Sitting next to the edge of the pond, being serenaded by the crickets and the noise of the streets. I feel the coolness of the summer night and though the solitude is comforting I’m wishing for her, wanting to share this moment and space to create a memory, perhaps one or two. There’s nothing particularly special about this spot but her presence would make it feel exceptionally distinct. I’ve never sat in this place or listened to the sounds of the night like this before, never knowing this calmness, it covers you like the sweetness of wild clover and dew as it bathes the thick meadow grass early each summer morning. Five years I’ve spent looking, walking and driving past this spot and never stopped long enough to breathe it in. God’s majesty is all around me and as wonderful and beautiful as it is I would very much like to share it to her. Far away destinations are nice and memorable but often we can find treasures right out our front doors.
Psalm 104:1-6 “Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord my God, you are very great! You are clothed with splendor and majesty, covering yourself with light as with a garment, stretching out the heavens like a tent. He lays the beams of his chambers on the waters; he makes the clouds his chariot; he rides on the wings of the wind; he makes his messengers winds, his ministers a flaming fire. He set the earth on its foundations, so that it should never be moved.”
Almost exactly two years ago I received a phone call at 3:22am and my life was changed forever. It was a paramedic calling from my parents home telling me that I needed to come home because my mom had passed away. I sat on the edge of my bed and I felt empty, a sense of nothingness. I immediately reached out to a friend, she had recently lost her father, I honestly do not remember any of our conversation just her voice and a feeling of understanding. Most of the hour plus drive to my parents home is a blur, only by the grace of God did I made it home. When I arrived the house was filled with aunts/uncles/cousins but my mom was gone. I wanted so badly to hug and kiss her one more time but it was not to be. The next few days were filled with phone conversations, funeral arrangements, insurance companies and all the time keeping my emotions in check because I wanted to be strong for my family. My mom was such an amazing woman and I tried with all that I am to fill her shoes…try as I did, it was and remains an impossible task to achieve. I have learned so many things about myself and life in general during the past two years. Life is so precious and can be gone in the blink of an eye, all the what if’s and someday’s never to be realized. I still mourn the loss of my mom, I love her and miss her but I know she is cheering me on to chase the dreams I have tucked away but honestly I have no regrets. I have learned so many valuable lessons over the past couple of years and I still have dreams but more important than dreams and wishes for the future…I want to be present in the moments I am living now. God does not promise tomorrow’s, His desire is that we take and relish in every single second of each and every day, never forgetting we are His children and we were created for His glory. Do not let any opportunities pass you by because of fear. Give yourself permission to experience the moments of your days, feel the heat from the sun and look at how it changes our perspective of our world and surroundings, most especially when things are seen in the light of day versus how very different they are in the darkness of night. As I am sitting here typing this I have no idea how the rest of my day will go… I can compare it to previous Sundays, hoping for lots of things like weather, safety, good health and the list goes on and on. I don’t think God wants us to not plan for things but I think He wants only good things for all His children but I am convinced He also wants us to be joyful and to celebrate the moments like sharing a smile with a stranger, holding a door for someone, saying hello and meaning it when passing a stranger, give a cashier the quarter for the customer just a bit short on money, say thank you as well as responding with a you’re welcome…all these things take very little effort but can be making a lifelong impression on someone who is in desperate need of kindness and who can then pass that same kindness onto someone else. Life is really a string of “moments” connecting to one another until one day we look back on our lives and say “thank you, God!” And God replies, “Well done my good and faithful servant!”
“To live a creative life, we must lose our fear of being wrong.”
~Anonymous
Fear debilitate and inhibits. It limits and paralyzes. Fear smothers and clouds. It darkens and controls. Fear misunderstands and angers. Unfortunately, fear can rule. Fortunately, love trumps fear. Welcome being wrong. Let it go and celebrate your creative spirit. The world needs the real you!
