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

Check out this video on YouTube:

 

#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

Today started out like most days for me…shower, dress, check my mail, driving to work, arrive too early, hangout until time to clock in. Nothing seemed out-of-place except for me. All of a sudden, normal noises felt like someone was screaming into ears, I felt as if I had weights on my shoulders and my lungs were not getting enough oxygen. Sunlight hurt, walking felt heavy as if my shoes were made of concrete. Outside of writing this, my mind does not want to concentrate it feels empty inside. I can’t explain it, I felt fine and now I am just so very irritated. I requested to take the rest of the day off but made sure it would not negatively affect my co-workers, I knew I was approaching a boundary and I certainly did not want them to be caught in crossfire if I found myself exploding over something trivial. The best course of action was to excuse myself from a possible battleground. It’s difficult for me to be in such a predicament, I don’t like to come across as needy or burdensome but the reality is there’s nothing wrong with needing someone’s help. It is not a sign of weakness, from the very beginning of time God knew it was not good for (man) people to be alone that’s why he created two beings instead of only one. The message I am hoping to accept as well as pass onto you is this: Life is precious, it needs rest, nutrition, smiles, hugs, shoulders to lean on, voices of comfort and compassion, prayers for strength, prayers for thanks-giving. Do not be so stubborn to turn away friends who want to help, it does not make you weak. Being weak is a myth and the longer we allow such thoughts to permeate our existence the longer we will be enslaved to this worlds views. Ask God to intercede, let Him be your solid foundation, I promise you will find rest in Him.

~Blessings and Peace~

What is this statement saying? Do you know your “center?” Do you know your “boundaries?” For many people these two things are identified early in life, especially boundaries…parents teaching their children to do very specific things especially for their safety. Such things as; watching for traffic, not talking or follow a stranger, staying away from a fire…another thing our parents tell us to do is to be respectful of our elders. Our boundaries are often an extension of what we were taught at very young age, we also tend to mimic the actions of others we observed when we were young. During the past few years I have become very intentional at looking at my life. I’ve tried to make sense of my youth and the events that forever made an impression upon my soul. I have also been looking more closely at the past couple of decades of my life trying to understand who I was, who I should have been, critiquing my actions and values, wanting to put things and events into a perspective I can learn from and to move forward being the person God created me to be. I cannot tell you the day or hour the realization came to me but when I finally and completely saw that my life is not and was never mine alone, but that I was created by God for His purpose and glory it was at that moment things became clear. God had always been a part of my life, just not the center of my life, that was a pivotal moment! Seeing my life belonging to God gave me a completely new view of myself and a different way to approach life. For many years I have tried to be the kind of person I thought others wanted me to be, I was still mimicking others. My likes, my dreams, my actions…all these things and more I did for others. I was afraid if I stood alone I would never be liked or loved. It wasn’t about peer pressure although that may have been in part a motivating factor, the truth is I wanted to be liked and more importantly I wanted to be loved. I live with an overwhelming desire to be helpful, helpful because I truly care, helpful because I can interject myself into a group or person I admire; however, all the helping and interjecting I did still left me with a void empty space inside. I tried filling this space with people, places, things…nothing filled me or sustained me. I felt like I was somehow cheated from having joy and a life filled with happiness. During my 20’s 30’s and even my early 40’s, I basically moved from job to job, relationship to relationship…sort of a drifter moving with the wind. I must interject that I did care deeply for the individuals I shared a relationship with, I just had not learned the lessons I needed to, in order to be a good partner. I don’t think I ever really tried to figure out things I just kept going forward hoping the next thing or person would fill the void in my life and if I were all the things they hoped for I would get my happily ever after…not exactly. I have suffered loss but nothing in extreme compared to anyone else, I have to say losing my mom has been the most difficult thing I’ve ever dealt with. I was completely unprepared for it, not to say anyone ever is. I felt like the ground underneath me gave way and all of a sudden I started seeing things start to spin I wanted so badly to give into this temptation of letting go but I did not because my dad and my brother needed me and needed me to be strong for them. It will be two years next month and I still miss my mom ever single day. My relationships with my dad and brother has grown over the past couple of years and I now have new insights about who they truly are and what they mean to me. I tried to be who I thought they needed me to be over the past couple of years but because of God and His never-ending love I am embarking on a new path of being me, the me I never really gave a chance to thrive. And do you know what? They still love me! I am establishing boundaries where previously I had none. I’ve learned the difference between helping and doing, a huge revelation!  Helping can be wonderful but if you’re helping because they do not know how to do things for themselves then you are cheating them from learning. Try teaching and helping together, I promise the reward with be worth it. If you love someone enough to help, love them more by teaching them. I’ve learned that love is not about doing, it’s about being; being true to who you are and sharing that with another. I’ve learned that happiness is not what someone can give you it comes from within yourself, we all have that power. Happiness is not possessions, possessions can offer convenience and comfort, but true happiness is inside you. There is absolutely nothing wrong with material things, but if you think a big screen TV or a BMW will provide happiness and fill the void in your life, you will be sadly disappointed. God has so much love for you it is mind-blowing, impossible to imagine but absolutely possible to experience! Once you say, God I am yours and yours alone be prepared to experience life! I can tell you once you have decided to follow Jesus you will never look at your life the same ever again. I still miss my mom but I know I will see her again, she’s in good hands, God’s hands! I am happier than ever before and although I’m not in a relationship, my trust is in God and I do have a desire to share my life with someone and I am now more than ever before prepared to do so if it’s God’s will. It is because of having boundaries and living into them have I found my center, the innermost part of me, my very soul and giving it back to my Creator that I now have life, life more abundant and life everlasting in Christ Jesus!

