Just Catch Your Breath...

What's In a Name?

2010-03-30T08:30:00.002-05:00

Out of curiosity today I decided to do some research and find out what Lori meant. As I'm searching I find it means crowned with Laurel. Then I got to wondering; what in the world is Laurel? Laurel is some type of aromatic tree. And, in the process of researching this I found out that a laurel wreath is a wreath of laurel foliage worn on the head as an emblem of victory. Hmmmm....an emblem of victory. I like that!

So, naturally, me being me, I started looking up all the names in my family. Shane means God is gracious. Kristina, well that means Christ bearer. Gabriel means hero of God (I like that!). Helen (my Momma), her name means light and yes, my Momma is a ray of light! Duane (my Daddy) his name means wagon maker (what in the world?! haha). Lisa (my sister), well her name means consecrated to God and her husband John, his name means God is gracious, merciful. Ryan, Kristina's boyfriend who we look at as one of the family, means young royalty, Samuel (my nephew) means God's word and my little rascal of a nephew John William, well his name means God is gracious, merciful, protector. I have two nieces, Lauren and Jessi (Jessica) and Lauren means crowned with Laurel as well, but Jessica means wealthy.

I found all of our name meanings quite interesting and even some a little comical. In a way our names really fit us. Even my Daddy's! You see it doesn't matter what is broken my Daddy can fix it! My Daddy takes alot of pride in keeping things running and he is really good at it! I often find myself calling my Daddy to fix this or that at my house before even giving Shane a chance. Why? Because my Daddy is the fixer...the wagon maker! He can fix just about anything and believe it or not he can fix broken hearts! Many, many a day my Daddy fixed my broken heart as a child!! And, truth be told, he does it now! There's just something about my Daddy! And, if the meaning of names means anything at all, Jessi, Aunt Lori will be living with you in the years to come since you'll be "wealthy"!! hee hee And, if you know John William, well, God must be gracious and merciful because that little one is full of energy! He has my Grannie's mischief and uses is regularly! haha

So, then I got to thinking about Jesus and how specific God was about His name! "And she will have a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins." Matthew 1:21 (NLT). As I searched the name Jesus I found that in today's world that name means God will help. How interesting! Just the name of Jesus can bring me peace and I can feel a wave of calmness flow over me. I am confident knowing that He is my friend. No other friend has died for me! No other friend has carried me when I didn't have the strength to walk. No other friend truly knows my deepest darkest secrets and loves me anyway! He saved me! And, today, He is still saving me! What's in a name? I'd have to say everything!

Calendars

2010-03-24T09:05:00.002-05:00

Do you mark out the days on a calendar? I do! I print out a monthly calendar every single month, tape it to my cubicle wall and each and every morning I mark an "X" through the previous day. One by one the month seems to slip away.

I sat staring at my calendar this morning and looked all the Xs that line the days and I thought to myself...what did I accomplish this month? I haven't accomplished very much progress on my work I can tell you that right now. At home, I haven't accomplished much in the cleaning area and don't get me started on cleaning out my truck. I think I could live in that thing for a month and survive there is so much stuff in there.

But, what have I accomplished for the kingdom? I'm not real sure. As I sit here and think I wonder if marking Xs on calendars has always been something people do. I think about when Jesus died on the cross. What did people think, in the days following his crucifixion, when they looked at the X on their calendar? I'm thinking back to all the Xs on my calendar for February. What did those days mean? What did I accomplish in January? What if today is the day Jesus comes back? What will someone who is left behind think of the Xs on my calendar? Will I be the reason that this person is left behind?

"God, my shepherd! I don't need a thing. You have bedded me down in lush meadows, you find me quiet pools to drink from. True to your word, you let me catch my breath and send me in the right direction. Even when the way goes through Death Valley, I'm not afraid when you walk at my side. Your trusty shepherd's crook makes me feel secure. You serve me a six-course dinner right in front of my enemies. You revive my drooping head; my cup brims with blessing. Your beauty and love chase after me every day of my life. I'm back home in the house of God for the rest of my life." Psalm 23 (MSG).

Ink Stain

2010-03-22T08:23:00.002-05:00

I'm a pen person. I love, Love, LOVE pens! Here in my office good pens aren't that readily available and if you have a good pen you better keep it under lock and key! I came across a pen that had been left at the copy machine one day and I fell in love! The ink just flowed from it with ease. With each stroke of a letter it was if the pen knew exactly what you wanted to say and would move on its own. Okay, I'm being a dramatic, but you are getting my point; right?

So, no one claimed this pen for days so I finally took it as my own. I wrote with this pen every day and loved every minute of it. I wrote on sticky notes, a calendar, I scribbled when I was on the phone and I just made it a point to use this pen as much as possible every single day. Until... last Thursday!

I picked up my pen and started doodling while on a phone call and then moved my attention to something else. I picked the pen up and wrote myself a note and then slid my hand across my desk. And that is when I noticed it...the pen had busted! There was ink EVERYWHERE! I had ink on my hands, my keyboard, my desk, my arm, papers...do you get the point? It was everywhere! I became so aggravated that I just chucked this pen in the garbage and began the task of trying to clean up. As I fussed under my breath I scrubbed and scrubbed trying to remove all this ink.

As I sat down this morning at my desk I couldn't help but snicker at the ink stains that still remain on my keyboard and desk. It doesn't matter how hard I scrubbed I just couldn't remove all of the ink. As I sat and looked I started thinking (or as my Daddy would say...muttering) and I started comparing these ink stains to sin. I thought about sin in my life, in my past and in my future. I thought about how hard I had worked to scrub this ink off my desk but yet it still remained. I thought about how sin affects my life and those around me. Then I started thinking about how Jesus' blood washes my sin white as snow! How I am a wretched ole sole who messes up day in and day out, but I have a Savior!! One who holds His hand out and pulls me out of the ink that I often find myself smearing everywhere. He pours His blood over the top of my head and as it flows over my forehead, down my face, over my chin, and then finishes down my body I no longer have blotches of stains all over me, but instead I am pure...I am restored!

"But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin." 1 John 1:7 (NLT). Do you have ink all over you today? Are you in need of some restoration?

Psalm 119

2010-03-16T08:22:00.002-05:00

I was just poking around this morning just looking and I read Psalm 119. Wow, that Psalm is pretty heavy!!

Be good to your servant,

that I may live and obey your word.

Open my eyes to see

the wonderful truths in your instructions.

I am only a foreigner in the land.

Don’t hide your commands from me!

I am always overwhelmed

with a desire for your regulations.

You rebuke the arrogant;

those who wander from your commands are cursed.

Don’t let them scorn and insult me,

for I have obeyed your laws.

Even princes sit and speak against me,

but I will meditate on your decrees.

Your laws please me;

they give me wise advice.

Psalm 119:17-24 (NLT).

Maybe when you read that you get something different. But me, I just keep hearing "I don't know what to do! So, I'm going to just keep standing still, standing firm and standing on your commands because at this point...that's all I've got!" I find myself here many, many times. Sometimes I think I find myself in these predicaments because that is just the way the world is and then there are times I bring them on myself. I stumble and fall and get all confused. I want to make people happy, I want to do the right thing, I want to be liked and I want to be honest. Sometimes all those just don't go well together. But, anyway, today, I found a little peace in some uncertainty...your laws please me; they give me wise advice!

Believe

2010-03-15T08:19:00.002-05:00

Believe....hmmmm.... I believe I do like to drink Mountain Dew. I believe I do not like Birmingham traffic. I believe I would much rather be a stay-at-home mom. I believe that Malfunction Junction was designed by the devil himself. I believe that puppies' breath was designed to make you smile. I believe that a child's laughter will make you laugh yourself. I believe Christmas never loses it's "magic." I believe hide-and-go-seek is the best game that was ever invented. I believe a child's view of the world is way better than an adults'. I believe standing at the edge of the ocean is where true peace is found. I believe running sand through your hands somehow fixes your problems. I believe feeling the wind on your face is like feeling the breath of God. I believe you can always find pictures in clouds. I believe your children imprint their footprint on your heart while still in the womb. I believe an adoptive mother loves her child in a deeper way than a biological mother will ever be able to fathom. I believe customer service is not always customer service. I believe teenagers do know what true love is. I believe grasshoppers are scared of two year olds. I believe hugs are the universal sign language for I'm right here. I believe Taco Bell was only designed to be eaten at midnight. I believe classical music is much like books, only a few are born with a real appreciation. I believe yard work is cruel punishment (hee hee). I believe the garbage man is my best friend! I believe hard work is not necessarily just hard labor. I believe my children know who I truly am where I am constantly searching to figure that out. I believe my husband does love me unconditionally. I believe there is nothing better than the smell of rain. I believe driving in reverse is not my specialty. I believe you will never know the lives you touch. I believe people never really know your heartache. I believe tears are a way to let it out. I believe if adults would skip more they would laugh more. I believe Jesus Christ died on the cross for my wretched ole self and saved me from an eternity in hell! I believe I am not perfect but I am forgiven! What do you believe?

"But the Scriptures declare that we are all prisoners of sin, so we receive God’s promise of freedom only by believing in Jesus Christ." Galations 3:22 (NLT).

Raindrops

2010-03-12T08:29:00.002-06:00

I love the rain...as long as I'm inside! It doesn't seem to matter what I do to try and prevent it, but I get soaked every single time I go outside. I can't seem to figure out how to dodge the raindrops. If I do manage to remember my umbrella I seem to get soaked attempting to close it and tuck it away in my vehicle. And then I have those wonderful moments where I have managed to dodge the raindrops and remain dry or use my umbrella and remain dry and then I do it...I step into a puddle!

As I was walking across the cross walk this morning coming into my building it seemed to be raining sideways. I thought to myself it obviously doesn't matter WHAT I do I am going to get wet! I continued to hurry across when I started grinning from ear to ear because I started realizing that rain is nothing but an example of sin to me. Okay, stay with me here...No matter how hard we try to avoid the raindrops and stay dry we always get wet! Just like with sin...it doesn't matter how hard we try to avoid sinning, we are just going to mess up from time to time! We are sinners! "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God..." Romans 3:23 (KJV). I tend to beat myself up when I make a mistake...when I sin. I ask for forgiveness but yet I seem to stumble and stammer for days on end because I feel so guilty, I feel so, so, so wet!

Today as I walked into the building feeling my skin become wetter and wetter I realized that God truly is merciful and just to forgive us. And, every single time I ask him to forgive me he does...He wraps His big ole arms around me and dries me! "But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness." 1 John 1:9 (NLT). In no way do I believe this verse is a "free ticket" for us to abuse our Father's mercy and forgiveness, but it is comforting to me, someone who can't seem to forgive herself sometimes, to know that even when I struggle with forgiveness my Father always shows me the way...He leads by His example! Sort of keeps me dry on a rainy, windy day! =)

Footsteps

2010-03-10T08:24:00.002-06:00

Have you ever walked in someone else's footsteps before? It is pouring down rain today and here at my office I have to park in one parking deck, walk across a cross-walk and then walk through another parking deck just to enter the building. I'm not fussing or anything because there are tons of people who have to park 2 and 3 blocks away from their office building and walk in the rain, cold and snow (as of lately) so I'm thankful I'm covered, but our parking decks flood! When it rains you literally have puddles everywhere! Ankle deep puddles!

Without realizing it I began following a woman through the decks. We were side stepping this puddle and maneuvering around that one. I wasn't paying her much attention at first but I began to notice how I watched her feet and wherever her feet stepped, so did mine! To the left, quickly to the right, turn your foot a little sideways to avoid that standing water and walk around that car to get on the other side of that river over there! Step after step after step.

We had almost made it in the building when the Holy Spirit pressed upon my heart...following footsteps isn't as hard as you think it is... I almost stopped dead in my tracks! I don't know about you, but there are many days that I act and think as though following in my Jesus' footsteps is so difficult and hard. I seem to focus on what is in front of me instead of just watching His feet like I did this woman. When the day is dark and foggy and you are searching for the light to see the way, stop looking so far ahead of yourself and just look down at His feet! Honestly, that's where we need to be looking anyway! If we follow His steps, each and every one, we will not be mislead!!

"Anyone who intends to come with me has to let me lead. You're not in the driver's seat; I am." Mark 8:34 (MSG).

Old Wives Tales

2010-03-09T08:29:00.002-06:00

As we walked through the yard my Momma touched the branches, kicked around the grass and ran the leaves through her fingers. We were talking about nonsense really and as of this moment I cannot recall a much about our conversation that day. It was about a year ago on a Spring afternoon when my parents were at our house. The seasons were beginning to change, but this one afternoon was picture perfect.

As we walked I do remember talking about all the bushes in my yard. The previous owner was a little bush happy and now we have a mess on our hands. We have made some progress but we still have a very long way to go. As we talked Momma began to tell me things like "Well, if you're gonna cut that bush back you better hurry because the sap is rising." What in the world...I thought to myself. We continued on as she ran leaves through her hands and then she said something along the lines of "I don't know why folks are planting that stuff...it thundered in December so we still have one more frost..." Oooookkkkkaaaayyyy crazy woman!! As we made our way back into the house we were laughing hysterically as I announced that I feel sorry for my grandchildren because the day will come when they will look at me with their cherub faces and say "Nami (that's what Kristina calls me so I go with it), how can you tell if it is time to plant flowers?" and I'm going to reach down, kiss their precious cheeks and say "I don't know...go google it!"

Where did all this knowledge go? I remember my Grannie having this vast amount of knowledge regarding the seasons, the weather, etc. And, my Grandma she knew everything there was to know about flowers, baking, soap operas (hee hee). And here I sit wondering when we made a decision to stop listening to our elders and soaking up their knowledge. Notice I didn't say why did they stop teaching...I said why did we stop listening! So, I'm thinking....if we don't listen to our elders any longer and we aren't learning about "old wives tales" then, are we tuning out God as well?

"The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the word of our God stands forever.” Isaiah 40:8 (NLT).

Rocks In My Pocket

2010-03-08T08:23:00.002-06:00

God made everything! That was the theme to our Sunday School lesson yesterday. Shane and I teach the 3 and 4 year old boys class and these boys teach me way more than I teach them! Their insight to things is so wise for their little years. Each one of them is so special and has their own way about them that just intrigues me. They continue to amaze me week after week.

Since the weather was so beautiful yesterday we took a field trip outside to actually SEE and FIND things that God made. We made a lap around the church and each boy with a brown paper bag in hand set out to find things that God made. Of course they all went for grass, a flower, then one yelled "LEAVES!" and as we rounded the corner of the church someone yelled "ROCKS!" One little boy tried to pick up a rock about the same size he was and as Shane tried to explain he couldn't fit that rock into his bag he stood his ground that God made that rock and we said to find stuff God made! I told you...just precious!

After our trip concluded we all went back in the room and went through our bags. We talked about what each one of them had found and then we started thinking of things that God made that maybe we had never considered. "God even made band-aids!" I said. They all gasped and looked at me like I had spoken French! I continued "God made the man who made band-aids so guess what...God made band-aids!" This precious little boy was leaning across my leg with his head gently propped in his hand and he said "Wow...I've never thought of it that way before!"

As we continued on our lesson quickly turned, if God created everything then that means God is in control and that means God takes care of us and that means...we are His! See...I told you these little boys were smart!

I was walking through the parking deck this morning and noticed that my coat was a little off-kilter. It felt heavier on the left side and as I ran my hand along the edges of my jacket near my pocket I felt it...it was rocks! I had rocks in my pocket!! I snickered to myself and a huge grin came across my face. I began to remember our Sunday School lesson and I began to think about the last part...the part about God taking care of us and it hit me like a bolt of lightening. How many times do I feel weighted down by burdens ("rocks"). I thought about how God made everything and how he takes my burden in his hand and gently places it in His pocket to handle it for me. And...if I would butt out of the way He could handle it a whole lot faster! I slid my hand half way into my pocket with the intention of throwing the rocks onto the ground when I stopped...maybe it is time that I walk around with some rocks in MY pocket! Maybe I need that reminder that He is in control...after all He's the creator! What am I? I am a rock carrier...that's what I am? Now...what are you? Is it time that maybe you pick up a rock and put it in your pocket?

"The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD..." Psalm 37:23 (KJV).

Ummm...Hellur...Do you hear me?

2010-03-03T08:42:00.004-06:00

Maybe it's not the greatest movie in the world, but one of my favorites is Madea's Family Reunion. I'm a "one liner" type person and if I come across a movie that is full of one liners it quickly becomes a favorite of mine. In this movie, Tyler Perry takes on the character of a Georgia woman named Madea and this woman is willing to take in anyone, help anyone and beat up anyone! haha I guess you would have to just watch the movie yourself to actually see the humor I see but throughout this movie Madea doesn't say "hello" she says "hellur" and let me tell you it just cracks me up every time I hear it!

I feel like I scream "hellur" alot to the folks that live in my house. I talk and it seems like no one hears me. "Take the trash out!"...no response. "Put those clothes in the dryer!"...silence. "Did you put gas in the car?"...nothing. Ummm...HELLUR...DO YOU HEAR ME?

I find myself getting more and more aggravated as the days goes by when my family can't seem to hear me. I begin to notice that other people can't hear me either. My boss...oh don't even get me started on that! haha Co-workers, the lady who let the elevator door shut in my face while I yelled "HOLD IT!", and then there is that crazy driver in front of me who is talking on her cell phone and going 20 miles an hour...guess what?...she can't hear me either!

I feel as though I am standing in a crowded room screaming at the top of my lungs while no one...not even the mouse running around can hear me. I feel invisible, lonely, unimportant! I have noticed that when I begin to feel this way with the world I also begin to feel as though maybe God can't hear me either. I wonder why on earth would He listen to me when I can't even get my husband and children to hear me! Have you ever felt like that?

Listen, my friend, He hears us. When no one else hears...He does! 1 John 5:14 says "...we are confident that he hears us..." (NLT) and don't forget Zechariah 13:9 says "...They will call on my name, and I will answer them..." (NLT), but my favorite is Psalm 4:3 "...The Lord will answer when I call to him." (NLT). Now, I'm not expecting all honey and no bees (in the words of Bro. John), but sometimes I just yearn for someone to hear me...actually HEAR me and guess what? He delivers every time! Sometimes He may answer me with "wait" and other times His answer may be "no," but more times than not I just want to talk to Him...I just want to be heard and when everyone else around isn't listening I find peace in knowing that the only one that really matters...He hears me!

Papa's Gonna Buy You A Diamond Ring...

2010-03-01T08:23:00.002-06:00

It's no secret that I was a "teenage mom." It doesn't matter how old I am nor how old Kristina is I am still classified in that category and it is a badge that I wear proudly. Being a teenage mom also meant starting out my life broke! haha Shane and I didn't have anything when we found out I was pregnant with Kristina and we surely didn't have a dime to our name. We were kids!

Shane worked at a local grocery store part-time and that was the only income we had. As we figured out what we planned to do and how it would all work Shane went and bought me a ring. It took him several weeks salary to save enough money to buy the ring and when he proposed I thought it was the most beautiful ring I had ever seen! If I remember correctly it cost a whopping $250 (give or take).

As the years rolled on like they always seem to do Shane and I started making more money and naturally spending more money. Around 8 years of marriage I demanded a new ring. I wanted a bigger diamond! Yes, you read that right...I WANTED a NEW ring! Me and my selfish self. Well anyway, Shane being the man that he is he bought me a beautiful ring and ring guard. I loved it! I have worn it proudly for many years.

Until...a few months back I was in a jewelry store when the lady behind the counter noticed my ring. She told me that if I didn't have some prong work done I would lose the diamond. As soon as we got home I put the ring in my jewelry box and haven't worn it since waiting for the extra money to get it fixed. Well, during this downtime I've been thinking and came up with the bright idea to have the ring(s) completely redone. I wanted to combine this ring with my original ring and have this monstrosity of a wedding ring. I have talked about it, envisioned it, dreamed about it...oh MY ring!

As I'm sitting in church yesterday listening to Bro. John's sermon I keep hearing the word "idolatry." I hear this word over and over. I hear how we can take something worldly and put it before God and it doesn't matter how you fancy it up...it makes you an idolater. My rings kept flashing in my mind over and over like a bad movie. Was I making this ring an idol?

The answer is YES! 100% YES! As the day went on yesterday I began to think about diamonds. I thought about how I look at the rings that other women have. I thought about how proud I felt when I wore my ring and it was like I compared my ring to others that I saw. I didn't have this ring because it was the one that Shane bought me to show his love and affection for me...I had this ring because I demanded it. Ouch! Talk about an ego trip. Before we went to church last night I went into my bedroom and pulled out my original engagement ring and wedding ring and placed them on my finger...proudly! These other rings...they are for sale! The need to get out of my house! Me...I don't want to be an idolater! No way, no how and as long as those rings are in my house...that's exactly what I am! What about you? Are there any "idols" in your life?

"Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world...Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us...And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." Colossians 3:5, 11 & 17 (NLT).

Resurrection

2010-02-26T08:50:00.004-06:00

Have you ever felt dead? I am not talking about physically dead I'm talking about spiritually dead, emotionally dead. Have you asked yourselves questions like; why am I here? Is this all there is? How does what I do make a difference?

Recently, I have learned that life requires ACTION! I have learned that things like happiness, love, comfort, etc. are feelings and emotions that just come naturally to our hearts. We don't work for them. We don't think about them. They are just there. And, because these feelings and emotions are so readily available to us we have become lazy! Yeah, you heard me...we are L-A-Z-Y!

The greatest things in life are only received through action. They are not just handed over to us on silver platters. They are things that we must dig our heels in and push forward to obtain. We must hit the floor running every single day with determination and perseverance or else we will continue day after day searching for those "feelings."

"But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." Galations 5:22-23 (NLT) None of these things are feelings. Every single one of them can only be obtained by an action. We must show love to other people. We must put a smile on our face to show joy. We must stop fighting to have peace. We must breathe and show someone for the millionth time to have patience. We must help someone to show kindness. We must choose right instead of wrong to have goodness. We must never forsake Him to have faithfulness. We must not be harsh to have gentleness and we must calm ourselves to have self-control. All of these things require action. They aren't just given to us!

And, life. Well it isn't given to us either. We must choose to have it! We walk around dead until we have that moment when the Holy Spirit knocks on the door of our heart. We choose to open our heart and accept Jesus as our Savior! We choose to be resurrected! We choose to have eternal life! “...I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying. Everyone who lives in me and believes in me will never ever die." John 11:25-26 (NLT)

I wonder what would have happened if Lazarus would have just laid there. What if he had chosen not to get up? What if he didn't act on Jesus' call to him? "Jesus shouted, “Lazarus, come out!” And the dead man came out..." John 11:43-44 (NLT).

How many miracles have we missed because we didn't act on them? How many things have we missed out on because we didn't act on Jesus' call to us?

Happiness? Joy?

2010-02-25T14:47:00.002-06:00

Wow...it's been awhile! Things have been spirally up and down and left and right in the Goodwin house lately. I had an epidural block done on my neck/shoulder and Kristina had surgery and before I knew it I had not posted a blog in weeks...nearly a month!

Since this month has been sort of strange in our home I have noticed that I have been feeling alot of different emotions. Some of them are very explainable and others not so much. For example, at the exact same time I have felt anger and anxiety over a medical situation that Kristina is dealing with as well as feeling peace and comfort. How bizarre is that?

I have felt out of breath if that makes any sense to anyone. Not physically but emotionally and the more I try to gasp for air the less air there is to breathe. I'm sure someone out there actually understands exactly what I'm talking about. Okay, at any moment now someone can raise their hand and let me know that I'm not the only pink elephant in the room!

In the midst of my frustration I rode home yesterday afternoon listing out my feelings. I made an imaginary column of what I was feeling and an imaginary column of what I wasn't feeling. With every emotion listed I felt as though a burden was being lifted. It was if someone was writing down the emotions for me and placing them in the correct column. By the time I arrived at church I had released some tension, but had not had some great epiphany or life altering event take place.

As my day has progressed today I have been thinking alot about joy versus happiness. I've been wondering why some days I feel joyous and why others not so much. I've been thinking how you can be happy and sad or cry and laugh at the exact same time. I decided to google it because after all google seems to tell us everything; right? Well, as He always does, God works in wonderful ways (not mysterious but wonderful ways) and googling my question led me straight to a devotional that was written about two years ago. The writer quoted James 1:2 "...when troubles come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy." (NLT). What? I thought to myself. Just as I started to click back to find something that was really going to help me (haha) I continued to read. The writer began to explain that so many times in life when we go through trials and storms we seem to justify it by saying that maybe we weren't as close as we needed to be to God and therefore He has allowed this storm or this tragedy in our lives to bring us closer to Him when maybe, just maybe the reality of it is that this storm that we have found ourselves in is just that...a storm. The worry and the anxiety that we feel...well that is an emotion of our surroundings, but yet the peace and the comfort we feel...well that's Him!

God never moves...we do! When our lives are flipped upside down and the wind is swirling around us, He is there. The pressure that we identify as the outside world squeezing us, oh that just Him hugging us!

I have said many, many times to my children that love is not a "feeling" it is an action and I have actually learned today that is the difference between happiness and joy. See, happiness is just a feeling...it is an emotion that we feel, but joy is an action. We can choose to be joyous or not just as we can choose to love, or not. He has given us the options, it's the choice that is ours to make!

