Farewell 2013, Hell-o 2014!

This is my last blog post for 2013.

Not sure what direction it will take for 2014

but I look forward to what God

is going to do with it.

 

The camera's perspective of this last sunrise for 2013

didn't even begin to capture the reality and vibrance of the pink and purple sky.

Hoping that in 2014 the veil will fall from our eyes 

and that we choose to see things through the

reality of God's perspective.

 

 

 

May 2014 be a year where we make informed decisions

rather than blindly following the masses.

 

 

 

In 2014 may we live without fear;

knowing that when God is with us,

there is nothing to fear.

 

 

 

Praying that 2014 is the year where kindness

becomes "the norm"

rather than a "random act".

 

 

Look to and rely upon God in 2014

instead of on the government.

 

 

 

 

Rather than focusing our energy on judging others,

may 2014 be the year we focus on changing ourselves

(for the better!)

 

 

 

Every day of 2014 remember;

with God, NOTHING is impossible.

 

 

 

 

Allow any anger from 2013 dissipate

and allow 2014 to be a year full of happiness!

 

 

 

We all have something to offer one another.

Allow others to learn from you

while you learn from them.

 

 

 

In 2014 share what you have

and don't worry about what you don't have.

Whatever you give to others will be returned to you,

pressed down, shaken and overflowing!

 

 

 

 

We are each a beautiful creation;

a child of God.

Be kind.

Be encouraging.

 

 

 

God is good, kind and generous ~

Expect GREAT things!

 

 

 

 

Make it a great year!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 



Mandela - A Legacy

 

 

 

 



Isn't That Somethin'?

 

I have known the Lord all of my life.

My earliest memories are from when I was about three years old

and all of the good memories are of the Lord.

 

For over forty years He has walked with me and talked with me.

He has taught me about Himself

and continually shows me myself.

 

Through my real and personal relationship

with Him,

He has taught me more than

all of the preachers, teachers, evangelists and theologians

ever could.

 

Why is this?

Because He deals with and interacts with me on a personal level.

He relates to me based upon my life experiences

and upon who I am.

 

He never changes,

but I do.

And as I change,

He reveals new aspects and facets of Himself.

 

No two relationships with Him look the same

because He has created us differently - individually.

 

We all learn, perceive and process differently

and because He knows us better than we know ourselves,

He interacts with us accordingly.

 

There are no molds to fill

or methods to follow.

Jesus is the clearest example of what relationship

with Him is.

 

Jesus said that the things He said and did

were the very same things He heard the Father

say and saw the Father do.

 

And He said that we could

(and should)

do likewise.

 

And everything that Jesus said and did

was Kind, Loving and Good

because God is

Kind, Loving and Good!

 

Isn't that somethin'?

 

 



Holidays & Traditions

It's safe to say that the

Holiday Season

is officially upon us.

 

Some enter into it after

Labor Day,

on

Halloween or Thanksgiving,

and some on

Black Friday.

 

And in some cultures,

NONE of these even exist.

 

Some cultures focus on

and celebrate holidays like

Hannukah,

Ramadan,

and

Kwanzaa.

 

Some celebrate their holiday

as a mandate from God

and call all others evil.

 

But holidays are really about

human traditions.

 

Each holiday marks something

relevant and significant

to its culture.

 

So,

we can either spend our days

being offended by those who

believe and celebrate

differently than we do,

OR

we can spend our days

being kind, encouraging and uplifting

to our fellow man.

 

Because,

like it or not,

the fact of the matter is,

we are ALL children of God.

 

He loves every single one of us

regardless of which holiday

we choose to celebrate.

 

And folks,

December 25

is not Jesus' birthday.

 

But if you choose to celebrate it as such,

that's okay.

And if not,

that's okay too!

 

 

So,

Everyone!!!



Thanksgiving

 

 

Today serves as a reminder

that thankfulness is

a state of mind

~a way of life.

 

And for those who are feeling

 stressed out

and pressured

because of what society has turned this day into,

I pray for Peace to cover you,

fill you,

and seep into your very being.

 

 

 

 



What Else My Mom Taught Me

I couldn't let my mom's birthday go by

without writing something

in her honor.