Too many of us, myself include live in fear, fears for a myriad of different things but they all debilitate us in one way or another. I have found that the closer I cling to my fears the less I am able to do, I am less free. Fears are tricky, some are a direct result of personal experiences while others are simply made up or felt vicariously from or through others. I have and continue to struggle with fears. I have attempted to overcome some of them while others still scare me a bit. For instance, I do not like to be in the dark literally or figuratively. When I was a kid I had fallen asleep on my parents bed, my brother and I were with a babysitter. I awoke in the middle of the night thinking I was still in the same place but I wasn’t I could not see anything and I couldn’t find the door…it probably only took a few seconds for my mom to come get me but it felt like hours. When I was in the sixth grade I did not know the answer to a history question my teacher ask me and she humiliated me in front of all my classmates and I ran out of the class crying. I have struggled with any type of public speaking because of that experience. I’m better today, I even passed my speech class in college but I partly attribute my passing the class to deliberately taking a class with total strangers so when I messed up it was not in front of people I knew. I received my B.A. in Secondary Education but I was completely freaked out to be in charge, student teaching was interesting but thankfully I had amazing Teachers to support me. My first year out of college I taught at a local high school where I grew up, it was ok, I enjoyed coaching girls volleyball, basketball and track and taught swimming to elementary kids. My heart was just not into using my skills in this arena and my fears didn’t want me being a focal point. I have never returned to traditional teaching in a school but God opened doors I never knew existed to use my gifts and talents. Both my praise and adoration goes out to all the teachers that inspire and educate the youth of today, it is a huge challenge and you openly accept the call. So, I’m not going to bore you with my whole life history but I will tell you God has done amazing things and has provided opportunities for me to use my Education degree in multiple ways throughout my professional career. I have a very dear friend that gave me a book not long ago called, “conquering FEAR-Living Boldly in an Uncertain World” by Harold S. Kushner.” I heard this phrase a few years ago and I really like a lot, “Name it, Claim it.” If our fears remain at a distance and we never try to understand them, they will always have us under their control. When we “name” our fears and choose to “claim” our fears that is when “WE” control things. We may still have fear but it no longer holds the key to where and what it is or what it can do, its power at the very least is diminished. The best part of all this is, you don’t have to do it alone, God will be with you the entire journey, all you need to do is ask Him.
Friends, I can’t imagine some of the fears you are facing, some I will never endure but there is someone who does and He loves you unconditionally. If you don’t know Him, write me and I will introduce Him to you. Or simply say God, I believe in you and I want you to come into my life and live. I recognize I am not worthy because I am sinful but I know you can save me. I ask this in the name of Jesus, your Son. Amen.
References:
Psalms 23: “The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures; he leads me beside still waters; he restores my soul.He leads me in right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil; for you are with me; your rod and your staff—they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord my whole life long.”
This is the prayer that Jesus taught His Disciples to pray is found Matthew 6:9-13 (NKJV)
“In this manner, therefore, pray:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be Your name.
Your kingdom come.
Your will be done
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we forgive our debtors.
And do not lead us into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.”
I am dedicating this blog to someone very special to me and gave me a wonderful gift recently, she holds a very special place in my life and because of her ability to show me mercy and forgiveness I have been able to remember some very fond memories. Our lives are going and growing in different directions, she needs freedom to explore her journey and although I will miss her greatly, this is something she must do alone. She will remain in my heart and in my prayers. After arriving home from work I settled in read to start my nightly readings of my devotionals and inspirational apps on my iPhone. There was an overwhelming theme that kept appearing. God was speaking to me and I felt God wanting me to share my thoughts with you. The very first thing I read was, Galatians 6:4-5 (The Message) “Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” Wow, we are all created individually by God, we have specific features, likes and dislikes, dreams and wishes…and God wants to give them all to you. Include God in your plans, He wants to share your life and fill your life with goodness. You may be sitting there reading this and saying…”Where’s my joy, my dreams and wishes?” Sometimes we have to work very hard to get the things we want and desire, God will be with you 100% of the way. Take notice of the things in your life that might need to be taken out or added to, in order to achieve all the things you want, God’s promise is, He would never leave us, He never said getting them would be easy. Rarely are the things of great value ever easy to obtain, we learn to appreciate the things that cause us to reflect. It took the Israelites 40 years to reach the “Promised Land” because they wanted it to be easy! Why did it take 40 years? Because they were disobedient to God and expected continual miracles from Him. Friends, please take hold of this promise from God found in Hebrews 13:5-6
The Message (MSG) “Don’t be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, “I’ll never let you down, never walk off and leave you,” we can boldly quote, “God is there, ready to help; I’m fearless no matter what. Who or what can get to me?” Whenever I hear this song on the radio I sing it and feel God’s power and protection, I hope you can find them as well, the song is “Whom Shall I Fear” by Chris Tomlin. This is verse 3 and the chorus:
My strength is in Your name
For You alone can save
You will deliver me
Yours is the victory
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
Whom shall I fear?