Keep Out

2010-02-01T08:29:00.003-06:00

My morning drive changes alot. Some days I take the same ole route and others I take an alternate route. Not because of traffic but because I get bored! I can only drive one way so much and then I have to change something. I need a change of scenery, a change of pace! I am not one that could work in a repetitive type job because I would lose my mind! Shane works on an assembly line doing the same thing over and over and I have so much respect for him because I surely couldn't do it!

So, I changed up my routine this morning and came into downtown Birmingham though some back roads. Just sort of took the scenic route I guess you could say. As I crossed over I-65 and rounded this curve to the right I noticed a sign that just struck me odd. A church built a new building up on a hill and since it is in a neighborhood in the North side of Birmingham, all parking seems to be in the rear of the church. Now you have to envision how this neighborhood is set up. You have the street, then the sidewalk and then there is a retaining wall probably waist to shoulder high. All the houses, stores, offices, etc. are sitting up on these hills. Are you following me? Can you see it? So as I'm looking up the wall towards this new church I notice the alley that runs right beside the church leading you towards their parking area. Prominently posted on the alley wall is a sign that read "KEEP OUT." I chuckled to myself and thought Why a Keep Out sign? Why not put a No Trespassing sign...it sounds better?!?!

As I traveled on into downtown Birmingham and made my way to 280 I started really thinking about how many of us post an invisible "Keep Out" sign at our church? We talk about how we want our churches to grow, we sit around and talk about projects and things we can do to bring people in, but we never act on those talks. When a visitor does quietly and timidly make their way into our church do we love them, wrap our arms around them and accept them, or do we push them away with our invisible "Keep Out" sign?

More importantly, as Christians, do we walk around with a "Keep Out" sign posted on us! When others look at us do they see love, compassion, understanding, forgiveness, joy, etc. or do they see us pushing people away, wrapped up only in ourselves, looking out for only number one?

Our Sunday School lesson yesterday with our 3 & 4 year old boys was about how Paul told Lydia and her friends about Jesus. Our Bible verse was "Tell others about Jesus." Acts 16:10. I challenged a group of 3 & 4 year old boys to be like Paul...tell someone about Jesus! Today, I challenge myself and I challenge you. Do a self check...do you see a "Keep Out" sign posted on your wall today? If so, take it down and replace it with a "Welcome" sign!

Forest For The Trees

2010-01-28T08:27:00.002-06:00

For the past few days I've been meandering my way through life. Up this hill, down that one. Turning this corner and then rounding that one. No different than anyone else's life just in one of those places where I'm only taking one step at the time because I'm not real sure where it will land. I jokingly told a friend yesterday that I feel as though I'm walking on quick sand not sure if the branch I'm holding onto will hold me or not.

On my ride in this morning I was listening to the radio and looking at the cars. I wasn't really looking for anything in particular but just scanning my surroundings. As I started coming up the on-ramp for the Red Mountain Expressway from Carraway Boulevard I slowly started noticing the tall buildings that were downtown. The farther I got up the ramp the more and more I could see these buildings. All of a sudden the cars disappeared from my vision and all I could see was buildings. I scanned to my left and to my right and began to see, actually see, downtown.

As I continued on my journey slowly but surely the buildings began to fade and all I saw was cars. The beautiful city landscape that once captured my attention had faded into a blur and once again I could only see what was directly in front of me.

So many times in my spiritual life I go through periods where I can't see the glory for all the stumbling blocks that are around me. I know it's there. I know that I am free. I know that I am forgiven. I know that in the end everything is going to be okay. I know that this too shall pass, but for that day, at that moment all I can see is what is around me. I wish I had the right words of encouragement to say right here that would make you take your hand and smack yourself on your forehead and have one of those Ah-Hah moments but I don't. I'm still trying to figure it out for myself. But I stand firm on Jeremiah 29:11 "'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" (NLT). Want to know what I like best about this verse? The "says the Lord" part. The Lord, my Father, my Savior, my friend, my everything...He said that! He says that He has plans for me. He says that the plans He has for me are for good and NOT for disaster. He says these plans will give me a future and a hope! That's what HE says, not what they say but what He says!!

So, I challenge you today, if you catch yourself only seeing the cars in front of you...stop and blink a few times. Shake your head if you have to and start looking farther...deeper...harder because I promise you there is something more out there!

When Your Mess Becomes Your Message

2010-01-26T08:16:00.002-06:00

by Micca Monda Campbell
Proverbs 31 Ministries

"Heal me, O Lord, and I will be healed; save me and I will be saved, for you are the one I praise." Jeremiah 17:14 (NIV)

My brother is a recovered addict. For twenty years, he was absent from our family due to addiction issues. Countless times we thought he was dead, and according to statics, he should have been.

However, God happens to be in the restoration business. He is willing to restore and heal all who come to Him. It doesn't matter who you are, what you've done, or what has been done to you. God is willing and able to turn any tragedy into triumph. My brother is living proof.

After entering many programs with hopes of success and end results of failure, my brother finally found the answer: Jesus. It wasn't until my brother me t the Lord that healing and true change occurred. Suddenly, all things became new.

What's most exciting is anyone can experience this kind of freedom!

The truth is, we don't have the strength, will power, or ability to free ourselves from bondage no matter what the bondage is—drugs, lust, gluttony, pride, anger, or fear. Until we renounce our sickness and surrender to Christ, we will never experience freedom. On the other hand, when we are willing to give King Jesus our mess, He turns it into our message.

Not a day goes by that my brother doesn't look for opportunities to brag on God and share His message of hope.

Take this past summer for example. He and his family came home for a visit. One evening, our families gathered for dinner at Red Lobster. His treat! Twenty-six year old Tiffany was our server. Right away, we noticed two things about Tiffany. She was a natural with people, and she was very pregnant. While we enjoyed her kind service, we ha d no idea that God would turn the tables and call us to serve her in a unique way.

It started when my sister refused to allow my brother to buy her dinner. While my sister loves to give to others, she's not so good on the receiving end. I, on the other hand, understood that it gave my brother great pleasure to pick up the check. The Lord knows I didn't want to deny him his blessing!

Poor Tiffany found herself caught in the middle of the argument. Eager to win, my brother said to our server, "You see, I was a drug addict for years. During that time, my sisters did a lot for me. Now, I just want to bless them as they have blessed me."

Tiffany's eyes widen. "You were a drug addict?" she inquired. "I would have never guessed.""Yes. I was," my brother replied. "But Jesus changed all that." From there he told Tiffany his life-changing story."

I went from being lost to being found; from being homeless to being a home owner; from being an employee to owning my own business; from being bound by drugs to being set free in Christ."Tears filled Tiffany's eyes as we shared God's love with her. That's not all. Later that week, we confirmed God's love to her by presenting her with a baby gift.

Oh, friends, when you and I—like my brother—allow God to turn our mess into our message, He not only changes our lives, but He changes the lives of others too.

Dear Lord, Your mercy astounds me. Your goodness overwhelms me as I cry out "heal me, O Lord, and I shall be healed; save me and I will be saved." God, give me opportunities to speak of Your hope so that others may know Your goodness and salvation. In Jesus Name, Amen

Not Good Enough

2010-01-21T08:18:00.003-06:00

I'm too fat. I'm too thin. I wish I was taller. I hate being so tall. I wish I didn't have to wear glasses. I hate my hair. My ears are too big. My stomach pokes out. My hands are too small. My hands are too big. My feet are shaped funny. I can't stand the color of my eyes. My knuckles are too big. My fingernails aren't shaped right. I wish I had long eyelashes. My teeth are ugly. I hate my voice. I can't carry a tune at all. I can't stand the way a picture looks after I'm the one who painted it. I'm stupid. I'm not worth anything. I don't matter.

How many times have you said something, anything along those lines? You know, it occurred to me last night that every single time we critique ourselves we are saying that what God has created isn't good enough. We are saying that the very hands He used to make us are broken and worthless. With every jab we make about ourselves we are saying that we aren't important to Him. God doesn't make mistakes. We were each created specifically for a special and perfect purpose. He created us short, tall, skinny, fat, big ears, little ears, long eyelashes, short eyelashes, thick hair, thin hair, brown eyes, blue eyes... We are each a treasure in the arms of Christ! Maybe it's time we start living like it!!

"Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out; you formed me in my mother's womb. I thank you, High God — you're breathtaking! Body and soul, I am marvelously made! I worship in adoration — what a creation! You know me inside and out, you know every bone in my body; You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit, how I was sculpted from nothing into something. Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth; all the stages of my life were spread out before you, The days of my life all prepared before I'd even lived one day." Psalm 139:13-16 (MSG)

Turning The Corner Doesn't Always Help

2010-01-19T08:08:00.003-06:00

Prom season is upon us and I spent my Saturday going store to store trying to get an idea of where in the world we could find Kristina a prom dress. Not wanting to chart these waters alone my friend Kim and her daughter Cori grabbed an oar and set sail with me. Kristina was out of town and I used my time wisely. She isn't one to enjoy going in and out of stores picking through dress after dress to only leave empty handed. So, several years and pageants ago I learned to go dress shopping on my own, come home and report my progress and then go to only a few stores and pick the perfect dress from there.

As we were out and about we began talking about our teenage drivers. Cori has her permit and she is learning the ways of the road. We giggled about when we were teenage drivers and silly things Kristina has done when all of a sudden Kim bursts out laughing and utters the words "You won't believe what Cori did last night!!" At this point Cori has remembered what happened and she is laughing uncontrollably as well and I am just driving down the road glancing from one to other wanting in on this funny story.

Kim begins...she tells me how they needed gas and how the gas tank is on the passenger side of Cori's car. She tells me that as they pull up to the gas pumps Cori positions her car so that the driver's side is closets to the pump. Before Cori can put her car in park Kim reminds her where her gas tank is and Cori releases her foot off the brake and simply turns around to the opposing side of the pumps! All she did was transfer her car from side a to side b which means she still had her driver's side facing the pump! At this point we all three are laughing hysterically and I'm sure if anyone saw us they thought we were having some sort of convulsions!

How many times do you think you're making progress and you keep drudging along to see a corner ahead, you run, you turn it and you breathe a sigh of relief when you suddenly realize you're still facing the wrong way! I do this time and time and time and time again! Some days I just feel like I can't get myself turned the right way. I bounce off this and bounce off that never really feeling like my feet are planted in the right place. But, isn't it great to know that no matter how twisted we are in our direction, no matter how much we are bouncing around, He is always there to get us straightened back out!

"For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.” Zephaniah 3:17

Is It A Status Thing?

2010-01-15T07:39:00.003-06:00

Last night Kristina and I were watching the movie Pretty Woman. Some may not like that movie but to me it is just a precious, timeless, cheesy love story. There is a scene where Julia Roberts and Richard Gere are going to the opera and Julia Roberts comes out of the bedroom in a beautiful red ball gown and white gloves up to her elbows. Her hair is curled and pulled back and she looks breathtaking. Richard Gere's character pulls out a square box and places a beautiful ruby and diamond necklace around her neck. She asks him how much something like that costs and his reply is "a quarter of a million dollars."

I looked at Kristina and said "Isn't it funny how saying a quarter of a million dollars seems like an exuberant amount of money, but saying $250,000 doesn't seem to be as much?" She sits there for a minute and replies "You're right. Just like if someone told me they paid $250,000 for their house I would think 'man that's a nice, big house' but if someone told me they paid a quarter of a million dollars for their house I would think 'they live in a mansion!'" It's all in the words you use!

Kristina has a Myspace page and as my motherly duty entails me I check her Myspace page and account quite frequently and while I'm on there I look at who her Myspace friends are and what their pages are about. I stumbled across a young girl's page yesterday whose "about me" section was full of obscenities and I sat shaking my head, but then at the very bottom of her paragraph she made the statement that she was a Christian. Not to judge the young girl but the fruits of her "about me" does not reflect a Christian. So, is she also saying "a quarter of a million dollars" because it sounds better?

This has really got me thinking. I'm wondering how many people are truly Christians and how many people say they are because "it sounds good" or "it's the in thing"? What do people see when they look at me or talk to me? Do they think "Wow, she's a Godly woman who loves the Lord?" or do they think "There's one of those people who say they're a Christian but you just never know?" Am I $250,000 or am I a quarter of a million dollars?

"Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one can come to the Father except through me.'" John 14:6 (NLT). Notice that Jesus didn't add anything to that. He didn't say that He is the way, the truth and the life and a gold ring. He didn't add frills or rainbows and fairy dust. There is a big ole period there. He said I am the way, the truth and the life and no one can come to the Father except through me! I think maybe we need to accept Him for what He is and say exactly what we are and where we stand and stop fluffing our words so that we think He sounds better. And, besides that, why in the world do we even want to make Him sound better? How much better can He get? The unconditional love! The grace, mercy, forgiveness! What else is there?

Books

2010-01-14T08:22:00.002-06:00

I'm not much of a reader. I will pick up a book and thumb through it and maybe scan the first few pages and within those first few pages it is decided if I am going to continue with the book or lay it down. Writers have a harsh critic on their hands when it comes to me I guess. You have about ten pages to grab my attention and if I don't feel it, I move on!

However, I enjoy writing. I'm not too sure I could ever write a book, but I do love writing poetry, short stories, and blogs! =) My writing abilities and interest in writing was passed down to Kristina, but I must say she is far a better writer than I could ever dream of being. The way she says things, describes things, insinuates things...her writings grab my attention immediately.

Since she has this interest and talent in writing I have always used that as a tool to talk about life with her. The analogies are just too similar not to. When you are young the chapters are short and more of a starting point. They are more descriptive and full of information and each chapter ends with a cliffhanger to keep you holding out for something yet to come. As you enter your teenage years the chapters get long and hard to understand. The words seem to ramble and the reader feels that the author is just as confused but yet with the end of each chapter you just cannot wait to get to the next one. About the time you are ready to give up you get to the good stuff...adulthood! We spend our entire childhood and teenage years eagerly waiting for adulthood so that we can do our own thing without any rules to only wish that we could go back in time! Those chapters in the book start to show how we are shaped and molded. They show what we are made of! And, then as the book begins to really get juicy the chapters turn into our golden years! These chapters seem to reference the previous chapters. Every step that is taken, every decision that is made seems to be done so solely on what we learned before. And, then, finally, the day will come where our book ends. As the book is published it is handed to someone who reads it intently with a yearning in their heart to know who you truly were.

And, this is where my questions start? What will your book say? Are there things in there that you would not want anyone to read? What about your great-grandchildren; do your choices and actions today leave a good footprint for them to step into tomorrow? All of our lives are a book and at some point in time that book is going to be read. It is up to us what is written in it!

"For I alone am God!...there is none like me. Only I can tell you the future before it even happens. Everything I plan will come to pass..." Isaiah 46:9b-10 (NLT)

Nip It

2010-01-13T08:23:00.002-06:00

"Nip it, nip it, nip it." Oh my goodness I used to love Barney Fife on the Andy Griffith Show. Don Knox played that part perfectly and I don't know if anyone else could have done it any better! Barney and that one bullet always cracked me up and his inability to keep his mouth shut always resonated with me. I'm one of those people with an uncontrollable mouth.

As I was listening to the local Christian radio station this morning the same thing happened! A commercial was aired that absolutely cracked the DJs up and as they were laughing one of them began to tell his own similar story when all of a sudden the audio was immediately shut off and a song started playing. I guess the boss said "nip it, nip it, nip it!"

How nice would it be if we had someone to start playing a song just at the same time that we were about to say something stupid?! You know, alot of times I honestly do not mean anything hurtful or harmful by my words but as soon as they come out of my mouth I realize what I have said/done and I can't "hoover" back in fast enough.

And, in the same turn, I wish what would flow out of my mouth would be nothing but Jesus! I wonder why that is? Why is it so easy to rattle off nonsense but when you discuss Jesus we tend to stop and think about what we are going to say? Hmmmm....

"Those who control their tongue will have a long life; opening your mouth can ruin everything." Proverbs 13:3 (NLT).

The Sun - - The Son

2010-01-12T08:08:00.002-06:00

As I followed the on-ramp down and around to the right the sun was peering through the trees. The sky was so pink it was almost orange and as I straightened up my truck and merged onto the highway I couldn't help but look at the sun. It was a huge orange ball just barely peering over the horizon. I would look at it until my eyes burned and then I'd shut them and look away to only turn to my focus back once again.

The warmth felt good radiating off my windshield and I began to think about how wonderful I feel when I'm in the sun, near the sun, when I can feel the sun! I can't help but smile and turn my face towards it. I can't help but shut my eyes and get carried away in my dreams. And, in the same turn I feel that way about THE SON! I feel wonderful when I am close to THE SON! When I am near THE SON I feel comforted, complete. I can't help but close my eyes and bask in His light. I find it interesting the similarities in the sun and THE SON!

“I am the light of the world." John 8:12 (NLT)

"...his face shone like the sun..." Matthew 17:2 (NLT)

“...My light will shine for you just a little longer. Walk in the light while you can, so the darkness will not overtake you. Those who walk in the darkness cannot see where they are going. Put your trust in the light while there is still time; then you will become children of the light.” John 12:35-36 (NLT)

Where You Are

2010-01-11T07:36:00.003-06:00

Growing up I heard my Momma say many times over how her dream vacation would be Vermont in the Fall. My Momma loves the Fall season and the picture she held in her head of what Vermont would look like in the Fall was more than she could take. I vividly remember riding with my Momma listening to her talk about her dream vacation and what it is like there. I was a young girl, elementary school still, and as I intently would listen to her describe the trees, the air, the environment I could picture it with my very own eyes. Vermont seemed like a different world to me...a place so far off that I would only be able to see it in my mind.

As time marched on and I began to grow older I would look at pictures of Vermont in the Fall. Magazines, books...just anything really. With every picture I would think about my Momma's dream of visiting Vermont in the Fall. I looked at the trees where we lived and although they were beautiful, they were not Vermont!

More time marched on and on a visit to my parents' house Momma and I made a trip into town. She began to describe to me a drive she had on her way to work earlier in the week. She said as she drove down the long windy country road she looked out over the trees. The colors of fall were delicately painted on the leaves as if God has simply brushed across them with every orange and yellow he could find. The trees were full and if you looked close enough you could see the sun peering through the branches. She said God gently pressed upon her heart here is your Vermont.

How many times do we think we need more than what we have? How many times are we content with where we are at this very moment? Oh don't get me wrong, I'm not saying that we should never want anything or have a goal, but what I am saying is that sometimes our want and our goal are right in front of us but we are too stubborn to see it! Maybe it's not in the package that we thought it would be in or maybe it's not the ideal situation but nevertheless it still IS what we had hoped for! Sometimes our Vermont isn't just like someone elses!

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT). Just because we don't see the plan, it doesn't mean there isn't one!

Victory!

2010-01-08T08:15:00.002-06:00

Many, many, many years ago...ok that's being a little dramatic but way back when horses pulled carriages...okay, okay....I'm just seeing if you're awake today! Back in 1991 when Shane and I first started dating he asked me an all important question, "Do you pull for Alabama or Auburn?" Friend, I promise you this was an actual conversation between me and him and I answered correctly because here we are nearly 20 years later! ROLL TIDE! =)

Unless you live under a rock you know that Alabama played Texas last night in the BCS National Championship game. I must say that I was concerned about my precious husband last night. As is typical Alabama fashion they couldn't win easily. It had to be a nail bitter. A comeback of some sort. An edge of your seat, jump up and down finish. That is Alabama football! But, anyway, Shane paced and he screamed and he clapped. He coached from our living room, he chastised the refs. He gave Saban advice and even played a down or two himself. Yet, in the end all was well and Alabama beat Texas and are the 2009 BCS National Champions! It was sweet V-I-C-T-O-R-Y!

Oh victory! It's a wonderful feeling isn't it? Did you know you have that same victory in Jesus? It doesn't matter where you've been or what you've done He finished the game for me and for you! "The Lord is my strength and my song;he has given me victory." Exodus 15:2 (NLT). Are you walking around victorious today? If not, why not? The Savior is waiting...

Stupidity

2010-01-07T08:19:00.002-06:00

Have you ever thought about stupid we are? I am doing a new Bible study and I am currently in Genesis and for the past few days I have been reading about the first days of Earth. You know what? I will just never understand the mercy and grace of God because why oh why did he create creatures who make such poor choices when He gives us everything?

For example, Cain. After Cain killed Abel he lied to God about it. “I don’t know,” Cain responded. “Am I my brother’s guardian?” Genesis 4:9 (NLT). Can you believe that? He honestly thought that he could lie to God! I sat there shaking my head in disbelief wondering what in the world was going through Cain's head lying to God and then it hit me, I do the same thing! When I am not honest with someone else I am lying to God because He knows the truth anyway! He is just placing me in a situation to see if I am going to be truthful and when I'm not...I'm lying to Him!

And then there was Noah. Okay, check this out. Noah was obedient to God and followed his instructions, built an ark while everyone on Earth laughed at him, ridiculed him, chastised him but Noah never faltered. He just kept right on following God. And, just as He had promised, God spared Noah's life along with the life of Noah's family. So, what does Noah do when it is all said and done? He plants some grapes, makes some wine, drinks it and gets drunk! "One day he drank some wine he had made, and he became drunk and lay naked inside his tent." Genesis 9:21 (NLT). I don't know if things were different back in that day but I can tell you right now that, in my opinion, doing something like that is not respectful towards God...who just spared you and YOUR FAMILY! Hello...

I could sit here and go on and on about the stupidity of man that I am learning through this new Bible study. And...I am also learning how I am right along with them! Isn't it so easy to look at someone else and think you moron but when you look at yourself you can justify everything you are doing? I think it's time that we all pick up a bottle of Windex and a rag and clean our own mirror and check ourselves out before we start checking out others.

It's Better To Be Cold

2010-01-06T07:41:00.002-06:00

Brrrrr....that is really all I can say right now! Goodness gracious alive it is freeeeeeezing outside! Me and a co-worker were laughing yesterday wondering where all this global warming is that we have heard so much about the past few years because as far as we can tell Alabama has now become Antarctica!

Just out of curiosity I wondered if the Bible said anything about being cold and I was astonished at what I found. Check this out..."I know you inside and out, and find little to my liking. You're not cold, you're not hot — far better to be either cold or hot! You're stale. You're stagnant. You make me want to vomit." Revelation 3:15-16 (MSG). Wow! I've never really thought about it this way before.

So many times I feel that straddling the fence or just being "okay" is good enough, but you know what? It's not! It's like a lukewarm shower...I would rather take a cold shower so that I can freeze and get it over with or take a nice long warm shower but if the water is lukewarm it drives me insane! It's just cold enough to annoy me yet warm enough to make me wish I had more!

I am feeling my way through this thing we call life and every single day God shows me something new about myself. Some things I embrace and absolutely love but then other things I don't like so much and today is one of those days. I don't want to be lukewarm! I want to be on fire for my Savior! I want to be warm in His arms! I want to be...me! What are you? Are you lukewarm?

Mommas

2010-01-05T06:46:00.002-06:00

Our children eat before us. We wear clothes that have been washed so many times you dare not hold them up to the light for fear you can see straight through them, but our children's clothes are new, clean and pressed. We can't remember the last time we bought a pair of shoes from a department store, but our children wear the latest shoe trend. We take cold showers so that our children can take a hot shower first. We do without so that they can have. We are MOTHERS!

We do all of this with very little thank yous or appreciation. And, truth be told, we don't want them. There is that part of us that way deep down inside just likes being needed. We like seeing our children smile. We like knowing that they have nice things. We watch our children grow knowing that one day they too will be in the same situation with their own children.

I have the greatest earthly Daddy ever created and to close my eyes and try to wrap my head around my Heavenly Father being even better than that is hard for me to do. And, Daddies are great creatures, but they aren't Mommas. They don't possess the gentle comfort that Mommas do. There is a time when a Daddy's arms are the perfect fit and then there are times where no arms other than a Momma's will do. Mommas just have a way about them.

Well, guess what? God is our Heavenly Father who is stern, strong, fierce and mighty yet he possesses the traits of a Momma. He is calm, gentle, tender, selfless. There are times when the strong arms of Christ holds us up when we can't even hold our own selves up, but then there are times when he is tender like a lamb and wraps his loving arms around us in protection...just like a Momma.

"As a mother comforts her child, so I'll comfort you." Isaiah 66:13 (MSG).

Your Own Way

2010-01-04T08:08:00.004-06:00

As I sat at the red light I watch the black birds gathering along the railroad tracks. It started out as just one or two and before long there were probably 30 or 40 of them. They seemed to stay grouped together as if they were moving in a herd of some sort.

As my light turned green and accelerated I could tell that the vibration of my truck on the pavement was warning the birds to get out of the way. All of a sudden in one swift fluid motion they all lept into the air and flew away to my left as if in a black cloud. All of them stayed together except one. This single black bird flew to my right and landed on a fence.

As I continued driving I thought about this one bird. Why didn't he go along with everyone else? Was that his family or his pack (you know, like dogs)? Was he just a young bird who didn't know any different? Or, was he older and it was his time to separate himself from the others? Why? Why wouldn't that bird just follow the crowd...?

