Thankful Thursday......Just Give It Away

1 Thessalonians 5:18

"Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 

The days are full.  The worry could overwhelm.  The distractions are a constant reminder of what life is not about. 
The self-sufficiency threatens to take control.... away from the One who leads us well.


Whatever the circumstance..... just give it away... and give thanks.
The truth that He, the Lord of life, The Giver of Truth, goes before us. 
He prepares a way...  for us, this day.

Wherever I find myself today, I know I can trust in Him.
 I can rely on His perfect timing and grace and know that He is in this moment. 
 The Lord of heaven and earth goes before me today. He loves me that much.
The same is true for you.... He loves you that much!


What circumstance can you give to God today? 
Let Him take it and work it out.  He desires that. 
He is that BIG, and that Mighty to save, heal, protect and bless. 
Just give it away.

Wednesday Warrior.. Be A Trader

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Lets all be traders!!! 

 What would our world look like?

"Squirrel!"

Do you ever get distracted?  

The plan is in your head and hand... cup of coffee, Bible, devotional, thoughts. You have the time, the desire ... the ideas are percolating. You want time with God and bam, before you know it you are vacuuming that floor that has been bugging you for days. 

You find yourself responding to a text, a phone call or cleaning up the breakfast dishes. The dog needs to be walked (so do you), your kids need something, the husband calls.... 

or like right now, as my son is responding to a text I sent him, because the Dentist called me, because I called him... you get the point.

You feel like a failure when you see the clock has ticked away two hours of your life.

"Not again!"

This appears to be my life. I also suffer from "Squirrel syndrome" as my husband calls it. I am able to multi think... similar to multi tasking, but more annoying, especially to others. I can flow (skip, flip, call it what you will) from one thought to another, in less than 1 1/2 seconds. Totally different subjects and thoughts, never the two shall meet. 

This may be a gift or possibly damage from not being medicated as a child. 

When this happens my husband looks up in the trees and yells, "squirrel".  He thinks this is humorous because I am responding as our dog does when she spots a squirrel. Kind of crazy, frantic and certainly driven.  Maybe he means this as a compliment. Hmm.....

When he does this it makes me laugh. It is a reminder to me, to be bring it back down.  Come back and join him. "Yes dear, now where were we?" Sometimes I can get a little loud and demonstrative... and off track. 

If I am not careful, this can grow into a bad habit, a poisonous weed... a lifetime of distractions. 

I was reminded today to stay on the path marked in front of me. God has chosen better for His children.

Luke 10:38-42 "Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”  

Mary got it right. She knew what was important. This may have been her only chance to sit at Jesus feet. To sense the beauty that graced His words, His touch, His soul that loved them, even to death.

Despite my human failures, I feel the pull of Christ daily. He is able to work through my weaknesses and cracks in my physical being. My foundation is strong in Him because He is my source of strength. He is the solid rock, even when I have wandered.

I may still chase some squirrels with my physical being but I know whom my heart seeks and delights in.   I seek Him because He has shown Himself to me.

"Listening to God is a first hand experience... God invites you to vacation in His splendor. He invites you to feel the touch of His hand. He invites you to feast at His table. He wants to spend time with you."
Max Lucado

Mercy Me ... it's almost Monday. Time to MOVE!

Mercy Me ..... it's almost Monday. MOVE. That's the name of the song by MERCYME.  MOVE is a word we need to make part of our vocabulary as children of the King.  He asks us to move for HIM.  It's an opportunity to change the day to day we repeat, over and over again. Today can be a brighter day. We can keep dancing, knowing He will keep us steady and provide the way.

Thanks MERCYME for inspiring us to MOVE, today.

Laura Story - Blessings

We pray and seek Gods blessing in our life.

We have ideas what the blessings should look like. Sometimes God has a better plan.

The blessings may come through raindrops and tears, but those thousand sleepless nights will be the times we see who God really is.

Only He can satisfy our soul and His mercies will be in disguise... for the moment.

When we look back through the storms we will see Him... crying with us, holding us tightly and never letting us go.

This is not our home.

He is our home.

Thankful Thursday

2 Corinthians 9:15 
"Thanks be to God for his inexpressible gift!" 

This scripture is the purest reminder of my greatest gift. The gift of the Son of God. My Lord, my Savior, my Redeemer. The great I AM. My Rock. I am thankful for Jesus .

What are you thankful for today?

No Worries

I once sailed on a catamaran for 10 days. It was called No Worries. 

It's tough to have worries when you are sailing the blue seas of the Caribbean. 

You might worry if the local dining spot will have enough fresh catch of the day for you, or if your towel will be dry after the next swim. 

Maybe you could worry about sharks or pirates. That's not something that would cross my radar, but I do have a friend who said she would never go sailing because she read a book (fiction) where there were pirates and sharks and most of the people died.  She made me read it. It was poorly written and I laughed in the face of it... as I hungrily read each word.

There are statistics that tell us we should worry if we have experienced major upheavals and traumas in our lives, over a year long period. 

These experiences can cause major stress which can lead to serious health problems. 

