Head and Heart: Yearning For The Mind of Christ

How does one write down all the details of a very active walk with God when life feels like a rubber band being stretched and released and stretched some more? During the pull and release process the strands snap back with a stinging wound, to the point you just say keep pulling, it's easier during the stretch phase than feeling the pain of the re-coil.

Walking with God for most of my life has taught me He does want to fine tune His creation. The refining tool he uses; trials, tests, suffering, all have purpose in bringing His work into finer focus. Artists, potters, metal smiths know this process well and they know getting there isn't pretty.

Even when you are pliable in God's hands, there is pain involved in the shaping of your material structure. Pressing and pushing on your form with just enough pressure seems unbearable, the smelting fire drains you but you let Him do it regardless because He knows the outcome.

It is always an issue of full, unguarded, helpless trust to allow the handiwork of God in your life. When He redeemed you and called you His child you were no longer your own (Galatians 2:20). You are now His to do with as He pleases. We tend to forget that from time to time when the refining process gets tough.

Rubber Band 

Head and Heart: A Struggle

There are times when we've studied the scripture, read it, committed it to heart as an act of worship, as a discipline, as a rote item to check off a list or for the sheer beauty of it. Countless reasons can enter my mind as to why the Bible is important in our walk with God. Every effort we make is a good effort.

We must remember though that the Holy Spirit brings a dynamic to our time with scriptures that only He can do. Before I get ahead of myself, I must talk about head knowledge and heart knowledge.

I was reading Thomas Jefferson's letter to Maria Cosway, his romantic interest while traveling abroad the other day, titled Head and Heart, when I realized how Christians tend to fall into the battle over which one is right as they follow Christ. We can read the scripture and come away with an academic, historical, literary understanding of the text. This is the Head knowledge we all are capable of obtaining. We also can read the scripture and come away with a poetic, emotional, circumstantial understanding of the text. This is the Heart knowledge we are all capable of obtaining.  Sometimes we go into reading the scripture with preconceived Head and Heart knowledge obscuring the study with our very human views and experiences.  This Head and Heart knowledge sure can leave us in a pickle. Thomas Jefferson certainly felt like a mini war was going on inside Him.

This is the beauty of the Holy Spirit's work. He is the only one that is able to take that Head and Heart knowledge and balance it so it makes sense and when that happens you are ALIVE. He is our teacher, our guide (Hebrews 4:12). He is able to make us understand the depths of God. He is what makes us spiritually ALIVE. He connects the Head and the Heart in harmony, making the make-up of the redeemed soul strong. He is our balancer.

How does he do this amazing connections that brings wholeness? It does take a Head and Heart that is willing to submit fully to His still small voice. Once we learn to listen to Him and trust that He is about changing us for the better, rectifying the truth within the Head and Heart will take an act of obedience, either through performing a task, a submission of will or even a sacrifice of some sort. All this 'giving up' of self is ALWAYS replaced with Christ likeness. A much better deal than the mini-battles inside of us or the way of death which is spiritual blindness.

Head and Heart: Belief Starts in the Mind and Leads to Faith (complete trust in God)

The imbalance of the Head leads to arrogance, pride and worshipping your intelligence. The imbalance of the Heart leads to emotional instability, anxiety, depression.  Without taking every thought captive to Christ (2 Corinthians 10:5), we can find ourselves in wrong thought processes for both realms of the mind.

Let us not be like 2 Timothy 3:7, always learning but never coming to a knowledge of the truth.
Let us not be like James 1:6 doubters who are tossed about like the waves of the sea.

Let us fully prostrate our whole person and allow 2 Timothy 1:7 to reign in our lives. "For the Spirit of God does not make us timid but gives us power, love and self discipline."

The Holy Spirit's amazing work balances the Head and the Heart through cleansing and testing to equip us for an abundant life.