As soon as that last thought crossed my mind I immediately began to think about man and how we fly to the left with everyone else. I began to think about how hard it is for us to fly to the right and land on a fence all by ourselves. I found myself running back over instances and circumstances in recent days where I flew with the crowd and didn't stand on my own. I began to admire this right flying, fence sitting bird.

Although it may appear to the world that we are flying alone we never are!! Matthew 28:20 says "...I am with you always, even to the end of the age." (NLT). To me, when I read those words I can feel my Daddy wrapping his arms around me and squeezing me in a tight bear hug whispering in my ear that everything is going to be okay, He's here.

Some days it is hard to have the courage to fly to the right all by ourselves while everyone else stays grouped together flying to the left. But, always have the confidence, the security, the strength to know that you aren't flying alone!

L-O-R-I

2009-12-31T08:22:00.002-06:00

The new year is upon us and like most people I always seem to come up with some new year's resolutions. I rarely keep them and most of them are lame. Like lose weight! Ha! How many years have I resolved to that one! I don't know why I don't seem to keep them. I don't consider myself a quitter but at the same time I don't push myself all that much either.

So, I was thinking as I was driving into work how I needed a way to keep my resolutions fresh on my mind every single day and that is when it hit me MY NAME! I will take each letter from my name and resolute myself to that for 2010. So, here goes...

L - Listen... I tend to talk so much that I never listen or when I do actually shut up long enough to listen my mind is racing in a million different directions that I don't actually listen to what someone is saying. And just as with everyone else, I don't listen to/for God. Once again I ramble and talk so much that I never hear him. So, this year I resolve to LISTEN to/for my Heavenly Father.

"But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.” Proverbs 1:33 (NLT)

O - Organize... Organize my priorities. It seems that I catch myself putting work before my family, my family before God...well to be judgement day honest, I put alot of things before God. I don't study my Bible every day, I don't pray as I should and basically, I just don't spend time with my Father! He is just standing there waiting on me and I'm busy running around doing a bunch of nothing. Maybe that's why I can't hear him talk to me... So, this year I resolve to ORGANIZE my priorities and always put God first!

"We plan the way we want to live, but only God makes us able to live it." Proverbs 16:9 (MSG)

R - Rejoice... Rejoice in my worship! Lately I have noticed that I am a stuffy worshiper. Have you ever thought that about yourself? I go with the crowd around me and I don't separate myself and just worship. I find myself not turning my mind from this world to focus on heaven during worship on Sundays and then I find myself not worshiping during the week. So, this year I resolve to REJOICE and worship my Savior as He should be worshiped!

"I will sing a new song to You, O God...I offer praises to You." Psalm 144:9 (Amplified)

I - Invest... Invest in other people. So many times I run through my day and I never take a moment to invest anything in someone else. I don't talk to fellow line standers about Christ. I don't invite anyone to church with me. For that matter I don't invite others to Christ which is even worse! Rahab was a prostitute who went outside her comfort zone and invested herself into two spies whom Joshua sent from an Israelite camp. Rahab's investment saved her life along with the life of her family. So, this year I resolve to INVEST in other people's lives. I will put my own insecurities aside and put myself out there...like Rahab!

"Now swear to me by the Lord that you will be kind to me and my family since I have helped you...We offer our own lives as a guarantee for your safety..." Joshua 2:12 & 14 (NLT).

What's your resolutions this year?

Beauty Out of A Mess

2009-12-30T08:31:00.002-06:00

Sculptures...I have never really understood them nor had an appreciation for them like others do. For example, there is this sculpture in Chicago of a bean. Did you hear me? A bean! I don't get it. Then in New York you have the charging bull. Right there in the middle of the walkway you have this bull. Hmmm...I don't get it! At this very moment my child is cringing as she is reading this because she has such an appreciation for sculptures and artwork.

Although, looking at the bean and the bull I can tell what they are. Have you ever seen the sculptures that are made from steel? Or, what about sculptures made out of trash?! Those I really don't understand. I twist my head from side to side. I cock my head left to right but I still don't see what other people see. I don't see a beautiful picture...I see steel and trash!

I wonder what people see when they see me? Do they see an overweight woman with baby fine thin hair who is not frilly or girly at all? Do they see a Mom who does her best to listen to her kids and is always trying to find the line in between parenting and controlling? Do they see a wife who has been married her entire adult life? Hmmm...I wonder...

Although my life has spun out of control numerous times over the years I finally found a sculptor who was willing to take my trash and make something beautiful out of it. Oh don't get me wrong, I'm such a work in progress and He probably thinks that I am the project that will never be finished because I continue to make a mess out of things, but just knowing that my trash is in the hands of a beautiful sculptor gives me some peace. My sculptor is non other than God himself! His hands are big enough to hold my trash but yet delicate enough to place it in just the perfect way to make me a beautiful creature. He and only He can make beauty out of my mess!

Veils

2009-12-29T08:24:00.002-06:00

Bridezillas, Whose Wedding Is It Anyway?, Say Yes To The Dress, Platinum Weddings, Rich Bride Poor Bride...I'm hooked! I watch them all and love them! My poor Kristina has been roped in as well and we love nothing more than sitting on the couch, covered up in blankets and watching one episode after another.

We discuss the dresses, the bridesmaids, the location, the wedding planners, the cake, the guests...just everything that we see. We talk about when Shane and I were married and what she would like for her wedding and we sigh out loud as we reminisce and dream.

But, one conversation that always is sure to get us laughing is when we talk about veils. Some of them are thick and full while others are simple and elegant. Some of them are poofy and yet others have extra long trains. The thick and full veils seem to always get me and Kristina going. "How do they see through all that tulle?" is our question. They look like bee charmers walking down the aisle. As the wedding ceremony concludes and the preacher says "You may kiss your bride" the groom begins to ramble through all that tulle and as he finally finds his bride's face he always seems shocked to finally see her face!

Alot of days I think we as Christians walk around with tons and tons of tulle over our faces. We hide ourselves instead of walking around with the freedom of the veil being torn off. We aren't sure how or what or why but we are hidden. Girlfriend we are free! That veil has been removed and in order for us to see the glory of the Lord we need to uncover our faces! I find myself hiding some days not because I don't want to see the glory of the Lord but I'm scared I won't reflect it for others. I am learning that as long as I seek Him then I cannot help but become like Him and my face will do nothing but glow with all His glory!

"So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord—who is the Spirit—makes us more and more like him as we are changed into his glorious image. 2 Corinthians 3:18 (NLT).

Either Ya Got It Or Ya Don't...

2009-12-28T08:37:00.002-06:00

Snow, snow, snow...that's all I heard the week leading up to Christmas. The local weatherman said all the players were on the field. I was so excited along with the rest of the Alabama crowd. I love the snow and everything it brings with it. The peacefulness, the excitement, the inner kid in an old woman (haha), just everything about the snow...I love it! Now, don't get me wrong, I would never want to live up north where they get tons and tons of snow. I don't want to see snow from December to March but I do love the occasional white stuff strategically placed in my yard.

As Christmas day approached my hopes for a white Christmas diminished pretty quickly. The front was a little farther north and all we would get was rain. As Gabe and I drove to the orthodontist on Christmas Eve Eve we talked about how our chance of snow was gone. I began to dream out loud of what a white Christmas would be like when Gabe encouraged me, "Mom, it could still happen...a white Christmas isn't completely out of the picture."

I about wrecked the truck turning to look at him and I began to explain how James Spann had said the front was too far north and blah blah blah (like he cared what the weather man said) and then he said it..."Well, who would have thought a virgin could give birth?!?!?!"

Ouch! What do you say to that? I had nothing. I was speechless. I basically crawled back into myself and drove on to the orthodontist's office in silence. Hmmmm...who would have thought?

How's your faith lately? Mine? Well, some days I think it's pretty good and then others I'm thinking not so much! How often do we pray for God to reveal himself to us, but we don't look for him? How many times do we walk by a bush and think "Why don't you speak through burning bushes anymore?" Truth of the matter is if I walked by a bush and that thing caught fire and I heard "Lori....Lori..." I would scream and run for the hills! How's my faith? I must honestly reply...lacking!

“'You don’t have enough faith,' Jesus told them. 'I tell you the truth, if you had faith even as small as a mustard seed, you could say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it would move. Nothing would be impossible.'" Matthew 17:20 (NLT)

Temporary Home

2009-12-23T08:32:00.003-06:00

This house, that house. White walls, ugly carpet. Growing up a preacher's kid taught me to go with the flow because you never know what to expect, but the living arrangements were always the same. Every house had white walls and the carpet was always hideous. Some houses would have curtains hanging from the windows that we knew was nothing more than something that someone else had not wanted.

My Momma always had a way of coming into the house and within a day or so the house was our home. Pictures were hung, new curtains were bought, she would bake it seemed like almost immediately so that the house smelled like home. It didn't seem to matter where we went it was just always home.

Somewhere along the way we acquired this fork. I don't know when this fork came into our lives but it seemed to just appear out of thin air and it quickly became "my fork." With each move my fork made the journey and with each meal in whatever house I ate with my fork. It seemed as though no matter what happened in our lives, how upside down they were turned or how uprooted we were that fork stayed consistent in my life. I always knew that no matter where I laid my head down, what the kitchen looked like, how big or small the local school was, I always had something that never changed...my fork.

I'm 35 years old and to this day I still eat with "my fork" when I go to Momma's house. It has become quite the joke and everyone steals my fork just to watch me rant and rave but in the end I ALWAYS eat with "my fork."

No matter how old we all get we enjoy the comforts of home. We like the security, the peace of mind. The assurity that no matter where our journey started that morning we can always go home. (Or...to a fork!) But, you know what? This is just a temporary home. This is just a stopping place in our journey. We are assured that there are bigger and better things waiting on us and in my little mind...my heavenly mansion is filled with forks from here to there!

"...Trust me. There is plenty of room for you in my Father's home. If that weren't so, would I have told you that I'm on my way to get a room ready for you? And if I'm on my way to get your room ready, I'll come back and get you so you can live where I live..." John 14:1-4 (MSG)

Christmas Ornaments

2009-12-22T08:36:00.002-06:00

As I sat down looking at my reflection in the red ornament hanging on the tree I began to look up and down and all around at the different ornaments. Some were round balls, some were tear drops. A few were clear with snowflakes painted on them and then there was the occasional twisty ornament delicately placed in random sequence.

As I stared I started thumping the ornament with my finger and it seemed huge as it reflected off the red glass. As I thumped it would swing forward and backwards then side to side. My reflection would get larger then smaller, larger then smaller. I began to watch my reflection in other ornaments as I played with this one amazed at how different my perception was in each one. But, no matter which ornament I watched or how close or far away my face seemed none of the ornaments reflected what I truly looked like.

Just as my reflection was not accurate...my perception of others is not always correct. I have heard the statement many times "looking through rose colored glasses," but how many of us look at other people through "Christmas ornaments?" What we think we see isn't a true reflection but instead it is distorted and unusual. The only way to truly know someone is to turn around and look at them! I am so guilty of looking at someone and immediately thinking I know everything about them by the way they are dressed, the way they carry themselves, their mannerisms, the way they talk, etc. but then I become offended when someone stereotypes me! Interesting how that works, huh?

"...discover beauty in everyone...get along with everybody...'I'll do the judging,' says God..." Romans 12:17 (MSG).

Soar Like Eagles

2009-12-21T08:31:00.002-06:00

As they take off it is as if you can see the wind underneath them. They flap their wings one, two, three times and then just soar. They dive up and down as if they are riding a wave. Turn to the left, flap again, dive down towards the earth and then take a sharp turn to the right, raise their heads high towards the heavens, flap once more and they shoot up like a rocket while the wind rushes through their wings and ruffles each feather individually.

I have watched many birds fly but none quite get to me like the eagles. They fly with such purpose and stature. They are majestic, powerful, beautiful... Eagles symbolize my idea of freedom. As I watch them I breathe in and out almost in a rhythm wishing I were one of them. I can't quite find the words to explain how I feel when I watch an eagle fly!

There is a peace that is found in eagles. Just by the way they move. I think Isaiah shared my love for eagles. I can envision him standing on a cliff watching eagles as they soared through the air riding each wave of wind that is nothing more than the breath of God. "...those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint." Isaiah 40:31 (NLT).

Life isn't about jobs and cars, houses or offices. Life isn't about how many presents are under the tree or what time you're supposed to be at your in-law's house. Life is about patience, perseverance, trusting, honoring - - soaring...

They that wait upon the Lord

Shall renew their strength

They shall mount up with wings of eagles

They shall run and not be weary

They shall walk and not faint.

Teach me Lord, teach me Lord to wait.

Hymn: They That Wait Upon the Lord

Christmastime

2009-12-18T08:53:00.003-06:00

This was written by my co-worker, Kelli Ryan, and is just way too good not to share!

One Christmas several, several years ago we (me and Roger) were headed back to Birmingham from Atlanta. We had gone over for a Christmas party Roger's office was having, and on the way home and quite out of the blue Roger asked me what I wanted for Christmas. Now this was about a week before Christmas which surprised me because that was early for him to be asking. Oh, I’m not being too critical because he is really good at the gift thing...he’s just a last-minute shopper most of the time. Anyway, in wanting to help him out with his creative/use-your-imagination side, I said .... "Oh...I don’t know" and then added, "Really though....don’t get me anything!" Yeah, right! Now, just who would fall for that one?! Well, I’ll tell you I married no dummy and being the smart guy that he is he said, "Well how about a dog", and without any, and I do mean any, hesitation, I said "NO!".... "...unequivocally NO! We have no fence around the backyard, and I will have NO house dog!". But I sensed I probably was speaking a little more loudly and a little more harshly than I meant to so I added "...no pets right now...we’ll get one some day....you know, later on...maybe after we put up a fence." But, as far as I was concerned, that was it....END OF DISCUSSION! We got back to Birmingham, picked up the kids, and me and Abbey went shopping and left Roger and David at home. ....but could we get anything done? No!, because after an hour or so, Roger started and kept calling me on my cell phone, and he kept on and on asking when we’d be home. Well, the first time or two I was thinking "Oh, how sweet...he misses us!" but by the third or fourth time I was just thinking "What is his problem?!" I mean this is not like him....he is NOT a "phone" person nor does he usually have to know or keep up with the when’s and wherefore’s of our "travels". I mean, at the time we were a two-car/meet-you-when-we-get there family for the most part. Anyway, while I was getting agitated, Abbey was getting suspicious. The last time Roger called to see if we were "on our way" Abbey grabbed the phone and finally and boldly said, "Dad, do you have an animal there?" (...PAUSE!...).....it never crossed my mind. I mean, wasn’t it the End of Discussion! up there earlier?! So I grabbed the phone from Abbey and said "Roger Ryan, if there is a puppy or a kitten or any kind of animal at my house (... it became MY house at that point) get rid of it before I get home. Don’t want an animal! ...and I certainly don’t want to see it because if I do I will get attached to it, and I don’t want to get attached to it! Take it back!" END OF DISCUSSION! ....I think I said "bye" before hanging up???!!! But just guess what?! That little puppy almost wiggled right out of his very skin when he came running up to me when I opened that door.... like he’d known me all of his (young!) life!...and he’s loved me the very most ever since. ...the feeling is mutual! Needless to say, I got "attached", very attached, to my dog Fred! That dog has brought me such joy and delight over the years! That "present" is the very best GIFT Roger has ever given me! (... smart man, huh?!!) (...P.S. That dog is much more of a house dog than he ever thought about being a yard dog. But you figured that out already, right?!!!)

As "gifts" go, though, there is one even greater that I received at the tender young age of 8. It was the free gift of salvation through my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. We celebrate His holy birth this time of year every year, and I want to share this "gift" and celebrate this "gift" with you now.

Acrostic:

G - GOD’S ONLY BEGOTTEN SON ... John 3:16-17 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him." That’s our man Jesus....God’s "only begotten Son". Through Him we have the very gospel of salvation - 1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received, that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, and that He was buried, and that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures."

I - IMAGINE ... we can only! I mean, what a unique birth it was! Take a look at it from these "accounts" -

Mary, God’s "favored one" (Luke 1:28). See Luke 1:26-38 - but specifically let’s look at Verses 34-35 - "And Mary said to the angel, ‘How can this be, since I am a virgin?’ And the angel answered and said to her, ‘The Holy Spirit will come upon you , and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; and for that reason the holy offspring shall be called the Son of God.’ " Wow! How would we have responded? Mary humbly accepted - Verse 38: "And Mary said, ‘Behold, the bondslave of the Lord; be it done to me according to your word.’ ..."

Joseph, the "husband-to-be". See Matthew 1:18-25, but again let’s specifically look at some verses. Verses 20-21 - "But when he (Joseph just found out) had considered this, behold an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, ‘Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife; for that which has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. And she will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for it is He who will save His people from their sins.’ " ...and just what a gentlemen that man Joseph was too (...after some "heavenly" encouragement, huh?!)! Verses 24-25..."And Joseph arose from his sleep, and did as the angel of the Lord commanded him, and took her as his wife, and kept her a virgin until she gave birth to a Son; and he called His name Jesus."

The Shepherds - See Luke 2:1-20. Well, we know about them. They were just out in the field minding their own business when "lo and behold" (...literally!) "...an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them , and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terribly frightened. And the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of a great joy which shall be for all the people (...that's us!); for today in the City of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. And this will be a sign for you; you will find a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.’ And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying (...those angels were a busy bunch lately!), ‘Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among men with whom He is well pleased.’ " (Verses 9-14). They went, and just guess what they found?!!!.....a sweet, precious little Baby Boy. (John 1:14 - "And the Word [Jesus Christ] became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.")

...and, even though they came later, around the time Jesus was about 2 years old, let’s include the Wise Men in this cast of characters- see Matthew 2:1-23, but specifically for now Verses 1-2: "Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king (another "cast member" ... the villain), behold, Magi (a/k/a "The Wise Men") from the East arrived in Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east, and have come to worship Him.’ " Well, well, they have been on a "treasure hunt"...well, actually it was a "hunt" to bring "treasures" to that sweet Baby Boy whom they had already accepted as "King" without even seeing Him. (Hebrews 11:1 - "Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.").

....and it was all a part of prophecy! Take a little "trip" through the Bible (given to me by my pastor) and see for yourself....Start at Genesis 3:15 then go to Genesis 12:1-3 and then to Isaiah 7:14 and on to Matthew 1:20-23 and next to Luke 1:34-35 and finally to 1 Timothy 1:15! Wow! It was foretold!

F - FATHER ... No one gets to God the Father except through His Son. John 14:6 - "Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but through Me." This is how we get to God...through His "only begotten Son"!

T - TITLES ... and there are many which belong to Jesus, among which are: Isaiah 7:14 - "Immanuel" - see also Matthew 1:23 - "Immanuel which translated means ‘God with us’ ", and Isaiah 9:6 - "Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace". ...and in the end..."Therefore also God highly exalted Him and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those who are in heaven, and on earth, and under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father." - Philippians 2:9-11. What’s in a name? Everything!...1 Timothy 6:15-16 - "...He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords; who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light; whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen." ..."I and the Father are one." - John 10:30...that’s Jesus speaking.

A GIFT!....that’s what Jesus Christ is to us!

Someone E-Mailed me a "share-it-with-everyone" INVITATION to a Party (author unknown), and I want to share it with you. "There’s a party going on" just like the song says, and we are invited!.......

You are cordially invited to ...

A BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION!!!

Guest of Honor: JESUS CHRIST

Date: Every day. (Traditionally, December 25, but He's always around, so the date is flexible.)

Time: Whenever you're ready. (Please don't be late, though, or you'll miss out on all the fun!)

Place: In your heart.... He'll meet you there. (You'll hear Him knock.)

Attire: Come as you are... grubbies are okay. (He'll be washing our clothes anyway. He said something about new white robes and crowns for everyone who stays till the last.)

Tickets: Admission is FREE. He's already paid for everyone. (He says you wouldn't have been able to afford it anyway...it cost Him everything He had. But, you do need to accept the ticket!!)
Refreshments: New wine, bread, and a far-out drink He calls "Living Water," followed by a supper that promises to be out of this world!

Entertainment: Joy, Peace, Truth, Light, Life, Love, Real Happiness, Communion with God, Forgiveness, Miracles, Healing, Power, Eternity in Paradise, Contentment, and much more!

R.S.V.P. Very Important! He must know ahead so He can reserve a spot for you at the table. Also, He's keeping a list of His friends for future reference. He calls it the "Lamb's Book of Life."

The thing is - at this Party, we get the GIFT! The GIFT of Salvation through Jesus Christ our Lord. So y’all come! He paid the price - it’s totally FREE! Ephesians 2:8-9 - "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast." It’s the GIFT that "keeps on giving"!

...and since it is a Birthday Party, I think a song would be in order, and the children from my church once sang the most wonderful "birthday" celebration song......

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jesus!
I’m so glad it’s Christmas.
All the tinsel and lights and the presents are nice
But the real GIFT is You!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jesus!
I’m so glad it’s Christmas.
All the carols and bells make the Holiday swell
And it’s all about You!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, Jesus!
JESUS, I LOVE YOU!

He is the "Reason for the Season"! .... "Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" - 2 Corinthians 9:15.

... and this Christmas as you are wrapping your gifts and opening presents just remember that it isn't about the presents, it's about HIS PRESENCE! Amen? Amen and Amen!!

Merry CHRISTmas to you and all of yours!
Kelli

(For other Bible studies and resources, please visit www.doctrinalstudies.com - and me, there at "Kelli's Korner".)

Know It All...

2009-12-17T08:28:00.002-06:00

Oh I can't begin to count how many days I laugh because my teenagers think they know everything. I recently saw a status post on Facebook where a Mom was encouraging her know it all teenager to get a job and get out! haha Teenagers aren't the only ones who walk around thinking they know it all...so do we adults.

I have begun to notice something about myself...I tend to not listen! I know my Momma just about fell out of her chair when she read that sentence. Momma, it's okay, growth is part of maturity...look at me...growing up! =) Okay, okay, moving on...but anyway, I realized this just the other day. I asked a question and as the person was talking I immediately started thinking to myself "What? You have NO idea what you're talking about...." And when this person was finished they looked at me like I was a moron because I had not listened to them. I asked for help, yet I didn't heed their instructions.

Isn't it funny how we go through life just thinking we know everything about everything? I found a saying several months ago and I'm not sure who the author is but check this out...

Any fool can count the seeds in an apple. Only God can count all the apples in one seed.

How true, how true!

I received an email yesterday explaining that Psalm 118 was the middle of the Bible. An exact number before and an exact number following. Chance? Nah, it's just God proving that HE is the answer, HE is the way, HE is our salvation. He is the beginning and the end, the Alpha and the Omega! We don't know anything and it's about time we realized that!

Thank God because he's good, because his love never quits.

Tell the world, Israel,

"His love never quits."

And you, clan of Aaron, tell the world,

"His love never quits."

And you who fear God, join in,

"His love never quits."

Pushed to the wall, I called to God;

from the wide open spaces, he answered.

God's now at my side and I'm not afraid;

who would dare lay a hand on me?

God's my strong champion;

I flick off my enemies like flies.

Far better to take refuge in God

than trust in people;

Far better to take refuge in God

than trust in celebrities.

Hemmed in by barbarians,

in God's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;

Hemmed in and with no way out,

in God's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt;

Like swarming bees, like wild prairie fire, they hemmed me in;

in God's name I rubbed their faces in the dirt.

I was right on the cliff-edge, ready to fall,

when God grabbed and held me.

God's my strength, he's also my song,

and now he's my salvation.

Hear the shouts, hear the triumph songs

in the camp of the saved?

"The hand of God has turned the tide!

The hand of God is raised in victory!

The hand of God has turned the tide!"

I didn't die. I lived!

And now I'm telling the world what God did.

God tested me, he pushed me hard,

but he didn't hand me over to Death.

Swing wide the city gates—the righteous gates!

I'll walk right through and thank God!

This Temple Gate belongs to God,

so the victors can enter and praise.

Thank you for responding to me;

you've truly become my salvation!

The stone the masons discarded as flawed

is now the capstone!

This is God's work.

We rub our eyes—we can hardly believe it!

This is the very day God acted — let's celebrate and be festive!

Salvation now, God. Salvation now!

Oh yes, God—a free and full life!

Blessed are you who enter in God's name — from God's house we bless you!

God is God,

he has bathed us in light.

Festoon the shrine with garlands,

hang colored banners above the altar!

You're my God, and I thank you.

O my God, I lift high your praise.

Thank God—he's so good.

His love never quits!

Psalm 118 (MSG)

Winter Snow

2009-12-11T08:34:00.003-06:00

Chris Tomlin came to my boss' church last week to perform a concert. He brought a young woman with him who had written the song "Winter Snow" for her to perform. My boss has raved about this song and the words are very touching. Just think, He could have just appeared from nowhere a grown man in the midst of a crowd and shocked everyone! But, no, He came quiet, as a baby born in a stable surrounded by horses, cattle, sheep.

Winter Snow by Audrey Assad

Could've come like a mighty storm

With all the strength of a hurricane

You could've come like a forest fire

With the power of Heaven in your flame.

