“Be kind. Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”

This weekend I met a woman named Doreen and looking at her and talking with her you would never guess that she had been fighting cancer for the past 5 years. This was a simple, let me drive your van and see how I like it kind of encounter that turned into the privilege of getting to hear her testimony of  faith and trust in God and how His love, comfort and joy has carried her while walking in this storm. Needless to say I was brought to tears, and yet felt encouraged by it too. I was so overwhelmed with this experience I just had to wrap my arms around this complete stranger and thank her for sharing her story with me, as we hugged  I whispered a prayer for her and thanked God for this brief encounter.

“Be kind.  Everyone you meet is fighting a battle you know nothing about.”  

I wish we could and would keep this in mind, all of the time. It applies to every person you have contact with:

The ones who put up a good front.
The ones who tell it like it is.
The ones who seem to have it all.
The ones who are grumpy.
The ones who are sweet.
The ones who cut you off in traffic.
The ones who always say hello.
The ones who are rude.
The ones who always have a kind word.
The ones who don’t smile back when you pass them.
The ones who are cheap.
The ones who are generous.
The ones who are always complaining..
The ones who are funny.
The ones who are loud.
The ones who are quiet.
The ones who are complete jerks.
The ones who are happy.
The ones that are sad.
The ones that are angry.
The ones who are always out.
The ones who always stay home.
The ones who have known success.
The ones who have known failure.

Some of us are pretty good at handling things, some of us aren’t and some of us are very, very good at pretending. This is why we should all be kind, all the time, both to ourselves and to everyone around us.  We simply never know what people are going through.  We never know what they are trying to handle, what demons they face, what life circumstances are weighing them down. Grace and mercy is the best we can do for each other. 

I have never ever met or known of a single person who has not dealt with life’s sorrows: be it grief, anger, betrayal, addiction, illness, low self esteem, body image issues, marriage issues, parenting issues, struggling children, career loss, money problems or crippling fear of life. Not one is immune.  So, let's be kind to one another, stranger, family and friend and see them for who they are - struggling, perfectly imperfect human beings, just like you and me. Make connections, smile at one another, wish each other well, offer a hand, give them a hug. It might not seem like much, but it may very well make all the difference in the world!

Thank you Doreen, for sharing light in your darkness. 

Friday!

Well it's official. We will be closing the office in Alachua and I will work from home beginning July 1st! I have mixed feelings about this but I am so thankful that I still have a job. It's amazing how much stuff you accumulate over the years, but it is my job to get everything ready for the big move. If anyone is looking for some filing cabinets or office future we are selling them for pretty cheap, we also have some couches and chairs that would work well in a Florida room. a refrigerator that is only 2 years old and works really well, and a microwave that does more than just heat food, you can actually cook it in! So let me know. (Pictures below)

I am looking forward to the 3 day weekend, but my weekends always seem to be busier than my work week so who knows.

I just want to tell you all how much you mean to me. I think of each of you and I am so thankful to have you in my life. Although I don't get to spend a lot of time with some of you,  I hope you know that does not minimize your worth to me. I believe people come into our lives for a reason and a lot of times that reason is to grow you in some area of your life. Growth can be painful sometimes but necessary. Sadly during those growth periods relationships change but I want you know that does not decrease your value to my life, if anything it makes our season together more valuable because of what has been learned along the way. I am a better person today because of you and I "Thank you".

Well I am gonna keep it short today but I hope you all have a wonderful Memorial Day weekend. Be safe.

-Tammy

Text me if you are interested in any of these pieces: 352-226-7029

Memorial Day Weekend

As the weekend quickly approaches I am sure some of you are making your Memorial Day plans, I mean who doesn't like a three day weekend!

Like so many holidays, the purposes have been watered down over the years and filled with so much commercialism, because its not ever special enough to just give them the honor and reference they deserve, we tend have to make it bigger and better, but truth is there is nothing bigger and better than the sacrifices men and women make to serve our country.

Although I do not currently have any family members in the Armed Forces, I have had many in the past who have served in every branch of the military. Personally, like our law enforcement officers, they do not get the honor and recognition they deserve, and are often times treated with disrespect, and this is heart breaking, because we owe them so much as they willing place their lives on the line for our safety.

Just like most people, I like  to get together with family and friends and have some BBQ, potato salad, and watermelon, but how does this honor those to whom we celebrate Memorial Day for? Truth is, to many, it is treated like any other three day weekend and very little thought goes in to the reason this day was set aside in the first place. I have been guilty of this and I am sure some of you have as well.