 

 

As I have been thinking much about her lately

there are a couple of recurring things that come to mind.

 

One is that my mom was an extremely forgiving person.

She literally lived out,

"Forgive them seventy times seven,"

several times over.

 

She forgave many people of many things;

rudeness, meanness, pettiness, hurtfulness,

stupidity, cruelty, abuse, slander,

judgementalism...

the list goes on.

 

And she never seemed to hold a grudge.

 

Perhaps it was because in the back of her mind

she was well aware of the many things of which

God had forgiven her.

 

If she were here right now,

she would argue that she wasn't

as forigiving as I am making her out to be.

She would say that she didn't always "feel" forgiving.

But I know what I saw,

and what I saw, repeatedly, was

 a woman who forgave.

 

Another thing about her that keeps coming to my thoughts

is how generous she was.

 

My goodness that woman was a giver!

 

I don't think anything brought her more joy than

giving to others.

Gifts on birthdays, holidays, and just because days;

a loan because you needed it

and then "forgiving" the loan

 (you didn't have to pay it back);

donations for the needy, food for the poor;

compassion for those without compassion...

 

She gave whatever was needed whether she knew you or not.

 

And never was her generosity driven by selfishness.

She didn't give because she ever

expected anything in return.

She gave, simply, because she was

generous!

And always, in her heart,
was the desire to give more.

 

It's amazing that when I think about these things,

I see how easily she lived out these qualities

 which are the very nature

of God.

 

Her example of

unconditional Love

overwhelms me.

 

And even though my mom and I

were different in many ways,

I am thankful

that we are also alike

in so many ways.

 

 

She was, truly,

 an exceptional woman.

 

Happy Birthday mom!

I love you forever.

 



The Poor Dilemma

It is interesting that Jesus said

to take care of the poor,

to offer a drink to those who are thirsty,

to feed those who are hungry,

and to give your coat to someone who is cold

(your shirt too if needed).

 

 

Yet, these days,

when people are presented with the needs of others,

they pause,

as if they've been presented with some great dilemma

and respond with words like,

"Let me pray about it and ask God if I am supposed to help".

 

But it seems pretty simple;

if we have been made aware of a need,

then we're supposed to help.
Period.



Down to Basics

If we got down to the basics,

which Jesus said are

loving God and

loving others,

we would

~ Change the World.

 

 

Loving God, truly,

(with all of our soul, mind and strength)

brings about a NATURAL compulsion toward

grace, love, empathy and compassion;

which is loving others

(truly, as God does).

 

It becomes as natural as breathing.

 

If we lived out the Basics,

the world, 

 - humanity -

would be united

and, thus,

be known for its

Love.



Wasted Compassion

Compassion without action

is meaningless waste of emotion.

 

God has implanted within us

the feeling of compassion

so we would be moved into action.

 

If someone is sad, I give them a smile;

if lonely, a hug, text message, phone call, card or visit;

if cold, a coat;

if hungry, a meal;

if broke, a dollar (or more);

if hopeless, Hope...

 

 

If a feeling of compassion fills my heart

and I do nothing to act upon it,

that compassion is

 meaningless waste of emotion.

Waiting for Ice Cream

One day a small child said to his mother,

 “Mommy, I want some ice cream.”

“Alright, darling,” she replied.

Seeing that his mother was making no move toward getting his ice cream,

 he asked sweetly,

 “Mommy, may I please have some ice cream?”

“Yes, darling,” the mother smiled.

Seeing, still, that his mother made no move to attend to his ice cream,

 the child glared,

 “Mommy, when are you going to get me my ice cream?”

Turning to him, his mother replied,

 “There is no ice cream right now, darling.”

Angrily, the child whined,

“Then why did you say that I could have some?”

“Because, love, when there is some ice cream,

you shall have some.”

 

After lunch the following day the child asked,

“Mommy, may I please have some ice cream?”

“Yes my love,” the mother replied.

“Today?” the child asked.

“No,” the mother replied, “there is no ice cream today.”

Disappointed, the child asked,

 “Mommy, can we go and get some ice cream?”

“Not today,” the mother replied.

“When? When can we get some ice cream?” the child moaned.

