The Mary Poppin's Purse--by Linda Kozar

Mary Poppins carried quite an uncommon handbag. In an instant, she might pull out an object as implausible as a large mirror, a rubbertree, or a hatstand. What didn't Mary Poppin's have in her purse?

In cartoons, we see magician's hat's, out of which the magician  might pull a rabbit or a lion. And in the cartoon world, that kind of 4th dimensional kind of space is called "hammerspace," because a character at any given moment, might pull an oversized mallet or gigantic hammer out of a shirt pocket.

Sometimes I ask myself that same question about my purse--what isn't in there? Am I carrying all this stuff around in my purse just in case I wind up on THE PRICE IS RIGHT and someone asks me if I have a bobby pin? So at our Babes Bible Study today, I spread a cloth on the floor and emptied the contents of my purse. The other women started pulling things out their purses as well and comparing. Okay, there were a few oohs and ahhs too. (Susan, your tiny purse notebook was really cute). But to say my purse is a bit heavy is a bit of an understatement. Feels like I'm carrying an anvil inside. More like a suitcase. And inside:
*Keys--five different keys, plus car locks and garage door opener (HEAVY!)
*Cell Phone
*Scrunched up receipts
*Makeup bag--inside bag are the following items:
  3 lipsticks
  1 lipgloss
  nailfile
  earbuds
  handlotion
  hand sanitizing lotion
  Aleve, Benedryl, Chloraseptic
  eyeglass repair kit
* large container of Mentos
*wallet--filled with lots of HEAVY coins and a few Georges:)
* Driver's license, Credit Cards, Debit, Discount Cards
* Sunglasses
* Tissues
*  hairbrush
* Sometimes I carry my Kindlefire, which adds to the weight. Who says a gazillion digital books    won't weigh much? :)


When I first started carrying a purse, there wasn't much in it, certainly not much in the way of cosmetics or money. But as the years progressed and I became a mom, my purse became purse/extra diaper bag/emergency first aid kit/kiddie food pantry/toy chest/doggie treat jar and garbage can. Why do kids always hand their garbage over to their mothers? I dunno, but it wound up in my purse.

You would think that even though my kids are now in college, they still look to me for pharmaceticals for headaches and allergies, female problems, bandaids etc. They still look to me for cosmetics and toiletries too. And money. Did I mention money?

The things we carry in our purse must be important to us. Otherwise we wouldn't go to the trouble of carrying them around with us everyday. But what if we applied that same concept to our relationship with God?

*Keys--They unlock doors to homes and cars so that we can enter in. They also lock those doors to keep others out to keep us safe. God has given us the keys to the kingdom! In Matthew 16:19, Jesus told his disciples, "I will give you the keys of the kingdom; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven."
*Cell Phone--Our communication compared to our communion with the Lord. God says, 

“Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” Romans 10:13

(Below-found this gem on the internet--no attribution)

I wonder what would happen if we treated our Bible like we treat our cell phone?

What if we carried it around in our purses or pockets?

What if we flipped through it several time a day?

What if we turned back to go get it if we forgot it?

What if we used it to receive messages from the text?

What if we treated it like we couldn't live without it?

What if we gave it to Kids as gifts?

What if we used it when we traveled?

What if we used it in case of emergency?

*Makeup bag--A reminder to "make up" with those we are estranged  from. To forgive. Heard this espression on a television show "Unforgiveness is like taking poison and hoping the other guy dies."

*wallet--filled with lots of HEAVY coins and a few Georges:)
Why do we carry so many coins around? Like when you're ten years old and going on a candy run or something. Seriously. I don't visit coin-operated laundries. I have a washer and dryer, thank you. But who's image is on that coin? A politician. A statesman. When Jesus was asked that question, he asked to see a Roman coin and He answered, "Render unto Caesar what is Caesars and unto God what is Gods" Mark 12:17.
* Driver's license, Credit Cards, Debit, Discount Cards

(My identification—who I am to the world Romans 8:16-17) Who you are to God. The thumbprint of God. Believers are His children. They are sealed. They bear His name, His mark. In the end times, those who take the mark of the beast will be lost forever, They are identified with the devil. Believers are identified with Christ.