Head and Heart: Healthy Symbiosis

When we allow the Holy Spirit to change us, teach us, through the submission of our entire being to Him, we are changed into beautiful vessels who shine the light of God's truth into a dark world.  We become healthy in mind, (Head and Heart). God uses the emotions and intellect He gave you to experience Him to the fullest with benefits beyond our comprehension!

Verses to THINK upon

Ephesians 2:10

Matthew 5:8

Acts 15:9

Psalms 51:10

My Meme

Sometimes humor and truth come along in a great little package meant for you.
I find great amusement in the following personal meme from the series, The Stories of Rabindranath Tagore.  (on Netflix)

This particular episode was my favorite. Poets gather to discuss romantic life in contrast to their reality.

It's been a delight to watch the clean, heart felt stories in this series. The series depicts Indian culture in the early 1900's. Rabindranath also wrote honestly about British occupation and the idiosyncrasies he saw in society. It's also refreshing to see the beauty and costume of the women, very feminine in their outward appearance as well as family life orientation. Stunning!

Bread Crumbs

In The Grimm Brothers story, Hansel and Gretel, the children use pebbles as trail markers to find their way back home after their parents abandon them in the woods.  They are successful with their clever method and return home. The mean step-mother locks them in the room, after finding they have gathered pebbles to use as their markers and demands they be taken deeper in the woods to be left to die the next day.  Hansel and Gretel have no time to gather pebbles, so they take bread and crumble it along the path as they once again are taken to their fate. Unfortunately, the crumbs are eaten by the birds and they loose their way.

Bread of Life

Last night my daughter and I were discussing why we read the word of God especially when there are times we feel nothing, don't always relate or have a full understanding of the text, history and meaning.  Sometimes life feels rote and mundane. Habits can seem ordinary and mirror our life but that shouldn't stop us from hiding God's word away in our heart.

Sometimes God wants to teach us to persevere through the hard times when everything that we do seems unfulfilling, other times He hides because He wants us to trust Him and not lean on our own strength, to be weak so He can be the only Light guiding us through those times in life when it all seems topsy turvy. 

In order to let God actively control our lives we have to have an understanding of who He is and that is accomplished by studying His Word.  He then tends to confirm who He is through circumstances and asking that we trust in who He says He is. There is never a pat formula for what He will require of our actions or non-action. There are times He will ask we do nothing and watch Him, other times He wants us to move and use us. These are the times when He uses the bread crumbs found in scripture to guide us.

Hiding God's word in our heart, keeps the birds from stealing the substance from us when we are maneuvering through life. The beautiful thing about HIs word, is it is ALIVE and helps in changing us. God knows when to apply His word in our lives to strengthen, encourage, discipline, direct, restore, repair, teach and most of all administer His love towards us.

There have been many times I have been going through the motions of the day when a scripture will just drop in my thoughts, seemingly out of no where. I stop, and go, "That wasn't me! Thank you Holy Spirit for putting those amazing words in my head." Sometimes I have to study them to understand what He wants, other times I already know, smile and say, "Oh Lord, that was answer to my prayer or just what I needed to hear." The only way this happens is if you study His word.

So my dear sweet daughter, you are entering a time of life when everything begs questioning, yes even your parents are under the microscope for scrutiny.  You will wonder at all life is and has to offer. You will anticipate your future as you move forward into womanhood.  You are learning to rely on your God-given gifts as you begin the slow process of independence through healthy individuality. Emotions will confirm or betray, but through it all keep those scrumptious bread crumbs buried in your heart. God will take one out every now and then and nourish you along the way.

Scriptures For Your Pocket: 

Psalms 199:11

Proverbs 3:6

John 6:35

Philippians 4:6

Isaiah 30:31

Psalms 37:31

Book of Remembrance:  

I will never forget when we had the skin doctor's appointment. It was all set, routine. Before we went inside, the Lord stopped me in my tracks and said, "I will go before you." That is Deuteronomy 31:8. It is also a reference to a military stance. To go before in battle means to lead, to open up the way for victory, to do the hard work of the battle.