“Soon, my love,” the mother crooned.

Resigned, the child sighed.

 

The child awoke the next day,

 sure that it must be the day for ice cream.

“Mommy!” he gushed,

 “Today must be the day we go and get ice cream!”

“No darling, not yet,” she soothed.

“But Mommy, why?!

Why can’t we get ice cream today?

I don’t understand!

 You’re just mean!”

“Patience, my darling.” 

Frustrated and angry, the child stormed off.

 He didn’t understand why his mother said that he could have ice cream

if she had no intention of giving him any. 

Why was she being so cruel?

 Didn’t she love him? 

One day after the child awoke from his afternoon nap

 his mother loaded him into the car and drove

to the fanciest ice cream parlor he had ever seen. 

Inside, in the middle of the room,

was a table decorated with confetti, streamers and balloons.

Above it hung a banner that said, “Happy Ice Cream Day!”

On the table was a dish

filled with his favorite flavor of ice cream,

 topped with all of his favorite toppings. 

He couldn’t believe his eyes.

He turned to his mother,

 “Oh thank you Mommy!

Thank you!

You’re the best!”

********

Now, it would have been much easier

for both the mother and her child if she had,

on the first day he had asked, 

 simply gone to the store and bought some ice cream.

However, knowing the heart of her child,

 long before he had even asked for ice cream,

 the mother had planned this day.

Though buying ice cream right away

 would have been simpler and instantly gratifying to her child,

the mother knew that doing so

would leave no lasting impression on her son.

But the memory of the surprise trip

 to the ice cream shop would remain with him forever.

 

******** 

The Lord gave me this analogy nearly two years ago,

in the midst of my own waiting.

My Ice Cream Day has yet to come,

 but when it does,

oh what a day it will be!!!

 

Control

There is always one thing

that we have control over

and

the complete ability to change

~ourself.

 

 

If every person

would look inward

and

change one negative aspect

of their person

into something positive,

we would inadvertently change

the world.



Food for Thought

 

Wouldn't it be nice if

preachers who have now

gone on to heaven

would come back

and share with us

all the things they were

wrong about?

I Wonder...

 

Jesus said,

 "Give to others, and God will give to you.

 Indeed, you will receive a full measure,

 a generous helping,

 poured into your hands -

 all that you can hold.

The measure you use for others

 is the one that God will use for you."

 Luke 6:38
 

So why aren't we ALL pouring out generously?

 

Direct Affect

Our perspective of God has a direct affect

on our ability to trust Him.

When we realize and see that

 He is Good and

nothing but Goodness;

And that Jesus is

 the embodiment of perfect

and complete Love,

Our ability to

trust Him increases.

Truth & Faith.

Capable of Blessing?

The other day I did something I ever rarely do.

I emailed five friends 

and asked them for prayer 

concerning some pressing issues 

my family and I are facing.

It was revealed to me that out of the five, 

at least one had made some assumptions 

and passed judgment on us 

(hence my reluctance to 

ever ask for prayer to begin with).

Job called his friends who did this to him

 “miserable comforters”.

Thinking about this situation begs two questions.

First, is our perspective of God 

(despite all that Jesus has accomplished)

 still so warped

 that we see Him first or only as

 "The Punisher"?

And second, 

are we, as humans, 

truly incapable of simply 

asking God to

 bless our fellow man

 without first making assumptions 

or passing judgments?

I mean…seriously? 

Basics

One of the most basic

and fundamental

truths about God 

is that

He Is Good!~

Why are we not shouting it

from the roof tops?

Why isn't it

making the top list

of status posts

and

social media blurb?

I wonder...

Grace is Grace

Lately I have noticed a lot of mud slinging 

going on within “Christian” circles 

here in the U.S.

One group preaches “The Gospel of Grace” 

or Extreme or Radical Grace, 

while another screams that 

what they are teaching is of the devil.

The act of grace is defined as

 giving or extending something good to someone 

who is undeserving of anything good. 

It cannot be qualified, quantified or

 given out in degrees or measures.

Attempting to do so is mans way 

of justifying standing in judgment of another person.

Grace either is or it is not.

