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| Starting small |
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Often I am so un-spiritual!! And this is frustrating, because I have some dandy quiet times with the Lord. But then the silliest things throw me off track. In the words of Kathy, aargh!
I've been reading Philippians lately, and this week was again so impressed with Paul's statement: 3:8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ
Boy was that guy spiritual! I mean, wow!!! So where do I even begin? Well, where everyone always does, at the beginning. So as I contemplated where to begin my quest for the "spiritual mind" that Paul so aptly portrays, I saw these first steps:
1. The battle over which end of the toothe paste to squeeze ..... Laura is a top squeezer while I'm a tidy bottom squeezer. I've tried to get her to be logical about it and squeeze the toothe paste the right way, but invariably I find that impression up at the top of the tube once again!
So as I strive to adopt the spiritual mind of Paul, I resolve to joyfully prepare the toothe paste tube to insure that there's enough paste at the top of the tube for my wife to easily dispense onto her brush each morning.
2. Upside down knives in the strainer ..... When hand-washing knives, Laura puts them all into the strainer upside down to dry (clearly for safety reasons), but sometimes this results in dirty tips (yuk!). I've asked Laura to put the blunt table knives into the strainer handle-down so they'll remain clean, but I continue to find dirty tips. (So maybe I am a little OCD.)
I have thought about simply taking all the dirty-tipped knives out of the strainer and dropping them into the sink to be washed again (evil, isn't it?). BUT as I strive to be spiritually minded, I resolve to not only refrain from making an issue of the knives, but whenever I find them in the strainer upside down I will re-wash them myself, so that my wife and children will always have clean table knives.
3. Secure windows/doors at night ..... If I left home security to Laura, we'd probably wake up one morning to an empty house (everything stolen) as she often leaves windows and even doors unlocked (or open) when going to bed. (Well, again I may be obsessing, we live in a semi-rural setting.)
Rather than repeatedly point out the perceived risks and plead for greater security consciousness, I resolve to check all windows/doors each night myself, seeing it as an opportunity to protect my family. The spiritual mind would likely not become easily exasperated over a spouse's occasional forgetfulness after a long arduous day with kids, housework, and homeschooling.
SO... I will take these baby steps towards developing a spiritual outlook on all of life, changing the way I choose to view mundane issues of life which can gradually rob us of our joy in Christ. Start easy, take it slow, allow room for growth. Well, ok, so maybe my journey isn't exactly at square one. But sometimes it sure feels like it! |
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| To add a comment to "Starting small" |
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| July 28, 2007 |
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| I love how you are so open about your relationship and problems. I also love how by sharing what you are learning by reading the bible and praying you are helping other people! Thanks! In this one you helped me realize that I need to not be so picky with my little twin brother and sister... |
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| July 28, 2007 |
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| Bailey, you are so welcome. I can't tell you how much it blesses me to hear that. We all have problems big and little this side of paradise, so we may as well let God use them for his glory. ~mike |
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| July 28, 2007 |
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| Alright Bro! First the double stars and now this????? How did you get a NIV verse in the Bible translations? NO ONE else has access to this!!! So not fair! I'm telling! |
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| July 28, 2007 |
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| I pulled strings with Zondervan. :-0 |
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| July 28, 2007 |
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| Well after the NIV distraction...I did finally read the post :) And it sounds like you have some real problems Bro! I will bring one of your solutions to church with me tomorrow. Remind me, if I forget to give it to you :) |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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| Great point and thanks for giving me something to think about this morning. |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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Amen 'bro on 'dem wrong-side down knives! LOL
And now, back to life with Theresa... ;) Dave |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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| Isn't is funny that with all the problems in the world, one of the most widespread argument starters is the toothpaste tube! What is this world coming to? Separate tubes?! (Why not? Separate bathrooms have settled the toilet seat argument. I never understood, btw, why it was "his" responsibility to put the seat down, and not equally "hers" to put it up?) :) I like your solutions, Mike! May we all hear you! (And I must give credit to Blackbeard for "aargh!") |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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OK Sue, I'll remind you...
Thanks Randy! (hey bro, you haven't blogged in a long time, still waiting for another like the first!)
Dave, life with a spouse always has its "little" challenges, doesn't it? Well, except when you have a Theresa...  As far as having a spiritual outlook on life, I really admire you! After having met you, I think it would be hard to find a better person to emulate in that regard than you!  |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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Blackbeard - lol! I thought that his quote was "haarrrr."
But all pirates aside, as far as those distracting issues of life are concerned, please pray for me Kathy, I have so far to go. 
(as you can see, I've discovered free smileys... not spyware smileys either!) |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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| Are mine spyware???? Say it ain't so!!!!!!! Aargh!!!!!!!!!! |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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| As a middle-tube-squeezing, knife-blade-down-pointing, window-left-opening wife myself, let me speak on behalf of your better half and say, thanks for your patience! ....did you get all that? ;-) |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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Thanks Soozanne. I'm sure the list of issues my better half has to deal is much longer.