But you came like a winter snow

Quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

You could've swept in like a tidal wave

Or an ocean to ravish our hearts

You could have come through like a roaring flood

To wipe away the things we've scarred

But you came like a winter snow,

Yes, you did

You were quiet, You were soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

Oh no, your voice wasn't in a bush burning

No, your voice wasn't in a rushing wind

It was still, it was small, it was hidden

Oh, you came like a winter snow

Quiet and soft and slow

Falling from the sky in the night

To the earth below

If you find the time today...please click on this link which will take you to YouTube and you can listen to this song. Amazing, fabulous, quiet. He could have came in a rushing wind, a burning bush, with trumpets blaring but he came as quiet as a winter snow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gy29mQfiavg

"...the time came for her baby to be born. She gave birth to her first child, a son. She wrapped him snugly in strips of cloth and laid him in a manger, because there was no lodging available for them." Luke 2:6-7 (NLT)

Traffic Report

2009-12-10T08:53:00.002-06:00

Traffic, traffic, traffic...I'm not sure where you live but here in Birmingham we have traffic with a capital "T"!! About every 15 minutes or so you'll get a live traffic report during the morning and evening rush hour. Today my normal route to work was closed due to an accident with a fatality (Lord bless that precious family!) and it took me almost an hour to get to work. I had to weave in and out of side streets that aren't familiar to me and sit through one red light several times due to the amount of traffic.

With each traffic report it seemed like something new was added. The radio DJs were trying to help those of us who were lost and give ideas of ways to re-route our way. "Try 20th Street"..."Go over the mountain"...all the while I'm thinking to myself what if you're no where near the mountain?!?! Cars were everywhere and a few times patience was running thin but for the most part I think everyone just sucked it up and made it through.

As I was listening to the traffic reports I started thinking that it is nice to be able to have a heads up on stumbling blocks in your day. Too bad I don't have those for my life I thought to myself. Wouldn't it be great to have caution signs and blinking lights saying turn around, back up, or maybe over here...over here!!

The sad thing is...I do have a traffic report but due to my own sinful self I fail to turn it on and listen to it. "By your words I can see where I'm going; they throw a beam of light on my dark path." Psalm 119:105 (MSG). Honestly, I'm so convicted at this moment I really have no idea how to end this blog. So....I guess it's one of those moments in life where it's ENOUGH SAID!

Memorial

2009-12-09T08:20:00.002-06:00

There are so many things I want to see with my brown eyes before I go to Heaven. The Washington Monument, the Statute of Liberty, the Great Wall of China, the Vietnam Wall, the Grand Canyon, a white Christmas... My list is quite long and if I sat here long enough I could fill this entire page up with things I want to see for myself. Not that I don't believe they exist I just want to be able to see it, touch it, smell it, feel it.

Memorials are really great things. They remind us of a time when something great happened. They make us stop and think for just a brief moment what it would be like if that one thing in history had never happened. What if...?

Sometimes in our lives we build memorials and monuments to various things. They aren't visible to the naked eye but they are there. Umbrellas for instance! When I see an umbrella I think about my Grannie. She had horrible skin cancers and rain or shine she had to carry an umbrella. Oh...and bread! My Grandma would make homemade bread and every time I smell bread cooking I think of her. Maybe those are trivial but to me...they are memorials. Memories of people in my life who have molded me, changed me, loved me.

Joshua built a memorial alongside the Jordan River right where they passed on dry land. He explained to the Israelites "In the future your children will ask, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘This is where the Israelites crossed the Jordan on dry ground.’ For the Lord your God dried up the river right before your eyes, and he kept it dry until you were all across, just as he did at the Red Sea when he dried it up until we had all crossed over. He did this so all the nations of the earth might know that the Lord’s hand is powerful, and so you might fear the Lord your God forever.” Joshua 4:21-24 (NLT).

God stopped the water from flowing and dried the riverbed so that his people could go across unscathed and Joshua wanted to leave a reminder to the world about God's greatness and protection. The Grand Canyon is a wonderful creation of God. It's not a man-made memorial but a God made memorial of his greatness. The Vietnam Wall is a man-made tribute to men and women who gave everything they had for freedom...their lives. What sort of memorial am I leaving behind? When my short time here on earth is finished what sort of rocks will you see? Is my memorial man-made or God made? Am I leaving a memorial at all? What about you?

Happiness v. Holiness; Believer v. Follower

2009-12-08T08:23:00.003-06:00

I was listening to the radio this morning and turned it to the Rick & Bubba Show at just the right moment. Siran Stacey was their guest and he was sharing what he has learned from God through the tragedy of losing his wife and all but one of his children in a car accident. As the conversation progressed Rick made a statement that really got to me. He said something to the effect of God has taught me over the past two years (his 3 year old son drown in their pool at home two years ago) that happiness is not my purpose here but holiness is. He continued to say that he is no longer a believer in Christ but a follower!

As the interview continued Siran Stacey commented on forgiveness and how he had to forgive the young man who hit him and his family. He had to forgive himself. Rick and Siran both talked about how they stood at a crossroads having to decide if they were going to allow Satan to defeat them through this tragedy or glorify God with this tragedy. They talked about sin and that death is sure to come because of sin yet eternal life only comes through the death of Jesus Christ!

Honestly, today is a gut check for me. I'm thinking...Am I a believer or am I a follower? Am I striving for happiness or am I striving for holiness?

"Make me walk along the path of your commands, for that is where my happiness is found." Psalm 119:35 (NLT). "'If any of you wants to be my follower, you must turn from your selfish ways, take up your cross, and follow me. '" Mark 8:34 (NLT).

Through Another's Eyes

2009-12-04T08:42:00.002-06:00

Have you ever stopped in your tracks and looked around to see what someone was looking at. And once you figured it out did you focus on the object and try to look at it the same way they did?

I get very tickled at the difference between my children. Each of them have such a different way of looking at things. Say there was a tree in the middle of a pasture. As Kristina stood and looked at this tree she would begin to describe the color, shape and size of the leaves, the length of the branches, the height of the tree. She may discuss the roots and ask questions about how deep they were. She would look around the tree, possibly walk around to get the view from the other side. Not one single time would she look through the tree she would simply look at the tree and accept it for what it was. Nothing more, nothing less. She sees the actual beauty of the tree just as it is.

As Gabe approached the tree he would immediately ask how far away the tree was from the edge of the pasture. He would want to know specifics of its dimensions, height, possibly weight. He would inquire about the animals that lived in and around this tree. He would not notice the leaves nor the branches. He may possibly comment on how much sunlight comes through the tree and how much shade is cast on the ground from the tree. My precious Gabe would look through the tree and discuss it's potential and possibilities. Firewood? Possibly shelter? Gabe sees the tree for its potential...what it can be.

I enjoy looking at objects with both of my children at the same time. Sometimes they will begin to argue over how they see the object and other times they ponder over how the other one sees it like that. Me, I'm somewhere in the middle. If I turn my head one way I see the tree just as Kristina does but yet if I cock my head the other way I can see exactly where Gabe is coming from. The way my children look at an object is the exact way they live their lives. Kristina is careful and respectful. She accepts people, obstacles, life for what it is. She doesn't make it more than it is she just accepts it and moves on. Gabe is always looking at how to better his situation. How to help someone. The potential...the possibilities.

I heard a Christmas song this morning sung by Gloria Estefan and in one line she says "I want to see Christmas through your eyes..." This got me thinking. I wonder what the world is like through God's eyes. I know as a Mother I do everything I can to protect my children from seeing things that they shouldn't see and I know that God must do the same thing with His children. Wow! The world that He sees. The heartache He must feel. The sadness that must come over Him. The world through God's eyes...I just can't imagine.

Jesus said in John 3:12 "But if you don’t believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things?" (NLT). Oh what pretenders we are! So many times...I retract that...all the time we find it easier to believe fiction that fact! Lies are easier to believe than truth! You want to see the world through God's eyes? Here ya go..."For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17 (NLT). He loved us so much that He sent HIS son to save us. Could I lay my life down for you? Possibly. Could I lay my life down for one of my children? Without a second thought! Could I lay down my child's life for you...a liar, a cheater, a thief, etc.? Most definitely not!

God's eyes...a vision you and I will never be able to behold!

Reverse

2009-12-03T08:34:00.002-06:00

As the light quickly turned to red he slammed on his brakes but still tapped the car in front of him. It wasn't a hard hit just a tap. The driver who he hit never even got out of their car. He put his car in reverse and simply backed up waiting for the light to change to green.

It had been one of those days. My friend, Harley, was a new single dad. It was his first Christmas alone and he was trying to do the whole shopping thing on his own. Crazed Moms had just about driven him to his limit and by this point he just wanted to go home. He had thrown in the towel and determined enough was enough.

As the light changed to green he hit the gas to only fly backwards ramming the car behind him! As the story goes, Harley slung his car into park, simply laid his head on the steering wheel and sat there. Thankfully there was no damage to the vehicle he hit and only slight damage to his car but what a story he had to tell. How many times do you hit someone at a redlight by backing into them? Not very many!

I don't know about you but for me I tend to back into stuff in my personal life all the time. I feel like I take two steps forward to only leap five steps backwards. Some days I feel like I take steps backwards because I'm too busy looking at what was back there in the first place. I'm too scared to look forward. To look at the unknown. I'm frightened that I will let someone down...let God down. I'm unsure of myself, my surroundings, of you. I tend to stumble over my own feet tapping things in front of me which makes me instinctively go into reverse to only slam into what is behind me. Back and forth...back and forth. But there is hope! "...focus on this one thing: Forgetting the past and looking forward to what lies ahead...press on to reach the end of the race and receive the heavenly prize for which God, through Christ Jesus, is calling us." Philippians 3:13-14 (NLT).

Get In The Game

2009-12-02T08:22:00.002-06:00

As we drove down the road we rode in silence. I was completely annoyed and irritated and Gabe could tell. I had received a call at work from his school saying he had broken his glasses. Although I know that broken glasses is just a part of life it just seemed to happen at the wrong time, on the wrong day.

We drove to the eye doctor barely talking and once we both realized that he was going to have to go through the process of an eye exam the realization that he would most certainly have to wear contacts became rather clear. It would 7 to 10 days for glasses to come in and he would have to see in the meantime so contacts was the only solution to our problem. Gabe had tried contacts before and had a bad experience . The eye doctor was unable to see him so we had to pack up and head across town. On the way there I decided to break the silence and start my Mom speech for the day...

"Gabe, you are 13. It is time that you start taking responsibility for your actions and just manning up sometimes. Although you are the baby of the family you HAVE to step up and start becoming a man..." I went on and on and he seemed uninterested. Okay I thought to myself I'll try something else. "You know how in football you have to pay attention to everything around you?" I looked over at him just hoping to get a glimmer of interest and all I got was a head shake as he looked out the window with his head turned away from me. "Well, life is like that. You have to pay attention and sometimes you have to do things you don't wanna do. You have to step up, man up, and just do it. Like it or not and when that happens you have to do it to the best of your ability. Do you understand what I'm saying?" He nodded again and I thought this isn't working either! I continued on grasping at straws by this point..."Son, you gotta grow up and be mature..." He interrupted me as he turned his head to face me with a smile on his face and said "I get it Mom, it's time to get my head in the game." He got it! "Yes!" I said "Get your head IN the game...you gotta take the plunge...get in there...right now you aren't even the water boy! Help me out a little bit here!" At this point we both started laughing...not even the water boy...he thought that was hilarious! As we walked into the eye doctor's office he stopped and said "Mom, I do understand what you're saying, I got it..." And with a smile and a nod of my head we walked on in.

"Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. We do this by keeping our eyes on Jesus, the champion who initiates and perfects our faith. Because of the joy awaiting him, he endured the cross, disregarding its shame. Now he is seated in the place of honor beside God’s throne." Hebrews 12:1-2 (NLT).

It's about time that we run with endurance, with everything we have in us and get to work. It's time that we stop waiting on someone else to do it for us. It's time that we stop standing by watching the game pass us by. Don't you think it's time that we get our head in the game?

Greatest Lesson

2009-11-30T08:43:00.002-06:00

As I pulled up to the red light I reached over to change the radio station when all of a sudden I was in the back seat. I could see the sky and I could feel alot of bumping and could hear crashing but I couldn't quite figure out what was going on and how in the world I had ended up in the back seat.

Once I felt my truck stop moving I slowly sat up and that is when I realized I had been in an accident. I got out of my truck, looked around and thought "Wow, that was weird." I wasn't seriously injured but rattled enough to not really know what to do or how to handle anything.

After speaking with the insurance company I was informed that my vehicle was a total loss. It was a birthday present from Shane. It was my "dream" truck and we had only made 5 payments on the truck so our feelings were quite hurt! Honestly, it was a blessing in disguise because we could not afford the payments.

As the days began to settle and we realized that we would receive enough insurance money to pay the truck off we began to start looking for another vehicle. The rental car was getting quite small and we had to do something. As Shane made his way to the car lot where we have done business for years I called the salesman and told him that I did not want a used truck. I had a brand new truck that I was driving and I refused to have a used one now. He met Shane at the door and gave him my instructions and they began to browse the new trucks. Ultimately, Shane found one, called me and upon my inspection we purchased the truck. It wasn't just like the one that had been a total loss but it was a nice truck but more importantly it was NEW!

As the months wore on I began to hate this new truck. The payments were too big, it was hard making that payment every month and honestly, it just didn't have the luster that I wanted in a truck. It drives nice, looks nice, is fairly comfortable but honestly...it's just a truck! Big deal! I finally came home one day and broke down and shared my feelings with Shane. I told him this just wasn't the truck and I really didn't like it and I wanted a used one! I wanted one with a smaller payment, something that would fit in our budget better! Well, as the ole story goes...Shane calls the salesman and tells him about this epiphany that I had. The salesman laughs and says "Shane, I hate to tell you this but due to the economy and the gas prices the truck that you bought can now be purchased for about $10,000 LESS than what you bought it for. Man, ya'll are stuck!"

Stuck!!!!! What?!?!? Once the dust settled and reality set in I realized what I had done...what we had done. Every single day of every single week of every single month I climb into that truck, crank it and thank God for lessons learned! See, He tried to save us from a payment we couldn't afford but since we were hard headed and had to do things our own way we are now living with the fire so to speak!

Oh how many times do we go through our lives thinking we know is best and do what we want, when we want without seeking God's guidance? I would like to say that now I seek God first every single time but that would be a lie. Many times I still get too big for my britches and think I know what's best but He always whips my tail right then and there and reminds me that He knows best!

"'For I know the plans I have for you,' says the Lord. 'They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.'" Jeremiah 29:11 (NLT). Lessons learned...He has a plan...He knows what is best for us...when are we going to let him reveal that to us?

My List

2009-11-25T08:26:00.002-06:00

It's funny how things have a way of working out. Remember how yesterday I said that I just randomly clicked on Psalm 100 but instead I went to Psalm 24. Well...today I was lead to Psalm 100 and was amazed!

"Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth! Worship the Lord with gladness. Come before him, singing with joy. Acknowledge that the Lord is God! He made us, and we are his. We are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving; go into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him and praise his name. For the Lord is good. His unfailing love continues forever, and his faithfulness continues to each generation." Psalm 100 (NLT)

Our pastor challenged us this past Sunday to be thankful and to make a list off 100 things we are thankful for. My list is as follows:

1. My Jesus because when He took human form He had a choice and He chose me!

2. My husband because he lets me rant and rave without taking it personal...most of the time!

3. My daughter because even though she is growing up she still makes me feel needed.

4. My son because at the age of 13 he is teaching me patience!

5. My parents because through it all they are always there!

6. My sister because God specifically chose her just for me!

7. My house because it is a roof over my head and walls around my sides.

8. My job...even though I don't care for it very much some days.

9. My church because they always love me and they always tell me the truth.

10. The boys in my Sunday School class (3 & 4 year olds) because they teach me more than I teach them.

11. My truck because it is the biggest lesson I have ever actually learned in all my life. (That's a story for another day).

12. My eyes so that I can see the wonderful things God has in store for me.

13. My ears so that I can hear God when he speaks to me.

14. Birmingham traffic because it most definitely keeps me on my toes.

15. People who ride their brakes because maybe, just maybe they are slowing me down and preventing me from being in an accident.

16. My boss who is a wonderful Christian woman!

17. My cat because she makes me laugh!

18. My dog because she has always protected us and lets me know when something isn't right outside!

19. My co-workers who allow me to just be me.

20. My friends because they look past my faults.

21. Sumiton Christian High School because they accepted Kristina and took her in when she was at her lowest.

22. Jason because he was able to get to Kristina and help pull her out of a pit that I just couldn't seem to reach in to.

23. Alabama football because they give me good exercise every Saturday!

24. My hair because alot of women today had to put on a wig.

25. My aches because they let me know I'm alive.

26. My heart because although it isn't always in the best shape it beats!

27. Music because it gives me words when I just can't find them.

28. This blog because it allows me to speak words that otherwise would stay rattled in my head.

29. Flowers because they make me stop and take a moment.

30. Fall because watching the leaves change and then fall remind me that everyone changes.

31. Winter because it makes everything seem new.

32. Spring because the world looks as if it is waking up.

33. Summer because the sun makes me smile.

34. The beach because when I am there I feel very close to God!

35. Road trips because they make me giggle like a teenager.

36. Walgreens because they ALWAYS have my prescriptions ready on time.

37. My doctor because she is also my friend!

38. My hormone pills because they keep me from killing someone! lol (My family is thankful for this one too!)

39. My nieces and nephews because they are just them!

40. Gas prices because they remind me that when all else is falling something goes up!

41. My pastor and his family because they are honest friends of mine!

42. Ryan because he makes Kristina smile all the time.

43. Basketball because it makes Gabe try harder and harder!

44. Lynette for telling my Mom about the Neti-Pot and Gabe actually being able to breathe now!

45. Fritz Courington because he reminds me to never give up!

46. Leigh Brooks because she reminds me to just be honest and everything else falls into place.

47. Our youth pastor for keeping our youth busy and active.

48. Black Friday because it makes it feel like Christmas!

49. Co-workers who I don't seem to get along with because they make me keep my mouth shut!

50. Magic 96.5 because they play Christmas music 24/7 during the holidays!

51. Mtn Dew because it is MTN DEW!

52. Christmas tree lights because they make me pray!

53. Christmas trees because at night when the kids are asleep make me peaceful!

54. My bed because it is warm and cozy.

55. Sales because there is always a sale just when I need it the most!

56. K-Mart because they seem to have what Wal-Mart doesn't and vice versa.

57. Bath and Body Works because they make the world smell good!

58. Babies because they are the closest thing to heaven I ever hold.

59. Taco Bell because when you need a night out but you're broke they are there for you!

60. Facebook because I have been able to reconnect with people.

61. Being a preacher's kid because it has taught me to persevere.

62. Having a 16 year old because it has taught me to have faith.

63. Being a teenage mom because otherwise I would have never had children!

64. Shoes because although you and I could buy the same pair...I'll never walk in yours and vice versa.

65. Hats because they make me giggle.

66. Feathers because they are so unique.

67. Snow because I rarely get to see it.

68. Christmas because my wonderful Savior was born that day!

69. Small kitchens so that you bump into each other while fixing a holiday dinner!

70. Microwaves because you can heat and re-heat.

71. Carpet because it keeps my feet warm.

72. Hardwood floors because it gives me something to wish for.

73. The American flag because it is my heritage.

74. Soldiers because they fight when no one else will.

75. Families of soldiers because they must let go for me and you.

76. The internet because you can learn alot if you chose too.

77. Chemo because it has saved so many lives.

78. Mammograms because although they hurt like the dickens they detect breast cancer early!

79. Children's Hospitals because they care about the little things you and I never think about.

80. St. Jude's Hospital who helps families who have lost everything and still need help.

81. The Jimmy Hale Mission who give men a second chance.

82. Jessi's Place who give women and children a place to go and be safe.

83. Dr. Thacker because he has made my children have pretty straight teeth!

84. Jay because he was able to actually fix Kristina's car!

85. Dennis Auto Sales because they gave us a really good price on Kristina's car.

86. The Dollar Tree because when you are broke you can still shop because everything is just $1!

87. Christmas cards because they make my heart full.

88. Family pictures because that means your family is still together.

89. Texting because some days that is the only way I can talk to my children!

90. Pictures because they remind me of things of the past.

91. Memories because they are mine forever and always.

92. Weddings because they are about love.

93. Funerals because they remind you about love.

94. Puppies because their breath makes me say "awwww"

95. Kittens because they play with something as simple as a piece of string.

96. Paperclips because they hold it all together yet we never appreciate them until you can't find one!

97. Glasses/contacts because they allow me to see!

98. White out because it fixes my mistakes.

99. Spell check because I'm not the best speller.

100. You because you make me feel as though my words touch your lives and hearts!

What's your list?

Psalm 24

2009-11-24T08:19:00.004-06:00

As I drove into work today I was thinking about my heart. I was thinking about it's condition lately. I was thinking about being tired and tired of being tired. I was thinking about Thanksgiving and then Christmas. Putting up the tree(s) and decorating the house and the yard. I was thinking about work today and how I can't wait for 5:00 tomorrow. I was thinking about how this is the first holiday that Kristina wants to share with her boyfriend and how weird that is for me. I was thinking of how to make it all work. I was thinking about what ingredients I need for the sweet potato casserole I need to make and how Kristina wants to cook a dish this year too. I was thinking about giving Gabe the task of rummaging through our building outside to find an extension cord that I couldn't find last night using only the light of a flash light. I was thinking...

As I sat down at my desk and began to think about what I was going to type on my blog today I just randomly clicked on Psalm 100 and then stopped before I could even read it as my eyes wandered up to the calendar that is posted directly in front of me. November 24th...24....24.... so I closed Psalm 100 and opened Psalm 24 and boy did I need Psalm 24. Just when I'm thinking and thinking and thinking my sweet Lord brings me back to where I need to be....

The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it.

The world and all its people belong to him.

For he laid the earth’s foundation on the seas

and built it on the ocean depths.

Who may climb the mountain of the Lord?

Who may stand in his holy place?

Only those whose hands and hearts are pure,

who do not worship idols

and never tell lies.

They will receive the Lord’s blessing

and have a right relationship with God their savior.

Such people may seek you

and worship in your presence,

O God of Jacob.

Open up, ancient gates!

Open up, ancient doors,

and let the King of glory enter.

Who is the King of glory?

The Lord, strong and mighty;

the Lord, invincible in battle.

Open up, ancient gates!

Open up, ancient doors,

and let the King of glory enter.

Who is the King of glory?

The Lord of Heaven’s Armies —

he is the King of glory.

Psalm 24 (NLT)

These Are The Days...

2009-11-23T08:25:00.007-06:00

November 23rd...October 31st...these two days were supposed to be very prominent days in my life. I was 12 months pregnant (or so it felt like) when I my eyes opened on November 23, 1992. The doctor had told me from day one that November 23rd would be THE day and at 18 years old I figured they knew more than I did so I lived for this day. It was just like the day before...nothing happened. As I laid down in bed that night I was still pregnant. Kristina was not in my arms and I thought to myself "I'm going to be 30 years old and still pregnant with her!" I was being punished...I JUST KNEW IT! But, as has been her nature since she took her first breath...she does things in her own time. When she's ready, when she's comfortable. So, she came six days late and made her grand entrance on November 29th.

As October 1st approached I began to countdown because I just wasn't too sure how much longer I could handle waddling around with Gabe. I had always heard that the pregnancy of a girl and a boy are very different and I agree. I think boys just suck the life right out of you, literally! Each day was a struggle and a triumph just by waking up and making it through the day. I wasn't quite sure how in the world I was going to make it to October 31st and then just the thought of a Halloween baby made my stomach hurt. Not that there is anything wrong with October 31st I just didn't want my precious Gabriel born on that day. As the days drudged by I began to realize that he wasn't going to wait. And, just as he has done his entire life, he had to come early. To this very day Gabe must be first in line, take his plate first, and carries the weight of the world on his shoulders if he finishes 2nd. So, in Gabe fashion, he made his grand entrance on October 12th....three weeks early!

Instead of November 23rd and October 31st being absolute blessings in my life, November 29th and October 12th are. But, the funny thing is...November 23rd and October 31st still take my breath away. Funny how what you think doesn't mean anything ends up meaning more than you ever imagined. After all, isn't every day the day the Lord made? "This is the day the Lord has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 (NLT).

We spend so much time focusing on what we think is important that we often miss out on what actually is. I love my children's birthdays. Each year I cry over their impending adulthood and beam with pride over their accomplishments. I giggle as I look back at pictures and realize how much they have changed and are changing. I make sure to have a talk with them each about where they've been, where they are and where they're going. But...there is just something about the day that was supposed to be. It is something that I sort of hold close to my heart all on my own. Maybe its a day between me and the Lord. I don't know. But, every day is THE DAY because the Lord made it! Each day is a building block on who we are going to be tomorrow. Each morning is a clean slate and each night is a lesson learned. These are the days...

Not Always The Way You Thought

2009-11-20T08:21:00.002-06:00

One day Saul said to David, "Here is Merab, my eldest daughter. I want to give her to you as your wife. Be brave and bold for my sake. Fight God's battles!" But all the time Saul was thinking, "The Philistines will kill him for me. I won't have to lift a hand against him."

David, embarrassed, answered, "Do you really mean that? I'm from a family of nobodies! I can't be son-in-law to the king."