Several years ago I decided that I would find a way to honor this day, and so I did.  I heard about the Wounded Warrior Project and decided this was how I could do that. I am not telling you this to pat myself on the back or anything like that,  but rather to share it with you so that if you, like myself, wish you could find a more meaningful way to pay tribute this is a possible option. There are many different foundations specifically for our military veterans and active military personnel so there are plenty options to choose from. Just a thought. Wounded Warrior Project (click to donate)

When I think of the military, I also include our local law enforcement, because they are providing the same service of putting their lives on the line every day for our safety. There are many foundations that honor them as well, like the Officer Down Memorial. Officer Down Memorial   (click to donate) There is a special place in my heart for this one, because I do have several family members in law enforcement. My brother Andy, a police officer,  started the local Officer Down Tribute which takes place every January to honor the fallen officers from the previous year, it is an incredible experience to be a part of, brings tears to my eyes every years. Many agencies join with this event, officers, fire fighters and family and friends of the community, if you have not been to one yet, you should, its incredible.

Well I am not sure if I will post tomorrow, but just in case have a safe and memorable Memorial Day week and if you don't do anything else say some special prayers for our Armed Forces and Law Enforcement officers this weekend!

Gentleness is costly.....

After writing yesterday I decided to go home and re-read the chapter on Gentleness in Elizabeth George's book "A Woman's Walk with God". I love that she spent two years devoted to cultivating gentlenss in her life. The part I would like to share is why gentleness is so costly.

1. Gentleness means trusting the Lord. The invisible root system of gentleness is faith. Faith believes that everything that happens in our life is allowed by God and that He is able to help us handle our situation. Gentleness is not resentful, bears no grudge and trusts that God will fight for us.

2. Gentleness means Submitting to God. In doing so this creates in us a capacity for the closest possible intimacy with God.

3. Gentleness means following Christ's example. Jesus' gentleness was grounded in a complete trust in His loving Father.

4. Gentleness means bowing the soul. This is our prayer life.

5. Gentleness means putting on a gentle spirit. This means not creating disturbances and bearing with tranquility the disturbances caused by others.

6. Gentleness means "Take it".  Bearing disturbances others create, enduring ill treatment and to withstand misunderstandings.

Well as you can see, gentleness is costly. It requires complete dependence on God,  and total control to God. It's a good thing that I don't have to develop a gentle spirit on my own cause I would surely fail. When someone hurts us our knee jerk reaction is to hurt back.  This is the beauty of the Spirit, to remind us that He is at work in our lives, all we need to do is surrender.  Our relationship with God is no different then our relationships with others, the more time we spend together talking and getting to know one another the more trust is established. The best way to get to know  God is by reading the Word. The best way for Him to get to know us is by our  conversations/prayers with and to Him.

We are a work in progress and always will be as long as we live and breathe, there are no short cuts, and you can only pretend to be something you are not for so long, the fruit is the evidence.

Have a great day!

Meekness is not a weakness......

If you have never study the Fruit of the Spirit, you may not fully understand what I am talking about when I reference fruit. These qualities or virtues are produced by the action of the Holy Spirit in us. They grow in a person who, by faith, obeys God's word through the guidance and power of God's Spirit.  The Holy Spirit is the power of God in our lives. You have heard or read the verse Romans 12:2 "Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind...". The Spirit is the transformer that produces that fruit. It is no coincidence that Jesus is the Word of God/Bible, the written revelation of God and His purpose, because He knows that what goes into the mind will determine what we produce in our lives. Therefore the more His Spirit transforms the more His likeness shines through. This is the goal of every Christian, to be like Christ. Less of me, more of Him.

In reading about meekness this week it has to be one of the most difficult fruit to allow the Spirit to develop in Christians. We live in an extremely selfish age with the Me-attitudes instead of the Beatitudes. "Blessed are the strong, we can hold our own". Many people consider meekness a weakness. Some think that meekness makes you vulnerable to the manipulation of others, but I think that is an issue of boundaries, not meekness. Jesus was meek. (Matthew 11:29) and he was no weakling or wimp! I like Rick Warren's definition on meekness, he says: "Meekness is strength under control". Like a wild stallion that has been tamed, his power and strength still remain, but now the Master can use that strength and power according to his will. That is the purpose of Spirit. to take the wildness of humanity and transform it into the likeness of Jesus.

Meekness is one of those fruit that does not stand alone, even in the Beatitudes. One cannot have meekness without mourning and poor in spirit, or in laymen terms, godly repentance  and total dependence. Meekness/gentleness is also coupled with faithfulness and self control which are qualities of the Spirit that work together in us.

If you want to get a better understanding of the Fruit of Spirit, don't read the series of books by Lara Velez, instead check our Elizabeth George's "A Woman's Walk with God",  I will link it below. Her book is by far the best study I have don't yet on this subject and its an easy read with a powerful impact.

