Lessons from a cat...

What do you get when you cross a dumpster at the Aeschliman farm...a wild Tom cat...and empty peanut butter jar?

Yes. This is a real-and this cat really did this to himself. This poor Tom cat apparently crawled into our dumpster and found some choice dining. Crazy. While sporting his new attire-he crashed into buildings--flopped--flipped--rolled--jumped in a futile attempt to rid himself of his newly found identity. (...it was actually pretty funny!!) And folks-the jar wasn't coming off no matter what that cat tried. Tommy needed some outside help if he was going to ever catch the next meal. It took 3 attempts by Keri to get this face mask off of this furry feline. I am proud to say--he appears normal and probably is busy re-populating our neighborhood. (sorry.) And yes-he still is snacking in our dumpster--hopefully a bit more wisely.

God has a way of giving me some fairly crazy visual aides to help me in my walk...I guess he knows what works with me. Apparently a dumpster diving cat with a craving for Peter Pan extra creamy helped me to understand Ephesians 1: 1-6. (...check that passage out!) 

Identity. We all chase something that will define us...make us unique...always wanting to be different than everyone else. WE want to matter. A passion. A mission. A calling. A testimony. You name it. We chase it whether it is good or bad.

" We try to control our image, since what is inside feels impossible to fix." 

~Jennie Allen (Chase) 

That is true--and...most of the time we end up looking just as ridiculous as my dumpster diving cat. 

We dig around in the worldly dumpsters hoping for a morsel to satisfy.
We get a taste of something...something yummy...and then we are stuck. 
We can't move like we are meant to move.
A wrong identity gives us a dangerous world view. 
Our vision is blocked-we are on a collision course...and if we keep it up long enough...it could kill us.
Unless we have outside Help.

Maybe if we could grasp what transpired at the cross--we wouldn't be so inspired to chase the wind.

Transformation only happens when I begin to grasp the depth that Love had to go to save this sinner.


"For those of us who know Christ, we stand on the unchanging reality that we have been so loved by our God that He purchased us with the blood of His Son. See, we have worth, but it doesn't come from within us--it comes to us from the One who made us." ~Jennie Allen (Chase)

I walked away from Tommy with a profound thought.

I can just be me. 

I don't need to be someone else.

I look pretty stupid when I chase after things that are a temporary fix.

I don't define me. God does.

Ephesians 1:1-6 says that I am 

adopted.

loved.

accepted.

holy.

 blessed.

All because of what Jesus did for me.

Jesus died for the real you...not some future version of you that is new and improved...not some superwoman who has it all together. Jesus died for the real you...the messy you...the broken you. God has abundant grace to pick you up and give you a new identity.

God is for you.

He is not against you.

I CAN'T GET THIS SONG OUT OF MY HEAD...AND THE PICTURE OF THAT CRAZY CAT...and how much I want to know my worth in Christ-believe it with my whole heart--and then live like it.

AND I AM ON FIRE!
I AM CHASING MY GOD!
I AM CHASING HIS IDENTITY FOR ME!
AND BOY IS IT A BEAUTIFUL SOUND...CAN YOU HEAR HIM CALLING YOU TODAY?

Drops in the Ocean by Hawk Nelson

Crank up the tunes and praise

Him for who He is!

Feel free to check out my other posts on the same topics!

  Identity Crisis

Chaff

When the Hurt and the Healer Collide

Little Places

Dirt and the Farm Wife

Confidence in...who? 

Calmer of the Storm

Dirt & the Farm Wife

Most of humanity can see Spring coming by the grass waking up--the daffodils and tulips begin to bloom. Fresh warm breezes blowing gently...ah, Spring.
Not the farm wife.
We first notice that spring has arrived in our laundry rooms.

I have yet to find an appliance commercial that uses

a farmers clothes

to advertise how effectively

their machines work.

Here is my arsenal to battle the 

"SPRING (GREASE AND MUD) FLING"

I can't ever get the clothes as clean as they need to be

 That's ok.

Because typically the next day

you will never be able to notice

....by looking, smelling or touching ...

that they were clean just 12 hours ago.

Same goes for the people that wear 

those clothes...

I love this shirt.

Don't ask me what piece of equipment that he was pressure-washing to get that dirty, either...

you don't want to know.

I have been holding on to these pics since April wanting to do a post on Dirt.

BUT....it was done for me!

Ann Voskamp beat me to the punch on her blog the other day.

I LAUGHED SO HARD AT HER PICTURES!

.... AND THE SCENARIO

THAT PLAYED OUT IN HER KITCHEN

IS PLAYED OUT DAILY IN 

OUR KITCHEN.

Some of the dirt sticks to clothes.

That's the dirt

we deal with as

farm wives.

Some other kinds of dirt

stick to our hearts.

That's the dirt

we deal with as

human beings.

Check out the link

by Ann Voskamp

When your life feels Messy...The Real Truth About Your Dirt- A Blog post by Ann Voskamp

It gives me a new perspective

on laundry.