Did You Take Your Medicine?

This past week was a rough one at the Tacker house.  This time of year is complete insanity.  Work is crazy. trying to prepare the kids for semester tests when all they can think about is Christmas break is futile at best.  I'm trying to keep up with Jewelry orders and craft shows, finish my own Christmas shopping, go to Holiday dinners, church, etc.  We're tired.  And what always seems to happen when you let yourself get worn down?  You get sick.  And sick we have been!  The boys and I can't seem to get over it.  Polly told me my coughing was giving her a headache!  I can't remember the last time I've been this sick for this long. 

Normally, I hate taking medicine.  But this time, I realized this was something I couldn't just beat on my own.  I was going to need a little help to get over this.  So, we've been taking our medicine.  Religiously.  In fact, this morning was the first time I've gotten to go to church in over a week.  That might not seem like a lot, but we usually go 3 times a week!  Even though I still don't feel well, it was great being back in church.  When Polly saw the tray of grape juice during communion, she asked, "Mommy, is that medicine?".  I laughed and said, "No.".  It was so cute.  Then she said something else that really made me think.  She said, "But mom.  It looks like medicine."  I agreed.  Then she said, "Is it medicine that helps you remember Jesus?  Does it help you remember that Jesus lives intoside your heart?"  I don't know if my jaw dropped literally, but I couldn't believe what she said.  I asked her if one of her Sunday school teachers had told her that.  She said no.  She said she just "knew" it. 

Wow!  My little four year got what so many of us, myself included, lose sight during all the hustle and buslte of life.  We go through the motions.  We go to the places we're supposed to go, and do the things we're supposed to do, but we're running on autopilot.  It's like when you drive for a while, and before you know it, you reach your destination but can't remember half of the trip.  It's actally pretty frightening when you think about it.  It's happened to me numerous times, and I always wonder what went on during those times of unconscious consciousness.  And, it doesn't just happen while driving.  It happens when we get too busy living our lives.  I go through the motions at work.  I cook dinner for my family, but can't remember what we ate the next day.  So much of LIFE get's lost in the chaos.  Not only do we forget the importance of Christ living within us, but we forget the even greater calling of showing that to others.  How can we expect people to see Christ in us, if we don't even take time to see Him there ourselves!  So, how do we wake up? 

We do what Polly reminded me to do.  We take our medicine.  Just like my current illness, we can't get rid of the fog on our own.  We need help.  And just like chemical medications, we all react differently to different medications.  This morning, my medication was taking communion in the presence of my daughter.  Some days, its reading, praying, talking, or writing.   Whatever medication I need that day, the results bring healing.  And the healing we get comes from the ultimate healer.  When we allow ourselves to "remember" Him, He wakes us from our daze and brings us back into the fullness of life He intended for us.  And His healing isn't just a temporary fix, it's the ultimate cure. 

Psalm 30:2-3

LORD my God, I cried out to You,And You healed me.
O LORD, You brought my soul up from the grave; You have kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.

Isaiah 53:4-5


Surely He has borne our griefs And carried our sorrows; Yet we esteemed Him stricken,Smitten by God, and afflicted. But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for our iniquities; The chastisement for our peace was upon Him, And by His stripes we are healed.

A Log in My Eye

This weekend was pretty much a blur.  While at a craft show with my mom, we got a call from my dad that my grandfather had been taken to the hospital with chest pains.  He has been dealing with heart problems for a long time now, so phone calls like this are not completely without warning.  A bit later he was flown to the Heart Hospital in OKC.  I posted this info on my facebook and asked my friends to please pray for his health and safekeeping.  I have awesome friends.  Yesterday afternoon I received phone calls, text messages, and e-mails all day offering encouraging words, loving hearts, and prayer.

I was touched by the people who took time from their lives to think of me and my family.  I admit that it also hurt, that I didn't get word from some friends that I expected to.  Now, I don't know why I allowed my feelings to get hurt.  Just because they did not express their concern directly to me, doesn't mean they didn't offer it indirectly.  Never the less, it did hurt.  And the more I thought about it, the more it hurt.  Surely if they were really my friends, they would at least call.  Right?  At least, that's what I would do!  Isn't it???