I think after I go through the Fruit of the Spirit, I am gonna do a study on the Beatitudes, both mirror what my life should look like, or I may just re-do Elizabeth George's again.


A Woman's Walk with God

Busy, Busy, Busy.......

I woke up this morning feeling like I was in the dead of winter. My son apparently got hot during the night and turned the thermostat down to 65! I have got to get a lock for that thing! I like it cool in the house when I am sleeping but not so cold I don't even want to get out from under the covers. Of course he has no clue what that does to the electric bill, I wonder if there is a parental control on that thing that requires a pass-code? I will have to check on that.

Busy weekend. I am in the process of making office space in my home and I recently got some new couches so I spent the greater part of my weekend moving things around to accommodate an office area and that can take some time. I am one of those people who will move things around, go to the front door to take it all in and decide if it looks aesthetically pleasing at first glance when walking into the house. Needless to say I had to move that room around a dozen times before I finally decided I could live with the way it looks from the front door.

With my bosses retirement, and my new boss living in Jupiter, Florida, it has been decided that we will work from home, so I am working towards getting ready for that move and I think I have finally decided just where to set up, now to order some office furniture.  I am not just looking for an office desk, I want to create an 'office' environment, but trying to explain that to my husband has not been easy, but he will get it once its all set up. Besides at least I still have a job, we originally thought I would be phased out but and back to looking for another job, thankfully that is not the case!

In the meantime I am also helping my niece plan for her upcoming October wedding. Yesterday we went to the venue to brain storm on placement, decorations, setting and all the other things that go into wedding planning. We were there for about 3 hours, but it was a productive 3 hours and we finally have a game plan. Most importantly I believe I have a better understanding of what her vision for her wedding will look like and that's important.  These things must be treated with delicacy and although I am confident in my abilities to make her vision a reality, no amount of self-confidence can easily calm the mind of a worrying bride. It's her wedding day and I want her to be happy with the results, and I have no doubt she will be.

On a low note, my diet was horribly derailed over the weekend and that skinny chic in side of me is NOT happy with me. It's not that I ate horribly, I just ate a few things that I have decided to cut out of my diet for a while. Yes meaning I failed at some self-control too. That is and will remain an ongoing project.  I did however discover a few things.  Bread is not my friend, it bloats me up like the good year blimp and there isn't anything good about that. Also, I am pretty sure I have a dairy intolerance. So all is not lost. I always do really well during the week, it those weekends that get me sometimes, guess I need to plan better for the weekends.

This week I will be moving on to book two of the Fruit of the Spirit Series I told you about last week. Book two is Meekness which should be interesting cause just what I have read so far, which isn't much, covers pride and that is something I do struggle with from time to time,. I am sure I will share more later this week.

Have a great week my friends!

Surrender.....

I have always been somewhat of a control freak, but I have learned to control it. Now that's funny! Maybe there is a better way to say that. I have learned from experience that you can't control everything and guess what......there are people who can do a better job....at somethings.......sometimes......okay maybe more than somethings and sometimes.

Truth is we all have strengths and weaknesses and different personalities are better in some areas but not so much in others. Interestingly enough I am not the typical 'Type A, B, C or D' personality. Yes can you believe it there are more than two personality types.  I am what the working world likes to label as a 'Type X' personality, meaning basically I am a personality type mutt. You may think that this could be a good thing but it poses many challenges. I like to do a good job, but I am not a perfectionist. I have many talents and skills, but its difficult to hone in on just one when deciding a college or career path. When I am working on something, especially that requires creativity, sometimes I am so focused I forget to eat. (Wish that would happen mire often) Other times, if I find it boring, I just try to get it done as nicely and quickly as possible so I can move on to something more interesting. I like order but I am not always great at keeping things in order. I am creative but my creativity is limited by my moods. So as you can see I am simply a hot mess, as my friend Brandy would say.

So, I have rambled on to bring you this question: How can one struggle with self control when they can be controlling? I believe the word we are looking for here is SURRENDER. Surrender is a battle term. It implies giving up all rights to the conqueror. When an  opposing army surrenders, they lay down their arms, and the winners take control from then on. Surrendering to God works the same way. God has a plan for our lives, and surrendering to Him means we set aside our own plans and eagerly seek His. The good news is that God's plan for us is always in our best interest (Jeremiah 29:11), unlike our own plans that often lead to destruction (Proverbs 14:12). Our Lord is a wise and beneficent victor; He conquers us to bless us. Now that's a battle I would be okay to losing.