When the doc said we needed to test for skin cancer, I could have sunk into despair. I didn't because God's bread crumb was taken out of my pocket by Him and I chose to believe Him, no matter where the lab result lead us.  I still prayed to God about the circumstance during the waiting time, did what I knew to do for our comfort but also RESTED in His Word.  When we received the results that it was not cancer, could you imagine the JOY I felt, PRAISE I gave and THANKS I bestowed upon my Lord.  The neat thing is when you follow God, even if the answer (lab results) was one you don't want to hear, He still is in control and we must trust He knows what is best. We need to keep on listening and storing bread crumbs which ever path He leads us down.

GOD GOES BEFORE US, HANG ON!

Oh, and I was totally impressed by your composure and trust in God too! Alex, you make a parent proud!

Davids' Homage to Squares

This is a fun photo for me.... I took it at a clients home and was thrilled to see it used in the staging process.

Renaissances' Michelangelo 'face of David' gazing at Modernist Josep Albers: Homage to the Square. Hmm! What would your caption say?

Photo by: Chandra Brown
'mind- boggling simple'

Click the below articles for more art fun

David

Josep Albers

The Humbling Continues....

This is my prayer for you from the bottom of my heart with no strings attached and may the clarity of the purity I want to convey in it shine through any misperceptions that want to attach their filters to it.

My Prayer

May you always know who you are in Christ and live in that truth to the fullest. May the autonomy of living in Christ protect your heart and give you the strength to withstand when anything outside Jesus tries to conform you, control you or manipulate you to that standard, whether intentions be from the source of what seems good or from ignorance.

May you find joy in following God's purpose for your life without the shackles of expectation from others. May you understand the only voice you obey is the Holy Spirit. Let God define you, let God shape and mold you and through it all may you remain humble.

Ask those bold questions, let your light shine, don't be afraid to be YOU. Be willing to make mistakes but always be ready to correct when they are made and keep moving forward. Know the value in truly being sorry and saying it when you know you were wrong, even partially wrong. It has healing abilities that far exceed therapy, addictions, or the perpetual cycle of sadness. Saying the word 'sorry' and truly meaning it is far more valuable than personal affirmations or material gifts. It is the truest act of kindness. It is the only bridge maker in relationships when there is chasm. Verbally saying these words is a humbling act that opens the doors of forgiveness wide. Even if the receiver of those words doesn't fully accept, do it anyway, for yourself.

Put yourself out there for the world to behold, through your talents may they see God's handiwork and give Him glory for it.

It's OK to be silly, to dance, to sing, to get messy, to make mistakes. Value people above things, be willing to give the 'shirt' off your back to those less fortunate. Plan for those big ideas, dreams and things you do want and enjoy the benefits when you reach the goal. Love working hard but love playing too.

May you always find balance in your life through your relationships. First, God, then family, then friends. When you need advice seek those three in that order and then trust yourself for the final decision. May you understand the dynamics of communication without fear, assumption or judgment but in the full operation of openness, patience and love.

May you always be soft and moldable in the presence of God and may that shine through your countenance and actions. When you are soft and moldable in His presence, you come out with an unbendable strength against anything that is not of Him.

My prayer for you is to live abundantly in Christ and share His shaping of you with others so they can rejoice with you as you become exactly what He meant you to be.

All my Love,
Chandra

GALATIONS= FREEDOM... don't let anyone diminish what you have in Christ.

Have a 'Punny' Christmas

Get ready to groan, moan and sigh at this lame gift attempt to make you laugh, let loose and giggle. At least the traditional family care package has a little more flare than just sending the items wrapped in paper.

Ok, I admit I probably had more fun making these puns for the Christmas gifts than the receivers will have opening them but hey, my intentions are all bound up in the joys of giving. I had a blast and I hope my sweet friends and family will at the minimum break a smile at my feeble attempt to make a small offering bigger than what it is. I made it somewhat of a game to add to the fun.