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The wedding day was set, but as the time neared for Merab and David to be married, Saul reneged and married his daughter off to Adriel the Meholathite.

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Meanwhile, Saul's daughter Michal was in love with David. When Saul was told of this, he rubbed his hands in anticipation. "Ah, a second chance. I'll use Michal as bait to get David out where the Philistines will make short work of him." So again he said to David, "You're going to be my son-in-law."

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Saul ordered his servants, "Get David off by himself and tell him, 'The king is very taken with you, and everyone at court loves you. Go ahead, become the king's son-in-law!'"

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The king's servants told all this to David, but David held back. "What are you thinking of? I can't do that. I'm a nobody; I have nothing to offer."

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When the servants reported David's response to Saul, he told them to tell David this: "The king isn't expecting any money from you; only this: Go kill a hundred Philistines and bring evidence of your vengeance on the king's behalf. Avenge the king on his enemies." (Saul expected David to be killed in action.)

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On receiving this message, David was pleased. There was something he could do for the king that would qualify him to be his son-in-law! He lost no time but went right out, he and his men, killed the hundred Philistines, brought their evidence back in a sack, and counted it out before the king—mission completed! Saul gave Michal his daughter to David in marriage.

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As Saul more and more realized that God was with David, and how much his own daughter, Michal, loved him, his fear of David increased and settled into hate. Saul hated David.

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Whenever the Philistine warlords came out to battle, David was there to meet them—and beat them, upstaging Saul's men. David's name was on everyone's lips. 1Samuel 18:17-30 (MSG)

So...has that ever happened to you? Have you ever made a plan and then it back fired on you? How many times do we think we know how to handle a situation to only find out that we are on the losing end? Yep, I raise my hand on that one! I wish I could add to this story with some wonderful insight but I can't. I think the story says all it needs to say all by itself. My only question is...which one are you...Saul? or David?

And There Ya Have It

2009-11-18T08:33:00.002-06:00

A few weeks back work was crazy! We had a case that was coming up for trial and the case was ten years old so there was a lot of records, pleadings, letters, and just papers everywhere. We were copying pictures and blowing up exhibits, scanning and placing documents on CDs for trial when all of a sudden the case settled. Thank you Lord it settled! My attorney laughs all the time at me when a case settles because I just jump up and down like Jim Carrey did in Liar Liar and scream "Settle! Settle! Settle!"

After the dust settled down a little bit my attorney gave me the most precious gift, a copy of The Message. Oh I know a lot of people may frown on that but I just love that version of the Bible. I am able to understand it and it reads like the book that it was intended to be. I'm not a college graduate nor am I any type of scholar and I have so much junk floating around in my head that I need something that is straight to the point and makes perfect sense to me and The Message does just that.

So, every day before I take the walk into my office I open up my Bible and snatch me a word and the one I got today has intrigued me. It comes from Amos 5 and it is entitled Raw Truth Is Never Popular. As I begin to read these passages I just began to think about how hard the truth is to hear. I don't know about you but I walk around in my own little bubble and I don't pay attention to much that goes on around me and when something happens and I get a big dose of reality right in my face I don't tend to like it.

I don't really think I could add anything else to these passages so I'm just going to share them with you and I pray that you get what you need from it today because I surely did. I must say...if the writer of Amos could have started it out with "Hey Lori Goodwin...here's a little shut up juice for you..." it would have been well fitted!

"Woe to you who turn justice to vinegar and stomp righteousness into the mud.Do you realize where you are? You're in a cosmos star-flung with constellations by God, A world God wakes up each morning and puts to bed each night. God dips water from the ocean and gives the land a drink. God, God-revealed, does all this. And he can destroy it as easily as make it. He can turn this vast wonder into total waste. People hate this kind of talk. Raw truth is never popular. But here it is, bluntly spoken: Because you run roughshod over the poor and take the bread right out of their mouths, You're never going to move into the luxury homes you have built. You're never going to drink wine from the expensive vineyards you've planted. I know precisely the extent of your violations, the enormity of your sins. Appalling! You bully right-living people, taking bribes right and left and kicking the poor when they're down. Justice is a lost cause. Evil is epidemic. Decent people throw up their hands. Protest and rebuke are useless, a waste of breath. Seek good and not evil — and live! You talk about God, the God-of-the-Angel-Armies, being your best friend. Well, live like it, and maybe it will happen." Amos 5:7-14 (MSG)

...Life...

2009-11-17T08:16:00.002-06:00

Trials/endings - struggles/solutions - love/hate - war/peace - lost/found - high/low - here/gone - heartache/joy - emptiness/fullness - hunger/fullness - missing/complete - shallow/over-flowing - questions/answers...isn't all of that what life is about?

I'm starting to learn more and more about myself. My tongue gets me in alot of trouble and I speak before I think. Some days my mouth is independent from my brain I do believe. I react instead of being still and I talk instead of shutting up! I mope around instead of finding the glimmer of hope and I'm always trying to figure out what I need to learn...how about you? How do you live life?

I can remember when my babies were, well, babies and I would wish so badly that they had come with a manual so I would have a clue what to do with them. I often feel that way with my marriage even though we have been married for 17 years I am still at loss many, many days. And life, yeah, I wouldn't mind an instruction booklet for that one too. Oh wait, I've got one...check this out...

Seize life!

Eat bread with gusto,

Drink wine with a robust heart.

Oh yes—God takes pleasure in your pleasure!

Dress festively every morning.

Don't skimp on colors and scarves.

Relish life with the spouse you love

Each and every day of your precarious life.

Each day is God's gift.

It's all you get in exchange

For the hard work of staying alive.

Make the most of each one!

Whatever turns up, grab it and do it.

And heartily!

This is your last and only chance at it,

For there's neither work to do nor thoughts to think

In the company of the dead, where you're most certainly headed...
...The race is not always to the swift,

Nor the battle to the strong,

Nor satisfaction to the wise,

Nor riches to the smart,

Nor grace to the learned.

Sooner or later bad luck hits us all.

No one can predict misfortune.

Like fish caught in a cruel net or birds in a trap,

So men and women are caught

By accidents evil and sudden.

I like that! Pretty much answers any question that I can come up with about life. Want to know where I found that? In THE MANUAL...Ecclesiastes 9:7-12 (MSG). That's right! Friends, we walk around and wish more than anything we had instructions on this thing we call life and I don't know about you, but even when I'm studying the word I somehow fail to apply it to my life, to my daily situations, to my sin, to my happiness. I think to myself well that sure worked for them but I seem to loose the translation of how it works for me. Hmmm...Life...

98%

2009-11-16T08:22:00.002-06:00

As I buckled my seat belt and positioned myself in the passenger seat Kristina and I began to chit chat. She cranked her car, turned the radio down (because you know it was blaring), buckled her own seat belt and put the car in reverse. We weren't really talking about anything in particular, just talking.

As she backed up and then drove to the edge of the parking lot by the four lane highway I glanced over her shoulder to see how much traffic was coming. It wasn't too bad and as a truck whizzed past us in the lane closest to us she slowly pulled out. "You're pulling out in front of a car Kristina GET ON IT!!!" I screamed.

She stomped the gas and slung her car into the far lane. My heart was beating ninety to nothing and I had my hands pulled up over my head. All I could think was this is gonna hurt...this is gonna hurt.

As we approached the red light I think Kristina was sucking in air about as much as I was just trying to calm down. "Momma" she said "I thought that car was in the far lane. Just the way the truck lights were and that car's lights were I really thought that car was in the far lane!" I think she was trying to convince herself as much as she was trying to convince me!

"You HAVE to be careful...especially at night. You need to wait until there is NO traffic before you pull out. I have to do that...I can't tell which lane cars are in at night..." I began to instruct. "Momma, I do that...98% of the time I do that!" I snickered to myself and I said "Precious, you need to do that 100% of the time...if not...there is a 2% chance that you can be in an accident and hurt yourself or better yet someone else!" We gasped for air, reached for our hearts and wiped the sweat off our brows all the way home.

I find it interesting that we go through our lives doing what we want 98% of the time yet only looking to Christ 2% of the time. But, you let something happen, a speed bump appear in our paths and buddy we are on our knees crying out to Jesus!

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8 (NLT). Jesus Christ isn't the same only 98% of the time! He is the same every day, all day, yesterday, today, the next day, next week, next month, next year, next century...He is Jesus! He isn't the one changing...we are! What would our lives be like if we lived for Christ 100% of the time? How different would things be if we followed His instructions 100% of the time? How pure would our hearts be if it was filled with the love of Jesus 100% of the time? What if...?

How Deep Is Your Love?

2009-11-13T08:24:00.003-06:00

Written by my wonderful co-worker Kelli Ryan...I loved this!!

You know, the musical group of brothers called the Bee Gee's used to sing a song with those very words .... how deep is your love? ... and now we'll be singing that song in our heads for the rest of the day, won't we? ... but, seriously, have you ever thought about that ... how deep is your love? ... for those whom we love? Well, no matter how deep our love is, there is another love that goes very, very deep. Take a look ....

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"For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth takes its name. I pray that, according to the riches of His glory, He may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through His Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, (... here it comes ....) what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:14-19

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There it is! The LOVE of God through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ who not only loves us deeply but also far and wide and way up high above! WOW! Now that is .... deep!

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Acrostic:

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L - LAVISHLY ... He loves us!

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1 John 3:1 - "See how great a love the Father has bestowed upon us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are. For this reason the world does not know us, because it did not know Him."
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O - OVERWHELMINGLY ... He loves us!

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1 John 4:19 - "We love, because He first loved us."

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John 3:16-17 - "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world; but that the world should be saved through Him."
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V - VASTLY ... He loves us!

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Psalm 103:8 - "The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love."
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E - EVERLASTING ... He loves us!

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Psalm 118:1 - "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever."
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LOVE! God's LOVE! But there is more because Romans 8:38-39 tells us this .....

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"For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

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How deep is His love? Deep, sweet people, very DEEP! Amen and Amen!!

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Blessings!
Kelli
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(For other Bible studies and resources, please visit www.doctrinalstudies.com - and me, there at "Kelli's Korner".)

Planting Seeds

2009-11-12T08:09:00.002-06:00

How many of you have a Facebook? Well, I used to think I would never have one of those social website things but a few months back Gabe begged to have a Facebook and I finally gave in. But, the stipulation was that I had to know his password at all times and that I would have a Facebook as well so that I could monitor what was being said, who his friends were, etc.

After I set my Facebook page up I found this cute little game called Farmville and let me tell you I am addicted to this thing. Every day I'm harvesting crops, planting crops, milking cows, collecting eggs from the chickens, picking apples off my trees...I just have the best time. A co-worker of mine has one as well and we giggle and laugh all day long talking about our farms as if they were the real deal.

We carefully put our telephone poles in just the right place so that the "wires" can reach our "houses." We make sure our chickens can't get trampled on by the horses. Naturally, there has to be a pile of wood near the trees! Oh we have the best time and I'm sure when people hear us talk they think we each live on a farm! We plant corn and potatoes, pumpking and sunflowers, watermelon and squash and don't even get me started on the blueberries and tomatoes! There are seeds everywhere!!

Seeds...huh...you know Jesus used seeds to explain the kingdom of God? Out of every analogy out there...he picked seeds. "How can we picture God's kingdom? What kind of story can we use? It's like a pine nut. When it lands on the ground it is quite small as seeds go, yet once it is planted it grows into a huge pine tree with thick branches. Eagles nest in it." Mark 4:30-31 (MSG). You just never know when the seeds you plant will be harvested! Some of us never realize that we are out there planting seeds every single day but trust me when that seed has grown into a pine tree with thick branches and an eagle is making it's nest...that seed is noticed!

It is easy to walk around with your head hung a little low thinking "What do I even matter in this world?" But, my friend, you do matter! You matter to the person on your left and the person on right even though they may not realize it. You matter to your Father and He has placed you exactly where you are at this exact moment for a purpose, for a reason, for His plan! He gave you a pocket full of seeds...all you gotta do is plant 'em!

Heros

2009-11-11T08:19:00.003-06:00

Today is a day of honor for those who have given their time, sacrificed their families and laid down their lives for our freedom. I salute all men and women in the military. I beam with a little bit of pride today because my Daddy is one of those men!

He joined the Navy straight out of high school and literally "set sail" on a journey that ultimately led him to Milton, Florida where he met my Mother and the rest is history. My Daddy proudly served in Vietnam and although he returned home to anything but a welcome he returned home with his pride!

I've learned alot from my Daddy over these last 35 years. I have learned to never give up, when you can't figure out how to put one foot in front of the other just stand still. I have learned that life is not always going to be easy, but whoever said it was going to be! I have learned that in the midst of a fight always know whose got your back. And I have learned how to be humble, how to push through a crisis and not break down, but I think most importantly I have learned how to be human from my Daddy! He is the first to say "I'm sorry," the first to wake up and usually the last to go to sleep. He is always there with an answer and if he doesn't immediately know it...he finds it! My Daddy is the greatest Daddy to ever live. Not only because...well...he's MY Daddy but because he is just him...my Daddy is my HERO! =)

As I was driving to work today on this wonderful Veteran's Day I was thinking about my Daddy. I was thinking about the sacrifices he made to his country, to his family, to himself! I was thinking about how selfless he was and still is. I was thinking about how brave he was and most definitely still is and then I began to think about Jesus. I thought about how he is our ultimate hero. Jesus sacrificed himself with the most selfless act imaginable. He died for our sins! He not only died...HE WAS CRUCIFIED! Jesus paid it all! "...Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said." 1 Corinthians 15:3 (NLT).

So, as you see a veteran today, shake their hand, stop for a moment and talk to them, tell them thank you but please, please, please don't forget to thank Jesus...the ultimate veteran...the one who died to ensure your salvation. Please don't take his act of selflessness for granted. If you haven't accepted him...do so today! What better day than VETERAN'S DAY! And, to all our veterans...I salute you! Thank you does not even begin to cover my gratitude towards your actions! My children are able to walk through their life free all because of you!

And...Daddy...I love you! =)

Prayer

2009-11-10T08:27:00.002-06:00

As they lined their blocks up spelling the word "pray" on the floor we began to talk about things that make noise. Shane and I teach the 3 and 4 year old boys Sunday School class and most Sundays they teach me more than we teach them. One boy piped up and said "tractors make noise" and then he made the sound of a tractor. Another one yelled "airplanes are loud!" and then he took his little hand and zoomed it through the air while he made the sound of an airplane scraping across the sky. Another boy tapped my arm saying "Miss Lori...Miss Lori...cars make noise" and he vroomed vroomed his hand through the air.

Once everyone arrived we sat down at the table and started working on a collage of pictures of things that make noise and with every snip of the scissors all the boys were discussing noises. I said "point your finger" and they all followed just pointing away and I said "I can't hear you!" Then I instructed "snap your fingers" and all of a sudden there was noise! The boys got a real kick out of this and then we tried all sorts of things. They waved their hands and guess what? I couldn't hear them waving but as soon as they put their hands together and started clapping there was NOISE!

As our lesson went on and we laughed and giggled we learned that although we "think" about prayer God doesn't "hear" us until we actually pray! It is so easy to get caught up in daily life and think to ourselves I need to pray but at the end of the day; do we actually do it? I can sit here and point, wave my hands, tap my foot, swish back and forth but until I actually get on my knees, look up and pray...He won't hear me!

I'm good at "talking" about things that have me concerned and worried. I stress about this, that and the other. I spend alot of time saying "I'll pray for you" and I even think to myself "I need to stop and pray" but then I get sidetracked and I realize that all I really do is spend alot of time yapping about it but never doing it.

"Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life." Philippians 4:6-7 (MSG).

Where's Your Garbage?

2009-11-05T08:31:00.003-06:00

So, get this...I'm driving into work this morning muttering over some things that have just been eating at me lately and I pulled up to a stop sign and there was a constant flow of traffic coming from my left side. I sit there and huff and puff because I have never seen this much traffic at this one particular stop sign before. I wait...and wait...and wait...and wait...

And then I see it! There is a garbage can strapped to a light pole. I sit there staring at this garbage can and begin to snicker at the fact that someone has secured their trash can to a light pole! Why? It's a garbage can! Who would want to make sure their garbage can stayed secure! How much trouble have they had with this garbage can?

And, then, the Lord just gently pressed upon my heart...that's what you do! You hold onto the garbage in your life never letting it go. You strap it down and make sure that you have it day after day and you put it out in front by the street so that everyone driving by can see it. Don't ya think it's time to let the garbage go?

Oh wow! I immediately began to pray and ask for forgiveness for being a garbage woman! Oh gracious how I have just walked around weighted down by my own garbage and although I throw it in the trash and give it to God I tend to strap that can down and hold on to it for some strange reason! What about you? Where's your garbage today?

"But those who wait upon God get fresh strength. They spread their wings and soar like eagles, They run and don't get tired, they walk and don't lag behind." Isaiah 40:31 (MSG).

Assigned Seats

2009-11-03T08:07:00.003-06:00

November 3, 2009...wow...the years have just flown by. My precious Gabe turned 13 last month and in a few days Kristina will be 17. Man, it just seems unreal to me how quickly the years have came and went. What tickles me even more is how after all these years they still sit in the exact same place in my vehicle. Without fail Kristina will get in behind the passenger and Gabe will enter behind the driver.

When Kristina was a baby I put her behind the passenger seat so that while I was driving I could tend to her if necessary and then when Gabe came along I put him behind the driver so that as we went about our travels I could hand Kristina whatever Gabe needed and she could help me. Hence, their assigned seats. I laugh when a kink gets thrown in their routine because I have literally seen these kids unbuckle their seat belts, slide around each other and get in the "correct" position.

If you walk into our church service this Sunday you will see my family sitting to the left of the center aisle, six rows (approximately) from the front. We pretty much take up the whole pew and as I scan the faces around me you can quickly tell if someone is missing. No one ever told us to sit there, we weren't assigned to that pew, that is just where we ended up and have yet to move.

Whether we realize it or not we all have "assigned" seats in our life. Sometimes I think those seats were simply handed to us and we accept them but then sometimes we choose that seat and never move. Why? Maybe it's comfort or habit. Maybe because we belong in that particular seat. Maybe it's the fear of not being able to find another seat. Who knows...

I'm just glad that Jesus has never changed his mind about His seat! Right there beside my Father! "The Son radiates God’s own glory and expresses the very character of God, and he sustains everything by the mighty power of his command. When he had cleansed us from our sins, he sat down in the place of honor at the right hand of the majestic God in heaven." Hebrews 1:3 (NLT). After He cleansed us from our sins he took his seat! Right where He is supposed to be. He sits there with pride and honor and dignity for He is the one who chose us. Makes me mad at myself when I realize that as I walk through life sitting in the same seats over and over that many days I don't chose Him!

Next time my behind hits the seat I pray that my mind is focused on where the Son sits. I pray that I remember that I am nothing and He is everything. I pray that I think about how He sacrificed himself for me. How he bled and died for every sin that I committed and will commit. I pray that I will respect His seat more that I respect my own. I pray that instead of worrying about my seat...I will worry about someone else's seat. I pray that I have the courage to make sure my friends, neighbors, fellow shoppers, co-workers, teachers, enemies...all have their seat secured. I pray that I get over myself...

Where To Put Your Trust

2009-10-30T08:26:00.004-05:00

It was hot! The sun was standing at attention directly over our heads. Although we had on sunglasses our eyes were still squinted and our skin felt like leather as sweat poured and dripped everywhere. The crowd was not really into the game and with the heat it was understandable. The tiny cheerleaders could barely cheer for taking huge gulps of water every few minutes.

As the game progressed on our little boys played their hearts out. Gabe was 5 or 6 at the time. I can't remember if this was his first or second year playing football but it seemed like this one game was going on forever. And, this was just the second quarter. With every hut of the football boys would just simply lay down on the field. Here we were in the stands dripping with sweat...I can't imagine how those precious babies felt with all that equipment on.

As the second quarter was drawing to a close the boys could see relief in the very near future. Half time was fast approaching and with one last play the ball was hiked, pads were hit and boys were left laying on the ground. At the sound of the whistle everyone stood up and began to walk off the field except Gabe. He just laid there.

I raised my hand and cupped it over my eyes and squinted even harder. I noticed Shane squatted down to him and removed his helmet. Still, nothing. No movement, no sign of "oh he's okay," no...nothing. I stood up and began to glance over the crowd to see if anyone else was panicking. Nope. Everyone was fine...it was just me. I continued to look out on the field and when I just couldn't take it anymore I began my way down the bleachers. Before I knew it something had taken over my body and I walked through the gate, onto the sidelines, onto the FIELD and right there where Gabe was laying. Shane looked up at me with complete frustration as I asked what was wrong. "Oh, he just got hot and had the breath knocked out of him...he's fine." I looked down at Gabe and as he was sitting up tears began to stream down his precious face.

So, I did what any mother would do. I bent down, picked my baby up and CARRIED him off that field!! As we reached the sidelines I could feel the steam from Shane breathing on my neck. I sat Gabe down on the bench and started pouring cold water on his head when Shane simply said "Go back to your seat..." I started to refuse but after seeing the look on his face I decided I better just throw the towel in on this one and I made my way back to the bleachers.

Right before half time ended Shane came up to where I was sitting and sat down. He sat quiet for a few minutes and then said the words a Momma never wants to hear. "I know he's your son. I know you want to do what is best for him. But, I promise you, don't you EVER walk out onto a field and carry him off again! What are you going to do when he turns 13, 15, 18 and gets hurt?!?!?!" At the time I huffed and stomped my feet and did the whole 'Don't tell me what to do routine' but now that Gabe is actually 13 I cannot believe I did that!

I recently asked Gabe if he remembered me doing that and he simply replied "Momma, that is one memory I try to block! I have no recollection of it!" Well, how's that for a Mom's ego?!?!? You know so many times in life I have trusted my instincts or the instincts of others and found myself in a trap that I just couldn't get out of. Really, all we need to do, is trust in the Lord. He is our strength, our refuge. He holds the answers, the key to unlock the door. He is the first and the last. He is God. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5 (NLT).

Trusting the Lord is difficult sometimes because we think we know everything. I mean after all...I am a Mom! Well, I'm quickly learning that Mom's don't know the half of it and neither do you! Don't lean on your own understanding...trust in the Lord!

The Last

2009-10-29T08:49:00.002-05:00

Well tonight will be the last for many kids and parents. Tonight most schools in our area are playing their last football game of the season because they did not make the playoffs. Many parents will watch their boys suit up for the last time, cheerleader uniforms will be hung up for that one last time. As Mommas across the state wipe their eyes they will stand in their last spirit line and watch their boys run through a homemade sign while another Mom wipes her tears as her daughter holds that sign for the very last time.

I'm sure teachers will not get much accomplished today as I'm sure the kids are out of control. I can just hear the hallways buzzing today as kids are laughing, shouting and getting their players fired up for the big game. Excitement filled my house this morning! Gabe was in his usual routine but Kristina was bouncing off the walls with the radio blaring.

I stood in my bathroom and listened to her as she giggled while texting her friends and sang to the radio. I thought to myself how this time next year will be my last with her. Next year will be her final year in high school and although I am so ready to be done with high school as far as she is concerned I am still quite emotional at the thought of it. Colleges have started sending letters and applications are now lining my kitchen table. Although I am not at my last tonight I'm thinking of the parents who are.

Did we teach them right? Are they ready for the world? Will they make the right decisions? What if they get lost? Who will wash their clothes? I've never taught them how a laundry mat works? What about food? They can't cook! Oh, gracious, what about ironing? Kristina uses a flat iron to iron her clothes still! Can I go with them?

The Bible tells us exactly what to do with our kids in Proverbs 22:6 "Point your kids in the right direction — when they're old they won't be lost." (MSG). The one thing we parents need to make sure our kids have as they pack up and leave our homes for the last time is a navigation system. Not for their cars, for their lives! It doesn't matter if the majority of their teenage life things have been hard or weird or maybe not centered where they are supposed to be. Today, you can make that change! You can stand firm and commit to point your child in the right direction. His direction! Oh I would much more prefer my child be lost on a college campus than be lost and find themselves in Hell. Life is about mistakes. Life is about firsts and lasts. Joys and sorrows. It's about finding yourself and letting go. It's about finding peace, but standing up. But tonight, as many of our children will take the field for the last time make sure they are pointed in the right direction! Make sure they are pointed towards Him!

Kind Words

2009-10-28T08:28:00.002-05:00

I don't know about you, but there are mornings where I would like to invent some sort of device that would allow me to ram my children's faces into and it would enable them speechless. Gracious alive! I think mornings and late evenings is when teenagers think they know everything...oh wait...no I'm wrong...that's ALL THE TIME! haha

I'm just being dramatic but if you have a child (or a husband) then you completely understand the frustration of getting dressed in the morning to a smart mouth. And no matter how hard you try to hold your tongue it is as if they keep pushing until you explode. Maybe that's just my house...but nonetheless my mornings are usually full of button pushing.

This morning as we were trying to get out the door I look up and Gabe is throwing his books down on the porch. He has had the flu so today was his first day back to school and he was all in a tizzy. Kristina was being...Kristina and everyone was about to the end of their rope. Well, I think Gabe had arrived. I rolled the window down asking what was wrong and he yelled "My coat is stuck in the door!" I growled back with "Well, that's why you WEAR the coat and not CARRY it!" As I rolled the window back up I dared not look up at him. I could feel the glares blazing from his hazel eyes.

