I Like Simple

I have to tell you that I am so enjoying my readings in the morning.  It's like I crave them as soon as I wake up.  I love it when God takes something from yesterday and weaves it into today's readings.  My father preached a wonderful message last night about Jesus being driven into the wilderness by the Spirit.  This morning, I wake up to read my devotion and it is about, "Lead us not into temptation".  My second reading was about how Jesus came for the weak ones.  For the ones who are wobbling in their faith and feel unloved.  How our King came building His Kingdom by caring for the weak, hurting, unstable.  How He made it His mission to rebuild what the world and the devil thought they had destroyed.  God is good.

We have such hope.  Jesus made sure that He felt everything we feel.  He made sure that we know that the smallest detail matters to Him.  He identifies with the hungry, the outcast, the lonely.  He knows how it feels making decisions that will bring us pain but it is the right thing to do.  He faced that temptation in the garden when he prayed to the Father…"O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will" Matthew 26:39.  A hard prayer to pray.  I can feel his longing here.  In that same verse it says that He fell on His face and prayed.  How many times have we been so distraught or hopeless that we fell on our face before the Lord?  I have found myself there more times than I care to remember.  I have been to the point of despair that I thought I was going to vomit from it but He brought me through.  My body, my mind, my heart couldn't take the pain but my FAITH was/is in Him.  That is our LORD.  He is our SAVIOR.

He meets us in the Philippines, in the US…wherever we are

Makes me think of the song, "I give myself away, so you can use me".  Jesus did it and we can do it too.  He understands us.  He loves us.  He knows us.  We are not alone in this walk.

If you are on a mountain top, in the valley or somewhere in between, God is there.  Yes, it is a simple message and that's OK.  I like simple.

I hope you encounter God today.  Have a BLESSED DAY!!!

God the Help of Those Who Seek Him

I am not always sure what to write about and today was no exception.  Some days I have lots to say but today I just kept getting stuck.  This scripture is on my heart for someone, I don't know who that someone is so I will post it on my blog.  If this scripture is for you, God has put you on my heart today and I am praying for you.

Psalms 121 NKJV

1-I will lift up my eyes to the hills-

From whence comes my help?

2-My help comes from the Lord, 

Who made heaven and earth.

3-He will not allow your foot to be moved;

He who keeps you will not slumber.

4-Behold, He who keeps Israel

Shall neither slumber nor sleep.

5-The Lord is your keeper;

The Lord is your shade at 

Your right hand.

6-The sun shall not 

Strike you by day, 

Nor the moon by night.

7-The Lord shall preserve you from all evil;

He shall preserve your soul.

8-The Lord shall preserve your going out

And your coming in

From this time forth,

And even 

Forevermore.

I hope you all have a blessed day and that you can see God's hand moving your lives.  Remember, He is our source, not our jobs, our family, our friends, our money, our government…GOD is our source.  It's great to know that.  It's a load off my mind to know that I cannot do it alone and He never designed me that way in the first place.  He made created me with the knowledge that I need HIM.  And I know that I need Him always.  

What's In Your Purse???

Some of my favorites.  Yes, this is the purse I just cleaned out.
Can you imagine carrying around that purse, FULL?

Every so often my husband will ask me for a paper that we have misplaced.  I will go about looking for it and I usually end up cleaning out my purse because we all know that a women's purse becomes her filing cabinet at times.  This morning was no different.  We needed to find Henry's registration form for preschool and I went to my purse.  Not there.  But it did give me the opportunity to clean out my purse.

My son in law asked me if women have purses to carry their stuff in or every one's stuff in.  Yes, my purse was full of receipts (like 10 from the grocery store, you know the big ones), church bulletins, medicine, makeup, hair ties, jewelry, the bottom was covered in change, and of course I had the essentials like wallet, checkbook, glasses (reading and sun), static spray, mouth spray, cough drops, pens and pencils, erasers…whew thats a lot of stuff for one purse.  No wonder it was so heavy.  But it is all clean now.

