“Be willing to go out on a limb with Me. If that is where I am leading you, it is the safest place you will be. Your desire to live a risk-free life is a form of unbelief. Your longing to live close to Me is at odds with your attempts to minimize risk. You are approaching a crossroads in your journey. In order to follow Me wholeheartedly, you must relinquish your tendency to play it safe.” Jesus Calling – December 9th – Sarah Young

“Make ME your focal point of your search for security. In your private thoughts, you are still trying to order your world so that it is predictable and feels safe. Not only is this an impossible goal, but it is also counterproductive to spiritual growth. When your private world feels unsteady and you grip My hand for support, you are living in conscious dependence of Me.” Jesus Calling – December 10th – Sarah Young
For two days in a row, the message I have been hearing is a LOUD one. TAKE RISKS! Be willing to go out on a limb with Him…it’s the safest place to be. That’s scary to think about isn’t it? Limbs aren’t very sturdy. If it breaks while we are on it, we fall. That’s the nature of gravity. How can that be the safest place to be? I think we find the answer by reading the next statement in the devotion…”Your desire to live a risk-free life is a form of unbelief.” If we step out on the limb we are TRUSTING and BELIEVING in the one who has called us out on to it. I can testify to this truth.

Many times in my life he has called me out of my comfort zone to stretch me and grow me in ways I never knew I could grow. I could have played it safe and chosen not to take the risk, but I would not be the person I am today had I not. I left home and went to college – RISK! I married the only love I ever knew – RISK! I interviewed for a job – RISK! I left that job to be a mom – RISK! I started a company with my husband – RISK! We moved to the Hill Country – RISK! I started a blog to point to my Savior – RISK!

Last week, that risk led to the very unexpected. Max Lucado shared part of our difficult yet beautiful story with his church…7 branches of Oak Hills Church totalling over 10,000 people with a podcast that reaches beyond state boundaries. People from all around the world heard that JESUS is ENOUGH! His Holy word reveals God’s plan for salvation for you and for me. Isn’t that beautiful!!! I won’t lie and tell you that it was easy to sit and hear about our not so perfect life being told. Tears swelled up in all of us as we listened and processed what was being said, but we wouldn’t trade any of the pain for the beauty and expansion of God’s Kingdom that has taken place.

Don’t be afraid to step out on YOUR limb that God is calling you out on. TRUST HIM! Be vulnerable and willing to go where He leads. He WILL NOT fail you.

“Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, Lord, have never forsaken those who seek you.” Psalm 9:10

https://player.vimeo.com/external/147863214.sd.mp4?s=64f1f323f2d9eb262c1cff3042ff989e6f61fddc&profile_id=112

Advent is my all time favorite season of the year. There is a magic in the air anticipating Christmas coming. This anticipation has been around long before we were even a thought in our momma’s eyes. The Shepherds that were keeping a watch over their flock were visited by an angel of the Lord, and the glory of the Lord shone around them. The Holy word tells us they were terrified. “But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you GOOD NEWS of GREAT JOY that will be for ALL the people. Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.” Suddenly a GREAT company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying,

“GLORY to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.”
Luke 2:10-14

Can you imagine being one of the Shepherds? How would you process what you had seen and been told? They were frightened yet comforted by the news. After the angel left they responded. They GOT up and they WENT to SEE the baby in the manger. After they saw with their own eyes they continued to GO and spread the good news to all people. I am so grateful for those Shepherds!

I am frightened by what I see in our world. Yesterday’s news in California was similar to the news a few weeks before in Colorado and a few weeks before that in Paris. This world is a scary place, BUT our Lord is COMING! He is coming again and this time He is coming to RESTORE and make things NEW.

“Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.” He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making EVERYTHING NEW!” Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and TRUE.” Romans 21:3-5

This is why I LOVE CHRISTMAS! It’s the anticipation and hope of the 2nd coming of our Savior that I desire the most. As we wait in eager anticipation we have a call to do something just like the Shepherds. What will we do with what we have seen and heard? We CAN NOT allow fear to stop us. We have to continue to spread the good news of our Lord Jesus Christ and be a blessing to those around us. So who will you bless this Christmas? Who needs to hear some good news? Who needs comfort in their mourning that one day their tears will be wiped away? We can bring them the HOPE they need to hear. Let’s get to telling it and be the blessing.

“And at the last, this is what will determine a fulfilling, meaningful life, a life that, behind all the facades, every one of us longs to live: gratitude for the blessings that expresses itself by becoming the blessing. ” Ann Voskamp

Few seconds remain on the clock, the home team is down by one and their free throw shooter is up for two shots for the win. We’ve all seen this scene many times but not this particular one. This free throw shooter is blind. The crowd is silenced to a pin drop. The cheerleaders are still, and all you can hear is the tapping of a cane underneath the goal by the coach…the free throw shooters brother. He takes the first shot and swoosh the shot goes in tieing the game. The crowd cheers in disbelief but gains control and goes silent again hoping for another basket. Everyone on the team and in the crowd can see except Matt Steven, a high school senior at Upper Darby, PA. He listens for his brother’s tapping of the cane and takes the second shot…SWOOSH the ball goes in and the crowd goes wild. The visitors get the rebound and throws a Hail Mary at the other basket and misses.  Matt is the game hero trying to make it back to the bench and who comes to help him…BIG BROTHER.

I read this true story account this week in the book, “You’ll Get Through This” by Max Lucado that my mother-in-law left behind as a gift for her son. I have only been able to read one chapter at a time as there are so many nuggets of truth to process and take away. This chapter started with this 2009 Inspirational ESPN story but ended with an even more inspirational truth that hit home for me this Thanksgiving week. Big brothers can make all the difference. I love the way Max paints the picture of what a big brother is, “Got bullies on your block? Big brother can protect you. Forgot your lunch money? Big brother has some extra. Can’t keep your balance on your bike? He’ll steady you. Call your big brother. Big brother. Bigger than you. Stronger. Wiser. Since he is family you are his priority. He has one job: to get you through things. Through the neighborhood, without getting lost; through the math quiz, without failing; through the shopping mall, without stopping. Big brothers walk us through the rough patches of life. Need one?”

I’ve never had a big brother, but I am a big sister and do understand the desire to protect her and keep her safe from the ugly of this world. My heart yearns to help her get through this life and all of its curve balls that it throws. As much as I try, I often fall short but we all have a BIG BROTHER that never does.

“He stretched out His hand toward His disciples and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother'” (Matthew 12:49-50).

Wow! He claimed us as His own. Jesus redefined his family to include all who come near him. What a remarkable gift to have a big brother who always has my back. Who helps see me through my darkest days and who longs for me to draw near to him. I can count on him and you can too.

This Thanksgiving looks different for my family. There will be empty chairs, but we have invited more to join us to bring more JOY to the table. I stayed up last night making an ALL BUTTER cake, a cake Ryan’s mom used to make. We will enjoy this recipe for years to come and we are grateful. There are many of you who have a family member that will be missing from your table for the first time. I am so sorry for your loss. Some of us are experiencing brokenness of family. I am so sorry for your brokenness. But we all have been given a BIG BROTHER that invites us to draw near to him. I pray as you gather around your Thanksgiving tables today that you will draw near to the best gift we have ever been given. I love that we can call Him our Savior, Lord, Father, Abba, Friend and now BIG BROTHER! It was in His perfect timing that I read this chapter this week to know that we belong to the GREATEST family!

I love these final words of the chapter, “You will get through this. Not because you are strong but because your Brother is. Not because you are good but because your Brother is. Not because you are big but because your big Brother is the Prince, and he has a place prepared for you.