As he got in the truck I told him that he needs to work on his anger and make sure he doesn't get enraged. Try to breathe and focus on things when he feels his anger starting to build. If there is one thing I am learning about teenage boys it is that they can get angry in the blink of an eye and if the situation isn't diffused you've got the Hulk on your hands before you know it. As we drove to school he calmed down and got out of the truck in fairly decent spirits.

Kristina's car has sprung a leak so I had to take her to school. Heaven forbid a Junior ride the bus to school! heehee As we pulled out of Gabe's school, Kristina starts putting on her make-up and her technique intrigues me. I start asking her questions which just infuriates her and before long I realize that she and I are arguing over applying make-up. I just shut my mouth and drove on to her school. I muttered and fussed to myself most of the way while I tried to make small talk with her. As we arrived at her school she jumped out of the truck without a word. It's moments like this that I must gather myself because I truly wanted to jump out of the truck, run after her screaming "I LOVE YOU PRECIOUS!!!! GIVE MOMMY A KISS!!!" Oh man, can you imagine?!?!? Sigh, the things that run through my mind...

So, anyway, I come to work and I'm thinking about my kids, my morning and my day. I open the internet to get my daily Bible verse and I found my daily dose quite humorous. "A gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh words make tempers flare." Proverbs 15:1 (NLT). Well, how about that for some shut up juice! Here I instructed Gabe to hold his temper, breathe, work through his anger and I turned around and did the exact same thing with Kristina. What does it matter how she puts her make-up on? Who cares?

My Heavenly Father has this uncanny way of disciplining me without waiting. I do it, He gets me. Oh, Father, forgive me! It is so easy to see what others do and to guide and direct my children but it seems that I often times don't realize that they are learning from me. They react to circumstances just the way I would. I am their image and not a very good one at that sometimes. Thank you for showing me that I have an anger problem, I have an angry tongue...oh Lord change me!

The Source

2009-10-23T08:17:00.002-05:00

As I have told you in the past I work with a wonderful lady. Her name is Kelli and she is just the sweetest thing and she writes an email every Friday. I enjoy them so much! I like the one she sent out today and thought I'd share it with you. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did. The Source...huh...never thought about it this way before!

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Consider the source! How many times have we heard that? Consider the source! But I am wondering ... have we? Well, that's exactly what my newest little Sunday School Class of 7 and 8 year olds are doing right now ... considering the source ... exploring the source. Let me say that a different way .... we are exploring THE Source! ... capital "S"! We are beginning to consider God and His Essence ... His many characteristics ... His personaly traits ... His holy attributes! I asked these kids if they could give me a word to describe God, and, with hands waving in the air waiting to be called on, they answered ... GREAT! AMAZING! AWESOME! LOVING! One child even said FAITHFUL (deep for a 7-8 year old, don't you think?!). But one of my favorites was when one little boy said COOL and as he was doing it he gave me the sign for COOL! I gave it right back to him and said, "You are so right, our GOD is very COOL! " Put a grin on that child's face! Put a huge smile on mine! Our God is so very COOL (don't you know it?!) and oh so much more!

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Isaiah 55:6 says this, "Seek the Lord while He may be found; call upon Him while He is near." Can we even begin to scratch the surface of God - THE Source - and who He is? .... the Lord whom we are seeking? Let's try! Take a look .....

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Acrostic:

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S - SOVEREIGN ... is THE Source .....

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God is pure Royalty! Psalm 47:2 - "For the Lord Most High is to be feared, a great King over all the earth."; 1 Timothy 6:14b-16 - "....until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ, which He (God the Father) will bring about at the proper time - He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords, who alone possesses immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen."
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O - OMNI ... OMNI ?, you say ... yes, OMNI is THE Source .....

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God is everywhere and everything to everybody! He is -

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All-Knowing (OMNISCIENT) - 1 Samuel 2:3b - "....for the Lord is a God of knowledge...."; Daniel 2:20 - "Daniel answered and said, ‘Let the name of God be blessed forever and ever, for wisdom and power belong to Him.'"; Psalm 94:11a - "The Lord knows the thoughts of man....".

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All-Powerful (OMNIPOTENT) - Psalm 147:5a - "Great is our Lord, and abundant in strength...."; Psalm 111:6a - "He has made known to His people the power of His works...."; 1 Corinthians 6:14 - "Now God has not only raised the Lord, but will also raise us up through His power."

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All-Over the Place ... Everywhere! (OMNIPRESENT) - Isaiah 6:3 - "And one called out to another and said, ‘Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts, the whole earth is full of His glory.’ "; Deuteronomy 4:39 - "Know therefore today, and take it to your heart, that the Lord, He is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other."
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U - UNCHANGING ... THE Source is never-changing .....

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God is IMMUTABLE because He NEVER ever changes! Malachi 3:6a - "For I, the Lord, do not change...."; Psalm 18:2 - "The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge; my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."; Hebrews 13:8 - "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, yes and forever."

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He is ever and always Faithful - 2 Timothy 2:13 - "If we are faithless, He remains faithful; for He cannot deny Himself."; Deuteronomy 7:9 - "Know therefore that the Lord your God, He is God, the faithful God, who keeps His covenant and His lovingkindness to a thousandth generation with those who love Him and keep His commandments."

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He is the great "I AM" - Exodus 3:14-15 - "And God said to Moses, ‘I AM WHO I AM’; and He said, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ and God, furthermore, said to Moses, ‘Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’ This is My name forever, and this is My memorial-name to all generations." (This is also the same God we serve ... the great "I AM"!)
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R - RIGHTEOUS ... completely is THE Source! .....

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God is total Righteousness! Perfect goodness! Psalm 119:137 - "Righteous art Thou, O Lord, and upright are Thy judgments."; Psalm 85:13 - "Righteousness goes before Him and prepares the way for His steps."
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C - CREATOR ... that's THE Source, and He is .....

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Perfect VERACITY (Truth) - Psalm 86:11 - "Teach me Thy way, O Lord; I will walk in Thy truth; unite my heart to fear Thy name."; Psalm 33:4 - "For the word of the Lord is upright; and all His work is done in faithfulness."; Hebrews 6:18b - "....it is impossible for God to lie...."

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Perfect JUSTICE (Fair) - Genesis 18:25 - (Abraham talks to God) "Far be it from Thee to do such a thing, to slay the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous and the wicked are treated alike. Far be it from Thee! Shall not the Judge of all the earth deal justly?"; Matthew 7:1-2 - "Do not judge lest you be judged yourselves. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it shall be measured to you."; Psalm 9:7b - "He has established His throne for judgment, and He will judge the world in righteousness; He will execute judgment for the peoples with equity."

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Perfect LOVE - 1 John 3:16a - "We know love by this, that He laid down His life for us ...."; 1 John 4:16 & 19 - "And we have come to know and have believed the love which God has for us. God is love, and the one who abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him." ... "We love, because He first loved us."
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E - EVERLASTING ETERNAL LIFE ... THE Source, that's Him .....

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He has always been and always will be! Psalm 9:7a - "But the Lord abides forever...."; John 3:36 - "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."; Revelation 1:8 - " 'I am the Alpha and the Omega,' says the Lord God, 'who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.' "; Revelation 22:13 - "I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end."
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SOURCE! THE Source! OUR Source! May we seek Him while He may be found! Amen and Amen!!

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Blessings!
Kelli
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(For other Bible studies and resources, please visit www.doctrinalstudies.com - and me, there at "Kelli's Korner".)

The Joys To Come

2009-10-22T08:21:00.002-05:00

I'm sure you might get tired of my Kristina stories but when you're 17 you tend to do some of the dumbest, funniest, thought provoking things ever. There are days that I think Gabe, who is 13, has more sense than she does. That child will one day fly the coop and I shake my head many days thinking watch out world... haha

So, anyway, that intro leads me up to my story today. Kristina totaled her car a few months back and we got her another one. It is a 1995 so there are leaks here and there, noises here and there and we are having to fix them one at the time. Piece by piece. We laugh and say before long she will have a brand new car! But, anyway, she sprang an oil leak this week again and we had to put it in the shop. Yesterday afternoon after work I ran home to pick her up so that we could go get her car. We drove home without incident and pulled into the driveway.

As I got out of my truck and began walking towards the porch I realized that she was parked entirely too close to the banister. She was already getting out of her car when I hollered out as I walked through the kitchen door "Back that car up!" I went on in through the house into my bedroom, began changing my clothes when I heard Gabe yelling "Mom, Kristina can't get her car out of park!" I felt a wave of frustration start to boil over me when I took a deep breath and started back through the house towards the back door.

As I walked down the steps she sat in her car with this look of total devastation. "I can't get it out of park, Momma!" I looked at her and then said "Well, crank it!" I guess my sarcasm struck her wrong because she immediately began to talk to me like I was stupid. She held the keys up in my face and began to demonstrate how to put the key into the ignition and then she started her play by play. "Okay, I put the key here, I turn the key, the car cranks, I put my hand on this knob, I pull back and it goes into reverse...ummmm...see Momma...it won't come out of paaaaaaark!!!!" I began to grin and simply said "Try putting your foot on the brake...that should fix the problem!" She glared at me and said "I never put my foot on the brake to shift out of park!" At this point I'm rolling. I'm laughing so hard I can barely hear what she is saying and in between trying to catch my breath I said "Kristina, the ONLY way this car has EVER shifted out of park is if you had your foot on the brake!"

She slammed her foot on the brake and wa-la she was able to put the car in reverse. It was magic! She backed up from the porch, got out of her car and slammed the door. By this point I'm bent over the steps laughing and she is just standing there glaring at me.

Oh the joy that comes with overcoming our troubles. So many times we just sit there complaining about how we can't get out of park and all we need to simply do is put our foot on the brake. The joy is there, maybe we can't see it, but it's there. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 tells us not to focus on the trouble, but to look for the joy that is unseen. "So we're not giving up. How could we! Even though on the outside it often looks like things are falling apart on us, on the inside, where God is making new life, not a day goes by without his unfolding grace. These hard times are small potatoes compared to the coming good times, the lavish celebration prepared for us. There's far more here than meets the eye. The things we see now are here today, gone tomorrow. But the things we can't see now will last forever." (MSG).

Troubles are going to come but the real victory is the joy that comes in the morning. I can't see it but I know it's there. I can't even begin to imagine how it is all going to unfold, but He knows. I refuse to whine and complain about how I can't get out of park because the day will come when He will simply lift my foot, press it down on the brake and wa-la my car will shift out of this frustrating gear I'm stuck in. Trust me, friend, the joy is going to come!

Writer's Block

2009-10-21T08:40:00.003-05:00

Writer's block is the worst thing in the world to me. My precious Kristina is a writer as well and she has a saying that I absolutely love, "Music is for when I can't find the words and poetry is for when I can." I guess I'm the same way really. I go through seasons where words just flow out of me then and then I go through another where I can't seem to muster the words to talk much less write something.

So, with that being said, I'm just sort of at a stumbling place today. Nothing is really on my mind or on my heart and I just keep sitting here looking at this blank page thinking come on already.

However, I came across a word today that really spoke to my heart and although I don't have any sort of commentary to go along with it I thought I would share the verse with you. Maybe you can write your commentary today. Or, maybe you can write your commentary to me. Get me out of this writer's block that I seem to find myself in today.

"A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. What you say flows from what is in your heart." Luke 6:45 (NLT).

I hope you have a great day! =)

Not Listening

2009-10-19T08:34:00.002-05:00

Brrr...it went from Summer to Winter in Birmingham over the weekend. For the first time this season we woke up to frosted windshields in our little neck of the woods. As I got myself ready for work the heat was running (just had the a/c on last week...only in Alabama!) and I could almost smell Christmas. You know the smell I'm talking about. The smell of pies cooking; pumpkin, pecan, sweet potato. Oh, it just fills the air!

As I was standing in the kitchen making my lunch I was giving Kristina instructions on what bank to go to this morning and how to withdraw from the ATM. This was probably the go-zillionth time I've had this conversation with her but, nonetheless, we were going over it again. She kissed me goodbye and out the door she went.

Within just moments she came stomping in through the kitchen door and announced "I can't leave, my windshield is frozen! I guess I get to stand here while my car warms up." I just went on about my business and simply said "Baby, it's winter, you'll need to make a habit of going outside and cranking your car about 10 to 15 minutes before you're ready." She huffed and she puffed and she texted while she huffed and she puffed some more.

I finished up my lunch and Gabe and I went out the door. As I opened the door I noticed that Kristina's windshield was still frozen over. I laid my stuff in the truck and opened up her door and she didn't have her defrost on, she had it on Max A/C! I clicked it over to defrost, mashed the button for rear-defrost and just shook my head. As I was heading into the house she came barrelling out with two cups of water. She threw one cup on her windshield and the other on the back window. As she was throwing water I was explaining to her how that can bust your window and that all she had to do was turn the defrost on. That's it's job! Naturally, she turned into teenage mode and quit listening and began babbling about how she didn't realize that was what the defrost did and she had no clue her car had a rear defroster and blah blah blah. I finally just got in my truck and drove off.

As I drove into work I chuckled to myself over Kristina's expressions, her words, her frustrations this morning. She didn't know that was what defrost was for! hahahahahaha Only a 17 year old would come up with something like that! You know though, I'm the same way. I get into situations and instead of seeking guidance I go stupid and when my error is pointed out to me I get defensive.

I do this with God too! I go through life thinking I know what I'm doing and when life throws me a curveball I try to handle it and when I fall on my face and God just tries to say "Honey, what you should have done was....." I get up screaming and yelling, dusting the dirt off of me telling God I knew exactly what I was doing it was Him that never told me what to do. Funny thing is, I never asked him what to do.

"Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy to bear, and the burden I give you is light.” Matthew 11:28-30 (NLT).

He just wants to teach us. He just wants us to learn. He just wants us to SHUT UP! He promises to give us rest. I just think sometimes we are so busy complaining and whining about how tired we are that we don't see the bed he has prepared for us!

At A Girl

2009-10-16T08:16:00.002-05:00

We have an American Bulldog named Chyna. On November 6th she will be 9 years old. She's been a good dog but the years are wearing on her. She walks real slow, lays around most days and sleeps. She occasionally rears her head to bark and growl at passer-bys just to remind everyone that she is still there. But, in her younger days that dog was something else!

She has always been very protective over our family and I believe, in my little mind, that she looks at us as her pack. There's an order in our "pack" and she knows just right where her position is. In her younger days she was a force to be reckoned with. I would take her everywhere I went and she would sit in the front seat of the car on alert. I remember one time stopping to get gas on a day when it was freezing outside. The kids and Chyna were with me and the pay at the pump thing wasn't working. The kids were in elementary school and normally I would drag them into the store with me but I figured Chyna could protect them. So, after pumping gas I opened the door and looked at Chyna and said "Watch 'em girl..." and walked off. As I walked into the store and stood in line I watched as cars pulled up to the pump on the OTHER side of where I was parked to only quickly get back in their car and pull to another pump. When I got back to the car Chyna was perfectly perched in her seat looking out the windshield. Kristina and Gabe were laughing so hard and began to tell me that every time a car pulled anywhere near our car Chyna let her presence be known and would scare the pee-turkey out the person who would quickly move on.

How many times do we protect our God like that? When we hear someone use his name in vain; do we growl and let them know that is wrong? What about when people question if our God even exists; do we bark in defiance to let them know they need to move on to another "pump"? It is so easy to go through life living a quiet Christian life but that isn't what we are supposed to do. We are to go out into the world and tell others about Him! We are to shout from the mountain tops! We are to preach to the multitudes!. We are to let the world know that we are His child!

We are going to suffer. We are going to have bad days. We are going to go through rough patches but that doesn't mean we are to be silent. When life gets tough that's when we need to growl a little more. "And since we are his children, we are his heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share his glory, we must also share his suffering." Romans 8:17 (NLT). The thing about Chyna is no matter what the circumstance, no matter what her mood, she is always ready to do her job. She is always ready to let the world know that we are her pack and she is our protector and if you don't like it she just might bite your butt! (Maybe I should bring her to work with me...heehee). Growl a little bit today...bark if you have to...just make sure that you don't snarl, snear or attack... At-A-Girl....

He Is With You

2009-10-15T08:21:00.002-05:00

There is this song by Mandisa called "He Is With You." I have listened to the song who knows how many times but as I drove into work today they played it on the radio and the DJ urged you to listen to the words of this song. There are parts of this song that really hit me...

He is with you when your faith is dead

And you can’t even get out of bed

Or your husband doesn’t kiss you anymore

He is with you when your baby’s gone

And your house is still,

And your heart’s a stone

Cryin’ God, what’d You do that for

He is with you

He is with you in the conference room

When the world is coming down on you

And your wife and kids don’t know you anymore

He is with you in the ICU

When the doctors don’t know what to do

And it scares you to the core

He is with you

We may weep for a time

But joy will come in the morning

The morning light

He is with you when your kids are grown

When there’s too much space

And you feel alone

And you’re worried if you got it right or wrong

Yes He is with you when you’ve given up

on ever finding your true love

Someone who feels like home

He is with you

When nothing else is left

And you take your final breath

He is with you

How many times throughout our day (notice I didn't say our life...I said our day) do we feel alone? Maybe you retreat to the restroom and lock the stall door because although you are in a crowded office with tons of people you feel alone. Maybe you sit by yourself at lunch in a crowded deli because even though there is noise echoing off the blank walls you feel alone? Maybe as you drive you turn the radio on to fill the empty silence in your car.

Lonliness is everywhere you turn but as I listened to this song this morning I began to run through my mind all the events when I feel alone. Times I'm scared, worried, upset, angry, frustrated...lonely. We are never alone for He is with us! From our first breath to our last He is with us! When we fight with our spouses, when the doctor's don't know what to do, when our teenagers act up, when your boss yells at you, when the bank forecloses, when the car breaks down, when our family pet dies, when our parents turn old, when our children die before us...He is with us!

"Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand." Isaiah 41:10

Facing Our Frenemy

2009-10-14T08:36:00.002-05:00

Well it has just been one of those mornings here at my wonderful work place. I am in a situation where I cannot type a blog today but it just hurts my heart to not share something. You just never know who out there needs a good word or something funny or just needs a moment to "catch their breath." So, I went to www.proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com and pasted their daily blog for you to enjoy today. I hope each and every one of you have a blessed day and remember...when it rains He is just making sure you're hydrated for the next drought! =)

"Faithful are the wounds of a friend; profuse are the kisses of an enemy." Proverbs 27:6 (ESV)

I am a sap for words and reading. I adore books—their look, the feel of their pages and even their smell. Not content to sit still in a waiting room, I'll pick up anything within reach and read it. Why, I still even read cereal boxes at breakfast!

I especially love to learn new words, thereby increasing my vocabulary. And I am intrigued by the new words that are added to our language as the years go by. Ask any of my forty-something friends. In high school we'd never heard the words Internet, blog or download.

Every so often, dictionaries must be updated with new words or with new meanings to old words. In fact, Merriam-Webster has added more than 100 entries to the latest edition of its Collegiate Dictionary. One of the new words listed in this latest round literally leapt off the page at me. It is the word "Frenemy " Yes, frenemy. It is defined as: One who pretends to be a friend but is actually an enemy.

Sadly, I have had my share of frenemies in my life. Even more discouraging is that sometimes, I have been one.

In middle school there were the girls who I thought liked me and wanted to include me in the popular group. However, they were just pumping me for info on a few of the latest boy-girl crushes. Once they'd garnered their data, they dumped me.

Then there were the athletic boys in high school who seemed to really like me, and wanted to hang around me. As sports editor of the newspaper, I should have known they were just hoping to get a mention in the latest issue of the school publication.

And there were the people I sometimes befriended, but not because I liked them. I didn't. It was because they could get me somewhere or something that I wanted.

Fast forward to today. This era of social networking sites has only given rise to the number of frenemies who come out of the woodwork. I've heard school-aged girls talk about "accepting" someone as a friend on Facebook, not because they like her and really want to be her friend, but to "spy' on her and keep up on what is happening in her life. You know, who she likes, where she goes, who she hangs with.

Even grown women befriend someone on these sites just to nose around, when in all actuality they can't stand the person they are "friends" with. So the backbiting and tongue-wagging continues, all while our posted profile faces smile at each other. False, fake … frenemies.

The worst frenemy, however, is the greatest deceiver of all. He, in his worldly way, promises happiness, but delivers sorrow. He tricks and traps and leaves us regretful of our choices. His ways sparkle and glitter and entice. But in the end, they are dark. Like a lion in sheep's clothing, He comes to steal, kill and destroy. Beware! "Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour" I Peter 5:8 (ESV). Flirting with the devil in a friendly way NEVER has a happy ending!

Let's take our new vocabulary word today, and vow to be on our toes about frenemies. Let's avoid them and certainly not be a frenemy ourselves. And let's watch out for the biggest one of all—Satan. Our friendships should be pure and honest and true. We should seek to be authentic and real and to bring out the best in our friends. As for our enemies, Jesus told us exactly what to do about them, "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you" Luke 6:27-28 (ESV).

May God give us that kind of others-centered love, as only He can give.

Dear Lord, keep me watchful for those who do not have my family's best interest or mine at heart. Send me true friends, Make me an authentic friend. Keep me from the snares of the greatest frenemy of all. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Logic

2009-10-13T08:27:00.002-05:00

As I pulled up to the pharmacy drive-thru window and opened my wallet I immediately knew I was missing my debit card. I glanced over at Kristina who was in her own world. She was texting away and didn't have a care in the world when I interrupted her thoughts with "Ummm...YOU have my debit card!"

She peeked at me through the edge of her big Lucille Ball eyes and said "Ummm...I'm so sorry! I forgot to give it back!"

As I drove off I immediately began to fuss. "You are nearly 17 years old...You shouldn't have to be reminded to give me my stuff back..." Blah, blah, blah... You know the drill. The drill where you want to take your teenage child, grab them by their ears, look deep into their eyes and yell T-H-I-N-K!!!!

As I rounded through the parking lot, I slammed my blinker down to turn left when Kristina sheepishly said "Well, when we get back to the house, we can just get in my car and come back so that way you aren't wasting money driving back and forth."

Although no cars were coming I just sat there at the edge of the parking lot starring at her. I was thinking that eventually she would catch on but, she just starred back grinning from ear to ear. Her suggestion made perfect sense in her mind and she just knew it would most definitely ease my mood. I scratched my head and explained "Kristina....(I paused for effect) I pay for the gas in your car, so even if we drive your car back here I'm still wasting my money!"

She grinned a little harder and said "Well, Mommy, it sounded better in my head!" We both burst out laughing and her intention to lighten the mood had worked. Just not in the way she had anticipated.

So many times in life we try to come up with a way to sugar coat our sin. "Well, you see God, I was just so angry and I completely forgot..." or "I only intended it to be one drink but before I knew it...the bottle was empty..." I could sit here and go on and on about different ways to sugar coat sin but, the truth is, at the end of the day...it is what it is. We still did whatever it was that God told us not to do. Every time I get on to my children my heart is pulled just a little bit by God saying "I get just as frustrated with YOU!"

"'Come now, let’s settle this,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool.'" Isaiah 1:18 (NLT). It doesn't matter how we sugar coat our sins they are still red as scarlet and it doesn't matter how we try to fluff up the stuff...he still washes them white as snow!

Not Just Your Ordinary King

2009-10-12T08:24:00.003-05:00

Let's see there was King David, King Saul and Solomon. What about King Henry VIII? Throughout history there have been kings. I know here in the U.S. we don't have Kings but we might as well with the way we treat our President and all. So, we'll add them to the list. King Clinton and King Bush. What about King Lincoln or King Washngton?

All of these people are remembered throughout history for one reason or another. They were leaders. They picked up the slack and made a difference. It may not have been a positive difference but they certainly made one.

However, my question is how many of them died for their people? Which one of them stood up and said "Crucify me! I'll take the place of my people! I will save them?" Well, I don't know alot about history and/or kings but I do know that not a single one of these men did that.

I only know of one King who laid his life down for his people. That was King Jesus! What sort of honor do we show our King? Our tribe has the greatest leader of all time! We have a leader that no other tribe can compare to. There is no argument, no discussion. He died for us! End of story! Our King took his last breath hanging on a cross to save his people! That, my friend, is honor!

"...the Lord is the only true God. He is the living God and the everlasting King!" Jeremiah 10:10 (NLT).

Amazing love,

How can it be

That You, my King, should die for me?

Amazing love,

I know it’s true.

It’s my joy to honor You,

In all I do,

I honor You.

Amazing Love by Chris Tomlin

Sick

2009-10-09T08:26:00.003-05:00

I work with a lady by the name of Kelli Ryan. She is absolutely one of the sweetest people I have ever met in my life. She sends a weekly email out to everyone in our office and I enjoy reading them so much. Since it does seem that everyone is sick I thought I would share her insight with ya'll today.

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Over the last few years, we have had some very, very sick people in our family. Sick, sick, sick, sick, sick! Little people and big people. They were seeing doctor after doctor and nurse after nurse. Went to offices and stayed in hospitals. They were pricked and prodded, intubated and ventilated, MRI'd and MRA'd, x-rayed and examined. Oh, they were so very, very sick!

