christian

What A Day

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

It was amusing for me to have a type of day that started at 7am and will end well after midnight. The sad thing is that I did not get all of my 10,000 steps in. (And I was too busy to take extra steps.) And true to my personality type, there were lots of tasks to be done and they were done.

Duck

As I waited for my photo client in the park this morning, I saw this duck. unlike all of the other ducks at the pond, he stayed in this position. The birds around him walked, swam, flew and interacted with one another. This one flipped around occasionally, but this is what he did the couple of hours I was there.

I assumed something was wrong with it and could not help but feel sorry for it. It had the power to fly, swim and walk but did not use it. It is like people and their gifts. They have the power to do amazing things, but stay cloistered in their little worlds and never spread their wings to do the things they were designed to do.

IMG_5914

Had an awesome photo shoot with this lovely young lady who is about to graduate high school. It was a good time capturing the moment of her life when she is about to take off in flight. I can’t help but think that if God gives wonderful gifts to birds, what amazing things He places in us.

IMG_5804 (2)

I also got to meet new people at church and spend fun time with my daughter. One of the things that I love about my daughter is that she is concerned about my growth as a Christian as I am hers. She challenges me and I will miss it as she moves off to college.

Turtle

Yet here is a lesson I caught. (LOL) Even though this pond was titled around ducks, full of ducks and that is who the people came to see, this little turtle didn’t let it stop him from enjoying the duck habitat. Sometimes we can’t enjoy a place because we are all caught up in what it is called.

This turtle swam in the water, sat on wet concrete sides and probably ate the food intended for the ducks.He did not let not being a duck stop him from enjoying the world he was in. A lesson well taught little turtle.

It’s A New Season

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

I am on the verge of a new season. It is exciting. I look forward to what God is going to do in and with my life.  There are some people who get sad and lost at this time in their life. But as I was listening to Beth Moore with Priscilla and Lisa last week, it reinforced the idea that if God is the center of your of life, everything else will fall into place. It is not a good thing to make your children your idols because when they leave you are lost.

Some women fall apart when their kids move off to college. But God has been planting seeds in me that are waiting to burst forth at the proper time, when I have finished this task. I am helping her pack and praying that my next mission has a beach involved.

God has a plan for all of our lives and I want to open all of the treasure boxes. I am spending this month with Isaiah 42 and reading chapters from Francis Chan’s Crazy Love. The verse I am embracing is Isaiah 42: 16. I will turn darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. I believe it and receive it.

Rose garden

Like this rose beginning to bud, there is something beautiful coming. It is surrounded by lots of sticky stuff now, but it is coming. I told my daughter, even though it looks rough, you have to trust God’s plan. He said he would make it smooth.

I love it when God starts a new thing. It is like a brand new day dawning.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CgNvHDTRpV4

You Know You Know

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

I started researching my family history when I was in my early thirties. This was before websites that had tons of information on people. I used to sit at the library and read census records  and anything else I could get hold of. I compiled lists and made charts.

I traced my family back to about 1820 Farmington, Tennessee. I was very proud of all the work I had done, but it was speculation based on family legends and documents I found. I filled in my family tree with names and dates. There were a long list of people who were were related too. Some had great accomplishments and others were ordinary, but we were related. I shared it with other family members. Not many were interested.

The other day I got a message telling me my DNA matched some other peoples’ DNA and we should form a circle around a certain ancestor. This ancestor takes me earlier than I was. I laughed thinking I knew we were related before there was a DNA test to prove it. This just confirmed what I already knew.

This process reminded me of what heaven will be like. Some of us are going through things that seem tedious because we believe something.  We kinda of have an idea about it, but don’t really understand the details about it.

One day we are going to have the best giggle when Jesus tells us we are apart of his family. I mean we know it now, but when He tells us. That will be a day.

 

This song reminds me of my roots, my Christian roots

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

One of the things I love about music is that it can take you places you have been before. It stirs up memories and feelings. I am on the cusp of taking my daughter to university, and am reminded of my own college days.  When this song came out, most Christian artists didn’t sound like this.

This month marks the 25th anniversary that this song went number 1. I love Amy Grant. It reminds me of my Christian roots. This week we celebrate with her.

 

This week’s video

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

For the month of April I am just posting videos. I love music. It inspires and encourages me. This is some music THE TEENAGER introduced me to. We were cooking one evening and listening to her playlist. I like it.

 

Privateers

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

It was the stuff dreams were made of: nightmares. Claire fought with pirates, local and federal authorities chasing the truth and learning that she was much stronger than she thought.  Would it be enough?