I always tell myself that I am not going to let my purse get so cluttered any more.  I do well for a week, maybe two and then its back to filing all the stuff.  I get in a hurry and don't even think about cleaning it out and you know what they say, "out of sight, out of mind".  I find that I am that way about a lot of things.  It contributes to my clutter in my house and the clutter in the trunk of my car.  I just put things in a room and the only thing I am doing is moving the clutter so I don't have to look at it…out of sight, out of mind.  But then there is that day I can no longer take it or I need to use the room and I start de-cluttering.  The whole time I am beating myself up for letting it get this bad and vowing to never let it happen again.

I think we are like this a lot in our spiritual lives.  We put off the reading of the word and praying only to find out that we are unprepared when we need to draw on it's strength in times of need.  We know the scripture, Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against thee. Psalm 119:11, unfortunately we haven't hid anything in our hearts because we neglected cleaning out the clutter.  We have filled that room in our hearts with other things and now we really need it.

 I had so many unnecessary items in my purse.  I had tons of used wrappers and Kleenex, why didn't I just throw these items away when I was finished with them?  Instead, I stored them, carried them around, pushed them aside…crazy when I know that I would never use this trash again.  My purse was so heavy that I hated picking it up…speaks volumes about how our lives get so filled with unnecessary things that we are heavy burdened, unable to get up or don't want to get up.  Our hearts are full of unforgiveness, bitterness, disillusionment, hurts from the past, fears of the future…we are holding on to things that we should have thrown out a long time ago.  We are so full of the past that we have no where to put the future.  TIME FOR A CLEANING!

Only carry the necessary items in your "purse".  De-clutter your heart and mind.  Make sure you have the Word of God in there.  Jesus said, Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart; you shall find rest unto your souls.  My yoke is easy and my burden is light.
 -Matthew 11:29 & 30.  I would rather carry His yoke than my own.

Today clean the clutter.  This will only add to your BLESSED LIFE.

What's The Word On Your Street????

I was walking on the beach praying,  I looked down and found
this rock shaped like a heart.  I took it as God's sign to say
Kimi, I love you, I hear you.  I will keep it forever.

I am sitting here watching Henry roll around on the floor but keeping his eyes on the TV.  He is watching Sesame Street.  The word on the street is QUEST.  This is one episode that Henry will love because he loves knight things.  He likes Mike the Knight and swords and horses.  The thought came to my mind, What's the word on your street?  I could put it this way, "What is the word for your day?"

Our words have such power.  Life and death is in the power of the tongue.  We have the authority to speak good things into our own lives.  Sesame Street takes a word and builds a whole show around that word.  We can do the same thing.  Take a word and build our day around it.  If it is too hard to take the whole day then start with an hour.

If you took the word POSITIVE and built your day around being positive, thinking positive, speaking positive, praying positive, your day would be positive.  It may sound simplistic but it works.  In January, I chose a word for the year, Change.  I can see how my life has changed in so many ways.  I have written about change and I have focused on change.  Now, not all the change has been easy or comfortable or wanted but I knew that word was going to dictate my year.  I knew this because there were plans being made that were changing my life forever.  I have found that one change usually leads to another.  So I am embracing the changes as much as I can.  Taking them as they come and dealing with my feelings as they come.

Today my word is love.  I am not eliminating my word of the year but today I am embracing love.  I will focus on things that I love.  I love my family, my friends, my community, my grandson's laugh, taking photos, writing, God, His forgiveness, His love, His grace….see, it's easy to get started and hard to stop.  What will your word/focus for the day be?

Yes, I love love love the beach and shells and sand…
Only 3 months from today I will be back at my beach!!! 

Join the Celebration

Well, I have to tell you all that I am sick again.  This winter has been hard on me with colds.  This time, it came at me hard.  So I am staying in and laying around.  I have been moving very slowly so I am just getting to write today.  I had to wait for my medicine to wear off so I can think clearly.  I am writing through watery eyes and with tissues on my face.  Not pretty at all.

I wanted to share with you today something that I read this morning.  It's about celebration and gratitude.  This is from You Version app, Lent for Everyone by N.T. Wright.