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It is not fun to be sick! (Amen? Amen!) But it is a part of life, and we at one time or other - or many times maybe even - have been (or will be) sick! I have been sick several, several times in my life, but one time in particular I was so extremely sick I thought I was dying. ...literally! We had been to Hawaii on vacation where I became very ... very, very, very ... sick. Once I finally got back home, I went to the doctor and was diagnosed with a simple stomach virus - which didn't turn out to be so simple because within a week after getting back home and to the doctor, I had lost some 10-15 lbs.- within a week! - even though I continued to eat and eat and eat. Excruciating pain soared through my stomach, and the bathroom became my home within my home (Thank You, Lord, for indoor plumbing!!). So, I went back to the doctor ... "Just a stomach bug!", I was again told - and come to find out, that was what it was literally ... a stomach BUG! Because you see, unbeknownst to me, I had picked up a parasite somewhere along the way and just couldn't shake it like we normally are able to do. It was nasty, and it was vicious, but easily diagnosed once I was finally sent to a specialist - a gastro doctor (God bless him!) who confirmed it with a LOWER GI (not fun! ...was I being punished?!) and antibiotics (blessed medicine!). Whew! That was some ordeal! And, I have to tell you, I was so sick that I had reached a point of calling various and sundry hot lines just to compare symptoms and to see what I was dying from. ...but just what was I thinking anyway?!! ...because I had direct access to THE hot line - God's hot line - so I prayed and prayed ... for healing, of course, because He is our GREAT PHYSICIAN ......

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Acrostic:

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Ph.D. - Physical Designer ... that's our God! By His creation we were made, and He knows us through and through, inside out and upside down ... from the tops of our heads to the tips of our toes.

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Psalm 139:13-15 - "For Thou didst form my inward parts; Thou didst weave me in my mother's womb. I will give thanks to Thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made; wonderful are Thy works, and my soul knows it very well. My frame was not hidden from Thee, when I was made in secret, and skillfully wrought in the depths of the earth."

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Isaiah 43:1, 4, 7 - "But now, thus says the Lord, your creator .... 'Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name; you are Mine! .... Since you are precious in My sight, since you are honored and I love you. .... Every one who is called by My name, and whom I have created for My glory, whom I have formed, even whom I have made.' "

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DR. - Doctor ... He is! ... of the mind and body, heart and soul - He heals them all!

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Psalm 34:17-19 - "The righteous cry and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles. The Lord is near to the brokenhearted, and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Many are the afflictions of the righteous; but the Lord delivers them out of them all."

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Psalm 41:1-4 - "How blessed is he who considers the helpless; the Lord will deliver him in a day of trouble. The Lord will protect him, and keep him alive, and he shall be called blessed upon the earth; and do not give him over to the desire of his enemies. The Lord will sustain him upon his sickbed; in his illness, Thou dost restore him to health. As for me, I said, 'O Lord, be gracious to me; heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee.' "

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Psalm 103:1-14 - "Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget none of His benefits; Who pardons all your iniquities; Who heals all your diseases; Who redeems your life from the pit; Who crowns you with lovingkindness and compassion; Who satisfies your years with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle. The Lord performs righteous deeds, and judgments for all who are oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel. The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness. He will not always strive with us; nor will He keep His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor rewarded us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His lovingkindness toward those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. Just as a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear Him. For He Himself knows our frame; He is mindful that we are but dust."

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Psalm 147:3 - "He heals the brokenhearted, and binds up their wounds."

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M.D. - Master Deliverer ... He is for us! ... in life! ... and over death!

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John 5:24 - "Truly, truly, I say to you, he who hears My word, and believes Him who sent Me, has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of (spiritual) death into (ETERNAL) life."

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Romans 5:17-21 - "For if by the transgression of the one (Adam), death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man's disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous and the Law came in that the transgression might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace might reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."

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Romans 8:1 - "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

Mark 2:17 - "And hearing this, Jesus said to them, 'It is not those who are healthy who need a physician, but those who are sick; I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners."
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Ph.D. ... DR. ... M.D. = Our GREAT HEALING PHYSICIAN! ...and He did just that ... healed me from my illness! But I am also reminded that He just might have chosen not to, too! ... heal me that is. Remember the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego? Oh, I know ... what does that story have to do with being sick? Well just take a look. The king had issued a command that at the sound of the musical instruments everyone was to bow down and worship a golden image set up by the king, and if that command wasn't kept and obeyed, the trespasser(s) would be thrown into a blazing, fiery furnace! Talk about sick! That'd make anyone sick just thinking about it!! ... anyone but Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego who would not - WOULD NOT - bow down but chose instead to continue to worship the one true GOD, and because of that they were - yep! - thrown into that blazing, fiery furnace. ...which, by the way, was intensified seven times hotter because the king himself was so ... hot with these guys! But guess what?!! By the grace of God - their God - they survived. Great! ... but this is the best part! Listen to what they said when they learned they were for sure about to be thrown into that blazing, fiery furnace .... "O Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to give you an answer concerning this. If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the furnace of blazing fire; and He will deliver us out of your hand, O king. But even if He does not (did you hear that .... 'EVEN IF HE DOES NOT'), let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up." (Daniel 3:16-18). ... WOW!

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That is the God we serve too! He may heal us and He may not ... at least with life. He may just decide to heal us through death, because .... "Thine eyes have seen my unformed substance (before birth); and in Thy book they were all written, the days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them." - Psalm 139:16. (See also Psalm 39:4-7 & Psalm 71:5-6.) You see, He knows exactly how long and for what purpose we are here. I once read a story about a little boy who had a very, very sick heart - but there was purpose and a purpose for this young little life. His story went like this ....

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"Tomorrow morning," the surgeon began, "I'll open up your heart ..."

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"You'll find Jesus there," the boy interrupted.

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The surgeon looked up, annoyed, and said, "I'll cut your heart open," he continued, to see how much damage has been done ..."

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"But when you open up my heart, you'll find Jesus in there," said the boy.

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The surgeon looked to the parents, who sat quietly. "When I see how much damage has been done, I'll sew your heart and chest back up, and I'll plan what to do next."

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"But you'll find Jesus in my heart. The Bible says He lives there. The hymns all say He lives there. You'll find Him in my heart.", the boy went on.

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The surgeon had had enough. "I'll tell you what I'll find in your heart. I'll find damaged muscle, low blood supply, and weakened vessels. And I'll find out if I can make you well."

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"You'll find Jesus there too. He lives there.", said the young boy.

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The surgeon left.

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Later as the surgeon sat in his office recording his notes from the surgery - "...damaged aorta, damaged pulmonary vein, widespread muscle degeneration. No hope for transplant, no hope for cure. Therapy: painkillers and bed rest. Prognosis: ... " here he paused, "... death within one year."

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He stopped the recorder, but there was more to be said. "Why?" he asked aloud. "Why did You do this? You've put him here; You've put him in this pain; and You've cursed him to an early death. Why?"

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The Lord answered and said, "The boy, My lamb, was not meant for your flock for long, for he is a part of My flock, and will forever be. Here, in My flock, he will feel no pain, and will be comforted as you cannot imagine. His parents will one day join him here, and they will know peace, and My flock will continue to grow."

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The surgeon's tears were hot, but his anger was hotter. "You created that boy, and You created that heart. He'll be dead in months. Why?"

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The Lord answered, "The boy, My lamb, shall return to My flock, for He has done his duty. I did not put My lamb with your flock to lose him, but to retrieve another lost lamb."

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The surgeon wept as he sat beside the boy's bed, the boy's parents sat across from him. The boy awoke and whispered, "Did you cut open my heart?"

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"Yes," said the surgeon.

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"What did you find?" asked the boy.

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"I found Jesus there," said the surgeon.
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As long as we are alive - in sickness and in health - may Jesus be found in us! Amen and Amen!!
Blessings!

Kelli
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(For other Bible studies and resources, please visit www.doctrinalstudies.com - and me, there at "Kelli's Korner".)

When The Messengers Show Up

2009-10-08T08:14:00.003-05:00

It started off as a beautiful day. The weather was warm, the sun was bright, the ocean was crystal blue and when you looked off at the horizon you just weren't sure where the sky ended and the ocean began.

Shane and I had gone to the beach with some friends and the peace that was that day was fabulous. Us girls were enjoying the sun while the fellas played in the water trying to catch fish with their bare hands. Why? I have not a clue! Must be a guy thing because Gabe does it as well! lol

As the day quickly passed by lunch time brought in the clouds. As I watched, the wind began to pick up and within just a few minutes I made the statement that we needed to start gathering our stuff. Since the guys didn't think it was that big of a deal we all began to argue over what we needed to do. Leave the stuff and go in the room until the storm passed...take everything now and set it back up after the storm passed. It was back and forth...back and forth and then all of a sudden it happened! The wind started blowing sand this way and that way and it felt like needles were poking our skin. My friend and I started screaming and I guess we screamed so loud it knocked the umbrella over (heehee) and that thing took off flying down the beach. Our towels were whipping around like they were dancing, our cooler knocked over, our books and other beach items were being tossed around like we were in the midst of a tornado and you could barely open your eyes for the sand. We eventually all grabbed what our hands could hold and ran for it. By the time we got to the condo and rounded the corner we all looked like we had rolled around in the sand for hours.

Once safe in our room we laughed about how crazy the four of us must have looked running to the condo and how we didn't even really have time to react. You know that happens in life sometimes. We see the storm coming but we are too busy arguing over what to do to actually be prepared to handle it. Before long one thing is flying through the air and before we can focus on it and catch it something else takes off.

That very same thing happened to Job. It says in Job chapter 1 that a messenger came and began to tell him how the Sabeans had stolen his oxen and donkeys and killed his farmhands and before that messenger could finish another one showed up and began telling Job that a fire had destroyed all his sheep and shepherds and while that messenger was not yet finished a third one showed up to tell him that a mighty wind had collapsed his oldest son's home killing all of his children. Wow! Can you imagine the look on Job's face and he heard all of this? I can just see him looking from one messenger to the next, scratching his head trying to completely understand what was said. He never had time to react. The storms just kept hitting him over and over and over. He never saw it coming and he never had a chance to catch his breath before the next storm hit.

I'm thinking about Job today. I'm thinking about myself and the way I have been acting. I don't know about you but sometimes I catch myself walking around all Miss Mary Christian and then I realize that I'm nothing more than a moron. Oh, maybe that's not a good word but you get my point. I need a little humility. I need my feet knocked out from under me so that I can find myself on my knees.

After Job was able to shut his gaping mouth from hearing all this news he simply said "I came naked from my mother’s womb, and I will be naked when I leave. The Lord gave me what I had, and the Lord has taken it away. Praise the name of the Lord!” Job 1:21 (NLT). What are you gonna do when the messengers keep showing up at your house? What are you gonna do in the midst of a sand storm?

Benches

2009-10-06T07:54:00.004-05:00

One of my all time favorite movies is Steel Magnolias. I could sit here and dissect every single part of that movie. But, I have to say there is one scene that ranks right up there with the best of the best for me.

Shelby has just died and M'Lynn is having a breakdown in the cemetery. Clairee grabs Ouiser, throws her in front of M'Lynn and says "Hit this! Go ahead M'Lynn, slap her!" All the other girls start looking around thinking that Clairee has lost her mind and Ouiser begins to pull away when Clairee continues with "We'll sell t-shirts that say 'I SLAPPED OUISER BOUDREAUX!' Hit her!" After the exchange of a few other words Clairee finishes up the scene by saying "M'Lynn, you just missed the chance of a lifetime! Half o' Chiquapin Parish'd give their eye teeth to take a whack at Ouiser!" At this point all the girls burst out laughing and Ouiser stomps off. Clairee finds Ouiser sitting on a bench and she makes her way to her old friend. As they exchange words Clairee hits Ouiser in the arm and Ouiser pushes back at Clairee and within just a few seconds they are attempting to push each other off this bench with Ousier shouting "Get off my bench Clairee!"

Oh gracious, I'm sitting here laughing just thinking of this scene! I do believe this movie will go down in history as my all time favorite. There are so many one liners that I catch myself saying from time to time but this one scene just does it for me. Just at the moment where my eyes are burning from crying I always bust out laughing at this bench scene..."Get off my bench Clairee!" Oh I can hear Shirley MacLaine saying those words right now.

Many times in life I think we are just like Ouiser. We are pushing back against something or someone yelling "Get off my bench!" We want the whole bench all to ourselves. We think we know everything, we think we have the key/solution to whatever life throws our way. Sometimes God puts our friends on that bench with us to guide us, hold our hands, tell us when we're wrong but then sometimes I think he just lets us sit on that bench all by ourselves trying to teach us a little humility. But, nonetheless we seem to always push and push yelling "Get off my bench!" the entire time.

As I sit alone on my bench today I'm thinking...how do you pray when you just don't understand it all? and my thoughts roll around to what if I'm wrong? and then I have the occasional if one more thing sits down on this bench with me I'm not going to push it...I'm going to squish it. Ya'll ever have those thoughts while you're sitting on your bench? Sometimes instead of watching every angle of our bench we should just sit there and patiently wait...we should be still and we should be quiet. "Be still, and know that I am God!" Psalm 46:10 (NLT).

Farming

2009-10-02T08:22:00.002-05:00

So I have a Facebook and have come across this game called Farmville. Oh it is the greatest game I think I have ever seen. You have a farm, you plant crops, harvest crops, you get animals and have to milk the cows, shear the sheep, collect the eggs. You can buy houses, barns, tractors. Just a little bit of everything. It is so much fun to me! It is relaxing and fun to talk about. I enjoy racing against my fellow farm neighbors to increase in level and then you get to visit someone's farm and weed their crops, shew the raccoons. I know by now you are probably scratching your head thinking, "What is this woman talking about?!?!".

But, that leads me to my point. So many times in life we find ourselves planting seeds of God's word and then other times we find ourselves harvesting the crop from someone else's seed. Life is like living on Farmville. You have ups and downs, crops grow and then some die. You learn more and more with each day.

But, as I sit here today I find that my words are empty but His seem to always be right on key. Check this out...

"'Study this story of the farmer planting seed. When anyone hears news of the kingdom and doesn't take it in, it just remains on the surface, and so the Evil One comes along and plucks it right out of that person's heart. This is the seed the farmer scatters on the road. The seed cast in the gravel—this is the person who hears and instantly responds with enthusiasm. But there is no soil of character, and so when the emotions wear off and some difficulty arrives, there is nothing to show for it. The seed cast in the weeds is the person who hears the kingdom news, but weeds of worry and illusions about getting more and wanting everything under the sun strangle what was heard, and nothing comes of it. The seed cast on good earth is the person who hears and takes in the News, and then produces a harvest beyond his wildest dreams.'

He told another story. 'God's kingdom is like a farmer who planted good seed in his field. That night, while his hired men were asleep, his enemy sowed thistles all through the wheat and slipped away before dawn. When the first green shoots appeared and the grain began to form, the thistles showed up, too. The farmhands came to the farmer and said, 'Master, that was clean seed you planted, wasn't it? Where did these thistles come from?' He answered, 'Some enemy did this.' The farmhands asked, 'Should we weed out the thistles?' He said, 'No, if you weed the thistles, you'll pull up the wheat, too. Let them grow together until harvest time. Then I'll instruct the harvesters to pull up the thistles and tie them in bundles for the fire, then gather the wheat and put it in the barn.'

Another story. 'God's kingdom is like a pine nut that a farmer plants. It is quite small as seeds go, but in the course of years it grows into a huge pine tree, and eagles build nests in it.'" Matthew 13:18-32 (MSG)

So, what's your agenda for the day? Feel like planting some seeds or harvesting some crops?

Time

2009-10-01T08:20:00.002-05:00

Rush, rush, rush...that's usually the jest of my days here lately. Today is the first day of the new month so my day is already laid out for me. I work for attorneys so I have to bill all of their work for the month of September. They each meticulously hand write their day each and every day and I sit and enter each entry into a program and wa-la they client is billed.

As I sit here staring at all the time entries that will make up my day I'm wondering what my time sheets would look like if I had to write down each and every moment of my day. Hmmm... Wake up .5 (usually takes me a good 30 minutes to actually get out of the bed)...Take a shower .5 (another 30 minutes ensures that my eyes are fully awake)...Get dressed .5 (I'm a quick dresser-upper I must admit)...Yell at the kids .2 (you would see this entry alot throughout the day)...Drive to work .75 (a 25 mile commute takes me 45 minutes!! Birmingham traffic is the best I tell you!!)...Walk into the building .25 (you know we do it in Birmingham...park a mile away from our actual offices)...Clock-in .1...Chit-chat with neighbors .5...Go get something to drink .2...Chit-chat with neighbors walking back to my desk .2...Read e-mails .3...Perform daily tasks 5.0 (although I work an 7 1/2 hour day I'm being honest...I don't work that entire time)...Drive home .75...Yell at the kids .2...Cook supper 1.0...Yell at the kids .2...Watch t.v. 2.0...Yell at the kids .2...Get ready for bed .5...Yell at the kids .2... Go to bed .1...Yell at kids telling them to go to bed .2...

Hmmm...there is my time entries for the day. I've done it all haven't I? Life has really been throwing me curve balls left and right here these past few weeks/months and I have noticed a trend with me. My time with the Lord is getting smaller and smaller to being non-existent. Oh I pray, I grab a word here and there but I don't hang out with Him.

There is many scripture about us waiting on the Lord, being patient, wait, wait, wait, but He remains the same, "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever." Hebrews 13:8. (NLT).

The Silent Treatment

2009-09-29T08:15:00.002-05:00

As the night wore on you could feel the tension in the house. Doors were shut a little harder than they normally would be. Footsteps were a little more intense with every push straight to the floor and hot huffy breaths were being exhausted all over the place.

I walked through the kitchen and looked at Gabe who was sitting quietly at the table doing his homework and we gave each "the look" and winced. Shane and Kristina were arguing. Now, I'm sure in your house you never argue with your teenagers, do you? (heehee)

So as the night wore on I began to notice that I was the one getting the silent treatment from Kristina. Although she was angry with her Daddy I was the one getting the short end of the stick. The longer the night wore on the angrier I got thinking "what did I do?".

Before long it was bed time and there was peace...well sort of! I think everyone snored a little louder than usual and maybe a few covers were slung in desperation. You just can't be that mad when you go to bed and expect to sleep in peace and harmony. But, by the time the morning dew had fallen everyone was over their childishness and life moved on as it always tends to do.

You know we do that with God so many times. We get mad and frustrated and someone or something else but we give God the silent treatment. Instead of running to him and just pouring out our souls and emptying our hearts to Him we run from Him and we act mad at Him. When He is the only cure for our brokenness.

"The Lord is close to the brokenhearted; he rescues those whose spirits are crushed. The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time." Psalm 34:18-19 (NLT). Giving God the silent treatment doesn't do anything but push us farther away from him. We should gravitate towards Him in the good times, the bad times, the sad times, the angry times, the heartbroken times, the funny times, the silly times...the...ALL times.

Happy Birthday...to Me! =)

2009-09-28T08:22:00.002-05:00

Well guess what today is? It is my birthday! That's right...I'm 1 year old today! =) On September 28, 2008 I finally got it through my thick skull that I was a sinner. I walked (well actually I think I ran) down the aisle to my pastor and right there in front of our church I accepted Jesus Christ as my personal Savior.

Over the past year alot has changed in my life. Things that were a really big deal, don't seem as big an issue now. Some people have faded out of my life and some new ones have entered. Some people have remained right by my side and cheered me on. My views on things in this world have completely done a 180 and my eyes see things differently now.

I listen to people talk at ballgames, the store, in line at the courthouse and I hear the pain in their voices. I see teenagers searching for unconditional love but trying to find it in all the wrong places. My job has changed over the past year as well. Although I am still working in the same place...things are different.

I have learned over the past year to have faith and what it means to actually have faith. I have learned to laugh, cry, pray. I have learned to let go and forgive. I have learned that this world is just a learning process and that my true life only begins when I take my last breath here on earth and enter through the gates of heaven. I have learned that I will make mistakes but grace and mercy reign over me. I have learned that Jesus dying on the cross was enough and there is nothing else that needs to be added to it. I have learned to get along with my husband on days that it isn't easy to get along with him. I have learned to stop controlling my children and let them be who God intends them to be. I have learned that I can't be someone else's Christian.

Each day I'm learning something new and I wonder if there will come a day where I've got it all figured out. I'm thinking probably not...lol On bad days, I have peace. On good days, I have peace. On days where I'm just not sure what to do, I have peace. On nights where I can't sleep, I have peace. On days when my family is sick, I have peace. On days where there are mud tracks through my almost white carpet, I have a panic attack...lol (got you....)! But...I do have peace.

Life throws you curve balls and sometimes you swing and hit, sometimes you miss and then sometimes you get a strike. But what I've learned over this past year is that My God is the one throwing me the curve ball, He is the catcher behind me, He is the coach at first base, He is the coach at third base but more importantly He is the head coach of my life!

"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard. Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood. This sacrifice shows that God was being fair when he held back and did not punish those who sinned in times past, for he was looking ahead and including them in what he would do in this present time. God did this to demonstrate his righteousness, for he himself is fair and just, and he declares sinners to be right in his sight when they believe in Jesus." Romans 3:23-26 (NLT).

Fear

2009-09-24T08:26:00.002-05:00

As I started running the water for my shower I gathered up a few toys for Kristina, who was not even a year old at the time, and sat her in the middle of the bathroom floor. Shane had already left work, I had dressed Kristina and now I just needed to get myself ready.

This was our usual routine and as I showered she would sit in the floor and play with her toys. She never crawled off, she never pulled up on anything, she never opened a cabinet door or drawer. Kristina was never my "investigator" and she followed my instructions without discipline most of the time.

Occasionally I would peek out of the shower curtain to ensure that she was there and although I didn't have my contacts in I could see just well enough to know that she was safe. As I was almost finished bathing I peeked out and noticed that Kristina was crawling away. I began to call her name as I hurriedly finished up. As I flung the shower curtain back I called out to her once more "Kkkkkrrrrriiiiiisssssttttttiiiiinnnnnaaaaa...."
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I wrapped the towel around my body and looked up and all I saw was a male figure standing in the doorway of the bathroom holding my child. I began to scream in a way that I'm sure could have broken glass. I screamed and cried and screamed and cried and the closer the figure came towards me the more I screamed. Once he was within just a few feet I inhaled to scream again when I heard his voice, "Lori, it's me..." It was Shane!

The fear of that moment has never left me, even some 15 years later. I remember that day just as vividly today as I did the day it happened. The fear that swelled up inside of me was unexplainable. I have been through many things throughout the past 15 years and although I have been scared out of my wits I have never felt that type of fear.

Our lives are full of valleys and mountains. We have ups and downs. Joy and sadness. It is just this rollercoaster that we are strapped into. I have to remind myself that I am on nothing more than a ride and although I take turns that I often don't like I am learning to just hold on and wait because strength will rise as I wait upon the Lord! I remind myself that although mean people will say mean things to me, about me, my hope lies in Him. He is the everlasting God! He is my strength! He is my comforter! Though others try to defeat me, they will not win!

"Powerful people harass me without cause, but my heart trembles only at your word." Psalm 119:161 (NLT).

A Divine Appointment

2009-09-23T08:38:00.002-05:00

Some days you just need a reminder that He is there and He does care and He is listening! =)
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by: Wendy Blight (www.proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com)
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"He answered, 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind;' and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'" Luke 10:27 (NIV)

Every Memorial Day weekend my friend Karen and I travel with our families to Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, for five days of rest and relaxation. We just cannot wait to dig our toes in the sand, take long walks on the beach, and enjoy the island's incredible sunsets. Every trip is special, but this most recent trip stood above all others.

Karen and I ran to the local grocery. Feeding nine people for five days resulted in two carts overflowing with food and supplies. We approached the checkout lines looking for the shortest line. We chose a line with an older woman without a cart. Apparently waiting on someone else, she motioned for us to go ahead of her. Moments later, a young woman scurried up pushing a crying child in a half-full cart. It was clear the older woman was frustrated that they now had to wait behind us, so we offered to give her back her place in line.

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As the young woman and her child passed by me, my heart began to pound. I physically began to tremble. I felt God impressing upon my heart that Karen and I were to buy her groceries. I hesitated, but past experience caused me to obey. I tapped the young woman on the shoulder and spoke these exact words, "I know it sounds strange, but God told me that we are to buy your groceries."
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She graciously accepted with tears in her eyes, and then she and the older woman left. A few minutes later, the older woman returned to share an incredible story. The young woman was her daughter. Her name was Micah.
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Micah's husband had walked out on her and her young son a few months before. He had abused her for years before leaving. She could barely make ends meet and felt completely abandoned by everyone, especially God.

Days before this God-ordained meeting in the grocery story, Micah and her mother had prayed. Her mother prayed that God would draw Micah back into relationship with Him. Micah prayed, "God, if you are real, if you love me, show Yourself to me!" As her mother shared these words, it was a powerful moment. Micah, in the midst of her deepest sorrow and pain cried out to God for His Presence. Karen and I simply walked in the store that day to complete an ordinary task. And God crossed our paths at one point in time to show each of us He is active, involved, and OH SO REAL!