Happy THANKSGIVING to all our Friends and Family! We do have so much to be THANKFUL for!!!  Blessings always!!!  #gloryup

The grocery store is one of my least favorite things to do as a mom. It ranks right up there with laundry. Yuck! It’s especially not fun when there is nothing left in the pantry, and you are forced to go on a Monday after work in order to provide a meal for your family. That was me this week.

I picked up Lexi from basketball practice and decided to take her with me to save me the trip home. She was hot, sweaty and tired but never complained about going. In fact, she changed my dreaded trip into pure JOY! After getting our buggy we decided to head to the opposite side of the store to start with the cleaning supplies first. We were walking past the check out aisles when Lexi saw a friend from school. She shouted her name and ran to embrace her. When the girl turned around to see her she lit up and started jumping up and down. They hugged and then the sweet friend kissed Lexi on her cheek over and over with excitement. This was no ordinary friend. She was one of the special needs friends that Lexi sat with at lunch. The mom of this precious girl and I were watching the most beautiful exchange of love and friendship right in the middle of lane 7 at HEB. We were both speechless. I then began to approach her and reached out my hand to meet her. This moment will be one I will never forget.

After saying our goodbyes, Lexi and I continued to push our buggy towards our destination. My eyes swelled up with tears as I looked at Lexi and told her what a pure heart she had and how much I loved that about her. She looked back at me and said, “Mom, she’s the one with the pure heart.” After Lexi shared those words, my eyes were opened to see things the way Lexi saw them. I thought about her precious friend and the way she sees life is very different than the way we see it. I had only met her for a few brief minutes but in that time I could see a little girl with CONTAGIOUS JOY. She didn’t think about going to a grocery store as a dreaded chore but as an adventure. The Lord had given me a new set of eyes that could really see.

Sometimes we think we are seeing things correctly when in reality we aren’t seeing things very clearly at all. Saul experienced God on his way to Damascus as he brought about murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples. A light from heaven flashed around him and he fell to the ground as he heard the Lord say, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?”

He was blind for three days and did not eat or drink. Can you imagine not being able to see? Can you imagine when Saul was given his sight back?

Then Ananias went to the house and entered it. Placing his hands on Saul, he said, “Brother Saul, the Lord—Jesus, who appeared to you on the road as you were coming here—has sent me so that you may see again and be filled with the Holy Spirit.” Immediately, something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes, and he could see again. He got up and was baptized, and after taking some food, he regained his strength.  Acts 9:1-19

Saul became Paul, the Apostle, who went on to spread the gospel of Jesus Christ through this conversion experience. It’s easy in our dark world to allow it to bruise us and dim our eyes to the beauty that is around us. I am guilty of allowing it to happen to me just this week before going into the grocery store. I am grateful for my moment when He opened my eyes to see His rich love reaching out through two precious girls. How about you? When was the last time you were able to see like He sees?

Precious Father, thank you for giving us eyes to see. Help us not to take our sight for granted and help us to see your world and your people the way you do. Help us Lord, not to grow cold and calloused from the dark that surrounds us. Keep our hearts soft and teachable so we can be a JOY to others and that they may be able to SEE you through us. If there is something that is keeping us from being able to see, reveal it to us. Just like Paul we want to have an awakening of your truth and love. We love you TOO Father!  Thank you for hearing us when we pray. Amen

World War I, “The Great War”, officially ended on June 28, 1919 outside the town of Versailles, France when the Treaty of Versailles was signed. The actual fighting of the war had ceased seven months earlier when an armistice between the Allied nations and Germany went into effect the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month. For that reason, November 11, 1918, is regarded as the end of “the war to end all wars.” The following year, President Wilson proclaimed November 11 as the first commemoration of Armistice Day with the following words: “To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country’s service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nations.” Source