"We today fast during Lent, to remind ourselves of the sorrow and sin that still abounds in the world and in our own lives.  But we do so as a people whose basic mode of life is celebration.  God has brought the new world into being, in and through, Jesus.  Don't try and put the new cloth on the old garment or the new wine into the old bottles.  God is making everything new, and He's inviting us to the party."


Don't you just love to think of how He makes all things new.  We were in the midst of our sin and He still pulled us up out of that mess.  Joy comes in the morning.  We wake up and even though things may not be completely as we like them to be, every morning brings with it the the hope of newness.
It is exciting and a reason to celebrate.  Jesus wipes the mess away and leaves us clean and refreshed.

If this is not how your day starts then maybe you should start your day with Jesus.  He will give you a new perspective and renewed hope for the future.

Someone sent this to me and it rings true.

I hope everyone enjoys their weekend.  Look around and see how you are living a BLESSED LIFE.

Yes, I Will Take The Pee...

This morning has been one of colds, stomach pain, computer problems, pee on the floor, washing undies and pants only to forget the socks that were also soaked in pee.  But finally, I got the little man cleaned up, the floor mopped up, the computer started working and I got to do my Lent readings.  To say that I felt like going right back to bed would be an understatement.  I have to honestly say that my readings helped me tremendously.  The prayer at the end of my devotional on You Version said, "Lord of wind and sea, help us to follow you, whatever the questions, wherever you lead."  I absolutely love that prayer.  God is moving in the midst of my mess this morning.  It is amazing that He can speak to us when we are in the midst of potty training.  He is amazing.

iPad Mini, Grammy's coffee & Henry's drink

I received an iPad Mini for Christmas from my wonderful hubby.  I had the original iPad and gave it to my nephew when I received the iPad 3 but I gave the 3 to my son when he returned from Africa.  I have found that I get much more use of the Mini than I did the iPad 3.

I love the size and how it fits right in my purse.  I use it at every service for a monitor when I am leading worship and then when I sit down, I use the Bible app.  I downloaded the Kindle app because they have a lot more books available.  I am enjoying that app every single day.  It holds its charge all day.  I thought about recommending it earlier but I truly wanted to make sure that I would use it for more than just an extra computer.  I can honestly say that I love this iPad Mini.  Henry likes it too because he can watch Daniel Tigers Neighborhood on it whenever he wants to.  And it's so light that he can carry it, no problem.

I like it when a plan comes together.  Now, even though I have only one working nostril, and my head feels like it wants to explode, at least I can read a little with words big enough for this girl with aging eyes.(lol)

I am going to find the things to be thankful for today.  I am going to concentrate on my Blessed Life.
You know if my grandson wasn't here I wouldn't have had pee on the floor but I would rather him be here.  So I will take the pee along with the hugs and love.  It's a good life.  Enjoy your day!!

Finding the Waters of Life

I read this morning a devotion by N.T. Wright.  He said that during lent we are sending out our roots to find the waters of Life.  "Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, and whose hope in the Lord.  For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, which spreads out its roots by the river and will not fear when heat comes; but it's leaf will be green, and will not be anxious in the year of drought, nor will cease from yielding fruit." Jeremiah 17:7 & 8

Right now we are in the season of lent.  Some are fasting meals, sweets, sodas, electronics…etc.  It isn't in what you are fasting, it is the sacrifice.  The denying of ourselves, lusts, expectations, distractions.  We are allowing God to fill what we have tried to fill with other things.  We are deepening our roots and sending them out looking for what gives us true life.

Teaching the children at Friday Night Light

In America, we seem to be in a constant state of controversy.  Our leaders and small groups of people are attacking our Christian beliefs and convictions.  Of course it seems like it is the majority who are leading these attacks when its 4 or 5% of the American population.  But they have the main stream media on their side and driving the discord in America.

