even blink.

Psalm 69:2 states, "I sink in the miry depths, where there is no foothold. I have come into the deep waters; the floods engulf me." Do you think the author new he would fall - no! The water seemed safe, just like the ice... but that was the ploy. Sin seems so enticing. When, in actuality, it is harmful and can lead us into more trouble than we realize.

So, instead of venturing out when warned not to... listen to the words of Ephesians 6 verses 10 and 14 - "Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power".... "Stand firm." Do not let the black ice entice you... instead, listen to the warnings of the Lord.


"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

The Belly

So, several months ago, we were excited and surprised to discover a little Albertson blessing was coming our way! Yes, I am expecting a precious little boy on May 3.

Much to the surprise of my students, there was little outward indication of my pregnancy up until about a month ago. Sure, I was pregnant. Sure, the baby was there and growing... but my abdomen was not (well, not enough to really see). Then, once I officially starting showing, I could hear the chatter in my classroom - "wow... she really is pregnant. I can see it now."

This little conversation sparked an interesting thought in my mind. How often do we label ourselves as Christians yet provide little or no outward indication of our growing faith? Sure, we know we are saved and Jesus is alive and thriving on the inside, but can the outward world view our Christianity just by glimpsing in our direction? Or, do they really have to know us to know something is different? Or, worse - does the outward world need a verbal confirmation to know we are Christians... and yet, they continue to doubt because of the lacking physical signs.

In 1 Samuel 16:7, we learn that "People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." Thankfully - God looks at our insides.... but that doesn't provide us with an excuse to not start showing our Christianity. In Matthew 7:17-20, we learn that we should be able to determine a Christian by his or her fruit. A person who is continually seeking God's will for his or her life cannot help but let His will affect every aspect of both the inside and the outside! Is the inward transformation showing on the outside? Is it possible to know who you worship and who you love just by looking at you? Or, do you, need a little verbal confirmation?

I don't know about you, but I don't want there to be any question - just like my belly says 'I'm pregnant;' I want my life to say "I'm His!"

(Matthew 7:17-20) Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.


"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1

I resolve....

In honor of all the New Year's Resolutions floating around out there, I resolved to start blogging again. Hopefully, you can keep me in check. Let me explain...

As I reflect upon the whole idea of resolutions, I wonder - what exactly are they? Is there a point? Does anyone actually keep them? Or, do they, in fact, make us feel better... I resolve... whats so great about that?

In fact, as I think about resolutions, I cannot help but laugh. I was watching TV this morning and heard that the beginning of January marks a rise in work-out profits, while by January 14, there is a dip in happiness and working-out. Realistically, most of us will forfeit our resolutions and go back to normal in less than two weeks - pretty humbling, huh? Which ones of us will re-buy the junk food, start shoveling in the pizza, and quit gnawing on those carrots and celery sticks we so desperately wanted on January 1? Which ones of us will slowly sneak back into sleeping in on Sunday mornings? Which ones of us will, quite frankly, just stop caring... and just give up?!?!

Then, I think about the Christian life. Isn't New Year's just like our experiences as a Christian? We go to a camp or attend a radical service... maybe we have an epiphany... we need more Jesus. We need to resolve. We need to radically change for Christ. And, slowly, we go back to our more comfortable lives.... slowly we loose our resolutions... slowly, well, in about 2 weeks, we become ourselves again and forget to allow the Spirit to move.

Sadly, we think of these resolutions as burdens... something else on our checklist. And, often, with heavy hearts, we begin a routine... not a relationship... a routine, we didn't really buy into to begin with. Or, sometimes, we start with good intentions and add more and more onto our plates until we are so busy and so burdened we simply cannot fulfill God's call for us.

I once read a story... forgive me for not citing the story for I simply cannot remember from where it came...

There was a man who talked to God. During one conversation, God asked him to carry a small pebble up a large mountain. The man began his journey with great joy, singing to God as he went. How awesome God chose Him for this job. How wonderful he could contribute to God's great plan... and wow... this burden was light.

As he climbed the mountain, the man came upon a small village where his friend asked what he was doing. Upon finding out his destination, the friend asked, "could you please help me, I have this plank I need to get to the top of the mountain. Could you take it with you when you go?" Of course, the man consented. After all, he was going that way. The burden, a little heavier, was not too bad. So, he continued up the mountain, whistling and praising God.

Then, the man passed another friend who asked him to carry a small rock; then he passed yet another friend with a basket of small pebbles, then another friend, and another... and before he knew it - the man's burden was heavy and far too difficult to carry up the mountain. His praising turned to cursing... and he was no longer happy with God.

So, God came to visit... meeting him halfway up the mountain. And, God asked, "why are you so downcast? What's all this racket for?" The man started in, "You asked me to make this impossible trip... its too heavy... too far..."

And, God interrupted, pulling out each piece the man added to his burden... "What is this? And, this? And this? You see... these are not your burdens to carry. You were asked to carry this one pebble. Why are you carrying the weight of so many when you were given the assignment of One?"

To me, I cannot help but think - we oftentimes treat our resolutions as this man did his burden. We begin with a small task that God asks of us. He does not ask us to change the world. He asks us to change one small thing at a time. He does not give us beyond what we can bear. But, we, being the silly people we are... we add to our plates, we pile on the rocks, and then, we sit back and wonder why God made things so difficult. When, in fact, God did not make things difficult at all - He kept His promise - "his yoke is easy and his burden is light" (Matthew 11:30).

So, this year, consider what God desires of you. Do not add someone else's burden to your already important pile. Let God work. After all, God commands, "Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28) And, if you do - your burden will be light and your journey will be pleasurable - you will have deep rest in God. Its when we get in the way of God's work that we fail. And, boy can we make a mess of things.

So, I don't know about you. But, for me... I resolve... I resolve to let God have control. I resolve to allow Him to dictate my path. I resolve to carry the burden God gives me and not to pile on the burdens that God gives to someone else. I resolve to be the woman of God He intended and not the woman I think He intended. Yes, I resolve... I resolve to let go and let God. Sounds like a good resolution to me.

"Come all you who are thirsty, come to the waters..." Isaiah 55:1