There are different levels of surrender, all of which affect our relationship with God. Initial surrender to the drawing of the Holy Spirit leads to salvation (John 6:44; Acts 2:21). When we let go of our own attempts to earn God's favor and rely upon the finished work of Jesus Christ on our behalf, we become a child of God (John 1:12; 2 Corinthians 5:21). But there are times of greater surrender during a Christian's life that bring deeper intimacy with God and greater power in service. The more areas of our lives we surrender to Him, the more room there is for the filling of the Holy Spirit (Ephesians 5:18). When we are filled with the Holy Spirit, we exhibit traits of His character (Galatians 5:22). The more we surrender to God, the more our old self-worshiping nature is replaced with one that resembles Christ (2 Corinthians 5:17).

Romans 6:13 says that God demands that we surrender the totality of our selves; He wants the whole, not a part: “Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.” Jesus said that His followers must deny themselves (Mark 8:34)—another call to surrender.

The goal of the Christian life can be summed up by Galatians 2:20: "I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me." Such a life of surrender is pleasing to God, results in the greatest human fulfillment, and will reap ultimate rewards in heaven (Luke 6:22-23).

Well this should certaintly help me as I allow His fruit to develope and grow in me. I hope as a teach/preach to myself that can you benefit, we are all just a work in progress!

Have a great weekend!

Self Control

But I say, walk in the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the desires of the Flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things that you want to do....  Galatians 5:16-17

Self-control. Why do we struggle here so much? Why is it so hard to say no to our flesh and passions? This is without a doubt something that every one of us struggles with on some level and I definitely do in certain areas of my life. Whether it is gossiping, overeating, lack of exercise, over spending, lust, attention, running, body image, or any other craving we feel the need to feed, we all have something that we run towards to find satisfaction outside of God, even if that is not our intention, seems like sometimes these things just happen so naturally that we don't recognize it as lack of self-control.

Wrestling with self-control can feel like struggling with a selfish motive and overcoming it in an attempt to make our lives better or more productive. However, as we see in the passage above, self-control is a fruit born of the Spirit of God dwelling inside us. It’s not to be viewed as a discipline to muster up so that we can be better Christians. It is a fruit of God that comes through dependence on him and satisfaction in him. Growing in self-control is an opportunity to trust God and to surrender all of our faculties to Him again. It’s a privilege to cast our weaknesses on the Lord and watch him move, answer, and redeem even the innermost parts of our lives.

Many try, as I have, to ‘develop’ self-control, and that is possible, but that is not the kind of self-control I am striving to obtain. My goal is not to personally develop self-control, but rather to allow the Spirit to develop inside of me this particular fruit. I find it interesting that in order to allow this to happen I have to release control of self to have this happen, but I would much rather have the Spirit working in me to develop this fruit then try to do it on my own!

Several of you have chosen to read this series as well and I want you to know that I will praying for you along with continued prayers for myself that the Spirit will lead us in this desire to be more like Christ and less like us. Each week I will read one series and just study, meditate and pray regarding that one fruit, unless I feel led to linger longer. 

May the Spirit be with you and grow stronger and stronger in each of us as we allow His fruit to develop and flourish in our lives.

P.S. Just in case you are wondering about yesterdays blog, I am okay, and I will trust that things will workout one way or another :)

I Need.......

Today I am a bit irritated, but you know how I feel about complaining so I will try not to rant and rave about why I am irritated, instead I am just gonna practice self-control and pour out a bit of my heart. Hope that's okay.

Larry and I have been married for almost 16 years and many of you know that it has been and continues to be a constant struggle. It's not like we fight  a lot its just that we are not happy as a couple. We get along most of the time, but that is pretty much because we go about our busy lives separately and have very little intimacy.

Most people that have observed us think we are friends, and I guess that is true to some extent, I care about him and he cares about me and ultimately we want the other person to be happy, but somewhere along the line we stopped caring about making each other happy.

I have read book after book on ways to improve my marriage but when everything you try fails you get worn down and begin feeling that it's hopeless. Continued failures turn into bitterness and it gets harder and harder to find positive things to focus on just to keep more distance coming between us.

In a family someone has to take the lead, and God knows I wish that was Larry, but he simply won't do it.  I don't know if he is worried about making the wrong decisions or just doesn't want that responsibility or if its just too much work, cause it is A LOT of work especially alone.

I have felt alone for 16 years as  wife, a mother and as a woman, I am not saying that Larry doesn't do anything, I am saying that what we have is not the partnership that it needs to be for either of us. We are so different but so much alike, the things we need most from each other are also the things we need ourselves and we just can't figure out how to get passed all the pain, anger and bitterness that has accumulated over the years to fulfill each others needs.

Larry and I rarely talk about serious issues unless they involve the kids, sadly when the kids are not around I go about my business and he goes about his, its like strangers living under the same roof.

In approximately 4 years both of my children will be off to college and I find myself wondering where  will that leave me?  As a mom much of my life is centered around them, and keeps me quite busy but when they are gone who will I share my life with if not my husband?

