2014

New Year’s Eve has once again rolled around quickly. No doubt it will do the same next year. Traditionally, as most, I am reminded to take a look back to reflect and evaluate all that transpired throughout the past year. I am compelled to gaze forward, setting my mind on what I want the year ahead of me to present. New adventures and realities await me. Thankfully, the past is getting further behind me as I gain momentum toward God’s blessings in front of me.

Lord, I am grateful for your abundant care and grace over me, my marriage, and my family. Thank you for every ounce of strength and guidance you gave us throughout the year. You helped us endure difficult and heart wrenching experiences. You helped us to forgive others…and ourselves. You motivated us to overcome obstacles and challenges, allowing us to face our fears. You have encouraged us to seek the desires of our hearts and build our dreams.

You have done all this and so much more, many times without our immediate awareness and other times blatantly exposed in your glory. You are fun and off-the-cuff like that. I like it.

Though troubles, fears, temptations, and challenges surrounded us, they did not overtake us. You knew our needs before we knew them. Your grace was and continues to be sufficient. I trust that you will provide and make a clear path for us before we even realize our need to ask.

May our hearts and minds rest in you, knowing that God’s Got This!

Amen!

Pretty Weeds

I open the window blinds knowing I need a touch of light to fill my darkening day. Unwillingly, I catch a glimpse of the backyard and notice a few new flowers. Flowers I did not plant. Irony holds my attention as I realize what deception the blossoming flowers display. The flowers are innocently blooming from hideous stalks of three-foot-tall weeds.

What have I allowed to grow in my own backyard? Pretty weeds of destruction and disgrace. But why? I have a vision of genuine beauty and purpose for my backyard. Why did I tolerate being overtaken?

Instantly my mind transforms the backyard into a heart, not a sweet valentine-shaped heart, but a life-sustaining and spiritual heart. And the same truthful questions resonate in relation to my heart.

What have I allowed to grow in my own heart? Fear, judgment, too-random acts of kindness. But why? I have a vision of genuine beauty and purpose for my heart. Why did I tolerate being overtaken?

A landscape reserved for peace and safety

Intended for playtime, meditations, conversations, and laughter

One enticing intrusion remains unattended and 

Disability pervades the heart

Lord, please weed out my heart. Remove the false intentions. Establish it with your genuine love and goodness to display your glory.

Big Baby

The typical is to hear “I’m not a baby anymore!” Extraordinary is the moment when your Kindergartener is wailing that she “misses being a baby.” There are moments in life that brake you and break you. This particular moment at first seemed silly, but plausible enough to put a brake on the usual evening routine and evaluate the message of the moment. A disheartening realization swept over me as I saw a picture being held tightly in her precious hands. The picture is of her in her daddy’s arms when she was about 18 months old. She was missing her dad who was working late. She needed some tender loving care. So, I cradled her in my arms and gave her all my attention.

Growing up is not easy!

Today, I read Hebrews chapter 5. As I read, verse 11 came across a bit gruff, “There is much more we would like to say about this, but it is difficult to explain, especially since you are spiritually dull and don’t seem to listen. You have been believers so long now that you ought to be teaching others. Instead, you need someone to teach you again the basic things about God’s word.”

And then I read the words that followed…

“You are like babies…”

Huh, wow…ouch.

Just as my “big girl” needed a moment of “being a baby again”, have you ever found yourself with the same need to put the burdens of life down for a moment, to be lazy, to do what you want to do? I have. It is easier and less stressful to let someone else do the dirty work. But, ultimately I am a grown-up. I know better and therefore I choose to do and be better.

Spiritually, as stated in Hebrews, I have been a believer for so long now. At this point I should be pursuing, acting upon, and teaching others what I have already learned. So, why am I not doing and being what I know to be better?

Because, growing up is not easy!

Lord, I know I am not a baby anymore! Increase my desire to grow more in Your revelation, wisdom, and insight. Amen!

Do you relate to wanting to be a baby again?

Spiritually, are you a baby, child, teen, or adult? Why?

Declaration

 

I am a writer

creator

visionary

with vocabulary

I am a dreamer

thinker

examiner

of extraordinary

I am an artist

dramatist

novelist

of niceties

I am a composer

originator

musician

of melodies

I am a Writer

http://youareawriter.com/ 

Procrastinating on my Potential

 I am a natural procrastinator when it comes to self related projects or goals. I think procrastination stems from perfectionism and the fear of failure. I may have a fantastic vision of a finished project, such as a blog, and if it doesn’t become "that vision" and fit the description, then it’s not perfect.  Starting a project takes an enormous amount of courage and sometimes it takes a while for “enough” courage to build up. As time passes in the process of waiting for courage, the intensity of motivation and creativity begin to dissipate. Sometimes it’s a slow and gradual leak similar to an inflatable mattress that eventually becomes too weak to support any weight. Other times, out of “that-will-never-happen” frustration, ideas are deliberately set loose like an air-filled balloon set drastically free to fly and fart wildly through the air, landing with a fizzled plop.

My preference is to give all-or-nothing. Therefore I have done…nothing. 

I am realizing the danger and destruction of this mentality and am trying to overcome the idea that ALL has to be done perfectly. It isn’t healthy for me or for those around me. It can affect the simplest of things and weed itself into more significant matters.

Taking action in the face of fear strengthens me to overcome it. Overcoming fear encourages me to pursue my potential.

Undercurrent: not apparent at the surface but a force that lies beneath

Easily overwhelmed, I once lived within the undercurrent of a vast sea of advice and “helpful” information. I became swept away in home-organization articles, parenting books, and Godly-wife Bible studies. Before any offense is taken, there is nothing wrong with any of those things and each have a time and a place. The obsession I had with living up to all those good things was the problem. I wasn’t good enough.

And frankly, fear of failing restrained me from even wanting to try to be good enough.  

The truth is, while there may be room for a few improvements in our lives, living up to others' expectations is exhausting. You are good enough. I am good enough. You were designed to be you for a purpose. You have good qualities; things that make you completely different from everyone else. Isn’t that a good thing? We struggle so often to fit into the crowd, but when you fit into the crowd what difference do you make...?

Noticeable Difference

I thought this photo would justly commemorate the resurrection of my long-time lifeless blog.

The beauty of this picture is not seen in the picture itself. Although the many crosses are an awesome display, the significance lies within the heart of the person capturing the sight of the crosses with a camera. In the midst of construction with constant noise, problem solving, and organized chaos, the contractor chose to acknowledge something noticeably different.

In John 17:15 Jesus’ prayer for his disciples is “not that You take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”

Sanctify means “set apart”. Though we are in the world, Jesus’ prayer is for us to be set apart from the world. Understanding and application of this allows His truth to fill us and transform us into something noticeably different in His positive light.

A cross is a simple yet significant symbol of Christ’s love for every person. The power is in the resurrection – the life that is brought back from death – a noticeable difference.

While we are in this world may we be like the crosses in the picture. May we signify God’s glory upon this world.