Making a big fish…Jonah and the big fish

Now is the time that the Church needs to fast and pray.  Send out our roots to the water of life.  if we don't then we are the ones who will be responsible for the continual decline of our Christian values and beliefs.  We can no longer push the blame onto others.  It is not societies fault or the teachers in our schools.  We place more value on having the next gadget or the biggest house or being respected than we do on the spiritual health of our children and grandchildren.  We stand back and let others fill our kids minds with liberal, unhealthy, anti christian garbage.  We expect other Christians to fight the fight while we fly under the radar trying to keep the peace with a world that is against us.  This is a battle, not against flesh and blood.  We are battling powers of darkness.  The only weapon that satan has is the darkness.  He covers us in darkness so that we cannot see what is truly going on out there or even in our own hearts and minds.  The great thing is that Jesus is not only our water of life but He is the Light of the World.

Lent isn't only a Roman Catholic thing.  It is for all Christians all over the world.  It is the time on the Christian calendar to unite in our prayer time and renewal.  Just think of it, Christians, all over the world are participating in this special time.  Prayers are being offered up at all times.  We are realigning ourselves with our source.  It is amazing.  We can change the world.

Heal our land, as we humble ourselves and pray.  America the Beautiful needs your healing hand today.  Forgive our sins and set us free as we humbly bow to thee.  Heal our Land.-Ronald S. Estep

Seasons

On this rainy day I find myself dreaming of warm skies and balmy sea breezes.  I can feel the sun on my face and the sand on my feet.  Music is playing quietly from my iPhone and there is a book in my hands.  My children are in the water and Bo is in the chair next to me.  Henry is playing in the sand with all his toys and of course he is talking.  Yes, I can place myself there at any given moment, in my mind.  But then someone says something to me and brings me back to reality.  The reality of dark skies, cold and rainy, dreary day.  But as we know, life is all about seasons.

We go through many seasons if we live long enough.  Not just weather seasons but seasons of living.  We really don't realize this until we have lived through a couple of doozies.  Like the baby season.  When you have a newborn, you feel like sleep will never be a part of your life again but then all of a sudden he/she sleeps all night and you rejoice.  We have a Newlywed season in the first year(s) of marriage.  We go through dry seasons. In this season its is the routine of life that gets us through.  We have seasons of change.  Sometimes it feels like nothing is familiar and everything is changing.  Some people live for this particular season and some dread it.  I think I fall somewhere in the middle.

The upside of snow…Scovia

Finding the joy of this season…Kelcie

Every season has it's precious moments and challenges.  But every season has a lesson.  The great thing to know that no matter what the season of your life, God is God.  He can bring us through the trials and He can help us with our temptations.  What we have to do is call on Him.  There are times when God wants us to realize that it is not us but Him who pulls us up out of our mess.  Some say that they pulled themselves up by their own boot straps but that is a false statement.  You can't do it on your own.  It's in Him we live, move and have our being.  We have to come to the end of ourselves to find what true happiness/contentment is.  When we enter that season, we become true givers, lovers, Sons and Daughters of God.  He is our source of everything good.

Every good gift and perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning.
-James 1:17 NKJV

I will continue to daydream about my beach vacations and sunny days.  Hope is a good thing.  I know that I am truly living a BLESSED LIFE no matter what my circumstances might say.  You know why?  Because I AM LIVING!!!!

Kelcie

Missing my Kelcie Lorraine today.  Some days it seems like she has been at college forever but I know it has just been a couple of weeks.  So I am going to post some pics of my baby girl.  

Juliana and Kelcie…pajama day at school

Kelcie, Jake and Juliana Christmas Morning 2009

Jenna and Kelcie at 80's Youth Night

Kelcie and Mom Mom Alice 

Sr. Prom…one of my favorite pics

Hatteras Ice Cream shop 

Yes, Kelcie and Tori cleaning at the church

Exploring on Hatteras

Crazy girl

Lent…to sweet or not to sweet

There was a woman who had decided to give up sweets and fast until 3pm everyday for Lent.  She knew she was asking a lot of herself but she was going to try.  She had actually missed the first day of Lent because she couldn't decide what she wanted to do so she was going to start Thursday morning.