I wish it was easy to just sit down and have a heart to heart with Larry, but either I don't know how to effectively create a safe environment where we can both do that or Larry is just permanently on the defense all the time, which is a possibility. Learning how to maneuver around his bipolar personality has never been easy.

Some of you who know me probably think I brought this on myself,  and you might be right. I am a hopeless case of hopefulness. I believe that anything is possible but I never took into account the toll it might take on me as a woman. That is not to say I am ready to give up I just need more strength. I need wisdom. I need healing. I need to quiet my pride. I need divine intervention.
I need your prayers.

I am not an unhappy person, and there is not a lot that gets me down or keeps me down, but beneath the joyful surface there is a sadness that I would like to see find some happiness.

The Fruit

Greetings friends! I hope you are all having a great day!

One of my most favorite things to study is the Fruit of the Spirit. I recently found a 10 series collection by Laura Velez that I am pretty excited about doing. I found it very interesting that the first series started with self-control, mostly because this is probably one area I could truly use the Spirit's help in developing the most.

The apostle Paul listed 9 characteristics, in Galatians 5:22-23,  that must be growing in our lives as Christians. These characteristics are totally in harmony with God's full spiritual intent of holiness. Growing in the fruit of the Spirit is evidence of His Spirit in our lives. These are not suggestions or possibilities but rather aspects of the mind of God and since that is the goal as Christians, to be more like Jesus,  allowing Him to display His character in our daily lives is something we all should want.

Christian have the opportunity to be walking billboards of God's existence and wisdom. When we demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit, people watch and take notice. Whether they mock us for being naive when we patient trust God through trials or commend us for our generous and loving attitudes, they do see. Whether they laugh at us for controlling our human impulses or stare in amazement as we find fulfilling peace amidst tragedy, they see.

The fruit of the Spirit isn't about just sitting and waiting for the Kingdom, but rather about training for living God's way of life now with every thought and action of our lives.  Then the example of peace and comfort that comes along with those changed attitudes and standards will be a witness as to why the Kingdom of God is so needed.

What I love most about the fruit of the Spirit is that He does most of the work, all I have to do is be willing to allow Him to make the changes in my life, to help me be more like Jesus from the inside out. This is what the more of Him less of me looks like, this is the Holy Spirit in our lives, gradually growing stronger and stronger in our lives till God shines through more brightly then we do.

Well if you are interested in looking further into the Fruit of the Spirit I have attached a link below for Amazon, the entire series on Kindle is on about $12 and so far I am enjoying it and look forward to the Spirit continuing to do a work in me to be more like Him and less like me.

 Fruit of the Spirit 10 book series

Jesus > Religion

Over the weekend I wanted to do some yard work but I also wanted to read a book so I decided to do both. As you may recall when I read a book it usually involves note taking and highlighting in hopes that my recall of the information will be improved but this time I decided to go the audio book route and downloaded  Jesus > Religion. This book was recommended by my friend Leah.


I was pleasantly surprised at how listening to the book actually kept my attention even while raking and picking up leaves. Needless to say I  worked longer than anticipated just because I did not want to stop listening to the book. Although the plan was to read the book with Leah, I accidentally finished it while grocery shopping yesterday! (Sorry Leah). It was a good book.

I am pretty sure this book was written for the 15-25 age range, but there was some pretty insightful stuff in there. One thing I recall is when he talked about the parable of the prodical son, I don't know about you but I have never given much thought to the brother of the prodical son. I have however been in that brother's position of wondering why some receive more than others especially those who seemingly don't deserve it. This and many other stories are told throughout the book that give a much different perspective on the normal and usual stories we have all heard and read over the years. I can see that this book will be controversial, especially to the religious Christians, those with all the rules and the you must do things this way or that way, etc., etc., etc.,.

Best thing about being a Christian is that God knew that we would suck at it and that we would continue to suck at it because even though HE  made it so simple , we made it so impossible to live up to for so many.

From a 40+ year old perspective this was a very thought provoking book especially having been brought up in church where doctrine and rules are plenty on the do's and don't of being a Christian according to the Church of God or any denomination for that matter. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the book, it was written more for the younger generation, and it may not have been the authors intention, but more specifically for the teen and young adult males, as it covers quite a bit of the struggles that men face. One topic covered is pornography, and I have never known any male that has not dabbled or struggled with this issue at some point during their lives, it a very real and powerful struggle and one that is more often times whispered about but rarely openly discussed.

Sin is sin in the eyes of God where a white lie is the same as stealing, and gossiping as murder and so forth, but the good news is that ALL are forgiven, even when one has to keep asking forgiveness for the same things. That's how wonderful God's love, grace and mercy are.

Much to ponder.....

