Cleansing my Eyes

Verse of Note: Matthew 6:22-23 “The lamp of the body is the eye. If therefore your eye is good, your whole body will be full of light. ²³ But if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If therefore the light that is in you is darkness, how great is that darkness!

Song of Note: Come Thou Fount of Every Blessing

To begin, you learn something new every day. I do not know why I had such a strong feeling that there was a Bible verse about the eyes being the window to the soul. What I really meant at the end of yesterday's post was a reference to the verse above. The eyes being the lamp of the body. Oh well, you live and you fact check and you learn:)

Our sight is a gift. Vision is amazing. And these eyes are so delicate yet powerful.
This one thing I know for sure. As a part of my Spring cleaning I HAVE to be more mindful of what I am watching. Let's dig deep here....I don't exactly mean the usual things like TV shows and movies (though I do need to be careful....as many a hilarious comedy (my weakness) often sneak in things that are in direct opposition with God's word).

I am talking about the fact that I need to be watching the right things. People. I cannot get so caught up in myself that I forget my purpose, which is to spread God's message. People need me to see them. There are loads of sick, troubled, helpless, angry, confused, sad, lonely, frustrated, mourning, abused people all around me. They have needs and I need to cleanse my eyes so that I can see and serve.

I know what works best for me. When I read my Bible more and take time for Bible study my cloudy, distracted, weak vision is cleared and refreshed. It is not easy to admit that in the past few weeks I had let my vision get cloudy. Being stressed and busy and tired are the keys to waste in my spiritual life.

With the growth of Spring beauty all around me in God's creation, I will open my eyes and allow the light to shine. It is going to expose some dusty areas....because hey that is what light does. But it will also, I pray reflect some strengths:)

Spring Cleaning of my Spirit

Spring is coming.....I can see it in the gorgeous blue skies. It is right around the corner.....I know because I got a pedicure (the Sabrina sign that open toed shoes are coming!).

However, this Spring I realized more than ever I think, that my soul and spirit need a Spring cleaning. Sabrina the Christian woman/girl was getting kind of sluggish and distracted.

I thank God continually that he is so forgiving.....and yet takes me to the mat when needed. I need both of those parts of him.

You see as I am reading the Bible through chronologically I reread the 10 Commandments the other day. And I was humbled when I realized I was letting graduate school (which I love) sort of start becoming another god in my life. I DID NOT mean for that to happen, but honest reflection tells me it's the truth. And I need to face that truth as a part of the Spring cleaning.

In the last few days I was reminded, I am needed in the Kingdom. God has blessed me with gifts and I need to be using them. They will not grow if I don't. I was reminded that there is love, harmony and praise in meeting with other believers. And I crave that!

So here is the plan.....this week I hope to post some specifics about the cleaning that needs to go on in my life. Tomorrow I will start with cleaning the windows (aka my eyes and what I am watching/noticing). I invite you to come back if you find this topic interesting or maybe have stories to share about how Spring cleaning has brightened your walk of faith.

Bible Verse of note: Exodus 14:14- The Lord shall fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.
Song of note: This is the Air I Breathe

Instead

I have plenty of school counseling projects I could be doing. There are numerous books lying around my house that need to be read for class. There are taxes and forms and papers that need to be organized.

Do you know what I choose to do instead? 


Instead I start planning ahead for my birth month celebrations. There will be more details coming soon I promise:) Instead I make a list of the Florida activities I want Stacey to experience during Spring Break. Instead I book hotel rooms for summer reunions with my girls and The Backstreet Boys. Instead I find rental houses for more reunions with my FSU ladies and Melanie.

It takes all sorts in this life and currently my sort is dealing with attempts at procrastination and daydreams of blissful, fun-filled vacations and adventures.
Welcome to my Wednesday!

She can sing no wrong

Rolling in the Deep from You Tube

Oh Adele you are just too good. Your voice is so melodic and your charisma is deep. Your soul seems so fascinating. Two different songs by my new favorite artist and both are incredibly beautiful and poetic! It is hard to describe but her voice is magical to me:)

                                                                   Someone Like You from You Tube

Here's to Monday:)

“I always give 100% at work:

13% Monday
22% Tuesday
26% Wednesday
35% Thursday
4% Friday”

- Unknown-

I hope it is not going to be that kind of a week;) I found this little funny quote at www.thinkexist.com. It made me smile.....I think it would look good on a T-shirt!

The semester where I was in Athens but not really

Hahahaha....yeah the title of this is how I feel. Yes, I will be in Athens this term and really, all the way up until May 2012.
But.....I feel as if I will also not be in Athens. How is this possible?

Well with a sister in a maybe transition
and a Practicum in the Atlanta area
and Spring Break
and Spring Fever
with Retreats
and maybe Scrapbook Weekends
mixed with the Random things that life will throw in.....

This seems like the semester where I was in Athens but not really!

Say it Loud....

I'm Black and I'm Proud:)
We are well underway into this Black History Month 2011. I could go sooo many places with this. Black history/herstory in Sports, Music, Medicine, Technology, Business, etc.

So instead I will go along the path that feels right to me this evening. It  is a path that looks back at ancestors I never knew, yet I love. I will admit, that a part of me hates the Ancestory.com commercials that promise insight into your family tree. A part of me wants to say, having a clear family tree, easily traced by something so simple as a last name is a sort of privilege. I can trace my family back but after awhile the people and places get jumbled and pushed around by slavery, oppression, prejudice and the like.

That to me is why Black History Month is so critical, because if we don't celebrate, we often forget. And I don't ever in my life want to forget the extreme sacrifice paid for my freedom. I share this life I call my own with generations of family who would not have dreamed that my reality was possible. I owe the happy, joyful, hardworking Sabrina that I am, to real blood, sweat, and tears of my family that was.

So maybe writing this has helped because I don't have to hate Ancestory.com. I can  be strengthened and renewed by the quiet whispers of long ago that settle in my soul and motivate me to go out there and grasp every single opportunity I can. I can understand that the past is full of pride for some and shame/indifference for others and the real sorrow in the whole thing is when we stop acknowledging that we all have a shared past and a shared future. That the people who can trace their family back 10 generations and the people who can't, need to come together and learn something from each other's experiences.

May this month, more than most, I open my eyes to hear and celebrate the stories all around me. And may I step boldly into my future carrying the spirit of all I hold dear close to my heart.