Some of these include

marriage

divorce

job change

move to new community

birth of a child

Serious health issues among immediate family

death of a spouse

change in financial picture

move to different home

retirement

child leaving home

The list goes on......

The first time I saw this list was  21 years ago and I realized that I should be very, very sick.

I had checked off 6 major changes in that year.

I did not feel worried.

I wasn't exactly Singing in The Rain or shouting No Worries

but

I was putting my trust and hope in someone wiser than me and I would not be a statistic.

The truth was( and is)..... I am child of The King.

"Live for today but hold your hands open for tomorrow. Anticipate the future and its changes with joy. There is a seed of God's love in every event, every circumstance, every unpleasant situation in which you may find yourself."  Barbara Johnson

Philipians 4: 6-7 lived on my refrigerator door in that most difficult year of my life. I read it over and over. A constant reminder of Gods truth for my life.

It says,

"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 Gods 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."

The Message

Are you worrying today? Give God a shout out and tell Him, No Worries! 

Tell Him what you are struggling with and give it to Him. He is waiting to take it.

The Trouble( evils) With Social Media

One should be careful with social media.... especially when waiting for the son to choose his classes for his first semester of college. 

Recognizing the fact that I probably was not paying close attention to my tweets.... because I was hoping he would not end up with

 DJ History, Culture and Technique ( N.Y. University), Learning from YouTube ( Pitzer College)... never heard of it either, 

or Lady Gaga and the Sociology of Fame (University of South Carolina). I might be able to live with Joy of Garbage( Santa Clara University) because we do want to be green and there could be a future in that.

My world of tweeting is limited as my followers are mainly students, my kids and leaders from my church. I follow some authors and speakers and a few others..... but they have not chosen to follow me. I have no idea why( don't miss the sarcasm)

As I was sitting outside with my husband waiting for the nino to finish picking his classes, I checked my phone. They call it smart but I think that is a stretch, at least this particular day.

I will admit the phone had been smart the day before. We had been on our way to the son's dorm when the elevator stopped. It would not go up, down, the door would not open and the phone did not work. Nice.

Before panic set in I reached for my handy, dandy, smart phone and googled the University number. I called and was immediately connected to a women who seemed shocked at our dilemma and called security. They were there in a jiffy and 20 (long) minutes later we were breathing fresh air and kissing the ground. 

We had taken one last family picture and tweeted it, in the off chance we were not found..... alive.

So... back to waiting. I checked my twitter and saw a comment from a fellow tweeter regarding sermons and coffee. I simply and quickly responded that I love sermons on coffee. I put my phone away and conversed with the hubby. He doesn't like it when I talk to him with face in phone. Bad manners, I get that.

Evidently its also bad manners to tweet what I tweeted. Auto correct had taken over and decided what I really meant, and it wasn't a sermon.

I was Weinergated, I tell you... 

and auto correct was the guilty hacker.

My tweet blew up with comments from followers, mostly appalled at my comment.

I pleaded hacking, loss of memory and temporary insanity. They didn't care. They were relentless and grace was not in their vocabulary. They told friends, family, called long lost college buds. It was a fire that was being fueled by the tongue.

I could have been mortified( I was a little) or chosen to laugh at myself and the pickle I had gotten into. I chose the latter. Laughter is always the best option and being able to laugh at one self is high on my list. It was one of the first things I noticed about my husband. 

I laughed at him a lot and he put up with it. Still does.

What is that saying... Laugh and the world laughs with you. Cry and you cry alone.

Not sure, but I will always chose laughter if it is in my power.

 I also hope to be invited for coffee someday. Until then, I will laugh in the face of my fellow tweeters (while looking for their tweet disasters.)

Monday, Monday....

Recognizing it's not Monday....  yesterday was. Today is Tuesday and the first day of summer!!!

Be happy it's not Friday with a video of my Rebecca Black rendition....
Watch out Steven Colbert. You are not the only who knows all the lyrics.

This Monday was a good Monday. The husband was home and life was sweet.
The weekend was settling down in my soul and the cobwebs clearing from my head. I was recognizing the opportunities ahead and the commitment and persistence they would demand of me.

Recognizing Jesus was a devotion I read recently.
It said when self-consideration enters our lives, we are in trouble. We have traded in Lord recognition for ourselves.
When we debate God and start to doubt what we know He told us.....we have turned a dangerous corner.

Instead we should recklessly and willing abandon ourselves to Him... knowing full well, that is what He desires and blesses. Through a reckless trust in Him we will start to recognize His voice clearly.

Whatever the day......
Recognize His truth, knowing that today is a blessing, a gift and an opportunity to trust Him
and not be troubled by self-consideration.

Where do you self-consider in your life...  that you could turn into a Lord recognition.... knowing He is in control?

The Mamas & The Papas - Monday Monday

The Written Word

I have missed the paper and pen. The thoughts that make it to words written down.....here.

Life has thrown me a curve. A son who grew up and went to college orientation and came back a man. Time to put on my big girl pants and deal with it.