So, without further malarkey, I present to you...

The How To Have 'Pun' On Christmas Care Package

Materials:

1. Scissors
2. Paper
3. Tape
4. Glue
5. Hole punch
6. Markers
7. 'Punny' Words to manipulate to your hearts content
8. Items to match the word puns
9. Tissue paper
10. Box for sending the 'pun' to your friends and family

'Let the Pun Begin'
By Chandra Brown

NOTE: I showed the front and back of the card. (It's just one card you'll use)

The Christmas Card

Cheese

Nuts

Latte

Money

Company Marketing Quip: RefreshIt, Fresh Water Bidet

MEMO

Posted by: Betty Bidet, Head of Sales

December 3, 2016

MEMO: You Can Sell ANYTHING! Encouragement for those behind in Sales

Dear Sale Representatives,

I understand the all encompassing concerns for the promotion of our product. I saw many of you inching towards the back door as we discussed the sales goals and product qualities in our last meeting. The following is an article we published in consumer reports to help our latest money maker gain ground in the market as we do not want to be back sided and in arrears over this new product launch. Read it and use the information to help you on the sales floor. No objection is too strong for you! Our product will 'tukhus' to the next level. Remember, Christmas bonuses hang in the balance and I'm routing for you.

Sincerely,

Betty

ARTICLE: RefreshIt For The Fundaments Of Your Family, by: Fanny Applebottom, Consumer Reports, December 1, 2016. Reprinted with permission.

RefreshIt For The Fundaments Of Your Family

Are you privy to the latest addition to the comfort station? Do you need to spruce up your oval office?     This product will help you take command of your lavatory. Quick, easy installation will send you on your way to derriere heaven. Just sit back, dial in your specific setting at your pleasure and let RefreshIt do the dirty work. If you need a little nudge in the morning, just RefreshIt, a cool spritz will do. For best results, use full measure. 

For a nominal price of 38.99, you can own the luxury of a traditional bidet without the needed extra space and back breaking installation. With a savings of a couple hundred dollars and the fact you do not need to move from one commode to another is priceless. Not only will you save on time and effort, you will literally be pirating the booty on toilet roll consumption.  Just think about those with young children in potty training, RefreshIt will make going to the loo a sought reward, speeding the process to success. 

Isn't it time to high tail it to your local handy store and revel in the callipygian savings? Don't be a donk and miss out on this revolutionary product your family will be sure to thank you for later. In fact, we are so confident you won't regret this purchase, we bet you'll be slapping your haunches and think to yourself, "Why didn't I do this sooner?" 

COMMENTS (12)

Hillary Duff 2 days ago

"I'm so bummed I didn't have this product in my washroom sooner."

Joe Plumber 1 day ago

"RefreshIt has given my plumber's crack a whole new outlook on life."

Booteus Maximus 15 hours ago

"Does it come with a cheek spreader?"

         (comment may need modification)

Cheekie 14 hours ago

"I had a crappy experience!"

     reply Fanny: "Should I be sorry or happy for you?"

Shootie Patootie 13 hours ago

"There was no more junk on my trunk!"

Soggy Biscuits 13 hours ago

"Not a happy camper! My buns got swamped."

     reply Fanny: "Umm, that's the point. Did you read the user's manual?"

Blue Moon 10 hours ago

"Talk about shooting the moon. WOWZA! The top setting on this thing strip mined my arse."

     reply Cool Keister: " Hey, Blue Moon! 'A nudge' from the 'cool spritz' was more like a fire hose      supplied by the Arctic Ocean.

     reply Blue Moon: "Hey, Cool Keister... LMAO!"

Happy Heinie 9 hours ago

"Now that I've got my RefreshIt, I don't need my morning coffee fix."

RefreshIt Command Station
Photo by: Chandra Brown

FOR FUN: How many 'BUTT' references can you find in this silly post?