Hope for the Control Freak

I have been called a control freak a few times. Okay, maybe I don't work that well with others and maybe my eye for details is a few sizes larger than the average person's but control freak? Whatever. However, in the remote case I lean toward being a control freak I heard on the radio this morning that the Sunflower Dental Group will let me be in control. Isn't that great! They even have a back up plan. They said, "We'll let you be in control and if that doesn't work there is always laughing gas."

~"Laughing gas," hope for the control freak~

Pampered Pets

All I can say is city pets must be really whimpy. I just read a Reader's Digest article on keeping your pets bug-free. They suggest if your dog gets a tick to remove it and take the dog to the veternarian to analyze the bite area. I am pretty sure my vet and my dog would not be on speaking terms by the end of the summer. And frankly, I wouldn't be talking to my vet either because I would be in the soup line ... broke from those daily trips to the vet. Country dogs however do get ticks. So if we see 'em we'll yank 'em out but if not the ticks tend to fill up and fall off on their own. If they fall on the ground, we stomp 'em and watch the explosion. Do not stomp them if they land on the deck or the patios because blood stains! We are not heartless though, if the dog does get a lump or infection from a tick bite we clean the infected area with an anti-bacterial wash. We also load the dogs up with tick spot prevention goop to cut down on their chances of getting a tick in the first place.

A Heart for God

Many of us spend a lot of time wondering what God's purpose is for our lives. We take inventories and interest surveys to find our God given talents and gifts. We pray for answers about what job, what ministry, and what schools God has planned for us and our families. At times it feels like we are lost because the answers seem unclear... do you think God may have just wanted you to choose? But we know the feeling of being in God's sweet spot... that place where we know we are walking on the good path God has laid out for us. We continue to search for that spot and prayerfully ask God to continue to nudge us back on it. So what does God want from us? I beleive all he wants is our heart.
There are over 774 references to heart in scriptures, some versions boast 996 references. There are hearts being hardened, filled with pain, drawn to others, rejoicing, and sinking. There are evil hearts and glad hearts. God speaks and prays in his heart. You can find out a lot about God's heart and the heart of man in the scriptures. I search his word to find out exactly what God wants from us. It became very clear God does not want us to go through the motions of being righteous, he wants us to give him our hearts fully.
Here is a little heart to do list straight from God's word:

• Fix these words on your heart (Deut 11:18)
• Love him with all your heart (Deut 30:6)
• Yield your heart to the Lord (Josh 21:3)
• Return to the Lord with all your heart (1 Sam 7:3)
• Your hearts must be fully committed to the Lord (1 Sam 8:61)
• Pour out your hearts to him for God is our refuge (Psalm 62:8)
• Open wide your hearts (2 Cor 6:13)
• Let Christ dwell in your hearts through faith (Eph 3:17)
• Let the peace of God guard your heart in Christ (Phil 4:7)
• Set your hearts on things above (Col 3:1)
• Let the Peace of Christ rule in your heart (Col 3:15)
• Purify your hearts (James 4:8)
• Set apart Christ as Lord in your heart (1 Peter 3:5)
• Apply your heart to understanding (Proverbs 2)
• Keep his commands in your heart (Proverbs 3)
• Trust in the Lord with all your heart (Proverbs 3)

This is just a sample of God's heart to do list. If you find more please share them in the comment section. These are God's will and purpose for your lives! Rejoice in your heart for the Lord will make your paths straight when you search for his discretion and understanding like a hidden treasure.