Without going into too much detail, as a parent I am struggling with something today.  I believe part of the role of a parent includes teaching our children the importance of leaving your options open. We are all guilty of making rash decisions based on emotions and we've probably learned by now that we cannot trust emotions because often times there is more involved adding to the current cause of any given emotion.

When we become stressed or tension is caused, a number of 'negative' emotions start to build, including anger, frustration, fear, jealousy and so on. When we display these emotions it can affect others around us often times arousing similar feelings. Some people are are either not good at restraining their emotions or are less concerned about the effect on others and more about the personal benefits of emotional outbursts, causing them to regularly and habitually display those emotions. There has to be a middle ground when it comes to emotions, especially as Christians. Emotional outburst regarding negative emotions are both selfish and lacking in self control.

Over the years I have learned the importance of processing my thoughts and feelings and rarely just reacting emotionally. That is not to say I am not upset at that given moment, I just try not to respond until I have given myself time to filter through those emotions. When we have a lot going on or we are tired we are more sensitive than usual and are more inclined to "emotional outbursts".  There are benefits to both and disadvantages. Sometimes we regret what was said or done and sometimes we regret what was not said or done during the heated moments.

I like to think of emotions as storm clouds, they obscure our view and until those storm clouds dissipate all decisions made during that time are a gamble, and when it comes to relationships, which are hard enough, do you really want to take the chance of making a wrong decision for a momentary feeling of validation?

Anyway, I don't think we can fully rely on our feelings but after some serious processing if you still feel the same then I believe the decision has to be made to do something or if leaving it alone all together is the best choice as somethings really are beyond our control and expressing feelings regarding that may or may not satisfy the need to be heard or in most cases have those feelings validated.

Much to ponder..........

Exciting News!

Can I tell you how excited I am?

Yesterday my niece Brittnie came over to ask a favor. I had anticipation as to what she was gonna ask and hoped it would be what I was thinking it might be. Guess what? It was!!! I am so excited about being her "wedding planner" and completely honored and humbled by her request. Over the last year Brittnie and I have had the opportunity to grow in our relationship and I don't just consider her my niece but a friend as well. So I have 5 months to help  make her dreams come true.

On a selfish note, I have always wanted to plan a wedding and since I got married at the court house I missed out on, what seems to be a milestone for any girl, planning a wedding. I am really looking forward to helping her make the beginning of her love story a very special day. Besides this will be one more event I can add to my event planning portfolio. :)

I think the most challenging part of planning an event is making sure her vision for her special day is my vision as well, and I believe we have accomplished that so we can check that off our list of things to do. Second big challenge, staying within the budget! I am a pretty resourceful and a penny pincher so maybe not so big a challenge I hope.

When talking about weddings I just can't help but think about how we, as Christians, are referred to as the Bride of Christ. I get a little tearful when I imagine all the time and preparation that He is making for us on our special day. There is nothing more beautiful than when the groom sees his bride for the first time walking down the isle looking her very best. I especially like it when the groom starts to tear up. The thoughts that go on inside each of their heads, as she slowly makes it down the isle,  hoping that this day will be the beginning of something wonderful. We won't deny that there will also be some doubts, that's just human nature, but as long as they make and keep Christ at the center of this union, He will help it grow into a beautiful and meaningful union. 

One twist to this is that not only will Brittnie become a wife but also a step-mom. Phillip has a daughter, around 6, Maddy.  I only know what I have seen and experienced with my relationship as a step-daughter, and there have been some challenges along the way. My mom did not have to worry about the other mom since she was absent from our lives, that will not be the case for Brittnie.

As my friends I would like to ask that you to add Brittnie and Phillip to your prayers. Specifically I want you to pray that God would give them wisdom and a full understanding of what it means to be husband and wife. Pray that they would understand each others love language and love one another accordingly. Also pray for the other people who will be affected by this union, Maddy and her mom, that God would settle any turbulent thoughts and feelings between them and that peace and love will rule in these relationship as well. 

Wedding day is October 1, 2016 so plenty of time for those prayers to be answered. Thank you my friends.

Proverbs 2

A friend was recently giving me an update on how it’s going–now that his oldest child is behind the wheel. He said he grips the door handle and yells a lot, and it seems to be working!

I laughed and told him I’d have to try his grip-n-yell technique. So far, whenever my daughter (also a new driver) is in the driver’s seat, I’ve only employed the technique of quietly lecturing with hand motions her on all the things she should have done ‘back there’.

She says it isn’t helping.

It got me thinking about parenting in general. If you were to create a graph, categorizing all of the ways I communicate with my kids, the leading column–I’m afraid–would be lecturing. I spend far more time telling them what they should have done ‘back there’, than telling them what they should do ‘up here’.

In other words, I probably correct more than I train.