Jesus has extended Grace

 to every one of us by 

already forgiving us of every sin.

To accuse and slander others 

because their relationship with 

and understanding of God

 is different than yours or 

does not fit within your agenda

is error.

It was the religious leaders; 

the ones who claimed to know God the best; 

who accused Jesus;

 the One who truly knows God 

and is God;

 of being from the devil and

 demanded that He be crucified.

What irony.

Grace is Grace.

Either we give it or we don’t.

End of the Rope

Have you reached the end of your rope?

Are you tired, weary, can’t go on any longer?

Good!

That’s where Jesus is;

Waiting for you to cast your cares upon Him;

Willing to trade His burden for yours.

His burden is light.

What are you waiting for?

What is it About Him?

It is His kindness;

His completed work on the cross;

His victory over death by resurrection;

His great and undying Love

Which draw us unto Himself.

The beauty of who He is;

His mercy and

His grace

Are what compel us to repentance.

His tender touch, 

His loving gaze,

His infinite patience;

All of which He freely gives,

Are what motivate us to love Him back.

Jesus

Savior

He is risen.

Hallelujah!

He IS risen.

Resurrection Freedom

Christ’s death was payment for our sins.

His resurrection IS our Freedom.

Dare to live an unhindered life ~

Walk in Freedom

It’s what He has always intended.

What's So Good About Friday?

What’s so amazing about a man’s death on a cross?

Nothing really.

Hundreds died upon the Roman cross.

It was the execution method of the time.

It is amazing to me, however, that Jesus went to the cross willingly.

Some might say, “Big deal. People willingly die for others all of the time.”

And that is true. 

People do.

It has become trendy to say that one is willing to give their life for another.

And though we may admire the people who do, 

the impact and importance of their sacrifice is lost on many.

It is viewed as a noble or heroic act by most,

but the only people it truly impacts 

are those who were closest to them.

So the fact that Jesus willingly gave His life for us

 isn’t as big of a deal as it used to be.

The thing that makes Jesus’ death so amazing is that

while He hung upon that cross, 

there was that period of darkness, 

over all the earth, 

where the sins of every person who has ever drawn breath,

passed through Him.

He chose to take upon Himself

 the guilt, shame and wretchedness 

of every human being in existence,

since the beginning of time.

Jesus didn’t “just” die for our sins, 

but He became sin; 

He experienced and embodied all of our sins

 as if He were the one guilty of them all.

And He chose obedience to the Father in this

 so that we ARE all forgiven.

What is so amazing about Jesus’ death is that 

 ~ His death IS our forgiveness.

Because the spotless Lamb, 

the sinless One was slain, 

we are perfect and sinless in the sight of God.

The impact and importance of His death is that

He has reconciled every one of us to God.

We, who would continually crucify Him 

with our rotten behavior,

have been redeemed and made perfect

by the only One who is truly worthy of heaven.

This is what makes Jesus’ death so amazing.

This is the true meaning of Good Friday.

Why Worry?

Through years of trial and a

continuous barrage of “one-thing-after-another”,

I have learned the importance

of living one-day-at-a-time.

While the world teaches that

we have to plan, fret and worry about the future,

I have learned the wisdom of Jesus’ teaching

on the contrary

(see Matthew 6).

Worrying or dwelling

on tomorrow doesn’t change it.

And imagining the worst

only adds unnecessary stress

to one’s life.

Very seldom does the worst we imagine

even come true;

and seldom are

the things we worry about the most

as important as we think they are.

Jesus tells us

that worry is

the opposite of faith.

You can disguise it however you want

by calling it a different name,

but worry, concern, etc.

cancels out faith

and robs us of the joy

of living in the beauty

of today.

The human capacity to

survive adversity

is an amazing gift from God.

When we understand the depth

of who God is,

we come to understand

how ridiculous worry really is.

Absolutely nothing

takes Him by surprise or

catches Him off guard.

“He’s got the whole world in His hands”;

we like to sing it,

but do we believe it?

Having lived through (and survived) much

(not as much as some, but more than others),

I have learned to trust every word of Jesus.