~Blessings and Peace~

P.S. To my friend~
Tell me why…
The sky is blue…
Tell me why…
The grass is green…
Tell me why…
…I do not know why but I do know
God loves you and so do I…<3

Tonight as I tried to settle in for my nightly devotional time, my mind was filled with feelings and thoughts of the day. I ask God to provide some direction for my study time, I’m here to tell you God provided not merely direction but a beacon! Below are the scripture verses that are from three different apps I use daily on my iPhone. I do not believe it was coincidental the passages had a familiar tone to them. I had been thinking about my life and trying to understand how different I think I am from everyone else, someone close to me suggested that it’s not how different I see myself from others but rather look within myself and be proud of who I am and stop trying to put myself into someone else’s idea of who I think I should be. Along with all this thinking, I have a friend who is experiencing difficulties and my heart is heavy because I want to help, physically help and be supportive and I feel inadequate for several reason but the best help I can do is pray for her and her children. Pray for peace and clarity for her. God is our shelter in troubled times, He is our strength when we are weary, He is our salvation! Life is messy sometimes and difficult, very difficult but we are never alone, the world and the people around us can do many terrible things to us but no one can take our spirit, we alone hold the key, we can give it away but it can never be taken. None of us are perfect, if we were Jesus would not have had to suffer and die for our sins. I know I have made some really bad decisions in my life and these verses remind me that truth is always right, especially when it hurts so deeply. This is a lesson I struggle with at times because I do not like to see someone else hurting but some lessons can only be learned by experiencing it first hand. It’s like laughing and crying, at some point in your life you have had to experienced these two emotions separately, how else would you truly appreciate laughter if you had never experienced the depths of what is its direct opposite, pain and crying. As my friend is living through troubled times I pray that she feels the loving arms of Jesus wrapped around her, that she knows that God loves her and her kids. God knows every truth, every wrongdoing and I am reminded of the scripture passage in John 8:32 “…and you will know the truth, and the truth will make you free.” Free to be a child of God, free to love your children. My friend, I am here for support and friendship. Trust God and cling to His promises. Deuteronomy 31:6 (NRSV)
“Be strong and bold; have no fear or dread of them, because it is the Lord your God who goes with you; he will not fail you or forsake you.”

“Things that matter most must never be at the mercy of things that matter least.” ~Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe – Writer, playwright (1749-1832)

“The lip of truth shall be established for ever: but a lying tongue is but for a moment.” ~Proverbs 12:19

“Stay away from a foolish man, for you won’t find knowledge on his lips.” ~Proverbs 14:7

“Do not dare not to dare.” (The Horse and His Boy) ~C.S.Lewis

~ Blessing and Peace~

 

 

 