Yet the parent in Proverbs 2 does just the opposite. He says to his son:

-  Do you want to always know the right thing to do?

-  Do you want God to shield you from calamity?

-  Do you want God to guard your path, so that no one attacks you?

-  Do you want God to watch over you, and keep you safe?

See how this parent whets the appetite for wisdom? He’s with his child, parked near the on-ramp of life, looking out over the dashboard, asking, “What do you want this drive to be like? What crashes and roadblocks do you want to avoid?”

Then, he says, “So, here’s the highway you want to take. It’s named Wisdom.” He points out how this road is marked by upright decisions, integrity and justice.

He promises his child that if he will call out for wisdom, seek it, and search for it like treasure,

“Then you will understand righteousness and justice and equity, every good path;

for wisdom will come into your heart,and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul.” 

(Proverbs 2:9-10)

I love how this Proverbs parent casts a vision for the road ahead, enticing his child to pursue wisdom. It seems more effective than ranting about what happened ‘back there’. (I’ll bet my daughter would agree.) 

And isn’t this how God parents us? He doesn’t lecture or yell about our past indiscretions. He invites us to take the path of wisdom. He points to the on-ramp, just ahead.

Sometimes He sends Us into the Storm

Matthew 14 tells the story of Jesus sending the disciples across the Sea of Galilee without Him. He gave directions, and they obeyed. But when evening came, a storm kicked up. Verse 24 says, "The boat by this time was a long way from land, beaten by the waves, for the wind was against them."

From inside a boat, wind is your enemy. Wind causes waves. Waves create uncertainty. They push away any security, predictability, or assurance you thought you had. The disciples may have expected smooth sailing, but what they got was a dreadful night of terror, exhaustion, and uncertainty. All because they followed Jesus' instructions.

This is hard for me. I like to picture Jesus calming the storm, not sending me into it. I don't like to face dark nights of uncertainty. I despise being whipped by waves of uncertainty or pitched about by struggle. But as a follower of Jesus, I must recognize that sometimes my Lord leads me into storms rather than out of them. Sometimes He disrupts my smooth-sailing and positions me to face wind and waves.

I'll bet the disciples wondered why Jesus would do this, during their dark night of struggle. As Jesus' most dedicated followers, they had imagined long lives of service, not death by drowning. As the dreadful night tarried, their strength drained and their stress rose. By the time Jesus showed up walking on the water , I'm sure they were completely spent and traumatized.

Jesus could have stepped out onto quiet waters, lapping lazily against a dock. He could have unveiled His dignity and power to His disciples on some sunny day with birds chirping in the background. I'm sure they would have still been amazed.

But when Jesus came defying gravity, unaffected by the stormy gales after their dark night of suffering, the disciples saw Him in a completely new way. They saw Him as their Savior. They clung to His words of comfort like a life ring. They welcomed His presence as their only hope. When the whole ordeal was over, they worshiped Jesus and said for the very first time, "Truly you are the Son of God" (Matt. 14:33).

I'm so thankful for the sunny days of respite that God allows. But I also know there will be dark nights when God leads me back into a storm. These prolonged periods of painful uncertainty aren't meant to terrify me; they are meant to set a backdrop. Against the velvety blackness of the storm, Jesus shines most brightly and His comfort and presence are most dear. In the storm, we see Christ's beauty and experience His satisfying presence in a way that we cannot when the birds are chirping in the background.

It's good to know that Jesus is always with us but it is sometimes difficult to remind ourselves of this when we are in the midst of a life storm. Isaiah 41:10,13 says "Don't panic, I am with you, there's no need to fear for I am your God. I will give you strength. I will help you. I, your God, have a firm grip on you and I am not letting go."

Happy Monday

Greetings Friends and happy Monday!

I hope that all of you who are mothers had a wonderful Mother's Day. The one thing I look forward to each year are the letters from my children. I am not sure when or why they decided to write me a letter for Mother's Day, but I am glad they did. Allie's letter made me cry, she really has a good heart,  and Nick's made me laugh. There is a line in Nick's that says " I am glad you are not too strict but I am also glad your not too loose" I just died laughing. Nick is funny even when he handed me the note he said: "now I don't want you coming to me after you read this all mushy and emotional or anything okay?" Both letters were a wonderful gift, and its nice to hear  how loved and appreciated you are. Larry got me roses, when Nick saw them he said: "you would think after 17 years dad would know by now you don't like roses".

As for the concert Friday Night, it was better than I ever imagined it would be. Amy Grant was wonderful, still looks as beautiful and young as ever. Nicole Nordeman was probably my favorite though, her songs and music are so powerful. Francie and I had a great time before, during and after and I look forward to more adventures with her in the future.