History means so much more to me now than when I was a student learning it. Over the years, I have come to appreciate the importance of understanding our past as it shapes us into who we are today and into our tomorrow. I love that November 11th has significance.  The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month is when the fighting stopped. Can you imagine the angels in Heaven rejoicing? I believe they were just like I believe they rejoice when we stop and pay respect to those who have served this great country then and now. Many of you attended programs in schools and churches across our nation yesterday. If it was anything like the one our daughter participated in, there was a Presentation and Posting of the Colors, reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance, singing of The Star Spangled Banner, a moment of silence followed by a 21-gun salute and a POW/MIA Remembrance. Chill bumps ran up my body as each shot went off and I remembered those fallen. Veterans filled the gymnasium and kleenex were passed between grandmother and mother as they shed tears hearing the sweet voices and students honoring our Veterans. Ashley had the honor of introducing her peers that shared their personal essay of what Veteran’s Day means to them. One boy wrote that his grandfather was his hero as he fought in Vietnam and had died only two years ago. Now he says every time he hears the Pledge of Allegiance and goes to church he remembers his grandfather fondly. Another boy wrote of his own dad who is active in the Coast Guard and pilot, and when he grows up he wants to be just like him. Please pass the tissue…insert tears! Guest Speaker, Gunnery Sergeant Samuel Castro, shared words that inspired all of us to exude honor, courage and commitment just like those who serve.

The conclusion of the ceremony was my favorite as they invited the Veterans to come to the center of the gym as they sang, “Thank you, Soldiers” and passed out homemade gifts the students crafted in class. It was a beautiful ceremony that certainly was solemn and respectful and honored our Veterans well. It inspired me to see the student’s lead the program themselves. Each student that spoke would pause before speaking as they waited for complete silence from their peers in the audience. For a moment in time even during this program, bickering and arguing had stopped. As I observed and thought about the significance of this day I began to think about how each of us has a role to play when it comes to continuing the pride of this great nation that so many fought and paid the ultimate price. What would our world look like if each of us chose to treat each other with HONOR? What if we all had the COURAGE to try to bring peace instead of war? What if we made the COMMITMENT to be our own soldier fighting against the wars in our life?

“Do not repay evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everybody. If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. Do not take revenge, my friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do NOT be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.” Romans 12:17-21

God’s word never ceases to speak. When we hear it, it causes us to respond either in obedience or rebellion. These verses call us to be at peace as far as it depends on US, to not repay evil for evil and to love our enemies. What a challenge for us all but oh the rejoicing in Heaven when we do it. I hope you too will find the honor, courage and commitment to be a mighty soldier willing to fight for peace! Thank YOU to all of our Veterans including my own dad who fought in the Vietnam War and served in the US Army. He will always be one of my heroes. I love you dad! #gloryup

Odds are if you are reading this that you have experienced some level of hurt and pain in your lifetime. None of us are immune from experiencing it. We live in a topsy turvy world, where up is down and down is up. Jesus even warns us prior to his return that family will even turn on family. What?

“Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.” Luke 12:51-53

Those words bother me. It leaves me unsettled and wondering why. What did he mean by that and how in the world can I keep it from happening to my own family? As I often do when I don’t understand the text itself I refer to the footnotes for clarification. This is what it says, “In these strange and unsettling words, Jesus revealed that his coming often results in conflict. He demands a response, so intimate groups may be torn apart when some choose to follow him and others refuse to do so. There is no middle ground with Jesus. Loyalties must be declared and commitments made, sometimes to the point of severing other relationships.”

That is a tough pill to swallow for this girl that considers family everything. How about you? So the next question I ask is does Jesus like this conflict and want this conflict to happen. Knowing his character and who he is and what he stands for the astounding answer is NO! Division is not from God but from the enemy himself. Satan has a mission and it is to keep us from following our Lord and Savior. He will stop at nothing to destroy. We must keep our armor on and be ready for the battlefield at all times and declare that we will fight against him and WIN.