Yes, it was a great day for Micah. But what a day it was for Karen and me as well! Our obedience to the Lord's prompting touched this woman's life in such a powerful way that she KNEW He was real and had not abandoned her, and that He answers prayer. A divine appointment ... a day I will treasure forever.

Heavenly Father, Sovereign Lord, the Great I Am. Thank You that You have planned every day of our lives before we have lived a single day. Thank You that You speak into our lives today. Thank You that You invite us to join You in Your work. Father, give us opportunities to be Your hands and feet. Give us ears to hear and eyes to see the broken and hurting people all around us. Give us a heart of obedience. Give us boldness to speak. May all glory and honor and praise go to You. In Jesus' Name Amen.

In His Time

2009-09-22T08:13:00.002-05:00

In His time,

He makes all things beautiful

In His time

Lord, please show me everyday

As you're teaching me your way

And I'll do just waht you say

In Your time.

(In His Time)

I heard this song just this past Sunday for the very first time. I smiled as I read the lyrics instead of singing them. Over the past few weeks God has truly been teaching me and Shane to be patient and wait for him.

As most people know, Kristina totaled her car about a month ago and with the car being 15 years old we didn't get a truck load of cash from the insurance company...haha. But, nonetheless we both began to pray seeking God's wisdom for the right car for our daughter. Our finances didn't allow us to squeeze out another payment and what we had in our hands was all we could afford.

Day after day we searched for a car and came across a 1996 silver Chevrolet Camaro. The car was in good shape on the outside but the guts of the car needed a little work. The man replaced this part and that part. We patiently waited. We spent a few Saturdays looking at other cars but we both just felt that the Lord was leading us to this silver Camaro. We stood still and waited (a few times I stomped my feet though...lol). Wait, wait, wait and then we got the call. The man told us that the car was going to need more work than he thought and he just wanted us to understand that we needed to find another car.

What?!?!? We both knew that God had this silver Camaro for her. We were both dumbfounded and just didn't understand. So, this past Saturday we woke up and went car shopping IN THE RAIN! Yeah...she'll remember that one for years to come...I'll make sure of that! heehee And as we searched every door that we tried to open seemed locked. We both sighed and I even cried at one point. Total frustration, I just didn't understand what God was trying to say.

Then, we pull into this little "buy here/pay here" place and as we round the corner we see a 1995 silver Camaro. Shane gets out and looks at the car and I simply sit in the car in defiance. He comes back to the truck and says "Let's give it a test drive." I unwillingly get out of the truck and peek at the car while he filled out insurance information and got the keys. We piled in and cranked the car when all of a sudden a monsoon started! I thought we were test driving this car in the midst of Hurricane Gussy!

"No, no, no" I protested "This is NOT the car for her. I feel uneasy in here."

Shane just patiently kept driving. We ended up a friend's house who looked over the car for us and I stood in the background listening to every single word they said. The friend told us the car looked good, it looked real good. On the way back to the lot Shane began to ask me what I thought and I told him I didn't know what to do but I would support any decision he made.

As we parked the car and walked into the office Shane began to talk to the owner. He explained our situation to her and how much money we had and low and behold a deal was made and after a few exchanges of money, paperwork and keys the car was ours.

I do believe God chuckled at that one. I can just see my Father sitting in Heaven saying "How'd you like that one? Yeah, I pulled a fast one on you this time....hahahahahahahaha" (I guess in my mind God laughs like Santa Clause does...heehee).

"Yet God has made everything beautiful for its own time. He has planted eternity in the human heart, but even so, people cannot see the whole scope of God’s work from beginning to end." Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NLT). I didn't see the whole scope of God's work in our lives these past few weeks. I was completely confused but yet we remained steadfast. Honestly, this was the first test of this type that Shane and I faced as a team since I was saved. I wavered a little here and there but in the end we were patient and in His time he made everything beautiful!

Finding Shelter

2009-09-21T08:37:00.001-05:00

by: Mary DeMuth (www.proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com)

"And I say, 'Oh that I had wings like a dove! I would fly away and be at rest; yes, I would wander far away; I would lodge in the wilderness; I would hurry to find a shelter from the raging wind and tempest." Psalm 55:6-8 (ESV)

I'm not normally one to sense family secrets about people's lives, but this time I did. The moment "Sarah" walked through my front door for a Bible study, God whispered to me, "She needs help."

A few weeks later she asked if I could come over and talk.

She welcomed me to an immaculate house and peppered me with questions about how I managed our home. At first I answered her questions directly, but as she kept asking, I realized she was really asking something else: Why can't I be enough for my husband's expectations? She seemed frightened, jumpy.

That day my new friend Sarah confessed that her husband abused her. Emotionally. Physically. Psychologically. I prayed for her, gave her my phone number, and felt her burden in my gut.She called after a violent episode, her two children crying in the back of her car. "I'm afraid," she told me.

I encouraged her to come over. Nearly at that moment, a friend of mine arrived and, through a series of God-moments, we worked together to get Sarah and her two children to a safe place.

In doing so, we feared for our safety. Her husband stalked us, called us in the middle of the night screaming. During one conversation, my husband asked him, "Why are you in seminary?"

"Because I want to pastor people." He said it as if the answer were obvious.

My husband cleared his throat in the quiet of our room. "If you can't shepherd your own family, you can't expect to shepherd others."

The man erupted, spewing obscenities. "She just needs to learn to submit!" With that, he hung up.

Since this time, we've encountered several hurting women married to men who pursued, or were active in, ministry. These women felt trapped, worried, and afraid. And because their husbands held the position they did, these wives didn't know how to find a safe place.

As a fiction author, I have written a series of novels with the purpose of exposing this kind of pain in Christian families. I didn't write to impugn or to harass, but to shed light on a sad reality. So that silent sufferers wouldn't feel alone. So that redemption could shine on such a dark family canvas.

Do you know a "Sarah"? Whether she is a friend, acquaintance, or the woman you look at each day in the mirror, there is something you can do. Pray fervently that God will give you the wisdom to find shelter. Pray for the courage to tell the truth, or to be a safe place for her to tell the truth. And believe that no one "deserves" punishment, violence, or verbal thrashings by a spouse. Remember that God's heart for marriage is unity, mutual understanding, longsuffering, love that overlooks shortfalls, and camaraderie.

May we all seek God's design for marriage and may those who need to find shelter hurry towards it.

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Dear Lord, whether I am a Sarah, or a friend of a Sarah, give me wisdom. Make me aware if You desire for me to take a role in helping someone. I give You everything, including my fears, worries, and stress. Shine Your light on my family, I pray. And lead me to Your safe place. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

What Does It Matter?

2009-09-18T08:28:00.002-05:00

Since Kristina and I missed our Sunday services the weekend we went to the beach, I called the church and had them mail me a CD of that particular weekend. It arrived yesterday and I couldn't wait to get in the car this morning and start listening. It was the Sunday before Labor Day and Bro. John's sermon was about work and being lazy.

As I listened my heart was pricked because there are so many days that I come into work and half heartily perform my job. I think most everyone is that way but that still doesn't give me any sort of excuse. What really struck me was when he said "If you go to work and goof off and don't do your job do not tell people you are a member of this church!! Being a lazy employee will make you lose your witness!"

Phew...those words burned through me like a hot poker. I had never even considered the fact that my laziness would make me loose my witness to my fellow co-workers. Then I got to thinking that if I slack on my responsibilities at work without thinking twice about it then I slack at home and everywhere else as well. If I'm lazy one place then I'm lazy everywhere!! It doesn't matter what my job is...being a secretary, cleaning the house, washing clothes, cooking supper, working the concession stand at the football game, cutting grass...it doesn't matter how small I think the job is I should be doing it to glorify God to keep my witness!

"He said to me, 'You are my servant, Israel, and you will bring me glory.' I replied, 'But my work seems so useless! I have spent my strength for nothing and to no purpose. Yet I leave it all in the Lord’s hand; I will trust God for my reward.'” Isaiah 49:3-4 (NLT).

Work is never useless because He brought us to that job for a reason. And, everything should be placed in the Lord's hands and our trust should forever remain in Him! As Bro. John said on that Sunday morning "There's no room for laziness around here!" Ouch!! Guess I better get myself to work today! =)

Oops, My Mistake

2009-09-17T08:28:00.002-05:00

When the phone rang I recognized the caller i.d. to be my boss' cell phone. "I'm here at the courthouse but I'm the only attorney here. Are you sure you have the right date on my calendar?" My heart sank for just a moment because I had only worked for him for just a few weeks. I was still trying to find my way and figure things out and me sending him to a county in south Alabama on the wrong day wasn't a problem I was wanting to deal with.

"Ummm, yes, this is the right date" I stammered.

"Well, you need to find out what is going on" he said with a flustered tone in his voice. Which, I completely understood! As he was talking I began to click through the files trying to figure out what was going on. He continued, "I had to leave my house at 4:00 this morning just to be here by 9:00 and now there is nobody..." His voice sort of faded into the background as I realized that I had sent him to the wrong county! I had the right date, the right time but the wrong place!

My heart began to beat so fast I thought it was going to beat out of my chest. I swallowed and interrupted his tirade and softly said "You're supposed to be in Montgomery County..." I sat there waiting for his response and let's just say response is most definitely what I got. He hit the roof! And, I can't say that I blame him. But nonetheless it was a frightening experience. By the end of it all I was crying, he was yelling and nothing seemed to be fixing the problem.

All was well in the end though. I called the Judge (who was a sweet grandfather type man) in the "right" county, had his legal assistant pull him off the bench and I begged and cried and pleaded with him explaining my stupidity. He, however, was good as gold. He reassured me this wasn't the worst thing in the world I could have done and gave me instructions for my boss which I quickly relayed to him.

For the remainder of my employment with this particular attorney I stayed on my toes. I was ever conscious of making a mistake and having to deal with his explosive reactions. We all come in contact with people who can make it difficult for us to just do our normal routines. Maybe it is our boss or our spouse or maybe it's our children but there are those people that make us feel as though we can't do anything right.

"Then the local residents tried to discourage and frighten the people of Judah to keep them from their work." Ezra 4:4 (NLT). Now, I'm not a Bible scholar and I surely don't know what this entire story is about but, when I read this passage it meant alot to me. This passage gave me courage to keep my head down and forge ahead. I'm going to come in contact with tons of people who try to discourage me and frighten me but, it is up to me if I allow them to succeed. See, I have work to do here on this earth and it is up to ME to get it done...not them! I choose to allow someone else's words, actions, explosive personality, etc. to dictate how I handle a situation. What about you? Do you allow the local residents to discourage and frighten you?

Finding God in the Laundry Room

2009-09-16T08:21:00.002-05:00

I am complely suffering from writer's block today. As I sat at my computer my mind was blank. After reading this devotional I understand why! I need this devotional today. I needed to find God in my every day routine. So, I thought maybe you might enjoy it as well.

Finding God in the Laundry Room by: Lara Krupicka (proverbs31devotions.blogspot.com)

"The Lord who delivered me from the paw of the lion and the paw of the bear will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine." 1 Samuel 17:37a (NIV)

As I carry a load of clothes into my laundry room, I glance at the breakfast dishes in the sink and the piles of toys in the family room. Here we go again, I think. Another day of cooking and cleaning that will only be repeated again tomorrow. What is the point of it all? Why am I stuck with such a meaningless existence? When will I ever get to spend my days doing things that have a lasting impact?

Everyday life can be so uninspiring at times. I want action and excitement. I want something to happen. But then when it does (like the day the washing machine overflowed into my basement), I get all out of sorts. I have a hard time handling the disruption to my simple routine. This is not the kind of excitement I'm wanting, I think to myself. I grumble and complain my way through the problems that come my way.

When I consider this verse from 1 Samuel, I realize that, unlike me, David had learned the benefit of being faithful in seemingly insignificant work. He did not despise the lonely job of shepherd. Instead day in and day out he patiently watched in the fields, making sure the sheep didn't wander or get eaten. He took his work seriously, and in doing so he trusted God to be with him in the simple task of herding sheep. He didn't say that once he was a mighty warrior like his older brothers were, then he would trust God. He did it right where he was. Then when trouble came to his quiet field, in the form of a lion or a bear, it was God he relied on to come to his aid.

This dependence of David's is what prepared him for one of the turning point moments in his life. He was able to face the giant Goliath with confidence, not because he'd fought in many battles. He could do this because he'd seen God work in the everyday and knew God would show up on the battlefield too.

I still have a lot to learn about dependence on God. Yet I know that as I depend on Him in the routine tasks of my life, He is preparing me for circumstances yet to come. When I turn to Him in the midst of my laundry room troubles, I experience His care for me and I grow in my ability to know that He will "deliver me" from things both great and small. And in my dependence on God, the chores of cooking, cleaning and laundry begin to take on meaning. My life isn't as pointless as it once seemed.

Dear Lord, thank You for being with me today. Help me to see You in the mundane things of my life and show me how You can bring significance to those things. Teach me dependence on You as You taught the young shepherd, David. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Rivers

2009-09-15T08:36:00.002-05:00

As I laid down in bed after spending a night on the river I could still feel the waves flowing through my body. We had been on the river all day long it seemed like and had the best time but after a while my body was beginning to feel like it was one with the river. Up and down, up and down. My Dad was in the Navy and sometimes I wonder how he even walked after being aboard ship for so long! I most definitely get sea legs after just a few hours.

I tossed and turned trying to go to sleep but with every breath my head felt the motion of floating along the river. It's funny how the river just carries you. It has a purpose and a destination. Unless you drop anchor you are at the river's mercy and heaven only knows where you'll end up!

I recently had the wonderful opportunity of attending a Beth Moore simulcast at our church and she really stressed the importance of memorizing scripture. I'm ashamed to say that as of today I haven't done that but then I read John 7:38 and it hit me like a ton of bricks. "Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, ‘Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.’” (NLT).

Wow! Rivers of living water surely don't flow from my mouth! I don't know scripture, can barely quote anything. In times of trouble when my Bible is not handy I have nothing to stand on. I have nothing to carry me downstream. I think it is about time that I dive into His word and spend so much time that I feel the motion of His words carrying me up and down, up and down...what about you? Do you have rivers of living water flowing?

Hidden Cheerios

2009-09-14T08:35:00.005-05:00

As I started the task of cleaning her room I immediately became ill. Kristina was three years old at the time and there was stuff everywhere! Toys were piled up to the ceiling it seemed like. She had shoved things under her bed, in her closet, under the toy box and don't even get me started on what she had shoved into her dresser drawers.

With each tug and pull I became more and more ill. She stood at the doorway crying every time I shoved a broken toy (those annoying McDonald's toys!) into the garbage bag because it was her "most prized possession" or so she thought.

Within about fifteen minutes of my cleaning spree I came across a stash of cheerios. They were all grouped in a nice, neat pile hidden inside one of her green "kitchen pots" that she played with. She had the lid tightly closed and had the pot stuck inside the oven to her kitchen set.

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"What is this about?" I asked her.

"Ummmm....those are mine!" she stated. Mind you, she was pretty ill at this point and with big crocodile tears streaming down her face she was not only heartbroken that I was throwing her possessions away she was mad as fire that I had stepped into her territory.

I took the Cheerios and tossed them in the garbage bag and I told her that she can't keep food in her room or else she'll have ants crawling everywhere. She began to wail and scream as if I had just thrown out the greatest thing known to man! "But, they is mine!" she cried.

I remember stopping the cleaning process because I knew I wasn't going to get anywhere, I picked her up and we sat on the couch and watched a movie. The cleaning could wait until she was asleep!

How many times in life do we hold on to our Cheerios? We put the lid on ever so tightly and hide it in the oven of our kitchen so that no one can see it or take it. We hold onto them with everything we have in us but then we question why we are so sad, why we don't have peace. Luke 14:33 says "So you cannot become my disciple without giving up everything you own." (NLT). Everything you own, in my opinion, not only means our earthly possessions but also the stuff that we tuck away and hide in our hearts. Jealousy. Fear. Anxiety. Hatred. Selfishness. Worry. Despair. Anger. We must throw out all of that "junk" before we can follow Him. How do we throw it all away? Hmmmm, I wish I had an answer for you because as I'm sitting here typing these words my heart is being tugged at as well! Many, many things I hide. I'm good at throwing out other people's things but I seem to struggle with throwing out my own... Where are your Cheerios today?

Met In The Stairwell

2009-09-11T08:16:00.002-05:00

You say you will never forget where you were when you heard the news on September 11th, 2001, neither will I.

I was on the 110th floor in a smoke filled room with a man who called his wife to say goodbye.

I held his fingers steady as he dialed.

I gave him the peace to say “honey I’m not going to make it.”

I was with his wife when he called.

I held her up as she realized he wasn’t coming home that night.

I was in the stairwell of the 23rd floor when a woman cried out to me for help.

“I have been knocking on the door of your heart for fifty years,” I said.

I was at the base of the building with the priest, ministering to the injured.

I took him home to tend to his flock in heaven.

I was on all four of those planes, with every seat, with every prayer.

I was with the crew as they were overtaken.

I was in the hearts of the very frightened souls, comforting and assuring them that there faith had saved them.

I want you to know that I saw every face.

I knew every name, but not all of you knew me.

Some met me for the very first time on the 86th floor.

Some sought me with their last breath.

Some chose for the final time to ignore me, but I was there.

I did not place you in the tower that day.

You may not know why, but I do.

September 11th, 2001 was not the end of the journey for you, but someday your journey will end and I will be there for you as well.

Seek me now while I may be found, for I will be in the stairwell of your final moments.

God bless you all.

Author: Stacey Randall

"...be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:20 (NLT)

A Whole New Attitude

2009-09-10T08:47:00.002-05:00

"So if you're serious about living this new resurrection life with Christ, act like it. Pursue the things over which Christ presides. Don't shuffle along, eyes to the ground, absorbed with the things right in front of you. Look up, and be alert to what is going on around Christ—that's where the action is. See things from his perspective." Colossians 3:1-2 (MSG).

As we slipped our flip flops off and took that last step off the boardwalk into the sand I immediately felt joy run through my body. As I walked I squished my toes and made sure to take each step slowly so that I could enjoy every single minute! As we headed up towards the sand dunes where the sand was a lot thicker and untouched I began to look at all the footprints. I thought of that wonderful poem "Footprints" and began trying to walk in someone else's prints...literally walking in someone else's shoes.

As the girls posed for pictures and we stood there sinking further into the sand I couldn't help but look around me at the sunset, the waves, the people still left on the beach and I was filled with nothing but joy. I had a totally new attitude! There was peace there. No bills, no worries, no bosses, no co-workers, no annoyance of every day life...I was at the place where peace lives. I even mentioned to my friend that one of my favorite things about the beach is that no matter where you stand or sit you can see the curvature of the earth and it reminds you that you are but a speak in this world.

Now that I am back to reality and the stresses of every day life I have been thinking about that attitude that I had while I was at the beach and the attitude that I have now. They are totally different! I think I have it figured out! Maybe you don't like the beach so this analogy won't make much sense so you just take a moment and think about your favorite place where every time you go you find peace...the mountains...home...wherever...I'll wait while you think.......

Okay, this is my analogy....the beach changes my attitude because instead of looking at worldly things I can't help but look at Christ things! With every single day and every single sound, touch, sight I kept saying over and over "God is so good!" "How can people look at the beach and not believe?" "God is such a wonderful painter!" "God can move sand with nothing but water!" Every little thing I looked at I saw my Father! He was everywhere around me! When you find Christ in every little thing your attitude is totally different! Why? Because our eyes are focused on HIM not US! Ouch!!!! That really hurts because this week my attitude has not been so good..... What about yours? Have you had an attitude adjustment lately? Do you need one?

Never Ending!

2009-09-09T08:20:00.003-05:00

This past holiday weekend my friend, Kim, and her daughter, Cori, Kristina and myself all went to the beach for a girl's weekend. Oh we had so much fun. The weather was nice on Saturday and we spent pretty much the entire day just sitting and looking at the ocean. We all laid on our chairs squishing sand with our fingers and toes. The sun, the wind, the smell...*sigh* it was all wonderful!

But, the trip down there seemed to take forever! We left around 9:00 Friday night and with ever mile we drove it seemed like another mile was added on. At one point Kim said "I promise you there is a little man putting more and more road in front of us so that we never get there!" That became our joke and theme for the week along with a few other things and every time we went somewhere we fussed at the little man for making the road longer and longer!

Sometimes in life you get in situations where you feel like you are never going to make to the end. It seems like you are holding onto a rope with everything you have and the more you pull and tug on that rope the more rope there is to pull and tug on. It is as if someone is standing there adding to the length of the rope. Did you ever stop to think that it just isn't time for you reach the end yet? Sometimes at the end our hearts get broken and then sometimes our hearts get blessed but we only reach the end of that rope when it is time...His time.

When it is time for you to reach the end of your rope, your Father is there waiting for you and although you have pulled on that rope for the very last time and you think you are going to fall he is there to catch you! "The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time." Psalm 34:19 (NLT). He is our rescue! He is our refuge! He is our comforter! He is our strength! He is our friend! He is our provider! He is our Father! He is our SAVIOR!

The Bigger Picture

2009-09-08T08:34:00.002-05:00

From time to time I come across a devotional that just really touches me and today is no different. There is absolutely no way to re-create this so I have simply cut and pasted it onto my blog for you to enjoy. It's funny how you always hear the right words at just the right time...

The Bigger Picture by T. Suzanne Eller, Proverbs 31 Ministries

"Be patient, then, brothers, until the Lord's coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop and how patient he is for the autumn and spring rains." James 5:7 (NIV)

I overheard a conversation while in an airport. I wanted to jump into the dialogue, but I had a plane to catch and more importantly, I would have to admit that I was eavesdropping, so I moved on. "He's just in it for the money," the man said while we waited in line at security. He named the author of a best-selling Christian book. "It's simplistic. Over-hyped. I can't believe it's sold so many copies." This conversation made me think about my daughter's best friend, Emily.

When I first met Emily she was a new believer. Occasionally our pastor would ask families to pray together. On those Sundays we open ed our arms and Emily joined us. But as much as she loved the Ellers, it wasn't her family.

Her parents didn't understand her faith. Her older brother mocked her faith.

Emily went on mission trips. She was involved in youth group. She left for college and organized campus ministries, and even traveled to Africa to minister to children with AIDS. The longing for her family to love Jesus intensified, but from the outside looking in it appeared that her prayers were hitting the ceiling.

What Emily didn't know is that her brother was watching closely. His little sister's faith had grown and now she was a woman of faith.

One day he bought a book and read it straight through the night. Somewhere between dark and dawn Emily's Savior became his. In the next few months he led his fiance to Christ. He shared his faith with his parents, and now that both of their children's lives had been changed, they too became believers.

That was four years ago. Recently Emily came home to visit her family, and they all came to church. I couldn't help but look back with excitement when I heard these words, "Could families gather together and pray?" Emily walked down the aisle. Her family wrapped her in their arms. It was a beautiful sight.

And the book that the man in the airport said was simplistic and overhyped? That was the very book that Emily's brother read that changed his life. It was an answer to a faithful girl's prayers. What does this have to do with you and me? As a writer, every day I'm in my home-office wearing jeans and a T-shirt writing on a laptop, hoping that someone might actually hear the message. But I can't see the bigger picture. I don't know if the words are making a difference or not. All I know is that God called me to communicate a message and to be faithful to that call.

Maybe there are days that you struggle, too. Maybe all you hear are the negative comments like those of the man in the airport. But does that mean that nothing good is happening? Absolutely not!

When I think of Emily, I am encouraged to place my ministry in God's hands and allow Him to do the miracles while I type one word at a time.Will you trust Him to do miracles with your faith and your work as well?

Dear Father, I don't always see the bigger picture, but You do. Today I place my discouragement and comments of others in Your hands. Thank You for wisdom, encouragement, and renewed joy as I trust You with the bigger picture. Amen.

...

2009-09-04T08:17:00.002-05:00

I can't even title this one today. On my way to work I was on the phone with a friend of mine who was telling me about some sill high school girl drama that involved Kristina. In the midst of the conversation I popped off at the mouth saying that I hoped Kristina just gave this other girl what for and we would deal with whatever consequences that came our way.

As I walked in my office building I was seething with every single step. Chewing out of the side of my mouth and huffing like a bull the entire way. I just don't understand why kids have to be so mean? I can't wait until she graduates! Blah blah blah...all these thoughts were racing through my head.

Then it happened. I came into the office, sat down at my desk and opened my "scripture tree" to get my daily word. I still had steam billowing out of my ears when I read John 14:21 "Those who accept my commandments and obey them are the ones who love me. And because they love me, my Father will love them. And I will love them and reveal myself to each of them.” (NLT).

Wow! Instead of popping off saying that I hoped Kristina handled this girl and showed her some force I should have said that I hope that Kristina turns the other cheek, that she shows this girl what a true witness she is...I should have said alot of things! I pray that my sweet, precious daughter handles herself today with the dignity and grace that I know she possesses.

Isn't God good? He always has a way of giving me my spanking right when I need it. He don't let me simmer on it for a few hours and then get me. Give it to me now!! Praise the Lord!