Heart on the Highway

This morning I was reading in Psalm 84. I especially like verse 7, but this morning God brought my attention to verse 5. The passage is talking about the journey or pilgrimage the Israelites would take for different feasts or celebrations. Maybe because we leave tomorrow for vacation and will travel the long highways from Texas to Arizona, I thought of how when I was in college in Dallas and it would be finals week. My heart during this tough week was always on the journey home to Arizona. I remember picturing the highways in my mind and what music I would listen to along the way. Just enjoying the quiet, the music, the total escape from my current burden of studying and cramming.
I don't long for the drive so much anymore especially with kids in tow, but I thought that I am still on a journey to Zion, heaven for us. Is my heart on the highway to heaven? Do I have an eternal perspective in all that I do? Most often in the mundane chores of life I have to honestly say that I don't. I don't often see the loading/unloading of various washers as having some impact for eternity. But my attitude in these chores is being watched by my children. My heart and thus my mouth could definitely be reflecting more eternal focused worship. I could recite Scripture so that it's ready to pull out at a moment's notice. I could use this time to pray for those whom God brings to my mind.
So even though I am stuck within the wall of my home, I am really on a journey. Is my heart with me on this highway? Because God is very clear that "Blessed are those whose strength is in Him." (And we stay at home moms know what strength is required just to make it through the day.)

Eating Clean

A friend of mine, who I like to call my trainer, has recently been sharing with me the benefits of clean eating. With all the processed foods that abound, we are not eating foods in their original, clean healthy states and therefore our bodies are being filled with just stuff rather than the best foods for them. So every morning when I wake up hungry, I have to make the choice am I going to eat clean or eat just to eat.
This morning I read Psalm 81. God got my attention with verse 10 where He says to open our mouths wide so He can fill it. I was hungry, so I really understood this metaphor. Yet how often is my mouth closed to Him because I already filled it with what I thought sounded good at the moment. Recently I've been listening to a lot of talk radio about the political mess our country is in, but I've been convicted that if my mind, ears, thoughts are filled with this, how is their room for God. Are my kids getting the message that man's political opinions are more important than God's word? This is an example of how my "mouth" was already full so I was not opening it for God to fill.
Then in verse 16 God explains what He can fill us with. He can give us the finest of wheat. Flour is a big deal in the clean eating craze. A lot of foods are made with white flour that has been processed so that it doesn't give us the best health benefits, but it does give us what we don't want all those extra calories and pounds. I've been trying to choose my flour more wisely. God says that He gives the finest of wheat. In the commentary I was reading, Wiersbe pointed out that the Israelites settled for manna because of their disobedience when God was prepared to bless them with the finest of wheat. They also settled for water from the rock when God was prepared to give them honey. I have been eating more honey which is a clean food and that sounds really good right now as I drink my water. Am I making you hungry? I am hungry! The key is what am I going to fill that hunger with? In the hunger of life, the moments of time throughout the day when I am making choices of what to read, listen to, think about, what am I filling them with or am I allowing God to fill them with the very best that only He can give? Now, after all this food talk, I am off to a clean, yummy breakfast!