Kathy, I've heard it alleged that the smiley "toolbars" monitor your internet use .... spyware. |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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Mike, you didn't even touch on the bigger issue here. If we're going to be spiritually-minded Christians and really embrace TRUE joy, we have to stop this petty fighting about toothpaste and windows and upside-down knives. I mean, really. This is all so juvenille. There are MUCH bigger problems in the world. You all know what I'm talking about... obviously the bigger issue here is whether or not the toilet paper roll goes paper over or paper under. c'mon Mike. Get your priorities in order. Marriages are in turmoil over this. |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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| Mike, thanks so much for this insight. I thought I was OCD also but in JUSUS NAME i'm NOT I'm letting God worry about all the little thing in my life now. I as Laura put my knife's faceing down BUT as I wash my dish's I also was of holder each time. |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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Okay, this is the solution to Mike's toothpaste problem. I gave him one at church today. This little thing has saved more than one marital argument at our household. You see my husband used to throw the toothpaste in the trashcan when it was only halfway gone. To me, we might as well crumbled up a dollar bill and tossed it! But toothpaste squeezer to the rescue! Problem solved! Why couldn't I think of this little invention? They sell these at Walmart at 3 for $1.00. 33 cents well spent! |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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Hi Mike...I love your illustrations : ) Whenever my unmarried friends ask advice about what keeps our marriage happy,,,I always tell them we don't fight over stupid stuff like toothpaste and toilet seats : )
God bless you as you continue on in sanctification : ) |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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Thanks Mike as a 50 year old divorced fellow that still has plenty to learn I sure enjoy your Blogs. As far as that tooth paiste contraption goes I see a problem by the time you slid it up to the top I'd have waisted all the toothpaiste am I missing something here?
Love,
Dave |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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| Dave, you push it up as you go along. It doesn't start out that far up. :) |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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Zach and Dave, thanks much for your comments! As I am learning, the spiritual mind sees these little issues as opportunities to serve (really easy ways to serve too, I might add). I too can be like Paul (the apostle), all I have to do is prepare the toothe paste for my wife every day!
Cheryl, it appears we have much in common! :-) |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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| My husband and I have separate bathrooms and separate toothpaste tubes, so that solves a lot of problems! He likes the roll of toilet paper to go under, I like it to go over, but as long as he keeps to his bathroom, no problem. He keeps the toilet seat and lid down when not in use because the cats tend to want to play in the water...knives go point up in our dishwasher, no argument there...and the windows get closed and locked by me every night, since we got robbed last summer. I don't go anywhere without closing and locking them all, and that includes to bed! Thanks for sharing your insights, Mike! |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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| Wow...this was timely! Thank you. |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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Roll goes over. No discussion. This one's a deal-breaker. I may squeeze the tube in the middle, but I have my standards!
Seriously, isn't it amazing the things in our marriages that trip us up? We can be find a way to work out so many differences such as who drives the car, where we spend our money, even what church we attend. But mess with our silverware drawer and LOOK OUT!!! |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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Ah Deb, the old over/under debate. Fortunately, we here are of one mind on that one.
Jeremy, it is amazing how God works like that, isn't it? Just right, just in time. I don't know why I ever doubt Him!
lol - that's hilarious Soozanne. b/c it's true! |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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I took Mike approach to a delicate problem I had in my marriage... according to my husband he is never lost, even when we pass the same house 20 times for the last hour... How did I resolve this marrital issue??? I bought him a navigator (GPS). Thank God I got my sanctification back. lol |
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| July 29, 2007 |
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| never dispise small beginnings! I can so relate! |
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| July 30, 2007 |
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Thanks David, it's good to know that I'm not alone! Lourdes, great gadget! An end to the "do I ask for directions or don't I" debate. I've got a navigator too -- her name is Laura. I sure wish I could rely on technology to solve all my problems. But thankfully the Lord nudges me toward greater spirituality (dependence on my relationship w/Him) by allowing (or causing?) frustrating circumstances in my life, often caused by other people! I just can't fix these things in my own strength. ~mike |
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| July 30, 2007 |
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| You are a true man of God and a great assest to this community. The Spirit is strong in you and many people will look to you in the days to come. God bless you. |
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| July 30, 2007 |
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Thanks Patrick! Your encouraging spirit is most welcome here!
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| July 30, 2007 |
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| Speaking of Small Things have you ever noticed that God can put a solution into a couple sentences that we've spent our whole life screwing up? |
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| July 31, 2007 |
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Yes, perhaps a time or two. Amazing thing is how he can finally open our eyes helping us see what we've spent all that time looking at and not seeing.
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| August 02, 2007 |
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Hey Mike, I was also wondering about the NIV....Be spiritual minded and tell us please.
JR |
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| August 02, 2007 |
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Just do a copy n paste. You can copy your NIV text right into that blue box. It's so simple even a Cuban congo drum player can do it! ~m... |
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| August 03, 2007 |
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Thanks. I thought you had something else up your sleeve.
Hmmm....I wonder is a caveman can do it too. |
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| August 03, 2007 |
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| Eric, I read your blog and absolutely loved it. That is Christlikeness soaking through you, my friend!! ~mike |
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| August 06, 2007 |
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| ps... the Cuban congo player mentioned 3 posts above is Ricky Ricardo, or at least the guy posing as Ricky (that would be me)!! |
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