Inheritance -- You Have a Choice

Bear with me, you know how my ADHD can show up at the most inopportune times. Today during part of the sermon, our pastor spoke about the rich young ruler. The rich young ruler asked what must he do to inherit eternal life, and for whatever reason, my mind grabbed onto the word inheritance and wouldn’t let go. It may be because Patrick is working through his mother’s estate, but I immediately connected the word inheritance with death. Someone has to die in order for another party to receive an inheritance. In Patrick’s case, his mother passed away. Otherwise, he would have no inheritance. Inheritance is not something he or my children worked for. It was given to them because of a relationship.


It makes me wonder about the rich young ruler. Had everything been given to him? Is that why he was wealthy? He asked, “What must I do to inherit eternal life?” He saw strings attached. What do I have to do to live forever? Where’s the checklist? For Patrick, he was Gynelle’s son. It was by birth that he received his connection to the inheritance. Did he have to be a good son? Was he always perfect? No. The fact is she loved Patrick. She wanted to make sure that Patrick received part of her estate when she died, so she had a will written providing for his inheritance.

Also, the one who bequeaths the inheritance chooses who will receive and how they will receive it. Just because someone has two children doesn’t mean they will both inherit equally. What if one is estranged or deceased? Some have been known to leave nothing to their family and bequeath their estate to a charity. Some have left their estates to their pets! The one who bequeaths the inheritance has the power to choose who will receive it and under what terms and conditions.

Then I looked up the definition of inheritance, and I was reminded that we can inherit traits, characteristics and qualities from others. This still requires a relationship of some sort. My children have inherited their genetic traits from their birth parents. Pearce’s beautiful skin is not something he could have inherited from me or his critically Caucasian daddy. Erin’s curly hair and her hands are traits she received from her birth mom. I just wish I had fingernails like hers. While my children don’t have a daily relationship with their birth parents, they still have a genetic connection, a genetic relationship. Do they inherit anything from Patrick and me as their adoptive parents? Absolutely. Have you ever heard of Nature vs. Nurture? Erin is like her daddy, and Pearce is the answer to my mother’s prayers – Please God, give her one just like her!

So, regardless of how you look at it inheritance requires a relationship or connection. There is also an inequality in the relationship. There is one who has the power to give, the one who has the authority to bestow the inheritance. Then there is the other who has the choice of whether or not to receive. Just because someone bequeaths something to you in their will does not mean you have to take it. If you are that desperate for the need of power and control, if you are that angry and hurt, you can choose to reject the inheritance. There may be conditions and terms that must be met before receiving the inheritance. I can’t imagine that many people would turn down an inheritance, but there are some who will and some who do. There may be stipulations in some inheritance…strings attached. Some may have to process through their inheritance to evaluate what must be done. While others expect their inheritance to be handed over to them, while they do little if anything to attain it.

The rich young ruler wanted to know what he had to do to inherit eternal life. The sole purpose of his question showed he was only interested in wanting to live forever. I wonder if he had a fear of death, and that is why he focused on the eternal life aspect. I wonder if he sought immortality like people today seek popularity and notoriety because they want the fame. Regardless of his reasoning, the young ruler wanted eternal life.

In Mark 18, the young ruler said he had kept the commandments since he was a boy. He had crossed his t’s and dotted his I’s, but he knew there was something more.

Jesus told him to give up his lifestyle and follow him. When the young ruler could do that, Jesus could bequeath him the inheritance the rich young ruler sought. The rich young ruler would have to give up his circle of friends, his wealth, his toys, his holdings, his tangible things that could burn in a fire or be stolen in order to receive the inheritance he said he wanted.

I wonder what are you willing to relinquish to follow Christ? I’m ready for a simple way of life. I don’t need to keep up with the Joneses or the Thibodeaux. (Remember, I’m from Louisiana.) If I’m trying to keep up with the Joneses or the Thibodeaux then I’m not keeping up with Jesus.

From what source do you want to receive your inheritance? From what source do you want to receive your traits? What relationship would you prefer to have more – one with a God who can offer eternal life or one with the world in which you will never be enough, will never have enough? Jesus wants to bequeath to you eternal life. He wants to give it to you in exchange for your old life. Will you receive it, or will you walk away?

Inheritance…you have a choice.

Swimsuit Trauma

It’s that time of year again…swimsuit time. I get traumatized just thinking about having to shop for one. I break out in a cold sweat. My mouth goes dry. My stomach goes into knots and not the kind that produces a six pack either. This year shopping for my daughter was a bit more of a challenge, as well, and I predict next year will be even more so. Last year I went to a local department store and tried on several swimsuits. I was so overwhelmed by the whole experience. On the way back to the office after shopping during lunch, I stopped at the red light, and I started putting up the shield that covers my dash from the sun coming through the windshield. After I put the shield up, I looked over at the person in the lane next to me, saw she didn’t have her shield up, and realized what I had just done. Thankfully, I was able to fold the shield back up before the light turned green. SERIOUSLY! I don’t know if I was more embarrassed by the swimsuit expedition or the traffic faux paux.


