It's Clean-Up, Clean-Out, Clean-In Time!

This may be TMI (too much information) on my personal life, but I had a major clean-out (literally, blow-out) two days ago when I went through a colonoscopy prep for the next day’s colonoscopy. I had put it off longer than I should have. It seemed like such a big deal to me, but when I had my annual check-up with my doctor this year, she was adamant about the prevention of colon cancer and how this procedure can detect and take care of any future issues. Besides – a good CLEAN-OUT is good anyhow because we know that having colon cancer screening is supposed to begin at age 50. I slightly missed that year. 😉Honestly the whole process from the prep day to the end of the procedure the next day was far less of a horror story than I thought it would be. To those of you who will be undergoing this procedure for the first time, take heart! The dread is ten times worse than the prep or the procedure will be.

CLEAN is my word of the day: washed, scrubbed, cleansed, pure, clear, fresh, virtuous, good, upright, honest, sober

About this time of year, many of us start to think about “Spring Cleaning”. We accumulate so much clutter (you know those little corners where we stack up mail, flyers and magazines), that we start getting weary from just walking by that corner. We need to CLEAN-UP! Then there’s the closets full of winter wear – boots, coats, gloves, hats – squeezed in so tight you couldn’t get another item in it. We need to CLEAN-OUT! Then there’s the attic that bears our seasonal decorations, old furniture, hunting equipment, years and years of boxes of tax records and more building materials than you could shake a stick at! Okay, I just described our attic just after my Sweetheart graduated to heaven. When I climbed those stairs and looked in the attic, I hollered “RONALD WUERCH, how could you leave without CLEANING OUT this mess?” LOL!

I was on a CLEAN-OUT binge years ago when I realized there were some TV shows that I recorded that weren't so optimistic and peace-building, so I removed them -- those shows that contained immorality, violence, crude language, etc. I'm so glad I did. I even removed those political talk shows that just went on and on in negativity. Proverbs 23:7 says "As a man thinks in his heart, so is he." I sure didn't want to be thinking those thoughts.

Most importantly in this CLEANING mission, is my utmost desire to CLEAN-IN. In Galatians 5, St. Paul reminds us of those things that need to be cleaned out of our hearts: hatred, anger, fighting, jealousy, gossiping, complaining, criticizing, selfishness, etc.

Bottom line…..it’s clean up, clean out and clean in time for those of us who sincerely desire that the bandwagon we are on is the one that brings immeasurable blessings, peace and joy.

You know how a fresh, clean house feels? Shouldn't we desire that fresh, clean house feel, inside AND out? It comes by asking the Master House Cleaner (Holy Spirit) to come more than once a month to clean. We want Him to show up every day to remind us ....Psalm 24:3,4 "Who may ascend the mountain of the LORD? Who may stand in his holy place? The one who has CLEAN hands and a pure heart"

It's All About Perspective -- MY Birthday!

Day 136 of Photo Inspirations -- It's All About Perspective -- MY Birthday!!
I took this photo yesterday while waiting in the examination room for my annual check-up -- waiting and waiting for my doctor's arrival.   I looked around the room -- no pictures.  What's that about?  A girl needs something to do while waiting for the big reveal!  Hmmm!

A blank canvas awaits my talents -- maybe a poster that explains the virtues of paper gowns or one of those "Where's Waldo?" pictures.  At least a patient can make good use of her time -- after all, Waldo has been lost for way too long.

Then my wandering eyes saw a pamphlet stand with the calendar over the "Birth ???? day" brochure.  I thought -- "I should check out that brochure -- maybe there's a free gift when I have my birthday!!"  All tidy in my paper gown, I made way to the brochure stand, pulled out my birthday surprise brochure......and it wasn't at all about Birthdays -- it was about Birth Control.  LOL!  I told my doctor -- "It's amazing how a girl's perspective changes!  If I were here in my younger years, of course my perspective would have been on child-bearing and BIRTH-ing.  In these "mature" years, I'm NOT thinking BIRTH-ing.  I think of BIRTH-days.....my Birthdays...and with each one....I celebrate it.  I made it another year.

I heard Christine Caine talk about how the older we get, we downplay having another birthday.  We don't want any "big deals" or any attention given to another birthday.  She said, "How silly it is to throw a gigantic, blow-out of a birthday for a one-year old with presents and decorations and party favors -- what has he/she done to deserve that birthday?   Those who have been here for half a century are the ones to be celebrated.  For goodness sakes, every year that we're still here, we deserve fireworks, celebrations, recognition and tributes..... because we EARNED this birthday and every other birthday!  We made it another year."

And with each year.....we have the opportunity to celebrate -- not for just THE day, but EACH day that God gives us.  Celebrating it with a merry heart, a glad heart, a thankful heart, a forgiving heart, a heart open to the abundance of God's love and bringing forth fruit, being vigorous and flourishing.   So, today, whether you or 6 or 60 or 96.....you are to be celebrated.  You're still bearing fruit.  You're still here....you're not done!
"They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be vigorous and flourishing." Psalm 92:14