So how do we fight? This is so important for us to understand because often how we fight can be the very reason for the division. We often feel that we have to point out the wrong and then the finger points back with rejection and a hardening of hearts happens along with unforgiveness on both sides. The hurt is real. Who is winning in the pointing of fingers? No one except for Satan and a bigger divide occurs. What a master he is at slithering his evil ways in but our God IS BIGGER…He offers MERCY when it is NOT deserved. He offers it to every single one of us, the believer and non-believer alike.  I know many of us can recall seasons of our life where God showed up and showed us mercy when we deserved the opposite. The apostle Paul recalls his own season of scoffing at Jesus’s teachings and hunting and murdering God’s people before coming to faith in Christ. “Even though I was once a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent man, I was shown mercy because I acted in ignorance and unbelief. The grace of our Lord was poured out on me abundantly, along with the faith and love that are in Christ Jesus.” I Timothy 1:13-14

God LOVES unconditionally, forgives us many trips and falls in our life and helps us get back up on our feet over and over again. That’s an AMAZING God! In a world where up is down and down is up that leaves us disappointed, our God never does. THIS IS HOW WE FIGHT…we offer His mercy to others when they don’t deserve it. We forgive them when it’s hard even when the words have cut deeply and we walk along-side them and help them get back up. It’s messy and hard. It doesn’t come naturally. We have to seek God for it and He is generous to give. When we fight this way, others get a glimpse of who God really is. He LOVES us to death…literally and figuratively! He’s already shown us that, now it’s our time to show it to others. “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7

I don’t know about you, but I need mercy! I fall short daily, and I need his rich grace and mercy to be given to me when I don’t deserve it. When I receive it from someone in the flesh, I SEE HIM in that person and it overwhelms me. I hope to be able to give mercy and show his light to the world. Let’s fight the good fight against evil and keep our families in tact! Never forget who it is you are fighting in the battle…it’s not against the flesh, each other, it’s against the enemy of darkness. I refuse to let him take and steal from my family. Are you in for the fight!  Lord, have mercy!  AMEN!!!

“Red Out” Day at BHS

This week is significant to all of us, it’s Red Ribbon Week! Schools across the nation are campaigning to teach our children about the importance of saying “NO” to drugs. Most of them have clever and witty dress up themes to engage the students in participating. Our family has enjoyed joining in on the fun, but if we are not careful the week will pass by with the student’s only remembering their favorite theme day. It’s so much more than that…it’s about getting the facts about drugs and learning the truth verses the terrible lies that are robbing and stealing from our youth and even our adults. Did you know the most effective weapon in the war on drugs is EDUCATION? Let’s get to learning about them and sharing the message to: LIVE a drug-free life.

Our precious School Nurse is passionate about getting the message out and rallied our drum line this week to march with her down the halls to make a loud noise AGAINST drugs. Posters fill the hallways with testimonies from real students that tried it and know first hand the damage that it causes. My heart was moved to go visit her and see how I could help in sharing the truth. She gave me a folder full of statistics and pamphlets from the Drug Free World Organization. Here are some excerpts from “The Truth About DRUGS Activities Manual.”

“According to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime 2008 World Drug Report, an estimated 208 million people, or nearly 5 percent of the world’s population between the ages of 15 and 64, consume illegal drugs. This is an increase of 23 million drug users over 2004. Abuse of alcohol and illicit drugs cost society an estimated $276 billion annually. Substance abusers incur 300 percent higher medical costs than non-abusers. They are one-third less productive on the job and are 2.5 times more likely to be absent from work eight or more days a year. The most disturbing aspect of this problem is how drug abuse damages our youth and the threat this poses for the future of EVERY country. Young users suffer more illness, miss more days of school and are more prone to engage in criminal conduct.”

Even our local businesses have joined in the fight. Lexi and her Uncle, Dr. Tyler Ferris are Super Heroes against drugs!