* Sunglasses

(filters brightness of sun and helps us to see better) Sunglasses are tinted lenses that filter the UV light from the sun to prevent damage. They alter our perception of the world—of what we see and how we see it. One can liken sunglasses with the sinful state—it darkens our view of things. If we see with the eyes of Jesus, we see in an unfiltered light. We see what is good and what is evil. We have discernment.

Do we grieve for those around us? Sometimes I feel like we’re so disconnected from the rest of the world. If it’s not right in front of our face, we don’t think much about it. But sometimes, there is someone right there in front of us and we don’t help. We just go about our business. We look the other way.

Tube of lipstick Enhances what you have. Gives you some color. Makes you more attractive. When we witness to people, don’t push them away with an ugly or judgmental attitude. Or if they are wearing black lipstick, think about why? Negative attention. Pierced lips—same thing. Love should be our motivating factor.

* Tissues--But there are other times. Times when we really listen to the Lord and obey. There are people He entrusts to us, to meet at an appointed time and place. Our job is to help or share the gospel, offer advice, a hugs, or to just listen.

* Hairbrush/comb (Comb thru the tangles in life) God’s Word combs thru our spirit. When kids get lice, you comb the nits out with a fine-toothed comb. When you lose something around the house, you search for it with a fine-toothed comb. When we read the Word and apply God’s Word to our lives, it cleanses us and straighten’s things out.

Maybe you'll see your purse in a different light now. Maybe you'll lighten the load a bit--move out of that PRICE IS RIGHT mentality and into a slimmer, sleeker, smaller purse. Or not. But whatever you do, perhaps now you have a greater insight into the things you value and keep close to you. And perhaps apply that to your relationship with Christ:)

The Imprint of Christ--By Linda P. Kozar

Over the Christmas/New Year holidays, I took a long walk with my oldest daughter and we spotted this beautiful print of a leaf on the concrete. Often, after a rainstorm, a leaf pressed to the concrete will leach sap and form what looks like a photographic image--kind of reminiscent of a pinhole camera. Although the image, a mere stain, doesn't last for long--it is never the less, a reminder of the lovely shape of the leaf.

However, when a leaf or plant falls to the sand and is quickly covered by more sand and weighed down by even more layers, in time becomes a fossilized imprint, a mold of the leaf in sandstone or shale. The original components quickly decay away, but unlike the stain, the exquisite details of the leaf, the delicate symmetry of the plant's skeleton, the veins are visible.

Both the stain and the imprint are formed after the death of the leaf, which began as a tiny leafbud that grew and unfurled and lived it's cycle, from tender green to a final and glorious brilliant orange, red, or yellow before its fall to the earth. 

Most of us would like to be remembered for achieving or accomplishing something of worth in our time here on this earth. We struggle with feelings of unimportance, of irrelevence. We seek honor and recognition. For academic achievers, there are honors and awards, for military heroes, there are metals. For notable politicians or great philantropists--statues or busts. Buildings and stadiums are dedicated to or named for people. 

But in God's world, there are no unimportant or irrelevent people. The greatest heroes in the history of mankind have never received a metal or honor had the opportunity to stand before kings and presidents. Men and women who tirelessly toiled to serve and care for others, putting those needs before their own. People who gave their lives for the gospel of Christ. Believers, whose names are written in the Lamb's Book of Life. They will live and reign forever with the King of Kings.

So whether you have a cabinet full of trophies or a wall of certificates, the greatest honor you've ever received as a believer, is a free gift you did nothing in your own strength to attain.

We bear the image and imprint of Christ. The stain of His blood is upon our hearts, the imprint of His glory is on our lives. We are His greatest glory!