Do you ever think about all the comfortable things you have in your life? Often we take things for granted like the clean air we breathe, shelter from the elements, food that gives nourishment, clean water to drink and bathe in…it can be an endless list of things we receive and use without thought or thanksgiving. I want to go a step further and recognize another kind of comfort I have in my life, my connection to a unique group of women, I’m honored to call them my friends. This special group of women have been my “comfort” during times of sorrows and my “support” in times of exceeding joys. This specific group of women call themselves, “Esther’s Circle” several of the women have known one another for years, some only a few and some they have just met. The love of sisters in Christ is their unbreakable bond, their foundation. I am so very thankful to be a part of Esther’s Circle and although our bond to one another is metaphorically a circle, our love and compassion for all has no boundary. I had the opportunity to spend time with Esther’s Circle yesterday, we had taken a few months sabbatical to attend another function sponsored at our church. It was such a wonderful feeling to be together once again, it was similar to attending a reunion of relatives and catching up with all the happenings in one another’s lives. Ironically, we are in the process of reading a book by Bob Goff called “Love Does.” We started reading the book in August 2013, we are moving rather slowly but that’s ok. We typically read 2 chapters a month and then spend time discussing the chapters based upon book study questions. I had the opportunity to lead the discussion last night and to share suggested scriptures for the specific chapters. The book is a collection of short stories from Bob’s life although some stories seem unbelievable, truth be told we all have a story or two about ourselves that might seem unbelievable too. His stories show grace, acceptance, endurance, perseverance, love, forgiveness, and joy to mention a few but he also shares his family and faith with the reader. Many of us in Esther’s Circle have joked about the believability of a few of his stories but as I left our meeting last night I was suddenly struck with a profound sensation that the message Mr. Goff is sharing with his readers is exactly what this group of extraordinary women do on a daily basis, share love with everyone they encounter…Love Does is not merely words in a book but also the actions of a group of women loved by God who share God’s love and I am so very blessed to be a part of it.

~Blessings and Peace~

Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall. ~Proverbs 16:18

Most of us like to think we grow and learn from our past mistakes. If I say I believe all things happen for a reason and trust that God has a plan, does that also mean I accept the fact that bad things happen to good people? I tell people I am not the person I was 10 years ago or even 15 years ago; however, the true reality of that statement is false. My DNA remains the same, my blood type is the same and to look at me I’m basically the same. What is it that moves me to say with such conviction, I am different? I am changed on the inside, the power of the Holy Spirit is at work within my very being. I have put an enormous amount of time and energy into understanding God’s purpose and plan for me and my life. I tried justifying my past decisions and actions, tried being what I thought others wanted and needed me to be. Convinced myself that my actions helped, even saved others. I guess I told myself and I heard myself saying over and over these things that I actually started to believe the excuses. I like to think of myself as brave but nothing could be further from the trust as least where my past actions are concerned. I’ve been a coward, I took others feeling for granted, I was selfish, I didn’t think about consequences. I could say I was young, which would be true and I could say I was blinded by love and again that would be true. I am thankful my story does not end here, although things may be true that does not mean they were right and decent. I have hoped and feared coming face to face with my past. Now that it is here, at times I feel frozen, scared to say or feel anything for fear that I will repeat past mistakes. Although God has always been a part of my life, the one big difference now is I do not want just part of me with God, I want, no I need all of me in God’s hands. I seek His will and not mine, but I am here to tell you that “Uncle Screwtape” has been working overtime this week, whispering things to try to break me, weaken me, distracting me from the truth. I allowed space and time to steal away precious time from connecting with God. In order for me to know God’s will for my life I have to be connected to God. All the wishing and hoping in the world can’t change the past, I will not be able to move forward until I can let go of the past. I keep trying to find some kind of logic and even search for hidden meanings in the past. The one and only thing I have control of is choosing to accept my role and take responsibility and learn from it. I can’t heal anyone but me, I can’t teach anyone else only learn the lessons for myself. As much as I want to help others I can be of no help until I help myself heal, help myself learn, forgive myself and most importantly “let it go…” Letting go does not make things disappear, it allows one to move forward, no longer to be stuck in a never-ending cycle of pain, guilt, and blame…that is not life God wants for any of us. I want to let go, God help me to let go…

Pride will have a fall. Those that are of a haughty spirit, that think of themselves above what is meet, and look with contempt upon others, that with their pride affront God and disquiet others, will be brought down, either by repentance or by ruin. It is the honour of God to humble the proud.