So why do people take drugs and what drugs are they taking? Here is what our youth are telling us. They do drugs to fit in, to escape or relax, to relieve boredom, to seem grown-up, to rebel, to experiment. They think drugs are a solution but as we know drugs become the problem. SCARY!!!

Are you ready for this? The most commonly USED and ABUSED drug in the US is ALCOHOL. Alcohol related motor accidents are the second leading cause of teen death in the United States. The SECOND LEADING cause…you guys, this drug is stealing lives from us…innocent ones too. Drunk driving KILLS.

The most commonly used illegal drug is marijuana. 3.9% of the world’s population between the ages of 15 and 64 abuse marijuana, and this statistic was before COLORADO made it legal in their state. SCARY!

“DREAM BIG for your FUTURE” and JUST say NO to DRUGS!!!

These statistics are astounding, they really are, but the biggest impact made this week came from one of my oldest daughter’s teacher. It was supposed to be Spanish class where she learned about the new language she is being introduced to but this week the teacher paused to share about one of her former students. Tears came streaming down her face as she told it and before the end of the story over half the class was in tears too. The student had just come to her on a Friday before the bell rang for the weekend. He was overjoyed to learn that he had passed her test and was now passing her class…she remembers high-fiving him and telling him how proud she was of him. She never saw him again. His father found him that weekend after trying a new drug and overdosing. Her classroom had an empty seat. The graduating class lost one of their classmates, parents lost their son, friends had a piece of their heart taken from them all because of a stupid drug.

Friends, we have to speak truth into the lives of our youth. We can not be afraid to share with them the reality of the consequences of participating in alcohol and drugs. It causes so much more than death, it causes broken marriages, relationships and destruction is left in the wake. People are delivering babies into this world after they abuse drugs with the baby in the womb. The children are left with a life they didn’t choose and many of them have out of control behavior problems and learning disabilities.  Grandparents are raising these babies the best they can while their son or daughter sit in a prison cell. It absolutely breaks my heart and it breaks the heart of our LOVING Father! He wants SO MUCH MORE for all of us. I love the words Peter speaks, “BELOVED, I urge you as sojourners and exiles to ABSTAIN from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul.” 1 Peter 2:11

Yes, there is a war being waged against us! We have the power to say NO to it and live the life of abundance that is promised. The apostle John leaves us with this truth, “For everything in the world – the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does – comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.” 1 John 2:16-17  

Let’s get to LIVING!!!  #gloryup

The flashing lights caught my eye in my rear-view mirror this week. Yep, the police kind. I had just dropped off my middle one to school and my oldest and I were in en route to the High School. There’s a small school zone on this street that I always forget about and my heavy foot was noticed. I remained calm and told Catherine to get my license and insurance card ready as I made my way to the side of the road. I have never in my history of driving been given a warning, so my mind was already set on getting the ticket. I WAS GUILTY! As the police officer approached my window, I rolled it down with a small smile on my face. She asked me if I knew why she had pulled me over and I said, “I was going too fast wasn’t I?” She said,”Yes ma’am, where are you headed?” I continued to answer her questions and she took my information back to her patrol car while we waited.

My mind was busy thinking of a million things…why was I going so fast, I wasn’t in a hurry, how much is this going to cost, how do I tell Ryan, now I am going to be late and as each thought continued I grew upset at myself. The officer made her way back to my car just in time to rescue me from my thoughts. She handed me back my license and asked for a good telephone number where I could be reached. She typed it in her hand held device and printed out the slip of paper where I had to sign. She then uttered these words, “I am going to issue you a warning today, but I want you to slow down from now on.” I was so grateful! She had just pardoned me and showed me grace. WOW!

“I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, my sinful nature.” Romans 7:15-17
Paul understood very well what it meant to live with sinful nature and reveals to us some astounding truths in chapter 7. The footnote of my bible says this, “No one in the world is innocent; no one deserves to be saved – not the pagan who doesn’t know God’s laws, not the Christian or Jew who knows them and tries to keep them. All of us must depend totally on the work of Christ for our salvation. We can not earn it by our good behavior.” 