This woman told her husband after church Ash Wednesday about her plans as he was bringing in a huge chocolate cake with butter cream icing that read, "I Love You."  She said well, since I am starting tomorrow, I can have a slice tonight.  There are many people who come in and out of her house that she thought could eat the cake without it being too much of a temptation although, sweets are her greatest temptation.  The woman and the man each have a small sliver of cake and put it in the fridge for another day.  Off to bed they go dreaming sweet dreams.  

On Thursday morning there is a knock at the woman's bedroom door.  In walks the woman's son, "Happy Valentine's Day Mom.  These are from all of us.  We all pitched in and got you a box of Godiva truffles.  One box for you and one box for dad."  Thank you.  Happy Valentine's Day to you too, the woman replies.  Now she has a huge cake in her fridge and a box of Godiva chocolate truffles on her bedside table.  She thinks to herself, This is going to be hard.  

The day goes on with appointments and family stuff.  Her belly is growling because of no food until 3pm, so she stays busy and tries not to think of it.  THEN, at 2:00pm the garage door opens and in walks her son again with a huge box that has just been delivered.  The box says, SHARI'S BERRIES!!!!!  OH MY GOSH, she says, are these for me?  Yup her son replies, Dad sent them.  Laughter starts rising in the room and she realizes that she is the one laughing.  Her son says, OPEN IT UP, PLEASE…I came home early just so I could be here when these arrived.  Inside the huge box was 2 dozen chocolate covered huge strawberries!!  24 berries!  

Her mouth begins to water and her belly is rumbling so loud and hard it hurts.  She knows that she has at least one hour before she can eat, anything.  Now, what to do about the whole sweets thing?  Should she or shouldn't she?  What to do, what to do?  She has never received so many sweets from others at one time in her life.  It has been two days of sweet gifts or should I say, sweet love.  

Well, now it's 3 pm and she walks into her kitchen, opens up the box of berries and…YUP, they were delicious just as she knew they would be.  She ate three at one time.  She had decided that she would not put these gifts aside, yes, she is still fasting every day until 3pm but she will eat berries, cake and truffles between 3 pm and 10 pm (at least one of the three).  

Confession my friends is good for the soul.  Yes, she loves God and believes that Lent is very important in her Christian Faith.  Fasting and praying and sacrifice are all part of her life.  But so is her family and of course right now, SWEETS!!! (lol)  

Would you have eaten the sweets as this wife, mother, woman did? Please respond.  I would like to know but please be kind.  You know we like it sweet here.

Have a blessed weekend!!!!

Celebrating Love Is Always A Good Idea

Flowers from Bo

I have been doing a lot of reading this morning about how people have a strong dislike for Valentine's Day.  Even the ones who have a love are writing things like, "I don't need a day to dictate to me when I should show someone that I love them." or "this is a holiday created by the card industry to suck us all in and make us feel pressure to shower our loves with gifts of candy, cards and flowers.".   Well to all the Valentine's Day haters I have this to say, celebrating love is always a good idea.  I like that we have a day dedicated to love.  Of course you are to show your love everyday but isn't it great that we have a specific day that focuses on LOVE.  Your Valentine does not have to be a boyfriend/girlfriend or spouse.  Your Valentine can be your child, grandchild, best friend…it's just about love.

Cake from Bo

The loves of my life are my family.  Bo, Jake, Scovia, Juliana, Aaron, Kelcie & Henry are all my Valentine's.  I am full of love for these people.  You cannot love too much.  They own me…FACT!!!  I will never stop loving them.  Love is a great thing.  It is a living, breathing thing.  It is the driving force behind most of what we do.  Love compels us to give, to have compassion, to work, to sacrifice, to compromise…Love, love love!!!

Henry asked me yesterday for some cake.  I said, "how about we make cupcakes?"  Well he was super happy about that.  This is the first time he licked the beater.  We had a great time and then he gave his Mommy and Step Daddy his cupcakes and homemade cards.  He just lit up giving to people he loves…That is what Valentine's Day is.

You can give without loving but you cannot love without giving…Bishop Ronald D. Estep

He said, "I'm gonna yick (lick) it"