~Blessings and Peace~

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com

The Screwtape Letters by: C.S.Lewis

 

Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart. ~Psalm 37:4

This was the first verse I read today during my devotional time at the end of my day. It quickly brought things into focus for me. By focus, I mean clarity. Clarity is my “One Word” word I picked to concentrate and explore in my spiritual life throughout this year. I tend to be very concrete in a lot of my views and I like having things neat and tidy, a place for all of life’s little pieces. Not realistic, hence exploring! This week has been filled with events needing clarity, I am so very thankful for the spiritual searching, learning and growing of the past year. God has brought invaluable people into my life to help with this journey, I would love to thank each one publicly but I respect their privacy; however, I hope they know I am overjoyed to have them in my life. I have learned over the past few years and most especially the past few months when my life is centered around God I have a sense of order, peace and balance in my life. When I start to waver in my devotion and allow things to clutter and distract me, I feel uneasy and easily frustrated. I recently experienced a valuable lesson that so vividly describes what I am like when I allow distance between me and God. I sometimes become very passionate and animated in my views and in my interpretation of how the world should be, “according to Charlotte, that is…” Those who know me personally are getting a “chuckle” right now. So, I had a brief yet very loud verbalization stating my disapproval of a coworkers actions, in my opinion of course! I overreacted to the actions of this individual because I was being judgmental, the truth is the person I was judging hadn’t changed or deviated from their usual behavior, it was my behavior that had changed and my need to have things my way. I had allowed myself to become judge and jury for which I have no claim to, God is in control and the further away from God I am the less control and balance I have and display. I am in no way bragging about this poor display of humanness, I only mention it because I want to highlight the closer my relationship is with God and the more I am in conversation with God, the better my life is and as well as those around me. God wants us to be happy and filled with goodness and as the verse in Psalm says, “Delight thyself also in the Lord; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart.” Another favorite of mine is: Matthew 6:33 (KJV) “But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.” If you read the whole chapter of Matthew you will see that God will provide and He does! Be open to God and trust is His guidance, we don’t always see the logic of things until afterwards, God teaches us through adversity and pain, preparing our hearts and minds to be strong during difficult periods in our lives. It is only when we recognize these experiences do we truly see the divine tapestry of God’s hand not only in our lives but in the universe. This past week I have had to face two uniquely different circumstances one of emotions opening up the past, reliving memories and one involving physical health. Because of my relationship with God and the lessons I have learned, have I been able to be brave in the face of the “unknown” health concerns and I have no doubts that the difficult times I’ve endured over the past five years were about teaching me to trust in God and place my faith in God so I could have an opportunity to help someone else heal as well as myself and to appreciate love. My idea of love and what it looks like has changed through the years, we learn these lessons only by experience. I do not wish sadness on anyone but for me I understand love more deeply because of the loss of being in love, loss of being loved and the loss of a loved one. I’ve learned that even relationships that end doesn’t equate to being a bad/mistake relationship, maybe incompatible or goals changed…choose to remember the happy times, funny times…things that make you grin just by thinking of them, things that give you butterflies in your stomach. Relationships are not easy, they are actually processes that continually evolve. Time stops for no one, be part of life…living and growing together. I am so amazingly blessed, first chances, second chances…God never gives up in us!

Friends, be open to possibilities but more importantly, be open to God working in, around and through you!

~Blessings and Peace~

References:
http://www.biblegateway.com

“Appetites are never fully and totally satisfied.” ~Andy Stanley – Pastor/Author

Happiness is sought by many; but found by few. Most people seek happiness outside themselves; yet it is a choice inside themselves. Desires are sought after to quench the yearnings of the mind. A small house leads to a bigger house, a compact car to fancier cars, faster boat, better lifestyle, trendier clothes, more friends, etc. Appetites are fueled by desires. And we all know with our human nature that we are rarely satisfied with a little of anything. What the eyes see, the mind goes after. What is at the top of your valuable list? Is it possible to choose to want for nothing? What if your most prized possessions were taken away? Would you survive? What if God said to you . . . “Want me more than you want anything.” What would your life look like? When you want for nothing but your Heavenly Father’s love, all else will be trivial and insignificant. Where are your eyes drawn?
~Daily Inspiration App~

