really love my car.  I try to take care of it, sometimes it gets a little dirty on the inside and I must stop and take a minute to clean the garbage out and wipe the dust off the dash. It is much easier to do if I do this a little every day than if I wait ‘till I have a bunch of trash that builds up and then try to clean it out.

I also keep the oil changed (almost on time) and make sure the fluid levels are where they need to be to make sure she will be running well.

I do try to choose gas stations I know have clean fuel for Dora (I drive a Ford Explorer named Dora the Explorer).  I need to depend on her so I want to make sure she is taken care of, and I can depend on her.

It’s like this with ourselves also, but as busy people and moms and dads, we usually neglect ourselves (especially moms) to take care of everyone else’s needs.  Taking care of ourselves so we can take care of others better is often said but honestly, it is one of those things that is so easy to say to someone else but walking it out each day is another story.

The enemy is always trying to fill our mind (our floorboard or backseat) with junk and trash (some of us have a lot of junk in the trunk….lol).  It is so much better when we are in the Word everyday to combat that trash from piling up and remind ourselves that all that stuff we are carrying around is just trash from the enemy.

Wiping off the lies everyday by praying keeps the dust from accumulating.  Keeping our mind on all things that are good and holy and not the distractions the enemy tries to give us.

Today it is so easy to drive thru and cure that hunger pain quickly than it is to plan and eat the food (or fuel) that God intended us to eat.  If you have ever gone a few months without eating fast food, you will find that when you go back to it that it is salty and greasy and usually makes your stomach hurt.  God gave us the fuel we need for our bodies, and we need to make the right choice of fuel.

When we go on a trip, we watch our gas gauge and when it starts to get low, we plan and make sure we look for a reputable place to get gas before we deplete our supplies.  But when it comes to what we put in our bodies we are not always so picky.

I am guilty of this as much (if not more) than anyone else.  Join me for a one-week challenge.

1.  Know when to get rid of the trash, read your Bible everyday and know that you don’t need to carry.
2.  Dust off the lies by planning the time to spend in prayer every day, even if it is while your driving (just make sure you don’t close your eyes and bow your head while praying while driving)!
3. Treat your body kindly, abstain from fast food for one week.  Replace the quick drive thru by planning and taking bananas, oranges, or apples with you and drink more water (I carry my fake Stanley cup everywhere I go.)

We will discuss how this went next week in our Facebook group:  Mopping up the Blessings.  If you are not in this group, please join us.

What is in a word?  Letters arranged in a format to help us understand what the person speaking or writing is trying to say.  A simple concept, yet it is complex.

A word from a friend can be uplifting, a word from a loved one you have not heard from for a long time can be heartwarming.  A word from a police officer can be correcting or devastating depending on the circumstance.  A word from God can be life changing.

It is hard to hear and truly listen when everyone around you is talking and being loud, a word from God is hard to hear when we have our focus on other things other than him.

On certain re-runs of really old TV shows I remember them saying, “now a word from our sponsor,” and then they would go to a commercial.  That was usually the time to take a potty break and make it back before the show came back on for those of us who remember TV before you could pause live shows.  When it is time to hear a word from our sponsor, are we really listening?  Or are we taking a break and giving our attention to something else? 

God’s voice is not loud and booming, but rather a small whisper or that voice in the back of your head.  We make the choice of whether we are going to listen or focus our attention somewhere else.

When I was on a break from writing I felt the Lord telling me to write a blog called, “Feelin’ Salty.”  I wrote most of it but didn’t finish it.  Months later when I went to finish it and submit it, the Lord stopped me and told me that I had missed my opportunity and for whoever needed to read it, the moment was gone because I was not listening and being obedient.

In a world full of chatter and mindless noise know that the one true God is still talking to us today.  Sometimes I need hit with a 2×4 to get my attention, but He isn’t like that (usually.)  We must make the choice to tune in to Him and pay attention to what He says. 

As my Savior, He paid the price to sponsor my freedom, every day I choose Him and as much as I feel I fail Him, He is truly faithful and never fails me.  As it is explained in Hebrews 13: “God has said, never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.”