A Few of My Favorite Things

  • God and all that goes with Him
  • Time Spent With Family
  • Bedtime Prayers
  • Family/Group Hugs
  • The Beach
  • Good Friends
  • Good Music
  • Laughter

Saturday, April 21, 2018

Longing For Home

How my soul is longing for home,
My heart is weary, lonely, and torn.
But your word Father offers sweet hope,
As I read through your promises I come.

I'm counting the days Lord for your sweet return,
And I number the blessings as my course is run.
I look to your word Lord and follow your lead,
For Heaven's glory is a treasure I want to see.

The moments of pain turn into sighs,
I wait for your time Lord my details to find.
The nights feel like years when filled with pain,
Yet each breath is a beat closer to my heavenly gain.

The Deceiver wants to keep me firm in his grasp,
The lies that he whispers are hard to let pass.
Yet your word my Father shines on and on,
To reveal that you haven't left me here on my own.

Praise to the One who sees my pain,
Glory to the keeper of my tears.
Your promises are mighty your love untold,
I shout victory for by Jesus I'm saved.

Wednesday, March 7, 2018

A Time to Think for Ourselves

I think we need to stop and with open minds look back across American history. The federal government has done nothing but grow. We are a country of people who no longer look to each other and ask the question" What can we do for each other?", but we are a country that looks to government and asks "What can you do for us?". We have gone from being a collective people to special interest groups. We no longer seem to value the lives of the very young, those with disabilities, and the old. History reveals over and over again that this is when things like the holocaust occur. We as a nation seem to have lost our ability to feel empathy for others. Violence has never been shown to affect real change. Real change is always made through kindness, honor, and gentleness. It's when we all look deeply into our own souls, see the world about us with open eyes and an open heart, and we think for ourselves instead of allowing the government and news agencies to think for us. Just over two thousand years ago Christ entered a world where Kings sent out soldiers to murder baby boys, women were looked at as property. The world did not love him, any more than the world loves those who speak for the most vulnerable of our society today. He was murdered by those who did not agree with him, yet He asked for forgiveness to be granted to them. Abraham Lincoln worked to keep a broken system together until violence forced a different approach. His life was cut short out of hatred. We see this over and over again in our history. We separate ourselves into groups and the use of vile and vulgar language is used as we spew hatred everywhere. No longer can we share our views and feelings without vulgarity and violence. The news agencies no longer report what is happening in the world, but they share their opinion and view of the scene. We are made to believe that all the work done by those over the years to end ugliness has been undone. In fact, it seems that so often those who are elected to protect us are those who continue to stir the pot. Martin Luther King Jr. said that the content of a man's character should be judged by his actions and not by the color of his skin. His message echoed that of Christ in the lesson who is my neighbor. He preached non-violence while marching for change. Hatred killed three little girls in a Birmingham church. Hatred filled the hearts of so many that black young people could not attend school with white young people, we could not drink from the same water fountains, use the same restrooms, or eat together at the lunch counter. It was not violence meeting violence that brought change, but sacrifice and nonviolence. Those who marched on Washington did so peacefully and effectively. Violence breeds fear and fear breeds hatred. It was hatred that killed Dr. King, hatred that killed President Kennedy and his brother. CHANGE IS SCARY, but when we allow that fear to end in violence no real improvement is seen. Fear causes us to dig our heels into the ground, shut our eyes to the feelings of the other side, and to fix the problem with violence. But problems have historically only grown worse when met with violence. When we spend our time yelling and screaming at one another instead of listening to each other and trying to find real solutions, we end up with riots in the streets, words that wound deeply are said, and the problems continue to grow.
It is time for us to stop and listen to each other, not so we can have the better argument but so we can affect real change. It is time for us to think for ourselves to study the issues without looking for a bias and to share our ideas and feelings without vulgarity and ugliness. This woman was raised in L.A.(lower Alabama) by a mother who taught her the attitude that Christ would use.It wasn't until after I started college that my naive belief that prejudice was no longer an issue in our world changed. I learned quickly it was alive and well and that it was not just one-sided. It is time that we stop whining and get busy. I may not be able to change attitudes on a national level. I may not like who is running our government, but I can change me. I can look at my little corner of the world and love inspite of the ugliness. I can share my feelings and ideas without vulgarity. I can pray to the Creator for patience and love and empathy. I can help those I come in contact with, and I can be a voice for those who have no voice. It was this ideal that our Constitution supports. The idea that we are all created equal and we all have the right to try our very best to live out our hopes and dreams in this nation.
May our God grant us time to grow and listen and share. May we no longer look to the government to fix the social problems, but may we look to each other with empathy and courage to act in a way that will help heal the wounds that have been torn open through hatred and media propaganda. May God help each of us to see those around us as He sees us, and may we love each other the way He loves us.