My personal life story…relates to this story, those questions and most of the comments listed above. I decided a little over a year ago to cancel my cable TV and I gave my TV away. To be honest I haven’t missed really missed it. I would like to mention a clarifying point…when I visit family and friends I do watch TV and my job responsibilities require me to monitor TV news and weather information. But at home I tend to spend more time reading, writing and studying. I also have a couple of hobbies I enjoy doing such as drawing, painting, doing stain glass projects to list a few. I also try to participate in activities at my church, book studies and bible studies and I’m going to try to participate with the softball team as my schedule allows. I also just finished a nine week course by Dave Ramsay titled Financial Peace University, wonderful course! I guess what I am wanting to share is we can choose to do things that help us grow and develop new skills or we can choose to sit on the sidelines of life. My life feels full through the activities I choose to do, and sometimes that includes sleeping for long periods of time on my days off but too much of that type of behavior is dangerous, “moderation” God meant for us to rest and encourages it! Maybe look at ways to squeeze more God time in your life and less “nothingness” I promise you will feel and see results immediately! Plan times to connect with people, especially friends and family. In fact, I just finished having lunch with a friend of mine, I am so blessed to have this particular person in my life. She has this amazing quality of listening, actively listening to me and does not get caught up in all the external components of my stories, she keeps me grounded but more importantly she is concerned and interested in the “me” parts of my stories and how things effect me and affect me, she never takes over a conversation and makes it about herself, it’s not politeness (although she is polite) it’s her grace and sincerity that makes our friendship so special. My desire, my appetite for life grows bigger and stronger day by day. It is exciting to see where I’ve been, compared to where I am, and then to imagine and strive to be where I want to go and grow! It’s more than growing older and maturing, I have made a decision to be “intentional” I have a desire and a need to be the person God created me to be. Sometimes I feel like it has taken me too long to get where I’m at in life but honestly it’s because of my long list of experiences up to this point in my life that growth is even possible for me. The one thing I am absolutely sure of and that is…God loves me! So what are you hungry for? Stop just existing and start “being” you have the leading role in the story of your life, be intentional, be present, be all you were created to be…BE!

~Blessings and Peace~

Today is the day we pay tribute to the women who chose to be our mothers. Like most of you the relationship between mother and child can and does change as we grow and mature as children into adolescence to young adults and in many cases become parents ourselves. I can remember my rebellious stage, wanting to be like all my friends and trying new things, I remember watching my parents worry when my sibling was late for curfew. Most of the lessons we learn growing up are acquired by seeing how others do things and their results. My defiant era did not last long because I quickly learned and saw the pain and grief as it covered my parents. I was and still am blessed, my parents never abused me, I was never punished to the point of brutality, I never went to bed hungry and I had a bed to sleep in, I was always clothed and feed. When I look around the world and even my neighborhood I know I was and continue to be truly blessed. I am still fortunate enough to have my dad living, his heart may be weak in the physical sense but it is filled to overflowing with the love of the spirit. I have a renewed sense of respect for the man my father is, today will be a difficult day for my entire family (dad, brother and me). Mom passed away un-expectantly in June 2012, I miss her every single day. I still talk with her from time to time, I find myself crying easily when a memory flashes before me. I visit her and leave little trinkets and flowers for her on a regular basis. She was not perfect, she was strong-willed and often spoke her mind whether or not it was welcomed. She loved her family, she was fair and earned respect even from people who didn’t necessarily agree with her or like her, but others could not argue with the facts she brought to light. She did not expect or want to be treated differently from anyone else only expected treatment to be consistent and fair. She was devoted to her family, which included her in-laws; first and second generations of aunts/uncles and cousins. She was the matriarch our her family and that was a theme within her family, I come from a long line of strong, brave, determined and confident women. I pray that no matter how you might celebrate this day, take a moment and think about the special women that have helped to shape you into the person you are today, if possible tell them. I am filled with love because I was loved first. God created me, He knew me before I was made, loves me in spite of myself and my sin and He walks with me daily. I like to think at this very moment, Jesus is standing with my mom and they are smiling as they are looking down at me. Psalm 139:13-14 (NRSV) “For it was you who formed my inward parts; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works that I know very well.”

Happy Mother’s Day…to all the women who make a difference in this world and most especially in our lives. May all receive a special blessing from God today, for I have been abundantly blessed time and again by wonderful godly women my entire life.

~Blessings and Peace~