Country Love

After we accept Christ he transforms our heart to be more like his.  This is one of my favorite things to experience, in my life and others.  These changes are scary to some... will I still be myself, will I have the same feelings or will I like the same things?  In my experience, you are such a better version of yourself that you would never look back, ever! 

Last night I was having a late night snack at Waffle House with my husband.  There was a father there feeding his son who was wheelchair bound.  This father had obviously taken his son to the same country music concert we had been to, they were in cowboy boots and jeans (my kinda men) and having a great time.  My husband and I just couldn't help but notice what a perfect picture of love this was. 

Before we would have looked and quickly looked away, not knowing how to feel.  But Christ has transformed our hearts, not only break for the same things, but to break for what breaks His.  Now we look and take in this beautiful picture in deep admiration, respect and genuine love.  What a bright light the two of them were... I felt honored to be eating in the same Waffle House :)

Love one another fiercely today... like LIONS!!!

May God give you eyes to see beauty only the heart can understand.

Humility

I am going through a process of learning more humility.  I like knowing things, not to be better than anyone else, just to know I have the answer.  But I can imagine, and I do, that this comes across negatively.  The 'less is more' rule applies here... I need to speak less so that when I do, it will mean more.  This is a God-given work in progress.

... Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry..  James 1:19

It is sometimes hard not to be proud when you have fought so hard to keep your son alive and healthy... I am proud this, of him, of my family and of how far he has come.  I am proud that it brought my husband and I closer to each other and to God.  I am proud of the trials we have faced and conquered.

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.  James 1:4

Know-it-all, bossy, blunt, rude... I have been called all of these things.  I am always trying to help, but I just need to be quiet and more supportive.  I hope persevere through this and become more mature in my faith and in this world.

Just Moments

Let Jesus be in your heart,

Eternity in your spirit,

The world under your feet,

The will of God in your actions.

And let the love of God shine forth from you.

Catherine of Genoa

This was a tough week, but I tried to keep a clear vision of God's calling on my life (allow his will into my actions)... so i could walk the lighted path instead of the dark road.  I have dark moments, like we all do, but they are just moments.



Choose to Follow and Serve

Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you your heart's desires. (Psalm 37:4)

I really do believe we serve a God that loves us and wants to give us all we want.  Of course there is bad, evil and ugly things in this world.  But I am so much happier following Christ and serving a God that IS love.  Bottom line, God is good even though life is hard... choose to serve and follow.

Thankful of all things today, my supportive husband, our grill (yum), prince lionheart one and two, opportunity and grace.

The Herd

Stepping out from the herd and gaining some perspective from the outside is always a good thing.  So often we are following and we don't even realize.  The only way to really find yourself is to not be like anyone else.

“Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.”  Mark 10:21

"... But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”  Mark 10:31


How hard is this?  We all want money, maybe not excessive, but the comfort money brings.  He is not only talking about money here, any earthly possessions are wealth, and we all have those.  I love boots, not more than I love Jesus, but I love them none the less.  If I am wearing a beautiful new pair of boots and I encounter someone who needs my boots, how much do I really love them?  Jesus asks us to not hold on to our earthly possessions, if he put this person in my path then I guess I need to hand over my boots.  This is a great example of stepping away from the herd.  The herd likes stuff, the herd likes money and I'm not so sure that the herd would give away their boots?

But after giving away your boots is when you start to discover the treasure that you are, the impact you can make, and the love that lives inside of you.  You start finding the REAL you, the one Christ intended you to be.


After writing the above, re-reading and re-reading...

With tears streaming down my face, I need this message to resonate in my own heart... I struggle with stuff (not in a pathetic way - but in a real kinda way).  It's not so hard for me to get rid of it, I can easily give something to someone who needs it, but there is always more that I want for myself and my family.  I have earthly dreams and goals that I'm not so sure fit in with who God is calling me to be.

Praying for people who give no matter how little they have.

Good Things

Some good things i have heard recently...

What 2 things can you get rid of to make more room for God in your life?

Is Jesus center of your world or something you fit in when you have time?

You don't pray FOR something you pray FROM it.  With trust in God we don't have to ask, we know it will be done.  He knows what we desire before we ask.

God vs 9-11

Anyone ever have those days where your struck by the absolute fragility of human life?  With all these 9-11 specials on TV, anticipating the ten year anniversary, I find myself meditating on this.

Ten years ago I was a student at the Fashion Institute in NYC, I lived on Long Island and commuted three days a week into Manhattan.  On September 11, 2001, I started my day with a stop at 7-Eleven to grab some coffee, then hit the Long Island Expressway for my two hour drive into the city.  I was just about to head into the Mid-Town Tunnel when the song broke on the radio and the news cut in that a plane had just hit the World Trade Center.  Initially it was thought that it was an accident, so I called my Mom and kept driving.  We talked about how impossible it was for that to be an accident and that maybe I should turn around before I get into the city.  Just as we spoke the words the second plane hit.  I pulled a U-turn and sped home as fast as I could with the image of the smoking towers in my rear view mirror.  I watched the rest unfold on TV, from the safety and comfort of my childhood home.