Chorus:
I know Who goes before me
I know Who stands behind
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side
The One who reigns forever
He is a Friend of mine
The God of angel armies
Is always by my side.
This song gives me strength, encouragement and confidence that God is bigger and stronger than anything this world can do to me. These things can be yours as well.
The next thing I read was “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!” Philippians 4:4.
It ask the question do you ever look back at yourself in photos and wish you could go back? Treasure today more than your youth. We are given today to praise God for who we are and where we have come from. Anytime the Bible repeats, it’s important to take note; it’s an extra important lesson. The Lord has brought you to this spot today, let’s find joy in it. Our past is important because we are who we are because of it, but we are not meant to live is the past, as wonderful and as beautiful as it was, those moments we shared and cherished are over. I am not telling you this because it’s easy, it isn’t and will be one of the hardest things you will ever do, leaving the past in the past. I have been experiencing a wave of emotions and images recently in my life, experiences from my past and the people I shared my life with and as much as I wanted to go back and be in those moment and in that space, I couldn’t. I’m different and my wants are different, but I absolutely want happiness for both of us and hopefully this time I am being more mature and respectful to you.
I cannot take credit for this but it is beautifully written and I pray you are led by the Holy Spirit when you read it. It is from Brave Girls Club.
Dear Beautiful Girl,
Whatever grows in your life is what has been planted there, what has been nurtured, fed and given time and attention.
What is growing there? What is it that has been planted in your one beautiful, precious life?
Have you carefully planned the rows of fruits, vegetables and flowers? Or are things growing there that blew in with the wind? Are weeds taking over?
It is never too late to weed your garden, and now is the perfect time to pull out the dead things, the unwanted things, the overgrown things, and make room for the new growth you are so badly yearning for.
Take a moment today to see what is truly growing in your life, and whether or not there is room for the things that you most want to see the fruits of.
Be brave enough to pull out the unwanted things and get your life ready to lay the seeds of your wildest dreams.
YOU CAN DO IT!
You are so so loved.
xoxo
The very last sentence is sad but sometimes required. Listen to your heart, listen for God’s small still voice. Praying that your life and your garden is filled with all things good and prosperous!
Then I read this: “A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” Proverbs 15:1.
Just as beauty is in the eyes of the beholder, truth and trust are in the hearts of the those who promise and those hoping to receive. Try as we may, promises are broken, while some are not intentional or in a defiant, malice manner, it happens. The truth, in my opinion is we should not make promises because rarely are they kept. Love and promises are the things we hope, dream and aspire to be, to have and to do; however, few actually ever attain and fewer yet hold onto their love and promises made. Sometimes in the face of defeat and broken promises discouragement moves in and life begins to feels less joyful and very small. I am reminded that true joy comes from within and lasting joy comes from Jesus. The only promises never broken, came from God. When we have Jesus in our hearts are soul is fed by the Holy Spirit and our steps are watched by our Father, God. The Bible tells us in Ecclesiastes 5:5 “it’s better that you don’t promise than that you do promise and not follow through.” Friends, I encourage you as well as myself to trust in God’s promises and seek His will for our lives, asking for His guidance in all that we do and say. Practice giving mercy and grace as they are both poured out in abundance to each of us by God on a daily basis. I hope you find comfort in God’s promises listed below.
10 Scriptures About God’s Promises
2 Peter 1:4 “And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”
Jeremiah 29:11 “For I know the plans I have for you,” says the Lord. “They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope.”
Matthew 11:28-29 “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.”
Isaiah 40:29-31 “He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion.
But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.”
Philippians 4:19 “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”
Romans 8:37-39 “No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us. And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Proverbs 1:33 “But all who listen to me will live in peace, untroubled by fear of harm.”
John 14:27 “I am leaving you with a gift—peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid.”
Romans 10:9 “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Today, the phrase “Just say Jesus” kept playing over and over in my thoughts. I felt empty but found no words to express myself except for “Just say Jesus.” I hope and pray you can find answers, peace and healing in the lyrics written below.
