Dustbuster 2.0

 It has been awhile. It's been awhile since I have blogged. It's been awhile since I have been still. Other than a 2 day stomach bug I don't believe I've stopped since our weekend vacay to Tennessee. I do apologize for my absence. One friend asked if I had writer's block, eh, maybe to an extent. I just want to be certain what I'm putting out here is from the Lord and in His timing. Maybe I was a little intimitidated from the "success" of the two previous blogs. Mostly, because I felt the annointing go forth.  Without a doubt, they were straight from the Lord to the screen. That's pressure. Or at least I let it be.

First things first, I GOTTA make a confession.  I need to repent of something and until I do, God can't bless this.  Last week, I was vicious with the truth. I know it hurt someone that I love and care about.  It doesn't matter what pushed me to my break. All that matters is that when I was hurt/offended/taken back, I did not respond in love and in grace. No matter the circumstances my response should always reflect good fruit. His fruits of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and SELF CONTROL (Galatians 5:22-23) NO.MATTER.WHAT.

Forgive me, Lord, for my response. Thank you, for graciously searching and for pointing out the offensive ways still left in me.  Continue to remove me from me so that all that is left is you. Send Ministering Angels Lord to restore and repair the relationship my reaction has damaged. Lead my friend in this season of their life, you see and know everything and I place it all in your Mighty hand. Do what you do. Your will be done. Not mine. Not theirs. Only yours. In Jesus precious name. Amen.

As I'm finally sitting to type this, here come the minions, and the Murphenator. He's our 14 wk old Goldendoodle. Might I add he's the calmest of the 3. Yay to Mom life.  Lorelei needs help with a word game while Liv is just trying to creep in on my phone. Which by the way has been blowing up with residential home cleaning inquiries as well as one part time caregiver position the last two days.  I am in constant need of His direction. I am leaning and listening. I am trusting Him with all my heart. 

It's been a busy month for the Kingdom. Sharing my redemption story in 3 counties, cleaning 3 churches, sending the girls off to church camp, ministering to different sheep God has placed in my path, training for REC(a ministry that takes us inside the local jails,) having a turn teaching Kingdom Kids and Cornerstone Youth. Busy, busy, busy. My cup is overflowing.

Since closing Heaven Scent Cleaning, I've learned the "why for," as my Grandma would say.  At first, I thought God was taking as He had something far greater for me to do. He still might, but that's not the "why for?"  As I shared with a recovery group I recently spoke with, it was two fold. 1- I wasn't being faithful with a little.  Sure, I tithed and gave offerings. Yes, I even gave out of my need to others in need. However, we were blowing money shopping, eating out, going to and fro all of the time. I wasn't saving. I wasted away what God had put before me. 2- I found myself coveting what my customers had. Nice homes, 2 person incomes, nice this, nice that. Always comparing and envying. OUCH! Talk about a supernatural whoopin!!!! However harsh it may seem I do desire the Lord's instructions. I fancy His discipline as I know He disciplines His children in whom He delights (Proverbs 3:12.)  I guess you could even say, "I had it coming." Even so, He has taken supernatural care of us. Bills due and not enough on the bank ledger to cover.  He has showed up. Every time. Cupboards bear. Not anymore. Need school clothes and supplies for the girls. He delivered. Clothes for both with enough leftover to share with another family, professional haircuts and new shoes for them both,  school supplies for both semesters.  God had them covered.  I still don't know what lies ahead, but I know He's got this. I know to "let my character and my moral disposition be free from love of money(including greed, avarice, lust, and craving for earthly possessions.) and to be satisfied with my present(circumstances and with what I have); for He Himself has said, He will not in any way fail me nor give me up nor leave me without support. He will not, He will not, HE WILL NOT, in any degree leave me helpless nor forsake nor let me down. He will never relax His hold on me! Assuredly not!" (Hebrews 13:5 AMPC) It's the first time since I was 8 years old that I am not relying upon some sort of side hustle and honestly, I wish I had trusted Him sooner. He is Jireh. He takes good care of me. As Naomi Raines sings, "If He dresses the lilies with beauty and splendor, how much more will He clothe you? If He watches over every sparrow, how much more does He love you?"  He is my portion. He is enough. I am not worried about tomorrow as He is the only thing that stands outside of time, therefore, He's the only thing in my tomorrow making tomorrow. PERFECT! HALLELUJAH!!!! 

