The problem with writers – or at least me – is that we would rather sit and write than do anything else in the world…especially cleaning and housework.

If the dust bunnies under the bed hadn’t grown so large that they were thumping the floor and keeping us awake at night, I might have left them. Having a long-haired dog like a rough collie seems to exacerbate the danger of dust bunnies. Make no mistake – dust bunnies can be dangerous. I found that out the hard way.

Two years ago (yes, it had been two years since I vacuumed under the bed – I don’t clean, I write) I got down on my hands and knees and used the hose on the vacuum cleaner to clean under all the furniture in the bedroom. That praiseworthy achievement ended in pain and shame. Following it, I did something that I never do, something that I hadn’t done for 10 years before cleaning under the furniture, and something I haven’t done since. I went to the doctor.

My left arm became horribly swollen and discolored, not to mention painful. It was so severe that I made a doctor’s appointment. That’s when I learned about the danger or dust bunnies. They might not bite – but they sure can thump.

Certain that I had been bitten by a venomous spider that had been lurking under the dresser, I took pictures of my swollen arm from all angles. I planned to post the pictures on Facebook to warn others of the danger. The doctor, however, told me in no uncertain terms that I had not been bitten by a poisonous spider. First, he said, there are no venomous spiders in Scotland. Second, there were no spider fang marks on my arm – a point of entry for the poison. The swelling and discoloration was caused by a huge, blood-filled bruise.

Now the only two things hiding under the furniture were dust bunnies and spiders. So that pretty much establishes the culprit, wouldn’t you say? Yeah, I think so, too – dust bunnies. They hide and reproduce and live their entire lives outside the healing touch of sunlight and open air. No wonder they become grumpy and dangerous.

Without Jesus, the Light of the Word, even upright-walking, air-breathing, sun-worshiping humans can become grumpy and dangerous. We are all born with a sin nature and a natural inclination to take the easy path even when it’s wrong.

Asking Jesus to come into our hearts and be our Lord and Savior protects us from the danger of spiritual dust bunnies. Darkness cannot abide with Light and the Light of Jesus chases evil out of our lives and seals us for eternity.

Jesus did everything necessary for our spiritual cleaning when He died on the cross in our place to forgive our sins. We still have to clean under the furniture.

http://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Parker-McKean/e/B00BOX90OO/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Mind Your Step. Simple advice that saves lives.

One misstep is all it takes to walk into the path of danger or sustain injuries. Physical missteps have sent me tumbling off a ladder; sliding down a cliff; treading in wet cement; tracking wet paint across a wooden floor; encountering a rattlesnake; falling on ice; plummeting into cold water; getting trampled by a runaway horse; tearing a muscle in my thigh; breaking my ankle; getting lost.

Health and safety regulations abound in an attempt to prevent misstep injuries. Ladders carry warnings not to stand on the top step. Barriers are built along drop-offs on mountain roads and paths. Workers erect signs to warn pedestrians away from paint and wet cement. Emergency radios broadcast ice warnings. Signs along wildlife areas warn to watch for snakes. Missteps still happen, but warning signs and barriers frequently save lives and prevent injury.

Mind Your Step warnings seem incapable of keeping me from getting lost.

When the paint dries, when the cement sets – physical Mind Your Step signs come down. Spiritual Mind Your Step signs have no expiration date. Psalm 37 states, “The steps of a good person are ordered by the LORD and the LORD delights in that person’s path…none of their steps shall slide.” When we keep in step with God, He keeps us from falling down or getting lost in the chaos of life in this fallen world. He keeps us safe. Our outward circumstances don’t change; we still face the same illness, heartbreak and disappointment – the same trials – as other people. Becoming a Christian doesn’t safeguard against suffering. Becoming a believer installs a coping mechanism. With Jesus living inside us, we have the strength and endurance to get up and keep going every time life knocks us down.

Becoming a Christian does not equate to financial and material blessings either. The Bible posts another Mind Your Step sign in Psalm 73:”My feet had almost tumbled; my steps had nearly slipped…for I was envious of the boastful when I saw the prosperity of the wicked…until I went into the sanctuary of God; then I understood their end. Surely they are in slippery places and are brought down in a moment.”

The closer we get to God, the less we will care about obtaining physical comforts that stay behind when we die. The less time we will spend comparing ourselves to what other people have and envying those who have more.

I worked for a veterinarian. Neither he nor his wife was a believer. They told me they didn’t need God because they had great lives and had done it all themselves without help from God or anyone else. They owned an ostentatious home on the lake and drove pretentious cars. They had the best of everything. He became an alcoholic; she became addicted to gambling. Within four short years, they were divorced and had lost everything. They stood in a slippery place and lost their footing.

Next time you see a sign that warns, Mind Your Step, look past the temporary physical danger and contemplate your spiritual safety. Heaven is forever.

http://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Parker-McKean/e/B00BOX90OO/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Life is about weight.

A few nights ago, I crossed my arms across my shoulders before going to sleep and realized that my shoulders were thicker than before. Frantically, I began clasping other body parts. They were all thicker! I still wore the same clothing size, but the clothes were tight. I had gone from the clothes wearing me to me wearing the clothes.

The frightening thing about the weight gain is that I can’t put a date to it. I know our dog’s birthday. I know family members birthdays, our country’s birthday, the date of my marriage, the date of my last move – I even know the time of year when the swallows arrive and leave. I don’t know when I started putting on weight.

Weight is insidious and stealthy. It sneaks and creeps up on victims and overtakes them by utilizing the element of surprise.

Jesus knew about weight. Paul knew about weight. Paul said, “Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us. (Hebrews 12:1)

Jesus said, “Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.” (Matthew 7:1) Jesus knew that the weight of sin can sneak up on anyone.

When God wrote the Bible for us, He wanted to be sure we knew about weight – how sneaky, dangerous, and life-threatening it is. Like sin. No alcoholic ever said, “I want to become an alcoholic.” No druggie ever said, “I want to be a druggie.” No ill person ever said, “I want to get sexually transmitted diseases.” No married couple ever said, “We got married just so we could get divorced.” No abusive parent ever said, “I wanted to have kids so I could release anger by beating them up.” Sin, like weight, takes on a life of its own and grows proportionately to how much we feed it.

The secret to living a joyful, productive and contented life in this world and celebrating eternity in the next world is staying slim. Outrun, outsmart, outdistance sin. Read the Bible, pray, invite Jesus into your heart, listen to His Holy Spirit when He speaks. Jesus won the victory over death and the grave. He gives us the power to win the victory over the weight of sin. “The sting of death is sin, and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” I Corinthians 15:56&57.

Both spiritual and physical health are vital to live well in this world.

I can’t put a date to when the weight arrived…but today is the right date for outrunning, outsmarting and outdistancing it!

http://www.amazon.com/Stephanie-Parker-McKean/e/B00BOX90OO/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0