This is hard for us to swallow isn’t it? We are not good enough to earn our own salvation. It came in the form of a gift from God. He sent His son who came in OUR LIKENESS but had NO SIN to die for OUR SIN. God CONDEMNED SIN in sinful man through the work of Christ Jesus! PRAISE THE LORD! (These are notes that I took from Pastor John Free’s message just this past Sunday…God’s timing is so good.) Then we read the BEST NEWS in chapter 8! Are you ready for it…this one sentence overwhelms me. “Therefore, there is now NO condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me FREE from the law of sin and death.” Romans 8:1-2

Friends, this is GOOD NEWS! We as believers are pardoned everyday by an ALL LOVING FAITHFUL God. We don’t have to be good enough. JESUS IS BETTER! We sang these words on Sunday. My eyes closed and my palms open as I repeated them in AWE of HIM! Try it, I shared the song with you below. I want you to rest in this peace today knowing that our Jesus is BETTER than ALL! This truth stirs in me to do better, to follow the law as much as I can, with His help, so that others can see Him in me. I hope this truth does the same for you! There is nothing sweeter to me than to think someone is watching us and seeing our HOLY and LOVING God through us and they find Him and are no longer condemned in their own sin but are saved! We get to be a part of His Kingdom building in the here and now. How exciting!!!  #gloryup

You’ve heard the saying, “When the going gets tough, the tough gets going.” Well, it’s getting pretty tough around our house. The excitement of the new school year is worn off and the real work has begun…for all of us. There have been tears and hard talks coming from within our walls to help encourage and spur us to keep persevering, to give our very BEST and not to settle for anything else. The real battle that I see taking place is in the mind. The power of unbelief sneaks in and wreaks havoc on us before we even know what hit us.

Have you been there? Have you ever told yourself that you can’t do something because it just seemed too hard? Have you ever wanted to quit before you even started trying? Or maybe you have already determined in your mind that someone else is better than you so you might as well throw in the towel and let them win. Please allow me to speak some of God’s truth into you today, “Everything is possible for him who believes.” These are Jesus’s words he spoke to a father with a demon-possessed son in Mark 9:23. The father had asked for help from the disciples to drive out the demon but they had no success. When he saw Jesus walking up to the crowd he ran to him and petitioned for his help. “Jesus asked the boy’s father, “How long has he been like this?” “From childhood,” he answered. It has often thrown him into fire or water to kill him. But if you can do anything, take pity on us and help us.” “If you can?” said Jesus. “Everything is possible for him who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” Mark 9:21-24

Half of our battles can be won in recognizing and confessing our unbelief. He was talking to the SAVIOR of the world and still said IF YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. I love what the footnote of my bible says about verse 24, “The attitude of trust and confidence that the Bible calls belief or faith is not something we can obtain without help. Faith is a gift from God (Ephesians 2:8, 9). No matter how much faith we have, we never reach the point of being self-sufficient. Faith is not stored away like money in the bank. Growing in faith is a constant process of daily renewing our trust in Jesus.”

If you finish reading the chapter, you learn that Jesus does heal the boy! A miracle! The disciples come to him privately and want to know why they couldn’t drive out the demon. Jesus replied, “This kind can come out only by prayer” John 9:29. Let’s take another look at the footnote of verse 29, “The disciples would often face difficult situations that could be resolved only through prayer. Prayer is the key that unlocks faith in our lives. Effective prayer needs both an attitude – complete dependence – and an action – asking. Prayer demonstrates our reliance on God as we humbly invite him to fill us with faith and power. There is no substitute for prayer, especially in circumstances that seem impossible.”