Besides, isn't that what I have been praying for and teaching him?

Yes. Yes. A thousand times yes!

God and I wrestled about it last night. He won and thats probably a good thing.

Its just that He seems to be asking a lot of me lately. Do this, go there, say this, move here..... really God, are you sure?

I recognized last night or early this morning that change is here. He has told me, promised me that He has great things ahead for me. Things to mold me, push me, change me.  I said "Yes, you betcha God! I'm all in!" Somewhere along the line, I changed gears or tracks or just thought I knew better. 

I started rationalizing. That is never a good idea with God.

More on that in another blog. The things He continues to teach me, over and over..... and over again:)

I am back on course and part of that needs to be the reminder that He called me to be here.

Here, in the moment with Him and also here..... on this blog. He deserves more from me and I need Him to teach me through this process. 

So, I am considering how to go forward here. 

I found a great blog site by John Acuff. My daughter sent it to me and I am so thankful. He has great insight into blogging and writing. Learning from one of the best is probably a good path.

So, I begin from here. I begin to trust again, to the Creator. The one that has given me opportunities and always a choice to make. I will choose Him, through the tough times and the joyous ones.

Through the changes of life. 

Oh Lord, may I always see the blessing, the joy, the opportunity in front of me. May I bring You glory in each moment. You are my reason for being.

The Power of Words - Say What You Mean And Mean What You Say

 Rich, thoughtful words, spoken into my heart that go deep and linger. I will cling tightly to them. They will stay with me and will comfort me when I doubt that I am enough for Him. I have been blessed through His people. A tongue can slash as a sword, wounding deeply but I have been bathed in the smooth waters that skim over velvet rocks. Soft, welcoming and gentle to the touch.

Yesterday I was sitting with a group of women who are encouragers, mentors, leaders.

One of them stopped to talk to a woman at another table. I heard a name spoken .. one I had not heard in years. Yet one I had thought of often, with much tenderness.

The woman stood up and started coming towards me. I got up and walked towards her. I knew. We hugged each other deeply and my eyes stung as tears fell. I came face to face with a sister, a women who had mentored me, even as I was unaware. A women I admired and had lost touch with. 

She spoke beautiful words to me.

She had connected me to a group of women. She had given me a role. She quietly bowed out.

She had done her job.

She had introduced me to a local author, writer, a Godly woman. What a gift to sit with them at lunch and be still.

Truth is I am sure I talked too much and didn't listen enough. I would love to go back.

I became busy with my new community, young children, finding my place.

We parted and I went back to my table. I tried to put into words what this woman had given me. The truth is I see it clearer now, looking back. She was obedient to God's call on her life. She invested in me, encouraged me and was part of the molding process of my life in Christ.

There was a giggle and one of them said, "We will talk of you this way someday. We will say, remember Dale, blah, blah, blah."  This made us all laugh. Yet the realization of how we affect each other was palpable. There are no neutral interactions. You will leave people full or empty. My cup was about to run over...

On Monday I will have lunch with this friend and I will be sure she hears my words of gratitude.

Tonight I met with a friend, younger than me. We share a deep friendship that does not hinge on where we are in life, unless we are talking where we are in Christ.  She is deep in her faith and invites others to come along with her.

She asked me to lead her High School students at church while she is away for a few weeks. My excitement bordered ridiculous. You see, I love high school students. 

She spoke kind words, that affirmed me, gave me hope. I saw that I had made a difference in her life. 

She told me things that encouraged me, maybe more than anyone else has... ever. 

She believes many people share these feelings, but few are willing to speak them.

 This stuck with me. Why do we do this? Are we sinning when we hold back, not telling others that we love them? That we have been changed by them. That they are worthy, special and make a difference in our lives.

I think of these two women, this group of adult women and these young women. One who mentored me, one who considers me a mentor, a group that pushes each other to be better leaders, and these students/followers of Jesus who are already leading in big ways.

We are sisters on the same journey. We have different stories, ages, goals, yet we are called to encourage and lift one another up.  

Let us joyfully love and be fully devoted to one another daily, recognizing this is God's desire for us. 

Let us push each other on, reaching for the goals Christ has put on our hearts.

Let us invest in one another. 

May we see the truth of this life He has given us. Not to fill ourselves with empty desires but to become mature in Him. He has plans dear sisters for each one of us. May we see that clearly today.

I Am Bringing Sons Into Glory

"We should no longer be children tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking in truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head - Christ."

Ephesians 4;14-15

"My people are precious to Me. No evil shall befall them without My knowledge. My grace I lavish upon them to conform them to My image. My energies I give for their nurture and development. 

I have not simply brought forth children but am bringing sons( daughters) into glory. I have rejoiced in their birth but rejoice more deeply in their maturity.

Be babies no longer, but grow. Fed by the Word of God and succored by prayer, let your development into full stature be accomplished.

My hand is upon you. Draw close. There may be times when I must wield the rod of correction, but this is for your ultimate good. 

Blessing will be held back and growth retarded if you resist My discipline."

Come Away My Beloved - Frances J. Roberts