Ivy Sue and You

Ah, fall cleaning has begun in the Flippo house! Decluttering a home can be a daunting task, especially for a pack rat like myself. Over the years I've gotten better at getting rid of things yet the sentimental ties I have to things make it very difficult even still. I try to separate myself from the thing and the sentiment of the thing. Getting rid of a toy my mom gave to my kid on a birthday does not get rid if my mom, or my kid, or the memory of the happiness that toy once brought. What getting rid of that toy does do is make room for new phases of their lives that don't include play with pirate ships or baby dolls. In our hearts we hang onto many many things from our past that no longer fit in the phase of life that God has us in, yet we hang onto those things because that is who we once were. God had great plans for each of us and by hanging onto something that God has brought us through only hinders new from coming into its place. Allow God to clean out the closets of your heart and create a renewed sense of purpose for this season of life. "Create in me a clean heart, O God. And renew a right spirit within me." Psalms 51:10

Ah, Spring! What a welcome season you are! You bring sunshine and blooms, all the animal babies start making their appearances and you inspire cleaning and refreshment of homes as well as hearts. Sometimes getting through the bleak, grey winter months can be challenging but coming into spring, often times, can feel like a nice stretch after a long nap, it gets the blood flowing and invigorates the body and spirit to get moving. David’s prayer to God in Psalm 51:10 was “Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.” That should be our prayer as well. When we start to get down or overwhelmed or stale and stagnant in the season of life we are going through, we should ask the Lord to clean out the closets of our hearts and renew our spirit within us. He alone can set us on the right path of life and move past the bleak grey season into the fresh new season that God has created just for us!