Saturday afternoon, we attened a combination birthday dinner celebration for my sister Angie, niece Brittnie and her beau Phillip,  out at the barn. Phillip's family cooked some really good food it was a nice day for it too. While everyone was finishing up eating, Phillip took center stage and held up some poster boards for Brittnie to read and respond to, but ya really couldn't understand anything but the tears of joy. Finally I was like so was that a yes or no? So congratulations Brittnie on your engagement and future wedding, try not to stress to much while planning for the big day. I do however think its cool that your initials will be BLT, who wouldn't like that? Congrats.

Very productive and nice weekend. I was so inspired by the concert for friday night I went home, wrote a song and even wrote a mother's day poem for my mom and was glad to have been able to spend a little time with her. I know she loves me especially after eating a few pieces of that nasty lemon pound cake that I made, yukitty yuk yuk yuk! I won't be attempting that again any time soon!

Well have wonderful week everyone! In closing I wanted to share a pretty cool song we heard over the weekend from Nicole Nordeman called "Slow Down mother to a child song I think you will enjoy it, I personally cried.

"Slow down

Live Life Together Tour

Happy Friday! I am super excited today and the anticipation of this evenings festivities may just wear me out before it even begins!

Tonight, Francie and I are headed to Saint Augustine to come face to face with someone who has  impacted both our lives over the years and continues to minister to us today. I was 10 years old the first time I came to identify with and love the music of Amy Grant. That was the beginning of a beautiful relationship. 

I will never forget when I first heard "Father's Eyes". I felt this song, as if she had somehow stolen my very own thoughts and feelings about God as my Father.  The line "when people look inside my life I want to hear them say, she's got her Father's Eyes" this was exactly how I felt.  Of course, Amy did not write this song but through her platform this song became the anthem song of thousands of girls all over the world. 

From that moment on the music of Amy Grant became a  constant companion throughout the seasons of my life. The album that had the greatest impact on my life was Age to Age. I was 12. My relationship with God was the most stable and important relationship in my life. Being in a gospel group with my family travelling all around to churches, revivals, festivals , music and singing had become an expressive part of who I was and who God was to me. My teen years pulled me in different directions, as you can imagine, so much was going on and it was a difficult time spiritually and emotional, the Age to Age album, put into words exactly where I was and help keep me grounded in my faith.

 One song on that album , "Arms of Love",  became a song that would  be sung and prayed over and over during those years, as you read the lyrics and recall your own teenage struggles I think you will understand why.   (click this link to hear the song)  Arms of Love

Arms of Love

Lord, I'm really glad you're here
Hope You feel the same
When You see all my fear
And how I fail
I fall sometimes
It's hard to walk in shifting sand
I miss the rock and find
I've nowhere left to stand
I start to cry
Lord, please help me
Raise my hand, so You can pick me up
Hold me close, hold me tighter

I have found a place where I can hide
It's safe inside
Your arms of love
Like a child who's held throughout a storm
You keep me warm
In Your arms of love

Storms will come and storms will go
Wonder just how many storms
It takes until I finally know
You're here always
Even when my skies are far from gray,
I can stay
Teach me to stay there

2016 National Day of Prayer

^“1 I urge, then, first of all, that petitions, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for all people— ² for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. ³ This is good, and pleases God our Savior…” 

1 Timothy 2:1-3

Well today is the 2016 National Day of Prayer. Although we should be praying for our country and its leaders everyday, today was set aside for this purpose. 

The United States has observed many unofficial national days of prayer throughout its history until 1952, when President Harry S. Truman signed a bill proclaiming a National Day of Prayer. This bill did not establish a specific calendar date for the event, but left it up to each president to designate a date of his choosing. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan fixed the date of the National Day of Prayer as the first Thursday of May. Rumors have stirred around that Obama had cancelled the National Day of Prayer for 2016, but those rumors are false! Not that it would make a difference since we as Christians are to do this daily.

There is always controversy regarding our leaders, and there always will be. We will never be of one mind in regards to what is best for our country, but we can agree that the best thing to do as individuals is pray for our leaders and our country, and trust that regardless of the outcome, or who the current President is or will be, God is ultimately in control. Imagine what the world would look like if we spent as much time praying for our leaders and country as we do complaining?

In 1984, President Ronald Reagan said it so eloquently how important prayer is: 

"We all in this room, I know, and we know many millions more everywhere, turn to God in prayer, believe in the power and the spirit of prayer. And yet so often, we direct our prayers to those problems that are immediate to us, knowing that He has promised His help to us when we turn to Him. And yet in a world today that is so torn with strife where the divisions seem to be increasing, not people coming together, within countries, divisions within the people, themselves and all, I wonder if we have ever thought about the greatest tool that we have — 

the power of prayer and God's help.