Just Say Jesus
7eventh Time Down
Life gets tough, and times get hard
It’s hard to find the truth in all the lies
If you’re tired of wondering why
Your heart isn’t healing
And nothing feels like home
Cause you’re lost and alone just screaming at the sky
When you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus
There is power in the name
The name of Jesus
If the words won’t come
Cause you’re to afraid to pray
Just say Jesus
Whisper it now, or shout it out
However it comes out, He hears your cry
Out of nowhere He will come, you got to believe it
He will rescue you
Just call out to the Way, The Truth, The Light
When you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus
There is power in the name
The name of Jesus
If the words won’t come
Cause you’re to afraid to pray
There is just one name
Strong enough to save
There is just one name
There is just one name
Jesus
When you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus
There’s still power in the name
The name of Jesus
If the words wont come
Cause you’re to afraid to pray
If the words wont come
And you don’t know what to say
Just say Jesus
#WTLB was the sermon title this morning at church. I can honestly say, I felt the Holy Spirit lead me to be present to hear this message. To explain, WTLB = Words To Life By. The presenter reminded everyone that our words make a difference in life whether good or bad. I have personally had conversations with friends and even co-workers detailing my efforts in trying to be very intentional with the words I choose to use, most especially during times of stress and duress on the job and in my personal life. I am not proud of some of my choices and often my words spew out too freely and uncensored. It is at these times, not only do I cause uneasiness of those around me, myself for being foolish and the worst part of all I am not representing my Savior. Our words hold the power to comfort or to cause great pain, our words can lift others up or to tear them down. Even the tone of our voices, the way we use our body language when delivering our words can and do have lasting effects on those caught in our web of destruction. I am in no way shape or form close to being perfect, I am sinful; although it is true we are born into sin and a sinful nature we can choose to bridle our tongues and guard them from causing shame to ourselves but more importantly our Father, God. God has never requested perfection from His children; He knows that is not possible. But it is possible to be in relationship with God because Jesus paid the price for our sins. Jesus left Heaven, He left His Father, and He chose to be born and to become human all because He loved us. His love is greater than all our sins. Jesus used His words to teach, to comfort, to heal, for trust, encouragement and always delivered His words for God’s Will and purpose. The Bible is full of words, as I read the Bible, whether New or Old Testament I am confident that God in speaking to me through the many writers that contributed to its writing. It’s God’s book of instructions to us, a love letter and a life letter to everyone and anyone who accept His gift of eternal life. “Words” do the words you use during your day hold meaning for you? Are you aware of your words in your “tweets,” “emails,” “Instagram” “text messages”… there’s an endless list of ways we use our words. What is the purpose and goals we hope to accomplish when using specific words? We all have the power to change someone’s outlook simply by the words we use. Paradoxically, even when we think we are sharing good words, they too can be misunderstood for instance most people who text message know what the acronym (lol) means “laugh out loud.” To paraphrase my Pastor from this morning’s sermon, a mom sends a message to relatives about a death in the family and adds “lol” at the end of her message. The daughter of the mom who sent the messages calls and ask, why did you say “lol” and do you know what it mean? The mom replies, “lots of love,” the daughter replies, and no it means “laugh out loud.” I’m hopeful that everyone was able to see this as a miscommunication and hopeful realized it was sent with love. It is very easy to see how words and their intended meaning can make a huge difference not merely in our lives but in the lives of everyone we interact with, this is most especially important now more than ever as we try communicating using 140 characters or less and/or our use of acronyms. Even with the best of intentions, words can be misunderstood given all the many modes of communication available to us today. I am seeking to share truthfully, with sincerity, as clearly as possible with all I have the opportunity to do so, I encourage you to try it as well, it’s a win-win scenario. May God, the Father bless you, the Holy Spirit guide you and the love of Jesus always cover you.
~Blessings and Peace~
References:
“Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruits.” ~ Proverbs 18:21
“Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable to you, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. “ ~Psalm 19:14
“Rash words are like sword thrusts, but the tongue of the wise brings healing.” ~Proverbs 12:18
“A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger.” ~Proverbs 15:1
“But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth.” ~Colossians 3:8
“Indeed, the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing until it divides soul from spirit, joints from marrow; it is able to judge the thoughts and intentions of the heart” ~Hebrews 4:12
“If any think they are religious, and do not bridle their tongues but deceive their hearts, their religion is worthless.” ~James 1:26
“Those who guard their mouths preserve their lives; those who open wide their lips come to ruin.” ~Proverbs 13:3
“I tell you, on the day of judgment you will have to give an account for every careless word you utter; for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.” ~Matthew 12:37
“Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.” ~Romans 12:14
“For those who desire life and desire to see good days, let them keep their tongues from evil and their lips from speaking deceit; let them turn away from evil and do good; let them seek peace and pursue it. ~1 Peter 3:10-11
DISCOVER 