Directionally Challenged

I can't count the number of times that I've left home with extra time built into the plan, and still arrived late or not at all to my destination because I took a wrong turn somewhere. I leave home having checked my route, and will accidentally leave my written directions on the table. I pull out of the drive feeling confident, and five minutes later I realize I forgot my map. I hate losing the time spent going home; so, I convince myself that I'll remember the way.

These events remind me of how my daily walk with God can go. I've said a prayer, a quick glance at the day's devotional passage, and then I'm off navigating my day. Life is too busy to slow down and look back, so I keep on going on my own. Psalms 43:3 Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me; let them bring me to your holy hill and to your dwelling! As long as I live my life following God's directions, then I will achieve heaven; but there are many times when the cares of this world grab my attention and I look to the news or latest "study" on how to achieve success, and lose track of God as my final destination.

There are times I've gotten lost simply because I didn't double check my directions and the turn I made just felt right. How often do I end up on a road of temptation just because it felt right? Sadly more than I want to admit. Isaiah 59:8 The way of peace they do not know, and there is no justice in their paths; they have made their roads crooked; no one who treads on them knows peace. When I make a decision solely because it feels right, I end up anxious and lost wondering just how far I've gone out of the way. Many times I've gone so far there's no way to get there even half an hour late and my only choice is to apologize and turn around and go home.

Our Heavenly Father gives us a lifetime (however long or short) to choose the path to His door. He loves us so much that we can apologize and try again. 2 Corinthians 7:10 For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death. The further I go without knowing where I am and if I'm going to make it to my destination the more anxious I become. All I need to do is to turn around and begin again. How blessed we are that our Heavenly Father provides us with the path to salvation...His word, the Bible. Psalm 119:105 Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. As long as I stay in His Word following His directions, I am promised salvation. I need to take time for prayer and Bible study; so that, I don't lose sight of my destination...Heaven.

Monday, January 15, 2018

A Righteous Legacy


I find it interesting how our heavenly Father uses the things in our lives to remind us of His will for our lives. This Fall, I was involved in two Bible studies: one online with a study partner at church and the other was our Sunday morning ladies' Bible class. At times these two studies overlapped and in so doing enriched my life and changed the way I look at the world and how I make decisions. It's been twenty years since a drunk driver killed one of my sisters and a cousin. They are gone, but their legacy lives on.

I was invited to a surprise party for a dear friend of mine in November...she wouldn't be a part of my life without Jenny. I listened to a room full of women excitedly awaiting the arrival of our friend: "she's such an encourager," "she gives the best hugs," and "she gives great advice". During that party, my friend shared that it was my sister who shared the gospel with her in college. In that room were four terrific teens, a group of young mamas, and a few of us "older ladies," all of us being encouraged and loved in a special way because my sister wasn't afraid to share the gospel. All I could think about was I hope that I leave that kind of legacy one day.

I have a precious family that I don't see as often as I would like, but when we all get together the time is not wasted. We've learned to say the hard things and fix what can be mended. Say I love you often, give hugs and sit back and soak up the joy of just being together. We've lost other family members since the kids died, but the urgency not to waste time is their legacy. I want to leave that kind of desire behind.

Taking the time to be silly and make someone laugh is also a blessing that they left us. Those two could fuss and get royally irritated at each other but forgave quickly. I wish they were here to talk to about the things my heart finds so hard to share with but a few others. My cousin helped me see how guys think, and my sister was there to bounce ideas off of for devotionals and Bible classes. I miss them and what they brought to my life but their legacy lives on in our friends and family.

It is with joy that I can look to the future, because I know I will see them again. It is with renewed determination that I look at each day to find ways to share the gospel with those whom I come in contact. It's with boldness and Godly fear that I choose to say the hard things sometimes in hopes of saving a soul or just doing what is right. All of that is their legacy, and it can also be mine and yours.

Jeremiah 29: 11 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.