So this year after briefly looking at swimsuits in a local department store, I have decided to buy my swimsuit online. I prefer to buy locally to help with our economy, but sometimes a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. Plus, if I have to try on four or five swimsuits on just to choose the least offensive, I may have to take up drinking...maybe I'd look better in the suit if I did!

Here are my dilemmas. I’m past the age of trying to be sexy in a swimsuit, but I’d like not to be hideous. I’m long-waisted which means one-piece suits don’t typically do to well. Plus, I’m critically Caucasian; pigment challenged, some might even say, “translucently white.” My swimsuit is more for function, but I’d at least like to look cute. I need to be able to chase after the boy and tackle him and not lose the girls…know what I mean, ladies? And that’s another thing, I’d like the girls to be adequately covered. Mine are of a size that they really don’t need to be pushed up, so the first thing people see is cleavage…although my husband would not complain. I'm trying to keep in mind that I have a daughter on the cusp of puberty, and I'd like for her to be modest in her appearance.

I know I should have gotten a swimsuit before now, but I find the whole thing reprehensible and have procrastinated to the last possible moment to procure one.

These are the two suits I’m considering…maybe I’ll let Patrick make the final choice.


I'm favoring this one because of it's athletic style and functionality while still being somewhat feminine.




There are actual shorts that go with this top, but I'm still a little concerned about the top. My son will LOVE the cammo!


There were a few suits that my eye was immediately drawn to and when I scanned down the page they were around $200! I about choked on my gum.


How do you choose your suit? How much are you willing to spend? What are you looking for?

A Disheveled Life -- And ADHD

The best way I can describe my life for the past six months is disheveled. We have been without a laundry room and a kitchen for a good part of this time. For April and May, after school, I’d take the kids to my parent’s house, do laundry, cook supper, do homework, eat and then head home to do the nighttime routine. At best it was taxing.


For about a week and a half we lived at my parent’s house then we were home for a couple of weeks. Then we were at my in-law’s for a week and a half. Pearce has bad allergies, so depending on the work being done in the house determined whether or not we could sleep here.

Needless to say writing has been at the bottom of my list. I simply have not had time, and when I had time I was too exhausted to sit and write. I’m hoping that my disheveled life will be coming to an end soon. My butler’s pantry that houses our washer, dryer and freezer along with the pantry is almost finished. I have some of the cabinets in the kitchen. Pearce is still sleeping in the den on his bed because his room had to be sanded in order to be retextured and painted, but I still have hopes that by the end of summer that my house will be back in order.

Have you ever heard the saying, “The cobbler’s children have no shoes”? The remodeler’s home is undone. I don’t blame him. After doing it all day, it’s hard to come home and do more of it. When all is said and done, I’ll post pictures of Patrick’s handy work. He really is a talented craftsman. Regardless, all of this has taken a toll on me and my ADHD.

That being said, there was a question from my last post at the end of May that I’d like to address if I may. The question was how does someone with ADD/ADHD study the Bible and stay focus. This really isn’t an easy question to answer because everyone is different, but I’ll give you some things that have helped me.

• I have a chair in my office that I sit in to read and study the Bible. It’s comfortable, and it’s a place I like to be and want to be.

• I try to study the Bible when my home is quiet – which is a rarity, but most of the time it is after the kids go to bed or first thing in the morning.

• Before I open the Word of God, I pray. I ask God to show me what He would have me learn. I focus on praising Him for what He has done for me and for whom He is to me. Anytime I get distracted, I try to get back on the right page. Praise leads me into confession. There’s something about being in the presence of Almighty God that brings the sin in my life to the front and center. I ask God to open my mind and my heart to what He wants me to hear from Him.

• Then I focus on a piece of Scripture. I may read a chapter in one version today, and then read that same chapter in a different version the next day. Check out www.mystudyBible.com or www.Biblegateway.com. The next day, I will go through that chapter underlining the subject of the sentence one time and the verb twice. I’ll mark phrases that seem to repeat, and then the next day I’ll go to the commentaries. There is a good commentary on www.mystudyBible.com. Every time I read, I will make notes – what sticks out to me today? What is different about these verses? Who is in them? What have they just been through? What might have they been feeling and thinking? Is there a word I need to look up?

• As for memorizing Scripture, a sweet lady at church gave me 3*5 note cards on a spiral. Whatever verse that is speaking to me that week, I write it down on one of those cards. I keep that spiral card set in my purse or in my car. When I’m sitting at the bank or at my desk and need a little refresher or pick-me-up, I pull it out.

If you struggle with studying the Bible and memorizing whether it is because you are a new believer or ADD or ADHD, please feel free to contact me directly. I’d love to encourage you and mentor you depending on what your need is.

I hope this helps.