And when He says,

“Your heavenly Father knows all your needs

and He will give you all you need

from day to day

if you love Him and

make the Kingdom of God

your primary concern,”

I believe Him.

And though things may not

always look the way I had imagined,

I am thankful for the knowledge that

“Father knows best”,

that His plan is good and perfect,

and that the best IS yet to come.

Another Love Lesson

I am beyond tired of 

rude, thoughtless, self-centered people!

There.

 I said it.

When someone else’s ill behavior is 

directed toward me,

 I could honestly care less.

I have learned to 

choose not to allow it to affect me.

After all, 

people misjudge and misperceive 

me all of the time.

But when ill behavior is 

directed at my children (or husband), 

that’s a different story.

Then,

 the hairs bristle,

 muscles tense, 

veins on the neck bulge, 

claws come out…

Well, you get the picture.

I love my family

 implicitly and unconditionally.

I choose to overlook and/or deal with 

their short comings 

and to see

 their value and their worth. 

I know how 

wonderful and precious 

they are 

and I treasure each one of them.

And as their mom (and wife) 

I guess I figure

 everyone else should too.

This morning, 

as I was thinking about this, 

I wondered if,

when God’s children behave

 as rude, thoughtless, self-centered imps,

 He gets tired of it too.

Jesus has told us 

that the most important thing

 we have to do in life is to 

Love.

Love –  Him with all our heart, soul, mind and strength.

Love – one another as we love ourselves.

Love – one another, just as our Father in heaven loves us.

He has told us that Love 

does not

 behave rudely 

and is not

 thoughtless or self-centered.

 And, that in Loving others,

 even better than we love ourselves, 

we have fulfilled His wishes.

And though I may be justified in 

my frustration with people’s ill behavior, 

I still live by the standard of Love.

And because of  Love;

 the Father’s unending, 

unconditional, 

all-consuming 

 Love 

which I have been saturated in;

 I  choose, 

once again,

 to let my frustration go,

 to not behave rudely back, 

and to walk and live out the 

Love 

which has been so graciously

 bestowed upon me…

...and you.

Peace.

Peace & Rest

The more I get to know the Lord,

the more at peace I become.

As the world's turmoil increases,

so increases my peace of

mind, heart and soul.

As I have learned to take the Lord's yoke upon me,

the more at rest I am.

For His yoke is easy

and His burden is light.

Words spoken by Jesus,

 as promise,

 encouragement

and 

instruction.

And every word

is

True.

What a good 

and gracious

Father - 

to have provided

ease and rest.

He desires us,

not to labor,

but to

REST.

Law & Love

Have you ever wondered why Jesus said

that the most important commandment is

 to love the Lord with all of our heart, soul & mind?

Did you even know that He did, indeed, say this?

Matthew records it this way,

“… You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart

 and with all your soul

and with all your mind (intellect).

This is the great (most important, principal)

and first commandment.

And a second is like it:

You shall love your neighbor as [you do] yourself.

These two commandments sum up and upon them

depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

So it stands to reason that

 if we are focused on loving God,

 the rest will naturally fall into place.

God designed it so that by loving Him,

we fulfill the rest of the Law.

 He didn't intend for us to strive.

 Instead, He made it simple.

The writer of Romans 13 reminds us this way,

“Love does no wrong to one’s neighbor

 [it never hurts anybody].

 Therefore love meets all the requirements

and is the fulfilling of the Law.”

And 1 Corinthians 13 says,

  “Love suffers long and is kind;

love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up;

does not behave rudely, does not seek its own,

is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity,

but rejoices in the truth;

bears all things, believes all things,

 hopes all things, endures all things.

Love never fails.”

So it also stands to reason that

if we are busy judging others,

 holding grudges,

 behaving rudely toward others, etc.

 then we are not focused on loving God,

but rather,

we are focused upon ourselves and what we think.

I wish that the words of Jesus

had sunk deeper into me

 when my children were younger and

that I had never learned to be judgmental.

Now all I can do is pray that,

as young adults,

 my children will learn

 the Way of Love

 sooner than I did;

especially as they endure

 relationships with people which may prove

 to be painful.

I pray that they realize

 that even though sometimes it hurts,

the Way of Love truly is

the best Way.