“Honey
come here quick, you’ve got to see this.”
Wondering what my husband was making a fuss over, I got up from the computer to go look out the kitchen window.
There were two cardinals along with a few other birds, picking away at the seed and cornbread we put out that morning.
Each day of the week additional items can be submitted depending on which things were to be judged that day. Anyone who wishes to enter other categories such as horticultural items can do so.
We had finished getting our flowers registered and decided to take a look at our baked goods and home economics entries. God had honored my decision and blessed my entries in the new divisions I submitted. Why did He choose to let my entries do well? My heart x-rays took a bath and came back clear. (You can see it here.)
Giving Away Your Blessing
Thinking about our challenge for this week I really
wasn’t sure how to go about it. We have
already worked our way through examining our hearts, but not to the extent of
giving something up that would allow others to reap our favor visibly.
Basically, we’re going to give away our “cornbread” blessing. I’m not talking about actual cornbread like we fed the birds (I guess you could if you wanted to), but the metaphorical giving of something we would rather keep for ourselves.
Maybe you’re doing something because you think you’re the only one who can do it right, so you’ve horned in on the project keeping others on the outside. Like God said to Elijah (paraphrased of course),
“You’re not the only one who believes in Me, and I can easily bless someone else who isn’t as puffed up as you.” (1 Kings 19:13-18 NKJV)
Before stepping into that “winners circle” ask yourself, “Do I really need another pat on the back blue ribbon” (so to speak), or is it just my pride/greed wanting to do this?”
Wondering what my husband was making a fuss over, I got up from the computer to go look out the kitchen window.
There were two cardinals along with a few other birds, picking away at the seed and cornbread we put out that morning.
One of the cardinals was bright red and medium size. The
other was brownish gray and only a tiny bit smaller. Taking into account the actions of the red
bird, we came to the conclusion that it was the father.
At first I couldn’t see what the big deal was … birds
eating. Then I saw something unusual, at
least it was to me.
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Mexico; Riyadh, Ar Riyad, Saudi Arabia; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Mombasa, Coast
& Nairobi, Kenya; Esmeraldas, Ecuador; Broadstairs, England, United
Kingdom; Maria Ellend, Niederosterreich, Austria.
USA – San Francisco &
Pacoima, California; Kabetogama, MN; Smyrna, Georgia; Glassboro &
Gibbstown, New Jersey; Vancouver, Washington; Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts;
Marinette, WI.
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“Watch the red one. See what he’s doing?”
The larger cardinal would peck at the
cornbread and eat it. Then he would do
it again only this time he turned around and fed the younger bird.
I didn’t understand why the red cardinal was
feeding the other bird when he was eating alongside him. It was like he was saying, “You’ve got to taste this; it’s great.” He did it over and over until the smaller
bird finally flew away.
As I continued to be fascinated by my feathery diners, it
was like an affirmation of what I had been thinking about all week – pride and
greed.
Earlier in the week I came to a realization about my own
actions and motives concerning a contest I wanted to enter. Watching those birds share in something good
was a lesson this gal needed to relearn.
Home
Economics of Baking
For the past three years I have been entering various
categories in the county fair, among them was banana bread. Each year I try to improve on the base recipe
and add a little extra making it better.
One of the rules to the contest is that you cannot enter the
same item if it has won a blue ribbon, so that’s why I needed a new recipe.
I searched and finally found one. On Saturday I spent the day baking and
getting my entries ready for Monday morning.
After the blueberry banana bread was done I put it to the taste
test. Not only was it awful, it was
downright nasty, brown glue, gummy awful, and refused to bake all the way through
even after 90 minutes.
For some reason I didn’t take a picture of it; I wish I
had… it looked like something you would use for a paperweight. The flies had little toxin masks covering their faces while waving signs and banners that read, “Get
that out of here!” OK, not really, but it was really bad.
By now it was getting late, but hubby kindly asked if I
wanted him to go to the store for more ingredients. I declined his generous offer and started in
on baking my cookies. That’s when the
Lord had a conversation with me.