So one of the specials I watched was on PBS, regarding how 9-11 affected peoples faith.  Some saying they had to turn to God because nothing else could make them feel better or explain where their loved one went after such a violent death.  One woman's mother died in the towers and she just couldn't imagine that, that was it for her wonderful, loving, kind and amazing mother... so she turned to God.  Then others argued, "if their is a God he must be very indifferent."  Or that there could be no God if things like this happen.  I understood and had compassion for all sides of the argument. 

Another tragedy is all the volunteers who felt compelled to help clean-up, dig up bodies, and just generally get lower Manhattan back up and running.  These guys are all dying now, they all have so many cancers and other illnesses from the chemicals, ash, and residue they breathed in on Ground Zero.  Some have died already, and some have been given a few years.  So where is God? 

I wish I had amazing answers to these questions and accusations against God... but I am not that wise.  What I believe is that we live in a world under the attack of evil and if we allow these evil things, done by evil people, to pull us away from God, then evil wins.  We are constantly fighting this battle, even when it's: do I read my Bible or watch Jersey Shore (you can't tell me Jersey Shore isn't evil)?  God is good, he wants good for us and he can make good out of bad - of course this is easy for me to say sitting in my house watching things unfold on TV.  But I have been through my valleys before, and in my experience, God has never forsaken me.  He always leaves me better than I was before.

One of the many reasons I know there is a God, is the presence of evil.  I think most people can agree that there is evil in this world.  So for me, if there is evil then there has to be good.  God is good.

Hope to Relationship

Hope is Believing

Believing becomes Faith

Faith leads to Prayer

Prayer turns into Experience

Each Experience builds your Relationship

Your Relationship is Love

After you have Experiences and build a Relationship, there is not as much
need for Faith.  This took me a long time to understand...
but now resting in the solid comfort of my Relationship,
I can't image it any other way.

Christian's Can't Be Offended

Our guest pastor last weekend was the enlightening and refreshing Charlotte Gamble.  She spoke about the 'volunteer spirit' and the 'body' of the church 'flexing' all it's muscles.  She was so direct and didn't seem to hold anything back, my kinda girl (a lion).  She also talked about not having your feelings hurt so easily, '...get over it if they don't play your favorite song on Sunday morning.'   She was great, I may have to go visit her church in the UK so I can hear her again.

She got me thinking about how easily offended people are.  I had lunch with a girl the other day who said to me, "Christians can't really be offended." I LOVED this... because she is right!   If we are doing God's will, serving in his army, and following the call of Jesus Christ - then it doesn't matter what anyone thinks.  Obviously we can all have our feelings hurt, especially by the ones we love, but it's good to remember who's opinion really matters.

Lions - Flex your muscles and brush off the negative opinions.

Lucky's Spirit

I was so happy to have the company of my Mother for three weeks.  Sadly, on Wednesday it was time for her to fly home.  My relationship with my Mom has always been one of respect and love, but as I grow and have children - the respect grows as well.  She is a hard working elementary principal, she commutes five hours a day, and does everything with a smile on her face and a heart of joy.

The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart.

The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes." 

Psalm 19:8

So even though she leaves, her spirit of joy remains in this house.  Similar to the spirit of God that lives in us, guiding us in all our decisions and daily rituals.  It is so easy to compare God to a parent, because he is our Heavenly Father.  Just like my mother's spirit stays with me, so does Christ's.  I hope to inherit her zest and passion for life, it warms your heart and fills up the room.  And I ask Jesus for more of his heart everyday, the more of Him and less of me, the better I am. Jesus asks us to rejoice in him, to not hold tightly to things of this world, "for the joy of the Lord is our strength." (Nehemiah 8:10)

Lions Love Their Moms.

Surf Confessions

I was reading the testimony of a local surf legend here in the panhandle of Florida.  He retold the story of the summer he found Jesus, it was as simple as a friend asking him if he believed.  And he couldn't answer 'no' because he just couldn't call JC a liar, there was no way he could deny Him. 

The other day I said, when God answers prayers so perfectly, it takes my breath away... it is impossible to deny Him when he does this, answering the call of my heart.  Answered prayer keeps our Christian fuel burning, adds an extra spark to the already burning flame in our hearts.  God has revealed himself to everyone, sometimes we just need to look a little harder, or be confronted with a blunt question.  As deciples of Christ we are asked to go into the world and share the gospel, or good news of Jesus.  Sometimes this may be as simple as asking someone if they believe, get their mind thinking about how God has revealed himself in their lives.