Wow! So here’s our action steps to facing our fears and unbelief. First, we need to acknowledge our unbelief and confess it to Him. Next, we seek Him in asking for his help in prayer. He loves it when we come to Him. He is our great helper! We often times have to get out of the way of ourselves to allow Him the opportunity to come in and do what only He can do! This is when the impossible meets the POSSIBLE and the miracle happens. Remember, belief is a verb…it’s something that we do! Let’s get to doing it!  Never give up! #gloryup

Last week my cell phone rang at my desk at work. I’m not one to prefer talking on the phone. I enjoy texting and email if I am not going to have a face to face conversation, but this call was coming from a friend’s husband and I knew I had to answer it. After saying hello the voice on the other end sounded familiar yet different than I had ever heard it. He was reaching out for help for his wife and my heart hurt as I listened. She had been checked into a private drug and alcohol rehab center where people go to recover from the devastating effects of drug addiction and alcoholism. He asked if I would be willing to go and visit her. I of course said yes and tried to encourage him to hang in there as you could hear the weariness in his voice.

On Sunday after church, I found myself driving and praying the whole way to our visit. I had never been to one of these hospitals before, and I had no idea what to expect. When I arrived there was a guard on duty that greeted me at the closed gate. I had to give her my name, she checked the list to see if I was on it, and then proceeded to open the gate for me with instructions of where to park and go next. I was not allowed to bring anything in with me. My cell phone and purse had to remain in the car. I took my bible with me and checked in at the front desk. They issued me a name tag and went over the rules of the visitation. They paged my friend and she came out to greet me. We hugged briefly as we made our way out of the busy hallways that were full of families meeting, and we went outside to find a picnic table to visit under a shade tree. She did most of the talking, and I did most of the listening. She was raw and real with her life choices that had added up over time which caused her to find herself in this place. I just held her shaking hand as the wind blew through her hair and continued to pray while I listened. What I was hearing from this beautiful woman was a very BIG LIE that the world had been screaming at her since she was a little girl. “You’re not pretty enough, You’re not skinny enough, You’re not enough.”

LADIES, if you have heard these words silently in the back of your mind or even from someone you love STOP LISTENING! MEN, if you are speaking these words to a woman please STOP SPEAKING them. THEY ARE NOT TRUE! If you want a picture of what a REAL woman looks like take a visit to Proverbs 31:10-31.

“She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: “Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.” Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.” Proverbs 31:25-31

The Lord always amazes me with His timing. I met two other friends for coffee right after this visit where I was given the next study we are going to be doing together. The name of the book is 5 Conversations You Must Have With Your Daughter by Vicki Courtney. Seriously, the very first chapter of the book covers this very topic…YOU ARE MORE THAN THE SUM OF YOUR PARTS! Vicki goes into describing the women of the 19th Century and compares their dairies to the diaries of our day. Here’s a look into the Vintage Beauty Secrets, Circa 1890 according to Joan Jacobs Brumberg, author of The Body Project, “character was built on attention to self-control, service to others, and belief in God.” Here are some statistics from The Dove Foundation survey that polled women of today…60% of women strongly agreed that “society expects women to enhance their physical attractiveness,” 59% strongly agreed that “physically attractive women are more valued by men,” and finally 76% strongly agreed that they wished that female beauty was portrayed in the media as being made up of more than just physical attractiveness. The women of TODAY want beauty to be more about VIRTUE and less about VANITY! So let’s make it happen!

It starts with us! Let’s try to become the woman described in Proverbs 31! I want my daughter’s to see a woman that is confident in herself, who holds her head high and handles the affairs of her family well. I want to bring honor to my husband and see him well respected in all of his affairs. I want my daughters to know that their beauty goes farther than what they see in the mirror. The beauty that is from within is what is valued and brings so much LIGHT into our world. I want my girls to put themselves last and put others first! I want them to serve! I want them to LOVE and BELIEVE in our mighty and HOLY God who was and is to come. I want this for my friend who is struggling, I want this for every friend, and I want this for all of YOU! Believe it! Receive it and LIVE IT!!!  You are LOVED!!!  #gloryup