Racking
up the Ribbons
Trying to figure out what to do God reminded me of an
episode on the Andy Griffith show, in which Aunt Bea was preparing pickles for her
family. Clara happened to come by one morning with a batch of her latest
pickles she was entering in the fair.
She was boasting how hers had won the blue ribbon eleven years in a row
and was hoping this would be the twelfth.
When Bea explained that her pickles weren’t for
competition, Clara popped her in the elbow and said, “Where’s your sporting blood, you should enter the contest.”
However, when Bea mentioned that she had tried and lost to her friend ten years,
her neighbor quickly corrected her saying, “Eleven.”
From that point on all Clara did was rattle
off the things Bea needed to change in her recipe, and to top it off she left
a jar of her pickles on the table for Opie knowing well that there were almost a dozen jars
already. (If you haven’t seen the show,
it’s the first 3 minutes in this video. The Andy Griffith Show S2 E11 "The Pickle Story")
In my spirit I heard, “Why
do you want to win? You have won a blue
ribbon three years in a row for your banana bread recipes, why do you want
another one?”
It was then I started thinking about why I really did
want to win? What was the big deal? Then I had to admit, I wanted to win to keep
winning just like Aunt Bea’s friend, only my situation didn’t live in TV land …
it was in my heart and very real.
It wasn’t about the banana bread any longer, but racking
up the blue ribbons which, by receiving them, would state mine was better than the
others.
X-rays
Reveal Secrets
Sometimes I don’t like the things I share with you, but
part of this journey was promising that I would be truthful in how I am walking
out the challenges each week.
After last week’s post I began to wonder if people
thought I was being prideful over the favor we had experienced in so many
things. Guilt tried to rear its ugly head when I knew that the entire teaching
came from the Holy Spirit and the Word of God.
That’s when I got this vision (not a Holy vision), of God staring at my
heart as if it were being x-rayed. He
could see every part that I thought was hidden. If that really happened, what
would He actually see in my heart? All
the motives for doing things would no longer be a secret. To be honest, it sort
of scared me.
When I first started entering the county fairs it was to
try new things I hadn’t done in the past.
The challenge wasn’t based on pride, greed or selfishness, but to become
active in the community so I could meet new people all while experiencing other
activities.
Over the years God blessed my entries favoring me with
dozens of ribbons and prize money, but my mindset wasn’t the same coming up on
this event. In preparing I kind of felt something
wasn’t right, but wasn’t sure what it was.
There is nothing wrong with team sports or competition,
but if our motives change and become all about pride it can lead to us turning
greedy. I didn’t want that to happen.
While the cookies were baking (a different baking division
I would enter), I sat down and started to question why I was entering another
banana bread recipe. There really wasn’t
a reason other than to say I won another year (that’s if it did win). What was the big deal?
In all the other areas I make something new each year
just for my own satisfaction thinking, “Hey,
I was able to do that.” There isn’t
any competition, only that I like trying new things so I can stay fresh and not
grow stagnant in my life. The challenges
are self-imposed. If I was doing this in
all the other categories, why wasn’t I doing it with the banana bread?
A few minutes went by and I started having this debate
out loud bringing my husband into the vortex of my dilemma. With him as my sounding board, I came to the
conclusion that I didn’t need to enter and that it was time for someone else to
share the spotlight. How humble of me … (Feel free to laugh, I did.)
Old
Fashioned Organ Cleansing
It was like a rush of fresh air went through my heart cleansing
and relieving all the pressure, flushing out any guilt. God had revealed to me the path that I was
about to take without realizing it. The prompting of the Holy Spirit caused my
behavior change and put me back on track to God’s favor.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast (fixed in place) spirit
within me.” (Psalm 51:10 NKJV)
I have to stop and praise God for pouring out His grace,
and stopping me from making a mistake that would have removed His favor and
blessings if I didn’t listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit.