OUCH!  How many times have I been a good friend at heart, but bad in practice?  I am terrible at picking up the phone to reach out or catch up.  Many times I avoid "the phone call" because I simply don't know what to say.  I wonder how many of my friends have been hurt by me and I never even knew? It's not that I don't care, I just get too "busy" to take time to express it.  I pardon myself with the thought that they will understand.  I mean, I have a job, a husband, a 4 1/2 year old, twin 2 1/2 year olds, and a jewelry business.  Who has time to care!  Sometimes I treat the people in my life more like possessions.  Like a new toy that you are enamored with at first, but you grow tired of it after a few months.  So, we look for a new toy to replace the excitement of the old.  Then, when the new toy breaks, we run back to the old one, but the batteries are dead!

This post is really written for myself.  It's a reminder for me to keep the batteries charged in my toys.  To take time to play with old toys and new toys alike.  Each one offers a special joy that the others cannot.  So, a sincere thanks to all of my awesome friends; old and new!  I hope that you all know how much I love and care about each of you, even though I fail miserably at showing it!

A Living Investment

I was watching the news a few nights ago, and they were talking about Christmas gift ideas that last.  One of the guests on the show was an investment representative for a local brokerage firm.  He was talking about why giving the gift of investment was something that could last a lifetime.  That's pretty good.  I mean, how many gifts have you given or received that could last a lifetime?  Are you drawing a blank too?  I've gotten some pretty amazing gifts over the years, and I like to think I've given some cool stuff too.  But, have the gifts I've given really been beneficial to the recipient?  Did it give them more than a smile or nice thought? 

So, I got to thinking.  Are there really any gifts that we can give that will stay with the beneficiary forever?  Then, it hit me...the gift of investment.  Not simply in the monetary sense, but a more personal gift of yourself.  Think about the people in your life who have left their mark.  You may have learned from them, laughed with them, loved them, but whatever the action, the unifying factor was their investment in you.  Maybe a teacher invested their time.  Maybe a friend invested their compassion.  Perhaps a parent invested their knowledge and love.  A neighbor invested an ear.  These are the gifts that last. 

Now the hard part.  Are you an investor?  At work, do you give yourself to co-workers, bosses, students (in my case)?  At home, do you take time to play with your kids, listen to your 4 year old's Hannah Montana concert, share the joys and burdens of parenthood with your partner?  I'm sure we would all like to say yes to these things.  But how do we know if we're truly invested?  Here are a few questions for you.  Could you just walk away from the person or situation you're trying to invest in?  If no, why not?  Is it because it would hurt you?  Or, do you say no because you worry about how your absence would impact the ones you leave behind?  These aren't easy questions.  Even harder at times is the answer I think we should try and live up to.

 You see, it's a little of both.  Our focus on life has got to move away from our own needs/desires and onto others.  When we do that, we invest.  We have to worry less about how things make us feel, but rather how our actions and love can impact the feelings of others.  But, just as there is risk involved with monetary investing, there is a far greater risk when we invest with ourselves.  Not every investment turns into a gold mine.  Someitmes, the people we invest in reject our investment.  Our value plummits.  We hurt.  So then, do we stop investing just to avoid the risk?  NO!!!!  Keep investing.  No risk equals no reward.  We don't have to change what we invest, but just what we invest it on.  Invest your time.  Invest your heart.  Invest your money, laughter, and tears.  Just invest them on people instead of "stuff".  Even when our investments seem to be failures, God is working.  Even when we don't see it, He is turning our wee efforts into greatness for His Kingdom.  See it or not, your investments will eventually pay off. 

As you go about the Holiday hustle and bustle, keep your investments in mind.  Before you run out and buy the newest piece of technology for your loved one, make sure you give them yourself first.  Sometimes it's work.  Sometimes it seems like more than we're capable of.  But, in the end, the reward of the investor is far greater than the payee.  Jump in, as unstable as the market may be, there's never better time to invest.