Privateers

A single young woman is tricked by modern day pirates losing everything she owned. As she tries to figure out what happened to her belongings, her world crashes around her as government and private agencies treat her as a suspect. Determined to find the man who did this to her, she stumbles onto a government top secret. Finding this modern day pirate turns into a race against lethal forces.

You can purchase this book on:

Amazon

Createspace

 

 

You are going through these struggles now

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

because it is building up your faith. Like a caterpillar struggles to get out of the cocoon, you are building up your faith muscles. If the caterpillar didn’t struggle to get out, its wings would not be strong enough to fly. Change the perspective on how you face the struggle. Whatever you are going through is helping you get to where God wants you to be. Instead of “Lord, why me?” ask “Lord, what do you want me to do here?”

Today as I found myself in a situation I did not like, I had to keep telling myself, that there is something God wants me to get from this.  There is something He wants me to do. Change my perspective.

There was this man who a few days ago caused me a great deal of struggle. It was not his intention, he was just doing his job, but it interfered with mine. Needless to say, he did not fare very well in my book.

So today, here he was again. Oh brother. He had no clue of the trouble he had caused or so I thought. I had a choice to make. I could light him up and let him know how much trouble he caused me. I could let him know that he was not wanted near me today. or I could greet him as if we were old friends.

Yeah, I chose the latter. Let me tell you, he was the most helpful person on the floor the rest of the day. He went out of his way to be helpful and did things I had not ever seen him do. By the end of the day, I was like “Wow.” I changed my mind about this person.

Whatever type of situation God has placed you in, look around you. What is He trying to tell you?  He has already told us that His ways are not our ways (which means He is not going to make everything easy). He will do things to strengthen our faith. He is going to get some glory from your situation.

 

Privateers

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

Anger drove her to find the ones who invaded her life, but Claire was sure that was not going to be able to sustain her when she finally caught up with the pirates.  As she chased the pirates, she found the only help she had came from a local cop and a federal agent, but would that be enough?

 

Privateers is the story of a single young woman who is tricked by modern day pirates losing everything she owned. As she tries to figure out what happened to her belongings, her world crashes around her as government and private agencies treat her as a suspect. Determined to find the man who did this to her, she stumbles onto a government top secret. Finding this modern day pirate turns into a race against lethal forces.

You can purchase Privateers:

Amazon

Createspace

 

Sometimes God Won’t Reveal His Plan

/ Psal121 / Leave a comment

because He knows we won’t be obedient. God did not tell me His plans for today because He knew I would skip it.

I had been trying to get my small group together for a while, but there were lots of conflicts in our schedules. One of them suggested Harvest America, which was a free concert with several Christian artists and a message from a great preacher. Initially I was leery because it was being held at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. I didn’t want to deal with big crowds.

Unfortunately, everyone in my small group wanted to go. Okay. I put the person who suggested in charge of planning. Thought maybe we could all have dinner together and go to the venue. I research the preacher. It looked like he only got crowds of 17,000 to 20,000,  I figured we could have some choice seats at AT&T with that few people.

Two days before the one whose idea it was, could not go. WHAT! This was your idea! (not real Christian of me)  So discussing the idea with my sister, I suggested the group meet for dinner at 4 then head on over afterwards for the concert and the word. My sister suggested we meet earlier. I relented.

We knew things were going to be crazy when we met to eat because the restaurant was overflowing with people.  We thought we might get jumped for our table.  One woman had so many people with her I thought she was just going to start sitting them at tables with strangers.  Our journey began at Cane’s. (God has jokes)

1

We finished eating and headed for the stadium. It was incredibly crowded. I told myself it was what 20,000 people looked like. Once inside, the bottom two levels filled up fast. Soon it looked like this. (I knew I wasn’t in Kansas anymore)

2

When the top tiers filled up I knew this was more than 20,000 people.  We watched on FB as people posted about bad traffic in Arlington around the stadium. Good thing we left early.

Now left to my own devices, I would have NEVER attended something with more than 100,000 people.  They said people were coming and standing outside to witness what was happening on the inside. They said the fire marshal made people leave because there were too many.

Inside it was Amazing Grace.

It was such a privilege to hear the recording artists and the preacher. I was so blessed by the word. It was a blessing to just see the words roll across the screen and think about the gift of being saved from my sin. It was a blessing to see Lecrae in person. I am a fan.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL_qSoAIgTk

Chris Tomlin did what He does well. It was freeing. I have been set free.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tx3xGgUEBAY

I don’t know much about Greg Laurie, except he is a man of incredible prayer. He prayed and God answered. You should listen to him for that alone. He preached God’s word simple and truthful.

4

He held and invitation to invite Jesus into their lives. He filled up the football field and had to use overflow room. God worked miracles and wonders this evening. I am glad I made it in.5

I almost missed my blessing. I am glad God outsmarted me.