When my heart was right with Him my thinking took a
different direction so that my actions would be lined up with the Word of
God. This time I saw Jesus looking at
clean x-rays that would please Him. He didn’t
find a heart that was “xenogenesis”
to His (when a child’s is different from a parent as in Father God), but one
that was united to the plan of God.
Sharing
the Favor
This brings me back to the cardinals and how the red one
was willing to give up his portion of the cornbread bounty he had found. There was no greed in him, and he literally
put the blessing of favor in the younger bird’s mouth when he gave his portion
away.
Last year we entered almost 40 categories, but after
examining my motives I decided to only enter 24 this year. I honestly couldn’t justify entering in areas
I had already won and wanted others to receive the same favor I had in previous
years.
No, I’m not saying I’m like that bird giving my portion
to another, but that I didn’t want to fall into being greedy and prideful which
would take me right out of God’s grace, blessings and favor. There is no part of me that wants anything to
do with what the Lord hates, and that is pride. (Proverbs 6:16-19 NKJV)Each day of the week additional items can be submitted depending on which things were to be judged that day. Anyone who wishes to enter other categories such as horticultural items can do so.
We had finished getting our flowers registered and decided to take a look at our baked goods and home economics entries. God had honored my decision and blessed my entries in the new divisions I submitted. Why did He choose to let my entries do well? My heart x-rays took a bath and came back clear. (You can see it here.)
Giving Away Your Blessing
There is not one person alive who hasn’t experienced
falling into the trap of pride and greed at some point of their life. No one is exempt from this category and it’s
not one we usually plan on entering, but do.
When we are prideful we steal God’s glory (Isaiah 42:8), and that is
something He is not willing to share. So
let’s not do that anymore.
Hubby's Corn Bread Blue Ribbon 2013 |
Basically, we’re going to give away our “cornbread” blessing. I’m not talking about actual cornbread like we fed the birds (I guess you could if you wanted to), but the metaphorical giving of something we would rather keep for ourselves.
X-ray
Your Heart for Pride and Greed
This week we’re going to give up something we’ve been
doing for all the wrong reasons. X-ray
your own heart and think about all the
things you are active in or volunteering for … what is the real reason you’re
doing them? Is it worth sacrificing the favor of God?Maybe you’re doing something because you think you’re the only one who can do it right, so you’ve horned in on the project keeping others on the outside. Like God said to Elijah (paraphrased of course),
“You’re not the only one who believes in Me, and I can easily bless someone else who isn’t as puffed up as you.” (1 Kings 19:13-18 NKJV)
Before stepping into that “winners circle” ask yourself, “Do I really need another pat on the back blue ribbon” (so to speak), or is it just my pride/greed wanting to do this?”
“A man’s pride will bring him low, but he who is of a humble spirit
will obtain honor.” (Proverbs 29:23 Amplified)
In plain language this is what the Message Bibles says:
“Pride lands you flat on your face; humility prepares you for
honors.” (Proverbs 29:23 MSG)
If your reason and motivation for doing something isn’t
valid then stop what you’re about to do; if it is, God will honor you x-raying
your own heart and being quick to repent.
There’s plenty of cornbread out there; it’s time we share
in the bounty of blessings and favor.
Until
next time, will favor show up on your x-rayed heart?
What's New this Week:
Image credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.
Image: Red Cardinal Cardinals Baking Display Aunt Bea Heart Psalm Ribbon
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
by Heather Bixler
Maybe you don’t know the Living God that I
know, but would like to have this kind of favor in your life also. Click on the above tab “Tell Me” for more
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Content and Image Copyright from Favored1. Do not copy. A.N.A. logo by
J.C.Penney, Inc.
Scripture reference was
taken from the New King James Bible Version provide by Gateway
BibleImage credit: Google Images or Dreamstime Creative Common License if not specified.
Image: Red Cardinal Cardinals Baking Display Aunt Bea Heart Psalm Ribbon
Disclaimer Notes: Results may vary due to lack of belief.
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