So, now that we are all caught up let's finally get into this month's blog. I'm a neat person always cleaning up messes. It's obviously what I do.  Since March one of the buildings I clean has been doing some remodeling. Finishing the balcony with overflow seating, replacing cracked floor tiles, turning a cafe area into a classroom, installing an industrial kitchen fan, painting walls, painting carpet, pulling up the painted carpet, and it still continues. 5 months of cleaning up sawdust, dry wall dust, tile dust, paint drips. Getting dust cleaned up of any sort is a tedious process whether cleaning up behind volunteers or paid contractors, it's a mess.  Dust travels. Dust covers. Dust lingers. It lingers in the air and all over every surface. You can sweep it, wipe it, mop it, and IT'S STILL THERE!!!!   Although it has provided great job security, I will be ever so happy when the DustBowl of 2022 is no more.  Then I got to thinking. If I'm feeling some type of way about having everything polished up and looking anew one moment for it all to be a filthy mess the next, imagine what God goes through with us. One moment we're surrendered, laying it all down, allowing Him to polish us up and the next we're wallering in the same muck He just cleaned us up from.  More so, He knew before He ever cleaned us up once we'd be a continual work in progress.  Here I am, upset over a handful of messy months, all the while, He's been graciously and mercifully cleaning up my messes for 41 Years and counting. Isaiah 40 vs 28 tells us that He is everlasting, He outlasts all the messes, that the Creator of the ends of the Earth will not grow tired or weary. His understanding we will never fathom. Verses 30-31 go on to tell us that even youths grow tired and weary(me, I'm youths) and that young men will stumble and fall(me again) but those that hope in the LORD will soar like Eagles. I know I can't be the only one out here making messes of what He's all ready cleaned up. Still yet, He doesn't tire. In fact, Paul tells us in Philippians 1:6 that we can be confident in this, "that He who began a good work in you, will carry it on to completion."  Jesus tells us in John 5:17 that He and God are always working. They never stop.  They never punch the clock.  For them there is no break in the dust bowls of our lives. Paul goes on to tell us in 1 Corinthians 1 verse 8 that God will keep us firm to the very end, so that we will be free from all of the blame, free from the dust, until the day that Christ returns. 

Now I'm not saying that just because Jesus all ready paid the price for our messes that we should live entitled and go about things our own way. Just because He is always working, just because His mercies are new every morning, just because His grace is sufficient, DOES NOT MEAN WE KEEP ON PURPOSEFULLY AND INTENTIONALLY MAKING MESSES.   In Romans 8 Paul tells us that because we belong to Him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed us from the powers of sin that lead to death. John tells us that to love Him is to obey Him. If we love God we must be obedient to His commands.  Thankfully, we don't have to do this alone as that is impossible.  We cannot deny our carnal sinful nature without the power of Holy Spirit. We can try all that we want to but in the end we will fail. There is nothing good that lives in us that is in our sinful nature(Romans 7:18.)  Without God I'm a mess. Through the Blood of Jesus I'm washed clean. With Holy Spirit living in me and leading the way is the only way I can be sure to not live a life as Messy Jessie. As Paul states in 2 Timothy 2, "if I will keep myself pure, I will be a special utensil for honorable use. My life will be clean and I will be ready for the Master to use for every good work. He goes on to say, "RUN from anything that stimulates youthful lusts. Instead, pursue righteous living, faithfulness, love, and peace."

Is it easy to refrain from living a messy dirty sanctified life? No, but with God it sure is possible (MARK 10:27.) Will we get it wrong? Most likely, however, the godly may trip seven times, face down in the dirt, but we will get back up again Proverbs 24:16. 

STAY CROSS EYED, FOLKS. STAY SURRENDERED. PURSUE RIGHTEOUS LIVING.  LIVE A LIFE WORTHY OF YOUR CALL SO THAT WHEN THE MASTER IS READY FOR YOU HE WONT NEED TO DUST YOU OFF FIRST. 

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